News Releases and Statements

Federal and local investigators fanned out across San Joaquin County and the San Jose area Thursday morning to execute nine search warrants and arrest four suspects as part of a multi-agency probe into a local drug ring suspected of distributing high-grade methamphetamine.

A Briton wanted for indecent assault on a child by United Kingdom authorities was deported Tuesday by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO).

Miles Robert Flinn, 25, formerly of Lubbock, Texas, faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, a lifetime of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. U.S. District Judge Sam R. Cummings also ordered a pre-sentence investigation report with a sentencing date to be set after the report is completed.

Two Mexican nationals pleaded guilty Thursday to their roles in an ongoing conspiracy to hold hostage and harbor smuggled aliens for ransom payments, as a result of an investigation conducted by ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) offices in Houston, Washington, D.C., and Virginia; and Prince William County, Va., and Houston Police.

Late Wednesday night special agents with ICE's HSI recovered a toddler who had been separated from her mother during a human smuggling venture.

The head of a major New York caviar distributor, Isidoro Garbarino, pleaded guilty Nov. 29 to unlawfully importing more than 100,000 pounds of Russian and Iranian caviar. This plea stems from an investigation by ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

Husband and wife restaurant owners Michael and Tina McClellan were charged with harboring illegal aliens and mail fraud in an indictment that was unsealed Thursday in the Northern District of Indiana.

Federal juries found three individuals guilty of marriage fraud and one individual pleaded guilty to marriage fraud after an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force, the FBI and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

A former Sacramento woman, Helen Jean Singh, was sentenced Wednesday to nine years in federal prison on charges stemming from a probe by ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the FBI that linked her to a scheme to sex traffic teenage girls.

John Lechner, 65, of Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., and a co-defendant were arrested earlier this year on the charges. Lechner was convicted in June 2012 of illegal transportation, possession and storage of more than 4,200 pounds of a mixture of ammonium nitrate and fuel oil, commonly known as "ANFO," and various other explosive materials.

Jacob Ramos Esparza, a local man who was responsible for emailing and posting several death threats to Internet chat forums threatening to kill area law enforcement officers and members of their families, remains in federal custody after special agents with ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) arrested him Tuesday.

A jury convicted Adepoju of bank fraud and aggravated identity theft Aug. 24

Jin Qing Huang, 57, a citizen of the People's Republic of China, was sentenced to 16 months in prison followed by one year of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander for understating the value of goods imported into the United States from China to avoid paying antidumping duties.

A Latin Kings street gang member, David Lira of Chicago, was sentenced Wednesday to 15 years in federal prison for racketeering conspiracy and other crimes in support of the gang.

Heriberto Aleman-Aguero, formerly of St. Anthony, Idaho, admitted in a plea agreement to possessing images of child pornography.

Christopher Thomas Davis, 34, of Dahlonega, Ga., was sentenced to 15 years in prison, to be followed by 15 years of supervised release.

Jeffrey Darlin, 55, of Swarthmore, Pa., pleaded guilty at a hearing in U.S. District Court, District of Delaware.

Last summer, the Grand Traverse County Sheriff's Office (GTSO) in Traverse City, Mich., opened a 7,000 square foot, $800,000 recreation service building that was built from funds solely deriving from an investigation led by ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

Sulejman Mujagic was arrested early Wednesday morning by federal law enforcement pursuant to an extradition request from the government of Bosnia and Herzegovina. He is wanted in his home country for crimes that he committed while commanding a platoon in the Army of the Autonomous Province of Western Bosnia.

A Charlotte man charged with cocaine trafficking conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy was sentenced Tuesday to 11 years in prison, following an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department.

Bartosz Sikorski, a Polish national wanted in his home country for killing a pedestrian by driving recklessly, was deported and turned over to Polish law enforcement officials Tuesday by ICE's Enforcement Removal Operations (ERO).

Classic Site Solutions is a general contractor specializing in site developments, site security, building restoration and green construction.

An upstate New York man, Gary C. Hammer, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with trafficking in counterfeit goods. In addition, 15 websites allegedly selling counterfeit sporting merchandise were seized by federal law enforcement agents.

Alex Campbell, 47, formerly of Glenview, Ill., operated the Day and Night Spa on Northwest Highway in Mt. Prospect, Ill. He used violence and threats of violence to force three women from Ukraine and one from Belarus to work for him without pay and, at times, little to no subsistence between July 2008 and January 2010.