Posts

Posted on

Rensselaer Felon Pleads Guilty to Unlawfully Possessing Ammunition

Source: US FBI

ALBANY, NEW YORK – James Edwards, age 30, of Rensselaer, New York, pled guilty today to unlawfully possessing multiple rounds of ammunition.

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.

In pleading guilty, Edwards admitted that on October 8, 2024, inside of his Rensselaer residence, he unlawfully possessed more than 40 rounds of various caliber ammunition.  A prior felony conviction prevented Edwards from lawfully possessing the ammunition. 

When he is sentenced on August 5, 2025, Edwards faces a maximum term of fifteen years in federal prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release up to three years.  A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors. 

The FBI is investigating the case with the assistance of the Rensselaer Police Department and the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Rick Belliss is prosecuting the case, as a part of Project Safe Neighborhoods.

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.  Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.  As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psn.

Posted on

U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico Weekly Immigration and Border Crimes Report

Source: US FBI

ALBUQUERQUE – Today, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico announced its immigration enforcement statistics for this week. These cases are prosecuted in partnership with the El Paso Sector of the U.S. Border Patrol, along with Homeland Security Investigations El Paso, and assistance from other federal, state, and county agencies.

In the one-week period ending May 2, 2025, the United States Attorney’s Office brought the following criminal charges in New Mexico:

  • 79 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Reentry After Deportation (8 U.S.C. 1326)
  • 11 individuals were charged this week with Alien Smuggling (8 U.S.C. 1324)
  • 12 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325)
  • 130 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325) and 50 U.S.C. 797, violation of a military security regulation, arising from the newly established National Defense Area in New Mexico.

Many of the defendants charged pursuant to 18 U.S.C. 1326 had prior criminal convictions for alien smuggling, felon in possession, criminal sexual contact, and DUI.

Protecting law enforcement officers is a key part of border security. During this time period, two plainclothes Border Patrol agents near Santa Teresa, New Mexico, attempted to stop a suspicious Jeep Liberty believed to be involved in human smuggling. After stopping the vehicle, the agents questioned the driver, Roberto Jaciel Vazquez-Sanchez, and asked to see his phone, where they observed evidence suggesting involvement in smuggling activity. When confronted, Sanchez attempted to lock his phone and physically resisted the agents, pushing, kicking, and striking one agent in the face during the struggle. The agents subdued Sanchez, placed him in handcuffs, and transported him to the Santa Teresa Border Patrol Station.

From the beginning of Fiscal Year 2025 through the end of February 2025, 40 El Paso Sector Border Patrol Agents have been assaulted, following 103 assaults in Fiscal Year 2024. U.S. Border Patrol is collaborating closely with the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to ensure that those who assault federal officers are brought to justice. This interagency cooperation is crucial in protecting the men and women who serve on the frontlines of our nation’s border security efforts and in deterring future attacks on law enforcement personnel.

These cases are 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.

These statistics represent prosecutions by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico only. The numbers do not include individuals apprehended by immigration enforcement officials and subjected solely to administrative process.

Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for the District of New Mexico. Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal history, including human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children.

The District of New Mexico consists of 33 counties and shares 180 miles of international border with Mexico.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys from Albuquerque and Las Cruces work directly with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners to prosecute immigration-related and other federal offenses.

Posted on

Shiprock Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Violent Assault

Source: US FBI

ALBUQUERQUE – A Shiprock man was sentenced to 4 years in prison for a brutal attack that left the victim with life-threatening injuries.

There is no parole in the federal system.

According to court documents, on January 1, 2024, Tyrell Jordan Benally, 26, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, assaulted Jane Doe at a residence in Shiprock, New Mexico. Benally repeatedly struck Jane Doe with a closed fist and strangled her until she lost consciousness. As a result, Jane Doe suffered serious bodily injury, including life-threatening injuries from the strangulation.

Upon his release from prison, Benally 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 Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and Department of Criminal Investigations. The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico is prosecuting the case. 

Posted on

Zuni Couple Sentenced for Violent Assault

Source: US FBI

ALBUQUERQUE – A Zuni Pueblo couple has been sentenced for a brutal assault in which they attacked a man in his home, prevented him from seeking help, and continued the assault in the presence of a witness and two minor children.

There is no parole in the federal system.

According to court records, on September 3, 2023, Shannon Concho, 47, and LouAnn Johnson, 29, both enrolled members of the Pueblo of Zuni, assaulted John Doe at his residence on the Zuni Pueblo. The incident began as a verbal dispute and rapidly escalated when Johnson repeatedly slapped the victim. Concho and Johnson then prevented the victim from calling for help by seizing his phones and attempting to access a bedroom where a witness and two minor children were present.

Concho continued the assault on John Doe by striking him over the head with a chair, nearly rendering him unconscious. Concho then instructed Johnson, who was wearing boots, to kick John Doe in the head. After Johnson complied, Concho continued the attack until Johnson alerted him that a witness had contacted law enforcement. Concho and Johnson fled the scene and remained at large until their subsequent apprehension in Arizona.

Concho was sentenced to 57 months in prison, and Johnson was sentenced to 24 months in prison. Upon their release, Concho and Johnson will be subject to three years of supervised release.

U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison 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 Zuni Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jesse Pecoraro. 

Posted on

US Attorney Announces District Election Officer for Alaska Ahead of Election Day

Source: US FBI

ANCHORAGE, Alaska – United States Attorney S. Lane Tucker announced today that Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Morgan J. Walker will lead the efforts of her Office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 5, 2024, general election. AUSA Walker has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer (DEO) for the District of Alaska, and in that capacity is responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of election day complaints of voting rights concerns, threats of violence to election officials or staff, and election fraud, in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.

United States Attorney Tucker said, “Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted in a fair and free election. Similarly, election officials and staff must be able to serve without being subject to unlawful threats of violence. The Department of Justice will always work tirelessly to protect the integrity of the election process.”

The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring and combatting discrimination and intimidation at the polls, threats of violence directed at election officials and poll workers, and election fraud. The Department will address these violations wherever they occur. The Department’s longstanding Election Day Program furthers these goals and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the electoral process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible federal election law violations.

Federal law protects against such crimes as threatening violence against election officials or staff, intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from interference, including intimidation, and other acts designed to prevent or discourage people from voting or voting for the candidate of their choice. The Voting Rights Act protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or inability to read or write in English).

United States Attorney Tucker stated that: “The right to vote is the cornerstone of American democracy.  We all must ensure that those who are entitled to vote can exercise that right if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice. In order to respond to complaints of voting rights concerns and election fraud during the upcoming election, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, AUSA/DEO Walker will be on duty in this District while the polls are open.”

In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on election day. The public can contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or tips.fbi.gov, or contact the local FBI Anchorage Field Office at (907) 276-4441.

Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ or by phone at 800-253-3931.

United States Attorney Tucker said, “Ensuring free and fair elections depends in large part on the assistance of the American electorate. It is important that those who have specific information about voting rights concerns or election fraud make that information available to the Department of Justice.”

Please note, however, in the case of a crime of violence or intimidation, please call 911 immediately and before contacting federal authorities. State and local police have primary jurisdiction over polling places, and almost always have faster reaction capacity in an emergency.

###

Posted on

Leader of Anchorage Drug Trafficking Conspiracy Gets 20 Years for Trafficking Fentanyl, Methamphetamine

Source: US FBI

ANCHORAGE, Alaska – The leader of an Anchorage drug trafficking conspiracy was sentenced today to 20 years in prison and five years’ supervised release for dealing fentanyl and methamphetamine in Anchorage.

According to court documents, in 2022, Nigel Ivory, 29, of Anchorage, was released from prison after serving a federal sentence and began selling drugs in and around the Anchorage area.

During the investigation, officials conducted three controlled purchases of drugs from Ivory between October 2022 and March 2023. During the first controlled purchase in October 2022, Ivory sold over 111 grams of methamphetamine and 98 fentanyl pills for $3,800. In January 2023, Ivory sold 282 fentanyl pills for $1,950. In March 2023, Ivory sold over 276 grams of methamphetamine and 487 fentanyl pills for $5,000.

In February 2023, officials seized over $55,000 in cash that Ivory attempted to transport from Anchorage to Fort Wayne, Indiana, on a commercial flight. Ivory attempted to smuggle the cash by hiding it inside three tennis shoes in a checked bag. The cash had trace amounts of methamphetamine, cocaine and fentanyl on it. Later that month, officials also seized over 180 fentanyl pills from a co-conspirator during a traffic stop. Investigators uncovered text messages from Ivory directing the co-conspirator to hide the fentanyl pills from police.

On June 22, 2023, officials simultaneously executed search warrants for two residences associated with Ivory, one of which was Ivory’s primary address. At 6:30 a.m., agents announced their presence outside Ivory’s residence. Ivory and a co-defendant did not come outside and surrender until 7:00 a.m. Upon searching the residence, agents recovered over $18,000 in U.S. currency, a money counter, drug packaging material, over 160 fentanyl pills, some of which were partially dissolved and scattered in a toilet bowl, two firearms and ammunition.

In April and May 2023, law enforcement seized three additional packages, each containing more than a kilogram of fentanyl pills, from co-conspirators in the case, in which Ivory was involved in trafficking. The following co-conspirators were also charged in this case:

  • Brandon Beltz, 33, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl on Aug. 13, 2024, and is awaiting sentencing.
  • Jack Breitenstein died of an apparent fentanyl overdose after spending nine months on pretrial release and the charges against him were dismissed on April 11, 2024. 
  • Wilanda Jackson, 23, is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and one count of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute and is awaiting trial.
  • Don’Tia Nikolai, 21, is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and one count of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute and is awaiting trial. 

As a result of the investigation, the defendant is accountable for 5.3 kilograms of fentanyl and over 380 grams of methamphetamine. Ivory pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and one count of distribution of methamphetamine and fentanyl in April 2024.

“Fatal drug overdoses rose over 44% this past year, with the majority involving fentanyl, posing a grave threat to Alaskans,” said U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker for the District of Alaska. “Keeping fentanyl out of our communities is a top priority, and we urge the public to report any drug trafficking activities to law enforcement. We will continue to work closely with law enforcement to investigate and prosecute those who conspire to traffic dangerous drugs in our state.”

“Mr. Ivory callously trafficked massive quantities of deadly fentanyl pills into and throughout Alaska, poisoning our communities and destroying lives in the process,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Zachary Pomerantz of the FBI Anchorage Field Office. “This investigation, worked alongside our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners, represents one of highest fentanyl seizures known in Alaska, underscoring the FBI’s commitment to disrupting and dismantling drug trafficking organizations that threaten the safety of our communities.”

“Your Alaska State Troopers will continue to work with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to hold anyone that traffics dangerous drugs such as fentanyl accountable for their actions,” stated Alaska State Troopers Colonel Maurice Hughes. “I hope that this significant prison sentence serves as a deterrent to those that are peddling drugs in our state. To those trafficking dangerous drugs in Alaska, know that law enforcement will catch up to you, arrest you, and prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law.”

The FBI Anchorage Field Office, Alaska State Troopers, Anchorage Police Department, IRS Criminal Investigation and U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, with assistance from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Schroeder prosecuted the case.

UPDATE: This release has been updated to include the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service and U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

###

Posted on

Jemez Man Pleads Guilty to Sexual Abuse of Minors

Source: US FBI

ALBUQUERQUE – A Jemez man pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual abuse of a minor.

According to court documents, Tyler Chinana, 35, an enrolled member of the Jemez Pueblo, admitted that in 2012, he engaged in unlawful sexual contact with a minor victim who was under the age of 12 at the time. In a separate incident, Chinana also admitted that in November 2022, he engaged in similar unlawful sexual contact with a second minor victim who was also under the age of 12.

At sentencing, Chinana faces up to life in prison followed by no less than five years and up to life of supervised release.

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

The FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with the assistance of the Jemez Pueblo Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Meg Tomlinson and Timothy Trembley are prosecuting the case.

Posted on

Pinehill Man Receives 27 and One Half Years Prison Sentence for Fatal Family Shooting

Source: US FBI

ALBUQUERQUE – A Pinehill man was sentenced today to 27and a half years in prison for a fatal family shooting.

There is no parole in the federal system.

According to court documents, on the morning of December 22, 2023, Ellery Brent Yazzie, 38, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, fatally shot his father and brother, shot and seriously injured his sister, and tried to shoot his mother in their family home. Yazzie then attempted to take his own life, but he survived.

Upon his release from prison, Yazzie will be subject to five 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 Ramah Navajo Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Caitlin L. Dillon and Jena Ritchey are prosecuting the case. 

Posted on

Hudson County Man Charged with Production, Distribution, and Possession of Child Pornography, and Coercion and Enticement

Source: US FBI

NEWARK, N.J. – A Hudson County, New Jersey man was arrested for allegedly inducing multiple minors to send him sexually explicit videos and pictures over online platforms, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.

Julian Nova, 19, of Bayonne, New Jersey is charged by complaint with two counts of production of child pornography, two counts of coercion and enticement, one count of distribution of child pornography, and one count of possession of child pornography. Nova appeared on April 17, 2025, before U.S. Magistrate Judge James B. Clark, III in Newark federal court and was detained.

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

In or around October and November 2023, Nova coerced multiple minor victims to produce child pornography, which he then distributed online. After gaining the victims’ trust, including by posing as a teenage girl, Nova enticed the victims to send child pornography of themselves. Nova then blackmailed the minor victims into producing additional child pornography, some of which included acts of self-degradation, by threatening to distribute the existing images and videos to the minor victims’ family and friends if they did not comply.

The charges of production of child pornography carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison, a maximum potential penalty of 30 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine. The charges of coercion and enticement carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum penalty of life imprisonment, and a $250,000 fine. The charge of distribution of child pornography carries a mandatory minimum of 5 years in prison, a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine. The charge of possession of child pornography carries a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of the FBI’s Child Exploitation Operational Unit with the investigation leading to the charges.  She also thanked the FBI Newark’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence Reilly for their assistance.

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 the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) in the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit: https://www.justice.gov/psc.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Kober of the Criminal Division in Newark and Trial Attorney Adam Braskich of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section.

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

                                                                       ###

Defense counsel: Carol Dominguez, Esq.

Posted on

California Drug Supplier Receives Life for Role in Fentanyl Overdose Death of Fairbanks Man

Source: US FBI

FAIRBANKS, Alaska – A California drug supplier was sentenced today to life in prison for his connection to the fatal fentanyl overdose of a Fairbanks man in October 2020.

Junior Gafatasi Tulali, 48, was convicted by a federal jury of distributing fentanyl resulting in death with an enhanced statutory penalty on April 19, 2024. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, around Oct. 13, 2020, Tulali agreed to sell 500 Oxycodone M30 pills to a Florida resident who agreed to distribute the pills in Fairbanks, where they could be sold for a higher price than Outside. The pills were shipped in a parcel from California and arrived in Fairbanks on Oct. 17. Inside the parcel were at least 480 counterfeit Oxycodone M30 pills containing a mixture of acetaminophen and an unknown amount of fentanyl.

The individual who retrieved the shipment distributed the counterfeit pills to several other dealers in the area. On Oct. 26, the victim purchased two pills from the shipment. Sometime between the evening of Oct. 26 and Oct. 28, the victim used the pills he obtained and was found dead in his home on Oct. 28. Medical examiners determined cause of death was acute toxic effects of fentanyl, which was contained in the pills that originated from Tulali.

Evidence presented at trial connected two additional non-fatal fentanyl overdoses to Tulali’s shipment of counterfeit pills. Both of the dealers in Fairbanks who were involved in selling the fentanyl pills to the victim were convicted for their role in the offence in 2022.

“In 2023, Alaska had the highest overdose death rate in the nation. Fentanyl poisoning is devastating our state, largely due to drug suppliers like Mr. Tulali, who gamble with human lives every time they sell a counterfeit pill,” said U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker for the District of Alaska. “Thanks to the outstanding investigative and prosecutorial work done in this case, we traced the pills that tragically killed the victim back to the source and held three people accountable for the irreparable damage they caused. My office is committed to collaborating with law enforcement at all levels to keep fentanyl out of our communities and prosecute those who jeopardize that mission.” 

“Fentanyl traffickers like Mr. Tulali are willing to risk the lives of their customers in order to make money peddling drugs,” said David F. Reames, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division. “The sentence today shows that these actions have grave consequences, a lesson Mr. Tulali will spend many years learning.”

“This case is a great example of how far our officers are ready to go to make sure we provide justice for victims in our community. We take our job of protecting  Fairbanks seriously and will continue to hold criminals responsible when they threaten the safety of our residents,” said Fairbanks Police Chief Ron Dupee.

The Drug Enforcement Administration, Fairbanks Police Department, North Pole Police Department and Alaska State Troopers, with assistance from the FBI Anchorage Field Office, investigated the case as part of the Fairbanks Area Narcotics Team (FANT) High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys and Carly Vosacek and Alana Weber prosecuted the case.

###