Northern District of Texas
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Kidnapper Michael Webb Sentenced to Life for Abducting 8-Year-Old GirlRead the Press Release
Kidnapper Michael Webb has been sentenced to life in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox.
Following a two-day trial in September, a federal jury in Fort Worth deliberated for less than 10 minutes before convicting Webb, 51, of kidnapping an 8-year-old girl.
“The defendant stole this victim's innocence,” U.S. Attorney Nealy Cox said in Court. "She knows that there is evil in this world. Evil has a face, and that face is Michael Webb's."
“A dangerous predator is spending the rest of his life behind bars because law enforcement and citizen volunteers worked tirelessly to safely bring the victim home. The FBI’s North Texas Child Exploitation Task Force is committed to assisting our law enforcement partners in the protection of the most vulnerable in our community,” FBI Special Agent in Charge Matthew J. DeSarno of the Dallas Field Office said in a statement following the verdict. “Today’s sentence sends an important message to all predators. We will not allow any crime against children to go unpunished.”
According to evidence presented at trial, Webb grabbed the little girl as she and her mother were walking down Fort Worth’s 6th Avenue at 6:38 p.m. on Saturday, May 18. Neighborhood surveillance video shows the victim’s mother knocked to the ground as Webb’s car drives away.
The victim’s mother testified, describing her daughter as “brave, strong, and smart” before describing for the jury the horrific details of the “physical fight” for her daughter’s life.
In a three-hour recorded interview with the FBI, Webb confessed to the kidnapping, admitting that after successfully fighting off the child’s mother, he drove to a church parking lot. Later that evening, he admitted that he took the girl to Forest Hill’s WoodSprings Suites hotel, where he carried the child into a room and held her captive.
It was around midnight when a tip led Forest Hill police officers to Webb’s room. Shortly before their arrival, Webb admitted to threatening the girl, and hiding the girl from law enforcement in a small laundry basket. The officers, having visually inspected the room, left without finding the child.
Meanwhile, friends, volunteers, and law enforcement canvassed the city of Fort Worth looking for the missing girl. It was ultimately the efforts of a family friend who spotted Webb’s Ford sedan and called 911. Fort Worth Police Department responded and confirmed that there appeared to be blood on the front passenger seat. Law enforcement then acted quickly to gain entry into the hotel room, rescuing the victim who was found hidden in the laundry basket.
“We got her, we got her!” officers announced on their radios. “He’s in custody; we have her.”
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s North Texas Child Exploitation Task Force, the Fort Worth Police Department’s Major Case Unit Taskforce, which includes representatives of local law enforcement around the region, Homeland Security Investigations and the Texas Department of Public Safety. U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox and Assistant U.S. Attorney Aisha Saleem, the District’s Project Safe Childhood Coordinator, are prosecuting the case. U.S. District Judge Reed C. O’Connor presided over the trial.
NDTX Round-Up November 12, 2019Read the Press Release
GUILTY PLEA – Demeron Jamal Brown
On November 7, Demeron Jamal Brown, 36, pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute heroin and possession of a firearm by a felon. Brown and his coconspirators utilized a room within the Han Gil Hotel to distribute heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine, and other drugs to customers. He was arrested when officers responded to a 911 call regarding a man armed with an assault rifle. Officers seized 187 grams of cocaine, 900 grams of methamphetamine, and various other drugs. Brown faces up to 20 years in federal custody. To read more about the Han Gil case, click here or here. This investigation was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the case was prosecuted by AUSA Rick Calvert and AUSA Phelesa Guy.
GUILTY PLEA – Pedro Perez-Velazquez
On November 7, Pedro Perez-Velazquez, 49, pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. Perez-Velazquez drove a vehicle with methamphetamine concealed in the tires from Mexico to Dallas on multiple occasions. He routinely dropped off the vehicle at a location where the tires would be dismantled, and would wait in a hotel until the drugs had been retrieved. He faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and prosecuted by AUSA Rachael Jones.
GUILTY PLEA – Constance Marie Kelly
On November 5, Constance Marie Kelly pled guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Between 2002 and 2007, Kelly had access to funds deposited in an escrow account at Compass Bank and used this access to move funds to the bank account controlled by her codefendant. Kelly moved a total of $1.4 million in furtherance of this crime. She faces up to 5 years in federal custody and a $250,000 fine. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation – Dallas Field Office and is prosecuted by AUSA David Jarvis.
GUILTY PLEA – Roger Rojas Aventura
On November 5, Roger Rojas Aventura, 35, pled guilty to receipt of child pornography. The Ozark, Arkansas Police Department conducted an investigation into the eDonkey peer-to-peer file sharing network. Law enforcement officials found that Rojas Aventura’s IP address was linked to the website and had downloaded child pornography. He possessed over 130 images and 201 videos of child pornography. He faces up to 20 years in federal custody. This case was investigated by the US Department of Homeland Security, the Ozark Police Department, and the Dallas Police Department and is prosecuted by SAUSA Danielle Jones.
SENTENCING - James Jeaphier Tobar Ramon
On November 4, James Jeaphier Tobar Ramon, 29, was sentenced to 4 years in federal custody and over $1 million in restitution for his racketeer influenced and corrupt organization conspiracy. Tobar and his coconspirators used rental vehicles, obtained by fraudulent identification documents, to stop a traveling jewelry salesman’s car. They broke the window of the defendant’s car and stole over $1 million in diamonds and personal property. This was one of many robberies that were committed by this group, who disguised their identities using long sleeved clothing, gloves, and masks. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Dallas Violent Crime Squad and prosecuted by AUSA Keith Robinson.
Dallas Man Charged with Carjacking After Brutal Assault Inside Parking GarageRead the Press Release
A Laredo man has been charged via federal criminal complaint with carjacking resulting in serious bodily injury after brutally assaulting a woman in a downtown Dallas parking garage, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox.
David Cadena – who had twice bonded out of Dallas County Jail after being charged by the state with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and aggravated robbery – made his initial appearance in federal court Tuesday afternoon.
“Violent criminals should not be released when they pose a danger to the community. In this instance, a violent defendant was released not once, but twice, after posting minor bonds,” said U.S. Attorney Nealy Cox. “The citizens of Dallas deserve a better system – one that fairly detains individuals who pose significant danger to their victims and to the public. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is determined to hold Mr. Cadena accountable for his brutal crime – and to keep him detained pending trial.”
“FBI Dallas’s Violent Crime Task Force is focused on apprehending individuals who routinely commit acts of violence and are a threat to the community,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge of the Dallas Field Office Matthew J. DeSarno. “The defendant brutally attacked the victim in this case. The FBI is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to eradicate violent offenders and protect the communities we serve.”
According to the complaint, Mr. Candea, 25, allegedly savagely assaulted the victim with a fire extinguisher in the parking garage of the Statler Hotel around 2:30 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 21.
He then allegedly carjacked her 2015 Toyota Corolla, drove it around the garage, and slammed it into a wall. A Statler security guard observed Mr. Candea behind the wheel of the wrecked vehicle and removed him from the car for his own safety.
Authorities discovered 27-year-old victim, identified in court documents as J.K., unconscious, with severe bruising and swelling to her face and head. She was transported to Baylor Hospital, where she lay in a coma for two days, and medical professionals documented nerve damage to her arms and legs as a result of the beating.
A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. Like all defendants, Mr. Candea is innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
If convicted, he faces a sentence of up to 25 years in federal prison. Magistrate Judge Irma C. Ramirez ordered the defendant detained pending trial.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation Dallas Field Office and Dallas Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gary Tromblay is prosecuting the case.
Four Additional Individuals Charged for Role in Multi-Million Dollar Investment Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Four additional individuals were charged in an indictment unsealed today in the Northern District of Texas for their role in a multi-million investment fraud scheme that targeted the elderly.
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox of the Northern District of Texas, and Inspector in Charge Delany DeLeon-Colón of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Criminal Investigations Group in Washington, D.C., made the announcement.
Suzanne Aileen Gagnier, 65, of Huntington Beach, California; Joe Edward Duchinsky, 64, of Alhambra, California; Joseph Lucien Duplain, 78, of Murrieta, California; and Russell Filippo, 69, of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, were each charged with one the count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and 10 counts of mail fraud. Gagnier, Duchinsky, and Duplain were also charged with 10 counts of wire fraud, and Filippo was charged with eight counts of wire fraud. Gagnier was arrested and appeared on Nov. 7, 2019, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Frederick F. Mumm of the Central District of California. Duchinsky was also arrested and appeared on Nov. 7, 2019, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Autumn D. Spaeth of the Central District of California. Filippo was also arrested and appeared on Nov. 7, 2019, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Gary M. Purcell of the Western District of Oklahoma.
The superseding indictment also includes previously indicted co-defendants Cengiz Jan “CJ” Comu, John Mervyn Price, Harley E. “Buddy” Barnes III, Richard Lawrence Green and Daniel Thomas Broyles Sr. Comu, Price, Barnes, Green and Broyles are charged with one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud. In addition, Comu, Price, Barnes and Green are each charged with 10 counts of mail fraud and 10 counts of wire fraud. This superseding indictment also adds charges against Comu, Price and Barnes for money laundering. A trial date is currently set for March 30, 2020.
In addition, on Oct. 31, 2019, Donald Andrew Rothman, 72, of Coral Springs, Florida, who was not charged in the original indictment, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud as charged in an information for his role in the scheme. Rothman appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Rebecca Rutherford of the Northern District of Texas. Sentencing has been scheduled for Feb. 26, 2020.
The superseding indictment alleges that, beginning in or around 2013 and continuing through in or around May 2019, the defendants participated in a scheme to defraud victims in the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada by fraudulently selling them stock in a company named EarthWater. To induce victims to purchase EarthWater stock, the defendants falsely promised victims the opportunity to earn a high-rate of return in a short period of time by offering them stock at a low price on what they falsely claimed was the eve of EarthWater’s initial public offering (IPO). In truth, EarthWater had no ability or actual plans to go public. The defendants also repeatedly lied to victims about how their money would be used, telling victims that nearly all of their money would be reinvested in EarthWater’s business (including to launch the IPO). In truth, the defendants stole most of the victims’ money and treated EarthWater’s accounts like their own personal piggybank.
The superseding indictment further alleges that the defendants targeted elderly victims and also selected victims whom they had swindled in the past and therefore believed to be more susceptible. For example, when the defendants successfully defrauded a victim by selling them EarthWater stock, the defendants would repeatedly call that victim to sell them more shares.
According to the superseding indictment, the defendants’ scheme lasted for more than five years and defrauded at least 300 victims of over $9.5 million.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Trial Attorneys Christopher Fenton, William Bowne, and Amanda R. Vaughn of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary F. Walters of the Northern District of Texas are prosecuting the case.
The Criminal Division’s Fraud Section plays a pivotal role in the Department of Justice’s fight against white collar crime around the country.
Individuals who believe that they may be a victim in this case should visit the Fraud Section’s Victim Witness website for more information.
Jury Convicts Dallas Drug Dealer of Murdering 19-Year-OldRead the Press Release
A federal jury found a local drug dealer guilty of killing a Dallas teenager following an investigation by the FBI Dallas Field Office, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox.
Following a four-day trial before U.S. District Judge Jane Boyle, a federal jury found Freddie Gilbert, 35, guilty of being a felon in possession of a firearm, possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, discharging a firearm during a drug trafficking crime, and murder resulting from the use of a firearm in during a drug trafficking crime Thursday afternoon.
“Far too often, drug trafficking spurs horrific acts of violence,” said U.S. Attorney Nealy Cox. “In this case, a known cocaine dealer legally barred from possessing a weapon gunned down an innocent 19-year-old, then shoved her in the trunk like a piece of trash. We will not allow his crimes to go unpunished.”
“The defendant in this case is a dangerous criminal that not only committed murder, but routinely committed acts of violence and sold large quantities of drugs,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Matthew J. DeSarno of the Dallas Field Office. “The FBI will continue working with our law enforcement partners to eradicate drug-related violence and protect the well-being of the communities we serve.”
According to evidence presented at trial, Mr. Gilbert, an avowed cocaine dealer, shot and killed 19-year-old Jacquisha Isaac on Oct. 29, 2017.
Forensic evidence showed that Mr. Gilbert shot Ms. Isaac through the head while she was sitting in the passenger seat of his car. He likely fired the fatal shot through the window, while standing outside the vehicle, then stashed her body in the trunk and took off, prosecutors said.
Hours later, Mr. Gilbert was apprehended driving more than 110 mph down I-20.
Investigators identified Ms. Isaac’s blood inside the car, as well as on the clothing Mr. Gilbert was wearing when he was apprehended and on the revolver he used to kill the young girl.
They also discovered a bullet he had purchased the day before covered in Ms. Isaac’s blood on the floorboard, gun residue on Mr. Gilbert’s hands, and his palm print on the trunk of the car where he’d stashed her body.
Mr. Gilbert faces up to life in federal prison.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Texas Department of Public Safety, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Drug Enforcement Administration, and Kaufman County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys P.J. Meitl and Tiffany Eggers prosecuted the case.
NDTX Round-Up November 5, 2019Read the Press Release
SENTENCING - Erick Dewayne Freeman and Kendrick Lamel Washington
On October 25, Erick Dewayne Freeman, 44, and Kendrick Lamel Washington, 40, were each sentenced to 30 years in federal custody for the crimes of possession with the intent to distribute heroin and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The defendants were involved in the Han Gil Hotel case. Freeman and Washington worked together to instill fear in customers to the “trap” rooms they managed in the hotel. Click here if you would like to learn more about their sentencing and the Han Gil case. This investigation was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the case was prosecuted by AUSA Rick Calvert and AUSA Phelesa Guy.
SENTENCING – Montrey Jerod Green
On October 28, Montrey Jerod Green, 27, was sentenced to 8 years in federal custody for the crime of possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute. In October of 2017, Green was paid $1,900 to deliver a 110 gram bag of methamphetamine and .45 caliber firearm to another individual. This case was investigated by the Texas Department of Public Safety and the City of Carrollton Police Department and prosecuted by AUSA George Leal.
GUILTY PLEA – Sherman Lakeith Ross
On October 31, Sherman Lakeith Ross, 45, pled guilty to possession with the intent to distribute heroin and aiding and abetting. Ross and his coconspirators used cell phones to communicate about their drug enterprise, and these communications were intercepted by the police. Law enforcement seized the drugs distributed from multiple customers, and after confirming that it was heroin, arrested Ross while he was in his probation officer’s office. Ross faces up to 20 years in federal prison. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and prosecuted by AUSA John Kull.
SENTENCING – Shawnetta Laruth Jones
Shawnetta Laruth Jones was sentenced to 5 years in federal prison for the crime of aiding and abetting a felon in possession of a firearm. Jones acted a straw-purchaser at a pawnshop in Mesquite after the owner refused to sell to her coconspirator for being a convicted felon. Jones knew the coconspirator because she had previously served as his parole officer. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the DeSoto Police Deparment and prosecuted by AUSA Walt Junker.
Justice Department Announces Procurement Collusion Strike Force: A Coordinated National Response to Combat Antitrust Crimes & Related Schemes in Government Procurement, Grant, & Program FundingRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today the formation of the new Procurement Collusion Strike Force (PCSF) focusing on deterring, detecting, investigating and prosecuting antitrust crimes, such as bid-rigging conspiracies and related fraudulent schemes, which undermine competition in government procurement, grant and program funding.
At a press conference today at the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., Assistant Attorney General Makan Delrahim of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division explained that the PCSF will be an interagency partnership consisting of prosecutors from the Antitrust Division, prosecutors from 13 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, including the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas, and investigators from the FBI, the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General and other partner federal Offices of Inspector General.
Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey A. Rosen expressed the Department’s support for the initiative. “To protect taxpayer dollars, the Justice Department is doing its part to eliminate anticompetitive collusion, waste and abuse from government procurement,” said Deputy Attorney General Rosen. “To ensure taxpayers the full benefits of competitive bidding, experienced investigators and prosecutors with the necessary expertise will partner in this Strike Force to deter, detect and prosecute antitrust crimes and related schemes in government procurements.”
“The investigation and prosecution of individuals and organizations that cheat, collude and seek to undermine the integrity of government procurement are priorities for this administration,” said Assistant Attorney General Makan Delrahim. “The PCSF will train and educate procurement officials nationwide to recognize and report suspicious conduct in procurement, grant and program funding processes. We will aggressively investigate and prosecute those who violate our antitrust laws to cheat the American taxpayer.”
“Protecting the American taxpayer is a vital function of the Justice Department,” said U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox. “The Strike Force is committed to ensuring that the procurement process is competitive and fair.”
The PCSF will lead a national effort to protect taxpayer-funded projects at the federal, state and local level from antitrust violations and related crimes, starting with a focus on 13 districts throughout the country. Prosecutors from the Antitrust Division and the participating U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, along with agents from the FBI and partner Offices of Inspector General, will work together to conduct outreach and training for procurement officials and government contractors on antitrust risks in the procurement process. In addition, the partnered prosecutors and investigators will jointly investigate and prosecute cases that result from their targeted outreach efforts.
“Inspectors General throughout the federal government have a long history of rooting out waste, fraud and abuse in government contracting,” said Michael E. Horowitz, Inspector General of the Department of Justice and Chair of the Council of Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency. “We welcome the opportunity to contribute our expertise to the important work of the Procurement Collusion Strike Force. We look forward to partnering with the other participating members of the law enforcement community to hold accountable actors who seek to defraud the government and cheat taxpayers.”
“The FBI has a long history of working with our interagency and law enforcement partners to investigate public procurement crimes and ensure justice,” said FBI Criminal Intelligence Division Assistant Director Terry Wade. “We are committed to working closely with our DOJ colleagues and our federal, state and local partners as we continue to successfully combat these crimes.”
“Individuals and companies that participate in procurement collusion cause significant harm and losses to the Department of Defense and to American taxpayers,” said Glenn A. Fine, Principal Deputy Inspector General of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General. “The DoD Office of Inspector General, and our criminal investigative component, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, are committed to aggressively investigating those individuals and companies who would attempt to compromise government procurement processes.”
The Antitrust Division and its law enforcement partners have a history of prosecuting criminal antitrust conspiracies that take advantage of government contracts. In late 2018 and early 2019, for instance, five South Korean oil companies agreed to plead guilty for their involvement in a decade-long bid-rigging conspiracy that targeted contracts to supply fuel to U.S. military bases in South Korea. The Antitrust Division also indicted seven individuals for conspiring to rig bids and to defraud the government, and one executive was also charged with obstruction of justice. In total, the companies have agreed to pay $156 million in criminal fines and over $205 million in separate civil settlements. This year, the Justice Department, in partnership with the GSA Office of Inspector General, also indicted individuals for involvement in rigging bids submitted to the GSA.
The PCSF’s 13 U.S. Attorney partners include:
- Nicola T. Hanna, Central District of California
- McGregor Scott, Eastern District of California
- Jason R. Dunn, District of Colorado
- Jessie K. Liu, District of Columbia
- Ariana Fajardo Orshan, Southern District of Florida
- Byung J. “BJay” Pak, Northern District of Georgia
- John R. Lausch, Jr., Northern District of Illinois
- Matthew Schneider, Eastern District of Michigan
- Geoffrey S. Berman, Southern District of New York
- David M. DeVillers, Southern District of Ohio
- William M. McSwain, Eastern District of Pennsylvania
- Erin Nealy Cox, Northern District of Texas
- G. Zachary Terwilliger, Eastern District of VirginiaThe PCSF’s investigative partners include:
- Department of Defense Office of Inspector General
- Federal Bureau of Investigation
- General Services Administration Office of Inspector General
- Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General
- U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector GeneralThe PCSF has launched a publicly available website at https://www.justice.gov/procurement-collusion-strike-force, where government procurement officials and members of the public can review information about the federal antitrust laws and training programs, and report suspected criminal activity affecting public procurement.
Individuals and companies are encouraged to contact the PCSF if they have information concerning anticompetitive conduct involving federal taxpayer dollars by emailing [email protected].
Eighth Reagor Dykes Defendant Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
An eighth defendant in the Reagor Dykes Auto Group fraud case has pleaded guilty, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox.
Brad William Fansler, 41, an RDAG Group Administrative Director, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud before Magistrate Jude Lee Ann Reno in Amarillo Monday morning.
In plea papers, Mr. Fansler admitted that the auto group routinely sold vehicles “out of trust” – meaning that they failed to repay lenders within seven days of selling the vehicle financed by that lender.
Just before the lender conducted audits, Mr. Fansler admitted, the auto group would create what they called “dummy shucks,” falsifying vehicles sales dates on official paperwork to make it appear as though the vehicle had sold within the prior seven days and was not yet out of trust.
In order to make payments following these audits, the auto group would then engage in a process they called “dummy flooring,” digging through records for vehicle identification numbers (VIN) of cars Reagor Dykes had already sold, then submitting new loan applications to lenders using the old VINs – falsely indicating that the company was seeking a floor plan loan in order to repurchase the vehicle for resale. After acquiring new funding, instead of purchasing the cars, the company would use the money to pay off the old loans.
Eventually, Mr. Fansler acknowledged, dealers ran out of VINs to re-floor, and began using cars pledged as collateral to other lenders, a process they dubbed “double flooring.”
Mr. Fansler is the eighth defendant to admit involvement in the $50 million scheme. Admitted coconspirators include Reagor Dykes Chief Financial Officer Shane Andrew Smith and employees Sheila Miller, Lindsay Williams, Diana Urias, Paige Johnston, Pepper Rickman, and Sherri Lynn Wood.
Mr. Fansler faces up to five years in prison and may be required to pay at least $27 million in restitution.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation Dallas Field Office and Internal Revenue Services - Criminal Investigation Division conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua Frausto, Jeffrey Haag, and Sean Taylor are prosecuting the case.
Marijuana Dealer Convicted in Wichita FallsRead the Press Release
In the first federal criminal trial in Wichita Falls in more than eight years, a drug dealer has been convicted of a marijuana conspiracy, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox.
Chad Anthony Ray, 31, of Wichita Falls, was indicted in July 2019 for conspiring to distribute marijuana along with six codefendants.
A jury convicted Mr. Ray late last week following a day-long trial before U.S. District Judge Reed C. O’Connor, who traveled from Fort Worth to Wichita Falls to preside over the proceedings.
According to evidence presented at trial, Mr. Ray’s coconspirators shipped marijuana through the U.S. mail from Oregon to Wichita Falls. Over an 18-month period (March 2015 to September 2016), they shipped approximately 1,100 pounds of marijuana in 443 Priority Mail parcels to Wichita Falls and surrounding cities, including Henrietta and Iowa Park.
Other conspirators received the parcels of marijuana – shipped in Priority Mail boxes so that the defendants could track the packages – then repackaged it, sold it, and returned the proceeds to the suppliers in Oregon.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office is adamant about prosecuting illicit substances shipped through the U.S. Mail to the Northern District of Texas,” said U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox. “We will not allow criminals to harm the community by exploiting the Postal Service.”
At trial, prosecutors showed that Mr. Ray personally received 29 packages of marijuana directly to his residence on Collins Avenue in Wichita Falls, collected money for marijuana sales, and tracked packages shipped to other addresses using the USPS tracking number.
He now faces up to 20 years in federal prison.
Five of his codefendants – Randall Dizon, Jonathan Michael Fernandez, Jarrett Devon Grant, Ronald Vance Latimer, and Justin Kent Reed – pleaded guilty before trial. The sixth, Dustin Weaver, remains a fugitive.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Wichita Falls Police Department, and the Texas Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Walters and Joseph Magliolo prosecuted the case.
Statement by the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Domestic Violence Awareness MonthRead the Press Release
By Presidential Proclamation, October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
Ending domestic violence – a heinous crime that terrorizes families, shatters homes, and destroys lives – is a top priority for the U.S. Department of Justice. Over the past 30 days, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District has reaffirmed its steadfast commitment to empowering survivors and fighting this horrible form of abuse.
We understand that domestic violence is a pervasive problem in Texas – and far too often, abuse escalates from bruises to bloodshed and tragically, loss of life. At least 175 women and 36 men were murdered by an intimate partner in Texas last year, according to the Texas Council on Family Violence. Roughly 60% of the abusers who killed their partners wielded a gun.
In an effort to prevent these tragic homicides, we’ve reached out to state and local law enforcement alerting them that federal firearm laws can be used to prosecute abusers – often without the testimony of victims, who, for obvious reasons, may be reluctant to testify in a court proceeding against their abuser.
The pertinent federal domestic violence crimes fall into two broad categories:
- Crimes under the Gun Control Act, which prevents prohibited persons – including convicted felons, individuals previously convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence offenses, and individuals subject to certain protective orders—from possessing firearms, or from lying to firearms dealers about their status
- Crimes under the Violence Against Women Act, which prohibits interstate stalking, cyber stalking, and using interstate commerce to commit domestic violence or violate protective orders
The U.S. Attorney’s Office has created a comprehensive brochure summarizing the federal statutes that may be charged in the domestic violence context, available at https://www.justice.gov/USAO-NDTX/DV.The Northern District of Texas’ Domestic Violence Initiative Team – Assistant U.S. Attorneys Keith Robinson (Chief of NDTX’s Violent Crimes Section), Damien Diggs, and John Boyle, along with agents from ATF’s Dallas Field Division – have held information sessions for local District Attorney’s Offices; federal, state, local, and county law enforcement; and state judges to maximize referral of these cases to federal prosecutors.
As with all issues of public safety, while we will make as many arrests as we can consistent with the interests of justice, we recognize that enforcement alone will not solve the problem. So, we’re also working closely with our partners in the prevention, education and survivor support communities, like Genesis Women’s Shelter, The Family Place, and others. Earlier this month, we were proud to host the Justice Department’s Office of Violence Against Women, which awarded $16.5 million to support local law enforcement, victim service providers, and shelters fighting domestic and sexual violence in north Texas.
Moreover, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox was recently appointed by Attorney General William Barr to lead the Domestic Violence Working Group of the U.S. Attorney General’s Advisory Committee. This group serves to advise the Attorney General and federal law enforcement partners nationwide as to how the USAO community can effectively marshal federal resources to combat domestic violence. She is honored to stand with dedicated U.S. Attorney’s across the country in the fight against domestic violence, and recently spoke at a Domestic Violence Conference hosted by U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio Justin Herdman.
“As Texans and Americans, we must remain vigilant in our quest to end domestic abuse and promote peace and safety in the home,” says the U.S. Attorney. “While we must recognize and face head-on the existence and tragedy of domestic violence, we should also take heart in knowing that combatting and preventing this crime are top priorities of law enforcement at all levels, and that stakeholders are working closely across disciplines to bring a stop to it.”
NDTX Round-Up October 29, 2019Read the Press Release
GUILTY PLEA – Rasheeda Chester
On October 22, Rasheeda Chester, 20, pled guilty to possession with the intent to distribute marijuana. Chester and her coconspirators transported 128 pounds of marijuana sealed in vacuum bags from San Francisco International Airport to Dallas Love Field Airport. Chester was also found to be in the possession of $5,280 that constituted the proceeds of illegal drug trafficking. She faces up to 5 years in federal custody. This case was investigated by the Dallas Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is prosecuted by AUSA Rebekah Ricketts.
GUILTY PLEA – Alma Jean Gilbert
On October 22, Alma Jean Gilbert, 52, pled guilty to aiding and assisting in the preparation of a fraudulent tax return. Gilbert owned a tax preparation business, where she hired employees to prepare taxes and obtained Electronic Filer Identification Numbers from the Internal Revenue Service. For five years, Gilbert and her employees falsified credits and deductions on customers’ tax returns, on some occasions up to an $11,000 value. Gilbert faces up to 6 years in federal custody. This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations and is prosecuted by AUSA Christopher Stokes.
GUILTY PLEA – Ira Marsh
On October 22, Ira Marsh, 42, pled guilty to possession with the intent to distribute marijuana and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Dallas Police Department officers stopped Marsh’s car for temporary tags that belonged to another vehicle. Officers smelled marijuana and saw a green leafy substance in plain view. After searching the car, officers found more marijuana and a pistol, despite Marsh’s previous imprisonment for a sentence of over 1 year. Marsh faces up to 12 years in federal custody. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Dallas Police Department and is prosecuted by AUSA Damien Diggs.
SENTENCING – Armando Avitia
On October 21, Armando Avitia, was sentenced to 9 years and 2 months in federal custody for possession of heroin with the intent to distribute. Grand Prairie Police Department Narcotics detectives pulled over a vehicle after smelling marijuana, which the passengers confirmed purchasing from Avitia’s residence. While executing a search warrant at the residence, officers seized heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine, marijuana and several firearms. This case was investigated by the Grand Prairie Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration and was prosecuted by AUSA Myria Boehm.
SENTENCING – Craig Demond Campbell
On October 21, Craig Demond Campbell was sentenced to 3 years and 1 month in federal custody for stealing firearms from a federal firearm licensee. Campbell and his coconspirators drove to Alvarado to rob Crazy Gun Dealer store. They cut a hole in the side of the store, stole 17 firearms, and transported them back to an apartment in Dallas. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and was prosecuted by AUSA Kenneth Coffin.
SENTENCING – Rodney Antwon Lewis
On October 23, Rodney Antwon Lewis, 34, was sentenced to 17 years in federal custody for the crimes of interference with commerce by robbery and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Lewis committed a series of robberies over the years at Family Dollar Stores, a Jack in the Box, a Schlotzky’s, and a KFC. In most instances, Lewis would purchase a small item with cash. When the clerk opened the register, Lewis would threatened them with a revolver hidden in his pants. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and was prosecuted by AUSA Shane Read.
Former Olney Police Chief Pleads Guilty to Threatening Man at GunpointRead the Press Release
The former Acting Police Chief of Olney, Texas has pleaded guilty to threatening an individual at gunpoint following an investigation by the FBI Dallas Field Office, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox.
Former Acting Chief Robert Michael Cross, 35, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to deprivation of rights under color of law before U.S. District Judge Reed C. O’Connor.
“This was a despicable abuse of power,” said U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox. “The public should be assured that we will not hesitate to hold the defendant accountable.”
In plea papers, Mr. Cross admitted that shortly after arresting two individuals for aggravated robbery offenses, he coerced them into engaging in conduct for his own personal benefit, promising to have the criminal cases against them dismissed if they complied with his demands.
About a month after the arrest, on Dec. 20, 2017, he took them out in his vehicle to eat dinner and catch a movie. That evening, he brandish a pistol, threatening one of the individuals with bodily injury and willfully depriving him of the Constitutional right to be free from unreasonable force by a law enforcement officer.
Mr. Cross now faces up to 10 years in federal prison. Sentencing is set for March 9, 2020.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office and the Texas Rangers conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Boudreau is prosecuting the case.
The former Acting Police Chief of Olney, Texas has pleaded guilty to threatening an individual at gunpoint following an investigation by the FBI Dallas Field Office, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox.
Former Acting Chief Robert Michael Cross, 35, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to deprivation of rights under color of law before U.S. District Judge Reed C. O’Connor.
“This was a despicable abuse of power,” said U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox. “The public should be assured that we will not hesitate to hold the defendant accountable.”
In plea papers, Mr. Cross admitted that shortly after arresting two individuals for aggravated robbery offenses, he coerced them into engaging in conduct for his own personal benefit, promising to have the criminal cases against them dismissed if they complied with his demands.
About a month after the arrest, on Dec. 20, 2017, he took them out in his vehicle to eat dinner and catch a movie. That evening, he brandish a pistol, threatening one of the individuals with bodily injury and willfully depriving him of the Constitutional right to be free from unreasonable force by a law enforcement officer.
Mr. Cross now faces up to 10 years in federal prison. Sentencing is set for March 9, 2020.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office and the Texas Rangers conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Boudreau is prosecuting the case.
Two More Reagor Dykes Employees Plead Guilty, Seven Pleas TotalRead the Press Release
Two Reagor Dykes Auto Group employees pleaded guilty today for their role in the auto group’s floor plan fraud scheme, following an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox.
Pepper Laray Rickman, 47, and Sherri Lynn Wood, 53, plead guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud before Magistrate Jude Lee Ann Reno in Amarillo Friday morning.
Rickman and Wood are two of seven employees who have confirmed their role in the $50 million Reagor Dykes fraud. Admitted coconspirators include Reagor Dykes Chief Financial Officer Shane Andrew Smith and employees Sheila Miller, Lindsay Williams, Diana Urias, and Paige Johnston.
In plea papers, Rickman, accounting controller at Reagor Dykes Plainview LP (a Toyota store in Plainview, Texas), and Wood, office manager at the Reagor Dykes Auto Company LP (a Ford store in Plainview), admitted the auto group participated in a fraudulent floor plan fraud scheme.
In a practice accounting staff dubbed “dummy flooring,” “fake flooring,” or “re-flooring,” employees dug through records for vehicle identification numbers (VIN) of cars Reagor Dykes had already sold, then submitted new loan applications to Ford Motor Credit Company using the old VINs – falsely indicating that the company was seeking a loan in order to repurchase the vehicle for resale, Rickman and Wood said in plea papers. After acquiring the new floor plan funding, instead of re-buying the car, Reagor Dykes used the ensuing loan to cover other expenses.
The company’s accounting staff submitted the false information via interstate wire communication, the defendants admitted.
Rickman and Wood each face up to five years in federal prison and may be required to pay at least $27 million in restitution.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Internal Revenue Services - Criminal Investigation Division conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua Frausto, Jeffrey Haag, and Sean Taylor are prosecuting the case.
Two Han Gil Drug Dealers Sentenced to Combined 60 YearsRead the Press Release
The lead defendant in the Han Gil Hotel criminal case has been sentenced to 30 years in federal prison on drug and gun charges, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox.
Eric Dewayne Freeman, aka “Stuff,” pleaded guilty in June 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. Freeman was sentenced Friday afternoon before U.S. District Judge Karen Gren Scholer alongside coconspirator Kendrick Lamel Washington, aka “Kiki,” who pleaded guilty in May to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute heroin and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Washington was also sentenced to 30 years in federal prison.
Freeman, 44, and Washington, 40, are two of fifteen defendants who have pleaded guilty in the Han Gil Hotel Town case, which has so far resulted in charges against 22 individuals and one corporation associated with the notoriously dangerous hotel.
“In the seven months since the feds shuttered the Han Gil, defendants have confirmed what we already knew from our investigation – that the hotel was a haven for drug dealers, human traffickers, and violent criminals,” said U.S. Attorney Nealy Cox. “Two of the Han Gil’s most notorious dealers will spend decades behind bars, where they can no longer peddle the substances that have already shattered so many lives.”
“The DEA will pursue investigations, much like the Han Gil Hotel case, until these places are extinct,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge of the Dallas Division Clyde E. Shelley, Jr.
In plea papers, Freeman and Washington both admitted that they and other dealers routinely used so-called “trap rooms” within the Han Gil Hotel to peddle and distribute heroin, methamphetamine and crack cocaine to numerous customers. Users often smoked or injected the drugs on hotel premises, which lay within 1000 feet of Dallas’ Herbert Marcus Elementary School.
Washington admitted that he acted as Freeman’s enforcer, using tactics “designed to instill fear” in individuals Freeman believed had stolen from him or owed him money. In December 2018, Washington used a cell phone to record Freeman torturing a young woman with a butane torch, then showed the video to numerous people inside the hotel.
Freeman, meanwhile, admitted that multiple drug overdoses occurred in Han Gil Hotel rooms during the time the conspiracy was ongoing. The bodies of some of those victims were removed from the hotel and dumped elsewhere. DEA agents discovered the corpse of a twenty year-old female victim who died in December 2018 decomposing in Boren-Hilseweck Park in Oak Cliff almost a month after Freeman and two others carried her body out of the hotel. Law enforcement agents in Coppell, Texas also tied the heroin overdose deaths of two Coppell residents that died in June and July 2018 back to the Han Gil Hotel.
Freeman also admitted the owner of the Han Gil Hotel, codefendant Su Y. Amos Mun, was aware that multiple armed drug dealers were using the hotel to distribute drugs to hundreds of customers. He said Mun charged dealers an inflated room rate, dubbed a “drug tax,” in exchange for allowing them to openly deal out of trap rooms. Mun collected thousands of dollars from Freeman alone, and often tipped off dealers before law enforcement or city officials arrived for inspections, Freeman said in his plea papers.
Mun, 64, pleaded guilty in August to maintaining a drug involved premises, admitting that for more than a year, he profited off dealers openly selling quantities of heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine and other drugs from inside his hotel rooms.
As part of his plea agreement, Mun agreed to forfeit the Han Gil Hotel, which is also the subject of a civil action filed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office alleging the site functioned as a “safe haven for drug distributors” and a “breeding ground for escalating criminal activity.”
The hotel has been shuttered since March 8, when a federal judge granted prosecutors’ motion for a restraining order prohibiting the hotel’s further operation and a task force of more than 50 agents and officers, accompanied by several attorneys, converged on the Han Gil to effect arrests, execute search warrants, and post notices requiring the immediate clearing of the premises.
The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Coppell Police Department, Dallas Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, the U.S. Marshal’s Service, Grand Prairie Police Department, Arlington Police Department, Grapevine Police Department, Lancaster Police Department, the State Department, IRS, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Plano Police Department, Farmers Branch Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, Garland Police Department, Rowlett Police Department, Denton Police Department, Lewisville Police Department and McKinney Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Scott Hogan, NDTX Civil Chief, Lindsey Beran, NDTX Deputy Civil Chief, and Braden Civins filed the civil motion. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rick Calvert, Chief of NDTX’s Narcotics Section, and Phelesa Guy, Deputy Chief of the Narcotics Section, are prosecuting the criminal case.
NDTX Round-Up October 22, 2019Read the Press Release
GUILTY PLEA – Neftali Abonza
On October 15, Neftali Abonza, 30, pled guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering. Abonza and his codefendants were involved in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in both Texas and Florida. The coconspirators would smuggle cash in bulk and use bank funnel accounts to profit from the proceeds. Abonza was arrested when attempting to deliver two kilograms of methamphetamine. He faces up to 20 years in federal custody. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and is prosecuted by AUSA Myra Boehm.
SENTENCING – Aldo Villanueva
On October 16, Aldo Villanueva, 31, was sentenced to 2 years and 6 months in federal custody for using a communication facility to facilitate a drug felony. Villanueva pled guilty to using a cell phone to coordinate the sale of cocaine in Dallas. He used coded communications with his coconspirators to negotiate drug prices and quantities. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration – Strike Force One and was prosecuted by AUSA John Kull.
GUILTY PLEA – Celso Alfonso Morales-Reyes
On October 15, Celso Alfonso Morales-Reyes, 25, pled guilty to possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. Morales-Reyes was pulled over for a traffic violation and arrested for failure to have a driver’s license. Dallas Police Department officers searched his car, and found a kilogram of heroin. The Drug Enforcement Agency Strike Force later searched his home with the consent of his paramour, who was sharing the apartment, and found additional kilograms of methamphetamine and heroin. Morales-Reyes faces up to 20 years in federal custody. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and is prosecuted by AUSA Myria Boehm.
GUILTY PLEA – Garibaldi Gutierrez Solorio
On October 17, Garibaldi Gutierrez Solorio, 25, pled guilty to possession with the intent to distribute heroin. In June 2019, federal agents executed a search warrant of a residence, where they found 3 kilograms of heroin, 3 pounds of marijuana, and detained Gutierrez. The defendant told agents that he was instructed to store and deliver the heroin at the instruction of a subject in Mexico. Gutierrez faces up to 20 years in federal custody. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and is prosecuted by AUSA Suzanna Etessam.
SENTENCING – Levar Charles Walker
On October 17, Levar Charles Walker, 40, was sentenced to 3 years in federal custody for the crime of using a communications facility to facilitate a drug felony. Walker used a cell phone to communicate with his codefendant and a Drug Enforcement Administration cooperating defendant to discuss the distribution of a half-kilogram of cocaine. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and was prosecuted by AUSA Suzanna Etessam.
Convicted Felon Gets Statutory Maximum Sentence for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
A 39-year-old Mexican national with an extensive criminal history has been ordered to serve 10 years in federal prison for illegal reentry after deportation following an investigation by the Department of Homeland Security, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox.
Antonio Serrano-Perez, of Tamaulipas, Mexico, was sentenced Friday morning before Senior U.S. District Judge John H. McBryde, who handed down the statutory maximum sentence based in part on the defendant’s lengthy criminal history.
Mr. Serrano-Perez pleaded guilty in May 2019 to illegal reentry after being deported at least five times, the judge noted, adding that after every removal, he came back into the United States illegally, only to commit crimes including cocaine trafficking and family violence.
“This felon and narcotics trafficker has been deported to Mexico five times, and has repeatedly demonstrated that he has no respect for U.S. laws,” said Marc J. Moore, field office director of the ICE Dallas office. “Throughout his extensive criminal career, he has operated as though the United States is simply a profitable location for him to traffic in illegal drugs. After he fully completes his latest federal prison sentence for illegally re-entering the United States, our ICE officers will deport him a sixth time.”
Mr. Serrano-Perez was first removed to Mexico in October 1998, then reentered the United States at least five times over a 20-year period. During that time, the judge observed, Mr. Serrano-Perez racked up numerous state drug and violent crime convictions as well as three federal immigration convictions.
Following an illegal reentry in 2006, at age 25, he was convicted of a federal immigration offense in the Southern District of Texas, sentenced to 27 months in prison, and then removed to Mexico in 2014. At some point after that removal, he returned to Fort Worth, where he was apprehended on March 11, 2019 outside his residence by immigration authorities.
After serving his 10-year sentence, Mr. Serrano-Perez will once again face deportation proceedings.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations, Violent Criminal Alien Section and ICE Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Levi Thomas is prosecuting the case.
Ex-Dallas Police Officer Pleads Guilty to Falsifying Traffic CitationsRead the Press Release
A former Dallas Police Officer pleaded guilty today to falsifying traffic citations in order to collect overtime pay, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox.
Following an investigation by the Dallas Police Department, Mathew Alan Rushing, 35, pleaded guilty to one count of false statements before Magistrate Judge David Horan Tuesday morning.
According to his plea papers, Mr. Rushing submitted at least 38 fraudulent “Officer’s Daily Grant Activity Reports,” which included citations for fictitious persons and events, over a nine month period from 2018 to 2019.
After Mr. Rushing concluded a traffic stop, he admitted, he sometimes altered the violator’s true identity by changing their name or date of birth, causing arrest warrants to be issued for drivers who didn’t exist. Other times, he admitted, he citied drivers for nonexistent violations after they departed the scene of the incident.
Mr. Rushing admitted he submitted these report with the intention of collecting overtime pay funded by federal grants from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) through a program administered by the Texas Department of Transportation and the Dallas Police Department.
Mr. Rushing now faces up to five years in federal prison. Sentencing is set for March 2020.
The Dallas Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation Dallas Field Office, and Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Jarvis and Andrew Wirmani are prosecuting the case.
NDTX Round-Up October 15, 2019Read the Press Release
GUILTY PLEA – Jose Sanchez
On October 8, Jose Sanchez pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine and conspiracy to launder monetary instruments. Sanchez was apprehended by the police and found with 14 kilograms of cocaine, after receiving it from a coconspirator in the parking lot of a Denny’s. Additionally, Sanchez and his coconspirators sent the proceeds from this and other sales of methamphetamine back to Mexico. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and is prosecuted by AUSA George Leal.
GUILTY PLEA – Terry Holley
On October 8, Terry Holley pled guilty to receipt of illegal remuneration. From August 2014 to September 2017, Holley solicited payments in return for providing the personal information of health care patients to a company. The information included doctor’s notes, prescription information, and billing information. Additionally, Holley would forge prescriptions to be sent to the Department of Labor for reimbursement. In return, Holley received payment in cash and a percentage of the corporation’s earnings. This case was investigated by the Office of the Inspector General and is prosecuted by AUSA Jennifer Bray.
GUILTY PLEA – Otis DeWayne McMillan
On October 10, Otis DeWayne McMillan pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute marijuana. McMillan flew to Dallas Love Field Airport with his coconspirators and 128.5 pounds of marijuana in a total of ten suitcases. This case is prosecuted by AUSA Rebekah Ricketts.
SENTENCING – Juan Johnson
On October 7, Juan Johnson, 43, was sentenced to 1 year and 9 months in federal custody for conspiracy to pass and utter counterfeit currency. Johnson and his coconspirators obtained counterfeit Federal Reserve Notes, and then traveled to stores in the Northern District of Texas to purchase merchandise and gift cards using these counterfeit Federal Reserve Notes. This case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service and was prosecuted by AUSA Jay Weimer.
SENTENCING – Manuel Pena
On October 7, Manuel Pena, 27, was sentenced to 12 years in federal custody for the possession of a controlled substance with the intent to distribute. Pena was found in possession of a kilogram of methamphetamine in March of 2019. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas and the Fort Worth Police Department Narcotics. This case was prosecuted by AUSA Shawn Smith.
SENTENCING – Don Wright
On October 7, Don Wright, 40, was sentenced to 3 months in federal custody and ordered to pay $81,405 in restitution for conspiracy to defraud the United States. Wright was a member of the Texas Army National Guard, and used his position to steal fleet cards that are intended to purchase fuel and maintenance for government vehicles. Wright, and his coconspirator used these cards for the upkeep of their own vehicles and replicated these cards to be sold and shared with others. This case was investigated by the General Services Administration Office of Inspector General and the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General. This case was prosecuted by AUSA Robert Boudreau.
President of Texas-Based Beverage Company Indicted for Obstruction of JusticeRead the Press Release
The President of EarthWater Limited, a Dallas-based company, was charged in an indictment with obstructing justice in connection with an ongoing federal investigation.
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox of the Northern District of Texas and Inspector in Charge Delany DeLeon-Colón of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s (USPIS) Criminal Investigations Group in Washington, D.C., made the announcement.
Beth Ellen DeGroot, 59, of Plano, Texas, was arrested and appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Renee H. Toliver of the Northern District of Texas. DeGroot was charged with two counts of obstruction of justice.
Harley E. Barnes III, aka Buddy Barnes, and five other individuals had been previously indicted by a Dallas grand jury for their alleged roles in a high-yield investment fraud scheme involving EarthWater. EarthWater manufactured and sold bottled water that it claimed was infused with special minerals mined from an 80-million-year-old deposit hidden in a secret location. Barnes was EarthWater’s Chief Financial Officer.
According to the indictment, DeGroot was EarthWater’s Vice President. Following Barnes’ arrest, DeGroot was promoted to President and partnered with Barnes to continue to use EarthWater to raise money, including by selling stock. The indictment alleges that, as part of an ongoing investigation, DeGroot was served with a subpoena for documents. The indictment further alleges that, in response to the subpoena, DeGroot corruptly concealed the existence of certain emails and other communications relating to Barnes and DeGroot’s plan to sell EarthWater securities by, among other things, altering a document to deliver to the federal grand jury. Allegedly, DeGroot corruptly attempted to obstruct, influence and impede the ongoing investigation by misleading the grand jury and federal law enforcement about her receipt of funds from Barnes. DeGroot falsely claimed she had not received any money from Barnes when, according to the indictment, she had.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
USPIS investigated the case. Trial Attorneys Christopher Fenton and William Bowne of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary F. Walters of the Northern District of Texas are prosecuting the case.
Man Who Assaulted 88-Year-Old Woman Charged via Criminal ComplaintRead the Press Release
The man who allegedly assaulted an 88-year-old woman inside her Dallas home yesterday has been charged via criminal complaint with carjacking and possession of a stolen firearm, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox.
Kristopher Charles Martin Brown, 19, allegedly broke into the victim’s home on Cliffmere Drive around 2:30 a.m. on Oct. 8, likely through her back door, according to the federal complaint.
He punched her in the face, then brutally sexually assaulted her, the complaint alleges.
After the assault, he allegedly dug through her closet and purse, taking money, the keys to a 2007 Lexus RX, and a Remington shotgun. He then allegedly tied the victim to her chair, disabled her telephones, and told her she would find her vehicle at an address on East Overton Road in five days. He fled the scene in her Lexus.
A few hours later, Dallas Police Officers observed Mr. Brown filling up the Lexus’ tank at a local 7-Eleven, with the stolen shotgun in plain view in the rear of the vehicle. When he was apprehended, Mr. Brown was allegedly wearing Nike shoes that matched footprints found in the victim’s backyard.
After being read his Miranda rights, Mr. Brown told officers he’d purchased the Lexus for $900 at a complex at East Overton Road. He claimed he’d purchased the shotgun there too. While undergoing processing by DPD’s Crime Scene Response team, Mr. Brown asked officers if anyone had died, noting that “the old woman got up.”
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation of wrongdoing, not evidence. Like all defendants, Mr. Brown is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
If convicted, he faces up to 35 years in federal prison.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives and the Dallas Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney P.J. Meitl is prosecuting the case.
NDTX Round-Up October 8, 2019Read the Press Release
SENTENCING – Sylvia Diaz
On September 30, Sylvia Diaz was sentenced to 4 years and 10 months in federal custody, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to acquire a firearm from a licensed firearms dealer by false or fictitious statement. She and her codefendant purchased in total 160 firearms in 50 separate transactions for a buyer in Mexico. Diaz falsely claimed on the corresponding paperwork that she was the actual buyer. This case was prosecuted by AUSA Cathy Richardson and investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
GUILTY PLEA - Joshua Blake Browning
On October 1, Joshua Blake Browning, 38, pled guilty to escape from custody. Browning was serving an 8 years and 10 month sentence for the crime of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. He escaped from a Federal Prison Camp in Seagoville by running when asked to forfeit a cell phone in his possession. Browning faces up to five years in federal custody, consecutive with his current sentence. This case is prosecuted by AUSA Suzanna Etessam and was investigated by the United States Marshal Service.
GUILTY PLEA – Robert Darren Moore
On October 1, Robert Darren Moore, 35, pled guilty to bank robbery. Moore admitted to robbing a BBVA Compass Bank within a Tom Thumb, a Bank of America, and a Texas Star Bank within nine days. Moore faces up to 25 years in federal custody. This case is prosecuted by AUSA Damien Diggs and was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Addison Police Department, Richardson Police Department, and Sherman Police Department.
GUILTY PLEA - Luis Alexander Vargas
On October 1, Luis Alexander Vargas, 31, pled guilty to possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. Vargas was apprehended in a white van and attempted to escape on foot. He was quickly arrested and the officers found 62 kilograms of methamphetamine in the vehicle. Vargas faces up to 40 years in federal custody. This case was prosecuted by AUSA Linda Requenez and investigated by the Irving Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
SENTENCING – Joshua Israel Pagan Zapata
On October 3, Joshua Israel Pagan Zapata, 22, was sentenced to 5 years and 3 months in federal custody for conspiracy to possess methamphetamine. Zapata and his co-conspirators agreed to bypass security at the Dallas/Ft. Worth International Airport with what they believed to be 10 kilograms of methamphetamine. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Criminal Investigations Division of the Internal Revenue Service, and the Dallas Police Department. The case was prosecuted by AUSA George Leal, AUSA John De La Garza, and AUSA John Kull.
SENTENCING – Christian Davis Cruz-Rodriguez
On October 3, Christian Da Cruz-Rodriguez, 24, was sentenced to 5 years and 5 months in federal custody for conspiracy and possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. Cruz-Rodriguez told undercover agents about different methods to smuggle contraband into aircraft at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. He agreed to smuggle 6 kilograms of methamphetamine at the request of the undercover agents. The investigating parties on this case were the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Criminal Investigations Division of the Internal Revenue Service, and the Dallas Police Department. The prosecuting attorneys were AUSA George Leal, AUSA John De La Garza, and AUSA John Kull.
GUILTY PLEA - James Dick Biggs
On October 1, James Dick Diggs, 55, pled guilty to unarmed bank robbery. In April of 2019, Diggs robbed two different banks in Dallas by threatening employees. Biggs faces up to 20 years in federal prison. This case was investigated by AUSA Melanie Smith and prosecuted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
GUILTY PLEA – Christopher Cousins
On September 30, Christopher Cousins, 28, pled guilty to conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery. In February 2018, Cousins and his two coconspirators entered a Sprint Store in Garland, brandishing a firearm. The conspirators stole smartphones and cash for a total value of over $13,000. Cousins faces up to 60 years in federal custody. This case was investigated by the Dallas Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case is prosecuted by AUSA PJ Meitl.
Dallas Charter School CEO involved in Contractor Kickback Scheme Found GuiltyRead the Press Release
A Dallas charter school CEO was convicted for her role in a corruption scandal Friday evening, following an investigation by the FBI Dallas Field Office, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox.
After five days of trial, a federal jury in Dallas found Nova Academy CEO Donna H. Woods, 65, guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, and three individual counts of wire fraud. The jury deliberated for just over four hours to reach its verdict.
Woods’s co-conspirator, Donatus Anyanwu, 61, pleaded guilty to conspiracy in July.
“We are gratified that the jury saw through Ms. Woods’ scheme and held her accountable,” said U.S. Attorney Nealy Cox. “Ms. Woods took advantage of her leadership role at Nova to steer a lucrative government contract to a company that wasn’t equipped to handle it – and to pocket a tidy sum in kickbacks for herself. The Northern District of Texas will not tolerate corruption.”
“The defendant used her position for personal gain and blatantly disregarded the children she pledged to serve. On the heels of this fraud, E-rate ran out of funding and was forced to deny money to schools with legitimate contract proposals,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge of the Dallas Field Office Matthew J. DeSarno. “The FBI works with our law enforcement partners to investigate individuals who use their positions of trust to commit fraud and corruption. It is crucial for us to protect federal funds and guarantee they help the intended recipients.”
According to evidence presented at trial, Ms. Woods approved the granting of a federal telecommunications E-rate contract, worth approximately $337,951, to ADI Engineering, a company owned by Mr. Anyanwu. In return for the E-rate contract, Anyanwu paid Woods $50,000 in kickbacks.
When the charter school initially selected another contractor for E-rate, prosecutors explained, Ms. Woods filed a falsified E-rate application re-directing the contract to ADI – despite the company’s shoddy record. To ensure that ADI’s bid was accepted by E-rate program managers, Ms. Woods also allowed Mr. Anyanwu to copy portions of the original winning bid and pass off the work as his own.
Then, when, ADI botched the E-rate job, Ms. Woods falsely certified that it had completed the work when it had not.
Ms. Woods now faces up to 80 years in federal prison, 20 years per count. Mr. Anyanwu faces up to five years for pleading to single a conspiracy count. Sentencing for Woods is set for Jan. 16, 2020; sentencing for Anyanwu is set for Jan. 30, 2020.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office and Federal Communications Commission Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation. U.S. Attorneys Russ Fusco and Nick Bunch prosecuted the case. Senior U.S. District Judge Sidney A. Fitzwater presided over the trial.
Drug Dealer Who Sold Heroin That Killed 18-Year-Old Sentenced to 28+ YearsRead the Press Release
An Arlington drug dealer who sold the heroin that killed an 18-year-old Southlake girl was sentenced today to more than 28 years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox.
Michael Dasean Robinson, 33, pleaded guilty on April 12 to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance and was sentenced to 340 months’ imprisonment by Senior U.S. District Judge John H. McBryde Thursday.
“This woman’s untimely death was tragic – and preventable,” said U.S. Attorney Nealy Cox. “Even as we mourn the many lives lost in the opioid epidemic, we are determined to hold those who peddle these deadly drugs accountable.”
“The sentence sends a message to drug dealers,” said Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Dallas Division Clyde E. Shelley, Jr. “Drug dealers will be will be held accountable for their customer’s overdose deaths”.
Evidence showed that Mr. Robinson – who went by the street name “Tight” – sold $40 worth of heroin to Reed Bartosh on Nov. 30, 2017.
Mr. Bartosh told police officers that he and his girlfriend, 18-year-old Brianna Flood, used the heroin together that same night and then fell asleep. The next morning, he told officers, he awoke to find her unresponsive.
An autopsy later revealed Ms. Flood had died of a heroin overdose. At today’s sentencing hearing, Judge McBryde found that the heroin sold by Mr. Robinson had caused her death – which ultimately led to Mr. Bartosh’s subsequent suicide.
According to a criminal complaint filed in January 2019, after the girl’s tragic death, undercover officers posing as Mr. Robinson’s clients bought heroin and cocaine from him and an associate:
“Can you do 140 b and 50 g?,” an undercover officer texted Mr. Robinson, at a number provided by Mr. Bartosh, referring to heroin and cocaine.
“Yeah,” Mr. Robinson responded. “Hit me up.”
At Mr. Robinson’s direction, his associate delivered plastic baggies containing heroin (commonly referred to as “boy,” or “b”) and cocaine (commonly referred to as “girl,” or “g”) to an undercover officer parked in the driveway of a Dallas residence in exchange for cash.
During a traffic stop a few days later, law enforcement found cocaine, heroin, and marijuana in Mr. Robinson’s vehicle. Multiple sources of information confirmed to law enforcement that Mr. Robinson was their regular drug dealer. A forensic analysis of his phone suggested he had more than 200 customers.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Fort Worth Police Department’s Narcotics Division, the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office, and the Southlake Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Shawn Smith prosecuted the case.
Kidnapper Michael Webb Convicted of Abducting 8-Year Old GirlRead the Press Release
Kidnapper Michael Webb has been found guilty of abducting an 8-year-old girl and holding her captive for eight hours, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox.
Following a two-day trial, a federal jury in Fort Worth, Texas convicted Webb, 51, of kidnapping after less than 10 minutes of deliberation.
“Today’s jury verdict represents closure and consequence -- closure for the family and consequence for Michael Webb,” said U.S. Attorney Nealy Cox. “Early on, I pledged to the family that my office would seek justice on behalf of this victim, this family, and this community. As a prosecutor and a mother, it was important for me to take part in presenting this case to a jury. We’re glad this jury delivered swift justice.”
"Today's verdict underscores the FBI's commitment to aggressively pursue those who would prey on the most vulnerable in our community," said Special Agent in Charge Matthew J. DeSarno of the FBI's Dallas Field Office. "I am proud of the outstanding collaboration in this case between the FBI's Child Exploitation Task Force, the Fort Worth Police Department's Major Case Unit Task Force, and the many citizen volunteers who worked tirelessly to help bring the victim home safely. The critical role volunteer searchers and other members of the public played in recovering the victim cannot be overstated, and the FBI is grateful for their assistance.”
According to evidence presented at trial, Webb grabbed the child as she and her mother were walking down Fort Worth’s 6th Avenue at 6:38 p.m. on Saturday, May 18. Neighborhood surveillance video shows the victim’s mother knocked to the ground as Webb’s car drives away.
The victim’s mother testified, describing her daughter as “brave, strong, and smart” before describing for the jury the horrific details of the “physical fight” for her daughter’s life.
In a three-hour recorded interview with the FBI, Webb confessed to the kidnapping, admitting that after successfully fighting off the child’s mother, he drove to a church parking lot. Later that evening, he admitted that he took the girl to Forest Hill’s WoodSprings Suites hotel, where he carried the child into a room and held her captive.
It was around midnight when a tip led Forest Hill police officers to Webb’s room. Shortly before their arrival, Webb admitted to threatening the girl, and hiding the girl from law enforcement in a small laundry basket. The officers, having visually inspected the room, left without finding the child.
Meanwhile, friends, volunteers, and law enforcement canvassed the city of Fort Worth looking for the missing girl. It was ultimately the efforts of a family friend who spotted Webb’s Ford sedan and called 911. Fort Worth Police Department responded and confirmed that there appeared to be blood on the front passenger seat. Law enforcement then acted quickly to gain entry into the hotel room, rescuing the victim who was found hidden in the laundry basket.
Jurors heard an emotional, “We got her, we got her!” from officers who announced the news over the radio moments after they found the girl. “He’s in custody; we have her.”
Webb, who has been in federal custody since his arrest on May 19, faces up to life in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s North Texas Child Exploitation Task Force, the Fort Worth Police Department’s Major Case Unit Taskforce, which includes representatives of local law enforcement around the region, Homeland Security Investigations and the Texas Department of Public Safety. U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox and Assistant U.S. Attorney Aisha Saleem, the District’s Project Safe Childhood Coordinator, are prosecuting the case. U.S. District Judge Reed C. O’Connor presided over the trial.
Meat Packing Plant Execs Plead Guilty to Selling $1 Million in Adulterated Ground Beef to Federal Bureau of PrisonsRead the Press Release
Two meat packing plant executives today pleaded guilty to their role in a scheme to sell more than $1 million of adulterated meat — including whole cow hearts labeled as “ground beef” — to the Federal Bureau of Prisons, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox.
West Texas Provisions, Inc. president Jeffery Neal Smith, 49, and operations manager Derrick Martinez, 43, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States before Magistrate Judge Lee Ann Reno Tuesday afternoon.
According to plea papers, the defendants admitted to selling more than 775,000 pounds of uninspected, misbranded, or adulterated meat to 32 prison institutions in 18 states, for which BOP paid $1,011,166.72.
In violation of the Federal Meat Inspection Act, West Texas Provisions marketed its products as USDA inspected when, in fact, it was processed without inspection, defendants admitted.
Plea papers indicate the company processed whole cow hearts — not permitted in ground beef products — and labeled it “ground beef.” They kept the whole hearts offsite until inspectors left the premises, then processed the hearts on nights and weekends, when inspectors weren’t working.
They often kept the lights off inside the facility while processing uninspected meat, hid uninspected meat in the freezer while inspectors were in the building, and distracted inspectors from looking at the product, they admitted.
Both Mr. Smith and Mr. Martinez face up to five years in prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
The Department of Justice Office of Inspector General and the Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Taylor is prosecuting the case.
U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox Named Vice Chair of Attorney General’s Advisory CommitteeRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney General William P. Barr has named U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox Vice Chair of the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas announced today.
The AGAC – chaired by U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jessie Liu – represents the voice of federal prosecutors across the nation and provides advice and counsel to the Attorney General on policy, management and operational issues impacting the Offices of U.S. Attorneys. The AGAC priorities include combating the opioid crisis, reducing violent crime, protecting the most vulnerable and enforcing the rule of law.
U.S. Attorney Nealy Cox is replacing outgoing AGAC Vice Chair John Huber, U.S. Attorney for the District of Utah, who is rotating off the AGAC after several years of service.
“John’s departure leaves me with big shoes to fill,” said U.S. Attorney Nealy Cox. “I’m passionate about serving the Department of Justice and enforcing the rule of law in this country. I am honored by General Barr’s request to continue to serve the AGAC, now as Vice Chair.”
The Hon. Nealy Cox also chairs the AGAC’s Domestic Violence Working Group and sits on its White Collar Fraud and Cyber Crime Subcommittees.
She looks forward to joining U.S. Attorney Liu in presiding over the AGAC’s United States Attorneys, including the nine U.S. Attorneys just appointed to the AGAC today.
Two Reagor Dykes Employees Plead Guilty to Bank Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Two Reagor Dykes Auto Group employees pleaded guilty today for their role a $23 million “check kiting” scheme, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox.
Sheila Evans Miller, 52, and Diana Herrera Urias, 53, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud before Magistrate Judge Lee Ann Reno in Amarillo Friday morning.
Their CFO, Shane Andrew Smith, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud for his role in the check kiting scheme and a related floor plan fraud scheme.
In plea papers, Ms. Miller, an RDAG group controller, and Ms. Urias, an RDAG office manager, admitted that the auto group – which was struggling with ballooning expenses due to aggressive growth, above market compensation and unnecessary overhead – engaged in widespread, systematic check kiting, a ploy that involves concealing fraud by cross-depositing checks across several banks.
In fact, the company had an entire team at its headquarters specifically designated to kite checks, both women admitted.
Due to the kiting, RDAG checks that should have bounced instead cleared during banks’ float time, the period between the deposit in the recipient account and the deduction from the payer’s account, according to their plea papers.
At the instruction of RDAG Chief Financial Officer Shane Smith, Ms. Miller, Ms. Urias, and others would make up random amounts for each check to total the amount that needed to be kited for the day, often discussing the calculus over email, they said.
Ms. Miller and Ms. Urias each face up to five years in federal prison and may be required to pay at least $23 million in restitution. Mr. Smith faces up to 20 years in federal prison, and will be required to pay a mandatory restitution of more than $50 million, equal to the total amount of loss suffered by FMCC and victim banks.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation Division conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua Frausto, Jeffrey Haag, and Sean Taylor are prosecuting the case.
Carjacker Disguised as Law Enforcement Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
An armed carjacker who repeatedly disguised himself as a police officer has been ordered federal prison for 30 years, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox.
Fernando Fabian Alvarez, 36, of Mexico, was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge Barbara M.G. Lynn on Sept. 20 after an investigation led by the FBI Dallas Field Office.
“This Defendant exploited innocent citizens’ trust in law enforcement to commit acts of violence,” said U.S. Attorney Nealy Cox. “We will not tolerate criminals brazenly impersonating police.”
“Police officers are trusted members of the communities they serve. When someone impersonates an officer, it violates the trust our citizens have in law enforcement,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Matthew J. DeSarno. “The FBI and its law enforcement partners encourage the public to report anyone they believe is a police impersonator. We will hold these individuals accountable for using a law enforcement uniform to harm others.”
In May, Mr. Alvarez pleaded guilty to carjacking and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence in Addison, Texas.
According to his plea papers, Mr. Alvarez admitted that he and an accomplice, donning police uniforms and badges, approached their victim at an apartment complex, striking him in the face with a 9 millimeter pistol. They then placed the victims in handcuffs, bound his ankles, and stuffed him into his own car.
While the victim was restrained inside the vehicle, a Mercedes Benz sedan, his apartment was burglarized and his valuables – including cash, jewelry, a smartphone, and a pistol – were taken from him.
Mr. Alvarez admits he and his accomplice later drove the helpless victim to another part of the apartment complex and abandoned him next to a trash dumpster. Mr. Alvarez then abandoned the Mercedes Benz in a parking lot.
At the sentencing hearing, Chief Judge Lynn noted that in addition to the armed carjacking offense, Alvarez admitted in his plea papers to committing other violent offenses in the Dallas area, including:
• A home invasion in Frisco, Texas on December 20, 2016. Mr. Alvarez and two accomplices, all wearing police uniforms, confronted the homeowner in his garage, drawing pistols and shouting that they were the police. They then bound the homeowner, his wife, and his teenage sun at gunpoint, and took approximately $6,000 in cash and other valuables.
• A home invasion in Colleyville, Texas on January 26, 2017. Mr. Alvarez and his accomplices knocked on the house’s front door, announcing that they were U.S. Marshals. When the victim opened the door, they forced their way into the home at gunpoint, placed the victim in handcuffs, and took jewelry, clothing, a pistol, and an automobile.
• A home invasion in Duncanville, Texas on May 1, 2017. Mr. Alvarez and an accomplice confronted the homeowner in his garage at gunpoint and handcuffed him. The two robbers brought the homeowner inside his home and when the homeowner—believing that they were police officers—asked to see the search warrant, one of the robbers struck him twice in the head with a pistol. The pair then took jewelry, approximately $10,000 in cash, and a pistol from the victim.
Mr. Alvarez, a citizen of Mexico residing in the U.S. illegally, will likely face deportation proceedings after serving his sentence. He is ineligible for parole.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Violent Crimes Task Force, along with the Addison, Frisco, Colleyville, Duncanville, and Irving Police Departments, conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Gary Tromblay prosecuted the case
NDTX Round-Up September 19, 2019Read the Press Release
SENTENCING – Noe Pineda-Castro, Junior
On September 12, Noe Pineda-Castro, Junior, 23 was sentenced to 7 years and 5 months in federal custody for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams of methamphetamine. Court documents reflect that the defendant engaged in this conspiracy from on or about January 20, 2017, to on or about October 17, 2017. The Defendant was illegally in the United States at the time of his arrest. The case is an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) case that was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Dallas Police Department, the Texas Department of Public Safety, and the Criminal Investigations Division of the Internal Revenue Service. The case was prosecuted by AUSA George Leal.
SENTENCING – Claudia Gomez Lara
On September 9, Claudia Marcela Gomez-Lara, 33 was sentenced to 2 years and 6 months in federal custody conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Court documents reflect on or about January 9, 2019, the defendant delivered approximately 668 grams of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine in exchange for $3,700.00 at a Home Depot parking lot in Balch Springs, Texas. The Defendant was illegally in the United States at the time of her arrest. The case an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) case that was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Dallas Police Department, the Balch Springs Police Department, and the Criminal Investigations Division of the Internal Revenue Service. The case was prosecuted by AUSA George Leal.
SENTENCING – Juan Carlos Macedo-Benitez
On September 12, Juan Carlos Macedo-Benitez was sentenced to 5 years and 3 months in federal custody for illegal reentry after removal from the United States. Macedo-Benitez was originally removed from the United States in April 2017. This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Office of Enforcement and Removal Operations. This case was prosecuted by AUSA Cathy Richardson.
SENTENCING – Jon Anthony Terry
On September 11, Jon Anthony Terry was sentenced to 60 years in federal prison for the production of child pornography. Terry was found in possession of several child pornography files, and admitted to sexually abusing one of the children who was residing with him at the time of the arrest. This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Ozark Arkansas Police Department. AUSA Camilla Sparks prosecuted the case as part of the Project Safe Childhood initiative. To learn more about this case, click here.
SENTENCING – Asif Ali
On September 11, Asif Ali, 48, was sentenced to 11 years and 3 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to wire fraud. Ali emailed various investors with fraudulent documents that showed wire transfers from several organizations. He repeated this scheme multiple times from 2009 to 2017, collecting over 3 million dollars, claiming to use this money to further the business interests of a fraudulent limousine company. This case was prosecuted by AUSA David Jarvis and investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation Dallas Field Office.
GUILTY PLEA – Ciera Washington
On September 12, Ciera Washington pled guilty to robbery. Washington served as a get-away driver in the robbery of a Valero Gas Station in Mesquite, Texas. Her co-defendants threatened the store owner at gunpoint and stole cash and tobacco products. The Mesquite Police Department was able to track a device in the stolen currency to find the trio. Upon discovery, Washington led the police on a high-speed chase. After crashing the car, Washington was arrested by the police. The stolen goods were found in the vehicle. Washington faces a sentence of up to 20 in federal custody. This case was prosecuted by AUSA Cara Pierce and AUSA Rachael Jones.
Local Man Guilty of Escaping from CustodyRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 37-year-old resident of Houston has entered a guilty plea to federal charges stemming from his escape from custody, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
Anthony Brown Jr. was convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm in 2009 and has been in custody since that time.
On April 8, 2019, Brown was placed in a local half-way house to complete that sentence. A few weeks later, during a regular accountability check, officials discovered he was missing. They discovered he did not have permission to leave or absence himself from custody and opened a fugitive investigation.
Authorities conducted a stop May 3 near Pinemont street on U.S. highway 290 after a vehicle had committed a traffic violation. Brown was driving. They immediately discovered who he was and took him into custody.
During the search of his vehicle, officers found a semi-automatic handgun hidden behind the glove box.
U.S. District Judge Alfred H. Bennett accepted the plea and will set sentencing at a later date. At that time, Brown faces up to five more years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
The U.S. Marshals Service, Texas Department of Public Safety and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation and arrest. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Porto prosecuted the case.
North Texas Man Sentenced to 20 Years for Conspiring to Provide Material Support to a Foreign Terrorist OrganizationRead the Press Release
FORT WORTH – A North Texas man was sentenced today to 240 months in federal prison for conspiring to provide material support to Lashkar-e-Taiba, a Pakistani-based foreign terrorist organization also known as LeT, announced U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox for the Northern District of Texas and Assistant Attorney General John C. Demers of National Security.
“This case demonstrates how an American citizen can be radicalized by a violent ideology based upon hate and how the actions of the FBI and our partners on the Joint Terrorism Task Force worked tirelessly to prevent violence here, and abroad. We cannot thank them enough for what they do to protect our community,” said U.S. Attorney Nealy Cox. “The 20 year sentence proves that justice in the Northern District of Texas can be swift and certain. We will work aggressively to counter terrorist threats and treat these cases with the highest priority.”
“Sewell conspired with another individual to provide material support to LeT and assisted his coconspirator with his plans to travel overseas to join the terrorist organization. Today’s sentence provides just punishment for his crime,” said Assistant Attorney General John C. Demers of National Security. “The National Security Division is committed to identifying and holding accountable those who conspire to provide material support to foreign terrorist organizations.”
“Eighteen years after 9/11, combatting terrorism remains the FBI’s top priority. Here, the defendant, a natural born American citizen, helped recruit a fellow American to fight for a group responsible for unspeakable violence across South Asia,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Matthew J. DeSarno. “The FBI Dallas Field Office, and its partners who make up the North Texas Joint Terrorism Task Force, will work tirelessly to bring to justice those who offer their support to terrorist organizations, both at home and abroad.”
Michael Kyle Sewell, 18, was arrested in February and pleaded guilty to the conspiracy charge in May. He was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor this morning. During sentencing, the United States introduced evidence that Sewell’s offense was consistent with a long pattern of online statements supporting violent extremism. Sewell had posted numerous messages threatening to attack individuals and gatherings of people who he believed were opponents of his radical beliefs. Sewell also conducted internet searches suggesting that he was investigating ways to carry out such attacks. During a search of Sewell’s home after his arrest, agents found an AR-15 style rifle, multiple magazines, and a number of knives in Sewell’s bedroom.
According to court documents, Sewell admitted to encouraging an individual identified in court documents as cc1 to join LeT. Sewell provided the coconspirator, who he spoke to on social media, with contact information for an individual he believed could facilitate the coconspirator’s travel to Pakistan to join LeT. Unbeknownst to Sewell and the coconspirator, the facilitator was an undercover FBI employee. After providing the facilitator’s contact information to the coconspirator, Sewell coached the coconspirator about how to present himself to the facilitator. Sewell then contacted the facilitator to vouch for the coconspirator’s intentions and promised that he would kill the coconspirator if he turned out to be a spy. Sewell also told the facilitator that he would recruit additional fighters to join LeT. The coconspirator continued to communicate with the facilitator, and made arrangements to travel to Pakistan to join LeT.
The FBI and its Joint Terrorism Task Force members, including the Arlington Police Department, the Fort Worth Police Department, the Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office, the Naval Criminal Investigation Service, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Texas Department of Public Safety conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Weimer prosecuted the case with the assistance of Trial Attorney Bridget Behling of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
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Public Affairs Officer Erin Dooley will be out of the office thru Monday, Sept. 16.
If you need immediate assistance, please contact Suzanne Martin at [email protected] .North Texas Man Sentenced to 20 Years for Conspiring to Provide Material Support to a Foreign Terrorist OrganizationRead the Press Release
A North Texas man was sentenced today to 240 months in federal prison for conspiring to provide material support to Lashkar-e-Taiba, a Pakistani-based foreign terrorist organization also known as LeT, announced Assistant Attorney General John C. Demers of National Security and U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox for the Northern District of Texas.
“Sewell conspired with another individual to provide material support to LeT and assisted his coconspirator with his plans to travel overseas to join the terrorist organization. Today’s sentence provides just punishment for his crime,” said Assistant Attorney General John C. Demers of National Security. “The National Security Division is committed to identifying and holding accountable those who conspire to provide material support to foreign terrorist organizations.”
“This case demonstrates how an American citizen can be radicalized by a violent ideology based upon hate and how the actions of the FBI and our partners on the Joint Terrorism Task Force worked tirelessly to prevent violence here, and abroad. We cannot thank them enough for what they do to protect our community,” said U.S. Attorney Nealy Cox. “The 20 year sentence proves that justice in the Northern District of Texas can be swift and certain. We will work aggressively to counter terrorist threats and treat these cases with the highest priority.”
“Eighteen years after 9/11, combatting terrorism remains the FBI’s top priority. Here, the defendant, a natural born American citizen, helped recruit a fellow American to fight for a group responsible for unspeakable violence across South Asia,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Matthew J. DeSarno. “The FBI Dallas Field Office, and its partners who make up the North Texas Joint Terrorism Task Force, will work tirelessly to bring to justice those who offer their support to terrorist organizations, both at home and abroad.”
Michael Kyle Sewell, 18, was arrested in February and pleaded guilty to the conspiracy charge in May. He was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor this morning. During sentencing, the United States introduced evidence that Sewell’s offense was consistent with a long pattern of online statements supporting violent extremism. Sewell had posted numerous messages threatening to attack individuals and gatherings of people who he believed were opponents of his radical beliefs. Sewell also conducted internet searches suggesting that he was investigating ways to carry out such attacks. During a search of Sewell’s home after his arrest, agents found an AR-15 style rifle, multiple magazines, and a number of knives in Sewell’s bedroom.
According to court documents, Sewell admitted to encouraging an individual identified in court documents as cc1 to join LeT. Sewell provided the coconspirator, who he spoke to on social media, with contact information for an individual he believed could facilitate the coconspirator’s travel to Pakistan to join LeT. Unbeknownst to Sewell and the coconspirator, the facilitator was an undercover FBI employee. After providing the facilitator’s contact information to the coconspirator, Sewell coached the coconspirator about how to present himself to the facilitator. Sewell then contacted the facilitator to vouch for the coconspirator’s intentions and promised that he would kill the coconspirator if he turned out to be a spy. Sewell also told the facilitator that he would recruit additional fighters to join LeT. The coconspirator continued to communicate with the facilitator, and made arrangements to travel to Pakistan to join LeT.
The FBI and its Joint Terrorism Task Force members, including the Arlington Police Department, the Fort Worth Police Department, the Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office, the Naval Criminal Investigation Service, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Texas Department of Public Safety conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Weimer prosecuted the case with the assistance of Trial Attorney Bridget Behling of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
Man Who Raped Four Young Children Sentenced to 60 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
Jon Anthony Terry, 30, was sentenced yesterday to 60 years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas, Erin Nealy Cox.
On November 14, 2017, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents executed a search warrant at a home in Rockwall, Texas where Terry was living. The warrant described several child pornography files that Terry had distributed and law enforcement had intercepted. The videos and images depicted children as young as toddlers engaged in sexually explicit conduct. After agreeing to speak to agents, Terry admitted to sexually abusing one of the children who was currently residing with him. Several media devices containing incriminating media were seized by the agents.
Upon review of Terry’s media collection, agents discovered over 1000 videos and images of prepubescent children engaged in sexual acts. Additionally, they uncovered videos and images that Terry himself had produced of four children, including the one Terry had previously admitted to molesting. The children ranged in age from 2-10 years old.
On December 13, 2017, a federal grand jury indicted Terry for four counts of production of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. On February 19, 2019, Terry pled guilty to two counts of production of child pornography, each punishable from 15-30 years in prison.
On September 11, 2019, Chief Judge Barbara M.G. Lynn heard evidence at the sentencing regarding the abuse of these children. Three of the parents of the victims provided statements that detailed the extreme emotional and physical suffering that the children endured and still endure as a result of Terry’s actions. The Court sentenced Terry to 720 months in federal prison and supervised release for life.
“We will not tolerate criminals who target innocent children,” said U.S. Attorney Nealy Cox. “I am proud of my office and the investigating agents’ efforts in this case. The investigation and prosecution of these horrific crimes reinforces our commitment to protecting the most vulnerable in our society – our children.”
“As lengthy as it is, 60 years in prison will never compare to the lifetime of pain and suffering the innocent children in this case have been sentenced to. Plain and simple, the criminal in this case is a monster whose disgusting actions stripped these victims of their innocence and dignity,” said Ryan L. Spradlin, Special Agent in Charge of HSI Dallas. “Homeland Security Investigations special agents won’t ever relent when it comes to protecting children and prosecuting predators whose behavior has no place in our society.”
This case involved the coordinated efforts of HSI and the Ozark Arkansas Police Department. AUSA Camille Sparks prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a Justice Department initiative designed to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse nationwide. The initiative marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.
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Public Affairs Officer Erin Dooley will be out of the office thru Monday, Sept. 16.
If you need immediate assistance, please contact Suzanne Martin at [email protected] .Dallas-Based Human Trafficker Charged by Criminal ComplaintRead the Press Release
A Dallas man has been charged with operating a large-scale human trafficking organization, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox.
Tremont Blakemore, 40, was charged by criminal complaint with sex trafficking through force, fraud and coercion and made his initial appearance before Magistrate Judge Rutherford Wednesday afternoon.
According to victim statements detailed in the complaint, Mr. Blakemore -- who goes by the street name “Macknificent” -- may have trafficked hundreds of women across the United States between 2011 and 2018.
Mr. Blakemore allegedly cultivated an “environment of paranoia,” demanding near constant updates from the victims he forced into commercial sex and doling out severe physical punishment from those he believed were “keeping secrets,” according to the criminal complaint.
Victims said they were required to alert Mr. Blakemore of each illicit encounter as it happened or face grotesque abuse.
“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.”
Mr. Blakemore allegedly set a quota of commercial sex proceeds – generally about $1,000 or more per day – and required victims turn all earnings over to him, either in bulk cash or via money transfers. He set the rates for various commercial sex acts, and occasionally lowered victims’ rates to flood out competition.
“We need to be bringing in 100k a week,” he told victims in another text. “Those don’t like working need day jobs.”
To enforce the rules, Mr. Blakemore allegedly slapped, punched, choked, and kicked his victims, and occasionally burned them with cigarettes.
After one victim expressed a desire to leave his organization and have a family, Mr. Blakemore allegedly body-slammed her into an air conditioning unit, leaving her bruised, bloodied, and with severe back injuries. The victim told agents she believed Mr. Blakemore wanted to “make an example” in front of the other victims so they’d be afraid to talk about a life outside his control.
Mr. Blakemore allegedly appointed certain victims “group leaders” tasked with managing the trafficking organization’s business, including posting commercial sex advertisements online and booking women’s cross-country travel to engage in commercial sex as far away as New York and Hawaii.
In order to recruit new victims, Mr. Blakemore flouted his lavish lifestyle on social media, giving the illusion that his victims were also living in luxury.
He even encouraged women to tattoo his street name on their bodies to signal their loyalty to him.
A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence, and like all defendants, Mr. Blakemore is innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
If convicted, he faces a sentence of up to life in prison.
Homeland Security Investigations, North Texas Trafficking Task Force, with the assistance of the Oakridge Police Department, along with the Federal Bureau of Investigations and Dallas Police Department conducted the investigation.
This case is being prosecuted by AUSA Melanie Smith, AUSA Nicole Dana, and AUSA Cara Foos Pierce.
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Public Affairs Officer Erin Dooley will be out of the office thru Monday, Sept. 16.
If you need immediate assistance, please contact Suzanne Martin at [email protected] .Texas Man Sentenced to 33 Years in Prison for Child KidnappingRead the Press Release
A Texas man was sentenced today to 33 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for child kidnapping.
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S Attorney Erin Nealy Cox of the Northern District of Texas and Special Agent in Charge Matthew J. DeSarno of the FBI’s Dallas Field Office made the announcement.
Rene Gloria, 57, of Muleshoe, Texas, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge James Wesley Hendrix of the Northern District of Texas. According to admissions that he made in connection with his guilty plea, on Dec. 24, 2018, Gloria lured two minor children into his car with the promise of money. Once they were in his car, Gloria threatened to kill them and refused to let them out of his car. After several hours, both minors eventually escaped from Gloria’s car and were recovered by law enforcement.
The case was investigated by the FBI with the assistance of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Muleshoe Police Department, the Bailey County Sheriff’s Office, the Plainview Police Department and the Hale County Sheriff’s Office. Trial Attorney Kyle P. Reynolds of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Russell Lorfing of the Northern District of Texas prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
NDTX Round-up September 5, 2019Read the Press Release
SENTENCING - Samuel Colin
On August 26, Samuel Colin, 25, was sentenced to 78 months in the United States Bureau of Prisons for conspiring to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine. Court records reveal that from October 18, 2016, to September 6, 2017, he conspired with others to distribute methamphetamine. The case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Investigation and was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Criminal Investigation Division of the Internal Revenue Service, and the Dallas Police Department. The case was prosecuted by AUSA George Leal.
SENTENCING - Jose Guadalupe Silva
On August 23, Jose Guadalupe Silva, 31, was sentenced to 17 years and 6 months in federal custody after pleading guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. Silva admitted to working with others to distribute cocaine. The court authorized wiretapping and found that Silva and his co-conspirators used coded language to discuss the sale and dispersion of cocaine. The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and prosecuted by AUSA George Leal.
GUILTY PLEA - Ronnie Rusk
On August 23, Ronnie Rusk, 44, pled guilty to using a communication facility to facilitate a drug felony. Rusk admitted to using a cell phone to discuss the distribution of a half-kilogram of cocaine. He coordinated with his co-defendant and a Drug Enforcement Administration cooperating defendant to deliver the cocaine to the cooperating defendant. Rusk faces a maximum sentence of up to four years. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and prosecuted by AUSA Suzanna Etessam.
GUILTY PLEA - Keon Dwayne Thompson
On August 27, Keon Dewayne Thompson, 35, pled guilty to felon in possession of a firearm and conspiracy to commit kidnapping. Thompson and his co-conspirators traveled to Bonham, Texas to kidnap the victim. Thompson threatened the victim at gunpoint to force compliance with his demands to withdraw funds from the victim’s bank account. Thompson faces a maximum possible sentence of 15 years in federal custody. The case was investigated by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Dallas Police Department. The case is prosecuted by AUSA PJ Meitl.
GUILTY PLEA - James Earl Cude
On August 27, James Earl Cude, 54, pled guilty to receipt of child pornography. Cude received the pornography via his cell phone through the Kik application. He faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. This case was investigated by Homeland Security and is prosecuted by AUSA Camille Sparks.
INDICTMENT – Jose Alanis
On August 28, Jose Alanis, 34, was charged with production of child pornography and possession of prepubescent child pornography. Alanis allegedly used his cell phone and laptop to document and view minors engaged in sexually explicit acts. This case was investigated by the Dallas Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations and is prosecuted by AUSA Camille Sparks. If convicted, Alanis faces up to 80 years in federal custody.
SENTENCING - Donnie Arlondo Ferrell
On September 4, Donnie Arlondo Ferrell, 26, was sentenced to 30 years in federal custody for murder and using a firearm during a crime of violence. Ferrell murdered a postal worker during a road rage incident where he fired at the USPS vehicle. When law enforcement attempted to arrest Ferrell, he refused to exit his residence and surrender for several hours. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Marshals Service, Dallas Police Department, and the Dallas County Sheriff’s Department. AUSA P.J. Meitl prosecuted the case. To learn more about the case, click here.
GUILTY PLEA – Rafael Rubi
On September 3, Rafael Rubi, 24, pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute heroin, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possession of a firearm by a felon. Federal agents were able to link shell casings from four separate drive-by shootings to Rubi’s firearms that were found in his home and car, along with heroin, methamphetamine, and cocaine. The case was investigated by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives and the Dallas Police Department. AUSA Rebekah Rickets and AUSA Gary Tromblay prosecuted this case. To learn more about the case, click here.
Man Sentenced to 30 Years for Murdering Postal Worker in Fit of Road RageRead the Press Release
A Los Angeles man was sentenced today to 30 years in federal prison for murdering a postal worker during a road rage incident in Dallas last February, announced U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox.
Donnie Arlondo Ferrell, 26, pleaded guilty in February 2019 to shooting and killing U.S. Postal Service employee Tony Mosby, who was behind the wheel of a USPS vehicle, a year prior.
According to plea papers, Mr. Ferrell – one of three passengers inside a Mazda traveling eastbound on I-30 – became incensed at something he perceived Mr. Mosby had done on the freeway. He leaned out of the Mazda and fired four shots at the USPS vehicle. Mr. Ferrell then watched as the USPS vehicle crashed into a retaining wall on the freeway.
After Mr. Ferrell later learned Mr. Mosby had been killed by a bullet to the head, Mr. Ferrell instructed the Mazda’s other passengers not to discuss the incident with anyone else. When law enforcement attempted to arrest Mr. Ferrell two days later, he retreated into his residence and refused to surrender for several hours, according to his plea papers.
Mr. Ferrell pleaded guilty to one count of murder of an employee of an agency of the United States government, and one count of discharging a firearm during a crime of violence.
“It was devastating to learn of the senseless act of violence that took the life of a federal postal employee while on the job in our district,” U.S. Attorney Nealy Cox said in February after the defendant’s guilty plea. “I’m gratified we could bring the perpetrator to justice. My heart goes out to Mr. Mosby’s family and friends.”
“The sentencing of Donnie Ferrell for the murder of postal employee Tony Mosby brings to an end an investigation of a heinous crime,” stated U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Fort Worth Division Inspector in Charge Thomas Noyes. “The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is committed to protect our employees and customers. While we cannot prevent these senseless acts, we will not allow anything to impede our pursuit of justice. A special thank you to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, FBI, U.S. Marshal Service, Dallas PD and Dallas County Sheriff’s Department among others who worked swiftly to bring closure to this investigation and the Mosby family.”
A codefendant, Bei-jing Tashawna Walker, accused of accessory after the fact, entered a plea of not guilty last March. Her trial is scheduled to begin October 28, and she is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service conducted the investigation with assistance from the Dallas Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Dallas Police Department, and Dallas County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys P.J. Meitl and John Kull prosecuted the case.
Gang Member Pleads Guilty After Ballistic Database Links His Guns to Four Drive-By ShootingsRead the Press Release
A gang member involved in several drive-by shootings in Dallas pleaded guilty today to multiple gun and drug charges, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox.
Rafael Rubi, 24, pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance Tuesday morning before Magistrate Judge Rebecca Rutherford.
Using the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network, or NIBIN, federal agents were able to link shell casings found at the scenes of at least four drive-by shootings in Dallas’ Oak Cliff neighborhood to firearms found in Mr. Rubi’s home and car.
“Intelligence gleaned from ATF’s ballistic database helped get a violent criminal off the streets,” said U.S. Attorney Nealy Cox. “We are proud to partner with ATF to use every investigative tool at our disposal – from shrewd agents to sophisticated technology – to track criminals wielding unlawful firearms against our communities.”
“Use of ATF’s National Integrated Ballistic Information Network can provide essential leads linking firearm evidence recovered from associated or seemingly-unrelated crime scenes, even if the crimes occur in separate jurisdictions,” stated ATF Dallas Field Division Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey C. Boshek II. “Every gun tells a story. In this case, the use of NIBIN capture and comparison technology revealed the connection between the firearms seized from Mr. Rubi and several violent crimes committed in the Dallas area. NIBIN is an excellent investigative tool. ATF works with our local, state and federal partners to advance the use of the technology to prevent, solve and prosecute violent crime offense.”
In plea papers, Mr. Rubi, a member of the street gang La Familia Homeboy, admits he was involved in all four drive-by shootings, including one shooting that targeted a driver previously involved in a car accident with Mr. Rubi’s girlfriend and another shooting that targeted the driver’s family members.
In total, approximately 119 cartridge casings were recovered at the scenes of the shootings.
The majority of the casings were later linked to two Glock pistols – one found stashed in a toilet tank in Mr. Rubi’s apartment (along with heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine, and drug paraphernalia), and another recovered from his Ford Mustang during a traffic stop hours after the final shooting.
During that traffic stop, officers observed Mr. Rubi’s passenger making “furtive movements” toward the floorboard, where they later located the loaded Glock pistol. Mr. Rubi admits he handed the Glock to the passenger and asked him to hide it.
A convicted felon, Mr. Rubi now faces a sentence of five years up to life in federal prison. He is set to be sentenced on December 18 before U.S. District Judge Ed Kinkeade.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF) and the Dallas Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rebekah Ricketts and Gary Tromblay prosecuted the case.
USAO Honors Federal Protective Service Officers Who Engaged Cabell ShooterRead the Press Release
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas today honored the four Federal Protective Service officers who neutralized a shooter who opened fire on the Cabell Courthouse on June 17.
“It’s been 73 days since a gunman opened fire on the Cabell Federal Courthouse,” U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox said at a private ceremony inside the building Wednesday morning. “A courthouse is one of a few essential nodes within the body politic. It's where cases are adjudicated, where justice is handed out, and where so much federal business is done. To target a courthouse is to target a pillar of our civil society. And it’s not just any house. It’s our house.”
The four FPS officers – tasked with guarding premises, including the roughly 150 Justice Department employees housed inside the building – were granted U.S. Attorney’s Awards of Excellence.
Stationed that day on the south side of the building, all four FPS officers worked swiftly to clear the lobby and sidewalk, and assumed positions of advantage to return the shooter’s fire.
Their names are being withheld at the request of FPS.
“Too often, these situations end in tragedy – families grieving, victims inalterably injured, said U.S. Attorney Nealy Cox. “But that day, not one single federal employee or citizen visiting the courthouse lost their life. Not one was seriously physically injured. And that is thanks to you. When danger came, you acted swiftly and selflessly. For that, we can never thank you enough.”
Also in attendance at today’s ceremony was FPS Regional Director Cathy Long, representatives from the Department of Homeland Security police force, and grateful U.S. Attorney’s Office employees.
Sex Offender Sentenced to 50 Years in Prison in Project Safe Childhood CaseRead the Press Release
A Denton County sexual predator was sentenced today to 50 years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox.
Adam Donald Bennet, 36, pleaded guilty in April to one count of sexual exploitation of children following an investigation led by Homeland Security Investigations. He was sentenced today by Senior U.S. District Judge John McBryde.
“Homeland Security Investigations’ tentacles extend globally, and in this case, resulted in the lengthy federal prison sentence of a previously convicted sex offender,” said Ryan L. Spradlin, Special Agent in Charge of HSI Dallas. “With HSI attaché offices worldwide, we routinely share leads with our law enforcement partners to identify and investigate many different types of crimes — including and especially those targeting the most vulnerable members of society, our children.”
According to court documents, authorities began investigating Mr. Bennett in June 2018, when he began online chatting with an undercover officer. During their communications, Mr. Bennett acknowledged committing sexual acts with minors, according to the criminal complaint. He also sent the undercover officer video recordings of his abuse of a minor child residing in north Texas.
This case involved the coordinated efforts of the Eastern District of Texas and Northern Districts of Texas, Homeland Security Investigations, the Flower Mound Police Department, Denton County Sheriff’s Office, Denton County District Attorney’s Office, Wise County District Attorney’s Office, and Bridgeport Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aisha Saleem prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a Justice Department initiative designed to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse nationwide. The initiative marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.
Former Service Provider at the San Angelo, Texas, State Supported Living Center Sentenced to 51 Months in Prison After Pleading Guilty to Civil Rights Offense for Assaulting ResidentRead the Press Release
Tesa Keith, 38, a former direct service provider at the San Angelo State Supported Living Center in San Angelo, Texas, was sentenced to 51 months in prison for violating the civil rights of K.B., a resident at the facility, announced Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox, and FBI Dallas Division Special Agent in Charge Matthew J. DeSarno.
“The Department of Justice is dedicated to protecting the defenseless in our society,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband of the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division. “Today’s sentencing demonstrates the Civil Rights Division’s commitment to seeking justice for victims of civil rights abuses.”
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office will not tolerate this kind of unwarranted brutality against our District’s most vulnerable,” said U.S. Attorney Nealy Cox.
“Our most vulnerable citizens have the right to expect the highest level of care from those charged with keeping them safe. What Ms. Keith did is reprehensible and today’s sentence clearly demonstrates the FBI is committed to justice for the victims of violence targeting defenseless individuals,” said Special Agent in Charge DeSarno. “The FBI and our federal, state, and local partners will continue to diligently work to identify and investigate any type of federal crimes targeting those who are dependent on others for their daily care.”
According to court documents filed in connection with the plea, Keith was working on June 13, 2017, as a Direct Service Provider at the San Angelo State Supported Living Center, a state-run facility. K.B. was a resident of the facility. Keith admitted to kicking K.B. in the face without legal justification and for the purpose of punishing her. Keith’s assault on K.B. resulted in bodily injury to K.B.
The FBI’s Dallas Field Office and San Angelo Resident Agency conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Juanita Fielden of the Northern District of Texas and Trial Attorneys Rose E. Gibson and Kate Hill of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States.
Father and Son Sentenced in Multi-Million Dollar Hearing Aid Healthcare FraudRead the Press Release
A father/son duo who submitted more than $27 million in fraudulent hearing aid claims to insurer Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas was sentenced yesterday to eight and seven years in federal prison, respectively, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox.
Terry Lynn Anderson, 69, and Rocky Freeland Anderson, 38, of Dallas, were convicted on multiple counts of health care fraud and aggravated identity theft in March 2018 following a 10-day jury trial before U.S. Chief District Judge Barbara M.G. Lynn.
The elder Mr. Anderson was sentenced Wednesday to eight years in federal prison and ordered to pay nearly $13.7 million in restitution to Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas; he was also ordered to forfeit a 300-acre ranch in Valley Mills, Texas, three vehicles, and more than $3.1 million seized from nine financial accounts. His son was sentenced to seven years in federal prison and ordered to pay more than $8.4 million in restitution to Blue Cross.
“In flagrant disregard for the law, these defendants submitted claims for equipment they knew patients neither needed nor wanted, just to line their own pockets,” said U.S. Attorney Nealy Cox. “This sort of fraud impacts healthcare costs for patients who actually need coverage and we will continue to prioritize these cases.”
According to evidence presented at trial, the defendants defrauded Blue Cross by submitting claims on behalf of American Airlines employees for hearing aids that were not needed and, in many cases, never dispensed to the patient. The fraudulent claims were submitted through Anderson Optical & Hearing Aids Center, the defendants’ family-owned business with locations in Arlington and Bedford.
To increase the number of claims they could submit to Blue Cross, the defendants engaged in marketing practices, promising patients a free pair of high-end sunglasses or a free pair of prescription eyeglasses in exchange for taking a free hearing test. At the conclusion of these hearing tests, the defendants told patients that they had slight to mild hearing loss and required them to sign an order for hearing aids in order to receive the free glasses. The defendants promised patients that the hearing aids would be provided to them at no cost, and that Anderson Optical & Hearing would waive any applicable copayments, coinsurance, or deductibles. The defendants also offered patients $100 gift cards in exchange for referring family members and coworkers for free hearing tests.
In 2012, the pair brought their fraud scheme into American Airlines’ airport facilities and started offering free hearing tests to aircraft mechanics and fleet services clerks in maintenance hangars and employee breakrooms. Attracted by the offer of free sunglasses, the pair often had long lines of employees waiting to be tested. However, an expert witness who testified for the government explained that the cursory screening tests the defendants performed, which witnesses described as lasting 3-5 minutes, were incapable of producing results upon which one could make a legitimate decision to dispense hearing aids. Witnesses from Blue Cross testified that these cursory screening tests also failed to comply with Blue Cross’s medical policies related to the evaluation of hearing impairment.
The evidence showed that, in November 2013, Blue Cross conducted an audit of Anderson Optical & Hearing and requested copies of patient records for certain American Airlines employees and their dependents. On January 6, 2014, the Texas Department of State Health Services-Professional Licensing Unit began investigating a complaint it had received concerning the Andersons. In February 2014, when given the opportunity to respond to the complaint, the defendants submitted several patient records to the Professional Licensing Unit, including some of the same patient records that had been collected by Blue Cross. The patient records submitted to the Professional Licensing Unit had altered test scores and additional notations that were not present when the same records were submitted to Blue Cross in November 2013.
During the period of the fraud scheme, Anderson Optical & Hearing submitted claims to Blue Cross for hearing aids on behalf of American Airlines employees totaling more than $27 million. As a result of these claims, Blue Cross paid Anderson Optical & Hearing more than $16.7 million.
At trial, Terry Anderson took the stand in his own defense. In an attempt to shift the blame on to patients who were more interested in his offer of free sunglasses than they were in hearing aids, he testified, “Well, unfortunately among us are people that will take advantage of perhaps any program, if they have an opportunity to.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Douglas Brasher and Rachael Jones prosecuted the case with the assistance of Andrew Wirmani, Marcus Busch, Mark Tindall, and Dimitri Rocha.
USAO Seeking $17M in Money Judgments Against Defendants Convicted in Forest Park TrialRead the Press Release
The U.S. Attorney's Office is seeking more than $17 million in money judgments against the seven defendants convicted in the Forest Park Medical Center bribery trial in April, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox.
Each defendant played a role in the $200 million kickback scheme, designed to induce doctors to steer lucrative patients – particularly those with high-reimbursing, out-of-network private insurance – to the now defunct hospital. The majority of the kickbacks, which totaled more than $40 million, were disguised as consulting fees or “marketing money” doled as a percentage of surgeries each doctor referred to Forest Park.
Hospital manager Alan Beauchamp, who testified for the government, admitted that Forest Park “bought surgeries,” and then “papered it up to make it look good.”
“Patients trust medical professionals to make healthcare based on the patients’ best interests. Instead, these defendants allowed their greed to dictate their recommendations as to how and where patients were treated,” U.S. Attorney Nealy Cox said today.
Prosecutors filed motions for entry of a forfeiture money judgement against six of the seven convicted defendants Tuesday afternoon:
From Wilton McPherson “Mac” Burt, Forest Park’s managing partner, the government is seeking $4,560,852.33. Mr. Burt was found guilty on 10 of 12 counts, including one count of conspiracy, two counts of paying kickbacks, six counts of commercial bribery in violation of the Travel Act, and one count of money laundering, and now faces up to 65 years in federal prison.
From Jackson Jacob, owner of the shell companies through which some of the bribes were routed, the government is seeking $526,102.13. Mr. Jacob was found guilty on four of 14 counts, including conspiracy and three counts of paying kickbacks, and now faces up to 20 years in federal prison.
From Michael Bassem Rimlawi, a spinal surgeon, the government is seeking $8,130,000.00. (A portion of that money would be jointly and severally liable with his partner, Dr. Doug Won.) Dr. Rimlawi was found guilty on three of four counts, including conspiracy and two counts of receiving kickbacks, and now faces up to 15 years in federal prison
From Shawn Mark Henry, a spinal surgeon who invested in FMPC, the government is seeking $840,000.00. Dr. Henry was found guilty on three of three counts, including conspiracy, commercial bribery, and money laundering, and now faces up to 30 years in federal prison.
From Mrugeshkumar Shah, a pain management doctor, the government is seeking $67,850.00. Dr. Shah was found guilty on four of four counts, including conspiracy, two counts of paying kickbacks, and one count of commercial bribery, and now faces up to 20 years in federal prison.
From Iris Kathleen Forrest, a nurse who recruited and preauthorized worker’s comp requests, the government is seeking $463,600.00. Ms. Forrest was convicted on two of two counts, including conspiracy and paying kickbacks, and now faces up to 10 years in federal prison.
Prosecutors had previously filed a motion for entry of a forfeiture money judgement against Dr. Douglas Sung Won, who is currently facing bankruptcy proceedings:
From Dr. Won, a spinal surgeon who partnered with Dr. Rimlawi, the government is seeking $9,122,500.00. (A portion of that money would be jointly and severally liable with Dr. Rimlawi.) Dr. Won was found guilty on one of two counts, conspiracy, and now faces up to 5 years in federal prison.
The government is also seeking $8,255,000.00 from Dr. Wade Neal Barker, one of Forest Park’s founding doctors, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to pay and receive healthcare bribes and kickbacks as well as aiding and abetting commercial bribery before trial and agreed to testify for the prosecution.
In total, the government is seeking $17,355,904.46 from the defendants convicted at trial, plus an additional $8,255,000.00 from Dr. Barker, for an overall total of $25,610,904.46 to date.
In this case, prosecutors are seeking forfeiture money judgements based on proceeds traceable to the defendants’ crimes of conviction. In addition to any forfeiture ordered by the Court, the Forest Park defendants may be required to pay mandatory restitution to the victim insurance companies – an amount that will likely far exceed the amount sought in the money judgements.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management Office of Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Department of Labor Employee Benefits Security Administration, the U.S. Department of Defense - Defense Criminal Investigative Service, and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, with assistance from the Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Tindall is handling the money judgements. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew Wirmani, Kate Pfeifle, Marcus Busch, and Gail Hayworth are also prosecuting the case.
‘Halo Bandit’ Bank Robbers Sentenced to Combined 35 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Two bank robbers who led police on a wild chase across the Dallas - Fort Worth Metroplex earlier this year have been sentenced to a combined 35 years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox.
Dubbed the “Halo Bandits” by the FBI, Marcello Shofner, 37, and Cedric Burns, 41, both pleaded guilty to bank robbery in April.
In plea papers, the pair admitted they entered a Texas Trust Credit Union in Hurst, Texas, pointed replica weapons at three employees, and demanded more than $100,000 in U.S. currency from the vault. Money in hand, they fled the scene in a grey Ford Focus.
Their getaway driver, Antranette Canady, 46, lead authorities on a high-speed pursuit down Interstate 30 and onto a dead end street in Dallas’ Oak Cliff neighborhood, where all three were apprehended by law enforcement.
Mr. Shofner was sentenced Monday morning by U.S. District Judge Reed C. O’Connor to 15 years in federal prison. Mr. Burns was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison late last month. Ms. Canady, who also pleaded guilty to bank robbery in April, is slated to be sentenced next month.
Co-conspirator Precious Alexander – who’d planned to be the “switch” driver but was detained by law enforcement before she could meet up with Mr. Shofner and Mr. Burns – also pleaded guilty and has been sentenced to 9 years in federal prison.
The FBI Dallas Violent Crimes Task Force conducted the investigation; the Dallas Police Department assisted in the defendants’ apprehension. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan Fahey is prosecuting the case.
NDTX Round-up August 8, 2019Read the Press Release
GUILTY PLEA – Bobby Dewayne Smith
On August 1, Bobby Dewayne Smith, 38, pled guilty to attempt and conspiracy to distribute cocaine. On a search warrant, the DEA searched Smith’s home to find a pistol, a scale, cookware associated with the conversion of cocaine, and crack cocaine for distribution. He faces up to 20 years imprisonment and up to a $1,000,000 fine. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Agency and prosecuted by AUSA Suzanna Etessam.
GUILTY PLEA – Cesar Aranda-Delgado
On August 1, Cesar Aranda-Delgado, 40, pled guilty to aiding and abetting possession with intent to distribute cocaine. Law enforcement officials conducted a search on the vehicle Aranda-Delgado was driving and found 1.5 kilograms of cocaine. Aranda-Delgado confirmed that he came to the United States from Mexico to make money distributing narcotics. Aranda-Delgado faces up to 20 years in prison. This case was investigated by the Grand Prairie Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Agency and is prosecuted by AUSA Rachael Jones.
SENTENCING – Romulo Ramos-Diaz
On August 1, Romulo Ramos-Diaz was sentenced to 14 years in federal prison. Ramos-Diaz had pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Ramos-Diaz served as a look-out and protection for his co-conspirators and was eventually arrested after selling to an undercover officer. In the course of the investigation, officers discovered over two kilograms of methamphetamine. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Agency and prosecuted by AUSA John Kull.
SENTENCING – Adrian Jimenez-Reynoso
On August 5, Adrian Jimenez-Reynoso was sentenced to 9 years in federal prison. Jimenez-Reynoso had pled guilty to charge of possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. Law enforcement officials had intercepted a variety of calls and other evidence that revealed Jimenez-Reynoso’s drug deals. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Agency and prosecuted by AUSA John Kull.
INDICTMENT – Joshua Blake Browning
On August 7, a federal grand jury indicted Joshua Blake Browning, 38, for escaping from custody and possessing contraband in prison. Browning escaped a federal prison camp where he was serving time for the possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Additionally, while serving his time in prison, Browning illegally possessed a mobile device. If convicted, Browing faces up to 6 years of imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000. The case was investigated by the United States Marshall Service and is prosecuted by AUSA Suzanna Etessam.
INDICTMENT – Abel Cardenas Segundo and Guillermo Zarco Villasenor
On August 7, a federal grand jury indicted Abel Cardenas Segundo, 30, and Guillermo Zarco Villasenor, 26, for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Both defendants face up to 40 years in prison. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is prosecuted by AUSA P.J. Meitl.
INDICTMENT – Garibaldi Gutierrez Solorio
On August 7, a federal grand jury indicted Garibaldi Gutierrez Solorio, 25, for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin and possession with the intent to distribute heroin. If convicted, Solorio faces a maximum sentence of life in prison and a maximum fine of $11,000,000. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Agency and is prosecuted by AUSA Suzanna Etessam.
INDICTMENT – Santos Ramos
On August 7, a federal jury indicted Santos Ramos, 26, as an illegal alien in possession of a firearm. Ramos allegedly was in possession of two pistols. If convicted, Ramos must forfeit any firearms involved in the offense and he faces up to 10 years imprisonment. This case was investigated by the Irving Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and is prosecuted by AUSA Gary Tromblay.
Dallas Brothel Owner Targeted in Sting Operation Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
Brothel owner Helen Kim pleaded guilty today to a racketeering charge, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox.
Ms. Kim, 59, was apprehended by law enforcement in November, after a sting operation at a Dallas hotel liberated a number of foreign-born commercial sex workers.
She pleaded guilty Thursday morning to one count of use of a facility of interstate commerce in aid of a racketeering enterprise involving prostitution before Magistrate Judge Renee Toliver.
“I am proud that our law enforcement partners poured significant resources into this sting operation in order to liberate the numerous women that Ms. Kim sold for sex,” said U.S. Attorney Nealy Cox. “We were determined to hold her accountable for her willingness to demean other women for financial gain.”
In plea papers, Ms. Kim – the owner of brothels “Pink One” and “Illusion Spa” – admitted that she agreed to take more than $40,00 in exchange for providing illicit sex services to a group of out of town “businessmen” partying at a local hotel.
Those “businessmen” were in fact undercover law enforcement. More than 50 officers from the Dallas Police Department, the Texas Department of Public Safety, and Homeland Security Investigations participated in the Nov. 1 undercover operation, which involved agents posing as businessmen posted at the hotel bar and in rooms upstairs.
According to an indictment returned in November, Ms. Kim and her 36-year-old son had previously negotiated the businessmen’s private sexual liaisons with 20 to 25 women at a rate of $2,000 each, for a total of at least $40,000. The pair promised the “girlfriend experience,” and even allowed an undercover detective to meet several of the women at a local Sushi bar.
“The way this is set up,” her son allegedly told the undercover officer, “it could be considered human trafficking.”
In her plea papers, Ms. Kim admitted that she employed more than 10 commercial sex workers at her two brothels. Many of the women lived at the establishments, in order to cater to customers at all times of the day and night, she acknowledged.
Ms. Kim now faces up to five years in federal prison.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan Raybould and Cara Foos Pierce are prosecuting the case.
Lubbock Man Allegedly Plotting Mass Shooting Charged with Making False Statements to Firearms DealerRead the Press Release
A Lubbock man allegedly contemplating a mass shooting has been charged by criminal complaint with making false statements to a federally-licensed firearms dealer, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox.
The potential shooting has been averted.
William Patrick Williams, 19, was arrested by special agents of ATF and FBI Thursday, following a brief hospitalization. He made his initial appearance in court Friday morning.
According to a criminal complaint unsealed this afternoon, on July 13, Mr. Williams allegedly told his grandmother he had recently purchased an AK-47 rifle and planned to “shoot up” a local hotel and then commit suicide by cop. Sensing he was both homicidal and suicidal, she convinced him to allow her to bring him to a local hospital instead.
Mr. Williams later gave officers consent to search the room he’d rented at the hotel, where officers found an AK-47 rifle, seventeen magazines loaded with ammunition, multiple knives, a black trench coat, black tactical pants, a black t-shirt that read “Let ‘Em Come,” and black tactical gloves with the fingers cut off. Mr. Williams told officers he had laid out his weapons on the bed so that law enforcement could take custody of them.
Eight days later, ATF received the firearms transaction form (form 4473) that Williams had completed on July 11, when purchasing the AK-47. On the form, Mr. Williams listed his relatives’ address, where he no longer resided. Agents discovered that although Mr. William’s driver’s license showed the family members’ address, Mr. Williams was actually living with a roommate at a different address, following eviction by his relatives. He had allegedly misrepresented his current address on the firearms transaction form.
“This was a tragedy averted,” said U.S. Attorney Nealy Cox. “I want to praise the defendant’s grandmother, who saved lives by interrupting this plot, as well as the Lubbock police officers and federal agents who investigated his unlawful acquisition of a deadly weapon. If you suspect a friend or loved one is planning violence against themselves or others, do not hesitate to seek help immediately by calling law enforcement.”
“The safety of our citizens is paramount,” said Lubbock Interim Police Chief Jerry Brewer. “When events like this occur we greatly appreciate the cooperative relationships with our federal law enforcement partners that enhance our abilities to protect the community.”
“ATF is committed to preventing firearms violence. The ATF Dallas Field Division wants to thank our state, local and federal partners who cooperated in this investigation,” said ATF Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Dallas Field Division Craig W. Saier.
“The FBI worked closely with our partners at the ATF and Lubbock Police Department to prevent the defendant from potentially committing a violent act,” said Matthew DeSarno, Special Agent in Charge of the Dallas Field Office. “This case is a perfect example of law enforcement agencies coming together to find a solution that protected the public from harm.”
A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence, and Mr. Williams is innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
If convicted, the defendant faces up to five years in federal prison.
The Lubbock Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey Haag, NDTX’s West Texas Branch Chief, and Stephen Rancourt are prosecuting the case.
Han Gil Hotel Owner Pleads Guilty to Maintaining Drug-Involved PremisesRead the Press Release
Han Gil hotel owner Su Amos Mun pleaded guilty today to maintaining a drug-involved premises, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox.
In plea papers, Mr. Mun, 65, admitted that for more than a year, he charged drug dealers an inflated daily rate, or “drug tax,” that allowed them to openly sell quantities of heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine and other drugs from inside his hotel rooms.
He further admitted that despite being notified of two separate heroin overdose deaths that occurred inside the hotel, Mr. Mun continued to allow dealers to sell illegal drugs to customers from Han Gil Hotel rooms, often arming himself with a firearm. Mr. Mun also admitted that many of the drug dealers operating out of his hotel were armed with handguns and long guns.
As part of his plea agreement, Mr. Mun agreed to forfeit the Han Gil hotel, which is also the subject of a civil action filed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office alleging the site functioned as a “safe haven for drug distributors” and a “breeding ground for escalating criminal activity.”
The hotel has been shuttered since March 8, when a federal judge granted prosecutors’ motion for a restraining order prohibiting the hotel’s further operation. The establishment, located less than 1000 feet from Dallas’ Herbert Marcus Elementary, had seen multiple deaths, shootings, and drug-related incidents over the eight months prior to the restraining order.
To date, eight criminal defendants in the Han Gil case have pleaded guilty, including Eric Dewayne Freeman, aka “Stuff,” the lead defendant in the case. The 44-year-old Freeman – who could be seen on surveillance video peddling drugs and committing acts of violence from inside the Han Gil – corroborated Mr. Mun’s knowledge of dealers’ illegal activities in his plea papers.
“The Defendant’s plea not only documents his criminal culpability, but also describes how he brazenly facilitated and profited from the criminal conduct by dangerous individuals operating out of his hotel,” U.S. Attorney Nealy Cox said of Mr. Mun. “The Defendant’s business directly impacted the safety of this community and his conviction allows us to permanently rid the neighborhood of this horrible place. I want to thank all the law enforcement personnel that worked together innovatively to bring about this great result. Let this case serve as a warning to other business owners that operate similar establishments – we will not allow those who profit off the dangerous and illegal activity of others to hide in the shadows.”
Mr. Mun now faces up to 20 years in federal prison. His sentencing is scheduled for December 19.
The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Coppell Police Department, Dallas Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, the U.S. Marshal’s Service, Grand Prairie Police Department, Arlington Police Department, Grapevine Police Department, Lancaster Police Department, the State Department, IRS, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Plano Police Department, Farmers Branch Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, Garland Police Department, Rowlett Police Department, Denton Police Department, Lewisville Police Department and McKinney Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rick Calvert, Chief of NDTX’s Narcotics Section, and Phelesa Guy, Deputy Chief of the Narcotics Section, are prosecuting the criminal case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey Beran, NDTX Opioids Coordinator, is handling the civil case.
Texas Man Charged with Conspiring to Provide Material Support to ISISRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in Dallas has indicted a U.S. citizen for traveling to Syria and conspiring to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization.
Omer Kuzu – a 23-year-old U.S. citizen born in Dallas, Texas – was detained overseas by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and recently transferred to FBI custody and returned to Texas. He made his initial appearance before Magistrate Judge Irma C. Ramirez in the Northern District of Texas today.
“The United States continues to demonstrate its commitment to holding accountable those who have left this country in order to join and support ISIS,” said John C. Demers, Assistant Attorney General for National Security. “As alleged in the court filings, Kuzu traveled overseas and joined ISIS as part of his conspiracy with others to provide material support to the foreign terrorist organization. He was ultimately detained overseas, turned over to the FBI, and will now face justice in an American courtroom. We hope countries around the world, including our European allies and partners, will likewise take responsibility for their own citizens who traveled to support ISIS.”
“There are few things more concerning to me than young Americans being radicalized by terrorists’ violent and hateful agendas while in the U.S., and then traveling abroad in order to fight for groups like ISIS,” said U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox for the Northern District of Texas. “I am grateful for the public servants who helped bring this defendant home to face justice in a U.S. courtroom.”
“Today’s announcement should serve as a warning to those who have traveled, or attempted to travel, to join ISIS that the FBI remains steadfast in ensuring they face justice” said Assistant Director Mike McGarrity of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division. “I am proud of the work done by the men and women of the FBI’s Dallas JTTF and Counterterrorism Division, as well as that of our interagency and international partners, which resulted in Omer Kuzu returning to the United States to answer for the crimes he is accused of committing.”
“The FBI remains committed to protecting the United States from all terrorist threats,” said Special Agent in Charge Matthew DeSarno of the FBI Dallas Field Office. “We aggressively pursue anyone who pledges allegiance to a foreign terrorist organization and will hold them accountable for actively supporting their violent agenda.”
According to an earlier criminal complaint that was also unsealed today, Kuzu and his brother allegedly traveled from Houston, Texas to Istanbul, Turkey, in October 2014 to join ISIS.
According to the complaint, Kuzu confessed to agents that he and his brother were smuggled into Syria by ISIS. The defendant said he eventually ended up in Mosul, Iraq, where he received physical and weapons training from ISIS instructors.
He was then sent back to Syria, where he allegedly pledged allegiance to ISIS and its leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. The terrorist group issued him a Chinese-made AK-47 and allegedly paid him $125 per month to repair communications equipment for frontline ISIS fighters, he told agents.
Kuzu claimed that, in approximately early 2019, as Kurdish forces advanced, he fled with the ISIS fighters and was ultimately captured, along with other ISIS members, by the SDF.
Indictments and criminal complaints are formal accusations of criminal conduct, not evidence, and Kuzu is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
If convicted of the charged offense, Kuzu faces up to 20 years in federal prison.
The FBI’s Dallas Field Office conducted the investigation through the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF). Assistant U.S. Attorneys Errin Martin and Tiffany Eggers and Trial Attorney Michael Dittoe of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.
Texas Man Charged with Conspiring to Provide Material Support to ISISRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in Dallas has indicted a U.S. citizen for traveling to Syria and conspiring to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization.
Omer Kuzu – a 23-year-old U.S. citizen born in Dallas, Texas – was detained overseas by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and recently transferred to FBI custody and returned to Texas. He made his initial appearance before Magistrate Judge Irma C. Ramirez in the Northern District of Texas today.
“The United States continues to demonstrate its commitment to holding accountable those who have left this country in order to join and support ISIS,” said John C. Demers, Assistant Attorney General for National Security. “As alleged in the court filings, Kuzu traveled overseas and joined ISIS as part of his conspiracy with others to provide material support to the foreign terrorist organization. He was ultimately detained overseas, turned over to the FBI, and will now face justice in an American courtroom. We hope countries around the world, including our European allies and partners, will likewise take responsibility for their own citizens who traveled to support ISIS.”
“There are few things more concerning to me than young Americans being radicalized by terrorists’ violent and hateful agendas while in the U.S., and then traveling abroad in order to fight for groups like ISIS,” said U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox for the Northern District of Texas. “I am grateful for the public servants who helped bring this defendant home to face justice in a U.S. courtroom.”
“Today’s announcement should serve as a warning to those who have traveled, or attempted to travel, to join ISIS that the FBI remains steadfast in ensuring they face justice” said Assistant Director Mike McGarrity of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division. “I am proud of the work done by the men and women of the FBI’s Dallas JTTF and Counterterrorism Division, as well as that of our interagency and international partners, which resulted in Omer Kuzu returning to the United States to answer for the crimes he is accused of committing.”
“The FBI remains committed to protecting the United States from all terrorist threats,” said Special Agent in Charge Matthew DeSarno of the FBI Dallas Field Office. “We aggressively pursue anyone who pledges allegiance to a foreign terrorist organization and will hold them accountable for actively supporting their violent agenda.”
According to an earlier criminal complaint that was also unsealed today, Kuzu and his brother allegedly traveled from Houston, Texas to Istanbul, Turkey, in October 2014 to join ISIS.
According to the complaint, Kuzu confessed to agents that he and his brother were smuggled into Syria by ISIS. The defendant said he eventually ended up in Mosul, Iraq, where he received physical and weapons training from ISIS instructors.
He was then sent back to Syria, where he allegedly pledged allegiance to ISIS and its leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. The terrorist group issued him a Chinese-made AK-47 and allegedly paid him $125 per month to repair communications equipment for frontline ISIS fighters, he told agents.
Kuzu claimed that, in approximately early 2019, as Kurdish forces advanced, he fled with the ISIS fighters and was ultimately captured, along with other ISIS members, by the SDF.
Indictments and criminal complaints are formal accusations of criminal conduct, not evidence, and Kuzu is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
If convicted of the charged offense, Kuzu faces up to 20 years in federal prison.
The FBI’s Dallas Field Office conducted the investigation through the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF). Assistant U.S. Attorneys Errin Martin and Tiffany Eggers and Trial Attorney Michael Dittoe of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.