Eastern District of Louisiana
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Former Postal Employee Charged with Embezzling the MailRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that COI MORRIS, age 25, of New Orleans, Louisiana was indicted on July 14, 2022 for embezzling the mail.
According to documents filed in federal court, COI MORRIS was employed by the United States Postal Service as a mail handler at the processing center in New Orleans when he was apprehended stealing the content of mail items he was entrusted to handle for the Postal Service.
The maximum penalty for the offense is five years imprisonment and/or a fine of $250,000 or the greater of twice the gross gain to the defendant or twice the gross loss to the victim, followed by up to three years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of one hundred dollars.
U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Postal Service, Office of the Inspector General in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Richard R. Pickens, II is in charge of the prosecution.
New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to Being a Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that RENALDO RUFFIN, age 29, of New Orleans, pled guilty on July 12, 2022 to violations of the Federal Gun Control Act.
Specifically, on July 12, 2022, RUFFIN pled guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm, and one count of being a felon in possession of ammunition, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1).
Based on court records, RUFFIN possessed a GlockModel 23 .40 caliber S&W semiautomatic handgun on or about August 30, 2020. Additionally, RUFFIN possessed 5.56 caliber ammunition on January 24, 2022.
On each count, RUFFIN faces a maximum sentence of up to 10 years of imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to 3 years of supervised release, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Louisiana State Police. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan L. Shih is in charge of the prosecution.
Louisiana Woman Sentenced to Prison in False Tax Return SchemeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A Louisiana woman was sentenced on July 12, 2022 to 40 months in prison for conspiring to defraud the United States.
According to court documents, Carlanda Isaac, of New Orleans, worked for Pelican Income Tax and Bookkeeping Services LLC, and later for Taxes by J.A.D.A., another tax preparation business. Isaac, together with others, sought inflated tax refunds for clients by claiming on their return’s false income, withholding and education credits. Isaac charged her clients a fee for preparing false tax returns.
In addition to the term of imprisonment, U.S. District Judge Greg G. Guidry ordered Isaac to serve three years of supervised release and to pay approximately $283,378 in restitution to the United States.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans for the Eastern District of Louisiana made the announcement.
IRS-Criminal Investigation investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Jessica Kraft of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Carter Guice of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana prosecuted the case.
Houma Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute Drugs and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that MORGAN BURL III, age 42, of Houma, Louisiana, pled guilty on July 13, 2022 to conspiracy to distribute cocaine, heroin, fentanyl, and methamphetamine.
Specifically, on July 13, 2022, BURL pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, 100 grams or more of heroin, 40 grams or more of fentanyl and 5 grams or more of methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(B), 841(b)(1)(C), and 846. BURL also pled guilty to one count of possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1)(A)(i).
According to court documents, BURL conspired with others to sell over 500 grams of cocaine, over 100 grams of heroin, over 40 grams of fentanyl, and over 5 grams of methamphetamine in the Eastern District of Louisiana. In addition, on May 30, 2019, BURL possessed nine firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, specifically, (1) a Kel Tec semiautomatic pistol; (2) a AR-15 .22 caliber rifle; (3) a Taurus .45 caliber pistol; (4) a .38 caliber Smith and Wesson firearm; (5) a Jimenez 9mm semiautomatic firearm; (6) a Titan .25 caliber firearm; (7) a Norinco assault rifle; (8) a Sears & Roebuck 12 gauge shotgun; and (9) a 410 pump shotgun.
On the drug conspiracy count, BURL faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years imprisonment up to 40 years of imprisonment, a fine of up to $5,000,000, at least 4 years of supervised release and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee. On the firearms offense, BURL faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years imprisonment up to life imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, up to 5 years of supervised release and a mandatory $100 special assessment.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This prosecution is part of an extensive investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (“OCDETF”). OCDETF is a joint federal, state and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking and is the nation’s primary tool for disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations, targeting national and regional level drug trafficking organizations and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to disrupt or dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize their assets.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Drug Enforcement Administration in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan L. Shih is in charge of the prosecution.
Former Louisiana State Senator and Chair of a State Political Party Charged with Wire Fraud for Role in Nearly Seven-Year Scheme to Defraud Campaign Entity, Donors, and Political Party OrganizationRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – The United States Attorney’s Office announced that former Louisiana State Senator and Chair of State Political Party “A”,KAREN CARTER PETERSON, age 52, from New Orleans, Louisiana, was charged today in a one-count bill of information with wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343.
According to court documents, PETERSON served as a Louisiana State Senator for the 5th District from about 2010 until about April 8, 2022, and as the Chair of State Political Party A between about 2012 and 2020. As a Louisiana State Senator, PETERSON formed and maintained a campaign organization, the “Karen Carter Peterson Campaign Fund (“KCPCF”),” to solicit and raise campaign funds from individual and corporate donors. The campaign funds were solicited based upon the representations and premise that the funds would be used to facilitate PETERSON’S reelection for the position of State Senator. In furtherance of her scheme, PETERSON diverted, and caused her friends and associates to divert, campaign funds from the KCPCF to PETERSON’S personal use for the purpose of obtaining and using money and property from contributors to the KCPCF by means of materially false and fraudulent representations and promises for nearly seven (7) years. She did so by writing checks drawn on the KCPCF account to her friends and associates and directing them to cash the checks and then to give most or all of the proceeds to her. PETERSON used the funds to pay for personal expenses unrelated to her campaign or the holding of public office, including to pay gambling-related expenses, and, in the course of soliciting additional contributions, failed to disclose to potential contributors that PETERSON had already used funds contributed to the KCPCF for her personal benefit. Further, PETERSON caused the public filing of false and misleading campaign finance reports that mischaracterized expenditures as being for legitimate purposes related to her campaign or the holding of public office, but were, in fact, unrelated to such purposes and, instead, were diverted to PETERSON’S personal use.
Additionally, in her role as Chair of State Political Party A, PETERSON oversaw the strategic decision-making, operations, outreach, and direction of Party A and supervised its permanent staff, including individuals who had signatory authority of State Political Party A’s financial accounts. PETERSON exploited her position to choose entities (“ Companies”) operated by her associates, purportedly to provide campaign-related services to State Political Party A, and to determine the amount that Party A would pay each of the Companies. In fact, the Companies provided either no or minimal services for State Political Party A. PETERSON then directed the Companies to remit a portion of the funds paid to them by State Political Party A to PETERSON through either checks drawn on the accounts of the Companies or in cash.
If convicted, PETERSON faces a maximum term of twenty (20) years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000.00, up to three (3) years of supervised release after imprisonment, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
The United States Attorney’s Office reiterated that a bill of information is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
The United States Attorney’s Office praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, and Forensic Accountant Josephine M. Beninati, CPA, CFE in this matter and thanks the Metropolitan Crime Commission for its assistance. Assistant United States Attorneys Jordan Ginsberg, Chief of the Public Corruption Unit, and Jonathan L. Shih are in charge of the prosecution.
Postal Worker Charged with Obstruction of MailRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – KEVIN HART, age 31, a resident of Marrero, Louisiana, was charged on July 12, 2022 in a one-count bill of information with obstruction of mail, announced United States Attorney Duane A. Evans.
According to court documents, HART was employed by the United States Postal Service as a City Carrier Associate and was assigned to work at the Johnson Street Post Office in Metairie, Louisiana, 70001. On or about July 1, 2021, HART knowingly and willfully did obstruct and retard the passage of the mail in that he unlawfully secreted, destroyed, detained, and delayed approximately 236 pieces of mail that were recovered from a dumpster in Metairie.
U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that the bill of information is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum penalty of up to six (6) months imprisonment, up to a $5,000 fine or the greater of twice the gross grain to defendant or twice to gross loss to any person under Title 18, United States Code, Section 3571, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General in investigating this matter. Assistant U. S. Attorney Rachal Cassagne is in charge of the prosecution.
New Orleans Man Sentenced to over 16 Years for Gun and Drug OffensesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that SHEON COPPRUE, age 52, of New Orleans, was sentenced to sixteen and a half years in prison on charges relating to drug trafficking, firearm possession, and bribery.
COPPRUE previously pled guilty to conspiring to distribute and to possess with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(A), and 846. COPPRUE also pled guilty to possession of a firearm by a felon, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1), and bribery of a public official, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 201(b)(1).
According to court documents, COPPRUE conspired with several California-based drug dealers, including codefendants Allen EDGERSON and Rachel CESARIO, to ship large quantities of methamphetamine from California to New Orleans. COPPRUE also bribed codefendant TONYA CALVIN, a postal worker, to deliver the drug-filled packages to him in New Orleans. COPPRUE, who was a felon and prohibited from possessing firearms, was caught with four firearms that he kept at his home and another address where he stored narcotics. All of COPPRUE’s co-defendants have already pled guilty, and all but CALVIN have already been sentenced. EDGERSON was sentenced to over seventeen years in prison, and CESARIO to five years in prison.
Today, U.S. District Judge Sarah S. Vance sentenced COPPRUE to a 198-month term of imprisonment or sixteen and a half years, a mandatory special assessment fee of $300, and five years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Louisiana State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas D. Moses is in charge of the prosecution.
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Man Sentenced for Role in the 2013 Murder of Loomis Armored Guard Hector TrochezRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced today that CURTIS JOHNSON, JR., 30, of New Orleans, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Lance Africk for his role in the December 2013 armed robbery of a Loomis armored vehicle at Chase Bank, 2331 S. Carrollton, Avenue, New Orleans, Louisiana, which resulted in the death of Loomis guard Hector Trochez.
JOHNSON, was found guilty by a jury at trial in March 2022 of conspiracy to commit a Hobbs Act robbery, aiding and abetting the commission of a Hobbs Act Robbery, and discharging a firearm in furtherance of Hobbs Act robbery.
JOHNSON was sentenced to 600 months imprisonment, a five-year term of supervised release following imprisonment, a $300 mandatory special assessment fee, and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $277,000.
According to court documents, on the morning of December 18, 2013, JOHNSON, along with co-defendants, Lilbear George, Chukwudi Ofomata, and Jeremy Esteves, robbed a Loomis armored vehicle as it was making a delivery of approximately $265,000 to the Chase Bank at the intersection of S. Carrollton and S. Claiborne Avenues. As the Loomis guard, Hector Trochez, prepared to make the delivery, George and Ofomata, both armed, exited the vehicle (a Chevy Tahoe stolen by George in preparation for the robbery), and ordered Trochez to give up the money. Trochez pulled his weapon and fired at the robbers. Ofomata and George fired their weapons in Trochez’s direction. JOHNSON fired at the Loomis truck to keep the driver inside. Trochez was fatally struck on the left side of his forehead and suffered a graze wound to his elbow. One of the robbers ran towards the rear of the Loomis truck and took possession of the money bag before re-entering the Tahoe. The robbers then fled the Chase Bank parking lot.
A witness seated in a vehicle at the corner of S. Claiborne and S. Carrollton Avenues observed the shooting and provided a description of the shooters and the vehicle they occupied. That witness followed the Chevy Tahoe as it fled the location of the shooting/robbery. During the vehicle’s flight, one of the shooters fired at the witness’s vehicle in an attempt to deter the witness from following. The witness observed the Chevy Tahoe arrive in the 1700 block of Adams Street and saw the four robbers exit the Chevy Tahoe and enter the awaiting Honda Accord driven by co-defendant Robert Brumfield, III. The Honda Accord fled the Adams Street location, leaving the Chevy Tahoe behind.
In November 2019, Esteves and Brumfield were found guilty by a jury at trial, and later sentenced to 600 months imprisonment and 240 months imprisonment, respectively. In 2021, George and Ofomata pleaded guilty and were both sentenced to a 480-month term of imprisonment. Co-defendant Jasmine Theophile, the former girlfriend of Lilbear George, pleaded guilty to obstructing justice and was sentenced to a five (5) year term of probation, which included six months in the custody of a halfway house.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation along with the New Orleans Police Department and the Louisiana State Police. Assistant United States Attorneys Brittany L. Reed, Gregory M. Kennedy, and Inga Petrovich prosecuted the matter.
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Baton Rouge Man Sentenced to 41 Months Imprisonment for Embezzling Funds from the New Orleans Firefighters Pension and Relief FundRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – On July 12, 2022, United States District Court Judge Greg Guidry sentenced WAYNE TRICHE, 72, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to forty-one (41) months imprisonment, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. Triche pleaded guilty to wire fraud and tax fraud in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343 and Title 26, United States Code, Section 7206(1), respectively. Triche was ordered to pay $937,658.77 restitution to the New Orleans Firefighters Pension and Relief Fund, $329,895.00 to the Internal Revenue Service, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee. Upon release from imprisonment, he will serve a one (1) year term of supervised release.
According to Court documents, TRICHE was responsible for managing a portion of the New Orleans Firefighters Pension and Relief Fund’s (“NOFPRF”) investments. Rather than return the profits earned to the NOPRF, TRICHE embezzled approximately $937,658.77 and used those funds for personal expenses such as a civil court judgment, credit card charges, and gambling. The tax fraud charges stem from TRICHE’s failure to claim the embezzled funds on his personal income tax returns, resulting in tax due and owing to the Internal Revenue Service in the amount of $329,895.00.
“Today’s sentencing demonstrates that individuals like Mr. Wayne Triche who commit financial crimes to enrich themselves will be held accountable,” said FBI New Orleans Special Agent in Charge Douglas A. Williams, Jr. “We thank our partners at the United States Attorney's Office Eastern District of Louisiana and Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation for helping disrupt fraud and bringing justice to the victims.”
"Today's sentencing exemplifies the patience and long arm of the law in its pursuit of financial fraud and criminal tax violations," said James E. Dorsey, Special Agent in Charge of IRS-CI’s Atlanta Field Office. "Mr. Wayne Triche perpetuated an elaborate scheme driven by his insatiable greed and a blatant disregard for the tremendous damage inflicted on the New Orleans Firefighters Pension and Relief Fund and its members. Be assured that IRS Criminal Investigation, together with our federal partners, will hold those who engage in similar behavior fully accountable."
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tracey N. Knight.
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Assumption Parish Man Sentenced for Theft of More Than $213,000 from New Orleans CompanyRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that RODNEY ROUSSELL (“ROUSSELL”), age 40, of Belle Rose, Louisiana, was sentenced on July 12, 2022 for Bank Fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1344(2).
The case against ROUSSELL began as a result of a complaint from a New Orleans company (“Company A”) to the FBI. According to documents filed in federal court, in August, 2017, ROUSSELL began working for Company A through a work re-entry program for persons with criminal records. Company A’s operational headquarters was in New Orleans, Louisiana, and they maintained a business account with JPMorgan Chase Bank (“Chase Bank”).
As Company A’s employee, ROUSSELL did not have access to Company A’s Chase Bank account, and was not authorized to make payments of any kind using funds in the account. Beginning in or about April 2018, and continuing until in or about June 2018, ROUSSELL utilized Chase Bank’s web portal and mobile banking app to transfer money from Company A’s account to accounts held by ROUSSELL, including MC & Associates Management, Inc. In total, ROUSSELL illegally obtained $213,372.05 from Company A’s Chase Bank account.
U.S. District Judge Greg G. Guidry sentenced ROUSSELL to seventy (70) months imprisonment, followed by five (5) years of supervised release, a $100.00 mandatory special assessment fee, and ordered ROUSSELL to pay restitution in the amount of $213,372.05 to Company A.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office would also like to acknowledge the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation with this matter. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian M. Klebba, Chief of the Financial Crimes Unit.
New Orleans Man Found Guilty of Carjacking and Weapons ViolationsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced today that DEVIN WEAVER, age 30, of New Orleans, was found guilty after a two-day jury trial before U.S. District Judge Lance M. Africk.
The jury found WEAVER guilty as charged as to all three counts in the Superseding Indictment. The Superseding Indictment charged WEAVER in Count 1 with carjacking, a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2119(1), in Count 2 with brandishing a firearm during the commission of a violent crime, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(1)(A)(ii), and in Count 3 with being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1). He will be sentenced on October 19, 2022. As to Count 1, WEAVER faces a maximum sentence of fifteen (15) years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, up to 3 years of supervised release, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee. As to Count 2, WEAVER faces a mandatory minimum sentence of seven (7) years up to a maximum of life imprisonment, to be run consecutive to any other sentence imposed, a fine of up to $250,000.00, up to five (5) years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00. Finally, for Count 3, WEAVER faces a maximum sentence of ten (10) years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, up to 3 years of supervised release, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
According to witness testimony, on August 21, 2019, WEAVER and a co-defendant, Tommie Mango, carjacked a woman in the 2000 block of Jackson Avenue. The defendants attempted to obscure their identity by wearing wigs and masks. The victim was ordered from her vehicle at gunpoint, punched and forced to the ground. WEAVER and Mango then left the scene in the victim’s Jeep Cherokee, which contained cell phones and other personal belongings. Through tracking the victims’ cell phones minutes after the incident, both defendants were quickly located and apprehended by law enforcement.
Mango previously pleaded guilty to carjacking and brandishing a weapon during the commission of a violent crime and is scheduled to be sentenced on July 27, 2022.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safe for everyone. Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms and the New Orleans Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Inga Petrovich and Gregory M. Kennedy of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Violent Crime Unit.
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Postal Worker Pleads Guilty to Delay or Destruction of MailRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – DARIUS PATIN, age 34, a resident of New Orleans, Louisiana, pleaded guilty on June 7, 2022 before U.S. District Judge Eldon E. Fallon, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
According to court documents, PATIN was employed by the United States Postal Service as a City Carrier and was assigned to work at Carrollton Station, New Orleans, LA 70118. On or about April 28, 2021, PATIN secreted, destroyed, detained, and delayed approximately 1,377 pieces of mail that were recovered from a dumpster in an apartment complex. PATIN also unlawfully secreted, detained, and delayed approximately nine First Class letters, eight standard letters, four standard flats, and two periodicals in his personal vehicle.
PATIN pleaded guilty to an indictment charging him with delay or destruction of mail. He faces a maximum penalty of up to five (5) years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, up to three (3) years of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. Sentencing is scheduled for September 29, 2022 at 2:00 p.m. before U.S. District Judge Eldon E. Fallon.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General in investigating this matter. Assistant U. S. Attorney Rachal Cassagne is in charge of the prosecution.
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Man Sentenced to 115 Months for Violating the Federal Gun Control ActRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – On July 7, 2022, United States District Judge Susie Morgan sentenced ALTON COOKS to 115 months in the Bureau of Prisons for being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of the Federal Gun Control Act, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
COOKS was charged on October 23, 2020 in a one-count indictment with possessing a Taurus Model PT111 Pro, nine-millimeter pistol while being a convicted felon. COOKS will serve 115 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
U. S. Attorney Duane A. Evans praised the work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Melissa Bücher.
Slidell Man Sentenced to Six Months in Jail After Stealing over $75,000 from Federal Retirement Benefits ProgramRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that MICHAEL R. MATHERNE (“MATHERNE”), age 62, of Slidell, Louisiana was sentenced on June 7, 2022 to serve six (6) months in federal prison after pleading guilty as charged to an indictment for Theft of Federal Funds on July 22, 2021. Additionally, the Court ordered MATHERNE to pay a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
According to the indictment, the Social Security Administration (“SSA”), an agency of the United States, operated the Retirement Survivor Insurance Benefit program (“RSI Program”). The purpose of the RSI Program is to provide benefits to certain persons, including widows and widowers, in their retirement.
Following the death of his spouse, MATHERENE never advised the SSA of his spouse’s death and continued depositing the spouse’s SSA checks into their joint bank account. From December 2012 through March 2019, MATHERNE received monthly SSA benefits totaling approximately $75,838, which he deposited into their bank account and used for his living expenses.
The case was investigated by the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Carter K. D. Guice, Jr.
Nicaraguan Man Pleads Guilty and is Sentenced for Illegally Using Social Security Number to Obtain EmploymentRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that LUIS ANTONIO CRUZ-SANCHEZ a/k/a “Lebardo Rojas”, age 36, a native of Nicaragua, pleaded guilty and was sentenced on June 7, 2022 for illegally using a social security number to enroll in a safety class to qualify for employment, in violation of Title 42, United States Code, Section 408(a)(7)(B).
United States District Court Judge Jay C. Zainey sentenced CRUZ-SANCHEZ to a probationary term of three (3) months and a $100 special assessment fee.
According to court documents, on or about March 30, 2022, CRUZ-SANCHEZ presented a false Social Security card when attending a pre-employment safety class at the Gulf Coast Safety Council in St. Rose, Louisiana. CRUZ-SANCHEZ falsely represented that a social security number was assigned to him when in fact; the social security number had been assigned by the Commissioner of Social Security to another individual.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of Homeland Security Investigations in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Spiro G. Latsis is in charge of the prosecution.
New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty as Charged to Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that BRANDON SMITH, age 27 of New Orleans, Louisiana, pleaded guilty, on June 6, 2022, as charged to violating the Federal Gun Control Act. The single count indictment was for possession of a firearm while subject to a domestic violence protective order in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(8) and 924(a)(2).
According to court documents, SMITH was issued a domestic violence protective order by a magistrate in Orleans Parish on June 1, 2020. That order restrained him from harassing, stalking, or threating an intimate partner, or engaging in other conduct that would place an intimate partner in reasonable fear of bodily injury. It also prohibited him from possessing a firearm. Investigators discovered SMITH possessed a 7.62mm “Draco” firearm and ammunition on December 23, 2020, while the domestic violence order was still in place.
The sentencing in this matter is set for October 12, 2022. SMITH faces a maximum of ten (10) years imprisonment, up to a $250,000.00 fine, a maximum of three (3) years supervised release, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders works together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the New Orleans Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation in investigating this matter. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles D. Strauss.
Man Pleads Guilty to Lying to a Federal Grand Jury and Violating the Federal Gun Control ActRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced today that on July 7, 2022 JAMES HEIGLE, 40, from St. Tammany Parish, pled guilty to counts four, five, and six of the superseding indictment for false declarations before a grand jury, felon in possession of a firearm, and violent felon in possession of body armor. HEIGLE was initially indicted by a Federal Grand Jury on July 1, 2021.
Between May 8 – 29, 2019, HEIGLE possessed multiple firearms and a bullet-proof vest. Before May 2019, he was convicted of a violent felony in Jefferson Parish, which precluded him from possessing firearms and a bullet-proof vest.
At sentencing for count four, false declarations before a grand jury, HEIGLE faces up to a maximum term of imprisonment of five (5) years, a fine of up to $250,000, up to three (3) years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee, pursuant to Title 18, United States Code, Section 1623.
At sentencing for count five, felon in possession of a firearm, HEIGLE faces up to a maximum term of imprisonment of ten (10) years, a fine of up to $250,000, up to three (3) years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee, pursuant to Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2).
At sentencing for count six, violent felon in possession of body armor, HEIGLE faces up to a maximum term of imprisonment of three (3) years, a fine of up to $250,000, up to one (1) year of supervised release following any term of imprisonment, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee, pursuant to Title 18, United States Code, Sections 931 and 924(a)(7).
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Melissa Bücher of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
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Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Weapons ViolationRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced on Thursday, July 7, 2022, that TRON HUGHES, age 42, resident of New Orleans, LA, pled guilty as charged to a one-count indictment for his participation in a weapons violation on June 10, 2021. Count 1 of the indictment charges HUGHES with being a felon in possession a firearm.
In Count 1 of the indictment, HUGHES is charged with possessing two firearms on June 10, 2021, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1), 924(a)(2), and 2. HUGHES faces a maximum sentence of 10 years of imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, a period of up to 3 years supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00. Sentencing is scheduled for October 13, 2022.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice's violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Inga Petrovich of the Violent Crime Unit of the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Honduran National Indicted for Illegal Re-EntryRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane Evans announced today that NORMAN GARCIA-GARCIA, age 24, was charged on July 7, 2022 in a one-count indictment for illegal reentry of a removed alien in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a).
According to the indictment, NORMAN GARCIA-GARCIA (“GARCIA”), reentered the United States after he was previously deported on February 23, 2018. If convicted, GARCIA faces a maximum term of imprisonment of two (2) years, a maximum fine of $250,000, a maximum term of supervised release of one year, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
U. S. Duane Evans reiterated that an indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement in investigating this matter. Assistant U. S. Attorney Carter K. D. Guice, Jr. oversees the prosecution.
Cleveland, Ohio Man Pleads Guilty to Producing Files Depicting the Sexual Victimization of Children and Extorting 11-Year-Old Female to Send Sexually Explicit DepictionsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that JAVAN BAILEY, age 20, a resident of Cleveland, Ohio, pleaded guilty as charged on June 7, 2022 before United States District Judge Carl J. Barbier after previously being charged in a two-count indictment with producing images and videos depicting the sexual exploitation of an eleven-year-old female, Victim 1, in violation of 18 U.S.C. ' 2251(a), and transmitting interstate threats for the purpose of extorting a thing of value, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 875(d).
According to court documents, BAILEY met Victim 1, a New Orleans resident born in about October 2009, in a social media service that specialized in the hosting and presentation of short-form videos hosted by its users in about February 2021. BAILEY pretended to be a minor female and communicated with Victim 1 about twerking videos. After moving the conversation to a text-based platform, BAILEY sent Victim 1 a video of a juvenile female twerking and engaging in sexually explicit conduct. BAILEY then instructed Victim 1 to send him a video of Victim 1 engaging in sexually explicit conduct or else BAILEY would post the video he sent Victim 1 on social media platforms and say the video was of Victim 1. Victim 1 complied. For the next three months, BAILEY continued to direct Victim 1 to record and send him increasingly explicit content, while threatening to release the prior content if Victim 1 refused.
On about May 27, 2021, law enforcement authorities executed a search warrant on BAILEY’S residence in Cleveland, Ohio, during which they seized BAILEY’s cellular telephone. A digital media search revealed that between about November 2019 and May 2021, BAILEY sought and obtained depictions of dozens of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct using the same extortionate scheme he employed to obtain sexually explicit material from Victim 1. Additionally, BAILEY sold the sexually explicit depictions he received of minors by charging approximately $30 in exchange for sharing a link to the content. BAILEY sold the link dozens of times.
Attempts to identify and notify victims are ongoing. If you believe you are a victim of these criminal activities, or know someone who is, please contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324), and reference this case.
BAILEY faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of fifteen (15) years and a maximum term of imprisonment of thirty-two (32) years. BAILEY also faces a lifetime of supervised release, up to a $250,000 fine, a mandatory special assessment fee of $200 and he can be required to register as a sex offender. Sentencing before Judge Barbier has been scheduled for October 13, 2022.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Jordan Ginsberg is in charge of the prosecution.
New Orleans Man Sentenced to 144 Months in Prison After Pleading Guilty to Distribution of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that MICHAEL PAUL PERRILLOUX, age 43, a resident of New Orleans, Louisiana, was sentenced today to 144 months imprisonment by United States District Judge Carl J. Barbier after previously pleading guilty to Count Four of a four-count indictment charging him with distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), including prepubescent children, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 2252(a)(2). As part of the sentence, Judge Barbier further ordered PERRILLOUX to serve five (5) years of supervised release after his term of imprisonment, pay restitution to the victims in an amount to be determined on or before a hearing set for October 13, 2022, comply with sex offender registration requirements, and pay a mandatory $100 special assessment fee. Judge Barbier also ordered the forfeiture of several electronic items belonging to PERRILLOUX.
According to court documents, in about November 2020, Special Agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) executed a search warrant at PERRILLOUX’s New Orleans-area residence after receiving a tip that PERRILLOUX had uploaded images and videos depicting the sexual exploitation of children to an online, cloud-based file storage account. Agents seized numerous electronic devices belonging to PERRILLOUX. A subsequent review of the devices revealed that between at least 2017 and 2020, PERRILLOUX uploaded images and videos depicting the sexual exploitation of children via a computer and the internet to one or more online, cloud-based file storage accounts under his control. PERRILLOUX obtained, uploaded, and catalogued thousands of digital files (i.e., images and videos) depicting the sexual exploitation of children. Additionally, PERRILLOUX sometimes received payments in exchange for distributing depictions of his collection of CSAM by transmitting electronically a link to one of more of his online file storage accounts. Specifically, on or about September 10, 2018, PERRILLOUX received approximately $200 from Person 1 in exchange for PERRILLOUX providing Person 1 a link to an online file storage account under PERRILLOUX’s control that contained images and videos depicting CSAM.
Further, a review of PERRILLOUX’s electronic devices revealed that PERRILLOUX engaged in sexually suggestive online conversations with individuals, including minors, while pretending to be either a female or a younger male. During the conversations, PERRILLOUX requested that the minors either engage in sexually explicit conduct or take and send him sexually explicit pictures and videos. PERRILLOUX saved the sexually explicit images one minor victim sent him with the victim’s consent.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys= Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Jordan Ginsberg was in charge of the prosecution.
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Mexican National Pleads Guilty to Illegally Using a Social Security Number Belonging to Another PersonRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that JOSE GARCIA-NUNEZ, age 33, a citizen of Mexico, pleaded guilty on June 6, 2022 to illegally using a social security number belonging to another individual, in violation of Title 42, United States Code, Section 408(a)(7)(B). JOSE GARCIA-NUNEZ pleaded guilty before the Honorable Susie Morgan, U.S. District Judge, Eastern District of Louisiana, and sentencing is set for October 13, 2022.
According to documents filed in federal court, JOSE GARCIA-NUNEZ used the social security number of another individual to secure employment and orientation training with a local company.
The maximum penalty for the offense is five years imprisonment, followed by up to three years of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000 or the greater of twice the gross gain to the defendant or twice the gross loss to the victim, and a mandatory special assessment fee of one hundred dollars.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Department of Homeland Security in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Richard R. Pickens, II is in charge of the prosecution.
Former Postal Employee Sentenced for Unlawfully Opening the MailRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that TYRONE DILLING, age 27, of New Orleans, Louisiana was sentenced today by the Honorable Barry W. Ashe, District Court Judge, Eastern District of Louisiana, to a two-year term of probation after pleading guilty to unlawfully opening the mail he was entrusted to deliver. The Court ordered DILLING to pay a mandatory special assessment fee of one hundred dollars.
According to documents filed in federal court, TYRONE DILLING was employed by the United States Postal Service as a letter carrier in New Orleans when he was apprehended opening and tampering with the content of mail items he was entrusted to handle for the Postal Service.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Postal Service, Office of the Inspector General in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Richard R. Pickens, II is in charge of the prosecution.
Tangipahoa Parish Man Sentenced After Pleading Guilty to Violating the Federal Controlled Substances ActRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JAMES WATTS, age 50, a resident of Amite, Louisiana, was sentenced on June 30, 2022 to 70 months imprisonment, 4 years supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee, by U.S. District Judge Mary Ann Vial Lemmon, after pleading guilty to a one-count superseding bill of information charging him with possession with intent to distribute five grams or more of methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
According to court documents, on March 8, 2021, Tangipahoa Sheriff’s Office deputies initiated a traffic stop on WATTS in Independence, Louisiana after they received a report that WATTS had assaulted a female victim. Upon stopping WATTS, deputies saw drug paraphernalia in plain view in the rear passenger seat. A subsequent search of the vehicle revealed 397 grams of methamphetamine.
During a subsequent interview with agents from the United States Drug Enforcement Administration, WATTS acknowledged the methamphetamine found during the search of the vehicle was his. He further admitted that he had sold approximately one pound of methamphetamine between March 6th and March 8th, 2021, and that he obtained two pounds of methamphetamine from his source of supply approximately every two weeks.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office. The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorney J. Benjamin Myers.
Laplace Woman Sentenced for Violating the Federal Controlled Substances Act and Interstate Travel in Aid of RacketeeringRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – United States District Judge Mary Ann Vial Lemmon sentenced TRACY MORGAN, age 51, a resident of LaPlace, Louisiana, on June 30, 2022, to a total of 46 months in the Bureau of Prisons for two charges, consisting first of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine hydrochloride and second of interstate and foreign travel or transportation in aid of racketeering, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
According to the court records, in August 2019, on behalf of co-conspirator Ellis Batiste, Sr., MORGAN transported money from Louisiana to Texas to pay for 10 kilograms of cocaine hydrochloride, which she then transported back to Louisiana where she was subsequently stopped and arrested by law enforcement.
During the investigation, law enforcement seized over 15 kilograms of cocaine hydrochloride and over 1 kilogram of fentanyl. The majority of these controlled substances were being transported from Houston, Texas into the Eastern District of Louisiana.
District Judge Lemmon sentenced MORGAN to the 46 month term of imprisonment to be followed by three (3) years of supervised release. Judge Lemmon also ordered that MORGAN pay a $100 mandatory special assessment fee for each charge .
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
The case was investigated by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration and the Saint John the Baptist Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Christopher Usher prosecuted the matter.
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New Orleans Woman Pleads Guilty to Misprision of FelonyRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that ASHLEY OVERTON, age 36, of New Orleans, pled guilty on June 30, 2022 to misprision of felony, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 4.
According to court documents, as a part of a narcotics drug trafficking investigation, OVERTON failed to notify law enforcement authorities of criminal activity and performed acts to conceal a crime.
OVERTON faces a maximum sentence of 3 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, up to 1 year of supervised release and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
This prosecution is part of an extensive investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (“OCDETF”). OCDETF is a joint federal, state and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking and is the nation’s primary tool for disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations, targeting national and regional level drug trafficking organizations and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to disrupt or dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize their assets.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Drug Enforcement Administration and Federal Bureau of Investigation in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorneys Elizabeth Privitera and Jonathan L. Shih are in charge of the prosecution.
New Orleans Man Sentenced to Nine Years in Federal Prison for Massive Credit Card Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – On June 30, 2022 United States District Judge Eldon E. Fallon sentenced MAURICE DURIO, age 42, a New Orleans native to 108 months in federal prison for his role in a massive credit card fraud scheme, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
According to the court records, DURIO previously pleaded guilty to a credit card fraud charge. In a sworn factual basis, DURIO admitted that he began making fraudulent credit cards in New Orleans before eventually renting office space in an office park in Houston to expand his operation. He outfitted the space with equipment used to make fraudulent credit cards. Over the next several years, DURIO and his co-defendant, EDWARD TOLIVER, who also operated a card manufacturing plant in the same office park, obtained hundreds of thousands of stolen credit card numbers from a variety of sources, including a computer hacker TOLIVER had met in prison and by purchasing them on the dark web.
DURIO and TOLIVER, with the assistance of several co-conspirators, created and/or downloaded credit card templates on laptop computers and transferred the stolen credit card numbers into the templates, which were then used to create tens of thousands of fraudulent access devices. The cards would generally be printed in batches with the same name appearing on numerous cards. The name was typically the real name of a co-conspirator. The cards were embossed with numbers, and corresponding account information was encoded on the strips on the back of the cards. The names of the co-conspirators/users of the fraudulent cards did not correspond to the actual account holders, who had not given permission for their accounts to be used. DURIO and TOLIVER distributed thousands of fraudulent access devices to numerous individuals who then used them to fraudulently obtain things of value, including merchandise and gift cards.
The Secret Service, with the assistance of local law enforcement, investigated numerous instances in which individuals were caught with cards manufactured at the Houston plants operated by DURIO and TOLIVER. Agents were able to tie these card seizures to the plants where DURIO and TOLIVER were making the cards through several means.
In July 2014, a federal search warrant was executed at the Houston office park and agents seized device making equipment, including embossers, scanners, and high-end printers, thousands of cards, and a laptop computer. The computer had approximately 80,000 card numbers in files, as well as spreadsheets used to move the card numbers from the text files they came in when obtained through the dark web to the actual credit cards. Agents also obtained other laptops used by DURIO and TOLIVER that contained approximately 300,000 additional card numbers.
The scheme used various methods to monetize the fraudulent credit card production. First, DURIO and TOLIVER would simply sell cards. The buyer would pay them a set amount and then get to keep whatever the buyer could purchase with the cards. Second, DURIO and TOLIVER would provide cards with the idea that the person getting the cards would buy merchandise and then sell the merchandise at a discount for cash and kick back some of the cash. Third, DURIO and TOLIVER would provide cards and the person getting the cards would buy gifts cards, some of which were kicked back.
This case was investigated by Special Agents of the United States Secret Service. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney David Haller.
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New Orleans Man Indicted for Violations of the Federal Gun Control ActRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – COREY HALE, age 32, a resident of New Orleans, was charged on June 30, 2022 in a four-count indictment by a federal grand jury for being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession of a firearm after being convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.
If convicted, HALE faces a maximum term of imprisonment of ten (10) years, a fine of up to $250,000.00, up to three (3) years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
U. S. Attorney Evans reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Louisiana State Police, and the New Orleans Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Trummel.
Luling Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Files Depicting the Sexual Victimization of ChildrenRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that DOMINIC ROMANO, age 21, a resident of Luling, Louisiana, pleaded guilty on June 30, 2022 before United States District Judge Barry W. Ashe to a one-count indictment charging him with possession of images and videos depicting the sexual exploitation of children under the age of twelve years old, in violation of 18 U.S.C. ' 2252(a)(4)(B).
According to court documents, the Federal Bureau of Investigation received a tip from another law enforcement agency that an individual, subsequently determined to be ROMANO, accessed an online bulletin board having an explicit focus on the advertisement, distribution, and facilitation of sharing child abuse material. The bulleting board contained sections and forums cataloged by the age of the victims and the nature of the violence inflicting on them.
The FBI executed a search warrant on ROMANO’s residence on May 7, 2020 and seized electronic devices. ROMANO’s seized devices contained at least 2589 image and 62 videos depicting the sexual exploitation of children, including children less than three years old. Among ROMANO’s collection was a digital presentation that purported to be an instruction manual on how to successfully victimize “very young girls” without being caught.
ROMANO faces a maximum term of imprisonment of twenty (20) years. ROMANO also faces up to a lifetime of supervised release, up to a $250,000 fine, and he can be required to register as a sex offender. Sentencing before Judge Ashe is scheduled for September 29, 2022, at 1:30 pm.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys= Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Jordan Ginsberg is in charge of the prosecution.
Kentucky Man Charged with Communications of Interstate ThreatsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that BRIAN ADAMS, age 22, of Paintsville, Kentucky, was indicted on June 30, 2022 by a federal grand jury for communication of interstate threats to kidnap or injure, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 875(c).
According to the indictment, ADAMS, transmitted a threat to a fifth-grade class at the Laureate Academy Charter School on or about October 14, 2020. At the time, the school was conducting class virtually over Zoom due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, ADAMS is alleged to have used racial epithets and threats against the students. The grand jury also made a special finding that ADAMS selected the fifth-grade class as the object of his threat because of the actual and perceived race of the students and teachers.
If convicted of this offense, ADAMS faces a maximum sentence of 5 years, a fine of up to $250,000, up to 1 year of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that the indictment is merely an allegation and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Tracey N. Knight and Jonathan L. Shih are in charge of the prosecution.
Louisiana Man Indicted for Dog Fighting VenturesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A federal grand jury in New Orleans, Louisiana, returned an indictment charging a Louisiana man with seven counts of Possession of Animals in an Animal Fighting Venture.
According to court documents, David Guidry III, 47, possessed and received dogs for the purpose of having the dogs participate in animal fighting ventures.
On or around Oct. 24, 2017, a federal law enforcement team consisting of agents from the Department of Agriculture, the FBI and the U.S. Marshals Service, and other agencies executed a search warrant on Guidry’s residence. The physical evidence from the search along with court-authorized wiretaps established that Guidry violated the federal anti-animal-fighting statute.
If convicted, Guidry faces up to five years in prison for each count of conviction. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Trial Attorney Matthew D. Evans of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division, Environmental Crimes Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan L. Shih for the Eastern District of Louisiana are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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New Orleans Man Sentenced to 168 Months on Federal Drug Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced today that ANDREW PAYTON, age 48, a resident of New Orleans, Louisiana, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Wendy B. Vitter on Tuesday June 28, 2022 to serve 168 months in the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons after pleading guilty to the charge of possession with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(B). PAYTON’s federal term of imprisonment is to be followed by five years of supervised release.
Federal, state, and local law enforcement officials investigated the 2019 distribution of illegal narcotics into Orleans and St. Tammany Parishes from the Houston, Texas area. This investigation culminated with the indictment of PAYTON on October 18, 2019.
The case was investigated by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (D.E.A.), the Louisiana State Police, the New Orleans Police Department, and the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Maurice E. Landrieu, Jr.is in charge of the prosecution.
Memphis Man Pleads Guilty to Trafficking 14-Year-Old to New Orleans for Commercial SexRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that JEREMY TALBERT, age 26, from Memphis, Tennessee pleaded guilty on June 29, 2022 to Sex Trafficking of a Minor, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1591(a)(1), 1591(b)(2), 1594(a), and 2.
According to court documents, TALBERT brought a fourteen-year-old female (“Minor Victim”) from Memphis to New Orleans for the purpose of her engaging in commercial sex acts between October 2020 and December 17, 2020. During this time, TALBERT was aware of Minor Victim’s age from conversations with her mother. TALBERT advertised Minor Victim on websites commonly used to advertise sexual services in exchange for money. TALBERT required Minor Victim to earn approximately $1,000 per day from commercial sex acts and TALBERT kept all or most of the money she earned.
In pleading guilty, TALBERT faces a minimum sentence of ten (10) years imprisonment up to life imprisonment. The defendant also faces supervised release for a term of five years to up to life, up to a $250,000 fine, a requirement that the defendant participate in the sex offender registration and notification program, and a mandatory $100.00 special assessment fee, as to each count. The Honorable Lance Africk set sentencing in this matter for October 5, 2022 at 2 p.m.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the New Orleans Police Department, and the Memphis Police Department in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorneys Maria Carboni and Jordan Ginsberg are in charge of the prosecution.
New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Possess a Firearm and Misprision of FelonyRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that WARREN PICARD, age 26, of New Orleans, pled guilty to conspiracy to possess a firearm by a felon and misprision of felony.
Specifically, on June 29, 2022, PICARD pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess a firearm by a felon, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371, and one count of misprision of felony, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 4.
According to the court documents, PICARD and others conspired to possess a Glock Model 19, nine-millimeter caliber pistol on or about July 21, 2020.
For conspiracy to possess a firearm by a felon, PICARD faces a maximum sentence of 5 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, up to 3 years of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. For misprision of a felony, PICARD faces a maximum sentence of 3 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, up to 1 year of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and re-entry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
United States Attorney Evans praised the work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the New Orleans Police Department in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan L. Shih is in charge of the prosecution.
Atlanta Man Sentenced for Violating the Federal Controlled Substances ActRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JONATHAN JOHNSON, age 32, a resident of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Lance M. Africk to one-hundred fifty (150) months’ imprisonment, eight (8) years of supervised release, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee after pleading guilty to a one-count indictment that charged him with possession with intent to distribute fifty (50) grams or more of methamphetamine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(A), announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
According to court documents, On March 31, 2021, Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office deputies patrolling Highway 1 in Thibodaux, Louisiana observed a white Mercedes four-door sedan traveling south with tinted windows that appeared to violate state law. The deputies executed a traffic stop of the vehicle and identified the driver as JOHNSON. The deputies checked JOHNSON’s license and learned that his license was suspended. The deputies requested assistance at the scene. As the deputies approached JOHNSON, they observed JOHNSON open the driver’s door of the vehicle and discard three hundred (300) grams of pure crystal methamphetamine onto the ground from a clear plastic bag.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office. The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorney André Jones.
Third Former Coast Guard Employee Pleads Guilty in Test-Fixing Case, Several Co-Defendants SentencedRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS - U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that former United States Coast Guard employee ELDRIDGE JOHNSON pleaded guilty on June 23, 2022, to one count of bribery and to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States.
Judge Barry W. Ashe took JOHNSON’S guilty plea and scheduled sentencing for September 29, 2022. The maximum terms of imprisonment are fifteen years for bribery and five years for conspiracy. Each offense is also punishable by a fine of up to $250,000, up to three years of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
The bribery conviction relates to JOHNSON’S conduct as an examination administrator at a Mandeville, Louisiana Coast Guard exam center. JOHNSON administered examinations that merchant mariners were legally required to pass in order to obtain licenses to serve in various positions on vessels. The examinations tested mariners’ knowledge and training to safely operate under the authority of the licenses. Beginning no later than 2011 and continuing until about the time of his January 2018 retirement, JOHNSON engaged in a scheme to receive bribes from mariners who had applied for licenses. JOHNSON offered and sold various forms of improper assistance, including reporting false information to the Coast Guard and, more commonly, selling examination questions and answers to mariners before they took the tests.
JOHNSON’S conspiracy conviction relates to his post-retirement conduct, in which he acted as an intermediary for exam center employee DOROTHY SMITH in a scheme in which SMITH entered false exam scores in exchange for money. SMITH and another former Coast Guard employee who acted as SMITH’S intermediary, BEVERLY MCCRARY, pleaded guilty and are scheduled to be sentenced on September 15, 2022.
JOHNSON, SMITH, and MCCRARY were charged in an indictment along with twenty-eight mariners, the last two of which were recently sentenced: on April 28, 2022, Judge Ashe sentenced SHUNMANIQUE WILLIS, who pleaded guilty to obtaining a license though false scores entered by SMITH, to six months imprisonment to be followed by one year of supervised release and 100 hours of community service; on June 23, 2022, Judge Ashe sentenced SHARRON ROBINSON, who pleaded guilty to being an intermediary in SMITH’S scheme, to 54 months imprisonment to be followed by one year of supervised release. ROBINSON conspired to obtain false scores for herself and for nine other mariners.
A separate indictment charged eight mariners with obtaining licenses though false scores entered by SMITH. In that case, between April and June 2022, Judge Eldon E. Fallon sentenced the following seven mariners to probation: RANSFORD ACKAH, NATHANIEL DOMINICK, ODELL GRIGGS, DEVIN HEBERT, RAYNEL LEWIS, ADRIAN MACK, and MAURICE PALMER. The eighth defendant in that case, DERRICK WARD, pleaded guilty on March 4, 2022, and is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Fallon on August 4, 2022. The maximum penalty is five years’ imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, up to three years of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
This matter is being investigated by the Coast Guard Investigative Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chandra Menon is in charge of the prosecution.
New Orleans Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Firearms and Drug Distribution ConvictionsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that on June 23, 2022, QUENTRELL BERTHOLOTTE, age 29 of New Orleans, Louisiana, was sentenced by the Honorable District Court Judge Barry W. Ashe. BERTHOLOTTE previously pleaded guilty as charged to a four-count indictment. He was charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2) in Counts 1 and 2; possession with intent to distribute fentanyl in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(B) in Count 3; and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(i) in Count 4.
BERTHOLOTTE was sentenced to a total of ten (10) years imprisonment and four (4) years of supervised release. He was sentenced to 46 months for Counts 1 and 2, and 60 months for Count 3, all to run concurrently. As to Count 4, he was sentenced to 60 months to run consecutive to all other sentences. He is also required to pay a $100.00 mandatory special assessment fee for each count.
According to court documents, BERTHOLOTTE came under investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) in December of 2020. On January 14, 2020, he was seen on video surveillance wielding a 5.56 caliber “ghost gun,” which does not have a serial number. During a search of his girlfriend’s apartment on April 22, 2021, investigators found over forty (40) grams of fentanyl, the “ghost gun,” a Glock 27 semi-automatic handgun, and over $30,000.00 in U.S. currency. BERTHOLOTTE was previously convicted of a drug trafficking offense in Orleans Parish.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in investigating this matter. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles D. Strauss.
Orleans Parish Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun ChargeRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that ERNEST DUNN, age 32 of New Orleans, Louisiana, pleaded guilty as charged to violating the Federal Gun Control Act. The single count indictment charged DUNN with being a felon in possession of a firearm in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2).
According to court documents, DUNN was previously convicted of armed robbery and purse snatching. The current conviction relates to a November 6, 2020 incident during which DUNN was found sitting in the driver’s seat of a car by federal agents. A search of the car revealed five firearms. Additionally, two Glock semi-automatic handguns were found on the floorboard at his feet. He faces a maximum term of ten (10) years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000.00, up to three (3) years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
DUNN’s sentencing hearing is currently scheduled for September 29, 2022.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the New Orleans Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation in investigating this matter. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles D. Strauss.
Laplace Man Indicted for Violating the Federal Controlled Substances ActRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – LENDELL WALLACE, age 38, a resident of Laplace, Louisiana, was charged June 23, 2022, in a two-count indictment by a federal grand jury with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute tramadol and possession with intent to distribute tramadol in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 846, 841(a)(1), and 841(b)(1)(E), announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
The maximum punishment WALLACE faces for each offense is five (5) years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, at least one (1) year of supervised release following any term of imprisonment, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that the indictment is merely a charging document and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case was investigated by St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations, United States Postal Inspection Service, and United States Customs and Border Protection. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney J. Benjamin Myers.
St. John the Baptist Resident Charged with Failure to Report International Travel as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS - U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that GENE MURRAY, age 49, was charged on Thursday, June 23, 2022, by grand jury indictment with one count of failure to report international travel as a sex offender under the federal Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA) 18 U.S.C. § 2250(b).
If convicted, MURRAY faces a maximum term of 10 years in prison, up to a $250,000.00 fine, a term of supervised release of between 5 years and life, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Marshals Service. Assistant United States Attorneys Spiro G. Latsis and Rachal Cassagne are in charge of the prosecution.
New Orleans Woman Charged with Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS - The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana, announced that, ERIKA JAMES (“JAMES”), age 48, a resident of New Orleans, Louisiana, was charged on June 21, 2022 with one count of health care fraud.
According to the bill of information, JAMES was a Denial Specialist at Crescent Care, a Federally Qualified Health Center and AIDS Service Organization. Crescent Care provides HIV medical care, other health care, and social services in the New Orleans area.
From March 2020 through April 2021, JAMES created fraudulent invoices with falsified supporting documents, such as explanation of benefits documents from insurance companies. JAMES endorsed checks that were issued to patients that were in higher amounts than the usual range of the refund amount. JAMES made claims in the system that made it appear that patients came into Crescent Care and paid out of pocket for services. JAMES would then have the Finance Department issue the patient refund check, and JAMES would then deposit the refund check into her personal bank account. JAMES filed additional claims with the Louisiana Health Access Program (“LAHAP”) in December 2020 and told LAHAP to mail the checks to her residence. The checks that were sent to JAMES’s residence were made out to Crescent Care. JAMES then proceeded to deposit those checks into her personal bank account.
If convicted, JAMES faces a possible maximum sentence of ten years’ imprisonment, up to three years of supervised release, up to a $250,000 fine, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee per count.
The United States Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Louisiana stated that the bill of information is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendants must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
The case is being investigated by the United States Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General. The prosecution of the case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys J. Ryan McLaren and Kathryn McHugh.
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Former Postal Employee Charged with Embezzling the MailRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that PATRICK EZELL WILSON, age 51, of Bogalusa, Louisiana was charged on June 21, 2022 with embezzling the mail in a bill of information filed today in the Eastern District of Louisiana.
According to documents filed in federal court, PATRICK EZELL was employed by the United States Postal Service as a letter carrier in Bogalusa when he was apprehended stealing mail he was entrusted to handle for the Postal Service.
The maximum penalty for the offense is five years imprisonment and/or a fine of up to $250,000 or the greater of twice the gross gain to the defendant or twice the gross loss to the victim followed by up to three years of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that the bill of information is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Postal Service, Office of the Inspector General in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Richard R. Pickens, II is in charge of the prosecution.
New Orleans Man Charged for Forged Check Scam and Theft of MailRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that GREGORY JOSEPH HERNANDEZ, age 67, of New Orleans, Louisiana, was indicted on June 10, 2022 for one count of Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371, six counts of Bank Fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1344(2), and two counts of Theft of Mail, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1708. The indictment was previously sealed and unsealed on June 17, 2022.
According to the indictment, HERNANDEZ stole checks from the mail and forged information on the stolen checks. HERNANDEZ and his co-conspirators then deposited and cashed the altered checks at financial institutions in the New Orleans area.
U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that an indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted, HERNANDEZ faces a maximum penalty of five (5) years of imprisonment, followed by up to three (3) years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000 for Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud; a maximum of thirty (30) years of imprisonment, followed by up to five (5) years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1,000,000 for each count of Bank Fraud; and a maximum of five (5) years of imprisonment, followed by up to three (3) years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.00 for each count of Theft of Mail. A mandatory special assessment fee of $100 per count also applies.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Postal Inspection Service and the New Orleans Police Department in this investigation. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria Carboni.
New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to Violating the Federal Controlled Substances ActRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JARRIN GAYDEN, age 34, a resident of New Orleans, Louisiana, pled guilty on June 16, 2022 before U.S. District Judge Eldon E. Fallon to a one-count superseding bill of information that charged him with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute one-hundred grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of heroin, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(B), announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
According to court documents, in November 2017, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) began to investigate the heroin overdose death of an individual in Metairie, Louisiana. FBI agents identified the deceased individual’s heroin supplier and arrested him after making a controlled purchase of heroin from him. After the supplier was arrested, GAYDEN assumed control of the supplier’s phone and began to sell heroin to customers who called to purchase heroin from the supplier. After learning of GAYDEN’s drug activity using the supplier’s phone, agents made two controlled purchases of heroin from GAYDEN totaling two grams.
As a result of his plea, GAYDEN faces a minimum term of imprisonment of five years, a maximum term of imprisonment of forty years’ imprisonment, a fine of up to $5,000,000.00, at least four years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney André Jones.
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Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Company Fined $1 Million for Causing Oil SpillRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that GREAT LAKES DREDGE & DOCK COMPANY, LLC (“GREAT LAKES”), a Texas company, was sentenced on June 14, 2022 for violating the Clean Water Act in connection with an oil spill and ordered to pay a $1 million fine.
According to court documents, GREAT LAKES admitted to negligently causing the discharge of a harmful quantity of oil into a navigable water of the United States, in violation of the Clean Water Act. The spill took place on September 5, 2016, on the edge of Bay Long near the Chenier Ronquille barrier island, which is east of Grand Isle.
In the plea documents, GREAT LAKES admitted that in its contract with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (“NOAA”), GREAT LAKES was responsible for locating all pipelines in the area of the project and complying with the federal Pipeline Safety Act and the “One Call” system created by the Louisiana Underground Utilities and Facilities Damage Prevention Law. GREAT LAKES admitted that it violated those two laws by failing to alert pipeline companies about continuing work near their pipelines for several months leading up to the oil spill.
James Tassin, the subcontractor working for GREAT LAKES who operated the marsh buggy that physically caused the spill, was charged in a separate criminal case, No. 21-cr-8, and he pled guilty as charged on March 18, 2021 and is awaiting sentencing. According to court documents in Tassin’s case, after GREAT LAKES stopped complying with One Call requirements, a GREAT LAKES employee instructed Tassin to use his marsh buggy to dig near pipelines, despite that digging not being in NOAA’s approved plans, and without GREAT LAKES getting approval from any pipeline companies that it was safe to dig. While Tassin was in the area of that work on September 5, 2016, he struck one of the pipelines with his marsh buggy and caused the oil spill. Tassin admitted that a GREAT LAKES employee instructed Tassin not to tell anyone that Tassin had been digging near the site of the spill, so Tassin followed that instruction. In GREAT LAKES’ plea documents, GREAT LAKES admitted that it supervised Tassin’s work and that GREAT LAKES’ negligent supervision of Tassin caused the oil spill.
“The defendant in this case recklessly violated regulations designed to protect the environment and then tried to hide their actions,” said Kimberly Bahney, Special Agent in Charge, of EPA’s Criminal Enforcement Program in Louisiana. “This sentencing demonstrates that we will hold violators responsible for breaking our environmental laws.”
“This sentencing sends a strong message to those responsible for ensuring the safety and integrity of the Nation’s pipeline transportation system,” said Todd Damiani, Special Agent-in-Charge, Southern Region, Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General. “Together with our law enforcement and prosecutorial partners, we remain steadfast in our commitment to ensuring that justice is served.”
“The Department of Commerce OIG is dedicated to working with our partners to curb fraud, waste and abuse, especially when projects receiving NOAA funding result in environmental hazards. We greatly appreciate the cooperative efforts of the United States Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement counterparts in ensuring justice is served in this matter,” said Jeffrey Lysaght, Special Agent in Charge, U.S Department of Commerce, Office of Inspector General.
Judge Greg G. Guidry ordered GREAT LAKES to pay a criminal fine of $1 million and a mandatory special assessment fee of $125. Additionally, GREAT LAKES previously agreed to pay the victim pipeline company $3,166,667 in a related civil case, and Tassin’s employer also agreed in the same civil case to pay the victim an additional $1,666,667, for a total payment to the victim of over $4.8 million.
The case was investigated by the Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigation Division, the Department of Transportation’s Office of Inspector General, and the Department of Commerce’s Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas D. Moses is in charge of the prosecution.
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California Woman Sentenced to Five Years Imprisonment for Mailing Methamphetamine to LouisianaRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that RACHEL CESARIO, age 43, of Riverside, California, was sentenced to five (5) years imprisonment on June 16, 2022 for using the mail for methamphetamine trafficking.
CESARIO pled guilty on December 8, 2021, to use of the mail in aid of racketeering, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1952(a)(3). According to court documents, CESARIO and her co-conspirators sold methamphetamine in multi-pound quantities. Law enforcement agents caught CESARIO and her codefendant, Allen Edgerson, mailing packages with multiple pounds of methamphetamine at a time to codefendant Sheon Copprue in New Orleans.
The Honorable Sarah S. Vance sentenced CESARIO to a term of imprisonment of five (5) years imprisonment, followed by two (2) years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100. CESARIO’s codefendants, Sheon Copprue and Tonya Calvin, have already pled guilty in this case and are awaiting sentencing, and codefendant Allen Edgerson was previously sentenced to over 17 years for his role in the conspiracy.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Louisiana State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas D. Moses is in charge of the prosecution.
Jefferson Parish Felon Pleads Guilty as Charged to Federal Drug Trafficking and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced today that JOSEPH WOODS, age 31, of Metairie, Louisiana, pleaded guilty as charged to a three-count indictment. Count 1 charged the defendant with possession with intent to distribute controlled substances in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C); Count 2 charged him with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(i); and Count 3 charged him with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2).
According to court documents, WOODS was previously convicted of drug trafficking, among other felony firearm and drug offenses in Jefferson Parish. Due to these convictions, it is unlawful for him to possess a firearm. He is now convicted of possessing multiple firearms and possessing with the intent to distribute cocaine, cocaine base (“crack”), and heroin. On October 4, 2020, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle in which WOODS was a passenger in Westwego, Louisiana. The officers observed two camouflage bags inside the vehicle before the driver drove off at a high rate of speed. The officers observed as the bags were thrown the side of the road. The bags were later recovered and additional evidence consistent with drug trafficking was found in the center console of the vehicle.
For Count 1 of the indictment, WOODS faces a maximum term of twenty (20) years imprisonment, a fine of up to $1,000,000.00, and a minimum of three (3) years of supervised release. For Count 2, he faces a minimum term of five (5) years up to a maximum term of life imprisonment to run consecutive to all other sentences, a fine of up to $250,000.00, and up to five (5) years of supervised release. For Count 3, he faces a maximum of ten (10) years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000.00, and up to three (3) years of supervised release. WOODS faces a $100.00 mandatory special assessment fee per count.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
The case was investigated by the Westwego Police department and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles D. Strauss is in charge of the prosecution.
Bogalusa Rapper Sentenced After Pleading Guilty to Violating the Federal Gun Control ActRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JAVORIOUS SCOTT, aka JAYDAYOUNGAN, age 24, a Bogalusa resident and rapper was sentenced by United States District Judge Sarah S. Vance to a sentence of time served after serving approximately seven (7) months’ imprisonment, one (1) year of supervised release, a $5,500.00 fine and a $100.00 mandatory special assessment fee after pleading guilty to a one-count indictment that charged him with possession of a firearm while under indictment or felony, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(n)(1) and 924(a)(1)(D), announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
According to court documents, on October 29, 2021, Officers with the Bogalusa Police Department executed a traffic stop on a silver-colored Audi bearing a Virginia license plate traveling south on South Columbia Street in Bogalusa, Louisiana because the vehicle possessed a switched license plate. SCOTT, the driver of the vehicle, failed to provide his license or vehicle registration. While speaking to SCOTT and the passenger, officers smelled a strong odor of marijuana in the vehicle. The officers also observed a black handgun on the driver’s side floorboard directly beneath SCOTT’S legs. Officers removed SCOTT from the vehicle and observed a small amount of suspected marijuana in the driver’s seat. Officers then recovered a loaded Ruger, Security-9, 9mm, pistol from the driver’s side floorboard.
At the time that the officers located and seized the firearm from the floorboard, SCOTT was under indictment for felony crimes in Harris County, Texas.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms and the Bogalusa Police Department. The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorney André Jones.
Man Sentenced for Attempted Robbery of an ATMRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – BRISHUN GARY, age 20, a resident of New Orleans, Louisiana, was sentenced by the Honorable Susie Morgan, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. GARY was sentenced to 3 years of probation, 6 months to be served on home confinement and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. The defendant was also ordered to pay $39,324 in restitution.
According to court records, on or about February 5, 2020, GARY and others attempted to break into an ATM located in the drive-through of a Capital One Bank using sledgehammers, crowbars, chains, and a truck. Just prior to this robbery attempt, GARY and others were observed in the same truck attempting to break into an ATM at Hancock Whitney Bank.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department in investigating this matter. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U. S. Attorney G. Dall Kammer, Chief of the General Crimes Unit.
EDLA Observes World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) 2022Read the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – Today, U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans along with the Department of Justice (DOJ) reasserts the mission of DOJ’s Elder Justice Initiative to combat elder abuse and financial exploitation, encourage reporting abuse, and educate the public to make America safer for all.
Elder Abuse can take many forms and is not always easy to recognize. It may come in the form of the improper or illegal use of an older person’s money or property (financial exploitation, including scams); it may be physical, psychological, or sexual abuse; or it may be in the form of the intentional or unintentional failure or refusal to provide care or help to an older person.
“Today, our office reminds seniors and their caregivers to be aware of fraudulent schemes that target the elderly, and other vulnerable consumers. Additionally, if seniors become aware of or believe that they are victims of elder abuse, they should please contact law enforcement,” said U.S. Attorney Evans.
The Eastern District of Louisiana has a dedicated Assistant U.S. Attorney tasked with the prosecution of elder abuse cases and who provides opportunities for prevention education and training for the public. If your organization would like to have our Elder Justice Coordinator conduct a presentation about elder abuse prevention, please contact Shane M. Jones, Community Outreach Coordinator, at 504-680-3000 or by email at [email protected].
If you need assistance or to report elder abuse, please contact your local adult protective services agency through the Eldercare Locator or by call the helpline at 1-800-677-1116 Monday – Friday 9am - 8pm EST. To report elder fraud, please visit the FBI’s IC3 Elder Fraud Complaint Center or contact the dedicated National Elder Fraud Hotline at 833–FRAUD–11 or 833–372–8311 Monday – Friday, 10:00 am – 6:00 pm EST.