Category: Security

Source: US FBI

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that MD Nurul Hasan, 48, MD Munsur Ali, 48, and MD Rafikul Islam, 52, all of Millbourne, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty today to election fraud offenses, at separate hearings before United States District Judge Harvey Bartle III.

In February, the defendants were charged in a 33-count indictment with conspiracy to commit voter fraud, giving false information in registering to vote, and fraudulent voter registration, arising from their scheme, ultimately unsuccessful, to steal Millbourne Borough’s 2021 mayoral election for Hasan.

Hasan, the vice president of the Millbourne Borough Council, pleaded guilty to all 33 charges against him — one count of conspiracy, 16 counts of giving false information in registering to vote, and 16 counts of fraudulent voter registration.

Ali, a member of the Millbourne Borough Council, pleaded guilty to all 25 charges against him — one count of conspiracy, 12 counts of giving false information in registering to vote, and 12 counts of fraudulent voter registration.

Islam, a former member of the Millbourne Borough Council, pleaded guilty to all seven charges against him — one count of conspiracy, three counts of giving false information in registering to vote, and three counts of fraudulent voter registration.

As set forth in court filings, in 2021, Millbourne held elections for mayor, three seats on its borough council, and tax collector. Defendant Hasan entered the majority party’s primary election for mayor.

The primary election was held on May 20, 2021, and Hasan was defeated in the primary by a vote count of approximately 138 to 120. In the same primary, Ali was one of three majority party candidates for borough council to advance to the general election, while Islam lost his bid for reelection to the council.

After the primary, Hasan decided that he would run as a write-in candidate for mayor in the general election, which was scheduled for November 2, 2021. Ali and Islam agreed to support Hasan in his write-in campaign.

As detailed in court documents and admitted by the defendants, in or about 2021, defendants Hasan, Ali, and Islam conspired and agreed with one another, and other persons known and unknown to the U.S. Attorney, to steal the 2021 general election for Mayor of Millbourne for defendant Hasan through a multi-step process, which included:

(a) obtaining personal identification information of non-Millbourne residents, such as their names, addresses, and dates of birth;

(b) using the personal identifying information to access the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s online voter registration (PAOVR) website and change the voter registration addresses for those non-Millbourne residents to locations within Millbourne;

(c) using the PAOVR website to request that mail-in or absentee ballots for those non-Millbourne residents be sent to addresses accessible by one or more of the defendants;

(d) retrieving the ballots from the Millbourne mailboxes;

(e) impersonating the voters and fraudulently casting write-in votes for defendant Hasan to be mayor;

(f) enclosing the fraudulently completed ballots in envelopes and forging the voters’ signatures on the envelopes; and

(g) submitting the ballots in their envelopes to the Delaware County Board of Elections.

The defendants admitted that, to further this conspiracy, they contacted friends and acquaintances whom Hasan and Ali knew did not live in Millbourne, told these non-Millbourne residents that Hasan was running for mayor in Millbourne, asked if they could register the non-Millbourne residents to vote in Millbourne, and then cast mail-in ballots for Hasan to be mayor.

Hasan and Ali persuaded many of their non-Millbourne friends and acquaintances to provide them with personal identification information so that defendants Hasan and Ali could register them to vote in Millbourne. During many of these conversations, Hasan and Ali told their non-Millbourne friends and acquaintances that they would not get in trouble, as long as they did not vote in another election in November 2021.

Hasan and Ali also conspired and agreed to use personal identifying information for other non-Millbourne residents, which the two defendants had obtained from other sources, such as Hasan’s business, to register those nonresidents as Millbourne voters without the knowledge of those non-residents.

Hasan personally did almost all of the fraudulent voter registrations himself, using a computer at his place of business to access the PAOVR website and change the voting addresses for non-Millbourne residents to locations within Millbourne. Every time that Hasan accessed the PAOVR website to change a voter registration address, he provided an email address for the voter. Many times, Hasan provided one of four email addresses that he used and accessed.

To divert suspicion from himself, however, Hasan sometimes provided email addresses belonging to other people, who knowingly and willfully permitted Hasan to use their email addresses to cover up Hasan’s actions. One of those people was Islam, who allowed Hasan to use two of Islam’s email addresses when Hasan fraudulently changed the voter registration addresses for six individuals. Islam also permitted Hasan to use two of Islam’s email addresses when requesting mail-in ballots for five non-Millbourne residents.

In total, the defendants conspired to falsely register nearly three dozen non-Millbourne residents as Millbourne voters and cast ballots for those non-Millbourne residents in the 2021 general election for mayor of Millbourne Borough. Hasan went on to lose the election by a vote of approximately 165 to 138.

“Protecting the integrity of our elections is crucial to ensuring a fair result, as well as the public’s continued trust in the process,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “That’s why these cases are a priority for my office and the FBI. Election fraud will not be tolerated in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.”

“Trust in the electoral process is the cornerstone of our democracy. When public officials betray that trust through fraud, they don’t just break the law — they erode confidence in the very institutions that uphold our system,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia. “The FBI is proud to stand with our partners in safeguarding the integrity of elections at every level of government.”

“This investigation exposed public officials who forgot that their role in a democracy is limited to accepting the voters’ choice. I applaud the hard work and partnership of the United States Attorney’s Office, the FBI and my Special Investigations Unit led by Deputy DA Doug Rhoads. This investigation serves as a reminder that my Office remains committed to election integrity, ensuring that everyone’s vote is counted equally,” said Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer.

The defendants are scheduled to be sentenced on June 18 and face maximum possible sentences of five years in prison for each of the charges to which they have pleaded guilty.

The case was investigated by the FBI and the Delaware County District Attorney’s Office and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark B. Dubnoff.

Source: US FBI

Defendant Allegedly Engaged in Disturbing, Violent Online Conversations With Victim He Knew Was a Minor

Source: US FBI

PHILADELPHIA—The FBI Philadelphia Field Office is now accepting applications for our Teen Academies for summer 2025. Our Teen Academy programs give high school students an opportunity to get a look into today’s FBI.

Open to rising 9th through 12th grade high school students, this program gives an inside look at some aspects of the FBI from national security to cyber and violent crimes. Students also get visibility of our division’s critical response groups to include weapons of mass destruction, crisis negotiations, SWAT, and our Evidence Response Team.

This year, the FBI Philadelphia Field Office will be hosting three academies: Abington and York, Pennsylvania, and Gloucester, New Jersey.

“FBI Philadelphia is proud to once again offer local teens a rare opportunity to engage directly with our dedicated personnel and gain a behind-the-scenes look at the Bureau,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, special agent in charge of FBI Philadelphia. “If you’re a student who feels inspired by our mission—to protect the American people and uphold the Constitution—we encourage you to apply to our Teen Academy and explore what it means to serve with purpose.”

Applicants must submit materials by Thursday, May 19, 2025.

The Teen Academy Applications and additional information can be found here: Community Outreach — FBI

Source: US FBI

PHILADELPHIA—April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and the FBI Philadelphia Field Office is taking that opportunity to alert the public about a serious federal crime: sexual assault aboard aircraft.

Sexual assault aboard aircraft—which usually takes the form of unwanted touching—is a felony that can land offenders in prison.

To respond to incidents at airports or on airplanes, each of the FBI’s 55 field offices have airport liaison agents (ALA). These agents are assigned to the nearly 450 U.S. aviation facilities that have passenger screening operations regulated by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), and respond to crime aboard an aircraft, a violation which falls within the FBI’s special investigative jurisdiction. 

“Everyone has the right to fly without being subjected to abusive or sexual misconduct,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, special agent in charge of FBI Philadelphia. “Alongside our airport and law enforcement partners, the FBI is committed to supporting victims and holding offenders fully accountable for their actions.”

To support and assist victims of federal crimes, the FBI has Victim Specialists in field offices across the country.

We encourage everyone to be aware of their surroundings while onboard an airplane. If you have been a victim of sexual assault aboard an aircraft, or have witnessed one take place, report it your flight crew, airport authority police, and the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or tips.fbi.gov.

You can reach out to FBI Philadelphia at (215) 418-4000.

For victim services resources on sexual assault, visit: Navigating the Impact of Sexual Assault — FBI

Source: US FBI

PORTLAND, Ore.—A mother and daughter from Tigard, Oregon were arraigned in federal court today after they were indicted for using force and threats to compel three victims, including a minor victim, to work for little or no pay in an adult foster care home.

Marie Gertrude Jean Valmont, 66, and Yolandita Marie Andre, 30, have been charged in a seven-count indictment with conspiring with one another to commit forced labor, committing forced labor, and benefitting from forced labor.

According to court documents, Valmont and Andre, the owners and operators of Velida’s Care Home in Tigard, began their trafficking scheme in 2023 when they convinced two adults and a child from Haiti to travel to the United States to work at Velida’s.

In early September 2023, all three victims arrived in Portland and were immediately taken to Velida’s where they were forced to work long, difficult hours for little or no pay. Valmont and Andre are also alleged to have taken their victims’ immigration paperwork and forbade them from leaving Velida’s under any circumstances. Valmont is further alleged to have thrown items at the victims, threatened to send them back to Haiti and have them killed, and threatened to call the police and make false theft allegations against them.

In the summer of 2023, authorities with the Oregon Department of Justice were alerted to the situation at Velida’s following the minor victim’s disclosure of her indentured servitude to a pediatrician. Shortly after, the minor victim was removed from Velida’s and placed in a foster home. On Thursday, the FBI arrested Valmont and Andre at Velida’s without incident.

Both defendants made their first appearances in federal court today before a U.S. Magistrate Judge. They were arraigned, pleaded not guilty, and released pending further court proceedings.

Committing and benefitting from forced labor are both punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison per count of conviction.

This case was investigated by the FBI with assistance from the Tigard Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Eliza Carmen-Rodriguez, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.

An indictment is only an accusation of a crime, and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

If you or someone you know are victims of human trafficking or have information about a potential human trafficking situation, please call the National Human Trafficking Resource Center (NHTRC) at 1-888-373-7888 or text 233733. NHTRC is a national, toll-free hotline, with specialists available to answer calls from anywhere in the country, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can also submit a tip on the NHTRC website.

If you believe a child is involved in a trafficking situation, you can also submit a tip via the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children’s (NCMEC) CyberTipline or call 1-800-THE-LOST. FBI personnel assigned to NCMEC review information provided to the CyberTipline.

Source: US FBI

EUGENE, Ore.—A Prineville, Oregon woman was sentenced to federal prison yesterday for using stolen identities to submit fraudulent health care claims resulting in over $1.5 million in misappropriated funds from the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) Medicaid Program and filing false tax returns that failed to report earnings she received.

Darla K. Byus, 55, was sentenced to 48 months in federal prison and three years’ supervised release. She was also ordered to pay $2,033,315 in restitution to OHA and the IRS.

“Her crimes betrayed the trust placed in this company as a substance abuse treatment provider in Oregon. We thank the state and federal investigators for their dedication and commitment to ending this scheme,” said Nathan J. Lichvarcik, Chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Eugene and Medford Branch Offices. “Business owners who abuse the system to line their pockets at the expense of our communities will be held accountable.”

“HHS-OIG is committed to protecting Oregon communities and taxpayer funds from schemes targeting Oregon’s Medicaid program, which provides necessary services to vulnerable populations,” said Special Agent in Charge Steven J. Ryan with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG values our continued partnership with the Oregon Department of Justice’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and other law enforcement partners and will continue to investigate those who threaten the integrity of federal and state health care programs and the people served by them.”

“I am pleased that the joint investigation between our Medicaid Fraud Unit at Oregon DOJ and five federal agencies turned up the evidence needed for the United States Attorney to successfully prosecute this complex case. Oregon’s Medicaid program will get back over a million dollars it is rightfully owed, and those who try to defraud Oregonians and undermine our social safety net programs should be on notice— they will be caught and prosecuted,” said Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum.

According to court documents, from January 2019 to August 2021, Byus used her company, Choices Recover Services (CRS), to overbill the OHA Medicaid Program for substance abuse counseling services and to submit fraudulent reimbursement claims using the stolen identities of Medicaid recipients.

As an OHA Medicaid Provider for drug and alcohol related counseling services, CRS had access to a provider portal through the Medicaid Management Information System. Byus exploited this access to privileged information to determine a victim’s Medicaid eligibility. She then used their personally identifiable information to submit claims without the victim’s knowledge or authorization. Byus used the stolen identities more than 45 victims, at least a third of which were identified by searching jail roster websites for recent drug or alcohol related offenses.

Using CRS, Byus submitted over $3 million in false claims to the OHA Medicaid Program and received over $1.5 million in fraudulent proceeds. She used the misappropriated funds to purchase multiple properties in Oregon and to gamble. In addition, Byus knowingly filed false tax returns for herself and CRS, failing to pay approximately $450,438 in taxes.

On May 13, 2024, Byus was charged by criminal information with heath care fraud, aggravated identity theft, and making a false tax return and, on June 20, 2024, she pleaded guilty.

This case was investigated by the FBI, IRS Criminal Investigation, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General, U.S. Department of Justice Tax Division, and the Oregon Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. It was prosecuted by Joseph H. Huynh and Gavin W. Bruce, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon.

Source: US FBI

PORTLAND, Ore.—A Washington State man who admitted to committing at least ten bank robberies, including five while armed, was sentenced today to more than 23 years in federal prison.

Clifford Court Uptegrove, 61, of Yakima, Washington, was sentenced to 280 months in federal prison and five years’ supervised release.

According to court documents, on December 17, 2021, approximately 14 months after being granted a compassionate release from federal prison, Uptegrove entered an Umpqua Bank branch in Hermiston, Oregon, brandished a firearm, and demanded large denomination bills from one of the bank’s tellers. After Uptegrove collected more than $13,000 in cash, he fled the bank and attempted to steal an occupied truck in nearby parking lot.

Shortly after, a Hermiston police officer spotted Uptegrove and attempted a traffic stop. Uptegrove led the officer on a brief pursuit before stopping and being placed under arrest without further incident.

On January 19, 2022, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a three-count indictment charging Uptegrove with armed bank robbery, possessing a firearm during a crime of violence, and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Later, on April 11, 2024, Uptegrove pleaded guilty to armed bank robbery.

This case was investigated by the FBI and Hermiston Police Department and was prosecuted by Cassady Adams and Gregory Nyhus, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon.

Source: US FBI

MEDFORD, Ore.—Three Oregon men were sentenced to federal prison Thursday for distributing fentanyl that caused the overdose death of a Medford teenager.

Hunter Fenstermaker, 23, a Medford resident, was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison and six years’ supervised release; Napoleon Gomez, 22, also of Medford, was sentenced to 87 months in federal prison and six years’ supervised release; and Conner Lee Francis, 27, of Portland, Oregon, was sentenced to 73 months in federal prison and four years’ supervised release. All three were also ordered to pay restitution to the victim’s family.

According to court documents, on September 7, 2021, officers from the Medford Police Department responded to a report of an overdose death of a local 17-year-old high school student. Investigators soon learned the teenager had taken a counterfeit Percocet pill containing fentanyl, and, within days, identified Fenstermaker, Gomez and Francis as the teen’s first-, second- and third-level drug suppliers.

On February 3, 2022, a federal grand jury in Medford returned a five-count indictment charging Fenstermaker and Gomez with distributing fentanyl, and Francis with possessing fentanyl with the intent to distribute and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

On April 9 and June 17, 2024, respectively, Fenstermaker and Gomez pleaded guilty to distributing fentanyl to a person under twenty-one. On June 24, 2024, Francis pleaded guilty to possessing fentanyl with the intent to distribute.

On May 14, 2024, a fourth individual—John Rocha, 31, of Medford—was sentenced to 70 months in federal prison for his role in the Medford teen’s overdose death. Rocha was the teen’s fourth-level drug supplier.

This case was investigated by the FBI, the Medford Police Department, and the Medford Area Drug and Gang Enforcement Team (MADGE). It was prosecuted by Marco A. Boccato, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.

MADGE is a multi-jurisdictional narcotics task force that identifies, disrupts, and dismantles local, multi-state, and international drug trafficking organizations using an intelligence-driven, multi-agency prosecutor-supported approach. MADGE is supported by the Oregon-Idaho High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) and is composed of members from the Medford Police Department, the Jackson County Sheriff and District Attorney’s Offices, the Jackson County Community Corrections, FBI, and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

The Oregon-Idaho HIDTA program is an Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) sponsored counterdrug grant program that coordinates with and provides funding resources to multi-agency drug enforcement initiatives.

Source: US FBI

            WASHINGTON – An Oregon man pleaded guilty today 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.

            Andy Steven Oliva-Lopez, 27, of Milwaukie, Oregon, pleaded guilty to a felony charge of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers before U.S. District Judge Loren L. AliKhan. Judge AliKhan will sentence Oliva-Lopez on Jan. 17, 2025.

            According to court documents, Oliva-Lopez drove from his home in Oregon with a friend to attend the Jan. 6, 2021, “Stop the Steal” rally scheduled to take place on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. After attending the rally, Oliva-Lopez walked toward the Capitol and made his way to the West Plaza, which was, by that time overrun with rioters. At that location, United States Capitol Police and Metropolitan Police Department officers attempted to maintain lines of defense and were struggling to prevent rioters from advancing further to the building.

            At about 2:04 p.m., Oliva-Lopez, wearing a full-face respirator mask, sprayed streams of orange-colored bear spray at the faces and heads of police officers on the West Plaza. Over the course of several minutes, Oliva-Lopez did this on three distinct occasions. Sometime later, the crowd forced their way through, up, and over police barricades and past officers. The crowd then advanced to the exterior façade of the Capitol, where it was not lawfully authorized to remain. At such time, the certification proceedings were still underway, and the exterior doors and windows of the United States Capitol were locked or otherwise secured.

            Along with other members of the crowd, Oliva-Lopez climbed up the stone balustrade of a set of stairs adjacent to the temporary scaffolding erected for the Inauguration. This scaffolding was located well inside the restricted perimeter of the Capitol building and its grounds, and it was in an area that was not open to the public.

            The FBI arrested Oliva-Lopez on Jan. 23, 2024.

            This case is being 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 District of Oregon.

            This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Portland and Washington Field Offices, which identified Oliva-Lopez as BOLO (Be on the Lookout) #285 on its seeking information photos. 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

OKLAHOMA CITY – A federal jury has convicted BRIAN KEITH MAYS, 58, of Arkansas, of committing armed bank robbery and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.

On January 21, 2025, a federal Grand Jury returned a two-count Superseding Indictment, charging Mays with armed bank robbery and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. On March 13, 2025, after a three-day trial, a federal jury found Mays guilty of both counts.

According to evidence presented at trial, on July 5, 2024, Mays brandished a pistol at the FNB Community Bank in Harrah, Oklahoma, and demanded money from the tellers. The tellers complied, and Mays left the bank with $12,123.00. Agents with the FBI reviewed surveillance footage from the bank and an adjoining store, where they viewed Mays flee the scene. An eyewitness was able to obtain the tag number of the get-away vehicle, and an investigation into that car led authorities to Mays. Location data from Mays’s cell phone showed that Mays was in the area of the bank at the time of the robbery and visited a Walmart shortly after the robbery. While at Walmart, Mays transferred approximately $3,000.00 dollars to a person in Arkansas and could be seen on surveillance video pulling a large amount of cash from his pocket to pay for an item.

At sentencing, Mays faces up to life in federal prison and fines of up to $500,000.00.

This case is the result of an investigation by the FBI Oklahoma City and Fort Smith Field Offices, Harrah Police Department, Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office, and the Oklahoma City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel Gridley and Drew E. Davis are prosecuting the case.

This case is 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 transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

Reference is made to public filings for additional information.