District of Arizona

PHOENIX, Ariz. – On Monday, James Steele Saunders, 60, of Kingman, Arizona, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge John J. Tuchi to 12 months and 1 day in prison. Saunders previously pleaded guilty to Tax Evasion. 

Saunders evaded paying taxes for 15 years. Between 2003 and 2013, Saunders failed to file timely income tax returns with the IRS. In 2009, an IRS revenue officer was assigned to collect taxes owed by Saunders for tax year 2003 and to solicit the filing of tax returns for tax years 2004-2008.  Saunders did not cooperate with the IRS and failed to pay what he owed.  In 2014, Saunders began to funnel his income through third parties in an attempt to deceive the IRS. He continued this practice until February 2018.

In addition to his prison sentence, the Court ordered Saunders to pay $180,079 in restitution to the IRS, which represents the federal income taxes Saunders failed to pay for tax years 2008 through 2017.     

IRS-Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew Stone, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:           CR-21-00331-PHX-JJT
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022- 093_Saunders

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PHOENIX, Ariz. – Rolando Jesus Quintero, 33, of Casa Blanca, Arizona, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Diane J. Humetewa to seven years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Quintero previously pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

On February 17, 2021, Quintero was found in possession of 54 grams of methamphetamine and a .22 caliber rifle. Quintero is an enrolled member of the Gila River Indian Community.

The FBI and the Gila River Police Department conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Raynette Logan, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:           CR-21-00996-01-PHX-DJH
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-095_Quintero

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TUCSON, Ariz. – Last week, Anthony Michael Brumfield, 24, of Tucson, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Scott H. Rash to 57 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Brumfield previously pleaded guilty to one count of Possession of a Machine Gun. 

On February 12, 2020, Brumfield posted a video on his social media account showing him in possession of two conversion devices, which are designed to convert Glock pistols into automatic firearms. These conversion devices are defined as machine guns under federal law. On the same date, Brumfield sold one of the conversion devices to another individual. 

“Conversion devices like the ones possessed by the defendant are inherently dangerous,” said United States Attorney Gary Restaino. “And let’s be clear: these aren’t used for hunting, or for personal protection. These devices are drivers of violence in communities across America.”

This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:            CR-20-00889-TUC-SHR (EJM)
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-092_Brumfield

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PHOENIX, Ariz. – Leroy Bedell, Sr., 44, of Parker, Ariz., was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge John J. Tuchi to 100 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Bedell previously pleaded guilty to robbery. 

On November 7, 2020, Bedell threatened the victim with a shotgun at a gas station in Parker, Arizona. Bedell then drove off in the victim’s vehicle but was stopped shortly after. While arresting Bedell, law enforcement seized a shotgun from inside the victim’s vehicle, and it matched the victim’s description of the shotgun used by Bedell during the robbery. Bedell is a member of the Colorado River Indian Tribes (“CRIT”) and the robbery occurred on the CRIT Indian Reservation.

The FBI and the CRIT PD conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christina J. Reid-Moore, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:           CR-21-00548-PHX-JJT
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022- 090_Bedell

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PHOENIX, Ariz. – Carlton Sandoval, 43, of Fort Defiance, Arizona, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge John J. Tuchi to 27 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Sandoval previously pleaded guilty to Felon in Possession of a Firearm.

On January 4, 2020, Navajo Nation police pulled Sandoval over for a traffic violation near Chinle, Arizona and discovered Sandoval had a firearm. Sandoval, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, is a convicted felon and prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition. 

The FBI and the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Samuels, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:           CR-21-08027-PCT-JJT
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-091_Sandoval

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TUCSON, Ariz. – Last week, Sigfrido Adolfo Rivero, 56, of Nogales, Arizona, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Scott H. Rash to 121 months in federal prison, followed by 120 months of supervised release. Rivero previously pleaded guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl. 

On May 19, 2021, Rivero was arrested as he attempted to pass through the Interstate 19 immigration checkpoint near Amado, Arizona, after it was discovered that he had approximately 190,000 pills (19.24 kilograms) of fentanyl hidden in his vehicle. In a previous case, Rivero was sentenced to 10 years in state prison for trafficking bulk quantities of methamphetamine and cocaine. Rivero served most of that sentence before being released, and was on parole for about five months when he committed this new drug trafficking crime. 

“The United States Attorney’s Office in the District of Arizona is committed to combatting the fentanyl epidemic plaguing this country and will advocate vigorously for appropriately strict punishment for those involved in the distribution of this dangerous drug,” said U.S. Attorney Gary Restaino.  

Members of the Counter Narcotics Alliance, including the Drug Enforcement Administration and Customs and Border Protection’s U.S. Border Patrol, conducted the investigation in this case. The Counter Narcotics Alliance is a multi-jurisdictional drug task force operating in the Pima County and Greater Tucson area. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael R. Lizano, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:            CR-21-01382-SHR(LCK)
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-089_Rivero

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TUCSON, Ariz. – Last week, Sheldon Shaun Hibbert, 43, most recently of Orlando, Florida, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Scott H. Rash to 48 months in prison. Hibbert previously pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering. 

Hibbert participated in a scheme where scammers called elderly victims and falsely stated they had won a lottery. To receive their “winnings,” the victims were told they must first submit money for taxes and fees. Hibbert’s role in the scheme was to help launder the fraudulent proceeds to Jamaica on behalf of his co-conspirators. As part of his sentence, the court also ordered a forfeiture money judgment against Hibbert totaling $196,523. A restitution hearing has been scheduled for August 5, 2022.   

IRS - Criminal Investigation, FBI, United States Postal Inspection Service, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation in the case. The Financial Crimes and Public Corruption section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution. 

CASE NUMBER: CR-19-1973-TUC-SHR    
RELEASE NUMBER: 2022-088_Hibbert    

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TUCSON, Ariz. – On Friday, brothers Osmar Martinez-Ochoa, 30, and Hector Martinez-Ochoa, 28, of Tucson, were sentenced by U.S. District Judge John C. Hinderaker to each serve 11 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. The Martinez-Ochoa brothers previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute heroin, fentanyl, and methamphetamine. 

The investigation in this case revealed that the Martinez-Ochoa brothers ran a drug trafficking organization that supplied street dealers in Tucson. Over the course of the investigation, the brothers and their organization were responsible for the distribution or possession with intent to distribute at least 10 kilograms of “ice” methamphetamine, 1.44 kilograms of heroin, and 180 grams of fentanyl. As part of a series of search warrants executed in this case, agents seized five firearms, including an AK-47 style assault rifle, and more than $50,000.00 in cash from the Martinez-Ochoa brothers.

The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation in this case, with assistance from the Tucson Counter Narcotics Alliance, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department, the Tucson Police Department, and the Oro Valley Police Department. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:            CR-20-1864-01 and -02-TUC-JCH (LCK)
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-087_Martinez-Ochoa

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TUCSON, Ariz. – Last week, Miguel Angel Acatzihua-Temoxtle, 25, a citizen and national of Mexico, was arrested on two counts of Assault on a Federal Officer and Assault on a Federal Officer with the Use of a Deadly or Dangerous Weapon. Acatzihua-Temoxtle was charged by criminal complaint and had his initial appearance before United States Magistrate Judge Leslie A. Bowman on Thursday.

On May 31, 2022, Border Patrol Agents working near Newfield, Arizona received information that several groups of undocumented non-citizens were passing through the Baboquivari Mountain range. Agents inspected the area and found several individuals, including Acatzihua-Temoxtle.

Acatzihua-Temoxtle fled from the agents by running up the side of a wash. In his effort to flee, Acatzihua-Temoxtle kicked several large boulders to slow the pursuit of one of the agents. While Border Patrol was trying to detain him, Acatzihua-Temoxtle physically assaulted two of the agents, including by attempting to strangle one agent with his own lanyard.

Convictions for assault on a federal officer carry a maximum penalty of 8 years in prison, and up to a $250,000 fine. Assault on a federal officer with the use of a deadly or dangerous weapon carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and up to a $250,000 fine.

A criminal complaint is simply the method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until competent evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

Customs and Border Protection’s U.S. Border Patrol conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Raquel Arellano, District of Arizona, Tucson, is handling the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER: 22-03230MJ-1
RELEASE NUMBER: 2022-086_Acatzihua-Temoxtle

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TUCSON, Ariz. – Selene Marie Camacho, 48, of Tucson, Arizona, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Rosemary Márquez to four years in prison, followed by four years of supervised release. Camacho previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine. 

The investigation into the case revealed that Camacho operated as a courier, retrieving narcotics that were transported into the United States on foot. Camacho was arrested in Tucson on June 30, 2020 after retrieving a load of narcotics near Mount Hopkins, Arizona. At the time of her arrest, Camacho was driving a vehicle that was transporting three backpacks containing approximately 1.46 kilograms of cocaine, 342.5 grams of heroin, and 19.19 kilograms of methamphetamine, as well as a loaded handgun magazine.

Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation in this case, with assistance from Customs and Border Protection’s U.S. Border Patrol. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:            CR-20-2246-01-TUC-RM
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-085_Camacho

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PHOENIX, Ariz. – On Wednesday, Kristopher Lionel Goldtooth, 38, of Tuba City, Arizona, was sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge David G. Campbell to 262 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Goldtooth previously pleaded guilty to one count of second degree murder.

On April 24, 2019, Goldtooth intentionally shot the victim in the face with a shotgun, killing him. The murder took place on the Navajo Nation Indian Reservation, where Goldtooth is an enrolled tribal member.    

The FBI and the Navajo Nation Department of Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan Powell and Amy Chang, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:           CR-19-08108-PCT-DGC
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-084_Goldtooth

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TUCSON, Ariz. – Isaiah Osorio, 23, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, was charged by criminal complaint with Transportation of Illegal Aliens for Profit while Placing in Jeopardy the Life of Any Person and High Speed Flight from an Immigration Checkpoint. Osorio was arrested on May 24 and appeared in federal court yesterday afternoon.

The complaint alleges that Osorio met an alien smuggling coordinator on Facebook and then arranged the smuggling event through WhatsApp communications. On May 24, Osorio drove to southern Arizona and picked up multiple undocumented non-citizens. After transporting the individuals for approximately half an hour, Osorio noticed law enforcement behind him. He stopped and began yelling at his passengers to get out. The last passenger had not fully exited the vehicle when Osorio pushed him out and started driving again. The passenger fell and Osorio ran over him as he fled from law enforcement. United States Border Patrol immediately rendered aid and called for emergency medical services to respond. The passenger was transported to the hospital where he was treated for injuries including abrasions and head trauma. Osorio later fled from a Border Patrol immigration checkpoint before eventually yielding to agents.

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

Customs and Border Protection’s U.S. Border Patrol is conducting the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, is handling the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:           22-MJ-04608
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-083_Osorio

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PHOENIX, Ariz. – Dennis Gene Godbolt, 66, of Buckeye, Arizona, was sentenced today by Senior U.S. District Judge David G. Campbell to five years of supervised probation and ordered to pay $95,000 in restitution to the Department of Veteran Affairs. Godbolt previously pleaded guilty to one count of Theft of Government Property, a felony offense. 

Godbolt pleaded guilty to stealing property, mostly consisting of home furnishings, that had been donated by Walmart to the Veterans Affairs Phoenix Health Care System (VAPHCS) for use by homeless and destitute veterans. Godbolt typically picked up donated items from the Walmart distribution center in Buckeye, Arizona and transported the donations in a truck belonging to Voluntary Services. On numerous occasions, instead of taking the donations to the VAPHCS facilities in Phoenix, Godbolt stole items and placed them in his personal storage lockers.   

The Department of Veterans Affairs Office of the Inspector General conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Frank T. Galati, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:           CR-21-00906-PHX-DGC
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-082_Godbolt

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PHOENIX, Ariz. – Antonio Sherrodd McGarity, 34, of Arlington, Texas, pleaded guilty last week to Lewd, Indecent, or Obscene Acts While on an Aircraft and was sentenced by U.S. Magistrate Judge Deborah M. Fine to 48 days in prison, followed by one year of probation. McGarity is also prohibited from flying commercially in the United States while on probation. A conviction for this offense carries a maximum penalty of 90 days in jail. 

On April 2, 2022, during a Southwest Airlines flight from Seattle to Phoenix, McGarity exposed himself while other passengers sat next to him in the emergency exit row. McGarity also masturbated several times. The passenger sitting beside McGarity reported the incident to a flight attendant who then informed Phoenix Police and FBI agents on the ground. Immediately upon landing, McGarity was arrested and charged with committing a lewd, indecent, or obscene act while on an aircraft. In addition to this offense, McGarity has several prior state and local convictions for lewd and lascivious conduct.

The Phoenix Police Department and FBI conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin Hakala and Tim Courchaine, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:           22-03085MJ-PHX-MTM
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-081_McGarity

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TUCSON, Ariz. – Tyrell Kester, 36, of Marana, Arizona, was sentenced last week by U.S. District Judge Rosemary Márquez to 57 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Kester previously pleaded guilty to possession of ammunition by a prohibited person.

On April 22, 2021, federal agents and Tucson Police Department officers conducted surveillance on a residential trailer in preparation to execute a search warrant. Kester parked his car near the trailer and when agents announced their presence, Kester threw several items from his pockets onto the ground, including his car keys and $3,587 in cash. Agents searched Kester’s car and found an AR-type rifle magazine loaded with 25 rounds of .223-caliber ammunition and other loose rounds of ammunition in various calibers in the trunk. Kester is a convicted felon and prohibited from possessing ammunition.

This investigation was a collaborative effort between federal law enforcement agencies and is part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCEDTF) initiative in Southern Arizona that is being led by the Tucson Strike Force.

The Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant United States Attorneys Ashley Culver and David Petermann, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:            CR-21-1114-TUC-RM (MSA)
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-078_Kester

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TUCSON, Ariz. – Today, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona announced the unsealing of a 30-count indictment against 13 individuals for charges related to the distribution of methamphetamine, fentanyl, cocaine, and heroin. On May 4, a federal grand jury in Tucson returned the indictment against the following individuals:

• Jasiel Soloman Corral-Cinco, 32, of Nogales, Sonora, Mexico.
• Eduardo Martinez-Torres, 38, of Tucson, Arizona.
• Carlos Edgardo Rincones Vega, 25, of Nogales, Sonora, Mexico.
• Hector Manuel Cruz, 37, of Tucson, Arizona.
• Angel Ariel-Zubia, 31, of Nogales, Sonora, Mexico.
• Melecio Hernan Garcia, 32, of Rio Rico, Arizona.
• Alejandro Reyes Altamirano, 29, of Tucson, Arizona.
• Ruben Sebastian Felix-Escamilla, 24, of Sonora, Mexico.
• Jesus Castenada, 22, of Tucson, Arizona.
• Jose Flores, 32, of Rio Rico, Arizona.
• Alejandro Linares, 35, of Rio Rico, Arizona.
• Eduardo Linares, 36, of Rio Rico, Arizona.
• Alejandro Melendez, 43, of Phoenix, Arizona.

The indictment alleges that the 13 individuals were members of a Mexican-based drug trafficking organization that was involved in the delivery of large quantities of methamphetamine, cocaine, counterfeit M-30 oxycontin pills laced with fentanyl, and heroin. The investigation leading to their indictment involved a series of drug transactions in Arizona as well as seizures of drugs at Ports of Entry.

A conviction for Conspiracy to Possess with the intent to Distribute the quantities of drugs alleged in the Indictment carries a maximum penalty of life in prison, and a $10,000,000.00 fine.

An indictment is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

This investigation was a collaborative effort between federal, state, and local investigators and is part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) initiative in Southern Arizona that is being led by the Tucson Strike Force.

The United States Drug Enforcement Administration and the Arizona Department of Public Safety led the investigation, with significant contributions from Customs and Border Protection’s U.S. Border Patrol, Homeland Security Investigations, the United States Marshal Service, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department, the Marana Police Department, and the South Tucson Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney and Lead Strike Force Attorney David Petermann, District of Arizona, Tucson, is handling the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:           CR 22-00980-TUC-RM (LCK)
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-079_Corral-Cinco, et al.

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TUCSON, Ariz. – Bo Channon Davis, 35, of Chinle, Arizona, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael T. Liburdi to 63 months in prison, with credit for six months he spent in tribal custody for this offense. He will also be placed on supervised release for three years after his prison term is complete. Davis previously pleaded guilty to one count of Assault on a Federal Officer with a Dangerous Weapon, one count of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon, and one count of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person.

On July 28, 2018, Davis, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, threatened two Navajo Police Department officers with a rifle. Davis is prohibited from possessing a firearm because he is a convicted felon. The offenses occurred on the Navajo Nation in Chinle, Arizona.

The Navajo Nation Police Department and the FBI conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew C. Cassell, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:            CR-19-8234-PHX-MTL 
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-080_Davis

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PHOENIX, Ariz. – Last week, a federal jury found Todd Gehman Howard, 60, of Kingman, Arizona, guilty of being a convicted felon in possession of firearms and ammunition. Sentencing is scheduled for August 1, 2022, before U.S. District Judge Susan Brnovich. 

On October 11, 2019, FBI agents executed a search warrant at Howard’s residence in Kingman, Arizona. Inside the residence, agents discovered 23 firearms, including 21 in a safe in Howard’s bedroom closet, and approximately 7,600 rounds of ammunition. Howard’s firearms included various types of revolvers, shotguns, and semi-automatic rifles. One of the guns in the safe was a Privately Made Firearm (PMF), FAL-type .308 caliber semiautomatic rifle, sometimes referred to as a “ghost gun.” Evidence presented at trial showed the receiver of that firearm was forged in Australia, and that the completed firearm had traveled from the State of Washington to Arizona.

“The Department of Justice takes seriously the prohibited possession of firearms. This Office will continue to prosecute such cases vigorously, especially cases such as this that involve federal felons possessing large quantities of firearms and ammunition,” said United States Attorney Gary Restaino.

The FBI conducted the investigation in this case, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph Koehler and William Rubens, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:           CR-21-8033-PCT-SMB
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-077_Howard

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PHOENIX, Ariz. – Yesterday, Jose Louise Carpio, III, 25, of Sacaton, Arizona, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Susan M. Brnovich to 15 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Carpio previously pleaded guilty to Second Degree Murder.

On October 7, 2019, Carpio stabbed the victim, killing her. Caprio is an enrolled member of the Gila River Indian Community,

The Gila River Police Department conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Raynette Logan, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:            CR-20-00182-01-PHX-SMB
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-075_Carpio

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TUCSON, Ariz. – On Monday, Adolfo Aburto-Gonzalez, 24, of Olympia, Washington, pleaded guilty to Transportation of Child Pornography. Sentencing is scheduled for August 24, 2022 before United States District Judge Rosemary Márquez.

A complaint filed in March alleged that Aburto-Gonzalez was arrested after he entered the United States through Nogales, Mexico, and was found to be returning from an encounter with a 12-year-old minor, of whom he had explicit pictures and videos.

Aburto-Gonzalez accepted a plea agreement which requires that he be sentenced to a term of 10 to 12 years in prison, followed by a term of lifetime supervision as a registered sex offender.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice.  Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

Homeland Security Investigations, Nogales, conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carin Duryee, District of Arizona, Tucson, is handling the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER: CR-22-01040-TUC-RM
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-073_Aburto-Gonzalez

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TUCSON, Ariz. – On Monday, John Milton Lee, 62, of Las Vegas, Nevada, was found guilty by a federal jury of smuggling goods from the United States and impeding and threatening a federal officer. Lee is scheduled for sentencing on August 3, 2022, before United States District Judge James A. Soto. 

According to the evidence presented at trial, Lee traveled from Arizona to Mexico on November 1, 2019, but Mexican authorities returned him to the port almost immediately. When Lee returned to the Lukeville Port of Entry, he refused to provide identification. At secondary inspection, Lee would not exit his vehicle and refused inspection. Instead, Lee told U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers that they could not touch him or anything in his vehicle. Lee then reached into his jacket and threatened the officers that he “didn’t want it to go there.” Although Lee never pulled out a gun, officers could see the handle of the firearm in his jacket. Over the next hour, Lee engaged in an armed standoff with five CBP officers. The officers eventually convinced Lee to exit his vehicle, but he still refused to surrender. After continued unsuccessful negotiation, one of the officers tased Lee. Officers confirmed then that Lee had been holding a loaded handgun with a round in the chamber, the safety off, and the hammer cocked. When officers searched Lee, they also found three loaded 30-round rifle magazines.

In a subsequent search of Lee's vehicle, officers discovered that an AR-type rifle had also been within his reach during the standoff. Officers seized three additional long arms, including an HK 91 and a Tavor (Israeli assault rifle), three additional handguns, nearly 2,000 rounds of ammunition, and 17 loaded magazines. All the firearms were loaded with a round in the chamber. In a post-Miranda statement, Lee admitted that he had planned to take the firearms and ammunition to Guatemala.

Homeland Security Investigations, Sells, conducted the investigation in this case, with the assistance of CBP. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Angela Martinez and Serra M. Tsethlikai, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:           CR-19-2946-TUC-JAS
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-074_Lee

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TUCSON, Ariz. – Andrew Ryan Lozinski, 30, of Tucson, was sentenced last week by U.S. District Judge Jennifer G. Zipps to 30 months in prison. Lozinski previously pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens while Placing in Jeopardy the Life of Any Person.

On October 1, 2021, officers from the Nogales Police Department saw five suspected undocumented noncitizens climb into Lozinski’s car. A patrol officer called nearby U.S. Border Patrol agents who attempted to conduct an immigration traffic stop. Instead of stopping, Lozinski led agents on a highspeed chase, reaching speeds close to 100 miles per hour.  At one point during the chase, Lozinski told the five passengers to get out, but two became entangled in a seatbelt and were dragged a short distance, resulting in injuries to each of them. Lozinski was eventually apprehended after officers used a spike strip and Lozinski crashed his vehicle into a fence on the side of the road.

Customs and Border Protection’s U.S. Border Patrol and the Nogales Police Department conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from the District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:            CR-21-2773-TUC-JGZ
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-072_Lozinski

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TUCSON, Ariz. – Isaiah Lorenzo Brinkley, 21, of Phoenix, Arizona, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Scott H. Rash to 75 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Brinkley previously pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens for Profit, Placing Life in Jeopardy, and Resulting in Death.

On January 26, 2020, Brinkley coordinated for G.J.H. to transport two undocumented noncitizens in exchange for payment. Late that evening, G.J.H. drove to an immigration checkpoint on State Route 85 near Why, Arizona. Border patrol Agents referred G.J.H. to secondary inspection. Instead of handing over the keys to the vehicle, G.J.H. fled from the immigration checkpoint and crashed the vehicle. G.J.H. and the two passengers, both Colombian citizens, were ejected from the vehicle. G.J.H. and one of the passengers died at the scene.

For several weeks after the fatal crash, Brinkley continued to coordinate and engage in alien smuggling for profit, often placing passengers in trunks of vehicles or instructing others to do so.

Homeland Security Investigations and Customs and Border Protection’s U.S. Border Patrol conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rebecca S. Garvey, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:            CR-21-00470-TUC-SHR
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-071_Brinkley

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PHOENIX, Ariz. — In honor of National Police Week, the United States Attorney’s Office recognizes the service and sacrifice of federal, state, local, and Tribal law enforcement. This year, the week is observed Wednesday, May 11 through Tuesday, May 17, 2022.

“This week, we gather to pay tribute to the law enforcement officers who sacrificed their lives in service to our country,” said Attorney General Garland. “We remember the courage with which they worked and lived. And we recommit ourselves to the mission to which they dedicated their lives. On behalf of a grateful Justice Department and a grateful nation, I extend my sincerest thanks and gratitude to the entire law enforcement community.”

“Law enforcement officers protect and serve their local communities,” said United States Attorney Gary Restaino. “We honor their courage, their commitment to justice, and their lives of public service.”

In 1962, President Kennedy issued the first proclamation for Peace Officers Memorial Day and National Police Week to remember and honor law enforcement officers for their service and sacrifices. Peace Officers Memorial Day, which every year falls on May 15, specifically honors law enforcement officers killed or disabled in the line of duty. Based on data submitted to and analyzed by the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial Fund (NLEOMF), 472 law enforcement officers died nationwide in the line of duty in 2021. Of that number, 319 succumbed to COVID-19. Thirteen of the 472 officers on NLEOMF’s list are from the District of Arizona, and will be added to the law enforcement memorial in Washington, D.C. Last week, the names of 26 state, local, and federal officers, who died in the line of duty in 2021, were added to the Arizona Peace Officers Memorial. Their names can be found at https://www.azag.gov/outreach/law-enforcement/pomb.  

Additionally, according to 2021 statistics reported by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) through the Law Enforcement Officer Killed and Assaulted (LEOKA) Program, 73 law enforcement officers who died in the line of duty in 2021 were killed as a result of felonious acts and 56 died in accidents. Deaths resulting from felonious acts increased in 2021, rising more than 58 percent from the previous year. In 2021, unprovoked attacks[1] were the cause of 24 deaths significantly outpacing all other line of duty deaths resulting from felony acts and reaching the highest annual total in over 30 years of reporting. Additional LEOKA statistics can be found on FBI’s Crime Data Explorer website for the LEOKA program. 

The names of the 619 fallen officers added this year to the wall at the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial will be read on Friday, May 13, 2022, during a Candlelight Vigil in Washington, D.C., starting at 8:00 PM EDT. The 619 names being added to the wall include those of officers whose End of Watch was before 2021 but were not previously inscribed. Anyone who wishes to view the vigil live online, can watch on the NLEOMF YouTube channel found at https://www.youtube.com/TheNLEOMF. The schedule of National Police Week events is available on NLEOMF’s website.

RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-070_Police Week

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[1] An unprovoked attack is defined as an attack on an officer not prompted by official contact at the time of the incident between the officer and the offender. Source:  Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) through the Law Enforcement Officer Killed and Assaulted (LEOKA) Program.

TUCSON, Ariz. – Last week, a federal grand jury in Tucson returned a two-count indictment against Kevin Michal Bell, 41, and Dara Eve Belic, 38, both of Las Vegas, charging Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens for Profit Placing in Jeopardy the Life of Any Person and Transportation of Illegal Aliens for Profit Placing in Jeopardy the Life of Any Person.

The indictment alleges that on or about April 7, 2022, Bell and Belic conspired to transport and transported undocumented non-citizens (UNCs) and that during the commission of the offense, they placed their lives in jeopardy. The indictment further alleges that both Bell and Belic did so for financial gain.

According to the complaint filed last month, a Border Patrol camera operator observed an individual, suspected to be a UNC, crawling in the grass toward a Dodge Durango near the border with Mexico on April 7, 2022. Bell was driving the Durango and Belic was the front seat passenger. Law enforcement officers attempted to stop the Durango, but the vehicle failed to yield. Instead, the Durango fled from law enforcement at a high rate of speed. At one point during the pursuit, four UNCs exited the vehicle and were apprehended by Border Patrol. The Durango continued its flight, only stopping after spike strips were deployed.

An indictment is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

Customs and Border Protection’s U.S. Border Patrol and the Arizona Department of Public Safety conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, is handling the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:           CR-22-00960-TUC-RM
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-069_Bell

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TUCSON, Ariz. – Xochil Elizabeth Hernandez, 19, of Tucson, Arizona, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Jennifer G. Zipps to two concurrent terms of 36 months in prison, followed by 36 months of supervised release. Hernandez previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to smuggle aliens and possession of ammunition by a convicted felon. At the time of the offense, Hernandez was serving a term of supervised release for a prior alien smuggling conviction. Her supervised release in the prior case was revoked, and she was sentenced to serve six months in addition to the 36 months for the new charge.

On November 6, 2021, an Arizona Department of Public Safety Officer pulled over Hernandez’s vehicle for a traffic infraction near Amado, Arizona. The DPS officer, assisted by nearby Border Patrol agents, discovered the front seat passenger was an undocumented noncitizen. The DPS officer and agents discovered two more undocumented noncitizens hidden in the trunk of the vehicle. They also discovered a bag of .45 caliber ammunition in Hernandez’s purse and a pellet gun designed to look like a Glock handgun in the glove compartment.

Customs and Border Protection’s U.S. Border Patrol and the Arizona Department of Public Safety conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:           CR-21-3238-TUC-JGZ; CR-20-1543-02-TUC-JGZ
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-068_Hernandez

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TUCSON, Ariz. – Last week, a federal grand jury in Tucson returned indictments against Bryan Israel Moreno-Aguilar, 23, Alfredo Daniel Mireles, 29, Glen Adam Romero, Jr., 40, and Ana Lizeth Romero, 39, charging them each with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl. All four individuals are from Tucson, Arizona.

The indictments allege that from a time unknown and continuing until January 7, 2022, Moreno-Aguilar, Mireles, Glen Romero, and Ana Romero knowingly conspired with each other and with others to possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of a mixture containing fentanyl.

The previously filed complaints alleged that the four charged individuals conspired with each other and others to distribute counterfeit M30 pills containing fentanyl. According to the complaints, the group used Mireles’ residence, the Romeros’ residence, and the Romeros’ recreational vehicle to store counterfeit M30 pills. On October 15, 2021, a vehicle leaving Mireles’ residence was stopped and found to contain approximately 8,000 counterfeit M30 pills that contained fentanyl. On December 11, 2021, the Romeros’ recreational vehicle was at a business in Tucson and the Romeros were seen counting and distributing pills to an individual who was later stopped and found to possess approximately 100 counterfeit M30 pills that contained fentanyl.

A conviction for the crime of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl carries a maximum penalty of 20 years imprisonment, a $5 million fine, or both.

An indictment is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

The FBI Tucson Resident Agency and the Southern Arizona Violent Crime and Gang Task Force conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam D. Rossi and Brandon M. Bolling, District of Arizona, Tucson, are handling the prosecution.

CASE NUMBERS:     CR 22-00978-TUC-RCC; CR 22-00979-TUC-RCC; CR 22-00977-TUC-CKJ; CR 22-00975-TUC-JAS

RELEASE NUMBER:    2022- 067_Moreno-Aguilar

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TUCSON, Ariz. – Last week, Oscar S. Acuna, Jr., 35, of Tucson, Arizona, pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of fentanyl. Sentencing is scheduled for July 12, 2022, before United States District Judge Jennifer G. Zipps.

Acuna admitted that he sold fentanyl pills and black tar heroin to a young woman and her boyfriend in May 2020 at a hotel in Tucson. Shortly after ingesting part of one of the pills, the young woman began experiencing respiratory distress. Medical personnel were unable to save her. An autopsy confirmed that the cause of her death was fentanyl and heroin toxicity.

A conviction for distribution of fentanyl carries a maximum penalty of 20 years imprisonment, a fine of $1,000,000.00, or both.

Tucson Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stefani Hepford, District of Arizona, Tucson, is handling the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:           CR-20-01564-TUC-JGZ
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-064_Acuna

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PHOENIX, Ariz. – Marco Antonio Medina, 29, of Phoenix, Arizona, was charged last week via criminal complaint with three counts of possession of controlled substances for distribution and one count of possession of a firearm by a felon. Medina was arrested on May 2, 2022 and had his initial appearance in federal court last Wednesday.

The complaint alleges three violations of United States law related to Medina’s intended distribution of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and heroin, and one violation of United States law related to Medina’s possession of a handgun. It further alleges that, on May 2, 2022, Medina was observed participating in a suspected drug transaction in Phoenix, Arizona. United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents and Task Force Officers later determined that a car Medina had been driving contained 1.4 kilograms of methamphetamine and approximately 16,000 pills that are suspected to contain fentanyl. Medina was also in possession of a handgun on his person, and three other firearms were found in the vehicle. A subsequent search of Medina’s apartment led to the seizure of approximately 16.2 kilograms of pills suspected to contain fentanyl (approximately 162,000 pills), over 3.4 kilograms of methamphetamine, over one kilogram of powdered fentanyl, and nearly half a kilogram of heroin. Medina is a convicted felon and, at the time of his arrest, had three outstanding felony warrants for his arrest. 

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

The DEA is conducting the investigation in this case, with assistance from the Goodyear Police Department. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives also assisted by investigating the seized firearms. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, is handling the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:           22-8138MJ
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-065_Medina

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PHOENIX, Ariz. – Brian James Tsinnijinnie, 26, of Leupp, Arizona, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Steven P. Logan to 180 months in prison. Tsinnijinnie previously pleaded guilty to Abusive Sexual Contact of a Child. 

In 2019, Tsinnijinnie sexually abused the minor victim while on the Navajo Nation. Tsinnijinnie is an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation. After he finishes serving his term in federal prison, he will be placed on supervised release for the rest of his life.

The FBI and the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Crowley, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:           CR-21-08078-PCT-SPL
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022- 066_Tsinnijinnie

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TUCSON, Ariz. – Last week, a federal grand jury in Tucson returned an eight-count indictment against Mexican Nationals Olegario Lares-De La Rosa, 29, and Ivan Heriberto Borboa-Ruiz, 28, for Conspiracy to Commit Hostage Taking, Hostage Taking, Conspiracy to Commit Transportation of Illegal Aliens for Profit, Transportation of Illegal Aliens for Profit, and Prohibited Possessors of Firearms and Ammunition.

The indictment alleges that from a date unknown until April 8, 2022, Lares-De La Rosa and Borboa-Ruiz conspired together to detain two undocumented noncitizens in order to compel family members to pay money as a condition for their release. The initial complaint further alleges that a relative of the undocumented noncitizens was contacted by a male who said they would be held until $8,000 per person was paid in cash. The undocumented noncitizens were released after payment was made at a Home Depot parking lot. Lares-De La Rosa and Borboa-Ruiz were later arrested and found in possession of firearms.

A conviction for the crime of Conspiracy to Commit Hostage Taking carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, or both. The remaining charges each carry a maximum penalty of 10 years, a $250,000 fine, or both.

An indictment is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Serra M. Tsethlikai, District of Arizona, Tucson, is handling the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:            CR-22-00974-TUC-JGZ
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-061_Lares-De La Rosa

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TUCSON, Ariz. – Last week, a federal grand jury in Tucson returned a two-count indictment against Timothy Mikell Schultheis, aka Jackson Oden, 24, of South Carolina, charging Transportation of a Minor with Intent to Engage in Criminal Sexual Activity and Travel with Intent to Engage in Illicit Sexual Conduct.

The indictment alleges that on or about March 20, 2022, Schultheis knowingly transported Jane Doe, a 12-year-old minor, in interstate commerce by taking her from the state of Arizona to the state of South Carolina, with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. The indictment further alleges that Schultheis traveled in interstate commerce from Arizona to South Carolina for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct with the minor.

According to the complaint filed last month, the 12-year-old was reported missing after she left her home on the morning of March 20, 2022 and did not return. The minor’s Facebook account revealed communications with 24-year-old Schultheis, including his plan to travel from South Carolina and pick up the child in Safford, and his intention to engage in sexual conduct with her. When Schultheis was arrested at his apartment in South Carolina on March 30, 2022, Jane Doe was found in the apartment. 

A conviction for the crime of Transportation of a Minor with Intent to Engage in Criminal Sexual Activity carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years imprisonment and a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. A conviction for the crime of Travel with Intent to Engage in Illicit Sexual Activity carries a maximum penalty of 30 years imprisonment.

An indictment is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

The FBI in Sierra Vista and the Graham County Sheriff’s Department conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carin Duryee and Raquel Arellano, District of Arizona, Tucson, are handling the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:            CR-22-00973-TUC-RM
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-062_Schultheis

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PHOENIX, Ariz. – Jonathan Bastida-Delgado, 28, of Phoenix, Arizona, was sentenced last week by U.S. District Judge Dominic W. Lanza to 120 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Bastida-Delgado previously pleaded guilty to two counts of Hobbs Act Robbery and one count of Using, Carrying, and Brandishing a Firearm during and in relation to a Crime of Violence. 

In March 2020, authorities became aware of a series of armed robberies targeting businesses in Phoenix, Glendale and Buckeye, Arizona from late February through mid-March 2020. According to witnesses, the suspect in each robbery matched the same general physical description, wore a combination of the same clothing, and made similar types of threats to the victims. In each robbery, the suspect also used the same black and silver semiautomatic handgun. Working together, the FBI and local law enforcement identified and located Bastida-Delgado and took him into custody without incident on March 17, 2020.

This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

The FBI Desert Hawk Violent Crime Task Force conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian E. Kasprzyk, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:            CR-20-00589-PHX-DWL
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022- 063_Bastida-Delgado

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PHOENIX, Ariz. – Harry Alexander Knight, 54, of Phoenix, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael T. Liburdi to 37 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Knight previously pleaded guilty to transmitting an interstate communication containing a threat to injure another person. 

In 2018, Knight was ordered by the victim, an Arizona Justice of the Peace, to wear an ankle monitor in connection with pending criminal charges. Knight subsequently cut off his ankle monitor and fled to the State of Washington. Once there, Knight posted a communication on a publicly available Facebook page threatening to physically injure the victim. FBI agents ultimately apprehended Knight in California, at which time he was returned to the District of Arizona to face charges.     

“Freedom of speech is a fundamental right,” observed U.S. Attorney Gary Restaino, “but it is not without its limits. Those who weaponize the internet by posting online communications threatening others with physical harm remain subject to prosecution.” 

During his period of supervised release, Knight will be prohibited from contacting his victims and will have his internet usage monitored by the probation officer.

The FBI conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christine D. Keller and William G. Voit, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.

 

CASE NUMBER:           CR-10-00176-PHX-MTL
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022- 060_Knight

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PHOENIX, Ariz. – Jesse Michael James, 40, of Santa Maria, California, was sentenced on Monday by U.S. District Judge Michael T. Liburdi to 37 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. James previously pleaded guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon. 

On December 7, 2020, James assaulted the victim with a hammer, causing the victim to sustain serious bodily injury. James is a member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma and the assault occurred on the Colorado River Indian Tribes (“CRIT”) Indian Reservation.

The FBI and the CRIT PD conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christina J. Reid-Moore, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:           CR-21-00549-PHX-MTL
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022- 059_James

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PHOENIX, Ariz. – Several violent offenders, all enrolled members of the Navajo Nation Tribe, were sentenced to prison in April for crimes they committed in and around Tuba City, Arizona. 

On April 7, 2022, Joshua June, 40, of Tuba City, Arizona, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge John J. Tuchi to 54 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release. June attacked an elderly victim with a metal chair and broke numerous bones in her body. He pleaded guilty to Assault with a Dangerous Weapon. 

On April 13, 2022, Deon Manson, 45, of Page, Arizona, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Susan M. Brnovich to 46 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release. Manson attacked the victim with a shovel, causing several broken bones and two amputated fingers. He pleaded guilty to Assault with a Dangerous Weapon. 

On April 18, 2022, Lisa Benally, 42, of Tuba City, Arizona, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Steven P. Logan to 46 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release. Benally recruited another person to shoot the victim in retaliation for minor property damage. She pleaded guilty to Aiding and Abetting Assault with a Dangerous Weapon. 

On April 26, 2022, Zachary Smith, 27, of Shiprock, New Mexico, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Douglas L. Rayes to 27 months in prison, followed by lifetime supervised release. Smith had repeated sexual contact with the minor victim. He pleaded guilty to Sexual Abuse of a Minor. 

The Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety and the FBI conducted the investigations in these cases. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecutions.

CASE NUMBER:  CR-20-8090-PCT-JJT (June)
                           CR-21-8037-PCT-SMB (Manson)
                           CR-21-8038-PCT-SPL-002 (Benally)
                           CR-20-8121-PCT-DLR (Smith)

RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-058_Tuba City

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TUCSON, Ariz. – Koreasa M. Williams, 49, of Tucson, Arizona, pleaded guilty last week to defrauding an elderly annuity client of more than $1,300,000. Williams, formerly licensed in Arizona to sell life and health insurance, pleaded guilty to two counts of Wire Fraud, each of which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for July 5, 2022, before United States District Judge Jennifer G. Zipps.

Williams admitted she engaged in two separate schemes to defraud her client. In the first scheme, Williams admitted to inducing her client to cash in several life insurance policies in order to invest the proceeds in annuities to be procured by Williams. Williams admitted that over a period of six months in 2019, she fraudulently convinced her client to give her $1,200,000. Instead of investing that money for her client, Williams used almost $900,000 to pay victims of a prior unrelated annuity fraud scheme in an attempt to avoid criminal charges. Williams subsequently pleaded guilty to wire fraud in that unrelated fraud scheme and was sentenced to 51 months in prison in December 2021. Williams used the remaining $300,000 to pay her attorney’s fees for the unrelated fraud scheme and to settle a civil suit brought by another client.

In the second scheme, Williams admitted to inducing her client to dissolve a charitable foundation and place more than $124,000 in an entity controlled by Williams. Williams was to hold the funds until a new entity could be established to receive the money that would then be used to care for her client’s disabled adult daughter. However, Williams never established the new entity and instead diverted more than $118,00 to her own use and benefit.

The FBI, Tucson Resident Agency, conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Wallace H. Kleindienst and Mary Sue Feldmeier, of the Financial Crimes and Public Corruption section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:            CR-21-03136-TUC-JGZ
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-057_Williams

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TUCSON, Ariz. – Dennis Gilman, 43, of Madison, Ohio, was sentenced this week by U.S. District Judge James A. Soto to 15 years in prison. Gilman previously pleaded guilty to Production of Child Pornography. 

Gilman was arrested after an investigation by the FBI revealed he was using an X-Box gaming system to contact minors and request sexually explicit material from them. On May 9, 2018, Gilman was indicted by a federal grand jury on one count of producing child pornography involving a child victim. As part of his plea agreement, Gilman also admitted to seeking and obtaining sexually explicit material from a second child victim. Upon release from prison, Gilman will be placed on lifetime supervised release with stringent conditions of supervision. He will be required to register as a sex offender and to complete a sex offender treatment program.

“This case serves as a reminder of the very real threat posed by online predators in the gaming world, a place where our children deserve to feel safe,” said United States Attorney Gary Restaino. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office remains committed to prosecuting these offenders, and we encourage parents to remain vigilant and to remind children that no person should be requesting sexually explicit content from them.”

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

The Sierra Vista office of the FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carin C. Duryee and Rebecca S. Garvey, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:           CR-18-00809-TUC-JAS
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-056_Gilman

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PHOENIX, Ariz. – Pedro Adan Sevilla, 25, of Phoenix, Arizona, was sentenced on Monday by U.S. District Judge Scott H. Rash to 12 years in prison for his role in smuggling firearms and munitions from the United States into Mexico and for drug trafficking. Sevilla previously pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Smuggle Goods from the United States, Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl and Possession of a Firearm During and in Relation to a Drug Trafficking Crime. 

Sevilla’s co-defendant, Francisco Dario Mora, 28, of Tucson, Arizona, was previously sentenced on April 29, 2021 to five years in prison for his role in the smuggling activity. On Monday, Judge Rash also issued a Final Order of Forfeiture for the value of the firearms and munitions in the amount of $32,663.48 against both defendants and ordered $12,970 cash forfeited against Sevilla.  

In September 2019, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) initiated an investigation into firearms purchased by Mora and Sevilla that were recovered in Mexico by Mexican law enforcement officials. ATF agents discovered that from June 2019 through September 2019, Mora and Sevilla conspired to export 40 firearms to Mexico, including AK-type rifles and AR-type pistols, 25,000 rounds of ammunition, and 760 AK-type and AR-type magazines. During this time frame, Mora purchased at least 19 firearms, one of which was recovered in Zapopan, Jalisco, Mexico just 27 days after he purchased it. Sevilla purchased at least 21 firearms, two of which were recovered in Mexico a short time after they were purchased. Mora and Sevilla spent approximately $45,000 for the firearms and ammunition and crossed into Mexico from the United States on several dates to the deliver the firearms and munitions. 

On November 13, 2019, ATF agents executed search warrants on residences and vehicles tied to Mora and Sevilla in Tucson and Phoenix. During the search of Sevilla’s Phoenix residence, agents located a safe in Sevilla’s bedroom where they found 19 grams of cocaine and 11.9 pounds of fentanyl pills. Agents also located a bag inside Sevilla’s bedroom that contained six bags of fentanyl pills, an AR-type pistol with a loaded magazine, $12,970 cash, and a digital narcotics scale.

ATF conducted the investigation in this case, with assistance from the United States Border Patrol and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Serra M. Tsethlikai, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution .

CASE NUMBER:       CR-19-3289-SHR-MSA      
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-055_Sevilla

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TUCSON, Ariz. – Yesterday, a federal jury in Tucson found Charles Robert Wright, 61, guilty of attempting to smuggle $204,080 in U.S. currency into Mexico. Sentencing is set for July 6, 2022 before U.S. District Judge Rosemary Márquez.

The facts at trial showed that on April 18, 2021, Charles Robert Wright was the owner, driver, and sole occupant of a Winnebago Adventurer when he attempted to leave the United States through the Lukeville Port of Entry. During outbound inspection, Wright denied transporting over ten thousand dollars in the Winnebago. The vehicle was subjected to an X-ray, which showed abnormalities in the roof. Customs and Border Protection Officers conducted a search of the vehicle and found a non-factory compartment that contained two plastic bags of U.S. currency, which was folded and rubber banded together. Officers also located 10 additional individually wrapped cellophane packages that contained U.S. currency. The total amount of cash found in the vehicle was $204,080. 

Customs and Border Protection completed the interdiction. Homeland Security Investigations, Sells, conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew G. Eltringham, District of Arizona, Tucson, OCDETF, is handling the prosecution.  

CASE NUMBER:            21-CR-01031-TUC-RM (MSA)
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-054_Wright

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TUCSON, Ariz. – Zachary Zane Stephenson, 45, of Tucson, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Cindy K. Jorgenson to 10 years in prison. Stephenson previously pleaded guilty to one count of Possession of Child Pornography. 

On October 28, 2020, Stephenson, who was on supervision at the time in connection with a similar prior conviction, was charged after he was found to be using his cellphone to access graphic child sexual abuse material. Upon release from prison, Stephenson will be placed on lifetime supervised release with stringent conditions of supervision. He will be required to register as a sex offender and to complete a sex offender treatment program. 

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

Homeland Security Investigations, Tucson, conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carin C. Duryee and Erica L. Seger, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution

CASE NUMBER:           CR-20-02257-TUC-JGZ
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-051_Stephenson

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PHOENIX, Ariz. – Gabriel Quinn Enos, 27, of Phoenix, Arizona, an enrolled member of the Gila River Indian Community, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Susan M. Brnovich to 15 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Enos previously pleaded guilty to Voluntary Manslaughter.

On August 23, 2017, Enos shot the victim in the face, killing him. At the time of sentencing, Enos was on supervised release for a separate case and received an additional 6 months in prison for violating the terms of that release. 

The Gila River Police Department and the FBI conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Raynette Logan, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:           CR-19-00834-02-PHX-SMB
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-053_Enos

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PHOENIX, Ariz. – Clifton Yazzie, 38, of Fort Defiance, Arizona, was sentenced on Monday by U.S. District Chief Judge G. Murray Snow to 30 months in prison for failing to register as a sex offender. Yazzie received an additional 18 months in prison for violating his supervised release in a related case. Yazzie previously pleaded guilty to Failure to Register as a Sex Offender and admitted to violating his supervised release.

At sentencing, Chief Judge Snow ordered that Yazzie serve 9 months for his supervised release violation after completing his sentence for Failing to Register as a Sex Offender, for a total of 39 months in prison. Yazzie was also sentenced to 10 years of supervised release and will be required to register as a sex offender for life. In order to protect the public, the conditions of supervision include that Yazzie participate in a sex offender treatment program and live at a residence preapproved by his probation officer, as well as restrictions on his involvement in certain vocational and volunteer activities. 

The United States Marshals Service conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine D. Keller, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:           CR-22-00034-GMS; CR-16-01285-GMS
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-052_Yazzie

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PHOENIX, Ariz. – Leon Lee Jones, 38, of Ganado, Arizona, was sentenced last week by U.S. District Judge Michael T. Liburdi to 18 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Jones previously pleaded guilty to Second Degree Murder.

On July 11, 2018, Jones shot and killed the victim, who was his intimate partner. The murder occurred near Klagetoh, Arizona, on the Navajo Nation. Jones is an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, as was the victim.

The FBI and the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexander Samuels and William Voit, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:           CR-18-08369-PCT-MTL
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-050_Jones

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PHOENIX, Ariz. – Felipe Fuentes, 62, of Nogales, Arizona, pleaded guilty last week for his role in a long-running bribery conspiracy that spanned much of his tenure as the elected County Assessor for Santa Cruz County. Fuentes pleaded guilty to a felony charge of Conspiracy to Commit Honest Services Wire Fraud, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for August 2, 2022 before the Honorable Raner C. Collins, Senior United States District Judge.  

According to Fuentes’ admissions in connection with the plea hearing, Fuentes and other co-conspirators engaged in a multi-year bribery scheme in which Fuentes received cash payments from a large landowner in Santa Cruz County. Fuentes admitted that, in exchange for the cash payments, he took various official acts in his capacity as the County Assessor to benefit the landowner, including reducing assessed values for properties owned by him and his business entities. According to Fuentes’ plea agreement, in addition to the cash payments, the landowner also allowed Fuentes to use a 17-acre ranch owned by one of his business entities free of charge for multiple years during the course of the bribery conspiracy. 

“Property taxes pay for critical local government services that support our communities,” said United States Attorney Gary Restaino. “Fuentes abused the public trust when he reduced the assessed value of property, and by doing so diverted money away from Santa Cruz County in order to serve his own self-interest.”

"The citizens of Arizona deserve a government free of corruption. The FBI will not tolerate those who abuse their positions of authority and is committed to rooting out public corruption and civil rights violations at all levels," said Sean Kaul, special agent in charge of the FBI Phoenix Field Office. "The FBI continues to investigate this case and encourages the public to come forward if they have any information."

The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Southern Arizona Corruption Task Force investigated the case. The Financial Crimes and Public Corruption section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution. 

CASE NUMBER:            CR-22-00824-TUC-RCC
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-049_Fuentes

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PHOENIX, Ariz. – Sarah Nicole Kelley, 41, of Coolidge, Arizona, was sentenced last week by U.S. District Judge John J. Tuchi to 46 months in prison and ordered to pay $190,774.64 in restitution. Kelley was found guilty of 24 counts of wire fraud and 8 counts of money laundering by a federal jury in October 2021.

The evidence at trial showed that Kelley defrauded a family friend out of $185,000 in savings. Kelley, a former real estate agent, convinced the victim to invest in a real estate project and send additional money for a short-term loan. Instead of using the money as promised, Kelley used the victim’s savings to pay off her own debts. Kelley then strung the victim along for months with a series of lies and excuses about how the money was spent and when the victim would get it back.

At sentencing, the Court found that Kelley previously defrauded another family friend out of $647,000 using similar tactics. The Court also found that Kelley provided false testimony under oath when seeking to overturn the jury’s guilty verdict.

Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:            CR-19-01143-JJT
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022- 048_Kelley

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TUCSON, Ariz. – Theodore Itsvan Joseph Kritza, 46, of Superior, Colorado (formerly of Chandler, Arizona), was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Cindy K. Jorgenson to 70 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Kritza was also ordered to pay $4,794,874 in restitution to the victim. Kritza previously pleaded guilty to bank and wire fraud.

In April 2005, the victim, an NBA player, hired Kritza to serve as his personal assistant, taking care of his day-to-day tasks, including paying his bills. Between 2005 and 2012, Kritza fraudulently obtained funds by forging the victim’s signature on more than two dozen documents, including business loans, credit line applications, and a power of attorney. Kritza also forged his employer’s signature to open a bank account in the victim’s name so Kritza could conceal his use of the victim’s personal funds. Kritza stole money from the victim’s salary, endorsement contract, and sale of a condo. Kritza then used the stolen funds to maintain a lavish lifestyle for his family that included expensive luxury cars, homes, vacations, private school tuition for his children, business investments, and the attempted purchase of an airplane.

“We see this scenario time and again,” said United States Attorney Gary Restaino. “A confidant abuses a position of trust and embezzles someone else’s assets. Thanks to our partners at the FBI for their hard work on the investigation.”

“For years, Theodore Kritza preyed upon the trust he gained with the victim and defrauded him of his hard-earned money and savings, choosing greed over trust. Today, Kritza found out the cost of his scheme,” said Sean Kaul, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Phoenix Field Office. “This sentencing sends a clear message that fraud is a serious crime, with serious consequences. The FBI remains committed to pursuing justice for all victims of fraud.”

The FBI conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sandra M. Hansen and Jane L. Westby with the Financial Crimes and Public Corruption section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Tucson, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:            CR-17-00938-CKJ
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-047_Kritza

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PHOENIX, Ariz. – Jerryctana Woolboy, 31, of Dennehotso, Arizona, was sentenced last week by U.S. District Judge Michael T. Liburdi to 85 months in prison. Woolboy previously pleaded guilty to Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury. 

On February 14, 2021, Woolboy discharged a rifle at an occupied vehicle on the Navajo Nation. A passenger in that vehicle was struck by the bullet, causing extensive injuries. Woolboy and the victim are enrolled members of the Navajo Nation. Woolboy will be placed on supervised release upon completion of her federal prison sentence.

The FBI and the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Crowley, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:            CR 21-08074-MTL
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022- 046_Woolboy

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PHOENIX, Ariz. – The U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, announced today that federal criminal charges have been filed against 11 individuals for theft of government property in connection with an investigation into stolen Social Security Administration (SSA) benefit payments.

The SSA Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation to locate and collect SSA benefit payments that were disbursed to individuals later determined to be deceased. In some cases, these payments continued for years, with no one notifying the SSA of the beneficiary’s death. In addition to the criminal cases listed below resulting in the theft of more than $1.3 million, the SSA was able to use its debt collection and reclamation authority to recover $1,195,333 in nine other matters that were resolved without criminal charges.

The investigation also uncovered evidence of fraud and misuse of SSA benefit payments—often by relatives of the deceased beneficiaries—resulting in felony and misdemeanor charges in the following cases:

United States v. Patricia Munson, Case No. CR-21-00622-PHX-JZB

United States v. Douglas Pasley, Case No. CR-21-00683-PHX-MTM

United States v. Tamara Head, Case No. CR-21-00693-PHX-ESW

United States v. Marva Martin, Case No. CR-21-00716-PHX-SMB

United States v. Dennis Diaz, Case No. CR-21-00842-PHX-MTL

United States v. Kristy Schlueter, Case No. CR-21-00843-PHX-MTL

United States v. Freda Hunt, Case No. CR-21-00844-PHX-DLR

United States v. Karen Hardesty, Case No. CR-21-00919-PHX-MTL

United States v. Joseph McCullough, Case No. CR-21-00950-PHX-ESW

United States v. Carol Harmon, Case No. CR-21-01051-PHX-MHB

United States v. Diana Fast, Case No. CR-22-00279-PHX-JJT

A conviction for theft of public money carries a maximum penalty of 10 years of imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, or both.

An indictment is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until competent evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

The Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation in this case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, is handling the prosecution.

RELEASE NUMBER:           2022-045_SSA Fraud

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PHOENIX, Ariz. – On Wednesday, Vincent Roy Tsosie, Jr., 28, of Tuba City, Arizona, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Susan M. Brnovich to concurrent life sentences. A jury previously convicted Tsosie of arson, first-degree felony murder, and second-degree murder. 

In November 2019, Tsosie entered a home in Tuba City, tried to assault one of the residents, and then set the home on fire. The homeowner woke up during the fire but could not find his way through the flames and smoke and died.

The FBI and Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety, Criminal Investigation Services, conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer E. LaGrange and Sharon K. Sexton, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.

CASE NUMBER:            CR-20-08014-PCT-SMB
RELEASE NUMBER:    2022-044_Tsosie

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