Western District of Louisiana

SHREVEPORT, LAFAYETTE, MONROE, ALEXANDRIA, LAKE CHARLES, La. – Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook urges the public to discard unused prescription drugs this weekend at area collection sites during Drug Take-Back Day.

 

On Saturday, October 28, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. the Drug Enforcement Administration and local law enforcement agencies across the Western District of Louisiana will give the public its 14th opportunity in seven years to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused and unwanted prescription drugs. The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.

 

Last April, Americans turned in 450 tons (900,000 pounds) of prescription drugs at almost 5,500 sites operated by the DEA and more than 4,200 of its state and local law enforcement partners.  Overall, in its 13 previous Take-Back events, DEA and its partners have taken in more than 8.1 million pounds—more than 4,050 tons—of pills.

 

This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue.  Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the United States are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses because of these drugs.  Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet. In addition, Americans are now advised that their usual methods for disposing of unused medicines—flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash—both pose potential safety and health hazards.

 

The DEA will have collection sites across the country on Saturday, October 28, for those who are interested in bringing their unused or expired prescription drugs for proper disposal.  Only pills and other solids, like patches, can be brought to the collection sites – liquids and needles or other sharp objects will not be accepted.  The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.

 

Prescription drugs can be dropped off from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., October 28, at:

 

Shreveport

• Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office, Sheriff’s Safety Town in the parking lot of Summer Grove Baptist Church, 8910 Jewella Ave.

 

Bossier City

• Louisiana State Police Troop G office, 5300 Industrial Drive

 

Monroe

• Louisiana State Police Troop F office, 1240 Highway 594
• Brookshire’s Food & Pharmacy, 1801 North 18th St.
• Brookshire’s Food & Pharmacy, 4070 Highway 165
• Super One, 2810 Louisville Ave.

 

Alexandria

• Louisiana State Police Troop E office, 1710 Odom St.
• Alexandria Police Department, 1000 Bolton Ave.
   

Lafayette

• Louisiana State Police Troop I office, 121 E. Pont Des Mouton Road
• Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office, 1825 W. Willow Street

 

Broussard

• Broussard Police Department at Walgreen’s parking lot, 105 St. Nazaire St.

 

Lake Charles

• Lake Charles Police Department at 900 Lake Short Drive (Civic Center)
• Louisiana State Police Troop D office, 805 Main St.

 

Morgan City

• Walgreens, 815 Brashear Ave.
• Walmart Neighborhood Market parking lot, 1002 La.-70
• Walmart Super Center, 973 Highway 90-East

 

The public can also find other nearby collection sites by visiting the DEA Diversion website  or call 800-882-9539.

 

            SHREVEPORT, La. – Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that a man from Texas pleaded guilty Tuesday to drug distribution charges after heroin was found in his car battery.

 

Jose Alonzo Hernandez, 42, of Brownsville, Texas, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote to one count of possession with intent to distribute heroin. According to the guilty plea, a state trooper conducted a traffic stop on Hernandez’s car March 16, 2017 on Interstate 20 in Bossier Parish. The trooper conducted a search of the vehicle and found approximately 3.35 kilograms of heroin hidden inside the car’s battery.

 

Hernandez faces 10 years to life in prison, five years to life of supervised release and a $10 million fine. The court set a February 23, 2018 sentencing date.

 

The DEA and Louisiana State Police conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany E. Fields is prosecuting the case.

SHREVEPORT, La. – Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that a federal grand jury indicted a Converse woman for seven counts of mail fraud.

 

Melanie Barber, 35, of Converse, La., was employed by the Desoto Parish District Attorney’s office from April 2002 until February 2014. From at least 2004 to 2014, she negotiated money orders made payable to and intended for the Desoto Parish District Attorney’s Office.  The money orders were collected by worthless checks and diversion fees but negotiated by Barber at several local banks and retailers for her personal use.

 

 Barber faces up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine per count. She also faces forfeiture.

 

The FBI and the Mansfield Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike O’Mara is prosecuting the case.

           

An indictment is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

SHREVEPORT, La. – Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that a Bossier City man pleaded guilty Wednesday to driving a vehicle onto Barksdale Air Force Base and damaging property.

 

Jeffery Jermaine Francis, 33, of Bossier City, La., pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. to one count of willful damage to property of the United States. According to the guilty plea, Francis was driving a green 2003 GMC Yukon on August 20, 2017 and struck a bollard at the West Gate of Barksdale Air Force Base. When approached and asked to place the vehicle in park, Francis instead drove onto the base.  Barksdale security forces had to deploy a vehicle entrapment barrier on Barksdale Boulevard, which disabled the vehicle. He then fled the scene on foot. Security forces later discovered that the vehicle belonged to Francis’s girlfriend, and that he was driving under suspension. The estimated cost of damage to the vehicle and Barksdale property was $17,600.

 

Francis faces up to 10 years in prison, three years to life of supervised release, restitution and a $250,000 fine. The court set a February 1, 2018 sentencing date.

 

United States Air Force Police Criminal Investigations conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Allison D. Bushnell is prosecuting the case.

SHREVEPORT, La. – Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced today that a Texas man was sentenced last week to 120 months in prison for distributing methamphetamine in the Shreveport area and possessing a firearm.

 

Daniel D. Garza, 26, of Laredo, Texas, was sentenced Friday by U.S. District Judge Donald E. Walter to 60 months in prison on one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and to 60 months in prison on one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime to run consecutively. He was also sentenced to five years of supervised release. According to the guilty pleas, law enforcement officers received information on November 16, 2016 that Garza was at a Shreveport hotel attempting to distribute methamphetamine. The next day, law enforcement officers saw Garza leaving the hotel in a red Ford Focus with codefendants Bart W. Rogers II, 33, and Rachel Fothergill, 35, both of Dallas, Texas. Law enforcement agents conducted a traffic stop and searched the vehicle. A blue backpack was found in the front passenger side floorboard that contained a large gallon-sized Ziploc-style baggie with three more clear baggies inside containing approximately 195 grams of methamphetamine. Additionally, a 9 mm SAR Arms semi-automatic handgun, model SAR B6P, was located in a gun holster in the backpack. The firearm was loaded and the backpack also contained an additional loaded clip. Additionally, agents found another baggie that contained approximately 79 grams of methamphetamine in the glove box and a scale.

 

Rogers was sentenced on September 21, 2017 to 96 months in prison and four years of supervised release for the conspiracy count. Fothergill was sentenced on October 13, 2017 to 12 months and one day in prison and three years of supervised release for the conspiracy count.

 

The DEA and Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys James G. Cowles Jr. and Tiffany E. Fields prosecuted the case.

LAKE CHARLES, La. – Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that a former Lake Charles post office employee pleaded guilty last week to using U.S. Postal Service fuel cards for his personal vehicle.

 

Shawn Bell Jr., 21, of Port Arthur, Texas, pleaded guilty Thursday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen Kay to one count of use of an unauthorized access device. The plea will become final when accepted by U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell. According to the guilty plea, Bell started using U.S. Postal Service fuel cards for his private vehicle starting on November 29, 2016. Bell resigned as a route driver for the Drew Station Post Office in Lake Charles on January 12, 2017, after law enforcement agents interviewed him about U.S. mail from his route found discarded in a dumpster. Even after his resignation, he kept the fuel cards and used them through April 10, 2017 for a total loss to the U.S. Postal Service of $2,021.24.

 

Bell faces up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. The court set a January 18, 2018 sentencing date.

 

The U.S. Postal Service-Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys T. Forrest Phillips and Robert C. Abendroth are prosecuting the case.

LAFAYETTE, La. – Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that a St. Martinville man pleaded guilty Monday to drug distribution and firearm charges.

 

Clay Anthony Robertson, 31, of St. Martinville, La., pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Carol Whitehurst to one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and one count of possession of firearms by a convicted felon. The plea will become final when accepted by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote. According to the guilty plea, law enforcement agents searched Robertson’s former apartment in the River Ranch area of Lafayette on January 19, 2017. Law enforcement agents recovered more than 500 grams of cocaine, 31 grams of marijuana dipped in Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) wax, and $64,280.  Law enforcement also recovered a .40 caliber pistol, a 9 mm semi-automatic pistol, 30 rounds of 9 mm ammunition, and 41 rounds of .40 caliber ammunition. Agents also discovered later that the .40 caliber pistol was stolen, and that Robertson was previously convicted of a controlled substance felony on January 25, 2007.

 

Robertson faces up to 40 years in prison, five years of supervised release and a $5 million fine for the controlled substance violation. He also faces up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine for the firearms count. The court set sentencing for February 9, 2018.

 

The DEA, ATF, Lafayette Metro Narcotics Task Force, and the St. Martin Parish Narcotics Division of the St. Martin Parish Sheriff's Office conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. McCoy is prosecuting the case.

SHREVEPORT, La. – Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced today that a Shreveport woman was sentenced to 120 months in prison for distributing methamphetamine.

 

Guadalupe Ponte, 27, of Shreveport, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote on one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. She was also sentenced to five years of supervised release. According to the guilty pleas, DEA drug task force agents learned that Ponte was distributing methamphetamine in Shreveport. They recorded her on January 12, 2017 setting up sales and then observed her traveling to meet codefendant Rogelio Lopez, 47, of Longview, Texas. Agents arrested the defendants after they arrived at a hotel in separate vehicles. Agents found 82.9 grams of methamphetamine in Lopez’s car. While Ponte was being detained, agents saw a Ruger LC9S 9 mm semi-automatic handgun in her car, and they also saw an infant in the backseat. Agents found 326.6 grams of methamphetamine when they later searched Lopez’s Texas home. Lopez admitted to being Ponte’s supplier of methamphetamine. Ponte admitted to owning the firearm and selling methamphetamine for Lopez.

 

Lopez was sentenced on August 25, 2017 to 65 months in prison and five years of supervised release for conspiracy.

 

The DEA investigated this case with assistance from the Shreveport Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary J. Mudrick prosecuted the case.

LAFAYETTE, La. – Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that a Lafayette man was sentenced Monday to 100 months in prison for cocaine and firearm possession.

 

Douglas Dugas, 34, of Lafayette, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Donald E. Walter on one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He was also sentenced to three years of supervised release. According to the July 12, 2016 guilty plea, Lafayette police pursued a vehicle on May 12, 2015 after it fled during a traffic stop. The pursued vehicle drove by a business on Johnston Street, and the driver discarded a bag. Later, employees of the business found a bag in the parking lot containing crack cocaine, marijuana, a large sum of money, a .357 caliber pistol and a cell phone. The phone contained pictures and data indicating Dugas was the primary user. An examination of the crack cocaine confirmed it to be 25 net grams of cocaine base.

 

The FBI, ATF and Lafayette Metro Narcotics conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert C. Abendroth prosecuted the case.

MONROE, La. – Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced today that a former Monroe post office employee pleaded guilty to stealing mail.

 

Tanasha Turner, 34, of Monroe, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Karen L. Hayes to one count of theft of mail matter by a postal service employee. The plea will be final when accepted by U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. According to the guilty plea, the postmaster from a Monroe post office reported losses of mail from the Monroe Main Post Office and the Northside Station. Law enforcement agents conducted a surveillance operation April 12, 2017 at the Northside Station and tracked Turner taking a letter containing $45. Agents conducted a traffic stop of her vehicle and found Turner in possession of the letter. She admitted to taking the letter and numerous other first class letters beginning in December 2016.

 

Turner faces up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. The court set a February 18, 2018 sentencing date.

 

The U.S. Postal Service-Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary J. Mudrick is prosecuting the case.

LAFAYETTE, La. – Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that a Jennings man pleaded guilty Wednesday to posting nude photos online and threatening to post more photos of a female victim.

 

Christopher Redeaux, 21, of Jennings, La., pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Jay C. Zainey to one count of interstate transmission of extortionate communication. According to the guilty plea, Redeaux obtained nude pictures of a woman with whom he had a relationship.  After their relationship ended, he threatened to publish the pictures on the internet if the woman did not provide more. After obtaining additional pictures, Redeaux posted some of the photos to Facebook using a fictitious account. He sent a friend request to the victim and her friends. The victim later encountered Redeaux at school, and he invited her to his dorm room where she rejected his sexual advances. Days later, Redeaux began to harass her through an online account and telephone calls. During their last conversation, he ended it by saying “Yup sending your pics.” The victim filed a complaint with McNeese State University Police on December 2, 2015. Redeaux was arrested on several state charges including cyberstalking, sexual battery and cyberbullying. Redeaux’s cell phone was searched and a folder containing the nude photos of the victim were found.

 

Redeaux faces up to two years prison, one year of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. The court set a December 6, 2017 sentencing date.

 

The FBI, McNeese State University police and the Greater Houston Regional Computer Forensics Laboratory conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jamilla A. Bynog and T. Forrest Phillips are prosecuting the case.

LAFAYETTE, La. – Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that a Beaumont man pleaded guilty Wednesday to kidnapping two girls after stealing the truck in which they were seated.

 

Henry Dwight Moore, 23, of Beaumont, Texas, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Jay C. Zainey to one count of kidnapping. According to the guilty plea, Moore drove a black truck into a Lowe’s parking lot in Sulphur, La., on December 13, 2015. He stole a customer’s purse who had walked away from it to return a shopping cart. A bystander saw Moore take the purse, and the bystander jumped into the back of Moore’s truck as he drove away. The truck’s engine died at one point, and the bystander attempted to confront him. Moore got the engine started again and sped off leaving the bystander in the truck bed. Eventually the bystander pleaded to be let out of the back of the truck, and Moore stopped to allow him to leave. Moore then continued westbound on Interstate 10 in the rain. He lost control and struck the side of a Toyota Tundra truck. After the accident, Moore’s truck died again, and he and the Tundra pulled over to the side of the road. After the Tundra owner exited the truck and walked to the passenger side to inspect the damage, Moore jumped into the driver’s seat and drove off. Inside the Tundra truck were the owner’s daughters ages 5 and 7. Moore told the girls he was going to drop them off at a police station, but he didn’t. He abandoned the car and the girls on the side of the road after reaching Orange, Texas. One of the girls located her father’s cell phone and was able to reach help.

 

Moore faces up to life in prison, not more than five years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. The court set a December 6, 2017 sentencing date.

 

The FBI conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamilla A. Bynog is prosecuting the case.

MONROE, La. – Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that a man from West Monroe pleaded guilty Tuesday to illegally possessing four firearms and ammunition.

 

Calvin E. Braswell Jr., 58, of West Monroe, La., pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Karen L. Hayes to one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The plea will be final when accepted by U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. According to the guilty plea, law enforcement officers searched Braswell’s residence on February 22, 2017 after receiving a tip of drug activity there. During the search, officers found a High Standard, Model C, .22 caliber pistol; a Smith & Wesson Model CTF, .38 caliber revolver; a Heritage, Rough Rider, .22 caliber revolver; a Ruger, Target 22/45, .22 caliber pistol; and related ammunition. It is illegal for Braswell to possess firearms after being convicted of felonies on January 6, 2000 and July 17, 2008.

 

Braswell faces up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, forfeiture of the weapons and a $250,000 fine. The court set a February 14, 2018 sentencing date.

 

This investigation and prosecution is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, which is a Department of Justice initiative to promote firearm safety and to reduce firearm crimes by preventing the possession and use of firearms by dangerous and persistent felons and others not authorized to possess a firearm.

 

The ATF, the Union Parish Sheriff’s Office and the Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary J. Mudrick is prosecuting the case.

SHREVEPORT, La. – Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that a Texas man pleaded guilty Wednesday to not reporting more than $100,000 of income he received while on disability.

 

Jon Halbrook, 59, of Hemphill, Texas, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote to one count of theft of government property. According to the guilty plea, Halbrook began receiving Social Security Administration (SSA) disability benefits in 2003, but it was later learned that Halbrook had been working from June 2012 to June 2016 at a Many, La., company. Halbrook did not report to the SSA as required by law that he was working during that time period and illegally received $101,616 in disability payments to which he was not entitled.

 

Halbrook faces up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine.  The court set a sentencing date of February 22, 2018.

 

The Social Security Administration-Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Tennille M. Gilreath is prosecuting the case.

LAFAYETTE, La. – Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that a Scott tax preparer pleaded guilty Tuesday to putting false information on clients’ tax forms that caused the IRS to pay out more than $105,000.

 

Vida Prejean Thomas, 44, of Scott, La., pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Carol Whitehurst to one count of aiding and assisting in the preparation of false documents under Internal Revenue laws. The plea will be final when accepted by U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell. According to the guilty plea, the IRS began investigating Thomas’ tax preparation business after receiving a tip alleging fraudulent activity. They interviewed nine of her customers and found that their 2010 through 2013 personal income tax returns contained false information put there without their knowledge or authorization. The false returns Thomas prepared caused a loss of $105,813 to the IRS.

 

Thomas faces up to three years in prison, one year of supervised release and a $100,000 fine. The court set a January 2, 2018 sentencing date.

 

The IRS conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney David C. Joseph is prosecuting the case.

LAKE CHARLES, La. – Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that a Nicaraguan man pleaded guilty Wednesday to reentering the United States illegally after having been previously removed.

 

Manuel Vargas-Perez, 46, of Nicaragua, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen Kay to one count of reentry by an alien without permission after removal. The plea will become final when accepted by U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell. According to the guilty plea, law enforcement officers conducted a roadside stop on the vehicle Vargas-Perez was driving on July 3, 2017 in Calcasieu Parish. He had no identification and told officers he was from Nicaragua. It was later discovered that he had been deported before and had not obtained permission to return to the United States.

 

Vargas-Perez faces up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine.

 

United States Customs and Border Protection and the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Dominic Rossetti is prosecuting the case.

LAKE CHARLES, La. – Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that a Mexican national pleaded guilty Wednesday to reentering the United States illegally after having been previously removed twice.

 

Lucas Rosales-Arcos, 32, of Mexico, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen Kay to one count of reentry by an alien without permission after removal. The plea will become final when accepted by U.S. District Judge Donald E. Walter. According to the guilty plea, Jennings police arrested Rosales-Arcos on May 27, 2017 for domestic battery. Border Patrol agents interviewed the defendant who admitted to being in the United States illegally. He was removed in September of 2013 and April of 2014, and had not obtained permission to return.

 

Rosales-Arcos faces up to two years in prison, one year of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. The court set sentencing for February 20, 2018.

 

United States Customs and Border Protection and the Jennings Police Department conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert F. Moore is prosecuting the case.

LAKE CHARLES, La. – Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that a Mexican national pleaded guilty Wednesday to reentering the United States illegally after having been previously removed four times.

 

Marco Antonio Reyes-Escutia, 42, of Mexico, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen Kay to one count of reentry by an alien without permission after removal. The plea will become final when accepted by U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell. According to the guilty plea, Sulphur police arrested Reyes-Escutia on July 10, 2017 for stealing from a local retail store. Border Patrol agents interviewed the defendant who admitted to being in the United States illegally. He was arrested and removed once in 2010, twice in 2012 and once in 2013.

 

Reyes-Escutia faces up to two years in prison, one year of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. The court set sentencing for January 12, 2018.

 

United States Border Patrol and the Sulphur Police Department conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Ayo is prosecuting the case.

SHREVEPORT, La. – Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that a Logansport man was sentenced Wednesday to 420 months in prison for distributing methamphetamine in Many, La., and kidnapping a victim in east Texas. 

           

Christopher L. Douglas, 36, of Logansport, La., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote on one count of distribution of methamphetamine and one count of conspiracy to commit kidnapping. He was also sentenced to 10 years of supervised release. According to the April 6, 2017 guilty plea, law enforcement agents recorded Douglas selling 2 ounces of methamphetamine on April 26, 2016 for $2,000 in Many. In addition, he previously pleaded guilty to the kidnapping conspiracy charge from the Eastern District of Texas, in which he participated with others to kidnap the victim, demand ransom, and ultimately attempted to kill the victim, all arising out of related drug trafficking.

 

The FBI, ATF-Tyler Texas, Sabine Parish Sheriff’s Office, DeSoto Parish Sheriff’s Office, Carthage Police Department and Longview Police Department conducted the investigations.  Assistant U.S. Attorney James G. Cowles Jr. prosecuted the case for the Western District of Louisiana, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Hable prosecuted the case for the Eastern District of Texas.

MONROE, La. – Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that a Lake Providence woman was sentenced last week to 18 months in prison for stealing more than $52,000 from a housing development by falsifying receipts for work that was never performed.

 

Stephanie R. Threats, 46, of Lake Providence, La., was sentenced Wednesday by U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. on one count of conspiracy to commit federal program theft. She was also sentenced to three years of supervised release. According to the June 1, 2017 guilty plea, Threats worked for an Oak Grove, La., elderly housing apartment company, which received funds from the Office of Housing and Urban Development through Section 202 of the Federal Housing Program. From July 2009 until July 2012, Threats stole $52,241.69 from the program by creating false invoices for work performed for the benefit of the apartments and the HUD program recipients, when in reality no work had been performed.

           

The Office of Housing and Urban Development-Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown prosecuted the case.

MONROE, La. – Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that a West Monroe man was sentenced Wednesday to 151 months in prison for receiving child pornography.

 

John D. Owen, 30, of West Monroe, La., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. on one count of receiving child pornography. He was also sentenced to 10 years of supervised release and is required to register as a sex offender. According to the June 1, 2017 guilty plea, law enforcement agents identified the defendant as possessing child pornography. Agents conducted a search of his residence on September 22, 2016 and found five videos of child pornography on his cell phone and 38 images of child pornography on a computer.

 

This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a U.S. Department of Justice nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood combines 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.

           

Those concerned may leave tips with the FBI at tips.fbi.gov. Tips may be submitted anonymously. The Monroe FBI office number is (318) 387-0773.

 

The FBI, Swiss Cybercrime Coordination Unit and the Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tennille M. Gilreath prosecuted the case.

SHREVEPORT, La. – Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced today that 16 defendants have been indicted in separate cases for firearms offenses.

 

The U.S. Attorney’s Office is partnering with federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement to specifically identify the criminals responsible for significant violent crime in the Western District of Louisiana.  A centerpiece of this effort is Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone.  Today’s indictments are part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods program.

 

“Addressing violent crime is a priority of the Department of Justice,” said Van Hook. “By consistently identifying the leading violent offenders in our communities and employing all available tools to hold them accountable, we will combat violent crime and make our communities safer.  These indictments show our commitment to working aggressively toward this goal.”

 

Those indicted include:

 

Deontre D. Caldwell, 30, of Shreveport, one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

Terrence Terze Cochran, 19, of Shreveport, one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

Bryan D. Gates Jr., 18, of Shreveport, one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

Alvin Kincerely Law Jr., 30, of Shreveport, one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

Jeremy Moro, 40, of Minden, La., one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

Ivory C. Myles, 28, of Shreveport, one count of interference with commerce by robbery, one count of kidnapping, one count of transportation for purpose of committing criminal sexual activity, and one count of use of a firearm during a crime of violence.

Tramarciea Jovan Ruffins, 24, of Shreveport, two counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

Xavier Breonte Strickland, 28, of Shreveport, one count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana, one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

Christopher De’Lanio Taylor, 30, of Homer, La., one count of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon, one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

Jason Brian Wallace, 33, of Shreveport, one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

 

The indictments of six other individuals remain sealed pending their arrest by law enforcement.

 

The Caddo Parish District Attorney’s Office, ATF, FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Marshals Service, Shreveport Police Department and other local law enforcement agencies assisted in the investigation and arrest of these individuals.

 

            An indictment is merely an accusation, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

 

Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander Van Hook is available for interview today by appointment.  Call Henri LeJeune at 337-262-6618 or Lisa Langley at 318-676-3600 to schedule an interview.

ALEXANDRIA, La. – Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced today that 11 defendants were indicted for a methamphetamine distribution conspiracy in the Winn Parish area.

 

Those named in the 13-count indictment are:

 

Cristina Daniela Santos, 25, of Inglewood, Calif.

Ladarrius James Street, 34, of Winnfield, La.

Dexter Jerome Sapp, 38, of Winnfield, La

Destiney Hamilton, 32, of Winnfield, La.

Kendrick Lamont Davenport, 43 of Winnfield, La.

Stephen Duncan Jr., 25, of Winnfield, La.

Delano C. Hall, 48, of Winnfield, La.

Michael Deangelo Hall, 32, of Winnfield, La.

Jeremy Laraun Mamon, 35, of Winnfield, La.

Rafael M. Powell, 34, of Atlanta, La.

Xavier Deandre Powell, 28, of Atlanta, La.

 

According to the indictment, the defendants conspired to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine from October 2015 to October 2017 in the Winn Parish area.

 

For a list of counts the defendants face, see graphic below:

Counts* 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Santos * * *                     Street **                         Sapp *     * * *               Hamilton *                         Davenport *                         Duncan *           *             Delano Hall *             *           Michael Hall *                         Mamon *               * *       Rafael Powell *                         Xavier Powell *                   * * *

*Count One is conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Counts 2-5 and 7-13 are distribution of methamphetamine, and Count Six is possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

 

The defendants each face between 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine, and forfeiture of seized property.  They also face at least four years of supervised release. 

 

The FBI Central Louisiana Safe Streets Gang Task Force, U.S. Marshals Service Violent Offender Task Force of Alexandria and Shreveport, DEA Task Force of Shreveport, Louisiana State Police, Louisiana National Guard Counter Drug Unit, Louisiana Probation and Parole, Winn Parish Sheriff’s Department, Winn Parish District Attorney’s Office, and the Hawthorne, Calif., Police Department participated in the investigation. Assistant U. S. Attorney Earl M. Campbell is prosecuting the case.

 

An indictment is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

ALEXANDRIA, La. – Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that Monterey man pleaded guilty Monday to possessing a revolver after having been convicted of a felony.

 

Marcus L. Cummings, 58, of Monterey, La., pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell to one count of felon in possession of a firearm. According to the guilty plea, a Louisiana probation agent encountered Cummings on August 25, 2015 at a Monterey gas station. Cummings was on parole for a November 2006 felony conviction. The probation agent asked him if he was in possession of either a controlled substance or a firearm. Possessing either would have been a violation of Cummings’ parole. Cummings said he had a revolver in his vehicle, and they went to his vehicle to retrieve it. The agent found the defendant to be in possession of a .22 caliber Smith and Wesson revolver.

 

Cummings faces up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. The court set a January 2, 2018 sentencing date.

 

This investigation and prosecution is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, which is a Department of Justice initiative to promote firearm safety and to reduce firearm crimes by preventing the possession and use of firearms by dangerous and persistent felons and others not authorized to possess a firearm.

 

The ATF and Louisiana Probation and Parole conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney T. Forrest Phillips is prosecuting the case.

LAFAYETTE, La. – Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that two illegal aliens pleaded guilty and one illegal alien was sentenced last week for various offenses.

 

Mexican national pleads guilty to using fraudulent documents

 

LAFAYETTE, La. – Noe Bautista-Hernandez, 30, of Mexico, pleaded guilty Thursday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Patrick Hanna to one count of false representation of a Social Security number. The plea will become final when accepted by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote. According to the guilty plea, Abbeville police arrested Bautista-Hernandez on July 18, 2017 on unrelated charges. Police discovered that the name he provided at his arrest belonged to another person. Upon examining the identifying documents submitted to the police, they discovered a Social Security card, a Puerto Rican birth certificate, two Louisiana State identification cards and a Louisiana driver’s license in another name. They were all false and fraudulent. He also possessed a Mexican birth certificate and passport in his own name.

 

Bautista-Hernandez faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The court set sentencing for December 8, 2017.

 

Homeland Security Investigations and the Abbeville Police Department conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Ayo is prosecuting the case.

   

Man from Mexico pleads guilty to illegally returning to the United States

 

            LAFAYETTE, La. – Isais Hernandez-Vasquez, 33, of Mexico, pleaded guilty Thursday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Patrick Hanna to one count of reentry of a removed alien. The plea will become final when accepted by U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell. According to the guilty plea, Hernandez-Vasquez was arrested on July 17, 2014 in St. Martin Parish. He pleaded guilty and was convicted on June 2, 2017 of attempted possession of methamphetamine. Agents later encountered him and discovered that he had been previously removed from the United States. He was removed on August 27, 2009 and April 3, 2014 after criminal convictions. He was not authorized to return to the United States.

 

Hernandez-Vasquez faces up to two years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The court set sentencing for January 12, 2018.

 

United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Dominic Rossetti is prosecuting the case.

  

Guatemalan citizen sentenced to 5 months for illegally reentering country

 

            LAKE CHARLES, La. – Emir Sosa-Morales, 31, of Cuilco, Guatemala, was sentenced Friday by U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell to five months in prison on one count of illegal reentry following removal. According to the June 13, 2017 guilty plea, Lafayette Sheriff’s deputies arrested Sosa-Morales on January 4, 2017 for a felony. Law enforcement agents later discovered that the defendant had been removed from the United States on two previous occasions. The most recent was on September 17, 2013 in New Orleans.

 

United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney T. Forrest Phillips is prosecuting the case.

ALEXANDRIA, La. – Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that a Mexican national pleaded guilty Tuesday to being an illegal alien in possession of a rifle and ammunition.

 

Juan Martin Frias-Ortiz, 54, of Mexico, pleaded guilty before Chief District Judge Dee. D. Drell to one count of possession of a firearm and ammunition by an illegal alien. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) began investigating Frias-Ortiz after receiving information that he was in the country illegally and had been shooting firearms on his property. Agents determined that Frias-Ortiz was a citizen of Mexico and in the United States illegally after his H-2A Visa expired in 2014.  During the execution of a search warrant on Frias-Ortiz’s Bunkie, La., home on August 3, 2017, agents found a Marlin Model 60 22LR rifle, a box of .22LR and 12-gauge shotgun ammunition.

 

Friaz-Ortiz faces up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. He also faces forfeiture of the weapons seized. The court set sentencing for January12, 2018.

 

The ATF, the Department of Homeland Security Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Avoyelles Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike O’Mara is prosecuting the case.

LAFAYETTE, La. – Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that a St. Mary Parish man pleaded guilty last week to moving to Texas without updating his sex offender registration.

 

Forrest Tucker, 54, of Morgan City, La., pleaded guilty Friday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Carol Whitehurst to one count of failure to register as a sex offender. The plea will become final when accepted by U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell. According to the guilty plea, Tucker was convicted of a felony on April 17, 2008 that required him to register as a sex offender. After he served seven years in prison, St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s officers checked his address after his release in 2014, and Tucker was found absent from his Morgan City residence. A warrant was issued for his arrest, and U.S. Marshals arrested Tucker on May 4, 2017 in a hotel in San Antonio, Texas.

 

Tucker faces up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. The court set sentencing for November 30, 2017.

 

The U.S. Marshals Service and the St. Mary Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph T. Mickel is prosecuting the case.

LAKE CHARLES, La. – Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced today that $400,000 will go to the Lake Charles District Attorney’s Office to combat the opioid drug epidemic by funding a drug court.

 

            The Office of Justice Programs awarded the 14th Judicial District Attorney’s Office in Lake Charles $400,000 for Fiscal Year 2017 to enhance funding for adult drug courts and veteran treatment courts. The grant program furthers the Department of Justice’s aim to reduce opioid abuse and support law enforcement officers, as well as other justice partners, by providing resources and tools that support prevention of future crime by offenders with addictions.

 

Of the $59 million total awarded to various agencies around the country, 22.2 million will go to 53 jurisdictions to support the drug and veterans treatment courts. About $24 million of the $59 million in federal grants will be awarded to 50 cities, counties and public health departments to provide financial and technical assistance to state, local and tribal governments to create comprehensive diversion and alternatives to incarceration for those impacted by the opioid epidemic. These funds, awarded under the Office of Justice Programs’ Bureau of Justice Assistance’s Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Program, also included funds from the Harold Rogers Prescription Drug Monitoring Program. An additional $3.1 million will be awarded by the National Institute of Justice for research and evaluation on drugs and crime. The research priorities are heroin and other opioids and synthetic drugs.
 

The Department is also awarding more than $9.5 million under several Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention grant programs, including the Juvenile Drug Treatment Court Grant Program and the Family Drug Court Statewide System Reform Implementation Program. These programs help jurisdictions build effective family drug treatment courts and ensure current juvenile drug treatment courts follow established guidelines. 

 

Specific sites and funds awarded can be found online at: go.usa.gov/xRJWE.

 

“Today, we are facing the deadliest drug crisis in American history,” said Attorney General Jeff Sessions. “These trends are shocking and the numbers tell us a lot, but they aren’t just numbers.  They represent moms and dads, brothers and sisters, neighbors and friends. And make no mistake, combatting this poison is a top priority for President Trump and his administration, and you can be sure that we are taking action to address it.  Today we are announcing that we will be awarding millions in federal grants to help law enforcement and public health agencies address prescription drug and opioid abuse.  This is an urgent problem, and we are making it a top priority.”

 

“I want to congratulate the Lake Charles District Attorney’s Office for being awarded this grant,” Van Hook stated. “It will be used to improve the lives of those addicted to drugs and will help reduce the demand for illegal drugs in this district. It is with programs like this in conjunction with law enforcement efforts that we can fight the scourge of opioid abuse.”

 

Finally, read more about the importance of these programs in a new blog by OJP Acting Assistant Attorney General Alan R. Hanson online at go.usa.gov/xRJBp. 

 

The Office of Justice Programs, headed by Acting Assistant Attorney General Alan R. Hanson, provides federal leadership in developing the nation’s capacity to prevent and control crime, administer justice and assist victims. OJP has six bureaus and offices: the Bureau of Justice Assistance; the Bureau of Justice Statistics; the National Institute of Justice; the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention; the Office for Victims of Crime; and the Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering and Tracking (SMART). More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.

LAKE CHARLES, La. – Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced today that a Houston man was sentenced to 60 months in prison for selling and possessing methamphetamine in the Lake Charles area.

 

Raymond Earl Neal, 26, of Houston, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Donald E. Walter on one count of distribution of controlled substances and one count of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. He was also sentenced to three years of supervised release. According to the March 24, 2016 guilty plea, Neal sold approximately 2 ounces of methamphetamine to an undercover informant for $1,900. Later that same day, he was stopped by police officers for a traffic violation. They found an additional 8.5 ounces of methamphetamine and a Smith & Wesson .9 mm semi-automatic handgun in Neal’s vehicle.

 

Homeland Security Investigations, Calcasieu Combined Anti-Drug Task Force and Lake Charles Police Department conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Dominic Rossetti prosecuted the case.

LAKE CHARLES, La. – Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced today that a former bookkeeper for a Sulphur oil field company was sentenced to 87 months in prison for stealing more than $4 million while working there.

 

Elizabeth “Missy” Istre, 52, of Sulphur, La., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Donald E. Walter on three counts of wire fraud.  She was also sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $4,348,490.18 restitution. Istre was found guilty by a federal jury after a four-day trial that ended May 4, 2017. According to the evidence presented, Istre worked as a bookkeeper for a family-owned petroleum company in Sulphur, La.  From 2004 through January of 2014, Istre issued fraudulent checks payable to herself and her husband from the company’s corporate bank account. During that time, she issued more than 800 checks and used the money for personal expenses.

 

Istre began writing fraudulent checks payable to herself not long after being hired in 2004. She started writing the checks in small amounts but then increased the amount. By 2011, she was writing fraudulent checks for half a million dollars a year. She was the only person to use the business’ software, and she provided the financial statements directly to the company’s accountant. Because of fluctuations in the oil and gas industry, Istre was able to conceal the stolen funds. She bought several vehicles, took numerous trips, paid bills, bought property, paid family members’ expenses, withdrew cash and made other transactions with the stolen funds.

 

The U.S. Secret Service investigated the case.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kelly P. Uebinger and Dominic A. Rossetti prosecuted the case.

LAFAYETTE, La. – Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that a New Orleans man pleaded guilty Tuesday to directing employees to discharge a pollutant into a canal that feeds the Vermilion River.

 

Aldes K. “Al” Vidrine III, 52, of New Orleans, La., pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Carol Whitehurst on one count of unlawful discharge of a pollutant into a water of the United States. According to the guilty plea, Vidrine, who worked as a manager at the Abbeville Omega Protein Inc. plant, directed employees on February 1, 2016 to place a hose in a treatment pond and drain process water from the plant’s treatment pond into a canal that emptied into the Vermilion River.

 

Vidrine faces up to one year in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of not less than $2,500 or more than $25,000 per day of the violation. The court set a January 11, 2018 sentencing date.

 

The criminal investigation divisions of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Louisiana State Police conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert C. Abendroth is prosecuting the case.

SHREVEPORT, La. – Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that a Shreveport man pleaded guilty Thursday to possessing a sawed-off shotgun hidden behind a wall.

 

Dylan G. Fausto, 25, of Shreveport, La., pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote on one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. According to the guilty plea, law enforcement agents searched Fausto’s residence on January 2, 2017 while executing a search warrant for another individual. During the search, they found a sheetrock panel leaning against a wall in the master bedroom closet. Behind the panel, agents could see the end of a shotgun and discovered it was a loaded sawed-off 12-gauge Mossberg pump shotgun. Fausto was previously convicted of a felony and is prohibited from possessing a firearm.

 

Fausto faces up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. The court set a January 5, 2018 sentencing date.

 

This investigation and prosecution is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, which is a Department of Justice initiative to promote firearm safety and to reduce firearm crimes by preventing the possession and use of firearms by dangerous and persistent felons and others not authorized to possess a firearm.

 

The ATF, U.S. Marshals Service and Bossier City Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany E. Fields is prosecuting the case.

SHREVEPORT, La. – Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that a man from Homer was sentenced Thursday to 120 months in prison for possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine after a bag containing the drug was found in a relative’s clothes dryer.

 

Vincent McDaniel, 44, of Homer, La., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. on one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. He was also sentenced to 10 years of supervised release. According to the March 9, 2017 guilty plea, a relative of the defendant contacted law enforcement on November 12, 2015 to report that she had found something suspicious in a bag, which was left in the clothes dryer at her home in Homer. After examining and testing the contents of the bag, law enforcement determined it was 526.7 grams of methamphetamine. McDaniel had asked for access to the home while the relative was away, and after his arrest, had asked other relatives to retrieve the bag for him before law enforcement could obtain it.

 

The DEA and the Homer Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney James G. Cowles prosecuted the case.

ALEXANDRIA, La. – Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that a Georgetown woman was sentenced Wednesday to 24 months in prison for making fake U.S. $20 bills.

 

Gena Armstrong, 20, of Georgetown, La., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell on one count of manufacturing counterfeit U.S. securities. She was also sentenced to two years of supervised release. According to the June 16, 2017 guilty plea, Armstrong bought a copy machine and paper on March 29, 2016 from an Alexandria office supply business. While a friend drover her around the city, Armstrong copied a genuine $20 bill and began printing counterfeit money. In total, she printed a two-sided cut $20 bill, 30 two-sided uncut $20 bills and nine one-sided uncut $20 bills. While driving through the city, the friend stopped at a convenience store, and Armstrong gave the friend the counterfeit $20 bill to make a purchase.

 

The U.S. Secret Service and the Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tennille M. Gilreath is prosecuting the case.

LAFAYETTE, La. – Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that a New Orleans woman pleaded guilty Wednesday to possessing 282 counterfeited credit/debit cards.

 

Brittany Sanders, 34, of New Orleans, La., pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Patrick Hanna to one count of possession of 15 or more counterfeit or unauthorized access devices. The plea will become final when accepted by U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. According to the guilty plea, a Louisiana State Police trooper pulled over a rental car January 9, 2015 on Interstate 10 in St. Martin Parish that Sanders and codefendant Bruce Daliet, 33, also of New Orleans, were traveling in. The trooper searched the vehicle and found a pink suitcase that belonged to Sanders. Inside were 282 counterfeit credit/debit cards and $4,000 worth of gift cards. Law enforcement agents discovered that 156 of the credit/debit cards were embossed with Sanders’ name, and 126 were embossed with Daliet’s name. The loss to the credit card companies is $13,907.22.

 

Sanders faces up to 10 years in prison. Daliet pleaded guilty on August 28, 2017 to access device possession. He faces up to 20 years in prison. They both also face three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. The court did not set sentencing dates.

 

The U.S. Secret Service and Louisiana State Police conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert F. Moore is prosecuting the case.

SHREVEPORT/LAFAYETTE, La. – Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that the U.S. Attorney’s Offices in Shreveport and Lafayette collected more than 294 pounds of food and non-perishable items this week that were delivered to two local food pantries.

 

In all, federal employees contributed 294 pounds of food to the Food Bank of Northwest Louisiana in Shreveport and FoodNet: The Greater Acadiana Food Bank in Lafayette. The Shreveport U.S. Attorney’s Office gathered 180 pounds of the total, and the Lafayette U.S. Attorney’s Office gathered 114 pounds. Donation boxes for the Feds Feed Families food drive campaign were located at the federal courthouses in Shreveport and Lafayette. The food drive campaign ended September 1, 2017.

 

“The Feds Feed Families food drive campaign provides federal employees an opportunity to help their communities,” Van Hook stated. “Food pantries are always in need of assistance, and during the summer, sometimes donations and contributions can run low. I want to thank the federal employees in our office as well as the U.S. Courts and other agencies who gave food, time and other resources.”

 

The Food Bank of Northwest Louisiana began in 1995 when a group of individuals from churches with food pantries and benevolent organizations met to discuss the need to establish a local food bank to serve the parishes of Northwest Louisiana. The Food Bank of Northwest Louisiana is the largest distributor of donated food for the seven-parish area and is one of only five food banks in the state. They sort, warehouse and distribute food to more than 120 non-profit organizations in the seven-parish region, which includes: Caddo, Bossier, Bienville, Claiborne, Desoto, Red River and Webster parishes. For more information about the Food Bank of Northwest Louisiana, visit their website at www.foodbanknla.org or call (318) 675-2400.

 

FoodNet: The Greater Acadiana Food Bank, a non-profit food bank serving Lafayette Parish, was established in October 1987. FoodNet has distributed tens of thousands of tons of food since opening, and presently serves several agencies including: Faith House of Acadiana women’s shelter, the Children’s Shelter, St. Joseph Shelter for Men, Acadiana Youth Shelter for Girls, St. Joseph Diner, the Red Cross, Alleman Center, Acadiana Cares, St. Francis Foundation for Substance Abuse and the Arc. For more information, visit www.foodnetacadiana.org or call (337) 232-3663.

 

In the United States, 50 million people are challenged with hunger, including 17 million children. Feds Feed Families was started when Rep. Frank Wolf (R-Va.) and former Office of Personnel Management Director John Berry realized that food donations were dropping during the summer months because many families were on vacation. The campaign has run every summer since 2009, and to date, it has collected nearly 70 million pounds of food, including more than 12.5 million pounds last year alone.

 

For more information visit www.usda.gov/fedsfeedfamilies or call the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of Louisiana, at 337-262-6618.

LAFAYETTE, La. – Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced today that an Opelousas man pleaded guilty to possessing a pistol even though he was previously convicted of a felony and prohibited from possessing a firearm.

 

Willie Jamal Reynolds, 28, of Opelousas, La., pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Patrick Hanna to one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The plea will become final when accepted by U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. According to the guilty plea, police arrested Reynolds on June 3, 2017 for possessing a Smith and Wesson .40 caliber semiautomatic pistol. After further investigation, police found a 15-minute video online of Reynolds and a friend in the presence of numerous firearms. Reynolds is a felon after receiving a conviction in September of 2013 and is not allowed to possess a firearm.

 

Reynolds faces up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. The court did not set a sentencing date.

 

This investigation and prosecution is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, which is a Department of Justice initiative to promote firearm safety and to reduce firearm crimes by preventing the possession and use of firearms by dangerous and persistent felons and others not authorized to possess a firearm.

 

The ATF and the Opelousas Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dominic Rossetti is prosecuting the case.

LAFAYETTE, La. – Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced today that a Mexican citizen pleaded guilty to reentering the United States illegally after being removed at least three times.

 

Juan Jose Mendoza-Ibarra, 38, of Mexico, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Carol Whitehurst to one count of illegal reentry of a removed alien. The plea will become final when accepted by U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell. According to the guilty plea, the defendant was found to be in Lafayette in July of 2017 after an arrest. He had previously been removed from the United States at least three times on March 11, 2016, August 5, 2016 and February 10, 2017.

 

Mendoza-Ibarra faces two years in prison, one year of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. The court set a November 27, 2017 sentencing date.

 

Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dominic Rossetti is prosecuting the case.

SHREVEPORT, La. – Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced today that a former Homer Police officer pleaded guilty to his role in a vehicle fraud theft and insurance scheme.

 

Donald W. Malray, 52, of Homer, La., pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark Hornsby to one count of mail fraud conspiracy. The plea will become final when accepted by U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. According to the guilty plea, Malray and another individual planned a scheme to fake a vehicle and trailer theft, and then file an insurance claim to collect the money on the value of the property. On August 4, 2015, Malray and the other individual transferred the ATV and trailer to Malray’s possession after they met in Ruston, La. Malray then instructed the other individual to call the Homer Police Department and report the ATV and trailer stolen. The insurance company paid the individual in the conspiracy with Malray approximately $13,000 on September 8, 2015. Law enforcement agents recovered the ATV and trailer on January 31, 2017 in Ruston, La.

 

Malray faces up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. The court set a sentencing date of December 6, 2017.

 

The DEA and the Claiborne Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney James G. Cowles Jr. is prosecuting the case.

ALEXANDRIA, La. – Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that a Pineville man pleaded guilty Monday to using an online storage site to house child pornography.

 

Brandon McNamara, 26, of Pineville, La., pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell to one count of possession of child pornography. According to the guilty plea, Canadian law enforcement agents arrested a resident of British Columbia in 2016 for online child pornography distribution. Canadian agents identified McNamara’s online alias as one of 57 different users exchanging child pornography with the Canadian defendant. Canadian agents alerted U.S. law enforcement, and McNamara was questioned on December 9, 2016. He admitted to possessing images of child pornography and said they were being stored on an online storage account.

 

McNamara faces up to 20 years in prison, five years to life of supervised release, mandatory registration as a sex offender and up to a $250,000 fine. The court set the sentencing date for December 15, 2017.

 

This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a U.S. Department of Justice nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood combines 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.

 

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) also encourage the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free hotline at (866) 347-2423. Investigators are available at all hours to answer hotline calls. Tips or other information can also be submitted to ICE online by visiting their website at www.ice.gov/exec/forms/hsi-tips/tips.asp or through the Operation Predator smartphone application www.ice.gov/predator/smartphone-app. Tips may be submitted anonymously.

 

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Vancouver Royal Canadian Mounted Police conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jamilla A. Bynog and David J. Ayo are prosecuting the case.

SHREVEPORT, La. – Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that a Shreveport man was sentenced Wednesday to 151 months in prison for receiving child pornography.

 

James Vail, 52, of Shreveport, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. on one count of receipt of child pornography. He was also sentenced to 10 years of supervised release. According to the April 18, 2017 guilty plea, state police detected Vail downloading and trading images of child pornography using his computer via an internet-enabled electronic device. State police searched his home, and Vail admitted during the search that he used an online peer-to-peer program to trade child pornography. A forensic examination of his computer revealed numerous images of child pornography downloaded from October 2015 to June 2016.

 

This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a U.S. Department of Justice nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood combines 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.

 

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) also encourage the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free hotline at (866) 347-2423. Investigators are available at all hours to answer hotline calls. Tips or other information can also be submitted to ICE online by visiting their website at www.ice.gov/exec/forms/hsi-tips/tips.asp or through the Operation Predator smartphone application www.ice.gov/predator/smartphone-app. Tips may be submitted anonymously.

 

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Louisiana State Police conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Earl M. Campbell prosecuted the case.

MONROE, La. – Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that a man from Monroe was sentenced Monday to 121 months in prison for possessing methamphetamine for later sale.

 

Travis C. Mills, 35, of Monroe, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Robert G. James on one count of possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. He was also sentenced to five years of supervised release. According to the May 19, 2016 guilty plea, law enforcement agents arrested Mills on October 7, 2015, as he was leaving his home. They found 115 grams of methamphetamine in a brown paper bag in the front seat of his car. His home was also searched, and 84 grams of methamphetamine were found.

 

The DEA and Ouachita Parish Metro Narcotics Task Force conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney James G. Cowles Jr. prosecuted the case.

LAFAYETTE, La. – Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced today that a former Morgan City Post Office custodian pleaded guilty to stealing from U.S. mail.

 

Jerome Guidry, 39, of Bayou Vista, La., pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Patrick Hanna to one count of theft of mail by a postal service employee. The plea will become final when accepted by U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. According to the guilty plea, the Morgan City Police Department responded to a report that a $50 retail store gift card never reached its recipient. The U.S. Postal Service-Office of Inspector General agents investigated the report and interviewed Guidry on January 4, 2017. Guidry admitted to taking the gift card. Agents searched his vehicle and found additional gift cards. His home was also searched, and a U.S. Postal Service money order for $500 was found. Guidry admitted to stealing the money order from a greeting card that had been mailed to New York.

 

Guidry faces up to five years in prison, one year of supervised release, restitution and a $250,000 fine.

 

The U.S. Postal Service-Office of Inspector General and the Morgan City Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Ayo is prosecuting the case.

LAFAYETTE, La. – Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that a Mexican citizen pleaded guilty Monday to reentering the United States illegally after being arrested for trying to obtain a Louisiana Identification Card in Morgan City.

 

Ruben Angle Verdugo-Barajas, 35, of Mexico, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Carol Whitehurst to one count of illegal reentry of a removed alien. The plea will become final when accepted by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote. According to the guilty plea, the defendant was arrested on April 24, 2017 after attempting to obtain a Louisiana Identification Card at the Morgan City Department of Motor Vehicles. Verdugo-Barajas presented the driver’s license, Social Security card and birth certificate of a Puerto Rican resident and claimed they were his. After questioning, he admitted his true identity. He was previously deported at Nogales, Ariz., on December 10, 2000.

 

Verdugo-Barajas faces two years in prison, one year of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. The court set a December 8, 2017 sentencing date.

 

Homeland Security Investigations and the Louisiana State Police conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Ayo is prosecuting the case.

ALEXANDRIA, La. – Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced today that the former warden for the Avoyelles Correctional Center and his wife were indicted for fraud.

 

Nathan Burl Cain II, 50, and Tonia Bandy Cain, 42, both of Moreauville, La., were indicted by a federal grand jury on 18 charges. Count one charges conspiracy to commit wire fraud and counts two through 18 charge wire fraud. According to the indictment, Nathan Cain was the warden of Avoyelles Correctional Center located in Cottonport, La., and Tonia Cain served as the manager of the business office of the facility. They are accused of using Louisiana Department of Corrections credit cards to purchase items for personal use while misrepresenting that the items were bought for official use between December of 2012 and January 2016. The defendants are also accused of structuring purchases.

 

The defendants face up to 20 years in prison, five years supervised release, and a $250,000 fine per count, and forfeiture in the amount of $152,364.69. An arraignment date has not been set.

 

The FBI and the Louisiana Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Luke Walker and David J. Ayo are prosecuting the case.

 

An indictment is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

LAFAYETTE, La. – Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced today that an Opelousas man was sentenced to 684 months and one day in prison for robbing three local businesses at gunpoint.

 

Carey Wardell Reed, 29, of Opelousas, La., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Rebecca F. Doherty on three counts of interference with commerce by robbery; two counts of using, carrying and brandishing a firearm during a violent crime; and one count of using, carrying and discharging a firearm during a violent crime. He was also sentenced to three years of supervised released and ordered to pay $3,098.77 restitution.

 

Reed was found guilty by a jury on March 7, 2017. According to the evidence presented at trial, Reed robbed three commercial establishments in Opelousas in 2014. On May 2, 2014, Reed robbed the Tiger Stop #7 gas station. He fired a shot, and told everyone inside to “get down.” He then had the employees empty the cash register of $704 and fled the scene. One May 10, 2014, Reed robbed the Chicken King restaurant. He entered the restaurant with a gun, which he pointed at the cashier. He demanded money and threatened to harm those present. The cashier turned over $985, and Reed fled. On September 22, 2014, Reed robbed a Family Dollar store. He entered the store with a handgun and demanded money. Before leaving, he also threatened the employees’ lives and took $1,400. The defendant was arrested on September 30, 2014 after police conducted a traffic stop. Extensive ballistic and digital forensic evidence were key in proving Reed to be the perpetrator in all three robberies.

 

The FBI and the Opelousas Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jamilla A. Bynog and Joseph T. Mickel prosecuted the case.

LAKE CHARLES, La. – Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced today that a Leesville man pleaded guilty to taking part in counterfeiting $100 bills in order to purchase prepaid cards.

 

Deldrick Shykil Fowler, 24, of Leesville, La., previously of DeQuincy, La., pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen Kay to one count of counterfeiting obligations to the United States. The plea will become final when accepted by U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell. According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, Fowler helped another unnamed conspirator on December 27, 2016 to use a genuine $100 bill to make 58 counterfeit copies. The conspirator then passed $1,500 worth of counterfeit bills at a DeRidder, La., department store in exchange for three prepaid debit cards. The conspirator discarded the unused counterfeit bills in a trashcan at a park. The counterfeit bills were later found and provided to law enforcement officers. The officers located Fowler the next day and discovered him with two of the three prepaid cards. He had already spent the third card.

 

Fowler faces up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. The court set a sentencing date of November 3, 2017.

 

The U.S. Secret Service, Vernon Parish Sheriff’s Office and the DeRidder Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Abendroth is prosecuting the case.

SHREVEPORT, La. – Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced today that a federal jury found a Texas man guilty of conspiring to transport methamphetamine and cocaine.

 

Erasmo Aviles Jr., 35, of Spring, Texas, was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance, one count of possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and one count of possession of cocaine with intent to distribute a controlled substance. United States District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. presided over the trial, which started Monday and ended today. The jury returned a guilty verdict after deliberating for approximately 2.75 hours.

 

Evidence admitted at trial revealed that Aviles was traveling east on Interstate 20 in Bossier Parish in one car that was traveling in tandem with another vehicle driven by Francisco Guardiola, 25, of Spring, Texas, on May 12, 2016. Louisiana State Troopers conducted a traffic stop on the vehicles. Aviles denied any wrongdoing and a search of his vehicle produced a camouflaged two-way radio set to channel two. The vehicle Guardiola was driving was searched. Troopers found 1,048 gross grams of methamphetamine and 361.8 grams of powder cocaine. They also found a camouflaged two-way radio of the same type found in Aviles’ vehicle that was also set to channel two.

 

Aviles faces up to 20 years to life in prison, 10 years of supervised release and a $20 million fine for the conspiracy count; up to 20 years in prison, five years of supervised release and a $10 million fine for the methamphetamine and cocaine distribution counts. Guardiola pleaded guilty on March 15, 2017 to all three counts.

 

The DEA and Louisiana State Police conducted the investigation.

 

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Allison D. Bushnell and Tennille M. Gilreath are prosecuting the case.

LAFAYETTE, La. – Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced today that a man from Duson pleaded guilty to wire fraud in connection to a scheme to defraud a Eunice pipeline company out of more than $2.6 million.

 

Richard Walter Borek Jr., 43, of Duson, La., pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Patrick Hanna to one count of wire fraud. The plea will become final when accepted by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote. According to the guilty plea, Borek worked as the information technology (IT) manager for a Eunice pipeline company from 2012 to 2016. He conducted a scheme where he bought cell phones and electronic tablets using company funds from two nationwide cellular phone companies. He then sold them online to another company and kept the money for his own personal use. He also sold web hosting services and computer equipment to the pipeline company through his own company called Statix even though the web hosting services were being provided by another company and the computer equipment was never delivered to the pipeline company’s office. The loss from both schemes resulted in both cell phone companies charging the pipeline company $2,436,487 and Statix charging the pipeline company $236,234.14 for a total loss to the pipeline company of $2,672,721.14.

 

Borek faces 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, restitution and a $250,000 fine. The court set a December 7, 2017 sentencing date.

 

The FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Myers P. Namie is prosecuting the case.

LAFAYETTE, La. – Acting U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced today that a Mexican citizen pleaded guilty to reentering the United States illegally.

 

Jose Luis Gamez-Verdugo, 49, of Mexico, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Carol Whitehurst to one count of illegal reentry of a removed alien. The plea will become final when accepted by U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell. According to the guilty plea, Gamez-Verdugo was found on April 9, 2017 in Vermilion Parish. After further investigation, it was determined that he had been removed from the United States on five previous occasions. The most recent removal was on June 16, 2011 in Brownsville, Texas.

 

Gamez-Verdugo faces 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. The court set a November 3, 2017 sentencing date.

 

United States Immigrations and Customs Enforcement and the Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney T. Forrest Phillips is prosecuting the case.