Western District of Louisiana
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Two felons plead guilty, one sentenced for possessing firearmsRead the Press Release
LAKE CHARLES/SHREVEPORT/LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that two felons pleaded guilty and one was sentenced for possession of firearms.
Starks man pleads guilty to possessing three firearms
Ronald Joseph Guillory, 44, of Starks, Louisiana, pleaded guilty Thursday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen Kay to one count of possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon. The plea will become final when accepted by U.S. District Judge Donald E. Walter. According to the guilty plea, when Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s officers responded to a disturbance on April 6, 2018 at a home near Vinton, Louisiana, they found Guillory sitting inside of his truck in the driveway. After the officers approached the vehicle, they noticed drug paraphernalia and arrested Guillory. They found a Stevens .16-gauge single-shot shotgun, a Marlin .22-caliber semi-automatic rifle, a Cobra .380-caliber semi-automatic pistol and ammunition on the back seat. Guillory admitted to the officers he was in possession of the weapons. Guillory was convicted in February of 2007 of simple burglary, which is a felony.
Guillory faces up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. The court set sentencing for March 25, 2019. The ATF and the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly P. Uebinger is prosecuting the case.
Felon from Plain Dealing pleads guilty to possessing shotgun
Johann Gary Barnes, 47, of Plain Dealing, Louisiana, pleaded guilty Thursday before U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. to one count of felon in possession of a firearm. According to the guilty plea, Benton police pulled over Barnes’ pickup truck on January 29, 2018. During a search of the truck, officers noticed a small amount of marijuana in the center console and found a loaded sawed-off shotgun at the foot of the driver’s seat. Barnes was convicted on March 1, 2004 in Caddo Parish for possession with intent to distribute a Schedule I drug, and was also convicted on September 27, 2005 for possession of a firearm by a felon.
Barnes 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 Benton Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Aaron Crawford is prosecuting the case.
New Iberia felon sentenced for possessing firearm purchased at Lafayette store, later used in video
Jaymie Williams, 22, of New Iberia, Louisiana, was sentenced today to 15 months in prison and three years of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth 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 22, 2018 guilty plea, Williams was present when a Century Arms, Model RAS47 firearm was purchased on March 11, 2018 at a sporting goods store in Lafayette. After the firearm was purchased, Williams possessed it on numerous occasions and featured it in one of his music videos entitled “BG Flow.” In the video, Williams handled the firearm in many scenes, and confirmed that the firearm in the video was the actual RAS47 and not a prop. He also possessed the firearm on April 18, 2018 when he entered a Lafayette gun shop with the firearm in his hands. Williams was convicted of a felony in 2017 that prohibited him from possessing a firearm.
The ATF and Lafayette Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dominic Rossetti prosecuted the case.
Thes 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.
North Carolina woman pleads guilty to stealing more than $140,000 in benefits from army health insurance planRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that a North Carolina woman pleaded guilty Tuesday to conspiring with her ex-husband to illegally obtain health care benefits from the Department of Defense Health Program, Tricare.
Amanda Elise Morphis, 26, of Sanford, North Carolina, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Jay C. Zainey to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud. According to the guilty plea, Morphis divorced U.S. Army Sergeant Nathan Chance Louvier, 30, of Deridder, Louisiana, on December 6, 2011. For more than two years after their divorce, Morphis and Louvier falsely represented to the Defense Department, the Army and Tricare that they were married so that Morphis could receive health care benefits from Tricare after her entitlement to benefits had ended. Between December 7, 2011 and February 2014, Tricare paid $143,387.56, in fraudulent claims for Morphis’ health care benefits.
United States Army regulations and federal statutes require military service members to update the Defense Enrollment Eligibility System within 30 days of events such as a death or divorce that change the status a service member’s dependents.
Louvier pleaded guilty to conspiracy on October 3, 2018. The defendants face a maximum of five years in prison, three years of supervised release, a $250,000 fine and mandatory restitution to repay Tricare $143,387.56 for paid fraudulent claims. The court set Louvier’s sentencing for January 9, 2019 and Morphis’ sentencing for February 13, 2019.
The Fort Polk - Criminal Investigation Division conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph T. Mickel is prosecuting the case.
Arnaudville man sentenced to 90 years in prison for producing child pornographyRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced today that an Arnaudville man was sentenced to 90 years in prison for producing child pornography.
Joseph Martin, 35, of Arnaudville, Louisiana, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote on three counts of production of child pornography. He was also sentenced to 20 years of supervised release if he is ever released and must register as a sex offender. According to the June 4, 2018 guilty plea, law enforcement agents executed a search warrant at Martin’s property and found electronic storage devices in a shed on the property. Upon review of the electronic storage devices, agents found numerous videos of child pornography that Martin had made. Some of the child pornography depicted a child of approximately 4 years old and others depicted a child of approximately 10 months old. The images dated back to 2015.
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.
Those concerned may leave tips with the FBI at tips.fbi.gov. Tips may be submitted anonymously. The Lafayette FBI office number is (337) 262-2164.
The FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert A. Abendroth prosecuted the case.
Nine illegal aliens sentenced for illegally re-entering the United StatesRead the Press Release
LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that nine illegal aliens pleaded guilty and were sentenced to prison for re-entering the United States after being previously removed.
The defendants were sentenced to a term of imprisonment spanning the time of their incarceration to sentencing. They were then remanded to the custody of U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement for deportation proceedings.
According to the guilty pleas on October 15, 2018, Louisiana State Police arrested the defendants on June 15, 2018 near Lake Charles, Louisiana: Edgar Escobar-Perez, 19, Rosa Garcia-Aguilar, 26, Manuel Lopez-Lopez, 24, Adan Baten-Perez, 35, Migdalia Baten-Perez, 32, Oscar Chavajay-Lopez, 21, Enericto Lopez-Baten, 38, and Eddy Siney-Sajquiy, 24, all of Guatemala, and Julio Cesar Juarez-Nieves, 27, of Mexico.
Manuel Lopez-Lopez has been previously removed to Guatemala three times. He was first arrested on January 29, 2015 near Rio Grande City, Texas, and removed February 3, 2015. After that, he was arrested on January 20, 2018 near Laredo, Texas, and removed on January 30, 2018, and again arrested on April 3, 2018 near Rio Grande City, Texas, and removed on April 12, 2018;
Julio Juarez-Nieves has been previously removed to Mexico twice. He was first arrested on April 7, 2011 and removed to Mexico on April 11, 2011. After that, he was arrested once more on May 29, 2018 near Brownsville, Texas, and removed again on May 31, 2018;
Edgar Escobar-Perez has been previously removed to Guatemala twice. He was removed on January 31, 2018 after being arrested on November 28, 2017 near Laredo, Texas, and on May 11, 2018 after being arrested on March 22, 2018 near Harlingen, Texas;
Eddy Siney-Sajquiy has been previously removed on February 27, 2015 after being arrested on February 24, 2015, near Hidalgo, Texas;
Enericto Lopez-Baten has been previously removed to Guatemala on March 19, 2012 after being arrested on March 5, 2012 near Rio Grande City, Texas;
Rosa Garcia-Aguilar has been previously removed to Guatemala on January 23, 2018 after being arrested on November 17, 2017 near Laredo, Texas;
Adan Baten-Perez and Migdalia Baten-Perez have been previously removed to Guatemala on April 12, 2018 after being arrested on April 3, 2018 in Rio Grande City, Texas; and
Oscar Chavajay-Lopez has been previously removed to Guatemala on April 25, 2018 after being arrested on March 27, 2018 in Casa Grande, Arizona.
The U.S. Border Patrol and Louisiana State Police conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Ayo prosecuted the case.
Illegal aliens arrested in northwest Louisiana plead guilty, sentenced for illegally re-entering countryRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that three illegal aliens arrested in northwest Louisiana pleaded guilty and were sentenced Tuesday by U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. to terms of imprisonment for re-entering the United States after having been removed.
Juan Antonio Morales De Dios, 33, of Mexico. According to the guilty plea, a Sabine Parish Sheriff’s deputy conducted a traffic stop on Morales De Dios’ vehicle October 7, 2018. Pursuant to the request of the deputy, a U.S. Border Patrol agent conducted a check on the defendant and found that he had already been deported twice. He was removed from the United States on February 9, 2006 and January 29, 2016. United States Border Patrol and Sabine Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown prosecuted the case.
Jose Orlando Garcia-Mejia, 32, of Mexico. According to the guilty plea, Bossier City police detained Garcia-Mejia on June 2, 2018. After investigating his background, law enforcement agents found that Garcia-Mejia had already been removed from the United States on two prior occasions. He was found on December 11, 2017 in Bossier City and was later removed; he was also found on March 27, 2018 in Del Rio, Texas, and was later removed. Homeland Security Investigations and Bossier City Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Cassidy prosecuted the case.
Juan Cardona-Quiroz, 23, of Honduras. According to the guilty plea, law enforcement agents detained Cardona-Quiroz on October 2, 2018 in Bossier City, Louisiana, and learned that he was an illegal alien who had been removed from the United States on two occasions. He was found in Texas on March 1, 2013 and later removed; he was also found on January 9, 2014 in Bossier City and later removed. Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Leon H. Whitten prosecuted the case.
The defendants were sentenced to a term of imprisonment spanning the time of their incarceration to sentencing. They were then remanded to the custody of U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement for deportation proceedings.
Calhoun woman sentenced to a year in prison for theft of more than $100,000 in government fundsRead the Press Release
MONROE, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that a Calhoun woman was sentenced last week to a year in prison for stealing more than $100,000 of government money, to which she was not entitled, from her deceased mother’s account.
Megan Elliott Wilson, 43, of Calhoun, Louisiana, was sentenced on November 7, 2018 by U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty on one count of theft of government funds. She was also sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $102,604.75 in restitution. According to the October 31, 2017 guilty plea, Anne Elliott, a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Social Security Administration (SSA) program beneficiary, died in August of 2009. The government agencies were initially unaware of Elliott’s death and paid $77,942.75 in VA benefits and $24,662 in SSA benefits via direct deposit to a bank account in Elliott’s name. Upon learning of Elliott’s death, the agencies attempted to reclaim the funds, but the funds had been fraudulently withdrawn from the account by Elliott’s daughter, Megan Elliott Wilson, who accessed the funds online and forged checks on the account converting the funds to her own use. The total loss to the government is $102,604.75.
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs - Office of Inspector General and the Social Security Administration - Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary J. Mudrick prosecuted the case.
United States Attorney commemorates Veterans Day at Fort Polk ceremony honoring Vietnam veteransRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT/LAFAYETTE/ALEXANDRIA/LAKE CHARLES/MONROE, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph joined Brigadier General Patrick D. Frank, the Commanding General of the Joint Readiness Training Center and Fort Polk, at Fort Polk’s Veterans Day Ceremony on November 8, 2018.
The event was sponsored by the Joint Readiness Training Center and Fort Polk to thank and honor veterans who have served our country. During the event, a special tribute was also held honoring veterans returning from the Vietnam War with a “Welcome Home" ceremony, where more than 125 veterans of the Vietnam War gathered in the 1st Battalion, 5th Aviation Regiment Hangar at Polk Army Airfield.
“It is an honor to participate in the Veterans Day Ceremony at Fort Polk,” Joseph stated. “I hope everyone takes some time this weekend to remember and thank veterans for their service. We owe a debt of gratitude to all of the men and women who serve and have served our nation and safeguarded our freedoms.”
✶ DUTY ✶ HONOR ✶ SERVICE ✶
UNITED STATES ATTORNEY DAVID C. JOSEPH RECOGNIZES WESTERN DISTRICT OF LOUISIANA VETERANS
United States Attorney David C. Joseph also recognizes staff members of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the U.S. District Court System of the Western District of Louisiana who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces and thanks them for their service.
Western District of Louisiana employees being honored for their service are:
United States Army – George Barrows (National Guard), Ken Blanchard (National Guard), Kevin Bodden, Gerald Boutte (National Guard), Chris Cantrell, Jeremy D. Cook, U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell, George Durling, Bryan Firmin (National Guard), Andy Fontenot, Shervonne Gallow, Kyle Greenwood, Doug Herman, Charles, Hill, Charles Huggins, Valerie Joffrion (Reserves), Matthew Johnson, Billy Jordan, U.S. Attorney David C. Joseph, C. Vincent Mangum, Joseph T. Mickel, Clint Mitchell, Sean Myrick, Chris Plants, Edward Prokopf, Cyrus Smith, U.S. District Judge Tom Stagg (deceased), Fifth Circuit Chief Judge Carl E. Stewart (retired), Warren Stutts, Michael J. Touchet (National Guard), Chris Turner, U.S. District Judge Donald E. Walter, Dennis Warwick, Terrence Webb, and Garrett Wilson.
United States Navy – Jonathan F. Hendricks, Daniel J. McCoy, Carl A. Richard, and Anthony Robert (Naval Reserve).
United States Coast Guard - Dennis K. Austin and U.S. Magistrate Judge Patrick Hanna.
United States Marine Corps – Jerry Alan Alkire, David Fero, Jerry Stanley Hayden, Angelo Iorio, Joshua Matte, Earl Peavy, and Abner K. Williamson.
United Stated Air Force – Kelly Adams (Active), Michael J. Chavis, Robert Crocker, David Ellis, Samuel W. Glass Sr., Joseph Lance Lopez, John S. Odom Jr., F. Michael O’Mara, James Savoie, William Scullin, Dean Stansbury, U.S. District Judge James T. Trimble Jr., Howard White, and U.S. Marshal Henry L. Whitehorn Sr.
Illegal aliens from Mexico plead guilty to re-entering the United States after being removed twiceRead the Press Release
United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that two illegal aliens from Mexico pleaded guilty this week to re-entering the United States after having been previously removed twice.
SHREVEPORT, La. – On August 24, 2018, Alfredo Holguin-Mendez, 34, of Mexico, was arrested in Shreveport for solicitation of prostitution. After law enforcement determined he was in the United States illegally, Homeland Security Investigations agents took custody of Holguin-Mendez and learned that he had previously been deported twice. In 2005, Holguin-Mendez pleaded guilty to driving while intoxicated with a child passenger in Midland, Texas, and was removed to Mexico in 2006 after serving his sentence. In 2008, Holguin-Mendez was arrested after a traffic stop for illegal re-entry into the United States and was subsequently removed. In 2011, Shreveport police arrested Holguin-Mendez for possession of cocaine to which he pleaded guilty. Holguin-Mendez was sentenced to time served and released before Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) could take custody of him. He remained a fugitive until his August 2018 arrest.
Holguin-Mendez faces 10 years to life in prison, one year of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. The court set the sentencing date for February 26, 2019.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike O’Mara is prosecuting the case.
LAKE CHARLES, La. – After being arrested in Calcasieu Parish, Salvador Julian Vasquez-Esquivel, 35, of Mexico, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen Kay to one count of illegal re-entry of a previously deported alien. According to the complaint and the guilty plea, a Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Deputy stopped a vehicle Vasquez-Esquivel was in on August, 16, 2018. Pursuant to a request by the deputy, a U.S. Border Patrol agent conducted a records check on the defendant and discovered that he had been removed from the United Stated twice before with the most recent occurring on December 18, 2015.
Vasquez-Esquivel faces up to two years in prison, one year of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. The court set sentencing for March 26, 2019.
United States Border Patrol and the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney T. Forrest Phillips is prosecuting the case.
Dallas felon sentenced to 7 years in prison for possessing firearm in northeast LouisianaRead the Press Release
MONROE, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that a Dallas felon was sentenced Wednesday to 84 months in prison for possessing a pistol found during a traffic stop in northeast Louisiana.
Steve Scott, 40, of Dallas, Texas, was sentenced 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 July 26, 2018 guilty plea, Louisiana State Police troopers conducted a stop on Scott’s vehicle for a traffic violation while he was traveling in northeast Louisiana. After searching the vehicle, troopers found a Stallard pistol, Model JS-9, 9 mm caliber, bearing serial number 067896, loaded with nine rounds of 9 mm ammunition. Scott has a prior felony conviction for unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon in Dallas County, Texas.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods 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.
The ATF and the Louisiana State Police conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Allison D. Bushnell prosecuted the case.
Shreveport man pleads guilty to stealing $27,000 in Social Security benefits meant for his childrenRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that a Shreveport man pleaded guilty Monday to stealing at least $27,000 of his children’s Social Security benefits.
Dianglo Shawntale Mahoney, 51, of Shreveport, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. to one count of theft of government property. According to the guilty plea, Mahoney applied for and began receiving Social Security Administration (SSA) disability payments starting in July of 2013. Mahoney also applied for and began receiving auxiliary benefits for his two minor children. The SSA paid Mahoney at least $27,000 for the benefit of his children. Mahoney never gave the children the money, but he kept the money and used it for his himself.
Mahoney faces 10 years in prison, not more than three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. The court set the sentencing date for February 7, 2019.
The Social Security Administration conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike O’Mara is prosecuting the case.
Former St. Martinville deputy chief found guilty of excessive force, obstruction and conspiracyRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that the former St. Martinville, Louisiana, Police Department (SMPD) Deputy Chief of Investigations, Codi Dodge, 35, was found guilty today in the Western District of Louisiana of four felony counts, including a civil rights violation for using excessive force against an arrestee, and three counts of obstruction and conspiracy to cover up the incident.
After five days of trial, the jury convicted Dodge of using excessive force on an arrestee, in violation of the arrestee’s Fourth Amendment rights to be free from unreasonable force. The jury also convicted Dodge of obstructing justice by falsifying records related to the unlawful use of force incident, and by conspiring with other members of the St. Martinville Police Department to cover up his actions.
“Illegal conduct by officers who abuse their power and violate the civil rights of the citizens they promise to serve harms the public trust and will not be tolerated,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General John Gore. “The Department will continue to vigorously enforce our nation’s laws and hold officers who break the law accountable.”
“Law enforcement officers are sworn to uphold and defend the laws of our nation,” said U.S. Attorney David C. Joseph. “When they themselves break those laws, they violate not just the rights of their victims, but also compromise the public's trust in law enforcement. My office will hold them accountable.”
Evidence presented at trial established that, on August 13, 2016, Dodge forced entry into the home of an individual he suspected had stolen from him. After unlawfully entering the individual’s home, Dodge threatened the individual before striking him in the face with a firearm, causing bodily injury. Dodge then arrested the individual, and brought him back to the St. Martinville Police Department, where Dodge continued to threaten him. After learning that the incident had been reported to the FBI, Dodge conspired with other members of the St. Martinville Police Department to falsify reports regarding the incident, and to mislead the FBI in its investigation of the matter.
Dodge faces a statutory maximum of 55 years in prison, though the actual sentence will be set by the court at a later date.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Lafayette, Louisiana, Resident Agency. The case is being prosecuted by Deputy Chief Bobbi Bernstein and Trial Attorney Tim Visser of the Civil Rights Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney John Luke Walker of the Western District of Louisiana. Trial Attorney Risa Berkower of the Civil Rights Division participated in the investigation of the case.
Deridder man sentenced to 10 years in prison for second conviction of child pornographyRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that a DeRidder man was sentenced last week to 120 months in prison for possessing child pornography after previously being convicted of that same crime.
Edward Lee Daughenbaugh, 51, of DeRidder, Louisiana, was sentenced Wednesday by U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell on one count of possession of child pornography. The defendant was also sentenced to supervised release for the rest of his life. According to the July 26, 2018 guilty plea, a U.S. Probation and Parole agent conducted an unannounced visit May 9, 2018 on Daughenbaugh, who had previously been convicted of possession of child pornography and was on supervised release. The agent found Daughenbaugh with a cell phone that had access to the internet, which the defendant was barred from possessing. The agent took possession of the cell phone, analyzed it forensically and found approximately 40 child pornography videos of young children under the age of 12. A search warrant was executed at the defendant’s home, and law enforcement found a notebook that contained key word searches that could be used to find prepubescent child pornography. Daughenbaugh later admitted in an interview to downloading the child pornography.
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, U.S. Probation and Parole, Louisiana State Police and the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Luke Walker prosecuted the case.
Lafayette felon sentenced to 57 months in prison for possessing stolen pistolRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced today that a Lafayette man was sentenced to four years and nine months in prison for possessing a stolen pistol he had purchased on the street.
Paul Sidney Breaux, 37, of Lafayette, Louisiana, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell on one count of possession of a stolen firearm. According to the August 2, 2018 guilty plea, Lafayette police arrested Breaux on May 1, 2018. At the time of his arrest, he possessed a Springfield Armory Model 1911 pistol and was aware it was stolen. He told officers he had purchased the firearm five days earlier on the street from some younger males. Breaux is also a felon who has been convicted of aggravated battery, possession of cocaine and aggravated robbery.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions 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, Attorney General Sessions announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy that incorporates the lessons learned since PSN launched in 2001.
The ATF and the Lafayette Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dominic Rossetti prosecuted the case.
Carencro race horse training center owner will pay civil penalties and perform corrective measures to resolve pollution discharge violationsRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – Racehorse training-center operator Evangeline Enterprises LLC of Carencro, Louisiana, has agreed to pay $300,000 in civil penalties and to make changes in its handling of polluted wastewater at its Louisiana facility to settle Clean Water Act claims filed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ), the Department of Justice and EPA announced today.
The settlement, contained in a proposed consent decree lodged today with the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, resolves claims by EPA and LDEQ in a complaint filed on October 19, 2017. The complaint alleged that Evangeline is illegally discharging process wastewater, contaminated with horse manure, urine, and other biological materials, from its facility into the Vermilion River and its tributary Francois Coulee, in violation of the Clean Water Act and the Louisiana Environmental Quality Act.
“Louisiana is a beautiful state with a vast, diverse, ecosystem that is rich in natural resources, including its rivers, bayous, and coastal waters,” said U.S. Attorney David C. Joseph. “My office is committed to protecting these treasures from those who would illegally exploit or damage them. Today’s settlement is but one example of my commitment to aggressively prosecute, both civilly and criminally, those who poison Louisiana's environment and to seek restitution for any damages they inflict.”
“This agreement is the result of extensive cooperation between the state of Louisiana and EPA,” said Regional Administrator Anne Idsal for EPA Region 6. “Ensuring the lawful handling of wastes will mean cleaner streams and waterways in Louisiana, which is important for aquatic habitats, safe drinking water, and public recreation.”
Under the Clean Water Act, facilities like Evangeline’s that house more than 150 horses for 45 days or more in any 12-month period and discharge pollutants must obtain a permit and comply with rules to ensure that pollutants, including contaminated process wastewater, is not discharged to waters of the United States or waters of the State. Evangeline discharged process wastewater into drainage ditches and pipes at the facility that then flowed into the Francois Coulee and Vermilion River. To correct this, the retention control structure required under the settlement agreement will store all process wastewater at the facility and allow it to be routed for proper treatment to stop the unauthorized discharges to the Francois Coulee and Vermilion River.
Under the settlement, Evangeline will pay the civil penalties and submit an application for a Louisiana National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit, comply with best management practices for waste at the facility, and construct a waste retention control structure in compliance with federal and state regulations. In the event that Evangeline chooses to close the facility, the agreement provides alternative measures to require the company to eliminate further discharges of pollution into area waterways.
The proposed consent decree is subject to a 30-day federal public comment period, a 45-day Louisiana public comment period, and final 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.html.
For more information on the settlement, visit the EPA’s website at: www.epa.gov/enforcement/evangeline-enterprises-llc-settlement-information-sheet.
Breaux Bridge man sentenced to 10 years in prison for distributing heroin in AcadianaRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced today that a Breaux Bridge man was sentenced to 120 months in prison for conspiring with three Lafayette residents to sell heroin.
Joshua Edwards, 32, of Breaux Bridge, 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. Edwards was also sentenced to eight years of supervised release. The defendant was found guilty after a three-day trial that ended August 1, 2018. Evidence admitted at trial revealed that Edwards, along with Jacobe Arceneaux, 34; Terrence T. Woods, 33; and Robert Jenkins, 36, all of Lafayette, conspired to distribute heroin in the Acadiana area in 2016 and 2017.
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. Woods pleaded guilty on September 20, 2017 to distributing heroin, and he is awaiting sentencing. 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 Hustle City.” 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.
Ball felon pleads guilty to possessing revolverRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that a Ball felon pleaded guilty Tuesday to illegally possessing a revolver and ammunition.
Terrence Taylor, 38, of Ball, Louisiana, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell to one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. According to the guilty plea, Alexandria police officers approached a vehicle at a local park. Taylor was in the driver’s seat with two passengers. After they exited the vehicle, officers noticed the handle of a firearm under the armrest of the driver’s seat. The firearm was a Smith & Wesson .357 Magnum revolver, which was loaded with six rounds. A warrant check revealed that Taylor had outstanding warrants for probation violations, and he was arrested at the scene. Taylor is a felon who has previously been convicted of forcible rape, illegal use of a weapon and possession of a controlled dangerous substance.
Taylor 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 1, 2019.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions 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, Attorney General Sessions announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy that incorporates the lessons learned since PSN launched in 2001.
The ATF and the Alexandria Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamilla A. Bynog is prosecuting the case.
U.S. Attorney David Joseph implements November 6th Election Day program to prevent fraud and protect voting rightsRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, LAFAYETTE, MONROE, ALEXANDRIA, LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced today that First Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Van Hook and Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen King will lead his office’s Election Day monitoring as part of a greater Department of Justice program to monitor voting rights abuses and election fraud across the country.
“Every citizen has the right to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted,” Joseph said. “The Department of Justice will act promptly and aggressively to protect the integrity of the election process. It is imperative that those who have specific information about discrimination or election fraud make that information available immediately to my office, the FBI or the Department’s Civil Rights Division.”
The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring election fraud and discrimination at the polls, and combating these violations whenever and wherever they occur. The Department’s long-standing Election Day program furthers these goals, and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the integrity of the election process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible election fraud and voting rights violations while the polls are open on Election Day.
Federal law protects against such crimes as intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters and provides that they can vote free from acts that intimidate or harass them. For example, actions of persons designed to interrupt or intimidate voters at polling places by questioning or challenging them, or by photographing or videotaping them, under the pretext that these are actions to uncover illegal voting, may violate federal voting rights law. Further, federal law protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or illiteracy).
The franchise is the cornerstone of American democracy. We all must ensure that those who are entitled to the franchise, exercise it if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice. In order to respond to complaints of election fraud or voting rights abuses on November 6, 2018, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, Van Hook and King will be on duty in this District while the polls are open. Van Hook can be reached by the public at our Shreveport office at 318-676-3600; and King can be reached at our Lafayette office at 337-262-6618.
In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on Election Day. Local FBI field offices can be reached by the public in Shreveport at 318-861-1890, Monroe at 318-387-0773, Alexandria at 318-443-5097, Lafayette at 337-233-2164 and Lake Charles at 318-433-6353.
Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section in Washington, D.C., by phone at 1-800-253-3931 and 202-307-2767, fax at 202-307-3961, email to [email protected] or complaint form at www.justice.gov/crt/complaint/votintake/index.php.
“My office works hard to ensure that our District has free and fair elections,” Joseph stated. “We urge the public to report specific information about discrimination or election fraud immediately.”
Springhill man pleads guilty to supplying methamphetamine to Bossier City womanRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that a Springhill man pleaded guilty last week to supplying more than a kilogram of methamphetamine to a Bossier City woman.
Marlon G. Gladney, 42, of Springhill, Louisiana, pleaded guilty Thursday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark L. Hornsby to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The plea will become final when accepted by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote. According to the guilty plea, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop on Gladney’s vehicle October 27, 2017. During a search of the vehicle, officers found a firearm, and Gladney was detained. During questioning, Gladney stated he distributed methamphetamine to Erin O’Daniel, 35, of Bossier City, Louisiana, who sold the drugs in the Shreveport/Bossier City area. Gladney admitted providing at least 1.5 kilograms of methamphetamine to O’Daniel during the previous three months. O’Daniel was later arrested. A total of 396.2 grams of methamphetamine was found in her vehicle and home.
Gladney faces 10 years to life in prison, five years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. The court set the sentencing date for February 12, 2019. O’Daniel pleaded guilty on January 25, 2018 to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. She faces 10 years to life in prison for the conspiracy count and five years for the firearms count to run consecutive to the conspiracy count. She also faces four years of supervised release and a $10 million fine. The court set a sentencing date of January 4, 2019.
The DEA, Louisiana State Police, Webster Parish Sheriff’s Office and Minden Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Aaron Crawford is prosecuting the case.
U.S. Attorney David C. Joseph and DEA announce 16th annual National Prescription Drug Take Back DayRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, LAFAYETTE, MONROE, ALEXANDRIA, LAKE CHARLES, La. – Mark your calendars for the annual National Prescription Drug Take Back Day to be held on Saturday, October 27, at various locations throughout Shreveport, Lafayette, Monroe, Alexandria and Lake Charles.
“Prescription Drug Take Back Day is an important service provided by the DEA and its law enforcement partners, and is a great opportunity for citizens to be a part of the fight against the opioid epidemic,” Joseph stated. “Rates of prescription drug abuse in the United States are alarmingly high. This effort is a way to remove opioids and other drugs from our communities and reduce the chance of them finding their way into the wrong hands. I would like to encourage everyone to join communities across the nation in this effort to safely and anonymously dispose of their expired and unused prescription medications.”
“In the midst of this worst-ever opioid epidemic, where we’re losing over 166 people a day, it’s absolutely critical that we get unused prescription drugs out of homes and dispose of them safely at these Drug Take Back events,” said New Orleans Field Division DEA Special Agent in Charge Stephen G. Azzam. “Unfortunately, these drugs are most often obtained from friends and family, who leave them in home medicine cabinets. This event provides citizens an easy and safe way to dispose of unwanted prescription drugs. Please do your part to keep our communities safe by participating in Saturday’s event.”
Last April, Americans turned in nearly 475 tons (949,046 pounds) of prescription drugs at more than 5,800 sites operated by the DEA and almost 4,700 of its state and local law enforcement partners. Overall, in its 15 previous Take Back events, DEA and its partners have taken in almost 10 million pounds—nearly 5,000 tons—of pills.
This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse and abuse. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health shows year after year that the majority of misused and abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including someone else’s medication being stolen from the home medicine cabinet. In addition, Americans are now advised that their usual methods for disposing of unused medicines—flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash—both pose potential safety and health hazards.
The DEA will have collection sites across the country on Saturday, October 27, for those who are interested in bringing their unused or expired prescription drugs for proper disposal. Only pills and other solids, like patches, can be brought to the collection sites; liquids and needles or other sharp objects will not be accepted. The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.
Prescription drugs can be dropped off from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the following locations:
Shreveport
- Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office, Sheriff’s Safety Town in the parking lot of Summer Grove Baptist Church, 8910 Jewella Ave.
Monroe
- Louisiana State Police, Troop F, 3811 Desiard St.
- Monroe Police Department, 700 Wood St.
- Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office, 400 St. John St.
Alexandria
- Louisiana State Police, Troop E, 1710 Odom St.
- Alexandria Police Department, 1000 Bolton Ave.
Lafayette
- Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office, 1825 W. Willow St.
- Louisiana State Police, Troop I, 121 E. Pont des Mouton Road
- Lafayette Police Department, University Hospitals and Clinics, 2390 W. Congress St.
Lake Charles
- Lake Charles Police Department, Civic Center, 900 Lake Shore Drive
Please visit Takebackday.dea.gov or call 1-800-882-9539 for a complete list of collection sites. Additionally, there are permanent drop-off boxes, which can also be found at Takebackday.dea.gov.
Member of Winn Parish methamphetamine distribution ring pleads guiltyRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that the last defendant in a Winn Parish methamphetamine distribution ring pleaded guilty Monday before he was scheduled to go to trial.
Jeremy Laraun Mamon, 36, of Winnfield, Louisiana, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Mamon was one of 11 defendants named as part of an indictment filed September 28, 2017. According to the guilty plea, Mamon and 10 other defendants conspired to distribute methamphetamine in the Winn Parish area from October 2015 to September 2017. Ladarrius James Street, 35; Dexter Jerome Sapp, 39; Destiny Hamilton, 33; Kendrick Lamont Davenport, 44; Stephen Duncan Jr., 26; Delano C. Hall, 49; Michael Deangelo Hall, 33; and Xavier Deandre Powell, 29; all of Winnfield, as well as Cristina Daniela Santos, 26, of Los Angeles, California; and Rafael M. Powell, 33, of Atlanta, Louisiana, were also indicted.
Mamon faces 20 years to life in prison, at least 10 years of supervised release and a $20 million fine. The remaining defendants also pleaded guilty to the conspiracy count. Santos, Street and Rafael Powell pleaded guilty on September 10, 2018 and are scheduled to be sentenced December 14, 2018. Sapp pleaded guilty April 16, 2018 and is scheduled to be sentenced November 20, 2018. Hamilton and Duncan pleaded guilty on July 5, 2018. Hamilton is scheduled to be sentenced November 19, 2018. Davenport pleaded June 27, 2018 and was sentenced on September 28, 2018 to 120 months in prison and five years of supervised release. Delano Hall pleaded guilty on June 27, 2018 and is scheduled to be sentenced November 20, 2018. Michael Hall pleaded guilty on July 13, 2018. Xavier Powell pleaded guilty on August 27, 2018 and is scheduled to be sentenced on December 13, 2018.
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 are prosecuting the case.
Shreveport felon, Lafayette felon plead guilty to possessing firearmsRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT/ALEXANDRIA, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that a Shreveport felon and a Lafayette felon pleaded guilty to possessing firearms in two separate cases.
Shreveport felon pleads guilty to possessing revolver
Roderick Charles Scott, 43, of Shreveport, pleaded guilty October 10, 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, Shreveport police responded to a shooting in the Hollywood area on June 23, 2017. Upon arrival, police observed an individual enter a home on Miles Street. Police ordered the individual out of the home and discovered it was Scott. When approached, he had a Rossi .38 special revolver clenched in his right hand. Police confiscated the gun and arrested Scott.
Scott 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 12, 2019. The ATF and the Shreveport Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron J. Crawford is prosecuting the case.
Lafayette felon pleads guilty to possessing two firearms
Kenyatta Edmond, 40, of Lafayette, Louisiana, pleaded guilty Tuesday before U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell to one count of felon in possession of a firearm.
According to the guilty plea, a concerned citizen reported on January 22, 2018 to Lafayette police that a man was unconscious 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. The officer saw a pistol in Edmond’s lap with his hand around the grip. The officer then ordered Edmond out of the vehicle and placed him under arrest. Edmond told the officer that he had a second firearm in the vehicle. The officer searched the vehicle and found a Berretta 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 Edmonds has four prior felony convictions.
Edmond 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 1, 2019. The ATF and the Lafayette Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamilla A. Bynog 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. Attorney General Jeff Sessions 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, Attorney General Sessions announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy that incorporates the lessons learned since PSN launched in 2001.
Mexican national pleads guilty to transporting 9 illegal aliens in Calcasieu ParishRead the Press Release
LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that a Mexican national pleaded guilty last week to transporting nine illegal aliens in Calcasieu Parish.
Felix Manuel Juarez-Peralta, 28, of Mexico, pleaded guilty Friday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen Kay to one count of illegal alien transportation. According to the 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.
One of the illegal aliens traveling in the vehicle was charged with illegal re-entry. Jonathan Flores-Hernandez, 22, of Mexico, pleaded guilty on Monday before U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. to one count of re-entry of a removed alien and was sentenced to time served. He was previously arrested on April 30, 2018 near Rio Grande, Texas, and was deported to Mexico via the Hidalgo, Texas, port of entry on May 3, 2018.
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 living in Abbeville sentenced to 90 months in prison for possessing child pornographyRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that an illegal alien from Mexico was sentenced Wednesday to seven years and six months in prison for using his phone and an online account to acquire and possess child pornography.
Paul Armenta-Bojorquez, 34, of Sinaloa, Mexico, but who resided in Abbeville, Louisiana, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. on one count of possession of child pornography. According to the May 16, 2018 guilty plea, law enforcement agents interviewed Armenta-Bojorquez on November 13, 2017 regarding possession of child pornography. He told agents that he received child pornography through his phone and then transferred it onto an online account. Law enforcement agents reviewed the material found on the online account, and it contained child pornography. Some of the material was of children who were younger than 12.
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 and the Louisiana Attorney General’s Louisiana Bureau of Investigation Cyber Crime Unit conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dominic Rossetti prosecuted the case.
Crowley man pleads guilty to possessing child pornography on electronic devicesRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that a Crowley man pleaded guilty Wednesday to possessing sexually explicit images of juveniles.
Kenneth Poullard, 43, of Crowley, Louisiana, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. to one count of possessing child pornography. According to the guilty plea, law enforcement agents learned that Poullard was downloading child pornography to electronic devices in his home. Agents searched his home on March 13, 2014 and found a desktop computer containing 50 images of child pornography. Poullard, who was present at the time of the search, admitted to intentionally searching for and downloading images and video of child pornography.
Poullard faces up to 20 years in prison, five years to life of supervised release, registration as a sex offender and a $250,000 fine. The court set the sentencing date for February 12 2019.
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 Louisiana Attorney General’s Office High Technology Crime Unit conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamilla A. Bynog is prosecuting the case.
Broussard woman sentenced to 2 years for stealing nearly $275,000 from bank customer accountsRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that a Broussard woman was sentenced Wednesday to 24 months in prison for embezzling almost $275,000 from bank customers.
Derlena Carrier, 59, of Broussard, Louisiana, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. on one count of theft, embezzlement or misapplication by a bank officer or employee. She was also sentenced to five years of supervised released and was ordered to pay $274,980. According to the May 11, 2018 guilty plea, Carrier worked as an account clearing house (ACH) specialist for a bank where she had access to bank customer accounts and handled ACH wire transfers. From March of 2010 to December of 2016, Carrier initiated 74 fraudulent wire transfers from customers’ accounts to personal accounts. Carrier embezzled a total of $274,980 during the course of the scheme.
The U.S. Secret Service and the Lafayette Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Ayo is prosecuting the case.
Three Nigerian nationals living in Grambling and Texas plead guilty to roles in marriage fraud schemeRead the Press Release
MONROE, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that three Nigerian nationals living in Grambling and Texas have pleaded guilty Monday to roles in a scheme aimed at obtaining permanent residency illegally.
Adebisi Philip Bode Adejumo, 34, a Grambling, Louisiana, resident and Nigerian citizen; Godspower Raphael Sobaeh, 31, a Fort Worth, Texas, resident and Nigerian citizen; and Olabode Ebenezer Olubodun, 37, a Houston, Texas, resident and Nigerian citizen, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty to one count of conspiracy to make false statements in connection with immigration documents. Adejumo also pleaded guilty to one count of making false statements in connection with immigration documents, Sobaeh to one count of marriage fraud, and Olubodun to one count of making false statements in connection with immigration documents and mail fraud. In May, a federal grand jury returned a 42-count indictment charging 17 Nigerian and Cameroon nationals living in Louisiana, Texas, New York and Maryland with the marriage fraud scheme. Sobaeh, Adejumo and Olubodun are the first to plead guilty. The court set sentencing for February 6, 2019.
According to the indictment, from as late as June 2013 and continuing to 2018, the defendants, who were from Nigeria and Cameroon, used F-1 student and B-2 visitor visas to enter the United States. While here, they entered into fraudulent marriages to stay in the United States. They recruited and paid United States citizens to enter into sham marriages in order to evade immigration laws and procure immigration benefits to which they were not entitled. The defendants filled out immigration forms and supplemental documents using false information, and they forged immigration forms and supplemental documents that they mailed to U.S. Citizenship and Immigrations Services (USCIS). They also attended USCIS interviews where they made false statements under oath in an effort to evade immigration laws.
All the defendants were charged with one count of conspiracy to make false statements in connection with immigration documents, to commit mail fraud, to commit marriage fraud, and to commit aggravated identity theft. For the remaining defendants, charges and a list of the defendants, see the information below:
John Femi Egunjobi, 34, a Grambling resident and Nigerian citizen, was charged with 12 counts of making false statements in connection with immigration documents, nine counts of mail fraud and 15 counts of aggravated identity theft.
Talatu Helen Dada, 38, a Ruston, Louisiana, resident and Nigerian citizen, was charged with one count of making false statements in connection with immigration documents, one count of mail fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.
Oludayo Folarin Olayinka, 38, a Midland, Texas, resident and Nigerian citizen, was charged with one count of making false statements in connection with immigration documents, one count of mail fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.
James Ojo Ayodele, 49, a Ruston resident and Nigerian citizen, was charged with one count of making false statements in connection with immigration documents and one count of aggravated identity theft.
Precillia Asabe Dada, 53, a Ruston resident and Nigerian citizen, was charged with one count of making false statements in connection with immigration documents, one count of mail fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.
Landry Djeiya Tchokogue, 29, a Houston resident and Cameroon citizen, was charged with one count of making false statements in connection with immigration documents, one count of mail fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.
Cedric Gaetan Simou Meughu, 32, a Hyattsville, Maryland, resident and Cameroon citizen, was charged with one count of marriage fraud.
Martin Boris Takam Sagoua, 33, a Vineyard Haven, Maryland, resident and Cameroon citizen, was charged with one count of marriage fraud.
Cecilia Joseph Akpan, 55, a Huntington Station, New York, resident and Nigerian citizen, was charged with one count of making false statements in connection with immigration documents, one count of mail fraud, one count of marriage fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.
Tiimaro Smart Ekanem, 26, a Ruston resident and Nigerian citizen, was only charged with the conspiracy count.
Abiola Esther Olaniyi, 26, a Dallas, Texas, resident and Nigerian citizen, was charged with one count of making false statements in connection with immigration documents, one count of mail fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.
Paul Allele Edeki, 40, a Houston resident and Nigerian citizen, was charged with one count of making false statements in connection with immigration documents, one count of mail fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.
Funmilade I. Oyetunji, 26, a Katy, Texas, resident and Nigerian citizen, was charged with one count of making false statements in connection with immigration documents, one count of mail fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.
And Olorunwa James Akinseloyin, 41, a Ruston resident and Nigerian citizen, was charged with one count of making false statements in connection with immigration documents and one count of aggravated identity theft.
The defendants face up to five years in prison for the conspiracy count, 10 years in prison for the false statements count, 20 years in prison for the mail fraud count, five years in prison for the marriage fraud count and two years in prison for the identity theft count. They also face restitution, forfeiture, three to five years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine for each count. The remaining defendants are scheduled to face trial February 11, 2019.
Homeland Security Investigations Shreveport, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Marshals Service, Louisiana State Police-CIU, Louisiana State Police Narcotics, Lincoln Parish Sheriff’s Office, Shreveport Police Department and Bossier City Marshals Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tiffany E. Fields and Earl M. Campbell are prosecuting the case.
Texas man sentenced to 10 years in prison for role in Shreveport/Bossier City methamphetamine distribution conspiracyRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that a Texas man was sentenced Tuesday to 120 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possessing a firearm.
Donnie Vance Grabener, 64, of Waskom, Texas, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote on one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and one count of felon in possession of a firearm. He was also sentenced to five years of supervised release. According to the May 3, 2018 guilty plea, Grabener and codefendants Thomas Taylor, 65, of Dallas, Texas; Tina Louise Taylor, 43, of Dallas, Texas; and Michael Shane Rushton, 33, of Bossier City, Louisiana, conspired to sell methamphetamine in the Shreveport/Bossier City area from March 2017 to May 2017. A Caddo Parish sheriff’s officer stopped a vehicle Rushton was driving on May 5, 2017 in Bethany, Louisiana. Riding in the vehicle were husband and wife Thomas and Tina Taylor. The officer searched the vehicle and found a box behind the driver’s side seat on the floor filled with paper rags. In the bottom of the box was a grocery sack with seven clear plastic bags that were later tested to contain approximately 983 grams of methamphetamine. Upon further investigation, law enforcement agents learned that Grabener sold methamphetamine with his suppliers being Thomas and Tina Taylor.
Thomas Taylor, Tina Taylor and Rushton pleaded guilty March 5, 2018 to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Rushton was sentenced September 17, 2018 to 60 months in prison with three years of supervised release. Thomas and Tina Taylor were sentenced on August 3, 2018 to 140 months and 120 months in prison respectively. They were also sentenced to five years of supervised release.
The DEA and the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tiffany E. Fields and Mary J. Mudrick prosecuted the case.
ICE most wanted illegal alien living in Church Point arrested for re-entering country after deportationRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that Jose Melchor Martinez, 48, a resident of Church Point and a citizen of Mexico, has been arrested after being charged by a federal criminal complaint in U.S. District Court with re-entry of a removed alien.
According to the criminal complaint filed on October 12, 2018, Martinez illegally re-entered the United States after being deported on September 6, 2003, and had not received permission from the U.S. Attorney General or the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security to re-enter. According to U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, Martinez is considered to be one of their most wanted fugitives. For more information, see www.ice.gov/most-wanted/martinez-jose-melchor.
The defendant faces up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release if convicted.
The case was investigated by ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David J. Ayo.
This matter will proceed in United States District Court in Lafayette, where the complaint is currently pending. A complaint is a temporary charge alleging a violation of law. For the case to proceed to trial, the United States must present the charge to a federal grand jury within 30 days. Once a grand jury returns an indictment, a defendant has a right to a jury trial at which the United States would have the burden of proving the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Scott man sentenced to 67 months in prison for uploading child pornography to Dropbox accountRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that a Scott man was sentenced Tuesday to five years and seven months in prison for possessing child pornography on a Dropbox account.
Larry Guidry, 25, of Scott, Louisiana, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell on one count of possession of child pornography. He was also sentenced to 10 years of supervised release and must register as a sex offender. According to the July 10, 2018 guilty plea, law enforcement agents received information that an online Dropbox account was being used to store child pornography. Dropbox is internet service used to store digital information such as documents, images and other data. Agents searched the account and found 100 images and 23 videos of child pornography. Agents searched Guidry’s residence on February 21, 2018 and arrested him. He admitted to uploading the images to Dropbox.
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 and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Luke Walker prosecuted the case.
Illegal alien from Honduras indicted on multiple firearms charges, illegal re-entryRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced today that an illegal alien from Honduras was indicted on multiple firearms violations and illegally re-entering the country.
Selvin Ponce-Hernandez, 27, of Honduras, was indicted on one count of illegal re-entry of a removed alien, possession of a firearm by a prohibited felon, and possession of a firearm by an illegal alien. According to the indictment, Ponce-Hernandez was arrested on August 9, 2018 in Lafayette Parish. Law enforcement agents found that he was from Honduras and had previously been deported. He was also in possession of a Bersa Thunder .380 Deluxe pistol and ammunition. A review of his criminal record showed that he was also a convicted felon.
Ponce-Hernandez faces up to 10 years in prison for the illegal re-entry count, 10 years in prison for the possession of firearm by a prohibited felon count, and 10 years in prison for the possession of firearm by an illegal alien. He also faces three years of supervised release, a $250,000 fine, and possible deportation.
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.
An indictment is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Lafayette man sentenced for making threats to office of U.S. representative Clay HigginsRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that a Lafayette man was sentenced to 30 months in prison for making threats through interstate communications to the Lafayette office of U.S. Representative Clay Higgins.
Sohail Rana, 50, of Lafayette, Louisiana, was sentenced Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell, who also ordered him to serve two years of supervised release following his prison sentence. The evidence presented at the guilty plea hearing established that Rana called Higgins’ Lafayette office on July 17, 2017 while in Colorado and spoke to his district director. Rana was described as being irate, cursing and screaming during the call saying that he would end Higgins’ career and kill Higgins. The district director noted the phone number and reported the call within minutes to his chief of staff in Washington, D.C. The phone number used to call the office was traced to Rana’s cell phone, and he was later arrested in Colorado.
The U.S. Capitol Police-Threat Assessment Section, FBI, Lafayette Police Department and the Costilla County Sheriff’s Office in Colorado conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Ayo prosecuted the case.
Florida man pleads guilty to trafficking cocaine in Calcasieu ParishRead the Press Release
LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that a Florida man pleaded guilty this week to trafficking nearly 10 kilograms of cocaine.
Kavin Grandison, 46, of Pensacola, Florida, pleaded guilty Wednesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen Kay to one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. The plea will become final when accepted by U.S. District Judge Donald E. Walter. According to the 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.
Grandison faces up to 40 years in prison, five years of supervised release and a $5 million fine. The court set the sentencing date for December 17, 2018.
Homeland Security Investigations and the Calcasieu Anti-Drug Team conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dominic Rossetti is prosecuting the case.
United States Attorney recounts efforts to combat crime on Project Safe Neighborhoods anniversaryRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT/LAFAYETTE/ALEXANDRIA/LAKE CHARLES/MONROE, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced today that after a year of increased firearm and violent crime prosecutions, that there has been a substantial reduction in violent crime throughout the Western District of Louisiana.
One year ago the Department of Justice announced the revitalization and enhancement of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which Attorney General Sessions has made the centerpiece of the Department’s violent crime reduction strategy. 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.
Throughout the past year, the Western District of Louisiana has partnered with all levels of law enforcement, local organizations, and members of the community to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. During this time, the Western District of Louisiana has quadrupled the number of violent crime and firearm prosecutions. And these prosecutions have shown results.
“Project Safe Neighborhoods is a proven program with demonstrated results,” Attorney General Jeff Sessions said. “We know that the most effective strategy to reduce violent crime is based on sound policing policies that have proven effective over many years, which includes being targeted and responsive to community needs. I have empowered our United States Attorneys to focus enforcement efforts against the most violent criminals in their districts, and directed that they work together with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and community partners to develop tailored solutions to the unique violent crime problems they face. Each United States Attorney has prioritized the PSN program, and I am confident that it will continue to reduce crime, save lives, and restore safety to our communities.”
“We have made reducing violent crime in our district a top priority,” Joseph stated. “Project Safe Neighborhoods is a program that helps our office work with local law enforcement to target the worst offenders. As a result of this, we’ve seen violent crime rates drop in many areas of our state. This program works, and we hope to continue this program to further reduce crime and protect the citizens of our communities. I want to thank each and every law enforcement officer, whether federal, state or local, as well as the prosecutors and Justice Department staff who have worked so hard during this last year to take violent offenders out of our neighborhoods.”
As we celebrate the one-year anniversary of the revitalized PSN program, here are some of the highlights of our PSN actions over the past year:
Enforcement Actions
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 for firearm related offenses, including felons and drug dealers in possession of firearms.
- The U.S. Attorney’s Office started its prosecutions a year ago with the announcement on October 5, 2017 of indictments of 16 defendants in separate cases across north Louisiana. For more information, see the news release here.
- Throughout the past year, the office has prosecuted firearms related cases under Project Safe Neighborhoods averaging at least one PSN prosecution a week. An example of such prosecutions can be viewed here.
- The U.S. Attorney announced increased prosecutions in Northwest Louisiana. Read more here.
- United States Attorney Joseph announced increased prosecutions in the Acadiana area. More can be learned here.
Community Partnerships
Since the reinvigoration of Project Safe Neighborhoods, these partnerships have been expanded to include the Louisiana State Attorney General’s Office in addition to other agencies.
- For the first time in its history, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Louisiana Attorney General announced a joint effort to increase violent crime prosecutions. See more here.
- The office announced grants available to local law enforcement. See more information here.
- As part of its community outreach efforts, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has participated in a number of events and programs to educate and strengthen communities throughout the Western District of Louisiana such as National Night Out and drug prevention education events. See more here.
Improvements to Community Safety
- The FBI’s official crime data for 2017 reflects that, after two consecutive, historic increases in violent crime, in the first year of the Trump Administration, the nationwide violent crime rate began to decline. The nationwide violent crime rate decreased by approximately one percent in 2017, while the nationwide homicide rate decreased by nearly one and a half percent.
- The preliminary information we have for 2018 gives us reason for optimism that our efforts are continuing to pay off. Public data from 60 major cities show that violent crime was down by nearly five percent in those cities in the first six months of 2018 compared to the same period a year ago.
- With the increase of 200 defendant prosecutions throughout the district, it has resulted in a noticeable reduction in crime across the district. In Shreveport, violent crime has dropped by 13 percent and indications are that similar results are materializing in other communities throughout the district.
These enforcement actions and partnerships are part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime. Learn more about Project Safe Neighborhoods.
U.S. Attorney’s Office promotes effort to fight violent crime at National Night Out events in Shreveport and AcadianaRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT/LAFAYETTE, La. – U.S. Attorney’s Office staff members and local law enforcement and community leaders met in neighborhoods throughout Caddo, Bossier and Lafayette parishes Tuesday as part of their annual National Night Out crime and drug prevention events. The U.S. Attorney’s participation highlights the teamwork approach 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. This year’s National Night Out marked the one year anniversary of PSN’s reinvigoration.
United States Attorney David C. Joseph, Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Cytheria D. Jernigan, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica Cassidy and Leon Whitten, and legal assistants Mona Hardwick, Katina Freeman and Tanya’ Porter joined U.S. Marshal Henry Whitehorn, Shreveport Mayor Ollie Tyler, Shreveport Police Chief Alan Crump, Caddo Parish Sheriff Steve Prator, the Shreveport Fire Department and other agency representatives for events in Caddo and Bossier Parishes. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Van Hook, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jamilla A. Bynog, Robert Abendroth, Desiree Williams and Dan McCoy joined the Lafayette Police Department, Lafayette Sheriff’s Department and other agencies for National Night Out events in Lafayette.
Residents unlocked their doors, turned on porch lights and spent the evening outside with family, friends, neighbors, emergency response personnel and city officials. Many neighborhoods throughout Caddo and Bossier parishes hosted a variety of special events such as block parties, cookouts, parades, flashlight walks, contests, youth activities and anti-crime rallies. In Lafayette, residents met at the Martin Luther King Center on Willow Street. The events included music, food, games, fun jumps and displays by the Lafayette Sheriff’s Office, the Lafayette Police Department SWAT Team, Horse Patrol, Motorcycle Unit and the Police Command Bus.
National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make our neighborhoods safer, more caring places to live. National Night Out enhances the relationship between neighbors and law enforcement while bringing back a true sense of community. Furthermore, it provides a great opportunity to bring police and neighbors together under positive circumstances.
Thousands of communities across the United States took part in the 35th Annual National Night Out starting in August. To find out more about National Night Out, visit the National Association for Town Watch at natw.org.
Illegal alien from Honduras sentenced for possessing pistol after West Monroe arrestRead the Press Release
MONROE, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that an illegal alien from Honduras was sentenced Tuesday to 18 months in prison for illegally possessing a pistol in West Monroe.
Medardo Zuniga, 36, of Honduras, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Terry A. Doughty on one count of possession of a firearm by an illegal alien. According to the June 13, 2018 guilty plea, a West Monroe police officer conducted a traffic stop on a truck Zuniga was a passenger in on September 15, 2017. Three individuals were in the vehicle including Zuniga. After a search of the vehicle, an empty pistol magazine was found on Zuniga, and a Taurus 9 mm-caliber pistol with an obliterated serial number was found on the floorboard where he had been sitting. After his arrest, he admitted to being in the United States illegally and to possessing the pistol. The defendant was arrested in 2007 for driving unlawfully and had been previously deported on November 14, 2007.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions 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, Attorney General Sessions announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy that incorporates the lessons learned since PSN launched in 2001.
The ATF and West Monroe Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Aaron Crawford prosecuted the case.
Former Cameron company office manager sentenced to 1 year in prison for stealing more than $91,000Read the Press Release
LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that a former office manager of a Cameron company was sentenced Monday to 12 months and one day in prison for stealing more than $91,000 from her employer.
Belinda Miltenberger, 47, of Cameron, Louisiana, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Robert G. James on one count of wire fraud. She was also sentenced to three years of supervised release and was ordered to pay $91,846 in restitution.
According to the June 13, 2018 guilty plea’s factual basis, Miltenberger was the office manager for Cameron Fisheries LLC, a seafood processing and wholesale company located in Cameron. Her responsibilities included maintaining office records of all sales and other business transactions. From January 2016 until about February 2017, Miltenberger embezzled $91,846 from cash seafood sales. Instead of depositing certain cash sales into the company’s bank account, she kept the money for her personal use. She then falsified business records to cover her abuse. When company officials in Seattle became concerned about account balances, they asked Miltenberger to prepare end-of-year financial statements. In response, she created fraudulent financial reports and sent them to her supervisors to continue to conceal her scheme.
The FBI conducted the investigation. Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard A. Willis prosecuted the case.
Federal jury finds members of ‘Block Boyz’ gang guilty on RICO conspiracy, drug trafficking and firearm offensesRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced today that a federal jury in Shreveport found five members of the “Block Boyz” gang guilty on RICO and drug trafficking offenses, as well as firearm offenses.
The five Shreveport residents found guilty were: DeMarcus D. Morris, 29; Jimmie R. Durden Jr., 29; Lonnie D. Johnson, 24; Gary J. McCain, 24; and Larshanda C. Davenport, 45. United States District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote presided over the trial that started Monday, September 17, 2018 and ended today. The jury deliberated for approximately five hours before returning the verdict. All of the defendants were named as part of a Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization or RICO conspiracy in the indictment, which was filed in July of 2017.
The defendants were found guilty of Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances, Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, Distributing Crack Cocaine, and Distributing Powder Cocaine.
The “Block Boyz” gang has terrorized the Queensborough neighborhood for too long,” said U.S. Attorney David C. Joseph. “Today’s verdict will bring some peace to the citizens in Shreveport, and sends a clear message to drug dealers and gangs that this type of violent crime will not be tolerated - you will go to federal prison. These defendants were given a fair trial, and now they will face their consequences. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to working with our law enforcement partners and the citizens of our communities to rid our streets of violent crime, and make our communities a safer place to work, live and play.“
“I applaud the jury’s decision and thank them for their hard work and sacrifices throughout this trial,” FBI Special Agent in Charge Eric J. Rommal stated. “I also commend the great work put forth by all of our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to locate, apprehend, and bring the “Block Boyz” to justice. Without a doubt, the residents of Shreveport will feel much safer now and hopefully be able to reclaim their neighborhoods.”
Evidence admitted at trial revealed that beginning in 2012, the defendants took part in a criminal organization known as the “Block Boyz” and the “Get Money Boyz” or “GMB.” The organization distributed controlled substances, murdered, robbed, possessed firearms illegally and conducted other crimes primarily within the Queensborough and Ingleside neighborhoods of Shreveport. Gang members were charged with at least 66 acts that members of the organization committed to further the RICO conspiracy. The acts include threats, sale of drugs and shootings. The organization sold crack cocaine, powder cocaine, roxicodone, marijuana, ecstasy and alprazolam.
Gang members sold illegal drugs and committed armed robberies. They maintained and circulated a collection of firearms for use in their criminal activity and used cell phones to operate their criminal enterprise. Members of the organization bragged about their illegal activity, such as their possession of firearms, and took pictures of themselves with firearms and money to intimidate others and increase their position in the community.
As a result of their conviction on the RICO count, each defendant faces up to 20 years in prison. In addition to the RICO penalties, four of the five defendants face additional penalties for the drug and firearm offenses. The defendants also face fines up to $5 million and forfeiture of property seized in the case.
Frank J. Morris, 25; Ravion M. Alford, 23; Rodrick R. Hicks, 24; and Golanda W. Atkins, 41 all of Shreveport, were also indicted as part of the conspiracy. Alford pleaded guilty on December 21, 2017 to the RICO count. The court set sentencing for October 17, 2018. Hicks pleaded guilty on January 29, 2018 to the RICO count with a sentencing date of October 17, 2018. Morris pleaded guilty on August 30, 2018 to the RICO count with a sentencing date of January 4, 2019. Atkins was dismissed from the indictment on September 7, 2018.
The FBI Northwest Louisiana Violent Crimes Task Force, ATF, the U.S. Marshal’s Service, Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Office, Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office, Desoto Parish Sheriff’s Office, Red River Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the Shreveport Police Department participated in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Allison D. Bushnell and Tennille M. Gilreath are prosecuting the case.
U.S. Attorney, Justice Department announce grant for Evangeline Parish to combat school violenceRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph joined the Department of Justice today in announcing more than $70 million in grant funding to bolster school security, educate and train students and faculty, and support law enforcement officers and first responders who arrive on the scene of a school violence incident, including $150,000 for the Evangeline Parish School Board in the Western District of Louisiana.
These grants are in addition to the funding to the National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO), announced by Attorney General Sessions last week, to expand and update their curriculum to better support training programs. These grants combined will better protect students, teachers, faculty and first responders across the United States. Additionally, the Department is awarding more than $64 million to state agencies to improve the completeness, quality and accessibility of the nation’s criminal record systems, which will help law enforcement and increase the effectiveness of background checks.
“President Trump and his administration will ensure the safety of every American school,” Attorney General Jeff Sessions said. “Earlier this year, he signed into law the STOP School Violence Act, which provides grant funding to develop anonymous school threat reporting systems, to implement school building security measures, and to train students, school personnel, and law enforcement on how to prevent school violence. Today I am announcing $70 million in these grants to hundreds of cities and states across America. These grants will go a long way toward giving young people and their families both safety and peace of mind.”
“There is no more important cause than protecting our children from harm,” Joseph stated. “This grant will allow the Evangeline Parish School Board to develop better safety measures for its students and train crisis teams in furtherance of that end. I want to congratulate the school board for being awarded this grant and thank the Department of Justice for making it available.”
The Office of Justice Program’s (OJP) Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) and the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) together are making more than 220 awards to jurisdictions across the country to help make schools more secure. The awards, granted through three funding streams, will provide new technology for reporting systems and other threat deterrent measures and create school safety training and education programs for school administrators, staff, students, and first responders. This includes the support for existing crisis intervention teams and the creation of new ones.
- BJA’s STOP School Violence Threat Assessment and Technology Reporting Program will provide 68 awards valued at more than $19 million. This funding supports training to create and operate threat assessment and crisis intervention teams and to develop technology for local or regional anonymous reporting systems. This technology may be in the form of a mobile phone application, hotline, or website. The Evangeline Parish School Board is the recipient of this program grant.
- The STOP School Violence Prevention and Mental Health Training Program, also managed by BJA, will provide training and education on preventing violence and effectively responding to related mental health crises. This program will fund 85 awards at nearly $28 million.
- The COPS Office School Violence Prevention Program (SVPP) will provide nearly $25 million to 91 jurisdictions for school safety measures including coordination with law enforcement, training for law enforcement to prevent student violence against others and self, target hardening measures, and technology for expedited notification of law enforcement during an emergency.
The grants are authorized by the STOP School Violence Act, which are intended to improve school security by helping students and teachers reduce exposure to risks, prevent acts of violence, and quickly recognize and respond to violent attacks.
The Department also announced that it has awarded more than $64 million to state agencies to improve the completeness, quality and accessibility of the nation’s criminal record systems. These grants are administered by the Bureau of Justice Statistics, part of OJP. Approximately $43 million in funding will be administered through the National Criminal History Improvement Program (NCHIP), and nearly $21 million will be awarded under the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) Act Record Improvement Program. These grant programs help states automate and upgrade records accessed by the firearms background check system. This year, at the direction of the Attorney General, the Department prioritized funding for projects that improve accessibility of criminal history records, domestic violence convictions, and information on persons who are prohibited from possessing firearms for mental-health related reasons.
The Department is also investing over $1 million in research to better understand the factors behind mass shooting incidents. The grant awards, made by the Department’s National Institute of Justice (NIJ), part of OJP, support scientific investigations that will examine factors that contribute to mass violence, identify any patterns in mass shootings, analyze psychological and social life histories of mass shooters and community-level predictors of mass violence, and will examine firearm purchasing patterns of known mass shooters in order to create a risk prediction tool.
For addition information on today’s grant announcements, visit www.bja.gov or www.cops.usdoj.gov.
NOTE: The breakdown of the STOP School Violence Grants can be found here: STOP School Violence Threat Assessment and Technology Reporting Program, STOP School Violence Prevention and Mental Health Training Program, and COPS Office School Violence Prevention Program.
Lake Charles felon sentenced to 10 years in prison for possessing sawed-off shotgun, drugsRead the Press Release
LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that a Lake Charles man previously convicted of a felony was sentenced Monday to 120 months in prison for possessing a sawed-off shotgun in addition to other firearms and trafficking drugs.
Mark Washington, 46, of Lake Charles, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Robert G. James on one count of possession of a shotgun with a barrel of less than 18 inches in length and one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. He was also sentenced to three years of supervised release. According to the June 5, 2018 guilty plea, members of the Calcasieu Parish Combined Anti-Drug Taskforce responded to a report of drug activity at a home on April 18, 2017 at Hinton Drive in Lake Charles. Upon arriving at the scene, agents found Washington standing in the driveway of the residence near two men who were inside a car. Agents searched the residence and found one Sigarms Model 250 semi-automatic pistol with a magazine containing 12 live rounds; one Glock Model 36, .45-caliber semi-automatic pistol containing a magazine with four live rounds; one sawed-off Stevens Model 940E, .410-gauge break-action shotgun; and one sawed-off 20-gauge break-action shotgun of unknown make and model. They also found loose synthetic marijuana on the television stand in the living room, and they located 936 pills, two pink plastic bags of synthetic marijuana, a cigarette pack containing a glass vile with drug residue, a cellophane baggie with five ecstasy pills and $1,145. Washington said he lived at the residence and had bought the guns on the street. Washington also admitted to being a convicted felon, and that he was not allowed to be around firearms.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions 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, Attorney General Sessions announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy that incorporates the lessons learned since PSN launched in 2001.
The ATF and Calcasieu Parish Combined Anti-Drug Taskforce conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamilla A. Bynog prosecuted the case.
Beauregard Parish men sentenced for roles in Dequincy bank robberyRead the Press Release
LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that two men from Singer were sentenced Monday for robbing a DeQuincy bank of nearly $16,000.
Gordon Scott Cooper, 56, of Singer Louisiana, was sentenced to 84 months in prison and Chad Allen Cooper, 39, also of Singer, was sentenced to 48 months in prison for one count of bank robbery. They were also sentenced to five years of supervised release and were ordered to pay $15,899 restitution. United States District Judge Robert G. James presided over the hearing. According to the guilty pleas, Gordon Cooper entered a bank in DeQuincy, Louisiana, with an air-powered BB gun that looked like an automatic pistol and stole $15,999 from two teller drawers. Police later learned that a maroon Honda Pilot had been seen in the area prior to the robbery and that the driver had been seen acting suspiciously. Police located Chad Cooper who is Gordon Cooper’s nephew and found BBs and a CO2 cartridge for the air pistol used in the robbery. Chad Cooper admitted to assisting in the robbery and directed officers on how to find his uncle. At Gordon Cooper’s residence, police located the Honda Pilot, a plastic bag containing money, and a pair of tennis shoes that Gordon Cooper identified as the ones worn in the robbery.
The FBI and the Dequincy Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Ayo prosecuted the case.
U.S. Attorney, Justice Department announce grant to Western District of Louisiana to fight opioidsRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – On the first day of National Substance Abuse Prevention Month, U.S. Attorney David C. Joseph and the Department of Justice announced that a half a million-dollar grant has been awarded to the St. Mary Parish government drug court to aid in the battle against opioid abuse.
The grant is included in $320 million in grants the Department of Justice has issued to combat the opioid crisis across the United States. The unprecedented funding will directly help those most impacted by the deadliest drug crisis in American history, including crime victims, children, families and first responders. In St. Mary Parish, the $500,000 will be used for the improvement, enhancement or expansion of drug court services. The grants are provided to agencies within the Western District of Louisiana through the Office of Justice Programs (OJP).
Drug courts have been demonstrated to reduce recidivism and substance abuse among high risk, high need participants and increase their likelihood of successful rehabilitation. These courts integrate evidence-based substance abuse treatment, mandatory drug testing, sanctions and incentives, and transitional services in judicially supervised court settings.
“Fighting the opioid epidemic is more than just about making arrests,” Joseph stated. “The Department of Justice supports drug courts and programs that aim to treat and address the underlying addiction left in the aftermath of opioid use. Through a multi-faceted approach, we can reduce damage caused by these dangerous drugs. I want to thank the Justice Department for making these funds available to the citizens of St. Mary Parish.”
“President Trump has made ending the opioid crisis a priority for this administration, and under his leadership, the Department of Justice has taken historic action,” said Attorney General Jeff Sessions. “Today we are announcing our next steps: investing $320 million into all three parts of the President’s comprehensive plan to end the epidemic: prevention, treatment and enforcement. We are attacking this crisis from every angle—and we will not let up until we bring it to an end.”
In 2017, more than 72,000 Americans lost their lives to drug overdoses, an increase from the 64,000 overdose deaths in 2016, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The majority of these deaths can be attributed to opioids, including illicit fentanyl and its analogues. October marks two important anti-drug events: Red Ribbon Week and National Prescription Drug Take Back Day. Red Ribbon Week takes place every year between October 23 to 31 and encourages students, parents, schools and communities to promote drug-free lifestyles. The Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on October 27 aims to provide an opportunity for Americans to prevent overdose deaths and drug addictions before they start. DOJ expanded on DEA’s Drug Take Back Days and collected more than 2.7 million pounds of expired or unused prescription drugs since April 2017.
The Attorney General has been resolute in the fight against the drug crisis in America. The Department assigned more than 300 federal prosecutors to U.S. Attorneys’ offices and hired more than 400 DEA task force officers, announced the formation of Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge, a new program to reduce the supply of deadly synthetic opioids in high impact areas, and created a new data analytics program called the Opioid Fraud and Abuse Detection Unit to assist 12 prosecutors sent to drug “hot spot districts.” In addition, the Department charged more than 3,000 defendants with trafficking in heroin, fentanyl, or prescription drugs in fiscal year 2017, announced the first-ever indictments of Chinese nationals for fentanyl trafficking, and scheduled variants of fentanyl to prevent illicit drug labs from circumventing the law. In addition, DOJ executed the largest ever health care fraud enforcement action charging more than 600 defendants and proposed rules consistent with President Trump’s “Safe Prescribing Plan,” requiring a reduction of ten percent in 2019 in manufacturing quotas. The Department dismantled AlphaBay, the largest criminal marketplace on the Internet and has already generated prosecutions in the fight against online drug trafficking through the Joint Criminal Opioid Darknet Enforcement Team (J-CODE).
The approximately $320 million awarded by the OJP will be distributed in order to maximize effectiveness over the country. A breakdown of the grant funding can be found here.
- Innovative Prosecution Solutions for Combating Violent Crime and Opioid Abuse ($2.8 Million) to help prosecutors develop strategies to address violent crime caused by illegal opioid distribution and abuse.
- Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Site-based Program ($162 Million) to help jurisdictions plan and implement programs aimed at reducing opioid abuse and mitigating its impact on crime victims, including training and technical assistance.
- Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program ($5.9 Million) to address the treatment needs of people using opioids under the Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program.
- Helping Children and Youth Impacted by Opioids ($46.6 Million) to help children and youth impacted by the opioid crisis, including training and technical assistance.
- Drug Courts ($81.2 Million) to assist adult, juvenile, and family drug courts and veterans treatment courts, including training and technical assistance.
- Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Improvement Grant Program ($17 Million) to address the dramatic increase in deaths and the backlogs of seized drugs as a result of the opioid crisis.
- Opioid-Related Research for Criminal Justice Purposes ($4.1 Million) to develop of new tools to enforce the law, ensure public safety, prevent and control crime, and ensure fair and impartial administration of justice.
The Office of Justice Programs provides federal leadership in developing the nation’s capacity to prevent and control crime, administer justice, and assist victims. OJP has six bureaus and offices: the Bureau of Justice Assistance; the Bureau of Justice Statistics; the National Institute of Justice; the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention; the Office for Victims of Crime; and the Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering and Tracking. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
Pineville man sentenced to five years in prison for accessing child pornography onlineRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced today that a man from Pineville was sentenced to 60 months in prison for accessing child pornography online.
Corey Brossette, 24, of Pineville, Louisiana, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell to one count of access with intent to view child pornography. He was also sentenced to five years of supervised release and is required to register as a sex offender. According to the May 17, 2018 guilty plea, law enforcement agents detected Brossette’s computer accessing a child pornography website on what’s known as the dark web or the deep web and viewing child pornography. After agents determined the location of the computer accessing the website, agents searched the home where Brossette was living at the time and interviewed Brossette. He admitted viewing child pornography online and using the dark web. To learn more about the dark web or deep web, visit the FBI’s website at www.fbi.gov/news/stories/a-primer-on-darknet-marketplaces.
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.
Those concerned may leave tips with the FBI at tips.fbi.gov. Tips may be submitted anonymously. The Alexandria FBI office number is (318) 443-5097.
The FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike O’Mara prosecuted the case.
Abbeville felon sentenced to one year in prison for possessing pistolRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced today that an Abbeville man was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison for illegally possessing a pistol.
Carlin Jerrid Montgomery, 38, of Abbeville, Louisiana, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell 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 July 2, 2018 guilty plea, law enforcement agents executed a search warrant at Montgomery’s home on April 28, 2017 and found a .45-caliber pistol and ammunition. The handgun was concealed in the exterior shell of a black metal stereo tuner lying on the floor under Montgomery’s bedroom window. The defendant was convicted on June 11, 2002 for possession of crack cocaine and is prohibited from possessing a firearm.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions 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, Attorney General Sessions announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy that incorporates the lessons learned since PSN launched in 2001.
Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and ATF conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert C. Abendroth prosecuted the case.
Three illegal aliens sentenced for re-entering the United States after previous deportationsRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that three illegal aliens from Guatemala were sentenced Tuesday for re-entering the United States after having been previously removed.
Denis Izara-Rivera, 25; Margarito Hernandez-Izara, 27; and Marvin Lopez-Lopez, 25; all of Guatemala, were sentenced to time served by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote on one count of illegal re-entry of a removed alien. They are also to be deported after they are turned over to immigration agents. According to the guilty pleas, Sabine Parish Sheriff’s deputies arrested the defendants who were all riding together on August 19, 2018 near Many, Louisiana.
After further investigation, law enforcement agents discovered that:
Izara-Rivera had been previously removed twice. He was first arrested on September 26, 2013 in McAllen, Texas, and removed to Guatemala. After that, he was arrested once more on October 26, 2013 and removed again to Guatemala;
Hernande-Izara had been previously removed once. He was found on May 26, 2011 in Phoenix, Arizona, and later removed to Guatemala; and
Marvin Lopez-Lopez had been previously removed once. He was found on December 11, 2014 in Phoenix, Arizona, and later removed to Guatemala.
United States Border Patrol and the Sabine Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth D. Reeg prosecuted the case.
Shreveport man pleads guilty to using counterfeit $100 bills to buy carRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that a Shreveport man pleaded guilty Tuesday to using counterfeit cash to buy a car.
Tyler B. Jilg, 33, of Shreveport, Louisiana, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark L. Hornsby to one count of passing or uttering counterfeit obligations or securities. The plea will become final when accepted by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote. According to the guilty plea, Shreveport Police saw a reportedly stolen black Lexus parked in front of a house on March 24, 2018. Two days before, Sarah McClain, 22, also of Shreveport, reported her ex-boyfriend, Tyler Jilg, had stolen her black Lexus. After investigating, Shreveport Police determined that Jilg and McClain bought the car from another person using 58 counterfeit $100 bills. The owner realized sometime after the transaction the money was counterfeit and tried to make contact with the defendants, but they ignored him. After his arrest, Jilg admitted to passing the counterfeit money to the car owner.
Jilg faces up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. The court set sentencing for January 9, 2019. McClain also pleaded guilty to the same count as Jilg on September 5, 2018. The court set McClain’s sentencing date for December 12, 2018.
The U.S. Secret Service and the Shreveport Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike O’Mara is prosecuting the case.
Fort Polk soldier sentenced to more than 11 years for illegally manufacturing, using a chemical weaponRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph and Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers announced that a Fort Polk soldier was sentenced Monday to 135 months in prison for manufacturing and detonating a chemical weapon in the Kisatchie National Forest adjacent to the Fort Polk Army installation.
Ryan Keith Taylor, 24, of New Llano, Louisiana, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jay C. Zainey for producing, possessing, and using a chemical weapon in violation of federal law. He was also sentenced to five years of supervised release. According to the June 11, 2018 guilty plea, Taylor detonated an explosive device containing chlorine gas on the morning of April 12, 2017 in the Kisatchie National Forest near Fort Polk. Three U.S. Army soldiers who were conducting a training exercise nearby heard the explosions and found Taylor standing near his vehicle filming the explosion with his cell phone. They then questioned Taylor and reported the incident to military police.
Upon arriving at the site of the explosion, Fort Polk military police investigators examined the scene and began collecting samples at the blast site. One investigator filled a plastic bag with a rock coated in an unknown substance. The bag immediately popped, and the investigator’s plastic gloves and boots began to melt. He also began to experience difficulty breathing and his skin started burning. Law enforcement later detained Taylor at Fort Polk and searched his vehicle. During the search, investigators found remnants of the explosive device and chlorine residue, which one investigator inhaled and touched, causing him to be hospitalized. During the course of the investigation, law enforcement agents found bomb-making notes, materials and chemical residue in Taylor’s vehicle, apartment and storage building. The two victims who inhaled the chlorine gas were treated multiple times for their injuries and effectively ended their military careers.
“Supporting and protecting our soldiers is of utmost importance to my office,” Joseph stated. “Those serving our country put their lives on the line daily to protect us. They should not be put in danger needlessly. The chemical weapon the defendant created in this case is banned under international and national laws because of its terrible effects on the human body. I want to thank our U.S. military, federal and local law enforcement for their combined effort investigating this case and bringing this defendant to justice.”
“Taylor produced and detonated a chemical bomb near Fort Polk, causing injury to his fellow soldiers who responded to and investigated the incident.” said Assistant Attorney General Demers. “Today’s sentence holds Taylor accountable for his crime and makes clear that we will not tolerate such conduct. I want to thank the agents and prosecutors who are responsible for this result and our military and local law enforcement partners for their significant contributions to this investigation.”
The U.S. Army Directorate of Emergency Services, Military Police, Criminal Investigation Command, and Military Intelligence/Army Counterintelligence Gulf Coast at Fort Polk, Louisiana; the FBI and the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force; the Louisiana State Police; the Vernon Parish Sheriff’s Office; and local police and fire agencies in Vernon Parish investigated the case.
U.S. Attorney David C. Joseph, Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. McCoy, Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Dennis E. Robinson, and Trial Attorney David Cora of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism section prosecuted the case.
Former New Iberia sergeant sentenced to 30 months in prison for assault of detaineeRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – David Prejean, a former Sergeant in the K-9 Unit of the Iberia Parish Sheriff’s Office (IPSO), was sentenced Monday to serve 30 months in prison and one year supervised release on his guilty plea to violating the civil rights of a detainee, announced David C. Joseph, the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana; John Gore, the Acting Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division; and FBI New Orleans Division Special Agent in Charge Eric J. Rommal. Prejean previously admitted, during a guilty plea hearing, that he acted without legal justification on Dec. 6, 2012, when he commanded his K-9 to bite the detainee, and then struck the detainee, resulting in bodily injury.
According to statements made in court and filings made in connection with the guilty plea, Prejean was a K-9 Sergeant on the IMPACT Unit, a specialized unit at IPSO, when he was called to the Iberia Parish Jail on Dec. 6, 2012, to assist with a shakedown. During the course of the shakedown, an inmate turned to look at Prejean after being told not to, at which point Prejean threw the inmate to the ground and then commanded his dog to bite him. Prejean also struck the inmate several times. Despite the fact that the inmate had complied with Prejean’s commands and did not pose a threat to anyone on the rec yard, Prejean allowed the dog to bite the inmate for several seconds before pulling the K9 away. Prejean’s unlawful use of force resulted in injury to the inmate. Following the assault, Prejean wrote false report designed to cover up his unjustified use of force.
“Law enforcement officers face danger in the field every day protecting the rights and safety of those in our communities,” said Joseph. “It is necessary that they follow the laws they are sworn to protect. Our district takes violations of the law seriously and will hold those accountable those who ignore those laws, especially those who tasked with their enforcement.”
“The United States Constitution protects all individuals, including those who are incarcerated,” said Gore. “The Justice Department will uphold the rule of law and aggressively prosecute any violation of an inmate’s civil rights.”
“FBI New Orleans vigorously investigates all credible allegations of civil rights violations, including those who are incarcerated,” Rommal stated. “Violations of one’s civil rights will not be tolerated.”
This case was investigated by the Lafayette Resident Agency of the FBI, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Mudrick of the Western District of Louisiana and Trial Attorney Tona Boyd of the Civil Rights Division.
U.S. Soldier Sentenced to More Than 11 Years for Illegally Manufacturing, Using a Chemical WeaponRead the Press Release
Ryan Keith Taylor, 24, of New Llano, Louisiana, and a soldier at Fort Polk, was sentenced today to 135 months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for manufacturing, possessing and detonating a chemical weapon in the Kisatchie National Forest adjacent to the Fort Polk Army installation in Louisiana.
The sentence was announced by Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers and U.S. Attorney David C. Joseph for the Western District of Louisiana. The sentence was issued by U.S. District Judge Jay C. Zainey.
“Taylor produced and detonated a chemical bomb near Fort Polk, causing injury to his fellow soldiers who responded to and investigated the incident.” said Assistant Attorney General Demers. “Today’s sentence holds Taylor accountable for his crime and makes clear that we will not tolerate such conduct. I want to thank the agents and prosecutors who are responsible for this result and our military and local law enforcement partners for their significant contributions to this investigation.”
“Supporting and protecting our soldiers is of utmost importance to my office,” said U.S. Attorney Joseph. “Those serving our country put their lives on the line daily to protect us. They should not be put in danger needlessly. The chemical weapon the defendant created in this case is banned under international and national laws because of its terrible effects on the human body. I want to thank our U.S. military, federal and local law enforcement for their combined effort investigating this case and bringing this defendant to justice.”
According to the June 11, guilty plea, Taylor detonated an explosive device containing chlorine gas on the morning of April 12, 2017 in the Kisatchie National Forest near Fort Polk. Three U.S. Army soldiers who were conducting a training exercise nearby heard the explosions and found Taylor standing near his vehicle filming the explosion with his cell phone. They then questioned Taylor and reported the incident to military police.
Upon arriving at the site of the explosion, Fort Polk military police investigators examined the scene and began collecting samples at the blast site. One investigator filled a plastic bag with a rock coated in an unknown substance. The bag immediately popped and the investigator’s plastic gloves and boots began to melt. He also began to experience difficulty breathing and his skin started burning. Law enforcement later detained Taylor at Fort Polk and searched his vehicle. During the search, investigators found remnants of the explosive device and chlorine residue, which one investigator inhaled and touched, causing him to be hospitalized. During the course of the investigation, law enforcement agents found bomb-making notes, materials and chemical residue in Taylor’s vehicle, apartment and storage building. The two victims who inhaled the chlorine gas were treated multiple times for their injuries and effectively ended their military careers.
The U.S. Army Directorate of Emergency Services, Military Police, Criminal Investigation Command, and Military Intelligence/Army Counterintelligence Gulf Coast at Fort Polk, Louisiana; the FBI and the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force; the Louisiana State Police; the Vernon Parish Sheriff’s Office; and local police and fire agencies in Vernon Parish investigated the case.
U.S. Attorney David C. Joseph, Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. McCoy and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Dennis E. Robinson of the Western District of Louisiana, and Trial Attorney David Cora of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism section prosecuted the case.
Texas man sentenced to nearly 5 years in prison for traveling to Lake Charles to have sex with minorRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced today that a Texas man was sentenced to 57 months in prison for traveling to Lake Charles to have sex with a 12 year old.
Wendell Eaves, 61, of Kirbyville, Texas, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jay C. Zainey on one count of travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual contact with a minor. He was also sentenced to 20 years of supervised release and must register as a sex offender. According to the June 11, 2018 guilty plea, Eaves communicated with a group of people who said they had a 12-year-old female available for prostitution. The defendant planned to meet the girl at a Lake Charles casino on September 22, 2017, but law enforcement uncovered the plan and arrested him at the casino.
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 and the Lake Charles Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Luke Walker prosecuted the case.
Lafayette green company owner indicted for stealing more than $2 million from investorsRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced today that a Lafayette man who owned a company that purported to sell chemical free disinfection machines was indicted for stealing more than $2 million from investors.
John K. Morrow, 48, of Lafayette, was indicted on four counts of wire fraud. According to the indictment, Morrow was the owner of a Louisiana company called UVC Technologies LLC, which was formed in 2011. UVC Technologies represented itself as providing green, chemical free disinfection machines utilizing ultraviolet germicidal irradiation. Instead of operating the business as represented to investors, he defrauded the investors out of $2,066,923 from 2011 to 2016. Although Morrow told investors that he would use funds for business expenses, he spent their funds on personal expenses.
Morrow 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 Kelly P. Uebinger 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.