District of Idaho
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Lewiston Man Pleads Guilty to AssaultRead the Press Release
COEUR D'ALENE - James Spencer, Jr., 33, of Lewiston, Idaho, was sentenced today to 30 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for assault resulting in serious bodily injury, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge also ordered Spencer to pay $388.22 in restitution and a $100 special assessment. He pleaded guilty to the charge on May 27, 2014.
According to court documents, on September 27, 2012, within the boundaries of the Nez Perce Indian Reservation, Spencer intentionally struck the victim, causing the victim to lose two teeth. Both the defendant and the victim are members of the Nez Perce Tribe.
The case was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Nez Perce Tribal Police.
Orofino Man Sentenced in Theft ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Coeur d’Alene – Joseph G. Walker, 21, of Orofino, Idaho, was sentenced yesterday in United States District Court to nine months incarceration, three years supervised release and $100 special assessment, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. U.S. District Judge Larry Alan Burns also ordered Walker to pay $9,904.25 in restitution. Walker pleaded guilty to the charge on January 21, 2014.
According to the plea agreement, Walker admitted that between October 2011 and January 15, 2012, in and near Orofino, Idaho, and within the exterior boundaries of the Nez Perce Indian Reservation, that he and others agreed to steal items of value from various businesses and individuals in the area. The total value for the items taken by members of the conspiracy was approximately $9,900.
The case was investigated by Orofino Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Two Rupert Methamphetamine Traffickers Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
POCATELLO – Lloyd Elmo Gale, 53, and Linda Rae Westmoreland, 51, both of Rupert, Idaho, were sentenced to federal prison today for trafficking methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Gale was sentenced to serve 87 months imprisonment, to be followed by five years of supervised release. Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also ordered Gale to forfeit cash proceeds in the amount of $100,000. Gale pleaded guilty on May 28, 2014, to one count of unlawful possession of a firearm and conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Judge Winmill sentenced Westmoreland to serve 36 months in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release. Westmoreland pleaded guilty on April 23, 2014, to one count of distributing methamphetamine.
Gale was found to have distributed just under 100 grams of pure methamphetamine, while Westmoreland distributed approximately 74 grams of pure methamphetamine. Gale, a convicted felon, also sold two stolen firearms to a confidential informant. A third co-defendant, Jose Rosario Juarez, has a scheduled change of plea hearing on August 27, 2014.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Minidoka County Sheriff’s Office, and the Idaho State Police.
Plummer Man Pleads Guilty to Aggravated AssaultRead the Press Release
COEUR D’ALENE – Desmond J. Seyler, 26, of Plummer, Idaho, pleaded guilty on August 12, 2014 to assault resulting in serious bodily injury, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Seyler was indicted by a federal grand Jury in Coeur d'Alene on June 7, 2014.
At the plea hearing, Seyler admitted that on May 13, 2014, he fractured a female relative’s jaw when he hit her in the face. The offense happened on the Coeur d’Alene Indian Reservation. Both Seyler and his victim are members of federally recognized tribes.
The charge of assault resulting in serious bodily injury is punishable by up to 10 years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, and up to 3 years of supervised release.
Sentencing is set for November 4, 2014, before Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill at the federal courthouse in Coeur d’Alene.
The case was investigated by the Coeur d’Alene Tribal Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Caldwell Man Sentenced on Gun ChargeRead the Press Release
BOISE – Nathan John Vert, 30, of Caldwell, Idaho, was sentenced today in United States District Court to 57 months for unlawfully possessing a firearm, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge also ordered Vert to serve three years of supervised release and to forfeit the firearm he illegally possessed. He pleaded guilty to the charge on May 19, 2014.
According to court records, Vert unlawfully possessed a 12-gauge shotgun, which was found in Vert’s possession by Nampa Police Department officers after Vert was involved in a traffic accident. Vert is prohibited from possessing firearms because he was convicted in 2003 of delivery of a controlled substance, a felony, in Canyon County.
The case was investigated by the Nampa Police Department and Treasure Valley Metro Violent Crimes Task Force. The Metro 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.
Caldwell Man Pleads Guilty to Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
BOISE – Herminio Sandoval, 57, of Caldwell, Idaho, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to attempt to evade and defeat tax, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced.
According to the plea agreement, Sandoval and his unindicted co-conspirators owed more federal tax for the calendar years 1998 through 2012 than they claimed and paid. The defendant agreed that he failed to report $750,000 in income to the Internal Revenue Service. The charge of income tax evasion is punishable by up to five years imprisonment, a term of supervised release of not more than three years, and a maximum fine of $250,000 or twice the defendant’s gain.
Sentencing is scheduled for October 21, 2014, in Boise before United States District Judge Edward J. Lodge.
The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations.
Bellevue Man Pleads Guilty to Drug ChargeRead the Press Release
BOISE – Ismael Hernandez Valle, 18, of Bellevue, Idaho, pleaded guilty today in United States District Court to distribution of methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced.
According to the plea agreement, Hernandez Valle sold methamphetamine in December 2013 to another person who was assisting law enforcement as a confidential informant. Hernandez Valle’s co-defendant, Esteban Villegas-Gamez pleaded guilty to similar charges in May 2014 and was sentenced to 46 months yesterday.
The charge is punishable by up to twenty years in prison, a maximum fine of $1 million, and at least three years of supervised release. Hernandez Valle is scheduled for sentencing on October 21, 2014, 2014, before U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge at the federal courthouse in Boise.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and Blaine County Narcotics Enforcement Team. Other agencies that assisted with the investigation include the U. S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Idaho State Police. The Blaine County Narcotics Enforcement Team includes the Blaine County Sheriff’s Office, Sun Valley Police Department, Hailey Police Department, Ketchum Police Department, and Bellevue Marshal’s Office.
The case is 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.
Mexican National Living in Bellevue Sentenced to Prison for Drug ChargeRead the Press Release
BOISE – Esteban Villegas-Gamez, 39, a Mexican national living in Bellevue, Idaho, was sentenced to 46 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for distribution of methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge sentenced Villegas-Gamez at the federal courthouse in Boise. Villegas-Gamez pleaded guilty to the charge on May 19, 2014.
According to the plea agreement, Villegas-Gamez admitted he sold methamphetamine and firearms to a person assisting law enforcement as a confidential informant. Villegas-Gamez sold the informant methamphetamine and firearms on numerous occasions beginning in November 2013 until January 2014. Villegas-Gamez admitted that the combined total he sold the informant during the different transactions was in excess of 50 grams of methamphetamine.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and Blaine County Narcotics Enforcement Team. Other agencies that assisted with the investigation include the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Idaho State Police. The Blaine County Narcotics Enforcement Team includes the Blaine County Sheriff’s Office, Sun Valley Police Department, Hailey Police Department, Ketchum Police Department, and Bellevue Marshal’s Office.
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.
Caldwell Man Sentenced to 60 Months for Possessing A Sawed-Off ShotgunRead the Press Release
BOISE – Anthony Michael Payment, 21, of Caldwell, Idaho, was sentenced today in United States District Court to 60 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for possessing an unregistered firearm, a sawed-off shotgun, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge also ordered Payment to forfeit the firearm and ammunition involved in the offense.
According to information presented in court, on August 19, 2013, officers responded to a residence in Nampa after learning that Payment threatened another person with the sawed-off shotgun. Nampa Police Department officers found the sawed-off shotgun at the residence, and Payment was arrested a short time later. The firearm Payment possessed was a Bay State, 20-gauge sawed-off shotgun with a barrel less than twelve inches in length. The National Firearms Act requires such a shotgun to be registered in the National Firearm Registration and Transfer Record if the barrel is less than eighteen inches in length. Payment had no firearms registered to him in the Record.
The case was investigated by the Idaho Department of Probation and Parole, the Nampa Police Department, the Treasure Valley Metro Violent Crimes Task Force and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The Metro 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.
Payment 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 2 coordination, cooperation, and collaboration on creating coherent regional growth. For more information, visit treasurevalleypartners.org.
Boise State Student Pleads Guilty to Distribution of OxycodoneRead the Press Release
BOISE – Kevin Jeffrey Daniels, 19, of Boise, Idaho, pleaded guilty today in the United States District Court to distributing oxycodone, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced.
According to court proceedings and the plea agreement, the defendant admitted to distributing approximately 190, 30mg oxycodone pills from December 2013 to February 2014 in the Treasure Valley. Daniels admitted that he agreed to have an out-of-state shipment of oxycodone pills sent to his residence in Surprise Valley. The charge is punishable by up to twenty years imprisonment, a term of supervised release of at least three years, and a $1,000,000 fine. Sentencing is set for October 21, 2014 before U.S. District Court Judge Edward J. Lodge.
Daniels’ charges are part of Operation Candle Wax, which resulted both in the charges against Daniels and the indictment of twelve others. Trial for ten of those indicted is set for November 4, 2014, on charges of conspiracy to distribute oxycodone and heroin.
The indictment is the result of a joint investigation of the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), which included the cooperative law enforcement efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, U. S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, and U.S. Marshals Service; the Treasure Valley Metro Violent Crime Task Force, a task force comprised of federal, state and local agencies, including the Boise Police Department, Ada County Sheriff’s Office, Caldwell Police Department, Nampa Police Department, Meridian Police Department, and Canyon County Sheriff’s Office; the Twin Falls Police Department, Twin Falls Sheriff’s Office, Idaho State Police, and District 3 Probation and Parole.
The OCDETF program is a federal multi agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations.
Boise Man Sentenced to Prison for Unlawful Possession of A FirearmRead the Press Release
BOISE - Darren Scott McMullin, 30, of Boise, Idaho, was sentenced today to 58 months in prison for unlawfully possessing a firearm and for violating his supervised release, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. McMullin was indicted in March of 2014 for unlawfully possessing a .38 pistol. At the time he possessed the firearm, he was on supervised release for a prior federal gun conviction. U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge sentenced McMullin to serve forty months of prison on the new felony offense, and sentenced him to serve 18 months on the supervised release violation, to run consecutively to each other. Judge Lodge also ordered McMullin to serve three years of supervised release. McMullin pleaded guilty to the indictment on May 20, 2014, and admitted to violating the conditions of his supervised release at today’s sentencing hearing.
According to evidence presented at the sentencing, this is McMullin’s third federal felony firearm conviction. In 2006, in the District of Wyoming, the defendant was convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm. In 2007, in the District of Idaho, he was convicted of possessing an unregistered sawed-off shotgun. He was on supervised release for the 2007 conviction when he was found by law enforcement to be in possession of a .38 pistol. His probation officer conducted a search of the vehicle he was driving. Officers located a loaded .38 pistol, drug paraphernalia, and marijuana inside of his vehicle.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Boise Police Department, the United Marshal’s Service, and the U.S. Probation Office.
The case was prosecuted as part of Idaho’s Project Safe Neighborhoods Program, which seeks to reduce gun violence in Idaho.
Boise Man Sentenced for Assault on MinorRead the Press Release
BOISE – Winters War Eagle, 22, of Owyhee, Nevada, was sentenced today to six months in federal prison followed by one year supervised release, of which 180 days could be served in a half-way house, with up to $2,000 in restitution, for Simple Assault of a Person under the Age of 16 years, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. War Eagle pleaded guilty on May 27, 2014.
According to the plea agreement, War Eagle admitted that on October 13, 2013, on the Duck Valley Indian Reservation, he willfully touched a 15-year-old girl in a patently offensive manner without her consent.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation assisted by the Bureau of Indian Affairs Police Department in Owyhee, Nevada.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
Idaho Residents Sentenced for Theft of Wood from U.S. Forest ServiceRead the Press Release
BOISE - Terry K. Burton, 46, and his son, Brent L. Burton, 23, both of Wilder, Idaho, were sentenced yesterday to three years of probation for stealing lodgepole pine posts and poles from the Malheur National Forest and selling the wood commercially in Idaho, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also ordered the Burtons to pay $3,880 in restitution to the Malheur National Forest. Both defendants pled guilty to the misdemeanor charge of theft of government property on April 30, 2014.
The Burtons were also ordered to pay a fine of $5,000, which is suspended, so long as they are in compliance with special conditions of their probation. These conditions prohibit the defendants from using a personal use permit to cut, load, remove or haul timber or other forest product from any National Forest Service lands for the full three year term of their probation, and also require the Burtons to obtain appropriate commercial permits or enter into timber sales contracts with the Forest Service before cutting, loading, removing or hauling any timber or other forest product from any United States Forest Service lands.
According to the plea agreement, the Burtons created an illegal trail in the Malheur National Forest which they used to get into the forest for the purpose of illegally cutting lodgepole pine posts and poles without a proper permit. The Burtons then sold this timber commercially to Parma Post and Pole, in Parma, Idaho. While doing this, the Burtons caused approximately $1,380 in environmental damage to the National Forest, by leaving 425 visible stumps, extensive damage to small trees that had been run over and damaged, and ruts in the areas where they had illegally driven the ATV and trailer used to bring the lodgepole pine post and poles out of the forest.
The case was investigated by a U.S. Forest Service Law Enforcement Officer and Special Agent assigned to the Malheur National Forest.
Idaho Resident Pleads Guilty to Social Security TheftRead the Press Release
BOISE - Melinda Sue Priddy, 43, of New Meadows, Idaho, pleaded guilty today to theft of $138,910.00 from the Social Security Administration, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced.
According to the plea agreement, Priddy’s grandmother died in May 2004. At the time of her death, Priddy’s grandmother was receiving survivor benefits from the Social Security Administration, which were being deposited on a monthly basis into a bank account held jointly with Priddy. No one notified Social Security of the death, and the Social Security Administration continued to make monthly deposits into the account. Priddy, who was not entitled to receive any of her deceased grandmother’s Social Security benefits, withdrew those funds from the account from July of 2004 through May of 2013 for her own personal use, stealing a total of $138,910.00 from the Social Security Administration.
The charge carries a maximum punishment of up to 10 years in prison, a fine up to $250,000, and a minimum term of three years of supervised release.
Sentencing is scheduled for October 20, 2014, before Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill in Boise.
The case was investigated by the Office of Inspector General for the Social Security Administration.
Boise Man Pleads Guilty to Distribution of MarijuanaRead the Press Release
BOISE – Luke Michael Marria, 19, of Boise, Idaho, pleaded guilty yesterday in the United States District Court to distributing marijuana, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced.
According to court documents, the defendant admitted to distributing at least five kilograms, but not more than ten kilograms of marijuana from April 2012 to March 2014, in the Treasure Valley. The charge is punishable by up to five years imprisonment, not more than three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is set for October 16, 2014, before Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill. Mr. Marria’s offense was related to Operation Candle Wax which resulted in the indictment of twelve other individuals for the distribution of oxycodone and heroin.
The indictment is the result of a joint investigation of the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), which included the cooperative law enforcement efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, U. S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, and U.S. Marshals Service; the Treasure Valley Metro Violent Crime Task Force, a task force comprised of federal, state and local agencies, including the Boise Police Department, Ada County Sheriff’s Office, Caldwell Police Department, Nampa Police Department, Meridian Police Department, and Canyon County Sheriff’s Office; the Twin Falls Police Department, Twin Falls Sheriff’s Office, Idaho State Police, and District 3 Probation and Parole.
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.
Man Sentenced to 180 Months in Federal Prison for His Role in Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOISE – Hernan Gomez-Gutierrez, 31, a Mexican National, was sentenced today to 180 months in prison for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge also ordered Gomez-Gutierrez to serve five years of supervised release. Gomez-Gutierrez pleaded guilty to the charge on January 14, 2014.
Gomez-Gutierrez was one of eleven individuals charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. According to information presented in court, Gomez-Gutierrez was the leader of the organization and the source of the methamphetamine. Gomez-Gutierrez provided the methamphetamine to other co-defendants who distributed the drugs. Gomez-Gutierrez was also present when co-defendant Jeramie Mahler shot another person on March 25, 2013, in furtherance of the drug conspiracy, because of a dispute with that person about the quality of the methamphetamine. The shooting occurred alongside a road in south Ada County near Amity and Linder roads. Gomez-Gutierrez and Mahler fled the scene leaving the injured man behind. Approximately a week later on April 2, 2013, a Canyon County Sheriff’s deputy stopped a vehicle that Mahler was driving. The deputies arrested Mahler and searched the vehicle, which was registered to Gomez-Gutierrez. Deputies found approximately one-quarter pound of methamphetamine and two handguns and in the vehicle, including the handgun used in the shooting. Gomez-Gutierrez was also arrested after he arrived at the location of the traffic stop driving a different vehicle. Deputies searched the vehicle Gomez-Gutierrez was driving and located a .45 semi-automatic pistol.
Gomez-Gutierrez and the other ten defendants were indicted on July 9, 2013, in a case including charges of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, distribution of methamphetamine, distribution of 2 cocaine, and unlawful possession of firearms. All eleven defendants pleaded guilty. Co-defendants Wendy Harrison and Bobbi Woolsey were both sentenced to 84 months in prison; Nearia Pinnell was sentenced to 33 months in prison; Daniel Vaughan was sentenced to 80 months in prison; Darrell Zirschky was sentenced to 168 months in prison; Michelle Ritch was sentenced to 120 months in prison; Carlos Tovar was sentenced to 87 months in prison; Juan Mojica-Barragan was sentenced to 57 months in prison; and Jeramie Mahler was sentenced to 247 months in prison. Scott Hernandez has not been sentenced yet.
The case was investigated by the Treasure Valley Metro Violent Crimes Task Force, which 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. Other agencies that contributed to this investigation include the Drug Enforcement Administration, Nampa Police Department, Caldwell Police Department, Canyon County Sheriff’s Office, and Ada County Sheriff’s Office. During the investigation, law enforcement agents seized twelve firearms, including a stolen firearm, and an illegal fully-automatic machine gun.
The case is 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.
Twin Falls Man Sentenced for Money Laundering Related to the Sale of SpiceRead the Press Release
POCATELLO - Allen W. Nagel, 45, of Twin Falls, Idaho, was sentenced today to five years of probation, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also ordered Nagel to pay a $500 fine and forfeit numerous pieces of property in the Magic Valley. Nagel pleaded guilty to the charge on June 26, 2013.
According to the plea agreement, between March 1, 2011, and October 1, 2011, the defendant owned and operated A & J Distribution with other individuals including co-defendant Josh Becker. During this time period, in various states including Idaho, A & J Distribution distributed for further sale brands of smokeable material commonly referred to as spice under the “Hayze” label. This material contained a Schedule I controlled substance analogue. Nagel knew this material was for human consumption.
Becker and Nagel received money from the sale of the material and engaged in monetary transactions using the funds derived from the sales. The transactions, some in excess of $10,000, included transfers, withdrawals, and deposits through a Twin Falls bank. According to the plea agreement, the total funds involved in the monetary transactions derived from the specific unlawful activity are not more than $400,000.
This was part of joint investigation of the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), is led by the Drug Enforcement Administration in conjunction with Twin Falls City Police Department, Twin Falls County Sheriff's Office, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Idaho State Police, Ada County Sheriff's Office, Nampa City Police Department, Meridian City Police Department, Gooding County Sheriff's Office, Cassia County Sheriff's Office, and Minidoka County Sheriff's Office.
The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations.
Man Sentenced to 40 Months for Unlawful Gun PossessionRead the Press Release
POCATELLO - Joseph Raymond Haycock, 59, formerly of Salmon, Idaho, was sentenced yesterday to 40 months in prison for unlawfully possessing a firearm, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also ordered Haycock to serve three years of supervised release following his prison term. Haycock pleaded guilty to the charge in April 2014.
According to court records, Haycock possessed a .22 caliber rifle on September 18, 2012, when he was arrested for absconding state probation and failing to register as a sex offender. Haycock is prohibited from possessing firearms due to a 2011 felony conviction for sexual abuse of a minor under the age of sixteen years in Benewah County, Idaho.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Lemhi County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted as part of Idaho’s Project Safe Neighborhoods Program, which seeks to reduce gun violence in Idaho.
Four Eastern Idaho Men Arrested on Gun and Drug Dealing ChargesRead the Press Release
POCATELLO - Keith Laudric Finn, 46, of Idaho Falls, Idaho, Sergio Garcia, 25, of Rigby, Idaho, Fernando Montiel, 52, of St. Anthony, Idaho, and Juan Carlos Nunez-Mascareno, 36, of Rexburg, Idaho, were arrested this week on drug and gun related charges, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. An arrest warrant is outstanding for Uriel Garcia, 29, of Sugar City, Idaho. Federal indictments were filed in United States District Court in Boise on July 9, 2014, and in Pocatello on July 22, 2014.
One indictment alleges that Finn, previously convicted in Bonneville County, Idaho, of unlawful possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, unlawfully possessed three handguns and distributed methamphetamine three times between January and May 2014.
The second indictment alleges that Sergio and Uriel Garcia conspired to distribute methamphetamine and that Sergio Garcia distributed methamphetamine six times between September 4 and October 23, 2013, once with the assistance of Uriel Garcia.
A third indictment alleges that Montiel distributed methamphetamine on May 15 and June 12, 2014.
The fourth indictment alleges that Nunez-Mascareno distributed methamphetamine six times between October 2013 and January 2014.
The case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office, the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office, the Madison County Sheriff’s Office, and the Department of Homeland Security Investigations.
The maximum penalty upon convictions for conspiracy to distribute and distribution of methamphetamine is life in prison and a $10,000,000 maximum fine. The maximum penalty upon a conviction for unlawful possession of a firearm is ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
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.
The case was prosecuted as part of Idaho’s Project Safe Neighborhoods Program, which seeks to reduce gun violence in Idaho. The case was the result of a joint investigation of the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), led by the Drug Enforcement Administration, in conjunction with, U. S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Canyon County Narcotics Unit, Meridian Police Department, Ada County Sheriff’s Office, Idaho State Police, and the Mini-Cassia Drug Task Force. Other federal agencies participating in the OCDETF program include the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, 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.
Twin Falls Man Admits to Unlawfully Possessing FirearmsRead the Press Release
BOISE – Ronnie M. Preal, 42, of Twin Falls, Idaho, pleaded guilty today in United States District Court to unlawfully possessing firearms, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced.
According to the plea agreement, officers with the Twin Falls Police Department and Twin Falls County Sheriff’s Department served a search warrant at Preal’s residence on January 3, 2014. During the search, officers found a 10-gauge shotgun and a 9 millimeter pistol. Preal admitted that he possessed the firearms. Preal is prohibited from possessing firearms because he was previously convicted of manslaughter in California in 1996.
The charge is punishable by up to ten years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release. The government is seeking forfeiture of the firearms.
Sentencing is set for October 20, 2014, before U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge at the federal courthouse in Boise.
The case was investigated by the Twin Falls Police Department; Twin Falls County Sheriff’s Department; and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Preal is 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.
Payette Man Sentenced for Purchasing A Firearm for Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
BOISE B Caleb Matthias Curtis, 29, of Payette, Idaho, was sentenced today to three years of probation for the unlawful transfer of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. U.S. District Court Judge Edward J. Lodge also ordered Curtis to complete 60 hours of community service in lieu of a fine. Curtis was indicted by a federal grand jury in Boise on November 13, 2013.
According to the plea agreement, Curtis admitted that in October 2013, he agreed to purchase a .30-06 hunting rifle for his neighbor, David McAlister. Curtis knew that McAlister was prohibited from possessing firearms, due to a prior statutory rape conviction. Curtis used money provided to him by McAlister to purchase the rifle, which he then gave to McAlister. McAlister was sentenced on June 30, 2014, to three years of probation, credit for six months of jail served, and a $1,500 fine.
The case was investigated by the Payette County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The case was prosecuted as part of Idaho’s Project Safe Neighborhoods Program, which seeks to reduce gun violence in Idaho.
Council Man Sentenced for Violating Sex Offender Registration and Notification ActRead the Press Release
BOISE B Larry Grant Dana, 41, of Council, Idaho, was sentenced today to 24 months in federal prison for violating the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Dana pled guilty to the charge on May 19, 2014. U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge also ordered Dana to serve five years of supervised release following the prison term.
According to the plea agreement, Dana was convicted in Canyon County in 1996 of battery with intent to commit rape, which requires him to register as a sex offender. He had registered off and on since May 2001, most recently on October 5, 2013, when he reported that he was residing in Council, Idaho. According to his Idaho State parole officer, Dana absconded from supervision in November 2013. Dana was apprehended in Albuquerque, New Mexico on February 16, 2014. The investigation showed Dana had been with his wife and five children and had been seen in Wyoming, Colorado, Texas, Louisiana, Florida and Oklahoma prior to his arrest. He failed to register as a sex offender in any of those states, and did not notify the Idaho Sex Offender Registry that he had changed his address or left the state, as required by state and federal law.
The case was investigated by U.S. 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.”
Mountain Home Man Sentenced on Federal Child Pornography ChargeRead the Press Release
Admitted sexual contact with prepubescent minors
BOISE - Christopher James Swicegood, 22, of Mountain Home, Idaho, was sentenced today to 180 months in prison for possession of sexually explicit images of prepubescent minors, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. The defendant was given three-and-a-half months credit for time served in state custody. Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also ordered Swicegood to serve 35 years of supervised release following his release from prison.
According to the plea agreement, the investigation began in January 2013, when U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigators followed a lead provided by a foreign government concerning users of a website used extensively by persons interested in exchanging child pornography. Investigators obtained a search warrant for the home Swicegood shared with others in Mountain Home and found images and videos of prepubescent minors being sexually abuse on a computer and hard drive Swicegood owned. Swicegood admitted that he had posted child pornography on the foreign website and that he had traded child pornography with other users of the foreign website. Swicegood will forfeit the computer equipment used in the home.
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children examined the material found on Swicegood’s media and identified 230 image files from 57 known child pornography series, and 30 videos from 14 separate child pornography series. Each series represents a different minor victim or group of minor victims being sexually abused. These victims come from a variety of states of the United States and many foreign countries.
Also according to the plea agreement, Swicegood admitted sexual interactions, including sexual touching, with at least three different minor children in the Mountain Home area. He was originally charged in Elmore County with Lewd or Lascivious Acts on a Minor Child under the age of 16 years. Those charges were dismissed by motion of the prosecuting attorney on June 13 as a part of Swicegood’s agreement to admit that conduct in his federal plea agreement.
“This case exemplifies the important role local and federal law enforcement partnerships play in putting child predators behind bars,” said Olson. “Let this sentence serve as a warning to other predators. We will find you, arrest you and ensure that you are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
The case was investigated by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), which is a member of the Idaho Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, a statewide coalition of local, state and federal law enforcement and prosecution agencies, focused on apprehending and prosecuting individuals who use the Internet to criminally exploit children. For more information about the Idaho ICAC Task Force and a list of all the participating agencies, visit www.icacidaho.org.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
Lapwai Man Pleads Guilty to Theft of Government PropertyRead the Press Release
COEUR D’ALENE – Isaac Kash Kash, 26, of Lapwai, Idaho, pleaded guilty today in federal court to one count of theft of government property, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced.
According to court documents, the defendant unlawfully used United States government- issued fleet credit cards for his personal use. The defendant had access to fleet credit cards because he was a seasonal employee for the Nez Perce Fisheries Department located in Orofino, Idaho. Due to the defendant’s criminal activity, the government incurred a loss of more than $5,000.
Theft of government property is punishable by not more than one year in prison, a maximum fine of $100,000, and up to one year of supervised release, or five years of probation.
Sentencing is set for October 14, 2014, before U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge at the federal courthouse in Coeur d’Alene.
The case was investigated by the General Services Administration and Nez Perce Tribal Police.
Felon and Illegal Alien Sentenced for Possessing A FirearmRead the Press Release
BOISE – Raul Valencia-Hernandez, 51, of Palmdale, California, was sentenced today to 20 months in prison for being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm. Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also ordered Valencia-Hernandez to forfeit the firearm involved in the offense. Valencia-Hernandez pleaded guilty to the charge on May 12, 2014.
According to information presented at his sentencing hearing, on October 15, 2013, officers with the Twin Falls Police Department responded to a call of suspicious drug activity at the Motel 6 in Twin Falls. Valencia-Hernandez was found to be in possession of a loaded Ruger 9mm pistol, a digital scale, methamphetamine pipes, plastic baggies with methamphetamine residue and a drug ledger. Valencia-Hernandez is prohibited from possessing any firearm because he is an alien illegally in the United States, and because he had previously been convicted of the felony offense of sale or transport of a controlled substance in California. Valencia-Hernandez, who has illegally resided in the United States for the past 34 years, will be deported to Mexico after serving his prison sentence.
This case was investigated by the Twin Falls Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
Coeur D´Alene Man Sentenced for Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
COEUR D´ALENE – Wade Thomas Weingart, 39, of Coeur d´Alene, Idaho, was sentenced yesterday in United States District Court to 60 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release for possession of sexually explicit images of minors, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. United States District Judge Edward J. Lodge also ordered Weingart to pay $3,000 in restitution to an identified child found within his child pornography collection. Weingart pleaded guilty to the charge on January 30, 2014.
According to statements made in court, in July 2012, a police officer working with the Idaho Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC) discovered that a computer in Coeur d´Alene was making child pornography available on the Internet. The officer was able to view several of the files that this computer made available and determined that they were images of minors being sexually abused by adults. Using information obtained from the Internet and an Internet Service Provider, the officer determined that the images were being made available from Weingart’s Coeur d’Alene residence.
In January 2013, a federal search warrant was served on Weingart’s residence. Weingart admitted to possessing the child pornography. A United States Secret Service Forensic Examiner reviewed Weingart’s computer and found over 60 videos of minors being sexually abused. Some of these children were identified and found to be from Washington, Georgia, Utah, Canada and Germany.
The case was investigated through the collaborative effort of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boise Police Department, Idaho Attorney General’s Office, Coeur d’Alene Police Department, and United States Secret Service. These agencies are members of the Idaho Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, a statewide coalition of local, state and federal law enforcement and prosecution agencies, focused on apprehending and prosecuting individuals who use the Internet to criminally exploit children. For more information about the Idaho ICAC Task Force and a list of all the participating agencies, visit www.icacidaho.org.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
Worley Man Sentenced for StabbingRead the Press Release
COEUR D’ALENE – Andrew Hunter Peone, 25, of Worley, Idaho, was sentenced today in United States District Court to 33 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release for assault with a dangerous weapon, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Peone pleaded guilty on April 29, 2014.
According to the plea agreement, Peone, a Coeur d’Alene tribal member, admitted that on August 22, 2013, he assaulted a man with a knife with the intent to do bodily harm. Peone cut the man several times, resulting in small lacerations to the victim’s arms and hands. The assault occurred on the Coeur d’Alene Indian Reservation.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Coeur d’Alene Tribal Police.
Nampa Man Sentenced for Unlawfully Possessing FirearmRead the Press Release
BOISE – Juan Jose Sanchez, 23, of Nampa, Idaho, was sentenced today in United States District Court to 41 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release for unlawfully possessing a firearm, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also ordered Sanchez to forfeit the firearm involved in the offense. Sanchez pleaded guilty to the charge on May 5, 2014.
According to information presented in court, officers with the Nampa Police Department contacted Sanchez on January 14, 2014, when they responded to a complaint at a residence in Nampa. When officers spoke to Sanchez they discovered that he had a loaded handgun tucked in the front of his waistband. Officers seized the handgun and identified it as an H&R, 9-shot, .22 caliber revolver. Sanchez is prohibited from possessing firearms because he was previously convicted of the felony crime of aggravated battery on September 7, 2011, in Canyon County, Idaho. Sanchez was still on parole at the time he possessed the .22 revolver.
The case was investigated by the Nampa Police Department; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the Treasure Valley Metro Violent Crimes Task Force. The Metro 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.
Sanchez 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.
Boise Man Sentenced to 108 Months in Prison for Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
BOISE – Victor Luetta Guzman, 60, of Boise, Idaho, was sentenced to 108 months in prison followed by four years of supervised release for distribution of methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. U.S. Chief District Judge B. Lynn Winmill sentenced Guzman at the federal courthouse in Boise. Guzman pleaded guilty to the charges on April 16, 2014.
According to the plea agreement, Guzman admitted that he sold methamphetamine to an undercover police officer on eight separate occasions beginning in August 2013 and ending in October 2013. Guzman admitted that during the eight transactions he sold the officer a total of over 50 grams of methamphetamine. On October 22, 2013, law enforcement agents recovered a firearm from Guzman’s residence. As part of the plea agreement, Guzman agreed that he possessed the firearm in connection with the drug distribution.
The case was primarily investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives 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.
Boise Man Sentenced for Unlawfully Possessing AmmunitionRead the Press Release
BOISE – Michael Sean Crist, 46, of Boise, Idaho, was sentenced today in United States District Court to 44 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for unlawfully possessing ammunition, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge also ordered Crist to forfeit the firearm and ammunition involved in the offense.
According to the plea agreement, Crist possessed 555 rounds of ammunition on September 5, 2012. The ammunition was discovered when parole officers searched Crist’s residence. The parole officers also located a .22 semiautomatic pistol. Crist is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition because of previous felony convictions including: possessing a controlled substance with the intent to deliver and unlawful possession of a firearm in Ada County in 2004, and delivery of marijuana in Ada County in 1993. Crist pleaded guilty to the charge on April 24, 2014.
The case was investigated by the Idaho Department of Probation and Parole, Meridian Police Department, and the Treasure Valley Metro Violent Crimes Task Force. The Metro 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.
Crist is 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.
Second of Four Spice Conspirators SentencedRead the Press Release
BOISE – Robert Eoff, 31, of Boise, Idaho, was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge Edward J. Lodge to 26 months in prison for conspiring to launder money, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. United States District Judge Edward J. Lodge also ordered Eoff to serve 36 months of supervised release, and complete 80 hours of community service. Eoff will self-surrender as directed by the United States Bureau of Prisons.
The Indictment alleged that Eoff and three co-conspirators, Mark Ciccarello, Troy Palmer, and William Mabry, conspired to purchase and import from China chemicals known as AM2201, UR-144, and XLR11, which they used to treat innocuous plant matter to make spiceCa synthetic cannabinoid similar to substances—including JWH018—listed in Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act. The Indictment alleged that they conspired to launder money illegally obtained through spice manufacturing and distribution.
According to court documents, Eoff admitted that he knowingly entered into a conspiracy with co-conspirators to conduct financial transactions in connection with a “spice” manufacturing and distribution business beginning in March 2011. Eoff also admitted to knowingly participating and assisting in the financial activity of the business by engaging in bank and other financial transactions, through both domestic and foreign financial institutions. The transactions consisted of the proceeds of prior illegal spice sales and other specified unlawful activity and, in many cases, the transactions conducted through financial institutions separately consisted of criminally derived property of a value greater than $10,000; most of the transactions occurred in Idaho, Washington and California.
William Mabry was sentenced on May 21, 2014 to serve 24 months in federal prison, pay $80,000 in restitution, a pay a $100 special assessment. Troy Palmer is scheduled to be sentenced on August 25. Mark Ciccarello is scheduled to be sentenced on September 8.
The case is the result of a joint investigation of the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), which included the cooperative law enforcement efforts of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, Boise Police Department, Meridian Police Department, Ada County Sheriff’s Office, Canyon County Sheriff’s Office, and Nampa Police Department. Other federal agencies participating in the OCEDTF program include the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), 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.
Caldwell Man Pleads Guilty to Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
BOISE – Rogelio Villasenor, 49, of Caldwell, Idaho, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to attempt to evade and defeat tax, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced.
According to the plea agreement, Villasenor and his unindicted co-conspirator owed more federal tax for the calendar years 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011 than was declared due on their income tax return for those years. Beginning in 2005, and continuing to 2011, the defendant and his unindicted co-conspirator agreed to not report $1,176,506.91 in taxable income. In so doing, the defendant evaded paying taxes on his true income. The object of this conspiracy was to defraud the United States of money owed on taxes.
The charge of income tax evasion is punishable by up to five years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, or twice the defendant’s gain caused by the offense, a special assessment of $100, and up to three years of supervised release.
Sentencing is scheduled for October 6, 2014, in Boise before United States District Judge Edward J. Lodge.
The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation.
Sex Offender Attempting to Use Alleged “Loophole” in Law Sentenced for Failing to RegisterRead the Press Release
Pocatello - Jeramie McGuire, 36, of Big Piney, Wyoming, was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison for failing to register as a sex offender, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. United States District Judge Edward J. Lodge also ordered McGuire to serve ten years of supervised release. McGuire pleaded guilty to the charge on April 14, 2014.
According to court records, McGuire is required to register as a sex offender due to a third degree felony rape conviction in Oregon in 1998. In May 2013, McGuire travelled from Big Piney, Wyoming, to Pocatello, Idaho, and began working and residing there until arrested on October 23, 2013. At no time while living and working in Idaho did McGuire register with the state of Idaho. McGuire admitted to law enforcement when arrested that he was attempting to avoid registration through “loopholes” in the law by travelling between Idaho, Utah, and Wyoming.
The case was investigated by the Pocatello Police Department and the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS). McGuire 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.
Mexican National Sentenced for Growing Marijuana on Public LandsRead the Press Release
BOISE - Gilberto Duran-Contreras, 51, of Mexico, was sentenced today to 30 months in prison for unlawfully manufacturing more than 1,000 marijuana plants, and damage to government land, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. United States District Judge Edward J. Lodge also ordered the defendant to pay $33,265 in restitution for cleanup of the site, forfeit $68,000 in cash and firearms, and pay a $200 special assessment. Duran-Contreras pleaded guilty on April 22, 2014.
According to the plea agreement, Duran-Contreras admitted he had worked in the growing operation on Little Beaver Creek where law enforcement officers had removed 5,463 marijuana plants. Duran-Contreras, a citizen of Mexico, was arrested on September 15, 2013, on Hwy 21 near Lowman, a few miles from an outdoor marijuana growing operation on Little Beaver Creek in the Boise National Forest. Four days earlier, his co-defendants Marcos Solano-Farias, Jose Misael Ayala-Talavera, and Carlos Cerda-Carpio, who have all pleaded guilty, were arrested in a related outdoor marijuana growing operation with 1,411 live plants on Rabbit Creek. Investigators found and seized two semi-automatic handguns, and an AK-47 type rifle at the Rabbit Creek camp. Firearms had also been present at the Little Beaver Creek camp. At both locations, investigators found several hundred marijuana plants that had already been harvested from the 2013 growing operation. Law enforcement officers have located and eradicated all live marijuana plants from these growing operations. At the time Duran-Contreras was arrested, he was illegally present in the United States. He will be deported to Mexico after serving his prison sentence.
Co-defendant Mariah Villasenor-Rodriguez recently pleaded guilty to possession of more than 100 kilos of processed marijuana at her premises in Caldwell. She will be sentenced 2 on August 7, 2014. Villasenor-Rodriguez is the wife of lead co-defendant, Juan Pablo Villasenor-Villa, who is set for trial on September 29, 2014.
All defendants were indicted by a federal grand jury on October 9, 2013, on charges of conspiracy to manufacture and distribute marijuana, possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking, and injury to federal public lands. The other three co-defendants who have pleaded guilty are set for sentencing on October 15, 2014.
The charge of manufacturing more than 1,000 marijuana plants carries a penalty of not less than ten years and up to life in prison, a maximum fine of $10 million, and five years of supervised release. The charge of injury to government property is punishable by up to ten years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release. Possession of more than 100 kg is punishable by not less than five years and up to 25 years in prison, a maximum fine of $5 million and up to three years of supervised release.
“Vigorous prosecution of those who grow illegal drugs on federal land is a high priority of this office,” said Olson. “Those who operate marijuana grows not only traffic in illegal drugs, but they also damage wildlife and the environment and, through their possession and possible use of firearms, pose a significant danger to all Idahoans who seek to use our national forests for hiking, hunting and recreation purposes.”
The case is the result of a joint investigation result of the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), which included the cooperative law enforcement efforts of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Land Management, and United States Forest Service, with assistance from the Ada County Sheriff’s Office, Boise County Sheriff’s Office, Boise Police Department, City County Narcotics Unit (Canyon County Sheriff’s Office and Caldwell Police Department), the Idaho National Guard, Meridian Police Department, Nampa Police Department, Spokane Police Department, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and Washington State Police.
The OCDETF program is a federal, multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations.
Boise Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug ChargeRead the Press Release
BOISE – Jason James Martin, 32, of Boise, Idaho, pleaded guilty today in United States District Court to conspiring to distribute methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced.
Martin admitted that in February 2014, he traveled with co-defendant Martin Adam Hernandez to California in order to obtain methamphetamine. On February 21, 2014, law enforcement agents stopped the vehicle as Martin and Hernandez returned from California with the methamphetamine. During a search of the vehicle, agents located approximately two pounds of methamphetamine. Agents recovered evidence showing that Martin and Hernandez obtained the methamphetamine from California with the intent to distribute the methamphetamine in Idaho.
Co-defendant Martin Hernandez entered a guilty plea to the same charge on June 26, 2014. Both Martin and Hernandez are scheduled to be sentenced on September 17, 2014, before Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill at the federal courthouse in Boise. Both Martin and Hernandez face up to 20 years in prison, a maximum fine of $1 million, and at least three years of supervised release.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Ada County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by the Special Assistant U.S. Attorney hired by the 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.
Nampa Man Pleads Guilty to Drug ChargeRead the Press Release
BOISE – Martin Adam Hernandez, 23, of Nampa, Idaho, pleaded guilty yesterday in United States District Court to conspiring to distribute methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced.
According to the plea agreement, Hernandez admitted that in February 2014, he traveled with co-defendant Jason Martin to California in order to obtain methamphetamine. On February 21, 2014, law enforcement agents stopped a vehicle driven by Jason Martin. During a search of the vehicle, agents located approximately two pounds of methamphetamine. Agents recovered evidence showing that Hernandez and Martin obtained the methamphetamine from California with the intent to distribute the methamphetamine in Idaho.
Hernandez is scheduled to be sentenced on September 17, 2014, before Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill at the federal courthouse in Boise. Hernandez faces up to 20 years in prison, a maximum fine of $1 million, and at least three years of supervised release. Co-defendant Jason Martin is scheduled to enter a guilty plea to the same charge on July 1, 2014.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Ada County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by the Special Assistant U.S. Attorney hired by the 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.
Kamiah Man Found Guilty of Assaulting A DeputyRead the Press Release
Coeur d'Alene B Paul Lee Oatman, 33 of Kamiah, Idaho, was convicted yesterday by a federal jury in Coeur d'Alene for assault resulting in serious bodily injury, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced.
During the four day trial, the jury heard evidence that on July 13, 2013, the defendant assaulted a Kamiah Marshal and fractured his jaw in two places. The marshal was attempting to arrest a friend of the defendant, when the defendant interfered and struck the marshal in the jaw.
Paul Lee Oatman faces up to 10 years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000.00, and up to 3 years of supervised release.
Sentencing is set for September 15, 2014, before U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge at the federal courthouse in Coeur d'Alene.
“The jury's verdict sends the clear message that violent interference with a law enforcement officer engaged in his public safety duties will not be tolerated,” said Olson. “All persons have a duty to comply with a law enforcement officer's commands. I commend the hard work of prosecutors and staff from my office and the cooperative investigative work of the Nez Perce Tribal Police Department and the FBI.”
The case was investigated by Nez Perce Tribal Police, Idaho County Sheriff’s Department, Lewis County Sheriff’s Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Rupert Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
POCATELLO – Jose Fabien Felix-Burgos, 41, of Rupert, Idaho, pleaded guilty yesterday in United States District Court to distribution of methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced.
According to the plea agreement, on August 1, 2013, Felix-Burgos delivered methamphetamine to an undercover officer in Heyburn, Idaho. Felix-Burgos met with the undercover officer and another man at a restaurant in Heyburn, Idaho. The purpose of the meeting was to provide methamphetamine to the undercover officer. During the meeting, Felix-Burgos retrieved a box containing over a pound of methamphetamine from a vehicle and gave it to the undercover officer.
Felix-Burgos’ charge is punishable by up to twenty years in prison, a maximum fine of one million dollars, and at least three years of supervised release.
Sentencing is set for October 7, 2014, before Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill at the federal courthouse in Pocatello.
The case was the result of a joint investigation of the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), led by the Drug Enforcement Administration, in conjunction with, U. S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Canyon County Narcotics Unit, Meridian Police Department, Ada County Sheriff’s Office, Idaho State Police, and the Mini-Cassia Drug Task Force.
The OCDETF program is a federal multi agency, multi- jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations.
Former Eagle Resident Sentenced to 96 Months in Prison on Child Sexual Exploitation OffensesRead the Press Release
BOISE – Gerald Lee Farrell, Jr., 47, formerly of Eagle, Idaho was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boise to 96 months in prison on charges of interstate travel with a minor with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity and possessing sexually explicit images of minors, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also ordered Farrell to serve 15 years of supervised release.
Farrell was indicted by a federal grand jury in October 2004. He had been a fugitive since January 2004. He was arrested in Spain in July 2013 and extradited to the United States in December 2013. Farrell pleaded guilty to the charges on March 17, 2014.
According to the plea agreement, Farrell and his wife became a host family for a 16-year-old German female exchange student in August 2003. The plea agreement further states that throughout the fall of 2003, the defendant sought various opportunities to observe the girl nude or partially nude and that he engaged her in conversations of a sexual nature. At the sentencing hearing, the United States introduced evidence that the defendant installed hidden cameras in the girl’s bedroom and a bathroom that she used, which captured video of her changing her clothes and going into and coming out of the shower. The plea agreement states that in December 2003, Farrell took the girl to Nevada. One night, she woke up to find the defendant lying across her stomach and trying to remove her panties. The girl was able to push the defendant away. The girl told others about Farrell’s conduct when they returned to Idaho. Ada County Sheriff’s Office deputies executed a search warrant at Farrell’s Eagle home on January 4, 2004, and seized his computers and other items. Farrell and his wife fled Idaho for Switzerland approximately a week later. According to the plea agreement, a forensic computer examiner found video files of children under 18 engaging in sexually explicit conduct on Farrell’s seized computer hard drive. These images were of minors other than the foreign exchange student.
“This defendant preyed upon a vulnerable foreign exchange student, new to this country, who did not speak English as her first language,” said Olson. “The sentence imposed by this Court, some ten years after Mr. Farrell committed his crimes and fled Idaho for Switzerland, should send a clear message that perpetrators of these crimes cannot run and cannot hide. They will be caught, prosecuted and punished. FBI Special Agent Mary Martin and many detectives from the Ada County Sheriff’s Office worked long and hard to bring Mr. Farrell to justice. I commend their work. I also thank the representatives from the foreign exchange student program for their cooperativeness and persistence as well.”
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Ada County Sheriff’s Office.
Caldwell Man Pleads Guilty to Social Security FraudRead the Press Release
BOISE – Jose Louis Fernandez, 44, of Caldwell, Idaho, pleaded guilty today in federal court to one count of Social Security Fraud by Concealment of Material Facts, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Sentencing is set before U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge at the federal courthouse in Boise on September 4, 2014.
According to the plea agreement, Fernandez maintained two separate identities for the purpose of working under a false name while simultaneously collecting Social Security Disability under his true name. In April of 2012, during a Title II benefit review, Fernandez falsely indicated that he had not worked since the date of his last disability decision in 2001. Contrary to this statement, Fernandez had been working at a home-building company since June 2003, and worked until May 2012. As a result of this fraud, Fernandez received SSA Disability benefits to which he was not entitled. He also received Medicare insurance benefits and benefits directed toward his children. The benefits paid as a result of Fernandez’s fraudulent actions were nearly $200,000.
The case was investigated by the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General-Office of Investigations; Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, with assistance from the Caldwell Police Department and United States Marshals Service.
Doctor Indicted for Controlled Substance DeliveryRead the Press Release
COEUR D’ALENE - Dr. Rafael Beier, 60, of Kingston, Idaho, pleaded not guilty on June 20, 2014, to a grand jury indictment charging him with unlawful distribution of a controlled substance. Beier was arrested on Thursday, June 19, at his place of business. A trial is set for August 29, 2014. Beier remains in federal custody pending a detention hearing scheduled for June 25, 2014.
The charge of distributing a controlled substance is punishable by up to twenty years in prison, a maximum fine of $1,000,000.00 and at least three years of supervised release.
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.
Anyone with information regarding Dr. Beier is asked to call the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) at 208-664-5128.
Fort Hall Man Sentenced for AssaultRead the Press Release
POCATELLO – Ivan Dixey, Jr., 43, of Fort Hall, Idaho, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Edward J. Lodge to 30 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release for assault resulting in serious bodily injury, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced.
According to the plea agreement, on October 9, 2012, Fort Hall Police officers responded to a reported fight at Dixey’s residence on the Shoshone-Bannock Indian Reservation. The victim, her father and others were at the residence making arrangements to move a mobile home from the property. Dixey told the victim and those with her to leave, telling them they were trespassing. A scuffle ensued between Dixey and the victim and her father. Dixey struck the victim multiple times, causing serious bodily injury to the victim’s eye. The victim suffered impairment of her vision.
The case was investigated by the Fort Hall Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Las Vegas Woman Sentenced for False Statement on Home LoanRead the Press Release
POCATELLO – Alessandra Valencia Toscanelli, also known as Sarah Kate Henecke, 36, of Las Vegas, Nevada, was sentenced today in United States District Court to three years of probation, with 60 days of home detention for making false statements in a mortgage application on a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) guaranteed loan, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge also ordered Toscanelli to serve 80 hours of community service and pay $42,905 in restitution.
According to the plea agreement, in March 2009, Toscanelli obtained a home loan to finance the purchase of a residence in Eagle, Idaho. The loan application submitted in support of the loan contained the false statement that Toscanelli had employment income of $2,400 per month, when she actually had no income. Toscanelli also submitted false payroll checks and payroll stubs, a false letter regarding her employment, a false employment contract, and a false employee confidentiality agreement. Shortly after the loan was funded, Toscanelli defaulted on the loan and HUD incurred a loss.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Inspector General.
Washington Woman Pleads Guilty to Assault and Causing Serious Bodily InjuryRead the Press Release
COEUR D'ALENE - Marisa Belle Hawk, 28, of Wapato, Washington, pleaded guilty today to assault with a serious bodily injury, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Hawk was indicted by a federal grand jury in Coeur d'Alene on December 17, 2013.
According to court documents, Hawk admitted that on November 23, 2013, she used a handgun and shot the victim in the leg. All of these events occurred within the boundaries of the Nez Perce Indian Reservation.
The charge of Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury is punishable by up to 10 years in prison, a maximum fine of $250,000.00, and up to 3 years of supervised release.
Sentencing is set for August 27, 2014, before U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill at the federal courthouse in Coeur d'Alene.
The case was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Nez Perce Tribal Police.
Nampa Woman Pleads Guilty to Controlled Substance DeliveryRead the Press Release
BOISE – Mary Jane Pace, 49, of Nampa, Idaho, pleaded guilty today to one count of distributing a controlled substance, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Sentencing is set for September 9, 2014, before U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge at the federal courthouse in Boise.
According to the plea agreement, on May 24, 2012, Pace knowingly and intentionally distributed to an undercover police officer, five pills of 40 mg oxycodone, a Schedule II narcotic and controlled substance, in exchange for $100 in payment. She had obtained the controlled substances by prescription from a provider.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) led Tactical Diversion Squad which is comprised of law enforcement personnel from the DEA, Ada County Sheriff’s Office, Boise Police Department, Idaho State Police, Meridian Police Department, Nampa Police Department and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General.
Man Pleads Guilty to Assaulting Jail DeputyRead the Press Release
BOISE – Scott Vincente Hernandez, 42, of Oakland, California, pleaded guilty today in United States District Court to assaulting an Ada County Sheriff’s Deputy, announced U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson.
On July 9, 2013, Hernandez and ten others were indicted for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. The court ordered that Hernandez be held in custody while that case was pending. Hernandez was committed to the custody of the United States Marshal and confined at the Ada County Jail pursuant to an agreement between the U.S. Marshal and the Ada County Sheriff’s Office. Hernandez admitted in court today that on October 16, 2013, while incarcerated at the Ada County Jail, he assaulted an Ada County Jail Deputy.
U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge will sentence Hernandez on both the drug and assault charges on September 9, 2014. The charge of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine is punishable by a minimum of five years and up to twenty years in prison, a maximum fine of $5 million, and at least four years of supervised release. The assault charge is punishable by up to one year in prison, a maximum fine of $100,000, and up to one year of supervised release.
The drug charges were investigated by the Treasure Valley Metro Violent Crimes Task Force, which 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 assault charge was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service and the Ada County Sheriff’s Office.
The 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.
Proceeds of Forfeited Drug Property Go to Boundary County and IdahoRead the Press Release
COEUR D’ALENE – United States Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced today that the United States Marshals Service recently sold one of the real properties forfeited in the Robert Wayne Baucum criminal case. Baucum and four other defendants were charged and pled to conspiracy to manufacture, and possess with intent to distribute, marijuana, including at least 1,000 marijuana plants. The Raccoon Lane property in Boundary County sold for approximately $235,000.00. The proceeds from that property sale will now be shared with the Boundary County Prosecutor’s Office and the Idaho State Police, who will each receive approximately $80,000.
As part of their plea agreements, defendants agreed to forfeit properties involved in their violations and the proceeds they obtained. The properties included nine parcels of real property located in Idaho, Oregon and Alaska; currency; and personal properties including vehicles, gold and silver coins and motorcycles. Requests for equitable sharing and requests to place forfeited personal properties into official use may continue to be awarded to state and local law enforcement who assisted in the investigation.
The Department of Justice Asset Forfeiture Program is a nationwide law enforcement initiative that removes the tools of crime from criminal organizations, deprives wrongdoers of the proceeds of their crimes, recovers property that may be used to compensate victims, and deters crime. Asset forfeiture has become one of the most powerful tools for targeting criminals—including drug dealers and white collar criminals—who prey on the vulnerable for financial gain. One of the most important provisions of the asset forfeiture laws is the sharing back of federal forfeiture proceeds with state and local law enforcement agencies via the DOJ Equitable Sharing Program. This program enables state and local law enforcement agencies to offset some of their costs in working together with federal agencies to investigate and prosecute complex and large-scale crime. It serves not only to deter crime but also to provide valuable additional resources to state and local law enforcement agencies through their direct participation in an investigation or prosecution that results in a federal forfeiture. Since its inception more than 30 years ago, the program has resulted in millions of dollars being shared with the Idaho State Police, county sheriffs and city police departments throughout the state.
Boise Doctor Charged with Controlled Substance DeliveryRead the Press Release
BOISE – Michael Minas, 49, of Boise, Idaho, appeared today in federal court in Boise on an indictment charging him with seventeen counts of distributing a controlled substance, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. He was arrested yesterday morning outside of his medical practice in Eagle. Trial is set for August 12, 2014, before U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge at the federal courthouse in Boise.
The indictment alleges that Minas distributed oxycodone 30 mg and Oxycontin 80 mg, both Schedule II controlled substances, and diazepam, a Schedule IV controlled substance, and that he did so outside the usual course of professional practice and not for a legitimate medical purpose.
The court released Minas until trial and ordered him to follow several specific conditions while on release. Pending trial, Minas will be prohibited from writing prescriptions and will not engage in the practice of medicine except for the limited purpose of transferring patient records so that patients may see other providers. He also must relinquish any prescription pads in his possession. Minas will be subject to home detention and electronic monitoring and will be allowed in the community only for limited purposes and with the pre-approval of his pre-trial services officer.
The charge of distributing a controlled substance is punishable by up to twenty years in prison, a maximum fine of $1,000,000.00 and at least three years of supervised release.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) led Tactical Diversion Squad which is comprised of law enforcement personnel from the DEA, Ada County Sheriff’s Office, Boise Police Department, Idaho State Police, Meridian Police Department, Nampa Police Department and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General.
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.
Boise Man Sentenced for Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine and Unlawfully Possessing A FirearmRead the Press Release
BOISE – Nathen Leon Massie, 35, of Meridian, Idaho, was sentenced today by United States District Court Chief Judge B. Lynn Winmill to 120 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute 50 grams or More of Actual Methamphetamine and Possession of Firearms by a Prohibited Person, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Massie pleaded guilty to the charges on March 5, 2014.
According to the plea agreement Massie admitted that from at least as early as July 1, 2013, through November 7, 2013, he distributed methamphetamine to persons that contained more than 50 grams of actual methamphetamine, and he did so in exchange for money, knowing that those persons, in turn, intended to sell the methamphetamine to others. When the defendant was arrested, officers found over 50 grams of pure methamphetamine at his house along with three firearms and ammunition. According to the plea agreement, one of the firearms found at Massie’s residence was a Barrett, Model 99, .50-caliber rifle. Massie, who had previously been convicted of a felony drug offense, was prohibited from having any of these firearms.
The case was investigated by the Idaho State Police.
Boise Woman Pleads Guilty to Controlled Substance DeliveryRead the Press Release
BOISE – Joann Ruszkowski, 43, of Meridian, Idaho, pleaded guilty today to one count of distributing a controlled substance, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Sentencing is set before U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill at the federal courthouse in Boise on September 3, 2014.
According to the plea agreement, on June 11, 2012, Ruszkowski knowingly and intentionally distributed to an undercover police officer, 25 pills of 30 mg oxycodone, a Schedule II narcotic and controlled substance, in exchange for $500 in payment. She had obtained the controlled substances by prescription from a provider.
This investigation was initiated by the Meridian Police Department and investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) led Tactical Diversion Squad which is comprised of law enforcement personnel from the DEA, Ada County Sheriff’s Office, Boise Police Department, Idaho State Police, Meridian Police Department, Nampa Police Department and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General.