MIL Security Engine-1

Source: US FBI

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Gregory Dwayne Guinn, a/k/a Gregory Dewayne Guinn, age 23, of Okemah, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to Do Bodily Harm in Indian Country, and one count of Use, Carry, Brandish, and Discharge of a Firearm During and In Relation to a Crime of Violence.

The Indictment alleged that on January 15, 2024, Guinn assaulted an individual with a dangerous weapon, with intent to do bodily harm.  The Indictment also alleged that on that day, Guinn knowingly used, carried, brandished, and discharged a firearm during and in relation to that crime of violence.

The crimes occurred in Okfuskee County, within the boundaries of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.

The charges arose from an investigation by the Okfuskee County Sheriff’s Office 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.  Guinn will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jacob R. Parker and Patrick M. Flanigan represented the United States.

Source: US FBI

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Nnamdi Felix Udeagha, age 39, of Humble, Texas, entered a guilty plea to one count of Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud.

The Indictment alleged that between April and December of 2021, Udeagha knowingly and intentionally conspired with others to devise a scheme to obtain money and property from the Chickasaw Nation Department of Health through materially false and fraudulent pretenses by means of wire communications in interstate commerce.  According to court records, the Chickasaw Nation Department of Health received emails purportedly from a legitimate vendor.  The emails contained instructions to wire funds to certain bank accounts.  It was later determined that the emails were created and sent by a member of the conspiracy, and that the bank accounts were opened by conspirators to receive and distribute the fraudulently obtained funds.

As part of the plea hearing, Udeagha admitted that he facilitated the fraud by communicating the bank account information to the co-conspirator who sent the bogus emails, and that he acted together with the other conspirator for a mutual benefit.

The charge arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The Honorable Gerald L. Jackson, 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.  Udeagha will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kara Traster and Joshua Satter represented the United States.

Source: US FBI

Defendant Allegedly Created Large “Trump” Sign Used as a Battering Ram Against Police

Source: US FBI

CLEVELAND – United States Attorney Rebecca C. Lutzko has named two Assistant United States Attorneys (AUSAs) as District Election Officers for the U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO) for the Northern District of Ohio.

AUSAs Megan R. Miller and Ava R. Dustin will lead the USAO’s efforts to implement the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming Nov. 5, 2024, general elections.

These AUSAs will oversee the district’s handling of Election Day complaints in consultation with the Justice Department’s Civil Rights, Criminal, and National Security Divisions in Washington, D.C. The USAO for the Northern District of Ohio serves the 40 northern counties in the state. AUSA Miller covers the Northeastern counties of Ohio, while AUSA Dustin covers the Northwestern counties.

Federal law protects against election-related crimes such as threatening violence against election officials or staff, intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for voters’ rights, to ensure that voters can vote free from interference, including intimidation and other acts designed to prevent or discourage people from voting or voting for the candidate of their choice. The Voting Rights Act also protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice, for example, if a voter needs assistance because of a disability or inability to read or write in English.

“The right to vote is the cornerstone of American democracy. Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination, and to have that vote counted in a fair and free election. As it has for years, the Department of Justice will work tirelessly to protect the integrity of our nation’s election process,” said U.S. Attorney Lutzko for the Northern District of Ohio. “We encourage anyone who has specific information about voting-rights concerns, including access or intimidation-related issues, or specific information about fraudulent election activity, to please provide that information to the Department of Justice. Our goal is to ensure that those who wish to vote can freely exercise this right if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice.”

The Department’s longstanding Election Day Program furthers these goals and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the electoral process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible federal election law violations.

AUSAs Miller and Dustin will be on duty in the Northern District of Ohio while the polls are open Tuesday, Nov. 5. AUSA Miller can be reached at 216-338-4479 and AUSA Dustin at 419-215-5444 to respond to complaints of voting rights concerns or fraudulent election activity. They will ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities.

In addition, the FBI will have dedicated special agents, known as Election Crime Coordinators, available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on Election Day. The Election Crime Coordinator for the Cleveland Field Office can be reached at 216-522-1400. Tips also may be submitted online at tips.fbi.gov.

Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws may also be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington at civilrights.justice.gov or by phone at 1-800-253-3931.

In the case of a crime of violence or intimidation, please call 911 immediately and before contacting federal authorities. Please note: State and local police have primary jurisdiction over polling places, and almost always have faster reaction capacity in an emergency. 

Source: US FBI

CLEVELAND – An Ohio man was sentenced yesterday to three years in prison for possessing a green card he illegally obtained by concealing that he had been charged with a war crime in Croatia prior to immigrating to the United States.

According to court documents, Jugoslav Vidic, 56, of Parma Heights, in applying to become a lawful permanent resident of the United States, falsely stated that he had never been charged with breaking any law even though he knew he had been charged in Croatia with a war crime against the civilian population. Vidic also falsely stated that his only past military service was in the Yugoslav Army from 1988 to 1989, when, in fact, he fought with the Serb Army of Krajina and its predecessors during the civil war in the former Yugoslavia from 1991 to 1995. As a result of these materially false statements, Vidic was approved for lawful permanent resident status and received a green card.

“Jugoslav Vidic lied about war crimes charged against him in an attempt to escape his past and live in the United States unlawfully,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Thanks to the dedication of prosecutors, law enforcement, and our international partners, Vidic will serve prison time in the United States followed by his removal. His sentence demonstrates that human rights violators will not be allowed to hide from their crimes in the United States.”

“Vidic committed serious human rights violations and was convicted of war crimes in Croatia as a result. Yet, he lied to U.S. immigration officials about his conviction and participation in a violent military force to claim refugee status and obtain a green card — becoming a permanent legal resident of our country — when he was not eligible to do so,” said U.S. Attorney Rebecca Lutzko for the Northern District of Ohio. “Those who run away from violent crimes they commit elsewhere in the world and then enter our country by brazenly lying about their past will be held to account, as yesterday’s sentence demonstrates. Vidic’s deceitful actions are detestable, and unfairly hurt people in need who legitimately seek refuge to flee real harms in their home countries.”

“Our communities here in Ohio and across the U.S. are not safe havens for war criminals to escape accountability in their home countries,” said Executive Associate Director Katrina W. Berger of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). “It is my hope that this sentencing provides some measure of solace to the victims’ families with the knowledge that despite the passage of time, the U.S. will seek justice.”

“Jugoslav Vidic intentionally circumvented the laws of the United States by lying on his green card application about his war crimes conviction in Croatia,” said Assistant Director Chad Yarbrough of the FBI Criminal Investigative Division. “This case should serve as a warning to others that the FBI will work with our law enforcement partners to identify and hold accountable those like Vidic who seek to violate U.S. law by fraud of any kind.”

“Jugoslav Vidic knowingly avoided the truth of his past to enjoy the freedoms and liberties of the United States for over two and a half decades,” said FBI Cleveland Special Agent in Charge Greg Nelsen. “Yesterday’s sentence underscores the work of the FBI and its local, state, federal, and international partners and sends a clear message that people in the United States who take part in war crimes, regardless of when or where they occurred, or by masking their involvement, will be identified, investigated, and prosecuted.”

Vidic admitted in his plea agreement that he was charged with a war crime in Croatia in 1994 and convicted in absentia in 1998. The Croatian court found that during an attack by ethnic Serb forces in Petrinja, Croatia, on Sept. 16, 1991, Vidic cut off the arm of civilian Stjepan Komes, who died afterward. Vidic further admitted that he knew about the Croatian charges when he immigrated to the United States as a refugee in 1999, applied to become a lawful permanent resident in 2000, and was interviewed by U.S. immigration officials and received his green card in 2005.

Vidic pleaded guilty to one count of possessing an alien registration receipt card knowing it had been procured through materially false statements. As part of the plea agreement, Vidic agreed to the entry of a judicial order of removal from the United States.

HSI and the FBI investigated the case with coordination provided by the Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Center, including the FBI’s International Human Rights Unit. The Justice Department thanks the Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Justice and Public Administration of the Republic of Croatia, which were both instrumental in furthering the investigation.

Trial Attorney Patrick Jasperse of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew W. Shepherd and Jerome J. Teresinski for the Northern District of Ohio prosecuted the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs also provided assistance.

Members of the public who have information about human rights violators or immigration fraud in the United States are urged to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or through the FBI online tip form, or HSI at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE or through the ICE online tip form. All are staffed around the clock, and tips may be provided anonymously.

Source: US FBI

CLEVELAND – David Johnson, 37, of Euclid, has been sentenced to 37 years in prison by U.S. District Judge Dan Polster after pleading guilty to multiple charges of armed robbery at places of business. Additionally, Johnson pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm due to his previous convictions for involuntary manslaughter and aggravated robbery.

According to court documents, between November 2019 and January 2020, Johnson entered several businesses in Northeast Ohio and threatened employees with a loaded firearm to commit the robberies. The affected business locations were:

• Sunoco gas station, Euclid, Nov. 27, 2019
• BP gas station, Parkman, Jan. 18, 2020
• Dollar General, Chardon, Jan. 18, 2020
• Gas Mart gas station, Euclid, Jan. 25, 2020

During the investigation, law enforcement officials located a stolen vehicle used in the robberies at Johnson’s residence. Clothing and a firearm observed in surveillance videos were recovered during a search warrant execution of his residence.

This case was investigated by the FBI, ATF, Lake County Sheriff’s Office, Geauga County Sheriff’s Office, Geauga County Prosecutor’s Office, Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office, Euclid Police Department, Willoughby Police Department, and the Cleveland Division of Police.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Margaret Kane and Joseph Dangelo for the Northern District of Ohio.

Source: US FBI

            WASHINGTON – An Ohio man was sentenced to prison after he was previously found guilty of felony and misdemeanor charges related to his conduct during the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol. His actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election.

            William Dunfee, 59, of Frazeysburg, Ohio, was sentenced on Sept. 19, 2024, to 30 months in prison, 36 months of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $10,000 fine and $2,000 in restitution by U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton. Judge Walton sentenced Dunfee on one felony offense of civil disorder and a misdemeanor offense of entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds.

            Dunfee was convicted of two felony offenses of obstruction of an official proceeding or aiding and abetting and civil disorder and the misdemeanor offense of entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds following a bench trial before Judge Walton on Jan. 22, 2024.

            According to court documents, Dunfee, a pastor of the New Beginnings Ministry Warsaw, in Warsaw, Ohio, posted a video to social media on Dec. 27, 2020, via the Ministry’s Facebook page, telling his congregation that “The Government, the tyrants, the socialists, the Marxists, the progressives, the RINOs, they fear you. And they should. Our problem is we haven’t given them reason to fear us.” Later he stated, “As I said earlier in another previous sermon is this, they used to tell us, you know what, you settle your differences at the ballot. How did that work out for us? It’s not over.” He added, “January 4th through 6th … Are you ready?”

            On Jan. 6, 2021, Dunfee illegally entered the Capitol grounds and, using a bull horn, he repeatedly exhorted the crowd. In a video filmed at the Capitol, Dunfee tells the mob: “This election has been stolen right out from underneath of our noses and it is time for the American people to rise up. Rise up. Rise up. Today is the day in which it is that these elected officials realize that we are no longer playing games. That we are not sheeple that are just going to be corralled according to their whims and their wills.” Later in the video, Dunfee stated, “We will stand up for our country. We are standing up for our freedoms. We are standing up for our president. And today is the day these elected officials, these senators and these congressmen, understand that we are not going to allow this to continue any longer.”

            At 1:35 p.m., Dunfee announced: “Mister police officers, we want you to understand something. We want you to understand something. We want Donald Trump and if Donald Trump is not coming, we are taking our house. We are taking our house.”

            Minutes later, at 1:44 p.m., Dunfee pushed a metal barricade against officers with the U.S. Capitol Police, who were attempting to hold the line. He pushed against the barricade a second time at approximately 1:58 p.m. He moved to the front of a crowd of rioters at the East Front entrance to the Capitol. Dunfee walked away from the East Front doors as others moved into the building, but he remained in the area. As rioters exited the building, one stated, “We did it. We shut ‘em all down. We did our job.” Dunfee responded, “Hallelujah,” and told the crowd, “Mission accomplished.”

            Surveillance cameras captured Dunfee’s actions that day. Videos and images show Dunfee physically resisting U.S. Capitol Police by pushing against a metal barricade and subsequently entering the restricted areas of the U.S. Capitol grounds. This case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio.

            This case was investigated by the FBI’s Cincinnati Field Office. Valuable assistance was provided by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, the U.S. Capitol Police, and the Metropolitan Police Department.

            In the 44 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,504 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 560 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, a felony. The investigation remains ongoing.

            Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.

Source: US FBI

DAYTON, Ohio – Two Dayton men were sentenced in federal court here today to life in prison for their roles in the narcotics case that caused the 2019 death of Dayton Police Detective and DEA Task Force Officer Jorge DelRio.

While attempting to prevent federal agents from seizing approximately half-a-million dollars in fentanyl and other drugs, Nathan Goddard, 44, murdered Det. DelRio. Goddard was sentenced today to life plus 10 years in prison.

Goddard was convicted of murder following a jury trial in March 2024. He and Cahke Cortner, 44, were also convicted of multiple narcotics and firearms charges. Cortner was sentenced today to life plus five years in prison.

“Every day DEA Special Agents and Task Force Officers put their lives on the line to protect their communities against dangerous and violent drug traffickers who threaten the safety of the American people. On November 7, 2019, DEA Task Force Officer Jorge DelRio made the ultimate sacrifice while protecting the city of Dayton,” said DEA Administrator Anne Milgram.  “Today’s sentences mean these two defendants will never walk free or hurt an innocent person again. DEA is as committed as ever to continuing this fight against violent drug traffickers.  We do it in honor of TFO DelRio and all the other narcotics officers who have given their lives for the pursuit of justice.” 

“We stand with the DelRio family and our law enforcement partners, and we recognize that DEA Task Force Officer Jorge DelRio sacrificed his life to protect this community. As was stated by Deputy Criminal Chief Tabacchi at today’s sentencing, Task Force Officer DelRio ‘was a son of the Dayton community – serving with dignity and selflessness.’ We will never forget his ultimate sacrifice,” said U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker. “This case is a reminder that, as public servants, law enforcement officers do a dangerous job every day. Today’s sentences should also serve as a reminder to perpetrators of violent crime that we see these matters through to the end and we will hold you accountable.”

“The Dayton Police Department is pleased to see the sentences imposed against Nathan Goddard and Cahke Cortner in the tragic shooting of Detective Jorge DelRio,” said Dayton Police Chief Kamran Afzal. “They mark a significant step of closure for Detective DelRio’s loved ones, our department, and our community. We extend our gratitude to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their diligent efforts throughout this case. It is imperative that those who inflict harm in our community are held accountable.”

“Every day, members of law enforcement put their lives on the line to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the public. Mr. Goddard’s actions resulted in the tragic loss of Task Force Officer Jorge DelRio. While this verdict does not bring him back, we hope his family and our community as a whole can find comfort in knowing that Mr. Goddard will spend the rest of his life in a federal prison,” said DEA Detroit Special Agent in Charge Orville O. Greene.

“While the FBI is pleased that Goddard and his accomplice will be held accountable for this murder, nothing can make up for the loss of Detective DelRio,” stated FBI Cincinnati Special Agent in Charge Elena Iatarola. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners continue to mourn his death and honor his legacy of service and sacrifice.”

“These individuals are responsible for the death of Detective Jorge DelRio, who was working to keep our community safe from dangerous drug traffickers,” stated Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge of ATF’s Columbus Field Division. “As a Dayton Police Detective and DEA Task Force Officer, Det. DelRio was a selfless hero who gave his all, and ultimately his life, to protect the citizens of this nation. ATF is honored to have played a role in holding to account those responsible for Det. DelRio’s sacrifice. I hope these sentences bring some measure of closure to the family of Det. DelRio and send a message to criminals that law enforcement will be relentless in our pursuit of justice.”

According to court documents and trial testimony, on Nov. 4, 2019, Goddard murdered Det. DelRio while Det. DelRio and others were executing a federal search warrant at 1454 Ruskin Road in Dayton.

During the execution of the search warrant, Det. DelRio and other officials announced themselves and entered the home at approximately 6:50pm. Det. DelRio descended the stairway to the basement of the residence, immediately came under gunfire from the basement, and was struck and killed.

As the government proved beyond a reasonable doubt at trial, from 2018 until November 2019, Goddard and Cortner participated in a narcotics conspiracy involving kilograms of fentanyl, cocaine and marijuana.

The defendants kept firearms – including handguns fitted with laser sights – to protect the illegal drugs and their illicit proceeds. Goddard and Cortner acquired handguns on the black market referred to as “cop killers” because the firearms discharge bullets that can penetrate body armor. The defendants fitted these guns with high-capacity magazines.

In the residence they used, officials discovered 10 kilograms of fentanyl and cocaine, 50 to 60 pounds of marijuana, and more than $55,000 in cash. As the government’s sentencing memorandum notes, the amount of fentanyl recovered from the basement represented millions of potential street sales of fentanyl – enough poison to cause the overdose of almost every person in the Miami Valley.

Goddard and Cortner were originally charged in this case on Nov. 6, 2019, and were charged by superseding indictment in July 2022.

Their co-defendant Lionel Combs III, 45, pleaded guilty just before the start of trial to maintaining a drug premises, a crime punishable by up to 20 years in prison.

Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Dayton Police Chief Kamran Afzal; Orville O. Greene, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF); and Montgomery County Prosecutor Mat Heck, Jr. announced the sentences imposed today by U.S. District Judge Michael J. Newman. U.S. Attorney Parker recognized the critical assistance of the Criminal Interdiction Team of Central Oklahoma (CITCO).

Deputy Criminal Chief Brent G. Tabacchi, Assistant United States Attorneys Amy M. Smith and Christina E. Mahy, and Special Assistant United States Attorney Erin Claypoole from the Montgomery County Prosecutor’s Office are representing the United States in this case.

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Source: US FBI

          WASHINGTON – An Ohio woman was sentenced to prison on Sept. 4, 2024, on felony and misdemeanor charges related to her conduct during the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol. Her actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election.

          Therese Borgerding, 61, of Piqua, Ohio, was sentenced to 50 days in prison, 130 days of home confinement, 36 months of supervised release, and ordered to pay $2,000 in restitution by U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Kelly.

          A federal jury previously convicted Borgerding of obstruction of law enforcement during a civil disorder, a felony, and misdemeanor offenses of entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly conduct in a Capitol building, and parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol building.

          According to court documents, Borgerding and her codefendant and husband, Walter Messer, traveled from their home in Ohio to Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6, 2021, and arrived on the East Front of the U.S. Capitol building by approximately 7:00 a.m. while the crowd was sparse. Borgerding carried with her a large homemade ‘Q” sign.

          After reaching the barricades, Borgerding and her husband remained immediately outside the restricted perimeter for several hours. At about 1:59 p.m., a large crowd had gathered and overrun the barricades at the East Front. Borgerding then approached the nearest barricades, unhooking, and pushing them apart, parting the way for herself and other rioters to run towards the Capitol. Borgerding then stood on the east steps near the Rotunda Doors for several minutes, joining chants and waving her sign.

          At approximately 2:41 p.m., police officers inside the Rotunda Doors attempted to shut the doors to the Capitol building, which rioters inside and outside had previously opened; however, the officers were confronted by rioters outside who forced the doors back open and pushed their way into the building. Court documents say that Borgerding was near this confrontation.

          Still holding her “Q” sign, Borgerding pushed her way through the Rotunda Doors and walked straight into the Rotunda, where she remained for approximately two minutes. She then joined the large crowd near the Senate Wing Doors and later exited through one of the smashed windows onto the Northwest Courtyard around 2:49 p.m. Borgerding remained in the Northwest Courtyard at length, chanting and waving her large sign.

          The FBI arrested Borgerding on Aug. 6, 2021, in Dayton, Ohio.

          Walter Messer was previously sentenced on Sept. 11, 2023, to 24 months of probation for his role in the events of January 6th.

          The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting this case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio provided valuable assistance.

          The FBI’s Cincinnati and Washington Field Office investigated this case. The United States Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department provided valuable assistance.

          In the 43 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,488 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including nearly 550 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, a felony. The investigation remains ongoing.

          Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.

Source: US FBI

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Terrael A. Alls, 29, of Columbus, was sentenced in federal court here today to 300 months in prison for sex trafficking and use of a facility of interstate commerce in aid of racketeering.

According to court documents, the Central Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force first received a tip about Alls in February of 2022. Alls provided a business card advertising a modeling agency to a woman when she was staying at the Red Roof Inn on Renner Road in Columbus. The woman found the interaction suspicious and called law enforcement. The business card was for a company called Elite Diamond Studios and the advertised phone numbers were ultimately linked to Alls and various online sex escort advertisements.

Alls, who is also known as “Rell” and “Ace,” recruited women under the guise of modeling for him as a photographer. He lured them in with promises of being “star players” who, as part of his team, would work with his marketing and advertising agency. In reality, Alls served as a manager for his victims, advertising them for sexual escort services on various websites and often filming their sexual exploitation.

Alls controlled some of his victims with drugs, such as fentanyl and methamphetamine, then later used their drug dependency against them to continue profiting from their sexual exploitation. For other victims, Alls controlled them with physical violence and threats. He fired a gun near one victim’s head and threatened to pistol-whip her, punched the victims and slammed them onto tables.

The defendant’s laptop had more than 42,000 sexually explicit images, videos and advertisements, including images and videos of the victims identified in this case. Alls used many of those videos to continue to earn money from the exploitation of his victims and revictimize them in the process.

Alls was arrested in March 2023 and pleaded guilty in February 2024.

Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, announced the guilty plea sentence imposed today by U.S. District Judge Michael H. Watson. Assistant United States Attorneys Emily Czerniejewski and Jennifer M. Rausch are representing the United States in this case.

The case was investigated by the Central Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force, which was formed under Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost’s Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission, and includes resources from the Columbus Division of Police, Homeland Security Investigations, Delaware County Sheriff’s Office, Powell Police Department, Bureau of Criminal Investigations, The Ohio State University Police Department, Marysville Division of Police, Salvation Army, Southeast Healthcare, the Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office and the Delaware County Prosecutor’s Office.

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