Tag:

Undercover Operations

PA Man Looking For Underage 'Playmate' For 'Ongoing Adventure' Convicted In Virginia: DOJ PA Man Looking For Underage 'Playmate' For 'Ongoing Adventure' Convicted In Virginia: DOJ
PA Man Looking For Underage 'Playmate' For 'Ongoing Adventure' Convicted In Virginia: DOJ A Pennsylvania man is facing life in prison after sending disturbing messages to an undercover officer soliciting a minor in Virginia for sex, authorities announced. Keith Allen Pinkard, 67, of Middletown, faces harsh penalties after pleading guilty this week to attempted coercion and enticement of a minor following a sting operation.  According to court documents, in May, Pinkard sent a private message to another user on social media, unaware that the user was, in fact, an undercover FBI special agent. During that exchange, prosecutors say that Pinkard stated he was seeking "a new pl…
Online Deal Goes Bad For Spotsy Fugitive Busted With Gun, Fentanyl: Sheriff Online Deal Goes Bad For Spotsy Fugitive Busted With Gun, Fentanyl: Sheriff
Online Deal Goes Bad For Spotsy Fugitive Busted With Gun, Fentanyl: Sheriff A convicted felon in Virginia who thought he was making a deal on social media was instead busted by undercover deputies — with a loaded gun and hundreds of fentanyl pills in his possession, authorities said. Austin Kile, of Spotsylvania, was arrested without incident after deputies from the Spotsylvania County Sheriff’s Office posed as interested buyers and arranged a meet-up through social media, according to investigators on Monday, June 30. “When deputies arrived, the suspect… didn’t manage to close the deal,” the department said. “Instead, he was taken into custody… and with a lot more…
Hawthorne Firefighter Hid Camera To Record Kids, Caught Online By Undercover Cop: AG Hawthorne Firefighter Hid Camera To Record Kids, Caught Online By Undercover Cop: AG
Hawthorne Firefighter Hid Camera To Record Kids, Caught Online By Undercover Cop: AG A 42-year-old New Jersey firefighter arrested last month for convincing a girl to send him pornography is facing new charges after police say he used a hidden camera to record children in his bathroom and then tried to meet someone he thought was a 13-year-old girl. Bradford "Brad" Flaker, of Hawthorne, was charged with first-degree endangering the welfare of a child, second-degree luring, second-degree attempted sexual assault, and several second-degree counts of manufacturing, possessing, and distributing child sexual abuse material, Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin announced Wednesday.…
9 Drug Dealers Caught In 'County-Wide Takedown' In Dutchess, DA Says: 'We Will Find You' 9 Drug Dealers Caught In 'County-Wide Takedown' In Dutchess, DA Says: 'We Will Find You'
9 Drug Dealers Caught In 'County-Wide Takedown' In Dutchess, DA Says: 'We Will Find You' Nine people accused of dealing fentanyl and cocaine in Dutchess County have been arrested following a sweeping undercover drug operation that targeted dealers fueling addiction and violent crime, prosecutors announced.  The initiative, dubbed "Operation Street Sweeper," was led by the Dutchess County District Attorney’s Office Drug Task Force and focused on street-level narcotics activity in the areas of Poughkeepsie, Beacon, and Hyde Park, the DA's Office's Drug Task Force said Wednesday, June 11.  Investigators spent months purchasing drugs undercover and gathering evidence befo…
Undercover Sting Nets Long Prison Terms For Man Who Tried To Buy Child For Sex In Ephrata Undercover Sting Nets Long Prison Terms For Man Who Tried To Buy Child For Sex In Ephrata
Undercover Sting Nets Long Prison Terms For Man Who Tried To Buy Child For Sex In Ephrata Two Pennsylvania men who showed up at Lancaster County hotels expecting to rape children were sentenced to lengthy prison terms, the District Attorney’s Office announced in a release on Wednesday, June 4. Bradley Andrew Buchanan, 40, of Birdsboro in Berks County, was sentenced to 28 to 57 years in state prison after a jury found him guilty of trying to pay $250 to rape a 12-year-old girl. He was caught in an August 2022 sting conducted by the Lancaster County Human Trafficking Task Force. Authorities said Buchanan believed he was communicating with the girl’s aunt through an online ad, agre…
Fentanyl, Firepower, Pills: Dealer Taken Down In SWAT Raid In Wappinger, DA Says Fentanyl, Firepower, Pills: Dealer Taken Down In SWAT Raid In Wappinger, DA Says
Fentanyl, Firepower, Pills: Dealer Taken Down In SWAT Raid In Wappinger, DA Says A 29-year-old man is behind bars without bail after operating a dangerous drug ring across multiple Dutchess County communities, dealing fentanyl, cocaine, and prescription pills from his home, officials said.   Former Bronx resident Alfonso Perez, 29, was arrested on Monday, May 19, following a coordinated raid at his residence on Dugan Lane in Wappinger, the Dutchess County District Attorney’s Office Drug Task Force announced on Thursday, May 22.  The arrest followed a multi-week investigation into narcotics trafficking in Wappinger, East Fishkill,  Beacon, and surroun…
Man Tried To Meet With Boy In Suffern For Sex, Was Arrested Instead In Hotel Parking Lot: DA Man Tried To Meet With Boy In Suffern For Sex, Was Arrested Instead In Hotel Parking Lot: DA
Man Tried To Meet With Boy In Suffern For Sex, Was Arrested Instead In Hotel Parking Lot: DA A New Jersey man arrested in an undercover child exploitation operation in the parking lot of a Rockland County hotel has now been formally indicted on charges including attempted rape, prosecutors announced.  Essex County resident Carl Ellis, 55, of Maplewood, NJ, was arraigned Wednesday, May 21, in Rockland County Court on an indictment charging him with several felonies, the Rockland County District Attorney's Office announced on Thursday, May 22.  According to Rockland County District Attorney Thomas E. Walsh II, Ellis engaged in sexually explicit text conversations between Ap…
Hamptons Cocaine Delivery Service Netted Trafficker $400K, Gold Coins Hamptons Cocaine Delivery Service Netted Trafficker $400K, Gold Coins
Hamptons Cocaine Delivery Service Netted Trafficker $400K, Gold Coins A drug trafficker who coordinated cocaine deliveries between New York City and the Hamptons–making hundreds of thousands along the way–could spend years in prison. Michael Khodorkovskiy, 44, of Brooklyn, pleaded guilty to criminal sale of a controlled substance in Suffolk County Court on Monday, April 21, according to the DA’s office. Khodorkovskiy admitted in court to selling large quantities of cocaine from his Brooklyn home, with the intention of redistributing the drugs throughout Suffolk County — particularly during the busy Hamptons summer season. From July 2023 to August 2024, under…
Child Exploitation Sting: Haverstraw Man Accused Of Talking To Minors Online, Police Say Child Exploitation Sting: Haverstraw Man Accused Of Talking To Minors Online, Police Say
Child Exploitation Sting: Haverstraw Man Accused Of Talking To Minors Online, Police Say An undercover operation targeting online child exploitation has led to the arrest of a Rockland County man, authorities announced.  Moses Goldstein, age 34, of Haverstraw, was taken into custody following a multi-day operation carried out by the New York State Police, the FBI, and the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office, State Police said on Friday, April 11.  Investigators used advanced cyber tactics to access platforms commonly used to facilitate child exploitation and allegedly found Goldstein attempting to engage with minors online and arrange in-person meetings. He…
Rape Suspect Caught After Detectives Pose As Young Girl In New Rochelle: Police Rape Suspect Caught After Detectives Pose As Young Girl In New Rochelle: Police
Rape Suspect Caught After Detectives Pose As Young Girl In New Rochelle: Police A 21-year-old man faces a rape charge following an undercover sting operation in Westchester involving detectives posing as a teenage girl he had been trying to engage in sexual activity with, police said.   Alejandro Choflet of New Rochelle was arrested following the operation, which the New Rochelle Police Department conducted, Captain J. Collins Coyne announced on Monday, April 7. According to the department, on Saturday, April 5, the department received a report from a 15-year-old girl who reported that she had been involved in an intimate relationship with Choflet. …
Man Who Tried Luring 12-Year-Old Into Prostitution At Mount Laurel Hotel Gets Decade: Feds Man Who Tried Luring 12-Year-Old Into Prostitution At Mount Laurel Hotel Gets Decade: Feds
Man Who Tried Luring 12-Year-Old Into Prostitution At Mount Laurel Hotel Gets Decade: Feds A 41-year-old Philadelphia man was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison on Monday, Jan. 27 after pleading guilty in United States District Court in Camden to trying to engage what he thought was a 12-year-old into prostitution, authorities said. In August 2023, Louis Goldenberg began interacting on a messaging application with an undercover agent, who was posing as a middle-aged woman with a 12-year-old niece, US Attorney Vikas Khanna said. From August through September 2023, Goldenberg messaged the undercover agent, continuously expressing interest in having sexual contact with the…
Reading Meth, Fentanyl Trafficker Arrested: DA Says Reading Meth, Fentanyl Trafficker Arrested: DA Says
Reading Meth, Fentanyl Trafficker Arrested: DA Says A Reading man was arrested for distributing methamphetamine and fentanyl after a months-long investigation, Berks County authorities announced Friday, Jan. 24. Walter Carrera, 38, of 1219 Windsor Street, was taken into custody when detectives and Pennsylvania State Troopers served a search warrant at his home earlier in the day, Chief County Detective Michael Gombar said. The investigation began in October 2024, with undercover purchases and surveillance identifying Carrera as a distributor, Gombar said. During the search of his residence, detectives seized: Approximately six grams of fen…
New Windsor Man Sells Loaded Gun To Undercover Officer, Faces Prison Time New Windsor Man Sells Loaded Gun To Undercover Officer, Faces Prison Time
New Windsor Man Sells Loaded Gun To Undercover Officer, Faces Prison Time A 42-year-old man is facing a decade behind bars after admitting to selling a loaded firearm to an undercover officer in the Hudson Valley, officials announced.  On Thursday, Jan. 16, 42-year-old Orange County resident Morgan Secreto of New Windsor pleaded guilty in Orange County Court to second-degree criminal possession of a weapon in connection with his sale of a gun to an undercover officer, the Orange County District Attorney's Office announced on Wednesday, Jan. 22.  Prosecutors say Secreto sold a loaded Taurus .380 pistol to an undercover New York State Police officer for $…
20 Years In Prison For German Man Who Traveled To NJ For Sex With Kids: Feds 20 Years In Prison For German Man Who Traveled To NJ For Sex With Kids: Feds
20 Years In Prison For German Man Who Traveled To NJ For Sex With Kids: Feds A 40-year-old German man was sentenced to 20 years in prison on Wednesday, Dec. 18 after admitting he traveled to New Jersey to have sex with a minor, authorities said. In January 2023, undercover officers began chatting with Christian Stefan Walther abut his desire to have sex with young children, US Attorney Philip Sellinger said.  Walther sent an undercover officer two videos, each of which depicted an adult male engaging in sexual conduct with a prepubescent aged female child, Sellinger said. Walther also expressed his desire to engage in sexual conduct with children aged…
Undercover Sting Exposes Butt Lifts Offered In Unlicensed South Plainfield Woman's Home: Cops Undercover Sting Exposes Butt Lifts Offered In Unlicensed South Plainfield Woman's Home: Cops
Undercover Sting Exposes Butt Lifts Offered In Unlicensed South Plainfield Woman's Home: Cops A New Jersey woman was accused of performing Brazilian butt lifts and wrinkle removals at an unlicensed medical practice, authorities said. Yamile Mattos, 61, of South Plainfield, was charged with unlicensed practice of medicine, possession with intent to distribute prescription legend drugs, and possession of counterfeit or misbranded prescription legend drugs, Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone said in a news release on Wednesday, Dec. 18. Undercover officers posed as clients seeking cosmetic procedures at a Park Avenue home on Tuesday, Dec. 17. During the sti…
Fort Washington Man Caught In Undercover Sting Attempting To Solicit Minor Online: State Police Fort Washington Man Caught In Undercover Sting Attempting To Solicit Minor Online: State Police
Fort Washington Man Caught In Undercover Sting Attempting To Solicit Minor Online: State Police A Maryland man is facing serious charges after state police say he attempted to meet a 15-year-old boy for sex, only to be caught in an undercover sting operation. Santos Carranza, 47, of Fort Washington, was arrested Wednesday afternoon, Dec. 11, at a shopping center in Beltsville, authorities announced, following an investigation into alleged sexual solicitation.  Maryland State Police say Carranza believed he was meeting a teenage boy he had been chatting with through a smartphone app. Instead, the "teen" was an undercover officer. The investigation began when Carranza allegedly en…
Head Of Prestigious Preschool In DMV Charged With Coercion, Enticement Of Minor: Feds Head Of Prestigious Preschool In DMV Charged With Coercion, Enticement Of Minor: Feds
Head Of Prestigious Preschool In DMV Charged With Coercion, Enticement Of Minor: Feds The head of the National Child Research Center (NCRC) in Northwest DC is facing federal charges for allegedly attempting to coerce and entice a minor, according to federal authorities. James S. Carroll, 55, was arrested on Tuesday following a criminal complaint filed in US District Court in connection with attempted coercion and enticement of a minor. Federal authorities allege that between Tuesday, Nov. 5 and Thursday, Nov. 14, Carroll used the Discord messaging platform to communicate with an undercover officer posing as the father of a young child.  During this time, Carroll allege…
Walkersville Predator Preying On Maryland Teens While Out On Bail Learns Prison Fate: Feds Walkersville Predator Preying On Maryland Teens While Out On Bail Learns Prison Fate: Feds
Walkersville Predator Preying On Maryland Teens While Out On Bail Learns Prison Fate: Feds The Maryland man who used multiple phones and online apps to target teens - even while he was out on bail and charges were pending - will spend years in prison for coercing and enticing minors, federal authorities announced. Michael Vance Culpepper, 56, of Walkersville, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison after being busted by an undercover officer posing as a 13-year-old girl online, and then doubling down after being released by a judge. He had faced life in prison. According to his guilty plea, in April and May 2023, Culpepper used cellphones and online applications to "persuade…
Bank Manager From Pine Bush Sentenced For Hiring A Hitman To Murder Brother-In-Law Bank Manager From Pine Bush Sentenced For Hiring A Hitman To Murder Brother-In-Law
Bank Manager From Pine Bush Sentenced For Hiring A Hitman To Murder Brother-In-Law A Hudson Valley bank manager is headed for federal prison after pleading guilty to plotting to hire a hitman to murder her own brother-in-law. Orange County resident Reshma Massarone, age 40, of Pine Bush, a hamlet of Crawford, was sentenced to 9.5 years in prison and three years of post-release supervision on Wednesday, Aug. 28, said Damian Williams, US Attorney for the Southern District of New York.  “The defendant devised a chilling plan to have a member of her own family murdered for the low price of ten thousand dollars," said Williams. "Her plan was unthinkably heartless. For th…
Walkersville Predator Preying On Maryland Teens While Out On Bail Facing Life In Prison: Feds Walkersville Predator Preying On Maryland Teens While Out On Bail Facing Life In Prison: Feds
Walkersville Predator Preying On Maryland Teens While Out On Bail Facing Life In Prison: Feds A Maryland man who used multiple phones and online apps to target teens - including while he was out on bail and charges were pending - admitted to coercing and enticing minors, federal authorities announced. Michael Vance Culpepper, 56, of Walkersville, is facing life in prison after being busted by an undercover officer posing as a 13-year-old girl online, then doubling down. According to his guilty plea, in April and May 2023, Culpepper used mobile phones and online applications to persuade, induce, entice and coerce two victims whom he believed to be 13- and 14-year-old to engage in sex…
Woman Charged With Prostitution After Undercover Operation At Hudson Valley Spa Woman Charged With Prostitution After Undercover Operation At Hudson Valley Spa
Woman Charged With Prostitution After Undercover Operation At Hudson Valley Spa A woman has been charged with prostitution after an undercover operation resulted in the closure of a spa in the Hudson Valley. The detail was conducted on Thursday, June 27, in Rockland County at Oceart Spa, located at 76 N. Route 9W in Haverstraw, after police say allegations of prostitution and unlicensed massages were reported by members of the community. The  investigation resulted in the arrest of New York City resident Lan Xu, age 55, of Queens, who was charged with: Unauthorized practice of a profession (Class E felony), Prostitution (Class B misdemeanor).…
Waltham Man Who Offered $200 For Sex With 12-Year-Old Gets 15 Years In Prison: Feds Waltham Man Who Offered $200 For Sex With 12-Year-Old Gets 15 Years In Prison: Feds
Waltham Man Who Offered $200 For Sex With 12-Year-Old Gets 15 Years In Prison: Feds A 38-year-old Waltham man who reached out to an online ad for sex with a child in an undercover sting will spend the next 15 years behind bars, authorities announced on Thursday, June 20.  Misael Fabian Medina was convicted of one count of attempted sex trafficking of a child and one count of attempted coercion and enticement, the US Attorney for Massachusetts said.  Investigators said Medina responded to an online ad offering sex with two young girls in November 2022. In a text exchange with the people he believed were selling the children, Medina offered $200 to have sex wi…
Man Accused Of Heading From Maryland To DC For Sex With 6-Year-Old: Feds Man Accused Of Heading From Maryland To DC For Sex With 6-Year-Old: Feds
Man Accused Of Heading From Maryland To DC For Sex With 6-Year-Old: Feds A Maryland man who went out of state with the intention of sexually abusing a 6-year-old child has been indicted on federal charges, authorities announced. Bowie resident Nathaniel Lamar Nelson Scott, 35, was indicted by a federal grand jury on Wednesday charging him with traveling with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct after traveling to DC with the purpose of engaging in illegal activity with the child. In late May, a member of the Metropolitan Police Department FBI Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force posted a message on a website that is frequented …
Prostitution Sting: 8 'Johns' Busted Trying To Pay Springfield Cops For Sex Prostitution Sting: 8 'Johns' Busted Trying To Pay Springfield Cops For Sex
Prostitution Sting: 8 'Johns' Busted Trying To Pay Springfield Cops For Sex Springfield police arrested eight men who tried to pay an undercover officer for sex earlier this week.  The sting operation was held on Wednesday, May 22, after residents in the South End neighborhood complained about seeing prostitution and lewd acts taking place in the open during daylight hours, police said. They also reported seeing violence and drug activity.  Related: 5 Busted In Springfield Prostitution Sting Each of the eight men arrested was charged with paying for sexual conduct. Any additional charges will be included with the men's names.  David Viger, 51, of …
Dealer Admits To Distributing Enough Fentanyl To Kill 32K People In Maryland: Feds Dealer Admits To Distributing Enough Fentanyl To Kill 32K People In Maryland: Feds
Dealer Admits To Distributing Enough Fentanyl To Kill 32K People In Maryland: Feds The Maryland drug dealer who was busted with enough fentanyl to possibly kill 32,000 people has copped to the crime and faces decades in prison, federal authorities announced. Baltimore resident Robert "Glass" Frazier, Jr., 42, pleaded guilty this week conspiracy to possessing with the intent to distribute fentanyl, cocaine and marijuana after putting police through their paces when he attempted to avoid an eviction. According to his plea agreement, police conducted an eviction at Frazier's apartment in 2021, but in an effort to evade capture, he assaulted a Baltimore Sheriff's Officer…
Undercover Child Sex Chat Sting Nets 6 Creeps In Virginia: Sheriff Undercover Child Sex Chat Sting Nets 6 Creeps In Virginia: Sheriff
Undercover Child Sex Chat Sting Nets 6 Creeps In Virginia: Sheriff Six men who thought they were having sexual chats with children online were actually speaking with undercover detectives, authorities in Loudoun County announced. The arrests were the result of a week-long internet chat operation between the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) and Northern Virginia—Washington DC Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (NOVA-DC ICAC) during the week of April 8. All six adult males believed they were communicating with children under the age of 15 on a variety of chat and social media platforms, the county sheriff's office said. Those arrested in…
Hudson Valley Drug Dealer Convicted After Being Linked To Fatal Overdose: 'Career Criminal' Hudson Valley Drug Dealer Convicted After Being Linked To Fatal Overdose: 'Career Criminal'
Hudson Valley Drug Dealer Convicted After Being Linked To Fatal Overdose: 'Career Criminal' A Hudson Valley drug dealer faces decades in prison after being convicted of selling a dangerous drug concoction that caused a fatal overdose, officials announced.  Putnam County resident William Mancusi III of Kent, age 47, was convicted on charges in connection to a fatal drug overdose that happened in November 2021 in Southeast, Putnam County District Attorney Robert Tendy announced on Wednesday, Jan. 17.  According to Tendy's office, the events leading up to Mancusi's conviction began on Nov. 12, 2021, when New York State Police investigators responded to a fatal ove…
Undercover Prostitution Bust Nets 5 Arrests At 2 Hotels Virginia: Sheriff Undercover Prostitution Bust Nets 5 Arrests At 2 Hotels Virginia: Sheriff
Undercover Prostitution Bust Nets 5 Arrests At 2 Hotels Virginia: Sheriff Fugitives were among five people arrested in an undercover prostitution sting at two motels in Stafford County this week, authorities said. Stafford County Sheriff's Detective RJ Grella met a woman online on Dec. 12, and met up with her at the Staybridge Suites on Richmond Highway after a brief text exchange, Sheriff David Decatur said. Grella and patrol deputies made contact with the woman and found drugs in the room, Decatur said. Then, they learned that three floors up, there was another potential prostitution incident, the sheriff said. The female involved in the first incident has not…
Duo Nabbed After Trying To Sell Cocaine To Undercover Officer In Hudson Valley: Police Duo Nabbed After Trying To Sell Cocaine To Undercover Officer In Hudson Valley: Police
Duo Nabbed After Trying To Sell Cocaine To Undercover Officer In Hudson Valley: Police Two Connecticut residents were arrested following a chase that began after one of the suspects tried selling cocaine to an undercover investigator in the Hudson Valley, police said.  New Haven County residents Luis Flores, age 32, and Lymaris Burgos, age 37, both from Ansonia, were arrested in late October in connection with an investigation into drug sales in Putnam County, the Putnam County Sheriff's Office announced on Monday, Nov. 22.  The events leading up to the duo's arrests began in October when an investigator discovered that Flores was involved in the sale of cocaine in …
‘I Got The Good Stuff’: Long Island Dealer Admits Selling Fentanyl Causing 2 Overdose Deaths ‘I Got The Good Stuff’: Long Island Dealer Admits Selling Fentanyl Causing 2 Overdose Deaths
‘I Got The Good Stuff’: Long Island Dealer Admits Selling Fentanyl Causing 2 Overdose Deaths A Long Island drug dealer could spend decades in federal prison for selling fentanyl that contributed to two overdose deaths. Charles Carter, age 34, of Amityville, appeared in US District Court in Central Islip on Monday, Nov. 13, where he pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute over 40 grams of fentanyl. The potent, synthetic opioid drug is 50 to 100 times stronger than morphine, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Carter, who also goes by the name “Chase,” admitted to selling the drugs between August 2020 and February 2021. Among his customers were a 2…
Undercover Agent Busts Virginia Man Who Drove To Maryland For Sex With A Minor, Sheriff Says Undercover Agent Busts Virginia Man Who Drove To Maryland For Sex With A Minor, Sheriff Says
Undercover Agent Busts Virginia Man Who Drove To Maryland For Sex With A Minor, Sheriff Says A Virginia man who crossed over state lines for sexual acts with what he thought was a teen girl in Frederick County is behind bars. Brian Brooks, 43, of Stephens City, has been charged with multiple counts of sexual solicitation of a minor after being busted by an undercover officer he believed to be a teenager, a Frederick County Sheriff's spokesperson announced on Monday. In October, a detective performing an online investigation began posing as a 14-year-old girl, and the two began talking thorough a messaging apps, and despite being warned that he was speaking to a minor, Brooks allege…