News Releases and Statements

Special agents with ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Friday seized an ancient Roman marble sarcophagus lid featuring a high-relief sculpture of a sleeping woman from convicted antiquities dealer Gianfranco Becchina.

Rodolfo Reyna Sanchez admitted someone had paid for the truck and instructed him to register it in his name. He was en route to Houston where he was to receive $50,000 for transporting the marijuana. He admitted he knew the truck contained marijuana.

On Feb. 26, agents arrested 25 of the 29 defendants during an early-morning law enforcement operation led by HSI and the HIDTA Region II Narcotics Task Force. Two other defendants were arrested during the course of the investigation.

Syed Maaz Shah, 26, was convicted of being an alien in possession of a firearm in September 2007 in Houston federal court, a federal felony charge. U.S. District Judge Melinda Harmon subsequently sentenced Shah to 78 months in federal prison.

Approximately 160 stolen cars worth more than $8 million were recovered during 'Operation Jacked,' a 10-month joint HSI investigation led by the New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice and the New Jersey State Police, along with the Port Authority of New York, the New Jersey Police and 12 other agencies.

Seven adults were arrested Tuesday on charges of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute smokable synthetic cannabinoids, Schedule I controlled substances, with the intent for human consumption, and drug paraphernalia following an investigation by ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington.

Luis Cortez-Garcia and Emiliano Cortez-Garcia are accused of illegally manufacturing and selling firearms; conspiracy; and several criminal counts involving the unlawful possession, manufacture and sale of short-barreled rifles, machine guns and silencers.

Cephas Msipa, who resided in Plano, Texas, pleaded guilty to a one-count superseding Information in August 2013 charging one count of conspiracy. He has been in federal custody since his arrest on an indictment in November 2012.

Gasim Manafov received $210,000 assisting about 70 individuals fraudulently apply for asylum.

Antonio M. Taylor, 30, of Kansas City, was found guilty of multiple charges contained in an Aug. 8, 2012 federal indictment.

Ivan Cabrera, 23, and Michael Ayala, 27, both of Edinburg, and Maria Isabel Rivera-Castillo, 52, of Mexico, were sentenced by U.S. District Judge Randy Crane. Judge Crane sentenced Cabrera to 63 months' imprisonment; Rivera and Ayala received respective sentences of 52 and 33 months.

Kirk A. Simmons, 59, faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum sentence of life in prison. He also faces a fine of up to $250,000 and a term of supervised release following his prison sentence of at least five years to life. Simmons also will be required to register as a sex offender in any U.S. jurisdiction in which he lives, works or attends school.

HSI special agents arrested Larry Pearson, 59, of Detroit, without incident early Monday outside an abandoned home on Detroit's northwest side. He was turned over to Grosse Pointe Farms Police and arraigned in federal court Wednesday on identity theft charges.

"ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) partnered with the National Police of Colombia (CNP) Feb. 25 to arrest 24 Colombian nationals who were members of the transnational criminal organization known as the ""Urabenos."""

Toby Lujan, 28, of Dallas, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jorge A. Solis. Lujan was ordered to surrender to the Bureau of Prisons April 2. Lujan pleaded guilty in September 2012 to one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine.

David Wayne Sweet, Jr. took 24 sexually explicit pictures of a prepubescent girl while she slept as well as while nude in a bathtub. Sweet was arrested on Sept. 27, and admitted that he inappropriately touched the victim while she was sleeping and took the photos.

HSI special agents arrested Carlos Suarez at a local department store in the municipality of Carolina after a preliminary investigation revealed he produced and attempted to produce sexually explicit images of an 11-year-old girl by secretly recording the minor with his cellular telephone.

Using the screen name "mikecoach73," Michael J. Barndt engaged in a series of explicit online chat conversations with an undercover special agent. Special agents seized his smartphone after his arrest and upon forensic review, found it to contain approximately 15,000 images of teenage females who were suggestively dressed or nude.

Twenty individuals, including ringleaders, straw buyers, sellers, real estate agents and an accountant were arrested Tuesday in 10 different municipalities of Puerto Rico for bank fraud and money laundering.

Robert Carey Evans, 58, of Waukesha, Wis., was sentenced to 10 years in prison on 14 counts of possessing materials containing child pornography.

Peter Witkiewicz, the owner of Comfort Keepers, was presented a certificate of completion Thursday, indicating his company is a certified IMAGE partner.

Brett Aaron McFarland was indicted Sept. 10, 2013 for conspiracy to distribute more than 100 kilograms of marijuana.

Elliot R. Duke, 30, of Leesville, who was an active duty soldier assigned to Fort Polk at the time of his arrest, previously pleaded guilty Jan. 23 to receiving child pornography. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge Patricia Minaldi sentenced Duke to a lifetime of supervised release following his release from prison.

According to HSI special agents, Jason Daniel Gandy, 37, frequently traveled to the Texas cities of Austin, Dallas, Houston and San Antonio; he also traveled overseas to the Philippines and Bali, Indonesia.