MIL Security Engine-1

Source: US FBI

Jacksonville, Florida – United States District Judge Wendy W. Berger has sentenced Joshua Grady Earrey (46, Jacksonville) to nine years in federal prison for multiple federal offenses including one count of conspiring to distribute narcotics, one count of conspiring to defraud the United States, and one count of possessing firearms and ammunition while addicted to illegal narcotics. As part of the sentence, Earrey also agreed to forfeit or abandon the money, firearms, and ammunition involved in these offenses. He entered a guilty plea on April 4, 2024.

According to court documents, while employed as a Florida Highway Patrol Trooper and designated Task Force Officer with the Drug Enforcement Administration, Earrey and a co-conspirator engaged in extensive corrupt activity from 2021-2023. These acts included the theft of money and illegal drugs that were seized as evidence during criminal investigations; providing illegal drugs (including fentanyl and cocaine) to others to distribute on their behalf; and providing ammunition to an individual that Earrey knew to be a convicted murderer in exchange for opiates. Earrey and his co-conspirator stole more than 1,000 pounds of marijuana from evidence and provided the drugs to others to sell on their behalf. They covered up the theft by submitting falsified paperwork showing that the marijuana had been destroyed. Similarly, they stole a kilogram of cocaine from evidence and then gave it to a drug dealer to sell for them.

“Law enforcement officers who operate as though they are above the law betray the badge and the citizens they swore to protect,” said FBI Jacksonville Acting Special Agent in Charge Hubert Reynolds. “This case exemplifies the FBI’s commitment to holding public servants accountable if they violate the very laws they promised to uphold.”

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service — Criminal Investigation, with assistance from U.S. Customs and Border Protection. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William S. Hamilton. The United States Attorney’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection wish to thank the Florida Highway Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for their cooperation during this investigation.

Source: US FBI

ANCHORAGE, Alaska – An Anchorage man was arrested last night at his residence on criminal charges related to his alleged receipt, distribution and possession of child sexual abuse materials (CSAM).

According to court documents, on Aug. 13, 2024, Anthaney O’Connor, 25, reported another individual to law enforcement, who he claimed wanted to commit sexual assaults against minors. He alleged the other individual sent him CSAM and links to applications known to be utilized by individuals seeking sexually explicit materials portraying minors.

Law enforcement searched O’Connor’s phone. Upon review, law enforcement discovered that O’Connor possessed two images of CSAM that the individual allegedly sent him. Law enforcement also discovered information indicating that O’Connor discussed creating virtual reality generated CSAM using a photo someone had surreptitiously taken of a prepubescent boy at a local store. O’Connor allegedly possessed roughly six artificial intelligence (AI)/cartoon drawing/images depicting CSAM, four CSAM images and two videos containing CSAM.

Law enforcement executed a search warrant on O’Connor’s residence on Dec. 19, 2024, and agents discovered additional CSAM images and videos on his computer, some of which were AI images/anime depicting prepubescent children. Law enforcement also discovered two electronic storage devices and a computer hard drive hidden in the vents of O’Connor’s bedroom closet. The contents of these devices are pending review.

O’Connor is charged with one count of receipt of child pornography, one count of distribution of child pornography and two counts of possession of child pornography. If convicted, O’Connor faces up to 20 years in prison for each count. 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 for the District of Alaska and Special Agent in Charge Rebecca Day of the FBI Anchorage Field Office made the announcement.

The FBI Anchorage Field Office and Anchorage Police Department are investigating this case as part of the FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, with assistance from the U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Mac Caille Petursson is prosecuting 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.

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

UPDATE: This release has been amended to include U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations as an assisting agency. 

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Source: US FBI

ANCHORAGE, Alaska – A Palmer man was sentenced today to 25 years in prison followed by a life term of supervised release for attempting to create child sexual abuse materials by hiding a cell phone in a bathroom at a local supermarket.

According to court documents, Jesse Damon, 35, hid a cell phone and an attached external battery pack behind a vent in the family bathroom at a supermarket in Palmer in an attempt to create child pornography. An employee discovered the phone after noticing that the vent cover was loose.

Supermarket employees opened the video recording application on the hidden cell phone and saw an individual, later identified as Damon, as he inadvertently recorded himself in the process of hiding the phone. Employees ensured the store surveillance cameras were recording the entrance of the family bathroom and notified law enforcement after the camera captured Damon attempting to recover the phone he had hidden.

Law enforcement responded and contacted Damon after his return to the supermarket. A search warrant was issued for Damon’s electronic devices and law enforcement determined that he had secretly recorded a number of individuals, mostly adults, between May 21-24, 2022. Of the individuals captured in Damon’s attempts to create child sexual exploitation material, two were children under the age of 12. The investigation also revealed that Damon had also received and distributed “commercial” images depicting child sexual abuse through the use of digital applications such as Kik, Dropbox and Mega Link.

At the time of his arrest in this case, Damon was on supervision following his prior conviction for possession of child pornography in 3:08-cr-00039-RRB-MMS.

During the sentencing, the court recognized the bravery and strength of the victims in this case, and highlighted the defendant’s serious danger to the public through his recidivist actions.

“Mr. Damon is a repeat offender who presented an escalating danger to our community,” said U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker for the District of Alaska. “I commend the vigilant supermarket employees whose swift actions played a crucial role in the successful investigation and prosecution led by the FBI and Palmer Police Department. My office remains unwavering in its commitment to protecting children in our community by working collaboratively to identify, investigate and prosecute those who seek to exploit vulnerable Alaskans.”

The FBI Anchorage Field Office and Palmer Police Department, with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service and Federal Probation Office, 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

           WASHINGTON – Taylor Taranto, 39, of Pasco, Washington, was convicted by a federal judge yesterday of illegally carrying two firearms without a license, unlawfully possessing ammunition, and false information and hoaxes, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and FBI Assistant Director in Charge Steven J. Jensen of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Crimes.

           U.S. District Court Judge Carl J. Nichols found Taranto guilty of all charges and will schedule a sentencing hearing after ruling on the defense’s request to release Taranto pending sentencing.

           On June 28, 2023, near National Harbor, Maryland, Taranto broadcast a livestream of himself as he sat behind the wheel of his van. He stated that he had been “working on a detonator” and indicated to his audience that he would drive a car bomb into the National Institute of Standards and Technology. His target was a neutron reactor housed at the NIST campus. He then drove over the Wilson Bridge to Alexandria, Virginia, where he parked his van in the middle of the street and ran away from it, demonstrating to his audience how he would create the appearance of an emergency.

           The FBI’s Washington Field Office and the Joint Terrorism Task Force mobilized immediately to find Taranto, alerting regional law enforcement agencies of the potential bomb threat. The following day, the FBI discovered Taranto’s location when he broadcast another livestream that showed him driving around D.C.’s Kalorama neighborhood. Law enforcement officers arrested Taranto at Kalorama and discovered that the bomb threat was a hoax. When law enforcement officers searched his vehicle, they found two firearms, multiple magazines, and hundreds of rounds of ammunition.

           This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carlos Valdivia and Samuel White. 

Source: US FBI

This month marks the 11th anniversary of the disappearance of Paul Edwin Overby Jr. from Afghanistan. In May 2014, Overby, an American writer, disappeared in Khost Province, Afghanistan, where he was conducting research for a self-authored book. Prior to his disappearance, Overby indicated that he planned to visit Pakistan to further his research. 

“The dedicated men and women of the FBI remain relentless in our pursuit for answers about Paul’s disappearance,” Assistant Director in Charge Steven J. Jensen said. “As we mark yet another year without him, we are committed and will not rest until we return him to his family where he belongs. We renew our public call for information that could help bring him home.”

In May 2018, the FBI Washington Field Office announced a reward of up to $1 million for information that leads to the location, recovery, and return of Overby. Additionally, the U.S. State Department’s Rewards for Justice program is offering a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to Overby’s location, recovery, and return. Both rewards remain unclaimed. 

If you have information to share, call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324) or submit a tip at tips.fbi.gov. You can also contact the nearest American embassy or consulate. Tips can remain anonymous. 

Source: US FBI

ANCHORAGE, Alaska – The Justice Department today announced the court-authorized seizure of 27 internet domains associated with some of the world’s leading DDoS-for-hire services, as well as criminal charges against two defendants who allegedly oversaw computer attack platforms commonly called “booter” services.

Federal law enforcement is now seizing the websites that allowed paying users to launch powerful distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks that flood targeted computers with information and prevent them from being able to access the internet.

Booter services such as those named in this action allegedly attacked a wide array of victims in the United States and abroad, including educational institutions, government agencies, gaming platforms and millions of people. In addition to affecting targeted victims, these attacks can significantly degrade internet services and can completely disrupt internet connections.

The websites targeted in this operation were used to launch millions of actual or attempted DDoS attacks targeting victims worldwide. While some of these services claimed to offer “stresser” services that could purportedly be used for network testing, the FBI and DCIS determined these claims to be a pretense, and “thousands of communications between booter site administrators and their customers…make clear that both parties are aware that the customer is not attempting to attack their own computers,” according to an affidavit filed in support of court-authorized warrants to seize the booter sites.

“Booter services facilitate cyberattacks that harm victims and compromise everyone’s ability to access the internet,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada for the Central District of California. “This week’s sweeping law enforcement activity is a major step in our ongoing efforts to eradicate criminal conduct that threatens the internet’s infrastructure and our ability to function in a digital world.”

“Cybercrime service providers, such as those criminals operating DDoS for hire booter websites, affect victims in Alaska and across the world,” said United States Attorney S. Lane Tucker for the District of Alaska.  “Because of the scope of the threat, we have partnered with law enforcement in the United States and abroad to achieve meaningful disruptions of these services in order to protect critical internet infrastructure and services.”

“Whether you launch a DDoS attack or hire a DDoS service to do it for you, the FBI considers it a crime.  Cybercriminals are increasingly targeting essential services and our critical infrastructure with DDoS attacks that can cost victims valuable time, money and reputational harm,” said Akil Davis, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI Los Angeles Field Office. “With the FBI’s mix of unique authorities, capabilities, and partnerships, potential users and administrators should think twice before buying or selling these illegal services. Victims of cybercrime are urged to contact their local FBI field office or file a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov.”

“DDoS attacks are a potent cyber weapon with the proven potential to disrupt critical information systems and infrastructure,” said Special Agent in Charge Kenneth DeChellis of the Defense Criminal Investigative Services (DCIS), Cyber Field Office.  “Today’s action against DDoS-for-hire services demonstrates the resolve of the DCIS and global law enforcement partners to disrupt the use of these services by hacktivist groups and cybercriminals.”

“In this coordinated law enforcement effort, the FBI seized and disabled powerful computer attack platforms that offered DDoS-for-hire services,” said Special Agent in Charge Rebecca Day of the FBI Anchorage Field Office. “This action demonstrates our shared commitment with domestic and international law enforcement partners in combatting cybercrime and defending our digital infrastructure.”

Law enforcement has conducted interviews with U.S. customers of these services, with future interviews expected, and authorities are continuing to investigate both administrators and customers of booter services around the world.

This coordinated law enforcement action comes shortly before the Christmas holiday period, which typically brings a significant increase in DDoS attacks across the internet.

Relatedly, one defendant has been charged federally in Los Angeles and one defendant has been charged federally in Anchorage, Alaska, in connection with DDoS-for-hire services.

Central District of California

Prosecutors in Los Angeles this week unsealed one indictment charging one defendant with running booter services.

Ricardo Cesar Colli, a.k.a. “TotemanGames,” 22, of Brazil, is charged with conspiracy to violate and violating the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act related to the alleged operation of a booter service named Securityhide.net (formerly known as Securityhide.com).

Assistant United States Attorney Aaron Frumkin of the Cyber and Intellectual Property Crimes Section is prosecuting the case. Assistant United States Attorney James E. Dochterman of the Asset Forfeiture and Recovery Section is handling the seizure of the domains.

District of Alaska

Prosecutors in Alaska have indicted one defendant with being the administrator of significant booter services. That indictment remains under seal, as the United States continues to work with international partners to pursue an arrest and extradition.

Assistant United States Attorneys Adam Alexander, Ainsley McNerney, and Seth Brickey are prosecuting the case. 

In conjunction with the website seizures, Homeland Security Investigations, the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency, and the Netherlands Police have launched an advertising campaign using targeted placement ads in search engines, which are triggered by keywords associated with DDoS activities. The purpose of the ads is to deter potential cyber criminals searching for DDoS services in the United States and around the globe, as well as to educate the public on the illegality of DDoS activities.

In recent years, booter services have continued to proliferate as they offer a low barrier to entry for users looking to engage in cybercriminal activity. These types of DDoS attacks are so named because they result in the “booting” or dropping of the targeted computer from the internet. For additional information on booter and stresser services and the harm that they cause, please visit: https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/anchorage/fbi-intensify-efforts-to-combat-illegal-ddos-attacks. 

The cases announced today are being investigated by the FBI’s Anchorage and Los Angeles field offices, Defense Criminal Investigative Service’s Cyber East and Cyber West field offices, and HSI’s Columbus field office, with additional support provided by the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division.

Invaluable assistance was provided by Germany’s Bundeskriminalamt (BKA); the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency; the Netherlands Police; Polish Central Cybercrime Bureau; Brazilian Federal Police, High Tech Crimes Coordination; EUROPOL; and the Brandon Police Service in Manitoba, Canada. Akamai, Cloudflare, Digital Ocean, Entertainment Software Association, Flashpoint, Google, Oracle, PayPal, Unit 221B, the University of Cambridge, and other valued private sector partners provided additional assistance.

These law enforcement actions were taken in conjunction with Operation PowerOFF, an ongoing, coordinated effort among international law enforcement agencies aimed at dismantling criminal DDoS-for-hire infrastructures worldwide, and holding accountable the administrators and users of these illegal services.

In previous law enforcement actions involving prosecutors and investigators in Los Angeles and Anchorage over the last four years, the Justice Department charged nine defendants who facilitated DDoS-for hire services and seized more than 75 internet domains associated with DDoS-for-hire services. The multi-prong investigation announced today builds on the success of the prior cases by targeting all known booter sites, shutting down as many as possible, and undertaking a public education campaign.

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

NORFOLK, Va. – A Suffolk man was sentenced today to 25 years in prison for sexual exploitation of children.

According to court documents, Gary Owens Jr., 42, of Suffolk, engaged in a scheme to “catfish” teenage boys. Using images of a real, adult woman, including sexually explicit images, Owens pretended to be a minor female named “Jessica Lincon” on Instagram before enticing boys to Kik to obtain sexually explicit images and videos from them.

Owens exploited children over at least a five-year period from 2019 to 2023 and amassed a collection of at least 1,800 images and videos of child sexual abuse material and age questionable material. Law enforcement identified at least 35 minor victims in 2022 alone.

Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Sean Ryan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth W. Hanes. This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. Significant assistance was provided by the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Laura D. Withers and Rebecca Gantt prosecuted the case.

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

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-78.

Source: US FBI

The Justice Department announced on May 5, 2025, that Assertio Therapeutics, Inc., formerly known as Depomed, Inc., a pharmaceutical company headquartered in Lake Forest, Illinois, has agreed to pay $3.6 million to resolve claims that Assertio violated the False Claims Act by causing the submission of false claims for the transmucosal immediate-release fentanyl drug Lazanda for individuals who did not have breakthrough cancer pain.

The settlement was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., Acting Assistant Attorney General Yaakov Roth of the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Deputy Inspector General Christian J. Schrank of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, and FBIActing Assistant Director Darren Cox of the Criminal Investigative Division.

Lazanda, a fentanyl nasal spray, is approved by the FDA solely for break-through cancer pain in patients who are already receiving and who are tolerant to opioid therapy for their underlying persistent cancer pain. The United States alleges that between 2013 and 2017, Assertio caused the submission of false claims to the Medicare and TRICARE programs by focusing its marketing on pain specialists who were prescribing high volumes of transmucosal immediate-release fentanyl, known as TIRF products, including those who were flagged for diversion or who were later indicted.

The United States further alleges that Assertio placed high-volume TIRF prescribers on its speakers’ bureau and advisory boards and developed its “Signature Support Program” to ensure that Lazanda prescriptions would be approved by insurance companies, including Medicare Part D plans. The United States contends that, as a result of Assertio’s marketing, prescribers wrote Lazanda prescriptions for Medicare and TRICARE beneficiaries who did not have breakthrough cancer pain and that Assertio therefore caused false claims to be submitted to Medicare and TRICARE from high-volume thirteen prescribers.

“This company took steps to boost its profits despite the risk of boosting the deadly opioid epidemic,” said U.S. Attorney Martin. “My office will continue to seek out violations like this that demonstrate a brazen disregard for the safety of the public.”

“The Department is committed to pursuing companies that contributed to the tragic opioid epidemic,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Roth. “This resolution demonstrates that companies that recklessly marketed powerful opioids, like fentanyl, will be held accountable for their role in the opioid crisis, which continues to plague our country today.”

“As today’s settlement demonstrates, the FBI and our law enforcement partners remain committed to investigating violations of the False Claims Act,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge Steven J. Jensen of the Washington Field Office. “We will continue holding companies accountable for fraudulent marketing that puts patients at risk.”

“Violations of the False Claims Act such as the illegal prescribing practices alleged in this settlement are especially egregious considering the opioid epidemic,” said Deputy Inspector General Schrank. “HHS-OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure health care providers and corporations involved in schemes that threaten patient safety are held accountable.”

The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought in 2017 under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the FCA by Noelle Webb and Nicole Novellino, who previously worked at Depomed as sales representatives. The FCA authorizes private parties to sue on behalf of the United States for false claims and share in any recovery. The qui tam case is captioned United States ex rel. Webb et al. v. Assertio Therapeutics, Inc., f/k/a Depomed, Inc., No. 1:17-02309 (D.D.C.). The relators’ share of these proceeds has not yet been determined.

The Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch – Fraud Section, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia handled this matter. The FBI, led by its Washington Field Office; the FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations; and the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General provided substantial assistance in the investigation and resolution.

Today’s settlement illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the FCA. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).

The Justice Department is committed to holding responsible those who have fueled the opioid crisis by violating the law.

This case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Darrell Valdez for the District of Columbia, Senior Trial Counsel Sarah Arni, Trial Attorney Matthew Arrow, and Assistant Director Natalie Waites of the Civil Division’s Fraud Section.

The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.

Source: US FBI

ANCHORAGE, Alaska – A federal jury convicted a Palmer man yesterday for violating multiple aviation regulations.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, for roughly 30 years, William Marsan, 57, held an Airman Certificate as an Airline Transport Pilot issued by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). He operated an aviation business out of Palmer, Alaska, and owned a Piper Cherokee aircraft.

In June 2023, the FAA received a report that Marsan, as the pilot in command of the Piper Cherokee aircraft, failed to radio his intention to take off from Warren “Bud” Woods Palmer Municipal Airport and operated the aircraft against the flow of landing traffic, resulting in a near mid-air collision with another aircraft attempting to land.

Law enforcement investigated the June 2023 incident and discovered that Marsan was operating an aircraft without a valid license or valid registration. The investigation revealed that in June 2022, Marsan sent a letter to the FAA revoking the registration of his aircraft. Investigators also discovered that Marsan allowed his medical certificate to lapse in 2020 and 2021, which was required to keep his pilot’s license.

When FAA inspectors contacted him in July 2023 as part of the investigation, Marsan refused to provide his airman certificate, aircraft registration and airworthiness certificates, all of which are requirements through the FAA, and claimed he was not required to have any of those documents. As a result of the investigation, the FAA issued an Emergency Order of Revocation of Marsan’s pilot’s license in January 2024, which required the immediate surrender of his pilot’s license or the filing of an appeal of the decision within 10 days. Marsan failed to file an appeal or surrender his license but continued to fly his aircraft until his initial arrest in July 2024. Marsan was released pending trial. He failed to appear for multiple court hearings prior to his trial and he was rearrested in September 2024.

Marsan was convicted of one count of operating an aircraft without a license and one count of operating an unregistered aircraft. The jury was unable to reach a unanimous verdict on one count of operating an aircraft displaying a false aircraft registration mark.

“Aviation is a pillar of our state’s transportation infrastructure. Mr. Marsan’s actions flagrantly violated critical aviation regulations designed to safeguard both the industry and those who rely on it,” said U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker for the District of Alaska. “Let this conviction serve as a clear message that those who choose to violate these rules will face prosecution. I also want to extend appreciation to the law enforcement officers and investigators whose dedication led to the successful prosecution of this case.”

“The use of unregistered or unauthorized aircraft poses a significant risk to public safety and undermines the integrity of Alaska’s airspace,” said Special Agent in Charge Rebecca Day of the FBI Anchorage Field Office. “The FBI will continue to work alongside law enforcement partners and aviation authorities to hold operators accountable who willfully disregard laws designed to keep our community safe.”

“I credit the FAA Aviation Safety Inspectors for bringing this matter to my attention and thank the FBI for being excellent partners in addressing the referral.  I also sincerely appreciate the U.S. Attorney’s Office for seeing the case to its conclusion,” said Regional Administrator Michael O’Hare of the FAA, Alaska Region.

The FBI Anchorage Field Office and FAA, Alaska Region investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Tom Bradley and Mac Caille Petursson are prosecuting the case.

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Source: US FBI

Defendant destroyed an American flag by setting it on fire in front of Union Station in the District as a crowd surrounded him chanting, “Burn that sh–.”