Category: MIL-OSI

Jay Clayton, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Christopher G. Raia, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced today the unsealing of an Indictment charging JOSHUA SCHUSTER with engaging in a scheme to defraud investors in large real estate development projects located in New York City.  SCHUSTER was arrested today and will be presented in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.  The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Valerie E. Caproni.  

U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton said: “As alleged, Joshua Schuster stole more than $10 million from his investors to fund his own lifestyle, pay off other investors in a Ponzi fashion, and maintain the appearance of success.  The women and men of our Office are committed to protecting investors and our markets from fraud and abuse.”

FBI Assistant Director in Charge Christopher G. Raia said: “Joshua Schuster allegedly stole more than ten million dollars from New York City real estate investors through inaccurate statements of fund usage and exaggerated portrayals of his business’s reputation.  This alleged scheme betrayed prospective buyers’ trust and pockets to finance his lifestyle and cover personal delinquent debts.  The FBI will never permit any individual to unlawfully profit off false promises—even when those promises result in actual buildings on the city’s skyline.”

According to the allegations contained in the Indictment1:

From at least in or about 2018, up through and including at least in or about 2022, SCHUSTER engaged in a scheme to defraud investors who had entrusted him with millions of dollars to finance real estate development projects in New York City.  SCHUSTER worked through his real estate development business, Silverback Development, which was based in Manhattan.  SCHUSTER induced investors to contribute capital to his projects by promising them equity in high-end real estate developments, and by representing that investor funds would be used exclusively for the acquisition and development of specific projects in Gramercy Park, Long Island City, the Bronx, and other locations.  SCHUSTER marketed Silverback and its affiliated real estate ventures as elite investment opportunities backed by his market expertise.

In reality, the representations and promises SCHUSTER made to investors were false and misleading.  SCHUSTER misappropriated tens of millions of dollars in investor money to fund his lifestyle, including over $1 million in personal credit card payments and hundreds of thousands of dollars in gambling losses; to repay earlier investors in a Ponzi-like fashion; and to cover unrelated business obligations and payroll.  In total, SCHUSTER fraudulently obtained and stole in excess of $10 million.

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SCHUSTER, 41, of Boca Raton, Florida, is charged with one count of wire fraud and one count of securities fraud, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.

Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding work of the FBI.  Mr. Clayton also thanked the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which has filed a parallel civil action.

This prosecution is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel G. Nessim is in charge of the prosecution.
 

Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Central Islip, Omar Antonio Villalta, also known as “Anticristo,” a member of the Guanacos Lil Cycos Salvatruchas (Guanacos) clique of the violent transnational criminal organization La Mara Salvatrucha, also known as the MS-13, was sentenced by United States District Judge Gary R. Brown to 55 years’ imprisonment. On May 26, 2023, Villalta pleaded guilty to racketeering, including predicate acts of murder and conspiracy to murder rival gang members.  The charges stemmed from his involvement in the April 11, 2017 murders of Justin Llivicura, Michael Lopez, Jorge Tigre, and Jefferson Villalobos, who were hacked to death in a Central Islip park, and his involvement in the July 3, 2017 murder of Marvin Rivera Guevara, in Charlottsville, Virginia.

Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Christopher G. Raia, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI); and Kevin Catalina, Commissioner, Suffolk County Police Department (SCPD), announced the sentence.

“My Office and our law enforcement partners have worked endlessly to hold MS-13 accountable for their unspeakable crimes and the harm they’ve caused to countless victims and their loved ones,” stated United States Attorney Nocella.  “This sentencing and others demonstrate our relentless pursuit to dismantle MS-13 and other violent criminal organizations in totality.”

“Omar Antonio Villalta, an MS-13 member, repeatedly played judge, jury, and executioner by unlawfully issuing death sentences to five victims perceived to be disrespectful or rivals to the gang,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Raia.  “These slaughters reflect the gang’s gruesome retributive tactics while demonstrating utter disregard for life with the rapid succession of murders.  May today’s legitimate sentencing reflect the FBI’s steadfast commitment to dismantling any gang from plaguing our communities with rampant violence.”

“The torture carried out at the hands of Villalta was inconceivable and sadistic— all because of his devotion to MS-13,” stated Suffolk County Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina.  “His crimes sent shock waves through our communities but thanks to our collaboration with our law enforcement partners, Villalta was apprehended, and we will continue to target violent gang members who are a threat public safety.”

As set forth in the government’s sentencing memorandum, prior court filings, and statements during the sentencing, Llivicura, Lopez, Tigre, and Villalobos were lured to their deaths by Villalta and more than a dozen other members and associates of the MS-13.  Specifically, the victims were led to a community park in Central Islip (the Park) by two female associates of the MS-13, Leniz Escobar and Keyli Gomez, where they were attacked by members and associates of the gang, including Josue Portillo, Freiry Martinez, Alexis Hernandez, Edwin Rodriguez, Sergio Segovia-Pineda, Henry Salmeron, Anderson Sanchez, and others.

The MS-13 members believed the victims to be members of a rival gang and at least two of the victims had offended the MS-13 by posting photos on social media in which they wore certain items and flashed hand signs that signified membership in the MS-13 gang.  After the gang-related photos were brought to their attention by Escobar and Gomez, Villalta and several other MS-13 members formulated and carried out a plan to kill the victims.  On the night of the murders, Villalta and more than a dozen other MS-13 members and associates gathered in the woods adjacent to the Park.   Once there, the members who had been planning the attack, including Villalta, instructed the others to prepare themselves, as the female associates were luring a group of rivals to the Park for them to attack and kill.

Villalta distributed weapons to certain gang members, including knives and machetes, while others took clubs made of tree limbs as the group waited for the victims to arrive.  Meanwhile, Escobar and Gomez met the victims, drove with them to the Park, led them to a predetermined wooded area, and sent the MS-13 members text-messages notifying them of their arrival.  The MS-13 members and associates proceeded to the designated location and encircled the victims under the cover of darkness.  One of the intended victims immediately fled and was able to escape. Llivicura, Lopez, Tigre, and Villalobos were surrounded by the MS-13 members, who attacked them with machetes, knives, an axe, and wooden clubs.  After the attack, the MS-13 members dragged the victims’ bodies to a more secluded spot in the woods, piled them up, and fled.  The victims’ bodies were discovered the following evening.

Following the murders, Villalta fled to Charlottesville, Virginia, where he connected with local MS-13 members.  He soon began work at a pizzeria with a fellow MS-13 member. Within days of starting work, Villalta reported to other MS-13 members, including the leader of the Guanacos clique, that a co-worker, Marvin Rivera Guevara, had flashed an 18th Street gang hand sign indicating his membership in one of the MS-13’s principal rivals.  Villalta was given authorization to kill the victim and a plan was quickly developed to carry out the murder.  On the evening of July 3, 2017, the MS-13 member who worked at the pizzeria convinced the victim to drive with him to a remote location under the guise of smoking marijuana and meeting women.  Once they arrived at the designated location, Villalta and other MS-13 members forced the victim at gunpoint deeper into the woods where they attacked him with a machete and knives. Villalta and the others then threw the victim’s body off a nearby bridge into the river below.

More than a dozen MS-13 members and associates have been charged in connection with the April 11, 2017 quadruple murder, including the individuals listed above.  Of these defendants, Villalta is the sixth person to be sentenced.  Josue Portillo was sentenced to 55 years’ imprisonment; Freiry Martinez to 50 years’ imprisonment; Leniz Escobar to 50 years’ imprisonment; Anderson Sanchez to 32 years’ imprisonment; and Alexis Hernandez to 29 years’ imprisonment. The remaining defendants are awaiting sentence.

Today’s sentencing is the latest in a series of federal prosecutions by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York targeting members of MS-13.  Since 2010, the Office has obtained indictments charging MS-13 members with carrying out more than 70 murders in the Eastern District of New York, resulting in the convictions of dozens of MS-13 leaders and members in connection with those murders.  These prosecutions are the product of investigations led by the FBI’s Long Island Gang Task Force, which is comprised of agents and officers of the FBI, SCPD, Nassau County Police Department, Nassau County Sheriff’s Department, Suffolk County Probation Office, Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office, the New York State Police, the Hempstead Police Department, the Rockville Centre Police Department, and the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision.

This case is also part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and other transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.  Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Project Safe Neighborhood.

The government’s case is being handled by the Criminal Section of the Office’s Long Island Division.  Assistant United States Attorneys Paul G. Scotti, Justina L. Geraci, and Megan E. Farrell are in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Automated Litigation Support Specialist Michael Compitello.

The Defendant:

OMAR ANTONIO VILLALTA (also known as “Anticristo”)
Age: 29
Central Islip, New York

E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 16-CR-403 (S-8) (GRB)

The FBI New York Field Office participated in the arrests of seven subjects as part of the nationwide Operation Restore Justice. This coordinated enforcement operation by all 55 FBI field offices was a sweeping five-day FBI initiative to identify, track, and arrest child sex predators across the country.

“The FBI is relentless in our commitment to combatting child exploitation and abuse,” stated Assistant Director in Charge Christopher G. Raia. “The FBI New York Field Office will never cease in its mission to apprehend anyone who preys on these vulnerable members of society.” 

The cases were investigated by the FBI/NYPD Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, as well as the FBI Hudson Valley Safe Streets Task Force, in partnership with the United States Attorneys’ Offices for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York. Significant investigative assistance was also provided by the FBI Boston Field Office, the FBI Detroit Field Office, Homeland Security Investigations, New York City Department of Probation, the Pennsylvania State Police, Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office, the Town of Newburgh Police Department, Town of Wallkill Police Department, and the Warren County Sheriff’s Office. “These arrests would not have been possible without the assistance from our local and federal law enforcement partners,” said ADIC Raia.

Last week alone, the FBI arrested 205 subjects and rescued 115 children across the country during the surge of resources deployed for Operation Restore Justice. The subjects arrested in this operation included those in positions of public trust—law enforcement, members of the military, and teachers. Others are your neighbors, proving criminal activity can be found even in the most familiar places. They’re accused of various crimes, including the production, distribution, and possession of child sexual abuse material, online enticement and transportation of minors, and child sex trafficking.

But our work didn’t just happen last week. Throughout the entire month of April, the FBI, along with our state and local law enforcement partners, additionally arrested more than 190 perpetrators on charges related to crimes against children. With nearly 400 arrests in one month, these actions are the direct result of the FBI’s continued efforts to track down and stop sexual predators before they can harm more victims. 

This operation was the result of a dedicated and targeted effort, reflecting countless hours of work by hundreds of special agents, intel analysts, and other FBI personnel. It further emphasizes the FBI’s unwavering commitment to protecting children and raising awareness about the dangers they face. While the Bureau works relentlessly to investigate these crimes every day, April serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of prevention, community education, and the FBI’s never-ending pursuit of criminals who exploit our children. 

The FBI proactively identifies individuals involved in child sexual exploitation and the production of child sexual abuse material through our far-reaching, nationwide network of personnel and law enforcement partners. The Violent Crimes Against Children (VCAC) program provides a rapid, proactive, and comprehensive capacity to counter all threats of abuse against children. This capacity leverages partnerships within the FBI’s 89 Child Exploitation Human Trafficking Task Forces (CEHTTFs) across the country. 

Additionally, the FBI has intelligence analysts assigned to address the VCAC threat, both at Headquarters and the field. The FBI also leads a Violent Crimes Against Children International Task Force, which includes nearly 100 international task force officers representing over 60 countries to expand our ability to address the threat worldwide. 

The FBI also partners with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24/7 hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on missingkids.org. In further partnership and collaboration with NCMEC, the FBI launched the Endangered Child Alert Program (ECAP) in 2004 to identify individuals involved in the sexual abuse of children and the production of child sexual abuse material. To date, ECAP has identified 36 individuals. 

For more information about the crimes investigated by the FBI as well as the variety of resources we provide to protect and keep children safe, please visit: 

As always, the FBI urges the public to remain vigilant and report any suspect crime against a child to 911 and local law enforcement immediately, as well as the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324), online at tips.fbi.gov, or by contacting your local FBI field office.

Earlier today, a seven-count second superseding indictment was unsealed in federal court in Brooklyn charging Jalon Lenny Garrett, also known as “Lips,” Marcus Pittman, also known as “Nacho” and “Cheese,” Delonta Pittman, also known as “D Lo,” and Jerome Waters, also known as “the Engineer” and “Rome,” for their alleged roles in the kidnapping, robbery, and shooting of marijuana dealers on July 25, 2024.  Garrett was arrested this morning in Baltimore, Maryland, and will make his initial appearance in the Eastern District of New York at a later date.  Marcus Pittman is also newly charged with being a felon in possession of ammunition for his role in the fatal shooting.  The remaining defendants are already in custody and will be arraigned at a later date.

John J. Durham, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Christopher G. Raia, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI); and Jessica S. Tisch, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD) announced the arrests and charges.

“As alleged, the defendants took part in an interstate armed robbery and kidnapping scheme that resulted in the brutal murder of a targeted victim.  This prosecution underscores the ongoing threat of guns and drugs in our communities,” stated United States Attorney Durham.  “This Office is committed to holding violent offenders accountable and ensuring justice for every victim.”

“These four defendants allegedly traveled across the northeast to brutally kidnap and rob two unsuspecting individuals, ultimately murdering one of the victims,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Raia.  “This alleged fatal robbery highlights the volatile and random violence that the illicit drug trade can fuel. With our law enforcement partners, the FBI will continue to dismantle any organization implementing lethal tactics to bolster their criminal lifestyles and jeopardize the safety of our city.”

“These individuals came to New York City armed with guns and zip ties — ready to rob, kidnap, and kill,” stated NYPD Commissioner Tisch.  “It was a deliberate, brutal attack meant to terrorize our communities.  They thought they could hit and run. They were wrong — and anyone else thinking the same should take note.  I’m grateful to our partners in Project Safe Neighborhoods for their shared commitment to protecting New Yorkers.”

According to the superseding indictment and other public court filings, the defendants are members of a Baltimore-based robbery crew that conspired to commit an armed robbery and kidnapping of marijuana dealers in Queens, New York.  On the evening of July 24,2024, the defendants and their co-conspirators executed a violent armed robbery and kidnapping plot that resulted in John Doe #1’s death.  As described below, Garrett robbed and kidnapped John Doe #2 at gunpoint, and Marcus Pittman shot and killed John Doe #1.

Specifically, the defendants drove from Maryland to New York for the purpose of robbing two drug dealers, John Doe #1 and John Doe #2. Once in New York, defendants Jerome Waters and William Barnett met with John Doe #1 and John Doe #2 at a stash house in Queens, New York, under the guise of purchasing marijuana.

At the stash house, Waters and Barnett pulled out their weapons and held up John Doe #1 and John Doe #2 at gunpoint. Next, they let their co-defendants into the stash house to assist in the robbery and kidnapping.  While in the stash house, the defendants and their co-conspirators tied up John Doe #1 and John Doe #2 with zip ties and forced them outside and into the back of a Jeep and a U-Haul van, which were driven by Barnett and Israel.  At the same time, the defendants and their co-conspirators stole approximately 30 pounds of marijuana from the stash house.

The defendants and their co-conspirators drove John Doe #1 and John Doe #2, who were still tied up, through Queens at gunpoint, demanding drugs and money.  Garrett held a gun to John Doe #2 as he was being driven through Queens.  Marcus Pittman shot John Doe #1 to death in the back of the U-Haul van.  When his body was found by first responders, John Doe #1 still had a zip tie binding one of his hands and was surrounded by bags of marijuana.  After the shooting, the defendants fled back to Maryland.

If convicted, defendants Marcus Pittman, Delonta Pittman, and Waters each face mandatory minimum sentences of life imprisonment, and Garrett faces a mandatory minimum of ten years’ imprisonment and a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.  The charges in the superseding indictment are allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

This case was brought as 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 make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  As part of the program, U.S. Attorneys’ Offices work in partnership with federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement and their local communities to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime. 

The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s International Narcotics and Money Laundering Section.  Assistant United States  Attorneys Chand Edwards-Balfour and Adam Amir are in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Samuel Ronchetti.

New Defendant:

JALON LENNY GARRETT
Age: 20
Maryland

Previously Charged Defendants:

MARCUS PITTMAN (also known as “Nacho” and “Cheese”)
Age:  30
Maryland

DELONTA PITTMAN (also known as “D Lo”)
Age:  31
Maryland

JEROME WATERS (also known as “the Engineer” and “Rome”)
Age:  23
Maryland

CALVIN ISRAEL
Age:  23
Maryland

WILLIAM BARNETT
Age:  27
Maryland

E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 24-CR-413 (S-2) (KAM)