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Homeland Security Investigations

$7M Tax Scheme Tied To Staffing Firm Supplying PA Factory Workers: DOJ $7M Tax Scheme Tied To Staffing Firm Supplying PA Factory Workers: DOJ
$7M Tax Scheme Tied To Staffing Firm Supplying PA Factory Workers: DOJ A staffing company owner accused of supplying temporary workers to Pennsylvania businesses while hiding millions of dollars from the federal government is facing an expanded slate of charges, federal prosecutors announced on Thursday, Aug. 20. Jimmy Fabian, president, owner, and operator of Celebes Staffing Services Inc., was charged in a superseding indictment with conspiring to defraud the United States through a scheme that allegedly underpaid more than $7 million in employment taxes, according to the US Department of Justice. Celebes, a Philadelphia-based labor-leasing company, provided…
Ex-NYC Sanitation Super Caught With Thousands Of Child Sexual Abuse Images: Feds Ex-NYC Sanitation Super Caught With Thousands Of Child Sexual Abuse Images: Feds
Ex-nyc Sanitation Super Caught With Thousands Of Child Sexual Abuse Images: Feds A former top New York City sanitation official has been charged in federal court after investigators said they found thousands of images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children inside his home.  Bronx resident Victor Alvelo, 61, was arrested on Tuesday, Aug. 4, and charged with possession of child sexual abuse material involving prepubescent children, the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York announced.  According to federal prosecutors, Alvelo served as General Superintendent of the New York City Department of Sanitation until his retirement in Augu…
$22.5M Gold Heist Suspect Sentenced After Being Caught By PSP Chambersburg With 65 Stolen Guns $22.5M Gold Heist Suspect Sentenced After Being Caught By PSP Chambersburg With 65 Stolen Guns
$22.5M Gold Heist Suspect Sentenced After Being Caught By PSP Chambersburg With 65 Stolen Guns A man wanted in one of the biggest gold thefts in Canadian history is facing years behind bars in the United States after a Pennsylvania traffic stop uncovered a cache of guns hidden in a rental car, federal authorities announced. Durante King-Mclean, 27, of Cambridge, Ontario, was back before a Harrisburg federal judge on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, for a 2023 case that prosecutors say exposed a cross-border weapons pipeline stretching from Florida to Canada. He had 65 handguns crammed into the trunk of a rental car, each one hidden inside a sock, authorities said. Among them were stolen weap…
Sex Predator Caught With Child Abuse Material After Search Of Spring Valley Home: DA Sex Predator Caught With Child Abuse Material After Search Of Spring Valley Home: DA
Sex Predator Caught With Child Abuse Material After Search Of Spring Valley Home: DA A Rockland County man has been charged with possessing child sexual abuse material following a search of his home, prosecutors said. Spring Valley resident Dimitri Ferguson, 33, was arraigned on Wednesday, May 6, in Spring Valley Justice Court on a felony complaint charging him with possessing a sexual performance by a child, Rockland County District Attorney Thomas E. Walsh II announced on Friday, May 8.  Authorities said the investigation began after the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children forwarded a CyberTipline report to the county’s ICAC Task Force.  Inv…
‘Don’t Tell Lawyer’: Delco Immigration Officer Took Cash In Recorded Bribery Scheme, Feds Say ‘Don’t Tell Lawyer’: Delco Immigration Officer Took Cash In Recorded Bribery Scheme, Feds Say
‘Don’t Tell Lawyer’: Delco Immigration Officer Took Cash In Recorded Bribery Scheme, Feds Say A former federal immigration officer admitted to taking bribes from immigrants in exchange for promises to fix their status, the FBI announced on Thursday, April 2. Amara Dukuly, 44, of Woodlyn, Delware County, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting the bribery of a public official, U.S. Attorney David Metcalf said on Wednesday, March 25. Dukuly, who worked as a fraud detection and national security officer with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, used his position from approximately 2015 through his arrest in June 2025 to solicit payments from individuals seeking help w…
Man Pleads Guilty To Sexually Exploiting CT Child He Met On Roblox: Feds Man Pleads Guilty To Sexually Exploiting CT Child He Met On Roblox: Feds
Man Pleads Guilty To Sexually Exploiting CT Child He Met On Roblox: Feds A California man has pleaded guilty to receiving sexually explicit images from a Connecticut child he met through the online gaming platform Roblox, authorities said.  Jose Nunez, 26, of Santa Clarita, California, pleaded guilty to receipt of child pornography in a New Haven court this week, the US Attorney for the District of Connecticut said.  According to court documents, the case began in February 2024. Investigators said Nunez started chatting on Roblox, a gaming and chat platform, with a 13-year-old girl from Connecticut. The conversation later moved to text m…
Toddler Tied To Bed, Infant Assaults In 3K Child Sex Abuse Material Found At S. Whitehall Home Toddler Tied To Bed, Infant Assaults In 3K Child Sex Abuse Material Found At S. Whitehall Home
Toddler Tied To Bed, Infant Assaults In 3K Child Sex Abuse Material Found At S. Whitehall Home A crying toddler tied to a bed and infants subjected to sexual assaults were among more than 3,000 images and videos of child sexual abuse material allegedly found inside a South Whitehall Township home, authorities announced Monday, Feb. 23. Jared David Hudak, 42, of South Whitehall Township, is charged with 51 felony counts including Child Sexual Abuse Material, Dissemination Photo/Film of Child Sex Acts/Sexual Abuse Materials, and Criminal Use of a Communication Facility, Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin P. Holihan and Pennsylvania State Police Troop M Commanding Officer Seth J. Kell…
3,700 Miles From London, Child Rape Suspect Stopped At Dulles And Sent Back To UK: CBP 3,700 Miles From London, Child Rape Suspect Stopped At Dulles And Sent Back To UK: CBP
3,700 Miles From London, Child Rape Suspect Stopped At Dulles And Sent Back To UK: CBP A rape suspect wanted in London was stopped at Dulles Airport and sent back to the United Kingdom to face charges after arriving on a flight from Germany, according to US Customs and Border Protection. CBP officials said they detained Patrick Kwaku Dunyo, 35, a Ghanaian national living in London, after he landed at Washington Dulles International Airport on Saturday following a flight from Frankfurt. London authorities were searching for Dunyo on charges of rape of a 16-year-old and sexual assault stemming from an incident alleged to have occurred on November 21, CBP said. According to inv…
Safe Houses Found In Queens, Westchester, NJ, CT In Plot To Crash Cell Service During UN Week Safe Houses Found In Queens, Westchester, NJ, CT In Plot To Crash Cell Service During UN Week
Safe Houses Found In Queens, Westchester, NJ, CT In Plot To Crash Cell Service During UN Week Three suburban “safe houses” and a fourth in New York City formed a ring around New York City for an electronic network that officials say could have crippled cell service just as world leaders met in Manhattan. Earlier report: Plot To Cripple NYC Metro Area Communications Thwarted Ahead Of Trump UN Address On Tuesday, Sept. 23, the Secret Service said it dismantled a covert array of more than 300 SIM servers and 100,000 SIM cards across the New York tristate area after detecting an imminent threat to its protective operations during the United Nations General Assembly.  Device…
Plot To Cripple NYC Metro Area Communications Thwarted Ahead Of Trump UN Address Plot To Cripple NYC Metro Area Communications Thwarted Ahead Of Trump UN Address
Plot To Cripple NYC Metro Area Communications Thwarted Ahead Of Trump UN Address A sweeping Secret Service operation quietly dismantled a covert SIM‑based telecom network across the New York area that officials say could have crippled cell service and masked anonymous threats as world leaders converged on Manhattan. On Tuesday, Sept. 23, the agency said the takedown spanned multiple sites in the New York tristate area, with devices clustered within about 35 miles of the United Nations General Assembly. Investigators moved to disrupt the network before dignitaries arrived. Citing sources, ABC News said the operation has been linked to the Chinese government. President …
Bardonia Man, 28, Sent Sexually Explicit Pics To Undercover Agent He Thought Was Teen Girl: DA Bardonia Man, 28, Sent Sexually Explicit Pics To Undercover Agent He Thought Was Teen Girl: DA
Bardonia Man, 28, Sent Sexually Explicit Pics To Undercover Agent He Thought Was Teen Girl: DA A Rockland County man is accused of sending sexually explicit messages and images to someone he thought was a 14-year-old girl, prosecutors said.  Victor Caligiuri, 28, of Bardonia, was arraigned in Rockland County Court on four counts of first-degree attempted disseminating indecent materials to minors, Rockland County District Attorney Thomas E. Walsh II announced on Thursday, Sept. 11.  According to court documents, between June 1 and Aug. 31, 2025, Caligiuri allegedly sent sexually explicit messages, photos, and videos through the mobile app Kik to an undercover investigator w…
300+ Workers Returning To South Korea After Historic Hyundai Immigration Raid 300+ Workers Returning To South Korea After Historic Hyundai Immigration Raid
300+ Workers Returning To South Korea After Historic Hyundai Immigration Raid More than 300 South Korean workers detained during a massive immigration raid at a Hyundai battery plant will be released and returned home, officials said. South Korea finalized negotiations with the US on the workers' release, according to Kang Hoon-sik, chief of staff for President Lee Jae Myung. A charter plane will return the detainees to South Korea once the remaining administrative steps are completed, the Associated Press reported. The Korean nationals were among more than 475 people arrested at the construction site for a Hyundai-LG Energy Solution battery facility o…
21 Arrested In Massive Eastern PA Cocaine Trafficking Bust: Attorney General 21 Arrested In Massive Eastern PA Cocaine Trafficking Bust: Attorney General
21 Arrested In Massive Eastern PA Cocaine Trafficking Bust: Attorney General A high-level cocaine trafficking organization has been dismantled following a sweeping investigation across eastern Pennsylvania, Attorney General Dave Sunday announced on Saturday, Sept. 6. Investigators charged 21 individuals connected to the Jimmie Torres–led operation, which allegedly ran primarily out of north Philadelphia with extensions into Bucks and Montgomery counties, according to the release. Among those arrested were Torres and his son, Matthew Torres, who oversaw the enterprise when his father was in Puerto Rico. Authorities said 16 suspects were taken into custody Thursday ac…
Hundreds Arrested In Immigration Raid At Hyundai Facility In Georgia Hundreds Arrested In Immigration Raid At Hyundai Facility In Georgia
Hundreds Arrested In Immigration Raid At Hyundai Facility In Georgia South Korea and immigrant rights advocates are criticizing the Trump administration after federal agents arrested nearly 500 workers at Hyundai's $4.3 billion battery plant in Georgia. The raid happened at the HL-GA Battery Company facility in Ellabell, a community about 30 miles west of Savannah, on Thursday, Sept. 4. The US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Georgia announced the operation in a news release on Friday, Sept. 5. More than 400 agents, led by Homeland Security Investigations, raided the 3,000-acre site, halting construction on a facil…
Fugitive Wanted For Rape In New Windsor Arrested After Hiding In Philippines: Police Fugitive Wanted For Rape In New Windsor Arrested After Hiding In Philippines: Police
Fugitive Wanted For Rape In New Windsor Arrested After Hiding In Philippines: Police A fugitive wanted in Orange County on multiple rape and sexual abuse charges has been captured in the Philippines and returned to face prosecution, authorities announced. On Friday, Aug. 29, the New Windsor Police Department, working with the FBI Hudson Valley Safe Streets Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations, and international law enforcement partners, arrested 46-year-old Dominic Mamaat upon his arrival at JFK Airport in Queens, the department said. Mamaat was wanted on a warrant for first-degree rape issued in May 2020 and had been indicted by an Orange County grand jury in Augus…
Illegal Spa Shut Down, Woman Gets Prostitution Charge In Hyde Park Bust: Police Illegal Spa Shut Down, Woman Gets Prostitution Charge In Hyde Park Bust: Police
Illegal Spa Shut Down, Woman Gets Prostitution Charge In Hyde Park Bust: Police A Queens woman has been arrested on prostitution charges following an investigation that shut down a Dutchess County spa accused of offering illegal massage services, police announced. On Thursday, Aug. 28, around 3 p.m., Hyde Park Police arrested Zhanglian Liao, 48, of Flushing, Queens, after a probe into Pine Woods Spa, located at 7 Pine Woods Rd. in Hyde Park, the department announced on Friday, Aug. 29. According to police, community members had lodged multiple complaints about suspected illegal activity at the business. Investigators discovered that Liao was operating the spa out of Su…
Doctor Who Smuggled Ancient Egyptian Artifacts Through JFK Lands In Club Fed Doctor Who Smuggled Ancient Egyptian Artifacts Through JFK Lands In Club Fed
Doctor Who Smuggled Ancient Egyptian Artifacts Through JFK Lands In Club Fed A Brooklyn man who trafficked hundreds of stolen Egyptian antiquities through JFK Airport will spend months behind bars. Ashraf Omar Eldarir, 52, was sentenced to six months in prison in Brooklyn federal court on Wednesday, Aug. 27, after pleading guilty to four counts of smuggling. Eldarir, a licensed physician in Egypt, became involved in artifact smuggling during the country’s Arab Uprising in 2011, when looting of archaeological sites surged, prosecutors said. Between April 2019 and January 2020, he smuggled artifacts into the United States on at least four occasions. He later used fal…
Rotterdam Spa Owner Ran Prostitution Ring Across NY, DOJ Says Rotterdam Spa Owner Ran Prostitution Ring Across NY, DOJ Says
Rotterdam Spa Owner Ran Prostitution Ring Across NY, DOJ Says A New York woman is accused of running a multi-county prostitution ring at her massage parlors. Qingqin “Coco” Xie was charged with racketeering in Albany federal court on Wednesday, Aug. 20, following a two-year investigation involving the FBI, New York State Police, IRS, and Homeland Security Investigations. The probe culminated in a multi-agency police raid on Xie’s massage spas in Saratoga, Schenectady, Albany, Rensselaer, and Ulster counties, as Daily Voice reported. According to the criminal complaint, obtained by Daily Voice, online sex advertisements directed customers to Xie’s Moo…
Feds Storm DC Overnight As Trump Threatens Takeover: ‘Go Home,’ Locals Say Feds Storm DC Overnight As Trump Threatens Takeover: ‘Go Home,’ Locals Say
Feds Storm DC Overnight As Trump Threatens Takeover: ‘Go Home,’ Locals Say The cavalry nobody in the region called for has arrived in DC amid President Donald Trump's ongoing calls to federalize the nation's capital. As promised, federal law enforcement agencies arrived in DC early on Friday morning as officials work to combat a recent rash of youth crime that has drawn the president's ire. The move comes after a 19-year-old former Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) worker was brutalized during a carjacking earlier this week. “If DC doesn’t get its act together, and quickly, we will have no choice but to take Federal control of the City,” Trump warned thi…
4 More Illegal Immigrant Child Predators Busted In NJ, ICE Says 4 More Illegal Immigrant Child Predators Busted In NJ, ICE Says
4 More Illegal Immigrant Child Predators Busted In NJ, ICE Says Federal agents in New Jersey say that they have arrested four more illegally present immigrants convicted of sex crimes against children — bringing the total to eight arrests since late July. The sweep, carried out by ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Newark, targeted criminal non-citizens across Bergen, Hudson, Essex, and Sussex counties, the Office of Homeland Security said in a news release. The most recent arrest was Daniel Garcia Cruz, 35, of Mexico, who was convicted of criminal sexual contact in Hudson County and sentenced to …
Convicted Child Predator From Belgium Caught Hiding In DC, Deported By ICE Convicted Child Predator From Belgium Caught Hiding In DC, Deported By ICE
Convicted Child Predator From Belgium Caught Hiding In DC, Deported By ICE A convicted child sex predator who fled Belgium to avoid prison time was caught living in Washington, DC — and is now back in the hands of authorities in his home country, ICE officials confirmed. Romulus Mihai, 33, entered the US under the visa waiver program in 2013 and tried to become a citizen, officials said. What he didn’t disclose: He had already been convicted in Belgium for the sexual exploitation of a child. Instead of serving his sentence, Mihai fled to the US, ICE said. “Not only did Mihai victimize a child in his native country; he attempted to exploit the integrity of ou…
Delta Pilot Arrested In Cockpit Charged With Child Sex Crimes: DA Delta Pilot Arrested In Cockpit Charged With Child Sex Crimes: DA
Delta Pilot Arrested In Cockpit Charged With Child Sex Crimes: DA Authorities have identified the pilot arrested in the cockpit of a Delta flight last week and announced he now faces charges of sexually abusing a child. Rustom Bhagwagar, 34, of Contra Costa County, California, was a co-pilot aboard Delta Air Lines Flight 2809 that departed Minneapolis and landed at San Francisco International Airport around 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 26. Original Report: Federal Agents Storm Plane To Arrest Pilot Federal agents with Homeland Security Investigations, working in coordination with the Contra Costa County Sheriff's Office, boarded the plane moments after …
Boiling Springs Man With 14 Convictions Gets Nearly Decade In Prison For Homemade Rifle: ICE Boiling Springs Man With 14 Convictions Gets Nearly Decade In Prison For Homemade Rifle: ICE
Boiling Springs Man With 14 Convictions Gets Nearly Decade In Prison For Homemade Rifle: ICE A Pennsylvania man with a long criminal record, including convictions for indecent assault and multiple DUIs, will spend nearly a decade in federal prison for illegally manufacturing a firearm, authorities announced Friday, Aug. 1. Philip Shearer, 49, of Harrisburg — previously of Boiling Springs, Enola, Mechanicsburg, and Chambersburg according to public records — admitted to possessing an unregistered short-barrel rifle along with more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition, several high-capacity magazines, night vision goggles, and a ghillie suit, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the …
ICE Detains Ocean City Resident During Child Porn Raid, But Family Says He Wasn't Involved ICE Detains Ocean City Resident During Child Porn Raid, But Family Says He Wasn't Involved
ICE Detains Ocean City Resident During Child Porn Raid, But Family Says He Wasn't Involved A man was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during a federal raid in New Jersey, even though he was not the subject of the investigation, according to officials and immigrant advocacy groups. The Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office confirmed that a search warrant was executed on the 800 block of Asbury Avenue in Ocean City (Cape May County) as part of an ongoing child exploitation investigation on Tuesday, July 29.  Prosecutor Jeffrey Sutherland said the warrant stemmed from a cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which identifi…
$1M Asylum Scheme, Oxford Paralegal Indicted After Posing As Lawyer, FBI Seeks Victims $1M Asylum Scheme, Oxford Paralegal Indicted After Posing As Lawyer, FBI Seeks Victims
$1M Asylum Scheme, Oxford Paralegal Indicted After Posing As Lawyer, FBI Seeks Victims A Pennsylvania paralegal is accused of posing as an immigration lawyer in a $1 million asylum fraud scheme, federal prosecutors announced on Thursday, July 31. Fatima DeMaria, 65, of Lincoln University, was indicted on eight counts of asylum fraud and eight counts of mail fraud after allegedly charging immigrants thousands of dollars for fake legal services, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. DeMaria, owner of Immigration Matters Legal Services in Oxford, allegedly promised undocumented immigrants work permits and legal protection despite not b…
Honduran ‘Top 10 Most Wanted’ Fugitive Removed After Hiding On Westbury: ICE Philadelphia Honduran ‘Top 10 Most Wanted’ Fugitive Removed After Hiding On Westbury: ICE Philadelphia
Honduran ‘Top 10 Most Wanted’ Fugitive Removed After Hiding On Westbury: ICE Philadelphia  Honduran fugitive on his country’s “Top 10 Most Wanted” list has been deported from the United States, ICE Philadelphia announced on Tuesday, July 29. Olvin Mauricio Martinez Coto, a citizen of Honduras, was removed on Wednesday, July 23, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Philadelphia. Martinez Coto is wanted in Honduras for aggravated femicide — intentionally killing a woman because she was a woman — along with attempted homicide and forcible home invasion. He faces up to 44 years in prison if convicted in his home countr…
Bethlehem Apartment Site Raided; 17 Undocumented Workers Taken Into Custody, ICE Says Bethlehem Apartment Site Raided; 17 Undocumented Workers Taken Into Custody, ICE Says
Bethlehem Apartment Site Raided; 17 Undocumented Workers Taken Into Custody, ICE Says Seventeen people were taken off the job site and into custody after a federal immigration raid in Pennsylvania, authorities announced. Agents from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and other federal partners showed up at the Five 10 Flats apartment complex on East 3rd Street in Bethlehem on Tuesday, June 11, and served a Notice of Inspection. More than a dozen people were arrested during a raid in Bethlehem.  ICE According to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the site — currently under restoration and unoccupied — was being staffed by workers provided by a subcontrac…
‘No Justification’: Man Illegally Detained By ICE In Westbury Because Of Race, Attorney Claims ‘No Justification’: Man Illegally Detained By ICE In Westbury Because Of Race, Attorney Claims
‘No Justification’: Man Illegally Detained By ICE In Westbury Because Of Race, Attorney Claims A Long Island man’s morning commute turned into what local leaders are calling a clear-cut case of racial profiling when he was allegedly stopped, detained, and handcuffed by federal immigration agents — despite being a US citizen. Elzon Lemus, 23, of Brentwood, was on his way to work in Westbury around 7:30 a.m. on Tuesday, June 3, when he was approached by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents. Lemus, who was riding as a passenger in a work van, said the agents wore vests marked “ICE” and “HSI” and demanded to see his identification —…
$2.6M Refund Scam Funded Lamborghini Huracan For Bethlehem Man: DOJ $2.6M Refund Scam Funded Lamborghini Huracan For Bethlehem Man: DOJ
$2.6M Refund Scam Funded Lamborghini Huracan For Bethlehem Man: DOJ A Pennsylvania man who masterminded a $2.6 million scam involving fake retail refunds has been sentenced to prison, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Friday, May 30. Louis Perpignan, 33, of Bethlehem, was sentenced to 42 months in federal prison on Tuesday, May 27, after pleading guilty to wire fraud, authorities said. He’ll also serve three years of supervised release and must repay more than $2.6 million in restitution, according to U.S. District Judge Diane J. Humetewa. Perpignan admitted to running an elaborate operation he called the “Members Only Refund Service” from May 2016 t…
'Wolf In Sheep's Clothing': Eastchester Coach Used Snapchat To Get Nudes From Minors, Feds Say 'Wolf In Sheep's Clothing': Eastchester Coach Used Snapchat To Get Nudes From Minors, Feds Say
'Wolf In Sheep's Clothing': Eastchester Coach Used Snapchat To Get Nudes From Minors, Feds Say A football coach and athletic director at a Westchester County high school faces federal child pornography charges after allegedly using Snapchat and other apps to coerce young victims into sending sexually explicit photos of themselves, prosecutors said.  Eastchester resident Thomas Puccini, age 28, was arrested on Wednesday, May 21, and appeared the same day in White Plains federal court, where he was ordered detained, according to US Attorney for the Southern District of New York Jay Clayton.  Puccini was employed as the Interim Director of Physical Education, Health, and …
Guatemalan National Lied To Gain Custody Of Children In NJ, Feds Say Guatemalan National Lied To Gain Custody Of Children In NJ, Feds Say
Guatemalan National Lied To Gain Custody Of Children In NJ, Feds Say A 57-year-old Guatemalan man living in New Jersey has been charged with lying to federal officials in an attempt to gain custody of two unaccompanied migrant children, authorities said. Luciano Tinuar Quino, also known as Luciano Tinuar Guino, was charged with two counts of making false, fictitious, or fraudulent statements, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba and Attorney General Pamela Bondi said on Tuesday, May 13. The criminal complaint alleges that Tinuar Quino, who entered the U.S. illegally in 2016 and lived in the Orange, NJ area, submitted false sponsorship applications to the Department of …