Tag: Phoenix
Mohammed Maio, Covid-19 Relief Loan Fraud, Arizona 2020
⏱ 2 min read A Phoenix family has admitted to running a $2.2 million Covid-19 fraud scheme, swindling the government out of relief loans meant for struggling businesses. Mohammed Maio, 43, and his parents, Souzan El-Sayed, 66, and Abukar Maio, 70, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire and bank fraud, as well as money…
Rubicel Nunez-Sanchez, Transportation of an Illegal Alien for Profit, Arizona 2026
⏱ 2 min read Over 300 individuals were charged with immigration-related crimes in Phoenix, Arizona between July 18 and July 24, 2026. The charges included illegal re-entry, illegal entry, and smuggling. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona filed 114 cases against aliens who illegally re-entered the United States and 175 cases against…
Braulio Espinoza, Transportation of an Illegal Alien, Arizona 2026
⏱ 2 min read Between July 11 and July 17, 2026, a massive smuggling operation was busted in Arizona, with 279 individuals charged for immigration-related crimes. The operation, which took place in the District of Arizona, targeted those who had illegally entered or re-entered the United States, as well as those responsible for smuggling them.…
Alejandro Montemayor, Aiding and Abetting Straw Purchasing, Arizona 2022
⏱ 2 min read Alejandro Montemayor, the 33-year-old owner of AV AZ Firearms in Phoenix, Arizona, pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting straw purchasing and failing to report cash payments over $10,000. Between January 6, 2022, and May 29, 2024, Montemayor facilitated the straw purchase of at least 72 firearms, which were then transferred to…
Carlos Zamora, Fentanyl Trafficking, Pennsylvania 2021
⏱ 2 min read A 30-year-old Phoenix man, Carlos Zamora, was sentenced to 35 years in prison for his role in a transnational fentanyl trafficking organization that distributed millions of fentanyl pills across the US, including in western Pennsylvania, from August 2021 to June 2023. Zamora served as an enforcer for the Monarrez Drug Trafficking…
Charles Lewis Davis, Tax Evasion, Arizona 2020
⏱ 2 min read A 33-year-old Phoenix social media influencer is facing serious heat for allegedly dodging taxes on a whopping $1.2 million in income. Charles Lewis Davis, owner of Forever Investments LLC, allegedly failed to report the cash on his tax returns in 2020 and 2021, stashing it in personal and business bank, brokerage,…
Rigoberto Rangel-Mora, Alien Smuggling, Arizona 2023
⏱ 2 min read Five illegal aliens were arrested in Phoenix, Arizona, for running a large-scale alien smuggling operation that harbored and transported aliens across the US. The suspects, Rigoberto Rangel-Mora, Jesus Marin-Esquivel, Ingrid Bolanos-Gomez, Alejandro Ambrocio-Espinosa, and Enrique Cervantes-Barrera, all from Mexico or Guatemala, were caught after a traffic stop on April 28 near…
Jesus Jose Alvarez-Ramirez, Alien Smuggling, Arizona 2026
⏱ 3 min read In a major crackdown, Arizona authorities arrested 288 individuals for immigration-related crimes, including 28 smugglers and 113 re-entries, in a week-long operation. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Arizona filed charges against the individuals, who were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including ICE and the FBI. The cases were…
James Stacey Porter, Distributing Child Pornography, Arizona 2017
⏱ 2 min read A Pinal County man’s sickening habit of sharing child porn online has landed him a 10-year plus sentence. James Stacey Porter, 59, used the BitTorrent network to distribute more than 3,500 images and 175 videos of kids being abused from 2016 to 2017. Porter was caught after an FBI investigation in…
Rae Ashley Paya, Human Trafficking, Arizona 2024
⏱ 2 min read Phoenix authorities charged 240 individuals with human trafficking and related crimes this week, a major crackdown on the illicit trade in Arizona. The operation, which ran from April 11 to 17, saw 240 defendants face charges including re-entry after deportation, entering the US illegally, and smuggling aliens. Among the most notable…
