District of Idaho
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Former Boise Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
BOISE – Nickolas James Parnell, 27, formerly of Boise, and currently residing in Medford, Oregon, pleaded guilty yesterday in United States District Court to possession of child pornography, Acting U.S. Attorney Rafael Gonzalez announced.
According to the plea agreement, in May of 2016, agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Idaho Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force served a search warrant on Parnell’s residence in Boise, Idaho, based upon evidence that Parnell had used a computer to access child pornography. Two laptop computers and two DVDs belonging to Parnell were seized. When agents examined the laptops and DVDs, they discovered 2,190 still images and three videos containing child pornography. In February of 2017, agents served another search warrant on Parnell’s residence in Boise, Idaho, based upon evidence that he was in possession of additional videos containing child pornography. Agents seized a laptop computer, and a forensic search of the computer revealed 3,393 saved images of child pornography, 13 videos containing child pornography, and 3,077 deleted images containing child pornography. In all, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children identified 290 still images and one video contained known child pornography victims from identified series of child pornography.
Sentencing is set for September 1, 2017, before Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill. Possession of child pornography is punishable by up to 20 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a term of supervised release of not less than five years and up to life, and a $5,000 special assessment. As part of his plea, Parnell also agreed to forfeit the computers and electronic storage devices used in the commission of the charged offense.
The case was investigated by the FBI and the Idaho Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, 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.”
Misr Sons Development S.A.E. Agrees to Pay $1.1 Million to Resolve False Claims Act AllegationsRead the Press Release
Misr Sons Development S.A.E. (Hassan Allam Sons, “HAS”), a construction company with its principal place of business in Cairo, Egypt, has agreed to pay $1.1 million to settle allegations that HAS submitted false claims in connection with U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) contracts, the Justice Department announced today.
“Contractors who misrepresent their eligibility for government contracts undermine the government procurement process,” said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Joyce R. Branda of the Civil Division. “The Justice Department will take action to protect that process and to ensure that taxpayer funds are not misused.”
“USAID Office of Inspector General extensively investigated this matter and thanks the Department of Justice for its tenacity and dedication,” said Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Schofield of USAID Office of Inspector General. “Total settlements on this matter exceed $10 million and demonstrate once again that the United States expects its contractors to execute their awards in accordance with all requisite terms and conditions, whether operating domestically or overseas.”
The settlement concerns USAID-funded contracts for the construction of water and wastewater infrastructure projects in the Arab Republic of Egypt in the 1990s. The contracts were awarded to a joint venture partnership that included Washington Group International Inc. (WGI), Contrack International Inc. (Contrack) and HAS. The United States filed suit under the False Claims Act and the Foreign Assistance Act, alleging that HAS was ineligible to participate in the joint venture but that its participation was concealed from USAID. As a result, HAS and its partners allegedly received USAID-funded contracts to which they were not entitled. The settlement resolves only HAS’ liability. The United States previously settled with Contrack and WGI.
This settlement was the result of a coordinated effort by the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho and the USAID Office of Inspector General.
The case is captioned United States v. Washington Group International Inc. f/k/a/ Morrison Knudsen, Corporation, Contrack International, Inc.; and Misr Sons Development S.A.E. a/k/a Hassan Allam Sons, No. 04-555 (D. Idaho). The claims resolved by this settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Fruitland Woman Sentenced to 60 Months in Prison for Health Care Fraud and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
BOISE – Cherie R. Dillon, 62, of Fruitland, Idaho, was sentenced yesterday to 60 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised released for health care fraud and aggravated identity theft, Acting U.S. Attorney Rafael Gonzalez announced. Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also ordered Dillon to pay restitution in the amount $549,605.19 and to forfeit $847,016 proceeds from the offenses, although those sums are preliminary pending a hearing on August 9, 2017.
Dillon pleaded guilty on January 27, 2017, to 24 counts of health care fraud and 24 corresponding counts of aggravated identity theft at the close of the government’s case after four days of trial in front of Judge Winmill. Evidence at trial demonstrated that between January 1, 2010, and December 31, 2013, Dillon executed a scheme to defraud health care benefit programs, including Medicaid. Even though Dillon was only a dental hygienist, she performed and billed for dental treatments that may only be performed by a dentist. These treatments included fillings, extractions, and dentures. Dillon also billed for dental hygiene services performed without the supervision and direction of a dentist, contrary to state law and licensing requirements. Dillon received payment for those treatments from health care benefit programs while fraudulently misrepresenting that the treatments had been performed, and supervised, by a dentist, and while using the name and provider number of a particular dentist who was not in the office and who was unable to practice at the time due to disability. During the scheme, Dillon was a licensed dental hygienist, not a dentist, and practicing in Payette, Idaho.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office and its federal and state law enforcement partners are committed to vigorously pursuing health care benefit fraud,” said Gonzalez. “I commend the excellent work of the agencies involved in bringing Ms. Dillon to justice.”
"Fraudulent billings to Medicaid by unqualified providers diverts funding from this vital health care program and the vulnerable individuals who rely on it," said Steven Ryan, Special Agent in Charge for the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “This sentence should be a warning to criminals considering plunder of government health care programs.”
The case was investigated by Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General with assistance from the Idaho Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Burley Father and Son Found Guilty of Conspiracy to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
BOISE — A federal jury found father, Sergio Chavez-Verduzco, 42, and son, Sergio Chavez-Macias, 20, of Burley, Idaho, guilty yesterday evening of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, Acting U.S. Attorney Rafael Gonzalez, Jr. announced. Chavez-Verduzco was also convicted of participating in a continuing criminal enterprise. A third defendant, Armando Orozco-Guillen, 21, of Jerome, Idaho, was acquitted. The jury’s decision came after a five-day trial in United States District Court in front of Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill.
The evidence presented during the trial showed that in 2015 and early 2016, Chavez-Verduzco and Chavez-Macias were the source of supply to multiple large scale drug traffickers in the Treasure Valley. The evidence specifically identified Brian Weaver Cluff of Caldwell, Idaho, and James Piersol of Garden City, Idaho, as traffickers supplied by Chavez-Verduzco and Chavez-Macias. The evidence showed that Chavez-Verduzco and Chavez-Macias were sending double digit pound quantities of methamphetamine to both Cluff and Piersol on a regular basis in exchange for tens of thousands of dollars.
Chavez-Verduzco and Chavez-Macias’ sentencings are scheduled for August 25, 2017, before Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill. Because of Chavez-Verduzco’s conviction for participating in a continuing criminal enterprise, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in prison. Chavez-Macias faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years for his role in the conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
The case was investigated by the Ada County Sheriff’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the City County Narcotics Unit of Canyon County, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Gooding County Sheriff’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigations, and the Idaho State Police.
The case was prosecuted by the Special Assistant U.S. Attorney hired by the Ada County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office with funds provided by the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program. HIDTA is part of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) created by Congress with the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988. It provides assistance to federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies operating in areas determined to be critical drug-trafficking regions of the United States. Idaho is part of the Oregon-Idaho HIDTA. HIDTA in southwest Idaho is a collaboration of local, multi-jurisdictional law enforcement drug task forces, and prosecuting agencies dedicated to addressing regional drug trafficking organizations that operate in Ada, Canyon, and Malheur County.
Emmett Woman Pleads Guilty to Theft of Government MoneyRead the Press Release
BOISE – Wendy Ann Payne, 51, of Emmett, Idaho pleaded guilty on May 23, 2017, to theft of government money, Acting U.S. Attorney Rafael Gonzalez announced.
According to the plea agreement, Payne’s grandmother was the spouse of a deceased veteran and received monthly benefits from the Veterans Affairs Dependency and Indemnity Compensation program, paid to eligible survivors of military service members or veterans. Payne’s grandmother passed away in 2009, and Payne intentionally failed to inform the Department of Veterans Affairs of her grandmother’s death. Instead, Payne appropriated the benefits intended for her deceased grandmother, knowing that she was not entitled to them. Payne submitted a change of address form that caused that her deceased grandmother’s benefits to be mailed to Payne’s residence. Payne also placed a telephone call to the Department of Veterans Affairs and pretended to be her deceased grandmother. Since 2009, Payne embezzled and stole $91,373.12 from the Department of Veterans Affairs. As part of her plea, Payne also agreed to forfeit at least $91,373.12 and all interest and proceeds consisting of or traceable to the proceeds of the charged offense.
The charge of theft of government money is punishable by up to ten years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000 fine and up to three years of supervised release
Sentencing will be August 10, 2017, before Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill.
The case was investigated by the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General.
Star Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun ViolationRead the Press Release
BOISE — Kyle Henry Marcum, 27, of Star, Idaho, pleaded guilty yesterday to aiding and abetting the sale of a stolen firearm, Acting U.S. Attorney Rafael Gonzalez announced. Marcum and co-defendant Bruce Threet were indicted in February by a federal grand in Boise.
According to information presented in court, on September 15, 2016, Marcum was present when co-defendant Bruce Threet sold a stolen firearm to an undercover police officer. The firearm, a Ruger, .22 pistol, was reported stolen three days earlier by a homeowner in Eagle, Idaho. Although Marcum did not steal the firearm, he arranged for the sale of the firearm knowing that the firearm was stolen.
The charge of aiding and abetting the sale of a stolen firearm is punishable by up to ten years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000 and up to three years of supervised release.
Sentencing will be August 9, 2017, before Senior District Judge Edward J. Lodge at the federal courthouse in Boise.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Boise Police Department.
Shoshone-Bannock Tribal Member Pleads Guilty to Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily InjuryRead the Press Release
POCATELLO – Patrick Tyronne Mosho, 31, of Chubbuck, Idaho, pleaded guilty today to one count of assault resulting in serious bodily injury from Mosho firing a rifle into a group of people, Acting U.S. Attorney Rafael Gonzalez, announced. Mosho was indicted on October 27, 2015, by a federal grand jury in Pocatello.
According to the plea agreement, on October 18, 2015, Mosho got into a disagreement with others at a residence on the Fort Hall reservation. Mosho left the residence, returned a short time later, got out of his car with a rifle and began shooting toward a group of people on the residence’s porch. One of the bullets struck the victim, damaging his kidney and other organs. The victim lost one of his kidneys as a result of the shooting.
The charge of assault resulting in serious bodily injury is punishable by up to ten years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000 and up to three years of supervised release.
Sentencing will be August 3, 2017, before Chief U.S. District B. Lynn Winmill at the federal courthouse in Pocatello.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Fort Hall Tribal Police.
Oglala Tribal Member Pleads Guilty to Involuntary ManslaughterRead the Press Release
POCATELLO – Ruben Wounded Head, III, 19, of Chubbuck, Idaho, pleaded guilty today to two counts of involuntary manslaughter resulting from a drunk driving crash, Acting U.S. Attorney Rafael Gonzalez, announced. Wounded Head was indicted in March 2016 by a federal grand jury in Pocatello.
According to the plea agreement, on November 13, 2015, Wounded Head drove with friends to buy alcohol, and his friends left the store with two bottles of Bacardi rum and went to an area on the Fort Hall reservation known as Ferry Butte. There, Wounded Head drank one bottle of rum. Wounded Head then drove his friends back to a residence on the reservation and then proceeded to drive home. At approximately 2:50 a.m., at the intersection of Hawthorne Road and Cemetery Road, Wounded Head’s 2005 Chevrolet Avalanche crossed the centerline and crashed head-on into a Chevrolet Tahoe, killing both occupants of the Tahoe. Wounded Head’s Avalanche was traveling between 59 – 61 miles per hour at the time of crash. The posted speed limit in the area is 45 miles per hour.
The charge of involuntary manslaughter is punishable by up to eight years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000 and up to three years of supervised release.
Sentencing will be August 2, 2017, before Chief U.S. District B. Lynn Winmill at the federal courthouse in Pocatello.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Fort Hall Tribal Police.
Idaho Resident Sentenced to Prison for Filing False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
A Blackfoot, Idaho small business owner was sentenced today to 12 months and one day in prison for filing false tax returns, announced Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Rafael M. Gonzalez Jr. for the District of Idaho.
According to documents filed with the court, from approximately 2009 through 2012, Jonathan Peirsol, 42, of Pocatello, Idaho, prepared false individual income tax returns under the name JJ Accounting Inc. Peirsol falsified returns without his clients’ knowledge or consent by adding items such as medical and education expenses. For some of the returns, Peirsol also diverted -- without his clients’ knowledge -- portions of the refunds sent by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), arranging for these to be deposited into a bank account controlled by him. Peirsol also failed to report on his personal tax returns the fees he earned from his tax preparation business.
In addition to the term of prison imposed, Peirsol was ordered to serve one year of supervised release and to pay $62,441 in restitution to the IRS. Peirsol pleaded guilty to aiding and assisting in the preparation of a false tax return in March. In addition to running JJ Accounting, Peirsol owns and operates J&J Chemical Inc., a janitorial chemical supply company in Blackfoot.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Goldberg and Acting U.S. Attorney Gonzalez thanked special agents of IRS–Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and Trial Attorneys Lori A. Hendrickson and Kathleen M. Barry of the Tax Division, who prosecuted the case.
Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the division’s website.
Idaho Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun ViolationRead the Press Release
BOISE — Timothy Bojorquez, Jr., 29, of Plainview, Idaho, pleaded guilty today to illegal possession of firearms after being convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, Acting U.S. Attorney Rafael Gonzalez announced. Bojorquez was indicted in February by a federal grand in Boise.
According to the plea agreement, between December 9, 2016, and February 9, 2017, Bojorquez illegally possessed five firearms, including two high-powered rifles and three pistols. Bojorquez was prohibited from possessing firearms under federal law because he was previously convicted of inflicting corporal injury to a spouse/cohabitant/parent of child, on January 17, 2007, in the Superior Court of California County of San Joaquin, California. That crime constituted a conviction for a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence under federal law, which prohibited Bojorquez from possessing firearms.
In November 2016, agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) began investigating Bojorquez’s illegal firearm possession, communicating with him through his Instagram and Facebook accounts about the sale of firearms. On February 9, 2017, ATF agents executed a search warrant at Bojorquez’s residence in Plainview, Idaho, discovering his cache of firearms.
The charge of illegal possession of a firearm after a misdemeanor conviction for domestic violence is punishable by up to ten years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000 and up to three years of supervised release.
Sentencing will be August 7, 2017, before Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill at the federal courthouse in Boise.
The case was investigated by the Boise ATF office. It was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2001 by the Department of Justice to combat gun violence in the United States. Project Safe Neighborhoods marshals federal, state, and local resources to target and prosecute those who commit gun crimes. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, visit https://www.bja.gov.
Michigan Residents Plead to Conspiracy to Commit Wire FraudRead the Press Release
BOISE — Michigan residents Devin Arthur Searcy, 23, and Juwuan Demilo Gordon, 27, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, Acting U.S. Attorney Rafael Gonzalez announced. Searcy pleaded guilty today and Gordon pleaded guilty on April 24. They were indicted by a federal grand jury in Boise in February 2017.
According to court proceedings, Searcy and Gordon traveled to Idaho and other districts to make fraudulent purchases from retail stores using stolen credit card numbers. They traveled to Idaho on January 6 and 10, 2017, for the purpose of executing the scheme to defraud. Prior to traveling to the different districts, Searcy and Gordon obtained counterfeit credit and debit cards embossed with their names and stolen credit card numbers in Michigan. They traveled to at least seven retail stores in Idaho and made at least ten fraudulent purchases. On January 11, 2017, law enforcement officers contacted Searcy and Gordon near the Boise Airport and arrested them. Officers recovered approximately 105 gift cards and prepaid debit cards purchased by the defendants. Gordon and Searcy made additional fraudulent purchases in Colorado, Utah, and Oklahoma.
The charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, and up to 3 years of supervised release.
Sentencing for Searcy is set for July 26, 2017, and sentencing for Gordon is set for July 27, 2017. Both sentencings are before Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill at the federal courthouse in Boise.
The case was investigated by the Boise Police Department and the U.S. Secret Service.
Atlanta Man Sentenced for “Operation Homeless” Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
BOISE – Nichlas Simpson, 28, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced to 10 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for committing bank fraud, Acting U.S. Attorney Rafael Gonzalez announced. Senior U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge also ordered Simpson to pay back $21,249.17 in restitution to victims of his scheme. Simpson pleaded guilty on February 21, 2017.
Pursuant to his plea agreement, Simpson came to Idaho and perpetrated a fraud scheme known throughout the country as “Operation Homeless.” Simpson and his co-conspirators started by stealing local businesses’ checks from postal boxes. Simpson then traveled to Boise-area homeless shelters and recruited homeless youth for the scheme, telling them that they would be performing day labor for a construction business. Instead, the co-conspirators created forged checks that were made payable to the homeless individuals and were drawn on the accounts of the businesses whose checks had been stolen from the mail. Simpson then directed the homeless individuals to cash the checks at local banks. Simpson and his co-conspirators kept the vast majority of the proceeds.
“This sentence is a just punishment for Simpson’s fraud and for the financial harm he caused his victims,” said Gonzalez. “The Court’s restitution order is an important step in achieving justice for the financial damage Simpson caused his victims.”
"The Postal Inspection Service is dedicated to protecting the security of the U.S. Mail system and holding those accountable who would victimize the Postal Service and its customers,” said Anthony Galetti, Inspector in Charge of the Seattle Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Boise Police Department.
Leader of Drug Trafficking Organization Loren “Mama” Toelle Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
COUER D’ALENE – Loren Michelle Toelle, 52, of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, was sentenced yesterday for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and conspiracy to launder money, Acting U.S. Attorney Rafael Gonzalez announced. Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill sentenced Loren Toelle to 212 months in federal prison to be followed by 5 years of supervised release. Toelle will also forfeit her interest in more than two million dollars of various properties, bank accounts, vehicles, cash and jewelry, all of which were the profits of the organization’s criminal actions or were intended to be used to promote the organization’s criminal actions.
Loren Toelle, also known as “Mama” by her co-conspirators and others in the drug world, pleaded guilty on January 18, 2017. She admitted being the leader of an organization involving her children and friends. The group sold oxycodone, heroin, and methamphetamine in Idaho, Washington, Montana and North Dakota. Toelle’s brother, Robert Hill, was also sentenced Tuesday by Judge Winmill to 151 months in prison. Robert Hill pleaded guilty November 18, 2016, to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.
Loren Toelle’s ex-husband, Stanley Toelle, was also charged federally with conspiracy to launder money. On Tuesday, Stanley pleaded guilty to filing false documents with the Internal Revenue Service in 2012 and 2013. He will be sentenced on August 15, 2017. As part of his plea agreement, Stanley Toelle also agreed to pay nearly $50,000 in back taxes and forfeited over $150,000 in assets derived from his wife’s drug trafficking.
In total, 11 individuals were arrested by federal agents in February of 2016. All have pleaded guilty and been sentenced except for Stanley Toelle. The arrests and indictments in this case are the result of a joint investigation and cooperative law enforcement efforts of the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), comprised of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Marshals Service, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, and the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations. The OCDETF investigation was spearheaded by the North Idaho Violent Crime Task Force, consisting of the FBI, the Coeur d’Alene Police Department, the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office and the Post Falls Police Department.
Acting U.S. Attorney Gonzalez praised the dogged determination of the federal, state and local investigators and the prosecution team in their tireless pursuit of this drug trafficking organization. “Not only were the offenders sent to prison, they were divested of their ill-gotten gains,” Gonzalez said.
Idaho Woman Sentenced for Social Security FraudRead the Press Release
BOISE – April Mae Beckmon, 38, of Marsing, Idaho, was sentenced today in United States District Court to 6 months in prison followed by 3 years supervised release for social security fraud, Acting U.S. Attorney Rafael Gonzalez announced. Senior U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge also ordered Beckmon to pay $22,272.45 in restitution to the Social Security Administration. Beckmon pleaded guilty to the charge on February 22, 2017.
According to the plea agreement, Beckmon received Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits from the Social Security Administration (SSA) from at least October 2010 through May 2015. Beckmon knew that she needed to report her October 2010 marriage and her spouse’s income to the SSA, but she did not. She chose not to report her marriage or her spouse’s income because she did not want it to impact her SSI benefits. Due to her marriage and her spouse’s unreported income, Beckmon received an overpayment in SSI benefits. From approximately January 2012 through May 2015, Beckmon fraudulently received $22,272.45 in SSI benefits that she was not entitled to.
The case was investigated by the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, and the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare.
Burley Man Charged with Illegal Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
POCATELLO - Lucio Juarez, of Burley, Idaho, was indicted April 25, 2017, by a federal grand jury sitting in Pocatello for distribution of and conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, Acting U.S. Attorney Rafael Gonzalez, announced.
The indictment alleges that between December 2016 and April 2017, Juarez conspired with others to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. In addition, Juarez is alleged to have distributed methamphetamine on four occasions within the timeframe of the conspiracy. Law enforcement executed search warrants in Burley and Heyburn on Wednesday, April 26th, related to the case.
The charges of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and distribution of methamphetamine are punishable by a term of imprisonment of no less than five and up to forty years, a maximum fine of $5,000,000, and at least four years of supervised release.
A trial is set for July 3, 2017 before U.S. District Chief Judge B. Lynn Winmill at the federal courthouse in Pocatello.
The case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the Idaho State Police, the Cassia County Sheriff’s Office, and the Minnedoka County Sheriff’s Office.
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.
Schneider Sentenced for Federal Hate Crime Based on Victim’s Sexual OrientationRead the Press Release
BOISE – Kelly Schneider, 23, of Nampa, Idaho, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 336 months in prison, five years of supervised release and a $5,000 fine based on his guilty plea to violently assaulting Steven Nelson because he was a gay man, resulting in Mr. Nelson’s death, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General Tom Wheeler, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, and Acting U.S. Attorney Rafael M. Gonzalez, Jr., for the District of Idaho.
Schneider was indicted by a federal grand jury on January 10, 2017, with one count of violating the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr., Hate Crimes Prevention Act. He pleaded guilty to the charge on February 7, 2017. He was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Court Judge B. Lynn Winmill.
“Kelly Schneider assaulted and killed a man because of the man’s sexual orientation,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Wheeler. “This is a federal crime, and the Department of Justice will continue to work with our federal and state law enforcement partners to enforce our federal hate crimes laws.”
“Steven Nelson was assaulted and later died because he was gay,” said Gonzalez. “This is precisely the kind of bias motivated violence that the Shepard-Byrd Hate Crimes Prevention Act was passed to address. I commend the federal and local prosecutors and investigators who brought the defendant to justice.”
According to the plea agreement, on the evening of April 27, 2016, Schneider posted a solicitation for sex on backpage.com, an Internet website, which included a shirtless photo of himself. Mr. Nelson responded to that posting, and Schneider met with him the next evening. Schneider took Mr. Nelson’s money without engaging in any sexual act with Mr. Nelson. Before the encounter, Schneider told his friends that he was not gay and would not let anyone who was gay touch him.
In the early morning hours of April 29, Schneider resumed communication with Mr. Nelson. Schneider then conspired with other individuals to again rob Mr. Nelson. According to the plan, Schneider was to meet up with Mr. Nelson in a parking lot and ask Mr. Nelson to drive to Gott’s Point, an isolated wildlife area in the Deer Flat Wildlife Refuge near Lake Lowell, for a sexual encounter. At Gott’s Point, Schneider would rob Mr. Nelson, and two of Schneider’s cohorts would be lying in wait as “back up” to assist Schneider if Mr. Nelson resisted the robbery.
When Schneider and Mr. Nelson reached Gott’s Point, Schneider immediately began physically assaulting Mr. Nelson, kicking him 20-30 times with steel-toed boots and repeatedly using a homophobic slur. Mr. Nelson never resisted throughout the attack. He died of his injuries later that day. No one else participated in the assault.
Schneider was sentenced earlier this month in state court for first degree murder based on Mr. Nelson’s death. The state court sentenced him to a fixed 28-year term of imprisonment and life indeterminate. Schneider’s federal sentence will be served concurrently to the state sentence.
The Canyon County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Treasure Valley Metro Violent Crime Task Force, conducted the murder investigation. The FBI conducted the federal hate crime investigation.
Owner of Jet Boat Companies Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
BOISE - Christopher Bohnenkamp, 42, formerly of Kuna, Idaho, pleaded guilty today, pursuant to a plea agreement, to one count of wire fraud and one count of bank fraud, Acting U.S. Attorney Rafael M. Gonzalez, Jr. announced.
According to the plea agreement, from 2009 through 2015, Mr. Bohnenkamp was the owner of Treasure Valley Marine, Inc. and Bohnenkamp’s Whitewater Customs, Inc. located in Meridian, Idaho (and later Boise, Idaho). TVM/BWC sold and built custom-made jet boats and trailers and generally required customers to pay upfront.
As it related to the wire fraud count, the plea agreement provided that, in or about 2014, the defendant devised and intended to devise a scheme to obtain money and property from customers and material vendors of TVM/BWC by means of materially false and fraudulent pretenses, representations and promises, and to misappropriate without authority money and property belonging to customers and material vendors of his companies. Knowing that TVM/BWC was financially insolvent, from May of 2014 through December of 2014, the defendant continued to accept orders and upfront payments from 13 new customers and parts on credit from material vendors. At the time, he knew that the upfront payments from new customers would be used to pay old debts and complete the boats of existing customers, not to construct the boats of the new customers or pay for new parts. In doing so, the defendant acted with the intent to deceive the new customers and material vendors. The 13 new customers did not receive the completed boats and trailers for which they paid. On or about December 2, 2014, for the purpose of executing the scheme, the defendant caused a $125,728 check drawn on KeyBank on behalf of customer D.H. to be deposited in Washington Trust Bank, causing an interstate wire transfer of funds.
According to the plea agreement, the defendant’s wire fraud scheme: (i) resulted in an actual loss of between $1,500,000 and $3,500,000; (ii) involved 10 or more victims; (iii) affected financial institutions, to wit: Washington Trust Bank, KeyBank, Idaho Central Credit Union, Mountain West Bank of Montana, and Les Bois Credit Union that loaned money to customers to purchase jet boats and trailers that were never built and delivered; and (iv) resulted in the defendant deriving more than $1,000,000 in gross receipts from the above financial institutions.
As it related to the bank fraud count, the plea agreement provided that, on or about January 6, 2012, in the District of Idaho, the defendant knowingly executed and attempted to execute a scheme to obtain moneys, funds, credits, asset, securities, and other property owned by, and under the custody or control of KeyBank. Specifically, the defendant caused to be submitted to KeyBank a false bill of sale for customer D.B, with the intent to defraud KeyBank. The bill of sale inflated the purchase price of the boat ordered by D.B., misrepresented that D.B. had made a $20,000 cash deposit, when he had not, and omitted that $59,283 of the loan proceeds would be kicked-back to D.B. As a result, KeyBank disbursed loan proceeds of $272,982 to TVM/BWC, of which TVM/BWC kicked-back $59,283 to D.B.
Separately for each count, Mr. Bohnenkamp faces a statutory maximum sentence of 30 years in prison, a $1,000,000 fine, and not more than 5 years of supervised release.
for Mr. Bohnenkamp is set for August 8, 2017 at 9:00 a.m., before U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill at the federal courthouse in Boise.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division.
Idaho Man Sentenced for Federal Hate Crime Based on Victim’s Sexual OrientationRead the Press Release
Kelly Schneider, 23, of Nampa, Idaho, was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court to 336 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release based on his guilty plea to violently assaulting Steven Nelson because he was a gay man, resulting in Nelson’s death, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General Tom Wheeler of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, and Acting U.S. Attorney Rafael M. Gonzalez, Jr., for the District of Idaho.
Schneider was indicted by a federal grand jury on Jan. 10, 2017, with one count of violating the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr., Hate Crimes Prevention Act. He pleaded guilty to the charge on Feb. 7, 2017. He was sentenced today by Chief Judge B. Lynn Winmill for the U.S. Courts of the District of Idaho.
“This sentence makes it clear that we as a society cannot and will not tolerate violence – in this case escalating to a vicious murder – against persons based on their sexual orientation or any other characteristic,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Wheeler. “The Department of Justice is committed to using every tool at its disposal to combat such brutal violence.”
“Steven Nelson was assaulted and later died because he was gay,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Gonzalez. “This is precisely the kind of bias motivated violence that the Shepard-Byrd Act was passed to address. The federal prosecution in this case makes clear that this office, the Civil Rights Division and its law enforcement partners will pursue justice when a person is violently attacked based on who he loves and how he loves.”
According to the plea agreement, on the evening of April 27, 2016, Schneider posted a solicitation for sex on backpage.com, an Internet website, which included a shirtless photo of himself. Nelson responded to that posting, and Schneider met with him the next evening. Schneider took Nelson’s money without engaging in any sexual act with Nelson. Before the encounter, Schneider told his friends that he was not gay and would not let anyone who was gay touch him.
In the early morning hours of April 29, Schneider resumed communication with Nelson. Schneider then conspired with other individuals to again rob Nelson. According to the plan, Schneider was to meet up with Nelson in a parking lot and ask Nelson to drive to Gott’s Point, an isolated wildlife area in the Deer Flat Wildlife Refuge near Lake Lowell, for a sexual encounter. At Gott’s Point, Schneider would rob Nelson, and two of Schneider’s cohorts would be lying in wait as “back up” to assist Schneider if Nelson resisted the robbery.
When Schneider and Nelson reached Gott’s Point, Schneider immediately began physically assaulting Nelson, kicking him 20-30 times with steel-toed boots and repeatedly using a homophobic slur. Nelson never resisted throughout the attack. He died of his injuries later that day. No one else participated in the assault.
Schneider was sentenced earlier this month in state court for first degree murder based on Nelson’s death. The state court sentenced him to a fixed 28-year term of imprisonment and life indeterminate. Schneider’s federal sentence will be served concurrently to the state sentence.
The Canyon County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Treasure Valley Metro Violent Crime Task Force, conducted the murder investigation. The FBI conducted the federal hate crime investigation.
Bonner Ferry Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
COEUR D’ALENE - Thurlo Eugene Clark, 72, of Bonner Ferry, Idaho, pleaded guilty on April 25, 2017, to possession of sexually explicit images of minors, Acting U.S. Attorney Rafael M. Gonzalez, Jr. announced. Clark was charged by an information that was filed on April 3, 2017.
According to the plea agreement, Clark admitted that on May 6, 2016, law enforcement officers contacted Clark because officers received information that Clark tried to send child pornography through the wires. Clark admitted to law enforcement that he knowingly possessed child pornography, receiving them from people via email. With Clark’s consent, law enforcement officers recovered computer equipment containing child pornography.
The charge of possession of sexually explicit images of minors is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000.00, and up to 5 years to life of supervised release.
Sentencing is set for July 26, 2017, before U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge at the federal courthouse in Coeur d’Alene.
The case was investigated by Idaho Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Bank Robber Admits Hatchet JobRead the Press Release
COEUR D’ALENE - Charles Ray Bartkowiak, 34, of Hayden, Idaho, pleaded guilty on April 25, 2017, to Bank Robbery, Acting U.S. Attorney Rafael M. Gonzalez, Jr. announced. Bartkowiak was indicted by a federal grand Jury in Coeur d’Alene on December 13, 2016.
According to the plea agreement, Bartkowkiak admitted that on November 28, 2016, he entered the Bank CdA in Hayden, Idaho and placed a hatchet on the counter of the teller window. He demanded all the teller’s cash and left with $6,366 in U.S. currency. Bartkowiak was identified from video surveillance and law enforcement found some of the money and the hatchet in his car. He admitted to the crime and was arrested.
The charge of Bank Robbery is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000.00, and up to 3 years of supervised release.
Sentencing is set for July 26, 2017, before U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge at the federal courthouse in Coeur d’Alene.
The case was investigated by North Idaho Violent Crimes Task Force (NIVCTF). The NIVCTF is comprised of federal, state and local agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Idaho State Police, Post Falls Police Department, Coeur d’Alene Police Department, Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office and the Idaho Department of Corrections.
Nampa Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug ChargeRead the Press Release
BOISE – Joe Angel Trujillo, 24, of Nampa, Idaho, pleaded guilty yesterday to possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, Acting U.S. Attorney Rafael Gonzalez announced. A federal grand jury indicted Trujillo on September 14, 2016. The superseding information alleges that Trujillo possessed with the intent to distribute over fifty grams of actual methamphetamine.
According to statements made at the hearing, officers arrested Trujillo on July 19, 2016, on outstanding felony warrants at a residence in Nampa, Idaho. Officers had surveilled the residence prior to arresting Trujillo and observed him entering the residence wearing a grey coat and carrying a black backpack. At the time of his arrest, officers observed Trujillo standing near the grey coat he had been wearing and the backpack he had been seen carrying. Officers searched the backpack and found over 1,000 grams of pure methamphetamine, a Smith & Wesson .380 caliber pistol, ammunition, and digital scales. Officers also searched and found over $4,000 in the pocket of the grey coat and over $500 on Trujillo’s person. Sentencing is set for June 29, 2017, before Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill.
Possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine is punishable by at least ten years and up to life imprisonment, at least five years of supervised release, a $10,000,000 fine, and a $100 special assessment.
The case is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Nampa Police Department.
Boise Man Pleads Guilty for Failing to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
BOISE – Robert Wesley Henry, III, 38, of Boise, Idaho pleaded guilty today in United States District Court to failing to register as a sex offender, Acting U.S. Attorney Rafael Gonzalez announced. Henry was indicted by a Boise grand jury on January 10, 2017.
According to the plea agreement, Henry was convicted of possession of sexually explicit images of minors in July 2011. As a result of this conviction, Henry is required to register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). Henry was released from the Federal Bureau of Prisons on August 13, 2014, and began serving a ten-year period of supervised released. Henry last registered as a sex offender with the State of Idaho on November 3, 2016; however, the address he listed at that time was not where he was living. From October 31, 2016 through December 9, 2016, Henry’s probation officer attempted to contact Henry at the address he listed and Henry failed to update his sex offender registration with his new address. Henry admitted he knowingly failed to update his address as required under SORNA.
The case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service (USMS) and the Garden City Police Department.
California Man Faces Mandatory Life in Prison for Trafficking MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
BOISE – Justin Gomez, 29, of Barstow, California, was convicted yesterday evening by a federal jury of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, Acting U.S. Attorney Rafael Gonzalez, announced. The jury’s decision came after a two-day trial in federal court in Boise. Gomez, who has two prior felony drug convictions, now faces mandatory life in federal prison.
According to evidence presented at trial, Justin Gomez and Salvador Gonzalez traveled from Southern California to Boise, Idaho, to distribute a large quantity of methamphetamine. Local and federal law enforcement officers discovered the conspiracy and intervened. On September 11, 2015, both defendants were arrested in Meridian, Idaho, with over two pounds of pure methamphetamine in their possession.
In October 2015, a Boise grand jury indicted both Gomez and Gonzalez for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Gonzalez ultimately pleaded guilty. He was later sentenced to 120 months in prison. Gomez elected to go to trial. He was found guilty late yesterday.
Gomez’s sentencing is scheduled for July 6, 2017, before Senior U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge at the federal courthouse in Boise. Gomez has several prior felony convictions including a crime of violence, drug trafficking, and gang enhancements. Because Gomez has at least two prior felony drug convictions and was convicted of possession with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine, he will be sentenced to a mandatory life term of imprisonment.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Ada County Sheriff’s Office.
The case was prosecuted by the Special Assistant U.S. Attorney hired by the Ada County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office with funds provided by the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program. HIDTA is part of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) created by Congress with the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988. It provides assistance to federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies operating in areas determined to be critical drug-trafficking regions of the United States. Idaho is part of the Oregon-Idaho HIDTA. HIDTA in southwest Idaho is a collaboration of local, multi-jurisdictional law enforcement drug task forces, and prosecuting agencies dedicated to addressing regional drug trafficking organizations that operate in Ada, Canyon, and Malheur County.
Spotlight on Idaho U.S. Attorney’s Criminal Immigration ProgramRead the Press Release
BOISE – “The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho is committed to using its prosecutorial resources to address the most significant threats to public safety and border security in the most effective, consistent, and rational way,” announced Acting United States Attorney Rafael Gonzalez. The U.S. Attorney’s Office prioritizes the prosecution of criminal aliens who return illegally and continue to commit crimes after having been convicted and removed.
The Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) section of the Office of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and other components of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), refer matters for criminal prosecution to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Immigration Crimes Coordinator then reviews the matters for prosecution. Over the past ten years, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has, on average, prosecuted 80 criminal immigration cases each year. This number includes prosecutions of criminal aliens who have illegally returned following conviction and removal, and prosecutions of aliens who possessed or used fraudulent immigration documentation while in the United States.
According to DHS, in fiscal year 2016, approximately 240,255 aliens were removed from the United States. Those removals included individuals apprehended in the interior of the United States, as well as those encountered at or near the border or ports of entry. For illegal aliens apprehended in the interior of the country, more than 90 percent had previously been convicted of a crime.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office, together with its main criminal law enforcement partner, ICE ERO, will vigorously pursue criminal charges against criminal aliens, focusing on those who threaten the safety of our community,” Gonzalez said.
Two Treasure Valley Methamphetamine Dealers Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
BOISE – Terry Dudley, 45, of Weiser, Idaho and Jacque Sue Garner, 56, of Nampa, Idaho were sentenced yesterday for distributing methamphetamine, Acting U.S. Attorney Rafael Gonzalez announced. Both Dudley and Garner pleaded guilty to one count of distributing methamphetamine. Dudley was sentenced to 130 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Garner was sentenced to 57 months in prison and five years of supervised release. Senior U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge also ordered Dudley to forfeit $7,100 in cash proceeds and ordered Garner to forfeit $3,000 in cash proceeds.
On January 24, 2017, Dudley pleaded guilty to distributing methamphetamine and admitted that he sold an ounce of methamphetamine to an undercover officer on April 13, 2015 and four ounces of methamphetamine to an undercover officer on April 15, 2015.
On January 12, 2017, Garner pleaded guilty to distributing methamphetamine and admitted that she sold a total of 144.1 grams of pure methamphetamine during three undercover deals in August and September of 2015.
These cases are the result of an investigation by the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) and the Boise Police Department. The Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), includes the cooperative law enforcement efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U. S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation; and U.S. Marshals Service. The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations.
Boise Man Sentenced for Unlawful Possession of GBLRead the Press Release
BOISE – Davis Jacobs, 27, of Boise, Idaho, was sentenced on March 28, 2017, to one year of probation, including six months of home detention, 200 hours of community service, and a $1,000 fine, for unlawful possession of Gamma-Butyrolactone (GBL), Acting United States Attorney Rafael Gonzalez announced. Jacobs was charged in an information.
According to the plea agreement, on April 13, 2016, United States Customs and Border Protection in San Francisco, California, intercepted a parcel from Hong Kong addressed to Jacobs in Boise, Idaho. The parcel, which was declared as “paint tools,” contained a bottle of 1,218 gross grams of liquid GBL. GBL is a Schedule I controlled substance. Jacobs admitted to purchasing the GBL knowing that it was illegal and a controlled substance.
The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, with assistance from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
Nampa Man Sentenced to 25 years for Sexual Exploitation of ChildrenRead the Press Release
BOISE – Fernando Morales, 50, of Nampa was sentenced today in United States District Court to 300 months in prison, followed by lifetime supervised release, for sexual exploitation of children, Acting United States Attorney Rafael Gonzalez announced.
According to the plea agreement, officers with the Nampa Police Department contacted Morales at his residence in Nampa on August 23, 2016, after a sixteen-year-old minor living at the residence called 911. The minor victim informed officers that Morales had sexual contact with the minor victim for several years and had nude images of the minor victim on his cell phone. During an interview with Nampa Police Detectives, Morales admitted that he had sexual contact with the minor victim on numerous occasions, beginning in approximately June of 2015 in El Paso, Texas. Morales, the victim, and two other children later moved to Nampa in July of 2016. Morales also admitted that he recorded videos and pictures of himself and the minor victim engaged in sexually explicit conduct, and that he saved the videos and pictures on his cell phone.
Nampa Police Detectives seized several electronic devices from Morales. A Computer Forensic Agent with the Department of Homeland Security analyzed the devices, and discovered twenty-three videos and twenty-one still images of the minor victim engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Nineteen of the videos and all of the still images depicted Morales engaged in sexually explicit conduct with the victim. Two of the videos and nine of the still images contained data showing they were produced in the State of Texas, then transported to the State of Idaho.
“This prison sentence ensures that Morales will never again be a threat to children,” said Gonzalez. His conduct caused unimaginable harm to this child victim. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, along with our local, state and federal partners, will vigorously prosecute those who harm the children of this community.”
“Innocent children continue to be re-victimized with every view of a sexually explicit image or video,” said Brad Bench, special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations Seattle. “HSI and local law enforcement strive to assist traumatized youth by dedicating every resource available to ensure child predators are held accountable for their deeds.”
The case was investigated by the Nampa Police Department and the Department of Homeland Security, with assistance from the Canyon County Prosecutor’s Office, 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.”
Two Idaho Men Sentenced for their Roles in Separate Drug Trafficking ConspiraciesRead the Press Release
BOISE – Oscar Javier Rosas, 23, of Wendell, Idaho and Michael Ray Stone, 25, of Twin Falls, Idaho, were sentenced this week in United States District Court for their roles in separate drug trafficking conspiracies, Acting United States Attorney Rafael Gonzalez announced. Senior U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge sentenced Rosas to 33 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and Stone to 51 months for distribution of methamphetamine.
These cases were prosecuted by the Special Assistant U.S. Attorney hired by the Ada County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office with funding provided by the Idaho extension of the Oregon-Idaho High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program. Created by Congress in 1988, the HIDTA program serves as a catalyst for coordination among federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies operating in areas determined to be critical drug trafficking regions of the United States. Idaho is part of the Oregon-Idaho HIDTA. The Idaho HIDTA is a collaboration of local, multi-jurisdictional law enforcement drug task forces and prosecuting agencies dedicated to addressing regional drug trafficking organizations that operate in Ada, Canyon, and Malheur County.
In June of 2015, the Oregon-Idaho HIDTA, in collaboration with the Ada County Prosecutor’s Office and the Idaho U.S. Attorney’s Office, hired the Special Assistant U.S. Attorney to facilitate the prosecution of regional drug trafficking organizations identified by drug enforcement task forces in the Treasure Valley. The Special AUSA coordinates with local prosecuting offices and the drug enforcement task forces to federally prosecute cases that fall within or affect the HIDTA areas.
The Special Assistant U.S. Attorney hired by the HIDTA program has facilitated the prosecution of 39 drug trafficking cases which has resulted in 51 individuals being convicted and sentenced for drug trafficking crimes. These prosecutions underscore the efforts of both local and federal law enforcement agencies and prosecutors in Idaho working together at every level to make our communities safer from drug trafficking crime.
California Residents Plead Guilty to Obtaining Cell Phones Through Identity TheftRead the Press Release
BOISE – California residents Jeromy Reeves, 27, Karina Flores, 22, Brittany Terry, 20, and Joseph Jancu, 21, pleaded guilty this week to their roles in a fraud scheme to obtain iPhones through identity theft, Acting United States Attorney Rafael Gonzalez announced. They were indicted by a federal grand jury in Boise in September 2016.
According to plea agreements, Reeves organized the group in California and used Flores’ and Terry’s photographs to make fake California driver’s licenses that contained the identifying information of other persons. Once the group arrived in the Boise area, Reeves directed Flores and Terry to use the fake driver’s licenses to open up cellular services contracts in the names of the unsuspecting victims and to obtain iPhones. Flores and Terry intentionally misrepresented themselves as the victims to obtain the iPhones, with the costs then billed to the victims. Their plan was to take the iPhones back to California where they would be re-sold. In total, the group obtained 32 iPhones and other devices before being caught by the Boise Police Department.
According to Jancu’s plea agreement, he knew of the scheme and drove his co-conspirators from store to store where they executed the scheme.
Terry and Jancu are set to be sentenced on June 14, 2017, before Senior U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge. Reeves and Flores are set to be sentenced on June 15, 2017, also before Judge Lodge.
The case was investigated by the Boise Police Department.
Meridian Man Guilty of Unlicensed Gun Dealing and Making False Statements to Acquire HandgunsRead the Press Release
BOISE – Steven W. Clyne, 70, of Meridian, Idaho, was convicted on Friday evening by a federal jury of dealing firearms without a license and making false statements when purchasing firearms, Acting United States Attorney Rafael Gonzalez, announced. Clyne was indicted by a federal grand jury on May 11, 2016.
According to evidence presented at trial, Clyne engaged in the repetitive purchase and resale of firearms for profit from January 2013 until November 12, 2015. Over that period of time, Clyne purchased hundreds of firearms from licensed firearm dealers and then resold those firearms to others after increasing the price. Clyne sold the firearms at gun shows and even in a parking lot without identifying the purchasers or conducting background checks to ensure the purchasers were not prohibited from possessing firearms. Numerous firearms sold by Clyne were recovered at various crime scenes in Idaho, California, and other locations.
On November 12, 2015, law enforcement agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) searched Clyne’s residence pursuant to a federal search warrant. ATF agents located approximately 30 firearms at Clyne’s residence. Clyne admitted to agents that he purchased firearms, increased the prices, and then resold the firearms. During the investigation, Clyne sold firearms to ATF agents acting in an undercover capacity. On one occasion an agent telephoned Clyne and asked to purchase two handguns. Clyne agreed to sell the handguns and told the agent he would purchase the handguns later that same day. When Clyne purchased the handguns from the licensed firearm dealer, he falsely stated that he was the actual buyer of the handguns knowing that he was actually acquiring the handguns on behalf of another person.
“Federal firearms laws are intended to keep firearms out of the wrong hands,” said Gonzalez. “This case is an example of what happens when someone engages in the business of selling guns for profit and doesn’t abide by the basic requirements of obtaining a license and conducting background checks.”
“The illicit trafficking in firearms remains ATF's highest national priority,” said ATF Seattle Field Division Special Agent in Charge Darek Pleasants. “Mr. Clyne's willingness to operate outside the law directly put his fellow Americans at risk.” Seattle Field Division’s area of responsibility includes Idaho.
Sentencing is scheduled for June 7, 2017, before Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill at the federal courthouse in Boise. The crimes of dealing firearms without a license and making false statements when purchasing firearms are each punishable by up to five years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release.
The case was investigated by the ATF.
Convicted Felon Pleads Guilty to Drug and Ammunition ChargesRead the Press Release
BOISE – Mathew Grover, 28, of Nampa, Idaho, pleaded guilty today to possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and unlawful possession of ammunition, Acting U.S. Attorney Rafael Gonzalez announced. Grover was indicted by a federal grand jury on December 13, 2016.
According to statements made at the hearing, Grover was arrested on October 5, 2016, by Nampa Police officers on a federal warrant for violating supervised release in another federal case. Later that day, United States Probation officers with the assistance of Nampa Police officers searched Grover’s home in Nampa. Among the items found inside the home were $4,709 in cash as well as a plastic bag containing 42.09 grams of pure methamphetamine. In the garage, officers found two rounds of 16-gauge ammunition and five rounds of 12-gauge ammunition. On January 9, 2012, Grover was convicted of conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise and unlawful possession of a firearm. As a result of this conviction, Grover was prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition. As part of his plea agreement, Grover will be entering admissions to numerous supervised release violations in his 2012 case. Sentencing is set for June 27, 2017, before Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill.
Possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine is punishable by up to twenty years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $1,000,000 fine. The charge of unlawful possession of ammunition is punishable by up to ten years in prison up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.
The case is the result of an investigation by the United States Probation Office, and the Treasure Valley Metro Violent Crime Task Force. The Metro Task Force was created approximately eleven years ago and is comprised of federal, state and local agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boise Police Department, Ada County Sheriff’s Office, Caldwell Police Department, Nampa Police Department, Meridian Police Department, Canyon County Sheriff’s Office, and Idaho Department of Probation and Parole. The Task Force conducts complex long-term investigation of criminal gangs.
“Traveling Crew” Sentenced for Using Stolen Debit Card Numbers from Local BankRead the Press Release
BOISE – On March 15 and 16, 2017, Alejandro Hidalgo, 27, Dilcia Martinez-Marquez, 27, Enrique Matos-Herrera, 30, and Jose Salazar-Quintana, 30, were sentenced to prison for using stolen debit card numbers to make over $30,000 of fraudulent purchases at local Walmart stores and other businesses, Acting U.S. Attorney Rafael M. Gonzalez, Jr. announced. Senior U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge sentenced Hidalgo, Matos-Herrera, and Salazar-Quintana, Cuban nationals who were living in Amarillo, Texas, to 48 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Martinez-Marquez, an El Salvadorian national married to Hidalgo, was sentenced to 21 months in prison and three years of supervised release. The defendants also were ordered to pay $30,620.58 in restitution.
On December 5, 2016 a federal jury convicted all the defendants of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Hidalgo also was convicted of six counts each of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. Martinez-Marquez also was convicted of four counts of wire fraud. Matos-Herrera was convicted of four counts each of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. And Salazar-Quintana was convicted of seven counts each of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. In handing down the sentences in this case, Judge Lodge noted that the jury only needed to deliberate for a couple hours despite the number of counts charged in the case.
The week-long trial established that the defendants, and their co-defendants, Luis Mejias-Fiz, 27, and Eslay Monzon, 43, traveled to Idaho for the purpose of executing their scheme. They rented hotel rooms and traveled to at least seven Walmart stores and a couple of Walgreens stores in the Treasure Valley on October 15 and 16, 2015. They obtained stolen debit card numbers from “dark web” internet sites that traffic in stolen account numbers. The defendants targeted Idaho residents by obtaining stolen debit card account numbers from Idaho Independent Bank. They fraudulently encoded the stolen account numbers onto the magnetic strips of stock gift cards and then used the re-encoded cards to purchase new gift cards and other merchandise. On October 16, 2015––thanks in part to tips from members of the public––the Meridian Police Department apprehended the defendants in the vehicle they were sharing. Through the investigation, law enforcement recovered thousands of dollars-worth of gift cards, merchandise, and a computer that the defendants used to execute their scheme.
Co-defendants Monzon and Mejias-Fiz, who pleaded guilty before trial and testified against their co-conspirators at the trial, were sentenced to 25 months and 21 months in prison, respectively.
Conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud are punishable by up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release. Aggravated identity theft is punishable by a mandatory two years in prison, to be served consecutively to the sentence imposed for the underlying felony.
The case was investigated by the Meridian Police Department and the United States Secret Service.
Plummer Man Sentenced for Theft of Firearms and Possession of Stolen FirearmsRead the Press Release
COEUR D'ALENE – Kyle Eugene Goddard, 28, of Plummer, Idaho, was sentenced yesterday in United States District Court to 15 months in prison followed by three years supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Rafael Gonzalez announced. Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also ordered Goddard to pay $900 in restitution. Goddard pleaded guilty to theft of firearms and possession of stolen firearms on November 16, 2016.
According to Goddard’s admissions at the plea hearing, on July 23, 2016, Goddard stole two firearms, a Taurus 709 Slim 9mm and a Springfield Armory XD 40, from Bargain Barn, a local business in Plummer, Idaho.
The case was investigated by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Coeur d’Alene Tribal Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The case was prosecuted as part of Idaho’s Project Safe Neighborhoods Program, which seeks to reduce gun violence in Idaho.
Nampa Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
BOISE – Bernandino Mercado, Jr., 50, of Nampa, Idaho, pleaded guilty yesterday in United States District Court to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, Acting U.S. Attorney Rafael Gonzalez announced.
According to statements made at the hearing, Mercado distributed multiple pounds of methamphetamine out of his Nampa residence between June 2015 and September 2016. Mercado also admitted to trafficking firearms. Mercado was convicted of delivery of a controlled substance in 1997 and 2005.
Sentencing is set for May 25, 2017, before Senior U.S. District Edward J. Lodge. Mercado faces a sentence of not less than 20 years imprisonment and not more than life, a $20,000,000 fine and a term of supervised release of at least ten years and up to life. As part of his plea, Mercado also agreed to forfeit $100,000 in cash proceeds.
This case is the result of a joint investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Boise Police Department and the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), includes the cooperative law enforcement efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U. S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation; and U.S. Marshals Service. The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations.
Wendell Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
BOISE – Jose De Jesus Garay-Gonzalez, 29, of Wendell, Idaho, pleaded guilty yesterday in United States District Court to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, Acting U.S. Attorney Rafael Gonzalez announced. Senior U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge took Garay-Gonzalez’s plea. Sentencing is set for May 24, 2017.
According to evidence presented at the change of plea hearing, Garay-Gonzalez and his codefendants conspired to distribute methamphetamine in Idaho between June and September of 2016. Garay-Gonzalez and his codefendants arranged for three separate deliveries of methamphetamine in the Boise and Twin Falls, Idaho, areas. Investigators discovered the conspiracy and ultimately seized 2.9 kilograms of methamphetamine.
The charge of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine is punishable by a term of imprisonment of not less than ten years and up to life, a term of supervised release of at least five years, and a maximum fine of $10,000,000.
Codefendant, Maria Rosa Arteaga Guzman, 51, of Fruitland, Idaho, is currently set for a change of plea on May 9, 2017, for her role in the conspiracy.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Ada County Sheriff’s Office.
The case was prosecuted by the Special Assistant U.S. Attorney hired by the Ada County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office with funds provided by the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program. HIDTA is part of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) created by Congress with the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988. It provides assistance to Federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies operating in areas determined to be critical drug-trafficking regions of the United States. Idaho is part of the Oregon-Idaho HIDTA. The Idaho HIDTA is a collaboration of local, multi-jurisdictional law enforcement drug task forces and prosecuting agencies dedicated to addressing regional drug trafficking organizations that operate in Ada, Canyon, and Malheur County.
Utah Couple Sentenced for Bank Fraud and Bankruptcy FraudRead the Press Release
COEUR D'ALENE – Cortney S. Valentine, 40, and Nicolette P. Valentine, 37, husband and wife, both of Liberty, Utah, were sentenced Tuesday for bank fraud, false declaration under penalty of perjury and concealment of assets in connection with a bankruptcy case, Acting U.S. Attorney Rafael Gonzalez announced. Senior U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge sentenced Cortney Valentine to 40 months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release and ordered restitution payable at a later date. Judge Lodge sentenced Nicolette Valentine to time served, to be followed by five years of supervised release, and 200 hours of community service and ordered restitution payable at a later date. Cortney Valentine pleaded guilty on November 1, 2016, and Nicolette Valentine pleaded guilty on June 23, 2016.
According to Cortney Valentine’s plea agreement, he defrauded U.S. Bank when he made material false statements causing U.S. Bank to lend him $362,000. Later, Valentine and his wife, Nicolette, filed for relief under bankruptcy separately in different states. In November 2011, Cortney Valentine contracted to sell a home to a third party for $1,150,000. Cortney Valentine should have reported to the bankruptcy court any proceeds from the sale of the home. Instead, he used the money to support himself. Cortney Valentine made numerous false statements on the bankruptcy filings and concealed the funds he received from the third party purchaser.
According to Nicolette Valentine’s plea agreement, she defrauded Mountain West Bank when she made material false statements causing Mountain West Bank to lend her $43,766.27 to refinance a truck. Instead of paying off the existing truck loan so that Mountain West Bank could obtain clear title to the collateral, Nicolette Valentine deposited the proceeds into her bank account and used the money for living expenses. In May 2012, Nicolette Valentine filed for bankruptcy. During her bankruptcy proceedings, while under oath, Nicolette Valentine made material false statements when questioned about various matters under the supervision of the bankruptcy court.
The case was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Boise Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
BOISE – Ronald Lallatin, 60, of Boise, pleaded guilty yesterday in United States District Court to possession of child pornography, Acting U.S. Attorney Rafael Gonzalez announced.
According to the plea agreement, in June of 2016, agents with the Department of Homeland Security served a search warrant on Lallatin’s residence in Boise, Idaho, based upon evidence that a computer at the residence had accessed and downloaded a video containing child pornography. Lallatin was present at the residence, and admitted to agents that they would find “child porn” on his computer, as he had viewed images of child pornography for at least the past five years. A laptop computer and nine electronic storage devices belonging to Lallatin were seized. When agents examined the devices, they discovered 6,484 still images and 937 videos containing child pornography, including images of prepubescent minors, images showing sadistic and masochistic conduct with minors, and images of the sexual abuse or exploitation of an infant or toddler.
Sentencing is set for May 22, 2017, before Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill. Possession of child pornography is punishable by up to 20 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a term of supervised release of not less than five years and up to life, and a $5,000 special assessment. As part of his plea, Lallatin also agreed to forfeit the computer and electronic storage devices used in the commission of the charged offense.
The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, 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.”
American Falls Man Pleads Guilty to Child EnticementRead the Press Release
POCATELLO – Jesus Nieto, 21, of American Falls, Idaho, pleaded guilty on March 2, 2017, to coercion and enticement of a minor, Acting U.S. Attorney Rafael Gonzalez announced. Nieto was initially indicted by a federal grand Jury in Pocatello on May 24, 2016. Additional charges were filed in a superseding indictment in December 2016.
According to the plea agreement, Nieto utilized Internet-based social media to communicate with two girls, ages 11 and 15, for the purpose of soliciting sexually explicit pictures and persuading and coercing the girls into engaging in sexual intercourse with him. Nieto communicated with the girls from approximately November 2015 to January 2016.
The charge of coercion and enticement of a minor is punishable by up to life in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, and a term of supervised release of at least five years, up to life.
Sentencing is set for May 17, 2017, before Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill at the federal courthouse in Pocatello.
The case was investigated by the American Falls Police Department, with the assistance of the Power County Prosecutor’s Office and U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). The agencies are southern Idaho members of the Idaho Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, a statewide coalition of local, state and federal law enforcement and prosecution agencies, focused on apprehending and prosecuting individuals who use the Internet to criminally exploit children. For more information about the Idaho ICAC Task Force and a list of all the participating agencies, visit www.icactaskforce.org.
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.”
Idaho Tax Return Preparer Pleads Guilty to Filing False ReturnsRead the Press Release
A Blackfoot, Idaho business owner pleaded guilty today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Idaho to one count of aiding and assisting in the preparation of a false tax return, announced Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Rafael M. Gonzalez Jr. for the District of Idaho.
According to documents filed with the court, from approximately 2009 through 2012, Jonathan Peirsol, 42, of Pocatello, Idaho, prepared false individual income tax returns under the name JJ Accounting Inc. Peirsol falsified returns without his clients’ knowledge by adding items such as medical and education expenses. For some of the returns Peirsol also diverted a portion of the refund into a bank account he controlled without his clients’ knowledge. Peirsol failed to report on his own tax returns the fees he earned from his tax preparation businesss. Peirsol also owns and operates J&J Chemical Inc., a janitorial chemical supply company in Blackfoot.
Sentencing is scheduled for May 11. Peirsol faces a statutory maximum sentence of three years in prison, a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. Pursuant to his plea, Peirsol consented to the entry of a permanent injunction barring him from preparing income tax returns for any individual or entity other than himself.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Goldberg and Acting U.S. Attorney Gonzalez thanked special agents of IRS–Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation, and Trial Attorneys Lori Hendrickson and Kathleen Barry of the Tax Division, who are prosecuting the case.
Additional information about the Tax Division’s enforcement efforts can be found on the division’s website.
Former Bank Employee Sentenced for EmbezzlementRead the Press Release
POCATELLO – Stefani Bennett, 45, of Salmon, Idaho, was sentenced today to 15 months imprisonment for embezzlement by a bank employee, Acting U.S. Attorney Rafael M. Gonzalez, Jr., announced. Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also ordered Bennett to serve five years of supervised release following her prison sentence and to pay restitution of $116,945. She pleaded guilty on September 28, 2016.
Bennett was an employee of the U.S. Bank in Salmon, Idaho. On July 8, 2011, Bennett withdrew $100,000 from a customer’s account and converted it to five cashier’s checks and $2,407.59 in cash, which she used to pay her personal bills and make personal purchases, all without authorization. Bennett admitted to other bank employees and to special agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, who interviewed her at a later date, that she took the money.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
U.S. Attorney Olson resigns; acting U.S. Attorney appointedRead the Press Release
BOISE – Wendy J. Olson, United States Attorney for the District of Idaho, resigned effective Saturday, February 25, 2017. U.S. Attorney Olson had served in that office since June 2010. She had been an Assistant United States Attorney with the District of Idaho since 1997.
As of February 26, 2017, Rafael M. Gonzalez, Jr., assumed leadership of the office as Acting United States Attorney. Mr. Gonzalez has been the First Assistant United States Attorney since September of 2010. He had previously served as the office’s criminal chief. He has been with the office since March of 1995 and with the Department of Justice since September of 1991.
“As United States Attorney for the District of Idaho since 2010, Wendy Olson has been an indispensable and collaborative law enforcement partner in Idaho,” said Mr. Gonzalez. “Her efforts reflected the highest traditions of the Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorney community. We thank Wendy for her tireless work on behalf of the District of Idaho and the American people over the last 20 years, and we wish her the very best as she begins the next chapter of her distinguished career.”
Eleventh Defendant Pleads Guilty to being involved in Loren Toelle Drug Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
COEUR D'ALENE – William Jaquett Barker, 31, of Williston, North Dakota, pleaded guilty yesterday to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Barker was indicted by a federal grand Jury in Coeur d'Alene in April of 2016.
According to the plea agreement, Barker admitted that he and others joined and agreed with each other to distribute controlled substances in Idaho and elsewhere. Although the conspiracy lasted from at least 2009 until the arrests on February 4, 2016, Barker did not join the conspiracy until 2015. Barker maintained a residence in North Dakota where a member of the conspiracy came to sell heroin and oxycodone. Barker also admitted that he helped conceal, transport and sell controlled substances during his involvement.
The charge of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, a maximum fine of $1,000,000, and up to a life time of supervised release.
Sentencing is set for June 20, 2017, before Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill at the federal courthouse in Coeur d'Alene.
The case was investigated as part as the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force which included the CDA Police, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI), Kootenai County Sheriff, North Idaho Violent Crimes Task Force (NIVCTF), and U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
The OCDETF program is a federal multi agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations.
BLM Settles 2014 Wolf Derby Permit Lawsuit Agrees to Notify Environmental Groups of Future Permit ApplicationsRead the Press Release
BOISE – The Bureau of Land Management (“BLM”) has reached a settlement with several environmental groups to ensure that groups with an interest in public lands can meaningfully participate in the land management process whenever BLM might in the near future again be asked to consider applications for predator hunting contest permits utilizing portions of public lands in east-central Idaho, announced U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson. The settlement has been approved by Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge Ronald E. Bush.
The settlement ends litigation against BLM by plaintiffs WildEarth Guardians, Cascadia Wildlands, Kootenai Environmental Alliance, Center for Biological Diversity, Western Watersheds Project, and Project Coyote. The groups alleged that BLM failed to comply with the National Environmental Policy Act when it authorized the issuance of a special recreation permit to a non-profit group, Idaho for Wildlife, for a predator hunting contest in the Salmon, Idaho, area on November 13, 2014. BLM withdrew its authorization on November 25, 2014, and no permit was issued. In subsequent winters, 2015-16 and 2016-17, neither Idaho for Wildlife nor any other non-profit sought a permit for a hunting contest from BLM in the same area.
Olson stated that the settlement best served the agencies and the public interest. “Rather than continuing to press its legal defenses in court, BLM agreed to notify environmental group attorneys of any applications for contests involving the hunting of wolves or coyotes received by BLM’s Idaho Falls District Office over the next three years,” said Olson. “This opening of communication underscores BLM’s commitment to assuring that public input into future decisions would not be rushed or minimized.”
“We are pleased to have reached this settlement agreement with these plaintiff groups,” said Idaho Fall District Manager Mary D’Aversa of BLM. “Thousands of visitors recreate in and around Salmon every year and we will continue to take our land management responsibilities very seriously on behalf of all Americans.”
“The agreement reaffirms BLM’s commitment to transparency and to public involvement in the management of our public land,” said District Manager D’Aversa.
The plaintiff environmental groups have brought different claims against the United States Forest Service. Those claims remain outstanding.
Garden City Man Arrested for Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
BOISE – Nickolas James Parnell, 37, of Garden City, Idaho, was arrested yesterday in Garden City on a three-count federal indictment in the District of Idaho charging him with transportation of child pornography, possession of child pornography, and access with intent to view child pornography. A federal grand jury sitting in Boise returned the indictment on February 14, 2017. Parnell made his initial appearance this morning at the federal courthouse in Boise, Idaho and pleaded not guilty. Trial in this case is scheduled for April 24, 2017, before Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill.
According to allegations in the indictment, between August 1, 2014 and May 12, 2016, Parnell transported child pornography to the District of Idaho, and possessed and accessed with intent to view child pornography using two laptop computers and two DVDs containing digital files.
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.
Transportation of child pornography carries not less than five, and up to twenty years of imprisonment. Possession and access with intent to view child pornography carries up to twenty years of imprisonment. All three crimes also carry not less than five years, and up to a lifetime term of supervised release, up to a $250,000 fine, and a $5,100 special assessment.
The case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Garden City Police Department and the Idaho Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force. The 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.”
Eighth Conspirator in Treasure Valley Drug Distribution Ring Sentenced to Seven YearsRead the Press Release
BOISE – Jason Lee Burgess, 44, of Boise, Idaho, was sentenced today to 84 months imprisonment, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. After his release from prison, Burgess will be placed on supervised release for three years. Burgess was originally indicted on December 8, 2015, and entered his guilty plea to a superseding information on November 16, 2016.
Burgess, one of eleven individuals involved in a drug distribution ring, aided a co-defendant in selling methamphetamine to an undercover officer. The drug distribution ring was led by Stacy Wilfong, who is now serving over 18 years in federal prison for his leadership role in the conspiracy. In addition to methamphetamine, Wilfong and his co-conspirators sold heroin, and a synthetic controlled substance called Alpha-pyrrolidinopentiophenone, known as "a-PVP," or “bath salts” to individuals throughout the Treasure Valley.
Six other co-conspirators have already been sentenced. Anthony “Tony” Kitchen, 47, is serving a 71-month sentence in federal prison, Jocelin Jessica Gonzalez, 19, is serving 40 months, Elizabeth Ann Gaytan, 37, is serving 100 months, Regina Wade, 50, is serving 41 months, Breannyn Nicole Pederson, 25, is serving 18 months, and Isela Garza, 36, is serving 48 months.
Two co-defendants are awaiting sentencing. David Anthony Wales, 31, of Boise is scheduled to be sentenced on June 14, 2017, and Adam William Dillon, 28, of Nampa is scheduled to be sentenced on March 8, 2017. One co-defendant, John Matthew Caviness, Jr., 34, of Caldwell, is scheduled to plead guilty on February 23, 2017.
These cases are the result of a joint investigation by the Treasure Valley Metro Violent Crime Task Force and the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The Treasure Valley Metro Violent Crime Task Force is comprised of federal, state and local agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Boise Police Department; Ada County Sheriff’s Office; Caldwell Police Department; Nampa Police Department; Meridian Police Department; Canyon County Sheriff’s Office; and Idaho Department of Probation and Parole. The Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), includes the cooperative law enforcement efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U. S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation; and U.S. Marshals Service. The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations.
These cases are being 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 treasurevalleypartners.org.
Idaho Man Charged in Church Arson CaseRead the Press Release
Shane Rucker, 33, of Bonners Ferry, Idaho, was arrested today in Bonners Ferry on a two-count federal indictment in the District of Idaho charging him with destruction of religious property and using a fire to damage or destroy religious property. A federal grand jury sitting in Boise returned the indictment on Feb. 15, 2017. Rucker will make his initial appearance on Friday, Feb. 17, 2017 at the federal courthouse in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.
According to allegations in the indictment, on April 21, 2016, Rucker set fire to St. Ann’s Catholic Church in Bonners Ferry, Idaho, because of the religious character of the property, in violation of the Church Arson Prevention Act. The Church was completely destroyed as a result of the fire.
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.
If convicted of destroying the church because of its religious character Rucker faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Using a fire to destroy the church carries a mandatory 10-year sentence that must run consecutive to any other sentence.
The case is being investigated by the Bonners Ferry Police Department, the Idaho State Fire Marshal’s Office, the Boundary County Sheriff’s Office Fire Investigation Team; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by U.S. Attorney Wendy Olson and Assistant U.S. Attorney Traci Whelan of the District of Idaho and Trial Attorney Angie Cha of the Civil Rights Division.
Arrest Made in Bonners Ferry Church ArsonRead the Press Release
BOISE – Shane Rucker, 33, of Bonners Ferry, Idaho, was arrested today on a two-count federal indictment in the District of Idaho charging him with destruction of religious property and using a fire to damage or destroy religious property. A federal grand jury sitting in Boise returned the indictment on February 15, 2017. Rucker will make his initial appearance tomorrow at 9:00 a.m. at the federal courthouse in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.
According to allegations in the indictment, on April 21, 2016, Rucker set fire to St. Ann’s Catholic Church in Bonners Ferry, Idaho, because of the religious character of the property, in violation of the Church Arson Prevention Act. The church was completely destroyed as a result of the fire.
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.
If convicted of destroying the church because of its religious character, Rucker faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Using a fire to destroy the church carries a mandatory 10 year sentence that must run consecutive to any other sentence.
The case is being investigated by the Bonners Ferry Police Department, the Bonner County Sheriff’s Office, the Idaho State Fire Marshal’s Office, the Boundary County Sheriff’s Office Fire Investigation Team, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by U.S. Attorney Wendy Olson and Assistant U.S. Attorney Traci Whelan of the District of Idaho and Trial Attorney Angie Cha of the Civil Rights Division.
Rupert Man Sentenced to 25 Years for Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
POCATELLO – Erik Rodriguez, 25, of Rupert, Idaho, was sentenced yesterday in United States District Court to 300 months in prison for producing child pornography, followed by 15 years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also ordered Rodriguez to pay restitution for counseling costs of his victim. Rodriguez pleaded guilty to the charge on August 24, 2016.
According to the plea agreement, Homeland Security Investigations special agents downloaded a sexually exploitative video of a minor from an individual later identified as Rodriguez in April 2015. After a search of Rodriguez’s home revealed numerous computers and electronic devices being used to view and store child pornography, Rodriguez admitted to possessing and producing child pornography. Agents found approximately 133 images and 302 videos of child sexual abuse material on Rodriguez’s devices, in addition to the sexually explicit images Rodriguez produced of a girl under 10 years old.
The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
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.”
Owner of Idaho Falls Income Tax Preparation Business Sentenced to Federal Prison for Preparing Falsified Income Tax Returns for ClientsRead the Press Release
POCATELLO – April Carrillo, 43, of Idaho Falls, Idaho, was sentenced yesterday to nine months in federal prison, followed by one year of supervised release, for preparing false income tax returns for clients of her business, “Carrillo’s Tax Service,” U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Chief United States District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also ordered Carrillo to pay $93,945.00 in restitution.
Carrillo pleaded guilty to one count of assisting, advising, and counseling clients to submit materially false federal income tax returns to the IRS. According to the plea agreement, from 2009 through 2011, Carrillo and some of her employees at Carrillo’s Tax Service submitted over 2,500 federal falsified income tax returns. They did this primarily by claiming tax credits to which their clients were not entitled. Specifically, Carrillo and her employees would prepare tax returns that claimed the “child tax credit” and the “additional child tax credit” for taxpayers who did not qualify for these credits. This had the effect of increasing clients’ tax refunds, which helped Carrillo’s Tax Service to generate business.
“Ms. Carrillo’s conviction and sentence make it clear that those who knowingly and falsely claim that the income tax laws do not apply to them will be prosecuted and ordered to pay,” U.S. Attorney Olson said. “I commend the fine work of the IRS criminal investigators in this case.”
“As we approach tax filing season, those who might consider preparing false tax returns should be aware of the negative consequences as evidenced with this sentence,” said Steven Osborne, IRS-Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge of the Denver Field Office. “Ms. Carrillo’s sentencing again emphasizes that the Internal Revenue Service and U.S. Attorney's Office will continue their aggressive pursuit of those who attempt to defraud America's tax system.”
The case was investigated by the IRS Criminal Investigations division.
California Man Sentenced to 8 Years in Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
BOISE – Efrain Guzman-Castro, 42, of Woodland, California, was sentenced yesterday in United States District Court to 96 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and distribution of methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also ordered that Guzman-Castro serve four years of supervised release and forfeit $2,986 in drug proceeds.
According to evidence presented in court, Guzman-Castro conspired with others to distribute large quantities of methamphetamine in the state of Idaho in early 2016. Guzman-Castro arranged with co-conspirators for delivers of methamphetamine in the Canyon County, Idaho, and Malheur County, Oregon, area. Investigating officers discovered the conspiracy and were able to make several controlled purchases of methamphetamine from Guzman-Castro and his co-conspirators.
Co-conspirator, Cinthia J. Velazquez, 28, of Woodland, California, also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and distribution of methamphetamine on December 12, 2016, and she is scheduled to be sentenced on March 13, 2017, before Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill.
The case was investigated by the Idaho State Police, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Nampa Police Department.
The 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.