MIL Security Engine-1

Source: US FBI

Beatrice Irene Willis, 52, of Ethete, Wyoming, was sentenced to 65 months’ imprisonment with three years’ supervised release for distribution of methamphetamine. U.S. District Court Judge Kelly H. Rankin imposed the sentence on Dec. 19 in Cheyenne.

According to court documents, in October of 2023, the Safe Trails Task Force, led by the FBI, received information that Willis was selling controlled substances from her residence in Ethete. On Jan. 19, agents conducted a controlled buy of two ounces of methamphetamine from Willis. During a follow-up interview, she admitted to regularly distributing controlled substances on the Wind River Indian Reservation.

The Safe Trails Task Force investigates drug trafficking on the Wind River Indian Reservation, and in surrounding communities, with an emphasis on identifying and stopping the distribution of methamphetamine and fentanyl. In addition to the FBI, task force members include the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation, the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office, the Riverton Police Department, the Lander Police Department, the Wyoming Highway Patrol, and the United States Drug Enforcement Administration.

Willis was indicted on May 16 and pleaded guilty on June 25. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy W. Gist prosecuted this case.

Case No. 24-CR-00077

Source: US FBI

DURANGO – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Jeremiah Hight, 23, of Towaoc, Colorado, was indicted by a federal grand jury on one count of second-degree murder of a child in Indian Country, and one count of discharging a firearm during a crime of violence.

Hight was previously charged by a criminal complaint authorized by Magistrate Judge James Candelaria on December 19, 2024. Hight was arrested on the Navajo Reservation on December 24, 2024, and made an initial appearance in the District of Arizona on December 26, 2024. Hight is currently being transported to the District of Colorado. 

According to the complaint and indictment, in the early hours of December 11, 2024, Hight fired a rifle twenty-four times into a residence, killing a seven-year-old member of the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe in Towaoc, Colorado, on the Ute Mountain Ute Reservation. The investigation is ongoing.   

The charges in the indictment are allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

The case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigations and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Jeffrey K. Graves, R. Josh Player, and Lisa Franceware.

Case Number: 25-cr-0003-GPG

Source: US FBI

DURANGO – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Lovell Cassius Benallie, age 27, of Kirtland, New Mexico, was sentenced to a total of 166 months in prison for assault with a dangerous weapon and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence on the Ute Mountain Ute Indian Reservation. The prison sentence will be followed by three years of supervised release.

According to the plea agreement and information presented at sentencing, on August 24, 2023, Benallie and an associate traveled from New Mexico to the Ute Mountain Ute Casino. After gambling, Benallie went to the nearby Ute Mountain Ute Travel Center and approached an elderly Navajo man preparing to use the laundry facility. In an interaction that lasted about eighteen seconds, Benallie said, “give me all your money” and pointed a 9mm gun at the man. When the man replied, “what money” Benallie aimed and fired the gun at the man’s leg. Benallie fled the scene. The victim was airlifted to Grand Junction for medical treatment and suffered serious and enduring injuries.    

Benallie had several prior felony convictions, including a conviction for aggravated assault with a dangerous weapon in Farmington, New Mexico.

“The defendant acted callously and purposelessly,” said Acting United States Attorney for the District of Colorado Matt Kirsch. “Gun violence will not be tolerated on the Ute Mountain Ute Reservation and our office reaffirms our intention to vigorously violent crimes on our reservations.”

“This defendant coldly and callously shot a total stranger during an attempted robbery. Any such act of violence on the Ute Mountain Ute Reservation gets the full attention of FBI Denver,” said Special Agent in Charge Mark Michalek. “In this case we were assisted by the Farmington, New Mexico, Police Department. We will continue to support the Bureau of Indian Affairs and those who live on the reservation by investigating criminal acts and removing the perpetrators from the community.”

United States District Court Judge Gordon P. Gallagher sentenced the defendant on December 16, 2024.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation office in Durango conducted the investigation in conjunction with the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey K. Graves handled the prosecution.

Case Number: 1:23-cr-00383-GPG-JMC-1

Source: US FBI

DURANGO – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Daniel Lehi, 44, of Towaoc, Colorado, was sentenced to 60 months in prison and three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to one count of assaulting a federal officer.

On April 5, 2024, a Bureau of Indian Affairs Officer responded to the Ute Mountain Ute Casino in Towaoc, Colorado, within the exterior boundaries of the Ute Mountain Ute Reservation, on a report of an intoxicated person, later identified as Lehi. Lehi lunged at the officer and struck him in the face. When additional security personnel responded to the incident, Lehi continued to fight until officers were able to subdue him.

United States District Court Judge Gordon P. Gallagher sentenced Lehi after considering numerous sentencing factors, including the defendant’s history of assaults on law enforcement officers.

“Assault on a law enforcement officer is a serious offense, and this defendant received a serious sentence for his actions,” said Acting United States Attorney for the District of Colorado Matt Kirsch. “I want to acknowledge the BIA officer for deftly handling a challenging situation.”

“This attack on a federal officer simply doing his job is unacceptable. We fully support the officer who is a victim in this case and are steadfast in our commitment to pursuing justice in cases involving assaults on law enforcement officers,” said FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Mark Michalek. “Such acts will not go unanswered, and we will work tirelessly to ensure accountability.”

The Federal Bureau of Investigation Durango Field Office and the Bureau of Indian Affairs handled the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Lisa Franceware handled the prosecution.

Case Number: 1:24-cr-00182-GPG

Source: US FBI

OAKLAND – An Oakland man was arrested yesterday on charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm.  Jason Nious, 42, made his initial appearance in federal district court this morning.

According to the criminal complaint and court documents unsealed today, Oakland police encountered Nious on Sept. 18, 2024, while searching the 500 block of East 15th Street in Oakland for a different individual who had an active arrest warrant for gun possession.  Officers saw Nious standing next to the wanted person and next to a car that was registered to Nious.  Officers determined that Nious was a convicted felon, currently on probation. They then searched Nious’s car and found a gun with a live round in the chamber in a bag on the front passenger seat, along with a loaded 10-round magazine.  Nious has prior convictions in Alameda County for human trafficking of a minor, providing controlled substances to a minor, and armed robbery.

Nious is next scheduled to appear in federal district court for a detention hearing on Dec. 23, 2024.

As detailed in the criminal complaint, the 500 block of East 15th Street in Oakland is within “the Blade,” an area surrounding International Boulevard between 5th Avenue and 23rd Avenue that is known throughout the Bay Area for its widespread pimping and pandering. The Blade also has seen a significant increase in other violent crimes in recent years.  Consequently, this year, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Oakland Police Department have been actively coordinating and increasing enforcement to combat sex trafficking and violent crime in the area.

United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey and FBI San Francisco Special Agent in Charge Robert K. Tripp made the announcement.

A criminal complaint merely alleges that crimes have been committed.  All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.  If convicted, Nious faces a maximum sentence of 15 years and a fine of $250,000 on the count of being a felon in possession of a firearm in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1).  A court would impose any sentence following conviction after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Ivana Djak is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Amala James.  The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI and the Oakland Police Department.
 

Source: US FBI

Grow Site, Which Used 33,780 Gallons of Water Daily, Contained Highly Toxic and Illegal Chemicals

Source: US FBI

OAKLAND – A federal grand jury has indicted Paul Raymond Flood with cyberstalking, witness tampering, and obstruction of a criminal investigation by bribery.  Flood, 54, of Castro Valley, was arrested yesterday and made his initial appearance in federal court this morning.

According to the indictment, which was filed May 16, 2024, and unsealed today, Flood was a Special Agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) from 2007 through 2019.  In early October 2018, Flood met a first-year law student, referred to in the indictment as “Victim-1” or “V-1,” who had contacted him for information on pursuing a future career with the FBI.  A family member of V-1’s, referred to in the indictment as “B-1,” knew Flood and referred V-1 to him.

Within a few weeks of meeting V-1, Flood allegedly began to make unwelcome romantic advances toward V-1 and engage in a pattern of harassing and intimidating conduct.  The indictment charges that, among other conduct, Flood had a diamond ring delivered to V-1 in mid-October 2018; used different numbers and messaging applications to call and text V-1, creating and using at least 79 different numbers between mid-October 2018 through September 2019; sent messages demonstrating that he was surveilling V-1 and her family; and repeatedly pressured B-1 to have V-1 call or unblock Flood.

Although V-1 initially did not report Flood due to her family’s fear of retaliation, V-1 reported him in June 2019 to federal and local law enforcement authorities.  Shortly thereafter, the FBI suspended Flood from duty and the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General (DOJ OIG) opened an investigation into Flood’s conduct.  In response, Flood allegedly employed various means to pressure, harass, intimidate, and persuade V-1 to help him by not providing statements or testimony in the investigations against him, including threatening to commit suicide, offering V-1 various bribes, and pressuring V-1’s family members to persuade her not to cooperate with law enforcement.  Flood allegedly succeeded in persuading V-1 to help him obstruct the pending investigations.  This included V-1’s evading multiple attempts by DOJ OIG investigators to contact her for an interview and to serve her with a federal grand jury subpoena in July 2019. According to the indictment, Flood also persuaded V-1 to agree to enter a sham marriage with him so that she would not have to testify against him, buying her a $17,000 engagement ring in the process.  V-1 did not follow through with the sham marriage plan.

The indictment charges Flood with one count of cyberstalking in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2261A(2)(B), two counts of witness tampering by intimidation, threats, corrupt persuasion, or misleading conduct in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1512(b)(2) and (b)(3), one count of witness tampering by harassment in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1512(d), and one count of obstruction of a criminal investigation by bribery in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1510(a).

An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed.  All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.  If convicted, Flood faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison on each witness tampering count under 18 U.S.C. § 1512(b), three years in prison on the witness tampering count under 18 U.S.C. § 1512(d), and five years in prison on each count of cyberstalking and obstruction.  Any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.

Flood is currently on conditional release.  His next appearance in federal court is scheduled for Jan. 15, 2025.

United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey and Zachary Shroyer, Special Agent in Charge of DOJ OIG Western Region, made the announcement.

Assistant United States Attorney Anne C. Hsieh is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Mimi Lam, Lakisha Holliman, and Helen Yee.  The prosecution is the result of an investigation by DOJ OIG, with assistance from the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations.

Paul Raymond Flood Indictment
 

Source: US FBI

SAN JOSE – Todd Baldwin, a former sports coach, teaching assistant, and operations manager at Valley Christian High School in San Jose, was arraigned in federal court this afternoon on charges of enticement of minors and receipt of child pornography.

Baldwin, 44, currently of Bremerton, Wash., was charged by complaint on Oct. 10, 2024, and by information on Nov. 19, 2024.  According to the complaint, Baldwin allegedly persuaded, induced, and enticed two minor boys, both high school students at the time, to produce child sexual abuse materials in exchange for money from December 2022 to August 2023.  Baldwin allegedly paid thousands of dollars via mobile payment services to the minor boys and to at least two other students whom Baldwin had recruited to create child sexual abuse materials for resale online.  The complaint further alleges that Baldwin designated some of the exploited minors as his “Teacher Assistants.”  The information formally charges Baldwin with two counts of enticement of minors in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2422(b) and two counts of receipt of child pornography in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 2252(a)(2) and (b).

An information merely alleges that crimes have been committed.  All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.  If convicted, Baldwin faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment and a minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment, a maximum fine of $250,000, a term of supervised release, and restitution.  Any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.

Baldwin surrendered to federal authorities in San Jose on Oct. 28, 2024, and made his initial appearance in federal court on the same day.  He is currently on conditional release.  He is next scheduled to appear before the Honorable Beth Labson Freeman, U.S. District Judge, on Feb. 4, 2025.

United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent in Charge Robert K. Tripp made the announcement.

Assistant United States Attorney Marissa Harris is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Sahib Kaur.  The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI and the San Jose Police Department’s Internet Crimes Against Children Squad.

Source: US FBI

SAN FRANCISCO – A Palm Springs man pleaded guilty today to one count of bank fraud and one count of money laundering related to a years-long scheme to embezzle more than $1.3 million from his former employers, two San Francisco law firms.

According to court documents, Tony Archuleta-Perkins, 48, formerly of San Francisco, held various roles at the firms, eventually becoming Chief Financial Officer (CFO).  As the CFO, Archuleta-Perkins was in a position of trust and had access to the law firms’ payroll systems and end-to-end payments automation platforms. During the course of his employment, Archuleta-Perkins used this access to embezzle funds in various ways.

The primary way that Archuleta-Perkins stole money from the law firms was to cause the firms to make false and fraudulent payments to a non-profit organization he had set up and solely controlled. Archuleta-Perkins admitted to stealing more than $1.1 million using this method. Archuleta-Perkins also embezzled funds from the law firms by falsely adding “one-time reimbursements” to his regular paychecks or special bonus payroll checks through the use of the law firms’ payroll software. He admitted to stealing more than $106,000 using this method. Archuleta-Perkins also admitted that he endorsed a $41,663.69 tax refund check made out to one of the law firms, deposited it into a bank account belonging to the non-profit, and then wrote himself a check for the same amount.  

As part of his plea agreement, Archuleta-Perkins admitted that he knew that the principal of one of the law firms was undergoing serious health issues that kept him out of the office, and that the principal’s physical condition made him unusually vulnerable and particularly susceptible to Archuleta-Perkins’s criminal conduct.

In total, Archuleta-Perkins admitted that he was responsible for at least $1,321,752.72 in losses to his victims. Archuleta-Perkins used the stolen money for personal expenses, including payments on a Best Buy credit card.

Archuleta-Perkins pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1344(2) and one count of engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from specified unlawful activity (money laundering) in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1957.  He faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison as to the bank fraud charge and a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison as to the money laundering charge. A federal district judge will determine and impose a sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a).

Archuleta-Perkins, who was arrested on June 28, 2024, remains free on a $500,000 bond and is scheduled to be sentenced on March 26, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. before the Honorable Jacqueline Scott Corley, U.S. District Judge.

U.S. Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey for the Northern District of California and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) San Francisco Special Agent in Charge Robert K. Tripp made the announcement. 
           
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nikhil Bhagat is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Madeline Wachs. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI.
 

Source: US FBI

NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – August 12, 2024

SAN DIEGO – Ryan Coffey of San Diego pleaded guilty in federal court today, admitting that he sexually abused the 14-year-old girl seated next to him on an American Airlines flight from Charlotte, North Carolina to San Diego, California.

Coffey was indicted on March 15, 2024, for Sexual Abuse of a Minor and Abusive Sexual Contact stemming from his actions on an evening flight on January 7, 2023. Coffey, who was 31 years old at the time of the offense, pleaded guilty, admitting that he gave the girl rum and touched her inner thigh and breasts. The defendant did not know the victim.

“Thanks to the courage of a brave girl who reported what happened in the dark on a plane, and swift engagement from law enforcement, this defendant was brought to justice,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to protecting the public in the air, on the ground, or at sea.”

“Ryan Coffey’s conduct was abhorrent,” said Acting FBI San Diego Special Agent in Charge TJ Holland.  “The FBI, along with our dedicated law enforcement partners remain committed to using all tools available to follow the evidence and bring those who commit crimes against children to justice.”

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew Sherwood and Katie Grammenidis.

DEFENDANTS                                             Case Number                         24cr505-AJB

Ryan Coffey                                                   Age: 33                                   San Diego, CA

SUMMARY OF CHARGES

Abusive Sexual Contact Title 18, U.S.C., Section 2244(a)(3)

Maximum penalty: Two years in prison

INVESTIGATING AGENCY

Federal Bureau of Investigation