News Releases and Statements

Boi Quoc Vo, 30, of Anaheim, pleaded guilty to a criminal information charging him with one count of trafficking in counterfeit documentation.

A female citizen of Antigua in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) passed away Wednesday at the York County Prison.

The head of the Firebaugh Boys and Girls Club, Juan Martin Torres, was indicted Thursday on federal child sexual exploitation charges. Torres allegedly offered to give a 14-year-old victim credit for community service in exchange for engaging in sexual acts.

Felipe Jesus Parra-Flores admitted there would be files depicting child pornography on his laptop, and that it was his child pornography. The forensic examiner located more than 1,000 files which depicted images and videos of child pornography on Parra-Flores' laptop and hard drives.

Handy Brayan Guzman-Romero, 26, was repatriated on board a charter flight coordinated by ICE's Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Air Operations (IAO) Unit. Upon arrival, ERO officers turned the suspect over to officials from the El Salvadoran Civilian National Police (PNC).

A Sacramento-area couple were indicted Thursday for their role in a scheme to illegally distribute large quantities of prescription medications, including Adderall, Vicodin, Oxycodone, Ritalin, Ambien and Xanax.

Augustine DeCruz, a Guyanan man illegally residing in the United States, was sentenced Thursday to 106 months in prison for possessing with intent to distribute cocaine and crack cocaine and for possessing a firearm.

Fausto Urias, 32, pleaded guilty in August to conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine. 2 other co-conspirators were also sentenced.

Michael Dale Irwin, 27, was sentenced Wednesday to 210 months in prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett.

Thomas Rafferty, 67, of Levittown, Pa., was arrested by HSI special agents Aug. 8 at his home. If convicted of the charges, Rafferty faces up to 200 years in prison, a lifetime of supervised release and a $2.25 million fine.

Justin Craig Smith was ordered held without bond last week following his indictment by a federal grand jury for sexually exploiting two children, and possessing and distributing child pornography. Forensic evaluation of Smith's computer uncovered images of his sexually molesting children, as well as a large collection of toddler videos.

A Kansas long-haul truck driver, Joshua David Bellah, was indicted in federal court Wednesday for transporting child pornography across state lines. This crime is alleged to have occurred Oct. 11 when he drove from Oklahoma to Kansas with two laptop computers containing child pornography.

Robert Luba, the owner and general manager of Sparta-based Allied Components LLC, a company that supplies defense hardware items to the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD), pleaded guilty Wednesday to making a false claim to the DOD and for violating the Arms Export Control Act. Luba provided the DOD non-conforming wing-pins for the F-15 fighter.

Michael David Wilson, 30, was indicted July 25 for receiving and distributing child pornography and a warrant was issued for his arrest.

With Halloween rapidly approaching, federal officials are warning the public about the dangers associated with counterfeit decorative contact lenses. Decorative and colored lenses are becoming increasingly popular, especially around this time of year.

Jesse Tyrone Chavful, a co-defendant of former professional football player Samuel George Hurd III, was sentenced Wednesday to 97 months in federal prison for his role in a cocaine distribution conspiracy.

Special agents with HSI and the FBI arrested Rasmieh Yousef Odeh, 66, at a Chicago-area residence for unlawfully procuring U.S. citizenship.

Nares Lekhakul, 36, a Thai national and U.S. lawful permanent resident living in Bellevue, and his Thai brother Naris Lekhakul, 42, now face recommended sentences of 48 months and 30 months respectively.

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.

According to court documents, Allen Trent Carter, 53, of McCammon, Idaho, was identified during the course of an investigation into his son, Bradley Vaine, 27, of Fresno.

According to court documents, Campos-Gonzalez is wanted for a 2009 murder in Aguascalientes, Mexico. He was turned over to Mexican authorities Oct. 16 to answer to the murder charge.

One loses U.S. citizenship, both face deportation

Anne M. Tompkins, U.S. attorney for the Western District of North Carolina, announced that Evelyn LaChapelle, 28, Natalia Wade, 30, and Corvain Cooper, 33, all from California, were convicted following a four-day trial before U.S. District Court Judge Robert J. Conrad Jr.

Joshua I. Suter, 24, of San Angelo, Texas, has been in custody since his release was revoked earlier this month.

Brittanie S. Brattain, 22, was sentenced Oct. 15 to 72 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Terry R. Means. Brattain's co-defendant, Deundrea R. Miller, 27, also pleaded guilty in June to the same offense and is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 12.