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Ohio Man Sentenced to 16 Years in Prison for Possession and Distribution of Child Sexual Abuse Materials

Source: US FBI

AKRON, Ohio – David Walker, 39, of Akron, was sentenced to 16 years in prison by U.S. District Judge Bridget Meehan Brennan, after pleading guilty to receipt, possession and distribution of child sexual abuse materials (CSAM), also referred to as child pornography. Walker was also ordered to serve 15 years of supervised release after serving his prison sentence.

Walker was an active participant on BitTorrent, an internet service that allows users to download content such as images and videos easily. It utilizes each user’s computer as a mini-server to facilitate computer-to-computer file sharing among users throughout the world. The technology allows thousands of people to download the same files without crashing the system which has made BitTorrent a commonly used protocol to share illegal files such as CSAM.

According to court documents, Walker received and distributed nearly 400 video files known to contain CSAM and exploitation of children. A computer tablet with CSAM files was recovered during the execution of a federal search warrant of his residence. Files were described to include male and female children of various ages under 17 including infants and toddlers. According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, some of the victims were identified on the video files found in Walker’s seized computer tablet.

The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the FBI, the Hamilton County Sherriff’s Office, and the Brunswick Police Department.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Yasmine Makridis for the Northern District of Ohio.

To report child sexual abuse, please visit cybertipline.org, or call 1-800-843-5678, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

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International Investigation Leads to Shutdown of Ransomware Group

Source: US FBI

“Radar/Dispossessor” servers and domains successfully dismantled

On August 12, FBI Cleveland announced the disruption of “Radar/Dispossessor”—the criminal ransomware group led by the online moniker “Brain”—and the dismantling of three U.S. servers, three United Kingdom servers, 18 German servers, eight U.S.-based criminal domains, and one German-based criminal domain.

Since its inception in August 2023, Radar/Dispossessor has quickly developed into an internationally impactful ransomware group, targeting and attacking small-to-mid-sized businesses and organizations from the production, development, education, healthcare, financial services, and transportation sectors. Originally focused on entities in the United States, the investigation discovered 43 companies as victims of the attacks, from countries including Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Honduras, India, Canada, Croatia, Peru, Poland, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, and Germany. During its investigation, the FBI identified a multitude of websites associated with Brain and his team.

Ransomware is a type of malicious software, or malware, that encrypts data on a computer making it unusable. A malicious cybercriminal holds the data hostage until the ransom is paid. If the ransom is not paid, the victim’s data remains unavailable. Cybercriminals may also pressure victims to pay the ransom by threatening to destroy the victim’s data or to release it to the public.

Radar Ransomware follows the same dual-extortion model as other ransomware variants by exfiltrating victim data to hold for ransom in addition to encrypting victim’s systems. Simply, the ransomware identifies and attacks new victims and, re-victimizes current victims.

Radar/Dispossessor identified vulnerable computer systems, weak passwords, and a lack of two-factor authentication to isolate and attack victim-companies. Once the criminals gained access to the systems, they obtained administrator rights and easily gained access to the files. The actual ransomware was then used for encryption. As a result, the companies could no longer access their own data. Once the company was attacked, if they did not contact the criminal actor, the group would then proactively contact others in the victim company, either through email or phone call. The emails also included links to video platforms on which the previously stolen files had been presented. This was always with the aim of increasing the blackmail pressure and increasing the willingness to pay.

Finally, the compromise was announced by the attackers on a separate leak page and a countdown set until public release of the victim data if no ransom was paid.

As ransomware can have many variants, such as this case, the total number of businesses and organizations affected is yet to be determined. The FBI encourages those with information about Brain or Radar Ransomware—or if their business or organization has been a target or victim of ransomware or currently paying a criminal actor—to contact its Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov or 1-800-CALL-FBI. Your identity can remain anonymous.

The investigation and joint takedown were conducted in conjunction with the the U.K.’s National Crime Agency, Bamberg Public Prosecutor’s Office, Bavarian State Criminal Police Office (BLKA), and U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio.

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FBI Cleveland Seeks Public’s Assistance to Identify Individuals in Connection with ATM and U-Haul Heist

Source: US FBI

[Cleveland, OH] The FBI Cleveland Division is seeking the public’s assistance to identify three unknown subjects associated with the theft of the PNC ATM located at 7101 Broadway Avenue, Cleveland, and the theft of a 15’ U-Haul truck, (identified with a “Boats and Pennsylvania” mural on its side) in connection with the incident on June 9, 2024, between 2:48 a.m. until approximately 4:00 a.m.

The three unknown subjects are described as:

UNKNOWN SUBJECT 1:

  • Driver of the U-Haul
  • White male
  • Heavy build
  • Approximately 5’8” tall
  • Jeans, short-sleeved black shirt, and white head covering.

UNKNOWN SUBJECT 2:

  • Male
  • Heavy build
  • Approximately 5’10″ tall
  • Wearing a Cleveland Guardians baseball cap, face covering, and sweatshirt (face covered).

UNKNOWN SUBJECT 3:

  • White Male
  • Dark hair and facial hair
  • Thin build
  • Approximately 5’10” tall
  • Black t-shirt with Martian emblem, red sweatpants (face exposed).

At approximately 2:48 a.m., unknown subjects 2 & 3 approached the ATM with an ax and pulled the ATM from the bank using a chain attached to the U-Haul. The unknown subjects abandoned the ATM pulled from the PNC Bank in the drive-thru lane shortly thereafter.

The unknown subjects returned at 3:54 a.m. where they successfully hooked and dragged the ATM away from the bank. The ATM was dragged behind the U-Haul (South) on East 71st Street to (West) on Fleet Ave., to (North) on East 65th Street to (West) on Heisley Avenue to an abandoned lot. The ATM was recovered from the woods at the Mound Elementary School with an undetermined amount of money missing.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the FBI confidentially at 1-877-FBI-OHIO. PNC bank is offering a reward of $5000 for information leading to the identification, arrest, and/or conviction the unknown subjects.

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Former White Mountain Police Officer Indicted for Obstruction of Investigation

Source: US FBI

PHOENIX, Ariz. – Last week, a federal grand jury in Phoenix returned a two-count indictment against Joshua Ben Anderson, 49, of Whiteriver, for his actions in connection with the death of a woman on Thanksgiving Day, 2023.

The grand jury charged Anderson, a former White Mountain Apache Tribal police officer, with one count of Engaging in Misleading Conduct to Hinder or Delay and one count of Corruptly Altering and Concealing Evidence.

The indictment alleges that, at approximately 3:31 a.m. on November 23, 2023, Anderson was on-duty and was dispatched to conduct a welfare check of a body that had been observed on State Route 73, on White Mountain Apache Tribal lands. Anderson proceeded to the scene and discovered that the person was deceased. Anderson later acknowledged that only minutes before being dispatched to the scene, he had driven the same stretch of highway and felt a “bump” but continued southbound on SR 73 without stopping to investigate.

Anderson actively took part in the police investigation into the pedestrian’s death. He spoke with paramedics, interviewed witnesses, briefed and directed officers, filled out an autopsy report, and notified the victim’s family of her death. The indictment alleges that Anderson did not inform his superiors or fellow officers about his likely involvement in the traffic fatality, but rather allowed the investigation to continue. It is further alleged that after returning to his home, Anderson removed the bumper from his patrol vehicle, which had been damaged in the accident, and concealed it. The next day, Anderson resigned from the police department.

A conviction for each of the two alleged crimes carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

An indictment is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the White Mountain Apache Tribe Police Department conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, is handling the prosecution.
 

CASE NUMBER:           CR-24-08027-PHX-SPL
RELEASE NUMBER:    2024-036_Anderson

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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.

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Two Sentenced for Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine

Source: US FBI

PHOENIX, Ariz. – Clarizza Augustusa Jackson, 32, of Sacaton, was sentenced last week by Senior United States District Judge David G. Campbell to four years of probation. On June 28, 2023, Thomas Kee Montoya, Jr., 39, of Pinon, was sentenced by Judge Campbell to 100 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Both defendants pleaded guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine. 

In June 2022, the defendants were stopped by Hopi Law Enforcement Services (HLES) officers on the Hopi Reservation. Montoya was driving and Jackson was the front seat passenger. HLES officers located a drug ledger and 306 grams of pure methamphetamine in the car.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation – Phoenix, and Hopi Law Enforcement Services conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
 

CASE NUMBER:           CR-22-08129-PCT-DGC
RELEASE NUMBER:    2024-032_Montoya

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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.

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Clark County Man Sentenced to 22 Years in Prison for Producing Child Pornography by Paying Adults to Abuse Minor Victims Live on Social Media Apps

Source: US FBI

DAYTON, Ohio – Dustin Johnson, 38, of New Carlisle, Ohio, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 22 years in prison for creating child pornography by paying adult females to sexually abuse minor girls live on social media chats.

According to court documents, in June 2022, Johnson paid an adult female to engage in sexually explicit conduct with a prepubescent girl live on Snapchat. Johnson recorded the communications with a screen recorder app, saving video recordings approximately 10 minutes and 17 minutes in length on separate days in June.

After diligent investigation, law enforcement was able to locate the adult female and the child, who were located overseas. The child victim was 5 years old. Local law enforcement was able to remove the child from the adult female offender’s custody.

Johnson engaged in similar social media chats with other adult females, who at Johnson’s request sexually abused individuals who appeared to be children, on live video chat for Johnson to view.  Johnson also engaged in online chats discussing the possibility of meeting up with other adults who had children so that he could engage in sexually explicit conduct with their children.

Investigators discovered more than 24,000 child pornography files on Johnson’s hard drives. The pornography included more than 500 files depicting bestiality, at least 400 files involving violence or masochistic abuse and more than 3,500 pornographic files depicting infants and toddlers.

Johnson was arrested in February 2023 and pleaded guilty in February 2024 to producing child pornography.

Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, announced the sentence imposed on July 2 by Senior U.S. District Court Judge Thomas M. Rose. Assistant United States Attorney Christina E. Mahy is representing the United States in this case.

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Last Fugitive from Operation Ghost Busted Captured in Mexico

Source: US FBI

BRUNSWICK, Georgia—FBI Atlanta special agents working with FBI Phoenix special agents and law enforcement partners in Mexico captured fugitive David D. Young on March 9 in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico. He has been brought back to the United States.

Young was the last fugitive of 76 people indicted in Operation Ghost Busted in January 2023. The drug conspiracy case remains the largest indictment in Southern District of Georgia history.

On December 8, 2022, a federal arrest warrant was issued for Young in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia after he was charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute a controlled substance.

FBI Atlanta would like to thank FBI Phoenix, the Tucson Resident Agency, and Legat Mexico City for their efforts in the capture.

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Serial Bank Robber Sentenced to More Than Seven Years in Prison

Source: US FBI

TUCSON, Ariz. – James Valentine Siehien, 53, of Tucson, was sentenced on February 27, 2024, by United States District Judge Raner C. Collins to 87 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Siehien pleaded guilty to one count of Bank Robbery and two counts of Armed Bank Robbery on March 16, 2023, for a series of bank robberies he committed in Tucson. 

Siehien admitted that, on October 21, 2021, he robbed approximately $4,000 from Chase Bank. He also admitted that, on October 26, 2021, he robbed approximately $2,740 from PNC Bank, with what was later determined to be a fake explosive device. Siehien further admitted that, on November 5, 2021, while possessing an axe, he robbed approximately $2,200 from First Convenience Bank.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Tucson Police Department, as part of the Southern Arizona Violent Crime and Gang Task Force, conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney, Adam D. Rossi, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
 

CASE NUMBER:           CR-21-03071-TUC-RCC
RELEASE NUMBER:    2024-029_Siehien

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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.

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Man Sentenced for Sending Bomb Threat to Arizona State Election Official

Source: US FBI

A Massachusetts man was sentenced today to three years and six months in prison for sending a communication containing a bomb threat to an election official in the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office. 

“Those using illegal threats of violence to intimidate election workers should know that the Justice Department will find you and hold you accountable under the law,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The defendant in this case will spend the next three and a half years in federal prison for threatening an Arizona election official. We will continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute such unlawful threats of violence.”

According to court documents, on or about Feb. 14, 2021, James W. Clark, 40, of Falmouth, sent a message via the Arizona Secretary of State’s website through “Contact Elections,” addressing the election official by her first name and warning her that she needed to “resign by Tuesday February 16th by 9 am or the explosive device impacted in her personal space will be detonated.” Shortly after transmitting the message, Clark conducted online searches that included the full name of the election official in conjunction with the words “how to kill” and “address.” Additionally, on or about Feb. 18, 2021, Clark conducted online searches involving the Boston Marathon bombing.

“James W. Clark sent a bomb threat to an Arizona election official. As a result, law enforcement searched the office building where the official worked, as well as the official’s home and car, for an explosive device,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Public servants who ensure our free and fair elections must be able to do their jobs without fear. The Criminal Division will continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute those who target election officials with threats of violence.”

In response to Clark ’s message, law enforcement conducted partial evacuations and bomb sweeps of the building in which the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office was located, including an evacuation of the floor of the Office of the Arizona Governor located in the same building. Law enforcement also conducted bomb sweeps of the election official’s personal residence and of the election official’s car.

“The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona will continue to prosecute those who would threaten our public servants simply for performing the jobs they were hired to do,” said U.S. Attorney Gary M. Restaino for the District of Arizona. “As we head into election season, we thank the state and county election community who make democracy possible.”

“Election officials, their staffs, and volunteers are essential to our democracy and any threat to these public servants is completely unacceptable,” said Special Agent in Charge Akil Davis of the FBI Phoenix Field Office. “As part of our mission to defend the democratic process, this case demonstrates that the FBI remains prepared to respond to these threats in an urgent and timely fashion.”

Clark pleaded guilty in August 2023 to one count of making a threatening interstate communication.

The FBI Phoenix Field Office investigated the case, with assistance from the FBI Boston Field Office.

Trial Attorney Tanya Senanayake of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean K. Lokey for the District of Arizona prosecuted the case.

This case is part of the Justice Department’s Election Threats Task Force. Announced by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland and launched by Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco in June 2021, the task force has led the Department’s efforts to address threats of violence against election workers, and to ensure that all election workers – whether elected, appointed, or volunteer – are able to do their jobs free from threats and intimidation. The task force engages with the election community and state and local law enforcement to assess allegations and reports of threats against election workers, and has investigated and prosecuted these matters where appropriate, in partnership with FBI Field Offices and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country. Over two years after its formation, the task force is continuing this work and supporting the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and FBI Field Offices nationwide as they carry on the critical work that the task force has begun.

Under the leadership of Deputy Attorney General Monaco, the task force is led by the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and includes several other entities within the Justice Department, including the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property, Civil Rights Division, National Security Division, and FBI, as well as key interagency partners, such as the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Postal Inspection Service. For more information regarding the Justice Department’s efforts to combat threats against election workers, read the Deputy Attorney General’s memo.

To report suspected threats or violent acts, contact your local FBI office and request to speak with the Election Crimes Coordinator. Contact information for every FBI field office may be found at www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/. You may also contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324) or file an online complaint at www.tips.fbi.gov. Complaints submitted will be reviewed by the task force and referred for investigation or response accordingly. If someone is in imminent danger or risk of harm, contact 911 or your local police immediately.

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Cincinnati Area Man Sentenced to 78 Months in Prison for Laundering Proceeds From Online Romance-Fraud Conspiracy

Source: US FBI

CINCINNATI – De-love Kofi Amuzu, 25, of Fairfield, Ohio, was sentenced in U.S. District Court here today to 78 months in prison for his role as a money launderer in a romance fraud conspiracy that targeted elderly victims looking for companionship online.

According to court documents, members of the conspiracy created fake online dating profiles using stolen photographs and false information, then communicated with the victims via chats, texts and phone calls while pretending to be the imaginary person pictured in the profile. They commonly claimed to be living abroad to explain why they could not meet in person.

The conspirators instructed the victims to transfer money, often tens of thousands of dollars at a time, to accounts controlled by Amuzu. They also commonly instructed victims to mail Amuzu cash or other items of value, like Rolex watches and iPhones. After receiving the victims’ money, Amuzu laundered it to accounts in Ghana. Investigators tracked more than $1.1 million in fraud proceeds that flowed through Amuzu’s accounts. Amuzu was ordered to pay $835,487.65 in restitution.

“According to court documents, several victims lost so much money to the scheme that they were forced to declare bankruptcy,” said Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio. “Anyone who suspects they or a loved one is a victim of such a fraud can report it by calling the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-FRAUD-11, or go to the Department of Justice’s Elder Justice Initiative website for more information – www.Justice.gov/elderjustice.”

A federal grand jury indicted Amuzu in 2022. He pleaded guilty on Feb. 2, 2024, to conspiring to launder money. His case was announced in October 2022 as part of the Justice Department’s National Elder Justice Sweep, an initiative to increase awareness of the various fraudulent schemes targeting the elderly.

Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Butler County Prosecutor Michael T. Gmoser and Butler County Sheriff Richard K. Jones announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Judge Timothy S. Black. U.S. Attorney Parker also recognized the contributions of Garrett Baker and Susan Monnin of the Butler County Prosecutor’s Office, as well as Butler County Prosecutor’s Office Investigator Steve Isgro. Assistant United States Attorney Julie D. Garcia is representing the United States in this case.

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