News Releases and Statements

Armando Anthony Vidales, 25, from Poteet, Texas, will serve 360 months in federal prison followed by 20 years of supervised release. The judge also ordered him to pay $5,000 in restitution. Vidales pleaded guilty March 31.

According to the investigation, Ana Patricia Landaverde, 47, of Williamsburg, Virginia; Jeffrey Dean Vaughan, 64, of Williamsburg, Virginia; and George William Evans, 68, of Midlothian, Virginia engaged in a conspiracy to harbor, transport and benefit from employing undocumented noncitizens at their commercial laundry business, Northstar Holdings of Virginia, LLC, d/b/a Magnolia Cleaning Services, LLC.

U.S. District Court Judge C.J. Williams sentenced Gabriel Allen Pelz, 44, after a May 18 guilty plea to one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and one count of use of a communication facility to commit a felony drug crime. Pelz will serve 188 months in confinement and a six-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal prison system.

Joel Cypert, 35, of Columbus, is accused of creating sexually explicit images of a prepubescent, minor victim.

A judge sentenced Dillon Everman, 30, to 345 months in prison for conspiracy to commit sexual exploitation of a child (production of child pornography) following an investigation led by Homeland Security Investigations, commonly called HSI, and the Kansas Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.

William “Bill” Dexter Lucas, 60, and Deborah Jean Lucas, 64, both of Bryan, Texas, pleaded guilty Dec. 8. Brian Corpian, 45, of Houston, entered his plea Dec. 2.

Elias Lopez III, a 35-year-old resident of San Benito, Texas, was sentenced Thursday in the Southern District of Texas to 33 months imprisonment to be immediately followed by two years of supervised release for conspiring to transport unlawfully present noncitizens within the United States. Lopez pleaded guilty to the charges July 26.

Acting Special Agent in Charge of HSI Kansas City Joshua Armstrong and Acting United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Dallas Faamausili, 36, of Renton, Washington, was sentenced to more than five years in prison Thursday in federal court in Lincoln, Nebraska.

A judge sentenced Paul John McNicol, 30, of LeClaire, Iowa to 216 months in prison for receiving child pornography on Nov. 30 following a Homeland Security Investigations, or HSI, probe.

HSI welcomed seven new forensic analysts into its ranks during the HERO Corps graduation ceremony Dec. 8.

According to court documents, Dillon Everman, 30, of Parsons, Kansas, admitted in his guilty plea that he encouraged his 26-year-old co-defendant, Dustin Strom, to sexually abuse two young children and send him images of the abuse. Everman then saved the images and created a shareable link that he made available to Strom and others.

A jury convicted a West Plains man Dec. 6 of sexual exploitation of a 13-month-old child and distributing child pornography following a joint investigation between HSI, the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force and the West Plains, Mo., Police Department.

ERO Los Angeles officers apprehended Marcelino Guzman-Jimenez, 41, during a targeted enforcement operation. Guzman entered the United States at an unknown date, time and location without being admitted or paroled by an immigration officer. He will remain in ICE custody pending removal proceedings and will be returned to his home country.

Renato Tejada-Alvarez, 35, entered the U.S. on March 4, 2021 as a nonimmigrant and violated his terms of admission. Officers from the ERO Fugitive Operations Newburgh, New York sub-office arrested him in Spring Valley on Dec. 1. Tejada-Alvarez is being held in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.

Rolando Joaquin-Miguel, 35, an undocumented noncitizen from Guatemala, is charged with human smuggling and hostage taking in the District of New Mexico. He is being held without bond pending judicial proceedings in federal court.

The charges and criminal convictions of those arrested included domestic violence, assault, drug possession, drug trafficking, attempted murder, driving under the influence and identity theft. Cases amenable to federal criminal prosecution for illegal reentry may be presented to the U.S. attorney’s office. These individuals are being held in ICE custody pending removal from the U.S. or removal proceedings with the immigration court.

An investigation led by HSI Philadelphia landed a former Middlesex County, New Jersey sheriff’s deputy in federal prison for 15 years, followed by 10 years of supervised release, for producing, distributing and possessing child pornography. Joshua Padilla, 37, of Eatontown, New Jersey, was also ordered to pay $15,300 in special assessments when he received the lengthy prison sentence Friday.

According to the indictment, Carlos Favian Martinez, 36, of Mission; Marco Antonio Medina, 32, Rigoberto Brown, 38, and Miguel Hipolito Caballero Aupart, 70, all of Brownsville; Pedro Antonio Calvillo Hernandez, 47, Tamaulipas, Mexico; Roberto Garcia Villareal, 56, San Benito; Sandra Guerra Medina, 68, Rancho Viejo; and Mireya Miranda, 56, La Feria, conspired to fix prices and allocate the market for transmigrante services in violation of Section 1 of the Sherman Act.

HSI field offices in Dallas and Tampa were recognized during the 2022 Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) Director’s Law Enforcement Awards Ceremony, Dec. 1.

Deportation officers with ICE ERO Newark field office apprehended three unlawfully present noncitizens convicted of sex offenses during a nationwide enforcement action from Oct. 22 through Nov. 4. ERO’s law enforcement action resulted in a total of 138 arrests nationally, including some people who were previously ordered removed from the U.S. but failed to depart.

On Dec. 1, Integral Hygienic Solutions, Inc., a La Mesa-based sanitation company doing business as TruClean, pleaded guilty in federal court to defrauding customers by falsely claiming that its antimicrobial cleaning product was tested and approved by the EPA.

ATD allows for closer monitoring of non-detained noncitizens at varying levels of supervision, using several different monitoring technologies. ATD effectively increases court appearance rates, compliance with release conditions, and helps the participants meet basic needs and understand immigration obligations.

Eric Hernandez Bonilla, a 24-year-old unlawfully present Salvadoran national, was flown from Alexandria, Louisiana, to the El Salvador International Airport. Upon arrival, he was turned over to the proper authorities.

Oscar Sun Acuna, Jr., 36, of Tucson, Arizona, additionally forfeited a .40-caliber handgun and ammunition. Acuna previously pleaded guilty to distribution of fentanyl resulting in death in connection with the overdose death of a young woman in May 2020.

Foreign fugitive officers with ERO Los Angeles arrested 32-year-old Roberto Nunez Aguayo Nov. 28, pursuant to a release from the Federal Correction Complex in Lompoc, California.