Federal prosecutors are turning up the heat on Wael Isreb, a 67-year-old Wrentham resident and former concrete subcontractor owner, after a grand jury returned a superseding indictment accusing him of possessing and transporting child sexual-abuse material. Isreb pleaded not guilty on Friday during a remote appearance in U.S. District Court in Boston and remains free on bond, even as the new charges trace back to an August 2024 search that investigators say turned up illicit files on devices seized from his home.
Superseding Indictment Adds New Transportation Count
The latest indictment, filed this month, expands earlier federal allegations and adds a transportation charge to the case, according to court records. As reported by The Boston Globe, Isreb entered his not guilty plea during a remote arraignment in federal court in Boston and continues to fight the case while out on bond.
Investigators Cite NCMEC Tip and Phone Extraction
Federal authorities say the case started when the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children flagged material on the Kik messaging app tied to a user later identified as Isreb. Agents then executed search warrants at his Wrentham home in August 2024. According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, a forensic extraction of a phone allegedly uncovered 26 images and 115 videos depicting child sexual abuse.
Prior Convictions, Construction Ties and Court Relief
Isreb is no stranger to federal court. In 2014, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud and making false statements tied to renovation work at the John W. McCormack Post Office and Courthouse, at a time when he ran Taunton Forms, a now-defunct concrete company that prosecutors said pulled in more than $1 million as a subcontractor on the project. He also pleaded guilty in 2021 in Wrentham District Court to two counts of possession of child pornography and received a two-year probationary sentence. A judge later granted him relief from having to register as a sex offender, The Boston Globe reports.
What Prosecutors Say Is at Stake
Because of his prior conviction for a similar offense, federal prosecutors say the current possession charge carries enhanced penalties. Under federal law, possession after a prior conviction carries a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to 20 years in prison, at least five years of supervised release, and fines of up to $250,000. The case is being handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Major Crimes Unit as part of Project Safe Childhood, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office press release.
