Latest news with #FBIBoston
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Yahoo
Several Mass. men among 205 accused child sex predators arrested in nationwide crackdown, FBI says
A former college admissions director and a doctor employed at a VA Medical Center are among several accused child sex predators from Massachusetts arrested during a five-day nationwide crackdown, FBI officials said Wednesday. The men arrested also include a Level 3 sex offender from Chicopee, a Level 2 sex offender from Raynham, and others from Duxbury, Holyoke, Agawam, Wareham, and Douglas. Last week alone, the FBI arrested 205 people and rescued 115 children across the country as part of Operation Restore Justice, 'a five-day, sweeping FBI-led initiative to identify, track, and arrest child sex predators across the country with all 55 FBI field offices participating, including FBI Boston.' 'This was a joint effort with local, state, and federal partners to highlight our ongoing efforts to confront these crimes. The subjects arrested in this operation included those in positions of public trust – law enforcement, members of the military, and teachers,' the FBI said in a statement Wednesday. 'Others are your neighbors, proving criminal activity can be found in the most familiar places." 'There are few situations more urgent than when a child is physically at risk, and as 'Operation Restore Justice' has shown, child predators come in many different forms,' James Crowley, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Boston Division, said in a statement. 'As horrific as these alleged crimes are, they are not rare,' Crowley said, adding that FBI Boston's Child Exploitation-Human Trafficking Task Force 'is committed to finding these child sex abusers, locking them up, and ensuring those they have victimized are safe and well-supported.' U.S. Attorney Leah Foley said in a statement that 'Protecting children from exploitation is among the most sacred responsibilities we have as law enforcement.' 'Each case serves as a difficult reminder that child predators are embedded in our communities – often in roles that increase their direct exposure to or contact with children or allow them to hide behind a keyboard online,' Foley said. 'But make no mistake, we will uncover them, arrest them, and hold them accountable, no matter how long it takes or how far we have to go.' The FBI Boston arrested and charged seven people, including: Jacob Henriques of Boston, a former Assistant Director of Admissions at Emmanuel College, who is charged with attempted sex trafficking of a minor. Henriques is accused of soliciting an underage college applicant to engage in commercial sex with him. Level 1 sex offender Justin Ouimette of Holyoke, who was previously convicted by the state for possessing child pornography, has been charged federally with possessing child sex abuse material. According to the court documents, in July 2024, during a search of Ouimette's residence and person, over 200 files that appeared to depict child sex abuse material, including children as young as three years old, were allegedly located on Ouimette's electronic devices. A search of Ouimette's Dropbox resulted in the discovery of an additional 200 files allegedly depicting CSAM. Cess Frazier of Boston, who is charged with allegedly receiving child sexual abuse material. During a search of Frazier's cell phone, approximately 100 media files that depicted CSAM were allegedly found saved in Telegram Messenger. The minor victims in the files are alleged to be between approximately three and 10 years old. Warren Messeck of Agawam, who is charged with allegedly possessing child sexual abuse material. During a search of his residence, the FBI recovered over 40 electronic devices including a laptop, hard drives, and other electronic storage devices. A forensic examination allegedly revealed over 10,000 files depicting CSAM on six devices. Brandon Bendall , of Wareham, who is charged with allegedly possessing and receiving child sexual abuse material. During a search of Bendall's residence and cell phone, approximately 9,400 images and videos of CSAM, including images of children as young as infants being sexually assaulted, were allegedly located. Registered sex offender David Fernandes III of New York, who is charged with allegedly sending obscenity to an 11-year-old in Massachusetts and being a registered sex offender when he did it. Registered sex offender Joseph A. Maile of Presque Isle, Maine, who is charged by criminal complaint for allegedly attempting to sex traffic a child, and enticement of a minor. Maile allegedly used social media accounts to offer various minors' money to engage in sex acts with him. Throughout the entire month of April, including the weeks leading up to this surge, the FBI, along with state and local law enforcement partners, arrested an additional 190 perpetrators on charges related to crimes against children. They are accused of various crimes including the production, distribution, and possession of child sexual abuse material, online enticement and transportation of minors, and child sex trafficking. 'With nearly 400 arrests in one month, these actions are the direct results of the FBI's continued efforts to track down and stop sexual predators before they can harm more victims,' FBI officials said. Special agents and officers on FBI Boston's Child Exploitation – Human Trafficking Task Force arrested 26 people last month, including: Level 3 Sex Offender Carl Norton , of Chicopee, who was previously convicted of attempted rape of a minor and unlawful contact with a minor, was charged federally for allegedly transferring obscene material to a minor female victim who he believed to be 12 years old. Level 2 Sex Offender Dache Barros , of Raynham, who was charged by the Raynham Police Department with allegedly possessing child sexual abuse material following an investigation by FBI Boston's Child Exploitation – Human Trafficking Task Force and the Boston Police Department. Daniel Debreczeni , of Duxbury, who was charged federally with allegedly distributing child sexual abuse material. Debreczeni is accused of distributing three videos containing child pornography by posting the videos on a file sharing site. The children in the three videos appeared to be between approximately two, three and eight years old. Sven Knudsen Ljaam , a physician employed at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Bedford, Mass., was charged federally for allegedly receiving and possessing child sexual abuse material. Shakera 'Stacks' Pina , of Boston, who was charged by the Boston Police Department for allegedly engaging in human trafficking, deriving support from prostitution, resisting arrest, and possession of a Class D Substance (Marijuana) with Intent to Distribute, following a joint operation between Boston Police Department's Human Trafficking Unit and FBI Boston's Child Exploitation - Human Trafficking Task Force. Miguel Gietany , of Douglas, who was arrested in Rhode Island on state charges following a joint operation with the Rhode Island State Police and the FBI. Gietany is charged with two counts of indecent solicitation of a child. He allegedly traveled to Rhode Island to have sex with whom he believed was a 14-year-old boy. David Kaufman, of Maryland, who was charged federally for allegedly coercing and enticing an 18-year-old from Massachusetts to travel to his penthouse at the Four Seasons and engage in in sex acts with him, which he video-recorded. According to court documents, Kaufman has allegedly been victimizing teenage minors, paying them to travel and engage in sex acts with him. FBI Boston's Child Exploitation – Human Trafficking Task Forces investigate these cases and coordinate and bolster efforts to counter all threats of abuse and exploitation that fall under FBI jurisdiction in the region, officials said, including the production, sharing, and possession of child sexual abuse material; domestic or international travel to engage sexually with children; sex trafficking, and the extortion of children to provide sexually explicit material of themselves. The units also work to identify, locate, and recover child victims in addition to capturing sex offenders. The FBI partners with the nonprofit National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation reported via its 24-hour hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on In 2004, the FBI launched the Endangered Child Alert Program to identify individuals involved in the sexual abuse of children and the production of child sexual abuse material. To date, ECAP has identified 36 individuals. 'This operation was the result of a dedicated and targeted effort, reflecting countless hours of work by hundreds of special agents, intel analysts, and other FBI personnel,' FBI officials said Wednesday. 'It further highlights the FBI's commitment to protecting children and raising awareness about the dangers they face,' officials said. 'While the Bureau works relentlessly to investigate these crimes every day, this effort also serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of prevention and community education.' This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
Boston Globe
18-04-2025
- Boston Globe
Law enforcement officials say there is no ‘specific or credible' attack threat to Boston Marathon
Besides the Boston Marathon, which attracts around 30,000 runners and thousands more spectators each year, hundreds of people will also travel from across the country to A Advertisement 'What concerns us most are homegrown, violent, extremist, or lone actors,' Davis said. 'Those who self-radicalize with little to no warning and look for soft targets and easily accessible weapons like the tragedy we witnessed on New Year's Day in New Orleans.' Related : Advertisement In the early morning hours of New Year's Day, an Islamic State group-inspired attacker Officials said their strategy for race day is 'based on lessons learned' from major events around the country and urged the public to remain vigilant and alert authorities if they see something unusual. 'All of you are an extension of our eyes and ears, and we can't stress enough the importance of speaking up when you come across someone or something that doesn't seem quite right,' Davis said. 'It could be a neighbor, a classmate, someone you met in person, someone you met virtually online. When people come forward, history has shown that we increase our chances of preventing tragedies.' Multiple state and local agencies have worked together over several months to develop a unified plan for responding to any incidents at this year's marathon, officials said. 'We have worked to prepare for every possible scenario,' Davis said. 'Everyone here today is fully devoted to making race day fun and enjoyable while balancing the needs of public safety in today's dynamic threat environment.' FBI Boston special agents, analysts, task force officers, bomb techs and the hazardous response, SWAT, and crisis negotiation teams will all be supporting law enforcement on Monday, Davis added. There will also be enhanced security checkpoints at various locations throughout the day, Cox said. MBTA Transit Chief Kenneth Green urged people to take public transportation on Monday due to road closures. The subway, the RIDE, and the commuter rail will operate on a Advertisement 'In the interest of public safety, the MBTA may adjust or temporarily close additional stations near the finish line,' he said. While there is no intelligence suggesting the MBTA or the Boston Marathon are targets, Green said special operation teams, including explosive detection canines, will be stationed throughout the system for an added layer of security. Noble urged spectators to review the list of Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said a the conference that the city welcomes 'everyone' for the events and that the marathon is a 'very, very important global tradition that should transcend politics and transcend the issues of the day.' 'This is the oldest annual marathon in the world, and hosting that event is no easy task. But neither is finishing a marathon --- as all our runners know --- or founding a nation, and no one does it better than Boston,' she said. Emily Spatz can be reached at
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Boston ramps up security for 129th marathon with barriers, checkpoints
With 30,000 runners and about half a million spectators ready to rally, top Boston officials laid out the enhanced public safety plans for the 129th Boston Marathon — aiming for a secure event that welcomes all to celebrate the city's resilience and athletic spirit. No credible threats specific to the weekend's events or Monday's race have been identified, said Allen Davis, FBI Boston's special agent-in-charge, at a press conference Friday morning at the Fairmont Copley Plaza. Davis was joined by multiple other Boston and state public safety officials, along with Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and Jack Fleming, president and CEO of the Boston Athletic Association (BAA), which organizes the marathon. However, Davis said the agency does consider terrorism threats against Boston as 'elevated' given the city's many patriotic and significant landmarks that could be targeted as part of the symbolic race. 'What concerns us most are homegrown violent extremists or alone actors, those who self-radicalize with little to no warning, and they look for soft targets and easily accessible weapons, like the tragedy we witnessed on New Year's Day in New Orleans,' Davis said. To 'prevent any type of vehicle attack,' there will be a 'myriad of physical barriers' along the entire route, said State Police Colonel Geoffrey Noble. Additionally, a 'large number' of uniformed troopers and both plainclothes and uniformed Boston Police officers will be stationed along the entirety of the 26.2-mile course, which runs through eight cities and towns from Hopkinton to Boston, Noble said. Security checkpoints will be enhanced this year, Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox said, with strict and thorough bag checks at multiple locations along the race route. Large bags are not allowed, Cox said, and he encouraged attendees to bring no bags at all, as the checkpoint lines 'will be pretty long.' Attendees also cannot bring drones, weapons, suitcases, coolers, glass containers or cans larger than 1 liter, Noble said. Spectators must stay off the race course, and smoking and public drinking are prohibited. Medical service will also be upped this year with additional responders along the route with medical stations, the officials said. The MBTA has issued a traffic advisory with a complete list of road closures and parking restrictions ahead of the parade, which can be viewed at this link. Chief Kenneth Green with the MBTA Transit Police encouraged attendees to utilize public transportation and expect congestion. All of the Boston officials, including Wu, reiterated the same phrase: 'If you see something, say something.' 'We can't stress enough the importance of speaking up when you come across someone or something that doesn't seem quite right ... When people come forward, history has shown that we increase our chances of preventing tragedies,' FBI agent Davis said. To coordinate all of the law enforcement at the marathon, the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) will activate its communication hub at the start of the race, said MEMA Director Dawn Brantley. The Boston Office of Emergency Management has also 'integrated some new technologies' this year to enhance public communication and situational awareness, said Chief of Emergency Preparedness Adrian Jordan. The marathon is set to kick off in Hopkinton at 6 a.m. on Monday, April 21, and the finish line is on Boylston Street in Boston, near the Boston Public Library. Load up on unlimited pancakes for $10 this weekend at Boston diner From motocross prodigy to Boston Marathon wheelchair, Jason Fowler races through adversity Central Mass. student to honor great-aunt, trauma patients in Boston Marathon Boston Marathon bomber remains on death row after Biden commutes dozens of others Man pays fine after flying drone near Boston Marathon finish line
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Yahoo
Deported Brazilian woman charged with child rape in Massachusetts arrested by ICE on Cape Cod
Federal authorities have arrested a Brazilian woman who was previously deported and who is charged with multiple sex crimes against a Massachusetts child on Cape Cod. Ilma Leandro De Oliveira, 53, of Brazil, was arrested in Falmouth on March 20, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said in a statement on Wednesday. Officers with ICE Boston and agents with FBI Boston and ATF Boston made the arrest. 'Ilma Leandro De Oliveira is charged with seven different crimes regarding the sexual victimization of a child in our Massachusetts community,' ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Boston acting Field Office Director Patricia Hyde said in a statement. 'These are crimes we simply will not tolerate. ICE Boston will continue to prioritize the safety of our children by arresting and removing any criminal alien who poses a threat to our New England residents.' ICE Boston transferred custody of Leandro De Oliveira over to the U.S. Marshals Service on April 8, as she is expected to be prosecuted for illegal reentry after deportation. On March 18, Leandro De Oliveira was arraigned in Falmouth District Court on charges including for rape of a child, reckless endangerment of a child, indecent exposure, indecent assault and battery on a child under 14, unnatural acts with a child, aggravated statutory rape of a child, and incest. On March 20, officers with ICE Boston and agents with FBI Boston and ATF Boston arrested Leandro De Oliveira in Falmouth. They served her with a notice of intent/decision to reinstate a prior removal order. U.S. Border Patrol arrested Leandro De Oliveira on Sept. 20, 2007, after she illegally entered the United States near Laredo, Texas. The Border Patrol served her a notice and order of expedited removal. On Dec. 27, 2007, ERO San Antonio removed Leandro De Oliveira from the U.S. to Brazil. Leandro De Oliveira illegally re-entered the U.S. on an unknown date, at an unknown location, and without being inspected, admitted, or paroled by a U.S. immigration official, Hyde said. This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
Boston Globe
25-03-2025
- Boston Globe
$10k reward offered for tips leading to recovery of Hyde Park man who disappeared in Maine in 2006
He 'was last seen around 1:00 a.m. on September 2, 2006, at the Platinum Plus Nightclub on Riverside Street in Portland, Maine,' the statement said. Oliveras at the time was wearing a gray camouflage long-sleeved shirt under a white t-shirt, green cargo shorts, and white sneakers, officials said. There have been no reported sightings of him since his 'suspicious disappearance,' prompting the federal authorities to put up the reward money, the statement said. Advertisement — FBI Boston (@FBIBoston) His disappearance remains under investigation by the FBI's 's Southern Maine Gang Task Force and Portland police, according to the statement. Oliveras was described as a Hispanic man standing 5-foot-11 and weighing about 170 pounds when he went missing, with tattoos on his neck, back, shoulder, and hand. 'Nothing has changed,' said Myrna Oliveras, his mother, in the statement. 'More frustration, more anger, it has been a long time. I just want to find him and bring him home. I need people to come forward.' Jodi Cohen, special agent in charge of the FBI Boston office, said the search for Oliveras has been wide ranging to no avail. 'Despite exhaustive investigative efforts by law enforcement over the last two decades, we are unable to locate Miguel Oliveras,' Cohen said in the statement. 'Our goal with this $10,000 reward is to incentivize anyone with information about Miguel's whereabouts to come forward so we can find him and provide his family with some much-needed closure.' Cohen's words were echoed by Portland Police Chief Mark Dubois. 'We are hopeful someone will come forward with additional information to help bring this case to a close,' Dubois said in the statement. 'This has been a priority for us and we certainly know it is to the family as well.' Tipsters can contact authorities in multiple ways. Advertisement 'Anyone with information regarding Miguel Oliveras's location should call the Portland Police Department at 207-814-8584 or FBI Boston at 1-800-CALL-FBI,' the statement said. 'Tips can also be submitted online at — FBI Boston (@FBIBoston) This breaking news story will be updated when more information is released. Travis Andersen can be reached at
