I.C.E. Top Stories: Last Week

09/16/2016

WASHINGTON, DC

NARCOTICS


Film featuring ICE Assistant Special Agent in Charge to make world television premiere
“Kingdom of Shadows,” a film that features U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Assistant Special Agent in Charge Oscar Hagelsieb, will make its national television premiere Monday, Sept. 19, on PBS.



09/14/2016

WASHINGTON, DC

DOCUMENT AND BENEFIT FRAUD

2 men plead guilty in Puerto Rico for their roles in identity trafficking scheme
Francisco Matos-Beltre, 42, a U.S. citizen formerly of Philadelphia, and Alejandro Tello-Rojas, aka Joel Ocasio-Cancel, aka William Davila, 36, a Mexican citizen formerly of Lawrenceville, Georgia, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Juan M. Perez-Gimenez of the District of Puerto Rico.



09/13/2016

MADISON, WI

ENFORCEMENT AND REMOVAL

4-time deported Mexican man sentenced in Wisconsin to 15 months in federal prison for illegally re-entering US
Jesus Salazar-Martinez, 30, a Mexican national who was illegally residing in Baraboo, Wisconsin, was sentenced Sept. 13 by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 15 months in federal prison for illegally re-entering the United States after having been deported.



09/12/2016

EL PASO, TX

HUMAN SMUGGLING/TRAFFICKING


Ex-CBP supervisor sentenced to 7½ years in federal prison for alien smuggling
On May 26, a federal jury in El Paso found Lawrence Madrid, 54, guilty of conspiracy to commit alien smuggling for financial gain, aiding and abetting alien smuggling for financial gain, and two substantive counts of accepting a bribe.



09/12/2016

VICTORIA, TX

HUMAN SMUGGLING/TRAFFICKING

Former Mexican fugitive gets 3 life sentences for alien smuggling, kidnapping that resulted in 3 deaths
Noe Aranda-Soto, aka Diablo, 36, of San Carlos, Michoacan, Mexico, pleaded guilty May 31 to the following charges: kidnapping resulting in death, using a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence resulting in death, and conspiracy to transport aliens for private financial gain resulting in death.

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I.C.E. News Releases


09/16/2016

WASHINGTON, DC


NARCOTICS


Film featuring ICE Assistant Special Agent in Charge to make world television premiere
“Kingdom of Shadows,” a film that features U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Assistant Special Agent in Charge Oscar Hagelsieb, will make its national television premiere Monday, Sept. 19, on PBS.



09/16/2016

CHICAGO, IL

OPERATIONAL


Illinois man faces federal charges of international parental kidnapping
Daniel Raymond Glaus, 48, of Moline, Illinois, was charged Sept. 15 with one count of international parental kidnapping and one count of using a passport secured by a false statement. The indictment and a criminal complaint were filed in the case last month.



09/16/2016

GREENEVILLE, TN



FINANCIAL CRIMES


5 indicted for fraud against the US Government in "Made in America" marketing scheme
Vincent Lee Ferguson, 65, of Knoxville; Matthew Lee Ferguson, 40, of Lenoir City; Kerry Joseph Ferguson, 35, of Houston, Texas; Matthew Harrison Martland, 32, of Knoxville; and Stephanie Lynn Kaemmerer, 44, of Knoxville; appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Clifton Corker and pleaded not guilty. All were released on bond pending trial, which has been set for Nov. 1, in U.S. District Court, in Greeneville.



09/16/2016

FLAGSTAFF, AZ



CHILD EXPLOITATION


2 child sexual exploitation suspects in custody following extensive investigation
Gary Jay Zimmerman, aka Gary Leslie Sumner, 43, of Oak Creek, is facing multiple charges, including sexual conduct with a minor, continuous sexual abuse of a child, child molestation and filming minors engaged in sexual conduct. Richard Byard Sumner, 41, of Long Beach, California, was arrested for possessing and creating child pornography.




09/14/2016

WASHINGTON, DC



DOCUMENT AND BENEFIT FRAUD


2 men plead guilty in Puerto Rico for their roles in identity trafficking scheme
Francisco Matos-Beltre, 42, a U.S. citizen formerly of Philadelphia, and Alejandro Tello-Rojas, aka Joel Ocasio-Cancel, aka William Davila, 36, a Mexican citizen formerly of Lawrenceville, Georgia, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Juan M. Perez-Gimenez of the District of Puerto Rico.



09/14/2016

TULSA, OK



CHILD EXPLOITATION


Former Tulsa teacher sentenced to 13 years for receiving child pornography
James Russell Wilson, 32, of Tulsa, was indicted by a grand jury in April, and pleaded guilty June 14. Wilson was a teacher with Tulsa’s Union Public Schools.



09/13/2016

MADISON, WI



ENFORCEMENT AND REMOVAL


4-time deported Mexican man sentenced in Wisconsin to 15 months in federal prison for illegally re-entering US
Jesus Salazar-Martinez, 30, a Mexican national who was illegally residing in Baraboo, Wisconsin, was sentenced Sept. 13 by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 15 months in federal prison for illegally re-entering the United States after having been deported.



09/12/2016

EL PASO, TX



HUMAN SMUGGLING/TRAFFICKING


Ex-CBP supervisor sentenced to 7½ years in federal prison for alien smuggling
On May 26, a federal jury in El Paso found Lawrence Madrid, 54, guilty of conspiracy to commit alien smuggling for financial gain, aiding and abetting alien smuggling for financial gain, and two substantive counts of accepting a bribe.




09/12/2016

VICTORIA, TX



HUMAN SMUGGLING/TRAFFICKING


Former Mexican fugitive gets 3 life sentences for alien smuggling, kidnapping that resulted in 3 deaths
Noe Aranda-Soto, aka Diablo, 36, of San Carlos, Michoacan, Mexico, pleaded guilty May 31 to the following charges: kidnapping resulting in death, using a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence resulting in death, and conspiracy to transport aliens for private financial gain resulting in death.



09/09/2016

HOUSTON, TX



ENFORCEMENT AND REMOVAL


ICE Houston officers deport Salvadoran gang member wanted for aggravated homicide
Henry Omar Vigil-Castellon, 27, was flown to El Salvador Sept. 9 onboard a charter flight coordinated by ICE’s Air Operations (IAO) Unit. Upon arrival, the suspect was turned over to officials from El Salvador’s Civilian National Police (PNC).



09/09/2016

NEW ORLEANS, LA



CHILD EXPLOITATION


Louisiana man sentenced to 12½ years in federal prison for receiving, distributing child pornography
Darion Veal, 21, of Gray, previously admitted during his guilty plea in December 2015, that he received and distributed child pornography.



09/09/2016

MADERA, CA



INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS


2 arrested in crackdown on northern California businesses suspected of selling counterfeit and misbranded goods, including medications
Nicholas Ramon Ramirez, 60, of Madera, was taken into custody at Del Valle Food, located in the 200 block of 9th Street. During a search of the store, HSI special agents recovered a large quantity of misbranded medications and pharmaceuticals, including three bottles of the powerful pain killer Tramadol, a controlled substance which can cause addiction and even death if misused.




09/09/2016

TUCSON, AZ



CHILD EXPLOITATION


Tucson man sentenced to 30 years for producing child pornography
Eric James Alvarez, 29, pleaded guilty in October 2015 to producing child pornography in conjunction with an HSI-led probe that began two years ago.



09/09/2016

DENVER, CO



CHILD EXPLOITATION


South Carolina man pleads guilty to creating fake Facebook profiles to coerce 6 Colorado girls into taking and sending him sexually explicit photographs
Christopher George White, 37, of McCormick, South Carolina, who is in custody, is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Jackson Dec. 14.



09/08/2016

SPRINGFIELD, IL



CHILD EXPLOITATION


Michigan man charged with sexually exploiting a minor in Illinois
Damian N. Delacruz, 23, of Cadillac, Michigan, was charged Sept. 7 with three counts of sexually exploiting a minor and one count of enticing a minor.



09/08/2016

LOUISVILLE, KY



DOCUMENT AND BENEFIT FRAUD


Illegal alien from Mexico indicted in Kentucky on immigration fraud charges
Juan Carlos Ortega-Santos, 26, was charged with the following immigration fraud-related counts: two counts of using a false document for purposes of obtaining employment, one count of possessing a counterfeit alien registration card, and one count of possessing a counterfeit Social Security card.




09/08/2016

GULFPORT, MS



FINANCIAL CRIMES


Nigerian man, 6 others sentenced to prison for online fraud schemes
Funso Hassan, 27, of Ibadan, Nigeria and Anthony Shane Jeffers, 44, of Maryville, Tennessee, were each sentenced to 10 years in prison. Ann Louise Franzen, 70, of Kiln, Mississippi; Gary Melvin Barnard, 64, of Palestine, Texas; Michele Gayle Fee, 55, of Stockton, California; Tanya Lynn Thomas, 52, of Turlock, California; and Shawn Ann White, 44, of Manteca, California, were each sentenced to five years in prison.



09/08/2016

PHILADELPHIA, PA



ENFORCEMENT AND REMOVAL


ICE arrests convicted Guatemalan national released from local custody after detainer request ignored
Milton Berrera-Lopez, 29, a Guatemalan national, was released from local custody Aug. 30, two weeks after being convicted of two counts of indecent exposure and providing false identification to a law enforcement officer, for which he was sentenced to 23 months’ time served, two years’ probation and ordered to have no contact with minors.



09/08/2016

WASHINGTON, DC



STUDENT AND EXCHANGE VISITOR PROGRAM


ICE announces extension of employment authorization eligibility for certain Syrian students
Through the new notice, the DHS Secretary suspends certain regulatory requirements in order to allow eligible Syrian F-1 students to obtain employment authorization, work an increased number of hours during the school term, and, if necessary, reduce their course load while continuing to maintain their F-1 student status.



09/07/2016

SAN JUAN, <acronym title="Google Page Ranking">PR</acronym>



CONTRABAND


ICE, AirTAT partners seize more 40 kilograms of cocaine, arrest 4
Juan C. Rodriguez-Quinones, 34, of Bayamon, was arrested by HSI special agents when TSA officers encountered 11.5 kilograms of cocaine in his luggage. Another passenger, Alexander Negron-Zavala, 25, of San Juan, was arrested for allegedly carrying 5.6 kilograms of cocaine. Both men were bound to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.




09/07/2016

EL PASO, TX



HUMAN SMUGGLING/TRAFFICKING


Ecuadorian couple sentenced to more than 5 years in federal prison for alien smuggling conspiracy
U.S. District Judge Kathleen Cardone sentenced Paul Esteban Estrella Villota, 40, of Cuenca, Ecuador, and his wife Magaly Alemania Malagon Sandoya, 42, to six years and five years in federal prison, respectively. Judge Cardone also ordered both defendants each to pay a $5,000 special assessment and be placed on supervised release for three years after they the complete their prison terms.



09/06/2016

EAGLE PASS, TX



CONTRABAND


South Texas brothers each sentenced to 18 years in federal prison for distributing cocaine
According to court documents, from January 2009 until April 2014, the Cardona brothers used Real Street Paint and Body Shop and Michael’s residence to sell cocaine and launder drug proceeds. A search of the residences of both brothers resulted in seizing $162,795 in currency, about 160 packages of cocaine ready for distribution and five weapons.



09/06/2016

WASHINGTON, DC



CULTURAL PROPERTY, ART AND ANTIQUITIES INVESTIGATIONS


ICE-rescued ancient fossil on display at Carnegie Museum of Natural History
Carnegie Museum of Natural History paleontologist Matt Lamanna played a key role in HSI’s investigation and ultimately identified the fossil as a kind of feathered predatory dinosaur. To highlight this case, the Chinese government loaned the fossil to the Carnegie Museum as a temporary part of their permanent dinosaur exhibit.



09/06/2016

FARGO, ND



CHILD EXPLOITATION


British citizen sentenced in North Dakota to 12 years in federal prison for child exploitation
Simon William Riley, 21, of Swansea, Wales, United Kingdom, was sentenced on one count of sexually exploiting a minor, two counts of advertising material involving the sexual exploitation of minors, and one count of receiving child pornography.

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