Albany County Man and Alleged Member of Nihilistic Violent Extremist Organization 764 Charged with Receiving Child Pornography

ALBANY, NEW YORK - Ryan Catello, a.k.a. "Stabzone," a.k.a. "Mors," age 24, of Ravena, New York, appeared in federal court yesterday after being charged with receiving child pornography. First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement.

According to the criminal complaint, between March 18 and March 27, 2026, Catello sexually exploited at least two minors by coercing them into self-producing images of child pornography, and he received those images files via the Internet.

The complaint also alleges that Catello is a member of "764," a criminal organization of Nihilistic Violent Extremists (NVE) operating within the United States and abroad. Those involved with "764" and related NVE networks methodically target vulnerable, underage populations by using social media to encourage the possession, production, and sharing of extreme gore media and child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Members of 764 seek to desensitize young people to violence and break down societal norms regarding violence. They normalize the possession, production, and sharing of explicit CSAM and gore material to corrupt and groom their victims toward future violence, gain notoriety among other members of the network, and spread fear for the purpose of accelerating chaos under the 764 ideology with an aim toward the disruption of society.

"Ryan Catello, an alleged member of the nihilistic violent extremist group '764,' has been charged for allegedly receiving sexually explicit content of minors via the Internet. Preying on our nation's children, who are among the most vulnerable members of society, is beyond comprehension," said First Assistant U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone III. "I thank the FBI and the New York State Police for their hard work and the sacrifices they make every day to keep our communities safe. I also recognize the importance of social media platforms that take steps to alert law enforcement to crimes like the ones alleged here. I encourage all companies in a position to do something about child sexual exploitation to be as aggressive as possible in identifying predators and making sure they are held accountable."

FBI Special Agent in Charge Craig L. Tremaroli stated: "As alleged in the complaint, Mr. Catello is a suspected member of the disturbing Nihilistic Violent Extremist (NVE) group '764' who preyed on minors and coerced them to send him explicit photos. The FBI, together with our partners at the Northern District of New York, is laser focused on investigating the predators connected to this sick network and ensuring they are brought to justice for their disturbing behavior."

The charge filed against Catello carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years in prison, a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life. A defendant's sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute(s) the defendant is convicted of violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.

Catello had an initial appearance yesterday in Albany, New York, before United States Magistrate Judge Paul J. Evangelista, and was detained pending a detention hearing scheduled for May 1, 2026.

The FBI is investigating the case with assistance from the New York State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexander Wentworth-Ping and Allen J. Vickey are prosecuting the case.

Project Safe Childhood is a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (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, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

The charges in the complaint are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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