Internet Safety: Cyberbullying, Sexting and Social Networks

The December 1, 2011, episode of American Heroes Radio features a conversation with Detective Keith Dunn on Internet Safety: Cyberbullying, Sexting and Social Networks.

Program Date: December 1, 2011
Program Time: 1500 hours, PACIFIC
Topic: Internet Safety: Cyberbullying, Sexting and Social Networks
Listen Live: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/lawenforcement/2011/12/01/internet-safety-cyberbullying-sexting-and-social-networks

About the Guest
Keith Dunn, KDCOP, has been warning and training parents, teachers, law enforcement and other community organizations nationwide about online dangers since 1999. KDCOP has worked closely with Federal, State and Local Law Enforcement as well as public and private investigative teams along the East Coast.

Keith has his degree in Criminal Justice and Computer Forensics. As a former member of the United States Air Force, Keith represented his Country during Operation Desert Storm. During his tour on active duty, Keith performed as a singer and dancer for “Tops in Blue”, a USO type military performing group started and operated by Bob Hope. After an honorable discharge from the Air Force in 1997 Keith immediately became a Police Officer for a local department. In 1999 Keith received a position as a Detective for the Cumberland County Prosecutor’s Office as an active member of the National Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Thanks to being proactively involved in the arrest and prosecution of internet predators and internet offenders, Keith began speaking on National TV and Radio. Keith still has time to appear for speaking engagements and has been seen on many shows like CNN with Paula Zauhn, MSNBC, ABC, CBS, NBC, The Montel Williams Show and has worked with the production staff for the Judge Hatchett Show and Maury Povich Show. Keith has talked to over 50,000 students and 10,000 parents around the Country and has recently partnered with DARE NJ as their internet safety expert and trains all NJ DARE Officers about internet crimes.

Keith has been involved with or trained with nationally accredited organizations such as the FBI, Police Training Commission, and the FBI Crimes Against Children Unit — Online Child Pornography/Child Sexual Exploitation. He also attended the Online Crimes Against Children Unit Commander Course and was certified by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

KDCOP FOUNDATION
The KDCOP Foundation, a NJ Nonprofit Corporation, was created to provide little or no cost cyber safe assemblies to schools in order to keep their students safe in the digital world. The foundation brings together some of the greatest minds when developing cyber safety curriculum and then executes a dynamic, interactive, educational and inspirational school assembly. The mission of the KDCOP Foundation is to procure sponsorship and grant money to limit the financial stress that already plagues our school systems in order to perform assemblies at every school across the country.

About the Watering Hole
The Watering Hole is police slang for a location cops go off-duty to blow off steam and talk about work and life. Sometimes funny; sometimes serious; but, always interesting.

About the Host
Lieutenant Raymond E. Foster was a sworn member of the Los Angeles Police Department for 24 years. He retired in 2003 at the rank of Lieutenant. He holds a bachelor’s from the Union Institute and University in Criminal Justice Management and a Master’s Degree in Public Financial Management from California State University, Fullerton; and, has completed his doctoral course work. Raymond E. Foster has been a part-time lecturer at California State University, Fullerton and Fresno; and is currently a Criminal Justice Department chair, faculty advisor and lecturer with the Union Institute and University. He has experience teaching upper division courses in law enforcement, public policy, law enforcement technology and leadership. Raymond is an experienced author who has published numerous articles in a wide range of venues including magazines such as Government Technology, Mobile Government, Airborne Law Enforcement Magazine, and Police One. He has appeared on the History Channel and radio programs in the United States and Europe as subject matter expert in technological applications in law enforcement.

Listen, call, join us at the Watering Hole:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/lawenforcement/2011/12/01/internet-safety-cyberbullying-sexting-and-social-networks

Listen from the Archive:
http://www.hitechcj.com/americanheroesradio/internet_safety_cyberbullying_sexting_social_networks.html

Program Contact Information
Lieutenant Raymond E. Foster, LAPD (ret.), MPA
editor@police-writers.com
909.599.7530

Two More Baltimore Police Officers Plead Guilty in Majestic Towing Company Extortion Scheme

Eleven Baltimore Police Officers Have Pleaded Guilty to the Extortion Conspiracy; Officers Filed False Insurance Claims to Pay for Repairs to Their Personal Cars

BALTIMORE—Baltimore Police officer Leonel Rodriguez, age 31, of Essex, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit, and committing, extortion under color of official right in connection with a scheme in which brothers Hernan Alexis Moreno, age 30, of Rosedale, and Edwin Javier Mejia, age 27, of Middle River, paid the defendants and other officers to arrange for their car repair company, Majestic, rather than a city-authorized company, to tow vehicles from accident scenes and make repairs. Baltimore Police officer Rodney Cintron, age 32, of Middle River, Maryland pleaded guilty to the same charges on November 15, 2011.

The guilty pleas were 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; and Baltimore Police Commissioner Frederick H. Bealefeld III.

According to their plea agreements, Cintron and Rodriguez agreed with Moreno and Mejia that while acting as Baltimore Police Department (BPD) officers at accident scenes, Cintron and Rodriguez would contact Moreno and Majestic for towing and repair services for vehicles even though Majestic was not an authorized tow company for the City of Baltimore. While on the scene of an accident, Cintron and Rodriguez would call Moreno or Mejia and provide details of the accident, including the type of car and extent of damage. Moreno or Mejia would come to the accident scene and arrange for the car to be driven or towed to Majestic. Mejia or Moreno would pay Cintron and Rodriguez up to $300 for each vehicle that arrived at Majestic.

From January to August, 2009, Moreno paid Cintron in checks totaling over $13,000 for vehicles that he had referred to Majestic. From mid—2008 to June 2010, Moreno also paid Cintron in cash and by check to Cintron’s wife. Between January and August 2010, Moreno paid Rodiguez in checks totaling $8,450. After August 2010, Moreno paid Rodriguez in cash.

Cintron and Rodriguez also recruited other BPD officers to participate in the scheme. Cintron and Rodriguez agreed that Moreno and Mejia would create additional damage to other vehicles in order to increase the vehicle insurance claims, thereby increasing the net profit for Majestic as well as covering both the cash bribe payment to Cintron and Rodriguez, and the payment of the vehicle owner’s deductible. Cintron falsified police reports indicating that some vehicles had more damage than they actually had. Rodriguez referred vehicles to Majestic that had pre-existing damage, falsifying police reports to indicate that the damage had just occurred.

In addition, Rodriguez wanted to get rid of his personal car so that he would no longer have to make car payments. He gave his car to a mechanic who worked for Moreno to sell to a “chop shop” and falsely claimed to his insurance company that the car had been stolen.

Additionally, on June 11, 2009, Cintron made a false claim to his insurance company, claiming that his personal car had been vandalized when he was on vacation, resulting in damage to the sides and hood of the car. In reality, Cintron’s car was scratched on one side prior to the vacation, and had damage to the other side from running into an object. Cintron wanted to have his entire car repainted. Moreno agreed to add additional damage to the car to support Cintron’s vandalism claim. Cintron’s insurance company paid Cintron $4,346.06 for the repairs. Thereafter, on February 17, 2010, Cintron called his insurance company again claiming that he had damaged his car while driving in the middle lane of Pulaski Highway in Baltimore City, and that a car next to him lost control and hit his car, causing him to hit a gate. Cintron also claimed that another police officer responded to the incident. In reality, Cintron’s wife damaged the car while pulling out of their garage. The insurance company paid Majestic $5,121.85 to repair the car and $250 to Cintron directly.

The total loss caused by Cintron’s and Rodriguez’s conduct is at least $120,000. The exact amount of loss will be determined at sentencing.

Both defendants face a maximum sentence of five years in prison for the conspiracy, and a maximum of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,0000 or twice the amount of the gross gain or loss derived from or caused by the offense, for extortion under color of official right. U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake scheduled sentencing for Rodriguez on April 27, 2012, at 9:15 a.m. and for Cintron on February 24, 2012 at 11:00 a.m.

Moreno and Mejia pleaded guilty to the extortion conspiracy and face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison at their sentencing, which has not been scheduled. A total of eleven police officers have pleaded guilty to the extortion conspiracy to date. Trial of the remaining three defendant police officers is scheduled for February 13, 2012.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein praised the FBI and the Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Tonya N. Kelly and Kathleen O. Gavin, who are prosecuting the case.

CBP Officers at the Anzalduas International Bridge Seize more than Two Million in Cocaine; Man Arrested

Hidalgo, Texas — U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers working at the Anzalduas International Bridge seized approximately 76 pounds worth of cocaine and arrested a man on Sunday. The estimated street value of the cocaine is $2,400,000.

On November 13, CBP officers working at the Anzalduas International Bridge encountered a northbound 2006 Honda Pilot driven by a 30-year-old male Mexican national from Mexico City. A CBP officer referred the vehicle and driver to secondary for further inspection and it was there that officers discovered and seized 29 packages of alleged cocaine that was found hidden within a false compartment in the undercarriage of the vehicle. The vehicle was seized as well.

The male traveler was transferred to the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Homeland Security Investigations for further investigation.

Efrain Solis Jr., Port Director, Hidalgo/Pharr said, “This is an excellent example of the fine work our officers do day-in and day-out and truly exemplifies their commitment to help keep these hard narcotics off our streets and protect our citizens and communities.”

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U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.

Massachusetts man pleads guilty to production of child pornography

BOSTON — A Massachusetts man was convicted Thursday of production, distribution and possession of child pornography in a case investigated cooperatively with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

Robert Diduca, 47, of Milford, Mass., pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV.

The guilty plea was announced by the U.S. Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz, District of Massachusetts; and Bruce M. Foucart, special agent in charge of ICE HSI in Boston.

If this case had proceeded to trial, the government's evidence would have proven that Diduca engaged in online chats with an individual being separately prosecuted in Arizona, and persuaded him to sexually abuse and photograph a young child. Investigators determined Diduca provided the camera, and suggested how the child should be posed.

According to court records, Dicuda was also a member of an online forum for those with a sexual interest in children, and sent a pornographic image of a child via email. An investigation of that distributed image led to the identification of the child, and the arrest of a Dutch national in the Netherlands, where he is charged with production, distribution, and possession of child pornography, as well as the sexual assault of 87 minors. Forensic evidence revealed over 27,000 images of child pornography in Diduca's possession.

Judge Saylor scheduled sentencing for Feb. 9, 2012. Diduca faces a minimum five year prison term and a maximum sentence of up to 20 years in prison, to be followed by a lifetime of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. He has been held in custody since his arrest on June 2, 2011, and will remain in custody pending sentencing.

The investigation by ICE HSI was conducted with assistance from the Worcester County District Attorney's Office, Massachusetts State Police and the Milford Police Department.

Additional international assistance was provided by the Amsterdam Police Department and the National Police Services Agency (KLPD-Ipol) in the Netherlands.

This investigation is part of Operation Predator, a nationwide ICE HSI initiative to protect children from sexual predators, including those who travel overseas for sex with minors, Internet child pornographers, criminal alien sex offenders, and child sex traffickers. ICE HSI encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free hotline at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE or by completing its online tip form. Both are staffed around the clock by investigators.

Suspected child sexual exploitation or missing children may be reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, an Operation Predator partner, at 1-800-843-5678 or http://www.cybertipline.com.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael I. Yoon.

Raytown Man Pleads Guilty to Armed Robberies of Brink’s Truck, Bank, and Restaurant

KANSAS CITY, MO—Beth Phillips, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced today that a third defendant has pleaded guilty to his role in the armed robbery of a Brink’s truck, as well as the armed robberies of a bank and a restaurant.

Gerald Jones, 21, of Raytown, Mo., pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Gary A. Fenner to three armed robberies and one count of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.

Co-defendants Deangelo Colston, 21, of Raytown, and Larry Platt, 21, of Grandview, Mo., have also pleaded guilty to their roles in the Brink’s truck robbery. Colston also pleaded guilty to participating with Jones in the armed robberies at a bank and a restaurant, as well as to brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.

Jones, Colston, and Platt have each admitted that they stole $130,000 at gunpoint from two Brink’s, Inc., employees who were delivering money to an ATM at Bank of America, 3100 Main, Kansas City, Mo., on Aug. 30, 2010.

According to court documents, the Brink’s armored vehicle was parked in the bank’s drive-through at about 2:30 p.m. on Aug. 30, 2010. The driver remained in the vehicle while another Brink’s employee serviced the ATM. Jones, Colston and Platt exited a vehicle that was parked next to the drive-through. One of the men pointed a semi-automatic handgun at the driver of the armored vehicle while two men held semi-automatic handguns on the second Brink’s employee who was opening the ATM. The Brink’s employee, who felt a gun pressed against his left ear and another at the back of his head, held both of his hands up. The armed robbers took two bags, one of which contained $130,000 in $20 bills and the other paperwork, then fled in a Ford SUV.

Law enforcement officers received an anonymous tip on Sept. 9, 2010, identifying Colston and Jones as two of the armed robbers. The caller said that Colston and Jones had spent approximately $2,500 taking a “crew” to Worlds of Fun, had been spending money at Independence Center, and that Jones had just purchased a Dodge Charger. Jones and Colston were arrested during a traffic stop the next day, Sept. 10, 2010. Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at the residence where Jones and Colston were staying and discovered a pillowcase containing 10 stacks of $20 bills banded together, a backpack containing 33 stacks of $20 bills bundled together, another pillowcase containing two stacks of $20 bills bundled together and a loaded Jimenez Arms 9mm semi-automatic handgun. Law enforcement officers searched Colston’s cell phone and obtained enough information to locate Platt.

Jones and Colston also admitted that they stole $1,055 at gunpoint from Hillcrest Bank, 5901 W. 107th St., Overland Park, Kan., on July 8, 2010. They also stole $3,669 at gunpoint from Buca de Beppo Restaurant, 310 W. 47th St., Kansas City, Mo., on Aug. 2, 2009.

Under federal statutes, Jones and Colston are each subject to a sentence of up to 25 years in federal prison without parole for armed bank robbery, up to 20 years in federal prison without parole for the Brink’s robbery and for the restaurant robbery, plus a consecutive mandatory minimum sentence of seven years in federal prison without parole for brandishing a firearm. Platt is subject to a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison without parole. Sentencing hearings will be scheduled after the completion of presentence investigations by the United States Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David A. Barnes. It was investigated by the FBI, the Kansas City Police Department (MO), the Raytown, Mo., Police Department and the Independence, Mo., Police Department.

Former San Francisco Giants Employee Convicted of Fraud

Former Giants Payroll Manager Admits Embezzling $2.2 Million

This isn’t the first time criminals have infiltrated professional sports! Get the latest and best police news hot off the presses!

SAN FRANCISCO—Robin M. O’Connor pleaded guilty in federal court in San Francisco today to wire fraud, United States Attorney Melinda Haag announced.

In pleading guilty, O’Connor, a former payroll manager for San Francisco Baseball Associates LP, owner of the San Francisco Giants Baseball Club (the Giants), admitted to embezzling approximately $2.2 million from June 2010 through June 2011. According to the plea agreement, O’Connor diverted money from the Giants and Giants employees by, among other methods, transferring into her personal bank accounts: funds derived from improperly reducing employee tax withholdings, funds intended to pay employee salary and expenses, and funds from fictitious paychecks that she created. O’Connor has returned some of the funds and will forfeit certain assets and pay restitution.

O’Connor, 42, of American Canyon, Calif., was charged by complaint on July 7, 2011, and by information on Nov. 3, 2011. The information charged her with one count of wire fraud in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343, to which she pleaded guilty pursuant to the plea agreement.

O’Connor was arrested on July 8, 2011, and was released on that date on a $500,000 secured bond. The sentencing of O’Connor is scheduled for March 5, 2012, before U.S. District Court Judge James Ware in San Francisco. The maximum statutory penalty for a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343 is 20 years in prison, and a fine of $250,000, or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater, plus restitution. However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.

Thomas E. Stevens is the Assistant U.S. Attorney who is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Rawaty Yim. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The U.S. Attorney’s Office acknowledges the valuable cooperation of the Giants in this investigation.

Pennsylvania Man Charged with Copyright Infringement of Sports Broadcasts

WASHINGTON—Charges of copyright infringement were unsealed today in federal court in Philadelphia against a Pennsylvania man for allegedly infringing on copyright protected broadcasts of hockey games, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Zane David Memeger for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

The seven-count indictment alleges that Michael Moore, 44, of Chadds Ford, Penn., infringed the copyright protected works during seven six-month periods between May 2006 and June 2010.

The indictment alleges that HDHOCKEY.TV was a website that offered for sale DVDs containing recordings of copyrighted television broadcasts of hockey games and other copyrighted works such as team and player profiles, from the National Hockey League (NHL) and other professional hockey leagues. It also alleges that BROADSTREETBULLY.COM was a website offering for sale monthly subscriptions that enabled subscribers to download an unlimited number of video clips of copyrighted television broadcasts of hockey games, and other copyrighted works such as team and player profiles, from the NHL and other professional hockey leagues. The indictment alleges that neither site had the permission of the NHL or any other professional hockey league to reproduce or distribute these recordings.

Charges contained in an indictment are merely allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

The maximum penalty for each count of copyright infringement is five years in prison. The indictment also seeks forfeiture.

The case was investigated by the FBI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Albert S. Glenn for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and Trial Attorney Evan Williams of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section.

Federal Inmate Sentenced for Possessing Weapon

MADISON, WI—John W. Vaudreuil, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Jonathan Gordon, 39, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Barbara B. Crabb to 27 months in federal prison for possessing a weapon in prison. Gordon pleaded guilty to the charge on October 19, 2011.

Gordon, originally from Elburn, Ill., is incarcerated at the Federal Correctional Institution in Oxford, Wis. He is serving a 228-month prison term for a bank robbery he committed in Illinois in 2008. On March 30, 2011, prison officials located a homemade weapon hidden in Gordon’s mattress. The weapon was made out of a piece of metal approximately 6.5 inches long, which was sharpened to a point at one end.

Judge Crabb ordered that Gordon’s new sentence be served consecutively to his bank robbery sentence.

The charge against Gordon was the result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Federal Bureau of Prisons. The prosecution of the case has been handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Meredith Duchemin.

School-Level Interventions Reduce Dating Violence

By Tracy Russo
This post appears courtesy of Dr. John H. Laub, Director of the National Institute for Justice (NIJ).

Last week, the National Institute of Justice released new findings which suggest that school-level interventions can significantly reduce dating violence among middle school students.

The study focused on the effectiveness of dating violence and sexual harassment prevention programs in 30 New York City public middle schools. When school-level interventions were implemented in the study, dating violence dropped by up to 50 percent. The findings suggest that a few low-cost initiatives could go a long way to reducing violence among young people.

While dating violence and harassment are typically thought of as problems affecting grown adults, it’s a real problem among young people and one that can have long-lasting consequences. In the last school year, nearly half of 7th through 12th graders said they experienced sexual harassment.

Physical injury, poor mental health, increased high-risk behavior, and increased school avoidance are all tied to dating violence and sexual harassment, which is why the Department of Justice has made it a priority to investigate initiatives that could reduce the prevalence of these life-altering crimes.

There are a number of varied programs across the country working to curb dating violence, but there has been a lack of scientific data supporting programs for middle school students. The NIJ’s study on middle school prevention programs is one of the only studies on the effectiveness of initiatives designed to reduce dating violence among 6th and 7th graders. We hope these findings will allow groups to better optimize their resources and improve the tools they’re using to prevent dating violence.

Relationships early in life can have a lasting impact on the maturation of young people, and the NIJ study is a hopeful sign that a few low-cost initiatives could go a long way to improving the lives of our young people and setting them up for a healthier future.

The multi-level, randomized trial found that:

 •School-level interventions such as school-based “boundary agreements”, which are akin to restraining orders between students, and increased faculty and security presence in “hot spots” effectively reduced dating violence and sexual harassment — in some cases reducing dating violence by as much as 50 percent. 

 •Combining these school-level interventions with a classroom-level intervention administered through a six-session curriculum also reduced sexual harassment. 

 •Classroom-level interventions alone, which included instruction on state laws and penalties, consequences for perpetrators, and the construction of gender roles and healthy relationships, were not effective.

Other critical findings included:

 •The combination of the classroom and school-level interventions and the school-level interventions alone led to a 32-47 percent reduction in peer sexual violence victimization and perpetration six months after the intervention was implemented.

 •Students receiving the school-level intervention were more likely to intend to intervene as a bystander six months post-intervention.

Focus groups helped researchers understand how interventions were employed and received.  The groups confirmed that the interventions were straightforward to put in place, were implemented as planned, and were supported by teachers.

The possible implications of these results are substantial. The success of the school-level interventions is particularly important because these interventions can be implemented with very few extra costs to schools. Given the large size of the study (with more than 2,500 students) and the ethnic diversity of these students, these interventions may be successful among a broad range of populations.

This study was co-funded by the Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools, U.S. Department of Education.

Spencer Man Admits to Receiving Child Pornography

A man who received child pornography pled guilty today in federal court in Sioux City.

Justin Funck, age 27, of Spencer, Iowa, was convicted of one count of receiving child pornography.

At the plea hearing, Funck admitted that, between April 2009 and May 2009, he downloaded child pornography using the Internet.

Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Mark W. Bennett will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Funck was taken into custody by the United States Marshal after the guilty plea and will remain in custody pending sentencing. Funck faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a $100 special assessment, and supervised release for five years to life following his imprisonment.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Tremmel and was investigated by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Projectsafechildhood.gov.

Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is CR 10-4102.

Nogales CBP Officers Seize Cocaine Worth more than $500,000

Nogales, Ariz. — U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers assigned to the Tucson Field Office, a component of CBP’s Joint Field Command – Arizona, seized cocaine yesterday valued at $567,700 when a 26-year-old Mexican male from Nogales, Sonora, attempted to enter the United States through a Dennis DeConcini Port vehicle lane.

During a secondary inspection of the man’s 2000 Ford F150, CBP officers noticed discrepancies in the fuel tank and then used a narcotics detection canine to check the truck. The canine alerted to the presence of narcotics, leading to the discovery of 26 packages of cocaine hidden in a compartment in the fuel tank. The drugs, weighing more than 60 pounds, and vehicle were processed for seizure. The subject was arrested and turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.

Individuals arrested are charged with a criminal complaint, which raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until competent evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

CBP's Office of Field Operations is the primary organization within Homeland Security tasked with an anti-terrorism mission at our nation’s ports. OFO officers screen all people, vehicles and goods entering the United States while facilitating the flow of legitimate trade and travel. Their mission also includes carrying out border-related duties, including narcotics interdiction, enforcing immigration and trade laws, and protecting the nation's food supply and agriculture industry from pests and diseases.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.

Former Hidalgo County Probation Officer and Six Family Members Convicted for Defrauding Aflac

Thirty-Five Convicted to Date in Connection with Multi-Million-Dollar Health Insurance Fraud Ring

McALLEN, TX—Homer Cedillo Jr., a former Hidalgo County District Court probation officer, along with his mother, two aunts, and three cousins, have been convicted for defrauding the American Family Life Assurance Company (Aflac), United States Attorney Kenneth Magidson announced today. The seven pleaded guilty in federal court in McAllen less than an hour ago.

A total of 36 persons were charged with conspiracy and wire fraud in mid-June 2011 in connection with a multi-million-dollar scheme to defraud Aflac involving the filing of thousands of false injury claims under Aflac’s Accident-Only Supplemental Insurance Plan. Today, at a hearing before Chief U.S. District Judge Ricardo Hinojosa, Cedillo, 42, of Edinburg, Texas, pleaded guilty. The six others who alos pleaded guilty today were Mary Cedillo, 65, of Edinburg, Texas, and Martha Ortega, 58, Yolanda Segovia, 55, Candida Chavez, 35, Lori Chavez, 29, and Anissa Chavez, 31, all of McAllen, Texas. As a result of today’s guilty pleas, 35 of the 36 defendants charged in this case have been convicted of wire fraud.

According to information presented at today’s hearing, the above-named defendants were policyholders under Aflac’s Accident-Only Supplemental Insurance Plan at various times from 2005 through 2010. During that time period, they would routinely deliver lists of fake accidents and injuries to two licensed physicians who worked at a clinic together in Reynosa, Tamaulipas, Mexico. After receiving the lists, the physicians prepared an “accident report” for each fake injury in exchange for a cash kickback of approximately $15 per accident report. In each report, the physicians falsely claimed they had provided treatment and prescribed medicine to the defendants for their purported injuries. Over time, the above-named defendants and their co-conspirators faxed a total of approximately 21,000 false injury claims, each accompanied by a false accident report prepared by the physicians, to Aflac’s claims department in Columbus, Ga., causing Aflac to disburse in excess of $3 million in insurance proceeds.

Chief Judge Hinojosa has scheduled sentencing for Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2012, at which time they will face up to 20 years in federal prison without parole and a $250,000 fine.

The investigation leading to the charges was conducted by FBI with valuable assistance from Aflac’s Special Investigations Unit in Columbus, Ga. Assistant United States Attorney Greg Saikin is prosecuting the case.

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.

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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.

High-Ranking Taiwan Representative Charged with Fraud in Foreign Labor Contracting

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KANSAS CITY, MO—Beth Phillips, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a high-ranking representative of Taiwan was charged in federal court today with fraud in foreign labor contracting for fraudulently obtaining a Filipino servant for her residence.

Hsien-Hsien “Jacqueline” Liu, 64, of Taiwan, residing in Leawood, Kan., was charged in a criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo. Liu is the director general of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office located in Kansas City, Mo. The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office is part of the Taiwan organization responsible for maintaining close unofficial relations between the people of the United States and the people on Taiwan. They are generally the equivalent of a consulate of a foreign government, but the United States does not recognize Taiwan as a sovereign state.

Today’s criminal complaint alleges that Liu fraudulently obtained an employment contract with a Filipino housekeeper, whom Liu then brought to the United States to work for her on a B-1 visa. Liu allegedly paid her significantly less than the contractual amount and forced her to work excessive hours and perform tasks outside the terms of the contract.

According to an affidavit filed in support of today’s criminal complaint, Liu hired a woman (identified as “Female Victim” or “FV”) who was living in the Philippines in November 2010. Liu signed an employment contract, which was used to obtain a B-1 visa for the victim. The victim arrived in the United States on March 5, 2011, the affidavit says, and began working for Liu the next day.

Once in the United States, the affidavit says, Liu paid the Filipino worker $400-450 per month, although the employment contract stipulated a salary of $1,240 per month. Liu allegedly required the victim to work six days a week, 16 to 18 hours a day, and forbid her to leave the house without permission. Under the terms of her employment contract, the affidavit says, she was to work no more than eight hours a day, 40 hours per week, and her presence was not required inside the residence except during working hours.

Liu took the victim’s passport and visa and would not return them, according to the affidavit. Liu allegedly told the victim that she was friends with local law enforcement and well known in the community, and threatened her with deportation. Liu monitored the victim from a video surveillance cameras she had installed inside her residence, the affidavit says.

According to the affidavit, Liu was verbally abusive to the victim and had her conduct additional manual labor and personal services for Liu.

During a trip to the grocery store, the affidavit says, the victim located a Filipino inside the store and sought his help. The victim told him that she was trapped, and being underpaid and mistreated. He communicated with her at church, the affidavit says, but eventually Liu required that she work on Sundays so she was not able to attend. On Aug. 10, 2011, he helped the victim escape from Liu’s residence.

Phillips cautioned that the charges contained in this complaint are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cynthia L. Cordes. It was investigated by the FBI and the U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division, in conjunction with the Human Trafficking Rescue Project.

Camden Man Sentenced to 110 Months in Prison for Robbing West Deptford, New Jersey Bank

CAMDEN, NJ—A Camden man was sentenced today to 110 months in prison for robbing the TD Bank in West Deptford, N.J., U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.

Angel Luis Martinez, 53, previously pleaded guilty to an information charging him with bank robbery, admitting he robbed the TD Bank in West Deptford on January 25, 2011. Martinez entered his guilty plea before U.S. District Judge Joseph E. Irenas, who also imposed the sentence today in Camden federal court.

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

On January 25, 2011, Martinez entered a TD Bank in West Deptford, approached a bank teller and threatened her, saying: “This is a robbery, give me $10,000 or I will shoot you.” The bank teller complied with Martinez’s demand, going to the bank’s vault with Martinez waiting outside. Afterward, Martinez fled the bank with the money.

In addition to the prison term, Judge Irenas sentenced Martinez to three years of supervised release and ordered him to pay restitution in the amount of $10,000 to the bank.

U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent In Charge George C. Venizelos in Philadelphia, as well as the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office, the West Deptford Township Police Department, and the Woodbury City Police Department for their work leading to today’s sentence.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Diana Carrig of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Camden.

Defense counsel: Lori Koch Esq., Assistant Federal Public Defender, Camden

A New Standard for Effective Collaboration

USA partners with Dominican Republic

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By Tracy Russo

Today Attorney General Holder traveled to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, to join Prosecutor General Radhaméz Jiménez Peña in signing an important asset sharing agreement that marks the culmination of a major international fraud case.

This agreement, which relates to an estimated $37 million in criminal assets that are currently being recovered by U.S. and Dominican officials, represents the opening of an historic new chapter in the strong record of law enforcement cooperation that has long defined the relationship between these two nations.

These millions stem from the case of the so-called Benitez Brothers, who defrauded the Medicare Program to the tune of an estimated $80 million. But the United States could not recover these assets, or ensure justice, alone. Fortunately, thanks to unprecedented levels of cooperation between American officials and their Dominican counterparts over a period of more than two years, we were able to conduct an exhaustive investigation and build a strong case.

With this agreement, these two nations set a new standard for effective collaboration. 20 percent of all assets recovered from this case with the office of the Prosecutor General of the Dominican Republic, who will put them to good use – improving prison facilities, combating organized crime, and providing security for witnesses who are crucial to the successful prosecution of criminal cases.

Today’s signing ceremony marks the fourth time in ten years that America’s government has recognized – through asset sharing – the remarkable forfeiture assistance that Dominican authorities have afforded to the United States. It reaffirms our common values, as well as our ongoing commitment to the goals that the United States and the Dominican Republic share: protecting our citizens, strengthening our borders, improving public safety, reducing recidivism, and preventing and combating gang- and drug-fueled crime and violence.

But today’s agreement is more than an encouraging step forward, and an affirmation of the shared desire to increase cooperation and collaboration, on one specific case. The U.S. and the Dominican Republic have entered into negotiations for a permanent agreement that will govern the asset sharing relationship long into the future. We look forward to the rapid conclusion of these negotiations, and to the timely adoption of such an agreement.

The Justice Department and the Attorney General are grateful to the attorneys, investigators, and law enforcement officers – in the United States as well as the Dominican Republic – whose efforts in this international police effort proved so instrumental in helping to bring the Benitez Brothers to justice.

Salisbury Cardiologist Sentenced to Over Eight Years in Prison for Implanting Unnecessary Cardiac Stents

Inserted Unnecessary Stents in Patients and Submitted Insurance Claims for Unnecessary Procedures, Services, and Testing

BALTIMORE—U.S. District Judge William D. Quarles, Jr. sentenced cardiologist John R. McLean, age 59, of Salisbury, Maryland, today to 97 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for six health care fraud offenses in connection with a scheme in which Dr. McLean submitted insurance claims for inserting unnecessary cardiac stents, ordered unnecessary tests and made false entries in patient medical records, in order to defraud Medicare, Medicaid and private insurers. Judge Quarles also ordered that McLean pay restitution to Medicare and the other health insurance programs of $579,070. Judge Quarles also ordered McLean to forfeit $579,070 as proceeds of the crime.

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; and Special Agent in Charge Nicholas DiGiulio, Office of Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services, Philadelphia Region which includes Maryland.

“The jury found that Dr. McLean egregiously violated the trust of his patients and made false entries in their medical records to justify implanting unneeded cardiac stents and billing for the surgery and follow-up care,” said U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein.

“Placing unnecessary stents in the hearts of patients is a crime of unthinkable proportions,” said Nicholas DiGiulio, Special Agent in Charge for the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. “A doctor who insists on practicing greed rather than good medicine will ultimately pay a heavy price.”

According to evidence presented at his two week trial, McLean had a private medical practice known as John R. McLean M.D. and Associates, located at 1315 S. Division Street in Salisbury. He had hospital privileges at the Peninsula Regional Medical Center (“PRMC”). From at least 2003 to May 2007, McLean performed cardiac catheterizations and implanted unnecessary cardiac stents in more than 100 patients at PRMC. He then falsely recorded in the patients’ medical records the existence or extent of coronary artery blockage, known as lesions, observed during the procedures in order to justify the stent and the submission of claims to health care benefit programs, including Medicare and Medicaid.

In addition, McLean ordered that his cardiac patients, including those that received stents, undergo a battery of medically unnecessary follow up tests such as cardiolite stress tests, echocardiograms and EKGs. McLean submitted claims for the unnecessary stents and testing that were paid by health care benefit programs, including Medicare and Medicaid.

United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein thanked the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Office of Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services for their assistance in the investigation.

Mr. Rosenstein commended Assistant United States Attorneys Sandra Wilkinson, Mark Crooks and Thomas Corcoran, who are prosecuting the case.

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Brazilian woman convicted of visa fraud conspiracy involving more than 1,000 illegal workers

ORLANDO, Fla. — A federal jury found a Brazilian woman residing in Orlando guilty of alien smuggling and conspiracy to commit alien smuggling and worker visa fraud on Monday, following an investigation that began with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

Rafaela Dutra Toro, 30, faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. She was indicted on Jan. 26. Her sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled.

"The individuals involved in this case orchestrated a very large and very complex visa fraud ring. They took jobs away from U.S. citizens and others who are legally allowed to work in this country by knowingly employing people who were not authorized to work in the United States," said Susan McCormick, special agent in charge of HSI in Tampa. "Through cases like this one, HSI is helping to protect our economy and preserve job opportunities from being lost due to fraud."

Toro is a citizen of Brazil and will be subject to removal from the United States after serving her sentence.

According to evidence presented at trial, Toro worked for VR Services, a large temporary labor staffing company based in Orlando, which supplied temporary labor to numerous businesses in the hotel and hospitality industries throughout Florida and the United States. The scheme allowed Toro and her co-conspirators to set up a permanent foreign labor pool that hired illegal alien workers across the United States in jobs that would normally have been filled by United States citizens. As part of the conspiracy, Toro and her co-conspirators submitted false documentation to the government and manipulated the H-2B foreign worker visa process. They also submitted fake hotel contract agreements to conceal their activities and falsely reported that U.S. workers had been hired when they had not.

To further the conspiracy, they falsely claimed that no payments had been collected from the alien workers, when in fact the workers had actually paid between $350 to $750 each, to be placed on the fraudulent H-2B visa petitions. Through their complex visa fraud and alien smuggling activities, Toro and her co-conspirators supplied foreign workers to more than 100 hotels and allowed more than 1,000 foreign workers to enter and remain in the United States illegally using fraudulently obtained H-2B employment-based visas. An H-2B visa is granted to certain qualified foreign workers seeking temporary employment in the United States.

Four co-conspirators previously pled guilty for their roles in this conspiracy. Wilson and Valeria Barbugli were sentenced in October 2010 to 18 months and 24 months in federal prison, respectively. Their son, Eduardo Dozzi Barbugli, was sentenced in December 2010 to 20 months in federal prison. A fourth co-conspirator, Jose Maria Meza Diaz, will be sentenced later this month.

This case was jointly investigated by the Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force (DBFTF), a multi-agency task force that coordinates investigations into fraudulent immigration documents. The task force includes ICE HSI; the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Office of Labor Racketeering and Fraud Investigations; the U.S. Department of State, Diplomatic Security Service; and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Fraud Detection and National Security.

The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie E. Gorman.

Eagle Pass Border Patrol Agents Make Significant Ammo Seizure

Del Rio, Texas – U.S. Border Patrol agents assigned to the Eagle Pass North Station seized nearly 9,000 rounds of ammunition Thursday.

Agents seized three abandoned black duffel bags containing a total of 8,960 rounds of ammunition worth $2,235.

Thursday afternoon, agents patrolling near the Rio Grande River, observed three individuals walking toward the river carrying large duffel bags. As agents approached them, the subjects abandoned the bags and absconded into Mexico. During a thorough search, of the area agents found three abandoned black duffel bags containing a total of 8,960 rounds of ammunition worth $2,235.

The ammunition was turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.

Mexican National Sentenced for Meth Conspiracy

KANSAS CITY, MO—Beth Phillips, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Mexican national was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.

Francisco Rodriguez-Guerra, also known as Felipe Camarena, 24, a citizen of Mexico residing in the Kansas City, Mo., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to 12 years and seven months in federal prison without parole.

On March 16, 2011, Rodriguez-Guerra and co-defendant Gilberto Baldenegro-Valdez, 28, also a citizen of Mexico, were convicted by a jury of participating in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Baldenegro-Valdez was sentenced to 13 years in federal prison without parole on Sept. 20, 2011.

Rodriguez-Guerra and Baldenegro-Valdez, both of whom were illegally present in the United States, sold high grade, pure methamphetamine to a confidential informant during two controlled transactions on March 21, 2010.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Justin G. Davids and Brian P. Casey. It was investigated by the FBI, the Jackson County Drug Task Force and the Independence, Mo., Police Department.

Nogales CBP Officers Make Significant Drug Seizure

Marijuana Hidden in Shipment of Produce

Nogales, Ariz. - Customs and Border Protection officers assigned to the Tucson Field Office, a component of CBP’s Joint Field Command-Arizona, seized almost 3,000 pounds of marijuana worth nearly $1.5 million discovered Monday evening hidden in a shipment of watermelons.

Nogales CBP officers referred a 44-year-old Mexican man for a non-intrusive X-ray inspection of his Volvo truck when he attempted to enter the United States at the Mariposa Commercial Port. The X-ray operator noticed an anomaly in the shipment, prompting a physical inspection. Officers then discovered 128 bundles of marijuana weighing 2,981 pounds co-mingled with the produce. The marijuana and tractor-trailer were processed for seizure. The driver was arrested and turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.

Individuals arrested are charged with a criminal complaint, which raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until competent evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

CBP's Office of Field Operations is the primary organization within Homeland Security tasked with an anti-terrorism mission at our nation’s ports. OFO officers screen all people, vehicles and goods entering the United States while facilitating the flow of legitimate trade and travel. Their mission also includes carrying out border-related duties, including narcotics interdiction, enforcing immigration and trade laws, and protecting the nation's food supply and agriculture industry from pests and diseases.

Follow us on Twitter @CBPArizona or visit us at the CBP Arizona website for more information. 

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.

Federal Authorities Nab 69 Undocumented Aliens From Dominican Republic

Group Jammed Inside A 35-Foot Wooden Vessel

Aguadilla, Puerto Rico – A combined effort by law enforcement authorities under the Caribbean Border Interagency Group intercepted last night a “yola” type vessel with 69 undocumented aliens on board seven miles off the northwestern coast of the island.

Near midnight, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection Marine Patrol Aircraft with crews from the Caribbean Air and Marine Branch and Ramey Sector Border Patrol Agents, located a “yola” type vessel with a significant group of persons on board without navigational lights, approximately 12 nautical miles off the coast of Isabela..

Under constant surveillance by CBP MPA, a Coast Guard Sector San Juan cutter was notified of a 35-foot migrant boat traveling illegally to Puerto Rico, approximately 12 nautical miles off the coast of Isabela.

Coast Guard Cutter Sapelo arrived on scene, with the assistance of a CBP Marine Interceptor and CBP Blackhawk embarked all 69 migrants from their grossly overloaded boat that was taking on water.

The crew of the Sapelo destroyed the migrant boat as a hazard to navigation. They also processed the migrants’ biographical information for the 58 men and 11 women, including taking their digital fingerprints and facial photographs, to determine if they had any criminal or illegal immigration history in the United States or a U.S. territory.

The USCG cutter Sapelo rendezvoused with Ramey Sector Border Patrol Agents, who made immigration interviews of the migrants and took 28 Dominicans into custody to face criminal proceedings ashore.

The crew of the Sapelo repatriated the remaining 41 migrants to La Romana, Dominican Republic as they turned custody of the migrants to awaiting Dominican Republic Naval authorities ashore.

The concept of CBIG resulted from a March 2006 collaboration of local Homeland Security components that effectively stemmed the increased flow of traffic across the Mona Passage between the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. In July 2006, CBIG was formally created to unify efforts of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection,, the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) the United States Attorney‘s Office, District of Puerto Rico, and Puerto Rico Police Joint Forces of Rapid action (FURA) in their common goal of securing Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands against illegal maritime traffic and gaining control of our nation’s Caribbean borders.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.

Carver Man Indicted for Producing Child Pornography

MINNEAPOLIS—Earlier today in federal court in St. Paul, a 48-year-old Carver man was indicted for producing images of child pornography. Randy Davies Anderson was specifically charged with one count of production of child pornography. The indictment alleges that in January of 2011, Anderson induced and coerced a minor female child to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing visual depictions of such conduct.

According to a Carver County criminal complaint, authorities learned about Anderson in July of 2011, during another child pornography investigation. Agents found two pornographic images on that subject’s computer that were sent from Anderson. On September 6, 2011, agents executed a search warrant at Anderson’s residence and seized computers and other related items, which were later found to have contained images of child pornography.

If convicted, Anderson faces a potential maximum penalty of 30 years in prison, with a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years. All sentences will be determined by a federal district court judge. Anderson remains in custody.

This case is the result of an investigation by the Carver County Sheriff’s Office and the Minnesota Cyber Crimes Task Force, which is sponsored by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Secret Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David P. Steinkamp.

Presently, the Justice Department is funding a study concerning the correlation between involvement in child pornography and the hands-on sexual abuse of children. A 2008 study (The Butner Study) published in the Journal of Family Violence found that up to 80 percent of federal inmates incarcerated for possession, receipt, or distribution of child pornography also admitted to hands-on sexual abuse of children, ranging from touching to rape.

The U.S. Department of Justice is committed to combating the sexual exploitation of children, particularly via the Internet. In Fiscal Year 2010, 2,235 defendants pleaded guilty to federal child pornography charges, 2,222 of whom were sentenced to prison. In Fiscal Year 2009, 2,083 defendants were sentenced to prison on child pornography charges. For more information about these efforts, please visit the Department’s Project Safe Childhood website, at projectsafechildhood.gov.