Homeland Security

Published on: June 15, 2023

Instagram Influencers Caught with 200 Pounds of Cocaine

A pair of Instagram influencers were arrested and charged after they were allegedly caught with over 200 pounds of cocaine hidden in the vehicle in which they were traveling.

On June 1, a 34-year-old from Miramar, Florida, a fitness influencer on Instagram with over 10,000 followers, was reportedly driving a Ford Expedition with a 36-year-old singer, songwriter, and influencer from Van Nuys, California, in the passenger seat.

On June 1, a deputy pulled the duo over on Interstate 10 for allegedly violating a traffic law.

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Published on: November 20, 2022

Prime Suspects Arrested for $9M Meat Theft Ring

by Staycie R. Sena

Three Florida men from Miami were arrested for allegedly stealing millions of dollars worth of meat from packaging plants in a heist that spanned through several Midwestern states.

According to reports, in June 2021, many trailers full of frozen meats were stolen in Lancaster County, Nebraska. The reported total loss from the missing products was assessed at $1 M.

While investigating the situation, the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office worked with Homeland Security Investigation, and they discovered that 45 additional pricey meat thefts happened in Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota, South Dakota, North Dakota, and Wisconsin.

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Published on: December 6, 2020

Mayor of Massena Busted for Drug Possession and Sales

by Staycie R. Sena

The Mayor and co-founder of the Boys and Girls Club of Massena is facing charges after allegedly being caught with crack cocaine after purportedly trying to escape the police.

55-year-old Tim Currier serves as the current mayor of Massena in northern New York. He also assisted in the founding of the Boys and Girls Club of Massena, now known as the Police Activities League of Massena.

The St. Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office, working with the district attorney’s office and Homeland Security agents, were performing an undercover investigation of a situation that they believed involved Currier selling drugs.

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Published on: October 3, 2020

Soda, Candy, and Cash Used in Sex Trafficking Scheme

by Staycie R. Sena

A Florida man accused of having sexual encounters with a teenage girl allegedly used snacks and $150 as an offering when unknowingly interacting with an undercover agent during a sting operation.

Gregory Thomas Garcia is a 34-year-old man who resides in Orange Park.

As reported by the authorities, Garcia began communicating online with a 16-year-old girl in a purported effort to arrange sexual encounters.

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Published on: June 6, 2018

Man with Copyrights on Homemade Child Porn Facing Charges

by Staycie R. Sena

A man has been suspected of making pornographic videos with a young child when authorities linked him to footage they discovered online, each bearing a copyright and an online screen name.

During an investigation in an attempt to locate people sharing child pornography online Interpol and the Department of Homeland Security’s Boston office and apprehended a suspect. During a search of his home they located a portable storage device and upon searching the contents they found 17 pictures of what appeared to be a man sexually engaged with a 2-year-old boy. Each image was marked with a copyright and an internet username. The images were additionally posted online.

Investigators contacted Cox Communications, an internet service provider, and were able to trace the location of the person listed as the owner of the usernames on the images.

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Published on: June 15, 2017

Westminster Man who Downloaded More Child Pornography While on Bond is Sentenced

by Staycie R. Sena

Peter Herz, a 61-year old Westminster resident, pleaded guilty to a possession of child pornography charge in February. This offense is among many that are eligible for lifetime sex-offender registration. Before his arrest and incarceration, Herz reportedly had a job as a pianist and musical director for Laguna Beach’s “Pageant of the Masters.” Sources say he was also an accompanist at Cal State Fullerton’s Theater Department.

Herz was targeted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) “Operation Predator,” an initiative designed to protect children from sexual predators and to identify and rescue victims of child exploitation.

While Herz was out on bond and waiting for trial, he allegedly obtained new electronic devices and obtained new images of child pornography on them. In total, Herz was reportedly in possession of more than half a million images and roughly 400 videos of child pornography.

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