Southern District of Alabama
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Defendant Sentenced on Possession of FirearmRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Kenyen R. Brown of the Southern District of Alabama announces today that Nathan Curtis of Choctaw County, Alabama, was sentenced to a term of imprisonment of 87 months following his guilty plea to a charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Curtis was previously convicted of felony offenses, including Possession of Cocaine in Choctaw County Circuit Court in 2009.
United States District Court Judge Callie V.S. Granade imposed the sentence which was at the high end of the applicable advisory sentencing guideline range. In deciding on the high end sentence, Judge Granade cited the Defendant’s criminal history and the circumstances of this offense. This case was investigated by the Choctaw County Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Alabama.
Atmore Man Sentenced on Drug and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
MOBILE, Ala. - Albert Emil Tillman, 34, was sentenced today in federal court for his participation in a scheme to manufacture methamphetamine and being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. Tillman pled guilty to the charges in March of 2012.
Judge Callie V. S. Granade imposed a sentence of 80 months imprisonment on each of the charges, and ordered that the sentences run concurrently. She also imposed a four year term of supervised release which will begin when Tillman is released from imprisonment, and ordered that he pay the special mandatory assessment of $200. No fine was imposed. As a condition of his supervised release, the judge ordered that Tillman undergo testing and treatment for drug abuse.
The case was investigated by the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, the Bay Minette 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.
Sex Offender Convicted of Failing to RegisterRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Kenyen R. Brown of the Southern District of Alabama announced that Joseph P. DeMarco, 48, was convicted today of failing to register as a sex offender. DeMarco was convicted by a jury in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Alabama following a one-day trial. According to the evidence at trial, DeMarco was required to register as a sex offender following a 2003 conviction for Sex Abuse 1st Degree involving an eight-year old victim. Testimony at trial showed that DeMarco was employed in Louisiana and moved from his registered address in Mobile County, but failed to register as required in Louisiana or update his registration in Alabama.
DeMarco is scheduled to be sentenced December 6, 2013 by United States District Judge Kristi K. DuBose. He faces up to ten years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release following his release from prison.
The case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service and the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Maria Murphy handled the prosecution on behalf of the United States.
Defendant Sentenced for Cashing Fraudulent Government ChecksRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Kenyen R. Brown of the Southern District of Alabama announced that Lillian Givens was sentenced today in front of the Honorable Kristi K. DuBose to a term of three (3) years Probation for two counts of violating Title 18, U.S. Code Section 513(a), making counterfeit securities. In addition, the Defendant was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $35,240.61 to the State of Alabama.
This case was investigated by USDA, OIG and prosecuted by AUSA Gregory A. Bordenkircher.
Defendant Sentenced for Possession of Firearm Following Felony ConvictionsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Kenyen Brown announces, Charles Derks of Mobile, has been sentenced to 30 months in prison for his conviction of being a felon in possession of firearms, a violation of Title 18, United States Code Section 922(g)(1). The term of imprisonment is to be followed by a three year term of supervised release.
Derks was previously convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm in 2005, following state felony convictions for third-degree burglary and second-degree theft. By virtue of these convictions, and Derks’s resulting status as a convicted felon, he was and is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.
This case was investigated by the Mobile Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher B. Brinson on behalf of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Alabama.
Title of the news release goes hereRead the Press Release
MOBILE, Ala. - Cecily Ann Colvin, 23, of Theodore, Alabama, was sentenced today in federal court for her participation in a scheme to manufacture methamphetamine. Colvin pled guilty to the charge of conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine in April of this year.
Court documents showed that Colvin and her co-defendant Clarence Lee were living at a trailer in Grand Bay, Alabama, when a DHR case worker arrived to perform a safety check on two of Colvin’s children who also lived there. The case worker observed materials which appeared to be a meth lab in the trailer and contacted the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office. Sheriff’s deputies responded to the call and arrived at the scene. One of the children was present at the residence at that time with a relative. Colvin, Lee and the second minor child arrived in a vehicle while the deputies were there. The deputies found a pistol in the vehicle and confronted Colvin and Lee about the circumstances, asking for consent to search the residence. Both provided permission to search and the deputies found materials used in the manufacture of methamphetamine. Colvin admitted her involvement in the scheme after she was advised of her rights by the deputies. She admitted that Lee and another co-defendant Miles Alexander cooked meth at the residence. She and the others bought pseudoephedrine used in the methamphetamine manufacturing process.
This morning,United States District Court Judge William Steele imposed a sentence of 48 months imprisonment in the case. Judge Steele also ordered Colvin to undergo drug abuse treatment and mental health counseling during her imprisonment and after she is released on three years of supervision following her imprisonment. He ordered that Colvin pay the mandatory $100 special assessment, but found that she was not financially able to pay a fine. Colvin was taken into custody immediately following the imposition of sentence.
The case was investigated by the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted in the United States Attorney’s Office by Assistant United States Attorney Gloria Bedwell.
U.S. Joins False Claims Act Lawsuit Alleging Illegal Physician Compensation by Mobile, AL. Health FirmRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The government has intervened in a False Claims Act lawsuit against Infirmary Health System Inc. and its related entities: IMC-Diagnostic and Medical Clinic P.C., Diagnostic Physicians Group P.C. and Infirmary Medical Clinics P.C., the Department of Justice announced today. The lawsuit alleges that IMC-Diagnostic and Medical Clinic, in Mobile, Ala., billed Medicare for services referred by Diagnostic Physicians Group physicians, in violation of the Stark Law and Anti-Kickback Statute. IMC-Diagnostic and Medical Clinic is owned by Infirmary Medical Clinics, a subsidiary of Infirmary Health System, also based in Mobile.
“Financial arrangements that compensate physicians for referrals encourage physicians to make decisions based on financial gain rather than patient needs,” said Stuart F. Delery, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division. “The Department of Justice is committed to preventing illegal financial relationships that corrupt the integrity of our public health programs.”
Enforcement of the Stark Law and the Anti-Kickback Statute is intended to ensure that physicians’ medical judgment is not compromised by improper financial incentives. The Stark Law forbids a clinic or hospital from billing Medicare for certain services referred by physicians who have a financial relationship with the entity. The Anti-Kickback Statute prohibits offering, paying, soliciting or receiving remuneration to induce referrals of services or items covered by federal health care programs, including Medicare. The lawsuit alleges that the IMC-Diagnostic and Medical Clinic improperly paid Diagnostic Physicians Group physicians compensation that included a percentage of the money collected from Medicare for tests and procedures the doctors referred to the clinic. These improper payments, and resulting submission of false claims to the Medicare program, violated the Stark Law and Anti-Kickback Statute.
“The Stark Law and Anti-Kickback Statute were enacted to prevent financial ties from influencing the level of care provided to patients,” said Kenyen Brown, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Alabama. “By bringing cases such as this one against Infirmary Health System, we hope to ensure that precious health care resources are not wasted due to improper financial relationships among health care providers.”
The lawsuit was filed in July 2011 by former Diagnostic Physicians Group physician, Dr. Christian Heesch, under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the False Claims Act, which authorize private parties to sue on behalf of the U.S. and receive a portion of any recovery. The act also permits the government to intervene and take over a lawsuit, as it has done in this case.
The government’s intervention in this lawsuit illustrates its emphasis on combating health care fraud and marks another achievement for the Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team (HEAT) initiative, which was announced in May 2009 by Attorney General Eric Holder and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. The partnership between the two departments has focused efforts to reduce and prevent Medicare and Medicaid financial fraud through enhanced cooperation. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Since January 2009, the Justice Department has recovered a total of more than $14.7 billion through False Claims Act cases, with more than $10.7 billion of that amount recovered in cases involving fraud against federal health care programs.
The government’s investigation has been a coordinated effort by the Department of Justice, Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch; the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Alabama; the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General; and the FBI. The government has 30 days to file and serve a superseding complaint in this matter.
The case is captioned U.S. ex rel. Heesch v. Diagnostic Physicians Group, P.C. et al., Civil Action No. 11-0364-KD-B (S.D. Ala.). The claims in the complaint are allegations only; there has been no determination of liability.
Wilcox County Deputy Sheriff Arrested for Transporting DrugsRead the Press Release
Montgomery, Alabama – Greg Barge, 45 years old, of Camden, Alabama was arrested yesterday for attempting to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine powder, announced George L. Beck, Jr., United States Attorney for the Middle District of Alabama.
According to the complaint filed in federal court, on April 10, 2013, May 7, 2013 and June 26, 2013, Barge transported a package that contained what he believed to be multi-kilograms of cocaine powder from Montgomery, Alabama to Camden, Alabama. The package actually contained a substance that appeared to be cocaine, but was not cocaine. On each of those dates, Barge obtained the supposed kilograms of cocaine in Montgomery and transported them to Camden using his law enforcement vehicle and dressed in his sheriff’s deputy uniform. Barge was paid $800 on April 10, 2013 and $1200 on May 7, 2013. On June 26, 2013, Barge was arrested in Camden after transporting the kilograms of fake cocaine from Montgomery to Camden.
An arrest warrant and complaint merely allege that crimes have been committed, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, Barge faces a minimum sentence of 5 years in prison. He is also subject to fines and a period of supervised release if convicted.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control Board and the Alabama Department of Public Safety. Assistant United States Attorney Clark Morris is prosecuting the case.
Mobile County Woman Pleads Guilty to Aiding and Assisting in the Preparation of False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney, Kenyen Brown announces that Sandra Carter, a 50 year old Theodore resident pled guilty today to one count of falsifying tax returns by claiming business losses and education tax credits for customers when no such losses or credits were justified. While Ms. Carter pled guilty to one violation of Title 26 U.S.C., Section 7206(2), she agreed to pay $144,565.00 in restitution for 17 false returns she filed for tax years 2009 and 2010.
Ms. Carter will be sentenced by United States District Court Judge Kristi Dubose on October 4, 2013. She faces a maximum term of three (3) years incarceration followed by a three (3) year term of supervised release and a fine not to exceed $250,000.00.
The Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation Division investigated the case and presented it to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for prosecution.
Four Charged in Multi-Million Dollar Ponzi SchemeRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL - United States Attorney Kenyen R. Brown announces today that Yaman Sencan, David Petersen, Stephen Merry and Timothy Durkin were indicted on May 29, 2013 for the roles in a multi-million dollar Ponzi scheme. The indictment was unsealed today.
The indictment charges that the defendants conspired to operate a nationwide Ponzi scheme, with several victim investors in Mobile and Baldwin County, Alabama. According to the indictment, the defendants falsely represented to the investors, among other things, that: they had developed a high speed, computerized arbitrage trading system that was designed to take of advantage of, and profit from, stock price differentials among different markets; a billionaire real estate mogul in New York financially backed the system; there was little, if any, risk of losing money in the arbitrage system; any trading losses, in the rare event they occurred, would be capped at $5,000; and they could withdraw their principal and earned income at any time.
In actuality, although the real estate developer had a prior business relationship with one of the defendants, he did not financially support, nor was he associated with, the defendants’ purported investment system. Further, the funds were not invested as promised. In fact, once the investors wired their funds to participate in the investment system, they were quickly diverted by the defendants to make Ponzi payments to other investors or converted to their personal use. Despite that, each week the defendants sent account statements to the investors falsely representing that their funds were being invested and that they were recognizing a continual profit regardless of market conditions. At one point, many investors unexpectedly requested the return of their funds. In response, the defendants repeatedly stalled these requests by claiming that the funds could not be returned until a purported sale of the system to another investment group could be completed. To this date, no such sale has been finalized, and no investors have received the return of their funds.
All defendants are charged with one count of conspiracy to commit securities and wire fraud, under 18 U.S.C. § 371, one count of substantive securities fraud, under 15 U.S.C. § 77q, and 18 counts of wire fraud, under 18 U.S.C. § 1343. The maximum terms of imprisonment for these charges range from five to 20 years.
The indictment also includes a forfeiture notice seeking a $4.9 million money judgment against the defendants, which represents the total amount of funds invested in the Ponzi scheme.
The case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Alabama Securities Commission. Assistant United States Attorneys Adam W. Overstreet and Gregory A. Bordenkircker and will prosecute the case for the United States. As in all criminal cases, the indictment is a determination by a grand jury that there is probable cause to believe that offenses have been committed by the defendants. The defendants, of course, are presumed innocent until and unless they are proven guilty at trial.
Mobile County Man Sentenced to 72 Months for Drug and Related Gun ConvictionsRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney Kenyen Brown announces that Robert Kidd, a 36 year old, Prichard, Alabama resident, was sentenced today to 12 months incarceration for possessing crack cocaine with the intent to distribute it followed by 60 months incarceration for the possession of a handgun in furtherance of the drug crime.
The Saraland Police Department investigated the case and presented it to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for prosecution. The prosecutor assigned to the case is Assistant United States Attorney, Gina S. Vann.
Armed Drug Dealer Sentenced in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
MOBILE, Ala. - Michael Lazane French, 33, of Mobile, was sentenced today in federal court on drug and gun charges. French entered a guilty plea to possession with intent to distribute cocaine and using, carrying and possessing a firearm in relation to and in furtherance of a drug trafficking felony in Decemcer of 2012, and Judge Callie V.S. Granade imposed a sentence of 90 months imprisonment this afternoon.
The judge sentenced French to 30 months on the drug charge, to run consecutive to 60 months on the gun charge, for a total term of imprisonment of 90 months. When French is released from prison, he will serve a total of five years under supervised release. He was ordered to pay $200 in mandatory special assessments, but no fine was imposed.
This case was investigated by the Mobile Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Gloria Bedwell in the United States Attorney’s Office in Mobile.
Two-Time Drug Dealer Sentenced in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
MOBILE, Ala. - Charles Pierre Watson, 29, of Bay Minette, was sentenced this morning in federal court on his second federal drug conviction. Watson pled guilty to six counts of possession with intent to distribute of crack cocaine, and this morning, Judge Kristi Dubose imposed a sentence of 54 months imprisonment. Watson was also ordered to serve a six-year term of supervised release, which will commence at the completion of his prison sentence. No fine was imposed, but Watson was ordered to pay $600 in special mandatory assessments.
Judge Dubose ordered that Watson’s new sentence would run consecutive to a term of 24 months he was serving on a revocation of the supervised term that followed his original conviction. Court documents showed that Watson was convicted in 2006 of possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine, and in 2007, he was ordered to serve 115 months imprisonment. His prison sentenced was reduced in 2008 to 88 months as a result of the amendment to the federal sentencing guidelines and again in 2009, down to 54 months, as a result of his cooperation with authorities. His supervised release term, which was imposed to follow his release from imprisonment, was revoked in 2011, and he was ordered to serve an additional 24 months in custody for violation of the conditions imposed in connection with his supervision during that time.
This case was investigated by the Bay Minette Police Department and the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Gloria Bedwell in the United States Attorney’s Office in Mobile.
Armed Meth Cook Sentenced in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
MOBILE, Ala. - Thomas Brent Casey, 35, of Mobile, was sentenced today to a term of 84 months imprisonment on his conviction for attempt to manufacture methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking felony. Judge Kristi Dubose imposed the sentence this morning, which consisted of a term of imprisonment of 24 months for the drug offense, followed by a consecutive term of imprisonment of 60 months on the gun offense, for a total prison sentence of 84 months, or seven years. The judge ordered that Casey also serve a term of supervised release totaling five years, which will follow his release from custody. No fine was imposed, but the judge ordered that Casey pay $200 in mandatory special assessments.
This case was investigated by the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Gloria Bedwell in the United States Attorney’s Office in Mobile.
Armed Home Invasion Defendant Sentenced in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
MOBILE, Ala. - Miller Jerrell Griffin, who uses a street name of “Click Down,” was sentenced this morning in federal court to 22 years imprisonment on charges of kidnapping, using a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, and conspiracy to use and carry a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. The indictment alleged that one of the victims in the case, identified only by the initials of “D.H.,” was shot when Griffin and his co-defendants Brandon Jarrod Nobles and Zerrick Charles Robinson kicked in the door of their Chickasaw residence in November of 2011, yelling “FBI,” and “Police.” Griffin and the others were all armed, and they demanded money and drugs. They shot “D.H.” before kidnapping “A.E.,” the second victim, at gunpoint and demanded a ransom to ensure her release. Griffin is 31 years old and is a resident of Mobile.
Judge Kristi Dubose imposed the sentence on this morning, which consisted of a term of imprisonment of 180 months on counts one and two, followed by a consecutive term of imprisonment of 84 months, for a total prison sentence of 264 months, or 22 years. The judge ordered that Griffin also serve a term of supervised release totaling five years, which will follow his release from custody. No fine was imposed, but the judge ordered that Griffin pay $300 in mandatory special assessments.
This case was investigated by the Chickasaw Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigations, the Mobile Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Gloria Bedwell in the United States Attorney’s Office in Mobile.
Information Filed Charging Mobile County Woman with Mortgage FraudRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney, Kenyen Brown, announces that a one-count information was returned today by a Federal Grand Jury against Delaine Williams, a 25 year old resident of Satsuma, Alabama. Williams was charged with one (1) count of providing false information to a federally insured institution in connection with mortgage loan application.
The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General located in Atlanta, Georgia investigated the case and presented it to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for prosecution. The prosecutor assigned to the case is Assistant United States Attorney, Gina S. Vann.
Daphne Man Convicted of Online EnticementRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Kenyen R. Brown of the Southern District of Alabama announced that Alan Preston Prine, 59, of Daphne, was convicted today by a federal jury in Mobile for attempting to entice two children for sex via the internet. Following a day of testimony, the jury deliberated for less than hour before returning a guilty verdict this morning. Prine was taken into the custody of the United States Marshals Service after the verdict.
The evidence at trial showed that Prine responded to an online personals advertisement in November of 2012, and, communicating with what he believed to be a 32-year old woman, attempted to arrange sexual encounters with the woman’s young daughters. Prine engaged in three days of conversation via e-mail with the woman, exchanging nearly 200 messages in an attempt to arrange a meeting with the girls. When Prine showed up to meet the children, he was met by state and federal law enforcement officers.
The charge carries a minimum mandatory penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life imprisonment, a fine of up $250,000, and five years to lifetime supervised release. United States District Judge Callie V.S. Granade will sentence Prine on August 20, 2013 at 1:00 p.m.
The Saraland Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation and presented the case for prosecution to the United States Attorney’s Office. Assistant United States Attorneys Sean P. Costello and Maria E. Murphy handled the prosecution of the case on behalf of the United States.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative of the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Project Safe Childhood combines federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/.
Defendant Pleads Guilty to Prohibited Possession of FirearmsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Kenyen R. Brown announced today that Ted McCall Snow of Wilmer, Alabama, entered a guilty plea to a charge of being a felon in possession of firearms. The evidence presented in support of the plea was that on the morning of March 8, 2013, an individual returned to his residence on Woodland Hills Drive and found an unfamiliar vehicle in the carport. Snow was in the driver’s seat and sped away from the scene. The back door of the residence had been forced open and three firearms and a jewelry box had been removed from their usual resting places in the residence, and were sitting near the back door. The resident called the police and provided a description of the driver and the vehicle. Shortly thereafter, a Mobile Police Department officer stopped the vehicle driven by Snow at Schillinger Road and Old Government Street. The burglary victim was brought to the scene of the traffic stop and he identified Snow as the person he saw speed away from his residence.
Snow was previously convicted of eleven cases of burglary, receiving stolen property and theft in Mobile County Circuit Court between 1989 and 2007. By virtue of these convictions, and Snow’s resulting status as a convicted felon he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.
Possession of a firearm or ammunition by a previously convicted felon is a violation of Title 18, United States Code Section 922(g)(1). The statutory maximum penalty provided by law is 10 years imprisonment. If however, the Defendant has three prior convictions for violent felonies, such as burglary, or serious drug offenses, the penalty provided by law is a minimum mandatory sentence of 15 years to a maximum of life imprisonment.
Snow is scheduled to be sentenced before the Honorable Callie V.S. Granade on October 21, 2013. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office, and the Mobile Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Alabama.
Katrina Williamson Sentenced for Bank Fraud and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL-- The United States Attorney, Kenyen R. Brown, announces that Katrina Duke Williamson was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Callie V. Granade today to 64 months confinement for embezzling almost $400,000.00 from a law firm in Foley, Alabama where she previously worked.
Williamson faced a two year mandatory minimum confinement sentence for the Aggravated Identity Theft violation under Title 18 USC §1028A, in which she plead guilty in November 2012. In addition, the advisory sentencing guidelines for the Bank Fraud offenses was 27 to 33 months, consecutive to the 2 year mandatory minimum on the Aggravated Identity Theft violation. However Judge Granade departed upward from the federal sentencing guidelines and imposed a sentence of 40 months on the Bank Fraud charges to run consecutive to the 2 year mandatory minimum on the Aggravated Identity Theft violation for a total of 64 months confinement. The Court also ordered Williamson to pay $396,699.47 to the victims of the fraud. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Ex-Offender Job FairRead the Press Release
Kenyen Brown, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Alabama, announces that as part of his Project H.O.P.E. (Helping Offenders Pursue Excellence) initiative, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Alabama is collaborating with Bishop State Community College to host an ex-offender only job fair on Wednesday, May 22, 2013 at 1-4:30pm on the Bishop State Baker-Gaines Campus, located at 1365 Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue in Mobile, AL. Some of the employers participating in the job fair include Austal Shipbuilding, Ingalls Shipbuilding, and Horizon Shipbuilding; all of whom are desiring to fill a range of positions. Prior experience as a welder is not necessarily required as on-the-job training opportunities may be available.
H&S Management and Holdings is another participating employer seeking to fill positions in its various companies including: air duct cleaning, security, tires and treading, commercial supply, janitorial services, and environmental clean up. Successful applicants with any employer would be expected to pass and maintain a clean drug screening record.
Job fair participants will also be able to meet with a range of community service providers including Mobile Works and AIDT. All of these community service providers have valuable resources to share with the ex-offender population. As an example, an ex-offender who is not successful in gaining employment at Wednesday’s job fair may be eligible to receive anywhere from $2,000-$10,000 for vocational training from a Department of Labor grant administered through Mobile Works.
U.S. Attorney Brown said “Just in the Southern District of Alabama alone, in the federal system, between the years of 2008-2010, 328 ex-offenders were revoked for violating the terms of their supervised release and sent back to prison. The cost to the American taxpayer to incarcerate those 328 ex-offenders over that three year period amounted to $9.2 million annually. If these same 328 ex-offenders had been successful on supervised release it would have only cost the American taxpayer roughly $1.3 million. Project H.O.P.E. is a restorative initiative with the aim of giving ex-offenders a chance to become good citizens while simultaneously affording the greater community with the opportunity to enjoy safer neighborhoods in which to live and a lesser tax burden.” U.S. Attorney Brown added, “Statistics compiled by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts in Washington D.C., indicate that ex-offender employment is a critical factor in whether recently released federal inmates are successful. Of the 262,000 federal prisoners that were released from federal prison between calendar years 2002-2006, 50% of those who could not secure any employment during the time of their supervised release (generally twoto- five years) committed a new crime or violated the terms of their release and were sent back to prison. However, an astonishing 93% of those who were able to secure employment during the entirety of their supervised release were able to successfully reintegrate back into society and not return to prison.”
For more information about the job fair or Project H.O.P.E go to www.ProjectHopeAlabama.com. Additional Note: U.S. Attorney Brown is available for interviews upon request. Call Tommy Loftis at 251-441-5845 to arrange an interview with U.S. Attorney Brown.
Crack Dealer Sentenced in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
MOBILE, Ala. - Dannis Eugene Hardy, 30, of Mobile, Alabama, was sentenced in federal court yesterday for his participation in a conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine. Hardy entered a guilty plea to the charges in January of this year.
Judge Callie V. S. Granade imposed a sentence of 100 months imprisonment, to be followed by a supervised release term of three years. The judge also ordred that the defendant undergo drug abuse treatment during his incarceration and his supervision. No fine was imposed, but the judge ordered that Hardy pay the special manadtory assessment of $100.
The case was investigated by the Mobile Police Department, the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Gloria Bedwell.
Ten-Year Sentence in RICO eBay Fraud CaseRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL-- United States Attorney Kenyen R. Brown announced today that John Robert McGhee, an Atlanta, Georgia area resident, who previously pleaded guilty to a Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization (RICO) conspiracy, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1962(d), was sentenced today to a term of ten years imprisonment by Chief Judge William Steele.
McGhee, who admitted his involvement in buying and selling stolen items, was initially allowed to remain on conditions of release pending sentencing. His release was revoked after he was arrested by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) when found in possession of close to a million dollars of stolen Spanx. Thereafter, McGhee did not receive the benefit of acceptance of responsibility points for his guilty plea in the calculation of his sentencing guideline range nor did he receive consideration for a substantial assistance motion.
The case arose from an investigation by the United States Secret Service, who were assisted by the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI). The eBayProAct team also assisted the Secret Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Deborah Griffin.
Drug Dealer Sentenced in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
MOBILE, Ala. - David McArthur Trotter, of Grand Bay, Alabama, was sentenced in federal court today as a result of his guilty plea to a federal indictment in August of 2011. Trotter pled guilty to two counts in the indictment charging conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, and convicted felon in possession of a firearm. Senior United States District Court Judge Charles R. Butler, Jr., imposed the sentence this morning, ordering that Trotter serve 10 years in federal prison on each count, concurrently. Judge Butler ordered that Trotter serve 10 years on federal supervision following his release from imprisonment at the completion of the 10-year prison term. In addition, Trotter was ordered to pay $200 in special mandatory assessments, and a forfeiture judgement was entered as to a diamond-encrusted watch seized from Trotter at the time of his arrest.
The investigation was conducted by the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office and the Department of Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Gloria A. Bedwell.
U.S. Citizen Sentenced Following Conviction on Charges Related to Marriage FraudRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Kenyen R. Brown announced today that Rodney Eugene Hill, a United States citizen and resident of Mobile, was sentenced to ten (10) months imprisonment following a jury verdict in which he and his co-defendant were found guilty of marriage fraud charges. During the course of the January trial, Hill’s Nigerian co-defendant, falsely testified that she was divorced from her Nigerian husband, Oluwagbenga Awoleye, at the time she married Hill. Awoleye and another U.S. citizen entered guilty pleas in a separate marriage fraud case in 2012. Hill and his co-defendant, Florence Nna, were married in Mobile County Probate Court on February 11, 2008, when she was approximately 8 months pregnant, with her third child by Awoleye. A number of witnesses at trial testified that Nna, Hill and Awoleye all worked together at the Salvation Army at the time of Hill and Nna’s marriage. Further testimony demonstrated that a variety of false information was submitted to United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) by Hill and Nna in their efforts to obtain Nna’s “green card”. At trial an HSI Special Agent testified that when Hill was questioned during the investigation, he admitted that he and Nna never lived together, as they claimed in the documents submitted to USCIS.
In imposing the ten month custody sentence, United States District Court Judge Callie V.S. Granade took into account Hill’s criminal history, and referenced that if not for United States Citizens entering into marriages to aid others in avoiding the immigration laws, these offenses could not take place.
This case was investigated by Special Agent Daniel Evans of Homeland Security Investigations. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Vicki Davis and Michele O’Brien of the Southern District of Alabama.
Drug Dealer Sentenced in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
MOBILE, Ala. - Lashaun Deon Williams, 35, of Mobile, was sentenced today to 15 years in federal prison. Williams pled guilty to two charges, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute crack cocaine and using, carrying and possessing a firearm in furtherance of and in connection with a drug trafficking felony, in January of 2013 before United States District Court Judge Callie V. S. Granade. At the sentencing hearing conducted today, the case prosecutor asked the judge to impose a sentence of 211 months, which was the low end of the advisory guidelines. Judge Granade, however, imposed only a 15-year sentence, which amounted to the statutory minimum sentence available. The drug charge carried a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years, and the gun count carried a minimum mandatory consecutive sentence of 5 years. The judge found that the total sentence of 15 years met the statutory purposes of sentencing in federal court.
Judge Granade also ordered that Williams serve a five-year term of supervised release, to follow his prison sentence, and that he pay the special mandatory assessment of $200. She also ordered that William undergo drug testing and treatment as a condition of his imprisonment and supervision.
The case was investigated by the Mobile Police Department, the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office, the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office, the Baldwin County Drug Task Force and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Gloria Bedwell in the United States Attorney’s Office in Mobile.
Home Invasion Investigation Results in Prison SentenceRead the Press Release
MOBILE, Ala. - Roderick Levar Jones, 33, of Prichard, Alabama, was sentenced yesterday in federal court to 87 months imprisonment, for his participation in a violent home invasion during November of 2011 in Chickasaw, Alabama. Jones entered a guilty plea to the charge of accessory after the fact to kidnapping in federal court in December of 2012. Court documents reflect that he became involved when those committing the home invasion, Brandon Nobles, Miller Griffin and Zerrick Robinson, contacted him to assist them after they had kidnapped the victim’s wife. Jones, armed with a gun, stood guard over the victim’s wife while the others sought to collect a ransom. Nobles, Griffin and Robinson all pled guilty to the federal gun and kidnapping charges in July of 2012. Nobles was sentenced in March of 2013 to a term of imprisonment of 264 months. Robinson and Griffin have not yet been sentenced.
United States District Court Judge Kristi K. Dubose imposed the sentence in Jones’ case. She ordered that Jones serve a term of 87 months imprisonment, to be followed by a supervised release term of three years. She ordered that the defendant receive drug treatment and that he be subject to drug testing when released on supervision following his prison term. No fine was imposed, but the judge ordered that Jones pay the special manadtory assessment of $100.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Chickasaw Police Department, the Mobile Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Gloria Bedwell.
Defendant Sentenced Following Conviction on Charges Related to Marriage FraudRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Kenyen R. Brown announced today that Florence Chigozie Nna, a citizen of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and a Legal Permanent Resident of the United States, was sentenced to six (6) months imprisonment following a jury verdict in which she and her co-defendant were found guilty of marriage fraud charges. During the course of the January trial, Nna testified that she was divorced from her Nigerian husband, Oluwagbenga Awoleye, at the time she married United States citizen Rodney Hill. Awoleye pled guilty in a separate marriage fraud case in November 2012. An investigation by the United States Consulate in Lagos, Nigeria, completed after Nna’s trial, revealed that the Nigerian court documents offered by Nna to prove her divorce from Awoleye were fake. Nna and Hill were married in Mobile County Probate Court on February 11, 2008, when Nna was approximately 8 months pregnant, with her third child by Awoleye. Trial testimony from a number of witnesses was that Nna, Hill and Awoleye all worked together at the Salvation Army at the time of Nna and Hill’s marriage. Further testimony demonstrated that a variety of false information was submitted to United States Citizenship and Immigration Services by Nna and Hill in their efforts to obtain Nna’s “green card”. Trial testimony also refuted Nna’s claim that she lived with Hill following their marriage, and in fact proved that Nna and Awoleye continued to live with Awoleye and their children.
In imposing the six month custody sentence, United States District Court Judge Callie V.S. Granade overruled Nna’s objection to her sentencing range being increased because of her obstruction of justice. The obstruction increase resulted fom a finding that Nna provided materially false testimony during her trial. Prior to the imposition of sentence, Nna addressed the Court still insisting that the marriage to Hill was not a sham, despite all evidence to the contrary.
This case was investigated by Special Agent Daniel Evans of Homeland Security Investigations. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Vicki Davis and Michele O’Brien of the Southern District of Alabama.
Daphne Man Sentenced in Healthcare Fraud Billing CaseRead the Press Release
Kenyen Brown, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Alabama, announces that defendant Nehal Bodalia, who pled guilty to healthcare fraud information in February, was sentenced to four years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $20,000 fine. From at least January 2010 through January 2013, Bodalia owned and operated the Rehab in Motion physical therapy practice, which had locations in Mobile and Robertsdale, Alabama. While operating his clinic, Bodalia devised and executed a scheme to defraud Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Alabama by seeking reimbursement for medical procedures that had not been performed.
Bodalia’s scheme operated like this: Physical therapists working at Rehab in Motion would input the procedures performed on a particular patient into an office computer program, which would generate billing tickets that were then sent to the patient’s insurance company. Bodalia directed the physical therapists to not close out the billing tickets after they entered the performed procedures. It was explained the reason the billing tickets should not be closed out by the therapists was so that Bill Jones of Affordable Billing in New Jersey, who supposedly handled billing for Rehab in Motion, could make any necessary changes to the tickets. However, Bill Jones does not exist, and Affordable Billing does not have a New Jersey office. Rather, after the therapists had entered the information into the computer system, Bodalia altered the billing tickets to make it appear as if certain medical procedures were performed, when, in fact, they had not been performed. Bodalia knew these fraudulently altered tickets would be submitted to an insurance company for reimbursement.
BC/BS Alabama confronted Bodalia with billing discrepancy and he quickly paid back the insurance company. However, this was not Bodalia’s first experience with a healthcare fraud. In 2008, Bodalia was convicted of healthcare fraud in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia for a nearly identical billing fraud scheme.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Mobile and Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Alabama in Birmingham. The case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Alabama.
Employee Arrested at Premier Internal MedicineRead the Press Release
MOBILE, Ala. - Madonna Lynette Reed, 28, of Fairhope, Alabama, was arrested on April 25, 2013, at her place of employment, Premier Internal Medicine, in Fairhope, on a federal criminal complaint charging conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute hydrocodone acetaminophen and possession with intent to distribute hydrocodone acetaminophen. That substance is a Schedule III controlled substance. Reed’s initial appearance was scheduled today for 11:00 a.m., before United States Magistrate Judge William E. Cassady. The judge will determine whether there is probable cause to bind her over for consideration by a grand jury, and whether there are conditions that can be set to reasonably assure the safety of the community and her appearance at subsequent court proceedings. The judge will also take up the matter of her legal representation.
The case was investigated by the FBI, assisted by the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office, and supported by the Fairhope Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Gloria Bedwell in the United States Attorney’s Office.
A defendant of course is presumed innocent unless and until she is convicted as the result of a jury trial or a guilty plea.
Defendant Indicted on Prohibited Possession of Firearms and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
Ted McCall Snow of Wilmer, Alabama, has been indicted on charges of being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition, and possession of a stolen firearm. The Indictment charges that Snow was previously convicted of eleven cases of burglary, receiving stolen property and theft in Mobile County Circuit Court between 1989 and 2007. By virtue of these convictions, and Snow’s resulting status as a convicted felon he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition. Snow is alleged to have possessed three types of ammunition on March 5, 2013, and three stolen firearms on March 8, 2013.
Possession of a firearm or ammunition by a previously convicted felon is a violation of Title 18, United States Code Section 922(g)(1); and, possession of a stolen firearm is a violation of Title 18, United States Code Section 922(j). The statutory maximum penalty provided by law for each charge is 10 years imprisonment. If however, the Defendant has three prior convictions for crimes of violence or serious drug offenses, the penalty provided by law on the felon in possession charge is a minimum mandatory sentence of 15 years to a maximum of life imprisonment.
As in all criminal cases, the Indictment returned by the Grand Jury is only a charge and the Defendant is presumed innocent.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives and Mobile County Sheriff’s Office and the Mobile Police Department. The case will be prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Alabama.
Guilty Plea in BP Fraud Case, Defendant Admits Filing Claims for Others Totaling $400,000.00Read the Press Release
MOBILE, AL-- United States Attorney Kenyen R. Brown announced today that Trecia Howard McGee, a Mobile, Alabama, resident, entered a guilty plea to wire fraud in connection with a fraudulent BP oil claim she filed. She also admitted assisting others in filing false claims and receiving proceeds from those false claims. McGee admitted her involvement with false claims totaling $400,000.00.
McGee faces a maximum possible penalty of up to 20 years and will be sentenced in August.
The case arose from an investigation by the United States Secret Service and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Deborah Griffin.
Alabama Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Provide Material Support to TerroristsRead the Press Release
MOBILE, Ala. – Randy Wilson, aka “Rasheed Wilson,” 25, a U.S. citizen living in Mobile, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists in connection with his plans to travel to Mauritania to wage violent jihad overseas, announced U.S. Attorney Kenyen R. Brown of the Southern District of Alabama and Stephen E. Richardson, Special Agent in Charge of the Mobile Division of the FBI.
At a hearing today before U.S. District Judge Kristi K. DuBose in Mobile, Wilson entered a plea of guilty to one count of conspiring to provide material support to terrorists, knowing or intending that it be used in preparation for, or in carrying out a conspiracy to kill persons or damage property outside the United States. Wilson faces a maximum potential sentence of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine at sentencing.
Wilson and co-defendant Mohammad Abdul Rahman Abukhdair were the subjects of an investigation by the Joint Terrorism Task Force of the Mobile Division of the FBI. Wilson was arrested on a criminal complaint on Dec. 11, 2012 in Atlanta as he attempted to board a flight that would ultimately take him to Morocco. Abukhdair was arrested in Augusta, Ga., at a bus terminal. According to court documents, Abukhdair was scheduled to fly to Morocco from outside the United States on Dec 13, 2012.
Both defendants were later charged in a federal indictment returned by a grand jury in the Southern District of Alabama on Dec. 20, 2012. Abukhdair has pleaded not guilty and awaits trial on charges of conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists and passport fraud. As in all cases, a defendant is presumed innocent unless or until proven guilty.
According to Wilson’s plea agreement and other court documents, Wilson and Abukhdair met online in 2010. On Aug. 27, 2011, an FBI undercover employee met Wilson, and Wilson told the FBI employee that he and Abukhdair had previously formulated a plan to travel together overseas for the purpose of waging violent jihad.
In July of 2012, Wilson and Abukhdair began meeting with a confidential source working for the FBI and, according to court documents, they brought that FBI source into their plans to travel overseas to wage violent jihad. According to court documents, Wilson and Abukhdair planned to travel to Casablanca, Morocco, and from there to Mauritania, where they expected to be in a position to wage violent jihad in a nearby country or conflict. Both defendants were arrested before they could leave the country.
U.S. Attorney Brown stated, “Mr. Wilson’s criminal actions, subsequent indictment and conviction are proof that there are those in our midst, even in small town America, who are willing to injure, maim and kill others in the name of violent jihad. Mr. Wilson’s plea to terrorism charges today are a stark reminder to all Americans that they should remain vigilant against the terror threats in our community and in the nation. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI and all elements of Federal, state and local law enforcement remain committed to disrupting terrorist plots, protecting our communities and bringing violent wrong doers to justice. I could not be prouder of both our local FBI office and the dedicated Assistant United States Attorneys in my office for the countless hours they invested into this case in order to arrive at this successful conclusion.”
FBI Special Agent in Charge Richardson stated: “The admission of guilt by this defendant represents the fine work being done by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force. Acts of terrorism and the support of terrorism is a significant investigative priority for the FBI and we must all be vigilant protecting our communities from those who desire to cause us harm. These acts have no place in our society.”
The investigation was conducted by the Joint Terrorism Task Force of the Mobile division of the FBI.
The prosecution is being handled by Sean P. Costello, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Alabama, and Trial Attorneys Clement McGovern and Annamartine Salick from the Counterterrorism Section of the Justice Department’s National Security Division.
Daphne Man Sentenced to 7 Years for Federal Firearm OffenseRead the Press Release
Trenton Edward Watkins, age 21, of Daphne, Alabama, was sentenced today by Judge William H. Steele to serve 84 months in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. On November 2, 2012, Watkins – a thrice convicted felon – illegally possessed a loaded Springfield Armory XDM 9mm semi-automatic pistol which had been stolen, in connection with a domestic situation and vehicle chase on Park Avenue and Pollard Road in Daphne, Alabama.
As the court pleadings and testimony at the sentencing hearing established, Watkins drove erratically on Park Avenue and fired at least one shot during the chase as oncoming drivers swerved or ran off the road to avoid being hit by Watkins’ vehicle, and as school children waited at bus stops. Fortunately, no one was injured.
This case was investigated by the Daphne Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosive.
Meth Cook Sentenced in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
MOBILE, Ala. - Daniel Thomas Leslie Pence, 33, of Elmore, Alabama, was sentenced to 155 months imprisonment in federal court today for his participation in a conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine in Baldwin County. Pence entered a guilty plea to the charges in November of 2012. Court documents established that Pence was arrested when he was caught red-handed manufacturing methamphetamine at the residence of his co-defendant, Michael Hinote, on County Road 85 in Robertsdale during May of 2011. Hinote also entered a guilty plea to the charges but has not yet been sentenced.
Judge William H. Steele imposed the sentence in Pence’s case after conducting a hearing. Judge Steele found that the low end of the advisory guideline range, 155 months, was a reasonable sentence in light of the factors that federal sentencing statutes require to be considered, including the seriousness of the offense and Pence’s criminal history and background. The judge also ordered that Pence serve a five-year term of supervised release to begin after he serves his term of imprisonment. No fine was imposed, but the judge ordered that Pence pay the special mandatory assessment of $100.
The case was investigated by the Loxley Police Department, the Robertsdale Police Department and the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted in the United States Attorney’s Office by Assistant United States Attorney Gloria Bedwell.
Guilty Pleas in RICO eBay Fraud CaseRead the Press Release
>MOBILE, AL-- United States Attorney Kenyen R. Brown announced today that Jason Christopher Spellen, Raymond Spellen and Andrew Valentino Wilson, III, all pleaded guilty today to a Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization (RICO) conspiracy, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1962(d), in federal district court. Trial for the remaining defendants named in the Superseding Indictment is currently set for June 2013.
Jason Christopher Spellen agreed to forfeit the items seized from his residence and storage unit and agreed to the entry of a $6,000,000.00 money judgment. Raymond Spellen and Andrew Valentino Wilson III also agreed to the entry of money judgments as well. The defendants face a maximum possible penalty of 20 years.
The RICO count alleges the Spellen Enterprise fraudulently purchased electronics from retail stores using counterfeited credit cards and drivers’ licenses provided them by other members of the conspiracy, and by the use of lines-of-credit from retail stores. It also alleges the Enterprise sold both fraudulently-procured electronics and stolen electronics on eBay and by other means. A total of ten individuals have previously entered guilty pleas in connection with the same eBay fraud investigation. Those individuals are all awaiting sentencing.
Kenyen Brown, United States Attorney, said: “The sophistication and magnitude of the fraud scheme engaged in in this case is startling. While technological advances may present new avenues for thieves to sell their stolen goods, law enforcement will continue to use every tool at its disposal to bring law breakers to justice.”
The case arose from an investigation by the United States Secret Service, who were assisted by the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI). The eBayProAct team also assisted the Secret Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Deborah Griffin.
Man Sentenced in Federal Court for Violent Home InvasionRead the Press Release
MOBILE, Ala. - Brandon Jarrod Nobles, 26, was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a violent home invasion here during November of 2011. Nobles entered a guilty plea to the three charges, (1) conspiracy to use and carry a firearm in connection with a crime of violence and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, (2) the use of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, and (3) kidnapping, in July of 2012. The indictment alleges that Nobles and his co-defendants, Zerrick Robinson and Miller Griffin, broke into the victims’ residence shouting “FBI,” and “Police.” They sought to steal drugs and money from one of the occupants of the residence, and when they did not get what they wanted, they shot one victim and kidnapped the other. The victim who was kidnapped was held for ransom while Nobles and the others used cell phones to make calls to collect money for her release.
The kidnap victim made a statement in court about her ordeal, and how the violence of the incident at her residence had adversely affected her minor child. She explained that the child was present when Nobles and the others broke into the home, assaulted her, shot her husband, and took her away at gunpoint. She told the judge that she could not take her child to any event where police were present, like parades and circuses, because the child had been traumatized by the actions of Nobles and his co-defendants that night at her home when they broke in, claiming to be the police.
District Court Judge Kristi Dubose ordered that Nobles serve a total sentence of 22 years imprisonment, to be followed by a supervised release term of five years. She also imposed the special mandatory assessment of $300, but no fine.
The case was investigated by the Chickasaw Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigations, 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.
Drug Dealer Sentenced in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
MOBILE, Ala. - Joseph Augustus Reed, 36, of Fairhope, was sentenced in federal court yesterday for his role in the distribution of crack cocaine there. Reed entered a guilty plea to the charge of possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine in May of 2012. He was sentenced on March 7, 2013, by District Court Judge William H. Steele. Judge Steele ordered that Reed serve 114 months imprisonment, to be followed by a supervised release term of three years. Judge Steele ordered that the defendant receive drug treatment, and that during his supervised release term, he will be subject to drug testing. Judge Steele also ordered that Reed pay a $100 special mandatory assessment. No fine was imposed.
The case was investigated by the Fairhope Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigations. It was prosecuted in the United States Attorney’s Office by Assistant United States Attorney Gloria Bedwell.
Man Sentenced for Attack on Federal MarshalsRead the Press Release
MOBILE, Ala. - Robert Lee Locke, 29, of Prichard, Alabama, was sentenced in federal court today for his assault of two United States deputy marshals. Court documents reflect that the attack occurred outside a federal courtroom where Locke had just been sentenced for a violation of a supervised release term in a prior federal drug conviction. Locke became unruly as the court proceeding adjourned, and in the hallway outside the courtroom, Locke, who was in custody, used the handcuffs on his hands and his fingernails against the deputy marshal escorting him back to the marshals holding area for prisoners in federal custody. A second deputy marshals was also present, who sought to gain control of Locke. In addition to cuts and abrasions on the face and head of the first deputy marshal, Locke scratched the cornea of the second deputy marshal and bit her on the arm.
Locke pled guilty to two counts of impeding a deputy marshal in the performance of official duties in November of 2012. United States District Court Judge Callie V.S. Granade imposed a sentence of 70 months imprisonment on each count, but ordered that the time run concurrently. Locke was also ordered to serve another term of three years supervised release following the completion of his prison term. The judge ordered that Locke pay restitution for the medical expenses incurred by the injuries he inflicted on the deputy marshals, and imposed a special mandatory assessment of $200.
The United States Marshals Service in Mobile conducted the investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Gloria A. Bedwell.
Man Sentenced on Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
MOBILE, Ala. - Jakari Tywann Lewis, 38, of Mobile, was sentenced today in federal court to 15 months imprisonment on the charge of possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine. Lewis entered a guilty plea to the charge in October of 2012. Senior District Court Judge Charles R. Butler, Jr., imposed the sentence and ordered that Lewis serve a six year term of supervised release when he is released from the penitentiary. The judge also ordered that Lewis pay the special mandatory assessment of $100.
The case was investigated by the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office and the Department of Homeland Security. It was prosecuted by Gloria Bedwell in the United States Attorney’s Office in Mobile.
Convicted Sex Offender Sentenced on Gun Charge to 10 Months in Prison, $10,000 FineRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Kenyen R. Brown of the Southern District of Alabama announced that William Henry Pittman, 67, of Mobile, was sentenced today for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Pittman was sentenced to ten months in prison and fined $10,000 for possession of a firearm after being convicted in 1989 of transportation of a minor for sexual purposes and distribution of a controlled substance to a minor.
Pittman pled guilty in August to being a felon in possession of a firearm. Deputies with the United States Marshals service discovered the firearm in the course of an unrelated investigation in May, 2012, and Pittman was indicted the following month.
The case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Mobile Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Sean P. Costello handled the prosecution on behalf of the United States.
Mobile Accountant Sentenced to Federal Prison for Bankruptcy, Tax Perjury ChargesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Kenyen Brown announces that Simon Ndongo of Mobile, Alabama was sentenced to eighteen (18) months in Federal prison and three years supervised release on his conviction of charges of falsification of documents in relation to a bankruptcy case and tax perjury. Ndongo, a former City of Mobile accountant, was also ordered to pay restitution of $278,055.47 to Bank of America; $50,131.33 to Citibank; $5,205.29 to JPMorgan Chase; $1,509.93 to Discover Card; $38,088.79 to the Bankruptcy Court; and 36,872 to the Internal Revenue Service.
The guilty plea concerns Ndongo’s 2008 Federal tax return, which falsely claimed the First Time Home Buyer Credit for purchasing a home in 2008, when he had not in fact purchased a home that year. Ndongo filed that false tax return with the Internal Revenue Service.
Ndongo also pled guilty to charges that he falsely answered questions about his investments in his bankruptcy Schedules, which obstructed the proper administration of the bankruptcy case, Case No. 08-11173, by concealing the investments from the Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Alabama, the Trustee and creditors. The plea agreement also required Ndongo to make restitution to the victims of crimes charges in other counts of the indictment to which he did not plead guilty.
The case was investigated by agents of the Mobile Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Mobile Office of Criminal Investigation, Internal Revenue Service. United States Attorney Kenyen R. Brown stated that the prosecution shows that the Department of Justice understands its duty to work to ensure that honest taxpayers are not taken advantage of and to endeavor to keep the bankruptcy system clean. Special Agent In Charge Veronica Hyman-Pilot, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, stated “Fraud and dishonesty in bankruptcy proceedings undermines the integrity of those important proceedings. Concealing assets from the bankruptcy court and not paying taxes is a gross violation of civic duty and deserves punishment such as that handed down today.”
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Vicki Davis, Michele O’Brien and Charles Baer on behalf of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Alabama.
Daphne Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison in Falsification of Bankruptcy DocumentsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Kenyen Brown announces that Teresa Weinacker of Daphne, Alabama today was sentenced to five months in Federal prison followed by five months home confinement and three years supervised release after she pled guilty to felony falsification of a Statement of Financial Affairs she caused to be filed in the bankruptcy case of her corporation, Xena Express, Inc. doing business as Pet Friendly, Inc. Weinacker was also ordered to pay restitution of $54,961.57 and to pay a $100 special assessment.
The charges concerned a “bust out scheme” of Pet Friendly, Inc., the business Weinacker controlled. This is a type of fraud where, just before filing bankruptcy, a person who controls a corporation transfers or conceals a corporation’s property and hides that transfer from the bankruptcy court. Property that should go to pay debts is instead taken by the controlling person. Weinacker was the president and controlling shareholder of Xena Express, Inc., which filed bankruptcy in October, 2009. Shortly before the bankruptcy filing, Weinacker opened a new bank account under her own name, doing business as Pet Friendly, Inc. She then, as president of Xena Express, Inc., faxed instructions to her major customer, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. in Arkansas to wire transfer funds due Xena Express, Inc. to the bank account she had opened in her own name Weinacker caused Wal-Mart to send almost Fifty-five thousand dollars that should have gone to the bankrupt corporation for businesses debts to instead be sent to her own account without the knowledge or approval of the Bankruptcy Court.. Weinacker answered a question on the bankruptcy Statement of Financial Affairs that asked about transfers of corporate property by stating “NONE”, when she knew she had caused the obligation due from Wal-Mart to be paid to her own account, instead of the corporate account.
The case was investigated by agents of the Mobile Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation The case was be prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Baer on behalf of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Alabama.
Selma Man Sentenced to Twenty Years Confinement in Drug Trafficking CaseRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL-- United States Attorney Kenyen R. Brown announces that Daniel Louis McReynolds, Jr., was sentenced to twenty years confinement today for his involvement in an extensive drug trafficking conspiracy. McReynolds was previously indicted with co-defendants Labarry Soloman, Allen Nettles, Marlon Smith, Glenn Edward Williams, Jr. and Keatrick Lewis. All the other co-defendants were sentenced in 2012. The Court also ordered the forfeiture of five vehicles that were used in the drug trafficking conspiracy. The vehicles will be sold and eighty percent of the proceeds from the sale will be given to the Selma Police Department. Congress has made it mandatory for federal drug defendants who are convicted of drug offenses to forfeit drug proceeds they obtained from selling illegal drugs as well as assets they used to facilitate drug transactions. The United States Attorney, Kenyen R. Brown, praised the efforts of the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Selma Police Department, who worked together for approximately two years to bring the case to fruition. The United States Marshal’s Service, Fugitive Investigation Team, also assisted in finding and arresting McReynolds after he was declared a fugitive.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney George F. May of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Alabama.
Robin Godwin Sentenced in Bank of Brewton RobberyRead the Press Release
Kenyen Brown, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Alabama, announces that defendant Robin Godwin, who previously pled guilty to being involved in the February 17, 2012 robbery of the Bank of Brewton, has been sentenced to 18 months in prison and required to pay $124,026.00 in restitution.
On October 17, 2012, Robin Godwin pled guilty to one count of stealing from a bank. As part of the plea agreement, Godwin admitted to the following facts:
Prior to February 17, 2012, Godwin and co-defendant Pamela Steele formulated a plan to rob the Bank of Brewton, which is where Steele worked as a teller. On February 17, 2012, Godwin entered the Bank of Brewton and walked up to Steele’s teller window. Godwin disguised her true appearance by wearing a blue poncho, grey fedora, black gloves, khaki pants, large sunglasses, a black Afro wig, black face paint, and body padding. Godwin asked Steele about renting a safety deposit box, so Steele took Godwin into the bank vault to look at the various box sizes available. While in the vault, Godwin pulled a large bag out from under her poncho and demanded that Steele fill it with cash. At this point, Steele filled th bag with approximately $255,000 in cash. Thereafter, Godwin fled the bank with the bag full of money.
Two months after the robbery, Steele confessed and led the FBI and local law enforcement to Godwin. Approximately half of the stolen money was recovered.
Co-defendant Pamela Steele has already been sentenced to 12 months and a day for her role in this offense.
This matter was investigated by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI offices Monroeville, Mobile, and Pensacola. The case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Alabama.
Washington County Sheriff Indicted for Conspiracy, Theft of Government MoneyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Kenyen R. Brown of the Southern District of Alabama announced that Richard Stephen Stringer, Sr., 67, of Deer Park, Alabama, has been indicted by a grand jury on charges of conspiracy and theft of government money.
The indictment alleges that Stringer, the Sheriff of Washington County, conspired with others to fraudulently obtain Social Security benefits for one of his employees. According to the charges, Stringer arranged to have the wages of one of his employees be paid to the employee’s wife instead of to the employee, thereby reducing the income reported to the Social Security Administration in his name, allowing the employee to obtain and retain benefits to which he was not entitled.
Stringer was charged with conspiracy and aiding and abetting the theft of government money. Conspiracy carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Theft of government money carries up to ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Sean P. Costello is handling the prosecution on behalf of the United States.
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.
Sentencing of Two eBay RICO DefendantsRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL-- United States Attorney Kenyen R. Brown announced that Kevin Demps, a Detroit, Michigan resident, and Andrew Valentino Wilson, an Atlanta, Georgia area resident, were sentenced today by Chief United States District Judge William Steele for a conspiracy to commit a RICO violation. Demps received a sentence of 50 months and Wilson received a sentence of 21 months. Both were ordered to pay restitution.
Demps and Wilson previously entered guilty pleas to the conspiracy charge and admitted their involvement in stealing electronics from retail stores. Both admitted some of the stolen electronics were subsequently sold on eBay.
The cases arose from an investigation by the United States Secret Service and were prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Deborah Griffin.
GoDaddy.com Bowl and Pre-Bowl EventRead the Press Release
Kenyen Brown, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Alabama, announces that the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Alabama is collaborating with the GoDaddy.com Bowl, the athletic departments of Arkansas State University and Kent State University, Mt. Hebron Church Ministries as well as other local churches, Team Focus, Volunteers of America, the Mobile Chapter of 100 Black Men, and Mobile Community Action in order to use athletics as a means to reach at-risk youth between the ages of 10-15.
An “Enlarge Your Vision” meeting will be hosted by Mt. Hebron Church Ministries (the event will take place in the Bright Spot behind the main sanctuary) this evening from 6-8pm, where nearly 1000 area children will hear remarks from U.S. Attorney Kenyen Brown, Mobile County Juvenile Judge Edmond Naman, Mike Gottfried of Team Focus, formerly incarcerated football player Henry Tooten, and several of the current football players for Arkansas State University and Kent State University. U. S. Attorney Brown stated, “The purpose of the meeting is to stress the importance of character to the young people in attendance, to encourage them to stay on the right path and to inspire to them to set high goals of achievement.”
Following remarks, the young people will have the opportunity to meet with the players and other speakers. The meeting will culminate with the 1000 young people being broken down into smaller groups to discuss what they might have learned from the meeting with possible mentors.
After tonight’s meeting, the entire group of young people will reconvene again to attend this year’s GoDaddy.com Bowl on Sunday night and will be seated in the south end zone area. The GoDaddy.com Bowl has generously donated nearly 1000 tickets for young people and 150 tickets for chaperones to attend Sunday’s contest between Arkansas State University and Kent State University. In addition to attendance at the game, the GoDaddy.com Bowl has invited the “Enlarge Your Vision” group of young people to participate in tailgate festivities prior to the game in the Kidzone. Within the Kidzone the young people will have the opportunity to climb a rock wall, as well as other activities. The group will also be provided with hot dogs, hamburgers, soft drinks and a GoDaddy.com Bowl tee shirt at no cost.
Over fifteen churches will be participating in the events, with some coming as far away as Washington and Clarke Counties. A similar event will be held prior the Senior Bowl in late January. Additional Note: U.S. Attorney Brown, Judge Edmond Naman, Mike Gottfried, Henry Tooten, and Pastor Joe Johnson of Mt. Hebron Church Ministries will be available for interviews at 5:30pm at the Bright Spot of Mt. Hebron Church Ministries.