News Releases and Statements

Ping Liu, 43, and Xingdi Lin, 48, both of Wichita, Kansas, were charged with one count each of attempting to persuade, induce, entice or coerce an individual to cross state lines to engage in prostitution and one each count of using a telephone in furtherance of prostitution.

Robert Vangorden, 41, of Omaha Nebraska, was sentenced to 17 years and 6 months (210 months) for distributing materials involving the sexual exploitation of a minor. Vangorden will also serve 10 years of supervised release following his incarceration. Additionally, he was ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Crime Victims' Fund and $5,000 in restitution.

Sharon Elizabeth Harrington, 27, of Bunceton, Missouri pleaded guilty to participating in a mail fraud conspiracy in Boone County, Mo., from March 2011, to December 2013. Chadwick James Schlicht, 44, of Osage Beach, Missouri, pleaded guilty to participating in a conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.

According to his plea agreement, Jean Claud Mills, 31, of Albuquerque, will be sentenced to 11 years in federal prison followed by a term of supervised release to be determined by the court.

At the time of his guilty plea, Cesar Eloy Munoz-Silva, from Nuevo Leon, Mexico, admitted that on March 8, 2014, he drove a vehicle from Mexico into the United States through the Anzalduas, Texas, port of entry, knowing the vehicle contained a controlled substance.

Javier Guerrero Molina, 34, citizen of Mexico, was arrested May 30, 2014, at the Jacksonville International Airport.

Eric Sansburn, 30, of Grand Forks, North Dakota, was sentenced to 305 months (25 years, 4 months) in federal prison on seven criminal charges. The charges included two counts of transporting minors to engage in sexual activity, three counts of coercion and enticement of a minor, and two counts of possession of child pornography.

Ronnie Cosby, 39, of Hammond, Indiana, is charged with one count of transporting a minor to engage in prostitution. Cosby appeared in court March 30 for his arraignment. Court records allege Cosby committed the crime in February, transporting the child from Indiana to Illinois.

Adam Mack, 39, who is both a former state representative and Maine Notary of the Public, knowingly helped facilitate sham marriages between foreign nationals from Russia and Ukraine and U.S. citizens.

ICE's top 5 news stories for the week ending Mar. 27, 2015

Raul Vivas-Ceja was deported from the United States on Oct. 8, 2010. He illegally re-entered the country and was again deported Sept. 28, 2012, after serving a 12-month sentence for a felony related to fleeing and eluding conviction in Dane County, Wisconsin.

Maxwell Poku, 36, of Union, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty to one count each of immigration fraud, wire fraud and money laundering.

As part of Project iGuardian, HSI special agents in San Juan organized the Internet safety outreach for kids 12 to 16 years old to provide them with the necessary tools to make smart decisions when navigating in the Internet. HSI San Juan made the massive event possible by soliciting support from both the public and private sector. Toa Baja Mayor Anibal Vega Borges and his team took care of all the logistics. The Puerto Rico Department of Education arranged for the transportation of students from schools in the Bayamon Education Region to the Antonio R. Barcelo Coliseum.

According to plea documents filed in the case, Eduardo Cantillo, from Lubbock, Texas, used a computer at his residence to search the Internet for images and videos of child pornography. In the course of those searches, Cantillo located, downloaded and viewed numerous images and videos constituting child pornography.

Fake jerseys, ball caps, t-shirts, jackets and other souvenirs are among the counterfeit merchandise and clothing typically sold at and around these events. Additionally, authorities have seen an increase in the sale of counterfeit tickets being sold to events like these. Large sporting events are prime targets for counterfeiters, many of whom travel the country with the sole intention of scamming innocent sports fans.

Between January and October 2013, Javier E. Rivas, 35, of San Francisco, furnished multi-ounce quantities of high purity methamphetamine, known as “ice” and “crystal meth,” to a California drug supplier, who, in turn, mailed the drugs to local distributors in the Pensacola area. In September 2014, Rivas pleaded guilty to a one-count indictment charging him with conspiracy.

Former New York City Police Officer Rex Maralit, 46, and his brother Wilfredo Maralit, 49, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer assigned to Los Angeles International Airport, pleaded guilty June 12, 2014, for their roles in an illegal scheme to smuggle high-powered assault rifles, sniper rifles, pistols, and firearms accessories from the United States to the Philippines, violating the Arms Export Control Act. A third brother, Ariel Maralit, resides in the Philippines and remains a fugitive.

Eric Bing, 28, of Clark, was charged with enticing a minor to engage in sexual activity.

Timothy Prejean, 42, of Carencro, admitted in his guilty plea before U.S. District Judge Richard T. Haik that he accepted numerous cash payments from James Panos, the former owner and manager of Desperado’s Cabaret, during the years he served as a liaison officer for the Carencro Police Department responsible for enforcing local ordinances at the establishment.

The charges resulted from an investigation conducted by the following agencies: Marion County Prosecutor's Office, IMPD, ICE's HSI, IRS, DEA and the Indiana State Police.

Caylon Botelho Carreiro was arrested in Malden, Massachusetts, Jan. 15, following a joint ERO and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) operation dubbed "Nowhere to Run." ERO officers and HSI special agents worked closely with the HSI Brasilia Attaché Office and Interpol to track down Carreiro who illegally entered the United States.

According to an Interpol warrant, Barbarito De Leon-Compean, 50, is wanted by Mexican officials for homicide. De Leon-Compean was convicted Oct. 16, 1995, in Tulsa County, Oklahoma, for conspiracy to traffic illegal drugs. De Leon-Compean, who entered the United States illegally at an unknown place and at an unknown time, was ordered removed by an immigration judge Aug. 26, 1997.

The indictment was returned under seal Feb. 26, and unsealed March 24 as the following four charged Houston residents made their initial appearances in federal court: Shakietha Ann Joseph, 39, Nathan Michael, 36, Trevor Ray Frenney, 39, and Hauwa Bello, 37. At that time, U.S. Magistrate Judge Mary Milloy ordered them detained pending further criminal proceedings.

David Philip Ryan, 50, of Miami pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to transport stolen firearms.