MIL Security Engine-1

Source: US FBI

ANCHORAGE – A Kodiak man was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Ralph R. Beistline to 18 years in federal prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release for the production of child pornography. He was also ordered to pay $13,390 in restitution.

According to court documents, Vince Deliguin, 20, created a fake social media profile for a young woman which he dubbed “Marley Madden” and used it to contact the minor victim in April 2021. Posing as “Marley” Deliguin instructed the victim to send nude photos. Believing “Marley” to be a real person, the victim sent the photos. A short time later, “Marley” told the victim to meet her at a park. When the victim tried to decline, “Marley” threatened to release the photos to the victim’s family and friends. Giving in to the pressure, the minor victim went to the park where he found Deliguin waiting for him. The victim recognized Deliguin because he had recently graduated from the minor victim’s high school. Deliguin then blackmailed the minor victim into engaging in oral sex on three separate occasions, video recorded each of the three acts and attempted to blackmail the minor victim into engaging in sex a fourth time when the victim reported it to authorities.

Deliguin was arrested in May 2021 on State charges and indicted on three federal charges in November 2021. He pleaded guilty to one count of production of child pornography in February 2022.

“The pursuit of individuals who sexually exploit children and produce child pornography is one of our highest priorities,” said U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker for the District of Alaska. “Deliguin’s relentless, aggressive and threatening behavior in victimizing an innocent youth in Kodiak is disturbing and caused significant emotional harm. We recognize the courage it takes for a minor victim to report sexual abuse to authorities. Because of this brave young victim, the perpetrator was brought to justice, making our communities and children safer.”

“Through coercion, Deliguin used extortion or ‘sextortion’ as a means to perpetuate a horrible cycle of child sexual exploitation and abuse, which caused significant harm to the child and the child’s family,” said Special Agent in Charge Antony Jung of the FBI Anchorage Field Office. “Together with our law enforcement partners, the FBI is fully committed to protecting Alaska’s youth from child sexual exploitation crimes carried out by online predators like Deliguin, who will now spend the next 18 years in federal prison.”  

“The Alaska State Troopers will work relentlessly to hold accountable anyone that victimizes Alaska’s youth,” said Major David Hanson, Deputy Director of the Alaska State Troopers. “Your Alaska State Troopers are constantly working with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to detect, investigate, and prosecute crimes against children.  This case highlights these critical partnerships and our unified commitment.”    

The FBI, Alaska State Troopers and the Kodiak Police Department investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Ebell prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Justice Department to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit: www.justice.gov/psc. It was also brought as part of the Rural Alaska Anti-Violence Enforcement Network (RAAVEN) initiative to increase engagement, coordination and action on public safety in Alaska Native communities.

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Resources:

Anyone who has information about the physical or online exploitation of children are encouraged to call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or submit a tip online at www.tips.fbi.gov.

To learn more about sextortion including what kids and teens need to know as well as what caregivers need to know click here: https://www.fbi.gov/scams-and-safety/common-scams-and-crimes/sextortion

Source: US FBI

ANCHORAGE, AK—The FBI Anchorage Field Office has launched a cybersecurity awareness campaign to educate private sector businesses and organizations in Alaska about the growing threat of cyberattacks, and to encourage organizations to establish proactive relationships with their local FBI field office.

“Partnering with the FBI can serve as a force multiplier to enhance an organization’s cyber defenses and response plans against cyberattacks,” said Special Agent in Charge Antony Jung of the FBI Anchorage Field Office. “With Alaska’s vast size and geographic importance, we must work together to protect Alaska’s infrastructure in this target-rich environment.”

The awareness campaign will include media engagements, social media posts, and presentations to local businesses and organizations throughout Alaska. FBI special agents will also continue efforts to educate our private sector partners about cyber threats, to include:

• Critical Infrastructure Attacks: The private sector controls most of the country’s critical infrastructure, intellectual property, and personal data, making large corporations and small businesses frequent targets of cyberattacks. In 2021, America’s critical infrastructure experienced an unprecedented increase in cyberattacks.
• Ransomware: Cybercriminals and nation-state actors breach private networks, deploy ransomware to encrypt victims’ data, and then demand ransom payments to unlock the encrypted data. When a ransomware incident occurs, swift communication with the FBI can positively impact data recovery efforts. The FBI does not recommend victims pay ransoms. Payment encourages more criminal activity and businesses will likely still suffer the consequences of a cyberattack.
• Supply Chain Attacks: A business’s cybersecurity is only as strong as that of its trusted vendors. Supply chains are increasingly a point of vulnerability for computer intrusions.

As a company or entity strengthens its cybersecurity, the FBI highly recommends engaging with its local FBI field office. Meeting with the FBI before a compromise helps companies understand the potential threats specific to that company. It also provides an understanding of how the FBI protects the confidentiality of victims to determine the severity of a compromise, provide information to help prevent re-infection, and to identify those committing malicious cyber activities.

In addition to partnering with your local FBI office, companies should also take the following preventive steps:

• Update and patch operating systems and software.
• Implement robust access controls, especially for privileged users.
• Monitor security logs.
• Audit trusted third parties or others with access to systems and sensitive data.
• Require personnel to choose a strong, unique password for each account and use multifactor authentication for as many services as possible. Passwords should be changed regularly.
• Educate personnel about phishing schemes to highlight the risks of clicking on suspicious links, opening suspicious attachments, and visiting suspicious websites.
• Keep backups of data offline, and regularly test backup and restoration capabilities. Ensure all backup data is encrypted and immutable.
• Develop a cybersecurity incident response plan that includes the FBI. If compromised, contact the FBI immediately.
• Be aware of signs of compromises such as broken passwords, unexpected pop-ups, slow-running devices, altered system settings, or unexplained online activity.

Businesses and organizations can contact the FBI Anchorage Field Office at (907) 276-4441. Internet crimes can be reported at www.ic3.gov and other suspicious criminal activity at tips.fbi.gov.

Additional FBI Resources:

Source: US FBI

BIRMINGHAM – A federal judge yesterday sentenced the last of 18 defendants charged in  a large-scale drug trafficking conspiracy, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona, Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Johnnie Sharp, Jr., and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Atlanta Field Office Special Agent in Charge James E. Dorsey.

United States District Judge Annmarie C. Axon sentenced Adrien Hiram Taylor, aka “Slim,” 33, of Bessemer, Alabama, to life in prison and Leanthony Martez Gillins, aka “Fatman,” 35, of Bessemer, Alabama, to 232 months for managing a multi-million dollar conspiracy to distribute or possess with intent to distribute heroin, fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine, and marijuana; distributing or possessing with the intent to distribute heroin, fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine, and marijuana; using, carrying, or possessing a firearm during or in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; and using a communication facility to commit drug trafficking crimes.  Co-defendant Janaya Lenise Bibb, 36, of McCalla, Alabama was sentenced to 40 months in prison. Bibb was convicted of conspiring to distribute or possess with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin.

A total of eighteen people were charged in the indictment returned on October 29, 2019.  The indictment was the result of a three-year Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (“OCDETF”) investigation into the drug-trafficking enterprise based in Western Jefferson County. The task force identified acts in furtherance of the conspiracy committed by members of the organization over a period of six years.  All 18 defendants have now been sentenced. U.S. District Judge Axon sentenced the Rolando Antuain Williamson, aka “Baldhead” and “Ball Head,” 37, of Bessemer, Alabama, to life in prison plus 120 months as the Kingpin of the multi-million dollar continuing criminal enterprise on August 9, 2022, and ordered a money judgment of $36,615,000 against Williamson. 

The OCDETF agencies involved in this investigation are the FBI, IRS, member agencies of the FBI North Alabama Safe Streets Task Force, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bessemer Police Department. 

The North Alabama Safe Streets Task Force arrested Williamson the morning of August 22, 2019, in the parking lot of a grocery store located in Homewood, Alabama. Williamson was driving a 2016 Dodge Hellcat worth $80,000. At the time of arrest, Williamson was armed two loaded pistols, additional loaded magazines, and was carrying almost $14,000 in cash.  All other members of the conspiracy were arrested on or about November 13, 2019.

At the time of Williamson’s arrest, law enforcement officers seized from him and three of his stash houses, 366 grams of heroin/fentanyl, 109 grams of suspected cocaine, 573 grams of pure methamphetamine, 52 kilos of marijuana, over $97,000 in cash, multiple firearms, and over 1700 rounds of ammunition.

“As a result of the sustained and extensive investigation by our many law enforcement partners, this Birmingham-based drug trafficking network has been dismantled,” said U.S. Attorney Escalona. “We are thankful for the collaboration of our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners in working diligently to disrupt the pipeline of deadly drugs into our communities.  These sentences should send a clear message that this type of criminal activity will not be tolerated in our district.”

“The sentencing of these three drug traffickers puts the final nail in the coffin of their drug organization,” SAC Sharp said. “I continue to be proud of the great work of the FBI’s North Alabama Safe Streets Task Force and our partners that work every day to disrupt, dismantle and destroy the criminal organizations that bring their poison and violence to our neighborhoods.”

“The sentencing of these individuals is just another step in multiple agencies working together to keep the citizens of Jefferson County safe and to further our fight to remove illegal drugs from our streets,” said Sheriff Mark Pettway.

“These convictions and sentencings of all of those involved send a strong message to the criminal element in western Jefferson County and beyond,” Bessemer Police Chief Michael Roper said. “It is my hope that other criminals will have second thoughts before they engage in this type of activity. It is time for individuals to learn that these drugs are very harmful to the community. These dangerous drugs are accompanied by other crimes in the community. I say thanks again to all of the agencies involved in this successful operation.”

Forfeiture was obtained for two of Williamson’s high-end vehicles: a $46,000 Ford F-250 King’s Ranch and $37,000 Cadillac Escalade; over $100,000 dollars in cash; $45,000 in jewelry; and all firearms and ammunition used to facilitate the drug trafficking enterprise.

This investigation is part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF is an independent component of the U.S. Department of Justice.  Established in 1982, OCDETF is the centerpiece of the Attorney General’s strategy to combat transnational-organized-crime and to reduce the availability of illicit narcotics in the nation by using a prosecutor-led, multi-agency approach to enforcement.  OCDETF leverages the resources and expertise of its partners in concentrated, coordinated, long-term enterprise investigations of transnational organized crime, money laundering, and major drug trafficking networks.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Internal Revenue Service investigated the case along with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office and Bessemer Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan S. Cross and Gregory R. Dimler prosecuted the case. 

Source: US FBI

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A Birmingham man was sentenced yesterday on charges of Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine, Distribution of Methamphetamine, and Possession with the Intent to Distribute Heroin announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Johnnie Sharp, Jr.

Horace Dantai Burgess, Jr., 26, was sentenced yesterday on charges of Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine, two counts of Distribution of Methamphetamine, and one count of Possession with the Intent to Distribute Heroin.  Burgess was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Madeline H. Haikala to 70 months of imprisonment followed by 60 months of supervised release.

Burgess sold methamphetamine to law enforcement on multiple occasions.  In addition, in August 2021, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Deputies attempted to conduct a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Burgess.  Burgess refused to stop, and a high-speed chase ensued.  During the chase, Burgess threw a bag containing a significant amount of heroin out of the window.  Burgess is linked to the Hard 2 Kill gang.  Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigated the Hard 2 Kill gang, better known as H2K. This gang operates in the Birmingham, Alabama area and is known to be involved in acts of violence, illegal drug distribution, and illegal firearm possession.

“Violent street gangs often fund their illegal activities by trafficking illegal drugs,” said U.S. Attorney Escalona. “By focusing drug enforcement efforts on gang-related dealers, our law enforcement partners can reduce both the violence and the drugs that plague our communities. We are grateful for the efforts of the Birmingham Police Department, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, and FBI in taking another dealer off the street.”

“As a result of this case, the streets of Birmingham are a little safer and yesterday’s sentence should send a message that violent actors will be held accountable for their criminal acts.  The FBI is committed to the fight against violent crime, and we will continue to work side by side with our state, local, and federal partners to bring criminals like Burgess to justice,” said FBI SAC Johnnie Sharp, Jr.

The case is a part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.  Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.  As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. 

FBI investigated the case along with the Birmingham Police Department, and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorneys Darius Greene and Kristy Peoples prosecuted the case.

Source: US FBI

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A federal judge yesterday sentenced a Birmingham man on sex trafficking a minor and sexual exploitation of children, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Johnnie Sharp, Jr.

United States District Judge Karon O. Bowdre sentenced Jeremy Lynn Alexander, 36, of Birmingham, to 300 months in prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release for sex trafficking a minor and sexual exploitation of children.  Alexander pleaded guilty to this charge in November 2020. 

According to the plea agreement, on or about July 16, 2021, FBI Birmingham’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force received a priority lead regarding a 14-year-old female reported missing out of Madison, Wisconsin. FBI Birmingham and Homewood Police Special Investigations Unit launched an immediate investigation to find and recover the child.  They located her through an advertisement on a website known for commercial sex advertisements.  A task force officer responded to the number posted in the advertisement and arrangements were made to meet the victim at a specific location.  Members of the task force responded to a local hotel and located the minor victim in the hotel room with Alexander.  Further investigation revealed child sexual abuse material involving Alexander and the minor victim located on Alexander’s cell phone. This conviction will require Alexander to register as a sex offender in accordance with the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).

“I am very grateful for the swift response of the Homewood Police Department and FBI who located and recovered the child victim in this case,” said U.S. Attorney Escalona. “The interstate trafficking of children for the purpose of sexual exploitation is a despicable crime, and my office will make every effort to find and prosecute those who commit this offense.”

“I’m proud of the work of the FBI Birmingham’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force and our partners at the Homewood Police Department to bring Alexander to justice and rescue this young victim. We will not stop our pursuit of those who victimize the most vulnerable members of our community” said FBI SAC Johnnie Sharp, Jr.

FBI Birmingham’s Child Exploitation Human Trafficking Task Force (CEHTTF) investigated the case, with the assistance of the Homewood Police Special Investigations Unit.  Assistant United States Attorney Darius Greene and Assistant United States Attorney R. Leann White prosecuted the case.

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.  Led by U.S. Attorneys’ 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, and to identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

Source: US FBI

LOS ANGELES – A federal jury has found a Hollywood Hills man guilty of nearly a dozen felonies for paying illegal kickbacks for patient referrals to his addiction treatment facilities located in Orange County, the Justice Department announced today.

Casey Mahoney, 48, was found guilty on Wednesday of one count of conspiracy to solicit, receive, pay, or offer illegal remunerations for patient referrals, seven counts of illegal remunerations for patient referrals, and three counts of money laundering.

According to evidence presented at a nine-day trial, from at least October 2018 to December 2020, Mahoney paid nearly $2.9 million in illegal kickbacks to so-called “body brokers” who referred patients to Mahoney’s addiction treatment facilities, the Huntington Beach-based Healing Path Detox LLC, and the San Juan Capistrano-based Get Real Recovery Inc.

Those body brokers in turn paid thousands of dollars in cash to patients, which some patients used to purchase drugs, to induce those patients to attend treatment at Mahoney’s facilities. Mahoney concealed the illegal kickbacks by entering into sham contracts with the body brokers which purportedly required fixed payments and prohibited payments based off of the volume or value of the patient referrals.

In reality, Mahoney and the brokers negotiated payments based on the patients’ insurance reimbursements and the number of days Mahoney was able to bill for treatment. Mahoney also laundered the proceeds of the conspiracy through payments to the mother of one of the body brokers, which Mahoney falsely characterized as consulting fees.

The jury also found Mahoney not guilty of one count of aiding and assisting the preparation of a false tax document.

United States District Judge Josephine L. Staton scheduled a January 17, 2025, sentencing hearing, at which time Mahoney will face a maximum penalty of five years in prison on the conspiracy charge, up to 10 years in prison on each illegal remuneration count, and up to 20 years in prison on each money laundering count.

The FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation investigated this matter. The California Department of Insurance provided valuable assistance.

Assistant United States Attorney Nandor Kiss of the Santa Ana Branch Office and Justice Department Trial Attorney Siobhan M. Namazi of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting this case.

Mahoney’s conviction arose out of violations of the Eliminating Kickbacks in Recovery Act (EKRA). EKRA was enacted in October 2018 as part of comprehensive legislation designed to address the opioid crisis in order to target the rise in body brokering and substance abuse facility profiteering.

The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,000 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $24.7 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.

Source: US FBI

RIVERSIDE, California – An Alameda County man has been arrested on a federal criminal complaint alleging he assaulted flight attendants shortly after his flight from Orange County to San Francisco took off, causing the flight to divert to Ontario for the safety of passengers and crew, the Justice Department announced today.

Charles Angel Salva, 30, of Fremont, is charged with interference with flight crew members and attendants.

Salva, who was arrested on Wednesday, is expected to make his initial appearance this afternoon in United States District Court in Riverside.

According to an affidavit filed with the complaint, Salva was on a Frontier Airlines flight bound from John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana destined for San Francisco International Airport on September 9. Shortly after takeoff, while the airplane was climbing and under 10,000 feet, flight attendants saw that the oxygen masks in one row of the middle of the aircraft were out of the overhead compartment. Flight attendants investigated and discovered that Salva had his hand in the overhead compartment.

One passenger later told law enforcement that Salva appeared claustrophobic and seemed like he wanted to get off the plane. Salva then pulled down the oxygen mask from the overhead compartment, getting his hand stuck there in the process before a passenger helped him free his hand.

Salva allegedly began yelling obscenities at flight attendants and said, “We are all going to hell,” and “This airplane is going down!” Salva then grabbed at fellow passengers and ran towards the rear of the airplane when flight attendants tried to restrain him. Salva allegedly then attempted to choke a flight attendant, leaving two small marks on the victim’s neck.

Salva then pushed another flight attendant and said he was going to kill everybody, the affidavit alleges. Passengers helped restrain Salva, who broke out of flex cuffs and had to be restrained by a seatbelt. During the incident, Salva kicked one flight attendant approximately six times in the leg, causing apparent bruising and swelling, which required medical attention.

The flight was diverted to Ontario International Airport because the flight attendants did not feel safe trying to put Salva back in his seat.

A complaint contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.

If convicted, Salva would face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.

The FBI and the Ontario Police Department are investigating this matter.

Assistant United States Attorney Cory L. Burleson of the Riverside Branch Office is prosecuting this case.

Source: US FBI

LOS ANGELES – Two San Bernardino County residents were found guilty by a jury today of operating a “birth tourism” scheme that charged Chinese clients tens of thousands of dollars to help them give birth in the United States to obtain birthright U.S. citizenship for their children.

Michael Wei Yueh Liu (刘维岳), 59, of Rancho Cucamonga, and Jing Dong, (董晶), 47, also of Rancho Cucamonga, were found guilty of one count of conspiracy and 10 counts of international money laundering.

According to evidence presented at a four-day trial, from at least January 2012 to March 2015, Liu and Dong ran a maternity house in Rancho Cucamonga. Liu and Dong rented apartment units in Southern California to provide short-term housing and provided other services to pregnant women from China who traveled to the United States to give birth so their children would acquire U.S. citizenship. Typically, within one or two months after giving birth, the women returned to China.

Among the services Liu and Dong provided was assistance on how to obtain visas to enter the United States, customs entry guidance, housing, and transportation in the United States, as well as assistance applying for U.S. legal documents for the children of their customers.

Liu and Dong advised their customers on how to hide their pregnancies from the immigration authorities. Liu and Dong also knew – or deliberately avoided learning – that their customers lied on their visa applications submitted to immigration authorities to enter the U.S.

Generally, their customers’ visa applications falsely stated that the purpose of the trip to the United States was for tourism, when it was to give birth, and the length of the stay was days or weeks, when it was in fact months. The visas also misstated the location where the customers intended to stay, which was defendants’ maternity hotel.

Liu and Dong or their agents also advised their customers to fly to ports of entry with perceived less customs scrutiny, such as Hawaii, before flying to Los Angeles, to wear loose fitting clothing, to favor certain lines at customs that they perceived to be less strict, and on how to answer the customs officials’ questions.

Liu and Dong received money from overseas and used that money to promote their scheme.

United States District Judge R. Gary Klausner scheduled a December 9 sentencing hearing, at which time Liu and Dong will face a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for the conspiracy charge and up to 20 years in federal prison for each international money laundering charge.

Homeland Security Investigations, IRS Criminal Investigation, and the FBI investigated this matter. The Irvine Police Department and the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department provided substantial assistance.

Assistant United States Attorneys Gregory W. Staples and Kevin Y. Fu of the Santa Ana Branch Office are prosecuting this case.

Source: US FBI

RIVERSIDE, California – A Honduran national illegally living in New Mexico has been indicted for allegedly conspiring to kidnap a Guatemalan man who had illegally entered the United States and then demanded ransom from the victim’s family living in Southern California, the Justice Department announced today.

Darwin Jeovany Palma Pastrana, 30, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, is charged with one count of conspiracy, one count of kidnapping, one count of interstate communication containing a demand or request for ransom, and one count of making a threat by interstate communication.

Palma, whom federal authorities arrested in New Mexico on August 21, was arraigned Friday afternoon in United States District Court in Riverside. He pleaded not guilty to the charges against him, and a November 5 trial date was scheduled. He remains jailed without bond.

According to an indictment that a federal grand jury returned on September 4, Palma and co-defendant Eduar Isrrael Sauceda Nuñez, 25, another Honduran national illegally living in Albuquerque, New Mexico, conspired with others to kidnap and hold for ransom migrants illegally crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. Once the migrants were in the U.S., they were driven to stash houses in Phoenix, El Paso, Texas, and Albuquerque, New Mexico. Once at these locations, the migrants’ cellphones were seized and were not returned to them. At one stash house in Albuquerque, 57 migrants were located.

Palma and his accomplices lived near the stash houses and kept large sums of cash and firearms available. Sauceda and other co-conspirators drove migrants to various locations, including Los Angeles, to reunite them with their family and friends.

Specifically, on April 1, Palma told Sauceda that one victim, a Guatemalan national who had entered the U.S. illegally from Mexico, that he had to pay $1,500 before being released to his family. Sauceda then ordered the victim to contact a family member to meeting a Jack in the Box restaurant parking lot in Norwalk. At this parking lot meeting, Sauceda locked the victim inside the car and demanded a $1,500 ransom payment from the victim’s relative before driving away with the victim inside the car.

Later that day, Palma contacted the victim’s relative and said unless $1,500 was paid, the victim would be returned to Mexico and Palma suggested the victim would be killed there. Sauceda then returned to the Jack in the Box parking lot, believing the victim’s relative would pay the ransom. Instead, law enforcement was nearby and later pulled over and arrested Sauceda. As he was being pulled over, Sauceda placed approximately $9,290 in cash, as well as receipts memorializing money transfers to individuals outside of the United States, in the center console of his car before he was arrested. On April 2, Palma sent messages via WhatsApp to the victim’s relative, threatening to kill her.

In April and May of 2024, Palma’s cellphone was present near the Albuquerque stash house, where he drove a yellow school bus with a non-resident permit issued to him to and from the location.

On May 20, when law enforcement approached the Albuquerque stash house to investigate a kidnapping complaint, one co-conspirator drove up to the house and appeared to point at officers while another conspirator fired multiple gunshots in the vicinity of the home.

On May 21, a yellow school bus registered to Palma was parked at the Albuquerque house when law enforcement found 57 undocumented migrants being detained there.

Sauceda, who is a fugitive, is charged with one count of conspiracy, one count of kidnapping, one count of one count of interstate communication containing a demand or request for ransom, and one count of transportation of aliens within the United States for private financial gain.

“These defendants allegedly helped to smuggle migrants and then take advantage of them by demanding ransom from the victims’ families to secure their release,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “We will use our powerful tools to hold accountable those who use violence to profit off of vulnerable victims.”

“Everyone in this country who is a victim of a serious crime is protected by U.S. law and this case is no exception,” said Akil Davis, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “The exploitation of vulnerable individuals and their families will be fully investigated by the FBI and its law enforcement partners. Eduar Isrrael Sauceda Nuñez is still wanted for this crime, and we ask that anyone with information as to his whereabouts to contact the FBI or the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate.”

An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.

If convicted, Palma and Sauceda would face a statutory maximum sentence of life in federal prison.

This matter was investigated by the FBI’s San Gabriel Valley Safe Streets Task Force (SGVSSTF), which is comprised of agents and officers with the FBI, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department – Major Crimes Bureau/Prison Gang Unit and Custody Investigative Services/Operation Safe Jails, the Pomona Police Department, the El Monte Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR). The Pomona Police Department is the sponsoring agency of the SGVSSTF and has been the headquarters for the task force since its inception in 2008.

Assistant United States Attorney Sara B. Vargas of the Violent and Organized Crime Section is prosecuting this case.

Source: US FBI

HONOLULU – A former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) officer, who pleaded guilty in May to conspiring to gather and deliver national defense information to the People’s Republic of China (PRC), will serve ten years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Chief U.S. District Judge Derrick K. Watson imposed the sentence this morning in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Alexander Yuk Ching Ma, 71, of Honolulu, was arrested in August 2020,after admitting to an undercover FBI employee that he had facilitated the provision of classified information to intelligence officers employed by the PRC’s Shanghai State Security Bureau (SSSB).

The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney for the District of Hawaii Clare E. Connors, Assistant Attorney General for National Security Matthew G. Olsen, FBI Assistant Director for Counterintelligence Kevin Vorndran, and Special Agent in Charge Steven Merrill of the FBI’s Honolulu Field Office.

“Despite his sworn oath to protect U.S. classified secrets from illegal disclosure, Alexander Ma chose to betray his oath for money while aiding the People’s Republic of China,” said United States Attorney Clare E. Connors. “Bringing Alexander Ma to justice, even after the passage of many years, affirms our commitment to holding accountable those who violate our nation’s trust and security.”

“This sentence demonstrates the dedication of the United States to protect itself from this type of betrayal and violation of trust,” said FBI Honolulu Special Agent in Charge Steven Merrill. “Let it be a message to anyone else thinking of doing the same. No matter how long it takes, or how much time passes, you will be brought to justice.”

Ma worked for the CIA from 1982 until 1989. His blood relative (identified as co-conspirator #1 or CC #1 in court documents), who is deceased, also worked for the CIA from 1967 until 1983. As CIA officers, both men held Top Secret security clearances that granted them access to sensitive and classified CIA information, and both signed non-disclosure agreements.

As Ma admitted in the plea agreement, in March 2001, over a decade after he resigned from the CIA, Ma was contacted by SSSB intelligence officers, who asked Ma to arrange a meeting between CC #1 and the SSSB. Ma convinced CC #1 to agree, and both Ma and CC #1 met with SSSB intelligence officers in a Hong Kong hotel room for three days. During the meetings, CC #1 provided the SSSB with a large volume of classified U.S. national defense information in return for $50,000 in cash. Ma and CC #1 also agreed to continue to assist the SSSB.

In March 2003, while living in Hawaii, Ma applied for a job as a contract linguist in the FBI’s Honolulu Field Office. The FBI, aware of Ma’s ties to PRC intelligence, hired Ma as part of a ruse to monitor and investigate his activities and contacts with the SSSB. Ma worked part time at an off-site location for the FBI from August 2004 until October 2012.

As detailed in the plea agreement, in February 2006, Ma was tasked by the SSSB with asking CC #1 to identify four individuals of interest to the SSSB from photographs. Ma convinced CC #1 to provide the identities of at least two of the individuals, whose identities were and remain classified U.S. national defense information.

Ma confessed that he knowingly and willfully conspired with CC #1 and SSSB intelligence officers to communicate and transmit information that he knew would be used to injure the United States or to advantage the PRC.

In court documents and at today’s sentencing hearing, the government noted that Ma was convicted of a years-long conspiracy to commit espionage, a serious breach of national security that caused the government to expend substantial investigative resources. The government also noted that Ma’s role in the conspiracy was to facilitate the exchange of information between CC #1 and the SSSB, which consisted of classified CIA information that CC #1 had obtained between 1967 and 1983.

Under the terms of the plea agreement, Ma must cooperate with the United States for the rest of his life, including by submitting to debriefings by U.S. government agencies. At the sentencing hearing, government counsel told the Court that Ma has been cooperative and has taken part in multiple interview sessions with government agents.

U.S. Attorney Connors and Assistant Attorney General Olsen commended the FBI for its work in the investigation and thanked the CIA for its assistance.

The investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Honolulu and Los Angeles Field Offices.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ken Sorenson and Craig Nolan, and Trial Attorneys Scott Claffee and Leslie Esbrook of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section prosecuted the case.