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Homeland Security Investigations

Feds: Nine Sex, Money, Murder Members Nabbed With Fentanyl, Coke, More At Open-Air Drug Market Feds: Nine Sex, Money, Murder Members Nabbed With Fentanyl, Coke, More At Open-Air Drug Market
Feds: Nine Sex, Money, Murder Members Nabbed With Fentanyl, Coke, More At Open-Air Drug Market Nine reputed members and associates of the Sex, Money, Murder street gang were charged by Homeland Security agents in New Jersey with peddling fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine at an open-air drug market. Working with local law enforcers, agents with HSI Investigations Newark homed in on a neighborhood on West 3rd Street in Plainfield where the subset of the Bloods controlled the drug trade, U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger said. For months, they witnessed and recorded sales, conducted undercover buys -- some by confidential informants -- and analyzed phone records, the U.S. attorney said. …
Cape May Court House Man Distributed Child Pornography On Twitter: Prosecutors Cape May Court House Man Distributed Child Pornography On Twitter: Prosecutors
Cape May Court House Man Distributed Child Pornography On Twitter: Prosecutors A Middle Township man was accused of distributing child pornography on social media, authorities said. Xavier Figueroa Jr., 20, of Cape May Court House, was charged with second-degree manufacturing child pornography, second-degree distributing child pornography, and third-degree possession of child pornography. Cape May County Prosecutor Jeffrey Sutherland announced the charges in a news release on Monday, Apr. 29. A tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children said someone later identified as Figueroa was sharing child sexual abuse material on Twitter. Hom…
Jersey Shore Reservist Admits Scamming Grieving Army Families Out Of $3.7M In Death Benefits Jersey Shore Reservist Admits Scamming Grieving Army Families Out Of $3.7M In Death Benefits
Jersey Shore Reservist Admits Scamming Grieving Army Families Out Of $3.7M In Death Benefits UPDATE: A ruthless now-former military reservist from Monmouth County admitted scamming the survivors of soldiers killed in war out of $3.7 million. Caz Craffy, 41, of Colts Neck, used his role as a counselor with the United States Army to pocket $1.4 million by exploiting the grief of Gold Star families, U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Philip R. Sellinger said. Craffy – who’s also known as “Carz Craffey” – “used lies and deception” to defraud two dozen families of what he told them were investments, the U.S. attorney said. For many, it was the only money they had. Whenever a member of the a…
Loudoun Sheriff Names 6 Creeps Busted In Undercover Internet Sting Loudoun Sheriff Names 6 Creeps Busted In Undercover Internet Sting
Loudoun Sheriff Names 6 Creeps Busted In Undercover Internet Sting Six men who thought they were having sexual chats with children online were actually speaking with undercover detectives, authorities in Loudoun County announced. The arrests were the result of a week-long internet chat operation between the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) and Northern Virginia—Washington DC Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (NOVA-DC ICAC) during the week of April 8. All six adult males believed they were communicating with children under the age of 15 on a variety of chat and social media platforms, the county sheriff's office said. Those arrested in…
2 Baltimore Men Charged With Possession Of Child Pornography: State Police 2 Baltimore Men Charged With Possession Of Child Pornography: State Police
2 Baltimore Men Charged With Possession Of Child Pornography: State Police Two Baltimore men are facing multiple charges for possession of child pornography, state police announced Thursday, April 11. The investigation, launched by the Maryland State Police Computer Crimes Unit in March, led to the execution of a search warrant at the Baltimore home of Robert M. Sherer, 41, and Robert W. Books, 54, on Wednesday, authorities said. Both were arrested at the scene after a preliminary forensic review of their electronic devices turned up multiple images of child pornography, according to state police. Sherer was charged with five counts of possession of child pornogr…
Lexington Man Sentenced For Trying To Pay For Sex With Teen Lexington Man Sentenced For Trying To Pay For Sex With Teen
Lexington Man Sentenced For Trying To Pay For Sex With Teen A registered sex offender from Massachusetts with a previous conviction will spend over a decade in prison after trying to pay who he thought was a child sex trafficker for sex with a 14-year-old girl, officials said. Middlesex County resident David Cannon of Lexington, age 61, was sentenced to 15 years in prison for trying to pay for sex with a teenager, the US Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts announced on Tuesday, April 9.  According to federal officials, in November 2022, Cannon replied to an online advertisement that offered commercial sex with two young gir…
Spotsy Man Called Himself 'FairyHunter' When Convincing 9-Year-Old To Send Sexual Photos: Feds Spotsy Man Called Himself 'FairyHunter' When Convincing 9-Year-Old To Send Sexual Photos: Feds
Spotsy Man Called Himself 'FairyHunter' When Convincing 9-Year-Old To Send Sexual Photos: Feds A Spotsylvania man admitted to convincing a 9-year-old to send him photos of herself engaging in sexual activity over the internet, federal officials said. Shane Johnston, 46, went by the name "FairyHunter" on Discord, where he conversed with the child in June 2023, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia Jessica D. Aber said. Johnston became the center of the investigation that summer, when Homeland Security Investigations Toronto contacted the Richmond team regarding "FairyHunter," Aber's office said. In August 2023, HSI agents obtained a search warrant for five electroni…
Man Admits To Child Porn Charges In Hudson Valley, DA Says Man Admits To Child Porn Charges In Hudson Valley, DA Says
Man Admits To Child Porn Charges In Hudson Valley, DA Says A Long Island man has pleaded guilty in the Hudson Valley to attempted dissemination of indecent materials to minors. Nassau County resident Daniel Waxman, age 56, of Cedarhurst, pleaded guilty on Thursday, April 4, in Ramapo, according to Rockland County District Attorney Thomas Walsh II,  From May 2023 to May 2023, the DA's Office said an undercover investigator from the Rockland County District Attorney's Office posing as a minor engaged in a series of internet chat conversations with Waxman. The undercover investigator told Waxman on multiple occasions that she was …
Lynn Sex Trafficker Used Pandemic To Force Women Into Prostitution: Feds Lynn Sex Trafficker Used Pandemic To Force Women Into Prostitution: Feds
Lynn Sex Trafficker Used Pandemic To Force Women Into Prostitution: Feds A 34-year-old Lynn man is accused of exploiting vulnerable women who were newly unemployed, homeless, or unable to find work during the Covid-19 pandemic and forcing them into a life of prostitution and sexual servitude under unmitigated violence, authorities said.  Anthony Coleman faces three counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion and one count of transporting a person for purposes of prostitution, the US Attorney for Massachusetts said. He was arrested on Friday, March 29.  Investigators said Coleman used the chaos that followed the Covid-19 lockdowns to coerce t…
NJ Feds: PA Sex Offender Recorded Tryst With Minor In UK NJ Feds: PA Sex Offender Recorded Tryst With Minor In UK
NJ Feds: PA Sex Offender Recorded Tryst With Minor In UK A registered sex offender from Pennsylvania who authorities said recorded himself and a minor having sex in the United Kingdom is now in federal custody in New Jersey. Gregory J. Barger, 38, of Morrisville, PA, was originally one of 21 accused predators arrested by undercover investigators with the New Jersey attorney general's and Mercer County (NJ) prosecutor's offices in what became known as "Operation Risky Business" in the spring of 2022. It came to light during that probe, however, that Barger had flown to the United Kingdom, where he recorded video and still images on his phone of hi…
Philly Trio Admits $1.6M Worth Of Thefts From 55 UPS Locations Across NJ, NY, PA, Beyond Philly Trio Admits $1.6M Worth Of Thefts From 55 UPS Locations Across NJ, NY, PA, Beyond
Philly Trio Admits $1.6M Worth Of Thefts From 55 UPS Locations Across NJ, NY, PA, Beyond UPDATE: Three young Philadelphia men admitted burglarizing 55 UPS warehouses across New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and beyond, netting more than $1.6 million worth of electronics. Sekou Fofanah, 20, Shamaire Brown, 19, and Quamaire Brown, 19, each pleaded guilty in federal court in Camden to conspiracy to commit cargo theft, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. All three and a fourth man, Aboudramane Karamoko, had been arrested and released at one time or other since the burglaries began nearly four years ago, records show. The most recent was last past April, when po…
NJ Woman Convicted By Federal Jurors Of Having Cocaine, Meth Fed-Exed To Her Home NJ Woman Convicted By Federal Jurors Of Having Cocaine, Meth Fed-Exed To Her Home
NJ Woman Convicted By Federal Jurors Of Having Cocaine, Meth Fed-Exed To Her Home 𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: An Essex County woman who took her chances with a federal jury rather than accept a plea deal from the government was convicted of having cocaine FedExed to her apartment. Authorities intercepted two parcels addressed to "John Brown" in Newark in March 2021, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said. Mahogany Hawkins, 32, answered the door when an undercover officer posing as a FedEx driver delivered both of them, he said.Detectives knocked on the door again, identifying themselves as police this time, the U.S. attorney said.Hawkins said she was “getting dressed” and didn’t respon…
Thief Who Stole $1.5M Worth Of Luxury Cars In NJ, Rockland, Long Island, CT Gets 3½ Years Thief Who Stole $1.5M Worth Of Luxury Cars In NJ, Rockland, Long Island, CT Gets 3½ Years
Thief Who Stole $1.5M Worth Of Luxury Cars In NJ, Rockland, Long Island, CT Gets 3½ Years 𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: The last of four men who admitted stealing more than $1.5 million worth of luxury cars in New Jersey, Rockland County, Long Island and Connecticut was sentenced to nearly 3½ years in federal prison. Malik Baker, 30, of Vauxhall, and his three co-conspirators stashed at least 10 of the vehicles at a central location in Irvington, NJ, U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Philip Sellinger said. The Essex County-based quartet often used one stolen vehicle to swipe another, he added. In one instance, Sellinger said, the crew swiped a Maserati GranTurismo at the Jersey Shore in Manalapan an…
Convicted Sex Offender Caught With 10,000 Child Porn Images On 10 Devices Gets 10 Years In DC Convicted Sex Offender Caught With 10,000 Child Porn Images On 10 Devices Gets 10 Years In DC
Convicted Sex Offender Caught With 10,000 Child Porn Images On 10 Devices Gets 10 Years In DC A previously convicted sex offender who collected a massive library of child porn using questionable alias' online is heading to prison for the next decade, federal authorities announced. District resident Morez King, 34, was sentenced to one year in prison for every thousand images of child porn he was caught with after being busted by investigators with 10,000 files on 10 different devices featuring illicit materials involving minors. According to court documents, King first made contact with an undercover agent with Homeland Security Investigations in January 2020. King, a/k/a “pervboi3…
Heroin, Fentanyl Dealer Arrested In Wildwood: Prosecutors Heroin, Fentanyl Dealer Arrested In Wildwood: Prosecutors
Heroin, Fentanyl Dealer Arrested In Wildwood: Prosecutors A Cape May County man was accused of selling heroin mixed with fentanyl, authorities said. Christian Ramos, 29, of Wildwood, was arrested on Friday, Mar. 15, Cape May County Prosecutor Jeffrey Sutherland announced in a news release. Agents from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and Homeland Security Investigations helped police search Ramos, his vehicle, and several locations throughout Wildwood and Middle Township. Officers seized about 1,000 bags of heroin and $5,450 in cash. Laboratory analysis determined that previously seized heroin tested positive for fentanyl and xyl…
'BUST OUT': Dual US, Greek Citizen Living In Bergen Charged With $2.8M Bank Fraud 'BUST OUT': Dual US, Greek Citizen Living In Bergen Charged With $2.8M Bank Fraud
'Bust OUT': Dual US, Greek Citizen Living In Bergen Charged With $2.8M Bank Fraud A dual U.S. and Greek national with a home in Bergen County orchestrated a classic debit card "bust out" scheme that fleeced a half-dozen banks out of $2.8 million, federal authorities charged. Dino Koutsogiannis, 57, of Fairview, and some unidentified cronies played the long game, U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Philip R. Sellinger said. They began by opening bank accounts for two bogus companies that Koutsogiannis created in Florida -- called Vegan Vacation and Orlando Dinos -- according to a federal complaint filed in Newark. Koutsogiannis was the only officer or director of the shell comp…
Three Arrested After Police Dismantle Prostitution Ring In Frederick, Officials Say Three Arrested After Police Dismantle Prostitution Ring In Frederick, Officials Say
Three Arrested After Police Dismantle Prostitution Ring In Frederick, Officials Say Several massage parlors were shut down in Maryland following an investigation into alleged prostitution operations, according to the Frederick Police Department. Tipsters alerted the agency in January about alleged illegal activity in the county, resulting in the arrest of three women who are accused of running the trafficking and prostitution network. Those taken into custody this week:  Jinchan Yang, 37; Xiaohing Wan, 47 Yuxia Chang, 44. According to officials, on Monday, members of the Frederick Police Department, Frederick County Sheriff’s Office, and Homeland Security Inves…
Delran's Richard Reinhold Jr., 46, Deputy Special Agent For Homeland Security Dies Delran's Richard Reinhold Jr., 46, Deputy Special Agent For Homeland Security Dies
Delran's Richard Reinhold Jr., 46, Deputy Special Agent For Homeland Security Dies Richard Reinhold Jr., a well-respected deputy special agent in charge with Homeland Security Investigations from New Jersey, died on Monday, Feb. 26 with his family by his side, his obituary said. He was 46 years old. Rich, of Delran — affectionately referred to by colleagues as "Big Daddy" — previously worked as an agent in Chicago, Philadelphia, Washington DC, and Newark, NJ.  Richard grew up in Philadelphia and attended Father Judge High School and Holy Family University where he received a bachelor’s degree in accounting, his obituary said. After graduating, he joined the…
Greenwich Attorney Admits Possessing Child Porn Depicting Sexual Abuse Of Infants Greenwich Attorney Admits Possessing Child Porn Depicting Sexual Abuse Of Infants
Greenwich Attorney Admits Possessing Child Porn Depicting Sexual Abuse Of Infants A 37-year-old attorney from Connecticut faces decades in prison after admitting to accessing and possessing child pornography, including images depicting the sexual abuse of infants.  Fairfield County resident Christopher Bates, Jr. of Greenwich pleaded guilty to a child exploitation offense on Wednesday, Feb. 7, according to the US Attorney's Office for the District of Connecticut.  Earlier Report - Greenwich Man Charged With Child Porn Offenses, Including Possessing Images With Infants  According to federal officials, Bates' arrest resulted from an international law i…
Perkasie Man Caught with Child Pornography In Undercover Investigation, Police Say Perkasie Man Caught with Child Pornography In Undercover Investigation, Police Say
Perkasie Man Caught with Child Pornography In Undercover Investigation, Police Say A Perkasie Borough resident faces multiple felony charges for allegedly downloading child sexual abuse material (CSAM), according to Warrington Township police.  Donald Leslie Foster, 57, was released from a Bucks County jail after posting 10 percent of his $100,000 bail, court records show.  Investigators said an IP address linked to Foster came up during an undercover CSAM investigation in November. After obtaining a search warrant for his electronics, police found that one of his computers was used to download or attempt to download CSAM more than 80 times between November and …
Severna Park Woman Admits To Role In $1.89B Cryptocurrency Fraud Scheme Severna Park Woman Admits To Role In $1.89B Cryptocurrency Fraud Scheme
Severna Park Woman Admits To Role In $1.89B Cryptocurrency Fraud Scheme A Maryland woman went under the name of “Bitcoin Beautee” during her role alongside two others in a Cryptocurrency fraud scheme that netted more than $1.89 billion, she admitted in US District Court on Monday, Jan. 29. Brenda Chunga, 43, of Severna Park, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit securities fraud and wire fraud for her role as a promoter of HyperFund, also known as HyperTech, HyperCapital, HyperVerse, and HyperNation, US Attorney Erek Barron announced. The plea came just four days after a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Sam Lee, 35, an Australian citizen…
Police Officer From Yonkers Nabbed For Sexually Exploiting Child, Feds Say Police Officer From Yonkers Nabbed For Sexually Exploiting Child, Feds Say
Police Officer From Yonkers Nabbed For Sexually Exploiting Child, Feds Say A police officer from Westchester and his accomplice face criminal charges for sexually exploiting a child and having them send explicit videos and photos over the internet, federal officials announced.  Angad Beharry, a 46-year-old New York City Police Officer from Yonkers, and Gisainet Cristina Chirinos Viloria, a 23-year-old Venezuelan citizen from Goshen, Indiana, were both arrested on Thursday, Jan 25 on sexual exploitation charges, the US Attorney's Office for Southern District of New York announced.  According to federal officials, between Aug. 31, 2022, and Sept.…
51-Year-Old Man Busted With Child Porn During Prince George's County Bust: State Police 51-Year-Old Man Busted With Child Porn During Prince George's County Bust: State Police
51-Year-Old Man Busted With Child Porn During Prince George's County Bust: State Police A 51-year-old man is behind bars after being busted by Maryland State Police investigators probing a Prince George's County man found in possession of child porn.  Columbia resident Adam T. Rubin was arrested and faces at least 10 charges in connection to a months-long investigation into Maryland residents who possess and share illicit materials online. On Thursday, the Maryland State Police Computer Crimes Unit, with assistance from the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations executed a search warrant at Rubin's Prince George's County home, where they arrested him.  A…
NJ Attorney, Son Charged With Ripping Off Hundreds Of Immigrants In Bronx NJ Attorney, Son Charged With Ripping Off Hundreds Of Immigrants In Bronx
NJ Attorney, Son Charged With Ripping Off Hundreds Of Immigrants In Bronx Homeland Security agents smashed an operation run by a New Jersey father and son who for years fooled hundreds of immigrants living in the Bronx into paying thousands of dollars for services that only got many of them deported, authorities said. Instead of legitimately fast-tracking their clients’ bids for legal U.S. residency, attorney Kofi Amankwaa and his son, Kofi Jr., filed false petitions to the federal government claiming that the immigrants’ children had abused them, authorities said. All this did, they said, was put the applicants on immigration officials’ radar, leading to green c…
Stamford Man Charged With Sexually Abusing 16-Year-Old Boy He Met On Snapchat Stamford Man Charged With Sexually Abusing 16-Year-Old Boy He Met On Snapchat
Stamford Man Charged With Sexually Abusing 16-Year-Old Boy He Met On Snapchat A Fairfield County man is behind bars following his arrest on child exploitation charges for allegedly sexually abusing a 16-year-old boy. Rick Marro, age 42, of Stamford was charged on Thursday, Jan. 18 following an investigation into the allegations made by the boy in August 2023, said Vanessa Roberts Avery, US Attorney for the District of Connecticut. Marro appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge S. Dave Vatti in Bridgeport and was ordered detained, Avery said. As alleged in court documents, law enforcement began investigating Marro in August 2023 after a 16-year-old boy reported that he …
10-Year Minimum Awaits Repeat Child Porn Collector Caught With 1,300 Files At Newark Airport 10-Year Minimum Awaits Repeat Child Porn Collector Caught With 1,300 Files At Newark Airport
10-Year Minimum Awaits Repeat Child Porn Collector Caught With 1,300 Files At Newark Airport A convicted child porn collector from North Jersey who'd moved to Ecuador after serving his time here is headed to federal prison for at least 10 more years. Christopher Carvajal, 30, most recently of North Bergen, had 900 videos and more than 400 images of child sex -- some of it involving infants or toddlers -- on his iPhone when Homeland Security Investigations seized him at Newark Airport last year. It also contained messages in which Carvajal "discussed his desire for sexual encounters with young children," U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said. Rather than risk a much more lengthy…
7 Nabbed In Raid At Monticello Drug Den, Police Say 7 Nabbed In Raid At Monticello Drug Den, Police Say
7 Nabbed In Raid At Monticello Drug Den, Police Say Seven people were nabbed during a raid at an alleged well-known drug den in the region. The incident took place in Sullivan. County around 4:30 a.m., Thursday, Jan. 11 in the village of Monticello. According to Undersheriff Eric Chaboty of the Sullivan County Sheriff's Office, at the scene deputies recovered a quantity of cocaine, heroin/fentanyl, and several thousand dollars in cash.  “The total weight of the drugs seized was almost half a pound," according to Sulivan County Sheriff Mike Schiff.  The following defendants were charged with felony criminal possession of a control…
Federal Agent Interrupts Carjacking, Hit By Fleeing Thugs' Vehicle At 'The Vince' Federal Agent Interrupts Carjacking, Hit By Fleeing Thugs' Vehicle At 'The Vince'
Federal Agent Interrupts Carjacking, Hit By Fleeing Thugs' Vehicle At 'The Vince' EXCLUSIVE: A U.S. Homeland Security officer was struck by a fleeing vehicle after interrupting an attempted carjacking Thursday at the Vince Lombardi Service Area off the New Jersey Turnpike, law enforcement sources told Daily Voice. Four black men in a black Porsche Macan were trying to take an elderly Jewish man's vehicle in the parking lot of the rest stop in Ridgefield around 11:30 a.m. Jan. 11, they said. Members of a Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) task force who were working a separate investigation in the area intervened. The officer who was struck wasn't seriously injured, …
CEO In Bergen Sold $35M Worth Of Banned Chinese Surveillance Cams To Police, Others In NJ: Feds CEO In Bergen Sold $35M Worth Of Banned Chinese Surveillance Cams To Police, Others In NJ: Feds
CEO In Bergen Sold $35M Worth Of Banned Chinese Surveillance Cams To Police, Others In NJ: Feds A Jersey Shore businessman conned state and local law enforcement agencies and others into buying nearly $35 million worth of surveillance cameras that were made in China and then illegally rebranded for sale by his Bergen County company, federal authorities charged. Tamer Zakhary, 49, of Toms River, modified license-plate readers and other cameras, then removed the original company’s logo, an FBI complaint says. He then told the police departments, prosecutor's offices and other buyers throughout the state that they were compliant with the National Defense Authorization Act, U.S. Atto…
NJ Man Who Sent Child Sex Links To Investigator For $20 Admits To Files With 22,000 Images NJ Man Who Sent Child Sex Links To Investigator For $20 Admits To Files With 22,000 Images
NJ Man Who Sent Child Sex Links To Investigator For $20 Admits To Files With 22,000 Images A South Jersey man who authorities said sent links for child sex abuse sites to what turned out to be undercover federal agents admitted possessing files that they said contained more than 22,000 horrific images. Al-Fahim Medina, 24, of Willingboro, had images of "sadistic and masochistic conduct" and other depictions of violence, sexual abuse and exploitation of children under 12 on a tablet and mobile phones, U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Philip R. Sellinger said. Some were even infants and toddlers, the U.S. attorney said. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents arranged a sting af…
NO CHOICE: Ex-Con Who Shot Two Victims Five Days Apart In Newark Takes Guilty Plea NO CHOICE: Ex-Con Who Shot Two Victims Five Days Apart In Newark Takes Guilty Plea
NO Choice: Ex-Con Who Shot Two Victims Five Days Apart In Newark Takes Guilty Plea UPDATE: There’s no trying to present a defense in court when the prosecutors have a video of you shooting someone, as well as the loaded gun you were carrying when they arrested you. So ex-con Antoine Hawkins, 31, of Newark, took a deal from the government, admitting in federal court in Newark this week that he shot two victims five days apart in the Brick City in August 2020. Hawkins also pleaded guilty to possessing a 9mm Springfield Armory XDM pistol loaded with 19 rounds and 626 heroin folds for sale when they arrested him a month later, U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Philip R. Sellinger …