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Source: US FBI

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A federal grand jury indicted a Birmingham-area musician and a co-conspirator for their roles in a cyber-enabled check fraud scheme, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona, U.S. Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Patrick Davis, U.S. Postal Inspection Service Inspector-in-Charge Scott D. Fix, Houston Division, and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples.

A nine-count indictment filed in U.S. District Court charges Daylin R. Banks, aka “30Skiii Only 1” and “88 DayDay,” 22, of Springville, Alabama, and Gabriel Samuel Odiot, aka “Motion,” 19, of Kissimmee, Florida, with conspiracy, wire fraud, bank fraud, possession of fifteen or more unauthorized access devices, and aggravated identity theft.

The indictment alleges that between August 2022 and July 2023, Banks participated in a scheme to sell stolen or otherwise fraudulent checks on a Telegram channel called “Glass House Records.” Banks obtained checks that had been stolen from the custody of the U.S. Postal Service and marketed a portion of them for sale on the “Glass House Records” Telegram channel. At the same time, Banks collaborated with Odiot and others to alter, duplicate, or forge other stolen checks and have them deposited into accounts controlled by the conspiracy.

The charges against Banks and Odiot relate to an indictment filed in August against Mekhi Diwone Harris, an administrator of an Alabama-based scam Telegram channel called “Work Related.” According to court documents, thousands of stolen or fraudulent checks totaling more than $15 million were posted to the “Work Related” channel.

The maximum penalty for conspiracy to commit bank fraud or conspiracy to commit wire fraud affecting a financial institution is 30 years in prison.  The maximum penalty for wire fraud is 20 years in prison. The maximum penalty for bank fraud is 30 years in prison. The maximum penalty for possession of fifteen or more unauthorized access devices is 10 years in prison. The minimum penalty for aggravated identity theft is two years in prison to be served consecutively to any other term of imprisonment.  

The U.S. Secret Service Cyber Fraud Task Force, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case, which is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward J. Canter. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Alabama, the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, the Heflin Police Department, and the Hueytown Police Department have all provided significant assistance during the course of the investigation.

An indictment contains only charges.  Defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Source: US FBI

           WASHINGTON — An Ohio man was sentenced on Thursday, Nov. 16, 2023, for assaults on several police officers during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. 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.

            Kenneth Joseph Owen “Joe” Thomas, 41, of East Liverpool, Ohio, was sentenced in the District of Columbia to 58 months in prison on seven counts that included four separate counts of assaulting, resisting or impeding certain officers; obstruction of law enforcement during civil disorder; and engaging in disorderly and disruptive conduct on Capitol grounds. A jury found Thomas, also known as “Pi Anon,” guilty on June 1, 2023, in U.S. District Court.

            In addition to the prison term, the Honorable Dabney L. Friedrich ordered 36 months of supervised release, restitution of $2,000, and a $20,000 fine.

            According to the government’s evidence, Thomas was on the Upper West Terrace at 3:30 p.m. on Jan. 6, 2021, standing in front of a line of police officers who were preventing the rioters from advancing further towards the Capitol. When the mob surged forward against the police line, Thomas twice charged the line of police officers, striking and shoving two Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers with his hands. Thomas’ assaults were captured on police body-worn cameras (BWC) and in many open-source videos from the scene.

            Then, approximately an hour later, in a different part of the Upper West Terrace, Thomas was captured on MPD BWC footage advancing toward a line of law enforcement and pushing against their shields. At 4:26 p.m., officers began to advance to dispel the crowd of rioters from the steps. Thomas turned toward rioters and ordered them to “hold the line” against advancing officers, repeating this statement fifteen times as he locked arms with the other rioters and pushed against the officers. At 4:28 p.m., as officers worked to clear the Upper West Terrace, Thomas rushed to the head of the line of rioters and twice threw himself into an MPD officer while yelling to the rioters, “hold the f-ing line.” In subsequent interviews, law enforcement officers confirmed the attack and stated Thomas “was one of the first to come in and start hitting [and] pushing officers on the line.”

            Thomas was identified from open-source photos and videos.

            The FBI arrested Thomas on May 26, 2021, in Huntsville, Alabama.

            The 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 Northern District of Ohio and the Northern District of Alabama.

            The case was investigated by the FBI’s Birmingham and Washington Field Offices, who identified Thomas as #214 on their seeking information photos. Valuable assistance was provided by the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Capitol Police.

            In the 34 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,200 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 400 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

            WASHINGTON – An Alabama man was sentenced today on a felony charge for his actions during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. 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.

            Kaleb Dillard, 28, of Mountain Brook, Alabama, was sentenced to 10 months in prison, 12 months of supervised release, and ordered to pay $36,238.55 in restitution by U.S. District Judge Jia M. Cobb. Dillard pleaded guilty on July 18, 2023, in the District of Columbia, to assaulting, resisting, or impeding law enforcement officers.

            According to court documents, Dillard traveled from his home in Alabama to Washington, D.C., to attend the rally near the Ellipse and illegally entered the Capitol building on Jan. 6, 2021. Dillard, a former Marine, illegally entered the restricted grounds of the Capitol, heading to the East Front of the Capitol. Dillard went to the front of the crowd at the Rotunda Door, where he used a metal tool to smash a window of the doors.

            At around 2:26 p.m., Dillard forced his way past officers attempting to close the Rotunda Door and entered the Capitol building. Dillard then approached a U.S. Capitol Police Officer who was attempting to close the doors and stop rioters from entering. Dillard grabbed the officer’s protective vest from behind and threw the officer backward onto the marble floor.

            Dillard then helped more rioters enter the Capitol through the Rotunda Door before approaching a second U.S. Capitol Police Officer who was trying to secure the door from the rioters. Dillard repeatedly shoved the second officer away from the doors so more rioters could enter. Unable to move the officer away from the door, Dillard continued to harass him, sticking his fingers in the officer’s face and at one point screaming, “That’s a poor excuse! ‘I got a job to do.’ Give me a f***ing break!”

           At around 2:30 p.m., Dillard walked through the Capitol building into the Rotunda, Statuary Hall, and the Statuary Hall Connector. He remained in the Capitol until approximately 2:51 p.m.

            Dillard was arrested on Aug. 23, 2022, in Columbiana, Alabama.

            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 Northern District of Alabama.

           This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington and Birmingham Field Offices, which identified Dillard as #166 on its seeking information photos. Significant assistance was provided by the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department.

In the 34 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,200 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 400 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

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – A convicted sex offender was sentenced on child exploitation charges, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples.

Chief U.S. District Judge L. Scott Coogler sentenced Austin Jeremy Bobo, 34, of Trussville, to 180 months in prison followed by a lifetime term of supervised release.  Bobo pleaded guilty to transportation of child pornography in May. 

According to the plea agreement, on October 30, 2020, a social media outlet submitted a CyberTip to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) relating to an account that uploaded images containing child sexual abuse materials. The investigation revealed that the account belonged to Bobo.  Between November 2019 and October 2020, Bobo uploaded numerous images of child pornography to the account. Bobo was convicted in the Circuit Court for Lee County, Alabama, of an offense related to child pornography in March 2016.

FBI Birmingham’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force (CEHTTF), Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA), and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney John M. Hundscheid 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

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Dutch citizen Joran van der Sloot pleaded guilty today and was sentenced for his role in a scheme to obtain $250,000 from Elizabeth (“Beth”) Ann Holloway, the mother of Natalee Holloway, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Carlton Peeples.

The guilty plea and sentencing of Joran Andreas Petrus van der Sloot, 36, occurred before U.S. District Court Judge Anna M. Manasco.  Van der Sloot pleaded guilty to extortion and wire fraud and was sentenced to 20 years in prison. 

According to the plea agreement, in 2010, van der Sloot solicited money from Beth Holloway, Natalee Holloway’s mother, on promises he would reveal the location of her daughter’s remains in Aruba and the circumstances of her 2005 death. However, after being paid a total of $25,100, van der Sloot provided information that he later described as “worthless.”

According to the sentencing memorandum and plea agreement, van der Sloot agreed to provide full, complete, accurate, and truthful information regarding Natalee Holloway’s disappearance in exchange for a sentence of 20 years. 

“Today, the United States held Joran van der Sloot accountable for his scheme to exploit a mother looking for information about her missing daughter,” U.S. Attorney Escalona said. “The United States hopes that the information regarding Natalee Holloway’s disappearance provides some important answers for the family and the community that has followed this family’s tragedy. Today’s result would not have been possible without the help of the FBI, Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, and the Government of Peru, the Netherlands and Aruba, U.S. Marshals Service, and Shelby County Sherriff’s Office, who assisted in this process.  I am grateful for their hard work and dedication.  May this long-awaited day finally bring justice for Beth and for Natalee’s family and friends.”

“Today’s sentence holds Joran van der Sloot accountable for the pain he has caused the family and friends of Natalee Holloway,” said FBI Birmingham SAC Carlton Peeples.  “After more than a decade of uncertainty, hopefully this will bring them and this community some closure.  During this lengthy investigation, the FBI remained committed in aggressively pursuing and holding this individual accountable for the crimes he committed against US persons. I would like to thank our local, state, federal, and foreign partners who assisted in this investigation and a special thanks to all the FBI personnel, past and present, who worked tirelessly in bringing this individual to justice.”

The FBI investigated the case.  Criminal Chief Lloyd C. Peeples and Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine L. Crosby prosecuted the case. 

Source: US FBI

            WASHINGTON — Two cousins from Mississippi and Alabama were sentenced today on felony and misdemeanor charges for their actions during the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol breach. Their 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.

            Thomas Harlen Smith, 45, of Mathiston, Mississippi, was sentenced to 108 months in prison and 36 months of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton. A jury convicted Smith of 11 charges, including nine felonies and two misdemeanors, on May 5, 2023.

            Donnie Duane Wren, 44, of Athens, Alabama, was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison and 24 months of supervised release by Judge Walton. A jury convicted Wren of two felonies and one misdemeanor on May 5, 2023.

            According to evidence presented during the trial and court documents, on Jan. 5, 2021, Smith traveled from his home in Mississippi to Washington, D.C., to attend a rally held by former President Trump the next day and picked up his cousin, defendant Wren, from his home in Alabama along the way. On the morning of Jan. 6, 2021, Smith and Wren attended the rally and afterward made their way toward the U.S. Capitol building. Before entering Capitol grounds, Smith climbed a column near the African American History Museum with the outdated Mississippi state flag.

            Smith and Wren arrived on the restricted Capitol grounds and observed other rioters climbing scaffolding erected around the stage for the Presidential Inauguration. The two then climbed the structure and made their way to the Lower West Terrace Tunnel. Smith pushed toward the front of a group of rioters and used a flagpole like a spear to try to break a window next to the Lower West Terrace doors. Smith thrust his flagpole at the window five times. He then surged through the doorway, where he and a mass of other rioters pushed into a line of Metropolitan Police Department (“MPD”) officers attempting to hold the door shut.

            Smith then exited the Tunnel and reunited with his cousin, Wren, who had witnessed the violence directed by other rioters against police officers in the area. The two posed for a photograph together on the Lower West Terrace. Smith and Wren then climbed up a railing to the Upper West Terrace and confronted a line of police officers using riot shields and attempting to clear the area. Smith and Wren pushed back against the police line, placing their hands on the officer’s shields and leaning back into the police. Wren leaned all his weight into the riot shield, preventing the police officer from advancing. Wren’s push against the riot shield was an early assault on the Terrace that instigated the fight between rioters and police attempting to clear the area.

            While this occurred, Smith witnessed an object fly past him and hit an officer. Smith yelled at the officer, “You deserve that, you piece of s—!” At 4:35 p.m., Smith kicked an MPD officer in the back—sending the officer to the ground. Smith then picked up a metal pole-like object and threw it toward the line of police, striking two MPD officers in the head.

Later that day, on Facebook, Smith described the assault on the Capitol: “Patriots stood together and battled the tyrannical cops throughout the entire afternoon.”

            Smith was convicted of 11 charges at trial, including felony offenses of assaulting officers with a dangerous weapon; obstruction of an official proceeding; two counts of civil disorder; two counts of assaulting, impeding, or resisting officers; entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon; disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon; and engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds with a dangerous weapon. He was also convicted of two misdemeanors: disorderly conduct in the Capitol grounds or buildings and an act of physical violence in the Capitol grounds or buildings.

            Wren was convicted of civil disorder and assaulting, impeding, or resisting officers, both felonies, and a single misdemeanor charge of entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds.

            This case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Northern District of Mississippi, the Northern District of Alabama, and the Southern District of Florida.

            This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington and Birmingham Field Offices and the Homestead, Florida and Oxford, Mississippi Resident Agencies, which listed Wren as #219 on their seeking information photos. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Capitol Police, the Metropolitan Police Department, and the Prince George’s County Police Department.

            In the 33 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,100 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 400 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

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – An Oklahoma woman pleaded guilty to crimes committed in the Talladega National Forest, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and FBI Special Agent in Charge Carlton Peeples.

Yasmine Marie Hider, 21 of Edmond, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court R. David Proctor to murder, kidnapping, and robbery. Hider is scheduled to be sentenced on January 4, 2024, at 9:00 a.m.  

According to the plea agreement, on August 14, 2022, college students from Florida, were driving to Cheaha State Park, in Clay County, Alabama, to hike to see the waterfalls. The couple was flagged down by Hider to help “jump start” Pinkins’ car which was broken down. Hider robbed the male and female and shot the male as he attempted to defend himself and his girlfriend. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Officers found Hider seated several feet away with four gunshot wounds.

The maximum penalty for murder and kidnapping is life in prison. The maximum penalty for robbery is 15 years in prison.

Krystal Diane Pinkins was convicted last week in federal court. Pinkins is scheduled to be sentenced on January 4, 2024, at 9:30 a.m.

The FBI and the Forest Service Law Enforcement Investigations – U.S. Department of Agriculture investigated the cases, along with assistance from the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, Alabama State Park Rangers, Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, St. Clair Correctional Facility K9 Tracking Team, District Attorney of the 40^th Judicial Circuit of the State of Alabama- Joseph “Joe” D. Ficquette (which includes Clay County), Clay County Sheriff’s Office, Cleburne County Sheriff’s Office, Lineville Police Department, Ashland Police Department, Clay County Rescue Squad, Shinbone Valley Volunteer Fire Department, Tri-County Children’s Advocacy Center, and Jacksonville State University Center for Applied Forensics.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan Cross and John B. Felton are prosecuting the case.