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Source: US FBI

ANCHORAGE, Alaska – An Anchorage Police Department officer was convicted of 24 criminal counts today for his participation in a scheme to defraud a corporation of millions of dollars.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Nathan Michael Keays, 44, was friends with a ConocoPhillips employee, Forrest Wright, 44. The two conspired to use Keays’s foam insulation business, Eco Edge Armoring LLC, to defraud ConocoPhillips by approving contracts for goods and services that were never provided. Over the course of the scheme, Keays and Wright obtained more than $3 million from fraudulent bills. Wright pleaded guilty in March 2021 and is scheduled to be sentenced in May 2024.

The scheme started in 2019 when Wright was a Senior Drilling and Wells Planner with ConocoPhillips, where he was responsible for ordering materials and labor for drilling and wells projects. Wright had the authority to approve material and labor orders for up to $1 million and was trusted to recommend vendors for supplies.

Keays conspired with Wright to craft fraudulent emails and alter the Eco Edge Armoring LLC website to present the company as a major oil and gas services enterprise, when in fact, it had no employees and no ability to provide goods or services in the oil industry. Wright sent emails from his personal account to Keays’s personal account with instructions to send technical emails to Wright’s business account to establish Eco Edge Armoring LLC as an approved vendor. Wright would then forward these emails to other personnel within ConocoPhillips to ensure Keays’s company was approved as a frequently used vendor.

After achieving the approved vendor status, Keays submitted fraudulent invoices totaling over $3.2 million for materials that did not exist and labor that was never performed. Keays also submitted fraudulent timesheets in the name of nonexistent employees to make it appear that work had actually been performed. Wright used his position in the company to direct personnel to approve the payment of invoices by falsely representing that the nonexistent materials were delivered and accounted for and that the work outlined in the invoices was performed.

Keays received $3,087,720 in electronic payments from ConocoPhillips for the fraudulent material and labor through a bank account for Eco Edge Armoring LLC and split the proceeds with Wright by issuing checks to Spectrum Consulting, a shell entity created by Wright. In total, Keays personally received more than $1.4 million. Keays used his proceeds of the scheme for personal expenses, including paying off loans, purchasing real estate and buying cryptocurrency.  

Keays was convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, 11 counts of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering and 11 counts of money laundering.

“This successful conviction represents closure in a complex white-collar crime case and demonstrates that no one is above the law,” said U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker for the District of Alaska. “To anyone thinking of committing a financial crime, know that my office, in collaboration with our law enforcement partners across the state, will work vigorously to find you and prosecute you to the furthest extent of the law.”

“This verdict demonstrates the FBI’s commitment to investigate and hold accountable those who engage in fraudulent schemes for personal gain,” said Special Agent in Charge Rebecca Day of the FBI Anchorage Field Office. “With special agents, forensic accountants, and prosecutors who specialize in unraveling complex financial crimes, the FBI and our partners will continue to disrupt fraudsters and bring them to justice.”

The FBI Anchorage Field Office investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Heyman and James Klugman are prosecuting the case.

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Source: US FBI

STATESBORO, GA:  A man serving a life term in a Georgia state prison has been indicted on multiple federal charges for constructing and mailing bombs to federal facilities.

David Cassady, 55, an inmate at Phillips State Prison in Buford, Ga., is charged with Making an Unregistered Destructive Device; two counts of Mailing a Destructive Device; and two counts of Attempted Malicious Use of an Explosive, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.

There is no parole in the federal system.

“Protecting our personnel and facilities is a fundamental role of our office and of our law enforcement partners,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “We also will take action against inmates who seek to commit crimes and harm the public from behind bars.”

As described in the indictment returned by the April session of the Grand Jury in the Southern District of Georgia, Cassady was an inmate in the now-closed Georgia State Prison in Reidsville, Ga., in Tattnall County, when he constructed destructive devices and mailed two of them via U.S. Mail to the United States Courthouse and Federal Building in Anchorage, Alaska, and to a federal facility at 1400 New York Avenue NW in Washington, D.C.

The indictment alleges the bombs were sent in an attempt “to maliciously damage or destroy, by means of fire or explosive, a building in whole or in part owned or possessed by, or leased to, the United States,” and “created substantial risk of injury to a person.”

Criminal indictments contain only charges; defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

The case is being investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Marshals Service, the FBI Anchorage Office, Homeland Security Investigations Federal Protective Service, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, and the Georgia Department of Corrections Office of Professional Standards, and Prosecuted for the United States of America by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorney L. Alexander Hamner.

Source: US FBI

Director Christopher Wray has named Rebecca A. Day as the special agent in charge of the Anchorage Field Office in Alaska. Ms. Day most recently served as a section chief in the Critical Incident Response Group at FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C.

Ms. Day joined the FBI as a special agent in 2006 and was assigned to the Las Vegas Field Office, where she investigated organized crime and drug matters and served on the Evidence Response Team. In 2009, she transferred to the Fort Worth Resident Agency of the Dallas Field Office, where she investigated public corruption and civil rights violations.

In 2012, Ms. Day was promoted to a supervisory special agent in the Terrorist Financing Operations Section of the Counterterrorism Division at Headquarters, serving as a program manager. After returning briefly to Fort Worth, Ms. Day was selected in 2014 to serve as a field supervisor in the Tulsa Resident Agency of the Oklahoma City Field Office. In Tulsa, she oversaw all national security threats, including counterterrorism, counterintelligence, weapons of mass destruction, and cyber. She also served as the program coordinator of the Domestic Terrorism Program for the Oklahoma City Field Office.

Ms. Day was promoted in 2020 to assistant special agent in charge of the Oklahoma City Field Office’s Criminal Branch. She managed the response after a U.S. Supreme Court decision reaffirmed reservation land, expanding the FBI’s investigative and jurisdictional responsibilities related to Indian Country. Ms. Day also served as the SWAT commander and led the Crisis Negotiation Team and Operational Medical Program.

In 2022, Ms. Day was promoted to section chief of the Investigative and Operations Support Section in the Critical Incident Response Group at Headquarters, leading the Behavioral Analysis, Intelligence, and Security and Facilities units.

Ms. Day earned a Bachelor of Science in finance from East Central University in Oklahoma. Prior to joining the FBI, she worked as an accountant in the energy sector.

Source: US FBI

Source: US FBI

ANCHORAGE, Alaska – A Fairbanks man was sentenced today to 25 years in prison for coercing two minors to engage in sexually explicit conduct.

According to court documents, in September 2022, Leveron Moore, 40, enticed two minors, aged 15 and 16 at the time, for the purpose of coercive sexual exploitation.

Moore also used his cell phone to produce, attempt to produce and possess photos of sexually explicit conduct involving both minor victims and used an application on his phone to hide the images from law enforcement.

One of the minor victims reported the abuse to a local health official, and Moore was arrested by the FBI in March 2023. Moore had previously been separated from the U.S. Army while stationed at Fort Wainwright in lieu of a court martial after having been charged with the attempted sexual assault of an 18-year-old subordinate in 2016.

The defendant is required to serve 20 years’ supervised release as part of his sentence.

“Mr. Moore deliberately targeted two of Alaska’s most vulnerable community members and will now pay the price for his destructive actions,” said U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker of the District of Alaska. “We commend the tremendous bravery of both victims for disclosing Mr. Moore’s heinous conduct to officials. My office stands by our firm commitment to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute any instance of child exploitation.”

“Mr. Moore deliberately exploited and abused minors, the most vulnerable members of our community,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Kevin Vorndran of the FBI Anchorage Field Office. “The FBI will continue to work collaboratively with law enforcement partners and service providers to seek justice for these horrific crimes against children.”

The FBI Anchorage Field Office, with assistance from the Alaska State Troopers and the Fairbanks Police Department, investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Alexander prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the

Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

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Source: US FBI

ANCHORAGE, Alaska – An Anchorage woman was sentenced today to 30 years in prison for her role in a conspiracy to produce child sexual abuse materials.

According to court documents, Denali Brehmer, 22, and her co-conspirator Darin Schilmiller, 25, conspired to murder Cynthia Hoffman in June 2019 while Schilmiller was residing in Indiana. While they were conspiring to commit Hoffman’s murder, they also conspired to coerce a minor victim to produce sexually explicit images, which Brehmer took and sent to Schilmiller via text message.

Brehmer and Schilmiller pleaded guilty to production of child pornography in front of the U.S. District Court in July 2023. Schilmiller is awaiting sentencing. Both defendants were sentenced by the State of Alaska to 99 years in prison for their roles in Hoffman’s murder.

In delivering the sentence, the court ordered Brehmer to serve a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison and the rest of her life on supervised release.

“The harm Ms. Brehmer has caused to the victims and their families through the course of her conduct is unfathomable,” said U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker for the District of Alaska. “My office will continue our unwavering commitment to work with our law enforcement partners to protect Alaska’s children and seek justice against perpetrators who choose to commit these reprehensible crimes.”

“This sentencing underscores the unrelenting efforts by law enforcement and prosecutors, at every level, to ensure that none of Brehmer’s ruthless crimes went unanswered or unpunished,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Kevin Vorndran of the FBI Anchorage Field Office. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue to use every tool available to identify, investigate, and hold accountable those who exploit and harm our most vulnerable.”

“Denali Brehmer’s actions are beyond heinous,” said Anchorage Police Chief Michael Kerle.  “Overcoming the trauma the victim suffered due to Brehmer’s actions will be a life-long journey.  This case is an excellent example of why various law enforcement entities working together through the FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force is so vitally important.  Hopefully today’s sentencing will aid the victim in their healing process.”

The FBI Anchorage Field Office and Anchorage Police Department investigated the case as part of the FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Alexander prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

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Source: US FBI

ANCHORAGE, Alaska – A federal grand jury in Alaska returned an indictment charging an Anchorage man with being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition.

Court documents allege that on Sept. 7, 2023, Christopher Nickalaskey, 32, possessed multiple firearms and ammunition.

According to court documents and a press release from the Anchorage Police Department, on Oct. 1, 2023, Nickalaskey possessed a firearm during an encounter with police. The release alleges Nickalaskey was contacted by police and began to fight officers. During the altercation, Nickalaskey allegedly reached for a gun in his waistband and pulled the trigger, striking himself and an officer in the lower body.

At the time of both alleged events, Nickalaskey was a convicted felon. Nickalaskey was convicted of a drug crime in the Anchorage Superior Court in 2014 and of being a felon in possession of a firearm in the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska in 2021.

Nickalaskey is charged with two counts of felon in possession of firearms and ammunition. The defendant will make his initial court appearance on a later date before a U.S. Magistrate Judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker of the District of Alaska, Acting Special Agent in Charge Kevin Vorndran of the FBI Anchorage Field Office and Chief Michael Kerle of the Anchorage Police Department made the announcement.

The FBI Anchorage Field Office and Anchorage Police Department are investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Ivers is prosecuting the case.

An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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Source: US FBI

ANCHORAGE, Alaska – An Eagle River man was sentenced today to 35 years in prison for sexually abusing a minor in order to produce and possess child pornography.

According to court documents, Michael Vernon Ross, 32, began sexually abusing a 7-year-old child in 2017. The abuse occurred weekly and lasted for multiple years.

Ross documented some of the abuse through pictures and videos kept on his cell phone. The defendant was in possession of over 450 photos and 30 videos of varied length depicting his sexual abuse of the victim.

On Sept. 3, 2021, classmates of the victim told school staff that they believed the child was being abused. The school took appropriate and timely action to report the abuse to law enforcement, which led to the prompt investigation and prosecution of the defendant.

Ross pleaded guilty in September 2023 to one count sexual exploitation of a child for production of child pornography and one count possession of child pornography. Ross was sentenced to 35 years in federal prison, 25 years’ supervised release, and is required to pay over $28,000 in restitution.

In imposing the maximum sentence for the production of child pornography, the court noted that while it doesn’t have the power to “bring back the victim’s childhood, there can be provision for just punishment.”

“Mr. Ross’ actions were deplorable. He preyed on a member of our most vulnerable community and caused irreparable damage to those involved,” said U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker of the District of Alaska. “Individuals who choose to target children should expect to be vigorously investigated and prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s office in collaboration with our law enforcement partners. This case highlights why encouraging your children and peers to report suspected abuse is paramount, because it helps our teams continue to prioritize efforts to keep Alaska’s children safe.”

“The defendant’s years-long child exploitation crimes are among the most egregious and have no place in our society,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Brandon Waddle of the FBI Anchorage Field Office. “May this sentence serve as a reminder that the FBI and our law enforcement partners have zero tolerance for child predators, and will hold them accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”

“The Anchorage Police Department thanks the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the prosecution of these offenses.  The sexual exploitation of anyone is unacceptable in the Municipality of Anchorage and all communities.  The abuse of our youth is a serious matter that will be diligently investigated,” said APD CACU Detective S. Davies. “The Anchorage Police Department encourages anyone who learns of a disclosure of sexual abuse or sexual exploitation, or makes observations of those crimes, to please make a report.  It is our hope that the sentence received by Mr. Ross will bring closure to those involved and have a deterrent effect for others.”

The FBI Anchorage Field Office and Anchorage Police Department investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Seth Brickey and Adam Alexander prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the

Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

If you are a victim of child abuse or suspect someone you know is a victim, you can report to APD at ReportChildAbusetoAPD@anchorageak.gov or 3-1-1/(907) 786-8900, the state OCS at reportchildabuse@alaska.gov or 1(800) 478-4444, or the FBI at tips.fbi.gov.

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Source: US FBI

ANCHORAGE, Alaska – An Anchorage man was sentenced today to 20 years in prison, subsequent to his conviction by a federal jury of one count of possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute, one count of possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking and one count of felon in possession of firearms and ammunition in July 2023.

According to court documents, Charles Rashid Malik Lee, aka “Cheese,” 41, had been under investigation by federal authorities. The FBI And Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) executed a search warrant on Lee’s residence and vehicle in Anchorage in Oct. 2021.

Agents found Lee inside the residence in the process of flushing heroin down the toilet. Agents searched the residence and discovered a total of over 150 grams of meth, 100 grams of heroin and 90 grams of cocaine. According to evidence presented at trial, these drugs had a street value of over $54,000.

Agents also found tools commonly used by drug traffickers, including digital scales, branded baggies and two loaded handguns, among other items. It was later determined that one of the digital scales had Lee’s fingerprint on it. Agents also discovered over $165,000 in cash hidden in multiple locations around the residence, including in a crawl space.

“This successful prosecution shows that illegal drug distribution has no place in Alaska and will not be tolerated,” said U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker for the District of Alaska. “My office, in partnership with our law enforcement partners, will investigate and vigorously prosecute any perpetrator who chooses to distribute these dangerous drugs and seek justice for any damage they cause.”

“The defendant’s dangerous drug trafficking activities threatened the safety of our community and his own family,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Brandon Waddle of the FBI Anchorage Field Office. “Anyone who profits from violence and drug trafficking activities at the expense of public safety will be held accountable by the FBI and our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners.”

“Cases like this clearly demonstrate the resolve of the Drug Enforcement Administration and our partners in the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, to hold criminals such as Mr. Lee accountable for his actions,” said David F. Reames, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division. “We will not tolerate armed drug traffickers in our community, as the sentence in this case shows.”

The FBI Anchorage Field Office and the DEA Seattle Field Division investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Seth Brickey and Alana Weber prosecuted the case.

This investigation and prosecution were part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (“OCDETF”), which identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

UPDATE: This release has been amended to include a quote from FBI Anchorage.

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Source: US FBI

ANCHORAGE, Alaska – An Arizona man was sentenced to 10 years in prison for his role in an international drug trafficking ring targeting Alaska.

According to court documents, Joel Rascone, 30, of Yuma, Arizona, was a member of Miguel Guevara’s drug trafficking ring that smuggled over a dozen kilos of meth, heroin and cocaine from Mexico into Alaska for six years. As part of his role in the enterprise, Rascone sold heroin for the organization in Alaska and sent wire transfers to Guevara’s coconspirators and suppliers in Mexico.

Rascone had four felony convictions in the state of Arizona prior to this case, including theft, possession of a dangerous drug, and two convictions for attempted unlawful use of means of transportation. In the 2017 theft case, Rascone and two other men robbed a gas station in Yuma, Arizona, at knifepoint, all wearing masks over their faces.

Three other defendants in this case have already been sentenced or pleaded guilty:

• Miguel Guevara, a.k.a. “Javi,” 40, has entered a plea of guilty and it is awaiting acceptance from the Court.
• Serena Joseph, 41, pleaded guilty to drug conspiracy and money laundering and was sentenced to 63 months imprisonment.
• Washahiotha Zaragoza, 46, pleaded guilty to drug conspiracy and was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment.

Four additional co-defendants are believed to be at large in Mexico.

“These prosecutions mark another milestone in our fight against criminals who come to Alaska from Outside to traffic dangerous drugs that harm our communities,” said U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker for the District of Alaska. “Dismantling drug trafficking organizations is a priority for my office, and we will continue to partner with law enforcement to keep drugs out of our state and keep Alaskans safe.”

The FBI Anchorage Field Office, U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS) and the Drug Enforcement Administration Seattle Field Office led the investigation, with support from the Anchorage Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations Sells, Arizona Office, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, Alaska State Troopers, Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport Police and Alaska National Guard.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ainsley McNerney, Christopher Schroeder and William Taylor are prosecuting the case, with assistance from former Assistant U.S. Attorney Allison O’Leary. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, and law enforcement agencies in the state of Arizona provided additional support on the case.

This investigation and prosecution are part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (“OCDETF”), which identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

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