District of Idaho
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Nampa Man Sentenced for Accessing with Intent to View Child PornographyRead the Press Release
BOISE – Josiah Yeasley, 28, of Nampa, Idaho, was sentenced yesterday to 30 months in prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release, for accessing with intent to view child pornography, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Yeasley was charged in an information.
According to the plea agreement, from 2010 through 2015, Yeasley knowingly accessed with intent to view visual depictions on the internet of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. He used email to request and receive images of child pornography. A forensic examination of Yeasley’s electronic devices revealed that he had affirmatively saved images and a video file containing child pornography. The plea agreement requires forfeiture of real and personal property associated with the offense.
The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
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.”
Schneider Pleads Guilty to Federal Hate Crime Admits Assault Based on Victim’s Sexual OrientationRead the Press Release
BOISE – Kelly Schneider, 23, of Nampa, Idaho, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court 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 U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson 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.
“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 Olson. “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. 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.
Sentencing is set for April 26, 2017, in front of Chief U.S. District Court Judge B. Lynn Winmill. The charge of willful assault based on sexual orientation, resulting in death, is punishable by up to life in prison, supervised release of not more than five years, and a $250,000 fine.
Schneider also pleaded guilty on January 23, 2017, in state court to first degree murder based on Mr. Nelson’s death.
The Canyon County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Treasure Valley Metro Violent Crime Task Force, conducted the investigation. The case is being investigated federally by the FBI. The federal case is being prosecuted by U.S. Attorney Olson of the District of Idaho and Trial Attorney Aejean Cha of the Civil Rights Division.
Idaho Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Hate CrimeRead the Press Release
Admits Assault Based on Victim’s Sexual Orientation
A Nampa, Idaho man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to violently assaulting Steven Nelson because he was gay, resulting in Mr. Nelson’s death, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General Tom Wheeler, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, and U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson for the District of Idaho.
Kelly Schneider, 23, was indicted by a federal grand jury on Jan. 10, with one count of violating the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr., Hate Crimes Prevention Act.
“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 U.S. Attorney Olson. “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, including in the solicitation 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 an isolated wildlife area near Lake Lowell for a sexual encounter. Once there, Schneider would rob Mr. Nelson, and two of Schneider’s cohorts would be waiting as “back up” to assist him if Mr. Nelson resisted the robbery.
When Schneider and Mr. Nelson reached the isolated wildlife area, Schneider immediately began physically assaulting Mr. Nelson, kicking him 20 to 30 times with steel-toed boots and repeatedly using a homophobic slur. Mr. Nelson, who never resisted throughout the attack, died of his injuries later that day. No one else participated in the assault.
Sentencing is set for April 26, in front of Chief U.S. District Court Judge B. Lynn Winmill. The charge of willful assault based on sexual orientation, resulting in death, is punishable by up to life in prison, supervised release of not more than five years, and a $250,000 fine.
Schneider also pleaded guilty on Jan. 23, in state court to first-degree murder based on Mr. Nelson’s death.
The Canyon County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Treasure Valley Metro Violent Crime Task Force, conducted the investigation. The case is being investigated federally by the FBI. The federal case is being prosecuted by U.S. Attorney Olson of the District of Idaho and Trial Attorney Aejean Cha of the Civil Rights Division.
Pocatello Man Sentenced for Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine and HeroinRead the Press Release
POCATELLO – Kasey Ray Converse, 32, of Pocatello, Idaho, was sentenced today to 18 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and heroin, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also ordered Converse to serve three years of supervised release and forfeit a firearm and as well as all drug proceeds.
According to court documents, on December 17, 2015, Converse was stopped by the Idaho State Police in Oneida County, Idaho. Law enforcement found both methamphetamine and heroin in his possession, as well as a firearm. Converse knowingly possessed the methamphetamine and heroin intending to distribute it to another person.
The conviction is result of a joint operation of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Idaho State Police, the Pocatello Police Department, and the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office, Mini-Cassia Drug Task Force, Cassia County Sheriff’s Office, and the Minidoka County Sheriff’s Office.
Rupert Man Sentenced to 60 Months in Federal Prison for Distribution of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
POCATELLO – Jose Luis Hernandez, 26, of Rupert, Idaho, was sentenced today to 60 months in prison for distribution of methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also ordered Hernandez to serve three years of supervised release.
According to court documents, on various dates, including March 14, 2016, Hernandez sold methamphetamine to an informant in Burley, Idaho. In total, Hernandez distributed 81 grams of actual methamphetamine. Hernandez knew he was distributing methamphetamine.
Co-conspirators James Jones, William Walker, and Miguel Otaegui are scheduled to be sentenced on March 1, 21, and 22, respectively by Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill at the federal courthouse in Pocatello.
This conviction is result of a joint investigation and cooperative law enforcement efforts of the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), led by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Mini-Cassia Drug Task Force, Cassia County Sheriff’s Office, and the Minidoka County Sheriff’s Office.
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.
St. Maries Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug ChargeRead the Press Release
COEUR D’ALENE – Darrin Craig Dahl, 43, of St. Maries, Idaho, pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Dahl was indicted by a federal grand Jury in Coeur d'Alene on August 16, 2016.
According to the plea agreement, Dahl admitted that on June 12, 2016, he was driving erratically on U.S. 95 in Benewah county. A Benewah County Sheriff's deputy and a Coeur d'Alene Tribal Police officer tried to pull him over when Dahl jumped from his vehicle and tried to flee. He was arrested and found in possession of over 50 grams of methamphetamine, digital scales, baggies and cash. As part of the plea agreement, Dahl agreed to forfeit $4,000 in drug proceeds. Dahl also admitted that he was subject to a sentencing enhancement due to his previous drug conviction from Nez Perce County, Idaho in 2014.
The charge of possession with intent to distribute with the sentencing enhancement is punishable by at least 10 years and up to life in federal prison, a maximum fine of $8,000,000, and at least 8 years but up to life of supervised release.
Sentencing is set for April 25, 2017, before Senior U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge at the federal courthouse in Coeur d'Alene.
“This demonstrates why it is critically important that there be good communication between local and tribal law enforcement,” Olson said. “Only by all law enforcement, state, county, tribal, city and federal working together can we do what we are charged to do, keep our communities safe.”
The case was investigated by the Benewah County Sheriff’s Office, Coeur d’Alene Tribal Police and Bureau of Indian Affairs, Drug Enforcement Unit.
Post Falls Woman Admits to Concealing Assets During BankruptcyRead the Press Release
COEUR D’ALENE – Rebecca C. Buell, 48, of Post Falls, Idaho, waived her right to indictment and pleaded guilty today to concealment of bankruptcy assets, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. An information was filed against Buell on December 16, 2017.
According to the plea agreement, Buell admitted that she concealed $38,960.53 in assets when she filed a chapter 7 bankruptcy in 2013.
The charge of concealment of bankruptcy assets is punishable by up to 5 years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, and up to 3 years of supervised release.
Sentencing is set for April 25, 2017, before Senior U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge at the federal courthouse in Coeur d'Alene.
The case was investigated by Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI).
Today's announcement is part of efforts underway by the Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force (FFETF), which was created in November 2009 to wage an aggressive, coordinated and proactive effort to investigate and prosecute financial crimes. With more than 20 federal agencies, 94 U.S. attorneys’ offices and state and local partners, it’s the broadest coalition of law enforcement, investigatory and regulatory agencies ever assembled to combat fraud. Since its formation, the task force has made great strides in facilitating increased investigation and prosecution of financial crimes; enhancing coordination and cooperation among federal, state and local authorities; addressing discrimination in the lending and financial markets and conducting outreach to the public, victims, financial institutions and other organizations. Over the past three fiscal years, the Justice Department has filed more than 10,000 financial fraud cases against nearly 15,000 defendants including more than 2,700 mortgage fraud defendants.
Plummer Man Sentenced to 21 Years in Prison for Aggravated Sexual AbuseRead the Press Release
COEUR D’ALENE – Jeremy J. Bohlman, 37, of Plummer, Idaho, was sentenced today in federal court in Coeur d’Alene to 262 months in prison for aggravated sexual abuse and sexual abuse, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Senior U.S. District Court Judge Edward J. Lodge also ordered a ten-year term of supervised release following Bohlman’s release from prison.
During the three-day trial in October 2016, the jury heard evidence that Bohlman used force or fear against a female to cause her to engage in sexual intercourse. Bohlman argued that the act was consensual. Bohlman was previously convicted in federal court of sexual abuse of a minor and failure to register as a sex offender. All cases were tried in U.S. District Court because Bohlman is a member of a federally recognized Indian tribe.
“This defendant, through his conduct, well earned a twenty-one year prison sentence,” said Olson. “This office and its tribal and federal law enforcement partners are committed to protecting Native American women from sexual violence and to see that the perpetrators are punished.”
The case was investigated by the Coeur d’Alene Tribal Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Fruitland Woman Pleads Guilty During Trial to Health Care Fraud and Aggravated IdentityRead the Press Release
BOISE – Cherie R. Dillon, 61, of Fruitland, Idaho, pleaded guilty today to 24 counts of health care fraud and 24 corresponding counts of aggravated identity theft for fraudulently billing dental services to health care benefit programs, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Dillon was indicted on February 9, 2016, by a federal grand jury in Boise. Dillon’s plea came at the close of the government’s case after four days of trial in front of Chief U.S. District Court Judge B. Lynn 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 received payment for those treatments from health care benefit programs while fraudulently misrepresenting that the treatments had been performed 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. During the scheme, Dillon was a licensed dental hygienist, not a dentist, and practicing in Payette, Idaho.
“Our federal and state health benefits programs rely on providers to be honest about the services they provide, and to only bill for covered services,” said Olson. “Those who seek to deceive not only about the services provided but also about who provided them undermine that system and undermine public faith in federal programs. This office and its law enforcement partners are committed to vigorously investigate and prosecute those who perpetrate this kind of fraud.”
Sentencing is set for May 9, 2017, before Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill.
The maximum sentence for health care fraud is up to ten years of imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. Aggravated identity theft carries a two-year mandatory minimum prison sentence and up to a $250,000 fine.
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.
Boise Man Sentenced to 20 Years for Sex Trafficking of a MinorRead the Press Release
BOISE – Michael Wayne Wade, 31, of Boise was sentenced today in United States District Court to 240 months in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release for sex trafficking of a minor, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Wade pleaded guilty on August 16, 2016.
According to the plea agreement, agents with the Idaho Department of Probation and Parole arrested Wade for a felony probation violation in July of 2014. A Nokia Lumina cell phone was seized from Wade and examined by a detective with the Boise Police Department. The cell phone contained texts with a minor and images of the minor, including one that was sexually explicit. The detective conducted open-source internet searches on Backpage.com and discovered that the images of the minor on Wade’s phone had been posted in an ad for “escort services” in Boise in July and November of 2014. The postings were made using a Backpage.com account for another individual, J.K.
J.K. was arrested by the Boise Police Department in December of 2014, and admitted she worked as a prostitute in Boise, and that Wade was the “boss” who “pimped her.” She admitted Wade asked her to use the minor for a two-girl “date,” which she refused. She admitted posting the minor as an escort on Backpage.com, using the images sent to her by Wade. She further admitted that Wade spoke to her about taking the minor “under her wing,” assisting her in “escorting,” and ensuring that she was “working.” J.K. admitted that she took the minor on at least two “dates” where the minor engaged in commercial sex acts, and that she received money from the minor in exchange for posting the ad and transporting her.
The minor was interviewed and admitted that she participated in a prostitution enterprise with J.K. She stated she sent the images of herself to Wade for the purpose of being posted on Backpage.com as an escort. The minor stated that J.K. posted her images on Backpage.com, and drove her on at least two “calls” where she engaged in a commercial sex act when she was sixteen years old.
“This defendant callously victimized a minor,” said Olson. “This sentence demonstrates that such conduct will be punished severely, and that the law protects our children from those who seek to exploit and profit from them. This office and its law enforcement partners in Idaho are unwavering in our commitment to seek justice on behalf of vulnerable victims and to hold sex traffickers accountable.”
Further investigation by the Boise Police Department and the FBI revealed recorded phone calls and text messages from Wade to J.K. and the minor. The text messages revealed that Wade knew the minor was sixteen years old, that he told her she would be a “star by the time I’m done with you,” encouraged her to “hustle all day,” and told her that J.K. would teach her “the tricks of the trade” and “how to hustle.” Wade also told the minor that she had “mad potential,” could “turn tricks,” and that J.K. would “buy you a room” and “have you get to work this weekend.” Wade then told J.K. that the minor was “all open” and “down to work for the team.”
The case was investigated by the Boise Police Department, the FBI, and the Idaho Department of Probation and Parole, and was prosecuted with assistance from the Ada County Prosecutor’s Office. 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.”
St. Anthony Man Indicted for Unlawful Distribution of TramadolRead the Press Release
POCATELLO – Paul Allen, 61, of St. Anthony, Idaho, was indicted January 24, 2017, by a federal grand jury in Pocatello on three counts of unlawful distribution of a controlled substance, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced.
The indictment alleges that on or about March 12, 2016, March 19, 2016, and April 2, 2016, Allen distributed Tramadol, a Schedule IV controlled substance, without lawful authorization.
A charge of unlawful distribution of a controlled substance is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, a maximum fine of $1,000,000, and at least three years of supervised release. The government also is seeking forfeiture of the proceeds involved in the offense.
The case was investigated by the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
An indictment is a means of charging a person with criminal activity. It is not evidence. A person is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Jerome Man Sentenced to a Decade in Prison for Armed Stand Off with PoliceRead the Press Release
BOISE - Daniel Andrew Mills, 41, of Jerome, Idaho, was sentenced today to serve ten years in prison for unlawful possession of firearms and violating the conditions of his supervised release, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Senior U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge sentenced Mills to 100 months imprisonment for unlawful possession of firearms and 24 months, to be served consecutively, for violating the terms of his supervised release on a prior unlawful possession of a firearm offense. Mills was convicted of possessing two firearms after a two-day trial in Boise in October of last year.
During the two-day trial, the jury heard evidence that Mills, a convicted felon who was wanted by the U.S. Marshals Service on a federal warrant for a supervised release violation, was driving through Jerome at 2:15 a.m. on January 11, 2016, when a Jerome County Sheriff’s Office deputy attempted to stop him for a broken taillight. Mills fled in his car, reaching speeds of more than 100 miles per hour. Mills’ car became disabled after he crashed through a fence and hit a parked vehicle. Mills refused all commands to exit the vehicle and repeatedly stuck the barrel of a shotgun outside of the driver’s window. The armed stand-off lasted several hours before a Twin Falls Sheriff’s Office hostage negotiator talked Mills out of the car and he was arrested without incident. Inside of the car, deputies found a loaded shotgun and a loaded .25 pistol. At the time Mills was in possession of the firearms, he was on supervised release for a prior federal conviction for unlawfully possessing a firearm. Mills has previously been convicted of assault with intent to commit a serious felony, aiding and abetting delivery of controlled substance, escape, forgery, eluding arrest, and possession of controlled substance.
At sentencing today, Judge Lodge noted the Mills posed a “significant danger to the community, lied under oath at trial, and this made it impossible to impose a sentence of less than ten years.”
The case was investigated by the Jerome County Sheriff’s Office, the Jerome City Police Department, the Twin Falls County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
Woman Who Defrauded IRS of $336,926 Sentenced to 24 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
BOISE – Mary Galan, 66, of Twin Falls, Idaho, was sentenced today in United States District Court to 24 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for the crime of conspiracy to defraud the United States, namely the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”), U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also ordered Galan to forfeit and pay restitution of $336,926 to the IRS. Galan pleaded guilty to one-count of conspiracy on October 19, 2016.
“This prosecution and sentence send the clear message that those who defraud the federal government by claiming tax credits to which they are not entitled will be swiftly and surely brought to justice,” said Olson. “This defendant’s scheme cheated all taxpayers, and therefore all Americans.”
According to the plea agreement, since approximately 2006, Galan owned and operated Galan Accounting in Twin Falls, Idaho, which prepared tax returns for clients. Beginning in or about 2013 and continuing through in or about 2015, Galan conspired to defraud the IRS in its collection of her clients’ income taxes. She did so by claiming education credits on clients’ tax returns, through the American Opportunity Credit, knowing that the clients did not pay qualified higher education expenses for an eligible student, and thereby, did not qualify to claim the credit.
As set forth in the plea agreement, for tax years 2012 through 2014, Galan and her co-conspirators prepared 187 tax returns for 165 taxpayer clients claiming $342,901 in education credits from the College of Southern Idaho. These returns claimed $787,630 in qualified expenses from the school. Records from the College of Southern Idaho show that, of the $787,630 in qualified expenses claimed, only $8,905 in qualified expenses for only six students were actually paid. These payments would have legitimately generated $5,975 in education credits, not $342,901, for a tax loss of $336,926.
According to the plea agreement, before claiming the education credits on their taxpayer clients' behalf, Galan did not ask taxpayer clients if they were paying for education or for documentation supporting the credits. Rather, Galan merely asked taxpayer clients' if they had children of college age. For some taxpayer clients, Galan prepared tax returns directing the IRS to deposit refunds - belonging to taxpayer clients - into personal bank accounts belonging to Galan and her co-conspirators. In total, Galan received direct deposits of taxpayer client refunds of $219,490.
“Tax return preparers have a duty to their clients to prepare tax returns that comply with the law and are complete and accurate,” said Steven Osborne, Special Agent in Charge, IRS-Criminal Investigation for the state of Idaho. "Our special agents use their investigative and financial expertise to detect and hold accountable abusive tax return preparers who falsely tell taxpayers they are eligible for tax credits that they are not entitled to receive.”
The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation.
Today's announcement is part of efforts underway by the Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force (FFETF), which was created in November 2009 to wage an aggressive, coordinated and proactive effort to investigate and prosecute financial crimes. With more than 20 federal agencies, 94 U.S. attorneys’ offices and state and local partners, it’s the broadest coalition of law enforcement, investigatory and regulatory agencies ever assembled to combat fraud. Since its formation, the task force has made great strides in facilitating increased investigation and prosecution of financial crimes; enhancing coordination and cooperation among federal, state and local authorities; addressing discrimination in the lending and financial markets and conducting outreach to the public, victims, financial institutions and other organizations. Over the past three fiscal years, the Justice Department has filed more than 10,000 financial fraud cases against nearly 15,000 defendants including more than 2,700 mortgage fraud defendants.
Boise Man Pleads Guilty to Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
BOISE – Travis L. Spradlin, 37, of Boise pleaded guilty today in United States District Court to receipt of child pornography, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced.
According to the plea agreement, in September of 2015, agents with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) received information that an individual using a Yahoo account from a residence in Boise had sent and received images of child pornography via e-mail and had accessed a Russian photo-sharing website to obtain child pornography. HSI agents served a search warrant at the residence where Spradlin lived. They seized a cell phone, a computer, and an external hard drive, all belonging to Spradlin.
A certified forensic examiner with HSI examined the electronic devices, and discovered over 6,000 images and 200 videos containing child pornography. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) subsequently identified 1,759 images and 70 videos as containing identifiable victims of sexual abuse, including victims from at least 150 known series of child pornography. The images included prepubescent minors and depictions of sadistic and masochistic conduct.
The examination of Spradlin’s cell phone also revealed evidence that he had communicated with at least two minor females from other states, and requested sexually explicit images from them. Agents discovered Spradlin received 274 images and 29 videos from one of the minors that depicted the minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
Sentencing is set for April 13, 2017, before visiting U.S. District Judge Dee V. Benson from the District of Utah.
Receipt of child pornography is punishable by not less than 5 years imprisonment and 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 $5,100 special assessment.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. 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.”
Schneider Charged with Federal Hate Crime Indictment Alleges Assault Based on Victim’s Sexual OrientationRead the Press Release
BOISE B Kelly Schneider, 23, of Nampa, Idaho, was indicted on January 10, 2017, by a federal grand jury sitting in Boise for willfully assaulting a person because of the person’s sexual orientation, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. The indictment, unsealed upon Schneider’s transfer into federal custody, alleges that Schneider’s actions resulted in the death of his victim, S.N. The U.S. Attorney’s Office does not identify victims by name in charging documents. Schneider’s arraignment is set for tomorrow, January 24, 2017, at 2:00 p.m. before Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge Ronald E. Bush. A trial date will be set at that time.
The charges relate to an assault at Gott’s Point, near Lake Lowell, in Canyon County, in the early morning hours of April 29, 2016. Schneider is also charged in state court with first degree murder based on S.N.’s death.
The charge of willful assault based on sexual orientation, resulting in death, is punishable by up to life in prison, supervised release of not more than five years, and a $250,000 fine.
The Canyon County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Treasure Valley Metro Violent Crime Task Force, conducted the investigation. The case is being investigated federally by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
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.
Head of North Idaho Drug Trafficking Organization Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Conspiracy to Launder MoneyRead the Press Release
COEUR D'ALENE – Loren Michelle Toelle, 52, of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho pleaded guilty yesterday conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and conspiracy to launder money, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Toelle was indicted by a federal grand Jury in Coeur d'Alene on January 20, 2016.
In court, Loren admitted to being the head of a drug trafficking organization which distributed 3000 (80 mg) oxycodone pills, 1000 (30) milligram oxycodone pills, 1,500 grams of heroin and 500 grams of a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine in the District of Idaho and elsewhere. She also admitted to renting or causing to be rented apartments and storage units in Spokane, Washington, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, Williston, North Dakota and Fargo, North Dakota which were used to hold controlled substance or where co-conspirators stayed when selling controlled substances. Toelle admitted that she and her co-defendants’ received and deposited, into various accounts, currency totaling at least $1,466.611.31 of which Toelle personally received and deposited at least $538,777.86.
Toelle is the ninth of 11 defendants to plead guilty in connection to the conspiracy. In addition to pleading guilty, Toelle agreed to forfeit any interest she has in real property, jewelry, and cash held by herself or co-conspirators, as outlined in the indictment.
The charge of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances is punishable by at least 5 years and up to 40 years in prison, a $5,000,000 fine and at least 4 years supervised released after release from prison. Conspiracy to launder money is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, a maximum fine of $500,000 and up to 5 years of supervised release after release from prison.
Sentencing is set for May 2, 2017, before Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill at the federal courthouse in Coeur d'Alene.
“I am very proud of the efforts of the men and women from all the various law enforcement agencies who worked tirelessly on this case to dismantle the Loren Toelle drug trafficking organization,” Olson stated. “Their efforts demonstrate that, in Idaho, we will bring to justice those who seek to poison communities with dangerous, addictive drugs.”
The case was investigated by 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), Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
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.
First of Loren Toelle Drug Trafficking Organization SentencedRead the Press Release
COEUR D'ALENE – Geena Lauren Milho, 25, of Williston, North Dakota was sentenced yesterday in United States District Court to 36 months in prison followed by 3 years supervised release for conspiracy to distribute heroin, oxycodone and methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also ordered Milho to forfeit any interest she has in cash and real estate from the drug proceeds. Milho pleaded guilty to the charge on September 13, 2016.
According to the court records, Milho did not join the organization, which was in operation from 2009 to February of 2016, until 2015. She assisted her girlfriend, Augustine Jackson (Loren Toelle’s daughter) with deliveries of controlled substances and helped transport money back to the organization. Milho had no prior criminal convictions. Jackson, 32, of Williston, North Dakota, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute heroin, oxycodone and methamphetamine on October 19, 2016, and she is scheduled to be sentenced on March 7, 2017, before Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill at the federal courthouse in Coeur d’Alene.
“This case is an excellent example of multi-agency and multi-state cooperation by law enforcement,” Olson stated. “This drug organization moved oxycodone pills, heroin and other controlled substances through Idaho and other states. The dismantling of this organization is an important step in community safety.”
The case was investigated by 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), Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
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.
Nez Perce Tribal Member Pleads Guilty to StabbingRead the Press Release
BOISE – Coryn Lawyer, 23, of Kamiah, Idaho, pleaded guilty today to assault with a dangerous weapon, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Lawyer was indicted by a federal grand Jury in Coeur d’Alene on July 20, 2016.
According to the plea agreement, Lawyer admitted that on February 4, 2016, she and the stabbing victim got into an argument at Lawyer's residence in Kamiah. The argument became physical. The victim tried to leave. Before she could do so, Lawyer grabbed two knives and stabbed the victim, inflicting small lacerations on her shoulder, ankle and knee.
The charge of assault with a dangerous weapon is punishable by up to ten years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release.
Sentencing is set for May 2, 2017, before Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill at the federal courthouse in Coeur d’Alene.
The case was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Nez Perce Tribal Police.
Twin Falls Man Sentenced to 63 Months in Prison for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
BOISE – Richard Roy Sexton, 73, of Twin Falls was sentenced today in United States District Court to 63 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release for possession of child pornography, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Sexton pleaded guilty on October 11, 2016.
According to the plea agreement, in August of 2015, agents with the United States Postal Inspectors Service (USPIS) and the Idaho Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC) contacted Sexton at his residence in Twin Falls, Idaho. Sexton admitted to downloading images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct from the internet, and gave permission for agents to seize and search his computer and an external hard drive which contained the images. In October of 2015, Sexton visited a Verizon Wireless store in Twin Falls seeking assistance with an electronic tablet. An employee of the store observed child pornography on the tablet, and contacted the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). NCMEC provided the information to the USPIS and ICAC investigators, who again contacted Sexton, and obtained permission to seize the tablet. Agents later obtained a search warrant to search the tablet.
In his plea agreement, Sexton admitted to possessing at least 360 images and 40 videos containing images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct on his computer, external hard drive, and tablet. The sexually explicit images included images of prepubescent minors. The electronic devices also contained evidence that Sexton was searching for and accessing images of child pornography via the internet. NCMEC subsequently identified 332 images containing known, identifiable victims from 34 known series of child pornography.
Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also ordered Sexton to forfeit the computer, external hard drive, and tablet used in the commission of the charged offense. As a result of his conviction, Sexton is required to register as a sex offender.
The case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspectors Service and the Idaho Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC), 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.”
Federal Jury Convicts Fort Hall Man of Second Degree MurderRead the Press Release
POCATELLO – Demetrius Gomez, 29, of Fort Hall, Idaho, was convicted yesterday by a federal jury in Pocatello of second degree murder, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Gomez was charged by indictment on May 24, 2016.
to the evidence presented at trial, on May 9, 2016, Gomez shot and killed his cousin at a residence in Fort Hall, Idaho. The evidence showed that Gomez murdered the victim deliberately and intentionally at close range by a shotgun.
Sentencing is set for March 21, 2017, before Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill at the federal courthouse in Pocatello. Gomez faces up to life in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, and up to three five of supervised release.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Fort Hall Tribal Police and the Pocatello Police Department.
Nampa Man Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison for Access with Intent to View Child PornographyRead the Press Release
BOISE – Troy A. Paul, 48, of Nampa was sentenced today in United States District Court to 30 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for access with intent to view child pornography, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Paul pleaded guilty on August 16, 2016.
According to the plea agreement, agents with the Department of Homeland Security learned that an electronic device at Paul’s residence viewed images of child pornography on a Russian photo-sharing website several times between January and June of 2014. Further investigation revealed that a device at Paul’s residence received an e-mail in March of 2014 which contained images of child pornography. In February of 2015, agents with the Department of Homeland Security interviewed Paul, who admitted viewing child pornography on the Russian photo-sharing website, and receiving images of child pornography in his e-mail account. Paul admitted viewing images of child pornography in his e-mail account approximately 100 times, using an iPhone assigned to him by his employer. In March of 2015, agents with the Department of Homeland Security served a search warrant for the contents of Paul’s e-mail account, and discovered e-mails containing images of child pornography.
The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the FBI and the Ada County Sheriff’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.”
Nampa Man Pleads Guilty to Sexual Exploitation of ChildrenRead the Press Release
BOISE – Fernando Morales, 50, of Nampa pleaded guilty today in United States District Court to sexual exploitation of children, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson 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 arriving 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 sex 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 the videos and pictures were saved on his cell phone.
Nampa Police detectives seized several electronic devices from Morales. The devices were analyzed by a computer forensic agent with the Department of Homeland Security, resulting in the discovery of 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.
Sentencing is scheduled before Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill on March 27, 2017. Sexual exploitation of children is punishable by a mandatory minimum 15 years, and up to 30 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, not less than five years and up to lifetime supervised release, and a $5,000 special assessment. As part of his plea, Morales also agreed to forfeit two cell phones and a laptop computer used in the commission of the offense.
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.”
Arizona Men Sentenced to Prison After Transporting Five Pounds of Heroin to Nampa, IdahoRead the Press Release
BOISE – Rodrigo Ramirez, 22, and Irwin Camacho, 19, both of Phoenix, Arizona, were sentenced to federal prison for possession with intent to distribute heroin, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Ramirez was sentenced yesterday by Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill to serve 70 months imprisonment to be followed by five years of supervised release. Camacho was sentenced on November 30, 2016, to serve 33 months imprisonment, pay a $4,000 fine, and serve five years of supervised release. Both were ordered to forfeit $75,000 in cash proceeds.
Both Ramirez and Camacho pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute heroin. Ramirez pleaded guilty on October 3, 2016 and Camacho on September 14, 2016.
Ramirez admitted to flying to Boise, from Phoenix, on June 16, 2016, to meet with an undercover officer regarding the sale of heroin. Camacho, and a juvenile male, drove a vehicle from Phoenix to Nampa which contained five pounds of heroin in a hidden compartment. All three were arrested in Nampa after meeting with the undercover officer to conduct the sale. Ramirez had previously been convicted of possession of heroin for sale in Riverside, California.
These cases are the result of a joint investigation by the Nampa Police Department Narcotics Unit 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.
Gooding Man Sentenced for Possession with Intent to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
BOISE – Isaac Guadalupe Valdez-Cervantes, 42, of Gooding, Idaho, was sentenced yesterday to 72 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Valdez-Cervantes pleaded guilty to the charge on July 21, 2016.
According to the plea agreement, on February 25, 2016, law enforcement officers from the Gooding County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant for Valdez-Cervantes’ residence in Gooding, Idaho, where they located a one-gallon zip lock bag containing 446 grams of a methamphetamine mixture and substance, and glass pipes and digital scales.
The case was investigated by the Gooding County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
Boise Man Sentenced to 8 Years in Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
BOISE – Raymond Joseph Pruneau, 52, of Boise Idaho, was sentenced yesterday in United States District Court to 97 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Senior U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge also ordered that Pruneau serve five years of supervised release and to forfeit $100,000 in drug proceeds.
According to evidence presented in court, Pruneau conspired with others to distribute large quantities of methamphetamine in the state of Idaho between October of 2015 and February of 2016. Pruneau arranged with co-conspirators for delivers of methamphetamine in Ada and Canyon Counties. Investigating officers discovered the conspiracy and were able to make several controlled purchases of methamphetamine from Pruneau and his co-conspirators. A search of his home on February 11, 2016, resulted in officers locating 824 grams of methamphetamine and 415 grams of cocaine.
Codefendant, John Paul Tate, 48, of Caldwell, Idaho, was sentenced on November 16, 2016, to 240 months in prison for his role in the conspiracy. Judge Lodge also ordered Tate to five years of supervised release and to forfeit $100,000 in drug proceeds. Tate plead guilty on August 17, 2016.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Ada County Sheriff’s Office, and City County Narcotics Unit of Canyon County.
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.
Jerome Man Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
BOISE – Casey Gibson, 23, of Jerome was sentenced today in United States District Court to 30 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for possession of child pornography, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Gibson pleaded guilty on August 30, 2016.
According to the plea agreement, an electronic device at Gibson’s residence in Jerome accessed a website based in Russia that contained child pornography, and made postings offering to trade images of child pornography. In July of 2015, agents with the Department of Homeland Security, with assistance from the Twin Falls County Sheriff’s Office, contacted Gibson at his residence. Gibson gave agents consent to search his phone and e-mail accounts. Agents discovered evidence that Gibson used his e-mail account to receive, distribute, and possess images of child pornography. During a voluntary interview, Gibson admitted to receiving and viewing images of child pornography in his e-mail account. Agents discovered 11 images of child pornography, and 1 video containing child pornography, including images of prepubescent minors under the age of 12.
The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the Twin Falls County Sheriff’s Office and the Jerome County Sheriff’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.”
California Man Sentenced for Wire Fraud and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
BOISE – Derrick Courtney Franklin, II, 29, of Los Angeles, California, was sentenced yesterday to 42 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for the crimes of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Senior U.S. District Judge William B. Shubb of the Eastern District of California also ordered Franklin to pay restitution of $1,527.64 to victims of the offense. Franklin pleaded guilty on August 1, 2016.
According to the court proceedings, Franklin agreed to travel to Idaho for the purpose of making fraudulent purchases of gift cards and prepaid debit cards from retail stores, using stolen credit card numbers encoded and embossed onto stock debit and credit cards. Franklin and his co-defendant, Jassmine Pettaway, 27, of Los Angeles, California, made at least eight fraudulent purchases from at least four different retail stores, in the amount of at least $20,225.86. Law enforcement recovered a fake Michigan driver’s license, at least 19 counterfeit credit cards, and at least 45 gift cards. Pettaway was sentenced on September 8, 2016, to 32 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release.
The case was investigated by the Meridian Police Department, the Boise Police Department, and the U.S. Secret Service (USSS).
Boise Men Arrested for Drug and Firearm TraffickingRead the Press Release
BOISE – Blue Daniel Densmore, 39, and Avery Allen Erickson, 47, both of Boise, Idaho, were arrested yesterday on federal firearms and drug trafficking charges, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Tomorrow they make their initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Candy W. Dale in the U.S. District Court for the District of Idaho. A federal grand jury returned an indictment Tuesday charging both men with one count of conspiracy to possess over fifty grams of actual methamphetamine with intent to distribute, which carries a sentence of up to life imprisonment. In addition to the conspiracy charge, both Densmore and Erickson have been charged in three separate counts of possessing approximately three-hundred grams of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, in violation of Title 21, United States Code Section 841(a)(1).
Densmore, a convicted felon, was also indicted on three separate firearm offenses for illegally possessing the following firearms and ammunition in violation Title 18, United States Code Section 922(g)(1), and Title 26, United States Code Section 5861(d): (1) a Stallard, Model JS9, 9mm caliber pistol; (2) a Chiappa Firearms Ltd., Model 1911-22, .22 caliber pistol; (3) a Marlin Firearms Co., Model 60, .22 caliber rifle; (4) a North China Industries (Norinco), Model SKS, 7.62x39 caliber rifle; (5) a J.C. Higgins, Model 583.21, 16-gauge shotgun modified to have an overall length of less than 26 inches and a barrel of less than 18 inches in length; and (6) approximately 1,280 rounds of 7.62 x 39 caliber ammunition.
The case was investigated by the Boise Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
Five Men Sentenced to Federal Prison for Distributing Methamphetamine Throughout the Treasure ValleyRead the Press Release
BOISE – Jose Reynaldo Cardenas, Jr., 29, of Porterville, California; Angelo Angel Rivas, 41, of Nampa, Idaho; Lance Ryan Ward, 44, of Boise, Idaho; Joshua James Alford, 34, of Garden Valley, Idaho; and Rodolfo Hernandez Gonzalez, 33, of Nampa, Idaho, were all sentenced to federal prison today for their role in a large scale methamphetamine trafficking ring, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Rivas, Ward, Alford and Gonzalez were sentenced by visiting Senior U.S. District Judge William B. Shubb from the Eastern District of California, sitting by special designation. The sentencings in four of these cases were delayed until a visiting judge could travel to the District of Idaho. Cardenas was sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge.
Cardenas pleaded guilty on September 13, 2016, to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, and two counts of distributing methamphetamine. Cardenas admitted to distributing 221.5 grams of pure methamphetamine to an undercover officer in Caldwell, Idaho on November 23 and again on December 21, 2015. Cardenas was arrested on February 23, 2016, and was found to be in possession of a loaded firearm. Cardenas advised law enforcement that he was part of a large scale drug trafficking organization which was responsible for the transportation of twenty to thirty pounds of methamphetamine every three days for the past two years. Judge Lodge sentenced him to serve 12 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. He was also ordered to forfeit $100,000 in cash proceeds. Cardenas had previously been convicted of possession of cocaine and unlawful possession of an AK-47 assault rifle.
Rivas pleaded guilty on August 31, 2016, to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and heroin. Rivas was arrested in Boise after he traveled to Mexico to pick up a shipment of methamphetamine and heroin. Law enforcement found one and a half pounds of methamphetamine and one pound of heroin hidden in the gas tank of his vehicle. Judge Shubb sentenced Rivas to serve ten years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. He was also ordered to forfeit $15,000 in cash proceeds. Rivas had previously been convicted of felony aggravated assault in 1999 after shooting an individual for failure to pay a debt. He had also been convicted of carrying a concealed weapon on two occasions, battery, domestic battery, and possession of a controlled substance.
Ward and Alford pleaded guilty to distributing methamphetamine. Both admitted to purchasing a pound of methamphetamine from a co-conspirator and then selling half of that pound to an undercover officer. Ward was sentenced to serve 11 years in prison. Alford was sentenced to serve ten years in prison. Both were sentenced to five years of supervised release. They were also ordered to forfeit $100,000 in cash proceeds. Ward had previously been convicted of felony controlled substance offenses in 2005, July of 2015, and October of 2015. Alford had previously been convicted of felony possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute in January of 2005, possession of a controlled substance in August of 2005, and felony domestic battery in 2007.
Gonzalez pleaded guilty to distributing methamphetamine on August 30, 2016. He admitted to selling two ounces of methamphetamine to an undercover detective in Nampa, Idaho. Gonzalez was sentenced to serve five years in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release. He was also ordered to forfeit $1,200 in cash proceeds.
These cases are the result of a joint investigation by the Boise Police Department Narcotics Unit 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.
Pocatello Man Sentenced for Failing to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
BOISE - Corry Blackmoon Bischoff, 39, of Pocatello, Idaho, was sentenced yesterday in United States District Court to 33 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release for failing to register as a sex offender, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Bischoff pleaded guilty on September 13, 2016.
According to the plea agreement, Bischoff was convicted of rape in Madison County, Idaho in 1997. As a result of the conviction, Bischoff was required to register and update his registration under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). Bischoff last registered as a sex offender in Idaho in August of 2013. In September of 2013, the State of Idaho Commissions of Pardons and Parole issued a warrant for Bischoff’s arrest for violating his parole conditions. On January 4, 2016, officers with the Vancouver, Washington police arrested Bischoff on the State of Idaho parole warrant. Bischoff had not updated his registry in Idaho prior to moving to Washington, and had not registered as a sex offender in the State of Washington.
The case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service (USMS), and the Idaho Department of Correction, Bureau of Probation and Parole.
Norteno Gang Members Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
BOISE – Mateo Salome Espinoza, 20, of Nampa, Idaho was sentenced to 51 months in federal prison yesterday for the crime of unlawful possession of ammunition, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Following his term of imprisonment, he will have to serve three years of supervised release. A federal grand jury indicted Espinoza and his brother Juan on April 12, 2016.
According to the plea agreement, on February 4, 2016, officers conducted a probation search of Juan and Mateo Espinoza’s residence in Nampa, Idaho. Juan Espinoza had posted several photographs and videos on Facebook of himself around firearms. Both Juan and Mateo Espinoza were on felony probation and prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition. Mateo Espinoza had been convicted in Canyon County for the crime of aggravated assault and Juan Espinoza had been previously convicted of burglary. Inside the residence, officers found ammunition in each man’s bedroom. During the search, Mateo arrived at the residence and was arrested on an outstanding Canyon County warrant. He was searched and two hypodermic needles were found in his pockets. His cell phone was also searched and numerous text messages were found showing that he had recently been trying to sell a 45 caliber firearm. Both men admitted to possessing the ammunition found inside their bedrooms. Juan Espinoza entered a guilty plea on August 2, 2016 and was sentenced to 30 months in prison on October 19, 2016.
This case is the result of a joint investigation by the Treasure Valley Metro Violent Crime Task Force, the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) and the Nampa Police Department. 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.
This case was 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.
Lapwai Man Sentenced for Sexual Abuse of a MinorRead the Press Release
COEUR D’ALENE – Wendall Keith Antell, 48, of Lapwai, Idaho, was sentenced today in United States District Court to 121 months in prison followed by five years supervised release for aggravated sexual abuse of a minor, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Senior U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge also ordered Antell to pay $50,000 in restitution. Antell pleaded guilty to the charge on May 16, 2016.
According to the plea agreement, Antell, an Indian, admitted that he began sexually abusing the victim in 1991 or 1992, when she was five or six. Antell’s sexual abuse of the victim progressed to penetrating the victim’s genital opening with his finger. This type of sexual abuse of the victim began when the victim was nine and continued until she was 17. Antell admitted that he sexually abused the victim with the intent to abuse, humiliate, harass, degrade, arouse, or gratify his sexual desire. This sexual abuse occurred within the exterior boundaries of the Nez Perce Indian Reservation.
The case was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Nez Perce Tribal Police.
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.”
Boise Federal Jury Convicts Texas Residents in Retail Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
BOISE – On December 5, 2016, a federal jury returned guilty verdicts on all counts against Alejandro Hidalgo, 27, Dilcia Martinez-Marquez, 26, Enrique Matos-Herrera, 30, and Jose Salazar-Quintana, 29, of Amarillo, Texas for using stolen debit card numbers to make over $30,000 of fraudulent purchases at local Walmart stores and other businesses, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. All defendants were convicted 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.
The week-long trial before Senior U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge established that the defendants, and their co-defendants, Luis Mejias-Fiz, 25, and Eslay Monzon, 43, traveled to Idaho for the purpose of executing their scheme. Mejias-Fiz and Monzon previously pleaded guilty. The group 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.
Mejias-Fiz’s sentencing is scheduled for January 11, 2017. Monzon’s sentencing is scheduled for January 19, 2017. The defendants convicted at trial are set to be sentenced on March 9, 2017.
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.
Blackfoot Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of Homemade BombsRead the Press Release
POCATELLO – Matthew Gage Burgett, 25, of Blackfoot, Idaho, pleaded guilty yesterday in United States District Court to unlawful possession of destructive devices which Burgett designed for use as a weapon, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Burgett was indicted by a Pocatello grand jury on October 27, 2015.
On September 24, 2015, law enforcement officers served search warrants at Burgett’s residence and found several explosive devices, including four assembled devices with a main charge container and a fuzing system, as well as three partially-assembled devices and explosive material. Burgett admitted that the explosive devices were designed for use as a weapon. Additionally, at the time of the execution of the search warrant, Burgett had previously been involuntary committed to a mental institution and could not possess firearms. Two firearms were also located at Burgett’s residence.
The charge of unlawful possession of destructive devices is punishable by up to 10 years of imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release.
Burgett is scheduled to be sentenced on February 28, 2017, before Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill at the federal courthouse in Pocatello.
The case was investigated by the Bingham County Sheriff’s Office, the Blackfoot Police Department, and the United States Department of Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Worley Man Pleads Guilty to AssaultRead the Press Release
COEUR D’ALENE – Brian Eugene Sczenski, 32, of Worley, Idaho, pleaded guilty yesterday to assault with the intent to commit robbery, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Sczenski was indicted by a federal grand Jury in Coeur d'Alene on June 21, 2016.
According to the plea agreement, Sczenski admitted on April 18, 2016, the victim returned home to see Sczenski driving away from his home on the victim's 2016 utility task vehicle (UTV). The victim jumped on his 2010 UTV and chased Sczenski. Because the victim took a different route, he was able to meet up with Sczenski. The victim got out of his UTV and approached Sczenski. Sczenski hit the victim in the face with a closed fist. The victim was briefly knocked out. When the victim awoke, he saw Sczenski driving away on his 2010 UTV.
The charge of assault with the intent to commit robbery is punishable by up to 10 years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, and up to 3 years of supervised release.
Sentencing is set for March 7, 2017, before Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill at the federal courthouse in Coeur d'Alene.
The case was investigated by Coeur d’Alene Tribal Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Eighth Defendant in North Idaho Drug Trafficking Organization Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
COEUR D'ALENE – Robert Hill, 48, of Williston, North Dakota, pleaded guilty yesterday to conspiracy to distribute heroin and oxycodone, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Hill is the eighth defendant to plead guilty. Eleven defendants in total were charged in the superseding indictment which was issued by the grand jury on April 19, 2016.
During the court hearing, Hill admitted that he became a member of the drug trafficking organization beginning in 2009 and sold oxycodone pills and heroin in Idaho, Montana, North Dakota and Eastern Washington. Hill helped the organization by selling and transporting controlled substances and by making sure the profits went to the appropriate
co-conspirator. In addition to pleading guilty, Hill agreed to forfeit any interest he has in real property, jewelry or cash held by himself or by conspirators as outlined in the indictment.
The charge of conspiracy to distribute controlled substance is punishable by at least five and up to 40 years in prison, a maximum fine of $5,000,000, and at least 4 years supervised release.
Sentencing is set for May 2, 2017, before Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill at the federal courthouse in Coeur d'Alene.
The case was investigated by Coeur d’Alene Police, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI), Kootenai County Sheriff, North Idaho Violent Crimes Task Force (NIVCTF), and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
The indictment is the result of a joint investigation of the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), which included 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.
Coeur d’Alene Man Sentenced for Federal Child Pornography CrimeRead the Press Release
COEUR D’ALENE – Kody Ray Gibbs, 29, of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, was sentenced today in United States District Court to 78 months in prison followed by 15 years of supervised release, for possession of sexually explicit images of minors, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Gibbs pleaded guilty on June 22, 2016.
According to the plea agreement, in February 2016, a woman purchased an “open box” tablet-computer from a local Coeur d’Alene business. When she powered on the tablet, she found that it contained images of child pornography. The Coeur d’Alene Police were called. Detectives determined that Gibbs had purchased the computer previously and returned it for a refund. Gibbs was located, interviewed, and admitted to downloading child pornography.
As a result of his conviction, Gibbs will be required to register as a sex offender. Gibbs will also be required to complete sex offender treatment following his prison sentence.
The case was investigated by the Coeur d’Alene Police Department and the Kootenai County Prosecutor’s Office. They participate in 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.”
Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Drug ChargeRead the Press Release
BOISE – James Brett John, 30, of Kuna, Idaho, was sentenced today to 92 months in prison for the possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. John was indicted by a federal grand jury on May 10, 2016. He pleaded guilty to the charge on September 13, 2016. Senior U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge sentenced John to 8 years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment.
According to information presented in court, Boise Police officers stopped a vehicle in Ada County, Idaho on May 4, 2016. John, who was a passenger in the vehicle, was arrested on a warrant for violating his parole. Police officers found a bag in John’s pants that contained over an ounce of ethamphetamine, baggies, and a digital scale. Officers also located a glove in the vehicle that contained additional methamphetamine, prescription pain pills, and a synthetic drug known as “a-PVP” or “bath salts.” John admitted to police officers that he intended to sell the methamphetamine.
The case is the result of a joint investigation by the Boise Police Department and the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), which 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.
Vagos Motorcycle Club Prospect Indicted on Federal Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
BOISE – David Allen Oney Jr., 35, of Nampa, Idaho made an initial appearance today for the crime of distribution of methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. A federal grand jury indicted Oney on November 8, 2016.
The three count indictment alleges that Oney knowingly distributed five grams or more of actual methamphetamine on December 31, 2015 and February 2, 2016, and fifty grams or more of actual methamphetamine on January 6, 2016.
Oney appeared in court today and entered a not guilty plea to all three counts. Trial is scheduled for January 23, 2017, at the federal courthouse in Boise before Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill.
The crime of distributing five grams or more of actual methamphetamine is punishable by at least five years and a maximum of forty years imprisonment, four years supervised release, a $5,000,000 fine and a $100 special assessment. The charge of distributing over fifty grams of actual methamphetamine is punishable by at least ten years and not more than life imprisonment, at least five years supervised release, a $10,000,000 fine, and $100 special assessment.
The indictment is the result of an investigation by the Treasure Valley Metro Violent Crime Task Force and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The 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.
The charges are being prosecuted by the Special Assistant U.S. Attorney hired by the Treasure Valley Partnership, the Canyon County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, 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.
An indictment is a means of charging a person with criminal activity. It is not evidence. A person is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Eastern Idaho Partnership Announces Special AUSA Program StatisticsRead the Press Release
POCATELLO – United States Attorney Wendy J. Olson and Bingham County Prosecuting Attorney Cleve B. Colson announced today that from January 2016 through October 31, 2016, the U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted an additional 38 offenders for gun and drug-related crimes committed in eastern Idaho through the new Special Assistant United States Attorney program (SAUSA program) in eastern Idaho.
“Prosecution of these 38 offenders was made possible through the collaborative vision of the Eastern Idaho Partnership, the State of Idaho, the Bingham County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office and this office,” said Olson. “We are working cooperatively to make our eastern Idaho communities safer and stronger. The success of this program demonstrates that we can do more when we do it together. We are maximizing public safety and efficiently using taxpayer resources. The first ten months of this program have been a clear success.”
The eastern Idaho SAUSA program is sponsored by the Eastern Idaho Partnership (EIP), a coalition of local city and county officials in eastern Idaho. The EIP provides approximately 30 percent of the SAUSA’s salary and benefits; the State of Idaho through the Idaho Department of Correction contributes the remaining 70 percent.
James R. Dalton, the current eastern Idaho SAUSA, was hired in January 2016. He is a Bingham County deputy prosecutor who works in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Pocatello full-time and focuses on internet based crimes against children, gun and gang violence, drug trafficking, fraud and other white collar crime, terrorism, identity theft, and immigration offenses affecting eastern Idaho. The U.S. Attorney’s Office lends its prosecution authority to the SAUSA and provides office and related overhead expenses, as well as training and mentoring. After the defendants are convicted in federal court, they are sentenced to federal prisons throughout the country, far from their criminal associates. Thus far, three of the 38 charged have been sentenced to a total of 355 months in federal prison and many more will be sentenced in the coming months.
Special AUSA Dalton works with a wide variety of state, county and city law enforcement agencies in eastern Idaho. Through the eastern SAUSA program, these agencies have developed a model of cooperative law enforcement, where federal, state, county and city law enforcement agencies work side-by-side investigating specific crimes in eastern Idaho. The regional approach allows officers, prosecutors and federal, state, county, and city officials to focus limited resources and leverage federal sentencing to disrupt area criminal activity that often spans multiple counties in eastern Idaho. One of the goals of the program is to disrupt local criminal networks by sending offenders to federal prison, out-of-state, and reduce local criminal activity.
Bingham County Prosecutor Cleve Colson also touted the program as, “an effective partnership between law enforcement agencies and the community to stop the flow of illegal drugs, reduce the number of guns in the hands of criminals, and eradicate the criminal gang activity that can be so destructive in our communities.”
Blackfoot Police Department Chief of Police Kurt Asmus expressed, “The partnership between local agencies and the USAO has been very beneficial. Not only does this remove the offender from this area, but there are cost savings for local and state budgets.”
Brandon Wilkinson, American Falls Police Chief, stated, “The partnership has assisted our community in providing federal resources that we have never had in a specific case for a crime against a local child. This new partnership has become very valuable in providing safety to our community.”
American Falls Mayor Marc Beitia added, “The partnership and SAUSA are collectively making our community safer for all of us, especially our children.”
The EIP sponsored Special Assistant U.S. Attorney in eastern Idaho marks the first expansion of the regional SAUSA program in Idaho. The regional SAUSA program was started in 2007 by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and by state and local leaders to address increasing gang activity and violence in southwest Idaho. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, together with the Treasure Valley Partnership, the State of Idaho, and later, the Canyon County Prosecutor’s Office, came together to fund and support the creation of a deputy prosecuting attorney position, whose sole focus would be to investigate and prosecute gang-related offenses in federal court. The expansion of the regional SAUSA program in Idaho is reflective of the positive changes that take place throughout our communities when local, state and federal agencies are able to work together.
Worley Man Admits to Mail TheftRead the Press Release
COEUR D’ALENE – Delbert William Lee, Jr., 44, of Worley, Idaho, pleaded guilty today to theft of mail matter, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Lee was indicted by a federal grand jury in Coeur d'Alene on April 19, 2016.
At the plea hearing, Lee admitted to stealing mail from a post office box located in Worley, Idaho. The victim shared a post office box with Lee’s co-conspirator, Twilla Marie St. Pierre, 39, of Worley, Idaho. The mail stolen by Lee and St. Pierre contained checks belonging to the victim.
The charge of theft of mail matter is punishable by up to five years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release.
Sentencing is set for March 8, 2017, before Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill at the federal courthouse in Coeur d'Alene. St. Pierre pleaded guilty to theft or receipt of stolen mail matter on October 18, 2016, and she scheduled to be sentenced on January 18, 2017.
The case was investigated by Coeur d’Alene Tribal Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Today's announcement is part of efforts underway by President Obama's Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force (FFETF), which was created in November 2009 to wage an aggressive, coordinated and proactive effort to investigate and prosecute financial crimes. With more than 20 federal agencies, 94 U.S. attorneys’ offices and state and local partners, it’s the broadest coalition of law enforcement, investigatory and regulatory agencies ever assembled to combat fraud. Since its formation, the task force has made great strides in facilitating increased investigation and prosecution of financial crimes; enhancing coordination and cooperation among federal, state and local authorities; addressing discrimination in the lending and financial markets and conducting outreach to the public, victims, financial institutions and other organizations. Over the past three fiscal years, the Justice Department has filed more than 10,000 financial fraud cases against nearly 15,000 defendants including more than 2,700 mortgage fraud defendants.
Plummer Man Pleads to Theft and Possession of Stolen FirearmsRead the Press Release
COEUR D’ALENE – Kyle Eugene Goddard, 28, of Plummer, Idaho, pleaded guilty today to theft of firearms from a licensed dealer’s inventory and possession of stolen firearms, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Goddard was indicted by a federal grand jury in Coeur d'Alene on August 16, 2016.
According to Goddard’s admissions at the plea hearing, on July 23, 2016, he stole two firearms, a Taurus 709 Slim 9mm and a Springfield Armory XD 40, from Bargain Barn located in Plummer, Idaho.
The charges of possession of stolen firearm and theft of firearms from a licensed dealer’s inventory are each punishable by up to 10 years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, and up to 3 years of supervised release.
Sentencing is set for March 7, 2016, before Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill at the federal courthouse in Coeur d'Alene.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the 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.
Four Defendants in North Idaho Drug Trafficking Organization Plead GuiltyRead the Press Release
COEUR D'ALENE – Jessica Nadine Frederick, 26, of Spokane, Washington, Sean Lee Jackson, 27, of Las Vegas, Nevada, Steven Wayne Jackson, 30, of Las Vegas, Nevada and Kristin Rene Wilson, 28, of Riverside, California pled guilty in federal court to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Frederick, Sean Jackson and Steven Jackson pled guilty on November 15, 2016. Wilson pled guilty this morning. In addition to pleading guilty to the drug charge, Wilson and Sean Jackson pled guilty to conspiracy to launder money. The defendants were indicted by a federal grand jury in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, on January 20, 2016. In total, 11 defendants were indicted in the case and to date seven have pled guilty.
During the plea hearings, each defendant admitted to being part of the Loren Toelle Drug Trafficking Organization (DTO). Each defendant admitted to helping sell and transport heroin and oxycodone pills which traveled through Nevada, Washington, Idaho, Montana and North Dakota. Specifically, the defendants admitted the DTO operated from at least 2009 and continued until February 4, 2016. Each defendant also admitted to making sure the profits went back to the DTO and agreed to forfeit any interest in real property, jewelry or cash held by them or conspirators as outlined in the indictment. Wilson and Sean Jackson admitted to helping launder proceeds for the DTO by depositing drug proceeds into bank accounts, Money Tree or MoneyGram accounts in an attempt to hide the money or try to make it appear as if it was from a legitimate source.
Frederick and Steven Jackson each face up to 20 years in prison, at least 3 years supervised release, a maximum fine of $1,000,000, and a $100 special assessment.
Wilson and Sean Jackson each face at least 5 years and up to 40 years in prison, at least 4 years of supervised release, a maximum fine of $4,000,000 and a $100 special assessment.
Sentencing is set for March 7 and 8, 2017, before Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill at the federal courthouse in Coeur d'Alene.
The case was investigated by 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. Customs and Border Protection.
The indictments are the result of a joint investigation of the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), which included the cooperative law enforcement efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, U. S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and U.S. Marshals Service and the North Idaho Violent Crime Task Force.
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 to 48 Months in Prison for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
BOISE – Allan Ebel, 63, of Boise, Idaho was sentenced today in United States District Court to 48 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release, and a $5,000 fine, for possession of child pornography, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Ebel pleaded guilty on August 10, 2016.
According to the plea agreement, an electronic device at Ebel’s residence downloaded images of child pornography from a website based in Switzerland on at least six occasions in August of 2014. In July of 2015, agents with the Department of Homeland Security, with assistance from the Boise Police Department and the Ada County Sheriff’s Office, executed a search warrant at Ebel’s residence in Boise, Idaho, seizing numerous computers and electronic storage devices. Agents with the Department of Homeland Security conducted a forensic examination of the devices, and discovered images of child pornography saved in folders on a desktop computer and an external hard drive, and evidence that the devices were owned and used by Ebel. In the plea agreement, Ebel admitted possessing 4,688 images and 31 videos containing child pornography on the desktop computer and external hard drive.
Senior U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge also ordered Ebel to forfeit a computer and an external hard drive used in the commission of the charged offenses. As a result of his conviction, Ebel will be required to register as a sex offender.
The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the Boise Police Department and the Ada County Sheriff'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.”
Three Treasure Valley Methamphetamine Dealers Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
BOISE – Deanna Renee Moon, 61, of Boise, Idaho; Clark Douglas Fullmer, 50, of Boise, Idaho; and Lance Edward Chlarson, 32, of Marsing, Idaho were sentenced today for their role in a methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy, announced U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson. Moon pleaded guilty to one count of distributing methamphetamine on August 4, 2016, and was sentenced to 24 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Fullmer pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine on July 26, 2016, and was sentenced to 112 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Chlarson pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and one count of distributing methamphetamine on July 26, 2016, and was sentenced to 140 months imprisonment to be followed by five years of supervised release. All three individuals were also ordered by Senior U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge to forfeit $6,940 in cash proceeds.
Moon, Fullmer, and Chlarson each sold between 50 and 150 grams of actual methamphetamine to an undercover officer over a period of ten months, spanning from April 2, 2015 to February 9, 2016. All three have prior felony convictions. Moon had a prior conviction for possession of a controlled substance; Fullmer had prior convictions for grand theft, robbery, and possession of a controlled substance; Chlarson had prior convictions for possession of heroin, burglary, aggravated assault, and possession of a controlled Substance.
At sentencing this morning, Judge Lodge told the defendants, “I can’t tell how you how much hardship and pain we see with individuals before this Court whose lives have been destroyed by their addiction to methamphetamine.”
These cases are the result of an investigation by 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.
Seventh Conspirator in Treasure Valley Drug Distribution Ring SentencedRead the Press Release
BOISE – Breeannyn Nicole Pederson, 26, of Parma, Idaho was sentenced today to 18 months for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Following her period of imprisonment, she will be placed on three years of supervised release. Pederson was indicted on December 8, 2015, in a superseding indictment and entered her guilty plea on June 2, 2016.
Pederson, one of eleven co-conspirators in the drug distribution ring, sold a variety of prescription pills throughout the Treasure Valley at the direction of Stacy Duane Wilfong. Wilfong was sentenced earlier this year to over 18 years in federal prison for his leadership role in the conspiracy. In addition to prescription pills, Wilfong and his co-conspirators sold methamphetamine, heroin, and a synthetic controlled substance called Alpha-pyrrolidinopentiophenone, known as "a-PVP," or “bath salts” to individuals throughout the Treasure Valley.
Five other co-conspirators have already been sentenced. Anthony “Tony” Kitchen, 48, is serving a 71-month sentence in federal prison, Jocelin Jessica Gonzalez, 19, is serving 40 months in prison, Elizabeth Ann Gaytan, 37, was sentenced to 100 months of imprisonment, and Isela Garza, 30, was sentenced to 48 months in prison. All four are from Nampa. Regina Wade, 50, of Boise was sentenced to 41 months in prison.
Co-defendant David Anthony Wales, 31, of Boise, is scheduled to be sentenced on February 22, 2017. Two other co-defendants are scheduled to enter guilty pleas. Adam William Dillon, 28, of Nampa is scheduled for a plea change on November 22, 2016, and Jason Lee Burgess is currently scheduled for a plea change on November 16, 2016. One co-defendant, John Matthew Caviness, Jr., 34, of Caldwell, is currently set for trial.
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.
Sixth Conspirator in Treasure Valley Drug Distribution Ring SentencedRead the Press Release
BOISE – Isela Garza, 30, of Nampa, Idaho was sentenced today to 48 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances in the Treasure Valley, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Senior U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge ordered that Garza serve four years of supervised release following her release from prison. Garza was indicted on December 8, 2015, in a superseding indictment and entered her guilty plea on August 17, 2016.
The drug conspiracy was led by Stacy Duane Wilfong, 40, of Nampa, Idaho and involved 11 people. Wilfong was sentenced on October 4, 2016, to 220 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. Throughout the course of the investigation, law enforcement officers discovered that Wilfong and his co-conspirators bought and sold methamphetamine, heroin, pills including oxycodone, and a synthetic controlled substance called Alpha-pyrrolidinopentiophenone, known as "a-PVP," or “bath salts” to individuals throughout the Treasure Valley. Garza obtained methamphetamine from Wilfong and distributed it on his behalf.
In addition to Garza and Wilfong, four other co-conspirators have been sentenced. Anthony “Tony” Kitchen, 48, was sentenced to 71 months. Jocelin Jessica Gonzalez, 19, to 40 months and Elizabeth Ann Gaytan, 37, to 100 months. All three are from Nampa. Regina Wade, 50, of Boise was sentenced to 41 months.
Two co-defendants have entered guilty pleas and are awaiting sentencing. Breeannyn Nicole Pederson, 25, of Parma, is scheduled to be sentenced on November 15, 2016, and David Anthony Wales, 31, of Boise, is scheduled to be sentenced on February 22, 2017. Two other co-defendants are scheduled to enter guilty pleas. Adam William Dillon, 28, of Nampa is scheduled for a plea change on November 22, 2016, and Jason Lee Burgess is scheduled for a plea change on November 16. One co-defendant, John Matthew Caviness, Jr., 34, of Caldwell, is currently set for trial on December 13.
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.
Utah Man Pleads Guilty to Bank Fraud and Bankruptcy FraudRead the Press Release
COEUR D’ALENE – Cortney S. Valentine, 39, of Liberty, Utah, pleaded guilty yesterday to bank fraud and false declaration under penalty of perjury and concealment of assets in connection with a bankruptcy case, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Valentine was indicted by a federal grand jury in Coeur d'Alene on February 18, 2015.
According to the plea agreement, Valentine defrauded U.S. Bank when he made material false statements which were relied upon by U.S. Bank and caused U.S. Bank to lend him $362,000. In the midst of the Valentine’s ever increasing debt and when creditors were attempting to foreclose on various properties, Valentine decided to keep the creditors at bay by filing bankruptcy. Valentine and his wife filed for relief under bankruptcy separately and in different states. In November 2011, Valentine contracted to sell a home to a third party for $1,150,000. Valentine should have reported to the bankruptcy court any proceeds from the sale of the asset. Instead, he used the money to support himself. Valentine made numerous false statements on the bankruptcy filings and concealed the funds from the bankruptcy court that he received from the third party purchaser.
Valentine’s wife, Nicolette P. Valentine, 37, of Liberty, Utah, pleaded guilty to bank fraud, concealment of assets in connection with a bankruptcy case and false statements under oath, on June 23, 2016. She is scheduled to be sentenced on December 6, 2016, before Senior U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge.
The charge of bank fraud is punishable by up to 30 years in prison, a maximum fine of $1,000,000, and up to five years of supervised release. The charge of false declaration under penalty of perjury in relation to a bankruptcy case is punishable by up to five years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release. The charge of concealment of assets in connection with a bankruptcy case is punishable by up to five years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release.
Sentencing is set for February 28, 2017, before Senior U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge at the federal courthouse in Coeur d'Alene.
The case was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Moscow Man Sentenced in Two Federal CasesRead the Press Release
COEUR D’ALENE – William Douglas Brown, 72, of Moscow, Idaho, was sentenced yesterday by Senior U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge to two years probation for unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition and making a false statement, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Brown pleaded guilty in both cases on August 23, 2016.
According to the plea agreements, Brown aided co-defendant Matt Eugene Ruck in unlawful possessing firearms because Brown knew Ruck was prohibited from possessing firearms due to Ruck’s prior felony conviction. Although Brown knew that Ruck was prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition, Brown agreed to purchase the firearms and stored them at their office space. Brown and Ruck both possessed the firearms with either able to use them. In Brown’s second case, he was charged with making a false statement. At the time of the false statement, Brown knew that because of Ruck’s conviction for fraud and theft, Ruck was debarred from government contracting. In April 2015, Brown assisted Ruck in obtaining government contracts when he made an application to receive government contracts wherein Brown represented, with Ruck’s assistance, that neither he nor Ruck was debarred. Ruck, through Brown’s company, obtained 12 government contracts.
The cases were investigated by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), General Services Administration – Office of Inspector General, Department of Homeland Security, and U.S. Secret Service (USSS).
Moscow Man Sentenced in Three Federal CasesRead the Press Release
COEUR D’ALENE – Matt Eugene Ruck, 49, of Moscow, Idaho, was sentenced yesterday in United States District Court to 60 months in prison followed by 3 years supervised release for wire fraud and theft of government money, unlawful possession of firearms and making a false statement, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Senior U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge also ordered Ruck to pay $206,081.35 in restitution. In Ruck’s first case, a jury found him guilty of wire fraud and theft of government money in March of this year. In his second and third cases, Ruck pleaded guilty on August 23, 2016, to unlawful possession of firearms and making a false statement.
In Ruck’s wire fraud and theft of government money conviction, Ruck had contracted with the government to provide services for which he overbilled. Ruck stole approximately $345,000 through these transactions. In Ruck’s second case, he was charged with unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition. Ruck was a prohibited person at the time he possessed the firearms. In Ruck’s third case, Ruck was charged with making a false statement on a government document. Ruck was debarred from government contracting. In order to get government contracts, Ruck and his co-defendant William Douglas Brown made a false statement on the application that allowed Ruck to bid on government contracts. Ruck obtained 12 government contracts after he was debarred.
These cases were investigated by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Department of Homeland Security, General Services Administration – Office of Inspector General, and the U.S. Secret Service (USSS).