Category: Federal Bureau of Investigation

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

Headline: Nineteen-Year-Old Man Accused of Sending Threats to South Burlington High School Students and Faculty Sentenced to Five Year Probationary Term

The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that Josiah Leach, 19, of South Burlington, Vermont, appeared today before the Honorable Geoffrey W. Crawford for sentencing. Leach previously pled guilty to sending threats in interstate commerce that terrorized students and faculty at South Burlington High School in April 2017. Leach, who was first arrested on April 21, 2017, has been in custody for a total of approximately three months and ten days since the initial charges were filed.

Following argument from both parties and a statement by Leach, Chief Judge Crawford imposed a sentence of five years of probation. Judge Crawford commented on the seriousness of the harm caused by Leach’s threats, but noted that Leach also possessed the capacity to redirect his life in a more positive direction.

Under the terms of his release, Leach is forbidden from having any contact with the individuals he listed on a “kill list” at the time of the offense. He is also required to engage in mental health and substance abuse treatment as needed, and will be prohibited from coming within 500 feet of the South Burlington High School complex. Leach’s computer use will be subject to monitoring by the United States Probation Office and he will be required to meet with Judge Crawford every six months.  As a convicted felon, Leach is prohibited from purchasing or possessing firearms. If Leach violates any condition of his release, he will be subject to resentencing on the underlying offense, exposing him to a term of up to five years of incarceration.

U.S. Attorney Christina E. Nolan thanked the FBI, the South Burlington Police, and the Vermont State Police for their rapid, collaborative response in April 2017, their efficient identification of Leach as the perpetrator, and their continuous support throughout the investigation. Nolan also recognized David Young, Superintendent of South Burlington Schools, and Pat Burke, Principal of South Burlington High School, for their leadership during and in the aftermath of Leach’s crime.  She stated, “no child or employee should ever have to fear for their safety, especially not in an educational setting.  Law enforcement at all levels will continue to work together to prioritize combatting violent crime and bringing swift justice to those who would strike terror in our educational institutions.  Children are our future, and law enforcement agencies will continue to collaborate with each other and our community leaders to protect them and their schools.” 

Leach was represented by Assistant Federal Public Defender Elizabeth Quinn. AUSAs Michael Drescher and Eugenia A. P. Cowles represented the United States.

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

Headline: Authorities in San Antonio Arrest Three Men in ATM Bank Robbery

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

Headline: FBI Seeks Information on 2005 Disappearance of Danielle Imbo and Richard Petrone, Jr.

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

Headline: Update: Suspect Arrested; FBI and Curry County Sheriff’s Office Ask Public’s Help in Finding Attempted Aggravated Murder Fugitive

On February 15, 2018 at about 9:38 p.m. Pacific Time, Lucas DeYoung was taken into custody by the Nevada State Highway Patrol on the Curry County and FBI warrants for his arrest. DeYoung was lodged in the Humboldt County Jail in Winnemucca, Nevada.

On February 15, 2018 at about 12:15 p.m., the Curry County Sheriff’s Office received information from a concerned citizen that DeYoung was calling and harassing them, and, through some investigative leads, it was determined that DeYoung was either in Utah or Nevada. Dispatch started notifying all law enforcement agencies in those areas to attempt to locate DeYoung.

The Nevada Highway Patrol saw a vehicle with Virginia plates parked alongside the road on I-80 near milepost 164 in Nevada with a male sleeping in the driver’s seat. The NHP contacted the person inside who fit the description provided by the FBI warrants as DeYoung. The driver initially gave a different name, but it was determined that the driver was in fact Lucas DeYoung, and he was taken into custody without incident. The NHP also charged DeYoung with being a felon in possession of firearms.

The Curry County District Attorney’s Office will work with the State of Nevada to return DeYoung to Oregon.

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The FBI is now offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to the arrest of Lucas Randall DeYoung. Anyone with information about DeYoung’s location should contact their local FBI office or submit a tip via https://tips.fbi.gov. In Oregon, call the FBI in Medford at (541) 773-2942, the FBI in Portland at (503) 224-4181, or the Curry County Sheriff’s Office at (541) 247-3243.

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The FBI and the Curry County Sheriff’s Office are asking for the public’s help in locating Lucas Randall DeYoung of Brookings, Oregon. On February 1, 2018, the FBI obtained a federal fugitive warrant charging DeYoung, age 36, with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution. The Curry County Sheriff’s Office had previously charged DeYoung with attempted aggravated murder, attempted murder, delivery of a controlled substance, and unlawful manufacture of marijuana in relation to the shooting of a Curry County man on December 28, 2017.

The FBI has posted DeYoung’s FBI Wanted flyer at https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/additional/lucas-randall-deyoung. The FBI is also running Facebook ads featuring the fugitive hunt for DeYoung in Oregon, Washington, Virginia, and Nevada. (Both the flyer and the Facebook ad are attached.)

DeYoung is described as:

Race: White man; Eyes: Brown; Hair: Brown; Height: 6’1”; Weight: 190 lbs.; Other: Scar on his left finger and tattoos on his back and right shoulder.

DeYoung is known to use illegal drugs and carry firearms. He is also a known gambler. DeYoung may have travelled to the Mason County/Thurston County areas of Washington State, Virginia, or Las Vegas, Nevada.

He should be considered armed and dangerous.

Anyone with information about DeYoung’s location should contact their local FBI office or submit a tip via https://tips.fbi.gov. In Oregon, call the FBI in Medford at (541) 773-2942, the FBI in Portland at (503) 224-4181, or the Curry County Sheriff’s Office at (541) 247-3243.

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

Headline: Henrietta Swim Coach Arrested for Traveling to Meet a16-Year-Old Girl for Sex

CONTACT:   Barbara Burns
PHONE:        (716) 843-5817
FAX #:           (716) 551-3051

ROCHESTER, N.Y.- U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Matthew D. Lincoln, 37, of Henrietta, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity. The charge carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years, a maximum of life, a $250,000 fine, or both.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig R. Gestring, who is handling the case, stated that the defendant, who was the head coach for the Golden Comets Swim Club, first came to law enforcement attention after he engaged in online communications with an 11 year old girl in Brighton. The child’s father reported this activity to the Brighton Police who then arranged an undercover operation.

During this operation, the defendant engaged in sexually explicit online conversations with a child he believed to be a 16 year girl. Over the course of several weeks, Lincoln repeatedly chatted with the child and requested that they meet in person so that they could engage in sexual activity. Lincoln also sent several photographs of himself to the child, including a full length nude photo. Eventually, the child agreed to meet Lincoln in person at a location in Brighton. Prior to meeting with the child, Lincoln went to a local WalMart and purchased a stuffed teddy bear, a heart shaped box of chocolates, and a card for the child, which he left in his nearby apartment.

Unbeknownst to Lincoln, the child was actually an undercover Brighton Police Investigator. When Lincoln arrived at the meeting to meet with the child, he was arrested. During a post arrest interview, Lincoln admitted to believing that he was communicating with a real 16 year old girl. He also admitted to transmitting sexually explicit messages to her and meeting with her with the intent to engage in sexual activity.

The defendant made an initial appearance on February 15, 2018, before United States Magistrate Judge Marian W. Payson. Lincoln is being held pending a detention hearing scheduled for February 22, 2018.

“Yesterday’s arrest reminds each of us that we must remain vigilant in protecting the youths of our society”, said U.S. Attorney Kennedy.  “Together with our federal, state and local partners, we will do all that we can to ensure that those who pray upon our children are brought to justice”.

“I want to recognize the excellent work of the Brighton Police Department,” said FBI Buffalo Division Acting Special Agent in Charge Kevin P. Lyons.  “They acted quickly on a parent’s complaint and took the necessary initiative to ensure that Matthew Lincoln was investigated and removed from the environment where our children live and play each day.  Our Child Exploitation Task Force is tangible proof of the FBI’s mission to protect the young people in Monroe County and beyond — a great collaborative effort that demonstrates our commitment to the community and our partners.”

The criminal complaint is the result of an investigation by the Brighton Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Mark Henderson, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Department, under the direction of Sheriff Todd K. Baxter, the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief Michael Ciminelli, the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Richard Allen and the Federal Bureau of Investigation Child Exploitation Task Force, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Kevin P. Lyons.

The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.  

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

Headline: Drug Addict from Grant County, New Mexico, Charged with Violating Federal Firearms Laws

ALBUQUERQUE – This afternoon, a U.S. Magistrate Judge sitting in Las Cruces, N.M, ordered a resident of Grant County, N.M., who is charged with being a drug addict in possession of firearms and ammunition, detained pending trial based on findings that he poses a danger to the community.

Richard G. Dinwiddie, 57, of Cliff, N.M., was arrested on Feb. 6, 2018, and was charged with being an unlawful user of controlled substances in possession of firearms and ammunition in a criminal complaint filed on Feb. 7, 2018.  According to the complaint, federal and local law enforcement officers executed a federal search warrant at Dinwiddie’s residence on Feb. 5, 2018, and allegedly found approximately 6.2 grams of methamphetamine, 64.6 grams of marijuana, drug paraphernalia, six firearms, and approximately 1,000 rounds of assorted ammunition.  The complaint further alleges that Dinwiddie has been a methamphetamine user for approximately two years. 

Dinwiddie made his initial appearance in federal court on Feb. 12, 2018.  During this afternoon’s proceedings, Dinwiddie waived his right to a preliminary hearing on whether there was probable cause to support the charge in the criminal complaint.

If convicted of the charge in the criminal complaint, Dinwiddie faces a maximum penalty of ten years in federal prison.  Charges in criminal complaints are merely accusations and criminal defendants are presumed innocent unless found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case was investigated by the Las Cruces office of the FBI, the New Mexico State Police, the Catron County Sheriff’s Office, the Grant County Sheriff’s Office and the Silver City Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Marisa A. Ong of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office is prosecuting the case.

Dinwiddie Complaint

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

Headline: Jury Convicts Kansas City Man of Investment Fraud Scheme

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Timothy A. Garrison, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Kansas City, Mo., man was convicted by a federal trial jury today of a nearly $500,000 investment fraud scheme.

Ryan Scott Luscombe, 45, of Kansas City, was found guilty of all six counts contained in a June 6, 2017, federal indictment. Luscombe was convicted of three counts of wire fraud, two counts of mail fraud and one count of money laundering.

Luscombe solicited investments for his business, Five Star Trading Group, Inc., claiming to investors that he would utilize his expertise in stock trading to produce exorbitant returns. Instead, evidence introduced during the trial indicated that the entirety of investor funds, which totaled $483,482, was used by Luscombe on personal expenditures in 2013, 2014 and 2015, including the purchase of a 2010 BMW 750I and a trip to Bermuda.

To date, none of Luscombe’s investors have received funds from returns or their original investment.

During the course of the scheme to defraud victims of their investment money, Luscombe represented himself as a wealthy individual and a successful day trader capable of producing tremendous returns on investments.

Luscombe told investors he was creating a new business to manage over $50 million from three investors in Arizona. Luscombe claimed he would be the primary investment trader, but because the dollar amount to be invested would be too large for one person to handle, he recruited two people to assist in his trading endeavor. In exchange for a fee or investment in the business, Luscombe offered to train the additional individuals in his trading strategy. Eventually, Luscombe told investors he would allow a small number of friends and family to take advantage or “piggyback” off the investment strategy of the larger investors.

Luscombe’s stated investment strategy was to trade securities in the stock market based on the identification of trends in the upward or downward direction of the stock price. Luscombe told investors the risk was very low and minimal because he constantly monitored the stock price. Luscombe told investors he had been in the trading business for many years and had previously made millions of dollars.

Luscombe regularly provided positive projected investment return updates to the victims regarding their investments, and claimed investor money would be utilized for trading and generating profits for investors. As a direct result of these conversations, investors entrusted their money to him.

Investors never authorized Luscombe to spend investment money on personal expenditures. Luscombe never told investors their investment money would be spent on his personal expenditures. A salary for Luscombe was not authorized by investors. At the time of investment, Luscombe never informed investors that investment funds would be utilized to pay his salary. An analysis of financial activity revealed Luscombe’s spending of investor funds included the following:

(a) $83,088 in cash and cash equivalents;

(b) $78,542 in retail expenses;

(c) $67,990 in restaurants and entertainment;

(d) $52,925 in vehicle expenses;

(e) $45,940 in travel expenses;

(f) $41,058 in rent and utilities;

(g) $39,673 in investment firm losses, fees, and interest; and

(h) $21,144 in nutrition, fitness and beauty expenses.

Luscombe was not registered with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority as a broker dealer or as an investment advisor representative. Luscombe and Five Star Trading Group were not registered with the Missouri Secretary of State – Securities Division.

Following the presentation of evidence, the jury in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo., deliberated for a little over two hours before returning the guilty verdicts to U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark, ending a trial that began Monday, Feb. 12, 2018.

Under federal statutes, Luscombe is subject to a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison without parole on each of the fraud counts, and sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison without parole for money laundering. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Venneman and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Courtney R. Pratten. It was investigated by the FBI.

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

Headline: Jury Convicts Two Kansas City Men of Kidnapping, Murder

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Timothy A. Garrison, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that two Kansas City, Mo., men were convicted by a federal trial jury today of charges related to the kidnapping and murder of another man.

Raynal King, 26, and Howard R. Ross, III, also known as “Lil’ Howard” and “Shooter,” 23, both of Kansas City, were found guilty of multiple counts related to the carjacking, kidnapping and murder of Jaime Patton on Sept. 6, 2016.

King and Ross were convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit kidnapping, one count of aiding and abetting a kidnapping resulting in death, one count of using a firearm in furtherance of a kidnapping that resulted in a first degree felony murder, one count of robbery of a motor vehicle (carjacking) resulting in death, one count of using a firearm in furtherance of carjacking that resulted in a first degree felony murder, and one count of aiding and abetting each other as felons in the possession of a firearm.

Patton was returning home from the hospital, where he had been caring for a family member, sometime after 5 a.m. that day when King and Ross kidnapped him and stole his 2014 Jeep Patriot. They held Patton at gunpoint and drove him around in his Jeep to ATM machines, attempting to force him to provide his PIN number for his debit card so they could withdraw cash from his bank account.

Patton was unable to provide a working PIN number to withdraw cash. While held at gunpoint by King and Ross in the Mazuma Credit Union parking lot, he called his wife to obtain the working PIN number, but he was unable to do so. King and Ross became upset with the lack of cooperation from Patton and shot him in his upper thigh to make sure he knew they were not playing around.

King and Ross then drove Patton in his Jeep south on Holmes Road while they discussed what to do with him. At approximately 6:30 a.m., shortly after traveling south on Holmes Road through the intersection with 135th Street and further out of the city, Patton jumped out of his Jeep while it was moving. Patton was shot multiple times while attempting to jump and he fell to the roadway. King and Ross then fled from the area in Patton’s Jeep, leaving him to die on the side of the road.

According to evidence introduced during the trial, King and Ross began planning to commit a robbery a couple of days earlier. King had recently purchased a silver Pontiac Grand Prix but was unable to make his car payments or pay the sales tax fees. Text messages between King and Ross (recovered from their phones) shows that only days before the kidnapping King communicated with Ross about his problems and about a potential robbery.

Ross, who was on state probation for robbery at the time of the crime, was held in the Jackson County Jail after his arrest. While in the Jackson County Jail, Ross made multiple recorded phone calls to others regarding disposing of various items of evidence. Ross discussed with friends and family the location of his iPhone, which led to search warrants and the recovery of Ross’s iPhone and further evidence on his iPhone.

Investigators recovered evidence from Ross’s iPhone that showed weeks before the kidnapping Ross had a Springfield Armory .45-caliber pistol. Patton was murdered with a .45-caliber bullet. Ross took photos of himself carrying the pistol; he messaged those photos to others and posted photos on social media sites. Shortly after the murder, Ross attempted to sell the pistol to an acquaintance.

When forensic examiners were able to search King’s Android phone, several messages, photographs, and relevant Internet searches were recovered as evidence. King took photos of the stolen Jeep and messaged with others in an attempt to sell the Jeep to obtain sufficient money to make his own car payment on his Silver Pontiac Grand Prix before it would be repossessed.

Following the presentation of evidence, the jury in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo., deliberated for just under three hours before returning the guilty verdicts to U.S. Chief District Judge Greg Kays, ending a trial that began Monday, Feb. 12, 2018.

Under federal statutes, King and Ross each face mandatory life imprisonment. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing hearings will be scheduled after the completion of presentence investigations by the United States Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jess E. Michaelsen and Patrick C. Edwards. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department and the FBI.