District of Nebraska
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Lincoln Man Sentenced to Thirteen Years for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Aaron Joseph Kearney, 50, of Lincoln, Nebraska, was sentenced on January 20, 2023 by United States District Court Judge John M. Gerrard to 13 years imprisonment following his conviction for possession of child pornography. After he completes his prison sentence, Kearney will also serve 10 years on supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Kearney was further ordered to pay $3,000 in restitution to a victim, and $5,000 in special assessments. Kearney pleaded guilty to the offense on October 6, 2022.
Agents with the Department of Homeland Security in Phoenix, Arizona, were investigating an account on an instant messaging platform that was involved in the receipt of child pornography. They were able to obtain information about other accounts interacting with the account under investigation in Phoenix, and which were exchanging child pornography material. One of the accounts they discovered, and which was later found to belong to Kearney, posted messages on August 26, 2021, requesting child pornography material. On August 29, 2021, Kearney’s account posted six videos depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Three of the videos involved prepubescent children.
After tracing that account back to Kearney, agents with Homeland Security Investigations in Nebraska obtained a search warrant for Kearney’s residence in Lincoln. The warrant was executed on January 27, 2022. Among the items seized was Kearney’s cellphone. Kearney was home at the time the search warrant was executed and he was interviewed. Kearney confessed that the account in question was his and that he had used that account to seek out child pornography.
Kearney’s phone was later examined. It was found to contain two videos depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The examination of his phone also showed three applications installed on his phone that are used to clean and delete files from the device.
One of the factors the district court considered in determining Kearney’s sentence was the fact that Kearney was previously convicted on April 7, 2008, in the United States District Court for the District of Nebraska, of possession of child pornography.
The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations and this case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by 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.
Omaha Man Sentenced to Four Years for Methamphetamine DistributionRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Christopher Hatcher, 45, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha for distribution of methamphetamine. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Hatcher to 48 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, he will begin a four-year term of supervised release.
On April 14, 2020, Hatcher sold methamphetamine to a cooperating witness working with law enforcement at an Omaha apartment. The substance was submitted to the crime laboratory for testing, which determined a net weight of 141.7 grams and a purity of 95 percent.
This case was investigated by the Omaha Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms.
Minatare Man Sentenced for Receiving Child PornographyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Richard Knott, Jr., 35, of Minatare, Nebraska, was sentenced today in Lincoln, Nebraska, by United States District Judge John M. Gerrard for possession of child pornography. Knott was sentenced to 150 months in prison and will also serve 10 years on supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Knott was also ordered to pay $4,000 to a fund designated for victims of this type of crime. After serving his prison sentence Knott will continue to be required to register as a sex offender.
This case began with an investigation regarding the sharing of child pornography on a specific foreign-based cloud storage website. The investigation primarily concerned two hyperlinks which contained folders and subfolders of child pornography primarily depicting infants and toddlers. The investigation reviewed user accounts which were accessing and downloading child pornography from these links. The IP address from one of the user accounts traced back to Knott. The subscriber information for the email address also came back to him.
On June 9, 2021, a federal search warrant was executed on Knott’s home. During the execution, two of Knott’s cellphones, a hard drive, and 5 laptop computers were seized. During the execution of the warrant, Knott agreed to be interviewed and he admitted that one year after he was released from prison for a prior child pornography crime, he began viewing and downloading child pornography again. Knott had previously been convicted in 2012 for possessing child pornography in Scotts Bluff County, Nebraska.
The forensic download and review of Knott’s cellphone and other devices were determined to contain approximately 33,000 images and 7,000 videos of child pornography.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and 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.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Lincoln Man Sentenced for Possession with Intent to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Aaron Lee Kuntz, 44, of Lincoln, Nebraska, was sentenced today to 15 years’ imprisonment for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of actual (pure) methamphetamine after having a prior conviction for a serious drug felony by United States District Judge John M. Gerrard. Following his release from prison, Kuntz will serve 10 years on supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
On June 18, 2021, Lincoln narcotics investigators were watching Kuntz’s Lincoln residence. They saw a car leave Kuntz’s residence which was followed and later stopped for a traffic violation. The car was searched, and approximately 1 ¼ ounces of methamphetamine were found in the possession of one of the passengers who said they had obtained the methamphetamine at Kuntz’s residence. Investigators served a search warrant at Kuntz’s residence and found at least 510 grams, (approximately 18 ounces), of actual (pure) methamphetamine, plastic baggies, and scales. Kuntz told investigators he was selling small amounts of methamphetamine to support his methamphetamine addiction.
Kuntz had a prior conviction in federal court for conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine mixture for which he was sentenced to 135 months in prison in January of 2006.
This case was investigated by the Lincoln/Lancaster County Narcotics Task Force.
January 2023 Grand Jury for the District of NebraskaRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Steven Russell announced the federal Grand Jury for the District of Nebraska has returned 9 unsealed Indictments charging 13 defendants. Indictments are charging documents that contain one or more individual counts that are merely accusations, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
* Tut Chuol, age 42, of Phoenix, Arizona; Kun Gach, age 38, of Omaha, Nebraska; and Tut Yual, age 40, of Des Moines, Iowa, are charged with conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl on or about December 1, 2022. The penalty if convicted is not less than 5 years’ and up to 40 years’ imprisonment, a $5,000,000 fine, not less than four years and up to a life term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
Contact Drug Enforcement Unit Chief Susan Lehr at 402-661-3700 for further information.
* Donald Fox, age 54, of Bayard, Nebraska, is charged in a five-count Indictment. Count I charges Fox with embezzlement and theft of labor union assets beginning on or about February 20, 2016 and continuing to on or about August 14, 2021. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 5 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a three-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Counts II through V charge Fox with falsification of annual financial reports filed by a labor union beginning on or about March 20, 2017 and continuing to on or about March 31, 2020. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 1 year imprisonment, a $10,000 fine, and a $100 special assessment.
Contact Criminal Chief Michael Norris at 402-661-3700 for further information.
* Eduardo Gonzalez-Moreno, age 23, is charged with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl on or about November 3, 2022. The penalty if convicted is 20 years’ imprisonment, a $1,000,000 fine, not less than three years and up to a life term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
Contact Drug Enforcement Unit Chief Susan Lehr at 402-661-3700 for further information.
* Ricky Allen Kane, age 45, and Michele Marie Waters, age 55, both of Omaha, Nebraska, are charged in a two-count Indictment. Count I charges Kane and Waters with conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine (actual) on or about November 1, 2021 and continuing to on or about November 14, 2022. The penalty if convicted is not less than 10 years’ and up to life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, not less than five years and up to a life term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count II charges Kane with distribution of fentanyl analogue resulting in death on or about August 22, 2022. The penalty if convicted is not less than 20 years’ and up to life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, not less than five-years’ and up to a life term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
Contact Drug Enforcement Unit Chief Susan Lehr at 402-661-3700 for further information.
* Ivan Lima-Olivarria, age 42, is charged with conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine on or about November 1, 2021 and continuing to on or about November 23, 2022. The penalty if convicted is not less than 10 years’ and up to life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, not less than five years and up to a life term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
There is also an allegation to forfeit $14,770 in United States currency and property seized on or about November 23, 2022.
Contact Drug Enforcement Unit Chief Susan Lehr at 402-661-3700 for further information.
* Nicholas Onate, age 33, of California, is charged with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl on or about July 9. 2022. The penalty if convicted is 20 years’ imprisonment, a $1,000,000 fine, not less than three years and up to a life term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
Contact Drug Enforcement Unit Chief Susan Lehr at 402-661-3700 for further information.
* Isrrael Robledo-Cardenas, age 47, of Rising City, Nebraska, is charged in a two-count Indictment. Count I charges Robledo-Cardenas with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine (actual) on or about November 15, 2022. The penalty if convicted is 20 years’ imprisonment, a $1,000,000 fine, not less than three years and up to a life term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count II charges Robledo-Cardenas with possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime on or about November 15, 2022. The penalty if convicted is not less than 5 years’ imprisonment up to life imprisonment consecutive to any other sentence, a $250,000 fine, a five-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
Contact Drug Enforcement Unit Chief Susan Lehr at 402-661-3700 for further information.
* Luis Salazar-Cabrera, age 39, and Martin Caballero-Bringas, age 57, are charged in a two-count Indictment. Count I charges Salazar-Cabrera and Caballero-Bringas with conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and 500 grams or more of methamphetamine on or about March 1, 2022 and continuing to on or about October 19, 2022. The penalty if convicted is not less than 10 years’ and up to life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, not less than five years and up to a life term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count II charges Salazar-Cabrera with possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl on or about October 19, 2022. The penalty if convicted is not less than 10 years’ and up to life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, not less than five-years’ and up to a life term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
Contact Drug Enforcement Unit Chief Susan Lehr at 402-661-3700 for further information.
* Kevin Warsocki, age 31, of Omaha, Nebraska, is charged in a two-count Indictment. Count I charges Warsocki with possession with intent to distribute 10 grams or more of fentanyl on or about November 9, 2022. The penalty if convicted is not less than 5 years’ and up to 40 years’ imprisonment, a $5,000,000 fine, not less than four years and up to a life term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count II charges Warsocki with distribution of fentanyl analogue resulting in death on or about November 9, 2022. The penalty if convicted is not less than 20 years’ and up to life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, not less than five-years’ and up to a life term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
There is also an allegation to forfeit $1,034.00 in United States currency and property seized on or about November 9, 2022.
Contact Drug Enforcement Unit Chief Susan Lehr at 402-661-3700 for further information.
Guatemalan Man Sentenced for Selling Counterfeit DocumentsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Domingo Zacarias Ciprian, 42, formerly of Grand Island, Nebraska, was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska by Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. for unlawful transfer of a document or authentication feature. Ciprian was sentenced to 15 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, Ciprian will begin a 1-year term of supervised release. Ciprian is a citizen of Guatemala and will be deported after serving his sentence.
Through information gathered from previous investigations, law enforcement learned that Ciprian was selling counterfeit documents. On September 21, 2021, investigators made an undercover purchase from Ciprian of fraudulent documents to include a Social Security card and Nebraska Driver’s License. Ciprian was provided a down payment for the documents through MoneyGram, and he used his address and phone number to pick it up the payment. Following the purchase, investigators secured a warrant to search the Ciprian’s residence in Grand Island. The search on November 3, 2021, yielded 92 counterfeit documents, many of which appear to have been issued by or under the authority of the United States, as follows: 52 Social Security cards; 31 state identification cards/driver’s licenses; 1 Permanent Resident Card; and 8 birth certificates. Ciprian forfeited $6,640.00 in proceeds from his document trafficking operation.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations.
Hallam Man Sentenced to Six Months Confinement for Willful Failure to Pay over TaxRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Christopher D. Weaver, 49, of Hallam Nebraska, was sentenced today in Lincoln, Nebraska, by United States District Judge John M. Gerrard for willful failure to pay over tax. Weaver was sentenced to six months of community confinement, two years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. There is no parole in the federal system. Weaver was additionally ordered to pay a fine of $10,000.
The investigation of this case revealed that Weaver failed to file Forms 941 and pay over the trust fund taxes for his two businesses, Structural Enterprises, Inc. and SEI Millwright Service, Inc., for a period of approximately 10 years from 2010 until 2020. Specifically, during the third quarter of the year 2016, for the months of July 1, 2016 through September 30, 2016, Weaver deducted and collected from the total taxable wages of Structural Enterprises, Inc employees, “payroll taxes” in the amount of approximately $92,986.91 for the quarter ending September 30, 2016. Weaver willfully failed to pay over to the Internal Revenue Service the $92,986.91 in “payroll taxes” due and owing to the United States of America. Since being charged, Weaver has paid all payroll taxes due and owing and filed the required tax forms.
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation.
Omaha Man Sentenced in Methamphetamine Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that James Finley, 38, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced Friday, January 13, 2023, in federal court in Omaha for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Finley to a term of imprisonment of 220 months. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, he will begin a 10-year term of supervised release.
In September 2020, the Omaha Police Department began investigating Carla Colliers for distributing methamphetamine in the Omaha-Metro area. On November 12, 2020, a search warrant was executed on Colliers’s residence and officers located approximately 900 grams of methamphetamine. During the execution of the search warrant, Finley arrived at the residence with a bookbag containing 642 grams of pure methamphetamine.
Colliers was sentenced on March 25, 2022, to 186 months’ imprisonment and 10 years of supervised release.
This case was investigated primarily by the Omaha Police Department.
Bowmar Bowhunting LLC and Owners Josh and Sarah Bowmar Sentenced for Conspiracy to Violate the Lacey ActRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Josh T. Bowmar, 32, Sarah E. Bowmar, 33, and Bowmar Bowhunting LLC, all of Ankeny, Iowa, were sentenced on January 12, 2023 in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, by United States Magistrate Judge Michael D. Nelson for Conspiracy to Violate the Lacey Act. The Lacey Act prohibits the trafficking in interstate commerce "tainted" (i.e., taken in violation of a law or regulation) wildlife, fish, or indigenous plants. Josh and Sarah Bowmar, and their corporate entity, Bowmar Bowhunting LLC, (collectively referred to as the Bowmars) were convicted after previously pleading guilty to Conspiring to Violate the Lacey Act and sentenced each to three years’ probation and 40 hours of community service each. Magistrate Judge Nelson ordered the Bowmars to pay a $75,000 fine ($25,000 each), a $44,000 money judgment in lieu of forfeiting certain property, and $13,000 restitution. As part of the probation terms, the Bowmars shall not hunt or engage in any activities associated with hunting within the District of Nebraska during the period of probation.
The investigation determined that beginning in September 2015, and continuing through November 2017, the Bowmars conducted approximately five hunts per year at Hidden Hills Outfitters (HHO), a commercial big game guiding and outfitting business, near Broken Bow, Nebraska. During the course of commercially guided hunting activity, the Bowmars conspired to transport wildlife, or parts thereof, from Nebraska to Ohio, when the Bowmars should have known that the wildlife was attempted to be taken, possessed, and transported contrary to Nebraska state law. The Bowmars, utilizing various internet and social media platforms including their Bowmar Bowhunting website, Instagram site, and YouTube channel, published and broadcasted hunting activities that occurred at HHO.
This sentencing hearing marks the completion of all foreseen prosecutions of numerous defendants related to violations committed by owners, guides, and clients of Hidden Hills Outfitters. Violations associated with 52 individuals have been resolved throughout this investigation. A total of 39 defendants have pleaded guilty and have been sentenced and ordered to pay a total of $759,732 in fines, restitution, and forfeiture, serve 30 months of incarceration, 47 years of probation, and 72 years of hunting and guiding restrictions for underlying violations related to at least 97 unlawfully-taken big game animals or wild turkey including deer taken within baited areas; deer, pronghorn, and wild turkeys taken with weapons or firearms prohibited during their respective hunting seasons; deer taken during closed season hours, from the road, or without a valid permit; and mule deer taken within the Mule Deer Conservation Area. An additional 13 individuals resolved their cases through administrative abandonment of various wildlife trophies originating from unlawful hunts at Hidden Hills Outfitters.
The operation was a joint investigation conducted by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement and the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, Law Enforcement Division.
Arizona Man Sentenced for Threats Made over CellphoneRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Andrew Isaac Abrams, 42, of Tucson, Arizona, was sentenced today in Omaha, Nebraska, for transmitting a threat to injure the person of another through an interstate communication. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Abrams to 18 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, Abrams will begin a three-year term of supervised release.
On or about April 23, 2021, Abrams contacted multiple Omaha-based locations using a phone number originating in Tucson, Arizona. The first call went to Union Pacific Railroad Security, stating that a moving truck loaded with two tons of explosive material was parked near their building. As a precaution the building was evacuated, and Union Pacific Railroad sent their employees home for the day. Then Abrams contacted Douglas County Civic Center and Courthouse from the same phone number and stated that he had parked a Ryder truck filled with explosives in front of Union Pacific and that, “You guys are killing us, that’s why I’m going to blow up the civic center too!” Abrams placed a call to Eppley Airfield, located in Omaha, referencing “blowing up airplanes”, and mentioning several of the airlines. Finally, Abrams called Central High School in Omaha and left a voicemail on the school’s voicemail stating that there would be bombs and shooters in the Elkhorn, Westside, Central and Millard Schools in Omaha and mentioning the Union Pacific Railroad Headquarters.
Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant on Abrams’s apartment in Tucson on May 13, 2021 and seized his cellphone. Investigators reviewed the call records for the cellphone, and verified that the calls made on April 23, 2021 to the four affected locations were made from Abrams’s cellphone located in Tucson. Abrams was arrested on May 14, 2021.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Omaha Police Department, and the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office.
Decatur Man Sentenced to 46 Months for Sexual Abuse of a MinorRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Juwan Grant, 24, of Decatur, Nebraska, was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha for sexual abuse of a minor. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Grant to imprisonment for 46 months. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, he will begin a 5-year term of supervised release and will be required to register as a sex offender.
Grant impregnated a minor victim in the early months of 2021 on the Omaha Nation Indian Reservation. The child was carried to term and was born in November of 2021. The minor victim was 12 years old at the time of the offense. Grant was 10 years older.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and 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.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Council Bluffs Woman Sentenced for Wire FraudRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Loretta L. Janssen, 58, of Council Bluffs, Iowa, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher to 12 months’ and one day imprisonment for wire fraud. After Janssen’s release from prison, she will begin a three-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Janssen was also ordered to pay restitution of $200,963.11.
During 2015 to 2021, Janssen paid her personal credit card using funds drawn from a business bank account of her former employer, for whom she had worked as a bookkeeper. The former employer did not authorize any of the payments. Each month from June 2015 to July 2021, Janssen initiated the payment of her personal credit card, using her online account, and selected the former employer’s bank account as the source for the payments. The cumulative total was $200,963.11.
This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service and the Sarpy County Sheriff’s Office.
Omaha Man Sentenced for Distributing MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Todd Allgood, 43, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha for possession with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of actual methamphetamine. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Allgood to 96 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, he will begin a four-year term of supervised release. Allgood will also forfeit to the United States $1,383.00 in U.S. currency that was drug proceeds.
On October 21, 2020, law enforcement executed a search warrant on Allgood’s hotel room and seized 61 grams of actual methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia, and a digital scale. Law enforcement also seized $1,383.00 in U.S. currency as drug proceeds.
This case was investigated by the Omaha Police Department.
Mexican-born Man Sentenced to 290 Months in Methamphetamine Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Oswaldo Neri, 31, of Mexico but residing in Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha, for distribution of methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Neri conspired with his brother, Jesse Neri, of Omaha, and others to distribute methamphetamine in Omaha in early 2021. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Neri to imprisonment for a term of 290 months as to each count, to be served concurrently. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, he will begin a 5-year term of supervised release.
On January 4 and 5, 2021, a DEA undercover agent posing as a customer contacted a known Mexico-based methamphetamine supplier to order for purchase 1 pound of methamphetamine. The agent and the Mexican source of supply agreed that a local party would meet the customer at a business in Omaha to complete the sale and agreed that the customer would pay $4,100 for the pound. As planned, they met and completed the transaction. Investigators thereafter identified the Neri brothers as the persons who met with the undercover officer and delivered the methamphetamine.
A week later, on January 12, 2021, investigators executed a search warrant at the Neri brothers’ residence in Omaha. Both brothers were arrested, and investigators recovered 6 additional pounds of methamphetamine from Oswaldo Neri’s bedroom closet, as well as additional evidence of distribution.
A jury trial of the brothers commenced on February 8, 2022. Jesse Neri pled guilty on the morning trial was to begin, leaving Oswaldo Neri as the sole defendant at trial. On February 10, 2022, a federal jury in the District of Nebraska found Oswaldo Neri guilty of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. On August 25, 2022, Jesse Neri was sentenced to imprisonment for a term of 210 months.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Omaha Field Division, and the Nebraska State Patrol. The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office Forensic Chemistry Unit provide laboratory services for the investigation.
South Dakota Man Sentenced for Unlawful Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Trentelle Clifton, 46, of South Dakota, was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Chief United States District Court Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Clifton to 72 months of imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from federal prison, Clifton will begin a 3-year term of supervised release.
On July 6, 2022, officers were dispatched to a vehicle in Omaha. Upon arrival, officers located Clifton in the driver’s seat. Clifton attempted to conceal a Springfield Armory handgun. Officers collected the handgun and arrested Clifton. The investigation revealed that the handgun was stolen and that Clifton’s DNA was on it.
Clifton was prohibited from possessing firearms because of prior felony convictions for: possession of a firearm by a prohibited person (2012); robbery (1999); robbery (2012); possession of a controlled substance (2010); escape (2005); and theft (1995).
This case was investigated by Omaha Police Department and was part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.
Fremont Man Sentenced in Conspiracy to Produce and Transfer Fraudulent DocumentsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Martin Alonzo Castro, 42, of Fremont, Nebraska, was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha for Conspiracy to Produce and Transfer Fraudulent Documents. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Castro to time served. Castro has been in custody since his arrest on April 14, 2021. There is no parole in the federal system. He was also ordered to serve a 3-year term of supervised release. Castro will be deported by U.S. immigration authorities.
In the spring of 2020, law enforcement officers investigating an identity theft matter involving the use of a deceased person’s Social Security number learned that fraudulent identity documents could be obtained from co-defendant Tomas De La Cruz-Perez.
Over the course of the year, investigators made several purchases of fraudulent documents (Social Security cards, state Driver’s Licenses, and Lawful Permanent Resident cards (I-551s) from De La Cruz-Perez, who was receiving dozens of packages originating in California through the U.S. Mail. Investigators determined that co-defendant Luis Alberto Castro-Santos, of Pomona, California, was the source of the fraudulent documents mailed to De La Cruz-Perez for sale to customers in Nebraska. Investigators determined that Castro and co-defendant Estuardo Ruiz-Orozco, of Wakefield, Nebraska, were also selling fraudulent documents obtained from Castro-Santos in California. Ruiz-Orozco was sentenced to imprisonment for a term of 24 months on May 12, 2022. Castro-Santos and De La Cruz-Perez were sentenced to imprisonment for terms of 24 months and 15 months, respectively, on October 21, 2022.
Investigators planned and executed coordinated arrests of the defendants on April 14, 2021. Investigators obtained warrants to search the Nebraska defendants’ residences and cars, yielding hundreds of counterfeit federal and state identity cards.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Social Security Administration’s Office of Inspector General, and the Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles.
Woman Sentenced for Possessing Quarter Pound of Methamphetamine While ShopliftingRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Milea Ixta, 32, of Ithaca, Nebraska, was sentenced on January 4, 2023, in federal court in Omaha for Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Ixta to 162 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Ixta’s release from prison, she will begin a 5-year term of supervised release.
On January 18, 2021, officers responded to a Walmart in Omaha regarding a report of shoplifting where the customer failed to ring up items and was attempting to leave the store. When the officer arrived, Ixta was taken into custody. A backpack she was carrying was searched. In addition to locating the stolen merchandise, officers also seized 148 grams of actual methamphetamine as well as 580 grams of a cutting agent.
This case was investigated by the Omaha Police Department.
Omaha Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Child Pornography Receipt and DistributionRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Jame Rodriguez-Ramirez, 21, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha for receipt and distribution of child pornography. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Rodriguez-Ramirez to 120 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, Rodriguez-Ramirez will begin a five-year term of supervised and will be required to register as a sex offender.
Rodriguez-Ramirez has been the subject of multiple investigations resulting from NCMEC cybertips for child pornography materials. The cybertips were generated by DropBox, a file sharing service, in 2017; Instagram in 2019; and Omegle in 2021. Each cybertip resulted in a separate search of his Omaha residence and seizure of his electronic devices by investigators.
In 2017, during an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Rodriguez-Ramirez admitted to viewing images and videos of child pornography on his cell phone and to using Omegle to obtain links to the child pornography, stating he had shared links with others to obtain additional links. During the September of 2019 search by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Rodriguez-Ramirez’s devices were seized and forensically examined. The examination yielded 8 images containing nude or semi-nude prepubescent and pubescent minor females ranging in the approximate ages of 10-15 years old and 12 videos depicting prepubescent females, ranging from infant/toddler age to 8 years old, as well as pubescent teenage girls, approximately 12-14 years old, engaged in sexually explicit conduct and lascivious viewing of their vagina and anus.
The Nebraska State Patrol began its investigation based on a July 2021 cybertip received from Omegle, after which it learned of the earlier HSI and FBI investigations. On October 26, 2021, while forensics were still pending in the FBI case, NSP investigators searched Rodriguez-Ramirez’s residence again. Rodriguez-Ramirez admitted to viewing images and videos using Omegle on his cell phone. Investigators also seized more devices (and iPhone and an Apple MacBook) for examination. Forensic review revealed additional evidence of possession and distribution of child pornography on Rodriguez-Ramirez’s cell phone which occurred after the home was searched in 2019. Investigators confirmed that videos and two images from his cell phone depicted sexual conduct involving children younger than 16 years old.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorney’s 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.
This case was investigated by the Omaha FBI's Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, Nebraska State Patrol and Homeland Security Investigations.
Omaha Man Sentenced for Distributing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Gregory Lukassen, 50, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha for distribution and receipt of child pornography. The Honorable Brian C. Buescher sentenced Lukassen to 240 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal prison system. After his release from prison, Lukassen will serve 5 years of supervised release. Lukassen was also ordered to pay $12,000 in restitution.
In October, Lukassen was found guilty after a two-day jury trial. The evidence at trial showed that officers contacted Lukassen at a residence in Bellevue, Nebraska, after receiving Cybertip Reports from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) indicating that online service providers had reported uploads of child pornography. Lukassen admitted to chatting online regarding sexual fantasies and claimed to have received child pornography unintentionally during those chats. Forensic examinations of devices seized from Lukassen showed cache and/or thumbnail files of at least 38 unique images of child pornography on the devices, including some of the images reported in the Cybertips.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorney’s 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.
This case was investigated by the Bellevue Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations..
Omaha Business Owner Sentenced for Failing to Pay over Payroll TaxesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Bryan A. Erdman, 52, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha for failing to pay over payroll taxes. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Erdman to 12 months and 1 day of imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, Erdman will begin a 3-year term of supervised release. Judge Buescher ordered Erdman to pay $462,644.93 in restitution.
An investigation conducted by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division determined that BSJ CO, Inc. (“BSJ CO”) was a Nebraska corporation doing business as It’s a Wonderful World Childcare within the District of Nebraska. Erdman was the president and owner of BSJ CO, and exercised control over the business affairs, including authorizing business expenses, authorizing payment of employee paychecks, signing of employee paychecks, approval of payments made by the corporation, and approval of payment of payroll taxes to the Internal Revenue Service. BSJ CO was required to withhold taxes from its employees’ paychecks, including federal income taxes, and Medicare and Social Security taxes. BSJ CO was also obligated to pay an employer’s share of these “payroll taxes.” Erdman had the responsibility to collect, truthfully account for, and pay over BSJ CO “payroll taxes” to the Internal Revenue Service.
Throughout calendar years 2015 to 2017, BSJ CO withheld tax payments from its employees’ paychecks; however, failed to account for and pay over approximately $295,463.91 of the employee share of “payroll taxes.” For tax years 2015 to 2017 Erdman also failed to pay over approximately $167,181.02 of the employer share of “payroll taxes.” During the time period that Erdman failed to account for and failed to pay over “payroll taxes,” Erdman used at least some of the funds within the BSJ CO’s bank account to pay for personal expenses not associated with BSJ CO.
“Employers have a responsibility to withhold the proper amount of taxes from their employees’ wages and pay those taxes over to the IRS,” said IRS Criminal Investigation Acting Special Agent in Charge, Thomas Murdock, St. Louis Field Office. “Not only is it their legal duty to the United States, they also owe it to their workers to protect their Medicare and Social Security benefits.”
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division.
Macy Man Sentenced for Sexual AssaultRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Talis Dale, 23, of Macy, Nebraska, was sentenced today for sexual abuse of a minor. Chief United States District Court Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Dale to 6½ years’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, Dale will begin a six-year term of supervised release.
In May of 2022, Dale intentionally touched, not through the clothing, the genitalia of a minor female who was 12 years old. Dale admitted to touching the minor to arouse or gratify the sexual desire of any person. The minor was in her room going to sleep when Dale touched her. The minor had to raise her voice to get Dale to stop. The following morning, the minor reported what happened and law enforcement were notified. Investigation revealed Dale returned later and attempted to commit another sexual act with the minor.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Omaha Repeat Offender Sentenced to 450 Months for Drug and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Prince L. Spellman, 39, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, cocaine, and phencyclidine (PCP), possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and felon in possession of a firearm. On September 30, 2022, Spellman was convicted by a federal jury. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Spellman to imprisonment for a term of 450 months. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, Spellman will begin a 5-year term of supervised release.
On the evening of March 8, 2021, Omaha police officers responded to a ShotSpotter alert in the area of 2877 Fort Street in Omaha. The officers observed a silver Jeep Cherokee in the area which appeared to be consistent with 911 callers’ descriptions of a suspect vehicle involved in the shots fired incident. The officers followed the Jeep and obtained the license plate number and registration information but did not have sufficient information to stop it at that time. Thereafter, they returned to the area of 5628 N. 29th Street, where they obtained additional information from witnesses and collected 9mm bullet casings from the street. The witnesses’ information regarding the suspect vehicle confirmed that the Jeep Cherokee they observed earlier was, in fact, the correct vehicle.
On the following day, March 9, 2021, at about 9:00 p.m., an Omaha Police Department gang unit detective was on patrol in an unmarked police vehicle near 40 Bedford Avenue and observed the vehicle traveling northbound. The Jeep Cherokee was stopped at a McDonald’s restaurant in the area of 30 Taylor Street. Three occupants were ordered from the Jeep. In plain view, on the floorboard behind the driver’s seat, officers observed a pink and black Tanfoglio Witness P-Compact 9mm handgun.
Spellman was the driver of the Jeep and was searched. Officers located a vial of brown liquid in Spellman’s groin that was later determined to contain PCP. Officers also recovered a bag containing approximately 55 grams of white powder, later confirmed as cocaine through lab testing. Lastly, officers found a bottle containing 100 blue pills stamped "M”, which were later determined to contain fentanyl. Spellman, who has an extensive record of felony convictions, was arrested. His prior felony convictions include Robbery, Possession of a Controlled Substance, Criminal Impersonation (False Information), Strangulation, all in the District Court of Douglas County, Nebraska, and multiple offenses involving firearms including a prior conviction for Felon in Possession of a Firearm in the U.S. District Court for the District of Nebraska.
Employees of the Omaha Police Department later examined the firearm recovered from the Jeep and casings recovered on March 8, 2021 and determined that the firearm Jeep was the same firearm used during the shots fired call requiring the police response on the evening of March 8, 2021.
This case is part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. The United States Attorney’s Office has prosecuted this case with the support of and investigation by the following Project Guardian partners: the Omaha Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms. For more information about Project Guardian, please see https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/attorney-general-william-p-barr-announces-launch-project-guardian-nationwide-strategic-plan.
Fremont Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Distributing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Jorgen Johannssen, 24, of Fremont, Nebraska, was sentenced today for distributing child pornography. United States District Court Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Johannssen to 10 years of imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, he will begin a 10-year term of supervised release and will be required to register as a sex offender. Johannssen was further ordered to pay $45,000 in restitution to a total of 15 victims.
In August of 2017 a federal search warrant was executed at Johannssen’s residence in Fremont. He was 19 and found to have uploaded more than 20,000 images of child pornography. In March of 2021 agents from Homeland Security Investigations returned to the residence with a second search warrant. Johannssen, now 22, was found to possess more than 290 videos and more than 400 images of child pornography. He admitted to downloading and distributing child pornography about a year after the first warrant.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorney’s 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.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Collects $5,963,150.24 in Civil and Criminal Actions in Fiscal Year 2022Read the Press Release
United States Attorney Steven Russell announced today that the District of Nebraska collected $5,963,150.24 in criminal and civil actions in Fiscal Year 2022. Of this amount, $4,934,420.69 was collected in criminal actions and $1,028,729.55 was collected in civil actions.
Additionally, the District of Nebraska worked with other U.S. Attorney’s Offices and components of the Department of Justice to collect an additional $556,512.84 in cases pursued jointly by these offices. Of this amount, $1,912.00 was collected in criminal actions and $554,600.00 was collected in civil actions.
In United States of America v. Gilbert G. Lundstrom, the District of Nebraska recovered $2,324,505.93 in garnished funds that were due and payable to Lundstrom. With this garnishment, the restitution owed was paid in full. Also, an Omaha-based Food Processing Company was ordered to pay a $550,000 civil penalty and later in 2022 received a $200,000 criminal penalty.
The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, along with the department’s litigating divisions, are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the U.S. and criminal debts owed to federal crime victims. The law requires defendants to pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss. While restitution is paid to the victim, criminal fines and felony assessments are paid to the department’s Crime Victims Fund, which distributes the funds collected to federal and state victim compensation and victim assistance programs.
Additionally, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Nebraska working with partner agencies and divisions, collected $3,033,892 in asset forfeiture actions in FY 2022. Forfeited assets deposited into the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund are used to restore funds to crime victims and for a variety of law enforcement purposes.
Lincoln Man Sentenced to 3 Years as a Drug User in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Jakerrius Jachun Gill, 23, of Lincoln, Nebraska, was sentenced on December 27, 2022, by United States District Court Judge John M. Gerrard to a term of 36 months’ imprisonment following his conviction for being an unlawful user of a controlled substance who possessed firearms. After he completes his prison sentence, Gill will also serve three years on supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Gill pleaded guilty to the offense on September 20, 2022.
On June 2, 2021, Gill was contacted by an officer with the Lincoln Police Department (LPD). The officer detected the odor of marijuana coming from a car in which the defendant had been riding earlier. Marijuana was located in the car. Pills that had the appearance and markings of Oxycodone were found in the vehicle. (The pills were later discovered to be counterfeit and did not contain any controlled substances.) In a subsequent interview, Gill admitted to having purchased the pills from a woman near the area of 27th and Dudley Streets in Lincoln.
On July 11, 2021, Gill was driving a vehicle when he was stopped by an LPD officer. The officer detected the odor of burnt marijuana coming from the vehicle. The officer searched the car and found a Glock model 22, .40 caliber handgun concealed underneath the floor mat on the driver’s side of the vehicle.
A search warrant was executed at the defendant’s residence in Lincoln on November 16, 2021. Among the items located by police were drug paraphernalia, Oxycodone pills, and marijuana.
On January 13, 2022, another search warrant was executed at Gill’s residence. Among the items located by police were an AR-style rifle, a FN pistol, the frame of a Glock handgun, prescription pill bottles, and marijuana.
This case was investigated by the Lincoln Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and was part of Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.
Kearney Woman Sentenced to 4 1/2 Years in Prison for Distribution of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Tammie J. Young, 53, of Kearney, Nebraska, was sentenced today in federal court in Lincoln. United States District Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced Young to 54 months in prison for one count of distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine (actual) and 50 grams or more of methamphetamine mixture. After serving her sentence, Young will be placed on supervised release for 3 years. There is no parole in the federal system.
On September 28, 2021, investigators with the Tri-Cities Drug Enforcement Team (TRIDENT) conducted a controlled purchase of about an ounce of methamphetamine from Young in Kearney. On October 14, 2021, investigators conducted a controlled purchase of about two ounces of methamphetamine from Young again in Kearney. On January 5, 2022, Young’s vehicle was stopped for a traffic violation in Kearney. A drug-sniffing dog was deployed around her vehicle and indicated to the presence of a narcotics odor coming from the vehicle. Officer searched the vehicle and found a suspected methamphetamine pipe and a small baggie of suspected methamphetamine. Young was arrested and searched, and officers found about a half ounce of methamphetamine in her pocket. A lab determined that the methamphetamine Young distributed and possessed with intent to distribute in these instances totaled over 97 grams of methamphetamine mixture, of which at least 91 grams was actual methamphetamine.
This case was investigated by TRIDENT. TRIDENT is a task force with law enforcement personnel from the Adams County Sheriff’s Office, Buffalo County Sheriff’s Office, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Grand Island Police Department, Hall County Sheriff’s Office, Hastings Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, Kearney Police Department, and the Nebraska State Patrol.
Weissert, Nebraska Man Sentenced to 100 Months for Receiving Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Zachary Peterson, 36, of Weissert, Nebraska, was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha for receiving child pornography. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Peterson to 100 months of imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After completing his term of imprisonment, Peterson will begin a 5-year term of supervised release. Peterson was also ordered to pay $25,000 in fines.
On February 6, 2020, Peterson received via his Yahoo email account four links to MEGA files. One of the links contained approximately 78 videos of child pornography. On the same day, Peterson used the Yahoo email account to send images of child pornography. On February 19, 2020, a law enforcement agent met with Peterson and obtained his cell phone. There were at least 25 images of child pornography on the phone.
This case was investigated by the Nebraska State Patrol and Federal Bureau of Investigation and was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and 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.justice.gov/psc.
Thai Man Sentenced for Drug Trafficking and Firearm CrimesRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Kong Xiong, of Pak Chom, Thailand, was sentenced on December 20, 2022 by Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr., for distributing marijuana and selling firearms. Xiong received a sentence of 90 months’ imprisonment with a five-year term of supervised release to follow. There is no parole in the federal system.
On March 18, 2021, Xiong met with a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms confidential informant in Kansas City, Kansas, and purchased five pounds of marijuana and a firearm. On April 12, 2021, an ATF confidential informant made arrangements with Vue Fang to purchase marijuana and a firearm. Fang and Xiong arrived and met with the confidential informant in Omaha, Nebraska. While the confidential informant met with Fang to get the firearm, Xiong put three pounds of marijuana into the confidential informant’s car.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
This case was investigated by the ATF and the Omaha Police Department.
Omaha Man Sentenced to 130 Months for MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Larry D. Brooks, 60, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Brooks to 130 months in prison for one count of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine (actual). After serving his sentence, Brooks will be placed on supervised release for 5 years. There is no parole in the federal system.
On or about February 6, 2021, in Omaha, officers with the Omaha Police Department observed a Red GMC Yukon being driven without illuminated taillights. The officers conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle. Brooks was driving the vehicle and there were no other occupants. After the stop, Brooks identified himself to the officers. During the search of the Brooks’s vehicle, officers located three (3) plastic baggies, which contained suspected methamphetamine and a digital gram scale. At the time of the traffic stop, Brooks knew the methamphetamine was in the vehicle and he intended to distribute some or all of the methamphetamine to another person.
Subsequent Nebraska Public Service Laboratory lab tests confirmed the suspected methamphetamine found in Brooks’s vehicle was methamphetamine and had a weight of 101.107 grams (3.56 ounces). Subsequent lab tests determined the recovered methamphetamine had a purity of 95%, for a minimum amount of actual methamphetamine of 90.996 grams
This case was investigated by the Omaha Police Department.
Postal Employee Sentenced for Desertion of MailRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Matthew J. Doherty, II, 36, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on December 19, 2022, in federal court in Omaha for Desertion of Mail. United States Magistrate Judge Michael D. Nelson sentenced Doherty to a two-year term of probation.
Between February 28, 2022, through March 9, 2022, Doherty, who was then employed as the mail carrier in Tekamah, Nebraska, took possession of mail for the purposes of delivering it to intended recipients. Instead of delivering all of the mail or returning it to the post office or to another authorized Postal Service employee, Doherty discarded at least 46 pieces of mail in a dumpster in Tekamah.
This case was investigated by the United States Postal Service – Office of the Inspector General.
Wallace, Nebraska Man Sentenced to 50 Months in Prison for Armed Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Steve Russell announced that Wesley S. Cassidy, 27, of Wallace, Nebraska, was sentenced today in Lincoln, Nebraska, by Judge John M. Gerrard for armed bank robbery. Cassidy was sentenced to 50 months in prison, 5 years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment fee. There is no parole in the federal system.
On August 19, 2021, Wesley Cassidy entered Flatwater Bank in Gothenburg, Nebraska and demanded money from a bank teller using a bladed knife. The teller provided Cassidy money from two teller drawers. Cassidy left the bank with the money on foot and was apprehended shortly thereafter. He later admitted to robbing the bank during a Mirandized interview.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Omaha Man Sentenced for Firearm and Drug Trafficking CrimesRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Steven A. Russell announced that Christian Genchi, 29, was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possessing a firearm during a drug trafficking crime. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Genchi to 120 months imprisonment on the drug charge and 60 months on the firearms charge, consecutive for a total sentence of 180 months. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, he will begin two, 5-year terms of supervised release, concurrent.
On August 9, 2021, Omaha Police searched a residence on the 38th block of Gordon Street, in Omaha. Officers located a safe inside the garage of the residence that contained approximately 3 pounds of methamphetamine and a H&R Model 733 revolver. The safe belonged to Genchi who acknowledged the presence of methamphetamine and the firearm in the safe.
This case was investigated by the Omaha Police Department.
Norfolk Woman Convicted of Two Counts of Embezzlement and Theft from Indian Tribal OrganizationRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Steve Russell announced that Andrea Rodriguez, 42, of Norfolk, Nebraska, was sentenced today in Lincoln, Nebraska, by Judge John M. Gerrard for two counts of embezzlement and theft from Indian tribal organization less than $1,000. Rodriguez was sentenced to 4 years’ probation, a fine of $10,000 and $100 for special assessment fees. There is no parole in the federal system. Rodriguez was additionally ordered to pay $19,431.57 in restitution.
From at least July 2019 until the end of October 2020, Andrea Rodriguez was employed by the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska as the Director of the Ponca Tribe’s Domestic Violence Department. In this role, Rodriguez was responsible for handling and providing final authorizations for the allocation of monies which the Ponca tribe received as part of the 2018 Victims of Crime Act (“VOCA”) Assistance Grant. These monies were intended to be used to support Ponca tribal members who were dealing with domestic-violence related issues.
Andrea Rodriguez created false reimbursement requests indicating they were intended to pay for medical bills, grocery bills, and home furnishing and décor-related expenses for certain tribal domestic violence victims. She then signed the final authorization for the reimbursement of these bills from tribal grant funds. In truth, the bills being reimbursed were not expenses incurred by tribal domestic violence victims. Instead, they were for Rodriguez’s own personal bills.
In total, Rodriguez received approximately $19,431.57 in tribal funds as a result of this scheme.
“HHS-OIG will not tolerate any attempts to defraud federal programs, especially those involving vulnerable populations,” said Curt L. Muller, Special Agent in Charge with the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. “We are proud to work alongside our law enforcement partners to hold accountable any perpetrator of fraud.”
This case was jointly investigated by the U.S. Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General
and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General,.
Holdrege, Nebraska Man Sentenced for Conspiracy to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Steven A. Russell announced that Josiah Negley, 35, was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter Jr. sentenced Negley to 120 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, he will begin a five-year term of supervised release.
On March 30, 2019, law enforcement obtained a search warrant for a building in Kearney, Nebraska. Negley was inside the building during the search, which resulted in the seizure of 117 grams of methamphetamine. In addition, the co-defendants indicated they all went to Colorado to get pounds of methamphetamine to bring back to Kearney, Nebraska, to distribute.
Co-defendant Rodney Randolph has pled guilty and is scheduled for sentencing on December 21, 2022. Nicole Peterson was sentenced to 120 months imprisonment followed by 5 years of supervised release.
This case was investigated by the Nebraska State Patrol and the Kearney Police Department.
Addict in Possession of a Firearm SentencedRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Anthony L. Taylor, 34, was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, as an addict in possession of a firearm. Chief United States District Court Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Taylor to 30 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from federal prison, he will begin a 3-year term of supervised release.
On April 10, 2020, at the 40th block of Curtis Ave, Omaha, a confidential source working for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosive, purchased a Taurus handgun and THC vape cartridges from Taylor. During this time period, Taylor was a regular user of illegal drugs including marijuana, which prohibited him from being in possession of a firearm or ammunition.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosive and the Omaha Police Department.
Seward Woman Sentenced to Five Years’ Probation and Jail Time in Tax CaseRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Melissa Grantski, 51, of Seward, Nebraska, was sentenced today in Lincoln by United States District Judge John M. Gerrard for willful failure to collect or pay over employment taxes. Grantski was sentenced to 5 years’ probation, 10 weekends of intermittent confinement, $58,403.64 in restitution, and a $100 special assessment. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case began in October of 2017 when Internal Revenue Service officers noticed that Grantski had an unpaid tax debt for failing to pay payroll taxes. Unbeknownst to investigators at the time, Grantski was already on probation for a similar conviction out of Seward County. Investigators unsuccessfully worked with Grantski to come into compliance with tax laws and pay off her tax debt.
Grantski was the president, secretary, treasurer, and owner of a trucking or hauling business in Seward. She exercised control over the business affairs, including authorizing business expenses, authorizing payment of employee paychecks, signing of employee paychecks, approval of payments made by the corporation, and approval of payment of payroll taxes to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Grantski was required to withhold taxes from its employees’ paychecks, including federal income taxes, and Medicare and Social Security taxes, commonly called “payroll taxes.” Grantski was required to make deposits of payroll taxes to the IRS on a periodic basis. In addition, Grantski was required to file quarterly tax returns setting forth the total amount of wages and other compensation subject to withholding, the total amount of income taxes withheld, the total amount of payroll taxes due, and the total tax deposits.
Grantski had authority required to exercise significant control over the corporate financial business affairs of the business, and had the responsibility to collect, truthfully account for, and pay over payroll taxes to the IRS. During seven quarters between 2015 and 2017, Grantski failed to pay over to the IRS payroll taxes due. Federal tax deductions were made from employees’ paychecks, but Grantski did not forward the taxes to the IRS and did not file the quarterly return. In total, Grantski failed to account for and failed to pay over approximately $58,403.64 in payroll taxes between 2015 – 2017. Prior to sentencing, Grantski paid all of this restitution to the IRS.
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation.
Omaha Man Sentenced for Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Steven A. Russell announced that Jose Ramon Cisneros Perez, 22, was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha for receipt and attempted receipt of child pornography. The Honorable Robert F. Rossiter sentenced Cisneros to 96 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal prison system. After his release from prison, Cisneros will serve 15 years of supervised release.
In February 2020, the father of a 10-year-old girl in Kansas City, Missouri, reported to the Kansas City Police Department that his daughter had been communicating with an unknown person online who had asked the girl to send sexually explicit photos of herself. A detective in Kansas City began investigating and, pretending to be the 10-year-old child, engaged in continued conversation with the person online. The suspect requested that the girl send sexually explicit videos of herself. After determining that the suspect’s IP address tied him to a residence in Omaha, Nebraska, the detective referred the case to the Omaha FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force. Investigators executed a search warrant at the suspect’s residence and made contact with Cisneros, who admitted to engaging in the conversation with the child in Kansas City and admitted to similar conversations with other children online. Forensic examinations of Cisneros’s electronic devices showed images of child pornography stored on the devices.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorney’s 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.
This case was investigated by the Kansas City Police Department and the Omaha FBI's Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force.
Omaha Man Sentenced for Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Brandon Lanza, Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha for distribution of child pornography. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Lanza to 132 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal prison system. After his release from prison, Lanza will serve 10 years of supervised release.
In September 2019, law enforcement began investigating Cybertip Reports from Discord and Facebook stating that a user had distributed child pornography in chats with other users. The chats included discussions of plans to sexually abuse specific children. The suspect was identified as Lanza and the IP address utilized for the child pornography uploads was associated with Lanza’s apartment in Omaha. The children being discussed were known to Lanza through his personal life. Investigators also observed that the Discord and Facebook user sometimes logged on from an IP address associated with Omaha Public Schools, where Lanza was employed as an IT/Network Administrator.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorney’s 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.
This case was investigated by the Omaha FBI's Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force.
Woman Sentenced for Drug Trafficking CrimeRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Steven A. Russell announced that Markisha C. Hill, 40, was sentenced December 9, 2022, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Hill to 180 months imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After her release from prison, she will begin a ten-year term of supervised release.
On May 12, 2021, Omaha Police received a tip from a confidential source that co-defendant Phillip Goetz was going to meet Hill to purchase methamphetamine near 72nd and Grover Streets in Omaha. Detectives conducted surveillance and observed Goetz approach and enter Hill’s vehicle. The two drove to various locations but at a Taco Bell, Goetz left Hill’s vehicle and entered a beige Jeep Grand Cherokee, which left the area briefly before returning. Goetz got out of the Jeep and returned to Hill’s vehicle.
Officers observed a traffic infraction and stopped Hill’s SUV on I-80 near the 60th Street exit. Goetz was observed by law enforcement attempting to conceal something in his jacket. After consent to search the SUV by Hill was declined, officers had a trained dog conduct a sniff of the SUV. The dog gave a positive alert. Officers searched and located one pound of methamphetamine in the SUV’s center console.
Co-defendant Phillip Goetz was sentenced on October 20, 2022, to 70 months imprisonment and 3 years of supervised release.
This case was investigated by the Omaha Police Department.
Omaha Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Second Child Pornography ConvictionRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Jeffrey Rongish, 39, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced today for accessing with intent to view child pornography. Chief United States District Court Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Rongish to 10 years of imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, Rongish will be under supervised release for 15 years. He will continue to register as a sex offender.
Rongish was previously convicted in the District of Nebraska in 2014 for receiving child pornography. On November 23, 2020, while on supervised release, Rongish advised his probation officer that he had returned to viewing images of child pornography. A search on March 2, 2021 resulted in the seizure of electronic devices. Forensic Analysis revealed the presence of file wiping software and artifacts of child pornography confirming that child pornography websites had been accessed and viewed.
This case was investigated by the Omaha FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, and brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and 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.justice.gov/psc.
Omaha Man Sentenced for Drug Trafficking and Firearm CrimesRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Steven A. Russell announced that Anthony Schlotfeld, 33, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced December 9, 2022, by Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr., after having pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. Schlotfeld received a sentence of 151 months’ imprisonment with a five-year term of supervised release to follow. There is no parole in the federal system.
In February 2021, the Omaha Police Department began investigating Jose Rodriguez-Meza for distributing methamphetamine. On April 8, 2022, during surveillance of Rodriguez’s residence, officers observed Schlotfeld stop by the residence and leave. Officers observed a traffic violation by Shlotfeld and attempted a traffic stop. Schlotfeld fled, eventually traveling from Papillion, Nebraska, to downtown Omaha, Nebraska, before his vehicle was disabled by stop-sticks. Schlotfeld ran on foot and jumped into another vehicle which also then fled. That vehicle was also disabled by using stop-sticks. Schlotfeld was taken into custody and told officers that during the pursuit he discarded four pounds of methamphetamine out of his vehicle window. Schlotfeld was still in possession of 10 grams of methamphetamine actual.
Schlotfeld’s sentence was increased as a result of a March 18, 2021, encounter that Schlotfeld had with the Bellevue Police Department. On that day, officers found Schlotfeld to be in possession of 30 grams of methamphetamine and a firearm.
Rodriguez-Meza is scheduled to enter a plea of guilty to drug charges on December 16, 2022, before Chief United States Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr.
This case was investigated by the Omaha Field Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Omaha Police Department, and the Bellevue Police Department.
Nebraska Beef, Ltd. and 2 Former Employees Sentenced for USDA ViolationsRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Nebraska Beef Ltd., an Omaha, Nebraska, food processing company, was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha for false representation relating to agricultural grading records. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Nebraska Beef to 1 year of probation. Nebraska Beef was ordered to pay a $200,000 fine. Nebraska Beef also paid a $550,000 fine as part of a civil settlement with the government for its conduct.
On June 3, 2016, Nebraska Beef was served with a United States District Court, District of Nebraska, Grand Jury Subpoena and was ordered to produce grading records for thirty (30) carcasses of beef. In response to the Grand Jury Subpoena, a Nebraska Beef Corporate Officer altered the grading records for the thirty (30) carcasses of beef. After June 8, 2016, the Nebraska Beef Corporate Officer provided the altered grading records in printed form to attorneys for Nebraska Beef for delivery to the Grand Jury in response to the June 3, 2016, Grand Jury Subpoena. On June 13, 2016, the United States Attorney’s Office was provided the altered June 2, 2016, grading records.
Previously, on May 6, 2022, Dolese Tippery, 61, of Council Bluffs, Iowa, a former employee of Nebraska Beef, was sentenced in federal court in Omaha for false representation relating to agricultural grading records. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Tippery to 6 months of probation. Tippery was ordered to pay a $1,000 fine.
Tippery admitted in her Plea Agreement that on March 20, 2017, in response to a Grand Jury subpoena issued by the United States Attorney’s Office, she testified on behalf of Nebraska Beef that Nebraska Beef’s grading records previously provided to the United States Attorney’s Office were not altered, which was untrue.
On September 9, 2022, James Timmerman, 50, of Omaha, Nebraska, former Chief Financial Officer of Nebraska Beef, was also sentenced in federal court in Omaha for false representation relating to agricultural grading records. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Timmerman to 2 years of probation. Timmerman was ordered to pay a $1,000 fine.
This case was investigated by the United States Department of Agriculture-Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
California Man Sentenced in Anabolic Steroids and Pill Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Fernando Lopez-Reyes, 35, of Colton, California, was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute anabolic steroids, methamphetamine, N-Ethylhexedrone, and Alprazolam, and conspiracy to launder money. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Lopez-Reyes to imprisonment for a term of 96 months. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, Lopez-Reyes will begin a 3-year term of supervised release.
Lopez-Reyes was a member of a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that produced and distributed anabolic steroids and other controlled substances to customers throughout the country using a private Facebook group as an online storefront and the United States Postal Service to ship the drugs to locations throughout the country. In addition to anabolic steroids, the DTO marketed and sold pharmaceutical drugs described as Xanax and Adderall. Legitimately prescribed pharmaceutical Adderall is a Schedule II controlled substance containing amphetamine salts. However, laboratory testing revealed that the pills marketed as “Adderall” by the DTO were counterfeit and contained methamphetamine, also a Schedule II controlled substance. The “Xanax” distributed by the DTO contained N-Ethylhexedrone, a Scheduled I controlled substance. “Xanax” is a brand name for Alprazolam, a Schedule IV controlled substance. Alprazolam was also confirmed by laboratory testing to be present in substances recovered by investigators.
Lopez-Reyes operated a clandestine laboratory from an apartment he maintained in Colton, California, specifically for that purpose of producing finished anabolic steroids. Lopez-Reyes also imported anabolic steroid precursors and other controlled substances from China. Sentencing is pending for Lopez-Reyes’s codefendants.
Customers purchasing controlled substances from the DTO were required to use cryptocurrency and cash to pay. The DTO used peer-to-peer digital payments platforms to accept payments for controlled substances from customers and to transfer funds among and between themselves. In addition to the use of digital payment platforms, the DTO used various other methods designed to protect the memberships’ anonymity and to provide security for the criminal organization from law enforcement and other criminal organizations.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF. This case was investigated by the Omaha offices of the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Internal Revenue Service, and the United States Postal Inspection Service.
Arizona Man Sentenced to 11 Years in Prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Jared B. Cain, 41, of Phoenix, Arizona, was sentenced December 9, 2022, in federal court in Lincoln, Nebraska. United States District Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced Cain to 132 months in prison for one count of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine and 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine. After serving his sentence, Cain will be placed on supervised release for 5 years. There is no parole in the federal system.
On November 11, 2021, a Nebraska state trooper on Interstate 80 in Hamilton County, Nebraska stopped a black sedan for traffic violations. Jared Cain was the passenger and had rented the vehicle. Cain consented to a search of the vehicle, and about 33 pounds of suspected methamphetamine was found in a duffle bag in the trunk. The suspected methamphetamine was sent to the lab, and the lab determined that there was a total of about 14,713 grams of methamphetamine mixture in the packages. Some of the packages were tested for purity, and they were found to contain at least 4.7 kilograms of actual methamphetamine.
This case was investigated by the Nebraska State Patrol.
Mexican Man Sentenced for Drug Trafficking CrimesRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Fidel Cardenas-Alvarez, 46, of Michoacan, Mexico, was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, by Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr., for conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of pure methamphetamine, using a communication facility in the conspiracy, and for possessing with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. Cardenas-Alvarez received a sentence of 144 months’ imprisonment with a five-year term of supervised release to follow. There is no parole in the federal system. Cardenas-Alvarez will be deported by U.S. immigration authorities when he completes his sentence of imprisonment.
Beginning in December 2020, the Drug Enforcement Administration initiated an operation, which targeted a known Mexican-based Drug Trafficking Organization (DTO) operating in the Omaha area. This investigation included a court authorized wiretap interception of phone calls and text messages, allowing agents to identify the scope of the conspiracy and its members. Cardenas-Alvarez was identified as a member of the DTO and was intercepted numerous times over the phone discussing drug transactions with co-conspirators. The investigation involving Cardenas-Alvarez ended on February 24, 2021, when agents executed a search warrant on Cardenas-Alvarez’s apartment and seized 21.14 pounds of methamphetamine.
Other members of the DTO that have been indicted include Tomas Lorenzo-Cruz, who is scheduled for jury trial on January 30, 2023, before Chief Judge Rossiter. Darald Sandman and Teresa Forbes have pled guilty to the conspiracy and will both be sentenced on March 3, 2023, before Chief Judge Rossiter.
This effort was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
This case was investigated by the Omaha Field Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Omaha Police Department.
Lincoln Man Sentenced 18+ Years for MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Tommy L. Meyer, 43, of Lincoln, Nebraska, was sentenced on December 7, 2022, in federal court in Lincoln. United States District Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced Meyer to 224 months in prison for one count of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine with a prior serious drug felony. Meyer faced a 15-year mandatory minimum sentence because of a prior conviction for delivery/possession with intent to deliver an exceptionally hazardous drug in Lancaster County District Court. The court also entered a final order of forfeiture for $18,451 currency. After serving his sentence, Meyer will be placed on supervised release for 10 years. There is no parole in the federal system.
On May 19, 2021, the Lincoln Metro Fugitive Task Force was attempting to locate Meyer for a warrant. An officer saw Meyer’s vehicle pull into an alley side parking of a building and Meyer began running from the area. Shortly thereafter he was arrested, and officers found $900 in currency on his person. Officers then conducted an inventory search of his vehicle. Officers found $512 in currency, a digital scale, and a baggie containing about 12.5 grams of suspected methamphetamine in the vehicle’s console. In the driver’s side back seat, officers found a backpack with $17,039 in currency, a brick of suspected methamphetamine weighing 17.9 ounces, a bag with 9.4 ounces of suspected methamphetamine, a Ziplock bag with 1.5 ounces of suspected methamphetamine, and another bag containing .5 ounce of suspected methamphetamine. Officers also found another scale in the back seat.
Behind a subwoofer in the trunk of the vehicle, officers found a concealed compartment that contained 9 more bricks of suspected methamphetamine, which weighed in total 9.4 pounds.
The suspected methamphetamine was sent to the lab for testing. Testing determined that the methamphetamine was 100% pure.
This case was investigated by the Lincoln/Lancaster County Narcotics Task Force and the Lincoln Metropolitan Fugitive Task Force.
Texas Man Sentenced for Mail Fraud in Financial SchemeRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Frederick Voight, 65, of Richmond, Texas, was sentenced today in Lincoln, Nebraska, by United States District Judge John M. Gerrard for mail fraud. Voight was sentenced to 66 months in prison and will also serve 3 years on supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Voight was also ordered to pay restitution to the victims in the case in the amount of $40,903,052.09.
Between September 2009 and October 4, 2018, Voight conducted business through various business entities, including F.A. Voight and Associates, LP, (FAVA), Voight Financial Services, Inc. and Daystar Funding, LP. Voight represented to investors that he would search for companies that had an "excellent and innovative product in a growing market" but were short of cash needed to take their product to market. Voight further represented that his business entities pooled investor funds and provided financing to companies in the form of secured loans with equity components in some transactions. Voight knowingly failed to disclose certain material facts to lenders and potential lenders in correspondence and other materials that he knew the lenders and potential lenders would rely on in deciding whether to loan their monies to business entities owned by and/or affiliated with Voight, and/or to renew or "rollover" existing loans instead of being repaid their principal. These omissions, combined with other statements made to the lenders and potential lenders, led some lenders and potential lenders to believe that the full amount of money they lent to Voight's entities would in turn be invested in specifically identified companies, referred to as "program companies."
As Voight knew, most of the money received from the lenders was not in turn invested directly into the program companies. Instead, interest payments and principal repayments made by Voight to investors generally did not come from interest payments made by the program companies but instead was primarily derived from the proceeds of new loans from lenders. Voight failed to disclose to lenders the material fact that he was making interest payments to other lenders with funds acquired from new lenders and/or new loan monies from prior lenders into Voight's "Programs." By failing to provide them with information about the source of their interest and the use of their funds, Voight deprived lenders of materially valuable information needed to decide how to use their assets and monies.
With respect to the count Voight pleaded guilty to, as part of the scheme, Voight knowingly caused items to be sent and placed in the U.S. Mail from victims in Holdrege, Nebraska, to the office of FAVA in Richmond, Texas on February 4, 2013. The items mailed included a check in the amount of $45,000 payable to FAVA, for the "RevH2O program". The items represented the proceeds of a loan made by the victims with the belief that the proceeds of their loan to Voight's company would in turn be used by Voight's company to provide funding to RevH2O. In truth and fact, as Voight well knew, the money provided by the victims did not go to RevH20 but was in fact used primarily to pay interest payments to other lenders without the knowledge or consent of the victims. The victims were never told by Voight how their money was actually used, depriving them of material information regarding the use of their investment.
“Today’s sentence of Frederick Voight shows the resolve and determination of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and our law enforcement partners to bring criminals to justice,” said Ruth Mendonça, Postal Inspector in Charge of the Denver Division, which includes oversight of operations in Nebraska. “Mr. Voight’s success with defrauding so many individuals emphasizes how important it is to exercise caution when investing, no matter how much trust you have in the individual or company you are investing with. Fortunately, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and our law enforcement partners will continue to be steadfast in identifying and investigating fraudulent investment schemes dependent on the U.S. Mail to defraud investors.”
During the course of Voight’s scheme to defraud, the investors and related business entities lost approximately $40,903,052.09.
This case was investigated by the United States Postal Service Office of Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service.
Council Bluffs Man Sentenced for Transporting Explosives with Intent to InjureRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Ricky Wynn, 61, of Council Bluffs, Iowa, was sentenced on Friday, December 2, 2022, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for transporting explosive materials with intent to injure. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Wynn to imprisonment for a term of 24 months. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, Wynn will begin a 3-year term of supervised release.
On January 30, 2022, the Omaha Police and Fire Departments were dispatched to a residential address in Omaha responding to a report of multiple suspicious packages. The subsequent investigation determined approximately 13 devices of an incendiary and/or explosive nature were placed around a vehicle and detached garage. Twelve of the devices were “Molotov cocktail” type devices. The 13th device contained an energetic powder (consistent with smokeless powder) and nails and screws. It appeared that a wick to the device had been lit but failed to detonate.
The people residing at the address told investigators they had previously been granted a protection order against Wynn, with whom they had a prior dispute.
Investigators obtained a warrant and searched Wynn’s apartment, garage, and vehicle located in Council Bluffs on February 2, 2022. During this search, investigators located evidence that Wynn had assembled the devices there prior to placing them at the Omaha residence on January 30, 2022.
This case was part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, the Omaha Police Department, and the Omaha Fire Department.
Lincoln Man Sentenced to Eight Years for Possession of Drugs and FirearmRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Joseph Thompson, 24, of Lincoln, Nebraska, was sentenced today by United States District Judge John M. Gerrard to a total of 100 months in prison following his conviction for possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. After he completes his prison sentence, Thompson will serve five years on supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
On April 29, 2021, Lincoln Police investigators searched a Lincoln hotel room and found a backpack containing marijuana, pills, and a firearm magazine speed loader. At various locations in the hotel room, investigators found more marijuana, a scale, more pills, and a 9 mm pistol. The firearm was located under a TV cabinet, was loaded, had an extended magazine attached, and was found to be stolen in 2017 out of McKinney, Texas.
Hotel surveillance video showed Thompson carrying the same backpack into the hotel room. Police interviewed Thompson, who admitted there was marijuana in the hotel room that belonged to him. Investigators seized Thompson’s cell phone from the hotel room and obtained a search warrant. Data from the phone showed evidence of drug dealing and firearms possession. Phone content spanning March through April 2021 included photos and videos of guns of various makes and calibers. For example, an April 28 photo depicted a gun with extended magazine and light attachment that appeared to be the same gun found under the TV cabinet in the hotel room on April 29. A March 29 video showed Thompson holding a gun with an extended magazine. An April 4 video showed Thompson threatening to kill unknown persons while holding a gun. An April 6 video showed a hand displaying numerous pills with the caption, “Shop Open.” A video from April 23 showed Thompson wearing body armor and displaying a handgun.
Drugs taken during the hotel search were sent to the Nebraska State Patrol Crime Lab where a forensic scientist confirmed the presence of marijuana and the presence of methamphetamine in some of the pills. Investigators also obtained cell phone data from one of the individuals seen on hotel surveillance video coming and going from the hotel room. Data from the phone showed communication from Thompson consistent with drug distribution spanning February to March 2021.
During an unrelated investigation stemming from a July 8, 2021, shooting in Lincoln, investigators again seized Thompson’s phone, and obtained a search warrant. Data from the phone showed Thompson’s continued firearm possession and drug distribution between April and July 2021.
Thompson is a felon because of a 2017 conviction for Possession of a Firearm on School Grounds.
This case was investigated by the Lincoln Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and was part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Lincoln Man Sentenced for Second Offense Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Acting United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Adam Bates, 37, of Lincoln, Nebraska, was sentenced on December 2, 2022, by United States District Court Judge John M. Gerrard to a term of 120 months’ imprisonment following his conviction for possession of child pornography. After he completes his prison sentence, Bates will also serve ten years on supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
On July 1, 2016, Bates’ state parole officer contacted the Nebraska State Patrol to report that she found Bates in possession of a cellular phone in violation of his parole conditions during a recent parole visit. On July 8, 2016, investigators spoke with Bates who admitted he had cell phones. He consented to a search of the phones and investigators found child pornography saved on one of the phones. Investigators obtained a search warrant to search Bates’s electronic devices. Investigators located numerous images of child pornography on one of Bates’s phones. At the time, Bates was on parole due to a 2011 conviction from Lancaster County for possession of child pornography.
This case was investigated by the Nebraska State Patrol, and brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and 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.justice.gov/psc.