News Releases and Statements

Between January and October 2013, Javier E. Rivas, 35, of San Francisco, furnished multi-ounce quantities of high purity methamphetamine, known as “ice” and “crystal meth,” to a California drug supplier, who, in turn, mailed the drugs to local distributors in the Pensacola area. In September 2014, Rivas pleaded guilty to a one-count indictment charging him with conspiracy.

Hundreds of images of child pornography and more than a dozen videos were found in Ronald Rhodes's, 57, home after a December 2014 search warrant. The investigation by HSI, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Pennsylvania State Police and the Uniontown Police Department is continuing with additional electronics and documents seized currently under forensic examination.

Ross William Ulbricht, 30, of San Francisco, created Silk Road in approximately January 2011, and owned and operated the underground website until it was shut down by law enforcement authorities in October 2013.

According to court records, in May 2014 agents with HSI identified a computer that was being used to download suspected child pornography via the internet. A subsequent investigation revealed that the subscriber information for that computer returned to Raymond Freitas, 42, of Hackett.

Carlos Manuel Quirola, aka Carlos Quirola-Ordonez, aka Manny, 58, of New Milford pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to transport stolen firearms.

Ladestro Douglas, aka “Derek Douglas,” 35, appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge David L. Horan and pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of children. Douglas faces a maximum statutory sentence of life in federal prison. Sentencing is set for June 3.

The 16-count indictment named the following individuals who have been arrested: Raul Gerardo Ruiz-Maldonado, 41, Houston; Maria Remedios Urrutia, 23, Erie; Marco Antonio Melchor, 34, Erie; Dana Scott Ball, 37, Waterford, Pennsylvania; Jorge Daniel Montes-Cervantes, 25, Erie; Jenny Eileen Urrutia, 34, Elkhart, Indiana; Reyna Urrutia, 35, Elkhart; Christina Urrutia Rojas, 29, Edinboro, Pennsylvania; Sammar Aimee Melchor, 33, Erie; Ancelmo Ayala, 40, Elkhart, Indiana; Jose Merced Gomez Murillo, 54, Columbus, Ohio; Oscar Mata Garcia, 26, Forrest City, Arkansas; Safa Gobah, 21, Forrest City, Arkansas; Juan Jose Ramos, 28, Akron, Ohio; Robert Jovaun Harris, 36, Erie; Efrain Ramon Pagan Rosario, 24, Erie; and Nathanael Ortiz Andino, 28, Erie.

Burnett, who has been with HSI for five years, works with Thomasville about three times a week assisting in cases ranging from human trafficking to narcotics. He has been a key piece to the success of the department and was recognized for his dedication and collective years of service.

Kuldip “Kelly” Singh Mahal, 47, of Surrey, British Columbia, made his initial appearance in federal court Wednesday. The criminal complaint filed in the case alleges Mahal answered a posting on the Vancouver Craigslist website and began communicating with an undercover HSI special agent posing as 12-year-old girl from northwest Washington.

Eddieberto Garcia, 36, of Oceanside, California, was sentenced to 97 months in prison, and to four years of supervised release following his prison term. Garcia was convicted of possessing about two kilograms (4.5 pounds) of methamphetamine with intent to distribute.

Hyperikon Inc. is the 17th San Diego-area business to become an IMAGE member. IMAGE is a voluntary partnership that helps employers maintain a lawful workforce and reduce unauthorized employment and the use of fraudulent identity documents.

HSI special agents arrested William Y. Maldonado-Rivera, 35, after an investigation stemming from a complaint by the victim's mother led to HSI special agents discovering that Maldonado-Rivera transported the minor from Peñuelas to a motel in Ponce with the intent to engage her in sexual criminal conduct.

Peter Alan Karl, 52, of West Fargo, North Dakota, was sentenced to serve 72 months in federal prison for receiving materials depicting minors being sexually exploited.

Marlon Joel Paz-Mendoza, 29, was convicted on murder charges and sentenced to 15 years imprisonment by Honduran courts Sept. 5, 2013.

Shannon Logan, 35, of Urbana, was sentenced Feb. 1 to 25 years in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Colin S. Bruce, who found that Logan has engaged in a pattern of sexual abuse of a minor. In addition, Logan was ordered to register as a sex offender for natural life and to remain on supervised release for an additional 30 years following completion of his prison sentence.

The individuals named in the indictment are Carlos A. Segura-Galvis, Adolfo Leon García-Sierra, Jair Eudoro Ramirez-Diaz, Roque Caballero-Caballero, Hugo Ocampo-Gutierrez, Mireya Cabra-Traslaviña, Elkin Melendez-Santiago, Gamalier Gonzalez-Maldonado, Giovanni Cosme-Fernandez, Eduardo Esteras-Rosado, José O. Medina-Nery, Hugo Enrique Romero-Vargas, Edison Miranda-Angulo, Noe Carbajal, Felipe Francisco De La Plaza, Edwin Lozada-Flores, Miguel Vargas-Roa, Ricardo Rodriguez-Rodriguez, Jorge Villarran-Romero, Francisco Otero-Retamar, Miguel A. Lebron-Hernandez, Eldin Melendez-Santiago, Angel M. Sierra-Rivera, Bergman Santiago-Contes, Jose Martínez-Meléndez, Flor Marina Gonzalez-Rojas, Geovanny Mosquera-Vanegas, Yurgen Gabriel Alvarez-Gutierrez and Brian Montalvo-Tolentino.

Maxim Chukharez, 29, of Costa Rica, was primarily responsible for maintaining Liberty Reserve’s technological infrastructure and for implementing systems designed to create the false appearance that Liberty Reserve had an effective anti-money laundering program.

Alan L. Mapuatuli, 44, of Long Beach, California, was found guilty of distribution of crystal methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute crystal methamphetamine, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

Mahmoud Bazzi, 71, who is a native and citizen of Lebanon, admitted Aug.11, 2014, in immigration court proceedings that he repeatedly provided false and misleading testimony and submissions in order to obtain status in the United States.

Wilmer Alexander Amaya Alas, 23, departed from Louisiana after leaving Newark Liberty International Airport on Thursday. On Oct. 14, 2014, Amaya Alas was ordered removed from the country by an immigration judge. He appealed the immigration judge’s decision to the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA), and on Jan. 2, 2015, the BIA dismissed the appeal, making the order of removal final.

Isaias Flores-Rosas, 45, a Mexican national, was sentenced Jan. 30 by U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to one year and one day in federal prison for illegally re-entering the United States after having been deported. He pleaded guilty to this charge Nov. 17.

Sean Cantelmo, 28, admitted to conspiring with others to have a 17-year-old female engage in prostitution and illegal sexual activity during February through May 2014. Cantelmo admitted that he and others used a cell phone to post advertisements for “escort services” involving the minor female on a website, rented motel rooms in Lackawanna and Luzerne Counties to facilitate the prostitution activities, and purchased condoms for the minor to use when engaging in commercial sex acts.

Samuel Castro-Flores, aka “Chame” or “Chamuco,” 42, a Mexican national, was sentenced to life in prison plus an additional seven years for brandishing a firearm while committing the hostage-taking offenses.

Richard King, of Long Island, New York, was sentenced for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methylone, a synthetic drug commonly referred to as bath salts. He pleaded guilty to the offense Sept. 9, 2014.