News Releases and Statements

John Wyss of Monroe, Wis., was found guilty yesterday for his participation in an international criminal network, known as Dreamboard, dedicated to the sexual abuse of children. The charges against Wyss are the result of Operation Delego, an ongoing investigation targeted against Dreamboard that has lead to 42 individuals convicted so far.

"Officials released details Friday of a federal grand jury indictment stemming from a probe led by ICE's Homeland Security Investigations that charges four defendants for crimes surrounding the manufacture and distribution of synthetic drugs sold under the brand name ""K2."""

"Thirteen individuals have been convicted for their roles in an international conspiracy, trafficking more than 10 million grams of khat throughout the United using human couriers, the U.S. Postal Service and delivery companies. This case was prosecuted as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force's ""Operation Buried Treasure."""

Steven Waring, 32, of Titusville, Fla., was employed by the Brevard County School Board at Space Coast Junior/Senior High School. According to court documents, Waring made his collection of child pornography directly available for others to download from his IP address and shared directory.

Abraham Moreno-Gutierrez, a Mexican national who is wanted for homicide in his home country, was deported and turned over to Mexican law enforcement officials Thursday by ICE's Enforcement Removal Operations (ERO).

Michael Lombardi pleaded guilty Wednesday to conspiracy to commit visa fraud, following an investigation by ICE's Homeland Security Investigations and the Mississippi Department of Labor, Office of the Inspector General. Lombardi was the owner of U.S. Opportunities, a business that provides temporary foreign workers to U.S. companies.

David A. Fisher, 53, of Pekin, Ill., was sentenced May 16 by U.S. District Judge Joe Billy McDade to serve 188 months in federal prison for possession of child pornography. Following completion of his prison term, Judge McDade ordered Fisher to remain under supervised release for ten years.

Gustavo Morales-Ortiz of Reading, Pa., was sentenced Wednesday to 15 years in prison for drug possession and weapons possession in a case investigated by ICE's Homeland Security Investigations.

A local man was sentenced Wednesday to three years in federal prison for engaging in a fraud scheme that caused the Illinois Department of Employment Insurance (IDES) to pay about $480,000 in unemployment insurance payments to more than 55 ineligible claimants who were not legally allowed to work in the United States.

"Twelve suspects were taken into custody Tuesday in the culmination of a long-term probe dubbed ""Operation Middle Man"" targeting a Bay Area-based heroin trafficking ring by ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the California Department of Justice-led South Bay Metro Task Force. "

Jose Luis Santos-Garcia, a resident of Winston-Salem, N.C., pleaded guilty in federal court Tuesday to conspiring to smuggle munitions to Mexico, following an investigation by ICE's Homeland Security Investigations, the Jackson County Criminal Interdiction Team and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Albert Garza of Delano, Calif., was sentenced Monday to 20 years in prison on federal child pornography charges stemming from a probe by ICE's HSI. Garza downloaded and maintained a collection of 358 videos and 1,741 still images depicting minors engaged in various types of sexually explicit conduct.

Following a two-day jury trial, Nicasio Roman, a Mexican national with a prior conviction for a child sex offense, has been found guilty on felony charges of re-entering the United States following deportation.

Five Laredo residents pleaded guilty Tuesday to falsifying assault rifle purchases, announced U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson, Southern District of Texas.

Sergio Arturo Moreno-Perez, a Mexican national wanted for fleeing a homicide charge in his native country, was deported Tuesday by officers with ICE's Enforcement Removal Operations (ERO).

A Mexican couple was indicted Tuesday for conspiring to harbor aliens and alien harboring. Authorities discovered more than 100 undocumented aliens in three separate buildings on the property. One building was chain-locked and several undocumented aliens who were locked inside the building were treated for injuries.

The San Juan-based, multi-agency Border Enforcement Security Task Force (BEST) seized approximately six kilograms of cocaine at the port of San Juan Monday and arrested three individuals allegedly involved in the drug smuggling venture.

U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director John Morton joined ICE employees at ICE's Washington, D.C., headquarters Monday to honor the agency's officers and agents who paid the ultimate price in the line of duty.

A Mexican couple, Abraham Garcia-Perguero and Maria Isabel Rodriguez-Olivio, pleaded guilty Monday to possessing 27,000 rounds of ammunition. The investigation was conducted by ICE's Homeland Security Investigations, with the assistance of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Laredo Police Department (LPD).

The operation was a joint initiative led by Homeland Security Investigations, the Puerto Rico Police Department and the San Juan Police Department.

Mercedes Perez, a former reserve officer for the Nueces County Constables Office, was sentenced Monday to 151 months for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine and heroin, as well as possession with intent to distribute cocaine and heroin. Perez was found to have cocaine and heroin in his car at a U.S.- Mexico border crossing.

A Cuban national, wanted on drug trafficking charges in Spain, was deported and turned over to Spanish officials May 12. He was escorted to Madrid Airport by officers with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), and turned over to Spanish law enforcement authorities upon arrival.

During Operation Cross Check, a three-day targeted enforcement operation in Georgia and the Carolinas, officers with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) arrested 80 convicted criminal aliens.

The Department of Justice seized more than $1.5 million in proceeds from the distribution of counterfeit sports apparel and jerseys, following an investigation into the sale of counterfeit goods on commercial websites conducted by the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center, which is led by ICE's Homeland Security Investigations.

A Bay Area couple, who operated local elder care facilities, and two area real estate agents were sentenced Thursday in federal court for their role in a far-reaching mortgage loan fraud scheme involving at least 20 northern California properties and more than $20 million in loan proceeds.