MIL Security Engine-1

Source: US FBI

LOS ANGELES – An entertainment-production company president was sentenced today to 18 months in federal prison for embezzling more than $400,000 from a television production and from defrauding investors in various other television productions.

David Ozer, 59, of Roslyn Heights, New York, was sentenced by United States District Judge Stanley Blumenfeld Jr., who also ordered him to pay $399,344.52 in restitution.

Ozer, who is free on $25,000 bond, was charged in two separate federal criminal cases. He pleaded guilty in October 2024 to one count of wire fraud in the first case, then later pleaded guilty on January 28 to an additional wire fraud count in a separate case.

Ozer was the president of Strong Studios Inc., a production company based in Charlotte, North Carolina. He also was the producer of “Safehaven,” a supernatural thriller television series. From February 2023 to January 2024, Ozer defrauded Ravenwood-Productions LLC, the principal financial backer of “Safehaven” by misappropriating approximately $214,486 in production funds from bank accounts for the production.

To create the false appearance that the funds he embezzled were spent on legitimate production costs, Ozer created fraudulent accounting records, including falsified invoices, and forged a letter purportedly from his accountant. In fact, Ozer’s accountant did not write the letter, the contents of the letter were false, and Ozer used his accountant’s name without his accountant’s authorization.

Ozer provided these falsified documents to a lawyer for Strong Studios and caused him to transmit them in an email on January 3, 2024, to a lawyer for Ravenwood-Productions.

In a separate scheme, from March 2023 to June 2024, Ozer enticed two victims to loan him money in connection with a television series titled “Endangered.” In return, Ozer’s victims were promised executive producer credits. He also solicited funds from another victim in connection with drafting a script. Despite Ozer’s claims that the script development was in progress, the victim learned from the screenwriter that the script had not been written nor had the screenwriter been paid by Ozer. Instead, Ozer misappropriated the three victims’ funds, along with two others, for a total of approximately $207,100.

To create the false appearance that the misappropriated funds had been used for their intended purpose, Ozer created fraudulent documents, including falsified bank records, as well as forged correspondence from another producer.

“[Ozer] is an experienced businessman in the entertainment industry,” prosecutors argued in a sentencing memorandum. “He knew it was wrong to embezzle funds from his company’s principal financial backer, and he knew it was wrong to misappropriate funds from individual investors. [Ozer] did these things anyway.”

The FBI investigated these matters.

Assistant United States Attorneys Alexander B. Schwab of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section and Matt Coe-Odess of the General Crimes Section prosecuted these cases.

Source: US FBI

           WASHINGTON – Kenneth Watts, 57, of Upper Marlboro, Md., and James Kinard, 47, of Temple Hills, Md., were found guilty by a federal jury today for their roles in a drug trafficking conspiracy that distributed large amounts of cocaine, fentanyl and PCP in the DMV. The conspiracy also used firearms to protect their narcotics and the proceeds from their trafficking operation.

           The verdicts were announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, FBI Assistant Director in Charge Steven J. Jensen of the Washington Field Office, DEA Special Agent in Charge Ibrar A. Mian of the Drug Enforcement Administration Washington Division, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.

           The jury found both defendants guilty of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute one kilogram or more of PCP. The jury also found defendant Kinard guilty of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl. U.S. District Court Judge Jia M. Cobb scheduled sentencing for August 7, 2025. Watts and Kinard each face a minimum-mandatory sentence of 10 years in federal prison.

           Watts has two prior felony drug convictions. Kinard has a prior 1995 conviction for second-degree murder while armed and a prior 2016 conviction assault with intent to commit robbery while armed and related offenses. Kinard was on supervised release during the investigation in this case.

           Three co-defendants pleaded guilty before the case went to trial on May 7.

           Melvin Grayson, 51, of District Heights, Maryland, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute a detectable amount of cocaine, more than 40 grams or more of fentanyl, and more than one kilogram or more of PCP. Grayson faces a minimum-mandatory sentence of ten years. He  has two prior felony drug convictions from 1993.

           Tyrone Ragland, 56, aka “Tech,” of the District, pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiracy to distribute one kilogram of PCP. Charles Cunningham, 58, of the District, pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. According to their plea agreements, Ragland and Cunningham will be required to serve 15 years in prison. Cunningham has four prior felony drug convictions.

           According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, officers with the Prince George’s County Police Department intercepted a package containing six kilos of PCP at a FedEx facility in Maryland. The officers set up a controlled delivery of the package and stopped defendant Kenneth Watts after he picked it up. In Watts’ cell phone, investigators found text messages linking Watts to the package and to co-defendant Melvin Grayson.

           Through controlled purchases and wiretaps, evidence showed that Grayson distributed PCP, fentanyl, cocaine, and heroin, in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. The investigation also showed that defendants Ragland, Cunningham, Kinard and others conspired with Grayson to distribute the narcotics. In search warrants conducted at various residences, agents recovered four firearms, more than 2.5 kilos of PCP, more than 100 grams of fentanyl, and approximately $50,000 in cash. 

           This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office Cross Border Task Force and the DEA Washington Field Office, with assistance from MPD’s Violent Crime Suppression Division and the Prince George’s County Police Department. The Cross Border Task Force is a part of the FBI’S Safe Streets Initiative and targets the most egregious and violent street crews operating in the District of Columbia. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland and the Baltimore/Washington High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program.

           This investigation was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

           The matter is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nihar R. Mohanty and Iris Y. McCranie of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

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Source: US FBI

David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that a federal jury in Hartford has found DAVID MARSHALL, also known as “Saint,” 40, of Bristol, guilty of sex trafficking, obstruction of justice, and violation of a protective order offenses.

According to the evidence presented during the trial, between January and April 2022, Marshall compelled a victim into performing commercial sex for his financial benefit and repeatedly raped and beat her if she did not follow his orders.  He also controlled the victim by other means, including getting her addicted to fentanyl and threatening to harm her family.  In March 2022, the victim attempted to escape from Marshall and obtained an order of protection against him after he was arrested by Cromwell Police for threatening to kill her.

On April 27, 2022, Marshall was arrested by police in Freeport, Maine, after he severely beat the victim.  While in jail, Marshall contacted the victim in violation of the protection order, and attempted to convince her not to cooperate with the police and to continue to prostitute herself to earn money to bail him out of jail.  Marshall also contacted another person from jail in an attempt to remotely erase the evidence on his cell phone, but he was unable to do so because the FBI had already secured the phone.

On May 10, 2023, while he was detained in federal custody, Marshall again attempted to obstruct the investigation and prosecution of this matter by writing a letter to a family member with instructions to “harass” the victim to keep her from testifying.

Marshall forcibly sex trafficked at least one other woman between 2017 and 2022.  With his second victim, Marshall similarly used beatings, rapes, and other means to coerce her into engaging in commercial sex acts for his financial benefit for almost two years.

The trial began on April 30, 2025.  Yesterday, Marshall was convicted of two counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion; two counts of attempted obstruction of sex trafficking enforcement; and one count of interstate violation of a protection order, causing serious bodily injury to the victim.  The jury found Marshall not guilty of one count of sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion.

At sentencing, which is not scheduled, Marshall faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 15 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life.

Marshall has been detained since April 27, 2022.

This matter has been investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with the assistance of the Newington Police Department, Cromwell Police Department, Freeport (Maine) Police Department, and Connecticut Department of Correction.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Angel Krull, Shan Patel, and Alexis Beyerlein.

U.S. Attorney Sullivan thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maine for its assistance in this case.

Source: US FBI

David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that LUIS CRUZ, also known as “Goldo,” 27, of Waterbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 97 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for his participation in both a violent carjacking and a Waterbury-based narcotics trafficking ring.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in the early morning hours of June 18, 2023, two all-terrain vehicles (“ATVs”) were stolen from a Waterbury residence.  After the theft, Cruz posted on Facebook offering $5,000 to anyone providing information about the location of the stolen vehicles.  Cruz and others then mistakenly identified an individual (“Victim 1”), who they incorrectly believed was involved in the theft.  Later that night, Victim 1’s friend, (“Victim 2”), picked up Victim 1 from work and drove him home.  As they arrived at Victim 1’s residence, three vehicles followed them and surrounded the victims.  Cruz and his associates, one of whom carried an assault-style rifle, exited the vehicles and approached the victims.  Cruz and his associates demanded the return of the stolen ATVs, threatened to kill the victims, and physically assaulted them.  Cruz, who was recovering from a leg injury, used a crutch to repeatedly strike one of the victims.

Cruz and his associates then stole Victim 2’s vehicle, which was owned by Victim 2’s relative, and other items and cash belonging to the victims.

Also in 2023, Cruz was one of 17 individuals charged with federal offenses as a result of an investigation into two drug trafficking organizations based in the city of Waterbury.  One organization operated in the area of William Street and the other operated in the area of Maple Avenue.  The investigation, which included court-authorized wiretaps on multiple phones, video surveillance, GPS tracking of vehicles, and numerous controlled purchases of narcotics, revealed that the two organizations distributed cocaine, crack, and fentanyl through a network of sellers.  The organizations shared sources of supply and worked together to further their operations.

During the investigation, Cruz, who was involved in the William Street organization, was intercepted multiple times over a wiretap discussing the distribution of narcotics.  Cruz distributed cocaine, and also stored narcotics for the organization at various hotels.

Cruz and several codefendants were arrested on November 29, 2023.  In association with the arrests, investigators executed multiple search warrants and seized approximately 700 grams of crack cocaine, more than 900 vials (“caps”) of crack, approximately 200 grams of loose fentanyl, more than 1,600 dose bags of fentanyl/heroin, two stolen firearms, numerous rounds of ammunition, and more than $39,000 in cash.

On September 10, 2024, Cruz pleaded guilty to carjacking resulting in serious bodily injury, and conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances.

Cruz has been detained since his arrest.

These investigations were led by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force and Waterbury Safe Streets Gang Task Force, and the Waterbury Police Department.  The carjacking case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathan J. Guevremont and David T. Huang, and the narcotics trafficking case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Natasha M. Freismuth and Shan Patel through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program.  Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

Source: US FBI

David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ANTHONY PENA, also known as “Tony,” 24, of Miami Gardens, Florida, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala in Hartford to 132 months of imprisonment, followed by two years of supervised release, for participating in a violent kidnapping in Danbury last summer.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in the late afternoon of August 25, 2024, Danbury Police received multiple 911 calls from witnesses who observed several males assaulting another male and forcing him into a white work van.  Responding officers encountered the van on Clapboard Ridge Road, near the intersection of East Gate Road, and attempted to stop it.  The van accelerated at a high-rate of speed and crashed approximately one mile away on Cowperthwaite Street.  Pena, Angel Borrero, and two associates, all dressed in black, exited the van and fled on foot.  Officers arrived at the location of the disabled van and located a male and female victim, both bound with duct tape, in the back of the van.  The male victim had significant injuries to his face and arm.  Both victims were transported to the hospital for further evaluation.  The victims reported that the Lamborghini Urus they were operating was rear-ended by a Honda Civic on Damia Drive in Danbury, and a white work van cut in front of their vehicle.  The victims were then forcibly removed from their vehicle, dragged into the van, and bound with duct tape.  When the male victim resisted, he was punched in the face and hit repeatedly with a baseball bat, both outside and inside the van, by Pena and others.  The victims were told several times that they would be killed.

Pena, Borrero, and the two associates were apprehended in various locations within a quarter-mile radius from where the van crashed.  Two other associates, and the Honda Civic, were located at a short-term rental home in Roxbury.  A baseball bat was found inside the car.  The victims’ Lamborghini, with a blood-stained baseball bat inside the car, was found abandoned in the woods off the roadway on East King Street.

The kidnapping was intended to facilitate the extortion of the victims’ son, who is suspected of participating in the theft of hundreds of millions of dollars in cryptocurrency.

Pena has been detained since his arrest.  On January 10, 2025, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy and kidnapping.

Borrero and three others involved in the offense also pleaded guilty and await sentencing.

This matter is being investigated by the FBI New Haven Violent Crimes Task Force and the Danbury Police Department.  The Task Force includes members from the Connecticut State Police and several local police departments.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen L. Peck and John T. Pierpont, Jr.

U.S. Attorney Sullivan thanked the State’s Attorney’s Office for the Judicial District of Danbury for its close cooperation in investigating and prosecuting this matter.

Source: US FBI

David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that BRANDON SPENCE, also known as “Spun,” 37, of East Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 56 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for distributing fentanyl and cocaine.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on February 5, 2019, Spence was sentenced in Hartford federal court to 24 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release for unlawfully possessing a firearm as a felon.  He was released from federal prison in February 2020.  On December 7, 2020, Hartford Police surveillance cameras captured Spence and another individual engaged in a dispute.  Spence pulled out a firearm, shot the individual in the leg, and then stole the victim’s vehicle.  On May 28, 2021, Spence was sentenced to an additional 24 months of imprisonment for violating the conditions of his federal supervised release.

In March and April 2024, the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force made controlled purchases of fentanyl and crack cocaine from Spence.  Spence was arrested on April 3, 2024.  On that date, a court-authorized search of his residence and vehicles revealed distribution quantities of fentanyl, crack cocaine, and marijuana.

On January 28, 2025, Spence pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, cocaine and fentanyl.  He has been detained since his arrest.

This investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force and the Hartford Police Department.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shan Patel.