News Releases and Statements

This week concluded the case against five individuals convicted in February of harboring illegal aliens in a conspiracy to obtain motor vehicle registrations, license plates and titles for illegal aliens.

According to court documents, Alfred E. Daking Jr., 70, communicated online with a 13-year-old boy from Phoenix. Daking sent more than 800 emails to the boy and attached child and adult pornography to some of the emails.

Silverio Raymundo Izehuatl-Sarmiento, a 37-year-old Mexican national living in Sacramento, was sentenced Friday to 15 months in federal prison for producing fake identification documents and possessing document making equipment.

This investigation was a joint effort between federal authorities and TDCJ's OIG to attempt to break the 'culture of corruption' that permeated the McConnell Unit Prison between 2005 to the present.

Elijah Fogle, 22, of Charlotte, N.C., was also ordered to serve 10 years of supervised release.

In addition to his 190-month prison sentence, Martin Moreno, 53, was also ordered to pay a $20,000 fine.

Alexander D. Vargas, 34, of Camden, pleaded guilty to stealing US government money during a scheme in which he purchased Supplemental Nutrition and Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.

According to court documents, Bledar Bujilici, 34, twice refused to comply with an order of removal issued by an immigration judge.

Michael J. Barndt, a Pennsylvania man who was a youth football coach, school cook and summer camp counselor at the time of his arrest, pleaded guilty Thursday to attempted enticement and coercion of a minor.

Gjergj Kol Mihilli, 61, of Gilbert, was sentenced Monday to 51 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge G. Murray Snow, after previously pleading guilty to bank fraud and aggravated identity theft charges. In addition to the prison term, Snow ordered Mihilli to pay a fine of more than $302,000.

Levi Winston, 50, of Columbus, pleaded guilty May 2 to charges of conspiracy to possess and distribute more than 1,000 kilograms of marijuana and money laundering.

Investigators seize nearly $12 million worth of marijuana and cocaine, arrest 3 suspects.

Lucas J. Reinmann, 34, of Boonton, was arrested by HSI special agents at his home. He appeared Wednesday afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Joseph A. Dickson in Newark federal court and was released on a $150,000 bond.

From July 2011 to Jan. 28, Fredy Arbito knowingly coerced an 11-year-old girl to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of transmitting it live over the Internet.

Belgian businessman Nicholas Kaiga will be arraigned Thursday on federal charges alleging he violated U.S. laws by attempting to export aluminum tubes, that were controlled for nuclear nonproliferation purposes, from an Illinois company, through Belgium, to a Malaysian company, without obtaining a required license from the U.S. Commerce Department

Officers located Aaron Charles Lustfeldt, 27, of Big Spring, Texas, who admitted being in the park, but denied doing anything inappropriate, stating that he was not supposed to be at the park because he was a registered sex offender.

Infosys Limited, an Indian company involved in consulting, technology and outsourcing, has agreed to a record $34 million civil settlement based on allegations of systemic visa fraud and abuse of immigration processes, and also agreed to enhanced corporate compliance measures.

Charles Daniel Stephens pleaded guilty in federal court Friday to criminal copyright infringement, admitting he sold pirated computer software online.

Robert Carey Evans, 58, of Waukesha, Wis., was convicted following a four day trial by a 12-person jury on 14 counts of possessing materials containing child pornography. The jury deliberated for three hours before returning its guilty verdicts.

Glenda Sue Morgan pleaded guilty in federal court Tuesday to trafficking in counterfeit goods.

Michael Eales repeatedly sexually assaulted an 18-month-old child during live Skype video chats with an individual in Louisiana who recorded four of the live visual depictions.

Tracy Jay Chappell, 40, from Jasper, Texas, pleaded guilty July 11 before U.S. District Judge Marcia Crone to possessing child pornography. Chappell was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison Oct. 28.

The indictment indicates the money was proceeds of illegal narcotics sales belonging Mexican drug trafficking organizations, including the Gulf Cartel.

ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents, working jointly with Puerto Rico Crimes Against Children Task Force (PRCACTF) officers, arrested Friday two men from Rincon and Ponce, respectively, on child exploitation charges.

Operation Predator Alert, a joint state and federal child predator crackdown, resulted in charges against 14 New Jersey men who used an Internet file-sharing network to download and distribute child pornography.