News Releases and Statements
News Releases and Statements
Approximately 5,000 students from the public and private schools in Puerto Rico received tips on how to avoid falling victim to online sexual predators Wednesday and Thursday at the Complejo Ferial de Puerto Rico in Ponce. The presentation is the third child abuse prevention and education summit organized by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in San Juan, and one of largest Project iGuardian outreach since the inception of the initiative in March 2014.
The report, released Friday by SEVP, highlights March 2016 data from the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), a Web-based system that includes information about international students, exchange visitors and their dependents while they are in the United States.
Bruce Foucart, director of the ICE-led National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center (IPR Center), testified to the dangers of fake goods during a hearing to discuss counterfeits and their impact to consumer safety. He sat on a panel of experts that included representatives from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Global Intellectual Property Center (GIPC), Proctor and Gamble and Revision Military.
Laron Carter, also known as “Birdd” and variations of that moniker, 39, was found guilty Wednesday afternoon by a federal jury following a five-day trial. The jury convicted Carter of seven counts of sex trafficking of a minor by force, fraud or coercion; and seven counts of transporting a child to engage in prostitution.
Three people with family connections to Syed Rizwan Farook, one of the perpetrators of the Dec. 2, 2015, terrorist attack at the San Bernardino Inland Regional Center (IRC), were arrested Thursday morning on federal conspiracy, marriage fraud and false statement charges.
In a coordinated operation, 78 defendants were arrested in New York Wednesday. Defendants Andre Bent, Robert Pope, James Pilgrim, Jamal Blair, Stephan Clarke, Laquan Parrish, Jafar Borden, Anderson Ross, Barffour Abeberse, Robert Haughton, Shaquille Dewar, Martin Mitchell, Donque Tyrell, Devante Joseph, Daquan Anderson, Jaquan Mcintosh, and Sean Mcintosh were in custody on state charges and were transferred to federal custody today.
Jack L. Bean, Jr., 29, was charged in a criminal complaint with one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.
Recognizing similarities with human trafficking investigations during this project, police were also able to ensure the safety of nine people who had been working in the sex trade as a minor or against their will, including 14, 15, and 16-year-olds.
According to the indictment, Raju Kosuri, 44; his spouse Smriti Jharia, 45; and their co-conspirators fraudulently applied for more than 800 illegal immigration benefits under the H-1B visa program. Since 2008, and at much greater scale since 2011, Kosuri has built a staffing business that amounts to a visa-for-sale system, in violation of federal law.
Mauricio Edgardo Estrada, 28, who has been placed on administrative leave by LAUSD, surrendered to federal authorities following his indictment Tuesday by a federal grand jury.
Saifullah Anjum Ranjha, 53, pleaded guilty in 2008 to laundering more than $2.2 million – which he believed to be the proceeds of illegal activities conducted by al-Qaida, including drug trafficking and weapons smuggling.
Ronald Swearns, 27, distributed images over the Internet to other users and engaged in illicit sexual acts with a minor whom he groomed for sexual activity, the investigation revealed.
Those arrested Tuesday include Luis Gutierrez, 49, of Chino; Gerald Patrick Beaver, 53, of Cerritos; Jace Jeanes, 39, of Torrance, Steven David Lavinsky, 58, of Long Beach;
Kenneth Martin Medellin, 55, of Carson; Antonio Joseph Garcia II, 41, of Upland; Michael Brian Perry, 37, of Pasadena; and Curtis Audun Larssen, 33, of Los Angeles.
The ICE-led National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center (IPR Center), a task-force agency combining the expertise of 23 investigative organizations, is the U.S. government’s response to ensuring national security by protecting the public, the economy and the national defense supply chain that are vulnerable to the proliferation of counterfeit goods.
According to court documents, in 2014, a Marion County Sheriff’s Office investigation into online child pornography resulted in the execution of a search warrant at the home of Robert Toole, 51, of Ocala.
Rosa Astrid Umanzor-Lopez, 36, was sentenced April 22 by U.S. District Judge Ewing Werlein Jr. to 36 months in prison. She is expected to face deportation proceedings following her release from prison.
José Luis Delacruz, aka Joe Delacruz, 38, of Grand Forks, was sentenced to life in prison for conspiracy to possess and distribute methamphetamine, as well as seven years for brandishing a firearm while drug trafficking. These sentences will be served consecutively.
Michael Joseph Carr, 25, of Grand Prairie, has been in federal custody since his arrest in May 2015 on a related federal criminal complaint.
The seizures follow an investigation and several undercover buys from the websites. Late last year, HSI special agents bought multiple brand-infringing auto parts from the online retailers and subsequently confirmed with trademark holders that the items were fraudulent.
According to the affidavits supporting the complaints, the Internal Revenue Service has identified approximately 7,000 fraudulent tax returns related to this scheme that cumulatively sought about $38 million in refunds.
Sergio Mendez-Guillen, 57, was repatriated April 21 via an ICE charter flight to Guatemala City.
The tunnel, estimated to be more than 800 yards in length, stretches from a house in Tijuana, Mexico, to a fenced commercial lot in the Otay Mesa area, about 500 yards north of the international border.
John James Kash, 53, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Kimberly J. Mueller. Kash was convicted in November 2015 after a six-day jury trial of conspiracy to distribute marijuana, manufacturing marijuana, and conspiracy to launder monetary instruments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michele Beckwith, Christiaan Highsmith, Kevin Khasigian, and Justin Lee prosecuted the case.
Nicholas Torrieri, 43, of Redding, was sentenced Wednesday by U.S. District Judge Kimberly J. Mueller. Upon his release from prison, Torrieri will be required to register as a sex offender and will be supervised by the court for the rest of his life. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Josh F. Sigal prosecuted the case.
In addition to the 200-month sentence, Danny Ortiz, 32, was also ordered to serve six years on supervised release after he completes his prison term.
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