MIL Security Engine-1

Source: US FBI

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the return of an indictment charging Geoffrey Lee Dudding (39, Concord, NC) with attempting to entice an 11-year-old child to engage in sexual activity. If convicted, Dudding faces a minimum penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison and a potential lifetime term of supervised release. Dudding is a registered child sex offender who was twice previously convicted in North Carolina – once of indecent liberty with a minor (2007) and of solicitation of a child by computer to commit an unlawful sex act (2024). 

According to court documents, on January 13, 2025, an FBI agent (UC) in Jacksonville was conducting an undercover operation to identify individuals seeking to make online contact with and engage in sexual activity with children. Posing as the parent of an 11-year-old child, the UC posted several short messages in a public chatroom on an online social messaging platform (app). An individual using the name “metalh34d321,” who was subsequently identified as Dudding, contacted the UC by private text message on the app and expressed interest in the UC’s “daughter.” Dudding told the UC, “Let me know if ya ever down to let me do her.” Despite being advised several times that the “child” was 11 years old and lived in Florida, Dudding stated that he wanted to meet the “child” to “[h]ave a good time and sex.” Dudding described sexual acts that he wanted to perform on the “child” and sent the UC an explicit video of himself to show to the “child.”

Dudding and the UC also communicated by cellphone text messaging. They discussed plans for Dudding to travel to Jacksonville so that he could engage in sexual activity with the “child.” Dudding told the UC that he would book a hotel room in Jacksonville.

On May 8, 2025, Dudding was arrested by FBI agents in Concord, North Carolina. He was detained and will be transported by the United States Marshals Service to Jacksonville for prosecution in this case. 

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, and the Cabarrus County (North Carolina) Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.

An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.

It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 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 individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue child victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. 

Source: US FBI

Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Zevion La’Quawn Collins (31, Jacksonville) to 11 years and 3 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of pure or actual methamphetamine. The court also ordered Collins to forfeit $4,970 in cash, which are traceable proceeds of the offense, a loaded Glock .40 caliber pistol and all ammunition seized with the firearm, which were used to facilitate the conspiracy.  Collins pleaded guilty on January 7, 2025.

According to court documents, between April 2023 and the time of his arrest on June 17, 2024, Collins distributed methamphetamine in Jacksonville. During this time, federal agents observed Collins conduct multiple drug transactions, including on 6 separate occasions, where Collins sold one to two ounces of pure methamphetamine per transaction. On June 17, 2024, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Collins’s stash house in Jacksonville and arrested him on federal drug charges. From this residence, agents seized approximately $4,970 in cash and a loaded Glock .40 caliber pistol.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by former Assistant United States Attorney Aakash Singh and Assistant United States Attorney Rachel Lasry.

This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. 

Source: US FBI

Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Ali Odeh Abdeljaber (31, Kentucky) has pleaded guilty to forcibly assaulting, resisting, and impeding an officer and employee of the United States. Abdeljaber faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to the court records, Abdeljaber is an inmate at the Coleman Federal Correctional Complex, United States Penitentiary I, in Sumter County. On March 18, 2024, a Federal Bureau of Prisons correctional officer tried to escort Abdeljaber to his assigned cell. Abdeljaber, however, became combative, lunging forward and using his head to strike the officer in the face. The officer suffered injuries from the attack, including two fractured teeth.  

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Prisons. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk Watson.

Source: US FBI

ANCHORAGE, Alaska – A U.S. Air Force Airman stationed at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER) was arrested last Thursday after a federal grand jury in Alaska returned an indictment charging him with distributing and possessing child sexual abuse materials (CSAM).

According to court documents, in August 2024, Caleb French, 27, was reported to the U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI) by an individual who claimed French wanted to commit sexual assaults against minors. AFOSI executed a search warrant on French’s residence and recovered multiple digital devices allegedly containing over a thousand images and videos depicting child sexual abuse. Law enforcement discovered that French also allegedly sent the reporting individual a link to a video depicting CSAM that same month.

Court documents further allege that French surreptitiously took photos and videos of children in public throughout the community. It’s alleged that French intended to use the visuals to produce artificial intelligence generated CSAM.

French is charged with one count of distribution of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. The defendant made his initial court appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Matthew M. Scoble of the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

U.S. Attorney U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker for the District of Alaska and Special Agent in Charge Rebecca Day of the FBI Anchorage Field Office made the announcement.

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

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

If anyone has information concerning French’s alleged actions, please contact the FBI Anchorage Field Office at (907) 276-4441 or anonymously at tips.fbi.gov.

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

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

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

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

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

Source: US FBI

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

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

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

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

O’Connor is charged with one count of receipt of child pornography, one count of distribution of child pornography and two counts of possession of child pornography. If convicted, O’Connor faces up to 20 years in prison for each count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker for the District of Alaska and Special Agent in Charge Rebecca Day of the FBI Anchorage Field Office made the announcement.

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

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

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

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

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

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Source: US FBI

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Alexander prosecuted the case.

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

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Source: US FBI

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

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

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

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

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

Source: US FBI

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

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

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

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

Source: US FBI

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Central District of California

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

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

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

District of Alaska

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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