Category: Security

Source: US FBI

ALBUQUERQUE – A Ojo Amarillo man has been charged by criminal complaint with assault following an incident that left the victim with multiple fractures and severe facial injuries.

According to court documents, on May 6, 2025, the Navajo Nation Police Department responded to a residence in Ojo Amarillo, New Mexico, where officers discovered the victim suffering from extensive facial lacerations, swelling, and a right eye swollen shut. She was immediately transported to San Juan Regional Medical Center for emergency treatment.

The victim reported that Kyle Kee, 33, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, attacked her without warning, striking her repeatedly in the face, back, and stomach. The assault only ended when a phone call interrupted the attack. The victim said that Kee had previously assaulted her and was on probation for a prior offense.

Officers located Kee hiding in a nearby field. After initially attempting to evade capture, Kee was apprehended and became verbally aggressive, spitting on and kicking an officer during the arrest.

Medical records confirm the victim sustained an orbital fracture, nasal bone fractures, multiple contusions, and a laceration above her right eye requiring sutures.

Keeis charged with assault resulting in serious bodily injury and will remain in custody pending trial, which has not been set. If convicted, Kee faces up to 10 years in prison.

U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Philip Russell, Acting 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 Aaron Jordan 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 Mescalero man was sentenced to 48 months in prison for sexually assaulting a teen 20 years his junior.

There is no parole in the federal system.

According to court documents, on September 27, 2024, Thomas Lee Chaffins, 35, an enrolled member of Mescalero Apache Tribe, sexually assaulted a 15-year-old girl on the Mescalero Apache Indian Reservation

Upon his release from prison, Chaffins will be subject to five years of supervised release.

U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Phillip Russell, Acting 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 FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Assistant United States Attorney Alyson Hehr is prosecuting the case. 

Source: US FBI

ALBUQUERQUE – A Vanderwagon man pleaded guilty to assault and federal firearms charges after firing shots and threatening a man with a rifle during a confrontation on the Navajo Nation.

According to court records on May 1, 2023, Perris Jeremiah Arthur, 36, initiated a confrontation at John Doe’s residence in Vanderwagon. Arthur then went outside to retrieve a rifle from his ATV, fired two shots into the RV, and later pointed the weapon directly at John Doe, threatening him with the firearm. 

At sentencing, Arthur faces a minimum of seven years and up to life in prison. Upon his release from prison, Arthur will be subject to up to five years of supervised release.

U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Philip Russell, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office made the announcement today.

The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Department of Investigation and Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas J. Marshall is prosecuting the case.

Source: US FBI

Saipan, MP – SHAWN N. ANDERSON, United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, announced that Ye Fang, aka “BATU”, a citizen of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), was sentenced by Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona in District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands to 25 years imprisonment, after being convicted of Conspiracy to Possess over 500 Grams of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 846 and 841(a)(1).  The court also ordered 5 years of supervised release and a $100 special assessment fee.  He was also ordered to report to immigration officials for deportation proceedings upon release from prison.

Ye Fang arrived in the CNMI from China in 2016 under a tourist visa waiver program.  After his waiver term elapsed, he remained on Saipan where he ran a birth tourism business for three years.  Ye Fang hosted at least 200 women and their families from China so that pregnant women could give birth on island.  He later began trafficking methamphetamine.

In November 2022, CNMI police executed a search warrant at Ye Fang’s home.  They seized more than one kilogram of methamphetamine.  A CNMI arrest warrant was issued, but Ye Fang remained a fugitive, escaping from Saipan by boat and traveling to Guam in the summer of 2023. From Guam, Ye Fang continued to organize methamphetamine trafficking in the CNMI.  In September 2023, he arranged the shipment of methamphetamine hidden inside lava lamps, which were sent to Saipan from California.  The packages were intercepted by CNMI Customs, who coordinated with the DEA to conduct a controlled delivery.  That resulted in the arrest of co-conspirator Liang Yang, another out of status PRC national.  A total of eight pounds of liquid methamphetamine was seized.

Ye Fang eventually fled Guam in November 2023 via commercial airline using the identification of another person.  He then traveled to Palau, where he organized the murder of another PRC citizen.  In January 2024, Ye Fang and three others were arrested in Palau for that crime.  Ye Fang pled guilty to manslaughter in March 2024 and was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment.  In May 2024, he was extradited to the CNMI where he pled guilty to the lava lamp drug scheme.

“Law enforcement has brought Ye Fang’s Indo-Pacific crime spree to an end,” stated United States Attorney Anderson.  “He will now serve many years in a United States prison with other high-risk offenders.  Every day of his sentence is a day made safer for the people of the CNMI. We will continue to use our resources to combat transnational criminals and protect our communities from perpetrators of violent crime.”

“Methamphetamine is potent and highly addictive. This synthetic stimulant has contributed to the overdose crisis facing America. DEA, along with federal and international partners, are in lockstep in our commitment to combat drug networks,” said Anthony Chrysanthis, Deputy Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Los Angeles Field Division, which oversees Saipan. “We will vehemently pursue all criminals who flood our communities with this poison.”

“Today’s sentencing is the direct result of sustained commitment and collaboration between the FBI and our law enforcement partners,” said FBI Honolulu Special Agent in Charge David Porter. “Mr. Fang led a violent, transnational narcotics trafficking organization; his crimes significantly contributed to the ongoing drug epidemic facing America and plaguing our island communities. The FBI—standing in resolve with our local, state, and federal partners—is prepared to confront and disrupt these dangerous criminal organizations, wherever they may operate.”

“The conviction of Mr. Fang is a testament to HSI’s enduring commitment to keep harmful substances out of Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Island,” said Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Lucy Cabral-DeArmas. “Understanding the damage that illegal narcotics do to our communities, we will stop at nothing to hold those accountable for their contributions to drug trafficking within our islands.”

“As the law enforcement and security arm of the U.S. Postal Service, the safety of postal employees and the public is our top priority,” said Inspector in Charge Stephen Sherwood of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.  “Anyone who misuses the U.S. Postal Service will be held accountable for their actions. I would like to thank our federal and local law enforcement partners, including our task force partners from the Guam Customs and Quarantine Agency, Guam Police Department, and Army National Guard Counterdrug Program.”

This investigation was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration with the support from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Marshal Service for extradition, CNMI Customs, CNMI Department of Public Safety, Republic of Palau Bureau of Public Safety, and in collaboration with the CNMI Attorney General’s Office, the Department of Justice Office of International Affairs, and the Republic of Palau.

Assistant United States Attorney Albert S. Flores, Jr., and former Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Kost prosecuted this case in the District of the Northern Mariana Islands.

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 (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).

Source: US FBI

NEWARK, N.J. – A Morris County man admitted to making interstate death threats against a political commentator, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.

Haim Braverman, 47, of Morris Plains, New Jersey, entered his guilty plea before U.S. District Court Judge Evelyn Padin in Newark federal court to an Information charging him with transmitting threats in interstate commerce. Sentencing is scheduled for September 15, 2025.

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

On or about September 10, 2024, Braverman posted a video of himself on a social media platform in which he made various threats to a political commentator. Braverman admitted to having been angered by the commentator’s public statements about a prominent, now-deceased rabbi whom Braverman respected. In the video, Braverman threatened to use a bat he was holding against the commentator, stating: “[y]ou’ll get what’s coming to you . . . , I’ve never met someone . . . if I could f**king kill you right now, I would not even . . . , f**k it I’ll give you the steel bat. I wouldn’t even stop. I’d kill you. Dead. . . . I’m threatening a death sentence against [the commentator].” Braverman also included a written comment on his post in which he stated: “[The commentator] needs to be killed.” Braverman also transmitted an audio message to a group chat on a messaging application, referencing the commentator and stating, “[a]fter I heard what . . . [the commentator] said, I will go to prison, gladly find her and kill her . . . I will find a f**king weapon and f**king kill her. I am outraged.”

U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly, and the Morris County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff James Gannon, with the investigation leading to this plea.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sammi Malek of the National Security Unit in Newark.

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Defense counsel: Candace Hom, Esq., Assistant Federal Public Defender, Newark

Source: US FBI

CAMDEN, N.J. – A Burlington County woman was sentenced to 45 months in prison for forced labor and other crimes related to her coercive scheme to compel two victims to perform domestic labor and childcare in her home, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba and Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division announced.

Bolaji Bolarinwa, 51, of Moorestown, previously was found guilty of two counts of forced labor, one count of alien harboring for financial gain and two counts of document servitude following a two-week trial before U.S. District Judge Karen M. Williams in Camden federal court. Judge Williams imposed the sentence in Camden federal court.

“This sentence vindicates the rights of two vulnerable women who the defendant subjected to grueling hours and coercive abuse in her home.  Forced labor and human trafficking are atrocious crimes that have no place in our society.  My office and the entire Department of Justice is committed to standing up for vulnerable human trafficking victims and holding their traffickers accountable.”

– U.S. Attorney Alina Habba

“The defendant exploited her relationship with the victims to lure them to the United States with false promises,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The defendant confiscated the victims’ immigration documents and subjected them to threats, physical force, and mental abuse to coerce them to work long hours for minimal pay. This prosecution should send a strong message that such forced labor will not be tolerated in our communities. The Justice Department is committed to fully enforcing our federal human trafficking statutes to vindicate the rights of survivors and hold human traffickers accountable for such shameful exploitation of vulnerable victims.”

“Human nature is generally good. There are situations though that prove some people display more cruel and inhumane behavior,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly of the FBI Newark Field Office. “Bolarinwa lured women with false promises, held them captive, and forced them clean her home and care for her children. Then took it a sickening step further by physically abusing them. Luckily, one of the victims had the courage to tell someone. We ask anyone who notices an odd situation, something that doesn’t look or feel right, to please call us so we can help victims that may be hiding in plain sight.” 

According to documents filed in this case and the evidence at trial:

From December 2015 to October 2016, Bolarinwa – originally from Nigeria, but living in New Jersey as a U.S. citizen – recruited two victims to come to the United States and then coerced them to perform domestic labor and childcare services for her children through physical harm, threats of physical harm, isolation, constant surveillance and psychological abuse. The defendant engaged in this conduct knowing that one of the victims was out of lawful status while working in her home.

Once the first victim arrived in the United States in December 2015, Bolarinwa confiscated her passport and coerced her through threats of physical harm to her and her daughter, verbal abuse, isolation and constant surveillance to compel her to work every day, around-the-clock for nearly a year.  Bolarinwa then recruited a second victim to come to the United States on a student visa. When the second victim arrived in the United States in April 2016, Bolarinwa similarly confiscated her passport and coerced her to perform household work and childcare but relied more heavily on physical abuse.  The two victims lived and worked in Bolarinwa’s home until October 2016, when the second victim notified a professor at her college, who reported the information to the FBI.

In addition to the prison term, Judge Williams sentenced Bolarinwa to 3 years of supervised release, imposed a $35,000 fine, and ordered Bolarinwa to pay $87,518.72 in restitution to the victims of her offenses.

U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly in Newark, with the investigation leading to this sentence.

This case was prosecuted as part of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey’s Human Trafficking Task Force, which was formed in 2025. The Task Force brings together federal and state agencies to collaborate and dedicate resources to combat human trafficking and prosecute human trafficking offenders who endanger the safety of the community. The Human Trafficking Task Force is composed of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Department of Labor, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, the Internal Revenue Service, and the New Jersey Office of Attorney General.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Bender for the District of New Jersey and Trial Attorney Elizabeth Hutson of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit.

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Defense counsel: Jeffrey Zucker, Esq. 

Source: US FBI

NEWARK, N.J. – A Paterson man was charged with distribution and possession of child pornography that he shared on multiple messaging platforms, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.

Dwayne Smalls, 25, was charged by complaint and appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jessica S. Allen in Newark federal court.

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

Smalls posted messages on certain messaging platforms advertising images and videos of child pornography, including those involving prepubescent minors.  Specifically, he represented that he could provide images and videos depicting child sexual-abuse material (“CSAM”) for a fee. Law enforcement conducted a search of his cell phone and residence and determined that between August 2023 and October 2023, Smalls distributed CSAM on multiple occasions. In addition, law enforcement found approximately eleven unique video files containing CSAM on Smalls’ cell phone.

The charge of distribution of child pornography carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 5 years in prison, a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine. The charge of possession of child pornography carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of the FBI’s Child Exploitation Operational Unit with the investigation leading to the charges.  She also thanked the FBI Newark’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly for their assistance.

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 the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) in the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit: https://www.justice.gov/psc.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Stern of the Opioid Abuse Prevention and Enforcement 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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Defense counsel: Tatiana Nnaji, Esq., Assistant Federal Public Defender

Source: US FBI

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A Bessemer man has been sentenced for his role in an elder fraud scheme, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona.

U.S. District Court Judge Anna Manasco sentenced Terrance Alonzo Pruitt, 47, to 50 months in prison. In December 2024, Pruitt was convicted by a jury of two counts of wire fraud.

According to evidence presented at trial, in September 2023, Pruitt executed a Power of Attorney over an elderly family member with dementia without the victim’s knowledge or permission.  Between September 2023 and December 2023, Pruitt devised a scheme to defraud the victim by becoming a joint account holder on the victim’s bank accounts, changing the address on the victim’s bank accounts from the victim’s address to his address, removing two payable on death (POD) beneficiaries from one of the accounts, and adding two POD beneficiaries to another account. Pruitt then transferred $550,000 in funds from the victim’s accounts to his personal bank accounts. Pruitt used some of these funds for his own personal benefit, and he moved $500,000 to a new bank account that did not include the victim as an account holder. When confronted, Pruitt told various, inconsistent stories attempting to excuse his conduct.

Pruitt’s sentencing range was increased because he received an enhancement for obstruction of justice after it was determined that he committed perjury when he testified in his own defense at trial.

The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan S. Rummage and Brett Janich prosecuted the case.

Reporting from consumers about fraud and attempted fraud is critical to law enforcement’s efforts to investigate and prosecute schemes targeting older adults. If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This U.S. Department of Justice hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim, and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies, and provide resources and referrals on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud, and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is staffed 10am-6pm Eastern Time, Monday-Friday. English, Spanish, and other languages are available.  More information about the Department’s elder justice efforts can be found on the Department’s Elder Justice website, www.elderjustice.gov.  Victims are encouraged to file a complaint online with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at this website or by calling 1-800-225-5324.  

Source: US FBI

BUFFALO, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Dilbar Gul Dilbar a/k/a Dilbar Gul Taj Ali Khan, a citizen of Afghanistan, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with visa fraud, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan K. McGuire, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, in 2016 and 2021, Dilbar submitted applications to the U.S. Department of State (DOS) for a Special Immigrant Visa. A limited supply of these visas is set aside each year for Afghan nationals who have assisted the United States military. Dilbar’s applications included a counterfeit U.S. Embassy Kabul Chief of Mission approval, a fraudulent letter of employment, and a fraudulent Letter of Recommendation. On March 20, 2024, Dilbar’s fraudulent application was approved, and, on April 4, 2024, he was granted admission to the United States and currently resides in the Western District of New York. On the same day Dilbar was granted admission to the United States, he applied for Legal Permanent Resident card, commonly referred to as a “green card,” which was issued on July 22, 2024.

Specifically, in July 2016, Dilbar applied to the Department of State for U.S. Embassy Kabul Chief of Mission approval but was denied. However, Dilbar continued his application for a Special Immigrant Visa, submitting a counterfeit approval letter in November 2017. In 2021, Dilbar re-applied for the Special Immigrant Visa. For the second application, Dilbar submitted a letter of employment from a U.S.-based company. Subsequent investigation determined that the U.S.-based company that issued the purported employment verification letter was engaged in a large-scale scheme to provide fraudulent documents, such as employment verification letters, in exchange for a fee. All employment verification letters authored by this entity are fraudulent. Dilbar also submitted a second Letter of Recommendation, which also came from an individual involved in an “advance-fee” scam, which sells fraudulent immigration documents. As a result, Dilbar was granted a Special Immigrant Visa, admitted to the United States and issued a green card.

Dilbar made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Colleen D. Holland and was held pending a detention hearing on May 9, 2025.

The complaint is the result of an investigation by 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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Source: US FBI

Newark, NJ – FBI Newark and our state and local law enforcement partners arrested five people as part of a national surge of resources to arrest accused child sex abuse offenders and combat child exploitation. In a coordinated effort by all 55 FBI field offices called Operation Restore Justice, 205 people were arrested nationwide. Six children were rescued.

This initiative was a joint effort with federal, state, and local partners to coincide with the end of Child Abuse Prevention Month and highlight the FBI’s ongoing efforts to confront these crimes. Investigating child sex abuse is an ongoing, high-priority mission of the FBI. Agents and task force officers made the following five arrests in New Jersey from April 28 and May 2, 2025:

• David Tuytjens, age 69, was arrested for possession of child pornography.
• Natasha Rivas, age 23, was arrested for the distribution of child pornography.
• Dwayne Smalls Jr., age 24, was arrested for the distribution of child pornography.
• Elliott Souder, age 52, was charged with receipt and possession of child pornography.
• Keshawn Harley, age 38, was charged with possession and production of child pornography and sex trafficking of a minor.

“This week was a snapshot of the never-ending work our agents and TFOs do day in and day out to apprehend and hold accountable the vilest of criminals,” says Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly. “Though this marks the conclusion of Child Abuse Awareness Month, our mission is omnipresent: to protect vulnerable children from these predators by bringing them to justice. Let this be a continued reminder to guardians of children everywhere to stay present and vigilant in your young one’s lives. FBI Newark would like to thank the tireless work of our partner agencies; together, we will continue to weed these monsters out of society.”

The FBI’s Violent Crimes Against Children (VCAC) program coordinates and bolsters efforts to counter all threats of abuse and exploitation of children that fall under FBI jurisdiction—including the production, sharing, and possession of child sexual abuse material; domestic or international travel to engage sexually with children; and the extortion of children to provide sexually explicit material of themselves. The VCAC program also strives to identify, locate, and recover child victims and to strengthen partnerships that are critical to prevent abuse and capture offenders.

The FBI investigates cases through Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Forces (CEHTTFs) located in each field office, allowing the FBI to combine resources with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. The FBI also partners with the nonprofit National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24-hour hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on missingkids.org.

If you are a victim or know a victim of a crime involving children, call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI, the FBI Newark Field Office at 973-792-3000, or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov.

FBI Newark would like to thank its partners for their assistance in these cases, including New Jersey State Parole Board, Hunterdon County Prosecutor’s Office, the Passaic County Sheriff’s Office, the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office, the IRS, the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office, and the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office.