Northern District of Texas
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Waxahachie Woman Charged in $1.2 Million Paycheck Protection Program, Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program FraudRead the Press Release
A Waxahachie woman who allegedly defrauded pandemic-era financial programs out of more than $1.2 million has been federally charged, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Annette Bryant, 63, was indicted last Tuesday on one count of wire fraud, eight counts of making false statements to a bank, and one count of engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from unlawful activity. She made her initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Toliver on Monday.
According to the indictment, Ms. Bryant – the sole owner and operator of a number of limited liability companies, including Processing Services, Inspirational Tax Services LLC, Neighborhood TX Inspections LLC, JJ&JJ Remodeling and Roofing LLC, and JAM Business and Tax Services – fraudulently applied for and obtained six Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans totaling $848,586 and four Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EDIL) Program loans totaling $359,500. She also allegedly attempted to obtain two additional PPP loans worth $411,160 that were never funded.
The indictment alleges that Ms. Bryant included false statements in PPP loan applications submitted to financial institutions administering PPP, including InterBank, Comerica, Regions Bank, and others. She allegedly inflated her businesses’ employee counts, inflated their payroll, and even lied about the number of businesses she owned. She also allegedly included false statements in EIDL loan applications submitted to the Small Business Administration, misrepresenting her businesses’ gross revenues.
Ms. Bryant allegedly went so far as to send the financial institutions tax documents she claimed were submitted to the IRS but which were never actually filed. These sham forms, including IRS Form 1040 (Individual Income Tax Return), IRS Form 940 (Employer’s Annual Federal Unemployment Tax Return), and IRS Form 941 (Employer’s Quarterly Federal Tax Return) allegedly contained false information about her businesses and about her personal income.
An indictment is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. Like all defendants, Ms. Bryant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
If convicted, she faces up to 30 years in federal prison on each count of making a false statement to a bank, 20 years on the count of wire fraud, and 10 years on count of engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from unlawful activity. Upon conviction, she will be required to forfeit the financial proceeds of the scheme or property traceable to it.
The U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, the Dallas Field Office of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation’s Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG), and the Small Business Administration’s Office of Inspector General (SBA-OIG) conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marty Basu and Fabio Leonardi are prosecuting the case.
Both the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the expanded Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Program were authorized under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, a federal law enacted on March 29, 2020, to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering economic hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The PPP provided forgivable loans to small businesses to cover payroll, rent, and other certain expenses; EIDL provided quickly-issued, partially-forgivable loans to small business to cover operational expenses, including accounts payable, as well as payroll, mortgages, and other bills.
Fentanyl Dealers Plead Guilty in Relation to OK Man's Overdose DeathRead the Press Release
A Wichita Falls drug dealer and his ex-girlfriend who sold fentanyl to 27-year-old man who overdosed and died in June 2020 have plead guilty to drug crimes, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Lionel DeSaun Henderson, 33, and his former girlfriend, Shameka Tanee Mason, 29, were first charged in July. Ms. Mason pleaded guilty in August to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance, and Mr. Henderson pleaded guilty Wednesday to possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.
“Few drug traffickers dealing fentanyl-laced pills intend to take a life —but inevitably, some do. Just two milligrams of fentanyl can be deadly,” said U.S. Attorney Chad Meacham. “Nothing will ever make up for the loss of this young man’s future. We hope, however, that his family and friends will take comfort in the knowledge that these two dealers have been brought to justice.”
“The guilty pleas are yet another example of consequences of actions like those of Mr. Henderson and Ms. Mason,” said Eduardo A. Chavez, Special Agent in Charge of DEA’s Dallas Field Division. “They will now spend years in jail because of the excellent work by law enforcement throughout the region. Nothing can bring back the lives lost but we can work together to avoid future ones.”
In court documents, the pair admits they knowingly sold counterfeit oxycodone pills laced with fentanyl to an individual who later sold them to his 27-year-old cousin, J.D.K. J.D.K. split the drugs with his coworker. On June 12, 2020, both J.D.K. and his coworker overdosed; the coworker received medical attention and recovered, but J.D.K. died of drug toxicity.
During an interview at a Denton hospital, the coworker told investigators that he and J.D.K. split what appeared to be a 30mg oxycodone tablet. He said some of the remaining pills were stored at J.DK.’s home in Graham, Oklahoma. Agents searched the bedroom and recovered one round blue tablet marked M/30, three green rectangle tablets marked S/90/3, and one pink capsule with illegible markings. The blue M/30 – which appeared identical to brand name oxycodone – instead tested positive for butyryl fentanyl.
Agents then cultivated a confidential source who identified Lionel Henderson as the source of the blue M/30s. He went through Mr. Henderson’s girlfriend, Shameka Mason, to arrange a meeting with an undercover agent at Ms. Mason’s residence in Wichita Falls. On June 25, agents met with Mr. Henderson and Ms. Mason and purchased five M/30 tablets, which later tested positive for fentanyl and acetaminophen.
They then executed a search warrant of Mr. Henderson’s home, where they recovered 497 blue m/30s that later tested positive for fentanyl and acetaminophen, 1,035 multicolored tablets that later tested positive for ecstasy, and multiple firearms, including one that was stolen.
A month later, agents interviewed Ms. Mason, who admitted that she and Mr. Henderson had been dealing illicit substances in December 2018. They began with alprazolam, or “bars,” then escalated to ecstasy, and later to M/30s, which she called “percs,” in December 2019. She claimed she did not know where Mr. Henderson obtained the pills, but admitted they sold the pills for $25 apiece.
In plea papers, Mr. Henderson admitted that he had been selling fentanyl-laced counterfeit pills since March 2020.
The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Dallas Field Division, the Carter County Sheriff’s Office, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, and the Oklahoma City Medical Examiner’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney P.J. Meitl is prosecuting the case.
Owner of Cryptocurrency Company Charged with COVID-19 Paycheck Protection Program FraudRead the Press Release
A Dallas man who allegedly devised a scheme to defraud a pandemic-era financial program out of hundreds of thousands of dollars has been federally charged, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
John Corbin Corona, 35, was indicted on October 5, 2022, on one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering. He was arrested on Monday and made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Toliver today.
“As millions of small business owners grappled with the fallout from the pandemic, this defendant raked in a couple hundred thousand bucks at his fellow citizens’ expense,” said U.S. Attorney Chad Meacham. “The Paycheck Protection Program, funded by taxpayers, was designed to help small businesses stay afloat during the pandemic. The Justice Department will relentlessly pursue those who defrauded the PPP.”
According to the indictment, Mr. Corona – the owner of HODL LLC, a cryptocurrency company operating a purported bitcoin pooled investment fund known as Bitcoin Bank America – fraudulently applied for two Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans totaling over $413,000 through BlueVine Inc. and FundBox, Inc., financial technology companies that partnered with third-party PPP lenders, including Celtic Bank.\
According to the indictment, Mr. Corona inflated HODL LLC’s payroll and misrepresented his business’s number of employees in the PPP loan applications that he submitted to BlueVine and Fundbox. In support of the PPP loan applications, he also submitted IRS Form 941s (Employer’s Quarterly Federal Tax Return) that allegedly contained false information about his business.
The indictment also alleges that after Celtic Bank deposited $206,902 in PPP loan proceeds into Mr. Corona’s bank account, Mr. Corona transferred over $155,000 in PPP loan funds to Coinbase Inc., a cryptocurrency exchange platform.
An indictment is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. Like all defendants, Mr. Corona is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in federal prison on the count of wire fraud, and 10 years on the money laundering count. Upon conviction, he will be required to forfeit the financial proceeds of the scheme or property traceable to it.
The FBI’s Wichita Falls and Dallas field offices conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Fabio Leonardi is prosecuting the case.
The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) was authorized under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, a federal law enacted on March 29, 2020, to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering economic hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The PPP provided forgivable loans to small businesses to cover payroll, rent, and certain -other expenses.
23-Year-Old Funds Lavish Lifestyle Through FraudRead the Press Release
When 23-year-old J. Nicholas Bryant realized couldn’t afford the lavish lifestyle he wanted – complete with luxury limo rides, fully-stocked charter flights, and a private outing on a 90-foot yacht – he turned to fraud, he admitted in court today, according to U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Mr. Bryant, now 26, pleaded guilty to wire fraud before U.S. Magistrate Judge D. Gordon Bryant, Jr. on Wednesday, November 9, 2022.
“Like many of his peers, Nicholas Bryant apparently coveted the life of the rich and famous. Unlike his peers, he wasn’t about to let a lack of funds get in the way of his fantasy,” said U.S. Attorney Chad E. Meacham.
According to plea papers, Mr. Bryant admitted that from 2020 through 2021, he defrauded at least 50 unsuspecting victims by booking luxury goods and services and then manipulating online payment platforms like QuickBooks and Veem to make it appear that payments were forthcoming. On at least one occasion, he convinced a victim company that his “secretary” – a woman who did not exist – would make payments on his behalf. Knowing that the software would generate payment confirmations immediately, but would take several days to notify victims of cancelled payments, Mr. Bryant satisfied vendors and business owners that payments were forthcoming when due.
In this manner, he obtained more than a dozen private jet flights, a half-day sail on a 90-foot yacht, numerous high-end hotel rooms, extravagant steak and champagne dinners, and five luxury vehicles worth more than $500,000. He also racked up a bill for substantial materials and labor on a $980,000 home and pool.
To lend an air of legitimacy to his schemes, Mr. Bryant convinced victims that his parents were wealthy oil and gas investors and that he himself was employed by a number of fictious companies. He assumed identities of fictious persons, communicated with victims under assumed names, and even created sham websites to further his scheme. In at least once instance, he convinced the owner of an oil and gas company, who had previously worked with and trusted him, to front roughly $150,000 to open a fictitious oil well.
Mr. Bryant now faces up to 20 years in federal prison. His sentencing has not yet been set.
The U.S. Secret Service’s Lubbock Resident Office, the Texas Department of Public Safety’s Criminal Investigations Division, the Lubbock Police Department, the Brazos County Sheriff’s Office, the Brownwood Police Department, Texas Parks & Wildlife of Coleman County, the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office in Louisiana, and the Cody Police Department in Wyoming conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ann Howey is prosecuting the case.
Man Awaiting Murder Trial Sentenced to Almost Nine Years for Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
The man accused by the state of murdering rapper Mo3 was sentenced today to 105 months in federal prison for a firearm crime, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Kewon Dontrell White, 23, pleaded guilty in May to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He was sentenced Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Karen Gren Scholer.
In to plea papers, Mr. White, who had been previously convicted of felony offenses involving unauthorized use of motor vehicles and evading arrest and detention, possessed a 9mm semi-automatic pistol.
Law enforcement discovered the pistol in his pants pocket on Aug. 16, 2020.
When they observed Mr. White commit a traffic violation on his dirt bike while driving down West Pleasant Run Road in Lancaster, Texas, officers attempted to pull him over. The defendant ignored their lights and sirens and fled the scene. Officers gave chase. Mr. White then crashed his dirt bike and fled on foot. Officers pursued and detained him a short time later.
Mr. White has also been charged by Dallas County with the murder of 28-year-old rapper Melvin Nobel, also known as M03. That case remains pending. Mr. White is presumed innocent on the state charges until proven guilty in a court of law.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives and the Dallas Police Department conducted the investigation with assistance from the Duncanville and Lancaster Police Departments. The U.S. Marshal’s Service assisted in the arrest. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Myria Boehm and Abe McGlothin prosecuted the case.
Dallas Attorney Charged in $1 Billion Tax Shelter SchemeRead the Press Release
A Dallas attorney who allegedly created tax shelters to help high-net-worth clients conceal more than one billion dollars in income from the IRS has been federally charged, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Joseph Garza was indicted Tuesday on 18 counts of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and 22 counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation of fraudulent income tax returns. He was arrested on October 25, 2022, at his home and made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ramirez the following day.
“This attorney allegedly hid more than a billion dollars of client income from the IRS, conning the U.S. Treasury out of roughly $200 million and lining his own pockets in the process,” said U.S. Attorney Chad Meacham. “Our country functions best when every citizen pays his or her fair share. We will aggressively pursue anyone who subverts our tax laws.”
"IRS Criminal Investigation and the Department of Justice are working vigorously to stop abusive tax schemes like the ones created by Mr. Garza," said Christopher J. Altemus, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation Dallas Field Office. " Mr. Garza exploited his position as an attorney and purported tax expert to try and legitimize his illegal tax scheme. His arrest should serve as a warning that individuals who create elaborate schemes that have no purpose other than to defraud the IRS and shift the tax burden to honest American taxpayers will be prosecuted.”
According to the indictment, Mr. Garza, 79, allegedly created multiple shell companies – including shell “services” companies and shell “investments” companies – to create a circular flow of funds to help clients avoid paying taxes.
These shell companies purported to provide services to the clients’ businesses or to serve as family investment vehicles, but actually had no legitimate purpose other than to move money. Mr. Garza and others allegedly created sham operating agreements, sham service agreements, phony invoices, and false private annuity agreements designed to give the companies the appearance of legitimacy and conceal the scheme from the IRS.
Mr. Garza and others then allegedly assisted clients in the preparation and filing of fraudulent tax returns, including IRS Forms 1120 and 1120-S, falsely deducting businesses expenses for services that were never performed; IRS Forms 1065 for the service companies, falsely reporting gross receipts for payments that were not earned; IRS Forms 1065 for the investment companies, falsely deducting payments from the investment company to the taxpayer for annuities that didn’t exist; and IRS Forms 1040 and 1040X, underreporting the individual taxpayers’ incomes.
He allegedly charged clients a percentage of the predetermined amount of money they had chosen to shelter from taxes.
The scheme allegedly resulted in more than $1 billion in unreported income and more than $200 million in unpaid taxes.
An indictment is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. Like all defendants, Mr. Garza is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
If convicted, he faces up to faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each of the 18 counts of wire fraud, 20 years in prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and three years in prison for each of 22 counts of aiding and assisting in the filing of false federal income tax returns.
Meanwhile, the investigation is ongoing.
IRS – Criminal Investigations’ Dallas Field Division conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Renee Hunter, Katherine Miller, and Marty Basu of the Northern District of Texas are prosecuting the case with Trial Attorney Robert Kemins of the Justice Department’s Tax Division.
Man Sentenced to 5+ Years for Robbing USPS EmployeeRead the Press Release
A man who robbed a United States Postal Service (USPS) employee at gunpoint was sentenced Tuesday to more than five years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Abdirashid Omar, 22, was charged via criminal complaint in May 2022. He pleaded guilty the following month to robbery of property of the United States and was sentenced Tuesday by Senior U.S. District Judge Terry R. Means to 71 months in federal prison.
In plea papers, Mr. Omar admitted he robbed a USPS letter carrier during her rounds in Fort Worth on April 11, 2022.
The postal worker told law enforcement she was walking down the driveway of a residence when the defendant, dressed in a black hoodie and blue surgical mask, grabbed her, pushed her into a fence, pressed a handgun into her abdomen, and took USPS equipment from her.
Law enforcement located surveillance video that captured the defendant’s vehicle following the carrier to various residences and then fleeing the area at a high rate of speed. Postal Inspectors located the vehicle and established surveillance that identified the vehicle visiting multiple Post Offices in the days following the robbery.
About a week later, law enforcement searched Mr. Omar’s vehicle and residence and located stolen U.S. Mail, stolen checks, and a setup in which checks were being “washed” – placed into a liquid substance to have the ink removed.
In court, Mr. Omar later admitted to robbing the carrier to obtain USPS property and to stealing U.S. Mail.
“The day of the robbery was my 30th day at that job, it was going to be my first full week being out on the street by myself. Instead I got a gun shoved into my abdomen,” the victim said at sentencing. "It may just be a robbery to some people, but it was my life that was put in direct danger and it is I who has to put the pieces back.”
“A top priority for the U.S. Postal Inspection Service has always been a focus on the safety of USPS employees,” said Thomas Noyes, Inspector in Charge of the Fort Worth Division. “This sentencing exemplifies that commitment. Through a rapid response by Postal Inspectors, collaboration with local law enforcement, and the use of investigative tools and techniques, a dangerous individual was successfully apprehended. We thank the Fort Worth Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Northern District of Texas for their support on this case.”
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Fort Worth Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Levi Thomas prosecuted the case.
Doctor Pleads Guilty to Role in $54 Million Medicare Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A Texas doctor pleaded guilty today for his role in a $54 million scheme to defraud Medicare by prescribing durable medical equipment and cancer genetic testing without ever seeing, speaking to, or otherwise treating patients.
According to court documents, Daniel R. Canchola, 49, of Flower Mound, agreed to electronically sign orders for durable medical equipment (DME) and cancer genetic testing that he knew were used to submit more than $54 million in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare. From August 2018 through April 2019, Canchola received approximately $30 in exchange for each doctor’s order he signed authorizing DME and cancer genetic test orders that were not legitimately prescribed, not needed, or not used—totaling more than $466,000 in kickbacks. The Medicare beneficiaries for whom Canchola prescribed DME and cancer genetic testing were targeted by telemarketing campaigns and at health fairs and were induced to submit to the cancer genetic testing and to receive the DME regardless of medical necessity.
Canchola pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He is scheduled to be sentenced on March 15, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Chad E. Meacham for the Northern District of Texas; Acting Special Agent in Charge Jason E. Meadows of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) Dallas Region; and Chief William Marlowe of the Texas Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU) made the announcement.
The HHS-OIG and MFCU investigated the case.
Acting Assistant Chief Brynn Schiess of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section is prosecuting the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, comprised of 15 strike forces operating in 24 federal districts, has charged more than 4,200 defendants who collectively have billed the Medicare program for more than $19 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at https://www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
Man Who Sold Pistol Used in Synagogue Hostage Crisis Sentenced to 95 Months in Prison for Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
The man who sold Malik Faisal Akram the gun he used to kidnap hostages in a Texas synagogue was sentenced today to nearly eight years in prison for a firearm crime, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Henry “Michael” Dwight Williams, 33, was charged via criminal complaint in January and indicted the following month. He pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm in June and was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge David Godbey to 95 months in federal prison.
“This defendant, a convicted felon, had no business carrying – much less buying and selling – firearms. Whether he suspected his buyer would use the gun to menace a community of faith is legally irrelevant: In the U.S., convicted felons cannot possess firearms,” said U.S. Attorney Chad Meacham. “The Justice Department is committed to prosecuting those who violate our nation’s federal firearm laws, which are designed to keep guns from falling into the hands of dangerous offenders. We are grateful to the FBI, which sprang into action as soon as the synagogue hostage crisis began, and to the agents who worked tirelessly to track the weapon from Mr. Akram to the defendant.”
“Tireless days of nonstop investigation revealed the connection of Mr. Akram to Mr. Williams, we are grateful to the many law enforcement agencies and personnel that traced the weapon’s nefarious source,” said Dallas FBI Special Agent in Charge Matthew DeSarno. “We are fortunate to be able to celebrate the brave actions of the hostages and will continue to support Congregation Beth Israel and the Jewish community in their process of healing.”
According to the complaint, Mr. Williams – a felon previously convicted of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and attempted possession of a controlled substance – sold Mr. Akram a semiautomatic Taurus G2C pistol on Jan. 13. In plea papers, Mr. Williams admitted to possession of that firearm despite his prior conviction.
According to the complaint, on Jan. 15, agents recovered the pistol from Colleyville’s Congregation Beth Israel synagogue, where Mr. Akram had held four individuals hostage for several hours before he was fatally shot by federal law enforcement.
As part of its intensive investigation into the hostage taking, the FBI tied Mr. Williams to Mr. Akram through an analysis of Mr. Akram’s cellphone records, which showed the pair exchanged a series of calls from Jan. 11 through Jan. 13.
When agents first interviewed Mr. Williams on Jan. 16, Mr. Williams stated that he recalled meeting a man with a British accent, but that he could not recall the man’s name. (Mr. Akram was a British citizen.) Agents interviewed the defendant again on Jan. 24, after he was arrested on an outstanding state warrant. After viewing a photo of Mr. Akram, Mr. Williams confirmed he sold Mr. Akram the handgun at an intersection in South Dallas. Analysis of both men’s cellphone records showed that the two phones were in close proximity on Jan. 13.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Dallas Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives’ Dallas Field Division, Homeland Security Investigations’ Dallas Field Division, and the Colleyville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Magliolo is prosecuting the case with the support of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Errin Martin, Jay Weimer, Alex Lewis, Nicole Dana, P.J. Meitl, and Lindsey Beran (fmr), along with Trial Attorneys David Smith and Michael Dittoe of the Justice Department’s National Security Division.
Michigan Man Sentenced to Life for Stalking, Sexually Assaulting 14-Year-Old Lubbock GirlRead the Press Release
A Michigan man who stalked and sexually assaulted a 14-year-old Lubbock girl was sentenced today to life in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
In June, a jury convicted Thomas John Boukamp, 22, on 16 counts: one count of transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual conduct, one count of travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct, one count of enticement of a minor, two counts of receipt of child pornography, ten counts of production and attempted production of child pornography, and one count of cyber stalking. He was sentenced today to U.S. District Judge James Wesley Hendrix.
“This man stalked and sexually assaulted a 14-year-old, then had the gall to claim in federal court that their so-called ‘relationship’ was consensual. The child, who bravely faced her abuser in court, asserted in no uncertain terms that his advances were unwelcome. By law, 14-year-olds simply cannot consent to sexual contact with adults. We are immensely proud of this child and hope this sentence brings some solace to her and her family,” U.S. Attorney Chad E. Meacham said.
"This defendant displayed reprehensible behavior, which was countered by the bravery of the victim that so courageously testified against him," said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge Matthew J. DeSarno. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue to do everything in our power to seek justice for victims and their families, hold perpetrators accountable and protect others from harm."
According to evidence presented at trial, Mr. Boukamp met the child, identified in court as Jane Doe, on the instant messaging platform Discord when she was just 13 years old.
The pair exchanged a series of messages, in which he threatened to hurt her family if she disclosed their budding “relationship.”
Mr. Boukamp later transported Jane Doe, then 14 years of age, to his home in Michigan, where he sexually assaulted her, forcibly removed her braces with pliers, strangled, and hit her.
The victim’s father testified at trial that when she ran away to Michigan, his terrified daughter brought her baby blanket with her.
The victim herself also testified at trial and described the abuse she suffered at Boukamp’s hands.
At Thursday’s sentencing hearing, prosecutors introduced into evidence a recorded jailhouse phone call in which Mr. Boukamp insisted he would not apologize for “quote unquote ‘raping a 14-year-old.’”
“I like teenage girls! They don’t like that I like that,” he said of federal agents and prosecutors. “I frankly don’t care what the morality of this current time and place says. It’s not wrong. There’s nothing wrong about it. And they’re not going to ever convince me of its wrongness. So up theirs. I hate this nation.”
Reminded that authorities were monitoring his jailhouse calls, he threatened, “if you’re listening to this, yeah, your family is going to die.”
“Play this at my [expletive] sentencing! Do it! I hate you!” he said, before hurling specific invectives at a federal judge and two federal prosecutors.
At the hearing, Assistant U.S. Attorneys also introduced into evidence a letter Mr. Boukamp wrote to a family member noting his victim’s supposed “betrayal” and asking for help to escape prison.
The victim’s father submitted a statement to the court describing the trauma his daughter continues to endure:
“Her childhood was ended too soon. He took that from her,” he said. “She struggles with her self-esteem. I don’t know if she’ll ever be able to truly love herself again… We hope that she can be okay. We hope that she can make it through this. We know that she will never be the same. We know that she will never get her innocence back.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas and Detroit Field Offices, the Lubbock Police Department, the Michigan State Police, and the Antrim County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Child Advocacy Center of the South Plains. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Callie Woolam and Jeff Haag prosecuted the case.
Alleged Serial Bank Robber Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
An Albuquerque man thought to have committed a string of bank robberies across Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, Mississippi, and California was sentenced today to 10 years in federal prison for an armed bank robbery in Abilene, Texas, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Fernando Enriquez, 35, pleaded guilty in July to one count of aggravated bank robbery and one count of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. He was sentenced Thursday by U.S. District Judge James Wesley Hendrix.
According to plea papers, Mr. Enriquez admitted that on March 29, 2022, he entered a Chase Bank in Abilene, Texas, brandished a firearm, demanded cash from the teller, and then fled the scene.
Both the teller and another employee activated their silent alarms during the robbery. When law enforcement arrived, a witness turned over cell phone video he’d recorded of the suspect exiting the bank and entering a white Chevrolet suburban bearing Mississippi license plates.
Shortly thereafter, Texas DPS and Abilene Police Department officers pulled over the suburban in Merkel, Texas and detained Mr. Enriquez and his girlfriend. Inside the vehicle, officers found a firearm, a gray hoodie that matched the descriptions of the one worn by the robber, and a significant sum of U.S. currency.
Law enforcement transported Mr. Enriquez and his girlfriend to the Abilene Police Department, where the woman told FBI agents that over the past 14 months, she and Mr. Enriquez have lived in Arizona, Mississippi, New Mexico, and California. She stated that though Mr. Enriquez was not employed most of that time, he always seemed to have cash on hand.
She told officers that prior to the robbery, Mr. Enriquez left her and his children at a motel, stating he had to fill the car with gas. When he returned, she said, he rushed to get the vehicle loaded and leave. She described Mr. Enriquez’s driving during their departure from Abilene as faster and more erratic than usual.
Based on physical description and the modus operandi, investigators believed that the suspect who committed the Abilene robbery may have committed similar robberies in Arizona, Mississippi, New Mexico, and California. They showed the girlfriend two photographs from the other bank robberies, both provided by FBI Phoenix. She identified the man in the photographs as Mr. Enriquez.
On April 19, 2022, Mr. Enriquez was indicted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of Arizona with four counts of bank robbery and four counts of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. Following today’s sentencing, Mr. Enriquez will be transported to the District of Arizona to face those charges. (An indictment is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. Like all defendants, Mr. Enriquez is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.)
The Federal Bureau of Investigations’ Phoenix and Dallas Field Offices conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Abilene Police Department, and the Taylor County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Tusing and Jeff Haag of the Northern District of Texas prosecuted the case with significant support from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of Arizona.
Convicted Fugitive Who Escaped Justice for 30 Years Extradited from Singapore to United States to Serve Sentence for Bank Fraud, EmbezzlementRead the Press Release
A man who fled to Taiwan to escape a 33-month prison sentence has been returned to the U.S. after 30 years as a fugitive, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
In February 1992, Jack Hsu, 74, was convicted at trial in Dallas of five counts of bank fraud and five counts of embezzlement from a bank. He was sentenced in April 1992 to 33 months in federal prison, but allowed to remain free on bond pending his prison designation.
On May 21, 1992, Mr. Hsu allegedly failed to report to his designated prison facility in Boron, California, and a warrant was issued for his arrest. U.S. authorities later determined Mr. Hsu allegedly fled to Taiwan.
At the request of the United States, the Singapore Police Force arrested Mr. Hsu on Tuesday, July 12, 2022.
Following court proceedings in Singapore, Mr. Hsu consented to his extradition, and the Singaporean Minister for Law ordered his surrender on October 11. He was returned to Texas by plane on Friday, October 14, and appeared in court on Monday, October 17.
He will immediately begin serving his 33-month bank fraud and embezzlement sentence.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office conducted the investigation. The extradition from Singapore was secured by the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs. The FBI and the Justice Department expressed appreciation to Singaporean authorities for their cooperation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua D. Detzky is prosecuting the case.
Man Who Filled Car with Fake Explosives Sentenced to 7 Years for CarjackingRead the Press Release
A man who packed a stolen car with fake explosives and fake law enforcement credentials was sentenced today to seven years in federal prison for carjacking, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Aaron Lee Oehlschlager, 55, pleaded guilty in June to carjacking and possession of a forged seal of an agency of the United States. He was sentenced Thursday by U.S. District Judge Jane J. Boyle.
According to plea papers, Mr. Oehlschlager admits he carjacked a woman at gunpoint outside a Dallas hotel around 5:00 p.m. on September 27, 2019. The defendant produced a Sig Sauer 9mm handgun with a fake silencer attached to it and demanded the victim’s car keys. The victim complied.
According to court documents, law enforcement located the vehicle, a Kia Soul owned by Hertz, in a parking garage in Grapevine six months later. The car was later towed to a Hertz maintenance lot near DFW Airport where it sat until June 2020, when a rental car employee entered the vehicle to clean it. Inside, he observed what appeared to be an improvised explosive device (IED).
DFW Airport police responded and evacuated the area. FBI Dallas Bomb Squad later discovered the bomb was inert.
A further search of the vehicle revealed a second inert IED, fake FBI credentials, a fake search warrant, a black backpack bearing the defendant’s son’s name, and various other items.
At Thursday’s sentencing hearing, prosecutors stated that the carjacking appeared to be the first step in a larger plot by Mr. Oehlschlager that involved the use of fake explosive devices, masks, bolt cutters, handcuffs, zip-ties, stun guns, and tasers.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office conducted the investigation with the assistance of the DFW International Airport Police and the Dallas Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua D. Detzky and George Leal prosecuted the case.
Former Angels Communications Director Eric Kay Sentenced to 22 Years in Tyler Skaggs Overdose CaseRead the Press Release
Ex- Los Angeles Angels employee Eric Kay was sentenced today to 22 years in federal prison in connection with the 2019 overdose death of Angles pitcher Tyler Skaggs, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad Meacham.
In February, a federal jury found former Angels Communications Director Eric Prescott Kay guilty of distribution of a controlled substance resulting in death and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. He was sentenced today by Senior U.S. District Judge Terry R. Means.
According to evidence presented at trial, Mr. Kay distributed the pills that killed Mr. Skaggs.
The investigation began on July 1, 2019, when the Southlake Police Department received a 911 call stating that Mr. Skaggs, then just 27 years old, had been found dead in his hotel room at the Southlake Town Square Hilton. The Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s office later determined that Mr. Skaggs had a mixture of ethanol, fentanyl, and oxycodone in his system at the time of his death..
Inside Mr. Skaggs’s hotel room, investigators discovered a number of pills, including a single blue pill with the markings M/30. An analysis of the pill – which closely resembled a 30-milligram oxycodone tablet – revealed it had been laced with fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opiate.
In an initial interview with law enforcement, Mr. Kay denied knowing whether Mr. Skaggs was a drug user. He claimed the last time he’d seen Mr. Skaggs was at hotel check-in on June 30. However, a search of Mr. Skaggs’s phone revealed text messages from June 30 suggesting that he had asked Mr. Kay to stop by his room with pills late that evening. Investigators later learned that, contrary to what he’d told law enforcement the day Mr. Skaggs’s body was discovered, Mr. Kay had admitted to a colleague that he had, in fact, visited Mr. Skaggs’s room the night of his death.
In the course of their investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration determined that Mr. Kay allegedly regularly dealt the blue M/30 pills – dubbed “blue boys” – to Mr. Skaggs and to others, dolling out the pills at the stadium where they worked.
Several former Angels players, including Matt Harvey, C.J. Cron, Mike Morin, and Cameron Bedrosian testified at trial that Eric Kay distributed blue 30 milligram oxycodone pills to them as well. They further testified that he was the only source of these pills and would conduct transactions in the Angels Stadium.
At Tuesday’s sentencing hearing, prosecutors introduced into evidence jailhouse calls and emails demonstrating the nature of Mr. Kay’s crime and his lack of remorse.
Mr. Kay repeatedly insulted Tyler Skaggs, his deceased victim:
“I hope people realize what a piece of sh*t he is,” he told his mother in a recorded jailhouse call. “Well, he’s dead, so f*ck ‘em.”
He also mocked the Skaggs family, calling them “dumb” and “white trash” and suggesting his mother plant negative stories about them in the media.
“All they see are dollar signs,” he said of the Skaggs family. “They may get more money with him dead than he was playing because he sucked.”
He even demeaned the jurors that convicted him, calling them “fat, sloppy, toothless, and unemployed.”
“The Skaggs family learned the hard way: One fentanyl pill can kill. That’s why our office is committed to holding to account anyone who deals in illicit opioids, whether they operate in back alleyways or world class stadiums,” U.S. Attorney Chad E. Meacham said following today’s hearing. “Mr. Skaggs did not deserve to die this way. No one does. We hope this sentence will bring some comfort to his grieving family.”
“Today’s sentencing of Eric Kay will not ease the suffering that the Skaggs’ family have experienced since 2019,” said Eduardo A. Chavez, Special Agent in Charge of DEA Dallas. “What the guilty verdict and sentencing proves is even if you sell only a small number of pills and one of those pills causes the death of an individual, you will be held responsible and sentenced to the fullest extent allowed by our judicial system.”
The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Fort Worth Field Division and the Southlake Police Department conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Secret Service, and the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Errin Martin, Lindsey Beran (fmr), and Joe Lo Galbo are prosecuting the case with the help of Assistant U.S. Attorney Jon Bradshaw.
Texas Man Pleads Guilty to Delivering Contraband to Prison via DroneRead the Press Release
A Smithville man plead guilty Wednesday to flying a drone loaded with drugs and other contraband into prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Bryant LeRay Henderson, 42, was charged via criminal complaint in August. Yesterday, he pleaded guilty to a criminal information charging one count of attempt to provide contraband to a prisoner before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeffrey L. Cureton.
“Contraband drone deliveries are quickly becoming the bane of prison officials’ existence. Illicit goods pose a threat to guards and inmates alike – and when it comes to cell phones, the threat often extends outside prison walls. We are determined to stop this trend in its tracks,” said U.S. Attorney Chad Meacham.
“The criminal element will always take advantage of new opportunities for illegal activity as technology progresses,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge Matthew J. DeSarno. “In this instance, excellent collaborative investigation among federal and local agencies led to federal charges and prevented contraband from entering the federal prison system.”
In plea papers, Mr. Henderson admitted to flying a drone loaded with contraband – including methamphetamine, THC, tobacco, cell phones, and mp3 players – into the airspace of FMC Fort Worth, a federal correctional center in the south part of the city. He admitted he knew the drone was carrying prohibited items and that he piloted it.
According to court documents, the drone, DJI inspire, crashed inside a secure, fenced-in yard near the prison’s HVAC shop, where staff recovered it.
Law enforcement pulled surveillance video from a nearby high school and observed a Mr. Henderson drive up in a red Chevy Taho, remove a drone and a package from the vehicle, launch the drone towards the prison, and then drive off.
Shortly thereafter, they recovered the Chevy, where they found a DJI drone controller, various drone accessories (rechargeable batteries, a propeller box, and dropping mechanisms), and 18 smartphones.
They powered on the controller recovered from the car next to the drone recovered from the prison yard. The devices immediately paired.
From the drone, investigators recovered 70 usable flight logs, which included date/time stamps as well as speed, height, and location data. They identified four flights that intruded into FMC Fort Worth’s airspace, and another two that intruded into airspace over FCI Seagoville, another federal correctional center southeast of Dallas.
Law enforcement then queried Mr. Henderson’s cell records and found that the phone was near FMC Fort Worth around the time of the drone cash, and near FCI Seagoville near the time of the drone’s flight into the prison’s airspace.
The Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General queried the FAA’s database and reported that Mr. Henderson did not possess an airman’s certification, and that the drone in question was registered to another owner who cancelled his registration in August 2018. FAA records confirmed that the federal correctional institutions were restricted flight areas.
Mr. Henderson now faces up to 20 years in federal prison.
Drone delivery of contraband is an increasingly vexing problem for the Federal Bureau of Prisons and state corrections officials. Just last month, a 44-year-old Houston man was charged in the Eastern District of Texas for allegedly operating a drone over FCI Beaumont in east Texas. In April, a 30-year-old former inmate pleaded guilty to conspiring to smuggle phones and tobacco into FCI Fort Dix in New Jersey. And last fall, three Atlanta men were sentenced to a year each in federal prison for using drones to smuggle contraband into Telfair State Prison in Georgia.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office – Fort Worth Resident Agency, the Bureau of Prisons Special Investigative Staff, and the Fort Worth Police Department conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General, the Federal Aviation Administration, and the Dallas Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Levi Thomas is prosecuting the case.
Dallas Man Sentenced to 20 Years for Leading Violent Sex Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
A Dallas man who called himself “Macknificent” was sentenced today to 20 years in federal prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release for human trafficking, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Tremont Blakemore, 43, was first charged in September 2019. He pleaded guilty in April to sex trafficking through force, fraud, and coercion. He was sentenced Thursday by U.S. District Judge Ada Brown, who ordered him to turn over several trophies – including one engraved “Playa of the Year” – to the federal government. She also ordered him to forfeit several Rolex watches and diamond and gold jewelry.
“This defendant systematically brutalized his victims, convincing them that they had no choice but to live life according to his dictates,” said U.S. Attorney Chad Meacham. “We formed the North Texas Trafficking Task Force – a coalition of federal, state, and local law enforcement dedicated to ending the scourge of human trafficking – to pursue cases just like this one. We hope that today’s sentence will be a balm to survivors as they work to rebuild their lives.”
"Tremont Blakemore can no longer flaunt a life of luxury through the proceeds he illegally garnered by forcing women into the commercial sex trade industry thanks to the work of our special agents and law enforcement partners of the North Texas Trafficking Task Force who investigated and arrested this violent criminal," said HSI Dallas Special Agent in Charge Lester R. Hayes Jr. "For the next twenty years, Mr. Blakemore will have time to reflect on the pain he caused those he subjugated for his own selfish gains. Our hope is that the victims he forcefully manipulated will begin the healing process now that he is no longer a threat to society."
In plea papers, Mr. Blakemore admitted to running a large-scale human trafficking organization, using the threat of grotesque violence to force women to engage in commercial sex acts for his financial benefit.
He compelled the women to travel cross-country to engage in commercial sex and posted ads for them on sites like Backpage.com. He demanded that the women to turn all proceeds over to him and required them to seek permission for personal expenditures.
Mr. Blakemore further admitted that when his victims disobeyed his “rules” – leaving the house without his permission, keeping money for themselves, etc. – he used violence to quell them into submission. According to court documents, victims told law enforcement that he slapped, punched, choked, kicked, and burned them with cigarettes.
“I’m going to make an example out of someone soon,” he wrote in a group text message to victims. “I will not continue to tolerate disrespect that’s one of my biggest pet peeves.”
In an effort to appear successful in order to recruit additional victims to his trafficking organization, Mr. Blakemore admitted, he used proceeds of his victim’s sexual encounters to purchase luxury goods, including multiple pieces of diamond and gold jewelry and multiple Rolex watches. He flouted his lifestyle to impress other traffickers, and even sported multiple trophies touting his success as a “pimp.”
Homeland Security Investigations’ Dallas Field Office conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Oakridge Police Department, the Dallas Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office, and the North Texas Trafficking Task Force’s law enforcement partners. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicole Dana and Melanie Smith (fmr.) prosecuted the case.
Justice Department Expands Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force to NDTX to Protect Older Americans from FraudRead the Press Release
The Justice Department has announced that as part of its continuing efforts to protect older adults and to bring perpetrators of fraud schemes to justice, it is expanding its Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force, adding 14 additional U.S. Attorney’s Offices, including the Northern District of Texas.
Since 2019, current Strike Force members — including the Department’s Consumer Protection Branch, six U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, the FBI, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and Homeland Security Investigations — have brought successful cases against the largest and most harmful global elder fraud schemes and worked with foreign law enforcement to disrupt criminal enterprises, disable their infrastructure, and bring perpetrators to justice. Expansion of the Strike Force will help to coordinate the Department’s ongoing efforts to combat sophisticated fraud schemes that target or disproportionately impact older adults. The expansion will increase the total number of U.S. Attorneys’ Offices comprising the Strike Force from six to 20, including all of the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in the states of California, Arizona, Texas, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, and New York.
“We are intensifying our efforts nationwide to protect older adults, including by more than tripling the number of U.S. Attorneys’ offices participating in our Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force dedicated to disrupting, dismantling and prosecuting foreign-based fraud schemes that target American seniors,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “This expansion builds on the Justice Department’s existing work to hold accountable those who steal funds from older adults, including by returning those funds to the victims where possible.”
The strike force expansion will further enhance the Department’s existing efforts to protect older adults from fraud and exploitation. During the period from September 2021 to September 2022, Department personnel and its law enforcement partners pursued approximately 260 cases involving more than 600 defendants, both bringing new cases and advancing those previously charged. The matters tackled by the Department and its partners ranged from mass-marketing scams that impacted thousands of victims to bad actors scamming their neighbors. Substantial efforts were also made over the last year to return money to fraud victims.
Over the past year, the Northern District of Texas has convicted five defendants of conspiracy to commit wire fraud stemming from various romance scams targeting elderly individuals. Five additional defendants are awaiting trial. Agents put the loss amount at roughly $9.3 million to date.
Northern District of Texas Assistant U.S. Attorneys have also participated in numerous outreach efforts. Assistant U.S. Attorney Donna Max provided elder abuse training to first responders and victim advocates at the 17th Annual National Conference on Crimes Against Women in May. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Walters provided training on building elder fraud cases against domestic and international defendants to other federal prosecutors at the Justice Department’s Elder Justice Coordinator Training in October.
Reporting from consumers about fraud and fraud attempts is critical to law enforcements efforts to investigate and prosecute schemes targeting older adults. If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is available the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-866 FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This Department of Justice Hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professional who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting or connect them with agencies, and provide resources and referrals on a case-by-case basis. The hotline is staffed seven days a week from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.[ET]. English, Spanish and other languages are available. More information about the Department’s elder justice efforts can be found on the Department’s Elder Justice website, www.elderjustice.gov.
Amarillo Man Charged with Threats Against Law Enforcement, Racial and Ethnic GroupsRead the Press Release
An Amarillo man who allegedly threatened law enforcement, government officials, and a number of racial and ethnic groups on social media has been charged in federal court, announced U.S Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Everett Wayne “Rhett” Copelin III, 40, was charged via criminal complaint with interstate threats and threatening a federal officer. He was arrested without incident in Amarillo on Sept. 29 and made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lee Ann Reno this afternoon. Agents recovered a 9mm pistol and three loaded magazines in his vehicle.
According to the complaint, Mr. Copelin posted numerous threats on Gab, a social media platform.
On Aug. 31, under the display name “Alpha Top Dog Pure Blood,” Mr. Copelin allegedly threatened to go “kamikaze” against “white law enforcement.” The post was flagged to the FBI’s National Threat Operations Center on Sept. 4.
A review of his Gab account revealed a history of posts threatening various targets, including police officers, government officials, Black people, immigrants, Jews, and others:
- On Aug. 21, he allegedly threatened to kill young black men in relationships with white women.
- On Aug. 22, he allegedly threatened to “blow up” IRS agents.
- On Sept. 5, he allegedly threatened to shoot police officers.
- On Sept. 8, he allegedly claimed he would “go down to the border … and start shooting invaders,” and allegedly added that he would “blow the FEDS away too.”
- Later the same day, he allegedly threatened to kill Jews in the government and law enforcement.
- On Sept. 14, he allegedly threatened to shoot Mexicans, who he felt “shouldn’t even be here.”
- On Sept. 25, he allegedly threatened to hang supporters of a Texas gubernatorial candidate.
According to the complaint, Mr. Copelin posted online a call for “all strong abled white alpha men with sniper rifles” to enforce the law, “because the government is corrupt.” Agents observed photos of guns and bladed weapons on the “Alpha Top Dog Pure Blood” account.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. Like all defendants, Mr. Copelin is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
If convicted, he faces up to 15 years in federal prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and any other statutory factors.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Amarillo Police Department, and the Randall County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeff Haag and Josh Frausto are prosecuting the case with Trial Attorney Jacob Warren of the Justice Department’s National Security Division.
Dallas Man Sentenced to Life over Meth Concealed in CauliflowerRead the Press Release
A Dallas man who accepted a delivery of $3.7 million worth of methamphetamine concealed in boxes of cauliflower was sentenced Tuesday to life in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Joaquin Salinas, 48, pleaded guilty in March to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. He was sentenced Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Barbara M.G. Lynn.
“Methamphetamine is a dangerous drug that affects tens of thousands of lives every year,” said Eduardo A. Chavez, Special Agent in Charge of DEA Dallas. “Mr. Salinas chose to engage in this illicit activity and now can spend the rest of his life with the consequences of those actions. Lives were saved by keeping these drugs off the street and DEA Dallas will continue to put the health and safety of our North Texas communities first.”According to plea papers, on Aug. 29, 2021, Mr. Salinas received a shipment of approximately 247 kilograms of methamphetamine concealed inside boxes of cauliflower. Agents put the street value of the methamphetamine at approximately $3.7 million.
At Tuesday’s sentencing hearing, agents testified that their investigation revealed the methamphetamine was imported from Mexico. Further testimony revealed that the defendant had ties to the Sureños XIII criminal street gang and the Puro Tango Blast street and prison gang, both of which have ties to Mexican drug cartels.
Agents also testified that Mr. Salinas had four firearms in his home to protect the drugs and any illegal proceeds.
One of Mr. Salinas’ codefendants, Angel Cabrera, pleaded guilty in June to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and is currently awaiting sentencing. His other codefendant, Omar Jorge Valle Estrada, has entered a plea of not guilty and is currently awaiting trial. (Mr. Estrada is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.)
The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Dallas Field Division conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Dallas Police Department, the Hickory Creek Police Department, the Fort Worth Police Department, and the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney George Leal prosecuted the case.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
39 ‘Taste the Rainbow’ Defendants SentenceRead the Press Release
Thirty-nine defendants charged in Operation “Taste the Rainbow” have been sentenced to a combined 415 years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
The men and women, all allegedly tied to methamphetamine trafficking in and around Lubbock, were charged in a series of three indictments with an array of federal crimes, primarily distribution of methamphetamine, unlawful possession of firearms, and conspiracy, in September 2021. The final defendant, 39-year-old Jesse Martinez Jr., aka JJ, was sentenced on Wednesday to 262 months. In plea papers, Mr. Martinez admitted that he arranged for the sale of methamphetamine to a confidential informant and directed one of his associates to deliver it.
Over the course of the investigation – which involved more than 200 personnel from nine different law enforcement agencies – officers and agents seized more than two kilogram of methamphetamine and 25 guns. The organization was found to have distributed dozens of kilograms of methamphetamine in the Lubbock community.
“Thanks to the hard work of literally hundreds of officers and agents, along with a few dedicated prosecutors, we are keeping 39 of Lubbock’s most violent drug traffickers off the streets,” said U.S. Attorney Chad E. Meacham. “We know, based on their criminal histories, that these men and women were not only dealing large quantities of drugs, but sowing fear and agony in the community. We are proud to put them behind bars.”
“We heard the concerns of the residents of Lubbock and greater West Texas, and brought every possible resource to dismantle the criminal element in this investigation. Today’s final sentencing illustrates the commitment we have to ensure people and families can live in their neighborhoods without living in fear,” said Dallas FBI Special Agent in Charge Matthew J. DeSarno. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners every day to target the diverse and dangerous threats that drive violence in our communities.”
Additional defendants include:
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Oscar Alcala, Jr., 30, plead guilty to distribution of methamphetamine and was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison
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Teresa Delhierro, 38, plead guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to 180 months in prison
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Stephanie Shea Ortiz, 38, plead guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to 108 months in prison
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Isaac Levi Hernandez, aka “Pacman,” 37, plead guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to 160 months in prison
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Robert Rangel, Jr., 47, plead guilty to distribution of methamphetamine and was sentenced to 188 months in prison
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Sergio Lopez, 41, plead guilty to distribution of methamphetamine and was sentenced to 175 months in prison
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Symon Anthony Maldonado, 26, plead guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to 151 months in prison
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Samantha Denise Rodriguez, 38, plead guilty to distribution of methamphetamine and was sentenced to 214 months in prison
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Michael Joseph Ybarra, 37, plead guilty to distribution of methamphetamine and was sentenced to 121 months in prison
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Christopher Ray Lovington, 35, plead guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to 324 months in prison
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Megan Francisca Gomez, 28, plead guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to 84 months in prison
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Gabriel Lee Mendoza, 30, plead guilty to distribution of methamphetamine and was sentenced to 120 months in prison
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Jessie Luciano Salazar, aka “Lucky,” 45, plead guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to 230 months in prison
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Ruby Alexis Banuelos, 23, plead guilty to felon in possession of a firearm and was sentenced to 46 months in prison
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Adriana Pena, 26, plead guilty to distribution of methamphetamine and was sentenced to 70 months in prison
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Alexandria Unique Conner, 24, plead guilty to possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and was sentenced to 60 months in prison
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Bobby Joe Garcia, aka “Ace,” 28, plead guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to 108 months in prison
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Christopher Eldon Limbaugh, aka “Skittles,” 38, plead guilty to distribution of methamphetamine and was sentenced to 120 months in prison
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Christopher Daniel Garcia, 39, plead guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to 121 months in prison
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Bobbi Jean Hendrix, 33, plead guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to 84 months in prison
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Alexandra Cruz, 25, plead guilty to distribution of methamphetamine and was sentenced to 120 months in prison
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James Raul Garza, 37, plead guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to 230 months in prison
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David Bustos, Jr., 40, plead guilty to distribution of methamphetamine and was sentenced to 120 months in prison
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Gerald Felipe Vargas, aka “Gizmo,” 36, plead guilty to distribution of methamphetamine and was sentenced to 160 months in prison
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Julie Ann Sifuentes, aka “Juicy,” 36, plead guilty to distribution of methamphetamine and was sentenced to 66 months in prison
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Daniel Ramon, Jr., 41, plead guilty to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and was sentenced to 60 months in prison
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Kelsey Marie Applegate, 28, plead guilty to distribution of methamphetamine and was sentenced to 60 months in prison
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Toby Mack Woods, 62, plead guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to 24 months in prison
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Katie Dshawn Montez, 28, plead guilty to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and was sentenced to 60 months in person
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Beatrice Delgado, 37, plead guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to 121 months in prison
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Colten Shane White, 29, plead guilty to felon in possession of a firearm and was sentenced to 33 months in prison
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Madison Whitney Michaels, 23, plead guilty to misprision (concealment) of a felony and was sentenced to 15 months in prison
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Mark Adam Alonzo, aka “Cinco,” 31, plead guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to 128 months in prison
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Alejandro Antonio Mendez, aka “Ace,” 27, plead guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to 110 months in prison
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Edilberto Reyes, aka “Pajaro” (Bird), 35, plead guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to 120 months in prison
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Reynaldo Cruz, Jr., 50, plead guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to 240 months in prison
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Yesenia Flores, 40, plead guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to 151 months in prison
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Christopher Joshua Ruiz, 39, plead guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to 151 months in prison
Those put behind bars by this operation included many violent recidivists; between them, the convicted defendants have been previously charged with 31 assaults, nine burglaries, three robberies, a murder, 24 firearm crimes, 69 serious controlled substance violations, three terroristic threats, a forgery, 12 frauds, and a child sexual assault.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Division – Lubbock Resident Agency and the Texas Department of Public Safety conducted the investigation with the help of six agency partners: the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives’ Dallas Field Division, the Lubbock Police Department, the U.S. Marshals, the Lubbock County Sheriff’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Dallas Field Division, and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Long is prosecuting the case.
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Dallas Man Charged in $26 Million Real Estate ScamRead the Press Release
A Dallas man who allegedly scammed Chinese investors out of more than $26 million has been federally charged, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Timothy Lynch Barton, the 59-year-old president of real estate development firm JMJ and CEO of real estate investment firm Carnegie Development, was indicted Tuesday on seven counts of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and one count of securities fraud. He made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge David L. Horan today.
According to the indictment, Mr. Barton allegedly traveled to Hangzhou, China to market real estate investment opportunities in Texas to Chinese investors.
During his presentations – which highlighted his supposed ties to U.S. politicians – Mr. Barton allegedly claimed that the properties in question were located in sought-after neighborhoods in the Dallas Fort Worth Metroplex. He introduced a builder, identified in court documents as S.W., who he claimed would purchase lots to build on to sell to future home buyers.
Mr. Barton allegedly promised investors annual interest payments for two years, followed by the return of their initial investment at the end of the second year. He allegedly claimed that the investors would contribute 80 percent of the funds necessary for the project, and he and others would contribute the remaining 20 percent. Mr. Barton also allegedly represented that no commissions would be paid out of investor funds.
In loan agreements signed by the investors, Mr. Barton allegedly inflated the cost of each property by as much as 195 percent, and in some instances, never actually purchased the property. Mr. Barton also allegedly paid interest payments to early investors with investor funds from later projects.
Contrary to his loan agreements, Mr. Barton allegedly paid commissions out of investors’ funds, and even funneled investors’ money into unrelated projects. Still other funds were used to pay consultants or even to pay an unrelated company’s AmEx bill. According to the indictment, investors lost more than $26,000,000 to the scheme.
An indictment is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. Mr. Barton is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in federal prison for each count of wire fraud, up to 20 years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and up to 20 years in federal prison for securities fraud.
He is also the subject of a parallel civil action filed by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Renee Hunter is prosecuting the case.
Defendant Sentenced to Five Extra Years for Assaulting Marshal at Sentencing HearingRead the Press Release
A west Texas man who assaulted two Deputy U.S. Marshals immediately after being sentenced to 30 years in prison for another crime was sentenced today to an additional five years for the attack, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Damien Dre Gonzales, 28, was charged in July 2021 with assaulting a federal officer. He pleaded guilty in May 2022 and was sentenced Wednesday by U.S. District Judge James Wesley Hendrix to five years in federal prison, to be served consecutive to his sentence in the other case.
“This case reminds us of the challenges law enforcement agents and officers face on a daily basis. We are immensely grateful to these officers for acting swiftly to keep the courtroom safe,” said U.S. Attorney Chad Meacham.
According to court documents, on June 10, 2021 Mr. Gonzalez was sentenced to 365 months in federal prison for kidnapping a 9-year-old girl from a birthday part in Levelland, Texas.
Immediately after the sentencing hearing had concluded, Mr. Gonzales grabbed the microphone from the defendant’s podium and swung it violently at a Deputy U.S. Marshal, who grabbed him by the arm in an attempt to control his outburst.
Another Deputy Marshal rushed forward to help, but Mr. Gonzales changed toward him and rammed him into a wooden bench.
With the help of a courtroom security officer, an FBI task force officer, and three DEA agents who happened to be present, the Marshals were able to subdue the defendant. Throughout, Mr. Gonzales hurled insults, curses, and threats at the officers and agents.
In recorded jailhouse calls following the incident, Mr. Gonzales bragged about assaulting the Marshals, stating that he “threw” and “ran at” both of them.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Redd prosecuted the assault case; Assistant U.S. Attorney Callie Woolam prosecuted the kidnapping case.
Men Who Stole Pistol from Seller in Parking Lot Sentenced to 18+ Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
Two defendants who stole guns from a man in an Arlington parking lot have been sentenced to a combined 18 years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Cuedell Javon Henry, 20, and Tyrique Raashad Wesley, 25, were charged via criminal complaint in July 2021. They both subsequently pleaded guilty to possession of a stolen firearm. Mr. Wesley was sentenced in May 2022 to 105 months in federal prison; Mr. Henry was sentenced Wednesday to 120 months in federal prison, to run consecutive a 180 month sentence handed down by the state.
“It is legal for hobbyists to sell off a few guns, but we urge them to exercise caution when doing so. Criminals – particularly those legally barred from possessing firearms – will often stop at nothing, including violence, to get their hands on guns,” said U.S. Attorney Chad E. Meacham.
“Stolen firearms are generally taken by offenders for further criminal use and pose a significant threat to our communities. ATF will continue to work with Arlington Police Department and other partners to investigate and disrupt these crimes,” said ATF Dallas Acting Special Agent in Charge James VanVliet.
According to court documents, in the summer of 2021, Mr. Henry and Mr. Wesley contacted a man who advertised two 9mm pistols for sale on texasguntrader.com, claiming they wanted to purchase the guns. The three men agreed to meet in a parking lot in Arlington.
Once there, the defendants asked if they could examine the firearms. After emptying the chamber of ammunition, the man obliged.
Mr. Henry loaded one of the pistols and pointed it at the victim; meanwhile Mr. Wesley – a convicted felon who was not legally allowed to possess firearms – tucked the other pistol into his waistband. Armed with the two guns, the pair fled the scene in a 2013 Dodge Charger. The seller gave chase, and was able to take down the car’s license plate.
Based on the victim’s descriptions of Mr. Henry’s tattoos, law enforcement identified him. A review of his Instagram account showed him posing with multiple firearms, including a pistol similar to the one that had been stolen.
Law enforcement then located his Dodge Charger at a townhome in Arlington. There, they observed Mr. Henry and Mr. Wesley load a black bag into the vehicle and drive away.
Officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop, but Mr. Wesley, who was driving the vehicle, initially managed to evade them. They found the vehicle abandoned, with the front doors open, a short while later. Eventually, officers located and arrested Mr. Wesley, who gave chase on foot, and Mr. Henry.
Agents found on of the stolen guns inside the Dodge Charger, and another inside the townhome.
In plea papers, both men admitted to possessing the weapons.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives’ Dallas Field Division and the Arlington Police Department’s Gun Crime Unit conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Doug Allen and Alex Lewis prosecuted the case.
Four Charged with Conspiring to Steal $425,000 in Fitness TrackersRead the Press Release
Four defendants have been charged with systematically stealing fitness trackers from a warehouse in Corsicana, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham. The scheme, which spanned about four months, allegedly netted them more than $425,000 in value.
Antonio Marcell Lewis, 41, Samuel Earl Lewis, 36, Aaron Lincoln, 43, and Ricka Smith, 37, were indicted for conspiracy to commit theft from interstate shipment on Sept. 8. They were arrested Thursday and made their initial appearances on Friday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Renee Toliver.
According to the indictment, Antonio Lewis and Mr. Lincoln, both shipping and receiving employees for a department store distribution center in Corsicana, allegedly stole fitness trackers and accessories destined for retail stores, unloading them from freight trailers by the pallet full and placing them near the facility’s loading docks. Ms. Smith, a driver for a commercial freight carrier, allegedly parked her truck near the loading docks, so that Antonio Lewis and Mr. Lincoln could load the trackers onto her truck. Ms. Smith would allegedly met up with Antonio Lewis and his brother, Samuel Lewis, after each of the thefts to unload the stolen fitness trackers from her truck. The brothers then sold the fitness trackers to unauthorized retailers.
An indictment is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. All four defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
If convicted, they face up to five years in federal prison.
The Federal Bureau of Investigations’ Dallas Field Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Briggs is prosecuting the case.
Texas Anesthesiologist Arrested on Criminal Charges Related to Alleged Tampering with IV Bags Implicated in Death, Surgical EmergenciesRead the Press Release
A Dallas anesthesiologist who allegedly injected nerve blocking agents and other drugs into patient IV bags at a local surgery center – resulting in at least one death and multiple cardiac emergencies – was arrested Wednesday on federal criminal charges, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division, and U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham announced today.
Raynaldo Rivera Ortiz Jr., 59, was charged via criminal complaint with tampering with a consumer product causing death and intentional drug adulteration. He was arrested in Plano on Wednesday and will make his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Renee Toliver in Dallas on Friday at 10 a.m.
According the criminal complaint, on June 21, a 55-year-old female coworker of Dr. Ortiz, identified in court documents as M.K., experienced a medical emergency and died immediately after treating herself for dehydration using an IV bag of saline taken from the surgical center. An autopsy report revealed that she died from a lethal dose of bupivacaine, a nerve blocking agent that is rarely abused but is often used during the administration of anesthesia.
Two months later, on Aug. 24, an 18-year-old male patient, identified in court documents as J.A., experienced a cardiac emergency during a routine sinus surgery. The teen was intubated and transferred to a local ICU. Chemical analysis of the fluid from a saline bag used during his surgery revealed the presence of bupivacaine, epinephrine (a stimulant), and lidocaine, drugs that could have caused the patient’s sudden symptoms.
According to the complaint, surgical center personnel concluded that the incidents involving M.K. and J.A. suggested a pattern of intentional adulteration of IV bags used at the surgical center. They identified 10 additional unexpected cardiac emergencies that occurred during otherwise unremarkable surgeries between May and August 2022, which the complaint alleges is an exceptionally high rate of complications over such a short period of time.
In each of those cases – which investigators believe occurred on or around May 26 and 27; June 27; July 7, 15 and 18; and Aug. 1, 4, 9 and 19 – medical personnel were able to stabilize the patient only through use of emergency measures. Most of the incidents occurred during longer surgeries that used more than one IV bag, including one or more bags retrieved mid-surgery from a stainless steel bag warmer.
The complaint alleges that none of the cardiac incidents occurred during Dr. Ortiz’s surgeries, and that they began just two days after Dr. Oritz was notified of a disciplinary inquiry stemming from an incident during which he allegedly “deviated from the standard of care” during an anesthesia procedure when a patient experienced a medical emergency. The complaint alleges that all of the incidents occurred around the time Dr. Ortiz performed services at the facility, and no incidents occurred while Dr. Ortiz was on vacation.
The complaint further alleges that Dr. Ortiz, who had a history of disciplinary actions against him, expressed concern to other physicians over the disciplinary action at the facility and complained the center was trying to “crucify” him. A nurse who worked on one of Dr. Ortiz’s surgeries allegedly told law enforcement that Dr. Ortiz refused to use an IV bag she retrieved from the warmer, physically waving the bag off.
Surveillance video from the center’s operating room hallway allegedly showed Dr. Ortiz placing IV bags into the stainless-steel bag warmer shortly before other doctors’ patients experienced cardiac emergencies.
The complaint alleges that in one instance captured in the surveillance video, agents observed Dr. Ortiz walk quickly from an operating room to the bag warmer, place a single IV bag inside, visually scan the empty hallway, and quickly walk away. Just over an hour later, according to the complaint, a 56-year-old woman suffered a cardiac emergency during a scheduled cosmetic surgery after a bag from the warmer was used during her procedure.
The complaint alleges that in another instance, agents observed Dr. Ortiz exit his operating room carrying an IV bag concealed in what appeared to be a paper folder, swap the bag with another bag from the warmer, and walk away. Roughly half an hour later, a 54-year-old woman suffered a cardiac emergency during a scheduled cosmetic surgery after a bag from the warmer was used during her procedure.
“The safety of the nation’s pharmaceutical supply is critically important,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton. “The Department will vigorously prosecute this case consistent with the evidence gathered by our law enforcement partners.”
“Our complaint alleges this defendant surreptitiously injected heart-stopping drugs into patient IV bags, decimating the Hippocratic oath,” said U.S. Attorney Chad E. Meacham. “A single incident of seemingly intentional patient harm would be disconcerting; multiple incidents are truly disturbing. At this point, however, we believe that the problem is limited to one individual, who is currently behind bars. The Department of Justice and our indefatigable partners at the FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations and the Dallas Police Department will work tirelessly to hold him accountable. In the meantime, it is safe to undergo anesthesia in Dallas.”
“Patients expect that their doctors will use only safe and effective medical products during their surgeries. When illicit tampering occurs, serious harm and even death can result,” said Special Agent in Charge Charles L. Grinstead, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations. “Working with our law enforcement partners, we will continue to monitor, investigate and bring to justice those who would risk patients’ health and safety.”
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. Dr. Ortiz is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The U.S. Food & Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigations and the Dallas Police Department conducted the investigation with the assistance of scientists from the University of North Texas. Senior Litigation Counsel Patrick Runkle and Senior Trial Counsel Yolanda McCray Jones of the Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch and Assistant U.S. Attorneys John de la Garza and Errin Martin of the Northern District of Texas are prosecuting the case.
Amarillo Man Pleads Guilty to Threating Prominent New York RabbisRead the Press Release
An Amarillo man pleaded guilty on Wednesday to threatening to execute three prominent Jewish rabbis, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Christopher Stephen Brown was charged via criminal complaint on Dec. 6, 2021 and indicted later that month. He plead guilty yesterday to making interstate threatening communications before U.S. Magistrate District Judge Lee Ann Reno in Amarillo.
“In addition to expressing disgusting anti-Semitic views, Mr. Brown made specific threats of violence against multiple individuals, which is prohibited under federal law,” said U.S. Attorney Chad Meacham. “We will not allow our citizens to be subjected to this sort of menacing conduct.”
“Mr. Brown’s statements indicated he wanted to potentially commit violent acts against members of the Jewish community; this type of behavior is not tolerated by law enforcement. This action is a criminal violation and also instills fear in a community that has long been a target of hateful rhetoric and violence,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge Matthew DeSarno. “The FBI’s mission is to uphold the U.S. Constitution and to protect the American people. We will continue working with our law enforcement partners to pursue individuals who pose a threat to public safety.”
According to plea papers, Mr. Brown admitted to placing threatening calls to Chabad Lubavitch, a Jewish organization that has provided spiritual guidance and assistance to Jewish people since before the Holocaust. Chabad is headquartered in New York City and maintains more than 3,500 institutions worldwide.
In those calls, the defendant sated his name was “Madrikh Obadiah” and threatened to “execute” several rabbinical leaders, identified in court documents as L.S., Y.K., and M.K. Over the course of multiple calls, he vowed he would tear their eyes and tongues out, blow their heads of, and kill every rabbi he could find.
According to court documents, he also sent messages to the organization via their website, calling for death to all Jews and linking to his YouTube channel, which also contained threatening content.
Mr. Brown now faces up to five years in federal prison.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office, Amarillo Resident Agency and the Randall County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation in partnership with the FBI’s New York Field Office and the New York Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Frausto is prosecuting the case.
25 Charged in Drug Bust Targeting Recording StudioRead the Press Release
Twenty-five alleged drug traffickers have been charged in “Operation Papercheck Fresh,” announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
During a large-scale operation last Thursday – which involved eight law enforcement agencies targeting nine locations, including a recording studio in Dallas’ Bryan Place neighborhood – officers and agents also seized cocaine, methamphetamine, THC, and fake pharmaceutical pills; eight vehicles; 37 firearms; and more than $300,000 in U.S. currency.
Those charged in a 34- count indictment unsealed Friday include:
- Durrell Kevon Haynes, aka “Duggie,” charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, possession with intent to distribute cocaine and methamphetamine,
- Morris Burrell Haynes, aka “Bull,” charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession of a firearm (Century Arms 9mm) in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, felon in possession of a firearm
- Camira Lashe Anderson, charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine
- Baron Wayne Bennett, charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine
- Brandon Earl Boyd Jr., aka “Shook,” charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, possession with intent to distribute cocaine and marijuana,
- Gilbert Garza, aka “Chicko,” charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, possession with intent to distribute cocaine
- Quinton Dwayne Vine, charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine
- Devonshire Labrandiff Hudson, charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine
- Anthony Dewayne Leffall, charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession of a firearm (Glock 9mm) in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime
- Desmond Jamal Quinones, charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, possession with intent to distribute cocaine, felon in possession of a firearm
- Jasmine Shanice Reagor, charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, possession with intent to distribute cocaine
- Chadrick Demar Sullivan, charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine
- Carlos Ronsha Thomas Jr., aka “Uno Loso,” charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, possession with intent to distribute cocaine
- Darrick D. Williams, charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine
Those charged via criminal complaint include:
- Chadrick Alex, charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance
- Deontate Alex, charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance
- Darian Prunty, charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance
- Corry Richardson, charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance
An indictment is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
If convicted, the defendants face life in federal prison.
The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Dallas Field Division, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives’ Dallas Field Division, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Dallas County Police Department, the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office, the DeSoto Police Department, and the Ellis County Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Kull and Joe Magliolo are prosecuting the case.
The Texoma High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA), through its Executive Board comprised of Federal, state, and local agency heads in North Texas and Oklahoma, administers approximately $4,000,000.00 in grant funding provided by the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) to establish and support drug task forces in North Texas and Oklahoma. Drug task force operations which combine Federal, state, and local resources, such as the one conducted in this critical investigation, make our communities safer and represent the strength of the HIDTA program by delivering an outstanding return on the investment of ONDCP and Texoma HIDTA grant funding.
Man Sentenced to 60 Years for Filming Rape of 7-Year-OldRead the Press Release
A Rowlett man was sentenced Thursday to 60 years in federal prison for filming himself molesting a 7-year-old child, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Mark Alan Miller, 35, was indicted in June 2020 and pleaded guilty in March 2022 to two counts of production of child pornography. He was sentenced Thursday by U.S. District Judge Jane J. Boyle, who handed down the statutory maximum sentence.
According to court documents, police were dispatched to the victim’s home on Jan. 12, 2020, after the victim’s father walked in on the defendant on the floor raping his then-9-year-old daughter.
The father told law enforcement that he and Mr. Miller had been friends for over a decade, and that Mr. Miller was staying overnight at their home. The father heard a noise and went to check on it. When he saw Mr. Miller was not in the living room where he’d been sleeping, the father rushed to the daughter’s room, where he found the defendant anally raping the child. The father held a gun on the defendant until the police arrived.
Mr. Miller immediately confessed to police that he had been sexually touching the child for years, describing their relationship as “a little too close.”
The child was immediately transported to the hospital and on to the Rockwall Children’s Advocacy Center, where she confirmed that Mr. Miller had raped her on multiple occasions and had photographed her genitals and showed her the photos.
When officers confronted Mr. Miller about the photos, he admitted to producing child pornography. A forensic analysis of his electronic devices revealed that he had produced at least five videos and 132 images of child pornography involving the victim dating back two years, to when the child was just seven years old.
At Thursday’s sentencing hearing, a Rockwall Police Department forensic analyst testified that Mr. Miller’s electronic devices contained more than 8,000 sexually explicit images of other children. Further testimony revealed that the defendant even used a revealing image of the victim in this case as his screen saver.
The Rockwall Police Department, the Rockwall County Sheriff’s Office, and the FBI’s Dallas Field Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Camille Sparks prosecuted the case.
Illinois Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Operating $20 Million Nationwide Retail Crime RingRead the Press Release
An Illinois man was sentenced today to 15 years in federal prison for running a multi-million dollar retail crime scheme, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
A federal jury found Artur Gilowski, 48, of Barrington, IL, guilty of conspiracy to commit interstate transportation of stolen property and conspiracy to commit mail fraud at a trial in March. He was sentenced Wednesday by U.S. District Judge Barbara M.G. Lynn, who ordered him to forfeit several pieces of real property in Illinois and hundreds of dollars seized from various bank accounts.
According to evidence presented at trial, Mr. Gilowski’s coconspirators stole tens of thousands of products – valued at over $20 million – from brick-and-mortar retail stores across the United States, then shipped them to Mr. Gilowski, who sold the stolen goods on various e-commerce websites, generating more than $11 million in profits.
The thieves traveled across the country in vehicles registered under false names and used “booster skirts” (garments with concealment pouches for stolen goods) and electronic transmitters designed to disrupt retailers’ anti-theft and loss-prevention measures. Using aliases, they rented storage lockers where they kept the stolen items until they could be shipped to interstate and foreign customers via the U.S. Postal Service, UPS, and FedEx.
Mr. Gilowski created a network of numerous online seller profiles, multiple bank accounts, and various companies registered in other people’s names to conduct the unlawful online sale scheme and funnel the proceeds of his illicit operation to himself.
The evidence also showed that Mr. Gilowski received over a million dollars in cash from his crime ring – including $97,000 that was found in the center console of Mr. Gilowski’s truck – which led one of Mr. Gilowski’s coconspirators to testify at trial that Mr. Gilowski “treated money like trash.”
“Mr. Gilowski and his coconspirators swiped thousands of products from retail shelves, then resold stolen goods online,” U.S. Attorney Chad Meacham said after the verdict. “We are proud to hold these defendants accountable for their crimes, and are grateful to the jury for their careful consideration of our case.”
“Organized retail crime leads to consumers having to pay higher prices for goods, fewer job openings, and a decrease in consumer spending on legitimate goods that small-business owners and other retailers depend on for survival,” said Deputy Special Agent in Charge Christopher Miller, HSI Dallas. “Working alongside the U. S. Attorney’s Office, U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Arlington Heights (Illinois) Police Department, we were able to secure today’s conviction, and take another step in our ongoing fight against organized retail crime so consumers and retailers don’t have to bear the brunt of those impacts.”
Five of Mr. Gilowski’s coconspirators pleaded guilty prior to trial.
At this week’s sentencing hearing, the judge ruled that a sentencing enhancement was warranted because Mr. Gilowski lied on the stand. At trial, the defendant falsely told the jury that the phone found in his own vehicle –which contained highly inculpatory text messages– didn’t belong to him, but to a coconspirator, who Mr. Gilowski said left the phone in his car to register GPS coordinates to conceal a purported extramarital affair.
The Arlington Heights Police Department in Illinois conducted the investigation with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations’ Dallas Field Office and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Fabio Leonardi and Camille Sparks prosecuted the case.
Former Owner of Tax Preparation Business Found Guilty of Tax CrimeRead the Press Release
A Plano man was convicted at trial of concealing over $1 million in income from the IRS, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
After three days of trial, on Thursday, a federal jury found Raymond Griggs, 51, guilty of making a false statement on his income tax return.
According to evidence presented at trial, between 2011 and 2013, Mr. Griggs ran a tax preparation business, Griggs Financial, LLC, located in the Dallas, Texas area.
While Griggs Financial, LLC generated over $1.3 million in gross receipts in 2013, Mr. Griggs reported to the IRS that his business had brought in just about $340,000.
That year alone, however, Mr. Griggs spent in excess of $1.4 million, including over $114,000 for entertainment, and tens of thousands of dollars for jewelry, travel, and flight lessons.
Additionally, the evidence presented at trial showed that Mr. Griggs consistently underreported his business’s gross receipts to the IRS by about $1 million for both 2012 and 2011.
Mr. Griggs now faces up to three years in federal prison.
IRS Criminal Investigation’s Dallas Field Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Donna Strittmatter Max, Fabio Leonardi, and Russell Fusco (fmr.) prosecuted the case. U.S. District Judge David C. Godbey presided over the trial.
MS-13 Gang Member Sentenced to 5+ Years in Prison for Heroin ConspiracyRead the Press Release
An MS-13 gang member was sentenced today to more than five years in federal prison for a drug crime, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Angie Marlyn Valencia, 28, was indicted in November 2021 and pleaded guilty in April 2022 to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin. She was sentenced Wednesday to 65 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Brantley Starr, who also ordered her to forfeit two firearms.
At her sentencing hearing, Judge Starr ruled that the defendant belonged to MS-13, a notoriously violent transnational street gang with the creed, “kill, rob, rape, control.”
In plea papers, Ms. Valencia admitted that she and a co-conspirator, boyfriend Williams Jose Fuentes-Argueta, dealt heroin out of an apartment on Royal Lane in Dallas. On Sept. 16, 2021, while Ms. Valenca acted as lookout, Mr. Fuentes-Argueta sold more than 70 grams of heroin to an undercover Texas DPS officer for $2,700 cash. About two weeks later, the pair teamed up again to sell another 76 grams of heroin to two undercover officers.
Mr. Fuentes-Argueta pleaded guilty in June 2022 to the same charge as Ms. Valencia; he is slated to be sentenced on Oct. 26.
The Texas Department of Public Safety, the Carrolton Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives’ Dallas Field Division conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney George Leal is prosecuting the case.
Jury Takes 7 Minutes to Convict Amarillo Drug DealerRead the Press Release
A federal jury convicted an Amarillo man of drug crimes after just seven minutes of deliberation on Wednesday, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Gilbert Joseph Carrasco, 44, was indicted in June 2021. After two days of trial, on Aug. 31, 2022, a jury convicted him of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
According to evidence presented in court, undercover agents arranged to purchase methamphetamine from 25-year-old Catrina Palmer on April 28, 2020. Mr. Carasco drove Ms. Palmer to the undercover buy. Agents located a trap in the dashboard of his truck that contained methamphetamine. Investigation later revealed that Mr. Carrasco was Ms. Palmer’s methamphetamine supplier.
In an interview, Mr. Carrasco admitted to receiving and distributing methamphetamine. He also admitted to being a convicted felon and knowingly possession a .22 bolt action rifle he said he obtained on the “streets.”
Ms. Palmer pled guilty in April 2021 to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to five years in federal prison.
Mr. Carrasco now faces up to 50 years in federal prison – 20 years per count on counts one and two and 10 years on count three. His sentencing has been set for Dec. 20, 2022 in Amarillo.
The Amarillo Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Dallas Field Division, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives’ Dallas Field Division conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matt Tusing and Joshua Frausto prosecuted the case with the help of Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Marie Bell. U.S. District Judge Matthew J. Kacsmaryk presided over the trial.
Following Girlfriend’s Tip, Dallas Man Sentenced to 30 Years for Pornography Involving Five-Year-OldRead the Press Release
A Dallas man who filmed himself sexually abusing a five-year-old girl was sentenced today to 30 years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Michael Angelo Vasquez, 27, was charged via criminal complaint in July 2020 and indicted the following month. He pleaded guilty in May 2021 to production of child pornography and was sentenced Wednesday by U.S. District Judge Jane J. Boyle, who ruled he should receive the statutory maximum penalty.
According to court documents, the investigation began after Mr. Vasquez’s then-girlfriend suspected he was involved in an affair and searched his iPhone for evidence of communication with other women. Instead, she discovered images of Mr. Vasquez sexually assaulting a five-year-old child.
She reported the images to law enforcement, who obtained a search warrant for Mr. Vasquez’s phone. In the phone’s Google Photos app, agents located the video Mr. Vasquez’s girlfriend described, along with thumbnails from other videos depicting child sexual abuse.
In plea papers, Mr. Vasquez admitted that he filmed at least four videos of himself sexually abusing the child and later shared the video online via an instant messaging platform.
Authorities connected the child with the Dallas Children’s Advocacy Center, which provides resources for abused children.
“While the lengthy sentence this defendant received is clearly justified, the emotional and physical abuse of the innocent child he victimized is likely to linger indefinitely, “ said Jesse Woods, Assistant Special Agent in Charge Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Dallas. ”Proud of the work of our criminal analysts, special agents and law enforcement partners who helped end the deviant behavior of this defendant before he could harm another child. Even more important is the courage displayed by Mr. Vasquez’s then girlfriend to report him to law enforcement when she discovered the child sexual abuse materials on his electronic devices.“
Homeland Security Investigations’ Dallas Field Office and the Dallas Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Camille Sparks prosecuted the case.
13 Novus Healthcare Fraud Defendants Sentenced to Combined 84 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
Thirteen defendants involved in the $27 million Novus healthcare fraud have been sentenced to a combined 84 years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
According to plea papers and evidence presented to a jury, Novus Health Services, a Dallas-based hospice agency, defrauded Medicare by submitting materially false claims for hospice services, providing kickbacks for referrals, and violating HIPAA to recruit beneficiaries. Novus employees also dispensed Schedule II controlled substances to patients without the guidance of medical professionals and moved patients to a new hospice company in order to avoid a Medicare suspension.
CEO Bradley J. Harris eventually admitted to the fraud and testified against two physicians who elected to proceed to trial.
He told the jury that instead of relying on the expertise of licensed medical professionals, he and Novus’ nurses determined which medications and dosages patients would receive, dispensing drugs like morphine and hydrocodone using pre-signed prescription pads. Novus medical directors, including Dr. Mark Gibbs and Dr. Laila Hirjee, were supposed to oversee the care of these patients and examine patients face-to-face to certify that they were terminally ill. Often, however, the medical directors signed off on patient care plans without properly reviewing patients files and falsely certified they had completed in-person examinations when they had not.
As Director of Operations Melanie Murphey testified at trial, “I was the doctor.”
Mr. Harris and the nurses also determined which patients would be admitted to or discharged from hospice care without any physician involvement. Mr. Harris also admitted to paying Novus physicians kickbacks – disguised as medical director salaries – to induce them to refer patients to Novus facilities.
When Mr. Harris realized he could avoid exceeding Medicare’s aggregate hospice cap by enrolling an influx of first-time hospice patients, he negotiated an agreement with a company called Express Medical that allowed him to access potential patients confidential medical information in return for using Express Medical for laboratory tests and home health visits. Novus staff attempted to recruit Express Medical patients for Novus services, regardless of their eligibility.
Those convicted in the scheme include:
- Sam Anderson, Novus VP of Marketing, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud and was sentenced to 33 months in federal prison
- Patricia Armstrong, Novus triage nurse, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud and was sentenced to 84 months in federal prison
- Slade Brown, Novus Director of Marketing, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud and was sentenced to 48 months in federal prison
- Dr. Mark Gibbs, Novus Medical Director, was convicted at trial of one count of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud, two counts of healthcare fraud, and one count conspiracy to obstruct justice and was sentenced to 156 months in federal prison
- Amy Harris, Novus VP of Patient Services and wife of Bradley Harris, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to obstruct justice and was sentenced to 38 months in federal prison
- Bradley Harris, Novus CEO, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud and one count of healthcare fraud and aiding and abetting and was sentenced to 159 months in federal prison
- Dr. Laila Hirjee, Novus Medical Director, was convicted at trial of one count of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud, three counts of healthcare fraud and one count of unlawful distribution of a controlled substance and was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison
- Dr. Charles Leach, Novus Medical Director, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud and was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison
- Tammie Little, Novus Registered Nurse, was convicted at trial of one count of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud and three counts of healthcare fraud and aiding and abetting and was sentenced to 33 months in federal prison
- Jessica Love, Novus Registered Nurse, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud and was sentenced to 102 months in federal prison
- Melanie Murphey, Novus Director of Operations, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud and was sentenced to 66 months in federal prison
- Ali Rizvi, Express Medical owner, pleaded guilty to one count of wrongful use of individually identifiable heath information and was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison
- Taryn Stuart, Novus Licensed Vocational Nurse, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud and was sentenced to 96 months in federal prison
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), and the Texas Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marty Basu and Donna Strittmatter Max prosecuted the case along with U.S. Attorney Chad Meacham.
Man Who Trafficked 13-Year-Old Out of Irving Hotel Sentenced to 11+ Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A 36-year-old man who trafficked a 13-year-old girl out of a hotel room in Irving was sentenced Wednesday to more than 11 years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Curtis Vance Mathis was indicted in December 2019 and pleaded guilty to sex trafficking of children in June 2021. He was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Ed Kinkeade to 135 months in prison.
“Those who exploit minors for the commercial sex industry have no regard for human decency. These predators are responsible for initiating a pattern of mental and physical abuse that is often hard for their victims to overcome ,” said Jesse Woods, Assistant Special Agent in Charge Homeland Security Investigations Dallas. “Anyone who engages in this type of criminal behavior should know that HSI and its law enforcement partners of the North Texas Trafficking Task Force will work endlessly to remove these predators from our communities.”
According to plea papers, Mr. Mathis admitted that he advertised a 13-year-old girl’s sexual services on numerous commercial sex websites, including CityXGuide, a site the feds seized in summer 2020. (CityXGuide’s owner, Wilhan Martono, subsequently pleaded guilty to reckless disregard of sex trafficking and conspiracy to engage in interstate transportation in aid of racketeering and is awaiting sentencing. The site remains out of commission.)
In Oct. 2019, Mr. Mathis met the child and began posting her for commercial sex on websites and thereafter took those proceeds. After a disagreement, the child left, but returned to him only a few weeks later.
On Nov. 4, 2019, Mr. Mathis brought the child to a hotel room in Irving, where she met with multiple customers, including, allegedly, Kention Johnson and Sergio Carvajal. (Mr. Johnson and Mr. Carvajal have both been charged with conspiracy to commit sex trafficking and sex trafficking of children; their cases are pending and they remain innocent until proven guilty in court.)
Meanwhile, law enforcement agents working the missing child case noticed her photograph on a CityXGuide advertisement. An undercover agent texted the associated phone number to arrange a meeting at the hotel. Posing as a commercial sex customer, he identified the room she used to meet customers and immediately recovered the child from the room.
Agents later reviewed surveillance video from the hotel and observed Mr. Mathis rent a room, escort the child upstairs, leave her there, and then return after her customers departed to retrieve cash.
Homeland Security Investigations’ Dallas Field Office conducted the investigation with assistance from the Fort Worth Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Myria Boehm prosecuted the case with help from Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rebekah Ricketts (fmr.) and Cara Foos Pierce (fmr.).
Man Who Sexually Assaulted 13-Year-Old on Mission Trip Sentenced to 20+ YearsRead the Press Release
A 24-year-old man who sexually assaulted a child while on a mission trip in El Salvador was sentenced today to more than 20 years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Bryce Rawson, of Liberty, South Carolina, pleaded guilty in April to engaging in illicit sexual conduct in a foreign place, that is, sex acts with a minor. He was sentenced Thursday by U.S. District Judge Mark Pittman to 250 months in prison.
According to court documents, Mr. Rawson applied and was accepted to participate in a mission trip to El Salvador.
On July 5, 2018, he flew from DFW to El Salvador, where he stayed at the “Hope Center,” a property maintained by the religious organization sponsoring the mission trip. There, he met a 13-year-old girl who was also participating in the mission.
On July 22, he sexually assaulted the child on a balcony at the center.
Homeland Security Investigations’ Dallas and Tampa Field Offices conducted the investigation with the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aisha Saleem, CEOS trial attorney Charles Schmitz, and Alex Lewis are prosecuting the case.
Essilor Agrees to Pay $16.4 Million to Resolve Alleged False Claims Act Liability for Paying KickbacksRead the Press Release
Dallas-based optical company Essilor has agreed to pay $16.4 million to resolve allegations that the company violated the False Claims Act by causing claims to be submitted to Medicare and Medicaid that resulted from violations of the Anti-Kickback Statute, announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Essilor (including Essilor International, Essilor of America Inc., Essilor Laboratories of America Inc. and Essilor Instruments USA,) manufactures, markets, and distributes optical lenses and equipment used to produce optical lenses.
The United States alleged that between Jan. 1, 2011, and Dec. 31, 2016, Essilor knowingly and willfully offered or paid remuneration to optometrists and ophthalmologists to induce those providers to purchase Essilor products for their patients, including Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute. (The Anti Kickback Statute – which is intended to ensure that medical providers’ judgments are not compromised by improper financial incentives – prohibits offering or paying anything of value to induce the referral of items or services covered by Medicare, Medicaid and other federally-funded programs.)
“When medical equipment manufacturers provide kickbacks to referring providers, it can compromise the integrity of medical decision-making,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The department will continue to pursue violations of the Anti-Kickback Statute to ensure that patient care is not influenced by improper financial incentives.”
“The Anti-Kickback Statute was designed to ensure doctors make medical decisions with only their patients’ best interests in mind,” said U.S. Attorney Chad Meacham of the Northern District of Texas. “We are pleased to see Essilor taking financial responsibility for their conduct.”
“Kickback schemes can impact medical judgment, eroding the trust of both patients and taxpayers,” said Lisa M. Re, Acting Chief Counsel at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Essilor’s Corporate Integrity Agreement is intended to establish policies and practices so it complies with the Anti-Kickback Statute moving forward.”
In connection with the settlement, Essilor entered into a five-year Corporate Integrity Agreement (CIA) with HHS-OIG. The CIA requires, among other things, that Essilor hire an independent review organization to review its systems, policies, processes and procedures for ensuring that any discounts, rebates, or other reductions in price offered to providers comply with the Anti-Kickback Statute. The CIA also requires Essilor to implement a new written review and approval process to ensure all existing and new discount arrangements comply with the Anti-Kickback Statute.
The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by relators Laura Thompson, Lisa Brez, and Christie Rudolph, former Essilor district sales managers. Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. The qui tam cases are captioned United States ex rel. Laura Thompson & Lisa Brez v. Essilor Int’l, No. 3:15-CV-2853-C (N.D. Tex.) and United States ex rel. Christie Rudolph v. Essilor Labs. of Am., Inc., No. 16-CV-0537 (WB) (E.D. Pa.).
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Northern District of Texas and the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse and mismanagement can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
The matter was handled by Senior Trial Counsel Diana Cieslak and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Braden Civins of the Northern District of Texas and Paul Kaufman of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
Cockerell Dermatopathology to Pay $3.75 Million to Resolve Healthcare Fraud ClaimsRead the Press Release
A Texas dermatopathology clinic has agreed to pay the United States more than $3.7 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by submitting fraudulent lab claims to TRICARE and by knowingly concealing an obligation to repay the United States, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Per the terms of a civil settlement executed on Friday, Dallas-based Cockerell Dermatopathology will pay $3,750,000 – including $1,875,000 in restitution – over the next 3 ½ years. Its owner and principal physician, Dr. Clay Cockerell, will be liable if the clinic fails to make any of its payments.
“This settlement resolves allegations concerning the defendant's claims to TRICARE, a health insurance program for service members, veterans, and their families,” said U.S. Attorney Chad Meacham. “The Department of Justice and its law enforcement partners will not stand by as medical providers bill medically irrelevant tests to federal health insurance programs.”
“The Department of Defense (DoD), Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) is committed to identifying and neutralizing fraud schemes that not only waste valuable tax payer resources, but impact military readiness,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael Mentavlos of the DCIS Southwest Field Office. "DCIS and our law enforcement partners will aggressively pursue those individuals who defraud the DoD healthcare program known as TRICARE, intended to care for our warfighters, their family members, and military retirees.”
In March 2021, the government filed a civil suit alleging that Dr. Cockerell knowingly permitted the laboratory management company Progen to use CDP’s lab license to submit false claims to federal health insurance programs, including TRICARE, for medically unnecessary tests in return for receiving twenty percent of the net revenue from those tests. The government also alleged that Dr. Cockerell and CDP knowingly avoided and concealed their obligation to repay the United States for the millions of dollars in false TRICARE claims.
In May 2021, Dr. Cockerell and CDP filed a motion to dismiss the Government’s claim that they had knowingly avoided and concealed an obligation to repay the United States. But in an order denying the motion, U.S. District Judge Jane J. Boyle noted that “[Cockerell Dermatopathology]’s actions — as alleged by the Government — plausibly demonstrate an attempt to conceal or avoid the obligation to the Government.”
The Defense Criminal Investigative Service conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Richard Guiltinan and Dawn Theiss handled the civil case.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only; there has been no determination of liability.
Dallas Attorney Sentenced to Five Years for Laundering Purported Drug MoneyRead the Press Release
A Dallas lawyer has been sentenced to five years in federal prison for conspiring to launder money he believed was linked to narcotics trafficking, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas announced today.
Rayshun Jackson, the 52-year-old former defense attorney who ran The Jackson Law Firm, was arrested in April 2021. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to launder money in September 2021 and was sentenced Tuesday by Chief U.S. District Barbara M.G. Lynn. At the sentencing hearing, the prosecutor told the court that a five year sentence would reflect the seriousness of the offense, promote respect for the law, and provide just punishment.
According to plea papers, Mr. Jackson admitted to laundering $380,000 for an individual he believed was a drug trafficker, but was actually an undercover DEA agent.
He was introduced to the agent on Sept. 3, 2020 by “Person A,” the leader of a large-scale opioid distribution ring known to deal in illegally diverted narcotics. After Person A vouched for undercover agent’s credibility, Mr. Jackson and the undercover agent discussed how the attorney could “clean” the agent’s “dope money.”
Mr. Jackson advised the agent that he could launder around $500,000 a month by funneling it through non-traceable cash businesses (i.e., coin laundries, car washes) and shell corporations.
“Ray is the bomb... He’s a thug, he’s just got a law degree,” Person A told the undercover agent after the meeting, according to court documents.
Three weeks later, the undercover agent delivered a black backpack stuffed with $100,000 cash to Mr. Jackson at his office. Jackson agreed to launder the money for a 4% fee and a 1% bonus in cash up front. After depositing the remaining $95,000 into his various firm bank accounts in various amounts on various days, he eventually transferred the entire sum into the DEA’s undercover bank account.
The next month, the undercover agent delivered an additional $300,000 cash to Mr. Jackson at his office. Again, Jackson agreed to a 4% fee and a 1% bonus in cash in return for laundering the money. After depositing the remaining $285,000 into his various firm bank accounts in various amounts on various days, he eventually transferred the same amount into the DEA’s undercover bank account.
In plea papers, Mr. Jackson admitted he knew of the unlawful purpose of the agreement and joined in it willingly.
“The sentencing of Rayshun Jackson marks the end of a successful investigation by DEA Dallas. Criminal drug organizations need a combination of individuals who are willing to distribute drugs as well as those who hide and attempt to legitimize profits,” said DEA Dallas Special Agent in Charge, Eduardo A. Chávez. “Mr. Jackson agreed to launder what he believed to be drug proceeds with DEA undercover. The sentencing of Mr. Jackson is just. With overdose deaths and poisonings reaching record highs, everyone will be held accountable for their criminal actions.”
“Individuals such as Mr. Jackson, who use money laundering methods to conceal the true source of illegal drug profits, run the risk of serving jail time,” said Christopher J. Altemus, Jr., Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation Dallas Field Office. “The sentence imposed by the court is a reminder to criminals that money laundering schemes will be vigorously investigated and prosecuted. IRS-CI special agents are proud to work hand-in-hand with our law enforcement partners to bring criminals like Mr. Jackson to justice.”
As a result of his federal conviction, the Supreme Court of Texas canceled Jackson’s law license and ordered that he be prohibited from practicing law in the State of Texas on Nov. 9, 2021.
The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Dallas Field Office and IRS – Criminal Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Dallas Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Courtney Coker is prosecuting the case along with Assistant U.S. Attorney Juanita Fielden.
Texas Man Charged with Using Drone to Deliver Contraband to PrisonRead the Press Release
A Smithville man who allegedly flew a drone loaded with drugs and other contraband into prison has been federally charged, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Bryant LeRay Henderson, 42, was arrested at his residence on Thursday, charged via criminal complaint with one count of attempting to provide contraband in prison, one count of serving as an airman without an airman’s certificate, and one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. He will make his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeffrey L. Cureton at 11 a.m. today.
“Contraband drone deliveries are quickly becoming the bane of prison officials’ existence. Illicit goods pose a threat to guards and inmates alike – and when it comes to cell phones, the threat often extends outside prison walls. We are determined to stop this trend in its tracks,” said U.S. Attorney Chad Meacham.
“The criminal element will always take advantage of new opportunities for illegal activity as technology progresses,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge Matthew J. DeSarno. “In this instance, excellent collaborative investigation among federal and local agencies led to multiple federal charges and prevented contraband from entering the federal prison system.”
According to court documents, Mr. Henderson allegedly flew a DJI Inspire drone into the airspace over FMC Fort Worth, a federal correctional in the south part of the city, just before midnight on Wednesday, May 4. The drone crashed inside a secure, fenced-in yard near the prison’s HVAC shop, where staff recovered it. Affixed to the drone was a package containing 46 grams of crystal methamphetamine, 87 grams of pressed THC, two prepaid smartphones, and nine mp3 players.
Law enforcement pulled surveillance video from a nearby high school and observed a young male drive up in a red Chevy Tahoe with a Transformers decal on the rear window, remove a drone and a package from the vehicle, launch the drone towards the prison, and then drive off:
In a review of other surveillance footage, law enforcement identified a red Tahoe with an identical Transformers decal. From that footage, they were able to pull a license plate number. Two and a half weeks later, officers found the Tahoe abandoned in a travel lane, flashers on and hood up. It was impounded and later searched.
Inside the vehicle, law enforcement found Mr. Henderson’s debit card, a DJI drone controller, various drone accessories (rechargeable batteries, a propeller box, and dropping mechanisms), 18 smartphones, tobacco products, and vacuum-packed containers with steroid labels connected to a fishing line and a key ring.
They later powered on the controller recovered from the car next to the drone recovered from the prison yard. The devices immediately paired. From the drone, investigators recovered 70 usable flight logs, which included date/time stamps as well as speed, height, and location data. They identified four flights that intruded into FMC Fort Worth’s airspace, and another two that intruded into airspace over FCI Seagoville, another federal correctional center southeast of Dallas.
Law enforcement then queried Mr. Henderson’s records and found that the phone was near FMC Fort Worth around the time of the drone cash, and near FCI Seagoville near the time of the drone’s flight into the prison’s airspace.
The Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General queried the FAA’s database and reported that Mr. Henderson did not possess an airman’s certification, and that the drone in question was registered to another owner who cancelled his registration in August 2018. FAA records confirmed that the federal correctional institutions were restricted flight areas.
Drone delivery of contraband is an increasingly vexing problem for the Federal Bureau of Prisons and state corrections officials. Just last month, a 44-year-old Houston man was charged in the Eastern District of Texas for allegedly operating a drone over FCI Beaumont in east Texas. In April, a 30-year-old former inmate pleaded guilty to conspiring to smuggle phones and tobacco into FCI Fort Dix in New Jersey. And last fall, three Atlanta men were sentenced to a year each in federal prison for using drones to smuggle contraband into Telfair State Prison in Georgia.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation of wrongdoing, not evidence. Like all defendants, Mr. Henderson is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
If convicted he faces up to 45 years total in prison: 20 years for attempting to provide contraband in prison, 5 years for serving as an airman without an airman’s certificate, and 20 years for possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office – Fort Worth Resident Agency, the Bureau of Prisons Special Investigative Staff, and the Fort Worth Police Department conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General, the Federal Aviation Administration, and the Dallas Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Levi Thomas is prosecuting the case.
Irving Woman Sentenced to 12+ Years for Selling Date-Rape DrugRead the Press Release
An Irving woman who sold date-rape drugs over the internet was sentenced Thursday to more than 12 years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Hyun Ji Martin, 40, was first charged in June 2021. She pleaded guilty in August 2021 to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance and was sentenced Thursday by Senior U.S. District Judge Terry R. Means to 151 months in federal prison.
“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service will not stop in pursuing those who wish to flood our streets with dangerous drugs,” said Thomas Noyes, Inspector in Charge of the Postal Inspection Service’s Fort Worth Division. “This sentencing represents our commitment to safeguarding the mail from illicit drug trafficking and bringing those responsible to justice. We thank all those who helped in achieving this outcome, including North Texas Parcel Task Force members, the USPS-OIG, DEA, HSI, CBP and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Northern District of Texas.“
According to court documents, Ms. Martin sold gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB), commonly known as “the date rape drug,” over the dark web.
On Nov. 6, 2020, U.S. Postal Inspection Service Parcel Task Force officers observed Ms. Martin deliver 15 parcels to a post office in Irving, Texas. They retained two parcels for investigation. Inside, they found approximately 208 ml of a clear liquid, which they suspected was GHB or an analogue known as gamma-butyrolactone (GBL), concealed in contact lens solution bottles.
On June 3, 2021, officers executed a search warrant at Ms. Martin’s apartment, where they discovered large quantities of GHB, GBL, methamphetamine, USPS shipping supplies, contact lens solution bottles, and a lab used to convert GBL to GHB. In a subsequent interview with law enforcement, Ms. Martin said she routinely ordered GBL from China, converted some of it to GHB, and sold both GHB and GBL on the dark web.
Agents eventually identified more than 1,600 outgoing parcels associated with Ms. Martin, mostly mailed using fictitious shipper names and addresses.
Shortly after her guilty plea, Ms. Martin absconded. She was re-arrested in June 2022 and transported back to North Texas for sentencing.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s North Texas Parcel Task Force and Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s South Central Lab and U.S. Customs & Border Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rob Boudreau prosecuted the case with the help of Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Lo Galbo.
Buyer, Seller of ‘Sex Slave’ Sentenced to Combined 25 YearsRead the Press Release
Two human traffickers have been sentenced to a combined 25 years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Alfonso Orozco Juarez, 37, and Robert Hubert, 68, were first charged in October 2020. Mr. Hubert pleaded guilty in February 2022 to kidnapping and was sentenced in May 2022 to 121 months in federal prison; Mr. Juarez pleaded guilty in March 2022 to sex trafficking and was sentenced last week to 180 months in federal prison.
“Treated like chattel, the victim in this case endured horrors beyond imagining,” said U.S. Attorney Chad E. Meacham. “The North Texas Trafficking Task Force was launched to investigate and prosecute cases just like this one. We hope the sentences announced today will bring some peace to the victim as she recovers from her ordeal.”
“The physical and mental abuse suffered by the victim in this devasting sex-trafficking crime is heart-breaking. These perpetrators treated their victim as if she were personal property and not human,” said Special Agent in Charge Lester Hayes Jr., Homeland Investigations Dallas. “The HSI Dallas-led North Texas Trafficking Task Force will work relentlessly to eliminate these commercial sex-trafficking schemes. Fortunately, the defendants’ 25-year combined prison sentences will not allow them to target anyone else.”
According to plea papers, Mr. Juarez admitted that on Sept. 11, 2019, he authored a social media post advertising a sex “slave” who he claimed he had won in a card game. Mr. Hubert admitted that he responded to the post, offering to buy the “slave” for $5,000. In messages, Mr. Juarez referred to the victim as “property” and bragged that he “pistol whip[ped] her.”
On Sept. 18, 2019, the pair met at a gas station in Dallas, where Mr. Juarez handed over the victim in exchange for $5,000. On the drive back to his home, Mr. Hubert admitted, he clamped a metal collar around her neck.
Terrified, the victim texted Mr. Juarez, pleading for help:
“I’m afraid if I don’t do something, he’s going to hurt me,” she said.
“Endure what you have to,” he responded. “He’ll punish you whip you . . . but not kill you.”
Once they reached his home, Mr. Hubert admitted, he handcuffed her and forced her to sleep naked at the foot of his bed. The victim eventually persuaded him to allow her to call her parents, who agreed to his demand of $5,000 for safe return. Eventually, the victim was able to escape the home.
Homeland Security Investigations and the North Texas Trafficking Task Force conducted the investigation with substantial support from the Crime Strategies Unit with the 2nd Judicial District Attorney's Office in Albuquerque, NM. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew Briggs and Rebekah Ricketts (fmr.) of the Northern District of Texas are prosecuting the case, with significant assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Letitia Simms of the District of New Mexico.
Man Who Posed as Teenager on Social Media Sentenced to 30 Years for Child Sexual ExploitationRead the Press Release
A 34-year-old man who posed as a teenage boy in order to solicit sexually explicit images from underage girls has been sentenced to 30 years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Matthew Ray Flores, of Fort Worth, was charged in January 2022. He pleaded guilty in February to sexual exploitation of a child and possession of child pornography and was sentenced Thursday to 360 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Reed C. O’Connor.
According to court documents, Mr Flores concocted an alias, 15-year-old “Ben Garcia,” which he used on various social media platforms to target 12 to 17 year old girls.
In November 2019, Mr. Flores reached out to a 14-year-old girl online and arranged a visit to her home. Because her family was inside the house at the time, he climbed into her bedroom through a window. Shaken by his apparent age, the child asked him to leave.
In the days that followed, Mr. Flores demanded she send him sexually explicit images of herself. She initially sent him partially-clothed photos, but eventually complied and sent nude photos. He then informed her that because he had “something to use against her,” she better let him back into her home.
Over the course of the next three months, Mr. Flores threatened to send the nude photos to friends and neighbors and sell them online to “rapists” if she did not send him additional photos. He eventually showed up at her bedroom armed with a condom, but she told him “we aren’t having sex,” and pushed him back out the window.
“I went through something no little girl my age should have gone through. I was vulnerable and lonely, which made me an easy target,” the victim testified at Thursday’s sentencing hearing. “I’ll never be the same as I was before. I hated myself for so long, feeling so confused and alone because of him… I can finally say this with the strength I have now: He has no power over me. I will not allow him to hold me back anymore.”
At the sentencing, prosecutors revealed that this was a pattern Mr. Flores exhibited the same pattern with at least seven victims over the course of two years.
The Fort Worth Police Department’s Internet Crimes Against Children Unit (ICAC) and the United States Secret Service’s Dallas Field Office conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Fort Worth Police Department’s Digital Forensics Lab, the McKinney Police Department, the United States Secret Service’s Los Angeles Field Office, and the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. U.S. Attorney Brandie Wade prosecuted the case.
Former San Angelo Police Chief Sentenced to 15 ½ Years in Corruption CaseRead the Press Release
Former San Angelo Chief of Police Tim Vasquez was sentenced today to 15 ½ years in federal prison for accepting bribes, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
A federal jury found Timothy Ray Vasquez, 52, guilty of one count of receipt of a bribe by an agent of an organization receiving federal funds and three counts of honest services mail fraud in March after three days of trial. Mr. Vasquez – who was elected Chief of Police in 2004, then reelected in 2008 and 2012 – was first indicted in January 2020. He was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge James Wesley Hendrix, who also ordered him to pay a $35,000 fine.
“Law enforcement officers, particularly those in leadership positions, should be bastions of integrity. By accepting bribes, Mr. Vasquez defiled his badge,” said U.S. Attorney Chad Meacham following the verdict. “The Justice Department is determined to root out public corruption wherever we find it. Our citizens deserve honest public servants.”
“Mr. Vasquez will now be held accountable for using his official position for financial gain at the expense of the residents of San Angelo. Each act of greed and dishonor affected fundamental aspects of the government processes and procedures that were designed to benefit the people they serve,” said Dallas FBI Special Agent in Charge Matthew J. DeSarno. “Our communities should not have to question the integrity and trust of public officials, and today’s verdict is a step in restoring that confidence.”
According to evidence presented at trial, Mr. Vasquez used his official position to help Dailey & Wells Communications, Inc., a radio system vendor, land a $5.7-million-dollar contract with the City of San Angelo, Texas. In return, Dailey & Wells and its affiliates funneled Mr. Vasquez and his band, “Funky Munky,” more than $175,000. Dailey & Wells and its affiliates also provided him tickets for luxury suites at Dallas Cowboys and San Antonio Spurs games, tickets for a luxury suite at Journey concert, and free use of a luxury condominium at Alteza Condos in San Antonio.
Mr. Vasquez never disclosed to the City of San Angelo or the City Council that he had a business relationship with Dailey & Wells. The Texas Local Government Code, the City of San Angelo Employee Manual, and the San Angelo Purchasing Policy Manual all required Mr. Vasquez to disclose this relationship.
In February 2007, the City of San Angelo solicited bids for a new radio system for first responders, including the police department. In April, a committee recommended the city award the $5.6 million contract to Dailey & Wells, which was eventually selected for the contract.
Three months later, in July, Juniper Valley, L.P., an affiliate of Dailey & Wells, cut a $10,000 check to “Funky Munky Band.” Mr. Vasquez deposited the funds into his personal checking account. For the next eight years, Mr. Vasquez received yearly payments of approximately $8,000 from Dailey & Wells or its affiliates, Buster & Buddy and Trixie & Fini, either made out to Mr. Vasquez or his band. Testimony at trial revealed that Funky Munky’s average fee to play at an event was about $2,000. By June 2, 2015, Mr. Vasquez and Funky Munky had collected more than $84,000.
In 2014 and 2015, Dailey & Wells contacted the City of San Angelo about updating its radio system from a proprietary EDACS system, which was in the process of being phased out, to a P25 Phase II system. When the City’s IT Manager told Mr. Vasquez of the estimated cost of $6 million dollars and that it would have to go through the bidding process, Mr. Vasquez told the IT Manager they were not going through the bidding process and were going to continue to use Dailey & Wells. Mr. Vasquez suggested that the IT Manager use a public safety exception to avoid the bidding process and the IT Manager agreed. Ultimately, a purchasing cooperative was used to purchase the Dailey & Wells system.
Mr. Vasquez contacted a San Angelo City Councilmember and lobbied her to place the Dailey & Wells contract on the City Council’s agenda. Mr. Vasquez advocated for the Dailey & Wells contract before the City Council on December 16, 2014, and June 2, 2015.
Six people who were city council members at the time testified that Mr. Vasquez had significant influence with the City Council and it relied upon his advice in public safety matters. All six stated that they did not know Mr. Vasquez had a business relationship with Dailey & Wells before the vote on June 2, 2015. Five of those former city council members testified that if they had known that fact they would have voted against awarding the contract to Dailey & Wells. Two of the former city council members stated that if they had known of the payments then they would have disqualified Dailey & Wells from being a radio vendor to the city.
Following a presentation made by then-Chief Vasquez and another employee, San Angelo awarded a new $5.7 million contract to Dailey & Wells in late 2015.
In November 2016, Mr. Vasquez became aware that he was under investigation for the radio contract with Dailey & Wells. About one month later, Dailey & Wells wrote a $50,000 retainer check to “Funky Munky,” noting “Timothy R. Vasquez” in the check’s memo section. A few days later, Mr. Vasquez endorsed the $50,000 check and deposited the entire amount into his personal bank account.
In total, Mr. Vasquez, through Funky Munky, received at least $175,000 from Dailey & Wells and its affiliates.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Tom Green County Sheriff’s Office, and the Texas Rangers conducted the investigation with the full cooperation of the San Angelo Police Department and the City of San Angelo. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeff Haag, Sean Long, and Juanita Fielden are prosecuting the case.
Friona Woman Charged After Holding 17 Immigrants HostageRead the Press Release
A Friona woman allegedly who held 17 undocumented immigrants hostage in her home has been charged with a federal crime, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Manuela Magdalena Jimon Castro, 30, was charged via criminal complaint with alien harboring. She made her initial appearance Thursday before Magistrate Judge Lee Ann Reno.
According to the complaint, Ms. Castro and a family member partnered with an illegal immigrant smuggling operation to hold undocumented individuals hostage at their home, threatening to deprive them of food and water and refusing to allow them to leave until they paid $11,000 to $12,000 or “worked off” the debt.
The investigation began when law enforcement in California received a tip from a woman who claimed her sister was being held for ransom in Texas. The woman reported that her sister had traveled from Guatemala to Mexico with the intention of seeking asylum in the United States, then crossed the border at the behest of a Mexican cartel who held her captive. She said her sister sent her a pin of a location in Friona before she escaped.
In a subsequent interview with law enforcement, the woman said that while in Mexico, she was forced into a car at gunpoint by individuals she believed to be members of a smuggling cartel. After several months, they walked her across the southern border, then shuttled her from house to house in Texas and New Mexico, refusing to let her go until she paid off her debt. Eventually, she ended up at the Castro residence, where she was told she would be detained until she paid $12,000.
After speaking with the woman and another individual previously detained at the home, law enforcement searched the Castro home. Inside, they recovered 17 undocumented immigrants, including two minor children. Most of the individuals attempted to hide, concealing themselves in the attic, in cupboards, or inside totes covered in blankets. Agents noted that the home contained very little furniture, save mattresses and blankets for a large number of individuals spread across the floor.
In interviews with law enforcement, the recovered immigrants admitted that they had entered the country illegally with smugglers. They indicated that the smugglers had confiscated their cell phones, and only allowed intermittent contact with family members in order to obtain money to pay their “entrance fees.” Several stated that they believed they had to stay at the residence in Friona until their entrance fee had been paid in full.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. Defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
If convicted, she faces up to five years in federal prison.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas and Los Angeles Field Office conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Fiona Police Department, and the Thousand Oaks Police Department in California. Assistant U.S. Attorney Callie Woolam is prosecuting the case.
Man Sentenced to Two Years for Possession of Stolen GunsRead the Press Release
A Carrollton man who stole five guns from a storage unit was sentenced Tuesday to more than two years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Eden Navarrete-Ochoa, 22, was indicted along with coconspirator Daniel Tavira-Alocer, 23, in August 2021. Mr. Navarete-Ochoa pleaded guilty in March 2022 to possession of a stolen firearm and was sentenced to 27 months in federal prison. (His coconspirator’s case is still pending; he is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.)
On Oct. 10, 2020, Mr. Navarete-Ochoa burglarized a storage building in Coppell, Texas, and stole five firearms: a Maadi AK-47 style rifle, a Colt .45-caliber pistol, a NA Arms .22 magnum revolver, a Winchester shotgun, and a Norinco sporting rifle.
He was arrested shortly after the burglary. At his sentencing hearing, prosecutors introduced into evidence photographs of some the firearms, which law enforcement recovered from the vehicle that he and Tavira-Alcocer had been occupying:
In plea papers, Mr. Navarete-Ochoa admitted to possession of the stolen guns.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives’ Dallas Field Division conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Coppell and Carrolton Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney George Leal is prosecuting the case.
San Angelo Tax Preparers Found Guilty of $18 Million Tax FraudRead the Press Release
A federal jury returned a guilty verdict against three San Angelo tax preparers whose fraudulent tax returns cost the IRS roughly $18 million, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Hugo Cesar Granados, the 60-year-old manager of Columbia Tax Service, his adult daughter, Blanca L. Granados, his adult son, Hugo Alberto Granados, and his employee, Saul Garcia-Soto, were indicted in May 2021. Mr. Garcia-Soto pleaded guilty to assisting in the preparation and presentation of false documents on July 12, 2022. The remaining defendants elected to proceed to trial and were convicted Friday evening of conspiracy to defraud the United States and multiple counts of aiding in the preparation and presentation of false documents.
Following the reading of the verdict, all three were immediately remanded into the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
“Columbia Tax Service doctored clients’ tax returns to inflate clients’ refunds and line the Granados’s pockets. Such blatant fraud is an affront to all conscientious taxpayers,” said U.S. Attorney Chad Meacham. “As is their right, the Granadoses opted for a trial by jury. We are proud to have obtained a guilty verdict. I’m thankful to the IRS Criminal Investigation agents who ran this case to ground and to the members of the jury, who gave three days of their lives to bring these defendants to justice.”
“When Hugo Cesar Granados, along with his daughter and son, used their family tax return preparation business, Columbia Tax Service, to file false tax returns and make a fast buck, they underestimated the special agents of IRS Criminal Investigation,” said IRS-Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Christopher J. Altemus, Jr., Dallas Field Office. “Let these guilty verdicts be a reminder to others seeking to enrich themselves illegally – IRS CI special agents will find you; they will uncover your fraudulent schemes and hold you accountable.”
At trial, prosecutors introduced evidence that the elder Mr. Granados and his co-conspirators falsified their clients’ individual income tax returns (Forms 1040) in order to inflate the clients’ tax refunds.
They routinely fabricated clients’ Schedule A, itemized deductions, and Schedule C, sole proprietorship profit and loss statements, claiming the taxpayer owned a business when no such business existed, claiming unreimbursed employee expenses such as travel and per diem, and claiming business expenses related to maintenance, utilities, supplies, insurance, and professional services that were never incurred or grossly inflated.
Testimony adduced at trial showed that Columbia Tax Service claimed more than $900,000 in income in 2015 and more than $1.3 million in income in 2016.
Mr. Garcia-Soto testified, saying that in 2016, Columbia Tax employees met with Hugo C. Granados because taxpayers were not receiving their refunds from the IRS. When questioned, the elder Mr. Granados asked the employees if they thought the company was doing something illegal. Mr. Garcia-Soto said that he, Blanca Granados, and Hugo A. Granados all replied that they thought Columbia Tax was doing something illegal. In response, Hugo C. Granados just smiled and turned back to his computer.
In a Skype chat introduced at trial, Blanca Granados wrote to a co-worker: “Fraud is ridiculous here yo . . . I swear.”
Ten taxpayer clients also testified. Two women admitted that they did not operate daycare centers as stated in their returns, but rather cared for family members for free, while a man admitted that his wife did not operate a retail business that generated $19,00 in expenses as stated on the couple’s return.
Prosecutors also introduced into evidence the company’s “tax preparation manual,” a handbook that outlined exactly how to commit fraud.
In discussing preparation of Schedule C of the tax return, the manual stated: “This is where your training and knowledge of income and deductions will make a big difference in the amount of refund the taxpayer will be obtaining. A determination has to be made if the return needs additional income to generate the maximum earned income and other credits or if the return has a substantial amount of income (Adjusted Gross Income) and needs to come down to maximize the earned income and other credits.” In other words, the manual advised tax preparers to manipulate income to maximize refunds rather than referring to the law to determine whether an activity was a business for income tax purposes and whether expenses properly qualified as a business deduction.
Jurors ultimately concluded that the conspirators submitted numerous fraudulent tax returns. Analysts put the estimated tax loss at roughly $18 million for tax years 2013-2017.
Hugo Cesar Granados now faces up to 14 years in federal prison; Blanca Granados faces up to 14 years; Hugo Alberto Granados faces up to 17 years. Their sentencing date has not yet been set.
Saul Garcia-Soto faces up to three years and is slated to be sentenced in October.
The Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigations conducted the investigation. The San Angelo Division of the Northern District of Texas, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey Haag, Ann Haag, Amy Burch, and Paulina Jacobo, prosecuted the case.
Mesquite Meth Trafficker Sentenced to 11+ YearsRead the Press Release
A Mesquite methamphetamine trafficker was sentenced Tuesday to more than 11 years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas.
John Alex Vigil was indicted in February 2021. He pleaded guilty in January 2022 to possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge Barbara M.G. Lynn to 140 months in federal prison.
According to court documents, Mr. Vigil met with an undercover agent in a gas station parking lot in Mesquite on three occasions, selling him more than 100 grams of methamphetamine each time.
During a search of his residence, agents recovered more than 1 ½ pounds of methamphetamine and more than 50 rounds of ammunition.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives’ Dallas Field Division conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Phelesa Guy prosecuted the case.
Man Sentenced to 10+ Years for Attempted Child Sex Trafficking Following StingRead the Press Release
A would-be child sex trafficker was sentenced today to more than 10 years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Gary Jordan, 23, pleaded guilty in March to one count of attempted child sex trafficking. He was sentenced Wednesday to 121 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Brantley Starr.
“This defendant trawled social media, prepared to use a combination of flattery and threats to lure teenage girls into commercial sex. Fortunately, the “child” on whom he chose to prey was an undercover agent – but it could have been an actual teen,” said U.S. Attorney Chad Meacham. “Unfortunately, evil lurks on the internet. Parents and guardians, please keep an eye on your children’s social media activity and report any concerns to law enforcement immediately. Child sex trafficking is all too real. We can only prevent it by working together.”
“Child sex trafficking is a despicable crime that has no place in our communities,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Jesse Woods, HSI Dallas. “This defendant’s sentence for his criminal intent should serve as reminder that the North Texas Trafficking Task Force will work endlessly to prosecute those seeking to exploit minors for roles in the commercial sex industry.”
According to court documents, on Aug. 3, 2020, Mr. Jordan initiated a social media conversation with an account he believed belonged to a 16-year-old girl. In actuality, the account was run by an undercover Homeland Security Investigations agent.
During their conversations, Mr. Jordan offered to teach the child the commercial sex “game” and claimed she could earn “50k in a week.” He told her he had been involved in the commercial sex business for five years, adding that he charged a $10,000 upfront fee but would waive it for her because “I see yo worth.”
When he learned she was only 16, he offered to help her obtain a fake ID and fly her out to Fort Lauderdale. (He later changed his mind and decided to pick her up in Dallas.)
He instructed the child to send him a sexually explicit photo. When she hesitated, saying she was afraid her guardian would find out, he told her she was “not going back home.”
“Don’t think u going anywhere cause ur not,” he wrote, later stating, “I’m looking for a trap rn [right now].”
He also asked her to send a photo to prove she was not a law enforcement officer.
The child confided in him that intercourse had been painful for her in the past, and he said he would have sex with her himself before selling her body to other men. He promised to take her shopping, saying she would look “sexy” in the clothing he planned to buy her.
Eventually, he sent an uber to an address she provided to transport her to his hotel room in Dallas.
Agents arrested him inside the hotel room around 2 p.m. on Aug. 4, 2020. They forced their way into the room after hearing him attempt to open the window. He was at the foot of the bed, clad only in underpants.
In plea papers, Mr. Jordan admitted that he was aware of the purported child’s status as a juvenile and that he attempted to entice her.
Homeland Security Investigation’s Dallas Field Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Renee Hunter, Rebekah Ricketts (fmr.) and Melanie Smith (fmr.) prosecuted the case.
34 Meth Traffickers Sentenced to 360+ Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Thirty-four members of a methamphetamine ring that operated in the Dimmitt, Texas area have been sentenced to a combined 364 years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
The majority were charged in a 38-count federal indictment filed in February 2020, then arrested during a large-scale takedown in March 2020. The FBI’s Dallas Field Office, which led the bust, dubbed it Operation Tierra de Hielo, or “Operation Land of Ice.”
The first defendant to plead guilty, Denita Mirelez, 48, entered her plea on August 19, 2020, admitting that she and a co-conspirator sold several ounces of meth to an FBI informant. She was later sentenced to 97 months in federal prison. The final defendant to plead guilty, Johnny Gilbert Lopez, aka “Cannon,” 55, entered his plea 19 months later, on March 21, 2022. He also admitted that he sold meth to an informant and was sentenced yesterday to 100 months in federal prison.
The remaining defendants pleaded guilty and were sentenced as follows:
- Jesus Garcia, aka “Don Chuy,” 60
Pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; sentenced on May 18, 2021 to 300 months in federal prison
- Noel Mandujano, 50
Pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine; sentenced on July 20, 2021 to 360 months in federal prison
- Robert Vera, 51
Pleaded guilty to distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine; sentenced on Jan. 20, 2021 to 188 months in federal prison
- Osvaldo Cortez, aka “Lito,” 41
Pleaded guilty to distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine; sentenced on April 8, 2021 to 135 months in federal prison
- Gustavo Rincon, aka “Tavo,” 45
Pleaded guilty to distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine; sentenced on Feb. 17, 2021 to 210 months in federal prison
- Ricky Dale Leavitt, aka “Big Rick,” 48
Pleaded guilty to distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine; sentenced on July 13, 2021 to 97 months in federal prison
- Tyler Martin Miller, 32
Pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine; sentenced on July 7, 2021 to 120 months in federal prison
- Robert “Roberto” Flores, 46
Pleaded guilty to distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine; sentenced on May 25, 2021 to 235 months in federal prison
- Tiffany Darlene Haner, 38
Pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm; sentenced on Jan. 20, 2021 to 120 months in federal prison
- Michael “Mike” Diaz, 48
Pleaded guilty to distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine; sentenced on June 2, 2021 to 120 months in federal prison
- Rigoberto Cuevas, aka “Rigo,” 43
Pleaded guilty to distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine; sentenced on Jan. 26, 2021 to 188 months in federal prison
- Johnny Ortiz, aka “Johnny O,” 44
Pleaded guilty to distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine; sentenced on Feb. 4, 2021 to 240 months in federal prison
- Kristina Renee Chaparro, aka “Yebra,” 36
Pleaded guilty to distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine; sentenced on Jan. 28, 2021 to 132 months in federal prison
- Michael Reyes, aka “Rat,” 44
Pleaded guilty to distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine; sentenced on May 11, 2021 to 120 months in federal prison
- Juan Arturo Martinez, 44
Pleaded guilty to distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine; sentenced on Feb. 4, 2021 to 52 months in federal prison
- Steven Mendez, 39
Pleaded guilty to distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine; sentenced on Jan. 28, 2021 to 210 months in federal prison
- Frank “Frankie” Martinez, 39
Pleaded guilty to distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine; sentenced on Nov. 19, 2021 to 139 months in federal prison
- Katrina Casas, 37,
Pleaded guilty to distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine; sentenced on Jan. 28. 2021 to 40 months in federal prison
- Ricardo Reyes, Jr., aka “Little Ricky,” 35
Pleaded guilty to distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine; sentenced on Jan. 14, 2021 to 124 months in federal prison
- Roxanne Casas, 39
Pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine; sentenced on Feb. 4, 2021 to 51 months in federal prison
- Cruz Mendez Nunez, 58
Pleaded guilty to distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine; sentenced on June 2, 2021 to 92 months in federal prison
- Christopher Allen Smith, aka “Smitty,” 35
Pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm; sentenced on Jan. 26, 2021 to 55 months in federal prison
- Juan Manuel Martinez, aka “Mitos,” 45
Pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine; sentenced on Feb. 25, 2021 to 115 months in federal prison
- Melenie Arceo, 24,
Pleaded guilty to distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine; sentenced on Jan. 26, 2021 to 108 months in federal prison
- Luis Alberto “Tito” Gonzalez, 40
Pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm; sentenced on Feb. 17, 2021 to 77 months in federal prison
- Priscilla Kay Caballero, 37
Pleaded guilty to unlawful use of a communications facility; sentenced on May 25, 2021 to 48 months in federal prison
- Susan Odette Stinnett, 34
Pleaded guilty to unlawful use of a communications facility; sentenced on Feb. 4, 2021 to 48 months in federal prison
- John David Ramirez, 43
Pleaded guilty to distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine; sentenced on Jan. 12, 2021 to 33 months in federal prison
- Christian Daniel Cordova, 30
Pleaded guilty to distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine; sentenced to on Jan. 28, 2021 to 84 months in federal prison
- Ricardo Chavez, aka “KK,” 42
Pleaded guilty to distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine; sentenced on Jan. 12, 2021 to 188 months in federal prison
- Servian Riojas, aka “Smokey,” 41
Pleaded guilty to distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine; sentenced on Jan. 20, 2021 to 151 months in federal prison
- Leonardo “Leo” Ortuno-Palacios, 53
Pleaded guilty to distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine; sentenced on September 30, 2021 to 240 months in federal prison
"This investigation was a massive undertaking and a true partnership between local, state and federal agencies. We dismantled the entire organization, from out-of-state leadership, to West Texas leaders, suppliers and distributors," said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge Matthew J. DeSarno. “The collective sentences imposed on the dozens of defendants will have a lasting impact on the community as we continue to work to keep our communities free from the social, criminal and community health damages caused by methamphetamine.”
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office; the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Dallas Field Division; the U.S. Marshals Service; Homeland Security Investigations; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives’ Dallas Field Division; ICE – Enforcement & Removal Operations; the Castro County Sheriff's Office; the Hereford Police Department; Texas Department of Safety; the Amarillo Police Department; the Dimmitt Police Department; the Randall County Sheriff's Office; the Lubbock Police Department; the Potter County Sheriff's Office; the Lubbock County Sheriff's Office; and the Plainview Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Long is prosecuting the case.
This effort was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (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.
- Jesus Garcia, aka “Don Chuy,” 60