News Releases and Statements

On Jan. 8, 2020, Hector Diaz Perez and Abel Perez Valdivia were traveling east on Interstate 80 in Buffalo County when they were stopped by a Nebraska State Patrol trooper for driving onto the shoulder of the road twice. The two gave conflicting stories about their travel.

HSI conducted a large-scale enforcement action in Guatemala that led to the execution of 20 arrest warrants and 54 search warrants in Guatemala City, Huehuetenango, and Quetzaltenango, Guatemala, Oct. 24-25. HSI Guatemala executed the operation in conjunction with the HSI Transnational Criminal Investigative Unit (TCIU) and Guatemalan authorities.

Jeffery Dean Biddle, 41, pleaded guilty Oct. 26, to production and attempted production of child pornography, receipt and attempted receipt of child pornography, and enticement and attempted enticement of a minor.

The Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office began an investigation into the theft of several semi-trailers and loads of frozen beef in Lancaster County, Nebraska, June 27.

In addition to the lengthy prison sentence, U.S. District Judge Paul Maloney imposed a 20-year period of supervised release to follow the incarceration of 41-year-old Chad Kraft, from Galesburg, Michigan.

Thomas Scott Perkins, 31, from Fort Stockton, was sentenced Oct. 25 in federal court to 1,890 months in federal prison.

Billy Edward Frederick, 52, of Redondo Beach, California, was sentenced by United States District Judge Dale S. Fischer, who after sentencing Frederick to life, said that “to say his conduct is despicable is an understatement.”

The results of a multi-agency undercover operation supported by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and led by the Phoenix Police Department Human Exploitation and Trafficking (HEaT) Unit, was announced Oct. 24.

Kimberly Hansen, 58, of Sioux City, was convicted of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.

HSI and the United States Attorney’s Office recently announced the creation of, and first case brought by, the newly formed Fentanyl Abatement and Suppression Team (FAST) in partnership with the District Attorney’s Office, CBP, the DEA, and the FBI. FAST’s mission is to identify and disrupt distribution networks in San Diego County that are responsible for fatal and non-fatal overdoses.

According to the investigation, from at least Dec. 11, 2018 through April 8, 2019, Chad Michael Lehofer, 37, of Fredericksburg, repeatedly engaged in sexually explicit discussions with a minor online – including enticing and coercing the minor to produce sexually explicit pictures and videos.

Jerome Pangilinan, 22, of Sierra Vista, was arrested after SVPD and HSI served a search warrant on the 500 block of Coronado.

The Attorney General’s Award for Fraud Prevention recognizes exceptional dedication and effort to prevent, investigate, and prosecute fraud, white collar crimes, and official corruption. For their skill, professional and dedication, an HSI Tampa benefit fraud mission task force was awarded for their efforts to safeguard the integrity of the nation’s immigration system by disrupting and preventing fraud to obtain unlawful immigration benefits.

Special Agent in Charge of HSI Kansas City Katherine Greer and Acting United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Luis Alberto Castro-Santos, 35, of Pomona, California, and Tomas De La Cruz-Perez, 37, of Fremont, Nebraska, were sentenced Oct. 21, in federal court in Omaha for Conspiracy to Produce and Transfer Fraudulent Documents.

Dubbed “Operation Secure Streets,” the fugitive operations initiative took place in the San Francisco area from Aug. 22 through Sept. 28 and targeted unlawfully present noncitizens who have previously been convicted of DUIs with certain aggravating factors or criminal histories, to include assault, cruelty toward children, weapons violations, domestic violence, fraud, homicide by vehicle, hit-and-run and larceny.

On March 29, Miksell was found guilty of one count of producing child pornography and one count of using the internet and a cell phone to induce a child to engage in sexual activity.

Joel A. Duran, 53, was sentenced Oct. 20 to 135 months confinement for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine.

The briefing covered trends in cryptocurrency, cyber-enabled crimes, bulk cash smuggling, and money laundering. Briefers also discussed the role that intelligence and technology play in combatting these crimes and how these crimes permeate the breadth of HSI’s investigative mission set.

Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) was recently recognized for excellence and exceptional collaborative law enforcement operations during the four-day International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) Annual Conference held at the Kay Bailey Hutchinson Conference and Exposition Center in Dallas, Oct. 15-18.

This enforcement operation was implemented to address unlawfully present noncitizens convicted of violating multiple local DUI laws. In addition to DUI convictions, criminal histories of those arrested include, but were not limited to crimes involving assault, cruelty toward children, weapons violations, domestic violence, fraud, homicide by vehicle, hit-and-run, and larceny. Cases amenable to federal criminal prosecution may be presented to the appropriate U.S. Attorney’s Office.

A North Shores resident was sentenced to prison for selling counterfeit baseball cards, Oct. 18. Chief U.S. District Judge Hala Y. Jarbou sentenced Bryan Kennert, 57, to 30 months in prison for selling $43,354.94 of antique baseball that he falsely represented as original and unopened card packs.

Angela Marie Brown, 39, pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief Magistrate Judge David P. Rush to engaging in a child exploitation enterprise from Jan. 1, 2017, to Nov. 6, 2019. Co-defendants Kevin Grant McMillan, 35, Christine Marie Rossiter, 36, and Amber Marie Baley, 38, all of Springfield, and Casie Dee Rice, 52, of Branson, have also pleaded guilty to the same charge.

Gabriel Joseph Bustamante, 43, was sentenced Sept. 28 to 17.5 years in prison for possessing with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and for being a felon in possession of firearms. He will also be on a five-year supervised release program following the completion of his prison sentence.

Mychal Olson, 32, of Dubuque, received the prison term after an April 22, guilty plea to receipt of child pornography.

Keivin Crosswell-Cervantes, 28, of Mexico; Carlos Alberto Castro-Ruiz, 27, of Avondale; and Alexander Ortega-Islas, 22, of Phoenix, had their initial appearance on Sept. 23, before United States Magistrate Judge Eileen S. Willett.