Month: September 2022

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Security News: Phoenix Man Charged with Assaulting a Border Patrol Agent

Source: United States Department of Justice News

TUCSON, Ariz. – Last week, Daniel Jerome Wagner, 54, of Phoenix, Arizona, was arrested on one count of Assault on a Federal Officer with the Use of a Deadly or Dangerous Weapon. Wagner was charged by criminal complaint and had his initial appearance on Friday before United States Magistrate Judge Eric J. Markovich.

On September 21, 2022, near Douglas, Arizona, a U.S. Border Patrol (USBP) agent attempted to conduct an immigration inspection of a vehicle driven by Wagner, who was suspected of engaging in smuggling undocumented noncitizens. The agent followed Wagner’s vehicle, which was traveling westbound at a high rate of speed on U.S. State Route 80. Wagner then abruptly stopped his vehicle,  causing the vehicle to spin in the middle of the highway. The agent stopped his vehicle and saw Wagner driving eastbound directly towards his fully marked U.S. Border Patrol vehicle. As Wagner drove towards the agent, he crossed into the agent’s lane, forcing the agent to drive off the highway and onto the shoulder to avoid being struck. Wagner drove past the agent’s vehicle, narrowly missing him. Other agents followed Wagner and eventually arrested him.

A conviction for Assault on a Federal Officer with the Use of a Deadly or Dangerous Weapon carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to$250,000, or both.

A criminal complaint is simply the method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and 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.

Customs and Border Protection’s U.S. Border Patrol conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Raquel Arellano, District of Arizona, Tucson, is handling the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:              22-00607MJ
RELEASE NUMBER:      2022-162_Wagner

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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.

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Defense News: FRCE artisans earn kudos for repairing damaged vintage aircraft

Source: United States Navy

A pair of Fleet Readiness Center East (FRCE) artisans recently got a chance to step back in time while doing a good deed for the community.

Robert Waits and Thomas McKeel worked together for about a dozen years as sheet metal mechanics on the CH-46 helicopter line at FRCE, which ceased operations in 2012. When the two friends were asked to repair damage to the HH-46D “Pedro” search and rescue helicopter that serves as a local landmark in Havelock, they jumped at the chance.

The damaged H-46 helicopter is one of three vintage aircraft on permanent display in front of the Havelock Tourist and Event Center, along with an RF-4B Phantom II and an A-4M Skyhawk. Two windows on the helicopter were broken and a third was cracked in a case of suspected vandalism. McKeel, now a sheet metal mechanic on FRCE’s H-53 line, said his supervisor approached him about repairing the windows on the Vietnam-era aircraft, and he asked his friend Waits, now working in the Security Department as the FRCE locksmith, if he would be interested in working on the project together.

“I told my supervisors that this was a sentimental project for me because it’s an aircraft I enjoyed working on that’s not around anymore,” Waits said. “I expressed my interest in doing this service for the community, and they gave me the go-ahead.”

The pair said they replaced the two broken windows and repaired the crack in the third in less than two hours – far less time than the job was predicted to take. McKeel said it was a credit to their experience that they were able to complete the job so quickly.

“The first time we did that repair, you would spend all day trying to get that one window in place with the proper tooling, which we didn’t have since the platform has gone away,” McKeel said. “It’s one of those things that you had to do more than one time, many times, to get good at it. And we did it for many years.”

McKeel and Waits may have made quick work of the repair job, but they have earned the appreciation of the local community for bringing a local landmark back to its restored condition. Havelock City Manager Chris McGee said FRCE’s efforts to quickly repair the damaged aircraft demonstrates that the facility is a good neighbor in the Havelock community.

“The aircraft that we have on display are on loan to the city of Havelock, but they are a huge part of our community and our identity as home to Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point,” McGee said. “We don’t budget to do regular repairs on the display aircraft, so from a citizen’s standpoint this has a huge impact for FRC East to step up to the plate, provide the parts and repair this aircraft for us. The amazing people at FRC East do this kind of work every day, and we are very appreciative of their efforts on behalf of the city.”

FRCE Commanding Officer Capt. James Belmont honored the two artisans by presenting each of them with one of his personal coins.

“At the end of the day, you just polished FRCE’s reputation with the community. They know if something goes wrong, they can call on us at a moment’s notice,” Belmont told Waits and McKeel. “You guys did the job quickly and well, and had fun doing it. You made us all look good, and I applaud your efforts.”

McKeel and Waits agreed that they would gladly take on another aircraft restoration project if the opportunity arises, especially if they could tackle the project as a team.

“Not everybody can relive their history, but this was really fun,” Waits said. “To go in there and experience something we haven’t done in so many years, and it’s supporting FRCE, that’s just a plus.”

“I would do it all over again. I just love that aircraft,” said McKeel. “The H-46 line was one big family. It was a privilege, and a lot of fun, to be able to work on that aircraft again.”

FRCE is North Carolina’s largest maintenance, repair, overhaul and technical services provider, with more than 4,000 civilian, military and contract workers. Its annual revenue exceeds $1 billion. The depot provides service to the fleet while functioning as an integral part of the greater U.S. Navy; Naval Air Systems Command; and Commander, Fleet Readiness Centers.

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Defense News: U.S. Coast Guard in Middle East Seizes $85 Million in Heroin

Source: United States Navy

While operating in support of Combined Task Force (CTF) 150, USCGC Charles Moulthrope (WPC 1141) seized 2,410 kilograms of heroin as the fishing vessel transited international waters. CTF 150 is one of four task forces under the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF), the world’s largest multinational naval partnership.

The Royal Saudi Navy assumed command of CTF 150 in July during a ceremony in Manama, Bahrain, where the task force is headquartered.    

“This sizable seizure demonstrates a profound commitment among our international partners to disrupting and deterring destabilizing activity in the region,” said Vice Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, U.S. 5th Fleet and CMF. “I am proud of the flawless efforts by CMF, the Saudi-led CTF 150 team and the Charles Moulthrope crew.”

Charles Moulthrope began operating in the Middle East in May 2021. Its crew of nearly 30 Coast Guardsmen includes the ship’s 24 plankowners who were the original crewmembers when the ship commissioned in January 2021.

CMF consists of 34 member-nations whose forces operate in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Northern Arabian Sea, Gulf of Oman, Arabian Gulf and Indian Ocean.

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Security News: Repeat Felon Sentenced to 12 Years in Federal Prison for Armed Fentanyl Trafficking

Source: United States Department of Justice News

INDIANAPOLIS – Nyron Harmon, 31, of Indianapolis, was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime.

According to court documents, on January 29, 2021, officers with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) and the Indiana State Police (ISP) were investigating Harmon due to outstanding warrants. Officers found Harmon at his residence in Indianapolis. Harmon was seen carrying a box from his residence, entering the passenger seat of a vehicle, and driving away. Officers stopped the vehicle and Harmon was arrested for his outstanding warrants. A loaded .40 caliber handgun was found on the seat where Harmon was sitting. The handgun was previously reported stolen.

An ISP K9 alerted to narcotics near the front passenger door of the vehicle where Harmon was sitting. The vehicle was searched, and the box Harmon was seen carrying from his residence was found on the front passenger floorboard. The box contained 200 grams of fentanyl, approximately 27 grams of methamphetamine, scales, packing materials for drug distribution, and another stolen, loaded handgun. Harmon also had over $2,000 in U.S. currency on his person. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, as little as 2 milligrams of fentanyl can be fatal, depending on a person’s body size, tolerance, and past usage. One kilogram of fentanyl has the potential to kill 500,000 people.

Following Harmon’s arrest, a search warrant was executed at his residence. Officers found numerous bags of suspected methamphetamine, fentanyl, cutting agents, blenders being used for drug distribution, digital scales, packaging materials, a disassembled .38 special revolver, firearm magazines, and ammunition.

Harmon has three prior felony convictions for drug and firearm offenses and four misdemeanor convictions. Harmon accumulated some of these convictions while serving probation for prior offenses. Harmon is prohibited from possessing firearms by federal law due to his previous felony convictions. 

Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, and Herbert J. Stapleton, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Indianapolis Field Office, made the announcement.

The FBI investigated the case in conjunction with IMPD and ISP. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge James R. Sweeney II. As part of the sentence, Judge Sweeney ordered that Harmon be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for four years following his release from federal prison.

U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Pamela S. Domash who prosecuted this case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

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Security News: Lackawanna County Man Charged With Covid-Relief Fraud, Credit Card Fraud, And Identity Theft Offenses

Source: United States Department of Justice News

SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on September 23, 2022, Robert Brownstein, age 51, of Scranton, Pennsylvania, was charged in a criminal information with wire fraud conspiracy and aggravated identity theft.

According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the information alleges that Brownstein and his coconspirators used stolen identities to create forged identification documents and credit and debit cards.  It is alleged that the conspirators used those forged items and stolen identities to open bank accounts, apply for lines of credit, and obtain retail merchandise.  The conspirators also used the stolen identities to apply for multiple COVID-19 pandemic relief loans issued under the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), including by submitted false federal tax documentation.

The PPP is designed to help small businesses facing financial difficulties during the COVID-19 pandemic.  Funded by the March 2020 CARES Act, PPP funds are offered in forgivable loans, provided that certain criteria are met, including use of the funds for employee payroll, mortgage interest, lease, and utilities expenses.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, and the Pottsville Bureau of Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Phillip J. Caraballo is prosecuting the case.

On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.

Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

The maximum penalty under federal law for the wire fraud conspiracy offense is 30 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine.  The aggravated identity theft offense carries a mandatory two-year sentence of imprisonment that is to run consecutive to any other term of imprisonment imposed.  A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.

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