The driver and two passengers were taken into custody.
The deputies originally thought that the driver was under the influence, but we still do not know exactly what triggered the police pursuit.
Category Archives: Los Angeles County
The “Green Gaiter” bandit is wanted for robbing 14 banks in L.A. and O.C.
An unidentified suspect who investigators believe conducted at least 14 bank robberies or attempts in Orange and Los Angeles Counties since October is being sought by the FBI and multiple law enforcement partners whose officers and detectives responded to the banks with agents in various cities.
The FBI has given the suspect the moniker, “Green Gaiter Bandit,” based on the green face/neck covering he can be seen wearing in some bank surveillance photos, which are being provided to the public. It should be noted that the suspect wears a variety of gaiters covering his neck and face in different banks on different dates, including a green one. He has also worn gaiters or a mask in other colors or designs as witnesses have described and as bank surveillance photos illustrate.
Over the past three months, the Green Gaiter Bandit is suspected in the following bank robberies or attempts, including on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve:
- January 21, 2022, Wells Fargo 1396 North Rose Drive Placentia (attempt)
- January 20, 2022, Wells Fargo 2170 Harbor Costa Mesa (attempt)
- January 10, 2022, Chase 1310 West Artesia Gardena
- January 7, 2022, U.S. Bank 25972 Muirlands Boulevard Mission Viejo
- December 31, 2021, Wells Fargo 2300 Harbor Boulevard Costa Mesa
- December 31, 2021, Chase 2121 Torrance Boulevard Torrance
- December 30, 2021, Wells Fargo 9971 Adams Avenue Huntington Beach
- December 24, 2021, Wells Fargo 2300 Harbor Boulevard Costa Mesa (attempt)
- December 23, 2021, Wells Fargo 1403 Sartori Torrance
- December 17, 2021, Wells Fargo 2970 Harbor Boulevard Costa Mesa
- December 3, 2021, Chase 2970 Harbor Boulevard Costa Mesa
- December 3, 2021, Chase 21502 Brookhurst Boulevard Huntington Beach (attempt)
- October 30, 2021, Chase Bank 21502 Brookhurst Boulevard Huntington Beach
- October 11, 2021, Union Bank 911 North Harbor Fullerton (attempt)
The Green Gaiter Bandit has been further identified as a white male, between 50 and 60 years old, approximately 6’0″ tall, with a medium to heavy build and gray hair. In some of the bank robberies, the suspect is wearing a tan jacket. He wears a variation of workwear-style clothing and, as noted, a variety of gaiters covering his neck and face, including a green one.
During the robberies, the suspect typically approaches a victim teller and either passes a note or makes a verbal demand, or both. In some cases, the suspect verbally demands cash or the “loose bills.” After receiving the cash or an attempt, the suspect has been seen fleeing the bank on foot.
If anyone has information about the identity or the whereabouts of the Green Gaiter Bandit, please contact law enforcement. In Los Angeles and Orange Counties, the FBI can be reached at (310) 477-6565.
This investigation is being conducted by the FBI; the Huntington Beach Police Department; the Costa Mesa Police Department; the Orange County Sheriff’s Department; the Gardena Police Department; the Placentia Police Department; and the Torrance Police Department.
The big rig theft suspect in a police standoff at the 55 Freeway is finally under arrest
The long standoff on the Southbound 55 Freeway finally has come to an end! The standoff was the result of a stolen big rig pursuit that began in Sun Valley on Wednesday night and concluded in Orange County as the suspect refused to leave the rig while surrounded by CHP and Irvine police officers.
The male suspect was finally arrested at about 8:30 a.m. today.
The big rig was stolen at about 8:15 p.m. on Wednesday night from a food service lot in East Los Angeles.
CHP patrol vehicles and a helicopter pursued the stolen big rig as it snaked through freeways in Los Angeles, Ventura and eventually Orange counties.
The police officers tried several times to stop the big rig with spike strips but while they succeeded in blowing up some of the truck tires the suspect kept going.
The pursuit ended in Orange County near Dyer Road early this morning. The CHP closed down the freeway causing a commuting nightmare for residents trying to get to work.
The SAPD provided their SWAT team to try to help convince the suspect to get out of the truck.
The suspect kept trying to get the truck to move and finally gave up and exited the vehicle at around 8:30 a.m.
The suspect has not yet been identified but he appeared to be a male in his early 20s.
The bad news is the freeway will remain closed for at least a few more hours due to the ongoing investigation continues.
Commuters are urged to avoid the area. If they are trying to get to Irvine or the coastal cities they will have to take the streets or stay on the 5 South to the 405 Freeway.
Suspect in fatal kidnapping of a Santa Ana auto dealer gets a 16 year prison sentence
LOS ANGELES – A San Gabriel Valley man was sentenced today to 195 months in federal prison for participating in a conspiracy to kidnap a Chinese national who was violently abducted from a San Gabriel parking lot, and whose parents were extorted for $2 million in ransom before the victim died from his injuries.
Anthony Valladares, 29, of Pasadena, was sentenced by United States District Judge Fernando M. Olguin, who said, that Valladares and his co-conspirators committed a “horrendous crime” when they conspired to kidnap the victim, resulting in his death. Judge Olguin also ordered Valladares to pay $33,090 in restitution. Valladares pleaded guilty in October 2020 to one count of conspiracy to kidnap.
Valladares conspired with others, including Chinese nationals Guangyao Yang, 28, and Peicheng Shen, 35, to kidnap Ruochen “Tony” Liao, of Santa Ana. Valladares was the “muscle” hired to intimidate, beat, and subdue Liao during the kidnapping. Valladares agreed to accept cash for the job.
Shen, using an alias, met the victim several times under the pretense that Shen would help the victim collect a debt from another individual, according to court documents. During their third meeting, at a San Gabriel shopping center on July 16, 2018, Shen lured the victim to a minivan, where Valladares was hiding, and whose driver was Alexis Ivan Romero Velez, 25, of Azusa, whom Valladares recruited for the conspiracy.
Liao entered the minivan and spoke in Chinese with Shen, who used a specific word to signal Valladares to begin attacking the victim. Once Shen uttered the word, Valladares and Shen violently assaulted Liao, used a taser to subdue him, and ultimately bound and restrained him with a black hood and ties. Valladares admitted to helping Yang acquire the taser used in the kidnapping and admitted to acquiring a revolver and bullets for the kidnapping. Romero then drove the minivan to a location in Rosemead, where Liao was moved into a different car.
Shen and Yang then took the victim to a house in Corona, where they confined him by binding his legs together, taping his eyes shut, restraining his arms behind him, and confining him in a closet.
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.
Valladares was not physically present for Liao’s death, which occurred when Shen and Yang held him captive.
Shen and Yang drove to the area of Mojave, California, to bury or otherwise dispose of the victim’s body and other physical evidence involved in the crime. Further, Shen allegedly had the closet of the Corona house re-carpeted. Yang also performed internet searches to determine, in effect, how fast a corpse decomposes in soil, court papers state. Liao’s remains were discovered in Mojave late last year.
“The seriousness of [Valladares’] crime cannot be overstated,” prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memorandum. “[Valladares] was an active participant and organizer of a violent kidnapping motivated solely by greed. He acted with utter disregard to the potential suffering and harm to the victim and his family.”
Yang and Shen, whose last known U.S. residences were in West Covina, are currently in custody in China on charges filed there related to the kidnapping. Velez pleaded guilty in September 2019 to one count of conspiracy to kidnap. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for November 10.
The FBI conducted this investigation, with significant assistance provided by members of 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.
Suspect from Hawthorn arrested for burglarizing homes in Orange County
Jonatan Jose Medina-Mejia, of Hawthorn, was arrested earlier this week in connection with a series of residential burglaries that took place in Huntington Beach after an investigation led by the H.B.police detectives and Special Investigation Unit.
The investigation into Medina-Mejia is ongoing as detectives have reason to believe he is responsible for additional burglaries in Orange County.
Four men from L.A. were arrested after a high-speed police pursuit in Costa Mesa
COSTA MESA, Calif (July 20, 2021) – The Costa Mesa Police Department (CMPD) yesterday arrested four men after a traffic stop turned into a short high-speed pursuit and a yard-to-yard search.
On Monday, July 19, 2021, at approximately 12:15 p.m., a CMPD officer was patrolling the parking lot at the 3300 block of Bristol Street when he observed a white sedan with dark tinted windows. The officer stopped the vehicle for the Vehicle Code 26708(a)(1) violation and contacted the driver and three passengers. The driver, later identified as Dennis Junior Johnson, 25, Los Angeles, did not have any form of ID and did not truthfully identify himself.
As the officer opened the driver’s door and asked Johnson to step out of the vehicle, Johnson drove away at a high rate of speed. The vehicle drove south on Bear Street, driving on the shoulder of the roadway, crossing the center median, and driving into oncoming traffic. Officers pursued the vehicle, which went through a red light and reached a speed of over 80 mph. There were no injuries or collisions during the pursuit.
As the officers reached the intersection of Bear and Baker Streets, they lost sight of the vehicle. The vehicle was located in the intersection of Bear Street and St. Clair Street after it hit a curb and crashed into a stop sign. Johnson and the three occupants fled from the vehicle. Witnesses saw the subjects run west into the neighborhood. A handgun was located in the roadway near the suspect vehicle.
Officers established a perimeter in the neighborhood and conducted a yard-to-yard search. Johnson was located in the 800 block of Sonora Road. Two passengers, Myles Edward Rutledge and Naypone Malik Gaines, both 22 from Los Angeles, were found hiding together in a backyard in the 2800 block of Drake Avenue. Officers found Dvaryae Deshawn Bryant, 18, Los Angeles, hiding in a storage bin in the back yard of a home in the 800 block of Santiago Road.
The officer who had stopped the vehicle identified all the subjects. The four were arrested and booked on evading police, obstruction, and felon in possession of a firearm.
We would like to thank the observant witnesses that assisted us with helpful information. We would also like to thank the Orange County Sheriff’s Department for assisting us with K9 services and the Anaheim Police Department for assisting us with the use of their helicopter, Angel.
Anyone who may have additional information on this incident is asked to contact Detective Jerad Korte at 714-754-5051 or Detective Sergeant Monique Beckner at 714-754-5352.
Suspect alleged to have robbed 15 Trader Joe’s locations indicted
LOS ANGELES – A federal grand jury today named a Huntington Park man in a 21-count indictment that accuses him of robbing 15 Trader Joe’s stores throughout Southern California during a three-month crime spree.
Gregory Johnson, 43, was named in a superseding indictment charging him with 15 counts of interference with commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act), five counts of knowingly using and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
His arraignment on the superseding indictment has not been scheduled. A June 22 trial previously was scheduled in this matter.
Johnson previously was charged via a two-count information on February 8 in connection with the robbery of a Trader Joe’s in Chino Hills on December 4, 2020. Today’s indictment charges him with 19 additional felonies.
According to the indictment, from August 28 to December 4, 2020, Johnson robbed Trader Joe’s stores in Eagle Rock, Sherman Oaks, Chatsworth, Pasadena, Culver City, Rancho Palos Verdes, Agoura Hills, Brea, Santa Ana, Tustin, and Chino Hills, and attempted to rob Trader Joe’s stores in Simi Valley and Corona.
During many of the robberies, Johnson allegedly brandished a handgun. On two occasions, Johnson allegedly robbed stores in Rancho Palos Verdes and Brea, and returned weeks later to rob them again.
On December 4, 2020, Johnson and his son, Gregory Eric Johnson, 20, of South Los Angeles, were arrested after law enforcement learned of the Chino Hills Trader Joe’s robbery. A witness gave law enforcement a description of the Johnsons’ getaway car and its license plate, according to court documents.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted of all charges, Gregory Johnson would face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for each robbery charge, seven years in prison for each firearms use charge, and 10 years’ imprisonment for the felon-in-possession of a firearms charge.
On March 15, Gregory Eric Johnson pleaded guilty to a two-count information charging him with interference with commerce by robbery for robbing Trader Joe’s stores in Chatsworth and Chino Hills in December 2020. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for July 12, at which time he will face a statutory maximum sentence of 40 years in federal prison.
The FBI, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Jeffrey M. Chemerinsky and Joseph D. Axelrad of the Violent and Organized Crime Section are prosecuting this case.
Santa Ana man arrested for a fatal DUI collision in Alhambra
Marquez Juan Fuentes Lizardo, a 22-year-old Santa Ana man, was arrested by the Alhambra police on suspicion of murder and driving under the influence after a car crashed into a pole, killing the front passenger on Wednesday night, March 24.
On Wednesday, March 24, 2021, at 9:43 PM Alhambra Police Department officers responded to a call of a single vehicle collision at 3000 W. Valley Blvd. Upon the officer’s arrival, they located a 4-door sedan with major collision damage to the right side.
An unresponsive 21-year-old female was in the front passenger seat of the vehicle. Alhambra Fire Department personnel arrived and transported the female to a local area trauma center with major injuries. Despite life-saving efforts by the Alhambra Fire Department and hospital staff, the female was ultimately pronounced deceased. The female’s identity is being withheld at this time pending positive identification and notification to the next-of-kin.
Initial investigation revealed the vehicle was traveling westbound on Valley Blvd, lost control, and struck a concrete light pole.
Officers detained two adult male subjects at the scene who stated they had been in the vehicle at the time of the collision. Although neither party claimed to be the driver at the time of the collision, a witness came forward and identified one of the males, 22-yr-old Santa Ana resident Marquez Juan Fuentes Lizardo, as the driver.
Officers observed Suspect Lizardo displayed objective symptoms of alcohol intoxication. A breath test verified his blood alcohol content was twice the legal limit.
Suspect Lizardo was placed under arrest for murder and felony DUI (187 (a) PC/23153 (a) (b) VC). He is currently being held on $2,000,000 bail and will be arraigned at the Los Angeles County Superior Court – Alhambra Courthouse on Friday, March 26, 2021.
The O.C.D.A. is ready to prosecute a violent sexual predator if the L.A.D.A. drops the charges
SANTA ANA, Calif. – Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer has filed special circumstance murder charges against a sexually violent predator for kidnapping a 6-year-old boy from his Anaheim Hills neighborhood, sexually assaulting him and then killing him in 1981. The same defendant is facing charges for kidnapping, sexually assaulting, and killing a second 6-year-old boy five years later.
Kenneth Kasten Rasmuson, 53, of Sandpoint, Idaho, has been charged in the death of the 6-year-old Jeffrey Doe by the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office, but newly implemented directives by Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon have forced Los Angeles prosecutors to move to dismiss the special circumstances and enhancements in the multiple murder prosecution.
Rasmuson has been charged by the Orange County District Attorney’s Office with one felony count of murder, one felony enhancement of special circumstances of murder during the commission of a kidnapping, and one felony enhancement of the special circumstances of murder during a lewd or lascivious act on a child under the age of 14. These charges make Rasmuson eligible for the death penalty.
Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer also filed an amicus brief in Los Angeles County Superior Court opposing the Los Angeles District Attorney’s motion to dismiss the special circumstances and enhancement in its multiple murder prosecution of Rasmuson.
On July 2, 1981, 6-year-old Jeffrey David Vargo was riding his bike near his Anaheim Hills home when Rasmuson is accused of kidnapping the boy. Jeffrey Doe’s body was found the next day in Pomona, but it would be 34 years before a suspect would be arrested.
“Jeffrey’s family will have justice,” said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer. “I refuse to allow the LADA’s ‘one-size fits all approach’ to prevent the family of a 6-year-old murdered child from achieving the justice that they deserve. His crimes are the stuff of parent’s nightmares and I will do everything in my power to ensure that this pedophile is held accountable for his crimes and is off the streets for the rest of his life. We will not take any chance of having this sexually violent predator come in contact with one more child. If George Gascon refuses to follow the law in prosecuting a pedophile murderer, I will.”
For this reason, Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer filed the special circumstances murder charge relating to 6-year-old Jeffrey Doe in Orange County. He stands ready and able to achieve true justice for Jeffrey Doe and his family if Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon refuses to do so.
The fact that Jeffrey Doe was kidnapped from Anaheim Hills provides jurisdiction in Orange County to file charges against Rasmuson in connection with the death of Jeffrey Doe.
Rasmuson has previously served two separate prison terms for molesting an 11-year-old boy he lured into seclusion before sodomizing him and abducting a three-year-old boy from the boy’s front yard in Los Angeles before later sodomizing him and leaving him wandering naked on a street the next day.
Rasmuson kidnapped and sexually assaulted the 11-year-old boy in Santa Barbara County just two months after he is accused of kidnapping, sexually assaulting, and killing 6-year-old Jeffrey Doe who was riding his bike in Anaheim Hills. He had asked the 11-year-old for help finding his handicapped dog.
Rasmuson was convicted of the sexual assault and sentenced to prison. He was designated a mentally disordered offender and was sent to Liberty ConRep in 1985 to receive treatment for his sexual disorder.
While under this supervision, Rasmuson is accused of kidnapping, sexually assaulting, and murdering 6-year-old Miguel Doe in Agoura Hills in Los Angeles County in 1985. The Los Angeles County District Attorney has filed murder charges against Rasmuson in connection with 6-year-old Miguel Doe and 6-year-old Jeffrey Doe of Anaheim Hills.
A year after the murder of 6-year-old Miguel Doe, Rasmuson abducted a 3-year-old boy from his front yard. The boy was found the next day, naked and wandering on the street alone.
Rasmuson was sentenced to 17 years in state prison for kidnapping the 3-year-old boy, but the murders of 6-year-old Jeffrey Doe and 6-year-old Miguel Doe remained unsolved.
After serving his prison sentence, he was designated a sexually violent predator and was committed to Atascadero State Hospital to receive treatment. He was released from Atascadero in 2007.
Rasmuson was arrested on suspicion of murder in Sandpoint, Idaho on March 27, 2015 after DNA collected from 6-year-old Jeffrey Doe’s shirt connected him to the murder. Los Angeles County prosecutors also filed murder charges against Rasmuson in connection with the death of 6-year-old Miguel Doe of Agoura Hills.
Orange County District Attorney Special Prosecutor Pat Dixon is prosecuting this case. District Attorney Spitzer will appear with his team at the Pomona Courthouse on Monday, February 22, 2021 to argue against the dismissal of the special circumstances and enhancements in Los Angeles County’s prosecution of Rasmuson.
LAPD cop charged with stealing a Silverado from a car dealer in Orange
SANTA ANA, Calif. – A Los Angeles Police Department officer has been charged with three felonies and three misdemeanors for stealing a truck from a car dealership in Orange and then calling his own department’s Vehicle Warrant Unit to change the stolen truck’s status from stolen to recovered. He is also charged with repeatedly accessing a confidential law enforcement database to check on the vehicle’s status while driving the stolen vehicle for more than a year, including to work as a police officer.
Matthew Calleros, 45, of Whittier, pleaded not guilty today to one felony count of the unlawful taking of a vehicle, one felony count of forging of a license plate, and one felony count of false personation. Calleros has also been charged with three misdemeanor counts of the unauthorized disclosure of information from Department of Motor Vehicle records.
He faces a maximum sentence of four years and four months in state prison if convicted on all counts.
Calleros was released on his own recognizance. He is scheduled to be back in court on April 15, 2021.
On October 25, 2019, Calleros is accused of going to B & J Car Company in Orange and driving off in a 2015 Chevrolet Silverado after he asked a car salesman to pull the CarFax on the vehicle.
Calleros is then accused of using another LAPD officer’s identification to call into the LAPD’s Vehicle Warrant Unit to report the stolen truck had been recovered.
Calleros is also accused of accessing the California Law Enforcement Telecommunications System (CLETS) to run multiple checks on the vehicle’s license plate number and different license plate number belonging to a 2014 model Chevy Silverado which he put on the stolen vehicle.
Following a nearly year-long investigation by the LAPD and the Orange Police Department, Calleros was arrested on November 9, 2020 at the LAPD’s Hollenbeck Division. The stolen truck was parked in the employee parking lot.
“The badge is pinned over the heart of every law enforcement officer for a reason,” said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer. “It is a symbol of public faith in the job every officer has sworn to do and the laws they are sworn to uphold. When law enforcement officers use their training and law enforcement resources to victimize the very people they are sworn to protect, it tarnishes the badge of every law enforcement officer. Every time an officer’s actions erodes the public trust, it undermines the rule of law.”
Deputy District Attorney Frank Acosta of Special Prosecutions is prosecuting this case.
Catalytic converter thieves arrested in Fountain Valley
On December 26, 2020, at 3:20 a.m., the Fountain Valley Police Department Officers responded to the 18000 block of Mt. Langley regarding a possible theft of motor vehicle parts in progress.
When the police officers arrived they set up a containment around the area and located a dark blue Chrysler 300 as it was leaving the area.
The four occupants in the vehicle were: 39 year-old Miguel Rodriguez of Los Angeles, 50 year-old Felipe Batalla a transient of Fountain Valley, 39 year-old Lorena Castillo of Los Angeles, and 30 year-old Marcelle Coleman of Los Angeles. Marcelle Coleman is currently on formal probation out of LA County for robbery.
In the vehicle, Officers located five cut catalytic converters, one cut muffler/resonator, three reciprocating saws, other burglary tools, methamphetamine, and narcotics paraphernalia.
Officers canvassed the area and discovered two vehicles, which had their catalytic converters stolen, one vehicle in which the catalytic converter was partially cut off, and one vehicle had been burglarized.
All four occupants were arrested and booked into Orange County Jail for burglary, conspiracy, possession of stolen property, possession of burglary tools, and grand theft.
LAPD police officer arrested for stealing a used car from an Orange car dealer
On October 25, 2019, a vehicle was reported stolen from a used car dealership in the 1100 block of W. Chapman Ave. in the City of Orange.
There are two car dealerships in that area. Eze Auto Brokers and Affordable Autos and Trucks.
Detectives from the Orange Police Department developed an investigative lead in the case, identifying the suspect as 45 year-old Matthew Calleros, a police officer with the Los Angeles Police Department.
On November 9, 2020 at approximately 7:15 p.m. Calleros was arrested in the City of Los Angeles on suspicion of CVC 10851(a) – Auto Theft and PC 496d (a) – Possession of a Stolen Vehicle.
Calleros was booked into Orange County Jail.
The Orange Police Department is working with the Los Angeles Police Department and Orange County District Attorney’s Office. The investigation is ongoing.
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call the Orange Police Department at 714-744-7444.
ICE deports several undocumented criminals released due to Sanctuary policies
WASHINGTON – Today the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced the conclusion to a week-long targeted enforcement operation that resulted in the apprehension of over 125 at-large aliens across the state of California, where sanctuary policies have largely prohibited the cooperation of law enforcement agencies in the arrest of criminal aliens.
The ICE enforcement actions, which took place Sept. 18 to Oct 3, targeted aliens subject to removal who were arrested for crimes but were released by state or local law enforcement agencies, despite having active immigration detainers in place. Over 95% percent of those aliens arrested, had criminal convictions or pending criminal charges at the time of arrest.
“Unfortunately, certain local politicians, including many in California continue to put politics over public safety. Instead of fulfilling our shared mission to protect our communities, they would rather play politics with the law by enacting so-called Sanctuary City policies to the detriment of our country’s safety,” said Acting Secretary Chad Wolf “Operation Rise is proof-positive that we will never back down from enforcing the rule of law, with or without the cooperation of local politicians.”
“A part of ICE’s mission is to protect the American people and provide security to our communities. We accomplish this when we are partners and not adversaries with our localities. These partnerships allow ICE to secure dangerous criminal aliens prior to their release into the communities thereby reducing the opportunity for recidivist behavior,” said Tony H. Pham, Senior Official Performing the Duties of the ICE Director.
Unfortunately, California’s sanctuary laws protect and shield criminal aliens, harboring them in our communities where they can potentially reoffend and revictimize.”
During these recent enforcement actions, ICE officers in California identified, targeted and arrested many criminal aliens who were previously released from local and state law enforcement custody despite having lawful immigration detainers lodged with local law enforcement officials.
In the Los Angeles-area alone, officers arrested nearly 100 unlawfully present individuals – with criminal histories that include homicide, sexual assault, sex crimes involving children, assault, robbery, domestic violence and DUI.
Arrests made during this enforcement action included:
- A 40-year-old citizen and national of El Salvador arrested on Sept. 29 in Los Angeles and convicted by the Los Angeles Superior Court of first-degree murder in November 2009. Despite an immigration detainer lodged with the Los Angeles County Jail (LACJ), the jail declined to honor the detainer and instead released him into the community. He is now in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.
- A 50-year-old citizen and national of Mexico arrested on Sept. 28, in Long Beach, California, and convicted by the Los Angeles Superior Court of conspiracy to commit second-degree murder in June 1994. Despite an immigration detainer lodged with the LACJ, the jail declined to honor the detainer and instead released him into the community. He had a final order of removal and was deported back to Mexico the same day.
Nationally, approximately 86% of ERO’s administrative arrests in FY2019, consisted of aliens with criminal convictions or pending criminal charges.
In FY 2019, ICE arrested individuals with more than 1,900 convictions and charges for homicide, 1,800 for kidnapping, 12,000 sex offenses, 5,000 sexual assaults, 45,000 assaults, 67,000 crimes involving drugs, 10,000 weapons offenses, and 74,000 DUIs. ICE continues to target criminal aliens and other public safety and national security threats every day.
ICE does not exempt classes or categories of removable aliens from potential enforcement. All those in violation of immigration law may be subject to arrest, detention and, if found removable by final order, removal from the United States.
ICE takes many factors into account when targeting and arresting individuals, including their criminal and immigration history.
Sanctuary policies restrict most forms of cooperation with federal immigration authorities and vastly impede ICE’s ability to work with partner agencies, according to ICE officials, requiring ICE to arrest at-large criminal aliens in the communities, instead of a secure, jail environment.
ICE maintains that cooperation with local law enforcement is essential to protecting public safety, and the agency aims to work cooperatively with local jurisdictions to ensure that criminal aliens are not released into U.S. communities to commit additional crimes.
International crackdown targeting meth dealers results in arrests in O.C. and L.A.
Alleged Southern California narcotics traffickers among those charged
LOS ANGELES – As part of an international effort to disrupt narcotics trafficking on the darknet, special agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and members of the Los Angeles Joint Criminal Opioid and Darknet Enforcement (JCODE) Task Force announced charges Tuesday against a key member of a Southern California drug trafficking organization who allegedly distributed methamphetamine and other illicit narcotics to thousands of customers in at least 35 states and numerous countries around the world.
Andres Bermudez, 37, of Palmdale, allegedly supplied methamphetamine to the “Stealthgod” crew, was named in a criminal complaint filed Sept. 18. An affidavit in this case outlines how Bermudez allegedly supplied methamphetamine to the “Stealthgod” drug trafficking organization and details negotiations involving transactions of 30 pounds and 40 pounds of methamphetamine. Bermudez is currently a fugitive sought by federal authorities.
Earlier this year, five other members of the narcotics ring were arrested on federal charges, and authorities made substantial seizures of narcotics and cryptocurrency.
“Together with our partners, we remain at the forefront of combating narcotics trafficking, financial crimes and illicit activities purveyed by online black markets,” said David A. Prince, special agent in charge for ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Los Angeles. “We have proven, once again, that these illicit activities on the darknet will not be tolerated in the United States. While criminal operators may continue to grow the reach of their businesses through these dark web marketplaces, the fact is that no matter how or where these crimes are committed, nothing is beyond the reach of the law.”
This case is part of Operation DisrupTor, which builds on the success of prior actions targeting darknet vendors, including the takedown of Wall Street Market, which was one of the world’s largest dark web marketplaces. Following the Wall Street Market takedown in May 2019 and the filing of federal charges in Los Angeles against the administrators, law enforcement in the United States and Europe obtained intelligence that allowed them to identify darknet drug traffickers.
“These online black market websites use a variety of technologies, including the Tor network and other encryption technologies, to ensure that communications and transactions are shielded from interception and monitoring,” according to court documents filed last week in Los Angeles.
A famous dark web marketplace, Wall Street Market, operated similar to legitimate commercial websites such as Amazon and eBay, but offered illicit goods and services” in exchange for virtual currencies, such as Bitcoin.
“Through the outstanding efforts of the JCODE Task Force, we have been able to unmask those hiding on the darknet, bringing to justice a wide array of criminals, including those operating online marketplaces, laundering cryptocurrency, and spreading drugs around the world,” said U.S. Attorney Nick Hanna. “My prosecutors and their JCODE partners will continue to rein in illegal dark web activities by disrupting other traffickers and those who help them access their illicit cryptocurrency.”
“American citizens endure the unfortunate consequences of darkweb marketplaces where criminals get rich by exploiting those suffering through an opioid epidemic while evading law enforcement scrutiny,” said John F. Bennett, acting assistant director in charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles field office. “This case and others should send a message that law enforcement has infiltrated the perceived anonymity of the darkweb and possesses the tools to identify and hold accountable individuals and groups responsible for illegal trafficking and the devastating toll it takes on humanity in the United States and abroad.”
“Members of the Stealthgod crew have discovered that not even the darknet could shield their criminal activities from the watchful eyes of Postal Inspectors and our law enforcement partners,” said Patricia Armstrong, inspector in charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Los Angeles. “The alleged drug traffickers miscalculated when they chose to use the U.S. mail to further their crimes, and they will face a very severe price.”
During Operation DisrupTor, the Los Angeles JCODE Task Force successfully dismantled a drug trafficking organization that used online monikers such as “Stealthgod” to sell methamphetamine and MDMA on multiple darknet marketplaces, including Wall Street Market. Investigators have linked the crew to more than 18,000 illicit drug sales to customers around the world. During an operation earlier this year, members of JCODE executed search warrants that led to the seizure of more than 60 parcels containing narcotics that were ready to be shipped to more than 35 states around the nation.
Members of JCODE arrested five defendants allegedly at the center of the “Stealthgod” organization and seized approximately 120 pounds of methamphetamine, seven kilograms of MDMA (“ecstasy”) and five firearms (photo of seizure) during law enforcement actions in the City of Los Angeles in February,. The five defendants arrested on federal charges are:
• Teresa McGrath, 34, of Sunland-Tujunga, who allegedly delivered dozens of narcotics-laden packages to a post office in Sunland;
• Rane Melkom, 35, of Sunland-Tujunga, who shared a residence with McGrath where authorities seized more than 50 pounds of methamphetamine, nearly 15 pounds of MDMA, approximately 30,000 Adderall pills, cash, and three loaded handguns;
• Mark Chavez, 41, of downtown Los Angeles, whose bedroom yielded nearly 40 pounds of methamphetamine and two handguns during a search in February;
• Matthew Ick, 51, of downtown Los Angeles, who is linked in court papers to a narcotics shipment to the organization; and
• Thomas Olayvar, 43, of downtown Los Angeles, who allegedly was involved in the shipment of narcotics through the United States Postal Service.
McGrath has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and MDMA, possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and cryptocurrency money laundering, admitting that over the course of about six months she received approximately $161,916 in Bitcoin and helped disburse this money to her co-conspirators.
Chavez has pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute methamphetamine and MDMA, as well as possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
McGrath and Chavez are scheduled to be sentenced next year, when each will face a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison.
Melkom, Ick, and Olayvar face various narcotics charges alleged in criminal informations. These defendants are currently scheduled to go on trial next year.
The cases stemming from the investigation into the “Stealthgod” organization are being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California’s International Narcotics, Money Laundering and Racketeering Section.
As the investigation into the “Stealthgod” crew continued, the Los Angeles JCODE Task Force made additional seizures, including $1.6 million in cryptocurrency, three firearms, 11 pounds of methamphetamine and 14 pounds of pills pressed with methamphetamine.
In addition to the Operation DistrupTor cases related to “Stealthgod,” federal prosecutors in Los Angeles have filed cases against other alleged darknet narcotics traffickers and those who help them convert bitcoin into fiat currency. For example:
• Kais Mohammad, 36, of Yorba Linda, is scheduled to plead guilty on Thursday to federal charges stemming from the operation of 17 Bitcoin kiosks across Southern California. In his plea agreement, Mohammad admitted that he knew that at least one of his clients was engaged in illicit activity on the dark web.
Earlier this year, three people linked to the online moniker “Aeirla” were sentenced to federal prison for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine to customers who negotiated transactions on the darkweb.
hose defendants are:
• Anh Pham, 49, of Hawaiian Gardens, was sentenced to 80 months in federal prison;
• Joseph Michael Gifford, 43, of La Crescenta, was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment; and
• Carlos Miguel Gallardo, 60, Hawaiian Gardens, was sentenced to serve 18 months in federal prison.
Pham sold pound quantities of methamphetamine on the darknet, while Gifford and Gallardo packaged them – in toys, a beach ball, and boxes of Christmas cards and chocolates – and shipped them to customers nationwide.
Five defendants are scheduled to be tried in October 2021 in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles on various narcotics trafficking charges that allege they used the monikers “Drugpharmacist” and “RickandMortyShop” to sell cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine and crack cocaine on Wall Street Market and another darknet marketplace called Dream. Members of the conspiracy allegedly shipped narcotics in small vials concealed inside stuffed animals.
The defendants scheduled to go on trial are: Jerrell Eugene Anderson, 30, of Inglewood; Christopher Canion Van Holton, 33, of Valencia; Adan Sepulveda, 28, of Lancaster; Kenneth Lashawn Hadley, 33, of Lancaster; and Jackie Walter Burns, 22, of Lancaster. Anderson and Sepulveda face a charge of distribution of heroin resulting in death in relation to a shipment of heroin to a customer in Knoxville, Tennessee, who suffered a fatal overdose.
• Kunal Kalra, 26, of Westwood, was sentenced in March to 18 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to federal narcotics and anti-money laundering charges related to his unlicensed money transmitting business that he used to exchange virtual currency for cash for darknet vendors. This matter was the first federal case in the nation charging an unlicensed money remitting business that used a Bitcoin kiosk.
• A father and his son who distributed methamphetamine on the darknet using monikers such “Quartersandup,” “Tenderwoodcock,” “Colsandersdream,” and “colonelsanders” were sentenced to federal prison last year. William Glarner III, 65, of Huntington Beach, was convicted at trial and sentenced to 15 years. His son, William Glarner IV, 35, of Irvine, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 10 years.
• Tyler Reeves, a 30-year-old Irvine man who sold narcotics on Wall Street Market under the moniker “Platinum45,” was sentenced last year to 10 years in federal prison.
The “Stealthgod” cases are the result of an investigation by the Los Angeles JCODE Task Force, which is comprised of several federal agencies, including HSI, the FBI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
The Drug Enforcement Administration provided substantial support during the “Stealthgod” investigation. The Los Angeles Police Department and Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department also participated in the “Stealthgod” investigation. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California also provided assistance.
The darknet investigations discussed in this announcement were prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California and conducted with the support of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF).
Two new defendants charged in the fatal kidnapping of a Santa Ana car dealer
LOS ANGELES – Two men from the San Gabriel Valley were charged today in federal court for allegedly participating in the kidnapping of Ruochen “Tony” Liao, a Chinese national (who was a car dealer in Santa Ana) who was violently abducted from a mall parking lot in San Gabriel two years ago, and whose parents were extorted for $2 million in ransom before Liao died from his injuries.
Anthony Valladares, 28, of Pasadena, and Alexis Ivan Romero Velez, 24, most recently a resident of Azusa, were taken into custody Tuesday during the execution of search warrants by FBI agents and members of the San Gabriel Valley Safe Street Task Force. Federal prosecutors this morning filed a criminal complaint in United States District Court that charges both Valladares and Romero with one count of kidnapping.
Previously in this investigation, two Chinese nationals were charged in a four-count indictment alleging they kidnapped Mr. Liao and attempted to collect $2 million in ransom from Mr. Liao’s family in exchange for the victim’s life. Guangyao Yang, 26, and Peicheng Shen, 34, whose last known U.S. residences were in West Covina, were charged with conspiracy to kidnap, kidnapping, attempted extortion in violation of the Hobbs Act, and threat by foreign communication. Yang and Shen are currently in custody in China on charges filed there related to the kidnapping.
During the investigation, the FBI learned that Valladares and Romero worked with Yang and Shen to conduct the kidnapping, during which Liao was repeatedly beaten and tased into submission, according to the affidavit in support of the complaint. Valladares was the “muscle” hired to intimidate, beat and subdue Liao during the kidnapping, and Romero was the driver of the vehicle used in the kidnapping, according to the affidavit.
Valladares and Romero were arrested Tuesday after making statements about their roles in the kidnapping to investigators. According to the affidavit, Valladares admitted that he was hired to assist in the kidnapping, agreed to accept $1,000 for the job, and restrained Liao during the kidnapping. Romero admitted, according to the affidavit, that he was recruited by Valladares and was the driver during the kidnapping.
After Liao was kidnapped on July 16, 2018, his parents in China received ransom demands and “proof-of-life” photos suggesting that Liao had been badly beaten, blindfolded, and tied up with duct tape. Liao’s parents were told to deposit the ransom payment into Chinese bank accounts within three hours, according to court documents.
Investigators believe Liao was held captive in a closet at a residence in Corona. During his captivity, investigators believe Liao was frequently beaten and ultimately died the night of July 17. During the early morning of July 18, investigators believe Yang and Shen drove to the desert near the town of Mojave to bury Liao’s body.
On July 26, 2019, the FBI laboratory used DNA testing to identify Liao’s remains, which were recovered following a search by the FBI’s Evidence Response Team.
Valladares and Romero are expected to make an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles this afternoon.
A criminal complaint contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The kidnapping charge carries a statutory maximum penalty of life in federal prison.
The investigation into the kidnapping is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with significant assistance by members of the FBI’s Safe Street Task Force, which includes the Pasadena Police Department.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Julia Choe of the Cyber and Intellectual Property Crimes Section and Frances Lewis of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section.