News Releases and Statements

The 706 domain names seized were set up to dupe consumers into unknowingly buying counterfeit goods as part of the holiday shopping season. The operations were coordinated by the HSI-led National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center (IPR Center) in Washington, D.C.

Vincent Tyler Jimenez, 32, was sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge John D. Rainey who took into consideration testimony from the government and the victims in the case.

Steven Ray Hemenway, 47, admitted to possessing child pornography when investigators searched his home in February. HSI special agents began their probe after Canadian officials busted a Toronto man for distributing child pornography by email.

Deluvino Elias Salazar's plea agreement requires the imposition of a 135-month prison sentence.

Tomas Yarrington Ruvalcaba, 56, the former governor of the State of Tamaulipas, Mexico, and Fernando Alejandro Cano Martinez, 57, the owner of a Mexican construction firm, are indicted on RICO charges.

Ivan Tapia-Cacique, 40, was turned over the Mexican law enforcement officials by ERO officers at the San Ysidro, Calif., border crossing after being transported under escort from Salt Lake City.

Hector Javier Villarreal Hernandez, 42, former Secretary of Finance for the Mexican State of Coahuila, and Jorge Juan Torres Lopez, 59, former Interim Governor and Secretary of Finance for Coahuila, charged with conspiring to launder monetary instruments and bank fraud.

Hakeem Omar, 31, of Atlanta, was also stripped of his fraudulently obtained U.S. citizenship. He will serve three years of supervised release following his prison term and will be turned over to a duly-authorized immigration official for appropriate removal proceedings.

Francisco Javier Astorga-Velarde, 23, and Jose Pedro Soto-Valdez, 24, were both sentenced Monday by U.S. District Judge Susan R. Bolton to 12 years in prison. Their co-defendant, Noel Galindez-Marmolejo, 33, was sentenced to 10 years.

Juan Carlos Venegas, 21, a U.S. permanent resident who lived in Crane, Texas, was also sentenced to 20 years of supervised release. ICE has placed an immigration detainer on Venegas. After he completes his sentence, Venegas will be turned over to ICE custody and placed in removal proceedings.

Michael L. Denight, 59, of Mahomet, Ill., was sentenced Nov. 25 to 180 months in federal prison and further ordered to serve a lifetime of supervised release after he completes his prison term.

This sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson, Southern District of Texas.

These Fugitive Operations Teams represent an integral part of the comprehensive multi-year plan launched by the Department of Homeland Security to secure America's borders and reduce illegal migration.

Ulises Sandoval, 26, who is in custody, faces a statutory sentence of not less than 15 or more than 30 years in federal prison on the production count, and a statutory maximum of 20 years in federal prison on the possession count.

German de Jesus Ventura, 35, a citizen of El Salvador and an illegal alien residing in Capitol Heights, Md., was sentenced to 35 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, by U.S. District Judge William D. Quarles, Jr. for conspiring to transport and entice females to travel interstate for prostitution; transporting females for prostitution; enticing females to travel interstate for prostitution; sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion and possessing a gun in furtherance of sex trafficking.

These latest sentences were announced U.S. Attorney by Kenneth Magidson, Southern District of Texas. This investigation was led by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

John David Baker used computers and interactive computer services to engage in online conversations with several minor children while he served as a talent judge for a talent competition in Florida. In this role, Baker met minor children who were auditioning for roles in the art and film industries.

According to court records, Jose 'Panama' Antonio Haughton, 37, was convicted of second degree robbery, attempted second degree robbery, first degree theft, 7 counts of criminal impersonation, tampering with a witness, 2 counts of second degree theft and third degree theft.

Steven Byington, 69, who was convicted by a jury June 20 of 1 count of receiving child pornography and 1 count of possessing child pornography, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Gloria M. Navarro.

Ian H. Ranberg, 47, of Sounderton, was charged with receiving images of child pornography between May 23 and May 29, 2012, and between Aug. 19 and Sept. 19, 2012.

Ernesto Karam-Garcia, a Mexican national who is wanted for defrauding hundreds of Mexican citizens of more than $150 million, was deported and turned over to Mexican law enforcement authorities Thursday by officers with ICE's Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO).

During a search warrant, HSI special agents seized a smartphone belonging to John Millmine. A forensics examination of the phone revealed several images and videos of child pornography.

Local law enforcement discovered more than 500,000 images of child pornography and hundreds of videos on multiple computers and external storage devices belonging to Lawrence B. Blevins Jr.

A preliminary analysis of digital electronic storage devices seized during a search warrant revealed explicit videos of Andres Ruiz-Huertas engaging in sexual acts with multiple minors.