MIL Security Engine-1

Source: US FBI

Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that STANLIN DANIEL VASQUEZ-SALINAS, also known as “Stalin Vasquez-Salinas” and “Stalin Vasquez,” 25, a citizen of Ecuador recently residing in Danbury, has been charged by federal criminal complaint with unlawful reentry of a removed alien.

As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, on March 11, 2025, Danbury Police arrested Vasquez-Salinas and charged him with conspiracy to commit commercial sexual abuse of a minor between the ages of 15 and 17 years old.  Vasquez-Salinas identified himself as “Stalin D. Vasquez” at the time of his arrest.  Analysis of Vasquez-Salinas’ fingerprints confirmed his true identity, and the investigation revealed that Vasquez-Salinas had illegally entered the U.S. in December 2019 and was arrested by the U.S. Border Patrol in Texas.  He was removed to Ecuador in May 2020.

It is further alleged that, on March 14, 2025, Vasquez-Salinas was released from state custody on bond.  That same day, after a brief vehicle chase and subsequent foot pursuit, he was taken into ICE custody.

Vasquez-Salinas has been detained since March 14, 2025.  He appeared today in Hartford federal court.  The charge of unlawful reentry of a removed alien carries a maximum term of imprisonment of two years.

Acting U.S. Attorney Silverman stressed that a complaint is only a charge and 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 U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations, with the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Neeraj. N. Patel.

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

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 (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

Source: US FBI

Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that CANYON BEASLEY, 21, of Gresham, Oregon, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Sarah F. Russell in Bridgeport to a child exploitation offense involving his engaging in an online relationship and unlawful sexual activity with a minor in Connecticut.

According to court documents and statements made in court, beginning in approximately January 2023, Beasley began communicating with a minor victim in Connecticut primarily through text messaging and Snapchat.  In July 2023, he began requesting sexually explicit images and videos from the minor victim.  In August 2023, he learned that the minor victim was 13 years old.  For more than a year, Beasley and the minor victim exchanged sexually explicit images through these online platforms.  In June 2024, Beasley traveled to Connecticut to engage in sexual activity with the minor victim, and recorded the sexual activity using his phone.

Beasley was arrested on September 30, 2024.

Beasley pleaded guilty to receipt of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.

Beasley is released on a $250,000 bond pending sentencing, which is not scheduled.

This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of the Cheshire Police Department and the Connecticut State Police.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Lembo.

This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.

Source: US FBI

Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that CHRISTOPHER ADAMS, 58, of Norwalk, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 22 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for trafficking cocaine in southwestern Connecticut.

According to court documents and statements made in court, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Bridgeport High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force and Stamford Police Department identified Rodney Canada, also known as “Supreme,” as the leader of a drug trafficking organization that was distributing large quantities of fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, and crack cocaine in Stamford and elsewhere in southwestern Connecticut.  The investigation, which included court-authorized wiretaps and controlled purchases of narcotics, revealed that Canada and others coordinated the street level distribution of narcotics, and that Canada sold bulk quantities of cocaine to Adams for further distribution.

On March 8, 2024, Adams was arrested on related state charges after a court-authorized search of a Norwalk hotel room where he was living revealed approximately 80 grams of cocaine.  After Adams was released on bond in his state case, he resumed his narcotics trafficking activity.

Canada and several other members of the conspiracy were arrested federally on May 14, 2024.  On that date, investigators conducted court-authorized searches at locations in Stamford, Norwalk, Bridgeport, and Darien and seized approximately three kilograms of cocaine, nearly 400 grams of raw fentanyl, more than 500 bags of fentanyl, five firearms, a bulletproof vest, and seven vehicles. 

Adams was arrested federally on May 18, 2024.  On December 10, 2024, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine.  He has been detained since his arrest.

Canada has pleaded guilty and awaits sentencing.

This investigation is being conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Bridgeport High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force, the Stamford Police Department, the Bridgeport Police Department, and the U.S. Marshals Service, with the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Connecticut State Police, and the Norwalk, Danbury, and Darien Police Departments.  The DEA HIDTA Task Force includes personnel from the DEA Bridgeport Resident Office, the Connecticut State Police, and the Norwalk, Stamford, Stratford, Milford, and Danbury Police Departments.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patricia Stolfi Collins and Geoffrey M. Stone through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program.  OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.  Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.   

Source: US FBI

The FBI is warning of a scam in which people are presented with a fraudulent federal warrant and asked to pay fines to clear it up.

In a recent case in Wyoming, the targeted victim received a copy of a warrant via text message, saying there was a warrant for her arrest because she failed to appear as a prospective juror.

The warrant on the face appears to be a legitimate document, with a case number, date stamp, seal of the United States District Court for Wyoming and a judge’s signature. But this is a scam.

A federal officer will serve a federal warrant in person, or you might receive it by certified mail. You will NEVER receive a copy of a federal warrant via regular U.S. mail, and especially not via email or via text.

One victim in Wyoming followed instructions received via the scam text and lost more than $10,000.

The FBI reminds the public to be vigilant and never share personal identifying information with a caller with whom you have not initiated contact or have not verified as legitimate. To check out someone who purports to be from the FBI, find the phone number of the local FBI field office and call that number directly. The field office will verify any legitimate contact.

You can do the same with other federal law enforcement agencies.

If you have questions about the validity of an arrest warrant, call the clerk of court for the court identified on the warrant. They can verify if the warrant is legitimate.

Also know that no government agency at any level will ask you to pay in gift cards, gold, or cryptocurrency.

If you think you have been a victim of this scam, report it at 1-800-CALL-FBI or tips.fbi.gov.

Source: US FBI

DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Darwin Veliz-Gonzalez, Jose Daniel Pineda-Moreno, Jeffrerson Balza-Delfin, and Yender Enrique Campos-Malave were each indicted by a federal grand jury on one count for unlawfully seizing, confining, kidnapping, abducting and holding for ransom an unidentified victim.

Balza-Delfin and Campos-Malave made their initial appearance in front of Magistrate Judge Cyrus Y. Chung today.  Veliz-Gonzalez and Pineda-Moreno are scheduled to appear at a later date.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation Denver Field Office and the Denver Police Department are handling the investigation.  The prosecution is being handled by the Violent Crimes and Immigration Enforcement section of the United States Attorney’s Office.

Case Number: 25-cr-00077-JLK

Source: US FBI

Quinlin James Hernandez, 32, of Crowheart, Wyoming, was sentenced to 300 months’ imprisonment with five years of supervised release for sexual abuse. Chief U.S. District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl imposed the sentence on March 5 in Casper.

According to court documents, on April 13, 2024, a 14-year-old minor victim who had been reported missing was located at the residence of Hernandez. She was able to send a text to her grandmother to come pick her up at that location. During her forensic interview, she stated that Hernandez and several minors picked her up April 10, 2023, without the knowledge of her guardians. Hernandez drove to a liquor store, where he bought alcohol and then drove the minors to his residence in Crowheart. At the residence, all the minors and the defendant drank the alcohol. Hernandez began flirting with and making sexual advances toward the minor victim. The minor victim was at Hernandez’s residence for approximately two and a half days, during which Hernandez forced himself on the minor victim, sexually abusing her twice. The victim underwent a Sexual Assault Nurse Examination and Hernandez’s seminal fluid and DNA were confirmed to be on the victim’s clothing.  He was indicted on May 16, 2024.

When interviewed, Hernandez denied sexually abusing the minor victim. However, when he entered his plea of guilty on December 13, 2024, he admitted that he had sex with the minor victim when she was too drunk to either consent or decline to have sex with him.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs Wind River Police Department and the FBI investigated this crime. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kerry Jacobson prosecuted the case.

This case was brought about by Project Safe Childhood (PSC), 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 the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet and to identify and rescue victims.

Case No. 24-CR-00087

Source: US FBI

La Oficina del FBI en Denver ha emitido una advertencia alertando sobre un aumento en las estafas relacionadas con herramientas en línea gratuitas para convertir documentos. Se insta a las víctimas a reportar cualquier caso relacionado con dichas estafas.

En este tipo de esquemas, los delincuentes aprovechan las herramientas gratuitas de conversión de documentos en línea para cargar malware o ransomware en las computadoras de las víctimas.

“Como parte de nuestros esfuerzos continuos para combatir el fraude, creemos que la forma más efectiva de detener a estos delincuentes es mediante la educación”, señaló Mark Michalek, agente especial a cargo de la Oficina del FBI en Denver. “Al promover la concienciación, podemos evitar que las personas caigan en estas trampas. Si usted o alguien que usted conoce ha sido afectado, le recomendamos que lo reporte de inmediato y tome las medidas necesarias para proteger sus activos. Todos los días trabajamos para responsabilizar a los estafadores y proporcionar a las víctimas el apoyo y los recursos necesarios.”

Para llevar a cabo este esquema, los ciberdelincuentes de todo el mundo están aprovechando diversas herramientas gratuitas de conversión o descarga de documentos. Estas incluyen sitios web que prometen convertir archivos de un formato a otro, como transformar un archivo .doc en .pdf, o servicios que permiten combinar archivos, como unir varios .jpg en un solo .pdf. Además, los programas sospechosos pueden presentarse como herramientas para descargar archivos MP3 o MP4.

Estos conversores y herramientas de descarga cumplen con lo que prometen, pero el archivo resultante contiene malware oculto que permite a los delincuentes acceder a la computadora de la víctima. Además, estas herramientas pueden recopilar los archivos enviados para extraer:

• Información personal identificable, como números de seguro social, fechas de nacimiento, números de teléfono, entre otros.
• Información bancaria.
• Datos relacionados con criptomonedas (frases semilla, direcciones de billeteras, etc.).
• Direcciones de correo electrónico.
• Contraseñas.

Desafortunadamente, muchas víctimas no se dan cuenta de que sus computadoras han sido infectadas con malware hasta que ya es demasiado tarde y su dispositivo ha sido comprometido con ransomware o su identidad ha sido robada.

La Oficina del FBI en Denver exhorta a las víctimas, o a aquellos que hayan sido blanco de intentos de estafa, a denunciarlo en el Centro de Quejas de Crímenes en Internet del FBI en www.ic3.gov.

Asimismo, recomienda seguir las siguientes precauciones para evitar caer en esta estafa:

• Respire profundamente, tómese su tiempo y piense. Sea consciente de sus acciones en línea y los riesgos a los que podría estar expuesto.

• Mantenga su software antivirus actualizado y escanee cualquier archivo que reciba antes de abrirlo para evitar la instalación de software malicioso en su computadora.
•  

Si es víctima de esta estafa, siga estos pasos:

• Póngase en contacto con sus instituciones financieras de inmediato. Tome medidas para proteger su identidad y sus cuentas.
• Cambie todas sus contraseñas utilizando un dispositivo limpio y confiable.
• Reporte el incidente en IC3.

Ejecute un escaneo con software antivirus actualizado para verificar si hay algún software malicioso instalado por los estafadores. Considere la posibilidad de llevar su computadora a un profesional para que la limpie.

Source: US FBI

OAKLAND – A Brentwood man has been charged with unlawful possession of a machine gun conversion device.  Noah Kanaye Bauer, 21, was arrested yesterday and made his initial appearance in federal district court in Oakland this morning.

According to the criminal complaint and court documents unsealed today, on Sept. 6, 2024, officers with the Brentwood Police Department (BPD) responded to a call regarding an individual with a firearm at a grocery store in Brentwood and found Bauer with a 3D printed Glock style firearm.  Officers allegedly removed the firearm from the front of Bauer’s waistband and saw that there was no serial number on it.  In a search of Bauer’s home after his arrest for carrying a concealed weapon, BPD officers found a 3D printing machine, three 3D printed pistol frames, and a 3D printed machine gun conversion device in Bauer’s room.

The complaint describes that machine gun conversion devices, also known as “switches” or “auto sears,” are designed and created for the purpose of converting a semi-automatic Glock type pistol into a fully automatic machine gun.  When BPD officers questioned Bauer on what the conversion devices were used for, Bauer allegedly stated, “to make it shoot faster.”

Bauer is next scheduled to appear in court on March 17, 2025, for a detention hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kandis A. Westmore.

Acting United States Attorney Patrick D. Robbins and FBI Special Agent in Charge Sanjay Virmani made the announcement.

Bauer is charged with one count of 18 U.S.C. § 922(o).  A complaint merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.  Any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.

The National Security and Special Prosecutions Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting this case. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI with assistance from the BPD and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.

Noah Kanaye Bauer Complaint
 

Source: US FBI

SAN JOSE – Danhong “Jean” Chen, also known as Maria Sofia Taylor, was extradited from the Kyrgyz Republic to the United States and will appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Susan van Keulen in federal district court in San Jose this afternoon. This is the first extradition from the Kyrgyz Republic to the United States on federal criminal charges.

Chen, 60, who previously resided in Atherton, Calif., and her business partner and ex-spouse, Jianyun “Tony” Ye, were indicted by a federal grand jury in March 2019. The 14-count indictment alleges the defendants committed visa fraud and related crimes to obtain immigration benefits for more than 100 foreign investors through the government’s employment-based immigration fifth preference, or “EB-5,” visa program. In 2021, Ye pleaded guilty to visa fraud and obstruction and was sentenced to 12 months in federal prison. He has since served that sentence and been released from custody.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filed a civil complaint in October 2018 against Chen and others alleging that Chen improperly solicited investments and committed other violations of law. According to court documents, immediately after the SEC filed its civil enforcement complaint, Chen left the United States and was at large until she was arrested in the Kyrgyz Republic at the request of the United States.

Acting United States Attorney Patrick D. Robbins, FBI Special Agent in Charge Sanjay Virmani, and SEC Office of the Inspector General (SEC OIG) Inspector General Deborah Jeffrey made the announcement.

According to the indictment, Chen was the sole partner at the Law Offices of Jean D. Chen in San Jose, which held itself out as specializing in immigration law. Chen prepared and submitted to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) fraudulent documents that contained false signatures and falsely described how applicants would qualify for the EB-5 program.

Under the EB-5 program, foreign nationals could obtain permanent United States residency, commonly known as “green card” status, by investing in qualifying businesses in the United States. Alien investors who comply with program requirements initially receive a grant of conditional permanent residency status for a two-year period. After two years, the alien investor can petition for permanent residency. To obtain permanent residency status, the applicant’s investment must amount to $500,000 if made in certain geographical areas with low employment rates; if the investment is not in a designated low-employment area, the investment must amount to a minimum of $1,000,000. In addition, under the EB-5 program, individuals seeking investments for businesses may establish “regional centers” to promote investment opportunities to EB-5 applicants within designated geographic areas. The Law Offices of Jean D. Chen, operated by Chen, represented clients who invested a total of approximately $52,000,000 into projects under the EB-5 program.

The indictment alleges Chen fraudulently obtained immigration benefits through the EB-5 program on behalf of her clients by, among other actions, falsifying documents to hide the true ownership and nature of a regional center. Specifically, in 2014, Chen purchased the Golden State Regional Center and other entities and, almost immediately after the purchase, transferred ownership to a straw owner without that individual’s knowledge. Chen filed papers with USCIS requesting that the government continue to recognize Golden State Regional Center as a regional center qualified to promote EB-5 investment within the South Bay.

The indictment also charges Chen with obstruction of justice related to investigations being conducted by the SEC and the FBI, including by demanding that an individual provide false answers to SEC investigators and directing an individual to delete emails relevant to the SEC’s and FBI’s investigations into the visa fraud.

Chen is charged with 10 counts of visa fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1546(a), one count of obstruction of justice in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1505, one count of obstruction of justice in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1512(b)(3), and one count of aggravated identity theft in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1028A. An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, Chen faces a maximum sentence of 10 years and a fine of $250,000 on each count of visa fraud under 18 U.S.C. § 1546(a); five years and a maximum fine of $250,000 on the count of obstruction of justice under 18 U.S.C. § 1505; 20 years and a maximum fine of $250,000 on the count of obstruction of justice under 18 U.S.C. § 1512(b)(3); and a minimum sentence of two years to run consecutively to other felony convictions and a maximum fine of $250,000 on the count of aggravated identity theft under 18 U.S.C. § 1028A. Any sentence following a conviction would be imposed by the Court only after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Lloyd Farnham is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Susan Kreider. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI and the SEC OIG. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement partners in the Kyrgyz Republic to secure the arrest and extradition of Chen to the United States, and the U.S. Department of Justice appreciates the cooperation and assistance provided by the Kyrgyz Republic’s General Prosecutor’s Office.

Source: US FBI

OAKLAND – A criminal complaint was unsealed today charging Lester Dale Lee, 69, of Oakland, with mailing threatening communications to Dayton Elementary School in San Leandro.  Lee made his initial appearance in federal district court this morning.  

According to the criminal complaint and court documents, Lee allegedly mailed threatening letters to Dayton Elementary School on three occasions in May 2023.  All three letters were sent in similar envelopes bearing the same typewritten address label.  On May 3, 2023, the school received a letter addressed to one of its teachers.  In the letter, Lee, posing as the parent of a student in the teacher’s classroom, allegedly used a racial slur to describe some students and threatened to shoot the students and teacher if the school did not remove the African American students from the class.  On May 18, 2023, the school received a second mailing that was addressed to the principal and contained an unidentified white powder.  On May 19, 2023, the school received a third letter that addressed to the same teacher as the May 3 mailing.  Lee again allegedly posed as the parent of a student in the class, used a racial slur to refer to students in the class, and threatened to shoot the African American students and the teachers if they were not removed from the school because he wanted “them all dead.”  

Lee had worked through a staffing agency as a substitute teacher at numerous school sites within the San Lorenzo Unified School District during the 2022 to 2023 school year, including at Dayton Elementary School.  According to the complaint, Lee was terminated from his substitute teaching position in April 2023, following reports of conflicts between Lee and students at the elementary school.  

Lee is next scheduled to appear in federal court on March 28, 2025 for a status hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kandis A. Westmore.      

Acting United States Attorney Patrick D. Robbins and FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Dan Costin made the announcement.

A complaint merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.  If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $100 fine for each violation of 18 U.S.C. § 876(c) and 18 U.S.C. § 1038(a)(1)(A).  Any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.  

Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan Mateer is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Amala James.  The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the San Leandro Police Department.

Lester Dale Lee Complaint