Category: Security

Source: US FBI

Danielle R. Sassoon, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York; Antoinette T. Bacon, the Supervisory Official for the U.S. Justice Department’s Criminal Division; and James E. Dennehy, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced today the filing of charges against DANIEL SIKKEMA in connection with his role in a murder-for-hire plot that resulted in the death of his husband in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.  The charges are contained in a Superseding Indictment unsealed today in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.  SIKKEMA was previously charged in the Southern District of New York for passport fraud. The case is pending before U.S. District Judge Edgardo Ramos.

U.S. Attorney Danielle R. Sassoon said: “As alleged, Daniel Sikkema and his co-conspirator planned and carried out a cold-blooded plot to murder Sikkema’s husband, a United States citizen, in Brazil. This Office will doggedly pursue justice against those who murder United States citizens, whether at home or abroad.”

FBI Assistant Director in Charge James E. Dennehy said: “In the midst of a tense divorce, Daniel Sikkema allegedly financed the premature death of his estranged husband. The defendant allegedly hired a hitman to facilitate the international murder of his husband, and attempted to conceal his involvement in this callous plan. The FBI will continue to vigorously investigate any individual who selfishly and mercilessly orders the end to another’s life, regardless of where the crime may occur.”

According to the allegations in the Superseding Indictment:[1]

In 2023, SIKKEMA agreed with another individual (“CC-1”) that SIKKEMA would pay CC-1 to kill SIKKEMA’s estranged husband (the “Victim”) in Brazil.  At that time, SIKKEMA and the Victim were engaged in contentious divorce proceedings and the Victim regularly traveled to Brazil and owned property in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.  To facilitate the murder-for-hire plot, SIKKEMA, a U.S. and Cuban citizen, sent multiple payments to CC-1 and CC-1’s romantic partner in Cuba.  SIKKEMA also concealed the source of each of these payments by using either a stolen identity or an intermediary to send them.

On January 14, 2024, CC-1 murdered the Victim in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.  In the days that followed, SIKKEMA and CC-1 continued to communicate and SIKKEMA arranged for a payment of approximately $5,000 to be made to CC-1 and promised to make an additional payment at a later date.

On January 18, 2024, CC-1 was arrested by Brazilian law enforcement for his involvement in the commission of the Victim’s murder.

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SIKKEMA, 54, of New York, New York, is charged with one count of murder-for-hire conspiracy resulting in death, one count of murder-for-hire resulting in death, one count of conspiracy to murder and maim a person in a foreign country, and one count of passport fraud. If convicted, he faces a mandatory penalty of life in prison or death.

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.

Ms. Sassoon praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI New York Field Office.

The case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meredith C. Foster and Remy Grosbard for the Southern District of New York are in charge of the prosecution with assistance from Trial Attorney Chelsea Schinnour of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section.

The charges contained in the Superseding Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.    
 

Source: US FBI

Defendant Allegedly Distributed Narcotics throughout Long Island Over Seven Year Period

Source: US FBI

The FBI New York Field Office is seeking to identify potential victims of the operators of Big Apple General Buyers. Dimitriy Nezhinskiy and Juan Villar, operators of Big Apple General Buyers—located at 75 West 47th Street, Suite 3A, New York, NY 10036—were recently charged with conspiracy to receive stolen property.

According to the indictment, between approximately 2020 and 2025, Nezhinskiy and Villar allegedly conspired with others to receive and purchase stolen property, including jewelry, watches, handbags and assorted luxury items that had been stolen outside of the state of New York and transported into New York. As detailed in court filings, Nezhinskiy and Villar regularly served as “fences” for burglary crews based out of South America who traveled around the United States committing burglaries, typically targeting wealthier neighborhoods or jewelry vendors, and stealing luxury accessories.

If you believe you had property, whether pawned, placed as collateral for a loan, or stolen from you and in possession of Big Apple General Buyers, or have information relevant to this investigation please email us at diamonddistrict@fbi.gov.

Responses are voluntary but may be useful in the federal investigation and to identify respondents as potential victims. Based on the responses provided, respondents may be contacted by the FBI and asked to provide additional information.

Source: US FBI

BUFFALO, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Jessica Leyland, 37, of Amherst, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer to witness retaliation, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Louis A. Testani, who is handling the case, stated that in July 2019, Leyland approached an individual (Victim) at a bar in Buffalo, NY, and asked if she could speak with the Victim. The Victim agreed and then Leyland accused the Victim of “talking to the feds” and threatened to “(expletive) kill” the Victim. Leyland then placed the Victim in a headlock, causing bodily injury. Leyland ultimately had to be physically separated from the Victim by employees at the bar.

The plea is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, and the Erie County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff John Garcia.

Sentencing will be scheduled at a later date.

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Source: US FBI

            WASHINGTON— A New York man was sentenced to prison today after he previously pleaded guilty to assaulting law enforcement 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.

            James Weeks, 55, of Sodus, New York, was sentenced to 27 months in prison, 36 months of supervised release, and ordered to pay $2,774.00 in restitution and a $5,000 fine by U.S. District Judge Beryl A. Howell. Weeks previously pleaded guilty to a to single felony offense of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers on June 27, 2024.

            According to court documents, at approximately 3:02 p.m. on Jan. 6, 2021, Weeks was seen on video footage entering the Lower West Terrace Tunnel. The Tunnel was created by the construction of a stage for the upcoming Presidential Inauguration and was the site of some of the most violent attacks against law enforcement that day. After entering the Tunnel, Weeks made his way through a crowd of rioters and toward the police line.

            After reaching the police line, and as the crowd of rioters continued to violently fight the police, Weeks reached his arm through the broken pane of glass of one of the gold doors inside the Tunnel behind which the police line was located as if to grab a nearby Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officer. As he attempted to grab the officer, Weeks yelled, “Shove it up your a—! You fat f—! I’m gonna shove that up your a—!” and “We’re gonna f— you up!”

            Seconds later, Weeks moved around the doors so that he was directly in front of the police. Other rioters in the crowd called out, “Get that door open!” and, in response, Weeks pushed the door open, allowing more rioters access to the police line in the Tunnel. After opening the door, court documents say that Weeks struck an MPD officer using his hands and body. Shortly after, another rioter sprayed Weeks with a chemical irritant, causing him to exit the Tunnel.

            After leaving the Tunnel, Weeks approached the Northwest Courtyard on the Upper West Terrace outside the Capitol building. There, Weeks joined a crowd of rioters gathering outside a set of windows in that area. As other rioters climbed up on the windowsill, kicked, punched, or otherwise struck the panes of glass and/or boards covering the windowpanes, Weeks cheered them on. Weeks then approached the window himself, waved a black can of OC spray through one of the broken panes of glass, and banged it several times against the edges of the window. He then struck the window several times with a wooden stick in conjunction with other rioters, causing the window to break.

            The FBI arrested Weeks on Feb. 1, 2024, in Albany, New York.

            The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting this case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of New York provided valuable assistance.

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

            In the 44 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,504 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 560 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.

Source: US FBI

Brandon Hall of Rochester, New York, pleaded guilty to possessing 15 or more unauthorized access devices with intent to defraud.

Source: US FBI

BUFFALO, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that David A. Johnston, 55, of Allegany, NY, and Kayla R. Kio, 26, of Olean, NY, were arrested and charged by criminal complaint with conspiracy to produce child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison, a maximum of 30 years, and a $250,000 fine.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron J. Mango, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, on March 2, 2024, the New York State were called to Wal-Mart in Olean, for a report of a domestic dispute. Kio reported that she was being stalked and harassed by her ex-boyfriend, Johnston. The two worked together at Wal-Mart. Kio stated that in February 2024, while she was in the process of breaking up with Johnston, he requested that she produce and send to him sexually explicit videos of a 5-year-old child. Troopers seized Kio’s cell phone and recovered multiple videos and images of child pornography.

On March 13, 2024, the NYSP executed a search warrant at Johnston’s Allegany residence, during which they seized four cell phones and a tablet. Investigators recovered videos of child pornography and sexually explicit communications exchanged between Kio and Johnston. Johnston was charged with Possessing a Sexual Performance of a Child and Endangering the Welfare of a Child, while Kio was charged with Promoting a Sexual Performance by a Child and Endangering the Welfare of a Child. In 2007, Johnston was convicted of Indecent Assault and Corruption of Minors in McKean, PA, County Court.

Johnston and Kio made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge H. Kenneth Schroeder, Jr. Kio was released on conditions. Johnston is being held pending a detention hearing on September 17, 2024, at 2:30 p.m.

The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Stanley Edwards, and the Cattaraugus County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Timothy Whitcomb.

The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

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Source: US FBI

BUFFALO, N.Y. — U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Nina M. Williams, 56, of Baltimore, Maryland, pleaded guilty before Senior U.S. District Judge William, M. Skretny to wire fraud, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.  

According to court documents, Williams transmitted two fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan applications on behalf of Nimiche Inc. and Nimiche Interiors Inc., a Maryland-based business, along with fraudulent supporting documentation, to a federally insured bank in Buffalo, NY, and a mortgage lending business, which  participated as lenders in the PPP loan program. In May 2020, Williams electronically submitted a PPP loan application to the bank for $97,500, and in April 2021, she electronically submitted a PPP loan application to the mortgage lending business for $432,960.

Williams falsely claimed that Nimiche Inc. and Nimiche Interiors Inc. had between four and 25 employees and average monthly payrolls of, respectively, $39,000 to $173,185. Williams falsely stated that the loan funds would be used to retain workers and maintain payroll or other proscribed uses under the PPP loan rules. This resulted in the bank issuing $97,500 into Nimiche Inc.’s business account controlled by Williams. However, the funds were not used for business-related expenses. Instead, Williams used some of the funds towards the purchase of real property in Maryland. In addition, the mortgage lending business issued loan proceeds totaling $432,960, into Nimiche Inc.’s business account controlled Williams. Once again, the funds were not used for business-related expenses.

During the May 2020, through May 2021 time period, Williams worked with others to submit at least five additional fraudulent PPP and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) loan applications to the mortgage lending business and another bank. In total, based on the materially false and fraudulent representations contained in the application materials, Williams intended to fraudulently obtain a total of approximately $2.6 million in PPP and EIDL funds, and in fact fraudulently obtained approximately $1.5 million in PPP and EIDL funds.

The plea is the result of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, under the direction of Thomas Fattorusso, Special Agent-in-Charge, New York Field Office, Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Boston Division, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Ketty Larco-Ward, and the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Corwin Rattler. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles M. Kruly and Trial Attorney Jennifer Bilinkas of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section.

Sentencing is scheduled for December 18, 2024, before Judge Skretny.

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Source: US FBI

Burlington, Vermont – On October 23, 2024, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont honored a number of individuals from a variety of law enforcement agencies at the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Law Enforcement Awards Ceremony. Individual investigators and officers from federal, state, and local agencies were nominated by U.S. Attorney’s Office staff in a variety of categories for their outstanding work supporting the mission of this office and promoting public safety. The specific categories and individuals recognized today are as follows:

Investigative Achievement Award: This award criteria are established for those individuals, both sworn and non-sworn who have significantly contributed to the mission of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.  

• Special Agent Samuel Brown, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives – nominated for United States v. Carl Martin.
• Special Agent Brian Wood, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives – nominated for United States v. Carl Martin.
• Special Agent Nicholas Call, Food and Drug Administration-Office of Criminal Investigations – nominated for United States v. Paul Bateman, Samir Doshi, and Rebecca Buckley.
• Resident Agent in Charge Derek Roy, Food and Drug Administration-Office of Criminal Investigations – nominated for United States v. Paul Bateman, Samir Doshi, and Rebecca Buckley.
• Special Agent Jason Tilley, Food and Drug Administration-Office of Criminal Investigations – nominated for United States v. Paul Bateman, Samir Doshi, and Rebecca Buckley.
• Financial Investigator Joel Garland, Food and Drug Administration-Office of Criminal Investigations – nominated for United States v. Paul Bateman, Samir Doshi, and Rebecca Buckley.
• Special Agent Erin Nelligan, Homeland Security Investigations – nominated for United States v. Michael Burton.
• Special Agent Colin Simons, Federal Bureau of Investigation – nominated for United States v. Eric Colson, Gage Colson, and Antonio Vergara.
• Detective Sergeant Karl Gardner, Vermont State Police – nominated for United States v. Eric Colson, Gage Colson, and Antonio Vergara.
• Detective Trooper Steven Fauteux, Vermont State Police – nominated for United States v. Eric Colson, Gage Colson, and Antonio Vergara.
• Detective Sergeant Aaron Lefebvre, St. Albans Police Department, former Detective with the Vermont Drug Task Force and the Newport Police Department – nominated for United States v. Eric Colson, Gage Colson, and Antonio Vergara.

Outstanding Collaborative Investigation Award: This category is limited to those who have demonstrated outstanding efforts to overcome significant challenges in collaboration with multiple agencies in order to meet the mission of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

• Special Agent Brian Wood, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
• Special Agent Samuel Brown, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
• Detective Sergeant Philip Tremblay, Burlington Police Department
• Drug Enforcement Administration Task Force Officer Durwin Ellerman, Burlington Police Department
• Sergeant Chase Vivori, Burlington Police Department
• Special Agent Erin Nelligan, Homeland Security Investigations
  • All nominated for outstanding collaborative investigation in United States v. Ronald Harris, et al.

• Special Agent Paul Altenburg, Homeland Security Investigations
• Special Agent Anders Ostrum, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation
• Criminal Analyst Nancy Woods, Homeland Security Investigations
• Resident in Charge Alex Zuchman, Homeland Security Investigations
• Special Agent Michael DeFiore, U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division, former Detective Corporal with the Vermont Drug Task Force and the South Burlington Police Department
• Detective Sergeant Dustin Robinson, Vermont State Police
• Detective Sergeant Philip Tremblay, Burlington Police Department
• Special Agent Aaron Dince, Homeland Security Investigations
• Special Agent Colin Simons, Federal Bureau of Investigation
• Postal Inspector Jonathan Dunham, U.S. Postal Inspection Service
• Special Agent Brandon Hope, Drug Enforcement Administration
  • All nominated as their agency representatives for outstanding collaborative investigation for United States v. Dajuan Williams, et al.

Award recipients gathered today at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by colleagues and family. Each recipient received an engraved award commemorating their outstanding efforts. U.S. Attorney Kerest stated: “This is one of the best days of the year when we have the chance to recognize law enforcement officers like today’s awardees in the presence of their families. Today’s awardees make the work of the U.S. Attorney’s Office possible, and they do that work with the necessary support of their family and loved ones. We applaud their tireless work and the daily sacrifices they all make.”

Source: US FBI

Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on October 29, 2024, Eddie Melendez (a/k/a “Bart”), 31, of Feeding Hills, Massachusetts, was sentenced by Chief United States District Judge Christina Reiss to a term of 68 months’ imprisonment to be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release. Eddie Melendez previously pleaded guilty to conspiring with numerous other individuals to distribute fentanyl and cocaine base in and around Rutland, Vermont.

According to court records, Melendez was the leader of a drug distribution organization that had been transporting hundreds of grams of cocaine base and thousands of bags of heroin/fentanyl from Massachusetts to the Rutland, Vermont area on a regular basis since at least late 2019 or early 2020 until January 2024. During the course of the conspiracy, Melendez and his associates used Rutland area hotels and at least five private residences as locations to sell illegal drugs. More than a dozen associates of Melendez were involved in distributing controlled substances for his drug trafficking organization or hosting its operations within their residences, and Melendez stipulated that he coordinated the drug activities of the organization. Investigators completed fourteen controlled purchases into Melendez’s drug trafficking organization between August 2023 and January 2024.

United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the collaborative investigatory efforts of the Vermont State Police’s Drug Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations, Rutland City Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Ludlow Police Department.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jason Turner and Jonathan Ophardt. Melendez was represented by John-Claude Charbonneau, Esq.