4 sentenced in Nottingham Crown Court for Orlando investigation
ORLANDO, Fl. – A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) investigation initiated in Orlando resulted in the Oct. 23 sentencing of four individuals in the United Kingdom’s Nottingham Crown Court for their roles in an illicit importation conspiracy. This case was investigated jointly by HSI Orlando, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), HSI London and the U.K.’s National Crime Agency (NCA).
Stephen Gibson, 46, was sentenced to two years; Carlo Sen, 26, was sentenced to three years; Louise Caswell, 39, was sentenced to 15 months and Rebekah Simons, 25, was sentenced to 21 months; they are all residents of Retford, Nottinghamshire, U.K.
“This case highlights the importance of international partnerships and the unique investigative authorities of HSI,” said HSI Orlando Assistant Special Agent in Charge David J. Pezzutti.
According to court documents, June 19, 2017, shipping company DHL notified CBP Orlando of the discovery of weapons parts concealed in a box set to be exported to the U.K. The box contained several components, including a lower receiver for an AR-15. The parts were determined to be export-controlled material. CBP and HSI Orlando discovered a second shipment which mirrored the detained shipment. The second identified shipment had already been delivered to a DHL facility in East Midlands, U.K. HSI Orlando notified HSI London of the shipments, and NCA officers were able to intercept the package. NCA executed a controlled delivery and arrested the above-mentioned individuals during the investigation.
The case was featured on the BBC.
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