Salem Man Sentenced To Nine Years In Federal Prison For Trafficking Fentanyl (Photo) -05/29/25

PORTLAND, Ore.—A Salem, Oregon man was sentenced to federal prison Friday for possessing and trafficking more than 40 pounds of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and heroin.

Rico Anthony Russell Rigutto, 46, was sentenced to 108 months in federal prison and five years’ supervised release.

According to court documents, on December 14, 2021, as part of a drug trafficking investigation, investigators arranged a controlled buy of counterfeit oxycodone pills from Rigutto. Investigators observed him arrive and depart the meeting location, after which they conducted a traffic stop on Rigutto.  

Investigators searched Rigutto’s vehicle and seized approximately 3,000 counterfeit pills containing fentanyl and a firearm with a machine gun conversion switch. Machine gun switches, sometimes referred to as “Glock switches,” are small attachments used to convert firearms from semi-automatic to fully-automatic.

Later the same day, investigators obtained and executed a search warrant on Rigutto’s residence. During the search, investigators located and seized 20,000 counterfeit pills containing fentanyl, 28 pounds of methamphetamine, six pounds of heroin, approximately $100,000 in cash, and fifteen firearms, including an AR-15 rifle and another handgun with a conversion switch.

On January 19, 2022, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a four-count indictment charging Rigutto with possessing fentanyl, methamphetamine, and heroin with the intent to distribute and possessing a machinegun in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

On April 18, 2023, Rigutto pleaded guilty to possessing fentanyl with the intent to distribute. However, on March 5, 2024, Rigutto failed to appear for his sentencing and an arrest warrant was issued.

On August 2, 2024, the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) located and arrested Rigutto for failing to appear. USMS also found a firearm during the arrest.

This case was investigated by the FBI and the Salem Police Department. It was prosecuted by Scott M. Kerin, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid 80 to 100 times more powerful than morphine and 30 to 50 times more powerful than heroin. A 2-milligram dose of fentanyl—a few grains of the substance—is enough to kill an average adult male. The wide availability of illicit fentanyl in Oregon has caused a dramatic increase in overdose deaths throughout the state.

If you are in immediate danger, please call 911.

If you or someone you know suffers from addiction, please call the Lines for Life substance abuse helpline at 1-800-923-4357 or visit www.linesforlife.org. Phone support is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can also text “RecoveryNow” to 839863 between 2pm and 6pm Pacific Time daily.

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Estacada Man Faces Federal Charges For Trafficking 270 Pounds Of Methamphetamine (Photo) -05/27/25

PORTLAND, Ore.— An Estacada, Oregon, man is facing federal charges today after he was caught transporting 270 pounds of methamphetamine from Southern California to Oregon.

Anthony Barrera, 29, has been charged by criminal complaint with possessing methamphetamine and cocaine with the intent to distribute.

According to court documents, during an investigation of an alleged drug trafficker, later identified as Barrera, investigators learned Barrera rented a vehicle and traveled to California to pick up large quantities of drugs to distribute and sell in Oregon.

On May 24, 2025, officers located Barrera driving the rental vehicle northbound on Interstate 5 and followed him to a rest area near Roseberg, Oregon, where Barrera was arrested without incident. Agents executed a federal search warrant on the rental vehicle and seized 270 pounds of methamphetamine and two pounds of cocaine, which were concealed in the backseat and cargo area of the vehicle. Later the same day, investigators executed a federal search warrant on Barrera’s residence where they seized two firearms hidden under the floor of a closet.

Barrera made his first appearance in federal court today before a U.S. Magistrate Judge. He was ordered detained pending further court proceedings.

The case is being investigated by the FBI and the Multnomah County Dangerous Drug Team (DDT). It is being prosecuted by Charlotte Kelley, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon. 

The Multnomah County DDT is supported by the Oregon-Idaho High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) and is composed of members from the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office, Multnomah County Parole and Probation, Gresham Police Department, the FBI and U.S. Marshals Service (USMS). 

The Oregon-Idaho HIDTA program is an Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) sponsored counterdrug grant program that coordinates with and provides funding resources to multi-agency drug enforcement initiatives.

A criminal complaint is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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United States Files Forfeiture Action To Recover $6.7 Million In Stolen Funds (Photo) -05/23/25

PORTLAND, Ore.—The United States Attorney’s Office (USAO) filed a civil forfeiture action to recover more than $6.7 million in funds alleged to be proceeds of a financial fraud scheme.

“Civil forfeiture is a powerful and important tool in cases like this, and it allows the government to move quickly to seize the stolen funds, seek legal ownership of them, and then promptly return them to the victims,” said Katie de Villiers, Chief of the Asset Recovery and Money Laundering Division for the District of Oregon. “This was only possible here because the crime was reported to law enforcement. The most important takeaway for the public is that if you find yourself the victim of a similar scam, do not delay in contacting law enforcement.”

As alleged in the forfeiture complaint, in February 2025, the City of Portland was targeted by a business impersonation scheme. The scammer, posing as an employee of a company contracted by the city, gained access to a payment system and changed the contractor’s bank account information to an account provided by the scammer. In March 2025, the City of Portland notified law enforcement that a payment intended for the contractor had been diverted to an unauthorized bank account.

On April 16, 2025, the USAO and FBI sought and obtained a federal seizure warrant. The same day, the FBI executed the warrant and seized $6,748,680 of fraudulently-obtained funds. The FBI was able to swiftly seize proceeds of the crime, which were still located in the unauthorized account.

Federal law enforcement uses civil forfeiture to recover proceeds of a crime and attempt to return those proceeds to victims quickly. This is especially important in online-related scams where scammers are often overseas and unable to be identified, hindering a criminal prosecution and forfeiture.

The case was investigated by the FBI and Portland Police Bureau. The civil forfeiture action is being handled by Julia E. Jarrett and Katherine A. Rykken, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon.

The accusations in the complaint, and the description of the complaint, constitute only allegations that certain property is subject to forfeiture. The United States must prove, by a standard of preponderance of the evidence, that the property is subject to forfeiture.

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Mexican National Unlawfully Residing In California Faces Federal Charges For Trafficking Fentanyl In Oregon (Photo) -05/21/25

PORTLAND, Ore.— A suspected drug trafficker faces federal charges after he was caught transporting more than 60 pounds of powdered fentanyl on Interstate 5 near Albany, Oregon.

Jose Ivan Iribe Camorlinga, 46, a Mexican national unlawfully residing in Oakland, California, has been charged by criminal complaint with possessing fentanyl with the intent to distribute.

According to court documents, on May 20, 2025, Oregon State Police conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by Iribe Camorlinga and registered to him in California. A trooper searched the vehicle and found two large bags containing 25 vacuum-sealed packages of fentanyl in the trunk. In total, law enforcement seized more than 60 pounds of fentanyl powder. Iribe Camorlinga was arrested and transferred into the custody of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

Iribe Camorlinga made his first appearance in federal court today before a U.S. Magistrate Judge. He was ordered detained pending further court proceedings.

The case is being investigated by the DEA and is being prosecuted by Paul T. Maloney, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.

A criminal complaint is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid 80 to 100 times more powerful than morphine and 30 to 50 times more powerful than heroin. A 3-milligram dose of fentanyl—a few grains of the substance—is enough to kill an average adult male. The wide availability of illicit fentanyl in Oregon has caused a dramatic increase in overdose deaths throughout the state.

If you are in immediate danger, please call 911.

If you or someone you know suffers from addiction, please call the Lines for Life substance abuse helpline at 1-800-923-4357 or visit www.linesforlife.org. Phone support is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can also text “RecoveryNow” to 839863 between 2pm and 6pm Pacific Time daily.

The Oregon State Police-Domestic Highway Enforcement (OSP-DHE) Initiative is supported by the Oregon-Idaho High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA). The Oregon-Idaho HIDTA program is an Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) sponsored counterdrug grant program that coordinates with and provides funding resources to multi-agency drug enforcement initiatives.

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Mexican National Unlawfully Residing In Oregon Pleads Guilty To Illegally Possessing A Firearm (Photo) -05/19/25

MEDFORD, Ore.— Saul Uriel Nunez-Vega, 24, a Mexican national unlawfully residing in Jackson County, Oregon, pleaded guilty today for illegally possessing a firearm.

According to court documents, on November 14, 2023, law enforcement responded to an attempted kidnapping and shooting in White City, Oregon, where they recovered a firearm. Surveillance footage showed Nunez-Vega in the area before the shooting occurred and investigators learned that he possessed the firearm prior to its use in the shooting.

On December 15, 2023, Nunez-Vega was charged by criminal complaint with illegally possessing a firearm.   

Nunez-Vega faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. He will be sentenced on August 13, 2025, before a U.S. District Judge.

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. It is being prosecuted by John C. Brassell, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.

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California Woman Sentenced To Federal Prison For Stealing Nearly $2 Million In Two Separate Fraud Schemes (Photo) -05/15/25

PORTLAND, Ore.—A California woman was sentenced to federal prison today for stealing nearly $1.3 million in Covid-relief program funds and failing to pay the IRS more than $700,000 in payroll taxes she collected from the employees of a small business in Salem, Oregon.

Jamie McGowen, 43, was sentenced to 37 months in federal prison and five years’ supervised release. She was also ordered to pay $2,072,860 in restitution to the IRS and U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).

According to court documents, McGowen was the owner or partial owner of nine separate companies including Salem Outsourcing, Inc., a payroll processing company based in Salem. Between August 2016 and December 2019, McGowen provided payroll processing services to a small business also located in Salem. During this time, she failed to pay the IRS $705,613 in payroll taxes she withheld from the paychecks of the company’s employees. Instead, McGowen kept the money for herself and used a portion of the funds to, among other things, purchase a 100% ownership stake in the same company whose payroll taxes she had stolen.

In a separate scheme, between April 2020 and December 2021, McGowen stole more than $1.2 million from federal relief programs intended to help small businesses during the Covid-19 pandemic, including the Paycheck Protection Program, Economic Injury Disaster Loan program, and Restaurant Revitalization Fund. McGowen made numerous false statements in 15 separate loan applications, including by stating she did not own any other company, inflating the number of employees and revenues, and providing false tax documents. McGowen also falsely claimed on loan forgiveness applications that her companies had used the funds received for payroll. In reality, McGowen transferred the money around her businesses, to her father, and to her personal checking account, and paid off personal credit cards.

On October 12, 2022, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a seven-count indictment charging McGowen with wire fraud, bank fraud, and money laundering. On December 11, 2024, she pleaded guilty to one count each of wire fraud and bank fraud, and two counts of money laundering.

This case was investigated by the SBA Office of Inspector General (SBA-OIG) and IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI). It was prosecuted by Meredith Bateman, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.

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Second Owner Of Local Real Estate Investment Company Pleads Guilty For Role In Fraud Conspiracy (Photo) -05/15/25

PORTLAND, Ore.—The owner of a local real estate investment company pleaded guilty today for his role in an $18 million fraud scheme, joining his business partner and co-owner of the company who pleaded guilty in March 2025.

Robert D. Christensen, 55, of Sherwood, Oregon, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering.

Previously, on March 11, 2025, Christensen’s partner and co-owner of the investment company, Anthony M. Matic, 55, of Damascus, Oregon, also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

According to court documents, from approximately January 2019 through June 2023, Christensen and Matic devised and carried out a scheme wherein they convinced individual investors to fund the purchase and renovation of undervalued residential real estate properties. After renovating the properties, Christensen and Matic claimed they would rent the properties to generate income and then refinance them to extract their increased value from the renovations. The pair further misled investors into believing they would be repaid their full principal investment along with interest as high as eight to fifteen percent and a large lump sum payout, all within periods as short as 30 to 90 days.

Christensen and Matic’s scheme failed to generate the promised returns almost immediately and they began using new investments to repay earlier investors to keep their business afloat. When they were unable to raise enough money from new investors, Christensen and Matic devised a separate scheme to defraud commercial lenders. By December 2020, the pair began submitting loan applications with false financial information to different commercial lenders and, based on their misrepresentations, received millions of dollars in loans.

In total, Christensen and Matic’s two schemes defrauded individual investors out of more than $11 million and commercial lenders out of more than $7 million.

Conspiracy to commit wire fraud is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison and three years’ supervised release. Money laundering in punishable by up to 10 years in federal prison and three years’ supervised release. Both charges may also result in fines of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gains or losses resulting from the offense.

Christensen and Matic will both be sentenced on October 14, 2025.

This case was investigated by the FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Trisotto.

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Grants Pass Man Charged In Federal Court For Trafficking Fentanyl And Illegally Possessing A Firearm (Photo) -05/14/25

MEDFORD, Ore.—A Grants Pass, Oregon, man is facing federal charges for trafficking fentanyl and illegally possessing a firearm, announced the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.

Christopher Smith, 38, has been charged by criminal complaint with possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

According to the complaint, approximately one year ago, investigators with the Rogue Area Drug Enforcement (RADE) task force and U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) obtained information that Smith was actively distributing fentanyl throughout Josephine County, Oregon from his residence in Grants Pass. On May 9, 2025, investigators executed a state search warrant on Smith’s residence where they located and seized approximately 400 grams of fentanyl, two digital scales with fentanyl residue, two 3D printers, two ghost guns, 74 additional firearms, and an unmarked firearm suppressor. Smith was present during the search and placed under arrest.

Smith made his first appearance in federal court today before a U.S. Magistrate Judge.

This case was investigated by RADE and DEA and is being prosecuted by John C. Brassell, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.

RADE a multi-jurisdictional narcotics task force supported by the Oregon-Idaho High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program. RADE includes members from Oregon State Police, the Grants Pass Police Department, Josephine County Probation & Parole, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

The Oregon-Idaho HIDTA program is an Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) sponsored counterdrug grant program that coordinates with and provides funding resources to multi-agency drug enforcement initiatives.

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Portland Gang Leader Sentenced To 12 Years In Federal Prison For Role In Drug Trafficking Conspiracy And Possessing A Weapon In Prison (Photo) -05/13/25

PORTLAND, Ore.—A known leader of Portland’s 18^th Street Gang was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison Friday for his leadership role in a local drug trafficking conspiracy and for possessing a weapon while in federal prison.

Noah Herrera, 26, was sentenced to 144 months in federal prison and five years’ supervised release.

According to court documents, Herrera was a second-in-command leader of the 18th Street Gang in Portland, working regularly with the gang’s local leader, Gustavo Torres-Mendez, who was sentenced in May 2024 to 164 months in federal prison. Together, the two men led various gang-driven activities including trafficking large quantities of methamphetamine, cocaine, and fentanyl in the Portland area. During this time, the 18th Street Gang was heavily armed and sold drugs acquired near the Mexico border in California to local buyers in and around Portland.

The government’s investigation exposed several major episodes in the gang’s activities. In August 2022, agents seized nearly nine pounds of methamphetamine after Herrera organized a transaction in Portland. Only weeks later, in early September 2022, federal agents monitoring the two leaders’ activities learned they and subordinate 18th Street Gang members had collected over $126,000 in cash after which Herrera and Torres-Mendez dispatched two members to California to purchase and pick up drugs. Agents monitored the return of the load vehicle, which was stopped near Grants Pass, Oregon, and over 104 pounds of methamphetamine and a smaller quantity of cocaine were seized. The methamphetamine was packaged in 56 separate plastic food containers.

On November 17, 2022, agents arrested Herrera and executed a search warrant at his Vancouver, Washington, home, where they found two loaded Glock pistols, ammunition, additional quantities of drugs, two scales with drug residue, a drug ledger, over $5000 in cash and several cell phones.

Agents also executed a search warrant at a residence in North Portland which had been used by the 18th Street Gang throughout the investigation as a meeting place and stash house. There, agents found and seized ten handguns in locations throughout the main rooms, a short-barreled shotgun, extended magazines, ammunition, body armor as well as additional drug evidence, packaging equipment and scales.

On September 25, 2023, while housed at FCI Sheridan pending trial, prison guards found Herrera in possession of a shiv (a six-inch sharpened piece of metal) prohibited by federal law.

On January 10, 2025, Herrera pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, heroin, and cocaine, and possessing a dangerous weapon in a federal facility.

This case was investigated by the FBI and was prosecuted by Thomas H. Edmonds and Nicole M. Bockelman, Assistant United States Attorneys for the District of Oregon.

The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit www.justice.gov/ocdetf.

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Justice Department Announces Results Of Operation Restore Justice: 205 Child Sex Abuse Offenders Arrested In FBI-led Nationwide Crackdown, Including Three In The District Of Oregon (Photo) -05/07/25

PORTLAND, Ore.—Today, the Department of Justice announced the results of Operation Restore Justice, a coordinated enforcement effort to identify, track and arrest child sex predators. The operation resulted in the rescue of 115 children and the arrests of 205 child sexual abuse offenders in the nationwide crackdown. The coordinated effort was executed over the course of five days by all 55 FBI field offices, the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section in the Department’s Criminal Division and United States Attorney’s Offices around the country.

“The Department of Justice will never stop fighting to protect victims—especially child victims—and we will not rest until we hunt down, arrest and prosecute every child predator who preys on the most vulnerable among us,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “I am grateful to the FBI and their state and local partners for their incredible work in Operation Restore Justice and have directed my prosecutors not to negotiate.”

“Every child deserves to grow up free from fear and exploitation, and the FBI will continue to be relentless in our pursuit of those who exploit the most vulnerable among us,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Operation Restore Justice proves that no predator is out of reach and no child will be forgotten. By leveraging the strength of all our field offices and our federal, state and local partners, we’re sending a clear message: there is no place to hide for those who prey on children.”

“The U.S. Attorney’s Office is proud to be a part of Operation Restore Justice and seek justice for children who have been exploited or abused. A common thread in these cases and many others is that online predators will use any platform on the internet to contact unsuspecting children. These predators often pose as children themselves to trick their would-be victims,” said William M. Narus, Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.

“The FBI has zero tolerance for criminal actors who target the most vulnerable in our community—our children,” said FBI Portland Special Agent in Charge Douglas A. Olson. “While we count Operation Restore Justice as a success, our work continues. We will use every resource available to us to pursue those who prey on children, as well as to help victims of abuse access tools to help them heal.”

Three individuals were arrested and charged with federal child exploitation crimes in the District of Oregon as part of Operation Restore Justice.

Robert Andrew Arias, 54, of Salem, Oregon, has been charged by indictment with distributing, receiving and possessing child pornography. He was arrested on April 28, 2025, at his residence in Salem and made his first appearance in federal court the same day. A jury trial is scheduled to begin on July 1, 2025.

Berret J. Brown, 40, of Vida, Oregon, has been charged by indictment with enticing minors, receiving child pornography, using a minor to produce a visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct and transferring obscene matter to a minor. Between July and August 2024, Brown is alleged to have used Snapchat to entice multiple children into producing and sending him sexually explicit videos. Brown is also alleged to have used Roblox, a children’s online video game platform, to connect with minors. On April 30, 2025, Brown made his first appearance in federal court and was ordered detained pending a jury trial scheduled to begin on August 5, 2025.

Michael Joseph Cambalik, 35, of Beaverton, Oregon, has been charged by complaint with sexually exploiting a minor, receiving child pornography and coercing and enticing a minor. In December 2024, Cambalik, posing as a female minor, is alleged to have used Call of Duty, an internet-connected video game, to meet and coerce a then-nine-year-old child to produce and send him sexually explicit photos and videos. On April 30, 2025, Cambalik made his first appearance in federal court and was ordered detained pending his arraignment on May 29, 2025.

Those arrested nationwide are alleged to have committed various crimes including the production, distribution, and possession of child sexual abuse material, online enticement and transportation of minors and child sex trafficking. In Minneapolis, for example, a state trooper and Army Reservist was arrested for allegedly producing child sexual abuse material while wearing his uniforms. In Norfolk, VA, an illegal alien from Mexico is accused of transporting a minor across state lines for sex. In Washington, D.C., a former Metropolitan Police Department Police Officer was arrested for allegedly trafficking minor victims.

In many cases, parental vigilance and community outreach efforts played a critical role in bringing these offenders to justice. For example, a California man was arrested eight hours after a young victim bravely came forward and disclosed their abuse to FBI agents at an online safety presentation broadcast from Albany, N.Y.

This effort follows the Department’s observance of National Child Abuse Prevention Month in April, and underscores the Department’s unwavering commitment to protecting children and raising awareness about the dangers they face. While the Department, including the FBI, investigates and prosecutes these crimes every day, April serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of preventing these crimes, seeking justice for victims and raising awareness through community education.

The Justice Department is committed to combating child sexual exploitation. These cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.

The Department partners with and oversees funding grants for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24/7 hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on missingkids.org.

The Department urges the public to remain vigilant and report suspected exploitation of a child through the FBI’s tipline at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324), tips.fbi.gov, or by calling your local FBI field office.

Other online resources:

Electronic Press Kit

Violent Crimes Against Children

How we can help you: Parents and caregivers protecting your kids

An indictment is merely an allegation. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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Portland Sex Offender Sentenced To 24 Years In Federal Prison For Enticing A Minor Online And Receiving Child Pornography (Photo) -05/06/25

PORTLAND, Ore.—A Portland man was sentenced to federal prison Monday for using multiple social media applications to entice a young child to send him sexually explicit images of herself.

Shawn Alan Smith, 44, was sentenced to 288 months in federal prison and a life term of supervised release. Smith was also ordered to pay restitution to his victim.

According to court documents, between July 11 and September 15, 2020, Smith used multiple fake online social media personas, including several on KIK messenger and TikTok, to communicate with a nine-year-old child. While posing as a minor himself, Smith instructed the child victim to take sexually explicit photos of herself and send them to him, which she did. Smith also engaged in a video chat with the child while pretending to be the father of one of his fake online personas. At the time of the offense, Smith was a registered sex offender following prior state criminal convictions for child pornography offenses in Oregon and Maryland.

On March 9, 2022, federal agents executed a search warrant at Smith’s Portland apartment. While the agents were attempting to gain entry to the apartment through a door he had barricaded, Smith threw his phone and computer out his bathroom window. Smith was arrested and charged by federal criminal complaint with production and attempted production of child pornography.

On January 21, 2025, Smith pleaded guilty to a two-count superseding information charging him with online enticement of a minor and receipt of child pornography.

This case was investigated by the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). It was prosecuted by Mira Chernick, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.

Federal law defines child pornography as any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a minor. It is important to remember child sexual abuse material depicts actual crimes being committed against children. Not only do these images and videos document the victims’ exploitation and abuse, but when shared across the internet, re-victimize and re-traumatize the child victims each time their abuse is viewed. To learn more, please visit the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at www.missingkids.org.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Justice Department to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

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