Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor LOS ANGELES - A 16-month-old child taken by his non-custodial mother during an unsupervised visit was safely located in Mexico, authorities recently said.
Miguel Eduardo Zuniga Medina was found last week and safely returned to the United States. Mother Bridget Benitez, 31, was also found in Aguascalientes, Mexico. She has since been deported, according to the FBI. A Federal arrest warrant was issued for Benitez who is accused of taking her baby after an unsupervised visit February 6. Benitez crossed the border at Otay Mesa March 6. The child was placed into the care of a foster parent by the Department of Child and Family Services. “A federal arrest warrant for Benitez was obtained on Thursday, March 7, after she was charged with international parental kidnapping in a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles. The complaint alleges that Benitez intentionally obstructed the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), who holds legal and physical custody of Medina, Jr.,” according to the FBI in a written statement. The child’s father, Miguel Eduardo Medina Zuniga, Sr., is the non-custodial father and is believed to be living in Aguascalientes, Mexico. Medina was arrested last year, accused of a domestic violence incident and apparently has a history of violent altercations in the presence of children, according to a juvenile dependency petition filed in Los Angeles County. Following last year’s arrest, the child was placed in the custody of DCFS, according to the FBI. “The Superior Court in Los Angeles County found that it was necessary to remove Medina, Jr. from his parents for his own health, safety, and well-being. Benitez and Medina, Sr. have also been charged in Superior Court in Los Angeles County,” according to the FBI. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor LOS ANGELES - A Federal arrest warrant has been issued for a non-custodial mother accused of taking her baby after an unsupervised visit February 6.
Bridget Benitez, 31, was confirmed to have crossed the border at Otay Mesa March 6. She was last seen with her biological son, Miguel Eduardo Zuniga Medina, who is 16 months, according to the FBI. The child was placed into the care of a foster parent by the Department of Child and Family Services. Benitez and the baby were last seen in a black 2021 Toyota Camry with California license plate 8WAS968, according to the FBI. Benitez may have taken the baby to Aguascalientes, Mexico. “A federal arrest warrant for Benitez was obtained on Thursday, March 7, after she was charged with international parental kidnapping in a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles. The complaint alleges that Benitez intentionally obstructed the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), who holds legal and physical custody of Medina, Jr.,” according to the FBI in a written statement. The child’s father, Miguel Eduardo Medina Zuniga, Sr., is the non-custodial father and is believed to be living in Aguascalientes, Mexico. Medina was arrested last year, accused of a domestic violence incident and apparently has a history of violent altercations in the presence of children, according to a juvenile dependency petition filed in Los Angeles County. Following last year’s arrest, the child was placed in the custody of DCFS, according to the FBI. “The Superior Court in Los Angeles County found that it was necessary to remove Medina, Jr. from his parents for his own health, safety, and well-being. Benitez and Medina, Sr. have also been charged in Superior Court in Los Angeles County,” according to the FBI. Anyone with information as to the whereabouts of Benitez is asked to call their local FBI office or nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. Information may also be provided at www.tips.fbi.gov. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor LOS ANGELES - Three men accused of any elaborate gift card scam targeting older adults and other victims were found guilty Tuesday of one count each of conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Bowen Hu, a 28-year-old Hacienda Heights man, Tiaran Shi, a 29-year-old Diamond Bar man, and Blade Bai, A 35-year-old El Monte man, schemed to launder the proceeds of the scams which involved Target gift cards to supposedly resolve various financial problems, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Bai was charged with a second count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, which he committed after being released after his initial arrest, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Prosecutors estimate that the trio of defendants laundered $2.5 million in Target gift cards from June 2019 to November 2020. Telephone scammers overseas lied to their victims, claiming that purchasing the gift cards would fix nonexistent problems, such as arrest warrants, identity theft, tech support issues and compromised financial accounts. The victims would buy one, or sometimes more, Target gift cards typically in increments of $500 and then were instructed to read the card numbers and access codes over the phone to the scammers, according to the US Attorney’s Office. “Bai, Hu and Shi obtained more than 5,000 gift cards from a group of unknown persons in China that called itself the “Magic Lamp” and sold gift card information via the online messaging application WeChat,” according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in a written statement. WeChat was also used to coordinate the distribution of the gift cards to “runners” who then used the gift cards in Los Angeles and Orange counties to purchase electronics, other gift cards and more, working to conceal the fraud. Within days of his initial arrest in November 2020, Bai was back in money laundering, again using Target gift cards. “Bai offered to introduce an associate to someone who bought merchandise from him, and thereafter asked the associate to help him liquidate approximately $36,000 of Target gift cards. With Bai unwilling to be paid directly for the sale, two accomplices together arranged a deal in which they sold, to the customer, Bai’s gift cards for approximately 90 cents on the dollar,” according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in a written statement. He was arrested February 2022 and has remained in custody ever since. Hu and Shi were taken into custody immediately after their guilty verdicts. A fourth co-conspirator, 60-year-old Yan Fu of Chino Hills, was sentenced to 20 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering in September 2022. He has also been ordered to pay $48,073 in restitution. Bai, Hu and Shi will face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for each money laundering conspiracy count. They are scheduled to be sentenced January 26, 2024. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor LOS ANGELES - A Pomona man was found guilty May 9 of one count of abusive sexual contact during a flight from Cleveland to Los Angeles.
Mohammad Jawad Ansari, 49, committed the sexual abuse during the February 17, 2020 flight. “Ansari occupied a 10th-row window seat while the victim occupied the middle seat next to him. The victim, who was wearing a dress, fell asleep shortly after takeoff and the armrest separating Ansari from the victim was down,” according to the US Attorney’s Office in a written statement. Ansari Intentionally, and without the victim’s consent, touched her right knee as she slept. Ansari eventually moved his hand to her inner thigh. Ansari placed his left hand on the victim’s right knee and knowingly, intentionally, and without the victim’s consent, moved his hand to her inner thigh. The person sitting in the 10th-row aisle seat next to the victim witnessed Ansari’s hand touching the victim’s inner thigh. A passenger seated next to the victim witnessed the abuse, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. “The victim woke up, pushed Ansari’s hand away, left her seat, and informed a flight attendant about what had happened. The flight’s attendants observed Ansari during the remainder of the flight and believed he was pretending to sleep,” according to the US Attorney’s Office in a written statement. Ansari faces a September 29 and faces a statutory maximum of two years in federal prison. The FBI investigated this case. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor SANTA ANA - A certified nursing assistant was sentenced to life in prison January 13 for committing sex acts on several severely disabled children while filming them.
Steve Jackson Rodriguez, 38, a Pomona resident, previously pleaded guilty September 2022 to two counts of obtaining custody of a minor for purposes of producing child pornography, five counts of production of child pornography and one count of enticement of a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity, according to the Justice Department. Rodriguez was arrested August 21, 2021. Rodriguez committed what US District Judge John Holcomb called “unspeakable acts” from January 2016 to May 2020, producing images and videos with four children at an Inland Empire group home where he was employed at the time. Three of the children are severely disabled, according to the Justice Department. One of his victims was just 6 years old when he started the abuse. He began recording the acts two years later. A restitution hearing is scheduled for March 10. Rodriguez sent the explicit images and video to two of his co-workers. In a separate trial, Azusa man Cyr Dino Banguguilan, 36, and 23-year-old Baldwin Park man Miguel Bocardo were found guilty of one count each of receipt of child pornography and possession of child pornography, according to the Justice Departmentl Both co-workers are scheduled for a February 24 sentencing and face anywhere from five to 20 years in federal prison, according to the Justice Department. The investigation was spearheaded by the Homeland Security Investigations as part of the Los Angeles Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Assisting were the United States Postal Inspection Service, FBI, Baldwin Park Police Department, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Los Angeles Police Department, Pomona Police Department and Burbank Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Scott M. Lara and Catharine A. Richmond of the Violent and Organized Crime Section are prosecuting this case. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor REGION – A Whittier man was arrested by FBI agents and detectives from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department August 23 after they identified him as going on a bank robbery spree.
Richard Martinez was caught as he was leaving his home in the 10600 block of Reichling Lane around 2 p.m. Martinez is accused of robbing banks in City of Industry, Santa Fe Springs and Whittier, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. The three robberies occurred over a three-hour period and featured a demand note and similar suspect and vehicle description: a late-model Chevrolet Camaro convertible. “A search warrant was served at Suspect/Martinez’ residence and numerous items of evidence were recovered, including a loaded pistol gripped shotgun, a loaded 9MM handgun with an extended magazine, and a demand note,” according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department in a written statement. Investigators are trying to determine if Martinez is involved in other bank robberies. Martinez was booked on suspicion of robbery and was additionally booked on suspicion of being an ex-felon in possession of two firearms. He is being held in lieu $50,000 bail and is scheduled to appear at the West Covina Court House August 25. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor REGION - A 21-year-old Glendora man arrested during the U.S. Capitol Breach more than one year ago and accused of destroying windowpanes was sentenced May 13.
Hunter Allen Ehmke was sentenced to four months in prison and 36 months of supervised release. He is also expected to pay $2,821 for destroying five window panes during the breach by protestors at the U.S. Capitol January 6, 2021, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Ehmke was arrested January 13, 2021. He initially pleaded not guilty last year, but changes his plea to guilty January 4, 2022, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Ehmke was part of a large crowd of fringe protestors who breached the Capitol during a joint session of Congress, which was ascertaining and counting electoral votes for the presidential election. Ehmke jumped onto a ledge outside of an office featuring multiple window panes. Ehmke used his right foot to shatter three lower window panes and smashed two more window panes with his right fist, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. Investigating the case was the FBI Los Angeles Field Office and U.S. Capitol Police with assistance from the FBI Washington Field Office and Glendora Police Department. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor LOS ANGELES – More than $1.3 million was bilked from Amazon by a third-party seller who will plead guilty to wire fraud charges.
During a filing Monday in U.S. District Court, Ting Hong Yeung, a 41-year-old Hacienda Heights man, was charged with wire fraud, accused of defrauding Amazon of $1.3 million. A plea agreement was also filed Monday in which Yeung will pay restitution, some of which will be paid in gold and silver bars seized from a search of his home, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Operating under the Amazon third-party names of “Speedy Checkout,” Special SaleS” and “California Red Trading Inc.,” Yeung advertised expensive merchandise, such as furniture and home décor at rock bottom prices to drive up sales. He then provided bogus tracking numbers to customers, continually delaying refunds to complaining customers long enough for Amazon to disburse funds into his business bank accounts, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. “Yeung collected payment for items that were never shipped and relied on Amazon to issue refunds to his disgruntled customers under its “A-to-Z guarantee”,” according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in a written statement. Occasionally, Yeung would ship customers cheap crystal ornaments to generate tracking numbers for customers while stalling customer complaints and demands for refunds. He also used Amazon’s messaging service to lie to customers that their products were being shipped, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. Amazon disburses funds from purchases into a seller’s bank account every two weeks after the seller has provided proof of shipment, which is why Yeung continually delayed refunds. Occasionally, Yeung would also defraud Amazon by purchasing items on credit cards in the name of other people and false identities. Yeung would initiate returns after the goods were delivered to his customers, falsely claiming the items were “different from what was ordered.” He would then return lower-value items than what was ordered so he collected both the refund and proceeds of the original sale, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. Yeung is expected to make an initial court appearance April 12. This case was investigated by the FBI. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor REGION – Authorities continue to search for six men wanted in connection with a large-scale drug trafficking organization.
The six fugitives are among 13 others named in four separate indictments and charged with various offenses related to drugs and weapons. The crimes were carried out in the Los Angeles Police Department’s Harbor Division, according to the FBI Los Angeles Field Office. Pomona man Hector Yair Sanchez, 25, is among the six fugitives charged in Operation “Wipe Out,” initiated by the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles Interagency Metropolitan Police Apprehension Crime Task Force in 2020. Four indictments were unsealed November 16. From April to July 2021, undercover officers conducted numerous operations that helped identify the 13 suspects from California and Arizona. Officers seized 250 pounds of methamphetamine, one pound of fentanyl, six handguns and one rifle, according to the FBI. Arrested were: Adrian Abasolo, 26, from San Diego Alejandro Mendoza, 45, from Los Angeles Hector Valentin, 28, from Long Beach Rodolfo Ulyses, 61, from Bullhead City, Arizona Juan Antonio Aguilar-Bravo, 45, from Calexico Gabriela Contreras, 42, from Gardena Marisela Sanchez, 43, from Wilmington Those arrested were scheduled for initial court appearances Tuesday in the nearest federal district court to where the arrests occurred. Still sought are: Hector Yair Sanchez, 25, from Pomona Christian Garcia, 29, from Long Beach Jorge Luis Perez Sandoval, 36, from Victorville Luis Fernando Verdugo, 25, from Pacoima Alexander Guerrero, 42, from Los Angeles Oscar Humberto Gallegos, 35, from San Diego Among the charges are: conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine; possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine; possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; felon in possession of firearm and ammunition; conspiracy; unlawful sale, transport, and transfer of a firearm by an unlicensed dealer; conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine; and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine, according to the FBI. If convicted as charged, the suspects face a range of statutory maximum sentences ranging from five years to life in prison, according to the FBI. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor LOS ANGELES - A Pasadena man who pleaded guilty late last year to conspiracy to kidnap was sentenced for his part in a plot that ended with a victim’s body being unearthed months after the victim was kidnapped.
Anthony Valladares, 29, was sentenced to 195 months in federal prison. Hired as the “muscle,” Valadares was one of four men directly involved in the kidnapping of Ruochen “Tony” Liao in San Gabriel. Liao was beaten, restrained and held for a $2 million ransom that was demanded from his parents, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. U.S. District Judge Fernando Olguin also ordered Valladares to pay $33,090 in restitution. Valladares pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to kidnap October 2020. Liao met with Chinese national Peicheng Shen, 35. The latter used an alias several times while communicating with Liao, pretending to help him settle a debt. During a third meeting, Shen met Liao at a San Gabriel shopping center July 16, 2018 and lured him into a van, according to court documents. Valladares was hiding in the van. Shen uttered a word to the “muscle,” who helped to beat shocked with a stun gun, restrained with zip ties and covered with a black hood, according to court documents. “Valladares admitted to helping Yang acquire the taser used in the kidnapping and admitted to acquiring a revolver and bullets for the kidnapping,” according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in a written statement. Alexis Ivan Romero Velez, a 25-year-old Azusa man, was hired by Valladares. Velez drove the van to a house in Rosemead where Liao was placed into another vehicle. Shen and another co-conspirator, Chinese national Guangyao Yang, 28, took Liao to a home in Corona where his legs and arms were restrained and his eyes taped shut. He was then confined to a closet, according to court documents. “The day after the kidnapping, the victim’s father received a demand for a $2 million ransom in exchange for the victim’s life, with the money to be deposited into three Chinese bank accounts within three hours,’ according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in a written statement. Valladares was apparently not present when Liao was killed. Investigators learned of Yang’s Internet search history, which included discovering how long it takes for a body to decompose in soil. The closet where Liao was confined was also re-carpeted, according to court documents. Liao’s body was eventually disposed of in Mojave, California. His skeletal remains were eventually discovered by a hiker June 12, 2019 in the area of Cache Creek Road and Highway 58. The manner of death is undetermined, according to the Kern County Sheriff’s Office - Coroner Section. Shen and Yang, who previously resided in West Covina, were both arrested in China, held on charges related to the kidnapping. Velez pleaded guilty in September 2019 to one count of conspiracy to kidnap. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, November 10. The FBI conducted this investigation with help from the FBI’s Safe Street Task Force, which includes the Pasadena Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Julia S. Choe and Frances S. Lewis, both of the General Crimes Section, prosecuted this case. |
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