New Mexico’s Most Wanted Adds a New Gang Offender

Albuquerque, NM - The United States Marshals Service in New Mexico has added Steven Malone to its “New Mexico’s Most Wanted” list. Malone is being sought for multiple State and Local arrest warrants, including a Probation Violation with the original charge of Battery of a Household Member and Parole Violation with the original charge of Child Abuse. Malone also has an active Arrest Warrant for Battery Against a Household Member from June 2015. Malone has a history of gang ties to “east siders” and “cruces boys” and is believed to deal methamphetamine. Malone is known to live and work in Las Cruces.

Deputies and Task Force Officers assigned to the United States Marshals Service South West Investigative Fugitive Team (SWIFT) Task Force are actively trying to find Malone and it is believed may be New Mexico, Texas or Arizona. It is asked that that anyone with information contact either the Roswell Police Department or the United States Marshals Service.

If you receive any information regarding the above named individual, please contact the United States Marshals Service for the District of New Mexico at (505) 346-6400/Albuquerque or (575) 527-6850/Las Cruces.

Mohave County Man Indicted on Charges of First-Degree Murder and Child Abuse on Fort Mojave Indian Reservation

PHOENIX—On September 21, 2012, Matthew Lee Smith, 30, of Mohave Valley, Arizona, had his initial appearance in federal district court in Phoenix. On August 22, 2012, a federal grand jury in Phoenix returned an indictment against Smith for two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of child abuse, one count of assault with intent to commit murder, two counts of assault with intent to commit child abuse, and four counts of assault resulting in serious bodily injury, all of which allegedly occurred on the Fort Mojave Indian Reservation. Smith is being detained pending trial, which is set in Prescott, Arizona, before Senior U.S. District Judge Paul G. Rosenblatt on November 6, 2012.

A conviction for first-degree murder carries a minimum penalty of 30 years in prison, a maximum penalty of life in prison, or, unless the defendant is subject to the jurisdiction of an Indian tribal government, death, a $250,000 fine, or both. A conviction for child abuse carries a minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum penalty of 24 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both. A conviction for each of the assault charges carries a minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison.

An indictment is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until competent evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Fort Mojave Police Department. The prosecution is being handled by Jennifer E. Green, Dyanne C. Greer, and Sharon K. Sexton, Assistant U.S. Attorneys, District of Arizona, Phoenix.

U.S. Marshals Add Convicted Child Predator to 15 Most Wanted

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Marshals Service added a convicted child predator to its 15 Most Wanted fugitive list today.

Clyde Hall Jr., a career sex offender, who is wanted in the Northern District of New York for violation of federal supervised release, failed to report to a halfway house in New York after serving a 25-month prison sentence for violations of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act at the Butner Federal Correctional Institute in North Carolina.

Hall has a violent and abusive criminal history dating back to 1985 with prior convictions for assault and multiple sex offenses. He is clinically diagnosed as a sociopathic psychosexual career sex offender and the State of New York has labeled him a Tier III sex offender, its most dangerous sex offender classification.

“Hall is a vicious sex offender with violent tendencies and a history that dictates he will most assuredly offend again,” said David L. Harlow, Assistant Director for Investigative Operations. “It is imperative that we employ every available investigative resource to immediately locate and arrest Hall before he has the opportunity to once again prey upon innocent women and children.”

Authorities warn that Hall is sexually attracted primarily to adolescent girls, but has secondary interests in and an attraction to younger boys. He has admitted to sexually abusing two 10-year-old girls and forcibly raping two adult women while in his twenties. Hall’s condition requires a high degree of clinical supervision and dictates he must participate in sex offender treatment. He poses a high degree of danger to the community.

“Hall is a career sex offender who committed countless violent acts against innocent women and children,” said David L. McNulty, U.S. Marshal for the Northern District of New York. “His capture deserves our full investigative attention and we will work with our federal, state, and local partners to ensure justice is served against this violent sexual predator. Hall cannot escape the long arm of the law.”

A reward of up to $25,000 is offered for information leading directly to his arrest.

Anyone with information is urged to contact the nearest U.S. Marshals office or the U.S. Marshals Service Communications Center at 1-800-336-0102.

Additional information about the U.S. Marshals Service can be found at http://www.usmarshals.gov

ICE's national search for 'Jane Doe' child pornographer nets 2 in Oregon

2 child victims rescued, couple faces federal child pornography charges

PORTLAND, Ore. — The nationwide search for a "Jane Doe" suspected child pornographer, by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), ended Tuesday with the arrest of two Salem, Ore., residents on federal child exploitation charges.

Michelle Lee Freeman, 40, and her husband, Michael Serapis Freeman, 39, surrendered to Salem police after the couple learned that an acquaintance had identified Michelle in "Jane Doe" photos that had been provided to the media by ICE and shared by the public on social media sites. HSI special agents have positively identified Michelle as the suspect.

"When leads turned cold in this case, HSI special agents asked for the public's help," said ICE Director John Morton. "Thanks to that help, two child victims have been rescued and their accused abusers are in custody. Children have the right to be safe from predators. There is no higher work and we will continue to investigate these crimes with our law enforcement partners."

"This is a tragic example of children being manipulated and victimized," said Salem Police Chief Jerry Moore. "We are committed to protecting the children in our community and we appreciate the close working relationship that we have with our partners in the federal law enforcement system in bringing those who abuse children to justice."

   

On Aug. 8, ICE issued a national appeal for public assistance to locate an unknown child pornography suspect. HSI's Child Exploitation Investigations Unit's Victim Identification Program obtained a "Jane Doe" arrest warrant in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia for the suspect. Two weeks later, tips from the Pacific Northwest led HSI to call on local and regional news media to publicize the search. The news coverage and additional sharing on Facebook and other social media outlets eventually led to the Freemans' surrender.

According to the complaint, both Michelle and Michael are accused of producing child pornography videos featuring them engaging in sexual contact with two child victims who are both under the age of 10.

The Freemans made their initial appearance in federal court Wednesday afternoon.

The images of the child victims in this case were first discovered by HSI Los Angeles in June 2011 during a computer forensics examination of material in a separate child pornography probe. The material was submitted to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children's Child Victim Identification Program, the national clearinghouse for child sexual exploitation material. The center determined that the child victims had not yet been identified or rescued. In June, FBI special agents in Denver conducting an unrelated investigation found additional photos showing the same victims with Michelle. To date, the center has cataloged more than 200 unique images and two videos depicting the victims.

HSI received assistance with the investigation from the Salem Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Oregon.

This investigation was part of Operation Predator, a nationwide HSI initiative to protect children from sexual predators, including those who travel overseas for sex with minors, Internet child pornographers, criminal alien sex offenders and child sex traffickers. HSI encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free hotline at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE or by completing its online tip form. Both are staffed around the clock by investigators.

Suspected child sexual exploitation or missing children may be reported to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, an Operation Predator partner, at 1-800-843-5678 or http://www.cybertipline.com.