U.S. Marshals Arrest Canadian Murder Suspect in Bay Area

Man wanted for allegedly murdering wife while children slept

San Francisco, CA - The Pacific Southwest Regional Fugitive Task Force (PSWRFTF) announces the arrest of Harinder Singh Cheema, 30, who was taken into custody Thursday in Fremont, California. Cheema is wanted by Canadian authorities in Montreal for stabbing and killing his wife, Manpreet Kaur, while his children slept in 2007. After the killing, Cheema allegedly left his two infant children with a friend of his deceased wife and fled to the United States under the alias “Baljit Singh”. Cheema remarried and was employed as a luxury limousine driver in the Fremont area until his recent arrest.

PSWRFTF members developed information regarding the possible whereabouts of Cheema and set up surveillance within the 4000 block of Central Avenue in Fremont. After several hours, Cheema arrived driving a white Honda Accord. Cheema was immediately detained without incident.

“This arrest demonstrates that no matter how far you run, no matter where you go, you cannot escape justice,” said Don O’Keefe, the U.S. Marshal for the Northern District of California. “Our cooperative relationships with our international and domestic law enforcement partners were paramount in Cheema’s successful apprehension.”

Cheema was booked into the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s office and is being held without bail. He is awaiting extradition to Canada to answer for his alleged crime.

The San Francisco Fugitive Task Force is a division of the Pacific Southwest Regional Fugitive Task Force and is part of a network of U.S. Marshals task forces across the country. Additional information about other Northern California fugitives can be found at www.northerncaliforniamostwanted.org.

Federal Jury Convicts Three More Members of Pueblo Bishops Bloods in L.A.’s First Racketeering Prosecution Targeting a Bloods Gang

LOS ANGELES—Three more members of the Pueblo Bishops Bloods, a long-entrenched criminal street gang that used violence and intimidation in an attempt to control the Pueblo del Rio housing projects in South Los Angeles, have been found guilty of federal racketeering, narcotics, and gun charges.

Yesterday’s convictions come in the first federal criminal RICO action brought against a Bloods street gang in Southern California.

Following a four-week trial in United States District Court, a jury yesterday afternoon convicted the three defendants of being members of a criminal enterprise that engaged in narcotics and firearms trafficking, murder, witness intimidation, and armed robbery as part of the gang’s efforts to terrorize the housing projects.

The three defendants found guilty yesterday of violating the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act are:

■Kevin Eleby, also known as “L,” 48, of Los Angeles;

■Jason Davis, also known as “Lil’ G-Red,” 26, of Los Angeles; and

■Rashaad Laws, also known as “Big Time,” 35, who resided in Los Angeles and Culver City.

In addition to the RICO charge, Eleby was convicted of being responsible for a gun possession related to a shooting that occurred inside the projects on September 11, 2009. This shooting, committed by several other Pueblo Bishop gang members, targeted the residence of a rival gang member but, at the time of the shooting, only the rival gang member’s mother and 11-year-old brother were inside.

In addition to the RICO charge, Davis was convicted of a possessing a sawed-off .22-caliber rifle in furtherance of the RICO conspiracy. During this offense, Davis led police on a high-speed chase through the projects, almost hitting a child, and ultimately crashing into a minivan as he unsuccessfully sought to elude capture.

In addition to the above charges, Eleby, Davis, and Laws were convicted of conspiracy to distribute significant quantities cocaine and crack cocaine. Eleby was also convicted of possession with intent to sell cocaine. Davis was also convicted of drug trafficking within a public housing project, and near schools and playgrounds.

As a result of their convictions, Eleby and Davis face a mandatory minimum sentence of 30 years in federal prison, and they could be sentenced to life without parole. Laws faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, and he faces a potential life sentence. All three defendants are scheduled to be sentenced by United States District Judge S. James Otero on February 4, 2013.

The jury that returned the guilty verdicts deadlocked on whether Eleby possessed a second firearm in furtherance of his drug trafficking.

The federal racketeering case targeting the Pueblo Bishops Blood criminal enterprise is a result of a long-standing partnership between the FBI and the Los Angeles Police Department, a relationship that is maintained through the FBI’s Los Angeles Metropolitan Task Force on Violent Gangs. This task force is one of dozens of such partnerships throughout the United States, known as Safe Streets Task Forces, funded for the purpose of assisting local police in identifying and addressing violent crime in America.

A total of 46 defendants were charged as a result of the investigation targeting the Pueblo Bishops Bloods (see initial announcement in this case at: http://www.justice.gov/usao/cac/Pressroom/pr2010/122.html). With yesterday’s guilty verdicts, 42 of those defendants have now been convicted (see, for example: http://www.justice.gov/usao/cac/Pressroom/2012/046.html). One federal defendant is currently is state custody facing a murder charge, two are fugitives suspected to be in Mexico, and prosecutors dismissed charges against one defendant.

On July 16, 2012, three other Pueblo Bishop Blood defendants were convicted by a separate jury of federal racketeering and drug charges, with one defendant also being convicted for conspiring to murder a man who was killed after being shot in the back by Pueblo Bishops in front of his 2-year-old son (see: http://www.justice.gov/usao/cac/Pressroom/2012/094.html).

Out of the 42 defendants now convicted in this case, about half have been sentenced, receiving prison terms as long as 211 months.

This case is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Los Angeles Police Department, the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development-Office of Inspector General, and the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.

FBI and Carlsbad Police Department Seek Public’s Assistance to Identify US Bank Robber

Masked Armed Robber Robs US Bank in Carlsbad, California

The FBI and Carlsbad Police Department are seeking the public’s assistance to identify the masked armed unknown man responsible for robbing the US Bank branch at 7730 El Camino Real in Carlsbad, California, on Wednesday, September 26, 2012.

On Wednesday, September 26, 2012, at approximately 1:00 p.m., the US Bank located at 7730 El Camino Real in Carlsbad, California, was robbed by an armed unknown male. At the time of the robbery, the robber entered the bank and ordered everyone to get down on the floor. After taking money from one of the teller cash drawers, the robber walked out of the bank in an unknown direction.

Witnesses describe the robber as follows:

■Sex: Male

■Age: Approximately 60 to 65 years old

■Race: White

■Height: Approximately 5’10” to 5’11” tall

■Weight: Approximately 160 to 170 lbs.

■Build: Thin–slouching posture

■Hair: Gray

■Eyes: Unknown

■Clothing: Wore black nylon material over face; black baseball cap; long, blue sweater with collar and buttons; khaki-colored pants

■Weapon: Semi-automatic pistol

Bank surveillance photographs from the robbery of the US Bank, 7730 El Camino Real, Carlsbad, California, on Wednesday, September 26, 2012:

Anyone with information concerning this robbery is asked to contact the FBI at telephone number (858) 565-1255 (san.diego@ic.fbi.gov) or Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-TIPS (8477). You may remain anonymous by calling the FBI or Crime Stoppers.

El Centro Sector Border Patrol Apprehends Convicted Felon

Calexico, Calif. – On Sunday evening, U.S. Border Patrol agents assigned to the Calexico Border Patrol Station arrested a 40-year-old Honduran male illegal alien, previously convicted of a felony.

The incident occurred at approximately 9:45 p.m., when Calexico agents working east of the Calexico port of entry apprehended a man attempting to enter the U.S. illegally. During processing at the station, agents determined the man was previously convicted of molestation of children and served a 30 month prison term for illegal re-entry into the United States.

The suspect is being held pending federal immigration charges.

The El Centro Sector’s Community Awareness Campaign is a simple and effective program to raise public awareness on the indicators of crime and other threats. We encourage public and private sector employees to remain vigilant and play a key role in keeping our country safe. Please report any suspicious activity to the Border Community Threat Hotline at (800) 901-2003.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.