News Releases and Statements

Gary Romano of Norristown, Pa., was charged Monday with production and possession of child pornography, following an investigation by ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Romano was found to have molested a child that he was babysitting, produced images of the molestation, and distributed those images to other pedophiles.

James E. Bowen was sentenced Monday to 27 years in federal prison for transporting and possessing more than 100,000 images of child pornography, including sadistic and masochistic movies and images. The sentence resulted from an investigation conducted by ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS)...

Six people were indicted in federal court Friday for operating a smuggling ring that illegally imported cigarettes from Vietnam.

Jose Miranda, 46, was arrested at his home in the 3200 block of Black Elk in El Paso.

Corey James Loftin, 24, of El Cajon, Calif., admitted to the felony charges and agreed to a stipulated minimum sentence of 40 years in prison. The charges are subject to final acceptance by U.S. District Judge Janis L. Sammartino. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for August 24.

Richard Dabrowski, a long-haul truck driver from Linden, N.J., was charged Friday with distribution of child pornography, following an investigation by ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Images from Dabrowski's computer included photographs of prepubescent children engaging in sexual activity and being sexually abused.

Frank Johnston, a former assistant special agent in charge for ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Los Angeles was sentenced Friday to 24 months in federal prison for obstruction of justice, giving false information to a federal prosecutor and a federal judge in Florida, and devising a scheme to have his wife paid nearly $600,000...

Carlington David Richards, a 34-year-old Jamaican national and former police officer wanted in his native country for murder, was removed Thursday by ICE's Enforcement Removal Operations (ERO) officers and turned over to authorities in that nation's capital.

Adulfo De Aquino-Cancino, 28, is charged with the following crimes: conspiring to recruit, entice, harbor and transport two juveniles to engage in commercial sex acts; aiding and abetting in sex trafficking juveniles; and attempting to persuade, induce, entice and coerce a juvenile to engage in prostitution.

Farrell Corrway, a citizen of Ireland, pleaded guilty to a federal charge of transportation of child pornography, following an investigation by ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Corrway admitted that on Sept. 7, 2010, he transported more than 600 images of child pornography into the state on an external hard drive.

"Symcoat Metal Processing Inc.,a San Diego-based company that specializes in metal finishing services, has partnered with ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) by joining the agency's employment compliance program IMAGE, or ""ICE Mutual Agreement between Government and Employers."""

Jerry Wayne Valek, 35, of Ennis, Texas, has been in custody since his Jan. 13, 2011 arrest on a related charge.

ICE's Office of Public Affairs began the ICE Citizens' Academy to provide members of the general public with an inside look at ICE and how the agency enforces immigration and customs laws. Over the course of nine weeks, a total of 19 individuals met once a week in one of two locations in Washington, D.C. and Baltimore.

Alex J. Rosario, of Aibonito, Puerto Rico, was arrested by HSI special agents April 20, 2011, for possession of child pornography after a forensic analysis of the material seized during a March 17, 2011, search warrant revealed the presence of images depicting child pornography. The investigation stemmed from a referral by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).

Edward J. Wesser, of Madison, was charged May 30 in Dane County with sexually exploiting a child, which is a felony. A status conference is scheduled for July 2.

A native of El Salvador, residing in Columbia, Md., was sentenced May 30 for illegally re-entering the United States after having been previously deported as the result of a felony conviction, following an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO).

Twenty people were arrested Wednesday following the two separate federal grand jury indictments charging 22 defendants with crimes related to trafficking methamphetamine and international money laundering. The charges were announced by the U.S. Attorney's Office of the District of Colorado, and OCDETF's Strike Force.

Rey Vilanova-Delgado, 31, of Fajardo, Puerto Rico, was sentenced to 17 years and five months in prison followed by 15 years of supervised release. Felix Rodriguez-Acevedo, 32, of Caguas, Puerto Rico, and Zairo Ramos, 29, of Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico, were both sentenced to 15 years in prison followed by a period of supervised release of 15 years, and 15 years and eight months, respectively.

Special agents with ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) seized nearly 1,400 counterfeit items with a manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) of more than $400,000 at two Birmingham, Ala., stores May 23.

Steven Woolley, 29, was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow, who also ordered that upon his release from prison, Woolley must register as a sex offender in the place where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.

Francisco Piche-Aguilar, an El Salvadoran national wanted in his home country for aggravated homicide in connection with the stabbing death of a 37-year-old victim in February 2010, was deported and turned over to El Salvadoran law enforcement officials Wednesday by ICE's Enforcement Removal Operations (ERO).

GPX/GPX, USA, a Texas-based seismic surveying company, and its field operations supervisor were charged Tuesday with harboring and transporting illegal aliens and conspiracy to commit those offenses in north central Pennsylvania oil and gas survey work. The case was investigated by ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI)...

A Maryland man charged with illegally reproducing and selling feature motion pictures, John M. Harris, pleaded guilty Friday to federal copyright infringement charges in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The investigation was conducted by ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

Melvin Eraldo Ramirez was sentenced Friday to 84 months in prison for illegally reentering the United States, following an investigation by ICE's Enforcement Removal Operations (ERO). Ramirez has a lengthy and violent criminal history in the United States, including convictions for theft, abduction, malicious wounding, and assault and battery.

Douglas Bruce Parsons was sentenced to 90 months in federal prison for receiving child pornography after an investigation by ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Forensic analysis of three computers and an external hard drive resulted in discovering 178 videos totaling more than 58 hours of child pornography.