Southern District of Illinois
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Cahokia Man Sentenced to over 44 Years in Prison for Armed RobberiesRead the Press Release
LaMarcus D. Jackson, 29, of Cahokia, Illinois was sentenced to 44 ½ years in prison on a six-count indictment charging him with two counts of Conspiracy to Interfere with Commerce by Robbery and Interference with Commerce by Robbery, which are violations of the Hobbs Act, and with two counts of Use and Carry of a Firearm During a Crime of Violence in connection with the armed robbery of the Alps Grocery Store that occurred in Cahokia on December 11, 2014, and the armed robbery of Shop n’ Save that occurred in Cahokia on January 11, 2015, James L. Porter, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois announced today. Jackson was also ordered to pay $8,700 in restitution to the victims and a $600 special assessment. Jackson will be on supervised release for 5 years once he is released from prison.
Documents filed in the U.S. District Court establish that on December 11, 2014, Jackson, Undray Webb and Byron Holton entered the Alps Grocery Store, located at 800 Upper Cahokia Road, in Cahokia, Illinois, masked and armed with three firearms. Jackson, Webb, and Holton pointed the firearms at the store employees and demanded money. Jackson, Webb, and Holton took approximately $1,700 from the registers and a safe and fled the store.
The documents further establish that one month later, on January 11, 2015, Jackson, Holton, Webb, and a fourth conspirator, Devante Hodges entered the Shop n’ Save, located at 1028 Camp Jackson Road in Cahokia, Illinois, masked, gloved and armed with four firearms. Jackson, Webb, Holton and Hodges pointed the firearms at employees and customers within the store. Holton jumped the service counter and demanded the employees place money from the safe into a black book bag while Jackson, Webb and Hodges stood guard at the door with their firearms. Jackson, Webb, Holton and Hodges then left the store and fled the area in a vehicle being driven by a getaway driver, Durand Harper. Approximately $7,000 was stolen during the robbery.
Jackson was arrested and interviewed by law enforcement. During the interview Jackson admitted to being one of the three gunmen who robbed the Alps Grocery Store and identified Byron Holton and Undray Webb as the other two gunmen. Jackson also admitted to being one of the four gunmen who robbed the Shop n’ Save a month later and identified Byron Holton, Undray Webb and Devante Hodges as the other three gunmen and Durand Harper as the getaway driver. Jackson admitted that he receive approximately $1,000 in proceeds from the Shop n’ Save robbery.
As to Byron Holton, his case is still pending, therefore, he is presumed innocent of the charges unless or until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The case was investigated by the Cahokia Police Department, the Sauget Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Ali Summers for prosecution.
Murphysboro Man Sentenced on Crack Cocaine OffenseRead the Press Release
On June 14, 2016, Keenon J. Farr, a/k/a "Keeno," 32, of Murphysboro, IL, was sentenced for a crack cocaine offense, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, James L. Porter, announced today.
Farr, who had previously pled guilty to an indictment charging conspiracy to distribute 28 grams or more of crack cocaine, was sentenced to 125 months in federal prison, to be followed by 8 years’ supervised release, and fined $500.00. The offense occurred between October 2014 and July 2015, in Williamson and Jackson Counties. Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings established that Farr was involved with others in the distribution of crack cocaine in the Marion and Carbondale areas. During the investigation, Farr sold crack cocaine to confidential sources working for law enforcement. At sentencing, the judge found that Farr was responsible for the distribution of 525.12 grams of crack cocaine and 24.78 grams of cocaine. Co-defendants Tommy T. Langston and Tammy R. Whitton have each previously been sentenced to terms of 120 months for their role in the crack cocaine conspiracy. One co-defendant has pled guilty and is awaiting sentencing. One co-defendant has pled not guilty and is awaiting trial.
The ongoing investigation is being conducted by the Southern Illinois Enforcement Group, Drug Enforcement Administration, Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, and Carbondale Police Department. The Williamson and Jackson County State’s Attorneys’ Offices also assisted in the investigation.
Madison Business Owner and His Brother Sentenced to Prison for Participating in Stolen Property Fraud RingRead the Press Release
James L. Porter, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced that yesterday, James D. Litchfield, 59, owner of Big Jim’s Autorama in Madison, IL, and his brother, Ryan P. Litchfield, 37, of O’Fallon, MO, were both sentenced to prison for their participation in a large stolen property ring. James Litchfield was sentenced to 3 years in prison, while Ryan Litchfield was sentenced to 1 year and 1 day in prison.
The charges arise from an indictment that was returned by a federal grand jury in East St. Louis, IL, on October 20, 2015. The indictment alleges that the leader of this fraud ring, Jason J. Parmeley, 42, formerly of O’Fallon, MO, conducted this fraud scheme from Mexico. According to the indictment, Parmeley used the internet to obtain credit account numbers that individuals and businesses had with retail stores, such as Home Depot, Lowes, Menards, and rental stores, such as SunBelt Rentals. Using this information, Parmeley placed orders with the stores in the names of, and under the credit accounts, of the individuals and businesses. The items Parmeley ordered frequently consisted of appliances, computers, expensive tools, and construction equipment. The indictment charges that, after he placed the orders, Parmeley dispatched drivers to go to the stores and pick up the items. According to the indictment, the items were then sold at prices substantially below retail. The profits were then wire transferred to Parmeley in Mexico.
When he pled guilty on February 11, 2016, James Litchfield admitted that he received numerous truckloads of items which he knew had been obtained by fraud. This fraudulently obtained property included construction equipment, such as Skid Steer Loaders, appliances, such as washing machines, dryers, and refrigerators, and assorted other merchandise, including paint, flooring, and siding. These items were delivered to Big Jim’s Autorama in Madison, IL. James Litchfield admitted that he kept some of these items for his own personal use, but sold other items at prices far below their retail value. He also admitted that he provided two trucks that were used by the co-conspirators to pick up fraudulently ordered items. Finally, James Litchfield admitted that he engaged in money laundering by wire transferring payments for the merchandise to Parmeley in Mexico under fake names. At the sentencing hearing yesterday afternoon, the court found that the amount of stolen property James Litchfield received exceeded $150,000.
Ryan Litchfield also pled guilty on February 11, 2016. During his plea hearing, Ryan Litchfield admitted that he received approximately 20 to 25 truckloads of property and merchandise that had been obtained by fraud. He sold the majority of that merchandise to his friends and business associates. On occasion, Ryan Litchfield sold the items by placing advertisements on websites such as Craig’s List. He also occasionally allowed Parmeley to store items that had been obtained by fraud at his house and rented storage lockers that were used to store property obtained by fraud. The court found that the amount of stolen property received by Ryan Litchfield was approximately $80,000.
The charges contained in the indictment include conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to transport property obtained by fraud in interstate commerce, wire fraud, interstate transportation of property obtained by fraud, possession of property obtained by fraud, money laundering, and aggravated identity theft.
In late August of this year, Mexican Immigration Authorities deported Parmeley from Mexico. Parmeley is currently in federal custody and is awaiting trial.
In addition to Parmeley and the Litchfields, the indictment charges 12 other individuals with participating in this fraud scheme. Four of those individuals have pled guilty and are awaiting sentencing. The individuals who have pled guilty are: Benedict G. Pellerito, 55, of Troy, MO; Tony G. Robertson, 44, of O’Fallon, MO; Alice J. Hembree, 43, of Moscow Mills, MO; and Nicholas A. Brockman, 20, of Wentzville, MO. The trial of Parmeley and the remaining eight defendants is currently scheduled to begin on August 22, 2016. Those eight defendants are: Angel Speed, 25, formerly of O’Fallon, MO; Sean A. Shields, 47, of Ozark, MO; Shannan Flora, 41, of Vienna, IL; Steven J. Belcher, 44, of Wentzville, MO; Jesse S. Urias, 36, of Los Angeles, CA; Rigoberto Gutierrez, 26, of Compton, CA; Russell J. Witt, 33, of New Baltimore, MI; and Bryce E. Atkinson, 21, of Lake Saint Louis, MO.
Note: As to those defendants who are awaiting trial, the law presumes them to be innocent unless they are proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The investigation is being conducted by agents from the St. Louis Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation ("FBI"). The FBI has received substantial assistance from many state and local police departments in numerous jurisdictions, including the Metro East Auto Theft Task Force and the California Highway Patrol. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Scott A. Verseman.
Southern Texas Man Sentenced for Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
James L. Porter, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today that Sigifredo Bazan, a Mexican national, was sentenced on June 7, 2016, by United States District Court Judge Nancy J. Rosenstengel to 57 months in federal prison (there is no parole in the federal system) for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, namely cocaine and methamphetamine.
According to Court documents, Bazan pled guilty in February 2016. Bazan admitted to distributing or agreeing to distribute 10 kilograms of cocaine and over 1300 pounds of marijuana during the conspiracy. In addition to the prison sentence, Judge Rosenstengel also ordered Bazan to serve a 2-year term of supervised release and to pay $100 in court fees.
Evidence obtained in this prosecution was under the auspices of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The OCDETF initiative is designed to bring federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies and resources together to identify, target and dismantle large national and international drug trafficking organizations. Agencies participating in this case include the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Monica A. Stump.
East St. Louis Man Sentenced for Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
An East St. Louis man, Deondre Jones, 45, convicted of bank robbery, was sentenced to 56 months in federal prison on June 7, 2016, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, James L. Porter, announced today. Following release from imprisonment, Jones will serve three years of supervised release. Jones was also ordered to pay a $100 special assessment, and was ordered to pay $510.63 in restitution to Scott Credit Union. Jones pled guilty to the charge on February 11, 2016. Jones has been in custody since his arrest on October 1, 2015.
Documents filed with the court indicate that Jones told a teller at Scott Credit Union in Belleville that he had a gun and wanted ten $10 bills; although the teller counted out ten such bills, Jones left with only eight. He used the money to obtain cocaine and the services of a prostitute.
The case was investigated by agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and members of the Belleville Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stephen B. Clark.
Sleeping Drug Dealer Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
James L. Porter, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today that Kevin L. Burris, 42, Belleville, Illinois, pled guilty on June 6, 2016, to an indictment returned by a Federal Grand Jury in February charging him with Distribution of Cocaine Base (Counts 1 and 2), and Unlawful Possession of a Firearm by a Previously Convicted Felon (Count 3). The offenses occurred in St. Clair County, Illinois. Counts 1 and 2 carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison and a $1 million fine, and not less than 3 years’ supervised release. Count 3 carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison, a $250,000 fine, and 3 years’ supervised release. Both counts require an assessment of $100. Sentencing is scheduled for August 30, 2016. Burris was allowed to remain on bond.
According to court documents, on May 28th and June 2nd, 2015, Burris distributed cocaine base in the form commonly known as "crack" cocaine to another individual for profit. Burris acknowledged selling crack cocaine for the last several years. On October 29, 2016, Burris was found by a St. Clair County Deputy Sheriff asleep behind the wheel of a running car in the middle of a Belleville street. Following his arrest, a Rossi, .357 revolver was found in Burris’s possession. Burris is prohibited from possessing firearms due to a prior felony conviction.
Information leading to the charges against Burris was obtained in an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kit Morrissey.
Las Vegas Telemarketer Sentenced to Prison for Defrauding Southern Illinois ResidentsRead the Press Release
James L. Porter, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced that United States District Judge Nancy J. Rosenstengel sentenced Becky S. Marrs, 68, of Las Vegas, NV, to one year and one day in federal prison on her conviction for telemarketing fraud. Marrs was sentenced after pleading guilty to a federal charge of conspiring to commit mail and wire fraud. The fraud scheme that Marrs participated in victimized individuals throughout the United States, including Southern Illinois.
During her plea hearing, Marrs admitted that she worked as a telemarketer for a telemarketing business in Las Vegas. Although the business frequently changed names, the two primary names of the business were Showcase Resorts and Vacation Max. Telemarketers from Showcase Resorts and Vacation Max called timeshare owners throughout the United States and offered to help them sell their timeshares. The telemarketers then falsely represented that they had found corporate buyers interested in acquiring blocks of timeshare units and that the victims’ timeshare units could be included in these blocks. In order to participate in this "corporate block," however, the telemarketers told the victims that they had to pay upfront fees, which usually ranged from $2,000 to $3,000. The telemarketers falsely told the victims that these fees were needed to pay closing costs. Instead, the fees were used as revenues for Showcase Resorts and Vacation Max. In addition, the telemarketers were paid a large commission for each fraudulent sale. These commissions typically ranged from 40% to 50%.
Because Showcase Resorts and Vacation Max had no corporate buyers, no timeshares were ever sold to any corporations. Showcase Resorts and Vacation Max employed individuals known as "Updaters" to handle all of the calls from customers who called in to ask why their timeshares had not been sold as had been promised. The job of these Updaters was to provide false excuses to the victims in order to string them along and prevent them from contacting their credit card companies and demanding their money back.
The scheme operated from at least December 5, 2006 until January 24, 2012. The losses caused by the scheme exceeded $11,000,000.
"Telemarketing fraud is rampant in this country," Acting U.S. Attorney Porter stated. "This sentence reinforces the position that I’ve previously stated: Telemarketers who defraud citizens of Southern Illinois are going to be prosecuted and will most likely go to prison."
In May 2013, the owner of Vacation Max, Michael Patrick Sullivan, was indicted. Sullivan pled guilty and on January 9, 2015, was sentenced to 5 years in prison. Three other telemarketers from the scheme (John Nicosia, Robert Kelly Mathews, and Elpenike Eddy-Aldava), as well as one of the Updaters (Patrick Nosack) were also charged. Nicosia, Mathews, and Nosack all pled guilty and were sentenced to prison. On October 9, 2015, after a four-day trial, a federal jury in East St. Louis found Eddy-Aldava guilty of conspiring to commit mail and wire fraud. She is also currently serving a federal prison sentence.
As part of today’s sentence, the court also ordered Marrs to pay $531,416 in restitution to the victims she defrauded. When she completes her prison sentence, Marrs will serve a period of 2 years of supervised release.
The case against Marrs is one of approximately 80 cases prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Illinois relating to timeshare resale fraud and part of an ongoing investigation by the St. Louis Field Office of the Chicago Division of the United States Postal Inspection Service.
The prosecution of this case was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Scott Verseman.
Former Waterloo Resident Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
James L. Porter, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today that on June 3, 2016, Nicholas J. Perjak, 35, formerly of Waterloo, IL, was sentenced on a four-count Superseding Indictment charging him, in Count 1, with Attempt to Access with Intent to View Child Pornography; and, in Counts 2 through 4, with Access with Intent to View Child Pornography. Perjak received 60 months in federal prison on all counts, to run concurrently, followed by 10 years of supervised release on each count, also to run concurrently. Perjak was fined $100 on each count, for a total fine of $400, and ordered to pay a $400 special assessment.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s New Orleans’ Office in which IP addresses were captured when an individual, using a particular IP address, visited a website that contained links to child pornography and subsequently clicked on a link that indicated, through the description of the link, that the link would lead to child pornography. An administrative subpoena issued as part of the investigation determined that one of the captured IP addresses was registered to Perjak at his prior residence in Waterloo. The investigation by the New Orleans’ office revealed that Perjak attempted to access child pornography on this website on May 14, May 18, and June 25, 2011 (Count 1).
Based on this information, Task Force Officers with the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force conducted an interview with Perjak on December 13, 2012. Perjak provided a statement in which he identified a Dell laptop computer as the computer he primarily used for work and
personal business. Perjak also admitted viewing child pornography for approximately two years, and indicated that he viewed child pornography "in the last week." Perjak admitted being addicted to child pornography, and said that he had been addicted to it for the past three years. Perjak also admitted viewing child pornography of girls aged between ten and sixteen. Perjak said that he never saved or stored any child pornography on his Dell laptop computer.
A forensic review of the Dell laptop computer revealed approximately 6,164 image files of child pornography. The forensic review also revealed that on November 11, November 24, and December 3, 2012, Perjak searched for and accessed both image and video files of child pornography using Internet Explorer (Counts 2-4).
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 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."
The case was investigated by the FBI’s New Orleans’ Office and the FBI’s Springfield Child Exploitation Task Force. The case was assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Angela Scott.
Two Men Sentenced for Wildlife TraffickingRead the Press Release
James L. Porter, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today that Billy Michael Reed, 61, of Benton, Illinois, and Matthew Michael Adams, 32, of Arad, Alabama, have pled guilty and have been sentenced on charges of trafficking wildlife under the Lacey Act. On March 21, 2016, and on May 23, 2016, the United States District Court in Benton, Illinois sentenced Reed and Adams, respectively, to one year of probation and ordered each to pay $2,500 in restitution to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources,
Court proceedings indicated that the defendants, who operated M&M Outfitters, an outfitting and guide business, conducted the business for the hunting deer without the required permits and had such deer transported outside the state to Pennsylvania. The Illinois Wildlife Code requires that, before any person provides or offers to provide, for compensation, outfitting services for deer hunting, the person must apply for and receive a permit from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Federal law prohibits the interstate transport of illegally-gotten game.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – Office of Law Enforcement and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources – Conservation Police. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William E. Coonan.
Randolph County Residents Sentenced for Methamphetamine OffenseRead the Press Release
On May 25, 2016, Leah A. Bean, 33, of Sparta, and Larry D. Rice, 27, of Percy, were sentenced on a methamphetamine offense, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, James L. Porter, announced today.
Bean and Rice had previously pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute heroin. Bean was sentenced to 48 months in federal prison, followed by 3 years’ supervised release, and fined $200.00. Rice was sentenced to 70 months in federal prison, followed by 3 years’ supervised release and fined $200. Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings established that Bean and Rice were involved with each other and others in the distribution of heroin and ice/methamphetamine. The group made multiple trips to the St. Louis area to obtain dealer amounts of heroin. The heroin was then transported back to southern Illinois for distribution. At sentencing, the judge found that Bean was responsible for 302.4 grams of heroin and 5 grams of ice/methamphetamine. Rice was found responsible for 128.4 grams of heroin and 1.25 grams of ice/methamphetamine. The offense occurred between 2013 and June 2015, in Perry, Jackson, and Randolph Counties. Three co-defendants have previously been sentenced for their roles in the heroin and methamphetamine conspiracies. Four co-defendants have pled guilty and are awaiting sentencing. Three co-defendants have pled not guilty and are awaiting a June 13, 2016, jury trial.
The ongoing investigation is being conducted by the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office, Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, Perry County Sheriff’s Office, Perry County Drug Task Force, Percy Police Department, Steeleville Police Department, Mascoutah Police Department, Illinois State Police Methamphetamine Response Team, DuQuoin Police Department, Pinckneyville Police Department, and Drug Enforcement Administration. The Randolph and Perry County State’s Attorney’s Offices also assisted in the investigation, which was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Amanda Robertson.
Former Belleville Doctor's Office Manager Pleads Guilty to FraudRead the Press Release
Jerry L. Akin, 60, formerly from Belleville, Illinois, entered pleas of guilty to two counts of wire fraud involving a scheme to embezzle funds from a local doctor's office on May 26, 2016, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, James L. Porter, announced today.
Akin admitted as part of the plea that he charged personal purchases to the company's credit card that included Cardinal baseball season tickets, concert tickets, medical bills and personal travel expenses. The indictment further alleges that Akin paid personal credit card bills using the business checking account and that he attempted to conceal the payments by altering the payee of the checks in the business' QuickBooks accounting software. At sentencing, Akin faces a prison sentence of up to 40 years, a fine of up to $500,000, and up to 3 years supervised release with mandatory restitution. Sentencing is scheduled for August 26, 2016
The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with the assistance of the doctor's office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Norman R. Smith.
Edwardsville Woman Sentenced to 6 Months’ Home Confinement and 5 Years’ Probation for Structuring Currency TransactionsRead the Press Release
An Edwardsville woman, after pleading guilty to Structuring Currency Transactions to Avoid a Currency Transaction Report, was sentenced to six months’ home confinement and five years’ probation today, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, James L. Porter, announced today. Son Chong Fulton, 57, of Edwardsville, Illinois, received the sentence for structuring currency deposits to avoid IRS reporting requirements. The judge also ordered Fulton to forfeit $191,800, and ordered Fulton to pay a fine of $34,185 and a special assessment of $100. The charge relates to sixty-four currency deposits that Fulton made into a bank account between January 22, 2014, and August 11, 2015. Under federal law, financial institutions are required to report to the IRS any currency transaction, such as deposits, exceeding $10,000. It is federal crime to structure financial transactions in such a way as to avoid this reporting requirement. Documents filed with the court indicate that the total amount of deposits made by Fulton during the above period was over $191,800.
Fulton pled guilty to the charge on December 11, 2015.
The case was investigated by members of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stephen Clark.
East Saint Louis Man Pleads Guilty to Firearm OffenseRead the Press Release
The Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, James L. Porter, announced today that James Antwon Johnson, 24, of East Saint Louis, Illinois, pled guilty to a firearm offense in the U.S. District Court in East Saint Louis, Illinois. Johnson was charged with Unlawful Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. The charge carries a maximum penalty of ten years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release. Sentencing is set for September 13, 2016.
Court records indicate that on December 18, 2015, Johnson unlawfully possessed a 7.62 caliber, SKS-style, semi-automatic rifle and ammunition after having been previously convicted of the felony of the Unlawful Delivery of a Controlled Substance While Located within 1,000 Feet of a Park in Madison County, Illinois.
The case was investigated by the East Saint Louis Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney William E. Coonan and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily J. Wasserman.
Troy Man to Serve 15 Years in Prison for Attempted Sex Trafficking of A ChildRead the Press Release
Shane L. Schlaefer, 28, of Troy, Illinois was sentenced in the U.S. District Court to 15 years in prison for Attempted Commercial Sex Trafficking of a Child and Attempted Enticement of a Minor, Acting United States Attorney James L. Porter has announced. Schlaefer was also ordered to pay a $500 fine and a $200 special assessment. When he is released from prison, Schlaefer will be on federal supervised release for an additional 15 years. He has been in custody since he was arrested on these charges on April 6, 2015.
Documents filed in the U.S. District Court establish that in November of 2014, during an authorized undercover Internet investigation, a Special Investigator with the Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC) received numerous messages from Schlaefer in which he stated that he wanted to engage in sexual acts with a child. From November 14, 2014 to April 6, 2015, Schlaefer sent continuous messages requesting that the undercover investigator, posing as the mother of a 13-year-old girl, travel from Ohio to Illinois to allow Schlaefer to engage in sexual acts with the minor. Schlaefer offered to pay her $500. He also sent text messages directly to who he believed was the 13-year-old girl describing the sexual acts he wanted to perform. On April 6, 2015, the undercover investigator, communicating in an undercover capacity, agreed to travel to Troy, Illinois with her 13-year-old daughter to allow Schlaefer to engage sexual acts with the child.
On the night of April 6, 2015, Schlaefer arrived at a predetermined location in Collinsville, Illinois, exited his vehicle and was arrested by federal agents before entering the building. Schlaefer had $500 in United States currency in a sealed envelope within his pants pocket. During an interview with law enforcement, Schlaefer admitted that he had been communicating on the Internet with a woman who he thought was the mother of a 13-year-old girl living in Ohio and that he had offered to pay the woman $500 to drive to Illinois with her daughter to allow him to engage in sexual acts with the child. Schlaefer admitted that when he arrived at the pre-determined location, it was his intent to get a room at a nearby hotel where he would then engage in sexual intercourse with the child.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 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."
The investigation was conducted by investigators for the Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the United States Secret Service Southern Illinois Cyber-Crime Unit, and the Illinois State Police. The case was assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Ali Summers for prosecution.
Former Bookkeeper for the Pinckneyville Rural Fire Protection District Sentenced to Prison for FraudRead the Press Release
Tammy L. Kellerman, 53, of Pinckneyville, Illinois, the former bookkeeper for the Pinckneyville Rural Fire Protection District (PRFPD), was sentenced today in United States District Court in Benton to 33 months in prison for defrauding the tax-payer funded municipal entity of over $444,000.00, announced James L. Porter, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois. Kellerman had previously pled guilty on February 2nd to an Information charging her with four counts of mail fraud.
Information introduced in support of the guilty pleas and sentence showed that between 2004 and 2013, Kellerman used her trusted position with PRFPD to steal funds from PRFPD by sending unauthorized checks drawn on PRFPD’s bank account through the United States mail to pay her personal credit card bills and other expenses and, thereafter, made false entries in PRFPD’s accounting software to conceal her theft from the board.
In addition to the 33 month term in prison, Kellerman was ordered to pay the United States $400 in special assessments and to pay a total of $441,390.32 in restitution (consisting of $406,640.32 to PRFPD and $34,750 to its insurer). Kellerman was also placed on a 3 year term of supervised release to follow her time in prison.
The investigation leading to Kellerman’s conviction and sentence was a cooperative effort by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Illinois State Police, the Criminal Investigations Division of the Illinois Department of Revenue, and the Illinois Attorney General’s Office. The federal case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney James M. Cutchin.
Two St. Clair County Residents Charged with Methamphetamine OffensesRead the Press Release
Two St. Clair County residents were indicted on May 3, 2016, for methamphetamine-related offenses, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, James L. Porter, announced today.
Ricky M. Carle, 27, and Misty D. Calvert, 27, both of Marissa, are charged in a two-count indictment with conspiracy to manufacture and distribute methamphetamine and possession of pseudoephedrine knowing that it would be used to manufacture methamphetamine. The indictment alleges that the offenses occurred between 2014 and March 2016, in Williamson, Randolph, and Franklin Counties. Carle appeared in federal court on May 23, 2016. He was ordered held without bond pending a July 5, 2016, jury trial. During a previous May 10, 2016, detention hearing, Calvert was also ordered held without bond pending trial.
An indictment is a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge until proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury.
The methamphetamine offenses carry a maximum penalty of up to 20 years’ imprisonment, to be followed by 3 years’ supervised release, and a $1,000,000 fine.
The ongoing investigation is being conducted by the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office, Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, and Marissa Police Department.
St. Louis Man Pleads Guilty to Failure to Register as A Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
On May 20, 2016, Scott E. Smith, a thirty-one year old St. Louis, MO, man pled guilty in federal district court, in East St. Louis, to Failure to Register as a Sex Offender, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, James L. Porter, announced today. Smith is scheduled for sentencing on August 26, 2016, at which time he faces a maximum potential sentence of 10 years in prison and a fine up to $250,000, 5 years to life supervised release after his release from prison, and a mandatory special assessment of $100.
On January 14, 2008, Smith was convicted of Aggravated Criminal Sexual Abuse in Madison County, Illinois, and was required to register as a sex offender. Smith signed a Missouri Sex Offender Registration Form on September 3, 2014, while at the Booneville Correctional Center in Missouri. On June 24, 2015, Waterloo, Illinois police officers received an anonymous tip that Smith was living and working in Waterloo, Illinois. Officers then went to Smith’s place of employment to interview him. Smith admitted he had been working and living in Waterloo, Illinois, since March 2015, without updating his Missouri Sex Offender Registration Form, or registering as a sex offender in the State of Illinois, within three days of arrival.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. 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."
The case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service and is assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Daniel T. Kapsak.
Owner of Tax Preparation Business Pleads Guilty to Tax FraudRead the Press Release
James L. Porter, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today that Eyob Tilahun, 30, of St. Louis, MO, formerly the owner of a local tax return preparation business known as "Tax King," pled guilty to a charge of conspiring to submit false claims to the United States Government.
Tilahun owned and operated several Tax King locations in St. Louis, Missouri, and one in East St. Louis, Illinois. In the pleading guilty today, Tilahun admitted that Tax King’s return preparers were trained and instructed to increase their customers’ refunds by falsifying certain information on their tax returns. The false information that was placed on the returns included: (1) false Business Income and Schedules Cs which caused the clients to qualify for larger Earned Income Credits ("EICs"); (2) false wages, which again caused the clients to qualify for larger EICs; (3) false education expenses which enabled the clients to qualify for American opportunity education credits; and (4) false information regarding fuel taxes which qualified the clients for federal fuel tax credits.
Tilahun admitted that he profited from the scheme by charging Tax King’s clients fees which ranged from approximately $400 to $650. The indictment in the case alleges that the return preparers also profited by requesting cash "tips" from the clients that ranged from approximately $100 to $1,000.
"Tilahun and his business, Tax King, caused money to be stolen money from all Americans," Acting United States Attorney Porter stated. "Theft from our citizens, whether done by a gun or a computer, is simply unacceptable. Our office will continue all efforts to bring to justice those who cheat the American public."
"While most return preparers provide excellent service to their clients, a few unscrupulous tax preparers file false and fraudulent returns to defraud the government, the tax-paying public and their own clients," said Karl Stiften, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation. "Taxpayers should be careful in selecting the tax professional who will prepare their returns."
The sentencing hearing for Tilahun is set for August 26, 2016, at 10:00 a.m. The charge of conspiring to submit false claims carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison, up to a $250,000 fine, and restitution.
Four other defendants in the case have previously pled guilty. On April 29, 2016, Mason B. Richmond, 31, of St. Louis, MO, and Lakesha R. Wilson, 28, of East St. Louis, IL, both pled guilty in to conspiring to submit false claims and related tax charges. Richmond worked as a return preparer at Tax King location at 900 N. Grand in St. Louis. Wilson worked as a return preparer at the East St. Louis, IL, Tax King. Wilson is scheduled to be sentenced on August 5, 2016, and Richmond’s sentencing is set for August 12, 2015. Tanesa L. Beverly, 32, of Belleville, IL, and Melissa L. Wiley, 34, of Granite City, IL, both pled guilty in May 2015. Both Beverly and Wiley were return preparers at the East St. Louis Tax King. Beverly and Wiley are scheduled to be sentenced on September 9, 2016.
Charges are still pending against two additional return preparers from the East St. Louis location. The trial of Edric A. Russell, 35, and Pierre J. Carter, 33, both of East St. Louis, is scheduled to begin on August 22, 2016, at the Federal Courthouse in East St. Louis. As to those defendants, the public is reminded that they are presumed innocent of the charges until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The investigation is being conducted by agents from the Fairview Heights, Illinois, and St. Louis, Missouri Offices of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Scott A. Verseman.
The prosecution of this case is being coordinated with the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri. Several of the return preparers from the St. Louis locations of Tax King have been charged in federal court in St. Louis.
Former Scott Credit Union Loan Officer Pleads Guilty to FraudsRead the Press Release
Theodore J. Longust, 50, formerly from Columbia, Illinois, entered pleas of guilty today to a nine-count Indictment charging, Count 1, Financial Institution Fraud; Counts 2-5, Misapplication of Funds; Counts 6-8, Money Laundering; and Count 9, Making a False Record to Scott Credit Union With The Intent to Deceive, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, James L. Porter, announced. Longust was an employee of Scott Credit Union in the commercial loan department from November 7, 2005, continuing through December 8, 2014, and held the title of Business Relationship Manager. Longust executed a scheme to defraud through the embezzlement of credit union funds, the creation of fraudulent loans, the payment of loans through the misapplication of funds from other loans, the increase of credit limits on loans that did not have the requisite board approval, the issuance of business loans without the required documentation or security and the issuance of letters of credit without the required documentation and security. The indictment also alleges that he knowingly submitted a false report to Scott Credit Union for the 3rd quarter of 2014 that misstated loan balances and omitted loan amounts and underreported loans of over $12,000,000. Longust faces a prison sentence of up to 240 years, a fine of up to $4,500,000, and up to 5 years supervised release, and mandatory restitution when he faces sentencing before District Judge Yandle on September 6, 2016.
"While we are not in the business of giving the public financial or legal advice, the public should know that our investigation revealed that the safety and soundness of Scott Credit Union has not been adversely affected by the criminal conduct." noted Acting United States Attorney Porter. "We thank the Employees of Scott Credit Union who fully cooperated in our federal investigation."
The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service/Criminal Investigations with the assistance of Scott Credit Union. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Norman R. Smith.
St. Louis Man Pleads Guilty to Failure to Register as A Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
On May 18, 2016, James C. Poynor, a thirty-seven year old St. Louis, MO, man pled guilty in federal district court, in East St. Louis, to Failure to Register as a Sex Offender, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, James L. Porter, announced today. Poyner is scheduled for sentencing on September 16, 2016, at which time he faces a maximum potential sentence of 10 years’ in prison and a fine up to $250,000, 5 years’ to life supervised release after his release from prison, and a mandatory special assessment of $100.
In 2007, a jury in Butler County, Missouri, found Poynor guilty of Child Molestation in the First Degree and Sexual Misconduct Involving a Child. Consequently, Poynor was required to register as a sex offender thereafter. Poynor signed a Missouri Sex Offender Registration Form on July 2, 2014, providing a St. Louis, Missouri address as his place of residence. Shortly thereafter, he traveled to Illinois, where he resided until his arrest on July 12, 2015, without updating his Missouri Sex Offender Registration Form or registering as a sex offender in the State of Illinois.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. 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."
The case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service and is assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Daniel T Kapsak.
East Alton Man Indicted for Production and Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury sitting in East St. Louis has returned a two-count indictment against Steven A. Yon, 27, of East Alton, Illinois, for Production of Child Pornography and Receipt of Child Pornography, James L. Porter, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois announced today. The offenses charged in the indictment allege that on or about August 20, 2014, Yon knowingly induced a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purposes of producing a visual depiction of that conduct and that on or about August 24, 2014, Yon knowingly received visual depictions containing child pornography using a facility of interstate commerce.
A trial date has not yet been set. If convicted of Production of Child Pornography, Yon faces a prison term of not less than fifteen (15) years up to life, a fine up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of not less than five (5) years up to life. If convicted of Receipt of Child Pornography, Yon faces a term of imprisonment of not less than five (5) years up to twenty (20) years, a fine up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of not less than five (5) years up to life.
An Indictment is a formal charge against a defendant that is comprised of the essential facts constituting the offense charged. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 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."
This investigation was conducted by the Madison County Sheriff’s Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Metro East Cyber Crimes and Analysis Task Force. The case is assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Ali Summers for prosecution.
Alton Man Indicted for Distribution and Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury sitting in East St. Louis has indicted Michael E. Myers, 60, of Alton, Illinois, for Distribution of Child Pornography and Receipt of Child Pornography, James L. Porter, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today. After a detention hearing, Myers was held without bond pending trial.
The two offenses charged in the indictment allege that between March 24, 2016, and March 29, 2016, Myers knowingly distributed and received videos and images containing child pornography using a facility of interstate commerce.
A trial date has not yet been set. If convicted of Distribution and/or Receipt of Child Pornography, Myers faces a term of imprisonment of not less than fifteen (15) years up to forty (40) years, a fine up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of not less than five (5) years up to life.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 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."
This investigation was conducted by the Madison County Sheriff’s Department. The case is assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Christopher Hoell.
An Indictment is a formal charge against a defendant that is comprised of the essential facts constituting the offense charged. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury.
Marion Man to Serve Ten Years on Crack Cocaine OffenseRead the Press Release
On May 16, 2016, Tommy T. Langston, a/k/a "G," 38, of Marion, was sentenced for a crack cocaine offense, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, James L. Porter, announced today.
Langston, who had previously pled guilty to an indictment charging conspiracy to distribute 28 grams or more of crack cocaine, was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison, to be followed by 8 years of supervised release, and fined $400.00. The offense occurred between October 2014 and July 2015, in Williamson and Jackson Counties. Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings established that Langston was involved with others in the distribution of crack cocaine in the Marion and Carbondale areas. During the investigation, Langston sold crack cocaine to confidential sources working for law enforcement. At sentencing, the judge found that Langston was responsible for the distribution of 154.2 grams of crack cocaine. Co-defendant Tammy R. Whitton has previously been sentenced to 120 months in prison for her role in the crack cocaine conspiracy. Two co-defendants have pled guilty to their roles in the crack cocaine conspiracy and are awaiting sentencing. One co-defendant has pled not guilty and is awaiting trial.
The ongoing investigation is being conducted by the Southern Illinois Enforcement Group, Drug Enforcement Administration, Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, and Carbondale Police Department. The Williamson and Jackson County State’s Attorney’s Offices also assisted in the investigation.
Former Airman Pleads Guilty to Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
James L. Porter, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today that on May 16, 2016, Ronald W. McNair, Jr., 25, formerly stationed at Scott Air Force Base, pled guilty to Possession of Prepubescent Child Pornography. McNair faces a term of imprisonment of not more than twenty years, a fine up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of five years to life. Sentencing for McNair is set for September 6, 2016, in Benton, Illinois.
The charge arose after the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children ("NCMEC") produced three (3) CyberTipline reports after receiving information from Microsoft that an individual, identified as Ron McNair, was uploading what appeared to be images of child pornography to his Microsoft SkyDrive Account. The first CyberTipline Report noted that Ron McNair, using an e-mail address of "[email protected]," had uploaded one image to his SkyDrive account on March 24, 2014. The second CyberTipline Report noted that Ron McNair, using the e-mail address "[email protected]," uploaded one image to that account on April 14, 2014. Finally, the third CyberTipline Report noted that the person identified as Ron McNair uploaded twenty-one images to that account, again using the e-mail address "[email protected]," on April 14, 2014. All of the CyberTipline Reports reported that McNair used the IP address 75.132.130.141 when he uploaded the images.
An administrative subpoena determined that the subscriber of the IP address used at the time of the uploads belonged to McNair, who was stationed at Scott Air Force Base but resided in Belleville, Illinois.
The Department of Homeland Security executed a search warrant at McNair’s address. When McNair and his roommate were asked if they shared electronic devices, both individuals indicated that they did not. The roommate also indicated that the two even had separate wi-fi accounts. During the search, McNair made some statements about viewing child pornography on the Torrent network but refused to divulge the specific websites that he had visited. Among the items seized from McNair was a Western Digital, My Passport, external hard drive.
A forensic review of the Western Digital, My Passport, external hard drive, revealed that it contained 4,522 image and 144 video files of child pornography. A large number of these image and video files were of prepubescent children.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 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."
The case was investigated by the Belleville Police Department, the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, and the Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations. The case is assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Angela Scott and Special Assistant United States Attorney Shane Kelbley.
Telemarketer Sentenced for Role in Multi-Million Dollar ScamRead the Press Release
James L. Porter, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today that Ms. Chedna Charles, 27, of Orlando, FL, was sentenced in federal court this morning on one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud in connection with telemarketing. Charles was sentenced to 18 months in prison, to be followed by two years of supervised release. Charles was also ordered to pay $7,650.00 in restitution, a $300 fine, and a $100 special assessment.
The investigation determined that Charles was a telemarketer for National Solutions and related companies located in Orlando, Florida. National Solutions defrauded consumers across the continent using the fictitious names, Bluescape Timeshares International, Country Wide Timeshares, Countrywide Timeshares MA, Landmark Timeshares, Propertys Direct, Quicksale Propertys, Sun Property Networks, Sun Property’s, Universal Propertys, VIM Timeshares, Propertys DRK, Quick Sale Advisers, Quick Sale International, City Resorts, Resort Advisers, American Timeshares, Exit Week, and Resort Advisors International. These companies targeted owners of timeshares throughout the United States and Canada. In various court filings related to the National Solutions scam, the government has alleged that the overall scam bilked over 2,500 consumers out of at least $6 million, including eight victims in the Southern District of Illinois.
This prosecution is one of nearly one-hundred timeshare resale fraud prosecutions brought in the Southern District of Illinois over the past four years. The case is part of an ongoing investigation by the Midwest Region Office of the Federal Trade Commission and the St. Louis Field Office of the Chicago Division of the United States Postal Service. The prosecution of this case was handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Bruce Reppert, Scott Verseman, and William Coonan.
Seven Persons Charged with Methamphetamine OffensesRead the Press Release
Six southern Illinois residents and one Cape Girardeau man were indicted on May 3, 2016, for methamphetamine-related offenses, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois James L. Porter announced today.
Kyle E. Easterly, 29, and Charles W. Yearian, a/k/a "Chucky," 29, Randall J. Riley, 42, Lucas L. Holland, 29, and Ivan Weaver, 24, all of Murphysboro, Elizabeth A. Stell, a/k/a "Beth Bramlett," "Elizabeth Albritton," 45, of Dongola, and Devonce C. Patterson, a/k/a "George," "Little Buddy, 22, of Cape Girardeau, are all charged in a superseding indictment charging conspiracy to manufacture and distribute methamphetamine. Easterly and Yearian are also charged with one count of possession of pseudoephedrine knowing that it would be used to manufacture methamphetamine. The indictment alleges that the offenses occurred between April 2015 and March 2016, in Jackson and Perry Counties. Easterly, Yearian, Holland, and Stell have appeared in federal court and are currently being held without bond pending a July 11, 2016, jury trial. Riley, Weaver, and Patterson are scheduled to make their initial appearances in federal court on May 16, 2016.
An indictment is a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge until proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury.
The methamphetamine offenses carry a maximum penalty of up to 20 years in federal prison, to be followed by 3 years’ supervised release, and a $1,000,000 fine.
The ongoing investigation is being conducted by the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, Murphysboro Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The Union County Sheriff’s Office and Jackson County State’s Attorney’s Office also assisted in the investigation.
Missouri Woman Pleads Guilty to Sex Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
On May 12, 2016, Robin Thompson, a twenty-five year old Park Hills, Missouri, woman pled guilty in federal district court, in East St. Louis, Illinois, to one count of Conspiracy to Commit Sex Trafficking of Minor and by Force, Fraud, or Coercion, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, James L. Porter, announced today. Thompson is scheduled for sentencing on September 15, 2016, before the Honorable Michael J. Reagan, at which time she faces a maximum sentence of life in prison, not more than 5 years of supervised release after her prison term, a mandatory special assessment of $100, and restitution.
Facts presented in court revealed that during a six week period in June and July 2015, Thompson took part in a venture with her husband, co-defendant Marcus Dewayne Thompson, which involved the recruitment, transportation, and advertisement of a minor female from Illinois for commercial sex acts in Florida, Georgia and Louisiana.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel T. Kapsak.
Missouri Man Guilty of Sex Trafficking A Minor and ConspiracyRead the Press Release
On May 13, 2016, Marcus Dewayne Thompson, a twenty-eight year old Park Hills, Missouri, man pled guilty in federal district court, in East St. Louis, Illinois, to one count of Conspiracy to Commit Sex Trafficking of a Minor and by Force, Fraud, or Coercion, and one count of Sex Trafficking of a Minor and by Force, Fraud, or Coercion, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, James L. Porter, announced today. Thompson is scheduled for sentencing on September 29, 2016, before the Honorable Michael J. Reagan, at which time he faces a sentence of fifteen years to life in prison, not more than 5 years of supervised release after his prison term, a mandatory special assessment of $200, and restitution.
Court proceedings revealed that during a six week period in June and July 2015, Thompson orchestrated a venture with his wife, co-defendant Robin Thompson, which involved the recruitment, transportation, and advertisement of a minor female from Illinois for commercial sex acts in Florida, Georgia, and Louisiana.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel T. Kapsak.
Jury Convicts Festus Man of Assaulting Deputy MarshalRead the Press Release
James L. Porter, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced that Wednesday afternoon, May 11, 2016, a federal jury in East St. Louis found William J. Mabie, 55, of Festus, Missouri, guilty of assault on a federal officer. Sentencing before the Honorable Richard H. Mills has been scheduled for June 9, 2016.
"There are more than 900,000 law enforcement officers serving in communities across the United States, the highest number ever recorded. Each year, nearly 60,000 assaults against law enforcement officers resulting in approximately 16,000 injuries are reported." noted Acting United States Attorney Porter. "My office will always take swift and decisive action to deter those who think they can prey on our men and women in law enforcement. This verdict was especially pleasing as it occurred during National Police Week, a time when all of us should take a moment to reflect and thank the men and women of law enforcement for the tremendous job they do of keeping us all safe."
Evidence at trial showed that on March 12, 2015, while a prisoner in the custody of the United States Marshal Service, Mabie assaulted a Deputy United States Marshal in the Federal Courthouse for the Southern District of Illinois. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Shane Kelbley.
Olney Man Sentenced on Social Security Fraud ChargeRead the Press Release
James L. Porter, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today that David Mitchell Carter, 50, of Olney, Illinois, was sentenced on May 10, 2016, on the charge of Theft of Government Funds in the United States District Court in Benton, Illinois. The theft charge relates to fraud upon the Social Security benefit program. The district court sentenced Carter to six months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, with the first six months to be served under home confinement. The court also ordered Carter to pay restitution to the Social Security Administration in the amount of $77,353.00.
Court proceedings indicated that from January 2008, continuing to January 2014, Carter stole money belonging to the Social Security Administration by concealing his employment status in order to receive benefits from the Social Security Administration’s Title II Disability Insurance Benefits program, to which he knew he was not entitled by failing to disclose income through employment.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney William E. Coonan.
Granite City Chiropractor Pleads Guilty to Healthcare Fraud and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
James L. Porter, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today, that Bridget Brasfield, 45, of Edwardsville, Illinois, pled guilty to a two-count information charging Health Care Fraud and Money Laundering. Sentencing has been set for August 30, 2016, in U.S. District Court in Benton, Illinois. At that time Brasfield will face up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $500,000, and up to 3 years of supervised release.
During her plea hearing, Brasfield, who was a chiropractic physician licensed in Illinois, who practiced in Granite City, admitted that between January of 2011 and January of 2014, she submitted approximately $500,000 in false and fraudulent bills to various health care benefit plans. The fraudulent submissions to Medicaid, Medicare, Tricare, Federal Employees Health Benefit Program, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois and Coventry Insurance claimed that a Medical Doctor had provided services to patients at her Granite City Office when in fact the Doctor was out of the country when the services were claimed to have been provided. Brasfield also admitted that she had engaged in a financial transaction that involved criminally derived proceeds from her health care fraud. The specific transaction involved $12,000 in criminally derived funds that she transferred in violation of federal money laundering statutes.
The investigation was conducted by the Southern Illinois Health Care Fraud Task Force with active investigations by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - Office of Inspector General, the Illinois State Police -Medicaid Fraud Control Bureau, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, Office of the Inspector General, the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General – Office of Labor Racketeering and Fraud Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the Department of Labor Employee Benefits Security Administration and the US Railroad Retirement Board, Office of Inspector General. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ranley R. Killian and Scott A. Verseman.
If you suspect or know of an individual or company that is not complying with healthcare laws or public aid programs, you may report this activity to the local office of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, or you may call 1.800.447.8477.
Australian Extradited to the United States Pleds Guilty to Failure to Surrender for Prison SentenceRead the Press Release
Jeremiah Dorai Jacob, 36, an Australian citizen, formerly from Columbia, Illinois, pled guilty to Failure to Surrender for Service of a Sentence, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, James L. Porter, announced today. The offense carries a maximum sentence of up to ten years imprisonment; 3 years supervised release, a $250,000 fine, and a $100 mandatory special assessment. Sentencing is scheduled for September 9, 2016.
Jeremiah Jacob had previously been prosecuted and on August 31, 2012, he was sentenced to serve fourteen months imprisonment in the Bureau of Prisons for the offense of failure to register a security and was ordered to pay restitution to victims of his offense in the amount of $241,630.95. On September 13, 2012, the defendant requested permission to travel to Australia to work to earn additional funds to pay restitution to the victims of his offense. On September 13, 2012, the District Court granted the defendant's motion to travel to Australia but ordered the defendant to return to the United States of America prior to March 15, 2013 to begin serving his federal prison sentence. He failed to return to the United States to serve his prison sentence. Jeremiah Dorai Jacob was arrested in Australia on June 19, 2014, pursuant to the United States' request for extradition and has been detained pending these proceedings.
The prosecution is the result of an investigation conducted by the Postal Inspection Service and the U.S. Marshals Service. The prosecution was being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Norman R. Smith.
Barge Operator Pays United States over $800,000 in Civil PenaltiesRead the Press Release
As part of a voluntary agreement, Indiana-based American Commercial Lines, Inc. (ACL), and its wholly-owned subsidiary, ACBL Transportation Services, LLC (ACBLTS), have paid the United States $805,440.00 in civil penalties to resolve Clean Water Act (CWA) violations, Acting United States Attorney James L. Porter announced.
"Clean water is a precious resource." Porter said, "When it is threatened in the Southern District of Illinois, this office will not stand idly by. We take seriously our responsibility to uphold and enforce federal environmental laws, and we will continue to vigorously prosecute these cases."
According to a federal complaint filed earlier this year in the Southern District of Illinois, over a span of nearly seven years – from June 2007 to February 2014 – ACL and ACBLTS repeatedly discharged sewage and polluted wastewater to the Ohio River from their barge cleaning facility in Cairo, Illinois, in violation of their National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permits. The wastewater exceeded permit limits for four separate pollutants: biochemical oxygen demand, total suspended solids, total residual chlorine, and fecal coliform. The complaint states that the companies violated their allotted limits for daily maximum levels and/or monthly averages on at least 554 separate occasions.
Reports submitted by ACL and ACBLTS to the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency show that in many instances, the violations were egregious. On 16 occasions, the amount of fecal coliform in ACL’s discharges measured at least 100 times higher than the permit limit. During another month, the concentration of total residual chlorine in the wastewater rose to more than 700 times the permit limit. Most of the polluted water that ACL and ACBLTS discharged to the Ohio River came from two office septic systems and a marine sanitation device. A barge cleaning station also contributed to the CWA violations described in the complaint.
The objective of the Clean Water Act is to restore and maintain the chemical, physical and biological integrity of the Nation’s waters. In reaching the settlement figure, the United States took into account the seriousness of the violations and the impact they had on the environment, as well as the corrective measures the companies eventually took to eliminate future violations and bring their Cairo facility into compliance. "This settlement illustrates the importance and value of protecting the Ohio River," said Robert A. Kaplan, Acting EPA Region 5 Administrator. "U.S. EPA will take action whenever necessary to protect our freshwater resources."
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Nathan D. Stump and Nicholas J. Biersbach, in concert with the Environment and Natural Resources Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency.
Granite City Man Sentenced for Methamphetamine OffenseRead the Press Release
The Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, James L. Porter, announced today that Arthur C. Hawkes, 45, of Granite City, Illinois, was sentenced in U.S. District Court on May 6, 2016 to a term of 36 months in federal prison for Possession With Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine.
Hawkes pled guilty to the federal charge on January 29, 2016. He has been continuously confined in federal custody since May, 2015.
At his change of plea hearing, Hawkes admitted that he had possessed two ounces of methamphetamine on April 19, 2015 in Granite City. Police discovered the methamphetamine in Hawkes’ pants while he was being booked for multiple traffic violations. Hawkes also admitted that he had intended to sell the methamphetamine which he possessed, which had a street value of $1,000.00, in the Granite City area.
Evidence in support of this prosecution was obtained in an investigation which was conducted under the auspices of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The OCDETF initiative is designed to bring federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies and resources together to identify, target and dismantle large national and international drug trafficking organizations.
The investigation which resulted in Hawkes’ arrest and conviction was conducted by the Granite City Police Department and by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
The case was assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Robert L. Garrison.
Caseville Woman Pleads Guilty to Armed Robbery of Convenience StoreRead the Press Release
On May 6, 2016, Jenna M. McGlasson, a twenty-eight year old Caseyville, Illinois, woman pled guilty in federal district court to an Indictment charging her with Interference with Commerce by Robbery and Brandishing a Firearm During a Crime of Violence, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, James L. Porter, announced today. McGlasson is scheduled for sentencing on September 2, 2016, at which time she faces a potential sentence of seven years to life imprisonment, up to 5 years’ of supervised release after her prison term, a $250,000 fine, and a mandatory special assessment of $100 for each count.
Court proceedings revealed that on June 25, 2015, McGlasson entered a convenience store in Caseyville, Illinois, with a dark hoodie covering her head, pointed a pistol at a store employee, and demanded the money of the employee. McGlasson then jumped onto the counter, accessed the store’s cash register, and attempted to steal United States currency belonging to the store.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Daniel T. Kapsak for prosecution.
Williamson County Woman Charged with Federal Drug ViolationRead the Press Release
On May 3, 2016, Natasha C. Mann, 29, of Cambria, was charged by indictment with conspiracy to distribute a mixture or substance containing MDMA, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, James L. Porter, announced today. MDMA is 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine, a controlled substance, which is commonly referred to as "Ecstasy." The indictment alleges that the offense occurred between December 2015 and March 22, 2016, in Williamson County. Mann is scheduled to make her initial appearance in federal court on May 5, 2016.
An indictment is a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge until proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury.
The MDMA offense carries a maximum penalty of up to 20 years in federal prison, to be followed by 3 years’ supervised release, and a $1,000,000 fine.
The ongoing investigation is being conducted by the Southern Illinois Enforcement Group, Department of Homeland Security, Drug Enforcement Administration, Marion Police Department, and U.S. Postal Inspection Service. The Illinois State Police and Williamson County State’s Attorney’s Office assisted in the investigation.
Williamson County Man Charged with Federal Firearm ViolationRead the Press Release
On May 3, 2016, Russell D. Morris, a/k/a "Dickie Donald," 36, of Herrin, was charged by one-count indictment with unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, James L. Porter, announced today. The indictment alleges that the offense occurred on January 29, 2016, in Williamson County. Morris is scheduled to make his initial appearance in federal court on May 5, 2016.
An indictment is a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge until proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury.
The firearm offense carries a maximum penalty of up to 10 years’ imprisonment, to be followed by 3 years’ supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
The ongoing investigation is being conducted by the Southern Illinois Enforcement Group and Illinois Department of Corrections – Parole Compliance Division. The Williamson County State’s Attorney’s Office assisted in the investigation.
Las Vegas Man Sentenced for Cocaine PossessionRead the Press Release
Jiwon Jiwon Park, 37, of Las Vegas, Nevada, was sentenced on May 5, 2016, in federal district court in East St. Louis, Illinois, for Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, James L. Porter, announced today.
Park will serve a 36 month term of imprisonment, to be followed by a 5 year term of supervised release. The Court also imposed $5,100 in financial penalties. Facts presented in court revealed that on June 27, 2015, an Illinois State Police officer stopped Park’s vehicle after observing him traveling too closely to other vehicles on Interstate 70 in Madison County, Illinois. A search of the vehicle yielded approximately 6 kilograms (over 13 pounds) of cocaine hidden in vacuum sealed bags in the trunk.
This case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Illinois State Police (ISP) and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel T. Kapsak.
St. Louis Man Sentenced in Craigslist Counterfeit ConspiracyRead the Press Release
James L. Porter, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today, that Eric Rogers, 23, of St. Louis, Missouri, was sentenced on Friday, April 29, 2016, in the U.S. District Court in East Saint Louis, Illinois, on the charge of Conspiracy to Manufacture, Possess and Pass Counterfeit United States Currency. The district court sentenced Johnson to 30 months in federal prison to be followed by 3 years of supervised release.
Rogers pled guilty to the charge on December 9, 2015. During his plea he admitted that he along with several others had engaged in an agreement to use counterfeit United States Currency to buy vehicles. Once in possession of the vehicles they would then resell them for genuine United States currency.
During August of 2013, the group contacted a person in Sandoval Illinois, who had listed his vehicle for sale on Craigslist. Johnson, along with the other conspirators then met with the seller in Sandoval, Illinois and purchased the vehicle for $2,400 in counterfeit $100 Federal Reserve Notes. Johnson and others involved in the conspiracy were arrested a short time after the fraudulent purchase by law enforcement from Carlyle, Clinton County and Sandoval.
The investigation in this case was conducted by the Carlyle and Sandoval Police Departments, the Clinton County Sheriff’s Office and the United States Secret Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ranley R. Killian.
Highland Resident Sentenced for Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
James L. Porter, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today that on April 29, 2016, Richard Hogg, 56, Highland, IL, was sentenced on an Indictment charging him, in Count 1, with Distribution of Child Pornography; in Counts 2 and 3, with Receipt of Child Pornography; in Count 4, with Access with Intent to View Child Pornography; and, in Count 5, with Possession of Prepubescent Child Pornography. Hogg received 210 months in federal prison on Counts 1-3 and 5 and 120 months on Count 4, all to run concurrently, to be followed by15 years of supervised release on each count, also to run concurrently, and was ordered to pay a $500 special assessment. Hogg was also ordered, pursuant to a plea agreement with the United States, to pay restitution in the amount of $2,000 to each of three victims depicted in the images and/or videos of child pornography that he distributed, received and/or possessed, and to forfeit the electronic media that contained these images and/or videos of child pornography. Hogg has been detained since he entered his guilty plea on January 25, 2016.
The charges arose after the FBI found information on the internet that Hogg had engaged in a sexually explicit chat with what he apparently believed to be a minor female, as well as other reports of Hogg soliciting minors to engage in sex acts. Based on this information, on February 3, 2015, the FBI went to Hogg’s residence. Hogg agreed to provide a voluntary statement, in which he admitted chatting online with a girl he believed to be sixteen years old who resided in New York, and that the chats were sexual in nature.
Hogg stated that he began viewing pornography in 2007, and that he gradually started viewing younger females. When asked if images of prepubescent children would be found on his computer, he replied in the affirmative. When asked what the pictures he owned showed with respect to the minor females, he replied "everything." When asked how often he chatted with young females online, he said that it likely occurred a "few times a month." Hogg estimated that he had approximately 1,000 images and four videos of child pornography on his computers, and that they would be found in the "My Pictures" folder on his computers. Hogg said that the images typically included a "dad" with their children.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. 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."
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Springfield Child Exploitation Task Force. The case was assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Angela Scott.
Former Carbondale Postal Carrier Pleads Guilty to Mail TheftRead the Press Release
James L. Porter, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today, that Michelle L. Leggans, 36, of Murphysboro, Illinois, pled guilty in federal court to two counts of mail theft. Sentencing has been set for August 10, 2016. Leggans will face up to 5 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to 3 years of supervised release.
During her plea hearing, Leggans admitted that while she was working as a postal mail carrier for the Carbondale Post Office in 2012, she stole two items of mail. One item was gift card from Kohl’s Department Store; the second item was a parcel from eBay.
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William E. Coonan.
Saline County Man Sentenced for Methamphetamine OffenseRead the Press Release
David E. Garris II, 36, of Eldorado, Illinois, was sentenced today in United States District Court in Benton to a term of 132 months in prison for possessing with intent to distribute 39 grams of methamphetamine, announced James L. Porter, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois.
Garris was found to be in possession of the methamphetamine and $4180.00 in cash during a routine traffic stop conducted by the Illinois State Police on March 21, 2015, in Saline County. At the time of the traffic stop Garris was on parole from the Illinois Department of Corrections after being sentenced to 5 years in state prison in 2013 for possessing methamphetamine manufacturing materials in Saline County.
In addition to the 132 month federal sentence, Garris was ordered to pay $300 in fines and special assessments to the United States and was placed on a 3 year term of supervised release to follow his incarceration.
The case was investigated by the Carmi office of the Southern Illinois Drug Task Force and the Illinois State Police and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney James M. Cutchin.
Jury Convicts Belleville Man of Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
James L. Porter, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced that late Tuesday morning, a federal jury in East St. Louis found Joseph E. Suggs, 41, of Belleville, Illinois, guilty of two counts of production of child pornography and one count of attempted production of child pornography.
Evidence at trial showed that on June 6, 2014, Suggs approached two juveniles, aged 13 and 16, in Bellevue Park and offered them money in exchange for nude photographs. Defendant was arrested by the Belleville Police Department. During a forensic examination of the camera he possessed at the time of his arrest, photos of the 16 year old juvenile’s genitalia were found. Sentencing has been scheduled for September 8, 2016 in front of the Chief Judge Michael J. Reagan. Suggs faces a minimum sentence of fifteen years in federal prison.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 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."
The investigation into this crime was conducted by the Belleville Police Department and the United States Secret Service Criminal Investigative Division. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Laura Reppert and Angi Scott.
East Alton Man Charged in Making False Bomb Threats to Alton Home Depot StoreRead the Press Release
On April 26, 2016, Jeremy R. Colwell, a thirty-three year old man from East Alton, Illinois, was charged by complaint in federal district court, in East St. Louis, for three counts of Conveying a False Threat, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, James L. Porter, announced today. Colwell faces a potential sentence of up to 5 years’ in prison, and a fine of up to $250,000, not more than 3 years’ of supervised release after his prison term, and a mandatory special assessment of $100 per count.
Court proceedings revealed that on February 16, 2016, April 2, 2016, and April 4, 2016, Colwell is alleged to have faxed messages to the Alton Police Department, local news outlets, Home Depot in Alton, Illinois, as well as the FBI, threatening the detonation of a bomb at Home Depot in Alton, Illinois.
A complaint is a formal charge against a defendant that is comprised of the essential facts constituting the offense charged. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Daniel T. Kapsak for prosecution.
Jury Convicts Cahokia Man of Stealing Firearms from Swansea Rural KingRead the Press Release
James L. Porter, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced that late Wednesday morning, a federal jury in East St. Louis found Rodney A. Mathes, 49, of Cahokia, Illinois, guilty of stealing firearms from a federal firearms licensee and possession of firearms by a felon.
Evidence at trial showed that on January 19, 2015, Mathes and his brother-in-law, Michael Khoury, broke into the Rural King in Swansea, Illinois, stealing sixteen firearms before fleeing the scene. Mathes, a previously convicted felon, faces a minimum of fifteen years in prison based upon his criminal history. Sentencing has been scheduled for September 8, 2016, in front of the Honorable Michael J. Reagan.
The investigation into this crime was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Swansea Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Laura V. Reppert and Special Assistant United States Attorney Shane B. Kelbley.
Former FPC-Greenville Inmate Sentenced for EscapeRead the Press Release
James L. Porter, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today that on April 19, 2016, Shelia B. Hatfield, 52, formerly an inmate at the Federal Prison Camp located in Greenville, Illinois (FPC-Greenville), was sentenced for Escape. Hatfield received 15 additional months in federal prison, followed by 3 years supervised release. Hatfield has been held without bond since her arraignment on the Indictment on May 12, 2015.
The offense occurred on March 9, 2015, when Hatfield, who was an inmate at FPC-Greenville at the time, was found in the parking lot of a Buchheit store outside the prison camp’s grounds without having received authorization to leave. Evidence introduced at sentencing revealed that, when she was captured, she was found with a bottle of whiskey, two bottles of vodka, fifteen packs of cigarettes, rolling papers, a cigarette lighter, and three packs of gum, all of which are prohibited items at FPC-Greenville. Hatfield had purchased the items from a convenience store that was approximately 1.5 miles from the prison camp. Despite Hatfield’s claim that she was forced to leave the camp to buy the contraband because of the abuse and harassment that she suffered at the hands of other inmates in her unit, she had never reported any abuse or harassment.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Prisons’ Special Investigations Section. The case was assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Angela Scott.
Carterville Woman Charged with Methamphetamine OffenseRead the Press Release
A Carterville resident was indicted on April 5, 2016, for a methamphetamine offense, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, James L. Porter, announced today.
Morgan R. Harper, 24, of Carterville, is charged in a one-count indictment charging conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine. The indictment alleges that the offense occurred between 2013 and June 2015 in Jackson, Perry, and Randolph Counties. Harper appeared in federal court on April 19, 2016. She was ordered held without bond pending an April 21, detention hearing.
An indictment is a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge until proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury.
The methamphetamine offense carries a maximum penalty of up to 20 years in federal prison, to be followed by 3 years’ supervised release, and a $1,000,000 fine.
The ongoing investigation is being conducted by the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office and Randolph County Sheriff’s Office. The Jackson County State’s Attorney’s Office also assisted in the investigation.
St. Louis Area Man Sentenced for Role in Cocaine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Keith Harris, 60, of St. Louis, Missouri, was sentenced on April 8, 2016, in federal court, for his role as being courier for a drug distribution organization that funneled cocaine from Houston, Texas, to the Metro-East area, between April 2011 and February 2013, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, James L. Porter, announced today. Harris was sentenced to 32 months in prison, 2 years’ supervised release, ordered to pay a $200 fine and a $100 special assessment. To date, all ten other individuals charged as a result of this investigation have been convicted and sentenced.
Evidence in support of the sentencing was obtained in an investigation which was conducted under the auspices of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The OCDETF initiative is designed to bring federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies and resources together to identify, target and dismantle large national and international drug trafficking organizations. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Laura V. Reppert and Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan S. Drucker.
Texas Man Pleads Guilty in Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Aldrin Javier Espinoza, 23, of Pharr, Texas, pled guilty today for his part in a three-count indictment charging him with Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substance, James L. Porter, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced. Espinoza’s sentencing hearing has been set for June 24, 2016, and he faces penalties of no less than 10 years in federal prison, a fine of up to $10,000,000, at least 5 years supervised release and a $100 special assessment.
Evidence in support of this prosecution was obtained in an investigation which was conducted under the auspices of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The OCDETF initiative is designed to bring federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies and resources together to identify, target and dismantle large national and international drug trafficking organizations. The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Deirdre A. Durborow.
Southern Illinois Residents Charged with Methamphetamine OffenseRead the Press Release
Union and Williamson County residents were indicted on April 5, 2016, for a methamphetamine offense, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, James L. Porter, announced today.
Troy A. Smith, 44, of Jonesboro, and Jeremiah Lee Jae Sadler, a/k/a "Jeremiah L. Sadler, 36, of Marion, are charged in a one-count indictment charging conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. The indictment alleges that the offense occurred between 2015 and February 2016, in Union and Williamson Counties. Sadler made his initial appearance in federal court on April 7, 2016. He is being held without bond pending an April 11, 2016, detention hearing. Smith is scheduled to make his initial appearance on April 11, 2016.
An indictment is a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge until proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury.
The methamphetamine offense carries a maximum penalty of up to 20 years in federal prison, to be followed by 3 years’ supervised release, and a $1,000,000 fine.
The ongoing investigation is being conducted by the Southern Illinois Enforcement Group, Southern Illinois Drug Task Force, and Drug Enforcement Administration. The Union and Williamson County State’s Attorney’s Offices also assisted in the investigation.