Western District of Louisiana
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Downsville man pleads guilty to possessing firearms and ammunition after being convicted of a felonyRead the Press Release
MONROE, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a Downsville man pleaded guilty Tuesday to possessing firearms, ammunition and an unregistered silencer after he was previously convicted of a felony.
William David Futch, 44, of Downsville, La., pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Karen L. Hayes to one count of possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon and one count of possession of an unregistered firearm silencer. The pleas will become final when accepted by U.S. District Judge Robert G. James. According to the guilty plea, Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s deputies responded to a complaint on April 11, 2014 that Futch was at his home firing shots. During this investigation, Futch was found in possession of a .45/.410 revolver, a 12 gauge shotgun, .a 22 caliber rifle with scope, a .22 caliber stainless rifle, a .22 caliber rifle with scope and bipod, a third .22 caliber rifle, a .223 caliber rifle, a 9 mm handgun, a .40 caliber handgun, ammunition, and a firearm silencer. He was previously convicted of a felony on three separate occasions.
Futch faces 10 years in prison, three years supervised release, forfeiture of the seized weapons and ammunition, and a $250,000 fine for each count. A sentencing date of June 20, 2016 was set.
This investigation and prosecution is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, which is a Department of Justice initiative to reduce firearm crimes by preventing the possession and use of firearms by dangerous and persistent felons and others not authorized to possess a firearm and to promote firearm safety.
The ATF and the Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert W. Gillespie is prosecuting the case.
Shreveport man sentenced to 27 months in prison for evasion of tax paymentsRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a Shreveport man was sentenced Tuesday to 27 months in prison for evading the payment of more than $250,000 in taxes for 10 years.
Joseph Lanza, 72, of Shreveport, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote on one count of attempting to evade and defeat payment of tax. He was also sentenced to three years of supervised release. Lanza attempted to evade payment of income taxes in 1996 through 1999, 2001, 2002 and 2004 through 2007 by concealing his income from the IRS.
The IRS conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney William J. Flanagan prosecuted the case.
Shreveport resident sentenced to 15 years in prison for producing child pornographyRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a Shreveport resident was sentenced to 15 years in prison for producing child pornography.
Jason Carl Fruge, 45, of Shreveport, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote on one count of production of child pornography. The defendant was also sentenced to five years of supervised release and must register as a sex offender. According to evidence presented at the October 1, 2015 guilty plea, during the course of investigating Fruge for other offenses, agents found a video on Fruge’s computer of a minor male child engaged in a sexually explicit sex act. Fruge pretended to be an attractive female in order to convince the minor to engage in the sexual act. Fruge directed the minor child to commit the sexually explicit act and recorded the minor using an online video chat service similar to Skype on June 9, 2014.
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 Shreveport FBI office number is (318) 861-1890.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security/Homeland Security Investigations/Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) also encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free hotline at (866) DHS-2ICE. 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 (http://www.ice.gov/predator/smartphone-app). Tips also may be submitted anonymously.
The FBI and ICE Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert W. Gillespie Jr. prosecuted the case.
Former Barksdale airman sentenced to 8 years in prison for receiving child pornographyRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a New Jersey man who was stationed at Barksdale Air Force Base was sentenced to 96 months in prison for receiving child pornography on his personal computer.
Kyle Daniel Reese, 21, of Sicklerville, N.J., was sentenced on one count of receiving child pornography by U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. Reese was also sentenced to five years of supervised release and must register as a sex offender. According to evidence presented at the August 10, 2015 guilty plea, law enforcement agents detected a computer at Barksdale Air Force Base downloading child pornography. Agents obtained warrants and searched Reese’s domicile and work site on February 4, 2015. A forensic examination of the digital media found more than 600 images and more than five videos of child pornography on his personal computer. Before his sentencing, Reese was discharged from the Air Force.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security/Homeland Security Investigations, the Louisiana State Attorney General Jeff Landry’s Office Cyber Crime Unit, the Northwest Louisiana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Bossier City Marshal’s Office and the U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert W. Gillespie Jr. prosecuted the case.
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 marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security/Homeland Security Investigations/Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) encourage the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free hotline at (866) DHS-2ICE. Investigators are available at all hours to answer hotline calls. Tips or other information can also be submitted to ICE online at www.ice.gov/exec/forms/hsi-tips/tips.asp. Tips may be submitted anonymously.
Carencro firearms dealer sentenced for failing to maintain accurate recordsRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a Carencro man was sentenced Tuesday to six months of home confinement for failing to maintain accurate records of firearms sales at his business.
Morgan Joseph Parlow Jr., 33, of Carencro, La., was sentenced by U.S. Magistrate Judge Patrick J. Hanna on one count of failure to maintain firearms inventory records. He was also sentenced to five years of probation and 600 hours of community service, and he was ordered to forfeit approximately $100,000 worth of firearm inventory, including a machinegun and numerous firearm silencers, and pay a $7,500 fine. Additionally, he agreed to forfeit his right to hold a Federal Firearms License. According to the August 18, 2015 guilty plea, Parlow was a licensed firearms manufacturer and dealer under investigation for theft when agents discovered that his Federal Firearms Licensee and Special Occupational Tax Number had expired. Law enforcement agents conducted a search on March 23, 2015, of Parlow’s home and the site of his business, Specialties of Acadiana. Agents found incomplete sales, purchase and inventory records, which he was required to keep and maintain under the Gun Control Act and the National Firearms Act. Specifically, the records failed to account for Parlow’s possession of seven silencers and one machine gun as well as Parlow’s acquisition of other firearms.
The ATF conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David C. Joseph and Joseph T. Mickel prosecuted the case.
Former Mamou, Louisiana, Police Chief Sentenced for Using Taser on Non-Combative PrisonerRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that former Mamou, Louisiana, Police Chief Robert McGee, 44, was sentenced to one year and a day in prison for depriving an inmate at the Mamou jail of his federally protected rights by using a taser on the compliant inmate. McGee’s conviction was the result of a federal investigation into the illegal use of excessive force upon inmates at the Mamou jail that also led to the 2015 civil rights conviction of former Mamou Police Chief Gregory Dupuis for unlawfully using a taser against a different jail inmate.
McGee, of Mamou, pleaded guilty on Oct. 13, 2015, to one count of violation of an individual’s civil rights and was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Richard T. Haik Sr. of the Western District of Louisiana. On Oct. 13, 2015, Judge Haik sentenced Dupuis to one year and a day in prison.
According to evidence presented at McGee’s plea hearing, McGee went to the jail on Aug. 6, 2010, to deal with an inmate who had been verbally, but not physically, disruptive. McGee engaged the inmate in conversation as a second officer unlocked the cell. After the cell door was opened, McGee pointed his taser at the inmate and discharged his taser into the inmate’s chest and abdomen area, even though the inmate was compliant and made no aggressive moves toward the officers or any other person. The five-second electric shock caused the inmate to fall against the wall of the cell and experience physical pain. At his plea hearing, McGee admitted that he knew at the time that his actions were unlawful.
McGee, who was elected Mamou police chief after this incident, resigned his position as chief on Oct. 8, 2015, as a result of the federal investigation.
“Law enforcement officers are entrusted with the authority to use force for legitimate law enforcement purposes, including maintaining discipline in jails,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “However, the defendant abused that trust by deploying a Taser on a compliant detainee.”
“Law enforcement officers have a duty to ensure that those in their custody are treated fairly and humanely when taken into custody,” said U.S. Attorney Stephanie A. Finley of the Western District of Louisiana. “Mr. McGee breached that trust and violated his oath by using excessive force on an incarcerated individual who complied with orders.”
The case was being investigated by the FBI and the Louisiana State Police. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Stephen Curran and Mary Hahn of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Myers P. Namie and Robert Abendroth of the Western District of Louisiana.
Former Mamou police chief sentenced to 12 months in prison for using taser on non-combative prisonerRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The Justice Department and U.S. Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that former Mamou Police Chief Robert McGee was sentenced today to one year and a day in prison for depriving an inmate at the Mamou jail of his federally protected rights. The sentence relates to one incident where McGee used a taser on a compliant inmate. McGee’s conviction was the result of a federal investigation into the illegal use of excessive force on inmates at the Mamou jail that also led to the 2015 civil rights conviction of former Mamou Police Chief Gregory Dupuis for unlawfully using a taser against a different inmate.
McGee was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Richard T. Haik Sr. on one count of violating an individual’s civil rights. He was also sentenced to one year of supervised release.
According to evidence presented at McGee’s October 13, 2015 plea hearing, McGee went to the jail on Aug. 6, 2010, to deal with an inmate who had been verbally, but not physically, disruptive. McGee engaged the inmate in conversation as a second officer unlocked the cell. After the cell door was opened, McGee pointed his taser at the inmate and discharged his taser into the inmate’s chest and abdomen area, even though the inmate was compliant and made no aggressive moves toward the officers or any other person. The five-second electric shock caused the inmate to fall against the wall of the cell and experience physical pain. At his plea hearing, McGee admitted that he knew at the time that his actions were unlawful.
McGee, who was elected Mamou police chief after this incident, resigned his position as chief on Oct. 8, 2015, as a result of the federal investigation. On Oct. 13, 2015, Haik sentenced Dupuis to one year and a day in prison.
“Law enforcement officers are entrusted with the authority to use force for legitimate law enforcement purposes, including maintaining discipline in jails,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “However, the defendant abused that trust by deploying a taser on a compliant detainee.”
“Law enforcement officers have a duty to ensure that those in their custody are treated fairly and humanely,” Finley stated. “Mr. McGee breached that trust and violated his oath by using excessive force on an incarcerated individual who complied with orders.”
The FBI and the Louisiana State Police investigated the case. Trial Attorneys Stephen Curran and Mary Hahn of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Myers P. Namie and Robert Abendroth of the Western District of Louisiana are prosecuting the case.
Lafayette man sentenced to 10 years in prison for shooting at postal workerRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a Lafayette man was sentenced Monday to 120 months in prison for firing a gun at a postal worker.
David C. Sonnier, 41, of Lafayette, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Richard T. Haik on one count of discharging a firearm during commission of a crime of violence. He was also sentenced to two years of supervised release and ordered to pay $1,178 restitution. According to the September 16, 2015 guilty plea, Sonnier admitted that on March 27, 2014 he shot a Hi Point 9 mm semi-automatic pistol at the door of the postal worker’s vehicle, which was passing in front of Sonnier’s home. The bullet passed through the driver’s side door and the postal worker’s pant leg before becoming lodged in the opposite side of the vehicle, which caused approximately $1,178 of damage.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the FBI and the Lafayette Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph T. Mickel prosecuted the case.
Concordia parish couple sentenced for stealing nearly $200,000 in Veterans Affairs benefitsRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a former Concordia Parish couple were each sentenced to 12 months in prison for their roles in a scheme to steal Veterans Affairs benefits over a 10-year period.
Alfred Lewis Jr., 67, of Ferriday, La., and Rose M. Lewis, 64, of Natchez, Miss., were sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell. Alfred Lewis was sentenced on one count of theft of government property or funds, and Rose Lewis was sentenced on one count of conspiracy to commit theft of government property or funds. They were also sentenced to two years of supervised release and ordered to pay $197,784 restitution. According to evidence presented at the August 21, 2015 guilty plea, from July of 2003 until November of 2013, the defendants conspired to steal $197,784 in Veterans Affairs benefits. Alfred Lewis served in the U.S. Air Force and applied for veterans benefits in July of 2003. He and Rose Lewis did not disclose to Veterans Affairs that Rose Lewis had been working while living with Alfred Lewis during the 10-year period he received benefits. In written statements of their income sent to Veterans Affairs, they denied they were working when in fact Rose Lewis was earning more than $50,000 a year in Mississippi.
Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General, conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cytheria D. Jernigan prosecuted the case.
Monroe tax preparer sentenced to 57 months in prison for filing false returnsRead the Press Release
MONROE, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a Monroe tax preparer was sentenced Monday to 57 months in prison for filing multiple false tax returns.
Richard Allan Scott, 38, of Monroe, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Robert G. James for multiple counts of aiding or subscribing a false tax return. He was also sentenced to one year of supervised release and was ordered to pay $338,380 restitution. Evidence admitted at the three-day trial, which ended on September 11, 2015, revealed that more than 50 false tax returns for years 2011 and 2012 were prepared. Many of the returns contained fictitious information pertaining to W-2 withholdings, dependent care expenses and tax credits. The total amount stolen during the scheme was approximately $338,380.
IRS-Criminal Investigations and Monroe Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Earl M. Campbell prosecuted the case.
Four Ruston residents sentenced for conspiracy to distribute and possess cocaineRead the Press Release
MONROE, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that four Ruston residents were sentenced Monday for their roles in a cocaine distribution ring operating in the Lincoln Parish area.
United States District Judge Robert G. James sentenced Ruston, La., residents Brodrick D. Spivey, 34, to 77 months in prison; Kimoni A. McMurray, 37, to 108 months in prison; Thaxter Reynolds, 25, to 46 months in prison; and Harold Jenkins, 59, to 41 months in prison on one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine. They were also sentenced to three years of supervised release. According to evidence presented at the guilty pleas, the defendants conspired to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine or crack cocaine from June 2012 to July 2014 in the Lincoln Parish area. They were recorded buying cocaine and scheduling to convert cocaine to crack cocaine.
The fifth member of the conspiracy, Decarrious Jenkins, 27, of Ruston, was sentenced on November 30, 2015 to 77 months in prison and three years of supervised release for one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine.
The defendants were arrested as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Operation Pit Stop. The DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, ICE, ATF, Louisiana State Police, Lincoln Parish Sheriff’s Office, Ruston Police Department, Claiborne Parish Sheriff’s Office, Natchitoches Parish Sheriff’s Office, Natchitoches Police Department, Sabine Parish Sheriff’s Office, DeSoto Parish Sheriff’s Office, Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Office, Bossier City Police Department, Shreveport Police Department, Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office, all participated in this OCDETF operation. 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 Cytheria D. Jernigan and James G. Cowles Jr. prosecuted the case.
Two Texas men plead guilty to transporting 28 kilograms of cocaineRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that two Texas men pleaded guilty Monday to conspiring to sell approximately 28 kilograms of powder cocaine.
Ricardo Garcia, 28, and Jesus Christian Martinez, 34, both of Brownsville, Texas, pleaded guilty before U.S. Judge Elizabeth E. Foote to one count of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute powder cocaine. According to the guilty plea, Louisiana State Police conducted a traffic stop on February 3, 2015 on a vehicle traveling eastbound on I-20 in Bossier Parish. The vehicle displayed North Carolina license plates but was not registered to either the driver or the passenger. After further investigation, troopers searched the vehicle and found 28 kilogram-size packages of powder cocaine inside of a speaker box.
The defendants each face 10 years to life in prison, five years of supervised release and a $10 million fine. Sentencing is set for April 22, 2016.
The DEA-Shreveport Office and Louisiana State Police conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Allison D. Bushnell is prosecuting the case.
Mexican national arrested in New Iberia pleads guilty to reentering the United States illegallyRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a Mexican national pleaded guilty to charges that he reentered the United States illegally at least three times.
Felipe Escobar-Martinez, 44, of Mexico, pleaded guilty before by U.S. District Judge Richard T. Haik to one count of illegal reentry of a removed alien. According to the guilty plea, the defendant was arrested in New Iberia on September 22, 2015 on Romero Road. The defendant later admitted that he was in the United States illegally and had last been deported in March of 1999, December of 2000 and July of 2005. The 2005 conviction was an aggravated felony, narcotic drugs for sale, in Arizona, Maricopa County.
Escobar-Martinez faces 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. A sentencing date was not set.
United States Immigrations and Customs Enforcement conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dominic A. Rossetti is prosecuting the case.
Ferriday woman sentenced to five months in prison for stealing Veterans Affairs benefitsRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a Ferriday woman was sentenced Thursday to five months in prison and five months of home confinement for stealing more than $100,000 of Veterans Affairs (VA) Death and Indemnity funds which were meant for her deceased aunt.
Linda Sue Bourgeois, 45, of Ferriday, La., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell on one count of theft of government property or funds. She was also sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $107,452.33 restitution. According to evidence presented at her September 8, 2015 guilty plea, Bourgeois’ aunt was entitled to Death and Indemnity Compensation from the Department of Veterans Affairs because of her husband’s service in the military. Bourgeois’ aunt died in July of 2007, and Bourgeois did not inform Veterans Affairs of the death. Bourgeois and her aunt shared a bank account where the funds were deposited electronically, and Bourgeois took the funds until March 2015 when the payments terminated by the VA. Bourgeois stole $107,452.33 during the scheme.
Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General, conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael O’Mara prosecuted the case.
Catahoula Parish man sentenced to 117 months in prison for explosives, firearms possession chargesRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a Catahoula Parish man was sentenced to 117 months in prison for possessing unregistered explosives and illegally possessing firearms.
Bill W. Womack, 56, of Manifest, La., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell on one count of possessing unregistered explosive devices and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. He was also sentenced to three years of supervised release, fined $50,000 and forfeited the weapons seized during the arrest. According to information presented at the September 24, 2015 guilty plea, agents seized machine guns, destructive devices, silencers, a short barreled rifle and more than a kilogram of marijuana. The weapons were not registered as required by law. In addition, law enforcement destroyed improvised explosive devices at the scene over a five-day period.
The ATF, FBI, Louisiana State Police and Catahoula Parish Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Seth D. Reeg and William J. Flanagan prosecuted the case.
U.S. Attorney’s Office indicts 12 for Acadiana methamphetamine distribution conspiracyRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that 12 people were indicted Wednesday in a methamphetamine distribution conspiracy in Lafayette and the surrounding areas.
Those named in the 15-count indictment are:
Jeremy David Hamlett, 37, of Arnaudville, La.
Lovlace L. Comeaux II, 53, of Lafayette
Kevin Comeaux, 54, of Milton, La.
Darrell James Serrette II, 33, of Breaux Bridge, La.
Jared J. Dupuis, 38, of Breaux Bridge
Jade Dupuis, 37, of Arnaudville
Elton Scroggins, 34, of Breaux Bridge
John S. Stutes, 44, of Breaux Bridge
Ronnie J. Touchet, 34, of Breaux Bridge
Travis Joseph Thibodeaux, 34, of Breaux Bridge
Matthew James Hebert, 42, of New Iberia, La.
Tucker Huval, 34, of Breaux Bridge
According to the indictment, the defendants conspired to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine in Lafayette and the surrounding areas from April 2015 until Wednesday. All defendants have been arrested. In addition to the conspiracy count, there were three counts of distribution of methamphetamine (Counts 2 to 4) and 11 counts of use of a communication facility in causing or facilitating a drug trafficking crime (Counts 5 to 15).
The defendants face various possible penalties depending on the drug quantity involved, their role in the conspiracy and their drug history. On the conspiracy and distribution counts, some defendants face up to life in prison, and others face up to 20 years or 40 years in prison. The defendants also face up to 10 years of supervised release. The penalties for use of a communication facility in causing or facilitating drug trafficking are up to eight years in prison and up to three years of supervised release for each count. Additionally, the defendants face fines up to $20 million and forfeiture of property seized in the case.
Counts 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Hamlett X X X X X X X X X X X X Lovelace Comeaux X X Kevin Comeaux X X X Darrell Serrette X X Jared Dupuis X X Jade Dupuis X X Scroggins X X Stutes X X Touchet X X Thibodeaux X X Herbert X X Huval X XThe DEA (Lafayette Task Force), Louisiana State Police and Lafayette Metro Narcotics (LMN) participated in the investigation, and the ATF, FBI, DEA Task Force, St. Martin Parish Sherriff’s Office and LMN assisted in the apprehension of the individuals named in the indictment. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Myers P. Namie and Daniel J. McCoy are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Shreveport man sentenced to 71 months in prison for possessing firearms after being convicted of feloniesRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a Shreveport man was sentenced to 71 months in prison for possessing three firearms and ammunition after being convicted of multiple felonies.
Jonathan Shane Roberts, 41, of Shreveport, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. on one count of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. He was also sentenced to three years of supervised release. According to the August 28, 2015 guilty plea, Roberts swapped an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) for a 9 mm pistol, a .308 caliber rifle, a .223 caliber rifle and more than 2,500 rounds of ammunition on November 19, 2014. Roberts later filed a police report claiming the ATV was stolen. After further investigation, a Shreveport Police Department detective found that Roberts had at least three felony convictions before obtaining the firearms. Roberts was convicted in March of 1993 of unauthorized entry of an inhabited dwelling, in December of 2001 of simple robbery, and in August of 2007 of felony theft of more than $500. All convictions were in the First Judicial District Court in Caddo Parish.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, which is a Department of Justice initiative designed to reduce firearm crimes by removing dangerous and persistent felons from the community and to promote firearm safety.
The Shreveport office of the ATF and Shreveport Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert W. Gillespie Jr. prosecuted the case.
U.S. Attorney's Office collects more than $10 million in civil, criminal, asset forfeiture actions in FY2015Read the Press Release
SHREVEPORT/LAFAYETTE/ALEXANDRIA/LAKE CHARLES/MONROE, La. - United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana collected $10,649,919 through civil, criminal and asset forfeiture actions in Fiscal Year 2015.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office collected $6,575,973 in criminal actions and $1,171,467 was collected in civil actions. Working with various other offices and components of the Department of Justice, the Western District of Louisiana collected an additional $1,352,659.The U.S. Attorney’s Office also worked with its partner agencies and divisions to collect $1,549,819 in asset forfeiture actions in FY2015. Forfeited assets deposited into the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund are used to restore funds to crime victims and for a variety of law enforcement purposes.
Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch announced last week that the Justice Department collected $22.9 billion in civil and criminal actions in the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2015. The more than $22.9 billion in collections in FY2015 represents more than seven and a half times the approximately $2.93 billion of the Justice Department’s combined appropriations for the 93 U.S. Attorney’s offices and the main litigating division in that same period.
Included in the FY2015 criminal collections for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of Louisiana, is $1.5 million collected from Gulfport Energy Corporation. Gulfport Energy was charged with violating the Clean Water Act by discharging polluted water into Cote Blanche Bay from June 2011 until March 2012. The company pleaded guilty to one count of negligent discharge of pollutants into navigable waterways. Gulfport paid $1.125 million fine for violating the Clean Water Act and $375,000 in community service projects.
Also included in the FY2015 collections is $1.25 million paid by Arkla Disposal Services. The United States and the State of Louisiana filed suit against Arkla Disposal and related entities alleging violations of the Clean Water Act, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, the Clean Air Act’s National Emissions Standard for Benzene Waste Operations and the Louisiana Environmental Quality Act at the Arkla’s facility in Shreveport. Arkla paid a total of $2.5 million to the United States and the State of Louisiana to settle the lawsuit.
One of the significant civil recoveries for the Western District of Louisiana in FY2015 was $650,000 collected from Dr. Mehmood Patel and his entities, Acadiana Cardiology LLC and Acadiana Cardiovascular Center LLC. This collection resulted from the settlement of a qui tam action that alleged Mehmood Patel, a cardiologist, performed unnecessary cardiovascular and other endovascular interventional procedures at two hospitals and at a cardiac catheterization lab located in his private medical office.
Of the total amount collected by the District in FY15, $1,177,576.29 was collected through garnishment proceedings commenced by the district’s Financial Litigation Unit (FLU). The significant increase collected through garnishment proceedings is due in part to the garnishment of various financial interests of debtors including retirement accounts, life insurance policies, wages and other financial accounts as well as the aggressive collection activity handled by the FLU. The largest recovery resulting from a garnishment proceeding in FY15 occurred in United States v. Bunnie Morris. In August 2014, Morris pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1344 and was sentenced to 29 months in prison and were ordered to pay $337,050.32 in restitution. After the district instituted garnishment proceedings, $266,957.70 was recovered in garnished assets owned by the defendant and payments from Morris which satisfied the balance of the restitution debt.
The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, along with the department’s litigating divisions, are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the U.S. and criminal debts owed to federal crime victims. The law requires defendants to pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss. While restitution is paid to the victim, criminal fines and felony assessments are paid to the department’s Crime Victims’ Fund, which distributes the funds to state victim compensation and victim assistance programs.
The largest civil collections were from Affirmative Civil Enforcement cases, in which the United States recovered government money lost to fraud or other misconduct or collected fines imposed on individuals and/or corporations for violations of federal health, safety, civil rights or environmental laws. In addition, civil debts were collected on behalf of several federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Health and Human Services, Internal Revenue Service, Small Business Administration and Department of Education.
“The Department of Justice is committed to upholding the rule of law, safeguarding taxpayer resources and protecting the American people from exploitation and abuse,” said Attorney General Lynch. “The collections we are announcing today demonstrate not only the strength of that commitment, but also the significant return on public investment that our actions deliver. I want to thank the prosecutors and trial attorneys who made this achievement possible, and to reiterate our dedication to this ongoing work.”
“We remain dedicated to protecting the public and vigorously pursuing funds that rightfully belong to the U.S. taxpayers,” stated U.S. Attorney Stephanie A. Finley. “Our office will continue to hold people accountable and seek compensation for victims of federal crimes. I congratulate my staff for their hard work.”
United States Attorney, Department of Justice announces decision on the criminal investigation of the death of Victor White IIIRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The Justice Department announced today that there is insufficient evidence to pursue federal criminal civil rights charges against any official with the Iberia Parish Sheriff’s Office in connection with the fatal shooting of Victor White.
Federal officials from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana, the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and the FBI met today with the White family to inform them of this decision.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO), the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division and the FBI reviewed all of the material and evidence generated by the Louisiana State Police, including witness statements, crime scene evidence, dispatch recordings, and video footage taken from police vehicles and forensic reports. Additionally, the Department of Justice asked independent medical experts to review the autopsy performed by the state coroner and to conduct an independent analysis of Mr. White’s death. During the investigation, the U.S. Attorney and the investigative team also met with the White family and their representative to obtain additional information, evidence or witness information relating to the case.
In order to prove a violation of applicable federal criminal civil rights laws, prosecutors must establish, beyond a reasonable doubt, that a law enforcement officer willfully deprived an individual of a constitutional right, meaning that the officer acted with the deliberate and specific intent to do something the law forbids. After a careful and thorough review of the evidence, federal prosecutors and FBI agents have determined that the evidence here is insufficient to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that any officer fired a weapon at Mr. White.
During the late evening of March 2, 2014, a deputy responding to a 911 call regarding a fight at a local store, stopped Mr. White and his friend who were on their way back from the store. Mr. White was taken into custody after marijuana and cocaine were found in his possession. According to Mr. White’s friend, who was not arrested, the interaction with the officers was non-confrontational. Video from the patrol car camera is consistent with the witness’s account. Mr. White was handcuffed behind his back, placed in the back seat of the patrol car and taken to the patrol center. While Mr. White was in the back seat of the patrol car, which was parked in the patrol center parking lot, a gun fired, causing a fatal gunshot wound to Mr. White.
Ballistics testing confirmed that the gun used in the shooting was a small .25 caliber handgun that was found on the back seat of the patrol car, adjacent to and behind Mr. White after the shooting. A single spent .25 caliber shell casing was also recovered from the rear compartment of the patrol car. The investigation revealed that Mr. White was in possession of a .25 caliber handgun earlier that evening. Experts determined that the .25 caliber handgun was in close proximity to his body when it was discharged. In addition, gunshot residue was found on both of Mr. White’s hands.
Video footage from earlier that night shows Mr. White reaching around to his front pants pocket area while handcuffed behind his back. Both the state coroner and independent federal medical experts concluded that Mr. White fired the shot while handcuffed. The autopsy revealed a gunshot wound to the chest, with the bullet entering on the right side below the right nipple, and exiting on the left side of the chest near the armpit.
After careful examination of all of the evidence, the USAO, the Civil Rights Division and the FBI determined that the tragic incident did not constitute a prosecutable violation of any federal criminal civil rights statutes.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana, the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and the FBI devoted significant time and resources to complete a thorough analysis of the evidence and facts developed during the investigation.
The Justice Department is committed to investigating allegations of excessive force by law enforcement officers and will continue to devote the resources necessary to ensure that all allegations of serious civil rights violations are fully and completely investigated.
Federal jury finds Monroe men guilty of roles in methamphetamine conspiracyRead the Press Release
MONROE, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a federal jury found two men from Monroe guilty of their roles in a methamphetamine conspiracy.
Vacarra Rogers, 35, and Kevin Honeycutt, 36, both of Monroe, were found guilty last week of one count each of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Honeycutt was also found guilty of one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. United States District Judge Robert G. James presided over the trial. After a two-day trial, the jury returned the guilty verdict after deliberating for approximately an hour.
Evidence admitted at trial showed that Rogers was arrested on August 2, 2014, on Louisiana state charges related to illegal possession and distribution of methamphetamine. Co-defendant Kendra Turner, 25, of Monroe, was driving the car at the time of the arrest. During an October 8, 2014 visit to the jail, Turner was heard on recorded jailhouse calls talking to Rogers about her driving to Texas to obtain methamphetamine. Later that day, Turner, Rogers and Honeycutt further discussed the trip. Turner was arrested on October 10, 2014 on her way back from Texas. Honeycutt was then arrested and admitted to waiting for a delivery of methamphetamine from Turner. Honeycutt then stated that he had obtained $5,000 from Ruby Jane McMillan, 29, of Farmerville, La., to purchase methamphetamine for her. Honeycutt set up a delivery of methamphetamine for McMillan, and she was later arrested.
Rogers and Honeycutt each face 10 years to life in prison for conspiracy. Honeycutt also faces 10 years to life in prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and up to 10 years in prison for felon in possession of a firearm. They each face five years of supervised release and a $1 million fine. A sentencing date of March 1, 2016 was set.
Turner pleaded guilty on July 10, 2015, and McMillan pleaded guilty September 12, 2015, to one count each of conspiracy. Turner and McMillan are scheduled to be sentenced on January 4, 2016.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Earl M. Campbell is prosecuting the case. The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Monroe Metro Narcotics Task Force investigated the case.
Texas man sentenced to 30 years in prison for attempting to make a sexually explicit video of a minorRead the Press Release
LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a Texas man was sentenced Wednesday to 360 months in prison for attempting to use a child to make a sexually explicit video and attempting to persuade the child’s mother to allow him to sexually exploit the child.
Mark Anthony Thompson, 49, of Richmond, Texas, was sentenced by U.S District Judge Patricia Minaldi on one count of attempting to use a child to produce child pornography and one count of attempting to entice a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity. He was also sentenced to 10 years of supervised release, which includes sex offender monitoring and is required to register as a sex offender. Evidence presented during the four-day trial revealed that Thompson persuaded a Louisiana mother to use her child to produce a sexually explicit video. Thompson also tried to sexually exploit the child. In December of 2013, the victim’s father found disturbing messages, pictures and a video sent from the defendant to the wife’s phone. The father then reported the matter to the DeRidder Police Department.
Homeland Security Investigations, the DeRidder Police Department, Louisiana State Police and the Louisiana Department of Social Services conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Myers P. Namie and John Luke Walker prosecuted the case.
“This case is disturbing in many ways, but it is also an example of how continued exploitation of children can be stopped,” Finley stated. “I want to encourage all victims of sexual abuse to speak up and know that there is help. We will continue to prosecute these cases and never take exploitation of children lightly. I want to thank the prosecutors and the state, local and federal law enforcement officers who worked diligently to ensure that justice was served in this case. ”
“Child sexual abuse is one of the most heinous crimes HSI investigates as it steals the innocence of children and leaves lasting scars on victims,” said Raymond R. Parmer Jr., special agent in charge of HSI New Orleans. “Criminals who prey on children will continue to be one of the agency’s highest priorities in order to protect the innocent from these terrible crimes.”
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 marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security/Homeland Security Investigations/Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) also encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free hotline at (866) DHS-2ICE. 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 (http://www.ice.gov/predator/smartphone-app). Tips also may be submitted anonymously.
Shreveport man sentenced to 105 months in prison for possessing a rifle after being convicted of a felonyRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a Shreveport man was sentenced to 105 months in prison for possessing a firearm and ammunition after being convicted of a felony.
Daranski M. Wynder, 33, of Shreveport, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. on one count of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. He was also sentenced to three years of supervised release. According to the August 10, 2015 guilty plea, Shreveport police officers responded to a 911 call on January 6, 2015 reporting that there was a man standing outside his residence with a rifle. Wynder was found at this residence with rifle bullets in his pocket. Police also found a 7.62 by 39 mm rifle and ammunition in his residence. Wynder was convicted in the 26th Judicial District Court in Webster Parish for monetary instrument abuse in 2011. He was also convicted in the First Judicial District Court in Caddo Parish for attempted felon in possession of a firearm in 2005 and for simple burglary in 2001.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a Department of Justice initiative designed to reduce firearm crimes by removing dangerous and persistent felons from the community and promote firearm safety.
The ATF and the Shreveport Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert W. Gillespie Jr. prosecuted the case.
Ruston man sentenced to more than 12 years in prison for role in cocaine conspiracyRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – U.S. Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a Ruston man was sentenced Wednesday to 147 months in prison for his role in a cocaine conspiracy that stretched across north Louisiana and led to the seizure of more than $517,000 in cash and resulted in charges for seven defendants.
Shannon D’Lario Jenkins, 34, of Ruston, La., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. to 87 months in prison on one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine and 60 months in prison for possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking for a total of 147 months. He was also sentenced to four years of supervised release. According to the December 4, 2014 guilty plea, from June 2012 to July 2014, Jenkins along with Quincy D. Hoover, 40, and Quwanda L. Forest, 35, both of Natchez, La.; Jesse C. Thomas, 31, of Haynesville, La.; Rodney J. Raymond, 36, of Natchitoches, La.; Carlos C. Jenkins, 37, of Ruston, and Quincy J. Hobbs, 33, of Grand Prairie, Texas, conspired to distribute cocaine throughout Lincoln, Claiborne, Natchitoches, Sabine, DeSoto, Bossier and Caddo parishes with the source cities for the cocaine being Houston and Dallas. Controlled purchases by law enforcement of cocaine powder and crack cocaine were made from several dealers during the investigation. Federal and local law enforcement officials arrested five of the defendants on July 1, 2014, in the northwest Louisiana area, where more than $517,000 in cash, firearms, 16 pounds of marijuana and other items were seized.
Raymond was sentenced on March 26, 2015, to 97 months in prison and five years of supervised release for conspiracy and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking; Forest was sentenced on May 12, 2015, to 47 months in prison and three years of supervised release for conspiracy; and Carlos C. Jenkins was sentenced on June 2, 2015, to 30 months in prison and one year of supervised release for one count of unlawful use of a communication facility. Hobbs, Thomas and Hoover were sentenced on June 29, 2015. Hobbs was sentenced to 87 months in prison and four years of supervised release for conspiracy; Thomas was sentenced to 24 months in prison and three years of supervised release for conspiracy; and Hoover was sentenced to 108 months in prison and five years of supervised release for conspiracy and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
“The U.S. Attorney's Office, along with our federal, state and local partners, is committed to keeping our communities safe,” Finley stated. “Breaking up this drug distribution ring was a huge step in countering the flow of illegal substances into the community. I want to thank all the agencies who partnered with us on this case and who continue to work to enforce both federal and state narcotics laws.”
The defendants were prosecuted as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Operation Pit Stop. The DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, ICE, ATF, Louisiana State Police, Lincoln Parish Sheriff’s Office, Ruston Police Department, Claiborne Parish Sheriff’s Office, Natchitoches Parish Sheriff’s Office, Natchitoches Police Department, Sabine Parish Sheriff’s Office, DeSoto Parish Sheriff’s Office, Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Office, Bossier City Police Department, Shreveport Police Department, Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office, all participated in this OCDETF operation. 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 James G. Cowles Jr. and Cytheria D. Jernigan prosecuted the case.
Opelousas couple pleads guilty to identity theftRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that an employee of an Opelousas tax preparation business and her boyfriend pleaded guilty Wednesday to stealing customers’ identities in order to pocket income tax refunds.
Frances Owens, 36, and Kevin White, 33, both of Washington, La., pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Richard T. Haik to one count of identity theft. According to the guilty plea, Owens worked as a tax preparer at Dee’s Tax Service in Opelousas in 2013. While working at Dee’s Tax Service, Owens prepared false 2012 individual tax returns for at least two people that had not authorized her to do so. While preparing the false tax returns, Owens took steps to ensure that the victims’ tax refund checks were sent to Dee’s Tax Service instead of the victims’ residences. Owens and her boyfriend, White, then took possession of the checks, forged the victims’ signatures and obtained false identification cards in the names of the victims to cash the checks. Specifically, on April 10, 2013, Owens illegally used a false identification card with her picture on it to cash a $5,838 check, and on April 12, 2013, White used a false identification card with his picture on it to cash a $4,727 check.
The defendants face up to 15 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a $250,000 fine and restitution.
The IRS investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney David C. Joseph is prosecuting the case.
Mexican national sentenced to 13 months in prison for reentering the United States illegallyRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a Mexican national was sentenced to 13 months in prison for reentering the United States multiple times illegally.
Hugo Campuzano Cuellar, 37, of Villa de las Flores, Coacalco, Mexico, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Richard T. Haik to one count of illegal reentry of a deported alien. According to the August 26, 2015 guilty plea, immigration officers encountered Cuellar in the St. Mary Parish jail on April 8, 2015. He admitted that he was a citizen of Mexico. He was previously removed from the United States on May 23, 2002, May 16, 2005 and May 7, 2009.
Homeland Security Investigations and the St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dominic A. Rossetti prosecuted the case.
Monroe man sentenced to 60 months in prison for possessing firearm after felony convictionsRead the Press Release
MONROE, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a man from Monroe was sentenced 60 months in prison for possessing a revolver after having been convicted of felonies.
Roderick Johnson, 34, of Monroe, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Robert G. James 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 June 3, 2015 guilty plea, Johnson was found to be in possession of a Rohm model RG38 .38 caliber revolver at his residence on Angela Drive in Monroe, while a Louisiana State Trooper was investigating another matter on October 17, 2014. A records check indicated that Johnson had several felony convictions and was on probation at the time the weapon was found.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, which is a Department of Justice initiative designed to reduce firearm crimes by removing dangerous and persistent felons from the community and promote firearm safety.
The ATF and Louisiana State Police conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert W. Gillespie Jr. prosecuted the case.
Bastrop resident sentenced to 27 months in prison for sex offender registration violationRead the Press Release
MONROE, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a Bastrop resident was sentenced to 27 months in prison for not updating his sex offender registration.
Solomon Lewis Devoil, 50, of Bastrop, La., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Robert G. James on one count of failure to register as a sex offender. He was also sentenced to five years of supervised release. According to evidence presented at the August 10, 2015, guilty plea, Devoil knowingly failed to register as a sex offender in Louisiana and traveled in and out of the Western District of Louisiana without registering as a sex offender in the State of Louisiana.
In December 1997, Devoil pleaded guilty in San Bernadino Superior Court in California to lewd act upon a child. The victim was 14, and Devoil was 32. He is required to register as a sex offender for life in the State of California as well as Louisiana. Bastrop Police arrested him for failure to appear in court in January 2014 and in February of 2014 for simple burglary. On May 12 and 14, 2015, Devoil failed to appear in court for hearings related to the simple burglary charge, and a warrant for his arrest was issued. Devoil was arrested on June 15, 2015 on a federal arrest warrant at an elementary school in Oklahoma where he was working and transported back to Louisiana to face charges.
The U.S. Marshals Service conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael O’Mara prosecuted the case.
Lafayette man pleads guilty to felon in possession of a firearm chargeRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a Lafayette man pleaded guilty Tuesday to possessing a firearm after having previously been convicted of a felony.
Jarrod Ty Foxworthy, 29, of Lafayette, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Richard T. Haik to one count of possession of a firearm by convicted felon. According to the guilty plea, the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office dispatched a deputy to investigate a complaint on April 2, 2013. Someone matching Foxworthy’s description was seen firing a weapon in the front yard of a home on Nyoka Circle in Lafayette. When Foxworthy arrived to be interviewed by the deputy, he was carrying a black Smith & Wesson M&P .40 caliber semi-automatic handgun and was later taken into custody. The defendant had been previously convicted in March of 2007 in North Carolina state court of common law robbery, for which he was sentenced to 12 to 15 months in prison.
Foxworthy faces up to 10 years in prison, three years supervised release and a $10,000 fine. A sentencing date was not set.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, which is a Department of Justice initiative designed to reduce firearm crimes by removing dangerous and persistent felons from the community and promote firearm safety.
The ATF and the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney David C. Joseph is prosecuting the case.
Man from Alexandria sentenced to 54 months in prison for selling methamphetamineRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that an Alexandria man was sentenced Monday to 54 months in prison for selling methamphetamine.
Franklin Drake Smith, 25, of Alexandria, La., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell on one count of distribution of methamphetamine. He was also sentenced to three years of supervised release. According to the August 19, 2015 guilty plea, agents conducted controlled buys of methamphetamine from Smith on February 2, 2015 and February 11, 2015 at different locations in Alexandria. The total weight of the methamphetamine sold exceeded 50 grams. Smith was held accountable for the distribution of approximately 680 grams of methamphetamine based on further investigation.
The FBI Central Louisiana Safe Streets Task Force with assistance from the Louisiana State Police conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Allison D. Bushnell prosecuted the case.
Rwandan national convicted of resisting deportation ordersRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a federal jury found a Rwandan national guilty of refusing to leave the country after being ordered to depart.
Innocent Safari Nzambereka, 37, of Rwanda, was found guilty of two counts of failure to depart for resisting removal after final deportation orders. United States District Judge Dee D. Drell presided over the trial. The defendant’s trial started Thursday and ended today with the jury returning the guilty verdict after deliberating for approximately 45 minutes. Evidence admitted at trial revealed that on March 12, 2013 and April 11, 2013, Nzambereka refused to sign visa applications necessary for him to be sent back to the Republic of Rwanda where he had been ordered to return.
Nzambereka faces four years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine for each count. Sentencing has been set for February 29, 2016.
The Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Enforcement and Removal Operations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Howard C. Parker and Dominic A. Rossetti are prosecuting the case.
Mexican national pleads guilty to reentering the United States multiple times illegallyRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a Mexican national pleaded guilty Tuesday to re-entering the United States after removal.
Saul Abundis Cordova, 39, of Mexico, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote to one count of re-entry of a removed alien. According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, Shreveport Police arrested Cordova on January 15, 2015 for driving while intoxicated, and on July 22, 2015, was convicted of driving while intoxicated for the fourth time. Cordova had been removed from the United States to Mexico on at least three previous occasions in 2008, 2009 and 2014. The removal on June 12, 2014 occurred after Cordova was convicted of felony possession of Schedule II control substances, cocaine, which results in a sentencing enhancement of a convicted felon.
Cordova faces 10 years in prison, one to three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. A sentencing date of March 8, 2016 was set.
Homeland Security Investigations-Immigrations and Customs Enforcement and the Shreveport Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael O’Mara is prosecuting the case.
Bossier City resident pleads guilty to receiving child pornographyRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a Bossier City man pleaded guilty to receiving child pornography.
Christopher J. Leger, 52, of Bossier City, La., pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. to one count of receiving child pornography. According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, federal agents executed a search warrant on March 13, 2014 on Leger’s residence. Child pornography had previously been downloaded from a computer at the address. After examining media devices from the residence, agents found 76 images and two videos of child pornography.
Leger faces 15 to 40 years in prison, five years to life of supervised release, a $250,000 fine, mandatory registration as a sex offender and forfeiture of property seized during the investigation. A sentencing date of March 3, 2016 was set.
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/Homeland Security Investigations/Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) also encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free hotline at (866) DHS-2ICE. 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 (http://www.ice.gov/predator/smartphone-app). Tips also may be submitted anonymously.
Homeland Security Investigations and Louisiana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth D. Reeg is prosecuting the case.
Mexican national sentenced to 14 months in prison for illegally reentering the United StatesRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a Mexican national was sentenced last week to 14 months in prison for reentering the country after having been previously deported twice.
Jesus Isas-Medina, 41, of Guadajara, Mexico, was sentenced Thursday by U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. on one count of illegal reentry after being deported. According to evidence presented at the July 28, 2015 guilty plea, Bossier Parish Sheriff’s deputies arrested the defendant on April 6, 2015. Upon further investigation, it was learned that Isas-Medina had been previously deported in April of 2001 and July of 2012.
The U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement-Immigration Enforcement and the Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth D. Reeg prosecuted the case.
U.S. Attorney’s Office recognizes Western District of Louisiana VeteransRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT/LAFAYETTE/ALEXANDRIA/LAKE CHARLES/MONROE, La.: United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that the U.S. Attorney’s Office will honor the men and women of the Western District of Louisiana and their family members who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces with a video presentation.
The presentation features employees from the U.S. Attorney’s offices, courthouse employees and their family members in all five divisions of the District, Shreveport, Lafayette, Alexandria, Lake Charles and Monroe. The video will be available for public viewing from November 10th to November 20th in the lobby of the U.S. federal courthouses in Shreveport and Lafayette. There will be an honor board in all five courthouses.
“There is never enough that we can say or do that adequately thanks the men and women who have heeded the call to serve,” Finley stated. “This presentation is just a small way to honor them. As a member of the U.S. Air Force, I am aware of how special and significant it is to have these veterans in our communities and how important it is for us to recognize their service. We owe them a debt of gratitude for their unwavering willingness to put service before self and safeguard our freedoms. This Veterans Day, I hope everyone remembers those who continue to serve. We salute them and celebrate their service to this Great Nation!”
Western District of Louisiana employees being honored for their service are:
United States Army - Aaron J. Broussard, F. Michael Campbell, U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell, Robert W. Gillespie Jr., U.S. District Judge Richard T. Haik, David C. Joseph, Deborah Ritchey Mahony, C. Vincent Mangum, Joseph T. Mickel, Howard C. Parker, Edward Prokopf, Victor Sheppard, U.S. District Judge Tom Stagg (deceased), Fifth Circuit Chief Judge Carl E. Stewart, Chris Turner and U.S. District Judge Donald E. Walter.
United States Navy - Joseph G. Jarzabek, Daniel J. McCoy and Ryan Turner.
United States Coast Guard - Dennis K. Austin and U.S. Magistrate Judge Patrick Hanna.
United States Marin Corps - Angelo Iorio.
United Stated Air Force - Mitzie Cochrane, U.S. Attorney Stephanie A. Finley, Samuel W. Glass Sr., John S. Odom Jr., F. Michael O’Mara, Ryan Peck, Charlene Pullum, U.S. District Judge James T. Trimble Jr. and U.S. Marshal Henry L. Whitehorn Sr.
Immediate family members of the personnel in the Western District of Louisiana U.S. Attorney’s Office and U.S. District Court System being honored for their service are:
United States Army - Gerald Champagne, Steven L. Dupont, Doyce Ray Hebert, Eric Iorio, Shelton Julian, Joseph LeJeune, David A. McBride, Joseph R. Nolan, Michael E. Schaff and Barney W. Skipper.
United States Navy - Kyle Alwert, Thomas P. Cagney, David Cochrane, Leon Gordon Jones and John L. Witt.
United States Air Force - John T. Julian and Alan Williams.
United States Marine Corps - Stephen Box.
Of those listed above, two have received Purple Hearts and other medals for their actions during various wars. Shelton Julian, the grandfather of Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen King, served in the U.S. Army during World War II. He was assigned to the 92nd Infantry, Buffalo Division. During his service, he received the Purple Heart and one Oak Leaf Cluster. United States District Court Judge Tom Stagg served in the U.S. Army during WWII in Europe from 1944-1946. During his service, he received the Combat Infantry Badge, the Bronze Star for Valor, the Bronze Star for Meritorious Service and two Purple Hearts. Judge Stagg died on June 23, 2015. Steven Dupont, son of FDA Investigator Charles Dupont, served in the U.S. Army from 2008 until 2010 and was stationed at Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3d Squadron, 2d Stryker Cavalry Regiment at Rose Barracks in Vilseck, Germany. He was assigned to Ghostrider Company as a Forward Observer during Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. Dupont was killed in action on October 24, 2010, in Rangrizan, Afghanistan. Specialist Dupont was awarded the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart, the NATO Medal and the Combat Action Badge, posthumously. While on active duty, he received the National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon and the Overseas Service Ribbon.
The Purple Heart is given to military members who are wounded or killed in action. The Bronze Star of Valor is awarded for acts of heroism, acts of merit or meritorious service in a combat zone and is the fourth-highest combat decoration awarded to military members. The Oak Leaf Cluster denotes subsequent decorations and awards.
Information about the location of the five federal courthouses within the Western District can be found at the following link: http://www.justice.gov/usao-wdla/contact-us.
Benton attorney pleads guilty to bankruptcy fraudRead the Press Release
MONROE, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a Benton attorney pleaded guilty to collecting filing fees from clients without informing the bankruptcy court.
Glay H. Collier II, 53, of Benton, La., entered a conditional guilty plea to one count of bankruptcy fraud before U.S. Magistrate Judge Karen L. Hayes. The plea will become final when accepted by U.S. District Judge Robert G. James. According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, Collier filed records into the bankruptcy court stating that he would accept “No Look” fees as payment for his services. The “No Look” fee caps attorney’s fees in bankruptcy proceedings to $2,800. In excess of that limit, Collier charged up to $281 in filing fees to some clients, which he did not disclose to the court. Between March 2010 and November 2013, Collier filed 983 Chapter 13 bankruptcy cases in Monroe, and during the same time period, he filed 2,160 Chapter 13 bankruptcy cases in Shreveport. In approximately 479 of these cases, Collier fraudulently collected and attempted to collect filing fees.
Collier faces up to five years in prison, three years supervised release and a $250,000 fine. A sentencing date of March 1, 2016 was set.
The FBI and the U.S. Trustee’s Office, Region 5, conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cytheria D. Jernigan is prosecuting the case.
U.S. Attorney, Justice Department announce grant awards to Western District of Louisiana agenciesRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT/ LAFAYETTE/ALEXANDRIA/MONROE/LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley and the Department of Justice announced that 16 grants totaling more than $2.4 million have been awarded to 15 agencies within the Western District of Louisiana.
Two grants totaling $1.1 million were awarded to the Wellspring Alliance for Families in Monroe; more than $500,000 was awarded to the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe in Marksville; and more than $224,000 was awarded to the Lafayette Consolidated Government. The remaining 12 grants were awarded to law enforcement agencies within the District.
Law enforcement agencies receiving the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant from the Bureau of Justice Assistance include:
Alexandria: Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Office: $75,460 to increase arrests and successful prosecutions;
Bastrop: Morehouse Parish Sheriff’s Office: $11,831 to support policing operations;
Bossier City: Bossier City: $25,693 to purchase supplies, equipment and new technology;
Franklin: St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office: $13,194 to purchase equipment;
Lafayette: Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office: $92,126 to support law enforcement initiatives;
Lake Charles: Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office: $61,468 to support essential law enforcement services;
Monroe: Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office: $63,758 to purchase equipment to increase officer safety;
Natchitoches: City of Natchitoches: $12,062 to purchase equipment;
New Iberia: Iberia Parish Sheriff’s Office: $16,846 to purchase computer equipment;
Opelousas: St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office: $36,444 to purchase supplies, equipment and new technology;
Shreveport: City of Shreveport: $115,505 to improve officer safety and increase law enforcement services; and
Sulphur: City of Sulphur: $12,422 to purchase law enforcement related-equipment.
Agencies receiving other grants this year in the District include:
Lafayette: Lafayette City/Parish Consolidated Government (Lafayette Police Department): $224,668 through the Grants to Encourage Arrest Policies and Enforcement of Protection Orders Program, through the Office of Violence Against Women, to be used with Faith House Inc. to improve safety for domestic violence victims in Lafayette Parish.
Marksville: Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana: $544,768 through the FY 2015 Indian Alcohol and Substance Abuse Program (IASAP), from the Bureau of Justice Assistance, to be used to implement an IASAP.
Monroe: Wellspring Alliance for Families: $600,000 through the Legal Assistance for Victims Grant Program, from the Office of Violence Against Women, to be used to strengthen civil and criminal legal assistance programs for adult and youth victims of abuse or violence, which includes hiring attorneys and support staff. The Wellspring Alliance for Families will also receive $500,000 through the Justice for Families Program, from the Office of Violence Against Women, to be used to provide victim services and training for employees and government officials.
“These grants will help to strengthen law enforcement agencies and other organizations, which will benefit the public throughout this District,” Finley stated. “The purchase of equipment, upgrade of technology and improvement to law enforcement safety that these grants will fund demonstrates the commitment the Department of Justice and my office have to help local agencies meet the challenges facing them.”
The Office of Justice Programs (OJP) provides federal leadership in developing the nation’s capacity to prevent and control crime, administer justice and assist victims. The 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 (SMART). For more information on grant award programs, visit www.bja.gov.
Mexican national arrested in Vinton pleads guilty to reentering the United States illegallyRead the Press Release
LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a Mexican national who was arrested in Vinton, La., pleaded guilty last week to charges that he reentered the United States multiple times without obtaining permission.
Luis Alberto Roblero-Escalante, 25, of Mexico, pleaded guilty Friday before U.S. District Judge Patricia Minaldi to one count of illegal reentry of a deported alien. According to the guilty plea, Vinton police found the defendant walking along Interstate 10 on June 10, 2015. After talking to police, he admitted he was a Mexican national. It was later discovered that Roblero-Escalante was previously removed from the United States on January 9, 2009, March 15, 2011, May 19, 2011 and January 13, 2015.
Roblero-Escalante faces 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. A sentencing date of February 4, 2015 was set.
Homeland Security Investigations-U.S. Border Patrol and the Vinton Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dominic A. Rossetti is prosecuting the case.
Lake Charles man pleads guilty to attempted possession of child pornographyRead the Press Release
LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a Lake Charles man pleaded guilty last week to attempting to possess child pornography.
Jerry Junior Logg, 26, of Lake Charles, pleaded guilty Friday before U.S. District Judge Patricia Minaldi to one count of attempted possession of child pornography. According to the guilty plea, Logg communicated in October of 2012 with a minor female from New Jersey using an internet chat service. Logg pretended to be two different young people online and attempted to convince the minor to send sexually explicit images of herself.
Logg faces up to 10 years in prison, five years to life supervised release and a $250,000 fine. He is also required to register as a sex offender. A sentencing date of February 4, 2016 was set.
The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Myers P. Namie is prosecuting the case.
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 marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Those concerned may also leave tips with the FBI at tips.fbi.gov. Tips may be submitted anonymously. The Lake Charles FBI office number is (337) 433-6353.
Alabama man sentenced to 10 years in prison for transporting child pornographyRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a man from Alabama was sentenced last week to 120 months in prison for transporting sexually explicit pictures of a minor.
Mario Duran, 50, of Jemison, Ala., was sentenced Wednesday by U.S. District Judge Richard T. Haik on one count of transporting child pornography. He was also sentenced to five years of supervised release and ordered to register as a sex offender. According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, Acadia Parish Sheriff’s deputies, while investigating another case, made contact with Duran in April of 2014 while he was parked in his truck in the Crowley, La., Wal-Mart parking lot. Present with Duran were two minor females. The minors said they did not know Duran, and that he had picked them up in Alabama and was transporting them to Texas to meet their father. The vehicle was searched, and three cell phones were found. Upon further investigation, law enforcement agents found sexually explicit pictures of a minor on one of the phones. The images on the phone were not of the minors Duran was transporting.
“I would like to thank the Acadia Parish Sheriff’s officers and ICE agents for apprehending and removing this child predator from our streets,” Finely stated. “Our office will continue to aggressively prosecute these types of crimes to protect our community.”
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a U.S. Department of Justice launched 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 (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security/Homeland Security Investigations/Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) encourage the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free hotline at (866) DHS-2ICE. Investigators are available at all hours to answer hotline calls. Tips or other information can also be submitted to ICE online at www.ice.gov/exec/forms/hsi-tips/tips.asp or through the Operation Predator smartphone app (http://www.ice.gov/predator/smartphone-app). Tips may be submitted anonymously.
Homeland Security Investigations and the Acadia Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jamilla A. Bynog and Myers P. Namie prosecuted the case.
Aggravated felon sentenced to 30 months in prison for illegally reentering the United StatesRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a Honduran national was sentenced Monday to 30 months in prison for reentering the country after having been previously deported for committing an aggravated felony.
Timoteo Gonzalez-Leiva, 42, of Las Ceiba Atlantia, Honduras, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Donald E. Walter on one count of illegal reentry after being deported as an aggravated felon. He was also ordered deported once his prison term is served. According to evidence presented at the July 28, 2015 guilty plea, Shreveport Police arrested Gonzalez-Levia on October 26, 2014. On October 28, 2014, he was convicted of simple battery and sentenced to jail. On January 7, 2015, at the completion of his jail sentence, the Caddo Parish Sheriff notified U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement of his pending release. ICE agents found that the defendant had been deported and then unlawfully returned to the United States multiple times. He was arrested in March of 1998 for first degree robbery in Delaware and sentenced to two years in prison. After serving the prison sentence, he was deported as an aggravated felon to Honduras. He later unlawfully reentered the United States again, was arrested and removed in April of 2004, and again in February of 2006.
The U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement-Immigration Enforcement, the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Department and the Shreveport Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert W. Gillespie Jr. prosecuted the case.
Shreveport resident pleads guilty to receiving child pornographyRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a Shreveport resident pleaded guilty Thursday to receiving child pornography.
Byron Morris, 57, of Shreveport, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. to one count of receiving child pornography. According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, law enforcement officers detected someone downloading and sharing child pornography in August of 2014 in Shreveport on a computer. After further investigation, officers were led to Morris’ residence, which was searched, and pornography was found on computers and other electronic storage media he owned.
Morris faces five to 20 years in prison, not less than five years of supervised release, a $250,000 fine, mandatory registration as a sex offender and forfeiture of property seized during the investigation. A sentencing date of February 17, 2016 was set.
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/Homeland Security Investigations/Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) also encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free hotline at (866) DHS-2ICE. 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 (http://www.ice.gov/predator/smartphone-app). Tips also may be submitted anonymously.
Homeland Security Investigations and Louisiana State Police conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown is prosecuting the case.
Lafayette man sentenced to 24 months in prison for possessing stolen firearmRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a Lafayette man was sentenced Wednesday to 24 months in prison for possessing a stolen handgun.
Cordera Dean Felix, 28, of Lafayette, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Richard T. Haik on one count of possession of a stolen firearm. He was also sentenced to one year of supervised release. According to evidence presented at the June 24, 2015 guilty plea, Lafayette Police arrested Felix on June 27, 2014, near the 900 block of East Simcoe Street on an active warrant. Officers recovered a Glock model 36, .45 caliber pistol from Felix. He stated that he was approached by juveniles who showed him a bag containing approximately eight handguns. He purchased the .45 caliber pistol from them. The handgun was reported stolen from Dave’s Gun Shop in Lafayette.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, which is a Department of Justice initiative designed to reduce firearm crimes by removing dangerous and persistent felons from the community and promote firearm safety.
The ATF and the Lafayette Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dominic A. Rossetti prosecuted the case.
Mexican national pleads guilty to reentering the United States illegallyRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a Mexican national pleaded guilty Monday to re-entering the United States after removal as an aggravated felon.
Jose Juan Rodriguez-Guarda, 32, of Mexico, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote to one count of re-entry of a removed alien. According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, Rodriguez-Guarda had illegally re-entered the United States multiple times since 2009 after being removed. In June 2012, Rodriguez-Guarda was removed as an aggravated felon from the United States after being convicted of attempted human smuggling in Arizona.
Rodriguez-Guarda was arrested in Virginia on January 25, 2013, two days after he had kidnapped his girlfriend at knife point in Bossier Parish and took her to Virginia where he already had their 7-year-old daughter. The defendant pleaded guilty to simple kidnapping in Bossier Parish District Court on June 22, 2015.
Rodriguez-Guarda faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, one to three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. A sentencing date of February 19, 2016 was set.
Homeland Security Investigations-Immigrations and Customs Enforcement and the Bossier City Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael O’Mara is prosecuting the case.
Natchitoches man sentenced to 72 months in prison for possessing methamphetamineRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a Natchitoches man was sentenced to 72 months in prison for possessing methamphetamine.
Alfred Joseph Jackson, 40, of Natchitoches, La., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote on one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. He was also sentenced to three years of supervised release. According to evidence presented at the July 30, 2015 guilty plea, a Sabine Parish K-9 officer stopped an 18-wheeler Jackson was driving for a traffic violation on March 2, 2015. After further investigation, the officer found methamphetamine, marijuana and cocaine inside of the vehicle.
The DEA and Sabine Parish Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown prosecuted the case.
Lake Charles man sentenced to more than 19 years in prison for $5.8 million Ponzi schemeRead the Press Release
LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a Lake Charles man was sentenced to 235 months in prison for wire fraud in connection with a Ponzi scheme used to defraud investors out of more than $5.8 million.
John Steven Blount, 55, of Lake Charles, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Patricia Minaldi on one count of wire fraud. He was also sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $4.3 million restitution. According to the July 16, 2015 guilty plea, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) barred Blount from working as an investment adviser in December of 2003. In spite of this prohibition, Blount resumed work illegally as an investment adviser and securities broker from June of 2007 to December of 2014. During that time, he used his company, Professional Consultants LLC, to operate a Ponzi scheme that defrauded at least 73 investors out of approximately $5.8 million. Blount would offer investments in fictitious companies, bonds and IRAs that promised to pay an above-market rate of return. However, instead of investing the money in securities, Blount transferred the payments into his own bank accounts for his personal use and to support his other business interests.
In order to avoid detection and to continue operation of the Ponzi scheme, Blount emailed investors false account statements that purported to show the value of their investments. As necessary, Blount would also provide his victims with monetary payments, which Blount falsely represented to be interest payments or principal withdrawals from the investments. In fact, these “lulling payments” were actually investments Blount received from other victims of the Ponzi scheme. Over the course of the scheme, Blount paid $1,743,198.84 “lulling payments” to investors.
The victims of Blount’s scheme were primarily retirees residing along the Louisiana and Texas Gulf Coast who invested large portions of their retirement savings in Blount’s scheme. Blount recruited his victims through his website, through his own personal and family relationships, and through his involvement in various Lake Charles area charities.
“Through his fraudulent investment operation, Mr. Blount stole the life savings of dozens of retirees,” stated Finley. “Financial crimes are devastating to our citizens, creating lasting effects and hardships. Federal prosecutors along with our federal partners will continue to vigorously prosecute these crimes.”
“John Blount’s sentencing represents a victory for those individuals who were defrauded out of millions of dollars, and in most cases, their life savings,” said Special Agent in Charge Jerome R. McDuffie, IRS – Criminal Investigation. “This victory would not have been possible without the collaboration of law enforcement. Both local and federal law enforcement have represented the citizens of this community well, and IRS - Criminal Investigation is very proud to have been a part of this team of fine investigators. While we realize John Blount’s sentencing and restitution orders will not make the victims in this case whole, we hope that it will aid their peace of mind to know that he will be serving a lengthy prison term for his wrongdoings.”
The FBI and IRS Criminal Investigations investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney David C. Joseph prosecuted the case.
Lake Charles man, Texas man sentenced to 66 months in prison for meth distribution conspiracyRead the Press Release
LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a Lake Charles man and a Texas man were sentenced Monday to 66 months in prison for their roles in a methamphetamine distribution conspiracy that stretched from Lake Charles to Houston.
Chumphai Bob Mireles, 52, of Lake Charles, and Michael Wayne Giese, 37, of Pearland, Texas, were sentenced by U.S. District Judge Donald E. Walter on one count of conspiracy to distribute or possess with intent to distribute controlled dangerous substances. They were also sentenced to five years of supervised release. According to evidence presented at the guilty pleas, law enforcement agents identified Mireles as a trafficker of methamphetamine. In July of 2014, law enforcement agents followed Mireles to Houston where he bought methamphetamine from Giese. Agents arrested Mireles as he traveled back to Louisiana and located 86.53 grams of methamphetamine inside his vehicle.
Homeland Security Investigations and the Calcasieu Parish Combined Anti-Drug Task Force conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert C. Abendroth prosecuted the case.
Moss Bluff man sentenced to 98 months in prison for warehousing and selling marijuanaRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a Moss Bluff man was sentenced Thursday to 98 months in prison for operating a marijuana sales and transport conspiracy that stretched from Texas to Louisiana.
Daniel Cantu-Lopez, 43, of Moss Bluff, La., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Richard T. Haik on one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana. He was also sentenced to five years of supervised release. According to evidence presented at the March 11, 2015 guilty plea, Cantu-Lopez was warehousing large quantities of marijuana in Houston and distributing it out of his trailer in Moss Bluff. He directed the transport and sales of marijuana from June 2013 to September of 2013 from locations in Texas and Louisiana. During the course of the investigation, 4.9 kilograms of marijuana were seized from Juan Antonio Garcia on June 25, 2013 during a traffic stop in Vinton, La.; 453 grams of marijuana were seized on July 1, 2013 from Bertoldo Tolo Labra while being delivered to Moss Bluff; 380 kilograms of marijuana were seized on July 13, 2013 in George West, Texas, from Jamie Garza who was driving a truck and horse trailer; 4.5 kilograms of marijuana were purchased by an undercover agent on July 17, 2013 from Cantu-Lopez’s associate Lisa Diane Long in Moss Bluff; and 537 kilograms of marijuana were seized in Houston on September 13, 2013 from a pickup truck driven by Garcia.
Long, 51, of Lake Charles, was sentenced on November 11, 2014 to time served and one year of supervised release for one count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana. On February 5, 2015, Garcia, 59, of Nueva Laredo, Mexico, was sentenced to 44 months in prison and three years of supervised release, and Labra 32, of Morelos, Mexico, was sentenced to time served and two years of supervised release for one count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana. Garza, 47, of Edinburg, Texas, was sentenced on August 11, 2015 to 83 months in prison and four years of supervised release for one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana.
The defendants were arrested as part of Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Operation “Cajun Gallo.” The DEA, the George West Texas Police Department, and the Houston Police Department participated in this OCDETF 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 Howard C. Parker and Robert F. Moore prosecuted the case.
U.S. Attorney announces $3.5 million settlement with Westwood Mental Health LLCRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a Shreveport community mental health center, Westwood Mental Health LLC, and its parent company, MedSouth LLC, have agreed to pay $3.5 million to settle False Claims Act and Anti-Kickback Statute allegations.
The settlement results from Westwood’s self-disclosure to the Office of Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS OIG) through the OIG’s Provider Self-Disclosure Protocol. According to the self-disclosure and the investigation that followed, from 2006 through 2009, the United States alleged that Westwood falsified patient records, billed for services not medically necessary, billed for services that were not rendered, provided bribes to Medicare beneficiaries who did not qualify for partial hospitalization services and provided bribes and/or kickbacks to employees to further or conceal the fraud.
“Reaching this settlement through the self-disclosure process demonstrates what the health care community and law enforcement can achieve by working together,” Finley stated. “When Westwood discovered the problems, it brought the matter to the attention of the HHS Office of Inspector General, and in doing so avoided the costs associated with a protracted investigation and the risk of potential fines under the False Claims Act.”
Healthcare fraud poses a serious risk to the integrity of our health care system, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office remains committed to aggressively pursuing healthcare providers who seek public funds through unlawful means. The United States encourages all health care providers to self-disclose any known violations that have resulted in the submission of improper claims to federal health care programs.
This case was handled by the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen J. King represented the United States.
The claims resolved by this settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Ethiopian national sentenced to 27 months in prison for resisting deportation ordersRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that an Ethiopian national was sentenced Tuesday to 27 months in prison for refusing to leave the country twice after being ordered to depart.
Henok Dejene Retta, 30, of Addis, Ethiopia, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell on two counts of failure to depart. Retta was found guilty on both counts after a two-day trial that ended July 1, 2015. Evidence admitted at trial revealed that on two occasions U.S. Immigration Enforcement agents attempted to remove Retta from the country via the Alexandria International Airport by putting him on a commercial flight. The defendant hampered agents’ ability to remove him by verbally and physically resisting agents on November 19, 2013. The defendant also hampered attempts to put him on a commercial flight at the airport on January 7, 2014, when he told those present that he had terrorist ties in Africa and would have the plane attacked should he be put on the plane. These incidents prevented him from boarding the flights because of airline and Transportation Security Administration safety policies.
The Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Enforcement and Removal Operations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert F. Moore and Howard C. Parker prosecuted the case.
Baton Rouge man pleads guilty to role in Natchitoches bank fraud schemeRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a Baton Rouge man pleaded guilty Tuesday to his role in a Natchitoches bank fraud scheme in which more than $305,000 was stolen.
Joe Lee Colbert Jr., 38, of Baton Rouge, La., pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud. According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, Colbert and bank branch manager Deirdre Christophe Nelson, 36, of Natchez, La., conspired to steal more than $305,000 from 2011 until July of 2014 from a Natchitoches bank. Nelson would steal cash money and issue money orders from the bank to be deposited into Colbert’s account. Nelson and bank teller Valerie K. Culpepper, 35, of Natchitoches, falsified bank records in order to hide the money that was stolen during that time period.
Colbert faces up to 30 years in prison, five years of supervised release, a $1 million fine, forfeiture and restitution. A sentencing date of January 22, 2016 was set.
Nelson pleaded guilty on September 10, 2015 to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud. She faces up to 30 years in prison, five years supervised release, a $1 million fine and restitution. A sentencing date of December 17, 2015 was set. Culpepper pleaded guilty on July 17, 2015 to one count of conspiracy to make false statements in bank records. She faces up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release, a $250,000 fine and restitution. A sentencing date of October 23, 2015 was set.
The FBI and conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cytheria D. Jernigan is prosecuting the case.