New York Swim Coach Gets Prison Sentence for Sex Trafficking of Young Girls

NEW YORK, NY – Muhammad Shahzeb Khan, a 20-year-old Pakistani national living in Canada, has been charged with plotting a terrorist attack in New York City. Khan, also known as Shahzeb Jadoon, was arrested in Canada on Sept. 4 after attempting to cross the U.S. border to carry out a mass shooting at a Jewish center in Brooklyn.

The planned attack, scheduled for October 7, 2024, was intended to mark the first anniversary of the 2023 Hamas attacks in Israel and targeted Jewish individuals who supported the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS).

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Khan had been planning the attack for months, communicating via encrypted messaging apps and spreading ISIS propaganda online. Khan allegedly attempted to create a “real offline cell” of ISIS supporters and work with undercover agents to carry out a coordinated attack using AR-style rifles. He identified specific targets, including Chabad Jewish centers in New York City, and wanted to inflict as many casualties as possible during the Jewish holidays of October 7 and 11.

Khan was arrested after he traveled through Canada in an attempt to reach the U.S.-Canada border. He was arrested approximately 12 miles from the border in Ormstown, Canada. Khan is charged with attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison.

U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland praised the FBI’s investigative efforts and the swift action of Canadian law enforcement, saying the plot posed a serious threat to public safety. FBI Director Christopher Wray reiterated the agency’s commitment to combating terrorism and stressed the importance of working with international partners to prevent attacks.

The US Department of Justice is currently seeking to extradite Khan from Canada.

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. — Victor Byrne, a former Rockland County diving coach, was sentenced Friday to 220 months in prison for transporting two minors across state lines for illegal sexual activity in 2006 and 2008. U.S. District Judge Nelson S. Román imposed the sentence after Byrne pleaded guilty in March 2024.

The case, prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, revealed that Byrne abused his position as a coach to exploit young athletes.

According to court documents, in July 2006, Byrne transported a 16-year-old girl from Cape Cod, Massachusetts, to Rockland County, New York, where he engaged in illegal sexual activity with her. Two years later, in February 2008, he arranged for another 16-year-old to be transported from New Jersey to Rockland County for similar exploitation. Byrne’s abuse of victim one began when she was 14, and his manipulation of victim two began when she was 16. During his tenure as coach from 2001 to 2009, Byrne falsely represented himself as a police officer, thereby gaining the trust of the young athletes and their families.

US Attorney Damian Williams condemned Byrne’s actions, saying: “Byrne’s behavior is the nightmare of every parent who entrusts their child to a coach.” Williams also stressed that the passage of time will not stop authorities from holding child abusers accountable for their actions.

In addition to his nearly 19-year prison sentence, Byrne, 58, was sentenced to a lifetime of supervised release. The investigation was a joint effort by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the U.S. Marshals Service and the NYPD Special Victims Unit. Authorities have indicated that the investigation into Byrne’s behavior is ongoing, suggesting that additional aspects of his abuse could come to light.

BROOKLYN, NY – Juan Amaya-Ramirez and Oscar Flores-Mejia, two MS-13 gang associates, pleaded guilty Friday to charges related to the brutal 2018 murder of 17-year-old Andy Peralta in Kissena Park, Queens. The guilty pleas, entered before U.S. Magistrate Judge Joseph A. Marutollo, revealed the defendants killed Peralta as part of an initiation to gain entry into MS-13. Both men confessed to a series of crimes, including conspiracy to commit murder, cyberstalking resulting in death and assault in connection with gang activities. They now face a minimum of 30 years in prison, with the possibility of life behind bars.

The killing, which took place on April 23, 2018, was part of a carefully orchestrated plot. Amaya-Ramirez, Flores-Mejia and a third MS-13 associate mistakenly believed Peralta was a member of a rival gang. To lure him to his death, they recruited Amaya-Ramirez’s then-girlfriend, Leyla Carranza, who communicated with Peralta via social media and convinced him to meet her in Kissena Park. Once there, the suspects ambushed, beat, stabbed and strangled Peralta. In a chilling display, Amaya-Ramirez took a photo of himself and his associates displaying MS-13 hand gestures over Peralta’s body.

U.S. Attorney Breon Peace condemned the killing, highlighting the senseless violence often associated with MS-13. He emphasized law enforcement’s dedication to bringing justice to victims and dismantling violent gangs that terrorize communities. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Acting Special Agent Darren McCormack and New York City Police Commissioner Edward Caban echoed these sentiments, praising law enforcement’s tireless efforts to pursue justice.

Leyla Carranza, who played a key role in luring Peralta to his death, previously pleaded guilty to cyberstalking resulting in death. She faces a maximum sentence of life in prison for her involvement.

This case was part of an ongoing investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), a joint initiative aimed at dismantling drug trafficking and violent gangs such as MS-13. Through close cooperation between federal, state, and local agencies, law enforcement continues to work to break the violent grip of gangs on communities across the country.