Category: Security

Source: US FBI

ALBUQUERQUE – An Albuquerque man was sentenced to 25 years in prison for a violent crime spree that began with a double murder, after being convicted at trial of two counts of attempted carjacking, one count of carjacking, and the possession and use of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.

At trial, the court heard evidence that on September 7, 2020, Dakota Briscoe, 38, used a tan handgun to commit a series of violent acts, including the double homicide of two victims whose bodies were discovered in a burning vehicle in the South Valley. Although the firearm was never recovered by law enforcement, witness testimonies confirmed that Briscoe was seen with the firearm, and multiple .45 caliber casings were recovered from the crime scenes.

Briscoe’s violent spree began with the double homicide, which led to his desperate attempts to evade capture through armed carjackings. Briscoe targeted vulnerable individuals, including women, brandishing his firearm during these incidents.

Briscoe successfully evaded arrest that day and was not apprehended until September 16, 2020. He was stopped at a United States Border Patrol checkpoint while driving a white commercial-style van that lacked a license plate or registration tag. During the encounter with USBP, Briscoe exhibited nervous behavior, avoided eye contact, and claimed he did not have identification.Briscoe provided agents with his brother’s name, who had an active warrant issued in New Mexico for failing to appear. As a result, Briscoe was arrested and booked under his brother’s identity.

Upon his release from prison, Briscoe will be subject to four years of supervised release.

U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez 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 the assistance of the Albuquerque Police Department, Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office, New Mexico State Police and U.S. Border Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jaymie L. Roybal and Jon Stanford prosecuted the case.

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Source: US FBI

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Charles Daniel Tow, age 34, of Moore, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl and one count of Felon in Possession of Firearm and Ammunition.

The Indictment alleged that on June 6, 2024, Tow knowingly and intentionally possessed 40 or more grams of a mixture and substance containing fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance, for the purpose of distribution.  The Indictment also alleged that on that same date, Tow knowingly possessed a .380ACP caliber semi-automatic pistol and eight rounds of .380ACP caliber ammunition after having been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year, despite knowing of that conviction.

The charges arose from an investigation by the District 27 Drug Task Force and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The Honorable Jason A. Robertson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. Tow will remain in the custody of the U. S. Marshals Service pending sentencing.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Lorenz represented the United States.

Source: US FBI

ALBUQUERQUE – A Fruitland woman was sentenced to 33 months in prison for a violent incident that left her victim with serious head injuries in February 2023. On October 17, 2024, she pled guilty to both counts in the indictment, which charged her with two felonies—assault resulting in serious bodily injury and assault with a dangerous weapon.

According to court documents, on February 21, 2023, Richelle Rose Upshaw, 24, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, and three other women embarked on a nearly 23-mile trek from the Journey Inn in Farmington to Upshaw’s trailer on the Navajo Nation. The group engaged in multiple physical fights with each other during their journey, reportedly fueled by alcohol consumption. Upon arrival at the trailer, tensions escalated when Upshaw demanded the other women leave. Upshaw then engaged in a fistfight with Jane Doe, which culminated in Upshaw stabbing Doe in the head with her pocketknife.

Photo of Upshaw’s knife with three-inch blade

Following the stabbing, Jane Doe was transported to the Northern Navajo Medical Center in Shiprock, where she was treated for serious injuries.

Upshaw fled the scene and was arrested later that day by officers from the Navajo Nation Police Department at a nearby residence, where officers noted a strong odor of alcohol on her.

Upon her release from prison, Upshaw will be subject to three years of supervised release.

U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez, 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 Navajo Nation Police Department and Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant United States Attorneys Zachary C. Jones and Meg Tomlinson are prosecuting the case.

 

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Source: US FBI

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Salasha Fae Bosley, age 25, of Wagoner, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to two counts of Child Neglect in Indian Country.

The Indictment alleged that between September 2023 and June 16, 2024, Bosley failed to provide two children with adequate nurturance, affection, food, shelter, sanitation, hygiene, medical care, supervision, and sanitary living conditions while responsible for the health, safety, and welfare of the children.

The crimes occurred in Wagoner County, within the boundaries of the Cherokee Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.

The charges arose from an investigation by the Wagoner County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The Honorable D. Edward Snow, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica Bove and Caila M. Cleary represented the United States.

Source: US FBI

ALBUQUERQUE – A Church Rock man was sentenced to 264 months in prison after pleading guilty to multiple counts of sexual abuse involving three young victims, two of whom were under the age of 12 at the time of the offenses and one was under the age of 16.

According to court documents, between January 2014 and December 2021, Nathaniel Luz, 32, and enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, engaged in sexual contact with two victims, both children who had not yet attained the age of 12 years.

In August 2022, Luz also engaged in a sexual act with a third victim, a child who had attained the age of 12 years but had not yet attained the age of 16 years.

Upon his release from prison, Luz will be subject to fifteen years of supervised release and must register as a sex offender.

U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez 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 FBI Albuquerque Field Office with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and the Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations investigated this case. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brittany DuChaussee 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.

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Source: US FBI

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced today that Richard Leroy Osborn III, age 47, of Wagoner County, Oklahoma, was found guilty by a federal jury of eight counts of child sexual abuse, including five counts of Aggravated Sexual Abuse and three counts of Abusive Sexual Contact.  Two of the counts of conviction carry a mandatory sentence of life in prison.

The jury trial began with testimony on December 9, 2024, and concluded on December 11, 2024, with the guilty verdicts.

During the trial, the United States presented evidence that Osborn sexually assaulted three children starting in 2011 and continuing until May of 2022, when one of the children first disclosed the sexual abuse.  Additionally, the United States presented evidence that Osborn, already a registered sex offender at the time of the crimes, had previously sexually abused three other victims when they were minors.

The guilty verdicts were the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The crimes occurred in Wagoner County, within the boundaries of the Cherokee and the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Reservations, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.

The Honorable Kea W. Riggs, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court of New Mexico, sitting by assignment, presided over the trial in Muskogee, Oklahoma, and ordered the completion of a presentence report.  Sentencing will be scheduled following completion of the report.  Osborn will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service until sentencing.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Morgan Muzljakovich and Nicole Paladino represented the United States.

Source: US FBI

PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A Youngstown, Ohio, resident was sentenced to 92 months in federal prison for conspiring to distribute fentanyl and fluorofentanyl, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.

Senior United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab imposed the sentence on Teqwan Scott, 29, also ordering Scott to serve four years of supervised release following his prison term. Scott previously pleaded guilty in this case to conspiring to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and 10 grams or more of fluorofentanyl.

Prior to sentencing, the Court was informed that Scott was responsible for trafficking between 40 and 70 grams of a mixture of fentanyl and fluorofentanyl from May 2021 to October 2022, during which time Scott was on bond with a pending state fentanyl trafficking charge in Venango County, Pennsylvania. Scott had already been convicted in Ohio of committing several crimes since 2014, including domestic violence, aggravated possession of drugs, illegal conveyance of prohibited items onto the grounds of a detention facility, and unlawful possession of a firearm.

Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States.

United States Attorney Olshan commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, United States Postal Inspection Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Lawrence County Drug Task Force, Mercer County Drug Task Force, New Castle Police Department, Sharon Police Department, and Pennsylvania State Police for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Scott.

Source: US FBI

ALBUQUERQUE – An Albuquerque man was sentenced in federal court to 20 years in prison for a series of armed robberies committed in February and March 2022 after he absconded from a federal halfway house.

There is no parole in the federal system.

According to court documents, Xavior Akina, 28, committed the following crimes:

• On February 23, 2022, Akina robbed a Chevron gas station in Los Lunas at gunpoint, stealing money, cigarettes, and an energy drink.
• On February 25, 2022, Akina robbed a Circle K in Los Lunas, again using a silver handgun to demand money from the clerk.
• On March 12, 2022, Akina robbed another Circle K in Albuquerque, shooting and injuring the clerk during the incident.
• On March 13, 2022, Akina committed two more armed robberies in Albuquerque, targeting a DK convenience store and a Sally’s Beauty Store.

Prior to his crime spree, Akina had absconded from a federal halfway house. Akina‘s criminal history includes a prior conviction for armed robbery of a pizza delivery person in 2018, for which he was sentenced to 84 months in prison.

Upon his release from prison, Akina will be subject to three years of supervised release.

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

The FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with the assistance of the Albuquerque Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel A. Hurtado prosecuted the case.

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Source: US FBI

ALBUQUERQUE – A Navajo man has been charged with second degree murder in Indian Country.

According to court documents, on July 26, 2022, officers from the Navajo Nation Police Department responded to reports of a shooting near Ojo Encino. Upon arrival, officers discovered John Doe deceased at the scene with a gunshot wound to his chest and right arm. Witnesses identified Jason Lee Martinez, 51, a member of the Navajo Nation, as the shooter, who fled the scene immediately after the shooting.

Investigators recovered seven .40 caliber bullet casings from the scene, and the autopsy confirmed fatal gunshot wounds consistent with a single bullet that traveled through John Doe’s chest, heart, lung, and liver.

On August 26, 2022, FBI agents interviewed Martinez, who admitted to being involved in the altercation with John Doe.

Martinez will remain in custody pending trial, which has not been scheduled. If convicted, Martinez faces up to life in prison.

U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez 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 Navajo Nation Department of Investigation and Navajo Nation Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jesse Pecoraro 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.

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Source: US FBI

CLEVELAND – Rebecca C. Lutzko, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio announced that a federal grand jury sitting in Cleveland returned a five count indictment charging Devin Sims, Michael Williams, and Teontaey Thomas with aiding and abetting each other in Robbery of Mail or Property of the United States and Stealing Keys Adopted by the Post Office. Two of the men, Sims and Williams, are also charged with Brandishing a Firearm During a Crime of Violence and Theft of Mail. Sims alone is charged with Possession of Stolen Mail.

A joint investigation by the United States Postal Inspection Service, FBI and South Euclid Police Department led to the arrest of Devin Sims, 19, of Cleveland Heights, on December 8, 2023, Michael Williams, 19, of University Heights, and Teontaey Thomas, 20, of Cleveland, on March 20, 2023.

The three individuals were charged for their roles in a robbery that involved the use of a firearm of a postal carrier on November 7, 2023. It is alleged that during the robbery the carrier’s key, which opens blue mailboxes belonging to the United States Postal Service, was stolen. On or about November 11, 2023, Sims and Williams accessed a blue mailbox in South Euclid, Ohio using the key and stole checks that were previously deposited in the mail.

The United States Postal Inspection Service is aggressively investigating cases involving theft from postal carriers and the U.S. Mails.

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and, in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.

The investigation was conducted by United States Postal Inspection Service, FBI and the South Euclid Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Zarzycki.

The Postal Inspection Service is the federal agency with jurisdiction for investigating crimes against postal carriers and crimes involving the U.S. Mail. Anyone having information about blue collection box thefts or thefts or attempted thefts of mail carriers or mail should contact USPIS at 1-877-876-2455. All information will be kept confidential.