Category: Security

Source: US FBI

COEUR D’ALENE – William Oliver Eyle, 21, of Lapwai, was sentenced to 19 years in federal prison for second degree murder, Acting U.S. Attorney Justin Whatcott announced today.

According to court records, on May 12, 2023, Eyle murdered Elias Albert Spencer on the Nez Perce Indian Reservation.  There was no fight or disagreement between the two individuals. Eyle’s car broke down in front of Elias’ home and when Elias went to see what was going on, Eyle shot him five times.  Elias’ family found his body on the sidewalk in front of the home. According to the statements from the sentencing, Eyle fled the area, destroyed evidence and remained a fugitive for months.  He was finally located by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Marshals Service toward the end of November 2023.  Eyle was 19 years at the time he murdered Elias.

Eyle pleaded guilty to second degree murder on January 29, 2025. United States District Judge Amanda K. Brailsford also ordered Eyle to serve five years of supervised release following his prison sentence.  Eyle’s mother, Jacinta Wheeler, pleaded guilty to misprision of a felony and was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison on November 14, 2024, due to her failure to report the murder and her advice to Eyle to flee.

“The murder of Elias Albert Spencer was a senseless act of violence.”  Acting U.S. Attorney Whatcott said.  “My heart goes out to Elias’ family, whose strength and resolve during this tragedy has been inspiring.  While this sentence cannot bring Elias back, hopefully it provides them some measure of closure, while also preventing future acts of violence by this defendant for a lengthy time.”

“William Eyle’s actions profoundly impacted not only the victim’s family but the community’s sense of safety,” said Special Agent in Charge Mehtab Syed of the Salt Lake City FBI.  “While nothing will bring their loved one back, we hope the sentence provides some sense of justice to Elias Spencer’s family and friends.  The FBI is committed to working with our partners to solve MMIP cases and ensure safety on reservations.”

Acting U.S. Attorney Whatcott commended the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Nez Perce Tribal Police, which led to the charges.  Assistants U.S. Attorneys Traci Whelan and Adam Johnson prosecuted the case.

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Source: US FBI

POCATELLO – Creston Dale Kindness, 42, of Fort Hall, was sentenced to 100 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, Acting U.S. Attorney Justin Whatcott announced today. 

According to court records, on January 21, 2024, officers observed Kindness driving at a high rate of speed. A lengthy pursuit followed, and the vehicle stopped when it became stuck in the snow. Officers arrested Kindness and took him to jail. At the jail, a sheriff’s deputy observed Kindness make a video call to a female friend. Kindness told the friend that he threw a bag with her name on it out of the car window during the pursuit. Kindness gave her the location and told her to go get the bag. Officers responded and found the bag. The bag contained a large amount of cash and 350 grams of fentanyl pills.

Kindness pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl on June 24, 2024. Chief U.S. District Judge David C. Nye also ordered Kindness to serve five years of supervised release following his prison sentence. 

Acting U.S. Attorney Whatcott commended the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bingham County Sheriff’s Office, the Bingham, Blackfoot, Shelley Investigation Unit, the Bannock County Sheriff’s Office, the Fort Hall Police Department, and the Idaho State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack Haycock prosecuted the case.

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Source: US FBI

Florida Woman Stole $173,500 from Church’s Peanut Butter and Jesus Charitable Program

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.