Daniel Ruiz, 39, of Moreno Valley, entered a guilty plea Monday to one count of wire fraud in U.S. District Court, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California.

Prosecutors said Ruiz orchestrated a scheme between 2021 and 2024 in which he posed as a legitimate supplier of electronic components and industrial equipment. Using fake business names and spoofed email domains, Ruiz allegedly convinced companies to send advance payments for products that were never delivered.

According to court documents, investigators identified more than 25 victims nationwide, with total losses exceeding $750,000. Many of the targeted businesses were small companies that relied on timely shipments to maintain operations.

Federal agents began investigating after multiple complaints were filed with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center. Authorities traced the fraudulent communications and financial transactions back to accounts controlled by Ruiz.

During the investigation, agents executed a search warrant at Ruiz’s residence in early 2025, where they seized computers, financial records, and evidence linking him to the scheme, prosecutors said.

Ruiz admitted in his plea agreement that he knowingly misrepresented himself to victims and used the proceeds for personal expenses, including luxury purchases and travel.

He is scheduled to be sentenced later this year and faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.

Officials encouraged businesses to remain vigilant against fraud attempts and to verify vendor identities before sending payments.

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The suspects were identified as Kenny Andrew Johnson, 40, of Riverside, and Alonzo Jeffery Monk Jr., 43, of Colton, according to the Riverside Police Department.

On Sept. 29, officers responded to an automotive business in the 2900 block of Orange Street around 4:30 a.m. after a woman said her boyfriend had been shot.

Police found the victim, Horacio Montero Jr., 27, of Riverside, suffering from gunshot wounds inside a trailer. He was rushed to the hospital where he later died from his injuries.

The suspects fled the scene before authorities arrived. Following an investigation, Johnson was identified as a suspect and arrested a few hours later.

Detectives later determined the shooting was a murder-for-hire case involving a second suspect, Monk Jr. On Oct. 2, he was located and arrested in Colton.

Police believe Johnson conspired with Monk Jr. to have the victim killed; however, the motive behind the murder remains unclear. Police told the Press-Enterprise that they believe Monk was the one who fired the deadly shots.

Both men were arrested for murder and conspiracy to commit murder and are being held without bail.

No further details were released as the case remains under investigation. Anyone with information should contact Detective Richard Glover at 951-353-7134 or RGlover@RiversideCA.gov, or Detective Anthony Watkins at 951-353-7105 or AWatkins@RiversideCA.gov.

Anonymous tips can also be submitted through the Riverside Police Department’s “Atlas 1” mobile app by using the “Send a Message” feature.

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Garrett Preston Young, a 48-year-old Aguanga man, was taken into custody Tuesday and taken to the Southwest Detention Center. According to jail records, he will answer multiple felony charges on Thursday at the Murrieta Southwest Justice Center and was held on $1 million bail.

On Tuesday, investigators worked leads from the multiple fires set in the 45000 block of State Route 79 and identified Young as a prime suspect, according to Sgt. Lance Stoyer.

“Patrol deputies from the Hemet Sheriff’s Station received the report of a suspicious person near the intersections of California State Route 79 and Highway 371, in the community of Aguanga,” Stoyer said. There, Young was taken into custody by deputies.

Young was booked on multiple felony charges, including murder with malice, owning a homemade zip gun, and additional arson-related charges.

The identity of the deceased victim will not be released pending next-of-kin notifications.

This investigation is ongoing; however, no additional suspects are being sought. Anyone with further information is encouraged to contact Investigator T. Gilbert with the Central Homicide Unit at (951) 955-1777 or Investigator R. Martinez with the Hemet Station at (951) 791-3400.

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Joseph Henry Mokate of Hemet is being held in lieu of $1 million bail at Banning’s Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility and is set to make his next court appearance Friday for a felony settlement conference, according to jail and court records.

Mokate is accused in the slaying of 29-year-old Boris Stepanyuk of Winchester. Stepanyuk’s body was found at the intersection just before 7 p.m. April 25; he had suffered a “possible stab wound,” according to the sheriff’s department.

It’s not clear what led investigators to Mokate. He was arrested in Palm Desert about three hours after Stepanyuk’s body was discovered. A relationship between the two men, if any, was not disclosed by investigators nor was a possible motive.

City News Service reported that Mokate pulled a weapon and stabbed Stepanyuk at least once in the upper body, after which he fled. Witnesses called 911, and patrol deputies and paramedics reached the location a short time later.

Court records show Mokate has no felony criminal convictions in Riverside County.

According to a GoFundMe page established for Stepanyuk’s mother and his younger brother, the victim was studying medicine and had dreams of becoming a surgeon.

“Boris was brilliant and worked hard to get into medical school,” the page reads. “After graduating from Point Loma Charter School, he graduated from UCSD. Then, he attended the University of Colorado School of Medicine. Boris was funny but reserved and quiet. He loved his family and his dog, a huskie named Mischa. He regularly enjoyed daily sunrise and sunset walks with her through his neighborhood.”

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