Category: US Customs

Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

BALTIMORE — Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Baltimore arrested an undocumented noncitizen from El Salvador who had previously been removed from the United States following his conviction for a sex crime in Virginia. Deportation officers from ERO Baltimore’s Fugitive Operations Team apprehended the 48-year-old Salvadoran national Aug. 23 at his residence in Clinton.

The unlawfully present Salvadoran citizen was convicted in January 2014 of sexual battery of a victim under 13 years old.

“This Salvadoran national has already proven to be a threat to society, which is why ERO previously removed him from the United States,” said ERO Baltimore acting Field Office Director Darius Reeves. “He reentered the country unlawfully, so we will remove him again. ERO Baltimore will not allow our Maryland communities to become safe havens for unlawfully present sexual predators, especially those who pose a threat to our children.”

The Salvadoran national originally entered the United States lawfully in March 1989 at the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport in Kenner, Louisiana.

The Arlington Police Department in Arlington, Virginia, arrested the Salvadoran citizen in November 1995 for the offense of larceny. In December 1995, the Arlington General District Court convicted him for the offense and sentenced him to one year of confinement with all days suspended.

In August 2006, the Alexandria Police Department in Alexandria, Virginia, arrested the Salvadoran citizen for the offense of assault and battery-family member, abduction and kidnapping, but the Alexandria Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court dismissed the charges in September 2006.

The Arlington County Sheriff’s Office arrested the Salvadoran national in December 2006 for the offense of abduction and kidnapping. However, the Arlington Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court dismissed the charges in January 2007.

The Alexandria Police Department arrested the noncitizen in November 2013 for the offense of aggravated sexual battery of a victim under 13 years old. In January 2014, the Alexandria Circuit Court convicted him of the offense and sentenced him to 10 years of confinement with all but 15 months suspended.

ERO Washington, D.C. lodged an immigration detainer against the Salvadoran national with the Alexandria City Jail in January 2014. In December 2014, deportation officers with ERO Washington, D.C.’s Criminal Apprehension Program arrested the noncitizen at the Alexandria City Jail.

A Department of Justice immigration judge in Annandale, Virginia, ordered the noncitizen removed to El Salvador in January 2015, and ERO removed him to El Salvador later that month.

On an unknown date and at an unknown location, the Salvadoran national reentered the United States unlawfully.

ERO Baltimore arrested the noncitizen Aug. 23 and issued him a notice of intent/decision to reinstate prior order. The noncitizen will remain in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody pending his removal from the United States.

Regardless of nationality, ICE makes custody determinations on a case-by-case basis, in accordance with U.S. law and U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) policy, considering the circumstances of each case. ICE officers make decisions on associated enforcement actions and apply prosecutorial discretion in a responsible manner, informed by their experience as law enforcement professionals and in a way that best protects the communities they serve.

ERO is focused on smart, effective immigration enforcement that protects the homeland through the arrest and removal of those who undermine the safety of our communities and the integrity of our immigration laws.

Entering the United States without authorization is a violation of federal law, and those who do so many be subject to administrative arrest, and in some cases, criminal prosecution.

ERO conducts removals of individuals without a lawful basis to remain in the United States, including at the order of immigration judges with the Justice Department’s Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR). EOIR is a separate entity from DHS and ICE. Immigration judges in these courts make decisions based on the merits of each individual case, determining if a noncitizen is subject to a final order of removal or eligible for certain forms of relief from removal.

As one of ICE’s three operational directorates, ERO is the principal federal law enforcement authority in charge of domestic immigration enforcement. ERO’s mission is to protect the homeland through the arrest and removal of those who undermine the safety of U.S. communities and the integrity of U.S. immigration laws, and its primary areas of focus are interior enforcement operations, management of the agency’s detained and non-detained populations, and repatriation of noncitizens who have received final orders of removal. ERO’s workforce consists of more than 7,700 law enforcement and non-law enforcement support personnel across 25 domestic field offices and 208 locations nationwide, 30 overseas postings, and multiple temporary duty travel assignments along the border.

Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

WASHINGTON — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) announced today the arrest of 366 noncitizens during a national operation that ran from Aug. 4 through 25, 2023. Officers focused enforcement efforts on priority fugitive noncitizens and priority noncitizens previously removed from the U.S. who reentered the country illegally; specifically, those identified as having a criminal conviction for certain felonies or convictions for other crimes including but not limited to murder for hire, manslaughter, sex crimes against children, assault with a firearm, battery, domestic violence, drug trafficking, possession of a controlled substance and driving under the influence.

“Our ERO officers continue to prioritize the apprehension and removal of noncitizens who pose a threat to national security, public safety or border security from the United States — obtaining and reviewing entire criminal and administrative records and any other investigative information available to take decisive law enforcement actions,” said acting ERO Executive Associate Director Corey A. Price. “ICE is committed to safe, effective enforcement of our immigration laws; this operation highlights ongoing efforts by our officers to apply an organized, methodical approach to the identification, location and arrest of those who present a danger to communities we serve.”

Officers prioritized enforcement actions in accordance with the Guidelines for the Enforcement of Civil Immigration Law issued by Secretary Mayorkas on Sept. 30, 2021, and reinstituted on June 28.

Those arrested include:

• A 58-year-old citizen of the Dominican Republic in Jersey City, New Jersey, convicted by the Hudson County Superior Court in New Jersey of felony possession of a controlled dangerous substance with intent to distribute cocaine in December 2013.
• A 55-year-old citizen of Guyana in Hollis, New York, convicted by the Eastern District of New York in Brooklyn of felony use of interstate commerce facilities in the commission of murder-for-hire in December 2008.
• A 54-year-old citizen of Mexico in Los Angeles convicted by the Superior Court of California in Los Angeles of felony lewd act with a child under 14 years of age and felony failure to register as a sex offender in July 2023.
• A 52-year-old citizen of Albania in Jacksonville, Florida, convicted by the Fourth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida of felony aggravated assault with a firearm and felony possession of dangerous drugs in September 2009.
• A 48-year-old citizen of El Salvador in Clinton, Maryland, convicted by the District Court in Arlington County, Virginia, of felony aggravated sexual battery victim under 13 years old in December 1994. 
• A 48-year-old citizen of Mexico in Fresno, California, convicted by the Superior Court of California in Fresno of felony unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor in May 2021.
• A 45-year-old citizen of Mexico in Chicago convicted by the Cook County Circuit Court of Illinois of felony predatory criminal sexual assault of a child, felony aggravated kidnapping and felony child abduction in March 2022.
• A 41-year-old citizen of Mexico in Bakersfield, California, convicted by the Kern County Superior Court in Bakersfield of felony assault with a firearm on a person in January 2020.
• A 37-year-old citizen of Ecuador in Meriden, Connecticut, convicted by the Meriden Superior Court of felony manslaughter second-degree in January 2019.
• A 36-year-old citizen of El Salvador in Washington, D.C., convicted by the Superior Court of the District of Columbia of felony second-degree child sex abuse in March 2023.

ERO officers evaluate individuals on a case-by-case basis, assessing the totality of the facts and circumstances to make informed arrest determinations. Those cases amenable to federal criminal prosecution can be presented to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. ERO also coordinates with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to evaluate the status and processing of relevant immigration applications, as appropriate.

In fiscal year 2022, ERO arrested 46,396 noncitizens with criminal histories. The group had 198,498 associated charges and convictions, including 21,531 assault offenses; 8,164 sex and sexual assault offenses; 5,554 weapons offenses; 1,501 homicide-related offenses; and 1,114 kidnapping offenses.

As one of ICE’s three operational directorates, ERO is the principal federal law enforcement authority in charge of domestic immigration enforcement. ERO’s mission is to protect the homeland through the arrest and removal of those who undermine the safety of U.S. communities and the integrity of U.S. immigration laws, and its primary areas of focus are interior enforcement operations, management of the agency’s detained and non-detained populations, and repatriation of noncitizens who have received final orders of removal. ERO’s workforce consists of more than 7,700 law enforcement and non-law enforcement support personnel across 25 domestic field offices and 208 locations nationwide, 30 overseas postings, and multiple temporary duty travel assignments along the border.

Members of the public can report crime and suspicious activity by calling 866-347-2423 or completing the online tip form. Follow us on X, formerly known as Twitter, @ICEgovERO to learn more about ERO’s missions and operations.

Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Following a federal investigation, 28 people were arrested as part of a coordinated, multiagency enforcement operation that targeted members of a drug trafficking organization responsible for the distribution of significant quantities of fentanyl and methamphetamine in the Louisville metro area.

The arrests, which involved the execution of 15 federal search warrants on Aug. 29, were led by the FBI’s Louisville field office, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Louisville, the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation Cincinnati field office and the Louisville Metro Police Department following a months-long investigation.

The investigation, dubbed Operation Frozen River, is the result of ongoing Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force efforts, a partnership that brings together the combined expertise and unique abilities of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. In addition to the arrests, law enforcement personnel seized approximately 6 pounds of fentanyl, 35 pounds of methamphetamine, several pounds of marijuana, 30 firearms, one firearm suppressor, and $140,000 in U.S. currency.

“This multiagency investigative operation showcased HSI’s commitment to ensuring public safety to the communities we serve,” said HSI Nashville Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud. “We will continue to work alongside our local, state and federal partners in a collective effort to disrupt and dismantle these criminal organizations.”

The investigation involves 34 defendants charged with a variety of controlled substance and firearms violations under federal law and is being prosecuted by the Western District of Kentucky.

Those arrested include:

• Thomas Gunter, 39, of Louisville, charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Gunter is also charged with 10 counts of distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
• Desmond Allen, 37, of Louisville, charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and one count of distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
• Byron Mayes, 49, of Louisville, charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and one count of distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
• David Carter, 41, of Louisville, charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, four counts of distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
• Lauren Baum, 31, of Louisville, charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and one count of distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
• Brandon Traughber, 41, of Georgetown, Indiana, charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, two counts of distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
• Jason Hill, 40, of Corydon, Indiana, charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and one count of distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
• Adrian Hamilton, 51, of Louisville, charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and two counts of distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
• Antonio O’Neal, 47, of Louisville, charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and five counts of distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
• Randall Dilley, 49, of Louisville, charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, four counts of distributing a fentanyl mixture, and three counts of distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
• Keith Dewayne Settles, 51, of Louisville, charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and three counts of distributing a fentanyl mixture.
• Coy Tucker, 32, of Louisville, charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, six counts of distributing a fentanyl mixture, and one count of distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
• Jaiquinton Wordlaw, 40, of Louisville, charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and one count of distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
• Heather Boling, 25, of Louisville, charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, four counts of distributing a fentanyl mixture, two counts of distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
• Dontray Bard, 38, of Louisville, charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and one count of distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
• Todd Allgood, 54, of Louisville, charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and six counts of distributing a fentanyl mixture.
• Imani Tennyson, 21, of Louisville, charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.
• Dennis Rice, 44, of Jeffersonville, Indiana, charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and three counts of distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
• Tomerriel Macklin Jr., 23, of Louisville, charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and three counts of distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
• Damon Fortney, 44, of Louisville, charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, six counts of distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
• Dominique Kinnard, 33, of Louisville, charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and one count of distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
• Curnesha Smith, 30, of Louisville, charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and seven counts of distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
• Derrik Goodman, 26, of Louisville, charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and three counts of distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
• Bruce Boerner, 56, of Louisville, charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and four counts of distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
• Dawn Burns, 55, of Louisville, charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and five counts of distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
• Kendall Shaw, 41, of Louisville, charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
• Jaron Collier, 45, of Louisville, charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
• Ryan Mitchem, 41, of Louisville, charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
• Saentay Sheard, 46, of Louisville, charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
• Stephen Piercy, 46, of Louisville, charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
• Sean Underwood, 51, of Louisville, charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
• Christopher Shanahan, 33, of Louisville, charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
• Jason Cheser, 48, of Louisville, charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
• Lacy Elliot, 35, of Louisville, charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.

Six of the defendants remain fugitives in this case.

If convicted, the defendants all face minimum sentences ranging from 10 to 35 years, and each faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. Federal district court judges will determine their sentences after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. There is no parole in the federal system. The charges contained in an indictment are merely allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

HSI is the principal investigative arm of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), responsible for investigating transnational crime and threats, specifically those criminal organizations that exploit the global infrastructure through which international trade, travel, and finance move. HSI’s workforce of more than 8,700 employees consists of more than 6,000 special agents assigned to 237 cities throughout the United States, and 93 overseas locations in 56 countries. HSI’s international presence represents DHS’ largest investigative law enforcement presence abroad and one of the largest international footprints in U.S. law enforcement.

Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

WASHINGTON — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in coordination with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, facilitated multiple removal flights, including single adults and family units, to Central America, Ecuador, Haiti, Jamaica and Peru as part of dozens of other routine ICE removal flights conducted throughout the hemisphere and around the world. Since May 2023, DHS has removed or returned over 200,000 individuals, including over 17,000 individual family unit members.

Individuals who lack a lawful basis to stay in the United States are ordered removed, consistent with U.S. law – all individuals who are removed have been screened for protection concerns. This policy applies to all noncitizens regardless of nationality to ensure the orderly and humane processing, transfer, and removal of single adults, family units, and others determined to be removeable.

Noncitizens placed into removal proceedings receive their due process from immigration judges in the immigration courts, which are administered by the Justice Department’s Executive Office for Immigration Review. Due to operational security reasons, ICE does not confirm or discuss future or pending transportation operations.

ICE Air Operations facilitates the transfer and removal of noncitizens, including family units, via commercial airlines and chartered flights in support of ICE field offices and other DHS initiatives. In fiscal year 2022, ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations conducted 72,177 removals to more than 150 countries worldwide.

B-roll for removal flights is available on DVIDS. DHS has made additional videos available to the public and the media including b-roll footage of removal flights, a public service announcement, and testimonials from migrants who have been removed.

Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

EL PASO, Texas — Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) El Paso deportation officers removed an unlawfully present Guatemalan national, wanted in his home country for aggravated rape, from the United States on Aug. 30.

Antonio David Osorio-Lucas, 23, who had a final order of removal, was flown to Guatemala on a charter flight operated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Air Operations Unit. ERO officers turned custody of Osorio-Lucas over to local authorities at the La Aurora International Airport in Guatemala City, Guatemala.

On July 10, Osorio-Lucas illegally entered the United States in El Paso, and U.S. Border Patrol agents encountered and arrested him the same day. On July 12, Osorio-Lucas was issued and served with a notice of expedited removal and was charged with illegal entry. He was convicted on July 18 of the same charge, and was sentenced to six days of confinement or time served.

He was released from the El Paso County Detention Facility on July 19 and turned over to ERO El Paso custody. He remained in ICE custody at the El Paso Processing Center until he was removed from the country.

“Foreign fugitives living among us are a threat to our country’s national security and risk to public safety,” said ERO El Paso Field Office Director Mary De Anda-Ybarra. “ICE considers egregious and violent criminals our highest priority for removal, and we will continue to focus immigration enforcement efforts on identifying and arresting them to make sure they are returned to face justice in their home countries.”

Members of the public who have information about foreign fugitives should contact ICE by calling the ICE Tip Line at 866-347-2423 or internationally at 001-1802-872-6199. They can also file a tip online by completing ICE’s online tip form.

As one of ICE’s three operational directorates, ERO is the principal federal law enforcement authority in charge of domestic immigration enforcement. ERO’s mission is to protect the homeland through the arrest and removal of those who undermine the safety of U.S. communities and the integrity of U.S. immigration laws, and its primary areas of focus are interior enforcement operations, management of the agency’s detained and non-detained populations, and repatriation of noncitizens who have received final orders of removal. ERO’s workforce consists of more than 7,700 law enforcement and non-law enforcement support personnel across 25 domestic field offices and 208 locations nationwide, 30 overseas postings, and multiple temporary duty travel assignments along the border.

For more updates on noncitizens being removed from the community in the interest of public safety, follow ERO El Paso on X, formerly known as Twitter, @EROElPaso.

Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

TUCSON, Ariz. — A dual U.K.-Nigerian national who was extradited to the United States from the United Kingdom was sentenced to 90 months in prison on Aug. 29 for his role in a transnational inheritance fraud scheme. With this sentencing, all three defendants who were extradited from the United Kingdom in connection with this matter have been sentenced. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Department of Justice’s Consumer Protection Branch, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated this case.

“International criminal organizations using schemes that target and steal from the elderly will be held responsible for their despicable actions,” said HSI Arizona Special Agent in Charge Scott Brown. “This case demonstrates HSI’s commitment, with our partner law enforcement agencies domestically and abroad, to prove wrong those who believe they are beyond the reach of the law. I thank all the law enforcement agencies that dedicated countless hours in making this investigation a significant success.”

According to court documents, Iheanyichukwu Jonathan Abraham, 44, was part of a group of fraudsters who sent personalized letters to elderly victims in the United States, falsely claiming that the sender was a representative of a bank in Spain and that the recipient was entitled to receive a multimillion-dollar inheritance left by a family member who had died years before in Portugal. Victims were told that before they could receive their purported inheritance, they were required to send money for delivery fees and taxes and were instructed to make other payments. Victims sent money to the defendants through a complex web of U.S.-based former victims. Abraham and his co-conspirators also convinced former victims to receive money from new victims and then forward the fraud proceeds to others.

The other two defendants who were extradited from the United Kingdom also received prison sentences. On June 21, Emmanuel Samuel was sentenced to 82 months in prison, and on July 25, Jerry Chucks Ozor was sentenced to 87 months in prison. Two other co-defendants, who were extradited to the United States from Spain, have also pleaded guilty and are scheduled to be sentenced in October and November.

“The Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch will continue to pursue, prosecute and bring to justice transnational criminals responsible for defrauding U.S. consumers, wherever they are located,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We thank our colleagues at the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency and Crown Prosecution Service for assisting with the successful investigation and extradition of these defendants and the United Kingdom’s National Trading Standards Scams Team for its help in identifying this and other transnational fraud schemes.”

“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service has a long tradition of protecting American citizens from these types of schemes and bringing those responsible to justice,” said Inspector in Charge Juan A. Vargas of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Miami Division. “This result is a testament to the dedicated partnership between the Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch, Homeland Security Investigations and the USPIS, to protect our citizens from these scams.”

Senior Trial Attorney Phil Toomajian and Trial Attorneys Josh Rothman and Brianna Gardner of the Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch are prosecuting the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, Europol, and authorities from the United Kingdom, Spain and Portugal all provided critical assistance.

If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 833-FRAUD-11 (833-372-8311). This Justice Department hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies, and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET. English, Spanish and other languages are available.

More information about the department’s efforts to help American seniors is available at its Elder Justice Initiative webpage. For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit its website at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. Elder fraud complaints may be filed with the FTC at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov or at 877-FTC-HELP. The Justice Department provides a variety of resources relating to elder fraud victimization through its Office for Victims of Crime, which can be reached at www.ovc.gov.

HSI is the principal investigative arm of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), responsible for investigating transnational crime and threats, specifically those criminal organizations that exploit the global infrastructure through which international trade, travel, and finance move. HSI’s workforce of more than 8,700 employees consists of more than 6,000 special agents assigned to 237 cities throughout the United States, and 93 overseas locations in 56 countries. HSI’s international presence represents DHS’ largest investigative law enforcement presence abroad and one of the largest international footprints in U.S. law enforcement.

Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

TUCSON, Ariz. — A dual U.K.-Nigerian national who was extradited to the United States from the United Kingdom was sentenced to 90 months in prison on Aug. 29 for his role in a transnational inheritance fraud scheme. With this sentencing, all three defendants who were extradited from the United Kingdom in connection with this matter have been sentenced. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Department of Justice’s Consumer Protection Branch, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated this case.

“International criminal organizations using schemes that target and steal from the elderly will be held responsible for their despicable actions,” said HSI Arizona Special Agent in Charge Scott Brown. “This case demonstrates HSI’s commitment, with our partner law enforcement agencies domestically and abroad, to prove wrong those who believe they are beyond the reach of the law. I thank all the law enforcement agencies that dedicated countless hours in making this investigation a significant success.”

According to court documents, Iheanyichukwu Jonathan Abraham, 44, was part of a group of fraudsters who sent personalized letters to elderly victims in the United States, falsely claiming that the sender was a representative of a bank in Spain and that the recipient was entitled to receive a multimillion-dollar inheritance left by a family member who had died years before in Portugal. Victims were told that before they could receive their purported inheritance, they were required to send money for delivery fees and taxes and were instructed to make other payments. Victims sent money to the defendants through a complex web of U.S.-based former victims. Abraham and his co-conspirators also convinced former victims to receive money from new victims and then forward the fraud proceeds to others.

The other two defendants who were extradited from the United Kingdom also received prison sentences. On June 21, Emmanuel Samuel was sentenced to 82 months in prison, and on July 25, Jerry Chucks Ozor was sentenced to 87 months in prison. Two other co-defendants, who were extradited to the United States from Spain, have also pleaded guilty and are scheduled to be sentenced in October and November.

“The Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch will continue to pursue, prosecute and bring to justice transnational criminals responsible for defrauding U.S. consumers, wherever they are located,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We thank our colleagues at the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency and Crown Prosecution Service for assisting with the successful investigation and extradition of these defendants and the United Kingdom’s National Trading Standards Scams Team for its help in identifying this and other transnational fraud schemes.”

“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service has a long tradition of protecting American citizens from these types of schemes and bringing those responsible to justice,” said Inspector in Charge Juan A. Vargas of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Miami Division. “This result is a testament to the dedicated partnership between the Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch, Homeland Security Investigations and the USPIS, to protect our citizens from these scams.”

Senior Trial Attorney Phil Toomajian and Trial Attorneys Josh Rothman and Brianna Gardner of the Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch are prosecuting the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, Europol, and authorities from the United Kingdom, Spain and Portugal all provided critical assistance.

If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 833-FRAUD-11 (833-372-8311). This Justice Department hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies, and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET. English, Spanish and other languages are available.

More information about the department’s efforts to help American seniors is available at its Elder Justice Initiative webpage. For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit its website at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. Elder fraud complaints may be filed with the FTC at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov or at 877-FTC-HELP. The Justice Department provides a variety of resources relating to elder fraud victimization through its Office for Victims of Crime, which can be reached at www.ovc.gov.

HSI is the principal investigative arm of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), responsible for investigating transnational crime and threats, specifically those criminal organizations that exploit the global infrastructure through which international trade, travel, and finance move. HSI’s workforce of more than 8,700 employees consists of more than 6,000 special agents assigned to 237 cities throughout the United States, and 93 overseas locations in 56 countries. HSI’s international presence represents DHS’ largest investigative law enforcement presence abroad and one of the largest international footprints in U.S. law enforcement.