Category: Security

Source: US FBI

ST. PAUL, Minn. – The fourth defendant in a Hobbs Act Robbery case has been sentenced to 34 months in federal prison for their role in an “inside job” armed robbery of a grocery and tobacco store, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.

According to court documents, Darius Curtis Elam, 30, Ryan Michell Elam, 30, Katrice Rene Sanders, 32, and Kynesha Jhaunae Jones, 34, conspired together to rob the U.S. Grocery and Tobacco store in Hopkins, Minnesota. On February 15, 2024, Darius and Ryan Elam entered the store before 10:00 p.m., both armed with firearms. They bound three employees’ hands to their eyes with duct tape, demanded the code to the safe, and pistol-whipped the manager.

According to court documents, the robbery was planned over a period of two weeks. Jones worked at the store and provided details about the store layout and how cash was handled. Sanders helped plan and owned the getaway vehicle used after the robbery. The robbery resulted in a $45,000 total loss to the store.

Sanders was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court. Jones was previously sentenced to 32 months in prison; Darius Elam received a sentence of 112 months, and Ryan Elam was sentenced to 109 months. Each defendant pleaded guilty to one count of Hobbs Act Robbery, and all were sentenced by Judge Donovan W. Frank.

This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI and the Hopkins Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorney William C. Mattessich prosecuted the case.

Source: US FBI

CONCORD – A Windham man was sentenced today in federal court in connection with his ownership of an international technology (IT) company that contracted with the United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley (United Way) while being employed by United Way, Acting U.S. Attorney Jay McCormack announces.

Imran Alrai, age 51, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Joseph N. Laplante to 36 months in federal prison and 1 year of supervised release. Alrai was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $2.3 million. In October 2024, Alrai was convicted by a federal jury of 12 counts of wire fraud and 6 counts of money laundering.

“For six years, the defendant carried out a calculated and sophisticated scheme to steal millions from a non-profit dedicated to uplifting our most vulnerable communities,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Jay McCormack. “He exploited the organization’s trust, fabricating companies, employees, and invoices– all to line his own pockets at the expense of those the non-profit was meant to serve.”

“The usual reward of nonprofit work is personal fulfillment, not financial enrichment,” said James Crowley, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Boston Division. “Imran Alrai, however, treated the United Way of Massachusetts and Merrimack Valley like his very own ATM, stealing millions of dollars and shortchanging their efforts and the community in the process. To anyone else engaged in a scheme like this, know that the FBI will work to shut you down and ensure you are held accountable for your actions.”

“Alrai’s ploy to enrich himself with millions of dollars stolen from an organization focused on improving the lives of those in need ended today. He used his technical expertise to craft an elaborate fraud scheme that went undetected for years, allowing him to siphon millions to fulfill his own greed,” said Homeland Security Investigations New England Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Krol. “After today’s sentence, he’s finally facing the consequences of his crimes— a long term in federal prison.”

Between 2012 and June 2018, Alrai, an IT professional at the United Way, obtained approximately $6.7 million in payments for IT services supposedly provided to United Way by an independent outside contractor, DigitalNet Technology Solutions, Inc. Alrai misrepresented material facts about DigitalNet and fraudulently concealed that he owned and controlled DigitalNet. Through DigitalNet, Alrai overcharged United Way for the services he provided.  In early 2013, Alrai rigged the bidding process for a major contract to provide managed IT services at the United Way so that DigitalNet was chosen. Alrai then gave fake references and false information about DigitalNet to United Way.

For the next five years, while serving as United Way’s Vice President for IT Services, Alrai steered additional IT work to DigitalNet, so that his company soon became United Way’s second largest outside vendor, receiving more than $1 million annually. Alrai concealed his connection with DigitalNet from his colleagues. He routinely sent emails with attached invoices from a fictitious person to himself at United Way.

After the fraud came to light, in June 2018, officials at the United Way confronted Alrai and terminated him. Federal agents executed search and seizure warrants and seized incriminating documents and data from Alrai’s home office in Windham, as well as approximately $2.2 million in fraud proceeds in bank and investment accounts.

Homeland Security Investigations and the Federal Bureau of Investigation led the investigation. The Internal Revenue Service provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Charles L. Rombeau and John J. Kennedy prosecuted the case.

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Source: US FBI

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man has been charged in a federal criminal complaint for child pornography offenses.

Jeffrey Lynn Petrie, 40, of Kansas City, Mo., was charged in a two-count criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo., on Friday, April 25. 

The federal criminal complaint charges Petrie with one count of distributing child pornography over the internet in May 2024, and one count of possessing child pornography from Dec. 9, 2024, to April 24, 2025.

According to an affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, law enforcement officers received a Cybertip reporting that a user, “kinkypopper69,” was uploading video files depicting child sexual abuse materials. Petrie was later identified as the user “kinkypopper69.”

On Thursday, April 24, the FBI conducted a search at Petrie’s residence and seized a cell phone.

Petrie is a registered sex offender in Missouri based on prior convictions for child molestation in the 2nd degree.

The charges contained in this complaint are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Teresa A. Moore. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Franklin County, Missouri Sheriff’s Office.

Project Safe Childhood

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 the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”

Source: US FBI

BILLINGS – A Hardin man who promoted prostitution with a minor was sentenced today to 36 months in prison to be followed by 3 years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

William Serges Joseph, 75, pleaded guilty in November 2024 to use of facility in interstate commerce in aid of racketeering.

U.S. District Judge Susan Watters presided.

The government alleged in court documents that in March 2023, Jane Doe, a juvenile female, disclosed to law enforcement that, commencing in approximately September 2022, she began showing her breasts to the Joseph. The two messaged each other on Facebook and Joseph was aware of she was a juvenile. Jane Doe said she allowed Joseph to touch her in exchange for alcohol and he also asked her for naked pictures.

Jane Doe was interviewed again in June 2023. She added that Joseph continued to message her and offered her $50 for sexual contact. A review of her cell phone reflected, among other communications, a February 2023 message from Joseph with a picture of male genitalia. Joseph was interviewed in February 2024. He admitted providing alcohol to Jane Doe in exchange for pictures of her breasts. At the time of the offense, prostitution was illegal under the laws of Montana and Sex Trafficking was illegal under the laws of the United States.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case, and the investigation was conducted by the FBI.

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

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Source: US FBI

ST. LOUIS – Two men who robbed two dollar stores at gunpoint have both been sentenced to more than 11 years in prison.

U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk on Wednesday sentenced Deon Walker, 27, to 11 years and nine months in prison. Samuel Nance, 33, of Black Jack, Missouri, was sentenced in July to 14 years in prison. Both men pleaded guilty to three felonies: two counts of robbery and one count of possession and brandishing of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.

On Oct. 9, 2022, just after 6 p.m., Walker and Nance robbed a dollar store in Berkeley, Missouri. Both men entered the store wearing clothing with hoods and black ski masks. When an employee asked them to remove their hoods, Walker pointed a black handgun at the employees and customers, demanded money and ordered everyone to get on the floor. One customer was able to escape out of the rear of the store with two children. An employee opened one cash register, which Nance emptied. Walker grabbed a customer and escorted her to the front of the store at gunpoint before forcing her to the floor. He and Nance then took money from another cash register and then stole about 18 packs of Newport cigarettes along with about $481 in cash.

About 90 minutes later, the two men robbed a dollar store in Ferguson, Missouri. Walker and Nance walked behind the checkout counter and Walker pointed a handgun at a cashier before demanding money. Nance jumped over the checkout counter to stop a customer who was trying to leave the store. Walker then took the entire cash drawer and both Nance and Walker ran out of the store. Walker and Nance stole about $486.

The FBI and the Berkeley Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Linda Lane prosecuted the case. 

Source: US FBI

Former Detroit Riverfront Conservancy Chief Financial Officer

Sentenced for Embezzling over $40 Million from the Conservancy

DETROIT – Former Detroit Riverfront Conservancy Chief Financial Officer William A. Smith was sentenced to 19 years of imprisonment today for embezzling over $40 million from his employer over an eleven-year period. Smith was also sentenced to a three-year term of supervised release, ordered to pay approximately $48 million in restitution, and ordered to forfeit ill-gotten gains that were traceable to his scheme, said Julie A. Beck, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan.

Beck was joined in the announcement by Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Detroit Field Office, and Charles Miller, Special Agent in Charge of the IRS-Criminal Investigations Detroit Field Office.

Smith, 52, pleaded guilty in November 2024 to one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering before United States District Judge Susan K. DeClercq.

Acting United States Attorney Beck stated,“William Smith stole an astonishing amount of money from an important community institution, and he spent that money to finance an extravagant lifestyle. Every dollar that Smith spent on luxury goods for himself is a dollar that the Conservancy could not spent beautifying and improving our city’s riverfront. This is one of the most egregious economic crimes in recent memory in this District. Smith has now been held accountable for his criminal activity, and we hope that today’s sentence deters any others who contemplate enriching themselves at the expense of a public trust.”

“Today’s sentencing of William Smith marks the conclusion of a scheme, spanning more than a decade, deeply violating the trust of his employer and the community,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office. “Mr. Smith exploited his position of authority for personal financial gain. This outcome is the hard work and dedication from members assigned to the FBI Detroit’s Complex Financial Crimes (CFC) Squad and the successful prosecution by the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Eastern District of Michigan. We remain committed to working with our partners to investigate and pursue those who violate federal laws.”

“As the trusted leader of a local advocacy nonprofit, William Smith had a duty to be a responsible steward of the organization’s funds, especially the money raised to beautify and increase access to the Detroit Riverfront,” said Special Agent in Charge Charles Miller, Detroit Field Office, IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI). “Mr. Smith proved he did not deserve that trust when he stole over $40 million from the Conservancy and by proxy, everyone who would enjoy the riverfront for many years to come. IRS Criminal Investigation is proud to work with the US Attorney’s Office of the Eastern District of Michigan and our law enforcement partners to ensure that justice is served and Mr. Smith is held accountable for such an egregious breach of trust:  stealing a huge amount of money to fund his personal lifestyle.”

According to court documents, Smith was employed as the Chief Financial Officer for the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy, Inc. (the Conservancy) from 2011 through May 2024.  The Conservancy is a 501(c)(3) organization formed with the mission of developing access to the Detroit riverfront. The Conservancy envisions creation of a continuous Riverwalk from the Ambassador Bridge in the west to Gabriel Richard Park in the east, along with plazas, pavilions, and green spaces. Funding for the Conservancy is provided by both private donors and public grants. In his position as Chief Financial Officer of the Conservancy, Smith enjoyed substantial discretion in overseeing and managing the Conservancy’s financial affairs.

Court Documents indicate that beginning no later than November 2012 and continuing until May 2024, Smith orchestrated a scheme to embezzle millions of dollars in funds belonging to the Conservancy. The embezzlement scheme took three principal forms:

•             First, Smith diverted Conservancy funds from the organization’s bank accounts to a bank account in the name of  “The Joseph Group, Inc.,” an entity owned and controlled by Smith. The Joseph Group was not an approved vendor for the Conservancy and provided no goods or services of any kind to the organization. However, between February 2013 and May 2024, Smith transferred approximately $24.4 million from the Conservancy’s bank accounts to an account in the name of “The Joseph Group.”

•             Second, Smith maintained an American Express account in the name of another of the many entities he owned and controlled, this one called “William Smith & Associates LLC.”  There were four American Express credit cards issued on this account. Between November 2012 and May 2024, Smith used approximately $14.9 million in Conservancy funds to pay off purchases made on this account. None of these expenditures was authorized by the Conservancy, which maintained other credit card accounts for Conservancy purchases. Smith used the American Express account to purchase furniture, designer clothing, handbags, lawn care services, airline tickets, and other consumer goods and services for himself and his family.

•             Third, Smith used Conservancy funds to purchase cashier’s checks from various financial institutions. These cashier check purchases were unauthorized, and Smith used the cashier’s checks for his own purposes without the knowledge or approval of the Conservancy’s Board of Directors.

Court documents show that Smith engaged in various practices to cover up and sustain this massive fraud scheme. In some instances, Smith falsified bank statements that he provided to the Conservancy’s bookkeeper, altering or deleting unauthorized transfers on the statements in order to keep them off of the Conservancy’s books. In at least one other instance, he took out a line of credit with a financial institution (Citizen’s Bank) on behalf of the Conservancy. Smith claimed to be acting with the authorization of the Conservancy’s Board of Directors in taking out this line of credit. In fact, Smith had no such authority, and the documents he provided Citizen’s Bank purporting to show that he had such authorization were forgeries.  Smith used the funds from this line of credit (which eventually totaled $5 million) to infuse monies into the Conservancy’s bank accounts to help cover up his substantial embezzlement from those accounts.

Sentencing documents indicate that Smith spent the money he appropriated from the Conservancy to live a lavish and extravagant lifestyle. Over the course of his scheme, Smith spent enormous sums of money on basketball tickets, cruises, private jet travel, designer clothing, jewelry, and the like.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys John K. Neal and Robert A. Moran. Assistant United States Attorneys K. Craig Welkener and Jessica Nathan handled the asset forfeiture and restitution. The FBI and the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations Division conducted the investigation.

Source: US FBI

Hagåtña, Guam – SHAWN N. ANDERSON, United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, announced that defendant, John T. Mantanona, age 67, was sentenced by designated Senior District Judge John C. Coughenour in the District Court of Guam to 60 months imprisonment for Obstructing Justice by Endeavoring to Influence a Juror, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1503.  The Court also ordered two years of supervised release, a $30,000 fine, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.

From October 12, 2018, through November 13, 2018, Chief Judge Frances Tydingco-Gatewood conducted a federal jury trial in the criminal case of United States v. Raymond Martinez and Juanita Moser, 15-CR-00031.  Mantanona was retired from the Guam Police Department, including work as an FBI task force officer.  Martinez and Moser hired him as an investigator during the trial.  Mantanona tried to influence Gregorio Tyquiengco while Tyquiengco served as a juror in the case.  During the trial, and prior to jury deliberations, Mantanona contacted Tyquiengco to discuss what verdict Tyquiengco would render and to influence him to vote “NG” (not guilty) despite the evidence against Martinez and Moser.  Mantanona also wanted Tyquiengco to persuade other jurors to do the same, with the intent to cause a hung jury and mistrial.  A mistrial was declared on November 13, 2018.  Mantanona met with Tyquiengco and gave him $1,000, in addition to $100 afterward.

Tyquiengco pled guilty to Contempt of Court, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 401(3).  He was sentenced to 30 days imprisonment and one year of supervised release. Tyquiengco was also ordered to reimburse the district court for any money he received for serving as a federal juror.

William Topasna Mantanona pled guilty to False Statement to Government Agent, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1001(a)(2). During a wiretapped telephone conversation, he communicated with his brother, John T. Mantanona, to facilitate the above-described scheme.  He later falsely denied this conduct during an investigative interview with a special agent from Homeland Security Investigations.  On August 26, 2021, the district court sentenced William Topasna Mantanona to six months imprisonment, two years of supervised release, and a mandatory $5,000 fine.

“The public should have faith in our justice system, which includes fair and impartial court proceedings.  Mantanona violated this fundamental concept of trial by jury.  The Department of Justice will hold accountable those who obstruct justice,” stated United States Attorney Anderson.   “I applaud our law enforcement partners for pursuing an investigation beyond the initial crimes by Martinez and Moser.”

“Great trust is placed in those who call law enforcement their mission,” said Homeland Security Investigations Hawaii Special Agent in Charge Lucy Cabral-DeArmas. “Violating that trust by working to dilute the integrity of our judicial process is a complete betrayal of that mission and brings down every person who seeks to serve the public.  This sentence sends a clear message to those currently in or retired from law enforcement that if you break that trust, there will be consequences.”

“The FBI’s anti-corruption work remains one of our highest priorities. Those who criminally influence jurors and their deliberations through bribery strike at the very foundation of our criminal justice system,” said FBI Honolulu Special Agent in Charge David Porter. “Mr. Mantanona tampered with the integrity of our legal process, and in so doing, attempted to deny our community the justice it deserves. As reflected by this investigation, the FBI is committed to protecting our legal system and will bring to justice those who act to corrupt it.”

“While this conviction is for obstructing justice, this is a direct result of a firearms trafficking case from a number of years ago in which we seized more than $1.2 million in cash, $2 million more in additional seizures, and 67 firearms,” said ATF Seattle Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Blais.  “It’s discouraging to see that a retired law enforcement officer was involved in these illegal actions, but we are glad to see the passing of this sentence.”

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives.

Assistant United States Attorney Rosetta L. San Nicolas prosecuted the case in the District of Guam.

The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF.

Source: US FBI

A Houston, Texas man pleaded guilty to the “jugging” robbery of an ATM technician that occurred on July 3, 2024, announced Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.  A “jugging” robbery is a type of theft where thieves follow a victim as they service or withdraw cash from ATMs or banks and then rob them.

In December 2024, Houston residents Johnny Juwan Clark, 32, Corey Dashun Holloway, Tierra Toneisha Brandyberg, and Roosevelt Ford Valentine were charged in a superseding indictment for their roles in a jugging robbery in Midlothian, Texas.  On April 22, 2025, Clark pleaded guilty to interference with commerce by robbery before Senior United States District Judge Barbara M.G. Lynn.  

Clark, Brandyberg, Holloway, and Roosevelt have been linked to a Houston-based criminal organization called the “Hiram Clarke Money Team.”  HCMT members are known to routinely travel to areas outside of Houston and engage in “jugging” style robberies and other forms of theft.

Clark admitted that at approximately 5:35 p.m. on July 3, 2024, he approached the ATM technician as he was servicing an ATM at a Chase Bank located in Midlothian, Texas.  Clark was wearing a hoodie and face covering to disguise his appearance.  Clark approached the technician from behind and forced him to the ground.  Clark kept his fist to the back of the victim’s head as cannisters containing United States currency were removed from the ATM by codefendants.  Approximately $247,000 in United States currency was taken during the robbery.  According to court documents, Clark admitted that he was the individual forcing the technician to the ground, captured in a security photo. 
 

After the robbery, Clark and two of his codefendants fled from the Chase Bank in the rental car and met a fourth accomplice at an apartment complex in close proximity to the bank. The stolen money was loaded into a Range Rover and driven back to Houston, Texas.

Clark’s sentencing is scheduled for July 28, 2025.  He faces a sentence of up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Codefendant Tierra Toneisha Brandyberg has filed documents advising the court of her intention to plead guilty.  A rearraignment date for Brandyberg has not been set.  Codefendants Holloway and Valentine are set for jury trial in September 2025.

The FBI (Dallas Division) investigated the case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Rick Calvert is prosecuting the case.

Source: US FBI

Around the same time, the FBI established a relationship with and a presence on the Marine Corps Base at Quantico. FBI agents had been given the authority to carry firearms and needed a firing range to learn to use those weapons safely and effectively.

The FBI’s presence at Quantico grew with the National Academy’s development and a growing number of special agents. By the 1940s, the FBI had created a three-story brick building with classrooms, dining facilities, and dormitories to serve students in both the FBI Academy and National Academy.

But most of the training for both programs still occurred in Washington, D.C., and the facilities were limited in size and scope. “The firearms training unit was in Quantico,” said Jim O’Conner, who retired in 1989 as the deputy assistant director of the FBI Training Division, where he helped plan for the new training academy. “And there was a small academy building where you would go for a portrait of your new agents training class, but not very much else.”

With a 1965 request from President Lyndon Johnson, Congress approved funding for a larger training campus, and planning for the FBI’s modern 547-acre campus at Quantico began.

Source: US FBI