Southern District of Alabama
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Forty-Two People Indicted for Participating in Drug Trafficking Organization Responsible for Overdose DeathsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Richard W. Moore of the Southern District of Alabama joined
Mobile Police Chief Lawrence L. Battiste, Mobile County Sheriff Sam Cochran, DEA Special
Agent in Charge Brad L. Byerley, HSI Special Agent in Charge Katrina W. Berger, ATF Acting
Special Agent in Charge Toby Taylor, and FBI Special Agent in Charge James Jewell in
announcing the unsealing today of a forty-eight count indictment charging forty-two members
and associates of a Mobile County, Alabama-based multi-state drug smuggling and distribution
organization known as the “Crossley Hills Drug Trafficking Organization (DTO).” The grand
jury charged the members and associates with narcotics conspiracy and firearms offenses. The
Grand Jury also charged that overdose deaths of four individuals were attributable to the drugs
trafficked by the Crossley Hills DTO. The indictment was the result of two years of an
Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force investigation by federal, state, and local law
enforcement into the narcotics activities of the Crossley Hills group.
To date, nineteen defendants have been taken into custody today; seven other defendants
were already in custody. Defendants arrested this morning in the Southern District of Alabama
will be presented and arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Katherine P. Nelson today. Three
defendants were to be arrested in the Western District of Louisiana today.
U.S. Attorney Richard W. Moore said: “The COVID pandemic has overshadowed
another public health crisis that still exists in our community: overdose death due to opioid
abuse. The indictment of those associated with the Crossley Hills drug trafficking organization
in West Mobile, Alabama represents the combined work of our local law enforcement agencies
plus our federal agencies to dismantle this criminal enterprise. This group peddled drugs that in
at least four cases resulted in the deaths of sons, daughters and other loved ones from our
community. The Crossley Hills organization sold a drug that was potent enough to kill its users
earning it the name “Grey Death.” There is no corner of our country or our community that has
been spared this national crisis, and we cannot arrest or prosecute our way out of it. This is
going to take a different kind of intervention by all of us in the community to prevent more
deaths from opioid abuse.”Mobile Police Chief Lawrence L. Battiste said, “I would like to emphasize the impact of
the collaboration of all of the agencies involved. There are 42 individuals in our community that
will no longer be allowed to prey on the most vulnerable among us. Our community is going to
be made better from the results of this operation.”
DEA Special Agent in Charge Brad L. Byerley said, “The wreckage caused by drugs and
violence affects everyone. No matter the amounts of drugs they sell, drug dealers breed crime in
our neighborhoods and are a danger to our children. Drug overdoses have increased dramatically
and are destroying countless lives. The arrests in this investigation demonstrate to the citizens of
Mobile and the surrounding area that law enforcement can come together and accomplish great
things. DEA and our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners will continue to
investigate those who distribute poison with no regard for human life. These arrests should also
serve as a warning to drug dealers in communities throughout this region and beyond your illegal
and destructive actions will not be tolerated.”
Mobile County Sheriff Sam Cochran said, “This joint investigation by all levels of law
enforcement shows how prevalent the opioid problem is within our community, and may for the
first time directly tie drug dealers to the deaths and overdoses of those in the chains of
addiction.”
“The days of these criminals selling poison and destroying lives are over,” said Special
Agent in Charge Katrina W. Berger, who oversees Homeland Security Investigations (HSI)
operations in Georgia and Alabama. “Powerful opioids like fentanyl have the potential to kill just
by contact and are far too dangerous to be sold on the street. HSI and its law enforcement
partners will continue to work tirelessly to bring an end to criminal organizations, like this, that
are flooding the community with dangerous drugs.”
ATF’s priority in the case focuses on the recovery of crime guns which include those that
have been stolen. The use of NIBIN technology will determine if these firearms have been used
in previous crimes. ATF Acting Special Agent in Charge Toby Taylor remarked, “ATF’s Crime
Gun Intelligence partnerships as part of Project Guardian focuses on the devastating impact of
firearms and narcotics trafficking violence and works with the entire community to provide a
safe environment.”
FBI Special Agent in Charge James Jewell stated, “This case is a testament to the
partnerships that exist among the state, local, and federal law enforcement entities in our area.
These arrests should sound the alarm for those who choose to sell this poison on our streets and
in our communities. FBI Mobile is proud to stand with our law enforcement partners in this
important mission.”
According to the indictment, the Crossley Hills DTO operated in Mobile County,
Alabama, and elsewhere, distributing various controlled substances, including heroin, fentanyl,
methamphetamine, Xanax, Oxycodone, Opana, and Roxicodone to customers in Southern
Alabama and elsewhere. Relying on regional and local sources of supply to acquire controlled
substances for its distribution, the indictment alleges that the Crossley Hills DTO, beginning in
2016, has distributed a substantial amount of the heroin in Mobile County, Alabama. These
heroin sales have led to numerous overdoses resulting in hospitalizations and deaths, according
to the indictment.
Charged in the indictment are Martin Carlton Melton, aka MC; Jessie Lee Andrews; Lisa
Overby Brokaw; Reginald Irvin Burgess; Melody Noel Cleburn, aka Angel Noel; Jimmy Earl
Conner; Mortimer Adrian Cottrell, aka Cuz; Khadarrin J. Crayton, aka KD; Chad Joshua
Delevieleuse, aka Chad the Pilot; Donna J. Delevieleuse; Kiairus Jamer Diamond, aka Nephew;
Julisa Natalia Dillard; Sydney Elizabeth Dunn; Marinda Olivia Loetta Heflin; Cornell Lemont
Houston, aka CJ; Avamae Gaynell Jackson, aka Ava; Tomocus Lawrence Jackson, aka J-Bo;
Richard Gaines Krause; Brittany Victoria Lovejoy; Harrison Lavelle Luker; Austin Tyler
Mamuscia; Tyler Weston Martin; Fitzalbert Norman Mcgloshen, aka Fitz; Gabrielle Antoinette
Mims; Jonas Moore, aka Rip; Autumn Jean Moorehead; Annetta Gaynell Owens, aka Gaynell;
Adam Joseph Owens, aka AJ; aka Big Homie; William Grant Owens, aka Whip, aka Surge;
Edwin Jerome Owens, aka EJ; Terry Lamont Owens, aka Solo; Amber Lee Parker, aka Amber
Russell; Ed Ray Patterson, aka Unc, aka Pop; Wendy Gale Roberts; Mark Robert Rupprecht, aka
Ghost; Alex Scott, aka Black; Lemont Stevens, aka Mont; Denton Taylor Stanley; and Jessica
Defloren Tubb aka Allie.
Six defendants were charged with distributing fentanyl that resulted in overdose deaths of
four people. Martin Carlton Melton, aka MC; Terry Lamont Owens, aka Solo; Cornell Lemont
Houston, aka CJ; Marinda Olivia Loetta Heflin; William Grant Owens, aka Whip, aka Surge;
and Jessica Defloren Tubb, aka Allie would be subject to a minimum mandatory sentence of
twenty years and a maximum of life if convicted. Sentences for other defendants would vary
depending on the type and amount of drugs attributable to them in the conspiracy.
In addition to the drug trafficking charges, five defendants were charged with firearms
violations. Adam Joseph Owens, aka AJ, was charged with possession of a firearm in furtherance
of a drug trafficking crime. Ed Ray Patterson, aka Unc, aka Pop; Tomocus Lawrence Jackson,
aka J-Bo, aka CJ; and Alex Scott, aka Black, were charged with possession of firearms after a
felony conviction.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Mobile Police
Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Mobile County
Sheriff’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation
under the auspices of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Alabama
Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force. The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency,
the Baldwin County Drug Task Force, and the Saraland Police Department provided key
investigative support to the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Luis F. Peral, Lead
OCDETF Attorney, and Assistant United States Attorney George F. May are handling
prosecution of the case for the United States.
The charges contained in an indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are
presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.Selma Resident Convicted on All Counts in Armed Bank Robbery TrialRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Richard W. Moore of the Southern District of Alabama announces that a federal jury in Mobile, Alabama found defendant Stanley Young, 32, of Selma, Alabama, guilty on all charges in an armed bank robbery case. United States District Judge Terry F. Moorer presided over the trial, which started on October 19, 2020 and ended three days later. Young is scheduled to be sentenced on January 21, 2021. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 17 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
After the jury’s verdicts, United States Attorney Richard W. Moore said, “This case demonstrates the efforts that we will take to catch and prosecute bank robbers. Local law enforcement and the FBI vigorously pursued the three suspects in this case and now all of them are going to the federal penitentiary. These three bank robbers believed that they could outsmart the cops and they were wrong. Also, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has some of the very best prosecutors in the country and we will spare no expense in bringing bank robbers to justice. Bank robbery violates the peace and dignity of our small towns like Marion, Alabama and we won’t stand for it. I offer my sincere thanks to all of our law enforcement partners who brought this case to a successful conclusion.”
On December 30, 2019, a federal grand jury for the Southern District of Alabama charged Young and his two codefendants, Jabriel Bell and Fortune Hoppins, with bank robbery and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a violent crime. Hoppins and Bell entered guilty pleas in July. Hoppins is scheduled to be sentenced on November 16, 2020. Bell’s sentencing date is December 3, 2020.
The jury heard evidence that on September 14, 2016, Young, Bell, and Hoppins robbed the West Alabama Bank & Trust, a federally insured bank in Marion, Alabama. The victim tellers testified that one robber, Bell, held them at gunpoint while another robber, Hoppins, stole money from the tellers’ drawers. Eyewitness testimony and expert analysis of historical cell-site records established that Young was the getaway driver. After the robbery, the defendants fled the crime scene and later set fire to the getaway car on the side of a county road a few miles from the bank. There, the robbers moved to a “switch car,” which Young had borrowed earlier on the morning of the robbery, to flee from Marion to Selma. Young and Hoppins then fled to Connecticut, where they were located and arrested by the United States Marshals Service.
The FBI, the Fourth Judicial Circuit Drug Task Force, the Perry County Sheriff’s Office, the Marion Police Department, the Selma Police Department, and the Bridgeport, Connecticut Police Department investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorneys Sinan Kalayoglu and Justin Roller are prosecuting the case.
Former Selma Police Department Officer Pleads Guilty to Obstruction of Justice ChargesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Richard W. Moore of the Southern District of Alabama announces that Matthew Blaine Till, 33, a former officer of the Selma Police Department, pled guilty before United States District Judge Jeffrey U. Beaverstock on September 25, 2020 to three felony counts of obstruction of justice by corrupt persuasion of a witness.
At his plea hearing, Till admitted the following facts:
On April 30, 2020, Till used force against a citizen while on duty as a Selma police officer. On multiple occasions thereafter, Till instructed a fellow law-enforcement officer not to say anything to anyone—including a federal agent—regarding a phone call Till had received from his wife shortly before the use-of-force incident. Till admitted that he gave those instructions with the intent to hinder, delay, or prevent the communication to a federal law-enforcement officer of information relating to the possible commission of a federal civil-rights violation. As part of his plea agreement, Till will no longer be able to work in local, municipal, state or federal law enforcement, nor as a corrections officer or private security guard. Judge Beaverstock has scheduled sentencing for December 28, 2020. Till faces up to twenty years in prison.
Till has pending state criminal charges in Dallas County, Alabama. On September 29, 2020, a state grand jury returned a three-count indictment against Till, charging him with second-degree assault, a felony, first-degree unlawful imprisonment, a misdemeanor, and obstructing governmental operations, a misdemeanor. An indictment is a determination by a grand jury that there is probable cause to believe that offenses have been committed by a defendant. A defendant, of course, is presumed innocent until and unless he or she is proven guilty at trial.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Office of the Alabama Attorney General investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorneys Justin Roller and Deborah Griffin prosecuted the federal case in coordination with the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office, which is prosecuting the state case.
Man Sentenced to 151 Months for Child Pornography OffenseRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Richard W. Moore of the Southern District of Alabama announced that Ryan Milholland, 50, formerly of Daphne, Alabama, was sentenced today in federal court on a charge of distribution of child pornography. Miholland pled guilty to the charge in June of 2020.
According to court documents filed in connection with his guilty plea, an Alabama Law Enforcement Agency agent was conducting a routine undercover internet investigation when he discovered an IP address number that was sharing suspected child pornography. These files were available to share through a public file sharing network called Shareaza. The agent was able to determine the physical address associated with the IP address, which belonged to Milholland.
Milholland agreed to provide a statement regarding his internet activity and consented to a preliminary search of his computer. During Milholland’s statement he admitted to utilizing Shareaza to download pornography to his computer. Milholland stated that he became concerned with the law enforcement presence at his apartment complex, and knowing that his computer contained illicit images of minors, he started a program to wipe the hard drive in his computer. He stated he started this program because he knew it was against the law to possess images of minors in illicit activity. The search of Milholland’s computer uncovered 3,232 files of potential child abuse material.
United States District Court Judge Jeffrey Beaverstock imposed a sentence of 151 months imprisonment. The judge ordered that Milholland serve a fifteen-year term of supervised release beginning upon his discharge from prison. Upon his release from prison, Milholland will be required to undergo sex offender treatment, to register as a sex offender, and to have no contact with minors. Judge Beaverstock ordered that Milholland pay $5,100 in special assessments.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals, federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood and for information about internet safety education, visit www.usdoj.gov/psc
The case was investigated by the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency and Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted in the United States Attorney’s Office by Assistant United States Attorney Kacey Chappelear.
Manufacturers of "Spice" Sentenced for Operating A Continuing Criminal Enterprise and Other CrimesRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – Two defendants were sentenced Wednesday to 20 years each in federal prison for crimes committed in connection with the manufacture of synthetic cannabinoid products (commonly referred to as “spice”), operating a continuing criminal enterprise, manufacturing and distributing controlled substance analogues, wire fraud, mail fraud, money laundering, maintaining a drug premises, and possession of a listed chemical with the intent to manufacture a controlled substance.
On July 3, 2019, following a ten-day federal jury trial in Las Vegas, Nevada, Charles Burton Ritchie, 49, of Park City, Utah, and Benjamin Galecki, 46, of Pensacola, Florida, were found guilty of 24 counts, including operating a continuing criminal enterprise, manufacturing and possessing with the intent to distribute controlled substance analogues, and money laundering, among other related charges.
“Charles Burton Ritchie and Benjamin Galecki operated a nationwide criminal enterprise, selling dangerous drugs worth millions of dollars that contained illegal ingredients imported from China,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian C. Rabbitt of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “These sentences demonstrate the department’s commitment to aggressively pursuing criminals who seek to circumvent U.S. drug laws by selling dangerous drugs that threaten the health of our communities across the nation.”
“Our office appreciates the opportunity to work closely with our law enforcement partners and the national Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces to dismantle this illegal drug-manufacturing operation,” said U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich of the District of Nevada. “Our joint efforts have helped curb the flow of spice into communities across the country.”
“Working collaboratively with our justice partners to rid our communities of spice and other toxic cannabinoid products helps save lives,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Dan Neill of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration Las Vegas Field Office. “Disrupting this organization sends a clear message that we will not tolerate those who prey on our communities to further their criminal activity.”
“Ritchie and Galecki benefited greatly at the detriment of our community and others by putting illegal drugs on the streets and profiting from it,” said Special Agent in Charge Tara Sullivan, IRS Criminal Investigation. “IRS Criminal Investigation is proud to serve on the side of justice to clean up the streets.”
According to court documents and evidence presented during trial, from March 21 to July 25, 2012, Ritchie and Galecki owned and managed Zencense Incenseworks, a company that (a) manufactured smokable synthetic cannabinoid products and (b) marketed and sold them as “potpourri,” “incense,” or “aromatherapy.” Ritchie and Galecki rented a warehouse in Las Vegas for the sole purpose of manufacturing these synthetic products, which contained the dangerous chemical XLR-11 — a controlled substance analogue. At the Las Vegas warehouse, a Zencense employee would mix XLR-11 with acetone and liquid flavoring, and then apply the chemical mixture to dried plant material. Next, the employee would mail the compounded mixture to Ritchie and Galecki in Pensacola, Florida, where other workers would place the spice into small retail bags.
The defendants sold their products — with suggestive brand names such as “Bizarro,” “Orgazmo,” “Headhunter,” and “Defcon 5 Total Annihilation” — to smoke shops across the United States. From June 1 to July 25, 2012, Ritchie and Galecki were responsible for manufacturing and distributing approximately 4,000 pounds of spice, and they made approximately $1.61 million selling XLR-11 spice manufactured in Nevada.
In two separate cases that were transferred to the District of Nevada, the defendants were each sentenced for money laundering and unlawful monetary transactions. Ritchie received nine years in federal prison for charges brought in the Southern District of Alabama and nine years in federal prison for charges brought in the Eastern District of Virginia. Galecki received eight years in federal prison for charges brought in the Southern District of Alabama and eight years in federal prison for charges brought in the Eastern District of Virginia. All sentences will run concurrent to each other. Additionally, the defendants were ordered to forfeit approximately $2.5 million as a result of their illegal enterprise in the District of Nevada.
This case was investigated by the IRS-Criminal Investigation, the DEA, and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys James Keller and Daniel Hollingsworth of the District of Nevada and Trial Attorneys Cole Radovich and Acting Assistant Deputy Chief Jason Ruiz of the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Deborah Griffin of the Southern District of Alabama and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric Hurt and Kevin Hudson of the Eastern District of Virginia prosecuted the separate cases that were transferred to the District of Nevada.
The case was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking, and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
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Defendant Sentenced to One Year in Prison in Public Corruption CaseRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Richard W. Moore of the Southern District of Alabama announced today that Chief United States District Judge Kristi K. DuBose sentenced defendant James Antuan Blackman, 33, of Mobile, Alabama, to imprisonment for one year and one day for theft concerning programs receiving federal funds and money laundering. As part of the sentence, the judge ordered that Blackman undergo three years of supervised release after finishing his term of imprisonment, pay a $200 mandatory special assessment, and pay $200,000 in restitution to the City of Prichard.
On December 18, 2019, a federal grand jury for the Southern District of Alabama returned an 18-count indictment against Blackman, charging him with theft concerning programs receiving federal funds, wire fraud, and money laundering. On February 19, 2020, Blackman pleaded guilty before the Court to one count of theft concerning programs receiving federal funds and one count of money laundering.
Blackman admitted to the following facts as part of his guilty plea. From around November 2016 to around January 16, 2018, Blackman was the Chief of Staff and Administrative Assistant to the Mayor of Prichard, Alabama. In that position, Blackman was an agent of the City of Prichard, Alabama, a local government that received over $10,000 under a federal program involving federal assistance during each year material to the indictment. From around November 2016 to around January 2018, Blackman used his position with the City of Prichard to enrich himself by diverting to his personal benefit approximately $200,000 in money and property belonging to the City of Prichard. Blackman enriched himself in several ways. He falsified invoices to the City of Prichard. He took and deposited for himself checks payable to the City of Prichard, and checks payable to other entities in the care, custody and control of the City of Prichard. Blackman also used his position with the City of Prichard to divert ownership of real property located on Outlaw Road, Herndon Avenue, and Stoval Street from the City of Prichard for his personal benefit. Finally, Blackman laundered money by causing a wire transfer of approximately $39,200.36 in criminal proceeds to be sent from a Regions Bank account that he controlled to a title company to facilitate the purchase of real property.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation investigated the case with assistance from the Investigations Team of the Mobile County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant United States Attorneys George Martin and Sinan Kalayoglu prosecuted the case.
Conecuh County Man Sentenced to 37 Months for Being a Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Richard W. Moore of the Southern District of Alabama announced that Matthew John Cobb, 35, of Castleberry, Alabama, was sentenced in federal court for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. Cobb pleaded guilty to the charge in April of 2020.
In connection with his guilty plea, Cobb admitted that in June 2019, law enforcement officials were investigating him as a suspect in string of hunting-camp burglaries that resulted in several stolen firearms. On June 13, 2019, a special response team located Cobb in the attic of a residence in Brooklyn, Alabama. Officers found a backpack in the attic that contained stolen items, including a .45-caliber handgun. During a post-Miranda interview, Cobb admitted that he possessed the handgun that was recovered from the backpack inside the attic. Cobb also acknowledged that he was a convicted felon and was aware that he was not supposed to possess firearms. At the time he possessed the firearm, Cobb had a prior felony conviction for Theft of Property, First Degree in the Circuit Court of Conecuh County, Alabama.
Chief United States District Court Judge Kristi K. DuBose imposed a sentence of 37 months’ incarceration, to be followed by a three-year term of supervised release. During that time, Cobb will undergo testing and treatment for substance abuse and will receive mental health evaluation and treatment. The court did not impose a fine, but the judge ordered Cobb to pay $100 in special assessments.
This case was investigated by the Conecuh County Sheriff’s Office, the Covington County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted in the United States Attorney’s Office by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher Baugh.
Florida Man Sentenced to 24 Months for Threatening a Mass ShootingRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Richard W. Moore of the Southern District of Alabama announced that Thomas Matthew McVicker, 39, of Punta Gorda, Florida, was sentenced today in federal court on a charge of Interstate Transmission of Threat to Injure. McVicker pled guilty to the charge in April of 2020.
According to court documents filed in connection with his guilty plea, in August 2019 McVicker sent an acquaintance, who lived in Baldwin County, Alabama, a series of text messages about conducting a mass shooting. McVicker wrote “I was thinking about shooting a church up but I’m afraid how it will affect my family in the flesh after I’m gone. So I think I’m just gonna kill some people on the street and get away with it then kill myself.” Three days later McVicker called that same acquaintance and told her that he was going to “shoot up” a church when he was in Memphis on August 22. FBI agents were able to confirm with McVicker’s employer that he was scheduled to be in Memphis on August 22. McVicker’s employer provided the FBI with his location, and McVicker was arrested without incident. At the time of his arrest, McVicker was in possession of a Ruger 9mm semi-automatic handgun, five 9mm magazines (one loaded with ten 9mm rounds of ammunition), one magazine assist loader, and two (2) full boxes of fifty (50) rounds of 9mm ammunition. During a police interview, McVicker admitted to making the threats but denied his intent to follow through. McVicker admitted to authorities that he has a history of mental health issues.
United States District Court Judge Terry Moorer imposed a sentence of 24 months imprisonment. The judge ordered that McVicker undergo mental health treatment while incarcerated and after release. The judge also ordered McVicker to serve a three-year term of supervised release beginning upon his discharge from prison. Judge Moorer ordered that McVicker pay $100 in special assessments. McVicker agreed to forfeit the firearm and ammunition.
The case was investigated by the FBI offices in Tampa, Florida; Zionsville, Indiana; and Mobile, Alabama. It was prosecuted in the United States Attorney’s Office by Assistant United States Attorney Kacey Chappelear.
Three Alabama U.S. Attorneys Warn of Misleading Information and Fake Documents Regarding Face Mask ExemptionsRead the Press Release
Montgomery, Alabama – The three United States Attorneys in Alabama join together to warn citizens that cards and other documents bearing the Department of Justice seal and claiming that individuals are exempt from face mask requirements are fraudulent.
Inaccurate flyers or other postings have been circulating on the web and via social media channels regarding the use of face masks and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many of these notices include the use of the Department of Justice seal and the Civil Rights Division’s ADA Information Line phone number.
As stated in a previous alert, the Department of Justice did not issue and does not endorse them in any way. The public should not rely on the information contained in these postings.
The ADA does not provide a blanket exemption to people with disabilities from complying with legitimate safety requirements necessary for safe operations. The public can visit ADA.gov or call the ADA Information Line at 800-514-0301 (voice) and 800-514-0383 (TTY) for more information.
Alabama Orthopaedic Clinic, P.C. and Dr. Russell A. Hudgens to Pay the United States $74,000 in Civil PenaltiesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Richard W. Moore, of the Southern District of Alabama, announces that Alabama Orthopaedic Clinic, P.C. (AOC) and Dr. Russell A. Hudgens, have agreed to pay $74,000 to settle civil allegations that they violated the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). AOC, an orthopaedic clinic located in Mobile, Alabama, also operated a Workers’ Compensation Pharmacy (Pharmacy), where Dr. Hudgens served as the registrant with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
Congress passed the CSA to combat the illegal distribution and abuse of highly addictive and dangerous controlled substances, and requires individuals and entities, such as Dr. Hudgens and AOC, who are registered with DEA, to maintain complete and accurate records of all controlled substances. The CSA is enforced by the DEA’s Diversion Control Division.
“Failure to maintain proper records of narcotics like oxycodone and hydrocodone contribute to the opioid crisis,” said U.S. Attorney Moore. “Our Office is committed to ensuring total compliance with the Controlled Substances Act, and we will vigorously enforce violations wherever we find them.”
The United States alleges that between January 1, 2019, and August 5, 2019, AOC and Dr. Hudgens violated the CSA by failing to make a complete and accurate record of all controlled substances on hand at the time the Pharmacy began dispensing and every two years thereafter, failing to maintain complete and accurate records of each controlled substance received, sold, delivered or otherwise disposed of, and failing to record dates and quantities of controlled substances as they were received.
“Today’s settlement highlights DEA efforts to ensure that our pharmaceutical drug supply system remains in compliance with the Controlled Substances Act,” said Clay Morris, DEA Assistant Special Agent In Charge for the Birmingham Field Office. “Securing our nation’s pharmaceutical drug supply is of critical importance in our fight against the opioid epidemic and drug addiction. Proper record keeping of controlled substances by DEA registrants is a major responsibility to ensure the safety of our communities. DEA’s Diversion Control Program is unwavering in their commitment to maintain a safe, secure and accountable drug supply system.”The investigation and settlement were conducted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Alabama and DEA’s Mobile Field Division. The United States recognizes the investigative cooperation of AOC and Dr. Hudgens, including the voluntary closure of AOC’s Pharmacy. The CSA claims settled are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
Foley Man Sentenced to 30 Years for Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Richard W. Moore of the Southern District of Alabama announced that Corey Steele, 33, of Foley, Alabama, was sentenced today in federal court on a charge of production of child pornography. Steele pled guilty to the charge in June of 2019.
According to court documents filed in connection with his guilty plea, Foley Police Department received a tip that Steele was in possession of images of child pornography. During the course of their investigation, Foley Police were able to determine that Steele’s co-defendant, Krystal Sanspree, and Steele were involved in a romantic relationship. During the course of their relationship, Steele requested that Sanspree take sexually explicit photos of a child. Sanspree complied, and subsequently sent the images to Steele. Some of the images depicted Sanspree engaged in sex acts with a child. When interviewed, Sanspree admitted to taking the photos. Steele admitted to requesting the photos and stated that he directed Sanspree to do the specific things portrayed in the photos. Both Steele and Sanspree were in possession of the images at the time of their arrest.
United States District Court Judge Callie V.S. Granade imposed a sentence of 360 months imprisonment. The judge ordered that Steele undergo mental health treatment, sex offender treatment, and drug and alcohol treatment while incarcerated. The judge also ordered Steele to serve a fifteen-year term of supervised release beginning upon his discharge from prison. Upon his release from prison, Steele will be required to register as a sex offender. Judge Granade ordered that Steele pay $10,100 in special assessments. Krystal Sanspree was previously sentenced to twenty years in prison for her crimes.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals, federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood and for information about internet safety education, visit www.usdoj.gov/psc
The case was investigated by the Foley Police Department and the Department of Homeland Security. It was prosecuted in the United States Attorney’s Office by Assistant United States Attorney Kacey Chappelear.
Fairhope Man Sentenced to 60 Months for Child Pornography OffenseRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Richard W. Moore of the Southern District of Alabama announced that Tadd Mitchell, 58, of Fairhope, Alabama, was sentenced in federal court on a charge of receipt of child pornography. Mitchell pled guilty to the charge in March of 2020.
According to court documents filed in connection with his guilty plea, Alabama Law Enforcement Agency received a tip that an email address associated with the defendant had received images of child pornography. The images were reviewed and found to contain graphic and lascivious depictions of the genitalia of pre-pubescent females. On November 6, 2019, investigators with BCSO, Fairhope Police, ALEA, Gulf Shores Police and HSI executed a search warrant at Mitchell’s residence. Mitchell was interviewed, and admitted to viewing and possessing child pornography. Mitchell’s phone was seized and analyzed. There were 43 images and videos of child pornography found on his phone, as well as a search history indicative of searching for images of child pornography. Mitchell’s laptop was also seized and analyzed. There were 250 images and videos found on the laptop.
United States District Court Chief Judge Kristi DuBose imposed a sentence of 60 months imprisonment. The judge ordered that Mitchell serve a fifteen-year term of supervised release beginning upon his discharge from prison. Upon his release from prison, Mitchell will be required to undergo sex offender treatment and to register as a sex offender. Judge DuBose ordered that Mitchell pay $5100 in special assessments and $5000 in restitution. Mitchell will be prohibited from have any contact with minors that are not his own children.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals, federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood and for information about internet safety education, visit www.usdoj.gov/psc
The case was investigated by the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted in the United States Attorney’s Office by Assistant United States Attorney Kacey Chappelear.
Selma Man with Felony Manslaughter Conviction Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Possessing Stolen FirearmRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Richard W. Moore of the Southern District of Alabama announced that Oscar Dewayne Blevins, 26, of Selma, Alabama, was sentenced in federal court for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. Blevins pleaded guilty to the charge in March of 2020.
In connection with his guilty plea, Blevins admitted that on December 29, 2019, he was stopped at a driver’s license checkpoint for driving a car with no tag. Deputies with the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office noticed the odor of marijuana emanating from the car. Deputies asked Blevins, the sole occupant of the car, if he had smoked any marijuana inside the car. Blevins replied, “yes,” and stated that he had “smoked some last night at the club.” Blevins gave deputies consent to search the car. Deputies recovered a loaded Hi-Point 9mm pistol underneath the driver’s seat. Blevins admitted to possessing the pistol, which had been reported stolen. Blevins also admitted that he knew he was a convicted felon and therefore could not possess firearms. At the time he possessed the pistol, Blevins had prior felony convictions for Manslaughter and Possession of Marijuana, First Degree in the Circuit Court of Dallas County, Alabama.
Senior United States District Court Judge William H. Steele imposed a sentence of 60 months’ incarceration, to be followed by a three-year term of supervised release. During that time, Blevins will undergo testing and treatment for substance abuse and will receive mental health evaluation and treatment. The court did not impose a fine, but the judge ordered Blevins to pay $100 in special assessments.
This case was investigated by the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted in the United States Attorney’s Office by Assistant United States Attorney Justin D. Roller.
Selma Man Sentenced to Maximum After Trial on Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
Richard W. Moore, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Alabama, announces that Jessie James Turner, Jr., has been sentenced to ten years in prison after his conviction of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Turner’s jury trial took place at the federal courthouse in Selma, Alabama in November 2019.
United States District Court Judge Terry F. Moorer presided over the trial and imposed the 120-month sentence, which is the maximum amount allowed by federal law. According to testimony at the trial, the case arose after Turner started firing a gun through walls of his apartment and the Selma Police Department was called to the scene. Turner was found in possession of two AR-15 assault rifles and a .40 caliber handgun. Under federal law, Turner is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition as a result of his previous felony convictions which included Criminal Mischief, 1st; Certain Persons Forbidden to Possess a Firearm; Assault, 2nd; and an additional conviction for Assault, 2nd. Before announcing the sentence, Judge Moorer specifically found that Mr. Turner was a danger to the community.
The case was tried by Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Kasee S. Heisterhagen with the assistance of AUSA George F. May. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Selma Police Department.
Inmate and Corrections Officer Sentenced in Federal Court on Drug Conspiracy ChargesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Richard W. Moore of the Southern District of Alabama announced that Wiggins Washington, 52, of Bay Minette, Alabama, and Michael Rashard Dread, 34, of Foley, Alabama, were sentenced on June 2, 2020, in federal court for their involvement in a scheme to smuggle two ounces of methamphetamine ice into Fountain Correctional Facility in Atmore. Washington, a corrections officer employed at the facility, was arrested after meeting a person he believed to be the supplier of the drugs in Bay Minette. A confidential informant had provided information to the Department of Homeland Security Investigation about the scheme, and law enforcement intervened to arrange a controlled delivery so that Washington could be arrested prior to his delivering the drugs to the inmates who planned the drug deal from the prison. Dread was an inmate in the prison serving time on a prior state drug charge. Washington pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and carrying a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking charge in September of 2019. Dread pled guilty to the conspiracy charge in October of 2019.
United States District Court Judge Terry F. Moorer imposed a sentence of 84 months in Washington’s case, consisting of the statutory minimum mandatory consecutive penalty of five years on the gun charge, with a consecutive sentence of 24 months on the drug charge. The judge ordered that Washington will serve a five year term of supervised release when he completes his custody sentence. No fine was imposed, but the judge ordered that Washington pay $200 in special mandatory assessments and forfeit the firearm used in the offense.
Dread was sentenced to a term of 120 months imprisonment, to be followed a five year term of supervised release. As conditions of his supervised release term, the judge ordered that Dread undergo testing and treatment for drug abuse and mental health treatment, if recommended by the probation office. No fine was imposed, but the judge ordered that Dread pay $100 in special mandatory assessments.
A third participant in the scheme, inmate Kevin Depaul Davidson, 46, was previously sentenced by Judge Moorer in February of 2020 to a term of 262 months imprisonment. Davidson was serving a life sentence on state charges at the time of his participation in the scheme.
The investigation was conducted by the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, and the Department of Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted in the United States Attorney’s Office by Assistant United States Attorney Gloria Bedwell.Illegal Alien Sentenced to 57 Months in Prison for Unlawful Reentry into United StatesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Richard W. Moore of the Southern District of Alabama announced today that United States District Judge Terry F. Moorer sentenced defendant Valeriano Cuevas-Mendoza, 35, an illegal alien from Mexico, to imprisonment for 57 months for unlawful entry into the United States by a deported alien. Cuevas-Mendoza faced up to 20 years imprisonment due to a prior conviction for an aggravated felony offense. As part of the sentence, the judge ordered that Cuevas-Mendoza undergo three years of supervised release after finishing his term of imprisonment, pay a $100 mandatory special assessment, and receive deportation consideration.
On November 26, 2019, a federal grand jury for the Southern District of Alabama charged Cuevas-Mendoza with one count of reentry of removed aliens in violation of 8 U.S.C. § 1326(a). On January 24, 2020, Cuevas-Mendoza pleaded guilty to the charge before the Court.
Cuevas-Mendoza admitted to the following facts as part of his guilty plea. On October 4, 2019, a Thomasville Police Department officer lawfully arrested Cuevas-Mendoza for burglary in the third degree in Clarke County, Alabama. (On December 5, 2019, the defendant pleaded guilty to the burglary offense in Clarke County Circuit Court in Grove Hill, Alabama.) On October 8, 2019, Cuevas-Mendoza’s fingerprints were enrolled into immigration and criminal biometric databases. The databases verified that Cuevas-Mendoza was a citizen and national of the Republic of Mexico and had an alien registration number. An immigration records search revealed that on May 17, 2011, an immigration judge in Atlanta, Georgia ordered Cuevas-Mendoza removed to Mexico. On June 21, 2011, Cuevas-Mendoza was physically removed from the United States and returned to Mexico. On October 31, 2011, Cuevas-Mendoza was apprehended by United States Border Patrol agents near Hebbronville, Texas, and he was subsequently charged with illegal reentry after deportation. On May 3, 2012, Cuevas-Mendoza was sentenced to 38 months imprisonment in United States District Court in Laredo, Texas for violating 8 U.S.C. § 1326 (reentry by a deported alien) in the Southern District of Texas. On October 9, 2014, Cuevas-Mendoza was physically removed from the United States and returned to Mexico. At the time of his arrest on October 4, 2019 in the Southern District of Alabama, Cuevas-Mendoza was an illegal alien who was unlawfully present in the United States, and he had not obtained permission of the Attorney General of the United States or the United States Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security to reapply for admission into the United States.
The United States Customs and Border Protection investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Sinan Kalayoglu prosecuted the case.
Guatemalan Women Sentenced for Using Social Security Number of Deceased Person to Cicumvent the E-Verify SystemRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL — Richard W. Moore, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Alabama, announces that Magdalena Vasquez Garcia (age 44, of Guatemala) has been sentenced to time served and one year of supervised release after pleading guilty to using a Social Security number issued to another individual for purposes of circumventing the E-Verify System. E-Verify is a system that allows employers to confirm the eligibility of their employees to work in the United States. Garcia also faces potential immigration consequences following her sentencing.
During the course of an investigation into another matter, special agents with the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Labor determined that certain individuals working at a nursery in Mobile County were circumventing the E-Verify System by using Social Security numbers that had been issued to other individuals. One of the individuals doing so was Magdalena Vasquez Garcia, a Guatemalan national illegally present in the United States. Specifically, Garcia was using a Social Security number assigned to a now-deceased woman who had lived in Texas. During the course of this investigation, it was determined that this same Social Security number was being used by other individuals illegally working in Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, and Tennessee.
This case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Labor, and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Bodnar.
Felon in Possession of a Gun Sentenced in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Richard W. Moore of the Southern District of Alabama announced that Jacob Clark Jackson, 29, of Mobile, was sentenced today in federal court to five days in custody as time served on the charge of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. Jackson pled guilty to the charge in October of 2018.
United States District Court Judge Kristi K. Dubose imposed the sentence, ordering that Jackson would be on supervised release for three years, with the first 12 months to be served in home confinement. Jackson was ordered to undergo mental health counseling and drug abuse treatment as conditions of his supervision. No fine was imposed, but Jackson was ordered to pay $100 special mandatory assessment.
The investigation was conducted by the Mobile Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted in the United States Attorney’s Office by Assistant United States Attorney Gloria Bedwell.
Defendant Sentened to 18 Months for Being a Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Richard W. Moore of the Southern District of Alabama announced that United States District Judge Jeffrey U. Beaverstock sentenced defendant Richard Truman Godwin, aka Richard Truman Smith, 48, of Mobile, Alabama, to imprisonment for 18 months for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. As part of the sentence, the judge ordered that Godwin undergo three years of supervised release after finishing his term of imprisonment, pay a $100 mandatory special assessment, and receive testing and treatment for substance abuse.
On October 30, 2019, a federal grand jury for the Southern District of Alabama charged Godwin with one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1), which prohibits convicted felons from possessing a firearm. On January 30, 2020, Godwin pleaded guilty to the charge before the Court.
Godwin admitted to the following facts at his plea hearing. On September 3, 2019, narcotics investigators with the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office initiated surveillance of a Citgo gas station on Springhill Avenue in Mobile after viewing a Snapchat video in which a male individual said that he had narcotics and would be selling them at the gas station. Investigators saw the person from the Snapchat video and numerous other persons loitering and engaging in hand-to-hand transactions at the gas station. Godwin parked his vehicle near a fuel pump at the gas station, exited the vehicle, walked toward the convenience store portion of the station at the same time as the individual from the Snapchat video, and returned to his vehicle shortly thereafter. When deputies approached Godwin’s vehicle, they immediately detected the strong odor of burnt marijuana. Godwin gave deputies verbal consent to search his vehicle. During their search, deputies recovered a Charter Arms, .38-caliber revolver, which was plainly visible in the driver’s side door pocket of Godwin’s vehicle. Godwin knowingly possessed the revolver, which had previously traveled in interstate commerce. At the time of the incident, Godwin had at least four prior felony convictions in the Circuit Court of Mobile County, including unlawful breaking and entering a vehicle, burglary in the first degree, unlawful possession of a controlled substance, and burglary in the third degree. Each of these felony offenses prohibited Godwin from possessing a firearm.
The Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations and the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorneys Sinan Kalayoglu and Justin Roller prosecuted the case.
Armed Drug Dealer Sentenced in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Richard W. Moore of the Southern District of Alabama announced that Keiuntea Antonio Banks, 25, of Mobile, was sentenced today in federal court to a term of 10 years imprisonment for his possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine, carrying a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime, and felon in possession of a firearm. Banks pled guilty to the three charges in January of 2020.
United States District Court Judge Kristi K. Dubose imposed the 10 year sentence, consisting of the statutory minimum mandatory penalty of five years on the drug count, concurrent with five years on the felon in possession count. The statutory minimum mandatory five years on the carrying a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking felony requires a consecutive sentence, for a total period of imprisonment of 120 months. The judge ordered that Banks will serve a five year term of supervised release when he completes his custody sentence. He will undergo mental health and drug treatment programs during his supervision. No fine was imposed, but the judge ordered that the defendant pay $300 in special mandatory assessments.
The investigation was conducted by the Mobile Police Department, the Prichard Police Department, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, the United States Marshals Fugitive Task Force, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted in the United States Attorney’s Office by Assistant United States Attorney Gloria Bedwell.
Mobile Woman Charged After Smashing Police Car Window During Mobile ProtestsRead the Press Release
Richard W. Moore, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Alabama, announced today that a Mobile woman has been charged by criminal complaint with obstructing, impeding, and interfering with law enforcement during the course of a civil disorder that affected interstate commerce. Tia Deyon Pugh will make her initial appearance in United States District Court today at 10:30 a.m. before Magistrate Judge P. Bradley Murray.
According to the criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court and unsealed today, Pugh attended the May 31, 2020 protest in downtown Mobile following the death of George Floyd while in the custody of the Minneapolis Police Department. The affidavit filed in connection with the complaint alleges that Pugh and her fiancée both brought bats to the protest.
The complaint alleges that during the course of the protest, some individuals, including Pugh, left the main protest route and congregated on the Interstate 10 on-ramp at the intersection of Government Street and Water Street. Mobile Police Department Officers were deployed to the scene to prevent the protesters from walking up the on-ramp and blocking the westbound traffic on I-10. Protesters refused to follow MPD orders to disperse, and the scene became chaotic. During this chaos, according to the complaint, Pugh approached a marked and occupied MPD vehicle and used the bat she brought to the protest to smash in the passenger side window.
As alleged in the complaint, due to the protesters’ presence on the Water Street on-ramp, MPD was forced to close the I-10 exits at Water Street westbound and Exit 26B eastbound. These closures led to traffic disruptions on I-10. In particular, commercial vehicles carrying hazardous materials were forced to make a 19.5 mile detour to avoid the George C. Wallace Tunnel.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.Thomasville Felon Sentenced to Three Years in Prison for Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
Richard W. Moore, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Alabama, announces that Gerarde Rodiquez Madison (36 years old, of Thomasville, Alabama) has been sentenced to three years in prison following his guilty plea to possessing a firearm after having been convicted of a felony offense.
As part of his plea agreement, Madison admitted the following facts about this case:
On August 16, 2019, Thomasville Police Department was operating a sobriety checkpoint on Old Highway 43 in Thomasville. Just before midnight, a driver later identified as Madison was stopped at the checkpoint. When Madison rolled down his window, officers manning the checkpoint could smell the odor of marijuana emanating from the vehicle, and the officers could see what appeared to be marijuana in plain view. Thereafter, Madison was arrested on state marijuana possession charges.
Following his arrest, a search was done of Madison’s vehicle. Officers found a loaded Croatian-made handgun and ammunition in the vehicle. Prior to his possessing this handgun, Madison had two prior convictions for First Degree Possession of Marijuana, both in Clark County.
Madison admitted that he knowingly possessed the gun and that he knew such possession was prohibited due to his past felony convictions. Madison also agreed to the forfeiture of the firearm.
U.S. District Court Judge Terry Moorer sentenced Madison to 36 months in federal prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release.
This case was investigated by FBI-Mobile and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Bodnar.
Spanish Fort Woman Sentenced to Five Years Probation for Forging Prescriptions for HydrocodoneRead the Press Release
Richard W. Moore, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Alabama, announces that Lane Hamblin (40, of Spanish Fort) has been sentenced to five years probation after pleading guilty to obtaining hydrocodone using forged prescriptions.
As part of her plea agreement, Hamblin admitted the following facts about this case:
Prior to her arrest in this case, Hamblin worked as an office manager at a dental practice in Mobile County, where she was able to gain access to blank prescription papers in the fall of 2017.
Starting in October 2017, Hamblin began accessing the office’s computer system to create unauthorized hydrocodone prescriptions in the names of either actual or fictitious patients. Once a prescription was created in the computer system, Hamblin printed it out on the blank prescription papers, and then went back into the computer system to try to delete any trace of what she had done. Thereafter, Hamblin forged the name of one of the dentists who formerly practiced in that office. Finally, Hamblin filled the forged hydrocodone prescriptions at various pharmacies around Mobile and Baldwin County.
Between October 13, 2017 and her arrest outside the Publix Pharmacy in Daphne on November 6, 2019, Hamblin successfully acquired hydrocodone pills using forged prescriptions on approximately 170 occasions.
This case was investigated by DEA-Mobile, and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Bodnar.
Felon in Possession of a Firearm Sentenced in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Richard W. Moore of the Southern District of Alabama announced that Scott Allen Bagley, 38 of Bay Minette, Alabama, was sentenced in federal court today for his illegal possession of a firearm after having been convicted of a felony. Bagley pled guilty to the charge in November of 2019.
United States District Court Judge Jeffery U. Beaverstock imposed a sentence of 51 months imprisonment, which will be followed by a supervised release term of three years. The judge did not impose a fine, but ordered that Bagley pay the $100 special assessment. The judge also ordered the forfeiture of the illegally possessed firearm.
The case was investigated by the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office and the Department of Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted in the United States Attorney’s Office by Assistant United States Attorney Gloria Bedwell.
Armed Drug Dealer Sentenced in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Richard W. Moore of the Southern District of Alabama announced that Donald Andrew Johnson, also known as “Big Worm,” 38, of Semmes, Alabama, was sentenced in federal court today for his participation in the distribution of methamphetamine while armed with a firearm, which he could not lawfully possess because he was previously convicted of a felony offense. Johnson pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking felony, and illegal possession of a firearm after having been previously convicted of a felony.
United States District Court Judge Callie V.S. Granade imposed a sentence of 77 months and one week imprisonment, consisting of 17 months and one week on the drug and felon in possession of a firearm charges, to run concurrently, and 60 months mandatory consecutive imprisonment for possessing the firearm during the drug crime. Johnson’s imprisonment will be followed by supervised release terms of three years and five years, which will run concurrently. The judge also ordered the forfeiture of the illegally possessed firearm.
The case was investigated by the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office and the Department of Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted in the United States Attorney’s Office by Assistant United States Attorney Gloria Bedwell.
Brewton Man Sentenced to 14 Months for Failure to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Richard W. Moore of the Southern District of Alabama announced that Timothy Felder, 47, of Brewton, Alabama, was sentenced today in federal court on a charge of failure to register as a convicted sex offender. Felder pled guilty to the charge in December of 2019.
According to court documents filed in connection with his guilty plea, Felder had previously been convicted of Incest in Fulton County, Georgia. As a result of that conviction, Felder was required to register as a sex offender for life. Felder was initially compliant with his registration conditions. On April 4, 2019, Felder requested permission to work for an amusement company that was temporarily set up in Atmore, Alabama. That request was denied by an Escambia County Sheriff’s detective. Felder was scheduled to report for address verification in June 2019 but did not report. Escambia County Sheriff’s detectives went to Felder’s address. Residents there told detectives that Felder had not lived there for approximately two months, and that he had told them he was leaving to work for the traveling amusement company. Felder was eventually located and arrested by members of the U.S. Marshal’s Service in Milton, Florida, on September 25, 2019. An employee of the amusement company reported that Felder had been working with them since March 2019 and had travelled to locations in Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, and Wisconsin. Felder did not register in any of those jurisdictions. Felder was interviewed and admitted to traveling out of state, failing to register in those states, failing to get permission to travel, and failing to attend registration appointments.
United States District Court Judge Terry Moorer imposed a sentence of 14 months imprisonment. The judge ordered that Felder serve a ten-year term of supervised release beginning upon his discharge from prison. Upon his release from prison, Felder will be required to undergo sex offender treatment and to register as a sex offender. Judge Moorer ordered that Felder pay $100 in special assessments.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals, federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood and for information about internet safety education, visit www.usdoj.gov/psc
The case was investigated by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office and the United States Marshal’s Service. It was prosecuted in the United States Attorney’s Office by Assistant United States Attorney Kacey Chappelear.
U.S. Attorney Richard W. Moore Recognizes Police WeekRead the Press Release
Mobile, Alabama, May 11, 2020 — In honor of National Police Week, United States Attorney Richard W. Moore recognizes the service and sacrifice of federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement. The week will be observed Sunday, May 10 through Saturday, May 16, 2020.
“There is no more noble profession than serving as a police officer,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “The men and women who protect our communities each day have not just devoted their lives to public service, they’ve taken an oath to give their lives in order to ensure our safety. And they do so not only in the face of hostility from those who reject our nation’s commitment to the rule of law, but also in the face of evolving adversity – such as an unprecedented global health pandemic. This week, I ask all Americans to join me in saying ‘thank you’ to our nation’s federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement officers. Their devotion and sacrifice to our peace and security will not be taken for granted.”
U.S. Attorney Richard Moore said, “I agree with our Attorney General that particularly in this hazardous COVID-19 environment our police officers provide a critical service that we should pause to salute. We are fortunate to have some of the finest men and women in the United States serving right here in the Southern District of Alabama as police officers. They deserve our respect and our gratitude. On behalf of the staff at the United States Attorney’s Office I want to offer our sincere thanks to all of our police officers who keep us safe. Thank you.”
In 1962, President Kennedy issued the first proclamation for Peace Officers Memorial Day and National Police Week to remember and honor law enforcement officers for their service and sacrifices. Peace Officers Memorial Day, which every year falls on May 15, specifically honors law enforcement officers killed or disabled in the line of duty.
Each year, during National Police Week, our nation celebrates the contributions of law enforcement from around the country, recognizing their hard work, dedication, loyalty and commitment to keeping our communities safe. This year the COVID-19 pandemic has underscored law enforcement officers’ courage and unwavering devotion to the communities they swore to serve.
Based on data collected and analyzed by the FBI’s Law Enforcement Officer Killed and Assaulted (LEOKA) Program, 89 law enforcement officers died nationwide in the line of duty in 2019, including six officers here in the State of Alabama as a result of felonious incidents. Thus far in 2020, twenty law enforcement officers have been feloniously killed, compared to sixteen killed through May 5 of last year. Of the twenty officers killed this year, four were victims of an ambush, and one was the victim of an unprovoked attack.
Comprehensive data tables about these incidents and brief narratives describing most of the fatal attacks are included in the sections of Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted, 2019.
The names of the fallen officers who have been added in 2020 to the wall at the National Law Enforcement Memorial will be read on Wednesday, May 13, 2020, during a Virtual Annual Candlelight Vigil. Because public events have been suspended as a result of COVID-19, the vigil will be livestreamed to the public at 8:00 PM (EDT). The online event can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/user/TheNLEOMF.
Three Alabama U.S. Attorneys and the Alabama Attorney General Partner to Protect AlabamiansRead the Press Release
Mobile, Ala. – United States Attorney Richard W. Moore for the Southern District of Alabama, United States Attorney Louis V. Franklin for the Middle District of Alabama, United States Attorney Jay E. Town for the Northern District of Alabama, and Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall join forces to uncover, investigate, prosecute, and dismantle any frauds, price gouging, or scarce material hoarding related to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
“It is critical that our citizens be aware that various frauds are being attempted during this coronavirus pandemic,” U.S. Attorney Richard W. Moore said. “I encourage everyone to read the list of potential scams below and be prepared to exercise common sense caution if you are contacted by anyone pitching anything resembling one of these scenarios. We will vigorously prosecute fraud victimizing the citizens of Alabama, but we prefer that our citizens first exercise prudence and help us avoid becoming unnecessary victims. The U.S. Attorneys and our Alabama Attorney General are dedicated to a coordinated prosecution of those who take advantage of our citizens during this difficult time.”
“Unfortunately, criminals have never seen a crisis that they couldn’t find a way to exploit,” U.S. Attorney Louis V. Franklin said. “They will use any tragedy or crisis to take advantage of those who are most vulnerable and in need of assistance. I would remind everyone to remain vigilant and always verify offers or claims before making any decision with regard to the Covid-19 pandemic. I stand with my colleagues and will use every tool available to ensure the safety of our citizens.”
“While the crisis has brought out the very best in most Americans, there are those unfortunate exceptions among us that the rule of law will deal with,” U.S. Attorney Jay E. Town said. “There is no daylight between Alabama’s three United States Attorneys and the Alabama’s Attorney General. We will not allow a public health crisis become a public safety crisis, which is why we will continue to share crime intelligence about not only COVID-19 related frauds, but all criminal activities in the Great State.”
“I am proud to join with my federal partners as a force multiplier in identifying and holding accountable those criminals who prey upon Alabamians during times of crisis,” said Attorney General Steve Marshall. “Whether through scams targeting a victim’s confidential information or price gouging the public, those who seek to exploit the vulnerable during this time of emergency are on our radar.”Some examples of coronavirus and COVID-19 scams include:
• Treatment scams: Scammers are offering to sell fake cures, vaccines, and advice on unproven treatments for COVID-19.
• Hoarding and Price Gouging scams: The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has designated certain health and medical resources necessary to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic as “scarce,” including respirator masks, ventilators, and other medical protective equipment. These designated materials are subject to the hoarding prevention measures that trigger both criminal and civil remedies.
• Supply scams: Scammers are creating fake shops, websites, social media accounts, and email addresses claiming to sell medical supplies currently in high demand, such as surgical masks. When consumers attempt to purchase supplies through these channels, fraudsters pocket the money and never provide the promised supplies.
• Provider scams: Scammers are also contacting people by phone and email, pretending to be doctors and hospitals that have treated a friend or relative for COVID-19, and demanding payment for that treatment.
• Charity scams: Scammers are soliciting donations for individuals, groups, and areas affected by COVID-19.• Phishing scams: Scammers posing as national and global health authorities, including the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), are sending phishing emails designed to trick recipients into downloading malware or providing personal identifying and financial information.
• App scams: Scammers are also creating and manipulating mobile apps designed to track the spread of COVID-19 to insert malware that will compromise users’ devices and personal information.
• Investment scams: Scammers are offering online promotions on various platforms, including social media, claiming that the products or services of publicly traded companies can prevent, detect, or cure COVID-19, and that the stock of these companies will dramatically increase in value as a result. These promotions are often styled as "research reports," make predictions of a specific "target price," and relate to microcap stocks, or low-priced stocks issued by the smallest of companies with limited publicly available information.
$1,000 Check Scams: Scammers are contacting people over email and are telling them that their $1,000 check, as part of the stimulus package responding to COVID-19, is already waiting for them and that all they need to do is to provide personal information, such as bank account numbers and Social Security Numbers, which are the key pieces of information needed to perpetrate identity theft.
If you believe you have been a target or victim of a scam or fraud or have knowledge of any hoarding or price-gouging of critical medical supplies, you can report it without leaving your home to:
• National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 1-866-720-5721 or via email at [email protected]
• Consumer Interest Division of the Alabama Attorney General’s Office using the online form available at https://www.alabamaag.gov/consumercomplaint, or by calling 1-800-392-565875 Year Old Mobile County Man Sentenced to over Five Years Imprisonment for Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Richard W. Moore of the Southern District of Alabama announced that Wilford Richard Tracy was sentenced to 63 months of imprisonment on March 11, 2020. Tracy pled guilty to the bank robbery charge in December 2019. United States District Court Judge Callie V. Granade imposed the sentence and ordered that when Tracy is released from imprisonment, he will serve three years of supervised release and refrain from frequenting any gaming establishment.
Court records established that on July 12, 2019, Tracy robbed the First Bank on Dauphin Island Parkway in Theodore, Alabama. Tracy wore a ball cap and aviator sunglasses into the bank and handed a note to teller stating: “BE CALM GIVE ME ALL YOUR MONEY NO TRACKING DEVICE I HAVE A GUN.” No weapon was seen by anyone at the scene although the defendant kept one hand in his pocket as though it was on a weapon. The teller gave Tracy $1,520 and Tracy fled with the money. A camera at a business next to the bank captured a man fitting the description of the bank robber getting into a vehicle and fleeing the scene. Agents were able to identify Tracy from the video and arrested him the same day. Tracy had the money from the bank robbery in his possession when arrested.
At the time of the robbery, Tracy was on federal supervised release for a 2015 federal conviction based on Tracy’s 911 calls claiming bombs had been placed at various high schools in Mobile. Tracy was also previously convicted in federal court in 2009 for bank robbery.
The case was investigated by the Mobile Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Violent Crimes Task Force. It was prosecuted in the United States Attorney’s Office by Assistant United States Attorney George F. May.
Woman Who Made False Statements to Buy Guns Sentenced in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Richard W. Moore of the Southern District of Alabama announced that Heather Denese Medina, 40, of Brookwood, Alabama, was sentenced yesterday in federal court on three charges that she falsified information on federal forms in order to purchase firearms. Court documents showed that Medina lied on the forms to purchase firearms for her boyfriend and an associate of the boyfriend, both of whom were convicted felons and therefore prohibited from purchasing the guns legally. Medina pled guilty to the three charges in January of 2018.
United States District Court Judge William H. Steele imposed a sentence of time served in Medina’s case, and placed her on supervised release for a period of three years, with all terms to run concurrently on the three charges. Medina will be tested for drug and alcohol abuse, and she will be referred for mental health treatment if necessary. No fine was imposed, but Medina was ordered to pay $300 in special mandatory assessments.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted in the United States Attorney’s Office by Assistant United States Attorney Gloria Bedwell.
Mobile Doctor Sentenced to Five Years Probation and Ordered to Pay Quarter Million Dollar Fine for Prescription Drug OffenseRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Richard W. Moore of the Southern District of Alabama, announces that Dr. Thomas Dempsey has been sentenced to five years of probation and ordered to pay a $250,000.00 fine following his plea of guilty to illegally distributing controlled substances via prescription.
Dr. Dempsey was one of the founding members of the Alabama Orthopedic Clinic in Mobile, Alabama. In 2012, Dr. Dempsey left to start Orthopedic Quick Care in Mobile. In September 2019, Dr. Dempsey pleaded guilty to an Information alleging illegal distribution of oxycodone and hydrocodone via prescription while working at Orthopedic Quick Care.
As part of his plea agreement, Dr. Dempsey admitted that he signed blank prescription papers prior to a June 2018 trip to Charleston, South Carolina. During this trip, Dr. Dempsey’s staff used these pre-signed prescription papers to create thirty-seven prescriptions for oxycodone and hydrocodone, which were distributed to patients while Dr. Dempsey was out of the office. His employees — none of whom had the requisite DEA license to prescribe Schedule II controlled substances like oxycodone and hydrocodone — were acting at Dr. Dempsey’s express direction.
During the sentencing hearing, United States District Judge Jeffrey Beaverstock emphasized that pre-signing blank prescription papers is a very serious offense that can easily lead to diversion of controlled substances. Noting Dr. Dempsey’s age, lack of criminal history, and the fact that he had already lost his DEA license and was no longer practicing medicine, Judge Beaverstock opted for the maximum probation sentence of five years instead of incarceration. Judge Beaverstock also ordered Dr. Dempsey to pay a fine of $250,000.00, which is the maximum fine allowed under the statute of conviction.
This matter was investigated by Special Agents, Task Force Officers, and Diversion Investigators with DEA–Mobile. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Christopher Bodnar and Deborah Griffin.
Court Sentences Two Drug Smugglers Caught by the United States Coast Guard in International Waters with 800 Kilograms of CocaineRead the Press Release
On March 3, 2020 United States District Court Judge William H. Steele sentenced two drug smugglers, Jeison Cambindo-Barahona and Marino Caido-Cardenas, both Columbian nationals, to one hundred and thirty five months confinement for being caught smuggling 800 kilograms of cocaine in international waters off the coast of Panama. The two men previously plead guilty to the charge in November 2019.
According to documents filed in connection with their guilty pleas, the case arose when on July 18, 2019, while on routine patrol in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, the United States Coast Guard (USCG) Cutter Seneca deployed a helicopter which visually detected a target of interest go-fast vessel approximately 50 nautical miles south of the Azuero Peninsula in Panama. Subsequently, the Seneca launched a Zodiac style “Over the Horizon” vessel to assist in intercepting the go-fast vessel. Ultimately, the helicopter and the Over the Horizon vessel arrived on scene with the suspect go-fast vessel.
As the crew aboard the go-fast vessel observed law enforcement closing in on them, they attempted to outrun the USCG. USCG personnel observed the crewmembers aboard the go-fast vessel throwing bales of suspected contraband out of their boat into the water. Ultimately, the USCG used disabling fire on the vessel which caused the go-fast vessel to become dead in the water. This allowed the USCG boarding team on the Over the Horizon to gain positive control of the targeted go-fast vessel.
USCG Cutter Seneca recovered a total of 39 bales of contraband from the water and inside the vessel with an approximate weight of 800 kilograms. The cocaine had a wholesale value of nearly $32 million in the United States.
The suspect vessel yielded no flag flown, no vessel registration documents and no other indicia of nationality. Upon boarding the vessel the smugglers were identified as the defendants, Edward John Valencia-Riascos, Marino Caido-Cardenas, and Jeison Cambindo-Barahona. Valencia-Riascos is scheduled to be sentenced on March 25, 2020.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney George F. May. The case was investigated by the United States Coast Guard and the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations.
Mobile Man Sentenced to Nearly 10 Years on Drug and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Richard W. Moore of the Southern District of Alabama announced that Tykeif Lashawn Dunn, 43, of Mobile, Alabama was sentenced today for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and carrying a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking felony. Court documents showed that Dunn sold methamphetamine to a confidential informant on several occasions, after which the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at his residence. Dunn was arrested on state charges and bonded out. Within about two weeks, Dunn was again caught distributing methamphetamine. A sheriff’s deputy stopped him on Highway 158 in Mobile County and discovered additional methamphetamine in his vehicle. Dunn entered a guilty plea to the two federal charges in September of 2019.
United States District Court Judge William H. Steele imposed a total sentence of 228 months imprisonment, consisting of 168 months on the drug count, and 60 months on the gun count, to run consecutively to each other. Dunn was ordered to serve five years of supervised release when he completes his custody sentence. During that period of supervision, Dunn will undergo testing and treatment for drug abuse. Dunn was also ordered to pay $200 in special assessments, but no fine was imposed. In addition, the firearm Dunn illegally possessed was ordered forfeited to the United States.
The case was investigated by the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office, and the Department of Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted in the United States Attorney’s Office by Assistant United States Attorney Gloria Bedwell.
Theodore Woman Sentenced in Methamphetamine CaseRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Richard W. Moore of the Southern District of Alabama announced that Cherish Elissa Kofonis, 35, of Theodore, was sentenced on February 18, 2020, on her guilty plea to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. She entered the guilty plea in November of 2019.
United States District Court Judge William H. Steele imposed a sentence of time served in Kofonis’ case, which amounted to a period of approximately six months behind bars. The judge placed Kofonis on supervised release for a term of four years. During that time, she will undergo testing and treatment for drug abuse. Kofonis was also ordered to pay $100 in special assessments, but no fine was imposed.
The case was investigated by the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office and the Department of Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted in the United States Attorney’s Office by Assistant United States Attorney Gloria Bedwell.
State Inmate Sentenced in Federal Court for Arranging a Drug Deal Behind BarsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Richard W. Moore of the Southern District of Alabama announced that Kevin Depaul Davidson, 46, incarcerated in Fountain Correctional Facility, was sentenced on February 27, 2020, for attempt to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. At the time of the offense, Davidson was serving a life sentence on a murder conviction from Jefferson County, Alabama. Court documents show that Davidson and another inmate, Michael Reshard Dread, contacted a confidential informant working with the Department of Homeland Security Investigations and the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency to assist in arranging the drug deal, which involved two ounces of methamphetamine ice. Using the informant, law enforcement agents set up surveillance at the location when the drugs were supposed to be delivered to a corrections officer, who was to bring them into the state prison to be delivered to the inmates. Wiggins Washington, Jr., was arrested after accepting delivery of the substance represented to be methamphetamine ice. He was also found in possession of a firearm during the attempt. Both Dread and Washington entered guilty pleas to the federal charges, and they await sentencing in March (Dread) and April (Washington).
United States District Court Judge Terry F. Moorer imposed a sentence of 262 months imprisonment, to be followed by a supervised release term of five years. During that period of supervision, Davidson will undergo testing and treatment for drug abuse. Davidson was also ordered to pay $100 in special assessments, but no fine was imposed.
The case was investigated by the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, and the Department of Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted in the United States Attorney’s Office by Assistant United States Attorney Gloria Bedwell.
Brewton Man Sentenced in Federal Gun CaseRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Richard W. Moore of the Southern District of Alabama announced that Eric Scott Risley, 40, of Brewton, Alabama was sentenced on February 27, 2020, for being a felon in possession of firearms. He entered a guilty plea to the charge in November of 2019.
United States District Court Judge Terry F. Moorer imposed a sentence of 57 months imprisonment, to be followed by a supervised release term of three years. During that period of supervision, Risley will undergo testing and treatment for drug abuse. Risley was also ordered to pay $100 in special assessments, but no fine was imposed. In addition, the firearms Risley illegally possessed were ordered forfeited to the United States.
The case was investigated by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted in the United States Attorney’s Office by Assistant United States Attorney Gloria Bedwell.
Baldwin County Man Sentenced in Firearms CaseRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Richard W. Moore of the Southern District of Alabama announced that Harvey Lyn Tillman, 38, of Perdido, Alabama, was sentenced on February 26, 2020, for being a felon in possession of firearms. He entered a guilty plea to the charge in November of 2019.
United States District Court Judge Jeffery U. Beaverstock imposed a sentence of 37 months imprisonment, to be followed by a supervised release term of three years. During that period of supervision, Tillman will undergo testing and treatment for drug abuse. Tillman was also ordered to pay $100 in special assessments, but no fine was imposed.
The case was investigated by the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted in the United States Attorney’s Office by Assistant United States Attorney Gloria Bedwell.
Armed Drug Dealer Sentenced in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Richard W. Moore of the Southern District of Alabama announced that David Neal Halvorson, 50, of Gulf Shores, Alabama, was sentenced in federal court. In February of 2018, Halvorson pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking felony.
United States District Court Judge Kristi K. Dubose imposed a total sentence of 126 months imprisonment, consisting of 66 months on the drug charge to run consecutive to 60 months on the gun charge. The judge ordered that Halvorson would receive credit for 46 months he has already served on a related state charge. Halvorson will serve a supervised release term of seven years when he is released from prison, during which time he will undergo testing and treatment for drug and alcohol abuse. The judge did not impose a fine, but she ordered that he pay $200 in special mandatory assessments.
The case was investigated by the Baldwin County Drug Task Force, the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted in the United States Attorney’s Office by Assistant United States Attorney Gloria Bedwell.
Former Senior Iraqi Military Officer During the Saddam Hussein Regime has Been Sentenced and DenaturalizedRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Richard W. Moore of the Southern District of Alabama, announces that Colonel Saad Taha Ahmed Yousif al-Qaysy was sentenced to three years of probation and stripped of his United States citizenship after being convicted of lying to obtain his citizenship.
Ahmed was born in Baghdad, Iraq in 1958. He earned a degree in electrical engineering in the early 1980s, and then was conscripted into the Iraqi Army in 1983 during the Iran-Iraq War. After his mandatory service was complete in 1985, Ahmed joined the Iraqi Army as a First Lieutenant in the al-Quds Reconnaissance Brigade. Thereafter, the Army sent Ahmed to a university in Yugoslavia to gain Serbian and Russian language skills.
After returning to Iraq, Ahmed rose up the ranks as an Iraqi Army officer. He served as a Captain in the 10th Armored Division during the Invasion of Kuwait and the Gulf War, and as a Colonel during the 2003 Iraq War. Ahmed’s twenty-year military career ended when Coalition Forces disbanded the Iraqi Army on May 23, 2003. During his final two years in the Iraqi Army, Ahmed was assigned to two public hospitals as a senior military officer. This is significant because the Saddam Hussein regime used public hospitals at this time for dual purposes — treatment centers for the sick and injured, and torture sites for political prisoners and military deserters.
Following the dissolution of the Iraqi Army, Ahmed claimed that he worked for an American military contractor in Abu Ghraib, Iraq. However, the military contractor has no record of Ahmed. Furthermore, a letter of recommendation purportedly from Ahmed’s direct supervisor at the military contractor, which was later submitted to U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services, had been forged.
After Ahmed’s brother and nephew were killed in sectarian violence in 2006, Ahmed fled from the Baghdad region to northern Iraq and then to Giza, Egypt. While in Egypt, Ahmed and other former senior Iraqi military officers discussed the need to hide the true nature and extent of their military careers in order to be admitted as refugees into the United States.
In 2009, Ahmed applied for refugee status via the United States Refugee Admissions Program. In his application, Ahmed falsely claimed that he only served in the Iraqi Army for a brief period in the 1980s as a conscript during the Iran-Iraq War. Ahmed’s refugee application was approved in January 2010, and he was admitted into the United States as a refugee fleeing the war in Iraq. Thereafter, Ahmed was approved for refugee resettlement and placed in Mobile, Alabama.
In 2011, Ahmed adjusted his status from refugee to legal permanent resident. Once again, Ahmed lied about the nature and extent of his military service, and falsely claimed that he was merely an electrical engineer working on a base in Baghdad from 1987 to 1991. Ahmed further claimed that his military service ended just prior to the Invasion of Kuwait, when, in fact, he was a Captain in the 10th Armored Division during the invasion.Finally, in April 2015, Ahmed applied for United States citizenship. In his citizenship application, Ahmed perpetuated the false narrative that he was simply an electrical engineer forced to join the Iraqi Army during the Iran-Iraq War. Ahmed was officially sworn in as a United States citizen on July 20, 2015 in Atlanta, Georgia.
In November 2019, Ahmed pleaded guilty in the Southern District of Alabama to knowingly and intentionally procuring United States citizenship through fraudulent means, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1425(a). By statute, being convicted of this offense results in the denaturalization of the defendant at the time of sentencing.
Following his sentencing and denaturalization on February 21, 2020, Ahmed was taken into custody by immigration officials. An Immigration Judge will now determine whether Ahmed will lose his status as a legal permanent resident, and whether he will be deported to Iraq.
This matter was investigated by FBI-Mobile’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher Bodnar.
Mobile Man Sentenced for Being Felon in Possession of FirearmRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Richard W. Moore of the Southern District of Alabama announced that Jamar Kaleel Pettway, 23, of Mobile, Alabama, was sentenced in federal court for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. Pettway pleaded guilty to the charge in November of 2019.
In connection with his guilty plea, Pettway admitted that on April 12, 2019, he was stopped by an officer of the Mobile Police Department for driving a vehicle with a switched tag. Pettway did not have a driver’s license and evaded questions from the officer regarding his identity. When the officer asked Pettway if he was in possession of any weapons, Pettway began to flee on foot. The officer gave chase and ordered Pettway to stop, warning him that if he did not stop, he would be tased. Pettway continued running and the officer deployed his taser. After a brief struggle, officers forcibly walked Pettway back to his vehicle. Officers searched Pettway’s person and found a loaded .38-caliber revolver in the front left pocket of his shorts. At the time Pettway possessed the revolver, he knew he had two prior felony convictions for Breaking into a Motor Vehicle and Possession of a Controlled Substance in July 2015, both in the Circuit Court of Mobile County, Alabama. Because of his prior felony convictions, Pettway was prohibited from possessing any firearms or ammunition.
United States District Court Jeffrey U. Beaverstock imposed a sentence of 30 months’ incarceration, to be followed by a three-year term of supervised release. During that time, Pettway will undergo testing and treatment for substance abuse and will receive mental health evaluation and treatment. The judge also ordered Pettway to pay $100 in special assessments.
This case was investigated by the Mobile Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted in the United States Attorney’s Office by Assistant United States Attorneys Gina S. Vann and Justin Roller.
Armed Drug Dealer Sentenced in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Richard W. Moore of the Southern District of Alabama announced that Anthony Ahn Le, 21, of Daphne, Alabama, was sentenced today to 121 months on three federal charges relating to drugs and guns. In July of 2019, Le entered a guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana, and two counts of using, carrying or possessing a firearm during or in relation to a drug trafficking felony.
United States District Court Judge Jeffery U. Beaverstock imposed the 121 month sentence on February 10, 2020. Specifically, Le was sentenced to 60 months on each of the gun counts, which are required by statute to be served consecutively to all other sentences. Le was sentenced to one month on the drug count, which will also be consecutive. Judge Beaverstock ordered that Le will serve a term of five years under supervised release when he is discharged from prison. The judge also ordered that Le will pay special assessments of $300.
The case was investigated by the Foley Police Department, the Daphne Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted in the United States Attorney’s Office by Assistant United States Attorney Gloria Bedwell.
Armed Drug Dealer Sentenced in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Richard W. Moore of the Southern District of Alabama announced that Eugene Sanchez Crayton, 27, of Mobile, was sentenced this morning in federal court for his involvement in the distribution of controlled substances while carrying a firearm. In October of 2019, Crayton entered a guilty plea to the charges of possession with intent to distribute “spice,” a controlled substance analogue, carrying a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking felony, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
United States District Court Judge Callie V. S. Granade imposed a sentence of 105 months imprisonment, consisting of 45 months on the drug and felon in possession counts, and 60 months consecutive on the other gun count. The judge ordered that Crayton would serve a period of five years under supervised release when he is discharged from prison. During that term, he will undergo drug testing and treatment. The judge ordered that Crayton will pay a special assessment of $300.
The case was investigated by the Mobile Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted in the United States Attorney’s Office by Assistant United States Attorney Gloria Bedwell.
Defendant Sentenced to 46 Months in Prison for Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Richard W. Moore of the Southern District of Alabama announces today that United States District Judge William H. Steele sentenced defendant Robert Bernard Carlise, also known as Robert Bernard Carlisle, 73, of Mobile, Alabama, to imprisonment for 46 months for bank robbery. As part of the sentence, the judge ordered the defendant to receive three years of supervised release after completing his prison term, pay a $100 mandatory special assessment, receive substance abuse testing and treatment as directed by the United States Probation Office, and pay restitution in the amount of $2,829.25 to BBVA Compass Bank.
The defendant has a lengthy criminal history and was previously convicted of federal felony offenses, including bank robbery, in the Southern District of Alabama. On September 14, 1973, the defendant appeared before the Court and was convicted of bank robbery. On October 17, 1980, he appeared before the Court and was convicted of forgery of a U.S. Treasury check and possession of stolen mail. On June 11, 1998, he appeared before the Court and was convicted of bank robbery and using a firearm in relation to a crime of violence.
On October 30, 2019, a federal grand jury for the Southern District of Alabama charged the defendant with one count of bank robbery in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2113(a). On February 11, 2020, the defendant pleaded guilty to the felony offense before the Court and was sentenced after his plea hearing.
The defendant admitted to facts to include the following at his plea hearing. On September 6, 2019, an unmasked black male with sunglasses, later identified as the defendant, entered BBVA Compass Bank, on Bel Air Blvd in Mobile, a federally insured bank. The defendant told the teller that he was robbing the bank and ordered her to give him all of the money. He said he did not want to have to hurt her but that she needed to comply and give him the money. He repeatedly said, “You know what time it is.” The teller complied with the defendant’s demands out of fear of being harmed and gave him $2,829.25 from her drawer. The bank’s video surveillance captured the robbery and showed the defendant inside the bank speaking with the teller.
At 12:41am on September 7, 2019, the Mobile Police Department received a tip from a person who said he recognized and knew the defendant. Two days later, the Mobile Police Department visited BBVA Compass and met with its branch vice president, who said that the defendant was a BBVA customer who had an account with the bank.
On September 10, 2019, the Mobile Police Department arrested and interviewed the defendant. Post-Miranda, the defendant confessed to robbing BBVA Compass. The defendant said he was in debt to a drug dealer, that he owed the dealer lots of money, and that the dealer persuaded him to rob the bank. The defendant said that he had entered the bank and robbed it to get money to give to the drug dealer to get back his vehicle and phone, which the drug dealer was keeping as collateral.The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Mobile Police Department investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Sinan Kalayoglu prosecuted the case.
Statement of United States Attorney Richard MooreRead the Press Release
Today, the Attorney General reminded Americans that sanctuary jurisdiction policies jeopardize public safety by preventing the federal government from locating, arresting, and prosecuting removable aliens inside the United States.
Here in the Southern District of Alabama, federal agencies are able to rely on state and local jurisdictions to uphold the rule of law and protect the safety of our communities. By working together to enforce our immigration laws, we increase safety not only of everyday, law-abiding citizens, but also of our law enforcement officers, who are required to perform the often dangerous task of executing arrest warrants. Not every jurisdiction enjoys the same productive cooperation in enforcing our immigration laws, and we stand with the Attorney General in his commitment to upholding the rule of law throughout the nation.
Methamphetamine Dealer Sentenced to Ten Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Richard W. Moore of the Southern District of Alabama announced that Darell Leon Hardin was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment on January 14, 2020 for his participation in a methamphetamine distribution conspiracy. Hardin pled guilty to the charge in August of 2018.
United States District Court Judge William H. Steele imposed the 10-year sentence. The judge ordered that when Hardin is released from imprisonment, he will serve five years of supervised release. Court records established that on December 7, 2017 the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) made a controlled buy of 223.36 grams of methamphetamine from Hardin. Hardin, from California, was seen by law enforcement agents when he got off a bus in Mobile the previous day. Further surveillance showed the defendant arrive at the buy location and get into and exit the confidential informant’s vehicle at the location of the buy. There were also numerous recorded telephone calls to the defendant setting up the controlled buy. Hardin delivered the 223.36 grams of methamphetamine to the informant. Hardin was later arrested in California and he had a kilogram of methamphetamine in his home during the arrest and search of his home.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the City of Mobile Police Department, Narcotics Unit. It was prosecuted in the United States Attorney’s Office by Assistant United States Attorney George May.
Methamphetamine Dealer Sentenced to More Than Seven Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Richard W. Moore of the Southern District of Alabama announced that Wayne Maurice Lafitte was sentenced to 85 months imprisonment on January 15, 2020 for his participation in a methamphetamine distribution conspiracy. Lafitte pled guilty to the charge in June of 2018.
United States District Court Judge Callie V.S. Granade imposed the 85 month sentence. The judge ordered that when Lafitte is released from imprisonment, he will serve ten years of supervised release. Court records established that Mobile County Sheriff’s Office narcotics officers executed a search warrant at a storage facility where Lafitte stored methamphetamine and recovered approximately 584 grams of methamphetamine.
In addition, on June 13, 2017 a Mobile County Street Enforcement Narcotics Team (MCSENT) confidential informant (CI) ordered methamphetamine from Lafitte. Lafitte sent Exaviera Deagnes Maxie to deliver the methamphetamine and Maxie delivered approximately 7.3 grams of methamphetamine from Lafitte to the CI. On June 26, 2017, MCSENT officers executed a search warrant at Maxie’s home in Mobile County and recovered approximately 24.6 grams of methamphetamine from Maxie’s purse. The methamphetamine was packaged for resale. Maxie obtained the methamphetamine from Lafitte.The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office and the Mobile County Street Enforcement Narcotics Team. It was prosecuted in the United States Attorney’s Office by Assistant United States Attorney George May.
Armed Drug Dealer Sentenced to More Than Ten Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Richard W. Moore of the Southern District of Alabama announced that Andrea Manassa was sentenced to 123 months of imprisonment on January 23, 2020. Manassa pled guilty in July of 2019 to two charges—possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine and carrying a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking felony.
United States District Court Judge Terry F. Moorer imposed a sentence of sixty three months on the drug charge and ordered that it run consecutive to 60 months on the carrying a firearm in furtherance of the drug trafficking felony, for a total sentence of imprisonment of 123 months. The judge ordered that when Manassa is released from imprisonment, he will serve four years of supervised release.
Court records established that on November 27, 2018 law enforcement officers in the City of Prichard, Alabama saw the Manassa in the passenger seat of a car. Officers recognized Manassa and knew he had active felony warrants. The officers also recognized the vehicle as it had fled from law enforcement during a drug investigation approximately one week earlier. Officers approached the vehicle and Manassa fled on foot but was captured. On the passenger floorboard where Manassa was sitting officers recovered approximately 63 grams of crack cocaine and approximately 75 grams of powder cocaine as well as a loaded firearm, a Glock, Model 43, 9mm handgun. Manassa possessed the firearm in furtherance of his drug trafficking to protect his drugs.
The case was investigated by the City of Prichard Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. (ATF). It was prosecuted in the United States Attorney’s Office by Assistant United States Attorney George May.
Foley Woman Sentenced to 20 Years for Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Richard W. Moore of the Southern District of Alabama announced that Krystal Sanspree, 31, of Foley, Alabama, was sentenced today in federal court on a charge of production of child pornography. Sanspree pled guilty to the charge in June of 2019.
According to court documents filed in connection with their guilty pleas, Foley Police Department received a tip that Sanspree’s co-defendant, Corey Steele, was in possession of images of child pornography. During the course of their investigation, Foley Police were able to determine that Sanspree and Steele were involved in a romantic relationship. During the course of their relationship, Steele requested that Sanspree take sexually explicit photos of a child. Sanspree complied, and subsequently sent the images to Steele. One image showed a prepubescent child naked from the waist down. One image showed Sanspree touching the child’s penis. Another image showed Sanspree putting her tongue on the child’s penis. The child was known to Sanspree and was four years old. When interviewed, Sanspree admitted to taking the photos. Steele admitted to requesting the photos and stated that he directed Sanspree to do the specific things portrayed in the photos. Both Steele and Sanspree were in possession of the images at the time of their arrest.
United States District Court Judge Callie V.S. Granade imposed a sentence of 240 months imprisonment. The judge ordered that Sanspree undergo mental health treatment while incarcerated. The judge also ordered Sanspree to serve a fifteen-year term of supervised release beginning upon her discharge from prison. Upon her release from prison, Sanspree will be required to register as a sex offender. Judge Granade ordered that Sanspree pay $10,100 in special assessments. Sanspree’s co-defendant is scheduled to be sentenced on April 15, 2020.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals, federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood and for information about internet safety education, visit www.usdoj.gov/psc
The case was investigated by the Foley Police Department and the Department of Homeland Security. It was prosecuted in the United States Attorney’s Office by Assistant United States Attorney Kacey Chappelear.
Selma Man Sentenced Following Conviction at Trial for Being a Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Richard W. Moore of the Southern District of Alabama announced that Jarriet Rascoe, 32, of Selma, Alabama, was sentenced in federal court for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. A jury found Rascoe guilty of the charge following a trial in Selma in September of 2019.
According to the evidence presented at the trial, on February 7, 2019, Selma police conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle being driven by Rascoe for speeding. Rascoe did not have a driver’s license or insurance, and the vehicle had a switched tag. Rascoe, who appeared nervous, denied knowledge of anything illegal inside the vehicle but refused consent to search its contents. Police walked a narcotics detection K-9 around the vehicle. The K-9 alerted for the presence of narcotics on the driver’s side door. Police searched the vehicle and recovered a small amount of marijuana from the driver’s side floorboard, ten vacuum-sealed bags from the trunk, and three pistols from the trunk. Police found a .40-caliber pistol, a 9mm pistol, and a .22-caliber revolver. Rascoe told the officers that the vehicle belonged to him and that he knew there was one firearm inside the vehicle, but he was unaware of the other two firearms. Because of his 2012 felony conviction for Possession of Marijuana 1st Degree, in Dallas County, Rascoe was prohibited from possessing any firearms or ammunition.
United States District Court Judge Terry F. Moorer imposed a sentence of 46 months’ incarceration, to be followed by a three-year term of supervised release. During that time, Rascoe will undergo testing and treatment for substance abuse. The judge ordered Rascoe to pay $100 in special assessments.This case was investigated by the Selma Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted in the United States Attorney’s Office by Assistant United States Attorney Gina S. Vann.
Meth Dealer Sentenced in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Richard W. Moore of the Southern District of Alabama announced that Jerry Hunter Hartley, 28, of Mobile, Alabama, was sentenced on charges of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Court documents showed that Hartley was caught twice by law enforcement authorities in Mobile during 2018 in possession of methamphetamine. Hartley pled guilty to the federal charge in July of 2018.
United States District Court Judge Callie V. S. Granade imposed a sentence of 120 months imprisonment in Hartley’s case, and ordered that he will serve a term of five years supervised release following the completion of his prison sentence. She also ordered that he will undergo drug and alcohol abuse treatment while in prison and as a condition of his supervision. No fine was imposed, but Hartley was ordered to pay the special mandatory assessment of $100.
The case was investigated by the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office, the Mobile Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted in the United States Attorney’s Office by Assistant United States Attorney Gloria Bedwell.