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Undercover Operation

Undercover Operation Leads To Arrest Of Hudson Valley Man For Attempted Rape Undercover Operation Leads To Arrest Of Hudson Valley Man For Attempted Rape
Undercover Operation Leads To Arrest Of Hudson Valley Man For Attempted Rape A lengthy undercover operation has led to the arrest of a Hudson Valley man for attempted rape and other charges. After completing the five-week investigation, New York State Police say it determined Putnam County resident Ravi Masand, age 46, traveled in his vehicle from his residence located in the hamlet of Mahopac to Orange County with the intention to meet a 10-year-old Middletown girl to engage in various sexual acts.  Masand planned to produce, sell, and distribute sex videos and images of the girl, said police. Masand was arrested on Thursday, April 4 …
Canadian National Charged In DC After Chatting With Undercover Agent Posing As Pedophile: Feds Canadian National Charged In DC After Chatting With Undercover Agent Posing As Pedophile: Feds
Canadian National Charged In DC After Chatting With Undercover Agent Posing As Pedophile: Feds A 31-year-old Canadian national was arrested in his Washington DC home this week and faces child pornography charges following an FBI investigation monitoring predators online, federal authorities announced. Matthew Norman Ballek, of Saskatchewan, was taken into custody on Wednesday afternoon following an indictment that charged him with the distribution of child pornography after he distributed video files of men engaging in sexually explicit conduct with minors. According to the indictment, on Jan. 23, a member of the Metropolitan Police Department's Child Exploitation Task Force was moni…
Woman Busted Bringing 4 Pounds Of Heroin To Methuen Gets 8 Days In Prison: Feds Woman Busted Bringing 4 Pounds Of Heroin To Methuen Gets 8 Days In Prison: Feds
Woman Busted Bringing 4 Pounds Of Heroin To Methuen Gets 8 Days In Prison: Feds A Philadelphia woman who admitted to driving to Methuen, Massachusetts, to deliver four pounds of heroin to an undercover agent will not return to prison, federal authorities said.  Elba Pena, 34, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and heroin and was sentenced to time served and a year of home confinement, the US Attorney for Massachusetts said. She will serve three years of probation. Federal prosecutors asked the judge to sentence her to three years in prison.  Pena was arrested in November 2021 after she drove mor…
Lansdale Man Used Photo Of Son's Former Teacher In Soliciting Sex From 13-Year-Old: Affidavit Lansdale Man Used Photo Of Son's Former Teacher In Soliciting Sex From 13-Year-Old: Affidavit
Lansdale Man Used Photo Of Son's Former Teacher In Soliciting Sex From 13-Year-Old: Affidavit Authorities have released chats between undercover officers posing as a 13-year-old girl and a Montgomery County man asking for sexual favors. Thomas Bowes, 39, of Lansdale, became the center of an investigation in October 2023, following a tip from the Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce, according to the criminal complaint obtained by Daily Voice. ** WARNING: The following news story contains disturbing and graphic information that depicts the sexual abuse of small children ** Montgomery County investigators created profiles on the social media app Whisper, and began engaging with…
Man Tries To Rape Child, Meets With Undercover Agent Posing As Parent In Greenburgh: DA Man Tries To Rape Child, Meets With Undercover Agent Posing As Parent In Greenburgh: DA
Man Tries To Rape Child, Meets With Undercover Agent Posing As Parent In Greenburgh: DA A Northern Westchester man faces attempted rape charges after setting up a meeting with an undercover agent posing as the parent of a pre-school-aged child who he intended to engage in sexual conduct with, officials announced.  New Castle resident Dustin Layme, age 26, was arrested on Thursday, Dec. 14 after attempting to rape a child in Greenburgh, the Westchester County District Attorney's Office announced on Wednesday, Dec. 20.  According to the DA's Office, Layme made online contact with an undercover law enforcement agent who had been posing as a young gir…
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…
Teen Gun Trafficker Busted Selling On Social Media Arrested In DC: MPD Teen Gun Trafficker Busted Selling On Social Media Arrested In DC: MPD
Teen Gun Trafficker Busted Selling On Social Media Arrested In DC: MPD Social media reared its ugly head once again for a Washington, DC teenager. Local and federal authorities announced that they have arrested a 17-year-old gun trafficker on a host of charges after he was caught selling weapons and dangerous accessories online. In May, investigators from the Metropolitan Police Department were tipped off about a social media account that was selling auto sear switches that were for sale in DC.  "An auto sear switch, also known as a Glock switch, is a device which converts a semi-automatic pistol into a machine pistol," they explained. The investigation…
High School Teacher From Hartsdale Sends Sexual Pictures To Undercover Agent: Feds High School Teacher From Hartsdale Sends Sexual Pictures To Undercover Agent: Feds
High School Teacher From Hartsdale Sends Sexual Pictures To Undercover Agent: Feds A 34-year-old high school teacher from Westchester faces child pornography charges after sending sexually explicit pictures to an undercover agent posing as a 13-year-old girl, federal officials said. Hartsdale resident Kostas Fekkas, age 34, was arrested on Thursday, Sept. 14 on child pornography charges and presented in White Plains federal court, the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York announced.  According to federal officials, before his arrest, Fekkas, also known as “Constantine Fekkas" and “C.J. Justice" had been a teacher at a public c…
Pair Sold Thousands Of Pills To Undercover DEA Officers In DMV Region: Feds Pair Sold Thousands Of Pills To Undercover DEA Officers In DMV Region: Feds
Pair Sold Thousands Of Pills To Undercover DEA Officers In DMV Region: Feds A dubious duo is facing federal charges after selling thousands of fentanyl pills to undercover DEA agents in Washington, DC and Maryland, authorities announced. Beltsville resident Edward Steven Monge, 22, and 26-year-old Jennifer Echeverria Flores, of Silver Spring, have been indicted on charges for their alleged roles in a fentanyl distribution conspiracy, officials say. According to the charging documents, on five different occasions between February and mid-July, Echeverria Flores - who allegedly used Monge as her supplier - sold approximately 4,500 pills containing fentanyl …
Convicted Felon Back Behind Bars For Selling Guns, Drugs To Undercover Agents In Charles County Convicted Felon Back Behind Bars For Selling Guns, Drugs To Undercover Agents In Charles County
Convicted Felon Back Behind Bars For Selling Guns, Drugs To Undercover Agents In Charles County Maybe a leopard really can’t change its spots. A previously convicted felon will spend more than a decade in prison after selling several weapons, including at least four illegal “ghost guns” to undercover agents posing as buyers, federal officials announced. Sean Donnelly Hawkins, 48, of Marbury, was sentenced to 138 months in federal prison for his role in in connection to the distribution of cocaine, crack cocaine, and weapons in Charles County after selling eight guns to investigators. As part of his plea, Hawkins admitted that on 10 separate times between October 2021 and May 2022, he…
5 'Johns' Arrested In Prostitution Sting In Springfield 5 'Johns' Arrested In Prostitution Sting In Springfield
5 'Johns' Arrested In Prostitution Sting In Springfield Springfield police charged five men with attempting to hire a prostitute during a sting Thursday night, Aug. 31.  Police said they were responding to several complaints from neighbors in the South End neighborhood about prostitution in the area.  The men were arrested trying to solicit sex from an undercover officer posing as a prostitute, Springfield police said.   The men arrested and their charges include Pay for Sexual Conduct Alexis Rivera-Nieves, 25, of Springfield, is charged with resisting arrest and paying for sexual conduct. Paul Dion, 40, of Agawam, is cha…
Man Sent Filtered Photo Of Himself To Undercover Agent Posing As Teen In Anne Arundel: Police Man Sent Filtered Photo Of Himself To Undercover Agent Posing As Teen In Anne Arundel: Police
Man Sent Filtered Photo Of Himself To Undercover Agent Posing As Teen In Anne Arundel: Police A 65-year-old man got more than he bargained for when he arranged to meet with what he thought was a teen girl in Anne Arundel County and instead was met by Maryland State Police investigators. Luis Esteban Borunda went through great measures in an effort to sexually solicit a 13-year-old girl, though in reality he was talking to an undercover officer posing as a child on an app, authorities announced. According to police, on Tuesday, Aug. 22, Borunda launched an inappropriate text chat with what he believed was an underage girl, but was in fact a special agent with the Fort Meade Army…
NJ Data Analyst Admits Trafficking Child Porn NJ Data Analyst Admits Trafficking Child Porn
NJ Data Analyst Admits Trafficking Child Porn A data analyst from Somerset County admitted in federal court in Trenton on Thursday that he trafficked videos and other images of child pornography. Marcevan Manasse, 28, of Somerville, was nabbed following an undercover operation, authorities said. Detectives accessed five video files and 11 images containing child sexual abuse from an IP address at Manasse’s home, a complaint on file in U.S. District Court in Trenton says. The files included “multiple visual depictions of pre-pubescent children being sexually abused by adults” that he ended up sharing over the course of more than two ye…
Wallingford Man Who Tried To Buy Sex From 14-Year-Old Nabbed For Child Porn: Police Wallingford Man Who Tried To Buy Sex From 14-Year-Old Nabbed For Child Porn: Police
Wallingford Man Who Tried To Buy Sex From 14-Year-Old Nabbed For Child Porn: Police A Connecticut man was arrested for the second time this year, this time for child porn charges, officials say.  New Haven County resident Joseph Anthony Bird, of Wallingford, was arrested on Monday, July 10 for child porn charges only two months after he was arrested for attempting to pay to have sex with a 14-year-old, according to the Wallingford Police Department. Bird attempted to solicit sex from a 14-year-old in February of 2023 after an undercover police officer contacted Bird on an online chat application.  Bird steered the conversation with the undercover offic…
Criminal Investigation Into Mount Vernon PD Ends With No Charges: DA Criminal Investigation Into Mount Vernon PD Ends With No Charges: DA
Criminal Investigation Into Mount Vernon PD Ends With No Charges: DA This story has been corrected. Officials are seeking to reverse drug-related charges and convictions of 27 people after the Westchester District Attorney's Office found a number of inconsistencies and errors involved in their prosecution that were also related to a criminal investigation into a police department in the county.  A total of 27 individuals were either charged or convicted for allegedly selling drugs to a Westchester County Police/Department of Public Safety undercover officer during a 2017 narcotics operation conducted by the Mount Vernon Police Department, acco…
Creep Preying On 13-Year-Old Girl Online Busted By Undercover Officers In Frederick County Creep Preying On 13-Year-Old Girl Online Busted By Undercover Officers In Frederick County
Creep Preying On 13-Year-Old Girl Online Busted By Undercover Officers In Frederick County Technology reared its ugly head in Maryland once again. A 56-year-old Pennsylvania predator is facing charges in Frederick County after being busted having sexually explicit conversations with an undercover officer posing as a 13-year-old girl. According to the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office, on Thursday, April 20, Ronald Laman, of Chambersburg, initiated an illicit conversation with what he believed to be a teen girl, who was in fact a detective doing online surveillance and investigation. During the conversation, the detective advised Laman that he was having a conversation with a 13…
Underage Undercover: Teaneck Police Sting Busts Businesses For Selling Vape Products To Minors Underage Undercover: Teaneck Police Sting Busts Businesses For Selling Vape Products To Minors
Underage Undercover: Teaneck Police Sting Busts Businesses For Selling Vape Products To Minors Underage undercover buyers helped Teaneck police bust six business owners who they said sold vape products to minors. The pretend puffers visited 13 shops in all as part of the second undercover sting by township detectives over the past year in response to residents’ complaints, Teaneck Police Chief Andrew R. McGurr said on Monday, April 24. “Six establishments sold vape products to an underaged person,” the chief said. Not only is selling vape products to minors illegal – so is selling flavored vape products to anyone, regardless of age, in New Jersey, McGurr said. McGurr identified t…
Undercover Fentanyl Bust Nets Mom, Son, Others In Stroudsburg: DA Undercover Fentanyl Bust Nets Mom, Son, Others In Stroudsburg: DA
Undercover Fentanyl Bust Nets Mom, Son, Others In Stroudsburg: DA Four people are in police custody — including a mother and her son — after Monroe County authorities say they tried to sell fentanyl to an undercover police officer.  All four were arrested on Monday, April 10 following a months-long investigation that culminated with a controlled drug buy in Stroudsburg, said Monroe County District Attorney E. David Christine, Jr. in a statement.  Those charged are:  Zachary Herbst, 26, of East Stroudsburg Sheila Conway, 45, of Saylorsburg Justin Conway, 41, of Saylorsburg Robert Sampson, 46, no fixed address Justin Conway, 41, of Saylorsburg, and Ro…
CHILD SEX STING: German Traveler Busted At NJ Hotel After Flying In: Authorities CHILD SEX STING: German Traveler Busted At NJ Hotel After Flying In: Authorities
Child SEX Sting: German Traveler Busted At NJ Hotel After Flying In: Authorities A German man who flew to the United States for what he thought would be sex with children 10 and 11 years old at a New Jersey hotel was instead arrested by undercover officers, authorities said. Christian Stefan Walther, 38, of Erfurt, Germany, communicated with two officers via email, phone, and an encrypted messaging app about his “desire for sexual encounters with young children,” U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said. The officers had posed as members of a group of child predators who had access to young children, he said.  Walther, who called himself a "perv to some extent," sen…
Undercover Sting Nails North Bergen Man Selling Half-Ounce Of Coke: Bergen Prosecutor Undercover Sting Nails North Bergen Man Selling Half-Ounce Of Coke: Bergen Prosecutor
Undercover Sting Nails North Bergen Man Selling Half-Ounce Of Coke: Bergen Prosecutor A North Bergen man was busted for allegedly selling a half ounce of cocaine to an undercover detective in Paramus, authorities said. Jose A. Hernandez, a 48-year-old construction worker, also had Adderall and Oxycodone for sale with him when he was arrested on Monday, March 27, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said. Hernandez “distributed approximately 15 grams of cocaine to an undercover detective,” the prosecutor said, adding that a search of his vehicle “revealed additional suspected Adderall pills, Oxycodone tablets, and packaging material.” Hernandez remained held Tuesday in the …
South Jersey Man Charged With Luring What He Thought Was A Child Online: Prosecutor South Jersey Man Charged With Luring What He Thought Was A Child Online: Prosecutor
South Jersey Man Charged With Luring What He Thought Was A Child Online: Prosecutor A 27-year-old man from Gloucester County has been arrested for trying to lure a child online, authorities said. Todd Merinuk of West Deptford was charged with two counts of attempted sexual assault, three counts of attempted endangering the welfare of a child and one count of attempted luring, according to  Mercer County Prosecutor Angelo J. Onofri. About three weeks ago, detectives with the prosecutor’s Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Unit investigating individuals trying to exploit children online connected with a subject via an anonymous social media plat…
These Men Showed Up Hoping For Sex With Minors In Undercover OA Sting, Authorities Say These Men Showed Up Hoping For Sex With Minors In Undercover OA Sting, Authorities Say
These Men Showed Up Hoping For Sex With Minors In Undercover OA Sting, Authorities Say Authorities in Berks County have released mugshots of four of the eight men busted in an undercover operation for trying to have sex with children. The Berks County DA's Human Trafficking Task Force seeded advertisements across "websites commonly used for sex trade," offering "sexual relations with minors at a predetermined location in Berks County," prosecutors said in a release.  Throughout the course of the two days, eight individuals showed up to the rendezvous site and were arrested, DA John T. Adams said.  These suspects were arrested and charged with the followin…
Essex Jail Officer, GF Stung By FBI In Scheme To Smuggle In Tobacco, Cell Phones: Feds Essex Jail Officer, GF Stung By FBI In Scheme To Smuggle In Tobacco, Cell Phones: Feds
Essex Jail Officer, GF Stung By FBI In Scheme To Smuggle In Tobacco, Cell Phones: Feds A corrections officer and his girlfriend were busted for smuggling tobacco and cellphones into the Essex County Jail from a source who turned out to be an undercover FBI agent, federal authorities said. Efrin Wade, 34, and Yairisa Lizardo, 29, both of Jersey City, accepted $14,000 for the illegal acts and apparently were counting on another $30,000 when they were busted, U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Philip Sellinger said following their arrests on Tuesday, March 14. Wade, who’d worked as a corrections officer at the Essex County Correctional Facility (ECCF) in Newark since February 2020, be…
Naval Nurse In Virginia Busted Coercing Undercover Officer Posing As Teen Girl: Feds Naval Nurse In Virginia Busted Coercing Undercover Officer Posing As Teen Girl: Feds
Naval Nurse In Virginia Busted Coercing Undercover Officer Posing As Teen Girl: Feds A naval nurse from Virginia will spend a decade behind bars after attempting to coerce and entice a 14-year-old "minor" to have sex with him, federal authorities announced. Curtis Wade Spencer, 44, was sentenced to 10 years in prison after being busted by an undercover agent posing as the teen amid an ongoing investigation into his actions in 2022. According to court documents, while on active duty in the Navy Nurse Corps, in July 2022, Spencer contacted who he believed to be a 14-year-old girl online and began to engage in sexually explicit conversations with the “minor.” In reality, Spe…
Predator Targeting Teen On Social Media Convicted Of Sexual Solicitation In Montgomery County Predator Targeting Teen On Social Media Convicted Of Sexual Solicitation In Montgomery County
Predator Targeting Teen On Social Media Convicted Of Sexual Solicitation In Montgomery County An undercover agent in Maryland posing as a 15-year-old girl on social media busted a baddie from Virginia who was found guilty of the sexual solicitation of a minor, according to the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office. Leesburg resident Adin Huezo Grandados, 28, was convicted this week by a jury and will face 10 years in prison when he is sentenced next month, officials said. Adin Huezo GrandadosMontgomery County State's Attorney Prosecutors said that Huezo communicated with what he thought was a 15-year-old girl through a social media profile created by an undercover officer…
Hitman For Hire: Boston Man Wanted Wife, Boyfriend Beaten To Death, Feds Say Hitman For Hire: Boston Man Wanted Wife, Boyfriend Beaten To Death, Feds Say
Hitman For Hire: Boston Man Wanted Wife, Boyfriend Beaten To Death, Feds Say A jealous husband angry that his wife left him for another man attempted to hire a hitman to have the mother of his children and her new boyfriend beaten to death, federal authorities said. Unfortunately, the "hitman" he hired was an undercover agent who arrested the 46-year-old Boston man earlier this week.  Mohammed Chowdhury was charged with murder-for-hire on Tuesday, Jan 17, and was ordered held until his next court hearing later this week, the US Attorney for Massachusetts said.  Agents said Chowdhury reached out to someone in November to arraign to have the pair killed…
Naugatuck Cop Struck By Bullet Fired From Vehicle On I-84 In Waterbury Naugatuck Cop Struck By Bullet Fired From Vehicle On I-84 In Waterbury
Naugatuck Cop Struck By Bullet Fired From Vehicle On I-84 In Waterbury A Connecticut undercover police officer was struck by a bullet while conducting a surveillance operation on Chase Parkway at the I-84 East entrance ramp, according to authorities. The incident occurred in New Haven County around 10:10 p.m. on Wednesday, November 16 in Waterbury. Officers assigned to the Connecticut State Police Violent Crimes Task Force were conducting an undercover surveillance operation in the area when their vehicle was shot by a suspect or suspects in another unknown vehicle, which then fled from the site, said Lt. Ryan Bessette, of the Waterbury Police. …
5 Suburban Philly Child Predators Arrested In Undercover Prostitution Sting 5 Suburban Philly Child Predators Arrested In Undercover Prostitution Sting
5 Suburban Philly Child Predators Arrested In Undercover Prostitution Sting Five child predators were arrested in Montgomery County as part of an undercover prostitution sting, authorities announced. The following men contacted children on social media for sex and arrived at a location in Conshohocken, where they were met by undercover detectives instead: Onesimo Rodriguez Campos, 27, of Norristown David G. Kohlmeier, 46, of Devon Allan R. Lattanzi, 57, of Lower Providence Kenneth Sugalski, 49, of Conshohocken Ashish Verma, 37, of Norristown The undercover operation began last week as part of an ongoing effort with the Internet Crimes Against Childr…
Warren County Man, 63, Met Up For Sex With Undercover Cop Posing As Teen Girl: Prosecutor Warren County Man, 63, Met Up For Sex With Undercover Cop Posing As Teen Girl: Prosecutor
Warren County Man, 63, Met Up For Sex With Undercover Cop Posing As Teen Girl: Prosecutor A 63-year-old man from Warren County is facing numerous charges after investigators caught him meeting up for sex with an undercover cop he thought was a 14-year-old girl, authorities said. Paul Tedeschi, of Lee Avenue in Alpha, was charged with second-degree attempted luring, second-degree sexual assault, attempted child endangerment, and promoting prostitution, Warren County Prosecutor James L. Pfeiffer said in a release on Friday, Sept. 2. Police in Phillipsburg learned from a source on Sunday, Aug. 21 that Tedeschi was looking for an underage girl to have sex with, Pfeiffer said. A fol…
Two Hospitalized During Undercover Drug Sting Near Woodbridge Elementary School Two Hospitalized During Undercover Drug Sting Near Woodbridge Elementary School
Two Hospitalized During Undercover Drug Sting Near Woodbridge Elementary School Two men were hospitalized after being shot during a drug raid in Woodbridge near an elementary school, according to the Prince William County Police Department. Members of a multi-agency drug task force were conducting an undercover operation into Fentanyl distribution in the 14700 block of Fox Glove Court in Woodbridge on Thursday, Sept. 1 when a firefight broke out near Dale City Elementary School, officials said. During the exchange, police said that four members of the task force discharged their weapons, and two men - a 30-year-old man and an unidentified person - involved in the opera…
SIDE JOB: Englewood Waiter Busted On Coke-Selling Charges SIDE JOB: Englewood Waiter Busted On Coke-Selling Charges
Side JOB: Englewood Waiter Busted On Coke-Selling Charges A waiter from Englewood was busted after selling cocaine to an undercover detective, authorities said. Ostin Reyes Mejia, a 37-year-old Guatemalan national, was seized during a SWAT raid of his downtown Liberty Road home off Tenafly Road, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said. Reyes Mejia had sold coke to a plainclothes Narcotic Task Force detective “on multiple occasions” during a two-month investigation, the prosecutor said. He was sent to the Bergen County Jail following his arrest Tuesday and ordered released by a Superior Court judge in Hackensack under New Jersey’s 2017 bai…