Category: Security

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Mercedes Man Who Downloaded Child Sexual Abuse Material Sentenced to Decade in Federal Prison

Source: US FBI

McALLEN, Texas – A 41-year-old Mercedes resident has been sentenced for downloading child sexual abuse material (CSAM) using a peer-to-peer program, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

Armando Jose Flores Jr. pleaded guilty July 10, 2024, to receipt of child pornography.  

U.S. District Judge Drew B. Tipton has now sentenced Flores to 121 months in federal prison. At the hearing, the court heard additional information including information detailing how Flores downloaded and stored 90 GB of CSAM across five devices. The material included over 4,500 images/videos which contained bondage, bestiality and infants/toddlers. Flores will also serve five years on supervised release following the completion of his prison term. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. Flores will also be ordered to register as a sex offender. Restitution will be determined at a later date. 

On Jan. 9, 2024, law enforcement identified a computer making videos of CSAM available for download through a peer-to-peer file-sharing program. Several videos were downloaded and found to depict prepubescent children engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The computer’s IP address was registered to an address belonging to Flores in Mercedes.    

In February 2024, authorities executed a federal search warrant at his residence and seized four electronic devices. Each contained CSAM downloaded between approximately May 1, 2022, and Oct. 31, 2022.

Flores admitted to using a peer-to-peer file-sharing program on his computer to download and receive material that contained child pornography at his home. He stated he had been accessing child pornography through peer-to-peer networks for multiple years. 

He will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

FBI conducted the investigation. 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexa D. Parcell is prosecuting the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page. 

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Man Sentenced to 40 Years After Sexually Abusing Three Children

Source: US FBI

TULSA, Okla. – A man from Kansas, Oklahoma, was sentenced today for two counts of Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Minor Under 12 in Indian Country, Aggravated Abuse of a Minor by Force and Threat in Indian Country, and Coercion and Enticement of a Minor, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.

U.S. District Judge Gregory K. Frizzell sentenced Sequoyah Jo Hinzo, 30, of Kansas, Oklahoma, to 480 months, followed by lifetime supervised release. Upon release, Hinzo will be required to register as a sex offender.

According to court documents, from 2020 through 2022, Hinzo sexually abused three children, who were 6, 9, and 13 years old. Additionally, Hinzo created fake social media accounts to entice a minor child to send him sexually explicit photos.

Hinzo is a citizen of the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians, and he will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.

The FBI, Kansas Police Department, and the Cherokee Nation Marshal Service investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys George Jiang and Valeria Luster prosecuted the case.

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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Sex Predator Sentenced to 15 Years for Sexually Abusing a Minor Child

Source: US FBI

TULSA, Okla. – Today, U.S. District Judge Sara E. Hill sentenced Damon Michael Dozier, 41, for Sexual Abuse of a Minor in Indian Country. Judge Hill ordered Dozier imprisoned for 180 months, followed by 15 years of supervised release. Upon release, he will be required to register as a sex offender.

In June 2023, Dozier took a minor child behind a shopping mall to engage in sexually explicit activity. Dozier admitted that he knew the child was only 13 years old.

Dozier is a citizen of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation and will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. The FBI and Tulsa Police Department investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen Scaife and Steve Briden prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page. 

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The $9 Million Renewable Energy Ponzi Scheme

Source: US FBI

When Ray Brewer was looking to make a ton of money, he tapped into the renewable energy industry. From March 2014 through December 2019, Brewer ultimately stole more than $8 million from investors by claiming to build anaerobic digesters on dairies in California and Idaho.

Brewer orchestrated a company that allegedly built anaerobic digesters to convert cow manure into usable energy. According to Brewer, these digesters could then generate revenue and returns for company investors. Brewer told investors they would receive rights to the natural gas, Renewable Energy Credits (RECs), and tax incentives produced by the digesters.   

But Brewer never built the digesters; they didn’t even exist. It was a scam—and Brewer used the money from investors for his own personal expenditures.   
As part of the scam, Brewer falsely claimed to be an engineer and sought investors who had ties to the dairy industry or green energy industry. Brewer invested in paid advertisements in trade publications and industry-specific online advertisements. He also targeted investors at industry-specific conferences.

According to the FBI Sacramento Case Agent, “Brewer established a pattern of fraudulent behavior over many years. He consistently exaggerated his qualifications, was repeatedly untruthful, and falsified information.” 

To convince investors that his company and digesters were real, Brewer created a slew of fake documents, including fake digester construction schedules, invoices for project-related costs, and digester power generation reports. He found stock photos of digesters in different stages of completion and sent them to his investors.

Brewer also took investors on tours of dairies where he claimed he would build the digesters. And while Brewer had legitimate lease agreements with some dairies, other agreements were completely made-up. 

“There was just a myriad of lies and documents that were passed along to these investors to convince them that it was all real,” said the case agent. “For instance, Brewer sent at least one investor a forged contract with a multinational company in which that company purported to agree to purchase byproducts generated by these anaerobic digesters—when it’s processed, you get the methane, but then the byproducts are essentially a liquid fertilizer and compostable material.” In other words, investors could profit off the methane and these additional byproducts. 

In addition, Brewer altered bank letters, in one case changing a letter to say that the bank had committed to lending him up to $100 million to build his anaerobic digestors. However, as the case agent explained, this was not the reality: “The real letter from the bank actually states that the bank had not committed to lending any money to Brewer, and in fact needed to conduct due diligence before they could make a final decision as to whether or not they would lend him money or open any type of joint credit.” 

When investors sent Brewer money, he transferred the funds into multiple bank accounts he had opened under different identities and with fake descriptions to hide the locations, sources, ownership, and control of the money.

In some instances, Brewer claimed to refund investors all or some of their money—but the reality was that he was paying off his initial investors with money from his newest investors while keeping a chunk of money for himself. This type of financial fraud is referred to as a Ponzi scheme.

Brewer used the money he kept for himself to buy a 12-acre plot of land in Montana, a 3,700 square foot custom home in California, and new pickup trucks.

Investors became skeptical when they weren’t getting the full return on investments as Brewer promised. They wanted answers and filed civil lawsuits against Brewer. When Brewer found out, he moved to Montana and assumed a new identity. He placed his assets in his wife’s name and in other aliases he created. For instance, he used his wife’s name when he purchased a house and land in Montana. 

What are Anaerobic Digesters?

Anaerobic digestion is a natural process that occurs when organic material—in this case, cow manure—breaks down in the absence of oxygen. Anaerobic digesters, sometimes referred to as “anaerobic digestion systems,” are large machines that store the organic material in a sealed container where the anaerobic digestion takes place. The digestion process leaves two key byproducts:  

  • Biogas: Primarily composed of methane (a component of natural gas), the energy in biogas can be converted to heat and electricity to power engines, fuel boilers, furnaces, and more. Biogas can also be purified to generate renewable natural gas that can be sold and used in a natural gas distribution system, compressed and used as vehicle fuel, or further processed to create other types of biochemicals and bioproducts.   
  • Digestate: The residual material left after the digestion process, digestate is composed of liquids and solids for use in products ranging from fertilizer, animal bedding, bioplastics, and more.  

Biogas can be sold on the open market as green energy, and some states offer tax benefits. The biogas produced can also count toward Renewable Energy Credits (RECs), a market-based instrument that represents the property rights to the environmental, social, and other non-power attributes of renewable energy generation. Companies may purchase RECs to meet green energy regulatory, contractual, and initiative requirements or commitments. 

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Vitel’Homme Innocent Added to FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives List

Source: US FBI

In addition, on October 7, 2022, Vitel’Homme allegedly ordered gang members to kidnap two U.S. citizens from their home in Haiti. Armed gang members allegedly forced entry into the victims’ residence and attempted to kidnap them. During the kidnapping, the gang members allegedly shot and killed one of the victims. The other victim was taken into captivity and held hostage at an undisclosed location in Haiti, while Vitel’Homme participated in ransom negotiations in exchange for the victim’s release. On October 28, 2022, the gang released the remaining victim after the victim’s family paid ransom payments. A second indictment was unsealed on October 24, 2023, charging Vitel’Homme for his alleged role in the kidnapping.  

“Haitian gang leader Vitel’Homme Innocent is the 532nd fugitive added to the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted list for his alleged involvement in the kidnapping and killing of U.S. Citizens in Haiti,” said FBI Miami Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri. “The State Department is offering a reward of up to $2 million for information leading to his arrest and/or conviction. Our resolve to bring him to account for his alleged crimes will not waver.”

Vitel’Homme is 37 years old and has black hair and brown eyes. He is between 5’7″ and 5’10” tall and weighs about 150 pounds.

Vitel’Homme is believed to be in Haiti and has ties to other countries throughout the Caribbean.

If you have any information concerning Vitel’Homme, please contact your local FBI office or the nearest American Embassy or Consulate, or call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324). You can also submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov. 

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Osage Discussion Spotlights Relationship Between FBI and Native Americans

Source: US FBI

“The FBI is not new in this game,” said Special Agent in Charge Gray. “We’ve been prioritizing crimes against Native Americans for a very long time.”

Investigating crimes, however, can’t be accomplished by the FBI alone. The Bureau relies on established partnerships with Native American law enforcement agencies to bring cases to a close. The FBI has 22 Safe Trails Task Forces with over 150 agents investigating crimes committed on about 200 reservations nationwide.

When the panel’s moderator suggested the FBI and other federal agencies may still be greeted with suspicion by tribal communities—since federal laws created many of the difficult conditions on reservations—the Osage Nation’s Standing Bear chimed in.

“Things have changed, thank God,” said Standing Bear, whose tribe has over 20,000 registered members and about 6,800 still living in the Osage Nation’s territory in Northern Oklahoma. “We have a working relationship with the FBI and our police. Osage Nation Police works on cases, joint investigations with the FBI. It’s a different world now.”

Bill Anoatubby, governor of the Chickasaw Nation, agreed.

“It’s a mutual respect,” he said. “They’re there to help us. We need them. So, it’s important to have them around. And they’ve helped us over the years on many, many cases.”

Gray said the relationship between Native American tribal leaders and law enforcement is stronger than ever before.

The FBI, he said, will be “in the community, working these crimes with rigor, with the tenacity and the professionalism from the start, and building that trust in the community.”

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Ohio Man Sentenced to Prison for Assaulting Law Enforcement with Trump Billboard and Other Offenses During January 6 Capitol Breach

Source: US FBI

           WASHINGTON – An Ohio man was sentenced to prison today after he was previously convicted of assaulting law enforcement with a Trump billboard and other offenses 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.

           Jonathan Joseph Copeland, 29, of Lima, Ohio, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dabney L. Friedrich to 71 months in prison, 36 months of supervised release, and ordered to pay $2,000 in restitution.

           Copeland was previously convicted of six felonies, including two counts of civil disorder, and one count each of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers using a dangerous weapon,  entering and remaining in a restricted building or ground with a deadly and dangerous weapon, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds with a deadly and dangerous weapon, and engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or ground with a deadly and dangerous weapon. Copeland was also convicted of misdemeanors of act of physical violence in the Capitol building or grounds and parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building.

           According to court documents and evidence presented during the trial, Copeland traveled from Ohio to to Washington, D.C., where he attended a rally on the night of January 5, 2021, and then portions of the “Stop the Steal” rally on the morning of Jan. 6, 2021, at the Ellipse. After the rally, Copeland marched with others to the Peace Circle, located on U.S. Capitol grounds, where he walked around the downed barriers at the Peace Circle and moved towards the front of a line of rioters behind a bike-rack-style barrier manned on the opposite side by several U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) officers protecting the U.S. Capitol complex.

           At approximately 12:52 p.m., a group of rioters, including Copeland, advanced on the manned bike rack barricade. They pushed through the officers and the barricade to move closer to the building. Specifically, Copeland, with his arms outstretched, pushed on the backs of other rioters as those rioters pushed on the barricade. After the rioters overwhelmed the officers and trampled over the barricade, Copeland and his fellow rioters charged forward toward the West Plaza.

           At approximately 1:40 p.m., Copeland participated in pushing a large metal frame holding an oversized “TRUMP” sign into a defensive line of Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and USCP officers, who were attempting to prevent a further advance toward the Capitol building. Copeland placed both hands onto the sign and forcefully pushed it into the line of officers.

           Court documents and trial testimony reflect that the all-metal frame was approximately eight feet tall and ten feet wide, welded with screws, and supported by large casters and wheels that were approximately the size of a person’s head. As described by one MPD officer who was a member of the defensive police line, the sign frame was heavy, with sharp metal angles jutting towards the officers.

           Also, on the West Front, Copeland began arguing with a photographer within the crowd. Copeland yelled at the cameraman and shoved him several times, and then a group of rioters attacked the photographer and pushed him off a ledge.

           Court documents and trial testimony reflect that Copeland entered the Capitol building at 2:25 p.m. via the Senate Wing Door. Once inside, he traveled through the Crypt and to the Capitol Visitor Center, repeatedly waving at other rioters to join him further inside the Capitol building. He finally exited the building at approximately 2:41 p.m. through a window next to the Senate Wing Door.

           The FBI arrested Copeland in Fort Shawnee, Ohio on Aug. 25, 2022.

           This case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio.

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

           In the 46 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,561 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 590 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.

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Update: FBI Helps Recover Nearly 200 Bodies from Colorado Funeral Home

Source: US FBI

The FBI’s Technical Hazards Response Unit also provided specialized support due to the serious biohazard conditions and other chemical hazards. Members of this team are specifically trained to work in treacherous or difficult-to-access crime scenes to ensure responders can safely gather evidence.

The tasks at hand included documenting the crime scene and transferring bodies to refrigerated trailers to prevent further degradation, all while ensuring the safety of personnel working in the toxic environment. 

The governor of Colorado declared a disaster emergency for a criminal investigation and hazardous materials incident, a declaration that authorized him to call up the Colorado National Guard. The Colorado Air National Guard’s Fatality Search and Recovery Team deployed to the scene and worked alongside FBI Hazardous Evidence Response Team personnel when entering the building and recovering bodies. 

In addition, trucks full of gear and personal protective equipment arrived at the scene from the FBI Denver Field Office and from the FBI Laboratory Operational Support Center in Dallas. Tents and a privacy fence were stood up across the site to shield the workers and the scene.

The conditions were challenging, both mentally and physically. Team members wearing Class A hazmat suits were in the building for no longer than 40 minutes at a time. They also needed a full decontamination upon exiting. The teams worked 12-hour days, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Personnel from the Bureau’s Employee Assistance Program and chaplains were also available to provide emotional wellness support to all those working in the horrific conditions.  

Mark Michalek, FBI Denver special agent in charge, said, “This is our commitment to our partners and our community: We will be with them for as long as it takes to ensure all hazards are mitigated, the conditions of the scene are fully documented, and all human remains are recovered in a dignified manner.”  

Once the remains were carefully removed from the funeral home and transported to the El Paso County Coroner’s Office, the FBI helped the Fremont County Coroner process and identify the deceased using techniques such as fingerprinting, DNA collection, and dental X-rays.

A team composed of coroner’s office members, an investigator, and victim advocates (including FBI victim specialists) will notify families in-person as deceased persons are identified.

Information about how long the bodies had been left at the funeral home and the circumstances behind their improper storage is not available at this time.

No arrests have been made to date.

The FBI continues to focus on the investigation and providing victim support through its Victim Services Division (VSD). The division has specially trained personnel in each of the Bureau’s 56 FBI field offices to ensure victims of crimes are supported in their aftermath. VSD is working with local partners to ensure trauma-informed notification, assess ongoing needs, and provide additional support, as required.

“How the FBI responds to the needs of victims of crime is a direct reflection of our core values, and we ensure that victims are supported with all resources available to them,” said FBI Assistant Director Regina Thompson, who leads VSD.

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FBI Director Convenes Five Eyes Summit on Protecting Innovation, Preventing Economic Espionage

Source: US FBI

New Zealand Security Innovation Service Director-General of Security and Chief Executive Andrew Hampton said the coalition members have a common desire to use partnerships to tackle the threat—whether that looks like their governments exchanging threat intelligence or means trading notes with private-sector innovators to increase mutual understanding and collectively brainstorm threat response.

“For us, the key thing is awareness: Having your eyes open and being able to share that best practice to manage the threat,” Hampton said.

Canadian Security Intelligence Service Director David Vigneault echoed this dedication to using teamwork to protect innovation.

“What we are trying to do here … is to take the knowledge and the awareness that we have and bring it to you in your own respective way as experts working with government to find the right frameworks so that we can enable that openness, transparency and innovation, but at the same time, do it in a way that, you know, will protect what is important for us: freedom, democracy, you know, freedom from interference and coercion, as well,” he said.

MI5 Director Ken McCallum concurred.

“The stakes are now incredibly high on emerging technologies; states which lead the way in areas like artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and synthetic biology will have the power to shape all our futures,” he said. “We all need to be aware, and respond, before it’s too late.”

The outlook for this kind of teamwork seems to be bright. During pre-summit meetings, Wray said he’s observed that businesses are more open than ever to learning how to immunize themselves against the threat of innovation theft. Whereas private sector players once needed to be sold on the existence of a threat in the first place, he explained, they’re now hungry to learn how they and the FBI can fight back together.

“We’re arming the private sector with information that enables them to take better steps to protect themselves, and so, in that sense, we’re tapping into an alignment of interests,” Wray said.

From there, he noted, businesses can decide whether or not to act on that intelligence. In any case, the shared information can help companies stop intellectual property theft and strengthen their cyber defenses.