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Source: US FBI

OAKLAND – A two-count indictment was unsealed today charging property developers David Sanson and Trent Sanson with conspiracy and bribery in connection with offering to pay an Antioch City Councilmember $10,000, and later giving the Councilmember a company travel mug with $5,000 in cash, in exchange for favorable treatment for one of their development projects.  The Councilmember reported the alleged bribe to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).  Both defendants made their initial appearances in federal court this morning.

According to the indictment filed April 3, 2025, David Sanson, 60, of Philipsburg, Mont., is the owner and Chief Executive Officer of a home building and development company based in Concord, Calif., and his son, Trent Sanson, 33, of Walnut Creek, Calif., is the Vice President.  The development company has a number of projects in Antioch and neighboring areas, including the Aviano project, a multi-phase 533-unit residential development project.  

As alleged, the Antioch Engineering and Development Services Division indicated that the development company had not completed all of its required public infrastructure improvements and that Phase 3 of the Aviano project should not be deemed complete or approved by the City Council until those improvements were completed.  As a result, the City of Antioch had not approved the release of bonds secured for the project.  To get the Antioch Engineering and Development Services Division to affirm completion and release the bonds associated with the project, Trent Sanson allegedly contacted an Antioch City Councilmember via iMessage on May 29, 2024, stating that he wanted to discuss with the Councilmember issues that the development company was facing with the Antioch “Engineering department” on a number of projects, including Phase 3 of the Aviano project.

The indictment describes a video-recorded meeting between the Councilmember and Trent Sanson on June 12, 2024, during which Trent Sanson allegedly stated that he wanted the Councilmember to place on the City Council agenda, and vote in favor of, “acceptance for Phase 3 at Aviano to release the completion and guarantee bonds . . . .”  Trent Sanson allegedly stated that David Sanson was willing to pay the Councilmember $10,000 in exchange for the requested actions.  A second video-recorded meeting took place on June 20, 2024, at which David Sanson allegedly paid the Councilmember $5,000 in cash concealed in a travel coffee mug branded with the logo of the Sansons’ development company.

“This indictment alleges that the defendants tried to bribe an Antioch City Councilmember to take favorable action on their real estate project and to evade having to make the public infrastructure improvements that the City required,” said Acting United States Attorney Patrick D. Robbins.  “This case is another example of my Office’s commitment to working closely with our partners at the FBI to root out bribery and attempts to corrupt public office.”

“Attempting to bribe a public official is a blatant attack on the integrity of our government and the trust of the communities we serve,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Sanjay Virmani.  “The allegations in this case reflect a clear attempt to manipulate the system for personal gain. The FBI will continue to aggressively investigate and hold accountable anyone who seeks to corrupt public institutions through bribery or abuse of power.”

The defendants are next scheduled to appear in district court on June 12, 2025, for a status conference before U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers.

The indictment charges each defendant with one count of conspiracy to commit bribery in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371 and one count of bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 666(a)(2).  The bribery count also includes an allegation that defendants aided and abetted one another in bribing the Antioch City Councilmember.  

An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.  If convicted, defendants each face a maximum sentence of five years in prison for the count under 18 U.S.C. § 371 and 10 years in prison for the count under 18 U.S.C. §§ 666(a)(2).  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. Attorneys Thomas R. Green and Benjamin K. Kleinman are prosecuting the case with the assistance of Amala James and Laurie Worthen.  The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI.

Sanson, David and Trent Indictment
 

Source: US FBI

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — A former Killen, Alabama, Police Department officer pleaded guilty today for sexually assaulting a woman while on duty and for receiving sexually explicit photos of a minor.

As part of the plea agreement, Jarrod Gailen Webster admitted that, on November 12, 2023, he violated the civil rights of a woman after initiating a traffic stop on the woman’s vehicle. Webster asked the woman to step out of her vehicle, and he asked her what she wanted to do to “get out of this.” When the woman told Webster that she was not going to do anything for him, Webster handcuffed the woman and sexually assaulted her.

Further, Webster admitted that, between June 2016 and October 2018, he communicated with a minor by phone. Webster asked the minor to produce and send him sexually explicit images of herself. The minor victim sent multiple photos to Webster at his request, at least one of which constituted child sexual abuse material.

“Jarrod Webster took an oath to protect and serve citizens of his community. He violated that oath when he sexually assaulted a woman and exploited a minor to produce and send sexually explicit images,” said Prim Escalona U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama.  “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure that those who violate positions of public trust are held accountable for their actions.”

“Police officers are given immense trust and responsibility to serve and protect, and are therefore held to a higher standard,” said Carlton Peeples, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Birmingham Division, “so there are serious consequences when one tarnishes the badge by breaking the law.  Jarrod Gailen Webster disgraced the uniform when he abused his authority, and his conviction affirms that the FBI has zero tolerance for officials who prey on the citizens they have sworn to protect.”

Webster pleaded guilty to one count of deprivation of rights under color of law and one count of sexual exploitation of children. He is scheduled to be sentenced on May 20, 2025.

Webster faces a maximum penalty of life in prison, five years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000 for the charge of deprivation of rights under color of law. For the child sexual exploitation charge, he faces a prison term of 15-30 years, a supervised release term of 5 years to life, and a fine of up to $250,000. 

The FBI Birmingham Field Office investigated the case.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael A. Royster and Senior Sex Crimes Counsel Maura White and Trial Attorney Sarah Howard of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section. 

Source: US FBI

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A convicted felon has been sentenced for illegal possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and FBI Special Agent in Charge Carlton Peeples.

U.S. District Court Judge Ann Marie Axon sentenced David Lee Hooker, 53, to 30 months in prison.  In November 2024, Hooker pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm stemming from a road rage incident in Jefferson County.

This sentence sends a clear message that violent and reckless behavior on our roads will not be tolerated,” U.S. Attorney Escalona said. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who threaten the safety of our communities and endanger innocent lives.”

“The safety of our communities is a priority,” said Special Agent in Charge Carlton Peeples, Birmingham Division. “The strong collaboration between FBI Birmingham and our state and local law enforcement partners works as a force multiplier to remove violent offenders from the communities we protect and serve.”

According to the plea agreement, on April 4, 2023, Hooker was involved in a road rage incident at the intersection of Bessemer Road and BY Williams Sr. Drive. Hooker’s vehicle remained stationary during two cycles of the traffic light, and the individual in the vehicle behind Hooker continued to blow their horn.  When Hooker made a left turn, he pulled to the right side of the roadway. As the driver of the second vehicle drove by, Hooker drove up beside the vehicle and pointed a firearm at the driver.  The driver of the second vehicle then pulled into a nearby parking lot. Hooker followed the driver into the parking lot where he got out of his vehicle and proceeded to walk toward the second vehicle.  A Jefferson County Sherriff’s Office Task Force Officer witnessed this and activated his emergency lights to intervene. Hooker placed the firearm into his front pocket and raised his hands above his head.  The officer recovered a Smith &Wesson 9mm pistol from Hooker.     

The FBI investigated the case along with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin A. Keown, Sr., prosecuted the case.

Source: US FBI

OAKLAND – Sheila Quintana pleaded guilty in federal court today to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud in connection with her role in a scheme to defraud congregations of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church (AME Zion Church) across California as well as private lenders.

Quintana, 71, of Vallejo, was indicted along with co-defendant Staccato Powell, 65, of Wake Forest, N.C., by a federal grand jury in January 2022 on one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1349 and two counts of wire fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343. Powell was additionally charged with one count of mail fraud.

On April 18, 2025, an information was filed charging Quintana with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371, and re-alleging the three counts against her in the indictment. Quintana waived indictment on the charges in the information. She pleaded guilty this afternoon to the count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371 and agreed to cooperate with the government.

According to court documents, Powell and Quintana were officers of the Western Episcopal District, Inc. (WED, Inc.), an entity that Powell formed in 2016 after Powell’s selection as bishop to AME Zion Church’s Western Episcopal District, a geographic division of the church covering several states in the western United States, including California. AME Zion Church is an historically African-American denomination of approximately 1.4 million adherents worldwide.

Powell was the chief executive officer (CEO) of WED, Inc., and Quintana became the chief financial officer (CFO) in March 2017. In pleading guilty, Quintana admitted to using false statements and material omissions to obtain from local pastors grant deeds to church properties, and then using fake resolutions to memorialize the agreement of the local congregations to new mortgages on the local church properties when no such authorization had been given.

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

Quintana admitted to fraudulently obtaining mortgages on the following church properties:

• Kyles Temple in Vallejo: Quintana was part of a group that assisted with the purchase of a $1.5 million episcopal residence in Granite Bay, with approximately $1 million covered by a bank loan. To obtain the additional $500,000 in funding, Quintana learned that the anticipated loans required the use of two church properties as collateral. The group identified two church properties that would be used as collateral to secure financing to purchase the episcopal residence, including Kyles Temple in Vallejo. At the time, Quintana was the chair of the Board of Trustees of Kyles Temple as well as the CFO of WED, Inc. Quintana drafted a fake resolution reflecting authorization by Kyles Temple for the loan and giving herself authority to execute loan documents in her role as Chair of the Board of Trustees. She admitted that there was no meeting at Kyles Temple to approve (or even discuss) this resolution.
• First AME Zion Church in San Jose: In October 2017, Quintana assisted with documents and transactions to use the First AME Zion Church in San Jose as collateral for a new loan to buy a parsonage, a residence for the congregation’s new pastor. Quintana prepared a fake resolution on the San Jose congregation’s letterhead stating that the new pastor was authorized to sign all documents pertaining to the real estate transactions, following a “unanimous vote by the membership.” During the processing of the loan paperwork, Quintana learned that a title search for the San Jose church revealed a title interest in the property held by the AME Zion Church of Los Angeles. She then prepared another fake resolution stating that the AME Zion Church in Los Angeles held a membership meeting on or about Oct. 12, 2017, and voted to deed the church in San Jose to WED, Inc. Using the resolutions, WED, Inc. obtained a loan, the proceeds of which were used to purchase the parsonage. Quintana learned in late November 2017 that the San Jose congregation disputed the transaction, including the assertion that the church’s membership voted unanimously to approve the resolution. In or about August 2019, Quintana assisted with an additional transaction to refinance the 2017 loan using the First AME Zion Church of San Jose as collateral.
• Greater Cooper AME Zion Church in Oakland: As CFO of WED, Inc., Quintana executed loan documents in May 2019 to borrow $525,000 using the Greater Cooper AME Zion Church in Oakland as collateral. Quintana signed the grant deeds transferring the property of Greater Cooper AME Zion Church in Oakland to WED, Inc. and other closing documents on May 16, 2019, and signed the deed of trust for the transaction as CFO of WED, Inc. on May 24, 2019. Following that, Quintana emailed Powell to inform him that the “expected cash amount from the Cooper loan is $506,000 . . . .” Quintana later learned that the property of Greater Cooper had been encumbered with approximately $1.5 million in debt and that the congregation objected to the encumbrance as unauthorized.
• University AME Zion Church of Palo Alto: Quintana understood in 2017 that Powell had informed the Reverend of University AME Zion Church of Palo Alto that Powell planned to use the University church as collateral for a loan. Quintana prepared the paperwork needed for the transfer of the University AME Zion Church to WED, Inc. In March 2018, Quintana received paperwork for a $2 million loan using University AME Zion Church as collateral, and emailed the loan papers to Powell for him to sign. WED, Inc. encumbered the University AME Church with loans totaling $3.6 million, which Quintana admitted was debt that the congregation’s membership neither knew about nor authorized.
• First AME Zion Church in Los Angeles: Beginning in December 2017, Quintana assisted with documents and transactions to use the First AME Zion Church in Los Angeles as collateral for a new loan. Quintana understood from Powell that the pastor of the Los Angeles church had told Powell that the membership had approved the transfer of title from the Los Angeles church to WED, Inc. Quintana prepared a resolution that purported to document a meeting at which the membership approved the transfer and authorized the Reverend of the Los Angeles church to sign documents pertaining to the transfer, as well as an updated resolution that purported to document a meeting at which the membership approved the transfer of title to WED, Inc., and authorized Powell to sign all documents pertaining to the transaction. She sent both fake resolutions to the lender. Quintana signed a resolution of the Board of WED, Inc. on Dec. 15, 2017, approving the obtaining of a loan using the Los Angeles church property as collateral, and executed loan documents on Dec. 20, 2017. Quintana admitted that she knew that the resolution included false information that was material to obtaining the loan using the church as collateral, and intended that the use of the false and material information would result in the loan’s approval and funding.

Quintana further admitted that between September 2018 and June 2019, in recognition of the amount of time she had spent assisting Powell with the business of the Western Episcopal District, she prepared and signed three checks drawn on WED, Inc.’s bank account and made payable to her spouse totaling $67,500. The checks were payable to Quintana for her benefit. Quintana wrote and signed these checks making payment to her spouse because she did not want anyone other than Powell to know of the payments.

According to the information filed on April 18, 2025, WED, Inc. filed a bankruptcy petition in July 2020 in which it claimed its assets included 11 churches, a parsonage, and Powell’s official residence. The petition stated that WED, Inc.’s real property was worth $26,338,031 and had debts totaling $12,475,453.

Quintana is next scheduled to appear in court on July 15, 2025, for a status hearing. She faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371. Any sentence will 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 Jonathan U. Lee is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Kathy Tat and Helen Yee. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI.

Source: US FBI

SAN FRANCISCO – Dale Jetton was sentenced today to serve 180 months (15 years) in federal prison for distribution of child pornography announced Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick D. Robbins and Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Tatum King.  Senior U.S. District Judge Edward M. Chen handed down the sentence.

Jetton pleaded guilty on August 22, 2024, to one count of distribution of child pornography in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2252(a)(2). Jetton was originally indicted by a federal grand jury on August 29, 2023. According to the plea agreement, beginning in March 2023, Jetton began exchanging email messages with an individual who, unbeknownst to him, was an undercover law enforcement officer.  Jetton sent the undercover officer an invitation and link to a cloud service that Jetton boasted contained over 700+ megabytes of child exploitation materials.  The link included thirty-eight videos containing visual depictions of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct.  Jetton, a registered sex offender, admitted he knew the visual depictions in these videos included prepubescent minors or minors under the age of 12 engaged in sexually explicit conduct, including at least one video that depicted a minor being subjected to sexual bondage.

Jetton has been in custody since his arrest in 2023.  He will begin serving his prison term immediately.  In addition to the prison term, Judge Chen also ordered Jetton to serve 15 years of supervised release which will begin after his term of imprisonment.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Roland Chang and Sophia Cooper.  The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the San Francisco Police Department.    
 

Source: US FBI

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Ray Hunt, also known as Abdolrahman Hantoosh, Rahman Hantoosh, and Rahman Natooshas, 71, of Owens Cross Roads, Alabama, has been sentenced for violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.  In July 2024, Hunt pleaded guilty to conspiring to export U.S.-origin goods to the Islamic Republic of Iran in violation of the U.S. trade sanctions.

According to court documents, in May 2014, Hunt registered Vega Tools, LLC with the Alabama Secretary of State, listing the nature of the business as “the purchase/resale of equipment for the energy sector.” He operated Vega Tools, including purchasing, receiving, and shipping U.S.-origin goods, from locations in Madison County, Alabama. Beginning at least as early as 2015 and continuing to the time of his arrest in November 2022,  Hunt conspired with two Iranian companies located in Tehran, Iran, to illegally export U.S.-manufactured industrial equipment for use in Iran’s oil, gas, and petrochemical industries.

Hunt engaged in a series of deceptive practices to avoid detection by U.S. authorities, including using third-party transshipment companies in Turkey and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), routing payments through UAE banks, and lying to shipping companies about the value of his exports to prevent the filing of Electronic Export Information to U.S. authorities. Hunt lied to suppliers and shippers by claiming the items he purchased on behalf of the Iranian co-conspirators were destined for end-users in Turkey and UAE, while knowing the exports were ultimately destined for Iran. Hunt lied also to U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers regarding the nature and existence of his business when questioned upon his return from a March 2020 trip to Iran.   

Sue Bai, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona for the Northern District of Alabama, Acting Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement John Sonderman of the Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security, and Assistant Director Kevin Vorndran of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division announced the sentence.

BIS investigated the case with valuable assistance provided by the FBI.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan Cross and Henry Cornelius for the Northern District of Alabama and Trial Attorneys Emma Ellenrieder and Adam Barry of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section prosecuted the case.

Source: US FBI

Former YouPlus CEO Shaukat Shamim Presented False Financial and Product Information to Raise Money for his Artificial Intelligence Startup

Source: US FBI

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – A North Carolina man was sentenced for attempted enticement of a minor, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples.

U.S. District Court Judge Anna M. Manasco sentenced Jonathan Allen Norris, 45, of Carolina Beach, North Carolina, to 120 months in prison, followed by a life term of supervised release. In October 2024, Norris pleaded guilty to attempted coercion and enticement of a minor. This conviction will require Norris to register as a sex offender in accordance with the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.

According to the plea agreement, in December 2022, an undercover law enforcement officer posing as a 15-year-old girl responded to an ad posted by Norris on a social media application.  On January 6, 2023, Norris arrived in Birmingham from New Mexico to engage in a sexual act with a minor.

If you suspect or become aware of possible sexual exploitation of a child, please contact law enforcement. To alert the FBI Birmingham Office, call 205-326-6166. Reports can also be filed with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) or online at www.cybertipline.org.

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.  Led by 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 better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet and to identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

The FBI investigated the case along with the Homewood Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel S. McBrayer prosecuted the case. 

Source: US FBI

SAN DIEGO – Today, the Department of Justice announced the results of Operation Restore Justice, a coordinated enforcement effort to identify, track and arrest child sex predators. The operation resulted in the rescue of 115 children and the arrests of 205 child sexual abuse offenders in the nationwide crackdown.  The coordinated effort was executed over the course of five days by all 55 FBI field offices, the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section in the Department’s Criminal Division, and United States Attorney’s Offices around the country.

“The Department of Justice will never stop fighting to protect victims — especially child victims — and we will not rest until we hunt down, arrest, and prosecute every child predator who preys on the most vulnerable among us,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “I am grateful to the FBI and their state and local partners for their incredible work in Operation Restore Justice and have directed my prosecutors not to negotiate.”

“Every child deserves to grow up free from fear and exploitation, and the FBI will continue to be relentless in our pursuit of those who exploit the most vulnerable among us,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Operation Restore Justice proves that no predator is out of reach and no child will be forgotten. By leveraging the strength of all our field offices and our federal, state and local partners, we’re sending a clear message: there is no place to hide for those who prey on children.”

“Protecting our community means identifying, arresting and holding accountable anyone who would prey on children,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon. “I’m grateful for the coordinated efforts of law enforcement in this district and across the nation, and our office will continue to prioritize these prosecutions to obtain justice for these vulnerable victims.”

“Each arrest is a powerful testament to the tireless efforts of the FBI and our dedicated law enforcement partners to protect the most vulnerable among us,” said FBI San Diego Acting Special Agent in Charge Houtan Moshrefi. “It reaffirms our unwavering commitment to pursuing justice for victims and holding predators accountable.”

In the Southern District of California, four individuals were arrested and charged with federal crimes, including:

• Seth Wheeler, who was indicted for distribution of images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct and possession of images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Wheeler is alleged to have distributed child pornography on two different occasions in September 2024, and in possession of child pornography in October 2024.  He was previously arrested by the state and remained in state custody until he was indicted on federal charges.
• Adam Harrison Bryant, a convicted sex offender who was charged with possession of child pornography. The investigation of Bryan began when it was suspected that he had attempted to purchase child pornography from a website using cryptocurrency.  A search warrant was executed on May 1, 2025, and Bryant was arrested when he was found in possession of an electronic device that contained child pornography. He was previously convicted in 2008 of travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct and enticing a child and was sentenced to 40 months and 24 months, concurrent, followed by ten years of supervised release.
• Kristho Angel Valdez, whowas charged with receipt of images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Law enforcement officials were notified that two minor victims were exchanging sexually explicit content, including images and videos, through Snapchat with an unknown individual. Valdez was identified as the potential user of the Snapchat account and a search warrant for the account revealed thousands of sexually explicit images and videos of minors. On March 12, 2025, a search warrant was executed at Valdez’s residence. Valdez admitted to receiving sexually explicit videos from the minor victims.
• Christopher David Miller, who was charged with attempted receipt and possession of images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Agents began investigating Miller when they determined that IP addresses linked to his current and former residences attempted to obtain child pornography using Freenet, a peer-to-peer file sharing platform. A search warrant was executed at Miller’s residence on April 9, 2025, and Miller was found to be in possession of electronic devices containing child pornography.

Others arrested around the country are alleged to have committed various crimes including the production, distribution, and possession of child sexual abuse material, online enticement and transportation of minors, and child sex trafficking. In Minneapolis, for example, a state trooper and Army Reservist was arrested for allegedly producing child sexual abuse material while wearing his uniforms. In Norfolk, VA, an illegal alien from Mexico is accused of transporting a minor across state lines for sex. In Washington, D.C., a former Metropolitan Police Department Police Officer was arrested for allegedly trafficking minor victims.

In many cases, parental vigilance and community outreach efforts played a critical role in bringing these offenders to justice. For example, a California man was arrested about eight hours after a young victim bravely came forward and disclosed their abuse to FBI agents after an online safety presentation at a school near Albany, N.Y.

This effort follows the Department’s observance of National Child Abuse Prevention Month in April and underscores the Department’s unwavering commitment to protecting children and raising awareness about the dangers they face. While the Department, including the FBI, investigates and prosecutes these crimes every day, April serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of preventing these crimes, seeking justice for victims, and raising awareness through community education.

The Justice Department is committed to combating child sexual exploitation. These cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the 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, visit www.justice.gov/psc.

The Department partners with and oversees funding grants for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24/7 hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on missingkids.org.

The Department urges the public to remain vigilant and report suspected exploitation of a child through the FBI’s tipline at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324), tips.fbi.gov, or by calling your local FBI field office.

Other online resources:

Violent Crimes Against Children

How we can help you: Parents and caregivers protecting your kids

An indictment or complaint is merely an allegation. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Source: US FBI

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Ten men pleaded guilty this week to managing a multi-million-dollar sports-betting operation, announced United States Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Special Agent in Charge Demetrius Hardeman of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Atlanta Field Office.

Timothy J. Pughsley, 53, and Nathan Burdette, 39, of Birmingham, Alabama; Christopher Burdette, 32, of Chelsea, Alabama; Thomas Zito, 59, of Vestavia, Alabama; Gary Rapp, 46, of Lakeland, Tennessee; Mark Giaquinto, 52, of Upton, Massachusetts; Matthew Voorhees, 49, of Englewood, Colorado; David Richards, 39, of Las Vegas, Nevada; and Joshua Gentrup, 38, of Athens, Georgia, entered their guilty pleas before United States District Judge Madeline Haikala to conspiring to operate an illegal gambling business and to their participation in a money laundering conspiracy. Jonathan Lind, 46, of Birmingham, Alabama, also pleaded guilty to conspiring to operate an illegal gambling business. Sentencing hearings for the defendants are set in May 2025.

According to the plea agreements, Pughsley began operating a bookmaking organization at least 17 years ago. The organization eventually became known as “Red44,” and bookmaking and betting activities occurred online via an offshore server located in Costa Rica. It is estimated that the organization accepted over $2 billion in wagers during its existence. Within the plea agreements, the defendants—all senior agents within Red44—agreed to pay excise tax restitution totaling $19,777,382.61 to the IRS arising from their acceptance of wagers from sports betters across the U.S. and to satisfy any income tax obligations that remain outstanding.

“These guilty pleas are the end result of years of hard work by members of federal and state law enforcement agencies to enforce our nation’s gambling and tax laws,” Escalona said. “The defendants illegally accepted millions of dollars in wagers and lived lavishly while avoiding their excise tax obligations. This office will diligently pursue those who enrich themselves in violation of the law.”

“Excise tax evasion and illegal sports betting are not victimless crimes,” said Special Agent in Charge Hardeman. “Money obtained from illegal gambling operations is often used to finance other criminal activities. IRS-CI special agents are skilled at following the money to investigate and expose these illegal organizations, who will be held accountable. Thank you to our local, state, and federal partners who assisted in this investigation.”

IRS-Criminal Investigation and Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case, with assistance from the Vestavia Hills Police Department, Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, Alabama Department of Revenue, and Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Catherine Crosby, Kristen Osborne, and Ryan Rummage are prosecuting the case.