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Source: US FBI

ROCHESTER, NY—U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Stuart J. McHenry, 34, of Hornell, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with distribution and receipt of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum of 20 years, and a fine of up to $250,000. 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Katelyn M. Hartford, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, on July 5, 2024, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received a CyberTip from the instant messaging application Kik, which stated that Kik user “acman990,” uploaded approximately 24 files of suspected child pornography. A review of the files found that approximately 22 of the files constituted child pornography, which he sent to other users via private message. Subsequent investigation traced the account to the defendant.

During the course of the investigation, it was determined that McHenry works as a deputy for Steuben County Sheriff’s Office. On October 18, 2024, investigators seized two cellular telephones during the execution of a search warrant at McHenry’s Hornell residence. A forensic review of one of the phones determined that Kik was previously installed on the phone and located evidence of use of the Kik username acman990. A review of McHenry’s iCloud account recovered a number of sexually explicit conversations and child pornography on Kik, including the videos reported in the CyberTip as well as additional videos and images of child pornography.

McHenry made an initial appearance this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark W. Pedersen and was held pending a detention hearing.

The complaint is the result of an investigation by the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Kevin Sucher, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, and the Steuben County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Jim Allard. 

The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

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Source: US FBI

BUFFALO, N.Y.- U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Brayden Storey, 21, of West Fork, Arkansas, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with enticement of a minor, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Maeve E. Huggins, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, on  June 13, 2024, the West Seneca Police Department received a report from a minor victim of an incident involving an individual that she met online. The victim said that Storey first contacted her on Instagram in September 2022, when she was 13 years-old and he was 19 years-old. He also communicated with the minor victim through the social media platform Discord and text message. Between September 2022, and September 2023, they talked about video games and anime shows. At times, Storey made sexual comments, but in October 2023, the sexual communications that Storey sent to the minor victim significantly increased. Storey sent the minor victim a nude image of himself and repeatedly asked her to send him sexually explicit images. Between October 2023, and March 2024, Storey and the minor victim exchanged sexually explicit images.

In March 2024, the minor victim blocked Storey on all social media applications. As a result, he created another Instagram account to contact her. In April 2024, Storey called the minor victim approximately 50 times in a two-day span, but she did not answer the calls and blocked Storey’s phone number so that he could not contact her. In May 2024, Storey sent the minor victim a four-page letter in the mail at her residence, writing about his suicidal ideations and his desire to be in a relationship with her, regardless of their age difference. Along with the letter, Storey provided a lock of his hair. a search of the minor victim’s phone recovered nude images of Storey and child pornography.

Storey made an initial appearance in the Western District of Arkansas and was detained. He will be returned to the Western District of New York at a later date.

The complaint is the result of an investigation by the West Seneca Police Department, under the direction of Chief Brian Cosgrove, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia. Additional assistance was provided by the Little Rock Office of the FBI, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, the Benton County Sheriff’s Office, the Arkansas State Police, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Devon Still, with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Western District of Arkansas.

The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

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Source: US FBI

Burlington, Vermont – The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that on March 27, 2025, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Tremaine Knight, also known as “Brody,” 43, of Hartford, Connecticut, with murder-for-hire and distribution of fentanyl, cocaine, and cocaine base.

Knight’s arraignment will occur on April 3, 2025, before United States Magistrate Judge Judith G. Dein, in Burlington. Knight was ordered detained pending further proceedings on March 25, 2025, following issuance of a complaint charging him with drug distribution on March 20, 2025.

According to court records, law enforcement, working with a confidential informant (“CI”), conducted five controlled purchases of drugs from Knight between February and March 2025. The first three buys occurred in Massachusetts, and the last two buys occurred in Brattleboro, Vermont, with Knight traveling from Hartford to meet the CI. During the first Vermont buy, Knight sold to the CI approximately 140 grams of powder cocaine and over 40 grams of fentanyl, and during the second, Knight sold the CI approximately 150 grams of powder cocaine, 30 grams of cocaine base, and 85 grams of fentanyl.

During one of the Massachusetts buys, Knight asked the CI if the CI would be willing to kill a man who had disrespected and stolen from Knight. Knight offered $10,000 for the man’s death. In subsequent conversations and during the subsequent buys, Knight provided the CI with additional details regarding the man’s identity and the plan for the murder. During one of the Vermont buys, Knight paid the CI a $1,000 deposit for the murder by canceling a drug debt. Knight was taken into custody following that buy.

The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that an indictment contains allegations only and that Knight is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. For the murder-for-hire charge, Knight faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted. Because the charged drug distributions involved 40 or more grams of fentanyl, Knight faces a minimum of five years and a maximum of 40 years if convicted. The actual sentence, however, would be determined by the District Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors.

Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher commended the investigatory efforts of the Vermont State Police-Vermont Drug Task Force, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Vermont State Police Westminster Barracks, the Western Massachusetts FBI Gang Task Force, the Northern Connecticut FBI Gang Task Force, the Brattleboro, Vermont Police Department, and the Hartford, Vermont Police Department.

The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Corinne Smith. Knight is represented by Sarah Star, Esq., and the Office of the Federal Public Defender.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

Source: US FBI

Burlington, Vermont – The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that on March 27, 2025 a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Willard Perry, 66, of Milton, Vermont, with possession of child sexual abuse materials (CSAM), also known as child pornography.  

Perry entered a plea of not guilty to the charge during an arraignment on March 28, 2025 before United States District Judge Geoffrey W. Crawford. Judge Crawford ordered that Perry be released on conditions, including that Perry provide the probation officer with a complete and current inventory of the number of media storage devices and electronic devices capable of internet access that he uses or possesses, and that he not use an internet-capable device until an Internet Use Plan is developed and approved by the Probation Officer.

According to court records, law enforcement uncovered on Perry’s computer thousands of photos and videos, most of which law enforcement believes contain child sexual abusive material, including content involving the sexual assault of prepubescent girls.

The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that an indictment contains allegations only and that Perry is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. Perry faces up to 20 years’ incarceration if convicted. The actual sentence, however, would be determined by the District Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors.

Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher commended the investigatory efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Arra. Perry is represented by Brooks G. McArthur, Esq.

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 Justice.gov/PSC.

Source: US FBI

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Quashawn Pettiford, age 34, of Syracuse, was sentenced today to 71 months in federal prison for Interference With Commerce Through Robbery. United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement.

As part of his prior plea agreement, Pettiford admitted that on January 11, 2022, he and two others entered a gas station in Salina, New York, wearing masks. The other two individuals carried BB guns that appeared to be real firearms. Those individuals pointed the BB guns at the store clerk and one of them pressed a gun into the clerk’s neck while directing the clerk to open the cash register. Pettiford further admitted that he and the other robbers took approximately $1,200 in merchandise from the store shelves, approximately $1,495 from the cash register, and $513 from the clerk’s wallet.

Chief United States District Judge Brenda K. Sannes also imposed a 3-year term of supervised release to begin after Pettiford is released from prison. Pettiford was also ordered to pay restitution to the victims of the offense and to forfeit the $3,208 proceeds of the offense.

FBI investigated the case with assistance from the New York State Police, Syracuse Police Department, DeWitt Police Department, and Onondaga County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew J. McCrobie and Thomas R. Sutcliffe prosecuted the case.

Source: US FBI

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Davon Hunter, age 27, of Richmond, Virginia, Christian Quivers, age 20, of Richmond, and Crystal Kurschner, age 44, of Brooklyn, New York, have pled guilty for their respective roles in a bank fraud conspiracy. United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement.

As part of their pleas, Hunter, Quivers, and Kurschner each admitted that they were members of a conspiracy to defraud financial institutions all over the country by obtaining the personal identifying information (“PII”) of victims and using lower-level “workers” to impersonate the identity-theft victims to conduct fraudulent banking transactions in their names.  As part of a plea agreement entered today, Quivers admitted that he was a supervisor in the conspiracy and relayed instructions he obtained from supervisors, including Oluwaseun Adekoya, Kani Bassie, and Hunter, to lower-level members of the conspiracy who impersonated identity-theft victims and conducted fraudulent transactions in their names.  As part of a plea agreement entered earlier this week, Kurschner admitted that she was a “worker” who impersonated identity-theft victims and provided most of the fraud proceeds to her supervisors.  Earlier this month, Hunter admitted that he was a manager of the conspiracy who received directions and PII from supervisors including Adekoya and Bassie and orchestrated fraudulent transactions on their behalf.

Hunter and Quivers each pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.  Kurschner pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud. 

These remaining defendants are charged as follows in the second superseding indictment: 

• Adekoya, age 39, a Nigerian citizen living in Cliffside Park, New Jersey, is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, one count of money laundering conspiracy, and nine counts of aggravated identity theft;
• Bassie, age 36, of Brooklyn, is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, one count of money laundering conspiracy, and two counts of aggravated identity theft; and
• Jermon Brooks, age 20, of Richmond, Virginia, is charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.

As to these defendants, the charges in the second superseding indictment are merely accusations. These remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

The prosecution is the result of an ongoing investigation led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and FBI-Albany, which began after the May 2022 arrest of Daniyan, Gaysha Kennedy, age 46, of Brooklyn, and Victor Barriera, age 64, of the Bronx, by the Cohoes Police Department after the trio traveled to the Capital Region to commit bank fraud.  According to documents previously filed in the case, the investigation has uncovered over $1.7 million in fraudulent transactions to date.  Eleven defendants have pled guilty and forfeited hundreds of thousands of dollars in proceeds, luxury apparel, and jewelry.

At sentencing later this year, Hunter, Quivers, and Kurschner each face a maximum term of 30 years’ incarceration for the bank fraud conspiracy, and Hunter and Quivers each face a mandatory consecutive term of 2 years’ incarceration for their convictions of aggravated identity theft.  The defendants will be ordered to pay restitution and will also face a term of post-incarceration supervised release of up to 5 years. 

FBI Albany is investigating the case, with assistance from the FBI Field Offices in New York, Newark, Richmond and Resident Agencies in Westchester, New York; Brooklyn/Queens, New York; Garrett Mountain, New Jersey; and Fort Walton Beach, Florida.  Additional assistance was provided by other law enforcement agencies, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Enforcement & Removal Operations (New York Field Office & Albany sub-office); U.S. Department of State Diplomatic Security Service (Buffalo Field Office & St. Albans Resident Office); U.S. Social Security Administration – Office of the Inspector General; New York law enforcement agencies including the New York State Police; Cohoes PD; Colonie PD; Elmira PD; Corning PD; Plattsburgh PD; Florida law enforcement agencies including the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office and Escambia County Sheriff’s Office; the Pennsylvania State Police; Alabama law enforcement agencies including the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office, Gasden PD, and Rainbow City PD; Georgia law enforcement agencies including the Georgia State Patrol, Bartow County Sheriff’s Office, and Morrow PD; Kansas law enforcement agencies including Lawrence PD and Overland Park PD; New Hampshire law enforcement agencies including Rochester PD, Manchester PD, and Amherst PD; the Delaware State Police; Maryland law enforcement agencies including the Maryland State Police, Harford County Sheriff’s Office and Baltimore County Sheriff’s Office; Wisconsin law enforcement agencies including Onalaska PD and Eau Claire PD; and Indiana law enforcement agencies including the Allen County Sheriff’s Office.

Assistant United States Attorneys Benjamin S. Clark and Joshua R. Rosenthal are prosecuting this case.

Source: US FBI

Frank Twing, Sr., of West Stockbridge, Massachusetts, has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for the sexual exploitation of a 15-year-old victim.

Source: US FBI

ALBUQUERQUE – A Dulce woman has been charged with aggravated sexual abuse and abandonment of a child after an FBI investigation revealed allegations that she repeatedly sexually and physically abused minors over several years.

According to court documents, Muniz is charged with aggravated sexual abuse and abandonment of a child and will remain in third party custody pending trial, which has not been set. If convicted of the current charges, Muniz faces up to life in prison.

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

The Farmington Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Jicarilla Apache Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eliot Neal 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

ALBUQUERQUE – An Arizona man was sentenced to 22 years in prison for the prolonged sexual abuse of a minor over nearly a decade in the Navajo Nation.

There is no parole in the federal system.

According to court documents, between May 16, 2009, and May 15, 2012, Cedric Martinez, 31, engaged in unlawful sexual contact with a minor victim, who was under the age of 12, at a residence in Upper Fruitland, New Mexico, within the Navajo Nation.

Upon his release from prison, Martinez will be subject to fifteen years of supervised release and must register as a sex offender.

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

The Farmington Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant United States Attorneys Brittany DuChaussee and Meg Tomlinson are prosecuting the case. 

Source: US FBI

ALBUQUERQUE – A Zuni Pueblo man has been sentenced to 12 years in prison following an armed standoff with law enforcement.

There is no parole in the federal system.

According to court documents, on July 6, 2024, law enforcement responded to a disturbance at a residence in Zuni, where Eric Bowannie, 28, barricaded himself inside his home and fired multiple rounds at responding Zuni Police Department officers. During the incident, Bowannie charged an officer with an ax, retrieved a shotgun and a rifle, and repeatedly fired at officers positioned outside the residence. FBI agents arrived on scene and also came under fire as they attempted to negotiate a peaceful surrender.

After a prolonged standoff and multiple exchanges of gunfire, Bowannie attempted to flee the area but was apprehended by local law enforcement without further incident. A subsequent search of the property recovered 57 spent casings and five spent shotgun shells.

On November 13, 2024, Bowannie pleaded guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon and to using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.

Upon his release from prison, Bowannie will be subject to three years of supervised release.

U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison 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 FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Zuni Police Department. U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Assistant United States Attorney Kirk Williams are prosecuting the case.