News Releases and Statements

James Damian Newsom, 52, from Groves, Texas, pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography on July 12 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Earl S. Hines. According to court records, on May 28, 2010, a federal investigation led to the search of Newsom's personal computer at his residence.

A Mexican man was indicted on Tuesday for passport fraud and falsely claiming U.S. citizenship, announced U.S Attorney Jose Angel Moreno, Southern District of Texas.

Judge Hovland sentenced Christopher Newman, 22, to five years in a federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Newman was also ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Crime Victim's Fund, and he must register as a sex offender.

An illegal alien from Vietnam was sentenced to four years in federal prison Tuesday for impersonating a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent and a decorated Marine.

Daryl Demkey, 28, of Roswell, Ga., was sentenced to 23 years in prison, to be followed by a lifetime of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. He is also required to register as a sex offender upon his release from custody. Demkey pled guilty to the charges on Sept. 1, 2010.

Geraldo Ricardo Miranda, a Brazilian national wanted by law enforcement authorities in his native country for murder, was turned over to Brazilian law enforcement authorities today by officers with U.S. ICE 's Enforcement Removal Operations (ERO) in Miami.

The teams deploy to provide assistance during natural and manmade disasters.

David Valenica, 43, of Merced, Calif., has been sentenced to more than four years in federal prison for traveling with the intent to engage in sexual activity with a minor.

A Los Angeles-area man pleaded Monday to visa fraud for filing bogus paperwork on behalf of businesses seeking temporary work visas and for fraudulently charging prospective immigrants in Mexico thousands of dollars for visas.

Pedro Pimentel Rios, 54, arrived in Guatemala on board an ICE Air Operations charter removal flight and was immediately turned over to Guatemalan law enforcement officials. The Santa Ana, Calif., maintenance worker is wanted in his native country on criminal charges for his role in the Dos Erres massacre.

Two Maine men pleaded guilty Monday to federal drug charges involving the distribution of large amounts of cocaine in a case investigated jointly with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeffrey L. Cureton ordered Louis E. Gray, 40, of Fort Worth, detained pending further court proceedings. Gray has been in custody since July 6 when law enforcement executed a search warrant at his residence.

The most-wanted fugitive in Florida was arrested on Friday by officers with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Enforcement Removal Operations (ERO).

Charles Todd Stokes, 49, taught physical education in the Miami-Dade County public school system between 1985 and 1998. In 2002, he traveled to Thailand where he lived for several years to have sex with minors. Stokes was convicted in June 2010 in U.S. District Court in Chicago, following his extradition from Thailand.

A Nigerian man was sentenced in federal court on Monday to more than five years in prison for smuggling heroin into the United States from India.

Swedish Medical Center, the largest non-profit medical provider in the Seattle area, is partnering with U.S. ICE to strengthen its hiring practices and help ensure it is employing a legal workforce. The firm became the first medical company in Washington state to join ICE's Mutual Agreement between Government and Employers (IMAGE) on Thursday.

Mark Tilford, a U.S. Navy "JAG" officer, was sentenced on Friday to 10 years and five months in federal prison following his convictions for receiving and distributing child pornography.

A man from Guatemala wanted for allegedly committing murder was deported on Friday by officers from U.S. ICE 's Enforcement Removal Operations (ERO). Oscar Daniel Amador-Moncada is wanted for allegedly killing a man on May 21, 2010, after getting into an argument at the victim's residence.

A Brazilian national was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison on Thursday for possession of firearms and ammunition by an illegal alien and improper entry into the United States.

A Fall River, Mass., man now awaits trial for allegedly persuading a 15-year-old girl he met on the Internet to travel from Rhode Island to Massachusetts for sex.

An Armenian man has pleaded guilty to racketeering in connection with his involvement in the Mirzoyan-Terdjanian Organization -- an Armenian-American organized crime enterprise engaged in a wide range of criminal activity.

Five individuals previously employed at the local La Fiesta Mexican Restaurant made initial federal court appearances on Friday. The workers were each charged by criminal complaint following execution of a search warrant as part of an ongoing worksite enforcement operation conducted by agents with U.S. ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

Candice Marie Miller from Alva, Fla., pleaded guilty Thursday to one count of possession of child pornography, two counts of transporting child pornography and two counts of producing child pornography.

All Around Landscaping (AAL), a Fayetteville corporation, was sentenced today to three years probation for harboring illegal aliens for financial gain, following an investigation by U.S. ICE's HSI special agents, with the assistance of the Washington County Sheriff's Office and Springdale and Rogers police departments.