MANCHESTER, N.H. — U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announced the recipients of the 2024 Law Enforcement Awards on May 16 in honor of National Police Week. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New England’s Manchester Resident Agent in Charge office joined more than 30 federal, state and local law enforcement personnel recognized for their contributions to the success of federal matters over the past year.
“We are deeply grateful to be recognized by U.S. Attorney Young for the work HSI does in New Hampshire,” said HSI New England Special Agent in Charge Michael. J. Krol. “These agents and analysts work tirelessly to lead investigations with integrity and grit, and we are so proud of the way they represent HSI and serve the people of New Hampshire.”
Excellence in Public Safety: U.S. v. Michael Chick
Special Agents Mike Perella and Ron Morin received the Excellence in Public Safety Award for HSI’s investigation into Michael Chick, a school bus driver convicted and sentenced to nine years for cyberstalking a child. The award aims to recognize those who have significantly and substantially reduced the risk of further harm to the public. It was shared with members from the Eliot Police Department in Maine, the Greenland Police Department and the New England State Police Information Network, who collaborated on the investigation.
Exceptional Contribution to a Federal Investigation/Prosecution Award: HSI’s Cumulative Contributions to Child Exploitation Investigations
Computer Forensic Analyst Duane Jacques and Special Agent Shawn Serra received the Exceptional Contribution to a Federal Investigation/Prosecution Award for HSI’s contributions to child exploitation investigations. This award honors recipients whose actions impact law enforcement’s ability to achieve certain capabilities. HSI Manchester hosts the New Hampshire Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, providing space, equipment and technical support to the task force and police departments across the state to grow their capacity for conducting complex child exploitation investigations.
Investigative Achievement Award: U.S. v. NuDay Syria
Special Agent Todd Donnelly received the Investigative Achievement Award for HSI’s investigation into illegal exports to Syria in violation of sanctions and export restrictions by NuDay Syria. This award recognizes agencies whose activities have substantially and significantly contributed to a particular USAO prosecution. NuDay made over 100 shipments to Syria, claiming they were worth over $100 million. NuDay falsely reported that the end destination of the shipments was Turkey and not Syria and artificially deflated the value of the goods to be below the $2,500 Commerce Department’s reporting threshold. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation Division, and the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security's Office of Export Enforcement shared the award.
Investigative Excellence Award: U.S. v. Chad Lawlor
Special Agent Adam Rayho was awarded the Investigative Excellence Award for his work on HSI’s investigation into Chad Lawlor. The Investigative Excellence Award recognizes one individual whose specific acts led directly to the arrest of a dangerous subject or to the exposure of a significant criminal conspiracy. Lawlor, already a registered sex offender, was identified during an online HSI undercover investigation as the administrator of an online chat group devoted to the exchange of child sexual abuse material. HSI special agents seized and examined two cellphones belonging to Lawlor, one of which contained numerous videos Lawlor created while engaged in online video chats with minors. During the video chats, Lawlor directed the minors to engage in sexually explicit conduct. Lawlor used the screen recording function of his cell phone to create videos of the minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct from the video chats. Lawlor pled guilty to charges relating to four identified minors ranging in age from eight to 13 years old and was sentenced to over 25 years in prison.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of New Hampshire will host a formal ceremony to honor awardees in September 2024.
About HSI
HSI is the principal investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security, responsible for investigating transnational crime and threats, specifically those criminal organizations that exploit the global infrastructure through which international trade, travel and finance move. HSI’s workforce consists of over 10,000 employees, assigned to 235 offices within the United States, and 93 overseas locations in 56 countries. HSI's international presence represents the Department of Homeland Security’s largest investigative law enforcement presence abroad and one of the largest international footprints in U.S. law enforcement.