News Releases and Statements

As the result of a probe by ICE's HSI Los Angeles, the U.S. Secret Service and the Glendale Police Department, Mikayel Hmayakyan, 43, pleaded guilty to two counts of bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.

Jorge Juan Torres-Lopez, 66, who served as the interim governor of Coahuila, Mexico, in 2011, admitted to conducting financial transactions in the United States to conceal bribes that he received in exchange for assigning road-building contracts in Coahuila.

Juan Pablo Hoyos Avila, 22, from Mexico, residing in San Antonio was sentenced before U.S. District Judge Fred Biery to five years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release.

Armen Martirosyan, 62, pleaded guilty today to a federal fraud charge for opening more than a dozen bank accounts, knowing that they would be used to launder fraudulently obtained tax refunds obtained by filing tax returns under stolen identities.

Through the rewards program, up to $5 million is being offered for information leading to the arrest or conviction of Joselit de la Trinidad Ramirez Camacho, a Venezuelan government official accused of having deep political, social and economic ties to multiple alleged narcotics kingpins, including Tareck EI Aissami.

Jianjun Qiao (喬建軍), 56, arrived at Los Angeles International Airport Friday after being extradited by Sweden. Qiao was taken into custody by the U.S. Marshals Service and was held in federal custody over the weekend.

While in the United States on a visa, Emmanuel Odiah, 33, a citizen of Nigeria, most recently of Dallas, laundered money for a network of individuals perpetrating computer-based fraud schemes in Nigeria and Ghana.

Lin Li, a.k.a. Aaron Li, 38, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to manufacture, possess and distribute at least 1,000 marijuana plants.

Amir Dianat, 55, and Kamran Lajmiri, 42, both Iranian nationals, were charged with violating U.S. export laws and sanctions against Iran in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

Edgar Sargsyan, 39, an attorney with law offices in Beverly Hills, was charged today with conspiracy to commit bank fraud, two counts of bribing a public official, and two counts of making false statements to federal investigators.

Christopher Parris, 39, was arrested on wire fraud criminal complaint charges. It alleges that he made and caused to be made a series of fraudulent misrepresentations in an attempt to secure orders from the Department of Veterans Affairs for 125 million face masks and other PPE that would have totaled over $750 million.

Consuelo Stephanee Pena, 29, and on March 16, Dulce Avilene Gonzalez-Rosillo, 24, both of Phoenix were sentenced by U.S. District Judge Diane J. Humetewa and U.S. District Judge Douglas L. Rayes, respectively, for their participation in their illegal activity.

Michael Rahim Mohammed, aka Mr. Dark, 32, was charged with various counts of distribution of child pornography, production and transportation of obscene matters for sale or distribution, engaging in the business of selling or transferring obscene matter, and laundering of monetary instruments according to the nine-count indictment and parallel civil forfeiture action unsealed today.

The indictment charges that from on or about Jan. 4, 2012, through on or about July 24, 2017, the defendants and other co-conspirators conspired and agreed to devise a scheme to defraud Unique Builders, Inc., a family business engaged in short and long-term construction and improvement projects using wire communications.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), FBI, and the IRS – Criminal Investigation Division. The Korean National Police of the Republic of Korea provided assistance and coordinated with their parallel investigation. U.S. Attorney Timothy J. Shea, of the District of Columbia, announced the indictment.

The charge stems from a bribery investigation involving Benito Barrientes, 42, from Lyford; Exy Adelaida Gomez, 42, from Los Fresnos; and Damian Ortiz, 30, and her brother and McAllen attorney Roel Alanis, 39, both from Weslaco. They were charged with conspiracy to commit bribery and bribery in relation to obtaining alien detainee roster lists.

Saul Rodriguez-Soto, 39, of Indianapolis, operated SR Bulls Auto Sales LLC, Bulls Auto Sales II Inc., and Chicago Auto Sales LLC. He was also ordered to three years of supervised release following his sentence.