District of Idaho
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Mexican National Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun ChargeRead the Press Release
POCATELLO - Juan Carlos Sepulveda-Castro, 31, a citizen of Mexico, pleaded guilty today to one count of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Sepulveda-Castro was indicted by a federal grand Jury in Pocatello on February 23, 2016.
According to the plea agreement, Idaho Falls police arrested Sepulveda-Castro after a report that he had threatened several others with a gun during a dispute. Officers found a loaded, Sig Sauer Model 522, .22 caliber, assault-style rifle that Sepulveda-Castro admitted to possessing. The defendant is prohibited from possessing firearms because he is an alien illegally and unlawfully in the United States.
The charge of unlawful possession of a firearm is punishable by up to 10 years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000.00, and up to three years of supervised release. The government is seeking forfeiture of the firearm the defendant illegally possessed.
Sentencing is set for June 22, 2016, before Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill at the federal courthouse in Pocatello.
The case was investigated by Idaho Falls Police, U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
This case was prosecuted by the new Special Assistant U.S. Attorney hired by the Eastern Idaho Partnership and the State of Idaho. The Eastern Idaho Special Assistant U.S. Attorney was hired 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 11 counties and 18 cities across eastern Idaho, in partnership with the Idaho Department of Correction and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Utah Man Sentenced for Illegal Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
POCATELLO – Jose Angel Lucio, 34, of Ogden, Utah, was sentenced today to 39 months in prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also ordered Lucio to serve three years of supervised release. Lucio pleaded guilty on December 9, 2015.
According to the plea agreement, on April 12, 2013, Lucio was arrested by the United States Marshals Service for an outstanding warrant. When he was arrested, Deputy U.S. Marshals found a Remington 30-06 rifle in his vehicle. Lucio subsequently admitted he had transported the rifle from Utah to Idaho for the purpose of selling it. Lucio had previously been convicted of aggravated assault in Weber County, Utah, and was prohibited from possession any firearms.
The case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Idaho State Police.
Washington Man Pleads Guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
BOISE – Sergio Maldonado-Farias, 39, of Monroe, Washington, pleaded guilty today in United States District Court to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. He was charged by the U.S. Attorney’s Office on February 22, 2016.
According to the plea agreement, Maldonado-Farias had stopped his vehicle on the shoulder of I-84 near Jerome, Idaho. An Idaho State Police trooper arrived to assist Maldonado-Farias and subsequently asked for consent to search his vehicle. Mr. Maldonado-Farias granted consent and the officer located two bricks containing methamphetamine. The defendant admitted that he was transporting methamphetamine to distribute to another individual.
Sentencing is set for June 1 2016, before Senior United States District Judge Edward J. Lodge.
The charge of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine is punishable by up to twenty years in prison, a maximum fine of $1,000,000, and up to three years of supervised release.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Agency and the Idaho State Police.
Twin Falls County Man Pleads Guilty to Unlawful Possession of FirearmsRead the Press Release
BOISE – Michael A. Southerland, 26, of Twin Falls County, Idaho, pleaded guilty yesterday in United States District Court to unlawful possession of firearms, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Southerland was indicted by a federal grand jury on November 10, 2015.
According to the plea agreement, Southerland admitted that on October 28, 2015, he knowingly possessed two firearms after having been convicted of felony possession of a destructive device in California.
Southerland was arrested after law enforcement responded to a 911 call to the residence that he shared with his girlfriend, Lillian Cawley, and her daughter. The residence formerly belonged to Glen Cawley, Lillian Cawley’s estranged husband. In March 2015, Glen Cawley was found dead at the residence, having been shot in the back of the head with a shotgun. Lillian Cawley and Southerland subsequently moved into the residence. The murder of Glen Cawley is still under investigation.
Sentencing is set for June 14, 2016, before Chief United States District Judge B. Lynn Winmill.
The charge of unlawful possession of firearms is punishable by 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 Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Twin Falls Sheriff’s Office.
Shoshone Man Sentenced to 130 Years for Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
BOISE –William Roger Wilkinson, 54, of Shoshone, Idaho, was sentenced today to 130 years in federal prison for sexually exploiting an eight-year-old child on three occasions by using her to produce sexually explicit images, possessing child pornography and accessing child pornography with intent to view, U.S. Attorney Wendy Olson announced. Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also sentenced Wilkinson to a term of supervised release of five years, and entered an order forfeiting Wilkinson's interest in his former Shoshone home and real property where the child pornography was produced, and the electronic equipment used to commit the offenses. The proceeds of the forfeiture will be used to satisfy the Court's order of restitution to the victims of the offenses, which totals $155,766.36. Wilkinson was convicted by a jury on October 29, 2015, after a five-day trial.
According to the evidence presented at trial, the investigation began in May 2013, after an eight-year-old child disclosed that Wilkinson had taken sexually explicit pictures of her. Lincoln County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Wilkinson in May 2013, and searched his home in Shoshone, Idaho. During the investigation, Wilkinson was released on bond, but a warrant was issued for his arrest after the investigation revealed child pornography on a desktop computer taken from his residence. Wilkinson fled his place of work in Twin Falls, Idaho, when deputies attempted to arrest him on November 2, 2013. The United States Marshal’s Service Fugitive Task Force in Salt Lake City, Utah, arrested Wilkinson on November 12, 2013. The FBI obtained a warrant to search the truck Wilkinson had driven to Utah and found a laptop computer and other evidence.
A forensic examiner from the FBI’s Intermountain West Regional Computer Forensics Lab located images on both the desktop computer and the laptop computer depicting Wilkinson and the eight-year-old child engaging in sexually explicit conduct. That evidence showed that on November 3, 2012, on December 9, 2012, and on March 3, 2013, Wilkinson knowingly used, persuaded, or coerced an eight-year-old child to take part in sexually explicit conduct and produced visual depictions of that conduct. Data imbedded in the digital photos showed that they were taken at Wilkinson’s home in Shoshone, Idaho. The evidence further showed that Wilkinson searched for, and viewed, websites containing child pornography on his desktop computer.
"Appropriately, Mr. Wilkinson will spend the rest of his life in federal prison, where he can no longer directly harm his young victim or pose any further threat to children," said Olson. "This sentence sends the strong and clear message that those who prey on the most vulnerable among us will face sure and stern punishment."
The case was investigated by agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Idaho and Utah, and deputies from the Lincoln County, Idaho, Sheriff’s Department and the United States Marshals Service.
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.”
Nevada Man Sentenced to 42 Months in Prison for Methamphetamine DistributionRead the Press Release
BOISE - Diego Alejandro Alcantar-Armenta, 29, of Elko, Nevada, was sentenced today in United States District Court to 42 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also ordered Alcantar-Armenta to forfeit $8,200 in drug proceeds. He pleaded guilty to the charge on January 11, 2016.
According to evidence presented in court, Alcantar-Armenta, who was living in Elko, Nevada, conspired to distribute methamphetamine in the state of Idaho between July 24, 2015, and September 8, 2015. The defendant and his co-conspirators arranged for three separate deliveries of methamphetamine to the Boise area. Investigating officers discovered the conspiracy and were able to intervene.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Ada County Sheriff’s Office, Elmore County Sheriff’s Office, Owyhee County Sheriff’s Office, and the Elko Combined Narcotic Unit of Elko, Nevada.
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.
Utah Man Indicted for False Statement in Passport Application and False Use of a Social Security NumberRead the Press Release
BOISE - Jesus Ricardo Espinoza-Suarez, 43, of Layton, Utah, made an initial appearance yesterday on charges of false claim to United States citizenship, false statement in an application for passport, and false use of a social security number, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Espinoza-Suarez was indicted on March 8, 2016, by a federal grand jury in Boise.
The indictment alleges that Espinoza-Suarez used a name, social security number, and date of birth which were not his own in a passport application in March 2009. The indictment further alleges that in 2014, Espinoza-Suarez falsely claimed he was a United States citizen in an application for an Idaho State driver’s license and falsely represented a social security number to be his own on an I-9 application for employment.
The charge of false claim to United States citizenship is punishable by up to five years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release. The charge of false statement in application for passport is punishable by up to 10 years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release. The charge of false use of a social security number is punishable by up to five years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release.
A trial is set for May 17, 2016, before Senior U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge at the federal courthouse in Boise.
The case is being investigated by U.S. Department of State, Diplomatic Security Service and U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. The case is being prosecuted by a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney as part of a partnership venture between the Social Security Administration Office of General Counsel and the United States Attorney’s Office to prosecute social security misuse and fraud.
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.
Pocatello Man Pleads Guilty to Distribution of Methamphetamine and Illegal Possession of FirearmsRead the Press Release
POCATELLO – Christopher Keeling, 30, of Pocatello, Idaho, pleaded guilty today in United States District Court to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession of firearms by a convicted felon, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Keeling was indicted by a federal grand jury on August 25, 2015.
According to the plea agreement, on various occasions between October 2014, and June 9, 2015, Keeling distributed in excess of fifty grams of actual methamphetamine to a confidential informant and undercover officer in Pocatello and Idaho Falls, Idaho. On June 9, 2015, law enforcement served a search warrant on the defendant’s residence in Pocatello, Idaho. Prior to that date, the defendant had been convicted of felony possession of a controlled substance. During the search warrant, officers found the defendant to be in possession of several handguns and shotguns.
The charge of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine is punishable by ten years to life in prison, at least five years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $1,000,000. The charge of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon is punishable by up to ten years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.
Keeling is scheduled to be sentenced on May 23, 2016, before Senior U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge in Pocatello.
The case was investigated by the Idaho State Police, Pocatello Police Department, Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Hayden Man Sentenced for Counterfeit ManufacturingRead the Press Release
COEUR D'ALENE - Travis Lou Quiring, 41, of Hayden, Idaho, was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court to 24 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for manufacturing counterfeit bills, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also ordered Quiring to pay $ 1,785.00 in restitution and forfeit all the counterfeit manufacturing material. Quiring pleaded guilty to the charge on July 28, 2015.
According to the plea agreement, Quiring admitted that he washed and counterfeited Federal Reserve Notes by washing one-dollar bills or five-dollar bills and printing larger denomination Federal Reserve Notes on top of the washed bills. These counterfeit bills were passed to numerous merchants in North Idaho and elsewhere.
The case was investigated by United States Secret Service and Coeur d’Alene Police Department.
Chubbuck Man Sentenced for Wire Fraud and Theft of Government FundsRead the Press Release
POCATELLO - Travis John Attanasio, 54, of Chubbuck, Idaho, was sentenced today in United States District Court to 18 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Senior U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge also ordered Attanasio to pay $259,563 in restitution. He pleaded guilty to the charges on December 1, 2015.
According to court proceedings, Attanasio admitted that between June 29, 2012, and October 30, 2014, he defrauded a disabled veteran and the federal government of $259,563.12. Attanasio volunteered to serve as the fiduciary for the veteran, and instead of conserving the victim’s funds and monthly benefits from the Veterans Affairs, he spent them at various retail and online vendors. The purchases included gold and silver coins, guns, and a trailer. In addition, Attanasio requested and received a portion of the victim’s conserved Social Security funds that he subsequently spent. During the time Attanasio received and spent the funds, he knew that the victim was a disabled veteran living in a state veteran’s home.
The case was jointly investigated by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General and the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General with help from the Pocatello Police Department. The case was being prosecuted by a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney as part of a partnership venture between the Social Security Administration Office of General Counsel and the United States Attorney’s Office to prosecute social security fraud.
Telephone Scammers Continue to Target Idaho ResidentsRead the Press Release
BOISE – The United States Attorney’s Office and the United States Marshals Service are advising Idaho residents to be aware of telephone calls threatening individuals of a pending arrest warrant. Calls have been reported in the Boise, Pocatello and Twin Falls area.
It was recently reported that Idaho residents have received a phone call from a person claiming to be a Deputy U.S. Marshal. The calls are coming from (208) 252-6977. The caller identifies himself as “David Perry” and leaves the phone number (208) 917-8141. When unsuspecting citizens return the call an automated message says:
You have reached the U.S. Marshals Service serving the Northern District of Idaho. If this is an emergency, hang up and dial 911. If you have information regarding the whereabouts of an absconded fugitive please remain on the line for the next available deputy. For all other inquiries please listen closely because our menu options have recently changed. For warrants division, press 1; for civil processing division, press 2; for gang enforcement, press 3; for the officer in charge, press 4; for clerk of courts, press 5.
Once connected to a person, individuals are given the choice to avoid a federal arrest warrant by paying a fine to settle out of court. The individual may be instructed to purchase a prepaid Visa or MasterCard, and to provide the number on the back of the card to the caller.
Because the telephone calls are continuing to occur, the United States Attorney wants the public to be aware of these scam calls. Officers do not notify people of arrest warrants by phone. A valid arrest warrant would be served in person by a Deputy U.S. Marshal or other law enforcement officer. Persons receiving such a telephone call are cautioned not to provide any information and to notify the U.S. Marshals Service immediately.
“I urge everyone who receives this type of phone call to be very skeptical, or better yet, simply hang up the phone,” said Brian T. Underwood, United States Marshal for the District of Idaho. “This is not a typical way that the U.S. Marshals resolve warrant related matters.”
It is a crime for an individual to falsely represent himself or herself as a federal official or Deputy United States Marshal. Accordingly, this scam and any similar fraudulent conduct will be investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service, in partnership with the FBI.
Federal Jury Convicts Boise Man of Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana and Unlawful Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
BOISE – U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced today that Shaun McNabb, 35, of Boise, Idaho, was convicted by a federal jury of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute and unlawful possession of a firearm. McNabb was charged by a superseding indictment on February 23, 2016.
According to the evidence presented at trail, on December 25, 2014, a Boise Police officer observed McNabb driving early in the morning and believed he was driving on a suspended license.McNabb pulled into a Shell gas station without signaling and the officer initiated a traffic stop. Before the officer could exit his patrol vehicle, McNabb had already got out of his vehicle, and refused the officer’s repeated commands to get back into his vehicle. McNabb was placed under arrest for driving without privileges and resisting or obstructing officers.A drug dog later gave a positive alert for the presence of drugs within the vehicle. The vehicle was then searched, where the officer located a grey backpack in the trunk. In the backpack the officer found a 45 caliber handgun, a magazine containing ten 45 caliber rounds, one loose 45 caliber round, a digital scale, and two large vacuum sealed bags containing more than one pound of marijuana. Because McNabb had previously been convicted of a felony, he was prohibited from possessing firearms under federal law.
McNabb is set for sentencing on June 1, 2016, before Senior U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge at the federal courthouse in Boise. For possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, McNabb faces not more than five years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, and at least two years of supervised release. For unlawful possession of a firearm, McNabb faces not more than 10 years, in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, and not more than three years of supervised release.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Boise Police Department.
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.
Two California Men Plead Guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute Oxycodone and HydromorphoneRead the Press Release
BOISE – Michael Kulikoff, 30, and Kenneth Miller, 57, both of California City, California, pleaded guilty yesterday to conspiracy to distribute oxycodone and hydromorphone, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Co-defendants Diane Miller, 41, and Crystal Clark 43, also of California City, California, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute oxycodone and hydromorphone. Diana Miller was sentenced on January 15, 2016, to 15 months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. All four were indicted by a federal grand jury in Boise on May 12, 2015.
According to the plea agreement and court proceedings, Kenneth Miller, Diane Miller, and Crystal Clark sold their prescriptions of oxycodone to Michael Kulikoff. Kulikoff admitted to distributing those and other prescription pills to Boise, Idaho. Kulikoff admitted that he distributed between 500 and 1750 30mg pills of oxycodone to a confidential informant and an undercover officer in Idaho.
The charge of conspiracy to distribute oxycodone and hydromorphone is punishable by not more than twenty years in prison, a maximum fine of $1,000,000, and at least three years of supervised release.
Sentencing for Clark is set for April 4, 2016, before Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill at the federal courthouse in Boise. Judge Winmill will sentence Kenneth Miller and Michael Kulikoff on May 5, 2016.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Boise Police Department as an Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF partners include 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 case was initiated and investigated by the Boise Police Department, and 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.
Marijuana Trafficker Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
BOISE - Jose Martin Diaz-Lara, 33, of Walla Walla, Washington, and originally from the State of Mexico, in Mexico, pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and 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. Diaz-Lara was charged by a superseding indictment on December 8, 2015.
According to court documents, Diaz Lara was arrested on September 23, 2015, along with a co-conspirator Carlos Avalos-Cervantes, in a remote, timbered canyon 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 a 9mm handgun in furtherance of the drug trafficking crime. The court documents also state that the marijuana operation was supported and supplied by other co-defendants. Diaz-Lara and Avalos-Cervantes and other co-conspirators are Mexican nationals who entered the United States illegally.
Co-defendant Avalos-Cervantes has pleaded guilty to the same charges as Diaz-Lara and both will be sentenced on April 19, 2016. Trial for the remaining defendants is scheduled for May 9, 2016, before Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill.
The maximum penalty for manufacturing more than 1,000 marijuana plants with intent to distribute the drug is not to exceeded 20 years, as well as a $1,000,000 fine. The maximum penalty for possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes is not less than five years imprisonment consecutive to any other penalty, and a $250,000 fine.
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.
Fort Hall Man Sentenced for Selling MethRead the Press Release
POCATELLO – Charles Eugene Allhands, 52, of Fort Hall, Idaho, was sentenced today to eight months in prison for possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also ordered Allhands to serve three years of supervised release. Allhands pleaded guilty on December 9, 2015.
According to the plea agreement, on March 8, 2015, Allhands sold methamphetamine to an individual at Allhands’ residence on the Fort Hall Indian Reservation.
The case was investigated by the Fort Hall Police Department, the Bingham County Sheriff’s Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Boise Man Pleads Guilty to Failing to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
BOISE - Richard Martinez, Jr., 39, of Boise, Idaho, pleaded guilty today in United States District Court for failing to register as a sex offender, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Martinez was indicted by a federal grand jury on August 11, 2015.
According to the plea agreement, Martinez was convicted in July 2011, of possession of child pornography by the Department of the Army. As a result of the conviction, Martinez was required to register and update his registration under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). Martinez was previously convicted of failing to register as a sex offender in Ada County, Idaho in 2015. After release from custody in February of 2015, Martinez registered as a sex offender with the State of Idaho, listing his residence as a hotel in Boise. Martinez confirmed this as his residence with the State of Idaho in April and June 2015. However, Martinez moved from the hotel in May of 2015, and did not update his registration. Boise Police Detectives arrested Martinez in Garden City, Idaho on July 8, 2015. Martinez subsequently admitted that he had moved approximately 4-6 weeks earlier and had not updated his registry as required.
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 May 6, 2016 before visiting U.S. District Judge Dee V. Benson.
The case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service (USMS), the Boise Police Department, and the Idaho Department of Corrections, Bureau of Probation and Parole.
Richard Martinez, Jr. 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.
U.S. Supreme Court Denies Joseph Duncan’s Petition to Hear Competency AppealRead the Press Release
The United States Supreme Court on Monday denied convicted killer Joseph Duncan’s petition to hear his appeal, announced U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson. The Court’s action leaves in place Senior U.S. District Court Judge Edward J. Lodge’s December 2013 finding that Duncan was competent to waive his appeal, which had been affirmed by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in March 2015. The three federal death sentences returned by a jury in August 2008 and imposed by Judge Lodge also remain in place. No execution date has been set, and Duncan’s attorneys still may seek other post-conviction relief through federal habeas proceedings.
Duncan pleaded guilty in federal district court in Boise in December 2007 to a ten-count indictment charging him with various crimes related to the 2005 kidnapping and murder of a nine-year-old boy and an eight-year-old girl from their home outside Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Duncan admitted killing the boy in the Lolo National Forest in Montana. Three of the charges to which Duncan pleaded guilty made him eligible for the death penalty under federal law. Duncan was represented by legal counsel at his guilty plea, but elected to represent himself at the capital sentencing hearing. Although Judge Lodge found both that Duncan was competent to represent himself at the capital sentencing hearing and subsequently to waive his right to appeal, the Ninth Circuit originally ruled in July of 2011 that Judge Lodge should have held an evidentiary hearing on competency and ordered him to do so retrospectively. Judge Lodge conducted the hearing in January and February of 2013. He issued a sixty-six page order in December 2013 finding Duncan competent. After the Ninth Circuit affirmed that decision last year, Duncan’s attorneys sought Supreme Court review through filing of a petition for a writ of certiorari. Monday, the Supreme Court denied the petition.
“The United States remains confident that all appropriate legal process has been afforded to Mr. Duncan, and that he was competent and able to exercise his Sixth Amendment right to represent himself,” said Olson. “We are pleased that the Supreme Court declined to hear further direct appeal in this case. We will continue to defend this lawful prosecution and Judge Lodge’s deliberate and thorough consideration of the defendant’s competency. We will continue to seek justice for the victims in this case through any efforts by Mr. Duncan’s attorneys to seek post-conviction review. Mr. Duncan’s crimes were heinous and tragic for the victims, their family, and the north Idaho communities in which they occurred. We need to bring this to a close.”
Duncan also pleaded guilty in Idaho state court for the 2005 kidnapping and murders of his federal victims’ mother, 13-year-old brother and mother’s boyfriend. He separately pleaded guilty in Riverside County, California, to the murder of an 11-year-old boy there in 1997. In addition to the three federal death sentences, he faces six life sentences for his Idaho state convictions, three life sentences for his Idaho federal convictions, and one life sentence for his California conviction.
Man Sentenced for Stealing from the Nez Perce Indian TribeRead the Press Release
COEUR D'ALENE - Daniel Wayne Winslow, 32, of Clarkston, Washington, was sentenced today to five years of probation, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Senior U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge also ordered Winslow to pay $199,000 in restitution. Winslow pleaded guilty to the charge on November 17, 2015.
According to the plea agreement, Winslow admitted that he was a cashier at the Nez Perce Express, which is owned by the Nez Perce Tribal Enterprises, an organization of the Nez Perce Tribe, a federally recognized Indian Tribe. During the defendant’s employment, he would sell cigarettes to customers and take the cash money. The defendant then used his cash register to void the sale and converted the money the customer paid for the cigarettes to his own use. This practice of voiding the sales allowed the defendant to show a balanced cash drawer at the end of his shift. An audit revealed the defendant has stolen approximately $199,000 of tribal funds over several years during his employment at Nez Perce Express.
The case was investigated by Nez Perce Indian Tribe and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Owner of Burley Income Tax Preparation Business Pleads Guilty to Preparing Falsified Income Tax Returns for ClientsRead the Press Release
BOISE – Cruz “Kelly” Chacon, 42, of Burley, Idaho, pleaded guilty yesterday in United States District Court to preparing false income tax returns for clients of her business, “Kelly’s Tax Service,” U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced.
Chacon pleaded guilty to one count of assisting, advising, and counseling clients to submit materially false federal income tax returns to the IRS. According to the plea agreement, the IRS estimates that from 2008 through 2011, Chacon and some of her employees at Kelly’s Tax Service submitted over 2,500 federal falsified income tax returns. They did this primarily by claiming tax credits to which their clients were not entitled. Specifically, Chacon and her employees would prepare tax returns that claimed the “child tax credit” and the “additional child tax credit” for taxpayers who did not qualify for these credits. This had the effect of increasing clients’ tax refunds, which helped the defendant to generate business. As part of her plea agreement, Chacon has agreed to pay $81,384.00 in restitution.
Sentencing is set for May 9, 2016, before Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill.
“Those who intentionally submit falsified income tax returns to the IRS victimize all taxpayers because we all share the costs of paying for the improper tax refunds,” said Olson. “We will continue to work closely with the IRS to root out this illegal activity, especially where a tax preparation business assists individuals in breaking the law.”
“Choose carefully when hiring a tax preparer and avoid tax preparers who claim they can obtain larger refunds than other preparers,” said Stephen Boyd, IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge for the State of Idaho. For tips on Choosing a Tax Professional go to www.irs.gov.
Advising, assisting, and counseling in the preparation of a false income tax return punishable by up to three years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a term of supervised release of one year, and a $100 special assessment.
The case was investigated by the IRS Criminal Investigations division.
Kuna Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
BOISE – Jonathan Dillard, 49, of Kuna, Idaho, pleaded guilty today in United States District Court to possession and access with intent to view child pornography, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Dillard was indicted by a federal grand jury on July 15, 2015.
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. Sentencing will be scheduled at a later date before U.S. District Judge Stanley A. Bastian, serving by designation from the Eastern District of Washington.
Possession and access with intent to view child pornography is punishable by a mandatory minimum 10 years, and up to 20 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a term of supervised release of not less than five years and up to life, and a $100 special assessment. As part of his plea, Dillard also agreed to forfeit a laptop computer, a flash drive, and 2 DVDs used in the commission of the charged offense.
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.”
Fruitland Woman Indicted for False Billing at Payette Dental ClinicRead the Press Release
BOISE – Cherie R. Dillon, 60, of Fruitland, Idaho, made an initial appearance yesterday on charges of health care fraud and aggravated identity theft, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Dillon was indicted on February 9, 2016, by a federal grand jury in Boise.
The indictment alleges that Dillon was a dental hygienist and operated Dental Healthcare with Heart in Payette, Idaho. The indictment further alleges that between January 1, 2010, and December 31, 2013, she executed a scheme to defraud health care benefit programs, including Medicaid. In particular, the indictment alleges that even though Dillon was only a dental hygienist, she performed dental services that may only be performed by a dentist. Dillon received payment for those services from health care benefit programs while fraudulently misrepresenting that the services had been performed by a dentist, and while using the name and provider number of a particular dentist who was not in the office and who was unable to practice at the time.
The maximum sentence for health care fraud is up to ten years of imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. Aggravated identity theft carries a two year mandatory minimum prison sentence and up to a $250,000 fine.
A trial is set for April 18, 2016, before Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill at the federal courthouse in Boise.
“People who fraudulently perform and bill for dental procedures that only licensed dentists are authorized to perform threaten the well-being of vulnerable Medicaid patients and the taxpayers who fund this important program,” said Special Agent in Charge Steven J. Ryan of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. “Alongside our law enforcement partners, our agents will continue to aggressively pursue those who commit health care fraud just to enrich themselves.”
The case is being investigated by Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General with assistance from the Idaho Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
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.
San Clemente, California Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute 15 Kilograms of CocaineRead the Press Release
BOISE – Christopher “Farley” Woods, 57, of San Clemente, California, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute cocaine, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Woods was indicted by a federal grand jury in Boise on August 11, 2015.
According to the plea agreement, Woods admitted that between 2008, and June 9, 2015, he conspired to distribute cocaine by supplying co-conspirators in Idaho and Utah with 15 kilograms of cocaine. He also admitted to selling each kilogram of cocaine for $35,000. As part of his plea agreement, Woods agreed to forfeit 1.4 million dollars in cash proceeds, his residence in Orange County, California, $77,400 in seized currency, and three million shares of stock.
The charge of conspiracy to distribute cocaine is punishable by at least five years, but not more than forty years in prison, a maximum fine of $5,000,000, and at least four years of supervised release.
Sentencing is set for May 24, 2016, before Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill at the federal courthouse in Boise.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Marshals Service Asset Forfeiture Division, Blaine County Narcotics Enforcement Team, Blaine County Sheriff’s Office, and the Los Angeles Interagency Metropolitan Police Apprehension Crime Task Force.
Coeur d'Alene Tribal Man Charged with Aggravated Sexual AssaultRead the Press Release
COEUR D'ALENE - Jeremy J. Bohlman, 37, who lived on the Coeur d’Alene Indian Reservation, was arrested yesterday on charges of aggravated sexual assault, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Bohlman was indicted by a federal grand jury on December 15, 2015.
The indictment alleges Bohlman, a tribal member, knowingly caused the victim to engage in a sex act by use of force against the victim. It is further alleged that Bohlman was previously convicted of a sex offense.
Aggravated sexual assault is punishable by up to life in prison, a $250,000 fine, and supervised release up to life.
The case is being investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Coeur d’Alene Tribal Police.
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.
Two Defendants Arrested in Multi-County Meth DistributionRead the Press Release
BOISE - Sergio Ayala-Sotelo, 26, and Gilberto Sanchez-Andrade, 25, both from Mexico, made an initial appearance today on charges of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Both of the defendants were indicted on February 9, 2016, by a federal grand jury in Boise.
The Indictment alleges that between January 27, 2016, and January 28, 2016, the defendants conspired with each other to distribute methamphetamine in the state of Idaho. Ayala-Sotelo also is charged with three counts of possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, and Sanchez Andrade is charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
The maximum sentence for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine is at least ten years and up to life in prison and up to a $10 million fine. The maximum sentence for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine depends on the amount of methamphetamine possessed on the specific date charged. Ayala-Sotelo faces a maximum sentence of at least five years and up to forty years in prison on two of the possession with intent to distribute counts and at least ten years up to life in prison on the third. Sanchez-Andrade faces a maximum sentence of at least ten years up to life in prison on the possession with intent to distribute count in which he is charged. The maximum fines on the possession with intent to distribute counts range from $5,000,000 for two of the counts charged against Ayala-Sotelo to $10,000,000 for the third possession with intent to distribute count pending against Ayala-Sotelo and the one count against Sanchez-Andrade.
A trial is set for April 4, 2016, before U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill at the federal courthouse in Boise.
The case is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration Task Force comprised of the Ada County Sheriff’s Office, Boise Police Department, Meridian Police Department, and Nampa Police Department. The investigation was also assisted by Twin Falls County Sheriff’s Office, Twin Falls Police Department, Cassia County Sheriff’s Office, Elmore County Sheriff’s Office, and Mountain Home Police Department.
The case is being 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.
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.
Rigby Man Pleads Guilty to Illegal Gun Possession and Trafficking MethRead the Press Release
POCATELLO - Brian Kim Southam, 36, of Rigby, Idaho, pleaded guilty today to unlawful possession of a firearm and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Southam was indicted by a federal grand jury in Pocatello on September 22, 2015.
According to the plea agreement, Southam admitted that on August 3, 2015, he unlawfully possessed four handguns, including a Taurus .380 caliber pistol, a Sig Sauer .45 caliber pistol, a Canik55 9mm pistol, and a Ruger .22 caliber pistol. He also admitted that he possessed with intent to distribute more than 1,200 grams of actual methamphetamine, recovered from his storage unit. The defendant was prohibited from possessing firearms due to a previous felony conviction for possession of a controlled substance in Bannock County, Idaho. Madison County Sheriff's deputies arrested the defendant on August 3, 2015, after he was found in possession of a vehicle reported stolen out of Butte, Montana.
The charge of unlawful possession of a firearm is punishable by up to 10 years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000.00, and up to three years of supervised release. The charge of possession with intent to distribute 1,200 grams of methamphetamine is punishable by 10 years to life in prison, a maximum fine of $10,000,000.00, and up to five years of supervised release.
Sentencing is set for May 20, 2016, before Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill at the federal courthouse in Pocatello.
The case was investigated by the Madison County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
This case was prosecuted by an Assistant U.S. Attorney in Pocatello, with sentencing handled by the new Special Assistant U.S. Attorney hired by the Eastern Idaho Partnership and the State of Idaho. The Eastern Idaho Special Assistant U.S. Attorney was hired 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 11 counties and 18 cities across eastern Idaho, in partnership with the Idaho Department of Correction and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Florida Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Methamphetamine and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
BOISE – Michael Angelo Sapp, 40, of Pensacola, Florida, was sentenced today in United States District Court to 300 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and unlawful possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Senior U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge also ordered Sapp to forfeit a firearm and $6,000 in drug proceeds. Sapp was convicted by a federal jury on November 20, 2015, after a three-day trial.
According to evidence presented at trial and at his sentencing hearing, Sapp, who was then living in Meridian, Idaho, was involved in a high speed chase the night of December 23, 2014. Meridian police officers attempted to stop him after he was reported as an intoxicated driver who hit a pole at the McDonald’s drive thru located at 195 E. Central in Meridian. During the chase that followed, Sapp reached speeds of 90 miles per hour, drove in the wrong lane and ran several red lights. Officers finally stopped him near Meridian and Chinden roads. The jury found that Sapp possessed with the intent to distribute 174 grams of pure methamphetamine, which was found in his vehicle. The jury also found him guilty of possessing a .380 semi-automatic pistol. Sapp had previously been convicted in the state of Florida of grand theft firearm, burglary, grand theft of more $10,000, grand theft of $300-500, possession of a firearm by convicted felon, burglary of an unoccupied conveyance, pawnbroker transaction fraud, dealing in stolen property by trafficking, fraud upon secondary metals recyclers, grand theft of a firearm, and grand theft. At the time of his arrest, he was wanted on felony warrants out of the state of Florida, and had fled the state to avoid arrest.
Judge Lodge found that Sapp obstructed justice by committing perjury at trial and by attempting to unlawfully influence witnesses. Sapp also received a sentencing enhancement for creating a substantial risk of death or serious bodily injury to other persons in the course of fleeing from law enforcement.
The case was investigated by the Meridian Police Department, the Ada County Sheriff’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration, 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.
California Man Sentenced to 70 Months on Gun and Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
BOISE – Ronald Eugene Bohm, 50, from California, was sentenced yesterday to 70 months in prison followed by four years of supervised release for possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute and possessing a machinegun, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Bohm was indicted by a federal grand jury on August 11, 2015 and entered guilty pleas on December 2, 2015.
According to court records, on July 26, 2015, Meridian Police Officers responded to Bohm’s residence in Meridian, Idaho after receiving complaints about parking violations. At the residence, officers contacted Bohm’s wife and co-defendant, Constance Bohm, and noticed the smell of marijuana from the house. Constance Bohm admitted to the officers that she had marijuana. At the same time, Bohm arrived at the residence with several individuals associated with the Henchman motorcycle club. A drug detection dog was utilized and alerted on Bohm’s saddle bag on his motorcycle. Officers found marijuana and firearms in the saddle bag. Officers then obtained a search warrant from the court to search the residence. Inside the residence, officers found approximately 63 grams of methamphetamine and 176.2 grams of marijuana. Officers also located a digital scale in the master bedroom with amphetamine residue on it and numerous firearms and firearm components including a drop in auto sear, which is a combination of parts designed to convert a semiautomatic firearm into a fully automatic machine gun. Other firearms located in the residence included two AR-15 semiautomatic rifles, five AR-15 receivers, a .22 caliber rifle with a shortened barrel, and a 7.62X54 millimeter rifle with a shortened barrel. None of the AR15 guns had a make, model, or serial number on them. Bohm was the President of the Idaho chapter of the Henchmen Motorcycle Club. As a condition of Bohm’s supervised release he was ordered not to have any contact with individuals identified by local law enforcement agencies as documented gang members nor can he possess any items representing or showing any affiliation with gangs.
The co-defendant, Constance Bohm, is scheduled for sentencing on March 29, 2016.
This case was investigated by the Meridian Police Department and the Treasure Valley Metro Violent Crime Task Force. 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.
Second Texas Woman Sentenced in Credit Card Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
BOISE – Charmaine Danelle Montgomery, 23, of Fort Worth, Texas, was sentenced today in United States District Court to 30 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release for perpetrating a credit card fraud scheme that targeted local retailers in June 2015, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also ordered Montgomery to pay $15,904.08 in restitution. Montgomery pleaded guilty on December 1, 2015.
According to the plea agreement, Montgomery admitted to traveling to the District of Idaho, along with her co-defendant, Brooke Darby, for the purpose of making fraudulent purchases of gift cards and merchandise from retail stores, using stolen credit card numbers encoded onto stock gift cards. Montgomery admitted to obtaining the stock debit cards encoded with unauthorized credit card numbers, and making purchases at retail stores on June 23 and June 24, 2015. In all, Montgomery admitted that she and Darby purchased approximately $13,095.90 in gift cards and merchandise with the fraudulently encoded gift cards. Upon their arrest, Darby and Montgomery were found in possession of approximately 250 gift cards encoded with unauthorized credit card numbers.
Co-defendant Darby also pleaded guilty and was sentenced on January 25, 2016, to 28 months in prison and three years of supervised release. She was also ordered to pay restitution.
The case was investigated by the United States Secret Service and the Boise Police Department.
Sex Offender Sentenced for Failing to RegisterRead the Press Release
BOISE - Martin Daniel Atkins, 32, of Boise, Idaho, was sentenced today in United States District Court to 36 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release, for failing to register as a sex offender, and violating the terms of his supervised release, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Atkins pleaded guilty to the charges on October 6, 2015.
According to the plea agreement, Atkins was convicted in May 2005, of sexual abuse of a minor in U.S. District Court. As a result of the conviction, Atkins was required to register and update his registration under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). Atkins was previously convicted of failing to register as a sex offender in Canyon County, Idaho in 2010, and in U.S. District Court in 2011 and 2013. After release from the Federal Bureau of Prisons in May of 2015, Atkins registered as a sex offender with the State of Idaho, listing his residence as a half-way house in Boise. He was also subject to federal supervised release. On June 5, 2015, Atkins moved to the Duck Valley Indian Reservation in Nevada. Upon moving from Boise, Atkins did not update his State of Idaho sex offender registration, nor did he notify his probation officer of his whereabouts. Atkins was arrested on July 2, 2015, by officers with the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs.
The case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service (USMS), the United States Probation Office, and the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA).
Martin Daniel Atkins 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.
Rigby Man Pleads Guilty to Bankruptcy FraudRead the Press Release
POCATELLO – Kim Thompson, 49, of Rigby, Idaho, pleaded guilty today in United States District Court to bankruptcy fraud, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Thompson was charged by the U.S. Attorney’s Office on January 15, 2016.
According to the plea agreement, on October 14, 2010, defendant Kim Thompson filed bankruptcy in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Idaho. As part of those proceedings, Thompson testified under oath at the meeting of creditors that he had no aircraft or accessories. Thompson subsequently admitted that he had purchased a Piper Arrow aircraft in 2009. He admitted that he lied under oath about his ownership of the plane and stated that he never transferred the registration or ownership documents into his name in order to conceal ownership of the airplane from the bankruptcy trustee. He further stated that he hoped to use the plane in a business after completion of the bankruptcy and was afraid he would lose the plane if he disclosed it to the trustee.
The charge of bankruptcy fraud is punishable by up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.
Thompson is scheduled to be sentenced on May 20, 2016, before Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill at the federal courthouse in Pocatello.
The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service.
Burley Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing and Distributing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
POCATELLO – Danny Henderson, 42, of Burley, Idaho, pleaded guilty today in United States District Court to possessing and distributing child pornography, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Henderson was indicted on October 27, 2015.
According to the plea agreement, on May 26, 2015, Henderson sent twenty-one sexually exploitative images of minors to another person via email. A subsequent search of his residence revealed several computers with numerous sexually exploitive images of minors. Henderson admitted that he possessed the images, knowing the images contained visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, and also knowing that production of such visual depictions involved the use of minors in sexually explicit conduct.
The charge of possession of child pornography is punishable by up to twenty years in prison, up to five years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of distribution of child pornography is punishable by at least five and up to twenty years in prison, at least three and up to five years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.
Henderson is scheduled to be sentenced on May 20, 2016, before Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill at the federal courthouse in Pocatello.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations.
Fort Hall Man Pleads Guilty to ManslaughterRead the Press Release
POCATELLO – Joaquin Broncho, 19, of Fort Hall, Idaho, pleaded guilty today in United States District Court to voluntary manslaughter, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Broncho was indicted by the federal grand jury in Pocatello on September 23, 2014, on a charge of second-degree murder. Broncho was previously charged as a juvenile in this case, but his case was later transferred to adult court.
According to the plea agreement, on August 29, 2014, Broncho and others were involved in a fight outside of a residence on the Fort Hall Indian Reservation. Broncho went into the house, obtained a knife and went back outside and stabbed the victim, Joey Runninghorse. Runninghorse was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead as a result of the stabbing.
The charge of voluntary manslaughter is punishable by up to 15 years in prison, up to five years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.
Broncho is scheduled to be sentenced on May 16, 2016, before Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill at the federal courthouse in Pocatello.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Fort Hall Police Department.
Seven Arrested for Multi-State Drug Trafficking and Money Laundering RingRead the Press Release
COEUR D’ALENE - Seven people were arrested yesterday for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, distribution of controlled substances, and conspiracy to engage in money laundering, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. The multi-state drug trafficking ring included Loren Toelle, 51, Steven Wayne Jackson, 30, Sean Lee Jackson, 27, Robert Lamar Hill, 54, Kristin Rene Wilson, 28, all of Las Vegas, Nevada. Also arrested for their involvement in the money laundering conspiracy were Sherlann Simon, 34, of North Las Vegas, Nevada, and Stanley Toelle, 61, of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. The defendants were indicated by a federal grand jury on January 20, 2016, in Coeur d’Alene. An eighth defendant, Jessica Nadine Frederick, 27, of Liberty Lake, Washington, remains a fugitive.
The indictment alleges that the organization has generated at least $1.3 million in drug proceeds since 2009. In addition to a cash proceeds, the indictment also seeks to forfeit numerous pieces of real property, vehicles, and bank accounts that were used to facilitate the organizations drug trafficking or were obtained with the organization’s drug proceeds. Loren Toelle, Steven Jackson, Sean Jackson, Robert Hill, and Jessica Frederick were also indicted on separate drug distribution charges relating to controlled purchases of heroin and/or oxycodone that law enforcement made from the individuals throughout the investigation.
On February 4, 2016, in a coordinated effort by state, local and federal law enforcement 18 search warrants were executed in Idaho, Nevada, and North Dakota.
The charge of conspiracy to distribute heroin, oxycodone, and methamphetamine carries a mandatory minimum charge of at least 10 years and not more than life; a $10,000,000 fine and at least five years of supervised release. Each charge of distribution of oxycodone and heroin is punishable by up to twenty years in prison, a maximum fine of $1 million, and at least three years of supervised release. The charge of conspiracy to commit money laundering is punishable by up to twenty years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release.
“Prescription drug abuse, and the addiction to opiates and heroin, is a growing national problem and a growing Idaho problem,” said Olson. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office and its federal, state, and local law enforcement partners are prepared to vigorously investigate and prosecute those who distribute these dangerous drugs in our community.”
The charges are the result of a long-term investigation by the FBI North Idaho Violent Crime Task Force into the family organization that is responsible for distributing heroin, oxycodone, and methamphetamine in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, Spokane, Washington, Las Vegas, Nevada, Missoula, Montana, and various areas of North Dakota, including Williston, Fargo, and the area in and around the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation.
The arrests and indictment are 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. Other agencies involved include the Williston, North Dakota Police Department, Divide County Sheriff’s Office K9s, 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.
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.
Caldwell Man Sentenced to Prison for Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
BOISE – Isaac Bright, 22, of Nampa, Idaho, was sentenced today to 27 months in prison for unlawful possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Senior U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge also ordered Bright to serve three years of supervised release and have no contact with gang members. The federal sentence imposed will run consecutively with a state sentence that the defendant is now serving. Bright was found guilty on November 5, 2015.
According to court documents, law enforcement stopped a vehicle in which Bright was a passenger because of a traffic violation. During the stop, Bright lied to the officer about his identity and the fact that he was on felony probation at the time. Officers ultimately were able to determine Bright’s identity and confirmed that he had an outstanding warrant for his arrest. During a search of his person, the officer found a loaded handgun in his waistband. Bright was prohibited from possessing a gun because he was previously convicted of the felony crime of kidnapping on May 2, 2014, in Canyon County. Bright was also known to be a documented Norteno gang member.
Bright was charged as a result of an investigation by the Treasure Valley Metro Violent Crimes Task Force, which focused on the “Norteno” Northside gang that is active in Nampa and other parts of the Treasure Valley. Fourteen individuals were indicted on drug and gun charges as a result of the investigation. So far, eleven defendants have been sentenced. Guadalupe Serrano, 35, of Caldwell, was sentenced on April 21, 2015, to 75 months in prison for possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and for possessing firearms in furtherance of the drug trafficking crime. Nicole Danelle Nieto, 31, of Nampa, was sentenced on May 26, 2015, to 41 months in prison for distributing methamphetamine. Jose Manuel Menchaca, 35, of Nampa, was sentenced on May 28, 2015, to 60 months in prison for distributing methamphetamine. On June 17, 2015, Brandi Larrea, 31, of Nampa, was sentenced to 48 months in prison for distributing methamphetamine and Tara Noelle Rivera, 30, of Nampa, was sentenced to 24 months in prison for distributing methamphetamine. Johnny Lee Martinez, 33, of Nampa, was sentenced on July 20, 2015, to 57 months in prison for distributing methamphetamine. Michael David Bradshaw, 31, of Nampa, was sentenced on August 6, 2015, to 66 months in prison for distributing methamphetamine. Kenny P. Breedlove, 35, of Porterville, California, was sentenced on October 22, 2015, to 110 months for possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute. Guillermo Farias Jr., 29, of Nampa, was sentenced on October 26, 2015, to time served and three years of supervised release for his role in assisting with methamphetamine distribution. Richard Lobato, 51, of Nampa, was sentenced on December 3, 2015, to 60 months for distribution of methamphetamine. Veronica Cantu, 26, of Nampa, was arrested in Michigan in November and is set for trial in April. One defendant, Ruben Rodriguez, 36, of Nampa, has an outstanding warrant.
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.
Marijuana Grower Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
BOISE - Carlos Avalos-Cervantes, 31, of Walla Walla, WA, and originally from Mexico, pleaded guilty today to one count of conspiracy to manufacture a controlled substance with intent to distribute it, the substance being more than 1,000 marijuana plants; and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Avalos-Cervantes was charged by superseding indictment on December 8, 2015.
According to court documents, Avalos-Cervantes was arrested on September 23, 2015, along with a co-conspirator Martin Diaz-Lara, in a remote, timbered canyon 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, Avalos-Cervantes and his co-conspirator each possessed a 9mm handgun in furtherance of the drug trafficking crime. The court documents also state that the marijuana operation was supported and supplied by other co-defendants. Avalos-Cervantes and his co-conspirator are Mexican nationals who entered the United States illegally.
Diaz-Lara, along with co-defendants Javier Avila-Contreras, Rogelio Arevalo-Villasenor, and David Becerra-Saucedo are scheduled for trial on April 19, 2016, before Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill.
The maximum penalty for manufacturing more than 1,000 marijuana plants with intent to distribute the drug is not less than 10 years and may extend up to life in prison, as well as a $10,000,000 fine. The maximum penalty for possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes is not less than five years imprisonment consecutive to any other penalty, and a $250,000 fine.
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), and 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.
Idaho Residents are Targets of Telephone ScammersRead the Press Release
BOISE – The United States Attorney’s Office and the United States Marshals Service are advising Idaho residents to be aware of telephone calls threatening individuals of a pending arrest warrant. During the call, unsuspecting citizens are given the choice to avoid a federal arrest warrant by paying a fine to settle out of court. The individual may be instructed to wire money. The caller may provide a false case number. Because the telephone calls are continuing to occur, the United States Attorney wants the public to be aware of these scam calls. Officers do not notify people of arrest warrants by phone. A valid arrest warrant would be served in person by a Deputy U.S. Marshal or other law enforcement officer. Persons receiving such a telephone call are cautioned not to provide any information and to notify the U.S. Marshals Service immediately.
It was recently reported that an Idaho resident received a phone call from a person claiming that the U.S. Attorney for the District of Idaho had issued a federal warrant for the citizen’s arrest. The call came from someone who identified herself as “Leslie” and claimed to be an investigator with the “Tate Law Firm” in Texas. Leslie told the citizen that she could pay $2,700 to have the arrest warrant cancelled. When the citizen did not agree, “Leslie” transferred her to someone who posed as a lawyer and tried to convince the citizen to pay the $2,700 amount. When the citizen still would not agree, the lawyer transferred her back to “Leslie” who offered to resolve the matter for approximately $1,500.
“I urge everyone who receives this type of phone call to be very skeptical,” said Brian T. Underwood, United States Marshal for the District of Idaho. “Those who receive similar calls should contact the local U.S. Marshal’s office to verify, as this is not a typical way or resolving warrant related matters.”
It is a crime for an individual to falsely represent himself or herself as a federal official or Deputy United States Marshal. Accordingly, this scam and any similar fraudulent conduct will be investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service, in partnership with the FBI.
Hayden Septic Waste Business Sentenced for Clean Water Act ViolationRead the Press Release
COEUR D'ALENE - The Rooter Guy, LLC, and its founder Ben Broyles, 62, of Hayden, Idaho, were sentenced today in federal court for violating the Clean Water Act, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. The Rooter Guy, LLC was sentenced to three years organization probation. Ben Broyles, the majority owner and operator of The Rooter Guy, LLC was also sentenced to three years of probation. Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also ordered that Broyles and his corporation pay a $17,000 fine and $4,000 in restitution to the City of Hayden, and to perform 100 hours of community service. Guilty pleas were entered on November 18, 2015.
According to the plea agreements, between March 17, 2014, and May 16, 2014, the defendants violated the Clean Water Act by pumping septic waste into the City of Hayden’s municipal sewer system operated by the Hayden Area Regional Sewer Board. Although The Rooter Guy LLC is licensed to collect septic waste from commercial and residential customers, it is required to dispose of septic waste at facilities designed to collect and treat waste in accordance with environmental considerations and EPA regulation. Hayden’s municipal sewer system is not designed to accept and treat septic waste.
"Enforcement of federal criminal environmental laws promotes healthy safe communities for all of us,” U.S. Attorney Wendy Olson observed. “Unfortunately, The Rooter Guy LLC put its bottom line above its obligation to conduct its business in a way that protects public safety. The successful investigation and prosecution in this case sends a clear message that businesses who put profits ahead of public safety will be brought to justice."
“Dumping unpermitted septic waste into a wastewater treatment plant not only damages expensive equipment, but can sicken or injure people,” said Scot Adair, Acting Special Agent in Charge of EPA’s criminal enforcement program in Idaho. “By refusing to comply with the law, the defendants jeopardized the health and safety of an entire community. Today’s guilty plea shows that those who ignore this country’s environmental laws can expect to face the consequences in court.”
The case was investigated by the Environmental Protection Agency with the assistance of the City of Hayden, the Hayden Area Regional Sewer Board, Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Secret Service, and the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office.
Former Husband and Wife Plead Guilty to Bankruptcy FraudRead the Press Release
POCATELLO - Benjamin Gunn, 46, of Rock Springs, Wyoming, and Melody Gunn, 45, of Idaho Falls, Idaho, pleaded guilty yesterday to bankruptcy fraud, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. The Gunns were charged by information on January 28, 2016.
According to the plea agreements, the Gunns filed for bankruptcy in May 2011, and
falsely represented in the filed petitions, schedules, and statement of financial affairs the value and transfer of a 1968 Camaro. The Gunns’ electronic signatures verified the truthfulness of the filed documents under penalty of perjury. Within the documents, however, the Gunns represented the value of the Camaro as $5,000 and falsely claimed that they held another asset, a 2008 Artic Cat Prowler Utility Task Vehicle (UTV), as “property held for another person.” In truth, the Gunns had received the UTV, purchased in 2008, for $9,499, in addition to $2,500 cash and construction services, in exchange for the Camaro. The Camaro later sold at auction for $13,190. The Gunns admitted in court that they provided the false information with the intent to mislead and conceal assets from the chapter 7 trustee, in order to influence or prevent the trustee from seizing and selling the UTV in the course of the bankruptcy proceedings.
The charge of bankruptcy fraud 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 April 12, 2016, before Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill at the federal courthouse in Pocatello.
The case was investigated by Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI).
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.
Pocatello Man Pleads Guilty to Social Security FraudRead the Press Release
POCATELLO - Timmy Adam Allen, 51, of Pocatello, Idaho, pleaded guilty today to social security fraud, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Allen was indicted by a federal grand jury in Pocatello on August 11, 2015.
According to the plea agreement, Allen admitted that in February 2012, he applied for social security benefits for his son and requested to be the representative payee. As part of the application, the defendant falsely represented that his son lived with him. In reliance on that application and the false statement it contained, the Social Security Administration determined the son was eligible for benefits and appointed Allen as the representative payee. From on or about February 9, 2012, through on or about July 3, 2014, the defendant received $21,681 in social security benefits for his son. The defendant did not spend any of the money on his son or conserve it for his future use. Instead, the defendant took the $21,681 and spent it on himself.
The charge of social security fraud is punishable by up to five years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000.00, and up to three years of supervised release.
Sentencing is set for March 29, 2016, before Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill at the federal courthouse in Pocatello.
The case was investigated by the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General with assistance from the Power County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney as part of a partnership venture between the Social Security Administration Office of General Counsel and the United States Attorney’s Office to prosecute social security fraud.
Post Falls Banker Sentenced for Bank FraudRead the Press Release
COEUR D'ALENE - Randy Gard Teall, 67, of Post Falls, Idaho, was sentenced today in United States District Court to 12 months and one day in prison followed by five years of supervised release for bank fraud, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Senior U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge will determine the amount of restitution Teall will be ordered to pay. Teall pleaded guilty to the charge on September 15, 2015.
According to the plea agreement, Teall was an officer at Global Credit Union in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. In this position, Teall was authorized to make and approve loans up to $300,000 without board approval. During Teall’s employment with Global Credit Union, he executed a scheme to procure loans from Global Credit Union by false promises or statements. Specifically, Teall made false statements to Global Credit Union about the creditworthiness of three borrowers and a business. Teall and one of the borrowers were business partners in a real estate endeavor and Teall was the borrower’s landlord. After providing these false statements, Teall approved loans to these individuals which defrauded Global Credit Union. Teall acted with the intent to defraud Global Credit Union when he made and approved these loans. Global Credit Union was a financial institution whose deposits were federally insured by the National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund. Teall was previously convicted of making false statements on a loan application while he was employed by U.S. Bank in 1997.
The case was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Today's announcement is part of efforts underway by President Obama's Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force (FFETF), which was created in November 2009 to wage an aggressive, coordinated and proactive effort to investigate and prosecute financial crimes. With more than 20 federal agencies, 94 U.S. attorneys’ offices and state and local partners, it’s the broadest coalition of law enforcement, investigatory and regulatory agencies ever assembled to combat fraud. Since its formation, the task force has made great strides in facilitating increased investigation and prosecution of financial crimes; enhancing coordination and cooperation among federal, state and local authorities; addressing discrimination in the lending and financial markets and conducting outreach to the public, victims, financial institutions and other organizations. Over the past three fiscal years, the Justice Department has filed more than 10,000 financial fraud cases against nearly 15,000 defendants including more than 2,700 mortgage fraud defendants.
California Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
BOISE - Christopher Sheldon Miller, 40, of Union City, California, pleaded guilty on January 27, 2016, to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Miller was indicted by a federal grand jury in Boise on September 9, 2015.
According to court proceedings, Miller admitted that he and his co-conspirators traveled to the District of Idaho from California for the purpose of executing the bank fraud scheme. Between June 25 and 29, 2015, the defendant and his co-conspirators made and attempted to make a number of fraudulent withdrawals at various banks in Ada County and Canyon County. The defendant would go into a bank, impersonate a real account holder, and present a fake California driver’s license and other personal information of the real account holder to obtain a temporary debit card. Miller attempted to make and made withdrawals at the banks. The defendant and his co-conspirators also made fraudulent purchases at various stores, using the customer account information. The defendant and his co-conspirators made at least $34,958.95 in fraudulent withdrawals and purchases in Idaho. In addition, the defendant and his co-conspirators made an additional $35,632.01 in fraudulent withdrawals and purchases in Colorado in June 2015.
The charge of conspiracy to commit bank fraud is punishable by up to 30 years in prison, a maximum fine of $1,000,000.00, and up to five years of supervised release. The charge of aggravated identity theft is punishable by a mandatory term of imprisonment of two years consecutive to the underlying conspiracy to commit bank fraud charge.
Sentencing is set for April 12, 2016, before Senior U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge at the federal courthouse in Boise.
The case was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Boise Police Department.
Orofino Man Admits Illegal Gun PossessionRead the Press Release
COEUR D'ALENE - Stephen C. Walker, 23, of Orofino, Idaho, pleaded guilty today to unlawful possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Walker was indicted by a federal grand jury in Coeur d'Alene on June 16, 2015.
According to the plea agreement, Walker admitted that on October 29, 2014, he had a .22 caliber firearm in his back pocket. The defendant was prohibited from possessing a firearm due to a previous felony conviction for burglary. The defendant was contacted by police around midnight, in an area that had been subjected to burglaries the night before.
The charge of unlawful possession of a firearm is punishable by up to 10 years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release.
Sentencing is set for May 10, 2016, before Senior U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge at the federal courthouse in Coeur d'Alene.
The case was investigated by the Orofino City Police Department, the Nez Perce Tribal Police, FBI and ATF.
The case was prosecuted as part of Idaho’s Project Safe Neighborhoods Program, which seeks to reduce gun violence in Idaho.
Texas Woman Sentenced in Credit Card Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
BOISE – Brooke Ashley Darby, 29, of Fort Worth, Texas, was sentenced today to 28 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release for committing wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also ordered Darby to pay $15,325.25 in restitution. Darby pleaded guilty on November 10, 2015.
According to Darby’s plea agreement, she admitted to traveling to Idaho, along with her co-defendant, Charmaine Montgomery, for the purpose of making fraudulent purchases of gift cards and merchandise from retail stores, using stolen credit card numbers encoded onto stock gift cards. Darby admitted to obtaining the stock debit cards encoded with unauthorized credit card numbers, and making purchases at retail stores on June 23 and June 24, 2015. In all, Darby admitted that she and Montgomery purchased approximately $13,095.90 in gift cards and merchandise with the fraudulently encoded gift cards. Upon her arrest, Darby and Montgomery were found in possession of approximately 250 gift cards encoded with unauthorized credit card numbers.
Montgomery pleaded guilty on December 1, 2015, to committing wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. Her sentencing is set for February 11, 2016.
The case was investigated by the United States Secret Service and the Boise Police Department.
Boston Mafia Associate Pleads Guilty to Idaho Gun ChargeRead the Press Release
BOISE- Enrico M. Ponzo, a/k/a Jay Shaw, a longtime fugitive from Boston, Massachusetts, who posed as a rancher while living on the run in Marsing, Idaho, pleaded guilty this afternoon in the U.S. District Court in Boise to unlawful possession of firearms, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced.
According to the plea agreement, Ponzo admitted that on February 8, 2011, he knowingly possessed 33 firearms after having been convicted of felony assault and battery on a public employee.
Ponzo was arrested by the FBI and the U.S. Marshals in Marsing, Idaho, in February 2011, 16 years after he fled Boston. After his arrest in Idaho, he was returned to Boston to face numerous charges. In November 2013, following a seven-week-trial, Ponzo was found guilty of racketeering conspiracy, the 1989 attempted murder of Francis P. Salemme, Sr., and the 1994 attempted murder of Joseph Cirame, both of whom were shot and seriously injured. The jury found Ponzo guilty of murder conspiracy in aid of racketeering, firearm possession in relation to murder conspiracy, conspiracy to distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine, conspiracy to distribute more than 1,000 kilograms of marijuana, conspiracy to use extortionate means to collect a debt, use of extortionate means to collect a debt, unlawful flight to avoid prosecution, money laundering conspiracy, money laundering, and attempted witness tampering. U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton sentenced Ponzo to 28 years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release.
Sentencing in the Idaho case is set for April 14, 2016, before Senior U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge.
The charge of unlawful possession of firearms is punishable by 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 Treasure Valley Metro Violent Crime Task. 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 Treasure Valley Metro Violent Crime Task Force assisted the Greater Idaho Fugitive Task Force in apprehending Ponzo. The Greater Idaho Fugitive Task Force is comprised of the U.S. Marshals Service, the Ada and Canyon County Sheriff’s Offices, and the Boise and Nampa City Police Departments.
Moscow Man Pleads Guilty to Interstate Communication of ThreatsRead the Press Release
COEUR D'ALENE - Paul Jens Suggs, 19, of Moscow, Idaho, pleaded guilty yesterday to interstate communication of threats, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Suggs was indicted by a federal grand jury in Coeur d'Alene on December 15, 2015.
According to the plea agreement, Suggs admitted that in September 2015, he made several posts on Facebook threatening to shoot a man in Moscow and to shoot law enforcement officers in Moscow and Pullman, Washington. Additionally Suggs posted that he was going to kill the family members of the officers.
The charge of interstate communications of threats is punishable by up to five years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000.00, and up to three years of supervised release.
Sentencing is set for April 5, 2016, before U.S. District Judge Candy W. Dale at the federal courthouse in Coeur d'Alene.
The case was investigated by the Pullman Police Department, Moscow Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Methamphetamine Dealer Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
BOISE – Clifford R. Crabtree, 32, of Caldwell, Idaho, was sentenced today in United States District Court to 46 months in prison for distributing methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Senior U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge also ordered Crabtree to serve three years of supervised, during which he will be prohibited from associating with gang members.
According to court records and information presented in court, law enforcement officers received information that Crabtree, a documented Southside gang member, was engaged in the sale of methamphetamine. Officers utilized a confidential human source to purchase methamphetamine from Crabtree on two occasions. On June 24, 2014, the confidential human source traveled to a residence in Caldwell, Idaho to purchase methamphetamine from Crabtree. Crabtree introduced the confidential human source to co-defendant Efren Garcia Jr. who was sitting in a parked vehicle a short distance down the road. Garcia provided methamphetamine to the confidential human source and Crabtree was paid for facilitating the transaction at the direction of Garcia. The second controlled purchase occurred on August 5, 2014. During the transaction, Crabtree sold one-quarter ounce of methamphetamine to the confidential human source. Crabtree and Garcia were indicted by a federal grand jury on April 14, 2015. Crabtree pleaded guilty on November 12, 2015. Garcia pleaded guilty on October 29, 2015, and is currently awaiting sentencing.
This case was the result of an investigation by the Treasure Valley Metro Violent Crime Task Force. 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.
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.
Former Tribal Officer Sentenced to Federal Prison for Misdemeanor AssaultRead the Press Release
COEUR D'ALENE - Ramon L. Garcia, 31, of Plummer, Idaho, was sentenced yesterday in United States District Court to four months in prison for assault, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Garcia pleaded guilty to the charge on October 20, 2015.
According to the plea agreement, Garcia admitted that he was heavily intoxicated when he pointed a firearm at a man at a party. Garcia was a Coeur d’Alene Tribal Police Officer and off duty at the time of the June 20, 2014 incident. The Coeur d’Alene Tribe released Garcia from employment after the incident. At sentencing Garcia took responsibility for his actions and told the court he would no longer use alcohol. Judge Dale noted that the maximum punishment for a misdemeanor assault was six months in custody and that Garcia had no prior criminal history. In sentencing Garcia to the Bureau of Prisons, Judge Dale told Garcia he had betrayed the public trust given to him. In addition to the prison sentence Garcia was ordered to surrender his Idaho POST accreditation and certification.
The case was investigated by Coeur d’Alene Tribal Police and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Nampa Man Sentenced to Prison for Drug and Gun CrimesRead the Press Release
BOISE – Jose Enrique Olvera Jr., 51, of Nampa, Idaho, was sentenced today in United States District Court to 84 months in prison for possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute and unlawfully possessing a firearm, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Senior U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge also ordered Olvera to serve four years of supervised release following his release from prison. Olvera pleaded guilty to the charges on November 3, 2015.
According to court documents, law enforcement agents executed a search warrant at Olvera’s residence on June 18, 2014. During the search, agents found methamphetamine, scales, packaging material, drug ledgers, $2,767, seven firearms, and ammunition. The firearms included a 20 gauge sawed-off shotgun with an obliterated serial number, other shotguns, rifles, and a handgun. Olvera was prohibited from possessing the firearms because he was previously convicted of the felony crime of possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver in 2003. Law enforcement agents also determined through the course of their investigation that Olvera was a gang member.
Olvera was charged as a result of an investigation by the Treasure Valley Metro Violent Crimes Task Force, which focused on the “Norteno” Northside gang that is active in Nampa and other parts of the Treasure Valley. Fourteen individuals were indicted on drug and gun charges as a result of the investigation. So far, ten defendants have been sentenced. Guadalupe Serrano, 35, of Caldwell, was sentenced on April 21, 2015, to 75 months in prison for possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and for possessing firearms in furtherance of the drug trafficking crime. Nicole Danelle Nieto, 31, of Nampa, was sentenced on May 26, 2015, to 41 months in prison for distributing methamphetamine. Jose Manuel Menchaca, 35, of Nampa, was sentenced May 28, 2015, to 60 months in prison for distributing methamphetamine. On June 17, 2015, Brandi Larrea, 31, of Nampa, was sentenced to 48 months in prison for distributing methamphetamine and Tara Noelle Rivera, 30, of Nampa, was sentenced to 24 months in prison for distributing methamphetamine. Johnny Lee Martinez, 33, of Nampa, was sentenced on July 20, 2015, to 57 months in prison for distributing methamphetamine. Michael David Bradshaw, 31, of Nampa, was sentenced on August 6, 2015, to 66 months in prison for distributing methamphetamine. Kenny P. Breedlove, 35, of Porterville, California, was sentenced on October 22, 2015, to 110 months for possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute. Guillermo Farias Jr., 29, of Nampa, was sentenced on October 26, 2015, to time served and three years of supervised release for his role in assisting with methamphetamine distribution. Richard Lobato, 51, of Nampa, was sentenced on December 3, 2015, to 60 months for distribution of methamphetamine. Isaac Bright, 21, of Caldwell, is scheduled for sentencing on February 3, 2016. Veronica Cantu, 26, of Nampa, was arrested in Michigan in November and is set for trial in April. One defendant, Ruben Rodriguez, 36, of Nampa, has an outstanding warrant.
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.
Fort Hall Man Sentenced for Assault on an Officer and Illegal Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
POCATELLO – Raymond Hye Broncho, 40, of Fort Hall, Idaho, was sentenced today to 108 months in prison for assault on an officer with a dangerous weapon and illegal possession of a firearm by a drug user, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Senior U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge also ordered Broncho to serve three years of supervised release, and to forfeit the guns involved in the incident. Broncho pleaded guilty on October 27, 2015.
According to the plea agreement, on September 20, 2014, Fort Hall Police officers were dispatched to a residence at 144 Lodge Pine on the Fort Hall Indian Reservation for a report of shots being fired. An officer arrived at the residence and found the door open and the house empty. Rifle-type spent shell casings were found near the front door. Additional officers heard yelling outside and saw Broncho holding an assault rifle in front of his body in a tactical position, as though he could raise the barrel and aim and shoot at any moment. The defendant was saying, “They’re in the trees” and “Watch out, they’re going to get me,” as though he saw other persons who weren’t really there. The officer ordered Broncho to drop the rifle multiple times, but Broncho ignored the commands. Eventually, Broncho went back into his house and shut the door.
Other officers assembled in the area and set up a perimeter on the house, surrounding it with officers and trying to negotiate with the defendant. An officer heard Broncho yell that he had a “head shot” on an officer. The officer thought it could have been her so she moved to another location and finally was positioned at the corner of a house near the Broncho residence. While there, five shots rang out and the bullets impacted the ground a few feet from where the officer was standing. Later investigators found that the second officer’s car had been hit by three bullets from the round of five shots.
The Bannock County and Federal Bureau of Investigations Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) teams arrived. While three members of the Bannock County SWAT team were positioned to watch the Broncho residence, Broncho began yelling. Then the Bannock County Sheriff’s SWAT team members heard a round fired from a deep-sounding rifle and they saw the round hit right in front of the position of the three officers. Another round was fired which hit the ground five to ten feet in front of the officers’ position.
The defendant surrendered to police later. Police took the defendant’s rifle, a SKS, Norinco assault rifle into custody. Police also found a .22 caliber rifle in the house, which they took into custody.
Broncho admitted that he possessed the firearms while he was an unlawful user of a controlled substance. He admitted to police officers that he had been using methamphetamine just before the shooting incident began and a blood test showed methamphetamine in the defendant’s body.
The case was investigated by the Fort Hall Police Department, the Bannock County Sheriff’s Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Treasure Valley Contractor Pleads Guilty and is ResentencedRead the Press Release
BOISE – Elaine Martin, 69, of Meridian, Idaho, the former president and majority stockholder of MarCon, Inc., pleaded guilty to one count of making and subscribing a false tax return before Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill today, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Following the entry of her plea, Judge Winmill sentenced her for the tax conviction, and resentenced her for wire fraud, mail fraud, and interstate transportation of property taken by fraud convictions. Judge Winmill sentenced Martin to 60 months’ imprisonment on the fraud convictions and 24 months’ imprisonment on the tax conviction, those sentences to run concurrently. Judge Winmill further ordered Martin to pay restitution to the IRS and Idaho Department of Transportation in the amount of $131,400.48, costs of prosecution in the amount of $22,859.60, and a forfeiture money judgment of $3,084,038.05, amounts Martin previously paid.
Previously, on September 19, 2013, after a 26-day trial, a federal jury convicted Martin of 22 criminal counts, including four counts of filing false individual and corporate tax returns, two counts of conspiracy to defraud the United States, five counts of wire fraud, five counts of mail fraud, one count of false statement, three counts of interstate transportation of property taken by fraud, one count of conspiracy to obstruct justice and one count of obstruction of justice. On February 24, 2014, Judge Winmill sentenced Martin to 24 months’ imprisonment on the tax, conspiracy, false statements, and obstruction counts, and 84 months’ imprisonment on the wire fraud, mail fraud, and interstate transportation of property taken by fraud counts, with these sentences to run concurrently. Further, he ordered Martin to pay restitution to the IRS and Idaho Department of Transportation in the amount of $131,400.48, costs of prosecution in the amount of $22,859.60, and a forfeiture money judgment of $3,084,038.05. On August 7, 2015, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit vacated Martin’s sentence and her tax convictions, and remanded the case for further proceedings, including resentencing on the fraud charges.
In the plea agreement, Martin admitted that she willfully signed false and fraudulent Form 1120S income tax returns for Marcon, Inc., a construction company that was located in Meridian, Idaho, for tax years 2005 and 2006. Martin also admitted that she caused these tax returns to be false and fraudulent by keeping the unreported income off of the books, and that she falsely told an IRS Revenue Agent, who was conducting a civil audit of Marcon, that all of Marcon’s gross receipts were deposited into Marcon’s Wells Fargo operating account. In fact, as Martin well knew at the time, she had and was causing gross receipts from the used material sales to be diverted and secretly deposited into Marcon’s Bank of Cascades account. Martin purposefully did not provide records for Marcon’s Bank of Cascades account to the individual who prepared her and Marcon’s tax returns for tax years 2005 and 2006. Martin admitted that the total tax loss was $73,678.
Further, Martin admitted in the plea agreement to her participation in the fraud counts, including the conspiracy to defraud the SBA 8(a) Program, and the U.S. Department of Transportation, Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (“DBE”) Program, by submitting fraudulent tax returns and making false statements concerning her finances that caused Marcon to qualify and/or remain eligible for these programs. Martin further admitted that her behavior affected the award of contracts pursuant to the 8(a) Program and DBE Programs. For example, Marcon’s status as an Idaho DBE affected how and what DBE goals were set for particular construction projects, and helped Marcon maintain a virtual monopoly in its geographic region between 2000 and 2006. Marcon participated in the SBA 8(a) Program pursuant to direct negotiations with the awarding agency, rather than through fair and open competition. Martin admitted that during the relevant time period, she would not have been awarded the 33 contracts at issue in the case but for the fraud.
As part of the plea agreement that Martin entered into today, she waived her right to further appeal.
The case was investigated by Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Small Business Administration, and the Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Transportation.
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.