District of Wyoming
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Sheridan Man Sentenced for Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
JOSHUA E. POOLE, 40, of Sheridan, Wyoming was sentenced by Chief Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal on May 2, 2018 for transportation of child pornography. Poole was arrested in Sheridan, Wyoming. He received sixty months of imprisonment, to be followed by sixty months of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $3,500.00 and a $100.00 special assessment. The Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the FBI investigated this case.
Violent Meth Distribution Ring Member Receives Sixteen Year SentenceRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Mark Klaassen announced today that Arapahoe resident Cameron Means-Goodman has been sentenced by Chief Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal to 195 months of imprisonment, 96 months of supervised release and ordered to pay $410.00 in court costs and $1,590.00 in community restitution. This sentencing follows a jury verdict in February 2018, finding Means-Goodman guilty of Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine, Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Using and Carrying a Firearm During and In Relation to a Federal Drug Trafficking Crime, Felon in Possession of a Firearm, and Assault.
Means-Goodman was the leader of violent methamphetamine distribution ring, which had been operating on the Wind River Indian reservation. She and four other defendants were charged as a result of an investigation into a shooting that took place near Arapahoe, Wyoming, in July of last year. Means-Goodman and other defendants who were involved in distribution of methamphetamine went to the property of Joseph Miller where she and her other cohorts fired shots into the occupied residence. The other defendants involved in the case received sentences ranging from three to eight years in federal prison.
"This case is an example of what we can achieve through the combined efforts of federal, local, and tribal law enforcement officers focused on bringing down violent criminal drug distribution operations," said United States Attorney Mark Klaassen. "Methamphetamine continues to be a plague on many of our communities, including those on the Wind River Reservation. My office is committed to identifying criminals who are trafficking these substances to ensure they are brought to justice. We cannot reduce our drug and violent crime problems without a concerted effort and strong partnerships with our federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement partners."
Mr. Klaassen commended Assistant U.S. Attorney Kerry J. Jacobson, who prosecuted this case, along with paralegal support from Mikala Dawson and the assistance of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Wind River Police Department, the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.
Sentencings for April 17 - April 19, 2018Read the Press Release
THOMAS ALLEN MARTINEZ, 56, of Torrington, Wyoming was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson on April 17, 2018 for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug traffic crime. Martinez was arrested in Cheyenne, Wyoming. He received 120 months of imprisonment, to be followed by forty-eight months of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $500.00 and a $200.00 special assessment. The Torrington Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated this case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.
ALEX ADAM WHITEBIRD, 30, of Riverton, Wyoming was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl on April 13, 2018 for assault resulting in serious bodily injury. Whitebird was arrested in Lander, Wyoming. He received sixty-two months of imprisonment, to be followed by thirty-six months of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100.00 fine, and restitution in the amount of $38,450.12. The Bureau of Indian Affairs and Federal Bureau of Investigations investigated this case.
RICHARD THOMAS SLATE, 33, of Thornton, Colorado was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson on April 19, 2018 for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Slate was arrested in Colorado. He received one hundred twenty months of imprisonment, to be followed by sixty months of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $500.00. The Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation investigated this case.
35 Pounds of Suspected Methamphetamine Seized in Albany CountyRead the Press Release
On Friday, April 13, 2018, law enforcement in Albany County, Wyoming was conducting drug interdiction. As a result, police identified a vehicle they suspected contained controlled substances. A search warrant was executed on the vehicle that resulted in the location and seizure of approximately 35 pounds of suspected methamphetamine; one kilogram of suspected heroin and one kilogram of suspected fentanyl. This case remains under investigation.
Sentencings for April 6 - April 13, 2018Read the Press Release
CONRAD DEWAYNE WEBB, 53, of Glenrock, Wyoming was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl on April 6, 2018 for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Webb was arrested in Glenrock, Wyoming. He received twenty-four months of imprisonment, to be followed by thirty-six months of supervised release. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated this case.
STACY JO KNAPP (AKA Stacy Jo Rafay), 43, of Gillette, Wyoming was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl on April 6, 2018 for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Knapp was arrested in Gillette, Wyoming. She received thirty-six months of imprisonment, to be followed by thirty-six months of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $200.00 fine, and a $100.00 special assessment. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated this case.
NOE ROBLES-CANALES, 34, of Zacatecas, Mexico was sentenced by Chief Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal on April 11, 2018 for illegal re-entry of a previously deported alien into the United States . Robles-Canales was arrested in Cheyenne, Wyoming. He received time served plus ten days to allow for deportation proceedings and ordered to pay $100.00 in special assessment to be remitted at the time of deportation. The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency investigated this case.
LINUS SITTING EAGLE, 61, of Arapahoe, Wyoming was sentenced by Chief Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal on April 11, 2018 for Social Security Title II Representative Payee Fraud. Sitting Eagle appeared pursuant to a summons. He received twelve months of probation, and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $65,544.32 and a $100.00 special assessment. The Social Security Administration and FBI investigated this case.
DARREL "BUD" GOODMAN, 51, of Arapahoe, Wyoming was sentenced by Chief Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal on April 12, 2018 for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Goodman was arrested in Arapahoe, Wyoming. He received forty-six months of imprisonment, to be followed by ninety-six months of supervised release, and ordered to pay a restitution in the amount of $750.00 and a $100.00 special assessment. The Fremont County Sheriff Office, Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Tribal Fish and Game, DEA, FBI, and the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation investigated this case.
VIRGIL JAMES BEHAN, III, 30, of Arapahoe, Wyoming was sentenced by Chief Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal on April 11, 2018 for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine . Behan was arrested in Arapahoe, Wyoming. He received thirty months of imprisonment, to be followed by thirty-six months of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment. The Fremont County Sheriff Office, Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Tribal Fish and Game, DEA, FBI, and the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation investigated this case.
ALBERT MEDICINE CLOUD, 28, of Thermopolis, Wyoming was sentenced by Chief Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal on April 12, 2018 for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Medicine Cloud was arrested in Lander, Wyoming. He received twelve months and one day of imprisonment, to be followed by thirty-six months of supervised release, and ordered to pay community restitution in the amount of $200.00 and a $100.00 special assessment. The Fremont County Sheriff Office, Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Tribal Fish and Game, DEA, FBI, and the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation investigated this case.
HOKASHINA FASTHORSE, 31, of Riverton, Wyoming was sentenced by Chief Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal on April 12, 2018 for assault with a dangerous weapon with intent to do bodily harm. Fasthorse was arrested in Lander, Wyoming. Fasthorse received fifteen months of imprisonment, to be followed by thirty-six months of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment. The Fremont County Sheriff Office, Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Tribal Fish and Game, DEA, FBI, and the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation investigated this case.
JAQUER GARCIA, 40, of Sheridan, Wyoming was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson on April 13, 2018 for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Garcia was arrested in Cheyenne, Wyoming. He received one hundred forty months of imprisonment, to be followed by sixty months of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment. The Sheridan Police Department, Sheridan County Sheriff’s Office, and the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation investigated this case.
Sentencings for March 27 - March 28, 2018Read the Press Release
TREVOR SAMUEL BOYD, 25, of Mills, Wyoming was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson on March 27, 2018 for being a felon and unlawful user of a controlled substance in possession of a firearm . Boyd was arrested in Mills, Wyoming. He received forty-one months of imprisonment, to be followed by thirty-six months of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $400.00 fine. This case was investigated by the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms.
ROEL MENDOZA-CONTRERAS, 53, of Ciudad Obregon, Sonora, Mexico was sentenced by Chief Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal on March 26, 2018 for illegal re-entry of a previously deported alien into the Unites States. Mendoza-Contreras was arrested in Cheyenne, Wyoming. He received twenty-four months of imprisonment, to be followed by thirty-six months of supervised release, ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment, and is subject to deportation. This case was investigated by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency.
EDGAR LUJAN-PEREZ, 24, of Chihuahua, Mexico was sentenced by Chief Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal on March 26, 2018 for illegal re-entry of a previously deported alien into the United States. Lujan-Perez was arrested in Casper, Wyoming. He received time served plus 10 days to allow for deportation proceedings, and ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment to be remitted at the time of deportation. This case was investigated by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency.
DERRICK EARL ARGUE, 24, of Gillette, Wyoming was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl on March 28, 2018 for transportation of child pornography. Argue was arrested in Gillette, Wyoming. He received one hundred twenty months of imprisonment, to be followed by one hundred twenty months of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment and a $5,000.00 Justice for Victims Trafficking Act special assessment. This case was investigated by the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation.
PEDRO JOSE ROSALES-TRUJILLO, 49, of Bachiniva, Chihuahua, Mexico was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson on March 28, 2018 for illegal re-entry of a previously deported alien into the United States. Rosales-Trujillo was arrested in Cheyenne, Wyoming. He received thirty-seven months of imprisonment and ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment. This case was investigated by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency.
Wyoming Military Department Found Liable for Subjecting Employee to Sexual HarassmentRead the Press Release
The Justice Department today announced that on March 21, 2018, a federal district court in Casper, Wyoming, found that the Wyoming Military Department (WMD) discriminated against former employee Amanda Dykes by subjecting her to sexual harassment and constructively discharging her. The verdict was returned after a July 2017 bench trial during which the Justice Department produced evidence that the defendant violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, and religion.
The evidence produced at trial showed that Dykes was subjected to sexual harassment by her direct supervisor, former employee Don Smith, when both worked at WMD’s Wyoming Youth Challenge Program. Smith subjected Dykes to persistent, unwelcomed conduct including poems, songs, and emails professing his affection and love for her as well as constant visits to her office. These intensified to such a degree that Dykes asked her subordinates to help her avoid being left alone with her supervisor.
Dykes reported the supervisor’s conduct to her employer’s human resources department as well as to his direct supervisor, but received no assistance in remedying the harassment. The court found that harassing behavior persisted for over 18 months despite Dykes’ numerous complaints, that no reasonable employee could be expected to remain in her job under these circumstances, and that Dykes had no choice but to resign her position in September 2011 to avoid the continued harassment.
The district court ordered WMD to pay $221,030.62 to Dykes for the salary and benefits she lost as a result of her constructive discharge.
This judgment represents the first successful sexual harassment trial verdict obtained in a Title VII case since the launch of the Civil Rights Division’s Sexual Harassment in the Workplace Initiative (SHWI), which focuses on workplace sexual harassment in the public sector.
As part of the Initiative, the Justice Department will continue to bring sex discrimination claims against state and local government employers with a renewed emphasis on sexual harassment charges. The Department will also work to develop effective remedial measures that can be used to hold public sector employers accountable where Title VII violations have been found, including identifying changes to existing employer practices and policies that will result in safe work environments. More information about the Civil Rights’ Division’s Sexual Harassment in the Workplace Initiative can be found here.
“The Justice Department vigorously enforces Title VII to ensure that people can work free from sexual harassment and retaliation,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General John Gore of the Civil Rights Division. “The verdict sends the clear message that this Justice Department will continue to effectively combat sex-based discrimination whenever it occurs in a public sector workplace.”
Dykes originally filed her sexual harassment charge against the WMD with the Denver Field Office of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), which investigated and determined that there was reasonable cause to believe that discrimination had occurred and referred the matters to the Department of Justice.
More information about Title VII and other federal employment laws is available at the division’s Employment Litigation Section website. The continued enforcement of Title VII is a priority of the Civil Rights Division. Additional information about the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice is available on the division website.
EEOC enforces federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. Further information about EEOC is available on its website.
The United States was represented in this case by Robert Galbreath, Torie Atkinson, Brian McEntire, and Patty Stasco.
Two Florida Men Sentenced for Credit Card FraudRead the Press Release
Jason Albert Leslie, Jr. 26, of Miami, Florida, and Tafari Shaile Lawrence, 29, also of Miami, Florida, were sentenced in federal court in Casper to prison terms for their roles in a credit card fraud conspiracy, announced United States Attorney Mark A. Klaassen. Mr. Lawrence was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl on March 21, 2018, to serve 18 months in prison, followed by 2 years supervised release. Judge Skavdahl sentenced Mr. Leslie to serve 30 months in prison, followed by 3 years supervised release. Both men were ordered to pay $222,756.08 in restitution to Citibank.
Leslie and Lawrence had previously pled guilty to conspiracy for their participation in a scheme to use fraudulently obtained Citibank credit cards to purchase prepaid debit cards at Walmart stores in several states. The Citibank cards were fraudulently obtained by unknown persons using made-up and stolen identity information. Leslie and Lawrence were then given the unauthorized credit cards and traveled to Walmart stores to purchase prepaid debit cards in late June and July 2016. The defendants then wired money to other members of the conspiracy. The defendants were discovered and arrested during a traffic stop by Wyoming Highway Patrol troopers south of Laramie on July 30, 2016.
This case was investigated by special agents of the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation with assistance from the U.S. Secret Service. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Heimann of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Wyoming.
Sentencings for March 12, 2018Read the Press Release
SOSIMO GONZALES-DE LA CRUZ, 34, of Tepic, Nayarit, Mexico, was sentenced by Chief Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal on March 12, 2018 for illegal re-entry of a previously deported alien into the United States. Gonzales De-La Cruz. was arrested in Shoshoni, Wyoming. He received time served plus up to ten days to allow time for deportation proceedings and ordered to pay $100.00 in special assessment to be remitted upon deportation. This case was investigated by the US Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
DOMINGO JUAREZ-FRANCISCO, 32, of Huehuetenango, Guatemala, was sentenced by Chief Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal on March 12, 2018 for illegal re-entry of a previously deported alien into the United States. Juarez-Francisco was arrested in Shoshoni, Wyoming. He received time served plus up to ten days to allow time for deportation proceedings and ordered to pay $100.00 in special assessment to be remitted upon deportation. This case was investigated by the US Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Bison Protestors Enter Guilty Pleas at the Yellowstone Justice CenterRead the Press Release
Cody J. Cyson, of Minnetonka, Minnesota and Thomas L. Brown of East Hardwick, Vermont, each entered guilty pleas today in US District Court at the Yellowstone Justice Center in Mammoth, Wyoming, to the charges of entering a closed area in Yellowstone National Park and interference with an agency function. Both subjects had been charged on March 6, 2018. Cyson received a sentence of six days in jail with credit for time served, a $250.00 fine on the charge of entering a closed area and a $250.00 fine on the charge of interference with an agency function, a $500.00 community service payment and $50.00 in special assessment. Brown received an identical sentence. Both Cyson and Brown are banned from entry into Yellowstone National Park for a period of five years and will serve five years of unsupervised probation.
Hanna F. Ponder, of Donnelly, Idaho, pleaded guilty to one charge of entering a closed area and was sentenced to six days in jail with credit for time served, fined $500.00, a $500.00 community service payment, $40.00 in special assessment, and banned from Yellowstone National Park for five years and five years of unsupervised probation. She had been charged on March 6, 2018 for entering the bison closure are in the Reese Creek drainage of the park.
All three defendants appeared before and were sentenced by US Magistrate Judge Mark L. Carman.
Sentencings for March 6, 2018Read the Press Release
FELIPE QUIROZ-MERINO, 50, of Oaxaca, Mexico was sentenced by Chief Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal on March 6, 2018 for illegal re-entry of a previously deported alien into the United States. Quiroz-Merino was arrested in Jackson, Wyoming. He received time served plus ten days to allow for deportation proceedings, and a $100 special assessment to be remitted at the time of deportation. This case was investigated by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
TIMOTEO RAMIREZ-IOC, 39, of Col. De Cuauhtémoc, Motozintla, Chiapas, Mexico was sentenced by Chief Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal on March 6, 2018 for illegal re-entry of a previously deported alien into the United States. Ramirez-Ioc was arrested in Jackson, Wyoming. He received time served plus ten days to allow for deportation proceedings, and a $100 special assessment to be remitted at the time of deportation. This case was investigated by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
CARLOS PEREZ-LOPEZ, 36, of Puebla, Mexico was sentenced by Chief Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal on March 6, 2018 for illegal re-entry of a previously deported alien into the United States. Perez-Lopez was arrested in Jackson, Wyoming. He received time served plus ten days to allow for deportation proceedings, and a $100 special assessment to be remitted at the time of deportation. This case was investigated by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement
Incidents in Yellowstone National ParkRead the Press Release
Cody J. Cyson, of Minnetonka, Minnesota and Thomas L. Brown of East Hardwick, Vermont, were each charged with one count of entering a closed area and one count of interference with an agency function in Yellowstone National Park on March 7, 2018. Both individuals were contacted by park law enforcement in the Stephens Creek Administrative Facility on March 6, 2018 just after 5:00 am. Cyson and Brown has used a steel tube and chain to secure themselves to the squeeze chute in order to disrupt the shipping of the buffalo in the pens.
In a separate incident, Hanna F. Ponder, of Donnelly, Idaho, was charged on March 7, 2018, with one count of entering a closed area in Yellowstone National Park. Ponder was located by law enforcement in the bison closure of the Reese Creek drainage area during the morning hours of March 6, 2018. Ponder stated she had been walking the creek looking at birds.
All three individuals made their initial appearance in U.S. District Court on March 7, 2018 where the government made a motion for detention of the individuals and a bond hearing is scheduled for March 12 at 10:30 a.m.
Casper, Wyoming, Man and Woman Sentenced for Drug Trafficking, Gun Crimes, and Car JackingRead the Press Release
Christopher Eads, 35, and Santana Keener, 26, of Casper, Wyoming, were sentenced on February 22, 2018, and March 1, 2018, respectively, to serve sentences related to a June 3, 2017, drug trafficking investigation initiated by the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) and the Wyoming Highway Patrol, announced United States Attorney Mark A. Klaassen. The court ordered Eads to serve a sentence of 40 years in prison for drug trafficking, using and discharging firearms during drug trafficking, carjacking, assaulting a federal officer, and discharging a firearm during the assault of the officer. The court sentenced Keener to a term of 20 years for drug trafficking, aiding and abetting the discharge of a firearm during a drug trafficking offense, and carjacking. The court further ordered Keener to pay 7, 278.35 in restitution. It ordered Eads to pay $92,463.09 in restitution.
Eads and Keener had previously pled guilty to their offenses under agreements with the United States. As part of their pleas they admitted that on June 3, 2017, they were returning to Casper from Denver, Colorado with methamphetamine and heroin to distribute in the Casper area. When a DCI agent, assisted by highway patrol troopers, attempted to stop Eads and Keener, Eads opened fire on law enforcement. Eads and Keener then led law enforcement on a high speed chase south on I-25, into Glenrock, and eventually back to Casper where law enforcement apprehended Eads. Officers had earlier found and arrested Keener in Glenrock after she and Eads wrecked a car that they carjacked from a Glenrock resident.
United States District Court Judge Scott Skavdahl imposed the sentences. The case was investigated by DCI, the Wyoming Highway Patrol, the Natrona County Sheriff’s Office, the Converse County Sheriff’s Office, the Casper Police Department, the Douglas Police Department,the Glenrock Police Department, and, in part, by ATF and DEA. The case was prosecuted by United States Attorney Mark A. Klaassen and Assistant United States Attorney Stuart S. Healy III.
Sentencings for February 20 - February 23, 2018Read the Press Release
RYAN HARRIS, 37, of Douglas, Wyoming, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson on February 20th, 2018 for tampering with a consumer product and acquiring a controlled substance by misrepresentation, deception, or subterfuge. Harris was arrested in Douglas, Wyoming. He received eight months of imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $300.00 fine. This case was investigated by the Douglas Police Department and the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation.
RAUL FLORES-SANCHEZ, 36, of Oaxaca, Mexico, was sentenced by Chief Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal on February 20th, 2018 for illegal re-entry of a previously deported alien into the United States. Flores-Sanchez was arrested in Albany County, Wyoming. He received time served plus ten days to allow for deportation proceedings and $100.00 in special assessment to be remitted at the time of deportation.. This case was investigated by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency.
TRAVIS MICHAEL DEAN, 30, of Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl on February 23rd, 2018 for felon in possession of a firearm. Dean was arrested in Greenville, Tennessee. He received forty six months of imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $400.00 fine and $100.00 in special assessment. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.
Sentencings for February 9 - February 12, 2018Read the Press Release
SAVON GERMAIN CARTER, 43, of Midvale, Utah, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson on February 12, 2018, for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Carter received 135 months of imprisonment, to be followed by five years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment and $900.00 in restitution. This case was investigated by the Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Office and the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation.
CHRISTINE MARIE EICHLER, 42, of Midvale, Utah, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson on February 12, 2018, for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Eichler was arrested in Rock Springs, Wyoming. She received 121 months of imprisonment, to be followed by five years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment and $500.00 in restitution. This case was investigated by the Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Office and the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation.
LEON ANTHONY DANIELS, 45, transient, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl on February 9, 2018, for possession with intent to distribute heroin and for being a felon and unlawful user of a controlled substance in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Daniels was arrested in Cheyenne, Wyoming. He received 108 months of imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $200.00 special assessment and $500.00 in restitution. This case was investigated by the Laramie County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
Arapahoe, Wyoming Resident Convicted on Drug, Firearm, and Assault ChargesRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Mark Klaassen announced today that Arapahoe resident Cameron Means-Goodman has been convicted in federal court. A jury found Means-Goodman guilty of Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine, Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Using and Carrying a Firearm During and In Relation to a Federal Drug Trafficking Crime, Felon in Possession of a Firearm, and Assault after a seven-day jury trial in the United States District Court in Cheyenne. Means-Goodman is scheduled to be sentenced on April 24, 2018.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kerry J. Jacobson, with the assistance of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Wind River Police Department, Fremont County Sheriff’s Office and, Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Sentencings for January 22 - January 26, 2018Read the Press Release
Joshua Kaleb Woodall, 43, of Aurora, Colorado was sentenced by Chief Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal on January 22, 2018 for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Woodall was arrested on I-25 near Douglas, Wyoming. He received 60 months of imprisonment, to be followed by five years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $500.00 and a $100.00 special assessment. This case was investigated by the Converse County Sheriff’s Office, the Wyoming Highway Patrol, and the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation.
Sadie Marie McKenna, 37, of Murray, Utah was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson on January 26, 2018 for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine . McKenna was arrested in Rock Springs, Wy. She received 78 months of imprisonment, to be followed by five years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $500.00. This case was investigated by the Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Office and the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation.
Joseph Gant, 35, with no fixed address, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson on January 26, 2018 for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Gant was arrested in Casper, Wyoming. He received 121 months of imprisonment, to be followed by five years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay $200.00 in special assessment. This case was investigated by the Wyoming Highway Patrol and the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation.
Sentencings for January 8 - January 17, 2018Read the Press Release
Robert Allen Davis, a/k/a Robert A. Davis, Jr., 53, of Cheyenne, Wyoming, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl on January 17, 2018, for failure to register as a sex offender. Davis was arrested in North Platte, Nebraska. He received 15 months of imprisonment, to be followed by five years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment and a $200.00 fine. This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service.
Ann Songhee Tanquary, 37, of Selah, Washington, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson on January 12, 2018, for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Tanquary was arrested in Casper, Wyoming. She received 240 months of imprisonment, to be followed by 10 years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment and $500.00 in restitution. This case was investigated by the Wyoming Highway Patrol and the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation.
Daniel James Montoya, 34, of Rozet, Wyoming, was sentenced by Chief Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal on January 8, 2018, for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and for use and carry a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime. Montoya was arrested in Gillette, Wyoming. He received 120 months of imprisonment, to be followed by five years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $200.00 special assessment. This case was investigated by the Douglas Police Department, the Converse County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Sentencings for January 4 - January 10, 2018Read the Press Release
Christopher Lee Martinez, 27, of Cheyenne, Wyoming, was sentenced by Chief Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal on January 10, 2018, for attempting to entice a minor in illegal sexual activity. Martinez was arrested in Cheyenne, Wyoming. He received 120 months of imprisonment, to be followed by five years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment and a $500.00 fine. This case was investigated by the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
Michael Telesforo Flores, 39, of Green River, Wyoming, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson on January 9, 2018, for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Flores received 71 months of imprisonment, to be followed by five years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment and $500.00 in restitution. This case was investigated by the Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Office and the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation.
Christopher Roy Bretas, 41, of Cheyenne, Wyoming, was sentenced by Chief Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal on January 8, 2018, for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Bretas was arrested in Cheyenne, Wyoming. He received 151 months of imprisonment, to be followed by five years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment. This case was investigated by the Cheyenne Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Camden Mourer, 25, of Boulder, Wyoming, was sentenced by Chief Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal on January 8, 2018, for possession of child pornography. Mourer was arrested in Boulder, Wyoming. He received 60 months of imprisonment, to be followed by 10 years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment and $5,000.00 in restitution. This case was investigated by the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation Internet Crimes Against Children and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Samuel Cardona, 38, of Casper, Wyoming, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl on January 8, 2018, for counterfeiting and forging obligations or securities of the United States and aiding and abetting. Cardona was arrested in Casper, Wyoming. He received 27 months of imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment and $170.00 in restitution. This case was investigated by the Casper Police Department and the U.S. Secret Service.
William Kenneth Stoner, a/k/a Kenneth Stone, 57, of Cody, Wyoming, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl on January 4, 2018, for unlawful taking of threatened species under the Endangered Species Act, namely a grizzly bear, and for being a felon in possession of a firearm. He received 60 months of probation and was ordered to pay a $110.00 special assessment, a $5,000.00 fine and $25,000.00 in restitution. This case was investigated by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives.
Powell, Wyoming Psychologist Sentenced to Three Years in Prison for Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
Gibson Buckley Condie, 57, of Powell, Wyoming, was sentenced on January 8, 2018, to serve three years in prison for felony health care fraud involving mental health services falsely billed to Wyoming Medicaid, announced United States Attorney Mark A. Klaassen. Condie was also ordered to pay approximately $2.28 million in restitution to the Wyoming Department of Health and the United States Department of Health and Human Services, and forfeit certain assets traceable to the proceeds of his fraud.
Condie, who was a licensed psychologist, had been indicted by a federal grand jury in May 2017 for a scheme to defraud Wyoming Medicaid. Condie pled guilty to one count of health care fraud as part of a plea agreement with the United States government. Condie admitted to operating a scheme involving a number of misrepresentations and false statements intended to cause Medicaid to pay for mental health services for which he knew Medicaid would not pay if he truthfully reported the facts. Specifically, Condie claimed to be the treating provider even though almost all services were provided by unenrolled, and often unlicensed, persons who could not provide mental health services under Wyoming Medicaid.
Condie also routinely endorsed mental health assessments, which claimed that a Medicaid beneficiary had a qualifying mental health disorder, when in fact Condie had neither performed nor properly supervised the assessments. These assessments were often done by individuals who did not have the required training or license to diagnose mental health disorders. Condie then submitted false bills for these assessments, and submitted bills for other treatment services based on these improper assessments.
Finally, Condie billed for life skills training, psycho/social rehabilitation, and adult case management services even though the beneficiaries had not been properly diagnosed with a mental health disorder, the activities billed for did not qualify as medically necessary therapy, and he did not operate a qualified community mental health center. As a result of Condie’s false statements and misrepresentations, Wyoming Medicaid paid Condie $2,283,792.49 for mental health services that did not qualify for
Medicaid reimbursement. Condie in turn distributed a portion of this money to the unenrolled, and often untrained and unlicensed, individuals who actually spent time with the beneficiaries.
"Health care fraud is a serious crime that harms all of us. This criminal activity diverts limited health care resources, driving up costs that affect federal and state budgets and raises premiums. The prison term and monetary penalties imposed on Gibson Condie today show that individuals who engage in such crimes will be brought to justice," said U.S. Attorney Mark Klaassen. "We will continue to aggressively prosecute any health care provider who engages in this type of criminal activity."
"Today's sentencing of Gibson Condie should send a strong message to anyone considering engaging in health care fraud," said FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Calvin Shivers. "The FBI will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to protect our government's health care system and our economy from those engaged in these types of fraudulent schemes."
Steve Hanson, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations-Kansas City Region, stated, "Our office will continue to pursue individuals who file fraudulent claims for reimbursement with HHS funded programs to ensure those individuals are held accountable for their actions."
"Serving as a Medicaid provider is a privilege, which carries the responsibility to account for taxpayer money with honesty and transparency," said Travis J. Kirchhefer, Senior Assistant Attorney General and Director of the Wyoming Office of Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. He continued, "The Wyoming Attorney General's office, through the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and the Division of Criminal Investigation, looks forward to continued cooperation with our federal partners to ensure that medical providers do not abuse the public trust."
United States District Court Judge Alan Johnson imposed the sentence. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General, and the Wyoming Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric Heimann and Nicole Romine of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Wyoming and Special Assistant United States Attorney Travis Kirchhefer of the Wyoming Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Suspected fraud against Medicaid or Medicare can be reported to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General at 1-800-HHS-TIPS (1-800-447-8477) and the agency’s website https://oig.hhs.gov/fraud/report-fraud/. Wyoming residents can call the Wyoming Medicaid Fraud Control Unit toll free at 1-800-378-0345, or visit their website at http://ag.wyo.gov/medicaid-fraud-control-unit.
Sentencings for December 28, 2017 - January 4, 2018Read the Press Release
Paul Dwayne Jones, 54, of Casper, Wyoming, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl on January 4, 2018, for aiding and abetting the possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Jones was arrested in Casper, Wyoming. He received 120 months of imprisonment, to be followed by ten years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment and $900.00 in restitution. This case was investigated by the Casper Police Department, the Wyoming Highway Patrol and the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation.
James Eugene Watkins, 52, of Osage, Wyoming, was sentenced by Chief Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal on January 3, 2018, for counterfeiting and forging obligations or securities of the United States and aiding and abetting. Watkins was arrested in Weston County, Wyoming. He received 18 months of imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment and $210.00 in restitution. This case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service.
Stephanie Joy Nicole Dodson, 45, of Everett, Pennsylvania, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson on January 2, 2018, on two counts of timber set afire. Dodson was arrested in Pennsylvania. She received 53 months of imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $200.00 special assessment and $105,712.68 in restitution. This case was investigated by the U.S. Forest Service.
Juan Herrera-Diaz, 30, of Tuxpan, Nayarit, Mexico, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson on December 28, 2017, for illegal re-entry of a previously deported alien into the United States. Herrera-Diaz was arrested in Albany County, Wyoming. He received time served, plus ten days, was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment and is subject to deportation upon release from custody. This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Sentencings for December 19 - December 21, 2017Read the Press Release
Jeremiah John Martinez, 35, of Cheyenne, Wyoming, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl on December 19, 2017, for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Martinez was arrested in Cheyenne, Wyoming. He received 51 months of imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment. This case was investigated by the Laramie County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Christina Marquez, 22, of Sacramento, California, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl on December 19, 2017, for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and for carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime. Marquez was arrested in Rawlins, Wyoming. She received 84 months of imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $200.00 special assessment and $500.00 in restitution. This case was investigated by the Wyoming Highway Patrol, the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Javonn Rae Lynch, 27, of Fort Washakie, Wyoming, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl on December 19, 2017, for assault, resisting, or interfering with a federal officer. Lynch was arrested in Fort Washakie, Wyoming. She received 12 months of imprisonment, to be followed by one year of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $25.00 special assessment. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
Allen James Hendrickson, 29, of Rock Springs, Wyoming, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl on December 19, 2017, for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Hendrickson was arrested in Sweetwater County, Wyoming. He received 36 months of imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment. This case was investigated by the Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Cher Yang, 57, of Roberts Wisconsin, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl on December 19, 2017, for possession with intent to distribute marijuana. Yang was arrested in Cheyenne, Wyoming. He received 5 months of imprisonment, to be followed by two years of supervised release; first five months in home confinement, and was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment and $300 in restitution. This case was investigated by the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation.
Charles E. Mathisen, 64, of Gillette, Wyoming, was sentenced by Chief Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal on December 20, 2017, for production of child pornography. Mathisen was arrested in Gillette, Wyoming. He received 45 years of imprisonment, to be followed by a lifetime of supervised release, was ordered to pay a $200.00 special assessment. This case was investigated by the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
Angelo Michael Reyes, 50, of Blythe, California, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson on December 20, 2017, for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Reyes was arrested in Riverside County, California. He received 70 months of imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment and $900.00 in restitution. This case was investigated by the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation.
Manuel Jose Sanchez, 29, of Cheyenne, Wyoming, was sentenced by Chief Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal on December 21, 2017, for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Sanchez was arrested in Cheyenne, Wyoming. He received 97 months of imprisonment, to be followed by five years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Cheyenne Police Department.
Gabino Martinez-Jimenez, 30, of Oaxaca, Mexico, was sentenced by Chief Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal on December 21, 2017, for illegal re-entry of a previously deported alien into the United States. Martinez-Jimenez was arrested in Teton County, Wyoming. He received time served, plus ten days, was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment, and is subject to deportation upon release from custody. This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Jose Vazquez-Huerta, 29, of Tlaxcala, Mexico, was sentenced by Chief Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal on December 21, 2017, for illegal re-entry of a previously deported alien into the United States. Vazquez-Huerta was arrested in Teton County, Wyoming. He received time served, plus ten days, was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment, and is subject to deportation upon release from custody. This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Reyna Castillo-Hernandez, 41, of Mexico City, Mexico, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson on December 21, 2017, for illegal re-entry of a previously deported alien into the United States. Castillo-Hernandez was arrested in Teton County, Wyoming. He received six months of imprisonment, was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment, and is subject to deportation upon release from custody. This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Sentencings for December 7 - December 13, 2017Read the Press Release
Dalton Shae Self, 26, of Douglas, Wyoming, was sentenced by Chief Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal on December 13, 2017, for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Self was arrested in Douglas, Wyoming. He received 21 months of imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Zachary Montague Boyce, 31, of Rock Springs, Wyoming, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl on December 13, 2017, for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Boyce was arrested in Rock Springs, Wyoming. He received 77 months of imprisonment, to be followed by four years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment. This case was investigated by the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation.
Darcy Gene Akin, 61, of Green River, Wyoming, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl on December 13, 2017, for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Akin was arrested in Sweetwater County, Wyoming. He received 37 months of imprisonment, to be followed by four years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment. This case was investigated by the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation.
Jonathan Wesley Mortimer, 35, of Green River, Wyoming, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl on December 13, 2017, for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Mortimer was arrested in Sweetwater County, Wyoming. He received 36 months of imprisonment, to be followed by four years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment. This case was investigated by the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation.
Martina Caspari, 41, of Salt Lake City, Utah, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl on December 13, 2017, for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Caspari was arrested in Sweetwater County, Wyoming. She received 46 months of imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment
and $250.00 in restitution. This case was investigated by the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation.
Zachariah Newton Strange, 44, of Green River, Wyoming, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl on December 13, 2017, for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Strange was arrested in Sweetwater County, Wyoming. He received 41 months of imprisonment, to be followed by four years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment. This case was investigated by the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation.
Randolfo Librado Chavez, Jr., 25, of Loveland, Colorado, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl on December 13, 2017, for distribution of methamphetamine. Chavez was arrested in Cheyenne, Wyoming. He received 95 months of imprisonment, to be followed by five years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $200.00 special assessment and $400.00 in restitution. This case was investigated by the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation.
Darrell Joe Irla, 50, of Salem, Iowa, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl on December 13, 2017, for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Irla was arrested in Carbon County, Wyoming. He received 135 months of imprisonment, to be followed by five years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment and $500.00 in restitution. This case was investigated by the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation.
Mark Edward Collins, 42, of Gillette, Wyoming, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl on December 8, 2017, for being an unlawful user of a controlled substance in possession of a firearm. Collins was arrested in Gillette, Wyoming. He received 63 months of imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment and $500.00 in restitution. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Christopher Lamar Williams, 32, of Jacksonville, Florida, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl on December 8, 2017, for possession with intent to distribute heroin and for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a federal drug trafficking crime. Williams was arrested in Evanston, Wyoming. He received 78 months of imprisonment, to be followed by five years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $200.00 special assessment and $500.00 in restitution. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Edwin Moses Jacobs, 29, of Sheridan, Wyoming, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl on December 8, 2017, for being a felon in possession of firearms. Jacobs was arrested in Sheridan, Wyoming. He received 43 months of imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Evan Aubrey Armstrong, 36, of Casper, Wyoming, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl on December 8, 2017, for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Armstrong was arrested in Casper, Wyoming. He received 46 months of imprisonment, to be
followed by three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Darrell Peter Gilson, 44, of Green River, Wyoming, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl on December 7, 2017, for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Gilson was arrested in Sweetwater County, Wyoming. He received 66 months of imprisonment, to be followed by five years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment and $500.00 in restitution. This case was investigated by the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation.
Sentencings for December 4 - December 6, 2017Read the Press Release
Sheila Kay Fundenberger, 44, of Gillette, Wyoming, was sentenced by Chief Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal on December 6, 2017, for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Fundenberger was arrested in Gillette, Wyoming. She received 60 months of imprisonment, to be followed by four years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment and $400.00 in restitution. This case was investigated by the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
Daniel Thomas Poynor, 37, of Cheyenne, Wyoming, was sentenced by Chief Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal on December 4, 2017, for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine; carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime; and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Poynor was arrested in Cheyenne, Wyoming. He received 300 months of imprisonment, to be followed by ten years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $300.00 special assessment. This case was investigated by the Cheyenne Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
David Netterfield, 27, of Cheyenne, Wyoming, was sentenced by Chief Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal on December 4, 2017, for bank theft. Netterfield was arrested in Cheyenne, Wyoming. He received three years of supervised release and was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment and $59,000.00 in restitution. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Michael Shane-Lourcey Clements, 25, of Casper, Wyoming, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson on December 4, 2017, for possession of child pornography. Clements was arrested in Casper, Wyoming. He received 60 months of imprisonment, to be followed by five years of supervised release, was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment and $15,000.00 in restitution. This case was investigated by the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
Sentencings for November 27 - November 30, 2017Read the Press Release
Daniel Curtis Garner, 41, of Torrington, Wyoming, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl on November 30, 2017, for possession of child pornography. Garner was arrested in Casper, Wyoming. He received time served, to be followed by 15 years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $5,000.00 fine and a $5,000.00 Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act assessment. This case was investigated by the Wyoming Division of Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Julio Garay-Gutierrez, 40, of Mexico, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl on November 30, 2017, for being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm. Garay-Gutierrez was arrested in Cody, Wyoming. He received 24 months of imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment, and is subject to deportation upon release from custody. This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Arvin Ignatius Felter, 26, of Riverton, Wyoming, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl on November 30, 2017, for assault by strangulation. Felter was arrested in Arapaho, Wyoming. He received 24 months of imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and was order to pay a $100.00 special assessment. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
William Amadeo Salazar-Orellana, 33, of El Salvador, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson on November 27, 2017, for illegal re-entry of a previously deported alien into the United States. Salazar-Orellana was arrested in Natrona County, Wyoming. He received six months of imprisonment, was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment, and is subject to deportation upon release from custody. This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Martin Hernandez, Jr., 32, of Casper, Wyoming, was sentenced by Chief Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal on November 27, 2017, for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Hernandez was arrested in Casper, Wyoming. He received 37 months imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $400.00 fine and a $100.00 special assessment. This case was investigated by the Mills Police Department, the Natrona County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Taylor Jay Whiting, 26, of Casper, Wyoming, was sentenced by Chief Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal on November 27, 2017, for being a felon in possession of a firearm. He received 37 months imprisonment, to be served consecutive to his undischarged terms of state imprisonment from Natrona County District Court. Whiting will be placed on three years of supervised release upon release from custody and was ordered to a $100.00 special assessment. This case was investigated by the Casper Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Juan Carlos Correra-Ibarra, 28, of Durango, Mexico, was sentenced by Chief Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal on November 27, 2017, for illegal re-entry of a previously deported alien into the United States. Correra-Ibarra was arrested in Natrona County, Wyoming. He received time served, plus ten days, was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment, and is subject to deportation upon release from custody. This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Jeremy Taylor Harding, 36, of Riverton, Wyoming, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson on November 21, 2017, for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Harding was arrested in Riverton, Wyoming. He received 60 months of imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment. This case was investigated by the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Mark A. Klaassen Sworn in as United States AttorneyRead the Press Release
CHEYENNE, WYOMING. –Mark A. Klaassen has taken the oath of office to become the United States Attorney for the District of Wyoming. Klaassen was nominated by President Donald Trump on July 21, 2017, and confirmed by the U.S. Senate on November 9, 2017. Federal District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson administered the oath of office.
Upon officially entering office, United States Attorney Mark A. Klaassen said, "It is an honor to be confirmed as the next United States Attorney for the District of Wyoming. I am pleased to continue working with a talented group of colleagues, as well as our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners. Wyoming is a special place to live and raise a family. As United States Attorney, I am committed to sustaining efforts necessary to protect our communities and uphold the rule of law.
We face many challenges in reducing violent crime in our neighborhoods, stemming the tide of illegal drugs and prescription opioid abuse affecting our communities, and protecting the most vulnerable in our society from exploitation. Together with our law enforcement partners, we will make a difference.
I appreciate the confidence placed in me by the President, as well as the support of Senators Enzi and Barrasso, and Congresswoman Cheney throughout the confirmation process. I look forward to serving the people of Wyoming."
As U.S. Attorney, Klaassen is the top-ranking federal law enforcement official in the District of Wyoming. He oversees a staff of 42 employees, including 17 attorneys and 25 non-attorney support personnel. The office is responsible for prosecuting federal crimes occurring in the district, including crimes related to public corruption, child exploitation, firearms, and narcotics. The office also defends the United States in civil cases and collects debts owed to the United States.
Prior to his nomination, Klaassen served for almost nine years as an Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Wyoming, where he worked on affirmative civil and financial litigation cases. During that time, he was also elected to the Board of Trustees for Laramie County School District Number One.
Before joining the United States Attorney’s Office, Klaassen was appointed by President George W. Bush to serve as Chief of Staff to the General Counsel for the Department of Homeland Security from 2007 to 2009. Prior to that appointment, Klaassen worked as General Counsel for the U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security from 2003 to 2007.
Klaassen began his career in Cheyenne as a law clerk for the Honorable Wade Brorby of the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, and later joined the law firm of Latham & Watkins LLP. He received his B.S. in Finance, summa cum laude, from Oral Roberts University and his J.D., magna cum laude, from Notre Dame Law School.
Klaassen has deep ties to Wyoming. He was raised in Gillette, where he attended public school and graduated in 1991. He and his wife Christy now reside in Cheyenne with their three children.
Sentencings for November 13 - November 15, 2017Read the Press Release
Kenneth Thomas Minow, 60, of Miles City, Montana, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl on November 15, 2017, for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Minow was arrested in Miles City, Montana. He received time served, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay $500.00 in restitution and a $100.00 special assessment. This case was investigated by the Sheridan County Sheriff’s Office and the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation.
Jose Nain Sanchez-Aburto, 31, of Apizaco, Tlaxcala, Mexico, was sentenced by Chief Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal on November 14, 2017, for illegal re-entry of a previously deported alien into the United States. Sanchez-Aburto was arrested in Teton County, Wyoming. He received time served, plus ten days, was order to pay a $100.00 special assessment, and is subject to deportation upon release from custody. This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Jose Roberto Maya-Tzompa, 26, of Mexico City, Mexico, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson on November 13, 2017, for illegal re-entry of a previously deported alien into the United States. Maya-Tzompa was arrested in Teton County, Wyoming. He received time served, plus ten days, was order to pay a $100.00 special assessment, and is subject to deportation upon release from custody. This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
David Michael Hogan, 64, of Chesapeake, Virginia, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson on November 13, 2017, for being a felon in possession of a firearm and for transportation of a stolen vehicle. Hogan received 60 months of imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay $20,069.85 in restitution and a $200.00 special assessment. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Sentencings for November 3 - November, 8 2017Read the Press Release
McKleen Miranda-Bencomo, 28, of Gillette, Wyoming, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson on November 8, 2017, for distribution of methamphetamine and aiding and abetting. Miranda-Bencomo was arrested in Gillette, Wyoming. He received eight months of imprisonment, to be followed by two years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay $400.00 in restitution and a $100.00 special assessment. This case was investigated by the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation.
Carroll Thomas Manning, Jr., 40, of Casper, Wyoming, was sentenced by Chief Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal on November 7, 2017, for being a felon and unlawful user of a controlled substance in possession of a firearm. Manning was arrested in Casper, Wyoming. He received 78 months imprisonment, to be served consecutive to his state sentence. Upon release from custody, Manning will be on supervised release for three years, and he was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment. This case was investigated by the Casper Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
John Edward Hatch, 24, of Casper, Wyoming, was sentenced by Chief Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal on November 7, 2017, for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and for carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime. Hatch was arrested in Casper, Wyoming. He received 113 months of imprisonment, to be followed by five years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay $500.00 in restitution and a $200.00 special assessment. This case was investigated by the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Glenn William Getter, 40, of Sheridan, Wyoming, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl on November 3, 2017, for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Getter was arrested in Casper, Wyoming. He received 60 months of imprisonment, to be followed by five years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay $500.00 in restitution and a $100.00 special assessment. This case was investigated by the Sheridan County Sheriff’s Office and the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation.
Matthew Aaron Cook, 52, of Sheridan, Wyoming, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl on November 3, 2017, for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Getter was arrested in Casper, Wyoming. He received 36 months of imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay $500.00 in restitution and a $100.00 special assessment. This case was investigated by the Sheridan County Sheriff’s Office and the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation.
Vincent Lee Greenough, 48, of Buffalo, Wyoming, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl on November 3, 2017, for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Greenough was arrested in Sheridan, Wyoming. He received 36 months of imprisonment, to be followed by two years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay $500.00 in restitution and a $100.00 special assessment. This case was investigated by the Sheridan County Sheriff’s Office and the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation.
Tony Vincent Apodaca, 53, of Wheat Ridge, Colorado, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl on November 3, 2017, for conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine. Apodaca was arrested in Wheat Ridge, Colorado. He received 87 months of imprisonment, to be followed by five years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay $500.00 in restitution and a $100.00 special assessment. This case was investigated by the Sheridan County Sheriff’s Office and the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation.
Ivan Thomas Gorzalka, 44, of Sheridan, Wyoming, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl on November 3, 2017, for conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine. Gorzalka was arrested in Sheridan, Wyoming. He received 87 months of imprisonment, to be followed by five years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay $500.00 in restitution and a $100.00 special assessment. This case was investigated by the Sheridan County Sheriff’s Office and the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation.
Sentencings for October 27, 2017Read the Press Release
Roman Daniel Vanberkom, 31, of Gillette, Wyoming, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl on October 27, 2017, for being a felon and unlawful user of a controlled substance in possession of firearms. Vanberkom was arrested in Gillette, Wyoming. He received 43 months of imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $400.00 fine and a $100.00 special assessment. This case was investigated by the Campbell County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Powell, Wyoming Psychologist Pleads Guilty to Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
Gibson Buckley Condie, 57, of Powell, Wyoming, pled guilty in federal court on October 27, 2017, to health care fraud involving mental health services falsely billed to Wyoming Medicaid, announced Acting United States Attorney John R. Green. Condie, who is a licensed psychologist, had been indicted by a federal grand jury in May 2017 for an alleged scheme to defraud Medicaid. As part of a plea agreement with the United States, Condie has agreed to serve 3 years in prison, pay approximately $2.28 million in restitution to the Wyoming Department of Health and the United States Department of Health and Human Services, and forfeit certain assets traceable to the proceeds of his fraud.
United States District Court Judge Alan Johnson accepted Condie’s guilty plea. Sentencing is scheduled for January 8, 2018, in Cheyenne.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General, and the Wyoming Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric Heimann and Nicole Romine of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Wyoming and Special Assistant United States Attorney Travis Kirchhefer of the Wyoming Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
Suspected fraud against Medicaid or Medicare can be reported to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General at 1-800-HHS-TIPS (1-800-447-8477) and the agency’s website https://oig.hhs.gov/fraud/report-fraud/. Wyoming residents can call the Wyoming Medicaid Fraud Control Unit toll free at 1-800-378-0345, or visit their website at http://ag.wyo.gov/medicaid-fraud-control-unit.
Sentencings for October 25 & 26, 2017Read the Press Release
Bill Frank Blanchard, 53, of Escondido, California, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl on October 26, 2017, for manufacturing counterfeit obligations. Blanchard was arrested in Laramie, Wyoming. He received 37 months of imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay $80.00 in restitution and a $100.00 special assessment. This case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service.
Mario Thomas Escajeda, 48, of Littleton, Colorado, was sentenced by Chief Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal on October 25, 2017, for conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine. Escajeda was arrested in Colorado. He received 70 months of imprisonment, to be followed by five years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment. This case was investigated by the Cheyenne Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Sentencings for October 13 - 18, 2017Read the Press Release
Adrian Ray Salinas, 32, of Cheyenne, Wyoming, was sentenced by Chief Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal on October 18, 2017, for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Salinas was arrested in Cheyenne, Wyoming. He received 33 months of imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Steven Mathew King, 44, of Cheyenne, Wyoming, was sentenced by Chief Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal on October 16, 2017, for conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine and for being a felon in possession of firearms. King was arrested in Cheyenne, Wyoming. He received 120 months of imprisonment, to be followed by five years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay $400.00 in restitution and a $200.00 special assessment. This case was investigated by the Cheyenne Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Tommy Ambrosio Hernandez, 48, of Sacramento, California, was sentenced by Chief Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal on October 16, 2017, for conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine. Hernandez was arrested in Sacramento, California. He received 63 months of imprisonment, to be followed by five years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay $500.00 in restitution and a $100.00 special assessment. This case was investigated by the Cheyenne Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Sallie E. Caraway, 51, of Jerome, Idaho, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson on October 16, 2017, for aiding and assisting in preparation of fraudulent tax returns. Caraway was arrested in Boise, Idaho. She received six months of imprisonment, to be followed by one year of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment. This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service.
Ivan Padilla, 30, of Los Angeles, California, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson on October 16, 2017, for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. He received 60 months of imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment. This case was investigated by the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation.
Terry Lee Jervah, 59, of Cheyenne, Wyoming, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl on October 13, 2017, for bank robbery. Jervah was arrested in Cheyenne, Wyoming. He received 32 months of imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment. Restitution will be determined at a later date. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Juan Antonio Bautista, 25, of Gillette, Wyoming, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl on October 13, 2017, for distribution of methamphetamine and for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Bautista was arrested in Gillette, Wyoming. He received 54 months of imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay $250.00 in restitution and a $200.00 special assessment. This case was investigated by the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation.
Sentencings for October 10 - October 12, 2017Read the Press Release
Damien Anthony Jerome, a/k/a "Dey-Dey", 31, of Cheyenne, Wyoming, was sentenced by Chief Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal on October 12, 2017, for distribution of methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Jerome was arrested in Cheyenne, Wyoming. He received 211 months of imprisonment, to be followed by five years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay $1,000.00 in restitution and a $200.00 special assessment. This case was investigated by the Cheyenne Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Misael Diaz, 31, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl on October 12, 2017, for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Diaz was arrested in Gillette, Wyoming. He received 70 months of imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
John James Gravelis, 35, of Casper, Wyoming, was sentenced by Chief Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal on October 11, 2017, for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and use of a firearm during in relation to a drug trafficking crime. Gravelis was arrested in Casper, Wyoming. He received 120 months of imprisonment, to be followed by five years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $200.00 special assessment. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation.
Christopher Eugene Shaw, 32, of Cheyenne, Wyoming, was sentenced by Chief Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal on October 11, 2017, for conspiracy to distribute a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine and felon in possession of a firearm. Shaw was arrested in Cheyenne, Wyoming. He received 147 months of imprisonment, to be followed by four years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay $800.00 in restitution and a $200.00 special assessment. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Raymond Marshal Fruits, 41, of Lincoln City, Oregon, was sentenced by Chief Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal on October 10, 2017, on three counts for sale or transfer of a firearm to a prohibited person. Fruits was arrested in Portland, Oregon. He received 37 months of imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $300.00 special assessment. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Jeffrey Dennis Hunsaker, Jr., 20, of Nashville, Tennessee (formerly of Douglas, Wyoming), was sentenced by Chief Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal on October 10, 2017, for possession of child pornography. Hunsaker was arrested in Casper, Wyoming. He received 48 months of imprisonment, to be followed by ten years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay $9,000.00 in restitution and a $100.00 special assessment. This case was investigated by the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
David Allen Labriola, 33, was sentenced by Chief Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal on October 10, 2017, for possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, felon in possession of a firearm, and theft of firearms from federal firearms licensee. Labriola was arrested in Cheyenne, Wyoming. He received 101 months of imprisonment, to be followed by five years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $300.00 special assessment. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Sentencings for September 29 - October 5, 2017Read the Press Release
Ryan Christopher Fagan, 36, of Sheridan, Wyoming, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson on October 5, 2017, for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Fagan was arrested in Platte County, Wyoming. He received 41 months of imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay $250.00 in restitution and a $100.00 special assessment. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation.
Miguel Martinez-Morales, 35, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson on October 5, 2017, for illegal re-entry of a previously deported alien into the United States. Martinez-Morales was arrested in Campbell County, Wyoming. He received time served, plus ten days, was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment, and is subject to deportation upon release from custody. This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Jose Alberto Acuna, 31, of Casper, Wyoming, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson on October 3, 2017, for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Acuna was arrested in Green River, Wyoming. He received 120 months of imprisonment, to be followed four years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay $900.00 in restitution and a $100.00 special assessment. This case was investigated by the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation.
Dylan Thomas Blackburn, 20, of Riverton, Wyoming, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl on October 3, 2017, for assault resulting in serious bodily injury. Blackburn was arrested in Lander, Wyoming. He received 21 months of imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay $11,862.63 in restitution and a $100.00 special assessment. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
Ronald Detro Winder, 51, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson on October 2, 2017, for being a felon in possession of firearms. Winder was arrested in Gillette, Wyoming. He received 36 months of imprisonment, to be followed by two years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $200.00 fine and a $100.00 special assessment This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Lennace Louis Miller, 28, of Casper, Wyoming, was sentenced by Chief Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal on October 2, 2017, for being a felon in possession of a firearm. He received 51 months of imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $200.00 fine and a $100.00 special assessment. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Crawford Daniel Oldman, 28, of Riverton, Wyoming, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl on September 29, 2017, for assault resulting in serious bodily injury. Oldman was arrested in Lander, Wyoming. He received 18 months of imprisonment, to be followed by two years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment. Restitution in this matter will be determined at a later date. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Sentencings for September 22 - September 27, 2017Read the Press Release
Manuel Moreno, a/k/a Manuel Moreno Cirillo, 39, of Casper, Wyoming, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl on September 27, 2017, for conspiracy to counterfeit and forge obligations or securities of the United States and for counterfeiting and forging obligations or securities of the United States. Moreno was arrested in Casper, Wyoming. He received 37 months of imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $200.00 special assessment. This case was investigated by the Casper Police Department and the U.S. Secret Service.
Monserrat De La Pena-Camacho, 46, of Coahuila, Mexico, was sentenced by Chief Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal on September 26, 2017, for illegal re-entry of a previously deported alien into the United States. Pena-Camacho was arrested in Natrona County, Wyoming. He received time served, plus ten days, was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment, and is subject to deportation upon release from custody. This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Luis Javier Hernandez-Hernandez, 30, of Mexico City, Mexico, was sentenced by Chief Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal on September 26, 2017, for illegal re-entry of a previously deported alien into the United States. He received time served, plus ten days, was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment, and is subject to deportation upon release from custody. This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
William Lewellyn Curtis, 54, of Rock Springs, Wyoming, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson on September 22, 2017, for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Curtis was arrested in Sweetwater County, Wyoming. He received 57 months of imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay $900.00 in restitution and a $100.00 special assessment. This case was investigated by the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation.
James Franklin Alexander, 54, of Rock Springs, Wyoming, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson on September 22, 2017, for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Alexander was arrested in Sweetwater County. He received 24 months of imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay $400.00 in restitution and a $100.00 special assessment. This case was investigated by the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation.
Pocatello Man Sentenced to Thirty Years in Federal Prison for Bank Robbery in Green RiverRead the Press Release
CHEYENNE – Donald Sample, aka Donald Alexander Sheriff, age 60, of Pocatello, Idaho, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson to serve 360 months (30 years) in federal prison for bank robbery and the use of a firearm, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Green River Police Department (GRPD) of Wyoming announced. He was ordered by Judge Johnson to pay $178,375 in restitution. Sheriff was convicted after a jury trial on June 30, 2017 and was sentenced on September 5, 2017 to serve 276 months (23 years) for the bank robbery and 84 months (7 years) for use of a firearm during the crime. He will serve the two sentences consecutively and remained in federal custody at the end of the hearing.
On June 1, 2013, Sheriff robbed the Wyochem Federal Credit Union in Green River, Wyoming of $175,300, which is the largest single loss in Wyoming history. This robbery was more sophisticated than a "typical" bank robbery. Sheriff had "cased" the bank prior to conducting the robbery, wore a fake beard as a disguise and latex gloves in an attempt not to leave fingerprints or DNA. He also wore an earbud connected to a police scanner enabling him to hear local police calls. Prior to the robbery, Sheriff had disabled the rear lock of the credit union, forcing the victim teller to a door where he was lying in wait.
Upon her arrival at the door, Sheriff confronted the victim teller, produced a firearm, and forced her inside the credit union. He then made her deactivate the alarm and open the vault. He emptied the vault and placed the money inside a garbage bag. Sheriff then made the victim teller lie on the floor, where he used flex ties to bind her hands behind her back before binding her feet together. Sheriff was in the credit union less than ten minutes. The Green River Police Department was first to respond and contacted the FBI.
On August 26, 2013, another bank robbery occurred at the 1st National Bank in Afton, Wyoming, where the robber wore a false beard, earbud, and a latex glove. The Afton Police Department, Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, and the Wyoming Highway Patrol responded and took Sheriff into custody twenty miles south of Afton a short time later. Inside his vehicle, police found earbuds, latex gloves, a false beard, a police scanner, an Apple iPhone wrapped in tinfoil, the bank robbery demand note, as well as about $8,000 in cash from the bank.
In March 2014, Sheriff pleaded guilty to the state charges of robbery and being a habitual criminal. He was sentenced to twenty to thirty-five years of imprisonment in the custody of the Wyoming Department of Corrections.
Sheriff was categorized as an armed career criminal based on his conviction for ten prior bank robberies between 1982 and 1989. Sheriff was released from his 1989 prison sentence on 2008 and successfully completed supervised release in 2011.
The Green River Police Department was an indispensable partner with the FBI, working hand in hand throughout the three-year investigation to bring Sheriff to justice. The FBI utilized resources from the FBI Laboratory, the FBI Denver Division, FBI Salt Lake City Division, and the FBI Milwaukee Division. A successful prosecution would not have been possible without the support of the Afton Police Department, the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, and the Wyoming Department of Corrections.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie I. Sprecher.
Sentencings for September 5 - 7, 2017Read the Press Release
Jose Melendez-Tarin, 31, formerly of Greeley, Colorado, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson on September 7, 2017, for conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. Melendez-Tarin was arrested in Mexico City, Mexico and extradited to the United States. He received 85 months of imprisonment, to be followed by four years of supervised release, was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment, and is subject to deportation upon release from custody. This case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the United States Marshals Service.
Gerardo Reyes-Salinas, 21, of Tepic, Nayarit, Republic of Mexico, was sentenced by Chief Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal on September 5, 2017, for illegal re-entry of a previously deported alien into the United States. Reyes-Salinas was arrested in Sweetwater County, Wyoming. He received time served, plus ten days, was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment, and is subject to deportation upon release from custody. This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Sentencings for August 24 & 31, 2017Read the Press Release
Frisnel Guerrier, 38, of Randolph, Massachusetts, was sentenced by Chief Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal on August 31, 2017, for possession with intent to distribute 50 kilograms or more of marijuana. Guerrier was arrested in Cheyenne, Wyoming. He received time served, to be followed by three years of supervised release, was ordered to pay a $10.00 special assessment and restitution in the amount of $1,000.00. This case was investigated by the Wyoming Highway Patrol and the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation.
Victor Manuel Pol-Ventura, 28, of Joyabaj, Guatemala, was sentenced by Chief Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal on August 31, 2017, for illegal re-entry of a previously deported alien into the United States. Pol-Ventura was arrested in Jackson, Wyoming. He received time served, plus ten days, was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment, and is subject to deportation upon release from custody. This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Bruce Michael Latorre, 54, of Ferndale, California, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl on August 24, 2017, for interstate travel in aid of racketeering enterprise and for conspiracy to distribute marijuana. Latorre received 24 months of imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $200.00 special assessment and restitution in the amount of $1,800.00. This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations.
Sentencings for August 16, 2017Read the Press Release
Matthew Wayne Miller, 24, of Cheyenne, Wyoming, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl on August 16, 2017, for being a felon in possession of firearms. Miller was arrested in Cheyenne, Wyoming. He received 41 months of imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment and a $500.00 fine. This case was investigated by the Cheyenne Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
John T. Rudnick, 63, of Indianapolis, Indiana, was sentenced by Chief Magistrate Judge Kelly H. Rankin on August 16, 2017, for contempt of court. Mr. Rudnick intentionally provided misleading and inaccurate information to questions during a deposition in a bankruptcy case and his misbehavior obstructed the administration of justice. Rudnick was ordered to pay a $10.00 special assessment and a $5,000.00 fine. This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Scott Eugene Bronson, 33, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl on August 16, 2017, for possession of a machine gun. Bronson received 80 months of imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment. This case was investigated by the Sheridan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Rashaan Fredrick Burton, 40, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl on August 16, 2017, for conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine. Burton was arrested in Gillette, Wyoming. He received 160 months of imprisonment, to be followed by four years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment. This case was investigated by the Campbell County Sheriff’s Office, the Gillette Police Department, and the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation.
Sentencings for August 1 - August 10, 2017Read the Press Release
Michelle Lisa Stout, 33, of Cheyenne, Wyoming, was sentenced by Chief Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal on August 10, 2017, for conspiracy to commit bank fraud and theft of mail. Stout was arrested in Cheyenne, Wyoming. She received 41 months of imprisonment, to be followed by five years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $200.00 special assessment and $17,247.29 in restitution. This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service.
Anibal Ulloa-Martinez, 35, of Saba, Colon, Honduras, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson on August 10, 2017, for illegal re-entry of a previously deported alien into the United States. Ulloa-Martinez was arrested in Jackson, Wyoming. He received time served, plus ten days, was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment, and is subject to deportation upon release from custody. This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Isidoro Arizandi Sosa-Garcia, 27, of Apizaco, Tlaxcala, Mexico, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson on August 9, 2017, for illegal re-entry of a previously deported alien into the United States. Sosa-Garcia was arrested in Jackson, Wyoming. He received time served, plus ten days, was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment, and is subject to deportation upon release from custody. This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Mariano Velasco-Perez, 44, of Tlaxcala, Tlaxcala, Mexico, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson on August 9, 2017, for illegal re-entry of a previously deported alien into the United States. Velasco-Perez was arrested in Jackson, Wyoming. He received time served, plus ten days, was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment, and is subject to deportation upon release from custody. This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Amie Marie Lindauer, 46, of Cheyenne, Wyoming, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson on August 8, 2017, for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Lindauer was arrested in Sheridan, Wyoming. She received 63 months of imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment and $500.00 in restitution. This case results from an ongoing Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) joint investigation conducted by the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.
Aaron James Blake, 41, of Gillette, Wyoming, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson on August 3, 2017, for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Blake was arrested in Gillette, Wyoming. He received 120 months of imprisonment, to be followed by five years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment and $500.00 in restitution. This case was investigated by the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Evanston Police Department.
Jude James Jenkins, 26, of Arapahoe, Wyoming, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl on August 1, 2017, for assault resulting in serious bodily injury. Jenkins was arrested in Fort Washakie, Wyoming. He received 38 months of imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment and $39,724.21 in restitution. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
Matthew Wade Howard, 32, of Riverton, Wyoming, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl on August 1, 2017, for possession of firearm by a person subject to a domestic violence protective order, possession of stolen firearm, and possession of an unregistered firearm. Howard was arrested in Lander, Wyoming. He received 54 months of imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $300.00 special assessment and a $300.00 fine. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office.
Sentencings for July 31 - August 3, 2017Read the Press Release
Jose Ulices Valenzuela-Gradiz, 35, of San Marcos de Colon, Choluteca, Honduras, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson on August 3, 2017, for illegal re-entry of a previously deported alien into the United States. Valenzuela-Gradiz was arrested in Worland, Wyoming. He received time served, plus ten days, was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment, and is subject to deportation upon release from custody. This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Fermin Fidencio Fausto, 38, of Evanston, Wyoming, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl on August 1, 2017, for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Fausto was arrested in Evanston, Wyoming. He received 72 months of imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment and a $250.00 fine. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Chase Mckay Stagner, 21, of Chico, California, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl on August 1, 2017, for two counts of production of child pornography. Stagner was arrested in California. He received 180 months of imprisonment, to be followed by 15 years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $200.00 special assessment and a $5,000.00 Justice for Victims Trafficking Act assessment. This case was investigated by the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Christian Alberto Zamorano-Duran, 25, of Cajeme, Sonora, Mexico, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson on July 31, 2017, for illegal re-entry of a previously deported alien into the United States. Zamorano-Duran was arrested in Casper, Wyoming. He received time served, plus ten days, was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment, and is subject to deportation upon release from custody. This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Sentencings for July 21 - July 24, 2017Read the Press Release
Filiberto Santos-Escareno, 24, of Mexico, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson on July 24, 2017, for illegal re-entry of a previously deported alien into the United States. Santos-Escareno was arrested in Casper, Wyoming. He received time served, plus ten days, was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment, and is subject to deportation upon release from custody. This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Jose Santos Yuriar, 31, of Phoenix, Arizona, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl on July 21, 2017, for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and for money laundering. Yuriar was arrested in Phoenix, Arizona. He received 87 months of imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $200.00 special assessment and $300.00 in restitution. This case was investigated by the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation, the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Internal Revenue Service.
Brian Thomas Yuriar, 22, of Phoenix, Arizona, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl on July 21, 2017, for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and for conspiracy to launder money. Yuriar was arrested in Phoenix, Arizona. He received 87 months of imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $200.00 special assessment and $300.00 in restitution. This case was investigated by the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation, the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Internal Revenue Service.
Sentencings for July 14 - 20, 2017Read the Press Release
Osvaldo Santos-Escarenio, 25, of Mexico, was sentenced by Chief Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal on July 20, 2017, for illegal re-entry of a previously deported alien into the United States. Santos-Escarenio was arrested in Casper, Wyoming. He received time served, plus ten days, was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment and is subject to deportation upon release from custody. This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Jeffrey Scott Lee, 61, of Laramie, Wyoming, was sentenced by Chief Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal on July 20, 2017, on two counts of possession of child pornography. Lee was arrested in Laramie, Wyoming. He received 27 months of imprisonment, to be followed by seven years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $200.00 special assessment and $6,000.00 in restitution. This case was investigated by the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
Adam Michael Hansen, 28, of Camas, Washington, was sentenced by Chief Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal on July 18, 2017, for unlawful possession of a destructive device. Hansen was arrested in Portland, Oregon. He received 37 months of imprisonment, to be followed by three year of supervised release, was order to pay a $100.00 special assessment and a $400.00 fine. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Matt Brandon Bell, 35, of Cheyenne, Wyoming, was sentenced by Chief Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal on July 18, 2017 for attempting to access with intent to view child pornography. Bell appeared pursuant to a summons. He was placed on supervised probation for a term of ten years, with the first eight months of probation to be served on home detention. Bell was also ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment and a $400.00 fine. This case was investigated by the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
Timothy Alan Lee, 37, of Casper, Wyoming, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl on July 14, 2017, for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Lee was arrested in Casper, Wyoming. He received 46 months of imprisonment, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Sentencings for July 7 - July 11, 2017Read the Press Release
Harold Duane Friday, 20, of Fort Washakie, Wyoming, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl on July 11, 2017, on three counts of abusive sexual contact. Friday was arrested in Fort Washakie, Wyoming. He received 144 months of imprisonment, to be followed by 15 years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $300.00 special assessment and $952.36 in restitution. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
Carlos Daniel Jara-Tinoco, 25, of Durango, Mexico, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl on July 11, 2017, for illegal alien in possession of a firearm. Jara-Tinoco was arrested in Cheyenne, Wyoming. He received seven months of imprisonment, to be followed by one year of supervised release, was order to pay a $100.00 special assessment, and is subject to deportation upon release from custody. This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Jeffery Mark Quigley, 32, of Cheyenne, Wyoming, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson on July 10, 2017, for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and for possession of a firearm by a person convicted of domestic violence. Quigley was arrested in Cheyenne, Wyoming. He received 135 months of imprisonment, to be followed by four years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $200.00 special assessment and $400.00 in restitution. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Randi Nicole Gunderson, 30, of Thornton, Colorado, was sentenced by Chief Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal on July 7, 2017, for conspiracy to commit bank fraud and for aggravated identity theft. Gunderson was arrested in Cheyenne, Wyoming. She received 64 months of imprisonment, to be followed by four years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $200.00 special assessment and $17,247.29 in restitution. This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service.
John Todd Allen, 55, of Casper, Wyoming, was recently sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson for conspiracy to distribute in excess of one pound of methamphetamine. Allen received 120 months of imprisonment, to be followed by five years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment and $1,500.00 in restitution. This case was investigated by the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
Colorado Podiatrist Sentenced to Prison for Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
A Fort Collins podiatrist was sentenced to serve six (6) months in prison and pay a $20,000 fine for fraudulently billing Medicare for routine foot care services, announced Acting United States Attorney John Green.
According to court filings, Dr. Michael Thomas, age 55, pleaded guilty to eight counts of health care fraud arising from a scheme to bill Medicare for toenail trimming, which is not covered by Medicare, as if it were nail debridement, which is a more serious procedure that may be covered if certain clinical criteria are met. As part of the scheme, Thomas created medical records that falsely reported clinical evidence which would justify Medicare coverage for nail debridement even though Thomas did not properly examine the beneficiary and did not find the reported clinical evidence. Thomas also fraudulently submitted nail debridement claims to Medicare when he only trimmed the beneficiary’s toenails, and when he did not provide any service at all to the beneficiary. Thomas employed this scheme to defraud Medicare for at least five years from December 2011 through November 2016.
In addition to the prison sentence and fine, Thomas must pay $40,460 in restitution to Medicare and complete 2 years of supervised release at the end of his prison term.
"Health care fraud is a serious crime that deserves time behind bars," said Acting U.S. Attorney John Green. "Even the short prison sentence imposed here sends a clear message to health care providers that stealing from American taxpayers will not be tolerated."
Steve Hanson, Special Agent in Charge, United States Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, Kansas City Region, stated, "In order to protect our Medicare and Medicaid programs from unscrupulous health care providers, our office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to pursue those who overbill our programs for services they did not provide to our beneficiaries."
The sentence was imposed on June 22 in Cheyenne by the Honorable Alan Johnson, United States District Court Judge for the District of Wyoming.
This case was investigated by special agents from the United States Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Wyoming Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, and prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Wyoming.
Sentencings for June 16 - June 22, 2017Read the Press Release
Jose Chavez-Barragan, 29, of Cotija, Michoacan, Mexico, was sentenced by Chief Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal on June 22, 2017, for illegal re-entry of a previously deported alien into the United States. Chavez-Barragan was arrested in Cheyenne, Wyoming. He received time served, plus 10 days, was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment, and is subject to deportation upon release from custody. This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Leonardo Leon-Jaime, 34, of Cueramero, Guanajuato, Mexico, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson on June 22, 2017, for illegal re-entry of a previously deported alien into the United States. Leon-Jaime was arrested in Cheyenne, Wyoming. He received nine months of imprisonment, was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment, and is subject to deportation upon release from custody. This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Edwin de Jesus Roque-Toledo, 28, of Pijijapan, Chiapas, Mexico, was sentenced by Chief Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal on June 22, 2017, for illegal re-entry of a previously deported alien into the United States. Roque-Toledo was arrested in Cheyenne, Wyoming. He received time served, plus 10 days, was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment, and is subject to deportation upon release from custody. This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
William Jay Lonebear, 62, of Arapahoe, Wyoming, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl on June 20, 2017, for theft of personal property. Lonebear was arrested in Riverton, Wyoming. He received time served, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment and $64,879.99 in restitution. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
Martin Patrick Stenger, 62, of Cheyenne, Wyoming, was sentenced by Chief Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal on June 19, 2017, for conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine and for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Stenger received 181 months of imprisonment, to be followed by five years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $200.00 special assessment and $500.00 in restitution. This case results from an ongoing Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) joint investigation conducted by the Laramie Police Department, the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.
Cynthia Julissa Lemus, 32, of Gillette, Wyoming, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl on June 16, 2017, for conspiracy to distribute a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine. Lemus was arrested in Gillette, Wyoming. She received 46 months of imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment. This case was investigated by the Gillette Police Department, the Campbell County Sheriff’s Office, the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Sentencings for June 8 - June 13, 2017Read the Press Release
Russell Leroy Tanner, 65, of Rock Springs, Wyoming, was sentenced by Chief Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal, on June 13, 2017, for possession of child pornography. Tanner was arrested in Sweetwater County, Wyoming. He received 97 months of imprisonment, to be followed by ten years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $5,000.00 Justice for Victims of Trafficking Crimes assessment, $15,000.00 in restitution, a $100.00 special assessment and a $400.00 fine. This case was investigated by the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and the U.S. Homeland Security Investigations.
Jonathan Peter Roybal, 36, of Rock Springs, Wyoming, was sentenced by Chief Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal, on June 13, 2017, for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Roybal received 84 months of imprisonment, to be followed by four years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment and $250.00 in restitution. This case was investigated by the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation.
Zachary Richard Fuhrer, 33, of Casper, Wyoming, was sentenced by Chief Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal, on June 13, 2017, for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Fuhrer received 46 months of imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Kenneth Eugene Spraker, 49, of Cheyenne, Wyoming, was sentenced by Chief Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal, on June 13, 2017, for conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Spraker received 60 months of imprisonment, to be followed by five years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $200.00 special assessment and $250.00 in restitution. This case results from an ongoing Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) joint investigation conducted by the Laramie Police Department, the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.
Colton Gerald Musgrave, 26, of Cheyenne, Wyoming, was sentenced by Chief Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal on June 8, 2017, for carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime and for possession with intent to distribute over 50 grams of pure methamphetamine. Musgrave was arrested in Sweetwater County, Wyoming. He received 120 months of imprisonment, to be followed by four years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $200.00 special assessment and $400.00 in restitution. This case was investigated by the Rock Springs Police Department/Street Crimes Unit, the Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Office and the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation.
Sentencings for June 5 - June 7, 2017Read the Press Release
Elijah Alon Algiene, 24, of Aurora, Colorado, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson, on June 7, 2017, for being a felon in possession of firearms. Algiene was arrested in Casper, Wyoming. He received 37 months of imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment and a $300.00 fine. This case was investigated by the Casper Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Sherman George Quiver, 33, of Ethete, Wyoming, was sentenced by Chief Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal, on June 6, 2017, for sexual abuse in Indian Country. Quiver was arrested in Ethete, Wyoming. He received 120 months of imprisonment, to be followed by seven years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment and $1,709.65 in restitution. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Office of Justice Services
James Sandfer, 54, of Riverton, Wyoming, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson, on June 5, 2017, for possession of child pornography. Sandfer was arrested in Riverton, Wyoming. He received 46 months of imprisonment, to be followed by five years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment and a $400.00 fine. This case was investigated by the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Casey Ray Woolsey, 31, of Denver, Colorado, was sentenced by Chief Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal, on June 5, 2017, for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Woolsey was arrested in Sundance, Wyoming. He received 100 months of imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment and a $500.00 fine. This case was investigated by the Moorcroft Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Jason Robert Slowik, 41, of Rawlins, Wyoming, was sentenced by Chief Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal, on June 5, 2017, for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Slowik was arrested in Rawlins, Wyoming. He received 120 months of imprisonment, to be followed by five years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment and $400.00 in restitution. This case was investigated by the Rawlins Police Department, the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
David Castillo-Gonzalez, 23, of Denver, Colorado, was sentenced by Chief Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal, on June 5, 2017, for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Castillo-Gonzalez was arrested in Cheyenne, Wyoming. He received 120 months of imprisonment, to be followed by five years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment and $900.00 in restitution. This case was investigated by the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation, and the United States Drug Enforcement Administration.
Sentencings for May 26 - June 2, 2017Read the Press Release
Daniel R. Gerken, 35, of Gillette, Wyoming, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson on June 2, 2017, for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and for use and carry of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime. Gerken was arrested in Gillette, Wyoming. He received 120 months of imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $200.00 special assessment and $250.00 in restitution. This case was investigated by the Campbell County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Heather Dayle Gould, 29, of Lander, Wyoming, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson on June 1, 2017, on one count of Medicaid fraud and one count of Food Stamp fraud. Gould was arrested in Lander, Wyoming. She received three years of probation and was ordered to pay $20,807.65 in restitution. This case was investigated by the Fraud and Recovery Unit of the Department of Family Services.
William David Larson, 19, of Casper, Wyoming, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson on June 1, 2017, for transportation of child pornography. Larson was arrested in Casper, Wyoming. He received 168 months of imprisonment, to be followed by ten years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment and $3,000.00 in restitution. This case was investigated by the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and U.S. Homeland Security Investigations.
Kennith Joseph Cassady, 41, of Gillette, Wyoming, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson on May 30, 2017, for conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Cassady self-surrendered in Casper, Wyoming. He received 110 months of imprisonment, to be followed by four years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment and $250.00 in restitution. This case was investigated by the Laramie Police Department, the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation, and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
Diego Armando Medrano-Lopez, 23, of Chihuahua, Mexico, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson on May 26, 2017, for illegal re-entry of a previously deported alien into the United States. Medrano-Lopez was arrested in Gillette, Wyoming. He received time served, plus ten days, was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment, and is subject to deportation upon release from custody. This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Rosalio Solis-Solorio, 30, of Michoacán, Mexico, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson on May 26, 2017, for illegal re-entry of a previously deported alien into the United States. Solis-Solorio was arrested in Cheyenne, Wyoming. He received time served, plus ten days, was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment, and is subject to deportation upon release from custody. This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Ricardo Vazquez-Martinez, 41, of Michoacán, Mexico, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson on May 26, 2017, for illegal re-entry of a previously deported alien into the United States. Vazquez-Martinez was arrested in Casper, Wyoming. He received time served, plus ten days, was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment, and is subject to deportation upon release from custody. This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Orin Loos, 69, of Cheyenne, Wyoming, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson on May 26, 2017, for possession of child pornography. Loos received five years of probation and was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment and $15,080.00 in restitution. This case was investigated by the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and the U.S. Homeland Security Investigations.
Daniel R. Gerken, 35, of Gillette, Wyoming, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson on June 2, 2017, for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and for use and carry of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime. Gerken was arrested in Gillette, Wyoming. He received 120 months of imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $200.00 special assessment and $250.00 in restitution. This case was investigated by the Campbell County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Heather Dayle Gould, 29, of Lander, Wyoming, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson on June 1, 2017, on one count of Medicaid fraud and one count of Food Stamp fraud. Gould was arrested in Lander, Wyoming. She received three years of probation and was ordered to pay $20,807.65 in restitution. This case was investigated by the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services.
William David Larson, 19, of Casper, Wyoming, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson on June 1, 2017, for transportation of child pornography. Larson was arrested in Casper, Wyoming. He received 168 months of imprisonment, to be followed by ten years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment and $3,000.00 in restitution. This case was investigated by the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and U.S. Homeland Security Investigations.
Kennith Joseph Cassady, 41, of Gillette, Wyoming, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson on May 30, 2017, for conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Cassady self-surrendered in Casper, Wyoming. He received 110 months of imprisonment, to be followed by four years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment and $250.00 in restitution. This case was investigated by the Laramie Police Department, the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation, and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
Diego Armando Medrano-Lopez, 23, of Chihuahua, Mexico, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson on May 26, 2017, for illegal re-entry of a previously deported alien into the United States. Medrano-Lopez was arrested in Gillette, Wyoming. He received time served, plus ten days, was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment, and is subject to deportation upon release from custody. This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Rosalio Solis-Solorio, 30, of Michoacán, Mexico, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson on May 26, 2017, for illegal re-entry of a previously deported alien into the United States. Solis-Solorio was arrested in Cheyenne, Wyoming. He received time served, plus ten days, was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment, and is subject to deportation upon release from custody. This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Ricardo Vazquez-Martinez, 41, of Michoacán, Mexico, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson on May 26, 2017, for illegal re-entry of a previously deported alien into the United States. Vazquez-Martinez was arrested in Casper, Wyoming. He received time served, plus ten days, was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment, and is subject to deportation upon release from custody. This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Orin Loos, 69, of Cheyenne, Wyoming, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson on May 26, 2017, for possession of child pornography. Loos received five years of probation and was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment and $15,080.00 in restitution. This case was investigated by the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and the U.S. Homeland Security Investigations.
Sentencings for May 24 - May 25, 2017Read the Press Release
Christopher Buchholz, 31, was sentenced by Chief Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal on May 25, 2017, for conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine and for use of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime. Buchholz was arrested in Sheridan, Wyoming. He received 72 months of imprisonment, to be followed by four years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $200.00 special assessment and $250.00 in restitution. This case was investigated by the Sheridan Police Department, the Sheridan County Sheriff’s Office, and the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation.
Richard John Anderson, 52, of Cheyenne, Wyoming, was sentenced by Chief Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal on May 25, 2017, for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Anderson was arrested in Cheyenne, Wyoming. He received 30 months of imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment. This case was investigated by the Cheyenne Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Melissa Millard, 35, of Billings, Montana, was sentenced by Chief Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal on May 25, 2017, for conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine. Millard was arrested in Sheridan, Wyoming. She received 57 months of imprisonment, to be followed by four years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment and $600.00 in restitution. This case was investigated by the Sheridan Police Department, the Sheridan County Sheriff’s Office, and the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation.
Jose Del Carmen Olivares-Silva, 42, of Mexico, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson on May 24, 2017, for illegal re-entry of a previously deported alien into the United States. Olivares-Silva was arrested in Cheyenne, Wyoming. He received time served, plus ten days, was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment, and is subject to deportation upon release from custody. This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Vidal Jimenez-Herrera, 26, of Mexico, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson on May 24, 2017, for illegal re-entry of a previously deported alien into the United States. Jimenez-Herrera was arrested in Torrington, Wyoming. He received time served, plus ten days,
was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment, and is subject to deportation upon release from custody. This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Neil George Downard, Jr., 31, of Custer, Washington, was sentenced by Chief Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal on May 24, 2017, for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine and for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Downard, Jr., was arrested in Gillette, Wyoming. He received 120 months of imprisonment, to be followed by four years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $200.00 special assessment and $400.00 in restitution. This case was investigated by the Campbell County Sheriff’s Office, the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Austin Burroughs, 25, of Auburn, New York, was sentenced by Chief Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal on May 24, 2017, for conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine and for use of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime. Burroughs was arrested in Sheridan, Wyoming. He received 60 months and 191 days of imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $200.00 special assessment and $400.00 in restitution. This case was investigated by the Sheridan Police Department, the Sheridan County Sheriff’s Office, and the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation.
Enrique Rodriguez-Cabrera, 33, of Mexico, was sentenced by Chief Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal on May 24, 2017, for illegal re-entry of a previously deported alien into the United States. Rodriguez-Cabrera was arrested in Cheyenne, Wyoming. He received time served, plus ten days, was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment, and is subject to deportation upon release from custody. This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Stefano Martin Bowling, 41, of Arvada, Colorado, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl on May 24, 2017, for conspiracy to distribute a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine. Bowling was arrested in Denver, Colorado. He received 58 months of imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment and $250.00 in restitution. This case was investigated by the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation.
Patrick Gene Patterson, 37, of Grants, New Mexico, was sentenced by Federal District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson on May 23, 2017, for conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Patterson was arrested in Gillette, Wyoming. He received 135 months of imprisonment, to be followed by five years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment and $500.00 in restitution. This case was investigated by the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
Travis Aaron Benson, 41, of Casper, Wyoming, was sentenced by Chief Federal District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal on May 24, 2017, for possession of child pornography. Benson was arrested in Laramie, Wyoming. He received 37 months of imprisonment, to be followed by five years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100.00 special assessment and $14,000.00 in restitution. This case was investigated by the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.