Category: Security

Source: US FBI

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Jason Schofield, age 45, of Troy, New York, was sentenced today to 1 year of probation, and to pay a $2,000 fine and a $1,200 special assessment, for unlawfully using the names and dates of birth of voters to fraudulently apply for absentee ballots for elections held in Rensselaer County in 2021. 

United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement.

Schofield was an Elections Commissioner at the Rensselaer County Board of Elections (“RCBOE”) from April 2018 until December 2022, when he resigned in anticipation of his guilty plea.

In pleading guilty to a 12-count indictment, Schofield admitted that in 2021, he unlawfully possessed and used the names and dates of birth of voters in connection with 12 absentee ballot applications he submitted in the voters’ names to the New York State Voter Absentee Ballot Application Request Portal. 

Schofield admitted that for each application, he falsely certified that he was the voter requesting the ballot.  He also admitted that he took personal possession of 9 of these ballots, while knowing and intending that RCBOE records would falsely reflect that the ballots had been mailed to the voters. 

The FBI investigated this case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Barnett prosecuted it.

Source: US FBI

Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office stated that Umar Koon, 46, of The Bronx, New York, was sentenced today in United States District Court in Burlington, to six months of imprisonment following his guilty plea to a charge that he possessed fentanyl, cocaine base and cocaine with intent to distribute. United States District Judge William K. Sessions III ordered that Koon serve three years of supervised release following completion of his prison term. The court ordered Koon to surrender to the Bureau of Prisons on January 21, 2025 to begin serving his sentence.

According to court records, the Northwestern Vermont Drug Task Force and the Federal Bureau of Investigation began an investigation of Koon in the summer of 2023 after obtaining information that Koon was selling fentanyl in the Chittenden County area. Between September and November 2023, investigators, utilizing a confidential informant, made seven controlled purchases of fentanyl and cocaine base from Koon. Investigators arrested Koon on November 14 after he returned to Burlington from New York City on a bus. Agents seized a suitcase Koon was carrying, obtained a state warrant to search the bag, and recovered distribution quantities of cocaine, cocaine base and fentanyl. They also seized $1500 in cash from Koon’s person.

Koon was held without bail on state drug charges until December 6, 2023 when he was released to live in New York City. On December 7, 2023, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Koon with seven counts of distributing narcotics and one count of possessing other narcotics with intent to distribute. Federal agents arrested Koon at his home in The Bronx on December 12. The State of Vermont has dismissed its case in favor of this federal prosecution.

Koon is represented by Mark Kaplan, Esq. The prosecutor is Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Waples.

Source: US FBI

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Drew Caswell, age 26, of Cairo, New York, was sentenced today to 9 years in prison for distribution, receipt, and possession of child pornography.  United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman, Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and New York State Police (NYSP) Superintendent Steven G. James made the announcement.

As part of his previous guilty plea, Caswell admitted that he used a file-hosting service to download child pornography and then distributed multiple image and video files of child pornography by publicly posting them to a social media site.  Caswell also admitted that on August 7, 2023, he possessed child pornography on his cell phone, including nearly 300 images and videos of toddlers and infants being sexually abused.

United States District Judge Anne M. Nardacci also ordered that Caswell serve a 20-year term of post-incarceration supervised release.  Caswell will be required to register as a sex offender after his release from prison.

The FBI and its Child Exploitation Task Force—which includes members of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, including Troop F of the New York State Police and its Computer Crimes Unit—investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mikayla Espinosa prosecuted the case as part of Project Safe Childhood.

Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (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 https://www.justice.gov/psc.

Source: US FBI

ALBUQUERQUE – A Mescalero man is facing charges in federal court for an alleged sexual assault incident involving a minor.

According to court records, John Albert Carrillo, Jr., 35, an enrolled member of Mescalero Apache Tribe, is accused of sexual assault against a minor under the age of 16. After being caught in the act by witnesses, Carrillo reportedly became agitated, denied being a pedophile, and attempted to leave the scene.

Carrillo is charged with Aggravated Sexual Abuse and Sexual Abuse of a Minor and will remain in custody pending trial, which has not been set. If convicted of the current charges, Carrillofaces up to life in prison.

Acting U.S. Attorney Holland S. Kastrin and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The Las Cruces Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jackson K. Dering V is prosecuting the case.

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Source: US FBI

ALBUQUERQUE – A Two Grey Hills man has been charged with assault with a deadly weapon following an alleged altercation with family members at a residence on the Navajo Nation.

According to the criminal complaint, on February 28, 2025, James Smiley, Jr., 55, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, allegedly entered a residence within the boundaries of the Navajo Nation and threatened several family members with a small black handgun without provocation. Witnesses reported that Smiley discharged the firearm into the ceiling, pointed it at multiple individuals, and threatened to kill them. During the incident, Smiley allegedly stated that he was a felon and acknowledged that he would go to jail before leaving the residence.

The incident lasted approximately 20 minutes, during which time the victims felt like hostages.

Navajo Nation Police responded to the scene but were unable to make contact with Smiley that evening.

Smiley, who was previously convicted of aggravated sexual abuse, battery upon a peace officer, and resisting or obstructing an officer, is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.

Smiley will remain in custody pending trial, which has not been set. If convicted, Smiley faces up to 10 years in prison.

Acting U.S. Attorney Holland S. Kastrin and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The Farmington Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mia Ulibarri-Rubin is prosecuting the case.

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Source: US FBI

ALBUQUERQUE – A Las Cruces teenager is facing charges in federal court for possessing a machine gun and a stolen firearm, after authorities discovered Instagram posts allegedly showing him with the illegal weapons.

According to court documents,on August 18, 2024, law enforcement became aware of an Instagram post depicting Jonathan Daniel Martinez, 18, an alleged member of the “East Side Locos” gang, holding a black handgun with the serial number visible. A subsequent check revealed that the firearm had been reported stolen to the Las Cruces Police Department on April 14, 2024. The handgun also had an aftermarket attachment, known as a machinegun conversion device (MCD), designed to convert the firearm into a fully automatic machine gun.

Further investigation of the Instagram account linked to Martinez revealed numerous posts featuring the same firearm, as well as other firearms.

A search warrant was executed on Martinez‘s residence on September 15, 2024, where the stolen black Glock 19 handgun with the Glock switch attached was found in his bedroom.

Martinez will remain in custody pending trial, which has not been set. If convicted of the current charges, Martinez faces 20 years in prison.

Acting U.S. Attorney Holland S. Kastrin and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The Las Cruces Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Las Cruces Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria Y. Armijo is prosecuting the case.

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Source: US FBI

ALBUQUERQUE – Two individuals from Shiprock have been sentenced for their roles in a violent carjacking and high-speed police chase that occurred on the Navajo Nation in 2022.

There is no parole in the federal system.

According to court documents, on the afternoon of May 9, 2022, Jane Doe was driving on the Navajo Nation in the area of Nenahnezad, NM. As Jane Doe approached the area, Lindsey Yazzie, 42, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, threw a large rock at her windshield, forcing her to stop. Brandon Barber, 39, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, then attacked the vehicle with a machete and hatchet, shattering windows. Yazzie attempted to pull Jane Doe out of the vehicle by her hair, and Barber then held the sharp edge of a machete against the back of Doe’s head.  Barber then tried to strike Jane Doe with a hatchet.

After forcibly removing Jane Doe from her Jeep, Yazzie and Barber fled the scene in the stolen vehicle, nearly hitting Doe as they drove away. They led Navajo Nation police on a high-speed chase before abandoning the vehicle. Yazzie was found hiding nearby, while Barber was apprehended later.

Yazzie was sentenced to 46 months in prison and Barber was sentenced to 90 months in prison.   Upon their release, both Barber and Yazzie will be subject to three years of supervised release.

Acting U.S. Attorney Holland S. Kastrin and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Robert James Booth II is prosecuting the case.

Source: US FBI

ALBUQUERQUE – A Georgia man faces federal charges after allegedly shooting and killing a Navajo woman, stealing her car, and engaging in a shootout with law enforcement officers in New Mexico.

According to court records, Jaquari Hezakiyah Porter, 24, allegedly shot and killed Jane Doe, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, at the Sky City Travel Center in Acoma, New Mexico. He then allegedly stole her car and drove towards Grants, where he encountered officers from the Cibola County Sheriff’s Office and Grants Police Department.

Porter attempted to flee and reportedly fired at officers. In response, officers returned fire, striking Porter twice before he was apprehended and taken into custody.

Porter will remain in custody pending trial, which has not been set. If convicted of the current charges, Porter faces mandatory life in prison.

Acting U.S. Attorney Holland Kastrin and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Cibola County Sheriff’s Office, Grants Police Department, and New Mexico State Police. Assistant United States Attorneys Elisa Dimas and Meg Tomlinson are prosecuting the case.

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Source: US FBI

NEWARK, NJ. – A New Jersey man was arrested today and charged with engaging in a scheme to defraud an elderly victim investor out of out of more than $880,000, after entrusting  him to invest her money on her behalf, Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna announced today.

Antonio Petrosino, a/k/a Anthony Petrosino, 59, of Union City, New Jersey, is charged by complaint with one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering. He is scheduled to have his initial appearance this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael A. Hammer in Newark federal court.

According to documents filed in the case and statements made in court:

Between March 2018 and March 2024, Petrosino fraudulently induced the victim investor to transfer approximately $916,000 to Petrosino based on his misrepresentations that he would invest those funds in brokerage accounts and other investment products for the benefit of the victim investor.  To perpetuate his fraud, Petrosino provided the victim investor with falsified investment statements that purported to show that she had hundreds of thousands of dollars deposited in various investment accounts in her name.  Petrosino also provided the victim investor with payments in the approximate range of $4000-$8000 that he claimed was the interest that the victim investor had earned on her investments.

In reality, Petrosino failed to invest the victim investor’s funds for her benefit as promised.  Instead, he misappropriated the money to pay for his personal expenses, including gambling, credit card payments, and rent on his luxury apartment unit.  Petrosino also caused the transfer of the victim investor’s funds without her knowledge or consent, including transfers directly from the victim investor’s bank account to Petrosino’s landlord. Additionally, Petrosino told the victim investor he would assist her with preparing her tax returns and told her to send him approximately $40,000 that he claimed she owed in taxes, which he misappropriated for his personal benefit.  In total, Petrosino stole more than approximately $888,000 from the victim investor.

The wire fraud charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.  The money laundering charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.  Both counts carry a $250,000 fine, or twice the gross amount of gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest.

Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly in Newark; special agents of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System – Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Brian Tucker; and the Wyckoff Police Department, under the direction of Chief David V. Murphy, with the investigation leading to today’s arrest, and thanked the Union City Police Department, under the direction of Chief Anthony Facchini, for its assistance with the arrest.  

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Kozar of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Economic Crimes Unit in Newark.

The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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Source: US FBI

NEWARK, N.J. – The former Vice President of Project Management for National Realty Investment Advisors (“NRIA”) has been indicted for his role in an investment fraud scheme and for misappropriating approximately $2.3 million from victim investors, Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna announced today.

Ivel Turner, 51, of Newark, Delaware, was indicted by a federal grand jury with eight counts of wire fraud and one count of securities fraud.  He appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sharon A. King in Camden federal court and was released on a $100,000 unsecured appearance bond and other conditions.  His arraignment is scheduled for February 4, 2025 before U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

Turner was previously employed as Vice President of Project Management for NRIA, which held itself out as a real estate investment management fund with over $1.25 billion in assets under management. NRIA promised investors guaranteed returns of at least 12 percent per year for a period of five years, a full return of their investments, and monthly distributions of between six and ten percent of their original investments.  Turner had access to NRIA’s PPM, which made many such representations pertaining to NRIA’s purported returns on investment and distributions.

In April 2020, while still employed at NRIA, Turner incorporated Oasis Realty Investment Group (“ORIG”).  Turner, through ORIG, solicited real estate investors to purchase, finance, and co-develop residential units in Delaware, Pennsylvania, and elsewhere.  Turner used NRIA as a model for ORIG.

To induce investors to invest and continue to invest in ORIG, Turner made material misrepresentations and omissions related to, among other things: (a) ORIG’s financial position; (b) the manner in which Turner used investor money; and (c) Turner’s role at ORIG.  Turner also falsely represented to the victim investors that substantially all of ORIG’s proceeds would be used for real estate investment purposes, but instead, Turner misused hundreds of thousands of dollars of investor money on personal expenses, including luxury retail purchases, several vehicles, international travel, and a down payment on his residence.

The wire fraud charges each carry a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense.  The securities fraud charge carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of up to $5,000,000.

Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna credited special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Terence G. Reilly, with the investigation leading to the indictment.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shontae D. Gray of the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark.

The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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Defense counsel: Rubin M. Sinins, Esq., Springfield, New Jersey