FBI Los Angeles Field Office Warns of Romance Scams Ahead of Valentine’s Day

Source: US FBI

LOS ANGELES—The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is working to raise awareness about online romance scams, also called confidence fraud. In this type of fraud, scammers take advantage of people looking for romantic partners on dating websites, apps, or social media by obtaining access to their financial or personal identifying information. Romance scams are prevalent, especially during this time of year.

Romance scams occur when a criminal uses a fake online identity to gain a victim’s affection and trust. These scammers are present on most dating and social media sites. They look to establish a relationship as quickly as possible and endear themselves to the victim. Many may propose marriage and make plans to meet in person. Eventually, they will ask for money.

“Confidence fraud, or romance scams, can happen to anyone at any time. The criminals who carry out romance scams are experts at what they do” said Akil Davis, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI Los Angeles Field Office. “Individuals who are looking for love and companionship are the target victims of this online fraud. The FBI cautions everyone who may be romantically involved with a person online to proceed carefully and stay alert to warning signs. If you suspect an online relationship is a scam, stop all contact immediately.”

To avoid meeting in person, romance scammers often claim to live or work in other parts of the country or world. Eventually, when they feel they have gained the trust of their victims, these criminals will request money from them, oftentimes for a medical emergency, an unexpected legal fee, or some other false purpose.

Romance scams/confidence schemes have resulted in one of the highest amounts of financial losses when compared to other Internet-facilitated crimes. According to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, roughly 18,000 victims reported nearly $700,000,000 in losses in 2023, the most recent statistical year available.

That same year, over 2000 victims in California reported more than $100,000,000 in losses.

While anyone can fall victim to these schemes, bad actors are known to target women over age 40 who are widowed, divorced, elderly, or disabled.

If you develop a relationship with someone you meet online, please consider the following tips and beware of the red flags:

  • Research the person’s photo and profile using online searches to see if the image, name, or details have been used elsewhere.
  • Beware if the individual seems too perfect or quickly asks you to leave a dating service or social media site to go “offline.”
  • The individual professes love quickly.
  • The individual tries to isolate you from friends and family.
  • The individual makes plans to visit you, but always cancels because of some emergency. If you haven’t met the person after a few months, for whatever reason, you have good reason to be suspicious.
  • Go slowly and ask lots of questions.
  • Be careful what you post and make public online. Scammers can use details shared on social media and dating sites to better understand and target you.
  • Never send money to anyone you have only communicated with online or by phone.

If you suspect an online relationship is a scam, stop all contact immediately. If you are the victim of a romance scam, file a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (www.ic3.gov).

Resources:

Former Riverside School Counselor Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Child Sexual Exploitation Crimes, Including Hiding Cameras in Bathrooms

Source: US FBI

LOS ANGELES – A former counselor at a private school in Riverside County was sentenced today to 360 months in federal prison for possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and placing a hidden camera inside bathrooms to film boys using the toilet and showers.

Matthew Daniel Johnson, 34, of Bryan, Texas, was sentenced by United States District Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett, who scheduled a restitution hearing for May 28. Upon his eventual release from prison, Johnson will be placed on lifetime supervised release. Johnson has been in federal custody since October 2024.

Law enforcement searched Johnson’s home in March 2020 and seized several videos featuring minor boys engaged in sexual activity. The videos depicted victims under the age of 12 and some as young as 3 to 5 years old.

During the search of his residence, Johnson admitted to law enforcement that he had hidden a pen-shaped recording device in a toilet paper holder inside of a school bathroom, across the hall from his office as a school counselor at La Sierra Academy in Riverside.

Another video file depicted Johnson adjusting a recording device inside a different bathroom at a Junior High School Bible Camp where he was working as a chaperone of children attending the camp. The video file subsequently captured minor boys using the toilet and the shower.

Johnson further admitted to using and employing a minor victim in January 2020 for the purpose of creating a visual depiction of the victim engaging in sexual conduct.

The Fontana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, Riverside Police Department, and the FBI investigated this matter.

Assistant United States Attorney Sonah Lee of the Riverside Branch Office prosecuted this case.

Texas Man Sentenced to 35 Years in Federal Prison for Kidnapping 13-Year-Old Girl at Gunpoint and Repeatedly Assaulting Her

Source: US FBI

LOS ANGELES – A Texas man was sentenced today to 420 months in federal prison for kidnapping a 13-year-old girl at gunpoint last year in San Antonio, admitting that he drove her to California, threatened her with a firearm, and sexually assaulted her multiple times before his arrest in Long Beach.         

Steven Robert Sablan, 63, of Cleburne, Texas, was sentenced by United States District Judge Fernando L. Aenlle-Rocha, who also ordered him to pay $1,158 in restitution.

Sablan pleaded guilty in January 2024 to one count of kidnapping. He has been in federal custody since July 2023.

“The 35-year sentence imposed ensures this defendant will not have the opportunity to victimize children,” said Acting United States Attorney Joseph T. McNally. “There is nothing as important as protecting our young people. I commend our federal and local law enforcement partners for their efforts to secure justice here.”

“Mr. Sablan took this young girl from the safety of her Texas home and repeatedly sexually assaulted her at gunpoint throughout a lengthy drive of terror to California,” said Akil Davis, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “The FBI will not tolerate sexual deviants who exploit our children at will and – as in this case – will hold these violent offenders accountable.”

“This sentencing announcement represents a collaborative commitment to holding individuals accountable for victimizing and inflicting trauma upon our children,” said Long Beach Police Chief Wally Hebeish. “I am deeply grateful to our officers and federal law enforcement partners from the FBI and DOJ for their tireless efforts on this case.”

On July 6, 2023, in San Antonio, Sablan abducted the victim, held her, and transported her in his gray Nissan Sentra to Long Beach, California. The victim told Sablan she was 13 years old. During this ordeal, Sablan used a firearm to threaten and control the victim.

Sablan confined the victim until she was rescued on July 9, 2023, in Long Beach after a Good Samaritan called 911 after seeing her holding a “Help Me” sign in the window of Sablan’s car.

During the Texas-to-California journey, he sexually assaulted the victim. At the time of the crime, Sablan had no legal custody or familial relationship to the victim.

“[Sablan] violently abducted a child and repeatedly sexually assaulted her while driving her thousands of miles from her home,” prosecutors argued in a sentencing memorandum. “And while [Sablan] spent days abusing her for his own pleasure, her parents agonized over their missing child, fearing the worst. The worst was not far from reality.”

The FBI and the Long Beach Police Department investigated this matter. The Cleburne (Texas) Police Department and the Fort Worth (Texas) Police Department provided assistance. 

Assistant United States Attorney Chelsea Norell of the Violent and Organized Crime Section prosecuted this case.

Man Pleads Guilty in Connection with $17 Million Medicare Hospice Fraud and Home Health Care Fraud Schemes

Source: US FBI

A California man pleaded guilty today to health care fraud, aggravated identity theft, and money laundering in connection with a years-long scheme to defraud Medicare of more than $17 million through sham hospice companies and his home health care company.

According to court documents, Petros Fichidzhyan, 43, of Granada Hills, engaged in a scheme with others to operate a series of sham hospice companies. Fichidzhyan, along with co-schemers, impersonated the identities of foreign nationals to use as the purported owners of the hospices — including using the identities to open bank accounts and sign property leases — and submitted false and fraudulent claims to Medicare for hospice services that were not medically necessary and not provided. In submitting the false claims, Fichidzhyan and his co-schemers also misappropriated the identifying information of doctors, claiming to Medicare that the doctors had determined hospice services were necessary, when in fact the purported recipients of these hospice services were not terminally ill and had never requested nor received care from the sham hospices. As a result of the scheme, Medicare paid the sham hospices nearly $16 million. Fichidzhyan personally received nearly $7 million of the proceeds from the fraud scheme, including more than $5.3 million in transfers to his personal and business bank accounts, which were laundered through a dozen shell and third-party bank accounts. Fichidzhyan additionally admitted to wrongfully obtaining more than $1 million for his home health care agency through the fraudulent use of a doctor’s name and identifying information in certifying Medicare beneficiaries for home health care, which he attempted to cover up by paying the doctor $11,000.

Fichidzhyan pleaded guilty to health care fraud, aggravated identity theft, and money laundering. He is scheduled to be sentenced on April 14 and faces a mandatory penalty of two years in prison on the aggravated identity theft charge, a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on the health care fraud charge, and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on the money laundering charge. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Today’s guilty plea is the most recent conviction in the Justice Department’s ongoing effort to combat hospice fraud in the greater Los Angeles area. Last year, a doctor was convicted at trial for his role in a scheme to bill Medicare for hospice services patients did not need, and two other defendants were sentenced for their roles in a hospice fraud scheme.  

Supervisory Official Antoinette T. Bacon of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Assistant Director in Charge Akil Davis of the FBI Los Angeles Field Office, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Diane N. Vu of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) Los Angeles Regional Office made the announcement.

The FBI and HHS-OIG are investigating the case.

Trial Attorneys Eric C. Schmale and Sarah E. Edwards of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.

The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,800 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $30 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.

Former Owner of ‘Timepiece Gentleman’ Luxury Watch Consignment Store in Beverly Hills Sentenced to Nearly Six Years in Federal Prison

Source: US FBI

LOS ANGELES – A Los Angeles man who ran a Beverly Hills luxury watch consignment business and was known as “The Timepiece Gentleman” was sentenced today to 70 months in federal prison for swindling dozens of his customers of out a total of at least $5.6 million. 

Anthony Farrer, 36, formerly of downtown Los Angeles, was sentenced by United States District Judge Josephine L. Staton.

Farrer pleaded guilty in October 2024 to one count of wire fraud and one count of mail fraud. He has been in federal custody since November 2023.

“This defendant stole millions of dollars from customers who trusted him and then used his ill-gotten gains to fund his exorbitant lifestyle,” said Acting United States Attorney Joseph T. McNally. “The sentence imposed today sends a message that those who defraud the public will be held accountable.”

“The so-called ‘Timepiece Gentleman” was actually a con-man whose time living lavishly ran out when the high-end watch owners he victimized brought his crimes to the attention of law enforcement,” said Akil Davis, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field. “This successful prosecution is the result of a joint collaboration among local and federal partners working together in order to bring Mr. Farrer to justice.” 

“Mr. Farrer exploited his clients’ trust for personal gain,” said Special Agent in Charge Tyler Hatcher, IRS Criminal Investigation, Los Angeles Field Office. “Instead of making good on his business promises, Mr. Farrer swindled his clients out of money and property to fund his own extravagant expenditures, and now he’ll suffer the consequences. IRS-CI is committed to protecting clients and consumers from this sort of dubious behavior, and we are proud to have been a partner in this investigation.”

From November 2022 to November 2023, Farrer used his business – also called “The Timepiece Gentlemen” – to connect purchasers and sellers of high-end watches. In a typical consignment sale, a client would ship a watch to The Timepiece Gentleman and Farrer would take possession of the watch, agreeing to display it at his Beverly Hills store and through online and social media marketing. The items involved in this case included luxury watches by Rolex, Richard Mille, and Patek Phillipe, among others.

Once the watch was sold, Farrer was supposed to remit the sales proceeds back to the client, minus a consignment fee, which typically was approximately 5% of the sales price. If the watch did not sell within a specific time or for a specified price, Farrer was to return the watch to the client.

But instead of remitting watch sales proceeds – or the unsold watches themselves – back to the clients, Farrer sold the client watches and kept the proceeds for himself. He also used client watches – without the client’s knowledge or permission – as collateral for loans that he took out from lenders.

When a client asked about the status of a watch on consignment sale, Farrer lied and said that the watch had not yet been sold. In fact, Farrer already had sold the watch or otherwise disposed of it, keeping the funds for his own personal benefit.

In addition to his consignment sale business, Farrer also purported to purchase watches on behalf of his clients. Typically, a client sent funds to Farrer, often by wire transfers to his bank accounts or through payment processors such as Zelle, for the purpose of Farrer locating and buying a specified watch on the client’s behalf.

But Farrer took the clients’ money and used it for other purposes, including to fund his lavish lifestyle such as buying or leasing luxury automobiles, apartments, and other luxury goods.

When a client who had sent him money asked Farrer about the status of a watch purchase, Farrer often sent another watch to the client to tide the client over or lull them into a false sense of security regarding the status of the purchase. Like a Ponzi scheme, the other watch Farrer sent to the client often belonged to other clients who had themselves sent him that watch for a consignment sale. These clients were unaware Farrer was using their watches for that purpose, rather than attempting to sell the watches on behalf of the clients.

In total, Farrer fraudulently obtained money and property belonging to more than 40 victims and caused total losses of at least $5,691,005. Farrer also will be subject to a restitution order for payment owed to victims in amounts to be determined later.

The FBI, IRS Criminal Investigation, and the Beverly Hills Police Department investigated this matter.

Assistant United States Attorney Joshua O. Mausner of the Violent and Organized Crime Section prosecuted this case.

Berryville Man Sentenced to more than 41 Years in Federal Prison on Multiple Child Exploitation Offenses

Source: US FBI

FAYETTEVILLE – A Berryville man was sentenced on December 18, 2023, to 500 months in prison without the possibility of parole after being found guilty of Traveling with the Intent to Engage in Illicit Sexual Acts with two minor males and for Distributing Child Pornography. The Honorable Judge Timothy L. Brooks presided over the sentencing hearing in the U.S. District Court in Fayetteville.

In May 2022, the Arkansas FBI Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force received a lead from the FBI Kansas City Division that a subject under investigation admitted that he was trading child pornography online with an individual later identified as Ricky Gunter Hilburn, age 42, of Berryville and that Hilburn had even bragged about sexually abusing a minor male. A search warrant was obtained and executed at Hilburn’s residence, resulting in multiple digital devices being confiscated and Hilburn being arrested. A subsequent forensic examination of the electronic devices seized from Hilburn’s residence confirmed that Hilburn was trafficking child pornography images to others online. Further investigation revealed that Hilburn had groomed two minor males in Oklahoma and would travel across state lines to engage in sexual activity with them. At sentencing, the United States Attorney’s Office presented the Court with evidence that Hilburn had groomed a third minor male and engaged in sexual contact with him on multiple occasions.  

Hilburn was indicted by a Grand Jury in the Western District in March of 2023 and entered a plea of guilty in June 2023.

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

The Arkansas FBI Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force and the Berryville Police Department investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Tyler Williams and Assistant U.S. Attorney Carly Marshall prosecuted the case for the United States.

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

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

Pharmacy Burglary Conspirators Arraigned Tuesday in Federal Court

Source: US FBI

More than $1.5 million worth of stolen pharmaceuticals involved.

      LITTLE ROCK— Eighteen individuals from Texas who are accused of stealing more than $1.5 million worth of narcotics from numerous pharmacies in Arkansas were arrested in Houston on November 28, 2023, following an indictment returned in the Eastern District of Arkansas. Seven defendants appeared on charges Tuesday before United States Magistrate Judge Patricia S. Harris, and the remaining defendants are set to appear before United States Magistrate Judge Edie R. Ervin in Little Rock on January 16, 2024. The indictment charges conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute Schedule II through V controlled substances, as well as pharmacy burglary, conspiracy to commit pharmacy burglary, and conspiracy to commit money laundering.  Keith Brown, 34, of Houston, Texas, and 17 others were named in this indictment related to “Operation #Richoffmeds.”

      From February 2022 to November 2023, the Drug Enforcement Administration Little Rock District Office (DEA LRDO) identified more than 20 pharmacy burglaries and thefts of pharmaceutical narcotics in Arkansas. In each of the burglaries, the suspects used similar methods of entry and tools, as well as matching clothing and unique footwear. The stolen pharmaceuticals—including oxycodone, hydrocodone, alprazolam, and promethazine with codeine cough syrup—were transported to Houston, Texas, where they were sold illicitly.

      Intelligence developed by the DEA LRDO and the Houston Police Department Northeast Division Crime Suppression Team identified the drug trafficking organization as being comprised of documented local gang members from the 5th Ward area in Houston, Texas. The current case is similar in kind and scope to a previous case indicted in the Eastern District of Arkansas in 2016, in which 24 members of a local Houston 5th Ward gang, ‘The Trill Fam’, were prosecuted for multi-state pharmacy burglaries and conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. During the present investigation, over 96,000 tablets of Schedule II controlled substances were stolen. The street value of all controlled substances stolen by the organization in the Arkansas burglaries is valued at close to $1.6 million. Investigators also seized six firearms, approximately $79,000 in U.S. currency, and custom jewelry retailing approximately $330,000.

      “These defendants broke into pharmacies across Arkansas to steal narcotics that they then peddled on the streets,” stated Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas. “This case exemplifies the hard work put in by federal, state, and local agencies working together to infiltrate and dismantle violent gangs whose main mission is for profit and the destruction of communities. Our office is committed to prosecuting these defendants, and others like them, to the fullest extent of the law.”

      “As alleged, these defendants went to extreme lengths to steal prescription drugs from a multitude of victim pharmacies,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Brad L. Byerley. “The criminal enterprise sought to profit off the people of Arkansas by diverting nearly 100,000 dosages away from those with legitimate medical needs. These defendants were likely driven by money, but the cost to public health and safety is priceless. DEA is committed to investigating the diversion of controlled pharmaceuticals and ensuring all Americans can access needed medications.”

      The defendants arrested include Brown, Antoinen Hampton, 37, Donald Spencer, 34, Marcus Hargrove, 31, Reginald Jackson, 32, Vernon Baloney, Jr., 33, Edwin Burks, 50, Nicklaus Franklin, 31, Louis Johnson, III, 24, Nathan Kibble, 40, Joshua Delaney, 43, Fernando Riascos, Jr., 36, Alexis Garner, 31, Daron Livingston, 32, Jaiden Fowler, 23, Joshua Griffin, 21, Cierra Jackson, 30, and Jasmane Lincoln, 34, all from the greater Houston, Texas area.

      The maximum sentence for the drug charges is not more than 20 years in federal prison.

      Investigators with the DEA LRDO worked in conjunction with the following law enforcement partners:

DEA New Orleans Division (Little Rock District Office, Fayetteville Resident Office, Shreveport Resident Office, Mobile Resident Office),

DEA Special Operations Division,

DEA Houston Division (Houston TDS Group, Galveston Resident Office),

DEA Omaha Division,

DEA Rocky Mountain Division (Salt Lake City District Office, Cheyenne Resident Office),

DEA Atlanta Division (Columbia District Office),

DEA Miami Division (Pensacola District Office),

FBI Little Rock Field Office,

FBI Cast Team,

U.S. Marshals Service,

Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics,

Harris County Sheriff’s Office,

League City Police Department (Dickinson, TX),

Houston Police Department Northeast Division Crime Suppression Team,

Houston Police Department CID, and

Arkansas State Police.

      The case is being prosecuted in the Eastern District of Arkansas by Assistant United States Attorney Anne Gardner.

      This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

      An indictment contains only allegations. Defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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Additional information about the office of the

United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at

https://www.justice.gov/edar

X (formerly known as Twitter):

@EDARNEWS 

Alicia D. Corder Named Special Agent in Charge of the Little Rock Field Office

Source: US FBI

Director Christopher Wray has named Alicia D. Corder as the special agent in charge of the FBI Little Rock Field Office. She most recently served as section chief of the Internal Affairs Section of the Inspection Division at FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C.  
 
Ms. Corder joined the FBI as a special agent in 2003 and was assigned to the Sacramento Field Office, where she investigated counterterrorism matters. In 2006, she moved to the Los Angeles Field Office where she worked in counterterrorism. In 2010, she returned to the Sacramento Field Office’s Modesto Resident Agency, where she worked all criminal programs, such as violent crime, white collar crime, and crimes against children.   
 
In 2013, Ms. Corder was promoted to supervisory special agent in the Directorate of Intelligence, HUMINT Operations Section. In 2015, Ms. Corder was selected as a squad supervisor in the Washington Field Office. In this role, she managed applicant processing and hiring, the New Agent Development Program, leadership skills assessment, and language testing, among other administrative matters.  
 
In 2018, Ms. Corder was selected as the assistant special agent in charge of the Criminal Branch of the St. Louis Field Office, where she oversaw all criminal programs, including the St. Louis Gateway Strike Force, an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). In 2021, Ms. Corder was named section chief of the Internal Affairs Section in the Inspection Division.  
 
Prior to joining the FBI, Ms. Corder practiced law in Indiana. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Indiana State University and juris doctor from Indiana University School of Law.  

Applications Now Being Accepted for FBI Phoenix Citizens Academy

Source: US FBI

Phoenix, AZ —The FBI Phoenix Field Office is seeking candidates for the 2025 Citizens Academy. Classes are held in person at our Phoenix, Tucson, and Flagstaff offices.

The FBI Citizens Academy program is an engaging six to eight-week curriculum that gives business, religious, civic, and community leaders an inside look at the FBI.

The mission of the FBI Citizens Academy is to foster a greater understanding of the role of federal law enforcement in the community through frank discussion and education.

Candidates are nominated by FBI employees, Citizens Academy graduates, and community leaders. Interested community members may also self-nominate for consideration.

The deadline to submit nominations for the 2025 Citizens Academy in Arizona is November 1, 2024. Classes begin in early February and run through mid-March.

Incomplete and late nominations will not be accepted. Once nominations are received/reviewed, candidates will be notified within 3-4 weeks of the next step in the process.

Nomination forms can be found online on the FBI Phoenix Outreach webpage, or at the following location: https://forms.fbi.gov/fbi-citizens-academy-nomination-form-phoenix.

Fifty-Four Defendants Charged with Federal Firearms-Related Crimes Since October 2023 Through Partnership Between United States Attorney’s Office and Tucson Police Department

Source: US FBI

TUCSON, Ariz. – The United States Attorney’s Office (USAO) and the Tucson Police Department (TPD) announced today the results of the first year of the PSP Pilot Program, a collaborative effort between the USAO and the TPD, in which local defendants are referred federally for charges involving firearm-related offenses. The partnership has resulted in 54 defendants being charged since October 2023. In 2022, the Tucson Police Department was selected by the United States Department of Justice as a partner agency in the National Public Safety Partnership (PSP), an initiative to combat violent crime, with an emphasis on drug, gang, and gun violence. Cases referred for federal prosecution also receive additional investigative assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives-Tucson and the Federal Bureau of Investigation-Tucson.

Representative cases referred for PSP prosecution include:

United States v. Jesus Antonio Najar: Najar was indicted by a federal grand jury with multiple firearms and narcotics offenses, occurring on three different dates. On April 19, 2024, TPD officers apprehended Najar for allegedly driving a stolen vehicle. During a search of the vehicle, officers found unregistered AR Drop In Auto Sear Swift Links (parts designed and intended solely and exclusively for use in converting a weapon into a machinegun capable of automatic fire), unregistered silencers without serial numbers, and an AR pistol with an obliterated serial number. On October 12, 2023, Najar allegedly conspired and possessed cocaine for distribution while using and possessing a Glock 17 with a machinegun conversion device attached and two additional firearms. Najar is alleged to have possessed the machinegun conversion device that was not registered to him. In addition, Najar is alleged to have possessed an unregistered short-barrel rifle on December 11, 2023. Najar is currently in custody.

United States v. Geoffrey Fred Cruzado: Cruzado was indicted by a federal grand jury for illegal possession of approximately 134 rounds of ammunition as a convicted felon, after allegedly threatening an intimate partner. Cruzado is currently in custody.

United States v. Jessica Guillen-Morales: A federal grand jury indicted Guillen-Morales with possession of six firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon, possession of unregistered firearms, illegal reentry, and possession of a firearm by an alien after she was found to be present illegally in the United States in Tucson, on November 19, 2023, after having been deported to Mexico from the United States less than three weeks earlier. Guillen-Morales is currently in custody.

United States v. Israel Manuel Ortiz: In January 2024, TPD officers encountered Ortiz in possession of approximately 57 grams of counterfeit oxycodone “M30” pills, later determined to contain fentanyl, and a .40 caliber pistol. Ortiz, a three-time convicted felon for misconduct involving weapons and armed robbery, was subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Possessor and Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl. Ortiz is currently in custody.

United States v. Isaiah Thomas Taylor: When TPD officers were serving a state arrest warrant for Taylor at a residence last February, Taylor, a convicted felon for misconduct involving weapons, was found to be in possession of a Glock pistol. A subsequent search of the residence revealed three additional Glock pistols, including one fitted with a fully automatic conversion device. Taylor was indicted by a federal grand jury with Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Possessor and Possession of a Machine Gun. Taylor is currently in custody.

United States v. Jesus Alfredo Romo: On October 6, 2023, Romo fled in a vehicle from TPD officers during a traffic stop. Once Romo was apprehended, a 9mm loaded handgun was observed on the driver’s side floorboard and a backpack was retrieved from the vehicle containing 60,000 fentanyl tablets and two baggies of methamphetamine, one weighing over 2.5 grams and the other over 0.8 grams. Officers also found two digital scales and Romo had almost $1,300 in cash on his person. Romo, who was previously convicted of felony possession of dangerous drugs for sale, was indicted on November 21, 2023, with various counts including Trafficking in Firearms and Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl. He pleaded guilty to those two charges with stipulated, concurrent sentences of five and 10 years. His anticipated sentencing date is January 15, 2025. Romo is currently in custody.

“The evolving threat of firearms in America requires vigilance and cooperation,” said United States Attorney Gary Restaino. “We see a growing number of defendants who possess devices used to convert a firearm to a more dangerous fully-automatic mode, and we intend to seek sentencing enhancements for the possession of those dangerous devices. Our efforts to mitigate the specific threat in Tucson through a local-federal partnership are paying dividends and protecting the community.”

“Gun crime has impacted the Tucson community at an unacceptable rate over the past several years. Through the PSP program, TPD’s partnerships with local, state, and federal agencies have expanded, and we are collectively making significant strides in arresting those responsible for making our community less safe,” said Tucson Police Chief Chad Kasmar. “Individuals who illegally possess firearms, sell drugs, or engage in gun violence will be held accountable through TPD arrests and federal prosecution by the United States Attorney’s Office. This behavior has no place in Tucson, and we are grateful for the partnerships that are leading to jail sentences for violent offenders, which directly results in decreased gun violence.”

“This is a perfect example of how cooperative law enforcement should work,” said Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Special Agent in Charge Brendan Iber. “By teaming up, federal and local agencies can collaboratively work to rid our communities of those violent criminals who plague law abiding citizens and the communities they live in.”

“These cases are a prime example of how the Public Safety Partnership program works. No single agency can combat violent crime on its own and this program brings a multi-agency approach to better protect our communities,” said FBI Phoenix Special Agent in Charge Jose A. Perez. “The FBI will continue to work with our local, state and federal law enforcement partners to reduce violent crime in Tucson and throughout Arizona.”

The National Public Safety Partnership was established by the U.S. Department of Justice to provide an innovative framework to enhance federal support of state, local, and tribal law enforcement and prosecution authorities in enhancing public safety. PSP began as a pilot program, the Violence Reduction Network, in 2014 and is designed to promote interagency coordination by leveraging specialized law enforcement expertise with dedicated prosecutorial resources to promote public and community safety. PSP serves as a DOJ-wide program that enables participating sites to consult with and receive expedited, coordinated training and technical assistance, and an array of resources from DOJ to enhance local public safety strategies. This model enables DOJ to provide jurisdictions of different sizes and diverse needs with data-driven, evidence-based strategies tailored to the unique local needs of participating cities to build their capacities to address violent crime challenges. PSP has engaged with more than 60 sites since the program’s inception.

An indictment is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
 

CASE NUMBERS:         CR-24-03292-SHR
                                      CR-24-01981-RCC
                                      CR-24-00677-RCC
                                      CR-24-01171-RCC
                                      CR-24-05416-JCH
                                      CR-23-01846-RM
RELEASE NUMBER:    2024-130_PSP Pilot Program

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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news