GCIS INTELLIGENCE BRIEFING: Two Georgia Residents Charged in Sex Trafficking Ring That Used Internet to Recruit Women

 

ISSUED BY: GCIS Communications Command Center

SOURCE: FBI

19May2011 6:28pmEST

GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE:   ATLANTA—SOLOMAN MANASSEH MUSTAFA, 37, of Stone Mountain, Georgia, and KALANDRA ANNETTE WALLACE, 24, of Jonesboro, Georgia have been indicted on federal charges relating to a sex trafficking ring operating in the Atlanta area. MUSTAFA was arraigned today before United States Magistrate Judge Christopher Hagy. An arraignment for WALLACE has not yet been scheduled. MUSTAFA and WALLACE face federal charges of sex trafficking, kidnapping, transporting women across state lines for prostitution, and document servitude. MUSTAFA also faces charges of receiving material involving the sexual exploitation of a minor, and of coercion and enticement of a minor for sexual activity. MUSTAFA and WALLACE were indicted by a federal grand jury on May 10, 2011.

United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates said of the case, “Sex trafficking is unfortunately one of Atlanta’s most significant criminal problems. This case, like many, contains allegations of the defendants brutally assaulting women to force them into acts of prostitution in three states. While all of the victims managed to escape from the defendants, many were allegedly beaten, raped, handcuffed, and forced to snort cocaine by the defendant and his co-conspirator before they got away.”

Brian D. Lamkin, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Atlanta, said, “The FBI remains committed to working with our various law enforcement partners in combating human trafficking and bringing forward for prosecution those individuals that would exploit others for personal gain. Public awareness of these types of crimes are not enough. Public involvement in reporting these matters to the FBI or other law enforcement is needed in turning the tide in the eradicating the scourge that is human trafficking.”

According to the indictment and other information presented in court: MUSTAFA and co-defendant WALLACE allegedly recruited and enticed young women via advertisements on Internet sites such as Craigslist and Backpage with the goal of forcing them into prostitution in the Atlanta metropolitan area, Alabama, and North Carolina. MUSTAFA and WALLACE are charged with conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking for physically assaulting many of the women, preventing them from leaving hotels or apartments, and forcing them to engage in commercial sex acts.

Specifically, the indictment alleges that two victims were bound with duct tape and placed in a closet. These victims, still bound with duct tape, were ultimately taken against their will to Homewood, Alabama for the purpose of having sex with men. Two other victims were allegedly forced to have sex with men and turn all of the money earned over to MUSTAFA and WALLACE. MUSTAFA’s alleged violent behavior was the same with many of the victims: he or WALLACE would pretend to want to date the women, but, instead, MUSTAFA allegedly would rape them. According to the indictment, one victim had a gun pointed at her head and was ordered to remove her clothes and stand naked in a corner of the room. Other women were forced to inhale a white powdery substance that appeared to be cocaine. Two victims were allegedly handcuffed to the bed to keep them from leaving.

MUSTAFA is also charged with receiving child pornography and attempting to persuade a juvenile to have sex with him. MUSTAFA allegedly communicated via text messaging with a young girl whom he believed to be 14 years old. In those text messages, he instructed the juvenile to send him photos of herself. Once MUSTAFA saw the photos, he told the juvenile that she could be his sex slave and he went to the juvenile’s home to pick her up. The juvenile left her home by tying bed sheets together and climbing out the window. Fortunately, MUSTAFA let the young girl go in a subdivision close to her home.

The indictment alleges that MUSTAFA and WALLACE also took the identification of some of the victims. After one victim escaped, MUSTAFA and WALLACE kept her identification and used it to rent hotel rooms and a house.

The sex trafficking, kidnapping, and coercion of a minor charges carry a maximum sentence of life in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. In determining the actual sentence, the court will consider the United States Sentencing Guidelines, which are not binding but provide appropriate sentencing ranges for most offenders.

Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.

If anyone has any information about this or any human trafficking case, they are encouraged to report that information to the Federal Bureau of Investigation at 404-679-9000.

This case is being investigated by special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the FBI’s Metro Atlanta Child Exploitation Task Force which includes the Atlanta Police Department, the Gwinnett County Police Department, the City of Marietta Police Department, and the Sandy Springs Police Department. Other departments that have assisted in the investigation are the Holly Springs Police Department, the DeKalb County Police Department, the Clayton County Police Department, and the Homewood, Alabama Police Department.

Assistant United States Attorneys Susan Coppedge and Nekia S. Hackworth are prosecuting the case.

(read full report)

"GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE" is an intelligence briefing presented by Griffith Colson Intelligence Service, and provided to the public for informative purposes only. All subject matter is credited to it's source of origin, and is not intended to represent original content authored by GCIS, it's partners or affiliates. All opinions presented are those of the author, and not necessarily those of GCIS or it's partners.

GCIS INTELLIGENCE BRIEFING: Leader of Violent D.C. Drug Gang Sentenced to Lengthy Prison Term

ISSUED BY: GCIS Communications Command Center

SOURCE: FBI

17March2011 9:25pmEST

GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE: WASHINGTON—Antwuan Ball, 40, was sentenced today to a prison term of 18 years and nine months for drug-dealing activities that took place when he was the leader of the Congress Park Crew, a violent drug gang that operated in Southeast Washington.

The sentencing, in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, was announced by U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr.; James W. McJunkin, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI's Washington Field Office; and Cathy L. Lanier, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

Ball, also known as Big Ant, appeared before the Honorable Richard W. Roberts for sentencing for one count of unlawful distribution of five grams or more of crack cocaine. The judge cited the defendant's leadership role in the gang as well as his possession of guns during the time that he dealt crack cocaine in the Congress Park area.

Ball, of Washington, D.C., was one of six defendants prosecuted by the government during an eight-month trial in 2007. During that trial, the government presented evidence that Ball, along with his five co-defendants, Gregory Bell, aka Boy-Boy; Joseph Jones, aka Jo-Jo; Dominic Samuels, aka Don; Desmond Thurston, aka Daz; and David Wilson, also known as Cool Wop, as well as others, were members of a crew that had engaged in a series of crimes, including crack cocaine dealing, armed robbery, attempted murder, and murder in the Congress Park neighborhood of Southeast Washington for more than a decade.

Since March of 2005, 18 individuals have been indicted in connection with this case. Ball and his five-co-defendants were the final defendants remaining from the original March 2005 indictment. The others previously pled guilty or had been found guilty after trial.

The jury in this trial acquitted the six defendants of the charged conspiracy in this case, but convicted them on 18 other felony charges stemming from violence and drug-dealing.

Judge Roberts previously sentenced co-defendant Bell to a 16-year prison term. Jones was sentenced to a 15-year term, and Thurston to 16 years and two months. The jury was unable to reach a verdict against Samuels in the August 2002 murder of Jamel Sills, aka Black. However, Samuels subsequently pled guilty to manslaughter while armed and was sentenced to a seven-year prison term.

Wilson, another leader of the gang, was sentenced last week to the longest term for any of the defendants: 45 years and eight months in prison for his role in two murders and other crimes. The murder charges stemmed from the slayings of Ronnie "Squid" Middleton, 27, and Sabrina Bradley, 26, which took place early August 17, 1998 in the 1500 block of Congress Place SE.

In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen, Assistant Director McJunkin and Chief Lanier praised the collective and cooperative efforts of the law enforcement agencies that worked together to investigate and prosecute this complex case, including the MPD, the FBI/MPD Safe Streets Task Force, and the United States Park Police.

In addition, they commended the outstanding work of the special agents from the FBI's Washington Field Office; MPD Detectives Anthony Brigidini, Kenneth Todd Williams, Constantinos "Gus" Giannakoulias, and Anthony Commodore; William Sepeck and Paul Edwards, of the U.S. Park Police; and Special Investigator Diane Eickman.

Also, they praised the staff at the U.S. Attorney's Office, including Paralegal Specialist James Mazzitelli; Victim-Witness Advocate Yvonne Bryant; Victim-Witness Specialists Katina Adams, LaVerne Forrest, and Debbie Cannon; Intelligence Specialists Frank Morgan, Larry Grasso, and Shannon Alexis, and Legal Assistants Dianne Brashears, Carolyn Carter-McKinley, Patricia Hall, and Nadi Ishman. They also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Glenn S. Leon, Ann Petalas, and Gilberto Guerrero Jr., who prosecuted the case, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney M. Jeffrey Beatrice, who led the initial investigation. (read full report)

"GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE" is an intelligence briefing presented by Griffith Colson Intelligence Service, and provided to the public for informative purposes only. All subject matter is credited to it's source of origin, and is not intended to represent original content authored by GCIS, it's partners or affiliates. All opinions presented are those of the author, and not necessarily those of GCIS or it's partners.

GCIS INTELLIGENCE BRIEFING: Twenty-Eight Indicted in Large-Scale Cocaine Trafficking Ring Operating in Ohio

ISSUED BY: GCIS Communications Command Center

SOURCE: FBI

17March2011 9:13pmEST

GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE: A federal grand jury returned a 50-count indictment against 28 people who are accused of participating in a large-scale cocaine trafficking ring operating in the Ashtabula, Ohio, area since 2008, Steven M. Dettelbach, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, Robert L. Corso, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Stephen D. Anthony, Special Agent in Charge, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and William Johnson, Ashtabula County Sheriff, announced today.

Law enforcement personnel seized more than five kilograms of cocaine and more than $267,000 in U.S. currency during the year-long investigation. Six handguns belonging to co-conspirators were also confiscated.

From January 2008 to September 8, 2010, defendants Francisco Felix-Felix, Ricardo Apodaca, Jose Miguel Cardenas, and Carlos Felix arranged for multiple kilogram quantities of cocaine to be brought into Northeast Ohio, including to a house on Plymouth Road in Eastlake, Ohio, according to the indictment.

Those defendants, along with Oscar Batres Jr. and Exiquio Felix-Beltran, then delivered the cocaine to Shawn Decola, of Ashtabula, according to the indictment.

The co-conspirators often used vehicles with hidden compartments to transport the cocaine, and to transport sums of cash used to pay for the cocaine, according to the indictment.

The indictment further alleges that upon receipt of the cocaine, Decola resold it to various individuals, to include defendants Isaac Coleman, Marcus Dennis, Desmond Triplin, as well as Chris Dyer and William Saad Bradley, who in turn resold the cocaine to other co-conspirators in the Ashtabula area.

The co-conspirators from time to time also “cooked,” or converted, quantities of powder cocaine into cocaine base (crack) and then sold the crack cocaine to other co-conspirators and to crack users, according to the indictment.

“These defendants brought lots of cocaine into Northeast Ohio and then pushed it out onto the streets of Ashtabula,” Dettelbach said. “They now face significant sentences in the federal system for selling this poison in our community.”

Anthony said: “Today’s arrests demonstrate what can be accomplished with federal, state, county and local agencies combine their expertise and unique talents to rid our communities of dangerous drug dealers, who have such a detrimental impact on our communities.”

Added Geno Corley, Resident Agent in Charge for the DEA: “The drugs supplied by this organization have destroyed untold numbers of lives and families, as well as contributed to a significant amount of crimes against persons and property in the Ashtabula area.”

The individuals charged in the indictment are:

FRANCISCO FELIX-FELIX, aka “Big G,” aka “Jose Gonzalez,” 36, Mesa, Arizona
RICARDO APODACA, 35, Lexxon, California
JOSE MIGUEL CARDENAS, 22, Pico Rivera, California
CARLOS FELIX, aka “Carlos Domingues,” 23, Moreno Valley, California
OSCAR BATRES JR., 25, Phoenix, Arizona
EXIQUIO FELIX-BELTRAN, 49, Unknown
ISAAC COLEMAN, aka “Ike,” 31, Ashtabula, Ohio
MARCUS DENNIS, 41, Cleveland Heights, Ohio
DESMOND TRIPLIN, aka “Dezi,” 25, Ashtabula, Ohio
ERIC DUNCAN DERRICOATTE, 30, Ashtabula, Ohio
JAMES DYER, aka “Poo,” 24, Ashtabula, Ohio
CLARENCE FRANKLIN, aka “C.L.,” 38, Ashtabula, Ohio
JASON BOLES, aka “J. Boles,” 30, Unknown
LEROY DERRICOATTE, 33, Ashtabula, Ohio
JASHON HUNT, 31, Ashtabula, Ohio
JOHN EVANS, 32, Ashtabula, Ohio
JIMMIE RUTH III, 32, Ashtabula, Ohio
CHRISTOPHER MILLER, 35, Kingsville, Ohio
JESSE MCDOWELL JR., aka “Man,” 30, Ashtabula, Ohio
ANTONIO PARKER, aka “Tonio,” 22, Ashtabula, Ohio
DANIEL HAMILTON JR., 25, Ashtabula, Ohio
RICKY JACKSON, 57, Ashtabula, Ohio
TERRANCE JACKSON, 36, Ashtabula, Ohio
ARTHUR EZELL JR., aka “Man Man,” 19, Ashtabula, Ohio
MATT DONAHUE, 26, Ashtabula, Ohio
MARLON SPIKES, 38, Painesville, Ohio
NICHELLE SPIKES, 43, Painesville, Ohio
TAQUELLA HOSKIN, aka “Taje,” 36, Ashtabula, Ohio

Three other Ashtabula, Ohio, residents—Decola, age 28, Chris Dyer, aka “Chubba,” age 27, and William Saad Bradley, aka “Saadi,” age 29—are listed in the indictment as unindicted co-conspirators but have been previously charged in separate cases currently pending in U.S. District Court.

Decola, Chris Dyer, and Bradley have each been charged with conspiracy to distribute cocaine and cocaine base (“crack”) and with possessing with intent to distribute cocaine or cocaine base recovered from their respective places of residence on September 8, 2010.

Count 1 of the indictment charges 27 of the 28 defendants (excluding Nichelle Spikes) with conspiracy to distribute five or more kilograms of cocaine and 50 grams or more of cocaine base (crack).

Counts 2 and 3 of the indictment charge Matt Donahue, Marlon Spikes and Nichelle Spikes with knowingly and intentionally distributing or possessing with intent to distribute 164 grams or more of cocaine.

Count 4 of the indictment charges Francisco Felix-Felix with attempting to distribute approximately three kilograms of cocaine.

Counts 5 and 6 of the indictment charge James Dyer and Christopher Miller, respectively, with knowingly and intentionally possessing with intent to distribute approximately eight grams of cocaine base (crack) and 24 grams of cocaine.

Counts 7-50 of the indictment charge each defendant (with the exception of Ricardo Apodaca, Jose Miguel Cardenas, Oscar Batres Jr., Exiquio Felix-Beltran, and Isaac Coleman) with using a communications facility (a telephone) to facilitate a drug trafficking offense.

If convicted, the defendants’ sentences will be determined by the court after review of factors unique to this case, including the defendants’ prior criminal records, if any, the defendants’ role in the offenses, and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases the sentences will not exceed the statutory maximum and, in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph P. Schmitz and Chelsea S. Rice following a one-year investigation code named “Operation Bula Ballers.” The investigation was conducted by agents of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Ashtabula County Sheriff’s Office, the Ashtabula Police Department, the Ohio High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA), the Lake County Narcotics Agency, and the Ohio State Highway Patrol.

An indictment is only is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. (read full report)

"GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE" is an intelligence briefing presented by Griffith Colson Intelligence Service, and provided to the public for informative purposes only. All subject matter is credited to it's source of origin, and is not intended to represent original content authored by GCIS, it's partners or affiliates. All opinions presented are those of the author, and not necessarily those of GCIS or it's partners.

GCIS INTELLIGENCE BRIEFING: Chandler beheading tied to Mexican drug cartel

ISSUED BY: GCIS Communications Command Center

SOURCE: AZ Central

03March2011 9:04amEST

GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE: The man whose decapitated body was found in a Chandler apartment was killed in retaliation for stealing 400 pounds of marijuana from a Mexican drug trafficking organization, a police report reveals.

The Chandler police report also reveals that the victim believed in Santa Muerte, a Mexican saint of death, and had bragged to his companions shortly before his beheading that he had died and come back to life five times and could kill with a look.

The body of Martin Alejandro Cota Monroy, 38, commonly known as "Jando," was found on the living room floor of 300 W. Fairview St. on Oct. 9. His head was found on the floor several feet away.

Cota Monroy ran afoul of the PEI-Estatales/El Chapo Drug Trafficking Organization when he stole a load of marijuana as well as methamphetamines from the cartel, then lied and blamed in on Border Patrol, the police report says.

To avenge the theft, an enforcement/kidnapping group called "Los Relampagos" was sent to kidnap him, according to the report. The report contains "raw intelligence" Chandler police obtained from the U.S. Border Patrol Intelligence Unit.

Cota Monroy talked his way out of getting killed, the report says, because he promised to repay the money for the drugs he stole and put his house up for collateral.

Instead, he fled to a Phoenix "safe house." It turned out he didn't own the house he put up for collateral. A syndicate known as "El Gio" sent three men to Phoenix to find him, befriend him and kill him, the report says. (read full report)

"GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE" is an intelligence briefing presented by Griffith Colson Intelligence Service, and provided to the public for informative purposes only. All subject matter is credited to it's source of origin, and is not intended to represent original content authored by GCIS, it's partners or affiliates. All opinions presented are those of the author, and not necessarily those of GCIS or it's partners.

GCIS INTELLIGENCE BRIEFING: Women are needed to help curb trafficking

ISSUED BY: GCIS Communications Command Center

SOURCE: The National

03March2011 8:21amEST

GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE: DUBAI - Properly trained female officers are the key to combating human trafficking crimes, Dubai Police say.

Last year, 35 human trafficking cases were referred to public prosecution, an increase of more than a third from the previous year. The majority of the 61 victims in last year's cases were women, according to the Dubai Police human trafficking annual report.

"Human trafficking requires more proactivity from women. They are better positioned to deal with this crime because of its sensitive nature and because most victims are women," said Maj Gen Khamis al Mazeina, the deputy head of Dubai Police.

He was speaking at the inauguration of a two-day workshop on the role of woman in combating human trafficking, organised by Dubai Police in co-ordination with the UN Office on Drugs and Crime.

Having identified the importance of women's involvement in human trafficking cases, Dubai Police set about providing training for female officers to better enable them to deal with such cases, according to Maj Gen al Mazeina.

"We give training on human trafficking a high priority, because the concept of human trafficking is a new concept and by developing skills we will enhance our ability to tackle this crime," he said.

This week's workshop, which aims to enhance the skills of women in law enforcement and those working at human trafficking shelters, provides training on international and local mechanisms for prevention and how to deal with human trafficking cases and their victims. (read full report)

"GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE" is an intelligence briefing presented by Griffith Colson Intelligence Service, and provided to the public for informative purposes only. All subject matter is credited to it's source of origin, and is not intended to represent original content authored by GCIS, it's partners or affiliates. All opinions presented are those of the author, and not necessarily those of GCIS or it's partners.

GCIS INTELLIGENCE BRIEFING: Indictment: Ring traded in phony IDs for illegals

ISSUED BY: GCIS Communications Command Center

SOURCE: The Washington Times

25February2011 6:00pmEST

GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE: A federal grand jury in Richmond has indicted 22 members of a suspected fraudulent-document-trafficking ring based in Mexico with cells in 19 U.S. cities and 11 states that reportedly sold high-quality phony identification cards to illegal immigrants and used beatings, kidnappings and murder in dealing with competitors and disciplining its own members.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director John Morton said the sophisticated operation, uncovered as part of a law enforcement initiative known as Operation Phalanx, was managed in this country by Israel Cruz Millan, 28, of Raleigh, N.C., who oversaw the production of false identification cards that sold on the street for $150 to $200 each — which netted his Mexican bosses more than $1 million from January 2008 to November 2010.

According to the 12-count indictment, Mr. Cruz Millan placed a manager in each U.S. city, all of whom supervised a number of “runners” who distributed business cards advertising the organization’s services and helped facilitate transactions with customers. The cost of the phony documents varied depending on location and included counterfeit Resident Alien and Social Security cards.

The indictment said each cell maintained detailed sales records and divided the proceeds among the runner, the cell manager and the upper-level managers in Mexico. (read full report)

"GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE" is an intelligence briefing presented by Griffith Colson Intelligence Service, and provided to the public for informative purposes only. All subject matter is credited to it's source of origin, and is not intended to represent original content authored by GCIS, it's partners or affiliates. All opinions presented are those of the author, and not necessarily those of GCIS or it's partners.

GCIS INTELLIGENCE BRIEFING: FBI NEWS

 

ISSUED BY: GCIS Communications Command Center

18February2011 12:50amEST

SOURCE: FBI

Russell Defreitas Sentenced to Life in Prison for Conspiring to Commit Terrorist Attack at JFK Airport

GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE:

BROOKLYN, NY—Earlier today in the Eastern District of New York, United States District Judge Dora L. Irizarry sentenced convicted defendant Russell Defreitas to life in prison for conspiring to commit a terrorist attack at John F. Kennedy International Airport in Queens, New York, by exploding fuel tanks and the fuel pipeline under the airport. Defreitas and his coconspirators believed their attack would cause extensive damage to the airport and to the New York economy, as well as the loss of numerous lives.

The sentence was announced by Loretta E. Lynch, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) in New York.

A federal jury convicted Russell Defreitas and coconspirator Abdul Kadir in July 2010 after a nine-week trial. The evidence at trial established that Russell Defreitas, a naturalized United States citizen from Guyana, originated the idea to attack JFK Airport and its fuel tanks and pipelines by drawing on his prior experience working at the airport as a cargo handler. In 2006 and 2007, Defreitas recruited Kadir and others to join the plot during multiple trips to Guyana and Trinidad. Between trips, Defreitas engaged in video surveillance of JFK Airport and transported the footage back to Guyana to show Kadir and their co-conspirators. Kadir, a trained engineer with connections to militant groups in Iran and Venezuela, provided the conspirators with links to individuals with terrorist experience, advice on explosive materials, and a bank account through which to finance the terrorist attack. (read full report)

Ten Indicted and Arrested in Texas for Roles in Human Trafficking Scheme:

GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE:

HOUSTON—A three-year investigation into the trafficking of young and minor female Mexican nationals for the purpose of compelling their service as prostitutes at Houston area bars and restaurants through force, fraud, and coercion has lead to the indictment of 10 individuals, including the owner/operators of the La Costeñita Bar and El Club Restaurante, United States Attorney José Angel Moreno announced today.

U.S. Attorney Moreno was joined in making this announcement at a press conference today by FBI-Houston Assistant Special Agent in Charge Michael H. Bonner; Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) Assistant Special Agent in Charge Sean McElroy; Harris County Sheriff Adrian Garcia; Major George Rhyne, Texas Department of Public Safety; and Lt. C.A. Vazquez of the Houston Police Department; whose agencies worked together as part of the Human Trafficking Rescue Alliance (HTRA) to conduct the investigation leading to the charges.

The three-count indictment returned by a Houston grand jury under seal on Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2011, was unsealed today. All 10 defendants charged were taken into custody as a result of coordinated enforcement actions undertaken by teams of investigating agents last evening. All those in custody made initial appearances before a United States Magistrate Judge earlier this morning. All will appear for a detention hearing tomorrow, Friday, Feb. 18, 2011, before United States Frances H. Stacy at 1:00 p.m.

"I applaud the bravery of the young lady who made the 911 call for help in this case," said Moreno, "and commend the efforts of the agency members of the HTRA for the investigative efforts to rescue the victims in this case and apprehend their oppressors."

Maria Rojas, aka "Nancy," 46, a co-owner of the La Costeñita Bar and El Club Restaurante, located at 8403 and 8037 Clinton Drive, respectively, in Houston and her brother, Jose Luis Rojas, 38, who operated the La Costeñita as well as the locations adjacent to the bar located at 8303 Clinton Drive where the prostitution allegedly took place, are charged with conspiring to hold persons in conditions of peonage and recruiting, holding, transporting, and providing and obtaining persons for sexual services. (read full report)

Exec Testifies on Conducting Lawful Electronic Surveillance in the Face of New Technologies

GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE: In order to enforce the law and protect our citizens from threats to public safety, it is critically important that we have the ability to intercept electronic communications with court approval. In the ever-changing world of modern communications technologies, however, the FBI and other government agencies are facing a potentially widening gap between our legal authority to intercept electronic communications pursuant to court order and our practical ability to actually intercept those communications. We confront, with increasing frequency, service providers who do not fully comply with court orders in a timely and efficient manner. Some providers cannot comply with court orders right away but are able to do so after considerable effort and expense by the provider and the government. Other providers are never able to comply with the orders fully.

The problem has multiple layers. As discussed below, some providers are currently obligated by law to have technical solutions in place prior to receiving a court order to intercept electronic communications, but do not maintain those solutions in a manner consistent with their legal mandate. Other providers have no such existing mandate and simply develop capabilities upon receipt of a court order. In our experience, some providers actively work with the government to develop intercept solutions, while others do not have the technical expertise or resources to do so. As a result, on a regular basis, the government is unable to obtain communications and related data, even when authorized by a court to do so.

We call this capabilities gap the “Going Dark” problem. As the gap between authority and capability widens, the government is increasingly unable to collect valuable evidence in cases ranging from child exploitation and pornography to organized crime and drug trafficking to terrorism and espionage—evidence that a court has authorized the government to collect. This gap poses a growing threat to public safety. (read full report)

Armenian Power Organized Crime Group Targeted in Federal Indictments That Allege Racketeering Offenses, Including Bank Fraud Schemes, Kidnappings, and Drug Trafficking

GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE:

LOS ANGELES—As a result of two federal indictments and state cases that charge a total of 99 defendants with a wide range of crimes—including kidnapping, extortion, bank fraud, and narcotics trafficking—law enforcement authorities this morning arrested 74 members and associates of the Armenian Power organized crime group.

The majority of the defendants arrested this morning are named in two federal indictments that charge a total of 88 defendants linked to Armenian Power, which is commonly called AP.

One indictment accuses 29 defendants with participating in a RICO conspiracy in violation of the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act. The RICO charge alleges a host of illegal activities, some of which are sophisticated white-collar crimes such as identity theft, credit card skimming, and manufacturing counterfeit checks. Among the conspiracies charged in the racketeering indictment is a bank fraud and counterfeit credit card scheme that victimized hundreds of customers of 99 Cents Only Stores throughout Southern California. AP members allegedly caused more than $2 million in losses when they secretly installed sophisticated "skimming" devices to steal customer account information at cash registers and then used the skimmed information to create counterfeit debit and credit cards.

The 134-count racketeering indictment returned three weeks ago by a federal grand jury in Los Angeles charges a total of 70 defendants. In addition to the RICO count that includes nearly 450 overt acts, the indictment includes charges against AP members for kidnapping, extortion, bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, credit card fraud, marijuana distribution, and conducting an illegal gambling business. (read full report)

 

 

"GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE" is an intelligence briefing presented by Griffith Colson Intelligence Service, and provided to the public for informative purposes only. All subject matter is credited to it's source of origin, and is not intended to represent original content authored by GCIS, it's partners or affiliates. All opinions presented are those of the author, and not necessarily those of GCIS or it's partners.

GCIS INTELLIGENCE BRIEFING: Olympics will be magnet for sex trafficking gangs, warns Yvette Cooper

ISSUED BY: GCIS Communications Command Center

SOURCE: London Evening Standard

10February2011 2:08pmEST

GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE: THE OLYMPICS will make London a "magnet" for human trafficking unless ministers launch an urgent crackdown, shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper warned today.

Criminal gangs will use next year's Games to force women and girls into the sex trade and push men into forced labour, Ms Cooper said.

She called on the Government to learn the lessons of the Athens Games in 2004, saying the number of human trafficking victims doubled due to poor prevention efforts.

In a speech to the Stopping Traffick conference, she said: "There are fears that the London 2012 Olympics could increase the trafficking of vulnerable people into the UK.

"Studies worldwide show that international sporting events, where people move across borders, are used by criminals under the cover of tourism to exploit women and children. The Government must wake up to the risk that traffickers will seek to profit from the 2012 Games and take action to make sure this event does not make the situation worse." (read full report)

 

 

"GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE" is an intelligence briefing presented by Griffith Colson Intelligence Service, and provided to the public for informative purposes only. All subject matter is credited to it's source of origin, and is not intended to represent original content authored by GCIS, it's advertisers or affiliates. All opinions presented are those of the author, and not necessarily those of GCIS or it's partners.

GCIS INTELLIGENCE BRIEFING: Ukrainian nightclub owner to be returned to Detroit to face human trafficking charges

ISSUED BY: GCIS Communications Command Center

SOURCE: Detroit Free Press

28January2011 1:22pmEST

GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE: After being on the lam for more than five years, a Ukrainian nightclub owner will return to Detroit to face charges that he forced women from eastern Europe to work as strippers in metro Detroit clubs.

Veniamin Gonikman, 55, who was indicted in Detroit in 2005 but left the U.S. before being charged, was arrested at Kennedy International Airport, the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency said Thursday.

He was arrested Wednesday in Ukraine, before being deported to the U.S. (read full report)

GCIS INTELLIGENCE BRIEFING: Malaysian Sex Trafficking Ring Broken

ISSUED BY: GCIS Communications Command Center

SOURCE: The Monitor

27January2011 3:43pmEST

GCIS INTELLIGENCE UPDATE:  The police have broken a ring of people who have been tricking Ugandan women under the guise of getting for them jobs in Malaysia but later forcing them into prostitution.

The Malaysian police rescued two of the seven trafficked women from brothels while two Ugandan men who allegedly connived with the brothel owners, were arrested in Kampala.

The women have been transported back to Uganda.

Detectives say there are several people engaged in the illicit trade including Nigerians, Ugandans, and Malaysians. (read full report)