Category: Law Enforcement

CBP Goes 4 for 4, Seizing Undeclared Currency, Firearms, and Ammunition while Conducting Outbound Inspections at Eagle Pass Port of Entry


U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Field Operations (OFO) interdicted a steady stream of undeclared currency, firearms and ammunition this week in four enforcement actions at the Eagle Pass Port of Entry.

“Our front-line officers continue to demonstrate the effectiveness of blending inspection skills and experience with the use of technology in these enforcement actions,” said Port Director Paul Del Rincon, Eagle Pass Port of Entry.

On Monday April 27, 2020, at Camino Real Bridge while inspecting a GMC 3500 truck, CBP officers discovered a Taurus Armas GC2 9 mm. pistol and two Pro Cal 9 mm magazines hidden within a DVD player. Pistol and magazines were seized and a $500 penalty was issued.

Also on April 27, CBP officers conducting an outbound examination of a Chevrolet Silverado discovered 28 .22-caliber rounds. The ammunition was seized.

On Tuesday, April 28, 2020 at the International Bridge 1 while conducting an examination of a Chevrolet 2500 truck, CBP officers discovered a Smith and Wesson SD40 Crimson Trace pistol, a Winchester 190 .22-calber long rifle, three Smith and Wesson SD40 14-round magazines, one Pro Mag Smith and Wesson .40-caliber 25-round magazine and 319 rounds of ammunition of varying calibers. The pistol, rifle, magazines and all ammunition were seized.

On Wednesday, April 29, 2020, CBP officers inspected a 2008 Saturn Astro XR traveling outbound at the Camino Real Bridge driven by a 35-year-old male Mexican citizen accompanied by a 45-year-old male Mexican citizen. During the inspection officers discovered $12,247 of unreported currency.

The undeclared money was seized and both subjects were arrested and turned over to Maverick County Sheriff’s Office for further investigation.

CBP.gov (May 2020) CBP Goes 4 for 4, Seizing Undeclared Currency, Firearms, and Ammunition while Conducting Outbound Inspections at Eagle Pass Port of Entry

Florida Man Pleads Guilty to Racially-Motivated Interference With Election in Charlottesville, Virginia and Cyberstalking in Florida


Daniel McMahon, 31, pleaded guilty on Thursday in federal court in the Western District of Virginia to one count of threatening an African-American Charlottesville City Council candidate identified by the initials D.G. because of his race and because he was running for office, and to one count of cyberstalking a separate victim through Facebook messenger. 

“Racially motivated threats of violence have no place in our society and will not be tolerated by the Department of Justice,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband for the Civil Rights Division. “The defendant in this case violated the civil rights of his victims through intimidation and we are grateful for all the work and collaboration our partners have done on this case.”

“Although the First Amendment protects, without qualification, an individual’s right to hold and express abhorrent political views, it does not license threats of violence,” said U.S. Attorney Thomas T. Cullen for the Western District of Virginia. “The Department of Justice is committed to investigating and prosecuting those who weaponize social media to harm others.” 

“Peaceable protest is a core American value protected by law,” said U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez for the Middle District of Florida. “This defendant violated the law by threatening violence against an African-American individual who planned to announce his candidacy for City Council and an autistic child merely because the child’s mother opposes his extreme racially motivated views. This collaborative prosecution demonstrates that the Department of Justice as a whole will not tolerate these types of threats and intimidation.”

“This investigation underscores the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Forces and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices continued commitment to aggressively investigate and prosecute individuals engaging in racially-motivated threats and violent extremist activities. It also exemplifies the seamless information sharing between FBI Divisions in eliminating potential threats to our communities,” said Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Tampa Division Michael F. McPherson.

“Protecting the civil rights of all Americans is a high priority for the FBI and is a mission to which we are fully committed. In this case, the defendant used racially-motivated threats of violence to disrupt an election,” said David W. Archey, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Division. “In addition, he used a social media account to stalk and terrorize another victim and a minor child. We will continue to prioritize and aggressively investigate violations of these kinds. We are grateful for the partnership and efforts of FBI Tampa Division, the U.S. Attorney Offices in Virginia and Florida, and the Department of Justice, and for their assistance on this case.”

At the plea hearing, the defendant admitted that he uses the online pseudonyms “Jack Corbin,” “Pale Horse,” “Restore Silent Sam,” and “Dakota Stone,” to promote white supremacy and white nationalist ideology, and to express support for racially-motivated violence.

The defendant admitted that in January 2019, upon learning that D.G., an African-American resident of Charlottesville, Virginia, planned to announce his candidacy for City Council, the defendant used his Jack Corbin account on the social media platform Gab to threaten violence against D.G. because of D.G.’s race and because D.G. was running for office. The defendant admitted that his posts used racial slurs and invoked long-standing racial stereotypes, and that he intended for D.G. to understand his posts as threats to his safety. 

In addition to this, the defendant also admitted to cyberstalking Victim 2 using his “Restore Silent Sam” Facebook account. In connection with this charge, the defendant admitted that he used Facebook to send Victim 2 numerous intimidating and threatening messages that placed Victim 2 in reasonable fear of harm to Victim 2’s minor child.

The defendant acknowledged that Victim 2 has been active in countering white nationalist rallies in her community. The defendant admitted that, because of Victim 2’s activism, he began an online campaign to intimidate her and to extort information from her about her fellow activists. This included sending Victim 2 numerous messages over the course of twelve days in which he threatened to sexually assault Victim 2’s minor daughter, who has autism.

The defendant admitted that, at around the same time that he sent these messages, he also used the internet to conduct searches relating to sexual contact with girls who have autism. The defendant admitted that his messages reasonably caused Victim 2 serious emotional distress and fear for Victim 2’s child’s safety.

McMahon will be sentenced on July 23, 2020. He faces a maximum sentence of one year in prison for threatening D.G. and five years in prison for cyberstalking Victim 2.

This case is being investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by U.S. Attorney Thomas T. Cullen of the Western District of Virginia; Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Kavanaugh of the Western District of Virginia; Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel George of the Middle District of Florida; and Trial Attorney Risa Berkower of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division.

Justice.gov (April 2020) Florida Man Pleads Guilty to Racially-Motivated Interference With Election in Charlottesville, Virginia and Cyberstalking in Florida

(Update) $50,000 reward offered for information for homicide of Postal Employee

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is offering a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the suspect(s) who shot and killed a USPS employee.


(Update 04/29/2020) A 21-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the death of an Indianapolis mail carrier.

United States Postal Inspectors, IMPD detectives and FBI Special Agents arrested Tony Cushingberry, 21, Tuesday evening for his involvement in the death of Angela Summers, 45.

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is offering a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the suspect(s) who shot and killed a USPS employee.

The USPS employee was shot and killed at approximately 4:00 pm on April 27, 2020, at the 400 block of North Denny St, Indianapolis, Indiana.

According to Fox59:

Officers with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department found a woman with at least one gunshot wound.

She was “awake and talking.”

Medics transported the woman to a local hospital, where she later died.

The Marion County Coroner’s Office identified the woman as 45-year-old Angela Summers. The USPS confirmed she was one of its employees.

Melissa Hardy is having a hard time processing what happened to her friend, Angela Summers. They have been friends for 15 years.

“There was a neighborhood app that had said it was a female and I knew it was close to where she carried and my heart just sank,” Hardy said.

TAKE NO ACTION TO APPREHEND THIS PERSON YOURSELF

If you have any information about this incident, please contact: Crime Stoppers at 317-262-TIPS, all information will be kept strictly confidential.

USPIS.gov (April 2020) Seeking Information for Homicide of Postal Employee

Agents Foil Two Drug Smuggling Attempts Over the Weekend


Four men were arrested by U.S. Border Patrol El Paso Sector agents while attempting to smuggle drugs in a remote area of New Mexico over the weekend.

Late Saturday evening, Santa Teresa station Border Patrol agents were alerted to a group of four subjects carrying several large backpacks from Mexico into the U.S. Agents responded to the area and engaged in a foot pursuit. Camera operators assisted the agents in pinpointing the location of the fleeing Mexican nationals and they were taken into custody. Agents also recovered the three backpacks with the suspected contraband at a pickup location nearby.  

Agents contacted the Dona Ana County Sheriff’s Office and prosecution was accepted for the three adult males. The fourth individual is a juvenile that will be expelled back to Mexico.

Earlier in the day, a gray Jeep Wrangler with one male occupant entered the primary inspection area at the Alamogordo Border Patrol Station checkpoint. During their investigation, agents requested and were granted permission to conduct a search of the vehicle.  Another agent inspecting the vehicle notified fellow agents to conduct a more thorough physical search of the vehicle after his canine partner alerted to the possible presence of narcotics.

Border Patrol agents discovered an assortment of drugs and paraphernalia during the search. The driver of the rental vehicle was identified as a 27-year-old U.S. citizen. He was turned over to the Otero County Sheriff’s Department for prosecution.

“Our Border Patrol Agents are tireless in their continued efforts to keep criminals and illegal narcotics out of our community” said Chief Patrol Agent Gloria I. Chavez, El Paso Sector Border Patrol.

The men and women of the U.S. Border Patrol seek to disrupt the drug smuggling operations along the border and at immigration checkpoints within the United States. They aim to keep dangerous drugs out of the neighborhoods and communities where they live and work.   

U.S. Customs and Border Protection welcomes assistance from the community. Citizens are encouraged to report suspicious activity to the U.S. Border Patrol while remaining anonymous by calling 1-800-635-2509.  

CBP.gov (April 2020) Agents Foil Two Drug Smuggling Attempts Over the Weekend

Pharmacist Arrested and Charged with Firebombing Plot


A Nebraska pharmacist was arrested on Friday on charges related to an alleged conspiracy to use explosives, specifically Molotov cocktails, to firebomb and destroy a competitor pharmacy.

According to court documents, Hyrum T. Wilson, 41, of Auburn, told an alleged co-conspirator: “This is the last shipment he will get from me as long as the other pharmacy is still standing.”

Wilson allegedly supplied thousands of prescription pills, including opioids, from his business, Hyrum’s Family Value Pharmacy, to William Anderson Burgamy IV. Burgamy allegedly operated as the Darknet vendor NeverPressedRX (NPRX) from August 2019 through April 2020, and had thousands of illegal recorded sales on a major Darknet market. Burgamy was charged in the Eastern District of Virginia last week and ordered detained.

The firebombing plot was uncovered through search warrants that were executed following Burgamy’s arrest.

According to court documents, Wilson conspired with Burgamy to conduct a firebombing of another pharmacy in Auburn, Nebraska. The goal of the plot was to destroy Wilson’s local competition, which Wilson and Burgamy allegedly believed would increase the volume of prescription drugs that Wilson’s business could obtain, thereby allowing Wilson and Burgamy’s drug trafficking operation to continue and expand.

Wilson and Burgamy allegedly agreed that the plot, named “Operation Firewood,” would involve the use of Molotov cocktails to burn down the victim pharmacy, and that Burgamy would carry numerous firearms during the attack.

Wilson allegedly created “getaway” maps and routes for Burgamy to use to help him evade law enforcement detection following the intended firebombing. Wilson also suggested that Burgamy steal prescription medications from the victim pharmacy before setting it on fire, and Burgamy offered to share with Wilson the profits from any stolen drugs.

Wilson is charged with conspiracy to use fire and explosives, conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, and a firearms-related offense. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties.

A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Kevin Vorndran, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office Criminal Division; Mark S. McCormack, Special Agent in Charge, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations, Metro Washington Field Office; Peter R. Rendina, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; and Jesse R. Fong, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Field Division, made the announcement.

The FBI’s Omaha Field Office and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nebraska provided significant assistance in executing the arrest. Assistant U.S. Attorney Raj Parekh is prosecuting the case.

This investigation was conducted by the FBI Washington Field Office’s Hi-Tech Opioid Task Force, which is composed of FBI agents and task force partners, including special agents and officers of the Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigations, DEA, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and detectives from local assisting police agencies. The task force is charged with identifying and investigating the most egregious Dark Web marketplaces, and the vendors operating on the marketplaces who are engaged in the illegal acquisition and distribution of controlled substances, to include fentanyl, methamphetamine, and other opioids. This investigation was also supported by the interagency Joint Criminal Opioid and Darknet Enforcement (JCODE) team.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:20-mj-140.

A criminal complaint is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Justice.gov (April 2020) Pharmacist Arrested and Charged with Firebombing Plot