News Releases and Statements
News Releases and Statements
Curtis Billups, 35, of San Antonio, was sentenced Oct. 28 by U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo to 151 months in federal prison.
About 90 stolen cars worth more than $4 million were recovered during "Operation 17 Corridor," a 16-month 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, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and 11 other agencies.
Gary Williamson, 54, of Lynchburg, previously waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty to a one-count Information charging him with knowingly receiving and distributing child pornography. Williamson was sentenced to 120 months of federal incarceration.
Raymond Laurence Burke, 62, was escorted by ERO officers to Denver International Airport and on to Toronto, Canada. He was then transferred to Canadian authorities at the Toronto Pearson International Airport Authority.
Charles Goswitz, 59, of Torrance, appeared Tuesday morning before U.S. District Judge Beverly Reid O’Connell. The case marks the first federal prosecution in the Los Angeles area of a so-called “John” in a teen sex-trafficking investigation and only the second such federal prosecution nationwide.
Of the 46 taken into custody by ERO, 23 met the agency’s highest priority level due to felony convictions or participation in a criminal street gang. An additional 23 arrestees also met the ICE enforcement priorities for arrests due to serious or multiple misdemeanor convictions.
ICE was also among the 699 agencies and organizations that had a booth, and showcased its programs and initiatives in a multi-media format. For example, an ICE promotional video provided a broad overview of how ICE fulfills its mission to promote homeland security and protect the public through civil enforcement of federal laws governing border control, customs, trade and immigration.
Oscar Alexander Salamanca-Vargas, 26, aka El Pepsi, was flown to El Salvador Oct. 23 onboard a charter flight coordinated by ICE’s Air Operations (IAO) Unit. Upon arrival, the suspect was turned over to officials from El Salvador’s Civilian National Police (PNC).
According to court documents, Mark Joseph Unrein, 62, of New Port Richey, communicated online with an undercover officer who was posing as the mother of a 12-year-old girl.
Camila Correa, 25, of Windermere, is the fifth Orlando defendant to plead guilty to drug trafficking and related charges concerning the importation and distribution of methylone and ethylone from China into the Middle District of Florida.
Ireline Aponte Melende, 30, pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful importation of a controlled substance. Her sentencing has been scheduled for March 2, 2016.
Alberto Martinez-Vasquez, 26, was convicted Oct. 26 in federal court before U.S. District Judge Vanessa Gilmore. This case was initiated Sept. 10 when law enforcement responded to a loud noise complaint at a residence on the 9800 block of Gillman Street in Houston.
In addition to the seminars, ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Executive Associate Director (EAD) Peter T. Edge and IACP President Richard Beary, who also serves as the University of Central Florida Police Department chief of police, signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to establish the “Visiting Law Enforcement Fellow Program.”
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.
Mamadu Serifo Biai (a/k/a Saliu Sisse) was convicted May 19 of conspiracy to provide material support to the FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia), a foreign terrorist organization; conspiracy to commit narco-terrorism; conspiracy to import cocaine into the United States; and conspiracy to acquire and transfer anti-aircraft missiles. That same day, he was sentenced to 32 months imprisonment. He was credited for prison time he served during his criminal proceedings.
Mozaffar Khazaee, 61, of Manchester, Connecticut, was sentenced to 97 months in federal prison following conviction on one count of unlawful export and attempted export of defense articles from the U.S. in violation of the Arms Export Control Act. Khazaee previously pleaded guilty to the charge on February 25, 2015. He was also ordered to pay a $50,000 fine.
On May 21, 2012, a jury found Gregory Joel Sitzmann, 65, who was born in Iowa, but most recently resided in Colombia, of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. The verdict followed a six-week trial in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
Chelese Penn, 25, of Hartville, Missouri, was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Penn to a lifetime of supervised release following incarceration.
Frank Edwin Ness, 45, of Joplin, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Ness to a lifetime of supervised release following incarceration, and ordered him to pay $5,000 in restitution to one of his victims.
“Agents on the HSI-led Tunnel Task force in San Diego have once again dismantled a sophisticated cross-border tunnel that was about to become fully operational,” said Dave Shaw, special agent in charge of HSI San Diego. “As this investigation makes clear, we’re focused on ensuring border security and combating the cartels’ increasingly brazen and dangerous underground smuggling strategy.”
Alexandro Silva, 45, received and distributed more than 93,000 images of child pornography, according to court documents. In addition to his prison term, Silva was also ordered to pay $2,000 in restitution to his victims, and will be placed on supervised release for 10 years after he completes his prison term.
On Wednesday, October 14, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations’ (HSI) National Child Victim Identification Program (VIP) was honored at the 2015 GCN Awards held at the Ritz Carlton in Tysons Corner, Virginia.
Lumber Liquidators was charged earlier this month in the Eastern District of Virginia with one felony count of importing goods through false statements and four misdemeanor violations of the Lacey Act, which makes it a crime to import timber that was taken in violation of the laws of a foreign country and to transport falsely-labeled timber across international borders into the United States.
Roberto Garcia-Castillon, aka “El Robi,” 47, was repatriated under tight security, escorted by members of ERO’s tactical team and U.S. Border Patrol agents. After arriving at the Nogales border crossing, he was transferred to the custody of representatives from the Mexican Procuradaria General de la Republica (PGR). Garcia is charged with a kidnapping and triple homicide that occurred in the Mexican state of Sonora in September 2011.
Xzavion Dayshaun Ragsdale, aka “Yung Billy,” 19, formerly of Amarillo, Texas, and most recently Dallas, made his initial appearance in federal court Wednesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Clinton E. Averitte who ordered Ragsdale to remain in federal custody, pending a detention hearing set for Monday.
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