MIL Security Engine-1

Source: US FBI

ALBUQUERQUE – A Thoreau man was sentenced to five years of supervised probation for the accidental shooting of his friend during a drunken altercation in 2022.

According to court documents, on August 20, 2022, Gerrick Mariano, 27, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, and John Doe were drinking and shooting Mariano’s recently purchased AR-15 at Doe’s home, located on the Navajo Nation. Mariano pointed his new rifle at one of Doe’s pets, which upset Doe, who demanded Mariano leave his home. This angered Mariano, who then pointed his rifle at Doe’s chest, intending to frighten Doe. Doe quickly pushed the barrel away, which resulted in Mariano inadvertently pulling the trigger once. The bullet struck John Doe in his upper-right shoulder.

Post-crime photo of the weapon on Doe’s bed.

Doe required an airlift to a hospital. Mariano initially said the shooting was accidental and alleged Doe had been attempting suicide. Interviewed later, Mariano admitted responsibility and apologized to Doe. Doe continues to experience pain and restricted movement because of the gunshot injury.

Mariano will be subject to five years of supervised probation. During this period, he cannot consume alcohol or drugs, he must maintain gainful employment or enroll in school, and he must not break any additional laws—federal, state, or tribal. Should he do so, Mariano will face the revocation of probation, which could result in a prison sentence. As a convicted felon, Mariano cannot possess any sort of gun.

Acting U.S. Attorney Holland S. Kastrin and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Department of Investigation, New Mexico State Police, and New Mexico Park Rangers. Assistant United States Attorney Zachary Jones is prosecuting the case.

Source: US FBI

ALBUQUERQUE – A Farmington man has pleaded guilty to assault resulting in serious bodily injury, while his wife has pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting in connection with a violent assault in 2023.

According to court records, on July 28, 2023, during an argument, Renauldo Sandoval, 40, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, slammed Jane Doe into a wall and strangled her, causing her to fall to the ground. Lisa Sandoval, 39, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, then pinned Jane Doe to the ground.

At sentencing, Renauldo and Lisa both face up to 10 years in prison followed by three years of supervised release.

Acting U.S. Attorney Holland S. Kastrinand Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Police Department and the Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Meg Tomlinson is prosecuting the case.

Source: US FBI

ALBUQUERQUE – Santiago Martinez pleaded guilty in federal court to voluntary manslaughter for the death of his girlfriend, DeAnna Autumn Leaf Suazo, a talented Indigenous artist, following a late-night argument in November 2021.

According to court records, on November 12, 2021, Santiago Martinez and his girlfriend, DeAnna Suazo, were at their shared home, where they consumed alcohol and listened to music in her vehicle. Early in the morning hours, the couple engaged in a heated argument outside their home about the future of their relationship, during which Suazo reiterated her desire to end things. The argument escalated into a physical altercation, leading to Martinez intentionally running over Suazo with her SUV, resulting in her death due to mechanical asphyxia and blunt trauma

Although Martinez had consumed alcohol, he acknowledged being aware of his actions and their wrongfulness at the time of the incident.

DeAnna Autumn Leaf Suazo (Diné, Taos Pueblo) was a talented artist and the daughter of Native American artists Geraldine Tso, a Navajo artist, and David Gary Suazo, a Taos Pueblo painter. She celebrated her Indigenous heritage through figural paintings of strong Indigenous women, blending traditional and contemporary styles with inspiration from Japanese manga. Suazo’s work was exhibited nationwide, including at the IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts and the Balzer Contemporary Edge Gallery. In 2022, IAIA established the DeAnna Autumn Leaf Suazo Memorial Fund for Indigenous female artists in the MFA in Studio Arts Program, honoring her legacy and contributions to the art world.

DeAnna pictured with her artwork courtesy of David Gary Suazo

At sentencing, Martinez faces between 10 and 15 years in prison followed by not less than three years of supervised release.

Acting U.S. Attorney Holland S. Kastrinand Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The Santa Fe Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Taos Pueblo Department of Public Safety. Assistant United States Attorneys Zachary Jones and Nora Wilson are prosecuting the case.

Source: US FBI

ALBUQUERQUE – A Ramah man is facing charges in federal court for allegedly shooting at a vehicle, injuring one person.

According to court documents, on March 18, 2025, a vehicle driven by John Doe swerved to avoid a collision with a blue Jeep driven by Leon Garcia, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation. After the near-miss, John Doe followed Garcia‘s vehicle to a residence on the Ramah Navajo Reservation. There, Garcia allegedly exited his Jeep armed with a rifle and fired multiple shots at John Doe’s car. As John Doe attempted to turn the vehicle around, Garcia allegedly shot at it multiple times. Garcia also fired again as the vehicle drove away.

Garcia is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon and will remain in custody pending trial, which has not been set. If convicted of the current charges, Garcia faces up to 10 years in prison.

Acting U.S. Attorney Holland S. Kastrin and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

The Gallup Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Ramah-Navajo Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brittany DuChaussee is prosecuting the case.

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Source: US FBI

NEWARK, N.J. – A citizen of El Salvador who was previously convicted for double homicide and sentenced to 50 years in prison in El Salvador, was charged with illegally reentering the United States, Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna announced.

César Eliseo Sorto-Amaya, 28, was charged today by complaint with illegally reentering the United States and appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge José R. Almonte in Newark federal Court.

According to documents filed in this case, public statements and statements made in court:

Since 2015, Sorto-Amaya was deported from and illegally returned to the United States three separate times, including one time where he was deported after being convicted of weapons possession charges in Elizabeth, New Jersey. In April 2024, Sorto-Amaya was convicted in abstentia in El Salvador of double aggravated homicide and sentenced to 50 years in prison.

Acting U.S. Attorney Khanna credited special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Newark, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Ricky Patel, Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Enforcement and Removal Operations, under the direction of Field Office Director John Tsoukaris, and law enforcement authorities in El Salvador, with the investigation.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Stern of the Opioid Abuse Prevention and Enforcement Unit in Newark.

The charges and allegations contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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Defense counsel: Carol Dominguez, Esq.

Source: US FBI

NEWARK, N.J. – Thirteen members of an international network that stole thousands of shipments of iPhones and other electronic devices around the United States were charged today, Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna, District of New Jersey, announced.

Demetrio Reyes Martinez, a/k/a “CookieNerd,” 37, of the Dominican Republic, Andrickson Jerez, 28, of Bronx, NY, Edickson Lora Castillo, 24, of New York, NY, Raimond Cabrera De Leon, 31, of New York, NY, Luis Marte Tavares, 33, of Brooklyn, NY, Frederick Duverge Guzman, 26, of New York, NY, rgJulio Vasquez Sanchez, a/k/a “BotTrack,” 30, of Brooklyn, NY, Alejandro Then Castillo, 45, of Paterson, NJ, Wilson Peralta Tavarez, 28, of Belleville, NJ, Ecker Montero Hernandez, 25, of Paterson, NJ, Jean Luis Diaz Dominguez, a/k/a “Botija,” 24, of Paterson, NJ, Luis Nunez, 23, of Paterson, NJ, and Joel Suriel, a/k/a “La Melma,” 31, of Brooklyn, NY, were each charged in Count One of the Criminal Complaint unsealed today with conspiracy to transport and receive stolen property.

In addition, Then Castillo and Peralta Tavares were charged in Count Two of the Criminal Complaint with wire fraud conspiracy. Finally, Jerez and Then Castillo (Count Three) and Lora Castillo (Count Four) were each charged with one count transportation of stolen property.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

The defendants were part of an international and nationwide ring involved in the widespread theft of electronic device shipments from FedEx and other carriers.  The ring identified valuable packages to steal through two primary means:  (1) the creation and use of automated computer scripts, developed by Reyes Martinez and others, to scrape data from the public and customer-facing tracking systems of FedEx and Victim-1, a major U.S. cellular provider; and (2) bribing corrupt Victim-1 employees such as Then Castillo and Peralta Tavares to provide confidential information about Victim-1 customers, including orders, names, tracking numbers, and delivery addresses.

This criminal network operated in layers with some members, referred to as “dispatchers,” obtaining and selling the delivery information and others, referred to as “runners,” purchasing this delivery information and stealing the packages.

Jerez, Cabrera De Leon, and Marte Tavares operated a major “fence” location out of a residential building in the Bronx, where an almost constant stream of people brought stolen devices for sale.  Suriel ran a fence location in Brooklyn where he received bulk deliveries of devices stolen across the country, including by Ecker Montero, Nunez, and Diaz Dominguez, who traveled around the country stealing iPhones, iPads, Samsung phones and other electronic devices.  On one occasion where FedEx security seized stolen iPhones from a shipment sent by Nunez and Diaz Dominguez, Nunez complained to FedEx customer service that his iPhones had been stolen.

Then Castillo and Peralta Tavarez were Victim-1 retail store employees who accepted bribe payments in exchange for providing confidential customer information from Victim-1’s order tracking system.

Lora Castillo, Duverge Guzman, and Vasquez Sanchez were dispatchers who sold and provided runners with delivery addresses, tracking numbers and customer names.  They also directed runners to fence locations to sell the stolen devices.

Count One carries a maximum prison sentence of 5 years imprisonment and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross amount of gain or loss resulting from the offense.  Count Two carries a maximum prison sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross amount of gain or loss resulting from the offense.  Counts Three and Four each carry a maximum prison sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross amount of gain or loss resulting from the offense.

“These defendants are alleged to have worked together as part of an international ring to steal thousands of expensive electronic devices, which caused millions of dollars of losses to the victims.  They are alleged to have done so by harnessing technology through the use of computer scripts which gave them access to shipping information, including individuals’ names and their home addresses.  My office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to pursue these types of criminals no matter where in the world they are and seek justice for their victims.”

Acting United States Attorney Vikas Khanna

“As alleged, the defendants, both here and abroad, victimized American customers and businesses alike by targeting, tracking, and stealing their valuable electronic shipments. The new-age ‘porch pirates,’ these accused criminals tailored their alleged scheme to the modern times, but were stopped short of doing so successfully. HSI New York and our law enforcement partners continue to adapt as brazen bad actors relentlessly try — and fail — to find new illicit money-making methods. I thank HSI Newark, the NYPD, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, the FBI, and our many counterparts for their unified and unwavering support,” stated Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), New York Field Office Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Alfonso.

“These alleged members of this international crime ring traveled the country stealing goods, for monetary profit; compromising customers’ privacy and hijacking the cellular providers’ business flow.”  FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly warns that “No matter how elaborate or invasive a criminal ring may be, we will break the chain of criminality and bring the perpetrators to justice.

Acting U.S. Attorney Khanna credited special agents of Homeland Security Investigations, New York Field Office, under the direction Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Alfonso, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly, the New York City Police Department under the direction of Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch, and the Union County Prosecutor’s Office under the direction of Prosecutor William Daniel and Chief Harvey Barnwell with the investigation leading to these charges.

Acting U.S. Attorney Khanna also thanked the Dominican Republic’s Procuraduría Especializada Contra los Crímenes y Delitos de Alta Tecnología (PEDATEC), (Specialized Prosecutor’s Office for High Technology Crimes and Offenses) and HSI’s Newark Field Office for their collaboration in this matter.

In 2024 New Jersey experienced a surge of over 400 identified package thefts targeting cellular devices.  To combat this threat, Union County Prosecutor’s Office (NJ) partnered with New Jersey State Police Real Time Crime Center North and FBI Newark to spearhead a task force of investigators from impacted jurisdictions along with federal, state, and county agencies to collaborate on emerging intelligence. Through private sector partnerships, collusive employees were identified. Prospective delivery information was also shared amongst the task force to proactively identify, surveil, and arrest individuals involved in package theft within New Jersey. The following agencies are credited with contributing:

Cranford Police Department, Sparta Police Department, Moorestown Police Department, Barnegat Police Department,  Paterson Police Department, Belleville Police Department, Department of Homeland Security-U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Enforcement and Removal Operations, Port Authority Police Department, Edison Police Department, Woodbridge Police Department, Rahway Police Department, Elizabeth Police Department, Kenilworth Police Department, Plainfield Police Department, Westfield Police Department, Summit Police Department, Linden Police Department, Scotch Plains Police Department, Berkeley Heights Police Department, Union County Police Department, Mountainside Police Department, Hillside Police Department, Fanwood Police Department, Clark Police Department, New Providence Police Department, Roselle Police Department, Roselle Park Police Department, Springfield Police Department, Union Police Department, Wayne Police Department, South Amboy Police Department, Brick Police Department, Wyckoff Police Department, Rutherford Police Department, Carlstadt Police Department, Oakland Police Department, Glen Rock Police Department, Fort Lee Police Department, Montvale Police Department, Little Falls Police Department, Wallington Police Department, Englewood Police Department, Leonia Police Department, Bloomfield Police Department, Fair Lawn Police Department, Closter Police Department, Verona Police Department, Elmwood Park Police Department, Clifton Police Department,  Woodcliff Lakes Police Department, Cresskill Police Department, Palisades Park Police Department, Hillsdale Police Department, Franklin Lakes Police Department, Warren Township Police Department, Caldwell Police Department, Fairview Police Department, New Milford Police Department, Bergenfield Police Department, Branchburg Police Department, Wayne Police Department, Paramus Police Department, Jersey City Police Department, Secaucus Police Department, Randolph Police Department, Teaneck Police Department, Middlesex Police Department, Montvale Police Department, Manalapan Police Department, Toms River Police Department, Riverdale Police Department, Morristown Police Department, Dover Police Department, Roxbury Police Department, Montville Police Department, Parsippany Police Department, Denville Police Department, Chatham Township Police Department, Morris County Sheriff’s Office, Passaic County Sheriff’s Office, North Brunswick Police Department, New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice, Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, Morris County Prosecutor’s Office, Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office, Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office, Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office.

Defendants Andrickson Jerez, Edickson Lora Castillo, Luis Marte Tavares, Raimond Cabrera De Leon, Alejandro Then Castillo, Wilson Peralta Tavares, Ecker Montero Hernandez, and Joel Suriel, a/k/a “La Melma,” are scheduled to appear before Hon. José R. Almonte, U.S.M.J. this afternoon at the U.S. District Court in Newark.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David E. Malagold of the Cybercrime Unit and Trevor A. Chenoweth of the OCDETF/Narcotics Unit in Newark

The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Source: US FBI

TRENTON, N.J. – Three men have pleaded guilty in connection with a bribery and fraud investigation pertaining to business at Newark Liberty International Airport (“Newark Airport”), Caroline Sadlowski, Attorney for the United States, announced.

Edward Dolphin, 65, of Tomball, Texas, pleaded guilty on February 19, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Quraishi in Trenton federal court, to an Information charging him with conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud. James Wajda, 59, of Cement City, Michigan, pleaded guilty on February 19, 2025, before District Judge Quraishi, to an Information charging him with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Ronald Delucia, 70, of Wayne, New Jersey pleaded guilty today before District Judge Quraishi to a two-count Information charging conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud (Count One) and conspiracy to commit wire fraud (Count Two).

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

Dolphin was an employee of an airline that operated at Newark Airport. From at least as early as 2014 through in or about April 2017, he was an Airport Operations Hub Vendor Manager, and from in or about April 2017 through in or about November 2022, he was a Manger of Hub Business Partners. In his positions at the airline, Dolphin was able to influence which companies would be awarded certain contracts. Dolphin traded this influence for bribes and kickbacks. For example, Dolphin received bribes from Delucia, who was Chief Operating Officer and later Chief Executive Officer of a company that provided a range of services to airlines at Newark Airport, including the airline for which Dolphin worked. Delucia’s company paid Dolphin up to $31,500 per month, totaling $1 million, in exchange for Dolphin’s assistance in securing work for Delucia’s company. In addition, Dolphin received approximately $70,000 from another vendor in exchange for Dolphin’s influence in the process of awarding a busing contract. Dolphin received approximately $278,000 from another vendor in exchange for his influence in the process of awarding a snow removal contract. Finally, Dolphin received approximately $262,000 in exchange for his influence in the process of awarding an aircraft cleaning contract. In total, Dolphin received over $1.6 million in bribes and kickbacks.

Wajda was the Chief Operating Officer for a Des Plaines, Illinois based company that provided various services to an airline at Newark Airport, including cabin cleaning services. In or about December 2021, the company had a contract with the airline to load provisions onto the airline’s planes. In or about March 2022, Wajda conspired with Delucia, agreeing that Delucia’s company would invoice Wajda’s company for a “dispatcher” to assist in the transportation of the provisions, as if Wajda’s company had subcontracted Delucia’s company to assist in dispatching the trucks transporting provisions to the aircraft. Delucia’s company then fraudulently invoiced Wajda’s company for work that Delucia’s company did not in fact provide, and Wajda’s company paid the invoices. Delucia then kicked back a portion of the fraudulently obtained funds to Wajda through Wajda’s personal limited liability company. Pursuant to this agreement, Delucia’s company invoiced Wajda’s company $150,000 for services that were never rendered. Wajda, in turn, received approximately $38,600 from this scheme.

In addition to pleading guilty to the conduct involving Dolphin and Wajda, Delucia also admitted his role in conduct involving Alok Saksena, Anthony Rosalli, and Lovella Rogan, who each previously pleaded guilty in this investigation. Rosalli, Saksena, and Rogan all held positions with the airline that enabled them to influence which companies the airline would award certain contracts to at Newark Airport. The defendants conspired to receive bribes and kickbacks from Delucia’s company in exchange for helping Delucia’s company obtain lucrative airline contracts at Newark Airport.

For example, in or about September 2021, Delucia’s company bid on a contract to renovate restrooms at Newark Airport. Saksena, Rosalli, and Rogan sat on the selection committee and each of them voted to award the contract to the company. In exchange for their  help in obtaining the $19.7 million restroom renovation contract, and with the expectation that they would use their positions to help the company obtain future contracts, Delucia’s company agreed to pay for significant renovations at their personal residences, including renovating and building bathrooms, renovating a deck, installing floors and sheetrock, and renovating a kitchen. Delucia’s company also gave them valuable items, including electronics and jewelry. The total value of the bribes paid was approximately $539,000 to Saksena; approximately $276,000 to Rosalli; and approximately $409,000 to Rogan.

“The defendants exploited their positions within their respective companies to enrich themselves while defrauding others. Defendants’ commercial bribery and fraud corrupts the fairness of our economic system. We will hold to account those who break the law to line their own pockets.”

Attorney for the United States Caroline Sadlowski

“The schemes conceived and executed by these individuals to defraud the airline operating out of Newark Airport are reprehensible. The individuals who benefited with monetary and other high-value gain are being held responsible for the bribery and corruption they had hoped would fly under the radar,” Newark Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly said.

“Blatant corruption like this erodes public trust and robs honest businesses of fair opportunities,” said Port Authority Inspector General John Gay. “This case is a stark example of individuals exploiting their positions for personal gain, putting greed ahead of the public good. We’re grateful for the partnership of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the FBI as we root out fraud, hold bad actors accountable, and protect the integrity of the systems that keep our region moving.”

Dolphin, Wajda, and Delucia each face a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000 on each count. Sentencing for Dolphin is scheduled for June 24, 2025. Sentencing for Wajda is scheduled for June 24, 2025. Sentencing for Delucia is scheduled for July 1, 2025.

Attorney for the United States Caroline Sadlowski credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly in Newark, investigators from the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Inspector General John Gay, and special agents of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Thomas Mahoney, with the investigation leading to the charges.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine J. Calle and Francesca Liquori of the Special Prosecutions Division in Newark.

All other co-conspirators identified in the Informations are presumed innocent until proven guilty. 

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Defense counsel: David Wikstrom, Esq., Counsel to Edward Dolphin

                            Paul Flannery, Esq., Counsel to James Wajda

                            Paul Faugno, Esq., Counsel to Ronald Delucia

Source: US FBI

NEWARK, N.J. – A New York woman has been charged with fraudulently obtaining more than $1,000,000, Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna announced.

Raena Fuller, 28, of Yaphank, New York, had her initial appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge José R. Almonte in Newark.

According to the Complaint:

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act was a federal law enacted in or around March 2020 that was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act enabled the Small Business Association (“SBA”) to offer funding through the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (“EIDL”) program to business owners negatively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

In or around September 2021, an application was made to the SBA for an EIDL on behalf of a business. In total, the SBA provided approximately $1,200,000 in response to the application. According to a representative of the business, the business did not make the application. Fuller eventually received a portion of SBA funds. In addition, Fuller was involved in additional criminal activity concerning fraudulent checks and received additional proceeds from her criminal acts.

The charge of wire fraud is punishable by a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of the greater of $250,000, twice the gross profits or twice the gross loss suffered to the victims of his offense.

Acting U.S. Attorney Khanna credited special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Franklin Township Resident Agency, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly, and special agents of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan in Newark with the investigation leading to today’s arrest.

The government is represented by Senior Trial Counsel Andrew Kogan of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Cybercrime Unit in Newark.

The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations and the defendant is considered innocent unless and until proven guilty. 

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Defense counsel: A. Charles Peruto, Jr., Philadelphia, PA

Source: US FBI

NEWARK, N.J. – Yesterday, a complaint was unsealed charging an Arizona man for his role in a conspiracy to misappropriate government funds used to support low-income individuals with HIV, Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna announced.

Brent Lee, 51, of Phoenix, Arizona, was charged by complaint with one count of bank fraud conspiracy and one count of theft of government funds. Lee appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Deborah M. Fine in the District of Arizona.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

In January 2023, a municipality in Hudson County, New Jersey, issued five checks totaling approximately $1M to a nonprofit charitable organization.  The funds for four of the checks originated from a federal grant program that funds a comprehensive system of primary medical care, medications, and essential support for low-income people with HIV.  Yet, as alleged in today’s complaint, the nonprofit organization never received the checks.

Instead, as alleged, in February and March 2023, Lee conspired with others to use a fraudulent business entity to misappropriate nearly all of the funds derived from the checks.  In February 2023, Lee filed articles of incorporation in Wyoming for a business entity with a name nearly identical to the nonprofit’s, and opened a bank account for that entity.  From February to March 2023, the checks were deposited into that account, and Lee paid himself, a family member, and various other individuals nearly all the proceeds via cash withdrawals, cashier’s checks, and wire transfers.  As a result, the bank recorded a loss of approximately $1M.

The charge of bank fraud conspiracy carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a maximum fine of $1,000,000, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest.  The charge of theft of government funds carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense.

Acting U.S. Attorney Khanna credited special agents and members of the FBI’s Public Corruption and Civil Rights Unit in Newark, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly, and the New Jersey Field Office of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Naomi Gruchacz, with the investigation leading to the charges and arrest.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael A. Hardin of the U.S. Attorney’s Opioid Abuse Prevention and Enforcement Unit in Newark.

The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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Defense Counsel: Jazmin Alagha, Esq.

Source: US FBI

LAS VEGAS – A Las Vegas man who was employed as a second-grade teacher was sentenced Monday by United States District Judge James C. Mahan to nine years in prison to be followed by 20 years of supervised release for distributing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) via, Kik, a social media messaging application.

According to court documents, between April 11, 2021 and August 23, 2021, Alexander Scott Derringer (38) distributed over 130 CSAM files through two accounts on the mobile application Kik messenger. Of these files, approximately 59 of those files were recovered from two cellphones, both owned by Derringer. These files were among the approximately 2,584 images and 269 videos of CSAM found in the aggregate of both devices. The images and videos depicted minors as young as infants.

The Henderson Police Department identified Derringer after receiving two CyberTips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that an individual using an IP address associated with Derringer’s residence uploaded and shared CSAM with other users and groups.

In June 2024, Derringer pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of child pornography.

“Mr. Derringer abused his position of public trust to prey on those we expected him to protect,” said Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans of the FBI Las Vegas Division. “Every time child pornography is viewed on the internet, it re-victimizes a child. The sexual exploitation of children is among the most unscrupulous crimes we investigate, and today’s sentencing serves as a reminder that the FBI and our partners will work tirelessly to protect children from abuse and exploitation.”

United States Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Evans made the announcement.

The FBI-led Child Exploitation Task Force which consists of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, North Las Vegas Police Department, Henderson Police Department, Nevada Attorney General’s Office, and Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Afroza Yeasmin prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Justice Department. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, 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 www.justice.gov/psc.

Anyone with information on suspected child sexual exploitation can contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children by calling 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678) or online at https://report.cybertip.org.

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