Category: FBI

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)

NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – August 29, 2023

SAN DIEGO – Nelson Alexander Flores of Tijuana was sentenced in federal court to 210 months in prison for trafficking large quantities of methamphetamine into the United States from Mexico on behalf of MS-13 street gang and the Mexican Mafia prison gang.

According to information presented in court, between 2018 and May 2020, Flores coordinated with and supplied others with pound quantities of methamphetamine from various sources in Mexico, which was then distributed throughout the United States. 

Flores is also serving a five-year sentence in federal prison for his role in an MS-13 RICO case to which he pleaded guilty in the Southern District of Ohio in United States v. Aguilar-River, et al., case no. 2:17-CR-164.

The court ruled that Flores’ term of imprisonment in the Southern District of California case will run consecutive to the term of imprisonment in the Southern District of Ohio RICO case.

“This defendant was responsible for moving more than 100 pounds of methamphetamine and cocaine a month on behalf of violent international street and prison gangs,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Andrew R. Haden. “He imported these drugs into San Diego from Mexico, before they were sent to poison other communities throughout the United States.  We were proud to partner with Joint Task Force Vulcan in this prosecution to fight back on behalf of the Southern District of California and our nation.”

“The MS-13, Mexican Mafia, and their criminal partners fuel their criminal activities through the illicit importation and sale of narcotics,” said Director of Joint Task Force Vulcan (JTFV) John Durham.  “Mr. Flores played a key role in MS-13’s international drug operations by coordinating the importation and distribution of narcotics throughout the United States, and his conviction and sentence mark a significant disruption. JTFV and our law enforcement partners will continue to work relentlessly to protect our communities from the plague of transnational organized crime.”

Since its creation in August 2019, JTFV has successfully implemented a whole-of-government approach to combatting MS-13, including increasing coordination and collaboration with domestic and foreign law enforcement partners; designating priority MS-13 programs, cliques and leaders, who have the most impact on the United States, for targeted prosecutions; and coordinating significant MS-13 indictments, including the first use of national security charges against MS-13 leaders.  JTFV has been comprised of members from U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country, including this Office; the Eastern District of New York; the Eastern District of Texas; the District of New Jersey; the Northern District of Ohio; the District of Utah; the District of Massachusetts; the Southern District of Florida; the District of Alaska; the Southern District of California; the District of Nevada; the Eastern District of Virginia; and the District of Columbia, as well as the Department of Justice’s National Security Division and the Criminal Division.  All Department of Justice law enforcement agencies are involved in the effort, including the FBI; DEA; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the U.S. Marshals Service; and the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.  In addition, HSI plays a critical role in JTFV.

DEFENDANT                                               Case Number 22cr908                                               

Nelson Alexander Flores                                Age: 52                       Tijuana, Mexico

Aka “Mula,” aka “El 40,” aka “Cuarenta,” aka “Juan,” aka “Juanita”

SUMMARY OF CHARGES

International Drug Conspiracy – Title 21, United States Code, Sections 959, 960 & 963.

Maximum penalty: Life in prison and $10 million fine.

AGENCY

Homeland Security Investigations

Drug Enforcement Administration

Federal Bureau of Investigation

This case is the result of ongoing efforts by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), a partnership that brings together the combined expertise and unique abilities of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, dismantle and prosecute high-level members of drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations and enterprises.

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — David J. Zappa, 71, of Sebastopol, was sentenced Tuesday to six years in prison to be followed by 10 years of supervised release for receipt of child pornography, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, on Feb. 5, 2015, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Zappa’s home and found that Zappa used peer-to-peer software to receive and share files over the BitTorrent network, and his computer was in the process of downloading four torrent files that contained child pornography. Overall, agents found thousands of images and approximately 200 videos of child pornography.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. 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: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)

FRESNO, Calif. — Jesus Angulo, 34, of Woodlake, was sentenced to five years and six months in prison for possessing with intent to distribute cocaine, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, a long-term investigation uncovered a scheme involving the trade of illegal drugs sourced in Mexico and California for firearms sourced in Texas. In 2021, a team of local, state, and federal law enforcement officers partnered in an investigation into the Tulare County Surenos Street Gang. Part of the investigation focused on Angulo and his associates, who were involved in shipping illegal drugs and firearms across state lines.

On Oct. 26, 2021, Angulo and his associate were stopped by law enforcement after picking up narcotics from a source of supply in Los Angeles. Officers located more than 9 kilograms of cocaine and a firearm in Angulo’s car. 

This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office, the Tulare County Area Regencies Gun Enforcement Team, the Visalia Police Department, the California Department of Justice’s Bureau of Investigation, the California Highway Patrol’s Special Operations Unit, and the Tulare County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Justin J. Gilio and Antonio J. Pataca are prosecuting the case.

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

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)

LOS ANGELES – Four men and one woman from Los Angeles County have been charged in federal criminal complaints alleging they committed nearly 200 thefts, robberies and fraudulent transactions targeting individual sellers of Apple Inc. merchandise who used online marketplaces, the Justice Department announced today.

Law enforcement on Tuesday arrested three defendants who were charged in a criminal complaint filed last week. The three are charged with Hobbs Act robbery – which carries a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison – and are expected to make their initial appearances this afternoon in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles:

• Jamari Deon Turner, 21, of Lawndale;
• Jerome Joseph, 25, of South Los Angeles; and
• Tyler Russell, 22, of Lawndale.

Two other defendants – Kesai Doss, 23, of Palmdale, and Ellis Garrett, 22, of South Los Angeles – are in state custody. They are charged in a separate criminal complaint filed last week with wire fraud – a crime that also is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison – and are expected to appear in federal court in the coming weeks.

According to affidavits filed with the complaints, from February 2018 until at least June 2020, law enforcement identified nearly 200 incidents of theft, robbery and fraud targeting victims using online marketplaces such as Craiglist and Facebook Marketplace. Most of the incidents occurred in Inglewood, Paramount, Long Beach, and downtown Los Angeles.

Most of these crimes consisted of the defendants arranging a meeting place via an online marketplace to buy Apple products – phones, laptop computers or other electronic devices, the affidavit states. Once there, the defendants allegedly asked to inspect a device and the victims would take a photo of the defendants at that time. On other occasions, the defendants snatched the device from the victim and fled. The defendants allegedly frequently ran through apartment buildings to escape from victims, using accomplices to lock the victims out of the buildings by closing security gates.

If the victims pursued them, the defendants allegedly threatened, attacked or brandished a firearm to deter them. Many of the transactions have been linked through common phone numbers, email addresses or online accounts, according to the affidavit.

Doss and Garrett allegedly were the most prolific thieves of the individuals charged. Multiple victims allegedly identified Doss as the person who stole their electronic devices. Doss and Garrett’s phones allegedly were used to arrange fraudulent meetings, their online marketplace accounts were used to set up the frauds, and they sold the stolen goods to a buyer.

Separately, Turner, Joseph, and Russell allegedly engaged in similar behavior and also sold their victims’ stolen electronic devices to a buyer.

For example, in June 2020, a victim met Turner, Joseph and Russell at the victim’s home to sell a MacBook computer he had been offered for sale on Craiglist, according to the affidavit. At the meeting, Joseph and Russell allegedly exited their vehicle, pointed a handgun at the victim, and stole the victim’s computer and iPhone. Less than one hour later, the trio sold the victim’s MacBook and iPhone to a buyer, the affidavit states.

In total, the affidavits identify approximately 196 incidents occurring between February 2018 and June 2020.

A criminal complaint contains allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

The FBI, the Inglewood Police Department, and the Los Angeles Police Department are investigating this matter.

Assistant United States Attorney Kevin J. Butler of the Violent and Organized Crime Section is prosecuting this case.

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI Crime News (b)

PITTSBURGH, PA. – A resident of Indiana, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on charges of violating federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.

The two-count Indictment named James Emmanuel Emerson, a/k/a “Manny,” age 52, as the sole defendant.

According to the Indictment presented to the court, on or about February 15, 2022, and on or about March 3, 2022, Emerson knowingly, intentionally, and unlawfully possessed with the intent to distribute and distributed 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine.

United States District Court Judge Arthur J. Schwab sentenced Emerson to 90 months in prison to be followed by a four-year term of supervised release.

Assistant United States Attorney Carl J. Spindler prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Laurel Highlands Resident Agency conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.

An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI Crime News (b)

RALEIGH, N.C. – A federal grand jury returned an Indictment on August 17, 2023, against one current and one former Wayne County Sheriff’s deputy.

According to the Indictment, Michael Kenneth Cox, age 48, and Christopher C. Worth, age 52, were each indicted on 12 separate fraud charges stemming from an alleged scheme undertaken by Worth and Cox to steer contracts for upfits of Wayne County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) vehicles to a business owned by Cox and employing Worth, regardless of whether Cox’s company provided such work at the lowest price as required by the Wayne County procurement requirements.  Cox was employed by the WCSO from 1996 until he retired as the head of the Drug Unit in 2018. Worth joined the WCSO in 1993 and currently serves as a Major overseeing all of WCSO criminal enforcement sections and WCSO’s Support Services.

In addition to the fraud charges, Cox was indicted for conspiring with multiple drug traffickers to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute cocaine and oxycodone and two counts of making false statements to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

“Law enforcement officers take an oath to protect and serve our communities by upholding the rule of law,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “Our office will continue to hold accountable those who violate the public trust and abuse their position for personal gain.”

Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) are investigating the case and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dennis Duffy and Nick Hartigan are prosecuting the case.

Related court documents and information can be found on the website of 

the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-CR-260.

An indictment is merely an accusation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

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Attachments: 

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI Crime News (b)

NEWARK, N.J. – A Mercer County couple was indicted for conspiring to prepare and submit fraudulent asylum applications, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.

Zuwairul Ameer, aka “Zuwairul Thowfeek,” 61, and Claudette Ameer, aka “Claudette Pieries,” 63, both of Lawrence Township, New Jersey, were both indicted on Aug. 29, 2023, on one count of conspiring to commit immigration fraud and one count of committing immigration fraud.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

Applicants for asylum in the United States must show that they have suffered persecution in their country of origin on account of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group, or have a well-founded fear of persecution if they were to return to that country. The process requires an application that is reviewed by an asylum officer with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), who makes an initial determination whether to grant asylum. If the application has been prepared by someone other than the applicant, the preparer must disclose his or her name and address and must sign the application.

Since at least 2007, Zuwairul Ameer has been in the business of preparing fraudulent asylum application on behalf of his non-citizen clients. Claudette Ameer has managed that business, acting as the primary point of contact for clients, arranging meetings, and mailing completed applications to USCIS. With Claudette Ameer’s assistance, Zuwairul Ameer met with clients, listened to their stories of mistreatment in their countries of origin, and drafted applications on their behalf that were fraudulent because they exaggerated the stories of mistreatment, falsely omitted Zuwairul Ameer’s name as the preparer, or both.

U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI – New York Field Office, under the direction of Assistant Director in Charge James Smith and immigration officers with of the USCIS Fraud Detection and National Security Directorate at the New York Asylum Office, under the direction of Director Patricia Menges, with the investigation.

The charges and allegations in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron L. Webman of the Criminal Division in Newark.

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI Crime News (b)

TRENTON, N.J. – Two individuals today admitted conspiring with a twice-convicted fraudster to defraud investors of more than $35 million, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.

Christopher Anderson, 47, of Flemington, New Jersey, and Richard Curry, 36, of Northumberland, Pennsylvania, each pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp in Trenton federal court to informations charging them with one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud. Anderson and Curry admitted conspiring with others, including Eliyahu “Eli” Weinstein, whose 24-year federal prison sentence was commuted after being twice convicted of defrauding investors of a total of $230 million.

“These two defendants admitted scheming with Eli Weinstein and others to rip off investors to the tune of millions of dollars. They admitted that this scheme used phony identities and false promises of access to deals involving scarce medical supplies, baby formula, and first-aid kits supposedly destined for wartime Ukraine to defraud their victims. They will now face justice for their crimes, and we will continue to pursue the other alleged conspirators.”

“Anderson and Curry are admitting they took part in a scheme that created millions of dollars in loss for the victims,” FBI – Newark Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy said. “Although it’s not easily understood, scams like this impact people’s lives in a very real way. We’re asking anyone who believes they are a victim or know of an investment that doesn’t pass the smell test, to reach out to us at the Newark FBI. We will do all we can to hold those fraudsters accountable and protect the next potential victim.”

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

Weinstein, Aryeh “Ari” Bromberg, Joel Wittels, Shlomo Erez, and Alaa Hattab were previously charged by complaint with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to obstruct justice based on allegations arising from the same scheme in which Anderson and Curry pleaded guilty today. That complaint remains pending.

Anderson and Curry admitted, among other things, to conspiring with each other, Weinstein, Bromberg, Wittels, Hattab and Erez to make materially false and misleading statements and omissions to investors and potential investors. These statements included actively concealing Weinstein’s identity, history of fraud and role in purported investments, and falsely claiming that investors funds would be used to invest in lucrative deals.

Weinstein was convicted two times in New Jersey federal court for defrauding investors. His first case involved a real estate Ponzi scheme, and his second case stemmed from additional fraud Weinstein committed while on pretrial release. For these crimes, which resulted in combined losses to investors of approximately $230 million, Weinstein was sentenced to serve 24 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. On Jan. 19, 2021, after Weinstein had served less than eight years in prison, the President of the United States at that time commuted Weinstein’s term to time served, leaving intact the rest of his sentence.

Conspiracy to commit securities fraud carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $5 million fine. Sentencing for Anderson is scheduled for Jan. 16, 2024, and for Curry, Jan. 18, 2024.

U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Dennehy, with the investigation leading to the charges in this case. He also expressed appreciation for the Securities and Exchange Commission, under the direction of Antonia Apps, Director of the SEC’s New York Regional Office.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan Fayer and Emma Spiro of the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark.

 The charges and allegations against Weinstein, Bromberg, Wittels, Erez, and Hattab, are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.