Western District of Louisiana
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Member of Winn Parish methamphetamine distribution ring sentenced to 195 months in prisonRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that the last defendant in a Winn Parish methamphetamine distribution ring was sentenced Monday. United States District Judge Dee D. Drell sentenced Jeremy Laraun Mamon, also known as “Pop C” and “Rilo,” 36, of Winnfield, Louisiana, to 16 years in prison and five years of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
Mamon was one of 11 defendants named as part of an indictment filed September 28, 2017. According to the October 22, 2018 guilty plea of Jeremy Mamon, he and 10 co-defendants conspired to distribute methamphetamine in the Winn Parish area from October 2015 to September 2017.
All 10 defendants have now been convicted and sentenced for their part in the conspiracy:
Co-Defendant
Date of Guilty Plea
Sentencing
Cristina Daniela Santos, 26,
of Los Angeles, California
September 10, 2018
January 16, 2019 - 130 months in prison; five years of supervised release.
Ladarrius “Fat Boy” James Street, 35, of Winnfield
September 10, 2018
January 16, 2019 - 324 months in prison; 10 years of supervised release.
Dexter “Big Oil,” “Big R” Jerome Sapp, 39, of Winnfield,
April 16, 2018
November 20, 2018 - 140 months in prison; five years of supervised release.
Destiney Hamilton, 33,
of Winnfield
July 5, 2018
November 19, 2018 - 36 months in prison; two years of supervised release.
Kendrick “L-Dog” Lamont Davenport, 44, of Winnfield
June 27, 2018
September 28, 2018 - 120 months in prison; five years of supervised release.
Stephen “Little Stephen” Duncan Jr., 26, of Winnfield
July 5, 2018
October 9, 2018 - 60 months in prison; four years of supervised release.
Delano “Drain” C. Hall, 49,
of Winnfield
June 27, 2018
November 20, 2018 - 120 months in prison; five years of supervised release.
Michael “Mike D,” “Michael D” Deangelo Hall, 33, of Winnfield
July 13, 2018
October 9, 2018 - 120 months in prison; five years of supervised release.
Rafael “Toot” M. Powell, 33,
of Atlanta, Louisiana
September 10, 2018
January 16, 2019 - 180 months in prison; 10 years of supervised release.
Xavier “Dank” Deandre Powell, 29, of Winnfield
August 27, 2018
December 13, 2018 - 120 months in prison; five years of supervised release.
The FBI Safe Streets Task Force and the Louisiana State Police, Alexandria Field Office Narcotics, participated in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Earl M. Campbell and Jessica D. Cassidy prosecuted the case.
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Lafayette felon sentenced to nearly 10 years in prison for possessing two firearmsRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – Kenyatta Edmond, 39, of Lafayette, was sentenced on Monday to 110 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell on one count of felon in possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney David C. Joseph announced. The defendant was also sentenced to three years of supervised release.
According to the guilty plea, a concerned citizen contacted the Lafayette police on January 22, 2018 to report an unconscious man behind the wheel of a car at the intersection of Evangeline Thruway and Mudd Avenue. An officer approached the vehicle and saw Edmond slumped forward appearing to be asleep, and noticed a pistol in Edmond’s lap with his hand around the grip. When questioned, Edmond told the officer that he had a second firearm in the vehicle. A search of the vehicle revealed a Beretta Model PX4 Storm .40-caliber semi-automatic pistol and a Taurus Model Judge .410 gauge revolver. After further investigation, it was discovered that the revolver had been previously reported stolen and that Edmond has four prior felony convictions.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF’s) top enforcement and regulatory priority is to prevent and reduce violent crime involving firearms. The ATF carefully focuses its resources to ensure that their operations have the greatest impact on reducing firearms violence. The ATF works closely with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to collect evidence necessary to convict violent offenders that terrorize our communities and those who illegally supply them with guns.
The ATF Lafayette Field Office and the Lafayette Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamilla A. Bynog prosecuted the case.
Pittsburg residents sentenced for transporting more than 15 pounds of cocaine through Calcasieu ParishRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that a man and woman from Pittsburgh were sentenced last week for transporting cocaine through Calcasieu Parish.
Joseph Wilbon, 52, and Marva L. Flenory, 59, both of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, were sentenced on January 31, 2019 to 78 months and 57 months in prison, respectively, by U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. for possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. They were also sentenced to three years of supervised release. According to the July 19, 2018 guilty pleas, Louisiana State Police pulled over the vehicle Wilbon was driving on June 8, 2016 in Calcasieu Parish. Wilbon and his passenger, Flenory, were traveling east at the time. The trooper searched the vehicle and found a large red suitcase, which contained six brick-like bundles of cocaine totaling 15.96 pounds.
Homeland Security Investigations and the Louisiana State Police conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert C. Abendroth is prosecuting the case.
2 illegal aliens plead guilty, 9 sentenced who were arrested in south LouisianaRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE/LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that two illegal aliens pleaded guilty and nine were sentenced last week after being arrested in south Louisiana for various offenses.
Illegal alien from Mexico arrested in Lafayette Parish pleads guilty to possessing revolver, shotgun
LAFAYETTE, La. – Jose Daniel Molina, 36, of Veracruz, Mexico, pleaded guilty January 29, 2019 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Carol B. Whitehurst for one count of possessing of firearms by an illegal alien. The plea will become final when accepted by U.S. District Judge Donald E. Walter. According to the guilty plea, Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s deputies responded to a call on December 2, 2018 of shots being fired near a residence in Duson, Louisiana. Deputies found Molina’s vehicle parked at the intersection of Dwayne Road and Tunica Lane, and also found a Mossberg 20-gauge shotgun in plain view in the backseat of the car, and a Smith & Wesson .38 Special revolver with three live rounds and three empty casings on the ground about 10 feet from the driver’s side window of Molina’s car. Molina was later taken into custody and told Homeland Security agents that he illegally entered the country in 2000 and was in possession of the two firearms.
Molina faces up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a $250,000 fine, and possible deportation. The court set an April 24, 2019 sentencing date.
Homeland Security Investigations, ATF and the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Ayo is prosecuting the case.
6 illegal aliens arrested in southwest Louisiana pleaded guilty, sentenced for re-entering the country illegally
LAKE CHARLES, La. – The following illegal aliens pleaded guilty and were sentenced January 31, 2019 for re-entering the United States after having been removed.
Gerardo Valencia-Alvarez, 24, of Mexico. According to the guilty plea, the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office stopped a vehicle Valencia-Alvarez was traveling in on October 8, 2018. After further investigation, law enforcement agents found that he was an illegal alien from Mexico and had been removed from the country previously in 2013. United States Border Patrol and Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Ayo prosecuted the cases.
Josue David Diaz-Ramos, 23, of Honduras. According to the guilty plea, the Sulphur Police Department contacted the U.S. Border Patrol for assistance in handling illegal aliens found during a traffic stop. Border Patrol agents found that Diaz-Ramos has been removed from the country in 2014 and was not allowed to re-enter the country. United States Border Patrol and Sulphur Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Ayo prosecuted the cases.
Alberto Herndandez-Villeda, 48, of Mexico. According to the guilty plea, Cameron Parish Sheriff’s deputies found Hernandez-Villeda with another illegal alien on November 8, 2018 while investigating a complaint about someone trespassing on private property. Border Patrol agents discovered that the defendant had been previously removed from the United States on July 14, 2017 and was not allowed in the country. United States Border Patrol and Cameron Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Ayo prosecuted the cases.
Pedro Santiago-Gomez, 23, of Honduras. According to the guilty plea, Santiago-Gomez was traveling in a vehicle that was stopped by Louisiana State Police for hit and run. State Police contacted Border Patrol, and they determined that Santiago had been previously removed from the country in 2013. United States Border Patrol and the Louisiana State Police conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Ayo prosecuted the cases.
Hector Ramiro Iglesias-Pineda, 33, of Honduras, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. on one count of illegal re-entry of a removed alien. According to the guilty plea, Iglesias-Pineda was found in Jefferson Davis Parish on October 28, 2018. He was an illegal alien who has been removed from the United States previously on December 6, 2010. Homeland Security Investigations and the Jennings Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney T. Forrest Phillips prosecuted the case.
Saul Gallindo-Martinez, 33, of Puebla, Mexico, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. on one count of illegal re-entry of a removed alien. According to the guilty plea, Gallindo-Martinez was found on September 12, 2018 in Beauregard Parish. The defendant had been previously deported on December 10, 2012 after pleading guilty in the 14th Judicial District Court in Calcasieu Parish to driving while intoxicated, first offense. Homeland Security Investigations and the Beauregard Parish Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney T. Forrest Phillips prosecuted the case.
The defendants were also sentenced to a term of imprisonment spanning the time of incarceration to sentencing. They were then remanded to the custody of U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement for deportation proceedings.
Mexican national sentenced to 27 months in prison for transporting 9 illegal aliens in Calcasieu Parish
LAKE CHARLES, La. – Felix Manuel Juarez-Peralta, 28, of Durango, Mexico, was sentenced January 31, 2019 by U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. on one count of illegal alien transportation. According to the October 12, 2018 guilty plea, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle June 7, 2018 traveling west on Interstate 10 in Sulphur, Louisiana. Officers found Juarez-Peralta and nine illegal aliens in a Toyota 4Runner. One of the passengers was an unaccompanied minor. After questioning the defendant, Juarez-Peralta admitted that he knew the passengers were illegal aliens and that he had been paid to transport them.
Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Border Patrol and Calcasieu Combined Anti-Drug Team conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Ayo prosecuted the case.
Illegal alien from Mexico arrested in Calcasieu Parish pleads guilty re-entering U.S. for 7th time
LAKE CHARLES, La. – Michael Murillo-Vasquez, 39, of Mexico, pleaded guilty February 1, 2019 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen Kay on one count of illegal re-entry of a removed alien. According to the guilty plea, Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s deputies stopped the vehicle Murillo-Vasquez was driving on September 27, 2018 at the intersection of Lake Shore Drive and Interstate 10. Upon further investigation, Border Patrol agents found that Murillo-Vasquez had been removed from the country six times in November 2006, July 2007, November 2011, May 2012, February 2013 and October 2014.
Murillo-Vasquez faces up to two years in prison, one year of supervised release, a $250,000 fine, and possible deportation. The court set sentencing for May 9, 2019. United States Border Patrol and the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Ayo is prosecuting the case.
Shreveport trauma surgeon found guilty of stealing more than $200,000 in Social Security benefitsRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – Following a trial that began on Monday, a federal jury returned a verdict of guilty today on all counts charged in the prosecution of a 58-year old Shreveport surgeon for stealing more than $200,000 in Social Security disability payments, announced U.S. Attorney David C. Joseph.
The jury deliberated for approximately ten hours before finding John T. Owings, Chief of Trauma at Louisiana State University – Health Sciences Center in Shreveport, guilty of 20 counts of theft of government property and one count of concealing or failing to disclose an event affecting right to a government benefit.
The United States presented evidence during trial showing that Owings applied for disability benefits in 2008 and continued to receive those benefits through June of 2017, after returning to work in 2012. When Owings went back to work as a surgeon at the University of California-Davis in 2012, making $22,000 a month, he failed to tell the Social Security Administration (SSA) about his return to work. In 2013, LSU Health Sciences Center in Shreveport hired Owings as its trauma chief, paying him over $40,000 a month. Owings never disclosed his employment at LSU Health Sciences Center to the SSA. Owings took disability insurance benefits throughout his employment at the University of California-Davis and LSU Health Sciences Center that he was not entitled to.
“Protecting taxpayer money from fraud is a priority of my office,” stated U.S. Attorney David C. Joseph. ”We will hold accountable those who try to defraud the government and wrongfully take money intended for those in need. This verdict shows the strength of the evidence in this case and underscores the hard work of the Social Security Administration investigators and prosecutors in my office.”
“Today’s guilty verdict affirms Social Security Administration’s, Office of the Inspector General, mission to combat fraud, waste and abuse,” said Terry L. Brown, Acting Special Agent in Charge, SSA OIG Dallas Field Division. “The dedicated work by OIG agents and the Shreveport United States Attorney’s office resulted in the protection of United States citizens and the Disability Insurance Trust Funds.”
The SSA is responsible for the implementation of the Disability Insurance Benefits Program under Title II of the Social Security Act. The SSA provides monetary benefits to individuals who have worked and paid taxes to SSA. To be eligible for monthly cash benefits, individuals must have been deemed medically disabled and must have been unable to maintain gainful employment.
Pursuant to SSA regulations, a claimant must prove to SSA that he or she is disabled by furnishing medical and other evidence with the application. The application and supporting evidence would then be evaluated by SSA to determine the individual’s medical impairments and determine the effect of the impairment on the claimant’s ability to work on a sustained basis. Recipients of Social Security disability insurance benefits are required by federal law to report any changes in their medical or employment status to SSA, including any work activity, whether compensated or not. Eligibility for Disability Insurance Benefits is conditioned on the recipient’s lack of employment income during the period when the disability benefits are paid.
United States District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote presided over the trial and will sentence Owings on May 29, 2019. Owings faces up to ten years imprisonment for theft of government property and five years imprisonment for concealing or failing to disclose an event affecting right to a Title II benefit. Owings also faces up to three years supervised release and a $250,000 fine for each count.
The Social Security Administration – Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Seth D. Reeg and Leon H. Whitten prosecuted the case.
Monroe felon pleads guilty to possessing two handguns, ammunition and bullet drumRead the Press Release
MONROE, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that a Monroe felon pleaded guilty Wednesday to possessing two handguns, multiple rounds of ammunition and a large capacity drum magazine.
Kendrick Darnell Williams, 21, of Monroe, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. When Monroe police officers stopped a car on October 17, 2017 for a traffic violation, Kendrick Williams jumped out of the passenger door and ran. Officers caught Williams and brought him back to the scene where they searched the car and found a loaded Ruger .357-caliber revolver and a loaded Smith & Wesson .9 mm-caliber pistol in a natural void behind the glove compartment. They also found a 60-round Magpul drum-style magazine in the back seat, and one round of .45-caliber ammunition, one round of .380 caliber ammunition and eight rounds of .40 caliber ammunition in the trunk. When officers checked the status of the firearms, the Smith & Wesson pistol came back stolen. Williams admitted to handling the Smith & Wesson pistol before police stopped the vehicle.
Williams is a convicted felon and prohibited from possessing a firearm. Williams pleaded guilty to aggravated second-degree battery in Ouachita Parish on April 26, 2012. Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition.
Williams faces up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. Judge Doughty set the sentencing date for May 1, 2019.
The ATF, Ouachita Parish Metro Narcotics Unit, and the Monroe Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike O’Mara is prosecuting the case.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Lake Charles couple admits to selling Oxycodone pills, financing construction of $600k houseRead the Press Release
LAKE CHARLES, La. – A Lake Charles couple admitted on Wednesday in U.S. District Court to selling hundreds of Oxycodone pills, announced U.S. Attorney David C. Joseph.
John Homer Legros Jr. 39, and his wife, Veronica Gray Legros, 39, of Lake Charles, Louisiana, each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. United States Magistrate Judge Kathleen Kay presided at the hearing. The plea will become final when accepted by U.S. District Judge Donald E. Walter.
During their plea hearings, each defendant admitted to selling Oxycodone pills. John Legros sold 100 Oxycodone pills on May 19, 2016, and 95 Oxycodone pills on June 16, 2016. On September 28, 2016, John Legros gave Veronica Legros 100 Oxycodone pills with instructions to deliver and sell them to a contact on his behalf. On October 25, 2016, John Legros asked co-defendant Billy Winbush, 41, also of Lake Charles, to sell 100 Oxycodone pills. During this investigation, law enforcement discovered that Legros was financing the construction of a house that appraised at $600,000 with the drug sale proceeds. As a result, the property is being forfeited to the United States.
The defendants face up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $1 million fine. Winbush pleaded guilty on January 14, 2019 to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. All defendants are scheduled to be sentenced on May 9, 2019.
The FBI and the Calcasieu Parish Combined Anti-Drug Task Force conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert C. Abendroth prosecuted the case.
Former Supervisor at Louisiana Correctional Facility Pleads Guilty to Violating Civil Rights of Five InmatesRead the Press Release
The Justice Department today announced that defendant Roderick Douglas, a former supervisor at the Richwood Correctional Center, pleaded guilty in federal court yesterday for his role in a conspiracy to violate the civil rights of five inmates. Douglas, 38, of Monroe, Louisiana, pleaded guilty to conspiring with five other officers to violate the Constitutional prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment. Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband for the Civil Rights Division and U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana David C. Joseph made the announcement.
“Correctional officers who abuse their power and inflict cruel and unusual punishment against the inmates under their care, violate the Constitution,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband. “The Justice Department will continue to investigate and prosecute unlawful misconduct by correctional officers to protect victims of these abuses and to ensure the integrity of our civil rights laws.”
“The men and women who work in our prison system have a difficult and dangerous job,” U.S. Attorney David C. Joseph stated. “However, we expect our correctional facility employees to be professional and respectful of others’ rights. Those who fail to do so will be held accountable.”
According to his guilty plea, Douglas worked as a Captain at the Richwood Correctional Center in Richwood, Louisiana, where on Oct. 30, 2016 he and other officers conspired to inflict cruel and unusual punishment upon five inmates by spraying a chemical agent in their face and eyes while the inmates were handcuffed, compliant, kneeling on the floor, and not posing a physical threat to anyone. Douglas admitted that he and the other officers attempted to hide their conduct by submitting a false story in their official reports concerning the incident.
The count of conviction carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a criminal fine of up to $250,000. Douglas is scheduled to be sentenced on June 10, 2019 by U.S. District Judge Terry A. Doughty of the Western District of Louisiana, who accepted the plea.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Mudrick of the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Western District of Louisiana, and Trial Attorney Anita Channapati of the Civil Rights Division, Criminal Section, U.S. Department of Justice. The case was investigated by the Monroe Division of the FBI.
Former Richwood correctional supervisor pleads guilty to role in physical assault of inmatesRead the Press Release
MONROE, La. – The Justice Department and U.S. Attorney David C. Joseph announced that Roderick Douglas, a former supervisor at the Richwood Correctional Center, pleaded guilty Wednesday in federal court for his role in a conspiracy to violate the civil rights of five inmates.
Douglas, 38, of Monroe, Louisiana, pleaded guilty to conspiring with five other officers to violate the Constitutional prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment. Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband of the Civil Rights Division and Western District of Louisiana U.S. Attorney David C. Joseph made the announcement.
“Correctional officers who abuse their power and inflict cruel and unusual punishment against the inmates under their care, violate the Constitution,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband. “The Justice Department will continue to investigate and prosecute unlawful misconduct by correctional officers to protect victims of these abuses and to ensure the integrity of our civil rights laws.”
“The men and women who work in our prison system have a difficult and dangerous job,” U.S. Attorney David C. Joseph stated. “However, we expect our correctional facility employees to be professional and respectful of others’ rights. Those who fail to do so will be held accountable.”
According to his guilty plea, Douglas worked as a Captain at the Richwood Correctional Center in Richwood, Louisiana, where on October 30, 2016, he and other officers conspired to inflict cruel and unusual punishment upon five inmates by spraying a chemical agent in their face and eyes while the inmates were handcuffed, compliant, kneeling on the floor, and not posing a physical threat to anyone. Douglas admitted that he and the other officers attempted to hide their conduct by submitting a false story in their official reports concerning the incident.
The count of conviction carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a criminal fine of up to $250,000. Douglas is scheduled to be sentenced on June 10, 2019 by U.S. District Judge Terry A. Doughty of the Western District of Louisiana, who accepted the plea.
The case was investigated by the Monroe Division of the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Mudrick of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of Louisiana, and Trial Attorney Anita Channapati of the Civil Rights Division, Criminal Section, U.S. Department of Justice, are prosecuting the case.
Sunoco pipeline LP to pay more than $5.4m and take oil-spill prevention steps to settle claims for pipeline spills in three statesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – In the latest joint federal-state Clean Water Act enforcement action, Sunoco Pipeline L.P. has agreed to pay civil penalties and state enforcement costs and to implement corrective measures to resolve alleged violations of the Clean Water Act and state environmental laws by Sunoco and Mid-Valley Pipeline Company stemming from three crude oil spills in 2013, 2014, and 2015, in Texas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma.
The Department of Justice, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) jointly announced the settlement.
Under a proposed consent decree lodged today in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, Sunoco will pay the United States $5 million in federal civil penalties for the Clean Water Act violations and pay LDEQ $436,274.20 for civil penalties and response costs to resolve claims asserted in a complaint filed today. Additionally, Sunoco agreed to take actions to prevent future spills by identifying and remediating the types of problems that caused the prior spills. This includes performing pipeline inspections and repairing pipeline defects that could lead to future spills. Sunoco is also required to take steps to prevent and detect corrosion in pipeline segments that Sunoco is no longer using. Mid-Valley, the owner of the pipeline that spilled oil in Louisiana, is responsible, along with Sunoco, for payment of the civil penalties and state costs relating to the Louisiana spill.
“This settlement holds Sunoco and Mid-Valley accountable for the harms to the environment caused by their oil spills and requires Sunoco to improve its environmental safety compliance for the oil pipelines that it operates in Texas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma,” said Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey Bossert Clark for the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “This excellent result shows how a strong federal and state partnership can bring about effective environmental enforcement to protect local communities in these states.”
“My office is committed to protecting Louisiana’s environment for the health, well-being, and enjoyment of our citizens,” said U.S. Attorney David C. Joseph for the Western District of Louisiana. “This settlement is but one example of my commitment to work with the Environmental Protection Agency and Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality to make Louisiana a cleaner and healthier place to live.”
“Our nation relies on the oil and gas sector to meet our energy needs, and we also expect companies to do so while protecting our vital water resources,” said EPA Regional Administrator Ann Idsal. “Companies who violate this responsibility must face consequences and assure their future compliance.”
“Pipelines are generally a very safe medium for transporting crude oil, but like any other infrastructure, pipelines require maintenance and monitoring. When companies neglect these necessary actions, pipelines can weaken and a spill can occur, which results in damage to the environment,” said LDEQ Secretary Dr. Chuck Carr Brown. “LDEQ is committed to pursuing legal action against anyone whose actions cause damage to the environment of the state of Louisiana.”
The Complaint alleges federal and state claims relating to three crude oil spills: a 2013 spill of 550 barrels in Tyler County, Texas; a 2014 spill of approximately 4,500 barrels in Caddo Parish, near Mooringsport, Louisiana; and a 2015 spill of 40 barrels in Grant County, Oklahoma. The Texas spill affected Russell Creek, which flows to the Neches River. The Louisiana spill—the largest of the three—flowed to Tete Bayou, a tributary of Caddo Lake. The Oklahoma spill flowed into two creeks that flow to the Arkansas River, affecting an area of about a half a mile. All three spills resulted from pipeline corrosion.
The Clean Water Act makes it unlawful to discharge oil or hazardous substances into or upon the navigable waters of the United States or adjoining shorelines in quantities that may be harmful to the environment or public health. The penalty paid to the United States will be deposited in the federal Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund managed by the National Pollution Funds Center. Those funds will be available to pay for federal response activities and to compensate for damages when there is a discharge or substantial threat of discharge of oil or hazardous substances to waters of the United States or adjoining shorelines.
The proposed consent decree, lodged with the court today, is subject to a public comment requirements and court review and approval. A copy of the consent decree is available on the Department of Justice website at www.justice.gov/enrd/consent-decrees.
Sunoco Pipeline LP to Pay More Than $5.4 Million and Take Oil-Spill Prevention Steps to Settle Claims for Pipeline Spills in Three StatesRead the Press Release
In the latest joint federal-state Clean Water Act enforcement action, Sunoco Pipeline L.P. has agreed to pay civil penalties and state enforcement costs and to implement corrective measures to resolve alleged violations of the Clean Water Act and state environmental laws by Sunoco and Mid-Valley Pipeline Company stemming from three crude oil spills in 2013, 2014, and 2015, in Texas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma.
The Department of Justice, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) jointly announced the settlement.
Under a proposed consent decree lodged today in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, Sunoco will pay the United States $5 million in federal civil penalties for the Clean Water Act violations and pay LDEQ $436,274 for civil penalties and response costs to resolve claims asserted in a complaint filed today. Additionally, Sunoco agreed to take actions to prevent future spills by identifying and remediating the types of problems that caused the prior spills. This includes performing pipeline inspections and repairing pipeline defects that could lead to future spills. Sunoco is also required to take steps to prevent and detect corrosion in pipeline segments that Sunoco is no longer using. Mid-Valley, the owner of the pipeline that spilled oil in Louisiana, is responsible, along with Sunoco, for payment of the civil penalties and state costs relating to the Louisiana spill.
“This settlement holds Sunoco and Mid-Valley accountable for the harms to the environment caused by their oil spills and requires Sunoco to improve its environmental safety compliance for the oil pipelines that it operates in Texas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma,” said Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey Bossert Clark for the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “This excellent result shows how a strong federal and state partnership can bring about effective environmental enforcement to protect local communities in these states.”
“My office is committed to protecting Louisiana’s environment for the health, well-being, and enjoyment of our citizens,” said U.S. Attorney David C. Joseph for the Western District of Louisiana. “This settlement is but one example of my commitment to work with the Environmental Protection Agency and Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality to make Louisiana a cleaner and healthier place to live.”
“Our nation relies on the oil and gas sector to meet our energy needs, and we also expect companies to do so while protecting our vital water resources,” said EPA Regional Administrator Ann Idsal. “Companies who violate this responsibility must face consequences and assure their future compliance.”
“Pipelines are generally a very safe medium for transporting crude oil, but like any other infrastructure, pipelines require maintenance and monitoring. When companies neglect these necessary actions, pipelines can weaken and a spill can occur, which results in damage to the environment,” said LDEQ Secretary Dr. Chuck Carr Brown. “LDEQ is committed to pursuing legal action against anyone whose actions cause damage to the environment of the state of Louisiana.”
The Complaint alleges federal and state claims relating to three crude oil spills: a 2013 spill of 550 barrels in Tyler County, Texas; a 2014 spill of approximately 4,500 barrels in Caddo Parish, near Mooringsport, Louisiana; and a 2015 spill of 40 barrels in Grant County, Oklahoma. The Texas spill affected Russell Creek, which flows to the Neches River. The Louisiana spill—the largest of the three—flowed to Tete Bayou, a tributary of Caddo Lake. The Oklahoma spill flowed into two creeks that flow to the Arkansas River, affecting an area of about a half a mile. All three spills resulted from pipeline corrosion.
The Clean Water Act makes it unlawful to discharge oil or hazardous substances into or upon the navigable waters of the United States or adjoining shorelines in quantities that may be harmful to the environment or public health. The penalty paid to the United States will be deposited in the federal Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund managed by the National Pollution Funds Center. Those funds will be available to pay for federal response activities and to compensate for damages when there is a discharge or substantial threat of discharge of oil or hazardous substances to waters of the United States or adjoining shorelines.
The proposed consent decree, lodged with the court today, is subject to a public comment requirements and court review and approval. A copy of the consent decree is available on the Department of Justice website at www.justice.gov/enrd/consent-decrees.
Federal jury finds Monroe felon guilty of possessing pistol, ammunitionRead the Press Release
MONROE, La. – Daryon D. Kelley, age 23, of Monroe, Louisiana, was found guilty today in United States District Court following a three-day trial, announced United States Attorney David C. Joseph.
After deliberating this afternoon, the federal jury found Kelley guilty of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Evidence admitted at trial revealed that West Monroe police conducted a traffic stop October 2, 2017 on the vehicle Kelley was driving. During a search of the vehicle, police officers found a Ruger .9 mm-caliber pistol and ammunition, $10,400 and a partially smoked marijuana cigar in the center console. Daryon Kelley was previously convicted on April 9, 2015 for a drug distribution charge.
“Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition,” stated U.S. Attorney David C. Joseph. “We are committed to working with our law enforcement partners in keeping our neighborhoods safe and we will continue to work together towards a safer Monroe in 2019.”
The defendant faces up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing has been set for May 15, 2019.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
The ATF and the West Monroe Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tennille M. Gilreath and Earl M. Campbell are prosecuting the case.
West Monroe felon pleads guilty to possessing pistolRead the Press Release
MONROE, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that a West Monroe felon pleaded guilty on January 17, 2019 to unlawfully possessing a pistol.
Michael Holder, 41, of West Monroe, Louisiana, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty, to one count of felon in possession of a firearm. According to the guilty plea, an officer with the Ouachita Parish Task Force conducted a traffic stop on Holder’s vehicle June 9, 2017. The officer discovered that Holder had a warrant from the Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office and asked Holder to exit the vehicle. Holder told the officer he was sitting on a BB gun. Instead of a BB gun, it turned out to be a loaded Glock, Model 17, 9mm-caliber pistol. The officer also found a glass smoking pipe with suspected methamphetamine in Holder’s back pocket.
Holder faces up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. The court set the sentencing date for May 15 2019.
The ATF and the Ouachita Parish Task Force conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Aaron Crawford is prosecuting the case.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Vivian woman sentenced to 10 years for distribution of methamphetamine in ShreveportRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced today that a woman living in Vivian was sentenced on January 22, 2019 to 10 years in prison for distribution of methamphetamine in Shreveport.
Miranda Sierra, 42, of Vivian, Louisiana, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. on one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. She was also sentenced to 33 months of supervised release. According to the June 7, 2018 guilty plea, law enforcement agents conducted a controlled purchase of methamphetamine from Sierra on March 8, 2017, in Shreveport. She met the buyer at a gas station and sold 12.5 grams of methamphetamine. She told the buyer that she would soon travel to California to obtain more methamphetamine for the purpose of selling.
The DEA investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Allison D. Bushnell prosecuted the case.
Shreveport felon pleads guilty to lying on an application to buy a firearmRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that a Shreveport felon pleaded guilty on January 15, 2019 to lying on an application to buy a firearm at a pawnshop.
Jacory Dejuan Robinson, 23, of Shreveport, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. to one count of providing a false statement to a firearm dealer. According to the guilty plea, Robinson filled out paperwork on March 28, 2018 at a Shreveport pawnshop to purchase a handgun. He marked “no” in the box asking if he had ever been convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence, even though he had previously pleaded guilty on May 2, 2017 to one count of misdemeanor simple battery of his girlfriend in Greenwood, Louisiana.
Robinson faces up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. The court set the sentencing date for May 1, 2019.
The ATF conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron J. Crawford is prosecuting the case.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Port Barre man sentenced to 24 months for possessing child pornography on home computerRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that a Port Barre man was sentenced on January 2, 2019 to two years in prison for possessing child pornography on his computer and an external hard drive.
John G. Bertrand, 35, of Port Barre, Louisiana, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dee. D. Drell on one count of possession of child pornography. He was also sentenced to seven years of supervised release and is required to register as a sex offender. According to the July 25, 2018 guilty plea, law enforcement agents identified an IP address associated with Bertrand’s residence as downloading child pornography from the internet. Agents searched Bertrand’s home on December 15, 2016, and found a MacBook laptop containing 491 images and 88 video files of child pornography. They also found an external hard drive containing 292 images and 43 video files of child pornography. Bertrand admitted to agents that he had downloaded and stored the child pornography on these devices.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a U.S. Department of Justice nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood combines federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) also encourage the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free hotline at (866) 347-2423. Investigators are available at all hours to answer hotline calls. Tips or other information can also be submitted to ICE online by visiting their website at www.ice.gov/exec/forms/hsi-tips/tips.asp or through the Operation Predator smartphone application www.ice.gov/predator/smartphone-app. Tips may be submitted anonymously.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert C. Abendroth prosecuted the case.
Monroe felon sentenced to more than nine years in prison for possessing shotgunRead the Press Release
MONROE, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that a Monroe felon was sentenced on January 2, 2019 to more than nine years in prison for possessing a 12-gauge shotgun.
Adrian Terrell Riser, 32, of Monroe, Louisiana, was sentenced to 110 months imprisonment by U.S. District Judge Terry A. Doughty on one count of felon in possession of a firearm. He was also sentenced to three years of supervised release. According to the September 10, 2018 guilty plea, a Monroe Police Officer observed Riser on February 28, 2018 outside of an apartment on Richwood Road with a firearm in the left leg of his pants. He was arrested, and the weapon was found to be a Maverick Arms 12-gauge shotgun loaded with six rounds of ammunition. The defendant was previously convicted of possession with intent to distribute marijuana in 2012, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine in 2014 and possession of cocaine in 2016. These felonies barred him from possessing a firearm under federal law.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and re-entry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
The ATF and the Monroe Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian C. Flanagan prosecuted the case.
Man from Alexandria sentenced to a year in prison for stealing $8,600 from Dry Prong casinoRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that a man from Alexandria was sentenced on January 14, 2019 to 12 months in prison for stealing $8,600 from the Jena Choctaw Pines Casino.
Eddie Ray Washington, 36, of Alexandria, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell on one count of theft from an Indian tribal organization. He was also sentenced to two years of supervised release and was ordered to pay $8,600 restitution. According to the October 4, 2018 guilty plea, Washington entered the Jena Choctaw Pines Casino on September 18, 2018, approached an unoccupied teller station at the cash counter, leaned over the counter, removed $8,600 from a cash drawer and exited the casino. Casino security officers were able to identity Washington using video surveillance and he was later arrested.
Jurisdiction in Indian Country is based upon the unique sovereign relationship between the federal government and Indian tribes. Congress has criminalized certain acts that take place in Indian Country. The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecutes all felony cases arising in Indian Country covered by federal criminal law.
The FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dominic Rossetti is prosecuting the case.
Longville woman pleads guilty to stealing more than $265,000 from employer and lying about it on tax returnsRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that a Longville woman pleaded guilty on January 24, 2019 to stealing more than $265,000 from her employer and failing to report the income on her tax returns.
Ashleigh Matte, 37, of Longville, Louisiana, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Robert R. Summerhays to two counts of filing false tax returns. According to the guilty plea, Matte was the officer manager for Gene Kile, Inc. (“GKI”), in Westlake, Louisiana. From 2014 to 2016, she stole money from GKI by writing checks to herself using company checks and depositing them into various accounts owned by her. Over the three-year period, Matte stole $265,418.72, and hid the theft by making false accounting entries in GKI’s records. On Matte’s 2015 and 2016 tax filing documents, she failed to report this income, which caused a loss to the U.S. Treasury of $56,500.38.
Matte faces up to six years in prison, one year of supervised release, a $200,000 fine and restitution to GKI and the IRS. The court set sentencing for May 24, 2019.
The IRS investigated the case. United States Attorney David C. Joseph is prosecuting the case.
ICE most wanted illegal alien pleads guilty to illegally re-entering United StatesRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that an illegal alien from Mexico arrested in Acadia Parish pleaded guilty today to illegally re-entering the country.
Jose Melchor-Martinez, 49, of Mexico, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Carol B. Whitehurst to one count of illegal re-entry of a removed alien. The plea will become final when accepted by U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. According to the guilty plea, U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agents arrested Melchor-Martinez near Church Point, Louisiana, on October 12, 2018 on a criminal complaint. He had been previously removed from the United States on September 6, 2003 after a serving time for a conviction in Mecklenburg, North Carolina, for a charge of indecent liberties with a child. At the time of his arrest in October, U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement considered Melchor-Martinez one of its most wanted fugitives. For more information, see www.ice.gov/most-wanted/martinez-jose-melchor.
Melchor-Martinez faces up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a $250,000 fine, and possible deportation. The court set sentencing for June 6, 2019.
U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement Removal, Office of Enforcement and Removal Operations investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Ayo is prosecuting the case.
Haughton man pleads guilty to enticing a minor to travel to Louisiana for illegal sex actsRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that a Haughton man pleaded guilty on January 16, 2019 for convincing a minor to travel with him from West Virginia to Louisiana in order to engage in illegal sex acts.
Blake Lee Bissell, 27, of Haughton, Louisiana, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote to one count of coercion and enticement to travel to engage in criminal sexual activity. According to the guilty plea, Bissell began an online relationship with a 14-year-old in early 2018. Shortly thereafter, Bissell traveled to West Virginia on June 30, 2018, picked up the minor and transported the minor back to Louisiana where they engaged in illegal sexual activity.
Bissell faces up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. The court set the sentencing date for May 2, 2019.
The FBI and the Wheeling Police Department of West Virginia conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian C. Flanagan and Earl M. Campbell are prosecuting the case.
Former Richwood correctional officer pleads guilty to covering up physical assault of inmatesRead the Press Release
MONROE, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that former Richwood Correctional Center officer, David Parker, pleaded guilty on January 17, 2019 in federal court for his role in a conspiracy to cover up the physical assault of five inmates by himself and other correctional officers in violation of the Constitutional prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment.
Parker, 27, of Tallulah, Louisiana, pleaded guilty to conspiring to falsify documents with the intent to obstruct and influence a matter within federal jurisdiction. According to his guilty plea, Parker worked as an officer at the Richwood Correctional Center in Richwood, Louisiana, where on October 30, 2016, he and other officers inflicted cruel and unusual punishment upon five inmates by spraying a chemical agent in their face and eyes while the inmates were handcuffed, compliant, kneeling on the floor, and not posing a physical threat to anyone. Parker admitted that he conspired with the other officers to hide their conduct by submitting a false story in their official reports concerning the incident.
The count of conviction carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a criminal fine of up to $250,000. Parker is scheduled to be sentenced on May 15, 2019.
The case was investigated by the Monroe Division of the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Mudrick of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of Louisiana, and Trial Attorney Anita Channapati of the Civil Rights Division, Criminal Section, U.S. Department of Justice, are prosecuting the case.
Former Fenton housing authority director pleads guilty to embezzling more than $33,000Read the Press Release
LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that a former executive director of the Fenton housing authority pleaded guilty January 8, 2019 to embezzling more than $33,000.
Gwen Jackson, 35, of Fenton, Louisiana, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen Kay to one count of federal program fraud. The plea will become final when accepted by U.S. District Judge Donald E. Walter. According to the guilty plea, Jackson embezzled $33,194.76 from March 31, 2017 to September 20, 2017 while she was executive director of the Fenton Housing Authority. Jackson was hired as executive director in February of 2017 and was responsible for the day-to-day operations of the housing authority complex, which included access to business checks and the accounting ledger. After receiving complaints about possible theft of funds, law enforcement agents interviewed Jackson and she confessed to fraudulently cashing numerous FHA checks for her personal benefit.
Jackson faces up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. The court set the sentencing date for May 9, 2019.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General, and the Louisiana Legislative Auditor’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jamilla A. Bynog is prosecuting the case.
Bossier City man pleads guilty to stealing more than $180,000 using a price changing schemeRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that a Bossier City man pleaded guilty on January 7, 2019 to using a merchandise price changing scheme to steal more than $180,000.
Peter Stifner, 39, of Bossier City, Louisiana, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote to three counts of wire fraud. According to the guilty plea, Stifner conducted a scheme to steal merchandise from Walmart, Sam’s Club and Target. He obtained barcode stickers of lower priced merchandise, brought the stickers into the stores and placed them over the barcodes of higher priced merchandise. Stifner purchased merchandise at the lower price and would then resell it online for a profit. As a result of his fraudulent activity, the defendant stole more than $180,000 during the course of the scheme.
Stifner faces up to 20 years in prison, five years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine for each count. The court set the sentencing date for May 2, 2019.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cadesby B. Cooper is prosecuting the case.
Felons in Lake Charles and Shreveport prosecuted for illegally possessing firearmsRead the Press Release
LAKE CHARLES/SHREVEPORT La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced one felon pleaded guilty and two were sentenced this week for firearms violations under the Justice Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative.
Lake Charles felon pleads guilty to unlawfully possessing rifle
LAKE CHARLES, La. – Forrest Cecil Coker II, 33, of Lake Charles, pleaded guilty Monday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen Kay to one count of felon in possession of a firearm. According to the guilty plea, Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s deputies searched a Laurel Avenue home to execute a pending felony warrant. Upon searching the home, where Coker was living, deputies found a stolen DPMS Model AR-10, .308-caliber rifle, a small amount of suspected methamphetamine, four suspected Alprazolam pills and two suspected Citalopram pills. Coker’s criminal history revealed that he was a felon, having previously been convicted of felony offenses on three separate occasions in the State of Louisiana’s 14th Judicial District Court.
Coker faces up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. The court set the sentencing date for March 25, 2019.
The ATF and the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel J. McCoy is prosecuting the case.
Shreveport felon sentenced to 46 months in prison for possessing a loaded pistol
SHREVEPORT, La. – Kevin Summerfield, 26, of Shreveport, was sentenced Wednesday to four years and 10 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote on one count of felon in possession of a firearm. He was also sentenced to three years of supervised release. According to the September 7, 2018 guilty plea, a Shreveport Police officer encountered Summerfield at a hotel on Monkhouse Drive. The officer observed that Summerfield had a firearm in his waistband, and he was subsequently arrested. The firearm was a Hi-Point, Model CF380, .380-caliber pistol and was loaded with 13 rounds of ammunition. Summerfield was previously convicted of two burglary felonies in 2011 and is not allowed to possess a firearm according to federal law.
The ATF and the Shreveport Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian C. Flanagan prosecuted the case.
Shreveport felon sentenced to 37 months in prison for possessing pistol in car
SHREVEPORT, La. – Kenneth W. Robinson, 33, of Shreveport, Louisiana, was sentenced Thursday to three years and one month in prison by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote on one count of felon in possession of a firearm. He was also sentenced to three years of supervised release. According to the September 7, 2018 guilty plea, law enforcement officers observed Robinson on January 25, 2018 sitting in a vehicle on Dickinson Street. When officers approached, Robinson fled the vehicle on foot to a nearby apartment. Officers saw a Smith & Wesson SW9VE, 9 mm pistol on the driver’s side floorboard where Robinson had been sitting. They also located Robinson’s mobile phone next to the firearm. He was later arrested and admitted that the firearm was his. Robinson was previously convicted of illegal use of a weapon in 2004, possession of a controlled dangerous substance in 2008 and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon in 2013. The felonies restricted him from possessing a firearm under federal law.
The ATF, Caddo-Shreveport Narcotics Unit and Shreveport Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth D. Reeg prosecuted the case.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Lake Charles woman sentenced to 10 years in prison for role in kidnapping Texas man after drug dealRead the Press Release
LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that Sarah Paxton, 25, of Lake Charles, was sentenced on Monday by U.S. District Judge Donald E. Walter, to 120 months in prison and three years of supervised release for her role in kidnapping a Texas man after a failed drug deal.
According to the guilty plea, Paxton, Justin Fry, 35, and James Coleman, 34, also of Lake Charles, traveled to Liberty, Texas, on April 8, 2018 to buy methamphetamine from a contact. In order to complete the sale, the contact rode with the defendants to Houston to meet a second contact who had the methamphetamine. Instead of selling the drugs, the Houston contact robbed Fry and then sped away. The defendants believed the Liberty contact had knowledge of the fact that the Houston supplier intended to rob Fry and proceeded to tie him up and beat him, while Paxton videoed it on her cell phone. In an attempt to get the victim to pay back the $1,300, Fry and Coleman repeatedly threatened to kill him. After making several phone calls, the victim was unable to get the money.
The victim became confident that Coleman, Fry and Paxton were going to kill him, so he jumped from the moving car, rolling down an embankment. Coleman and Fry retrieved the bloodied victim, beat him more, duct taped his mouth, and locked him in the trunk of the vehicle. The victim was in the trunk for approximately four to five hours as the defendants drove around Houston and then decided to return to Vinton. When they stopped in Vinton, the victim escaped from the trunk and called law enforcement. The defendants’ cell phones were searched and conversations about the drug deal were found on Fry’s cell phone; the videos of the beatings were found on Paxton’s cell phone.
Justin Fry was sentenced to 292 months in prison, and James Coleman was sentenced to 242 months in prison on November 27, 2018 for interstate kidnapping. They were both also sentenced to five years of supervised release.
Homeland Security Investigations and the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Luke Walker prosecuted the case.
Illegal alien from Honduras pleads guilty to re-entering the United States five timesRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced today that an illegal alien from Honduras pleaded guilty to illegally re-entering the country for a fifth time.
Selvin Ponce-Hernandez, 27, of Honduras, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. on one count of illegal re-entry of a removed alien. According to the indictment, Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s deputies arrested Ponce-Hernandez on August 9, 2018 for domestic abuse battery, possession of a stolen firearm and resisting an officer. The defendant’s wife reported the battery and deputies found him hiding in the closet of an abandoned apartment. The defendant was previously removed from the United States four times - November 2008, December 2009, January 2012 and October 2015. He also has two previous criminal convictions. He was convicted in August of 2008 of criminal mischief in Houston Texas, and in October 2009 in the Southern District of Texas for illegal re-entry of a removed alien.
Ponce-Hernandez faces up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a $250,000 fine, and possible deportation. Sentencing has been set for April 3, 2019.
Homeland Security Investigations, the ATF and the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Ayo is prosecuting the case.
Florida man sentenced to 8 years in prison for trafficking cocaine in Calcasieu ParishRead the Press Release
LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that a Florida man was sentenced Monday to 96 months in prison for trafficking nearly 10 kilograms of cocaine.
Kavin Grandison, 46, of Pensacola, Florida, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Donald E. Walter on one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. He was also sentenced to four years of supervised release. According to the October 3, 2018 guilty plea, a law enforcement officer conducted a traffic stop on Grandison’s vehicle on February 22, 2018 in Calcasieu Parish. After a search of the vehicle, the officer discovered sealed plastic bags in the gas tank, which contained powder cocaine. The substance was tested, weighed and found to be 4.972 kilograms of cocaine. During an earlier arrest, officers had stopped Grandison’s vehicle on November 8, 2017 in Jackson County, Mississippi, and conducted a search of his vehicle. They found six sealed packages in a detergent box that later tested to be 4.384 kilograms of cocaine. Grandison was found with a total of 9.356 kilograms of cocaine confiscated from both vehicle stops.
Homeland Security Investigations and the Calcasieu Anti-Drug Team conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dominic Rossetti prosecuted the case.
9 illegal aliens arrested in the Western District of Louisiana plead guilty, sentenced for re-entering U.S.Read the Press Release
LAKE CHARLES, SHREVEPORT, ALEXANDRIA, MONROE, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that nine illegal aliens arrested in the Western District of Louisiana pleaded guilty and were sentenced this week for re-entering the country.
3 illegal aliens from Mexico arrested in Southwest Louisiana plead guilty
LAKE CHARLES, La. – Pedro Olvera-Gonzalez, 40; Juan Perez-Hernandez, 19; and Jose Miguel Boites-Huerta, 34, all of Mexico, pleaded guilty Monday before U.S. District Judge Donald E. Walter to one count of illegal re-entry of a removed alien in three separate cases. According to the guilty pleas, the defendants were arrested in southwest Louisiana and found to have re-entered the United States after being removed.
Olvera-Gonzalez was encountered by Border Patrol agents on September 6, 2018 at the Cameron Parish Jail and was found to have been deported four previous times in 2001, 2003, 2006 and 2010. His criminal history includes a vehicle burglary conviction on May 11, 1999, a vehicle burglary conviction on July 17, 2002 in Nueces County, Texas, an evading arrest conviction on November 17, 2009 in Hidalgo County, Texas, and a 2018 conviction in Cameron Parish for speeding, reckless operation, flight from an officer, lack of vehicle insurance, operation of a vehicle without lawful presence in the United States, no vehicle license and no motor vehicle headlamps.
Perez-Hernandez was detained by Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s deputies after a traffic stop on September 6, 2018 on Interstate-10 in Lake Charles. He was turned over to Border Patrol agents who discovered that he was a citizen from Mexico and had been previously removed on August 9, 2018.
Boites-Huerta was arrested by Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s deputies after a traffic violation August 14, 2018 near Lake Charles. He was later turned over to Border Patrol agents who discovered he was a citizen of Mexico and was not allowed to be in the United States. He had been previously removed on December 13, 2010.
The defendants were sentenced at the guilty plea hearings to time served and are to be deported.
Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Border Patrol and the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Ayo prosecuted the cases.
2 illegal aliens from Mexico, Honduras plead guilty to illegally re-entering U.S.
LAKE CHARLES, La. – Sergio Alejandro Rodriguez-Leija, 27, of Mexico, and Irrael Alverto, 40, of Honduras, pleaded guilty Monday before U.S. District Judge Donald E. Walter to one count of illegal re-entry of a removed alien in separate cases. According to the guilty pleas, the defendants were arrested in southwest Louisiana and found to have re-entered the United States after being removed.
Rodriguez-Leija was arrested on August 27, 2018 by Border Patrol agents near Lake Charles. He had been previously removed from the United States on November 14, 2016 near Carrizo Springs, Texas, and was not allowed to re-enter the country.
Alverto was arrested on July 9, 2018 by Sulphur Police near Sulphur, Louisiana. He later admitted to Border Patrol agents that he was in the country illegally and had been previously removed on January 4, 2018.
The defendants were sentenced at the guilty plea hearings to time served and are to be deported.
Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Border Patrol and the Sulphur Police Department investigated the cases. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert C. Abendroth prosecuted the cases.
Illegal alien from Mexico found in Calcasieu Parish pleads guilty to re-entering U.S.
LAKE CHARLES, La. – Juan Antonio Esparza-Martinez, 42, of Mexico, pleaded guilty on Monday and was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Donald E. Walter on one count of illegal re-entry of a removed alien. According to the guilty plea, the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office contacted U.S. Border Patrol concerning four individuals who had parked a car blocking traffic. Three of the individuals were in the United States legally, but Esparza-Martinez only provided a Mexican identification card. Border Patrol agents determined that the defendant had been granted an expedited removal from the country on June 28, 2018. He also had two previous voluntary removals. Esparza-Martinez admitted that he is a citizen of Mexico who was removed in June of 2018 and re-entered the United States illegally in July of 2018 near Laredo, Texas.
The defendant was sentenced at the guilty plea hearing to time served and is to be deported.
Homeland Security Investigations and Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kelly P. Uebinger and Robert C. Abendroth prosecuted the case.
Illegal alien from Guatemala arrested in Webster parish pleads guilty to re-entry
SHREVEPORT, La. – Rodrigo Apolonio Perez-Mejia, 26, of Guatemala, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Donald E. Walter on one count of illegal re-entry of a removed alien. According to the guilty plea, Sarepta Police dentained Perez-Mejia on August 19, 2018. Upon further investigation, law enforcement agents learned that he was an alien who had been removed from the United States after U.S. Border Patrol arrested him on August 2, 2017 near Sasabe, Arizona.
The defendant was sentenced at the guilty plea hearing to time served and is to be deported.
Homeland Security Investigations and the Serepta Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tennille M. Gilreath prosecuted the case.
Illegal alien from El Salvador found in Rapides parish pleads guilty
ALEXANDRIA, La. – Jose Alfredo Bonilla-Cruz, 48, of Guatemala, pleaded guilty Wednesday before U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell on one count of illegal re-entry of a removed alien. According to the guilty plea, a U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agent made contact with Bonilla-Cruz on October 1, 2018 at the Rapides Parish Detention Center in Alexandria. He was interviewed and admitted to not being a citizen. It was also discovered that he had been removed from the United States three times in 1998, 2000 and 2004.
The defendant was sentenced at the guilty plea hearing to time served and is to be deported.
Homeland Security Investigations and the Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Aaron Crawford prosecuted the case.
Illegal alien from Mexico arrested in West Monroe sentenced to six months
MONROE, La. – Jose Juan Salinas-Saldana, 42, of Mexico, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to six months in prison today before U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty on one count of illegal re-entry of a removed alien. According to the guilty plea, West Monroe police detained Salinas-Saldana on November 10, 2018. Law enforcement agents learned that he was an illegal alien who had been removed from the United States in 2002.
Homeland Security Investigations and West Monroe Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Cassidy prosecuted the case.
United States Attorney announces efforts to fight violent crime in Rapides Parish through firearms prosecutionsRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced today a new effort underway to reduce violent crime in the Rapides Parish area by partnering with federal, local and state law enforcement through the Project Safe Neighborhoods Program.
Mr. Joseph’s focus on violent crime is part of the Department of Justice’s ongoing efforts to increase targeted prosecutions of violent crime through the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program. PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. It is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. In the past year, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana has prosecuted more than 200 defendants throughout the district, many of which have been in the Alexandria area, for firearm related offenses, including felons and drug dealers in possession of firearms.
In Rapides Parish, this focus includes sending law enforcement into the communities to conduct what are referred to as knock and talks. Today, the U.S. Attorney’s Office joined with the ATF, FBI, Louisiana State Police, Rapides Parish District Attorney’s Office, Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Office, Alexandria Police Department, Pineville Police Department, and Louisiana Probation and Parole to promote public safety in areas that have seen an increase in violent crime. By increasing the visibility of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, they will inform citizens of prevention and deterrence efforts, as well as services available to the public.
Another avenue of prosecution that Joseph’s office is focused on, is cases arising from individuals submitting false information on forms at gun shops, pawnshops, sporting goods stores, or any retail establishment where firearms are sold, in order to purchase a firearm illegally for themselves or for someone else. It is a felony under federal law for someone to lie on a background check form to try to hide past criminal convictions or protective orders, and is punishable by up to 10 years in prison. This year, the U.S. Attorney’s office has charged eight individuals in U.S. District Court with felony charges for making false statements during purchases of firearms.
“The aim of these prosecutions is to remove the most violent and dangerous offenders from our streets,” Joseph stated. ”We stand with our law enforcement partners in confronting head-on, the violence, gun crime and drug abuse that plaque our communities. We will not be deterred, and we will continue to step up the pressure on the bad actors. Our message is clear, if you threaten the safety and security of our communities, you face the very real prospect of going to federal prison.”
The Western District of Louisiana consists of 42 of Louisiana’s 64 parishes and encompasses two-thirds of the State of Louisiana. This area covers the cities of Alexandria, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Monroe and Shreveport.
Three felons plead guilty for possessing firearmsRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT/ALEXANDRIA/LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that three felons pleaded guilty last week for possession of firearms.
Shreveport Felon Pleads Guilty to Possessing Semi-Automatic Pistol
SHREVEPORT - Dennis Lee Richardson, 29, of Shreveport, pleaded guilty on December 11, 2018 before U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. to one count of felon in possession of a firearm. According to the guilty plea, law enforcement agents executed a search warrant on June 29, 2018 at a Prentiss Street residence. As agents approached the home, they saw Richardson and his girlfriend sitting in a parked car in the driveway. The agents also observed a loaded Glock semi-automatic pistol with an extended clip on the floorboard behind the driver’s seat. Richardson said his mother had purchased the firearm for him. He is a convicted felon who pleaded guilty on March 10, 2014 in Caddo Parish for attempted illegal carrying of weapons while in possession of controlled dangerous substances.
Richardson faces up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. The court set the sentencing date for February 28, 2019.
The ATF and the Caddo-Shreveport Narcotics Task Force conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica D. Cassidy and Earl M. Campbell are prosecuting the case.
Alexandria Felon Pleads Guilty to Possessing Pistol
ALEXANDRIA - Theodore Hines, 37, of Alexandria, pleaded guilty on December 11, 2018 before U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell to one count of felon in possession of a firearm. According to the guilty plea, an Alexandria Police officer observed Hines on June 26, 2018 remove a pistol from his pocket and throw it to the ground. Hines told the police officer that he had the pistol to protect himself. After learning that Hines had five previous felonies and was not allowed to possess a firearm, the officer arrested Hines and took possession of the firearm, a loaded Kel-Tec .380-caliber pistol.
Hines was convicted in February of 2001 of possession of a Schedule IV controlled dangerous substance; he was convicted in December of 2003 of one count of possession of a Schedule V controlled dangerous substance, one count of possession of marijuana and one count of possession of a Schedule V controlled dangerous substance; and he was convicted in February of 2014 of possession with intent to distribute a Schedule II controlled dangerous substance.
Hines faces up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. The court set the sentencing date for March 7, 2019.
The ATF and the Alexandria Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cadesby Cooper is prosecuting the case.
Lake Charles Felon Pleads Guilty to Possessing a Handgun
LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that Keelan Arnold Broussard, 27, of Lake Charles, pleaded guilty on Friday before U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell to one count of felon in possession of a firearm. According to the guilty plea, law enforcement agents executed a search warrant at Broussard’s home on May 23, 2018 and discovered a Taurus .38 Special handgun, and two .38 caliber rounds in Broussard’s bedroom. Broussard admitted that he owned the firearm.
At the time of his arrest, Broussard had a criminal history dating back to January 5, 2011, including previous convictions in the 14th Judicial District Court for possession with intent to distribute marijuana, possession of cocaine, and attempted possession of a weapon by a convicted felon. As a previously convicted felon, he was prohibited from possessing a firearm.
Broussard faces up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. The court set the sentencing date for March 25, 2019.
The ATF and the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office along with the Combined Anti-Drug Task Force conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dominic Rossetti is prosecuting the case.
Each case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and re-entry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Shreveport Man Sentenced to 78 Months in Prison for Methamphetamine DistributionRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that a Shreveport man was sentenced last week to 78 months in prison for distributing methamphetamine.
Dante Jerrad Roberson, 30, of Shreveport, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote on one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. He was also sentenced to five years of supervised release. According to the June 26, 2018 guilty plea, Caddo Parish Sheriff’s narcotics agents searched a house on September 15, 2017 located on Redbud Lane in Shreveport and found Roberson and two other individuals. During the search, agents found 13 bags of methamphetamine inside of a bag of charcoal, which was inside a grill in the backyard. Agents also found two digital scales, several bags of marijuana, and dosages of Xanax and MDMA. Roberson admitted to traveling to Dallas to obtain the methamphetamine and later hiding it in the barbecue pit. The total amount of methamphetamine found weighed 358.8 grams.
The DEA and Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Aaron Crawford prosecuted the case.
Shreveport Man Pleads Guilty to Financial Aid Fraud Scheme at Bossier Parish Community CollegeRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced today that a Shreveport man pleaded guilty to his role in a financial aid scheme at Bossier Parish Community College (BPCC), which caused a loss of more than $400,000.
Deundre Fleeks, 27, of Shreveport, Louisiana, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. to one count of financial aid fraud. According to the guilty plea, Fleeks completed 20 Free Applications for Federal Student Aid in other students’ names. He would then attend their classes, complete coursework and in return received payment from the students to conduct these tasks. The Department of Education disbursed $262,793 in Federal Direct Stafford Loans and $144,052 in Federal Pell Grants during the course of the scheme, which took place from August 2014 to September 2016.
Fleeks faces up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. The court set the sentencing date for March 21, 2019.
The U.S. Department of Education, Office of Inspector General, conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth D. Reeg is prosecuting the case.
Morgan City Bookkeeper Indicted for Stealing More Than $3 MillonRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced today that a federal grand jury has returned a five-count indictment against Karen Duhon, 64, of Morgan City, Louisiana, charging her with one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud, three counts of wire fraud, and one count of mail fraud.
The indictment alleges that Duhon, who was the bookkeeper at Capital Management Consultants, Inc. ("CMCI"), a family-owned company located in Morgan City, Louisiana, stole more than $3 million from January 1999 through March 2014. Duhon wrote fraudulent checks to herself, which were drawn on CMCI’s bank account and deposited those checks into bank accounts owned by her and her husband. In order to conceal these fraudulent payments from the CMCI account, Duhon made false accounting entries into CMCI’s records. During this time, Duhon also assisted certain family members with their personal finances. She used funds from a family member’s personal brokerage account at Oppenheimer and Co. to make payments on her American Express accounts. As a result of Duhon’s fraudulent activities, she embezzled $3,194,920.
If convicted, Duhon faces up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, restitution, forfeiture and a $250,000 fine.
The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas F. Phillips is prosecuting the case.
The charges in the indictment are only accusations; the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Monroe Man Indicted on Federal Drug Trafficking Charges Resulting in DeathRead the Press Release
MONROE, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that Anderson Curtel Duke, 33, of Monroe, Louisiana, was indicted on Wednesday by a federal grand jury on two counts of distribution of fentanyl, one of which resulted in a person’s death, three counts of distribution of heroin, two counts of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, one count of possession with intent to distribute heroin, and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
The indictment alleges that Duke distributed or possessed with the intent to distribute fentanyl, heroin, and methamphetamine beginning May 21, 2018 through June 19, 2018. The indictment further alleges that on June 19, 2018, Duke distributed fentanyl, which resulted in the death of the recipient.
If convicted, Anderson Duke faces 20 years to life on the distribution of fentanyl resulting in death (count 1), up to 20 years on the distribution of fentanyl and heroin and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and heroin (counts 2-5; 7-9), and five years up to 40 years on the possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine (count 6).
The charges against Duke resulted in an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown is prosecuting the case.
The charges in the indictment are only accusations. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Aryan Circle Gang Member Sentenced to Prison for Being an Accessory-After-The-Fact to Racketeering MurderRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, La. – A gang member of the Aryan Circle (AC) was sentenced today for being an accessory-after-the-fact to racketeering murder, announced U.S. Attorney David C. Joseph of the Western District of Louisiana and Assistant Attorney General Bryan A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.
United States District Judge Dee D. Drell sentenced Leland Edward Hamm, 44, of Tulsa, Oklahoma, to 130 months in prison and three years of supervised release for being an accessory-after-the-fact in the violent crimes in aid of the racketeering murder of Clifton Hallmark.
On August 22, 2018, Hamm pleaded guilty to the charge of accessory-after-the-fact to racketeering murder of Clifton Hallmark. According to the plea agreement, the Aryan Circle (AC) is a race-based, multi-state organization that operates inside and outside of state and federal prisons throughout Texas, Louisiana, and the United States. The AC was established in the mid-1980s within the Texas prison system (TDCJ). Recently, the AC’s structure and influence expanded to rural and suburban areas throughout Texas, Louisiana, and Missouri. The AC emerged as an independent organization during a period of turmoil within the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas (ABT). The AC was relatively small in comparison to other prison-based gangs, but grew in stature and influence within TDCJ in the 1990s, largely through violent conflict with other gangs, white and non-white alike.
The plea agreement further alleges that the AC enforces its rules and promotes discipline among its members, prospects and associates through murder, attempted murder, assault, robbery and threats against those who violate the rules or pose a threat to the organization. Members, and oftentimes, associates, are required to follow the orders of higher-ranking members without question.
In pleading guilty to the accessory charge, Hamm admitted to being an accessory to the murder of Hallmark on or around July 1, 2016, when a fellow AC member shot Hallmark in the side of his head at point blank range at an AC "church" meeting in Turkey Creek, Louisiana. Hamm admitted to being a member of the AC criminal enterprise.
This case is being investigated by an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force consisting of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Drug Enforcement Administration; Federal Bureau of Prisons; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations; Louisiana State Police; Evangeline Parish, (LA) Sheriff’s Office; Evangeline Parish District Attorney’s Office; Texas Department of Public Safety; Houston Police Department-Gang Division; Texas Department of Criminal Justice; New Jersey Department of Corrections-Special Investigations Division; Arnold (MO) Police Department; Jefferson County (MO) Sheriff’s Department; St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department; St. Louis County (MO) Police Department; Montgomery County (TX) Precinct 1 Constable’s Office; Indiana State Police; Indiana Department of Corrections; Carrollton (TX) Police Department; Waller (TX) Police Department; Montgomery County (TX) Sheriff’s Office; Travis County (TX) Sheriff’s Office and the Tarrant County (TX) Sheriff’s Office.
The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney David Karpel of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Dominic Rossetti of the Western District of Louisiana.
Abbeville Man Sentenced to 63 Months in Prison for Marijuana Shipping SchemeRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that an Abbeville man was sentenced last week to 63 months in prison for accepting marijuana packages from California.
Jabori Huntsberry, 36, of Abbeville, Louisiana, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote on one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana, one count of unlawful use of a communication facility, one count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana, and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He was also sentenced to two years of supervised release.
Evidence admitted at trial, which started August 27 and ended August 29, 2018, revealed that the defendant conspired to receive packages of marijuana from a California source using the U.S. postal service from October 2011 to February 2014. United States Postal Inspectors discovered that, at multiple times and using different addresses and names, Huntsberry shipped marijuana to himself. He also wired approximately $300,000 to the California contact for payment of the drug packages. Law enforcement agents conducted a controlled delivery of one of the packages on February 14, 2014, to a residence next to Huntsberry’s home in Abbeville. After an occupant took the package, agents searched both homes. A search of Huntsberry’s home produced a handwritten notebook detailing the drug activity, along with U.S. Postal Service mail labels for drug packages, money wire transfer receipts, and two firearms.
The ATF, U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jamilla A. Bynog and John Luke Walker prosecuted the case.
Louisiana Couple Indicted for Conspiracy to Defraud the IRS and Filing False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury sitting in Shreveport, Louisiana, returned an indictment yesterday charging a Shreveport husband and wife with conspiring to defraud the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and multiple counts of filing false tax returns, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and United States Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana David C. Joseph.
According to the indictment, Robert and Donna Poimboeuf owned and operated D&G Holdings LLC (D&G), a company providing laboratory and mobile phlebotomy services. For the 2011 through 2015 tax years, the Poimboeufs allegedly underreported their income and gross receipts from D&G on their joint personal federal income tax returns by submitting false information to two separate tax return preparers that omitted bank accounts and Forms 1099 that the accountants needed to accurately report their taxable income. The indictment charges that the Poimboeufs also improperly classified business receipts as non-taxable loan proceeds in an effort to reduce their income.
If convicted, Robert and Donna Poimboeuf each face a maximum sentence of five years in prison on the conspiracy counts and three years in prison on each false return count. The Poimboeufs also face a period of supervised release and monetary penalties. An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
IRS-Criminal Investigation investigated the case. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Van Hook and Trial Attorney Kevin Schneider of the Tax Division are prosecuting the case.
Honduran National Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced today that a man from Honduras pleaded guilty to making false statements after trying to obtain a Louisiana driver’s license illegally.
Will Avila, 36, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Dee. D. Drell to one count of making a false statement. According to the guilty plea, Avila entered a Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles location in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana on January 10, 2018, and attempted to apply for a Louisiana driver’s license. Avila used the name and Social Security card of a Puerto Rican citizen to fill out the driver’s license application. A special agent with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement questioned Avila, and the defendant made false statements in an attempt to maintain the false identity he used to apply for the driver’s license.
Avila faces up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. The court set the sentencing date for March 7, 2019.
Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement conducted the investigation. Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Myers P. Namie is prosecuting the case.
Business Owners Indicted for Conspiracy to Defraud the IRS and Filing False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – A federal grand jury returned an indictment yesterday charging a Shreveport husband and wife with conspiring to defraud the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and multiple counts of filing false tax returns, announced United States Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana David C. Joseph and Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard E. Zuckerman of the Justice Department’s Tax Division.
According to the indictment, Robert and Donna Poimboeuf owned and operated D&G Holdings, LLC (D&G), a company providing laboratory and mobile phlebotomy services. For the 2011 through 2015 tax years, the Poimboeufs allegedly underreported their income and gross receipts from D&G on their joint personal federal income tax returns by submitting false information to two separate tax return preparers. The information submitted to the tax preparers omitted bank accounts and Forms 1099 that the accountants needed to accurately report their taxable income. The indictment charges that the Poimboeufs also improperly classified business receipts as non-taxable loan proceeds in an effort to reduce their income.
If convicted, Robert and Donna Poimboeuf each face a maximum sentence of five years in prison on the conspiracy counts and three years in prison on each false return count. The Poimboeufs also face a period of supervised release and monetary penalties.
Special agents with the IRS-Criminal Investigation Division conducted the investigation. First Assistant United States Attorney Alexander Van Hook and Trial Attorney Kevin Schneider of the Tax Division are prosecuting the case.
The charges in the indictment are only accusations. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Two northwest Louisiana felons sentenced, one pleads guilty to firearms chargesRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that two northwest Louisiana felons were sentenced and one pled guilty to firearms charges.
Felon from Many, Louisiana sentenced for possessing firearms after assault and police standoff at barbershop
Willie D. Carhee, 56, of Many, Louisiana, was sentenced Thursday to 84 months in prison by U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. on one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He was also sentenced to three years of supervised release. According to the August 20, 2018 guilty plea, police responded to a 911 domestic assault call that occurred at a barbershop in Many on April 27, 2017. After the assault, Carhee ran inside the barbershop where he worked and refused to leave. The victim told the police dispatcher that Carhee had a firearm at the barbershop as well as firearms at his home. Law enforcement set up a perimeter and called SWAT. A Many police officer found and seized a loaded Hi-Point Firearms .45 caliber pistol in plain view in Carhee’s car, which was parked in front of the barbershop. After SWAT threw a telephone through the window of the barbershop, Carhee surrendered to authorities. A search of the barbershop yielded approximately 190 grams of marijuana. Police searched Carhee’s home and found a Marlin, Glenfield model 70, .22 caliber rifle, a Remington, model: 770, .308 caliber rifle, a Remington, model: 710, .30-06 caliber rifle, and several marijuana plants in the backyard. Carhee has a long criminal history involving drugs and firearms. He has at least six felony convictions, which include: possession of a Schedule II drug in the 10th Judicial District, Natchitoches Parish, on March 12, 2012, possession/introduction of contraband into a penal institution on July 10, 2008, manufacturing of a Schedule I drug and illegal carrying of a weapon in Sabine Parish, Louisiana, on September 14, 2006, unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon in the 294th Judicial District, Dallas, Texas, and reckless injury to a child in Dallas, Texas. Being a convicted felon, Carhee is not allowed to possess a firearm.
The ATF and Many Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike O’Mara prosecuted the case.
Shreveport felon sentenced to 26 months in prison for using relative’s pistol
Frank G. Pearson, 22, of Shreveport, was sentenced Monday to two years and two months in prison by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote on one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He was also sentenced to three years of supervised release. According to the August 20, 2018 guilty plea, Shreveport police recovered a Zastava model PAP M92PV 7.62x39 mm pistol, 36 rounds of ammunition and two 7.62 magazines taped together at the home of Pearson’s relative. The firearm belonged to Pearson’s relative, but Pearson had access to the firearm and had borrowed it on several occasions between June 1, 2017 and August 23, 2017. Pearson is a felon who was previously convicted in 2016 for theft and illegal use of a weapon. He is restricted from possessing a firearm.
The ATF and Shreveport Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Allison D. Bushnell prosecuted the case.
Shreveport man pleads guilty to drug, firearm charges
Ellis Harp III, 44, of Shreveport, pleaded guilty on Thursday before U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote to one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. According to the guilty plea, law enforcement agents executed three warrants - one on Hollywood Avenue and two on Earl Street in Shreveport, Louisiana. Shreveport police and SWAT executed a warrant at one of Harp’s Earl Street residences. During a search of a shed on the property, police found 137.080 grams of powder cocaine, three sets of digital scales, a Ruger .44-caliber revolver and an Olympic Arms Inc. SGW & Safari Arms AR-15. Harp is a convicted felon and pleaded guilty in 2010 to one count of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.
Harp faces up to 20 years in prison for drug distribution and five years in prison for firearm’s possession. He also faces up to five years of supervised release and a $1 million fine. The court set the sentencing date for March 29, 2019.
The ATF, DEA, Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office and Shreveport Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tennille M. Gilreath is prosecuting the case.
These cases were brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Justice Department has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority. In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, PSN was reinvigorated and all U.S. Attorney’s Offices were directed to develop a district crime reduction strategy that incorporates the lessons learned since PSN launched in 2001.
Two illegal aliens sentenced, one pleads guilty after arrests in Calcasieu, St. Mary parishesRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE/LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that two illegal aliens were sentenced and one pleaded guilty after arrests that took place in Calcasieu and St. Mary parishes.
Illegal alien from Mexico arrested in St. Mary Parish pleads guilty to drugs, firearms charges
LAFAYETTE - Raymundo Pizano-Montes, 38, of Mexico, pleaded guilty Wednesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Carol Whitehurst to one count of possession with intent to distribute LSD and one count of possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. According to the guilty plea, a St. Mary Parish deputy pulled over a Mazda SUV for a traffic violation. Pizaono-Montes was one of five occupants in the vehicle. The deputy searched the vehicle and found $14,582; 319 dosage units of LSD; 82 Xanax pills; marijuana paraphernalia; a scale; and 12 firearms. The defendant stated he was a Mexican citizen who buys and sells firearms and drugs. Pizano-Montes was deported in 2010 after having been convicted in California for second degree battery and had re-entered the United States illegally.
Pizano-Montes faces 15 to 25 years in prison, four years of supervised release and a $5 million fine. The court set sentencing for March 1, 2019.
Homeland Security Investigations, ATF and St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Ayo is prosecuting the case.
Illegal alien from Mexico arrested in Calcasieu Parish and sentenced for illegal re-entry
LAKE CHARLES - Alfredo Sanchez-Hernandez, 39, of Mexico, was sentenced Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Donald E. Walter for illegal re-entry of a previously deported alien. According to the August 28, 2018 guilty plea, Sanchez-Hernandez was found in Calcasieu Parish on March 5, 2018 to be in the United States illegally. After further investigation, law enforcement agents discovered that Sanchez-Hernandez had been previously removed from the United States on four occasions with the most recent being on February 15, 2010 near San Ysidro, California. The defendant was convicted in California in May of 2000 for possession of heroin and was not allowed to re-enter the United States.
Homeland Security Investigations and the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney T. Forrest Phillips is prosecuting the case. The defendant was remanded to the custody of U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement for deportation proceedings.
Illegal alien from Honduras sentenced for illegally re-entering U.S. four times
LAKE CHARLES - Boney D. Cruz-Funez, 33, of Progresso, Honduras, was sentenced Tuesday to 10 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Donald E. Walter on one count of illegal re-entry of a previously deported alien. According to the June 20, 2018 guilty plea, on April 11, 2018, Sulphur police conducted a traffic stop on Cruz-Funez’s vehicle on Interstate 10. After the stop, he admitted to being in the country illegally. Cruz-Funez was removed from the United States previously on four occasions with the last removal taking place in May 2013 from San Antonio, Texas.
United States Border Patrol and the Sulphur Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dominic Rossetti prosecuted the case.
Two Lake Charles residents sentenced for kidnapping Texas man after drug dealRead the Press Release
LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that two Lake Charles defendants were sentenced this week for kidnapping a Texas man after a failed drug deal. Justin Fry, 35, was sentenced to 292 months in prison, and James Coleman, 34, was sentenced to 242 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Donald E. Walter for interstate kidnapping. The defendants, both of Lake Charles, were also sentenced to five years of supervised release.
According to the guilty pleas, the defendants traveled to Liberty, Texas, on April 6, 2016 to buy methamphetamine from a contact. In order to complete the sale, the contact rode with the defendants to Houston on April 8, 2018 to meet a second contact who had the methamphetamine. Instead of selling the drugs, the Houston contact robbed the defendants, and the contact from Liberty left with him. Fry and Coleman followed them until they saw the Liberty man jump out of the moving car, at which time they retrieved the bloodied victim, duct taped his hands and covered his eyes. The defendants later beat and threatened to kill him in an attempt to force him to pay back the $1,300. After making several phone calls, the victim was unable to get the money. The defendants then decided to drive back to Louisiana, stopped at a gas station in Beaumont where they placed the victim in the trunk, and then drove on to a Vinton, Louisiana, casino where he escaped and called law enforcement. The defendants’ cell phones were searched and conversations about the drug deal were found in addition to videos of the beatings.
“This case is an example of the violence that results from illegal drug deals,” Joseph stated. “Thankfully no one was killed in this incident, but it demonstrates that drug trafficking often leads to all manner of violence. I want to thank the law enforcement agents who saved the victim in this case and brought the defendants to justice.”
“Methamphetamine is a highly addictive plague that routinely inflicts dramatic health and safety consequences upon communities where it’s introduced,” said Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations New Orleans Jere T. Miles. “This case clearly illustrates the violence that often permeates illegal drug trafficking, and today’s sentencing is a testament to the excellent working relationship between HSI and its local law enforcement partners to protect the public from these violent criminal networks and the lawlessness they spread.”
Sarah Paxton, 25, of Lake Charles, was also charged with kidnapping. Her sentencing date is scheduled for December 17, 2018.
Homeland Security Investigations and the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Luke Walker prosecuted the case.
Felon from Mexico indicted for illegally re-entering United States and possessing firearmRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that a federal grand jury returned a three-count superseding indictment charging a convicted felon from Mexico with illegally re-entering the United States and firearm possession.
Shandy Salgado-Almendaris, 39, of Mexico, was charged with one count of re-entry of a removed alien, one count of alien in possession of a firearm and one count of felon in possession of a firearm. He also faces state charges in Bossier Parish including production/cultivation of marijuana, resisting an officer, aggravated battery, illegal possession of a weapon and possession of a Schedule II controlled dangerous substance. According to the indictment, Salgado-Almendaris was found in Bossier Parish on August 9, 2018 in possession of an RG Industries .22 caliber revolver. He was also found to be an illegal alien who had been previously removed from the United States three times in September 2010, November 2010 and September 2013.
The defendant faces 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, restitution, forfeiture and three years of supervised release for each firearm count.
United States Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, and the Bossier Parish Narcotics Task Force investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian C. Flanagan is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Explo officials sentenced for roles in conspiracy that led to illegal dumping of munitions and explosion at Camp MindenRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced today that officials of Explo Systems, Inc., were sentenced for their roles in a criminal conspiracy. “The defendants sentenced today used Camp Minden here in Northwest Louisiana as the largest illegal dumping ground of military explosives in the history of the United States – at over 15.6 million pounds of explosives,” United States Attorney David C. Joseph stated. “I want to thank our federal and state law enforcement partners for their commitment to protecting Louisiana’s citizens and environment. Those who endanger the safety of our community to satisfy their own greed will be held accountable.”
United States District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote sentenced the following defendants:
Co-owner David Alan Smith, 63, of Winchester, Kentucky, to 55 months in prison, three years of supervised release and $34,798,761 restitution for participating in the criminal conspiracy.
Vice President of Operations William Terry Wright, 65, of Bossier City, Louisiana, to 60 months in prison, three years of supervised release and $149,032.80 restitution for participating in the criminal conspiracy.
Director of Support Technology Charles Ferris Callihan, 69, of Shreveport, to 24 months in prison, one year of supervised release and $207,599 restitution for making false representations in documents.
M6 Demil Program Manager Kenneth Wayne Lampkin, 66, of Haughton, Louisiana, to 45 months in prison, three years of supervised release and $149,032.80 restitution for making false statements.
Traffic and Inventory Control Manager Lionel Wayne Koons, 59, of Haughton, to 41 months in prison, three years of supervised release and $92,921 restitution for making false statements.
Explo Systems Inc., was a private company whose primary business operations involved the demilitarization of military munitions and the subsequent resale of recovered explosive materials for mining operations. The U.S. Army awarded Explo an $8.6 million contract to demilitarize approximately 1.35 million propelling charges containing M6 propellant, a solid, granular, explosive material, to lawfully store them, and to handle the final disposition of the explosives. Explo represented that it intended to sell and reuse the M6 propellant to third parties. Upon the sale of the M6 propellant, the contract also required Explo to document the sale and certify to the Army its compliance of the sale with federal laws, by submitting official certificates to the Army.
The defendants conspired from January 2010 to November 2012 to defraud the United States by submitting false certificates to the U.S. Army, transporting hazardous wastes to unpermitted facilities, and improperly storing the explosives causing the government to pay money to the conspirators to which they were not entitled. From June 2011 through October 2012, Explo officials submitted false certificates to the Army showing sales of demilitarized M6 propellant to third parties, when in fact the sales did not occur. Explo officials, including Wright, also did not inform or notify the third-parties that Explo submitted the executed certificates to the Army as proof of sale of demilitarized M6. Wright submitted the certificates with forged and or fabricated signatures.
As part of the conspiracy, Smith included false and misleading statements in the proposal for the demilitarization contract regarding, among other things, Explo’s storage capacity and ability to dispose of demilitarized M6 Propellant. Wright, Koons, and others instructed lower level employees to move and improperly store M6 propellant in order to prevent government officials from discovering the improperly stored M6 propellant. Wright and others also instructed lower-level employees to hide and conceal improperly stored reactive hazardous waste from government officials during inspections. Furthermore, Callihan submitted false documents to landfills in Louisiana and Arkansas representing that the waste Explo shipped to the landfills was not hazardous, when in fact the waste was D003 reactive hazardous waste. The landfills were not legally permitted to receive hazardous waste.
On October 15, 2012, an explosion occurred at a munitions storage bunker at Camp Minden, which was leased by Expo from the Louisiana Military Department. The explosion contained approximately 124,190 pounds of smokeless powder and a box van trailer containing approximately 42,240 pounds of demilitarized M6 propellant. The damage destroyed the bunker and trailer, shattered windows of dwellings within a four-mile radius, derailed 11 rail cars near the storage bunker and led to the evacuation of the town of Doyline, Louisiana.
“Our nation’s environmental laws demand that hazardous wastes be handled safely and legally,” said Jessica Taylor, Director of EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division. “Protecting public health and safety is EPA’s core mission. When businesses choose profit over safety, they often endanger not only the environment but American lives.”
“The fact that individuals would knowingly and willingly place the citizens of Louisiana in danger is indeed disturbing,” stated Colonel Kevin Reeves, State Police Superintendent. “The decision to sentence these individuals is the culmination of an exhaustive investigation by the Louisiana State Police Emergency Services Unit working directly with our local and federal partners. I am appreciative of all their efforts.”
“The sentencing of these five subjects should be a very clear warning to those who attempt to defraud the U.S. Government,” said Frank Robey, director of the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command’s Major Procurement Fraud Unit. “Aside from the monetary fraud, these subjects wantonly placed the lives of so many at risk. Our special agents, along with our federal law enforcement partners, not only recouped money, but may have just saved the lives of those working at the facility and the surrounding area from a larger disaster.”
“Today’s sentencings represent the results of an uncompromising and tenacious investigation by the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), other agency partners, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office,” said John F. Khin, Special Agent in Charge, DCIS-Southeast Field Office. “DCIS remains committed to pursuing Government contractors who choose profit and expediency over quality and safety, and bringing to justice anyone who violates the law through fraud and deception to undermine the critical missions of the Department of Defense and threaten the safety of our communities.”
“We believe today’s sentencing sends a strong message to those responsible for properly handling and disposing of explosive material,” said Todd Damiani, Regional Special Agent in Charge for the U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General. “Working with our law enforcement and prosecutorial partners, we will continue our vigorous efforts to protect against those who would risk the safety of the public and the environment for personal gain.”
“The actions of these defendants in the Explo case resulted in millions of dollars of expense for state and federal agencies,” said Dr. Chuck Carr Brown, Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality. “Hours of investigation went into their prosecution, and hundreds and thousands of man hours went into the resolution of the environmental disaster they created. When individuals willfully and knowingly commit crimes that endanger human health and the environment, they must face the strictest penalties under the law. I applaud the work of the investigative team that brought the charges against these individuals and the attorneys who successfully prosecuted the case. This outcome should stand as a lesson to those who are tempted to flout environmental regulations and laws: there will be a reckoning.”
Smith pleaded guilty December 14, 2017 to the conspiracy count and one count of making a false statement; Koons pleaded guilty on April 24, 2018, to one count of making a false statement; Lampkin pleaded guilty May 14, 2018, to one count of making a false statement; and Callihan pleaded guilty on June 8, 2018, to a one-count bill of information charging false representations under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act.
The Environmental Protection Agency-Criminal Investigation Division, U.S. Army Criminal Investigation, Department of Defense Criminal Investigative Service, FBI, Department of Transportation-Office of Inspector General, Louisiana State Police-Emergency Service Unit, Webster Parish District Attorney J. Schuyler Marvin, and the Webster Parish Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Earl M. Campbell and J. Aaron Crawford prosecuted the case.
Former Richwood correctional officer pleads guilty to covering up physical assault of inmatesRead the Press Release
MONROE, La. – The Justice Department and U.S. Attorney David C. Joseph announced today that former Richwood Correctional Center officer Demario Shaffer pleaded guilty Monday in federal court for his role in a conspiracy to cover up the physical assault of five inmates by himself and other correctional officers in violation of the Constitutional prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment.
Shaffer, 33, of Delhi, Louisiana, pleaded guilty to conspiring to falsify documents with the intent to obstruct and influence a matter within federal jurisdiction. Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband for the Civil Rights Division and David C. Joseph, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana, made the announcement.
“A correctional officer who uses excessive force against an inmate and then falsifies official reports violates the Constitution and its provision to protect all incarcerated offenders from cruel and unusual punishment,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband. “The Justice Department will continue to aggressively prosecute such misconduct to ensure the integrity of our civil rights laws.”
“Correctional officers are not allowed to abuse prisoners,” said U.S. Attorney David C. Joseph. “They must follow the law and not use their position of authority to assault those under their supervision.”
According to his guilty plea, Shaffer worked as a Sergeant at the Richwood Correctional Center in Monroe, where on October 30, 2016, he and other officers inflicted cruel and unusual punishment upon five inmates by spraying a chemical agent in their face and eyes while the inmates were handcuffed, compliant, kneeling on the floor, and not posing a physical threat to anyone. Shaffer admitted that he conspired with the other officers to hide their conduct by submitting a false story in their official reports concerning the incident.
The count of conviction carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a criminal fine of up to $250,000. Shaffer is scheduled to be sentenced on May 1, 2019 by U.S. District Judge Terry A. Doughty of the Western District of Louisiana, who accepted the plea.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Mudrick of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of Louisiana, and Trial Attorney Anita Channapati of the Civil Rights Division, Criminal Section, U.S. Department of Justice. The case was investigated by the Monroe Division of the FBI.
Former Correctional Officer Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Cover up Physical Assault of InmatesRead the Press Release
The Justice Department today announced that former Richwood Correctional Center officer Demario Shaffer pleaded guilty on Monday in federal court for his role in a conspiracy to cover up the physical assault of five inmates by himself and other correctional officers in violation of the Constitutional prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment. Shaffer, 33, of Delhi, Louisiana, pleaded guilty to conspiring to falsify documents with the intent to obstruct and influence a matter within federal jurisdiction. Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband for the Civil Rights Division and U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana David C. Joseph made the announcement.
“A correctional officer who uses excessive force against an inmate and then falsifies official reports violates the Constitution and its provision to protect all incarcerated offenders from cruel and unusual punishment,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband. "The Justice Department will continue to prosecute aggressively any similarly disgraceful and unlawful misconduct to ensure the integrity of our civil rights laws."
“Correctional officers are not allowed to abuse prisoners,” said United States Attorney David C. Joseph. “They must follow the law and not use their position of authority to assault those under their supervision.”
According to his guilty plea, Shaffer worked as a Sergeant at the Richwood Correctional Center in Monroe, Louisiana, where on Oct. 30, 2016, he and other officers inflicted cruel and unusual punishment upon five inmates by spraying a chemical agent in their face and eyes while the inmates were handcuffed, compliant, kneeling on the floor, and not posing a physical threat to anyone. Shaffer admitted that he conspired with the other officers to hide their conduct by submitting a false story in their official reports concerning the incident.
The count of conviction carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a criminal fine of up to $250,000. Shaffer is scheduled to be sentenced on May 1, 2019, by U.S. District Judge Terry A. Doughty of the Western District of Louisiana, who accepted the plea.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Mudrick of the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Western District of Louisiana, and Trial Attorney Anita Channapati of the Civil Rights Division, Criminal Section, U.S. Department of Justice. The case was investigated by the Monroe Division of the FBI.
Tennessee man sentenced to more than 8 years for receiving child pornography from Louisiana minorRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that a Tennessee man was sentenced Tuesday to eight years in prison for receiving sexually explicit images from a Louisiana minor.
Dustin Ray Spears Sr., 28, of Athens, Tennessee, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dee. D. Drell on one count of receiving child pornography. He was also sentenced to 10 years of supervised release and is required to register as a sex offender. According to the August 7, 2018 guilty plea, Spears began conversing online in June of 2017 with a 15-year-old minor female from Louisiana. In October of 2017, he traveled to northern Louisiana and had sexual intercourse with the minor. After learning of the relationship, the female’s sister informed authorities. Law enforcement agents then searched Spears’ phone and found sexually explicit images. After reviewing email and online chat messages, agents determined that Spears had enticed the minor to send images and video of herself.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a U.S. Department of Justice nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood combines federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) also encourage the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free hotline at (866) 347-2423. Investigators are available at all hours to answer hotline calls. Tips or other information can also be submitted to ICE online by visiting their website at www.ice.gov/exec/forms/hsi-tips/tips.asp or through the Operation Predator smartphone application www.ice.gov/predator/smartphone-app. Tips may be submitted anonymously.
Homeland Security Investigations and the Winn Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Luke Walker prosecuted the case.
Lafayette man sentenced to more than 7 years in prison for distributing heroin in AcadianaRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that a Lafayette man was sentenced Tuesday to seven years in prison for conspiring with three others to sell heroin.
Terrence T. Woods, 33, of Lafayette, Louisiana, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell on one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. He was also sentenced to four years of supervised release. According to the September 20, 2017 guilty plea, Woods conspired to distribute heroin in the Acadiana area in 2016 and 2017, along with his co-conspirators, Joshua Edwards, 32, of Breaux Bridge, Louisiana; Jacobe Arceneaux, 34, and Robert Jenkins, 36, both of Lafayette, Louisiana.
Edwards was found guilty after a three-day trial that ended August 1, 2018 on the conspiracy charge and was sentenced October 31, 2018 to 10 years in prison and eight years of supervised release. Arceneaux pleaded guilty on July 13, 2017 to distributing heroin and was sentenced October 9, 2018 to 80 months in prison and four years of supervised release. Jenkins pleaded guilty on January 11, 2018 to distributing heroin, and he was sentenced on May 8, 2018 to 90 months in prison and four years of supervised release.
The defendants were arrested as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) “Operation Toxic Mix.” The FBI, DEA, Lafayette Metro Narcotics and other law enforcement agencies conducted the investigation. The OCDETF program is a joint federal, state, and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking and is the nation’s primary tool for targeting national and regional level drug trafficking organizations, coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources, and disrupting and dismantling of major drug trafficking organizations.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert C. Abendroth and Daniel J. McCoy prosecuted the case.
Aryan Circle gang leader and gang member sentenced to prison for being accessories-after-the-fact to racketeering murder, among other chargesRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, La. – A senior leader of the Aryan Circle (AC) and a gang member were sentenced today for being an accessory-after-the-fact to racketeering murder, announced U.S. Attorney David C. Joseph of the Western District of Louisiana and Assistant Attorney General Bryan A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.
United States District Court Judge Dee D. Drell sentenced David Wayne Williams, 38, of Sulphur, Louisiana, a senior leader in the gang, was sentenced to serve 157 months in prison and four years of supervised release and Richard Alan Smith, 47, of Little Rock, Arkansas was sentenced to serve 150 months in prison to be served consecutive to his current state charges and three years of supervised.
On Aug. 22, 2018, Williams pleaded guilty to the charge of accessory-after-the-fact to racketeering murder of Clifton Hallmark, drug trafficking and weapons possession. On July 25, 2018, Smith pleaded guilty to the accessory-after-the-fact charge.
According to the plea agreement, the AC is a race-based, multi-state organization that operates inside and outside of state and federal prisons throughout Texas, Louisiana, and the United States. The AC was established in the mid-1980s within the Texas prison system (TDCJ). Recently, the AC’s structure and influence expanded to rural and suburban areas throughout Texas, Louisiana, and Missouri. The AC emerged as an independent organization during a period of turmoil within the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas (ABT). The AC was relatively small in comparison to other prison-based gangs, but grew in stature and influence within TDCJ in the 1990s, largely through violent conflict with other gangs, white and non-white alike.
The plea agreement further alleges that the AC enforces its rules and promotes discipline among its members, prospects and associates through murder, attempted murder, assault, robbery and threats against those who violate the rules or pose a threat to the organization. Members, and oftentimes associates, are required to follow the orders of higher-ranking members without question.
In pleading guilty to the accessory charge, Williams and Smith admitted to being accessories to the murder of Hallmark on or around July 1, 2016, when a fellow AC member shot Hallmark in the side of his head at point blank range at an AC “church” meeting in Turkey Creek, Louisiana. Williams and Smith both admitted to being members of the AC criminal enterprise. Williams admitted to being a senior leader of the gang.
This case is being investigated by an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force consisting of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Drug Enforcement Administration; Federal Bureau of Prisons; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations; Louisiana State Police; Evangeline Parish, (LA) Sheriff’s Office; Evangeline Parish District Attorney’s Office; Texas Department of Public Safety; Houston Police Department-Gang Division; Texas Department of Criminal Justice; New Jersey Department of Corrections-Special Investigations Division; Arnold (MO) Police Department; Jefferson County (MO) Sheriff’s Department; St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department; St. Louis County (MO) Police Department; Montgomery County (TX) Precinct 1 Constable’s Office; Indiana State Police; Indiana Department of Corrections; Carrollton (TX) Police Department; Waller (TX) Police Department; Montgomery County (TX) Sheriff’s Office; Travis County (TX) Sheriff’s Office and the Tarrant County (TX) Sheriff’s Office.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Dominic Rossetti of the Western District of Louisiana and Trial Attorney David Karpel of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section.