District of Idaho
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Shoshone Dairy Farm and Its Owner Plead Guilty to Clean Water Act ViolationRead the Press Release
BOISE – 4 Brothers Dairy, Inc. (4 Bros.) and its owner, Andrew Fitzgerald, 60, of Shoshone, Idaho, pleaded guilty to unlawful discharge of pollutant into a water of the United States, a misdemeanor violation of the Clean Water Act, announced U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis today.
According to court records, 4 Bros. is a dairy and concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO) operating in Shoshone with at least 1,000 head of cattle. It maintains waste-water lagoons that are adjacent to the Milner-Gooding Canal, which flows to the Malad River and on to the Snake and Columbia Rivers. In the winter season of 2017, record precipitation, record snowpack, and flooding occurred, leading to extreme runoff at the 4 Bros. property. In February 2017, during this period of flooding, 4 Bros. and Fitzgerald negligently caused discharges of manure laden water into the Milner Gooding Canal at three locations.
“My office takes very seriously the responsibility of protecting Idaho’s precious natural resources,” said U.S. Attorney Davis. “We will not hesitate to hold accountable any company or individual that pollutes United States waterways located in Idaho. This prosecution reflects what can be accomplished by working collaboratively with the EPA and our partner agencies in the State of Idaho.”
For the violation, 4 Bros., faces up to five years of probation and a fine of up to $25,000 per day of violation. Fitzgerald faces up to one year in prison and up to one year of supervised release or up to five years of probation and a fine of up to $25,000 per day of violation.
As part of the plea agreements, the parties have jointly recommended that 4 Bros. pay a fine of $95,000 and that Fitzgerald pay a fine of $35,000. In addition, 4 Bros. has agreed to submit a Notice of Intent to seek coverage under the Environmental Protection Agency’s CAFO National Pollution Discharge Elimination System permit program for Idaho.
“We are all responsible for keeping our communities safe and protecting our natural resources. 4 Brothers’ Dairy and its owner, Andrew Fitzgerald, failed in this regard when they allowed hundreds of thousands of gallons of manure to enter the Milner-Gooding Canal, a tributary to some of Idaho’s most treasured waterways,” said Scot Adair, Special Agent in Charge of EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division in the Northwest. “Today’s guilty plea demonstrates that we will hold violators accountable for breaking our environmental laws.”
Sentencing for both 4 Bros. and Fitzgerald has been set for January 14, 2021 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Candy W. Dale. The Court has taken under advisement the terms of the parties’ plea agreements.
This case was investigated by the Environmental Protection Agency, Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, Idaho Department of Agriculture, and the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office.
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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.
Caldwell Man Sentenced to Prison on Federal Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
BOISE – Frank Ocegueda-Munoz, 23, of Caldwell, was sentenced to 71 months in federal prison for two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced today. A federal grand jury indicted Ocegueda-Munoz on January 14, 2020.
According to court records, Nampa police officers encountered Ocegueda-Munoz, a passenger, during a traffic stop on February 18, 2019. He possessed a loaded 12-gauge shotgun between his feet and legs. Ocegueda-Munoz is prohibited from possessing firearms due to a prior felony drug conviction. Officers arrested Ocegueda-Munoz and took him to jail, where they found almost six grams of methamphetamine on his person. Ocegueda-Munoz subsequently posted bail and was released from state custody.
The following month, on March 16, 2019, Caldwell police officers stopped Ocegueda-Munoz for a traffic violation. Ocegueda-Munoz initially complied with officers. However, Ocegueda-Munoz sped away from the scene before the traffic stop concluded. As he sped away, an officer was injured in his attempt to avoid being struck by the vehicle. Ocegueda-Munoz later crashed his vehicle and fled on foot. Officers eventually located Ocegueda-Munoz, at which point he resisted arrest. A search of the abandoned vehicle revealed another 12-gauge shotgun, a digital scale, and small plastic baggies. It was later determined that this shotgun was stolen during a burglary.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Nampa Police Department, and Caldwell Police Department.
This case was part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. For more information about Project Guardian, please visit: www.justice.gov/projectguardian.
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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.
U.S. Attorney Davis Encourages Idahoans to Partake in DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day This SaturdayRead the Press Release
BOISE – U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis wants to ensure that Idahoans are aware how to rid their homes of unused and unwanted medications.
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is holding its 19th National Prescription Drug Take Back Day this Saturday, October 24, 2020, at locations across the country, including 38 here in Idaho. The nationwide event aims to provide a safe, convenient, and responsible means of disposing of prescription drugs, while also educating the general public about the potential for abuse of medications.
“The availability of unused prescriptions is a significant contributor to opioids and other medications ending up in the wrong hands,” said Davis. “DEA is providing an important public service to our communities. I urge Idahoans to do their part by going to a collection site and safely disposing of unused, expired, and dangerous prescriptions. DEA is making it easier for all of us and I thank them for organizing this biannual event.”
Rates of prescription drug abuse in the United States are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. Studies show that most abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet.
Collection sites will adhere to local COVID-19 guidelines and regulations in order to maintain the safety of all participants and local law enforcement.
“Stop, drop, and roll, no questions asked,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Keith Weis. He further stated that, “With more people staying at home, we must remain vigilant, keeping our loved ones safe by cleaning out our medicine cabinets.”
Given the ongoing COVID-19 public health emergency, DEA wants to ensure that the public is aware of other ways they can dispose of unwanted prescription drugs without having to leave their homes. Both the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency have tips on how to safely dispose of drugs at home.
In addition to DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, prescription drugs can be disposed of at any of the 11,000 DEA authorized collectors at any time throughout the year. For more information, visit: www.apps2.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/.
“The initiative – now in its tenth year – addresses a vital public safety and public health issue,” said DEA Acting Administrator Timothy Shea. “Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. Together with our partners, we are not only holding National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, but offering other ways to dispose of unwanted, unused, and expired prescription medications.”
DEA also encourages the public to reach out to their local law enforcement agencies to find out if they have any permanent drug disposal locations throughout their local community.
DEA and its partners will collect tablets, capsules, patches, and other solid forms. DEA will also accept vape pens or other e-cigarette devices from individual consumers, only after the batteries are removed from the devices. If the battery cannot be removed, individual consumers can check with large electronic chain stores who may accept the vape pen or e-cigarette devices for proper disposal. Liquids, including intravenous solutions, syringes and other sharps, and illegal drugs cannot be dropped off. This service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.
For more information on DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, and to find a collection site near you, visit www.deatakeback.com
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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.
U.S. Attorney Davis Appoints Election Officers for the District of IdahoRead the Press Release
BOISE – United States Attorney Bart M. Davis announced today that Assistant United States Attorneys (AUSAs) Raymond Patricco, Jack Haycock, and Traci Whelan will lead the efforts of his office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 3, 2020 general election. AUSAs Patricco, Haycock, and Whelan have been appointed to serve as District Election Officers for the District of Idaho, and in that capacity are responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of complaints of election fraud and voting rights concerns in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington, DC.
“Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted,” said U.S. Attorney Davis. “The Department of Justice must act to protect the integrity of the election process.”
The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring election fraud and discrimination at the polls and combating these violations whenever and wherever they occur. The Department’s long-standing Election Day Program furthers these goals, and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the integrity of the election process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible election fraud and voting rights violations while the polls are open through election day.
Federal law protects against the crimes of intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters and provides that they can vote free from acts that intimidate or harass them. For example, actions of persons designed to interrupt or intimidate voters at polling places by questioning or challenging them, or by photographing or videotaping them, under the pretext that these are actions to uncover illegal voting may violate federal voting rights law. Further, federal law protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or illiteracy).
The franchise is the cornerstone of American democracy. We all must ensure that those who are entitled to the franchise exercise it if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice. In order to respond to complaints of election fraud or voting rights concerns during the voting period that ends on November 3, 2020, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, U.S. Attorney Davis stated that AUSAs Patricco, Haycock, and Whelan will be on duty in this District while the polls are open. They can be reached by the public at the following telephone numbers: (208) 334-9118 in Boise for AUSA Patricco; (208) 251-0589 in Pocatello for AUSA Haycock; or (208) 676-7344 in Coeur d’Alene for AUSA Whelan.
In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on election day. The Salt Lake City FBI field office, which covers Idaho, can be reached by the public at (801) 579-1400.
Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC by phone at (800) 253-3931 or by complaint form at www.civilrights.justice.gov/.
Please note, however, in the case of a crime of violence or intimidation, please call 911 immediately and before contacting federal authorities. State and local police have primary jurisdiction over polling places, and almost always have faster reaction capacity in an emergency.
“Ensuring free and fair elections depends in large part on the cooperation of the American electorate,” Davis said. “It is imperative that those who have specific information about discrimination or election fraud make that information available to my office, the FBI, or the Civil Rights Division.”
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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.
DOJ Charges More Than 14,200 Defendants with Firearms-Related Crimes in Fiscal Year 2020Read the Press Release
BOISE – Today, the Department of Justice announced it has charged more than 14,200 defendants with firearms-related crimes during Fiscal Year (FY) 2020, despite the challenges of COVID 19 and its impact on the criminal justice process. These cases have been a Department priority since November 2019 when Attorney General William P. Barr announced his commitment to investigating, prosecuting, and combatting gun crimes as a critical part of the Department’s anti-violent crime strategy. These firearms-related charges are the result of the critical law enforcement partnership between United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), led by Acting Director Regina Lombardo, who has made firearms-related investigations a priority.
“The number one priority of government is to keep its citizens safe,” said Attorney General Barr. “By preventing firearms from falling into the hands of individuals who are prohibited from having them, we can stop violent crime before it happens. Violating federal firearms laws is a serious crime and offenders face serious consequences. The Department of Justice is committed to investigating and prosecuting individuals who illegally buy, sell, use, or possess firearms. Reducing gun violence requires a coordinated effort, and we could not have charged more than 14,000 individuals with firearms-related crimes without the hard work of the dedicated law enforcement professionals at the ATF, our U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the country, and especially all of our state and local law enforcement partners.”
“Protecting the public from violent crime involving firearms is at the core of ATF’s mission,” commented ATF Acting Director Regina Lombardo. “Every day the men and women of ATF pursue and investigate those who use firearms to commit violent crimes in our communities, many of whom are prohibited from possessing firearms from previous convictions. ATF, in collaboration with the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the nation, is committed to bringing these offenders to justice for their egregious and violent criminal acts.”
Of the more than 14,200 cases charged, sixty cases have been brought by the District of Idaho, announced U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis.
“We have a great impact on curtailing violent crime by focusing our efforts on the enforcement of federal firearm laws,” said U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis. “Through our partnerships, we are ensuring that those that contribute to gun violence face appropriate charges and sentences that will protect our community.”
Under federal law, it is illegal to possess a firearm if you fall into one of nine prohibited categories including being a felon, illegal alien, or unlawful user of a controlled substance. Further, it is unlawful to possess a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense or violent crime. It is also illegal to purchase – or even to attempt to illegally purchase - firearms if the buyer is a prohibited person or illegally purchasing a firearm on behalf of others. Lying on ATF Form 4473, which is used to lawfully purchase a firearm, is also a federal offense. The Department is committed to prosecuting these firearms offenses as well as using all modern technologies available to law enforcement such as the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network, known as NIBIN, to promote gun crime intelligence. Keeping illegal firearms out of the hands of violent criminals will continue to be a priority of the Department of Justice and we will use all appropriate, available means to keep the law-abiding people of this country safe from gun crime.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney (SAUSA) Programs
A key component of Idaho’s strategy is its Special Assistant U.S. Attorney (SAUSA) programs. First, is the Treasure Valley Gang SAUSA program, which is based in southwestern Idaho. Second, is the Eastern Idaho Partnership (EIP) SAUSA program.
In southwestern Idaho, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and ATF are founding members of the Treasure Valley Metro Violent Crime Task Force (Metro), a co-located task force dedicated to investigating violent offenders and criminal enterprises in the Treasure Valley. Their focus is and has been on reducing gang violence in southwestern Idaho. As a complement to this effort, the United States Attorney’s Office utilizes a Gang SAUSA. The Gang SAUSA, a federally deputized Canyon County Deputy Prosecuting Attorney, is co-located in the U.S. Attorney’s Office and prosecutes all of the gang and gun crime referrals from the Metro Task Force. The Gang SAUSA was hired by the Treasure Valley Partnership and the State of Idaho to address gang crimes. The Treasure Valley Partnership is comprised of a group of elected officials in southwest Idaho dedicated to regional coordination, cooperation, and collaboration on creating coherent regional growth. For more information, visit treasurevalleypartners.org. This program has enjoyed tremendous success and is a national model. Since February 2007, 413 defendants have been indicted, convicted, and sentenced as part of the Gang SAUSA program. The 413 convictions obtained thus far have resulted in a total prison time of 22,157 months (approximately 1,846 years), representing an average prison sentence of 53.6 months (4.5 years). Federal sentences are served out of-of-state, helping to disrupt criminal networks.
Similarly, in the U.S. Attorney’s branch office in Pocatello, the EIP SAUSA prosecutes federal gun crimes among others. This SAUSA program is sponsored by the Eastern Idaho Partnership, a coalition of local city and county officials in eastern Idaho. The EIP SAUSA program allows law enforcement to utilize the federal criminal justice system – through the EIP SAUSA – to prosecute, convict, and sentence violent armed criminals. These criminals often receive stiffer penalties than they might in state courts. This program was created in January 2016. Since that time, approximately 143 defendants have been indicted by the EIP SAUSA. These defendants have been sentenced to 7,063 months (approximately 588 years) in federal prison, representing an average prison sentence of 49.3 months (4.1 years).
The following are examples of cases prosecuted in Idaho, some of which were prosecuted through the Special AUSA programs.
Just last month on September 8, 2020, Hussein Al Hasani, 22, of Boise, pleaded guilty to illegally possessing a firearm because he was a convicted felon. He was indicted by a federal grand jury in Boise on August 13, 2019. According to court records, on June 15, 2019, Al Hasani was in an altercation with individuals outside of a hookah bar in Nampa. During the altercation, Al Hasani discharged a firearm. Police later arrested Al Hasani and found him in possession of a .40 caliber, semi-automatic handgun. Al Hasani was prohibited from possessing firearms because of a prior felony conviction. Al Hasani is awaiting sentencing, which is scheduled for December 7, 2020, before Judge B. Lynn Winmill at the federal courthouse in Boise.
Just this week on October 13, 2020, Mark Harry Thompson, 62, of Yuba City, California, pleaded guilty to dealing in firearms without a license. Court records reveal that beginning around January 2017 and continuing to June 2019, Thompson, who resided in California, would regularly travel to Idaho to purchase firearms that he would not be able to purchase in California due to differences in state laws. Thompson falsely represented that he was an Idaho resident in obtaining the firearms in Idaho. Thompson would then transport the firearms back to California and sell them to other individuals. During this period, Thompson sold in excess of one hundred firearms in California. The investigation and prosecution of unlicensed firearms dealers is an important part of enforcing federal firearms laws. Federal law establishes a system designed to prevent guns from falling into the hands of felons and others who cannot legally possess firearms. When unlicensed firearms dealers illegally sell firearms for their own profit, they put the community at risk. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to vigorously pursuing these unlicensed dealers.
Finally, on September 30, 2020, Timothy Earnest Hudson, 37, of Idaho Falls, was convicted of unlawfully possessing a firearm and was sentenced to 33 months in prison. According to court records, officers with the Idaho Falls Police Department responded to a call for a possible drug overdose at Hudson’s residence in July 2019. Officers contacted Hudson, who was on parole due to a prior felony conviction. The police officers and officers with the Idaho Department of Probation and Parole conducted a search of Hudson’s residence. They located a Ruger pistol in Hudson’s possession, which had previously been reported as stolen. Hudson was prohibited from possessing firearms because of his prior felony conviction.
Idaho’s anti-violent crime program has enjoyed success because of the investigation and prosecution efforts at all levels of government. “Federal prosecutions of firearm crime involve collaboration between federal, tribal, state, and local agencies,” said Davis. “These partnerships promote our ability to make our community safer on a daily basis.”
For more information on the lawful purchasing of firearms, please see: www.atf.gov/qa-category/atf-form-4473.
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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.
U.S. Attorney Davis Announces More Than $10 Million in Grants to Assist Victims in IdahoRead the Press Release
BOISE – U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis today announced $10,089,836 in Department of Justice grants to assist victims in Idaho. The grants, awarded by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs, are part of almost $1.8 billion distributed to state victim assistance and compensation programs to fund thousands of local victim assistance programs across the country and to provide millions in compensation to victims of crime.
The Office for Victims of Crime, a component of the Department’s Office of Justice Programs, flagship formula grant program is supported by the Crime Victims Fund (the Fund), which was established under the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA). The Fund supports a broad array of programs and services that focus on helping victims in the immediate aftermath of crime and continuing to support them as they rebuild their lives. In FY 2019 alone, VOCA grants served over seven million victims and paid more than $399 million in compensation claims.
“Advocates, service providers, and law enforcement agencies from around the country stand ready to help crime victims exercise their legal rights and reclaim their lives,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “These new funding resources continue this administration’s unprecedented commitment to providing the support necessary for victims of crimes to be able to heal and recover.”
The awards made to two Idaho organizations, Idaho Department of Health and Welfare and Idaho Industrial Commission, will support local direct victim service programs, including children’s advocacy centers, domestic violence shelters, rape crisis centers, human trafficking and elder abuse programs, civil legal services, crime victims’ rights enforcement, as well as victim assistance positions in prosecutors’ offices and law enforcement agencies.
“It is vital we support those agencies that selflessly provide services for victims of crime,” said U.S. Attorney Davis. “The Department and my office are committed to ensuring victims have the necessary resources to begin to heal their physical, emotional, and financial injuries. I am confident these added resources will help victims of crime on their journey to rebuild their lives.”
State victim compensation programs throughout the country will receive over $133 million to supplement the state funds that offset victims’ financial burdens resulting from crime. This compensation is often extremely vital to victims who face enormous financial setbacks from medical fees, lost income, dependent care, funeral expenses and other costs.
“The services made available by this funding represent a lifeline for tens of thousands of survivors each month, many of whom otherwise would have no place to turn in a moment of profound crisis,” said Katharine T. Sullivan, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General of the Office of Justice Programs. “These awards will help service providers, as well as law enforcement agencies and prosecutors’ offices respond to the many emotional and material challenges that crime victims in our country face every day.”
The Fund is financed by fines and penalties paid by convicted federal offenders and does not include tax dollars. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
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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.
Worley Man Sentenced for Role in High Speed ChaseRead the Press Release
COEUR D'ALENE – Joseph Louis James, 37, of Worley, Idaho, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 46 months in federal prison for unlawful possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced today. Chief U.S. District Judge David C. Nye also ordered James to serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence. James pleaded guilty to the charge on June 10, 2020.
According to court records, on March 6, 2020, a Coeur d’Alene Tribal police officer attempted to pull over the vehicle James was in for a traffic violation. Instead of pulling over, the vehicle sped up and led the officer on a high-speed chase. During the chase, multiple gunshots came from the passenger side of the vehicle towards the pursing officer’s vehicle. Neither the officer nor his vehicle were struck. Due to safety concerns, the officer ended the pursuit. Later, officers were able to locate the vehicle, James, and others involved in the incident in Spokane, Washington. During James’ arrest, officers located the firearm that was used during the police pursuit. During his interview, James admitted to possessing the firearm prior to the car chase. James is prohibited from possessing firearms due to multiple prior felony convictions.
This case was investigated by the Coeur d'Alene Tribal Police Department, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office, Benewah County Sheriff’s Office, Idaho State Police, and Spokane County Sheriff’s Office.
This case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program. PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime
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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.
Virginia Businessman Pleads Guilty to Bribery of FBI OfficialRead the Press Release
POCATELLO – Robert Bailey, 63, of Centreville, Virginia, pleaded guilty to paying a bribe to a public official, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced today. Bailey pleaded guilty to a one-count criminal information filed in connection with his plea agreement. Sentencing is set for December 16, 2020, before U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill at the federal courthouse in Pocatello.
According to court records, in 2001, Bailey purchased L-1, a construction management and operations company located in Chantilly, Virginia. In 2008, Bailey became a business acquaintance of an FBI employee when they worked together on a FBI construction project. The FBI employee was a Management and Program Analyst with the United States Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). In that position, the FBI employee was responsible for managing construction and services contracts for FBI buildings across the country.
According to court records, in 2017, the FBI broke ground on the construction of a data center in Pocatello, Idaho (the Pocatello Data Center project). The Pocatello Data Center project involved construction of a two-building, 140,000 square-foot complex that would accommodate data halls containing computer equipment and office space. The purpose was to consolidate multiple FBI data centers from across the country and improve efficiency and cyber-security. In 2017, the FBI employee became the Contracting Officer Representative (COR) for the Pocatello Data Center project. In that position, the FBI employee had management and oversight responsibilities over the construction of the Pocatello Data Center.
According to court records, in 2016 through 2018, Bailey and L-1 made payments, and gave items of value, to the FBI employee. These payments included 18 deposits totaling $120,000 into a bank account controlled by the FBI employee. From this account, the FBI employee made payments on a personal loan, home mortgage, car, credit card, and vacation travel costs, among other personal expenditures at retail stores, such as a pair of diamond earrings that cost $5,300. In addition, Bailey and L-1 provided the following items of value to the FBI employee: a fiftieth birthday party in Dallas, Texas, including first-class airfare, hotel accommodations, and tickets to a Dallas Cowboys football game; a beach house rental in Nags Head, North Carolina; first-class Amtrak train tickets; invitations to a L-1 company holiday party; and tickets to a Washington Nationals baseball game, among other gratuities. The total value of the payments and gratuities was $128,128.
According to court records, Bailey and L-1 made these payments, and gave these items of value, to the FBI employee with the intent to influence the FBI employee in performing official acts at FBI to benefit L-1 on the Pocatello Data Center project. These official acts included the following: the FBI employee seeking and receiving authorization for approximately $16,000 monthly per diem payments from the FBI to Bailey for L-1 employees who stayed at Bailey’s house instead of a hotel; the FBI employee soliciting and including Bailey’s edits in the statement of work to a $12.2 million construction and services bridge contract (related to the Pocatello Data Center project) that the FBI later awarded to S-1 (as general contractor) and L-1 (as subcontractor); and the FBI employee convincing his FBI superiors to pay L-1 for its work on the bridge contract at higher Washington, D.C. metropolitan-area labor rates, rather than lower Idaho labor rates.
“Public officials who are responsible for administering government contracts bear a great responsibility to do so fairly and with integrity,” U.S. Attorney Davis stated. “Individuals who seek to entice these public officials to reap an unfair advantage in the contracting process will be held accountable and prosecuted to fullest extent of the law.”
“Bailey sought to bribe an FBI official – with direct deposits, sports tickets, travel, and gifts – in order to personally benefit from the FBI’s contracting process. Bailey, like all others who try to undermine the integrity of government contracting, will be held accountable for his selfish actions,” said Douglas B. Bruce, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General Denver Field Office.
The charge of paying a bribe to a public official is punishable by up to 15 years in federal prison, a $250,000 fine or not more than three times the monetary equivalent of the thing of value, whichever is greater, disqualification from any office of honor, trust, or profit under the United States, and up to three years of supervised release.
This case was investigated by the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General.
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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.
Post Falls Man Sentenced to over 11 Years for Drug DistributionRead the Press Release
COEUR D’ALENE – Adam Christopher Horty, 57, of Post Falls, Idaho, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 137 months in federal prison, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced today. U.S. Circuit Judge Richard C. Tallman, sitting as a U.S. District Court judge, also ordered Horty to pay a $1,000 fine and serve five years of supervised release following his prison sentence. In November 2019, a federal jury sitting in Coeur d’Alene convicted Horty of three counts of distribution of methamphetamine, one count of possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, and one count of felon in possession of firearms.
Evidence presented at trial established that law enforcement officials began investigating Horty in July of 2018 for distributing methamphetamine out of a home in Post Falls. During the investigation, law enforcement conducted controlled purchases of methamphetamine from Horty at this residence on three occasions. On August 14, 2018, law enforcement served a search warrant at Horty’s residence. During the warrant service, Horty was found in possession of 230 grams of actual methamphetamine and drug distribution paraphernalia. Officers also located three firearms in Horty’s bedroom. Horty has multiple prior felony convictions in the State of Washington, which prohibit him from possessing firearms.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations, Post Falls Police Department, Idaho State Police, Idaho Department of Correction, and Rathdrum Police Department.
This case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program. PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime
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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.
Montana Man Sentenced to over 10 Years for Possession and Attempted Distribution of Pounds of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
COEUR D'ALENE – Robert Patrick Chiefstick, 45, of Missoula, Montana, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 121 months in federal prison for possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced today. Chief U.S. District Judge David C. Nye also ordered Chiefstick serve five years of supervised release following his prison sentence. Chiefstick pleaded guilty to the charge on June 17, 2020.
According to court records, the case stems from a November 26, 2019 traffic stop wherein Chiefstick was found in possession of approximately four pounds of methamphetamine. The investigation revealed that Chiefstick was picking up the methamphetamine for another individual and was receiving a portion of the methamphetamine for his efforts.
This case was investigated by the Kootenai County Sheriff's Office, Rathdrum Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Idaho State Police.
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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.
Lewiston Man Sentenced to 6 Years for Federal Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
COEUR D'ALENE – Bren Allen Goodnight, 31, of Lewiston, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to six years in federal prison for unlawful possession of a firearm and unlawful possession of ammunition, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced today. U.S. District Judge David C. Nye also ordered Goodnight serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence, and stated his intent to sentence Goodnight to an additional three years of supervised release if he violated the terms imposed by the Court. Goodnight pleaded guilty to the charges on July 16, 2020.
According to court records, Lewiston Police Department detectives contacted Goodnight in March 2019, outside a Lewiston grocery store. Detectives developed probable cause to believe that drugs were within the vehicle Goodnight was driving and searched the vehicle. Detectives located and seized a Glock handgun and ammunition. Goodnight could not possess the firearm or ammunition because he had previously been convicted of a felony drug offense in Asotin County, Washington.
The investigation showed that Goodnight obtained this firearm from Benjamin Negrete. In July 2020, Negrete was sentenced to 37 months in federal prison followed by six years of supervised release, for possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. Lewiston PD detectives also investigated that case.
Multiple law enforcement agencies contributed to the investigation and prosecution of this case including the Lewiston Police Department, Nez Perce County Prosecutor’s Office, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Quad Cities Drug Task Force. The Quad Cities Drug Task Force is a multi-jurisdictional group of law enforcement officers working together to target drug trafficking in Lewiston and Moscow, Idaho, and Clarkston and Pullman, Washington.
This case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program. PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
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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.
Boise Man Sentenced to 13 Years for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
BOISE – Kimber Jac Marston, 44, of Boise, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 13 years in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced today. U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also ordered Marston to pay a $1,000 fine and serve five years of supervised release following his prison sentence. Marston pleaded guilty to the charge on July 14, 2020.
According to court records, while on parole for a state drug conviction, Marston’s residence was searched by Idaho Department of Correction probation and parole officers. During the search, Marston was found in possession of 323 grams of methamphetamine that he admitted he intended to distribute to others. A digital scale and plastic packaging materials commonly used to weigh and package methamphetamine for distribution was also found in Marston’s possession. Marston’s criminal history includes five felony drug convictions.
This case was investigated by the Boise Police Department and Idaho Department of Correction.
This case was prosecuted by the Special Assistant U.S. Attorney hired by the Ada County
Prosecuting Attorney’s Office and the Idaho High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Board. The Idaho High Intensity Drug Trafficking Board is a collaboration of local law enforcement drug task forces and prosecuting agencies dedicated to addressing regional drug trafficking organizations that operate in Ada, Canyon, and Malheur County.
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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.
Idaho Man Sentenced for Timber Theft in the Sawtooth National ForestRead the Press Release
BOISE - Mark Allen James, 23, of Twin Falls, Idaho, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to three years of probation for theft of government property, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced today. U.S. District Judge Winmill also ordered James to pay $1,680 in restitution. James pleaded guilty to the charge on May 26, 2020.
According to court records, during the fall of 2018, James repeatedly harvested timber from the Deadline Ridge Summer Home area of the Sawtooth National Forest. The timber harvested was the property of the United States, as it was located on national forest land. James harvested timber without a lawfully obtained permit to do so. James would sell the illegally obtained timber online. Law enforcement interviewed James at the conclusion of their investigation. He confessed to harvesting twelve cords of firewood and selling it for $140 per cord.
This case was investigated by the United States Forest Service.
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Buhl Man Sentenced to over 10 Years for Distributing MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
BOISE - Terry Duane Whited, Jr., 36, of Buhl, Idaho, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 130 months in prison for distribution of methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced today. Chief U.S. District Judge David C. Nye also ordered Whited to serve five years of supervised release following his prison sentence. Whited pleaded guilty to the charge on October 22, 2019.
According to court records, Whited was a methamphetamine dealer living in the Buhl area in 2018. On October 28, 2018, Whited distributed five pounds of methamphetamine to an individual living in Boise, for an agreed price of $4,000 per pound. This methamphetamine was later seized by law enforcement following a search warrant of a Boise residence. Whited has a criminal history that includes a prior felony conviction for eluding a police officer in which he was sentenced to prison.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Boise Police Department.
This indictment is the result of a joint investigation by the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies. 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. Program participants include Federal Bureau of Investigation; Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations; Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation; and U.S. Marshals Service.
This case was prosecuted by the Special Assistant U.S. Attorney hired by the Ada County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office and the Idaho High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Board. The Idaho High Intensity Drug Trafficking Board is a collaboration of local law enforcement drug task forces and prosecuting agencies dedicated to addressing regional drug trafficking organizations that operate in Ada, Canyon, and Malheur County.
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Boise Man Convicted of Health Care Fraud and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
BOISE - Scott Alexander Laney, 38, of Boise, was convicted on October 5, 2020, by U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill of health care fraud and aggravated identity theft following a bench trial, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced today. The bench trial ran from September 21 through September 25, with the Court announcing the verdict today.
During the five-day trial, the Court heard evidence that Laney executed a scheme to defraud Medicare and Idaho Medicaid in connection with the delivery and payment of urine drug screenings and committed aggravated identity theft. Laney worked as a sales representative in connection with two national companies that performed laboratory testing of urine drug samples. In that role, Laney setup fraudulent accounts using the names and identifying information of multiple nurse practitioners without authority. Laney’s misuse of the nurse practitioners’ information caused the payment of fraudulent health care claims that were not authorized by a medical provider and were not reasonable or medically necessary.
Laney faces up to 10 years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, and up to 3 years of supervised release on the health care fraud convictions. The aggravated identity theft charges carry a mandatory minimum of 2 years consecutive imprisonment to other charges, a maximum fine of $250,000, and up to 1 year of supervised release.
Sentencing is set for January 7, 2021, before U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill at the federal courthouse in Boise.
This case was investigated by the Health & Human Services, Office of Inspector General with assistance from the Payette Police Department.
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Pennsylvania Man Sentenced in Drug Distribution CaseRead the Press Release
BOISE - Richard E. Wajda, of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on October 1, 2020, to 24 months in prison for distribution of a controlled substance on October 1, 2020, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced today. Chief U.S. District Judge David C. Nye also ordered Wajda to serve one year of supervised release following his release from prison and pay a $4,000 fine and forfeit $6,000. Wajda pleaded guilty to the charge on July 7, 2020.
According to court records, On March 2, 2017, the defendant traveled to Idaho to visit. On or between March 2 and March 7, 2017, the defendant sold approximately 85 fentanyl 100 micrograms per hour patches, and 420 alprazolam 2 milligram tablets to a Boise resident for approximately $6,000. Fentanyl is a Schedule II controlled substance and alprazolam is a Schedule IV controlled substance. The defendant left Idaho on March 7, 2017. On or between March 8 and March 10, 2017, the person to whom the defendant sold the drugs died as a result of alprazolam and fentanyl intoxication.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Ada County Sheriff’s Office.
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Hailey Man Sentenced to 3 Years for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
BOISE – Noah Fischman, 20, of Hailey, Idaho, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 36 months in federal prison for possession of child pornography, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced today. Chief U.S. District Judge David C. Nye also sentenced Fischman to 15 years of supervised release following his prison sentence. Fischman pleaded guilty to the charge on July 7, 2020.
According to court records, the investigation began after Chat Step and Skype reported that child pornography had been uploaded to various online accounts between June 5, 2016 and November 3, 2018. The reports were assigned to the Idaho Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force for investigation. ICAC learned that the IP address used to upload child pornography to the online accounts was tied to Fischman’s residence in Hailey. ICAC obtained a search warrant for Fischmans’s residence and then seized his computer after executing the search warrant. A forensic examination of the computer revealed approximately 4,900 files of child pornography. Fischman admitted to accessing child pornography and to saving child pornography to his computer. Fischman also admitted to receiving child pornography from other users on Chat Step and Skype.
Judge Nye also ordered Fischman to pay restitution of $60,000 to victims in the images he possessed and to pay a special assessment of $5,100. As a result of his conviction, Fischman will be required to register as a sex offender.
This case was investigated by the Idaho ICAC Task Force with assistance from United States Postal Inspection Service and Hailey Police Department, and 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. As part of Project Safe Childhood, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho and the Idaho Attorney General’s Office partner to marshal 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, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.
For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
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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.
Two Leaders of the Aryan Knights Prison Gang Each Sentenced to over 17 Years for RICO ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOISE – Two members of an Idaho prison gang called the Aryan Knights were sentenced to federal prison after pleading guilty to one count of participating in a RICO (the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization Act) conspiracy, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced today. Chief United States District Judge David C. Nye sentenced Christopher Foss, 32, to 210 months in federal prison and Buck Pickens, 31, to 206 months in federal prison. Both Foss and Pickens will also serve five years of supervised release following their sentence. Each was found to have played a leadership role in the Aryan Knights, or “AK.”
Foss’ sentence will be served concurrently with a state sentence currently being served at Idaho Department of Correction (IDOC). If Foss is paroled on his state sentence at the earliest possible date, he will serve an additional 174 months in federal prison. Pickens’ sentence is partially concurrent with his current state sentences. It is structured so that Pickens will serve an additional 60 months in federal prison if he is paroled at the earliest possible date.
Foss and Pickens are two of ten AK gang defendants indicted by a federal grand jury in May 2019 for participating in a RICO conspiracy. The indictment also included two separate counts for committing a violent crime in aid of racketeering. So far, five defendants have pleaded guilty to the RICO conspiracy count, and one defendant, Michael McNabb, 36, was sentenced on August 21, 2020. McNabb was sentenced to 28 months in federal prison by Chief Judge Nye. A jury trial for the remaining defendants is scheduled for April 5, 2021 at the federal courthouse in Boise.
According to court records, the AK gang was formed in the mid-1990s in the Idaho prison system. It is a prison gang that operates within IDOC prison facilities and also outside of IDOC facilities. It was founded to organize criminal activity for a select group of white inmates within IDOC custody. The AK gang has white supremacist and white separatist ideologies. Since its founding, the AK gang has expanded and is now believed to have over 100 members, both inside and outside of IDOC custody. Members of the AK gang have used violence and the threat of violence to target non‑white inmates and other targeted inmates. AK gang members also engaged in drug trafficking, extortion, and gambling to generate revenue, which was shared among members.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, IDOC’s Special Investigations Unit, Ada County Sheriff’s Office, and Ada County Prosecutor’s Office.
An indictment is a means of charging a person with criminal activity. It is not evidence. The codefendants that have not pleaded guilty and remain scheduled for trial are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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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.
Parma Man Sentenced to over 16 Years for Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
BOISE – Jason Harvey, 45, of Parma, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 200 months in federal prison for distribution of child pornography, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced today. U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also sentenced Harvey to a lifetime of supervised release following his prison sentence. Harvey pleaded guilty to the charge on June 24, 2020.
According to court records, the investigation began after Google, Facebook, and Yahoo! reported that child pornography had been uploaded to various online accounts between December 23, 2016 and March 25, 2019. The reports were assigned to the Idaho Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force for investigation. ICAC obtained search warrants for the online accounts, which revealed the accounts belonged to Harvey. Within the accounts, ICAC located images and videos of child pornography and emails and messages where Harvey discussed trading child pornography with others. ICAC also located several emails and messages where Harvey sent child pornography files to other individuals and received child pornography files in return. A federal magistrate judge issued a search warrant for Harvey’s residence in Parma. During the execution of the search warrant, ICAC detectives interviewed Harvey. Harvey admitted ownership of the online accounts, but denied involvement in child pornography.
Judge Winmill also ordered Harvey to pay $6,000 in restitution to victims in the images he possessed. As a result of his conviction, Harvey will be required to register as a sex offender.
This case was investigated by the Idaho ICAC Task Force with assistance from United States Postal Inspection Service, Canyon County Prosecutor’s Office, Canyon County Sheriff’s Office, Caldwell Police Department, and Parma Police Department.
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. As part of Project Safe Childhood, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho and the Idaho Attorney General’s Office partner to marshal 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, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.
For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
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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.
Human Resources Manager Charged with Defrauding Employer, Including Through COVID-19 Testing SchemeRead the Press Release
BOISE – Douglas Wold, 48, of Meridian, was indicted on September 10, 2020, by a federal grand jury sitting in Boise on eleven counts of wire fraud, one count of mail fraud, and one count of money laundering, announced U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis.
According to court records, Wold worked as a Human Resources Manager for Fry Foods, Inc. in Ontario, Oregon. The indictment alleges that beginning in at least May 2020 and continuing through August 2020, Wold caused fraudulent payroll checks to be issued. Wold then deposited these fraudulent payroll checks into bank accounts in his control.
According to the indictment, Wold arranged for COVID-19 testing for Fry Foods’ employees at their Weiser, Idaho facilities in May 2020. Wold issued a fraudulent invoice to Fry Foods in the name of his business, Hala Lallo Health, for $39,995 when, in fact, the testing was provided by another entity and at a materially lower cost. When Fry Foods paid Hala Lallo Health for the testing, Wold deposited the funds into a bank account he controlled.
With respect to the money laundering count, the indictment alleges that Wold transferred $69,116.48 in proceeds from his frauds for the purchase a speedboat and trailer.
Each count of wire fraud and mail fraud carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release. Money laundering carries a penalty of up to ten years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release.
Wold was arraigned on September 14, where a trial was scheduled for November 2 before Chief U.S. District Judge David C. Nye at the federal courthouse in Boise.
This case was investigated by Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation.
An indictment is a means of charging a person with criminal activity. It is not evidence. A person is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
For information about the Department of Justice’s efforts to stop illegal COVID-19-related activity, visit www.justice.gov/coronavirus. For the most up-to-date information on COVID-19, consumers may visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and WHO websites.
The public is urged to report suspected fraud schemes related to COVID-19 (the Coronavirus) to the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) hotline by phone at (1-866-720-5721) or via an online reporting form available at www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/webform/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form
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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.
U.S. Attorney Davis Announces Nearly $1 Million Award to Improve School Safety in IdahoRead the Press Release
BOISE – U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced that Genesee Joint Schools, Minidoka School District 331, Highland Joint School District 305, and Joint School District 391 received a combined $923,990 from the Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) School Violence Prevention Program (SVPP). Nationally, the COPS Office SVPP awarded nearly $50 million in school safety funding. SVPP provides up to 75 percent funding for school safety measures in and around primary and secondary schools and school grounds.
“Idaho’s students must be assured their schools have the resources to keep them safe,” said U.S. Attorney Davis. “The Department of Justice and my office are committed to improving school safety for our children. I am confident this funding will help strengthen these Idaho school districts for years to come.”
“With the new school year underway, the safety of our nation’s students remains paramount,” said COPS Office Director Phil Keith. “Although this school year may look different at the start, now is the ideal time to make preparations to enhance school safety for when all of our children are back in the classroom.”
The Students, Teachers, and Officers Preventing School Violence Act of 2018 (STOP School Violence Act of 2018) gave the COPS Office authority to provide awards directly to states, units of local government, Indian tribes, and public agencies (such as school districts and law enforcement agencies) to improve security at schools and on school grounds in the jurisdiction of the grantee through evidence-based school safety programs. The four Idaho awards announced today can be used for coordination with law enforcement; training for local law enforcement officers to prevent student violence; metal detectors, locks, lighting, and other deterrent measures; technology for expedited notification of local law enforcement during an emergency; and other measures that provide a significant improvement in security. The full list of SVPP awards can be found here: cops.usdoj.gov/pdf/2020AwardDocs/svpp/Award_List.pdf.
In addition to the school safety grants announced today, the COPS Office School Safety Working Group, which is composed of representatives from eight national law enforcement organizations, has identified ten essential actions that can be taken by schools, school districts, and law enforcement agencies to help prevent critical incidents involving the loss of life or injuries in our nation's schools and to respond rapidly and effectively when incidents do occur. The Ten Essential Actions to Improve School Safety are applicable to school shootings as well as to other areas of school safety, including natural disasters and traumatic events such as student suicide. Adopting policies and practices based on the recommendations in this publication can help make school communities safer and save lives.
The COPS Office is the federal component of the Department of Justice responsible for advancing community policing nationwide. Since 1994, the COPS Office has invested more than $14 billion to advance community policing, including grants awarded to more than 13,000 state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to fund the hiring and redeployment of more than 134,000 officers and provide a variety of knowledge resource products including publications, training and technical assistance.
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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.
Boise Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun ChargeRead the Press Release
BOISE – Hussein Al Hasani, 22, of Boise, pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced today. Al Hasani was indicted by a federal grand jury in Boise on August 13, 2019. Sentencing is set for December 7, 2020, before U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill at the federal courthouse in Boise.
According to court records, on June 15, 2019, Al Hasani was in an altercation with individuals outside of a hookah bar in Nampa. During the altercation, Al Hasani discharged a firearm. Police later arrested Al Hasani and found him in possession of a .40 caliber, semi-automatic handgun. Al Hasani has a prior felony conviction and is prohibited from possessing firearms.
The charge of unlawful possession of a firearm is punishable by up to ten years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, and up to 3 years of supervised release.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Boise Police Department; and Nampa Police Department.
This case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program. PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. For more information about Project Guardian, please visit: https://www.justice.gov/projectguardian.
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Star Man Sentenced to Five Years in Federal Prison for Distributing MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
BOISE – Brooks Case, 33, of Star, Idaho, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to five years in federal prison for distribution of methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced today. U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also ordered Case serve four years of supervised release following his prison sentence. A federal jury found Case guilty of the charge on June 4, 2020.
According to court records, Case was indicted by a federal grand jury on November 13, 2019. Case’s charge stemmed from an investigation into the West Side Loma gang that spanned from October 2018 to October 2019. While law enforcement conducted a controlled buy of methamphetamine from a member of the gang in April 2019, Case arrived and provided the methamphetamine to the gang member. Case has a lengthy history of criminal convictions and violations of probation.
This case was investigated by Treasure Valley Metro Violent Crime Task Force. The Task Force is comprised of federal, state, and local agencies. These agencies include the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Ada County Sheriff’s Office; Boise Police Department; Caldwell Police Department; Canyon County Sheriff’s Office; Meridian Police Department; Nampa Police Department; and Idaho Department of Correction, Bureau of Probation and Parole.
This indictment was the result of a joint investigation by the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies. 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. Program participants include Federal Bureau of Investigation; Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations; Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation; and U.S. Marshals Service.
This case was prosecuted by the Special Assistant U.S. Attorney hired by the Treasure Valley Partnership and the State of Idaho to address gang crimes. The Treasure Valley Partnership is comprised of a group of elected officials in southwest Idaho dedicated to regional coordination, cooperation, and collaboration on creating coherent regional growth. For more information, visit www.treasurevalleypartners.org.
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Federal Jury Convicts Boise Methamphetamine TraffickerRead the Press Release
BOISE – A federal jury sitting in Boise convicted Edward Eric Behrens, 42, of Boise, of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced today. The trial began on Monday, August 31, 2020, and concluded Thursday evening when the jury returned their verdict.
During the four-day trial, the jury heard evidence that on February 2, 2019, Behrens was driving his car when he was stopped by Boise Police for a traffic infraction. During the stop, a drug-sniffing canine alerted to the odor of drugs in the car. A search of the car then revealed a large plastic bag containing 435.68 grams of pure methamphetamine. The evidence showed that this methamphetamine was possessed by Behrens and that he intended to distribute it to others.
Sentencing is scheduled for December 10, 2020, before U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill at the federal courthouse in Boise. Behrens faces a sentence of 15 years to life in federal prison, a maximum fine of $10 million, and up to five years of supervised release.
This case was investigated by the Boise Police Department, Ada County Sheriff's Office, Idaho State Police, and Drug Enforcement Administration.
This case was prosecuted by the Special Assistant U.S. Attorney hired by the Ada County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, with funds provided by the Oregon-Idaho High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA). The HIDTA program is a national drug-prohibition enforcement program run by the United States Office of National Drug Control Policy. The Oregon-Idaho HIDTA is a collaboration of local law enforcement drug task forces and prosecuting agencies dedicated to addressing regional drug trafficking organizations. Idaho uses HIDTA funds to investigate and prosecute drug trafficking organizations that operate in and around Ada, Canyon, and Bannock counties.
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Idaho Falls Man Sentenced to over Five Years in Federal Prison for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
POCATELLO – Arnulfo Gonzales-Torres, 23, of Idaho Falls, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 63 months in federal prison for possession of child pornography, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced today. Chief U.S. District Judge David C. Nye also ordered Gonzales-Torres to serve 15 years of supervised release following his prison sentence. Gonzales-Torres pleaded guilty to the charge on February 25, 2020.
According to court records, between May and July 2019, a detective with the Idaho Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force downloaded several files of child pornography that were made available by Gonzales-Torres’ computer via a peer-to-peer network. Law enforcement obtained a search warrant for Gonzales-Torres’ Idaho Falls residence. ICAC Task Force members executed the search warrant and seized a desktop computer from Gonzales-Torres’ residence. A forensic examination of this device revealed approximately 1,251 images and 15 videos of child pornography. Gonzales-Torres admitted to detectives that he had downloaded and viewed child pornography through a peer-to-peer network and had stored child pornography on his computer.
Chief Judge Nye also ordered Gonzales-Torres to pay $6,000 in restitution to the victims in the images that he possessed. As a result of his conviction, Gonzales-Torres will be required to register as a sex offender.
This case was investigated by the Idaho Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations in Idaho Falls, Idaho Falls Police Department, Rexburg Police Department, and Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office.
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. As part of Project Safe Childhood, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho and the Idaho Attorney General’s Office partner to marshal 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, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.
For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
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Federal Jury Convicts Lewiston Drug Trafficker on Six ChargesRead the Press Release
COEUR D'ALENE – Christopher William Bounds, 37, of Lind, Washington, was convicted by a federal jury in Coeur d'Alene on six federal drug and firearms charges, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced today. The jury found Bounds guilty of:
- Conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and heroin;
- Possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine;
- Possession with intent to distribute heroin;
- Unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon;
- Unlawful possession of a firearm by a drug addict; and
- Possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
During the four day trial, the jury heard evidence that on August 15, 2018, Quad Cities Drug Task Force detectives were conducting surveillance on Bounds who had just brought a load of methamphetamine and heroin from Washington. During their surveillance, detectives observed Bounds make a hand to hand drug transaction. Bounds’ vehicle was pulled over, just outside Lewiston, by a Nez Perce County Sheriff’s Deputy assisting the task force. Officers searched Bounds’ vehicle and seized two pounds of pure methamphetamine, 490 grams of heroin, and sixteen firearms. Testimony at trial showed that the drugs were valued at over $32,000. Bounds’ cell phone was also seized and searched. Communications showed that Bounds was tied into drug traffickers also under federal indictment in the Eastern District of Washington.
Bounds faces a sentence of 15 years to life in federal prison, and up to a $20,000,000 fine, for the drug trafficking charges. He faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, and up to a $250,000 fine for unlawfully possessing firearms. A five year consecutive sentence must also be imposed for his possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking.
Sentencing is set for November 17, 2020, before U.S. District Judge David C. Nye, at the federal courthouse in Coeur d'Alene.
Multiple law enforcement agencies contributed to the prosecution of this case including the Lewiston Police Department, Nez Perce County Sheriff’s Office, Clarkston Police Department, Whitman County Sheriff’s Office, and Federal Bureau of Investigation, who are all part of the Quad Cities Drug Task Force, as well as the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Drug Enforcement Administration, who are not part of the task force but participate with it on a regular basis. The Quad Cities Drug Task Force is a multi-jurisdictional group of law enforcement officers working together to target drug trafficking in Lewiston and Moscow, Idaho, and Clarkston and Pullman, Washington.
This indictment is the result of a joint investigation by the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies. 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. Program participants include Federal Bureau of Investigation; Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations; Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation; and U.S. Marshals Service.
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Former CFO of ETA Compute Pleads Guilty to Wire FraudRead the Press Release
BOISE – Timothy Semones, 60, of Ketchum, Idaho, pleaded guilty to wire fraud, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced today. Semones was indicted by a federal grand jury in Boise on February 12, 2020, on ten counts of wire fraud and one count of money laundering. Sentencing is set for December 8, 2020, before Chief U.S. District Judge David C. Nye at the federal courthouse in Boise.
According to court records, Semones admitted that, in 2017 and 2018, he was the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of ETA Compute, Inc. (ETA), a corporation with its principal place of business in Los Angeles, California. Semones worked remotely from Ketchum. As part of his duties as CFO, Semones had access to ETA’s Wells Fargo Bank business checking account and had the ability to make online transfers of funds from this account.
According to court records, in 2017 and 2018, Semones was in the process of designing and building an approximate 7,000 square foot personal residence located at 29 Lake Creek Drive in Ketchum. Between October 2017 and November 2018, Semones made nine online transfers of funds, totaling $3 million, from ETA’s Wells Fargo Bank business checking account to personal bank accounts over which he had access and control. Semones used the misappropriated funds to pay construction costs for the residence at 29 Lake Creek Drive, and to pay off the balance of a line of credit used to build the residence.
According to court records, in November 2018, when ETA’s Chief Executive Officer confronted Semones about the low balance of funds in ETA’s Wells Fargo Bank business checking account, Semones made false statements about the location and balance of funds. Further, Semones emailed falsified Wells Fargo Bank records – that made it appear that ETA’s bank account had $1.5 million more than it actually did – to ETA’s Chief Executive Officer.
In May 2020, the Lake Creek Drive property was sold. ETA was provided with $3 million, in full restitution for its loss, from the proceeds of the sale.
The charge of wire fraud is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
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Idaho Man Charged with Importation and Distribution of FentanylRead the Press Release
BOISE – Dakota James Hoffman, 28, of Bellevue, Idaho, was indicted on July 14, 2020, by a federal grand jury sitting in Boise for importation and distribution of fentanyl, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced today.
The indictment alleges that on March 15, 2020, Hoffman imported fentanyl into the United States and further distributed it within the District of Idaho.
The charges of importation of fentanyl and distribution of fentanyl are each punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison, a maximum fine of $1,000,000, and up to three years of supervised release.
Hoffman was arrested on August 14, 2020, in the Northern District of California. He initially appeared there and was ordered to appear on September 3, 2020, in the District of Idaho where he will be formally arraigned on the indictment and a trial date will be set. Further proceedings will take place before U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill at the federal courthouse in Boise.
This case was investigated by the Blaine County Sheriff’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
An indictment is a means of charging a person with criminal activity. It is not evidence. The person is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Washington Man Sentenced for Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
COEUR D'ALENE – Devin Alexander Motley, 22, of Greenacres, Washington, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to two years in prison for aggravated identity theft, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced today. U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also ordered Motley to serve one year of supervised release following his prison sentence and to pay $19,094.15 in restitution. Motley pleaded guilty to the charge on May 19, 2020.
According to court records, in September 2017, Motley stole personal information from a victim and used that information to illegally obtain a credit card. Motley then traveled to Idaho and used the card at the Coeur d’Alene Casino, on the Coeur d’Alene Reservation, as part of a scheme to fraudulently obtain over $19,000 of goods and services. The Coeur d'Alene Tribal Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation ultimately uncovered Motley’s actions and began investigating. During this same time period, Motley was also involved in multiple other fraudulent activities, which resulted in felony convictions for burglary and grand theft in Kootenai County, Idaho.
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Pocatello Man Sentenced to over 19 Years in Federal Prison for Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
POCATELLO – Carlos Brewer, 42, of Pocatello, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 235 months in federal prison for receiving sexually explicit images of minors, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced today. Senior Ninth Circuit Judge N. Randy Smith, sitting as a U.S. District Court judge, also ordered Brewer serve a lifetime of supervised release following his prison sentence. Brewer pleaded guilty to the charge on January 6, 2020.
According to court records, in August 2019, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Brewer’s Pocatello home. Officers previously received information that Brewer possessed a thumb drive containing child pornography. At the home, Brewer informed officers that the thumb drive was located in his messenger bag and he admitted that he previously transferred child pornography to the thumb drive from images on his computer. During a forensic search of Brewer’s devices, officers found hundreds of images of child pornography. Brewer admitted in court that he received the child pornography by downloading it to his computer.
At sentencing, Judge Smith also ordered Brewer to forfeit the computer and thumb drive used in the commission of the offense. As a result of his conviction, Brewer will be required to register as a sex offender.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations in Idaho Falls and U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services, and 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, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.
For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
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Two California Residents Sentenced for Counterfeiting SchemeRead the Press Release
BOISE – This week, U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill sentenced two of four defendants who pleaded guilty to passing counterfeit obligations of the United States, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced. On July 29, 2020, Nicole Perez, 34, of California, was sentenced to 33 months in federal prison for her role in the scheme. On July 30, 2020, Equallette Ballesteros, 34, also of California, was sentenced to 33 months in federal prison. Both defendants sentenced this week will serve three years of supervised release upon their release from custody.
According to court records, on January 4 and 5, 2020, Perez and Ballesteros knowingly passed counterfeit $100 bills at retailers in the Twin Falls, Idaho area, with the intent to defraud the retailers.
The remaining co-defendants, Richard Hernandez, 27, and Matthew Rodriguez-Islas, 22, both of California, are scheduled to be sentenced on September 22, 2020 and September 23, 2020, respectively in front of U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill at the federal courthouse in Boise.
This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service and Twin Falls Police Department.
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Dietrich Man Sentenced to 15 Months for Illegally Possessing FirearmsRead the Press Release
BOISE - Jeremy Dale Sortor, 48, of Dietrich, Idaho, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 15 months in federal prison for illegally possessing firearms after prior convictions for felony sex and stalking offenses, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced today. U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also ordered Sortor pay a $750 fine and to serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence. Sortor pleaded guilty to illegally possessing the firearms on December 2, 2019.
According to court records, on July 30, 2018, Sortor was seen with a firearm. At the time, Sortor was on parole for a felony stalking conviction. On August 14, 2018, Idaho Department of Correction parole officers found two firearms in Sortor’s residence and six rounds of ammunition in his pocket.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Idaho Department of Correction.
This case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program. PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
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East Idaho Man Pleads Guilty to Knowingly and Fraudulently Concealing Assets in a Bankruptcy ProceedingRead the Press Release
POCATELLO - Andrew Welch, 46, of Idaho Falls, pleaded guilty to knowingly and fraudulently concealing assets in a bankruptcy proceeding and agreed to immediately forfeit $25,000 to the United States, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced today. Welch was indicted by a federal grand jury in Pocatello on August 27, 2019. Sentencing is set for October 14, 2020, before U.S. District Judge David C. Nye at the federal courthouse in Pocatello.
According to court records, Welch, a former pharmacist in Ketchum, Idaho, filed a voluntary Chapter 7 bankruptcy petition and supporting documents on April 3, 2014, and listed general unsecured debts totaling $273,840.88. Welch, however, signed the petition and supporting documents under the penalty of perjury, falsely stating he did not own any real property and that he only had personal property worth $13,564.60.
Welch knowingly and fraudulently failed to disclose in the bankruptcy petition and supporting documents the transfer of more than $250,000 of his own funds to an investment account held in the name of another individual. Those transfers occurred through cashier’s checks, cash deposits, wire transfers, and money orders between September 2012 and January 2015, and Welch made all the transfers to conceal such funds.
Welch also knowingly and fraudulently failed to disclose his purchase of real property in Idaho Falls for $123,500 in January 2012, or the ensuing fraudulent transfer of the real property to a second individual, who did not provide Welch with any value for the real property. In addition, Welch falsely testified under oath during the bankruptcy proceedings that he had no interest in the aforementioned investment account or real property, which in truth and fact, he did.
Welch faces up to five years in federal prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, and one year of supervised release.
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation.
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Caldwell Man Sentenced to Prison on Federal Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
BOISE – Edgar Flores-Moreno, 36, of Caldwell, Idaho, was sentenced to 41 months in federal prison for unlawful possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced today. A federal grand jury indicted Flores-Moreno on August 14, 2019.
According to court records, in July 2019, agents arrested Flores-Moreno in Nampa, Idaho for being an alien unlawfully present in the United States after deportation. Subsequent investigation revealed that Flores-Moreno possessed eleven firearms at his residence in Caldwell. This included two semi-automatic rifles with high-capacity magazines. Flores-Moreno is prohibited from possessing firearms due to his status as an alien unlawfully present in the United States, as well as prior felony convictions for statutory rape and attempted illegal reentry into the United States after deportation.
This case was investigated by the Homeland Security Investigations, Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Nampa Police Department.
This case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program. PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. For more information about Project Guardian, please visit: https://www.justice.gov/projectguardian.
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Nampa Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
BOISE - Roberto Nieto Rangel, 41, of Nampa, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 120 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced today. Chief U.S. District Judge David C. Nye also ordered Rangel serve 5 years of supervised release following his prison sentence. A federal grand jury indicted Rangel on February 13, 2019. Rangel pleaded guilty to the charge on December 11, 2019.
According to court records, Rangel possessed nearly a pound of methamphetamine as well as a handgun with a scratched-off serial number. Rangel is prohibited from possessing firearms due to prior convictions for domestic assault and because he is in the United States unlawfully. Rangel has been convicted twice of illegally re-entering the United States.
This case was investigated by the Nampa Police Department and Treasure Valley Metro Violent Crimes Task Force. The Task Force is comprised of federal, state, and local agencies. These agencies include the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Department of Homeland Security; Ada County Sheriff’s Office; Boise Police Department; Caldwell Police Department; Canyon County Sheriff’s Office; Meridian Police Department; Nampa Police Department; and Idaho Department of Correction, Bureau of Probation and Parole.
This indictment was the result of a joint investigation by the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies. 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. Program participants include Federal Bureau of Investigation; Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations; Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation; and U.S. Marshals Service.
This case was prosecuted by the Special Assistant U.S. Attorney hired by the Treasure Valley Partnership and the State of Idaho to address gang crimes. The Treasure Valley Partnership is comprised of a group of elected officials in southwest Idaho dedicated to regional coordination, cooperation, and collaboration on creating coherent regional growth. For more information, visit www.treasurevalleypartners.org.
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Three Men from Hope Idaho Arrested for Conspiracy to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
COEUR D’ALENE - Larry Junior Hillbroom, 36, Morgan Kenney, 34, and Sean Robert Wathen, 48, all of Hope, Idaho, were arrested on July 15, 2020, on federal charges of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced today. The charges stem from a June 16, 2020 indictment filed in U.S. District Court by a federal grand jury in Coeur d’Alene.
The indictment alleges that beginning in the summer of 2015 and continuing to February 2016, Hillbroom, Kenney, and Wathen conspired to distribute methamphetamine. The federal methamphetamine conspiracy charge is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison, a maximum fine of $1 million, and at least three years of supervised release.
Hillbroom, Kenney, and Wathen are scheduled for their initial appearance tomorrow, July 17, 2020, at the federal courthouse in Coeur d’Alene. During the initial appearance, a trial date will be set and the court will address the custody status of each defendant.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Bonner County Sheriff's Office, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Coeur d'Alene Police Department, Idaho State Police, U.S. Border Patrol, and U.S. Marshals Service.
This indictment is the result of a joint investigation by the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies. 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. Program participants include Federal Bureau of Investigation; Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations; Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation; and U.S. Marshals Service.
An indictment is a means of charging a person with criminal activity. It is not evidence. The person is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Boise Man Pleads Guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
BOISE - Kimber Jac Marston, 44, of Boise, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute more than fifty grams of methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced today. Marston was indicted by a federal grand jury in Boise on March 12, 2019. Sentencing is set for October 6, 2020, before U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill at the federal courthouse in Boise.
According to court records, while on parole for a state drug conviction, Marston’s residence was searched by probation and parole officers with the Idaho Department of Correction. During the search, Marston was found in possession of 323.25 grams of methamphetamine that he admitted he intended to distribute to others. Also in Marston’s possession was a digital scale and plastic packaging materials commonly used to weigh and package methamphetamine for distribution.
Marston faces a statutory mandatory minimum sentence of at least ten years and a maximum sentence of life in federal prison, a $10,000,000 fine, and at least five years of supervised release.
This case was investigated by the Boise Police Department and Idaho Department of Correction.
This case was prosecuted by the Special Assistant U.S. Attorney hired by the Ada County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, with funds provided by the Oregon-Idaho High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA). The HIDTA program is a national drug-prohibition enforcement program run by the United States Office of National Drug Control Policy. The Oregon-Idaho HIDTA is a collaboration of local law enforcement drug task forces and prosecuting agencies dedicated to addressing regional drug trafficking organizations. Idaho uses HIDTA funds to investigate and prosecute drug trafficking organizations that operate in and around Ada, Canyon, and Bannock counties.
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Kimberly Man Pleads Guilty to Mailing Threatening Letter to Twin Falls County Deputy ProsecutorRead the Press Release
BOISE – Nathaniel Michael West, 23, of Kimberly, Idaho, pleaded guilty to mailing threatening communications, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced today. West was indicted by a federal grand jury in Boise on January 14, 2020. Sentencing is set for October 7, 2020 before U.S. District Judge Winmill at the federal courthouse in Boise.
According to court records, West admitted that on August 22, 2019, he knowingly sent a threatening letter through the United States Postal Service to a Twin Falls County Deputy Prosecutor. This prosecutor had previously prosecuted West for crimes he committed. West stated in the letter that he was going to get out of prison and the kill the prosecutor and her family. West also threatened to kill a witness from a prior prosecution.
After the prosecutor received the letter, law enforcement officers interviewed West. During the interview, West confessed to sending the letter using the United States Postal Service. West claimed he sent it out of anger and that he wanted scare the threatened parties. West sent the letter from an Idaho Department of Correction facility, where he is currently housed for other crimes.
The charge of mailing threatening communications is punishable by up to five years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release.
This case was investigated by the Ada County Sheriff’s Office.
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Nampa Man Sentenced to Five Years for Distributing MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
BOISE - Alfredo Esparza, Jr., 49, of Nampa, Idaho, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 60 months in prison for distribution of methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced today. Chief U.S. District Judge David C. Nye also ordered Esparza serve four years of supervised release following his prison sentence. Esparza pleaded guilty to the charge on January 9, 2020.
According to court records, Esparza’s charge stemmed from an investigation into the West Side Loma gang that spanned from October 2018 to October 2019. Law enforcement used a confidential informant to purchase methamphetamine from Esparza, who has a history of drug dealing. According to court records, a federal grand jury indicted Esparza on November 13, 2019. Esparza has a lengthy criminal history including two prior convictions for delivering or possessing with intent to deliver a controlled substance. At the time he committed this federal offense, Esparza was on felony probation.
This case was investigated by Treasure Valley Metro Violent Crimes Task Force. The Task Force is comprised of federal, state, and local agencies. These agencies include the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Ada County Sheriff’s Office; Boise Police Department; Caldwell Police Department; Canyon County Sheriff’s Office; Meridian Police Department; Nampa Police Department; and Idaho Department of Correction, Bureau of Probation and Parole.
This indictment was also the result of a joint investigation by the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies. 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. Program participants include Federal Bureau of Investigation; Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations; Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation; and U.S. Marshals Service.
This case was prosecuted by the Special Assistant U.S. Attorney hired by the Treasure Valley Partnership and the State of Idaho to address gang crimes. The Treasure Valley Partnership is comprised of a group of elected officials in southwest Idaho dedicated to regional coordination, cooperation, and collaboration on creating coherent regional growth. For more information, visit www.treasurevalleypartners.org.
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Boise Man Sentenced to 78 Months in Federal Prison for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
BOISE – Jonathan Schmidt, 41, of Boise, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 78 months in federal prison for possession of child pornography, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced today. Chief U.S. District Judge David C. Nye also ordered Schmidt to pay a $2,000 fine and serve 20 years of supervised release following his prison sentence. Schmidt pleaded guilty to the charge on February 21, 2020.
According to court records, between January 22 and January 26, 2019, a detective with the Idaho Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force downloaded several files depicting computer-generated child pornography that were made available by Schmidt’s computer via a peer-to-peer network. A federal magistrate judge issued a search warrant for Schmidt’s Boise residence. ICAC Task Force members executed the search warrant and seized a hard drive and several CDs from Schmidt’s residence. A forensic examination of these items revealed approximately 120 videos and 11 images depicting child pornography and over 500 images depicting computer-generated child pornography. Schmidt admitted to detectives that he had been viewing child pornography on and off for a couple of years and that he had child pornography on his devices. Schmidt admitted to using a peer-to-peer network to download files of child pornography and to knowing that files he downloaded from the network would be available for other users on the network to download.
Chief Judge Nye also ordered Schmidt to pay $3,000 in restitution to a victim in the images he possessed and to pay a $5,100 special assessment. As a result of his conviction, Schmidt will be required to register as a sex offender.
This case was investigated by the Idaho Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Postal Inspection Service, and Boise Police Department.
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. As part of Project Safe Childhood, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho and the Idaho Attorney General’s Office partner to marshal 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, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.
For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
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Boise Man Sentenced to 6 Years for Distributing MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
BOISE - Benjamin Michael Elgethun, 34, of Boise, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 72 months in prison for distribution of methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced today. Chief U.S. District Judge David C. Nye also ordered Elgethun to serve five years of supervised release following his prison sentence. Elgethun pleaded guilty to the charge on January 29, 2020.
According to court records, Elgethun was a methamphetamine dealer in the Boise area between March and June 2019. Law enforcement used a confidential informant to purchase methamphetamine from Elgethun on multiple occasions. A federal grand jury indicted Elgethun on June 13, 2019. A search warrant was later executed on Elgethun’s residence where officers found more drugs and a stolen firearm. Elgethun has a lengthy criminal history including a prior conviction for aggravated battery and trafficking in cocaine. At the time he committed this federal offense, Elgethun was on parole.
This case was investigated by the Meridian Police Department, Ada County Sheriff’s Office, Drug Enforcement Administration, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
This indictment was the result of a joint investigation by the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies. 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. Program participants include Federal Bureau of Investigation; Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations; Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation; and U.S. Marshals Service.
This case was prosecuted by the Special Assistant U.S. Attorney hired by the Ada County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office and the Idaho High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Board. The Idaho High Intensity Drug Trafficking Board is a collaboration of local law enforcement drug task forces and prosecuting agencies dedicated to addressing regional drug trafficking organizations that operate in Ada, Canyon, and Malheur County.
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Twin Falls Man Sentenced to over 16 Years in Federal Prison for Sexual Exploitation of ChildrenRead the Press Release
BOISE – Bryan Lee Thieme, 39, of Twin Falls, was sentenced to 200 months in federal prison for sexual exploitation of children, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced today. Chief U.S. District Judge David C. Nye also imposed lifetime supervised release to follow Thieme’s prison sentence. Thieme pleaded guilty to the charge on August 21, 2019.
According to court records, on May 19, 2018, the Twin Falls Police Department responded to Thieme’s residence to investigate reports that minors were consuming alcohol at the residence. During the investigation, officers received information from minors at that location that Thieme had taken nude images of minors with his cellphone. Officers also learned Thieme was a registered sex offender on federal supervised release for a conviction of possession of matters of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, entered in the Southern District of California in 2015.
The United States Probation Office and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) conducted an investigation into Thieme’s activities at his residence. They discovered Thieme had recently re-set his cell phone to the factory setting, erasing all of its contents. Twin Falls police officers obtained a search warrant for the contents of Thieme’s Google account. As a result, HSI agents discovered nude images of minors and two videos taken by Thieme with his cell phone, at his residence, on April 23, 2018, that depicted a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct with an adult.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, United States Probation Office, and Twin Falls Police Department.
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, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.
For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
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Former Yellowstone Partners’ CEO Sentenced to 5 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
POCATELLO – David Hansen, 49, of Idaho Falls, was sentenced to 60 months in prison for wire fraud, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced today. Chief U.S. District Judge David C. Nye also imposed a term of three years of supervised release to follow Hansen’s prison sentence. The Court will determine what amount Hansen must pay in restitution at a hearing scheduled for June 26, 2020.
According to court records, Hansen was the Chief Executive Officer and a 90-percent partner in Yellowstone Partners, LLC, an investment management firm headquartered in Idaho Falls. Clients of Yellowstone Partners entrusted their monies to Yellowstone Partners to invest and manage on their behalf. In exchange, Yellowstone Partners earned fees for its services. Yellowstone Partners’ fees were set forth in investment agreements between Yellowstone Partners and its clients. Yellowstone Partners’ clients’ monies were kept in accounts at third party custodians. Yellowstone Partners directed how the monies in client accounts were invested and how they were disbursed. This included submitting email billing requests to the third party custodians to take fees from client accounts and to deposit them into Yellowstone Partners’ own accounts.
According to court records, from 2008 through April 2016, Hansen knowingly and intentionally devised a scheme to defraud clients of Yellowstone Partners by overbilling their investment accounts. Specifically, Hansen fraudulently billed clients for fees to which Yellowstone Partners was not entitled under the terms of the investment agreements or otherwise. Through this overbilling scheme, Hansen fraudulently obtained client funds from a third party custodian and used them to enrich himself and to fund Yellowstone Partners’ operations. For certain identified victims, Hansen personally submitted 51 fraudulent overbilling requests, which resulted in a loss of $2,675,856.
As part of the plea agreement, Hansen agreed to pay full restitution to the victims of the wire fraud scheme, in an amount to be determined by the court at the June 26, 2020 hearing. Further, Hansen agreed to a forfeiture judgment in the amount of restitution ordered by the court. Finally, Hansen agreed to cooperate with an Internal Revenue Service civil tax examination and assessment, and pay any unpaid tax due and owing, and accrued interest for his 2012 and 2013 Form 1040 joint income tax returns.
“This significant sentence sends a strong message to any investment manager who might consider taking advantage of the trust their clients place in them,” said U.S. Attorney Davis. “When an investment manager like Mr. Hansen steals from his clients, this office and our law enforcement partners will leave no stone unturned until justice is done and victims are repaid. I commend the FBI and IRS for their thorough investigation and tireless efforts in this case.”
“Mr. Hansen was greedy; defrauding his clients so that he could fund a lavish lifestyle,” said Special Agent in Charge Paul Haertel of the FBI’s Salt Lake City Field Office. “This case highlights the FBI’s commitment to aggressively investigating fraudsters who abuse the trust of their clients. We value the relationships we have with our law enforcement partners and agencies, including the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The SEC referred the case to us, allowing us to pursue some measure of justice for Hansen’s victims.”
“David Hansen will now reap the rewards of his fraudulent activities by going to prison,” said IRS-Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Andy Tsui. “This sentence reflects the serious repercussions of abusing one’s position of trust to defraud investors and the government for personal gain.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Division.
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Department of Justice Observes the 15th Annual World Elder Abuse Awareness DayRead the Press Release
BOISE – Today, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis joined Attorney General William P. Barr and the entire Department of Justice in observing the 15th Annual World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. The Department echoes voices around the world condemning elder abuse, neglect and exploitation.
The COVID-19 pandemic has created unprecedented challenges for our country and the world, but among those most severely affected by the threat of the novel virus are our senior citizens. During this time when seniors are most vulnerable and isolated from their families and loved ones by social distancing and quarantine restrictions, bad actors have immediately exploited this international tragedy to prey on the elderly through a whole host of scam and fraud schemes. As the world takes this day to remember the elderly during these uncertain times, the Department of Justice remains relentlessly committed, through its department-wide Elder Justice Initiative, to prevent and prosecute fraud on America’s seniors.
The Department will aggressively prosecute fraudsters exploiting the COVID-19 pandemic and targeting seniors offering them fake testing kits and fake help obtaining stimulus and Paycheck Protection Program Funds. On this day dedicated to recognizing our seniors, the Department of Justice sends a strong message that we continue the fight to keep seniors safe a top priority.
“I encourage senior citizens to be particularly vigilant during these times of COVID-19, when fraudsters are working overtime to stoke health and financial fears we all are experiencing,” said U.S. Attorney Davis. “It is the Department’s mission to both prevent and prosecute fraud on our seniors through enforcement and outreach. This is being accomplished in my office by our Elder Justice Coordinator, Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Mazorol.”
Earlier this year Attorney General Barr declared “Prevention and Disruption of Transnational Elder Fraud” to be an Agency Priority Goal, making it one of the Department’s four top priorities.
Major strides have already been made to that end across the country:
- National Elder Fraud Hotline: 833-FRAUD-11. Earlier this year Attorney General Barr launched a National Elder Fraud Hotline. Staffed by experienced case managers who provide personalized support to callers, the hotline serves to assist elders and caretakers who believe they have been a victim of fraud by reporting and providing appropriate services.
- Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force: Established in June 2019 to combat foreign elder fraud schemes, the Strike Force is composed of the Department’s Consumer Protection Branch and six U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along with FBI special agents, Postal Inspectors, and numerous other law enforcement personnel. Since its inception, prosecutors in Strike Force districts brought cases against more than 140 sweep defendants.
- Annual Elder Justice Sweep: In March of this year, the Attorney General announced the largest coordinated sweep of elder fraud cases in department history. The Department, together with every U.S. Attorney’s office, charged more than 400 defendants, causing over $1 billion in loss through fraud schemes that largely affected seniors.
- Money Mule Initiative: Since October 2018, the Department and its law enforcement partners began a concentrated effort across the country and around the world to disrupt, investigate, and prosecute money mule activity used to facilitate fraud schemes, especially those victimizing senior citizens. In 2019 actions were taken to halt the conduct of more than 600 domestic money mules, exceeding a similar effort against approximately 400 mules in the previous year.
- Holding foreign-based perpetrators and those that flee the United States accountable: Transnational criminal organizations are targeting our elder population in schemes including mass mailing fraud, grandparent scams, romance scams, lottery and sweepstakes scams, IRS and Social Security Administration imposter scams, and technical-support scams.
For more information on enforcement actions, training and resources, research, and victim services, please visit www.justice.gov/elderjustice.
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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Federal Jury Convicts Star Man in Drug Distribution CaseRead the Press Release
BOISE – A federal jury sitting in Boise convicted Brooks Allan Case, 32, of Star, Idaho, of distribution of methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced today. Case was indicted by a federal grand jury on November 13, 2019. The trial began on Monday, June 1, 2020, and concluded on Thursday afternoon when the jury returned their verdict.
In order to protect the health of the jurors, parties, and court staff amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. District Court consulted with an epidemiologist and ensured all persons involved with the trial practiced appropriate social distancing and wore face coverings. “This jury trial is one of the first, if not the first, held in the Ninth Circuit since the pandemic began,” said U.S. Attorney Bart Davis. “While the epidemic has altered our daily lives in many ways, I commend the jury in this case for fulfilling their civic duty and for their important role in securing the defendant’s right to a speedy and public trial. I also commend the United States District Court for their professional efforts in safely empaneling a jury and conducting trial. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho is committed to fulfilling our critical mission of maintaining public safety and upholding the rule of law amidst this public health crisis.”
Case’s charge stemmed from an investigation into the West Side Loma gang that spanned from October 2018 to October 2019. Investigators utilized a confidential informant who arranged to purchase methamphetamine from codefendant Vanessa Campos. When the informant went to purchase the methamphetamine from Campos on April 25, 2019, Campos did not have the drugs. A short while later, Case arrived and provided the methamphetamine to Campos, who in turn sold the methamphetamine to the informant.
Sentencing is scheduled for September 2, 2020, before U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill at the federal courthouse in Boise. Distribution of five grams or more of pure methamphetamine is punishable by a mandatory minimum of five years and up to forty years in federal prison and at least four years of supervised release.
This case was investigated by Treasure Valley Metro Violent Crimes Task Force. The Task Force is comprised of federal, state, and local agencies. These agencies include the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Ada County Sheriff’s Office; Boise Police Department; Caldwell Police Department; Canyon County Sheriff’s Office; Meridian Police Department; Nampa Police Department; and Idaho Department of Correction, Bureau of Probation and Parole.
This indictment was the result of a joint investigation by the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies. 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. Program participants include Federal Bureau of Investigation; Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations; Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation; and U.S. Marshals Service.
This case was prosecuted by the Special Assistant U.S. Attorney hired by the Treasure Valley Partnership and the State of Idaho to address gang crimes. The Treasure Valley Partnership is comprised of a group of elected officials in southwest Idaho dedicated to regional coordination, cooperation, and collaboration on creating coherent regional growth. For more information, visit www.treasurevalleypartners.org.
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Department of Justice Awards Nearly $400 Million for Law Enforcement Hiring to Advance Community PolicingRead the Press Release
BOISE – The Department of Justice today announced nearly $400 million in grant funding through the Department’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) COPS Hiring Program (CHP). The Attorney General announced funding awards to 596 law enforcement agencies across the nation, which allows those agencies to hire 2,732 additional full-time law enforcement professionals. The awards announced today are inclusive of the $51 million announced in May as part of Operation Relentless Pursuit.
Four agencies in the District of Idaho, the Nampa Police Department, City of Pocatello, City of Salmon, and Twin Falls County Sheriff’s Office, were awarded $1,969,271 in funding. The Nampa Police Department received $1,095,341, City of Pocatello received $625,000, City of Salmon received $123,930, and Twin Falls County Sheriff’s Office received $125,000. These Idaho agencies will use the funds to hire new officers and support efforts to address crime.
“The Department of Justice is committed to providing the police chiefs and sheriffs of our great nation with needed resources, tools, and support. The funding announced today will bolster their ranks and contribute to expanding community policing efforts nationwide,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “A law enforcement agency’s most valuable assets are the men and women who put their lives on the line every day in the name of protecting and serving their communities.”
“I am pleased the Department of Justice has made more than $400 million available to law enforcement nation-wide, with $1.9 million for Idaho’s law enforcement agencies,” said U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis. “Providing this additional funding will help reinforce their essential mission of keeping Idaho communities safe and aid the courageous men and women in law enforcement who place the safety and security of their communities above their own.”
The COPS Hiring Program is a competitive award program intended to reduce crime and advance public safety through community policing by providing direct funding for the hiring of career law enforcement officers. In addition to providing financial support for hiring, CHP provides funding to state, local, and tribal law enforcement to enhance local community policing strategies and tactics. In a changing economic climate, CHP funding helps law enforcement agencies maintain sufficient sworn personnel levels to promote safe communities. Funding through this program had been on hold since the spring of 2018 due to a nationwide injunction that was lifted earlier this year.
CHP applicants were required to identify a specific crime and disorder problem focus area and explain how the funding will be used to implement community policing approaches to that problem focus area. 43 percent of the awards announced today will focus on violent crime, while the remainder of the awards will focus on a variety of issues including school-based policing to fund school resource officer positions, building trust and respect, and opioid education, prevention, and intervention. The COPS Office received nearly 1,100 applications requesting more than 4,000 law enforcement positions.
The complete list of awards can be found here. To learn more about CHP, please visit cops.usdoj.gov/chp. For additional information about the COPS Office, please visit cops.usdoj.gov.
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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Eagle Woman Sentenced to 37 Months for Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
BOISE - Karina Renee Moore, 48, of Eagle, was sentenced to 37 months in federal prison for health care fraud, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced today. U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also ordered Moore to serve three years of supervised release following her release from prison and to pay $611,860.86 in restitution. Moore pleaded guilty on January 7, 2020.
According to court records, from August 2007 to December 2016, Moore was employed as the office manager at a skilled nursing facility in Boise. The skilled nursing facility was originally Marquis Care of Shaw Mountain, but it was sold in May 2016 and renamed Shaw Mountain of Cascadia. On December 1, 2016, employees at Shaw Mountain of Cascadia called law enforcement after discovering checks showing that the defendant had embezzled $23,805.66. The resulting investigation revealed Moore had been defrauding the Shaw Mountain care facility since at least January 2010. Between January 2010 and December 2016, Moore defrauded health care programs and social security programs, resulting in a loss of $611,860.86.
Moore used multiple schemes to cover her fraud. She embezzled the residents’ private payments and social security payments, including from their resident trust accounts. She fraudulently billed Medicaid for services that were covered by other health care benefit programs, and failed to report payments to Medicaid, causing overpayments, which she then embezzled. Finally, Moore collected and misused the social security checks of a deceased resident.
This case was investigated by United States Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, Boise Police Department, and Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General.
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Two East Idaho Men Sentenced for Carjacking and Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
POCATELLO – Rockit Rodriguez, 23, of Blackfoot, Idaho, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 130 months in prison for carjacking and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced today. U.S. District Judge David C. Nye also ordered Rodriguez to serve five years of supervised release following his prison sentence. Rodriguez pleaded guilty to the charge on December 2, 2019.
On February 3, 2020, co-defendant Antonio Ray Sesma-Lopez, 20, of Fort Hall, Idaho, was sentenced to 37 months in prison for carjacking, followed by three years of supervised release. Sesma-Lopez pleaded guilty to the charge on October 22, 2019.
According to court records, in September 2018, Rodriguez was driving a vehicle containing Sesma-Lopez and a third individual on Riverton Road, at the overpass of Interstate 15, in Blackfoot. Rodriguez stopped the car on the overpass. A vehicle driving behind them stopped as well. Rodriguez and Sesma-Lopez exited their vehicle and approached the vehicle behind them. Rodriguez brandished a revolver and commanded the driver of the other vehicle to get out. The victim complied. Sesma-Lopez then directed the victim to give him his wallet, which the victim did. Rodriguez and Sesma-Lopez then fled in the victim’s vehicle.
This case was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Blackfoot Police Department, Fort Hall Police Department, and Bingham County Sherriff’s Office.
This case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program. PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. For more information about Project Guardian, please visit: https://www.justice.gov/projectguardian.
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Caldwell Man Sentenced to 7.5 Years for Trafficking Methamphetamine Near a SchoolRead the Press Release
BOISE – Francisco Martinez Campos, 57, of Caldwell, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 90 months in prison for possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute near a school, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced today. Chief U.S. District Judge David C. Nye also ordered Campos serve eight years of supervised release following his prison sentence. Campos pleaded guilty to the charge on December 18, 2019.
According to court records, a federal grand jury indicted Campos on April 9, 2019. Law enforcement officers seized a pound of methamphetamine from Campos down the street from a middle school. Campos was under the supervision of the Idaho Department of Correction at the time of the offense.
This case was investigated by Treasure Valley Metro Violent Crimes Task Force. The Task Force is comprised of federal, state, and local agencies. These agencies include Federal Bureau of Investigation; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Ada County Sheriff’s Office; Boise Police Department; Caldwell Police Department; Canyon County Sheriff’s Office; Meridian Police Department; Nampa Police Department; and Idaho Department of Correction, Bureau of Probation and Parole.
This case was prosecuted by the Special Assistant U.S. Attorney hired by the Treasure Valley Partnership and the State of Idaho to address gang crimes. The Treasure Valley Partnership is comprised of a group of elected officials in southwest Idaho dedicated to regional coordination, cooperation, and collaboration on creating coherent regional growth. For more information, visit www.treasurevalleypartners.org.
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California Man Sentenced for Possessing Sawed-Off ShotgunRead the Press Release
BOISE - Patrick Michael McHenry, 28, of Sacramento, California, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 36 months in prison for possession of an unregistered firearm, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced today. U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also ordered McHenry to serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence. McHenry pleaded guilty to the charge on September 18, 2019.
According to court records, McHenry’s semi-truck broke down while driving through Nampa, Idaho. Police contacted McHenry and a drug detection canine alerted on the cab of McHenry’s truck. Inside, officers located a sawed-off shotgun with an obliterated serial number, shotgun shells, methamphetamine, and a digital scale. McHenry admitted to possessing the firearm, which was later identified as a modified Harrington and Richardson, Model Topper 58, 20-gauge shotgun. The shotgun had a shortened barrel that measured 8.5 inches in length, with an overall length of 14 inches. The National Firearms Act requires such a shotgun to be registered if the barrel is less than eighteen inches in length.
This case was investigated by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Nampa Police Department.
This case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program. PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. For more information about Project Guardian, please visit: www.justice.gov/projectguardian.
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