News Releases and Statements

Michael Brian Clair, 33, admitted that between July 2012 and January 2013, he coerced two prepubescent minors to engage in sexually explicit conduct, for the purpose of producing visual depictions of that conduct, and transported those images from Arizona to Idaho in late December.

According to court documents, law enforcement seized more than 150 grams of cocaine.

Twenty-four of the 61 victims identified during the Operation iGuardian were engaging online with strangers who sexually exploited them.

Christopher Aubrey Harlan used his computer, as well as his roommate's computer for a brief time, to access child pornography on various websites. He used those computers, as well as his cellphone, to send and receive numerous images of child pornography.

Douglas Teeter, 37, will also serve 15 years of supervised release following the completion of his federal prison sentence.

Robert Arthur Brewster, 41, of Clifton, Colo., pleaded guilty July 10 before U.S. District Judge R. Brooke Jackson to producing child pornography. Brewster appeared at the change of plea hearing in custody.

In April, a federal jury found Castro-Ponce guilty of one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and two counts of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

Napoleon Long, Jr., 27, of Fridley, Minn., pleaded guilty to transporting a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity.

Anthony J. Torresi, of Coral Gables, Fla., listed night vision goggles and night vision monoculars for sale on eBay. He was sentenced to 18 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for unlawfully exporting the night vision equipment.

Michael Thomas Sechrist, 45, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Arenda L. Wright Allen following his April 3 guilty plea to one count of production of child pornography.

The first 2013 repatriation flight of 133 Mexican nationals departed El Paso International Airport July 11.

Jorge Antonio Gonzalez-Lopez, a Mexican national who had been residing in Philadelphia wanted in his home country for assault and kidnapping of a minor, was deported Wednesday by ICE's Enforcement Removal Operations (ERO).

GB Check Cashing LLC, a check cashing company licensed in New Jersey, pleaded guilty Thursday and was ordered to forfeit more than $1 million for failing to file currency transaction reports as required by law. The investigation was conducted by ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

In conjunction with the arrests, a federal search warrant was executed by the Pennsylvania State Police Special Emergency Response Team.

Juan Ledezma, 40, was one of the final defendants to be found guilty in a 13-count indictment that involved 32 individuals, 13 of whom are former McConnell Unit prison guards.

According to court documents, Joshua Matthew Cline, 28, received an automatic 25-year sentence without parole on each charge Monday after pleading guilty in April to two counts of child rape. Cline was previously sentenced to more than 27 years in federal prison for production of child pornography in August 2011.

Thomas Edler, 48, has been charged with three counts of production of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.

During 2011 and 2012, Torres prepared and filed 239 fraudulent tax returns with the IRS on behalf of his clients.

An HSI special agent began investigating Tyrone Pierre Lewis, 29, in April 2012 for trafficking in counterfeit goods. Since then, HSI special agents warned Lewis on three occasions to cease and desist from importing counterfeit products.

Barrera reaped tens of millions of dollars of profits from cocaine trafficking, which he laundered through illicit means.

Upon arrival, the suspect was turned over to officials from the El Salvadoran Civilian National Police (PNC).

Huynh pleaded guilty to making a false statement on an immigration document in April.

James Hanna, 67, was arrested after a concerned parent contacted local law enforcement in Aug 2012 to report that Hanna had sexually assaulted two girls. After interviewing the minors, HSI special agents along with Madison County deputies executed a search warrant at Hanna's residence where they seized multiple images containing child pornography.

Estevez-Alvarez remained a fugitive for almost 10 years until he was apprehended Oct. 29, 2012.

Special agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) interdicted a large drug smuggling attempt Monday, seizing nearly a ton of marijuana from a stash house in Rio Rico.