Western District of Louisiana
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Shreveport resident sentenced to 33 months in prison for failing to update his sex offender registrationRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a Shreveport resident was sentenced to 33 months in prison for failing to register his correct address for his sex offender identification.
Joseph Kelly Parson, 31, of Shreveport, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. on one count of failure to update his sex offender registration. He was also sentenced to five years of supervised release. According to evidence presented at the April 6, 2015 guilty plea, Parson did not update his sex offender registration when living at a Shreveport address from October 8, 2013 until November 12, 2014. Parson originally pleaded guilty to two counts of statutory rape in Liberty County, Ga., in 2004. Upon release from prison, he was informed that he was required to register as a sex offender. He was later found living in Texas in 2010 and served a term of imprisonment for failure to register as a sex offender in Texas. After his release, Parson later moved to Shreveport but did not register in Louisiana as a sex offender.
The U.S. Marshals Service and Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown prosecuted the case.
Mississippi man sentenced to 12 months in prison for assault at Fort PolkRead the Press Release
LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a man from Mississippi was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison for assaulting his ex-wife and striking a man in the head with a baseball bat on the Fort Polk military installation.
Justin Corey Thurston, 23, of McLain, Miss., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Patricia Minaldi on one count of assault with a dangerous weapon. He was also sentenced to three years of supervised release. According to evidence presented at the April 30, 2015, guilty plea, Thurston visited the home of his estranged wife on September 6, 2014 at the Fort Polk military base to collect his personal belongings. While there, he and his wife engaged in an altercation leading to Thurston’s assault of his wife after she refused to give him her cellular telephone. He then exited the house, and the caller, who had heard the altercation on the phone, confronted Thurston. During the course of the confrontation, Thurston struck the caller in the head with a baseball bat, thereby causing him bodily injury.
The U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command and the FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David C. Joseph and Joseph T. Mickel prosecuted the case.
DeQuincy man sentenced to 12 months in prison for printing $100 bills in casino hotel roomRead the Press Release
LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a DeQuincy man was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison for making $100 counterfeit bills at a casino hotel.
Deldrick Shykil Fowler, 22, of DeQuincy, La., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Patricia Minaldi on one count of counterfeiting obligations to the United States. He was also sentenced to three years of supervised release. According to evidence presented at the April 30, 2015 guilty plea, surveillance equipment was used to observe Fowler on August 12, 2014 at the Isle of Capri Casino in Lake Charles producing counterfeit $100 bills in a hotel room. Agents seized two counterfeit $100 bills, 16 uncut sheets of $100 bills, and 10 uncut sheets of $100 bills printed on only one side.
The U.S. Secret Service conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert C. Abendroth and Howard C. Parker prosecuted the case.
Bossier City man sentenced to 10 months in prison for bankruptcy fraudRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a Bossier City man was sentenced to 10 months in prison for concealing his business assets during bankruptcy proceedings.
John M. Santoro, 43, of Bossier City, La., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote on one count of concealment of assets in a bankruptcy proceeding. He was also sentenced to one year of supervised release. According to evidence presented at the April 7, 2015 guilty plea, Santoro filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection on May 20, 2011, as the owner and for Santoro’s Catering Inc. After filing, Santoro had a third party sell a 2007 Dodge Ram 3500, which belonged to Santoro’s Catering Inc., and also sold some of the company’s catering equipment. Santoro failed to disclose the existence of the truck and the catering equipment to the bankruptcy trustee or list it on his bankruptcy petition. In bankruptcy proceedings, debtors are required to fully disclose all assets and liabilities.
The FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brandon B. Brown and Cytheria D. Jernigan prosecuted the case.
New Iberia man sentenced to 30 years in prison for producing child pornographyRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a New Iberia man was sentenced to 360 months in prison for videoing boys over the internet engaging in sexual activity.
Raymond F. Doyle III, 41, of New Iberia, La., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Richard T. Haik on one count of producing child pornography. He was also sentenced to a lifetime of supervised release and ordered to pay $735.95 restitution. According to evidence presented at the April 16, 2015 guilty plea, Doyle began communicating with numerous boys in the summer of 2011 using the internet and the video streaming internet service Skype. Doyle caused one of the boys to engage in sex acts while being videoed using Skype. A search of Doyle’s home computer revealed evidence that Doyle had contact with more than 60 boys. In most cases, Doyle pretended to be a female in order to encourage the boys to communicate with him.
“This case shows that exploitation of children has severe consequences for those who engage in these depraved activities,” Finley stated. “This sentence will help keep this defendant from harming more children. I also want to thank the prosecutor and law enforcement agencies for their help in securing this prosecution. Protecting children from predators requires cooperation among law enforcement agencies.”
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Luke Walker 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.
Shreveport woman sentenced to 12 months for stealing more than $39,000 in Social Security paymentsRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a Shreveport woman was sentenced Thursday to 12 months and one day in prison for stealing more than $39,000 in Social Security benefit payments.
Stephanie D. Lynn, 46, of Shreveport, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. on one count of theft of government funds. She was also sentenced to serve three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $39,435 in restitution. According to evidence presented at the January 15, 2015 guilty plea, Lynn cashed and used her deceased son’s Social Security benefit checks from May 2009 to December 2013. She also did not inform the Social Security Administration that her son had died and submitted paperwork stating that he was alive in order to continue receiving the checks. The total amount taken was $39,435.
The Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth D. Reeg prosecuted the case.
Bossier City tax preparer sentenced to 21 months in prison for tax fraudRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a Bossier City woman was sentenced Tuesday to 21 months in prison for making and filing a false tax return.
Karen Cartagena, 55, of Bossier City, La., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote on one count of making and subscribing a false tax return. Judge Foote also sentenced Cartagena to serve three years of supervised release and pay $84,147 in restitution. According to evidence presented at the March 19, 2015, guilty plea, Cartagena prepared and filed a fraudulent tax return on or about January 24, 2012. In the return, she added education credits (Education and American Opportunity credits) to which she was not entitled.
“While most preparers provide excellent service to their clients, some dishonest return preparers file false tax returns and give clients a false sense of security,” Finley stated. “I want to remind dishonest tax preparers that they will be prosecuted. This case should send a strong message to any dishonest tax return preparers who might be thinking of engaging in criminal activity. I also want to thank our law enforcement partners and the prosecutor in this case for their hard work in bringing this defendant to justice.”
“We are pleased with the sentencing of Ms. Cartagena and will continue to work with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to investigate and prosecute return preparers who abuse the nation’s tax system,” said Jerome R. McDuffie, Special Agent in Charge, IRS-Criminal Investigation, New Orleans Field Office. “Tax return preparer fraud is a priority for our agency. Taxpayers should be very selective in choosing a return preparer; and have confidence that their returns are prepared accurately and reflect only the information that they provide. ”
Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Earl M. Campbell prosecuted the case.
Aggravated felon pleads guilty to illegally re-entering the United StatesRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a Honduran national pleaded guilty Tuesday to re-entering the country after having been previously deported for committing an aggravated felony.
Timoteo Gonzalez-Leiva, 42, of Honduras, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark L. Hornsby to one count of illegal re-entry after being deported as an aggravated felon. His plea will become final when accepted by U.S. District Judge Donald E. Walter. According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, Shreveport Police arrested Gonzalez-Levia on October 26, 2014. On October 28, 2014, he was convicted of simple battery and sentenced to prison. 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 re-entered the United States again, was arrested and removed in April of 2004, and again in February of 2006.
Gonzalez-Leiva faces up to 20 years in prison, one to three years supervised release, a $250,000 fine and deportation after completion of his prison term. A sentencing date of November 2, 2015 was set.
United States Immigrations and Customs Enforcement-Immigration Enforcement and the Shreveport Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert W. Gillespie Jr. is prosecuting the case.
Opelousas tax preparer pleads guilty to tax evasion chargeRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that the owner of an Opelousas tax preparation business pleaded guilty Wednesday to tax evasion and failing to pay more than $125,000 in taxes.
Lachala Guidry Joseph, 37, of Opelousas, La., pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Richard T. Haik to one count of tax evasion. According to the guilty plea, Joseph owned and operated Guidry’s Tax Service, also known as Dee’s Tax Service, in Opelousas from 2007 to 2014. Joseph deposited business income into accounts held by her sister, mother and aunt in order to disguise the amount she earned. She filed her 2010 federal tax return stating that she only received $13,858 in wages and claiming a $7,695 refund. She also did not file income tax returns for years 2011 to 2013. In total, she did not report more than $510,000 in income, which resulted in a tax loss to the IRS of $125,014.22. Joseph’s business also added false cash income information to its tax returns in amounts high enough to qualify them for the maximum earned income tax credit, which resulted in her clients receiving tax refunds they were not entitled to.
Joseph faces up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release, a $100,000 fine and restitution. A sentencing date was not set.
The IRS investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David C. Joseph and Myers P. Namie are prosecuting the case.
Mexican national sentenced to 64 months in prison for possessing heroin with intent to distributeRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a Mexican national was sentenced to 64 months in prison for possessing heroin with intent to distribute.
Uriel Coria-Coria, 22, of Mexico, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote on one count of possession with intent to distribute heroin. According to evidence presented at the March 25, 2015 guilty plea, Coria was riding with co-defendants Jose Segovia-Ayala, 40, of El Salvador, and Israel Gabriel-Miranda, 45, of Guatemala, July 1, 2014 on I-20 in Bossier Parish. A Louisiana State Trooper conducted a traffic stop, and they were questioned. Upon further investigation, the vehicle was searched and three bags of heroin were discovered in the rear quarter panels accessed inside of the vehicle.
Segovia-Ayala was sentenced on June 25, 2015 to 64 months in prison on one count of possession with intent to distribute heroin. Gabriel-Miranda was sentenced on March 11, 2015 to six months in prison on one count of being an alien having reentered the United States after being removed.
Homeland Security Investigations, DEA and Louisiana State Police investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cytheria D. Jernigan prosecuted the case.
Lafayette store owner pleads guilty to selling counterfeit merchandiseRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a Lafayette business owner pleaded guilty Thursday to selling counterfeit clothes, phone cases and other items.
Tawfic Ahmed Saleh, 32, of Lafayette, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Richard T. Haik to one count of trafficking in counterfeit goods. According to the guilty plea, law enforcement agents searched AA Discount Plus LLC doing business as “Urban Buzz,” a clothing and variety store in Lafayette on November 18, 2014. During the search, agents found and seized numerous suspected counterfeit items including: 258 articles of clothing and 20 watches labeled “Ralph Lauren Polo”; 42 phone cases labeled “Otterbox”; 25 women’s purses, four watches and 25 wallets labeled “Michael Kors”; 45 watches labeled “Casio”; 15 belts labeled “Guicci”; and eight belts labeled “Louis Vuitton.” Saleh was later questioned and admitted to selling counterfeit items. Saleh operated the business from 2005 to 2007 and reopened it in 2009.
Saleh faces up to 10 years in prison, three years supervised release and a $2 million fine. A sentencing date was not set.
Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney David C. Joseph and John Luke Walker are prosecuting the case.
Lafayette man pleads guilty to stalking, harassing ex-wifeRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a Lafayette man pleaded guilty Thursday to using telephone masking technology to harass his ex-wife.
Arthur Craig Wagley, 55, of Lafayette, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Richard T. Haik to one count of telecommunication harassment. According to the guilty plea, Wagley made hundreds of harassing phone calls to his ex-wife from July 4, 2011 to October 7, 2013. Wagley used a telephone spoofing service to call his ex-wife anonymously. He could also set up calls to appear to be family or friends’ numbers and could even disguise his voice using the service. Wagley used these tactics on October 12, 2011, to make 12 phone calls throughout the day, appeared to be someone else and used offensive language. Wagley has been divorced from his ex-wife since 2008. Wagley pleaded no contest and was convicted on September 16, 2010 in the 27th Judicial District Court of Louisiana in St. Landry Parish to felony stalking of his ex-wife. A protective order was issued in 2010 and expired on March 12, 2012.
Wagley faces up to two years in prison, one year supervised release and a $250,000 fine. A sentencing date was not set.
The FBI and the St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Myers P. Namie is prosecuting the case.
Bossier City woman pleads guilty to stealing more than $90,000 in VA benefitsRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a Bossier City woman pleaded guilty to taking more than $90,000 paid to her deceased mother.
Gloria Lynn Perry, 65, of Bossier City, La., pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. to one count of theft of government property. According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, Perry stole $90,006 of her mother’s Veteran’s Affairs Dependency and Indemnity Compensation benefits from April 1, 2008 until July 1, 2014. Her mother died in 2008. In addition, Perry filed for Chapter 13 bankruptcy in 2014, but she did not report the existence of the bank account where her mother’s benefits were deposited nor the income she received as a result.
Perry faces up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a $250,000 fine and restitution. A sentencing date of November 12, 2015 was set.
The Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General, conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cytheria D. Jernigan is prosecuting the case.
Gulfport Energy Employee pleads guilty, sentenced for negligently discharging pollutants into West Cote Blanche BayRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced a clarification related to an oilfield production company employee’s guilty plea and sentencing for dumping polluted water into West Cote Blanche Bay.
Brian Osborn, 43, of Lafayette, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Patrick Hanna to one count of negligent discharge of pollutants. Last Wednesday, he was sentenced to one day in prison and one year of supervised release, and he was also ordered to perform 200 hours of community service. The evidence presented at the guilty plea showed that Gulfport Energy discharged produced water into West Cote Blanche Bay from June 2011 until March 2012. Finley clarified that according to the guilty plea, Osborn, who was Gulfport Energy Corporation’s operation manager for the platform, should have been aware of the problem. Additionally, Finley clarified that the problem was not timely addressed and the platform continued to illegally discharge the produced water at certain production rates over a 10-month period. Osborn was found to be an officer within Gulfport Energy Corporation who became aware of the defective nature of the platform, and who had the responsibility to fix any deficiency causing illegal discharges. Produced waters are left over after separating oil from drainage fluids. The pollutants should have been disposed of via barge, injection well or other approved method.
Gulf Port Energy pleaded guilty and was sentenced on one count of negligent discharge of pollutants on October 27, 2014. The company was ordered to pay $1.5 million. Gulfport paid a $1.125 million fine for violating the Clean Water Act. The company also paid $375,000 in community service for a total of $1.5 million. Of the $375,000, $100,000 was paid to the Louisiana State Police Emergency Services Unit; $100,000 was paid to the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality; $125,000 was paid to the Public Oyster Seed Ground Development Account within the Conservation Fund administered by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries; and $50,000 was paid to Southern Environmental Enforcement Network.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality-Criminal Investigations Division conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Myers P. Namie prosecuted the case.
Former Iberia Parish Sheriff’s deputy sentencedRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a former Iberia Parish Sheriff’s deputy was sentenced to serve one day in prison, one year of supervised release, 200 hours of community service and one year of location monitoring for striking a handcuffed man.
Cody Laperouse, 29, of New Iberia, La., was sentenced by U.S. Magistrate Judge Patrick Hanna on one count of violating an individual’s civil rights by use of excessive force. He was also ordered to take anger management classes and pay a $2,000 fine. According to evidence presented at the March 24, 2015 guilty plea, Laperouse, while acting as a deputy of the Iberia Parish Sheriff’s Office on September 29, 2013, struck a man who was under arrest and on the ground with his hands cuffed behind his back. Laperouse was one of several officers tasked with dispersing a large crowd around 1:40 a.m. that had gathered after the close of the Sugar Cane Festival in New Iberia. The crowd was asked to disperse, and the victim was arrested during this time. The victim was instructed to lie flat on the ground in a face-down position, but instead remained on his side and did not comply with the instructions. Laperouse struck the victim twice, using excessive force.
The FBI and Iberia Parish Sheriff’s Office Internal Affairs Division conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph T. Mickel and Jamilla A. Bynog prosecuted the case.
Lake Charles woman pleads guilty to mail fraud in connection with Deepwater Horizon claims schemeRead the Press Release
LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a Lake Charles woman pleaded guilty Thursday to mail fraud for a scheme to use a seafood restaurant’s employee records to file false Deepwater Horizon settlement claims.
Yvette Kocik, 43, of Lake Charles, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Patricia Minaldi to one count of mail fraud. According to the guilty plea, Kocik approached current and former employees of Steamboat Bill’s seafood restaurant of Lake Charles asking them to use their employee documents so she could file claims on their behalf as part of the Deepwater Horizon BP spill of April 20, 2010. Kocik’s mother owns Steamboat Bill’s, and Kocik performs bookkeeping services for the company. She used the employee documents to fill out forms mailed to the Gulf Coast Claims Facility stating they lost earnings and work hours because of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill when they had not. She kept a portion of the proceeds awarded to the employees. The employees received $104,655 for more than 10 claims filed in the course of the scheme, which took place beginning in 2010 to December of 2013.
Kocik faces up to 20 years in prison, one to three years supervised release, a $250,000 fine and restitution. A sentencing date of October 22, 2015 was set.
The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kelly P. Uebinger and Robert F. Moore are prosecuting the case.
Lake Charles man pleads guilty to wire fraud in 5.8 million Ponzi schemeRead the Press Release
LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a Lake Charles man pleaded guilty Thursday to wire fraud in connection with a Ponzi scheme used to defraud investors out of more than $5.8 million.
John Steven Blount, 54, of Lake Charles, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Patricia Minaldi to one count of wire fraud. According to the guilty plea, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) barred Blount from working as an investment advisor 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 a high rate of return on those investments. Instead of investing the money, 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 continue defrauding investors, 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, including his role as a board member of Moss Bluff Buddy Ball Sports – a 501(c)(3) organization that provides disabled children the opportunity to play sports at no cost to their families.
“Mr. Blount targeted some of the most vulnerable members of our society,” Finley stated. “He has admitted to convincing dozens of retired Gulf Coast residents to invest their life savings or retirement in his Ponzi scheme. He perpetrated his get-rich-quick schemes to circumvent the law and defraud retired residents of their hard-earned money.”
Blount faces up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a $8,390,283.48 fine and restitution. A sentencing date of October 22, 2015 was set.
The FBI and IRS Criminal Investigations investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney David C. Joseph is prosecuting the case.
DeRidder woman sentenced to 51 months in prison for stealing more than $1.3 million from companyRead the Press Release
LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a DeRidder woman was sentenced Thursday to 51 months in prison for stealing more than $1.3 million from her former employer.
Lisa H. Ernst, 52, of DeRidder, La., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Patricia Minaldi on one count of wire fraud. She was also sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $1,351,259.86 in restitution. According to evidence presented at the March 31, 2015 guilty plea, Ernst stole $1,351,259.86 from a company located in Deridder where she worked from May 13, 2003 to March 4, 2014 in various capacities in the accounting department, including as an assistant manager. She made approximately 142 direct interbank transfers from the company’s bank account to her personal bank accounts. In addition to taking the money, she made false representations to her subordinates and supervisors in order to secure approval for the bank transfers, and then after transferring the money, she fabricated documents to conceal fraudulent transactions.
“Ms. Ernst abused the position of trust that was given to her by her employer, a company that made significant contributions to our community,” Finley stated. “Now she will spend the better part of the next five years in prison paying for her crime. This sentence should serve as a deterrent to others tempted to make easy money through corporate theft.”
The FBI and the DeRidder Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph T. Mickel and David C. Joseph prosecuted the case.
Opelousas man charged for participating in major computer hacking forumRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The computer hacking forum known as “Darkode” was dismantled, and criminal charges have been filed in the Western District of Louisiana, the Western District of Pennsylvania, and elsewhere against 12 individuals associated with the forum, announced Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney David J. Hickton of the Western District of Pennsylvania and Deputy Director Mark F. Giuliano of the FBI.
Working with local, national and international partners, law enforcement were able to arrest an Opelousas man for his role in the forum. Rory Stephen Guidry, aka [email protected], of Opelousas, La., is charged with computer fraud. He is accused of selling botnets on Darkode.
“Hackers and those who profit from stolen information use underground Internet forums to evade law enforcement and target innocent people around the world,” said Assistant Attorney General Caldwell. “This operation is a great example of what international law enforcement can accomplish when we work closely together to neutralize a global cybercrime marketplace.”
“Cybercrime is a serious threat facing our country and has enormous implications for citizens,” U.S. Attorney Stephanie Finley stated. “As the cyber threat in this nation and around the world continues to grow, our response to this type of criminal activity will be swift and aggressive. Clever computer criminals will not be able to hide or maintain their anonymity even as they cross national boundaries. Through the coordinated response and international cooperation of our law enforcement partners, individuals such as these who are involved in computer hacking forums will see their organizations dismantled, and they will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
“This is a milestone in our efforts to shut down criminals’ ability to buy, sell, and trade malware, botnets and personally identifiable information used to steal from U.S. citizens and individuals around the world,” said Deputy Director Giuliano. “Cyber criminals should not have a safe haven to shop for the tools of their trade and Operation Shrouded Horizon shows we will do all we can to disrupt their unlawful activities.”
As alleged in the charging documents, Darkode was an online, password-protected forum in which hackers and other cyber-criminals convened to buy, sell, trade and share information, ideas, and tools to facilitate unlawful intrusions on others’ computers and electronic devices. Before becoming a member of Darkode, prospective members were allegedly vetted through a process in which an existing member invited a prospective member to the forum for the purpose of presenting the skills or products that he or she could bring to the group. Darkode members allegedly used each other’s skills and products to infect computers and electronic devices of victims around the world with malware and, thereby gain access to, and control over, those devices.
The takedown of the forum and the charges announced today are the result of the FBI’s infiltration, as part of Operation Shrouded Horizon, of the Darkode’s membership. The investigation of the Darkode forum is ongoing, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Western District of Pennsylvania is taking a leadership role in conjunction with the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS).
The charges announced today are part of a coordinated effort by a coalition of law enforcement authorities from 20 nations to charge, arrest or search 70 Darkode members and associates around the world. The nations comprising the coalition include Australia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Israel, Latvia, Macedonia, Nigeria, Romania, Serbia, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States. Today’s actions represent the largest coordinated international law enforcement effort ever directed at an online cyber-criminal forum.
The following defendants face charges in the Western District of Pennsylvania:
- Johan Anders Gudmunds, aka Mafi aka Crim aka Synthet!c, 27, of Sollebrunn, Sweden, is charged by indictment with conspiracy to commit computer fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. He is accused of serving as the administrator of Darkode, and creating and selling malware that allowed hackers to create botnets. Gudmunds also allegedly operated his own botnet, which at times consisted of more than 50,000 computers, and used his botnet to steal data from the users of those computers on approximately 200,000,000 occasions.
- Morgan C. Culbertson, aka Android, 20, of Pittsburgh, is charged by criminal information with conspiring to send malicious code. He is accused of designing Dendroid, a coded malware intended to remotely access, control, and steal data from Google Android cellphones. The malware was allegedly offered for sale on Darkode.
- Eric L. Crocker, aka Phastman, 39, of Binghamton, New York, is charged by criminal information with sending spam. He is accused of being involved in a scheme involving the use of a Facebook Spreader which infected Facebook users’ computers, turning them into bots which Crocker controlled through the use of command and control servers. Crocker sold the use of this botnet to others for the purpose of sending out massive amounts of spam.
- Naveed Ahmed, aka Nav aka semaph0re, 27, of Tampa, Florida; Phillip R. Fleitz, aka Strife, 31, of Indianapolis; and Dewayne Watts, aka m3t4lh34d aka metal, 28, of Hernando, Florida, are each charged by criminal information with conspiring to send spam. They are accused of participating in a sophisticated scheme to maintain a spam botnet that utilized bulletproof servers in China to exploit vulnerable routers in third world countries, and that sent millions of electronic mail messages designed to defeat the spam filters of cellular phone providers.
- Murtaza Saifuddin, aka rzor, 29, of Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan, is charged in an indictment with identity theft. Saifuddin is accused of attempting to transfer credit card numbers to others on Darkode.
The following defendant faces charges in the Eastern District of Wisconsin:
- Daniel Placek, aka Nocen aka Loki aka Juggernaut aka M1rr0r, 27, of Glendale, Wisconsin, is charged by criminal information with conspiracy to commit computer fraud. He is accused of creating the Darkode forum, and selling malware on Darkode designed to surreptitiously intercept and collect email addresses and passwords from network communications.
The following defendants face charges in the District of Columbia:
- Matjaz Skorjanc, aka iserdo aka serdo, 28, of Maribor, Slovenia; Florencio Carro Ruiz, aka NeTK aka Netkairo, 36, of Vizcaya, Spain; and Mentor Leniqi, aka Iceman, 34, of Gurisnica, Slovenia, are each charged in a criminal complaint with racketeering conspiracy; conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud; conspiracy to commit computer fraud, access device fraud and extortion; and substantive computer fraud. Skorjanc also is accused of conspiring to organize the Darkode forum and of selling malware known as the ButterFly bot.
The following defendant faces charges in the Western District of Louisiana:
- Rory Stephen Guidry, aka [email protected], of Opelousas, Louisiana, is charged with computer fraud. He is accused of selling botnets on Darkode.
The charges and allegations are merely accusations. A defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
This investigation, Operation Shrouded Horizon, is being conducted by the FBI with assistance from Europol and their European Cyber Crime Center (EC3). This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys James T. Kitchen and Charles A. Eberle of the Western District of Pennsylvania and Trial Attorneys Gavin A. Corn, Marie-Flore Johnson and Harold Chun of CCIPS, Assistant U.S. Attorney Erica O’Neil of the Eastern District of Wisconsin and Assistant U.S. Attorney Myers Namie of the Western District of Louisiana. The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs also provided significant assistance.
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In a related case, Aleksandr Andreevich Panin, aka Gribodemon, 26, of Tver, Russia; and Hamza Bendelladj, aka Bx1, 27, of Tizi Ouzou, Algeria, pleaded guilty on Jan. 28, 2014, and June 26, 2015, respectively, in the Northern District of Georgia in connection with developing, distributing and controlling SpyEye, a malicious banking trojan designed to steal unsuspecting victims’ financial and personally identifiable information. Bendelladj and Panin advertised SpyEye to other members on Darkode. One of the servers used by Bendelladj to control SpyEye contained evidence of malware that was designed to steal information from approximately 253 unique financial institutions around the world. Panin and Bendelladj will be sentenced at a later date.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Steven Grimberg and Kamal Ghali of the Northern District of Georgia. All press inquiries relating to this case should be directed to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016.
Federal jury finds Ville Platte man guilty of possessing, receiving child pornographyRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a federal jury found a Ville Platte man guilty Tuesday of possessing and receiving thousands of images of child pornography using an internet file sharing program.
Bradley Smith, 60, of Ville Platte, La., was found guilty of two counts of possession of child pornography and three counts of receiving child pornography. United States District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote presided over the trial. The defendant’s trial started Monday and ended Tuesday with the jury returning the guilty verdict after deliberating for 40 minutes. Evidence admitted at trial revealed that in September of 2012 law enforcement detected Smith using an internet file sharing program to download child pornography. The software is used to trade files on the internet among its members. Law enforcement searched Smith’s residence on September 24, 2012 and seized his computer and computer hard drives. After a forensic examination of the hardware was conducted, a total of 40 movies and 1,100 images of child pornography were found. Some of the material included very young children engaged in sexually explicit activities.
Smith faces up to 10 years in prison for the possession of child pornography counts and five to 20 years in prison for the receiving child pornography counts. He also faces five years to life of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing has been set for September 24, 2015.
The FBI and Louisiana State Police conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Luke Walker and Robert C. Abendroth are 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, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Those concerned may also leave tips with the FBI at tips.fbi.gov. Tips may be submitted anonymously. The Lafayette FBI office number is (337) 232-2164.
Louisiana U.S. Attorneys announce grant awards totaling almost $29 million to support state and local law enforcementRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT/MONROE/ALEXANDRIA/LAKE CHARLES/LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorneys Stephanie A. Finley of the Western District of Louisiana, Walt Green of the Middle District of Louisiana and Kenneth Polite of the Eastern District of Louisiana jointly announced today that the U.S. Department of Justice has awarded almost $29 million to the Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement (LCLC), which is approximately three times the amount of the previous year’s awards.
LCLE is a state agency whose mission is to promote public safety by providing progressive leadership and coordination within the criminal justice community and to continue to improve the operations of the criminal justice community. U.S. Department of Justice awards, such as those being announced today, advance the LCLE’s mission by supporting the development, coordination, and implementation of broad system-wide programs, and by assisting in the improvement of the state’s criminal justice community through the funding of innovative, essential and needed initiatives at the state and local level.
U.S. Attorney Finley stated: “This increase in funding to the LCLE shows the Justice Department’s commitment to this program. We are eager to continue working with the LCLE and look forward to an increased partnership in the coming year. These funds will allow the LCLE to provide training and technical assistance to law enforcement statewide and to implement programs that will further its mission to improve the criminal justice system. I think that this is a major step in support of law enforcement that will benefit our communities statewide.”
U.S. Attorney Green stated: “We are extremely pleased to announce our increased support and partnership with LCLE, one of our most important statewide law enforcement partners. Chairman Sid Gautreaux and the other LCLE members have worked seamlessly with my office and other components of the U.S. Department of Justice in the pursuit of justice and security for everyone in this state. Today’s announcement reflects our deep commitment to assist, support, and enhance state and local law enforcement efforts in Louisiana through the LCLE. These awards strengthen our unity and our collective efforts against crime.”
U.S. Attorney Polite stated: “These vital awards will help fight crime and build safer communities across our state. We look forward to our continued work with LCLE in pursuing justice for all Louisiana residents.”
East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff Sid Gautreaux, who serves as the LCLE Chairman, stated: “I am extremely proud that we have been able to secure this additional funding that will enhance and strengthen what is already a strong partnership focused on making our community safer. With the increased grant money we will be able to commit more personnel and resources through our local, state and federal partners in order to continue to combat drugs, illegal weapons and overall crime. Since taking office I have been committed to a level of unprecedented collaboration with our partners that only gets better with each year.”
To find out more about the LCLE visit www.cole.state.la.us.
Lafayette man sentenced to 20 years in prison for child pornography distributionRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a Lafayette man was sentenced to 240 months in prison for distributing child pornography to a 16-year-old.
Thomas Dessoye, 54, of Lafayette, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote on one count of distribution of child pornography. He was also sentenced to serve 10 years of supervised release and ordered to pay $5,095 in restitution. According to evidence presented at the March 11, 2015 guilty plea, Dessoye began communicating via the internet with a 16-year-old who lived in Minnesota. On October 20, 2012, Dessoye sent the 16-year-old a link to Dessoye’s Dropbox account. Dropbox is an internet site that allows account holders to store images and videos as well as other digital files. The Dropbox account holder can send others a link so they can view material the account holder has stored on the Dropbox account. When Dessoye shared his Dropbox account with the 16-year-old, Dessoye had uploaded videos of child pornography to the Dropbox account. These videos depicted children engaging in sex acts with other children as well as videos depicting adults engaging in sexual acts with children.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, after distributing child pornography to the 16-year-old, Dessoye traveled from Louisiana to Minnesota without the knowledge or consent of the minor’s parents. He picked up the 16-year-old and transported him back to Louisiana. Shortly after that, the parents of the 16-year-old reported their child missing. The Sherburne County Sheriff’s Office in Minnesota working with the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office used information provided by a cell phone provider to locate the missing child at Dessoye’s residence in Lafayette. The child was then returned to the parents.
“Combating abuse of children is a top priority of this office,” Finley stated. “My office, along with our law enforcement partners, will use every tool available to prosecute these cases to the fullest extent of the law and put child predators behind bars. Our goal is to keep children safe.”
The FBI, Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the Sherburne County Sheriff’s Office of Elk River, Minn., investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert C. Abendroth 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, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Those concerned may also leave tips with the FBI at tips.fbi.gov. Tips may be submitted anonymously. The Lafayette FBI office number is (337) 232-2164.
Five defendants sentenced for roles in Lafayette district attorney’s office bribery caseRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that five defendants were sentenced for their roles in a pay-for-plea scheme that garnered favorable treatment for defendants charged with various state crimes.
Barna D. Haynes, 61; Greg Williams, 46; and Sandra Degeyter, 63, all of Lafayette were sentenced by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote on one count of conspiracy to commit bribery. Denease Curry, 49, of Broussard, and Elaine Crump, 61 of Lafayette, were also sentenced by Foote on one count of misprision of a felony for failure to report bribes offered and received by employees of the 15th Judicial District Attorney’s Office. Hanyes, Williams and Curry were former employees District Attorney’s Office. Degeyter and Crump were former employees of Acadiana Outreach. For sentencing details see the graphic below:
Defendants Prison Term Supervised Release Probation Fine Community Service Home Confinement Table containing sentencing information for Barna Hanyes and other defendants Haynes 18 months 1 year $5,000 Williams 2 years 6 months Degeyter 2 years 6 months Curry 2 years 200 hours Crump 2 years 200 hoursAccording to the guilty pleas, the defendants conspired with Lafayette private investigator Robert Williamson, 64, who is not licensed to practice law, to move cases through the legal system. From March 2008 to February 2012, Williamson solicited thousands of dollars from individuals with pending criminal charges in the 15th Judicial District and promised them favorable resolutions to pending felony and misdemeanor cases, the majority of which were OWI cases. The favorable resolutions were obtained by improperly manipulating the procedures set forth in Louisiana Criminal Code of Louisiana Procedure Article 894.
Article 894 provides a process by which a person can initially plead guilty to a crime with the understanding that the conviction will be set aside if the person successfully completes certain requirements imposed during a probationary period. The District Attorney’s Office had previously established a process by which select defendants could receive what was referred to as “immediate 894 pleas” on OWI cases. In order to qualify for the immediate 894 plea, the charged individuals were required to provide certifications at the time of the plea stating that they had completed all legal prerequisites, including community service, a substance abuse program and a driver safety program. If the District Attorney authorized the immediate 894 plea, the case was not placed on any docket, and the defendant was allowed to plead at a time and place different than the normal OWI docket. Following the entry of the immediate 894 plea, the judge would grant the 894 motion, dismissing the conviction, which served as an acquittal, thereby enabling those OWI defendants to immediately reinstate their driving privileges with no record.
Defendant Williamson charged individuals as much as $5,000 to participate in the Article 894 process. He also paid bribes in cash and other things of value to employees of the 15th Judicial District Attorney=s Office, who included Haynes, who at the time worked as the administrative assistant to the district attorney; Williams, who was an assistant district attorney; and Curry, who was Williams’ secretary and assisted Haynes with the Williamson cases. Williamson also paid bribes in cash and other things of value to employees of other organizations associated with the OWI program, including Acadiana Outreach, where Crump and Degeyter were formerly employed. Williamson obtained false and fraudulent certifications from Acadiana Outreach, which certified that his clients completed court-ordered community service when in fact the individuals had not.
Beginning in 2008, Haynes began transferring Williamson’s “clients” from city court to district court. Specifically, if one of Williamson’s clients was scheduled to appear in city court, Haynes transferred the case to district court and scheduled the case to be resolved during one of the “immediate 894 sessions.” Haynes also prepared the expungement paperwork associated with Williamson’s clients and was paid $500 for each case. During the course of the conspiracy, Haynes received at least $55,000 from Williamson.
Williams, Assistant District Attorney for the 15th Judicial District, handled immediate 894 pleas and received bribes for his role in the scheme. Beginning in 2010, he was aware of Haynes and Williamson’s arrangement to place cases into district court to be heard as part of the 894 sessions and that Williamson was not an attorney. Williamson gave Williams payments to include $500 cash, an autographed New Orleans Saints hat, bicycles for Williams and his family members, and clothing for Williams.
Sometime beginning in 2010, Curry became aware that Haynes and Williamson were using the immediate 894 pleas for favorable disposition of certain cases, mostly OWIs. Curry began helping to coordinate the immediate 894 sessions and would contact the judge’s chambers to set up the sessions. Curry also prepared Williams’ files for the sessions. After Haynes took an extended medical leave in 2010, Williamson paid Curry $200 for each case for a total of $1,600.
Beginning in 2008, Degeyter, agreed to provide false and fraudulent Acadiana Outreach community service certificates to Williamson in exchange for money. The fraudulent certificates falsely confirmed that Williamson’s clients completed court-ordered community service. Williamson paid Degeyter $100 per certificate. Degeyter admitted producing more than 50 false certificates between the spring of 2008 and October 2009. She received between $5,000 and $10,000 in bribes.
Crump, who was also employed as a case manager at Acadiana Outreach, was asked by Degeyter to assist with continuing the scheme. The two agreed that Degeyter would continue to create fraudulent Acadiana Outreach community service certificates, and in exchange for cash payments, Crump would permit Degeyter to sign Crump’s name on the fraudulent certificates. Degeyter began providing cash payments to Crump, from $25 to $100, which was a portion of what Degeyter received from Williamson. Shortly after Crump was laid off from Acadiana Outreach in September 2011, Degeyter and Crump agreed that Degeyter would continue creating additional certificates and sign Crump’s name on them backdating the documents to dates within Crump’s employment at Acadiana Outreach. She received between $1,000 and $2,000 in bribes.
“These public servants and employees decided that money mattered more than justice, safety and their duty to serve the public,” said Finley. “I hope these convictions send a message that the facilitation of schemes like this are not worth it. I want to thank all of the prosecutors, agents and law enforcement who worked diligently on this case. Their hard work is to be commended for assisting in putting an end to this OWI scheme.”
Williamson pleaded guilty June 8, 2015, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for one count of conspiracy to commit bribery, 10 years in prison for one count of bribery, and five years in prison for one count of Social Security fraud. He also faces a $250,000 fine or both with up to three years of supervised release for each count. Sentencing date is September 25, 2015.
The FBI and the Social Security Administration – Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Luke Walker and Robert C. Abendroth are prosecuting the case.
Vivian man, Texas man sentenced for cocaine and methamphetamine chargesRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that two men were sentenced for their roles in a cocaine and methamphetamine distribution ring operating in Caddo and Bossier parishes.
Eugene O’Neal Cross, 40, of Marshall, Texas, was sentenced to 120 months in prison for one count of distribution of methamphetamine; and Anthony D. Jackson, 25, of Vivian, La., was sentenced to 60 months in prison for one count of conspiracy to distribute cocaine by U.S. District Judge Donald E. Walter. According to evidence presented at the March 31, 2015, guilty plea, from February 21, 2014, until July 26, 2014, Jackson conspired to possess and distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine. Cross admitted to distributing more than 50 grams of methamphetamine on January 21, 2014. Using surveillance and controlled buys, agents recorded the defendants at various times possessing and distributing drugs in Caddo and Bossier parishes.
The defendants were arrested as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Operation Cross the Line. The DEA and the Caddo-Shreveport Narcotics Task Force investigated the case. 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. Attorney Allison D. Bushnell prosecuted the case.
Scott resident pleads guilty to failing to update his sex offender registrationRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a Scott resident pleaded guilty to failing to register his correct address for his sex offender identification.
Charles Edward Shinn, 44, of Scott, La., pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Richard T. Haik to one count of failure to update his sex offender registration. According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, U.S. Marshals learned in January of 2015 that Shinn was living in Louisiana even though he was registered as a sex offender in Mississippi. Upon further investigation, Shinn was found to be living in Scott and working in Lake Charles, La. Shinn was arrested on February 6, 2015. Law enforcement found multiple receipts from local stores in Louisiana dating back to September of 2014, and the owner of the home in Mississippi where Shinn said he lived reported that Shinn had never lived there.
Shinn was convicted in March of 1996 of felony carnal knowledge of a juvenile in St. Tammany Parish in the 22nd Judicial District of Louisiana. The offense occurred in December of 1993 and involved a 13-year-old. Shinn received four years of probation and was required to register as a sex offender. He never complied with sex offender registration requirements, removed himself from Louisiana Probation and Parole supervision in 1999, and remained a fugitive for the next 10 years. Shinn was arrested in August of 2010 and prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Alabama for failure to register as a sex offender. In August of 2011, he received a 10-month federal prison sentence, revocation for the State of Louisiana probation violation, and five years of federal supervised release. After completing his revocation prison term in June of 2014, Shinn was released from the Louisiana Department of Corrections, but never reported to U.S. Probation concerning his federal supervised release. He registered as a sex offender in St. Martin Parish on June 9, 2014, and reported on July 1, 2014, that he had moved to a Mississippi address.
Shinn faces up to 10 years in prison, five years to life supervised release and a $250,000 fine. A sentencing date was not set.
The U.S. Marshals Service conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert F. Moore is prosecuting the case.
West Monroe man, New Jersey man sentenced for roles in anabolic steroid distribution ringRead the Press Release
MONROE La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a West Monroe man and a New Jersey man were sentenced Monday for their roles in importing and selling anabolic steroids.
David Ray Dean, 47, of West Monroe, La., and Justin R. Kull, 28, of Turnersville, N.J., were sentenced by U.S. District Judge Robert G. James to 15 months in prison and 12 months in prison respectively for one count of conspiracy to distribute Schedule III controlled substances. Dean was ordered to pay a $4,000 fine, and Kull was ordered to pay a $5,000 fine and surrender his nursing license. They were also sentenced to four years of supervised release. According to evidence presented at the guilty pleas, Dean and Kull in addition to Gary Lynn Ward, 47, of Monroe, conspired to possess with intent to distribute anabolic steroids starting sometime in 2013 until August 27, 2013. Kull was a nurse from New Jersey who supplied quantities of steroids to Ward and Dean. Ward and Dean would also import the drugs from overseas and other domestic sources. They would then process the drugs in a makeshift lab in the Monroe area and distribute them.
Ward was sentenced to 46 months in prison and four years of supervised release on June 29, 2015 for the conspiracy count. This is Dean and Ward’s second prosecution for steroid distribution. They previously pleaded guilty on June 21, 2007 to conspiracy to distribute steroids and were sentenced on October 15, 2007 to one year in prison and three years of supervised release.
United States Customs and Border Patrol-Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Louisiana State Police participated in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown prosecuted the case.
Monroe man sentenced to 72 months in prison for drugs, weapons chargesRead the Press Release
MONROE La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a Monroe man was sentenced Monday to 72 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute marijuana and possession of a firearm in relation to drug trafficking.
Edward A. Jordan, 49, of Monroe, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Robert G. James on one count of possession of marijuana with intent to distribute and one count of possession of a firearm in relation to drug trafficking. He was also sentenced to five years of supervised release. According to evidence presented at the March 27, 2015 guilty plea, law enforcement searched Jordan’s residence on May 20, 2013 after receiving tips that distribution of marijuana and prescription pills were taking place. The search yielded a sizeable amount of marijuana, drug paraphernalia, prescription pills, a loaded Hi-Point 9mm carbine, 27 rounds of live ammunition and $1,102.
The ATF and the Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office Special Crimes Apprehension Team conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown prosecuted the case.
Monroe grocery store owner, workers sentenced for $7 million SNAP/WIC benefits fraud conspiracyRead the Press Release
MONROE, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a Monroe grocery store owner and workers were sentenced Monday for their roles in a $7 million scheme to exchange SNAP and WIC benefits to customers for cash and ineligible items.
Kimberlia Harris, 46, of Monroe, was sentenced to 51 months in prison and three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay $7 million in restitution; Angela Woods, 28, of Monroe, was sentenced to five years of probation and ordered to pay $848,633 in restitution; and Willie Mae Woods-Jackson, 43, of Dallas, was sentenced to five years of probation and ordered to pay $337,220.76 restitution for one count of criminal conspiracy by U.S. District Judge Robert G. James. Juanita Woods, 38, of Monroe, was also sentenced by Judge James to five years of probation and ordered to pay $209,878 restitution for one count of theft of government money. According to evidence presented at the guilty pleas, the defendants conspired to provide customers cash and ineligible items for their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits and Women Infant and Children (WIC) program benefits from August 2008 to early 2014 at Dee’s Grocery Store in Monroe where Harris was the owner, Angela Woods was a manager and cashier, Woods-Jackson was a cashier, and Juanita Woods was a cashier. During the time the scheme took place, they acquired approximately $7 million.
“This benefit program was set up to help those most in need in our communities and not as a cash grab for people seeking to make a quick buck,” Finley stated. “Business owners have a responsibility to administer these federal programs honestly and fairly. Not doing so will result in prosecution.”
The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General, conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Earl M. Campbell prosecuted the case.
Federal jury finds Ethiopian national guilty of resisting deportation ordersRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a federal jury found an Ethiopian national guilty Wednesday of refusing to leave the country twice after being ordered to depart.
Henok Dejene Retta, 30, of Ethiopia, was found guilty of two counts of failure to depart. United States District Judge Dee D. Drell presided over the trial. The defendant’s trial started Tuesday and ended Wednesday with the jury returning the guilty verdict after deliberating for 45 minutes. 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.
Retta faces four years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine for each count. Sentencing has been set for October 13, 2015.
The Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Enforcement and Removal Operations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert F. Moore and Howard C. Parker are prosecuting the case.
Monroe woman sentenced to 12 months in prison for stealing more than $135,000 in social security fundsRead the Press Release
MONROE, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a Monroe woman was sentenced Monday to 12 months in prison for illegally taking more than $135,000 in Social Security payments that were for her mother who had died.
Rhonda Eiland, 51, of Monroe, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Robert G. James on one count of theft of government property. She was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release and pay $135,740 restitution. According to the March 5, 2015 guilty plea, Eiland started receiving Social Security Administration payments on her mother’s behalf in 1999. Eiland’s mother died in March of 2002, and Eiland failed to notify the Social Security Administration. The payments continued until April of 2014. Additionally, Eiland completed Social Security paperwork stating that her mother was alive in order to continue receiving payments. She received $135,740 that she was not entitled to.
The Social Security Administration investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney F. Michael O’Mara prosecuted the case.
Honduran national sentenced to 30 months in prison for possessing cocaineRead the Press Release
MONROE, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a Honduran national was sentenced Monday to 30 months in prison for possessing cocaine with intent to distribute.
Gerson D. Guevara-Miranda, 35, of Honduras, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Robert G. James on one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine. According to evidence presented at the February 2, 2015 guilty plea, Louisiana State Police conducted a traffic stop on Guevara-Miranda’s vehicle on May 23, 2014 in Ouachita Parish. After a search of the vehicle, more than 1 kilogram of powdered cocaine and 23 kilograms of marijuana were found.
The DEA, Immigrations and Customs Enforcement-Homeland Security Investigations, and the Louisiana State Police conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth D. Reeg prosecuted the case.
Federal, state and local law enforcement join together to discuss civil rights with communityRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley joined the FBI, Louisiana State Police, Lafayette Sheriff’s Office, the Lafayette Police Department, University of Louisiana at Lafayette Police Department and others to discuss civil rights Monday at the UL Lafayette LITE Center.
More than 100 members of the community attended the panel discussion which included Finley, FBI New Orleans Division Special Agent In Charge Michael J. Anderson, FBI Lafayette Field Office Special Agent In Charge Don Bostic, FBI Supervisory Special Agent Daren Ogletree, Louisiana State Police Criminal Investigations Major Layne Barnum, Lafayette Parish Sheriff Mike Neustrom, Lafayette Police Chief Jim Craft and University of Louisiana at Lafayette Police Chief Joey Sturm. Each speaker addressed various concerns and comments from the public concerning civil rights in the Acadiana area. All said they agreed that more dialogue was necessary between the public and law enforcement. The panelists urged those present to contact their agencies with questions or report problems. The panel ended with comments from Louisiana NAACP state president Dr. Ernest Johnson.
“I appreciate the opportunity to participate on this panel,” Finley stated. “The discussion highlighted areas where law enforcement can improve services to the community and educate the public on the legal process, the law and their rights. It is through events like this that a better understanding between laws enforcement and the public they serve can take place. I want to thank the FBI for organizing this event, the University of Louisiana at Lafayette for allowing the panel to use the LITE Center, the local civic leaders who attended and community members who expressed their opinions and asked questions.”
Finley spoke about the Western District of Louisiana and the challenges of prosecuting federal cases in such a large district. The Western District covers 42 of the state’s 64 parishes and encompasses the cities of Lafayette, Shreveport, Monroe, Alexandria and Lake Charles. She added that civil rights concerns are a priority focus in her District, and her office will continue to conduct outreach programs to the youth, schools, universities and community groups. Finley said that a factor in reducing civil rights violations is educating the community about their rights. She said her office continues to work with local law enforcement through training, discussions and programs to address the needs of the public. She encouraged the public to contact her if they have reports of civil rights violations or questions.
Finley is the first female U.S. Attorney to serve in Louisiana. She was selected by President Barack Obama in January of 2010, after being recommended by U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu, and confirmed by the U.S. Senate in June of 2010. United States Attorney Finley was sworn into office on June 2, 2010 to serve as the Western District of Louisiana’s chief law enforcement officer. In addition to her duties as the U.S. Attorney, Finley is a Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Air Force and currently serves as Co-Chair of the U.S. Attorney’s Office of Management and Budget Committee.
Defendant sentenced to 10 years in prison for cocaine, methamphetamine conspiracyRead the Press Release
LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that Jose Gabriel Mendez was sentenced Monday to 120 months in prison for conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute more than $1.5 million worth of cocaine and $75,000 worth of methamphetamine.
Jose Gabriel Mendez, 35, a Guatemalan citizen living in Texas, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Donald E. Walter to a total of 120 months in prison for his conviction of one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. He was also sentenced to five years of supervised release. A federal jury found the defendant guilty after a two-day trial that ended on March 11, 2015 with the jury returning the guilty verdict after deliberating for approximately two hours. Evidence admitted at trial showed that law enforcement agents conducted a traffic stop on October 15, 2014, of a 1996 Dodge Dakota pickup truck Mendez was driving. Further investigation by the Calcasieu Parish Combined Anti-Drug Task Force (CAT) revealed 516 grams of methamphetamine and 15 kilograms of cocaine hidden in the four door panels and tire jack compartment of the truck.
The DEA and Calcasieu Parish Combined Anti-Drug Task Force conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David C. Joseph and Howard C. Parker prosecuted the case.
Lafayette man pleads guilty to possessing stolen firearmRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a Lafayette man pleaded guilty Wednesday to possessing a stolen handgun.
Cordera Dean Felix, 27, of Lafayette, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Richard T. Haik to one count of possession of a stolen firearm. According to evidence presented at the 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.
Felix faces up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 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 Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dominic A. Rossetti is prosecuting the case.
New Orleans man sentenced to 18 months in prison for possessing counterfeit credit cards in VintonRead the Press Release
LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a New Orleans man was sentenced to 18 months in prison for possessing counterfeit credit cards in order to make illegal purchases.
Izell Mayes, 24, of New Orleans, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Patricia Minaldi on one count of possession of 15 or more counterfeit or unauthorized access devices. He was also sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $1,591 restitution. According to the March 12, 2015 guilty plea, Mayes was riding in a car that was stopped for speeding on February 9, 2014 in Vinton, La. Upon further investigation, the car was searched and 50 counterfeit credit cards in Mayes’ name were found. Forty counterfeit cards under another name were also found in the car. Mayes later confessed to picking up the cards in Houston before traveling to Louisiana. He used the cards in department stores in Houston earlier that day. The last card used was in Baytown, Texas.
The U.S. Secret Service and the ATF investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Howard C. Parker prosecuted the case.
Lake Charles man, Texas man plead guilty to roles in methamphetamine distribution conspiracyRead the Press Release
LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a Lake Charles man and a Texas man pleaded guilty to 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, entered conditional guilty pleas to one count of conspiracy to distribute or possess with intent to distribute controlled dangerous substances before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen Kay. The plea will become final when accepted by U.S. District Judge Donald E. Walter. According to evidence presented at the guilty pleas, law enforcement agents identified Mireles and Sandra Smith, 48, of Lake Charles, as traffickers of methamphetamine. Smith told a cooperating witness that Mireles was going to make a purchase in July of 2014 from their supplier. Law enforcement agents followed Mireles to Houston on July 3, 2014, 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.
Mireles and Giese face up to 10 years to life in prison, at least five years supervised release, and a $10 million fine. Smith pleaded guilty to the conspiracy count June 3, 2015. All three defendants are scheduled to be sentenced October 19, 2015.
Homeland Security Investigations and the Calcasieu Parish Combined Anti-Drug Task Force conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert C. Abendroth is prosecuting the case.
Downsville man sentenced to more than 28 years in prison for producing child pornographyRead the Press Release
MONROE, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a Downsville man was sentenced to 342 months in prison for producing child pornography.
Michael S. Golden, 53, of Downsville, La., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Robert G. James on one count of production of child pornography. He was also sentenced a lifetime of supervised release and ordered to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison. At Golden’s September 4, 2014 guilty plea, law enforcement agents detected Golden transmitting child pornography online. Agents found that on April 29, 2014, Golden took sexually explicit photographs of a minor in order to create child pornography. He then used an email account to transmit the child pornography.
“The nearly 30-year sentence given to Michael Golden today should send a strong message to others who sexually abuse children that they will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” Finley stated. “Mr. Golden is a vile predator and the sentence imposed should protect others from his horrific conduct. The harm inflicted on minors through these acts cannot be measured. I want to thank the law enforcement agents and prosecutor for their work in brining Mr. Golden to justice.”
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.
This case was investigated by ICE Homeland Security Investigations and the Louisiana State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert W. Gillespie Jr. prosecuted the case.
Bastrop tax preparer sentenced to 21 months in prison for filing false returnsRead the Press Release
MONROE, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a Bastrop woman was sentenced to 21 months in prison for filing false tax returns.
Stella Marie Dunlap, 37, of Bastrop, La., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Robert G. James on one count of aiding and assisting in making and subscribing a false tax return. She was also sentenced to one year of supervised release and ordered to pay $104,410 restitution. According to evidence presented at the March 3, 2015 guilty plea, Dunlap filed fraudulent Forms 1040 during the 2010 and 2011 tax filing seasons while employed as a tax preparer at Faster Tax Services in Bastrop. The returns contained fraudulent W-2 income information from fictitious companies, and the information was used to file Earned Income Tax Credit withholdings. As a result of the fraud, the IRS issued $104,410 in refunds to which taxpayers where not entitled. Dunlap received kickbacks from some of the customers as part of the scheme.
Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth D. Reeg prosecuted the case.
Norwegian shipping company and engineering officers charged in second indictment with environmental crimes and obstruction of justiceRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – A federal grand jury has returned a three-count indictment charging Det Stavangerske Dampskibsselskab AS (DSD Shipping) and four employees with violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (APPS) and obstruction of justice in connection with the illegal discharge of contaminated waste-water directly into the sea, announced Assistant Attorney General John C. Cruden for the Department of Justice’s Environment and Natural Resources Division and U.S. Attorney Stephanie A. Finley for the Western District of Louisiana.
DSD Shipping is a Norwegian-based shipping company that operates the oil tanker M/T Stavanger Blossom, a vessel engaged in the international transportation of crude oil. Also indicted were four engineering officers employed by DSD Shipping to work aboard the vessel: Daniel Paul Dancu, 51, of Romania; Bo Gao, 49, of China; Xiaobing Chen, 34, of China; and Xin Zhong, 28, of China.
The operation of marine vessels, like the M/T Stavanger Blossom, generates large quantities of waste oil and oil-contaminated waste water. International and U.S. law requires that these vessels use pollution prevention equipment to preclude the discharge of these materials. Should any overboard discharges occur, they must be documented in an oil record book, a log that is regularly inspected by the U.S. Coast Guard.
“Companies operating vessels in navigable waterways have a responsibility to prevent oil spills and protect the public and the environment,” said U.S. Attorney Finley. “One of our priorities is to help preserve the natural resources of this state. Violators should be clear - charges will be filed against entities and persons who harm these resources and obstruct investigations.”
According to the indictment, in 2014, DSD Shipping and its employees discharged oil-contaminated waste water generated aboard the M/T Stavanger Blossom directly into the sea. To hide the illegal discharges, DSD Shipping and its employees maintained a fictitious oil record book that failed to record the disposal, transfer, or overboard discharge of oil from the vessel. The indictment further alleges that prior to an inspection by the U.S. Coast Guard, Chen ordered crewmembers to remove piping connected to the vessel’s overboard discharge valve, install new piping, and repaint the piping to hinder an inspection by the U.S. Coast Guard.
DSD Shipping and the engineering officers were charged with violating the APPS for failing to record overboard discharges in the vessel’s oil record book and with obstruction of justice for presenting false documents and deceiving the Coast Guard during an inspection in the Port of Lake Charles. If convicted, DSD Shipping could be fined up to $500,000 per count, in addition to other possible penalties. Dancu, Gao, Chen and Zhong face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for the obstruction of justice charges.
us_vs_dsd_et_al_15-cr-00125-01-05.pdf (530.45 KB)
This is the second indictment arising from a joint, multi-district investigation by the U.S. Coast Guard, Sector Mobile, U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Services and the Criminal Investigation Division for the Environmental Protection Agency. DSD Shipping, Dancu, Gao, Chen and Zhong were previously indicted in the Southern District of Alabama with a seven-count indictment charging related conduct. Assistant U.S. Attorney Howard C. Parker with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana, Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Anderson with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Alabama and Trial Attorney Shane N. Waller Environmental Crimes Section 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.
Prisoner sentenced to 11 years in prison for manslaughter of fellow inmateRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a prisoner at the U.S. Penitentiary in Pollock, La., was sentenced to 135 months in prison for his role in the strangling death of a fellow inmate.
Refugio Junior Sanchez, 36, of Belton, Texas, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell on one count of voluntary manslaughter. He was also sentenced to three years of supervised release. According to evidence presented at the February 26, 2015 guilty plea, Sanchez and fellow inmates, Benito Flores and the victim, were assigned to a Special Housing Unit (SHU) on March 12, 2008. Penitentiary guards found Sanchez and Flores with the victim who was lying unconscious on the floor of the SHU. The inmate was transported to a hospital where he was pronounced dead. An autopsy found that the victim died of strangulation. In conjunction with physical and forensic evidence that was presented at the guilty plea hearing, Sanchez issued a written statement wherein he admitted to unlawfully killing the victim during a heated argument.
The FBI and the U.S. Bureau of Prisons conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Earl M. Campbell prosecuted the case.
Alabama man, Shreveport woman sentenced for methamphetamine distribution conspiracyRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that an Alabama man was sentenced to 168 months in prison and a Caddo Parish woman was sentenced to 120 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
Mazda Rasasy, 37, of Daphne, Ala., and Angela Dawn Hardin, 46, of Shreveport, were sentenced by U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. on one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. They were also sentenced to four years of supervised release. According to evidence presented at the guilty pleas, Rasasy and Hardin conspired to possess with intent to distribute more than 50 grams or more of methamphetamine in August of 2013. Law enforcement agents seized 69.6 grams of methamphetamine on August 9, 2013 from Rasasy’s vehicle after he became a target in a local methamphetamine trafficking investigation. Agents later searched Hardin’s residence, where another 141.9 grams of methamphetamine and 17 firearms were seized. Agents learned during the investigation that Rasasy occasionally drove methamphetamine from Alabama to Shreveport, and Hardin allowed him to use her home as a base while he sold the methamphetamine in the area. Rasasy has a prior federal conviction for distributing methamphetamine.
The DEA and ATF conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown prosecuted the case.
Summer camps must reasonably accommodate children with disabilitiesRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT/LAFAYETTE/MONROE/LAKE CHARLES/ALEXANDRIA, La. – Summer camps are required to make reasonable accommodations to accept children with disabilities, U.S. Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today.
2015 Marks the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”). The ADA prohibits discrimination and ensures equal opportunity for persons with disabilities in employment, state and local government services, public accommodations, commercial facilities, and transportation.
Summer is here and the U.S. Attorney’s Office wants to ensure that children with disabilities have the opportunity to experience the fun of summer camps. The U.S. Attorney’s Office recently sent the attached flyer to hundreds of summer camps located within the Western District of Louisiana reminding them of their obligations under the ADA.
Summer camps, both private and those run by municipalities, must make reasonable modifications to enable campers with disabilities to participate fully in all camp programs and activities. This generally means that children with disabilities are entitled to attend any camp or activity that non-disabled children attend, that camps must evaluate each child on an individual basis, and that camps must train their staff in the requirements of the ADA. Camps are obligated to pay for the cost of any reasonable modifications necessary for disabled children to participate in camp activities, and parents should not be charged any additional fee beyond standard camp enrollment costs.
“Summer is always a special time for children,” Finley said. “Summer camps foster an environment where they can learn to work together, think creatively, and to be independent. Disabled children, whose needs can be reasonably accommodated, must be given the same opportunity as other children.”
Additional information about the ADA is available at www.ada.gov, or through the U.S. Attorney’s Office at (337) 262-6618.
Private investigator Williamson pleads guilty to charges in bribery caseRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that private investigator Robert Williamson pleaded guilty to charges related to his role in a pay-for-plea scheme that garnered favorable treatment for defendants charged with various state crimes.
Prior to the start of trial that was scheduled to begin today, Williamson, 64, of Lafayette, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote to one count of conspiracy, one count of bribery, and one count of Social Security fraud.
According to the guilty plea, Williamson, who is not licensed to practice law, was part of a conspiracy from March 2008 to February 2012 to solicit thousands of dollars from individuals with pending criminal charges in the 15th Judicial District. Williamson promised favorable resolutions to pending felony and misdemeanor cases, the majority of which were OWI cases. Williamson paid bribes in cash and other things of value to former personnel within the District Attorney=s Office for the 15th Judicial District and employees with other organizations associated with the OWI program, including Acadiana Outreach. Williamson also obtained false and fraudulent certifications from Acadiana Outreach, which certified that his clients completed court-ordered community service, when in fact the individuals had not. Williamson would obtain fraudulent driver safety training certificates showing that Williamson=s Aclients@ completed court-mandated driver improvement programs when they had not. Some of those monies were for fines, penalties and other expenses. The total fraudulent amount will be determined at sentencing. During this time, Robert Williamson also received approximately $77,677.20 from the Social Security Administration that he was not entitled to receive.
williamson_robert_factual_basis_for_plea_06.08.15.pdf (1.42 MB)
“Today marks a successful conclusion of the corruption case involving this defendant and former employees of the Lafayette District Attorney’s Office,” said U.S. Attorney Stephanie Finley. “This is a win for the people of our community who no longer have to be concerned about drunk drivers subverting the criminal justice system. Mr. Williamson will now be held accountable for his role in this bribery scheme and for defrauding the Social Security Administration. I want to personally thank the investigators and prosecutors who worked so diligently on this case.”
Williamson faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for the conspiracy count, 10 years in prison for the bribery count, and five years in prison for the Social Security fraud count. He also faces a $250,000 fine or both with up to three years of supervised release for each count. A sentencing date of September 25, 2015 was set.
The FBI and the Social Security Administration – Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Luke Walker and Robert C. Abendroth are prosecuting the case.
Opelousas woman pleads guilty to stealing identity in order to cash refund checkRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that an Opelousas woman pleaded guilty to stealing a woman’s identity so she could cash a tax refund check worth more than $6,000.
Hailey Guidry, 33, of Opelousas, La., pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Richard T. Haik to one count of identity theft. According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, Guidry worked intermittently for her sister’s businesses, which are Guidry’s Tax Service and Dee’s Tax Service. Part of Guidry’s duties involved handling refund checks customers elected to have sent to her sister’s businesses. On May 8, 2013, a refund for a customer of Dee’s Tax Service was received, and Guidry later took possession of the check. Guidry then obtained a false identification card in the name of the customer on May 14, 2013 and cashed the $6,638.05 check the next day using the false identification card.
Guidry faces up to 15 years in prison, two years supervised release, a $250,000 fine and forfeiture of the items seized during the investigation. A sentencing date was not set.
The IRS conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney David C. Joseph and Myers P. Namie are prosecuting the case.
Alabama man pleads guilty to transporting child pornographyRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a man from Alabama pleaded guilty to transporting sexually explicit pictures of a minor.
Mario Duran, 49, of Jemison, Ala., pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Richard T. Haik to one count of transporting child pornography. 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.
Duran faces five to 20 years in prison, five years to life of supervised release, a $250,000 fine and registration as a sex offender. A sentencing date was not set.
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. Attorney Jamilla A. Bynog and Myers P. Namie are prosecuting the case.
Lake Charles woman pleads guilty to role in methamphetamine distribution conspiracyRead the Press Release
LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a Lake Charles woman pleaded guilty Tuesday to her role in a methamphetamine distribution conspiracy.
Sandra Lynette Smith, 48, of Lake Charles, entered a conditional guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute or possess with intent to distribute controlled dangerous substances before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen Kay. The plea will become final when accepted by U.S. District Judge Patricia Minaldi. According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, law enforcement agents identified Smith and Chumphai Bob Mireles as traffickers of methamphetamine. Smith told a cooperating witness that Mireles was going to make a purchase in July of 2014. Law enforcement agents followed Mireles to Houston where he bought methamphetamine from Michael Wayne Giese. Agents arrested Mireles as he traveled back to Louisiana. Smith was questioned and said that Mireles would meet Giese once or twice a week to make purchases, and they would sell the drugs after he returned.
Smith face up to 20 years in prison, three years supervised release, and a $1 million fine. A sentencing date of October 19, 2015 was set. The trial for Mireles and Giese is set to start June 15, 2015.
Homeland Security Investigations and the Calcasieu Parish Combined Anti-Drug Task Force conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert C. Abendroth is prosecuting the case.
Justice Department settles with school district to desegregate Ruston elementary school classroomsRead the Press Release
MONROE, La. – The Justice Department has announced that the U.S. District Court of the Western District of Louisiana yesterday approved a court-ordered agreement with the Lincoln Parish School Board to desegregate classrooms at four elementary schools serving students in grades kindergarten through fifth in Ruston, La. The department and the board jointly filed the consent order, after an investigation by the United States found significant racial isolation in the elementary school classrooms (called homerooms) within the Ruston attendance zone.
Under the consent order, the board will implement the following changes at the four elementary schools in Ruston:
- assign students to homerooms so that the percentage of black and white students in each homeroom reflects the percentage of black and white students in each grade level at each school;
- refrain from grouping students into homerooms based on students’ perceived abilities and ensure that students of all academic levels are assigned to each homeroom;
- ensure that no homeroom class has more than forty percent special education inclusion students; and
- if the board chooses to continue operating the Advanced Learning Academy (“ALA”) program, it will transform the ALA program into a school-wide, racially diverse enrichment program designed to develop the gifts and talents of all students.
The consent order is part of a longstanding desegregation case monitored and enforced by the United States. In reviewing the board’s compliance with previous orders on student assignment, the department concluded that the board was engaged in a variety of practices that contributed to the racial isolation in the elementary school homerooms. These practices include the board’s use of ability grouping and the manner in which the board implemented its special education inclusion and ALA programs.
“We commend the Lincoln Parish School Board’s commitment to resolve this case by addressing the racial isolation in its elementary school homerooms in Ruston,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta of the Civil Rights Division. “This consent order reinforces the Civil Rights Division’s steadfast commitment to ensuring that all students have access to equal educational opportunities, regardless of race or color.”
“This order is a significant step for the Lincoln Parish School Board toward achieving the goals of desegregation and equal access to education for all students,” said U.S. Attorney Stephanie A. Finley of the Western District of Louisiana. “We look forward to continuing to work with the Board to ensure that these changes are successfully implemented.”
lincoln_parish_consent_order.pdf (388.36 KB)
Upon full implementation of the consent order, the board may seek court approval to dismiss the desegregation case in the area of student assignment in December 2016.
Promoting school desegregation and enforcing Title IV of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 is a top priority of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. Additional information about the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt.
Mississippi sheriff’s office employee indicted for using stolen identities to file fraudulent tax returns sent to Louisiana post office boxes in Tallulah, La.Read the Press Release
MONROE, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a federal grand jury indicted a Mississippi woman for being part of a scheme to file fraudulent income tax returns using stolen identities and causing the refunds to be mailed to post office boxes in Louisiana.
Shannon A. Brumfield, 48, of Byram, Miss., was indicted on one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud, 11 counts of mail fraud and 10 counts of aggravated identity theft. According to the indictment, Brumfield used her position as a lieutenant at Hinds County Detention Center to access the Hinds County Jail Management System and steal names and Social Security numbers of inmates and other individuals. Brumfield and other members of the conspiracy not named in the indictment used the stolen identities to file fictitious IRS tax returns from May 2011 until December 2012. Based on the fraudulent returns, the IRS issued tax refunds and mailed them to U.S. Post Office boxes in Tallulah, La.
Brumfield faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the conspiracy count and each mail fraud count. She faces a mandatory term of imprisonment of two years for the aggravated identity theft counts, which must run consecutive to any other term of imprisonment. She also faces up to three years of supervised release and possible forfeiture of property derived from the proceeds of the offenses.
Indictment_US_v._Brumfield.pdf (266.71 KB)
The IRS – Criminal Investigation Division conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth D. Reeg is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Pennsylvania man sentenced to 12 years in prison for attempting to exploit a Lake Charles child, possessing child pornographyRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a Pennsylvania man was sentenced to 151 months in prison for using the internet to attempt to entice a child in Lake Charles, La., to engage in sexual activity and for possessing child pornography.
Timothy Lee Kelly, 41, of Jeannette, Penn., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Richard T. Haik on one count of using a facility in interstate commerce to attempt to cause a minor to engage in elicit sexual activity and on one count of possession of child pornography. He was also sentenced to a lifetime of supervised release and is required to register as a sex offender.
According to evidence presented at the guilty pleas, Kelly began communicating with a 13-year-old girl in Lake Charles in January of 2013. He discussed sexually explicit conduct, sent explicit images of himself to the girl and requested she send sexually explicit pictures of herself. He also requested that the girl have sex with him and discussed traveling to Louisiana for that purpose. In February of 2013, Kelly was arrested in Pennsylvania for his contact with the minor. While examining the computer and electronic storage devices Kelly owned, agents found child pornography that included adult males sexually assaulting prepubescent children.
“We will aggressively pursue those who sexually abuse minors and possess child pornography,” Finley stated. “Keeping children safe is one of our highest priorities in this District. I hope this serves as a deterrent to anyone seeking to acquire this type of material and a warning that child predators cannot hide.”
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, the Greenburg Pennsylvania Police Department and the Delaware County Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Luke Walker and Jamilla A. Bynog prosecuted the case.
Broussard man pleads guilty to attempting to illegally ship guns, ammunition to LebanonRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a Broussard man pleaded guilty to trying to illegally ship firearms, ammunition and other military grade items to Lebanon.
Joe Ali Youssef, 54, of Broussard, La., pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Richard T. Haik to one count of delivery of firearms to common carrier for interstate and foreign shipment without notification. According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers conducted a random examination of two containers on April 17, 2014. Upon further inspection, agents found four pistols, two rifles, a shotgun, more than 8,000 rounds of various caliber ammunition, body armor, military items and other firearms accessories hidden inside secret compartments within household furniture. Records showed that the containers were to be shipped to an address near Beirut, Lebanon. Youssef is a naturalized citizen of the United States, originally born in Beirut, Lebanon. Youssef had an airline ticket booked to travel around the time the shipment was scheduled to arrive in Lebanon. Youssef provided the shipping company with a detailed list of the contents of the containers to be shipped, but the list did not include the hidden firearms, ammo and military items. The containers were set to export from the port in Houston, Texas, and the shipping company never received notification that the shipment contained firearms, ammunition and military items. Agents searched Youssef’s Broussard home and found more firearms and ammunition as well as records between himself and the shipping company.
Youssef faces up to five years in prison, three years supervised release, a $250,000 fine and forfeiture of the items seized during the investigation. A sentencing date was not set.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Homeland Security Investigations, FBI and ATF conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Myers P. Namie is prosecuting the case.