Southern District of Texas
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
E-Commerce Company Pleads Guilty to Antitrust ChargeRead the Press Release
Gennex Media LLC (aka Brandnex.com and PMGOA) pleaded guilty and was sentenced today for conspiring to fix prices for customized promotional products sold online to customers in the United States. Gennex Media’s president, Akil Kurji, was also sentenced today for his role in the conspiracy.
According to the felony charges filed on Nov. 1, 2018, and the plea agreement filed today in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas in Houston, Gennex Media, its president, Akil Kurji, and their co-conspirators agreed to fix the prices of customized promotional products sold online from May 2014 until at least June 2016. The customized promotional products subject to the conspiracy included wristbands, lanyards, temporary tattoos, and buttons. The defendants and their co-conspirators used social media platforms and encrypted messaging applications, such as Facebook, Skype, and Whatsapp, to reach and implement their illegal agreement. In addition to pleading guilty, Gennex was sentenced to pay a $752,717 criminal fine. Kurji was sentenced to eight months in custody, a $20,000 criminal fine, and three years of supervised release.
“Today’s guilty plea and sentencings demonstrate the Division’s commitment to uncovering and prosecuting collusion that affects the online marketplace,” said Assistant Attorney General Makan Delrahim of the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division. “We will continue to hold companies and their top executives accountable, seeking significant criminal fines and prison terms for those who violate the antitrust laws at the expense of everyday Americans.”
“The Department of Justice’s simple message is don’t collude to fix prices,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick for the Southern District of Texas. “If you are caught doing this, not only will you likely face large fines, but you could end up in federal prison. Fixing prices hurts consumers and market competitors, whether the conspiracy involves small, logo branded items or million dollar pieces of equipment.”
“The guilty plea and sentencing handed down today should serve as a warning to those who would corrupt America’s business markets that the FBI and its partners will pursue justice for our consumers,” said Perrye K. Turner, Special Agent in Charge of FBI’s Houston Field Office. “Such conduct will not be tolerated and there are harsh consequences for companies and their executives who violate competition law.”
To date, 11 defendants have been charged in the investigation into the online customized promotional products industry. Of those defendants, five individuals and four companies have pleaded guilty. The corporate guilty pleas in the investigation have resulted in criminal fines totaling almost $10 million.
This prosecution arose from an ongoing federal antitrust investigation into price fixing in the online promotional products industry, which is being conducted by the Antitrust Division’s Washington Criminal I Office, with the assistance of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas and the FBI’s Houston Field Office. Anyone with information on price fixing or other anticompetitive conduct related to other products in the customized promotional products industry should contact the Antitrust Division’s Citizen Complaint Center at 888-647-3258 or visit www.justice.gov/atr/contact/newcase.html.
Two Head to Prison in Kidnapping ConspiracyRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A Mexican national and a U.S. citizen have been ordered to federal prison following their convictions of conspiracy for attempting to commit the kidnapping of a Houston man, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick. Julio Cesar Garcia-Longoria, a 42-year-old Mexican National from Nuevo Laredo, and Iraida Griselda Hernandez, 42, of Houston, pleaded guilty Oct. 12, 2018.
Today, U.S. District Judge David Hittner imposed a 175-month sentence for Garcia-Longoria, while Hernandez was ordered to serve 135 months to be followed by five years of supervised release. Not a U.S. citizen, Garcia-Longoria is expected to face deportation proceedings following his sentence.
Hernandez was also charged in an unrelated federal drug trafficking conspiracy involving the delivery of 7.5 kilograms of cocaine. She was also sentenced in that case today to another 135 months which was ordered to run concurrently.
Between Jan. 10-18, 2018, Garcia-Longoria enlisted the assistance of Hernandez in Houston to have a Houston man kidnaped in an effort to recoup a drug trafficking debt of up to $1.7 million. Authorities were alerted to the plot which he had participating in via cell phone from Monterrey, Mexico.
Hernandez gathered biographical information on the Houston man and identified his residence. Law enforcement contacted him and enlisted his assistance to thwart the plot. The victim agreed to pose for photos, appearing bound, which were then sent to Hernandez and Garcia-Longoria.
The defendants made it clear the intended victim owed money to a drug cartel in Mexico and efforts should be made to extort money from the victim’s family. Garcia-Longoria stated that the victim should be killed if he tried to get away. He agreed to pay a total of between $8,000 and $10,000 for the job.
Both will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward Gallagher is prosecuting the case.
Mexican Citizen Charged with Importing Methamphetamine and Heroin into United StatesRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 50-year-old Mexican national is set to appear in federal court on charges he imported methamphetamine and heroin into the country, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick. Fernando Anaya-Bautista is also charged with one count of conspiracy.
A federal grand jury returned the three-count indictment June 18, 2019, against Fernando Anaya-Bautista. He is set to appear for his arraignment before U.S. Magistrate Judge Diana Song Quiroga at 1:00 p.m. today.
Originally charged by criminal complaint, Anaya-Bautista allegedly attempted to enter the United States at the Colombia Solidarity International Bridge in Laredo May 23, 2019, driving a tractor-trailer. Following a positive K-9 alert and x-ray examination, authorities located 12 bundles of methamphetamine weighing approximately 11 kilograms along with one package of heroin with a weight of 1.06 kilograms, according to the charges. They were all allegedly located in a speaker box inside the truck.
If convicted, Anaya-Bautista faces up to life in prison and a possible $10 million fine.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with assistance from CBP. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Day 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.Illegal Alien Pleads Guilty to Assaulting Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 33-year-old man from Guatemala has entered a guilty plea to assaulting a Border Patrol (BP) agent and for illegally entering the country, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
In the early morning hours of March 27, 2019, authorities encounters Lorenzo Perechu-Tziquin and others attempting to circumvent the U.S. BP Checkpoint near Falfurrias. The majority of the group complied with commands. However, Perechu-Tziquin, in an effort to prevent arrest, shoved and kicked a BP agent multiple times in the chest area through a barb-wire fence. In the course of the struggle, he caused multiple lacerations to the agent’s hands and arms, which required medical attention.
Perechu-Tziquin was eventually subdued and apprehended with the assistance of another BP agent.
Perechu-Tziquin was previously convicted of illegal entry into the United States in August 2018 and subsequently deported.
A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Sept.18, 2019, before U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos. At that time, Perechu-Tziquin faces up to 20 years for each count as well as a possible $250,000 maximum fine. He has been and will remain in custody pending that hearing.
The FBI and BP conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Yifei Zheng is prosecuting the case.
Three Foreign Nationals Sentenced for Drug Smuggling on the High SeasRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – The final defendant in a maritime smuggling venture involving nearly 1300 kilograms of cocaine has been ordered to federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
Jose Luis Landazuri Valdes, 25-year-old Colombian national pleaded guilty in November 2018. Co-defendants Herman Julio Cuenu Valencia, a 34-year-old Columbian national and Ecuadoran national Ricardo Alberto Parraga Mendoza, 32, entered their pleas in December and November 2018, respectively.
Today, U.S. District Judge Ewing Werlein Jr. handed Valdes a 63-month sentence. At the hearing, the court noted Landazuri Valdes and Cuenu Valencia were crewmen on the boat under the leadership of the boat captain, Parraga Mendoza. In handing down the sentence, Judge Werlein mentioned the unique character of this case involving international maritime interdiction of large quantities of cocaine, often destined for distribution in the United States.
Cuenu Valencia and Parraga Mendoza were previously sentenced to 70 and 120 months, respectively.
Not U.S. citizens, all are expected to face deportation proceedings following their sentences.
On July 3, 2018, while on routine patrol off the Pacific Coast of Colombia and Ecuador, the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Cutter Mohawk detected a 47-foot low profile go-fast boat 300 nautical miles northeast of the Galapagos Islands. USCG launched its small boat which approached and stopped the vessel. Officers boarded the boat and discovered three crewmen on board.
The vessel had no flag, no registration documents, no homeport name and no indicia of identification on the hull of the vessel. Parraga Mendoza identified himself as the captain of the boat.
Officers discovered 38 bales of cocaine weighing approximately 1,280 kilograms in the hold of the boat and five sophisticated satellite communication and global positioning devices.
The three crewmen were taken into custody and transported to Florida.
They were charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine on a vessel in the high seas in violation of the Maritime Drug Law Enforcement Act and the Drug Trafficking Vessel Interdiction Act of 2008. This was the first such prosecution in the Southern District of Texas following a change in the law allowing any jurisdiction in the United States to prosecute such smugglers. The law gives the United States jurisdiction over vessels without nationality found on the high seas with contraband as Congress found that “trafficking in controlled substances aboard vessels is a serious international problem and is universally condemned… Such trafficking presents a specific threat to the security and societal well-being of the United States.”
All have remained in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and USCG conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward Gallagher is prosecuting the case.
Three Car Dealership Employees Arrested in Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas - A federal grand jury has returned an indictment against three former car dealership employees for participating in a long-running scheme to defraud companies, including financial institutions, in connection with car loans in the Rio Grande Valley area, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
Law enforcement arrested Ronnie Joe Gomez, 44, of Pharr, David Salinas, 44, of McAllen, and George Villanueva 50, of San Antonio, today. They are expected to make their initial appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge Peter Ormsby this afternoon at 1:00 p.m.
The indictment, returned June 18, 2019, was unsealed today upon their arrests.
The three are each charged with wire fraud. According to the indictment, the defendants devised a scheme to defraud financial institutions by submitting falsified proof of their customers’ income to purchase motor vehicles.
If convicted, each faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 fine.
The FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Frances E. Blake and David A. Lindenmuth are prosecuting the case.
A indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence.
A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.Former Medical Director and Two Former Operators of a Houston Medical Clinic Charged in Multimillion-Dollar Health Care Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A medical director and two operators of a Houston, Texas, medical clinic were charged in an indictment unsealed today for their alleged participation in a multimillion-dollar health care fraud scheme.
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick of the Southern District of Texas, Special Agent in Charge Perrye K. Turner of the FBI’s Houston Field Office, Special Agent in Charge C.J. Porter of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General’s (HHS-OIG) Dallas Region, Special Agent in Charge Kristie K. Osswald of the Railroad Retirement Board Office of Inspector General (RRB-OIG) Chicago Regional Office and the Texas Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU) made the announcement.
Douglas Sharp, D.O., 69, of Katy, Texas, the medical director of Verimed Health and Medical Wellness Clinic Inc. (Verimed); Innad Husaini, M.D., 64, of Sugar Land, Texas, the owner and operator of Verimed; and Hanh Hong Thi Nguyen, 43, of Houston, the former operator of Verimed, were each charged in an indictment filed in the Southern District of Texas. Sharp, Husaini and Nguyen were each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud. In addition, Sharp was charged with three counts of false statements relating to health care matters, Husaini was charged with three counts of health care fraud and Nguyen was charged with two counts of health care fraud. The three defendants were arrested this morning and appeared this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Peter Bray of the Southern District of Texas. A trial date has not yet been set.
The indictment alleges that the defendants participated in a health care fraud scheme by which they submitted false and fraudulent claims to Medicare and Medicaid for home health care services, diagnostic tests and eye procedures, including injections into the eye, that were medically unnecessary, not provided or both. Nguyen allegedly ordered diagnostic tests on and conducted physical examinations of patients, even though she was not a licensed medical professional.
The indictment alleges that the defendants submitted or caused the submission of approximately $16 million in fraudulent claims to Medicare and Medicaid. Medicare paid approximately $12.2 million on those claims. Medicaid paid approximately $67,000 on those claims. The indictment also seeks the forefeiture of two properties owned by Nguyen and one property owned by Husaini, which were paid for, at least in part, using proceeds of the alleged fraud.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
This case was investigated by the FBI, HHS-OIG and the MFCU. Trial Attorney Catherine Wagner of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn Olson of the Southern District of Texas, on detail from the MFCU, are prosecuting the case.
The Medicare Fraud Strike Force is part of a joint initiative between the Department of Justice and HHS to focus their efforts to prevent and deter fraud and enforce current anti-fraud laws around the country. Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, which maintains 14 strike forces operating in 23 districts, has charged nearly 4,000 defendants who have collectively billed the Medicare program for more than $14 billion. In addition, the HHS Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to increase accountability and decrease the presence of fraudulent providers.
Federal Charges Filed in Overdose Death of College Football PlayerRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 26-year-old Katy man has been charged with conspiring to distribute and possessing with intent to distribute a powerful opioid analogue, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
A federal grand jury returned the three-count indictment June 19, 2019, against Stuart Mouchantaf. Authorities took him into custody today. He is expected to make his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Peter Bray tomorrow at 10:00 a.m.
The indictment alleges Mouchantaf conspired to distribute and possessed with intent to distribute a powerful opioid analogue known as carfentanil which resulted in the death of an otherwise healthy athlete in March 2018. Mouchantaf allegedly possessed the deadly drug with the intent to distribute it on Rice University’s campus the day before the victim’s body was found.
At the time, the victim was a star player with NFL aspirations, according to the allegations.
Carfentanil is not approved for human use. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it is intended for sedation of large animals and is the most potent fentanyl analog detected in the United States. Carfentanil is estimated to have 10,000 times the potency of morphine and has recently been reported in an alarming number of deaths in some states.
If you believe you or someone you know has been affected by any narcotics Mouchantaf distributed, please contact the Houston Police Department at 713-308-3300.
The Houston Police Department and the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jason Corley and Robert Stabe are prosecuting the case.
A indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence.
A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.South Texas Woman Pleads Guilty in Attempt to Smuggle Meth Through CheckpointRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 44-year-old Lyford woman has entered a guilty plea to possessing with the intent to distribute more than 26 kilograms of methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
On April 17, 2019, Jacqueline Barrera drove a white Mitsubishi Lancer into the primary inspection area of the Border Patrol Checkpoint located near Sarita. A search of the vehicle revealed bundles of methamphetamine concealed within speaker boxes in the trunk of the car.
A sentencing hearing was scheduled for Sept. 12, 2019, before United States District Judge David S. Morales. At that time, Barrera faces a minimum of 10 years and up to life in federal prison and a possible $10 million fine.
She has been and will remain in custody pending that hearing.
The Drug Enforcement Administration with the assistance of Border Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert D. Thorpe Jr. is prosecuting the case.
Former Bailiff Sentenced in Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A 53-year-old former bailiff with the Hidalgo County Court at Law #6 has been ordered to federal prison for his involvement in a drug trafficking conspiracy, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
Oscar De La Cruz, of Pharr, pleaded guilty Jan. 4, 2019.
Today, U.S. District Judge Micaela Alvarez sentenced De La Cruz to a 60-month term of imprisonment to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. In pronouncing the sentence, Judge Alvarez noted his outward appearance as a God-fearing man served as a façade for a different persona - a drug trafficker. She also stated that his abuse of authority saddened the court considering many others make great sacrifices to obtain positions of public trust to better their communities. De La Cruz, however, used it to line his pockets.
From 2016 through 2018, De La Cruz obtained law enforcement sensitive documents not generally available for the public and generated fraudulent search warrants for members of a drug trafficking organization. The warrants were ultimately given to the sources of supply to make it appear law enforcement had seized the controlled substances. The drug traffickers could then retain and steal the controlled substance from the source of supply for further distribution themselves.
Specifically, in late 2016, De La Cruz generated a fraudulent federal search warrant and forged the signature of a judge to document the fictitious seizure of cocaine. Later, he generated two more warrants documenting the seizure of a total of 36 kilograms of cocaine at addresses in Edcouch and near Austin. These search warrants allowed the theft of approximately 45 kilograms of cocaine for further distribution.
In addition to providing fraudulent warrants, De La Cruz conducted thousands of PACER queries, a database of federal court filings. He also used his position as a county court bailiff in order to access documents through Odyssey, a database of state court filings in Hidalgo County, to provide records and information to drug traffickers not available to the general public.
Several members of the drug trafficking conspiracy that De La Cruz assisted also regularly engaged in home invasions and carjackings for the purpose of stealing controlled substances.
De La Cruz was permitted to remain on bond and surrender to a U.S. Bureau of Prison facility to be determined at a later date.
The FBI and Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Roberto Lopez Jr. and K. Alejandra Andrade are prosecuting the case.
Couple Sentenced for Fake Facebook Claims to Provide CitizenshipRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A Mexican man and his McAllen wife have been ordered to federal prison for their respective roles in a mail and wire fraud conspiracy, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
Francisco Santiago Rodriguez-Nunez aka Marcos Rodriguez, Roberto Garcia-Rodriguez and Mario Ortiz, 34, of Mexico, and his wife, Beatriz Adriana Rodriguez, 40, of McAllen, pleaded guilty Nov. 27, 2018, to conspiracy to commit fraud. Rodriguez-Nunez also admitted to impersonating a federal agent.
Today, U.S. District Judge Micaela Alvarez imposed a total 75-month sentence for Rodriguez-Nunez, while Rodriguez was ordered to serve 41 months to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. Not a U.S. citizen, Rodriguez-Nunez is expected to face deportation proceedings following his sentence. The couple was further ordered to pay $174,010 in restitution. Rodriguez-Nunez and Rodriguez were also ordered to forfeit $68,900 and $74,200, respectively.
At the hearing, additional evidence was presented regarding the scheme indicating the identification and responses of at least 29 victims that claimed combined losses of more than $250,000. In handing down the sentence, the court noted the couple’s predatory actions by taking advantage of undocumented aliens, most of whom had no criminal history, that believed they were obtaining status legitimately by paying the defendants.
The court further acknowledged that several were merely looking for a means to obtain status to work, while others were paying exorbitant funds to have a method to be with their children. Judge Alvarez commented on the substantial financial hardship placed on most, if not all, of the victims. Some had taken loans they will never be able to pay back due to their limited income and resources.
Beginning in November 2015 and continuing through at least July 2018, Rodriguez-Nunez and Rodriguez created fraudulent postings on Facebook. They claimed to possess the ability to obtain, generate or provide individuals with immigration status, including citizenship, to remain in the United States or state driver’s licenses.
Numerous victims responding to the advertisement would communicate with Rodriguez-Nunez who claimed to be an employee or agent of the Social Security Administration, Texas Department of Motor Vehicles, Immigration and Naturalization Services, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services or the Department of Homeland Security.
Victims provided the couple with money orders sent through the mail or wire transfers through Moneygram and Ace Cash Express. After receiving the money, Rodriguez-Nunez and Rodriguez would claim issues arose with the processing of the immigration status or driver’s license and they required additional money orders or wire transfers.
If victims refused to pay or stopped paying, Rodriguez-Nunez would personally impersonate federal officials threatening the victims with arrests and deportation. He also caused automated messages to be sent with similar threats. In addition, Rodriguez-Nunez would also send lewd pictures of genitalia to his victims to taunt them for their losses.
In total, authorities believe there were more than 60 victims in at least 10 different states affected by the couple’s conduct. For each of the 29 victims located, each had losses of at least $500. One victim suffered a loss of $34,000.
Rodriguez-Nunez and Rodriguez received at least $174,010 as a result of their scheme.
The couple will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Office of Professional Responsibility conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Roberto Lopez Jr. is prosecuting the case.
“Sovereign Citizen” Convicted of Child Pornography CrimesRead the Press Release
GALVESTON, Texas – A 56-year-old resident of Galveston has been found guilty of receipt and possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
U.S. District Judge George C. Hanks Jr. found John David Knowlton guilty following a two-day bench trial that concluded today.
During trial, the court heard testimony from multiple law enforcement officers and a Comcast custodian of records.
In February 2016, law enforcement conducted an online session using a publicly available peer-to-peer file-sharing network and located an IP address whose share folder contained images of child pornography. The IP address was associated with Knowlton’s residence.
When law enforcement searched his home, they discovered more than a dozen electronic devices belonging to him that contained child pornography. Forensic analysis found that 18 electronic devices contained thousands of images and hundreds of videos of child pornography, child erotica and artifacts of child pornography.
Knowlton had opted to represent himself at the trial with the court-appointed shadow defense counsel. He rehired that counsel this morning. Knowlton, identifying as a sovereign citizen, argued that the federal judicial system had no jurisdiction over him. The court was not persuaded by his arguments and found him guilty as charged.
Judge Hanks set sentencing for Aug. 28, 2019. At that time, Knowlton faces a minimum of five and up to 20 years for the receipt of child pornography and up to 10 years imprisonment for the possession charge.
Previously released on bond, Knowlton was taken into custody after the guilty verdict where he will remain pending sentencing.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, Pearland Police Department and Galveston Police Department’s - Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force conducted the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zahra Jivani Fenelon and Kimberly Leo prosecuted the 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.”
Jury Convicts Valley Man for Lying on Federal FormRead the Press Release
BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 39-year-old Harlingen resident has been found guilty of lying on a federal firearm application at a local Wal-Mart, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick. The jury deliberated for 30 minutes before convicting Juan Sauceda following a one-day trial.
On Sept. 6, 2018, Sauceda attempted to purchase a 12-gauge pump shotgun at a Wal-Mart in Harlingen. As a part of the purchase, he was required to fill out ATF Form 4473 in order to complete a background check. He signed the form, attesting that he never had a felony conviction. However, the investigation revealed he had a conviction for two counts of assault and battery with a deadly weapon. Sauceda had stabbed two individuals in 2013 in a dispute in Custer County, Oklahoma.
The defense attempted to convince the jury Sauceda was too uneducated to understand the form when he made the false statement as to his criminal history. The jury was not persuaded and found him guilty as charged.
U.S. District Judge Rolando Olvera presided over the trial and has set sentencing for Sept. 18, 2019. At that time, Sauceda faces up to five years in prison and a possible $250,000 fine.
He was permitted to remain on bond pending that hearing.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Schorr Dinsdale and Israel Cano III prosecuted the case.
Young Serial Bank Robber ConvictedRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 19-year-old resident of Wilmer has been convicted of multiple bank robberies and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
Markeist Daquon Reed pleaded guilty today to a total of three counts of bank robbery involving three different banks and one count of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.
The charges stem from a series of bank robberies that occurred Oct. 5, Oct. 19 and Oct. 25, 2018, at the BB&T Bank on Park Lane in Dallas, Value Bank Texas on South Staples in Corpus Christi and BBVA Compass Bank on Ayers Street in Corpus Christi, respectively.
In each instance, a male - later identified as Reed - entered the banks and approached an employee demanding money. During the last robbery, Reed carried with him and pointed an AK-47 style rifle as he demanded the money from the bank employee. Reed was later arrested during a traffic stop. At that time, law enforcement recovered the rifle and items linking him to the robberies.
Senior U.S. District Judge John Rainey accepted the plea today and set sentencing for Sept. 16, 2019. At that time, Reed faces up to 20 years imprisonment and a possible $250,000 maximum fine for each of the bank robberies and another seven years for brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, which must be served consecutively to any other conviction.
Reed has been and will remain in custody pending that hearing.
The FBI and police departments in Corpus Christi and Dallas conducted the investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lance Watt is prosecuting the case.
Local Man Sentenced for Meth Conspiracy and Firearm OffenseRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 40-year old Corpus Christi man has been ordered to federal prison following his conviction for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick. Thaddeus Leo Raymond pleaded guilty Oct. 15, 2018.
Today, Senior U.S. District Judge John D. Rainey sentenced Raymond to 120 months for the methamphetamine offense as well as a 60-month consecutive term for carrying a firearm during a drug trafficking crime. The total 180-month prison term will be immediately followed by five years of supervised release.
On July 23, 2018, authorities conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle in the 4700 block of Alameda Street in Corpus Christi. When officers approached, they could smell the odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle and asked the driver, Allen Sturtz, and the passenger, Raymond, to step out. At that time, Raymond informed the officers that he was carrying a handgun in his waistband. The officers then recovered the loaded Taurus 9mm semi-automatic pistol.
During a search of the vehicle, the officers discovered a backpack on the passenger side floorboard that contained a crystal substance believed to be methamphetamine. Laboratory analysis confirmed the substance was 99% pure and weighted approximately 414 grams with an estimated street value of $5,000.
On Dec. 17, 2018, Judge Rainey sentenced Sturtz, 27, of Corpus Christi, to a total of 140 months followed by five years of supervised release.
Both have been and remain in custody.
The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Texas Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lance Watt is prosecuting the case.
Four Sentenced for Using Threats to Compel Sex Trafficking of MinorsRead the Press Release
GALVESTON, Texas – The leader and three others involved in sex trafficking of minors conspiracy are headed to federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
Deadrian Quincy Morrison, 24, of Clute, pleaded guilty Oct. 4, 2017, to conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of minors and sex trafficking of minors. Co-defendants Patricia Madison Cope, 21, of Angleton; and Malik Antonine Brown 21, and Lincoln Dewayne Hussey, 24, both of Brazoria, had previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy, conspiracy and misprision of felony, respectively.
Today, U.S. District Judge George C. Hanks Jr. sentenced Morrison to a total of 180 months in federal prison.
Also sentenced today were Brown and Hussey who received respective terms of 33 and 31 months. Cope, who was sentenced on June 12, 2019, received 38 months.
In Spring 2016, the group exploited five minor females, during which time the they made several threats of violence to the victims. The investigation revealed the defendants used online advertisements for victims’ services and rented hotel rooms where some of the commercial sex acts would be performed.
Brown and Hussey transported several minor victims to dates where they participated in commercial sex acts. On at least one instance, Hussey provided illegal drugs to the minor victims and rented a hotel room with money Cope had given him.
Cope taught the minor victims how to post ads for commercial sex and instructed them on how to deal with customers. She was in constant contact with Morrison about what the victims were doing and how business was going.
Cope and Morrison have been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Previously released on bond, Hussey was taken into custody following the sentencing today where he will remain.
Brown was originally released on bond but had his bond revoked prior to sentencing and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The FBI and Texas Department of Public Safety conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sherri L. Zack and Kimberly A. Leo are prosecuting the case.
Young Smuggler Caught with Illegal Chinese NationalsRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – An 18-year-old Mexican citizen has been arrested on charges of human smuggling, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
The criminal complaint charging Israel Rubio-Rodriguez was filed today. He made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge J. Scott Hacker this morning, at which time he was temporarily ordered into custody pending a detention hearing set for June 18, 2019, at 9:30 a.m. before Judge Hacker.
On June 11, 2019, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle Rubio-Rodriguez was driving near Los Ebanos, according to the charges. When authorities approached, they allegedly observed multiple people in the front and back seat of the vehicle. The criminal complaint alleges that an immigration inspection was performed on all passengers of the vehicle and all were determined to be Chinese nationals illegally present in the United States.
If convicted, Rubio-Rodriguez faces up to 10 years in federal prison.
Border Patrol conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarina S. DiPiazza is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence.
A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.Southwest Houston Man Convicted of Sex Trafficking Adult Women by ForceRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 28-year old resident of Katy has admitted he conspired to compel three adult women to engage in sex trafficking by means of force and violence in Houston and other locations across the country, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
Marquis Holmes aka “Goldie” pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking by means of force, fraud and coercion; two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution; and two counts of enticing and coercing another to travel in interstate commerce for prostitution.
From June 2015 until his arrest in March 2018, Holmes scoured social media websites to recruit women, often under false pretenses, to work as prostitutes for him. Under threat of violence and actual violence, Holmes prostituted two of these women in Houston and Austin; New Orleans, Louisiana; Memphis, Tennessee; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Mississippi; Alabama; South Carolina and other locations across the country. Holmes coerced the women to pose for pictures used in online advertisements for sex and to engage in commercial sex acts for money. Holmes collected all the money the women earned.
On March 30, 2018, authorities arrested Holmes, at which time a third victim was rescued along with her infant child. After repeatedly physically assaulting the woman, Holmes forced her to solicit commercial sex dates along the 1.3 mile stretch of Bissonnet St., commonly referred to as “The Track.” If she did not meet the monetary quota Holmes had set, he beat her and deprived her of food.
Holmes has been and will remain in custody pending his sentencing, set for Sept. 19, 2019. At that time, he faces up to life in prison.
The Human Trafficking Rescue Alliance (HTRA) conducted the investigation.
HTRA law enforcement includes members of the Houston Police Department, FBI, Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, Texas Attorney General’s Office, IRS-Criminal Investigation, Department of Labor, Department of State, Texas Alcoholic and Beverage Commission, Texas Department of Public Safety, Coast Guard and sheriff’s offices in Harris and Montgomery counties in coordination with District Attorney’s offices in Harris, Montgomery and Fort Bend Counties.
Established in 2004, the United States Attorney’s office in Houston formed HTRA to combine resources with federal, state and local enforcement agencies and prosecutors, as well as non-governmental service organizations to target human traffickers while providing necessary services to those that the traffickers victimized. Since its inception, HTRA has been recognized as both a national and international model in identifying and assisting victims of human trafficking and prosecuting those engaged in trafficking offenses.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sebastian Edwards and Carrie Wirsing prosecuted this case.
SDTX to be Part of New Transnational Elder Fraud Strike ForceRead the Press Release
HOUSTON - Attorney General William P. Barr has announced the establishment of the Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force, a joint law enforcement effort that brings together the resources and expertise of the Department of Justice’s Consumer Protection Branch, U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for six federal districts, FBI, U.S. Postal Inspection Service and other organizations. The Southern District of Texas will be one of the offices part of that group.
The Strike Force will focus on investigating and prosecuting individuals and entities associated with foreign-based fraud schemes that disproportionately affect American seniors. These include telemarketing, mass-mailing and tech-support fraud schemes.
“Elder Fraud comes in many variations – through the mail, online and even in person,” said U.S. Attorney Patrick. “By focusing on these cases, we hope to send a message from the low level hucksters to the sophisticated international organizations that when we find you, we will prosecute you.”
The Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force will be comprised of prosecutors and data analysts from the Consumer Protection Branch, prosecutors with the SDTX and five other U.S. Attorneys’ Offices (Central District of California, Middle and Southern Districts of Florida, Northern District of Georgia and Eastern District of New York), FBI special agents, Postal Inspectors and numerous other law enforcement personnel. The Strike Force will also collaborate with the Federal Trade Commission and industry partners, who have pledged to engage with the Department to help end the scourge of elder fraud. It will further benefit from the help of the Elder Justice Coordinators now assigned in every U.S. Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Quincy Ollison is the coordinator for the SDTX.
“Fraud against the elderly is on the rise,” said Barr. “One of the most significant and pernicious causes for this increase is foreign-based fraud schemes. The new Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force will bring together the expertise and resources of our prosecutors, federal and international law enforcement partners, and other government agencies to better target, investigate and prosecute criminals abroad who prey on our elderly at home. The Department of Justice is committed to ending the victimization of elders across the country.”
“It doesn’t matter where these criminals live. We’re committed to keeping our elderly citizens safe, whether they’re being targeted door-to-door, over the phone, or online, from thousands of miles away,” said Director Christopher Wray of the FBI. “Our new Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force will give us additional resources and tools to identify and stop those who are targeting our senior communities from overseas. If you think you may be a victim of elder fraud, or you know someone who is, please let us know. We want to help.”
“Protecting older Americans and educating them and their caregivers about foreign lotteries and sweepstakes has been a long-time priority of the Postal Inspection Service,” said Chief Postal Inspector Gary Barksdale. “Our consumer awareness programs, coupled with our investigative efforts, have prevented countless older Americans from fraud and financial exploitation. But there’s so much more than can be done. By joining our partner agencies in this Strike Force, we become more effective at identifying and stopping those who prey on our vulnerable citizens.”
Using analytical tools and sophisticated investigative approaches, the Strike Force will seek to identify those responsible for foreign fraud schemes affecting American seniors, as well as those individuals and entities facilitating such schemes. The Strike Force will coordinate closely with foreign law enforcement and will use all available criminal and civil tools to stop victims from losing money and to hold wrongdoers responsible.
The Attorney General announced creation of the Strike Force as part of a week of events recognizing World Elder Abuse Awareness Day on June 15, which is dedicated to raising awareness about the millions of older adults who experience elder abuse, neglect and financial exploitation.
The establishment of the Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force builds on the Trump Administration’s commitment to combating elder fraud. That commitment was reflected in the Department’s historic 2018 and 2019 Elder Fraud Sweeps—which collectively brought criminal and civil actions against more than 500 defendants responsible for defrauding more than $1.5 billion from at least 3 million victims —as well as the 2018 Rural and Tribal Elder Justice Summit.
Three Sentenced for Importing Meth in Jalapeño and Hominy CansRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 30-year-old Harlingen man has been ordered to prison for 20 years for his involvement in the attempted importation of methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan Patrick.
Alfredo Aguilar Jr. was found guilty at a bench trial Sept. 6, 2018, before U.S. District Judge Hilda G. Tagle. Co-defendants Cristen Nicole Cano, 29, of Combes, and Cristal Hernandez, 23, of San Benito, had previously pleaded guilty their respective roles Aug. 7, 2018.
Today, Judge Tagle sentenced Aguilar to a total of 240 months in prison. At the hearing, Aguilar was held accountable for being the leader and organizer of the attempted drug importation event. The court also sentenced Cano and Hernandez today, each receiving 60 months. Aguilar will serve a 10-year-term of supervised release following his release from prison. Cano and Hernandez will serve two-year and five-year terms, respectively.
On May 15, 2018, Aguilar, Cano and Hernandez attempted to enter the United States at the Gateway to the Americas International Bridge Port of Entry in Laredo through the pedestrian lane. Cano and Hernandez were carrying bags of groceries, including four cans of jalapeños and hominy.
During primary inspection, authorities shook the cans, noting they were unusually heavy, and heard what sounded like powder rather than liquid. They were referred to secondary, at which time the cans were x-rayed and revealed anomalies. Authorities also noticed the cans had been altered.
Ultimately, the cans were found to contain a total of 10.52 kilograms of methamphetamine. Upon further investigation, it was determined Aguilar had recruited Cano and Hernandez to smuggle the drugs into the United States.
Aguilar and Cano have been in custody since their arrest May 15, 2018, where they will remain pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. Hernandez was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of Customs and Border Protection. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher dos Santos prosecuted the case.
Young Undocumented Alien Admits to Transporting Chinese and Brazilian NationalsRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – An 18-year-old Mexican national has pleaded guilty to conspiring to transport undocumented aliens from China and Brazil within the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
On April 1, 2019, Samuel Vazquez-Morales was apprehended after guiding six undocumented aliens through the brush near Laredo. Five were from the People’s Republic of China, while one was a Brazilian national. Vazquez-Morales was determined to be a Mexican citizen illegally present in the United States as well.
Today, he admitted he guided the group from Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, into the United States. He stated he was working for Cartel Del Noreste and that he expected to be paid $400 for the job.
One of the Chinese nationals told agents he planned to pay $30,000 to be smuggled into the United States from Mexico.
Sentencing has been set for Oct. 16, 2019, before U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo. At that time, Vazquez-Morales faces up to 10 years in federal prison. He has been and will remain in custody pending that hearing.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and Border Patrol conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Day is prosecuting the case.
Two Smugglers Sentenced in Death of Illegal AlienRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – Two Mexican Citizens have been ordered to federal prison following their conviction of human smuggling which resulted in the death of one of the aliens, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick. Imer Ares-Chagolla, 36, and Ismael Rivera-Lopez, 19, pleaded guilty April 1, 2019.
Today, U.S. District Judge Ricardo Hinojosa ordered Ares-Chagolla to 87 months in prison. The court found Rivera-Lopez was a minor participant in the event and sentenced him to a 46-month term of imprisonment.
Ares-Chagolla and Rivera-Lopez served as brush guides for a group of aliens who had illegally crossed the Rio Grande River from Mexico into the United States.
On the afternoon of July 17, 2018, authorities located the group, learned one of its members was missing and possibly in distress and began emergency search operations in the area.
A female citizen of El Salvador was soon found unresponsive in the South Texas brush country near Sullivan City. Authorities provided emergency medical treatment and transported her to a local hospital. However, she ultimately died from multiple organ failures due to shock related to heat stroke.
That day, the temperature was determined to effectively be 110 degrees in the brush.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations spearheaded the investigation with the assistance of Border Patrol and Sullivan City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert L. Guerra Jr. prosecuted the case.
Federal Charges Filed in Wake of Fatal Robstown CrashRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 23-year-old Mexican National has been charged with unlawful transportation of aliens resulting in death following the fatal alien smuggling attempt in which six people were left for dead, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
Authorities arrested Ivan Dario Puga-Moreno, of Montemorelos, Nuevo Leon, Mexico, on June 6, 2019, in Houston. He is expected to make an initial appearance June 10 at 10:00 a.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Dena Palermo in Houston.
According to the criminal complaint filed in Corpus Christi, authorities discovered a wrecked Chevrolet Suburban in a ditch in Robstown on June 5. Six people were found deceased at the scene with nine more requiring hospitalization due to their significant injuries, according to the charges.
The complaint alleges the subsequent investigation revealed Puga-Moreno was the driver of the wrecked vehicle and was attempting to smuggle approximately 18 illegal aliens from South Texas to Houston. Puga-Moreno allegedly fled the scene following the accident.
Puga-Moreno was smuggling the illegal aliens with the assistance of a brush guide from his hometown in Mexico, according to the charges.
If convicted, Puga-Moreno could potentially face the death penalty.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation along with the FBI, U.S. Marshals Service, Coast Guard, Border Patrol, police departments in Robstown and Corpus Christi, Nueces County Sherriff’s Office and Robstown Fire/Emergency Medical Services Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Cody Barnes and Jeremy Fugate are prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is an accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence.
A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.Texas Personal Assistant Charged with Fraud for Stealing from her Elderly ClientRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 40-year-old Richmond woman has been indicted for fraud and making false statements regarding her participation in a scheme to defraud her 94-year-old client who is now legally blind, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick along with Special Agent in Charge Perrye K. Turner of the FBI and Harris County Precinct One Constable Alan Rosen.
A federal grand jury returned the four-count indictment against Amy Anglin aka Amy Powell May 30, 2019. Today, law enforcement took her into custody. She is expected to make her initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Frances H. Stacy at 2:00 p.m. today.
“Because of the complex nature of these case, the Department of Justice is uniquely suited to investigate and prosecute elder fraud,” said Patrick. “As the Attorney General has stressed, elder fraud will not be taken lightly and sadly this is just one of many similar allegations that we see routinely. I thank the family for bringing this case to the attention of law enforcement and we will do everything in our power to make sure justice is served on Ms. Anglin.”
Anglin is charged with two counts of fraud and two counts of making false statements to federal employees.
“Our investigators worked tirelessly on this appalling case to ensure Ms. Anglin was brought to justice for her alleged crimes,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Darryl Wegner. “Ms. Anglin allegedly capitalized on an elderly man’s vulnerability without any regard for his well-being. The FBI, alongside its local, state and federal partners, will continue to work every day to protect our elderly neighbors from fraud and abuse. We urge anyone with information about elder fraud or abuse to contact law enforcement immediately.”
The indictment alleges Anglin began working for a successful real estate developer in Houston in approximately 2015 when he 91 years old and his eyesight was beginning to fail. Anglin allegedly took advantage of the victim’s poor health and began to steal money from his bank accounts and misused his credit cards to purchase, among other things, airline tickets for herself and her family. Anglin would get her elderly victim to sign checks he believed were legitimate and authorized expenditures, according to the charges. She would then allegedly have the funds deposited into her personal bank account.
“I cannot articulate how disturbed I am by allegations in this case,” said Constable Alan Rosen. “I take seriously any possible crimes against the elderly, particularly those who are disabled. This woman is charged with taking advantage of a man who is 54 years her senior. I appreciate the collaborative efforts of the FBI and U.S. Attorney's Office in pursuing this case and ensuring justice is served.”
Anglin would also illegally convert the victim’s assets by use of both his bank account and his credit cards, according to the indictment. In addition to using her access to the victim’s banking accounts and business credit cards, the charges allege Anglin wired herself large amounts of money and used Western Union to transfer the victim’s money to her friends and acquaintances. Anglin allegedly transferred funds from the victim’s accounts to pay for vacations in Las Vegas, resorts in Hawaii and trips to her hometown. Anglin also used the stolen money to pay for country club memberships, golf lessons, overdue child support payments and major home improvements, including a hot tub, according to the indictment.
The charges further allege that at no time during the fraud scheme was Anglin authorized to make these transfers or payments.
Anglin’s scheme was uncovered when the victim’s family began to question certain payments associated with his accounts, according to the indictment.
With the help of a Houston-based attorney, the family has estimated the total amount of fraud associated with Anglin’s scheme to be more than $550,000.
The scheme allegedly began in late 2015 and continued until approximately December 2018.
If convicted of wire fraud, Anglin faces up to 20 years in federal prison, while a conviction for making false statements, carries a potential five-year-prison term.
The FBI and Harris County Precinct One Constable’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Heyward Carter and Steve Mellin are prosecuting the case.
The charges are the result of a renewed effort by law enforcement to protect America’s older citizens from elder abuse.
Since President Trump signed the bipartisan Elder Abuse Prevention and Prosecution Act (EAPPA) into law, The Department of Justice has participated in hundreds of enforcement actions in criminal and civil cases that targeted or disproportionately affected seniors. In particular, this past February the Attorney General announced the largest elder fraud enforcement action in American history, charging more than 200 defendants in a nationwide elder fraud sweep. The Department has likewise conducted hundreds of trainings and outreach sessions across the country since the passage of the Act.
Elder justice refers to a society’s response to elder abuse, which includes physical abuse, caregiver neglect, financial exploitation, psychological abuse, sexual abuse and abandonment.
Elder fraud complaints may be filed with the FTC or at 877-FTC-HELP. The Department of Justice provides a variety of resources relating to elder fraud victimization through its Office of Victims of Crime. Additional elder justice resources, training, and outreach materials can be found at the Elder Justice Website.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence.
A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.South Texas Man Charged with Child Exploitation via Social Media AppsRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas — A 21-year-old Harlingen man has been indicted for coercion and enticement of a minor, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
Alejandro Moya was originally charged by criminal complaint as he arrived at a local motel to meet whom he thought was a 13-year-old female. Today, a federal grand jury returned the indictment. He is expected to appear in court June 13 for his arraignment before U.S. Magistrate Judge J. Scott Hacker.
The complaint alleges that beginning May 9, 2019, Moya enticed an individual he believed to be a 13-year-old female on the social media apps Kik and Whisper. Moya allegedly sent multiple unsolicited sexually explicit images and videos of himself, requesting to meet at a motel in Pharr. The charges allege that in those conversations, he described sexual acts he desired upon meeting.
He was taken into custody as he arrived at the motel.
Moya has been in custody since his arrest. At a detention hearing May 17, the court found he was a danger to the community and ordered he remain in custody.
If convicted, Moya faces a minimum of 10 years in federal prison.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation as part of the Rio Grande Valley Child Exploitation Investigations Task Force.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Steven Belt and Andrew Henning are prosecuting the 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."
An indictment or criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence.
A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence.
A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Honduran National Charged with Smuggling Child into the U.S.Read the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas - A 24-year-old illegal alien from Honduras has been indicted on charges of human smuggling and making a false family claim, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
Starlin Alfredo Martinez-Morales was originally charged by criminal complaint May 10, 2019. Today, a federal grand jury returned the two-count indictment. He is expected to appear for his arraignment before a U.S. magistrate judge in the near future.
On May 7, 2019, Martinez-Morales allegedly crossed the Rio Grande River near Los Ebanos with a three-year-old child, also of Honduras. Martinez claimed to be traveling with his son and presented a fraudulent birth certificate for the juvenile, according to the charges.
The criminal complaint indicates he was not the father of the child and only traveling with him to successfully gain entry into the United States.
He faces up to five years in federal prison if convicted of either of the charges.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and Border Patrol conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney M. Alexis Garcia 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.Mexican National Enters Plea to Assaulting a Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 39-year-old Mexican National has admitted he injured a Border Patrol (BP) agent by hitting him with arm shackles, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
On April 1, 2019, Salvador Ramirez-Olvera was in custody at the Brownsville BP station for illegal entry. While awaiting transfer to federal court, he slipped out of his arm shackles and hit the agent with them. The agent was hit on his shoulder area, thus causing bodily injury.
After a brief struggle, officers had to use a taser to control Ramirez-Olvera.
He was then arrested and charged with assaulting a federal agent who was engaged in the performance of his official duties.
He has been and will remain in custody pending his sentencing, which is set for Sept. 4, 2019, before U.S. District Judge Rolando Olvera. At that time, Ramirez-Olvera faces up to 20 years in federal prison.
The FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jose A. Esquivel Jr. prosecuted the case.
Non-Citizen Convicted After Posing as Native-Born American for 10 YearsRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 35-year-old Mexican National has admitted he made false statements in an application for U.S. Passport, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
Rigoberto Rivera had successfully applied for a U.S. passport in 2008, identifying him as a native-born United States citizen from Texas. It expired in 2018, after which he submitted a DS-82 U.S. Passport Renewal Application for Eligible Individuals by mail.
He used a birth certificate to support his claim of citizenship which stated a date of birth of April 5, 1984, in Laredo. However, law enforcement located a Mexican birth certificate that pre-dated this U.S. birth certificate, stating he was born in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico, on March 23, 1984.
Records further revealed that in May 2000, Rivera had applied for a visa as a Mexican citizen at the U.S. Consulate in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico. He was issued a border crossing card through this application and was fingerprinted and photographed. A subsequent comparison between the fingerprints taken in 2000 and the fingerprints taken in 2018 revealed a positive match to Rivera.
Rivera was arrested April 2, 2019. He subsequently admitted he was born in Mexico and that he had previously applied for a visa as a Mexican national. He claimed he used his Mexican birth certificate in the past to attend school in Mexico at a lower cost, but that he had used his U.S. birth certificate to pose as a native-born United States citizen since 2008.
Sentencing will be set at a later date before U.S. District Judge Diana Saldana. At that time, Rivera faces up to 10 years in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face deportation proceedings following the sentence.
He has been and will remain in custody pending his sentencing hearing.
Customs and Border Protection and Department of State - Diplomatic Security Service conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Francisco J. Rodriguez is prosecuting the case.
“Wing Stop Robbery Crew” Leader Sentenced for Role in Multiple Robberies in One MonthRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 23-year-old Houston man has been ordered to federal prison for his role in organizing and planning a string of Houston-area armed robberies, including one in which someone was almost killed, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
Tadarius Robinson pleaded guilty Aug. 8, 2018.
Today, U.S. District Judge Gray Miller sentenced Robinson to 120 months for his role in the robberies. He also received another 120-month-term for aiding and abetting the discharge of a firearm during commission of a crime of violence which must be served consecutively. The total 20-year sentence will be immediately followed by five years of supervised release.
In imposing the sentence, the court found Robinson to be the leader and organizer of the robbery crews that had committed the crimes within the span of one month in late 2015. Robinson had picked the locations, recruited the members and acted as a lookout or getaway driver for the robberies.
Co-defendants Reshaun Lee Jenkins, 25, James Daniel Henderson, 24, Ashton Armstrong, 24, Cedric L. Andrews, 44, Joseph Adams, 34, and Bradley Alexander, 28, all of Houston, pleaded guilty for their respective roles and were sentenced previously. Jenkins and Armstrong both received 141 months in prison, while Henderson, Andrews, Adams and Alexander received 255, 33, 36, and 147 months, respectively.
Mik Yia Shua Faye Durden, 22, of Livingston, and Travescy Cauley, 27, of Beaumont, also pleaded guilty and are pending sentencing.
Robinson and Alexander took part in one robbery which targeted Gagne’s Auto Repair Shop at 6404 Tidwell on Sept. 9, 2015, which resulted in the theft of U.S. currency and one employee being chased from the store.
Robinson, Alexander and Armstrong then participated in the robbery of a T-Mobile store located at 10730 Eastex Freeway on Sept. 27, 2015. Armstrong had entered the store, while Robinson and Alexander waited in the getaway vehicle. The robbery resulted in the theft of U.S. currency and cellular phones.
Three days later, Jenkins, Henderson, Armstrong, Durden and Alexander robbed the El Mexsal Taqueria located at 5797 North Sam Houston. Henderson, Cauley and Armstrong ordered the employees and customers to the ground at gunpoint, while Durden and Jenkins drove getaway cars. Alexander acted as a lookout during the robbery.
Robinson, Jenkins, Adams, Henderson, Andrews and Alexander then committed the armed robbery at the Wing Stop restaurant located at 10749 North Freeway on Oct. 2, 2015. Henderson entered the store with a gun drawn. When an employee did not immediately get down on the ground, Henderson shot him, causing permanent bodily injuries. Andrews and Adams were inside the restaurant during the robbery, while Robinson, Alexander and Jenkins sat outside acting as lookouts and the getaway driver. Alexander disassembled the firearm after the shooting and threw pieces out of the car window as they fled the scene.
Finally, Armstrong, Durden and Alexander then robbed Movie Magic at 6520 Airline on Oct. 9, 2015. Armstrong robbed the store at gunpoint. As they fled the scene and Durden drove the getaway car, Alexander fired his gun at a civilian who was chasing the robbers. Armstrong attempted to fire at the civilian but his gun jammed.
The case is an example of coordination between law enforcement who are part of the Houston Law Enforcement Violent Crime Initiative. 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.
The cases are brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms conducted the investigation in conjunction with the Houston Police Department and Harris County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Richard Hanes and Heather Winter are prosecuting the case.
RGV Man Sent to Prison for Harboring AliensRead the Press Release
BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 22-year-old Edinburg man has been ordered to prison following his conviction of harboring aliens within the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
Maximino Moralez-Quiroz pleaded guilty in December 2018.
Today, U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr. ordered him to serve 48 months in prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release.
At the hearing, additional evidence was presented that demonstrated Moralez-Quiroz had been previously involved in five other alien smuggling incidents dating back to late 2013, one of which included a conviction for transporting aliens in 2015 for which he served a 15-month sentence. After serving that term, he was on supervised release. As part of the sentence today, the court revoked that term, ordered he serve six more months in prison, three of which was ordered to run consecutively for a total 51-month-term of imprisonment.
On Nov. 14, 2018, law enforcement learned of the possibility that undocumented aliens were being harbored within a residence in Edinburg. They approached the house and discovered Moralez-Quiroz who identified himself as the homeowner.
A search of the house led to the discovery of 27 undocumented aliens.
The aliens were all from different countries and relayed that the smugglers had charged them up to $9,000 for illegal entry into the U.S. Some had spent up to eight days awaiting transport.
Moralez-Quiroz 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 Rio Grande Valley Special Operations Detachment Intelligence Section and Customs and Border Protection conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Oscar Ponce is prosecuting the case.
Mexican Truck Driver Pleads Guilty to Importing Drugs in AvocadosRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 44-year old truck driver from Michoacan, Mexico, has entered a guilty plea for conspiring to import methamphetamine and cocaine, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
On March 12, 2013, Carlos Gaona-Zaragoza attempted entry at the Colombia Solidarity Bridge in Laredo driving a tractor-trailer. He presented his Border Crossing Card and said he was hauling a load of avocados.
He was referred to secondary inspection, at which time authorities conducted an x-ray examination and soon discovered anomalies in a spare tire located underneath the trailer. A drug detection dog also alerted to the possible presence of a narcotic odor emitting from the tire.
Further inspection of the tire revealed a total of 41 bundles, 40 of which field-tested positive for methamphetamine with a total gross weight of 41.56 kilograms. One contained cocaine with a weight of 1.12 kilograms.
Gaona-Zaragoza initially claimed he transported the narcotics under threat of harm to his family. However, he later admitted he had agreed to transport the narcotics for 15,000 Mexican pesos.
Sentencing will be set at a later date before U.S. District Judge Diana Saldaña.
Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Bukiewicz is prosecuting the case.
Law Enforcement Officers Indicted for Extortion and FraudRead the Press Release
BROWNSVILLE, Texas – Two former deputies with the Cameron County Precinct 5 Constable’s Office have been arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right and wire fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
Benito De La Cruz Jr., 45, of San Benito, and Armando Gonzalez Jr., 31, of Weslaco, are still in law enforcement but not currently affiliated with Precinct 5.
A federal grand jury returned the 12-count indictment under seal May 28. They were taken into custody today and are expected to make their initial appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ronald Morgan at 10:30 a.m. tomorrow.
The indictment alleges the De La Cruz and Gonzalez unlawfully ran license plate and criminal history checks. They allegedly performed or asked others to perform these law enforcement database checks in return for money or gifts.
De La Cruz is also charged with five counts of making false statements to federal officers. The indictment alleges he was not truthful when the FBI special agent interviewed him about the scheme. De La Cruz allegedly made these false statements in five separate instances during his interview.
If convicted, the men face up to 20 years in federal prison for extortion or wire fraud and a maximum five years for the conspiracy. De La Cruz also faces a potential sentence of five years for each count of making false statements, upon conviction. The charges also carry a potential $250,000 maximum fine.
The FBI, Cameron County District Attorney’s Office, Drug Enforcement Administration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the Texas Rangers conducted the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force investigation. The Harlingen Police Department also assisted with the arrests. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jody Young, Oscar Ponce and Robert Johnson 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.Last Man Hammered for String of Violent Commercial RobberiesRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A Houston federal judge has sentenced a 23-year-old local man to more than 26 years in prison following his conviction of three counts of robbery and three counts of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
Deamonta Frederick Taylor, of Houston, pleaded guilty Jan. 30, 2019, admitting he took part in several robberies of cell phone stores in 2017. In one of those crimes, a pregnant female was ordered to strip naked at gunpoint.
Today, U.S. District Judge David Hittner ordered Taylor to serve a total of 315 months in prison. The court imposed 63 months in prison for the three robberies and 84 months in prison for each of the firearms charges, all of which must be served consecutively to each other and to the underlying robbery sentences. The total 26-year sentence will be immediately followed by five years of supervised release.
Co-defendants Kevin Eugene Harrison and Marquise Turner, both 23 and also of Houston, each pleaded guilty to one count of robbery and one count of brandishing a firearm. Harrison and Turner previously received 141 and 125 months in prison, respectively.
For several weeks in October and November 2017, the three men committed a series of commercial armed robberies, including several that took place at cellular telephone stores in the greater Houston area. Several of the victims were female, one of whom was pregnant. Taylor had made the women strip naked at gunpoint during the robberies.
On Nov. 9, 2017, a joint task force operation resulted in surveillance and the ultimate arrest of Taylor and his co-defendants as they fled a robbery they committed at a Metro PCS cellular telephone store on Aldine Mail Route Road in Houston. The two female victims in that robbery identified Taylor as the gunman.
The investigation eventually linked Taylor and his co-defendants to multiple robberies in the Fall of 2017.
All three men have been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Harris County Sheriff’s Office, Texas Department of Public Safety and the Houston Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Michael Lewis is prosecuting the case.
Immigration Detention Center Employees Indicted for BriberyRead the Press Release
BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment against three local residents for selling alien detainee roster lists in exchange for cash, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
The five-count indictment was returned under seal May 28. Today, law enforcement took Benito Barrientez, 42, of Lyford; Damian Ortiz, 30, of Weslaco; and Exy Adelaida Gomez, 42, of Los Fresnos, into custody. They are expected to make their initial appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ronald Morgan at 10 a.m. tomorrow.
Barrientez and Ortiz were employed at the Willacy County Regional Detention Center as a classification clerk and a senior program director, respectively. Gomez was a corrections officer at the El Valle Detention Center. Both facilities are located in Raymondville.
The three are charged with conspiracy to commit bribery and bribery.
The indictment alleges Barrientes, Ortiz and Gomez obtained alien detainee roster lists from the EL Valle Detention Center and the Port Isabel Detention Center-Los Fresnos, while employed in their respective capacities.
The lists contained the names, dates of birth, country of origin and other information of alien detainees, according to the charges. The three defendants allegedly then provided the lists to a local attorney in exchange for money. The indictment alleges the attorney would then use that information to attempt to solicit the detainees to hire his firm in immigration proceedings.
If convicted, the three employees defendant face up to 15 years in federal prison for the bribery charges and up to five years for the conspiracy. Each charge also carries a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Office of Professional Responsibility conducted the investigation along with Department of Homeland Security – Office of Inspector General and Immigrations and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Oscar Ponce is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence.
A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until convicted through due process of law.Houston Patient Recruiter Sentenced to 188 Months in Prison for Role in $20 Million Medicare Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A Houston, Texas patient recruiter was sentenced to 188 months in prison today for her role in a $20 million scheme to pay illegal health care kickbacks to physicians and Medicare beneficiaries in order to fraudulently bill for medically unnecessary home health services, and to launder the proceeds.
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Ryan Patrick of the Southern District of Texas, Special Agent in Charge Perrye K. Turner of the FBI’s Houston Field Office and Special Agent in Charge C.J. Porter of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General’s (HHS-OIG) Dallas Field Office made the announcement.
Egondu “Kate” Koko, 54, of Houston, was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal of the Southern District of Texas. Judge Rosenthal also ordered the defendant to pay $12.9 million in restitution and to forfeit $1,378,552.00. Koko pleaded guilty in October 2018 to one count of conspiracy to pay and receive health care kickbacks and one count of conspiracy to launder monetary instruments.
As part of her guilty plea, Koko admitted to being a patient recruiter for Criseven Health Management, Beechwood Home Health, JMM Home Health and Trinity Healthcare Service, home health agencies that operated in the Houston area. Koko was also the owner and operator of Circuit Wide Home Health Services, a home health company. Koko admitted that she paid illegal kickbacks and bribes to physicians and patients for paperwork necessary for Criseven, Beechwood, JMM, Trinity and Circuit Wide (collectively, “the HHAs”) to bill Medicare. Koko and her co-conspirators submitted and were paid more than $9.5 million but less than $25 million in claims to Medicare for home health services purportedly provided by the HHAs, Koko admitted.
Koko further admitted to committing money laundering by opening a bank account under the identity of Person A, a Nigerian national. Koko transferred proceeds from her fraud on the United States from accounts controlled by Koko into the bank account of the Nigerian national. To further the scheme, Koko purchased a home using the funds from the Nigerian national’s account, which were proceeds from the fraud, she admitted.
This case was investigated by the FBI and HHS-OIG. Trial Attorneys Drew Pennebaker and Catherine Wagner of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case.
The Medicare Fraud Strike Force is part of a joint initiative between the Department of Justice and HHS to focus their efforts to prevent and deter fraud and enforce current anti-fraud laws around the country. Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, which maintains 14 strike forces operating in 23 districts, has charged nearly 4,000 defendants who have collectively billed the Medicare program for more than $14 billion. In addition, the HHS Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to increase accountability and decrease the presence of fraudulent providers.
Business Executive Pleads Guilty to Foreign Bribery Charges in Connection with Venezuela Bribery SchemeRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A dual U.S.-Venezuelan citizen who controlled multiple U.S.-based companies pleaded guilty today for his role in the Petroleos de Venezuela S.A. (PDVSA) foreign bribery scheme. The case involves bribes paid to PDVSA officials - Venezuela’s state-owned and state-controlled energy company - and its Houston-based subsidiary - Citgo Petroleum Corporation (Citgo) - to corruptly secure and retain energy and logistics contracts.
U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick of the Southern District of Texas (SDTX), Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Special Agent in Charge Mark Dawson of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Houston Field Office made the announcement.
Jose Manuel Gonzalez Testino (Gonzalez), 48, of Miami, Florida, pleaded guilty in federal court in Houston to one count of conspiracy to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), one count of violating the FCPA and one count of failing to report foreign bank accounts. U.S. District Judge Gray H. Miller accepted his plea today and set sentencing for Aug. 28, 2019.
Gonzalez was arrested July 31, 2018, at Miami International Airport in connection with a criminal complaint filed in the SDTX.
Gonzalez controlled a number of U.S. and international companies that provided goods and services to PDVSA. According to admissions made in connection with his guilty plea, beginning in or around 2012 and continuing through at least 2018, Gonzalez conspired with others to bribe PDVSA officials. Gonzalez admitted that beginning in November 2012 and continuing until at least June 2013, he and a co-conspirator paid at least $629,000 in bribes to Cesar Rincon David Godoy (Rincon), the former general manager of Bariven, PDVSA’s procurement subsidiary. Gonzalez also admitted he and his co-conspirators paid bribes to Alfonso Eliezer Gravina Munoz (Gravina) during the time Gravina was a PDVSA official at PDVSA Services Inc., another Houston-based PDVSA subsidiary. In exchange, Rincon and Gravina provided Gonzalez with inside information concerning PDVSA procurement processes and took steps to direct PDVSA contracts to Gonzalez’s companies and to give Gonzalez’s companies other business advantages. Gonzalez admitted these included priority over other vendors to receive payments.
Gonzalez also admitted to making bribe payments to several PDVSA officials who were based in Houston and employed by Citgo. Though Citgo acted primarily as a refiner, transporter and marketer of petroleum-based products, it also procured goods and services on behalf of PDVSA through its Special Projects group. Gonzalez admitted he and his co-conspirators paid at least four Citgo officials in the Special Projects group and provided gifts and other things of value to a senior Citgo executive. In exchange, Gonzalez admitted the Citgo officials assisted his companies in obtaining contracts for new business, provided inside information concerning the PDVSA bidding process, helped conceal the fact that Gonzalez controlled multiple companies on certain bidding panels for PDVSA projects and assisted Gonzalez in receiving payment priority for outstanding PDVSA invoices. Gonzalez also admitted he had a financial interest or signatory authority over multiple foreign bank accounts and failed to file a foreign bank account report, or “FBAR,” in 2017.
Gonzalez becomes the latest individual to plead guilty as part of a larger, ongoing U.S. government investigation into bribery at PDVSA. Including Gonzalez, the Justice Department and the SDTX have announced charges against 21 individuals, 16 of whom have entered guilty pleas in connection with the investigation. Charges against the other five defendants remain outstanding. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
HSI in Houston is conducting the ongoing investigation with assistance from HSI in Boston and Miami. SDTX Assistant U.S. Attorneys John P. Pearson and Robert S. Johnson are prosecuting the case along with Trial Attorneys Sarah E. Edwards and Sonali D. Patel of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section. SDTX Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristine Rollinson is handling the forfeiture aspects of the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida and the Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs also provided assistance.
The Fraud Section is responsible for investigating and prosecuting all FCPA matters. Additional information about the department’s FCPA enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal/fraud/fcpa.
Business Executive Pleads Guilty to Foreign Bribery Charges in Connection with Venezuela Bribery SchemeRead the Press Release
A dual U.S.-Venezuelan citizen who controlled multiple U.S.-based companies pleaded guilty today for his role in the Petroleos de Venezuela S.A. (PDVSA) foreign bribery scheme. The case involves bribes paid to PDVSA officials - Venezuela’s state-owned and state-controlled energy company - and its Houston, Texas-based subsidiary Citgo Petroleum Corporation (Citgo), to corruptly secure and retain energy and logistics contracts.
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick of the Southern District of Texas (SDTX) and Special Agent in Charge Mark Dawson of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Houston Field Office made the announcement.
Jose Manuel Gonzalez Testino (Gonzalez), 49, of Miami, Florida, pleaded guilty in federal court in Houston to one count of conspiracy to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), one count of violating the FCPA and one count of failing to report foreign bank accounts. U.S. District Judge Gray H. Miller of the Southern District of Texas accepted his plea today and set sentencing for August 28.
Gonzalez was arrested on July 31, 2018, at Miami International Airport in connection with a criminal complaint filed in the Southern District of Texas.
Gonzalez controlled a number of U.S. and international companies that provided goods and services to PDVSA. According to admissions made in connection with his guilty plea, beginning in or around 2012 and continuing through at least 2018, Gonzalez conspired with others to bribe PDVSA officials. Gonzalez admitted that beginning in November 2012 and continuing until at least June 2013, he and a co-conspirator paid at least $629,000 in bribes to Cesar Rincon David Godoy (Rincon), the former general manager of Bariven, PDVSA’s procurement subsidiary. Gonzalez also admitted he and his co-conspirators paid bribes to Alfonso Eliezer Gravina Munoz (Gravina) during the time Gravina was a PDVSA official at PDVSA Services Inc., another Houston-based PDVSA subsidiary. In exchange, Rincon and Gravina provided Gonzalez with inside information concerning PDVSA procurement processes and took steps to direct PDVSA contracts to Gonzalez’s companies and to give Gonzalez’s companies other business advantages. Gonzalez admitted these included priority over other vendors to receive payments.
Gonzalez also admitted to making bribe payments to several PDVSA officials who were based in Houston and employed by Citgo. Though Citgo acted primarily as a refiner, transporter and marketer of petroleum-based products, it also procured goods and services on behalf of PDVSA through its Special Projects group. Gonzalez admitted he and his co-conspirators paid at least four Citgo officials in the Special Projects group and provided gifts and other things of value to a senior Citgo executive. In exchange, Gonzalez admitted the Citgo officials assisted his companies in obtaining contracts for new business, provided inside information concerning the PDVSA bidding process, helped conceal the fact that Gonzalez controlled multiple companies on certain bidding panels for PDVSA projects and assisted Gonzalez in receiving payment priority for outstanding PDVSA invoices. Gonzalez also admitted he had a financial interest or signatory authority over multiple foreign bank accounts and failed to file a foreign bank account report, or “FBAR,” in 2017.
Gonzalez becomes the latest individual to plead guilty as part of a larger, ongoing U.S. government investigation into bribery at PDVSA. Including Gonzalez, the Justice Department and the SDTX have announced charges against 21 individuals, 16 of whom have entered guilty pleas in connection with the investigation. Charges against the other five defendants remain outstanding. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
HSI in Houston is conducting the ongoing investigation with assistance from HSI in Boston and Miami. Trial Attorneys Sarah E. Edwards and Sonali D. Patel of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and SDTX Assistant U.S. Attorneys John P. Pearson and Robert S. Johnson are prosecuting the case. SDTX Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristine Rollinson is handling the forfeiture aspects of the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida and the Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs also provided assistance.
The Fraud Section is responsible for investigating and prosecuting all FCPA matters. Additional information about the department’s FCPA enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal/fraud/fcpa.
First Sentence Imposed for Scam Involving Le Meridien Hotel ProjectRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 43-year-old California man has been ordered to federal prison following his conviction related to a scheme to embezzle $3.1 from the Beck Group in Houston, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick. Charles Williams, of Los Angeles, California, pleaded guilty Sept. 7, 2018.
Today, U.S. District Judge Vanessa Gilmore ordered him to prison for 72 months in prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. Williams was also ordered to pay more than $3 million in restitution to The Beck Group.
Williams conspired with six people to commit wire fraud and money laundering. Those individuals - Moses Said, 42, of Houston; Lanamasha Hampton, 42, and Collette Devoe Hines, 49, both of Atlanta, Georgia; Janell Crosby Quant, 38, of Union City, Georgia; Heather Ashley Sowa, 31, of Denver, Colorado; and William Lewis Sutton, Jr., 48, of Los Angeles, California – also pleaded guilty for their roles in the scheme.
As a construction manager with the Beck Group, Said was in charge of the Le Meridien Hotel Project located in downtown Houston from 2016 to 2017.
Hampton, Quant, Hines, Sowa, Sutton, and Williams created shell companies which submitted false invoices to the Beck Group for payment for construction products that were not provided and construction services that were not performed.
As the construction manager for the Beck Group, Said approved and submitted the false invoices for payment, causing the Beck Group to issue payments to the shell companies. Upon receipt of the monies The Beck Group paid, the others paid some of the fraud proceeds to Williams and Said. They attempted to conceal and disguise the nature and origin of the proceeds by transferring the proceeds to other companies and individuals.
Williams was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Vernon Lewis is prosecuting the case.
Texas Man Sentenced as Drug Mule in Large-Scale Cocaine Trafficking SchemeRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 35-year-old resident of Conroe has been sentenced to federal prison following his conviction for large-scale cocaine trafficking, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
Perry Clark pleaded guilty Feb. 21, 2019.
Today, U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos ordered Clark to serve a total of 40 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by two years of supervised release. In handing down the sentence, the court mentioned Clark’s complete lack of criminal history, but noted the significant quantity of cocaine in this case.
On Jan. 9, 2019, Clark entered the U.S. Border Patrol Checkpoint located near Sarita, at which time a canine officer alerted to Clark’s vehicle. Border Patrol (BP) agents searched the vehicle and discovered 14 bundles containing approximately 15 kilograms of cocaine.
Clark admitted to agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) that he knew he was transporting narcotics, that he had done so on numerous other occasions and that he was to be paid $5,000 for delivering the cocaine to Houston.
Clark will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The DEA conducted the investigation in conjunction with BP. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel Dunn is prosecuting the case.
Local Man Heads to Prison After Answering “Casual Encounter” Ad in CraigslistRead the Press Release
BROWNSVILLE, Texas –A 52-year-old resident of McAllen has been ordered to prison following his conviction of enticement of a child, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
Juan Carlos Bautista began trial Jan. 30, 2019. However, after opening statements and testimony of four government witness, he decided to enter a guilty plea the same day.
Today, U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr. sentenced Bautista to a 120-month-term of federal imprisonment. He was further ordered to serve 10 years on supervised release following completion of his prison term, during which time he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. Bautista will also be ordered to register as a sex offender.
On Jan. 19, 2017, law enforcement placed an advertisement on the Brownsville Craigslist website under “casual encounters” section. Bautista responded to the ad via email expressing an interest in pursuing a sexual relationship with a 13-year-old minor female.
Bautista made arrangements to meet who he thought was the young female in Harlingen for the purpose of a sexual encounter. He was taken into custody upon his arrival Feb. 8, 2017.
Bautista will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation in conjunction with the Rio Grande Valley Child Exploitation and Investigation Task Force.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ana Cano and Jose A. Esquivel Jr. are prosecuting the 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."
Illegal Alien Charged in Money Laundering Conspiracy and for Firearms ViolationRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A federal grand jury has returned a two-count indictment against a 31-year-old Mexican citizen who illegally resided in Mission, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick. Abraham Barajas-Alcantar was originally arrested by criminal complaint April 30, 2019. A grand jury has now indicted him for conspiracy to conduct financial transactions and being an alien illegally in possession of firearms. He had already been in custody on the original charges, but will make an appearance on the indictment before a U.S. magistrate judge in the near future. The indictment alleges Barajas-Alcantar conspired to conduct financial transactions and transported, transmitted and transferred the proceeds of the drug trafficking from May 28, 2014, to Nov. 1, 2017. He is further charged with being an alien from Mexico, illegally and unlawfully in the United States, who knowingly possessed six firearms which had previously traveled in interstate or foreign commerce. The charges allege a money laundering conspiracy which focuses on a number of methods drug traffickers use to launder proceeds from the delivery and sale of narcotics. Specifically, in this case, Barajas allegedly purchased aircraft, aircraft engines and aircraft parts with drug proceeds and shipped them to his business in McAllen. From there, Barajas shipped the merchandise to Mexico for his customers, according to the allegations. The charges further allege drug proceeds were then sent to Barajas in the form of bulk cash and through the funneling of cash deposits via banks. Barajas-Alcantar allegedly had accounts or had access to or controlled accounts in those financial institutions. This activity combined the traditional methods of bulk cash smuggling and the use of funnel accounts with trade-based money laundering through the purchase of aircraft and related equipment with drug proceeds for shipment to drug traffickers in Mexico, according to the charges. If convicted of the money laundering conspiracy offense, Barajas-Alcantar faces up to 20 years in federal prison, while the firearms offense carries a potential 20 year-term of imprisonment. Both convicted also have a potential $250,000 fine. The Drug Enforcement Administration and IRS – Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth Cusick is prosecuting the case. An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until convicted through due process of law.Local Man Heads to Prison Following his Conviction on Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 22-year-old Harlingen man has been ordered to federal prison following his conviction of possessing child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
Skylar Tarr McElwrath pleaded guilty Feb. 21, 2018.
Today, U.S. District Judge Rolando Olvera Jr. ordered him to serve 72 months in federal prison. McElwrath was further ordered to pay $3,600 in restitution to a known victim and will serve 12 years on supervised release following completion of his prison term, during which 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.
On or about July 20, 2017, authorities initiated an investigation of child pornography sharing which led them to the McElwrath’ s address in Harlingen. They later executed a search warrant at that location and seized a computer and other digital devices belonging to him.
A forensic analysis later revealed approximately 80 images and 15 videos of child pornography.
McElwrath was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations - Rio Grande Valley Child Exploitation Task Force conducted the investigation 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."
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jason Corley and Ana C. Cano are prosecuting the case.
Fugitive Headed to Prison After Failing to Appear for SentencingRead the Press Release
BROWNSVILLE, Texas - A 46-year old Brownsville resident has been ordered to federal prison for 18 years following his conviction of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than 100 kilograms of marijuana plus failing to appear in court for sentencing, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
Rene Izaguirre pleaded guilty to the drug charge Jan. 19, 2013, and was permitted to remain on bond. He was scheduled to appear in court Aug. 28, 2013, for sentencing. However, shortly before that date, Izaguirre’s ankle monitor was found cut off and left behind at his home. The investigation revealed he had fled to Mexico. He was later arrested and pleaded guilty to the failure to appear Dec. 6, 2018.
Today, U. S. District Judge Rolando Olvera imposed a 108-month sentence for the drug charge. Izaguirre also received another 108 months for failing to appear which was ordered to be served consecutively. The total 18-year-term of imprisonment will be immediately followed by four years of supervised release. In imposing the sentence, the court noted that not only did the defendant flee in order to avoid sentencing on his drug charge but that he also was found selling narcotics once again while on the run.
From 2007 to 2013, Izaguirre was part of a drug trafficking organization working with a local freight company to hide marijuana in crates of heavy machinery for transport north of the Rio Grande Valley. At the time of his plea, he admitted that with the help of his freight company contact, he was able to ship more than 700 kilograms of marijuana to Houston, Dallas and Pennsylvania where he had buyers.
After fleeing and failing to appear for sentencing, law enforcement found him in October 2018 in Odessa. At that time, authorities believed he was selling cocaine out of a trailer where he resided while working as a roofer. He was soon arrested and found in possession of nine ounces of cocaine.
Izaguirre remains 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. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Betancourt prosecuted the case.
District Court Enters Permanent Injunction Against Texas Compounding Pharmacy and its OwnersRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A federal court has entered a consent decree of permanent injunction against defendants Pharm D Solutions LLC (Pharm D); co-owner and Pharmacist-in-Charge Luis R. De Leon and co-owner and pharmacist Juan C. De Leon, announced the Department of Justice. The injunction permanently enjoins the defendants from distributing adulterated, misbranded and unapproved new drugs in violation of the federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FDCA).
The Department filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas (SDTX) today at the request of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), alleging, among other things, the defendants failed adequately to address insanitary conditions at their drug-compounding facility.
As part of the ordered permanent injunction, the defendants cannot resume manufacturing, processing or distributing sterile drugs until FDA determines that they have complied with specific remedial measures. Those measures seek to ensure that defendants manufacture and distribute drugs in conformity with applicable manufacturing standards.
“The FDCA is designed to protect the public health,” said SDTX U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick. “Our district is a committed partner in enforcing the provisions of the Act in the interest of public safety.”
“Compounding pharmacies must produce drugs that are reliably safe and sterile,” said Assistant Attorney General Jody Hunt of the Department of Justice’s Civil Division. “The Department of Justice will continue to work closely with FDA to enforce the provisions of the FDCA.”
“We understand that compounded drugs can be important for patients whose medical needs cannot be met by FDA-approved drug products, and we’re continuing efforts to advance policies to help further improve the quality of compounded products,” said Acting FDA Commissioner Ned Sharpless, M.D.
“These drugs are not approved by the FDA and have not been evaluated for safety or efficacy, so when they’re not appropriately compounded, they have the potential to cause patients harm. We’ll continue taking enforcement actions, like the one we’re taking today, to ensure that these companies and products do not put patient health at risk.”
According to the complaint, defendants’ drugs were adulterated because they were prepared, packed or held under insanitary conditions whereby they may have been contaminated or may have been rendered injurious to health. For example, the complaint alleges that during a 2018 FDA inspection, defendants’ employees failed to demonstrate proper aseptic technique by, among other things, leaning into sterile areas with exposed skin and failing to maintain clean air supply when handling products intended to be sterile. The complaint further alleges that defendants failed to appropriately investigate instances of microbial contamination, mold and yeast recovered from sterile processing areas.
Pharm D initiated a voluntary recall of all compounded drug products intended to be sterile after the September 2018 FDA Inspection raised concerns about practices at the pharmacy. Pharm D also temporarily ceased sterile production at that time.
The government is represented by Trial Attorney Raquel Toledo of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch and SDTX Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa M. Green with the assistance of Associate Chief Counsel of Enforcement Samantha Hong of the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of General Counsel.
Additional information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts may be found HERE. For more information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas, visit its website.
District Court Enters Permanent Injunction Against Texas Compounding Pharmacy and Its Owners to Prevent Distribution of Adulterated DrugsRead the Press Release
A federal court entered a consent decree of permanent injunction against defendants Pharm D Solutions LLC (Pharm D); Luis R. De Leon, co-owner and Pharmacist-in-Charge; and Juan C. De Leon, co-owner and pharmacist, the Department of Justice announced today. The injunction permanently enjoins the defendants from distributing adulterated, misbranded, and unapproved new drugs in violation of the federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA).
The Department filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas on May 20, 2019, at the request of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), alleging, among other things, that the defendants failed adequately to address insanitary conditions at their drug-compounding facility.
As part of the ordered permanent injunction, defendants cannot resume manufacturing, processing, or distributing sterile drugs until FDA determines that they have complied with specific remedial measures. Those measures seek to ensure that defendants manufacture and distribute drugs in conformity with applicable manufacturing standards.
“Compounding pharmacies must produce drugs that are reliably safe and sterile,” said Assistant Attorney General Jody Hunt of the Department of Justice’s Civil Division. “The Department of Justice will continue to work closely with FDA to enforce the provisions of the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.”
“The Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act is designed to protect the public health,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick for the Southern District of Texas. “Our district is a committed partner in enforcing the provisions of the Act in the interest of public safety.”
“We understand that compounded drugs can be important for patients whose medical needs cannot be met by FDA-approved drug products, and we’re continuing efforts to advance policies to help further improve the quality of compounded products,” said Acting FDA Commissioner Ned Sharpless, M.D. “These drugs are not approved by the FDA and have not been evaluated for safety or efficacy, so when they’re not appropriately compounded, they have the potential to cause patients harm. We’ll continue taking enforcement actions, like the one we’re taking today, to ensure that these companies and products do not put patient health at risk.”
According to the complaint, defendants’ drugs were adulterated because they were prepared, packed, or held under insanitary conditions whereby they may have been contaminated or may have been rendered injurious to health. For example, the complaint alleges that during a 2018 FDA Inspection, defendants’ employees failed to demonstrate proper aseptic technique by, among other things, leaning into sterile areas with exposed skin and failing to maintain clean air supply when handling products intended to be sterile. The complaint further alleges that defendants failed to appropriately investigate instances of microbial contamination, mold, and yeast recovered from sterile processing areas.
Pharm D initiated a voluntary recall of all compounded drug products intended to be sterile after the September 2018 FDA Inspection raised concerns about practices at the pharmacy. Pharm D also temporarily ceased sterile production at that time.
The government is represented by Trial Attorney Raquel Toledo of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch and Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa M. Green of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas, with the assistance of Associate Chief Counsel, Enforcement, Samantha Hong of the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of General Counsel.
Additional information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts may be found at https://www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. For more information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas, visit its website at https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdtx.
Mexican National Sent to Prison...Again...for Illegal Presence the U.S.Read the Press Release
BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 41-year-old man from Matamoros, Mexico, has been ordered to federal prison for illegal re-entry into the country, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick. Ciro Garcia-Herrera pleaded guilty in October 2018.
He had previously been ordered to serve 30 months after another conviction for the same offense in October 2015.
Today, U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez ordered him to serve 30 months in federal prison on the current case. The court also revoked his supervised release term for the previous offense, adding another 21 months, 10 of which are to run consecutively for a total 40-month term of imprisonment.
At the hearing, the court also heard he had actually been previously convicted of the same offense on five additional occasions and received varying sentences that dated back to 2005 . Each time, he was ordered not to return but repeatedly did so anyway.
On this latest incident, authorities who were investigating a report of undocumented aliens found Garcia-Herrera July 11, 2018, at a residence in Brownsville. Upon investigation, law enforcement learned he had been deported in January 2018 and ordered not to return to the United States.
Garcia-Herrera has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Customs and Border Protection - Field Intelligence Team East conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Oscar Ponce is prosecuting the case.
Mexican Mafia Gang Member Hammered for Selling MethRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 35-year-old Corpus Christi resident has been ordered to federal prison following his conviction for conspiracy to sell crystal methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
Brandon Sanchez, an identified member of the Mexican Mafia prison gang, pleaded guilty Feb. 14, 2019. Co-defendants Juan Lopez Jr. and Belinda Lopez have also entered guilty pleas and are scheduled to be sentenced at a later date.
Today, Senior U.S. District Judge John D. Rainey sentenced Sanchez to a total of 238 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. In imposing the sentence, the court designated Sanchez as a career offender based on his criminal history. Judge Rainey further noted that methamphetamine is a terrible and highly addictive drug and that trafficking it warrants a substantial sentence.
Authorities discovered that a drug trafficking organization was selling methamphetamine in the Corpus Christi area beginning in June 2017. Agents discovered Sanchez was supplying high purity methamphetamine - known as “ice” - to others, including Juan and Belinda Lopez. They would then sell the narcotics, often using social media.
Agents have seized approximately 50 grams of “ice” but estimate the defendants distributed multiple pounds of methamphetamine over the course of the conspiracy.
On Sept. 23, 2018, law enforcement pulled Sanchez over and found him in possession of $2,696 in U.S. currency and a stolen firearm. Sanchez had previously been convicted of violent crimes, including robbery and aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon in 2002 and 2005, respectively.
Sanchez 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, Border Patrol and the Corpus Christi Police Department conducted the joint investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Paxton prosecuted the case.
Leader of Deadly Alien Smuggling Crew Gets Massive Prison SentenceRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A 26-year-old resident of Mission has been ordered to federal prison following his conviction related to a conspiracy that resulted in the death of two illegal aliens, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
The leader of the deadly alien smuggling crew - Osvaldo Gonzalez aka Chavelo - pleaded guilty to conspiracy to transport aliens Nov. 2, 2018.
Today, U.S. District Judge Randy Crane handed Gonzalez a total sentence of 262 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court also ordered him to pay restitution to the family of a victim in the amount of $6,800. In imposing the sentence, the court noted Gonzalez was responsible for the loss of two lives and that he is pending sentencing for another alien harboring offense and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
On Nov. 23, 2015, law enforcement responded to a crash in Mission involving two vehicles, one of which was carrying at least 13 aliens.
The investigation revealed the driver had gotten spooked when he saw what he believed to be an unmarked law enforcement vehicle. He attempted to evade it and ultimately veered into oncoming traffic which caused the wreck. At that time, several aliens were ejected from the vehicle.
One died at the scene. The remaining victims were hospitalized as a result of their injuries. A second victim passed away within a few weeks.
Gonzalez was identified as the leader of a group of smugglers who facilitated illegal aliens coming into the U.S. from Mexico. They would then be transported to Houston after staying at local stash houses. Gonzalez recruited several of the individuals involved in the deadly event and was scouting for law enforcement at the time of the accident.
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.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of Border Patrol, Texas Department of Public Safety, police departments in Palmview and Mission and the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) David A. Lindenmuth and former AUSA Joseph T. Leonard prosecuted the case.
Jury Convicts Local Man of Armed Drug Trafficking in School ZoneRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A federal jury has returned a guilty verdict against a 23-year-old Corpus Christi man for possession with intent to distribute cocaine and carrying a firearm during a drug trafficking offense, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick. The Corpus Christi jury deliberated for approximately one hour before convicting Roman Valdez following a two-day trial.
During the trial, the jury heard testimony from multiple law enforcement officers.
On Nov. 14, 2018, at approximately 3:00 p.m., they discovered Valdez passed out behind the wheel of his vehicle at a traffic light in front of Flour Bluff Elementary School. When the officers opened the door to check on him, he became combative and began reaching around inside the vehicle. During the struggle, officers discovered a loaded handgun between the driver’s seat and the center console.
Law enforcement secured the firearm but Valdez continued to reach behind the driver’s seat. He was ultimately removed from the vehicle and taken into custody.
When officers searched his vehicle, they discovered multiple bags of white powder, a black tar substance, a bag of synthetic cannabinoids, assorted prescription pills, small bags, a digital scale and a second loaded handgun in the back seat.
The controlled substances were sent to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Laboratory. Testing confirmed the substances were cocaine, heroin and 5F-MDMB-PICA – a synthetic cannabinoid.
The defense attempted to convince the jury Valdez possessed the cocaine for personal use and the firearms were not related to any of the drugs. They did not believe those claims and found him guilty as charged.
U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzalez Ramos presided over the trial and set sentencing for Aug. 14, 2019. At that time, Valdez faces up to 20 years imprisonment and a possible $1 million maximum fine. He also faces a minimum of five years for the firearm offense which must be served consecutively to any prison term imposed.
Synthetic cannabinoids are chemical compounds that mimic the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana. These chemical compounds can be applied to carrier mediums such as plant material and ingested using rolling papers, pipes, vaporizers or otherwise taken orally. Synthetic cannabinoids are usually sold in small, foil or plastic bags containing dried leaves (resembling potpourri) and is marketed as incense that can be smoked. It is commonly sold and known on the street as synthetic marijuana, fake weed, legal and by its popular brand names such as Spice, K2, Kush, Klimaxx and many others.
In custody since his arrest, Valdez will remain in custody pending sentencing.
The Corpus Christi Police Department, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lance Watt and Joel Dunn are prosecuting the case.
Jury Convicts El Salvadorian National for Immigration OffenseRead the Press Release
BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 60-year-old from El Salvador has been convicted of illegal re-entry after deportation, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.
The jury deliberated for less than an hour after a one-day trial before convicting Her Onan Cienfuegos-Rivas.
The jury heard that authorities found Cienfuegos-Rivas in McAllen after having been deported. Convicted of possession of cocaine in California in 1989, he was deported thereafter.
Cienfuegos-Rivas turned himself into Border Patrol (BP) on March 19, 2019. At that time, he claimed he had crossed into the United States near Rio Grande City on a raft and was held in stash houses in an attempt to visit his family in California.
He eventually called Border Patrol to pick him up because he just wanted to go home.
At trial, the defense argued he was not in the country voluntarily because he was being held against his will at the stash houses.
The jury was not convinced and found him guilty as charged.
U.S. District Judge Rolando Olvera presided over the trial and set sentencing for Aug. 21, 2019, at which time Cienfuegos-Rivas faces up to 10 years in federal prison. He will remains in custody pending that hearing.
Customs and Border Protection Agents conducted the investigation with the assistance of BP. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Justin S. Dinsdale and Paul Marian prosecuted the case.