MIL Security Engine-1

Source: US FBI

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A Leeds woman was sentenced today on drug charges, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and FBI Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples.

U.S. District Court Judge Corey L. Maze sentenced Joannah Ruth Ruoho, 34, to 120 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Ruoho pleaded guilty to the charge in September.  

According to the plea agreement, in February 2022, a Moody Police Department officer initiated a traffic stop on Ruoho.  Ruoho rolled down the window and the police officer could smell the odor of marijuana.  At the request of the police officer, Ruoho got out of the vehicle. The officer searched the vehicle and found a bag with methamphetamine inside it, two prepackaged cannabis bags containing methamphetamine, two clear plastic bags containing marijuana, a plastic bag containing mushrooms, and a glass pipe with narcotics residue on it.  The officer also found a loaded Taurus PT140 G2 40 SW pistol underneath the driver’s seat.

The FBI investigated the case, along with the Moody Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brittany Byrd prosecuted the case. 

Source: US FBI

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A federal judge today sentenced a Bessemer man on child pornography charges, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and FBI Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples.

U.S. District Court Judge Madeline Hughes Haikala sentenced Jacquez Jarrone Conley, 24, to 235 months in prison followed by 25 years of supervised release. In August 2023, Conley pleaded guilty to one-count of possession of child pornography. This conviction will require him to register as a sex offender in accordance with the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).

According to the plea agreement, in July 2019, Conley was involved in an online social media group sharing child pornography. During that same time, FBI received a CyberTipline Report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) regarding child sexual abuse material located on his Facebook account. In August 2019, federal search warrants were obtained for Conley’s residence in Bessemer and his Facebook account. A total of 18 digital devices were seized from the residence.  Forensic analysis of the digital devices and his Facebook account revealed 701 images and 741 videos of child pornography.

“There is no place in our communities for those who prey on vulnerable children,” U.S. Attorney Escalona said. “The success of cases like this come from the strong partnerships with our federal, state, and local law enforcement.  We have one common goal – to pursue justice for child victims. Thanks to the collaborative efforts of our law enforcement partners in Alabama and Washington, D.C., this predator has been held accountable for his actions.”

“This sentence sends a strong message that the FBI will continue to aggressively identify, investigate, and hold accountable those who produce, possess, and distribute child pornography, SAC Peeples said.” This case highlights the importance and benefit of law enforcement partnerships and task forces. I would like to thank all our local, state, and federal partners who assisted in this case and the men and women of the FBI for their relentless efforts in protecting our children.”

FBI Birmingham’s Child Exploitation Human Trafficking Task Force (CEHTTF) investigated the case, with the assistance of FBI Washington and Metropolitan Police of the District of Columbia’s CEHTTF, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, and Bessemer Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys R. Leann White and Daniel McBrayer 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. – A Vestavia man was sentenced today on child pornography charges, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and FBI Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples.

U.S. District Court Judge R. David Proctor sentenced Eugene Douglas Reid, III, 48, to 288 months in prison followed by 20 years supervised release for distribution and transportation of child pornography. Reid was convicted of these charges at trial in August.

In 2020, FBI Milwaukee, in collaboration with the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office, was investigating numerous groups of individuals engaged in the receipt, possession, distribution and possible production of child sexual abuse material through a proactive operation. As part of the FBI’s operation, online covert employees documented these illegal activities and forwarded the documentation for further investigation to the appropriate FBI field office. The evidence at trial established that Reid had distributed and transported numerous videos and images of child sexual abuse material on the Kik messaging application in various private groups during the first half of 2020. In addition to the evidence collected by undercover law enforcement, Kik’s parent company, MediaLab, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children also provided evidence of further illegal activity under Kik usernames associated with Reid.

“Today’s sentence is the result of the collaborative work by our law enforcement partners in Alabama and Wisconsin to protect victims of child exploitation,” U.S. Attorney Escalona said. “I encourage anyone who may have information about possible child sexual exploitation, including posts on social media, to report it to the NCMEC at CyberTipline.org or by calling 1-800-THE-LOST.”

“Individuals who engage in the distribution and production of child pornography must be held accountable for their heinous actions. That is why the FBI, along with our local, state, and federal partners will stop at nothing to ensure these individuals and groups are brought to justice,” said SAC Peeples. This sentence just reconfirms the FBI’s commitment to stopping child predators and shutting down the online networks that produce child sexual abuse material.”

The FBI Birmingham’s Child Exploitation Human Trafficking Task Force investigated the case with the assistance of FBI Milwaukee Division, Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office, Vestavia Hills Police Department, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, and the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kristen S. Osborne and R. Leann White prosecuted the case.

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.  Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, and to identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

Source: US FBI

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a one-count indictment today against Ignacio Valencia, 33, of Plumas Lake, charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.

According to court documents, Valencia was found in possession of a loaded, Glock model 20, 10 mm caliber handgun as well as a magazine containing 25 rounds of 10 mm ammunition. Valencia is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition after being convicted of four felonies: possession of a controlled substance for sale, being a felon in possession of a firearm, evading a peace officer in willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property, and being a felon or addict in possession of a firearm.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from Elk Grove Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Vanek is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Valencia faces a maximum statutory penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

Source: US FBI

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Jagninder Singh Boparai, 48, of Manteca, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to use interstate commerce facilities in the commission of murder-for-hire, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.

According to court documents, Boparai conspired with Ramesh Kumar Birla Jr., 45, of Dublin, and Shaminderjit Singh Sandhu, 51, of Tracy, to murder Victim 2. In February 2023, Boparai met with a person he believed to be a hitman at a Starbucks in Manteca. Unbeknownst to Boparai and his co-defendants throughout their interactions, the hitman was a confidential informant working for the FBI. Boparai told the supposed hitman that the first job involved the assault of Victim 1, and once he proved his trustworthiness, he would be given another job. The following day, Boparai met the confidential informant again and offered to pay $6,000 for the assault of Victim 1. In March 2023, in the presence of Birla and another individual, Boparai met with the confidential informant, and Boparai gave the confidential informant $1,000 as a down payment for the assault. According to court documents, after more time had passed, the confidential informant showed Boparai a staged photo of Victim 1 laying on the ground covered in bruises, dirt, and blood to indicate the assault had occurred. Boparai said he liked the photo and told the confidential informant that he had two other “jobs,” one of which involved robbing a business, and the other involved making a person “disappear.”

According to court documents, in March 2023, Boparai met with the confidential informant to pay the confidential informant $10,000 as a down payment for the murder of Victim 2. Sandhu provided Victim 2’s address, and Boparai instructed the confidential informant that Victim 2 must disappear without any evidence remaining. Boparai then made two calls to Birla asking for Victim 2’s Facebook profile. Boparai subsequently received a Facebook profile picture of Victim 2, which he showed to the confidential informant. On March 24, 2023, Sandhu and Birla met with the confidential informant in a parking lot in Manteca. Sandhu and Birla claimed that Boparai was out of town, but Boparai was observed by surveillance remaining in a car in the same parking lot. Sandhu and Birla instructed the confidential informant to kill Victim 2 and take Victim 2’s remains to Mexico in a suitcase.

All three defendants were arrested on March 31, 2023, and are currently in federal custody.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the California Highway Patrol, the Ceres Police Department, the Dublin Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, the Lathrop Police Department, the Modesto Police Department, the San Joaquin County Probation Office, the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office, the Stanislaus County District Attorney’s Bureau of Investigation, the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office, the Stockton Police Department, the Tracy Police Department, the Turlock Police Department, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrian T. Kinsella is prosecuting the case.

Boparai is scheduled to be sentenced on May 8, 2025, by U.S. District Judge Daniel J. Calabretta. He faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

The remaining two defendants are scheduled for a further status conference on April 10, 2025. If convicted, they each face the same penalties as Boparai. As to these two co-defendants, the charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Source: US FBI

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a six-count superseding indictment against Ronaldo Mudrano Ayala, 74, of San Diego; Angel Anthony Esparza, 41, of Indio; Ronald Paul Sepulveda, 40, of Riverside; Samuel O. Morales, 42, of Seattle; Allen David Fong, 33, of San Mateo; and Alexis Rodriguez, 23, of Seattle, Washington; charging them with racketeering and controlled substance offenses, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced. The superseding indictment was returned on Dec. 19, 2024, and was unsealed yesterday following the arrest and arraignment of Rodriguez.

According to court documents, the defendants were members of an organization known as the Mexican Mafia or La eMe, whose members engaged in, among other things, interference with commerce through extortion, arson, controlled substance trafficking, and firearms trafficking. La eMe was founded in Folsom State Prison. Thereafter, La eMe grew within the California and Federal prison systems, and today, La eMe exerts influence and control over various illegal activities both inside and outside of the prison systems. La eMe controls and organizes Sureño street gangs into a larger, La eMe-controlled, criminal organization, and it enforces its rules and promotes discipline among its members and associates by assaulting and threatening those individuals, including associates, who violate the rules, fail to carry out an order, or pose a threat to La eMe. Members and associates of La eMe routinely used contraband cellphones smuggled into prisons to communicate with each other.

The superseding indictment alleges that La eMe generated revenue through the collection of “La eMe taxes.” For instance, La eMe required the payment of taxes on any illegal activities that generate revenue within their area of influence. To ensure the payment of taxes, La eMe offered protection should an individual paying the taxes serve a sentence of incarceration. Also, La eMe sought to burn property belonging to persons who failed to pay taxes. La eMe also collected taxes from entertainers or persons perceived to be profiting by using La eMe’s reputation, insignias, or claiming La eMe or “mafia” affiliation.

La eMe collected La eMe taxes in areas throughout the Western United States including throughout California and in Washington state. The superseding indictment alleges that La eMe formed a partnership with the Sinaloa Cartel offering protection for the cartel’s incarcerated members, including Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, in exchange for the Sinaloa Cartel supplying controlled substances from Mexico.

The superseding indictment alleges that the defendants served the following functions, among others, within the enterprise:

Ronaldo Mudrano Ayala, aka “OG,” aka “El Professor,” aka “Profe,” was an inmate at San Quentin State Prison. Ayala oversaw La eMe’s interests and tax collection efforts in the areas throughout the United States including San Diego, Riverside County, Sacramento, San Francisco, and Seattle. Ayala also oversaw the agreement between La eMe and the Sinaloa Cartel, ordered the extortion of persons who failed to pay La eMe taxes, ordered the arson of property belonging to persons who failed to pay La eMe taxes, communicated La eMe directives to La eMe associates inside and outside the prison systems, and enforced discipline among La eMe associates.

Angel Anthony Esparza, aka “Snappy,” aka “Snaps,” was an inmate at San Quentin State Prison. Esparza handled La eMe business for Ayala. Esparza instructed others concerning the amount of La eMe taxes which Ayala ordered to be collected on controlled substances received through the agreement between La eMe and the Sinaloa Cartel. Esparza also provided instructions concerning the payment of La eMe taxes including, coordinating the receipt of La eMe tax payments.

Ronald Paul Sepulveda, aka “Temper,” acted as a La eMe associate outside the prison system in Riverside County. Ayala or his associates communicated La eMe directives to Sepulveda who, in turn, oversaw their commission. Those directives involved the collection of taxes, extortionate threats, arson, and taxes collected from persons in the entertainment industry, particularly musicians, who purported to have Sureño or La eMe affiliation.

Samuel O. Morales, aka “Payaso,” aka “Paya” was a member of the United Lokotes, a Sureño gang located in the Seattle area. Through his membership in a Sureño gang, Morales acted as a La eMe associate. Morales carried out a La eMe a directive to improve La eMe tax collection by organizing Sureño gangs in the area surrounding Seattle. Morales also assisted La eMe in a plot to extort a musician, and Morales oversaw the arson of property belonging to the musician.

Allen David Fong, aka “Frank,” aka “Frankie Chino” was an incarcerated La eMe associate. From inside California State Prison – Solano, Fong acted as a La eMe associate who helped to arrange controlled substance transactions and to collect La eMe taxes.

Alexis Rodriguez, aka “Menace,” was a member of the United Lokotes, a Sureño gang located in the Seattle area. Through his membership in a Sureño gang, Rodriguez acted as a La eMe associate. Along with Morales, Rodriguez assisted La eMe in a plot to extort a musician, and Rodriguez helped in the arson of property belonging to the musician.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Abendroth is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Ayala, Esparza, and Fong face a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $250,000 fine. If convicted, Sepulveda, Morales, and Rodriguez face a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. The specific mission of the OCDETF Sacramento Strike Force is to identify, investigate, and prosecute the most significant criminal organizations operating in the Eastern District of California. OCDETF Sacramento Strike Force is composed of agents and officers from DEA, FBI, HSI, IRS-CI, USMS, ATF, USPIS, BLM, USFS, the Sacramento Sheriff’s Office, the California National Guard, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the California Department of Justice, and the Central Valley California HIDTA. The prosecution is being led by the Office of the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of California with the assistance of the Yolo County and Placer County District Attorneys.

Source: US FBI

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a 17-count indictment today against Kami Elois Power, 54, of Gardnerville, Nevada, charging her with wire fraud, bank fraud, and aggravated identity theft, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.

According to court documents, from November 2019 to May 2023, Power worked as an office assistant at a family-owned construction company in South Lake Tahoe. During her employment, Power embezzled more than $1.4 million dollars from the company. She disguised more than $700,000 of these fraudulent transfers as payments made to vendors that the company worked with — under fake profiles she created in the names of real companies, as well as fake companies that resembled her own initials, such as “KEP Inc. Sale” and KPI.” She disguised additional fraudulent transfers as payments for payroll or reimbursements. Power also used the company’s credit card to make unauthorized personal purchases and paid down the balance of her own personal credit cards with the company’s money. Power used the stolen money to purchase property, luxury cars, ATVs, and a horse.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the South Lake Tahoe Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elliot C. Wong and Whitnee Goins are prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Power faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count of wire fraud, 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine for each count of bank fraud, and a mandatory two-year sentence for aggravated identity theft. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Source: US FBI

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Ryan Davidek, 40, of Lincoln, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley to 12 years and seven months years in prison for interstate transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced. Davidek was ordered to pay $13,270 in restitution to the victim and serve a lifetime of supervised release.

According to court documents, in 2016, Davidek began a sexual relationship with a middle-school child who he had met online. Over the course of several years, Davidek booked hotel rooms and traveled across state lines, as well as transported the victim from another state to the Eastern District of California, to commit criminal sexual conduct.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, assisted by the Sacramento Hi-Tech Crimes Task Force and other local law enforcement departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexis Klein and Christina McCall are prosecuting the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.

Source: US FBI

LOS ANGELES – A Culver City man agreed to plead guilty to recklessly operating a drone that crashed into and damaged a Super Scooper firefighting aircraft fighting the Palisades Fire earlier this month, the Justice Department announced today.

Peter Tripp Akemann, 56, has agreed to plead guilty to one count of unsafe operation of an unmanned aircraft. This morning federal prosecutors filed a criminal information charging Akemann with the misdemeanor offense that carries a prison sentence of up to one year in federal prison.

In a plea agreement also filed this morning, Akemann agreed to plead guilty to the criminal offense and admitted to his reckless and illegal conduct in flying the drone that posed an imminent safety hazard to the Super Scooper crew. As a result of the drone collision, the firefighting aircraft was taken out of service for a period of time and was not able to continue its firefighting mission. As part of the plea agreement, Akemann agreed to pay full restitution to the Government of Quebec, which supplied the plane, and an aircraft repair company that repaired the plane. Akemann also agreed to complete 150 hours of community service in support of the 2025 Southern California wildfire relief effort.

“This defendant recklessly flew an aircraft into airspace where first responders were risking their lives in an attempt to protect lives and property,” said Acting United States Attorney Joseph T. McNally. “This damage caused to the Super Scooper is a stark reminder that flying drones during times of emergency poses an extreme threat to personnel trying to help people and compromises the overall ability of police and fire to conduct operations. As this case demonstrates, we will track down drone operators who violate the law and interfere with the critical work of our first responders.”

“Lack of common sense and ignorance of your duty as a drone pilot will not shield you from criminal charges,” said Akil Davis, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “Please respect the law, respect the FAA’s rules and respect our firefighters and the residents they are protecting by keeping your drone at home during wildfires.”

Akemann is expected to make his initial appearance this afternoon in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles. 

According to the plea agreement, while the wildfire was burning in and around Pacific Palisades on January 9, Akemann drove to the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica and parked his vehicle on the top floor of the parking structure. He then launched a drone and flew it towards Pacific Palisades to observe damage caused by the Palisades Fire.

Akemann flew the drone at least 2,500 meters (more than 1.5 miles) toward the fire and lost sight of the drone. As Akemann was flying the drone, it collided with a Government of Quebec Super Scooper carrying two crewmembers attempting to fight the blaze. The impact caused an approximately 3-inch-by-6-inch hole in the left wing. After landing, maintenance personnel identified the damage and took the aircraft out of service for repairs.

At the time of the collision, the Federal Aviation Administration had issued temporary flight restrictions that prohibited drone operations near the Los Angeles County wildfires that erupted earlier this month.

As a result of the collision, the Government of Quebec and an aircraft repair company incurred costs of at least $65,169 to repair the plane.

The FBI investigated this matter. The Department of Transportation’s Office of Inspector General, the Federal Aviation Administration, the Los Angeles Fire Department, and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CALFIRE) provided substantial assistance.

Assistant United States Attorneys Kedar S. Bhatia and Ian V. Yanniello of the Terrorism and Export Crimes Section are prosecuting this case.

Source: US FBI

SANTA ANA, California – A Riverside County man was sentenced today to 188 months in federal prison for catfishing a preteen girl he met on an online gaming platform and persuading her to send him sexually explicit photos of herself and, later, of her five-year-old relative.

John Matthew Piecuch, 64, of Hemet, was sentenced by United States District Judge John W. Holcomb, who scheduled a May 1, 2025, restitution hearing in this matter.

Piecuch pleaded guilty in July 2024 to one count of production of child pornography. He has been in federal custody since August 2021.

“Online games and platforms can allow child predators to hide behind fake identities and lure children into sharing private information,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph McNally. “It is critical that we hold these predators accountable and convey a message of zero tolerance for those who prey on our youth. I also urge parents everywhere to monitor their children’s online activity to ensure their health and safety.”

Piecuch met on Roblox, an online gaming platform, an individual identified in court documents as “Minor Victim 1,” a 12-year-old-girl. Piecuch told the victim he was a 13-year-old boy.

In January 2021, Piecuch and Minor Victim 1 texted each other, during which time he persuaded her to send him sexually explicit images of herself. Piecuch also persuaded Minor Victim 1 to take and send him sexually explicit photographs of Minor Victim 2, a five-year-old girl, her relative.

Minor Victim 1’s mother saw some of the text messages between her daughter and Piecuch on the girl’s mobile device, which prompted her to contact law enforcement, according to court documents.

Once he completes his prison sentence, Piecuch will remain on supervised release for the rest of his life.

The FBI investigated this matter in conjunction with the Carroll County (Maryland) Sheriff’s Office.

Assistant United States Attorney Sonah Lee of the Riverside Branch Office is prosecuting this case