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Homeland Security Investigations

CT Man Engages In Sexual Conduct With Young Girl For Over 8 Years, Records It: Feds CT Man Engages In Sexual Conduct With Young Girl For Over 8 Years, Records It: Feds
CT Man Engages In Sexual Conduct With Young Girl For Over 8 Years, Records It: Feds A 32-year-old Connecticut man faces federal child exploitation charges after allegedly sexually abusing a young girl for several years and recording it on his phone, officials announced.  Hartford County resident Hernan Ayala of Manchester appeared in Hartford federal court on Thursday, May 30 in connection to child exploitation charges, the US Attorney's Office for the District of Connecticut announced on Friday, May 31. According to federal officials, in March 2024, Manchester Police received a complaint regarding a young girl who Ayala was allegedly sexually abusing. The girl told o…
Greenwich Attorney Possessed Child Porn Depicting Sexual Abuse Of Infants: Here's His Sentence Greenwich Attorney Possessed Child Porn Depicting Sexual Abuse Of Infants: Here's His Sentence
Greenwich Attorney Possessed Child Porn Depicting Sexual Abuse Of Infants: Here's His Sentence A 37-year-old attorney from Connecticut will spend years in prison for accessing and possessing child pornography on the dark web, including images depicting the sexual abuse of infants.  Fairfield County resident Christopher Bates, Jr. of Greenwich was sentenced on Tuesday, May 28 to 24 months in prison for possessing images and videos of the sexual abuse of children, the US Attorney's Office for the District of Connecticut announced. According to federal officials, Bates, an attorney licensed to practice in Connecticut and New York, was arrested after an international law i…
Thief Who Stole $1.5M Worth Of Luxury Cars In NJ, Rockland, Long Island, CT Gets 3½ Years Thief Who Stole $1.5M Worth Of Luxury Cars In NJ, Rockland, Long Island, CT Gets 3½ Years
Thief Who Stole $1.5M Worth Of Luxury Cars In NJ, Rockland, Long Island, CT Gets 3½ Years 𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: The last of four men who admitted stealing more than $1.5 million worth of luxury cars in New Jersey, Rockland County, Long Island and Connecticut was sentenced to nearly 3½ years in federal prison. Malik Baker, 30, of Vauxhall, and his three co-conspirators stashed at least 10 of the vehicles at a central location in Irvington, NJ, U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Philip Sellinger said. The Essex County-based quartet often used one stolen vehicle to swipe another, he added. In one instance, Sellinger said, the crew swiped a Maserati GranTurismo at the Jersey Shore in Manalapan an…
Greenwich Attorney Admits Possessing Child Porn Depicting Sexual Abuse Of Infants Greenwich Attorney Admits Possessing Child Porn Depicting Sexual Abuse Of Infants
Greenwich Attorney Admits Possessing Child Porn Depicting Sexual Abuse Of Infants A 37-year-old attorney from Connecticut faces decades in prison after admitting to accessing and possessing child pornography, including images depicting the sexual abuse of infants.  New, updated report - Greenwich Attorney Possessed Child Porn Depicting Sexual Abuse Of Infants: Here's His Sentence Fairfield County resident Christopher Bates, Jr. of Greenwich pleaded guilty to a child exploitation offense on Wednesday, Feb. 7, according to the US Attorney's Office for the District of Connecticut.  Earlier Report - Greenwich Man Charged With Child Porn Offenses, Includ…
Stamford Man Charged With Sexually Abusing 16-Year-Old Boy He Met On Snapchat Stamford Man Charged With Sexually Abusing 16-Year-Old Boy He Met On Snapchat
Stamford Man Charged With Sexually Abusing 16-Year-Old Boy He Met On Snapchat A Fairfield County man is behind bars following his arrest on child exploitation charges for allegedly sexually abusing a 16-year-old boy. Rick Marro, age 42, of Stamford was charged on Thursday, Jan. 18 following an investigation into the allegations made by the boy in August 2023, said Vanessa Roberts Avery, US Attorney for the District of Connecticut. Marro appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge S. Dave Vatti in Bridgeport and was ordered detained, Avery said. As alleged in court documents, law enforcement began investigating Marro in August 2023 after a 16-year-old boy reported that he …
Child Sexual Abuse: CT Man Sentenced For Recordings Of Girls As Young As 2 Child Sexual Abuse: CT Man Sentenced For Recordings Of Girls As Young As 2
Child Sexual Abuse: CT Man Sentenced For Recordings Of Girls As Young As 2 A Connecticut man who has been detained since 2021 was sentenced for crimes involving homemade videos featuring the sexual abuse of a minor, according to the Department of Justice.  Hartford County resident Mark Roman, of East Windsor, was sentenced to more than 33 years in prison followed by a lifetime term of supervised release after pleading guilty to charges relating to child pornography, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut Vanessa Roberts Avery said. Roman was arrested in November 2021 after a search of his home found devices containing over 1,000 images and vid…
Cameras Found In HS Locker Rooms, Other Places: Ex-Parental Volunteer In CT Sentenced Cameras Found In HS Locker Rooms, Other Places: Ex-Parental Volunteer In CT Sentenced
Cameras Found In HS Locker Rooms, Other Places: Ex-Parental Volunteer In CT Sentenced A former parent volunteer for a youth recreational swim program from Plainville will spend decades in prison for recording dozens of videos of minors changing and uploading them online.  Earlier Report - Plainville Man Admits Placing Video-Recording Device In High School Locker Room, Other Places Kyle Fasold, age 52, was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison for child exploitation offenses in federal court in Hartford, according to the US Attorney's Office for the District of Connecticut.  Between June 2017 and March 2020, Fasold recorded videos of at least 36 minors and s…
Greenwich Man Charged With Child Porn Offenses, Including Possessing Images With Infants Greenwich Man Charged With Child Porn Offenses, Including Possessing Images With Infants
Greenwich Man Charged With Child Porn Offenses, Including Possessing Images With Infants A Fairfield County man is facing charges after investigators found that his laptop contained about 1,000 images depicting the sexual abuse of children, including infants.  Christopher Bates Jr., age 36, of Greenwich, was arrested on a federal complaint charging him with child pornography offenses on Tuesday, Dec. 13, according to Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States attorney for the District of Connecticut. Investigators found that an IP address at Bates' home was being used to access the dark web to view images that depicted the sexual abuse of children, Roberts Avery reported. …
Fairfield County Man Admits To Helping Smuggle People Into US, Child Porn Possession Fairfield County Man Admits To Helping Smuggle People Into US, Child Porn Possession
Fairfield County Man Admits To Helping Smuggle People Into US, Child Porn Possession A Fairfield County man pleaded guilty to helping smuggle four Vietnamese nationals from Canada into the United States and to possession of child pornography. Jose Angel Portillo-Lopez, age 72, of Norwalk, admitted to charges of conspiracy to commit alien smuggling and possession of child pornography on Wednesday, Oct. 12, US Attorney Carla Freedman announced.  Portillo-Lopez admitted that in April 2021, he traveled to the border in the Franklin County village of Burke, New York, and help smuggle the four people into the US for profit, Freedman said. He also admitted that he …
CT Man Admits Placing Video-Recording Device In High School Locker Room, Other Places CT Man Admits Placing Video-Recording Device In High School Locker Room, Other Places
CT Man Admits Placing Video-Recording Device In High School Locker Room, Other Places A Connecticut man could spend decades in federal prison after admitting that he secretly recorded dozens of teens and adults inside bathrooms, including in a high school locker room. Hartford County resident Kyle Fasold, age 52, of Plainville, pleaded guilty to child exploitation offenses Thursday, Sept. 29, in federal court in Hartford. Fasold was arrested in March 2020 after investigators determined he had uploaded images of child pornography to the dark web, according to the US Attorney’s Office in Connecticut. Not long after, agents from Homeland Security Investigations, along with l…
CT Resident Admits To Child Exploitation Offense CT Resident Admits To Child Exploitation Offense
CT Resident Admits To Child Exploitation Offense A 41-year-old Connecticut resident has admitted to a child exploitation charge. Former Litchfield County resident Kevin Curley pleaded guilty to one count of receipt of child pornography, according to Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States attorney for the District of Connecticut. In 2020, Homeland Security Investigations began investigating Curley's involvement in an online community of people who sent and received child pornography images and videos through a hidden service website that operated on a network that concealed the IP addresses and identities of the network's users, the ann…
Registered Sex Offender In CT Charged With Child Exploitation Registered Sex Offender In CT Charged With Child Exploitation
Registered Sex Offender In CT Charged With Child Exploitation A registered sex offender in Connecticut has been indicted on new charges after being busted with thousands of pictures and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children, federal authorities announced. New Haven County resident Joseph Amadeo, age 37, of North Branford, has been charged by a federal grand jury with receipt of child pornography following an investigation into an online community that shared porn on the dark web. US Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery said that Amadeo was originally arrested on the federal criminal complaint on June 3, 2021. He has pleaded not guilty to the charge.…
CT Store Owner, Worker Admit Defrauding Federal Program CT Store Owner, Worker Admit Defrauding Federal Program
CT Store Owner, Worker Admit Defrauding Federal Program The owner of a Connecticut convenience store and his father, who helped him operate the business, have admitted to a food stamps fraud offense.  Hartford County residents Javed Saeed, age 52, and 68-year-old Dastgir Saeed, both of South Windsor, pleaded guilty on Tuesday, May 10, to conspiracy to commit food stamp fraud, according to Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States attorney for the District of Connecticut. Javed is the owner of the Manchester Quick Mart and Mobil gas station, which is located at 262 Oakland St. in Manchester, the US Attorney's Office reported. His fathe…
Connecticut Man Sentenced For Producing Child Pornography Connecticut Man Sentenced For Producing Child Pornography
Connecticut Man Sentenced For Producing Child Pornography A 52-year-old Connecticut man was sentenced to decades in prison for producing child pornography. Ronald Daniel, of Hartford, was sentenced on Monday, May 2, to 27 years in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release, according to Leonard Boyle, United States attorney for the District of Connecticut. He pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of production of child pornography on Feb. 24, 2021, the US Attorney's Office said.  According to court documents, Daniel took cell phone photos of himself engaging in sexual contact with a prepubescent child on at least two occas…
Stratford Man Accused Of Victimizing Girls For Sex Through Snapchat Stratford Man Accused Of Victimizing Girls For Sex Through Snapchat
Stratford Man Accused Of Victimizing Girls For Sex Through Snapchat A Fairfield County man is facing serious prison time for allegedly using social media apps to target underage girls for sex. Alexander Dilella, age 22, of Stratford, was arrested Wednesday, May 4, on multiple federal charges related to child exploitation, the US Attorney’s Office said. Federal prosecutors claim Dilella communicated with the girls - some as young as 13 or 14 - using Snapchat, Omegle, and FaceTime and enticed them to engage in illegal sexual activity. In one exchange with a 14-year-old victim, he referred to the girl as a “child porn slave” and demanded that she send him a s…
CT Man Sentenced For Recording His Sexual Abuse Of Child For Years CT Man Sentenced For Recording His Sexual Abuse Of Child For Years
CT Man Sentenced For Recording His Sexual Abuse Of Child For Years A Connecticut man will spend decades in prison after being sentenced for recording himself sexually abusing a minor over the course of several years, federal authorities announced. Hartford resident Roberto Acosta Torres, age 61, was sentenced by US District Judge Janet Bond Arterton in New Haven to 30 years in prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release, for recording his sexual abuse of a child for nearly three years. Acosta pleaded guilty to one count of production of child pornography in August 2021. US Attorney Leonard Boyle said that over the course of approximately six years,…
Police Release New Info On Fatal Shooting Of College Student From Region Police Release New Info On Fatal Shooting Of College Student From Region
Police Release New Info On Fatal Shooting Of College Student From Region The 21-year-old SUNY Potsdam student from the Hudson Valley who was killed just off-campus was fatally shot multiple times in a drive-by shooting, according to new information released by police. Putnam County resident Elizabeth Howell, age 21, who was a senior at SUNY Potsdam, was struck by three bullets that were fired from a grey, four-door Honda Civic at around 5:45 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 18, investigators from the Potsdam Police Department announced. Original story - Brewster HS Grad Killed In Upstate Shooting Was An Aspiring Educator Police said that her alleged shooter, St. Lawrence C…
CT Man Sentenced For Dark Web Fentanyl Distribution CT Man Sentenced For Dark Web Fentanyl Distribution
CT Man Sentenced For Dark Web Fentanyl Distribution A Connecticut man was sentenced to more than a decade in prison for trafficking drugs on the dark web, leading to a fatal overdose, and firearm charges. Barry Duclos, age 43, of New London County, was sentenced on Tuesday, Feb. 1, to 170 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release, according to Leonard Boyle, United States attorney for the District of Connecticut. The US Attorney's Office said Duclos, a resident of Norwich, was found guilty of the following charges on July 30: Seven counts of possession with intent to distribute and distribution of fentanyl analogues Po…
CT Man Sentenced For Trading Child Sex Abuse Images On Internet CT Man Sentenced For Trading Child Sex Abuse Images On Internet
CT Man Sentenced For Trading Child Sex Abuse Images On Internet A Connecticut man was sentenced for trading images of child sex abuse on the internet. New Haven County resident Robert Harrington, age 55, of Milford, was sentenced on Wednesday, Dec. 22, to 72 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release, according to Leonard Boyle, acting United States attorney for the District of Connecticut. In January of 2019, Homeland Security Investigations received information from Canadian and Australian law enforcement that two usernames associated with an IP address in Harrington's residence were sending and receiving images through an online a…
CT Man Sentenced For Child Exploitation Offense CT Man Sentenced For Child Exploitation Offense
CT Man Sentenced For Child Exploitation Offense A Connecticut man has been sentenced for receiving child pornography over a mobile dating application. Hartford County resident David Messier, age 36, of Bristol, was sentenced on Friday, Dec. 3, to 75 months in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release, according to an announcement from Leonard Boyle, acting United States attorney for the District of Connecticut. In July of 2017, Messier began communicating with Amber Foley, formerly of the New Haven County city of Meriden, on the dating application, MeetMe, the US Attorney's Office reported. After exchanging messages, Foley …
Kidnapper Holding CT Girl In Trunk Stopped At Canadian Border, Police Say Kidnapper Holding CT Girl In Trunk Stopped At Canadian Border, Police Say
Kidnapper Holding CT Girl In Trunk Stopped At Canadian Border, Police Say A teenage man who was stopped at the Canadian border for lack of a COVID-19 test had kidnapped a 16-year-old from Connecticut, sexually assaulted her, and put her in the trunk of his car, according to police. The kidnapping was reported in Connecticut when the suspect, 19-year-old Christopher Jesus Constanzo, abducted and sexually assaulted the female victim on Thursday, Dec. 2, according to Vermont State Police.  Constanzo is then reported to have held the victim in the trunk of his car while he drove from Connecticut toward the US border crossing in Highgate Springs, Vermont. Early …
CT Resident Admits To Filming Sexual Assault Of Child CT Resident Admits To Filming Sexual Assault Of Child
CT Resident Admits To Filming Sexual Assault Of Child A 31-year-old Connecticut resident has pleaded guilty to a child exploitation offense related to his sexual assault of a child.  Saeed Mustapha Moussa, a citizen of Ghana who last resided in East Hartford, pleaded guilty on Monday, Nov. 15, to one count of production of child pornography, according to Leonard Boyle, acting United States attorney for the District of Connecticut. In September 2020, East Hartford Police received a report that Moussa had videos on his cell phone which showed him engaging in sexual activity with a child, Boyle said.  Police searched Moussa's home…
Area Tour Company Founder Indicted On Federal Child Porn Trafficking Charges Area Tour Company Founder Indicted On Federal Child Porn Trafficking Charges
Area Tour Company Founder Indicted On Federal Child Porn Trafficking Charges The founder of a nature tour company operating from the Jersey Shore north to Poughkeepsie and southern Connecticut was found with 6,800 photos and 120 videos of child sexual abuse, an indictment returned by a federal grand jury alleges. Federal Homeland Security agents arrested Vaughn Tiedeman, 46, of Living Adventure Tours, in February on distributing child pornography charges. A grand jury in Newark added receiving and possession counts, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito said Thursday. Between July 2018 and January 2019, Tiedeman, of West Milford, “distributed at least 50 videos a…
Norwalk Financial Advisor Admits To Multimillion-Dollar Ponzi Scheme Norwalk Financial Advisor Admits To Multimillion-Dollar Ponzi Scheme
Norwalk Financial Advisor Admits To Multimillion-Dollar Ponzi Scheme A financial adviser from Fairfield County admitted to running a yearlong multi-million dollar Ponzi scheme. Norwalk resident James Booth, 74, who operated Booth Financial Associates, pleaded guilty solicited money from clients, falsely promising to invest the money in opportunities offered outside of their ordinary advisory and brokerage accounts. Booth pleaded guilty to one count of securities fraud. When he is sentenced on Feb. 21 next year, he will face up to 20 years in prison. In total, Booth fraudulently obtained nearly $5 million from his customers. Instead of investing their money,…
Financial Adviser From Norwalk Charged In Multimillion-Dollar Ponzi Scheme Financial Adviser From Norwalk Charged In Multimillion-Dollar Ponzi Scheme
Financial Adviser From Norwalk Charged In Multimillion-Dollar Ponzi Scheme A financial adviser from Fairfield County is facing charges for allegedly running a yearlong multi-million dollar Ponzi scheme. Norwalk resident James Booth, 74, who operated Booth Financial Associates, allegedly solicited money from clients, falsely promising to invest the money in opportunities offered outside of their ordinary advisory and brokerage accounts.  In total, Booth fraudulently obtained nearly $5 million from his customers. Instead of investing their money, Booth used it to pay personal and business expenses, U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman said. Booth was arrested on Monda…
Feds Charge Tri-State Area Tour Company Founder With Trafficking Child Porn Feds Charge Tri-State Area Tour Company Founder With Trafficking Child Porn
Feds Charge Tri-State Area Tour Company Founder With Trafficking Child Porn The North Jersey founder of a nature tour company operating from the Jersey Shore north to Poughkeepsie and southern Connecticut was arrested by federal Homeland Security agents on charges of trafficking child porn. Vaughn Tiedeman, 46, of Living Adventure Tours, was ordered held without bail by a federal judge in Newark Monday afternoon on a charge of distributing child pornography. Between July 2018 and January 2019, Tiedeman, of West Milford, “distributed at least 50 videos and 100 images depicting the sexual abuse of children via the BitTorrent peer-to-peer network,” U.S. Attorney Craig…
Man Sentenced For Child Exploitation Offense Man Sentenced For Child Exploitation Offense
Man Sentenced For Child Exploitation Offense A 79-year-old Connecticut man is going to spend some time behind bars for attempting to solicit sexual activity from teenage girls on Facebook. Waterbury resident Harry Bright - also known as “Buddy Bright” has been sentenced to three months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty in federal court to one count of distribution of obscene matter to a minor.  The first two months of Bright’s supervised release will be served in home confinement. In November last year, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) contacted Homeland …
Bridgeport School Bus Driver Accused Of Sexually Soliciting 13-Year-Old Passenger Bridgeport School Bus Driver Accused Of Sexually Soliciting 13-Year-Old Passenger
Bridgeport School Bus Driver Accused Of Sexually Soliciting 13-Year-Old Passenger A school bus driver has been arrested on a federal complaint for sexually soliciting a 13-year-old passenger on his bus, according to the U.S Attorney's Office. Jose Manuel Santos, 36, was arrested Friday and charged with transfer of obscene materials to a minor, and enticement of a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity, said John H. Durham, U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Peter C. Fitzhugh, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston. According to ICE officials, law enforcement received information that Santos, a school bus/van driver …
CT Man Sentenced For Child Pornography Offense CT Man Sentenced For Child Pornography Offense
CT Man Sentenced For Child Pornography Offense A 28-year-old man from Connecticut is going to spend time behind bars after being busted with child porn and “guides to sexually abusing children.” William Millett of Groton has been sentenced to 60 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised released for the child pornography offense, John Durham, the United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced this week. According to Durham, a Homeland Security Investigations investigation found that an IP address connected with Millett was used to access child pornography. On Nov. 7 last year, investigators conducted a c…
Fairfield County Woman Among Two Charged With Running Marriage Fraud Scheme Fairfield County Woman Among Two Charged With Running Marriage Fraud Scheme
Fairfield County Woman Among Two Charged With Running Marriage Fraud Scheme A 14-count indictment was unsealed on Friday detailing charges against two Connecticut residents, including one from Fairfield County, accused of operating an extensive immigration marriage fraud scheme, the U.S. Justice Department said.  Jodian Stephenson, 34, of Bridgeport --also known as “Jodian Gordon,” and Donovan Lawrence, 62, of Milford, were charged, according to John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, Peter C. Fitzhugh, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston, and Christopher W. Fonda, Supervisory Immigration Officer for …
Fairfield County Man Charged With Distributing Counterfeit Drugs Fairfield County Man Charged With Distributing Counterfeit Drugs
Fairfield County Man Charged With Distributing Counterfeit Drugs A Fairfield County man was arrested and charged on a federal criminal complaint related to distributing counterfeit drugs. Kamil Golebiowski, 25, of Shelton, was arrested Tuesday as part of an ongoing statewide initiative targeting narcotics dealers who distribute heroin, fentanyl or opioids that cause death or serious injury to users, said John H. Durham, U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut. Golebiowski's arrest is in connection with the July 9, 2017, overdose death of a 29-year-old Seymour man. During the investigation into the man's death, investigators seized drug and non-dru…