Northern District of Texas
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
San Diego Man Pleads Guilty After Fatally Stabbing BoyfriendRead the Press Release
A San Diego man who stabbed his boyfriend 93 times pleaded guilty today to a federal crime, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Alexander Yoichi Duberek, 25, was indicted in September 2021. He pleaded guilty on Tuesday to one count of interstate domestic violence resulting in death.
“This defendant plotted the murder of an innocent young man, methodically purchasing equipment, locating a stretch of desolate road, and stabbing the victim nearly eight dozen times,” said U.S. Attorney Chad Meacham. “Not every brutal domestic homicide falls within federal jurisdiction, but when it does, we are determined to use whatever tools we have to bring the perpetrator to justice. Mr. Duberek now faces the possibility of a life behind bars pondering his evil act.”
According to plea papers, Mr. Duberek admitted that on Oct. 31, 2020, he traveled from his home in San Diego to his boyfriend’s home in Plainview, Texas, where he committed the fatal stabbing on the side of a rural farm road.
Mr. Duberek admitted that after arriving at the Lubbock airport that evening, he took a cab to a Sam’s Club parking lot where he purchased a Toyota Camry for $3,000 cash. He then drove to a Walmart, where he purchased a knife, a hatchet, a gas can, a collapsible shovel, a head lamp, a change of clothing, boots, personal hygiene items, and a first aid kit.
He then murdered his 30-year-old boyfriend and dumped his body.
Following the murder, Mr. Duberek fled to Houston, where he sold the vehicle used in the murder to an individual outside an auto auction. Investigators later searched the vehicle and found blood in the back seat that matched the victim.
The defendant remained at large for roughly five months before turning himself in to San Diego law enforcement on March 18, 2021. While being booked into jail, he was asked about a tattoo of his boyfriend’s first name on his ring finger; he answered that it was the name of the person he had killed.
Mr. Duberek now faces up to life in federal prison.
The Hale County Sheriff’s Office, the Texas Rangers, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas and San Diego Field Offices conducted the investigation with the assistance of the U.S. Secret Service’s Dallas Field Office and the Texas Highway Patrol’s Houston Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Callie Woolam and Sean Long are prosecuting the case.
Plainview Man Sentenced to 20 Years for Sharing Child Pornography on KikRead the Press Release
A man who discussed child sex abuse online was sentenced today to 20 years in federal prison for distributing sexually explicit images of minors, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Jacob Corey Penton, 30, was indicted in January. He pleaded guilty in March to receipt and distribution of child pornography and was sentenced Thursday by U.S. District Judge James Wesley Hendrix.
“Through this sentencing, we have removed another threat from our community, sharing a message with our law enforcement partners that we are committed to aggressively pursuing anyone who seeks to exploit the innocence of our children," said Christopher Miller, acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations’ Dallas Field Office. "We will continue to devote our law enforcement resources to investigate and bring to justice those who victimize children through the heinous crimes and trauma associated with the production and distribution of child sexual abuse materials.”
According to plea papers, the investigation began when law enforcement received a tip stating that Mr. Penton had discussed his sexual attraction to children on an encrypted chat app. In messages, he stated that he had sexually assaulted a minor.
Agents analyzed Mr. Penton’s Kik account and found 15 pornographic images of children as young as four being sexually abused. In plea papers, he admitted he shared some of the videos with other Kik users shortly after he received them.
Homeland Security Investigation’s Dallas Field Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Callie Woolam and Stephen Rancourt prosecuted the case.
72-Year-Old Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Attempted Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
A 72-year-old El Paso man was sentenced today to 15 years in federal prison for attempted bank robbery, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
James Earl Green, Jr. was first charged in August 2020. He was convicted at trial in April and sentenced Thursday by U.S. District Judge James Wesley Hendrix.
According to evidence presented at trial, at approximately 7:40 a.m. on Sept. 24, 2019, Mr. Green accosted a First State Bank employee as she was attempting to enter the bank for opening.
Mr. Green held a handgun to the employee’s head and pushed her inside the bank, where he held her for approximately 20 minutes. During that time, surveillance video caught the defendant on camera pacing back and forth with an identifiable limp.
A second bank employee arrived at 7:57 a.m., and a struggle ensued. During the melee, Mr. Green struck the first employee on the head with his handgun. He then fled on foot without obtaining any money, leaving his two duffel bags behind.
At today’s sentencing hearing, one of the employees recounted that she still suffered anxiety stemming from the attack.
“Every single time I walk through the back door or my workplace, I clearly see the robber coming out of the bushes and holding his gun on me. I can still hear his voice telling me that he was going to kill me if I tried anything. I can clearly hear him say that if I tried to warn my co-worker, he would kill her and that it would be my fault,” she said in a statement to the court. “Even as time has passed, this crime is still so fresh on my mind, like it happened only yesterday.”
Following the incident, an anonymous tipster notified the Abilene Police Department that a gold Cadillac had been parked across the street from the bank the morning before the robbery. Law enforcement then identified the Cadillac – a four door sedan with its front right hub cap cover missing – in surveillance video pulled from the bank’s vicinity. An employee of the City of Abilene narrowed down gold Cadillacs from a list of more than 11,000 to locate a matching gold Cadillac belonging to Mr. Green.
After learning that Mr. Green lived in El Paso, officers reached out to an individual there that knew him, who reviewed the bank surveillance video and noted that the robber in the video walked in a similar manner to Mr. Green, who wore a prosthetic leg. She also shared a photo of Mr. Green’s Cadillac, which was gold and missing its front right hub cap cover.
Meanwhile, the Texas Department of Public Safety’s Crime Lab extracted a DNA profile from the duffel bag, ran it through the FBI’s Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), and found a match to a sample from Mr. Green. Additionally, a member of the FBI’s Cellular Analysis Survey Team obtained historical cell phone data from Mr. Green’s cell phone provider and placed Mr. Green’s cell phone traveling to Abilene from El Paso days before the attempted bank robbery and returning from Abilene to El Paso immediately following the attempted robbery.
The Abilene Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas and El Paso Field Offices, and the Texas Department of Public Safety’s Crime Laboratory conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Callie Woolam and Ryan Redd tried the case.
Man Who Posed as Girls’ Soccer Recruiter Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography ChargeRead the Press Release
A man who apparently posed as a college soccer recruiter pleaded guilty this week to receiving child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Chad E. Meacham.
Michael Ansley Twing, 43, was charged via criminal complaint on May 18. He pleaded guilty to a criminal information charging receipt of child pornography before Magistrate Judge Jeffrey Cureton on Wednesday.
According to court documents, Mr. Twing – already a registered sex offender – acquired sexually explicit images of minor girls on his laptop. The files were downloaded via eMule, a file-sharing program similar to BitTorrent.
At a detention hearing, prosecutors introduced evidence showing that Mr. Twing had been posing as a recruiter for a local university under the name “Michael Krogen.” (There is no evidence of wrongdoing by the university, which is cooperating fully with the investigation.)
In his bedroom, agents recovered a note on university letterhead in which Mr. Twing, writing under his alias, claimed to be a recruiter. They also found a roster of high school soccer players and identified at least one text in which Mr. Twing asked a coach for contact info for a student.
Twing now faces up to 40 years in federal prison. His sentencing has been set for Oct. 21 before U.S. District Judge Reed C. O’Connor in Fort Worth.
Mr. Twing is a 6’2” white male, approximately 195 pounds, with dark blonde hair, blue eyes, and glasses.
If you are aware of a minor who may have had inappropriate contact with Mr. Twing, also known as “Michael Krogen” and “Christopher Michael Crogen,” at a soccer tournament or elsewhere, please contact Crimestoppers at 817-469-TIPS (8477) or www.469TIPS.com.
The U.S. Secret Service’s Dallas Field Office conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Texas Department of Public Safety’s Hurst Special Investigations Unit, the Fort Worth Police Department’s Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) and Sex Offender Investigations Units, the Grand Prairie Police Department, and the U.S. Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney A. Saleem is prosecuting the case.
Ukrainian Nationals Plead Guilty to Financial CrimesRead the Press Release
Two Ukrainian nationals who provided cash-out and money laundering services to cyber actors pleaded guilty to federal crimes, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham and Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.
Viktor Vorontsov, 40, and Zlata Hanska Muzhuk, 41, were indicted February 2020 and extradited from the Czech Republic to Dallas in March 2021. They pleaded guilty today to three counts each: conspiracy to commit money laundering, wire fraud, and bank fraud.
“These defendants enabled cyber criminals by recruiting and directing a cadre of money mules to transfer proceeds of illicit online activity out of the country – then pocketed a cut of that money for themselves,” said U.S. Attorney Chad Meacham. “The Justice Department will strive to combat money laundering and fraud wherever we find it.”
“The defendants established a sophisticated money laundering network for the purpose of fraudulently obtaining funds for profit and other illicit activities,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge Matthew DeSarno. “Cyber criminals are not constrained by geographic borders and the FBI will use the strength of our international operations and global partnerships to protect American interests.”
According to plea papers, the pair admitted they recruited money mules to create sham companies, open drop bank accounts, and receive and transfer stolen funds.
They advertised their cash-out services to cyber actors in online forums and communicated with these actors on various messaging applications.
After negotiating a portion of the cyber actors’ stolen funds as fee for their services, Mr. Vorontsov and Ms. Muzhuk directed their money mules to transfer funds from victim accounts in the U.S. to drop accounts domestically and abroad.
The defendants now face up to 37 months each in federal prison. Sentencing has been set for Nov. 15.
The FBI’s Dallas Field Office conducted the investigation with substantial assistance from the Government of the Czech Republic, including the Czech National Organized Crime Agency (NCOZ), as well as the FBI’s Pittsburgh Field Office. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the Czech Ministry of Justice provided substantial assistance in securing the defendants’ extradition from the Czech Republic. Trial Attorney C.S. Heath of the Justice Department's Criminal Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Dana of the Northern District of Texas prosecuted the case.
DeSoto ISD Employee Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
A DeSoto Independent School District employee pleaded guilty today to embezzling more than $250,000 from the district, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Terry Lynn Sanders, the 57-year-old former DeSoto ISD Director of Energy Management, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
In plea papers, Mr. Sanders admitted he used a school district credit card to make 30 payments worth $255,100 to an outside company. The owner of the company, identified in court documents as “individual A,” then kicked back a portion of each payment, totaling approximately $100,000, to Mr. Sanders.
Mr. Sanders admitted that neither individual A nor his company performed any work for the school district, nor was the company an approved vendor with a contract with the district.
He also admitted that in order to test oversight of the card, he used the card to make seven payments worth $17,466 to pay a fictitious vendor tied to his own bank account.
Mr. Sanders now faces up to five years in federal prison.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marcus Busch is prosecuting the case.
Money Transfer Company Ping Pleads Guilty to Failure to Combat Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
A Texas company that transferred millions of dollars from the U.S. to Africa has admitted that it failed to adequately guard against money laundering, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham announced today.
Ping Express U.S. LLC pleaded guilty Wednesday to failure to maintain an effective anti- money laundering program.
“Through our special agents and forensic accountants, we work endlessly to eradicate crimes involving money laundering and bulk cash smuggling,” said Christopher Miller, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations Dallas. “Our investigative reach provides access to a wide range of financial networks allowing HSI to disrupt any criminal organization attempting to exploit global trade.”
According to court documents, the company – which was licensed to transmit money but was not licensed to conduct currency exchange – charged U.S. customers a fee to remit money to beneficiaries in Nigeria and other African nations.
By law, Ping was required to report any suspicious transactions to regulators. In plea papers, it admitted that it failed to file a single report over a three-year period, despite a significant amount of suspicious customer activity.
The company outlined its anti-money laundering policy in a memo to state regulators, claiming it would cap first-time customer transactions at $499, cap daily transactions at $3,000, and cap monthly transactions at $4,500. However, in plea papers, the company admitted it allowed more than 1,500 customers to violate these rules. In one instance, Ping allowed a customer to remit more than $80,000 in a single month – more than 17 times the purported limit.
Ping also admitted that it conducted money transmission business in states in which it was not licensed to do so, including Nevada, New Jersey, Utah, West Virginia, and Connecticut. The company claimed to have software that could detect and deter transmissions initiated in “unlicensed” states, but in reality, it admitted, the program didn’t function. In its summaries to state regulators, Ping chose to include a column labeled “IP Location,” but only recorded states in which Ping was properly licensed: Texas, Maryland, Georgia, Washington, and Washington, DC.
In less than three years, the company transmitted more than $167 million overseas, including $160 million transmitted to Nigeria. The company admitted it failed to seek sufficient details about the sources or purposes of the funds involved in the transactions, or the customers initiating the transmissions.
Three individuals – including two of Ping’s top customers – previously pleaded guilty to transmitting illegally-derived funds through Ping.
One, Collins Orogun, admitted last week that he accepted a fee in exchange for transferring money for “romance scam” fraudsters and other criminals. In one instance, an Indiana woman sent $15,00 to “Carson Jacks,” a purported oil roughneck in the Gulf of Mexico she fell in love with online, after he told her he’d contracted malaria. In another, a second Indiana woman sent $6,300 to “Thomas Ken,” a purported Irish ship captain she fell in love with online, to fix his ship.
In two years, Mr. Orogun received more than $1.3 million in cash, cashier’s checks, and wires into several U.S. bank accounts he controlled, and then quickly moved more than $1 million of the funds to Africa through Ping. He faces up to 20 years in federal prison and is set to be sentenced on Jan. 23, 2023.
Ping CEO Anslem Oshionebo and Ping COO Opeyemi Odeyale also pleaded guilty to failure to maintain an effective anti-money laundering program. Ping’s IT/ Business Development Manager, Aleoghena Okhumale, pleaded guilty to knowingly transmitting illegally-derived funds. The CEO and COO were recently each sentenced to 27 months in federal prison, while the IT/Business Development Manager received a prison sentence of 42 months.
The company itself now faces five years of probation and a fine of up to $500,000. Sentencing has been set for Dec. 19, 2022.
Homeland Security Investigation’s Dallas Field Office conducted the investigation, assisted by the Texas Department of Banking. Assistant U.S. Attorney John de la Garza is prosecuting the case.
Man Who Sold Pistol Used in Synagogue Hostage Crisis Pleads Guilty to Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
The man who sold Malik Faisal Akram the gun he used to kidnap hostages in a Texas synagogue pleaded guilty today to a federal firearm crime, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Henry “Michael” Dwight Williams, 32, was charged via criminal complaint in January 2022. He pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm before U.S. Magistrate Judge Irma Carrillo Ramirez on Thursday.
“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. Mr. Williams now faces up to 10 years in federal prison.
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 Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey Beran (fmr), along with Trial Attorneys David Smith and Michael Dittoe of the Justice Department’s National Security Division.
Man Sentenced to Statutory Maximum of 20 Years in Federal Prison for Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
FORT WORTH, TX – Angel Aguilar Montalvo was sentenced June 28, 2022, by U.S. District Judge Means to the statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison following his guilty plea to an indictment charging one count of receipt of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Chad E. Meacham of the Northern District of Texas.
In April 2019, Homeland Security Investigations initiated an investigation into a dark web website offering child pornography material for purchase. During the investigation, it was discovered that Angel Aguilar Montalvo purchased child pornography from this website using crypto currency on more than one occasion. On February 23, 2021, HSI Agents executed a search warrant on Aguilar’s residence. Aguilar was interviewed by Agents. Aguilar described some of the child pornography videos he had as “pretty hardcore.” He stated, “I know it’s illegal,” but he did not “see any harm done.” He stated that we are all sexual beings.
A forensic analysis of three electronic devices revealed thousands of images and videos of child pornography. These images included children under five years of age. An arrest warrant was issued for Aguilar in August 2021. He was subsequently arrested attempting to reenter the United States from Mexico. At that time, Aguilar possessed a new computer which contained evidence that Aguilar downloaded and deleted child pornography videos onto it as well. Aguilar was indicted for receipt of child pornography on January 12, 2022. He subsequently pled guilty to that charge in February 2022.
Aguilar had previously been charged at the state level with Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child in 1990, which was later dismissed. Additionally, in 2006 he was charged with Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child involving two children. The trial on that case ended in a mistrial due to a hung jury and was subsequently dismissed.
At Aguilar’s sentencing on June 28, 2022, the victim from Aguilar’s 1990 case and a victim from Aguilar’s 2006 case testified of the sexual abuse they endured at the hands of Aguilar.
HSI New York and HSI Dallas participated in the investigation of this case.
Lubbock Man Charged with Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
LUBBOCK, TX – Tyler Patrick Brown a 24-year-old Lubbock, native appeared in federal court yesterday, charged with possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
According to the complaint, unsealed following the defendant’s arrest on Tuesday, multiple law enforcement agencies were investigating Brown after parents reported to law enforcement that Brown was having inappropriate contact and sexual relationships with high school students. Brown was interviewed by law enforcement and admitted to engaging in fourteen sexual relationships with minor females while he was an adult. Brown further admitted, he would typically tell the females that he was also a minor high school student to gain their confidence. A subsequent search of Brown’s cell phone revealed he possessed a video of a 15-year-old minor engaging in sexual acts, which constitutes child pornography as defined by federal law. Even after the interview with law enforcement, Brown was seen by a parent of one of his victims at a Lubbock area high school basketball game wearing a “Press” lanyard. He was confronted by one of the investigators and left the game.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation of wrongdoing, not evidence. Like all defendants, Mr. Brown is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
This investigation is on-going. If you have any relevant information pertaining to this investigation, please contact the FBI – Lubbock, Texas field office at 806-765-8571.
Fort Worth Man Convicted of Possessing Machine GunRead the Press Release
A Fort Worth man discovered with a Glock pistol equipped with a “switch” – a device that converts ordinary semiautomatic pistols into fully automatic machine guns – has been tried and convicted of a federal firearm crime, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
After proceeding pro se in a bench trial, Judge O’Connor found Keidric Brown, 25, guilty of possessing a machinegun.
“I cannot stress enough how dangerous machine gun conversion devices are and the levels at which they are being used in our communities. Due to the diligent work of our law enforcement partners, specifically the Arlington Police Department, Mr. Brown will now have several years to think about his attempt to brazenly carry a machine gun around our streets,” stated ATF Dallas Field Division Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey C. Boshek II.
According to evidence presented at trial, an Arlington Police Department Officer stopped Mr. Brown’s vehicle on Jan. 17 after discovering its insurance was expired.
An officer testified that she noted the smell of marijuana emanating from the vehicle and initiated a probable cause search.
Under the driver’s seat, she found a Glock 9mm pistol with a 31-round high-capacity, extended magazine and a red plastic switch attached to the rear of the firearm’s slide. The Glock pistol with switch attached was ultimately examined and test fired by an ATF Firearms Enforcement Officer, who concluded it was a machinegun that fired in a fully-automatic fashion.
Glock Switches, also known as machinegun conversion devices, are classified as machineguns under federal law. Unlike semiautomatic firearms, machineguns – weapons that can fire more than one round, without manual reloading, by single function of the trigger – are generally unlawful for non-licensed civilians under the National Firearms Act.
A search of Mr. Brown’s phone revealed text messages and lyrics regarding the purchase and use of Glock Switches.
At trial, prosecutors introduced into evidence Mr. Brown’s rap videos, which included the lyrics, “My Glock, it came with a switch / I aim, I don’t miss” (1:01).
Mr. Brown now faces up to 10 years in federal prison.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives’ Dallas Field Division and the Arlington Police Department’s Violent Crime Unit conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Levi Thomas and Frank Gatto prosecuted the case. U.S. District Judge Reed C. O’Connor presided over trial.
Rowlett Man Who Stalked, Murdered Ex-Girlfriend Pleads Guilty to Violent Federal CrimesRead the Press Release
A Rowlett man who cyberstalked his ex-girlfriend and shot and stabbed her to death in the midst of a bitter custody dispute pleaded guilty today to two violent federal crimes, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Andrew Charles Beard, 35, was charged with cyberstalking using a dangerous weapon resulting in death and with discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. On Wednesday, he pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Jane J. Boyle.
“This was a brutal, bloody crime,” said U.S. Attorney Chad Meacham. “Ms. Burkett’s daughter is now suffering twin tragedies: Her mother is deceased, and her father is an admitted murderer. We pray for strength for this child and the rest of her family in the days, weeks, and years to come.”
“If you looked up evil in the dictionary, you would see Mr. Beard stabbing his wife in a parking lot. His crimes are gut wrenching and shock the conscience. I am very proud of the investigative effort to keep him behind bars and prevent him from perpetrating such acts in the future. ATF remains committed to the fight against domestic violence offenders in possession of firearms. If you, or someone you know, fears violence from gun wielding domestic partners, please notify law enforcement immediately,” stated ATF Dallas Field Division Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey C. Boshek II.
In plea papers, Mr. Beard admitted that he cyberstalked and murdered his ex-girlfriend, 24-year-old Alyssa Ann Burkett, in a parking lot in Carrollton on Oct. 2, 2020, in an attempt to gain custody of their young daughter.
He admitted he that he placed a GPS tracking device on Ms. Burkett’s car, entered a black SUV he had purchased for the occasion, followed her to the apartment complex where she worked, and donned a disguise. He then exited his vehicle with a shotgun and shot Ms. Burkett in the head as she sat behind the wheel of her car. Believing that he had fatally shot her, Mr. Beard ran back to the SUV to drive away.
However, Ms. Burkett – severely injured and bloodied from the shotgun blast – staggered out of her car and attempted to enter a nearby building for help. Realizing that his ex-girlfriend was still alive, Mr. Beard exited the SUV, ran up to her and grabbed her from behind, and stabbed her 13 times through the upper body with a sharp object. She died in the parking lot as he raced away from the scene.
Ms. Burkett’s mother and coworkers told responding officers that Ms. Burkett feared Mr. Beard, believed he was tracking her, and worried he would kill her. Her boyfriend told police that Mr. Beard had seemed “overly obsessed” with Ms. Burkett and their child.
Three hours later, officers stopped Mr. Beard as he drove away from his residence in a white pickup truck. They seized three phones from Mr. Beard, including a prepaid burner phone. On one phone, they found an internet search for “what is the best way to remove gunpowder residue from hands.”
Officers also searched his vehicle, where they found a pair of men’s hiking boots cut into pieces and soaking in bleach, and they searched his residence, where they found a battery that matched the GPS trackers affixed to Ms. Burkett’s vehicle. They also found a written script Mr. Beard had used to phone in a false drug tip against Ms. Burkett a month earlier.
In plea papers, Mr. Beard admitted that he called in the fake tip on September 2, 2020, after planting drugs and a gun in her car. Identifying himself as “Frank Marrow,” he claimed Ms. Burkett was selling drugs out of the trunk of her car and advised police to check the spare tire well. Officers searched the tire well and found illegal drugs and a pistol with an obliterated serial number. Ms. Burkett vehemently denied selling drugs and stated that she believed Mr. Beard had planted the evidence in her vehicle.
The day after the murder, officers found the black SUV Mr. Beard had driven to and from the murder scene abandoned in a residential neighborhood near Mr. Beard’s home. Dried blood recovered from the vehicle contained DNA that matched Ms. Burkett. A fake beard recovered from the vehicle contained DNA that matched Mr. Beard.
Mr. Beard now faces up to two life sentences in federal prison. His sentencing has been set for October 6, 2022.
The Carrollton Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives’ Dallas Field Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gary Tromblay, Camille Sparks, and Andrew Briggs are prosecuting the case.
The case was brought under Project Guardian, the Justice Department’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence using federal firearm laws.
Jennifer Faith Sentence to Life for Murder for Hire in Husband’s DeathRead the Press Release
Jennifer Lynne Faith, the Oak Cliff woman who convinced her boyfriend to shoot her husband to death, was sentenced today to life in federal prison for orchestrating the murder, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
In February 2021, prosecutors charged Ms. Faith, 49, with obstruction of justice. In September 2021, they added a charge of use of interstate commerce in the commission of murder-for-hire, an offense that carries a potential death sentence. In return for her plea, prosecutors agreed to drop the obstruction charge and to recommend a sentence of life imprisonment. Ms. Faith pleaded guilty in February and was sentenced Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Jane J. Boyle, who also ordered her to pay $6,500 in restitution to her late husband’s family to cover funeral expenses and a $250,000 fine.
At her sentencing hearing, prosecutors introduced into evidence a video of Ms. Faith describing the killing to Dallas Homicide Detective Chris Walton the morning of her husband’s murder.
“I turned around and I just saw this person shoot and shoot. I couldn’t believe – I didn’t know him. Like, why?” she said, sobbing. “A lot of shots, five, six, maybe, I feel like. And he just kept going, and I’m like, stop it!”
“And then I saw the person turn and like, just, dark eyes, coming toward me. And so I started – I yelled no, and I started to run. And he tackled me to the ground,” she continued. “He was trying to attack me the whole time I was screaming.”
Prosecutors also introduced into evidence surveillance audio of Ms. Faith screaming during the attack and video of her crying hysterically afterwards.
According to plea papers, Ms. Faith subsequently admitted that her boyfriend, Darrin Ruben Lopez, 49, gunned down her husband, American Airlines technology director Jamie Faith, on Oct. 9, 2020 in front of his home in Oak Cliff. (Mr. Lopez has been charged by the state with murder and by the feds with a gun crime. He has pleaded not guilty to both charges. Like all defendants, he is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.)
Ms. Faith admitted that she knew Mr. Lopez – whom she called her “one and only love” – had suffered a traumatic brain injury while serving in the U.S. Army in Iraq, leaving him disabled. Both before and after the murder, she sent Mr. Lopez money and gifts, and even provided him with two credit cards which she paid off using the proceeds of a “Support Jennifer Faith” GoFundMe fundraiser launched in the wake of her husband’s death.
She also admitted that before the murder, she used two phony email accounts to correspond with Mr. Lopez, assuming the identities of her own husband and one of her friends in order to falsely convince Mr. Lopez that her husband was physically and sexually abusing her. (In plea papers, Ms. Faith stipulated that no such abuse ever occurred.) Ms. Faith admitted that she downloaded stock images depicting injuries from the internet and attached them to some of the emails to convince Mr. Lopez that the abuse was actually occurring.
After her arrest, she continued to maintain the fiction. At Tuesday’s sentencing, prosecutors introduced a handwritten note she sent to Mr. Lopez dated October 19, 2021 – less than a month after court documents outlined the email scheme:
“Just a quick note to say I never lied to you and I never sent you emails from any account but mine, as me,” she said. “There is a ton more I wish I could say, but I can’t right now.”
Seven months into her relationship with Mr. Lopez, Ms. Faith exited her home with her husband to walk their dog, she acknowledged in plea papers. One minute into their walk, Mr. Lopez – who allegedly drove from his home in Cumberland Furnace, Tennessee, to the Faiths’ home in Dallas, where he laid in wait at a neighbor’s home – allegedly shot Mr. Faith seven times before fleeing the scene in his black Nissan Titan pickup truck, which had a distinctive “T” decal on the back window.
After she learned that law enforcement was aware of the “T” decal, Ms. Faith appeared on DFW’s ABC affiliate, WFAA, and plead with the public to help investigators locate the decaled truck. Following the interview, Ms. Faith texted Mr. Lopez and encouraged him to remove the sticker from his truck, she admitted.
“I woke up in a bit of a panic… Something is eating away at me telling me you need to take the sticker out of the back window of the truck,” she texted him. “I don’t normally overreact like this… really think you need to get that sticker off ASAP, like today.” Mr. Lopez allegedly removed the sticker the following day.
Meanwhile, approximately one month after her husband’s death, Ms. Faith admitted, she initiated a claim with Metropolitan Life Insurance Company seeking approximately $629,000 in death benefits Mr. Faith had through his employer. She periodically updated Mr. Lopez on the status of the claim. In text messages, the pair discussed using the money to apply for a residence in her name in Tennessee.
In January 2021, shortly after she was asked to come in for questioning by investigators, Ms. Faith reached out to Mr. Lopez to coordinate their cover stories, she admitted in plea papers.
At her sentencing, prosecutors introduced into evidence a text message from Ms. Faith to Mr. Lopez dated January 10, 2021:
“Don’t text me Monday. I am going to factory reset my phone on Sunday night after deleting texts,” she wrote.
“Ok sounds good,” Mr. Lopez responded. “Big hug.”
ATF agents arrested Mr. Lopez on murder charges in Cumberland Furnace on Jan. 11, 2021. The firearm used to kill Mr. Faith was recovered inside Mr. Lopez’s home.
On Feb. 2, 2021, shortly before she was charged, Ms. Faith contacted a third party and asked that a message be forwarded to Mr. Lopez, who at the time was in custody in Dallas.
“I am with him, will always be with him regardless of whatever has happened. I’ve needed to be cautious because every communication is being monitored,” the message read in part. “Please tell him ASAP I will always be his.”
“Ms. Faith put on quite a performance in the wake of her husband’s murder. She poured out her sob story to reporters and law enforcement, then headed home to orchestrate her coverup,” said U.S. Attorney Chad Meacham. “But crocodile tears didn’t stop the feds. We were committed to getting justice for Jamie, and with the Judge’s imposition of a life sentence this afternoon, we’re one step closer.”
“No amount of time in federal prison will ever be able to bring Mr. Faith back, however this sentencing shows the gravity of Ms. Faith’s criminal acts. Her spineless attempt to sway law enforcement and public opinion will forever be etched into the hearts of those affected by her monstruous crime. I would like to personally thank the Dallas Police Department Detectives, the Assistant United States Attorneys, and the ATF Special Agents that were ultimately responsible for bringing this villain to justice” stated ATF Dallas Field Division Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey C. Boshek II.
After hearing evidence presented by the prosecutor, United States District Judge Jane J. Boyle admonished Ms. Faith calling her “pure evil” before imposing her life sentence.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives’ Dallas Field Division and the Dallas Police Department’s Homicide Unit conducted the investigation with the assistance of the ATF’s Nashville Field Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office, Homeland Security Investigations, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s Aviation Unit, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Tennessee. NDTX Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rick Calvert and Andrew Briggs are prosecuting the case.
Copies of public sentencing exhibits are available to credentialed media upon request.
Man Sentenced to 30+ Years for Sex Trafficking 14-Year-Old, Adult out of Dallas HotelRead the Press Release
A Dallas man was sentenced today to more than 30 years in federal prison for sex trafficking a 14-year-old minor and an adult victim, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
A federal jury in Dallas convicted Anthony Lennell Acy, 34, on one count of child sex trafficking and one count of sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion in August 2021. He was sentenced today to 365 months by U.S. District Judge Jane J. Boyle.
“The North Texas Trafficking Task Force objective is quite clear: We will never relent in our pursuit of criminals responsible for exploiting minors or forcing anyone into the commercial sex industry,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Dallas Christopher Miller. “Individuals like Anthony Acy need to understand that they will be prosecuted and held accountable for the destruction of the lives of their victims because of their personal greed and disdain for human decency.”
According to evidence presented at trial, Mr. Acy trafficked at least two victims — including the 14-year-old girl, a runaway from McKinney, Texas — out of multiple hotels in Dallas and in California.
Agents with the North Texas Trafficking Task Force testified that they recovered Jane Doe 1 and Adult Victim 1 out of a Dallas hotel room and arrested Mr. Acy as he was leaving the hotel parking lot.
At trial, Jane Doe 1 testified that Mr. Acy approached her in a parking lot next to a hotel a couple weeks after she ran away from home. Jane Doe 1 stated that Mr. Acy told her that she could model for his clothing line and then drove her to a hotel, where he offered her dinner and a place to stay that night. She testified that Mr. Acy later forced her to take ecstasy pills, caused her to engage in commercial sex in Dallas and in California, and physically assaulted her multiple times.
Adult Victim 1 testified at trial that Mr. Acy first recruited her over Facebook, claiming that he wanted to be her boyfriend. Adult Victim 1 stated that, after she traveled to Dallas to visit Mr. Acy, he took her cell phone and her car keys and forced her to engage in commercial sex in order to pay back the money he claimed to have spent on her. Mr. Acy trafficked Adult Victim 1 first in Dallas and later in Austin and California. Adult Victim 1 testified that Mr. Acy forced her to earn $1,000 a day, with all proceeds turned over to him.
Both victims testified that Mr. Acy repeatedly beat them, threatened them at gunpoint and knifepoint, and threatened to kill them and their families if they called the police.
In the course of the investigation, investigators reviewed Mr. Acy’s hotel records, phone records, financial records, online advertisements, and Facebook posts that corroborated the victims’ accounts of Mr. Acy’s sex trafficking activity.
The North Texas Trafficking Task Force, led by Homeland Security Investigations, conducted the investigation, with assistance from the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office, the Colleyville Police Department, and the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rebekah Ricketts (fmr.) and John Kull prosecuted the case.
Michigan Man Convicted of Stalking, Sexually Assaulting 14-Year-Old Lubbock GirlRead the Press Release
The Michigan man who stalked and sexually assaulted a 14-year-old Lubbock girl has been tried and convicted, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
After just an hour of deliberation, a jury convicted Thomas John Boukamp, 22, on all 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.
“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 verdict brings some solace to her and her family,” said U.S. Attorney Chad E. Meacham.
"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.
Mr. Boukamp now faces up to life without parole in federal prison.
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. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Callie Woolam and Jeff Haag prosecuted the case. U.S. District Judge James Wesley Hendrix presided over trial.
Dallas County Sheriff’s Employee Pleads Guilty to Stealing $250k from Jail’s Commissary FundRead the Press Release
A Dallas County Sheriff’s Office supervisor who embezzled more than $250,000 from the jail’s inmate property fund pleaded guilty yesterday to a federal offense, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Umeka Treymane Myers, 49, was charged via criminal information on April 28. On Thursday, she pleaded guilty to theft from a program receiving federal funds.
According to plea papers, Ms. Myers worked as a supervisor at the Lew Sterrett Justice Center’s inmate property vault, which refunds inmates’ commissary account balances upon their release.
When an inmate’s account contains more than $30, property vault employees give them the balance on debit cards generated by software from the Keef Group.
If an employee makes an error processing a debit card, the software generates an error message, which only a lead clerk or supervisor (such as Myers), can clear.
After overriding a debit card error, however, Ms. Myers used released inmates’ book-in numbers to create new and duplicate debit cards, then entered the same amount from the card issued to the released inmate on to the newly created card.
Between 2018 and 2021, she fraudulently issued dozens of debit cards, which she used in Texas, Louisiana, Nevada, Maryland, and New York. (Her spending was confirmed by Winstar, Choctaw, and Margaritaville casino records, Southwest Airlines records, Bank of America ATM surveillance footage, and personal bank records.)
Ms. Myers now faces up to 10 years in federal prison.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office conducted the investigation with the full cooperation of the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marcus Busch is prosecuting the case.
Justice Department Announces Charges Against Alleged Gun TraffickerRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that a man who allegedly purchased guns later used in multiple incidents in the United States and Canada has been charged with federal firearm crimes. According to court documents, Demontre Antwon Hackworth, 31, allegedly purchased at least 92 guns from federally licensed firearms dealers, including 75 guns in just six months from a single dealer that later relinquished its seller’s license.
“As part of the Department-wide anti-violent crime strategy we launched last year, we are marshalling the resources of every one of our U.S. Attorneys’ offices, law enforcement agencies, grant-making entities, and other components to work in partnership with state and local law enforcement to disrupt violent crime,” Attorney General Merrick B Garland said at a press conference in Washington, DC on Monday. “We are cracking down on the criminal gun-trafficking pipelines that flood our communities with illegal guns, and we have instructed our federal prosecutors and law enforcement agents to prioritize prosecutions of those who are responsible for the greatest gun violence. The case we are announcing today is just one example of those efforts.”
“The second amendment protects the rights of law-abiding citizens – but not prohibited persons, or those who arm them,” said U.S. Attorney Chad Meacham for the Northern District of Texas. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office, ATF Dallas, and the entire Department of Justice is working our level best to keep guns away from dangerous offenders before they can put finger to trigger.”
“Illegal firearms trafficking is not a victimless crime,” said Special Agent in Charge Jeff Boshek of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Dallas Field Division. “There are real consequences when individuals illegally engage in the business of buying and selling firearms. ATF will continue to use all available resources to strategically target and identify illegal firearms sales, trafficking patterns, and sources of crime guns; and to interrupt the illegal flow of firearms to criminal gang members, felons, firearm traffickers, and all persons who are otherwise prohibited from possessing firearms under federal law.”
Despite claiming to be the actual transferee (i.e. buyer) of the firearms, Hackworth allegedly engaged in the business of reselling the guns without a federal firearm license and without conducting required background checks. Federal law prohibits individuals engaging in the business of dealing in firearms – defined as repeatedly devoting time and attention to purchasing and reselling guns for pecuniary gain – from doing so without a license.
At least 16 of the guns Hackworth purchased are alleged to have been subsequently recovered in Texas, Maryland, and Canada from incidents that include homicide, aggravated assault, and drug trafficking.
As alleged in the indictment, according to an analysis by the ATF’s National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN), three of the recovered guns had been used in multiple crimes. One gun was used in three separate criminal incidents – two aggravated assaults and one unlawful possession; and two more were used in two incidents each. At least 14 of the 16 recovered guns were recovered in incidents within one year of purchase. One was recovered from an incident just seven days after Hackworth purchased it.
Hackworth was indicted on June 7 for dealing firearms without a license and making false statements during the purchase of a firearm. He was arrested by ATF agents in Dallas on Friday and made his initial appearance in the Northern District of Texas on Monday. If convicted, he faces up to 35 years in federal prison, with a statutory maximum penalty of five years for dealing without a license and up to 10 years for each count of false statement during purchase. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The ATF’s Dallas Field Division, in partnership with the agency’s Crime Gun Intelligence Center (CGIC) program, conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanna Etessam is prosecuting the case with the help of Assistant U.S. Attorney Rick Calvert for the Northern District of Texas.
Justice Department Announces Charges Against Alleged Gun TraffickerRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that a man who allegedly purchased guns later used in multiple incidents in the United States and Canada has been charged with federal firearm crimes. According to court documents, Demontre Antwon Hackworth, 31, allegedly purchased at least 92 guns from federally licensed firearms dealers, including 75 guns in just six months from a single dealer that later relinquished its seller’s license.
“As part of the Department-wide anti-violent crime strategy we launched last year, we are marshalling the resources of every one of our U.S. Attorneys’ offices, law enforcement agencies, grant-making entities, and other components to work in partnership with state and local law enforcement to disrupt violent crime,” said Attorney General Merrick B Garland. “We are cracking down on the criminal gun-trafficking pipelines that flood our communities with illegal guns, and we have instructed our federal prosecutors and law enforcement agents to prioritize prosecutions of those who are responsible for the greatest gun violence. The case we are announcing today is just one example of those efforts.”
“The second amendment protects the rights of law-abiding citizens – but not prohibited persons, or those who arm them,” said U.S. Attorney Chad Meacham for the Northern District of Texas. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office, ATF Dallas, and the entire Department of Justice is working our level best to keep guns away from dangerous offenders before they can put finger to trigger.”
“Illegal firearms trafficking is not a victimless crime,” said Special Agent in Charge Jeff Boshek of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Dallas Field Division. “There are real consequences when individuals illegally engage in the business of buying and selling firearms. ATF will continue to use all available resources to strategically target and identify illegal firearms sales, trafficking patterns, and sources of crime guns; and to interrupt the illegal flow of firearms to criminal gang members, felons, firearm traffickers, and all persons who are otherwise prohibited from possessing firearms under federal law.”
Despite claiming to be the actual transferee (i.e. buyer) of the firearms, Hackworth allegedly engaged in the business of reselling the guns without a federal firearm license and without conducting required background checks. Federal law prohibits individuals engaging in the business of dealing in firearms – defined as repeatedly devoting time and attention to purchasing and reselling guns for pecuniary gain – from doing so without a license.
At least 16 of the guns Hackworth purchased are alleged to have been subsequently recovered in Texas, Maryland, and Canada from incidents that include homicide, aggravated assault, and drug trafficking.
As alleged in the indictment, according to an analysis by the ATF’s National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN), three of the recovered guns had been used in multiple crimes. One gun was used in three separate criminal incidents – two aggravated assaults and one unlawful possession; and two more were used in two incidents each. At least 14 of the 16 recovered guns were recovered in incidents within one year of purchase. One was recovered from an incident just seven days after Hackworth purchased it.
Hackworth was indicted on June 7 for dealing firearms without a license and making false statements during the purchase of a firearm. He was arrested by ATF agents in Dallas on Friday and made his initial appearance in the Northern District of Texas on Monday. If convicted, he faces up to 35 years in federal prison, with a statutory maximum penalty of five years for dealing without a license and up to 10 years for each count of false statement during purchase. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The ATF’s Dallas Field Division, in partnership with the agency’s Crime Gun Intelligence Center (CGIC) program, conducted the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanna Etessam is prosecuting the case with the help of Assistant U.S. Attorney Rick Calvert for the Northern District of Texas.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
40 Alleged Meth Traffickers Charged in Operation Kullvid-20Read the Press Release
Fourteen alleged methamphetamine traffickers were arrested on Wednesday in Operation Kullvid-20, to announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Led by the DEA’s North Texas Strike Force, the investigation has netted a total of 40 federal defendants plus 2,708 kilograms of methamphetamine, 29 guns, and $742,000 cash to date, including 17 kilograms of methamphetamine, 6 guns, and $12,000 cash seized just yesterday. Over the course of the investigation, agents have also seized six vehicles, 30 kilograms of heroin, and 719 grams – or roughly 539,500 lethal doses – of fentanyl.
The defendants – the majority of whom were arrested in the Dallas area – will begin making their initial appearances on Friday. Five defendants remain at large.
“The North Texas Strike Force’s goal is simple: dismantle the most dangerous and violent criminal drug networks in North Texas that are responsible for poisoning our neighborhoods with methamphetamine and other illicit drugs,” said Eduardo A. Chávez, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Dallas Field Division. “Through the combined efforts of our federal, state, and local partner agencies, we will not stop until individuals such as those arrested yesterday are held accountable to justice and to the victims and families of so many that have been destroyed because of their greed.”
According to court documents, the defendants conspired to smuggle powered methamphetamine from Mexico into the United States. Distributors then oversaw the conversion of powder to crystal before selling the drugs to local customers.
Over the phone, defendants allegedly spoke in code to avoid detection by law enforcement, using the Spanish word “diente,” or “tooth” to refer to 10 packages of meth and the word “ventilador,” or “fan,” to refer to 20 packages. (Both terms sound similar the words, “diez” and “vente,” or “ten” and “twenty.”)
At one point, an unidentified coconspirator warned a top distributor to abandoned his residence because he believed law enforcement was monitoring the home.
“Get the [expletive] out of there, cousin! I tossed everything out. These dudes, the cops are following me, but I’m taking off, cousin,” the coconspirator said. “All right, all right,” the distributor replied.
Those charged in a 22-count superseding indictment filed in May and unsealed this week include:
- George Anthony Cervantes: conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance, possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime
- Fernando Mancha, Jr.: conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance, possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime
- Cynthia Sanchez: conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance, possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance
- Myda Marivel Garcia: conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance, possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime
- Luis Enrique Esquivel-Madrigal: conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance, possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, two counts of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime
- Bruno Rafael Hernandez-Rios: conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance, possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime
- Fnu Lun, aka “Paniquedo:” conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance, possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance
- Eric Perez: conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance, possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance
- Enrique Cabrera Gomez: conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance, possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance
- Porfirio Pineda: conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance, possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance
- Jose Eulalio Perez: conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance, possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance
- Charles McEntye Zoffuto: conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance, possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime
- Raquel Desara Martinez: conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance, possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime
The Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces’ (OCDETF) North Texas Strike Force conducted the investigation. Agencies that participated in Wednesday’s takedown include: the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Dallas Field Division, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives’ Dallas Field Division, IRS – Criminal Investigations, the U.S. Marshals Service, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Texas Department of Public Safety, and the Dallas Coppell, and Grand Prairie Police Departments. Homeland Security Investigations, the Navarro County Sheriff’s Office, and the Corsicana, Mesquite, Balch Springs, and Wills Point Police Departments assisted. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Kull is prosecuting the case.
The OCDETF program was established in 1982 to attack and reduce the supply of illegal drugs entering the United States and to diminish violence and other criminal activity associated with the drug trade. OCDETF works with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to identify, disrupt, and dismantle traffickers and trafficking networks.
Nightclub Magnate Sentenced to 16 Years for Drug CrimesRead the Press Release
A DFW nightclub magnate was sentenced to 16 years in federal prison for operating an empire of clubs in which drugs were sold openly, announced Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
In November 2021, a federal jury found OK Corral/ Far West owner Alfredo Hinojosa, general manager Miguel Casas, and noted promoter Martin Salvador Rodriguez guilty of managing drug premises, conspiracy to manage drug premises, and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine. Mr. Hinojosa was sentenced on Friday by U.S. District Judge Sam A. Lindsay, who imposed a $120,000 fine in addition to the prison time.
The overall case included more than 30 defendants, all of whom have been convicted, including former Dallas Police Officers Eddie Villarreal and Craig Woods. At sentencing, Judge Lindsay called Mr. Hinojosa the “top dog” in the scheme, and noted that the “buck stopped” with him.
According to evidence presented at trial, Mr. Hinojosa, Mr. Casas, and Mr. Rodriguez ran a conglomeration of businesses that brought in revenue of more than $107 million over a four-year period.
The defendants allowed cocaine to be sold in the bathrooms of their nightclubs on a daily basis, because such drug sales attracted customers and provided them with a competitive edge over rival clubs. These drugs sales increased revenue at the clubs between $9 million and $12 million.
“These defendants made millions by explicitly allowing cocaine trafficking in nightclubs across DFW. They assumed that permitting bathroom drug deals would be their ‘competitive edge.’ Instead, it was their downfall,” Acting U.S. Attorney Chad Meacham said following the conviction. “The United States Attorney’s Office and the FBI will not permit nightclub owners – or anyone else – to willfully turn a blind eye to drug trafficking happening on their premises.”
“This conspiracy was designed to elevate the status of the defendants at a very high cost to our society,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge Matthew J. DeSarno. “Their extensive plans to conceal nightly high-volume drug sales included the recruitment of law enforcement officers as employees. We will continue to work with our local, state, and federal partners to protect the integrity of the profession, uphold the public’s trust, and prevent access to illicit drugs in our greater Dallas-Fort Worth communities.”
At trial, prosecutors presented evidence of 17 controlled drug buys that occurred at the OK Corral Dallas, OK Corral Fort Worth, and Far West nightclubs between 2013 and 2016. Half a dozen informants, all under the supervision of FBI agents, bought bag after bag of cocaine from traffickers operating out of club bathrooms.
Multiple security guards who worked inside the clubs testified at trial that Mr. Hinojosa, Mr. Casas, and Mr. Rodriguez knew the drug trafficking was occurring and openly ordered security personnel to allow it. Drug traffickers, previously charged and convicted in the case, also testified that they were allowed to operate freely.
At trial, FBI agents explained that in 2015, they installed court-ordered microphones and a camera in Mr. Hinojosa’s office, unbeknownst to the defendants. Agent also sought and obtained more a dozen wiretaps in the case. During these recorded calls and intercepted communications, Mr. Hinojosa could be heard saying, “we can’t really clean it because then we lose business,” and “we need cocaine, man.”
Mr. Hinojosa, Mr. Casas, and Mr. Rodriguez eventually confessed to knowing that the drug sales were ongoing and allowed. Prosecutors played Mr. Hinojosa’s 45-minute recorded interview for the jury. Other agents recounted statements made by Mr. Casas and Mr. Rodriguez.
According to one agent’s notes, Mr. Casas told a task force officer that when club management realized the business was “tanking,” they told bouncers to allow the drug sales to resume and leave drug dealers alone as long as they were “discreet.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office and the Dallas Police Department conducted the investigation, which was dubbed “Operation Closing Time.” The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission's Enforcement Division, IRS – Criminal Investigations, and the Texas Attorney General’s Office provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorneys P.J. Meitl, Nicole Dana, and Melanie Smith prosecuted the case.
Former Police Officer Sentenced to 20 Years for Sexual Relationship with Teen BoysRead the Press Release
A former police officer who sexually assaulted at least two teenage boys was sentenced this week to 20 years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Delia Ruiz, an 31-year-old former officer with the Friona Police Department, pleaded guilty to enticement of a minor in January. She was sentenced on Wednesday by U.S. District Judge Matthew J. Kacsmaryk.
In plea papers, Ms. Ruiz admitted that began having sexual intercourse with her 16-year-old victim, identified in court documents as John Doe 2, in fall 2020, and continued the relationship through spring 2021, when the boy turned 17.
She further admitted that she began having sexual intercourse with her 15-year-old victim, John Doe 1, in spring of 2021 after meeting him at John Doe 2’s home.
She sent the child flirtatious messages and arranged to meet him in a church parking lot for sex in her car on at least three occasions. She sent him sexually explicit photos and videos of herself and warned him not to tell anyone about what they did because she could get into “big trouble.”
She was arrested in October 2021 and later fired from the Fiona Police Department.
The Texas Rangers, Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office – Lubbock Resident Agency, and the Amarillo Police Department conducted the investigation with the complete cooperation of the Fiona Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Callie Woolam prosecuted the case with the help of Assistant U.S. Attorney Meredith Pinkham.
Man Who Ran $1.4 Million Ponzi Scheme from Prison Sentenced to 8 More YearsRead the Press Release
A California man who ran a $1.4 million Ponzi scheme from behind bars while serving time on another fraud conviction was sentenced Tuesday to eight additional years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Michael David Carroll, 46, of Long Beach CA, pleaded guilty in November 2021 to wire fraud. He was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge David C. Godbey, who also ordered him to pay $1,346,499.90 in restitution to his victims.
“This defendant had the audacity to mount a million dollar Ponzi scheme while serving time for a prior fraud. But for a second time, his avarice caught up with him: A federal judge more than doubled his sentence,” said U.S. Attorney Chad Meacham. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the FBI are determined to hold accountable those who defraud honest investors.”
“The defendant deceived dozens of investors to preserve his complex financial scheme and fund a lavish lifestyle. Many Ponzi scheme victims do not recover their investment and are often left financially devastated,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge Matthew DeSarno. “The FBI will continue working with our partners to hold individuals accountable for defrauding investors and robbing them of their livelihood. We encourage the public to thoroughly research investment opportunities and to report any potential fraud to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov.”
According to court documents, in September 2017, Mr. Carroll – already 36 months into a 70-month sentence for a prior fraud conviction – lied to investors about his intention to secure funding for their ventures and invest their funds into legitimate investment ventures.
He admitted that he pitched investors on bridge loans, short term loans used to buy assets or cover obligations until longer-term financing is found, promising 40 to 50 percent rates of return in just one to three months. He claimed that each bridge loan was backed by a bank and therefore guaranteed.
He concealed the fact that he was a convicted felon, and if asked about it, claimed he had been falsely accused and had the charges dismissed.
Instead of actually investing the money, however, he set up a Ponzi scheme, secretly using new investor funds to make payments to older investors. This gave them the false impression that their “investments” were yielding profits, thereby lulling them into a false sense of security and encouraging them to make more fraudulent investments.
He used excess money from his scheme to fund his lavish lifestyle, which included for a private jet service, luxury vehicles, high-end dining, and suites at NFL games.
He preyed on more than two dozen victims and fraudulently obtained at least $1.4 million, inducing multiple fraudulent transfers from investor accounts into accounts associated with his businesses, MCC Holdings, SLJ Holdings, and STR America Holdings.
Mr. Carroll is currently incarcerated at the federal correctional institution in Seagoville, TX.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dimitri Rocha prosecuted the case with the help of auditor Sheila Powell.
Former Operations Manager Pleads Guilty to Embezzling $2.6 Million+ from Italian Shipping CompanyRead the Press Release
A Euless woman pleaded guilty on Friday to embezzling more than $2.6 million from her former employer, an international global logistics and freight forwarding company, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Vika Latai Moa, 36, was charged via felony information on March 17 and pleaded guilty to wire fraud before U.S. Magistrate Judge Irma Ramirez on March 27.
In court documents, Ms. Moa admitted that between June 2016 and October 2019, she was employed as an operations manager at Savino Del Bene USA, Inc. (Savino USA) in the Dallas area.
Savino USA, headquartered in New Jersey, is the American subsidiary of Savino Del Bene S.p.A., a global logistics and freight forwarding company based in Florence, Italy. Among other things, Savino USA provides transportation services to its customers in the United States by subcontracting local deliveries to third-party trucking companies.
In her role at Savino USA, Ms. Moa was responsible for selecting and paying these local subcontractors.
Between June 2016, and October 2019, Ms. Moa falsely represented to Savino USA employees that invoices for trucking services were owed, which caused Savino USA to pay more than $2.6 million to a bank account to which she had access.
For instance, as part of her scheme to misappropriate funds from Savino USA, Ms. Moa misrepresented to Savino USA employees that a fictitious business was an actual transportation company. She created fraudulent invoices for trucking services that the fictitious business purportedly provided to Savino USA.
Ms. Moa then directed Savino USA to pay the fictitious business based on these false invoices, knowing full well that the company did not perform any services for Savino USA, as it was not a real business and did not have any operations
Ms. Moa faces up to 20 years in federal prison. As part of the plea agreement, she also agreed to pay restitution in the amount of $2,623,888.44. Her sentencing is scheduled for September 22 before U.S. District Court Judge Karen Gren Scholer.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Fabio Leonardi is prosecuting the case.
Men Charged with Trafficking 16-Year-Old RunawayRead the Press Release
Two men who allegedly trafficked teenage girls have been federally charged, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
LaDarius Alton Smith, 33, and Ulises Rene Garcia, 22, were indicted on Tuesday on two counts of sex trafficking a child. Both have been ordered detained pending trial.
According to court documents, the case began when the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services contacted the North Texas Trafficking Task Force to report that a 16-year-old runaway, identified in court documents as JD 1, had been spotted on megapersonals.eu, a known commercial sex database.
An undercover agent initiated conversation with the individual who posted the ad and arranged for a commercial-sex date at a hotel in Dallas on April 12.
Once there, the agent encountered a 17-year-old girl, identified as JD 2, who said she had locked herself out of the room. Mr. Garcia gave JD 2 a key to that room, and then she began conversing with the agent. Another individual, later determined to be Mr. Smith, spoke with the agent on the telephone and promised to bring JD 1 to the hotel soon.
A surveillance team then observed a dark blue BMW enter the hotel parking lot. Mr. Smith got out and escorted JD 1 and another 17-year-old, JD 3, to the hotel room.
Agents recovered the girls and transported them to the Dallas Children’s Advocacy Center for comprehensive care.
Meanwhile, law enforcement conducted a search of the hotel room, where they found a backpack containing JD1’s high school schedule.
An indictment is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. Like all defendants, Mr. Garcia and Mr. Smith are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
If convicted, they each face up to life in federal prison.
Homeland Security Investigation’s Dallas Field Division conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Magliolo is prosecuting the case.
If you believe you or someone you know is a victim of human trafficking, call local law enforcement or the confidential National Human Trafficking Hotline, staffed 24/7, at 1-888-373-7888.
FFL Sentenced for Selling Guns to Unlicensed DealersRead the Press Release
A federally licensed firearms dealer was sentenced today to four years in federal prison for selling guns to unlicensed dealers for resale, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Jonathan Ludlow, 48, pleaded guilty in January to conspiracy to deal in firearms without a license and make false statements on ATF forms as well as possession of an unregistered silencer. He was sentenced Friday by U.S. District Judge Reed C. O’Connor in Fort Worth.
“Federal firearm laws are designed to keep guns out the wrong hands. Responsible licensed gun dealers are often the first line of defense in this endeavor. Licensed dealers who know their buyers intend to immediately resell their guns – quite possibly to individuals who cannot pass a background check – must not complete that sale. Doing so could have deadly serious consequences,” said U.S. Attorney Chad Meacham. “ATF and the U.S. Attorney’s Office will not allow people like Mr. Ludlow to flout laws that save lives.”
“Today is a good day for ATF and all of its partners with this sentencing. Mr. Ludlow, a federal firearms licensee, knew the laws and intentionally skirted them. By doing so, he has put hundreds of guns on the streets of the DFW metroplex and beyond. Because of his recklessness, we will continue to relive his crimes for years as more of his crime guns are recovered,” said ATF Dallas Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey C. Boshek II. “ATF remains staunch in its tireless pursuit of licensed firearms dealers that commit criminal acts.”
In plea papers, Mr. Ludlow, a federally licensed firearms dealer (FFL), admitted he regularly sold large quantities of identical firearms – including numerous AR-15 style pistols – to unlicensed associates, knowing full well that they intended to immediately engage in the business of reselling the guns for profit. The transactions were conducted out of Mr. Ludlow’s vehicle in various locations across the DFW Metroplex, and were typically completed in cash.
Two such associates, Romello Harris and Christopher Meza, pleaded guilty to conspiring with Mr. Ludlow to deal firearms without licenses. (Mr. Harris was sentenced earlier this month to 37 months in federal prison; Mr. Meza is awaiting sentencing.)
In order to conceal their crimes, Mr. Harris and Mr. Meza lied on ATF form 4473, indicating that they were the “actual transferees” of the firearms when they were not. On those same forms, Mr. Ludlow often lied about the date and location of the transaction, the type of firearms sold, and details regarding compliance with the NICS background check.
Under federal law, FFLs are prohibited from selling to straw purchasers or unlicensed dealers who they know are “engaged in the business of selling firearms,” defined as repeatedly devoting time and attention to purchasing and reselling guns for pecuniary gain. Background checks are not necessarily required for in-state, private transfers, but those engaged in the business of selling firearms must be federally licensed and run background checks on their buyers.
In July 2021, ATF executed a federal search warrant on Mr. Ludlow’s residence in Aledo, Texas, where agents seized more than 100 firearms, including 17 AR-15 style firearms, 12 Glock pistols, and approximately 10 unregistered silencers, all of which were later forfeited. At that time, Mr. Ludlow surrendered his federal firearms license.
At Friday’s sentencing hearing, prosecutors said that traces linked Mr. Ludlow to numerous guns recovered from crime scenes across the state of Texas, including multiple homicides. Others guns that originated with Mr. Ludlow were found in the hands of criminals, and still more were recovered in foreign countries.
In addition to the conspiracy, Mr. Ludlow admitted to possession of an unregistered silencer roughly 6 inches long and 1 3/8 inches in diameter.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives’ Dallas Field Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Levi Thomas is prosecuting all three cases.
Tax Preparer, Husband Sentenced for Defrauding IRS Out of $3.3 MillionRead the Press Release
The owners of a Duncanville tax preparation business were sentenced to a combined five and a half years in federal prison for defrauding the IRS out of more than $3.3 million, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Valencia Janee Mack, 40, and her former husband, Rodney Lamond Bowman, 47, pleaded guilty in fall 2021 to conspiracy to defraud the United States. Mr. Bowman was sentenced on May 19 by U.S. District Judge Jane J. Boyle to 36 months imprisonment; Ms. Mack was sentenced Thursday to 30 months imprisonment. The pair was ordered jointly and severally liable for $210,442 in restitution.
“Return preparer fraud is like a contagious disease: It affects not only the preparer, but their own clients and the tax-paying public,” said Christopher J. Altemus, Jr., Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Dallas Field Office. “Ms. Mack and Mr. Bowman wreaked havoc on our nation’s tax system and, as a result, will serve jail time. I hope this outcome sends a strong message that tampering with the integrity of our tax system will result in jail time."
According to court filings, from January 2015 through April 2019, Ms. Mack owned and operated Phase US Tax Services, where she and Mr. Bowman knowingly prepared and filed fraudulent client tax returns with the IRS.
The false tax returns reported fictitious Schedule C losses and Schedule A itemized deductions, intended to cause the IRS to pay fraudulent refunds.
The false Schedule Cs included purported losses from travel businesses Phase 4 Global (a real business based in Decatur, Alabama) or PlanNet (a real business based in Atlanta, Georgia), to reduce clients’ total income and entitle them to larger refunds from the IRS.
The clients were not legitimate employees, contractors, or franchisees of Phase 4 Global or PlanNet. Moreover, neither of these entities knew that Mack falsely claimed business expenses associated their companies on client tax returns.
Mr. Bowman and Ms. Mack hid the false Schedule C losses that were included on client tax returns by, among other things, omitting relevant pages in the paper copy of the tax returns they provided to clients.
Ms. Mack and Mr. Bowman provided fraudulent documentation clients who were being audited by the IRS, including fake mileage logs and other documents that appeared to substantiate the false business expenses in the fraudulent Schedule Cs. The pair instructed their clients to send these fraudulent documents to the IRS.
Ms. Mack further admitted that she fraudulently filed her 2014 personal tax return, failing to report any income or expenses from Phase US Tax Services and that she failed to file her personal tax return for tax years 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018, despite earning income from Phase US Tax Services.
The couple shared in the benefits of the tax fraud by splitting the preparation fees deposited into the Phase US Tax Services business account.
The IRS Criminal Investigation’s Dallas Field Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Douglas Brasher prosecuted the case.
Church Finance Manager Sentenced to 4+ Years for Embezzling $261,000Read the Press Release
A Christ the King finance manager who embezzled more than a quarter of a million dollars from the church was sentenced today to more than four years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Former Christ the King Cathedral Church Lubbock employee Nathan Allen Webb, 43, pleaded guilty in February to wire fraud. He was sentenced Thursday to 51 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge James Wesley Hendrix, who ordered him to pay $261,440.20 in restitution.
According to plea papers, Mr. Webb – the only church employee with access to the church’s PayPal and Venmo accounts – admitted he transferred $261,440.20 in parishioner donations from the church to himself using those platforms. Over the course of 18 months, he made more than 230 unauthorized transfers. He then altered church bank statements to make PayPal and Venmo debits appear as credits, thus concealing his criminal activity from the church finance committee and diocese.
On February 23, 2021, Mr. Webb traveled to Colombia, South America, taking a church laptop with him. While in Colombia, on March 2, he transferred $2,914.07 from the Church’s PayPal account to his personal PayPal account and then to his bank account. The church discovered his fraud and confronted him the following day.
At his sentencing hearing, prosecutors told the judge that following the confrontation, Mr. Webb remained in Colombia, eventually overstaying his visa. The Colombian government ordered him to leave the country, so he purchased a ticket from Cartagena to Fort Lauderdale, where he knew FBI agents would be waiting for him. Instead of boarding the flight, however, he traveled more than 500 miles inland to Pereira. Colombian officials there located and detained him; they continued to hold him based upon an Interpol Red Notice until the U.S. government negotiated his release and returned him to Texas.
Given Mr. Webb’s calculated plot to evade law enforcement, the judge agreed an obstruction of justice enhancement was appropriate.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office conducted the investigation with substantial assistance from FBI agents stationed in Colombia. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ann Howey prosecuted the case.
Meth Dealers Who Plotted to Kill DEA Agent Plead GuiltyRead the Press Release
Two drug traffickers who plotted to assassinate a DEA task force office have plead guilty, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Manuel Gomez-Garcia, 35, and Jorge Humberto Velazco Larios, 29, were indicted in the summer of 2020. Mr. Gomez pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine in September 2020 and to conspiracy to use interstate commerce in the commission of murder-for-hire in March 2022. Mr. Larios pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, and conspiracy to use interstate commerce in the commission of murder-for-hire today.
Both defendants, believed to be affiliated with Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generation (CJNG), one of Mexico’s most violent and powerful drug cartels – admitted to plotting a hit on a DEA task force office assigned to their drug case.
“These defendants plotted to murder an officer who routinely risks his own safety to rid our streets of dangerous drugs,” said U.S. Attorney Chad Meacham. “The Justice Department will not tolerate retaliatory violence against its own. We are prepared to move mountains to protect the men and women who protect us.”
“DEA Special Agents and Task Forces Officers know the inherent risks they face when they go out to enforce our mission, disrupt criminal networks, and curb the flow of drugs from reaching our neighborhoods. Drug related violence affects us all and there is nothing more serious than the intent to take a person’s life,” said Eduardo A. Chávez, Special Agent in Charge of DEA’s Dallas Field Division. “Through our drug investigation and the tenacious efforts from our colleagues at FBI Dallas to hold these individuals accountable, we are pleased that their admission of guilt means they will now pay for their crimes.”
“Last year 73 law enforcement officers were feloniously killed in line of duty incidents. Those statistics are a stark reminder that officers face a multitude of threats every day,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge Matthew DeSarno. “The FBI is committed to keeping our law enforcement partners safe. In this instance, a dangerous act was prevented and ensured that a law enforcement officer made it home safely.”
According to court documents, while behind bars on drug charges, Mr. Gomez told another individual at the jail he wanted to “off” the officer. He set the budget at $20,000: $5,000 up front and $15,000 following the hit.
In a subsequent phone call with an individual outside the jail, Mr. Gomez confirmed he wanted the DEA Task Force Officer murdered.
Mr. Gomez then called his girlfriend and his sister in Mexico to arrange for delivery of the murder-for-hire fee. He advised them that the co-defendant in his drug case, Mr. Larios, would also contribute to the up-front payment.
Meanwhile, Mr. Larios, also behind bars, called an unindicted co-conspirator and asked him to deliver money to a workshop “so we can take care of something.”
On June 11, the unindicted co-conspirator, referred to in court documents by the nickname “Roberto,” made a $3,000 “down payment” for the murder of the agent. Five days later, he made an additional $2,000 payment on behalf of Mr. Gomez and Mr. Larios.
Mr. Gomez once again called his contact outside the jail. He described the DEA agent he wanted killed, then instructed the individual to call his girlfriend and sister, who he said had documents that could help the hit man figure out the name of the target.
Shortly thereafter, his sister received a photo of DEA task force officer “T.H.” via the messaging app, WhatsApp. The following day, she flashed the image during a jailhouse video call with Mr. Gomez.
“Yes, that’s him,” Mr. Gomez told her, smiling.
The defendants now face up to life in federal prison.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s Dallas Field Division, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office, the Texas Department of Public Security, the U.S. Marshals Service, and ICE Enforcement & Removal Operations investigated the drug case with the assistance of the Midlothian Police Department and Ellis County Sheriff’s Office. The FBI’s Dallas Field Office - Violent Crime Task Force investigated the murder-for-hire in close collaboration with the DEA. The Johnson County Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Marshals Service, and U.S. Customs & Border Protection assisted. Assistant U.S. Attorneys PJ Meitl and Travis Elder prosecuted the drug case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rick Calvert is prosecuting the murder-for-hire.
UDF Executives Sentenced to Combined 20 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
Four United Development Funding executives have been sentenced to a combined 20 years in federal prison for fraud, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
In January, a federal jury convicted UDF CEO Hollis Morrison Greenlaw, UDF Partnership President Benjamin Lee Wissink, UDF CFO Cara Delin Obert, and UDF Asset Management Director Jeffrey Brandon Jester of ten counts, including conspiracy to commit wire fraud affecting a financial institution, conspiracy to commit securities fraud, and securities fraud. They were sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Reed C. O’Connor.
Mr. Greenlaw was sentenced to seven years in federal prison; Mr. Wissink to five years; Ms. Obert to five years; and Mr. Jester to three years. The judge also ordered Mr. Greenlaw, Mr. Wissink, and Ms. Obert to pay fines of $50,000 each.
“UDF executives comingled funds, shuffling money from one fund to another without disclosing their actions to investors or regulators,” U.S. Attorney Chad Meacham said following the verdict. “The Northern District of Texas has always been tenacious in its pursuit of white collar criminals and this case is no exception. We were proud to bring these defendants before a jury and are pleased that the judge saw fit to sentence them to a lengthy prison term.”
“Today’s sentences reaffirm the FBI’s commitment to hold executives accountable for engaging in corporate fraud and defrauding investors. We will continue working with our partners to investigate anyone that attempts to manipulate investment funds for their own personal benefit,” said Matthew DeSarno, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Dallas Field Office. “Our agents, analysts, and forensic accountants dedicated years to ensuring this investigation was done with the utmost precision. It is the reason why these defendants will now spend years in federal prison.”
According to evidence presented at trial, the defendants orchestrated a scheme to mislead investors and the SEC about their funds’ performance.
Founded in 2003 and headquartered in Grapevine, UDF utilized a family of five funds – UDF I, II, III, IV, and V – to invest in various residential real estate developers and private homebuilders.
When developers failed to repay money they borrowed from one fund, triggering multi-million dollar shortfalls, the defendants transferred money out of another fund in order to pay distributions to the original fund’s investors, all without disclosing the transfers to the SEC and the investing public.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tiffany H. Eggers (NDTX Criminal Chief), Rachael Jones, Elyse Lyons, and Errin Martin prosecuted the case.
Prison Guard Pleads Guilty to Sexually Abusing InmatesRead the Press Release
A former federal correctional officer pleaded guilty today to sexually abusing multiple inmates in Fort Worth, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Luis Curiel, 47, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to two counts of sexual abuse of a ward.
“Curiel abused his authority as a correctional officer and sexually abused several inmates under his supervision. Sexual abuse of inmates is never tolerated, and the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General will continue to investigate and hold accountable those who engage in this kind of conduct,” said Cloey C. Pierce, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General Dallas Field Office.
According to plea papers, Mr. Curiel, a former Federal Bureau of Prisons correctional officer at the Carswell Federal Medical Center, admitted to sexually abusing at least three inmates, identified in court documents as B.B.M., M.C., and N.R.
In October 2021, Mr. Curiel admitted, he met one inmate by a staff elevator and engaged in sexual acts with her in a nearby stairwell. That same month, he engaged in sexual acts with two more inmates outside the same staff elevator. At the time, all three victims were in official detention and under his custodial, supervisory, or disciplinary authority.
FMC Carswell is an administrative security federal prison that serves female inmates with specialized medical and mental health needs.
Mr. Curiel now faces up to 30 years in federal prison (15 years per count). His sentencing has been set for Sept. 8.
The Department of Justice Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation with the full cooperation of the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aisha Saleem is prosecuting the case.
10 Alleged Drug Traffickers Charged in Operation Tulia TakedownRead the Press Release
Eight alleged methamphetamine traffickers were arrested in Tulia, Texas on Tuesday in Operation Tulia Takedown, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham. Two additional defendants who were already in state custody have also been charged federally.
During Tuesday’s bust, agents and officers also seized five firearms, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, 1.4 pounds of methamphetamine, 2.6 pounds of marijuana, and 93 Xanax pills.
The defendants were charged in an eight count indictment unsealed Thursday. Those charged include:
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Manuel Socorro Urenda, aka “Bossman,” charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine
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Jamie Catina Haddock, aka “Jamie Hurt,” charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine
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Gilbert Lee Basaldua, charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine
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Santiago James Carrasco (already in custody), charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine
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Rojelio “Roy” Reyes, charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine
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Gabriel Trevino, charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine
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Raul Mancha Montoya, charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine
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Lydia Delgado Hawthorne, charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine
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Jim Bob Been, charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine
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Cayetano Vela Medrano (already in custody), charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine
“FBI Dallas’ criminal investigative focus is to target any criminal enterprise that drives violence and threatens to destroy neighborhoods, from rural towns to sprawling cities,“ said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge Matthew J. DeSarno. “Through our extensive partnerships and task forces we’re sending a direct message to offenders that committing continual criminal incidents will not be tolerated, and that we will deploy our collective strength to ensure the safety and security of our communities.”
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, Mr. Urenda and Ms. Haddock face up to life in federal prison; the remaining defendants face up to 20 years.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Amarillo Police Department, the Tulia Police Department, the Texas Department of Public Safety, and the Randall County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meredith Pinkham is prosecuting the case.
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Dallas Man Convicted of Sex TraffickingRead the Press Release
A Dallas man pleaded guilty yesterday to running a brutal sex trafficking ring for nearly two decades, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Anthony Johnson, 45, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit sex trafficking through force, fraud, and coercion, and sex trafficking on May 10, narrowly avoiding his trial, which was scheduled to begin the same day.
“Like Tremont Blakemore, a north Texas trafficker who pleaded guilty just two weeks ago, Anthony Johnson systematically tormented his victims, convincing them they had no choice but to bend to his will,” said U.S. Attorney Chad Meacham. “It’s difficult to fathom that human trafficking happens on the streets of Dallas, but it does, every day. If you or someone you know is being victimized, reach out for help. As impossible as it may seem in the moment, there is a way out.”
“Those attempting to profit from commercial sex through the viciousness of human trafficking are causing significant harm in our communities,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge of HSI Dallas Christopher Miller. “This defendant’s guilty plea moves one step closer to finding justice for the victims he brutalized and manipulated.”
In plea papers, Mr. Johnson, aka “Macc Bucc,” admitted he forced numerous women to engage in commercial sex acts and turn the proceeds over to him. He set “quotas,” compelled the women to work for hours on end, and brutally beat them with an extension cord when they came up short, “disrespected” him, or did not follow his rules. He also required the women to steal from commercial sex customers, instructing them to rifle through customers’ pockets for cash or jewelry and check their cars for valuables.
One woman, identified in court documents as “Adult Victim 7,” endured his abuse for several years. The night he recruited AV7, Mr. Johnson directed his second-in-command, Demetrice Deckard, to take her to Harry Hines and teach her how to solicit commercial sex customers. She engaged in commercial sex with her first customer just a few days later. Throughout her time in his trafficking organization, AV7 was forced to travel cross-country to engage in commercial sex and was routinely beaten when she tried to leave the organization.
In a pretrial filing, prosecutors indicated they were prepared to introduce into evidence a 911 call placed by a different victim’s mother after her daughter called her in tears from a passerby’s phone.
“She said, ‘mamma, I wanna come home, they won’t let me come home,’ she said, ‘they got everything I got,’” the woman told the dispatcher. “‘Mamma, he got me by gunpoint, he’s got these girls following me, he beat me up real bad.’”
In another pretrial filing, prosecutors indicated that they were also prepared to introduce evidence that Mr. Johnson obtained a contraband cell phone while in jail awaiting trial and used the phone to continue running his organization. According to prosecutors, text messages obtained from the cell phone showed that Mr. Johnson continued to instruct women where to work, which hotels to use, how to steal from customers, and when they could finish work for the night. Mr. Johnson also directed women to send him videos of themselves having sex with commercial sex customers. In plea papers, Mr. Johnson admitted that he also ran his trafficking organization from behind bars from 2014 to 2019, following a conviction for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
Mr. Johnson now faces up to life in federal prison.
Ms. Deckard pleaded guilty in April to conspiracy to engage in trafficking through force, fraud, and coercion and faces up to life in federal prison. Another co-defendant, Ashley Neice, pled guilty to conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding and admitted to conspiring with Mr. Johnson to contact a victim in the criminal case in order to tell her not to cooperate with law enforcement. Ms. Neice faces up to 20 years in federal prison.
Homeland Security Investigations’ Dallas Field Division conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Dallas Police Department, Miami Police Department, and the Miami Office of Attorney General. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Melanie Smith and Renee Hunter prosecuted the case with the help of appellate liaison Brian McKay.
If you believe you or someone you know is a victim of human trafficking, call local law enforcement or the 24/7 confidential National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888.
Man Who Rammed SUV into Police Charged with Drug, Gun CrimesRead the Press Release
An alleged Dallas drug trafficker who rammed his vehicle into a police car during his arrest has been charged with gun and drug crimes, announced U.S Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Angel Manuel Fuentes-Melendez, 23, was indicted on Tuesday with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and one count of possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime.
According to a criminal complained filed previously, in mid-April, DEA agents instructed a confidential source to negotiate the purchase of five kilograms of meth from a Mexican drug supplier he knew through the chat application WhatsApp. The Mexican drug supplier directed the source to meet a local drug supplier – later identified as Mr. Fuentes – at a parking lot on Lombardy Lane in northwest Dallas.
Early in the evening on April 14, teams observed Mr. Fuentes’ black Lincoln SUV exit the parking lot of a nearby apartment complex and pull up behind the source’s vehicle, which was parked in the gas station lot. The source then exited his vehicle and approached Mr. Fuentes’ vehicle to chat; while there, he observed methamphetamine in the defendant’s back seat.
Agents in covert police vehicles surrounded Mr. Fuentes’ vehicle, then activated their lights. Mr. Fuentes immediately placed the vehicle in reverse and collided with the police car behind him, which at the time was flashing red and blue. He was apprehended without further incident and transported to a police station, where he allegedly admitted that he’d been directed to deliver five kilograms of methamphetamine to the confidential source. He said he’d been receiving and delivering roughly 15 to 20 kilograms of meth per month for four to five months.
Meanwhile, agents searched an apartment where Mr. Fuentes had been staying. There, they found 33 kilograms of crystal meth stashed in the bedroom and adjoining closet and a Ruger 9mm pistol placed on top of the dresser in plain view.
Agents noted that three young toddlers were present and playing in the apartment at the time.
An indictment is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. Like all defendants, Mr. Fuentes is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
If convicted, he faces up to life in federal prison.
The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Dallas Field Office and the Dallas Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney L. Rachael Jones is prosecuting the case.
Hearing Aid Company Eargo Inc. Agrees to Pay $34.37 Million to Settle Common Law and False Claims Act Allegations for Unsupported Diagnosis CodesRead the Press Release
Eargo Inc. (Eargo), a for-profit public corporation headquartered in California that sells and dispenses hearing aid devices directly to customers nationwide, has agreed to pay $34.37 million to resolve allegations that it submitted or caused the submission of claims for hearing aid devices for reimbursement to the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) that contained unsupported hearing loss diagnosis codes.
The FEHBP, administered by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM), is the largest employer-sponsored group health insurance program in the world. It provides health benefits through various health insurance carriers and covers over eight million federal employees, retirees, former employees, family members and former spouses. Certain FEHBP health insurance plans elect to offer a hearing aid benefit, which varies from plan to plan. FEHBP carriers that offer a hearing aid benefit require that claims for hearing aid devices include a hearing loss-related diagnosis code. These diagnosis codes must be supported by a hearing loss diagnosis, which is typically based on a hearing test performed by a health care provider.
“The FEHBP plays a vital role in ensuring the health and wellbeing of our nation’s dedicated civil servants and their families,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Department of Justice is committed to the integrity of this program and will pursue appropriate remedies against providers who misuse it.”
“Public servants rely on the FEHBP to keep their families healthy,” said U.S. Attorney Chad E. Meacham for the Northern District of Texas. “Billing the program for medical devices patients may not need raises costs across the board. We are proud to hold Eargo accountable for its alleged use of unsupported diagnosis codes.”
“Submitting unsupported claims to the FEHBP, knowingly and otherwise, harms the American taxpayer,” said Deputy Inspector General Norbert E. Vint of OPM Office of the Inspector General (OPM-OIG). “I am incredibly grateful to our investigative staff and partners at the Department of Justice for their unwavering commitment to protecting the integrity of the FEHBP and preserving the trust fund for the health care of our nation’s dedicated civil servants.”
The United States alleged that, from Jan. 1, 2017, through Jan. 31, 2021, Eargo included unsupported hearing loss-related diagnosis codes on claims for hearing aid devices that Eargo submitted to the FEHBP and on invoices — called superbills — that Eargo provided to FEHBP beneficiaries to obtain reimbursement for such devices from the FEHBP. The United States further alleged that between Feb. 1, 2021, and Sept. 22, 2021, Eargo continued to include these unsupported hearing loss-related diagnosis codes on claims and superbills — even after completing an internal review of its billing and coding practices in January 2021 — resulting in Eargo knowingly submitting or causing the submission of false claims for payment to the FEHBP.
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. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas, with assistance from OPM-OIG.
The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating health care 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 Fraud Section Trial Attorney Samuel Lehman and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth Coffin for the Northern District of Texas.
The claims settled by this agreement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Dallas Man Pleads Guilty to Leading Violent Sex Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
A Dallas man who called himself “Macknificent” pleaded guilty today to human trafficking, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Tremont Blakemore, 42, was first charged in September 2019. He pleaded guilty Wednesday to sex trafficking through force, fraud, and coercion before U.S. District Judge Ada Brown.
“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 this guilty plea will be a balm to survivors as they work to rebuild their lives.”
“This defendant’s era of coercing and violently forcing individuals into the perils of sex trafficking is over thanks to the work of our special agents and law enforcement partners who investigated and arrested this deviant criminal,” said acting Deputy Special Agent in Charge of HIS Dallas Bradley Hudson. “He will soon face the harsh realities of his transgressions as he spends a good portion of his life behind bars.”
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.”
Mr. Blakemore now faces up to 20 years in federal prison. His sentencing has been set for Thursday, Oct. 6.
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 Melanie Smith and Nicole Dana prosecuted the case.
If you believe you or someone you know is a victim of human trafficking, call local law enforcement or the confidential National Human Trafficking Hotline, staffed 24/7, at 1-888-373-7888.
Han Gil Defendant Who Sexually Assaulted, Allegedly Murdered Young Drug User Sentenced to 40 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
The final defendant in the Han Gil drug trafficking case was sentenced today to 40 years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
In June 2021, after seven days of trial, a jury convicted Bryan Reshad Hill, 39, of conspiracy to distribute heroin and crack cocaine. He was sentenced Monday by U.S. District Judge Karen Gren Scholer.
According to evidence presented at trial, Mr. Hill, aka “Black,” dealt heroin and cocaine out of Han Gil Hotel Town, a drug infested establishment shut down by the feds in March 2019. He and other dealers paid an inflated daily rate, dubbed a “drug tax,” to induce the hotel’s proprietor to turn a blind eye to the trafficking occurring inside the building.
The Han Gil – which served as home base for numerous high-level traffickers – saw four confirmed deaths, two non-fatal shootings, and dozens of drug-related incidents in the months before its closure. Numerous drug users, who often injected themselves while still on the premises, were subjected to brutality (including beatings and burnings with a butane torch) and sexual abuse by the dealers headquartered there. The hotel, once located caddy-corner to a local elementary school, has since been demolished.
According to evidence presented at his sentencing hearing, Mr. Hill raped and presumably murdered a 19-year-old drug user inside one of the Han Gil trap rooms on Dec. 27, 2018.
A witness to the assault testified at Mr. Hill’s jury trial that she heard the defendant tell the victim, “stop fighting, you cannot win.” The witness later saw the girl’s lifeless body on the floor of restroom after Mr. Hill exited. Her corpse was dumped in a park in Oak Cliff and recovered a month later.
During the hearing, Judge Scholer stated on the record that based upon her review of surveillance footage taken from the hotel – which showed the defendant carry the near-unconscious victim into the bathroom, then exit the bathroom a short time later wearing gloves on both hands (download footage here) - she determined that because the girl was unable to consent to a sex act, Mr. Hill had perpetrated a sexual assault against a vulnerable victim.
Her death was just one of several stemming from drug incidents at Han Gil. Two former Coppell High School students, both age 22, died of overdoses during the summer of 2018, and the body of an unknown male was removed from the property that fall.
Twenty three additional defendants have already been sentenced in this case, including Han Gil owner Su Amos Mun, who pleaded guilty to maintaining a drug involved premises and was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison, and lead dealer Eric Dewayne Freeman, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute heroin, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possession of a firearm by a felon and was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison.
“Behind the walls of the Han Gil, this defendant committed truly heinous acts,” said U.S. Attorney Chad Meacham. “It has been four years since our office began its investigation of Han Gil Hotel Town, and today, we are proud to bring this sordid case to a close. We know, however, that our work is far from over. We will continue our crack down on violent drug traffickers and the establishments that allow them to operate.”
“To say the crimes that occurred at the Han Gil Hotel were horrendous would not be enough to describe the degree of violence, viciousness, and pain that occurred at the hands of Mr. Hill and others,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Eduardo A. Chávez. “During this time where we honor Victims’ Rights Week, DEA Dallas will continue to work tirelessly to keep these atrocities and other acts of drug-related violence from repeating themselves.”
The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Dallas Field Division conducted the investigation with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office, the Coppell Police Department, the Dallas Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives’ Dallas Field Office, the U.S. Marshal’s Service, IRS - Criminal Investigations, Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Grand Prairie, Arlington, Grapevine, Lancaster, Plano, Farmers Branch, Garland, Rowlett, Denton, Lewisville, and McKinney police departments.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rick Calvert and Phelesa Guy prosecuted the criminal case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Scott Hogan, Lindsey Beran (fmr.), and Braden Civins handled the civil case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Beverly Chapman and Melissa Childs oversaw the forfeiture
Lubbock Postal Contractors Sentenced to 7+ Years for Stealing MailRead the Press Release
Two Lubbock postal contractors have been sentenced to a combined seven years and 10 months in federal prison for possession of stolen mail, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Chad E. Meacham.
The investigation – which culminated in the recovery of more than 8,000 pieces of mail with face values in excess of $4 million – marked the largest ever seizure of stolen mail in Northern District of Texas history.
Joe Roy Rivas, III, 22, and Jessica Lynn Solomon, 35, were indicted in October 2021. Mr. Rivas pleaded guilty in December 2021 to conspiracy to possess stolen mail and he was sentenced earlier this month to 57 months in federal prison. Two weeks after Mr. Rivas entered his plea, Ms. Solomon pleaded guilty to the same charges; she was sentenced Thursday to 37 months in federal prison.
“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service takes any report of mail theft seriously and will conduct an aggressive investigation,” said Thomas Noyes, Postal Inspector in Charge of the Fort Worth Division. “An egregious element of this case was the discovery of these few contractors who chose to violate their position of trust. This action brought to bear a swift and comprehensive response by both Postal Inspectors and our law enforcement partners aimed at bringing the criminal activity to an end. We thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Northern District of Texas for their commitment in seeking justice on behalf of those who were affected by the crimes this group committed. Postal Inspectors will not cease in their ongoing effort to safeguard the U.S. Postal Service, its customers and ensure public trust in the mail.”
According to plea papers, Mr. Rivas and Ms. Solomon were former co-workers at Cargo Force, Inc., a company that contracts with the United States Postal Service to load mail into and out of air containers destined for flights to and from the Lubbock International Airport.
The defendants admitted they began stealing mail at the start of their employment with Cargo Force, approximately two years before they were caught. During their shifts, they sifted through mail looking for items containing merchandise, cash, gift cards, checks, and money orders.
The 8,000 pieces of stolen mail law enforcement recovered from the Rivas and Solomon were post-marked within a four-day period. Law enforcement found the staggering heap of stolen mail stuffed into 55-gallon trash bags and stockpiled inside a residence the two shared in Slaton, Texas.
The investigation revealed that the conspiracy involved regular “washing” of checks – removing the name of one payee to replace it with another – and selling cell phones removed from mail handled by Cargo Force.
At their sentencing hearings, prosecutors advised that the mail was destined for 36 states within the contiguous United States, Washington, D.C., and the Virgin Islands.
Prosecutors highlighted some of the mail that had been kept from its proper recipients: a multitude of payments to entities such as mortgage bankers; over 40 pieces of mail related to federal court proceedings; more than 50 letters from local college admissions offices to applicants; and numerous greeting cards intended to brighten someone’s day. The addresses and addressors included churches, charitable organizations, prison ministries, local judicial and law enforcement entities, financial institutions, trust companies, banks, lenders, local school districts, hospitals, hospices, pharmaceutical companies, medical equipment companies, and funeral homes.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Slaton Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ann Howey and Jeff Haag prosecuted the case.
Local Santa Rosa Lima Cartel Cell Head Sentenced for Drug Crimes, Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
A local Dallas cell head who worked with the Santa Rosa Lima Drug Cartel and other Mexico-based drug trafficking organizations was sentenced Wednesday to more than 16 years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Carlos Espinoza Juarez, an 33-year-old Mexican national, pleaded guilty in July 2020 to money laundering and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin. He was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Ed Kinkeade.
According to plea papers, Mr. Juarez admitted he conspired to traffic drugs.
On Feb. 8, 2015, he admitted, he directed codefendant Heriberto Talamantes-Ceballos to deliver approximately one ounce of heroin to a buyer in exchange for $880.00; about a month later, on March 12, he directed codefendant Edwin Contreras-Diaz to deliver approximately three ounces of heroin to a buyer in exchange for $2640.00. Both men did so. The defendant also admitted to sending approximately three kilograms of heroin to Dorchester, Massachusetts.
Mr. Juarez further admitted to orchestrating a series of other drug deliveries, spanning from Texas to South Carolina, over the course of at least four years.
He also admitted to using fake names to wire money to recipients in Guanajuato, Mexico, in an effort to launder the proceeds of his illegal drug dealing.
As part of his plea deal, Mr. Juarez agreed to forfeit more than $35,000, six firearms, and two vehicles, including a Chevy Tahoe and a GMC Sierra. A foreign citizen in the U.S. illegally, he will face deportation proceedings after serving his sentence.
Seven additional defendants have been convicted in this case:
- Edwin Contreras-Diaz, aka “Flaco” – pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute heroin
- Heriberto Talamantes-Ceballos – pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute heroin
- Marcos Fernando Valle – pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine
- Adrian Lopez Olalde – pleaded guilty to money laundering and was sentenced to 72 months in federal prison
- Omar Suarez-Garcia – pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin
- Bianca Jeannette Martinez – pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin
- John Paul Sanchez – pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin
The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Dallas Field Division and the Texas Department of Public Safety conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Grand Prairie Police Department, Grapevine Police Department, Lancaster Police Department, Dallas Police Department, Haltom City Police Department, the DEA’s Boston Field Division, the 24th Judicial district Drug and Violent Crime Drug Task Force, Decatur County, TN, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, the Will County Sheriff’s Office, Peotone, IL., the Illinois State Police, Columbia Police Department, Columbia, South Carolina and IRS - Criminal Investigations. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney George Leal.
The case stemmed from an Organized Crime Drug Task Force (OCDETF) investigation led by the North Texas OCEDTF Strike Force. The OCDETF program was established in 1982 in order to attack and reduce the supply of illegal drugs entering the United States and to diminish violence and other criminal activity associated with the drug trade. The OCDETF program works with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to identify, disrupt, and dismantle, drug traffickers and drug trafficking networks.
Liberian National Sentenced to 10 Years for $23 Million COVID-19 Relief FraudRead the Press Release
A Liberian national who orchestrated a fraudulent scheme to secure more than $23 million in forgivable Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans was sentenced Thursday afternoon to 10 years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Steven Jalloul, a 43-year-old tax consultant from the Dallas area, was first charged via criminal complaint in September 2020; he pleaded guilty on in October 2021 to a superseding information charging him with one count of engaging in monetary transactions using property derived from unlawful activity. He was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jane J. Boyle.
“Mr. Jalloul callously exploited the Paycheck Protection Program, which was designed to keep struggling businesses afloat during the pandemic. He took money out of the hands of businesspeople who truly needed it,” said U.S. Attorney Chad E. Meacham. “The Justice Department will not stand for PPP fraud.”
According to plea papers, Mr. Jalloul admitted he defrauded lenders participating in the Paycheck Protection Program — a measure authorized by Congress in the early days of the pandemic to award forgivable loans to small business impacted by COVID-19 — while awaiting sentencing in a separate tax fraud case.
In court documents, he admitted that he submitted roughly 170 falsified PPP loan applications to lenders (including through a fintech company) seeking more than $23 million on behalf of over 160 clients of his tax preparation business, Royalty Tax & Financial Services LLC.
Mr. Jalloul admitted he inflated clients’ employee rosters and monthly payroll expenses in order to increase the amount of PPP funds for which their businesses would be eligible. He generally charged clients a 2 to 20 percent commission on the PPP loans they received and even listed his ex-wife as Royalty Tax’s authorized representative, without her consent, when seeking an inflated PPP loan for his own business.
In total, 97 false PPP loan applications were ultimately approved, and Mr. Jalloul’s clients were awarded more than $12 million in PPP money. Those clients paid him at least $972,114 in fees. Mr. Jalloul also admitted to submitting a fraudulent PPP loan application on behalf of his tax preparer company and received $163,500 in PPP funds.
Mr. Jalloul was already behind bars at FCI-Seagoville, having pleaded guilty to tax fraud in the separate case in January 2020; in that case, he was sentenced to six years in federal prison. Judge Boyle ruled that he will serve his sentence in the PPP case consecutive to his sentence in the tax fraud case.
The Dallas Field Offices of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation's Office of Inspector General and IRS - Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Fabio Leonardi and Marty Basu are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dimitri Rocha is handling the asset-forfeiture component of the case.
The Paycheck Protection Program 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 initially provided for up to $349 billion in forgivable loans to small businesses for payroll costs and certain other expenses, including rent; in April 2020, Congress authorized more than $300 billion in additional PPP funding. The PPP allows qualifying small businesses to receive loans with a maturity of two years and an interest rate of 1 percent. In addition, the PPP allows both the interest and principal on the loans to be forgiven if the business spends the money on qualifying expenses within a designated period of time
Fort Worth Man Sentenced to 35 Years for Sexually Abusing 7-Year-OldRead the Press Release
A Fort Worth man was sentenced today to 35 years in federal prison for sexually abusing a 7-year-old girl, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Sherman Moore, 65, pleaded guilty in November 2021 to sexual exploitation of children. He was sentenced Friday by U.S. District Judge Reed C. O’Connor.
According to plea papers, Mr. Moore admitted that in the fall of 2019, he enticed a 7-year-old child into sexually explicit conduct in order to videotape her.
On Sept. 7, Mr. Moore recorded a video focusing on the victim’s genitals as she walked across her mother’s bed in her home in Fort Worth. He then uploaded the file to his Google Drive.
Fort Worth Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations’ Fort Worth Field Division conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aisha Saleem prosecuted the case.
11 Defendants Plead Guilty in $300 Million Healthcare FraudRead the Press Release
Just two months after being charged, all 11 defendants implicated in the $300 million Spectrum/Reliable healthcare fraud have pleaded guilty, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Ten defendants, including two medical doctors, were indicted February 9. An eleventh defendant was charged on March 16.
Six of the original ten defendants – Laredo-based internal medicine doctor Eduardo Canova, family medicine doctor Jose Maldonado, nurse practitioner Keith Wichinski, Reliable Labs cofounder Abraham Phillips, marketing firm owner Juan David Rojas, and marketing employee Laura Ortiz – filed plea papers on February 11, just two days after being indicted. The final defendant – Reliable Labs cofounder Biby Kurian – filed plea papers on April 6 and entered her plea on April 13.
“The swift resolution of this case is a testament to both our office and to the investigative agencies that worked diligently to ensure our case was airtight,” said U.S. Attorney Chad Meacham. “We cannot allow physicians’ judgement to be clouded by financial considerations.”
“This proactive investigation identified an illegal kickback conspiracy that resulted in substantial evidence and a guilty plea from each defendant,” said Dallas FBI Special Agent in Charge Matthew J. DeSarno. “I commend our partners and the Northern District of Texas for their meticulous work in unraveling the schemes perpetrated by these defendants, and for their work to protect American taxpayers and the integrity of our healthcare system.”
According to court documents, the founders of several lab companies, including Unified Laboratory Services, Spectrum Diagnostic Laboratory, and Reliable Labs LLC, paid kickbacks to induce medical professionals to order medically unnecessary lab tests, which they then billed to Medicare and other federal healthcare programs.
The medical professionals -- including Dr. Canova, Dr. Maldonado, and Mr. Wichinski – accepted the bribes and ordered millions of dollars’ worth of tests.
Meanwhile, Unified, Spectrum, and Reliable disguised the kickbacks as legitimate business transactions, including as medical advisor agreement payments, salary offsets, lease payments, and marketing commissions.
The labs, through marketers, paid doctors hundreds of thousands of dollars for “advisory services” which were never performed in return for lab test referrals. They also paid portions of the doctors’ staff’s salaries and a portion of their office leases, contingent on the number of lab tests they referred each month. In some instances, lab marketers even made direct payments to the provider’s spouse. (When the labs threatened one provider that payments would cease if he didn’t refer more tests, he immediately increased his lab referrals, averaging approximately 20 to 30 referrals per day.)
Knowing they could disguise additional kickbacks using a provider-ownership model, the founder of Spectrum and Unified, Jeffrey Madison, convinced the co-founders of Reliable to convert Reliable into a physician-owned lab. Reliable offered physicians ownership opportunities only if those physicians referred an adequate number of lab tests. In some cases, they made advance disbursement payment to physicians in an effort to appease the physician and ensure he would not send samples to other labs.
As a result of these kickbacks, laboratories controlled by the defendants were able to submit more than $300 million in billing to federal government healthcare programs.
In plea papers, Dr. Maldonado admitted he received more than $400,000 in kickbacks for ordering more than $4 million worth of lab tests; Dr. Canova admitted he received more than $300,000 in kickbacks for ordering more than $12 million worth of lab tests.
Defendants’ pleas are as follows:
• Jeffrey Paul Madison, founder of Unified Laboratory Services and Spectrum Diagnostic Laboratory – conspiracy to pay and receive healthcare kickbacks and a substantive count of paying and receiving healthcare kickbacks (two counts)
• Mark Christopher Boggess, chief operating officer for Spectrum and Unified – misprison (concealment) of a felony
• Biby Ancy Kurian, co-founder of Reliable Labs, LLC – conspiracy to pay kickbacks
• Abraham Phillips, co-founder of Reliable Labs, LLC – conspiracy to pay kickbacks
• Dr. Jose Roel Maldonado, family medicine doctor based in Laredo – conspiracy to solicit and receive illegal kickbacks
• Dr. Eduardo Carlos Canova, internal medicine specialist based in Laredo – conspiracy to solicit and receive illegal kickbacks
• Keith Allen Wichinski, board-certified nurse practitioner based in San Antonio – conspiracy to solicit or receive kickbacks
• David Michael Lizcano, owner of DCLH, a marketing firm engaged by Unified, Spectrum, and Reliable – conspiracy to pay and receive healthcare kickbacks and a substantive count of paying and receiving healthcare kickbacks (two counts)
• Laura Ortiz, sister of David Lizcano and employee at his marketing firm – conspiracy to pay and receive healthcare kickbacks
• Juan David Rojas, owner of Rojas & Associates, another marketing firm engaged by Unified, Spectrum, and Reliable – conspiracy to pay and receive healthcare kickbacks
• Sherman Kennerson, investor in Unified (charged via criminal information) – conspiracy to pay kickbacks
Under the applicable statutes, Mr. Madison and Mr. Lizcano face up to 15 years each in federal prison. Mr. Kennerson, Ms. Ortiz, Mr. Phillips, Ms. Kurian, Dr. Maldonado, Dr. Canova, Mr. Wichinski, and Mr. Rojas face up to five years; Mr. Boggess faces up to three years.
“The expeditious resolution of this matter is a testament to the thorough investigation and valuable collaboration between investigative partners and prosecutors,” said Miranda L. Bennett, Special Agent in Charge for the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Health and Human Services. “We will continue working with our partners to protect federal health care programs and the beneficiaries who depend on these programs for treatment and care.”
“As the investigative arm of the DoD Office of Inspector General, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) and our colleagues work hard to hold accountable those who undermine Federal health care programs such as TRICARE, “said Acting Special Agent in Charge Gregory P. Shilling of the DCIS Southwest Field Office. "Safeguarding TRICARE not only protects our warfighters, their families, and retirees, but it also preserves valuable taxpayer resources."
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office – Fort Worth Resident Agency conducted the investigation with the assistance of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Investigations, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), and the Veterans Affairs’ Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney P.J. Meitl is prosecuting the case.
Gang Member Sentenced to 15+ Years for Firearm CrimesRead the Press Release
A Dallas gang member who sold multiple firearms to an undercover ATF agent was sentenced today to more than 15 years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Vinson Lee Willis, Jr., aka “Man Man,” pleaded guilty in September 2021 to three counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He was sentenced Tuesday to 188 months in federal prison.
In plea papers, Mr. Willis, a convicted felon, admitted to unlawful possession of at least 17 firearms, including one with an obliterated serial number.
According to court documents, an undercover agent made contact with Mr. Willis through a drug dealer and fugitive, Derek Orban, who told a confidential informant that Mr. Willis sold firearms.
On Aug. 8, 2019, the agent accompanied the drug dealer and the confidential informant to a residence on Life Avenue, where the undercover purchased three firearms from Mr. Willis. Over the next two weeks, the agent purchased eight additional firearms from Mr. Willis.
During a transaction on Aug. 13, a Texas Department of Public Safety helicopter conducting aerial surveillance recorded Mr. Willis retrieving an assault rifle from a vehicle parked on Life Avenue, then delivering it to the undercover agent and confidential informant.
At Mr. Willis’ sentencing hearing, an agent testified that one of the firearms Mr. Willis sold the undercover was submitted to the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) and determined to have been the murder weapon used in a homicide that occurred only months earlier.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives’ Dallas Field Division conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Irving Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Abe McGlothin and Cara Pierce (fmr.) prosecuted the case.
Lubbock Man Pleads Guilty to Thanksgiving Week Threat Against Ex-WifeRead the Press Release
A Lubbock man pleaded guilty today to threatening to kill his ex-wife, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Gene Garcia Solis, 48, was charged via criminal complaint in November 2021 and indicted the following month. He pleaded guilty on Monday to interstate threatening communications.
According to plea papers, Mr. Solis admitted that on Nov. 24, 2021 – the day before Thanksgiving – he told a Lubbock police officer that he planned to kill his ex-wife and anyone who tried to stop him and then commit suicide.
Fearing for his ex-wife’s safety, officers set up surveillance at her residence. That evening, at around 10:30 p.m., Mr. Solis drove by the home.
When officers attempted to stop his car, he fled. Nearly three hours later, law enforcement spotted the defendant in Hale Center, Texas, and once again attempted to stop his car. He attempted to flee, but hit a spike strip and crashed in the parking lot of a Texas National Guard Armory.
Mr. Solis exited the vehicle, fired several rounds from an AR 15-style rifle, and ran inside the Armory. He finally surrendered to law enforcement after about a 30-hours standoff.
He now faces up to five years in federal prison. His sentencing date has not yet been set.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office, Lubbock Resident Agency, and the Lubbock Police Department conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Hale County Sheriff’s Department, the Lubbock County Sheriff’s Office, and the Texas Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeff Haag and Callie Woolam are prosecuting the case.
Jury Finds Tulsa Man Guilty of Drug, Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
A cocaine trafficker from Tulsa was convicted at trial of drug and gun charges, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
After three days of trial and seven hours of deliberation, a federal jury in Dallas found Roberto Chairez, 33, guilty of one count of attempted possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to evidence presented at trial, in July 2020, Mr. Chairez negotiated the purchase of two kilograms of cocaine with another individual in Dallas in exchange for $58,000 in cash. Later that month, he drove from his home in Tulsa to Dallas to purchase the cocaine, renting a hotel room in Dallas for the night.
The morning of the intended purchase, he communicated again with the cocaine supplier, and began driving to the drug deal. On his way there, a Texas Department of Public Safety trooper, working in partnership with the DEA, stopped his car and found $58,000 hidden inside. The trooper also found a high-capacity firearm in Mr. Chairez’s center console.
“Drug trafficking and its frequent companion, drug-related violence, threaten the health and safety of every single one of us,” said Eduardo A. Chávez, Special Agent in Charge of DEA’s Dallas Field Division. “Mr. Chairez’s conviction holds him directly responsible for his intended actions and has undoubtedly saved lives, with a weapon off the streets and drugs that will never find a life to destroy.”
Mr. Chairez now faces up to life in federal prison. His sentencing date has not yet been set.
The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Dallas Field Office and the Texas Department of Public Safety conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys P.J. Meitl and John Kull prosecuted the case. Chief U.S. District Judge Barbara M.G. Lynn presided over trial.
Amarillo Men Plead Guilty to Defrauding Cattle Feed Supplement CompanyRead the Press Release
Two Amarillo men who defrauded a manufacturer of cattle feed supplements out of more than $474,000 pleaded guilty today to wire fraud, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Philip Ian Thomas, 41, and Hadley Lane Jones, 30, pleaded guilty Wednesday to conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
In plea papers, the pair admitted they defrauded Westway Feed Products, LLC, a North American liquid feed supplement company.
The company hired Mr. Thomas to manage its Dimmitt, Texas plant in October 2014, giving him discretion to approve repair and maintenance projects costing up to $3,000.
Two years later, Mr. Thomas and Mr. Jones concocted a scheme in which Mr. Thomas would create and approve fraudulent invoices for work Mr. Jones purportedly – but did not actually – perform.
In November 2016, Mr. Thomas instructed Westway’s accounting department to add Mr. Jones as an approved contractor. He then created two invoices for welding he said Mr. Jones had performed, one for $1,490 and another for $1,200.
Despite knowing that Mr. Jones had performed only one project listed on the first invoice, a welding job itemized at $495, Mr. Thomas stamped and signed the contracts. Westway’s accounting department then paid the invoices. When the $2,690 transfer reached Mr. Jones’ bank account, he immediately withdrew $2,000 and gave it to Mr. Thomas.
The pair continued the scheme into March 2020, repeatedly submitting fraudulent invoices to the Westway’s accounting department, which the company paid to Mr. Jones, who split the cash with Mr. Thomas.
To further the fraudulent scheme, Mr. Jones even created a sham business, “Elite Welding Service,” to make the invoices appear more legitimate.
In total, Mr. Thomas fabricated hundreds of fictitious invoices detailing jobs Mr. Jones purportedly performed, inducing his employer to pay Mr. Jones more than $474,429. With the exception of one $5,000 invoice, Mr. Thomas set all of the invoices at or below the $3,000 approval limit, thus avoiding scrutiny by upper level management.
Both Mr. Thomas and Mr. Jones now face up to 20 years in federal prison. Their sentencing date has not yet been set.
The U.S. Secret Service’s Lubbock Resident Office, conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ann Howey prosecuted the case.
Man, 72, Convicted of Attempted Bank Robbery in AbileneRead the Press Release
A 72 year-old El Paso man was found guilty of attempted bank robbery on Tuesday, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
After two days of trial and just two hours of deliberation, a federal jury in Lubbock convicted James Earl Green, Jr. of attempted bank robbery.
According to evidence presented at trial, at approximately 7:40 a.m. on Sept. 24, 2019, Mr. Green accosted a First State Bank employee as she was attempting to enter the bank for opening.
Mr. Green held a handgun to the employee’s head and pushed her inside the bank, where he held her for approximately 20 minutes. During that time, surveillance video caught the defendant on camera pacing back and forth with an identifiable limp.
A second bank employee arrived at 7:57 a.m., and a struggle ensued. (Download surveillance footage here.) During the melee, Mr. Green struck the first employee on the head with his handgun. He then fled on foot without obtaining any money, leaving his two duffel bags behind.
An anonymous tipster notified the Abilene Police Department that a gold Cadillac had been parked across the street from the bank the morning before the robbery. Law enforcement then identified the Cadillac – a four door sedan with its front right hub cap cover missing – in surveillance video pulled from the bank’s vicinity. An employee of the City of Abilene narrowed down gold Cadillacs from a list of more than 11,000 to locate a matching gold Cadillac belonging to Mr. Green.
After learning that Mr. Green lived in El Paso, officers reached out to an individual there that knew him, who reviewed the bank surveillance video and noted that the robber in the video walked in a similar manner to Mr. Green, who wore a prosthetic leg. She also shared a photo of Mr. Green’s Cadillac, which was gold and missing its front right hub cap cover.
Meanwhile, the Texas Department of Public Safety’s Crime Lab extracted a DNA profile from the duffel bag, ran it through the FBI’s Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), and found a match to a sample from Mr. Green. Additionally, a member of the FBI’s Cellular Analysis Survey Team obtained historical cell phone data from Mr. Green’s cell phone provider and placed Mr. Green’s cell phone traveling to Abilene from El Paso days before the attempted bank robbery and returning from Abilene to El Paso immediately following the attempted robbery.
Mr. Green now faces up to 20 years in federal prison. His sentencing has been set for July 21.
The Abilene Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas and El Paso Field Offices, and the Texas Department of Public Safety’s Crime Laboratory conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Callie Woolam and Ryan Redd tried the case. U.S. District Judge James Wesley Hendrix presided over the trial.
Elite Healthcare Owner Sentenced to Two Years for Defrauding Health InsurerRead the Press Release
The owner of a medical consulting company was sentenced today to two years in federal prison for defrauding health insurers, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Steven Berglund, the 52-year-old owner of Elite Healthcare, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and healthcare fraud on Nov. 10, 2021 – three days into his criminal trial. He later attempted to withdraw his plea, arguing that the stress of the trial had left him with diminished mental capacity. The court rejected his attempts, ruling that Mr. Berglund had understood his plea and entered it knowingly and voluntarily. He was sentenced Tuesday by U.S. Senior District Judge Terry Means.
At his trial, the government had introduced evidence showing that Mr. Berglund had organized and led an elaborate “pass-through billing” scheme in which health insurers were deceived into paying Palo Pinto General Hospital for laboratory tests were actually performed by out-of-network laboratories. (Due to its status as a rural hospital, Palo Pinto was often able to receive higher reimbursements than urban hospitals or out-of-network labs.)
The evidence also showed that Mr. Berglund and his coconspirators used an overseas company to conduct the fraudulent billing, and used front companies to pay kickbacks to induce doctors to order more laboratory tests.
In plea papers, Mr. Berglund admitted to the scheme.
According to court documents, Mr. Berglund and other members of the conspiracy submitted more than $54 million in laboratory services claims; as a result, insurers paid Palo Pinto more than $8 million. After paying the out-of-network labs, the billing company involved in the scheme, and kickbacks, the coconspirators divvied up rest of the proceeds.
Four of Mr. Berglund’s coconspirators were previously sentenced:
- Aaron Cerpanya, co-owner of Elite, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud and was sentenced to 12 months + one day in prison.
- Adam Gardner, co-founder of MedHealth Solutions, also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud and was sentenced to 12 months + one day in prison.
- Cody Waddell, co-founder of MedHealth Solutions, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud and was sentenced to 18 months in prison.
- Harris Brooks, former CEO of Palo Pinto, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud and was sentenced to five years’ probation.
The court ordered all five defendants jointly and severally liable for $2.4 million in restitution.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matt Weybrecht, Mark Nichols, and Megan Fahey (fmr) prosecuted the case.
- Aaron Cerpanya, co-owner of Elite, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud and was sentenced to 12 months + one day in prison.
Three Drug Traffickers Sentenced to 48 Years After Striking Police VehicleRead the Press Release
Three drug traffickers who attempted to run a sheriff’s office vehicle off the road have been sentenced to a combined 48 years in federal prison, announce U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Kyle Willeke, 31, pleaded guilty in November 2021 to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced Thursday by U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk to 20 years in federal prison. His coconspirator, Ricardo Rodriguez, 35, pleaded guilty to the same charge and was sentenced on Wednesday to 20 years in federal prison. Monique Derau, 26, pleaded guilty in November 2021 to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and misprison of a felony and was sentenced Wednesday to eight years in federal prison.
According to plea papers, on Aug. 19, 2021, a Potter County Sheriff’s Office deputy attempted to pull over a Toyota Rav4 for a traffic violation. The deputy activated his lights, but a Nissan Infiniti struck his patrol car, causing the vehicle to spin out of control. Both the Rav4 and the Infiniti continued without stopping following the collision.
Law enforcement later identified the diver of the Rav4 as Ricardo Rodriguez, the driver of the Infiniti as Monique Derau, and the passenger who grabbed the wheel of the Infiniti to strike the deputy’s vehicle as Kyle Willeke.
Officers traced Ms. Derau’s phone and located her traveling east on Interstate 40 in a rental car. They stopped the vehicle, which at that point was carrying Ms. Derau, Mr. Rodriguez, and Mr. Willeke.
During a safety sweep of Ms. Derau’s rental, they found a box containing seven bags of methamphetamine weighing approximately 7.57 kilograms. Ms. Derau later told HSI agents that the drugs belonged to Mr. Rodriguez and Mr. Willeke. When asked about their travel plans, she changed her story several times.
Homeland Security Investigations’ Dallas Field Division and the Potter County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s South Central Laboratory. Assistant U.S. Attorney Josh Fausto prosecuted the case.
Former Dallas Police Officer Sentenced to 30 Months for Lying About Conversations with Ok Corral OwnerRead the Press Release
A former Dallas police officer was sentenced Thursday evening to 30 months in federal prison for lying to federal agents about his role in obstructing an FBI investigation into a nightclub magnate later convicted of a massive drug conspiracy, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Eddie Villarreal, 53, pleaded guilty in January 2018 to making a false statement to the FBI. He was sentenced Thursday by U.S. District Judge Sam A. Lindsay, who ordered him to pay a fine of $10,000.
“This is not what a police officer is supposed to do. It is the opposite,” Judge Lindsay remarked at sentencing. “When that trust is broken, a police officer must be held accountable, that’s the bottom line.”
According to his plea papers, during his tenure as a Dallas police officer, Mr. Villarreal also served as head of security for Alfredo Hinojosa, the owner of a string of nightclubs including Ok Corral and Far West, and routinely assisted Mr. Hinojosa and his employees with criminal matters.
On April 14, 2014, Mr. Villarreal admitted, he answered a call from club promoter Martin “Chava” Rodriguez, who informed Mr. Villarreal that he suspected he was being followed by law enforcement. (In fact, he was being tailed by FBI.) Mr. Villarreal instructed Mr. Rodriguez to pull over, then drove out to meet him.
Upon arriving, Mr. Villarreal pulled up behind the FBI vehicle and activated his red and blue emergency lights. After confirming the vehicle’s occupants were FBI agents, he introduced himself as a DPD officer and offered to help them with their investigation into Mr. Rodriguez. In reality, Mr. Villarreal later admitted, he never intended to assist the FBI, but rather wanted to learn more about the investigations in order to pass the information along to Mr. Hinojosa, Mr. Rodriguez, and others.
Shortly thereafter, Mr. Villarreal called one of the agents and provided information about a target who he said was dealing cocaine out of nightclub bathrooms. He later admitted that he did so in order to deflect attention from Mr. Hinojosa.
The following day, FBI agents called Mr. Villarreal to advise him of a grand jury investigation into Mr. Rodriguez and others.
Subsequent to that conversation, Mr. Villarreal admitted, he visited Mr. Hinojosa at his office and informed him of the investigation and its targets, telling Mr. Hinojosa, “you got detectives that don’t know anything about you… I can get in trouble if they think I’m warning you.” Upon learning that the FBI might be surveilling his nightclubs, Mr. Hinojosa said he wanted to “tighten down” on drug sales in club bathrooms.
On May 7, 2015, FBI agents reached out to Mr. Villarreal to ask if he had informed anyone of the Rodriguez stop or grand jury investigation. Mr. Villarreal denied any such disclosures.
He resigned from the police department five months later, in October 2015.
“By alerting his clients to an ongoing investigation, Mr. Villarreal undermined the hard work of his law enforcement colleagues and sullied his badge,” said U.S. Attorney Chad Meacham. “He took an oath to serve and protect – and promptly did the opposite. The Justice Department will not allow this kind of misconduct to go unpunished.”
“The public expects police officers to be honest, trustworthy, and to prioritize protecting their community from dangerous individuals. The defendant not only failed to protect his community, but also lied to a fellow law enforcement officer. He provided sensitive information that could have jeopardized the outcome of a criminal investigation. The FBI and our law enforcement partners will hold accountable any officer that breaks the law and endangers the lives of others,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge Matthew DeSarno.
Mr. Hinojosa and Mr. Rodriguez were later convicted at trial of managing drug premises, conspiracy to manage drug premises, and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine. Multiple witnesses testified that the pair knew drug trafficking was occurring on their premises and openly ordered security personnel to allow it. Mr. Hinojosa and Mr. Rodriguez are now facing up to life in federal prison. Their sentencing has been set for June 3 and July 22, respectively.
More than 30 defendants – including Mr. Villarreal’s former DPD colleague, Craig Woods – have been convicted in connection with the case.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office conducted the investigation, dubbed “Operation Closing Time,” with the assistance of the Dallas Police Department. The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission's Enforcement Division provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorneys P.J. Meitl, Errin Martin, Nicole Dana, and Melanie Smith prosecuted the case.
Two Men Sentenced to Combined 8 Years in $1.5 Million Apple Gift Card SchemeRead the Press Release
The perpetrators of a $1.5 million Apple gift card scheme have been sentenced to a combined eight years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Syed Ali, 29, and his co-conspirator, Jason Tout-Puissant, 27, both pleaded guilty to wire fraud in 2019. Mr. Ali was sentenced in October 2021 by U.S. District Judge David Godbey to 37 months in federal prison; Mr. Tout-Puissant was sentenced today by the same judge to 60 months in federal prison and ordered to pay $1.26 million in restitution to Apple.
According to plea papers, Mr. Tout-Puissant admitted that he stole multiple Apple point-of-sale devices – nicknamed “Isaacs” – from an Apple store in Southlake, Texas, then sat outside the store, logged onto the store’s wifi network, and loaded thousands of dollars of fraudulent store credits onto gift cards.
He then loaded the giftcards onto Apple Passbook, an application that generates QR codes for the value of gift cards, and sent screenshots of those codes to Mr. Ali.
In his plea papers, Mr. Ali admitted that he and an unindicted coconspirator used those QR codes to purchase thousands of dollars’ worth of Apple products from brick-and-mortar retail stores in New York.
According to the indictment, the conspiracy involved more than $1.5 million in fraudulently obtained Apple gift cards.
“If these defendants thought their million-dollar fraud would go unnoticed simply because they targeted a trillion-dollar company, they were sorely mistaken,” said U.S. Attorney Chad Meacham. “The Justice Department will not tolerate fraud against any company, be it a multinational corporation or a mom-and-pop operation. We are grateful to our FBI partners for their work on this case.”
“The FBI is committed to tackling fraud schemes from every angle, and today the defendants will now be held accountable,” said Dallas FBI Special Agent in Charge Matthew J. DeSarno. “This carefully orchestrated scheme resulted in financial loss for a large corporation, and that fraud also victimizes American consumers.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office conducted the investigation. The New York Field Office assisted with Mr. Ali’s arrest. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sid Mody prosecuted the case.