Southern District of Texas
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Exporting business pays to resolve allegations it failed to screen cargoRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – An exporting and logistics business has agreed to pay $50,000 to resolve allegations it insufficiently screened cargo bound for export to Central America, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Interport Company Inc. is registered in Illinois and Florida. It maintains an office in Houston and ships goods and vehicles from Freeport and the Port of Houston.
Exporters such as Interport are required to submit electronic filings containing certain information for each international shipment pursuant to Customs and Border Protection (CBP) regulations. As part of that process, they are required to screen shipments for firearms and ammunition. They must also provide vehicle identification numbers (VIN) for any vehicles in their shipments.
During 2020 and 2021, authorities inspected various shipping containers destined for Central America that Interport had loaded. Those inspections revealed hidden firearms and ammunition contained within customer goods, along with vehicles whose VINs differed from the ones Interport had submitted on electronic forms. As a result, CBP assessed civil penalties for each violation it discovered.
Interport agreed to pay $50,000 to satisfy those penalties without litigation and to enhance its screening of customer shipments in the future. As part of the settlement, Interport must meet on a quarterly basis with CBP representatives at the Port of Houston to discuss additional compliance measures.
CBP conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad Gray and Auditor Matt Prahl handled the matter.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
RGV brothers sent to prison after trafficking meth and cocaine via USPSRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A 28-year-old Monte Alto man has been ordered to federal prison following his conviction for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of meth, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Jesus Manuel Castillo Jr. pleaded guilty Sept. 28, 2021.
U.S. District Judge Micaela Alvarez has now ordered Castillo to serve 121 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence that Jesus Manuel was involved in transporting multiple packages of narcotics over the course of several months.
In June 2020, law enforcement identified two USPS packages that Castillo shipped with a destination for San Antonio. Each contained half a kilogram of meth.
The investigation revealed Castillo would package, sell and transport the narcotics along with his brother Agustin Castillo. In November 2020, law enforcement caught Jesus Castillo in the act transporting a USPS package destined to Florida containing half a kilogram of cocaine.
Agustin Castillo, 38, Monte Alto, had also pleaded guilty and was previously sentenced to 46 months in federal prison.
Previously released on bond, Jesus Castillo was taken into custody following the hearing today where he will remain pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation. Assisatnt U.S. Attorney Laura Garcia prosecuted the case.
Preparing fraudulent joint income tax returns results in prison for tax servicerRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A tax preparer has been sent to federal prison following his conviction for willfully preparing a false joint 2017 individual income tax return, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Fabrice Mahinga pleaded guilty Nov. 29, 2022.
U.S. District Judge Keith P. Ellison has now ordered Mahinga to serve 33 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by one year of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence that Mahninga had a notable criminal history. In handing down the sentence, the court remarked on the seriousness of Mahinga’s criminal conduct, particularly given his status as a refugee in the United States.
As part of his plea, Mahinga admitted that from 2016 to 2018, he operated Kennedy Tax Service located in Houston. He admitted he often claimed fake Schedule C items, education and fuel tax credits on the returns he prepared.
In 2019, he assisted with the preparation of a tax return that should have resulted in a tax owed of $42. Mahinga added to the return a false Schedule C and false credits that resulted in a false claim for an income tax refund of $4,257 from the IRS. A copy of the return reflected a false income tax refund of a lesser refund - $3,259 - when the refund claimed on the return filed with the IRS was $4,257.
Mahinga took responsibility of $270,612 of loss to the IRS and agreed to pay $182,212 in restitution.
Mahinga was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
IRS - Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation. Former Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) Charles J. Escher and AUSA Christian T. Latham prosecuted the case.
Former officer imprisoned for smuggling cocaineRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A 51-year-old Raymondville resident has been sentenced for trafficking drugs, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
A federal jury deliberated for two hours before convicting Juan Posas Jr. June 27 of trafficking cocaine and conspiracy to do so.
U.S. District Judge Micaela Alvarez has now ordered Posas to serve 162 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. At sentencing the Government pointed out Juan Posas knew the consequences of the actions he was taking.
Posas is a former Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer. At trial, the jury heard that on June 6, 2022, Posas traveled from Raymondville to a Home Depot in Weslaco where he met with Alexis Soria-Soria, 25, a Mexican national illegally residing in the United States. Soria then transferred a box containing approximately 20 kilograms of cocaine into Posas’ truck.
At trial, the jury heard recordings of phone conversations in which Posas helped plan the drug smuggling attempt.
However, the defense attempted to convince the jury that Soria approached him in the parking lot and simply asked if he wanted free fruits, then placed a box of fruits in his car. He said he never checked the box to see what was inside. The jury did not believe his claims and found him guilty as charged.
Posas will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jongwoo Chung and Jose A. Garcia prosecuted the case.
Pharmacist convicted for conspiring to unlawfully dispense over 100,000 opioid pillsRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A federal jury in Houston has convicted a Texas pharmacist for her role in a pill-mill pharmacy that unlawfully dispensed over 100,000 opioid pills in exchange for cash.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, from January 2014 to January 2018, Deanna Winfield-Gates, 54, Houston, was a relief pharmacist at Health Fit Pharmacy (Health Fit), a cash-only, pill-mill pharmacy. Health Fit dispensed controlled substances to drug traffickers in exchange for hundreds of dollars, often based on prescriptions that were fraudulent and issued in the names of physicians whose identities were stolen. Winfield-Gates filled large volumes of cookie-cutter prescriptions for the opioids hydrocodone 10-325mg and oxycodone 30mg and for carisoprodol, alprazolam and promethazine with codeine, often in combination, knowing these controlled substances were likely to be diverted or abused.
The jury convicted Winfield-Gates yesterday of one count of conspiracy to unlawfully distribute and dispense controlled substances. She is scheduled to be sentenced Jan. 11, 2024. At that time, she faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
Winfield-Gates was the last-remaining defendant charged in this case. Three others previously pleaded guilty to the conspiracy.
The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation.
Trial Attorneys Drew Pennebaker and Courtney Chester of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, comprised of 15 strike forces operating in 25 federal districts, has charged more than 5,000 defendants who collectively have billed the Medicare program for more than $24 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
Pharmacist Convicted for Conspiring to Unlawfully Dispense over 100,000 Opioid PillsRead the Press Release
A federal jury in Houston convicted a Texas pharmacist yesterday for her role in a pill-mill pharmacy that unlawfully dispensed over 100,000 opioid pills in exchange for cash.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, from January 2014 to January 2018, Deanna Winfield-Gates, 54, of Houston, was a relief pharmacist at Health Fit Pharmacy (Health Fit), a cash-only, pill-mill pharmacy. Health Fit dispensed controlled substances to drug traffickers in exchange for hundreds of dollars, often based on prescriptions that were fraudulent and issued in the names of physicians whose identities were stolen. Winfield-Gates filled large volumes of cookie-cutter prescriptions for the opioids hydrocodone 10-325mg and oxycodone 30mg and for carisoprodol, alprazolam, and promethazine with codeine, often in combination, knowing these controlled substances were likely to be diverted or abused.
The jury convicted Winfield-Gates of one count of conspiracy to unlawfully distribute and dispense controlled substances. She is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 11, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Winfield-Gates was the last-remaining defendant charged in this case. Three co-defendants previously pleaded guilty to the conspiracy.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani for the Southern District of Texas, and Special Agent in Charge Daniel C. Comeaux of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Houston Field Division made the announcement.
The DEA investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Drew Pennebaker and Courtney Chester of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, comprised of 15 strike forces operating in 25 federal districts, has charged more than 5,000 defendants who collectively have billed the Medicare program for more than $24 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
Mexican citizen imprisoned for child pornography received on peer-to-peer sharing platformRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A 38-year-old Mexican citizen residing in Weslaco has been sent to federal prison for receiving material that contained child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Jose Arturo Barrera-Torres pleaded guilty June 30.
U.S. District Chief Judge Randy Crane has now sentenced Barrera-Torres to 97 months. The court also heard additional information today including victim impact statements detailing the life-long turmoil and fear victim’s feel as a result of their abuse being continuously circulated online. Furthermore, the court heard that Barrera-Torres received, watched and deleted child pornography from the peer to peer platform from 2021 to the most recent downloads in February 2023. Not a U.S Citizen, he is exoected to face reomoval proceedings following his imprisonment.
Barrera-Torres was further ordered to pay $5,000 in restitution to the victims. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. Barrera-Torres will also be ordered to register as a sex offender.
Between Sept. 12-Oct. 14, 2021, authorities conducted an investigation on a peer-to-peer sharing platform for offenders sharing child pornography. Law enforcement identified a computer downloading videos of child pornography connecting the IP address to a location in Weslaco.
On Feb. 16, authorities contacted Barrera-Torres at that residence, at which time he admitted to using a peer-to-peer file sharing program on his computer to download and watch videos containing child pornography. He also acknowledged deleting the files.
Barrera-Torres received and downloaded approximately 80 to 100 videos of child pornography from 2021 to 2022, with the most recent downloads in February 2023.
Law enforcement discovered 31 video files and 83 image files of child exploitation materials on his laptop. The ages of the victims ranged from over 3 years of age to under 12 years of age.
Barrera-Torres will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Homeland Security Investigations – Rio Grande Valley Child Exploitation Investigations Task force conducted the investigation with assistance from the Texas Attorney General’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexa D. Parcell prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources link on that page.
Fourth man sentenced for delivery of methRead the Press Release
BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 32-year-old U.S. citizen residing in Brownsville has been ordered to federal prison following his conviction for possession with intent to distribute approximately a kilogram of meth, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Raul Perez pleaded guilty Oct. 1, 2019.
U.S. District Judge Rolando Olvera has now ordered Perez to serve 125 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence that detailed his involvement with others in the distribution of meth and other drugs in the Brownsville area.
Perez was the fourth of the conspirators convicted and sentenced for the delivery. Others included Eduardo Guerrero, 33, Rodolfo Garza, 31, and Jacob Trujillo, 24, all of Brownsville who received 90, 144 and 120 months in prison, respectively. The final man - Jetzrael Saldana aka Jetz, 25, also of Brownsville will be sentenced Oct. 18.
In September 2018, law enforcement learned of certain individuals who were interested in selling meth. The undercover investigation led to Guerrero and Garza who later sold 380 grams of meth and one kilogram of meth on two occasions.
They met the buyers at a local business parking lot in Brownsville. Guerrero had displayed a handgun and said it was loaded but that he could be trusted. A black truck then arrived, and the driver – Trujillo - provided a cereal box containing the drugs to Guerrero.
Authorities later learned Perez had provided the drugs and loaned his black truck knowing it would be used for the delivery of the drugs. Saldana was present to provide counter-surveillance to ensure a successful delivery.
Perez will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Oscar Ponce prosecuted the case.
Charges filed in multi-million dollar fraud and money laundering conspiracyRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – Five individuals have been taken into custody for their roles in a $13 million fraud and money laundering conspiracy, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
The final man charged - William Warren Stredney, 65 - has now surrendered to federal authorities. He is expected to make his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Peter Bray at 2 p.m. today.
Authorities arrested Edward Seung Ok, 56, Soran Lim, 55, Anthony Seung Ok, 55, and Wes Moon Ok, 52, in California Sept. 8. All are currently in custody pending further criminal proceedings.
A federal grand jury returned the eight-count indictment Aug. 31. It alleges Edward Seung Ok and Anthony Seung Ok, both of Rolling Hills Estates, California; Lim, Villa Park, California; and Wes Moon Ok, Los Angeles, California, committed one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, four counts of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. Stredney, Peoria, Arizona, is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and six counts of wire fraud.
According to the indictment, the conspiracy involved a scheme to defraud clients of Bluebell International LLC and Bluebell National LLC which included a Houston-based energy company. Edward Ok and the others falsely claimed they had the ability to provide billions of dollars in loans because they were connected to high net worth international family offices, according to the allegations.
They allegedly charged their clients large upfront fees to apply for the loans knowing they had no intention of providing them. The indictment alleges they diverted the monies for their own personal use.
Edward Ok, Soran Lim, Anthony Ok and Wes Ok then allegedly engaged in a conspiracy to launder the fraudulent proceeds for the purchase of expensive real estate and luxury items. On the date of the arrests, authorities also seized over $1.2 million from a bank account, high-end items alleged to have been purchased with the fraudulent proceeds to include two multi-million dollar homes and a condominium as well as multiple vehicles such as two McLarens, a Lamborghini, Ferrari, Porsche and BMW.
The indictment also alleges Edward Ok committed the offense while incarcerated in prison with the assistance of the others.
Conspiracy to commit wire fraud carries a possible sentence of up to five years in federal prison, while convictions of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering have 20-year possible terms of imprisonment.
The FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) Justin R. Martin is prosecuting the case. AUSA Brandon Fyffe is handling forfeiture matters.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Laredo woman arrested for impersonating a nurseRead the Press Release
LAREDO – A 35-year-old Laredo resident has been charged for making false statements related to health care matters and aggravated identity theft, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Law enforcement took Nora Nely Avila into custody today. She is expected to make her initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Diana Song Quiroga tomorrow morning.
The three-count indictment, returned Sept. 6, alleges Avila impersonated a nurse from January 2017 through December 2019 and performed work she was not qualified to do at multiple home health companies in the Laredo area.
The patients and health care providers were part of the federally-funded Medicaid and Medicare programs, according to the charges. Avila is also alleged to have obtained employment as nurse trainer in the federally-funded Job Corps program and was assigned to train future nurses.
If convicted, Avila faces up to five years in federal prison as well as a possible $250,000 maximum fine for each of the false statements charges. She faces an additional two years in prison for aggravated identity theft which must be served consecutively to any other prison term imposed.
The FBI, Department of Health and Human Services – Office of the Inspector General (OIG), Department of Labor – OIG, Homeland Security Investigations and the Texas Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control conducted the investigation. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn Olson is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Florida man admits to using fake debit cardsRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 34-year-old resident of Miami, Florida, has been convicted of conspiracy to commit access device fraud and aggravated identity theft, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Claude Casimir admitted that in April-May 2019, he and others conspired together in the scheme that targeted the Houston area.
The investigation began in early 2019 after a local bank discovered numerous fraudulent transactions. They found that individuals had used the PINs of actual bank customers and withdrew money via counterfeit cards.
As part of his plea, Casmir admitted he rented a vehicle to access several ATMs in the Houston area and withdrew cash using counterfeit debit cards. He also drove another individual around the Houston area using the rented vehicle to do the same.
Additionally, he admitted that on May 8, 2019, he used a debit card of another individual without that person’s knowledge or consent. In this single transaction, Casmir attempted to take $2,000.
U.S. District Judge Eskridge will impose sentencing Dec. 28. At that time, Casimir faces up to five years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 fine for the conspiracy. He will also receive a mandatory two years for the aggravated identity theft which must be served consecutively.
He has been and will remain in custody pending that hearing.
The Secret Service conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rodolfo Ramirez prosecuted the case.
Dozens arrested as part of Houston Violent Crime InitiativeRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – The charges against 39 individuals are the newest brought in the Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Houston Violent Crime Initiative, conducted in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas and local, state and federal law enforcement.
The arrests were made after a federal grand jury returned seven separate indictments, with additional arrests made under four court-issued complaints. The defendants are each alleged to be part of larger organizations involved in large-scale drug trafficking or violent robberies. Many of the charged crimes involved the illegal possession or use of firearms.
The joint effort, first announced a year ago in September 2022, addresses violent crime by employing, where appropriate, federal laws to prosecute gang members and associates in the southwest and southeast areas of Houston. As part of the initiative, the Criminal Division has dedicated attorneys and other resources to prosecuting violent offenders and assisting intervention, prevention and reentry efforts to address the root causes of violent crime.
Among the charges are possession with intent to distribute cocaine, fentanyl, meth and other drugs; possessing firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes; conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery; felon in possession of a firearm and carjacking.
During the investigations and arrests, law enforcement seized 79 firearms, including three machineguns made by attaching a machine conversion device (MCD) to a semi-automatic firearm and three stand-alone machinegun conversion devices not attached to firearms. Also seized were a silencer, three ghost guns, an inert hand grenade, and body armor. Drugs and related items seized included approximately 248 kilograms of meth, including meth pills some of which laced with fentanyl; over 1.7 kilograms of fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, and PCP, as well as four pill presses and over $110,000 in cash.
The FBI, Houston Police Department, Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigations with the assistance of the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, Texas Department of Public Safety, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Harris County Constable’s Office (Precincts 3, 4, and 5), Montgomery County Constable’s Office (Precinct 4), U.S. Marshals Service, Waller County Sheriff’s Office, Cy-Fair Independent School District Police Department and the Texas Anti-Gang Center .
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kelly Zenon, John Ganz and Carrie Wirsing are prosecuting the cases along with Trial Attorneys Sheila Lafferty, Ralph Paradiso, Anthony Kaplan and Jennifer Weinhold of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section.
Charges in indictments and complaints are merely allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Dozens Arrested as Part of Houston Violent Crime InitiativeRead the Press Release
The charges brought against 39 individuals are the newest brought in the Justice Department Criminal Division’s Houston Violent Crime Initiative, conducted in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas and local, state, and federal law enforcement.
The arrests were made after a federal grand jury returned seven separate indictments, with additional arrests made under four court-issued complaints. The defendants are each alleged to be part of larger organizations involved in large-scale drug trafficking or violent robberies. Many of the charged crimes involved the illegal possession or use of firearms.
The joint effort, first announced a year ago in September 2022, addresses violent crime by employing, where appropriate, federal laws to prosecute gang members and associates in the southwest and southeast areas of Houston. As part of the initiative, the Criminal Division has dedicated attorneys and other resources to prosecuting violent offenders and assisting intervention, prevention, and reentry efforts to address the root causes of violent crime.
Among the charges are possession with intent to distribute cocaine, fentanyl, meth, and other drugs; possessing firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes; conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery; and felon in possession of a firearm and carjacking.
During the investigations and arrests, law enforcement seized 79 firearms, including three machineguns made by attaching a machinegun conversion device (MCD) to a semi-automatic firearm and three stand-alone machinegun conversion devices not attached to firearms. Also seized were a silencer, three ghost guns, an inert hand grenade, and body armor. Drugs and related items seized included approximately 248 kilograms of meth, including meth pills some of which laced with fentanyl; over 1.7 kilograms of fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, and PCP, as well as four pill presses and over $110,000 in cash.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani for the Southern District of Texas, Acting Special Agent in Charge David Martinez of the FBI Houston Field Office, Houston Police Chief Troy Finner, Principal Deputy Administrator George Papadopoulos of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Special Agent in Charge Mark Dawson of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Houston, and Special Agent in Charge Fred Milanowski of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Houston Division made the announcement.
The FBI, Houston Police Department, DEA, HSI, and ATF investigated the cases with the assistance of the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, Texas Department of Public Safety, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Harris County Constable’s Office (Precincts 3, 4, and 5), Montgomery County Constable’s Office (Precinct 4), U.S. Marshals Service, Waller County Sheriff’s Office, the Cy-Fair Independent School District Police Department, and the Texas Anti-Gang Center (TAG).
Trial Attorneys Sheila Lafferty, Ralph Paradiso, Anthony Kaplan, and Jennifer Weinhold of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kelly Zenon, John Ganz, and Carrie Wirsing for the Southern District of Texas are prosecuting the cases.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Man in Walker County sentenced for cyberstalking via social mediaRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 25-year-old Huntsville resident has been ordered to federal prison for receiving child pornography as well as multiple counts of cyberstalking, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Kody Nicholas Bohac pleaded guilty Dec. 12, 2022.
Today, U.S. District Judge Andrew S. Hanen sentenced Bohac to a total 121-month term of imprisonment. Bohac was further ordered to pay $5,170 in restitution to a known victim and will serve 10 years on supervised release following completion of his prison term. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. Bohac will also be ordered to register as a sex offender.
At the hearing, the court also considered additional information including multiple victim impact statements detailing how Bohac’s conduct affected them. Portions of the statements included how Bohac even went so far as to threaten to rape and murder them if they didn’t comply with his demands. As a result of Bohac’s conduct, many victims suffer from anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts, humiliation, ruined relationships, fear and have sought counseling.
The court also heard how sextortion cases are an increasingly deadly type of crime that target young people. The perpetrators use several online mediums of communication, including social networking apps, messaging apps, video voice calls, email, dating and gaming apps. Victims often feel helpless, ashamed, guilty and embarrassed and are reluctant to report such conduct to law enforcement.
“Bohac used social media accounts, smart phones and laptops as weapons to terrorize and humiliate young women, all for his sick amusement. Sextortion is ruining young people’s lives at an alarming rate, pushing some to suicide; deaths that are wholly preventable and completely tragic,” said Hamdani. “As the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas, I, and the prosecutors in this office, are committed to bringing people like Bohac out of the shadows of internet platforms into justice’s bright light. And as a father, I’m thankful one more monster is off our streets.”
“This is your typical sextortion case,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge David Martinez of the FBI Houston field office. “The individual behind this cyberstalking case took advantage of his young victims by tricking them into sending him compromising content of themselves. He then took pleasure in terrorizing them and shaming them personally. Unfortunately, we’re seeing more and more of these types of cases and too many victims of sextortion who succumb to the shame and take their own lives.”
Bohac stalked an out-of-state woman over social media and threatened to post nude photographs of her on the internet if she did not contact him. She did not respond. Subsequently, Bohac posted the images on the internet.
At the plea hearing, Bohac admitted to the stalking through social media and sending her nude images of herself and threatening to make them public if she did not contact him. He also said he offered to pay multiple females online for nude photos. When they complied, he refused to pay, demanded additional nude photos and threatened to post them online if they did not contact him.
He ultimately admitted to stalking approximately 20 females on social media, demanding they send additional nude photos, wanting to meet them in person and to call him “daddy.” When they refused, he posted the already obtained nude photos online, threatened to ruin their lives, sent photos to their school, families and friends and created fake online accounts using their names with sexually explicit references.
The investigation revealed multiple social media messages on his phone in which Bohac stalked numerous victims. They also found images and videos of child pornography on his cell phone which depicted minor females engaged in sexual acts on adult males.
Bohac will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The FBI-Bryan Resident Agency and the FBI-Philadelphia Field Office conducted the investigation with assistance from the Sam Houston State University Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard W. Bennett prosecuted this case, which 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 the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
International cocaine distribution scheme results in another convictionRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 51-year-old Houston man has admitted his role in an ongoing cocaine distribution scheme that spanned more than nine years, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Leonel Mata Luna admitted he was a member of a drug trafficking organization while residing in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico. His role was to oversee the receipt and packaging of cocaine in Mexico and coordinate its transportation to the U.S. border. There, it was smuggled into the United States in vehicles on a monthly basis during the course of the conspiracy.
Luna received cocaine from members of the Gulf Cartel. The drugs eventually ended up in Houston where it was further distributed to others across the United States.
In December 2015, law enforcement agents seized 176 kilograms of cocaine, two kilograms of meth and $3.5 million in drug proceeds after executing search warrants at three stash houses in Houston the organization controlled.
Luna was a fugitive for seven years until his arrest in Monterrey, Mexico, in September 2022 as part of a joint Mexican-American law enforcement operation. He was subsequently removed from Mexico and transported to Houston for prosecution. To date, 15 have been convicted in relation to the conspiracy.
Sentencing has been set for Dec. 11 before U.S. District Andrew S. Hanen. At that time, Luna faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison as well as a $10 million maximum fine.
He will remain in custody pending that hearing.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Houston Police Department conducted the investigation.
This Operation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations.
The specific mission of the Houston Strike Force is to disrupt and dismantle the drug trafficking organizations that designated Consolidated Priority Organization or Regional Priority Organization Targets head with their affiliates and that impact Houston and south Texas.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Casey N. MacDonald and Anibal J. Alaniz are prosecuting the case.
Former county attorney convicted of extorting money from defendant’s motherRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A 50-year-old man from Rio Grande City has pleaded guilty to extortion under color of law, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Victor Canales was a Starr County attorney from 2005 to 2022. In that role, he was responsible for prosecuting misdemeanor crimes.
In September 2021, a woman reached out to Canales for assistance because her son had been charged with three misdemeanor offenses in Starr County. He said he could help her and that for $1500, he could take care of the Starr County tickets.
The mother gave Canales three money orders totaling $1500. He deposited the proceeds into his own checking account and used it for his own personal needs rather than depositing the monies into the Starr County account.
Canales then sent a series of letters to Cameron County indicating the three charges against the woman’s son would be dropped.
U.S. District Judge Ricardo Hinojosa accepted the plea and set sentencing for Dec. 15. At that time, Canales faces up to 20 years in prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
Canales was permitted to remain on bond pending sentencing.
The FBI worked in partnership with the Texas Office of the Attorney General to conduct the Border Corruption Task Force investigation with the assistance of Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Forces agencies including the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, Texas Department of Public Safety - Criminal Investigations and Texas Rangers.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Pat Profit is prosecuting the case.
Six indicted for trafficking songbirdsRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A federal grand jury has returned indictments charging six Cuban nationals who resided in Houston with illegal trafficking of migratory songbirds, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Over the past week, authorities took into custody Antonio Cabrero Ruano, 56, Roberto Guimary Machado, 59, Luis Valdez Machado, 22, Iran Almarales Garcia, 53, Ediel Barroso Quintero, 27, and Alexander DeJesus Lechuga, 45.
The six seperate indictments, returned Aug. 24, allege violations of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and/or the Lacey Act.
The scheme allegedly involved the illegal trapping and selling of protected songbirds, including indigo buntings, painted buntings, rose-breasted grosbeaks, blue grosbeaks and house finches, among others.
The Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) reports that the birds are often used in singing competitions in which the participating owners gamble thousands of dollars on the winning bird, a common practice in Cuba and elsewhere. The birds migrate from Canada, through Texas, to South America. They are trapped as they pass through the Houston area, commonly using a live “bait bird” whose singing attracts other birds to the trap.
The investigation led to the seizure of over 300 illegally trapped songbirds. They were turned over to the Houston Zoo and Moody Gardens where they were evaluated and photographed. Healthy birds were released to the wild, while those that were too sick or injured to survive unaided will remain under the care of the zoos.
According to FWS, the illegal trapping has a significant impact on the wild songbird populations. The birds are poorly suited to captivity and typically die soon after being confined to a cage.
“We are pleased to see a positive outcome in this case as the plight of native birds is just now becoming clear. It is our core role as an Association of Zoos and Aquariums accredited organization to preserve natural resources and protect threatened and endangered wildlife,” said General Curator Greg Whittaker of Moody Gardens.
“The illegal wildlife trade doesn’t just happen behind closed doors – many of our native species are being traded out in the open in flea markets and online marketplaces like Facebook,” said FWS Special Agent in Charge Victoria Owens. “In addition to seeking justice for our native wildlife and the American public, we want the prosecution of these cases to help educate the public about wildlife laws and deter people from committing these crimes in the future. We will pursue and hold accountable anyone who violates fish and wildlife laws for commercial gain.”
The Migratory Bird Treaty Act was enacted in 1918 for the protection of migratory birds. The Lacey Act prohibits trafficking in wildlife that was taken in violation of federal, state, tribal or foreign law.
If convicted, they each face a maximum penalty of five years in prison for violating the Lacey Act, two years for violating the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and possible fines of up to $250,000.
Two others - Reydel Cabrales Rosa, 36, a Cuban national, and Luis Alonzo Martinez, 56, an El Salvadorian national, who resided in Houston - were previously charged and have pleaded guilty.
FWS conducted the investigation with the assistance of Texas Game Wardens. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Johnson is prosecuting the case.
Grimes county man convicted of running fake raffle for exotic carRead the Press Release
HOUSTON - A 48-year-old Iola resident has pleaded guilty to interstate transportation of waging paraphernalia, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Marcos Trevino admitted to operating a raffle that offered a chance to win a limited edition Dodge Challenger SRT Demon automobile from 2018 to 2022. He promoted it throughout the United States on various websites, social media and at auto shows. The raffle’s website made it appear as though the participant was not purchasing a ticket. They were supposedly getting a koozie which, in turn, would grant them one entry for the drawing. The total cost of each of the beverage holders was $105.
The rules claimed no purchase was necessary and that a purchase would not improve chance of winning. However, there was no alternate means of entry other than the purchase of the koozie.
Despite the raffle being in existence for almost four years, there was no drawing or receipt of prizes by any participants. No one has ever received a koozie. Trevino still had the Dodge Demon on his property at the time of his arrest. According to the website, total ticket sales reached 765 (resulting in funds totaling $80,325).
Such a raffle is illegal for to conduct for various reasons. A charitable organization does not run it, there was no date was set for the drawing, there was no end date, proceeds were not spent on a lawful purpose, and it included statewide and interstate advertising.
In addition, although the website claimed that a money back guarantee, there was no method described for a participant to get his/her money back.
U.S. District Judge Alfred Bennett accepted the plea and set sentencing for Dec. 7. At that time, Lopez faces up to five years in federal prison as well as a possible $250,000 maximum fine. He could also be ordered to forfeit the earnings from the raffle and provide restitution to the participants.
Previously released on bond, Trevino was permitted to remain on bond pending that hearing.
The FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam L. Goldman is prosecuting the case.
Former police academy recruit headed to prison for exporting .50 caliber ammunitionRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A 22-year-old Pharr resident has been ordered to federal prison for his conviction of smuggling goods from the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Pedro Cruz Almeida Jr. pleaded guilty April 25, admitting he attempted to export .50 caliber tracer-equipped linked ammunition without a license to export.
U.S. District Judge Micaela Alvarez has now ordered him to serve 50 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence regarding Almeida’s degree of involvement in the smuggling scheme and how he executed his role in the scheme while simultaneously attending the police academy. In handing down the sentence, the court noted how Almeida – being from the area – knew the dangerousness of this quantity and this type of ammunition in the hands of the cartel.
“Almeida lived a double life,” said Hamdani. “While training to be a police officer, he attempted to smuggle hundreds of rounds of lethal ammunition into Mexico. That all changed with his arrest and conviction, trading a blue police uniform for a convict’s orange jumpsuit. Criminals like him could have eroded the public trust and we are breathing a sigh of relief that he was stopped before causing more harm.”
On Feb. 3, Almeida was driving a red Hyundai Elantra, at which time authorities conducted a traffic stop.
A subsequent search led to the discovery of 600 rounds of .50 caliber ammunition in the vehicle. Almeida admitted he intended to transfer the ammunition to an individual waiting at the Port of Entry driving a vehicle with a Tamaulipas, Mexico, license plate. In Mexico, he received cash to order the ammunition. Almeida admitted he ordered ammunition approximately 30 occasions over the past year.
On Feb. 9, agents subsequently seized an additional 300 rounds of .50 caliber ammunition postmarked to Almeida.
At the time of the plea, Almeida informed the court he was attending a local police academy at the time of his arrest.
Previously released on bond, he was taken into custody following the sentencing today where he will remain pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Hidalgo County Constable’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Peter I. Brostowin and Lee Fry prosecuted the case.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program. In May 2021, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland announced a new effort to reduce violent crime, including the gun violence that is often at its core. Integral to that effort was the reinvigoration of PSN, a two-decade old, evidence-based and community-oriented program focused on reducing violent crime. The updated PSN approach, outlined in the department’s Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Violent Crime is guided by four key principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities and measuring the results of our efforts. The fundamental goal is to reduce violent crime, not simply to increase the number of arrests or prosecutions.
Third “Project Python” man sent to prisonRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 50-year-old resident of Guanajuato, Mexico, has been ordered to prison for his role in a conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute meth, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Jose Domingo Ibarra Martinez pleaded guilty April 26, 2021.
U.S. District Judge Diana Saldana has now ordered him to serve 120 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard about Martinez duties within the organization including his role in coordinating the transport of drugs with other truck drivers.
From August 2015 until March 2018, Martinez and others were engaged in the importation of large quantities of meth into the United States via the ports of entries in Laredo. The drug loads were further distributed throughout the United States.
Martinez admitted to smuggling various drug-laden items into the country, including over 150 vehicle batteries during the course of the conspiracy. The investigation revealed the batteries originated from Michoacán, Mexico with an average load of 7.5 kilos of meth.
Martinez admitted the organization had imported more than 1,000 drug-laden items.
Two others were previously sentenced - David Almanza, 43, and Eduardo Coronel-Cardoza, 35, both of Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, received 198 months and 78 months, respectively.
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) led the Organized Crime and Drug Task Forces (OCDETF) operation with the assistance of Laredo Police Department and sheriff’s offices in Victoria and Williamson Counties. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony J. Evans is prosecuting the case.
It is part of Project Python, a nationwide DEA-led operation the Department of Justice announced in March 2020. The Project Python operation targeted the Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación and has resulted in more than 600 arrests, 350 indictments as well as significant seizures of money and drugs across the United States.
Harlingen business operators charged in multi-million dollar power wheelchair fraud schemeRead the Press Release
BROWNSVILLE, Texas – The operators of a durable medical equipment company have been charged with defrauding Medicare, announced U. S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Authorities took Maria Luisa Yzaguirre, 43, Harlingen, into custody this morning. She is expected to make her initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ignacio Torteya III at 9:30 a.m. Aug. 31.
Jeremiah Yzaguirre, 44, also of Harlingen, was arrested Aug. 22.
The 16-count indictment charges the operators with conspiracy to commit health care fraud, aggravated identity theft and money laundering.
The charges allege that between 2019 and 2023, the Yzaguires submitted over $14 million in claims to Medicare for power wheelchairs, power scooters, parts and repairs for 37 individuals. In multiple instances, they allegedly billed Medicare more than $600,000 for parts and repairs for one Medicare beneficiary and falsely claimed to have replaced expensive parts on numerous occasions.
According to the indictment, in one instance they billed Medicare approximately $736,072 in parts and repairs for one patient - submitting repair claims 132 times for the expandable controller, 107 times for the motor-gearbox and 84 times for the battery. The patient was bed bound and did not have access to the power wheelchair when the repairs were allegedly conducted.
Additionally, the indictment alleges they used proceeds of the fraud scheme to purchase millions of dollars in real estate, cryptocurrency, stock, a luxury sports car and expensive movie memorabilia.
If convicted, they each face up to 10 years in prison for health care fraud and money laundering and a mandatory two years for each count of aggravated identity theft which muse be served consecutively to any other prison term imposed.
The FBI, Department of Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General, Texas Health and Human Services, Texas Attorney General - Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and Texas Department of Insurance conducted the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew Swartz and Ana Cano are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Local woman admits to decades-long use of stolen identityRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 52-year-old resident of Laredo has entered a guilty plea to passport fraud and aggravated identity theft, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Elizabeth Ann Berbel is also known as Ana Elizabeth Gomez-Garcia, Ana Elizabeth Gomez Garcia, Ana Elizabeth Gomez, Anna Elizabeth Gomez Garcia, Anna Elizabeth Gomez, Elizabeth Berbel, Elizabeth Ann Gomez, Tina Gomez-Manns and Anna Gomez.
On March 22, 2019, Berbel applied for a passport in Laredo. Part of the application required her to include the names of her parents, her place of birth and her Social Security number. However, as part of her plea, she admitted she included information that actually belonged to another person.
Berbel had been using the victim’s Social Security number and other information as early as 2001.
The investigation further revealed that in August 2005, law enforcement had stopped at Berbel at the Laredo Port of Entry. At that time, she was carrying multiple forms of identification, including a Social Security card with the victim’s number. Berbel admitted she was not the person on the identification documents and that she was in fact Ana Elizabeth Gomez Garcia, a citizen and national of Mexico. She also acknowledged having other identification documents hidden in her car. Berbel claimed she waited just a week or two before returning to the United States by using these other documents.
Authorities were also able to locate and identify several of Berbel’s biological family members. The investigation confirmed her true identity and not the one she had been assuming by using the victim’s information.
Part of Berbel’s guilty plea includes an agreement to turn over all identification documents that are in her possession.
U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo will impose sentencing Dec. 4. At that time, Berbel faces up to 10 years for the passport fraud. She will also receive a mandatory two years for the aggravated identity theft which must be served consecutively to any other prison term imposed.
Berbel has been and will remain in custody pending sentencing.
The Department of State conducted the investigation with assistance from the Social Security Administration and the Texas Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Bajew is prosecuting the case.
Former trooper admits to lying to FBIRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A 35-year-old Pharr resident has pleaded guilty to lying to federal agents during a drug investigation, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Pablo Talavera Jr. was a Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) trooper. As part of his plea today, Talavera admitted he lied to FBI agents regarding his knowledge of his family’s involvement in drug trafficking.
“Talavera lied to the FBI during a critical moment - betraying his badge and breaching the public trust,” said Hamdani. “In doing so, Pablo Talavera chose his father’s criminal organization over the people he was sworn to protect. Now, this office will hold him to account for his corruption.”
In 2019, the law enforcement initiated an investigation targeting an organization responsible for the transportation of multi-kilogram quantities of drugs from the Rio Grande Valley to Tennessee. Talavera’s father was the organization’s leader.
The investigation revealed Talavera had used his position as a DPS trooper to assist his father by running license plates of vehicles believed to be that of law enforcement. Talavera originally denied knowledge of his father’s participation in drug trafficking. However, he ultimately admitted this fact and that he had assisted him by running the license plate checks.
U.S. District Judge Micaela Alvarez will impose sentencing on Nov. 7. At that time, Talavera faces up to five years in federal prison as well as a possible $250,000 maximum fine. He was permitted to remain on bond pending that hearing.
Talavera’s father was previously convicted of drug trafficking and is now serving a 21-year federal sentence.
The FBI and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation with the assistance of the Texas Rangers. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jesse Salazar is prosecuting the case.
OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found on the Department of Justice’s OCDETF webpage.
Young dealer charged with selling fentanyl resulting in deathRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment against a 22-year-old resident of Laredo for distributing fentanyl which caused the death of a juvenile, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Authorities arrested Jose Antonio Carlos III today. He is expected to appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Christopher dos Santos Aug. 25 at 9:30 a.m.
The two-count indictment, returned Aug. 22, alleges Carlos distributed fentanyl, a schedule II controlled substance, to another individual May 16. That person was a juvenile who subsequently died after using the drug, according to the charges.
Carlos is also charged with one count of possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl.
If convicted of the distribution resulting in death, Carlos faces up life in federal prison with a mandatory minimum of 20 years. He could also be ordered to pay up to a $1 million fine.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, Customs and Border Protection, Border Patrol, Laredo Police Department and Webb County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Bajew is prosecuting the case.
This case is being prosecuted as part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF is the largest anti-crime task force in the country. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found on the Department of Justice’s OCDETF webpage.
More information on the dangers of fentanyl can be found on the DEA’s website. #OnePillCanKill
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
USDA employee and others indicted for public corruptionRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas - A 51-year-old Rio Grande City resident and employee of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has been charged with bribery of public officials and witnesses, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Roberto Rodriguez, 51, turned himself in to authorities today. He is expected to make his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge J. Scott Hacker at 9 a.m. Also taken into custody and appearing today are Jose Sandoval, 70, and Daniel Diaz, 67, both USDA contractors from Rio Grande City.
A federal grand jury returned the three-count indictment Aug. 22.
Rodriguez was a USDA rural development loan specialist, according to the charges. From on or about January 2021 and continuing through Aug. 22, Rodriguez accepted bribe payments from Sandoval and Diaz. In return, Rodriguez allegedly referred applicants of the USDA 504 Single Family Housing Repair Grant and Loan program to the contractors.
Rodriguez did knowingly, corruptly and in violation of his official duty, accept payments from Sandoval and Diaz, according to the allegations. The contractors allegedly paid the bribes with the intent to influence official acts after the federally-funded repairs were completed.
If convicted, all face up to 15 years in federal prison as well as a possible $250,000 maximum fine. The indictment also includes a notice of restitution of all funds related to the charges.
The FBI conducted the investigation along with Texas Office of the Attorney General, USDA - Office of Inspector General (OIG) and Housing and Urban Development – OIG with the assistance of Drug Enforcement Administration, Texas Department of Public Safety – Texas Rangers and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia Cook Profit is prosecuting the case.
The investigation is part of the Border Corruption Task Force (BCTF) and Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Forces. The BCTF is comprised of multiple state and federal agencies that serve to disrupt and dismantle corrupt domestic public officials that operate along the southwest border. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found on the Department of Justice’s OCDETF webpage.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Ticket scammer guilty of identity theftRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 48-year-old California resident has pleaded guilty in a nationwide ticket scam that included a Texas A&M football game, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Derrick Langford admitted he used email to obtain stolen credit card information from victims across the United States. He used that data and false identities to buy tickets for sporting events, concerts and other entertainment venues across the United States. He then re-sold the tickets on internet-based resale sites like Ticket Liquidator.
One such event tied to Langford was the Texas A&M football game against Clemson Sept. 8, 2018. During the hearing today, Langford admitted he created false buyer accounts and used stolen credit card numbers to buy tickets to that game and then resold the fraudulently-purchased tickets on resale sites to unsuspecting buyers.
Texas A&M discovered the fraud and invalidated the tickets. However, some had already been sold to unsuspecting buyers which caused the university to incur a 100% loss on the fraudulent tickets.
As the scheme continued, Langford received stolen credit card information and personal identifying information of more than 75 victims in one of his email accounts.
U.S. District Judge Charles Eskridge accepted the plea and set sentencing for Dec. 14. At that time, Langford faces a mandatory sentence of two years in prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
Langford was permitted to remain on bond pending sentencing.
The FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Texas A&M University Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Quincy Ollison and Belinda Beek are prosecuting the case.
Pearland resident gets 40 years for soliciting sexually explicit images and videos of minorsRead the Press Release
HOUSTON - A 27-year-old suburban Houston man has been ordered to federal prison after his convictions of production, receipt and possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Andrew Joel Galvan pleaded guilty Sept. 21, 2022, to two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor and one count each of receipt and possession of child pornography.
Today, U.S. District Judge Jeffrey V. Brown sentenced him to 360 months on each of the sexual exploitation of a minor counts to run concurrently and a total of 120 months for the receipt and possession of child pornography combined. The sexual exploitation counts will run consecutively to other term for a total 480-month-term of imprisonment. At the hearing, the court heard how Galvan had reached out to 10 different prepubescent females requesting them to send naked photos and videos of themselves to him. In imposing the sentence, Judge Brown commented on how Galvan’s conduct is very different than others who just collect child pornography.
Galvan was furthered ordered to serve 10 years on supervised release following the completion of his prison term. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to the internet. He will also be required to register as a sex offender.
In April 2020, the mother of an 8-year-old child contacted law enforcement after discovering sexually explicit chats between her daughter and an unknown individual on Instagram. Authorities later identified that person as Galvan.
A search of the minor’s cell phone revealed several private chats in which Galvan was soliciting naked photos and videos of the minor. He would direct the minor on how to position herself and requested multiple images. She ultimately did as he requested.
Law enforcement then obtained a search warrant for Galvan’s Instagram account which was only two months old. They found numerous conversations between Galvan and several prepubescent children in which Galvan would solicit child pornography and direct these minors on how to take the images and videos.
Galvan admitted he would portray himself as a 13, 14 or 15-year-old boy and targeted girls between the ages of 8 and 13. He also admitted to sending these children pictures of his private parts.
Authorities ultimately discovered 10 victims, all under the age of 12, from whom Galvan solicited child pornography.
Law enforcement also conducted a forensic exam on Galvan’s electronic devices found 7,500 images and 650 videos of young children engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The images and videos include children under the age of 12, bondage, bestiality and acts of violence such as the penetration of the victims.
He will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Homeland Security Investigations – Galveston, Pearland Police Department and the Houston Metro Internet Crimes Against Children task force conducted the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberly Ann Leo and Luis Batarse prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources link on that page.
Operators of physical therapy chain charged in fraud schemeRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – Two individuals involved in a state-wide chain of physical therapy clinics have been charged with defrauding a federal worker’s compensation program, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Authorities took Ricardo Cano, 46, McAllen, and Rosita Cano Meeks, 56, Edinburg, into custody today. They are expected to make their initial appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge J. Scott Hacker at 1 p.m.
The 18-count indictment charges Cano and Meeks with conspiracy to commit health care fraud and 10 counts of health care fraud. Cano is also charged with seven counts of money laundering.
The indictment alleges between 2014 and 2019, the clinics operated under the name Texas Federal Wellness Center. During that time, they allegedly billed more than $80 million to the Department of Labor – (DOL) Office of Worker’s Compensation Program for physical therapy services provided to injured federal employees.
According to the indictment, Cano and Meeks allegedly caused the clinics to submit inflated claims for therapy, fictional medical visits, excessive therapy and fraudulent durable medical equipment. The charges allege Cano and Meeks directed clinic employees to falsify patient checkout times on medical records to conceal the inflated therapy claims. Meeks was in charge of, and oversaw, the fraudulent billing, according to the indictment.
The charges also allege Cano is not a physician. He was only a physician’s assistant and allegedly instructed employees to refer to him as Dr. Cano.
According to the indictment, Cano entered into an arrangement with a physician to falsely give the appearance a licensed doctor oversaw, managed and controlled the clinics, as Texas law requires. The charges allege Cano is, in fact, the true owner of the enterprise which he managed and controlled.
As part of the scheme, Cano allegedly coordinated with that physician to obstruct a Texas Medical Board inquiry into a complaint about Cano’s role in operating the clinics and submitting false corporate records. The indictment also alleges Cano transferred approximately $43 million from the Texas Federal Wellness Center clinics to various bank accounts in Cano’s name or in the name of clinics Cano controlled.
If convicted, they each face up to 10 years in prison for conspiracy to commit health care fraud and substantive counts of health care fraud. Cano also faces up to 10 years for each conviction of money laundering.
The U.S. Postal Service-Office of Inspector General (OIG), FBI, Department of Homeland Security-OIG and DOL-OIG conducted the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Swartz is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Local man sentenced for trading child porn via KikRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 26-year-old Houston resident has been ordered to federal prison following his conviction of receipt of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Ja-Anthony Ledell Kennedy pleaded guilty April 24.
Today, U.S. District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal sentenced Kennedy to 180 months in federal prison. At the hearing, the court heard about the harm to victims of this type of crime. In handing down the prison term, Judge Rosenthal noted efforts to promote respect for the law, deter similar future crimes and fashion a just sentence considering all factors.
Kennedy was further ordered to pay $3,000 in restitution to the victims and will serve 10 years on supervised release following completion of the prison term. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. Kennedy will also be ordered to register as a sex offender.
In 2020, authorities learned of files being stores online that contained images of child pornography. Those files were linked to Kennedy.
The investigation revealed he had been sending and receiving images and videos of child pornography on the Kik messaging application from 2020 to 2021. Kennedy admitted to trading child pornography in the Kik chats to continue to receive access to this material.
Kennedy had 76 videos and 60 images of child pornography in his online accounts. Some included victims as young as two years old.
Previously released on bond, Kennedy is expected to surrender this afternoon pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of the FBI.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christine J. Lu and Sherin S. Daniel prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources link on that page.
Honduran national convicted after cross-country trip against minor’s willRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 33-year-old man who illegally resided in Houston has pleaded guilty to interstate travel with intent to engage in a sex act with a minor, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
In June 2020, Wilmer Rivera-Hernandez took a 15-year-old female on what was supposed to be a date. However, the event ended up being a three-day trip across the country against the victim’s will.
The young female told Rivera-Hernandez to take her home, but he refused and drove her out of the Houston area. During the drive, he bought alcohol and forced her to drink it, threatening her and her family if she refused to obey him. He kept her in a state of intoxication so she could not recognize where she was. He also kept her cell phone which prevented her from seeking help.
On one evening during the trip, Rivera-Hernandez took the minor victim to a motel near Little Rock, Arkansas, where he raped her.
She attempted to get help on two occasions after getting temporary access to her phone. One was unsuccessful, but she was eventually able to text her family members and told them he could kill her and to call the police. Authorities were quickly able to find Rivera-Hernandez and the victim in his car which was parked at a truck stop in Knoxville, Tennessee.
While in custody, Rivera-Hernandez also attempted to obstruct justice. He arranged for the distribution of fabricated WhatsApp messages purporting to be that of the minor victim. In them, he made it appear the minor had recanted her claims of kidnapping and rape and hoped it would lead to the dismissal of the charges. He was unsuccessful when the investigation revealed the messages originated from him.
U.S. District Judge George C. Hanks Jr. will impose sentencing Nov. 20. At that time, Rivera-Hernandez faces up to life in federal prison.
Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service conducted the investigation with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations. Sheriff’s Offices in Montgomery County, Texas, and Knox County, Tennessee, assisted with the victim’s rescue. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sharad Khandelwal and Stephanie Bauman prosecuted the case.
Auto Zone robber sent to prisonRead the Press Release
HOUSTON –A 31-year-old Houston resident has been ordered to federal prison following his convictions on two counts of Hobbs Act robberies as well as discharging a firearm during one of the crimes, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Dominique Andrews pleaded guilty May 2, admitting he robbed two Auto Zone locations in Houston.
U.S. District David Hittner has now handed Andrews a 180-month term of imprisonment for the two robberies. He also received 120 months for the firearms discharge which must be served consecutively to the other sentence imposed. The total 300-month prison term will be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. In handing down the sentence, the court noted Andrews had a significant criminal history of violence and stated that an upward variance from the sentencing guidelines was warranted. In addition, he ordered restitution to the victims in both robberies.
“The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Crime Gun Strike Force will continue to aggressively investigate armed robbery crews not only to remove criminals from the streets but to reduce the trauma endured by the victims involved in these violent crimes,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Fred Milanowski.
On Feb. 4, 2022, Andrews entered the Auto Zone on Cullen Boulevard and robbed an employee at gunpoint. He produced a silver semi-automatic firearm and demanded money from the victim. Fearing for her life, the employee complied. Andrews also took two car scanners. During the robbery, he discharged a round from his firearm.
The same day, Andrews went to another Auto Zone on Telephone Road. He again produced a silver semi-automatic firearm and demanded money from the employee victim. Andrews discharged several rounds from the firearm he was carrying while in the commission of the robbery. Andrews got more money and fled.
Andrews has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
ATF and the Houston Police Department conducted the investigation.
The ATF Crime Gun Strike Force is an ATF led, multi-agency approach, that utilizes crime gun intelligence and investigative resources to combat firearms related violent crime in the Greater Houston Area.
This case is an example of coordination between law enforcement who are part of the Houston Law Enforcement Violent Crime Initiative which combines personnel and resources from numerous federal, state and local agencies. The goal is to proactively fight and reduce violent crime across the Greater Houston area by targeting the region’s most violent offenders, augmenting investigative and prosecutorial efforts and enhancing training, public awareness and education. It stems from the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Porto is prosecuting the case.
Sex offender sentenced for illegally being in US…for the 9th timeRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 37-year-old man illegally present in the United States has been sentenced for returning to the United States without permission, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Elvis Cristian Hernandez-Ayala pleaded guilty June 1.
U.S. District Judge David S. Morales has now ordered Hernandez-Ayala to serve 37 months in federal prison. He was also on supervised release for a prior illegal re-entry conviction and also received 12 months for that violation, six months to be served consecutively. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings following his total 43-month-term of imprisonment. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence regarding Hernandez-Ayala’s frequent illegal re-entries and his troubling criminal history, including a prior conviction for sexual assault in which Hernandez-Ayala had raped another undocumented alien in a stash house.
On April 5, Hernandez-Ayala attempted to circumvent the Border Patrol (BP) Checkpoint near Falfurrias. Authorities found him and three others walking through the brush on a ranch.
The investigation revealed he had been previously removed from the United States eight times following his convictions such as felony possession of a controlled substance, driving while intoxicated and sexual assault.
Hernandez-Ayala will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Border Patrol conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Barbara J. De Pena prosecuted the case.
Repeat offender imprisoned for having sadomasochistic child pornography imagesRead the Press Release
GALVESTON – A 71-year-old Pearland resident has been sent back to prison for receipt and possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Dan McClure pleaded guilty May 17.
U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Brown has now ordered McClure to serve 262 and 240 months for the receipt and possession convictions, respectively. They will run concurrently for a total 262-month-term of imprisonment. At the hearing, the court heard evidence that McClure has had a sexual interest in children since the late 1980s. This led him to not only sexually abuse at least three minor females, but collect child pornography over the last two decades. McClure was further ordered to serve the rest of his life on supervised release following completion of his prison term. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. He will also be ordered to register as a sex offender.
The investigation began when authorities learned of an individual who had uploaded a child pornography image. They determined the owner of the IP address associated with it was a registered sex offender living in Pearland identified as McClure.
Law enforcement executed a search warrant at his residence and seized numerous devices, including one McClure had hidden in the ceiling. Forensic examination revealed two of the devices contained child pornography. They ultimately found a total of 831 images of child pornography, 736 of which contained prepubescent minors. Approximately 100 included sadomasochistic conduct.
McClure will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Houston Metro Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sherri L. Zack and Kimberly Ann Leo are prosecuting the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources link on that page.
Passenger vessel operator convicted of operating illegal charter cruise businessRead the Press Release
GALVESTON, Texas - A 66-year-old Seabrook man has pleaded guilty to a violation of captain of the port order in connection with his illegal charter cruise business, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Gordon Johnson admitted to operating the MV SPANISH PRINCESS without complying with an order of the highest ranking U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) officer in the Houston-Galveston area. Johnson made false statements to authorities claiming he did have paying passengers on his ship. He also instructed passengers, one of whom was a police officer, to inform USCG personnel they were not paying passengers.
“The Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS) is firmly committed to partnering with law enforcement agencies to identify and stop those who pose a hazard to the boating public,” said Special Agent in Charge Brian Jeanfreau, CGIS Gulf Region. “Ensuring mariners are fully qualified to safely operate passenger vessels is of upmost importance to the USCG.”
As part of his plea, Johnson also admitted he engaged in another scheme in which he took money from a couple for a trip that never occurred. The couple paid him $20,000 to transport them on the MV SPANISH PRINCESS to Roatan, Honduras, where they were going to live. The trip did not happen, and Johnson only returned $1,000 of their money.
U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Brown accepted the plea and set sentencing for Nov. 1. At that time, Johnson faces up to 10 years in prison as well as a possible $250,000 maximum fine. He could also be ordered to forfeit the MV SPANISH PRINCESS.
Previously released on bond, Johnson was permitted to remain on bond pending that hearing.
The CGIS conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam L. Goldman prosecuted the case.
Jury finds Mexican duo guilty of importing over 900 pounds of liquid methRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – Two men have been convicted of importing nearly $1 million worth of meth, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
The federa jury deliberated for approximately 10 minutes before returning guilty verdicts against Noe Jesus Martinez-Montelongo, 35, and Fidel Rodriguez-Saldana, 34, following a three-day trial.
On Nov. 28, 2022, Martinez and Saldana attempted to enter the United States at the Columbia Solidarity port of entry in Laredo, driving a tractor-trailer without a load. Authorities referred them to secondary inspection where a K-9 alerted to the tractor.
Law enforcement conducted a scope and discovered a secret compartment in each diesel tank of the tractor. Authorities were able to extract some of the liquid which tested positive for meth.
They ultimately seized a total of 413 kilograms (910 pounds) of liquid meth which filled 22 buckets.
The estimated wholesale value is approximately $1 million.
Martinez and Saldana claimed no knowledge of the liquid at trial, reporting that they were simply supposed to pick up a legitimate load in Laredo. The jury did not believe their claims and found them guilty as charged.
U.S. District Judge Diana Saldana will impose sentencing at a later date. At that time, both Martinez and Saldana face up to life in prison. They will remain in custody pending that hearing.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Makens and Brandon Bowling are prosecuting the case.
Human smugglers receive maximum sentenceRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A 36-year-old Houston man has been ordered to federal prison for his involvement in a conspiracy involving the transportation of undocumented aliens throughout South Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
A federal jury deliberated for approximately 45 minutes before returning guilty verdicts Dec. 14, 2022, against Andres Beltran Jr., and Jose Luis Beltran Mondragon, 28, both of Houston, following a three-day trial.
U.S. District Judge Micaela Alvarez has now ordered Beltran to serve a total of 120 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court noted the sophistication and organization it took to plan and execute the multiple alien transport events.
Mondragon was previously ordered to serve the same sentence.
“These men were hands-off coordinators who thought they could hire others to do their dirty work and not get caught,” said Hamdani. “The swift jury verdict and today’s 10-year prison sentence, the maximum, shows otherwise. This office is committed to prosecuting every part of a human smuggling operation, from the drivers to the ones pulling the strings.”
On several occasions from February through June 2020, Beltran, Mondragon and others transported multiple groups of undocumented aliens from Rio Grande City north toward Laredo for the anticipated final destination of Houston. The Beltran smuggling organization housed the undocumented aliens at a ranch in Rio Grande City until additional members of the organization would then transport the undocumented aliens north.
Both Beltran and Mondragon would drive down from Houston, coordinate with the drivers, scout the area for law enforcement and accompany the transport drivers back north in tandem. The Beltran smuggling organization would typically transport the aliens in the bed of trucks through private ranch roads in an effort to circumvent the Border Patrol (BP) checkpoints.
The jury heard evidence of a rollover accident caused during a transport event which resulted in serious injury to one of the aliens.
Through the course of the investigation, law enforcement apprehended over 100 undocumented aliens attributable to the organization.
At trial, Beltran and Mondragon attempted to convince the jury they just happen to be in the area of the smuggling events each and every time. The jury did not believe the defense claims and found them guilty as charged.
Beltran and Mondragon have both been and will remain in custody pending transfer to U.S. Bureau of Prisons facilities to be determined in the near future.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of BP and Starr County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Laura Garcia and Matthew Phelps prosecuted the case.
Violent felon convicted of gun chargeRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A 31-year-old Pharr man has been ordered to federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Christian Shauntrell Garcia pleaded guilty May 2.
U.S. District Judge Micaela Alvarez has now ordered Garcia to serve 50 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard additional information about Garcia’s history of drug trafficking and gun violence. In imposing the prison term, the court noted he represented an ongoing threat and needed a sentence to “provide for the safety of the community.”
Authorities believed Garcia had discharged a firearm at a residence in Pharr in 2021. On Nov. 26, 2021, authorities attempted to conduct a felony traffic stop, but he fled. A high-speed chase ensued, and law enforcement was able to take him into custody. At that time, they found a firearm in his possession along with an array of various controlled substances.
As a convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition per federal law.
Garcia was prosecuted as part of a joint Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and U.S. Attorney’s Office initiative known as Operation: Knock Down. It started in 2022 and focuses federal resources on armed and violent offenders in the Rio Grande Valley.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert L. Guerra Jr. prosecuted the case.
Fourth and final meth trafficker ordered to federal prisonRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A 35-year-old Edinburg man has been sentenced for his role in transporting meth in multiple tractor trailer loads, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Roel Longoria pleaded guilty June 23, 2022.
U.S. District Judge Micaela Alvarez has now ordered Longoria to serve 262 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard of Longoria’s extensive criminal history including three prior felony convictions. In delivering the sentence, Judge Alvarez noted Longoria’s serious pattern of criminal behavior and disregard for the law.
Judge Alvarez previously sentenced Dorian Hazel Ruiz-Chavez, 36, a citizen of Mexico unlawfully in the United States, Mario Alberto Ortiz, 43, Edinburg, and Luis Ramos, 35, Donna, to 190, 168 and 70 months, respectively.
In September 2020, law enforcement initiated an investigation into a drug trafficking organization in the Rio Grande Valley. They were believed to be involved with the importation of narcotics from Mexico utilizing commercial tractor trailers with hidden compartments.
Ruiz-Chavez coordinated with a Mexican narcotics supplier who would send the tractor trailers into the United States. Once there, Ruiz-Chavez worked with additional individuals to store and transport the trailers further north. Longoria and Ortiz were tasked to find willing drivers to transport the narcotics north after they entered the United States.
On Nov. 12 2020, authorities seized a tractor trailer after it entered the United States through the Laredo Port of Entry. The trailer contained 147 kilograms of meth within a hidden compartment. On April 26, 2021, authorities seized a tractor trailer after it entered through the Pharr Port of Entry. The trailer contained 90 kilograms of meth within a hidden compartment. Both trailers were allegedly transported at the direction of Ruiz-Chavez.
Following the trailer seizures, the organization changed tactics and began to transport narcotics in smaller loads within passenger vehicles.
On May 13, 2021, authorities apprehended Ramos as he transported 45 kilograms of meth in his personal vehicle.
Longoria has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura Garcia prosecuted the case.
Texas Man Who Earned Millions Working Overseas Pleads Guilty to Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
A Texas man pleaded guilty today to evading his federal income taxes.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from 2013 to 2018, Peter Joseph Tignini worked in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatar, earning approximately $4,783,031 in income that he deposited into foreign bank accounts. From2013 through 2017, Tignini filed tax returns falsely reporting that his income was only approximately $100,000 each year, an amount near or below the Foreign Earned Income (FEI) exclusion, which allows a U.S. citizen who lives and works in a foreign country for the majority of a year to exclude a portion of their income earned outside the United States from their taxable income. Tignini did not file a return for 2018. As a result, Tignini caused a tax loss to the IRS of $1,169,348.
After IRS Special Agents interviewed Tignini, he used an internet application to alter his employment contract and payroll documents to make them appear as if Tignini’s former employer was responsible for submitting his tax returns and paying the corresponding taxes due. Tignini then caused his attorneys to provide the fraudulent documents he had created to the Justice Department’s Tax Division and the IRS. After investigators asked a witness about the internet application Tignini used to create the phony documents, Tignini attempted to delete the documents from his account.
Tignini faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison, as well as a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani for the Southern District of Texas and Special Agent in Charge Ramsey E. Covington of the IRS-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Houston Field Office made the announcement.
IRS-CI is investigating the case.
Senior Litigation Counsel Sean Beaty and Trial Attorney Brian Flanagan of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Goldman for the Southern District of Texas are prosecuting the case.
Houston oil trader charged in international bribery schemeRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 49-year-old Texas man and former employee for Vitol Inc. is set to appear in federal court for allegedly conspiring to violate the anti-bribery provisions of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and for allegedly violating the FCPA, the Travel Act and the money laundering statutes in connection with a scheme involving Mexican government officials.
Javier Aguilar is expected to make his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Yvonne Ho in Houston at 2 p.m. today.
The five-count indictment, returned Aug. 3, alleges Aguilar was a former manager and oil trader for Vitol Inc., the U.S. affiliate of the Vitol group of companies which together form one of the largest energy trading firms in the world. The former employee allegedly agreed with others to bribe Mexican officials in order to win business advantages related to contracts with the Mexican government instrumentality, PEMEX Procurement International (PPI). He is also charged with money laundering in connection with the scheme.
Between August 2017 and July 2020, the charges allege Aguilar and others knowingly, willfully and corruptly offered and paid bribes to and for the benefit of Mexican officials. He allegedly intended to obtain and retain business for Vitol related to Petróleos Mexicanos (PEMEX), a state-owned oil company of Mexico, and PPI, a wholly-owned and controlled subsidiary of PEMEX with its principal place of business in Houston.
Aguilar allegedly met with procurement managers at PPI between September 2017 and April 2018 and agreed to pay bribes for confidential, inside information to assist Vitol in winning business from PPI, including a contract to supply ethane to PEMEX through PPI. In particular, Aguilar allegedly agreed to make payments totaling approximately $600,000 in order to assist Vitol in winning the ethane contract.
To promote the bribery scheme and to conceal the proceeds derived from it, Aguilar and his co-conspirators caused the bribes to be paid through a series of transactions and shell companies, according to the charges.
Aguilar is charged with violating the FCPA and conspiracy to do so, which both carry a possible five-year-federal prison sentence as does a conviction of violation of the Travel Act. If convicted of either of the two money laundering charges, he could receive up to 20 years in prison.
The FBI’s International Corruption Unit - Miami Field Office conducted the investigation.
Deputy Chief Suzanne Elmilady and Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) Sherin Daniel for the Southern District of Texas are prosecuting the case along with Assistant Chiefs Derek Ettinger and Jon Robell and Trial Attorney Clayton Solomon of the Fraud Section of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Deputy Chief Adam Schwartz and Trial Attorney D. Hunter Smith from the Money Laundering and Asset Forfeiture Section with assistance from AUSAs Jonathan P. Lax and Matthew R. Galeotti from the Eastern District of New York.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
South Texan gets max for possessing videos showing abuse of childRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 27-year-old Cotulla resident has been ordered to prison for possessing child pornography, including content he created from his abuse of a minor victim, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Jose Luis Lara pleaded guilty Feb 1, 2022.
U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo has now imposed a 20-year-term of imprisonment, the maximum allowed under the statute. In handing down the sentence, the Judge noted the extremely disturbing nature of Lara’s acts toward a minor child, remarking that she would have given him more time if she could.
Authorities identified Lara in 2021 after they learned of an individual sharing child pornography online who may have also abused a child.
On July 21, 2021, law enforcement executed a search warrant at his home in Cotulla and discovered and seized several electronic devices. They also showed him a photo of a minor child whom Lara then acknowledged he knew.
Lara admitted to filming videos of him abusing that child. He said he filmed them in Big Wells before moving to Cotulla.
Law enforcement ultimately identified a total of 1,151 images and 699 videos containing child pornography, including the videos Lara had filmed himself.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michal Makens prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources link on that page.
Mexican national heads to prison for trafficking narcotics in batteriesRead the Press Release
BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 40-year-old man illegally residing in Edinburg has been ordered to federal prison following his conviction of trafficking meth, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Pedro Castillo-Lopez pleaded guilty March 9 to possession with intent to distribute approximately 31.83 pounds of meth.
U.S. District Judge Rolando Olvera has now ordered Castillo-Lopez to serve 96 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, Castillo-Lopez is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. In handing down the sentence, the court noted Castillo-Lopez will now have a felony conviction for and could spend the rest of his life in prison if he commits another felony or drug crime.
On Oct. 26, 2021, law enforcement observed Pedro Castillo-Lopez arrive at a hardware store parking lot located in Harlingen. Castillo approached another vehicle and transferred two commercial vehicle batteries from his vehicle to that one.
Authorities were able to confiscate the batteries. They broke one open and found what tested positive for the characteristics of heroin and meth. Further analysis later confirmed both drugs.
Castillo-Lopez had been previously removed from the country and did not have lawful presence in the United States. He has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Coronado prosecuted the case.
“Wrecking Ball” lands LPR in federal prisonRead the Press Release
GALVESTON, Texas - A 44-year-old legal permanent resident from the Dominican Republic has been sentenced in a cocaine and heroin conspiracy, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
A federal jury convicted Emilio Ramon Torres following an 11-day trial in August 2022. He was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute five or more kilograms of cocaine and one or more kilograms of heroin as well as possession with intent to distribute 16 kilograms of cocaine.
U.S. District Judge Jeffrey V. Brown has now ordered him to serve a total of 120 months in federal prison. He could also lost his status to reside in the United States.
The investigation focused upon a group of distributors and their associates, primarily citizens of the Dominican Republic, who used common sources of drugs in Mexico to supply their customers in numerous states other than Texas. This group of distributors sold cocaine and heroin throughout the United States but operated out of the Houston area.
Torres worked within the drug trafficking organization by stashing cocaine at his apartment in Houston. He received shipments of cocaine and held them at his residence until instructed about how much to make available for delivery to customers.
The defense attempted to convince the jury Torres was an honest person who would not engage in drug distribution. The jury did not believe those claims and found Torres guilty as charged.
He will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation dubbed “Wrecking Ball” with the assistance of the Houston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth Cusick is prosecuting the case.
OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found on the Department of Justice’s OCDETF webpage.
Two sentenced for fatal smuggling event in MissionRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas - Two Mexican men have been ordered to prison for their roles in an alien smuggling conspiracy which resulted in death, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Francisco Javier Quintanilla-Alcocer, 39, and Brandon Cibriano-Gonzalez, 22, pleaded guilty March 3 and Feb. 3, respectively.
U.S. District Judge Micaela Alvarez has now imposed a sentence of 74 months for Cibriano-Gonzalez. Quintanilla-Alcocer received 87 months for the alien smuggling conspiracy in addition to 24 months for illegally re-entering the United States. Judge Alvarez ordered the sentences in part consecutive for a cumulative 100-month term of imprisonment.
Both are expected to face removal proceedings following their imprisonment.
At the hearing, the court considered additional evidence including details of the life-altering and permanent injuries the survivors sustained in the accident. Judge Alvarez also considered Cibriano-Gonzalez’s prior apprehensions as a brush guide and that he attempted to lead another group of migrants into the county less than a month after the accident. In handing down the sentences, Judge Alvarez noted Quintanilla-Alcocer’s disregard for the well-being of the migrants, emphasizing the effects and harm their conduct has had on the victims and their families.
Orlando Andres Garcia, previously admitted his guilt in relation to the scheme and is set for sentencing before Judge Alvarez Nov. 14. He faces up to life in federal prison and will remain in custody pending the hearing.
“Two migrants died on the side of a dirt road in Mission, Texas, because of a smuggler’s reckless attempt to avoid arrest,” said Hamdani, “Human smugglers - they don’t care about anyone’s life but their own, and after leading authorities on a car chase, crashing and rolling a vehicle full of migrants, Quintanilla-Alcocer fled the scene, leaving those he transported for dead. Remember this: human smugglers - you are not welcome in the Southern District of Texas, and this office will continue its efforts to hold these criminals accountable with convictions and long sentences."
On Oct. 22, 2021, Cibriano-Gonzalez acted as a brush guide to smuggle a group of 10 non-U.S. citizens from Mexico into the United States. He guided them to a pick-up location in Palmview. There, Quintanilla-Alcocer and Garcia arrived and were driving a Chevrolet Impala and Chevrolet Malibu, respectively. The aliens and Cibriano-Gonzalez loaded into the vehicles and left the scene. Shortly thereafter, law enforcement attempted to conduct a traffic stop, but both vehicles failed to yield and a high-speed chase ensued, reaching a speed of 130 miles per hour.
Quintanilla-Alcocer eventually turned onto a dirt road in Mission where the Chevrolet Impala rolled and crashed into a homeowner’s fence. Authorities located a total of seven individuals on scene. Three had been ejected, two of whom died at the scene.
Quintanilla-Alcocer was not located at that time. However, evidence in the vehicle led law enforcement to him. Phone records also indicated that Quintanilla-Alcocer and Garcia had been consistently communicating throughout the high-speed pursuit. During these conversations, Garcia instructed Quintanilla-Alcocer to go faster.
Three months following the crash, a third migrant succumbed to his injuries.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with assistance from the Palmview Police Department and Texas Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lee Fry and Devin Walker prosecuted the case.
Trucker hauling people and drugs headed to federal prisonRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 50-year-old commercial truck driver has been ordered to federal prison following his convictions of alien smuggling and possession with intent to distribute meth, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Fabian Alvarado pleaded guilty Feb. 27.
U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos has now ordered him to serve a 120-month sentence to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence detailing Alvarado’s extensive criminal history including prior federal convictions for drug trafficking and alien smuggling.
On Dec. 9, 2022, Alvarado drove a tractor-trailer into the inspection lane of the U.S. Border Patrol (BP) checkpoint located near Falfurrias. There, authorities observed Alvarado acting suspiciously during routine inspection. A K-9 also alerted to the vehicle.
Law enforcement then referred him to the secondary inspection area where they discovered five aliens concealed in the sleeper portion of the tractor. They also found a bag in the passenger seat which contained 45 grams of meth and a firearm along with Alvarado’s wallet. In the glove compartment were cellular phones and identification documents taken from the aliens as they were loaded into the sleeper berth.
“Today’s prison sentence sends a resounding message to human smugglers and drug traffickers everywhere who believe they can circumvent our nation’s laws without detection or penalty,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) - Corpus Christi Assistant Special Agent in Charge Robert Hein. “Working in conjunction with our partners at Border Patrol, this individual was quickly identified at the southern border as a suspected drug trafficker and human smuggler, convicted of his crimes and will spend the next 10 years in federal prison.”
Alvarado will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted this investigation with the assistance of BP. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert D. Thorpe Jr. prosecuted the case.
Ringleader sent to prison in nationwide fraud scheme targeting elderly victimsRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – The leader in a conspiracy to commit mail fraud has been ordered to federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
MD Azad, 26, an Indian national who illegally resided in Houston, pleaded guilty Aug. 15, 2022, admitting he participated in a fraud ring from 2019-2020 which operated out of various cities including Houston.
U.S. District Judge Kenneth Hoyt has now ordered Azad to serve 188 months in federal prison. Azad, a citizen of India, is expected to face removal proceedings following the prison term. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence that described Azad as the U.S.-based ringleader working with a call center in India. In handing down the sentence, the court noted the many letters and victim impact statements it had read showing the financial devastation to elderly and vulnerable victims throughout the United States because of this fraud scheme.
“The victims in this case were devastated, financially and otherwise,” said Hamdani. “This fraud ring repeatedly preyed on elderly and vulnerable people in the United States who spoke of threats of bodily harm if they did not comply with demands for more money. Our hope, and that of many of the victims, is deterrence so as to stop others who would think of doing similar harm in our community and beyond.”
The scheme targeted elderly victims throughout the United States and elsewhere.
The ring tricked and deceived victims using various ruses and instructed them to send money via wire through a money transmitter business such as Western Union or MoneyGram, by buying gift cards and providing to the fraudsters or by mailing cash to alias names via FedEx or UPS.
Part of the scheme involved fraudsters contacting victims by phone or via internet sites for computer technical support and directing victims to a particular phone number. Once victims contacted the fraudsters, they were told various stories such as they were communicating with an expert that needed remote access to their computer in order to provide technical support services. The fraudsters then gained access to victims’ personal data and bank and credit card information.
Victims typically paid a fee to conspirators for the fake technical support but were later told they were due a refund. Through paying for “technical support” or through the “refund” process, the ring gained access to the victim’s bank account(s) and credit cards and manipulated the accounts to make it appear the victim was paid too large a refund due to a typographical error. Victims were then instructed to reimburse the ring by various means.
Victims were sometimes re-victimized multiple times and threatened with bodily harm if they did not pay.
Indian citizen Anirudha Kalkote, 26, also pleaded guilty in relation to the conspiracy as did Sumit Kumar Singh, 26, Himanshu Kumar, 26, and MD Hasib, 27, all also Indian nationals who illegally resided in Houston. They are pending sentencing.
All five individuals will remain in custody.
The FBI, U.S. Postal Inspection Service and IRS Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations, Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office and other local law enforcement agencies throughout the United States including the Sheriff’s Office and Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office of Augusta County, Virginia. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Belinda Beek and Quincy Ollison prosecuted the case.
The case is brought as a part of the Elder Justice Initiative. Its goal is to support and coordinate the Department’s enforcement and programmatic efforts to combat elder abuse, neglect and financial fraud and scams that target our nation’s older adults.
In March 2020, the U.S. Department of Justice launched National Elder Fraud Hotline to help combat fraud against older Americans and provide services to victims. If you or someone you know is a victim of elder fraud, we encourage you to call the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 833–FRAUD–11 (833–372–8311).
The hotline is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. eastern time. Services are available for speakers of English, Spanish and other languages.
Local man imprisoned for distributing meth out of car shopRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 42-year old Houston man has been handed a significant sentence for his role in a counterfeit opiate conspiracy, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Jason Curtis Caldwell pleaded guilty Jan. 6 to conspiring to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl.
Senior U.S. District Judge David Hittner has now sentenced him to a 210-month-term of imprisonment to be immediately followed by five-years of supervised release. Prior to handing down the sentence, Judge Hittner emphasized several times to Caldwell and his attorney that it only takes one fentanyl pill to kill.
Caldwell was running a multi-drug distribution operation out of Caldwell’s car shop, North West Customz. He was known to carry a firearm during his operations and distributed kilogram amounts of meth as well as counterfeit opiate pills that contained fentanyl.
“With approximately 500 fatal overdoses each year in Houston alone linked to fentanyl, we cannot overstate the danger it presents to our communities,” said Hamdani. “We will not stop fighting to protect the citizens of the Southern District of Texas. This case was a great example of that effort and demonstration of the collaboration between federal and local agencies in bringing a meth and fentanyl distributor to justice.”
The investigation began after agents discovered Caldwell was supplying meth to another individual who was distributing counterfeit opiate pills. Those pills contained meth.
Further law enforcement efforts revealed Caldwell sold counterfeit opiate pills on two difference occasions to two others. Those individuals have also been convicted.
Previously released on bond, Caldwell was taken into custody following the sentencing where he will remain pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Texas Department of Public Safety and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation with the assistance of Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, Houston Police Department and Harris County Constable’s Office Precinct 4.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jimmy Leo prosecuted the case.
OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found on the Department of Justice’s OCDETF webpage.
Asylee sentenced for third smuggling convictionRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A 41-year-old Honduran asylee residing in Houston has been sentenced for smuggling aliens for the third time, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Marlon Enrique Gallegos-Rapalo pleaded guilty May 23. Gallegos was previously convicted of smuggling aliens in 2015 and 2017. Gallegos had been granted withholding of removal under U.S. asylum laws, preventing immigration authorities from removing him.
Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane has now sentenced him to 78 months in federal prison. At the hearing, the court heard how Gallegos had committed these offenses while under the protection of immigration laws. In handing down the sentence, the court noted that Gallegos had “committed a serious abuse of the system.” He is expected to face removal proceedings following his sentence.
On July 19, 2022, law enforcement discovered a stash house in McAllen being used to hide 35 migrants illegally present in the United States. Further investigation revealed Gallegos was the lease holder on the house and that he was directing the co-defendant Jose Ever Hernandez-Escobar to provide food and clothes to the migrants. Authorities also found that Gallegos and Hernandez harbored over 200 migrants at this residence during the conspiracy.
“Gallegos was given an incredible opportunity that some don’t have to make a new life in the United States,” said Hamdani. “Instead, he wasted that chance and continued to smuggle migrants, resulting in his third conviction and a lengthy prison term. We will not stop our fight against migrant smuggling, especially those who engage in such a large scale operation.”
Gallegos-Rapalo has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Hernandez-Escobar, 22, Honduras, also pleaded guilty and is set for sentencing Sept. 19.
Border Patrol conducted the investigation with the assistance of the U.S. Marshals Service, Texas Department of Public Safety, Precinct 3 Hidalgo County Constables’ Office and the McAllen Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jongwoo Chung and Theodore Parran III prosecuted the case as part of the Human Smuggling Prevention Program (HSPP). The primary goal of HSPP is to disrupt and dismantle human smuggling organizations on our Southwest Border through close cooperation with Homeland Security Investigations, Border Patrol, Customs and Border Protection-Office of Field Operations and local law enforcement partners.
Meth supplier sent to prisonRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 30-year-old Houston resident has been handed a significant sentence for his role in a meth distribution conspiracy, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Aslay Jordan Salas pleaded guilty June 28, 2022.
U.S. District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal has now sentenced Salas to 293 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. In handing down the sentence, the court found Salas was a large-scale meth distribution supplier and was “pumping poison into the community for years.”
At the time of his plea, Salas admitted to supplying meth in a drug transaction that occurred Nov. 20, 2017, at a location on Little York Drive in Houston. He specifically transported the meth to the location and departed shortly after the deal took place.
Officers stopped Salas after the drug transaction and subsequently located a Beretta 9mm pistol in his vehicle.
Salas will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The FBI led the investigation in conjunction with the Texas Department of Public Safety, Texas Department of Criminal Justice - Office of Inspector General, Harris County Sheriff’s Office and Houston Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Day is prosecuting the case.
Corpus Christi resident sentenced for trafficking methRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 23-year-old man has been ordered to federal prison following his conviction for possession with intent to distribute 210 grams of meth, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Jacob Soliz pleaded guilty April 28.
U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos has now ordered Soliz to serve 120 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard how the circumstances of Soliz’s arrest suggested he was selling large quantities of meth. In handing down the sentence, the court noted the severity of the crime.
On Sept. 4, 2022, Soliz was a passenger in a sedan driving in Corpus Christi around 11:30 p.m. Authorities conducted a traffic stop after observing the vehicle was traveling without any headlights activated.
Law enforcement then observed the smell of burnt marijuana and ultimately conducted an inspection of the vehicle. At that time, they discovered multiple baggies of meth totaling 210 grams, baggies of marijuana totaling approximately 150 grams and a loaded AR-15 rifle. They also discovered approximately $2,500 located in Soliz’s pocket.
At the time of his plea, Soliz admitted the meth and rifle belonged to him.
Soliz will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Corpus Christi Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) Tyler Foster prosecuted the case. AUSA Barbara DePena handled the sentencing.