Middle District of Louisiana
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Baton Rouge Man Pleads Guilty to Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that Floyd C. Hose, Jr., age 38, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Brian A. Jackson to bank robbery.
According to admissions made during his plea, on December 5, 2022, Hose entered the Cottonport Bank at 6500 Corporate Boulevard, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and passed a note to a teller demanding cash. Hose took $9,605.00 from the teller and fled the bank. During a search of Hose’s apartment, detectives located a mask suspected to be worn during the robbery and money suspected to be taken during the robbery. After Hose’s arrest, he confessed to the robbery and reported that he committed the robbery to help pay off several debts he had.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Baton Rouge Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Harley W. Ferguson.
Baton Rouge Man Sentenced to Seventeen Years in Federal Prison for Armed Robbery and Related Gun OffenseRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr., announced that U.S. District Judge John W. deGravelles sentenced Oreall Ruffin, age 25, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to 205 months in federal prison following his convictions for interference with commerce by robbery and using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. The Court further ordered Ruffin to serve three years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment.
According to admissions made as part of his guilty plea, on or about November 17, 2019, Ruffin along with three other masked and armed men, entered the Dollar General store on 4755 Prescott Drive in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The four robbers all brandished handguns. In the store, Ruffin walked up to a Dollar General cashier and pointed his handgun at the cashier. Ruffin then jumped over the register and, unlawfully and against their will, took money from the safe while directly in the presence of a Dollar General employee. Ruffin and the other robbers obtained approximately $7,000 from Dollar General.
On or about November 21, 2019, Ruffin and three other individuals approached two employees of the Dollar General store located at 6365 Scenic Hwy as they stood outside the front door getting ready to lock the security gate. All robbers were wearing masks and armed with guns. During the robbery, Ruffin wore a gas mask that had distinctive red markings on it. The robbers, brandishing their guns, forced the two employees to open the door and enter the store. Ruffin ordered an employee to the back of the store while pointing a handgun at him and had the employee turn off an alarm. While in the presence of the robbers, an employee, against her will, removed approximately $1,200 from a safe and provided it to the robbers.
On or about November 22, 2019, Ruffin along with another masked, armed man entered the Family Dollar store located at 3777 North Sherwood Forest Blvd holding and pointing handguns at two Family Dollar employees working near the end of their shift. During the robbery, Ruffin wore a gas mask with distinctive red markings. He ordered an employee to get on the ground and open the safe. The employee opened the safe and handed the money to the robbers. The robbers, unlawfully and against the employees’ will, took approximately $2,416.48 dollars.
U.S. Attorney Ronald Gathe stated, “Crimes such as these have a lasting affect on the victims. No one should be forced at gunpoint to submit to the will of another. I thank all of our local and federal partners for working together and bringing this defendant to justice.”
This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Baton Rouge Police Department with assistance from the Louisiana State Police Crime Laboratory. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jeremy S. Johnson and M. Patricia Jones.
Baton Rouge Man Sentenced to 18 Months in Federal Prison for Wire FraudRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr., announced that U.S. District Judge John W. deGravelles sentenced Michael D. Hopwood, Jr., age 40, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to 18 months in federal prison following his conviction for wire fraud. The Court further ordered Hopwood to serve three years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment and ordered restitution in the amount of $340,621.96.
Hopwood was entrusted to provide assistance with certain financial matters to a permanently disabled relative. After obtaining the victim’s personal identifiable information for the purpose of setting up automatic bill pay, Hopwood knowingly and fraudulently made unauthorized purchases, transfers, and withdrawals from the victim’s account for his personal benefit, without the victim’s knowledge, approval, or consent. This scheme was conducted from approximately November 2019 through approximately February 2020 and resulted in a loss of over $300,000.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Harley W. Ferguson and Lyman E. Thornton III.
Baton Rouge Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of Thousands of Videos and Images of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that Ezra P. West, age 26, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, pled guilty before U.S. Chief Judge Shelly D. Dick to possession of child pornography. As a result of his conviction, West faces a significant term of imprisonment, a fine, and a period of supervised release—which includes sex offender registration requirements.
According to admissions made during his plea, from on or about May 10, 2015, and continuing until May 10, 2019, West used web service provider accounts, mobile applications, and websites to obtain child pornography. West possessed approximately 1,869 total videos and 6,668 total images of child pornography involving prepubescent minors and toddlers.
This matter was investigated by the United States Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Edward H. Warner.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and 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 http://www.justice.gov/psc.
Louisiana Man Pleads Guilty to Dogfighting Conspiracy - Six Other Defendants Involved in the Animal Fighting Venture Have Already Been ConvictedRead the Press Release
A Louisiana man – Antonio Damon Atkins, 35, of Baton Rouge – pleaded guilty today for his part in a conspiracy to sponsor, exhibit, possess and transport animals in an interstate animal fighting venture, and to possessing an animal in such a venture, all in violation of the Animal Welfare Act.
To date, six other defendants have been convicted for their participation in the interstate dogfighting ring. The ring was originally uncovered through an Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation.
Five of the defendants have already been sentenced, receiving the following for their dogfighting convictions:
- Eric “EZ” Williams, Baton Rouge, Louisiana: 60 months’ imprisonment
- Corey Brown, Baton Rouge, Louisiana: 50 months’ imprisonment
- Clay Turner, Loranger, Louisiana: 36 months’ imprisonment
- Dangelo Dontae Cornish, Greensburg, Louisiana: 16 months’ imprisonment
- Aquintas Kantrell Singleton, Baton Rouge, Louisiana: 12 months and one day’s imprisonment
A sixth, David Guidry III, of Independence, Louisiana, is scheduled to be sentenced on September 6, 2023.
“Dog fighting is a crime that cruelly forces animals into a cycle of violence and death for personal gratification or profit,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “We are committed to aggressively pursuing and prosecuting anyone who engages in such blood sport.”
“No one has the right to torture any creature on this earth,” said Douglas A. Williams, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in New Orleans. “The FBI thanks its partners in this case for their steadfast work to hold Mr. Atkins accountable. The FBI is dedicated to protecting the American people, and in this case, victims who could not defend themselves against abject cruelty.”
“Individuals who support and facilitate the cold-hearted practice of dog fighting will face serious consequences for their actions,” said Dax Roberson, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Agriculture-Office of Inspector General. “We appreciate the commitment of our law enforcement partners to investigate and assist in the criminal prosecution of those who support the appalling abuse of these animals.”
According to court documents, in 2017, Atkins conspired with others to keep, breed, train and fight pitbull dogs. On telephone calls obtained via court-authorized wiretaps, Atkins and his co-conspirators discussed many facets of their plans. They discussed preparation (“When I get back, I’m going to . . . look at her [i.e., put her in a practice fight] one more time and then I’m going to match her.”) and the kinds of dogs they wanted to acquire (“We need one of them bitches that eats the face off.”). Other recorded conversations addressed using “rape boxes” to restrain female dogs for breeding, drowning unsellable puppies, performances by prized dogs that fought even after suffering fatal injuries, and bets of thousands of dollars on fight results.
Several times, Atkins and his co-conspirators met to gamble on the outcome of dog fights, including at a co-conspirator’s property in Independence, Louisiana. When dogs suffered injuries during training or fights, Atkins and his co-conspirators performed do-it-yourself veterinary care to avoid the attention that professional veterinary care might bring.
The conspirators maintained several properties in furtherance of their dogfighting operation. In August and October 2017, agents from the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service and other federal and local law enforcement partners executed search warrants at seven properties. The agents found pitbull dogs and dogfighting paraphernalia at each. In total, 89 pitbulls – including puppies – were seized and received appropriate medical care for their injuries and medical issues. Many of these dogs were rehabilitated and adopted.
At Atkins’s property, agents found and seized fourteen pitbull dogs and puppies, many of which bore scars and wounds consistent with dogfighting. They also found dogfighting paraphernalia, including veterinary medications and supplements, dog collars, heavy chains, a training device known as a “flirt pole,” dogfighting magazines and dog pedigree records bearing Aktins’s name and the names of others. Atkins’s documents showed that he had been breeding, selling and purchasing dogfighting dogs since 2002.
Atkins pleaded guilty to two counts: (1) conspiring to violate the Animal Welfare Act to sponsor and exhibit animals in an animal fighting venture and to possess and transport animals for purposes of participation in an animal fighting venture; and (2) violating the Animal Welfare Act by possessing an animal in an animal fighting venture. Atkins faces a maximum penalty of ten years in prison and a $500,000 fine. A federal district court 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 Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lyman E. Thornton III and Jeremy Johnson of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Louisiana are prosecuting the case. The case was investigated by the FBI and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Owner and Operator of Residence Inn by Marriott Baton Rouge Towne Center Cedar Lodge Agrees to Civil Settlement Under Title III of the Americans with Disabilities ActRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that the United States has finalized a settlement agreement with IM Baton Rouge OPCO, LLC, owner and manager of the Residence Inn by Marriott Baton Rouge Towne Center Cedar Lodge (the “Marriott Towne Center”), to resolve civil claims under Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
As specified in the settlement agreement, the United States alleges that Marriott Towne Center failed to maintain its facilities in accordance with applicable standards for accessible design, which are meant to ensure that public accommodations are readily accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities, including individuals who use wheelchairs, to the maximum extent feasible. Marriott Towne Center has agreed to make specified remedial modifications to its parking, exterior routes, public restrooms, and designated accessible guest rooms, and to provide certifications to the United States of its remedial efforts.
The United States initiated its investigation of Marriott Towne Center in response to a complaint from an individual alleging the lack of accessibility in their designated accessible guest room at Marriott Towne Center, including their inability to move around their hotel room in their wheelchair, to access the restroom without moving the bed, and to bathe because their room lacked a roll-in-shower.
U.S. Attorney Gathe stated, “All Americans have the right to safe, accessible public accommodations. My office will not retreat from defending the mandates of equity and individual dignity secured by our country’s civil rights laws, including the ADA. I appreciate Marriott Towne Center’s cooperation during our investigation and their willingness to promptly correct the issues we’ve identified.”
Individuals with concerns about possible violations of the nation’s civil rights laws are encouraged to contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office at [email protected] or to submit a report to the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division at https://civilrights.justice.gov.
This matter was investigated by Assistant United States Attorney Katherine K. Green, who also serves as the Civil Rights Coordinator for the Civil Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Canadian Man Sentenced to Lengthy Federal Prison Sentence for Scheme to Operate Illicit Online Gift Card MarketplaceRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that Chief Judge Shelly D. Dick sentenced Richard Verret, age 41, of Quebec, Canada, to 57 months in federal prison following his conviction for operating a scheme to sell more than 500,000 stolen gift card account numbers over the internet. The Court also ordered Verret to forfeit more than $810,000 in proceeds from his crime.
In March 2022, after a multi-year investigation into Verret’s online criminal activity, a federal grand jury in Baton Rouge returned a six-count indictment charging Verret with the unauthorized solicitation of access devices and trafficking counterfeit access devices. On April 7, 2022, Verret was arrested at the Orlando International Airport after arriving in the United States from Canada. He was later transported to the Middle District of Louisiana to face the charges.
In September 2022, Verret pled guilty to the unauthorized solicitation of access devices. As he admitted in connection with his guilty plea, from 2018 through early 2022, he operated a series of websites, such as the “Lux Giftcards Shop” and “Miami’s Gift Card Shop,” through which he advertised the sale of gift cards for major restaurant chains, grocery stores, entertainment venues, and other retail business chains (collectively, the “businesses”). Many of the businesses whose gift cards were advertised on Verret’s websites had locations across Louisiana.
According to admissions made during his plea, Verret would use fraudulent methods and theft to obtain large quantities of valid gift card account numbers. Then, using various means to conceal his identity and avoid detection, Verret would sell the account numbers over the internet, offering the numbers for sale at steep discounts. Upon placing an order, a purchaser would generally receive instructions via e-mail directing him or her to send payment to a PayPal account controlled by the defendant, and after doing so, the purchaser would receive an e-mail containing account numbers for the gift cards that he or she had just purchased.
As of late February 2022, Verret’s then-current website offered more than 550,000 gift cards to more than 500 different businesses, and the total stored value of all of the fraudulently obtained accounts offered for sale was more than $22 million. The site advertised that it was adding more gift cards “every week.”
At today’s sentencing, Chief Judge Dick sentenced Verret to serve 57 months in federal prison and forfeit $812,893.60. In the event that Verret is deported from the United States following the completion of his federal prison sentence, he will be barred from re-entering the United States absent advance, formal approval. In addition, in connection with this case, the United States has also seized two of the domain names used by Verret in furtherance of his criminal activity, “www.miami24k.com” and www.miami.gift.
U.S. Attorney Gathe stated, “This case is a prime example of the length criminals are prepared to go to defraud victims. This scheme, if not caught, was well on its way to surpassing record gains for the defendant and record loss that injures both the purchaser and the advertised companies. Thank you to my entire team who worked with not only our local federal, city and state partners but also international partners as well. This should be a lesson to us all to be more cautious with providing our account information online. Please protect yourself by doing your research and if something seems suspicious or questionable, please notify the local authorities.”
This matter was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security—Homeland Security Investigations, in close collaboration with the Louisiana Attorney General’s Office. The investigation received substantial assistance from the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office, the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and the Quebec Police Department. The matter was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Alan A. Stevens, who also serves as Senior Litigation Counsel, and Assistant United States Attorneys Brad Casey and Harley W. Ferguson.
Port Allen Pharmacy and Pharmacist to Pay $275,000 to Resolve Federal Civil Lawsuit Under the Controlled Substances ActRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that U.S. District Judge Brian A. Jackson has accepted and entered a Stipulated Order and Consent Judgment against Port Allen-based Stevens Pharmacy, Inc. and its owner, Steven W. Gough. The consent judgment resolves the United States’ claims under the federal Controlled Substances Act in the civil action, United States of America v. Stevens Pharmacy, Inc. and Steven W. Gough, Case No. 22-414-BAJ-SDJ in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana. Stevens Pharmacy and Steven Gough are required to pay $275,000.00 in civil penalties to the United States for the alleged unlawful dispensing or distribution of controlled substances based on facially invalid prescriptions and for allegedly failing to maintain accurate inventories of certain controlled substances.
As specified in the Stipulated Order and Consent Judgment, the United States contends that, between January 1, 2018, and March 4, 2020, Stevens Pharmacy and Steven Gough filled 1,179 facially invalid prescriptions for controlled substances. The purported violations of the Controlled Substances Act identified by the Government include: (a) dispensing more opioids—including hydrocodone, oxycodone, and fentanyl—than prescribed; (b) filling expired prescriptions for controlled substances; (c) filling unsigned prescriptions for controlled substances; (d) filling prescriptions for controlled substances lacking required elements, such as patient addresses or prescribers’ DEA registration numbers; (e) filling prescriptions for controlled substances in which the prescribers were unidentified; and (f) filling prescriptions for controlled substances before the prescriber-specified start dates of those prescriptions.
The consent judgment also requires Steven Gough to provide written notice to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) if he engages in the practice of pharmacy within the United States and to consent to warrantless inspections and audits by the DEA for three years if he operates a pharmacy practice owned by him at any location within the United States. Mr. Gough previously surrendered the DEA Registration for Stevens Pharmacy following the March 4, 2020 execution by the DEA of an administrative inspection warrant at the pharmacy.
The Stipulated Order and Consent Judgment entered by the district court is not an admission of liability or wrongdoing by Stevens Pharmacy or Steven Gough, nor is it a concession by the United States that its claims are not well-founded.
This matter was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and was litigated by Assistant United States Attorneys Chase E. Zachary and Davis Rhorer, Jr.
Former West Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Employee Pleads Guilty to Theft of over $150,000 in Official FundsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr., announced that Mandy Nicole Miller, age 44, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, pled guilty before U.S. Chief Judge Shelly D. Dick to a Bill of Information charging her with Federal Program Theft.
According to admissions made as part of her guilty plea, while employed at the West Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office, Miller stole cash paid for traffic tickets and hid the thefts by recording fraudulent journal entries in the Sheriff’s Office accounting system. Miller’s scheme began on or about July 1, 2018, and continued through in or about September 2022. In all, Miller embezzled, stole, and converted to her personal use more than $150,000 in official funds.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Louisiana Legislative Auditor, Investigative Audit Services, with assistance from the West Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lyman E. Thornton III.
Baton Rouge Woman Pleads Guilty to Filing Numerous PPP and EIDL Loan Applications Totaling More than $1 Million and Laundering the Fraudulent ProceedsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that Tiera R. Lands, age 30, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Brian A. Jackson to wire fraud and money laundering in connection with numerous false and fraudulent applications that she filed to obtain funds from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program in 2020 and 2021.
According to admissions made as part of her guilty plea, Lands owned and operated several businesses in Baton Rouge, including Virtuous Credit Solutions (“VCS”), and Virtuous Call Center, and through her businesses, she offered a variety of services, including credit counseling, tax preparation, and assistance obtaining business financing and loans. Beginning in or about March 2020, and continuing through April 2021, she devised a scheme to defraud the United States, through the United States Small Business Administration, and two participating PPP lenders, by filing numerous false and fraudulent applications for EIDL and PPP funds, both in the names of her own businesses and the names of other individuals and businesses located in the Baton Rouge area.
With respect to the EIDL program, after submitting one application the name of VCS and receiving $7,000, Lands submitted two additional applications for the same company, knowing that these applications contained false representations intended to induce the SBA to release approximately $300,000 in additional funds to which she was not entitled. Then, between June 30, 2020 and July 9, 2020, she submitted false EIDL applications in the names of three other businesses. All three of these applications contained false representations, which caused the SBA to disburse approximately $450,000 in funds to which neither Lands nor the named applicants were entitled.
Similarly, with respect to the PPP program, after submitting one application in the name of VCS and receiving approximately $20,000, Lands submitted two additional applications in which she made numerous false representations about her business. Lands also submitted at least seven more false PPP applications in the names of other individuals and businesses in which she inflated the businesses’ gross sales and payroll amounts, among other false statements. In connection with these applications, Lands submitted numerous fraudulent tax documents and payroll records, and she caused an authorized PPP lander to disburse nearly $250,000 in funds to which neither she nor the named applicants were entitled. In total, the false and fraudulent applications Lands admitted filing caused a total actual and intended loss of more than $1.1 million.
Lands also admitted that she would receive proceeds from her fraudulent activity in cash, and as she did so, she would deposit the cash into her business bank account and structure the deposits so as to conceal the source of the funds and avoid triggering transaction reporting requirements. For instance, on July 3, 2020, after receiving proceeds from fraudulent conduct, Lands deposited $5,900 in cash into VCS’ bank account, and, two minutes later, deposited another $5,100 in cash into the same account. Ten days later, between approximately 11:45 p.m. on July 14, 2020 and 1:17 a.m. on July 15, 2020—a span of approximately 92 minutes— Lands made five separate cash deposits into VCS’ bank account, totaling $11,000.
This matter is being investigated by the United States Secret Service, the Internal Revenue Service—Criminal Investigation, and the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office. The matter is prosecuted by AUSA Alan Stevens, who also serves as Senior Litigation Counsel for the United States Attorney’s Office, AUSA Brad Casey, and AUSA April Leon Johnson.
Former Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office Deputy Indicted for Enticement of a Minor and Penalties for Registered Sex OffendersRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury recently returned a two-count indictment charging Todd Eric Tripp, age 34, of Sorrento, Louisiana, with enticement of a minor and felony offense involving a minor by a registered sex offender. Tripp appeared for his arraignment and pled not guilty to the pending charges.
According to the criminal complaint that preceded the indictment, between approximately July and October 2020, Tripp sexually abused a minor on at least five occasions at Tripp’s home and at hotels. Tripp, a registered sex offender, was previously convicted of state offenses involving minors.
If convicted of these charges, Tripp faces a statutory maximum sentence of life in prison.
This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Ascension Parish Sherriff’s Office, and the York County, South Carolina Sheriff’s Office. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Edward H. Warner and Criminal Chief Jamie A. Flowers Jr.
NOTE: An indictment is an accusation by a grand jury. The defendant is presumed innocent until and unless adjudicated guilty at trial or through a guilty plea.
Former West Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office Employee Charged with Theft of over $150,000 in Official FundsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr., announced that a Bill of Information was filed charging Mandy Nicole Miller, age 44, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, with Federal Program Theft.
According to the Bill of Information, from July 2018 to September 2022, while employed at the West Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office, Miller stole cash paid for traffic tickets and hid the thefts by recording fraudulent journal entries in the Sheriff’s Office accounting system. In all, it is alleged that Miller embezzled, stole, and otherwise without authority, knowingly converted to her own use more than $150,000 in official funds.
This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Louisiana Legislative Auditor, Investigative Audit Services, with assistance from the West Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lyman E. Thornton III.
NOTE: A Bill of Information is an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until and unless adjudicated guilty.
Walker Man Sentenced to 36 Months in Federal Prison for Counterfeit ManufacturingRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that Judge John W. deGravelles sentenced Thor Teal, age 32, of Walker, Louisiana, to 36 months in federal prison following his convictions for manufacturing and possessing counterfeit Federal Reserve Notes. The Court further sentenced Teal to serve three years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment and ordered all instrumentalities used in the commission of this crime to be forfeited.
According to admissions made as part of his guilty plea, Teal made and possessed over 48 counterfeit Federal Reserve Notes (FRNs) in the Middle District of Louisiana. Specifically, on October 27, 2021, while investigating a burglary, law enforcement recovered from his vehicle and home over $4,800 in counterfeit $100 FRNs, and items used to manufacture counterfeit FRNs including six sheets of counterfeit security strips (found in $100 FRNs), two printers (one with marks to assist with making FRNs), boxes of linen paper, several printer cartridges, a paper cutter, and spray starch. When questioned about the contraband, Teal admitted to law enforcement he had been making the counterfeit FRNs for several months and went on to describe how he made it.
This matter was investigated by the United States Secret Service and the Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jessica M.P. Thornhill.
Baton Rouge Man Sentenced to 82 Months in Federal Prison for Gun and Drug PossessionRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr., announced that U.S. District Judge John W. deGravelles sentenced Travis Odale Henderson, age 39, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to 82 months in federal prison following his convictions for possession of methamphetamine and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The Court further ordered Henderson to serve three years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment, pay a $5,000 fine, and forfeit the firearm involved.
According to admissions made as part of his guilty plea, on October 15, 2021, East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s deputies responded to a citizen complaint involving Henderson. When the deputies contacted Henderson and conducted a pat down for officer safety, they discovered pills containing methamphetamine and a loaded .38 caliber revolver in his possession.
Henderson had previously been convicted in Franklin Parish of distribution of cocaine (2008) and distribution of methamphetamine (2017).
This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives and the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Louisiana State Police Crime Laboratory. This case was prosecuted by Lyman E. Thornton III, Assistant United States Attorney.
Plaquemine Woman Sentenced to 44 Months for Pandemic Benefits Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that U.S. District Judge Brian A. Jackson sentenced Lestreonia Renee Rodrigue, age 28, of Plaquemine, Louisiana, to 44 months in federal prison following her conviction for mail fraud. The Court further sentenced Rodrigue to serve three years of supervised release following her term of imprisonment and ordered her to pay $663,259 in restitution.
Between July 2020 and September 2021, Rodrigue submitted fraudulent claims for unemployment insurance benefits in California in her name and in the names of other individuals. Rodrigue also submitted fraudulent claims for Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) benefits in the names of fictitious businesses and based on fictitious business profits and losses.
Through her unemployment insurance scheme, Rodrigue falsely claimed that she and others were working in California prior to the coronavirus pandemic and that they lost their employment due to the pandemic. Rodrigue obtained names, birth dates, and Social Security numbers of others and submitted fraudulent claims for unemployment insurance benefits in their names, with and without their knowledge. Rodrigue captured people’s identifying information through social media. Upon submitting the claims and receiving the funds, she either gave a portion of the funds to others or kept all the funds for herself. Through her scheme, Rodrigue fraudulently obtained hundreds of thousands of dollars in unemployment insurance debit cards in the mail.
Rodrigue also devised a scheme to defraud lenders and the United States, through the Small Business Administration, by filing false and fraudulent applications for PPP funds. In furtherance of the scheme, Rodrigue submitted, or had others submit, forged bank statements, false tax documents, and made misrepresentations in her PPP applications.
Rodrigue also falsely reported bank cards stolen or lost so that she would receive new cards with additional pandemic benefit funds. Throughout the course of the fraudulent schemes, Rodrigue caused over $500,000 in unemployment insurance debit cards to be mailed to her addresses, to which she and others were not entitled. Additionally, Rodrigue caused $20,833 to be deposited into her bank account to which she was not entitled.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Labor-OIG and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Edward H. Warner.
Morganza Man Pleads Guilty in Federal Court for Production and Attempted Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that Norman Antoine LeBlanc, age 34, of Morganza, Louisiana, pled guilty before U.S. District Judge John W. deGravelles to production and attempted production of child pornography. As a result of his conviction, LeBlanc faces a significant term of imprisonment, a fine, and a period of supervised release, which includes sex offender registration requirements.
According to the indictment, on or about November 17, 2021, LeBlanc produced and attempted to produce videos and images that depict a minor child engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Leblanc recorded a video of the minor in the bathroom and intentionally made still shots from the video that focused and zoomed in on the minor’s genitals. In creating these images, LeBlanc intended to produce child pornography and to depict a minor child engaged in lascivious exhibition of their genitals and pubic area. LeBlanc knowingly used the Mobile App and a smartphone to transmit the visual depictions of the minor via the internet to an undercover agent in North Carolina.
This matter was being investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Edward H. Warner.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and 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 http://www.justice.gov/psc.
Morganza Man Pleads Guilty to Production and Attempted Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that Norman Antoine LeBlanc, age 34, of Morganza, Louisiana, pled guilty before U.S. District Judge John W. deGravelles to production and attempted production of child pornography. As a result of his conviction, LeBlanc faces a significant term of imprisonment, a fine, and a period of supervised release, which includes sex offender registration requirements.
LeBlanc produced videos and images of a minor child engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Specifically, LeBlanc secretly recorded videos of a minor in the bathroom and made sexually explicit still shots from the video. LeBlanc then used a mobile application and a smartphone to send images and videos of the minor to an undercover agent in North Carolina. LeBlanc also used the mobile application to distribute approximately 97 videos and 9 images of child pornography.
This matter was investigated by the United States Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Edward H. Warner.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and 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 http://www.justice.gov/psc.
Baton Rouge Man Charged in Federal Court with Numerous Counts of Drug and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that a federal grand jury has returned a seven-count indictment charging Hakeem Allen, age 27, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, with distribution and possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl, heroin, clonazepam, methamphetamine, cocaine, and marijuana, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
The indictment alleges that on five separate occasions from September 15, 2022 until October 4, 2022, Allen distributed and possessed with the intent to distribute fentanyl, heroin, clonazepam, methamphetamine, cocaine, and marijuana. On at least two of these occasions, Allen possessed a firearm in furtherance of these crimes.
If convicted of these charges, Allen faces a statutory maximum sentence of life in prison.
This matter is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Eli J. Abad.
NOTE: An indictment is an accusation by a grand jury. The defendant is presumed innocent until and unless adjudicated guilty at trial or through a guilty plea.
Baton Rouge Man Charged in Federal Court with Wire Fraud and Engaging in Unlawful Monetary TransactionsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that a federal grand jury has returned a four-count indictment charging Adolphus A. Obioha, age 64, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, with wire fraud and engaging in unlawful monetary transactions.
The indictment alleges that in connection with an alleged scheme to fraudulently obtain over $425,000 in funds under the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Program, Obioha, who operated a medical transport business prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, submitted multiple fraudulent loan documents to the U.S. Small Business Administration. He allegedly used the EIDL Program funds to purchase a rental property and personal vehicle and to wire nearly $175,000 overseas. The government seized a total of $136,234.09 from multiple bank accounts held by Obioha.
If convicted of these charges, Obioha faces a statutory maximum sentence of fifty years in prison.
This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant Chief Justin M. Woodard of the Gulf Coast Strike Force and Assistant U.S. Attorney Caroline B. Gardner of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Louisiana.
NOTE: An indictment is an accusation by a grand jury. The defendant is presumed innocent until and unless adjudicated guilty at trial or through a guilty plea.
Denham Springs Man Sentenced to 292 Months in Federal Prison for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that U.S. Chief Judge Shelly D. Dick sentenced William Hunter Davis, age 35, of Denham Springs, Louisiana, to 292 months in federal prison following his conviction for production of child pornography. At sentencing, Chief Judge Dick described Davis’s conduct as “heinous” particularly since it “involved a contact offense in a familial relationship.” Following his term of imprisonment, Davis must serve five years of supervised release and register as a sex offender for life. Upon release from prison, he will be prohibited from contacting anyone under 18, and barred from visiting or living near schools, public pools, playgrounds, and other places with the primary purpose of servicing children.
According to admissions made during his plea, between January 1, 2020, and May 31, 2021, Davis recorded pornographic videos of himself engaged in sexually explicit conduct with a six-year-old minor child.
U. S. Attorney Gathe stated, “The efforts of the FBI and Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office cannot be praised enough. Their hard work in helping bring this defendant to justice defines the Project Safe Childhood Initiative. With this sentence, child sex predators are put on notice that this type of offense will not be tolerated in the Middle District of Louisiana.”
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney April M. Leon Johnson.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and 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 http://www.justice.gov/psc.
Donaldsonville Woman Sentenced to 78 Months in Federal Prison for Pandemic Benefits Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that Chief Judge Shelly D. Dick sentenced Tynea Lynnshay Gray, age 24, of Donaldsonville, Louisiana to 78 months in federal prison following her conviction for mail fraud. The Court further sentenced Gray to serve three years of supervised release following her term of imprisonment and ordered her to pay $906,534 in restitution.
Between June 2020 and October 2021, Gray submitted fraudulent claims for unemployment insurance benefits in California in her name and in the names of other individuals. Gray also submitted fraudulent claims for Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) benefits in the names of fictitious businesses and based on fictitious business profits and losses.
Through her unemployment insurance scheme, Gray falsely claimed that she and others were working in California prior to the coronavirus pandemic and that they lost their employment due to the pandemic. Gray obtained names, birth dates, and Social Security numbers of others and submitted fraudulent claims for unemployment insurance benefits in their names, with and without their knowledge. Gray captured people’s identifying information through social media. Upon submitting the claims and receiving the funds, she either gave a portion of the funds to others or kept all the funds for herself. Through her scheme, Gray obtained hundreds of thousands of dollars in prepaid debit cards in the mail.
Gray also devised a scheme to defraud lenders and the United States, through the Small Business Administration, by filing false and fraudulent applications for PPP funds. In furtherance of the scheme, Gray submitted forged bank statements, false tax documents, and made misrepresentations in her PPP applications.
Gray also falsely reported bank cards stolen or lost so that she would receive new cards with additional pandemic benefit funds. Throughout the course of the fraudulent schemes, Gray caused over $550,000 in prepaid debit cards to be mailed to her addresses, to which she and others were not entitled. Additionally, Gray caused $20,833 to be deposited into her bank account to which she was not entitled.
U.S. Attorney Gathe stated, “At a time when over 1 million U.S. Citizens died from COVID-related issues, Ms. Gray took advantage of the system designed to help American taxpayers in this time of need. The sentencing today shows that these cases will not be tolerated. With the help of federal partners such as the FBI and U. S. Department of Labor-OIG, my office will continue to prosecute these cases and redeem taxpayer money.”
“Ms. Gray chose to con the system during one of the most vulnerable times in U.S. history,” said New Orleans FBI Special Agent in Charge Douglas A. Williams, Jr. “The FBI is committed to aggressively pursuing those who seek to defraud the American taxpayers for their own personal gain. We thank our partners at the United States Attorney’s Office Middle District of Louisiana and the Office of Inspector General at the U.S. Department of Labor for their dedication in pursuing justice in this case.”
“Tynea LynnShay Gray used social media as a catalyst to defraud the California Employment Development Department (CA-EDD) of more than $500K in Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA), both in her name and in the names of others, with and without their consent. The scheme orchestrated by Gray resulted in a tremendous loss of pandemic relief needed by those legitimately unemployed as result of the pandemic. We will continue to work diligently to protect the integrity of the unemployment insurance system and bring those who exploit these benefit programs to justice.” said Special Agent-in-Charge Steven Grell, Central Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Labor-OIG and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Edward H. Warner.
Honduran National Sentenced to 41 Months in Federal Prison for Possession of Firearms by an Alien Illegally and Unlawfully in the United StatesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that U.S. District Judge Brian A. Jackson sentenced Elmer Enrique Amaya Gonzales, age 20, of Honduras, to 41 months in federal prison following his conviction for possession of firearms by an alien illegally and unlawfully in the United States. Upon his release from prison, Gonzales will be removed from the United States and returned to his home country of Honduras.
According to admissions made as a part of his guilty plea, on June 6, 2022, East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office deputies were dispatched to Innovation Park Drive in reference to an armed robbery. Upon arrival, deputies contacted the two victims, who advised they were robbed at gunpoint. The victims stated that they were outside discussing the day's upcoming work schedule when they were approached by three armed Hispanic males who demanded their possessions. The three males fled the scene in a dark colored older model Toyota Corolla.
Deputies were able to collect camera footage from the nearby area and observed a dark colored Toyota Corolla traveling in the same area around the time of the robbery. Through this footage, deputies were able to determine the license plate of the vehicle. On June 6, 2022, the vehicle was observed parked outside of Bayou Fountain Avenue with a Hispanic male standing next to it. Deputies watched the vehicle and observed the individual, later identified as Gonzales, enter and exit the vehicle's driver side door multiple times. Deputies contacted Gonzales and detained him for further questioning.
While on scene, deputies observed multiple items in plain view within the vehicle possibly related to the armed robbery that occurred on June 4. Specifically, deputies observed masks, rifle magazines, and rifle ammunition. Investigators obtained a state search warrant to search the vehicle. During the search warrant, deputies recovered a Palmetto, model PSAK47 7.62nun caliber rifle, and a CBC, model 715P, .22 caliber pistol, and various types of ammunition from the vehicle. As the primary user of the Toyota Corolla, Gonzales was aware of the presence of the firearms and ammunition. A Honduran passport belonging to Gonzales was also found in the vehicle's center console.
This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Department of Homeland Security, and the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Eli J. Abad.
Former Baton Rouge Doctor Convicted of Distributing Controlled Substances Sentenced to 180 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that U.S. District Judge Brian A. Jackson sentenced Randy J. Lamartiniere, age 64, formerly a doctor in Baton Rouge and now a resident of Alexandria, Louisiana, to 180 months in federal prison following his conviction for distribution of controlled substances by a physician. The Court further sentenced Lamartiniere to serve three years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment, and ordered forfeiture of all property and proceeds obtained by Lamartiniere as a result of his conviction.
According to evidence presented at trial, from in or about March 2015 through January 2016, Lamartiniere, in exchange for cash, wrote medically unnecessary prescriptions for large quantities of Adderall, fentanyl, hydrocodone, methadone, oxycodone, and oxymorphone. Lamartiniere’s fee typically ranged from $100 to $300 per visit, and he accepted no form of health insurance for “doctor visits.” At the end of these “visits,” Lamartiniere routinely issued prescriptions for Adderall and opioids, therefore, distributing and dispensing controlled substances that he knew were not for a legitimate medical purpose and outside the usual course of a legitimate medical practice.
After the hearing, U.S. Attorney Gathe stated, “This prosecution and the lengthy prison sentence imposed today should serve as a reminder of the Department of Justice’s firm commitment to fighting opioid diversion, and a warning to those who would traffic and illegally dispense dangerous opioids in our community. The investigation and federal criminal prosecution have taken several years, but our commitment to this cause has never wavered. I want to thank the great work and dedication of all of the law enforcement agents and investigators who contributed to this successful prosecution, and the prosecutors in this office whose work helped lead to today’s result.”
DEA Baton Rouge District Office Assistant Special Agent in Charge Steven Hofer stated, “The DEA and its law enforcement partners are committed to investigating any medical professional that chooses to place their personal gain over patient care. This investigation demonstrates the positive effects of a collaborative law enforcement effort in Louisiana and our strong partnership with the United States Attorney’s Office to pursue anyone who intends to harm the community. The lengthy sentence received by Dr. Lamartiniere reflects the damage he caused to the community and, hopefully, will deter other medical practitioners with intentions to profit by taking advantage of the public from their trusted position.”
Iberville Parish Sheriff Stassi said, “as law enforcement officers, we are held to a higher standard, as we should be, the same applies to doctors and other medical professionals. Lamartiniere betrayed the trust of his patients, and he abused his authority. His arrest and conviction are continued steps to fight the war on drugs. The persistence of the law enforcement officers that worked to build this case and the tireless efforts of the prosecutors are proof positive that we are committed to providing a safe and peaceful community.” Stassi also acknowledged the countless hours that DEA, the Iberville Parish Sheriff’s Office, our state and local law enforcement partners, and the US Attorney’s Office spent on this case and thanked them for their efforts.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the Iberville Parish Sheriff’s Office, East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office, West Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office, along with the Baton Rouge Police Department and Department of Health and Human Services – OIG. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Paul L. Pugliese; Alan A. Stevens, who also serves as Senior Litigation Counsel; and Harley W. Ferguson.
Baton Rouge Man Sentenced to 175 Months in Federal Prison for Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that U.S. District Judge Brian A. Jackson sentenced Courtney Clayton, age 39, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to 175 months in federal prison following his convictions for possession with the intent to distribute heroin, fentanyl, and cocaine. The Court further sentenced Clayton to five years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment.
According to admissions made as a part of his guilty plea, on January 26, 2021, after a months' long investigation into suspected narcotics trafficking by Clayton, East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office narcotics agents executed a traffic stop on Clayton’s vehicle. Agents found 1,172.48 grams of heroin, 103.5 grams of fentanyl, 676.5 dosage units of fentanyl, and 16 grams of cocaine. in the trunk. Additionally, $12,760 cash was found in the glovebox along with three (3) cell phones belonging to Clayton.
This matter was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William K. Morris.
Texas Man Sentenced to 97 Months in Federal Prison for Distributing Child Pornography in LouisianaRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that Chief Judge Shelly D. Dick sentenced James Martin, age 51, of Beckville, Texas, to 97 months in federal prison following his conviction for distribution of child pornography. Martin must serve five years of supervised release upon completing his term of imprisonment, and he must complete sex offender treatment. The Court also ordered Martin to pay $248,000 in restitution. As a result of this conviction, Martin will be required to register as a sex offender.
Throughout July and August 2022, Martin used an instant messaging mobile application and a smartphone to distribute files of child pornography via the internet to an undercover agent in the Middle District of Louisiana. Martin distributed the videos and images of minors, knowing they were under 18 years of age. The child pornography files included a video link to a cloud storage application.
Martin distributed the video link to an undercover agent with a password and instructions to download the videos and images to confirm that the link was “working and sellable when the time [i]s right…” Throughout his conversations with undercover law enforcement, Martin described a scheme to sell child pornography online. Martin bragged about his ability to: (1) sell child pornography online for a profit; and (2) use encryption software to avoid law enforcement detection.
Martin’s video link contained approximately 245 videos and 108 images of child pornography, including toddlers. Martin also possessed at least 130 total videos and approximately 7,250 images of child pornography, which were accessible through his laptop, smartphone, and a central processing unit tower, among other devices.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation, and the Panola County, Texas Sheriff’s Office, and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Edward H. Warner.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and 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 http://www.justice.gov/psc.
Convicted Felon Sentenced to 120 Months in Federal Prison for Multiple Drug and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that U.S. District Judge Brian A. Jackson sentenced Dionseus Wilkins, age 29, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to 120 months in federal prison following his convictions for possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The Court further sentenced Wilkins to five years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment and ordered that the firearm involved be forfeited.
According to admissions made as a part of his guilty plea, between February 22, 2018 and February 13, 2019, Wilkins sold a total of seventy (70) grams of methamphetamine to confidential informants in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, during controlled purchases monitored by law enforcement agents.
On September 24, 2019, Louisiana State Police narcotics detectives executed a search warrant on Wilkins’ residence as well as on his vehicles. Prior to the warrants' execution, detectives observed Wilkins enter the complex's parking garage where he was then detained. During the search of the residence, detectives located nitrile gloves, protective masks, a bag of powdered sugar, strainers, and a small electric blender inside the dishwasher. Detectives also located fifty-one (51) dosage units of alprazolam in a dresser drawer in the Wilkins’ bedroom.
Prior to executing the search of one of Wilkins’ vehicles, an LSP trooper utilized a K-9 detection dog around the perimeter of the vehicle, at which time the K-9 alerted to the presence of drugs. Detectives located $10,000 in U.S. Currency (100 $100 dollar bills) located in a black bag inside of the vehicle's glove compartment and a backpack located in the vehicle's trunk. A search of the backpack revealed a Glock Model 27, .40 cal. handgun with an extended magazine containing 25 rounds of ammunition, approximately 297 grams of methamphetamine, approximately 237 grams of heroin, approximately 847 grams of marijuana, and two digital scales.
In 2015, prior to possessing the firearm, Wilkins was convicted of simple burglary in East Baton Rouge Parish.
This matter was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Louisiana State Police, with assistance from the Zachary Police Department and the Tangipahoa Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Eli J. Abad.
Baker Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Aiding and Assisting in the Preparation and Presentation of False and Fraudulent Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that Chief Judge Shelly D. Dick sentenced Bridget Rogers White, age 48, of Baker, Louisiana, to 24 months in federal prison following her convictions for aiding and assisting in the preparation and presentation of false and fraudulent tax returns. The Court further sentenced White to serve one year of supervised release following her term of imprisonment and ordered her to pay restitution in the amount of $149,933.
According to admissions made as part of her guilty plea, White operated an income tax preparation business, sometimes referred to as “Bridget Stop & Go Tax Services” or “Bridgett’s Tax Service” out of her Baker residence. Through her business, White prepared tax returns in exchange for money, but did not identify herself as the paid preparer on the returns. From January 2015 through at least June 2018, White prepared and submitted to the IRS numerous false and fraudulent U.S. Individual Income Tax Returns, known as Forms 1040, on behalf of herself and other taxpayer-clients. In the Forms 1040 and attachments thereto, among other false items, she routinely included a false Schedule C, reporting a profit or loss from a fictitious business, and a false Form 8863, reporting fictitious education expenses in order to claim an education credit referred to as the American Opportunity Credit. On certain returns, White included additional false items, such as fraudulent itemized deductions, on a Schedule A, or false dependents. For each of her taxpayer-clients, the general effect of such false information was to reduce the client’s tax liability and artificially inflate or increase the amount of the tax refund claimed by the client.
During this investigation, the IRS identified 31 false Forms 1040, which White willfully prepared and submitted on behalf of 13 individual taxpayer-clients for Tax Years 2014 through 2017. Through those 31 false and fraudulent returns alone, White’s conduct caused an actual loss of $149,993. For purposes of sentencing, White further admitted that the total tax loss attributable to her fraudulent conduct was more than $550,000.
U.S. Attorney Gathe stated, “Fraudulent tax preparers cheat the government and honest taxpayers and will be dealt with accordingly. I want to thank my prosecutors and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigators for their hard work on this case. “
“Assisting taxpayers prepare accurate tax returns is the entrusted responsibility of tax practitioners,” said James E. Dorsey, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Atlanta Field Office. “White failed to live up to that responsibility by preparing false returns for herself and others. Today’s sentencing sends a message that IRS Criminal Investigation will continue investigating and recommending prosecution of return preparers who knowingly commit tax fraud.”
This matter was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Caroline Gardner.
Walker Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Charges in Connection with Interstate Transmission of a Threat to Injure Florida CongresswomanRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that Charles T. Germany, age 52, of Walker, Louisiana, pled guilty before Chief Judge Shelly D. Dick to interstate transmission of a threat to injure another.
According to admissions made during his plea, on or about May 27, 2022, in the Middle District of Louisiana, Germany knowingly placed a telephone call from his home in Walker, Louisiana, to a member of the House of Representatives in Florida containing a true threat to injure said member. During the call, he left a recorded voice message which was viewed by the member and their staff as a true threat.
This matter was investigated by the United States Capitol Police, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer M. Kleinpeter with the assistance of Trial Attorney Kevin Nunnally of the Department of Justice’s Counterterrorism Section.
Texas Man Pleads Guilty in Federal Court to Production and Attempted Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that Grant McKay Durtschi, age 51, of Lewisville, Texas, pled guilty before U.S. District Judge John W. deGravelles to production and attempted production of child pornography. As a result of his conviction, Durtschi faces a significant term of imprisonment, a fine, and a period of supervised release, which includes sex offender registration requirements.
According to admissions made during his plea, on or around July 2020, Durtschi arranged for a minor female, a resident of the Middle District of Louisiana, to travel to a location in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, for a photoshoot. On or about July 20, 2020, at the location in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, Durtschi directed the minor to engage in specific poses that lasciviously displayed her genitals for the purposes of photographing her.
Durtschi transported the images from Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, to his home, located in the Eastern District of Texas. Durtschi utilized the internet to upload some of the photographs, via a Google Drive account, where he also stored other images of the minor.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kristen Lundin Craig and Trial Attorney Charles Schmitz of the Department of Justice’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (“CEOS”).
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and 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 http://www.justice.gov/psc.
Child Pornographer Sentenced to Twenty Years ImprisonmentRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that U.S. District Court Judge John W. deGravelles sentenced Jesse J. Allen, age 35, of Baton Rouge Louisiana to 240 months in federal prison following his conviction for receipt of child pornography. Allen must serve 10 years of federal supervised release upon completing his term of imprisonment, during which he is prohibited from contacting anyone under the age of 18, and he must complete sex offender treatment. The Court also ordered Allen to $51,000 in restitution. As a result of this conviction, Allen will be required to register as a sex offender for life
According to admissions made during his guilty plea, Allen utilized cellular telephones and the internet to seek out and receive a number of images and videos of child pornography involving a number of different victims.
United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. stated, “Protecting our children and prosecuting those who exploit them continues to be a priority for my office. Searching for and obtaining images of child pornography feeds the demand for child exploitation and re-victimizes those children who suffered through the abuse. If basic human decency will not deter this conduct, we hope that sever prison sentences will.”
“This sentencing reinforces our mission to protect innocent children from child predators by utilizing the justice system,” said Douglas A. Williams, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of FBI New Orleans. “We thank our partners at the United States Attorney's Office for the Middle District for their dedication to the pursuit of justice in this case.”
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Louisiana State Police, and it was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jamie Flowers Jr., who also serves as Chief of the Criminal Division, and Colin Clark.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and 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 http://www.justice.gov/psc.
Baton Rouge Man Sentenced to 57 Months in Federal Prison for Fraudulent Investment SchemeRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that U.S. District Judge John W. deGravelles sentenced Monty Matthews, age 52, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to 57 months in federal prison following his convictions for wire fraud, interstate communication of an extortionate threat, and attempted escape. The Court further sentenced Matthews to serve three years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment and ordered him to pay restitution in the amount of $1,066,853.
In announcing the sentence, Judge deGravelles commented that, in determining an appropriate sentence, he considered the impact of Matthews’ criminal conduct on victims aged 60 and older; that resulted in the loss of over $1,000,000 of the victims’ retirement savings, which all went to Matthews; and the fact that the victims were left with virtually no retirement savings. Judge deGravelles also commented on injuries to FBI agents resulting from Matthews’ attempt to escape custody.
According to admissions made as part of his guilty plea, in August 2017, Matthews advised two victims that he could make investments on their behalf and with very high rates of return. Matthews acted as the victims’ investment team lead, and demanded that they needed to maintain an investment account with him exceeding $550,000. Based on Matthews’ false assurances and representations regarding what were, in fact, non-existent investment opportunities, along with his threat to injure the victims if they did not continue to make payments, the victims made over 4,000 cash drops to Matthews. In addition, on March 23, 2022, Matthews was in in the custody of two special agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation due to a lawful arrest relating to federal felony charges. Matthews attempted to escape from custody, but agents were able to prevent him from fleeing.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office. This case was prosecuted by Paul L. Pugliese.
The Department of Justice’s Elder Justice Initiative aims to combat elder financial exploitation by expanding efforts to investigate and prosecute financial scams that target seniors; educate older adults on how to identify scams and avoid becoming victims of financial fraud; and promote greater coordination with law enforcement partners. For more information, please visit: https://www.justice.gov/elderjustice. If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is available at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311).
Justice Department Awards over $4.5 Million to State of Louisiana to Fund State Crisis Intervention Court ProceedingsRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that the State of Louisiana has received $4,501,897 from the Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs’ Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), to fund state crisis intervention court proceedings, including but not limited to, extreme risk protection order (ERPO) programs that work to keep guns out of the hands of those who pose a threat to themselves or others. This investment in community safety is authorized by the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act of 2022, historic legislation to address and reduce gun violence.
The recipient of this award, the Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement, is a foundation located in Baton Rouge dedicated to improving the operations of the criminal justice and juvenile justice systems and to promoting public safety by providing progressive leadership and coordination within the criminal justice community.
This award provides funding for the creation and implementation of extreme risk protection order programs, state crisis intervention court proceedings, and related gun violence reduction initiatives. Extreme risk protection order programs empower family members, health care providers, school officials and law enforcement officers to petition a court to temporarily prevent a person from accessing firearms if they are found to be a danger to themselves or others. Funds can also support interventions like drug, mental health and veterans’ treatment courts, gun violence recovery courts, behavior health deflection and outpatient treatment centers.
The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act also seeks to ensure that extreme risk protection order laws and programs are implemented in accordance with the Constitution and provide for adequate due process protections. Projects funded under this program will need to demonstrate that they have taken measures to safeguard the constitutional rights of an individual subject to a crisis intervention program or ERPO initiative. The Justice Department has long supported state efforts to increase the use of ERPOs and in 2021 the Department released model legislation to help states create their own extreme risk protection order systems and provide for intervention before warning signs turn into tragedy.
Signed into law by President Biden in June 2022, the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act is the most significant piece of federal gun safety legislation in almost three decades and comes as a response to recent mass shootings and to the far more common, but no less tragic, incidents of community gun violence. Including the Byrne State Crisis Intervention Program, the law allocates a total of $1.4 billion to OJP over five years to develop, implement, and sustain meaningful investments in safer communities.
For a full list of awards, please visit: https://data.ojp.usdoj.gov/stories/s/O-BJA-2023-171458/b5xz-as5z/. These awards are the latest effort from the Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs to implement this historic legislation.
Springfield Man Pleads Guilty in Federal Court to Wire Fraud in Connection with Fraudulent Scheme to Obtain Pandemic Unemployment BenefitsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that Chaz Ryan Watkins, age 35, of Springfield, Louisiana, pled guilty before U.S. Chief Judge Shelly D. Dick to wire fraud in connection with a fraudulent scheme to obtain pandemic unemployment benefits. As a result of his plea, Watkins faces up to 20 years imprisonment.
According to admissions made as part of his guilty plea, between December 2019, and continuing through at least September 2021, Watkins obtained the personal identifying information (“PII”) of inmates incarcerated in Louisiana prisons and of other individuals, including names, birth dates, and Social Security numbers. Watkins submitted claims for pandemic unemployment assistance (“PUA”) benefits to the Louisiana Workforce Commission (“LWC”) in the names of the inmates, who were ineligible for such benefits, and in the names of other individuals, often without the individual’s knowledge or consent. In these applications, Watkins requested that the PUA benefits be transmitted via direct deposit to his financial accounts or via pre-paid debit cards mailed to addresses under his control. Once the funds were received, Watkins withdrew the funds as cash from ATMs at various financial institutions in the Middle District of Louisiana. Watkins received over $95,000 in fraudulent unemployment benefits.
U.S. Attorney Gathe stated, “Those who take advantage of COVID relief benefits, of any type, will be dealt with harshly by this office. I want to thank our prosecutors and our federal and state partners for their hard work bringing this offender to justice.”
“Theft of federal pandemic funds intended to help those in need will not be tolerated,” said Dr. Joseph Cuffari, Inspector General for the Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General (OIG). “We will continue to work with our partners at the State of Louisiana OIG, the Department of Labor OIG, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to identify and aggressively investigate allegations of fraud, protecting the integrity of programs funded by the taxpayer.”
Louisiana Inspector General Stephen Street commented, “Once again we see that whenever there is a public emergency, fraudsters will be there to pounce. Chaz Watkins used the names and personal identifying information of incarcerated prisoners and deceased individuals to fraudulently enrich himself and deprive others who had a legitimate need for these emergency benefits. Now Mr. Watkins must bear the criminal consequences for his actions. The Louisiana Inspector General will continue to relentlessly pursue fraudsters who take advantage of an emergency to steal from the taxpayers.” Street added, “I want to thank United States Attorney Ron Gathe and his staff, and our partners at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security OIG and US Department of Labor OIG for another successful criminal outcome.”
This matter is being investigated by the Louisiana Office of State Inspector General, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General, and the U.S. Department of Labor, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kristen Lundin Craig.
Federal Jury Convicts Baton Rouge Man of Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Heroin, Marijuana, and MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr., announced the conviction of Xavier Johnson, age 38, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Johnson was indicted by a federal grand jury on July 22, 2019 and charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin, marijuana, methamphetamine, and felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
After a three-day trial before Chief Judge Shelly D. Dick, beginning January 30, 2023, the jury unanimously convicted Johnson of conspiracy to knowingly and intentionally distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin, marijuana, and methamphetamine. As the evidence at trial demonstrated, Johnson conspired with inmates at the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola, and others, to obtain heroin, marijuana, and methamphetamine from sources of supply in California, and to possess and distribute the drugs to inmates in Angola and to other non-incarcerated individuals within Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and elsewhere. Evidence brought to light at trial by federal and state law enforcement officials, and information obtained through forensic data analysis, corroborated testimony from witnesses that Johnson was involved in supervising at least three couriers of controlled substances, personally distributing controlled substances, and attempting to smuggle controlled substances to inmates at Angola.
As a result of his convictions, Johnson now faces a maximum sentence in federal prison of 20 years imprisonment, as well as significant fines, forfeiture, and a minimum 3-year term of supervised release.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Postal Inspection Service, and with the assistance of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Louisiana Department of Corrections, to include staff at Angola, the 20th Judicial District Attorney’s Office, and the St. Francisville Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Paul L. Pugliese and April Leon Johnson.
- Justice Department Finds Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections Violates the Constitution by Incarcerating People Beyond Their Release Dates
Former Louisiana Health Clinic CEO Sentenced to 82 Months in Federal Prison for Medicaid Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that U.S. District Judge Brian Jackson sentenced Victor Clark Kirk, age 73, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to 82 months in federal prison following his convictions for conspiracy to commit health care fraud and health care fraud. The Court further sentenced Kirk to serve three years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment and ordered him to pay restitution in the amount of $1,841,527.31 to the Louisiana Medicaid Program.
After a six-day trial, the jury unanimously convicted Kirk of defrauding the Louisiana Medicaid Program of over $1.8 million and causing false medical diagnoses of children. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Kirk was the CEO of St. Gabriel Health Clinic, Inc. (St. Gabriel), a Louisiana non-profit corporation that provided health care services to Medicaid recipients. St. Gabriel operated in local elementary and high schools to provide routine medical services. Evidence at trial showed that St. Gabriel practitioners, at Kirk’s direction, also provided educational programs—including a program called “Character Counts!”—to entire classrooms of students during regular class periods. These educational classes taught students character traits such as respect and trustworthiness. However, evidence at trial showed that for several years, Kirk caused the fraudulent billing of these programs to Medicaid as group psychotherapy. The evidence further showed that to facilitate the fraudulent scheme, Kirk directed that St. Gabriel practitioners falsely diagnose students, including children as young as kindergartners, with serious mental health disorders, such as impulse control disorder and attention deficit disorder. From 2011 through 2015, Kirk caused over $1.8 million in fraudulent claims for purported group psychotherapy services.
“The sentencing of Victor Kirk demonstrates that no one is above the law,” said U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. “Health Care Fraud is a serious problem and I commend the trial team and all of our partners who worked tirelessly to ensure justice for not only the patients but taxpayers as well.”
“Criminals must be punished for their crimes, and today justice was served to Mr. Kirk,” said Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry. “Our office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to protect our State’s most vulnerable and the taxpayers who fund their welfare.”
“It is especially egregious to commit fraud on the backs of children, and all to fund a lifestyle Kirk did not earn or deserve,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Jason Meadows of the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “The damage Kirk inflicted on these kids is immeasurable and may follow them for years. Patient harm is a top priority of HHS/OIG and we will work with our law enforcement partners to relentlessly pursue those who perpetrate it.”
“Instead of using the Louisiana Medicaid Program for its intended purpose, Victor Clark Kirk, the CEO of St. Gabriel Health Clinic, sought to enrich himself by defrauding Medicaid of over a million dollars through the submission of false diagnoses for pediatric patients,” said Douglas A. Williams, Special Agent in Charge, FBI New Orleans. “We thank our partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Middle District of Louisiana; Department of Justice, Criminal Division, Fraud Section; Department of Health and Human Services-Office of the Inspector General; and the Louisiana Medicaid Fraud Control Unit for their strong partnerships and dedication to investigating Medicaid fraudsters.”
The Louisiana Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, HHS-OIG, and FBI investigated the case, which was brought as part of the Gulf Coast Strike Force, supervised by the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Louisiana.
Assistant Chief Justin M. Woodard and Trial Attorney Kelly Z. Walters of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen L. Craig for the Middle District of Louisiana prosecuted the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, comprised of 15 strike forces operating in 25 federal districts, has charged more than 5,000 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $24 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at https://www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
United States Files Complaint Against Bob Dean Jr. and Affiliated Corporate Entities for Financial Misconduct Stemming from Evacuation of Nursing Homes During Hurricane IdaRead the Press Release
The United States has filed a complaint under the National Housing Act of 1934 (NHA) against Bob Dean Jr. and several affiliated corporate entities for misappropriating and misusing the assets and income of four nursing homes in Louisiana before and after Hurricane Ida’s landfall in August 2021. The four nursing homes, all of which were owned and operated by Dean and his companies, and had loans insured by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), are Maison De’Ville Nursing Home – Houma, Maison De’Ville Nursing Home of Harvey, Maison Orleans Healthcare of New Orleans, and West Jefferson Health Care Center.
The FHA, which is part of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), provides mortgage insurance on loans that cover residential care facilities, such as nursing homes, pursuant to the NHA. To encourage lenders to make loans to such facilities, FHA mortgage insurance provides lenders with protection against losses that result from borrowers defaulting on their mortgage loans. To obtain such FHA-insured loans, loan recipients must enter into Regulatory Agreements with the FHA that provide, among other requirements, that the assets and income of an FHA-insured nursing home may only be spent on goods and services that are reasonable and necessary to the operation of the nursing home. The NHA permits the United States to recover twice the amount of any assets and income of FHA-insured nursing homes that were improperly distributed or misspent.
The United States’ complaint, filed in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana, alleges that, from 2016 to 2021, Dean required the nursing homes to pay “rent” on an industrial warehouse he had acquired supposedly to serve as a hurricane evacuation center. The rent, which totaled more than $1 million, was paid to one of his corporate entities. Rather than using the funds to prepare the warehouse for a hurricane, he funneled much of that money to his personal bank accounts. In the days leading up to Hurricane Ida’s expected landfall in August 2021, Dean evacuated the residents of the four nursing homes to the warehouse. After residents arrived, sanitation was not maintained, and the nursing homes’ staff did not prepare sufficient food, provide wound care, or ensure adequate medical care and support for the residents. As a result, on Sept. 2, 2021, the Louisiana Department of Health removed the residents from the evacuation center and revoked Dean’s nursing home licenses.
The complaint further alleges that after the residents had been evacuated and the licenses revoked, Dean and his corporate entities continued to misdirect and misspend the nursing homes’ assets and income. Specifically, Dean directed his bookkeeper to sweep all of the nursing homes’ bank accounts and transfer the millions of dollars of funds to his personal accounts. The United States alleges that Dean did not use these funds to operate or maintain the nursing homes, which at this point were not operating because of the hurricane, and instead used this money to purchase personal goods and services, including antiques, firearms, and cars, and to fund allowances for his family members. The complaint alleges that, in total, Dean misspent and misallocated more than $4 million of the nursing homes’ assets and income.
“The department is committed to protecting our nation’s seniors and the important federal programs designed to support them,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “When individuals seek to exploit these programs for their own financial gain, we will use all of the appropriate tools at our disposal to hold them accountable.”
“Federal loan guarantees are designed to facilitate the care of our most vulnerable citizens,” said U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Gathe Jr. for the Middle District of Louisiana. “It is unfortunate that some chose to use the tragic landfall of Hurricane Ida as an opportunity to take advantage of the system to unjustly enrich their business. This office will continue to work with our partners to hold those accountable who misappropriate federal funds.”
“Upon learning of the callous manner in which residents of nursing homes owned by Bob Dean were treated during Hurricane Ida, HUD referred this matter to the Justice Department to investigate Dean’s alleged misuse of HUD’s funds,” said General Counsel Damon Smith of the HUD. "By working with our partners at the Justice Department and supporting this action, HUD reaffirms that it takes the obligations of nursing home owners seriously.”
“Dean’s alleged actions represent a gross disregard for human life and our most vulnerable community,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Robert Lawler of HUD Office of Inspector General (HUD OIG). “HUD OIG will continue to work with its law enforcement partners to diligently pursue, investigate, and hold accountable bad actors who willfully misuse and mismanage Federal assets and place HUD beneficiaries in harm’s way.”
The complaint is the result of an effort by the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Louisiana, with substantial assistance from HUD and the HUD OIG. This matter is being handled by Fraud Section Trial Attorney Christopher Reimer and Assistant U.S. Attorney Davis Rhorer Jr. for the Middle District of Louisiana.
The case is captioned United States v. Bob Dean, Jr., et al., 3:23-cv-00019 (M.D. La.).
The United States’ complaint stems from an investigation that the Department of Justice initiated as part of its Elder Justice Initiative, which supports the efforts of state and local prosecutors, law enforcement, and other elder justice professionals to combat elder abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation, with the development of training, resources and information. Learn more about the Justice Department’s Elder Justice Initiative at http://www.justice.gov/elderjustice.
Serial Counterfeiter Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that Chief Judge Shelly D. Dick sentenced Trenton Underwood, age 32, of Denham Springs, Louisiana to 36 months in federal prison following his convictions for conspiracy to manufacture and possess counterfeit Federal Reserve Notes, manufacturing counterfeit Federal Reserve Notes, and the possession of counterfeit Federal Reserve Notes. The Court further sentenced Underwood to serve three years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment and ordered all instrumentalities used in the scheme be forfeited.
According to admissions made as part of his guilty plea, in early 2022 Underwood and others made and attempted to pass counterfeit Federal Reserve Notes in exchange for retail and food items in the Middle District of Louisiana. On February 3, 2022, law enforcement recovered over $1,240 in cut counterfeit Federal Reserve Notes, 66 pages of uncut counterfeit Federal Reserve Notes in various denominations, and items used to manufacture counterfeit Federal Reserve Notes including a printer with a $20 Federal Reserve Note taped to the glass, boxes of linen paper, printer cartridges, paper cutters and dryer seats.
This was Underwood’s fourth counterfeit conviction. He had three prior state convictions for counterfeit and was on parole for one of these convictions when he committed the above federal offense.
This matter was investigated by the United States Secret Service and the Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jessica M.P. Thornhill.
Baton Rouge Man Sentenced to 132 Months in Federal Prison for Fraud Scheme and Money Laundering Relating to Financial Aid and COVID FraudRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that U.S. District Judge Brian A. Jackson sentenced Elliott Sterling, age 34, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to 132 months in federal prison following his convictions for wire fraud, financial aid fraud, and engaging in monetary transactions involving property derived from specified unlawful activity. The Court further sentenced Sterling to serve three years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment and ordered him to pay restitution in the amounts of $2,760,422 to the U.S. Department of Education and $90,000 to the Small Business Administration.
After an eight-day trial, the jury unanimously convicted Sterling of five counts of wire fraud involving a scheme to defraud the Department of Education federal student aid program, two counts of financial aid fraud, and two counts of wire fraud involving the Small Business Administration Economic Injury Disaster Loan program, which was designed to aid businesses during the Covid-19 pandemic. Sterling was also convicted of six counts of money laundering involving the proceeds of his two wire fraud schemes. The jury further ordered the forfeiture of $422,632.38 in fraud proceeds that the FBI had seized in the case.
As the evidence at trial demonstrated, with respect to the Department of Education wire fraud and financial aid fraud counts, Sterling received $1,468,239 in federal student aid loans and grants that were associated with 180 Baton Rouge Community College (BRCC) students into his personal bank account and the business bank account of his company, Sterling Educational Consulting, LLC. The evidence presented at trial showed that Sterling used the personal identifying information of his purported students to electronically fill out and submit their Free Applications for Federal Student Aid (FAFSAs), sign master promissory notes on their behalf, enroll them into classes at BRCC, and create and manage the student BankMobile accounts that received federal student loans. Through Sterling’s control of the students’ accounts, he directed Department of Education monies to be paid directly into his own bank accounts.
In order to circumvent Department of Education controls designed to inform students about the financial obligations of student loans, Sterling concealed his role as the preparer of the FAFSAs and pretended to be the students when he logged on with their credentials, clicked through the loan counseling in less than three minutes, and signed promissory notes in their names. Typically, the students did not have access to the email addresses or login information that Sterling created on their behalf and did not have access to their own FAFSA, BRCC, or BankMobile accounts.
In addition, Sterling falsified the academic qualifications for 168 students to the Department of Education, and 145 of these students lacked even a high school diploma or equivalent (e.g. a GED). A witness at trial also testified that Sterling had paid him $5,000 to produce 42 diplomas with fictional grades. These diplomas were then provided to BRCC after BRCC requested verification of the students’ academic credentials. None of the 180 students for whom Sterling received money progressed academically at BRCC, and 172 failed or withdrew from every class they were enrolled in. Some students were incarcerated when their FAFSAs were submitted, promissory notes signed, or federal student aid disbursed into Sterling’s bank accounts.
Instead of directing the funds he received to the students, Sterling kept over 60% for himself, and for 25 students, Sterling kept 100% of the loan proceeds. Among the students who received money from Sterling’s scheme, most were unaware they had signed up for student loans and that Sterling had signed master promissory notes in their names obligating them to repay the full amount. The students were also unaware of the true amount of refunds awarded in their names, and the true amount Sterling retained as his portion.
With respect to the SBA wire fraud, Sterling submitted a loan application on behalf of his business, Sterling Educational Consulting, LLC, that falsified the business’s revenues and costs and concealed his prior guilty plea to felony theft. As a result of these false statements, the SBA loaned Sterling $90,000 in order for him to pay the operating costs of his business during the Covid-19 pandemic. Sterling promptly withdrew $75,000 in cash. During the course of his schemes, Sterling also spent more than $253,000 at casinos in Louisiana, Nevada, and Pennsylvania.
Louisiana Inspector General Stephen Street commented, “Elliott Sterling put a great deal of time and effort into his calculated scheme to steal millions of financial aid dollars from the U.S. Government and the taxpayers. He shamelessly broke the law out of pure personal greed. We were very pleased when a criminal jury found Sterling guilty on all charged counts, and even more so with the 11-year prison sentence imposed by the Court. This significant prison sentence was entirely appropriate given the brazen nature of the fraud and will hopefully send a strong message of zero tolerance. The Louisiana Inspector General remains committed to rooting out this corruption wherever it may be found.” Street added, “I want to thank United States Attorney Ron Gathe and his staff for their usual outstanding work, as well as our partners at the FBI and the US Department of Education OIG for another successful outcome.”
This case was investigated by the FBI, the Louisiana Office of Inspector General, and the U.S. Department of Education – Office of Inspector General. This case was prosecuted by Deputy Criminal Chief Elizabeth E. White and Asset Forfeiture Chief Brad Casey.
Justice Department Awards over $567,000 to State of Louisiana in Continued Support of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency PreventionRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that the State of Louisiana has received $567,366 from the Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs and its component, the Office of Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention, to increase the availability of delinquency prevention and intervention programs for at risk youth, juvenile justice system improvements, and to maintain compliance with the four core requirements of the JJDP Act. This project plans to support both state and local efforts.
The recipient of this award, the Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement, is a foundation located in Baton Rouge dedicated to improving the operations of the criminal justice and juvenile justice systems and to promoting public safety by providing progressive leadership and coordination within the criminal justice community.
Member of Drug Trafficking Organization Sentenced to 235 Months in Federal Prison for Drug OffenseRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced the sentencing of Victor Welton, age 49, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, as part of Operation Going Bacc to Cali, an extensive federal, state, and local investigation by the Middle District Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) aimed at a drug trafficking network spanning from Compton, California, through Baton Rouge, and to Miami, Florida.
Chief Judge Shelly D. Dick sentenced Welton to 235 months in federal prison following his conviction of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute over 2.6 pounds of fentanyl. Welton must also serve 3 years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment.
According to admissions made as part of his guilty plea, in or about June 2020, Welton agreed with co-conspirators in Baton Rouge, Compton, and Miami to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl in the Middle District of Louisiana and elsewhere. Welton used other individuals to travel between California, Louisiana, and Florida, to transport fentanyl to a drug dealer in Miami.
On June 21, 2020, Welton arranged for two of several individuals, whom he used to transport fentanyl between Compton, Baton Rouge, and Miami, to travel to Compton and pick up fentanyl. The two individuals traveled by air to California and, on June 22, 2020, began their return trip to Baton Rouge on June 24, 2020, using Greyhound Bus services. During the early morning hours of June 24, 2020, both couriers arrived at the Greyhound Bus Terminal in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. At that time, they were greeted by law enforcement with a search warrant for their persons and baggage. Law enforcement discovered and seized three zip lock bags with a white powdery substance. The contents of each of the bags were analyzed by the Louisiana State Police Crime Laboratory, with the contents of each identified as fentanyl, and with a total weight of slightly over 2.6 pounds. The two couriers were then arrested by law enforcement.
When explaining the reasons to support the 235 month term of imprisonment, Chief Judge Dick commented on the significant danger associated with fentanyl, along with Welton’s role as the leader of a drug-trafficking conspiracy that involved at least four other co-conspirators.
This operation 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.
This investigation was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration and East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office. This case was prosecuted Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul L. Pugliese.
Baton Rouge Woman Sentenced to 75 Months in Federal Prison for Wire Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft in Connection with Fraudulent Scheme to Obtain Unemployment BenefitsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that U.S. District Judge Brian A. Jackson sentenced Shawnda Augustus, age 41, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to 75 months in federal prison following her convictions for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft in connection with fraudulent scheme to obtain unemployment benefits. The Court further sentenced Augustus to serve three years of supervised release following her term of imprisonment and ordered her to pay restitution in the amount of $361,074 to state unemployment agencies in Louisiana, Arizona, Alabama, Georgia, New Jersey, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont and New Mexico.
According to admissions made as a part of her guilty plea, following the floods of 2016, Augustus engaged in a scheme to defraud and to obtain money from FEMA by submitting fraudulent applications for disaster unemployment assistance (DUA) benefits to the Louisiana Workforce Commission, both in her own name, and in the names of other victims, without their knowledge or consent. As a result of the scheme, Augustus submitted or caused to be submitted approximately forty (40) fraudulent DUA claims.
Beginning in March 2020 and continuing through at least January 2021, Augustus engaged in multi-state fraud scheme to obtain pandemic unemployment assistance (PUA) benefits to which she was not entitled. Augustus submitted fraudulent applications for PUA benefits in Louisiana, and in multiple other states, including Arizona, Georgia, Tennessee, Hawaii, and Nebraska, among others. Augustus also obtained the personal identifying information of victims, including names, dates of birth, and Social Security numbers. Using these stolen identities, Augustus submitted approximately twenty-nine (29) false and fraudulent applications for PUA benefits to state unemployment agencies in the names of those victims both in Louisiana and in multiple other states.
According to the plea agreement, Augustus received approximately $123,908 in false claims for PUA benefits. Augustus withdrew the funds as cash, or used the funds to pay for hotels, airline tickets, and purchases at restaurants and retail stores.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and U.S. Department of Labor and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kristen L. Craig.
Mississippi Man Sentenced to 150 Months in Federal Prison for Scheme to Fraudulently Obtain Off-Road Vehicles Valued at More Than $750,000 and Other Federal OffensesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that U.S. District Judge John W. deGravelles sentenced Christopher Jackson, age 37, of Ridgeland, Mississippi, to 150 months in federal prison following his convictions for conspiracy to transport stolen motor vehicles in interstate commerce and to sell stolen motor vehicles, and interstate transportation of a stolen motor vehicle. The Court further sentenced Jackson to serve three years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment, ordered Jackson to pay restitution in the amount of $712,280.30, and ordered Jackson to forfeit an additional $375,146 representing the proceeds of his crime.
The sentencing of Jackson stems from a lengthy federal investigation that began in 2019 based on a string of reported thefts all across the Southeast involving late model, high-end recreational vehicles, including those commonly referred to as ATVs or side-by-sides. The investigation spanned numerous jurisdictions across a dozen different states, and ultimately revealed that Jackson was responsible for defrauding forty-nine (49) victims out of their vehicles. Through his fraudulent scheme, Jackson illegally obtained possession of more than four dozen vehicles worth more than $780,000.
According to admissions made as a part of his guilty plea, Jackson would search online ads for used ATVs being offered for sale. He would contact the seller, using an alias, and generally using a different phone number each time, and negotiate to buy the vehicle, indicating that he would pay off the seller’s remaining balance on the loan associated with the ATV. During his communications with the seller, Jackson would learn the name of the bank where the seller had financed the vehicle and the seller’s loan number. Then, using the loan number and other identifying information, Jackson would send fraudulent payment information to the seller’s bank (e.g., a purported payment with the bank’s actual routing number but a fraudulent account number), intending to temporarily signal to the bank’s automated payment system that he had successfully paid the seller’s remaining loan balance.
Before the bank realized that Jackson’s purported payment had not cleared, Jackson would convince the seller that he had paid the seller’s loan and persuade the seller to release the ATV to a driver. Jackson would typically avoid meeting the victims face-to-face and instead relied on other individuals, many of whom he would hire over the internet, to meet the victims, take possession of the vehicles, and transport them pursuant to Jackson’s directions. As he quickly re-sold the stolen vehicles, for cash, Jackson caused the vehicles to be transported across state lines, in furtherance of the scheme.
In a related case, Jackson was also sentenced to federal prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The federal firearms case arose from his June 23, 2021 arrest in Ridgeland, Mississippi, pursuant to a warrant that was issued for his arrest in the fraud case. At the time he was arrested, Jackson knowingly possessed a Smith & Wesson 9mm pistol, which had previously been reported stolen, despite the fact that Jackson had previously been convicted of a felony offense and was therefore prohibited from possessing a firearm.
This investigation was led by the United States Secret Service, with substantial assistance from the Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office, the Louisiana State Police, the Tuscaloosa County (Alabama) Sheriff’s Office, the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, the Ridgeland (Mississippi) Police Department, and the Madison County (Mississippi) District Attorney’s Office, among other agencies.
This matter was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Alan A. Stevens, who serves as Senior Litigation Counsel for the United States Attorney’s Office, and Assistant United States Attorney Caroline B. Gardner.
Baton Rouge Man Sentenced to 170 Months for Attempted Coercion and Enticement of a Minor and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that U.S. District Judge Brian A. Jackson sentenced Robert James Lowry, age 41, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to 170 months in federal prison following his convictions for attempted coercion and enticement of a minor and possession of child pornography. Following his term of imprisonment, Lowry will have to serve 8 years of supervised release and register as a sex offender for life.
According to admissions made during his plea, on June 21, 2021, Lowry began communicating with an FBI undercover agent (UC) who was posing as a stepdad of a 10-year-old female through a social media application's direct messenger feature. Lowry expressed an interest in engaging in sexual activity with the minor. From June 22, 2021, through June 30, 2021, Lowry began communicating with the UC over a second social media application. During these communications, Lowry again expressed interest in engaging in sexual activity with the minor and asked the UC to send a picture of her. On June 30, 2021, Lowry asked if he could meet the stepdaughter that evening and arranged to meet at a location designated by UC in Baton Rouge. Lowry was arrested when he showed up at the designated location. After being contacted by law enforcement and ordered to show his hands, Lowry put his hands outside the vehicle and stated, "I wasn't going to do it." During an interview after being arrested, Lowry admitted that he intended to have sex with the minor on the evening of June 30, 2021.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Homeland Security, the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office, Louisiana Bureau of Investigation, and the Louisiana State Police. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Eli J. Abad.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and 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 http://www.justice.gov/psc.
Middle District of Louisiana Takes Part in Department of Justice’s Outreach Program Educating Communities on Hate CrimesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced the Middle District of Louisiana’s completion of its first “United Against Hate” program. The District was selected as one of the first to pilot the national phasing of this initiative, which is a series of programs designed to help community leaders and the community-at-large to have a better understanding of hate crimes and how to report them to law enforcement. One of the many goals of the United Against Hate Campaign is to proactively engage with members of the community to build trust and increase the likelihood that community members will report acts of hate when they occur.
In May of 2021, Attorney General Merrick Garland announced steps towards the Department of Justice’s enhanced efforts to combat and confront hate crimes. He stated, “Hate crimes and other bias-related incidents instill fear across entire communities and undermine the principles upon which our democracy stands. All people in this country should be able to live without fear of being attacked or harassed because of where they are from, what they look like, whom they love, or how they worship.”
On December 7, 2022, Mr. Gathe, along with members of his office and law enforcement partners who investigate hate crimes, hosted a presentation called “United Against Hate: Identifying, Reporting and Preventing Acts of Hate” at Iglesia Aposento Alto in the Gardere neighborhood of Baton Rouge. Throughout the presentation, members of the Gardere community were provided with informational tools for identifying hate crimes and incidents, instructed on how to prevent and respond to hate crimes and incidents, and introduced to law enforcement professionals to whom they can direct questions and report hate crimes and hate incidents.
U.S. Attorney Gathe stated, “It is a privilege to have been selected by the Department of Justice to participate in the United Against Hate program. Through the United Against Hate program we have the opportunity to collaborate with members of the community to effect positive change, while earning their trust. I must thank our local and federal partners for making our first United Against Hate program a success.”
Through candid conversation, hypothetical examples, and information on defining hate crimes and hate incidents, the United Against Hate program promotes interaction and offers engagement with law enforcement to communities that have unfortunately been subject to discriminatory acts. Program topics include defining hate crimes versus hate incidents; the importance of reporting unlawful acts of hate no matter whether a crime occurred; providing options for responding to hate incidents when situations do not constitute a federal or state crime; and the federal support offered by DOJ as well as state, local, and community resources. The ultimate objective of the program is to foster collaboration in hate crime prevention so that participants leave with a renewed trust that their allegations will be taken seriously, thus increasing the likelihood of reporting hate crimes and incidents.
The role of the numerous U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the country is to be the nationwide leader in violent crime reduction, including efforts to combat hate crimes. Mr. Gathe assured participants that although every incident may not rise to the level of a prosecutable hate crime, reporting hate crimes and hate incidents allows him and his office to connect incidents across the region and the nation. This interaction also strengthens our alliance with the most targeted communities and enables us to prosecute incidents that do rise to the level of a hate crime. The next United Against Hate program will take place on January 18, 2023.
Federal Jury Convicts Baton Rouge Doctor of Distribution of Controlled Substances by a PhysicianRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr., announced the conviction of Dr. Randy J. Lamartiniere, age 64, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Lamartiniere was indicted by a federal grand jury on October 27, 2021 and charged with distribution of controlled substances by a physician.
After a five-day trial before District Judge Brian A. Jackson, on December 9, 2022, the jury unanimously convicted Lamartiniere of 20 counts of distribution of controlled substances. As the evidence at trial demonstrated, from in or about March 2015 through January 2016, Lamartiniere, in exchange for cash, wrote medically unnecessary prescriptions for large quantities of Adderall, fentanyl, hydrocodone, methadone, oxycodone, and oxymorphone. Lamartiniere’s fee typically ranged from $100 to $300 per visit, and he accepted no form of health insurance for “doctor visits.” At the end of these “visits,” Lamartiniere routinely issued prescriptions for Adderall and opioids, therefore, distributing and dispensing controlled substances that were not for a legitimate medical purpose and outside the usual course of a legitimate medical practice.
As a result of his convictions, Dr. Lamartiniere now faces a maximum sentence in federal prison of twenty years for each of the twenty counts of conviction, as well as significant fines, forfeiture, restitution, and supervised release.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the East Baton Rouge, West Baton Rouge, and Iberville Parish Sheriff’s Offices, along with the Baton Rouge Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Paul L. Pugliese, who also serves as Opioid Coordinator; Alan A. Stevens, who also serves as Senior Litigation Counsel; and Harley W. Ferguson.
Baton Rouge Man Indicted for Wire FraudRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury recently returned a four-count indictment charging Michael D. Hopwood, Jr., age 39, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, with wire fraud. Hopwood appeared for his arraignment and pled not guilty to the pending charges.
According to the indictment, Hopwood was entrusted to provide assistance with certain financial matters to a permanently disabled relative. After obtaining the victim’s personal identifiable information for the purpose of setting up automatic bill pay, Hopwood knowingly and fraudulently made unauthorized purchases, transfers, and withdrawals from the victim’s account for his personal benefit, without the victim’s knowledge, approval, or consent. This scheme was conducted from approximately November 2019 through approximately February 2020 and resulted in a loss of over $300,000.
This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Harley W. Ferguson and Lyman E. Thornton III.
NOTE: An indictment is an accusation by a grand jury. The defendant is presumed innocent until and unless adjudicated guilty at trial or through a guilty plea.
Baton Rouge Man Sentenced for Animal Fighting Venture CrimesRead the Press Release
A Louisiana man was sentenced yesterday to 12 months and one day in prison for possessing dogs for the purpose of using them in an animal fighting venture.
On July 12, 2022, Aquintas Kantrell Singleton, 35, of Baton Rouge, pleaded guilty before Judge Shelly D. Dick of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana to an Animal Welfare Act crime involving the possession of 17 dogs for use in an animal fighting venture. On Thursday, Singleton returned to that courtroom for sentencing.
According to court documents, law enforcement agents became aware of Singleton’s involvement in an interstate dog fighting ring in 2017. Beginning in the summer of 2017 — as recorded through court-authorized wiretaps — Singleton had various telephone conversations with other dogfighters to discuss the results of fights held in Louisiana and Georgia. They also discussed upcoming matches and the stakes they would wager in those dogfights. The details of these conversations included strategies and plans for how to breed, market, house, train and prepare dogs for dogfights. Based on these calls and other information, law enforcement agents expanded their investigation.
On Oct. 24, 2017, agents searched the defendant’s residence in Baton Rouge where they found seventeen pitbull-type dogs. They were kept separated from one another and restrained with heavy chains and weighted dog collars, or kept in rudimentary cages. Many of the dogs exhibited scars or fresh wounds consistent with dogfighting. Agents found a file box containing breed information, breeding papers, breed magazines, and dog registration papers. Agents also found Dexamethasone — a diuretic used to achieve proper weight in preparation for the dogfights — and other dog-fighting paraphernalia.
“Blood sports, like dogfighting, are federal crimes,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “To set animals against each other for entertainment is cruel and unjust. Anyone who commits these acts should expect to be caught and to serve time in prison.”
“This case, and several related matters, are companions to a drug conspiracy successfully prosecuted by this office,” said U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Gathe Jr. for the Middle District of Louisiana. “The interconnection between drug crimes and animal fighting crimes is well known, and this office will continue to use evidence from that interconnection to bring violent criminals to justice. Make no mistake, pitting animals against each other for gaming and cruel amusement is violence.”
“The Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General-Investigations, actively investigates allegations of animal abuse,” said Special Agent in Charge Dax Roberson. “This agency has made animal fighting a high priority in order to demonstrate that these blatant acts of cruelty to animals will no longer be tolerated. We would like to thank the Environment and Natural Resources Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for aggressively prosecuting perpetrators of animal fighting and our federal, state and local law enforcement partners for assisting in enforcing these federal statutes.”
“Animal cruelty is a heinous crime that deserves our ultimate condemnation and serious legal consequences for those who engage in it for ‘sport’ and/or profit,” said Special Agent in Charge Douglas A. Williams Jr. of the FBI New Orleans Field Office. “Today’s sentencing should serve as a reminder to those like Mr. Aquintas Singleton who commit such crimes, that they will be held accountable. We thank our partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office Middle District of Louisiana, U.S. Department of Justice Environment and Natural Resources Division, and U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General for their outstanding cooperation and great work in the prosecution of those who participated in animal fighting ventures.”
The FBI and USDA investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Matthew D. Evans of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Lyman Thornton III for the Middle District of Louisiana prosecuted the case.
Member of Large Drug Trafficking Organization Sentenced to 360 Months in Federal Prison for Gun and Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced the sentencing of Travis R. James, age 38 of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, as part of Operation Hidden Fee, an extensive federal, state, and local investigation by the Middle District Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) aimed at a drug trafficking network based and operating in Baton Rouge.
Chief Judge Shelly D. Dick sentenced James to 360 months in federal prison following his convictions of conspiracy to distribute cocaine, crack cocaine, and heroin, conspiracy to launder monetary instruments, and possession of firearms by a convicted felon. James must also serve five years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment. In imposing James’ prison term, the Court found that for years, James was a leader and organizer of a drug trafficking group consisting of thirteen individuals. It found that this group was generating large amounts of drugs and drug trafficking proceeds. His significant criminal history, in large part, consisting of criminal conduct committed while on supervision, and his history of violence were also factors militating in favor of the sentence it imposed. The Court further ordered that the firearms involved be forfeited and ordered James to pay a personal money judgment of $139,632 equal to the combined value of the proceeds and property used to facilitate the drug trafficking conspiracy.
According to admissions made as part of his guilty plea, James led a group of individuals consisting of Troy James, Joshua Mansion, Kim Murphy, Yascia LaFrance, Belinda Carter, Cornelius Carter, and others in a venture to obtain kilograms of cocaine from various sources in Houston, Texas, transporting those amounts of cocaine to stash houses located in Baton Rouge and Prairieville, where amounts where some amounts of cocaine were broken down for distribution to others, and other amounts converted by James into crack cocaine, for sale to others.
In many instances, the amounts transported by this group into the Middle District involved five or more kilograms of cocaine per trip. During this investigation authorities seized and forfeited over $500,000 in drug trafficking proceeds from James as well as approximately eight firearms, two kilo presses, and heroin and cocaine testing kits. The investigation also revealed that James was making plans to branch out into heroin trafficking using the money he had accumulated from the sale of crack and powder cocaine. He was planning to commence that enterprise by purchasing a kilogram of heroin.
Earlier, Chief Judge Dick imposed a 115 month term of imprisonment upon Troy James; a 120 month term of imprisonment upon Joshua Mansion; a 168 month term of imprisonment upon Kim Murphy; a 90 month term of imprisonment upon Yascia LaFrance; a 120 month term of imprisonment term upon Cornelius Carter; and 19 months for Belinda Carter.
This operation 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.
This investigation was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration with invaluable assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, the Internal Revenue Service, the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office, the Baton Rouge City Police Department, and the Louisiana State Police. Other agencies also assisted in apprehending the defendants, including the U.S. Marshal’s Service, and the Sheriffs’ Offices in Ascension, Iberville, and West Baton Rouge Parishes. These cases were prosecuted Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert Piedrahita and Lyman E. Thornton III.
Baton Rouge Man Sentenced to 228 Months in Federal Prison for Gun, Drug, and Possession of Contraband in Prison ChargesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that U.S. District Judge John W. deGravelles sentenced Ashton Matta, age 33, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to 228 months in federal prison following his convictions for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession with the intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possession of contraband in prison. The Court further sentenced Matta to serve four years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment and ordered that the firearm involved be forfeited.
According to admissions made as part of his guilty plea, on June 19, 2019, East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office and Louisiana Probation and Parole searched Matta’s residence and vehicle. Inside the residence, 130.4 grams of fentanyl and $34,650 cash were found. Inside the vehicle, 459.l grams of heroin, 2.83 grams of fentanyl, a Zastava Serbia 7.62 caliber pistol, and a drum magazine with 70 live rounds of 7.62 ammunition were found. Matta admitted to possessing the items and to his involvement in the sale and purchase of illegal narcotics. Prior to possessing the firearm, Matta was convicted in East Baton Rouge Parish in 2018 of attempted possession of oxycodone.
On June 11, 2021, while Matta was being held in the West Baton Rouge Parish Detention Center ("WBRDC"), a search was conducted by WBRDC personnel. All inmates were escorted down the hall and each inmate walked through a walk-in metal detector. When Matta walked through the metal detector, the metal detector alerted. A black cellular telephone, with the words "Alcatel" on the back of the phone, was found in Matta’ possession. The black cellular telephone was a prohibited object that Matta was not allowed to possess in the WBRDC.
These matters were investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office, and the United States Marshal’s Office, and were prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy S. Johnson.