Western District of Louisiana
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Lake Charles man sentenced to prison for sale of black rhinoceros hornRead the Press Release
LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that a Lake Charles man was sentenced Tuesday to a prison term for selling a stolen black rhinoceros horn.
United States District Judge Donald E. Walter sentenced Patrick Dylan Drawl, 31, of Lake Charles, to six months in prison and one year of supervised release for one count of violating the Lacey Act. According to the stipulated factual basis filed during Drawl’s guilty plea, McNeese State University Biology department staff contacted campus police on March 30, 3017 to report that a horn had been stolen from a mounted black rhinoceros head on display in their building. United States Fish and Wildlife Service agents located a black rhinoceros horn for sale at an address in Sulphur, Louisiana, on a website showing images of a rhinoceros horn on the hood of a car. An agent acting in undercover capacity contacted Drawl and arranged to meet Drawl and purchase the horn. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife National Forensic Laboratory later confirmed that the horn was that of a black rhinoceros.
The black rhinoceros is a species native to eastern Asia and central Africa on the brink of extinction primarily because of wide-scale poaching for its horn. The black rhinoceros is a listed endangered species protected by the Endangered Species Act, which prohibits the sale of the animal or any of its parts without a prior approval and a permit by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and McNeese State University campus police conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph T. Mickel prosecuted the case.
Lafayette man pleads guilty to conspiring to distribute multiple quantities of fentanyl, heroin, opioids and other controlled substances in addition to illegally possessing a firearmRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that a Lafayette man pleaded guilty Thursday to conspiring to distribute multiple quantities of narcotics and illegal possession of a 9 mm handgun.
Jacob Glen Collett, 35, of Lafayette, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Patrick Hanna to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance and one count of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a prohibited person. The plea will become final when accepted by U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell.
According to the guilty plea, a Lafayette Parish Sheriff deputy stopped Collett’s vehicle at 11:54 p.m., April 2, 2017, on Verot School Road. The deputy searched the vehicle and found a black backpack with narcotics and paraphernalia. The deputy also found methamphetamine on Collett. Subsequent analysis of the narcotics revealed that Collett was in possession of 540.3 grams of methamphetamine, 4.1 grams of heroin, 222 dosage units of LSD, and 56 tablets containing fentanyl.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, Calcasieu Combined Anti-Drug Task Force and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted a search of a motel in Jennings, Louisiana, on August 17, 2017. They arrested Collett during the raid, after recovering controlled substances, and a Berretta 9 mm model 92FS handgun and 16 rounds of ammunition. Lab results indicated that Collett was in possession of approximately 4.01 grams of MDMA, 34.8 grams of heroin, 16.5 grams of cocaine, 52.3 grams of a mixture and substance containing THC, and 164.9 grams of methamphetamine.
Collett faces a mandatory 10 years in prison and a $10 million fine for the drug count, and he faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the firearms count. He also faces five years of supervised release. The court set the sentencing date for July 20, 2018.
The DEA, ATF, Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Department, Lafayette Police Department, Lafayette Metro Narcotics Task Force, Calcasieu Combined Anti-Drug Task Force and Jefferson Davis Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. McCoy is prosecuting the case.
Illegal alien from Sierra Leone sentenced to 30 months in prison for resisting deportation ordersRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that an illegal alien from Sierra Leone was sentenced last week to 30 months in prison for refusing to leave the country twice after being ordered to depart.
Sheku Kumalah, 32, of Sierra Leone, was sentenced April 12, 2018 by U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell on two counts of failure to depart. Evidence admitted at the two-day trial that ended June 27, 2017 showed that on two occasions U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents attempted to remove Kumalah via an escorted commercial flight from the Alexandria International Airport. The defendant hampered agents’ efforts on July 12, 2016 and August 16, 2016 by verbally and physically resisting attempts to escort him onto the plane.
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Enforcement and Removal Operations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David J. Ayo and Joseph T. Mickel prosecuted the case.
Illegal alien from Mexico pleads guilty to giving fake documents, stolen identity to Shreveport employerRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that an illegal alien from Mexico pleaded guilty last week to using someone else’s Social Security card and submitting false information to an employer.
Martin Gonzalez-Colunga, 44, of Mexico, pleaded guilty April 12, 2018 before U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote to one count of Social Security fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. According to the guilty plea, the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office was notified in April of 2016 that someone was using a Social Security number that did not belong to him or her at a Shreveport lawn service company. After investigating the matter, they found that Gonzalez-Colunga had submitted fake employment documents and someone else’s Social Security card in January of 2009 when he started working for the company. The defendant admitted to not being a citizen and said he had purchased the Social Security number not long after arriving in the United States from Mexico 20 years ago.
Gonzalez-Colunga faces not more than five years in prison for the Social Security fraud count and a mandatory two years in prison for the identity theft count. He also faces three years of supervised release, restitution and a $250,000 fine. The court set sentencing for August 24, 2018.
Homeland Security Investigations and the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tennille M. Gilreath is prosecuting the case.
Former Monroe correctional officers indicted for assault of inmates and obstruction of justiceRead the Press Release
MONROE, La. – Five former corrections officers at the Richwood Correctional Center (RCC) in Monroe, Louisiana, have been indicted by a federal grand jury for their roles in a conspiracy to physically assault five inmates in violation of their Constitutional protection against cruel and unusual punishment, as well as for their roles in covering up their actions, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General John Gore for the Civil Rights Division and U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana David C. Joseph.
Roderick Douglas, 37, of Monroe; Christopher Loring, 35, of Monroe; Demario Shaffer, 33, of Delhi, Louisiana; Quintail Credit, 26, of Winnsboro, Louisiana; and David Parker, 27, of Tallulah, Louisiana, were charged in a seven-count indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Monroe, Louisiana, on March 29, 2018. The indictment was unsealed and made public today upon initial court appearances of the defendants.
According to the indictment, Douglas was a Captain, Loring was a Lieutenant, Shaffer was a Sergeant, and Credit and Parker were correctional officers. The indictment charges in Count One that the defendants conspired to inflict cruel and unusual punishment upon five inmates by spraying a chemical agent in their face and eyes while the inmates were handcuffed, compliant, kneeling on the floor, and not posing a physical threat to anyone. Count Two charges defendants Douglas, Loring, Shaffer, Credit, and Parker with the infliction of cruel and unusual punishment against the inmates, and Count Three charges defendant Loring with failing to intervene in the assaults. The indictment alleges that the assaults charged in Counts One through Three involved a dangerous weapon and resulted in bodily injury to the inmates. Count Four charges the defendants with conspiring to submit false reports concerning the incident, and Counts Five through Seven charge defendants Douglas, Shaffer, and Parker, respectively, with making false statements to the FBI about the incident.
An indictment is merely an accusation, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Mudrick of the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Western District of Louisiana, and Trial Attorney Anita Channapati of the Civil Rights Division, Criminal Section, U.S. Department of Justice. The case was investigated by the Monroe Division of the FBI.
U.S. Attorney David Joseph urges parents to attend parent drug prevention event at Byrd High SchoolRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph urges parents to attend the “Let’s Talk about Prevention” program to be held Thursday, April 19, at 6 p.m. at the C. E. Byrd High School auditorium in Shreveport. Refreshments will be served beginning at 5:30 p.m.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office has partnered with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse of Northwest Louisiana (CADA) and the Caddo Parish School District to present the free event. The program begins with the showing of the film “Chasing the Dragon: The Life of an Opiate Addict,” followed by a panel discussion with the U.S. Attorney’s First Assistant Alexander C. Van Hook, Assistant U.S. Attorney D. Allison Bushnell, DEA Special Agent Will Green, CADA Executive Director Bill Rose, and Child/Family Psychiatrist Dr. Pamela McPherson.
“The threat of opioids to our youth is real and growing,” Joseph stated. “I’m asking parents to attend this event so they can obtain the tools necessary to protect their children from this epidemic. It is through education, awareness, and joining with law enforcement agencies, public and private organizations, and parents that we can help prevent the loss of life associated with this poison. Even if just one life is saved because of this program, it will have been a success.”
“Fentanyl is a newer synthetic opioid painkiller that is 30 to 50 times more potent than heroin,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook. “Drug dealers are adding fentanyl to heroin and to pills that look like other prescription drugs such as Xanax, which too often produces deadly results. The most important thing that parents can do is talk to their children about the dangers of these drugs and look for changes in their children’s lives. Education and awareness of the problem is key. That’s why the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the DEA have been working closely with schools in the community to spread the word about the horrific consequences of addiction.”
“We created the ‘Let's Talk’ series to mash myths about addiction and educate our community about the prevalence of use across all social-economic sectors,” said CADA Executive Director Bill Rose. “We partnered with the U.S. Attorney's Office to produce this next parent prevention series in order to educate parents about the deadly impact of fentanyl use among adolescents and to provide resources for prevention.”
Reservations are helpful but not mandatory. Free CEHs will also be offered to addiction-specific professionals. To make a reservation or for more information, call CADA at 318-222-8511, email [email protected] or visit cadanwla.org. You can also call the U.S. Attorney’s Office at 318-676-3600 and ask to speak to Tanya’ Porter.
Deville man pleads guilty to possessing an unregistered silencerRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that a Deville man pleaded guilty Monday to possessing a silencer that had not been registered.
Jonathan Hayes, 32, of Deville, Louisiana, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell to one count of receipt or possession of an unregistered firearm. According to the guilty plea, Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries agents arrested Hayes on June 1, 2016 in the Camp Beauregard Wildlife Management Area. Agents found him in possession of a Ruger .22 caliber rifle, a Savage .22 caliber rifle and a firearm silencer. The silencer, which is a firearm under federal law, had no manufacturer’s mark of identification or serial number. The silencer was not registered in the National Firearms and Transfer Record.
Hayes faces 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine for each count. Sentencing has been set for June 20, 2018.
The ATF and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dominic Rossetti is prosecuting the case.
Shreveport man sentenced to 30 months in prison for illegally possessing a revolverRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that a Shreveport felon was sentenced Tuesday to 30 months in prison for possessing a revolver.
Christopher Deshun Owens, 28, of Shreveport, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. on one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He was also sentenced to three years of supervised release. According to the December 13, 2017 guilty plea, Shreveport 911 operators received a call on August 10, 2017 from Owens’ ex-girlfriend. They heard the ex-girlfriend and Owens arguing about a firearm. Owens had entered the ex-girlfriend’s home with a firearm. Police later arrived and detained Owens. A Charter 2000, Shelton, Conn., Model: Undercover, Caliber .38 SPL revolver was recovered from a child’s dresser drawer in the house. Owens initially denied carrying the gun but later admitted to it. Owens was previously convicted in Bossier Parish for possession of marijuana, second offense.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safe for everyone. 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 Shreveport Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany E. Fields prosecuted the case.
Maurice man sentenced to 36 months in prison for fraudulently obtaining more than $1.2 million from Abbeville bankRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that a man from Maurice was sentenced Tuesday to three years in prison for submitting false receipts in order to draw more than $1.2 million from a bank line of credit.
Richard J. Viator Jr., 53, of Maurice, Louisiana, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell on one count of bank fraud. He was also sentenced to five years of supervised release and was ordered to pay $1,227,908.54 in restitution. According to the January 10, 2018 guilty plea, Viator was the owner/president of the oilfield company Safety Analysis Team Inc. located in Abbeville, Louisiana. Viator had a revolving line of credit for $2 million at an Abbeville bank. In order to access the credit, he was required to submit receipts. From November 4, 2010 to February 23, 2011, Viator received 11 draws or payments from the line of credit based on false and fraudulent invoices, which purported to be accounts receivable from various companies for work performed by Safety Analysis Team.
The FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jamilla A. Bynog and Kelly P. Uebinger prosecuted the case.
Lafayette woman sentenced to 40 months in prison for stealing nearly $1.5 million from Broussard employerRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that a Lafayette woman was sentenced Tuesday to three years and four months in prison for stealing almost $1.5 million from a Broussard oilfield related company.
Susan M. Benoit, 54, of Lafayette, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell on two counts of wire fraud. She was also sentenced to three years of supervised release and was ordered to pay $1,490,588.70 in restitution to the victim. According to the January 18, 2018, guilty plea, Benoit worked for a Broussard, Louisiana, oilfield related company from 1998 to 2016. As the accountant and later as chief financial officer, Benoit had access to the company’s bank accounts and transferred $1,490,588.70 from company accounts to her personal bank account.
The FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly P. Uebinger prosecuted the case.
Texas man sentenced to 16 months for possessing an improvised weapon while at the Pollock prisonRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that a Texas man was sentenced last week to 16 months in prison for possessing an improvised weapon while a prisoner in Pollock, Louisiana.
Serjio Rolando Siller Jr., 33, of Roma, Texas, was sentenced Friday by U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell, on one count of possessing contraband in prison. In addition to imprisonment, Siller was also sentenced to one year of supervised release. According to the January 11, 2018 guilty plea, Siller was found in possession of an improvised weapon commonly known as a “shank,” while a prisoner at the Federal Correctional Institution in Pollock. The weapon was a small metal rod sharpened to a point.
The FBI and the U.S. Bureau of Prisons conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney T. Forrest Phillips prosecuted the case.
Carencro man sentenced to 7 years in prison for possessing child pornographyRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that a Carencro man was sentenced last week to 84 months in prison for possessing child pornography on his computer.
Michael DeBlanc, 57, of Carencro, La., was sentenced Friday 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 was ordered to register as a sex offender. According to the July 14, 2017 guilty plea, law enforcement officers identified DeBlanc as possessing child pornography in November of 2016. DeBlanc had been trafficking child pornography by sharing the material online. Agents downloaded 33 videos from DeBlanc’s computer remotely using file sharing programs. During a later search of his residence, agents found child pornography on his computer’s hard drive. During an interview with agents, DeBlanc admitted to downloading 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.
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 Dominic Rossetti prosecuted the case.
Austin men arrested in Bossier City plead guilty to using card skimmers to steal identities, moneyRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that two men from Austin, Texas, pleaded guilty last week to using a credit card skimmer to steal information to create fake credit cards and steal thousands from private accounts.
Emicel Artigas Garcia, 39, and Adalberto Ramos Cuellar, 42, both of Austin, pleaded guilty Friday before U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr., to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.
According to the guilty pleas, the defendants were observed on July 14, 2017 at a Bossier City retail store’s self-checkout counter swiping multiple cards in order to purchase prepaid money and gift cards. Bossier City police later approached the defendants in the parking lot and found seven credit cards and three gift cards in Cuellar’s possession, which bore the defendants’ names. After the electronic information was obtained from the cards, law enforcement agents found that stolen identities were on the cards even though they were labeled with the defendants’ names. Police later searched the defendants’ car and found seven USB thumb drives, one laptop, eight additional re-encoded cards, a cell phone, a gas pump key and a gas pump skimmer. Gas pump skimmers are illegal devices used to steal credit card information. The evidence from the seized devices showed that the defendants downloaded private card information between October 2016 and July 2017. The cell phone contained pictures of screens showing the stolen information, and the laptop contained compromised credit/debit card data for 793 additional cards.
The defendants face up to 20 years in prison for the conspiracy count and two years in prison for the identity theft count, which will run consecutive. They also face five years of supervised release, restitution and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for July 31, 2018.
The U.S. Secret Service and the Bossier City Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tennille M. Gilreath is prosecuting the case.
United States Attorney’s Office bids farewell to distinguished Shreveport Assistant U.S. AttorneyRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced the retirement of Assistant U.S. Attorney James G. “Jim” Cowles Jr., who served in the Western District of Louisiana for more than 31 years. Cowles was honored today at a retirement ceremony and reception held at the Tom Stagg U.S. Court House in Shreveport.
“We are losing a talented, dedicated lawyer and public servant,” Joseph stated. “Throughout his career, Jim has played an integral role in prosecuting cases in our office. His years of service and dedication to the Department of Justice are a true testament of his commitment to justice and the citizens of this district. Jim will be greatly missed, and we wish him the very best as he starts the next chapter of his life. I am grateful for his tireless advocacy on behalf of the people of our community.”
Cowles began his federal service March 22, 1987 and retired on March 31, 2018. He joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia in 1987, prosecuting cases in the D.C. Superior Court and U.S. District Court. He assisted in creating the Sex Offense Unit of that office and received a Special Achievement Award in 1990 for the prosecution of a sex ring involving 11 child victims.
In 1992, Cowles joined the Western District of Louisiana. He received the Director’s Award from Attorney General Janet Reno in 1996 for the prosecution and convictions of 14 members of the Bottoms Boyz, Shreveport’s notorious street gang. He was sent to the United Nations in 1998 as a prosecutor of war crimes for the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in The Hague and received a Special Recognition Award from Attorney General Reno in 2001. Jim represented DOJ as resident legal advisor with the State Department, Kosovo, from 1999 to 2001, working in partnership with the United Nations in re-establishing the rule of law following the Balkan conflict. He received a Special Achievement Award from Attorney General Reno for this work in 2001. Cowles has represented the Department of Justice at conferences throughout Europe, Armenia, and Turkmenistan and has taught for DOJ national training conferences. He has tried approximately 200 jury trials since 1980.
Cowles is a 1975 graduate of Georgetown University and the Paul M. Hebert Law Center at Louisiana State University in 1979.
Federal jury finds former Pollock detention facility corrections officer guilty of briberyRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that a federal jury found a former corrections officer at the Federal Correctional Complex in Pollock, Louisiana, guilty of accepting bribes to smuggle contraband.
Byron A. Wyatt, 38, of Marksville, Louisiana, was found guilty of two counts of bribery of public officials and witnesses. United States District Judge Dee D. Drell presided over the trial, which started Tuesday and ended Thursday. The jury returned a guilty verdict after deliberating for approximately an hour and a half. Evidence admitted at trial revealed that Wyatt worked as a corrections officer at the Federal Correctional Complex in Pollock where he accepted thousands of dollars in bribes from a prisoner in 2014 in exchange for smuggling contraband into the prison.
The defendant faces up to 15 years in prison, five years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine for each count. Sentencing has been set for July 13, 2018.
The U.S. Department of Justice Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Earl M. Campbell and Tiffany E. Fields are prosecuting the case.
New Orleans resident sentenced to 30 months for possessing 282 counterfeit credit/debit cardsRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that a New Orleans man was sentenced Tuesday to two and a half years in prison for possessing 282 counterfeited credit/debit cards.
Bruce Daliet, 34, of New Orleans, La., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. on one count of possession of 15 or more counterfeit or unauthorized access devices. He was also sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $14,010 in restitution.
According to the guilty pleas of Bruce Daliet and co-defendant Brittany Sanders, 35, also of New Orleans, a Louisiana State Police trooper pulled over a rental car on January 9, 2015 in St. Martin Parish that Daliet and Sanders were traveling in. The trooper searched the vehicle and found a pink suitcase that contained 282 counterfeit credit/debit cards and $4,000 worth of gift cards. Law enforcement agents discovered that 156 of the credit/debit cards were embossed with Sanders’ name, and 126 were embossed with Daliet’s name.
Sanders was sentenced on February 22, 2018, to 30 months in prison and three years of supervised release. She was also ordered to pay $14,010 restitution.
The U.S. Secret Service and Louisiana State Police conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert F. Moore prosecuted the case.
Bossier City man sentenced to 12 months in prison for damaging Air Force property with vehicleRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that a Bossier City man was sentenced Wednesday to a year in prison for driving a vehicle onto Barksdale Air Force Base and damaging property.
Jeffery Jermaine Francis, 35, of Bossier City, La., was sentenced by District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. on one count of willful damage to property of the United States. He was also sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $17,600 in restitution to the U.S. Air Force. According to the October 25, 2017, guilty plea, Francis was driving a green 2003 GMC Yukon on August 20, 2017, and struck a bollard at the west gate of Barksdale Air Force Base. When approached and asked to place the vehicle in park, Francis instead drove onto the base. Barksdale security forces deployed a vehicle entrapment barrier on Barksdale Boulevard, which disabled the vehicle. He then fled the scene on foot. Security forces later discovered that the vehicle belonged to Francis’s girlfriend, and that he was driving under suspension. The estimated cost of damage to Barksdale Air Force property is $17,600.
United States Air Force Police Criminal Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Allison D. Bushnell prosecuted the case.
Texas man sentenced to 43 months for conspiring to steal more than $230,000 using false credit cardsRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced that a Houston man was sentenced Monday to three years and seven months in prison for conspiring with other Texas residents to steal more than $230,000 at Louisiana casinos using unauthorized credit cards.
Antoine Ladon Williams, 35, of Houston, Texas, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. on one count of conspiracy, using or trafficking in unauthorized access devices. He was also sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $188,089 restitution.
According to the guilty pleas, Williams and other defendants conspired from October 2014 to October 2015 to use or traffic in unauthorized access devices. Williams provided members of the conspiracy with false temporary Texas identification cards and credit cards. Members of the conspiracy would then travel to casinos throughout the Western District of Louisiana and use the access devices to illegally receive cash advances.
The other members of the conspiracy charged in the Western District of Louisiana are: Miocha Michelle Walker, 35, Houston; Ernest Joseph Duhon III, 44, Pearland, Texas; Leanna Marie Hanchett, 46, Port Fresno, Texas; Donald Wayne Brown, 59, Houston, Texas; and Sharlene Yvette Lott, 44, Houston. These defendants previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy and were also ordered to pay $188,089 in restitution.
See the table below for more information:
Defendants
Date of plea
Sentencing date
Prison time
Walker
March 27, 2017
Sept. 21, 2017
12 months
Duhon
Feb. 28, 2017
June 8, 2017
37 months
Hanchett
Jan. 24, 2017
July 26, 2017
40 months
Brown
March 13, 2017
Aug. 16, 2017
24 months
Lott
March 6, 2017
July 26, 2017
24 months
The FBI and Louisiana State Police conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. McCoy prosecuted the case.
David C. Joseph begins term as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of LouisianaRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, LAFAYETTE, MONROE, ALEXANDRIA, LAKE CHARLES, La. – David C. Joseph was sworn in today as the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana. President Donald Trump nominated Joseph on February 16, 2018, and the U.S. Senate confirmed his nomination March 22, 2018.
“I am deeply honored to be confirmed as the United States Attorney and look forward to serving the residents of Louisiana and our great country,” Joseph stated. “It has been my privilege to work with many hard working and talented federal and state law enforcement agents while working as a federal prosecutor. As U.S. Attorney, I will continue working with our law enforcement partners to protect our communities, prosecute those who break our laws, and promote the mission of the Department of Justice.”
Prior to becoming U.S. Attorney, Joseph served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Western District of Louisiana, where he prosecuted a wide variety of offenses, with a focus on fraud, public corruption, white-collar crime and crimes committed on the District’s military installations.
Prior to joining the Department of Justice, Joseph served as a commissioned officer and prosecutor in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps, as an attorney in the Professional Liability & Financial Crimes Section of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, and in private practice as a commercial litigation attorney. He received his Bachelor’s degree of Business Administration from the University of Oklahoma and his Juris Doctorate from the Paul M. Hebert Law Center at Louisiana State University, where he was a member of the Louisiana Law Review and was inducted into the Order of the Coif. After graduating law school, Joseph clerked for Justice Jeffrey P. Victory of the Louisiana Supreme Court and Judge John V. Parker of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana. United States Attorney Joseph will headquarter his office in Shreveport, while maintaining regular office hours in Lafayette, Monroe, Lake Charles and Alexandria.
As U.S. Attorney, Joseph oversees the investigation and litigation of all criminal and civil cases on behalf of the United States in the Western District of Louisiana. The Western District consists of 42 of the State’s 64 parishes and geographically encompasses two-thirds of the State of Louisiana.
Bossier City man sentenced to 87 months in prison for methamphetamine trafficking conspiracyRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney David C. Joseph announced today that a Bossier City man was sentenced Monday to seven years and three months in prison for transporting methamphetamine from Dallas to the Shreveport/Bossier City area.
Anthony Joseph Armenio, 32, of Bossier City, La., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. on one count of conspiracy to possess methamphetamine with intent to distribute. He was also sentenced to three years of supervised release. According to the May 17, 2017 guilty plea, Armenio and codefendant Steven Blaine McLendon, 28, of Shreveport, traveled to Dallas, Texas, on January 14, 2017 to pick up methamphetamine. On their return trip, a Shreveport Police officer conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle. The officer asked McLendon to get out of the vehicle. After McLendon exited the vehicle, the officer saw a black handgun sitting on the driver’s seat and observed an open bag on the back seat of the vehicle. Upon searching the vehicle, the officer found a 9 mm semi-automatic handgun and ammunition, a small clear plastic bag of marijuana, and a larger bag containing 209.02 grams of methamphetamine.
McLendon pleaded guilty on May 23, 2017 to conspiracy and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. He was sentenced on August 31, 2017 to 216 months in prison and five years of supervised release.
The DEA and the Shreveport Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tennille M. Gilreath prosecuted the case.
Federal grand jury indicts Shreveport financial planner, Houston pastor for defrauding investors out of more than $1 millionRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced today that a federal grand jury returned a 13-count indictment charging a Shreveport financial planner and a pastor of a Houston church of bilking investors out more than $1 million.
Gregory Alan Smith, 55, of Shreveport, and Kirbyjon H. Caldwell, 64, of Houston, Texas, are charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, six counts of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering and three counts of money laundering. Additionally, Smith and Caldwell are charged in two separate counts of money laundering. According to the indictment, Smith used his influence and status as the operator and manager of Smith Financial Group LLC in Shreveport, and Caldwell used his influence and status as pastor at a prominent Houston church to lure investors to pay more than $1 million to invest in Historical Chinese bonds. These bonds were issued by the former Republic of China prior to losing power to the communist government in 1949. They are not recognized by China’s current government and have no investment value. Smith and Caldwell promised high rates of return, sometimes three to 15 times the value of the investments. Instead of investing the funds, the defendants used them to pay personal loans, credit card balances, mortgages, vehicle purchases and other personal expenses.
The defendants each face 20 years in prison for the conspiracy to commit wire fraud count and for the wire fraud counts. They also face 10 years in prison for the conspiracy to commit money laundering count and the money laundering counts. They also face a $1 million fine, restitution, forfeiture and five years of supervised release.
The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth D. Reeg 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.
Clayton man sentenced to 14 years in prison for trafficking methamphetamine, firearms chargesRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, La. – United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that a Clayton man was sentenced last week to 168 months in prison for possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute and firearms charges.
Robert L. Snyder, 41, of Clayton, La., was sentenced Thursday, March 22, 2018, by U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell on one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, one count of possession of an unregistered firearm and two counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He was also sentenced to two years of supervised release. Evidence admitted at the three-day trial that ended November 29, 2017 revealed that law enforcement agents learned that illegal drugs were being sold out of a Clayton residence. After a search of Snyder’s home, police found more than 100 grams of methamphetamine along with numerous firearms, $1,600 in cash and $10,000 in money orders. Law enforcement revisited the property on March 4, 2014 and found more firearms in the home. In total, law enforcement found 15 weapons and ammunition. Among the firearms was a .22 caliber rifle with the serial number removed.
The U.S. Marshals Service, FBI, ATF and the Concordia Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tennille M. Gilreath and Mary J. Mudrick prosecuted the case.
New Jersey residents arrested in Lake Charles plead guilty to possession of 4 pounds of methamphetamine packaged as Mexican candyRead the Press Release
LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that two defendants from New Jersey who were arrested during a Lake Charles traffic stop pleaded guilty last week to possession of 4 pounds of methamphetamine packaged as Mexican candy.
Javier Munoz, 51, of Vineland, New Jersey, and Beljavier Rodriguez, 26, of Millville, New Jersey, pleaded guilty March 21 before U.S. District Judge Jay C. Zainey to one count of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine. According to a joint factual stipulation in the record of the guilty plea, the defendants were traveling eastbound on Interstate 10 on September 9, 2016. A Lake Charles Police officer pulled over the vehicle and later searched it. The officer found a secret compartment underneath the car that contained two bags that appeared to be professionally printed bags of Mexican candy. Within the bags were 21 individually wrapped bags containing methamphetamine that weighed a total of about 4 pounds.
Munoz faces 10 years to life in prison, at least five years of supervised release and a $10 million fine. Rodriguez faces up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. The court set sentencing for June 11, 2018.
Homeland Security Investigations and the Lake Charles Police Department as part of the Combined Anti-Drug Task Force conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph T. Mickel is prosecuting the case.
Minden felon sentenced to 21 months in prison for possessing a revolverRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced today that a man from Minden was sentenced to 21 months in prison for unlawfully possessing a revolver.
Jeremy Moro, 40, of Minden, La., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote on one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He was also sentenced to three years of supervised release. According to the December 1, 2017 guilty plea, the Minden Police Department arrested Moro while investigating a domestic abuse issue on September 8, 2016. After responding to the complaint, police found Moro laying on his couch with a Taurus Model: The Judge 45 caliber five-shot revolver in the waistband of his pants. He was previously convicted of a felony for his role in a cross-burning in October 2008 in Louisiana.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safe for everyone. 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, FBI, Webster Parish Coroner’s Office and Minden Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary J. Mudrick prosecuted the case.
Eight individuals with alleged ties to the Aryan Circle arrested and charged in connection with Evangeline Parish murderRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – Eight alleged members or associates of the Aryan Circle (AC) have been indicted and arrested for their alleged roles in the 2016 murder of an alleged fellow AC gang member in Evangeline Parish, Louisiana.
The indictments were announced by Acting Assistant Attorney General John P. Cronan of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Alexander Van Hook of the Western District of Louisiana.
The superseding indictment, returned by a federal grand jury on March 14, and unsealed today, charges seven defendants with being accessories-after-the fact in violent crimes in aid of racketeering murder of Clifton Hallmark. The defendants charged in the superseding indictment are David Wayne Williams, aka Big Dave, 36, of Sulphur, Louisiana; Christina Marie Williams, 38, of Sulphur, Louisiana; Brian Elliot Granger, aka Sneak, 36, of Beaumont, Texas; Leland Edward Hamm, 43, of Tulsa, Oklahoma; Richard Alan Smith, 47, of Little Rock, Arkansas; Michael Paul Auxilien, 34, of Mamou, Louisiana; and Stone Haynes, 49, of Beaumont, Texas. An indictment charging alleged AC gang member Jeremy Jordan, 38, of Orange, Texas, for the racketeering murder of Clifton Hallmark was returned by the federal grand jury on Dec. 14, 2017, and unsealed today.
According to the indictment, the AC is a powerful race-based, multi-state organization that operates inside and outside of state and federal prisons throughout Texas, Louisiana, and the United States. The AC was established in the mid-1980s within the Texas prison system (TDCJ). Recently, the AC’s structure and influence expanded to rural and suburban areas throughout Texas, Louisiana, and Missouri. The AC emerged as an independent organization during a period of turmoil within the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas (ABT). The AC was relatively small in comparison to other prison-based gangs, but grew in stature and influence within TDCJ in the 1990s, largely through violent conflict with other gangs, white and non-white alike.
The indictment further alleges that the AC enforces its rules and promotes discipline among its members, prospects and associates through murder, attempted murder, assault, robbery and threats against those who violate the rules or pose a threat to the organization. Members, and oftentimes, associates, are required to follow the orders of higher-ranking members without question.
An indictment merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
This case is being investigated by a multi-agency task force consisting of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Drug Enforcement Administration; Federal Bureau of Prisons; Louisiana State Police; Evangeline Parish, Louisiana Sheriff’s Office; Evangeline Parish District Attorney’s Office; Texas Department of Public Safety; Houston Police Department-Gang Division; Texas Department of Criminal Justice; the Carrollton, Texas, Police Department; and the Montgomery County Constable Precinct 1 in Texas.
The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney David Karpel of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Dominic Rossetti of the Western District of Louisiana.
Eight Individuals with Alleged Ties to the Aryan Circle Arrested and Charged in Connection with MurderRead the Press Release
Eight alleged members or associates of the Aryan Circle (AC) have been indicted and arrested for their alleged roles in the 2016 murder of an alleged fellow AC gang member in Evangeline Parish, Louisiana.
The indictments were announced by Acting Assistant Attorney General John P. Cronan of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Alexander Van Hook of the Western District of Louisiana.
The superseding indictment, returned by a federal grand jury on March 14, and unsealed today, charges seven defendants with being accessories-after-the fact in violent crimes in aid of racketeering murder of Clifton Hallmark. The defendants charged in the superseding indictment are David Wayne Williams, aka Big Dave, 36, of Sulphur, Louisiana; Christina Marie Williams, 38, of Sulphur, Louisiana; Brian Elliot Granger, aka Sneak, 36, of Beaumont, Texas; Leland Edward Hamm, 43, of Tulsa, Oklahoma; Richard Alan Smith, 47, of Little Rock, Arkansas; Michael Paul Auxilien, 34, of Mamou, Louisiana; and Stone Haynes, 49, of Beaumont, Texas. An indictment charging alleged AC gang member Jeremy Jordan, 38, of Orange, Texas, for the racketeering murder of Clifton Hallmark was returned by the federal grand jury on Dec. 14, 2017, and unsealed today.
According to the indictment, the AC is a powerful race-based, multi-state organization that operates inside and outside of state and federal prisons throughout Texas, Louisiana, and the United States. The AC was established in the mid-1980s within the Texas prison system (TDCJ). Recently, the AC’s structure and influence expanded to rural and suburban areas throughout Texas, Louisiana, and Missouri. The AC emerged as an independent organization during a period of turmoil within the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas (ABT). The AC was relatively small in comparison to other prison-based gangs, but grew in stature and influence within TDCJ in the 1990s, largely through violent conflict with other gangs, white and non-white alike.
The indictment further alleges that the AC enforces its rules and promotes discipline among its members, prospects and associates through murder, attempted murder, assault, robbery and threats against those who violate the rules or pose a threat to the organization. Members, and oftentimes, associates, are required to follow the orders of higher-ranking members without question.
An indictment merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
This case is being investigated by a multi-agency task force consisting of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Drug Enforcement Administration; Federal Bureau of Prisons; Louisiana State Police; Evangeline Parish, Louisiana Sheriff’s Office; Evangeline Parish District Attorney’s Office; Texas Department of Public Safety; Houston Police Department-Gang Division; Texas Department of Criminal Justice; the Carrollton, Texas, Police Department; and the Montgomery County Constable Precinct 1 in Texas.
The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney David Karpel of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Dominic Rossetti of the Western District of Louisiana.
Jena man sentenced to 97 months for receiving hundreds of images, videos of child pornographyRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, La. – United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that a Jena man was sentenced last week to more than eight years in prison for downloading hundreds of images and videos of child pornography.
Shane Jeansonne, 30, of Jena, La., was sentenced Friday by U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell on one count of receiving child pornography. He was also sentenced to five years of supervised release and is required to register as a sex offender. According to the December 15, 2017 guilty plea, law enforcement agents identified Jeansonne as downloading and distributing child pornography online. Agents searched his home on March 18, 2015 and found numerous computers and storage devices containing videos and images of child pornography. Agents then arrested Jeansonne, and he admitted to downloading child pornography and sharing the material online. After agents conducted a forensic examination of his electronic devices, they found hundreds of images and videos of 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 and the Louisiana Attorney General’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Luke Walker prosecuted the case.
Shreveport felon pleads guilty to possession of a firearm, methamphetamine distributionRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that a Shreveport man previously convicted of a felony pleaded guilty Tuesday to possessing methamphetamine and a pistol in his car.
William Charles Riggs, 44, of Shreveport, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark L. Hornsby to one count of felon in possession of a firearm and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The plea will become final when accepted by U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. According to the guilty plea, Louisiana State Police attempted to conduct a traffic stop on Riggs’ vehicle on April 28, 2017 in Bossier Parish. The trooper observed the car straddling the center line, and when the traffic stop was initiated, the car sped off at a high rate of speed. The car eventually crashed, and Riggs escaped on foot. He was later apprehended. Troopers searched the vehicle and found 27.21 grams of methamphetamine and a loaded model 22; .40 caliber Glock pistol.
Riggs faces five to 40 years in prison for the drug count and not less than five years in prison for the firearms count. He also faces five years of supervised release and a $5 million fine. The court set a sentencing date of June 14, 2018.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safe for everyone. 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, DEA, Louisiana State Police and Bossier City Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Aaron Crawford is prosecuting the case.
Lafayette man pleads guilty to storing thousands of images of child pornography on laptopRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced today that a Lafayette man pleaded guilty to storing thousands of images of child pornography on his laptop.
Kevin Greer, 47, of Lafayette, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Patrick Hanna to one count of transportation of obscene material. The plea will become final when accepted by U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell. According to the guilty plea, law enforcement agents visited Greer at his home on May 17, 2017 as part of an investigation. Greer told the agents that he had used his laptop to view child pornography. Greer’s laptop contained approximately 50 videos and 4,000 images of child pornography, with some minors depicted being as young as toddlers. Greer’s desktop had internet access and was connected to a peer-2-peer network, which allowed others to access the child pornography online.
Greer faces up to 20 years in prison, five years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. The court set the sentencing date for July 13, 2018.
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 Louisiana Bureau of Investigation-Cyber Crimes Unit conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys T. Forrest Phillips and John Luke Walker are prosecuting the case.
Lafayette man pleads guilty to controlled substance, firearms offensesRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that a Lafayette man pleaded guilty Thursday to possessing with the intent to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine after Lafayette Police Department officers recovered multiple controlled substances and a weapon within his residence.
Don Edmond Washington, 28, of Lafayette, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Carol Whitehurst to one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance (methamphetamine) and possession of a firearm and ammunition by a previously convicted felon. According to the guilty plea, law enforcement agents searched Washington’s home on May 17, 2017 and found methamphetamine, heroin, buprenorphine, Oxycodone, Alprazolam, one HK USP compact .45 caliber pistol with one magazine, six .45 caliber rounds and $440.
Washington faces 10 years to life in prison, five years of supervised release and a $10 million fine on the controlled substance offense, and he faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine related to the firearms offense. The court set a sentencing date of June 18, 2018.
The DEA, ATF, Lafayette Metro Narcotics Task Force and Lafayette Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. McCoy is prosecuting the case.
Texas man arrested in Bossier Parish sentenced to 70 months in prison for heroin distributionRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that a man from Texas was sentenced Wednesday to five years and 10 months in prison for drug distribution charges after heroin was found in his car battery.
Jose Alonzo Hernandez, 42, of Brownsville, Texas, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote on one count of possession with intent to distribute heroin. He was also sentenced to five years of supervised release. According to the October 24, 2018 guilty plea, a state trooper conducted a traffic stop on Hernandez’s car March 16, 2017 on Interstate 20 in Bossier Parish. The trooper conducted a search of the vehicle and found approximately 3.35 kilograms of heroin hidden inside the car’s battery.
The DEA and Louisiana State Police conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany E. Fields prosecuted the case.
Illegal alien from Mexico arrested in Calcasieu Parish pleads guilty to illegally reentering countryRead the Press Release
LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that an illegal alien from Mexico pleaded guilty Tuesday to reentering the United States after being deported.
Raul Delacruz-Valdez, 31, of Mexico, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen Kay to one count of illegal reentry of a previously deported alien. According to the guilty plea, Louisiana State Police conducted a traffic stop on Delacruz-Valdez’s vehicle on March 20, 2017 in Calcasieu Parish. He was arrested for suspicion of driving while intoxicated. After his arrest, law enforcement agents discovered that he was an illegal alien who had reentered the United States without obtaining permission. He had previously been removed October 18, 2010.
Delacruz-Valdez faces up to two years in prison, one year of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. The court set sentencing for July 26, 2018.
Homeland Security Investigations and Louisiana State Police conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dominic Rossetti is prosecuting the case.
Mexican citizen sentenced to 5 years in prison for transporting methamphetamine near MonroeRead the Press Release
MONROE, La. – United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that a Mexican national was sentenced Tuesday to 60 months in prison for possessing methamphetamine.
Jorge Alberto Morales-Villanueva, 22, of Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. on one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. He was also sentenced to three years of supervised release. According to the October 10, 2017 guilty plea, a Louisiana State trooper stopped the van Morales-Villanueva was driving on March 5, 2017, which was traveling eastbound on Interstate 20 near Monroe. The trooper searched the vehicle and found a compartment underneath the front passenger seat that contained 19 packages containing a total of 26 pounds of methamphetamine. The defendant said he was paid $5,000 to transport the drug from Texas to Georgia.
Homeland Security Investigations and Louisiana State Police conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Allison D. Bushnell prosecuted the case.
Last member of drug conspiracy arrested at Bossier City casino sentenced to 10 years in prisonRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that the last defendant in a Shreveport methamphetamine distribution ring was sentenced Thursday to 120 months in prison.
Carlos Delarosa, 22, of Dallas, Texas, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. on one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. He was also sentenced to five years of supervised release.
According to the guilty pleas, Delarosa traveled on March 29, 2017 from Dallas to Shreveport with 454 grams of methamphetamine. He distributed some of the methamphetamine to co-defendant Christopher Hudson, 22, of Greenwood, La. Hudson later traveled to a Shreveport casino and was arrested. After a brief investigation, law enforcement agents arrested Delarosa in addition to co-defendants Amone Louangamath, 42, of Shreveport, La., and Daniel Koelemay, 41, of Bossier City, La., at a casino in Bossier City. Upon Delarosa’s arrest, agents found a drug ledger inside his front right pants pocket. Agents found Louangamath carrying a black bag that contained methamphetamine in clear plastic bags, two cell phones, digital scales and $3,250. Agents also found 196.9 grams of methamphetamine, 33.7 grams of powder cocaine and a .9 mm Makarov semi-automatic handgun with seven rounds of ammunition in a safe in Delarosa’s hotel room. Delarosa admitted to transporting methamphetamine to Shreveport on five separate occasions. On three occasions, he told agents that he transported a total of 756 grams and on two occasions transported a total of 1 kilogram.
The three other defendants previously pleaded guilty to the conspiracy count. Koelmay and Hudson were each sentenced on November 20, 2017 to 46 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Louangamath was sentenced on February 28, 2018 to 37 months in prison and three years of supervised release.
The DEA and Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tennille M. Gilreath is prosecuting the case.
Former Duson Housing Authority director pleads guilty to stealing more than $110,000Read the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced today that the former Duson Housing Authority director pleaded guilty to stealing more than $110,000 in funds.
Patsy Clark, 60, of Duson, La., pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Patrick Hanna on one count of federal program theft. The plea will become final after it is approved by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote. According to the guilty plea, Clark was the executive director of the Duson Housing Authority from 1990 to November 2014. A routine financial audit conducted in 2014 found that Clark stole $93,270 in tenant payments from 2012 to 2014. Additionally, Clark made $11,780.33 in personal purchases using the Housing Authority’s credit card. She also deposited $4,954 in tenant security deposit refund checks and rent payments into her personal bank account. Clark caused a total of $110,113.33 in losses to the United States.
Clark faces up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. The court set a sentencing date of July 13, 2018.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development-Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dominic Rossetti is prosecuting the case.
Bastrop woman pleads guilty to stealing more than $40,000 in Social Security benefitsRead the Press Release
MONROE, La. – United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced today that a Bastrop woman pleaded guilty to stealing more than $40,000 in Social Security Administration (SSA) benefits.
Katie Marie Day, 40, of Bastrop, La., pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Karen L. Hayes to one count of theft of government property. The plea will become final when accepted by U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. According to the guilty plea, Day married her husband in February of 2000. She applied for SSA disability benefits in August of 2009 and claimed that she was separated from her husband. If she had claimed to still be living with her husband, their combined income would have been too high for Day to receive the benefit payments. Day’s husband passed away in September of 2016. During an interview following her husband’s death, Day told SSA district office staff on January 9, 2017 in Monroe that she had in fact been living with her husband off and on since their marriage. This caused SSA to overpay Day $40,569 from October 2009 to September 2016.
Day faces up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. The court set a sentencing date of June 13, 2018.
The Social Security Administration-Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tennille M. Gilreath is prosecuting the case.
Lafayette felon flees police, slams into post, firearm and ammo foundRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that a Lafayette man previously convicted of a felony pleaded guilty Thursday to possessing a .40 caliber pistol and ammunition.
Karlon Woods Jr., 22, of Lafayette, La., pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Patrick Hanna to one count of felon in possession of a firearm. According to the guilty plea, Lafayette Police were on patrol around the Simcoe Street area on October 20, 2016, when they encountered Woods. Officers observed Woods walking down a street with a red and black backpack, and when they approached, Woods fled. During the pursuit, Woods ran into a clothesline pole. During a medical evaluation on the scene, officers determined that Woods had an active warrant for his arrest. Officers located the red and black backpack they had previously seen on Woods in the yard where Woods was encountered. The backpack contained .40 caliber ammunition. Officers also recovered a .40 caliber Smith and Wesson pistol near the backpack. Officers later determined that the firearm recovered on the scene had previously been reported stolen on October 14, 2016, in Lafayette Parish. At the time of his arrest, Woods was a felon, having been previously convicted on January 14, 2016, in the 15th Judicial District of second-degree battery.
Woods faces up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safe for everyone. 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 Lafayette Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. McCoy is prosecuting the case.
Former Iberia Parish Sheriff’s Office captain pleads guilty to aiding and abetting assault on a detaineeRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – The Justice Department and the Western District of Louisiana U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook today announced that Mark Frederick, a former Captain of the Iberia Parish Sheriff’s Office (IPSO), pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting an assault on a pre-trial detainee at the Iberia Parish Jail (IPJ).
According to the charges and other information presented in court, Mark Frederick was a Captain at IPSO and served as the assistant warden at the IPJ. On Sept. 27, 2011, E.M., a pre-trial detainee, resisted deputies at the IPJ. E.M. was restrained and removed from the scene. Frederick and other senior IPSO staff agreed to retaliate against E.M. by taking him to the chapel, a place that was not covered by the jail’s video surveillance system, and assaulting him.
Frederick, along with the other senior IPSO staff, went to the chapel with the unlawful intent to beat E.M. in retaliation for E.M.’s previous altercation with jail deputies. Inside the chapel, officers assaulted E.M. while he was handcuffed, compliant, and not posing a threat to anyone. One officer took a baton, placed it between E.M.’s legs and in a sharp motion, raised the baton into E.M.’s testicles hard enough to knock E.M. off of his feet and to inflict pain. Frederick recognized that he had a duty to intervene and stop the unjustified use of force on inmate E.M. Nevertheless, Frederick willfully chose not to intervene to stop the beating, despite having the opportunity to do so.
“Individuals incarcerated in jails have the right to be free from unjustified assaults by corrections officers,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General John Gore of the Civil Rights Division. “We will continue to vigorously prosecute officers who abuse their authority and violate their oath of office and federal law by assaulting inmates in their custody.”
Mark Frederick, 47, of St. Martinville, La., will be sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Donald Walter at a later date.
This case was investigated by the Lafayette Resident Agency of the FBI, and was prosecuted by Trial Attorney Tona Boyd of the Civil Rights Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Mudrick of the Western District of Louisiana.
Former Desoto District Attorney’s Office employee pleads guilty to stealing program fundsRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that a former employee of the Desoto Parish District Attorney’s Office pleaded guilty Thursday to stealing money intended to be paid to the District Attorney’s Office.
Melanie Barber, 36, of Converse, La., pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote to one count of mail fraud. According to the guilty plea, Barber worked for the DeSoto Parish District Attorney’s Office from April 1, 2002 until she was fired on February 25, 2014 as the Issuing Worthless Checks/Arraignment Secretary. The DeSoto Parish District Attorney’s Office runs several programs including pretrial diversion, traffic diversion and a worthless checks program to allow participants to avoid court appearances if they meet conditions including keeping their record clean for a year and paying a fee via money order or cashier’s check made out to DeSoto Parish District Attorney’s Office. Barber negotiated at least 580 money orders made payable to, and/or intended for, the 42nd Judicial (Desoto Parish) District Attorney’s Office from 2004 to 2014. Barber negotiated at the DeSoto Parish Sheriff’s Office, banks and other retailers where she lied to the employees stating the District Attorney’s Office was dropping the charges against the payee of the money order and she needed to refund their money. The employees believed Barber and cashed the money orders, and Barber stole the money for her own personal use. In addition, Barber obtained blank money orders from program participants on which Barber put her name as the payee and deposited into her bank account. To cover the theft, Barber marked the cases in district attorney’s office records as nolle pros, charges rejected or as paid.
Barber faces up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. The court set a sentencing date of July 2, 2018.
The FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike O’Mara is prosecuting the case.
Natchitoches man sentenced to 34 months in prison for illegal possession of firearmRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that a Natchitoches man was sentenced Wednesday to two years and 10 months in prison for illegal possession of a pistol and ammunition.
Mazarious D. Coleman, 28, of Natchitoches, La., previously of Many, La., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. on one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He was also sentenced to three years of supervised release. According to the October 17, 2017 guilty plea, Coleman was arrested on January 26, 2017 after someone reported that he fired shots at another person. Police searched his apartment in Many and found a .40 caliber Glock pistol that had been shoved through a drywall portion of the roof by an air conditioning duct. A box of ammunition was found in the kitchen. Coleman was previously convicted of a felony in 2013 in Sabine Parish 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 safe 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 Many Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney James G. Cowles Jr. is prosecuting the case.
Bossier City man sentenced to 12 years in prison for driving while intoxicated at Barksdale Air Force baseRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced today that a Bossier City man was sentenced to 12 years in prison, with two years suspended, for driving drunk and crashing his car into bollards guarding a gate at Barksdale Air Force Base.
Leandrew Smith, 56, of Bossier City, La., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. on one count of driving while intoxicated-fourth offense. He was also sentenced to three years of supervised release. On May 20, 2017, Smith drove his vehicle into bollards blocking the West Gate at Barksdale Air Force Base on May 20, 2017. The bollards, which were completely destroyed, caused Smith’s vehicle to go airborne before stopping. Security Forces Airmen rushed to the crash and asked Smith if he needed medical attention, which he declined. Smith’s breath smelled of alcohol, and Smith told Security Forces he had drank a beer. A half-full 40-ounce beer bottle was found on the back floorboard. Smith tried to get out of his car and fell down. Smith was unable to complete field sobriety tests other than the horizontal gaze nystagmus test, which he failed. He also passed out while Security Forces Airmen transported him to Security Forces headquarters where his blood alcohol concentration registered more than three times the legal limit at .295 percent. Smith has three prior convictions for driving while intoxicated in the last 10 years, including two in 2013 in Caddo Parish Court and one in 2015 in Shreveport City Court.
The FBI and the 2nd Security Forces Squadron of Barksdale Air Force Base conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike O’Mara prosecuted the case.
Last defendant in Acadiana methamphetamine, cocaine distribution conspiracy sentenced to 12 yearsRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced today that a Breaux Bridge man was sentenced to 12 years in prison for his role in a methamphetamine and cocaine conspiracy in the Acadiana area.
Derwin S. Williams, 32, of Breaux Bridge, La., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Donald E. Walter on conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. He was also sentenced to five years of supervised release. According to the October 27, 2017 guilty plea, Williams was initially a cocaine supplier to other members of the drug trafficking organization from 2013 to 2015 supplying powder cocaine on a bi-weekly basis. In early 2015, Williams and co-codefendant Antonio Boyd, 39, of Parks, La., started making trips to California to purchase large quantities of methamphetamine. They shipped it to various locations in the Western District of Louisiana and elsewhere. Some of the locations include Arnaudville and Breaux Bridge.
In addition to Williams and Boyd, the other defendants indicted were Tyler Shy, 30, of Breaux Bridge; Michael Nicholas, 49, of Breaux Bridge; Bryalon Dugas, 23, of Breaux Bridge; Cody Lormand, 30, of Arndaudville; and Damien Alexander, 39, of Breaux Bridge. The defendants and penalities are shown below:
Defendants Prison term Supervised release Counts* Sentencing DateWilliams
144 months
5 years
1
Feb. 23, 2018
Boyd
120 months
5 years
1
Jan. 29, 2018
Alexander
62 months
5 years
1
Jan. 29, 2018
Shy
48 months
4 years
13
Oct. 23, 2017
Nicholas
48 months
3 years
1, 2
July 17, 2017
Lormand
37 months
3 years
8
June 9, 2017
Dugas
40 months
1 year
1
May 5, 2017
*Count 1 is conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, Count 2 is possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and counts 8 and 13 are possession with intent to distribute a controlled substances.
The defendants were arrested as part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Operation named “Cajun Coke.” The DEA, Louisiana State Police, St. Martin Parish Sheriff’s Office, Lafayette Police Department and Sulphur Police Department 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 disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations, targeting national and regional level drug trafficking organizations, and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to disrupt or dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize their assets.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert F. Moore and John Luke Walker prosecuted the case.
Lake Charles veterinarian, pharmacy sentenced for in race horse doping conspiracyRead the Press Release
LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced today that a Lake Charles veterinarian and a Nebraska pharmacy were sentenced for selling an unapproved opioid drug 40 times more powerful than morphine for the purpose of improving the performance of race horses.
Kyle James Hebert, 43, of Lake Charles, La., was sentenced to 15 months in prison for one count of conspiracy; two counts of receipt of adulterated or misbranded drug with the intent to defraud and mislead; and one count of misbranding a drug while held for sale with the intent to defraud and mislead. Hebert was also sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay a $10,000 fine. Kohll’s Pharmacy & Healthcare Inc. of Omaha, Neb., was sentenced to five years of corporate probation and ordered to pay a $200,000 fine for one count of conspiracy and two counts of introduction of adulterated or misbranded drug in interstate commerce with intent to defraud and mislead. United States District Judge Donald E. Walter presided over the sentencing hearing.
Evidence admitted at the nine-day trial that ended November 7, 2017 showed that from November 11, 2010 to December 2012 Hebert, Kohll’s Pharmacy & Healthcare Inc. of Omaha, Neb., which operated as Essential Pharmacy Compounding, and others conspired to distribute a synthetic form of the drug Dermorphin, which was then given to racehorses to improve their racing performance. Essential Pharmacy Compounding repackaged a synthetic form of the drug that it obtained from a California chemical company, labeled it as D-Peptide, and sold it to Hebert and other veterinarians. Hebert then put the drug into syringes and gave the loaded syringes to the racetrack trainers tasked with the horses’ care. Evidence showed that Demorphin is a strong painkiller that masks horses’ pain and any pre-existing injuries. Depending on dosage, it can also act as a stimulant when injected in horses. The Food and Drug Administration has not approved the drug for use in humans or animals.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Homeland Security Investigations and Louisiana State Police conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph T. Mickel and David C. Joseph prosecuted the case.
Vidalia man pleads guilty to cocaine distributionRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, La. – United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that a Vidalia man pleaded guilty Tuesday to possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
Demond Fleming, 40, Vidalia, La., pleaded guilty before U.S District Judge Dee D. Drell to one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine. According to the guilty plea, law enforcement agents noticed Fleming parked in the middle of Concordia Park Drive in Vidalia on July 11, 2017. Agents searched his car and found 82.18 grams of cocaine, two hydrocodone pills and $4,751. They also discovered that he was on supervised release for a previous drug conviction.
Fleming faces 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $1 million fine. The court set a sentencing date of May 18, 2018.
The DEA and Louisiana State Probation and Parole conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney James G. Cowles Jr. is prosecuting the case.
Shreveport felon pleads guilty to illegally possessing a firearm, parked at apartment complexRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that a Shreveport man previously convicted of a felony pleaded guilty Wednesday to unlawfully possessing a pistol while parked outside a Shreveport apartment.
Charles M. Thomas, 21, of Shreveport, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark L. Hornsby to one count of felon in possession of a firearm. The plea will become final when accepted by U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. According to the guilty plea, a Shreveport Police officer observed a vehicle idling in the parking lot of an apartment complex on Quail Creek Road. When the officer approached the vehicle, he observed Thomas, the driver, placing a handgun under his seat. The firearm was loaded with four rounds of .45 caliber ammunition. Thomas had previously been convicted of three counts of aggravated assault with a firearm in 2016.
Thomas faces up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. The court set a sentencing date of May 18, 2018.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safe for everyone. 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 Shreveport Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth D. Reeg is prosecuting the case.
Shreveport felon pleads guilty to illegal possession of a firearmRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that a Shreveport man previously convicted of a felony pleaded guilty last week possessing a .45 caliber pistol.
Jelantis J. Chatman, 22, of Shreveport, pleaded guilty Friday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark L. Hornsby to one count of felon in possession of a firearm. According to the guilty plea, law enforcement officers arrested Chatman at his residence on July 12, 2017. During his arrest, officers discovered a Springfield Armory, model: XD45, .45 caliber pistol and ammunition. Chatman was previously convicted of a felony in 2015 and is not allowed to possess a firearm.
Chatman faces up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. The court set a sentencing date of May 16, 2018.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safe for everyone. 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 Shreveport Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth D. Reeg is prosecuting the case.
Monroe man sentenced to 10 years in prison for methamphetamine distributionRead the Press Release
MONROE, La. – United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced today that a man from Monroe was sentenced Wednesday to 120 months in prison for distribution of methamphetamine.
Devin S. McMillian, 27, of Monroe, La., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. on one count of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. He was also sentenced to five years of supervised release. According to the September 14, 2017 guilty plea, Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s deputies conducted a traffic stop February 16, 2017 on the vehicle McMillian was driving. They found 23 grams of methamphetamine. McMillian made a call from prison to a friend after the arrest. He told the friend to travel to his residence and retrieve some items. Deputies overheard the call and searched the house. They found 754.9 grams of methamphetamine and one gram of marijuana.
The DEA and the Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office Special Crimes Apprehension Team conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany E. Fields prosecuted the case.
Colombian national pleads guilty to using a stolen identity in attempt to obtain driver’s licenseRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, La. – United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that a Colombian national pleaded guilty Tuesday to attempting to use someone else’s identity to obtain a Louisiana driver’s license in Alexandria.
Overth Riascos-Barahona, 33, of Colombia, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell to one count of false claim of citizenship. According to the guilty plea, Riascos-Barahona entered the Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles on September 14, 2017 in Alexandria. He submitted documents bearing another person’s personal information in an attempt to obtain a driver’s license. One of the documents was a Social Security card, which had the other person’s name on it.
Riascos-Barahona faces up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. A sentencing date of May 18, 2018 was set.
Homeland Security Investigations and Louisiana State Police investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dominic Rossetti is prosecuting the case.
Shreveport man pleads guilty to drug distribution, firearm offenseRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that a Shreveport man pleaded guilty last week to distributing marijuana and firearm possession.
Xavier Breonte Strickland, 29, of Shreveport, pleaded guilty Thursday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark L. Hornsby to one count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The plea will become final when accepted by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote. According to the guilty plea, parole officers went to Strickland’s residence on June 2, 2017 in response to a parole violation. While there, they noticed Strickland exit a bedroom. After searching the bedroom, officers found a Ruger pistol, model: SR1911, caliber: .45 with one round of ammunition in the chamber underneath a green tote bag in the bedroom closet. Next to the bag was a black zipper pouch that contained a digital scale and a bag with 31 grams of marijuana.
Strickland faces up to 20 years in prison for the drug count and no less than five years in prison for the firearms count, which is in addition to the term of imprisonment the court imposes for the drug count. He also faces five years in prison and a $1 million fine. The court set sentencing for June 1, 2018.
The ATF and the Shreveport Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown is prosecuting the case.
Pollock prisoner sentenced to 24 months in prison for involuntary manslaughterRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, La. – United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that a prisoner at the U.S. Penitentiary in Pollock, La., was sentenced last week to two years in prison for assaulting another inmate who later died.
Lee Adams, 53, of Santa Clara County, Calif., was sentenced Friday by U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell on one count of involuntary manslaughter. He was also sentenced to five years of supervised release. According to the October 20, 2017 guilty plea, Adams entered a fellow inmate’s cell on October 31, 2014 and beckoned for him to follow. After the inmate entered Adams’ cell, Adams struck the inmate causing him to fall backwards. The back of the inmate’s head struck the floor, and he was found laying motionless. Adams exited the cell and entered the common area. Correctional officers locked down the area and transported the injured inmate to a local hospital where he died on November 4, 2014. The coroner concluded that the inmate sustained a skull fracture and massive injury to the brain, concluding that he died from blunt force to the side of his head that struck the floor. There is no indication that Adams specifically intended to kill the inmate.
The FBI and the U.S. Bureau of Prisons-Special Investigative Services conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown is prosecuting the case.