I.C.E. News Releases


Top Stories: Last Week


07/20/2016

WASHINGTON, DC

NATIONAL SECURITY


Secretary Johnson opens doors to renovated state-of-the-art forensic laboratory
“The men and women who work at this state-of-the art forensic laboratory are performing critical support on a wide variety of criminal investigations - including document fraud, drug and weapons trafficking, human smuggling, child pornography, cybercrimes and other issues important to national security,” said Johnson. “In Fiscal Year 2015, the lab processed over 35,000 pieces of evidence and its staff provided fraudulent document detection training to over 2,500 personnel from U.S. and foreign law enforcement agencies. The renovation and expansion of this lab will help ensure that our forensic scientists have the right tools to accomplish their mission.”



07/19/2016

LOS ANGELES, CA

CHILD EXPLOITATION


Arizona man who photographed sexual abuse of young boys while working in China sentenced to 25 years in federal prison
Kelly James Morrow, 49, who has a U.S. residence in Surprise, Arizona, but been living in China prior to his arrest last June, was sentenced Monday by U.S. District Judge S. James Otero. The case resulted from a probe by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which provided the initial lead that led to the investigation.



07/19/2016

SAN ANTONIO, TX

CONTRABAND

High-ranking Mexican cartel boss convicted in Texas for conspiring to commit numerous murders and other acts of violence
Marciano Millan Vasquez (aka “Chano”), 33, was convicted after a two-week trial. A federal jury convicted him on multiple drug trafficking charges, weapons charges, making a false statement to a federal official and killing while engaged in drug trafficking.



07/18/2016

LOS ANGELES, CA

HUMAN SMUGGLING/TRAFFICKING

Los Angeles-area gang member and longtime pimp gets 40-year federal prison term for sex trafficking of children
Carter’s “conduct in this case spanned a decade as he prostituted the seven minor victims from 2003 to 2013” and transported them from California to Arizona, Texas, Georgia, Washington DC and Nevada, prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memorandum filed with the court.


07/18/2016

BRIDGEPORT, CT

FINANCIAL CRIMES

California ringleader sentenced in Connecticut to 112 months for mortgage fraud scheme
Aria Maleki, 33, of Santa Ana, California, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 112 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release.

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I.C.E. News Releases



07/22/2016

SEATTLE, WA

CHILD EXPLOITATION


Former Seattle psychologist sentenced to more than 6 years for seeking sex with 12-year-old
Jonathan Brent Wulf, 62, of Seattle, was arrested in September 2015 when he arrived at a meeting place for a sexual encounter with what turned out to be an undercover ICE HSI agent. At Friday’s sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Richard A. Jones noted Wulf’s career as a clinical psychologist saying “You’ve been able to see the kind of damage this activity can cause.



07/22/2016

LOS ANGELES, CA



CHILD EXPLOITATION


Los Angeles-area man found guilty of advertising pornographic images of toddlers and infants in online chatroom
Angelo Harper Jr., 21, was found guilty of advertising child pornography, a crime that carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison. Harper was found guilty by U.S. District Judge R. Gary Klausner, who presided over a two-day bench trial.



07/22/2016

CHICAGO, IL



INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS


ICE charges owner of illegal file-sharing website with copyright infringement
Artem Vaulin, 30, of Kharkiv, Ukraine, was arrested in Poland and is charged via criminal complaint, filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago, with conspiracy to commit criminal copyright infringement, conspiracy to commit money laundering and criminal copyright infringement.



07/21/2016

LOS ANGELES, CA



ENFORCEMENT AND REMOVAL


More than 100 arrested in Los Angeles-area ICE operation targeting convicted criminal aliens
All of the 100 men and 12 women taken into custody by ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) officers during this week’s operation, which concluded late Wednesday, had criminal histories. The majority (62) had prior felony convictions for serious or violent offenses, such as child sex crimes, weapons charges, and assault.




07/21/2016

PHOENIX, AZ



ENFORCEMENT AND REMOVAL


Salvadoran murder suspect captured on the southern border deported by ICE to face charges
Edwin Alexander Garcia-Pimentel, aka Huezo, 41, was transferred by ERO officers to the custody of Salvadoran law enforcement officials. An arrest warrant issued in June 2013 by a judge in El Salvador charges Garcia with aggravated murder.



07/21/2016

GALVESTON, TX



CHILD EXPLOITATION


Southeast Texas man sentenced to almost 20 years in prison for distributing, receiving and possessing child pornography
Richard Wayne Barton, 51, of Dickinson was sentenced July 21 to 235 months in federal prison and was ordered to pay restitution to known victims. He was further ordered to serve 10 years of supervised release following completion of his prison term, during which time he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the Internet. He will also be ordered to register as a sex offender.



07/21/2016

WASHINGTON, DC



ENFORCEMENT AND REMOVAL


ICE operation nets 24 convicted criminal arrests in D.C.-metro area
The 24 arrestees were all male citizens and/or nationals of several different countries across the globe, including El Salvador, Nicaragua, Ghana, Ethiopia, Bolivia, Guatemala, Mexico and Panama and had previously been convicted of crimes, including rape of a minor, child abuse/neglect, grand larceny, drug distribution and more. Arrests took place in Fairfax, Woodbridge, Manassas, Falls Church, Annandale, Winchester, Sterling, Herndon, Springfield, as well as the District.



07/21/2016

HONOLULU, HI



FINANCIAL CRIMES


Operator of Chinatown game room sentenced to more than 3 years in federal prison
Delvin Phuong Pham, aka Kevin Pham, 49, appeared in federal court before Senior U.S. District Court Judge Susan Oki Mollway. In addition to the prison term, Judge Mollway ordered the defendant to forfeit more than $96,000 in personal property and 14 illegal gambling machines.




07/20/2016

WASHINGTON, DC



NATIONAL SECURITY


Secretary Johnson opens doors to renovated state-of-the-art forensic laboratory
“The men and women who work at this state-of-the art forensic laboratory are performing critical support on a wide variety of criminal investigations - including document fraud, drug and weapons trafficking, human smuggling, child pornography, cybercrimes and other issues important to national security,” said Johnson. “In Fiscal Year 2015, the lab processed over 35,000 pieces of evidence and its staff provided fraudulent document detection training to over 2,500 personnel from U.S. and foreign law enforcement agencies. The renovation and expansion of this lab will help ensure that our forensic scientists have the right tools to accomplish their mission.”



07/20/2016

WASHINGTON, DC



NATIONAL SECURITY


Secretary Johnson to unveil renovated state-of-the-art ICE HSI Forensic Laboratory
Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Deputy Director Daniel Ragsdale unveiled a major renovation of ICE Homeland Security Investigations’ Forensic Laboratory.



07/20/2016

LOS ANGELES, CA



CHILD EXPLOITATION


Australian man pleads guilty to traveling to US to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a 6-year-old boy
Michael Quinn, 33, of Melbourne, appeared Wednesday before U.S. District Judge John F. Walter, who scheduled a sentencing hearing for the defendant Oct. 3



07/19/2016

LOS ANGELES, CA



CHILD EXPLOITATION


Arizona man who photographed sexual abuse of young boys while working in China sentenced to 25 years in federal prison
Kelly James Morrow, 49, who has a U.S. residence in Surprise, Arizona, but been living in China prior to his arrest last June, was sentenced Monday by U.S. District Judge S. James Otero. The case resulted from a probe by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which provided the initial lead that led to the investigation.




07/19/2016

YORK, PA



ENFORCEMENT AND REMOVAL


Georgian national wanted in 3 provinces removed by ICE to Canada
Alex Alexidze, 41, was repatriated to Canada via ground transportation under ICE escort July 19, from York County Prison and turned over without incident to the custody of the Canada Border Services Agency at the Niagara Falls International Rainbow Bridge.



07/19/2016

SAN ANTONIO, TX



CONTRABAND


High-ranking Mexican cartel boss convicted in Texas for conspiring to commit numerous murders and other acts of violence
Marciano Millan Vasquez (aka “Chano”), 33, was convicted after a two-week trial. A federal jury convicted him on multiple drug trafficking charges, weapons charges, making a false statement to a federal official and killing while engaged in drug trafficking.



07/19/2016

GREENBELT, MD



TRANSNATIONAL GANGS


MS-13 member pleads guilty to racketeering conspiracy including attempted murder
According to his plea agreement and court documents, from 2012 through at least 2014, Navarette-Mejia, known as Violento, was a member of the Normandie clique of MS-13. Navarette-Mejia and MS-13 members committed crimes to further the interests of the gang, including murder, assault, robbery, extortion by threat of violence, obstruction of justice, witness tampering, and witness retaliation.



07/19/2016

LOUISVILLE, KY



CHILD EXPLOITATION


Kentucky man sentenced to 78 months in prison for child pornography
Gregory Witte, 55, was charged in a four count grand jury indictment on July 7, 2015, and pleaded guilty to two of the counts on March 29, 2016. The United States agreed to dismiss the remaining two counts during sentencing.




07/18/2016

LOS ANGELES, CA



HUMAN SMUGGLING/TRAFFICKING


Los Angeles-area gang member and longtime pimp gets 40-year federal prison term for sex trafficking of children
Carter’s “conduct in this case spanned a decade as he prostituted the seven minor victims from 2003 to 2013” and transported them from California to Arizona, Texas, Georgia, Washington DC and Nevada, prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memorandum filed with the court.



07/18/2016

JEFFERSON CITY, MO



NARCOTICS


Missouri man pleads guilty to conspiracy to distribute synthetic drugs
Alexander Vladimir McMillin, aka “Shasha,” 32, of Columbia, Missouri, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Matt J. Whitworth to participating in a conspiracy to commit mail fraud between March 1, 2011 and Oct. 2, 2013.



07/18/2016

BRIDGEPORT, CT



FINANCIAL CRIMES


California ringleader sentenced in Connecticut to 112 months for mortgage fraud scheme
Aria Maleki, 33, of Santa Ana, California, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 112 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release.



07/18/2016

WICHITA, KS



HUMAN SMUGGLING/TRAFFICKING


Kansas man sentenced to 18 months in federal prison for attempting to organize massage parlor prostitution front
In April, a federal jury convicted Kay Tee, 51, of Wichita, on one count of attempting to entice a person to cross state lines to engage in prostitution, one count of using a telephone in furtherance of prostitution, and one count of money laundering.




07/15/2016

ATLANTA, GA



ENFORCEMENT AND REMOVAL


ICE removes MS-13 gang leader, felon wanted in El Salvador
Juan Otero-Navarro, 36, entered ERO custody Oct. 23 following his release from federal prison and was transferred to the Stewart County Detention Center in Lumpkin, Georgia. Otero was convicted in September 2015 on a felony charge of illegally reentering the United States after a prior removal in May 2011. Otero was also convicted on felony forgery charges in Fairfax County, Virginia, in February 2011



07/14/2016

PHOENIX, AZ



CHILD EXPLOITATION


Glendale man ordered to serve 20 years in prison for child sexual exploitation
Phillip Carnevale, 56, was convicted in state court of 10 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor in an investigation lead by HSI that began three years ago. After receiving a tip in August 2013, HSI special agents determined the defendant had emailed more than 70 images of child sexual abuse to numerous individuals.


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