On November 28, 2012, Ashley Nicole Richards and Brent Justice of Houston were indicted for making what US Attorney Kenneth Magidson calls “animal crush videos.”  Both of the defendants have remained in state custody since August 15, 2012, but they are expected to go into federal custody and make an initial court appearance soon.  

An “animal crush video” is any “photograph, motion-picture film, video or digital recording, or electronic image that depicts actual conduct in which one or more living non-human mammals, birds, reptiles, or amphibians is intentionally crushed, burned, drowned, suffocated, impaled, or otherwise subjected to serious bodily injury, and is obscene” as defined under the Animal Crush Video Prohibition Act of 2010.  

According to the seven-count indictment, Justice and Richards created eight videos showing the torturing and killing of puppies and kittens.  The disturbing and obscene videos were created from February 2010 to August 2012 and then distributed.  Authorities have not noted if the heinous videos were distributed over the internet or by hand.  

Richards and Justice remain innocent until proven guilty.  

If they are convicted, Richards and Justice face a maximum penalty of seven years in prison for each of the animal crush charges and up to five years for each obscenity charge.  Each count carries a maximum fine of $250,000 and three years of supervised release as well.  

The Houston Police Department initially investigated the case and began to work with the FBI’s Field Office in Houston.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Sherri L. Zack is in charge of prosecution.  

It’s a sad reality when innocent animals that could have otherwise had a happy and long life are subjected to such grotesque human acts.  

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation
 

On November 21, 2012, the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announced that Joshua Bodean Smith of Colorado Springs, Colorado was found guilty of two counts of armed robbery that violated the Hobbs Act.  He was also convicted of two counts of possessing a firearm during a violent crime.  

Bianca Sota, the co-defendant, was named in the indictment, but she was acquitted of similar crimes.  

Smith is scheduled for sentencing on February 22, 2012 before U.S. District Court Judge Christine M. Arguello.  

The indictment and facts made at trial indicate Smith robbed a store on South Nevada Avenue called Cricket Communication Store on August 31, 2010. He also robbed a Burger King restaurant on October 11, 2010 near the Fort Carson military base, and he used a firearm during both of the robberies.  

Smith now faces up to 20 years for each counts of armed robbery that violated the Hobbs Act.  He faces a mandatory and consecutive 10 years to life for using a firearm during the first robbery, and he faces a mandatory and consecutive 25 years to life for using a firearm during the second robbery.

U.S. Attorney John Walsh stated: “The defendant in this case used a deadly weapon during two robberies. Thanks to the trial team, the FBI, Colorado Springs Police Department, and Army Investigators, he faces decades in federal prison—and Colorado is a safer place.”

The FBI, Colorado Springs Police Department, and the Army Criminal Investigation Division at Fort Carson investigated the case.  

James Yacone, FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge, stated: “On behalf of the FBI, I would like to thank the jury for its service.  The verdict for Smith is a just result in light of the violent acts he committed and the manner in which he endangered innocent citizens.”

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation
 

On November 9, 2012, the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland reported that Jason James Savedoff of New York, New York was sentenced to 366 days in prison and two years of supervised release.  He conspired to steals original documents from Abraham Lincoln, Franklin Roosevelt, George Washington, John Adams, and multiple other historical figures from museums and historical societies.  

During the plea agreement, Savedoff admitted that he and Barry Landau, the co-defendant, stole manuscripts and other documents from the Maryland Historical Society, the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, the Connecticut Historical Society, and the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library.  

Before stealing the documents, the two men made lists of documents from important historical figures and figured out what signatures had the most value.  They often visited the museums and posed as researchers.  They used aliases to hide their true identities, and they stole the documents by hiding them in hidden pockets in their sport coats and outerwear.  The co-defendants were able to distract museum curators as they stole the documents.  

The defendants made a checklist for each document that included the author, the document’s date, the document’s collection, the museum card catalogue number, any microfilm for the document, markings on the document, and more.  The defendants were able to hide the card catalogue entries so museum aids were unable to notice the document was missing.  

When Landau’s apartment was searched, authorities found of 6,000 items that were stolen around the United States.  These documents were signed by George Washington, John Adams, Franklin Roosevelt, Marie Antoinette, Karl Marx, and Sir Isaac Newton.  The documents are in the process of being returned to museums and proper owners.  

Landau was sentenced to seven years in prison, and he is required to pay restitution of $46,525.  

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation
 

On November 9, 20912, the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York reported that 38 defendants part of United States v Andrew Russo, et al—what the Justice Department calls the “largest single-day operation against La Cosa Nostra—pleaded guilty to federal charges.  The defendants are leaders, members, and general associates for the “Colombo Family.”

Andrew Russo explained his role as street boss and admitted to racketeering and operating illegal gambling businesses.  During an earlier plea proceeding, Russo also admitted to murdering the Colombo family underboss, Joseph Scopo, in 1993.  Benjamin Castellazzo also pled guilty to racketeering and extortion.  Richard Fusco admitted to his role as consigliere for the Colombo Family and also pled guilty to extortion.  

Andrew Russo, Dennis Delucia, Joseph Savarese, Ilario Sessa, and Angelo Spata accounted for the last five guilty pleas.  Savarese and Sessa admitted to extortion to collect debts.  Savarese admitted to assaulting a victim for collection of $13,000, and Sessa admitted to using a knife during the extortion.  

Most of the defendants face a maximum of 20 years in prison.  As part of the plea agreement, the defendants have agreed to forfeit $5,576,550.39 of criminal proceeds.

FBI Assistant Director Mary Galligan said, “The dwindling strength of all five La Cosa Nostra families is cause for optimism that their pernicious influence in various industries—and their violence in pursuit of that violence—will become a thing of the past.  The FBI will continue to address the threat posed by the Colombos and the other families until it has been eradicated.”

The case is being prosecuted by Elizabeth A. Geddes, Allon Lifshitz, and Gina M. Parlovecchio—all Assistant United States Attorneys.  

United States Attorney Loretta E. Lynch stated, “These convictions mark an important event in this office’s continued efforts to entirely dismantle the Colombo family.”

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation
 

On October 31, 2012, Wifredo A Ferrer, US Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Michael B Steinbach, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Field Office, announced that a Miami resident and a Mexican national were charged and pled guilty to attempting to sell the stolen Matisse painting called “Odalisque in Red Pants.”  

Pedro Antonia Marcuello Guzman of Miami, Florida and Maria Martha Elisa Ornelas Lazo of Mexico City pled guilty on July 17, 2012.  Marcuello pleaded guilty to conspiring to transport and sell stolen property, transporting stolen property over state lines, and possession of a piece of stolen property—in direct violation of 18 USC § 371, 2314, and 2315.  Ornelas pleaded guilty to conspiring to transport and sell property that was stolen.  The two defendants are scheduled for sentencing on January 22, 2013.  

Marcuello faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, and Ornelas faces up to five years in prison.  “Odalisque in Red Pants” was stolen from the Caracas Museum of Contemporary Art in Caracas, Venezuela around December of 2002.  

Court documents indicate that Marcuello met with FBI undercover agents from December of 2011 to July 13, 2012.  During the meetings, Marcuello agreed to sell the painting for $740,000 and have the painting smuggled into the United States from Mexico.  After the agreement, Ornelas smuggled the stolen painting into the United States on July 16, 2012.  The two defendants gave the painting to the undercover officers the following day, and they were arrested at the time of the monetary transaction.  

The FBI’s Art Crime Team, the FBI Legal Attaché in Caracas and Paris, the Office of International Affairs under the Department of Justice, and the Department of Justice Attaché in Paris helped with the investigation.  

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation

On October 18, 2012, Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced that Mohammad Reza “Ray” Hajian of Tampa was sentenced to four years in federal prison for violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and the Iranian trade regulations as well.  Hajian was also sentenced to a year of supervised release and ordered to forfeit $10 million.  

Court documents show that Hajian illegally exported expensive and complex computer equipment to Iran from 2003 to 2011.  The transactions are in direct violation of the U.S. embargo on transactions between Iran and the United States.

Hajian worked with other co-conspirators to ship the computers and electronic equipment.  The co-conspirators routed all shipments, payments and travel between the two countries through the United Arab Emirates.  They contacted only through email, used fake identities, and communicated in code to hide the extent of their activities.  Hajian is believed to have shipped about $14.85 million worth of computers and electronic equipment to Iran during the operation.  

Hajian pleaded guilty to the charges on July 11, 2012, and his companies—RH International LLC, Nexiant LLC, and P & P Computers LLC—pleaded guilty as well.  

Sue McCormick, special agent in charge of HSI Tampa, stated, “The magnitude and scope of the threats facing the United States has never been greater than today, and that’s why Homeland Security Investigations investigates individuals who try to export sensitive technologies to hostile nations.”  

Robert Luzzi, special agent in charge of the Security’s Office of Export Enforcement Miami Field Office, noted: “Parties who conspire to export to embargoed destinations such as Iran will be pursued and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”  

The sentencing of Hajian comes just a week later after the United States declared that Iran may have been responsible for the attempted cyber attack on the White House.  

Tensions continue to grow between the United States and Iran.  

Source: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement