Western District of Louisiana
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Shreveport man sentenced for failing to update his sex offender registration after moving to TexasRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a Shreveport man was sentenced to 24 months in prison for failing to update his sex offender registration when he moved.
Justin Ray Merritt, 33, of Shreveport, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Donald E. Walter 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 February 26, 2015 guilty plea, Merritt reported his residence to be in Shreveport in December 17, 2013 as required by the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act. Merritt was discovered living in Texarkana, Texas, on August 14, 2014. He admitted to not updating his sex offender registration information when moving to Texarkana and to have been living there since November of 2013. He was convicted in 2004 of felony carnal knowledge of a juvenile in Caddo Parish, which requires 15 years of sex offender registration.
The U.S. Marshals Service and Louisiana Probation and Parole conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth D. Reeg prosecuted the case.
Opelousas man sentenced to 15 months in prison for leaving Lake Charles halfway houseRead the Press Release
LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that an Opelousas man pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 15 months in prison for leaving a halfway house without permission.
Christopher James Courvelle, 45, of Opelousas, La., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Patricia Minaldi on one count of escape from custody. He was also sentenced to three years of supervised release. According to the guilty plea, Courvelle left a federally-approved halfway house in Lake Charles on March 3, 2015 without notifying those in charge. The U.S. Marshals Service was notified and began an investigation. Courvelle was located at a bus depot near the Road King truck stop in Lake Charles and was arrested on March 4, 2015. He had been placed in the halfway house after being convicted in June of 2012 for failing to update his registration pursuant to the Sex Offender Registration Act. He had also previously been convicted of simple rape, which requires a lifetime of sex offender registration.
The U.S. Marshals Service and U.S. Bureau of Prisons investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jamilla A. Bynog and Howard C. Parker prosecuted the case.
Lake Charles man sentenced to 33 months in prison for failing to register as a sex offenderRead the Press Release
LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a Lake Charles resident was sentenced to 33 months in prison for not registering as a sex offender.
Michael Dewain Dugas Smith, 35, of Lake Charles, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Patricia Minaldi on one count of failure to register pursuant to the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act. He was also sentenced to five years of supervised release. According to evidence presented at the February 10, 2015 guilty plea, Smith was previously convicted in January 10, 2007 in the 18th Judicial District Court in Brevard County, Fla., of sexual battery with use of actual physical force. After he was released from prison in Florida in January of 2013, he moved to Louisiana but did not register as a sex offender as required by law. Smith was arrested in February of 2013 in Lake Charles for disturbing the peace. He later admitted to agents that he traveled to Louisiana where he has relatives and did not register as a sex offender.
The U.S. Marshals Service conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Howard C. Parker prosecuted the case.
Court approves three-year plan to complete desegregation in Avoyelles Parish schoolsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Last night, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana approved a comprehensive consent order filed by the Justice Department, the Avoyelles Parish School Board and private plaintiffs in United States v. Avoyelles Parish School Board. The consent order requires the school district to implement remedies in student assignment and discipline to complete the desegregation of the Avoyelles Parish school system.
The Avoyelles Parish School Board serves 5,400 students and has been operating under a continuing duty to desegregate its schools since 1967.
The court retained jurisdiction over the case to ensure that the school board fully implements the relief required by the consent order and complies with applicable federal law. The district may move for dismissal of the case if it successfully complies with the consent order for three years, during which time the school board must:
- Implement a new student assignment and transfer policy, including better address verification measures;
- Adopt a uniform admission process for the school system’s charter school along with a rigorous publicity and outreach program directed toward African-American students;
- Strengthen advertising and marketing of the New Tech magnet program, which is located at a majority African-American high school;
- Conduct a comprehensive study to determine whether a magnet program can be established at a racially identifiable African-American elementary school and take proactive steps to encourage white students to transfer to the school;
- Ensure classes within schools are desegregated;
- Revise discipline policies to reduce racial disparities in the use of exclusionary discipline and expand the school board’s positive behavior interventions and supports program; and
- Hire an experienced consultant to monitor and report annually on the school board’s efforts to comply with the consent order.
consent_order_ecf_330_05-21-15.pdf (2.63 MB)
“The Avoyelles Parish School Board’s unanimous vote to approve the consent order reflects our shared goal of securing equal educational opportunities for all students,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta of the Civil Rights Division. “We are confident that this agreement will bring meaningful progress, and we look forward to working closely with the School Board over the next three years to bring this case to a successful close.”
“My office is committed to ensuring that this district’s schools provide all students with equal educational opportunities,” stated U.S. Attorney Stephanie A. Finley of the Western District of Louisiana. “I applaud the Avoyelles Parish School Board for its efforts to eliminate the effects of state-mandated segregation. It is our goal to assist in any way possible so that the Consent Order will work to provide all students in Avoyelles Parish with a quality education, a safe and fruitful learning environment, and academic offerings to help them achieve their dreams.”
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.
Shreveport man sentenced to 17 years in prison for possessing a firearm after felony convictionsRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a Shreveport man was sentenced Wednesday to 210 months in prison as an Armed Career Offender for possessing a firearm after being convicted of multiple felonies.
Ronnie Eugene Bishop, 39, of Shreveport, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote on two counts of possessing a firearm after being convicted of a felony. He was also sentenced to five years of supervised release. According to evidence presented at the December 9, 2014, guilty plea, Bishop pawned a 12-gauge shotgun on December 23, 2013, and a .270 caliber rifle on December 27, 2013, at the same pawn shop in Bossier City, La. Both firearms had been reported stolen by the owner. Prior to pawning the firearms, Bishop had multiple felony convictions and was sentenced as an Armed Career Offender. The mandatory minimum sentence for an Armed Career Offender is 15 years in prison.
To be found an Armed Career Offender under federal law, a defendant must have three previous convictions that are either a violent felony or a serious drug offense, or both, committed on occasions different from one another.A serious drug offense can be an offense under federal or state law if it involves the manufacturing, distributing or possessing with intent to manufacture or distribute a controlled substance for which a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years or more is prescribed by law.
“This defendant had multiple felony convictions and was prohibited by law from possessing a firearm; yet, he not only continued to possess them, but he was pawning stolen firearms,” Finley stated. “The safety and security of the community is our highest priority. This case is a result of a collaborative effort of federal and state agencies working together. I want to thank the ATF, Louisiana Department of Corrections, Probation and Parole Division, and the Assistant U.S. Attorney who worked on this case.”
The ATF and the Louisiana Department of Corrections Probation and Parole Division conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert W. Gillespie Jr. prosecuted the case as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods Program, which is a Department of Justice initiative with state and local authorities designed to reduce the possession of firearms by prohibited persons and the use of firearms to commit crimes.
Lake Charles store owners plead guilty to selling counterfeit merchandiseRead the Press Release
LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that two Lake Charles retail store owners pleaded guilty to selling more than 800 counterfeit items.
Kayed Masoud, 31, and Ahmad Alnaasan, 42, both of Lake Charles, entered conditional guilty pleas to one count of trademark infringement to U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen Kay. The pleas will become final when accepted by U.S. District Judge Patricia Minaldi. According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, members of the Sulphur Police Department went to K&A Golden Fashions to recover stolen property and noticed a large number of counterfeit items such as brand name purses and shoes. After an investigation, Homeland Security Investigation agents executed a search warrant on September 26, 2013 and found 866 counterfeit items with branding such as “Nike,” “Coach” and “Polo.” The value of the items is estimated to be between $30,000 and $60,000.
The defendants face up to 10 years in prison, two to three years of supervised release, and a $2 million fine. A sentencing date of August 27, 2015 was set.
Homeland Security Investigations and the Sulphur Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Howard C. Parker is prosecuting the case.
Bossier City man pleads guilty to receiving child pornography on computerRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a Bossier City man pleaded guilty Wednesday to receiving child pornography.
Kenneth Ray Jurls, 40, of Bossier City, La., pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote for one count of receiving child pornography. According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, law enforcement agents detected someone downloading child pornography using a peer-to-peer internet file sharing program. Law enforcement agents searched Jurls’ home on July 16, 2014 and seized his computer. A forensic examination of the computer revealed Jurls had been downloading child pornography for years. More than 1,000 images and videos of child pornography were found on his computer. The images included prepubescent children engaging in sexual and sadistic acts.
Because Jurls has two prior convictions for possession of child pornography in Bossier Parish, he faces 15 to 40 years in prison, not less than five years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. He is also required to register as a sex offender. A sentencing date of September 15, 2015 was set.
Homeland Security Investigations, Louisiana Attorney General’s Office and the Bossier City Marshal’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael O’Mara is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a U.S. Department of Justice nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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.
Lake Charles man pleads guilty to receiving child pornography on computerRead the Press Release
LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a Lake Charles man pleaded guilty Thursday to receiving child pornography on his home computer.
Ricky Joseph Guidry, 31, of Lake Charles, entered a conditional guilty plea for one count of receiving child pornography to 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, a witness told law enforcement agents there was child pornography on Guidry’s computer. After conducting an examination of the computer, it was determined that the defendant downloaded child pornography on October 2nd and 3rd of 2014. The child pornography included prepubescent child pornography that was sadistic in nature.
Guidry faces five to 20 years in prison, not less than five years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. He is also required to register as a sex offender. A sentencing date was not set.
Homeland Security Investigations and the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Luke Walker is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a U.S. Department of Justice nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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.
Federal court prohibits New Iberia tax preparer from preparing tax returns for othersRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A federal court has barred a New Iberia woman and her business from preparing federal tax returns for others, the Justice Department announced today.
The civil injunction order, to which Joyce Bougere-Keyes consented, was entered by U.S. Magistrate Judge Patrick Hanna. The government’s complaint alleged that Bougere-Keyes, and her business, Joyce Tax & Financial Service LLC of New Iberia, La., prepared federal income tax returns for customers that reported fabricated and/or inflated business income and expenses on Schedules C (Profit or Loss from Business) to fraudulently maximize the amount of the earned income tax credit for her customers. As described in the complaint, many of the defendant’s customers reported that they were unaware their returns contained business income or expenses, or confirmed that the returns otherwise misrepresented these items. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) audited 71 federal income tax returns filed by the defendant’s customers for tax year 2010, which resulted in the disallowance of $210,571 in improperly claimed earned income tax credits on those returns alone, according to the suit.
“This office is committed to stopping tax return preparers who file false tax returns and take advantage of the system,” said U.S. Attorney Stephanie A. Finley of the Western District of Louisiana. “We will continue to seek appropriate relief against tax preparers who file fraudulent tax returns in this district.”
The complaint further alleged that Bougere-Keyes improperly claimed education credits for taxpayers who were not entitled to them.
Bougere-Keyes has prepared more than 7,500 individual income tax returns since 2009, according to the suit. Based on the number of years the defendant has been preparing tax returns and the types of fraudulent conduct alleged, the loss to the U.S. Treasury caused by the defendant’s conduct is likely more than $1 million, according to the complaint.
bougere-keys_consent_injunction.pdf (494.49 KB)
Return preparer fraud is one of the IRS’s Dirty Dozen Tax Scams for 2015. The IRS has some tips on its website for choosing a tax preparer, and has launched a free directory of federal tax preparers. In the past decade, the Tax Division has obtained injunctions against hundreds of unscrupulous tax preparers and tax scheme promoters. Information about these cases is available on the Justice Department’s website. An alphabetical listing of persons enjoined from preparing returns and promoting tax schemes can be found on here. If you believe that one of the enjoined persons or businesses may be violating an injunction, please contact the Tax Division with details
Bossier City woman sentenced to 20 months in prison for filing false tax returnsRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a Bossier City woman was sentenced Monday to 20 months in prison for filing false tax returns.
Susan Santoro, 40, of Bossier City, La., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote on one count of making or subscribing a false tax return. She was also sentenced to one year of supervised release and ordered to pay restitution of $308,213 to Top Dollar Pawn in Bossier City, $88,347 to the Internal Revenue Service and $44,554.63 to the Louisiana Department of Revenue. According to evidence presented at the January 26, 2015 guilty plea, Santoro, who was the general manager of Top Dollar Pawn in Bossier City from 2009 to 2011, embezzled more than $300,000 from the company. She embezzled the money by falsifying records, which she regularly reviewed and reconciled. A review of her personal bank accounts revealed numerous large, unexplained cash deposits that far exceeded her income from Top Dollar Pawn. The IRS considers the money, which Santoro did not report on her tax returns, as income.
“We are pleased with the sentencing of Ms. Santoro and will continue to work with our federal partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to vigorously pursue those who engage in financial crimes,” stated Special Agent in Charge of Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation – New Orleans Field Office, Jerome R. McDuffie. “Ms. Santoro used her place of employment to engage in illegal activity and our office will continue to investigate and prosecute those who engage in these actions.”
The FBI and IRS conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brandon B. Brown and Cytheria D. Jernigan prosecuted the case.
U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Louisiana remembers fallen law enforcement officers during national Police Week 2015Read the Press Release
SHREVEPORT/LAFAYETTE/ALEXANDRIA/LAKECHARLES/MONROE, La. – Communities across the United States are coming together during National Police Week - May 10th through May 15th - to honor and remember those law enforcement officers who made the ultimate sacrifice, as well as the family members, friends and fellow officers they left behind.
“National Police Week is a time of remembrance of fallen officers who gave their lives to protect ours,” stated U.S. Attorney Stephanie Finley. “Law enforcement officers risk their lives for all of us, and the men and women of the Western District salute and remember them. In our communities, their contributions are felt and deeply appreciated.”
This year, the names of 273 officers killed in the line of duty are being added to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C., during the 27th Annual 2015 Candlelight Vigil on the evening of May 13. These names include officers who were killed during 2014 and officers who died in previous years who have not been previously added to the Memorial.
The fallen officers of 2014 include two members of the law enforcement community in the Western District of Louisiana. They are:
- Deputy Sheriff Carlos Papillion of the St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office, who died January 28, 2014.
- Deputy Sheriff Allen Bares Jr. of the Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s Office, who died June 23, 2014.
In order to assist local public safety officers in the work that they do, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of Louisiana, offers safety and survival training throughout the year to increase awareness of the hazards they encounter on a daily basis. The course curriculum and sessions are overseen by the Western District’s Law Enforcement Community Coordinator, Michael Campbell, a former Chief of Police for the City of Shreveport. The Western District of Louisiana consists of 42 of Louisiana’s 64 parishes, and the courses are open to federal, state, local, military and tribal offices.
“We have and will continue to offer officer safety and survival training to increase awareness of the hazards our public safety officers face on a daily basis,” Finley stated. “Our goal is for all public safety officers to return home to their families at the end of their shifts each and every day.”
The Department of Justice also offers numerous grants to law enforcement agencies such as a new program to help equip officers with body cameras. The Department of Justice announced this month a $20 million Body-Worn Camera (BWC) Pilot Partnership Program to respond to the immediate needs of local and tribal law enforcement organizations. The investment includes $17 million in competitive grants for the purchase of body-worn cameras, $2 million for training and technical assistance and $1 million for the development of evaluation tools to study best practices.
“This new program will enhance the services and protections local law enforcement agencies provide in our communities,” Finley stated. “The program can also build trust and keep officers and the public safe. I urge law enforcement agencies and local governments to look into implementing this program and accessing available grants to reduce associated costs.”
Body-worn_camera_fact_sheet_.pdf (842.05 KB)
Administered by the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) under the Justice Department’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP), the BWC pilot program will provide support to help law enforcement agencies develop, implement and evaluate body-worn camera programs across the United States. For additional information about the BWC Pilot Implementation Program, visit this website: http://go.usa.gov/3BtMW.
Shreveport woman sentenced to 27 months in prison for health care fraud, wire fraudRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that the owner and operator of a Shreveport intensive outpatient program company was sentenced Monday to 27 months in prison for charging Medicare for services never rendered.
Sharon Monroe, 43, of Shreveport, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. for one count of health care fraud and one count of wire fraud. She was also sentenced to three years of supervised release and was ordered to pay $992,479.08 restitution. According to evidence presented at the September 11, 2014 guilty plea, Monroe, owner of Monroe Medical Management LLC, submitted fraudulent claims to Medicare for Part B psychotherapy services from 2007 to 2011. As a result of the fraudulent claims, she improperly received payments from Medicare. Monroe filed claims for psychotherapy services that were never performed. She also used physicians’ Medicare provider numbers to submit claims without the physicians’ knowledge. In some cases, she claimed her employees rendered services in excess of 24 hours a day, that some of her employees were qualified to perform services when they were not, and that some of the services were performed at medical offices when they were not.
The FBI and Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Earl M. Campbell prosecuted the case.
New Iberia man pleads guilty to role in methamphetamine distribution conspiracyRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a New Iberia man pleaded guilty to his role in a methamphetamine distribution conspiracy in the New Iberia and Lafayette areas.
Corey F. Freyou, 37, of New Iberia, La., pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Richard T. Haik to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. According to the guilty plea, Freyou, along with codefendants Elliot Jolet, 35, and Anita Desormeaux, 43, both of New Iberia, conspired to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine in the New Iberia and Lafayette areas from October 2013 until September of 2014. Jolet and Desormeaux purchased methamphetamine in Texas and transported it to the south central Louisiana area. Freyou traveled with Jolet, Desormeaux and others, purchased methamphetamine in Texas, stored methamphetamine in his home, and sold the methamphetamine. Freyou was supplied with half an ounce of methamphetamine per week and admitted responsibility for at least 500 grams during the conspiracy. Freyou also forfeited his F-250 truck, which was used in the conspiracy.
Freyou, Jolet and Desormeaux are three of 14 defendants charged in a 20-count indictment returned on November 12, 2014. The other defendants are: Gary Hunt, 59, of Spendora, Texas; Ko Chanhkongshinh, 38, of Youngsville, La.; Jenee Lynn Hargrave, 29, of Scott, La.; David Lowery, 33, of New Iberia; Everette Dupuis, 39, of New Iberia; Michael Guidry, 45, of Erath, La.; Tyrone Howard, 43, of Youngsville; Kevin Jefferson, 31, of New Iberia; Nared Souphannavong, 29, of New Iberia; Brandi Boullion, 28, of New Iberia; and Dewey Migues, 36, of New Iberia. The investigation also resulted in the seizure of crystal methamphetamine, more than $5,000 in cash, a vehicle, and several firearms.
Freyou faces up to 20 years in prison, up to a $1 million fine, and at least three years supervised release. A sentencing date was not set.
The defendants were arrested as part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Operation. The DEA, Iberia Parish Sheriff’s Office, Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office, Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s Office and the Lafayette Police Department 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. Attorneys Myers P. Namie, Daniel J. McCoy and Robert F. Moore are prosecuting the case.
Egyptian national sentenced to 6 months in prison for resisting deportation ordersRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that an Egyptian national was sentenced Monday to six months in prison for refusing to leave the country twice after being ordered to depart.
Mohamed Admed Hassan Abdallah Omran, 39, of Egypt, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell on two counts of failure to depart for resisting removal after final deportation orders. He was also sentenced to one year of supervised release. Evidence admitted at the defendant’s trial, which started on February 4 and ended February 5, 2015, revealed that after an immigration judge issued a final order of removal from the country, U.S. Immigration Enforcement agents attempted to remove Omran from the country via the Alexandria International Airport using commercial flights on two separate occasions. The defendant hampered agents’ ability to remove him by verbally and physically resisting agents on June 12, 2013, and a second time on July 24, 2013. The defendant’s actions prevented him from boarding the flights because of airline and Transportation Security Administration safety policies.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Enforcement and Removal Operations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys F. Michael O’Mara and Cytheria D. Jernigan prosecuted the case.
Ruston Housing Authority agrees to pay $175,000 and stop assigning vacancies based on race to settle Justice Department lawsuitRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The Justice Department announced today that the Housing Authority of the city of Ruston, La., has agreed to pay $175,000 and adopt comprehensive new policies to settle a race discrimination lawsuit filed by the department. The settlement must still be approved by U.S. District Judge Robert G. James of the Western District of Louisiana.
The department’s lawsuit, filed in September 2013, alleged that the Ruston Housing Authority (RHA) had long segregated the 300 apartments in its five public housing developments by assigning vacancies to applicants based on their race, rather than on their place on the waiting list. Specifically, the department alleged that the RHA disproportionately assigned white applicants to its two developments that were located in the predominantly white neighborhoods of Ruston—Louise Homes and Maryland Plaza Homes. At the same time, the department alleged, RHA primarily assigned African-American applicants to the complexes located in predominantly African-American neighborhoods—Eastwood Homes, Greenwood Homes and Truman Homes. When it originally began developing housing in the 1950s and early 1960s, the RHA explicitly reserved Louise Homes and Maryland Plaza for “white” persons, while reserving Greenwood and Truman for what it termed “colored” persons.
Although the RHA no longer maintained this de jure system, the department alleged that it had continued to segregate its complexes in practice. During the litigation, the former Ruston Housing Authority project manager from 2003 to 2013 admitted in her sworn deposition testimony that on numerous occasions she skipped over earlier applying African-American applicants in order to fill vacancies at Louise Drive Homes with later applying white applicants. She also testified that on multiple occasions she did not offer eligible white applicants available apartments in the nearly all-black Eastwood Homes, Greenwood Homes and Truman Homes, but instead offered those units to later-applying African American applicants.
“People who seek public housing, like all other home seekers, have the right to access housing free from racial discrimination,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta of the Civil Rights Division. “It is particularly distressing that, almost 50 years after the passage of the Fair Housing Act, this public housing authority was still filling vacancies based on the color of an applicant’s skin, rather than based on when he or she had applied. We are pleased that the Ruston Housing Authority has agreed to dismantle this segregated system and compensate its victims.”
“We have zero tolerance for housing providers that discriminate against individuals based on race,” said U.S. Attorney Stephanie A. Finley of the Western District of Louisiana. “Today’s settlement is an example of our continuing effort to end discrimination in such a vital need, housing. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to addressing unlawful discriminatory practices and enforcing anti-discrimination laws that protect the rights of all people.”
“Assigning persons housing based on the color of their skin not only robs them of the basic dignity everyone seeking housing should be afforded, it violates the Fair Housing Act,” said Assistant Secretary Gustavo Velasquez of the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity Office. “HUD is committed to working with the Justice Department to take action against housing providers whose policies and practices are discriminatory.”
Upon court approval, the settlement, which is in the form of a consent decree, will require the RHA to implement nondiscriminatory policies and procedures to ensure compliance with the Fair Housing Act and to ensure that RHA housing units are made available for rent based on an applicant’s position on its waiting list, irrespective of race. The decree also requires that if RHA builds or acquires additional units, they are to be located in areas that do not further racial segregation. In addition, RHA employees who are responsible for making housing decisions will receive training on the new nondiscriminatory policies and procedures, the consent decree and the Fair Housing Act.
Read the Ruston Housing Authority consent order here (4.87 MB)
In addition, the RHA will pay $175,000 to compensate 19 individuals who suffered damages as a result of the RHA passing them over for available housing units because of their race. Additionally, for those 19 victims of the RHA’s discriminatory actions identified in the consent order, the RHA will allow those who are current tenants to request a transfer to another complex on a priority basis. It will also permit those identified individuals who are prior applicants and former tenants to reapply and, upon approval of their applications, give them priority for a unit at a complex of their choice.
The federal Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, familial status, national origin and disability. More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.usdoj.gov/crt. Individuals who believe that they have been victims of housing discrimination can call the division’s Housing Discrimination Tip Line at 1-800-896-7743, e-mail the Justice Department at [email protected] or contact HUD at 1-800-669-9777.
New Iberia man sentenced to 9 years in prison for possessing child pornographyRead the Press Release
LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a New Iberia man was sentenced Thursday to 108 months in prison on charges that he downloaded child pornography onto his computer.
Jason Daniel Scott, 32, of New Iberia, La., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Patricia Minaldi on one count of possession of child pornography. He was also sentenced to a lifetime of supervised release and must register as a sex offender. According to evidence presented at the January 29, 2015 guilty plea, agents detected child pornography being downloaded from an internet file sharing service in October of 2010 to a residence in Lafayette Parish, which is where Scott was living at the time. The home was searched on October 20, 2010, and a computer was seized. Once the computer’s hard drive was examined, agents found child pornography that was downloaded from the internet.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. 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, 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. Tips may be submitted anonymously.
Lafayette man pleads guilty to possessing 8 stolen firearms in homeRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a Lafayette man pleaded guilty to possessing eight stolen firearms.
Rico D. King, 39, of Lafayette, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Richard T. Haik to one count of possession of stolen firearms. According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, during an investigation into Lafayette burglaries and after developing leads as to the location of the stolen firearms, agents executed a search warrant in September of 2014 at a residence in Lafayette where King was an occupant. During the search, agents found King in possession of the stolen firearms including a .26-06 caliber rifle, two .25-06 caliber rifles, a .410 gauge shotgun, two .12 gauge shotguns, a .22 caliber semi-automatic rifle and a .270 caliber rifle. Victims of the burglaries reported all eight firearms as stolen.
King faces up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. A sentencing date was not set.
Multiple agencies including the ATF, FBI, Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office and Lafayette Metro Narcotics Task Force conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert C. Abendroth and Kelly P. Uebinger are prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods. Project Safe Neighborhoods is a nationwide program designed to reduce violence by aggressively enforcing existing federal firearms laws.
Mississippi man pleads guilty to assault at Fort PolkRead the Press Release
LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a man from Mississippi pleaded guilty to striking a man in the head with a baseball bat at the Fort Polk military base.
Justin Corey Thurston, 23, of McLain, Miss., entered a conditional guilty plea on Thursday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen Kay, to one count of assault with a dangerous weapon. The plea will become final when accepted by U.S. District Judge Patricia Minaldi. According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, Thurston visited the home of his estranged wife on September 6, 2014, at the Fort Polk military base. While at his wife’s residence, Thurston and his wife were involved in a physical altercation after she refused to give him her cell phone. Thurston then exited the house and struck a man in the head with the baseball bat.
Thurston faces up to 10 years in prison, three years supervised release and a $250,000 fine.
The U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command and the FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David C. Joseph and Joseph T. Mickel are prosecuting the case.
DeQuincy man pleads guilty to counterfeiting $100 billsRead the Press Release
LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a DeQuincy man pleaded guilty to making $100 counterfeit bills at a casino hotel.
Deldrick Shykil Fowler, 22, of DeQuincy, La., entered a conditional guilty plea on Thursday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen Kay, to one count of counterfeiting obligations to the United States. The plea will become final when accepted by U.S. District Judge Patricia Minaldi. According to evidence presented at the 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. Law enforcement seized two counterfeit $100 bills, 16 uncut sheets of $100 bills, and 10 uncut sheets of $100 bills printed on only one side.
Fowler faces up to 20 years in prison, five years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. A sentencing date of August 6, 2015 was set.
The U.S. Secret Service conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert Abendroth and Howard Parker are prosecuting the case.
Webster Parish man sentenced to more than 15 years in prison for child pornography distributionRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a Minden man was sentenced to 188 months in prison for distributing child pornography.
Michael A. Webb, 26, of Minden, La., was sentenced on Wednesday by United States District Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr., on one count of distribution of child pornography. He was also sentenced to serve five years of supervised release. According to evidence presented at the January 21, 2015, guilty plea, Webb responded to a social network online profile for a 13-year-old girl. He sent the girl child pornography, sexually explicit images of himself and arranged to meet the girl in Springhill, La. The online profile for the girl was fake, and Webb actually was communicating with an undercover police officer. Webb was arrested on August 8, 2014 while at work.
The FBI, Webster Parish Sheriff’s Office and the Springhill Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Earl M. Campbell 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 Shreveport FBI office number is (318) 861-1890.
Texas man sentenced to 20 years in prison for methamphetamine distribution conspiracyRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a Texas man was sentenced to 240 months in prison for conspiring to sell methamphetamine in the Winn Parish area.
Alwyn Nord Stewart Jr., 35, of Houston, Texas, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Donald E. Walter on one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. He was also sentenced to five years of supervised release. According to evidence presented at the January 12, 2015, guilty plea, Alwyn Stewart, David Lamont Mangum, 38, and Altomio Kente Phillips, 29, both of Winnfield, and Demetrius Marie Jackson, 31, of Deridder, La., conspired to distribute methamphetamine transported from Houston to the Winnfield area from the beginning of 2011 until September 2012. Stewart was the supplier of methamphetamine to Mangum. Stewart and Mangum would arrange transport of the drugs to Louisiana, and other co-conspirators assisted with the delivery and distribution.
The other conspirators were sentenced on January 27, 2015. Mangum was sentenced to 204 months in prison for the conspiracy count and for one count of possession of a firearm in relation to drug trafficking. He was also sentenced to 10 years of supervised release. Phillips was sentenced to 90 months in prison and 5 years of supervised release for one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Jackson was sentenced to one day in prison and five years of supervised release for one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Stewart and the other conspirators forfeited the property seized during the case, which includes $29,067 in cash, two plots of land in Winnfield, seven vehicles, and other seized items.
The defendants were arrested as part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Operation named “Trend Setters.” The DEA conducted the investigation. The OCDETF program is a joint federal, state and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking and is the nation’s primary tool for targeting national and regional level drug trafficking organizations and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to disrupt and dismantle these organizations and to seize their assets.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys James G. Cowles Jr., Brandon B. Brown and Joseph G. Jarzabek prosecuted the case.
Springhill woman sentenced to 60 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute methRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a Webster Parish woman was sentenced to 60 months in prison for possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute at a Springhill retail store.
Reiny L. Ratliff, 22, of Springhill, La., was sentenced on Wednesday by United States District Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr., on one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. She was also sentenced to five years of supervised release. According to evidence presented at the January 15, 2015, guilty plea, Springhill Police responded on March 12, 2014, to a complaint that someone was illegally parked in a handicapped spot at a local retail store. While questioning Ratliff, the officer saw drug paraphernalia in the car, arrested her, and impounded the vehicle. A search of her purse revealed 229.7 grams of methamphetamine, a pair of brass knuckles, and $5,347 in cash.
The DEA and Springhill Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney James G. Cowles, Jr. prosecuted the case.
Former Dubberly postmaster sentenced to two years' probation for money order fraudRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a Ruston woman was sentenced to two years of probation and a $1,000 fine for cashing money orders without posting payments to the U.S. Treasury.
Amanda Murphy, 36, of Ruston, La., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Donald E. Walter on one count of misappropriation of postal funds. According to evidence presented at the January 22, 2015, guilty plea, Murphy intentionally delayed reporting 37 money orders, which totaled $10,318.76 from December 13, 2013 to February 10, 2014, while serving as Postmaster for the Dubberly Post Office. When questioned by agents, Murphy admitted to cashing the money orders to herself and delaying payments. She also falsified U.S. Postal Service daily reports on money order transactions in order to accomplish the scheme. Agents also audited her cash drawer and found a $1,077.17 shortage. Murphy has paid all restitution in full.
The U.S. Postal Service-Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown prosecuted the case.
Bossier city man sentenced to 120 months in prison for possessing methamphetamine with intent to sellRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a Bossier City man was sentenced to 120 months in prison for possessing with intent to sell methamphetamine at his home.
John W. Davis II, 54, of Bossier City, La., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Donald E. Walter on one count of possession with intent to distribute five grams or more of methamphetamine or 50 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine. He was also sentenced to eight years of supervised release. According to evidence presented at the January 13, 2015, guilty plea, Davis’ home was searched on October 2, 2014 based on information that he was distributing methamphetamine. Agents found seven bags containing methamphetamine in a shaving kit on his porch and under his bed. After an analysis of the methamphetamine, a total of 480.7 grams of pure methamphetamine were determined to have been found at Davis’ home.
The DEA, Louisiana State Police, and Bossier City Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael O’Mara prosecuted the case.
Federal grand jury indicts two Ferriday residents, Bossier City woman for Veterans Affairs benefits fraudRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a federal grand jury indicted a Ferriday couple for hiding income in order to receive more than $197,000 in veterans benefits and a Bossier City woman for stealing veterans’ benefits and lying about the income during bankruptcy proceedings.
Alfred Lewis Jr., 67, and Rose M. Lewis, 63, of both of Ferriday, La., were charged by a federal grand jury with one count of conspiracy to commit theft of government funds and one count of theft of government funds. According to the indictment, from January 2004 until November 2013 the Lewis couple conspired to take approximately $197,784 in Veterans Affairs benefits. In July of 2003, the defendants submitted an application to the Department of Veterans Affairs for pension benefits without listing Rose Lewis’ income. The addition of Rose Lewis’ income, which was more than $54,000 in 2008 and 2009, would have made them ineligible to receive the Veterans Affairs benefits.
A federal grand jury also charged Gloria Lynn Perry, 65, of Bossier City, La., in a separate indictment with one count of theft of government funds and one count of false statement in a bankruptcy matter. According to the indictment, Perry illegally received Veterans Affairs benefits on behalf of her mother from April 1, 2008 through July 1, 2014. Her mother had died in February of 2008. Perry also filed for bankruptcy in 2014. On September 5, 2014, she falsely stated on bankruptcy documents that her income other than employment in the past two years was $7,950 in 2013 and $5,967 in 2014. The truth was she obtained at least $12,000 in 2013 and at least $7,000 in 2014 in Veterans Affairs benefits.
If convicted, all three defendants face up to 10 years in prison for the theft count.
The Lewises face up to five years in prison for the conspiracy count, and Perry faces up to five years in prison for the bankruptcy count. They also face three years of supervised release, restitution and a $250,000 fine.
The Veterans Affairs-Office of Inspector General investigated the cases. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cytheria Jernigan is prosecuting the cases.
An indictment is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
California man pleads guilty to making Church Point school shooting threatRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a California man pleaded guilty to communicating a hoax that a school shooting would occur in Church Point, La.
Randall Swanson, 54, of Sacramento, Calif., pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Richard T. Haik to one count of false information or hoaxes. According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, during an online conversation on December 15, 2012, Swanson sent an online message to a person he believed to be from Church Point, that “the next school massacre happing in ur town.” Swanson followed the online message with photographs and other information about how the crime would occur. Swanson sent the message the day after the Sandy Hook Elementary School Shooting. Swanson also sent pictures from Church Point indicating he was present in Church Point. The victim who received the messages contacted local and state authorities. Swanson later admitted he was in California when the messages were sent, and his intentions were to alarm the person he had been messaging online.
Swanson faces five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. A sentencing date was not set.
“The shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary was a tragedy that our state and nation mourned,” Finley stated. “This defendant used that tragedy to perpetuate a hoax and caused confusion wasting the time and resources of first responders in the region. Those who make such false threats will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
The FBI, Louisiana State Police and Church Point Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Myers P. Namie is prosecuting the case.
Justice Department announces Ville Platte Police Department, Evangeline Sheriff’s Office investigationRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The Justice Department announced today that it has opened pattern or practice investigations into the use of investigative holds by the Ville Platte Police Department (VPPD) and the Evangeline Parish Sheriff’s Office (EPSO).
The investigations will focus on allegations that VPPD and EPSO officers use “investigative holds” to detain individuals without proper cause, and on the adequacy of VPPD and EPSO’s training, supervision and accountability mechanisms to prevent unlawful seizures. The Justice Department’s investigations will determine whether VPPD and EPSO officers engage in a pattern or practice of using investigative holds in violation of the Constitution and federal law.
“No individual should be detained without proper cause or arrested in violation of his or her civil rights,” said Attorney General Eric Holder. “As these investigations move forward, the Department of Justice will work to ensure that the actions of the Ville Platte Police Department and the Evangeline Parish Sheriff’s Office are in service of our shared mission, consistent with our common values, and in accordance with the Constitution that we are sworn to uphold.”
The Justice Department has contacted officials at VPPD, EPSO, the city of Ville Platte and Evangeline Parish, and will continue to work closely with these law enforcement agencies and municipalities as the investigations progress.
“Police officers across the country are called upon regularly to use their law enforcement authority to protect and safeguard members of their communities by investigating criminal activity,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta of the Civil Rights Division. “It is imperative that officers use their authority within the boundaries of the law and the Constitution. We are eager to work together with the Ville Platte Police Department, Evangline Parish Sheriff’s Office and the local municipalities to help ensure that their officers are engaged in law enforcement practices that are consistent with the Constitution.”
“All of us who work in law enforcement should be focused on due process every day,” said U.S. Attorney Stephanie A. Finley of the Western District of Louisiana. “Each citizen deserves to be treated with respect and in accordance with the Constitution. We will continue to work with all of our local partners to ensure that arrests and detentions are proper and legal, with the goal of having safeguards in place to make sure that similar violations do not occur in the future.”
The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 prohibits state and local governments from engaging in a pattern or practice of misconduct by law enforcement officers that deprives individuals of federally-protected rights. The act also allows the Justice Department to remedy such misconduct through civil litigation. The Justice Department has conducted similar investigations and has obtained important reforms in police departments and law enforcement agencies across the country.
The Special Litigation Section of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division in Washington, D.C., is conducting the investigations. Individuals with relevant information are encouraged to contact the Justice Department by phone at 1-877-218-5228.
Additional information about the Civil Rights Division is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt.
Click here for the Special Litigation Section’s police accomplishments fact sheet
Monroe woman sentenced to 21 months in prison for stealing more than $119,000 in Social Security benefitsRead the Press Release
MONROE, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a Monroe woman was sentenced this week to 21 months in prison for receiving more than $119,000 in Social Security benefits intended for her father who had died years before.
Jessica Lewis, 43, of Monroe, was sentenced Monday by U.S. District Judge Robert G. James on one count of theft of government property. She was also sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $119,258 restitution. According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, between June 3, 1998 and January 3, 2014, Lewis cashed and used her deceased father’s Social Security benefit checks. She also did not inform the Social Security Administration that her father had died and told office representatives that he was alive in order to keep receiving the benefit checks. The total amount taken was $119,258.
The Social Security Administration-Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown prosecuted the case.
New Iberia man pleads guilty to producing child pornographyRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a New Iberia man pleaded guilty to videoing boys engaging in sexual activity over the internet.
Raymond F. Doyle III, 40, of New Iberia, La., entered a guilty plea before U.S. District Judge Richard T. Haik for one count of producing child pornography. According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, Doyle began communicating with numerous boys in the summer of 2011 using the internet and the video streaming internet service Skype. One of the boys was age 14 and from Oklahoma. Doyle caused the minor to engage in sex acts while being videoed using Skype. Doyle also sent the minor a sex toy to use during the video sessions. United States Postal Service agents determined Doyle’s location on April 12, 2012 by examining information related to the sex toy’s shipment. 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.
Doyle faces mandatory 30 years in prison, lifetime of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. He is also required to register as a sex offender. A sentencing date was not set.
The U.S. Postal Service and Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Luke Walker is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a U.S. Department of Justice nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security/Homeland Security Investigations/Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) encourage the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free hotline at (866) DHS-2ICE. Investigators are available at all hours to answer hotline calls. Tips or other information can also be submitted to ICE online at www.ice.gov/exec/forms/hsi-tips/tips.asp. Tips may be submitted anonymously.
Monroe woman sentenced to 24 months in prison for stealing more than $200,000 in Social Security paymentsRead the Press Release
MONROE, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a Monroe woman was sentenced Monday to 24 months in prison for stealing more than $200,000 in Social Security benefit payments.
Cassandra D. Ellis, 53, of Monroe, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Robert G. James on one count of theft of government funds. She was also sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $206,325 restitution. According to evidence presented at the January 21, 2015 guilty plea, from February 1996 to April 2014, Ellis deposited and used her deceased grandmother’s Social Security benefit checks, to which she was not entitled. She also led Social Security officials to believe her grandmother was alive in order to continue receiving the checks. The total amount taken was $206,325.
The Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth D. Reeg prosecuted the case.
Charenton man sentenced to 12 months in prison for assault at the Chitimacha tribal reservationRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a Charenton man was sentenced to 12 months in prison for assaulting a Chitimacha tribal woman.
Dugan Joseph Burleigh, 34, of Charenton, La., was sentenced by U.S. Magistrate Judge C. Michael Hill after pleading guilty to one count of assault in Indian Country. He was also sentenced to serve one year of supervised release. According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, Burleigh, who is a not a member of the Chitimacha Tribe of Louisiana, assaulted a female victim who was a member of the tribe on January 11, 2015. He struck the victim from behind knocking her to the ground and continued to punch and kick her breaking her nose during the incident.
Jurisdiction in Indian Country is based upon the unique sovereign relationship between the federal government and Indian tribes. Congress has extended the territorial jurisdiction of the United States to major crimes committed against Native Americans that take place in Indian Country, which includes all property that the government holds in trust or use by officially recognized Native American tribes. The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecutes all major crimes and misdemeanor cases arising in Indian Country that are within the jurisdiction of this office.
The FBI and the Chitimacha Tribal Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dominic Rossetti and Joseph G. Jarzabek are prosecuting the case.
Kenyan pleads guilty to charge in Dreamboard child sex exploitation site caseRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a Kenyan pleaded guilty to producing child pornography for the Dreamboard child sex exploitation and child pornography site.
Brian Musomba Maweu, 51, of Kenya, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. to one count of engaging in a child exploitation enterprise. He was recently extradited to the United States from Kenya. According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, Maweu, using the online alias “Catfish,” made 121 posts on the Dreamboard site, which he joined on January 18, 2009. Of those posts, 34 were of child pornography he produced himself. Maweu was considered a “Super VIP” level member of the Dreamboard site. Super VIP is a designation given to members who were prominent on the site and produced homemade child pornography.
Maweu faces 20 years to life in prison, not less than five years to not more than life of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. A sentencing date of July 14, 2015 was set.
Maweu was charged in an indictment unsealed on Aug. 3, 2011. The charges were the result of Operation Delego, an investigation launched in December 2009 that targeted individuals around the world for their participation in Dreamboard. The board was a private, members-only, online bulletin board that was created and operated to promote pedophilia and encourage the sexual abuse of very young children in an environment designed to avoid law enforcement detection.
A total of 72 individuals, including Maweu, were charged as a result of Operation Delego. To date, 57 of the 72 charged defendants have been arrested in the United States and abroad. Eight of the 57 are in the process of being extradited to the United States. Forty-eight individuals have pleaded guilty, and one was convicted after trial. The 47 individuals who have pleaded guilty or found guilty for their roles in the conspiracy have been sentenced to prison and have received sentences ranging between five years to life in prison. Three defendants have received life sentences, including the one who was convicted at trial. Fifteen of the 72 charged individuals remain at large and are known only by their online identities. Efforts to identify and apprehend these individuals continue. Operation Delego represents the largest prosecution to date in the United States of individuals who have participated in an online bulletin board conceived and operated for the sole purpose of promoting child sexual abuse, disseminating child pornography and evading law enforcement.
“There is still much work to be done before most, if not all, online operations like this one can be stopped,” Finley stated. “It took the work of agencies, both domestic and international, to find and bring this defendant to justice. We hope to make more arrests in the case and bring to justice all of the individuals who perpetrate such vile schemes that endanger children. I want to thank all the agencies and prosecutors who have worked on this case.”
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. 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 as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Luke Walker and Michael O’Mara of the Western District of Louisiana and Trial Attorney Keith Becker of CEOS. The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance. The investigation was conducted by ICE-Homeland Security Investigations, the Child Exploitation Section of ICE’s Cyber Crime Center, CEOS, CEOS’s High Technology Investigative Unit and 35 ICE offices in the United States and 11 ICE attaches offices in 13 countries around the world, with assistance provided by numerous local and international law enforcement agencies across the United States and throughout the world.
ICE encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free hotline at 1-866-DHS-2ICE. This hotline is staffed around the clock by investigators. Tips or other information can also be submitted to ICE online at www.ice.gov/exec/forms/hsi-tips/tips.asp. Tips may be reported anonymously.
Shreveport resident pleads guilty to failing to update his sex offender registrationRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a Shreveport resident pleaded guilty Monday to failing to register his correct address for his sex offender identification.
Joseph Kelly Parson, 31, of Shreveport, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. to one count of failure to update his sex offender registration. According to evidence presented at the 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.
Parson faces up to 10 years in prison, five years to life supervised release and a $250,000 fine. A sentencing date of August 6, 2015 has been set.
The U.S. Marshals Service and Bossier City Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown is prosecuting the case.
Bossier City man pleads guilty to bankruptcy fraudRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a Bossier City man pleaded guilty to concealing his business’ assets during bankruptcy proceedings.
John M. Santoro, 43, of Bossier City, La., pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote to one count of concealment of assets in a bankruptcy proceeding. According to evidence presented at the 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.
Santoro faces a maximum of five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. A sentencing date of July 6, 2015 was set.
The FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brandon B. Brown and Cytheria D. Jernigan are prosecuting the case.
Monroe business owner pleads guilty to SNAP/WIC benefits fraudRead the Press Release
MONROE, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a Monroe grocery store owner pleaded guilty to conspiracy to provide cash and ineligible items to SNAP and WIC recipients in exchange for their benefits.
Allen Woods, 60, of Monroe, pleaded guilty to one count of criminal conspiracy and one count of theft of government property before U.S. Magistrate Judge Karen L. Hayes. The plea will become final when accepted by U.S. District Judge Robert G. James.
According to evidence presented at the guilty plea hearing, Woods operated two businesses illegally at the same location on Old Sterlington Road in Monroe from December 2010 until March 2014. After his other business, Big Al’s grocery store, located on Sherrouse Street in Monroe, was permanently disqualified from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in March of 2010, he opened Honey’s Grocery Store on Old Sterlington Road with another Monroe resident in 2010. They were cleared to participate in the SNAP program in December of 2010. As the owner of Honey’s, Woods and others permitted SNAP and WIC recipients to exchange their benefits for ineligible items.
After Honey’s closed its operations in August 2012, Woods and Marshall Brown opened Brown’s Grocery Store in the same building as Honey’s in September of 2010. Brown’s name was used to qualify the business as a SNAP retailer. Woods, Brown, and others allowed SNAP benefits to be used to purchase ineligible items such as alcohol and tobacco from September 2012 until March 2014. Woods, Brown, and others also exchanged cash for SNAP benefits and fraudulently acquired at least $5 million from illegally trafficking SNAP and WIC benefits while operating Honey’s and Brown’s grocery stores.
Woods faces up to five years in prison for the conspiracy count and up to 10 years in prison for the theft count. He also faces forfeiture of money and property connected with the charges. A sentencing date of August 30, 2015 was set. Brown pleaded guilty March 6, 2015 to the conspiracy count. A sentencing date of July 6, 2015 was set for Brown. They also both face up to three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General, conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Earl M. Campbell is prosecuting the case.
Vivian man, Texan plead guilty to cocaine and methamphetamine chargesRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a Vivian man and a Texan pleaded guilty to cocaine conspiracy and methamphetamine distribution charges in Caddo and Bossier parishes.
Eugene O’Neal Cross, 39, of Marshall, Texas, pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of methamphetamine, and Anthony D. Jackson, 24, of Vivian, La., pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute cocaine. United States District Judge Donald E. Walter presided over the hearing. According to evidence presented at the 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, distributing and/or planning to distribute drugs in Caddo and Bossier parishes.
Cross faces 10 years to life in prison, five years of supervised release, and a $10 million fine for the methamphetamine charge. Jackson faces five to 40 years in prison, four years of supervised release and a $5 million fine. A sentencing date of July 9, 2015 was set.
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 is prosecuting the case.
Shreveport man sentenced to more than 8 years in prison for firearms chargesRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a Shreveport man was sentenced to 105 months in prison for possessing firearms and ammunition after being convicted of multiple felonies.
Donzell Joseph Samuels Jr., 36, of Shreveport, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Donald E. Walter on one count of possessing a firearm and ammunition after being convicted of a felony. He was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release. According to evidence presented at the December 15, 2014 guilty plea, Samuels was on probation when law enforcement received information that he had a firearm at his residence. The Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office contacted Samuels at home in October of 2013 and found him in possession of a .380 caliber pistol, a .357 caliber revolver, two 9 mm pistols, and a 16 gauge shotgun. They also found ammunition with each firearm, an additional 16 rounds of 9 mm ammunition in an extended magazine, and .22 caliber ammunition.
Samuels has three prior felony convictions in the First Judicial District Court for Caddo Parish. In 2008 he was convicted of possession of a Schedule II controlled substance, cocaine, and was sentenced to three and a half years at hard labor. In 2001 he was convicted of accessory after the fact – manslaughter and criminal conspiracy to commit a simple burglary, and was sentenced to four years at hard labor. In 2000 he was convicted of simple burglary and was sentenced to two years at hard labor, suspended with one year of supervised probation.
The ATF and the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert W. Gillespie Jr. prosecuted the case as part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods Program, which is a Department of Justice initiative designed to prosecute those who are prohibited from possessing firearms and those who use firearms to commit violent crimes.
DeRidder woman pleads guilty to stealing more than $1.3 million from her employerRead the Press Release
LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a DeRidder woman pleaded guilty to stealing more than $1.3 million from her employer.
Lisa H. Ernst, 52, of DeRidder, La., entered a conditional guilty plea for one count of wire fraud to 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, Ernst stole $1,351,259.86 from Amerisafe in Deridder, La., where she was employed 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 company personnel in order to secure approval for the bank transfers, and then after transferring the money, she fabricated documents to conceal fraudulent transactions.
Ernst faces up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a $250,000 fine and restitution. A sentencing date of July 16, 2015 was set.
The FBI and the DeRidder Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph T. Mickel and David C. Joseph are prosecuting the case.
Caddo Parish Commissioner Michael Williams indicted for stealing from nonprofitRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a federal grand jury indicted Caddo Parish Commissioner Michael Dwayne Williams for defrauding the Caddo Parish Commission and stealing from a nonprofit meant to help at-risk youth.
Williams, 54, of Shreveport, was indicted on 12 counts of wire fraud. The indictment alleges that from October 1, 2012 through July 1, 2014, Williams devised a scheme to take more than $2,000 from a nonprofit’s bank account. Williams urged the parish commission to appropriate public funds for the nonprofit SWAG Nation. Once those funds were allocated from the parish’s budget to SWAG Nation, Williams caused a bank debit card to be issued for the nonprofit. Between April of 2013 and July of 2014, Williams used an ATM card to remove money on numerous occasions. According to the indictment, he took $100 to $200 each time that he made a withdrawal initializing 12 transactions from August 2013 to June 2014 for personal use. SWAG Nation’s declared purpose is to partner with local institutions to help mentor and counsel at-risk individuals ages 7 to 17 so that they can better function in society.
“The Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office investigated Michael Williams for several months and is pleased with the return of this indictment,” said Caddo Sheriff Steve Prator. “Unfortunately, there are people elected to office who will abuse the public’s trust. This money was meant for children, not politicians.”
Williams faces up to 20 years in prison, five years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine for each count.
The FBI and Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph G. Jarzabek and Brandon B. Brown 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.
U.S. Attorney Finley to speak to Shreveport breakfast group for Women’s History MonthRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley plans to visit the Tuesday Morning Breakfast Group to speak in honor of Women’s History Month.
The meeting is scheduled for 8 a.m., March 31, 2015, at the Pamoja Cultural Center, 3806 Linwood Ave., Shreveport. In observance of Women’s History Month, the Tuesday Morning Breakfast Group has selected local women to speak on a variety of issues. Finley will discuss her role as the U.S. Attorney of the Western District of Louisiana as well as the history and the progress women have made in the United States. The meeting is free and open to the public. Breakfast is Dutch treat. For more information, contact coordinator Lloyd Thompson at (318) 934-8036.
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 the Western District of Louisiana as the chief law enforcement officer for 42 of the state’s 64 parishes. 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 Chair of the U.S. Attorney’s Office of Management and Budget Committee.
U.S. Attorney Finley speaks to LSUE and Southern University law studentsRead the Press Release
EUNICE/BATON ROUGE, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley visited Louisiana State University at Eunice and Southern University Law Center in Baton Rouge this week to talk about her office’s role in administering justice.
“I always enjoy spending time with our future leaders,” Finley said. “If I can encourage or inspire any of them to strive for excellence and commit to sacrifice, no matter their career choice, then we all benefit.
The U.S. Attorney and FBI Senior Supervisory Resident Agent Don Bostic spoke to students at LSU at Eunice during an Introduction to Criminal Justice class on March 23, 2015. Finley and Bostic gave a presentation on the federal criminal process. They touched on the role of social media in criminal cases, the relationship between federal law enforcement and local law enforcement, the work that goes into investigating a case, the various jobs offered within the Department of Justice, and the makeup of the Western District of Louisiana, among other topics.
Louisiana State University at Eunice is a two-year community college, which is part of the LSU school system, and was founded in the mid-1960s. Find out more at www.LSUE.edu.
U.S. Attorney Finley also visited a Law Office Practice class at Southern University Law Center on March 24, 2015 in Baton Rouge. She spoke to the students about the role of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the various careers available within agencies under the Department of Justice. She was also present to answer questions from the students about the federal civil and criminal practices of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Southern University Law Center was formed in 1947, and its mission is to provide access and opportunity to a diverse group of students from underrepresented racial, ethnic, and socio-economic groups to obtain a high quality legal education with special emphasis on the Louisiana civil law. Find out more at www.sulc.edu.
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 the Western District of Louisiana as the chief law enforcement officer for 42 of the state’s 64 parishes. 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 Chair of the U.S. Attorney’s Office of Management and Budget Committee.
Texan sentenced to 10 years in prison for attempting to entice a minor into producing pornographyRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a Texan was sentenced to 120 months in prison for trying to lure a minor into producing a sex video.
Sach Kevin Vu, 33, of Arlington, Texas, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. for one count of attempting to entice a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity. He was also sentenced to five years of supervised release. According to evidence presented at the October 23, 2014 guilty plea, an undercover officer posing as a 16-year-old girl responded on February 7, 2014 to an online advertisement seeking models for a photo shoot. Vu began communicating with the officer posing as a 16-year-old girl and set up a meeting in Haynesville, La., where he planned to produce a pornographic video. While arranging the meeting, Vu communicated in detail the types of sex acts he wanted performed in the video. He was arrested on February 20, 2014, in Haynesville, La., after traveling there from Texas. Sex toys and camera equipment were found in his vehicle.
“This defendant’s goal was to convince a minor to take part in sexual acts,” Finley stated. “Not only did he plan on abusing a girl, he also intended to record it. We take sexual abuse of minors and the production of child pornography seriously. If members of the public are found to be engaging in such illegal activities, they will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
The FBI and the Claiborne Parish Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth D. Reeg 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.
Those concerned may also leave tips with the FBI at tips.fbi.gov. Tips may be submitted anonymously. The Shreveport FBI office number is (318) 861-1890.
Police officer pleads guilty to accepting cash payments from Desperado’s Cabaret ownerRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a Carencro Police officer pleaded guilty to receiving cash payments from James Panos, former owner and manager of Desperado’s Cabaret, while the officer was in charge of regulating exotic dancer permits for the Carencro Police Department, and during a time Desperado’s operated as an illegal enterprise.
Timothy Prejean, 42, of Carencro, La., pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Richard T. Haik to interference with commerce by extortion under color of official right. According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, Prejean accepted cash payments from James Panos during the years Prejean processed and delivered exotic dancer licenses for Desperado’s employees. Additionally, Prejean failed to investigate reported illegal activity at Desperado’s from 2007 to December 5, 2012. The illegal activity involved prostitution in the VIP room and drug distribution/use inside the business. During this time, Prejean was assigned as the liaison officer between the Carencro Police Department and Desperado’s for the purpose of enforcing local ordinances pertaining to exotic dancer licensing and related regulations.
Prejean improperly received a total of $10,000 in cash and other benefits from club owners James and Jennifer Panos while in performance of his regulatory duties. Other benefits included no cover charge to enter, free access to the VIP rooms, and free drinks.
James Panos, Jennifer Panos, and eight other defendants were charged in a 10-count indictment on May 15, 2013, alleging racketeering conspiracy, drug conspiracy, and firearms charges. The charges are the result of an investigation of drug trafficking, drug distribution, prostitution, and other illegal activity that took place at Desperado’s Cabaret in Carencro located on Northeast Evangeline Thruway.
“Timothy Prejean violated his oath of office and the public’s trust by failing to uphold the law and by taking cash payments from a corrupt business,” said Finley. “The people of Carencro deserve and expect more from their law enforcement officers. My Office will lead the charge in investigating and bringing to justice corrupt public officials.”
James Panos, Jennifer Panos and the remaining defendants were sentenced on August 7, 2014. As part of the plea agreement, the owners agreed to forfeit illegal proceeds already seized, return proceeds illegally earned, and they agreed to forfeit the Desperado’s property to include the building and land.
Prejean faces up to 20 years in prison, three years supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. A sentencing date was not set.
The DEA, FBI, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations, Louisiana State Police, and Lafayette Metro Narcotics investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Myers P. Namie and Daniel J. McCoy prosecuted the case.
Lafayette man pleads guilty to bomb threat, bank robbery chargesRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a Lafayette man pleaded guilty to making a bomb threat and attempting to rob a bank.
Devin Haywood, 31, of Lafayette, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Richard T. Haik to one count of using a facility in interstate commerce to willfully make a threat or maliciously convey false information, and one count of attempted bank robbery. According to the indictment, Haywood used a cell phone to make a bomb threat at 5:30 a.m. on July 16, 2014, to a local television station that there was a bomb at Girard Park in Lafayette and on the University of Louisiana at Lafayette campus. While law enforcement agents were investigating the bomb threat, Haywood attempted to rob a bank on Moss Street in Lafayette. Haywood approached two of the bank employees after they had arrived for work at the bank. He appeared to be carrying a gun. The two bank employees fled back to their vehicles and left the scene.
Haywood faces 10 years in prison and three years of supervised release for the bomb threat charge. He faces 20 years in prison and five years of supervised release for the attempted bank robbery charge. Both charges carry a fine of up to $250,000. A sentencing date was not set.
“Actions of this defendant created a very dangerous situation within the city of Lafayette,” Finley stated. “Law enforcement, emergency responders and others were called away from other important work to respond to a fabricated bomb threat so that this individual could attempt to rob a financial institution. He is now facing the consequences of his actions. I want to thank the law enforcement agencies that responded professionally and promptly to this incident.”
The FBI, ATF, U.S. Marshals Service, Louisiana State Police, Lafayette Police Department, Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the University of Louisiana at Lafayette Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Luke Walker is prosecuting the case.
Former Iberia Parish Sheriff’s deputy pleads guilty to violating man’s civil rightsRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a former Iberia Parish Sheriff’s deputy pleaded guilty to striking a handcuffed man.
Cody Laperouse, 29, of New Iberia, La., pleaded guilty to a one-count bill of information charging a violation of an individual’s civil rights by use of excessive force. The plea was taken by U.S. Magistrate Judge Patrick Hanna. According to evidence presented at the 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.
“Law enforcement officers play a critical role in our society and every day put their lives on the line to serve our citizens,” said Finley. “They are the unsung heroes who take an oath to follow the law and to keep us safe. Unfortunately, Mr. Laperouse breached that trust and violated his oath by using excessive force on a member of our community.”
Laperouse faces up to one year in prison, one year supervised release, and a $100,000 fine. A sentencing date was not set.
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 are prosecuting the case.
Mexican National Sentenced to 18 Months on Immigration ChargesRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a Mexican national was sentenced to 18 months in prison for selling counterfeit identification documents and for illegally reentering the United States. A second Mexican national was sentenced to six months in prison for hiring an illegal alien.
Nazario Flores-Cordero, 45, of Mexico, was sentenced on one count of fraud and misuse of visas, permits and other documents; one count of false representation of a Social Security account number; and one count of illegal re-entry to the United States following deportation. Jesus Francisco Herrera-Gonzalez, 36, also of Mexico, was sentenced on one count of encouraging and inducing Nazario Flores-Cordero, an illegal alien, to reside in the United States by illegally employing him. They were also ordered to be deported following the completion of their prison terms. United States District Judge S. Maurice Hicks sentenced them.
According to the evidence presented at the December 2, 2014 guilty pleas, Flores-Cordero sold counterfeited or altered fake permanent resident cards and Social Security cards from October 2011 to May of 2014 in the Shreveport/Bossier City area that were to be used to falsely show that illegal aliens were lawfully in the United States and could be employed. Each counterfeit permanent resident card showed the name of the individual and photograph of the individual to be employed. Each counterfeit Social Security card falsely used and represented a Social Security account number not assigned to the individual named on the card. Flores-Cordero was also found to be illegally in the United States after he was last removed from the United States to Mexico in 2013.
United States Immigrations and Customs Enforcement-Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert W. Gillespie Jr. prosecuted the case.
Prisoners Sentenced for Assaulting Fellow InmateRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that two prisoners at the U.S. Penitentiary in Pollock, La., were sentenced for beating a fellow inmate resulting in traumatic brain injury.
Jeffrey Lovell, 33, Evansville, Ind., and Christopher Simpson, 36, of Hendersonville, N.C., were sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell to 68 months and 71 months in prison respectively for one count of assault resulting in serious bodily injury. They were also sentenced to three years of supervised release. According to evidence presented at the guilty pleas, video cameras captured Lovell and Simpson assaulting a third inmate outside of his cell on June 11, 2013 at the U.S. Penitentiary in Pollock. The inmate was struck around his head and torso. The prisoner was later brought to a hospital where he was treated for traumatic brain injury, which required a feeding tube.
The FBI and the U.S. Bureau of Prisons conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth D. Reeg prosecuted the case.
Previously Convicted Bossier Tax Preparer Pleads Guilty to Tax FraudRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a Bossier City woman pleaded guilty to making and filing a false tax return.
Karen Cartagena, 54, of Bossier City, La., pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote to one count of making and subscribing a false tax return. According to evidence presented at the 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.
“My office is committed to the vigorous prosecution of corrupt individuals who prepare fraudulent tax returns,” Finley said. “The selective targeting for profit of educational and other tax credits, which are designated to help individuals in need, is reprehensible.”
“Return preparer fraud is a priority for IRS Criminal Investigation, and we have committed many resources to these cases,” said Jerome R. McDuffie, Acting Special Agent in Charge, IRS-Criminal Investigation, New Orleans Field Office. “Ms. Cartagena was previously convicted of preparing false income tax returns and willfully chose to continue her illegal activities. 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. We will continue to vigorously investigate and prosecute return preparers who abuse the nation’s tax system.”
Cartagena faces up to three years in prison, one year supervised release, a $250,000 fine, and restitution. A sentencing date of July 16, 2015 was set.
The IRS Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Earl M. Campbell is prosecuting the case.
New Jersey Man Pleads Guilty to Role in Anabolic Steroid Distribution RingRead the Press Release
MONROE La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a New Jersey man pleaded guilty for his role in importing and selling anabolic steroids.
Justin R. Kull, 28, of Turnersville, N.J., entered a conditional guilty plea for one count of conspiracy to distribute Schedule III controlled substances before U.S. Magistrate Judge Karen L. Hayes. The plea will become final when accepted by U.S. District Judge Robert G. James. According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, Kull in addition to Gary Lynn Ward, 47; and David Ray Dean, 47, both 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.
Kull faces up to 20 years in prison, at least four years supervised release, and a $1 million fine. A sentencing date of June 15, 2015 was set. Dean pleaded guilty February 18, 2015, and Ward pleaded guilty March 6, 2015 to one count of conspiracy to distribute Schedule III controlled substances. Dean is to be sentenced July 6, 2015, and Ward is to be sentenced on June 15, 2015.
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 is prosecuting the case.
Many Resident Sentenced to More Than 6 Years in Prison for Distribution of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a man from Many was sentenced to 78 months in prison for distributing methamphetamine.
Marcus Johnson, 38, of Many, La., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. on one count of distribution of methamphetamine. He was also sentenced to three years of supervised release. According to evidence presented at the December 10, 2014, guilty plea, law enforcement agents conducted controlled buys of methamphetamine from Johnson on November 4, 7, and 12 of 2013. Johnson would conduct methamphetamine sales at various retail stores in Many.
The DEA and the Sabine Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown prosecuted the case.