News Releases and Statements

Eddieberto Garcia, 36, of Oceanside, California, was sentenced to 97 months in prison, and to four years of supervised release following his prison term. Garcia was convicted of possessing about two kilograms (4.5 pounds) of methamphetamine with intent to distribute.

Ross William Ulbricht, 30, of San Francisco, created Silk Road in approximately January 2011, and owned and operated the underground website until it was shut down by law enforcement authorities in October 2013.

Burnett, who has been with HSI for five years, works with Thomasville about three times a week assisting in cases ranging from human trafficking to narcotics. He has been a key piece to the success of the department and was recognized for his dedication and collective years of service.

HSI special agents arrested William Y. Maldonado-Rivera, 35, after an investigation stemming from a complaint by the victim's mother led to HSI special agents discovering that Maldonado-Rivera transported the minor from Peñuelas to a motel in Ponce with the intent to engage her in sexual criminal conduct.

Hyperikon Inc. is the 17th San Diego-area business to become an IMAGE member. IMAGE is a voluntary partnership that helps employers maintain a lawful workforce and reduce unauthorized employment and the use of fraudulent identity documents.

Peter Alan Karl, 52, of West Fargo, North Dakota, was sentenced to serve 72 months in federal prison for receiving materials depicting minors being sexually exploited.

Shannon Logan, 35, of Urbana, was sentenced Feb. 1 to 25 years in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Colin S. Bruce, who found that Logan has engaged in a pattern of sexual abuse of a minor. In addition, Logan was ordered to register as a sex offender for natural life and to remain on supervised release for an additional 30 years following completion of his prison sentence.

The individuals named in the indictment are Carlos A. Segura-Galvis, Adolfo Leon García-Sierra, Jair Eudoro Ramirez-Diaz, Roque Caballero-Caballero, Hugo Ocampo-Gutierrez, Mireya Cabra-Traslaviña, Elkin Melendez-Santiago, Gamalier Gonzalez-Maldonado, Giovanni Cosme-Fernandez, Eduardo Esteras-Rosado, José O. Medina-Nery, Hugo Enrique Romero-Vargas, Edison Miranda-Angulo, Noe Carbajal, Felipe Francisco De La Plaza, Edwin Lozada-Flores, Miguel Vargas-Roa, Ricardo Rodriguez-Rodriguez, Jorge Villarran-Romero, Francisco Otero-Retamar, Miguel A. Lebron-Hernandez, Eldin Melendez-Santiago, Angel M. Sierra-Rivera, Bergman Santiago-Contes, Jose Martínez-Meléndez, Flor Marina Gonzalez-Rojas, Geovanny Mosquera-Vanegas, Yurgen Gabriel Alvarez-Gutierrez and Brian Montalvo-Tolentino.

Maxim Chukharez, 29, of Costa Rica, was primarily responsible for maintaining Liberty Reserve’s technological infrastructure and for implementing systems designed to create the false appearance that Liberty Reserve had an effective anti-money laundering program.

Marlon Joel Paz-Mendoza, 29, was convicted on murder charges and sentenced to 15 years imprisonment by Honduran courts Sept. 5, 2013.

Alan L. Mapuatuli, 44, of Long Beach, California, was found guilty of distribution of crystal methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute crystal methamphetamine, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

Mahmoud Bazzi, 71, who is a native and citizen of Lebanon, admitted Aug.11, 2014, in immigration court proceedings that he repeatedly provided false and misleading testimony and submissions in order to obtain status in the United States.

Wilmer Alexander Amaya Alas, 23, departed from Louisiana after leaving Newark Liberty International Airport on Thursday. On Oct. 14, 2014, Amaya Alas was ordered removed from the country by an immigration judge. He appealed the immigration judge’s decision to the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA), and on Jan. 2, 2015, the BIA dismissed the appeal, making the order of removal final.

Sean Cantelmo, 28, admitted to conspiring with others to have a 17-year-old female engage in prostitution and illegal sexual activity during February through May 2014. Cantelmo admitted that he and others used a cell phone to post advertisements for “escort services” involving the minor female on a website, rented motel rooms in Lackawanna and Luzerne Counties to facilitate the prostitution activities, and purchased condoms for the minor to use when engaging in commercial sex acts.

Isaias Flores-Rosas, 45, a Mexican national, was sentenced Jan. 30 by U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to one year and one day in federal prison for illegally re-entering the United States after having been deported. He pleaded guilty to this charge Nov. 17.

Edwar Alvarez-Garcia, 29, of El Salvador, illegally entered the United States near Laredo, Texas, in 2001.

Speaking at a NFL news conference, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Director Sarah R. Saldaña, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Director of Field Operations William K. Brooks, and NFL Counsel Dolores F. DiBella discussed the results of the initiative, dubbed “Operation Team Player.”

Jeremiah Chayse Gardiner, 20, from Mesquite, Texas, faces a statutory penalty of not less than 15 years or more than 30 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is set for May 20. Gardiner remains in federal custody.

Samuel Castro-Flores, aka “Chame” or “Chamuco,” 42, a Mexican national, was sentenced to life in prison plus an additional seven years for brandishing a firearm while committing the hostage-taking offenses.

Jack Frison Sr., of Frontenac, Missouri, and the owner of the Frison Flea Market, was sentenced following his Sept. 14, 2014 conviction for: one felony count of conspiracy to traffic in counterfeit goods, one felony count of aiding and abetting felony copyright infringement, and one felony count of aiding and abetting trafficking counterfeit goods.

David Tung, 72, formerly of Hillsborough, California, and his company, Concord Farms, Inc., are charged in an indictment with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud. The charges stem from a probe by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

Richard King, of Long Island, New York, was sentenced for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methylone, a synthetic drug commonly referred to as bath salts. He pleaded guilty to the offense Sept. 9, 2014.

HSI is a leading agency in the fight against human trafficking and routinely works with federal, state, local and international law enforcement agencies, as well as non-governmental organizations, to identify and prosecute human traffickers and rescue their victims.

The seized illicit honey that was abandoned or forfeited totals 660 barrels weighing 203,280 kilograms (448,156 lbs.). The containers’ shipping documents indicated the bulk honey originated in Latvia.