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Source: US FBI

ANCHORAGE, Alaska – An Anchorage man was sentenced yesterday to four and a half years in prison and three years’ supervised release after he was convicted by a federal jury on Nov. 21, 2024, of cyberstalking a woman for four years.

According to court documents, between 2016 and 2020, Rolando Hernandez-Zamora, 41, stalked the victim, his partner at the time, using location tracking applications, text messages, video calls, and other means. Evidence presented at trial showed that from April 29, 2020, to May 27, 2020, Hernandez-Zamora called the victim 1,317 times. Hernandez-Zamora justified his behavior by falsely accusing the victim of cheating on him.

In 2020, the harassment extended to some of the victim’s work colleagues and family members and included threats of violence. Hernandez-Zamora’s harassment of the victim continued even after she obtained a protective order. As a result of his threats, the victim’s workplace went into lockdown for multiple days from late April to early May 2020. Hernandez-Zamora was arrested at the end of May 2020 after he evaded the police for two days.

Hernandez-Zamora was convicted by a federal jury of the same crime in June 2024. In August 2024, U.S. District Court Judge Marco A. Hernandez of the District of Oregon was assigned to the case following the resignation of former Judge Joshua Kindred and granted Hernandez-Zamora a new trial. Judge Hernandez presided over the November 2024 retrial, where Hernandez-Zamora was convicted again by a different federal jury.

In handing down the sentence, the court emphasized the extraordinary seriousness of the defendant’s conduct and the significant steps he needs to take to change his behavior in the future.

“Mr. Hernandez-Zamora’s actions were dangerous and destructive, causing immeasurable harm on those affected,” said U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker for the District of Alaska. “The victim in this case displayed extraordinary bravery by coming forward, and I hope this sentence brings a measure of closure. My office stands firm in our commitment to holding accountable anyone who endangers public safety or threatens violence.”

“The defendant’s years-long cyberstalking and eventual threats of violence are serious crimes that can disrupt lives, incite fear, and pose significant risks to the community,” said Special Agent in Charge Rebecca Day of the FBI Anchorage Field Office. “As demonstrated in this case, those who seek to harm others through intimidation or violence, will be held accountable for their actions.”

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

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer Ivers and Seth Beausang prosecuted the case.

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Source: US FBI

David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and P.J. O’Brien, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, today announced that a federal grand jury in New Haven has returned a 20-count indictment charging MYCALL OBAS, 42, of Danbury, MBALI NCUBE, 35, of Danbury, PIERRE OBAS, 49, of Danbury, TERESA VARGAS, 43, of Hartford, and STEPHEN WALKER, 30, of New Canaan, with offenses related to fraudulent small business loan applications in Connecticut and Washington.

The indictment was returned on May 14, 2025.  Mycall Obas, Ncube, Pierre Obas, and Vargas were arrested on May 15, and Walker was arrested today.  Each has entered a plea of not guilty and is released on bond pending trial.

According to the indictment, the National Development Council (“NDC”), now known as Grow America, was a not-for-profit lender that provided capital to small businesses, including through state-sponsored small business loan programs.  The Connecticut Small Business Boost Fund (“CT Boost”) was an economic initiative supported by the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development that connects Connecticut small businesses and non-profits with support services, including access to flexible funding for capital expenditures.  The Small Business Flex Fund (“Flex”) was an economic initiative supported by the Washington State Department of Commerce that connected Washington state small businesses and nonprofits with support services, including access to flexible funding for capital expenditures.  NDC worked with CT Boost and Flex to provide loan funding to small businesses in Connecticut and Washington, respectively.

As alleged in the indictment and statements made in court, Mycall Obas, Ncube, Pierre Obas, and Walker used stolen personal and business identities, or created false business identities, to apply to NDC for small business loans through the CT Boost and Flex programs.  In connection with the loan applications, they created and submitted false business records, including fraudulent certificates of organization, false income statements, false balance sheets, and false tax returns.  Vargas, who was a contractor for NDC and responsible for processing and underwriting small business loan applications, processed some of the fraudulent loan applications and submitted them to NDC for approval.  She also specifically requested to be the loan processor on certain loan applications submitted by her co-conspirators in order to further the scheme. 

It is alleged that the co-conspirators applied for and obtained 12 loans totaling more than $2 million through this scheme.

The indictment charges each of the five defendants with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, and multiple counts of wire fraud.  Each of these charges carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.  The indictment also charges each of the five defendants with one more counts of making illegal monetary transactions, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years on each count.  Mycall Obas and Pierre Obas are also charged with aggravated identity theft, which carries a mandatory term of imprisonment of two years.

U.S. Attorney Sullivan stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt.  Charges are only allegations, and each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, and the Meriden and Danbury Police Departments.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie T. Levick.

Source: US FBI

David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and P.J. O’Brien, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, today announced that on May 16, 2025, ELIJAH WHYTE, 30, formerly of White Plains, New York, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to offenses related to harassing and threatening communications.

According to court documents and statements made in court, between August and October 2023, Whyte sent a Connecticut resident 1,330 text messages, made 72 phone calls, and left three voicemail messages.  Many of the messages were threatening and harassing, discussing the victim getting killed and raped, the victim’s children, and the victim’s home and hometown.

Whyte pleaded guilty to making repeated harassing telephone communications, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of two years.  Judge Dooley scheduled sentencing for August 8.

Whyte has been detained since October 2023.

This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel George.

Source: US FBI

David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that APOLINAR FRANCISCO PAREDES ESPINOZA, also known as “Pancho,” 58, a citizen of Mexico last residing in Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 40 months of imprisonment, for illegally reentering the U.S. and his involvement in a scheme to smuggle aliens into the U.S., harbor them at Hartford area residences, force them to work, and threaten to harm them in various ways if they failed to pay exorbitant fees, interest, and other living expenses.

According to court documents and statements made in court, beginning in September 2022, the FBI and Hartford Police interviewed several Mexican nationals who disclosed that they were smuggled from Mexico into the U.S. and transported to Hartford.  The investigation revealed that victims typically arranged with Maria Del Carmen Sanchez Potrero and others in Connecticut and Mexico to cross the border into the U.S. in exchange for a fee of between $15,000 and $20,000 that each would need to pay once they were in the U.S.  In most cases, the victims were required to turn over a property deed as collateral before leaving Mexico.  They were then smuggled across the border and transported to Hartford area residences, including Sanchez’s and Paredes’ residence on Madison Street in Hartford, often at a substantial risk of bodily injury or death.

After the victims arrived in Connecticut, they were told that they would have to pay approximately $30,000, with interest, and that they would have to pay Sanchez and her co-coconspirators for rent, food, gas and utilities.  Sanchez, Paredes, and their co-conspirators created false documents for the victims, including Permanent Residence cards and Social Security cards, and helped the victims find employment in the Hartford area.  In addition to their own jobs, some victims were required to perform housework and yardwork, or to assist Paredes in his job responsibilities, without compensation and without having their debt reduced.

Victims were rarely provided with an accounting of their debt.  If victims failed to make regular payments, or in amounts that Sanchez, Paredes, and their co-conspirators expected, they were sometimes threatened, including with threats to harm family members in Mexico, to take property in Mexico that had been secured as collateral, to reveal victims’ immigration status to U.S. authorities, and to raise their interest payments.

To date, investigators have identified 19 victims of this scheme.  Multiple victims were minors, and at least two were smuggled into the U.S. unaccompanied by a relative or legal guardian.

In November 2014, Paredes was encountered in the U.S. and removed the same day via foot at Hildago, Texas.  He illegally reentered the U.S. and, in December 2018, was arrested by East Hartford Police and charged with various motor vehicle offenses.  He was again removed to Mexico in February 2019, and subsequently illegally reentered the U.S.

Paredes has been detained since his arrest on March 1, 2023.  On November 22, 2024, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to encourage and induce, bring in, transport, and harbor aliens, and to illegal reentry of a removed alien.

Sanchez and her daughter, Porfiria Maribel Ramos Sanchez, previously pleaded guilty to related charges.  On April 11, 2025, Sanchez was sentenced to 51 months of imprisonment, and on March 7, 2025, Ramos was sentenced to 36 months of imprisonment.

Judge Dooley ordered Paredes to pay, jointly and severally with his codefendants, restitution of $574,608.

Paredes, Sanchez, and Ramos face immigration proceedings when they complete their prison terms.

This investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Hartford Police Department, U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Angel Krull and Shan Patel.

Source: US FBI

FAIRBANKS, Alaska – A federal grand jury in Alaska returned an indictment charging a Fairbanks woman with bank fraud and money laundering related to her alleged theft of funds from a business she formerly worked for as a bookkeeper.

According to court documents, beginning in 2015, Angelic Henderson, 68, was hired as the bookkeeper for a business in Fairbanks, and received regular payroll checks and payments for her employment. Sometime in 2016 and 2017, a co-conspirator was hired as a technician for the same business and received regular payroll checks and payments for their employment.

The indictment alleges that in 2020, Henderson was the sole owner of Consulting Medical Services LLC (CMS). During that time, Henderson began providing independent contractor services to the victim business through CMS. Those services included managing billing, customers, insurance, bookkeeping and suppliers. In July 2020, Henderson also established Angels Nesting Business Support Services LLC (ANBSS). The co-conspirator was the sole owner of JL Medical Support Services LLC (JLMSS).

The victim business, the co-conspirators business and both of Henderson’s companies had bank accounts at the same bank.

According to the indictment, from August 2019 to August 2023, Henderson and the co-conspirator allegedly executed a scheme where she used her position to steal from the victim business and funnel money to her business accounts and to the co-conspirator.

Henderson allegedly created daily and weekly financial documents that underrepresented the businesses’ income to hide the loss from the owner. She also allegedly created “transfer request” documents requesting that the bank move funds from the victim business account into her and the co-conspirators accounts. These requests allegedly contained false representations, specifically, duplicate payments for her services and reimbursements for expenses that were never incurred of already paid with the victim business funds.

The indictment alleges that once the funds were transferred to one of Henderson’s accounts, she transferred the funds via check to other accounts that she owned or controlled, breaking the transfers up in the same day or over consecutive days into multiple small transfers. She would also transfer money to her co-conspirator via checks. The co-conspirator would deposit the funds into their personal accounts and then buy cryptocurrency with the deposited funds. 

In total, Henderson caused roughly 368 funds transfers over roughly four years, resulting in a loss of over $1.8 million for the victim business.

Henderson was arrested on Nov. 29 and is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, seven counts of bank fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering and 10 counts of money laundering. The defendant is scheduled for her initial court appearance tomorrow before U.S. Magistrate Judge Scott A. Oravec of the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska. If convicted, she faces up to 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine. 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, with assistance from the Fairbanks Police Department, is investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Carly Vosacek is prosecuting the case.

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

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Source: US FBI

FBI seeking to identify other potential victims and additional information.

Source: US FBI

David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that LED Lighting Solutions, LLC and its owner, Thomas DeSantos, of Berlin, Connecticut, have entered into a $300,000 civil settlement agreement with the United States to resolve allegations that they failed to comply with the requirements of the Buy American Act (“BAA”) and the Trade Agreements Act (“TAA”) by selling foreign end products to several government procuring agencies, including by shipping products directly from China to a procuring agency, in violation of the False Claims Act.

The TAA generally bars government procurements of end products from foreign countries that have not entered into trade agreements with the U.S.  The BAA creates a preference for the government to acquire domestic end products.

In 2013, LED Lighting Solutions entered into a Multiple Award Schedule contract (“MAS”) with the General Services Administration (“GSA”) to supply LED lights and lighting products, which required compliance with the TAA.  Before entering into the GSA MAS contract, LED Lighting Solutions provided GSA with a “letter of supply” attesting to its supplier’s compliance with the TAA.  LED Lighting Solutions certified compliance with the TAA and failed to identify any foreign end products on its product list each year.  The Air Force, Coast Guard, GSA, Department of State, and USDA each ordered products off of LED Lighting Solutions’ GSA MAS contract.

The government contends that LED Lighting Solutions and DeSantos falsely certified that they were providing these agencies with TAA-compliant end products under seven contracts/delivery orders when, in fact, some of the end products were manufactured in China, which has not entered into a trade agreement with the U.S.  This included at least one contract for which LED Lighting Solutions and DeSantos arranged to have products shipped directly from China to the procuring agency.

LED Lighting Solutions also entered into eight contracts/delivery orders with the Air Force, Army, and FEMA, which required compliance with the BAA.  The government contends that LED Lighting Solutions and DeSantos falsely certified that they were providing these procuring agencies with domestic end products when, in fact, some of the products were foreign end products.

In addition to making payment under the civil settlement agreement, LED Lighting also agreed to withdraw, with prejudice, two appeals pending before the Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals (“ASBCA”) for termination of an Army contract for which LED Lighting Solutions supplied foreign end products in violation of the BAA and the False Claims Act.

This investigation was conducted by the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the Defense Contract Audit Agency Operations Investigative Support Division, the GSA Office of Inspector General, the Department of the Army Criminal Investigative Division, the U.S. Coast Guard, the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Department of Justice Office of Inspector General.

This matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah Gruber and Richard Molot.

The ASBCA case, Appeal of LED Lighting Solutions, LLC Under Contract No. W50S6T22P0011, ASBCA Nos. 63425, 63546, was handled by Maj. Danielle C. Naser and Mr. John C. Degnan.  

Source: US FBI

David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JONATHAN CRUZ-CARMONA, 34, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven to 12 months and one day of imprisonment for assaulting another inmate while imprisoned at the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) in Danbury.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on December 18, 2023, while incarcerated at FCI Danbury, Cruz-Carmona used a weapon fashioned from a broken pencil and two razor blades to assault another inmate, causing wounds to the victim’s chin and neck.  The injury was not life-threatening.

On June 3, 2024, Cruz-Carmona pleaded guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon.

At the time of the offense, Cruz-Carmona was serving a 200-month federal sentence from the Western District of New York for murder with a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.  The sentence imposed today will run consecutively to Cruz-Carmona’s previous sentence.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anastasia E. King.

Source: US FBI

Scammers stole $43,502,744 from Wyoming victims in 2024, according to the latest report from the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). Those losses made Wyoming the No. 3 state in the nation in terms of per capita losses. People filed 1,377 IC3 complaints in 2024.

Reported losses in the state increased nearly $30 million over the 2023 dollar amount.

The top schemes with the largest dollar amount losses in 2024 in Wyoming were data breach ($21 million) and investment fraud ($13 million).

The top schemes in terms of numbers of reports from Wyoming were extortion (193) and personal data breach (89).

The age group that made the most reports was people 40-49 years old, with 479 complaints. The age group with the most reported losses was those 60 and older, with $8,648,675.

“This report is a sobering reminder that people in Wyoming remain prime targets for scammers who will jump at every opportunity to defraud potential victims,” said Special Agent in Charge Mark Michalek, who oversees FBI operations in the Cowboy State. “It’s important for the public to remain vigilant to guard against ever-increasing cyber-enabled threats both at places of employment and in personal life.”

In 2024, the IC3 received 859,532 complaints nationally of suspected Internet crime with reported losses of $16.6 billion. That is a 33 percent increase in losses from 2023.

These are only the reports made to IC3; not every victim files a complaint—or even realizes he or she is a victim—so the actual numbers are probably higher in terms of victims and losses.

Nationwide, the top three scams most frequently reported by victims were phishing/spoofing, extortion, and personal data breaches. Victims of investment fraud, specifically those involving cryptocurrency, reported the most losses—totaling more than $6.5 billion.

Cryptocurrency investment fraud increased 29 percent over 2023. Ransomware complaints were up 9 percent across the country

As a group, people 60 and older suffered the most reported losses in 2024 at nearly $5 billion and submitted the greatest number of complaints.

If you feel you have been a victim of a cyber-enabled crime, file a complaint at IC3.gov.

Read the full IC3 report here: https://www.ic3.gov/AnnualReport/Reports/2024_IC3Report.pdf

Breakdowns by state are here: https://www.ic3.gov/AnnualReport/Reports/2024State/

Source: US FBI

Jackson, TN – Five people have been indicted in the Western District of Tennessee and are facing federal charges for their involvement in an organized drug trafficking scheme in the Western District of Tennessee according to recently unsealed indictments. The charges are the culmination of a two-year long investigation by FBI’s Transnational Organized Crime Task Force and the Drug Enforcement Administration in conjunction with the Selmer Police Department, McNairy County Sheriff’s Office, Adamsville Police Department, Bolivar Police Department, and Jackson Police Department.  Joseph C. Murphy, Jr., Interim United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the unsealing of the indictments today.

According to court documents, between April 2023 and March 2025, the defendants worked together and with others to distribute fentanyl, methamphetamine, and marijuana throughout West Tennessee. The investigation revealed the drug trafficking organization is linked to and worked in conjunction with the Sinaloa cartel in furtherance of the distribution efforts within McNairy County and Memphis, Tennessee.  The Sinaloa cartel, also known as Cártel de Sinaloa, is a transnational organization based in Sinaloa, Mexico and was designated on February 20, 2025 as a foreign terrorist organization (FTO) and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist.  Cártel de Sinaloa is one of the world’s most powerful drug cartels and is one of the largest producers and traffickers of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine into the United States.

During the investigation, agents seized 10 kilograms of cocaine, over 16 pounds of methamphetamine, 30,000 fentanyl pills, approximately 40 pounds of marijuana, approximately $21,000 in cash, and a firearm. The indictment is in conjunction with the initiative “Operation Take Back America.”

On March 20, 2025, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging all five individuals with Conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute five kilograms of cocaine; four of the individuals with Conspiracy to distribute more than 50 grams of actual methamphetamine; and three of the individuals with conspiracy to distribute over 100 kilograms of marijuana. Two of the defendants were charged with multiple individual counts of distribution of cocaine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl. One defendant was charged with being an illegal alien and unlawfully in the United States and knowing possession of a firearm.

Those individuals named in the indictment are:

• Juan Palomino, 36, of Selmer, TN
• Joaquin Elizalde, 44, of Selmer, TN
• Javier Varela, 41, of Byhalia, MS
• Luis Lizarraga, 36, of Memphis, TN
• David Asua, 46, of Memphis, TN

“These defendants took part in a conspiracy that exposed our communities to significant amounts of Fentanyl, Methamphetamine, and Marijuana,” said Special Agent in Charge Joseph E. Carrico of the FBI Nashville Field Office. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners remain committed to identifying, disrupting, and dismantling any criminal enterprise that risks the wellbeing of our citizens.”

McNairy County Sheriff Guy Buck stated “We are extremely proud of the outcomes of this investigation and would like to express our sincere gratitude to the Federal, State, and Local Agencies that played a vital role in its success. This case highlights how even small, tight-knit communities are directly impacted by the influence of drug cartels and the international drug trade. As Sheriff, I want to emphasize that no one is above the law, and we will ensure that every individual involved is held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”

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).

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Christie Hopper and Greg Allen.  It was investigated by FBI’s Transnational Organized Crime Task Force, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Selmer Police Department, the McNairy County Sheriff’s Office, the Adamsville Police Department, the Bolivar Police Department, and the Jackson Police Department.  The investigation was furthered by assistance from the FBI – Denver Division.

The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations of criminal conduct, not evidence.  The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt and convicted through due process of law.

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For more information, please contact the media relations team at USATNW.Media@usdoj.gov. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.