Category: MIL-OSI

Source: US FBI

ANCHORAGE – An Anchorage man was sentenced in federal court to a mandatory 10 years in prison by U.S. Chief District Judge Sharon L. Gleason for distributing methamphetamine in the Anchorage area.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Ruffy Alvarez, 39, trafficked large amounts of methamphetamine and cocaine from California into Alaska during 2016. He supplied these narcotics by the kilo to buyers throughout the Anchorage area. In November 2016, the FBI conducted an undercover operation resulting in the purchase of more than 135 grams of pure methamphetamine from Alvarez. An Alaska jury convicted Alvarez of the methamphetamine distribution following a three-day trial in June 2021.   

Alvarez was previously convicted in 2001 by a federal jury for his role trafficking kilos of cocaine from California into Alaska.

“Illegal drugs such as methamphetamine are an ongoing threat to communities throughout Alaska. We will continue to press forward with our efforts to dismantle and eradicate both the supply and distribution of all illegal drugs across our state,” said U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker for the District of Alaska. “This sentence sends a clear message that we will prosecute and hold accountable those who are harming our communities.”  

“Mr. Alvarez trafficked significant amounts of dangerous narcotics from California to Anchorage for distribution, posing a danger to Alaskans,” said Special Agent in Charge Antony Jung of the FBI Anchorage Field Office. “Through our robust law enforcement partnerships in Alaska, the FBI remains committed to disrupting the flow of deadly drugs into our communities, and to hold drug traffickers accountable.”   

The FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Anchorage Police Department and Alaska State Troopers investigated this case as part of the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force.  

Assistant U.S. Attorney George Tran and Emily Allen prosecuted the case.

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Source: US FBI

FAIRBANKS – A federal grand jury in Alaska returned a 31-count indictment charging two Fairbanks men with conspiracy, bank and wire fraud, aggravated identity theft and money laundering.

According to court documents, Jared Post, 25, and Levi Skulstad, 26, defrauded multiple banks and individuals they viewed as vulnerable to scams between 2017 and 2021, obtaining at least $500,000. Post and Skulstad contacted individuals who they called “Plays” via social media or in person and convinced the “Play” to share their bank account information under the pretense they needed to deposit a check into the “Play’s” account. Post or Skulstad then offered the “Play” a portion of the deposited check in return for use of the “Play’s” bank account.

Once the check posted in the “Play’s” account, Post or Skulstad logged in via the “Play’s” remote banking app and withdrew or transferred the funds electronically or directed the “Play” to transfer the funds to one of them via a cash app or Western Union. In reality, the checks Post and Skulstad deposited were stolen and fraudulently altered; and they withdrew the funds prior to the bank flagging the checks as fraudulent and reversing the transaction. The involved banks, the “Plays,” and the initial victim whose checks were stolen, were left paying losses and overdraft fees while Post and Skulstad made off with the cash.

If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison on the most serious indictment count and a mandatory sentence of two years in prison for each count of aggravated identity theft. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The Fairbanks Resident Agency of the FBI’s Anchorage Field Office, Alaska State Troopers, Fairbanks Police Department, Anchorage Police Department and the Vancouver, Washington, Police Department are investigating the case. The FBI’s Phoenix Field Office also assisted in the investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Tansey is prosecuting the case.

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

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Source: US FBI

          LOS ANGELES – An Illinois man was sentenced today to 24 months in federal prison for running websites that allowed paying users to launch powerful distributed denial of service, or DDoS, attacks that flood targeted computers with information and prevent them from being able to access the internet.

          Matthew Gatrel, 33, of St. Charles, Illinois, was sentenced by United States District Judge John A. Kronstadt.

          At the conclusion of a nine-day trial in September 2021, a federal jury found Gatrel guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit unauthorized impairment of a protected computer, one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and one count of unauthorized impairment of a protected computer.

          “Gatrel ran a criminal enterprise designed around launching hundreds of thousands of cyber-attacks on behalf of hundreds of customers,” prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memorandum. “He also provided infrastructure and resources for other cybercriminals to run their own businesses launching these same kinds of attacks. These attacks victimized wide swaths of American society and compromised computers around the world.”

          Gatrel owned and operated two DDoS facilitation websites: DownThem.org and AmpNode.com. DownThem sold subscriptions allowing customers to launch DDoS attacks while AmpNode provided “bulletproof” server hosting to customers with an emphasis on “spoofing” servers that could be pre-configured with DDoS attack scripts and lists of vulnerable “attack amplifiers” used to launch simultaneous cyberattacks on victims.

          Records from the DownThem service revealed more than 2,000 registered users and more than 200,000 launched attacks, including attacks on homes, schools, universities, municipal and local government websites, and financial institutions worldwide. Many AmpNode customers were themselves operating for-profit DDoS services.

          Gatrel offered expert advice to customers of both services, providing guidance on the best attack methods to “down” different types of computers, specific hosting providers, or to bypass DDoS protection services. Gatrel himself often used the DownThem service to demonstrate to prospective customers the power and effectiveness of products, by attacking the customer’s intended victim and providing proof, via screenshot, that he had severed the victim’s internet connection.

          Gatrel’s DownThem customers could select from a variety of different paid “subscription plans.” The subscription plans varied in cost and offered escalating attack capability, allowing customers to select different attack durations and relative attack power, as well as the ability to launch several simultaneous, or “concurrent” attacks. Once a customer entered the information necessary to launch an attack on their victim, Gatrel’s system was set up to use one or more of his own dedicated attack servers to unlawfully appropriate the resources of hundreds or thousands of other servers connected to the internet in what are called “reflected amplification attacks.”

          Co-defendant Juan Martinez, 29, of Pasadena, pleaded guilty in August 2021 to one count of unauthorized impairment of a protected computer and was sentenced to five years’ probation. Martinez was one of Gatrel’s customers and became a co-administrator of the site in 2018.

          The FBI’s Anchorage Field Office and its Los Angeles-based Cyber Initiative and Resource Fusion Unit investigated this matter. Akamai Technologies, Inc.; Cloudflare, Inc.; DigitalOcean, Inc.; Google, LLC; Palo Alto Networks – Unit 42; University of Cambridge Cyber Crime Centre; and Unit 221B, LLC assisted this investigation.

          Assistant United States Attorney Cameron L. Schroeder, Chief of the Cyber and Intellectual Property Crime Section, and Assistant United States Attorney Adam Alexander of the District of Alaska are prosecuting this case.

Source: US FBI

ANCHORAGE – A California man was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Timothy M. Burgess to 25 years in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release for possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, attempted distribution of methamphetamine and cocaine, maintaining a place for drug purposes and illegally possessing firearms.

According to court documents, Antoine Lapoleon Davis, aka “Shorty,” 49, trafficked large amounts of methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine and crack cocaine to Alaska through the U.S. mail and distributed it in the Anchorage area during 2017 and 2018. He was convicted by a federal jury in May 2021.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) executed a search warrant on Davis’s Anchorage apartment on October 4, 2018, where they seized methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, crack cocaine, four firearms and other drug dealing paraphernalia. Davis later told the FBI that he distributed nearly three kilograms of methamphetamine and half a kilogram of cocaine per month as well as heroin and crack cocaine. He also stated that he obtained the firearms found in his apartment to defend his drug supply. The firearms included three handguns and a semi-automatic rifle that Davis referred to as a “chopper.”

Davis also mailed two parcels containing drugs and guns that were intercepted by the U.S. Postal Inspectors in 2017. One parcel sent from Anchorage to Arizona contained methamphetamine, meth pills and multiple firearms. The second package sent from California to Anchorage contained nearly two kilograms of methamphetamine and cocaine. Investigators linked Davis to the two parcels through forensic fingerprinting and handwriting analysis as well as post office surveillance footage.

In issuing the sentence Judge Burgess noted that Davis returned to criminal conduct less than a year after serving a 16-year sentence in California on very similar charges. According to court documents, Davis has been incarcerated or on parole for almost the entirety of his adult life – from 1993 to the present.  

“We will not idly stand by while dealers peddle their devastating drugs to Alaskans,” said U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker for the District of Alaska. “We take drug trafficking crimes very seriously in Alaska and we will continue to vigorously prosecute traffickers, wherever they may live, for their illegal actions. This significant sentence should serve as a warning to anyone considering trafficking drugs in our state that, together with our law enforcements partners, we will investigate and prosecute to the fullest extent of the law.”  

“The defendant was a prolific drug trafficker who harmed Alaskan communities by distributing substantial amounts of illegal narcotics in the Anchorage area,” said Antony Jung, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Anchorage Field Office. “The FBI is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to prevent offenders from plaguing Alaskan communities with illegal drugs and weapons, and we will continue to purposefully identify, disrupt, and dismantle drug trafficking enterprises, in an effort to make our communities safer.”

“We will not sit back while individuals like Davis leave a path of destruction in their wake” said Inspector in Charge Anthony Galetti, “The sentencing of Davis leaves a clear and lasting impact on the communities of Alaska.  It shows the citizens we will work tirelessly to bring large scale dealers like Davis to justice. This should also serve as a reminder to those who think they can exploit members of our community; we will join our efforts together as law enforcement agencies and find you. Cases like these don’t come together without teamwork and we thank all agencies involved”.

The FBI Safe Streets Task Force, the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Anchorage Police Department (APD) investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kayla Doyle, Jennifer Ivers and Ryan Tansey prosecuted the case.  

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.  Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.  As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. 

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Source: US FBI

JUNEAU – A Washington state man was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge Timothy M. Burgess to eight years in prison followed by three years of supervised release for possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute.

According to court documents, Roderick Ayers, 33, personally packaged 10 ounces of methamphetamine in a box which he then shipped within a pallet of tires to Juneau on January 31, 2018. A week later the Juneau Police Department (JPD) learned that a known local drug user was acting strangely and attempting to pick up the pallet of tires sent by Ayers. JPD obtained a search warrant for the pallet and found the box of methamphetamine and Ayers’ fingerprint on the drug package. On February 18, a confidential informant in Juneau contacted Ayers to purchase an ounce of heroin for $1,800. The informant electronically transferred the money to Ayers who then shipped the heroin via the U.S. Postal Service.

“Individuals like Ayers and the illicit drugs that are shipped to Alaska leave a trail of destruction in our communities and we will not idly standby and watch,” said U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker for the District of Alaska. “Today’s sentence sends a message that we take drug trafficking crimes very seriously in Alaska and we will continue to vigorously prosecute traffickers, wherever they may live, for their illegal actions.”  

“The defendant exploited critical industries in Alaska to import and sell significant quantities of illicit narcotics in the Juneau region, which has been ravaged by the damaging effects of drug trafficking,” said Special Agent in Charge Antony Jung of the FBI Anchorage Field Office. “The harm caused by the distribution and use of drugs such as methamphetamine and heroin in Alaskan communities is devastating and the FBI continues to collaborate with local, state, federal, and tribal law enforcement partners to stem the tide of this systemic and widespread abuse.”

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Juneau Police Department investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack Schmidt prosecuted the case.

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Source: US FBI

ANCHORAGE – A Fairbanks man was sentenced to six years in prison followed by 20 years of supervised release for possession of child pornography involving minors ages 1 – 15. In handing down the sentence, U.S. District Court Judge Ralph R. Beistline noted the “lifelong impact” these crimes have on victims.

According to court documents, Antonio Sanchez, 25, pleaded guilty to possessing more than 60 videos and images depicting children as young as one year old forced to engage in sexually explicit conduct including intercourse and oral sex with adult males. While the child pornography files were on the defendant’s computer, a file sharing program allowed other computers to connect and download the files.  

“Child pornography continually re-harms innocent children who were initially exploited to create these horrific videos and images,” said U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker for the District of Alaska. “Viewing child pornography is not a victimless crime – the children in these videos and photos are real children who were sexually abused on camera. Because the images are widely shared on the Internet, the children are re-victimized thousands of times as strangers watch and re-watch the sexual abuse. Together, with our law enforcement partners, we are committed to seeking justice for these children.”

“Obtaining and possessing child pornography is a federal crime. Sanchez will now spend the next six years in federal prison for possessing such despicable material,” said Special Agent in Charge Antony Jung of the FBI Anchorage Field Office. “The FBI is committed, working side by side with our state and local partners, to investigate and combat these horrific crimes against children.”

The FBI and Anchorage Police Department investigated this case as part of the FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, Project Safe Childhood combines 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.

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Source: US FBI

ANCHORAGE – Today the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Alaska joins with communities across Alaska in shining a spotlight on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Awareness Day.  

“Generations of Alaska Natives have experienced violence or mourned a murdered or missing loved one for far too long,” said U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker of the District of Alaska. “Today we reaffirm our commitment to Tribes across Alaska to help find lasting solutions to the MMIP challenge in our state. Working in partnership with Tribal, federal, state and local agencies, we can and must find a way to address the disproportionately high number of missing or murdered Indigenous people as well as help bring answers and justice for the victims and families.”  

U.S. Attorney Tucker is spending today in Kotzebue joining the Maniilaq Association and Northwest Arctic Tribes in recognizing National MMIP Awareness Day. She also will join the MMIP Working Group in listening to the local concerns and needs.  

“The FBI commemorates Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Awareness Day, recognizing the violence that affects Alaska Native and American Indian communities throughout the nation, and reaffirms our commitment to enhancing public safety in those communities,” said Antony Jung, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Anchorage Field Office. “Today’s observance reminds us of the importance of this critical mission and the challenging work still to be done, as we are fully committed to continued and increased collaboration with our federal, state, local and tribal counterparts to support those impacted by these horrific crimes, and to protect those we serve.”

“Unfortunately, an unacceptable number of Alaska’s Indigenous persons are murdered or go missing across the state, never to be heard from again. To combat this trend earlier this year, we brought back retired Alaska State Trooper Anne Sears to work as the state’s first MMIP investigator and have dedicated six major crimes investigators to rural Alaska,” stated Alaska Department of Public Safety Commissioner James Cockrell. “While there is much more work to do, know that your Alaska Department of Public Safety is dedicated to doing our part to improve the outcomes of missing and murdered Indigenous persons investigations across Alaska. Alaska’s first people deserve nothing less.”

“Many Indigenous people throughout Alaska mourn a missing or murdered loved one without clear answers. Today, we remember the victims and honor their lives,” said Anchorage Police Chief Michael Kerle. “The Anchorage Police Department remains deeply engaged with our law enforcement partners to combat the violence that impacts our communities.”

During the last year the Alaska MMIP Working Group has continued to meet every month on a wide variety of topics ranging from challenges with MMIP data to victim services to training and recruitment of law enforcement. A priority of the Working Group is participating in listening and consultation sessions with Tribes across Alaska. So far, the group has met with 170 of Alaska’s 229 federally recognized Tribes in 11 Regions. During these sessions Tribal members share their stories, experiences and needs. This input is feeding directly into the development of the Savanna’s Act Guidelines for Alaska.

Savanna’s Act directs the U.S. Department of Justice to develop guidelines to continually improve communication and coordination among the Tribal, federal, state and local law enforcement agencies in response to MMIP situations. It also provides guidance on the collection, reporting and analysis of MMIP data, offers resource information for Tribal governments and provides best practices for culturally appropriate victim services and in returning a loved one home. These guidelines are evergreen with ongoing opportunities for input and recommendations. 

The Departments of the Interior and Justice are working to implement the Not Invisible Act, sponsored by Secretary Haaland during her time in Congress. The law established the Not Invisible Act Commission, a cross jurisdictional advisory committee composed of law enforcement, Tribal leaders, federal partners, service providers, family members of missing and murdered individuals, and most importantly survivors. Today, the Department announced the Not Invisible Act Commission members.

Additionally, in March President Joe Biden signed into law the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) Reauthorization Act of 2022 as part of a $1.5 trillion omnibus spending package. This important law expands special criminal jurisdiction of Tribal courts to cover non-Native perpetrators of sexual assault, child abuse, stalking, sex trafficking and assaults on Tribal law enforcement officers on Tribal lands and supports the development of a pilot project to enhance access to safety for survivors in Alaska Native villages. The Office of VAWA will continue to work with Tribes to address challenges in protecting survivors and responding to offenders in their communities and encourage Tribal leaders and designees to attend the 17^th Annual Government-to-Government Violence Against Women Tribal Consultation in Anchorage in September.

If you know someone who is missing, it’s critical that you report it right away to 9-1-1 or your closest law enforcement. The first hours of someone missing can be vitally important. If you have questions about the U.S. Attorney’s Office MMIP program, please contact MMIP Program Coordinator, Ingrid Cumberlidge at Ingrid.Cumberlidge@usdoj.gov or USAAK.MMIP@usdoj.gov or call 907-271-3314. 

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BACKGROUND:  

Presidential Proclamation on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Awareness Day, 2022

Justice Department and the Department of the Interior Take Important Step in Addressing Missing and Murdered Indigenous People Crisis

Not Invisible Act Commission

MMIP Information and Resources from the Human Trafficking Capacity Building Center

In July 2020, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced hiring its first MMIP Program Coordinator. In September 2020, the Alaska MMIP Working Group was launched to address the complexities of MMIP response in Alaska. The group is a multi-disciplinary team led by the United States Attorney’s Office MMIP Coordinator, Ingrid Cumberlidge, and comprised of law enforcement, Alaska Native Tribes, and victim service representatives, including:

Tribal Members

• Central Council of Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska VPSO supervisors
• Tanana Chief’s Conference VPSO supervisors
• Representatives from the Alaska Department of Law
• Tanana Chief’s Conference
• Tribal representatives from Ahtna Region, Orutsararmiut Native Council, Sun’aq Tribe of Kodiak, Arctic Slope Native Association, Central Council of Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska, Native Village of Kotzebue, Maniilaq Association, Native Village of White Mountain Village
• MMIP Tribal Community Response Plan Pilot Sites:  Curyung Tribal Council of Dillingham, the Native Village of Unalakleet and Koyukuk Native Village

Law Enforcement

• U.S. Attorney’s Office
• FBI
• U.S. Marshals
• BIA Missing and Murdered Unit
• U.S. Coast Guard
• Alaska State Troopers (MMIP Investigator, Missing Persons and Cold Case Clearinghouse and VPSOs)
• Anchorage Police Department
• Fairbanks Police Department
• Kotzebue Police Department
• Nome Police Department
• North Slope Police Department

Victim Service Providers

• Advocates from Victims for Justice
• Alaska Native Women’s Resource Center
• BIA Health and Human Services

Source: US FBI

WASHINGTON – Five members and associates of a violent white supremacist gang, the 1488s, were convicted today in Alaska by a federal jury of RICO conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering, kidnapping, and assault.

Evidence presented at trial showed that the 1488s are a violent prison-based gang operating inside and outside of state prisons throughout Alaska. The 1488s use Nazi-derived symbols to identify themselves and their affiliation with the gang, including a 1488 “patch” tattoo which depicts an Iron Cross superimposed over a swastika. The tattoo can only be worn by “made” members who generally gained full membership by committing acts of violence on behalf of the gang. The gang has written rules and a code of conduct, including the creed that “the only currency we recognize is violence and unquestionable loyalty.” 

Evidence presented at trial showed that Filthy Fuhrer, formerly known as Timothy Lobdell, 45, founded and led the 1488 gang from inside Alaska’s maximum-security prison, where he is serving a 19-year sentence for the attempted murder of an Alaska State Trooper. Fuhrer ordered members of the gang to commit violent kidnappings and assaults in the “free world” outside of prison. Trying to impose greater organization and structure with non-incarcerated members, Fuhrer believed that some members were defying the 1488 code of conduct and diminishing the power and influence of the gang. Fuhrer sent out a trusted lieutenant with a list of directives, these directives culminated in the kidnapping and assault of two low-level gang members on April 2, 2017, and July 20, 2017, and the kidnapping, assault, and murder of Michael Staton on Aug. 3, 2017.

According to evidence presented at trial, 1488 members Roy Naughton, aka Thumper, 43; Glen Baldwin, aka Glen Dog, 40; and Colter O’Dell, 29, worked with Craig King, aka Oakie, 56, who was a member of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club, to kidnap and murder one of the victims, who had previously stolen from both King and the 1488s. King lined a room with plastic, where he and the 1488 defendants beat and tortured the victim. Baldwin and O’Dell then took the victim out to the woods, shot him, and burned his body. O’Dell earned his membership patch into the 1488s by committing the murder of Staton.

“The guilty verdicts today strike a significant blow to the highest levels of the 1488 gang,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr., of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The Department of Justice and our law enforcement partners remain committed to combating and dismantling violent white supremacist gangs.”

“Violent gangs, especially those based upon racial hatred, are a plague to our society. As this case demonstrates, the crimes of organized prison gangs often go beyond the prison walls bringing violence into our communities,” said U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker for the District of Alaska. “Today’s convictions are a major disruption to the operation of the 1488 prison gang and hold accountable those who order or commit brutal and heinous crimes. We will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to identify, investigate and prosecute violent gang crimes regardless of where they take place. There is no higher priority than keeping our communities and the citizens of Alaska safe.”

“Today’s verdict demonstrates the FBI’s commitment to investigating and dismantling violent gangs, regardless of where they are being operated and who is leading them,” said FBI Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the Criminal Investigative Division. “In collaboration with our federal, state, local and international partners, we will aggressively target and pursue violent offenders. This verdict sends a clear signal to others who engage in gang violence that we will hold them accountable and bring them to justice.”

“The inhumanity shown by members of the 1488 criminal enterprise, to include the kidnapping, torture, and murder of Michael Staton, is a gruesome example of why we must identify and dismantle violent criminal organizations,” said Special Agent in Charge Antony Jung of the FBI Anchorage Field Office. “The morally despicable extremist prison gang has been seriously undermined thanks to the robust and effective, coordinated law enforcement and prosecution efforts shown throughout this case. These convictions will certainly make our community a safer place.”

Fuhrer was convicted of racketeering conspiracy, conspiracy in aid of racketeering, murder in aid of racketeering, kidnapping resulting in death, three counts of kidnapping conspiracy, two counts of kidnapping and two counts of assault in aid of racketeering. Naughton was convicted of racketeering conspiracy, conspiracy in aid of racketeering, murder in aid of racketeering, kidnapping resulting in death, three counts of kidnapping conspiracy, two counts of kidnapping and two counts of assault in aid of racketeering. Baldwin, O’Dell, and King were convicted of racketeering conspiracy, conspiracy in aid of racketeering, murder in aid of racketeering, kidnapping resulting in death, and kidnapping conspiracy. All five defendants face a mandatory sentence of life in prison without parole for the murder.

The FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force, and the Alaska State Troopers, Alaska Bureau of Investigation, investigated the case in conjunction with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Alaska and the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section (OCGS). Investigative assistance was provided by the IRS Criminal Investigation; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, Anchorage Police Department (APD), and the State of Alaska’s Department of Corrections.

Trial Attorney Jeremy Franker of the Criminal Division’s OCGS and Assistant U.S. Attorneys William Taylor, James Klugman and Chris Schroeder are prosecuting the case.