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Three Brits Hasan Topal, Ediz Can, Ahmed Mhanni Arrested; 36 Guns Seized in Spanish Raid

By
Shulammite Bello
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0

Three British nationals have been arrested, and 36 firearms have been seized as part of a joint Spanish National Police and National Crime Agency (NCA) investigation.

Armed officers deployed to 36-year-old Anthony Finnigan’s property in Murcia, Spain, on June 20. 

Finnigan is suspected of being part of a British organised crime group based in the Murcia area, responsible for trafficking class A drugs through Spain to the UK.

He emerged from the property accompanied by another British national, Hasan Topal, 35, and a firearm was discharged in the direction of the attending officers.

Warning shots were then fired by the officers, and both men were detained without sustaining any injuries.

Two other men were arrested at the property – 33-year-old Brit Ediz Can and Ahmed Mhanni, 32, from Morocco.  

During a thorough search of the property, officers discovered 36 viable firearms, primarily Walthers and Heckler & Kochs, and 755 9mm bullets.

All four men were taken into custody and remanded. 

Finnigan was arrested as he is wanted by Merseyside Police in connection to drug supply offences in the UK. Once the Spanish National Police’s enquiries conclude, proceedings will begin to get him back to the UK to face these charges.

Neil Keeping, NCA Regional Manager for Spain, said, “The NCA’s international network played a key role in support of the Spanish National Police operation that saw four men arrested and dangerous weapons seized.

“These firearms are likely to have been destined for the UK criminal market, so taking them out of circulation marks a huge success. Suppressing the availability of illegal firearms in the UK and preventing their use or acquisition by criminals is a top priority for the NCA and its law enforcement partners.”

NCA, Partners Target OCG Smuggling People into UK in Ships

By
Olaoluwa Fabuyi
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The National Crime Agency has worked with partners to target and successfully disrupt an organised crime group suspected of using shipping to smuggle people into the UK illegally.

The Albanian-based group investigated by the NCA over a period of around a year utilised ships visiting smaller ports around the UK coast from near Europe.

The NCA worked with partners, including Border Force, Immigration Enforcement and Humberside Police, to increase checks on vessels as they arrived.

The first such operation took place in August 2023, when five Albanian nationals were arrested for immigration offences by Humberside Police officers who were working with the NCA at Goole Port.

NCA investigators continued to gather intelligence around the OCG, leading to another operation at Goole on June 19, 2024, targeting the same cargo vessel.

This time, three people were arrested by immigration enforcement officers, including an Egyptian national (aged 35) who was the ship’s captain and the Albanian first mate (40). Both were detained on suspicion of facilitating illegal immigration and later bailed pending further enquiries.

All crew members on the boat were issued notices refusing entry to the UK.

An additional Albanian national (31) who was on board but wasn’t a member of the crew was arrested for immigration offences and detained pending removal from the UK.

The NCA then continued to work with partners to focus on similar vessels operated by the same companies suspected of being under the control of the OCG, boarding five of them as they arrived in Goole over the following weeks, carrying out additional checks.

NCA senior investigating officer Carl Barrass said, “We assess that this investigation has successfully disrupted the activities of an organised crime group who were attempting to fly under the radar of law enforcement. By using smaller ports around the UK coastline they thought they could avoid border checks, but we have cut off that particular method for them.

“Tackling organised immigration crime is a priority for the NCA, and we are determined to use the full range of methods at our disposal to disrupt and dismantle people smuggling networks, preventing harm to those they exploit for profit.”

The NCA currently has more than 70 investigations ongoing into individuals in the top tier of organised immigration crime or human trafficking.

We target and disrupt organised crime groups at every step of the route, in source countries, in transit countries, near the UK border in France and Belgium, and those operating inside the UK itself.

We also use the full suite of powers at our disposal to disrupt OCGs, pursuing other methods when a criminal justice route is not possible, disrupting their business models.

Home Office Director General of Immigration Enforcement Bas Javid said: “We are relentlessly pursuing the criminal gangs who exploit our borders and endanger vulnerable lives for their own gain. I am incredibly proud of my team and the Home Office for their pivotal role in this vital operation. This action underscores our unwavering commitment to dismantling smuggling networks and safeguarding our borders.”

Repeat Child Sex Offender Chad Michael Rabon Sentenced to 25 Years

By
Deborah Ojuade
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Chad Michael Rabon, 34, of Lugoff, was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to two counts of attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor and two corresponding counts of commission of a felony sex offence involving a minor by a registered sex offender.

Evidence presented to the court showed that from May 23 to June 30, 2022, Rabon, a previously convicted and registered sex offender, knowingly had sexually explicit conversations with an undercover agent who Rabon believed to be a 13-year-old girl. He used the social media platform KIK Messenger to persuade the perceived minor to engage in sexual activity. 

In addition, on May 26 and June 29, 2022, Rabon sent pornographic images and obscene videos to the undercover agent to entice the person he believed to be a 13-year-old girl to engage in sexual activity.

“Rabon, a registered sex offender, knowingly preyed on who he believed to be a child. This sentence reflects the serious nature of Rabon’s crime, and we will continue to hold such offenders accountable,” said Adair F. Boroughs, U.S. Attorney for the District of South Carolina.

“HSI is a global leader in the fight against child predators and their exploitative behaviour,” said Cardell T. Morant, special agent in charge of HSI Charlotte that covers North and South Carolina. “HSI and its partners remain steadfast in the fight to protect our most vulnerable population from exploitation.”

Rabon is a registered sex offender, having previously been convicted on state charges of criminal solicitation of a minor and criminal sexual conduct with a minor, victim 11 to 14 years of age, second degree. 

Justice Department, International, Private Sector Partners Collaborate to Disrupt Covert Russian Government-operated Social Media Bot Farm

By
TheCrimeScene
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0

The Justice Department today announced the seizure of two domain names and the search of 968 social media accounts used by Russian actors to create an AI-enhanced social media bot farm that spread disinformation in the United States and abroad. The social media bot farm used elements of AI to create fictitious social media profiles — often purporting to belong to individuals in the United States — which the operators then used to promote messages in support of Russian government objectives, according to affidavits unsealed today.

In conjunction with the domain seizures and search warrant announced today, the FBI and the Cyber National Mission Force (CNMF), in partnership with Canadian Centre for Cyber Security (CCCS), the Netherlands General Intelligence and Security Service (AIVD), Netherlands Military Intelligence and Security Service (MIVD), and Netherlands Police released a joint cybersecurity advisory detailing the technology behind the social media bot farm, including details regarding how the bot farm’s creators leveraged their bespoke AI system in furtherance of the scheme.

The advisory will allow social media platforms and researchers to identify and prevent the Russian government’s further use of the technology. In addition, X Corp. (formerly, Twitter) voluntarily suspended the remaining bot accounts identified in the court documents for terms of service violations.

“With these actions, the Justice Department has disrupted a Russian-government backed, AI-enabled propaganda campaign to use a bot farm to spread disinformation in the United States and abroad,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “As the Russian government continues to wage its brutal war in Ukraine and threatens democracies around the world, the Justice Department will continue to deploy all of our legal authorities to counter Russian aggression and protect the American people.”

“Today’s action demonstrates that the Justice Department and our partners will not tolerate Russian government actors and their agents deploying AI to sow disinformation and fuel division among Americans,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “As malign actors accelerate their criminal misuse of AI, the Justice Department will respond and we will prioritize disruptive actions with our international partners and the private sector. We will not hesitate to shut down bot farms, seize illegally obtained internet domains, and take the fight to our adversaries.”

“Today’s actions represent a first in disrupting a Russian-sponsored Generative AI-enhanced social media bot farm,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “Russia intended to use this bot farm to disseminate AI-generated foreign disinformation, scaling their work with the assistance of AI to undermine our partners in Ukraine and influence geopolitical narratives favorable to the Russian government. The FBI is committed to working with our partners and deploying joint, sequenced operations to strategically disrupt our most dangerous adversaries and their use of cutting-edge technology for nefarious purposes.”

“We support all civic engagement, civil dialogue, and a robust exchange of ideas,” said U.S. Attorney Gary Restaino for the District of Arizona. “But those ideas should be generated by Americans, for Americans. The disruption announced today protects us from those who use unlawful means to seek to mislead our citizens and our communities.”

“The disruption announced today is the result of a combined response with our international partners to a serious and unique threat,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Morris Pasqual for the Northern District of Illinois. “Multiple U.S. and foreign governmental components worked closely and efficiently to address the threat and develop and execute a mitigation strategy. Through vigorous enforcement efforts and collaborative international partnerships, the Justice Department works tirelessly to disrupt criminal cyber activity.”

Overview

According to court documents, a bot farm is an enhanced software package which allows for the creation of false personas on social media platforms. Bot farms are enhanced by integrating components which contain artificial intelligence, such as image production or text generation.

As described in the affidavits filed in support of the warrants, development of the social media bot farm was organized by an individual identified in Russia (Individual A). In early 2022, Individual A worked as the deputy editor-in-chief at RT, a state-run Russian news organization based in Moscow. Since at least 2022, RT leadership sought the development of alternative means for distributing information beyond RT’s standard television news broadcasts. In response, Individual A led the development of software that was able to create and to operate a social media bot farm.

As planned, the social media bot farm would create fictitious online personas for social media accounts, through which RT, or any operator of the bot farm, could distribute information on a wide-scale basis. The development was executed by Individual B and others, who hid their identities and location (Russia) while beginning to purchase infrastructure for the social media bot farm in April 2022.

In early 2023, with the approval and financial support of the Presidential Administration of Russia (aka the Kremlin), a Russian FSB officer (FSB Officer 1) created and led a private intelligence organization (P.I.O.), as explained in the affidavits. The P.I.O.’s membership was comprised of, among others, employees at RT, including Individual A. The true purpose of the P.I.O. was to advance the mission of the FSB and the Russian government, including by spreading disinformation through the social media accounts created by the bot farm.

According to the affidavits, FSB Officer 1, Individual A, and other members of the PIO had access to the social media bot farm. The following are examples of Russian-government narratives that the bot farm posted on X in October and November 2023:

  • A purported U.S. constituent replied to a candidate for federal office’s social media posts regarding the conflict in Ukraine with a video of President Putin justifying Russia’s actions in Ukraine;
  • A purported resident of Minneapolis, Minnesota, posted a video of President Putin discussing his belief that certain geographic areas of Poland, Ukraine, and Lithuania were “gifts” to those countries from the Russian forces that liberated them from Nazi control during World War II;
  • A purported U.S. resident of a city identified only as “Gresham,” posted a video claiming that the number of foreign fighters embedded with Ukrainian forces was significantly lower than public estimates;
  • The same purported individual posted a video of President Putin claiming that the war in Ukraine is not a territorial conflict or a matter of geopolitical balance, but rather the “principles on which the New World Order will be based.”

To register the fictitious social media accounts, the social media bot farm relied on private email servers, which in turn relied on the two domain names seized by the FBI. An individual who controls an internet domain can create email accounts using the domain. For example, an individual controlling the domain name www.example.com can create email accounts using @example.com (e.g., EmailAddress@example.com). Here, the actors obtained and controlled the domain names “mlrtr.com” and “otanmail.com” from a U.S.-based provider. They then used those domains to create the email servers that ultimately allowed them to create fictitious social media accounts using the bot farm software.

The FSB’s use of U.S.-based domain names, which the software used to register the bots, violates the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. In addition, the accompanying payments for that infrastructure violate federal money laundering laws.

The Justice Department commends members of the private sector who coordinated with law enforcement efforts on this disruption, including X for its voluntary efforts to suspend the identified bot accounts from its platform. Prior to the government’s action, X identified and suspended a significant number of the bot accounts.

The Justice Department’s investigation is ongoing.

The National Security Division’s National Security Cyber Section, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona, and U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois are prosecuting the case, with valuable assistance from the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.

Pico Rivera’s Gustavo Adolfo Aldana-Martinez Who Helped International Drug Traffickers Launder $15m Convicted, Jailed

By
Deborah Ojuade
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A Pico Rivera man has been sentenced to 48 months in federal prison for his role in a money laundering conspiracy that moved millions of dollars in narcotics-related funds from the United States to international drug trafficking organizations.

Gustavo Adolfo Aldana-Martinez, 57, was sentenced by United States District Judge R. Gary Klausner, who also ordered him to pay a $25,000 fine.

At the conclusion of a three-day trial in December 2021, a jury found Aldana-Martinez guilty of one count of conspiracy to launder monetary instruments.

Aldana-Martinez accepted wire transfers of trafficker-directed drug proceeds sent from an undercover account run by agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). After nearly $300,000 was sent to a bank account in the name of his bogus business, Aldana-Martinez made a series of wire transfers to unrelated companies to pay for electronic items that were then shipped to Colombia and Mexico, where they were sold to produce laundered funds for the drug traffickers.

The evidence showed that Aldana-Martinez laundered approximately $15.5 million between 2015 and 2017.

The man who oversaw the money laundering enterprise – Daniel Shaun Zilke, a.k.a. “The Englishman,” 49, of Mexico City – pleaded guilty in December 2023 to conspiracy to aid and abet drug distribution, conspiracy to launder money, and obstruction of an official government proceeding for stealing and attempting to cover up the theft of $150,000 in DEA undercover funds. Zilke is expected to be sentenced in the coming months.

The third defendant in the case – Jeffrey Mark Thompson, a.k.a. “The Cowboy,” 62, of Springtown, Texas – pleaded guilty in November 2023 to conspiracy to aid and abet drug distribution, conspiracy to launder money, and money laundering. Thompson is expected to be sentenced in the coming months. Zilke and Thompson face decades in prison.

A fourth defendant in the case – Juan Rachid Dergal-Zulbaran, 49, of Mexico City – is currently a fugitive.

According to court documents, the investigation into Zilke’s operation started in late 2015 when an undercover DEA agent posing as a money launderer contacted Zilke. When he pleaded guilty, Zilke admitted telling the undercover “he had a client in Europe who needed hundreds of millions of dollars moved to Mexico, and that he could use the bank account of a charity in Dallas, Texas to assist in laundering the money.”

The undercover agent agreed to assist Zilke by allowing him to use bank accounts associated with cash-intensive businesses. Subsequently, Zilke and his associates arranged numerous pickups of large sums of cash from drug traffickers in cities all over the country, funds that were deposited at Zilke’s direction into various bank accounts, including one controlled by Aldana-Martinez and another in the name of Thompson’s purported charity, Peace Through Water Foundation.

When he pleaded guilty, Thompson admitted that he used the Peace Through Water bank account to launder drug money.

Zilke, Thompson, and Aldana-Martinez each earned a commission that was a percentage of the amount laundered through their respective accounts, according to court documents.

During the investigation, Zilke approached the DEA in 2019 and offered his cooperation to expose the money laundering organization. After being made a cooperator and agreeing to always be truthful, Zilke received $200,000 in official government funds to be delivered to defendant Thompson. The intent was for Thompson to launder the money through his bank accounts and return the money to DEA undercover accounts.

But, as Zilke admitted in his plea agreement, approximately two weeks after the cash delivery, Zilke returned to Thompson’s residence and took back $150,000 without telling the DEA agents. After this theft of government funds, he repeatedly lied to the agents about the money and made excuses for why it was taking so long to receive the wire transfers for the full $200,000.

Saint Martin Man, Hector Concepcion, Sentenced to 60 Months in Prison for Narcotics Trafficking

By
Samuel Nwite
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0

A Saint Martin citizen unlawfully residing in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, was sentenced in federal court to 60 months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, on his convictions of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine, heroin, and cocaine, and unlawful possession of a firearm by an illegal alien, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.

Senior United States District Judge Kim R. Gibson imposed the sentence on Hector Concepcion, 35.

According to information presented to the court, from in and around August 2019 to in and around April 2021, in the Western District of Pennsylvania, Concepcion conspired with others to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 28 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing cocaine base in the form commonly known as “crack” and quantities of heroin and cocaine.

Further, in and around July 2021, Concepcion, an illegal alien who is unlawfully in the United States, possessed a firearm and ammunition.

Federal law prohibits anyone who is illegally or unlawfully in the United States or who is an alien admitted to the United States under a non-immigrant visa from possessing a firearm. Concepcion was intercepted on a federal wiretap, obtaining quantities of crack cocaine, heroin, and cocaine that he distributed to others.

Assistant United States Attorney Maureen Sheehan-Balchon prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

El Paso Contractor Jack McCager Kidd Sentenced to Jail for Defrauding Bureau of Prisons

By
Shulammite Bello
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0

An El Paso man was sentenced in a federal court to 24 months in prison with a $5,000 fine for defrauding two federally funded correctional institutions.

According to court documents, Jack McCager Kidd, 72, was the owner of a company contracted by the Bureau of Prisons to construct two gas pipelines to separate correctional institutions—a high-security prison in Pennsylvania and a medium-security prison in Alabama.

Kidd falsely invoiced the institutions for more natural gas than his company delivered and refused to provide the information requested by the institutions concerning the amount of natural gas delivered and the calculations he used to determine the monthly invoice amounts.

He was arrested on October 28, 2021, and charged with 72 counts of wire fraud. He pleaded guilty on August 30, 2023, to one count of wire fraud. Per the plea agreement, Kidd also agreed to pay $11,397,374 in restitution.

U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.

The Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General Fraud Detection Office and FBI investigated the case.

1843 LLC and Colonial Memorials Headstone Salesman, Gregory Stefan, Charged with Defrauding Hundreds of Customers in Pennsylvania, New Jersey

By
Samuel Nwite
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0

Gregory J. Stefan, Jr., 54, of Upper Merion, Pennsylvania, has been arrested and charged by indictment with seven counts of wire fraud arising from fraudulent business practices he employed in the operation and management of headstone sales companies.

The indictment alleges that between January 2018 and September 2023, Stefan—through his businesses, 1843 LLC and Colonial Memorials—defrauded hundreds of grieving customers by entering into contracts to provide custom headstone and engraving services for their deceased loved ones that he knew he would not deliver on the promised timeline, if at all.

Stefan demanded large up-front payments from his customers (often 100 per cent of the purchase price) but routinely failed to fulfil their orders by the projected delivery date.

When customers reached out to request updates on the status of their overdue orders, Stefan either ignored them or employed lulling tactics and assured them that their orders would be delivered shortly without taking any steps to follow through on those assurances.

According to the indictment, Stefan failed to deliver or provide refunds for orders placed by almost 500 customers who had paid Stefan in excess of $1.5 million.

The defendant made an initial appearance in federal court on these charges before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jose R. Arteaga this afternoon.

If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of 140 years’ imprisonment.

Upper Darby’s Anthony Mazzccua Sentenced to 12 Months in Prison for Mail Theft Scheme

By
Deborah Ojuade
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0

United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Anthony Mazzccua, 25, of Upper Darby, PA, was sentenced today to 12 months’ imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and $26,654.94 in restitution by United States District Court Judge Nitza I. Quiñones Alejandro, for his participation in a scheme to attempt to steal mail from a U.S. Postal Service collection box and his possession of stolen mail.

His codefendant, Hervens Toussaint, 26, also of Upper Darby, PA, was sentenced in May to three years of probation, a $1,000 fine, and restitution of $15,706.67.

Both men admitted their roles in the scheme, pleading guilty earlier this year to attempted mail theft, aiding and abetting attempted mail theft, and possessing stolen mail.

The charges arose from the codefendants’ use of a USPS Arrow Key to steal mail from collection boxes in Delaware County, PA.

The codefendants would then locate checks, wash and alter the payee names and amounts on the checks, and deposit the altered checks into bank accounts belonging to third-party individuals.

In at least some instances, the codefendants withdrew or attempted to withdraw the fraudulently deposited funds from those third-party bank accounts.

On October 27, 2021, law enforcement found the codefendants, along with an unindicted juvenile, attempting to steal mail from a blue collection box in Aston, PA. At the time he was apprehended, Mazzccua had six stolen checks and a USPS route key tag on his person.

Moreover, law enforcement found approximately 13 pieces of stolen mail and eight stolen checks in the car being used by the codefendants to steal mail.

The actual fraud loss for which Mazzccua was responsible, due to his depositing of washed and altered checks stolen from Delaware County, was approximately $26,654.94.

“The U.S. postal system is a cornerstone of American society, delivering essential items such as income, bills, and expenses,” said U.S. Attorney Romero.

Romero added, “Through their actions, the defendants assaulted the integrity and reliability of that system, negatively impacting the lives of numerous victims who had their checks stolen from the mail. Today’s sentence reflects the grave consequences that await those who compromise the security of our mail system. We ask everyone to help support this critical service and protect our postal system by reporting any suspicious activity.”

Christopher Nielsen, Inspector in Charge of the Philadelphia Division for the Postal Inspection Service, stated, “Today, Anthony Mazzccua was held accountable for stealing checks out of the U.S. Mail and fraudulently passing those checks through the financial system.”

Nielsen noted that protecting the mail from theft “is a core mission of the inspection service.”

Nielsen explained that when someone steals mail, postal inspectors will work relentlessly to hold those individuals to account.

He added, “I want to thank the investigators from the Upper Chichester Township Police Department who assisted in identifying and apprehending these suspects. I also want to acknowledge the efforts of the United States Attorney’s Office for their continued support in prosecuting these cases.”

Murder Investigation Launched After Man Was Stabbed to Death in Finsbury Park

By
Shulammite Bello
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0

Detectives have launched a murder investigation following a stabbing in Finsbury Park.

A crime scene remains in place at Stroud Green Road, at the junction of Tollington Park, N4, after police received reports at about 2:50 a.m. on Thursday of a man with stab injuries at the location.

Officers, London Ambulance Service and medics from London’s Air Ambulance all attended and found a man, aged 19, injured in a car.

Despite the best efforts of the emergency services, he was pronounced dead at the scene.

His next of kin have been informed and are being supported by specialist officers.

A post-mortem examination will be held in due course. Formal identification has not yet taken place.

The male driver of the car was also taken to hospital for treatment before being discharged.

Detective Chief Inspector Tony Kirk from the Met’s Specialist Crime Command leads the investigation and said, “While this investigation is in its early stages we have established that the two men sustained their injuries in Seven Sisters Road close to Yonge Park before driving to Stroud Green Road where the car came to a stop.”

Kirk added, “I would ask anyone who was driving through that route from Seven Sisters Road to Stroud Green Road and Tollington Park to check their dashcam footage in case they have captured anything that could help our investigation.

“Likewise, any residents in the area please get in touch as a matter of urgency if you notice anything out of the ordinary captured by your doorbell camera.

“A young man has lost his life in violent circumstances. My team are working at pace to establish exactly what has happened so we can give their families the answers they deserve and bring those responsible to justice.”

Superintendent Annmarie Cowley, who is responsible for policing in Islington and Camden, said, “My thoughts are with this young man’s family and friends as they struggle to come to terms with their loss.

“I know that news of this incident will cause a lot of concern in the local community. That is of course understandable and I share that concern. Residents can expect to see officers in the area over the coming days, and I encourage you to speak with them should you have any concerns. We are also working closely with local partners to ensure support is there for those who need it.”

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