Western District of Louisiana
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Vernon Parish Man Sentenced to 72 Months in Prison for Downloading Child PornographyRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – U.S. Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that Francis M. Buckner Jr., 41, of New Llano, La., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Richard T. Haik, to 72 months in prison and 10 years of supervised release for possession of child pornography. He was also required to register as a sex offender. Buckner pleaded guilty on July 17, 2013.
According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, Buckner admitted to possessing 36 videos and 144 images of child pornography. Law enforcement officers identified the defendant as a collector of child pornography. He used a software sharing program to download the pornography. A search warrant was obtained for his residence, and the investigation revealed that Buckner had downloaded sadistic material depicting bondage and other sexually explicit scenes involving prepubescent children onto his computer. At the time of his arrest, the defendant admitted he had been downloading child pornography.
The Department of Homeland Security Investigations and the Louisiana State Police 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) encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free hotline at (866) DHS-2ICE. Investigators are available at all hours to answer hotline calls. Tips or other information can also be submitted to ICE online at www.ice.gov/exec/forms/hsi-tips/tips.asp. Tips may be reported anonymously.
To Georgia Men Sentenced for Gift Card SchemeRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that Derrick Nathaniel Hartfield, 46, of Smyrna, Ga., and Rico Carty Clemons, 48, of Riverdale, Ga., were sentenced by U.S. District Judge Richard T. Haik for defrauding Wal-Mart and other retail businesses nationwide out of hundreds of thousands of dollars through identity theft and wire fraud. Hartfield received 60 months in prison, four years of supervised release, and a $10,000 fine for wire fraud. He also received 24 months in prison, two years of supervised release, and a $5,000 fine for aggravated identity theft. The two prison terms will be served consecutively and the supervised release will be served concurrently. Clemons received 10 months in prison and two years of supervised release for wire fraud. Both defendants were also ordered to pay $14,869 in restitution. Hartfield and Clemons pleaded guilty on May 13, 2013.
According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, Hartfield and Clemons admitted that they used illegally obtained retail store gift cards and applied for credit/debit cards using other peoples’ identities. Hartfield acknowledged during the entry of his guilty plea that he had advised law enforcement officers he may have obtained approximately $1 million since 2005 as a result of the scheme. A Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office deputy working a security detail at a Lake Charles Wal-Mart on July 7, 2012, apprehended Hartfield in the store. The officer then identified Clemons who was in a parked vehicle outside. The two men were in possession of $2,000 and numerous debit and credit cards that were not in their names.
The Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Secret Service conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brett L. Grayson prosecuted the case.
Mexican National Sentenced to 48 Months in Prison for Part in Drug Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. –United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that Joel Sotomayer Cervantes, 36, of Mexico, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Richard T. Haik, to 48 months in prison and three years of supervised release for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and heroin. The defendant pleaded guilty to charges on April 24, 2013.
According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, from January 1, 2008 until March 1, 2011, Joel Cervantes along with Jesus Silverio Cervantes, Ramon Gaudalupe Aldama-Rodriguez, Jose Manuel Mojica-Echeverria, Turon Ajure Leduff, Nora Myriam Monge, and Rene Omar Monge conspired to distribute more than one kilogram of heroin and possessed with intent to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine. Jesus Cervantes ran the cocaine and heroin trafficking organization from an Abbeville residence that Joel Cervantes owned. The drugs were distributed in the Acadiana and Baton Rouge areas.
The defendant was arrested as part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Baton Rouge Police Department, and the Vermillion Parish Sheriff’s Office participated in this OCDETF investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brett L. Grayson prosecuted 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 disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations, targeting national and regional level drug trafficking organizations, and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to disrupt or dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize their assets.
Zwolle Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Firearm Possession ChargeRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced thatScott William Wood, 31, of Zwolle, La., was sentenced Wednesday by U.S. District Judge Maurice S. Hicks to 10 years in federal prison and three years of supervised release for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Woods pleaded guilty on July 29, 2013.
According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, members of the U.S. Marshal’s Service Task Force arrested Woods and three others at a casino hotel in Shreveport on June 20, 2012. During his arrest, agents discovered methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia, two handguns, ammunition and body armor in the hotel room. Wood admitted to bringing the guns into the hotel. The defendant has previously been convicted on drug possession and drug distribution charges.The Louisiana State Police, U.S. Marshal’s Service Task Force, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the ATF conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth D. Reeg prosecuted the case.
West Monroe Man Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison for Bank FraudRead the Press Release
MONROE, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that Glen A. “Andy” Miller, 48, of West Monroe, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Robert G. James to 18 months in prison and five years of supervised release for bank fraud. The defendant was also ordered to pay $97,413 in restitution.Miller was found guilty August 14, 2013 after a three-day jury trial. Witness testimony and documents admitted at trial revealed that from September 24, 2010 until January 25, 2011 Miller, an independent IT contractor, stole $97,413 from Will Transport, a Monroe company, where he was working at the time. Miller stole blank Will Transport company checks, made them payable to himself and then used the company’s stamp to put signatures on the checks. Miller deposited these checks into his account at Capital One Bank and withdrew the funds shortly thereafter. The trial evidence also revealed that Miller was previously terminated from the city of West Monroe for the fraudulent use of a city issued credit card.
“This defendant used his position to steal money from his employer,” Finley stated. “They trusted him to conduct his work honestly, but instead betrayed them and broke the law. Theft from employers and bank fraud are serious crimes and disruptive to members of the business community. We are committed to aggressively prosecuting this type of financial crime.”
The U.S. Secret Service conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown prosecuted the case.
Sulphur Men Plead Guilty to Making and Distributing Counterfeit MoneyRead the Press Release
LAKE CHARLES, La. –United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that Shaun Daigle, 34, and Patrick Murray, 46, both of Sulphur, La., pleaded guilty Thursday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen Kay, to conspiring to counterfeit U.S. currency.
According to the evidence presented at the guilty plea, from May 1, 2013 to May 25, 2013, Daigle and Murray conspired to manufacture and distribute counterfeit U.S. currency in the Sulphur, Lake Charles, and Westlake, La. areas.
The defendants each face up to five years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release for conspiracy to counterfeit and forge obligations to the United States. A sentencing date has not been set.The U.S. Secret Service and Sulphur Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. McCoy is prosecuting the case.
Five Defendants Sentenced for Auto Accident Insurance FraudRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that five defendants were sentenced on Wednesday and Thursday by U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. for their roles in a staged accident insurance scheme. The defendants pleaded guilty July 15, 2013.Larry Kimble, 33, of Athens, La., was sentenced to 13 months in prison and three years of supervised release for conspiracy and wire fraud. He was also ordered to pay $7,463 in restitution.
Bobby Lee Kimble, 42, of Athens, La., was sentenced to 14 months in prison and three years of supervised release for conspiracy, wire fraud and health care fraud.
Joe Abbott, 54, of Arcadia, La., was sentenced to four months in prison and three years of supervised release for conspiracy, mail fraud and health care fraud.
Marcus Kimble, 30, of Arcadia, La., was sentenced to one day in prison, time served and three years of supervised release for conspiracy, wire fraud, and health care fraud.
Monica Jenkins, 25, of Athens, La., was sentenced to five years of probation for conspiracy, mail fraud and health care fraud.
The members of the ring conspired to stage automobile accidents and submit fraudulent claims to various insurance companies for bodily injury and property damage. The “Kimble Ring,” was composed of family, friends and associates who staged two automobile rear-end collisions, single automobile collisions with trees, and false hit-and-run claims. The false claims were filed for accidents occurring in Bienville Parish; Ruston, La.; Athens, La.; and Claiborne Parish between December 2007 and March 2008.
Sentencing of co-defendant Damario Henderson, 29, of Homer, La., who is charged with conspiracy and health care fraud, has been delayed until December 18, 2013.
“The consumers pay the ultimate price through higher costs and premiums when fraudulent schemes like this are carried out,” Finley stated. “This group was motivated by greed, and their goal was to get as much money as possible by defrauding insurance companies out of thousands of dollars. Their actions placed unnecessary burdens on the local insurance system, causing money and time to be misspent on the false claims. This office will continue to prosecute these types of cases to the fullest extent of the law.”
The Louisiana State Police investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Earl M. Campbell prosecuted the case.Convicted Felon Sentenced for Possessing A Firearm with an Obliterated Serial NumberRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that William Thomas Holland III, 31, of Norfolk, Va., was sentenced Thursday by U.S. District Judge Tom Stagg to 24 months in federal prison and three years of supervised release for possessing a firearm after being convicted of a felony and for possessing a firearm with an obliterated serial number. He pleaded guilty July 11, 2013.
According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, on June 23, 2012, members of the 2nd Security Forces Squadron at Barksdale Air Force Base (BAFB) noticed a vehicle parked near a wooded area on BAFB. Upon looking through the window of the vehicle, officers saw a large knife, marijuana and evidence of marijuana use. Holland then walked from the woods and approached the vehicle and stated that he owned the vehicle. The defendant was detained and a warrant was obtained to search the vehicle to retrieve the knife and marijuana. Holland was the civilian spouse of a member of the military who lived on BAFB. A second search warrant was obtained to search Holland’s residence on BAFB. A loaded .357 caliber revolver was found along with other items. The serial number on the firearm was obliterated. Holland admitted to possessing the firearm, knowing that the serial number was obliterated on the firearm and that he had a prior felony conviction prohibiting him from possessing the firearm. He told law enforcement agents that he had bought the ammunition for the firearm from a local sporting goods store.“Barksdale Air Force Base is one of the largest Air Force bases in the world and is home of the 8th Air Force and B-52H bombers,” Finley stated. “The safety of the military and its civilian protection is a priority of our office. Vigilant action by Security Forces and the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI) agents resulted in the arrest, conviction and imprisonment of this felon. It is a testament to the great working relationship between the military investigative personnel and the Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.”
Members of the 2nd Security Forces Squadron, the AFOSI at Barksdale Air Force Base and the Shreveport Office of the ATF investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert W. Gillespie Jr. prosecuted this case as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods. Project Safe Neighborhoods is a nationwide program started in 2001 designed to reduce violence by aggressively enforcing existing federal firearms laws.
Shreveport Man Sentenced for Conspiracy to Possess and Distribute CocaineRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that David Lamone Moten, 34, of Shreveport, was sentenced Tuesday by U.S. District Court Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. to 105 months in prison and four years of supervised release for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine. He pleaded guilty January 31, 2013.
According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, in December of 2012, Moten conspired with Michael Williams, Robin Lynette Gaddis and others to possess with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of powder cocaine. In 2011 and 2012, Williams caused cocaine to be transported from Dallas to his hometown of Shreveport for redistribution by others, including Moten. Specifically, on December 1, 2012, Moten received a shipment of powder cocaine from Williams and distributed the cocaine in the Shreveport area.Williams pleaded guilty to drug conspiracy charges on January 31, 2013 and was sentenced on May 30, 2013 to 151 months in federal prison. Gaddis pleaded guilty to conspiracy January 22, 2013 and was sentenced June 10, 2013 to 24 months in federal prison.
Williams, Gaddis and Moten were prosecuted as part of OCDETF Operation Dry Cedar, which targeted cocaine distributors in Shreveport’s Cedar Grove neighborhood. The FBI’s Northwest Louisiana Violent Crimes Task Force investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Allison D. Bushnell prosecuted the case.
Members of the Task Force include the FBI, Shreveport Police Department, Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office, Bossier City Police Department, Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Office, Desoto Parish Sheriff’s Office and the Louisiana State Police. The investigation spanned two states, multiple jurisdictions, and involved the FBI offices in both Shreveport and Dallas. To date, the investigation has produced eight federal indictments and 14 state arrests.
The OCDETF program is a joint federal, state and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking and is the nation’s primary tool for disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations, targeting national and regional level drug trafficking organizations, and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to disrupt or dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize their assets.
Alabama Man Pleads Guilty to Criminal Copyright InfringementRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that Johnson Augustus Powell, 53, of Huntsville, Ala., pleaded guilty Tuesday before U.S. District Judge Richard T. Haik to copyright infringement.
According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, Louisiana State Police stopped Powell’s vehicle August 10, 2011 on Interstate 10. During a search of the vehicle, State Police found 1,463 counterfeit DVD movies and 1,225 counterfeit music CDs. Powell surrendered the illegal materials and admitted that he was selling them for profit.On November 30, 2011, a Calcasieu Parish Anti-Drug Team officer stopped Powell’s vehicle on Interstate 10 for a routine traffic violation. After a vehicle search, officers found 1,085 counterfeit DVD movies and 836 counterfeit music CDs. Powell again admitted to making the illegal materials for profit. In January 2012, Powell turned over computer programs and equipment he used to counterfeit the media. On April 4, 2012, a Calcasieu Parish Anti-Drug Team officer again stopped Powell on Interstate 10, and after a search of the vehicle, found 511 counterfeit DVD movies and 423 counterfeit music CDs.
Powell faces up to five years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release for one count of criminal copyright infringement. A sentencing date was not set.
The Louisiana State Police, Calcasieu Parish Anti-Drug Team and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brett L. Grayson is prosecuting the case.Jury Finds Georgia Men Guilty of Orchestrating Bank Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a federal jury found Anthown Latarius Swan, 28, Orlando Brian Washington, 29, and Lavar Elliot Kittelberger, 33, all of Atlanta, Ga., guilty of operating a counterfeit check scheme that bilked thousands of dollars from business bank accounts in the south-central and southwest Louisiana areas. United States District Judge Patricia Minaldi presided over the trial.The defendants’ trial started Monday and ended today with the jury returning the guilty verdict after deliberating for two and a half hours. According to evidence and testimony presented at the trial, the defendants stayed at Lafayette, La., hotels and would steal from area businesses’ mailboxes looking for commercial checks sent to those businesses and drawn on local banks. They used account information on the original checks to print out counterfeit checks and recruited individuals off the street and from homeless shelters who had valid identification to cash the fake checks. Counterfeit checks were cashed at banks in Lafayette, Broussard, Crowley, Lake Charles and Sulphur. After a search of the group’s hotel room on November 27, 2012, authorities found the 43 original stolen checks worth $155,223 in addition to a computer, printer and blank check paper.
All of the defendants were convicted on the conspiracy to defraud a financial institution and stolen mail counts. Swan and Washington were also convicted of eight counts of fictitious obligations, and Kittleberger was convicted of five counts of fictitious obligations.
The defendants face up to 30 years in prison, a $1 million fine and five years of supervised release. A sentencing date of February 13, 2014 was set.
The fourth co-defendant of the group, Kwame Raphael Cunningham, 22, of Augusta, Ga., pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and identity theft charges August 22, 2013. His sentencing date is December 5, 2013.
The U.S. Secret Service and the Lafayette Police Department with assistance from the Sulphur Police Department, the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office and the Louisiana State Police conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brett L. Grayson and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert C. Abendroth prosecuted the case.
Ball Man Sentenced to 70 Months in Prison for Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, La. – U.S. Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that Alexander Maciver, 24, of Ball, La., was sentenced before U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell to 70 months in prison and five years of supervised release for possessing child pornography. He will also be required to register as a sex offender. Maciver pleaded guilty on April 30, 2013.According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, authorities discovered more than 10 images of child pornography and one video on MacIver’s laptop, after authorities executed a search warrant of his home on July 18, 2011. The images and video involved minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Maciver admitted to downloading the material off the internet.
The Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Lafayette investigations unit conducted the investigation. This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a U.S. Department of Justice launched nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security/Homeland Security Investigations/Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free hotline at (866) DHS-2ICE. Investigators are available at all hours to answer hotline calls. Tips or other information can also be submitted to ICE online at www.ice.gov/exec/forms/hsi-tips/tips.asp. Tips may be submitted anonymously.
Assistant U.S. Attorney James T. McManus prosecuted the case.
Mexican Citizen Sentenced for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that Abelardo Antunez-Gama, 46, of Mexico, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard T. Haik to 20 months in prison for illegal reentry with deportation upon service of sentence and no supervised release to follow. Antunez-Gama pleaded guilty August 8, 2013.
According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, local law enforcement found Antunez-Gama after conducting a traffic stop January 23, 2013 on Interstate 10, near Exit 36, east of Lake Charles, La. He was handed over to U.S. Border Patrol agents who discovered he had reentered the United States illegally three times previously, and had prior drug and firearm convictions. The defendant was convicted on March 2001 for possessing a firearm during commission of a drug crime and was deported in May 2001. He was found to be in the Unites States again in 2011 and was removed in May 2011. He was arrested near the Mexican border town of Del Rio, Texas, on June 9, 2011, was convicted on illegal reentry charges on November 17, 2011, served time in prison for the offense, and then was removed from the United States again in September of 2012.The U.S. Border Patrol and Homeland Security conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Myers P. Namie prosecuted the case.
Westlake Man Sentenced for Possessing Child PornRead the Press Release
LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that Michael Sonnier, 32, of Westlake, La., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Patricia Minaldi to 120 months in prison and a lifetime of supervised release for possession of child pornography. He pleaded guilty August 1, 2013.
According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, law enforcement authorities detected Sonnier downloading child pornography using file sharing software. A search of the defendant’s computer and phone on October 18, 2012, revealed that he downloaded more than 26 movies of hardcore child pornography, which included sadistic material depicting prepubescent children.Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Luke Walker prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security/Homeland Security Investigations/Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free hotline at (866) DHS-2ICE. Investigators are available at all hours to answer hotline calls. Tips or other information can also be submitted to ICE online at www.ice.gov/exec/forms/hsi-tips/tips.asp.
Two Sentenced, One Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that two defendants were sentenced and one pleaded guilty to child pornography related charges. The hearings were held before U.S. District Judge Patricia Minaldi.
WESTLAKE MAN SENTENCED FOR POSSESSING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY
Michael Sonnier, 31, of Westlake, La., was sentenced to 120 months in prison and a lifetime of supervised release for possession of child pornography. He pleaded guilty August 1, 2013.
According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, law enforcement authorities detected Sonnier downloading child pornography using file sharing software. A search of the defendant’s computer and phone on October 18, 2012, revealed that he downloaded more than 26 movies of hardcore child pornography, which included sadistic material depicting prepubescent children. Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Luke Walker prosecuted the case.EX-TUGBOAT CAPTAIN SENTENCED FOR TRANSPORTING CHILD PORN
Former tugboat captain Kenneth Dwight Dickey, 57, of Foley, Ala., was sentenced to 108 months in prison and a lifetime of supervised release for transporting child pornography. He pleaded guilty August 1, 2013.
According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, law enforcement authorities detected Dickey downloading child pornography using “peer-to-peer” software. Those using peer-to-peer software usually take a file and place it in a “shared folder” on a computer for the purpose of distributing it to others on the internet. A search of the defendant’s computer and phone on October 15, 2012 showed that Dickey was in possession of child pornography. He also admitted to transporting child pornography from Mississippi to the Western District of Louisiana. The child pornography on the computer was sadistic in nature. Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Luke Walker prosecuted the case.JENNINGS MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO RECEIVING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY
Seth Ryan Bivens, 29, of Jennings, La., pleaded guilty to receiving child pornography.
According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, law enforcement authorities discovered that Bivens was downloading child pornography using “peer-to-peer” software. A warrant was obtained, and Bivens’ home was searched on November 14, 2012. An examination of Bivens’ computer and other electronic devices uncovered 294 movies and 28 images of child pornography.
Bivens faces five up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and supervised release of five years to life. Sentencing is set for February 6, 2014. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations and the Louisiana State Police conducted the investigation. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert C. Abendroth is prosecuting the case.All of the cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security/Homeland Security Investigations/Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free hotline at (866) DHS-2ICE. Investigators are available at all hours to answer hotline calls. Tips or other information can also be submitted to ICE online at www.ice.gov/exec/forms/hsi-tips/tips.asp. Tips may be submitted anonymously.
Private Investigator Williamson Pleads Not Guilty to Bribery Case Charges, Trial Date SetRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that private investigator Robert Williamson, 64, of Lafayette, was arraigned Wednesday of this week before U.S. Magistrate Judge Patrick J. Hanna on a nine-count indictment charging him with operating a pay-for-plea scheme that garnered favorable treatment for defendants charged with state violations of operating while intoxicated (OWI).
Williamson pleaded not guilty to the charges and was released on a $50,000 bond. The trial date has been set for December 16, 2013.
The grand jury returned the Williamson indictment February 28, 2013, charging him with one count of conspiracy, six counts of bribery relating to the OWI scheme, one count of Social Security Fraud for claiming Social Security payments while not reporting income from the bribery scheme, and one count of making false statements to a federal agent.
According to the indictment, Williamson, who is not licensed to practice law, was part of a conspiracy from March 2008 to February 2012 to solicit thousands of dollars from individuals with pending criminal charges in the 15th Judicial District. Williamson promised favorable resolutions to pending felony and misdemeanor cases, the majority of which were OWI cases.
The indictment states that Williamson paid bribes in cash and other things of value to personnel within the District Attorney's office and employees with other organizations associated with the OWI program, including Acadiana Outreach. Williamson is also alleged to have obtained false and fraudulent certifications from Acadiana Outreach, which certified that his clients completed court-ordered community service, when in fact the individuals had not. The indictment outlines that Williamson would obtain fraudulent driver safety training certificates showing that Williamson's "clients" completed court-mandated driver improvement programs when they had not.
If convicted of the conspiracy, Williamson faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both with up to three years of supervised release. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, a 250,000 fine or both with three years of supervised release for each count of bribery, five years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both with three years of supervised release for the Social Security Fraud count, and five years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both with three years of supervised release for the false statements to a federal agent count.
An indictment is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Luke Walker and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert C. Abendroth are prosecuting the case.
Natchitoches Tax Preparer Pleads Guilty to Filing False Tax Returns to the IRSRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that Lashanda E. Harris, 38, of Natchitoches, La., pleaded guilty on Tuesday before U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell to aiding and assisting in making and subscribing a false return.
According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, from January 2012 to April 2012, Harris, a tax preparer in Natchitoches, assisted customers in preparing false tax returns for tax year 2011. The returns contained false information concerning W-2, federal tax withholdings, Earned Income Tax Credit and the American Opportunity Tax Credit. Based on the false statements in the tax returns, individuals were able to obtain in excess of $100,000 in fraudulent tax refunds. As part of the scheme, Harris received “kickbacks” from the customers.
Harris faces up to three years in prison, one year of supervised release, a fine of $250,000 and restitution for aiding and assisting in making and subscribing a false return. Sentencing is set for January 30, 2014.
The Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth D. Reeg is prosecuting the case.
Jennings Man Pleads Guilty to Receiving Child PornRead the Press Release
LAKE CHARLES, La. – U.S. Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that Seth Ryan Bivens, 29, of Jennings, La., pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Patricia Minaldi to receiving child pornography.
According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, law enforcement authorities discovered that Bivens was downloading child pornography using “peer-to-peer” software. A warrant was obtained, and Bivens’ home was searched on November 14, 2012. An examination of Bivens’ computer and other electronic devices uncovered 294 movies and 28 images of child pornography.
Bivens faces five up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and supervised release of five years to life. Sentencing is set for February 6, 2014. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations and the Louisiana State Police conducted the investigation. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert C. Abendroth 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, please visit www.projectafechildhood.gov.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security/Homeland Security Investigations/Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free hotline at (866) DHS-2ICE. Investigators are available at all hours to answer hotline calls. Tips or other information can also be submitted to ICE online at www.ice.gov/exec/forms/hsi-tips/tips.asp. Tips may be reported anonymously.
Ex-Tugboat Captain Sentenced for Transporting Child PornographyRead the Press Release
LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that former tugboat captain Kenneth Dwight Dickey, 57, of Foley, Ala., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Patricia Minaldi to 108 months in prison and a lifetime of supervised release for transporting child pornography. He pleaded guilty August 1, 2013.
According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, law enforcement authorities detected Dickey downloading child pornography using “peer-to-peer” software. Those using peer-to-peer software usually take a file and place it in a “shared folder” on a computer for the purpose of distributing it to others on the internet. A search of the defendant’s computer and phone on October 15, 2012 showed that Dickey was in possession of child pornography. He also admitted to transporting child pornography from Mississippi to the Western District of Louisiana. The child pornography on the computer was sadistic in nature.Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Luke Walker prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security/Homeland Security Investigations/Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free hotline at (866) DHS-2ICE. Investigators are available at all hours to answer hotline calls. Tips or other information can also be submitted to ICE online at www.ice.gov/exec/forms/hsi-tips/tips.asp.
10 Defendants Plead Guilty to Charges in Central Louisiana Cocaine Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that 10 defendants pleaded guilty Thursday before U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell, for their roles in a cocaine distribution network operating across the central Louisiana area.The defendants who pleaded guilty to drug conspiracy charges are: Michael J. Wright, 27, of Houston; Dennis Wayne Bradford, 30, of Cottonport, La.; Falon S. Maricle, 31, Brandon C. Thomas, 30, of Marksville, La.; Abraham Baylor III, 38, Earnest G. Miles III, 25, Leotis V. Perry, 36, Sedrick D. Porter, 35, Terrace D. Winchester, 34, and Dontour D. Drakes, 37, of Alexandria, La. Drakes also pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, from January 2012 through March 2013, authorities in Avoyelles and Rapides parishes conducted an investigation into cocaine trafficking that resulted in the arrest of these 10 defendants. It was determined that this group was responsible for the sale and distribution of more than 10 kilos of cocaine. Law enforcement agents seized more than 5 kilograms of powder cocaine, 500 grams of crack cocaine, and approximately $70,000 in cash. The defendants obtained their cocaine from Houston and converted it into crack in the CENLA area to sell in Avoyelles and Rapides parishes.
The defendants each face up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine for the drug conspiracy count. Drakes will also serve an additional five years in prison for possessing of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Sentencing dates are set for January 30 and 31, 2014.
“The guilty pleas are the result of a collaborative effort by federal, state and local law enforcement,” Finley stated. “Our goal is to work with all of the law enforcement tools and expertise at our disposal to keep our communities and neighborhoods safe.”
The FBI Central Louisiana Safe Streets Task Force, the U.S. Marshals Service Task Force, the Louisiana State Police, Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Office, Avoyelles Parish Sheriff’s Office, Alexandria Police Department and the Louisiana Probation and Parole Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys James G. Cowles and Seth Reeg are prosecuting the case.
Pollock Prisoner Sentenced for Drug PossessionRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that Roy Elbert Carlton, 43, of Temple, Texas, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell to 27 months in prison for possessing drugs in a prison. He was also ordered to pay a $2,000 fine.
Carlton was found guilty August 7, 2013, after a two-day trial. The jury deliberated for 20 minutes and returned a guilty verdict. Witness testimony and documents admitted at trial revealed that Carlton’s codefendant, Whitney C. Anderson and their children, visited him on February 20, 2010, at the U.S. Penitentiary in Pollock, La. During the visit, one of the children was sitting on Carlton’s lap. Carlton was seen taking something out of the child’s pocket and then swallowing it. At that point, the visit was terminated, and Carlton was taken to a cell for observation. Eventually, the item swallowed by Carlton was excreted. The matter appeared to be balloon fragments and other material that tested positive for the presence of marijuana. Testimony at trial revealed that Anderson had brought multiple balloons filled with marijuana to the facility to smuggle to Carlton.Anderson was sentenced Monday, October 28, 2013 to eight months in prison for providing contraband to a prisoner. She was also ordered to pay a $1,000 fine. She pleaded guilty July 15, 2013.
The FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth D. Reeg prosecuted the case.
Montgomery Woman Sentenced for Taking Nearly $200,000 in SSA Payments over 22 YearsRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that Mary Kilpatrick, 57, of Montgomery, La., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell, to three months in prison with three years of supervised release and was ordered to pay $192,918 in restitution for theft of government money. She was also ordered to complete 250 hours of community service. Kilpatrick pleaded guilty June 27, 2013.According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, for 22 years, Kilpatrick acted as if her deceased mother was alive and spent Social Security Administration payments meant for her mother. The payments, totaling approximately $192,918, were placed in a joint account previously held by Kilpatrick and her mother. After her mother’s death, Kilpatrick continued to withdraw the payments.
The Social Security Administration – Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown prosecuted the case.
Lafayette Man Sentenced to 121 Months in Prison for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that Ray Hatton III, 31, of Lafayette, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Richard T. Haik to 121 months in prison and a lifetime of supervised release for possessing child pornography with some of the images involving infants. He pleaded guilty May 13, 2013.According to the evidence presented at the guilty plea, law enforcement authorities determined that Hatton was downloading child pornography using an internet file sharing program. After obtaining a warrant, authorities searched his residence on March 8, 2012, and seized the defendant’s computer. Hatton was found to have downloaded 10 videos of child pornography. Some of the pornography depicted infants and very young children.
“This defendant admitted to downloading one of the most despicable types of child pornography produced,” Finley stated. “Those who download and possess child pornography will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. I hope this serves as a deterrent to anyone seeking to acquire this type of material.”
The Lafayette Police Department and the Department of Homeland Security conducted the investigation. 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) encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free hotline at (866) DHS-2ICE. Investigators are available at all hours to answer hotline calls. Tips or other information can also be submitted to ICE online at www.ice.gov/exec/forms/hsi-tips/tips.asp.
Assistant U.S. Attorney John Luke Walker prosecuted the case.
Inmate Sentenced for Assault That Left Fellow Inmate HospitalizedRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that Ernest Prado, 48, Uvalde, Texas, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell to 84 months in prison with three years of supervised release for assaulting a fellow inmate. He pleaded guilty July 23, 2013.According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, officials for the U.S. Penitentiary in Pollock, La., on November 29, 2010 observed Prado and fellow inmate Gumaro Lopez in the recreation yard assaulting another inmate using homemade icepick-type weapons. When the corrections officers approached to intervene, Prado and Lopez stopped the assault and threw the weapons on the ground. The injured inmate was transported to a local hospital and was found to have sustained approximately 15 puncture wounds to his upper torso. The assault was captured on video.
The FBI-Alexandria Resident Agency and the Federal Bureau of Prisons conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Earl M. Campbell prosecuted the case.
Bossier City Man Sentenced to 37 Months in Prison for Counterfeiting $20 Bills in ApartmentRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that Dakota Mallory Robinson, 25, of Bossier City, La., was sentenced Thursday before U.S. District Judge Tom Stagg to 37 months in prison and three years of supervised release for making counterfeit Federal Reserve notes. Robinson pleaded guilty July 24, 2013.According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, a duplex manager called the Bossier City Police Department to report that a maintenance worker had observed Robinson making counterfeit money in his apartment with the door open to the public. A search of the apartment February 8, 2013 revealed $2,020 worth of counterfeit $20 bills, a printer, uncut sheets of counterfeit $20 bills and other related items.
The U.S. Secret Service, Shreveport Office and Bossier City Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown prosecuted the case.
Texas Man Sentenced for Part in Drug Conspiracy Distribution RingRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that Fernellis Woods, 37, of Irving, Texas, was sentenced on October 18, 2013 by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote to 130 months in prison with five years of supervised release for conspiracy with intent to distribute and distribution of cocaine. He pleaded guilty May 15, 2013.
Woods along with co-defendants, German Rodriguez, Tyrone Thibeaux, John Dauphin and Glenn Charles were indicted in April 2012 for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute approximately 5 kilograms of cocaine between August 2008 and April 2011. According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, Rodriguez, of Houston, Texas, supplied multi-kilogram quantities of cocaine to a large scale Lafayette, La. drug trafficking/distribution organization including Woods and Thibeaux. On several occasions, Woods directed Charles to purchase cocaine from Rodriguez’s associate in Houston for distribution in the Lafayette area. On March 2, 2011, Charles delivered $44,000 to Rodriguez’s associate for payment of 2 kilograms of cocaine; on March 15, 2011, Charles delivered $36,000 to Rodriguez’s associate for payment of cocaine, and on March 30 2011, Charles picked up 2 kilograms of cocaine from Rodriguez’s associate to be delivered to Lafayette associates, to include Woods. Charles was stopped and arrested on the way to Lafayette. The approximate value of all the cocaine transferred from March 2, 2011 to March 30, 2011 was more than $115,000.Rodriguez, Dauphin and Charles previously pleaded guilty, and Dauphin is currently scheduled for sentencing on Feb, 14, 2014. Dates for Rodriguez and Charles’ sentencings, and Thibeaux’s trial have not been set.
Woods was arrested as part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Carencro Louisiana Police Department, the Houston Texas Police Department and the Waller County Texas Sheriff’s Office participated in this OCDETF investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Howard C. Parker is prosecuting 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 disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations, targeting national and regional level drug trafficking organizations, and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to disrupt or dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize their assets.
Lafayette Man Sentenced to 60 Months in Prison for Receiving Child PornographyRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that Mark Anthony Slade, 55, of Lafayette, was sentenced October 18, 2013 to 60 months in prison and 10 years of supervised release by U.S. District Court Judge Elizabeth E. Foote for knowingly receiving child pornography on his computer. He is also required to register as a sex offender. Slade pleaded guilty on April 17, 2013.
According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, an investigation of local and federal law enforcement authorities determined using computer surveillance software that the defendant was downloading child pornography. He used the internet file sharing program Limewire to download the files. After obtaining a warrant, authorities searched his residence Oct. 29, 2010, and seized the defendant’s computer. Slade was found to have downloaded 10 movies of child pornography. Some of the pornography depicted prepubescent children.
“Distributing and downloading child pornography is a serious crime that is not going to be ignored by this office,” Finley said. “These criminals perpetrate the victimization of children. We will continue to work with our federal, state and local partners to investigate and prosecute those who actively exploit children.”
The Lafayette Police Department and the Department of Homeland Security 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 launched nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security/Homeland Security Investigations/Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free hotline at (866) DHS-2ICE. Investigators are available at all hours to answer hotline calls. Tips or other information can also be submitted to ICE online at www.ice.gov/exec/forms/hsi-tips/tips.asp Tips may be submitted anonymously.
Press Releases for the U.S. Attorney's Office During the Government ShutdownRead the Press Release
During the government shutdown, press releases for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of Louisiana, were limited. Today, U.S. Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announces the following results from matters occurring from October 1, 2013 through October 17, 2013.MOTHER, DAUGHTER SENTENCED FOR CONSPIRACY TO COMMIT BANK ROBBERIES
LAKE CHARLES, La. – Evie Bowin Herrin, 58, of Kirbyville, Texas, and her daughter Amelia Darci Crew, 31, of Cleveland, Texas, were sentenced on October 3, 2013 by U.S. District Judge Patricia Minaldi for conspiracy to commit bank robbery. Herrin received 86 months in prison, and Crew received 51 months in prison. They both received three years of supervised release. Herrin was ordered to pay a $5,000 fine and $17,730 restitution. They pleaded guilty June 27, 2013.
According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, the defendants admitted to stealing $17,730 from banks in Louisiana and Texas. Herrin admitted to entering three banks wearing a disguise. After entering the banks, Herrin would point what looked like a handgun at a teller and present the teller with a note saying to hand over strapped bundles of 100 and 20 dollar bills or she would shoot the bank employees. Herrin left each bank in a car driven by Crew. The robberies occurred on February 13, 2012 at an Iberia Bank in Kinder, La., February 28, 2012 at a Citizens National Bank in Henderson, Texas, and March 15, 2012 at a MidSouth Bank in Sulphur, La.
The FBI and the Kinder, Sulphur, and Henderson, Texas police departments investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph T. Mickel prosecuted the case.
FORT POLK MAN SENTENCED FOR ABUSIVE SEXUAL CONTACT WITH A MINOR
LAKE CHARLES, La. – Antwon M. Sewell, 20, of Fort Polk, La., was sentenced on October 3, 2013, by U.S. District Judge Patricia Minaldi, to 15 months in prison with five years of supervised release for committing abusive sexual contact with two minors. Sewell pleaded guilty June 13, 2013.
According to evidence presented in court, Sewell was at a party taking place at an unoccupied residence on the Fort Polk Military base on July 18, 2012. While at the party, he had sexual contact with a 13-year-old and a 14-year-old girl at different times that night. He admitted to providing alcohol to the minors attending the party.
The U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command and the FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. McCoy prosecuted the case.MEXICAN NATIONAL SENTENCED FOR ILLEGAL RE-ENTRY, FAILURE TO REGISTER AS A SEX OFFENDER
SHREVEPORT, La. – Carlos Galvan-Lopez, 43, of Mexico, was sentenced on October 3, 2013 by U.S. District Judge Maurice Hicks Jr. to 50 months in prison for illegally re-entering the United States and failing to register as a sex offender. The defendant is subject to deportation upon release. He pleaded guilty on June 3, 2013.
According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, the Hidalgo, Texas, Sheriff’s Office arrested Galvan-Lopez on December 18, 1995 for aggravated sexual assault. He served time in prison and was deported on December 21, 2010. He was arrested in Shreveport at his place of employment on April 19, 2013, after it was discovered that he had illegally returned to the United States and had not registered as a sex offender.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S. Marshals Service conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth D. Reeg prosecuted the case.
FORMER MONROE RESIDENT SENTENCED TO 15 MONTHS IN PRISON FOR STEALING MORE THAN $100,000 FROM CREDIT CARD COMPANY
MONROE, La. – Durar Mohammed Judeh, 48, of Tupelo, Miss., was sentenced on October 7, 2013 by U.S. District Court Judge Robert G. James to 15 months in prison and five years of supervised release for bank fraud. He was also ordered to pay $101,280 in restitution. He pleaded guilty May 29, 2013.
In April 2008, Chase Bankcard Services alerted the U.S. Postal Inspection Service that nine credit cards listed for addresses in Monroe had been opened fraudulently. Judeh admitted to using a relative’s personal information to open the accounts and deposited money into an account he controlled, using the cards to steal more than $101,280.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Earl M. Campbell prosecuted the case.
MOREHOUSE PARISH WOMAN SENTENCED TO 12 MONTHS IN PRISON FOR STEALING FROM BANK CUSTOMERS
MONROE, La. – Vickie Lenoir, 48, of Mer Rouge, La., was sentenced on October 7, 2013, by U.S. District Court Judge Robert G. James, to 12 months in prison and five years of supervised release for embezzling money from customers at the Capital One bank where she worked. She was also ordered to pay $95,673 in restitution. Lenoir pleaded guilty May 14, 2013.
According to evidence presented in court, from December 2008 until October 2012, Lenoir admitted to embezzling more than $95,673 from seven customer accounts at a Bastrop, La., Capital One Bank where she was employed. The missing money was reported after customers began noticing unusual activity in their accounts.
The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney D. Cytheria Jernigan prosecuted the case.
FORT POLK MAN SENTENCED TO 30 YEARS IN PRISON FOR SECOND DEGREE MURDER, ATTEMPTED MURDER
LAKE CHARLES, La. – Marcus Patterson Carey, 28, of Canton, Ohio, was sentenced on October 8, 2013 by U.S. District Judge Patricia Minaldi, to 30 years in prison for second degree murder and 20 years in prison for attempted second degree murder with both sentences to be served concurrently. He was also ordered to serve five years of supervised release. Carey pleaded guilty on June 12, 2013.
Carey admitted that on June 19, 2010, he killed a Fort Polk soldier by striking him with a hammer and stabbing him multiple times. He also admitted to attempting to kill a former soldier by striking that person with a hammer and stabbing that person multiple times as well.
The U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command and the FBI conducted the investigation. United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley and Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. McCoy prosecuted the case.
JURY CONVICTS OPELOUSAS MAN FOR POSSESSING AND RECEIVING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY
Defendant was a former child psychiatrist
LAFAYETTE, La. – A federal jury found former child psychiatrist Gary Jefferson Byrd, 71, of Opelousas, La., guilty on October 8, 2013 of possessing and receiving child pornography. United States District Judge Richard T. Haik presided over the trial.
Following a two-day trial, a jury found Byrd guilty of one count of possession of child pornography and one count of receiving child pornography after deliberating for 40 minutes. Based on witness testimony and documents admitted into evidence, from February 2008 to April 2011, Byrd ordered 44 compact discs containing videos of child pornography from a Canadian company. United States Postal Inspectors executed a search warrant on Byrd’s home and found stacks of compact discs containing thousands of images of child pornography that Byrd had downloaded from the Internet. He also printed hundreds of images of child pornography that he kept in files next to his bed.
Byrd was previously convicted in 1992 by a federal jury of possessing child pornography and served 10 years in prison for that crime. Prior to his conviction, his employment was as a child psychiatrist.
Because of Byrd’s prior child pornography conviction, he faces 5 years to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for possession of child pornography, and he also faces 15 years to 40 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for receiving child pornography. A sentencing date has not been set.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a U.S. Department of Justice launched nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security/Homeland Security Investigations/Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free hotline at (866) DHS-2ICE. Investigators are available at all hours to answer hotline calls. Tips or other information can also be submitted to ICE online at www.ice.gov/exec/forms/hsi-tips/tips.asp. Tips may be submitted anonymously.The U.S. Postal Service Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Luke Walker is prosecuting the case.
Press Releases for the U.S. Attorney's Office During the Government ShutdownRead the Press Release
During the government shutdown, press releases for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of Louisiana, were limited. Today, U.S. Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announces the following results from matters occurring from October 1, 2013 through October 17, 2013.MOTHER, DAUGHTER SENTENCED FOR CONSPIRACY TO COMMIT BANK ROBBERIES
LAKE CHARLES, La. – Evie Bowin Herrin, 58, of Kirbyville, Texas, and her daughter Amelia Darci Crew, 31, of Cleveland, Texas, were sentenced on October 3, 2013 by U.S. District Judge Patricia Minaldi for conspiracy to commit bank robbery. Herrin received 86 months in prison, and Crew received 51 months in prison. They both received three years of supervised release. Herrin was ordered to pay a $5,000 fine and $17,730 restitution. They pleaded guilty June 27, 2013.
According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, the defendants admitted to stealing $17,730 from banks in Louisiana and Texas. Herrin admitted to entering three banks wearing a disguise. After entering the banks, Herrin would point what looked like a handgun at a teller and present the teller with a note saying to hand over strapped bundles of 100 and 20 dollar bills or she would shoot the bank employees. Herrin left each bank in a car driven by Crew. The robberies occurred on February 13, 2012 at an Iberia Bank in Kinder, La., February 28, 2012 at a Citizens National Bank in Henderson, Texas, and March 15, 2012 at a MidSouth Bank in Sulphur, La.
The FBI, and the Kinder, Sulphur and Henderson, Texas police departments investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph T. Mickel prosecuted the case.
FORT POLK MAN SENTENCED FOR ABUSIVE SEXUAL CONTACT WITH A MINOR
LAKE CHARLES, La. – Antwon M. Sewell, 20, of Fort Polk, La., was sentenced on October 3, 2013, by U.S. District Judge Patricia Minaldi to 15 months in prison with five years of supervised release for committing abusive sexual contact with two minors. Sewell pleaded guilty June 13, 2013.
According to evidence presented in court, Sewell was at a party taking place at an unoccupied residence on the Fort Polk Military base on July 18, 2012. While at the party, he had sexual contact with a 13-year-old and a 14-year-old girl at different times that night. He admitted to providing alcohol to the minors attending the party.
The U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command and the FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. McCoy prosecuted the case.MEXICAN NATIONAL SENTENCED FOR ILLEGAL RE-ENTRY, FAILURE TO REGISTER AS A SEX OFFENDER
SHREVEPORT, La. – Carlos Galvan-Lopez, 43, of Mexico, was sentenced on October 3, 2013 by U.S. District Judge Maurice Hicks Jr. to 50 months in prison for illegally re-entering the United States and failing to register as a sex offender. The defendant is subject to deportation upon release. He pleaded guilty on June 3, 2013.
According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, the Hidalgo, Texas, Sheriff’s Office arrested Galvan-Lopez on December 18, 1995 for aggravated sexual assault. He served time in prison and was deported on December 21, 2010. He was arrested in Shreveport at his place of employment on April 19, 2013, after it was discovered that he had illegally returned to the United States and had not registered as a sex offender.
Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S. Marshals Service conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth D. Reeg prosecuted the case.
FORMER MONROE RESIDENT SENTENCED TO 15 MONTHS IN PRISON FOR STEALING MORE THAN $100,000 FROM CREDIT CARD COMPANY
MONROE, La. – Durar Mohammed Judeh, 48, of Tupelo, Miss., was sentenced on October 7, 2013 by U.S. District Court Judge Robert G. James, to 15 months in prison and five years of supervised release for bank fraud. He was also ordered to pay $101,280 in restitution. He pleaded guilty May 29, 2013.
In April 2008, Chase Bankcard Services alerted the U.S. Postal Inspection Service that nine credit cards listed for addresses in Monroe had been opened fraudulently. Judeh admitted to using a relative’s personal information to open the accounts and deposited money into an account he controlled, using the cards to steal more than $101,280.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Earl M. Campbell prosecuted the case.
MOREHOUSE PARISH WOMAN SENTENCED TO 12 MONTHS IN PRISON FOR STEALING FROM BANK CUSTOMERS
MONROE, La. – Vickie Lenoir, 48, of Mer Rouge, La., was sentenced on October 7, 2013, by U.S. District Court Judge Robert G. James to 12 months in prison and five years of supervised release for embezzling money from customers at the Capital One bank where she worked. She was also ordered to pay $95,673 in restitution. Lenoir pleaded guilty May 14, 2013.
According to evidence presented in court, from December 2008 until October 2012, Lenoir admitted to embezzling more than $95,673 from seven customer accounts at a Bastrop, La., Capital One Bank where she was employed. The missing money was reported after customers began noticing unusual activity in their accounts.
The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney D. Cytheria Jernigan prosecuted the case.
FORT POLK MAN SENTENCED TO 30 YEARS IN PRISON FOR SECOND DEGREE MURDER, ATTEMPTED MURDER
LAKE CHARLES, La. – Marcus Patterson Carey, 28, of Canton, Ohio, was sentenced on October 8, 2013 by U.S. District Judge Patricia Minaldi, to 30 years in prison for second degree murder and 20 years in prison for attempted second degree murder with both sentences to be served concurrently. He was also ordered to serve five years of supervised release. Carey pleaded guilty on June 12, 2013.
Carey admitted that on June 19, 2010, he killed a Fort Polk soldier by striking him with a hammer and stabbing him multiple times. He also admitted to attempting to kill a former soldier by striking that person with a hammer and stabbing that person multiple times as well.
The U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command and the FBI conducted the investigation. United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley and Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. McCoy prosecuted the case.
JURY CONVICTS OPELOUSAS MAN FOR POSSESSING AND RECEIVING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY
Defendant was a former child psychiatrist
LAFAYETTE, La. – A federal jury found former child psychiatrist Gary Jefferson Byrd, 71, of Opelousas, La., guilty on October 8, 2013 of possessing and receiving child pornography. United States District Judge Richard T. Haik presided over the trial.
Following a two-day trial, a jury found Byrd guilty of one count of possession of child pornography and one count of receiving child pornography after deliberating for 40 minutes. Based on witness testimony and documents admitted into evidence, from February 2008 to April 2011, Byrd ordered 44 compact discs containing videos of child pornography from a Canadian company. United States Postal Inspectors executed a search warrant on Byrd’s home and found stacks of compact discs containing thousands of images of child pornography that Byrd had downloaded from the Internet. He also printed hundreds of images of child pornography that he kept in files next to his bed.
Byrd was previously convicted in 1992 by a federal jury of possessing child pornography and served 10 years in prison for that crime. Prior to his conviction, his employment was as a child psychiatrist.
Because of Byrd’s prior child pornography conviction, he faces 5 years to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for possession of child pornography, and he also faces 15 years to 40 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for receiving child pornography. A sentencing date has not been set.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a U.S. Department of Justice launched nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security/Homeland Security Investigations/Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free hotline at (866) DHS-2ICE. Investigators are available at all hours to answer hotline calls. Tips or other information can also be submitted to ICE online at www.ice.gov/exec/forms/hsi-tips/tips.asp. Tips may be submitted anonymously.The U.S. Postal Service Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Luke Walker is prosecuting the case.
Mother, Daughter Sentenced for Conspiracy to Commit Bank RobberiesRead the Press Release
LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that Evie Bowin Herrin, 58, of Kirbyville, Texas, and her daughter Amelia Darci Crew, 31, of Cleveland, Texas, were sentenced on October 3, 2013 by U.S. District Judge Patricia Minaldi for conspiracy to commit bank robbery. Herrin received 86 months in prison, and Crew received 51 months in prison. They both received three years of supervised release. Herrin was ordered to pay a $5,000 fine and $17,730 restitution. They pleaded guilty June 27, 2013.According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, the defendants admitted to stealing $17,730 from banks in Louisiana and Texas. Herrin admitted to entering three banks wearing a disguise. After entering the banks, Herrin would point what looked like a handgun at a teller and present the teller with a note saying to hand over strapped bundles of 100 and 20 dollar bills or she would shoot the bank employees. Herrin left each bank in a car driven by Crew. The robberies occurred on February 13, 2012 at an Iberia Bank in Kinder, La., February 28, 2012 at a Citizens National Bank in Henderson, Texas, and March 15, 2012 at a MidSouth Bank in Sulphur, La.
The FBI and the Kinder, Sulphur and Henderson, Texas police departments investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph T. Mickel prosecuted the case.
Morehouse Parish Woman Sentenced to 12 Months in Prison for Stealing from bank customersRead the Press Release
MONROE, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that Vickie Lenoir, 48, of Mer Rouge, La., was sentenced on October 7, 2013, by U.S. District Court Judge Robert G. James, to 12 months in prison and five years of supervised release for embezzling money from customers at the Capital One bank where she worked. She was also ordered to pay $95,673 in restitution. Lenoir pleaded guilty May 14, 2013.According to evidence presented in court, from December 2008 until October 2012, Lenoir admitted to embezzling more than $95,673 from seven customer accounts at a Bastrop, La., Capital One Bank where she was employed. The missing money was reported after customers began noticing unusual activity in their accounts.
The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney D. Cytheria Jernigan prosecuted the case.
Mexican National Sentenced for Illegal Reentry, Failure to Register as A Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that Carlos Galvan-Lopez, 43, of Mexico, was sentenced on October 3, 2013 by U.S. District Judge Maurice Hicks, Jr., to 50 months in prison for illegally re-entering the United States and failing to register as a sex offender. The defendant is subject to deportation upon release. He pleaded guilty on June 3, 2013.
According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, the Hidalgo, Texas, Sheriff’s Office arrested Galvan-Lopez on December 18, 1995 for aggravated sexual assault. He served time in prison and was deported on December 21, 2010. He was arrested in Shreveport at his place of employment on April 19, 2013, after it was discovered that he had illegally returned to the United States and had not registered as a sex offender.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S. Marshals Service conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth D. Reeg prosecuted the case.
Jury Convicts Opelousas Man for Possessing and Receiving Child PornographyRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a federal jury found former child psychiatrist Gary Jefferson Byrd, 71, of Opelousas, La., guilty on October 8, 2013 of possessing and receiving child pornography. United States District Judge Richard T. Haik presided over the trial.
Following a two-day trial, a jury found Byrd guilty of one count of possession of child pornography and one count of receiving child pornography after deliberating for 40 minutes. Based on witness testimony and documents admitted into evidence, from February 2008 to April 2011, Byrd ordered 44 compact discs containing videos of child pornography from a Canadian company. United States Postal Inspectors executed a search warrant on Byrd’s home and found stacks of compact discs containing thousands of images of child pornography that Byrd had downloaded from the Internet. He also printed hundreds of images of child pornography that he kept in files next to his bed.
Byrd was previously convicted in 1992 by a federal jury of possessing child pornography and served 10 years in prison for that crime. Prior to his conviction, his employment was as a child psychiatrist.
Because of Byrd’s prior child pornography conviction, he faces 5 years to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for possession of child pornography, and he also faces 15 years to 40 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for receiving child pornography. A sentencing date has not been set.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a U.S. Department of Justice launched nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security/Homeland Security Investigations/Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free hotline at (866) DHS-2ICE. Investigators are available at all hours to answer hotline calls. Tips or other information can also be submitted to ICE online at www.ice.gov/exec/forms/hsi-tips/tips.asp. Tips may be submitted anonymously.The U.S. Postal Service Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Luke Walker is prosecuting the case.
Fort Polk Man Sentenced for Abusive Sexual Contact with A MinorRead the Press Release
LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that Antwon M. Sewell, 20, of Fort Polk, La., was sentenced on October 3, 2013, by U.S. District Judge Patricia Minaldi, to 15 months in prison with five years of supervised release for committing abusive sexual contact with two minors. Sewell pleaded guilty June 13, 2013.
According to evidence presented in court, Sewell was at a party taking place at an unoccupied residence on the Fort Polk Military base on July 18, 2012. While at the party, he had sexual contact with a 13-year-old and a 14-year-old girl at different times that night. He admitted to providing alcohol to the minors attending the party.
The U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command and the FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. McCoy prosecuted the case.Fort Polk Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Second Degree Murder, Attempted MurderRead the Press Release
LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that Marcus Patterson Carey, 28, of Canton, Ohio, was sentenced on October 8, 2013 by U.S. District Judge Patricia Minaldi, to 30 years in prison for second degree murder and 20 years in prison for attempted second degree murder with both sentences to be served concurrently. He was also ordered to serve five years of supervised release. Carey pleaded guilty on June 12, 2013.
Carey admitted that on June 19, 2010, he killed a Fort Polk soldier by striking him with a hammer and stabbing him multiple times. He also admitted to attempting to kill a former soldier by striking that person with a hammer and stabbing that person multiple times as well.
The U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command and the FBI conducted the investigation. United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley and Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. McCoy prosecuted the case.
Former Monroe Resident Sentenced to 15 Months in Prison for Stealing More Than $100,000 from Credit Card CompanyRead the Press Release
MONROE, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that Durar Mohammed Judeh, 48, of Tupelo, Miss., was sentenced on October 7, 2013 by U.S. District Court Judge Robert G. James, to 15 months in prison and five years of supervised release for bank fraud. He was also ordered to pay $101,280 in restitution. He pleaded guilty May 29, 2013.
In April 2008, Chase Bankcard Services alerted the U.S. Postal Inspection Service that nine credit cards listed for addresses in Monroe had been opened fraudulently. Judeh admitted to using a relative’s personal information to open the accounts and deposited money into an account he controlled, using the cards to steal more than $101,280.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Earl M. Campbell prosecuted the case.
U.S. Attorney's Office in Second Week of FurloughRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE/SHREVEPORT/MONROE/ALEXANDRIA/LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that operations of the Office of the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana, all divisions - Lafayette, Shreveport, Monroe, Alexandria and Lake Charles continue to suffer from the effects of the partial shutdown that started at midnight on October 1, 2013.
The office as a whole is operating with 54 percent of its original staff. Most civil litigation has stopped. Because of the partial shutdown, the majority of the office’s staff working on civil litigation continues to be furloughed. The few remaining employees in the Civil Division have been left to monitor hundreds of civil matters to ensure the interests of the United States are protected. Administrative and criminal support staff have also been furloughed, but criminal litigation is ongoing, as these activities are deemed essential to the safety of human life and the protection of property. The U.S. Attorney’s Office continues to work with federal, state and local law enforcement on criminal matters.
Because of the effects of the appropriations lapse on activities of the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has not been able to readily respond to media inquiries. Press releases are being limited to urgent matters involving public safety. The office’s website is not being actively updated during the shutdown. The district will continue to receive communications from the public via mail, email and/or telephone. For additional information concerning the effects of the appropriations lapse and partial shutdown, visit www.justice.gov/jmd/publications/doj-contingency-plan.pdf or www.justice.gov/usao/law.
U.S. Attorney Announces Government Shutdown's Effects on Office OperationsRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE/SHREVEPORT/MONROE/ALEXANDRIA/LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that operations of the Office of the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana, all divisions - Lafayette, Shreveport, Monroe, Alexandria and Lake Charles are being affected by the partial shutdown in effect since midnight, October 1, 2013.
Most criminal litigation and related work will continue with limited interruption, as these activities are deemed essential to the safety of human life and the protection of property. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to work closely with federal, state and local law enforcement on criminal matters. However, because of the appropriation lapse and partial shutdown, much of the office’s staff working on civil litigation is being furloughed. Administrative and criminal support staff are also being furloughed. All civil litigation in which the office is involved will be curtailed or postponed to the extent possible without compromising public safety or the protection of property, and always subject to the direction of the federal courts.
Because of the effects of the appropriations lapse on activities of the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Attorney’s Office will not be able to readily respond to media inquiries. Press releases will be limited to urgent matters involving public safety. The office’s website will not be actively updated during the shutdown. The district will continue to receive communications from the public via mail, email and/or telephone. For additional information concerning the effects of the appropriations lapse and partial shutdown, visit www.justice.gov/jmd/publications/doj-contingency-plan.pdf or www.justice.gov/usao/law.
Lake Charles Woman Pleads Guilty to Wire FraudRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that Carol A. Thrasher, 60, of Lake Charles, La., pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Richard T. Haik to wire fraud.
According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, Thrasher admitted that from January 2007 to April 2012, while working as a manager for a Westlake, La., company, she stole $551,357. She had access to her company’s Midsouth Bank account and used funds from it to pay the balance of a personal Capital One credit card numerous times over the five-year period. The credit card payments Thrasher made ranged from a few hundred dollars to more than $8,000. She reportedly used the Capital One card to pay for the majority of her living expenses, and she also stated that she spent the money on gambling, shopping, dining and vacations.
Thrasher faces up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a $250,000 fine and restitution for the wire fraud count. A sentencing date was not set.
The U.S. Secret Service conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Myers P. Namie is prosecuting the case.
Justice Department Files Lawsuit Against Ruston, Louisiana Public Housing Authority Alleging Race Discrimination in Housing PracticesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The Justice Department today announced that it has filed a lawsuit alleging that the Housing Authority for the City of Ruston, La., has engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination against African-American tenants, in violation of the federal Fair Housing Act. The Ruston Housing Authority is a public housing authority that provides housing for persons of low income in Ruston. Currently, the Ruston Housing Authority owns and maintains five housing complexes in Ruston.
The complaint alleges that the Ruston Housing Authority maintained a racially segregated housing authority by steering and assigning applicants to its five complexes based on race, rather than in order of their placement on the Ruston Housing Authority’s waiting list. The complaint also alleges that the Ruston Housing Authority’s discriminatory assignment practices have harmed dozens of applicants and tenants who were assigned to segregated housing or delayed housing because of their race.
“Access to housing free from racial discrimination is everyone’s right, including those who seek public housing assistance,” said Jocelyn Samuels, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The department will continue its vigorous enforcement of the Fair Housing Act.”
“The United States Attorney’s Office is committed to addressing unlawful discriminatory practices and enforcing anti-discrimination laws,” said Stephanie A. Finley, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana. “Today’s filing is an example of our continuing efforts to end discrimination.”
The federal Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability and familial status. More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.usdoj.gov/crt. Individuals who believe that they may have been victims of housing discrimination can call the Housing Discrimination Tip Line at 1-800-896-7743, e-mail the Justice Department at [email protected], or contact the Department of Housing and Urban Development at 1-800-669-9777.
Ferriday Man Sentenced to Life, Another 275 Months in Prison for Transporting MethRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that Maurice T. Smith, 32, and Chavo T. Thomas, 30, both of Ferriday, were sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell. Smith received lifetime in prison, and Thomas received 275 months in prison and 10 years of supervised release for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. A jury found the defendants guilty May 31, 2013.
According to evidence and testimony presented at trial, the defendants were found to have conspired to deliver methamphetamine from California to Ferriday. Smith organized the trip, and Thomas traveled to California to purchase and bring back the illegal drugs. Thomas was arrested on Oct. 28, 2011, at a Brookhaven, Miss., train station with two pounds of pure methamphetamine. Smith was arrested later in Ferriday.
“We commend the work of the law enforcement agencies who investigated this case,” Finley stated. “They were able to stop this shipment of illegal drugs before it could be sold in the Western District of Louisiana. I also want to thank the prosecutors who tried this case. My office will continue to prosecute these types of cases to the fullest extent of the law.”
“This investigation clearly demonstrates the growing strength of the Central Louisiana OCDETF partnership and its significant impact on the methamphetamine threat to our communities,” stated Michael J. Anderson, Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge, New Orleans Division.
Smith and Thomas were arrested as part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Operation “Delta Blues” investigation. The FBI-Central Louisiana Safe Streets Task Force, which is composed of the Louisiana State Police, Louisiana Department of Probation and Parole, Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Office and the Alexandria Police Department, participated in the investigation. The U.S. Marshals and the Concordia Parish Sheriff’s Office also participated in the investigation. The Southwest Mississippi Narcotics Task Force, Brookhaven (Mississippi) Police Department and the Lincoln County (Mississippi) Sheriff’s Office assisted in the defendants’ arrest.
The OCDETF program is a joint federal, state and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking and is the nation’s primary tool for disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations, targeting national and regional level drug trafficking organizations, and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to disrupt or dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize their assets.
Assistant U.S. Attorney James G. Cowles Jr. prosecuted the case.Fort Polk Man Pleads Guilty to Sexually Abusing A 13-year Old GirlRead the Press Release
LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that Eric Britton, 19, of Fort Polk, La., pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Patricia Minaldi to sexually abusing a minor.
According to the evidence presented at the guilty plea, Britton admitted that on July 20, 2012, he engaged in sexual intercourse with a 13-year-old female at an unoccupied residence on the Fort Polk military base.
As a result of his guilty plea, Britton faces up to 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and a lifetime of supervised release for sexual abuse of a minor. He will also be required to register as a sex offender. Sentencing has been set for January 9, 2014.
The U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command and the FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. McCoy is prosecuting the case.
Former Opelousas Housing Authority Employee Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud Conspiracy ChargeRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that Garnette L. Thomas, 75, of San Augustine, Texas, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Patrick Hanna to conspiracy to commit wire fraud.According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, Thomas was employed as the Opelousas Housing Authority grant and capital funds coordinator from 2005 to 2009. From 2007 to 2009, Thomas admitted that she conspired with other unnamed conspirators to send and receive fake bids by email in order to circumvent state and federal bid laws. They used the fake bids to make it appear that several companies were placing bids on construction projects, but in fact, there was one company being considered. Thomas, assisted by others, accomplished this by using letterhead and other information to create fake bid documents from other companies who were not placing bids on the contracts. These fake bids were then filed so records showed that more than one company had bid on the projects.
Thomas faces up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release, a $250,000 fine and restitution for conspiracy to commit wire fraud. A sentencing date of January 10, 2014 was set.
The FBI and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly P. Uebinger is prosecuting the case.
Former Monroe City Council Members Sentenced for Taking BribesRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today thatformer Monroe City Council members Arthur Gilmore Jr., 55, and Robert E. “Red” Stevens, 61, both of Monroe, were sentenced by U.S. District Judge Donald E. Walter. Gilmore received 24 months in prison and 3 years supervised release, and Stevens received 20 months in prison and three years supervised release for accepting cash bribe payments from an FBI cooperating witness in exchange for help with matters pending before the City Council.
After a four-day trial, a federal jury found Gilmore guilty on May 16, 2013 of violating the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, more commonly known as RICO. Stevens pleaded guilty on May 2, 2013 to violating the RICO Act. According to evidence in court filings, in 2008 and 2009 the defendants accepted cash bribe payments from a Monroe businessman who was working as a cooperating witness under the direction of the FBI. The payments were in exchange for their assistance with matters pending before the City Council.
“This has been a long process but in the end, after two trials, the jury and the judge heard the evidence and justice prevailed,” Finley stated. “These defendants abused their positions as public officials, and by selling their votes, violated the law and betrayed the community they were elected to represent.”
The FBI-Monroe Resident Agency and the Louisiana State Police investigated the case. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Van Hook and Counsel to the U.S. Attorney William J. Flanagan prosecuted the case.Opelousas Man Pleads Guilty to Part in Aggravated Robbery at Lawtell Post OfficeRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that Willie Jamal Reynolds, 33, of Opelousas, La., pleaded guilty before U.S. District Magistrate Judge C. Michael Hill to taking part in the robbery at the U.S. Post Office in Lawtell, La., where a driver was attacked.
According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, two individuals robbed a U.S. Postal Service highway contract route driver on Aug. 13, 2011, while the driver was with his truck at the loading dock of the post office in Lawtell. One of the individuals grabbed the driver from behind by the neck and wrestled him to his knees. The other individual demanded money, but the driver said there was none, just mail. The driver noticed the individual who spoke had a gun and took a registry bag. They eventually left, and the driver was transported to a nearby hospital where he was treated for injuries. Several witnesses reported seeing a white van in the area, and a surveillance camera at a business located next door to the post office shows a white van drop off two individuals at the time of the robbery. Reynolds admits he used his mother’s white van to pick up the two assailants and transport them to and from the post office.
Reynolds faces up to 25 years in prison, five years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine for aggravated robbery of mail matter. Sentencing was set for Feb. 14, 2014.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brett L. Grayson is prosecuting the case.
Alexandria Man Sentenced for CounterfeitingRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that Raja Khalid Jamaleddin, 33, of Alexandria, was sentenced Wednesday by U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell to 18 months in prison and three years of supervised release for possessing more than $8,600 worth of counterfeit dollar bills. He was also ordered to pay an $8,000 fine. Jamaleddin pleaded guilty June 18, 2013.
According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, authorities received information that Jamaleddin was keeping illegal items at a storage unit. Authorities searched a storage unit on October 5, 2012 that Jamaleddin was renting in Alexandria and found $8,648 worth of counterfeit $1,000s, $50s, $20s and $2s in addition to other illegal items. The serial number on one of the counterfeit $1,000 bills matched a bill Jamaleddin pawned in 2011.Homeland Security Investigations and the Alexandria Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Luke Walker prosecuted the case.
Pollock Prisoner Convicted of Assaulting Fellow InmateRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that John Waller, 41, of New Rochelle, N.Y., was found guilty Tuesday by a federal jury of attacking a fellow inmate with a makeshift knife. United States District Judge Dee D. Drell presided over the trial.Waller’s trial started Monday and ended Tuesday afternoon with the jury returning the guilty verdict after deliberating for more than two hours. Based on witness testimony and documents admitted into evidence, it was established that on March 28, 2010 at the U.S. Penitentiary in Pollock, La., Waller could be seen on video in a prison common area stabbing a fellow inmate repeatedly with a makeshift knife. The assaulted inmate received puncture wounds to the upper body and was brought to a nearby hospital for treatment. Waller testified at trial. He said that he acted in self-defense, and that he was justified in committing the assault. Waller is serving a 320-month sentence on narcotics and weapons charges.
Waller faces up to 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release for assault with a dangerous weapon with intent to cause bodily harm. Sentencing has been set for December 19, 2013.
The FBI and U.S. Bureau of Prisons conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown is prosecuting the case.
Inmate Sentenced for Beating Prison GuardRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that James Peter Thomas, 32, of Phoenix, Ariz., was sentenced to 176 months in prison and three years of supervised release for assaulting a federal prison guard. Thomas pleaded guilty June 18, 2013.According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, on April 3, 2013, two prison guards found Thomas along with two other inmates drinking a homemade alcoholic beverage in a cell at the U.S. Penitentiary at Pollock, La. One guard led Thomas and the other two inmates out of the cell, but Thomas returned later and began beating the guard who remained in the cell using a padlock tied to a belt. When another guard approached Thomas, he attacked that guard as well. Thomas was subdued after guards used pepper spray on him. The officer Thomas initially attacked was brought to a nearby hospital where he was treated for four days in an intensive care unit. When the attack occurred, Thomas was serving a 161-month combined sentence for one count of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence and another count of assault resulting in serious bodily injury.
The FBI and the U.S. Bureau of Prisons conducted the investigation. Senior Litigation Counsel Joseph G. Jarzabek prosecuted the case.
New Iberia Man Pleads Guilty to Theft of Government FundsRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that Buddy Estelle, 52, of New Iberia, La., pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Patrick Hanna to taking more than $86,000 in Social Security Administration (SSA) benefits to which he was not entitled.
According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, Estelle started receiving SSA disability payments in 1984. While attending a routine meeting concerning his benefit eligibility on Feb. 8, 2011, he told SSA staff members at the New Iberia office that he had not worked since 2000. During the guilty plea, Estelle admitted that he has been self-employed since 2000. He owns a business that buys and crushes cars. The SSA payments that Estelle improperly received totaled $86,261.30.
Estelle faces up to five years in prison, a $250,000 fine, restitution, and three years of supervised release for theft of government funds. A sentencing date of January, 10, 2014 was set.
The Social Security Administration and the Louisiana State Police conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney James T. McManus is prosecuting the case.
Shreveport Couple Pleads Guilty to Importing Illegal Drugs into the United States While on A CruiseRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that Robert W. Scogin, 52, and Peggy S. Scogin, 55, both of Shreveport, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. to importing 9,000 pills illegally into the United States.According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, Robert Scogin and Peggy Scogin admitted to importing codeine and dihydrocodeine aboard a cruise ship returning to the United States. United States Immigrations and Customs Enforcement-Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) determined that the co-defendants purchased approximately 9,000 pills of Schedule II, III and IV narcotics in Belize. Upon reentering the United States, they intended to use the drugs for personal use as well as to sell them to others. Their plan was discovered when some of the pills were found in a locker used by Robert Scogin at his job. After being interviewed by law enforcement, the couple confessed and told investigators that they were able to get the pills on the ship by wrapping them in dirty clothes and hiding them in their luggage to avoid detection.
“Smuggling drugs into the United States is a serious crime,” Finley stated. “Selling prescription drugs without knowing what they really are and without knowing how they will affect the person buying them in an illegal market is extremely dangerous. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to protect public safety by prosecuting those who illegally import and sell prescription drugs.”
"Homeland Security Investigations special agents in Shreveport along with the Shreveport Police Department Narcotics Unit worked long hours to dismantle this smuggling operation, recover dangerous foreign manufactured narcotics, and bring this investigation to a conclusion,” said Special Agent in Charge of HSI New Orleans Raymond R. Parmer Jr. “Stopping the flow of illegal drugs is a priority for HSI, and we will continue to focus resources on this important effort.”
The defendants face up to 20 years in prison, a $1 million fine and five years of supervised release. A sentencing date of January 16, 2014 was set.
United States Immigrations and Customs Enforcement-Homeland Security Investigations and the Shreveport Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth D. Reeg is prosecuting the case.