District of Kansas
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Wichita Attorney Convicted on Federal Tax Evasion ChargeRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – A Wichita attorney was convicted today of evading federal taxes, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.
U.S. District Judge Eric Melgren found Eldon L. Boisseau, 67, Wichita, Kan., guilty on one count of tax evasion.
In a written decision, the court found that during 1998 through 2000, 2002 through 2005 and 2007 through 2008 Boisseau attempted to evade paying federal income taxes, as well as a trust fund recovery penalty from 1999. He interfered with the government’s efforts to collect the taxes he owned by putting his law firm in the name of a nominee, terminating his own pay agreement with the law firm and then having the firm pay for his personal expenses.
Sentencing is set for Sept. 28. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. Grissom commended the Internal Revenue Service, Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan Metzger and Sean Green, Trial Attorney with Justice Department’s Tax Division, for their work on the case.
Former Bank Teller Pleads Guilty to EmbezzlementRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. - A former Labette County bank clerk pleaded guilty Tuesday to a federal charge of embezzlement, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.
Angela S. Littlejohn, 41, Chetopa, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of embezzlement. In her plea, she admitted the crime occurred while she worked as a teller during 2013 and 2014 at the Chetopa State Bank in Chetopa, Kan. She stole a total of at least $82,000 from multiple accounts at the bank.
Sentencing is set for Sept. 28. Both parties are recommending a sentence of time served, two years on probation and restitution of $82,000. Grissom commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Assistant U.S. Attorney Lanny Welch for their work on the case.
Ottawa County Business Owner Sentenced for Clean Water Act ViolationsRead the Press Release
TOPEKA, KAN. - The owner of a metal plating company in Minneapolis, Kan., was sentenced Monday to four months in federal prison followed by six months home confinement for violating the federal Clean Water Act. His company was fined $10,000. In addition, he and his company were ordered to pay $281,503 in restitution.
Kevin L. Cline, 56, Minneapolis, Kan., owner of C & R Plating, pleaded guilty to one count of violating the federal law that regulates discharges into America’s creeks and rivers. The company pleaded guilty to the same count.
In his plea, Cline admitted he was responsible for high levels of zinc found in a sewer system operated by the City of Minneapolis, Kan. Beginning in 2007, Cline submitted false and fraudulent samples and reports to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment to conceal the fact that untreated waste water from C & R Plating was being delivered to the Minneapolis sewer system. The water came from spent chemical baths used in treating metals. The city sewer system discharges into the Solomon River via Lindsey Creek and an unnamed tributary.
Grissom commended the Environmental Protection Agency and Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Hathaway for their work on the case.
Getaway Car Driver in Five Bank Robberies Sentenced to 4+ Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. - A Kansas City man who took part in five bank robberies in Kansas and Missouri was sentenced Monday to 55 months in federal prison, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.
Dale Williamson, 35, Kansas City, Mo., pleaded guilty to five counts of bank robbery. In his plea, he admitted driving a getaway car in the following bank robberies:
- April 24, 2014, UMB Bank, 6252 Raytown Road, Raytown, Mo.
- May 12, 2014, First Bank of Missouri, 7001 North Oak Trafficway, Gladstone, Mo.
- May 22, 2014, Bank of America, 15811 Metcalf Ave. Overland Park, Kan.
- May 30, 2014, Commerce Bank, 9501 Antioch Road, Overland Park, Kan.
- May 30, 2014, Commerce Bank, 3606 Frederick Ave., St. Joseph, Mo.
Grissom commended the FBI and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jabari Wamble for their work on the case.
Former Ft. Riley Soldier Sentenced to 10 Years for Aggravated Sexual Abuse of ChildRead the Press Release
TOPEKA, KAN. - A former Ft. Riley soldier was sentenced Monday to 10 years in federal prison for aggravated sexual abuse of a child, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.
James Duke, 52, who is in federal custody, pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated sexual abuse. In his plea, he admitted he began sexually assaulting a female child starting when she was four or five years old. Most of the assaults occurred while he was stationed at Ft. Riley and living in military housing. He was stationed there from October 1996 to October 2001.
The investigation began in 2013, when the FBI learned Duke was trading child pornography, including photos taken during the assaults he committed.
Grissom commended the FBI, Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Robin Graham and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Kenney for their work on the case.
Andover Man Sentenced for Mishandling ChemicalsRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. - A co-owner of a plastics recycling company in El Dorado, Kan., pleaded guilty Monday to mishandling waste chemicals and was sentenced to pay more than $118,000 in restitution to the Environmental Protection Agency, said U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom. In addition, the defendant was sentenced to serve 18 months on probation.
Sean M. Riley, 39, Andover, Kan., co-owner of Integrated Plastic Solutions, LLC., pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and abetting negligent exposure to a hazardous air pollutant. In his plea, he admitted the company stored hazardous wastes at its facility in the form of paints, solvents and other chemicals. The paints and solvents contained ethylbenzene, which is classified as a hazardous air pollutant. After becoming aware that the Kansas Department of Health and Environment was investigating the company’s waste handling practices, Riley’s brother and business partner, Brian J. Riley, allowed some paints and solvents to be dumped on the IPS grounds, releasing ethyl benzene and exposing employees to the risk of flash fire and explosion.
Brian J. Riley was sentenced in May to three years on probation and the same restitution as Sean M. Riley.
Grissom commended the Environmental Protection Agency and Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan Metzger for their work on the case.
Robber Admits Dragging Employee by Hair During Bank Robbery in Overland ParkRead the Press Release
TOPEKA, KAN. - A Kansas City man pleaded guilty Tuesday to a federal bank robbery charge and admitted threatening employees with a gun and dragging a woman by her hair, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.
Clifton B. Cloyd, 54, Kansas City, Mo., pleaded guilty to one count of bank robbery and one count of brandishing a firearm during the robbery. On Oct. 29, 2014, he and another man robbed the Bank of America at 9500 Mission in Overland Park, Kan. In his plea, Cloyd admitted:
- He and his accomplice held five bank employees and one customer at gunpoint.
- Cloyd, who was carrying a handgun, grabbed one of the bank employees and pulled her by the hair and scarf to the teller station. He struck her in the face with a handgun.
- Cloyd struck a customer so hard her glasses flew off and she was knocked to the floor.
- Cloyd struck a male bank employee with such force that his head started bleeding.
Sentencing is set for Sept. 14. He faces a penalty of not less than 10 years and not more than 25 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on the bank robbery charge, and a penalty of not less than seven years and a fine up to $250,000 on the firearm charge.
Co-defendant Steve A. Watts, 55, Mo., is awaiting trial.
Grissom commended the Overland Park Police Department, the Prairie Village Police Department, the Leawood Police Department, the FBI and Assistant U.S. Attorney David Zabel for their work on the case.
In all cases, defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The indictments merely contain allegations of criminal conduct.
Wichita Woman Sentenced in Mail Theft Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – A Wichita woman was sentenced Monday to five years on federal probation for her role in a scheme to steal mail from postal boxes and cash counterfeit checks, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said. She and the other defendants also were ordered to pay more than $27,000 in restitution.
Jennifer R. Harper, 35, Wichita, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and one count of conspiracy to steal mail. In her plea, she admitted that in 2013 and 2014 she and her co-defendants entered an agreement to steal mail from U.S. Postal Service blue boxes.
The defendants removed mail from U.S. Postal Service blue boxes. They opened the stolen mail and took information and checks from the mail. They used the information and the checks to create counterfeit checks and cash them.
Co-defendants include:
Justin Anderson, who was sentenced to 78 months.
Jeremy S. Robinson, who was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison.
Grissom commended the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Department, the Wichita Police Department, the Derby Police Department and Assistant U.S. Attorney Debra Barnett for their work on the case.
Montgomery County Conservation Director Charged with Bank Fraud, Wire FraudRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – A former director of the Montgomery County Conservation District appeared in federal court here Monday on bank fraud and wire fraud charges, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.
Danielle R. Passauer, 29, Neodesha, Kan., was charged with one count of wire fraud and one count of bank fraud. It is alleged that she authorized $27,678 in checks to be paid to her in excess of the amount of her salary. Furthermore, it is alleged she authorized $23,694 in electronic transfer to VISA to pay for her personal, unauthorized expenditures.
If convicted, she faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison and a fine up to $1 million on each count.
The FBI investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mona Furst is prosecuting.
Arrested with Dozens of Counterfeit Credit Cards, Texas Man Pleads Guilty to Bank Fraud, Wire FraudRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – A Texas man who was arrested with dozens of counterfeit credit cards pleaded guilty Monday to federal bank fraud and wire fraud charges, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.
Justin Russell Bennett, 29, pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud, one count of wire fraud, one count of using a counterfeit credit card, one count of using an embossing machine to create counterfeit credit cards, one count of possession of 15 or more counterfeit credit cards and one count of aggravated identity theft.
Bennett was arrested Sept. 22, 2014, when he ran out of gas on Interstate 70 in Sherman County, Kan. Officers seized 47 counterfeit credit cards, an embossing machine, thousands of blank credit cards and other materials used to create counterfeit cards. He used counterfeit credit cards to rent vehicles, rent motel rooms, purchase items he sold through Internet sites and obtain cash advances.
Sentencing is set for Sept. 14. The crimes carry the following penalties:
Bank fraud: A maximum penalty of 30 years and a fine up to $1 million.
Wire fraud: A maximum penalty of 20 years and a fine up to $250,000.
Using a counterfeit credit card: A maximum penalty of 10 years and a fine up to $250,000.
Using an embossing machine to create counterfeit cards: A maximum penalty of 15 years and a fine up to $250,000.
Possession of 15 or more counterfeit cards: A maximum penalty of 10 years and a fine up to $250,000.
Aggravated identity theft: A mandatory two years consecutive to other sentences and a fine up to $250,000.
The Sherman County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Secret Service investigated. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Jacobs is prosecuting.
Federal Jury Returns Guilty Verdicts in Junction City Drug Trafficking CaseRead the Press Release
TOPEKA, KAN. - A federal jury here today delivered guilty verdicts against four defendants charged with trafficking crack cocaine in the Junction City and Manhattan areas, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.
During trial, prosecutors presented evidence that in late 2012 and early 2013 agents of Kansas Bureau of Investigation and detectives from the Junction City Police Department investigated a large crack cocaine trafficking organization in Junction City and Manhattan. The organization was led by defendants Albert Banks and Anthony Thompson, who acquired the drugs from three different suppliers and sold the drugs to distributors who resold them on the streets.
The jury returned guilty verdicts against:
Albert Dwayne Banks, 33, Junction, City, Kan, count one (conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine), count eight (distributing crack cocaine, count 11 (distribution crack cocaine), count 12 (distributing crack cocaine), count 15 (distributing crack cocaine) count 16 (distributing crack cocaine), count 17 (distributing crack cocaine).
Johnny Lee Ivory, III, 29, Topeka, Kan., count one (conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine), count 19 (possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine), count 20 (unlawful possession of a firearm following a felony conviction).
Martye Madabuti Madkins, III, 34, Junction City, Kan., count two (distributing crack cocaine), count four (distributing crack cocaine).
Anthony Caryle Thompson, 33, Junction City, Kan., count one (conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine), count three (distributing crack cocaine), count five (distributing crack cocaine), count six (distributing crack cocaine), count seven (distributing crack cocaine), count eight (distributing crack cocaine), count nine (distributing crack cocaine), count 10 (distributing crack cocaine), count 13, distributing crack cocaine).
Defendants Zachary Carlyle Patmon and Otis Dean Ponds were acquitted.
Sentencing is set for Sept. 28.
The crimes carry the following penalties:
Conspiracy: Not less than 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $10 million.
Distribution: A maximum penalty of 20 years and a fine up to and a fine up to $1 million on each count.
Unlawful possession of a firearm: A maximum penalty of 10 years and a fine up to $250,000.
Grissom commended the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, the Junction City Police Department, the Geary County Attorney’s Office and and Assistant U.S. Attorney Tony Mattivi for their work on the case.
Couple from India Arrested in Alien Employment CaseRead the Press Release
McPHERSON, KAN. - A married couple from India who themselves are unlawfully in the United States have been arrested on an indictment charging unlawful employment of aliens, document fraud, bank fraud and making false claims of U.S. citizenship, U. S. Attorney Barry Grissom said Weednesday.
Arrested were Satishkumar “Sam” Patel, 47, and his wife, Daxaben S. Patel, 36, both of McPherson, Kan., who are in federal custody and scheduled to appear at 1:30 p.m. today in U.S. District Court in Wichita. The indictment also charges four other aliens from India who allegedly were employed by the Patels, as well as Nitin B. Patel, 53, a Lawrence, Kan., business partner of Satishkumar Patel’s, and two companies owned by the defendants.
The investigation was led by the Kansas Department of Revenue’s Office of Special Investigations and Alcoholic Beverage Control Division, and Homeland Security Investigations, with the assistance the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General, the McPherson Police Department, the Kansas Department of Labor and the U.S. Attorney’s office.
The indictment unsealed Wednesday contains 45 counts arising primarily from the Patels’ operation of a gas station and convenience store at 115 W. Kansas in McPherson called Route 56 Express. The indictment also seeks criminal forfeiture of money and property related to the alleged crimes, including the business, real estate, cash, and money held in bank accounts controlled by the Patels. Many of those assets were seized today, Grissom said.
According to the indictment, Satishkumar and Daxaben Patel unlawfully entered the United States in the 1990s and have never had any lawful status here, but were able to obtain Social Security numbers by claiming to be aliens authorized to work. Since then, the indictment alleges, the Patels have pretended to be U.S. citizens, buying a home in McPherson and engaging in business activities that didn’t result in checks of their citizenship or immigration status.
They obtained Kansas driver’s licenses using their Social Security numbers and swearing they were lawfully in the U.S., according to the indictment, resulting in charges of document fraud and use of a fraudulently obtained Social Security number, all felonies. Sastishkumar and Daxaben Patel also are charged with multiple counts of harboring aliens unlawfully in the United States, both by employing them and by providing housing at the Patel’s McPherson home.
The indictment alleges the Patels were able to obtain a mortgage loan to buy the home by falsely claiming on the mortgage loan application that they were United States citizens. Satishkumar Patel also is charged with wire fraud for allegedly filing false quarterly unemployment insurance reports with the Kansas Department of Labor that listed only one employee, Daxaben Patel, for the McPherson gas station when, in fact, at least four other employees worked there.
The charges against Satishkumar Patel and Nitin B. Patel arise out of their ownership of a liquor store in Lawrence in which Satishkumar’s unlawful status in the U.S. and his ownership of the store allegedly were not properly disclosed to the state Alcoholic Beverage Control Division. Foreign nationals are not permitted to obtain a retail liquor license in Kansas, and the identities of all owners of liquor stores are required to be disclosed.
The defendants face a maximum of five years in prison on the alien harboring and Social Security fraud charges, as well as the wire and mail fraud charges. They face a maximum of three years in prison on the false claim of citizenship charges, 10 years in federal prison for document fraud, and 20 years in prison for bank fraud. As in any criminal case, a person charged with a crime is considered innocent until and unless proven guilty. An indictment merely contains allegations of criminal conduct.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Anderson.
Indictment: Washington Men Arrested in Kansas with More than 13 Pounds of MethRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. - Two Washington men who were arrested in in Thomas County with more than 13 pounds of methamphetamine have been indicted on federal drug charges, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.
Jose Valenzuela-Rojo, 30, Pasco, Wash., and Rafael Gastelum-Castro, 34, Pasco, Wash., are charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
They were arrested June 8, 2015, in Thomas County.
If convicted, they face a penalty of not less than 10 years and not more than life in federal prison and a fine up to $4 million. The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Jacobs is investigating.
OTHER GRAND JURY INDICTMENTS
Carlos Hernandez, 21, Los Angeles, Calif.; and Daniel Ortiz-Rivera, 23, a citizen of Mexico, are charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute approximately four pounds of methamphetamine, and one count of traveling across state lines in furtherance of drug trafficking. The crimes are alleged to have occurred June 5, 2015, in Thomas County, Kan.
If convicted, they face a penalty of not less than 10 years and a fine up to $10 million on the possession charge, and a maximum penalty of five years and a fine up to $250,000 on the other charge. The Kansas Highway Patrol and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lanny Welch is prosecuting.
Mario Alberto Hernandez-Esqivel, 37, a citizen of Mexico, is charged with unlawfully re-entering the United States after being deported. He was found June 4, 2015, in Sedgwick County, Kan.
If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of two years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Anderson is prosecuting.
Michael E. Foxworthy, 25, Wichita, Kan.; Lashawnda L. Lindeman, 26, Wichita, Kan.; and Stephen A. Espinoza, 24, Wichita, Kan., are charged with drug trafficking. Foxworthy is charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Lindeman and Espinoza are charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. The crimes are alleged to have occurred June 5, 2015, in Wichita.
Upon conviction, the crimes carry the following penalties:
Conspiracy: Not less than five and not more than 40 years in federal prison and a fine up to $2 million.
Possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine: A maximum penalty of 20 years and a fine up to $1 million.
Unlawful possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking: A maximum penalty of five years and a fine up to $250,000.
The Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Department investigated. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Jacobs is prosecuting.
Daniel Nicholson, 50, Wichita, Kan., is charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The crime is alleged to have occurred June 12, 2015, in Sedgwick County, Kan.
If convicted, he faces a penalty of not less than 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $4 million. The Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Jacobs is prosecuting.
Ascencion Montes-Martinez, 35, Lynwood, Calif., is charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The crime is alleged to have occurred May 28, 2015, in Thomas County, Kan.
If convicted, he faces a penalty of not less than 10 years and a fine up to $4 million. The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Jacobs is prosecuting.
Angelica M. Flores, 21, Pratt, Kan., is charged with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm following a felony conviction, and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm with the serial number removed. The crimes are alleged to have occurred May 19, 2015, in Ford County, Kan.
If convicted, she faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on the unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, and a maximum penalty of five years and a fine up to $250,000 on the other count. The Dodge City Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lanny Welch is prosecuting.
In all cases, defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The indictments merely contain allegations of criminal conduct.
Former Housing Director in Liberal Sentenced for Wire FraudRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. - A former executive director of the housing authority for the city of Liberal, Kan., was sentenced to a year on federal supervised release and 250 hours of community service for wire fraud, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.
Carol Beckwith, 64, Eufaula, Okla., pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. In her plea, she admitted that before she retired in May 2013 she falsified a copy of the housing authority’s personnel policies. She added language in the section defining retirement compensation so she could collect one-half the value of her accumulated sick leave. She provided the fabricated copy of the policy to the new executive director when she retired and made demand for half her accumulated sick leave in the amount of $30,855.
In October 2013 she caused a civil complaint to be filed in U.S. District Court in Kansas seeking to be paid for half her sick leave and referencing the falsified personnel policy.
Grissom commended the Housing and Urban Development - OIG and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Hart for their work on the case.
U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom to Speak at Mt. Zion Baptist ChurchRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. - U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom will speak during a prayer service Saturday in Kansas City, Kan., for the victims of the shooting in Charleston, S.C.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and loved ones of the victims in Charleston,” Grissom said. “The Department of Justice has opened a hate crime investigation. We will use every tool to investigate this tragic event.”
The service will be from 9:15 a.m. to 10:15 a.m. Saturday at Mt. Zion Baptist Church, 417 Richmond Ave., in Kansas City, Kan. The Rev. C.L. Bachus will preside.
Kansas City Man Charged with Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. - A federal bank robbery charge was filed Friday against a Kansas City man, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.
A criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Kan., alleges Darrell Hunter, 50, Kansas City, Mo., robbed United Missouri Bank at 6900 Mission Road in Prairie Village, Kan. on Dec. 26, 2014.
The complaint alleges that in the Dec. 26 robbery, Hunter entered the bank and asked for a deposit slip. He wrote on the slip, “This is a robbery I got a gun put the money in the bag.”
If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 The FBI investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tris Hunt is prosecuting.
Store Owners in Kansas City, Kan., Plead Guilty to Theft from Food Stamp ProgramRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. - The owners of a store in Kansas City, Kan., have pleaded guilty to defrauding a federal food stamp program, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said today. The fraud totaled more than $227,000.
Saima Sajjad, 39, Kansas City, Mo., pleaded guilty today to one count of wire fraud. Her husband, Sajjad S. Chaudhry, 47, Kansas City, Mo., pleaded guilty June 16 to one count of conspiracy to defraud the U.S. Department of Agriculture, one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and two counts of aggravated identity theft.
In their pleas, they admitted the crimes occurred while they owned the KC Gas Mart at 2850 State Avenue in Kansas City, Kan. The store participated in a federal food stamp program called the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
The store came under investigation in the summer of 2013 because it reported engaging in thousands of dollars of SNAP benefits transaction, many of which were large purchases. Undercover investigators working with the USDA exchanged SNAP benefits for cash at KC Gas Mart, receiving approximately 50 percent of the value of the SNAP benefits. The rules of the program prohibit approved vendors from trading cash for food stamps, accepting food stamps for ineligible items and accepting food stamps from people who are not authorized to use them.
In addition, Chaudhry admitted he used another person’s electronic benefits card to purchase food items at a Sam’s Club store in Kansas City, Kan.
The defendants are set for sentencing Aug. 25. They face the following penalties:
Conspiracy to defraud USDA: a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000.
Conspiracy to commit wire fraud: A maximum penalty of 20 years and a fine up to $250,000.
Aggravated identity theft: A mandatory two years to be served consecutively.
Grissom commended the USDA-OIG and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Tomasic for their work on the case.
Jury Convicts Pittsburg, Kan., Man on Federal Firearms, Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. - A jury has convicted a Pittsburg, Kan., man on federal firearms and drug charges, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.
James D. Russian, 57, Pittsburg, Kan., was convicted June 17 on one count of unlawful possession of a firearm after a felony conviction, one count of unlawful possession of ammunition after a felony conviction, one count of unlawful possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and one count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana.
During trial, prosecutors presented evidence that on March 27, 2013, Russian led police on a car chase from Barton County, Mo., to Crawford County, Kan., when they tried to stop him to investigate a report he threatened two people with a machete and a gun. Russian abandoned his car and hid in a wooded area before he was arrested. Investigators found marijuana, firearms and ammunition in his possession. Because of a prior felony conviction, Russian was prohibited by federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition.
Sentencing is set for Sept. 3. The crimes carry the following penalties:
Unlawful possession of a firearm or ammunition following a felony conviction: A maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on each count.
Possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking: Not less than five years and not more than life and a fine up to $250,000.
Possession with intent to distribute marijuana: A maximum penalty of five years and a fine up to $250,000.
Grissom commended the Crawford County Sheriff’s Office, the Barton County Sheriff’s Office, the Liberal (Mo.) Police Department, the Pittsburg Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Assistant U.S. Attorney Debra Barnett for their work on the case.
U.S. Attorney’s Kansas Civil Rights Symposium to Be Held at Brown Historic Site in TopekaRead the Press Release
TOPEKA, KAN. - The annual U.S. Attorney’s Statewide Civil Rights Symposium is moving to the Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site in Topeka, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.
Registration Form (132.61 KB)
The symposium is set for 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Aug. 14, in the auditorium of the Brown site at 1515 SE Monroe in Topeka. There is no charge to attend, but registration is required.
“The Brown historic site is a landmark on this nation’s road to justice,” Grissom said. “What better setting is there for a frank and open conversation about civil rights than the Kansas school building where one of the most important Supreme Court cases in our history originated?”
Grissom urged anyone who wants to attend to register early because space is limited to 100 participants. The symposium annually attracts law enforcement officers and civil rights leaders from across Kansas. This year’s topics will include fighting human trafficking and building trust between police and the communities they serve.
To register, download the registration form at:
http://trncal.kletc.net/RegForms/RegForm2008.pdf
Email the completed form to [email protected]. For more information, contact Heather Buller at 620-694-1537 or Jim Cross at 316-269-6552.
Topeka Man Sentenced in Two Armed RobberiesRead the Press Release
TOPEKA, KAN. - A Topeka man was sentenced Monday to 11 years in federal prison on federal armed robbery charges, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.
Henry Earl Sirvira, 47, Topeka, Kan., entered a plea of no contest to two counts of commercial robbery and one count of brandishing a firearm during a robbery. During the plea hearing, prosecutors told the judge that on July 29, 2013, Sirvira and co-defendant Quartez Norwood robbed the EZ Payday Advance at 2613 S.W. 21st Street in Topeka. Sirvira pointed a handgun at an employee and threatened to kill him unless he opened the safe.
On Aug. 3, 2013, Sirvira and Norwood robbed the Family Dollar Store at 2616 S.E. 6th Street in Topeka. Norwood pointed a gun at the clerk while Sirvira assaulted a patron in another part of the store.
Co-defendants include:
Quartez Norwood, who was sentenced to 180 months.
Henry Lavelle Davis, who was sentenced to 84 months.
Robert Wayne Redmond, who was sentenced to 60 months.
Xavier Leron Sims, who was sentenced to 35 months.
Grissom commended the Topeka Police Department, the FBI and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Maag for their work on the case.
Topeka Man Pleads Guilty in Valero Robbery, ShootingRead the Press Release
TOPEKA, KAN. - A Topeka man pleaded guilty Monday to a federal charge of robbing a Valero gas station and shooting the clerk, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.
Corey Eugene Johnson, 41, Topeka, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of robbery. In his plea, he admitted that on July 28, 2013, he robbed a Valero gas station at 1161 S.W. Gage in Topeka.
Johnson was carrying a .40 caliber handgun when he entered the store and demanded money from the cash register. Seeing a customer at the counter, Johnson ordered him to the floor and put his foot on the customer’s head. When a clerk refused to turn over money from the cash register, Johnson shot the clerk several times. Then Johnson ordered the customer to open the cash register. Johnson fled the store in a black Monte Carlo. Police found the wounded clerk, who was taken to the hospital and survived the shooting.
Sentencing is set for Aug. 24. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years and a fine up to $250,000.
Grissom commended the Topeka Police Department, the FBI and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Maag for their work on the case.
Topeka Jewelry Store Owner Pleads Guilty to Purchasing Stolen JewelryRead the Press Release
TOPEKA, KAN. - The owner of a Topeka jewelry store pleaded guilty Wednesday to knowingly buying jewelry that had been stolen in home invasions, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.
John O. Dasher, 53, Silver Lake, Kan., pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Topeka to one count of transporting stolen goods. In his plea, he admitted the crimes occurred from 2010 to 2013 while he owned The Diamond House, 1801 S.W. Gage in Topeka. He knowingly purchased stolen jewelry taken in home invasions.
Dasher paid a fraction of the actual value of the jewelry, which he melted down to form scrap gold. He mailed the gold scrap via the U.S. Postal Service to gold wholesalers Pop Gems International, Gold Empire and Coinex, Inc., in Los Angeles, Calif.
Sentencing will be set for a later date. Both parties have agreed to recommend a sentence of 12 months and a day followed by two years on supervised release and a forfeiture money judgment against Dasher of $130,000
Grissom commended the Topeka Police Department, the FBI, the Shawnee County District Attorney’s Office and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Maag for their work on the case.
Indictment: Wichita Man Tried to Broker a Deal for Purchase of a Massage Parlor That Would Offer Sex ServicesRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. - A federal grand jury indictment filed Wednesday alleges a Wichita man tried to broker a deal for the purchase of a massager parlor that would offer sex services, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom.
Kay Tee, 50, Wichita, Kan., is charged with one count of attempting to entice a person to travel across state lines to engage in prostitution, one count of using a telephone in furtherance of prostitution, two counts of wire fraud and one count of money laundering.
According to court records, Tee was arrested May 28 at the airport in Wichita when he drove there to pick up a person he believed was buying a Wichita massage parlor. In fact, the person Tee had talked with many times on the phone was one of two undercover informants working with federal investigators.
It is alleged Tee tried to collect fees from both undercover informants – one posing as a buyer and the other as a seller – in return for helping to arrange the sale. He also offered to provide additional services including filing city paperwork and doing taxes for the massage parlor. It is alleged Tee talked with the agents about the fact employees of the massage parlor would be performing sex services for customers.
If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years and a fine up to $250,000 on the money laundering charge, a maximum penalty of five years and a fine up to $250,000 on the phone charge, and a maximum penalty of 20 years and a fine up to $250,000 on each of the three other counts. The Wichita Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Hart is prosecuting.
In all cases, defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The indictments merely contain allegations of criminal conduct.
Kansas Man Charged with Exporting Firearms to Overseas PurchasersRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A Kansas man is charged in an eighteen-count indictment unsealed today with removing, altering or obliterating manufacturer’s serial numbers, causing other individuals to make straw purchases of firearms and exporting firearms overseas, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.
Michael Andrew Ryan, also known as “Brad Jones” and “GunRunner,” 35, of Manhattan, Kan., was charged in an indictment filed on June 3, 2015, in Topeka with knowingly making false statements to licensed firearms dealers; possession of firearms from which the manufacturer’s serial numbers had been removed, altered and obliterated; and exporting and/or attempting to export these firearms in different packages from the United States to individuals located in other countries.
According to allegations in the indictment, Ryan knowingly possessed a total of nine guns, including a Glock model 27 .40 caliber pistol, from which the manufacturer's serial numbers had been removed, altered and obliterated, 318 rounds of assorted ammunition and eight magazines, which had been shipped and transported in interstate and foreign commerce in violation of federal law.
According to allegations in the indictment, Ryan had also exported and attempted to export these firearms in different packages from the United States to individuals located in Cork, Ireland; Mallow, Ireland; Pinner, England; Edinburgh, Scotland; and Victoria, Australia.
The charges contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Kansas City Field Division; Department of Homeland Security’s Customs and Border Protection and Homeland Security Investigations Topeka Divisions; the Manhattan Police Department and Riley County, Kan., Police Department; with assistance from the ATF Washington D.C. Division. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg Hough of the District of Kansas, Senior Counsels Marie-Flore Johnson and Gavin Corn of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section.
Wichita Man Pleads Guilty in Plot to Explode Car Bomb at AirportRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. - A Wichita man pleaded guilty to attempting to explode a car bomb at the airport in Wichita, Kan., U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom and John Carlin, Assistant Attorney General for National Security, announced today.
Terry Lee Loewen, 59, Wichita, Kan., pleaded guilty Monday to one count of attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction. Loewen was arrested in December 2013 when he tried to enter the grounds of the Wichita Mid Continent Airport for the purpose of exploding a bomb. (The airport recently was renamed Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport).
“Protecting the American people from terrorism is our primary mission,” said U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom. “It is vital that we disrupt attacks against our homeland and bring terrorists to justice.”
“Terry Loewen utilized his privileged airport access to attempt a terrorist attack in Wichita,” said Assistant Attorney General Carlin. “Detecting, disrupting and holding accountable those who wish to harm Americans remains our highest priority.”
In his plea, Loewen admitted he came to the attention of the FBI late in May 2013 when he became a Facebook friend of a person who was posting comments advocating violent jihad. The FBI began communicating with Loewen through an undercover employee.
Loewen told the undercover employee he was waiting for what he called “the green light” from Allah to carry out a violent attack on a civilian target. He said he did not expect to live through any of the attacks he had in mind. He said he was inspired by the teachings of Osama bin Laden and Anwar Al Awlaki. He said he had downloaded thousands of pages of information on jihad.
In September 2013, Loewen sent photos of airplanes on the tarmac at the Wichita airport. He commented that he could have “walked over there, shot both pilots … slapped some C4 on both fuel trucks and set them off before anyone even called TSA.”
In October 2013, Loewen met with a second undercover FBI employee who Loewen believed was a “brother” and would help him blow up a plane. Loewen said he had scouted the airport to determine a time and place for an attack that would be sure to kill as many people as possible.
Loewen assisted the second FBI employee in the final assembly of an improvised explosive device. He was not aware that the explosive materials used in the device were inert. In the early hours of Dec. 13, 2013, the second FBI employee picked up Loewen at a Wichita hotel. They drove to where the bomb was stored and finished wiring the device. When they reached the airport, Loewen twice used his badge at a card reader to attempt to get onto the tarmac before he was arrested.
Sentencing will be sent for a later date. Both parties have agreed to recommend a sentence of 20 years in federal prison.
Grissom commended the Wichita FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force, which includes members from the FBI, Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office and Kansas Highway Patrol. Assisting with the investigation were the FBI Kansas City Division, the Transportation Security Administration, the Wichita Airport Authority, the Wichita Police Department. Grissom also commended the prosecutors on the case: Assistant U.S. Attorney David Smith, Assistant U.S. Attorney Tony Mattivi, and Erin Creegan of the Justice Department’s National Security Division.
Former Pittsburg State Official Sentenced for Wire Fraud, Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – A former director of the masters of business administration program at Pittsburg State University was sentenced Monday to 18 months in federal prison for wire fraud and money laundering, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said. He was ordered to pay $148,430 in restitution.
Michael Muoghalu, 61, Pittsburg, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering. In his plea, he admitted the crimes occurred while he was responsible for managing the graduate student exchange program between Pittsburg State University and schools in Nigeria.
Muoghalu and an associate in Nigeria created fictitious documents and presented them to Pittsburg State representing that certain Nigerian students had completed undergraduate work and were eligible to take part in the university’s Nigerian exchange student program.
Pittsburg State required the Nigerian students to pay a deposit at the time they were initially accepted into the program. Later, the university would refund a portion of the student’s deposit. After the refund was authorized, Muoghalu falsely represented to Nigerian students that they must pay him or his associates a fee for representing them in the admission process.
Grissom commended IRS Criminal Investigation, the FBI and Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan Metzger for their work on the case.
Former Banker in Great Bend Sentenced for Bank FraudRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. - A former loan officer for a bank in Great Bend was sentenced Monday to six months in prison followed by six months home detention for bank fraud, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said. In addition, he was ordered to pay $124,000 in restitution and $50,000 in a personal forfeiture judgment.
Brian W. Harrison, 56, Great Bend, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud. In his plea, he admitted the crime occurred during the time from 2004 to 2012 when he was a loan officer for Farmer’s Bank and Trust in Great Bend.
His duties included reviewing, approving and disbursing loans. In furtherance of a scheme to defraud the bank, he made or caused to be made false statements to the bank to hide the poor performance of various loans he made. His false statements were intended to deflect questions from bank officers about problems with his loans. He falsified credit and loan applications, promissory notes and security agreements on behalf of a purported debtor without the debtor’s proper authority.
Grissom commended the FBI, the Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program (SIGTARP) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Smith for their work on the case.
“Vigorous criminal law enforcement by SIGTARP and our partners leaves the banking industry safer than we found it,” said Christy Romero, Special Inspector General for TARP (SIGTARP).
Butler County Woman Pleads Guilty to Stealing $1.2 Million from Presbyterian ManorsRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – A Butler county woman Thursday became the second person to plead guilty to a federal charge of stealing more than $1.2 million from Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said. The Wichita-based company owns assisted living centers in Kansas and Missouri.
Lori A. Shryock, 50, Augusta, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud. Shryock’s husband and co-defendant, Brent A. Shryock, 44, Augusta, Kan., pleaded guilty last month and is scheduled for sentencing Aug. 6.
In their pleas, they admitted the crime occurred while Brent Shryock was employed as information systems director for PMMA. He was in charge of all computers, telephones, video information and electronic equipment, including the purchase of new or replacement equipment for PMMA, Presbyterian Manor, Aberdeen and Ashfield facilities.
Brent Shryock created four fictitious companies, two of which were called Innovative Software Solutions and LGR Technologies. He directed payment to be mailed to those companies at post office boxes. Lori Shryock opened the two post office boxes where the checks were mailed. Either Brent or Lori Shryock would retrieve the payments and deposit them into the Shryocks’ personal accounts. The resulting loss to PMMA totaled $1.2 million.
Lori Shryock is scheduled for sentencing Aug. 24. She faces a penalty of up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000.
Grissom commended the FBI and Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan Metzger for their work on the case.
Wichita Man Sentenced to 10+ Years for Distributing Child PornRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – A Wichita man was sentenced Friday to 130 months in federal prison for distributing child pornography, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.
Earnest Bland, 50, Wichita, pleaded guilty to one count of distributing child pornography. In his plea, he admitted that in May 2014 he used a computer to access a peer-to-peer file sharing network. He shared images of child pornography that were available to other users on the Internet. Some of the child victims in the photos were under 10 years of age. A detective with the Wichita Police Department Force downloaded the files from Bland’s computer.
Grissom commended the Wichita Police Department, the Kansas Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Hart for their work on the case.
Mexican Man Pleads Guilty in Kansas to Laundering $4.7 Million in Drug FundsRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – A Mexican man pleaded guilty Monday to laundering more than $4.7 million in drug funds through his bank accounts in Kansas and elsewhere, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.
Franz Wiebe Rempel, 44, Cuauhtemoc, Chihuahua, Mexico, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Wichita to one count of money laundering. In his plea, he admitted that from 2009 through July 30, 2013, he laundered drug funds through bank accounts at the Bank of America in Wichita, as well as accounts at Wells Fargo and J.P. Morgan Chase.
In his plea, he admitted he provided his bank account numbers so that another conspirator could distribute the information to others. Rempel had an understanding with the conspirator that third parties would deposit cash into his bank accounts. The deposits would be less than $10,000 in an attempt to avoid federal currency reporting requirements. Once Rempel received the funds, he would transfer or move the money through the U.S. financial system at the other conspirator’s direction. Rempel crossed the border from his home in Mexico almost on a weekly basis in order to move funds. Ultimately, most of the money wound up in the other conspirator’s hands.
Rempel’s accounts received funds deposited from Kansas City, Kan.; Kansas City, Mo.; Oklahoma City; Des Moines; Amarillo, Texas; El Paso, Texas; Knoxville, Tenn., Nashville, Tenn., Memphis, Tenn.; Charlotte, N.C., Atlanta, Ga., and Albuquerque, N.M. Rempel did not know the identities of the people making the deposits but he knew the funds were being transferred for the purpose of paying for drugs.
Sentencing is set for Aug. 17. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years and a fine up to $500,000. Grissom commended the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Internal Revenue Service for their work on the case.
Kansas City, Kan., Tax Preparer Pleads Guilty to Filing False ReturnsRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A Kansas City, Kan., tax preparer has pleaded guilty to preparing false tax returns, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom.
Ahferom Goitom, 35, Kansas City, Kan., pleaded guilty Wednesday to one count of preparing false tax returns. In his plea, he admitted that the crime occurred while he was working as a tax return preparer for Instant Tax Services in Kansas City, Kan. He prepared tax returns for clients that included false deductions and credits – often unbeknownst to his clients. He fabricated business expenses, inflated charitable deductions and exaggerated child care expenses. In addition, he told an IRS agent working undercover that the agent should find someone to claim as a dependent in order to inflate his refund.
Sentencing will be scheduled at a later date. The parties are recommending probation of 36 months and restitution of $101,157. The Internal Revenue Service investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Rask is prosecuting.
Wichita Man Charged in 2013 Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – A federal grand jury Wednesday indicted a Wichita man in a 2013 bank robbery, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.
Frederick Aaron Cunningham, 45, who is in custody in Wisconsin on unrelated charges, was charged with one count of bank robbery. The indictment alleges that on Oct. 28, 2013, Cunningham robbed the Intrust Bank branch inside the Dillons store at 3211 S. Seneca.
If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. The FBI and the Wichita Police Department investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Lind is prosecuting.
OTHER FEDERAL GRAND JURY INDICTMENTS
Dontreal D. Banks, 28, Wichita, Kan, is charged with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm following a felony conviction and one count of unlawful possession of ammunition following a felony conviction. The crimes are alleged to have occurred Feb. 23, 2015, in Sedgwick County, Kan.
If convicted, a maximum penalty of 10 years and a fine up to $250,000 on each count. The Wichita Police Department and the Kansas Department of Corrections investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lanny Welch is prosecuting.
Stephen Barnhart, 49, Wichita, Kan., is charged with one count of attempted manufacture of methamphetamine, two counts of possession of materials used in the manufacture of methamphetamine, one count of possession and distribution of chemicals used to manufacture methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, three counts of unlawful possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, five counts of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a user of controlled substances, and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The crimes are alleged to have occurred in September 2011 and December 2014 in Sedgwick County, Kan.
Upon conviction, the crimes carry the following penalties:
Attempted manufacture of methamphetamine: A maximum penalty of 20 years and a fine up to $250,000.
Possession of materials used to manufacture methamphetamine: A maximum penalty of 10 years and a fine up to $250,000 on each county.
Possession and distribution of chemicals used to manufacture methamphetamine: A maximum penalty of 10 years and a fine up to $250,000.
Possession with intent to distribute cocaine: A maximum penalty of 20 years and a fine up to $1 million.
Possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking: A maximum penalty of five years (consecutive) and a fine up to $250,000 on each count.
Unlawful possession of a firearm by user of controlled substances: A maximum penalty of 10 years and a fine up to $250,000 on each count.
Possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine: Not less than five years and not more than 40 years and a fine up to $2 million.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Jacobs is prosecuting.
Luis Perez-Morales, 32, Las Vegas, Nevada, is charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of traveling from Nevada to Kansas in furtherance of drug trafficking. The crimes are alleged to have occurred May 18, 201 in Thomas County, Kan.
If convicted, he faces a penalty of not less than five years and not more than 40 years and a fine up to $500,000 on the possession with intent to distribute charge, and a maximum penalty of five years and a fine up to $250,000 on the other count. The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Jacobs is prosecuting.
Sergio Tapia-Martinez, 41, Emporia, Kan., is charged with unlawfully re-entering the United States after having been convicted of an aggravated felony and deported. He was found May 21, 2015, in Lyon County, Kan.
If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Kansas Department of Revenue investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Anderson is prosecuting.
Emmanuel Rodriguez-Torres, 30, a citizen of Mexico, is charged with assaulting an employee of the Department of Homeland Security in the performance of his duties. The crime is alleged to have occurred May 6, 2015, in Barton County, Kan.
If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of eight years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Anderson is prosecuting.
Augustine Diego Mateo-Gonzalez, 37, a citizen of Guatemala, is charged with unlawfully re-entering the United States after being convicted of an aggravated felony and deported. He was found May 8, 2015, in Dodge City, Kan.
If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Anderson is prosecuting.
Juan J. Martinez, 54, Dodge City, Kan., is charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute approximately 10 pounds of methamphetamine. Co-defendant Oscar Natividad Pena-Cano, 47, a citizen of Mexico, is charged with unlawfully re-entering the United States after being deported. They were arrested April 21, 2015, in Dodge City, Kan.
If convicted Martinez faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $1 million. Pena-Cano faces a maximum penalty of two years and a fine up to $250,000. The Ford County Sheriff’s Department, the Wichita Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mona Furst is prosecuting.
Rafael Reyes, 23, Wichita, Kan., is charged with one count of unlawful possession of a sawed off shotgun and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm following a felony conviction. The crimes are alleged to have occurred May 15, 2014, in Sedgwick County, Kan.
If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $10,000 on the first count and a maximum penalty of 10 years and a fine up to $250,000 on the second count. The Wichita Police Department investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mona Furst is prosecuting.
Shawn D. McCollum, Jr., 28, Claflin, Kan., is charged with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The crimes are alleged to have occurred Sept. 19, 2014, in Lyons, Kan.
If convicted, he faces a penalty of not less than five years and a fine up to $250,000 on the firearm charge, and a penalty of not less than five years and a fine up to $2 million on the drug charge. The Lyons, Kan., Police Department investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Treaster is prosecuting.
In all cases, defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The indictments merely contain allegations of criminal conduct.
Texas Woman Sentenced in Federal Adoption Fraud Case in KansasRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A Texas woman was sentenced Tuesday to 60 months in federal prison for pretending to be pregnant and defrauding a Kansas couple who wanted to adopt her unborn twins, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.
Chrystal Marie Rippey, 35, Marshall, Texas, pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud. In her plea, she admitted she defrauded a couple in Shawnee, Kan. On Aug. 8, 2011, the couple transferred $22,225 to an escrow account in Temecula, Calif., as part of their plan to adopt children from Rippey. On Aug. 25, 2011, American Adoptions in Overland Park, Kan., sent a birth mother packet to Rippey in Temecula California.
According to court records, both transactions were based on false statements by Rippey that she was pregnant and wanted to put her unborn twins up for adoption. The $22,225 was to pay for Rippey’s living expenses.
Grissom commended the Overland Park Police Department, the U.S. Secret Service and Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Oakley for their work on the case.
Four Plead Guilty in Indian Ridge Real Estate Fraud CaseRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – Four people pleaded guilty Wednesday to taking part in a real estate fraud scheme in connection with the development of Indian Ridge Resort, a resort community located near Branson, Mo.
The following defendants pleaded guilty:
David P. Drake, 56, Lone Tree, Colo., one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Donald D. Snider, Jr., 55, Littleton, Colo., one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Vickie A. Hall, 63, Lone Tree, Colo., one count of concealing a felony (misprision).
Heather A. Gibbs, 53, Littleton, Colo., one count of concealing a felony (misprision).
Drake and Snider were partners in Western Sites Services, a company that was engaged in developing Indian Ridge Resort. They borrowed money for the project from three banks, one of which was Columbian Bank and Trust in Topeka, Kan. In their pleas, they admitted they and other conspirators made false representations to Columbian Bank in order to obtain loan funds.
Vickie Hall was the wife of David Drake. Heather Gibbs was the wife of Donald Snider and a 2 percent owner of Western Site Services. In her plea, Gibbs admitted she knew invoices submitted to the bank included overhead and profit in the line item costs in violations of the terms of the loan agreement. Hall owned a company called Colorado Modular Home Finders Service, LLC. In her plea she admitted she helped to conceal Drake and Snider’s felonies by allowing her company, Colorado Modular Home Finders Services, LLC, to be used to withdraw home deposits from Columbia Bank.
Sentencing hearings will be set for a later date. Both parties have agreed to recommend five-year prison terms for Drake and Snider, and three years on probation for Hall and Gibbs.
Grissom commended the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Internal Revenue Service, the U.S. Secret Service and Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Oakley for their work on the case.
California Man Pleads Guilty to Operating $1.6 Million Internet FraudRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A California man pleaded guilty Thursday in federal court in Kansas to operating an Internet fraud scheme that cost more than 200 victims a total of more than $1.6 million, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.
Anthony Renfrow, 57, Folsom, Calif., pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. In his plea, he admitted he made fraudulent claims to entice people to pay to become “autosurf investors” with 14DailyPlus.com.
Investors paid a membership fee and were promised a 14 percent daily return on their money for clicking on advertisers’ Web sites for a certain period of time each day. To achieve that rate of return, 14DailyPlus.com purportedly pooled the capital investments of members and purchased advertising units on the Internet with Fortune-500 type companies.
Renfrow held regularly scheduled conference calls with investors via telephone and Internet to lull them into believing the program was legitimate and returns on investments were being paid as promised. In truth, there was no investment vehicle and the promise of a 14 percent daily return was completely unrealistic.
Renfrow founded 14DailyPlus.com in March 2006. Co-defendant William Fox, 46, formerly of Olathe, Kan., allegedly was a promoter and recruiter for 14DailyPlus.com in the Kansas City metropolitan area. He is awaiting trial.
Sentencing will be set for a later date. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. Grissom commended the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Johnson County District Attorney’s Office, the California Attorney General’s Office and Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Rask for their work on the case.
U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom to Take Part in FBI Youth Forum WednesdayRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom will take part in a Youth and Law Enforcement Forum Wednesday in Kansas City.
“Every young person in America should have the opportunity to grow, succeed and contribute to their community,” Grissom said. “Building trust between law enforcement and the community is one way to help ensure that all our young people can reach their full potential.”
Grissom’s office is helping to sponsor the event, which was organized by the FBI, with support from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Missouri, the Kansas City, Mo., and Kansas City, Kan., police departments and the FBI Citizens Academy Alumni Association. The forum is open to high school and college age youth from Kansas and Missouri. It will provide an opportunity for teens to talk openly about challenges and obstacles facing law enforcement and the teen community and how they can work together.
The forum will be kicked off by the Kansas City Chiefs General Manager John Dorsey at 5:30 p.m., (check-in begins at 5:00 p.m.) Wednesday, May 20. Following a period of questions and answers with leaders of area law enforcement, attendees will have the opportunity to interact with law enforcement and learn first-hand about law enforcement capabilities, tools and potential career opportunities.
The first portion of the program from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. is closed to the media to encourage an open exchange of dialogue between the attendees and law enforcement. Media outlets are invited to attend the program at 7 p.m. until the program’s conclusion at 8 p.m. at the Robert Mohart Center located at 3200 Wayne Ave., Kansas City, MO.
For more information on the event, contact FBI Public Affairs Officer Bridget Patton at 816-512-8833.
Jury Finds Hillsboro Man Guilty on Federal Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – A federal jury Thursday convicted a Hillsboro man on federal firearms charges, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.
David G. Nicholas, Jr., 44, Hillsboro, Kan., was convicted on three counts of unlawful possession of a firearm following a felony conviction.
During trial, prosecutors presented evidence that Nicholas was a parole absconder in October 2013 when the U.S. Marshals Service arrested him in Marion County, Kan. At the time, he possessed a .22-caliber handgun and a .30-06 caliber rifle and ammunition.
Sentencing is set for Aug. 6. He faces a maximum penalty of not less than 15 years in federal prison a fine up to $250,000 on each count. Grissom commended the U.S. Marshals Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Hart for their work on the case.
Indictment: Lawrence Man’s Simple Fraud Scheme Racked up $143,000 in Credit Card RewardsRead the Press Release
TOPEKA, KAN. – A Lawrence man has been charged with devising a simple – and illegal – scheme that allowed him to collect more than $143,000 in credit card rewards, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said today.
Jawad Obaid, 31, Lawrence, Kan., was indicted Wednesday on ten counts of wire fraud. The indictment alleges he obtained credit cards with Capital One, Chase and U.S. Bank and accessed their rewards program Web sites for the purpose of making Internet purchases from businesses selling goods and services on the sites. In that manner, he generated tens of thousands of reward points from the credit card companies. He cancelled the purchases within 24 hours and used the reward points from the cancelled purchases to redeem cash awards in the form of checks and direct deposits to his accounts.
If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty 30 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on each count. Homeland Security Investigations investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Rask is prosecuting.
OTHER FEDERAL GRAND JURY INDICTMENTS
John Michael Devosha, 25, who is in federal custody, was charged in a superseding indictment with two counts of carjacking, one count of unlawful possession of a firearm and two counts of using a firearm during a carjacking. The crimes are alleged to have occurred Oct. 22 in Kansas City, Kan., and Oct. 25, 2013, on the Prairie Band Potawatomi Reservation.
If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on each carjacking count, a maximum penalty of 10 years and a fine up to $250,000 on the possession charge, and a penalty of not less than five years on each of the other two counts. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Tomasic is prosecuting.
Tegan C. Gulley, 35, Wichita, Kan., is charged with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm following a felony conviction. The crime is alleged to have occurred May 7, 2015, in Sedgwick County, Kan.
If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of ten years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. The Wichita Police Department investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Treaster is prosecuting.
Domingo Uriarte, Jr., 38, Kansas City, Kan., is charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The crime is alleged to have occurred April 28, 2015, in Kansas City, Kan.
If convicted, he faces a penalty of not less than 10 years and a fine up to $10 million. The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Trent Krug is prosecuting.
Ivan Joseph Soto, 27, Topeka, Kan., and Mauricio Aguilera, 24, San Bernadino, Calif, are charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The crimes are alleged to have occurred April 20, 2015, in Topeka, Kan.
If convicted, they face a penalty of not less than 10 years and a fine up to $10 million on each count. The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg Hough is prosecuting.
Jerome Birdsong, 33, Kansas City, Kan., is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, one count of maintaining a residence at 2942 N. 47th Terrance in Kansas City, Kan., in furtherance of drug trafficking, and one count of unlawful possession of ammunition following a felony conviction. The crimes are alleged to have occurred in 2013 in Kansas City, Kan.
If convicted, he faces a penalty of not less than 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $10 million on the conspiracy charge, a maximum penalty of 20 years and a fine up to $500,000 on the charge of maintaining a residence for drug trafficking and a maximum penalty of 10 years and a fine up to $250,000 on the ammunition charge. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Tomasic is prosecuting.
In all cases, defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The indictments merely contain allegations of criminal conduct.
Butler County Man Pleads Guilty to Stealing $1.2 Million from Presbyterian ManorsRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – A Butler county man pleaded guilty Thursday to a federal charge of stealing more than $1.2 million from Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America, a Wichita-based company that owns assisted living centers in Kansas and Missouri, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.
In Kansas, the company has facilities in Wichita, Topeka, Kansas City, Olathe, Lawrence, Emporia, Salina, Dodge City, Fort Scott, Parsons, Arkansas City, Newton, Sterling and Clay Center.
Brent A. Shryock, 44, Augusta, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud. In his plea, he admitted the crime occurred while he was employed as information systems director for the company. He was in charge of all computers, telephones, video information and electronic equipment, including the purchase of new or replacement equipment for PMMA, Presbyterian Manor, Aberdeen and Ashfield facilities.
In his plea, Shryock said he created four fictitious companies and used them to submit fraudulent invoices to PMMA. As a result, the company was defrauded out of more than $1.2 million.
Sentencing is set for Aug. 6. The parties have agreed to recommend a sentence of three years in federal prison and restitution to be determined by the judge.
Shryock’s wife and co-defendant, Lori A. Shryock, is scheduled for a change of plea hearing May 22.
Grissom commended the FBI and Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan Metzger for their work on the case.
Ghana Native Pleads Guilty to Obtaining U.S. Citizenship by FraudRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A native of Ghana who obtained naturalized U.S. citizenship in 2004 has pleaded guilty to obtaining citizenship by fraud and faces possible deportation, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said Monday.
Ernest Opoku Acheampong, 44, Shawnee, Kan., entered a guilty plea Monday before U.S. District Judge Julie A. Robinson and is scheduled to be sentenced July 29. Because he pleaded guilty to making a false statement on his application for U.S. citizenship and ultimately became a naturalized U.S. citizen, federal law requires that his citizenship be revoked, Grissom said.
“Not only will his certificate of naturalization be cancelled, he will be placed in removal proceedings,” Grissom said. “And, he faces possible incarceration in the criminal case. People who make false statements in their attempt to become naturalized U.S. citizens undermine the process and dishonor those seeking citizenship honestly.”
During court proceedings Monday, Acheampong admitted that he first entered the United States in 1994, claiming to be a “Michael Smith” from Libya. He was denied entry, but requested asylum and sought to remain in the U.S. His claims of fear of persecution were found to be unfounded and he was ordered deported, but Acheampong never surrendered himself for deportation.
In 1996, Acheampong was able to obtain a valid entry visa under his true name and country of citizenship, Ghana, and ultimately applied for naturalized U.S. citizenship in 2004, but failed to disclose his previous entry into the United States and the prior order of deportation on his naturalization application. He was granted naturalized U.S. citizenship in September 2004, Grissom said.
However, in August 2014, when Acheampong applied for a Kansas driver’s license, officials of the Kansas Department of Revenue determined through facial recognition software employed whenever people apply for state ID cards or driver’s licenses that the defendant had previously obtained a Kansas driver’s license under the name “Michael Smith.”
Their agents then notified the Department of Homeland Security’s Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), who completed the investigation and documented what Acheampong had done. Acheampong was indicted in the case in October.
Grissom praised the agencies for their work on their case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Anderson for his prosecution.
Federal Jury Convicts Topeka Man of Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
TOPEKA, KAN. – A federal jury has convicted a Topeka man of producing child pornography, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said today.
Jonathan Kearn, 40, Topeka, Kansas, was convicted Friday on one count of producing child pornography, one count of distributing child pornography and one count of possessing child pornography.
During trail, prosecutors presented evidence that the investigation began in April 2013 when Homeland Security Investigations received a report from the Queensland Police Service, Queensland, Australia. An Australian investigator had received emails from Kearn in Kansas containing child pornography Kearn had produced. The child pornography included images of a child under six years old.
Sentencing is set for Aug. 10. He faces a penalty of not less than 15 years in federal prison on the production count, not less than five years on the distribution charge, and a maximum penalty of 10 years on the possession charge. Grissom commended Homeland Security Investigations, the Topeka Police Department, the Queensland Police Service and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Kenney for their work on the case.
Federal Indictment: Army Private Stole Fellow Soldiers’ IdentitiesRead the Press Release
TOPEKA, KAN. – A former private in the U.S. Army stationed at Fort Riley has been indicted on charges of stealing his fellow soldiers’ identities, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said today.
Todd M. Newbrough was charged Wednesday with four counts of wire fraud, four counts of bank fraud, four counts of aggravated identity theft and one count of computer fraud. The crimes are alleged to have occurred at various times from 2011 to 2015 at Fort Riley, Kan.
The indictment alleges Newbrough used personal identifying information of fellow soldiers to obtain lines of credit and credit cards in their names. He got the information through his access to Leave and Earning Statements, Enlisted Record Brief and Alpha Roster records.
If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison and a fine up to $1 million on each wire fraud and each bank fraud count, a mandatory consecutive two years on the aggravated identity theft counts, and a maximum penalty of five years and a fine up to $250,000 on the computer fraud count. The Army Criminal Investigation Division investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Kenney and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Robin Graham are prosecuting.
“This is the culmination of a great deal of investigative work conducted by Special Agents from CCIU and our other law enforcement partners who were so critical to this investigation,” said Daniel Andrews, Director of the Computer Crime Investigative Unit (CCIU) for the U.S. Army
Criminal Investigation Command.
In all cases, defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The indictments merely contain allegations of criminal conduct.
Federal Indictment: Topeka Couple Forced Teenage Girl into ProstitutionRead the Press Release
TOPEKA, KAN. – A federal grand jury Wednesday returned indictments against a Topeka couple accused of forcing a teenage girl into prostitution, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.
Reginald E. Newman, 29, and his wife, Tiara Jade Newman, 21, both of Topeka, are charged with one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of a minor, and one count of sex trafficking of a minor.
“In Kansas, law enforcement agencies on the federal, state and local levels are working together to fight human trafficking,” Grissom said.
The indictment alleges the victim was introduced to the couple on March 21, 2015, and the couple conspired through March 30, 2015, to engage her in prostitution. She voluntarily travelled with them from Topeka to Manhattan, Kan., where they planned for her to engage in commercial sex acts. The defendants posted advertisements on a commercial Web site, including one offering a “two girl special.”
The indictment alleges Reginald Newman held a gun to the victim’s head and threatened to kill her if she did not participate in a commercial sex act with a male customer. Furthermore, Reginald Newman forcefully administered an illegal narcotic to the victim.
If convicted, the defendants face a penalty of not less than 15 years on in federal prison on the sex trafficking charge and a maximum penalty of life on the conspiracy charge. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Kenney is prosecuting.
Grissom thanked the following agencies for their work on the investigation: The Topeka Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, the Riley County Police Department, the Junction City Police Department, the Kansas Department of Revenue, the Fort Riley Police Department, the Ottawa Police Department, the Shawnee County District Attorney’s Office, the Pottawatomie County Attorney, the Riley County Attorney and local human trafficking victim specialists.
OTHER FEDERAL GRAND JURY INDICTMENTS
Monte L. Hendricks, 23, who is being held in the Shawnee County Jail, is charged with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm following a felony conviction. The crime is alleged to have occurred Jan. 31, 2014, in Shawnee County, Kan.
If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years and a fine up to $250,000. The Topeka Police Department and the FBI investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Maag is prosecuting.
Brendon E. Hoskins, 24, Topeka, Kan., is charged with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm following a felony conviction. The crime is alleged to have occurred March 3, 2015, in Shawnee County, Kan.
If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years and a fine up to $250,000. The FBI investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Duston Slinkard is prosecuting.
In all cases, defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The indictments merely contain allegations of criminal conduct.
Derby Man Pleads Guilty to Using Internet at Church to Distribute Child PornRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – A Derby man pleaded guilty Monday to using Internet service at the church he attended to distribute child pornography, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.
Delmas E. Rich, 50, Derby, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of distributing child pornography. In his plea, he admitted he used Internet service at his church, Temple Baptist Church in Wichita, and his work, Alarm Security Specialists in Viola, Kan., because he had no Internet service at home. On Jan. 18, 2015, a Wichita police detective downloaded child pornography from Rich’s computer over the Internet using a file-sharing service.
Sentencing is set for July 20. He faces a penalty of not less than 5 years and possibly as much as 30 years and a fine up to $250,000.
Grissom commended the Wichita Police Department, the Kansas Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Hart for their work on the case.
U.S. Attorney Urges Kansas Law Enforcement to Apply for Body Camera Pilot ProgramRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom Friday urged Kansas law enforcement agencies to consider applying for a new federal program to help equip officers with body cameras.
“I have traveled across Kansas and spoken to law enforcement and community leaders,” Grissom said. “I have heard from both groups that body cameras should be standard equipment. Both sides of this issue agree this is one of the best ways to build trust and to keep both the public and officers safe.”
Grissom was one of many federal law enforcement officials who urged the Justice Department to provide assistance to law enforcement agencies that adopt body cameras.
The Department of Justice Friday announced a $20 million Body-Worn Camera (BWC) Pilot Partnership Program to respond to the immediate needs of local and tribal law enforcement organizations. The investment includes $17 million in competitive grants for the purchase of body-worn cameras, $2 million for training and technical assistance and $1 million for the development of evaluation tools to study best practices. The pilot program is part of President Obama’s proposal to invest $75 million over three years to purchase 50,000 body-worn cameras for law enforcement agencies.
“This body-worn camera pilot program is a vital part of the Justice Department’s comprehensive efforts to equip law enforcement agencies throughout the country with the tools, support, and training they need to tackle the 21st century challenges we face,” said Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch. “Body-worn cameras hold tremendous promise for enhancing transparency, promoting accountability, and advancing public safety for law enforcement officers and the communities they serve.”
Administered by the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) under the Justice Department’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP), the BWC pilot program will provide support to help law enforcement agencies develop, implement and evaluate body-worn camera programs across the United States.
“Body-worn camera technology is a valuable tool for improving police-citizen relationships,” said Director Denise O’Donnell of the Bureau of Justice Assistance. “BJA is committed to helping law enforcement agencies identify the safest and most effective methods for deploying this technology and addressing factors such as privacy, archiving and legal regulations surrounding its use. BJA stands by to guide agencies through what can be a complex process toward more successful adoption of the technology.”
The Justice Department expects to provide 50 awards to law enforcement agencies, with about one-third of the grants directed toward smaller law enforcement agencies. The grants, which require a 50/50 in-kind or cash match, can be used to purchase equipment but applicants must establish a strong plan for implementation of body-worn cameras and a robust training policy before purchasing cameras. The long term costs associated with storing this information will be the financial responsibility of each local agency.
Another $2 million will fund a national BWC Training and Technical Assistance provider through a competitive process, to assist agencies developing and enhancing their BWC programs. This training and technical assistance will provide support to law enforcement agencies to support successful implementation of their body-worn camera programs.
OJP’s Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) will receive $1 million of the funds to collect data on body-worn camera usage through surveys of law enforcement agencies. BJS will also design data collection forms that can be used in future surveys of prosecutors and public defenders to measure how body-worn camera footage is being used by the courts in criminal cases.
BJA will launch a BWC Implementation Toolkit in May, designed as an online resource for stakeholders. The toolkit will focus on implementation requirements, retention issues, policy concerns, interests of prosecutors, victim and privacy advocates’ concerns, along with community engagement and funding considerations.
For additional information about the BWC Pilot Implementation Program, visit this website: http://go.usa.gov/3BtMW.
IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, PLEASE CALL THE OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS AT 202-514-2007.
Olathe Woman Pleads Guilty to Social Security Benefits FraudRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – An Olathe woman pleaded guilty Friday to fraudulently collecting more than $53,000 in benefits from Social Security, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.
April M. Martinez, 37, Olathe, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of Social Security fraud. In her plea, she admitted she first became eligible for Title II Disability Insurance Benefits in May 1998. The Social Security Administration also approved her application for Supplemental Security Income. The terms of the programs required her to report if she returned to work while receiving benefits.
From November 2007 through May 2011, Martinez intentionally failed to disclose to the Social Security Administration that she had returned to work. She worked as a Certified Nurse Aid (CNA) at the Olathe Medical Center during part of that time. As a result, she admits that she fraudulently obtained a total of $53,827 in Social Security disability benefits.
Sentencing will be set at a later time. She faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. Grissom commended the Social Security Administration’s Office of Inspector General and Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys Trey Alford and Trent Krug for their work on the case.
Federal Drug Charges Filed Against Truck Driver Arrested in KCKRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – Federal drug charges have been filed against a man arrested Tuesday in Kansas City, Kan., U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom.
Domingo Uriarte,41, Los Angeles, Calif., is charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. An investigator’s affidavit filed in the case alleges Uriarte had approximately 100 pounds of methamphetamine in his truck when the Kansas Highway Patrol stopped him April 28 in Kansas City, Kan., for a traffic violation.
A trooper stopped Uriarte’s Ford F650 box truck near 10th and Kansas Avenue. In a large wooden crate containing a metal lathe, investigators found 15 tightly-wrapped bundles containing approximately 100 pounds of methamphetamine. While the truck was being inspected, Uriarte attempted to flee but was quickly recaptured.
If convicted, he faces a penalty of not less than 10 years and a fine up to $10 million. The Kansas Highway Patrol and the Kansas City, Kan. Police Department investigated. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Trent Krug is prosecuting.
In all cases, defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The indictments merely contain allegations of criminal conduct.
Indictment: Former Bel Aire Police Chief Lied About Purchase of FirearmsRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – A former chief of the Bel Aire Police Department and a former officer were indicted Tuesday on federal firearms charges. The indictment alleges they conspired to buy firearms at a discount by claiming the weapons were the property of the police department and would be used for law enforcement purposes, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.
Former police chief John R. Daily, 62, Haysville, Kan., and Ricky L. Swanson, 39, Wichita, are the third and fourth defendants charged in the case. Both of them are charged with one count of wire fraud and one count of mail fraud.
The indictment alleges Daily, who was chief from May 2006 to December 2013, signed paperwork for the purchase of three Sig Sauer Model 716 Patrol, 7.62 mm rifles, falsely stating that the military style weapons were being purchased for use by the police department and would not be sold. In fact, the rifles were not approved for officers to carry on duty. By misrepresenting the rifles as police department property, the defendants were able to take advantage of special pricing and tax exemptions.
The indictment alleges Swanson, who worked as an officer from November 2006 to December 2013, ignored an interim police chief’s directions to cancel the order. Instead he directed two of the rifles to be delivered to another location so he could take possession. He kept one of the rifles and sold the other one.
Also charged in the case are Nathan A. Mavia, 26, Wichita, Kan., and Robert McCaslin, 41, Wichita, Kan.
If convicted, Daily and Swanson face a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on each count. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Department investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Debra Barnett is prosecuting.
OTHER FEDERAL GRAND JURY INDICTMENTS
Byron Cadavid, 30, Goddard, Kan., Robby Alan Murphy, 34, Wichita, Kan., and Norma Garcia-Cadavid, 30, Wichita, Kan., are charged with a firearm violation. The crime is alleged to have occurred April 9, 2015, in Sedgwick County, Kan.
If convicted, they face a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. The Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office investigated. Assistant U.S. David Lind is prosecuting.
Ronald B. Zolman, 49, Little River, Kan., is charged with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a user of controlled substances and one count of growing marijuana plants. The crimes are alleged to have occurred Feb. 9, 2015, in Lyons, Kan.
If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on the firearm charge; and a penalty of not less than five years and not more than 40 years and a fine up to $2 million on the drug charge. The Rice County Sheriff’s Office investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Treaster is prosecuting.
Gerardo Ramirez-Cigala, 47, a citizen of Mexico, is charged with one count of unlawfully re-entering the United States after being deported. He was found April 20, 2015, in Sedgwick County, Kan.
If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of two years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Anderson is prosecuting.
Mauro Humberto Sanchez-Vasquez, 36, a citizen of Mexico, is charged with one count of unlawfully re-entering the United States after being convicted of an aggravated felony and deported. He was found April 18, 2015, in Sedgwick County, Kan.
If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years and a fine up to $250,000. ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Anderson is prosecuting.
Juan Salzar-Alvarenga, 30, a citizen of El Salvador, is charged with one count of unlawfully re-entering the United States after being deported, and one count of transporting another unlawful alien within the United States. The crimes are alleged to have occurred April 22, 2015, in Sedgwick County, Kan.
If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on the transportation charge, and a maximum penalty of two years and a fine up to $250,000 on the other count. ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Anderson is prosecuting.
Jorge Alberto Rodriguez-Vargas, 27, a citizen of Honduras, is charged with unlawfully re-entering the United States after being convicted of an aggravated felony and deported. He was found April 22, 2015, in Sedgwick County, Kan.
If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years and a fine up to $250,000. ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Anderson is prosecuting.
In all cases, defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The indictments merely contain allegations of criminal conduct.
Law School Graduate Gets 20 Years for Conspiring to Launder Drug MoneyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. - A law school graduate who operated a non-profit business has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for conspiring to launder drug money, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.
Mendy Read-Forbes, 40, Platte City, Mo., was sentenced Thursday in U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Kan. She pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy. In her plea, she admitted that in March 2012 she began meeting with an agent posing as a drug dealer. Read-Forbes, a law school graduate who was not licensed to practice law, operated Forbes & Newhard Credit Solutions, Inc., a nonprofit corporation registered in Missouri to provide educational and social welfare services.
The agent told Read-Forbes he had assets to conceal from the sale of marijuana. She boasted she could use her legal training and her connections with federal attorneys and law enforcement officers to help him launder the money. She told the agent she would launder his cash by running it through her business. She said a lot of her customers paid in cash. So it would not be suspicious for her to be doing transactions involving cash. The plan also involved her listing the agent as an employee of her business and putting him on her company’s board of directors. As part of the scheme, she created a fictitious company called Maximus Lawn Care LLC.
Over the course of the investigation she laundered a total of more than $200,000 in purported drug funds. She also agreed to invest $40,000 of her money with the agent for the purchase of marijuana.
Co-defendants are:
Ronald E. Partee, who was sentenced to five years.
Laura Shoop, who is awaiting sentencing.
Grissom commended the Johnson County Sheriff’s Department, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Secret Service, the Internal Revenue Service, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Oakley and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jabari Wamble for their work on the case.
Topeka Man Sentenced on Child Porn ChargesRead the Press Release
TOPEKA, KAN. - A Topeka man has been sentenced to 76 months in federal prison for distributing child pornography, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said today.
James A. Greer, 43, Topeka, Kan., was sentenced Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Topeka. He pleaded guilty to one count of distributing child pornography. In his plea, he admitted that on March 15, 2012, an officer working with an FBI task force in Kansas City, Mo., used the Internet to download child pornography from Greer’s computer in Topeka.
A forensic exam of Greer’s electronic devices revealed approximately 900 image files and 290 video files containing child pornography.
Grissom commended the FBI and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Kenney for their work on the case.