Leader of the Route Boys Gang Sentenced to 22 Years in Prison for Drug Trafficking and Firearms Offenses

Source: US FBI

Earlier today in federal court in Central Islip, Jason Liriano, the founder and leader of the Route Boys gang, was sentenced by United States District Judge Gary R. Brown to 22 years’ imprisonment for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and use of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking activity.  Liriano pleaded guilty to the charges in September 2023.  Liriano is the last of 10 defendants affiliated with the Route Boys gang to be sentenced in connection with charges in a third superseding indictment involving drug distribution, use of firearms, pharmacy burglaries, and ATM thefts.  The Route Boys burglarized pharmacies and convenience stores in Nassau, Suffolk, Brooklyn, Queens, Westchester, and Rockland Counties, as well as in New Jersey and Connecticut from 2020 through June 2022, when they were arrested.

John J. Durham, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Christopher G. Raia, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the sentences.

“For two years the Route Boys, led by Liriano, engaged in a brazen crime spree targeting local businesses throughout the Tri-State area, stealing money and pharmaceuticals to fuel their illegal drug business, which they protected with threats of violence and illegal firearms,” stated United States Attorney Durham. “These significant jail sentences make our communities safer and are the result of my Office’s collaboration with our law enforcement partners, who are dedicated to the shared mission of protecting local businesses from criminals and holding accountable those who seek to flood our communities with dangerous drugs.”

Mr. Durham thanked the New York City Police Department, Nassau County Police Department, Suffolk County Police Department, Westchester Safe Streets Task Force, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Kings County District Attorney’s Office, Queens County District Attorney’s Office, Nassau County District Attorney’s Office, and Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office for their assistance with the investigation.

“Jason Liriano, the leader of the Route Boys gang, orchestrated a three-year burglary spree targeting various businesses across the city to steal cash and controlled substances for illicit resale,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Raia.  “Liriano’s leadership tormented these local establishments and relied on firearms to further intimidate the gang’s victims into compliance.  With the assistance from our law enforcement and prosecutorial partners, the FBI maintains its steadfast resolve to dismantle any unlawful system that finances the gang presence in our communities.”

As set forth in the third superseding indictment, the government’s sentencing memorandum, and other court filings, the Route Boys began committing burglaries in late 2020, breaking into convenience stores, check-cashing businesses, laundromats, and restaurants, stealing primarily cash and tobacco products.  In addition, the gang stole free-standing ATMs, forcing them open and stealing the cash from inside the machines, netting tens of thousands of dollars.  They then began targeting small “mom-and-pop” pharmacies throughout the Tri-State area by smashing through windows and stealing controlled substances such as oxycodone and promethazine-codeine cough syrup. Liriano possessed a 9mm handgun in furtherance of the drug trafficking operation.  They sold the stolen pharmaceuticals on social media immediately after a night of burglaries.  The government’s conservative estimate is that the Route Boys committed at least 100 burglaries in the Tri-State area between approximately November 2020 and the summer of 2022.  The Route Boys’ crime spree continued after their arrests and incarceration.  Some members engaged in witness tampering and possessed illegal cell phones and controlled substances like oxycodone and marijuana while incarcerated at the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Brooklyn and on Rikers Island, and many brazenly posted on social media using the contraband phones (including a photo posted by Liriano declaring “F**k the Feds”).  On numerous occasions, including after he pleaded guilty in federal court, Liriano possessed homemade weapons and drugs inside the MDC, and stabbed a fellow inmate with a long shank when the inmate was working as an orderly delivering his breakfast.

Previously, nine other Route Boys members were convicted and sentenced to federal prison, including: Carlos Acevedo to 126 months in prison; Ramon Collado to 132 months in prison; Naresh Deonarrain to 180 months in prison; Devin Lopez-Dominguez to 60 months in prison; Charlie Maisonet to 96 months in prison; Cavier Nedrick to 120 months in prison; Eric Nunez to 144 months in prison; Alberto Santiago to 180 months in prison; and Jeffrey Vargas to 156 months in prison.

The government’s case is being handled by the Criminal Section of the Office’s Long Island Division.  Assistant United States  Attorneys Samantha Alessi and Andrew P. Wenzel are in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Dejah Turla.

The Defendant:

JASON LIRIANO (also known as “jay_bigfella”)
Age:  25
Brooklyn, New York

Defendants Previously Sentenced:

CARLOS ACEVEDO (also known as “S.L.” and “cartier_am”)
Age:  26
Brooklyn, New York

RAMON COLLADO (also known as “Greedy,” “greedy.billzz” and “greedyyt2gg”)
Age:  26
Brooklyn, New York

NARESH DEONARRAIN (also known as “Kans” and “nocheck _ kans”)
Age:  27
Brooklyn, New York

DEVIN LOPEZ-DOMINGUEZ
Age:  22
Brooklyn, New York

CHARLIE MAISONET (also known as “Charlie_._rb”)
Age:  21
Brooklyn, New York

CAVIER NEDRICK (also known as “Chief,” “big.chiefs,” and “Caviar Nedrick”)
Age:  26
Hauppauge, New York

ERIC NUNEZ (also known as “Tok” and “therealtok”)
Age:  26
Brooklyn, New York

ALBERTO SANTIAGO (also known as “Kom” and “dot.kom”)
Age:  27
Queens, New York

JEFFREY VARGAS (also known as “Chito” and “chito_1838)
Age:  23
Brooklyn, New York

E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 21-451 (S-3) (GRB)

18th Street Gang Member Sentenced to 45 Years in Prison for Racketeering Conspiracy and Two Murders

Source: US FBI

Defendant Recorded Victim Being Stabbed More than 100 Times and Sent the Video to Other Gang Members as a Warning Not to Cooperate with Law Enforcement

Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, Yanki Misael Cruz-Mateo, a member of the 18th Street gang, a transnational criminal organization, was sentenced by United States District Judge LaShann DeArcy Hall to 45 years’ imprisonment for racketeering conspiracy in connection with his participation in two murders: the October 25, 2017 murder of 20-year-old Jonathan Figueroa in Saugerties, New York, and the February 2, 2018 murder of 20-year-old Oscar Antonio Blanco-Hernandez in Queens.

John J. Durham, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Christopher G. Raia, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the sentence.

“Cruz-Mateo committed two horrific murders and boasted about the carnage in video and text messages to instill fear, exact retribution, and promote gang violence,” stated United States Attorney Durham.  “The lengthy sentence imposed today delivers a powerful message that senseless violence carries serious consequences. My Office will continue our tireless efforts to investigate and prosecute violence carried out by the 18th Street and other transnational criminal organizations.  It is my sincere hope that the justice meted out today provides a measure of comfort and closure for the victims’ loved ones.”

Mr. Durham expressed his appreciation to the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York, the Ulster County District Attorney’s Office, the Queens County District Attorney’s Office, the New York State Police, the Kingston Police Department, and the New York City Police Department for their assistance on the case.

“Yanki Misael Cruz-Mateo, an 18th Street gang member, lured two victims to their brutal murders as retribution for perceived disloyalty and affiliation with rival organizations,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Raia.  “His actions mirror the gang’s depravity and its lawless prioritization of social status over human life.  May today’s sentencing offer a semblance of justice for the victims’ families and highlight the FBI’s continued determination to eradicate all brutal gang violence plaguing our communities.

Today’s sentence is the latest achievement in a series of prosecutions by this Office and our law enforcement partners of the leaders, members, and associates of 18th Street.  According to court filings and proceedings, 18th Street is a transnational criminal organization and violent street gang with members and associates residing throughout New York State, including Queens and Long Island, elsewhere throughout the United States, including Houston, Texas, and Central America. Members of 18th Street regularly engage in murder, attempted murder, assault, extortion, illegal drug and firearms trafficking, false identification document production, witness tampering, and money laundering.

October 25, 2017 Murder of Jonathan Figueroa

As set forth in court filings, including the government’s sentencing memorandum, in the late evening hours of October 24, 2017, Cruz-Mateo lured and travelled with Figueroa from Queens to Kingston, New York. Upon their arrival in Kingston, they were met by Israel Mediola Flores and other 18th Street members and associates who, into the early morning hours the following day, brought Figueroa to Turkey Point State Forest, brutally stabbed him to death and buried him in a makeshift grave.  Cruz-Mateo ordered the murder to be video-recorded and captured multiple 18th Street members and associates repeatedly stabbing Figueroa, slashing his throat and severing his ear.  In the video, Cruz-Mateo stated that Figueroa was being murdered for “being a rat.” Cruz-Mateo then sent the video to other 18th Street members as a warning.  Figueroa’s body was discovered in February 2018 by the FBI, along with state and local law enforcement authorities, in a five-foot deep grave in Turkey Point State Forest.  The victim had sustained more than 100 stab wounds.

Co-defendants Walter Fernando Alfaro Pineda, Israel Mediola Flores, and Jose Douglas Castellano pleaded guilty to Figueroa’s murder. Mediola Flores was sentenced to 425 months in prison; Pineda and Castellano are awaiting sentencing.

February 2, 2018 Murder of Oscar Antonio Blanco-Hernandez

On February 2, 2018, several gang members killed Blanco-Hernandez because they believed he was a member of the rival MS-13 gang.  Co-defendant Jose Chacon had met Blanco-Hernandez weeks earlier through their mutual employer, a New Jersey-based house painting company.  On the morning of the murder, co-defendant Carolina Cruz and Chacon picked up Blanco-Hernandez at his home in New Jersey under the guise of going to smoke marijuana as friends.  Cruz and Chacon drove Blanco-Hernandez to Queens where they met 18th Street gang members, including Cruz-Mateo and co-defendant Yoni Sierra, who entered the rear passenger seat of Cruz’s car on opposite sides, sandwiching Blanco-Hernandez between them.  Cruz drove Chacon, Cruz-Mateo, Sierra, and their victim about 1.6 miles away to a quiet residential neighborhood.  Cruz-Mateo, Sierra, and Blanco-Hernandez got out of the car and started walking eastbound, while Cruz and Chacon stayed behind with the car.  After walking for a few minutes, Cruz-Mateo drew a .380 caliber semiautomatic handgun and shot Blanco-Hernandez in the back of the head, killing him instantly. Blanco-Hernandez’s body was discovered on a residential street in the Jamaica Hills section of Queens.  He sustained three gunshot wounds: two gunshots to the torso and one to the head.

Sierra, Chacon, and Cruz also pleaded guilty to Blanco-Hernandez’s murder.  Chacon was sentenced to 269 months in prison; Sierra to 204 months in prison; and Cruz to 150 months in prison.

This case is part of an ongoing Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York and the FBI.  The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking, and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.  OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s International Narcotics and Money Laundering Section.  Assistant United States  Attorneys Jonathan P. Lax, Erin Reid, Margaret Schierberl, Adam Amir, and Rebecca Urquiola are in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialists Tareva Torres and Samuel Ronchetti.

The Defendant:

YANKI MISAEL CRUZ-MATEO (also known as “Yenki Misael Cruz Mateo,” “Yankee Mateo,” “Doggy,” and “Wino”)
Age: 25
Jamaica, Queens

Co-Defendants Previously Convicted:

ERIC CHAVEZ (also known as “Lunatico”)
Age: 25
Jamaica, New York

WALTER FERNANDO ALFARO PINEDA (also known as “Clever”)
Age: 45
Houston, Texas

ISRAEL MEDIOLA FLORES (also known as “Chapito” and “Sinaloa”)
Age: 29
Kingston, New York

YONI ALEXANDER SIERRA (also known as “Arca,” “Arc Angel” and “Wasson”)
Age: 26
Jamaica, Queens

JOSE JIMENEZ CHACON (also known as “Little One”)
Age: 26
New Brunswick, New Jersey

CAROLINA CRUZ (also known as “La Fiera”)
Age: 31
Elizabeth, New Jersey

JOSE DOUGLAS CASTELLANO (also known as “Chino”)
Age: 26
Brooklyn, New York

JUNIOR ZELAYA-CANALES (also known as “Terco”)
Age: 28
Jamaica, New York

E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 18-CR-139 (S-7) (LDH)

FBI New York Seeking Additional Victims of Brooklyn Man Arrested for Sexual Exploitation of Children

Source: US FBI

NEW YORK, NY— The New York FBI/NYPD Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force executed an arrest warrant for Manuel Davila, 28, of Brooklyn on April 29, 2025, following an investigation into the sexual exploitation of multiple children.

Upon execution of a judicially authorized search warrant, agents reviewed iCloud records associated with Davila and found communication via a mobile conversation application with minor victims. In one instance, in an 18-minute video recorded on or about January 17, 2024, Davila, attempted to solicit sexually explicit material from a minor victim he believed to be 10 years of age.

FBI New York interviewed an additional minor victim who Davila requested sexually explicit images of in previous chats. Davila instructed the minor victim to delete the images and messages after they were sent.

If you are a victim of Manuel Davila, or have any information concerning Manuel Davila, please call 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or you can report a tip online at tips.fbi.gov. The FBI has teams dedicated to providing victims with necessary resources and assistance.

“Soliciting sexually explicit material from young children is a heinous crime. Protecting vulnerable members of our communities – our children – is one of the most critical aspects of our work,” said Christopher Raia, Assistant Director in Charge of FBI New York. “The FBI is determined to protect children from depraved individuals attempting to prey on them.”

The FBI is legally mandated to identify victims of federal crimes it investigates. Identified victims may be eligible for certain services and rights under federal and/or state law.

Note: A criminal complaint is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Former Taliban Commander Haji Najibullah Pleads Guilty to Hostage Taking and Providing Material Support for Acts of Terrorism Resulting in Death

Source: US FBI

Jay Clayton, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Christopher G. Raia, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced today that HAJI NAJIBULLAH, a/k/a “Najibullah Naim,” a/k/a “Abu Tayeb,” a/k/a “Atiqullah,” a/k/a “Nesar Ahmad Mohammad,” pled guilty to hostage taking and providing material support for acts of terrorism resulting in death in connection with NAJIBULLAH’s role in the hostage taking of an American journalist and two Afghan nationals in Afghanistan and Pakistan in 2008 and 2009, and his leadership of Taliban fighters who carried out attacks on U.S. servicemembers in Afghanistan between 2007 and 2009, resulting in the deaths of American soldiers.  NAJIBULLAH pled guilty today before U.S. District Judge Katherine Polk Failla.

U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton said: “Haji Najibullah was a Taliban commander who committed acts of terrorism against U.S. servicemembers and civilians in Afghanistan. His vicious acts of terrorism included taking hostage multiple civilians and providing material support for attacks that resulted in the deaths of brave Americans.  Najibullah committed his crimes in Afghanistan over 15 years ago, and now faces justice in an American courtroom.  Today’s guilty plea serves as an emphatic reminder that this Office, and our law enforcement partners, will aggressively pursue those who harm Americans through acts of terror, no matter where in the world they may be, and no matter how long it may take to achieve justice for their victims.  I thank the career prosecutors of this Office, and our dedicated partners, for their work in holding Najibullah accountable for his heinous crimes.”

FBI Assistant Director in Charge Christopher G. Raia said: “For years, the FBI New York JTTF and our law enforcement partners tirelessly sought justice for the hostage taking of civilians, and also for the deaths of United States service members at the hands of Taliban fighters under Najibullah’s command.  These terrorist attacks demonstrated utter disregard for humanity, and Najibullah finally admitted to his role in these premature deaths of our citizens.  Today’s plea emphasizes the FBI New York JTTF’s unwavering resolve to disrupting all acts of terrorism and ensuring any individual who targets our country will be held accountable.”

As alleged in the charging instruments, court filings, and statements in the public record:

Between approximately 1996 and 2001, the Taliban controlled Afghanistan and harbored and supported terrorists, including terrorists involved in perpetrating the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the U.S.  After losing power in approximately October 2001 as a result of the U.S. and NATO-led invasion of Afghanistan, the Taliban engaged in a deadly insurgency campaign to regain control of the country.  Beginning in the early 2000s, as part of that campaign of violence, the Taliban conducted numerous suicide bombings, targeted killings, assassinations, improvised explosive device (“IED”) attacks, paramilitary ambushes, and hostage takings against the then-government of Afghanistan, U.S. military forces and their NATO and Afghan partners, and American civilians in Afghanistan.

Between in or around 2007 and 2009, NAJIBULLAH served as a Taliban commander in Afghanistan’s Wardak Province, which borders Kabul.  During that time, Taliban fighters under NAJIBULLAH’s command carried out deadly attacks against American and NATO troops and their Afghan allies, using, among other things, suicide bombers, automatic weapons, IEDs, and rocket-propelled grenades (“RPGs”) and other anti-tank weapons and explosives, including against U.S. military helicopters. 

For example, on or about June 26, 2008, Taliban fighters under NAJIBULLAH’s command ambushed and attacked a U.S. military convoy in the vicinity of Wardak Province, Afghanistan, with IEDs, RPGs, and automatic weapons, killing three U.S. Army servicemembers: Sergeants First Class Matthew L. Hilton and Joseph A. McKay, and Sergeant Mark Palmateer, and their Afghan interpreter. Several other servicemembers were also injured in the attack.  

In or about November 2007 and September 2008, NAJIBULLAH participated in two videorecorded interviews with a French reporter in Afghanistan.  NAJIBULLAH and fighters under his command discussed how they targeted American and French troops—including a specific attack they conducted against French troops in or around August 2008.  They also identified a particular location where they had used IEDs and anti-tank weaponry to destroy American military vehicles.  During the interview, NAJIBULLAH further demonstrated how to operate a rocket-propelled grenade launcher to shoot troops guarding checkpoints and boasted that fighters under his command were ready to fight the “holy war,” including that they were “ready to be suicide bombers” and “put on a belt and blow themselves up if we ask them.”  In September 2008, in the French reporter’s presence, NAJIBULLAH and fighters under his command attacked and destroyed an Afghan National Police outpost using automatic weapons and rockets.

On or about November 10, 2008, NAJIBULLAH and other Taliban fighters took hostage an American journalist (“U.S. Hostage-1”) and two Afghan nationals who were assisting U.S. Hostage-1 (together with U.S. Hostage-1, the “Hostages”) at gunpoint in Afghanistan.  Shortly thereafter, NAJIBULLAH and his co-conspirators forced the Hostages to hike across the border from Afghanistan to Pakistan, where NAJIBULLAH and his co-conspirators detained the Hostages.  For the next approximately seven months, NAJIBULLAH and his co-conspirators held the Hostages captive in Pakistan.  NAJIBULLAH and his co-conspirators forced the Hostages to make numerous calls and videos seeking help, in an attempt to compel ransom payments and the release of Taliban prisoners by the U.S. Government.

*                *                 *

NAJIBULLAH, 49, pled guilty to providing material support for acts of terrorism resulting in death, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison, and to hostage taking, which also carries a maximum sentence of life in prison.  

The statutory maximum penalties are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.

Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding efforts of the FBI’s New York Joint Terrorism Task Force, which principally consists of agents from the FBI and detectives from the New York City Police Department.  He also thanked the New York and New Jersey Port Authority Police, the Department of Defense, and the Counterterrorism Section of the Department of Justice’s National Security Division for their assistance with this investigation, as well as the Ukrainian authorities and the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs for their assistance in the arrest and extradition of the defendant.

This prosecution is being handled by the Office’s National Security and International Narcotics Unit.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sam Adelsberg, Jacob H. Gutwillig, and David J. Robles are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Trial Attorney Jennifer Burke of the Counterterrorism Section.

Medina Man Charged with Possession of Child Pornography

Source: US FBI

BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Kyle Stack, 39, of Medina, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with possession of child sexual abuse material involving prepubescent minors, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles M. Kruly, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, in December 2019, Adobe Systems Inc. reported that four images containing child sexual abuse material were uploaded to Adobe’s servers from screen/username “Kyle Stack.” Subsequent investigation traced the uploads to the defendant. In July 2020, the New York State Police executed a search warrant at Stack’s Bates Road residence, seizing six electronic devices, two of which were later found to contain child sexual abuse material. A forensic review of Stack’s cell phone recovered a total of 4,822 images and 32 videos of child sexual abuse material, as well as 2,319 images and four videos of child erotica, and 25 animated child sexual abuse material. A review of his laptop recovered 3,476 images, eight animated images, 16 images of child bestiality and bondage, 5,930 videos, three animated videos, and 43 child bestiality and bondage videos.

Stack made an initial appearance this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah J. McCarthy and was detained.

The complaint is the result of an investigation by the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Amie Feroleto, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia.

The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.   

 

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Stockton Man Pleads Guilty to Threatening to Blow up Power Plants

Source: US FBI

BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Justin Horton, 40, of Stockton, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo to conveying false information and hoaxes, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, and a fine of $250,000.

Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Rudroff, who is handling the case, stated that on the evening of May 13, 2024, Horton called National Grid and stated “I’m calling to call a bomb threat into you. I’m going to blow up both of your nuclear power plants by the end of next week.” Horton specified that he was referring to nuclear power plants located in New York and Pennsylvania. The defendant did not have the means or intent to carry out the threat to bomb two nuclear facilities.

The plea is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, and the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Amie Feroleto.

Sentencing is scheduled for August 15, 2025, before Judge Vilardo.

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Prior Felon Going to Prison for 10 Years on Multiple Drug and Gun Charges

Source: US FBI

BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Nader Ngoopos a/k/a Nike, 26, of Buffalo, NY, who was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and distribute, 500 grams or more of cocaine and 100 grams or more of heroin, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, was sentenced to serve 120 months in prison pleaded guilty by U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan K. Glaberson, who handled the case, stated that between 2016, and late 2018, Ngoopos agreed with others to obtain cocaine and heroin in the Buffalo area and travel to Olean, NY, to distribute the cocaine and heroin. Ngoopos personally traveled to Olean on at least a weekly basis, selling cocaine and heroin out of various locations in Olean, including North 8th Street and South 11th Street. Co-conspirators also sold cocaine and heroin as part of the conspiracy on a weekly basis.

On October 15, 2018, Ngoopos participated in an armed robbery at St. Bonaventure University in Olean, with two others. The three gained entry to a dormitory at St. Bonaventure, and broke into a dorm room where Ngoopos, who possessed a firearm, believed he and his co-conspirators would find marijuana and money. Once they gained entry, Ngoopos and his co-conspirators pointed their firearms at the heads of the two occupants of the dorm room, threatened them, and then stole about an ounce of marijuana and approximately $300 – $400.

On September 2, 2021, law enforcement officers observed Ngoopos get into a vehicle in Buffalo. Officers attempted to stop the vehicle, but it sped away leading officers on a high-speed chase. Eventually, the car came to a stop on East Amherst Street. As the car came to a stop, Ngoopos got out of the car and ran away, dropping a pistol. In June 2020, Ngoopos was convicted in Cattaraugus County Court of a felony and legally prohibited from possessing a firearm and ammunition.

The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, the Olean Police Department, under the direction of Chief Ron Richardson, the Cattaraugus County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Eric Butler, the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Alphonse Wright, and the Erie County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff John Garcia.

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Buffalo Man Arrested on Gun and Drug Charges

Source: US FBI

BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Jeremy Hodge, 39, of Buffalo, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and being a felon in possession of a firearm, which carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey E. Intravatola, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, on April 4, 2025, a search warrant was executed at Hodge’s Ernst Avenue residence and his vehicle. Investigators seized a loaded 9mm firearm, a loaded magazine, ammunition, quantities of suspected heroin and fentanyl, and drug paraphernalia. Hodge was arrested at the scene. He has three prior felony convictions and is legally prohibited from possessing a firearm.

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).

Hodge made an initial appearance this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer and was detained.

The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Safe Streets Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia.

The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.   

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Former Avon, New York, Police Trainee Pleads Guilty to Possession of Child Pornography and Cyberstalking

Source: US FBI

ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Casey Medina, 33, of Rochester, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Meredith A. Vacca to possession of child pornography and cyberstalking, which carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Katelyn M. Hartford, who is handling the case, stated that on August 22, 2024, investigators executed a search warrant on Medina’s cellular telephone. During a forensic extraction and a manual review of the phone, approximately 360 images of child pornography the defendant had received over a social media platform were recovered. At least one image involved a prepubescent child being subjected to violence.

In addition, between May and August 2024, Medina disseminated and posted sexually explicit photographs that had been edited to falsely depict an individual (victim) engaged in sexually explicit activity to various social media platforms and public websites via the internet. The photographs depicted the victim’s face superimposed on pornographic images made to appear as if she was engaged in sexual intercourse. Beginning in May 2024, over the course of approximately 26 days, and again between June 2024 and July 2024, Medina sent, and recruited others via the internet to send, threatening and harassing text messages to the victim. The messages included threats to kidnap, rape, sexually abuse, and kill her, as well as including the sexually explicit images with her face superimposed on them. In many instances, Medina included identifying information while disseminating the victim’s images, including her hometown and place of work.

The plea is the culmination of an investigation by the Onondaga County, NY, Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Tobias Shelley, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia.         

Sentencing is scheduled for August 4, 2025, at 2:00 p.m., before Judge Vacca.

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Serhat Gumrukcu Convicted of Murder-for-Hire

Source: US FBI

Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that earlier today, after a five-week trial before Chief United States District Judge Christina Reiss, a federal jury convicted Serhat Gumrukcu, 42, of Los Angeles, California, of murder-for-hire, conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Gumrukcu remains in jail pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled. Gumrukcu has been held in custody since his arrest in May of 2022.

According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Gumrukcu solicited the murder of Gregory Davis due to Davis’s threats of legal action related to Gumrukcu’s role in a failed oil commodities transaction.  Gumrukcu’s conviction for wire fraud stemmed from his fraudulent activities in relation to this failed oil deal.  Gumrukcu was particularly motivated to silence Davis due to his negotiations of a multi-million-dollar biotech merger involving Gumrukcu’s alleged discovery of a cure for HIV.  Gumrukcu relied on his close friend, Berk Eratay, to arrange through a second intermediary, Aaron Ethridge, the hiring of a hitman to kill Davis.  Ethridge recruited Jerry Banks for the hitman role, who on January 6, 2018, posed as a Deputy U.S. Marshal, and abducted Davis from his Danville, Vermont home.  On January 7, 2018, Davis’s deceased body was located in a snowbank a short distance from his home.  Investigators quickly discovered emails and messaging indicating the tension between Gumrukcu and Davis over the failed oil deal, resulting in Gumrukcu being interviewed twice by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  Gumrukcu made false statements during each interview.  Cellphone location information, purchase records, banking documentation, emails, and messaging discovered during the investigation led to the identification of the four conspirators who caused the kidnapping and death of Davis.
  
Based on the jury’s verdict, Gumrukcu faces a statutorily mandated sentence of life imprisonment.
 
“Serhat Gumrukcu tried to hide his role in the murder of Greg Davis by paying one man to pay another man to pay the hitman, who shot and killed Greg Davis on a January night in Vermont. Uncovering Gumrukcu’s responsibility for this murder involved years of determined investigation by the men and women of Vermont’s United States Attorney’s Office, working closely with the FBI and the Vermont State Police,” stated Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher. “Holding Gumrukcu responsible for this murder also required the work of an extraordinarily talented trial team, consisting of Assistant United States Attorneys Paul Van de Graaf and Zachary Stendig, with tremendous courtroom support from Erin Thompson-Moran and Karen Arena-Leene.” Drescher also thanked the numerous law enforcement entities across the country who worked to identify Banks as the hired hitman, Ethridge and Eratay as middlemen, and Gumrukcu as the financier and benefactor of the murder scheme.

FBI Special Agent in Charge, Craig L. Tremaroli stated, “Serhat Gumrukcu is a ruthless criminal whose greed drove him to order the death of his own business partner. Today, our thoughts are with Gregory Davis’s family. We are proud to have brought them justice and are incredibly grateful to our partners at the United States Attorney’s Office, and all our law enforcement partners across the country who assisted with this complex investigation.”

“We join our federal partners in thanking the members of the jury for their careful deliberations and verdict convicting Serhat Gumrukcu of all charges,” said Col. Matthew T. Birmingham, director of the Vermont State Police. “The jury’s determination of guilt reflects the diligent police work and the copious evidence collected during what would become one of the most sweeping, comprehensive and complex investigations in Vermont State Police history. Starting on the day more than seven years ago that Gregory Davis’s body was discovered on a snowy, remote road in Barnet, the state police, along with our investigative partners including the FBI, focused on identifying those responsible for his senseless killing and bringing them to justice. We hope that with today’s verdict, Mr. Davis’s family may be able to find a small measure of comfort knowing the person who bore ultimate responsibility has been held accountable.”

At trial, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul J. Van de Graaf and Zachary Stendig represented the government, with supported from Karen Arena-Leene and Erin Thompson-Moran.  Gumrukcu was represented by Susan K. Marcus, Esq., and Ethan A. Balogh, Esq.