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From LA Times

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L.A. NOW

Southern California -- this just in

Separate weekend shootings kill 2, injure 4

Water main break in Venice causes sinkhole

The latest in a string of water main blowouts in L.A. occurred this morning in Venice, causing a sinkhole on Lincoln Boulevard.

Since Sept. 1, there have been  34 "major blowouts" in L.A.'s water system in which streets have flooded and pavement has buckled. Another one occurred Friday afternoon on Myra Avenue in  Silver Lake . By contrast, the city had only 21 such ruptures in all of September 2008, 17 in September 2007 and 13 in September 2006.

The latest break occurred on Lincoln Boulevard near Palms Boulevard. KABC-TV footage showed a section of the roadway had buckled, creating a hole. Details of the break were not immediately available, but some lanes of Lincoln are closed.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/

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10 candidates sparring for L.A. council's 2nd District seat

Their residency and community credentials in the sprawling Valley district have emerged among the defining issues in the special election to replace Wendy Greuel.

By Maeve Reston

September 21, 2009

In the sprawling Los Angeles City Council district that stretches from Sherman Oaks and Studio City to the horse country of Sunland-Tujunga, there is little admiration for the policymakers at City Hall.

So it is no surprise that the 10 candidates running to replace Wendy Greuel in Tuesday's special election have spent the last few months distancing themselves from "downtown interests" while striving to persuade voters they are best positioned to fight development that threatens the character of their neighborhoods and for the San Fernando Valley's "fair share" of services like street repairs and graffiti removal.

That has placed a premium on the candidates' roots in the 2nd Council District -- which has kept the two best-funded contenders, former Paramount Pictures Corp. executive Christine Essel and Assemblyman Paul Krekorian (D-Los Angeles), on the defensive.

Both moved into the district in May after Greuel won her race for city controller. Former mayoral candidate David "Zuma Dogg" Saltsburg also recently moved into North Hollywood, but he has been less of a target.

Essel, according to paperwork filed with the city, left what was listed in city zoning records as a four-bedroom home in the Sunset-Doheny hills for an apartment on a busy stretch of Laurel Canyon Boulevard where a school and a shopping plaza with a McDonald's are some of her closest neighbors.

The move by Krekorian, a former Burbank school board member, is so recent that his biography on his Assembly website still says he lives with his family in Burbank.

Both candidates grew up in the Valley and dismiss the criticism as irrelevant.

Essel has argued that her business experience over three decades at Paramount would help her lead efforts to expand the job base in the San Fernando Valley.

Krekorian, a lawyer who sent voters a mailer bearing his Northridge Junior High school identification card as evidence of his bona fides, said at a recent Valley Village forum that he was running to provide better representation for residents at "a city hall that doesn't know the Valley exists."

But in a race with visible neighborhood advocates including Mary Benson of Sun Valley, Michael McCue of Studio City and Pete Sanchez of Valley Village, their rivals have continually returned to the residency issue.

Candidate Frank Sheftel argues that 2nd District credentials have become the defining issue of the contest: "If you have no roots or ties to a community, how can you represent that community?" said Sheftel, who owns the Candy Factory in North Hollywood. "The voice of the community is going to be muffled."

At a Sherman Oaks Homeowners Assn. forum last week, candidate Tamar Galatzan, who has faced criticism for attempting to leave her L.A. school board seat after just two years, demanded that Essel list 2nd District neighborhood meetings she attended before becoming a candidate. "I have never seen you in the community," Galatzan, a deputy city attorney who works out of Van Nuys, told Essel during the event.

Essel, who offered to show her skeptics her apartment's utility bill at an earlier forum, noted that the distance between her old house and the 2nd District border was just a mile. "I lived in the Valley over 35 years, I bought my first home in this district, and I'm very proud to be here," she said.

At the same event, Benson, a member of the Sun Valley Area Neighborhood Council, asked Essel to assure voters that she would keep the borders of the 2nd District in the Valley during the upcoming redistricting process -- alluding to her concern that district lines might be drawn to include Essel's previous home. Essel, who has been endorsed by Greuel, said she saw no reason to expand the district beyond the Valley.

Krekorian deflects complaints about his move by noting that his Assembly district overlaps part of the 2nd District: "I'm not parachuting in from West L.A. or something," he said at a recent Valley Village candidate event. "This is a place that I shop and spend my time, so the idea that I'm an outsider coming into this -- even though I represented one-third of the people in the 2nd Council District -- is ridiculous."

The sparring between Krekorian, who has raised $158,000, and Essel, who has received $294,000, has grown heated in the final weeks.

Playing on the contempt for City Hall in a district where community activists have waged high-profile battles against Home Depot in Sunland-Tujunga and a 229-home development that would replace the Verdugo Hills Golf Course, Krekorian has tried to cast Essel as a "downtown political insider" because of her past service on the city's Community Redevelopment Agency board and the Board of Airport Commissioners.

Krekorian and several other candidates also questioned the positions Essel took as chairwoman of the Central City Assn.

Writing about the organization's accomplishments in a 2008 newsletter, Essel hailed the passage of a state law that has angered community activists by allowing developers to roll back local height and density limits if their projects include even a few affordable housing units.

Essel maintains that she did not personally agree with the organization's position on the legislation, Senate Bill 1818, and would seek changes.

In her counterpunch, Essel has tried to frame Krekorian as a job-hopping "Sacramento politician," and drawn attention to the fact that Galatzan won her school board seat with $2.2 million in assistance from a campaign committee controlled by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

Galatzan drew criticism last month for sending mailers -- boasting of her work on the school board -- that were paid for from that old school board campaign committee.

Essel's campaign also has highlighted thousands of dollars in gifts that Krekorian reported on his financial disclosure forms, including free Grammy tickets from Warner Music Group and basketball tickets from AT&T.

Krekorian notes that the highest dollar items involved foreign travel -- a 2008 trip to Israel with the Jewish Federation and a 2007 trip paid for by the California Foundation on the Environment and the Economy to South Africa, where he said he studied public-private partnerships and energy issues.

"I benefited a great deal in my understanding of the way other governments are finding ways to fund infrastructure needs, and I think it was very important and valuable in that respect," Krekorian said, adding that "not a penny of those trips was at taxpayer expense."

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-council-race21-2009sep21,0,3713870,print.story

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Going after the real killers

A bill regulating sales of ammunition for handguns would save lives.

George Skelton

Capitol Journal

September 21, 2009

From Sacramento

Guns don't kill people, it's true. Bullets do.

"Without ammo, a handgun is only good for pistol-whipping someone," notes Assemblyman Kevin de Leon (D-Los Angeles). "Ammo is the lifeblood of a handgun."

On Sept. 11, the last day of this year's regular legislative session, De Leon narrowly won final passage of a bill to regulate sales of handgun ammunition.

The assemblyman has a long list of gang shooting horror stories from his district, which stretches from Hollywood to the Alhambra city line and includes Echo Park, Lincoln Heights and part of East Los Angeles.

Stray bullets from gang crossfire have killed a 9-year-old girl playing in the kitchen, a 14-year-old girl as she sat in the back seat of her family's SUV and a 4-year-old boy while walking with his sister outside their home. Plus there has been a barrel-load of gangbanger assassinations.

De Leon's bill, AB 962, would make it illegal to knowingly sell handgun ammunition to criminals. Strangely, De Leon says, it's against the law for criminals to possess ammo but not for someone to sell it to them knowing they are criminals. The bill also would prohibit hard-core gang members -- those under court injunction restrictions -- from possessing handgun bullets.

And -- the more controversial part -- it would require:

* Ammunition dealers to keep bullets out of easy reach of potential shoplifters, similar to cigarettes.

* Dealers to check a purchaser's identification, take a thumbprint and make the records available to local law enforcement. There'd be no waiting period before delivery of the ammo, as there is with firearms.

* Handgun owners to buy their bullets face-to-face from a licensed dealer. They could order through the Internet or by mail, but they'd have to pick up the ammo at a store, just as they now must when buying a gun.

Opponents -- Republican legislators and the gun lobby -- complained about inconveniencing law-abiding citizens.

"I'd rather be inconvenienced and alive than have criminals convenienced and be dead," says Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca, one of many law enforcement officials who support De Leon's bill.

"The problem is the criminals' easy access to ammunition because of the overemphasis on not inconveniencing law-abiding citizens," the sheriff adds. "The price we all pay is random violence. A safer society will also be a somewhat more inconvenienced society. . . . Those of us in the crime-fighting business need more solutions to control criminal violence."

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has not signaled a position on the bill. But he vetoed another version by a different author five years ago. In the veto message, Schwarzenegger pointed out that the federal government once had a similar law and concluded it "was simply unworkable and offered no public safety benefit."

The federal law existed from shortly after Robert F. Kennedy's assassination in 1968 until President Reagan signed the repealer in 1986 -- a prehistoric era before the Internet and high-tech databases.

Since then -- and since Schwarzenegger's veto -- several California cities have proved that, with modern technology, they can use dealers' records as a crime-fighting weapon. They're able to track down felons and other people -- spousal abusers, the criminally insane -- who have violated the law by obtaining ammunition.

Los Angeles, Sacramento and 12 other cities -- including Beverly Hills, Carson, Inglewood, Pomona, Santa Ana, Santa Monica and West Hollywood -- have adopted ordinances requiring dealer record-keeping of ammo purchases.

In a 17-month period, L.A. police arrested 25 people; confiscated 20 weapons, including a machine gun; and seized more than 2,900 rounds of ammunition, according to Deputy Chief Charlie Beck.

Sacramento has California's most comprehensive ammo-control program. In less than 20 months, it found that ammunition had been illegally purchased by 229 people, including 173 felons. The district attorney filed charges against 190, trial was set for 136 and all but eight pleaded guilty. Seized were 160 firearms, including seven assault weapons and eight explosive devices.

Police Capt. James Maccoun, who heads the Sacramento gun detail, says dealers file their information to the department electronically. Every transaction is checked against a database of people prohibited from possessing weapons.

The dilemma for Sacramento, L.A. and the other cities is that when criminals learn about the dealer record-keeping, they can drive into another community and load up on bullets.

"We don't catch the smart ones," Maccoun says.

Beck says L.A.'s law "would be 10 times more effective if it were statewide."

The L.A. ordinance covers all ammunition, including shotgun shells.

De Leon's bill would cover only handgun bullets, a concession to hunters.

But that still didn't attract any Republican legislative support. The measure passed each house with no votes to spare.

"This bill is going after rural communities like no other gun bill has," declared Assemblyman Joel Anderson (R-San Diego), whose district covers rural areas. "So all I ask is: Why can't you just let my people go?"

That drew some chuckles. But most of the half-hour Assembly debate produced predictable opposition verbiage with seemingly little real passion. Republicans complained about infringing on 2nd Amendment rights, which Democrats vehemently denied.

"As a law-abiding citizen, staunch supporter of 2nd Amendment rights, a Little League coach who is required to have a thumbprint to coach and required to provide a thumbprint for a driver's license, I rise to support this bill," said new Assemblyman Steve Bradford (D-Gardena).

Schwarzenegger should sign the measure. Sheriffs and police chiefs want it. It's a crime-fighting tool that doesn't stomp on the rights of lawful gun owners. And it would keep loaded weapons out of the hands of some criminals and gangbangers.

Target the bullets.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-cap21-2009sep21,0,4046037,print.column

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From the Daily News

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Deputies kill armed suspect in 3 incidents

NORWALK — A sheriff's deputy shot a man at a Norwalk motel Sunday, marking the third fatal deputy-involved shooting in Southeast Los Angeles County within 14 hours this weekend.

One deputy was wounded in the leg and three suspects are dead in unrelated incidents in Norwalk, Compton and Lynwood, authorities said. Sgt. J. Ramirez of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Homicide Bureau said the suspects were all armed with handguns and guns were recovered at each of the three crime scenes. Two of the suspects had yet to be identified.

In Norwalk, Sheriff's Homicide Lt. Pat Nelson said a deputy was patrolling at the Towne House Motel, 11650 block of Imperial Highway, about 8:45a.m. when the deputy encountered a "male suspect acting suspiciously" in the parking lot. The deputy attempted to detain the suspect and a physical altercation ensued, he said.

The suspect pulled a handgun from his waistband during the struggle and the deputy fired in self-defense, Nelson said.

The suspect, 24, was transported to a hospital where he died from his injuries, authorities said.

In Lynwood, a 17-year-old boy was shot and killed about 7 p.m. Saturday after he reportedly pointed a gun at deputies, said Deputy Rick Pedroza of the Sheriff's Headquarters Bureau.

The teen was identified Sunday as Travion Richard of Long Beach, said L.A. County Coroner's spokesman Larry Dietz.

Richard allegedly fled from deputies earlier in the evening and when two deputies again attempted to stop him in the 3100 block of Banning Avenue, he reached into his waistband and pulled out a handgun, Pedroza said.

Both deputies fired at the teen, striking him multiple times, Pedroza said. Richard was transported to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead, Pedroza said.

About 3 a.m. Sunday, a 27-year-old man in Compton was shot and killed in a gunbattle with deputies, authorities said. One deputy, who was hit in the leg, was treated and released, authorities said.

That incident began when two deputies patrolling on Lime Avenue saw two suspects walking out of a dark alley, said Deputy Guillermina Saldana. One suspect complied with orders to stop, while the other ran, pulled out a handgun and fired at deputies, who returned fire, Saldana said.

"The suspect ran to the onramp on the southbound 710 Freeway, where he was confronted by three assisting deputies, at which time a deputy-involved shooting occurred," Saldana said.

The suspect was pronounced dead at the scene. Detectives later found the suspect allegedly robbed a taco truck in the 4600 block of Alondra Boulevard, Saldana added.

http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_13384062

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From ICE

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September 16, 2009

Pennsylvania sex tourist sentenced to 97 months for victimizing orphans
Defendant admitted during court proceedings he thought he would not get caught in Russia.

PHILADELPHIA - Andrew Mogilyansky, 39, was sentenced Wednesday to 97 months in prison for traveling to Russia to engage in sex with young orphan girls, following an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The Richboro, Pa., man pleaded guilty last April to one count of traveling for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct and three counts of engaging in illicit sexual conduct in foreign places. The defendant is a dual citizen of Russia and the United States and a wealthy businessman.

The indictment alleged that Mogilyansky conspired with a Russian citizen, Andrei Tarasov, and at least three others, to create a prostitution business scheme in Russia from 2002 to 2004. The illicit business named "Berenika," allegedly advertised both women and girls for sex. Between December 2003 and January 2004, Mogilyansky traveled from Philadelphia to Russia for the purpose of engaging in sex with girls who were 13 and 14 years old.

In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Mary McLaughlin ordered Mogilyansky to pay restitution in the amount of $15,000, a fine in the amount of $12,500, and to spend 15 years on supervised release.

"Wealthy Americans who think they can shortcut child sex laws by traveling overseas need to take note of this sentence," said Michael L. Levy, U. S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. "Sex tourists, like this defendant, prey on disadvantaged children. In this case, the victims were distinctly vulnerable because they had been abandoned by their parents. Recognizing the devastating toll this defendant wrought on these girls, the court sentenced him to the maximum prison time allowed under the guidelines."

"ICE knows no boundaries when it comes to the protection of children. This case shows international borders are no longer an obstacle to ICE's ability to track, arrest and prosecute child predators who prey on unsuspecting children in impoverished communities," said Andrew M. McLees, acting special agent in charge of the ICE Office of Investigations in Philadelphia. "While these types of cases are extremely challenging to investigate and prosecute, we owe it to the young victims to take action. Today's sentence is the direct result of extraordinary cooperation between ICE and Russian law enforcement officials."

This case is the result of an international investigation led by agents from ICE, the Office of the ICE Attaché in Moscow, the St. Petersburg, Russia, Police Department, the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Investigative Committee of the General Prosecutor's Office of the Russian Federation. It was prosecuted by Assistant U. S. Attorney Michelle Morgan-Kelly.

This case is the result of the ICE's Operation. Operation Predator is an ongoing ICE initiative to protect children from sexual predators, including those who travel overseas for sex with minors, Internet child pornographers, criminal alien sex offenders and child sex traffickers. ICE encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free hotline at 1-866-347-2423. This hotline is staffed around the clock by investigators.

Suspected child sexual exploitation or missing children may be reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, an Operation Predator partner, at 1-800-843-5678 or http://www.cybertipline.com .

http://www.ice.gov/pi/nr/0909/090916philadelphia.htm

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September 17, 2009

Former Connecticut resident charged with child sex tourism
Individual travelled to Haiti to sexually abuse young children

NEW HAVEN, Conn. - Douglas Perlitz, 39, a former Connecticut resident, faces seven counts of traveling outside of the United States to have sex with children, following an investigation by special agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Perlitz, who now resides in Colorado, was also charged with three counts of engaging in sexual conduct with children in Haiti.

A federal grand jury in Bridgeport, Conn., handed out the indictments on Sept. 15, and Perlitz was arrested by ICE agents at his home in Eagle, Colo., on Sept. 16. The indictment was announced jointly on Thursday by Nora R. Dannehy, U. S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and John Morton, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Assistant Secretary for ICE. Perlitz had his initial appearance in federal court in Denver and was ordered detained pending another hearing on Sept. 18.

Perlitz was the founder and director of Project Pierre Toussaint (PPT), a boy's school in Cap-Haitien, Haiti. He was a Connecticut resident when he allegedly travelled to Haiti to sexually abuse boys. According to the indictment, over the course of several years, Perlitz had illicit sexual contact with nine boys who attended school at PPT. In order to entice and persuade the children to comply with the sex acts, Perlitz provided the promise of food and shelter and also provided monetary and other benefits, including cash, cell phones, electronics, shoes, clothes and other items. If minors refused to engage in sex acts, it is alleged that Perlitz would at times withhold benefits or threaten to expel them from the program.

According to the indictment when Perlitz was questioned by others as to why he permitted minors to sleep in his room, Perlitz attempted to conceal his sexual abuse of the minors by stating that it was common in Haiti for children and adults to sleep together, or he would state that the particular minor was having a lot of difficulty.

"Sex tourism victims are particularly vulnerable to predators who lure them with promises of the most basic of human needs then rob them of their innocence," said Morton "There will be no refuge for child sexual predators who believe that they may victimize children outside the United States. No place is too distant or too remote to escape the attention of U.S. law enforcement."

"This defendant is alleged to have used his position of power to manipulate and sexually abuse vulnerable boys for nearly a decade," Dannehy stated. "I want to acknowledge the diligent work of ICE, the agents involved in the investigation, and members of the State Department assigned to our embassy in Haiti. This case would not have been brought without their coordinated efforts, the resources they have devoted, and their commitment to seeing that justice is done."

The indictment alleges that in 1997 Perlitz obtained funding from a religious organization to found Project Pierre Toussaint ("PPT"). PPT provided services to children of all ages, most of whom were street children as young as six years of age. The staff of the intake center included American volunteers who received a small stipend for their work as well as Haitians who were involved with a variety of day to day operations including teaching, cooking, and driving. PPT continued to expand and in 1999 a residential facility, Village Pierre Toussaint (referred to as the "Village"), was added. The Village was staffed primarily by Haitians, but Perlitz was directly involved with the Village.

The indictment further alleges that in 2007, the 14th Street facility was established, which was a residential program for high-school age children who Perlitz claimed needed extra attention. Perlitz individually chose all of the children who resided at the 14th Street facility, which was a home where adults cared for them.

The indictment further alleges that The Haiti Fund, Inc. was incorporated as a charitable, religious and educational organization in Connecticut, and operated as the fund-raising arm of PPT

The indictment alleges that Perlitz took steps to control and manipulate the board of directors of the Haiti Fund to ensure that he maintained autonomy and control over all of the operations at PPT. Because Perlitz maintained exclusive control over PPT's operations and funding, he made it difficult for volunteers, staff members, or others to question his actions. Perlitz also utilized the fear of unemployment and the difficult economic situation in Haiti to control and prevent the Haitian staff at PPT from coming forward about the allegations of sexual abuse.

Finally, the indictment alleges that, after allegations of long-term sexual abuse by Perlitz surfaced in 2007, Perlitz used his relationship with a religious leader and influential board members to continue to attempt to conceal his illegal sexual conduct by causing others to manipulate, prevent and preclude board members in the United States from questioning any issues relating to Perlitz. As part of the concealment, it is alleged that a letter was sent to donors stating that the accusations against Perlitz were groundless. Also, it alleged that investigators hired by the board of directors were denied entry into Perlitz's room at Bel Air, and that two computers and other items from a safe in Perlitz's room were removed and returned to Perlitz in Connecticut.

This is an ongoing investigation and encouraged anyone with information that may be relevant to the investigation to call ICE in Connecticut at 203-773-2029.

The U. S. embassy in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, also has established a telephone hotline for individuals in Haiti to call with information relevant to the investigation.

If convicted, Perlitz faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years and a fine of up to $250,000, on each count of the indictment.

U.S. Attorney Nora R. Dannehy stressed that an indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is entitled to a fair trial at which it is the government's burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

This matter is being investigated by ICE and the U.S. Department of State, Regional Security Office at the U.S. embassy in Haiti.

Dannehy and Morton acknowledged the critical assistance provided by the Haitian National Police Department, the Brigade of Protection of Minors, and the assistance of individuals who have come forward and to provide information to law enforcement. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U. S. Attorney Krishna R. Patel with the assistance of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Colorado.

http://www.ice.gov/pi/nr/0909/090917newhaven.htm

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September 17, 2009

Leader of international counterfeit immigration document ring sentenced

DENVER - The leader of a prolific and nationwide fraudulent document ring was sentenced Friday to serve 57 months in federal prison. The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney David Gaouette. The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the IRS' Criminal Investigation Denver Field Office, Social Security Administration's Denver Office of the Inspector General and the Postal Inspection Service.

Pedro Castorena-Ibarra, 46, of Guadalajara, Mexico, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Denver on July 11, 2005. He was later extradited by the Republic of Mexico to the District of Colorado. On Feb. 5, 2009 Castorena-Ibarra pleaded guilty before by U.S. District Court Judge Lewis T. Babcock. Judge Babcock sentenced Castorena-Ibarra on Sept. 11.

According to the indictment and the subsequent plea agreement, from May 1998 through February 2005, Castorena-Ibarra conspired with others to manufacture and distribute various counterfeit documents, such as alien registration cards and Social Security cards. Castorena-Ibarra also counterfeited Republic of Mexico identification documents, such as the "Matricula Consular" identification card for illegal aliens and others for a fee.

The Castorena-Ibarra organization operated Los Angeles, San Francisco, Denver, Atlanta, Chicago, Las Vegas and New York City. During the course of the investigation, ICE seized more than 3 million counterfeit identity documents with an estimated street value of more than $20 million. The documents were linked to over 400 investigations and seizures across the United States in more than 50 cities.

Judge Babcock noted during Castorena-Ibarra's sentencing that this investigation led to 20 cases in Colorado alone, charging 50 defendants, including Castorena-Ibarra's brother.

"The production and distribution of 3 million counterfeit identity documents allows the inference that there are millions of people who have been able, by paying money to the Castorena family and others, to be in this country illegally, said Babcock. "That is a huge insult to the law of the United States and even more to the sovereignty of the United States of America and its integrity in its borders."

"This latest sentencing of the head of the Castorena Family Organization finally marks the end of one of the largest and most destructive fraudulent document rings in the United States," said Homeland Security Assistant Secretary for ICE John Morton. "The Castorena family has been brought to justice. But also, this investigation and prosecution stopped millions more fraudulent documents from threatening security at the local, regional and national levels."

"With the sentencing of Pedro Castorena-Ibarra, one of the largest fraudulent identification organizations has been dismantled," said U.S. Attorney David Gaouette.

"IRS-CI is committed to working with the United States Attorney's Office and other law enforcement agencies in prosecution individuals who intentionally violate our anti-money laundering laws by concealing income from illegal activities," said Christopher M. Sigerson, special agent in charge of IRS Criminal Investigation, Denver Field Office.

"This investigation is a good example of inter-agency cooperation," said Postal Inspector in Charge Shawn Tiller. "Many federal agencies came together and through a combined effort dismantled this organization. The Postal Inspection Service is pleased with the outcome of this investigation and committed to partnering with other law enforcement agencies whenever possible."

Special Agent in Charge Wilbert M. Craig of the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General (SSA OIG) for the Denver Field Division Office said, "SSA OIG is dedicated to assisting the U.S. Attorney's Office and fellow law enforcement agencies through joint investigation of these criminal organizations. The successful prosecution of Pedro Castorena-Ibarra sends a clear signal which will deter individuals who may engage in identity theft or fraudulent use of Social Security Account numbers."

Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Mackey, District of Colorado, prosecuted this case.

http://www.ice.gov/pi/nr/0909/090917denver.htm

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September 18, 2009

Former teacher charged with distribution of child pornography

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - A 44-year-old Quincy, Mich., man was indicted on child pornography charges following a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) investigation.

Douglas Jodway appeared in federal court in Grand Rapids Sept. 18 for his arraignment on an indictment charging him with receipt, possession and distribution of child pornography before U.S. Magistrate Joseph G. Scoville. Jodway faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison with a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and is subject to a criminal forfeiture.

Jodway, a former football coach and substitute teacher with the Quincy Public School District, was arrested on Sept. 4 for knowingly receiving and distributing child pornography.

Jodway has since resigned his position with the school district.

Brian Moskowitz, special agent in charge of the ICE Office of Investigations in Michigan and Ohio, and U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Donald Davis announced the charges today.

The investigation and arrest was part of an ICE initiative known as Operation Predator. Operation Predator protects children from sexual predators, including those who travel across continents to have sex with minors, Internet child pornographers, criminal alien sex offenders and child traffickers. Since the initiative was launched in July 2003, there have been more than 11,600 individuals arrested nationwide.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tim Verhey.

http://www.ice.gov/pi/nr/0909/090918grandrapids.htm

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September 18, 2009

ICE's Miami field office removes 423 criminal aliens in August

MIAMI - Four hundred twenty-three criminal aliens from 36 different countries were removed last month by deportation officers from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Miami Field Office of Detention and Removal.

The Miami Field Office oversees operations in Florida, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The individuals who were removed had a variety of criminal convictions including assault, burglary, drugs, fraudulent activities, larceny, robbery, sexual assault and weapons offenses.

"These recent removals are an example of ICE's commitment to remove those who pose a public safety threat," said Michael Rozos, field office director for the Miami Field Office of Detention and Removal. "These removals will continue taking place as we enforce our nation's immigration laws."

ICE's Office of Detention and Removal (DRO) promotes public safety and national security by ensuring that all removable aliens are removed from the United States as expeditiously as possible.

As an integral component of the ICE DRO aviation strategy, ICE employs special air charters when removing aliens to countries outside the western hemisphere. Staffed by ICE officers, these air charters repatriate large groups of removable aliens in an expeditious, safe and humane manner, thus reducing detention periods.

http://www.ice.gov/pi/nr/0909/090918miami.htm

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From Our LA

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