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Source: US FBI

FRESNO, Calif. — Donis Ariel Maldonado, 28, a Guatemalan national residing in El Monte, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin and methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, Maldonado agreed with other members of the conspiracy to distribute 22 pounds of heroin and over 80 pounds of methamphetamine sourced from Mexico.  On June 24, 2019, Maldonado delivered the drugs to an informant in Fresno.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, and the High Impact Investigation Team (HIIT), a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Initiative (HIDTA), which consists of personnel from the California Department of Justice, Fresno Police Department, Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, Fresno County District Attorney’s Office, California Highway Patrol, Madera County Sheriff’s Office, Tulare County Sheriff’s Office, Kings County Sheriff’s Office, and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Escobar is prosecuting the case.

Maldonado is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston on Feb. 18, 2025. Maldonado faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $2 million fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF. 

Source: US FBI

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a single-count indictment against Kevin Dail Meadors, 56, of El Dorado Hills, charging him with receipt of child pornography, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, between July 1, 2023, and Dec. 9, 2023, Meadors knowingly received visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The indictment alleges that Meadors suffered a prior conviction for committing lewd and lascivious acts with a child under the age of 14, which affects the potential penalties he faces in this case.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, El Dorado County District Attorney’s Office, and Sacramento Valley Hi-Tech Crimes Task Force. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Nchekube Onyima and Assistant U.S. Attorney Shea J. Kenny are prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Meadors faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison, a maximum statutory penalty of 40 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

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 the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet safety education.

Source: US FBI

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Christopher Espinoza, 32, of Carmichael, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Daniel J. Calabretta to 16 years in prison to be followed by 15 years of supervised release for sexual exploitation of a minor, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, in November 2018, Espinoza obtained multiple sexually explicit images of a 10-year-old minor victim by communicating directly with the minor victim through electronic means. In January 2019, law enforcement officers contacted Espinoza due to complaints that he was making inappropriate requests to parents who were selling sports equipment and costumes online, by seeking photographs of their children. Subsequent law enforcement investigation revealed that Espinoza had hundreds of videos and photos of child pornography on his electronic devices. It also revealed a log showing Espinoza had 33 phone calls with the 10-year-old minor victim and exchanged text messages with the minor victim where Espinoza requested and received nude pictures of the minor.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Sacramento Sheriff’s Office, the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Roger Yang 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 the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet-safety education.

Source: US FBI

The FBI asks anyone with relevant information about the crimes in this press release to fill out this questionnaire. For more information, go to the Seeking Victims Page. 

FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned an indictment today against 11 foreign nationals, charging them with bank robbery and conspiracy to commit bank robbery arising from a string of robberies from banks and ATMs throughout California, Oregon, and Washington, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, the defendants are part of an ongoing conspiracy to break into and steal money from financial institutions between May and October of 2024. To avoid detection, the crew rented short-term vacation properties near their intended targets and used cars rented on the black market. Conspirators identified ATMs in vulnerable locations and then, using construction-crew disguises, blowtorches, and cellphone jammers, among other sophisticated tactics, broke into the ATMs and stole their cash. More than 29 banks and credit unions were targeted during the period of the conspiracy, with more than $4 million in cash taken.

Nine of those charged were arrested last week and two more were arrested in Washington on October 30. The charged defendants are Alex Moyano Morales, 24, of Chile; Maite Celis Silva, 26, of Chile; Erik Osorio Olivarez, 20, of Chile; Pablo Valdez Rodriguez, 36, a Chilean national; Rosa Bastias Serra, 42, of Chile; Camilo Sepulveda Guzman, 31, of Peru; Bassil Dacosta Frias, 34, of Venezuela; Camilo Alarcon Alarcon, 23, of Chile; Michelle Parada Munoz, 21, of Chile; Alvaro Lagos Mieres, 44, of Chile, and Humberto Jimenez Moreno, 45, of Chile. All defendants are charged with conspiracy to commit bank robbery. Moyano, Celis, Osorio, Valdez, Bastias, Sepulveda, Lagos, and Jimenez are additionally charged with bank robbery.

Court documents allege that the defendants targeted banks and ATMs throughout the Eastern District of California (Fresno, Auburn, Merced, Clovis, Modesto, Roseville, Rocklin, Yuba City, and Fall River Mills) as well as in Oregon, Washington, and the Los Angeles area.  The alleged incidents include the following:

On Sept. 18, 2024, the defendants robbed a Wells Fargo in Modesto. Before that robbery, several co-conspirators scouted an adjoining business before returning during the night to cut a hole through the wall of the adjoining business to access the Wells Fargo ATMs. Co-conspirators also obtained cars and rental homes to facilitate that robbery.

On Sept. 22, 2024, the defendants broke into and stole money from a Golden 1 Credit Union ATM where they wore similar disguises as in other thefts.

Alleged conspiracy members at the September 22, 2024 Golden 1 robbery.

On Sept. 28, 2024, the defendants broke into Tri Counties Bank in Fall River Mills in Shasta County. They used blowtorches, saws, and other power tools to access the bank and interior vaults within it. During this robbery, the conspirators were interrupted and left some of their tools behind.

Bank vaults broken into at the Tri Counties Bank, along with tools left behind.

Alleged conspiracy members inside the Tri Counties Bank.

According to court documents, investigators tracked the crew to several short-term rental properties in Oregon and Washington where the FBI executed search warrants and found hundreds of pounds of robbery tools, disguises, fake identification documents, and more than $100,000 in cash. Valdez, Sepulveda, Bastias, Dacosta, Alarcon, Parada, Lagos and Jimenez were arrested in Washington. Separately, Moyano, Celis, and Osorio were arrested in the greater Los Angeles area, after the execution of a search warrant at a residence there.

Valdez, Sepulveda, Bastias, Dacosta, Alarcon and Parada had their initial appearances in the Western District of Washington and are being transported to Fresno to face the indictment. Lagos and Jimenez are expected to have their initial appearance in the Western District of Washington on Oct. 31, 2024. Moyano, Celis, and Osorio have their next court date in Fresno on Nov. 6, 2024.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the police departments of the cities of Fresno, Citrus Heights, Clovis, Elk Grove, Fresno, Modesto, Rocklin, Roseville, and Sacramento and the Placer County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Los Angeles Police Department, the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Office, and the Seattle Police Department. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California also received assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Offices in the District of Oregon and the Western District of Washington. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert L. Veneman-Hughes and Justin J. Gilio are prosecuting the case.

If convicted, the defendants face a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison for bank robbery and five years in prison for conspiracy to commit bank robbery. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Source: US FBI

SANTA ANA, California – An employee of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department pleaded guilty today to two felony charges for forging checks and fraudulently using credit cards in her grandmother’s name.

Roxana C. Laub, 33, of Santa Ana, pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud and one count of identity theft.

In her plea agreement, Laub – whose employment has included work as a uniformed correctional officer at the Orange County jail – admitted that from December 2015 to January 2017, she forged her 75-year-old grandmother’s signature on more than 20 checks from her grandmother’s bank account – making them payable to herself – without her grandmother’s knowledge or permission. Laub then deposited these forged checks totaling approximately $45,000 into her own bank account.

Laub also posed as her grandmother when calling her grandmother’s bank to request information related to her grandmother’s account. After later admitting she was the caller – instead of her grandmother, Laub put her grandmother on the phone, who informed the bank personnel that she was unaware of the checks payable to Laub. After Laub took the phone back and tried to change the subject, the bank personnel asked to speak to Laub’s grandmother again, but Laub then claimed that her grandmother was feeling ill and not available.

From March 2020 to September 2022, Laub also fraudulently used her grandmother’s credit card to charge thousands of dollars for personal expenditures, including meals at restaurants in Santa Ana and West Hollywood, bars in West Hollywood, and a night club in Las Vegas.

Laub then used another one of her grandmother’s bank accounts to make more than $14,000 in payments for bills Laub had run up on those cards, again without her grandmother’s knowledge or permission.

Agents uncovered text messages wherein Laub had admitted to a family member that “I know what I did is unforgiveable,” according to the plea agreement.

Laub, who is on administrative leave from the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, has agreed to pay back all the money she unlawfully took from her grandmother.

United States District Judge David O. Carter scheduled an April 9, 2025, sentencing hearing, at which time, Laub will face a statutory maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison for the bank fraud count and up to 15 years in federal prison for the identity theft count. 

The FBI and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of the Inspector General investigated this matter. The Long Beach Police Department provided substantial assistance in the investigation.

Assistant United States Attorney Charles E. Pell of the Orange County Office is prosecuting the case.

If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is available via the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833 FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This Department of Justice Hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professional who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting or connect them with agencies, and provide resources and referrals on a case-by-case basis. The hotline is staffed seven days a week from 3 a.m. to 8 p.m. Pacific Time. English, Spanish and other languages are available. More information about the Department’s elder justice efforts can be found on the Department’s Elder Justice website, www.elderjustice.gov.

Source: US FBI

RIVERSIDE, California – A Riverside County man who helped lead an organization that trafficked pound quantities of methamphetamine from Mexico into the Inland Empire has been sentenced to 180 months in federal prison, the Justice Department announced today.

Javier Rodriguez, 57, of Riverside, was sentenced late Monday by United States District Judge Jesus G. Bernal.

Rodriguez, a member of the Riverside-based Casa Blanca Rifa street gang, pleaded guilty on March 18 to eight felonies: one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine; one count of conspiracy to import methamphetamine; three counts of possessing methamphetamine for distribution; one count of being a felon in possession of ammunition; and two counts of attempted international promotional money laundering. Rodriguez has been in federal custody since pleading guilty.

The investigation leading to these federal charges focused on the criminal activities of the Casa Blanca Rifa gang to combat drug trafficking and associated violence in Riverside and the surrounding community.

From at least April 2020 until August 2020, Rodriguez and others purchased pound quantities of methamphetamine from their suppliers in Mexico as well as in Los Angeles and Riverside counties. Other members of the conspiracy further distributed methamphetamine in the Inland Empire. Prosecutors argued that Rodriguez also trafficked drugs from his mother’s home,

In total, law enforcement seized more than 150 pounds (68 kilograms) of methamphetamine and $31,035 in cash during this investigation.

In May 2020, Rodriguez possessed 150 rounds of ammunition. He is not legally permitted to possess ammunition because his criminal history includes six felony convictions in state court in Riverside and Los Angeles counties for crimes ranging from drug dealing to burglary.

Rodriguez is the 16th and final defendant sentenced in this criminal case. Lead defendant Timoteo Gomez, 51, of Riverside, was sentenced on May 6 to 21 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to his role in the methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy. Other defendants in this case received prison sentences ranging from two to 12 years.

The FBI’s Inland Empire Safe Streets Task Force investigated this matter. The Task Force is a joint federal and state gang task force that includes the FBI; the Drug Enforcement Administration; IRS Criminal Investigation; the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department; and the Riverside Police Department. The FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force received assistance during the investigation from the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department; U.S. Customs and Border Protection; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the United States Marshals Service.

Assistant United States Attorney Eli A. Alcaraz of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section prosecuted this case.

Source: US FBI

LOS ANGELES – A Santa Barbara County gang member and convicted violent felon was sentenced today to 180 months in federal prison for possessing methamphetamine and illegally possessing dozens of rounds of ammunition, including some found inside a “ghost gun.”

Rodolfo Uriarte, 41, of Santa Maria, was sentenced by United States District Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett. 

Uriarte pleaded guilty on February 28 to all five felony charges he faced: two counts of distribution of methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and two counts of being a felon and prohibited person in possession of ammunition. Uriarte has been in federal custody since November 2023.

“Thanks to the diligent efforts of our prosecutors and law enforcement partners, a violent felon was apprehended and has now received a lengthy prison term,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “Working together, we can make our streets safer by removing repeated offenders from our communities.”

According to court documents, in October 2023, as part of an investigation into Uriarte’s drug and firearms trafficking activities, law enforcement conducted a controlled purchase of approximately 110 grams of methamphetamine from Uriarte, who is a member of the Santa Maria Northwest street gang. On November 6, 2023, law enforcement conducted a second controlled purchase of 105 grams of methamphetamine from Uriarte, as well as a “ghost gun” – a firearm lacking a serial number – loaded with 10 rounds of nine-millimeter ammunition.

Separately, in October 2023, Santa Maria Police arrested Uriarte after they made a traffic stop, a stop that revealed the gray Lexus sedan Uriarte was driving had been reported stolen. A search of the vehicle resulted in the seizure of a rifle case, three AR-15 magazines – two of which were loaded with .223-caliber ammunition containing approximately 53 rounds of ammunition in total. Law enforcement also seized 38 rounds of 9mm ammunition in a backpack in the back seat of the vehicle, four plastic baggies containing methamphetamine, and a knotted glove that contained methamphetamine. In total, Uriarte possessed approximately 86.3 grams of methamphetamine. 

Uriarte is not legally allowed to possess ammunition because of his criminal history, which includes felony convictions in Santa Barbara County Superior Court for second-degree robbery in 2005, assault with a deadly weapon in 2010, and a domestic violence conviction in 2014. Uriarte also possessed the ammunition knowing that he was subject to a June 2022 restraining order out of Santa Barbara County Superior Court.

The FBI, the Santa Maria Police Department, and the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office investigated this matter.

Assistant United States Attorneys Thomas J. Magaña of the General Crimes Section and Stephanie L. Orrick of the Orange County Office prosecuted this case.

Source: US FBI

LOS ANGELES – A Santa Clarita man who led the Los Angeles-based “Drugpharmacist” drug trafficking organization that distributed heroin, methamphetamine, and cocaine via darknet marketplaces was sentenced today to 96 months in federal prison. 

Jerrell Eugene Anderson, 34, was sentenced by United States District Judge George H. Wu.

Anderson pleaded guilty on June 10 to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute heroin, and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

From at least July 2018 to March 2019, Anderson conspired with others to distribute methamphetamine, heroin, and cocaine that they sold on darknet marketplaces. Specifically, Anderson advertised and sold drugs to customers on the darknet marketplaces Dream and Wall Street Market, using monikers such as “Drugpharmacist” and “rickandmortyshop.” 

Anderson and his accomplices packaged drugs in stuffed animals for shipment to their darknet customers. Anderson and his co-conspirators then delivered from San Fernando Valley stash houses packages containing drugs to post offices throughout the Los Angeles area for shipment to their customers nationwide. For example, in August 2018, Anderson and a co-conspirator knowingly distributed heroin to a victim in Knoxville, Tennessee whose death resulted from using the heroin.

Also, in March 2019, in a Glendale apartment, Anderson and other co-conspirators possessed methamphetamine, heroin, and cocaine for distribution to darknet customers. At that time, Anderson knowingly possessed a semiautomatic pistol in furtherance of the drug trafficking conspiracy. 

The other defendants in this case – Christopher Canion Von Holton, 37, of Woodland Hills; Kenneth Lashawn Hadley, 37, of Las Vegas; Adan Sepulveda, 31, of Palmdale; and Jackie Walter Burns, 26, of Lancaster, each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and have been sentenced. 

The United States Postal Inspection Service, the FBI, the Los Angeles Police Department, the Fairfax County (Virginia) Police Department, the Knoxville (Tennessee) Police Department, and the Cleburne County (Arkansas) Sheriff’s Office investigated this matter.

Assistant United States Attorneys Khaldoun Shobaki and Lauren Restrepo of the Cyber and Intellectual Property Crimes Section prosecuted this case.

Source: US FBI

John Chen Furthered the PRC Government’s Transnational Repression Campaign Against the Falun Gong by Paying Cash Bribes to a Purported IRS Official

Source: US FBI

LOS ANGELES – An executive at a San Luis Obispo-based real estate development company was sentenced today to 60 months in federal prison for paying a local politician nearly $95,000 in bribes and gifts in exchange for official acts benefiting the company’s development projects.

Ryan Wright, 38, of Grover Beach, was sentenced by United States District Judge Percy Anderson.  Judge Anderson also scheduled a restitution hearing for January 27, 2025.

Wright, who has been in federal custody since October 2023, pleaded guilty on September 13 to one count of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud.

Wright was a managing member of PB Companies, LLC, a San Luis Obispo-based real estate development business, and had previously served as the company’s CEO until December 2015.  In 2014, PB Companies had multiple projects in the works, including in the city and county of San Luis Obispo. 

From at least June 2014 to March 2017, Wright illegally conspired to bribe Adam Hill, an elected member of the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors. Hill represented the Third District, which included a majority of the city of San Luis Obispo. Hill voted on matters appearing before the Board of Supervisors, including budget bills that affected the city, and by virtue of his elected position, had influence over matters occurring within the city and in the city’s departments and commissions.

Specifically, Wright bribed Hill with money and other financial benefits.  In exchange, the supervisor used his official position to help Wright secure approvals necessary for PB Companies’ real estate development projects, including by voting on two projects.  Hill further used his official position to advise and influence other public officials deciding the fate of PB Companies’ projects, including city officials and individuals appointed to city commissions.

In total, as part of this conspiracy, Wright arranged for Hill or his shell company to receive nearly $95,000 in payments, including a $10,000 wire in November 2016 just over a month after Hill voted on one of PB Companies’ projects. Wright also paid for Hill’s flight, hotel, and front-row ticket to a Major League playoff game in San Francisco in October 2014.   

Hill died in August 2020.

The FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation investigated this matter. 

Assistant United States Attorneys Thomas F. Rybarczyk, Billy Joe McLain, and Daniel J. O’Brien of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section prosecuted this case.