News Releases and Statements

Alfred E. Daking Jr. was indicted and arraigned Friday for possession and distribution of child pornography. Daking was communicating online with a 13-year-old boy from Phoenix, Ariz. He sent more than 500 emails to the boy, some of which included pornographic attachments featuring children and adults.

A Russian national pleaded guilty to bribery following an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR).

Julian Luna-Nieto pleaded guilty Friday to methamphetamine trafficking and witness tampering. This investigation was conducted by ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), along with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS).

Special agents arrested Jose Santiago Diaz, 44, a Dominican Republic national who worked in the Queens apartment where heroin was repacked for distribution.

A 70-year-old female bar owner, Song Ja Cha, was sentenced in federal court Thursday to life in prison for her involvement in a sex trafficking scheme that forced young women and one juvenile girl into prostitution.

Faisal Hashime, 20, was convicted of three counts of production of child pornography, which each carry a sentence of 15 to 30 years in prison, and two counts of distribution of child pornography, which each carry a sentence of five to 20 years in prison.

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Eighty-two individuals, who were allegedly held as hostages, were freed Wednesday from a human smuggling stash house - and an additional four suspected human smugglers were arrested - by special agents from ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and officers from the Houston Police Department (HPD).

Christopher Daves of Albuquerque, N.M., pleaded guilty Tuesday to an indictment charging him with possession of child pornography. ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents investigated the case.

Charles LeRoy Earl, 65, of New Braunfels, Texas, appeared before U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcia Sept. 20. Judge Garcia sentenced Earl to 360 months in prison and ordered him to serve a life-term of supervised release and to register as a sex offender.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) is donating over 100 surplus computers to four schools through the federal government's Computers for Learning program.

Dariusz Wietocha, a Polish national who is wanted in his home country for manslaughter, was deported and turned over to Polish law enforcement officials Thursday by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO).

A previously deported Mexican national was sentenced this week to more than four years in prison for illegally reentering the United States after deportation.

A man from Puerto Rico was sentenced to 21 months in prison Thursday on 12 counts related to the trafficking of counterfeit goods, announced U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson, Southern District of Texas.

Gerrett Conover was charged Thursday with receiving and distributing child pornography, following an investigation by ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Conover allegedly acknowledged having a long-term relationship with a boy while the boy was 10 to 17 years of age.

Yahir Ricardo Garcia-Matias, the leader of a large straw-purchasing ring who was responsible for the purchase of more than 200 firearms, is now headed to prison. The investigation was conducted by ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), working jointly with other members of the Caribbean Corridor Strike Force (CCSF), arrested three Dominican Republic nationals for drug trafficking and seized 918 kilograms of cocaine with an estimated street value of more than $22 million Monday off the southern coast of Puerto Rico.

After a nearly two-year investigation, a fugitive featured on 'America's Most Wanted' was sentenced on sex trafficking charges.

Norman Cipriano, 40, of Warwick, R.I., was arrested without incident after HSI special agents executed a federal search warrant at his residence and discovered large quantities of suspected counterfeit sports apparel and counterfeit health and beauty products.

Christopher Thomas Davis, 32, of Dahlonega, Ga., entered his plea during a hearing before U.S. Senior District Judge William C. O'Kelley. Davis was indicted on these charges by a federal grand jury Sept. 20, 2011.

Alfonse R. Marino was arrested Wednesday by special agents with ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) for possession of child pornography. Marino admitted to collecting child pornography for the last 10 years.

ICE Homeland Security Investigations' special agents give the public a window to their work cracking down on criminal organizations trying to smuggle contraband into the US.

Joseph Yingling, 40, of Osterburg, Pa., pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Kim R. Gibson to one count of possession of child pornography.

A Plant City, Fla., man was sentenced Wednesday to 27 months in federal prison for conspiring to transport 100 or more illegal aliens.

One of the nation's largest and longest running stolen identity tax refund fraud schemes - involving more than 8,000 fraudulent U.S. income tax returns seeking $65 million in illicit refunds - has been shut down by a New Jersey-based task force. ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents assisted in the investigation.