News Releases and Statements

Following an ICE San Diego investigation, three fugitives transferred from Mexico — Pablo Edwin Huerta Nuno, also known as Flaquito; Juan Carlos Felix Gastelum, also known as El Chavo Felix; and Abdul Karim Conteh — appeared in federal court in the Southern District of California Aug. 13.

ICE Homeland Security Investigations' El Camino Real Financial Crimes Task Force arrested nine illegal aliens while executing a search warrant on an underground nightclub in El Monte on July 19.

An investigation by ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations New York, in coordination with its law enforcement partners, led a Long Island woman to plead guilty to money laundering conspiracy and conspiracy to defraud the United States by obstructing the Federal Election Commission’s administration of campaign finance laws July 30.

A Nigerian national pleaded guilty recently to operating a transnational inheritance fraud scheme that defrauded elderly and vulnerable consumers across the United States. Multiple federal agencies including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Consumer Protection Branch and members of the Homeland Security Taskforce are investigating the case.

An investigation by ICE Homeland Security Investigations New York, alongside several partners, has resulted in an indictment charging two men for their alleged roles in operating and promoting OmegaPro, an international investment scheme that defrauded victim investors of over $650 million.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations special agents, in collaboration with federal, state and local law enforcement partners, executed a federal search warrant at Buckeye Fire Equipment Company June 25 as part of an active, ongoing criminal investigation.

Darlington Akporugo, a 47-year-old illegal alien from Nigeria, and his wife Jasmin Sood, a 37-year-old Houston resident, were sentenced June 24 to 188 months and 121 months in prison, respectively, for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud. Akporugo pleaded guilty earlier this year on Feb. 28, while Sood pleaded guilty Dec. 17, 2024.

Mario Demarco, aka Marius Lupu aka David Adamec, 30, pleaded guilty in January to a charge of conspiracy to commit bank fraud. He was sentenced June 3 to 33 months in federal prison followed by two years of supervised release. Additionally, the court ordered Demarco to pay restitution totaling $16,567.06.

Two family members with ties to South Texas have been charged with allegedly conspiring to materially support a Mexican cartel previously designated as a foreign terrorist organization, conspiracy to commit money laundering and related smuggling charges, following an investigation conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the DEA and the FBI with substantial assistance of IRS CI along with Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Marshals Service and Texas Department of Public Safety.

Ralph Olarte, 55, of Glendale, the CFO of Sport LA Inc., was arrested May 27 at Los Angeles International Airport. He made his initial appearance and was arraigned May 28 in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles.

Fourteen defendants — including San Fernando Valley and Glendale residents — were arrested May 28, on two federal criminal complaints alleging they fraudulently obtained more than $25 million in taxpayer-funded COVID-19 relief funds and federally-guaranteed small business loans.

Betty Nora Anderson, 65, of Phoenix, previously pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl and Methamphetamine, Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl, Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, and Falsification of Records in a Bankruptcy Proceeding.

A federal indictment returned in U.S. District Court in Providence charges eight individuals for their roles in orchestrating and executing an elaborate transnational fraud and money laundering scheme targeting elderly citizens in the United States and Canada.

Leslie Kibula Bongajum, 34, is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering and faces a maximum of 20 years in federal prison if convicted.

The scheme involved suspects applying for store credit cards using stolen identities, then using those credit lines to purchase merchandise with no intention to pay them back. The scheme was carried out in Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, Riverside, Alameda, San Mateo, and Santa Clara Counties.

According to court documents, Okezie Bonaventure Ogbata, 36, was a member of a group of fraudsters that sent personalized letters to elderly victims in the United States over the course of several years.

Prior to making an initial appearance April 3 for criminal charges in U.S. District Court on a federal criminal complaint charging him with wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud, John O’Brien, 28, was arrested for immigration violations on March 28 for violating the terms of his admission and failing to depart the United States as required by October 2021.

The operation was led by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement with assistance from IRS Criminal Investigation; the Houston Police Department; FBI; High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas Program; Harris County Constable’s Office – Precinct One; Harris County District Attorney’s Office; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and Drug Enforcement Administration.

As part of the scheme, the defendants stole the personally identifiable information of hundreds of victims — including Social Security numbers, dates of birth and home addresses — and used that information to make fake driver’s licenses to access credit in the victims’ names at large national retailers, including Ulta Beauty, Sephora, Nordstrom, Macy’s, Kohl’s, Williams-Sonoma, Dillard’s and Saks Fifth Avenue.

In December 2023, ICE Homeland Security Investigations, the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Concord, New Hampshire Police Department began investigating a sophisticated gift card fraud scheme that is perpetuated by criminal organizations in China.

The indictment charges Elijah Gavin aka Timothy O’Reilly aka Elijah Thomas, 29, with wire fraud conspiracy, wire fraud, and money laundering.

During this operation, ICE and local police identified and arrested 15 individuals for the violation of federal law involving the use/manufacturing of an access device with the intent to defraud.

Alejandro Munoz and Abel Pena-Garcia, who are identical twins, were involved in a fraudulent dispute scheme that targeted third party payment platforms, like PayPal and Square.

Canadian law enforcement provisionally arrested 23 Canadian nationals March 4 after they were indicted by federal grand jury in Vermont for participation in a “grandparent scam” uncovered by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The scam allegedly defrauded elderly individuals in more than 40 states of over $21 million.

Manual Domingos Pita, of Wesley Chapel, previously pleaded guilty to those charges on July 9, 2024.