News Releases and Statements

The defendants, many of whom live in Secaucus and Jersey City, allegedly created “synthetic” identities by pairing real Social Security numbers with fictitious names and birth dates, and then using them to open numerous checking and credit card accounts.

Alexander Kostyukov, aka “Temp”, aka “KLBS,” 30, who resided in Miami at the time of arrest, was sentenced on Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Andrew P. Gordon. The Russia-born defendant pleaded guilty to participation in a racketeer influenced corrupt organization (RICO), conspiracy to engage in a RICO, and three counts of unlawfully trafficking in and production of counterfeit identification documents.

ICE involves itself in hoax and scam prevention through its enforcement actions and by educating the public on risks.

Roger Thomas Clark, 54, a citizen of Canada, was arrested on charges that he acted as a senior adviser to Ross Ulbricht, aka "Dread Pirate Roberts," aka "DPR," the owner and operator of the Silk Road website, an online illicit black market that operated from January 2011 until Oct. 2, 2013.

Reinaldo Oliveira, 33, recently residing in Columbus, Ohio, was sentenced to 15 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $66,985 in restitution.

On June 15, 2013, Sekouba Konate, 51, arrived at Washington Dulles International Airport from Ethiopia illegally carrying thousands of dollars in undeclared cash.

Raul Mendoza, 51, of Denver, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge R. Brooke Jackson Nov. 20. Judge Jackson also ordered the forfeiture of 19 vehicles and currency in the amount of $5,277.16. Mendoza owned Chopeque Auto Sales in Commerce City, and used the dealership to launder drug proceeds.

U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Assistant Secretary for International Affairs and Chief Diplomatic Officer Alan Bersin and Peru’s Deputy Superintendent of the National Tax Administration (SUNAT) Iván Luyo signed an agreement Friday establishing a Trade Transparency Unit (TTU).

Sally Iriri, 33, a Nigerian national who was living in Chicago, was sentenced Nov. 20 by U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson, Western District of Wisconsin, for wire fraud. Iriri’s co-defendant, Michael Adegoke, 33, also a Nigerian national, was arrested in Atlanta Nov. 3.

Ramon M. Negron-Colón, 65, of Bayamon, is an attorney licensed to practice law in Puerto Rico. He represented the notorious Puerto Rican drug lord Jose D. Figueroa-Agosto in judicial proceedings in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

Michael Brandner, 67, was convicted following a seven-day jury trial before U.S. District Judge Sharon Gleason of the District of Alaska. According to the indictment and evidence introduced at trial, in late 2007, shortly after Brandner’s wife filed for divorce, he collected millions of dollars in marital assets and secretly drove from Tacoma, Washington, to Costa Rica.

Robert James Zoellner, 52, of Ripon, Wisconsin, was sentenced Oct. 22 by Chief U.S. District Judge William C. Griesbach. Zoellner previously pleaded guilty to a single count of passing forged postal notes.

Richard Adebayo, 38, of East Orange, and Amos Peter Agbajaife, 37, of Newark, were each charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.

Stephanie Pyle was sentenced to 30 months in prison for her conviction on the fraud charge, and 24 months in prison for her conviction on an aggravated identity theft charge. Since identity theft sentences must be served consecutively to sentences on other convictions, Pyle’s total sentence is 54 months in federal prison.

David Arthur, 50, of Huntington Beach, manufactured a medical device known as the “Energy Wave.”

Three hundred police officers, prosecutors and corrections officers from the province of Córdoba, Argentina, participated in training last week to help them combat cross border crime. The training was hosted by the ICE HSI Buenos Aires Attaché Office and the Department of State's International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs Bureau.

Joseph D. Maurizio Jr., 70, of Central City, Pennsylvania, was convicted of engaging in illicit sexual conduct in foreign places, possession of child pornography and international money laundering.

Avery Lamarr Ayers, 48, was sentenced to the statutory maximum of 60 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Gray Miller; he must also serve three years of supervised release. A restitution order was imposed in the amount of $357,000. At the hearing, Judge Miller also found Ayers to be a leader/organizer in the conspiracy. Ayers pleaded guilty June 18 to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

Landa, Sanchez-Becerra, and Apu were arrested Tuesday morning at their residences. Vargas was taken into custody at his business, Vargas Auto Body in Turlock. Soriano-Villafan was arrested last week in Las Vegas and arraigned in U.S. District Court in Fresno.

The 72-count indictment includes 26 counts for mail fraud, one count for theft of public money and 45 counts for aggravated identity theft. The mail fraud charges relate to payments made through the U.S. mail system to Rocket Learning, Inc., for fraudulent invoices to the Puerto Rico Department of Education.

Leaford George Cameron is facing mail fraud, wire fraud and false statement charges for the fraud scheme, and HSI authorities are seeking any additional “clients” who could have been victimized by the alleged imposter attorney.

Kyuseop Maeng, 50, was transported from Los Angeles to South Korea on board a commercial aircraft escorted by officers from ICE ERO. Maeng is charged with fraud in a criminal warrant issued in January 2011 by Korean authorities. Specifically, the warrant alleges that, during a one-month period beginning in November 2010, Maeng embezzled the equivalent of $3.5 million from investors in his trading company before fleeing to the U.S.

The man, in his late 80s, received information in the fall of 2013, that stated he had won a lottery prize. He was later contacted by a man who told him he owed taxes and other expenses ranging from $5,000 to $80,000 to receive his prize. The fraudsters cheated him out of nearly $150,000 before his son reported the scam to law enforcement.

Jeffrey Hurant, CEO of Rentboy.com, and six others were charged by criminal complaint, unsealed Tuesday in Brooklyn federal court, with conspiring to violate the Travel Act by promoting prostitution.

Teslim Olarewaju Kiriji, 30, a Nigerian citizen residing in Brownsburg, Indiana, received the maximum penalty for his conviction on the felony charge of conspiracy to commit money laundering.