News Releases and Statements

A 41-year-old Mexican national, Roberto Miramontes Roman, was indicted Thursday by a federal grand jury for intentionally killing Millard County sheriff's deputy Josie Greathouse Fox, in addition to drugs, weapons and immigration charges.

Twenty-four Puerto Rican businesses Wednesday became the latest employers to partner with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) to strengthen their hiring practices, reduce fraud and ensure they employ a legal workforce.

The U.S. and Mexican governments trained more than 60 Yucatan officials in how to detect and recover stolen vehicles and watercraft in Merida. The training was held Aug. 26 to 30 and included prosecutors, investigators, police officers, customs inspectors and navy personnel.

A federal grand jury indicted two New Jersey men on charges of conspiracy and wire fraud in connection with a scheme to defraud equity investors and asset-based lenders in medical accounts receivable of more than $275 million.

Michael Burch, 31, of Seattle, Wash., was sentenced Wednesday by Senior U.S. District Court Judge Wiley Y. Daniel to serve 11 years in federal prison for traveling to engage in a sex act with a minor.

ICE protects the United States by promoting homeland security and public safety through the criminal and civil enforcement of federal laws governing border control, customs, trade and immigration. To accomplish this mission, ICE must employ only the most qualified individuals.

Three Charlottesville residents accused of producing tens of thousands of fake driver's licenses and shipping them across the country pleaded guilty Wednesday morning following an investigation by ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Virginia State Police.

In July 2011, Rene Ulises Quinteros Gaitan prostituted a 16-year-old juvenile female, first in Frederick, Md., and then in Richmond, Va. Gaitan transported the juvenile victim to Prince George's County, where he again prostituted her.

Jose Alberto Izquierdo-Gonzalez appeared before Senior U.S. District Judge George P. Kazen who sentenced him to 98 months in federal prison.

Ralph Camacho-Rios was arrested at his place of residence after an HSI investigation revealed he possessed child pornography on his home computer.

Investigators executed search warrants for several computers at Gregorio Evaristo Sarabia-Garcia's apartment and found pornographic photographs of the defendant's 7-year-old relative, as well as more than 150 additional images of child pornography which Sarabia-Garcia had downloaded from the Internet.

Pecoraro admitted he wrote checks for unauthorized cash withdrawals for personal use.

William Lee Pait Jr., 46, of Bladenboro, had engaged in a long-term pattern of conduct in which he would pose as a teenage boy and attempt to seduce girls between the ages of 12 and 15.

Between December 2008 and August 2011, Warren Scott Kennell produced images of child pornography involving two minor victims, members of an indigenous tribe in the Amazon where Kennell was establishing a church. Further forensic examination of Kennell's external hard drive showed more than 940 images of child pornography.

Juan Antonio Villarreal, 53, of Houston, pleaded guilty Feb. 19 before U.S. District Judge Vanessa Gilmore, who sentenced him to 120 and 240 months for the possession and distribution convictions, respectively.

Stephen Wayne Sudduth, 38, of Sealy, Texas, has been in custody where he will remain pending his sentencing hearing.

Prior to March 2010, Jones met co-conspirator John Blaes, 50, also of Parkville, online and became involved in a sexual relationship involving bondage, discipline, sadism and masochism (BDSM). Jones subsequently moved into Blaes' Parkville home. Blaes used the Internet to recruit other women and girls into the BDSM lifestyle.

ICE officers transferred both men into Salvadoran law enforcement custody.

In addition to the prison term, the sentencing judge ordered Jeffrey Lee Jordan, 57, to pay $20,000 in restitution.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) returned a Hojo currency plate, looted from the Deoksu Palace in Seoul during the Korean War, to the government of South Korea during a repatriation ceremony.

Jose Francisco Madrigal, 43, of Plainview, Texas, is currently on bond. He faces a statutory penalty of not less than 15 years or more than 30 years in federal prison, a $250,000 fine and up to a lifetime of supervised release.

Stephen Carpenter, 33, of Slaton, Texas, is currently on bond. He faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in federal prison, a $250,000 fine and a lifetime of supervised release.

Tony Lasiter allegedly used his cell phone to take nude photos of a 4-year-old girl while she was in the bathtub, and again while she was lying in a bed with someone touching her in a sexual manner. Lasiter also allegedly downloaded the photos to his laptop computer and then transferred the files to a memory card.

GuildMaster Inc., based in Springfield, Mo., and represented in court by its company president, Stephen Crowder, must forfeit 5,585 lamps that were seized by CBP, valued at $1,831,918, and serve a five-year term of probation.

Arsalan Shemirani has been sentenced to 48 months in prison for conspiracy to illegally export more than 3,000 electronic components from the United States to Iran through Hong Kong, following an investigation by ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Washington, D.C.