News Releases and Statements

Thomas Joseph Barrett, a former federal employee with the Social Security Administration's (SSA) Office of Disability Adjudication and Review in Seattle, was sentenced Tuesday in federal court to five years in prison for receipt of child pornography. He had accessed more than 3,500 images of child pornography at work and at home.

Steven Metz, 41, faces a possible sentence of 10 years imprisonment, a fine of $250,000 and a term of supervised release of at least five years to life.

Jose Alaniz-Allen, 23, of Mission, Texas, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Micaela Alvarez to serve 225 months in federal prison, taking into consideration various sentencing enhancements. The court noted the offense involved distributing images for the receipt, or expectation of receipt, of a thing of value, and that some minors depicted in the pornographic images were vulnerable victims under 5 years old.

The two-count indictment charges the nine individuals with possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances at the Mendez Vigo area of Ponce.

"Sudheer Bandi, Ram Challa, and others engaged in a visa fraud and money laundering scheme by falsifying documentation required to obtain H-1B visas and establishing ""shell"" companies to give the appearance that they were operating legitimate computer programming businesses."

A forensic review of former church puppeteer Ronald William Brown's electronic media showed that he possessed hundreds of images of child pornography and child erotica, including various images showing children being bound and tortured. In chats with various individuals, Brown discussed abducting, torturing and murdering children.

Carlos Manuel Santiago-Nieves was arrested after an HSI investigation, which stemmed from a Puerto Rico Police Department (PRPD) referral, revealed that he allegedly transported a 14-year-old female minor to two local motels in San Lorenzo and Caguas, among other places, to engage in sexually explicit conduct.

Jose and Beatriz Valenzuela, an Arizona couple who were leaders in a drug and money laundering conspiracy to distribute more than 1,000 kilograms of marijuana, were sentenced Monday to more than 10 years in federal prison.

Joaquin Diaz-Alvarez was arrested at the Colinas de Magnolia public housing project after officers assigned to Operation Caribbean Resilience noticed a strong odor of what appeared to be marijuana emanating from the vehicle he occupied.

Jose Luis Aguilar, aka Jose Luis Martinez Aguilar, 41, from Mexico, was arrested July 25 after officers with ICE's Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) were asked by Hale County (Texas) Sheriff's Office (HCSO) to assist with its 'cold case' investigation.

An Illinois woman was arrested Monday in Las Vegas after being charged in a superseding 12-count indictment, along with a Maryland man, for conspiracy to commit sex trafficking where the pair allegedly used guns, threats and violence to force victims into prostitution.

A Bakersfield-area sex offender, Cass Eugene Mitchell, was sentenced Monday to 15 years in prison following his second conviction on federal child pornography charges, which stemmed from a probe by ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

Jose Roberto Pacheco-Alvarado, a Honduran criminal alien convicted of felony theft in Texas, pleaded guilty Wednesday to illegally re-entering the United States following multiple prior removals. ICE's Enforcement Removal Operations (ERO) arrested him April 29 in New Orleans.

A ceremonial sword, looted in 2003 from Saddam Hussein's personal office in Baghdad, was returned to the Republic of Iraq Monday by ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

Stephen Keating, 53, was arrested in November 2012 after Danish police officials found images of an unknown suspect abusing two children on a computer they seized in a child pornography investigation.

Murmylyuk admitted that he participated in a conspiracy to steal from online trading accounts at Scottrade, E-Trade, Fidelity, Schwab and other brokerage firms.

Paul Anthony Rible, 39, from Plentywood, was sentenced to 30 months in prison and 10 years of supervised released. He will also forfeit the laptop computers and thumb drives he used to download, store and distribute child pornography.

Beginning in September 2010, and continuing until at least July 2012, Ibrahim Barrie, 32, of Atlanta, paid bribes to a special agent with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in exchange for immigration benefits, as well as other benefits. The DHS special agent was working in an undercover capacity.

A 54-year-old Burlington, Vt., man, Edin Sakoc, was arrested by ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents earlier today on charges that he obtained his naturalized citizenship through fraud by failing to disclose his participation in the persecution of Bosnian Serbs during the conflict in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Rupert Stephenson, a Jamaican national who had been residing in Philadelphia who was wanted in his home country since 1986 on aggravated assault charges, was deported Thursday by ICE's Enforcement Removal Operations (ERO). Stephenson was turned over to Jamaican authorities in Kingston.

The investigation began seven years ago. ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) received a call from the City of London Police. Victims were coming out of the woodwork. They had been duped into investing thousands - some their whole life savings - into an international investment fraud and money laundering scheme with ties to central Florida.

Abdullahi Omar Fidse, 29, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Fred Biery to 97 months in federal prison, and three years of supervised release after he completes his prison term.

Felipe Campos-Gonzalez, a Mexican murder suspect previously removed from the United States in 2008, was indicted on federal charges Wednesday for illegally re-entering the country following a prior removal.

According to court documents, Richard Joseph Buswell, 44, of Lafayette, was the owner of Curious Goods, a chain of stores that sold smoking paraphernalia and herbal tobaccos. Lafayette police discovered Mr. Miyagi brand potpourri for sale within the business, which is synthetic marijuana, illegal under both federal and Louisiana law.

Arlin Troncoso-Pena was charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distributing more than 100 grams of heroin.