MIL Security Engine-1

Source: US FBI

On the second Sunday in June, the FBI recognizes National Children’s Day to emphasize our commitment to combating crimes against children, as well as reaffirm our ongoing effort to locate missing children.

The FBI’s Violent Crimes Against Children program works to:

• Provide a rapid, proactive, and comprehensive ability to counter all threats of abuse and exploitation to children when those crimes fall under the authority of the FBI
• Identify, locate, and recover child victims
• Strengthen relationships between the FBI and federal, state, local, tribal, and international law enforcement partners to identify, prioritize, investigate, and deter individuals and criminal networks exploiting children

One main resource of the FBI’s Violent Crimes Against Children program includes the Child Abduction Rapid Deployment (CARD) Teams within our individual field offices. Established in October 2005, these teams are composed of experienced personnel who provide on-the-ground investigative, technical, and resource assistance to state and local law enforcement. They work to recover victims as quickly as possible and apprehend those responsible for taking them.

Between 2006 and May 2024, the CARD Team deployed 207 times in response to the abduction or mysterious disappearance of 221 child victims.

FBI’s Violent Crimes Against Children program efforts includes, but isn’t limited to, investigating the sexual exploitation of children, trafficking, international parental kidnapping, and child abductions. As part of the FBI’s commitment to childhood safety, the FBI maintains interagency partnerships with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), to review information that is provided to NCMEC’s Cyber Tipline.

The first few hours after a child disappears are critical. If your child ever goes missing, contact local law enforcement immediately as well as your local FBI field office or closest international office. You can also contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-THE-LOST.

Additional Resources:

Source: US FBI

Director Christopher Wray has named Anna Middlebrook as the assistant director of the Office of Equal Employment Opportunity Affairs at FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C. The office endeavors to ensure a working environment free from discrimination, retaliation, and disruption.

Ms. Middlebrook most recently served as the deputy director of the Office of Equal Employment Opportunity for the National Labor Relations Board in Washington.

Ms. Middlebrook has more than 25 years of experience in federal equal employment programs. She joined the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in 1997 as an appellate attorney in the Office of Federal Operations. In 1999, she began work as an administrative judge for the EEOC, deciding discrimination complaints of federal employees.

In 2002, Ms. Middlebrook became the national hearings coordinator at the EEOC, supporting the agency’s leadership for the federal sector hearings program. She also advised 98 administrative judges, determining and implementing policies for the effective, efficient, expeditious, and consistent processing of cases and the conduct of conferences and hearings. Between 2010 and 2012, Ms. Middlebrook was the special assistant to the EEOC inspector general and updated the inspector general’s quality assurance program, among other accomplishments and assignments.

Ms. Middlebrook was selected as the deputy director of the Office of Equal Employment Opportunity at the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) in 2015. The NLRB protects employees’ rights to organize and addresses unfair labor practices.

Ms. Middlebrook helped NLRB leaders advance fairness in its policies, programs, and practices in recruitment and retention, while building and maintaining workforce diversity. She also devised a strategy to make the NLRB accountable to the EEOC’s Management Directive 715—to ensure a diverse and inclusive workforce—and helped bring the agency into compliance with federal requirements to provide employees reasonable workplace accommodations.

Ms. Middlebrook earned a bachelor’s degree in English language and literature from Spelman College in Atlanta and a juris doctorate from the University of Baltimore. Prior to joining the federal government, she worked in private law practice in California.

Source: US FBI

Néstor Isidro Pérez Salas was known as the primary enforcer of the Sinaloa Cartel’s ruthless security apparatus.

In addition to his alleged role in importing massive quantities of lethal narcotics into the United States, he is accused of leading a group of enforcers who committed brutal acts of violence to maintain control and protect the cartel’s leadership and operations, including the murder of law enforcement officers, a witness and informant, and even a 13 year-old boy.

The Sinaloa Cartel causes immense harm to the American public by importing lethal narcotics and illegal firearms which terrorizes our communities, and the FBI thanks our partners who share a relentless commitment to going after the leadership of these cartels and holding those individuals to account.

We will not stop working to ensure that criminals profiting from the illicit trafficking of drugs, weapons, and violence face justice.

Source: US FBI

TOLEDO – A federal grand jury in Toledo returned an indictment on February 7, 2024, charging Daniel R. Hitlan, of Huron, Ohio, with three counts of bank fraud and five counts of money laundering related to filing false applications for Paycheck Protection Program loans.

The indictment charges that between April 14, 2020 and May 13, 2020, Hitlan submitted three false PPP loan applications and received funding totaling $2,578,318.  Hitlan applied for the loans using two businesses that he owned: Sailor Sales, LLC and Daniel Robert Hitlan.  Hitlan applied for the loans at three separate banks.  In each instance, he falsely stated the number of employees for the businesses and claimed to have payroll expenses when in fact the businesses had no payroll expenses.  Hitlan supported the PPP loan applications by creating and submitting fictitious payroll documents and payroll forms with his application. 

It is further alleged that Hitlan used the proceeds to conduct several financial transactions to include a check for $88,811.27 for the purchase of a 2020 Cadillac Escalade, another check for $48,232.63 for the purchase of a 1968 Chevrolet Corvette, two wires for the purchase of real estate in the amounts of $179,013.97 and $248,423.89, and a debit card transaction for $20,000 to a jeweler for the purchase of Rolex watches. 

An indictment is only a charge and 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 IRS–Criminal Investigations and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Gene Crawford.

Source: US FBI

TOLEDO – Jeffrey Deitsch, 36, of St. Marys and later Spencerville, Ohio, was sentenced on February 1, 2024, to 210 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey J. Helmick, after he pleaded guilty to coercion and enticement of a minor and transportation of a minor across state lines for illicit sexual activity. Deitsch was also sentenced to 25 years of supervised release after he serves his prison term and ordered to pay a $200 special assessment and an additional assessment of $5,000 under the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act.

According to court documents, Deitsch met a 15-year-old Illinois girl online, drove from Ohio to Illinois less than a week later, and transported her back to Ohio where he engaged in illicit sexual activity with her. On June 25, 2020, Allen County Sheriff’s Deputies were dispatched to a hotel in Lima after receiving a report that the Illinois runaway was staying there with Deitsch, who was more than twice her age. Sheriff’s Deputies located the victim who later advised that Deitsch had told her to tell anyone who asked that she was 18. Deitsch admitted to law enforcement that he knew the victim’s age before transporting her and engaging in the sex acts.

Deitsch had just been released from state prison the month before, after having served a prison term for abduction of a different female.

The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Lima, Ohio. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys, Tracey Tangeman and Angelita Cruz Bridges.

Source: US FBI

Source: US FBI

CLEVELAND – Rebecca C. Lutzko, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio announced today that a federal grand jury sitting in Cleveland returned a twenty-two count indictment charging two Cleveland area brothers with multiple fraud and money laundering schemes.

Zubair Mehmet Abdur Razzaq Al Zubair, 41, recently of Bratenahl, Ohio, and his brother Muzzammil Muhammad Al Zubair, 30, recently of Pepper Pike, Ohio, face one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, 14 counts of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to engage in money laundering, four counts of money laundering, and one count of theft of government funds. Zubair Al Zubair also faces one count of harboring a fugitive.

The indictment charges that from June 2020 through August 2023, the Al Zubair brothers engaged in multiple schemes, including an investment fraud scheme, a Small Business Administration COVID-19 relief Emergency Income Disaster Loan scheme, a cryptocurrency mining scheme, a commercial real estate lease scheme, and a residential real estate lease scheme. According to the facts alleged in the indictment, the Al Zubair brothers obtained funds and property from victims under false pretenses and spent the proceeds on luxury items, such as cars, travel, entertainment, firearms, and jewelry. They allegedly falsely claimed to have extraordinary wealth and government connections. Zubair Al Zubair also allegedly falsely claimed to be married to a princess and to be a member of a royal family in the United Arab Emirates. The defendants also allegedly made false claims about potential investments returns, about property they owned or controlled, and about their intentions, among other falsehoods alleged in the indictment. Through these false claims, the Al Zubair brothers allegedly obtained millions of dollars from their victims. In addition to the fraud and money laundering charges, Zubair Al Zubair is also charged with providing a place to stay and transportation to a fugitive wanted on federal criminal charges.

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 the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew W. Shepherd.

Source: US FBI

CLEVELAND – Eric King, 35, of Cleveland, Ohio, was sentenced today to 36 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Pamela A. Barker, U.S. Attorney Rebecca C. Lutzko announced today. King was also sentenced to 3 years of supervised release, $1,800 in special assessments, and restitution of $483,165.38.

King, a former employee of Eye For Change Youth and Family Services, Inc., a non-profit corporation in Cleveland, was previously found guilty after a jury trial of 13 counts of health care fraud, one count of false statement relating to health care matters, and five counts of aggravated identity theft.

According to court documents, trial testimony, and today’s sentencing hearing, from June 2018 through May 2021, King defrauded Medicaid by causing Medicaid to be billed for services not actually performed or for services that were not actually performed for the amount of time the billing codes reflected; for falsifying progress notes into Medicaid beneficiary electronic records; for creating false progress notes; and for using the identities of clients without authorization to bill Medicaid. As a result of King’s conduct, Medicaid paid over $483,000 for fraudulent billings.

The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the Cleveland Division of the FBI, the Department of Health and Human Services — Office of the Inspector General and the Ohio Attorney General’s Healthcare Fraud Section. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Edward D. Brydle and Brian M. McDonough, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan L. Metzler.

Source: US FBI

An Ohio man pleaded guilty today to a misdemeanor charge under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, which prohibits a person from intentionally interfering with or intimidating any person because that person is providing reproductive health services. Mohamed Waes, 33, of Columbus, also pleaded guilty to felony charges of communicating interstate threats and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 5, 2022, Waes intentionally interfered with and intimidated employees of Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio by threatening over the phone to burn down their building because they were providing reproductive health services.

“Threatening to burn down facilities that provide reproductive health services is not just unlawful, it’s conduct that frightens and obstructs patients and providers of reproductive services,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department is committed to enforcing the FACE Act to protect all patients who seek reproductive health services and to protect all staff and facilities that provide these services.”

“We will hold accountable individuals who make threats of force against health service providers and institutions,” said U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker for the Southern District of Ohio. “At the U.S. Attorney’s Office, we will do our part in charging those who break federal laws. As a society, we must handle our disagreements in a more civil way than threats of violence and intimidation.”

“Mohamed Waes made a credible threat to commit violence and harm others,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Cheryl Mimura of the FBI Cincinnati Field Office. “The FBI will continue to aggressively pursue civil rights violations and work with our partners to keep the community safe.”

“Waes played a crucial role in a business email compromise scheme by attempting to launder nearly $2 million in fraud proceeds,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Karen Wingerd of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS:CI) Cincinnati Field Office. “IRS:CI remains committed to following the money and bringing those who launder illegal proceeds to justice.”

According to court documents, Waes also conspired with others from on or about March 21, 2019, through on or about March 4, 2020, to launder funds using business email compromise (BEC) fraud schemes. As part of this conspiracy, scammers created fake email domains which mimicked legitimate email domains and then sent emails to various companies impersonating vendors and asking that payments be made on actual invoices to bank accounts controlled by Waes and others. Waes attempted to launder a total of $1,972,792.84 in BEC proceeds, of which he successfully laundered $273,982.08.

A sentencing hearing will be set at a later date. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The FBI Cincinnati Field Office and IRS:CI investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer Rausch and Peter Glenn-Applegate for the Southern District of Ohio and Trial Attorney Daniel Grunert of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case.

Source: US FBI

COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Columbus woman pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today to two counts of kidnapping a minor.

As part of the plea, parties involved in the case have recommended a sentence of 20 years in prison for Nalah T. Jackson, 25.

“There is no greater responsibility than protecting our youth,” said U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker. “This community watched in horror as Nalah Jackson preyed on two vulnerable babies. Today, she admitted her crime and agreed to spend 20 years in prison for her actions.” 

According to court documents, between Dec. 19, 2022, and Dec. 22, 2022, Jackson kidnapped two minor children in Columbus and traveled interstate with one of them. 

Specifically, close to 10pm on the night of Dec. 19, Jackson walked out of Donatos Pizza on North High Street in Columbus and drove away in a black Honda Accord that had been left running in the parking lot. Two twin five-month-old infants were buckled in the back seat. The infants’ mother was inside Donatos to pick up a delivery order at the time.

Over the next several hours, Jackson drove from Columbus to Dayton and to various other locations in central and western Ohio.

Jackson arrived at the Dayton International Airport close to 3am. She parked in an economy lot and left the infants in the car while she entered the airport. Jackson attempted to hire an Uber to find the stolen car in the economy lot, but could not pay, and ultimately found the stolen car on foot. After finding the vehicle, Jackson left one of the infants in the parking lot at approximately 4am. A passerby parking their vehicle saw the baby in his car seat wrapped in a quilt between two vehicles and alerted security.

After Jackson left the Dayton International Airport parking lot at high speeds, she traveled to Indianapolis with the second baby still in the vehicle.

She arrived at a Papa Johns Pizza on Indiana Avenue near the university district at approximately 8am on Dec. 20, and exited the stolen car on foot. She never returned to the vehicle, leaving the second baby strapped in his car seat in the back seat of the car.

The baby remained strapped in the car seat for the next two-and-a-half-days while family members, concerned citizens and law enforcement officers continued to search for him.

By happenstance, an Indianapolis woman encountered Jackson after she abandoned the stolen vehicle on Dec. 20. Jackson was selling stolen merchandise outside of a local gas station. The woman gave Jackson a ride to a nearby shopping plaza and gave Jackson her cell phone number in case Jackson came across any more holiday gifts for resale.

That night, the woman noticed several social media posts regarding the kidnapping and recognized Jackson as the alleged kidnapper. The woman called her cousin, and together they formulated a plan to meet up with Jackson to confirm her identity, recover the infant if possible and lead Jackson to law enforcement.

On Dec. 22, the women met up with Jackson, whom they traced to a local residence through a phone number Jackson had previously used to call one of them. The women confirmed that Jackson was the same person identified as the kidnapping suspect and drove her to several shopping centers in Indianapolis, all-the-while surreptitiously attempting to contact law enforcement in Columbus and Indianapolis.

Eventually, one of the women was able to route local law enforcement to their vehicle over the phone by pretending that she was speaking with her boyfriend and providing updates on her location. The women tried to signal to Indianapolis police that Jackson was the kidnapping suspect, and eventually told officers when they were removed from Jackson’s immediate presence.  Jackson provided a false name and another individual’s identification card to the officers. After some time, the officers confirmed Jackson’s identity and arrested her for kidnapping. After the arrest, they let the two women go without interviewing them about their time spent with Jackson.

The two women decided to continue searching for the missing infant. They discovered a bus schedule that Jackson left behind in the backseat of their vehicle and decided to focus their search on a bus route near the university district.

While driving around searching that area to no avail, and with driving conditions worsening quickly due to an impending snowstorm, the women decided to get something to eat before heading home. As they were pulling into a Blaze Pizza, they noticed a black Honda Accord at the nearby Papa Johns and noticed snow had already accumulated on the car.

They drove up to the stolen car and attempted to open the back door, which was locked. The driver’s door did open. Due to an overwhelming foul smell coming from the car, and the silence of the baby, one of the women screamed, assuming the baby was deceased. Upon hearing the scream, the baby alerted and began crying. One of the women removed the baby from his car seat and began comforting him.

The women then noticed an empty Indianapolis police cruiser parked nearby and began looking for officers, who they found on their lunch break inside the Blaze Pizza. Indianapolis police then relocated to Papa Johns Pizza and took custody of the baby, taking him to a local hospital. The infant was treated for dehydration, heart abnormalities due to the dehydration, extreme diaper rash and skin deterioration due to him being buckled in a car seat for three days while sitting in his own excrement.

U.S. Attorney Parker acknowledged the numerous law enforcement agencies who have assisted in this case, including FBI offices in Columbus, Dayton and Indianapolis; the Columbus, Dayton, Huber Heights, Riverside, Vandalia, Dayton International Airport and Indianapolis police departments; the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office; Ohio State Highway Patrol and U.S. Marshals Service’s Southern Ohio Fugitive Apprehension Strike Team (SOFAST).

Assistant United States Attorneys Emily K. Czerniejewski and Noah R. Litton are representing the United States in this case.

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