Union County, New Jersey, Man Gets Over Eight Years In Prison For Distributing Sexually Explicit Images And Videos Of Children

TRENTON, N.J. – An Elizabeth, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 97 months in prison for using his home computer to distribute sexually explicit videos and images of children, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.

Thomas J. Leonard, 36, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Brian R. Martinotti to an information charging him with one count of distributing child pornography. Judge Martinotti imposed the sentence today in Trenton federal court.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court, Leonard admitted that he used the online peer-to-peer file sharing program BitTorrent to obtain and distribute images and videos of children engaged in sexual acts.

In addition to the prison term, Judge Martinotti sentenced Leonard to five years of supervised release and fined him $30,000.

U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Timothy Gallagher in Newark, with the investigation. He also thanked the Union County Prosecutor’s Office, the New Jersey State Police, and the N.J. Regional Computer Forensics Laboratory, for their assistance.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Veronica Allende of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Trenton.

Anyone with information regarding possible victims of this activity is urged to contact the FBI in Newark at 973-792-3000.

Defense counsel: Rubin M. Sinins Esq., Springfield, New Jersey

Essex County Man Sentenced to 110 Months in Prison for Armed Robbery of Bank

NEWARK—A Newark, New Jersey man was sentenced today to 110 months in prison for the armed robbery of a Sussex County, New Jersey bank, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.

Lynnell Brown, 36, pleaded guilty in August 2009 before then-U.S. District Judge Joseph A. Greenaway to an indictment charging him with the armed robbery of a J.P. Morgan Chase Bank branch in Lake Hopatcong, New Jersey on January 16, 2009 and the use of a firearm during the robbery. U.S. District Judge Dennis M. Cavanaugh imposed sentence today in Newark federal court.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

Brown entered the bank wearing a ski mask to conceal his identity and approached a bank teller. He aimed a loaded, semi-automatic handgun at the teller and threatened to kill her unless she gave him the money in each of the teller drawers. Brown fled in a vehicle and was pursued by law enforcement. During the subsequent extended chase, Brown drove at speeds in excess of 90 mph into oncoming traffic lanes on Route I-280 before wrecking his vehicle near a residential neighborhood in West Orange, New Jersey.

In addition to the prison sentence, Brown was sentenced to five years of supervised release.

U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the FBI’s Garrett Mountain Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael B. Ward in Newark; officers and investigators with the New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Col. Rick Fuentes; investigators with the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Robert A. Bianchi; investigators with the Morris County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Eric V. Rockford; and police officers with the Lake Hopatcong, Jefferson Township, and East Hanover Police Departments for the investigation leading to today’s sentence.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Randall Cook of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Newark.

Medford Man Sentenced to More Than Five Years in Prison in Knifepoint Robbery of Tabernacle, New Jersey Bank

CAMDEN, NJ—David Carpenter was sentenced today to 63 months in prison for the knifepoint robbery of a Beneficial Savings Bank in Tabernacle, N.J., U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.

Carpenter, 20, of Medford, N.J., previously pleaded guilty to an Information charging him with one count of armed bank robbery. He was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jerome B. Simandle in Camden federal court.

Learn more about law enforcement in New Jersey and the Northeast from the best New Jersey State Police books.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

On December 2, 2010, Carpenter entered the Beneficial Savings Bank in Tabernacle wearing a black sweatshirt and ski mask and brandishing a steak knife. Once inside the bank, Carpenter vaulted the teller counter, placed the knife blade to the throat of a bank teller, and demanded money. Another bank teller handed a white plastic bag of currency to Carpenter, who then fled the bank.

Once outside, Carpenter approached a Honda Civic parked in front of the bank. Unable to start the car, Carpenter attempted to re-enter the bank, but bank employees had locked the doors behind him. Law enforcement officers later determined Carpenter had dropped the keys to the car inside the bank as he vaulted the counter.

Carpenter then fled into a wooded area near the bank. A short time later, an area resident called 911 to report that a male was knocking on her back door asking the resident if he could use the phone, claiming he was looking for his lost dog. Troopers from the N.J. State Police responded and arrested Carpenter.

In addition to the prison term, Judge Simandle sentenced Carpenter to five years’ supervised release and ordered him to pay restitution of $10,299.

U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael B. Ward in Newark, and the New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Col. Rick Fuentes, Superintendent, with the investigation that resulted in today’s guilty plea.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew T. Smith of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Camden.

Defense counsel: William H. Buckman Esq., Moorestown, N.J.

Edison, New Jersey Man Admits Lying to Become a United States Citizen

NEWARK—An Edison, N.J., man admitted today that he committed a crime when he lied in order to become a citizen of the United States, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced. Alaa El Saadawi, 40, entered a guilty plea to one count of making a false statement to and concealing a material fact from the United States—count one of the indictment against him. El Saadawi entered his guilty plea before U.S. District Judge Dennis M. Cavanaugh in Newark federal court.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

El Saadawi filed an Application for Naturalization form, Form N-400, with the Immigration and Naturalization Service on August 8, 2001, for the purpose of obtaining United States citizenship. The form asked whether El Saadawi had ever knowingly committed any crime for which he had not been arrested. El Saadawi answered “no” to that question.

On July 10, 2002, in furtherance of his naturalization process, El Saadawi appeared before a district adjudications officer in New Jersey and was placed under oath. El Saadawi admitted that while under oath, he again denied ever having committed a crime for which he had not been arrested. However, El Saadawi had committed a crime when he conspired with others to fail to file an accurate report as required by law in connection with taking $659,000 out of the United States in April 2002.

Following his interview with the district adjudications officer, El Saadawi became a citizen of the United States.

The charge to which El Saadawi pleaded guilty carries a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The Federal Sentencing Guidelines, however, call for a term of months to be determined based on criminal history and other factors. Sentencing is currently scheduled for September 26, 2011.

U.S. Attorney Fishman praised special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael B. Ward, as well as the other members of the Newark Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF). The JTTF is made up of agents and officers of the U.S. Department of State, U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Customs and Border Protection, New Jersey State Police, Jersey City Police Department, Bayonne Police Department, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and other law enforcement agencies.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Margaret Ann Mahoney, Senior Litigation Counsel, and Andrew Kogan of the U.S. Attorney’s Office National Security Unit in Newark.

Defense counsel: Joel Cohen Esq., New York

Armed Robber Sentenced to Over 10 Years in Prison for Participating in the Planning and Execution of Two Home Invasion Robberies

BALTIMORE—U.S. District Judge Benson E. Legg sentenced Antowan Bell, age 25, of Rosedale, Maryland, today to 130 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiring to commit a series of armed commercial robberies and using a firearm during a crime of violence. Judge Legg also ordered that Bell pay restitution of $140,000.

The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Richard A. McFeely of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Commissioner Frederick H. Bealefeld III of the Baltimore City Police Department; Chief James W. Johnson of the Baltimore County Police Department; Baltimore City State’s Attorney Gregg Bernstein; and Baltimore County State’s Attorney Scott Shellenberger.

According to Bell’s plea agreement, Bell was part of a conspiracy with co-defendants Nikolaos Mamalis, Daniel Chase, George Laloudakis, Evangelos Tsoukatos, and others to steal the proceeds of commercial businesses along with the cash and personal property of the owners of those businesses.

Bell admitted that on September 29, 2009, he and his co-conspirators planned to rob the owner of a restaurant on

North Point Boulevard

in Baltimore. Mamalis knew the owner from prior business dealings and had suddenly started coming to the restaurant regularly in the weeks before the robbery. On the day of the robbery, Tsoukatos drove to the area of the restaurant to confirm that the owner had left for the day. Bell and Chase drove to the owner’s home, where Chase gained entry to the home by identifying himself as an investigator with the State’s Attorney’s office, displaying a fake badge that he had manufactured. Once inside the house, Chase pulled a gun from a briefcase and handcuffed the victim to a kitchen chair. Bell then entered the home and demanded to know the location of the victim’s safe. The victim denied having a safe, but told the robbers there was money from the restaurant in a kitchen drawer. Chase took approximately $10,000 from the drawer in the kitchen. Bell and Chase rummaged through the house, eventually locating the safe in the basement. They forced the victim to the basement at gunpoint and demanded the combination to the safe, threatening to cut off the victim’s finger if he refused. Bell and Chase took approximately $150,000 from the safe, which included profits from the Sparrows Point Restaurant, and left the victim bound and physically restrained.

On November 8, 2009, Mamalis and Bell drove to Atlantic City where they met Chase at a café to plan a robbery. The three were arrested as they left the café. Investigators searched Chase’s car and seized a briefcase that contained mace, rope, rubber gloves, three sets of handcuffs, three empty money bags, a knife, tape, and a fake badge purporting to be identification for “John Peters” of the “Office of the Attorney General, Major Crimes Division” for the State of New Jersey, bearing a photograph of Chase.

Mamalis, age 54, of Edgewood, Maryland was convicted on February 3, 2011, of conspiring to commit a series of armed commercial and home robberies between July and November 2009; armed robbery. and brandishing a gun during a crime of violence. Daniel Chase, age 65, of Browns Mill, New Jersey; George Laloudakis, age 49, of Baltimore; and Evangelos Tsoukatos, age 48, of Glen Burnie, Maryland, pleaded guilty to their participation in the robberies. Judge Legg has scheduled sentencing for Chase on March 24, 2011; for Laloudakis on April 21, 2011; for Mamalis on May 10, 2011 at 10:00 a.m.; and for Tsoukatos for May 13, 2011.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein thanked: the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore City Police Department, Baltimore County Police Department, New Jersey State Police, the Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office, and the Baltimore County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in this investigation and prosecution. Mr. Rosenstein commended Assistant United States Attorneys Debra L. Dwyer and Thiru Vignarajah, who prosecuted the case.

FBI Working Group Declares Children Not for Sale

NEWARK—Today, Special Agent in Charge Michael B. Ward of the FBI's Newark Division announced the successful conclusion of the New Jersey portion of "Operation Cross Country V," the latest phase of an FBI-led initiative that began in 2008, in which dozens of law enforcement officers from the FBI, the New Jersey State Police (NJSP), and the Newark, Secaucus, and Union City Police Departments arrested 16 individuals and recovered two juveniles during this two-day nationwide takedown of child prostitution. Additionally, law enforcement has been able to establish interstate links between the criminal activities in the New Jersey area and elsewhere.

History

FBI investigation and analysis has determined that at least 25 percent of adults who are or were once prostitutes were enticed into it as juveniles. In June of 2003, the FBI, in conjunction with the Department of Justice Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), launched the Innocence Lost National Initiative. Their combined efforts were aimed at addressing the growing problem of domestic sex trafficking of children in the United States. Operation Cross Country (OCC) is a national law enforcement operation targeting child prostitution venues such as street tracks, Internet advertisements for prostitution services, truck stops, motels, and casinos. In the seven years since its inception, the initiative has resulted in the development of 39 dedicated task forces and working groups throughout the U.S. involving local, state, and federal law enforcement officials working to rescue victims of child exploitation. Through the Innocence Lost Initiative, more than 1,200 child victims have been recovered, more than $3.1 million has been seized, and 625 individuals have been convicted nationwide.

Why New Jersey?

Because of the level of commercial and tourism travel through New Jersey, there appears to be a significant amount of child trafficking and child prostitution in or through the state. Runaways are frequently drawn to the New York/New Jersey metropolitan area in an attempt to obtain employment in the fashion or movie industry. The Atlantic City area is targeted by criminals who exploit children because of the frequency and amount of tourism to resorts and casinos there. For these reasons and in support of the Innocence Lost National Initiative, the Newark Division of the FBI has initiated two local working groups targeting child prostitution. One group targets the facilitation of child prostitution in Essex, Union, and Hudson Counties, and the other group targets the facilitation of child prostitution in the Atlantic City resort and casino area.

Also, the sexual exploitation of children has become more prevalent among violent street gangs and organized criminal enterprises since 2005 because it is easier to facilitate than narcotics and weapons trafficking. Gang members, including the Crips, Bloods, MS-13, and Latin Kings, all of which are present in New Jersey, are known to travel to various states to promote their prostitutes. As a result, they are able to take advantage of lucrative prostitution markets, elude law enforcement, and separate the prostitutes from family members. Due to the young age, mental and emotional vulnerability, and naivety of children, it is relatively easy for pimps to obtain total control of children in a short period of time.

The Use of Technology

As technology has advanced, so have the recruitment methods of sex traffickers. Online advertisements, e-mail, and social networking sites allow them to reach a larger target audience. Since the Internet can provide anonymity, pimps, prostitutes, and clients utilize it to advertise and communicate with each other. Social networking sites also allow pimps to network with other pimps across the country and the world.

The New Jersey Takedown

Operation Cross Country V began Thursday evening in the Newark area and resulted in the arrest of eight adults (six prostitutes and two pimps) and the recovery of two juveniles. The subjects were taken into custody by the Newark Police Department. On Friday evening, eight more adults were arrested: two adult prostitutes taken into custody by the Newark Police Department, and five adult prostitutes and one adult driver taken into custody by the Secaucus Police Department. No juveniles were recovered on Friday. In total, 16 adults were arrested and two juveniles were recovered in this latest phase of Operation Cross Country. All of the participating agencies (Newark, Secaucus, Union City, NJSP, and the FBI) were involved in the surveillance and subsequent arrests on both nights of the operation.

"The crime of child prostitution is among the most disturbing and heinous offenses law enforcement can investigate," said Michael B. Ward, Special Agent In Charge of the FBI's Newark division. "In this world, children are bartered and sold like products on a store shelf with no regard to their well-being or the physical and mental damage done to them. Their vulnerabilities are exploited, and they are subjected to a constant demand to make money for their handlers. By working together to dismantle child prostitution rings, law enforcement agencies work to bring these children back to safety. I commend and thank the Newark, Union City, and Secaucus Police Departments, as well as the New Jersey State Police, their for commitment to addressing this problem."

Colonel Rick Fuentes, Superintendent New Jersey State Police, added, "The crime of child prostitution erodes the fiber of our society. We welcome the opportunity to partner with local, county, and federal law enforcement agencies to rid our society of this despicable crime."

Aftercare

Generally speaking, law enforcement nationwide works directly with Child Protective Services (CPS) to place children recovered from child prostitution. In New Jersey, that contact is the Division of Youth and Family Services (DYFS). If the child is a runaway to be returned home, DYFS will evaluate that home to be sure the environment is safe for the child. If the child is to be returned to another state, the FBI's Office of Victim Assistance will reach out to CPS for that state. If the child is unable to be returned home, that child becomes a ward of the state and is placed into foster care. But upon intake, the FBI's Office of Victim Assistance ensures that basic needs are met, such as food, clothing, and medical attention.

Those arrested are being held in local custody and charged at the state level. A criminal complaint is merely an accusation. Despite this accusation, every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. This investigation is ongoing.

U.S. Marshals Recover Missing Girl and Arrest Man Charged in her Disappearance

Charges stem from incident in York County

May 13, 2010 - Harrisburg, PA – U.S. Marshal Michael R. Regan announced today that the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) arrested Jonathan Luis Torres-Caraballo in Millville, New Jersey.

Torres-Caraballo was being sought by the West Manchester Township Police Department (York County). In early May 2010, a 16-year old girl from West Manchester Township was reported as a runaway by her parents. An investigation determined the juvenile female may be with a 20-year old male, later identified as Jonathan Torres-Caraballo. Further investigation determined that the minor was being held against her will.

On May 7, the West Manchester Police Department obtained an arrest warrant against Torres-Caraballo, charging him with:

• 1 count of Interference with the Custody of a Child - felony

• 1 count of Concealment of the Whereabouts of a Child – felony

This fugitive case was adopted by the U.S. Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force in the Middle District of Pennsylvania. U.S. Marshals developed investigative leads in New Jersey, which were provided to the USMS New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force (NY/NJ RFTF).

On May 12 while conducting surveillance, U.S. Marshals spotted Torres-Caraballo outside of a residence in Millville, New Jersey. At approximately 3:00PM, the USMS NY/NJ RFTF made entry into the residence, where Torres-Caraballo was arrested. The missing girl was recovered at the scene.

Torres-Caraballo was turned over to New Jersey authorities for processing on the outstanding Pennsylvania charges. The girl was taken to a local New Jersey State Police barracks, where she will await the arrival of her parents from York County.

Civilian, Military Defenders Gather for Vehicle Bomb Demonstration

By Jennifer M. McCarthy
Special to American Forces Press Service

April 11, 2008 - Federal and state law enforcement personnel joined servicemembers at the explosive ordnance range here April 9 for a vehicle bomb demonstration. FBI agents based in New York and New Jersey, New Jersey State Police, Defense Department police, and Army and Air Force personnel saw a large box truck, a sport utility vehicle, two sedans, and a minivan ripped asunder by explosives and sent soaring into the air.

The vehicles were rigged with controlled explosive devices detonated as part of a week-long joint training course that helped hone the law enforcement officials' skills in the tools and techniques used to identify and neutralize vehicle bombs.

As well as allowing participants a chance to earn a certificate from the FBI Bomb Data Center, the course provided real-world experience, particularly to soldiers and airmen deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq.

"The training was good. It is useful in principle," said Air Force Staff Sgt. Michael Bramble of the 305th Civil Engineer Squadron's explosive ordnance disposal flight. Bramble recently returned from a deployment in Afghanistan. "This training is geared towards populated areas," he said. "It decreases collateral damage."

Terrorists have adopted vehicle bombs as a prominent weapon of choice, but they are not a new tactic. One of the earliest uses of a car bomb was the attempted assassination of Sultan Abdul Hamid II in Istanbul in 1905 by Armenian separatists. Since then, terrorist groups have used vehicle bombs as a way to try to cause chaos and destruction.

Don Breecre, a chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and environmental bomb technician, said the Fort Dix demonstration was "a chance for bomb techs, EOD, to train on the tools we use to defeat vehicle bombs."

"Perfect practice makes perfect," he said.

(Jennifer M. McCarthy works at Fort Dix Public Affairs.)

Four Police Writers

Police-Writers.com is a website that lists state and local police officers who have written books. The website added four police officers: Ronald Pinkston; L. Ken Rogers; Frederick T. Martens; and, Justin Dintino.

Ronald Pinkston was a senior corporal for the Dallas Police Department. He is the author of A Police Officer That's What I'll Be! Ronald Pinkston’s book drives home the simple point that children can rely on police officers to help them when they are hurt, lost, or in danger. According to the book description, “this is a story of a little boy who continues to need help after he climbs up a tree and wonders what he would be. The boy later realizes what he wants to be after being helped throughout the day by police officers Garcia, Roper and Smith.”

L. Ken Rogers is a 21 year veteran of law enforcement. He is a medically retired from the Pleasant Ridge Police Department (Michigan). Ken Rogers is the author of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder: A Police Officers Report. According to the book description, “a police officer in Pleasant Ridge, Michigan was desperate and wide open to emotional pain. On the outside he looked all right, but he wasn't. His post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms were classic. He was emotionally ill. This book is a must for law enforcement agencies and personnel throughout the country.”

After a distinguished career combating crime with the New Jersey State Police, Frederick T. Martens retired at the rank of lieutenant. He then served as Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Crime Commission. He is the co-author of Police Intelligence Systems in Crime Control: Maintaining a Delicate Balance in a Liberal Democracy.

Frederick T. Martens’ co-author was Justin J. Dintino, a retired Colonel with the New Jersey State Police was also the 10th superintendent of the agency. He served as superintendent of the New Jersey State Police for four years, beginning in 1990. He is also the author of The Structure of Organized Crime in New Jersey.

Police-Writers.com now hosts 652 police officers (representing 285 police departments) and their 1387 books in six categories, there are also listings of United States federal law enforcement employees turned authors, international police officers who have written books and civilian police personnel who have written books.