The U.S. attorney for the district of Connecticut, David B. Fein, acknowledged U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) for its relentless investigation of a Connecticut man who pleaded guilty on October 25, 2011 to one count of transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity.
The guilty plea by Theodore Briggs, also known as “PeeJaye,” 23, of Norwalk, Connecticut, was announced by Fein, who credited HSI and the Norwalk Police Department with bringing Briggs to justice.
“The U.S. attorney’s office is committed to prosecuting sex trafficking crimes that involve the victimization of minors,” stated U.S. Attorney Fein. “I want to commend ICE Homeland Security Investigations and the Norwalk Police Department for their vigilance in investigating this heinous criminal activity.”
“We view this acknowledgement as a testament to our unwavering commitment to investigate these crimes cooperatively with local law enforcement to develop the strongest evidence possible to successfully prosecute these cases,” said Bruce M. Foucart, special agent in charge of HSI in New England. “Our efforts to identify, investigate and prosecute child predators remain relentless.”
According to court records, Briggs and others were involved in a prostitution business. In pleading guilty, Briggs admitted that, in November and December 2010, he knowingly prostituted a minor female victim. At the time, the girl was 14 years old. Briggs and others transported the girl from Connecticut to New York and Atlantic City, N.J., to engage in prostitution. As part of his prostitution enterprise, Briggs posted photographs of the young victim on a website known as Backpage.com. Briggs kept most, if not all of the proceeds that the victim earned for engaging in sex acts with men.
Briggs is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall on Jan.13, 2012. He faces a mandatory minimum 10-year prison term and a maximum term of imprisonment for life.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alina P. Reynolds and Krishna R. Patel prosecuted this case which was heard by U.S. Magistrate Judge Holly B. Fitzsimmons in Bridgeport.
Tag Archives: CT
Man Facing Up to 30 Years in Jail for Fake Green Card
A federal grand jury in Bridgeport returned an indictment yesterday charging a Connecticut man with one count of re-entry in a case investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
Roberto A. Mori-Perez, 55, a citizen of Peru who recently resided in New Haven, is also charged with one count of possession of a fraudulent permanent resident card in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury sitting in Bridgeport.
The indictment alleges that Mori-Perez, who was previously deported from the U.S. to his native Peru, illegally re-entered the U.S. According to legal records, he did not obtain the consent of the U.S. attorney general or his successor, the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), to reapply for admission into the U.S.
The indictment also alleges that on Aug.17, 2011, Mori-Perez possessed a fraudulent permanent resident card. According to previously filed court documents, he was deported from the U.S. to Peru on Aug. 29, 1989, after he was convicted of the criminal sale of a controlled substance, which is an aggravated felony.
If convicted, Mori-Perez faces a maximum 20-year prison term for illegally re-entering the U.S. and a maximum 10-year prison term for possessing a fraudulent permanent resident card.
Mori-Perez has been detained since his arrest on August 17, 2011.
U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut David B. Fein stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt, that charges are only allegations, and that each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The investigation of this case included U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) National Fugitive Operations Program. The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Neeraj Patel.