District of Idaho
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Lapwai Man Sentenced for Failing to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
COEUR D’ALENE – Solomon Elias Wheeler, 36, of Lapwai, Idaho, was sentenced today in United States District Court to nine months in prison, to be followed by three months home confinement, for failing to register as a sex offender, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Senior U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge also ordered Wheeler to serve five years supervised release following his prison sentence. Wheeler pleaded guilty to the charge on August 23, 2016.
According to statements made in court, Wheeler had a 2010 Nez Perce Tribal Court conviction for having sexual contact with a minor under sixteen. As a result of this conviction, Wheeler was required to register and update his registration under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). In August 2015, Wheeler failed to complete his sex offender registration. Wheeler remained unregistered until May 2016, when he was arrested on a federal warrant. Wheeler has remained in jail since his arrest.
The case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service.
Kootenai Tribal Member SentencedRead the Press Release
COEUR D’ALENE – Nathaniel Johnson Boychief, 30, of Bonners Ferry, Idaho, was sentenced today in United States District Court to 18 months in prison followed by 3 years supervised release for possession with intent to distribute heroin and oxycodone, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Senior U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge also ordered Boychief to pay a $600 fine. Boychief pleaded guilty to the charge on August 23, 2016.
According to the plea agreement, Boychief admitted to possession with intent to distribute heroin and oxycodone. These controlled substances were found in a locked safe in his bedroom during the execution of a search warrant. Later, after Boychief was arrested, the officers found heroin and oxycodone pills sewn into his underwear.
The case was investigated by Kootenai Tribal Police, Bonner County Sheriff’s Department, Bonners Ferry Police Department, and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Twin Falls Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Transportation and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
BOISE – Stephen Roy Walker, 43, of Twin Falls, Idaho was sentenced today in United States District Court to 300 months in prison followed by 25 years supervised release, for transportation and possession of child pornography, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Walker pleaded guilty on August 5, 2016.
According to the plea agreement, agents with the Department of Homeland Security served a search warrant at the Old Towne Lodge in Twin Falls, where Walker was living with three minor children, in February of 2014. Agents seized computers and electronic devices pursuant to the warrant, and a subsequent forensic examination of the devices revealed images of child pornography on the devices. In his plea agreement, Walker admitted that he transported 462 digital images and 42 digital videos containing child pornography from Texas to Idaho, and that he possessed the images while living in Idaho. The images included child victims from 46 known child pornography series, and depicted prepubescent minors and images of sadistic and masochistic abuse.
Walker also admitted that 78 of the images, and 4 of the videos, depicted himself engaged in sexually explicit conduct with one of the children who was living with him at the Old Towne Lodge. Walker further admitted that he took these images while living in Texas, and transported them to Idaho.
Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also ordered Walker to forfeit two laptop computers, an external hard drive, and a digital camera used in the commission of the charged offenses. As a result of his conviction, Walker will be required to register as a sex offender.
“Three innocent children were rescued from a life of certain continued victimization thanks to the swift action of our special agents and partners involved in investigating this case,” said Steve Cagen, acting special agent in charge of HSI Seattle. “No child should be subject to this type of cruel punishment. Together, HSI and local law enforcement strive to assist traumatized youth by holding all child predators accountable for their deeds.”
“The U.S. Attorney's Office will aggressively work with our local, state, and federal partners to stop the sexual exploitation of children,” said Olson. “Those who continue to victimize children will be targeted and prosecuted. Mr. Walker is being severely and appropriately punished for his criminal conduct.”
The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations and the Twin Falls Police Department, with assistance from the Buhl Police Department, the Idaho State Police, and the Twin Falls County Prosecuting Attorney’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.”
U.S. Attorney for Idaho Names Election Day ContactsRead the Press Release
BOISE – United States Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced today that Assistants United States Attorney (AUSAs) Jack Haycock, Ray Patricco and Nancy Cook will lead the efforts of her Office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 8, 2016, general elections. AUSAs Haycock, Patricco and Cook have been appointed to serve as District Election Officers for the District of Idaho, and in that capacity are responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of complaints of election fraud and voting rights abuses in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.
United States Attorney Olson said, “Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted. The Department of Justice will act promptly and aggressively to protect the integrity of the election process.”
The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring election fraud and discrimination at the polls, and combating these violations whenever and wherever they occur. The Department’s long-standing Election Day Program furthers these goals, and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the integrity of the election process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible election fraud and voting rights violations while the polls are open on election day.
Federal law protects against such crimes as intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters and provides that they can vote free from acts that intimidate or harass them. For example, actions of persons designed to interrupt or intimidate voters at polling places by questioning or challenging them, or by photographing or videotaping them, under the pretext that these are actions to uncover illegal voting may violate federal voting rights law. Further, federal law protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice.
“The franchise is the cornerstone of American democracy,” said Olson. “We all must ensure that those who are entitled to the franchise exercise it if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice.”
In order to respond to complaints of election fraud or voting rights abuses on November 8, 2016, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, United States Attorney Olson stated that AUSAs Haycock, Patricco and Cook will be on duty while the polls are open. They can be reached by the public at the following telephone numbers:
(208) 251-0589 in Pocatello for AUSA Haycock; (208) 334-9118 in Boise for AUSA Patricco or (208) 676-7346 in Coeur d’Alene for AUSA Cook. In addition, complaints related to violence, threats of violence or intimidating at a polling place should be reported first to local police authorities by calling 911.
In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on election day. Boise FBI Supervisory Agent Douglas Hart can be reached by the public at (208) 344-7843 and Coeur d’Alene FBI Supervisory Agent Richard Collodi can be reached by the public at (208) 664-5128.
Complaints about ballot access problems or discrimination can be made to AUSA Jessica Gunder at 208-488-2346 or directly to the Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section in Washington, D.C. at 1-800-253-3931 or (202) 307-2767.
The Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section enforces the civil provisions of a wide range of federal statutes that protect the right to vote including: the Voting Rights Act, the National Voter Registration Act, the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, the Help America Vote Act and the Civil Rights Acts. Among other things, collectively, these laws:
- prohibit election practices that have either a discriminatory purpose, based on race or membership in a minority language group, or a discriminatory result, with members of racial or language minority groups having less opportunity than other citizens to participate in the political process;
- prohibit voter intimidation;
- provide that individuals who need assistance in voting because of disability or illiteracy can obtain assistance from a person of their choice;
- provide for accessible election machines for voters with disabilities;
- require provisional ballots for voters who assert they are eligible but whose names do not appear on poll books;
- provide for absentee ballots for service members, their family members and U.S. citizens living abroad;
- require states to ensure that citizens can register through drivers’ license offices, public assistance and disability services offices, other state agencies and through the mail; and
- include requirements regarding maintaining voter registration lists.
“Ensuring free and fair elections depends in large part on the cooperation of the American electorate,” said Olson. “It is imperative that those who have specific information about discrimination or election fraud make that information available immediately to my Office, the FBI, or the Civil Rights Division.”
Convicted Felon Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
BOISE – Abel Martin Farias, 30, of Nampa, Idaho, was sentenced today to 26 months in prison for distributing methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Farias’s sentence will run concurrent with a state sentence he is currently serving for forgery. Following his prison sentence, Farias will be placed on three years of supervised release. Farias was indicted by a federal grand jury on April 12, 2016 and entered his guilty plea on August 9, 2016.
According to court records, Farias was a passenger in a truck that was pulled over in Caldwell, Idaho, on February 9, 2016. The officer contacted the occupants of the truck and asked each for their identification. During the course of the stop, the officer noticed Farias repeatedly reach between the seats. When the officer walked to the passenger side of the truck to contact Farias, Farias opened his door and a padded gun case and collapsible baton fell out. Farias then identified himself to the officer with his real name. The officer discovered Farias had two outstanding warrants and arrested him. A canine team was called to the scene to perform an exterior sniff of the truck. The canine alerted on the truck and the truck was searched by officers. Inside, officers found a black bag containing methamphetamine, a lock box, and a key to the lock box. Inside the lock box, officers found a Glock, Model 22, .44 S&W caliber pistol, two additional magazines with ammunition, syringes, and a digital scale with white residue. The canine also alerted on a female passenger in the truck. The female admitted that Farias had given her the methamphetamine to hide inside of her as the truck was being pulled over. Farias admitted that the methamphetamine found inside the truck belonged to him.
This case was investigated by the Caldwell Police Department, Treasure Valley Metro Violent Crime Task Force, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. 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 case was prosecuted by the Special Assistant U.S. Attorney hired by the Treasure Valley Partnership and the State of Idaho to address gang crimes. The Treasure Valley Partnership is comprised of a group of elected officials in southwest Idaho dedicated to regional coordination, cooperation, and collaboration on creating coherent regional growth. For more information, visit treasurevalleypartners.org.
U.S. Attorney Announces Office Collects over $13 MillionRead the Press Release
BOISE – United States Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced today that her office's Financial Litigation Unit collected more than $12.25 million in civil debts and criminal fines, assessments, and restitution for the fiscal year that ended September 30, 2016. U.S. Attorney Olson stated that the Financial Litigation Unit collected $1,584,902.42 in criminal fines, assessments, and restitution, and $10,671,716.97 in civil debts. In addition, the Asset Forfeiture Unit collected approximately $1,195,121 representing proceeds and instruments of crime in both criminal and civil forfeitures.
“The more than $13 million our staff collected through civil debts, asset forfeiture, fines, assessments and restitution exceeds the U.S. Attorney's Office's annual operational budget,” said Olson. “Our collection and asset forfeiture staffs of attorneys, paralegals, analysts and fiscal agents ensure that those who owe the federal government money as a result of litigation in this district or as a result of longtime debt, such as student loans, make appropriate payments. They also ensure that those who have profited from committing crimes in the District of Idaho are deprived of the proceeds and tools of their crimes. This year, all of these dedicated individuals have done outstanding work and served this office, taxpayers and the federal government well.”
The Financial Litigation Unit collects civil penalties for violations of regulations involving, among other things, controlled substances, environmental protection, damage to federal property, and procurement fraud. It also collects civil debts for defaulted student loans and defaulted federally financed mortgages, working with debtors to arrange viable payment plans. During fiscal year 2016, the office collected over $10.67 million in civil debt. Of that, the office collected $9 million for fraudulent procurement of government contracts and collected $1.2 million from EPA violations concerning release of hazardous substances. This includes violations by J.R. Simplot Company, Owyhee Construction, Inc. and Riverside Water & Sewer District. It also collected an FCC civil forfeiture penalty of $25,000 from Pacific Empire Radio Corp. in Lewiston for failure to provide adequate public inspection files for their radio stations.
In addition, the U.S. Attorney’s Office collected approximately $90,831 in defaulted student loans, $193,000 in fire suppression costs for human-caused fires, and $80,388.38 in health care fraud related cases.
From convicted criminals, the U.S. Attorney's Office collects fines, assessments, restitution, and asset forfeitures. Victims of crime receive funds collected in criminal restitution cases. In fiscal year 2016, the U.S. Attorney's Office, through the Financial Litigation Unit, collected over $1.4 million in criminal restitution that was distributed to victims of crime. Other criminal collections such as fines go into the Crime Victims Fund. From there, funds are distributed to the Idaho Crime Victims Compensation Program, the Idaho Council on Domestic Violence and Victim Assistance, and similar programs across the country. Money recovered from the illegal proceeds of criminal activity through forfeiture is returned to victims, used to offset the costs of operating federal prisons, and shared with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies to help fight crime. Other recoveries go back to agency creditors.
During the fiscal year, some notable criminal restitution collections include Asset Forfeiture’s restoration of Lois Davis’s tithing originally paid to her church in the amount of $222,607 to go towards restitution for the benefit of victims; $75,000 from Melody Redondo related to mortgage fraud; and an asset worth over $150,000 from William Roger Wilkinson.
Notable recoveries of the proceeds of crime through asset forfeiture include forfeitures in two multi-state drug trafficking and money laundering cases in North Idaho, and a number of fraud and other cases. Those other cases include recovery of $222,607 which was restored to victims in an Eastern Idaho investment fraud case; $94,412 forfeited in a Boise-based investment fraud case; $86,126 recovered from a Central Idaho bank robbery case; $75,000 recovered from an illegal gambling operation in Ada and Canyon Counties; and $178,152 recovered in an organic seed fraud case. Approximately $1.32 million in drug trafficking proceeds of crime were recovered in these cases.
Montana Couple Plead Guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
POCATELLO – David Vance Taylor, 62, and Bambi Sue Tomlin, 54, of Billings, Montana, pleaded guilty yesterday to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Taylor and Tomlin were indicted by a federal grand jury in Pocatello on July 26, 2016.
According to the plea agreement, on June 7, 2016, Taylor and Tomlin were arrested in Bingham County by the Idaho State Police following a traffic stop. During the stop, the officer smelled marijuana coming from the vehicle and conducted a search, discovering more than 800 grams of actual methamphetamine and 2 grams of marijuana in the vehicle. Taylor and Tomlin admitted that they picked up the methamphetamine in Las Vegas and were transporting it through Idaho along Interstate 15 to be delivered to a third party in Billings, Montana.
As charged, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine is punishable by at least ten years and up to life in prison, a maximum fine of $10,000,000, and at least five years of supervised release.
Sentencing is set for January 4, 2017, before Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill at the federal courthouse in Pocatello.
The case was investigated by the Bingham County Prosecutor’s Office and the Idaho State Police. It is being prosecuted by the Special Assistant U.S. Attorney hired by the Eastern Idaho Partnership and the State of Idaho to bolster ongoing efforts to prosecute regional drug trafficking, gun and gang violence, internet based crimes against children, and other serious crimes with a federal nexus. The Eastern Idaho Partnership is a collaboration of elected officials and law enforcement from 12 counties and 18 cities across eastern Idaho, in partnership with the Idaho Department of Correction and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Federal Jury Convicts Jerome Man for Unlawfully Possessing FirearmsRead the Press Release
BOISE – Daniel Andrew Mills, 41, of Jerome, Idaho, was convicted today by a federal jury in Boise for unlawful possession of firearms, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Mills was indicted on February 9, 2016.
During the two-day trial, the jury heard evidence that Mills, a convicted felon who was wanted by the U.S. Marshals 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, and possession of controlled substance.
"I want to thank all the law enforcement officers involved for their efforts and willingness to put themselves in harm’s way in order to bring Mr. Mills to justice,” said Olson. “Their restraint and professionalism in peacefully resolving this armed stand-off is but one example of Idaho law enforcement protecting the community as a whole, to include individuals like Mr. Mills who seek to do them harm.”
Mills faces up to ten years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release for unlawful possession of firearms.
Sentencing is set for January 12, 2017, at 9:30 a.m. before Senior U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge at the federal courthouse in Boise.
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.
Washington Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing an Identification Document with the Intent to Defraud the United StatesRead the Press Release
BOISE – Keith Condict, 42, of Gig Harbor, Washington, pleaded guilty today to misdemeanor possession of an identification document with the intent to defraud the United States, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced.
According to the filed plea agreement, Condict applied for a job at Kootenai Health ENT Center, in Kootenai County, Idaho, in June 2012. As part of his application, Condict presented a falsified Idaho audiologist license. As a result of this false information, Kootenai Health allowed Condict to work as an audiologist and to bill health care benefit programs, including Medicare and Medicaid, for treatment. Condict knew that Medicare and Medicaid were federally sponsored health benefit programs and he acted with the intent that the false license be used to defraud the United States. Condict worked under his false license for approximately one month before he was granted an actual license. However, when Kootenai Health learned of the false representation, they fired Condict and paid back the health benefit programs for amounts billed based on the Condict’s unlicensed services. In his plea agreement, Condict agrees to pay restitution to Kootenai Health in the amount of $28,266.58.
The charge of possessing an identification document with the intent to defraud the United States is punishable by not more than one year in prison, not more than one year of supervised release, and a $100,000 maximum fine.
Sentencing is scheduled for January 10, 2017, before Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge Ronald E. Bush.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General / Office of Investigations and the Idaho Bureau of Occupational Licenses.
Mexican National Sentenced to 18 Months in Federal Prison for Conspiracy to Manufacture MarijuanaRead the Press Release
BOISE – Rogelio Arevalo-Villasenor, 24, a Mexican national, illegally residing in Parma, Idaho, was sentenced today to 18 months in prison for conspiracy to manufacture a controlled substance, more than 1,000 marijuana plants, with the intent to distribute it, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Visiting Senior U.S. District Judge Dee V. Benson also ordered Arevalo-Villasenor to serve one year of supervised release. Arevalo-Villasenor will likely be deported to Mexico following completion of his prison sentence. Arevalo-Villasenor pleaded guilty on July 14, 2016.
According to court documents, co-defendant Martin Diaz-Lara and Carlos Avalos-Cervantes were arrested on September 23, 2015, in a canyon half a mile from the North Fork of Payette River, ten miles north of Banks, in Boise County, Idaho. Agents were able to document a total of 6,870 live and harvested marijuana plants on state lands in the canyon. According to court proceedings, Diaz-Lara and Avalos-Cervantes each possessed handguns in furtherance of the drug trafficking crime. Agents discovered that those working in the grow used a banned Mexican pesticide, carbofuran. Carbofuran was banned by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 1991, after its use resulted in the death of millions of birds per year. Arevalo-Villasenor admitted to supplying Diaz-Lara, Avalos-Cervantes and other workers with groceries on at least three occasions, by dropping off food and supplies at the trailhead located just off Highway 55. All of those responsible for the public land outdoor marijuana grow are Mexican nationals who entered the United States illegally.
Co-defendants Avalos-Cervantes and Diaz-Lara pleaded guilty to conspiracy to manufacture marijuana with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Avalos-Cervantes was sentenced on April 19, 2016 to 180 months in prison. Avalos-Cervantes was believed to have been involved in another public land marijuana grow in Umatilla County, Oregon in 2007. Diaz-Lara was sentenced to 97 months in prison on June 15, 2016.
The arrests and complaints are the 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, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Nampa Police Department Special Investigations Unit (SIU). Other agencies include Ada County Sheriff’s Office, United States Forest Service (USFS), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), U. S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Boise County Sheriff’s Office, Boise Police Department, Gooding County Sheriff’s Office, Idaho Department of Fish and Game, Idaho National Guard—Counterdrug Support Office, Meridian Police Department, Milton-Freewater Police Department, Oregon State Police, Power County Sheriff’s Office, Spokane Police Department, Valley County Sheriff’s Office, Walla Walla Police Department, and Washington State Patrol.
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.
Worley Woman Pleads Guilty to Mail TheftRead the Press Release
COEUR D’ALENE – Twilla Marie St. Pierre, 39, of Worley, Idaho, pleaded guilty yesterday to theft or receipt of stolen mail matter, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. St. Pierre was indicted by a federal grand jury in Coeur d'Alene on April 19, 2016.
According to the plea agreement, St. Pierre admitted that on or about May 28, 2015, she and co-defendant Delbert Lee stole mail belonging to another from a post office box at the U.S. Post Office in Worley, Idaho. The stolen mail consisted of checks payable to the victim. St. Pierre knew the mail was stolen because either she and or her co-defendant Lee stole the mail directly from the victim’s post office box.
The charge of theft or receipt 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 January 18, 2017, before Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill at the federal courthouse in Coeur d'Alene.
The case was investigated by the Coeur d’Alene Tribal Police and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
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. For more information on the task force, visit www.stopfraud.gov.
Woman Who Embezzled $852,041 from St. Luke’s Sentenced to 27 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
BOISE – Sara Curnow, 44, of Portland, Oregon, was sentenced today to 27 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, a condition of which is home confinement for 6 months, for the crime of wire fraud, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also ordered Curnow to forfeit and pay restitution of $852,041 to St. Luke’s Health System. Curnow pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud on March 29, 2016.
According to the plea agreement, from approximately 2008 through 2015, Curnow was an employee of Pinnacle Pension Services (“Pinnacle”), headquartered in Boise, Idaho. As part of its business, Pinnacle administered health care and dependent care Flexible Spending Accounts (“FSAs”) for employees of client firms. Employees of client firms who elected to participate in an FSA program had pre-tax funds withheld from their paycheck and deposited into a bank account from which they can make claims for disbursement for health care and dependent care expenses throughout the year. At the end of the year, if the employee had not exhausted his or her FSA deposits, they were forfeited to the employer. In approximately 2009, Curnow assumed the job of FSA Administrator at Pinnacle. In that role, Curnow had responsibility for reviewing and approving payment of FSA disbursement claims.
St. Luke’s Health System (“St. Luke’s”) was a client of Pinnacle. St. Luke’s maintained bank accounts at Wells Fargo Bank into which withholdings of pre-tax FSA funds from participating employees were deposited and from which disbursements were made to these employees after they were approved by Pinnacle.
The plea agreement provided that beginning in April of 2009 and continuing until October of 2015, Curnow embezzled $852,041 from St. Luke’s FSA accounts at Wells Fargo Bank. On the internal Pinnacle computer system, Curnow saw which St. Luke’s employees left forfeitures at plan year end and in what amounts. These amounts were supposed to be forfeited to St. Luke’s at plan year end. Instead, Curnow manipulated the Pinnacle claims system to create dummy elections and claims payments for St. Luke’s employees. Rather than directing the claims payments to the bank accounts of the St. Luke’s employees, Curnow directed these claims payments to be sent by interstate wire transfer from St. Luke’s FSA account at Wells Fargo Bank to Pinnacle’s trust account at Wells Fargo Bank, and then, to Curnow’s bank accounts at Ally Bank, Mountain America Federal Credit Union, and Navy Federal Credit Union. She did so on approximately 294 separate occasions in denominations ranging from approximately $600 to $9,100. Because St. Luke’s had between 5,000 and 11,000 employees from 2009 through 2015, St. Luke’s did not discover the fraudulent transfers of forfeited funds that belonged to it.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration and the Boise Police Department.
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.
Third Defendant in North Idaho Drug Trafficking Organization Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
COEUR D'ALENE – Augustine Jackson, 32, of Williston, North Dakota, pleaded guilty yesterday to conspiracy to distribute heroin, oxycodone and methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Jackson was indicted by a federal grand Jury in Coeur d'Alene on April 19, 2016.
During the court hearing, Jackson admitted that she was part of a drug trafficking organization. The organization sold heroin, oxycodone and methamphetamine in Idaho, Montana, North Dakota and Eastern Washington. Jackson 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, Jackson agreed to forfeit any interest she has in real property, jewelry or cash held by herself or by conspirators as outlined in the indictment.
In addition to Jackson, two other co-defendants have pleaded guilty. Geena Lauren Milho, 25, of Williston, North Dakota pleaded guilty on September 14, 2016, to conspiracy to distribute heroin, oxycodone and methamphetamine. Milho will be sentenced on January 18, 2017. Sherlann Simon, 34, of North Las Vegas, Nevada, pleaded guilty on October 11, 2016, to conspiracy to launder money. Simon will be sentenced on January 19, 2017.
The charge of conspiracy to distribute controlled substance is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, a maximum fine of $1,000,000, and at least 3 years 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 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 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.
Boise Man Sentenced to Eight Years in Federal Prison for Drug Charge and Illegal Gun PossessionRead the Press Release
BOISE – Jeffery Anthony Arguello, 47, of Boise, Idaho, was sentenced today to 105 months for possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute and unlawful possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also sentenced Arguello to five years supervised release. Arguello pleaded guilty to the charges on August 2, 2016.
According to the plea agreement, Arguello admitted that on December 17, 2015, he knowingly possessed 61 grams of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it to another person. Law enforcement located a 16 gauge Winchester shotgun, Model 12, in in the closet of Arguello’s bedroom. Under the mattress where Arguello was laying, law enforcement found a loaded JPC .40 caliber pistol, with one round in the chamber. Arguello admitted he knowingly possessed the JPC pistol. In the bedroom, investigators found another loaded magazine for the same firearm and a digital scale. Arguello was prohibited from possessing a firearm due to a previous felony conviction for providing false information in acquisition of a firearm.
The case was investigated by the Boise Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with assistance from the Meridian Police Department.
Meridian Man Sentenced to 26 Years in Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
BOISE – Brian Weaver Cluff, 44, of Meridian, Idaho, was sentenced yesterday in United States District Court to 322 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug crime, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. U.S. District Judge Stanley A. Bastian from the District of Eastern Washington, sitting by special designation, also ordered that Cluff serve five years of supervised release and forfeit $420,000 in drug proceeds and several firearms. Cluff pleaded guilty on July 6, 2016.
According to evidence presented in court, Cluff conspired with others to distribute large quantities of methamphetamine in the state of Idaho between August of 2015 and February 11, 2016. Cluff held a leadership role within the conspiracy and arranged with co-conspirators for deliveries of methamphetamine in Ada and Canyon Counties. Investigating officers discovered the conspiracy and were able to make several controlled purchases of methamphetamine from Cluff. During a search of Cluff’s business on February 11, 2016, officers located 10.764 kilograms of methamphetamine, 3.449 kilograms of marijuana, 44 grams of cocaine, 1.3 grams of heroin, and 13 firearms. One of the firearms recovered from Cluff’s shop was a sawed-off shotgun.
The case was investigated by the Ada County Sheriff’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the City County Narcotics Unit of Canyon County, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
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.
Idaho Woman Pleads Guilty to Theft of Postal Service PropertyRead the Press Release
BOISE – Tana Stimpson, 51, of Paul, Idaho, pleaded guilty yesterday to misdemeanor theft of postal service property, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced.
According to the plea agreement, Stimpson admitted that on November 27, 2015, she sold a money order in the amount of $360 in her capacity as a U.S. Postal Service employee. Stimpson appropriated the proceeds from this sale, without authorization, for her personal use. From on or about September 29, 2015 through April 8, 2016, Stimpson delayed reporting the sale of approximately 18 money orders by the U.S. Postal Service.
The charge of theft of postal service property is punishable by up to one year in prison, a maximum fine of $100,000, and up to one year of supervised release.
Sentencing is set for January 9, 2017, before Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill at the federal courthouse in Boise.
The case was investigated by the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General.
California Man Pleads Guilty to Obtaining Prescription Drugs by FraudRead the Press Release
BOISE – Jalin Russell-Halfacre, 22, of Sacramento, California, entered a guilty plea yesterday to the charge of obtaining controlled substances by fraud, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Russell-Halfacre was indicted by a federal grand jury on April 12, 2016.
According to information presented in court, Russell-Halfacre traveled to Boise, Idaho in February 2015 and used fraudulent prescriptions to illegally obtain Phenergan with codeine, a schedule V controlled substance. Police officers followed Russell-Halfacre and another co-defendant, Breya Green, as they traveled to multiple pharmacies to obtain the controlled substances. When police officers contacted the doctor that purportedly authorized the prescriptions, the doctor confirmed that he did not authorize the prescriptions and they were fraudulent. Officers also found blank prescription paper and communications showing the codeine cough syrup was being sold to others.
The charge of obtaining controlled substances by fraud is punishable by up to four years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, and one year of supervised release. Russell-Halfacre is scheduled for sentencing on January 10, 2017, before Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill at the federal courthouse in Boise.
The three other codefendants charged with committing this crime with Russell-Halfacre are set for trial on October 31, 2016: Breya Green, 22, from Sacramento, California, Torrie Garrett, 23, and Jazmine Lockhart, 22, both from Las Vegas, Nevada.
The case was investigated by the Ada County Sheriff’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Boise Drug Dealer Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
BOISE – Quentin Craig Padilla, 32, of Boise, Idaho, was sentenced yesterday to 105 months in prison for distributing methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Padilla’s sentence will run concurrent with a state sentence he is currently serving. Following his prison sentence, Padilla will be placed on five years of supervised release. Padilla was indicted by a federal grand jury on January 12, 2016 and entered his guilty plea on July 6, 2016.
On April 7, 2015, Padilla sold 31.9 grams of actual methamphetamine to a confidential human source. Three days later, Padilla was involved in a high speed chase with officers at speeds estimated at over 100 miles per hour after being pulled over for a traffic violation. Shortly after officers ended the pursuit, members of the public began contacting the police about abandoned firearms and ammunition around the community and in the vicinity of where Padilla had been driving. Several firearms including an AK-47 were recovered.
Padilla has had six prior felony convictions for crimes which include aggravated assault, possession of methamphetamine, eluding officers, and unlawfully possessing a weapon. He is a member of the South Side Clica gang and associated with other Sureno gangs including Brown Magic Clica, East Side Locos and Southside 13.
This case was investigated by the Treasure Valley Metro Violent Crime Task Force, Boise Police Department and Ada County Sheriff’s Office. 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 case was prosecuted by the Special Assistant U.S. Attorney hired by the Treasure Valley Partnership and the State of Idaho to address gang crimes. The Treasure Valley Partnership is comprised of a group of elected officials in southwest Idaho dedicated to regional coordination, cooperation, and collaboration on creating coherent regional growth. For more information, visit treasurevalleypartners.org.
Twin Falls Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
BOISE – Richard Roy Sexton, 73, of Twin Falls, Idaho pleaded guilty today in United States District Court to possession of child pornography, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced.
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.
Sentencing is set for January 10, 2017, before Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill.
Possession of child pornography is punishable by up to 20 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a term of supervised release of not less than five years and up to life, and a $5,000 special assessment. As part of his plea, Sexton also agreed to forfeit the computer, external hard drive, and tablet used in the commission of the charged offense.
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.”
Plummer Man Sentenced for Aggravated Assault and Use of a Firearm in a Crime of ViolenceRead the Press Release
COEUR D’ALENE – Cruz Flechita Ramon Soto, 34, of Plummer, Idaho, was sentenced yesterday for aggravated assault and use of a firearm in a crime of violence, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Soto was sentenced to 180 months in prison followed by five years supervised release. Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also ordered Soto to pay restitution in an amount to be determined later. Soto pleaded guilty on July 29, 2016.
According to the plea agreement, in the early morning of November 12, 2015, while the victim, an Indian, was sleeping in the living room of a relative’s house, Soto, also an Indian, came to the house. Soto and the victim spoke for about 20 minutes then Soto shot the victim in the chest, back, and neck. The victim was flown to Kootenai Hospital where he was stabilized and flown to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. The victim was able to identify Soto as the shooter. The shooting occurred within the boundaries of the Coeur d’Alene Indian reservation.
The case was investigated by Coeur d’Alene Tribal Police, Benewah County Sheriff’s Department, and Federal Bureau of Investigation.
North Idaho Man Sentenced for Passport Fraud and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
COEUR D’ALENE – Kevin John Weinreis, 50, of Tensed, Idaho was sentenced yesterday for making a false statement in a passport application and aggravated identity theft, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill sentenced Weinreis to 26 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Weinreis pleaded guilty on July 28, 2016.
According to the plea agreement, in November 2014, Weinreis falsely used the name and identifying information of another person to obtain a United States passport bearing his photograph. In January 2016, law enforcement became aware of this passport fraud. A Deputy United States Marshal and a Benewah County Sheriff’s Deputy went to Weinreis’ Tensed residence and interviewed him. Weinreis denied his true identity and was arrested. He later admitted who he was after being fingerprinted.
The case was investigated by the State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service, the United States Marshal’s Service, and the Benewah County Sheriff’s Office.
Kuna Man Sentenced for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
BOISE – Jonathan Dillard, 49, of Kuna, Idaho was sentenced today for possession of child pornography, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. U.S. District Judge Stanley A. Bastian sentenced Dillard to 87 months in prison followed by lifetime supervised release. Dillard pleaded guilty on February 23, 2016.
According to the plea agreement, Dillard admitted accessing a Yahoo chat group to access and view images of child pornography in November and December of 2013. In January of 2014, investigators with the Idaho Attorney General's Office Internet Crimes Against Children Unit executed a search warrant at Dillard's residence in Kuna, Idaho and seized computers and electronic storage devices. In his plea agreement, Dillard admitted possessing 57 images of child pornography, and 13 videos containing child pornography, on his laptop computer, a flash drive, and two DVDs. Dillard also admitted that he had previously been convicted of possession of child pornography in U.S. District Court in 2003.
As part of his plea, Dillard also agreed to forfeit a Dell Inspiron laptop computer, a USB flash drive, and DVDs used in the commission of the charged offense. As a result of his conviction, Dillard will be required to register as a sex offender.
The case was investigated by the Idaho Attorney General's Office's Internet Crime Against Children (ICAC) Unit, with assistance from the Ada County Sheriff's Office. The ICAC Unit is a coalition of state and local law enforcement agencies that works with the ICAC Task Force to investigate and prosecute individuals who use the internet to criminally exploit children.
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.”
Moscow Man Sentenced for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
COEUR D’ALENE – James Dale Pressnall, 50, of Moscow, Idaho, was sentenced today for possession of sexually explicit images of minors, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill sentenced Pressnall to 63 months in prison followed by ten years of supervised release. Pressnall pleaded guilty on June 21, 2016.
According to the plea agreement, between August and October 2015, a Department of Homeland Security agent downloaded child pornography image files from a computer using an online peer to peer network open to the general public. This agent later learned, by subpoena, that the computer possessing these files was within Pressnall’s Moscow home.
In November 2015, a federal search warrant was served at Pressnall’s residence. Although Pressnall was not there, agents were able to track him to another location and seize his computer. This computer was analyzed and found to contain numerous sexually explicit images of minors. Pressnall’s child pornography collection included images of minors from 24 states and 18 foreign countries.
As a result of his conviction, Pressnall will be required to register as a sex offender. Pressnall was also ordered to complete sex offender treatment following his prison sentence and will be restricted from access to minors.
The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security - Homeland Security Investigations, with the assistance of the Moscow Police Department. These are members of the Idaho Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, a statewide coalition of local, state and federal law enforcement and prosecution agencies, focused on apprehending and prosecuting individuals who use the Internet to criminally exploit children. For more information about the Idaho ICAC Task Force and a list of all the participating agencies, visit www.icactaskforce.org.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
Member of North Idaho Drug Trafficking Organization Pleads Guilty to Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
COEUR D'ALENE – Sherlann Simon, 34, of North Las Vegas, Nevada, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to launder money, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Simon was indicted by a federal grand Jury in Coeur d'Alene on January 20, 2016.
Simon admitted that, since approximately 2010, she laundered $482,955.71 that had been obtained by a drug trafficking organization that was led by Simon’s mother, Loren Toelle. The organization sold drugs in Idaho, Washington, Nevada, Montana, and North Dakota. Simon participated in the conspiracy by depositing the organization’s drug profits into her personal bank accounts and business accounts belonging to Vegas Stylz House of Beauty, a hair salon in Las Vegas, Nevada owned by Simon and Toelle. Simon used a portion of the drug profits deposited into her bank accounts to pay expenses related to the organization, further promoting the drug trafficking organization.
Simon is the second individual to plead guilty out of an indictment which charges 11 individuals. In addition to pleading guilty, Simon 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 commit money laundering is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release.
Sentencing is set for January 19, 2017, before Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill at the federal courthouse in Coeur d'Alene.
The case is the result of a joint investigation and cooperative law enforcement efforts of the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), including the FBI North Idaho Violent Crime Task Force, the Coeur d’Alene Police Department, the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office, Post Falls Police Department, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), U.S. Marshal Service and Department of Homeland Security, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Other agencies involved include the Williston, North Dakota Police Department, the United States Attorney’s Offices in Las Vegas, Nevada and North Dakota, the FBI in North Dakota, Williams County Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Border Patrol, Williston Police Department, North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation, Northwest Narcotics Task Force, the Washington State Patrol, the U.S. Marshal Service in Las Vegas, IRS-CI in Las Vegas, and the DEA in Las Vegas.
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.
U.S. Marshal, U.S. Attorney Recognize Local Law Enforcement for Excellence in Community PolicingRead the Press Release
BOISE – The United States Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Marshal Service for the District of Idaho on Wednesday night presented 14 local law enforcement officers with its “Excellence in Community Policing Awards,” as part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s National Community Policing Week. The awards recognize commitment and excelling in community policing, helping community members live lives of safety, opportunity and purpose.
“These fourteen law enforcement officers represent the best of policing and the commitment that their agencies have to working together to develop positive and lasting relationships between law enforcement officers and the communities we serve,” said Wendy J. Olson, U.S. Attorney for the District of Idaho. “We are pleased to be able to highlight for the entire Treasure Valley the great work these officers do.”
“Strengthening the relationship between law enforcement officers and the communities we serve and protect is one of the top priorities of the Department of Justice and for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of Idaho,” said Olson, “The purpose of National Community Policing Week and of our forum at the College of Western Idaho is to foster dialogue, promote cooperation, and help citizens and law enforcement officers get to know one another as partners in our shared efforts to build stronger, safer, and more just communities for every American.”
Community policing is a public safety philosophy based on partnership and cooperation between law enforcement and the communities that they are sworn to protect and serve. At the center of community policing is the idea that all members of the community, both officer and civilian, have a stake in the safety of their neighborhoods where they live and work.
The fourteen officers recognized are:
Boise Police Officer Dan Lister, liaison officer for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender community. Officer Lister is recognized for his work breaking barriers, improving communication and developing a partnership so that law enforcement can better serve the LGBT community, and, in turn, the entire community.
Boise Police Corporal Brek Orton. Corporal Orton is recognized for his significant community outreach to students, staff and visitors at Boise State University. Among his community outreach programs is the “Red Shirt Ride-along” program, which teaches first-year athletes at Boise State about the real-life realities of policing in Boise.
The eleven officers of the Meridian Police Department School Resource Officer program:
Sergeant Shawn Harper, supervisor
Officer Ray Ellis
Officer Bobby Allison
Officer Leroy Sunada
Officer Dave Gomez
Officer Ryan Rhodes
Officer Mark Payne
Officer Arnel Catic
Officer Courtney Dozier
Officer Greg Kortan
Officer Kirk York
These officers are recognized for their work in Meridian middle schools and high schools. In addition to their daily duties of problem-solving at schools, these SROs donate their time to other community activities such as Shop with a Cop.
ATF Special Agent Ralph Lambright. Special Agent Lambright, an expert in firearms and explosives, is recognized for his outreach at schools and community events where he educates members of the public on the dangers of explosive devices.
“We are fortunate in Idaho to have outstanding community policing efforts at every level of law enforcement,” said U.S. Marshal for the District of Idaho Brian T. Underwood. “These outstanding officers have demonstrated a commitment to working with community members and making their neighborhoods and their schools safer and stronger. The U.S. Department of Justice and its law enforcement agencies are proud to recognize these officers’ excellence in community policing.”
Treasure Valley Drug Dealers Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
BOISE – Stacy Duane Wilfong, 40, of Nampa, Idaho, was sentenced yesterday to 220 months in prison for his role in organizing and directing a drug conspiracy involving ten other individuals in the Treasure Valley, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Wilfong was indicted by a federal grand jury on December 8, 2015 and entered his guilty plea on June 2, 2016.
Wilfong came to the attention of investigators in January of 2015 when a co-conspirator, Elizabeth Gaytan, who sold methamphetamine to undercover officers, referred to Wilfong as her source of supply. Investigators applied for and received a court order authorizing the interception of Wilfong’s telephone communications. During the course of approximately twenty days, Wilfong made hundreds of calls dealing with drug distribution. The investigation revealed 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.
In addition to Wilfong, four other co-defendants have been sentenced. Anthony “Tony” Kitchen was sentenced for his role in the conspiracy today and will be serving 71 months in federal prison. Jocelin Jessica Gonzalez, 19, and Elizabeth Ann Gaytan, 37, both from Nampa, were sentenced on July 28, 2016. Gonzalez was sentenced to 40 months imprisonment. Gaytan was sentenced to 100 months of imprisonment. Regina Wade, 50, of Boise was sentenced on August 9 to 41 months in prison.
Two co-defendants are awaiting sentencing. Breeannyn Nicole Pederson, 25, of Parma, and Isela F. Garza, 36, of Nampa, are scheduled to be sentenced on November 9th and 10th respectively. Co-defendant, David Anthony Wales, 31, of Boise, is scheduled to enter a guilty plea on October 6, 2016. Three other co-defendants, John Matthew Caviness, Jr., 34, of Caldwell, Adam William Dillon, 28, of Nampa, and Jason Lee Burgess, 44, of Garden City are currently set for trial.
The crime of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance is punishable by up to twenty years in prison, a maximum fine of $1,000,000 and three years of supervised release.
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.
Three Individuals Sentenced for Methamphetamine Distribution and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
POCATELLO – Edgar Amador-Carrillo, age 23, and Atenedoro Hernandez-Gomez, age 28, both of Malta, Idaho, were sentenced yesterday for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Hernandez-Gomez was also sentenced for unlawful possession of a firearm. Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill sentenced Amador-Carrillo to 135 months in prison and Hernandez-Gomez to 150 months in prison. Yesterday, Judge Winmill sentenced co-defendant Sheyla Aguilar, age 25, of Ventura, California to 18 months in prison for money laundering related to the drug offense. Amador-Carrillo and Hernandez-Gomez pleaded guilty on June 21, 2016, and Aguilar pleaded guilty on June 29, 2016.
According to the plea agreements, on January 21, 2016, Amador-Carrillo agreed to provide an undercover officer with one pound of methamphetamine. While traveling to the location of the meeting, Amador-Carrillo and Hernandez-Gomez were stopped by law enforcement in Bonneville County, Idaho. A search of the vehicle uncovered 454 grams of actual methamphetamine. Additionally, a search of the vehicle recovered a Star Arms .45 ACP handgun, serial number 2060457, in the glove compartment of the car. A fingerprint of Amador-Carrillo’s was found on the handgun. Prior to that, Aguilar received $1,000 from Amador-Carrillo in Idaho Falls, Idaho. Aguilar knew this money represented the proceeds from the sale of methamphetamine. At Amador-Carrillo’s direction, Aguilar wired this money via Money-Gram to a person out of state.
The case was investigated by the Idaho Falls Police Department, the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office, Idaho State Police, United States Department of Homeland Security, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney in cooperation with the Bonneville Prosecutor’s Office.
U.S. Marshal, U.S. Attorney to Lead Community Policing Forum in NampaRead the Press Release
BOISE – The United States Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Marshal Service for the District of Idaho will participate in a community policing forum hosted by the College of Western Idaho on Wednesday, October 5, 2016, from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. The community policing forum is one of more than 400 community policing events the Department of Justice is leading throughout the United States this week, which President Barack Obama has designated as National Community Policing Week. Community members, local and federal law enforcement agencies, and students from CWI’s law enforcement program are invited to attend the event at the Nampa Campus Academic Building, second floor atrium, 5500 E. Opportunity Drive.
“Strengthening the relationship between law enforcement officers and the communities we serve and protect is one of the top priorities of the Department of Justice and for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of Idaho,” said Wendy J. Olson, U.S. Attorney for the District of Idaho. “The purpose of National Community Policing Week and of our forum at the College of Western Idaho is to foster dialogue, promote cooperation, and help citizens and law enforcement officers get to know one another as partners in our shared efforts to build stronger, safer, and more just communities for every American.”
Community policing is a public safety philosophy based on partnership and cooperation between law enforcement and the communities that they are sworn to protect and serve. At the center of community policing is the idea that all members of the community, both officer and civilian, have a stake in the safety of their neighborhoods where they live and work.
Olson and U.S. Marshal Brian Underwood will lead the forum, highlighting outstanding community policing work from throughout the Treasure Valley. They will announce the 14 recipients of the first Excellence in Community Policing Awards, sponsored by their offices.
“We are fortunate in Idaho to have outstanding community policing efforts at every level of law enforcement,” said Underwood. “We are pleased to be recognizing fourteen officers and agents from three different agencies for their excellence in community policing in the Treasure Valley. These officers have demonstrated a commitment to working with community members and making their neighborhoods and their schools safer and stronger.”
Olson and Underwood noted that the Community Policing Forum is the culmination of public meetings and open houses that they have hosted since early August in the three Idaho locations where both have offices, Boise, Pocatello and Coeur d’Alene.
“U.S. Marshal Brian Underwood and I are committed to providing the people we serve with an opportunity to meet and raise concerns with us as federal law enforcement leaders in Idaho,” said Olson. “We hope that Treasure Valley residents will join us on Wednesday evening to learn more about the outstanding efforts in community policing in Idaho and to help us identify where we need improvement and what we can do better.”
Federal Jury Convicts Plummer Man of Sexual AbuseRead the Press Release
COEUR D’ALENE – Jeremy J. Bohlman, 37, of Plummer, Idaho, was convicted yesterday by a federal jury in Coeur d'Alene of aggravated sexual abuse and sexual abuse, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Bohlman was indicted on December 12, 2015.
During the three-day trial, 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. However, after three hours of deliberation, the jury rejected that theory and found him guilty of both counts.
Bohlman had previously been convicted of sexual abuse of a minor and failure to register as a sex offender. All cases have been tried in U.S. District Court because Bohlman is a member of a federally recognized Indian tribe.
"The jury's verdict sends the clear message that sexual assault victims will be heard and believed," said Olson. "This office is committed to working with federal and tribal law enforcement to provide justice for Native American women who are victims of sexual assault."
Bohlman faces up to life in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, and up to a life term of supervised release.
Sentencing is set for December 7, 2016, at 9:00 a.m. before Senior U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge at the federal courthouse in Coeur d'Alene.
The case was investigated by the Coeur d’Alene Tribal Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Former Bank Employee Pleads Guilty to EmbezzlementRead the Press Release
POCATELLO – Stefani Bennett, 44, of Salmon, Idaho, pleaded guilty today in United States District Court to embezzlement by a bank employee, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced.
Bennett was an employee of the U.S. Bank in Salmon, Idaho. On July 8, 2011, Bennett withdrew $100,000 from a customer’s account and converted it to five cashier’s checks and $2,407.59 in cash, which she used to pay her personal bills and make personal purchases, all without authorization. Bennett admitted to other bank employees and to special agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), who interviewed her at a later date, that she took the money.
The charge of embezzlement by a bank employee is punishable by up to 30 years of imprisonment, up to a $1,000,000 fine, and up to five years of supervised release.
Bennett is scheduled to be sentenced on December 14, 2016, before Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill at the federal courthouse in Pocatello.
The case was investigated by the FBI.
Bonner County Man Sentenced for Counterfeiting CurrencyRead the Press Release
COEUR D’ALENE – Daniel Keith Snyder, 51, of Hope, Idaho, was sentenced yesterday for manufacturing counterfeit obligations, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Senior U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge sentenced Snyder to twelve months and one day, to be followed by three months home confinement, and three years supervised release. Snyder was also ordered to pay $1,150 in restitution to counterfeit victims. Snyder was indicted by a federal grand jury in Coeur d’Alene on January 20, 2016.
According to the arguments made in court, Snyder admitted that in late 2015, and early 2016, he manufactured counterfeit $50 notes that were passed at businesses in Sandpoint and Ponderay. In mid-January 2016, the Bonner County Sheriff’s Office and a U.S. Secret Service agent served a search warrant at Snyder’s residence. During this search, investigators seized a computer printer and other items that had been used to manufacture counterfeit currency. At least forty-six notes were passed in north Idaho before Snyder was apprehended.
“This conviction is the culmination of a collaborative effort by the Bonner County Sheriff’s Office, Ponderay Police Department, U.S. Attorney’s Office and U.S. Secret Service,” said Resident Agent in Charge of the Spokane Office of the Secret Service Greg Ligouri. Ligouri went on to say, “the Secret Service truly believes in the partnership approach to policing. By working together, law enforcement has a greater impact on our communities and in stopping those who prey on them.”
The case was investigated by the Bonner County Sheriff’s Office, Ponderay Police Department, and the Spokane office of the United States Secret Service.
Federal Law Enforcement Leaders to Hold Community Open House September 27 at Coeur d’Alene Public LibraryRead the Press Release
COEUR D’ALENE – U.S. Marshal Brian Underwood, FBI Supervisory Special Agent Richard Collodi and U.S. Attorney Wendy Olson will hold a community open house meeting Tuesday, September 27, at the Coeur d’Alene Public Library, 702 East Front Street. Underwood, Collodi and Olson will be in the public meeting room from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. to meet and visit with persons interested in learning more about federal law enforcement in Idaho.
“We will be available for any question, concern or issue community members would like to talk about,” said Olson. “Frankly, we simply want members of the public, whom we serve, to have a chance to personally visit with their federal law enforcement leaders in Idaho. We recognize that it is not always practical for people to come to our offices.”
“Confidence in government and the enforcement of law is achieved by providing true justice and being sincere in our working relationships with all people,” said Underwood. “In Idaho, the work of our local law enforcement is really amazing to see – and we are proud to work with such great professionals and police leadership. Like our local law enforcement partners, we want to ensure that we are doing our part in community policing and relationship building.”
“We are honored to be part of a strong and dedicated law enforcement community serving northern Idaho,” said Collodi. “It is important to take every opportunity to maintain lasting relationships with the community in which we serve.”
Underwood and Olson were both appointed to their positions in 2010 by the President. They serve the entire state of Idaho, which is a single federal judicial district. Collodi supervises the FBI’s Coeur d’Alene office. He has been with the FBI since 2002, and has served in three offices.
Idaho Falls Man Pleads Guilty to Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
POCATELLO – Michael William Martindale, 27, of Ammon, Idaho, pleaded guilty today to possessing with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and heroin, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Martindale was indicted by a federal grand Jury in Pocatello on August 25, 2015.
According to the plea agreement, Martindale was stopped by Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office personnel on June 19, 2015, pursuant to outstanding warrants. Martindale was arrested for those warrants and for driving without privileges. When his vehicle was impounded, officers found a sawed off shotgun, a .38 caliber revolver, baggies of methamphetamine, a balloon containing heroin, a digital scale, oxycodone pills, and other illegal drug paraphernalia. In court, Martindale admitted to possessing the methamphetamine and heroin with the intent to distribute the substances to others. He also admitted to owning the firearms.
Martindale’s drug trafficking charge is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, a maximum fine of $1,000,000, and at least three years, up to life, of supervised release.
Sentencing is set for December 14, 2016, before Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill at the federal courthouse in Pocatello.
The case was investigated by the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
The case was prosecuted as part of Idaho’s Project Safe Neighborhoods Program, which seeks to reduce gun violence in Idaho.
American Falls Man Pleads Guilty to Unlawful Possession of FirearmsRead the Press Release
POCATELLO – Joseph Edison McNutt, 35, of American Falls, Idaho pleaded guilty today to unlawful possession of firearms, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. McNutt was indicted by a federal grand jury on March 22, 2016.
According to the plea agreement, on December 27, 2015, McNutt was stopped by the Idaho State Police for a traffic violation on U.S. 91 in Bannock County, Idaho and arrested on an outstanding warrant. A search of McNutt’s vehicle revealed a Smith and Wesson .40 caliber pistol and a FEG 7.62 x 39 caliber rifle. McNutt admitted to unlawfully possessing both guns. McNutt was prohibited from possessing firearms under federal law, because he had been previously convicted of a felony, burglary in the second degree, in Pima County, Arizona in 2007.
The crime is punishable by up to ten years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, and three years of supervised release. Sentencing is set for December 13, 2016, before Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill at the federal courthouse in Pocatello.
The case was investigated by the Idaho State Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).
The case was prosecuted as part of Idaho’s Project Safe Neighborhoods Program, which seeks to reduce gun violence in Idaho.
Federal Jury Convicts Fort Hall Man of Unlawful Possession of AmmunitionRead the Press Release
POCATELLO - Frank R. Ish, 58, of Fort Hall, Idaho, was convicted yesterday by a federal jury in Pocatello of unlawful possession of ammunition, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Ish was charged by indictment on January 27, 2015.
According to the evidence presented at trial, on October 15, 2014, Fort Hall Police officers observed a box of 30-06 ammunition in Ish’s vehicle, during an investigation of a disturbance at Ish’s residence. Because Ish had been previously convicted of a felony, he was prohibited from possessing ammunition under federal law.
Sentencing is set for December 14, 2016, before Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill at the federal courthouse in Pocatello. Ish faces up to ten years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Fort Hall Tribal Police.
The case was prosecuted as part of Idaho’s Project Safe Neighborhoods Program, which seeks to reduce gun violence in Idaho.
U.S. Attorney Announces ADA Restaurant InitiativeRead the Press Release
BOISE – The Office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Idaho is reviewing restaurants in both Coeur d’Alene and Nampa to ensure that they provide the access required by the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (the “ADA”), U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. The review stems from the Department of Justice’s congressionally-mandated responsibility to ensure compliance with the ADA and is not in response to any specific complaint against a restaurant.
Federal law prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability by the owners and operators of places of public accommodation, which include restaurants. The ADA thus authorizes the U.S. Department of Justice to review restaurants. The ADA requires restaurants to be “designed, constructed and altered in compliance with the accessibility standards established” by the ADA’s implementing regulations.
As part of the review, restaurant owners are first asked to complete a survey regarding their restaurants’ accessibility. Investigators may then visit restaurants to evaluate ADA compliance. If the site visits reveal noncompliance, the U.S. Attorney’s Office will notify the owners and operators. The Department of Justice generally pursues voluntary compliance measures first. It may, however, commence a civil lawsuit in federal court if necessary. It does so, for example, in cases that involve a pattern or practice of discrimination or that raise issues of general public importance.
“People with disabilities who visit, work, or live in Coeur d’Alene and Nampa deserve to have an equal opportunity to enjoy restaurants in these cities, as the ADA requires,” said Olson. “Our goal is to work with restaurant owners to bring them into compliance, so that all their potential patrons have access.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho enforces federal civil rights laws, including the Fair Housing Act, Equal Credit Opportunity Act, Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act, Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, Americans with Disabilities Act, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act. Civil remedies under these statutes include monetary penalties, injunctions, civil judgments and more.
Federal Law Enforcement Leaders to Hold Community Open House September 27 at Coeur d’Alene Public LibraryRead the Press Release
COEUR D’ALENE – U.S. Marshal Brian Underwood, FBI Supervisory Special Agent Richard Collodi and U.S. Attorney Wendy Olson will hold a community open house meeting Tuesday, September 27, at the Coeur d’Alene Public Library, 702 East Front Street. Underwood, Collodi and Olson will be in the public meeting room from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. to meet and visit with persons interested in learning more about federal law enforcement in Idaho.
“We will be available for any question, concern or issue community members would like to talk about,” said Olson. “Frankly, we simply want members of the public, whom we serve, to have a chance to personally visit with their federal law enforcement leaders in Idaho. We recognize that it is not always practical for people to come to our offices.”
“Confidence in government and the enforcement of law is achieved by providing true justice and being sincere in our working relationships with all people,” said Underwood. “In Idaho, the work of our local law enforcement is really amazing to see – and we are proud to work with such great professionals and police leadership. Like our local law enforcement partners, we want to ensure that we are doing our part in community policing and relationship building.”
“We are honored to be part of a strong and dedicated law enforcement community serving northern Idaho,” said Collodi. “It is important to take every opportunity to maintain lasting relationships with the community in which we serve.”
Underwood and Olson were both appointed to their positions in 2010 by the President. They serve the entire state of Idaho, which is a single federal judicial district. Collodi supervises the FBI’s Coeur d’Alene office. He has been with the FBI since 2002, and has served in three offices.
Twin Falls Man Sentenced to Seven Years in Federal Prison for Methamphetamine DistributionRead the Press Release
BOISE – Matthew John Mingoia, Jr., 62, of Twin Falls, Idaho, was sentenced yesterday to 84 months in prison for possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Senior U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge also ordered Mingoia to serve three years of supervised release following his release from prison. Mingoia pleaded guilty on February 23, 2016.
According to information presented in court, Idaho State Police officers received information that Mingoia was selling methamphetamine in the Twin Falls area. On December 3, 2014, investigators executed a search warrant at Mingoia’s residence and located methamphetamine, a firearm, baggies, scales, paraphernalia, surveillance cameras, and other items indicative of methamphetamine distribution.
In determining his sentence, Judge Lodge found that Mr. Mingoia was a habitual offender with multiple prior felony drug convictions. Mingoia has previous convictions of possession of controlled substances for sale in 1999, 2005, and 2007.
The case was investigated by the Idaho State Police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Owner of Jet Boat Companies Indicted for FraudRead the Press Release
BOISE - Christopher Bohnenkamp, 41, formerly of Kuna, Idaho, was indicted on September 13, 2016, by a federal grand jury sitting in Boise for wire fraud and bank fraud, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. On September 15, 2016, Bohnenkamp surrendered to an arrest warrant in Buffalo, New York and was taken into custody. An initial appearance is set before the United States Magistrate Court in Buffalo at 12 p.m. EST.
The indictment, unsealed upon Bohnenkamp’s surrender to the arrest warrant, alleges that Bohnenkamp owned two companies – Bohnenkamp’s Whitewater Customs, Inc. and Treasure Valley Marine, Inc. – that custom built jet boats and trailers. In 2014, Bohnenkamp devised a scheme to defraud customers and material vendors of his companies by misrepresenting that his companies would custom build and deliver jet boats and trailers and pay vendors for materials that they supplied on credit.
The indictment alleges that, from 2012 through 2014, Bohnenkamp accepted approximately $1,611,339 in upfront payments from fifteen customers, but never built and delivered the jet boats and trailers they ordered. Still owing these customers the jet boats and trailers they ordered, and owing material vendors for component parts purchased on credit, the defendant continued to accept orders and upfront payments from new customers from May of 2014 through December of 2014, during which time his companies were insolvent. According to the Indictment, during this time, thirteen new customers paid Bohnenkamp’s companies approximately $1,662,699, and received either unfinished boat hulls or nothing in return.
The indictment further alleges that, between 2012 and 2014, Bohnenkamp defrauded KeyBank and Washington Trust Bank in connection with approximately $1,006,053 in proceeds they lent to six customers to purchase jet boats and trailers. The indictment alleges that Bohnenkamp caused the banks to be provided with false bills of sale that misrepresented that down payments were made, inflated trade-in values, and omitted kick-backs of cash.
The indictment further alleges that, if convicted of wire fraud, the defendant shall forfeit $1,662,699, and that, if convicted of bank fraud, the defendant shall forfeit $1,006,053.
The charge of wire fraud, affecting a financial institution, 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 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 case is being investigated 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.
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.
Meridian Man Sentenced to Five Years in Federal Prison for Selling MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
BOISE – Charles Wilson Yarnell, 35, of Meridian, Idaho, was sentenced yesterday to five years in prison for distributing methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Senior U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge also sentenced Yarnell to serve three years of supervised release after completion of his five-year prison sentence. Yarnell pleaded guilty to the offense on June 30, 2016.
According to court proceedings, Yarnell sold approximately six ounces of methamphetamine to undercover officers in Meridian, Idaho, between April and July of 2015.
This case is the 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, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Nampa Police Department Special Investigations Unit (SIU). Other agencies include Ada County Sheriff’s Office, United States Forest Service (USFS), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Boise County Sheriff’s Office, Boise Police Department, Gooding County Sheriff’s Office, Idaho Department of Fish and Game, Idaho National Guard—Counterdrug Support Office, Meridian Police Department, Milton-Freewater Police Department, Oregon State Police, Power County Sheriff’s Office, Spokane Police Department, Valley County Sheriff’s Office, Walla Walla Police Department, and Washington State Patrol. The OCDETF program is a federal multi agency, multi jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations.
The 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 North Idaho Drug Trafficking Organization Defendants Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
COEUR D'ALENE - Geena Lauren Milho, 25, of Williston, North Dakota, pleaded guilty yesterday to conspiracy to distribute heroin, oxycodone and methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Milho was indicted by a federal grand Jury in Coeur d'Alene on April 19, 2016.
According to the plea agreement, Milho admitted that she was part of a drug trafficking organization which involved at least 20 people. The organization sold heroin, oxycodone and methamphetamine in Idaho, Montana, North Dakota and Eastern Washington. Milho helped the organization by concealing and transporting the controlled substances and making sure the profits went to the appropriate coconspirator. Milho is the first individual to plead guilty out of an indictment which charges 11 individuals. In addition to pleading guilty, Milho agreed to forfeit any interest she has in real property, jewelry or cash held by herself or coconspirators and outlined in the indictment.
The charge of conspiracy to distribute controlled substance is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, a maximum fine of $1,000,000, and at least 3 years supervised release.
Sentencing is set for January 18, 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 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.
Pocatello Man Pleads Guilty to Failing to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
BOISE − Corry Blackmoon Bischoff, 39, of Pocatello, Idaho, pleaded guilty today in United States District Court for failing to register as a sex offender, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Bischoff was indicted by a federal grand jury on March 8, 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 charge of failure to register as a sex offender is punishable by up to ten years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000.00, and five years up to lifetime supervised release.
Sentencing is scheduled for December 6, 2016 before Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill.
The case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service (USMS), and the Idaho Department of Corrections, Bureau of Probation and Parole.
Bischoff was prosecuted for a violation of the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA) passed by Congress in 2006. The Act requires sex offenders to register and keep their registration current in each jurisdiction where they reside. Violations of SORNA can be prosecuted in federal court.
Kuna Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug ChargeRead the Press Release
BOISE – James Brett John, 30, of Kuna, Idaho, pleaded guilty today to 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.
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 methamphetamine, 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 crime of possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute is punishable by a minimum of five years and up to forty years in prison, a maximum fine of $5,000,000 and at least four years of supervised release. Sentencing is set for November 23, 2016, before Senior U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge at the federal courthouse in Boise.
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.
Nampa Man Sentenced to 46 Months in Federal Prison for Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
BOISE – Andrew Joshua Munkel, 27, of Nampa, Idaho, was sentenced today to 46 months in prison for unlawful possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. U.S. District Judge Dee V. Benson from the District of Utah, sitting in Idaho by special designation, sentenced Munkel. Judge Benson also ordered Munkel to serve three years of supervised release following his release from prison. Munkel pleaded guilty on June 20, 2016.
According to court documents, members of the United States Marshals Service Greater Idaho Fugitive Task Force arrested Munkel on December 1, 2015 on a parole violation. When arrested, Munkel possessed a loaded .45 handgun, a digital scale, and baggies containing methamphetamine. Munkel is prohibited from possessing firearms because of his prior felony conviction in 2009 for battery with intent to commit rape and convictions for possession of controlled substances in 2008 and 2014. As part of his plea agreement, Munkel admitted he possessed the .45 handgun in connection with another felony offense, which was the distribution of controlled substances.
The case was investigated by the United States Marshals Greater Idaho Fugitive Task Force and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
Boise Doctor Convicted of Controlled Substance DeliveryRead the Press Release
BOISE – Michael Minas, 50, of Boise, Idaho, was sentenced today to eight years in federal prison on 80 counts of unlawfully distributing controlled substances outside the usual course of professional practice and not for a legitimate medical purpose, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Senior U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge also ordered Minas to pay an $80,000 fine and to forfeit proceeds of $8,000. During the sentencing hearing, Judge Lodge stated that “doctors must be part of the solution, not the source of the problem.” Minas was convicted in May at the end of a 14-day federal jury trial in Boise.
"The lengthy prison sentence imposed by the Court well serves the interests of justice in this case," said Olson. "Medical doctors who knowingly prescribe powerful and addictive painkillers without a legitimate medical purpose are no different than drug dealers. They abuse the trust of their patients, and they create both a public safety and a public health problem.”
In April 2015, a federal grand jury charged Minas with 146 counts of distributing a controlled substance. On May 6, 2016, the jury returned a verdict of 80 counts guilty and 59 counts not guilty. The United States dismissed seven counts during trial.
Evidence at trial showed that Minas knowingly and intentionally prescribed controlled substances outside the usual course of professional practice and not for a legitimate medical purpose. The controlled substance Minas illegally distributed was primarily oxycodone 30 mg, but the jury also found Minas guilty of distributing fentanyl and hydromorphone. The jury heard evidence that Minas wrote prescriptions for extraordinary dosages, such as 240, 300, and even 420 oxycodone 30 mg. It also heard evidence that he often wrote prescriptions at intervals of two or three weeks, but wrote dosage instructions on the prescriptions indicating that it was a month’s supply. The jury also heard evidence that Minas wrote prescriptions for drugs that present a risk of negative interaction with oxycodone, such as benzodiazepines, sedatives, and muscle relaxers. Minas generally charged $100 cash for an appointment. Several former employees testified that Minas’s practice transitioned over time from a standard family practice to one catering to patients claiming chronic pain and seeking opioid narcotics. Many of Minas’s patients testified that the prescriptions issued by the defendant fed the patients’ addiction and resulted in substantial negative effects on their lives.'
Minas operated the River Medical Family Practice in Eagle until his arrest in June of 2014. He had been released pending trial. During that time, Minas has been prohibited from writing prescriptions and from engaging in the practice of medicine except for the limited purpose of transferring patient records so that patients may see other providers. He also was required to relinquish any prescription pads in his possession. Minas has been in custody since his conviction at trial.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) led Tactical Diversion Squad which is comprised of law enforcement personnel from the DEA, Ada County Sheriff’s Office, Boise Police Department, Idaho State Police, Meridian Police Department, Nampa Police Department and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General.
Meridian Man Sentenced to 12 Months in Prison for Oxycodone DistributionRead the Press Release
BOISE - Theodore Pena, 66, of Meridian, Idaho, was sentenced today in United States District Court to 12 months in prison and three years of supervised release for distributing oxycodone, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Senior U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge also ordered that Pena forfeit $3,200 in drug proceeds. Pena pleaded guilty on November 25, 2015.
According to evidence presented at the entry of plea and at his sentencing hearing, officers learned that Pena, who was living in Meridian, was selling his prescribed oxycodone pills to others for profit. Officers investigated that on two separate occasions, Pena sold a large portion of his prescribed oxycodone to an undercover officer.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Boise City Police. 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 for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
BOISE – Patrick Lee Jewell, 34, of Jerome, Idaho 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. Jewell pleaded guilty on April 7, 2016.
According to the plea agreement, Jewell admitted using his e-mail account to communicate with an individual on Craigslist regarding the exchange of images of child pornography in November and December of 2013. In February of 2014, agents with the Department of Homeland Security executed search warrants at Jewell's residence in Jerome, Idaho, and for his e-mail accounts. In his plea agreement, Jewell admitted possessing 61 images of child pornography in his e-mail account, and five images of child pornography on his iPhone.
As part of his plea, Jewell also agreed to forfeit an iPhone and a Samsung laptop computer used in the commission of the charged offense. As a result of his conviction, Jewell will be required to register as a sex offender.
The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, the Jerome County Sheriff's Office, and the Jerome Police Department, and was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. 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 Man Sentenced to Seven Years in Federal Prison for Illegal Gun PossessionRead the Press Release
BOISE – Joshua David Gibson, 32, of Boise, Idaho, was sentenced yesterday in United States District Court for possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Senior U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge sentenced Gibson to 90 months in prison followed by 3 years supervised release. Gibson pleaded guilty to the charge on June 28, 2016.
According to the plea agreement, Gibson admitted that on January 12, 2016, he possessed eleven firearms. Gibson knew some of the firearms were stolen. Gibson sold all eleven of the firearms, the magazines, and the rounds of ammunition to undercover law enforcement. Gibson was prohibited from possessing a firearm due to a previous felony conviction for burglary.
The case was investigated by the Ada County Sheriff’s Office, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Jerome Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
BOISE – Casey Gibson, 23, of Jerome pleaded guilty yesterday in United States District Court to possession of child pornography, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Gibson waived his right to indictment and pleaded guilty to an information filed by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
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 who had not yet attained the age of twelve.
Sentencing is set for November 14, 2016, before Chief U.S. District B. Lynn Winmill.
Possession of child pornography is punishable by up to 20 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a term of supervised release of not less than five years and up to life.
The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the Twin Falls Police Department, and was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. 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 Man Pleads Guilty to Destruction of Historic Trapper CabinRead the Press Release
BOISE – Jason Reed, 22, of Boise, Idaho, pleaded guilty today in United States Magistrate Court to destruction of government property, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Reed was charged by an information filed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Reed admitted that in August of 2015, he caused extensive damage to the Trapper Cabin. The Trapper Cabin is a government owned historic property located at the French Creek Trailhead on the McCall Ranger District of the Payette National Forest, in Valley County, Idaho. Reed advised Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge Ronald E. Bush that he broke out the cabin’s windows, wrapped a winch cable from his father’s ATV around the deck of the cabin, and pulled the deck off its foundation. He then admitted to wrapping the winch cable around a log on the corner of the cabin and pulled the two bottom logs, causing the cabin to partially collapse.
The Trapper Cabin was built in 1936 and is one of two cabins left in Idaho that were built and utilized for predatory control by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. It was built in the Rocky Mountain style log cabin, using peeled lodge pole pine logs and mud chinking. It is the only cabin on the Payette National Forest that was built in this style. Prior to the damage caused by Reed, the cabin was in good condition and was eligible to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The cost to restore the cabin is $31,919.20. Reed has agreed to provide restitution in full.
The charge of destruction of government property is a class A misdemeanor and is punishable by up to one year in prison, one year of supervised release, and a fine of up to $100,000.
Reed is scheduled to be sentenced on November 14, 2016, before Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge Ronald E. Bush at the federal courthouse in Boise.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Forest Service.