Category: Security

Source: US FBI

GREAT FALLS – Two individuals accused of murdering a man on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation were arraigned today, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

Abrianne Lillian Deserly, 24, and Calvin Florin Lester, 35, both of Wolf Point, pleaded not guilty to an indictment charging both defendants with second degree murder. If convicted of the charge contained in the indictment, the defendants each face a maximum term of imprisonment of life, a $250,000 fine, and five years of supervised release.

U.S. Magistrate Judge John Johnston presided. Both defendants were detained pending further proceedings.

The indictment alleges that on February 26, 2025, near Wolf Point, the defendants unlawfully and with malice aforethought, that is recklessly with extreme disregard for human life, killed John Doe, and aided and abetted the same.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kalah Paisley is prosecuting the case. The FBI, BIA, Fort Peck Tribes Department of Law & Justice, and Roosevelt County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation.

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).

The charging documents are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

PACER case reference. 25-45.

The progress of cases may be monitored through the U.S. District Court Calendar and the PACER system. To establish a PACER account, which provides electronic access to review documents filed in a case, please visit http://www.pacer.gov/register.html. To access the District Court’s calendar, please visit https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl.

Source: US FBI

BILLINGS – A Billings man accused of distributing child pornography appeared today for arraignment, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

The defendant, Kole David Kuntz, 41, pleaded not guilty to an indictment charging him with 2 counts of distribution of child pornography.  If convicted of the charges contained in the indictment, Kuntz faces a mandatory minimum 5 years to 20 years of imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and 5 years to lifetime of supervised release.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Tim Cavan presided. Kuntz was released pending further proceedings.

The indictment alleges that in November 2024, the defendant knowingly distributed a visual depiction using any means or facility of interstate commerce, including by computer and the internet, the production of such visual depiction involved the use of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct, and the visual depiction was of such conduct.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Zeno Baucus is prosecuting the case. The FBI conducted the investigation.

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.

The charging documents are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

PACER case reference. 25-40.

The progress of cases may be monitored through the U.S. District Court Calendar and the PACER system. To establish a PACER account, which provides electronic access to review documents filed in a case, please visit http://www.pacer.gov/register.html. To access the District Court’s calendar, please visit https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl.

Source: US FBI

BEAUMONT, Texas – A Winnie man has been sentenced to federal prison for bank fraud conspiracy in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr.

Billy Ray Thomas, Jr., 40, pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit bank fraud and was sentenced to 34 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on April 29, 2025.  Thomas was also ordered to pay restitution of $1,363,825.18

According to information presented in court, on September 6, 2018, a Neches Federal Credit Union (NFCU) member contacted the credit union and reported there were loans reflected on their account that they did not request.  Shortly thereafter, another member notified the Credit Union that they also had loans on their account that were not theirs. This type of notification then became common over the next few weeks, involving as many as 30 members, all associated with Thomas, an assistant branch manager for NFCU.  An investigation revealed Thomas was working with another individual to commit bank fraud by using family members and acquaintances as the identified borrowers. The victims stated either they did not sign the documents, or they did sign the documents but did so electronically when Thomas would bring them a tablet for signature. In other circumstances, the victims stated they did physically sign some paper documents. However, in most circumstances, the victims stated they did not know what they were signing as they trusted Thomas implicitly.  Thomas was originally employed on May 16, 2005, with NFCU at the Pearl Street Branch in Beaumont.  At some point, Thomas was promoted to the position of assistant branch manager and some of Thomas’ responsibilities included serving as a loan officer.  Thomas resigned from his employment as the assistant branch manager on September 18, 2018.  As a result of Thomas’ fraudulent activities, losses are estimated at over $1 million.

This case was investigated by FBI’s Beaumont Field Office and the Beaumont Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Reynaldo P. Morin.

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Source: US FBI

BOSTON – The United States Attorney’s Office filed a civil forfeiture action against a U.S. Springfield Model 1868 Style Trapdoor Saddle Ring Carbine bearing serial number 1444 believed to have been unlawfully removed from the Springfield Armory, a National Historic site, several decades ago.

The Springfield Armory, located in Springfield, Mass., is a National Historic Site managed by the National Park Service (NPS). The artifacts in the Springfield Armory’s collection are property of the United States Government.

The model 1868 carbine was a variation of Springfield’s model 1868 rifle, designed at the request of the United States Army Chief of Ordinance in August 1869. In a request to the Springfield Armory, the U.S. Army’s Chief of Ordinance requested “two… breech loading carbines, suitable for cavalry.” These carbines were to be used to determine their suitability for use by the U.S. Army Cavalry. Records from the Springfield Armory show that three model 1868 carbines were produced in 1869 and one in 1870. Records also show that the model 1868 carbine did not make it into full production. The four carbines are the only four the Springfield Armory ever produced.

Of the four documented model 1868 carbines produced, the Springfield Armory had maintained two in its collection, including the carbine that is the subject of this civil forfeiture action. The Smithsonian maintains one, serial number 2290. The fourth is believed to be privately held.  

In 1985, the NPS determined one of its 1868 carbines to be missing. At various times over the years, the NPS obtained information that the missing carbine may have been in the hands of private collectors.

In 2023, federal law enforcement initiated an investigation into the stolen carbine, which resulted in the seizure of a carbine that is the subject of the civil forfeiture action. Although analysis indicated efforts had been made to obliterate identifying marks on the carbine, as alleged in the complaint, the federal law enforcement gathered evidence indicating that the seized carbine was indeed the missing carbine that had been stolen from the Springfield Armory.

The Springfield Armory was established in 1777 as a federal arsenal to supply the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. After the Revolutionary War, the Springfield Armory remained under control of the United States Army until 1974 when Congress designated it as a national historic landmark and transferred control to the NPS. The Springfield Armory began operating a museum on the premises in 1866 and has been collecting artifacts since that time.

It is a violation of federal law to embezzle, steal, purloin, or knowingly convert, or, without authority, to sell, convey or dispose of government property. A civil forfeiture action allows third parties to assert claims to property, which must be resolved before the property can be forfeited to the United States and returned to victims.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and James Crowley, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. The civil forfeiture action is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Carol E. Head, Chief of the Asset Recovery Unit.

The accusations in the complaint, and the description of the complaint, constitute allegations that certain property is subject to forfeiture. The United States must prove, by a standard of preponderance of the evidence, that the property is subject to forfeiture. 

Source: US FBI

PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A former resident of Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of violating federal law regarding the sexual exploitation of minors, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

Justin Darby, 37, pleaded guilty to two counts before United States District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan.

In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, on or about October 28, 2021, Darby knowingly altered and destroyed records associated with an application on his cellular telephone with the intent to impede and obstruct an investigation of him for offenses involving the sexual exploitation of children. The Court also was advised that, on February 6, 2024, as well as on three additional occasions with three additional minor victims, Darby attempted to and did induce a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of the conduct.

Judge Ranjan scheduled sentencing for August 25, 2025. The law provides for a total sentence of not less than 15 years and up to 30 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Pending sentencing, Darby remained detained.

Assistant United States Attorney Heidi M. Grogan is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Darby.

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.justice.gov/psc.

Source: US FBI

            Montgomery, Ala. – Acting United States Attorney Kevin Davidson for the Middle District of Alabama announced today that a Brewton, Alabama man has been sentenced to five years in federal prison for sending a death threat to a district attorney in south Alabama.

            On April 28, 2025, a federal judge in Mobile sentenced 54-year-old William Terry Holmes to 60 months in prison after Holmes pleaded guilty to mailing a threatening communication. The sentence, the maximum allowed under the federal statute, will run consecutively to the state prison term Holmes is currently serving with the Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC) on unrelated charges. There is no parole in the federal system. In addition to the prison sentence, Holmes was ordered to pay $26,185.70 in restitution.

            According to court documents and Holmes’s plea agreement, the threat arose after a man that Holmes claimed to know was convicted of capital murder for the killing of a police officer. On March 19, 2024, Holmes, who was an inmate serving a state prison sentence with ADOC, sent a letter to the Mobile County District Attorney’s Office, which prosecuted the capital murder case. The letter began, “I am personally writing you to inform you we know where you live,” and went on to identify Holmes as a member of a known white supremacist group. Holmes threatened that the district attorney, the district attorney’s family, and the judge involved in the case would suffer “a very horrible and painful death” in retaliation for the conviction and the pursuit of the death penalty against his alleged associate.

            On March 22, 2024, agents interviewed Holmes. During the interview, Holmes admitted to writing the letter and claimed he had associates watching the district attorney, warning that the prosecutor had only hours to live. Security precautions had already been taken to protect the district attorney and his family. Holmes pleaded guilty to mailing the threatening communication on January 28, 2025.

            “No one who serves the cause of justice, or the families of those who serve, should ever be threatened for doing their job,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Kevin Davidson. “Our system depends on the courage of prosecutors, judges, and law enforcement officers. Threats against them are attacks on the rule of law itself and cannot be tolerated.”

            “There is no place in our justice system for threats of violence – especially leveled at officers of the court,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Timothy J. O’Malley. “The FBI is committed to ensuring those who serve justice can do so without fear and will hold offenders accountable.”

            The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Mobile Field Office investigated this case, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service and the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office.  Assistant United States Attorney J. Patrick Lamb from the Middle District of Alabama prosecuted the case.

Source: US FBI

“It’s become a gold-standard for community-led threat assessment teams,” said Special Agent Sam Ukeiley, an FBI threat management coordinator in the San Antonio Field Office. A former profiler in BAU, Ukeiley helped an earlier iteration of BTAG formalize their process in 2019 and integrate BAU’s threat assessment and threat management approach.

SAPD manages the program and has become a model for law enforcement agencies around the country that are considering something similar. “You make sure you’re addressing all the threats in an accountable and defensible manner, so nobody falls through the cracks at a minimum,” Ukeiley said. “That’s what it’s all about.”

It was, in part, that accountability model that alerted the BTAG to new concerning behaviors by the Laredo, Texas, man in late 2022. After being released from treatment, he posted a video clip on social media of himself driving past Robb Elementary, site of the mass shooting, and an image of a hand holding a rifle magazine. 

On December 11, 2022, the man tried to buy a shotgun in San Antonio. When his application was delayed because he provided an incorrect home address, the FBI notified the local investigator, who arrested him on a state charge of making terroristic threats related to the Uvalde school shooting. The man was sentenced to jail, followed by a three-year period of supervised release. Post-release conditions will provide a structured reentry to society and enhance law enforcement’s options to monitor for concerning changes in behavior.

In a statement at sentencing, the prosecutor praised the effort that led up to the young man’s arrest and detention. “This is a great example of coordinated efforts by local and federal and law enforcement to keep our community safe using the full panoply of prosecutorial options at our disposal,” said Jaime Esparza, United States attorney for the Western District of Texas.

Sgt. Matthew Porter, supervisor of BTAG, said not every reported threat requires the team’s attention, but he would rather people err on the side of caution. “I would rather someone report something to us that’s not beneficial, rather than the alternative,” he said.

Source: US FBI

Both teams played aggressive, high-speed hockey from the start, culminating in a late first-period goal by the Secret Service.

Power plays early in the second period presented ample scoring opportunities for the FBI, but it wasn’t until halfway through the period, with fans on their feet chanting “F-B-I! F-B-I!” that the team answered with an equalizer to make the game 1-1.

“Inevitably, every year, the game is competitive and emotional,” said Kyle Miller, an FBI auditor and analyst who plays defense for the Bureau’s hockey team. “Both teams desperately want to win and certainly compete to do so, but one of the things that makes it special is the energy and enthusiasm of the fans.”

The third period intensified with another crucial goal for the FBI, only to be matched by a late tying goal from the Secret Service to make it 2-2 and force a 10-minute overtime. Despite offensive aggression, the score remained deadlocked through two overtime periods, forcing a rare triple overtime.

The FBI players battled fiercely, but ultimately, two minutes into triple overtime, the Secret Service secured the game-winning, sudden-death goal.

Source: US FBI

Tradecraft is another pillar of the FBI’s intelligence program strategy. It focuses on the recruitment and operation of sources and resilience in the face of emerging threats like ubiquitous technical surveillance, a term the FBI uses to describe how adversaries can threaten Bureau personnel, sources, and operations through the widespread collection and analysis of digital activities.

Tradecraft also includes the authorship and distribution of critical analysis. The new strategy emphasizes the FBI’s responsibility to deliver impactful analysis to intelligence partners, strengthening connections and collaboration. Quoting a former CIA analyst, Wray said, “It’s tradecraft and proper coordination that turn one individual’s analysis into an IC product we can all stand behind.”

The third lever of the strategy—training—focuses on fostering a multidisciplinary approach to the FBI’s work that highlights the integration of intelligence and operations. This training will give employees the skills they need to form multidisciplinary teams, utilizing the expertise of every job role to ensure the FBI is applying their full range of authorities and capabilities to all they do.

“We’ll train our new agents as collectors and consumers of intelligence, as well as investigators,” Wray said.

Wray spoke on the Bureau’s role in the IC, particularly the FBI’s unique combination of law enforcement and intelligence authorities—an asset, he said, that can bridge many of the gaps our enemies want to exploit. To do so, collaboration is key.

“Defending against evolving threats requires all of us,” Wray said, citing cybercrime, terrorism, counterintelligence, and election security among the emerging threats. The FBI’s response is “fast, coordinated, and skillful as ever” thanks to increased coordination and collaboration with our partners, including those in local law enforcement and the private sector.

“It’s never been more important than it is right now,” Wray said.

Source: US FBI

“There was a significant amount of digital evidence—historical cell site data, email accounts, financial accounts were found to possess a vast amount of digital evidence that later proved instrumental in the successful outcome of the investigation,” said Loran Freeman, a detective for the Independence Police Department who is also on the FBI task force.

“One thing builds on another, and before you know it, you’ve got a mountain of evidence to sort through. It required a significant amount of work through the evidence that was produced from an equally significant amount of legal processes, including many search warrants. Essentially, it was a traditional homicide investigation conducted with a very deep dive into the digital world.”

Investigators discovered that prior to Harris’ murder, Brown sent threatening messages to Harris via the social media app Snapchat. These messages included photos of GPS devices and demands of monthly $10,000 payments to be made to Brown from Harris.

A long-term feud involving their work as marijuana dealers led to Brown’s exploitation and attempted extortion of Harris. Investigators learned through the analysis of the evidence, and witness information, on the night of Harris’ death, Brown was assisted by two co-conspirators, Ronell Pearson and Michael Young.

The FBI also determined that Brown had, over an extended period of time, installed several GPS devices on Harris’ vehicles to track his location and that the conspirators also participated in the tracking.

In January 2018, the men followed Harris’ girlfriend from her work to the home she shared with Harris. A month later, the men installed a GPS tracking device on Harris’ vehicle and used a tracking service that gave his real-time location. Then, on March 12, 2018, a month after the initial bugging of Harris, and two days before the murder, another GPS device was placed on Harris’ vehicle.

“Harris’ murder was exceptionally violent,” said Freeman. “Compared to the murder investigations I’ve participated in, it’s not common you find someone who’s willing to assassinate someone, especially when a child is present.”

In fact, while in custody, Brown bragged about the murder—specifically the fact that he was able to kill Harris in front of his daughter. Brown even proclaimed that he should’ve killed Harris’ daughter as well.

Brown was found guilty on May 5, 2023, of one count of conspiracy to commit cyberstalking, one count of cyberstalking resulting in death, and one count of possession of a firearm as a convicted felon and was sentenced in October to life in prison. The case against Brown marked the first filing of both the cyberstalking charge and the cyberstalking resulting in death charge in the Western District of Missouri.

FBI Kansas City’s Violent Crime Task Force continues to investigate similar cases in hopes of making their streets safer and sending violent crimes to prosecution at the federal level.

“Kansas City will continue to monitor and review state and local homicide investigations that are particularly heinous that could potentially be better served as a venue in federal court versus a local court,” said Nathan Kim, a supervisory special agent in the Kansas City Field Office.

Partnerships with local and state law enforcement—like the one between the FBI and the Independence Police Department—are key to these efforts. “The relationship has proven itself invaluable time and time again,” said Freeman.

“If it wasn’t for that relationship, our community back home would suffer. The partnership between the Independence Police Department and the FBI contributes to a safer environment in Independence, while helping to bring a justice to the victims of violent crimes and their loved ones. The United States Attorney’s Office also plays a significant role in their willingness to and skillful handling of such complex investigations and bringing these cases before the court for prosecution.”