Western District of Louisiana

SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a Mexican citizen was sentenced Tuesday to 10 months in prison for manufacturing fake identification, immigration and Social Security documents.

Marco Antonio Damian-Presno, 32, of Puebla, Mexico, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. on one count of fraud and related activity in connection with identification documents. He was also sentenced to three years of supervised release and must forfeit items seized during the investigation.

According to the July 12, 2016 guilty plea, Shreveport police arrested two undocumented aliens attempting to use fake driver’s licenses, resident alien cards and Social Security cards in April 2015.  The aliens told police their source was Damian-Presno. During their investigation, agents bought a number of fake documents from Damian-Presno including identification cards, driver’s licenses, resident alien cards and Social Security cards, which he made in his Bossier City, La., home.  On September 9, 2015, agents arrested Damian-Presno.  He told agents that he sold three or four cards a week.  Agents searched his home and seized cash, a computer, electronic storage devices, paper cutting devices and laminating devices. 

Homeland Security Investigations, Shreveport Police Department and Louisiana State Police conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike O’Mara prosecuted the case. 

SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a Shreveport man was sentenced to 168 months in prison Tuesday for selling methamphetamine while staying at a Bossier City casino.

Kenvalleno Dixon, 33, of Shreveport, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. on one count of distribution of methamphetamine. He was also sentenced to five years of supervised release.  According to the July 11, 2016 guilty plea, Dixon was identified as a seller in a methamphetamine trafficking enterprise at a Bossier City, La., casino. Dixon was observed on June 25, 2015 meeting someone in the lobby of the casino and then bringing the person up to a room on the ninth floor where Dixon sold 26.6 grams of methamphetamine for $900. Dixon was not an employee of the casino.

The DEA conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown prosecuted the case.

ALEXANDRIA, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a Pineville man pleaded guilty Monday to possession of child pornography.

George Jeffus, 73, 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, Pineville police received a report concerning Jeffus possessing possible child pornography. His home was searched, and 136 images and five video files of child pornography were found on electronic storage devices.

Jeffus faces up to 20 years in prison, five years to life of supervised release, forfeiture of items that were seized during the investigation and a $250,000 fine. Additionally, he is required to register as a sex offender. A sentencing date of March 16, 2017 was set.

Homeland Security Investigations, the Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Office and the Pineville Police Department investigated the case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamilla A. Bynog is prosecuting the case.

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 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.

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.

MONROE, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a Delhi man was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison for receiving child pornography.

Daniel Lee Brown, 28, of Delhi, La., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Robert G. James on one count of receiving child pornography. He was also ordered to serve 10 years of supervised release and must register as a sex offender for the rest of his life. According to the September 12, 2016 guilty plea, Brown used the internet and Facebook, pretended to be a female teenager and directed an out-of-state 12-year-old to produce and send him child pornography. Brown received this child pornography using his computer in Delhi on October 28, 2014.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security/Homeland Security Investigations, the Louisiana State Police, the Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office and the Bossier City Marshal’s Office investigated the case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert W. Gillespie Jr. prosecuted the case.

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 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.

 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.

SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a Ringgold man was sentenced to 36 months in prison for possessing a pistol after being convicted of a felony.

Jason Edward Myers, 42, of Ringgold, La., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote on one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He was also sentenced to three years of supervised release and must forfeit the weapon seized during the investigation. According to the August 17, 2016 guilty plea, law enforcement agents learned that Myers planned to sell drugs and a pistol to someone in Ringgold. An undercover operation was conducted, and law enforcement agents observed Myers on December 11, 2015 selling a Ruger, Model LCP .380 caliber pistol at Layfield Road in Ringgold. After his arrest, he admitted to being a convicted felon.

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 Bienville Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Tennille M. Gilreath prosecuted the case.

ALEXANDRIA, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a federal jury found an Angolan national guilty Monday of refusing to leave the country twice after being ordered to depart.

Faustino Ngay, 46, of Cazengo, Angola, was found guilty of two counts of failure to depart.  United States District Judge Dee D. Drell presided over the trial, which took place Monday. The jury returned a guilty verdict after deliberating for 15 minutes.  Evidence admitted at trial revealed that on two occasions U.S. Immigration Enforcement Agents attempted to remove Ngay from the country via the Alexandria International Airport by putting him on a commercial flight.  The defendant hampered agents’ ability to remove him by verbally and physically resisting on November 17, 2015. The defendant also hampered attempts to put him on a commercial flight at the Alexandria airport on December 14, 2015. His outbursts prevented him from boarding the flights because of airline and Transportation Security Administration safety policies.

Ngay faces four years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine for each count.  Sentencing has been set for March 16 2017.

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Enforcement and Removal Operations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dominic A. Rossetti is prosecuting the case.

LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a Youngsville man pleaded guilty to distribution and possession of child pornography.

Thomas Hanes, 48, of Youngsville, La., pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Patrick Hanna to one count of distribution and one count of possession of child pornography. The plea will become final when accepted by U.S. District Judge Patricia Minaldi. According to the guilty plea, Hanes was identified through an investigation as distributing thousands of files of child pornography using an online peer-to-peer network. Law enforcement agents searched his home in Youngsville on February 26, 2016 and found sexually explicit images of children as young as two and three years of age on electronic media.

Hanes faces five to 20 years in prison for the distribution count and up to 20 years in prison for the possession count. He also faces five years to life of supervised release, forfeiture of items that were seized during the investigation and a $250,000 fine. Additionally, Hanes is required to register as a sex offender. A sentencing date of March 9, 2017 was set.

Homeland Security Investigations, Louisiana State Police and the Youngsville Police Department investigated the case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamilla A. Bynog is prosecuting the case.

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 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.

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.

ALEXANDRIA, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a woman from Many was sentenced to 27 months in prison for possessing a short-barreled shotgun.

Christi Rene McPherson, 36, of Many, La., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell on one count of unlawful possession of a short-barreled shotgun. She was also sentenced to three years of supervised release and was ordered to pay a $1,000 fine. According to the July 26, 2016 guilty plea, after a physical altercation with her boyfriend, McPherson took a black bag from the boyfriend’s house in 2015 that contained firearms and other contraband. The Natchitoches Parish Sheriff’s Office contacted McPherson at a convenience store and found her to be in possession of the black containing a 12-gauge shotgun with a barrel less than 18 inches, five grenade simulators, a Kevlar vest and other firearms. McPherson was also found to be in possession of 3 grams of methamphetamine and 12 pills of Lorazepam. Federal law restricts the ownership of shotguns with barrels shorter than 18 inches long and requires that they be registered.

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 Natchitoches Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney David C. Joseph prosecuted the case.

MONROE, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a Jena man was sentenced Monday to 16 months in prison for possessing unregistered silencers, which he also constructed and sold.

Robert E. Durham, 34, of Jena, La., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. on one count of possession of an unregistered firearm. He was also sentenced to three years of supervised release. According to the June 20, 2016 guilty plea, the defendant was recorded setting up a sale of silencers with an undercover ATF agent. They met on May 10, 2016 in Winnfield, La., and the undercover agent purchased three silencers. Law enforcement agents then searched Durham’s home on May 19, 2016. They found and seized silencers, homemade firearm suppressors, ammunition, tools and a drill press to make silencers, silencer parts, and packaged “solvent trap kits,” which are also used to make silencers. The silencers and silencer parts and kits are defined as firearms according to federal law and are required to be registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. The illegal silencers Durham possessed were not registered.

The ATF and the Louisiana State Police conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney James G. Cowles Jr. prosecuted the case.

SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a Bossier City woman was sentenced to 12 months in prison for fraudulently taking more than $90,000 in federal benefits that were payable to her deceased mother.

Gloria Lynn Perry, 67, of Bossier City, La., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. on one count of theft of government property.  She was also sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $ 88,915.15 restitution. According to the July 24, 2015 guilty plea, Perry stole $90,000 of her mother’s Veteran’s Affairs Dependency and Indemnity Compensation benefits from April 1, 2008 until July 1, 2014. Her mother died in 2008 and was no longer entitled to the benefits. In addition, Perry filed for Chapter 13 bankruptcy in 2014, but she did not report the existence of the bank account where her mother’s benefits were deposited nor the income she received as a result.

The Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General, conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cytheria D. Jernigan prosecuted the case.

SHREVEPORT/ LAFAYETTE/ALEXANDRIA/MONROE/LAKE CHARLES, La.  – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley and the Department of Justice announced that 14 grants totaling more than $2.3 million have been awarded to agencies within the Western District of Louisiana through the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA).

An individual grant of $1 million was awarded to the City of Shreveport through the BJA’s Byrne Criminal Justice Innovation Program. The Planning and Implementation Grant’s goal is to improve community safety as part of a strategy to advance neighborhood revitalization. The city is required to set up a plan to reduce crime in a target neighborhood and then begin implementation during the project period.

Nine other grants totaling $534,516 were awarded to law enforcement through the BJA as part of the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant. The grant is awarded to local governments to support a broad range of activities to prevent and control crime.

They include:

Alexandria: Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Office: $85,320 to fund the Metro Narcotics Task Force and provide overtime;

Bastrop: Morehouse Parish Sheriff’s Office: $12,780 to update vehicle equipment;

Bossier City: Bossier City government: $29,153 to provide overtime, education and mobile radios;

Franklin: St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office: $13,164 to purchase safety and training equipment;

Lafayette: Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office: $97,880 to support law enforcement initiatives to purchase servers, laptops and computer workstations;

Lake Charles: Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office: $71,607 to purchase rescue equipment, software, radar equipment and a patrol motorcycle;

Monroe: Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office: $90,640 to purchase law enforcement equipment, including vehicle wireless routers and digi-ticket devices;

Natchitoches: City of Natchitoches: $13,548 to purchase surveillance equipment for the drug task force; and

Shreveport: City of Shreveport: $120,424 to purchase police patrol boats and patrol vehicles.

Three crime labs in the District have been awarded a total of $487,989 through the DNA Capacity Enhancement and Backlog Reduction Program.

The labs awarded are:

Lake Charles: Southwest Criminalistics Laboratory: $100,000 to upgrade equipment and for training;

New Iberia: Acadiana Crime Lab: $116,875 to maintain and expand employment; and

Shreveport: North Louisiana Criminalistics Laboratory: $271,114 to increase amount of cases analyzed and for training.

The 14th Judicial District Attorney’s Office in Lake Charles was named the recipient of $350,000 through the Drug Court Discretionary Grant Program. The funds are to be used to build a single jurisdiction drug court. It is also tasked with preventing recidivism through targeted treatment, vocational services and community reintegration programs.

“The coordinated federal support will provide much needed funds for our local law enforcement partners and important initiatives for our communities to develop comprehensive crime strategies,” Finley stated. “I am especially pleased to make this announcement for the Western District of Louisiana. I want to thank the members of our grant committee who spend many hours to make sure that our law enforcement community has a chance to receive these funds.”

The Office of Justice Programs (OJP) provides federal leadership in developing the nation’s capacity to prevent and control crime, administer justice and assist victims. The 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). For more information on grant award programs, visit www.bja.gov.

LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a Duson business owner pleaded guilty Wednesday to evading taxes for three years.

Larry J. Thibodeaux, 65, of Duson, La., pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Carol B. Whitehurst to one count of attempting to evade and defeat payment of tax. The plea will become final when accepted by U.S. District Judge Donald E. Walter. According to the guilty plea, Thibodeaux, who at the time of the offense was the president and sole shareholder of Thib’s Trailers in Duson, underreported taxes on IRS forms from 2012 to 2014.  The corporate tax loss for the three years was $110,970, and the individual tax loss was $137,807 for a total loss to the U.S. Treasury of $248,777.

“The prosecution of individuals who intentionally conceal income and evade taxes is a vital element in maintaining public confidence in our tax system,” Finley stated. “Honest taxpayers should not be expected to foot the bill for those that hide income from the IRS. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will aggressively prosecute individuals who intentionally conceal income and evade taxes.”

"The filing and timely payment of tax returns is an obligation that all Americans share,” said Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation, Jerome R. McDuffie. “Our agency will continue to work with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to aggressively investigate allegations of tax crimes and prosecute those who fail to pay their fair share.  The guilty plea entered by Mr. Thibodeaux today is a reminder that citizens have the responsibility to file accurate returns and report all of their income.”

Thibodeaux faces up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release, restitution and a $250,000 fine. A sentencing date of February 13, 2017 was set.

IRS Criminal Investigations conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. McCoy is prosecuting the case.

LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley was guest speaker at two Veterans Day events dedicated to those who serve our nation’s military.

The U.S. Attorney was keynote speaker at the Lafayette Memorial Park Cemetery annual Veterans Day Service at 3 p.m. The event featured Junior ROTC members, a singer, pledge recitation, invocation and the placing of a wreath to honor fallen soldiers. She was also guest speaker at Honorfest at 6 p.m. at Parc International hosted by Townsquare Media that featured inspirational messages, a video presentation and country music star Trace Adkins. It also featured local music artists such as Kipp Sonnier, Steve Grisaffe and Jeff Dugan who entertained the veterans and visitors. A portion of the proceeds of Honorfest goes to American Legion Post 69 in Lafayette. Finley spoke about sacrifices that military members and their families makes every day. She reminded those attending that we owe thanks to them for the freedoms they protect.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. McCoy spoke on Thursday, November 10, 2016 at the St. Thomas More High School Veterans Day ceremony. McCoy served as guest speaker addressing the student about the importance of veterans to our nation. The event also featured patriotic music being played by the high school band and a mass.

“Our military members should never be forgotten,” Finley stated. “We don’t always acknowledge the soldiers, sailors and airman who continue to serve and sacrifice. They come from all walks of life and many backgrounds and are bonded by their dedication to our nation.”

A 1991 Cum Laude graduate of SULC, Finley was recommended by Senator Mary Landrieu and appointed by President Barack Obama on Jan. 20, 2010 to serve as the top federal law enforcement officer in the Western District of Louisiana.  She was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on May 28, 2010, and took the oath of office on June 2, 2010, as the first woman appointed to serve as U.S. Attorney in the State of Louisiana.

Finley is responsible for overseeing federal criminal prosecutions occurring in 42 of the 64 parishes in the State for crimes ranging from acts of terrorism to public corruption, complex white collar crimes, investment schemes, organized crimes and gang activities, civil rights, internet-related crimes, drug trafficking, firearms violations, violent crimes, child exploitation, environmental crimes, tax evasion, illegal immigration and alien smuggling, among other criminal activity.  She is also charged with defending the United States in civil cases and collecting debts owed to the United States.

Before joining the U.S. Attorney's Office, Finley was on active duty with the U.S. Air Force, stationed at England Air Force Base in Louisiana and Shaw Air Force Base in South Carolina.  She served as a Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Air Force Reserves where she was a Judge Advocate assigned to the 8th Air Force Global Strike Command located at Barksdale Air Force Base.  Prior to being at the 8th Air Force, she was assigned to the 2nd Bomb Wing Judge Advocate General's Office at Barksdale Air Force Base.  Her duties as a JAG officer have included serving as a hearing officer for criminal cases and administrative discharge boards, working in the areas of contract and labor law and military justice as well as providing legal assistance services for active duty, reservists and dependents of the military. 

Daniel J. McCoy serves as the Executive Officer of the Navy Reserve, Defense Institute of International Legal Studies unit in Newport, R.I., in addition to being an assistant U.S. Attorney in Lafayette. He attended the U.S. Naval Academy and received a bachelor’s degree of science in political science, with distinction, in May 1996. Following his graduation, McCoy was commissioned as an ensign, and completed Surface Warfare Officer’s School in Newport, R.I., in March 1997. He has served in various operations and missions all over the world throughout his career. He was selected for the Law Education Program early in his career and attended Tulane University School of Law in New Orleans. He received the degree of Juris Doctor, cum laude, in May 2004. In addition to his work as an attorney in the Navy, he also served as an instructor and has earned numerous medals for his service.

SHREVEPORT/LAFAYETTE/ALEXANDRIA/LAKE CHARLES/MONROE, La.:  United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley would like to honor the men and women of the Western District of Louisiana and their family members who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces.

Western District of Louisiana employees being honored for their service are:

United States Army - Kevin Bodden, F. Michael Campbell, U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell, Robert W. Gillespie Jr., U.S. District Judge Richard T. Haik (retired), David C. Joseph, Deborah Ritchey Mahony, C. Vincent Mangum, Joseph T. Mickel, Howard C. Parker, Edward Prokopf, U.S. District Judge Tom Stagg (deceased), Fifth Circuit Chief Judge Carl E. Stewart, Chris Turner and U.S. District Judge Donald E. Walter.

United States Navy - Joseph G. Jarzabek, Daniel J. McCoy and Ryan Turner.

United States Coast Guard - Dennis K. Austin and U.S. Magistrate Judge Patrick Hanna.

United States Marine Corps – Jerry Stanley Hayden and Angelo Iorio.

United Stated Air Force - Mitzie Cochrane, U.S. Attorney Stephanie A. Finley, Samuel W. Glass Sr., John S. Odom Jr., F. Michael O’Mara, Ryan Peck, Charlene Pullum, U.S. District Judge James T. Trimble Jr. and U.S. Marshal Henry L. Whitehorn Sr.

Immediate family members of the personnel in the Western District of Louisiana U.S. Attorney’s Office and U.S. District Court System being honored for their service are:

United States Army – Alan Carpenter, Steven Carpenter, Gerald Champagne, Andrea Doucet, Steven L. Dupont, Garnett L. Gilreath, Doyce Ray Hebert, Eddie Hutchens, Eric Iorio, Shelton Julian, Joseph LeJeune, David A. McBride, Joseph R. Nolan, Michael E. Schaff, Barney W. Skipper and Fritz L. G. Trappey.

United States Navy - Kyle Alwert, Thomas P. Cagney, David Cochrane, Leon Gordon Jones, Joseph R. Namie Jr. and John L. Witt.

United States Air Force - John T. Julian, Russell Pullum and Alan Williams.

United States Marine Corps - Stephen Box, Enoch L. Drost, Will L. Hayden and Richard L. Hayden.

Of those listed above, three have received Purple Hearts and other medals for their actions during various wars. Shelton Julian, the grandfather of Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen King, served in the U.S. Army during World War II.  He was assigned to the 92nd Infantry, Buffalo Division. During his service, he received the Purple Heart and one Oak Leaf Cluster. United States District Court Judge Tom Stagg served in the U.S. Army during WWII in Europe from 1944-1946.  During his service, he received the Combat Infantry Badge, the Bronze Star for Valor, the Bronze Star for Meritorious Service and two Purple Hearts. Judge Stagg died on June 23, 2015. Steven Dupont, son of FDA Investigator Charles Dupont, served in the U.S. Army from 2008 until 2010 and was stationed at Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3d Squadron, 2d Stryker Cavalry Regiment at Rose Barracks in Vilseck, Germany. He was assigned to Ghostrider Company as a Forward Observer during Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.  Dupont was killed in action on October 24, 2010, in Rangrizan, Afghanistan.  Specialist Dupont was awarded the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart, the NATO Medal and the Combat Action Badge, posthumously. While on active duty, he received the National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon and the Overseas Service Ribbon.

The Purple Heart is given to military members who are wounded or killed in action. The Bronze Star of Valor is awarded for acts of heroism, acts of merit or meritorious service in a combat zone and is the fourth highest combat decoration awarded to military members. The Oak Leaf Cluster denotes subsequent decorations and awards.

“There is no ceremony or monument that can ever show enough gratitude or tell the stories of every member of our military who has given so much in the service to our country,” Finley stated. “Rarely does anyone recount the struggle of the service member who leaves his or her family behind to serve overseas in support of a military operation, the sailor who risks his or her life traveling through dangerous waters for weeks, or the soldier or airman who works sun up to sun down to ensure our country’s safety. Their deeds of heroism will never be fully told, but today we can remember, then we can honor them, and celebrate those who continue to serve this nation with dedication, courage and sacrifice. It is their contributions of time, effort, emotion, patriotism and sometimes even their lives that we can live free. Today is about thank you!”

SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a former Homer Police Department Officer was sentenced Wednesday to six months in prison for violating the civil rights of a woman and for making false statements about the incident to the FBI.

Willie Fred Knowles, 66, was also sentenced by U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay a $1,500 fine. According to the August 5, 2016 guilty plea, Knowles admitted that on October 29, 2012, while he was on duty as a police officer, he pushed a woman down and struck her face and body without legal justification.  Knowles also admitted that he falsely told FBI agents that the woman started the incident by grabbing him and jumping on his back, and he falsely denied that he ever hit the woman.

This case was investigated by the FBI and the Louisiana State Police.  The case was prosecuted by Trial Attorney Christine M. Siscaretti from the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary J. Mudrick of the Western District of Louisiana.

LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a Lafayette man pleaded guilty Tuesday to illegally possessing a revolver and bullets after being convicted of a felony.

Shawn D’Anthony Brown, 20, of Lafayette, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Carol B. Whitehurst to one count of felon in possession of a firearm. The plea will become final when accepted by U.S. District Judge Patricia Minaldi. According to the guilty plea, Lafayette police stopped a black four-door vehicle not using headlights on September 27, 2015 on Celeste Street. Brown was searched, and a loaded .32 caliber revolver spray-painted gold was found in his front right pocket.  At the time of the offense, Brown had two previous felony convictions.

Brown faces up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, forfeiture of the seized items and a $250,000 fine. A sentencing date of February 23, 2017 was set.

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 Lafayette Police Department conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. McCoy is prosecuting the case.

ALEXANDRIA, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that an Alexandria woman pleaded guilty Monday to using an Alexandria clinic’s credit cards to make unauthorized purchases of $119,000.

Alaina Stansell, 35, of Alexandria, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell to one count of wire fraud. According to the guilty plea, Stansell worked in a urology clinic in Alexandria where she had access to the office’s credit cards. She used the credit cards from December 1, 2013 to March 30, 2015 to make unauthorized purchases and expenditures totaling approximately $119,000.

Stansell faces up to 30 years in prison, five years of supervised release, restitution and a $250,000 fine. A sentencing date of February 3, 2017 was set.

The U.S. Secret Service conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Earl M. Campbell is prosecuting the case.

LAFAYETTE – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a Lafayette man was sentenced Monday to 57 months in prison for stealing approximately $1.5 million from an insurance settlement his sister received while she was incapacitated.

Kevin Ralph Andrus, 37, of Lafayette, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell on one count of wire fraud. He was also sentenced to three years of supervised release and must pay $1,449,999.37 in restitution. According to the March 17, 2016 guilty plea, Andrus, after being appointed as the curator for his sister’s estate when an automobile accident left her incapacitated and unable to manager her own affairs, stole almost $1.5 million in settlement funds his sister received from a lawsuit related to the automobile accident.  After partially recovering from her injuries, Andrus’ sister discovered that settlement funds had been transferred to the defendant’s own personal and business accounts, and squandered, even though he took an oath to spend the money only on approved expenses for the benefit of his sister.

The U.S. Secret Service conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Myers P. Namie and David C. Joseph prosecuted the case. 

SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a man from Texas pleaded guilty last week to conspiring to sell methamphetamine in the Shreveport area with another Texas man.

Delton Williams Jr., 29, of Deberry, Texas, pleaded guilty Tuesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark L. Hornsby to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. The plea will become final when accepted by U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. According to the guilty plea, law enforcement agents learned that co-defendant Tares Terrell Hearn, 37, of Carthage, Texas, had organized a transaction to sell methamphetamine on May 10, 2016 at a Greenwood, La., gas station. Williams had arrived earlier in a Cadillac Escalade.  Hearn was then seen entering the Escalade and exiting the vehicle with a package tucked under his arm.  While Hearn was being arrested, Williams was followed to an adjacent business where he was also arrested. Hearn and Williams were found with large sums of money.  Hearn was found with a large amount of methamphetamine not intended for personal use.  It was later learned that Williams transported methamphetamine from Texas to Greenwood for Hearn who intended to distribute it

Williams and Hearn face up to 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release and a $1 million fine.  A sentencing date of February 1, 2017 was set. Hearn pleaded guilty on September 9, 2016 to the conspiracy count. Sentencing for Hearn is set for January 12, 2017.

The DEA and Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown is prosecuting the case.

SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a Shreveport man was sentenced last week to 80 months in prison for his role in a cocaine distribution conspiracy that stretched from Dallas to Shreveport.

Sanchez Latson, 41, of Shreveport, was sentenced Monday by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote on one count of conspiracy to distribute powder cocaine.  He was also sentenced to three years of supervised release.  Latson is the last to be sentenced of six defendants from Texas and Shreveport who pleaded guilty to various cocaine distribution related charges.  According to the guilty pleas, Latson conspired with other defendants to possess with intent to distribute powder cocaine from April 2015 to November 2015.  The drugs were purchased in Dallas and then transported to Shreveport.  They were also recorded planning sales and trips to deliver the drugs.

The other defendants previously sentenced in the conspiracy are:

Keimond De Andri Graham, 33, of Arlington, Texas, was sentenced on August 11, 2016 to 70 months in prison and four years of supervised release for one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine.

Jermaine Cassie Steadman, 31, of Shreveport, was sentenced on August 18, 2016 to 62 months in prison and three years of supervised release for one count of conspiracy to distribute powder cocaine and one count of distribution of powder cocaine.

Alonzo B. Morris, 37, of Shreveport, was sentenced on August 11, 2016 to 42 months in prison and three years of supervised release for one count of conspiracy to distribute powder cocaine and one count of distribution of powder cocaine.

Ravion Delshon Shelley, 38, of Shreveport, was sentenced on September 13, 2016 to 80 months in prison and three years of supervised release for one count of conspiracy to distribute powder cocaine.

Cedric Ray Alford, 25, of Shreveport, was sentenced on August 11, 2016 to eight months in prison and three years of supervised release for one count of conspiracy to distribute powder cocaine.

This investigation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Operation.  The DEA, Louisiana State Police and Smith County Texas Sheriff’s Office participated in the investigation.  The OCDETF program is a joint federal, state and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking and is the nation’s primary tool for targeting national and regional level drug trafficking organizations, coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to disrupt and dismantle the targeted criminal organization, and to seize its assets. 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Allison D. Bushnell prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON – The Justice Department announced that it has reached a settlement agreement with Louisiana Tech University to ensure that black students have access to the high-quality education programs at the A.E. Phillips Laboratory School, a K-8 public school operated by Louisiana Tech on its campus in Lincoln Parish.  The U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana today approved the court-ordered agreement, which will reduce barriers to enrollment for black students and further desegregate A.E. Phillips’ faculty, staff and facilities.

A.E. Phillips, which opened in approximately 1910 as a segregated school serving only white students, was first ordered to desegregate in 1984.  Following an investigation the Justice Department concluded, and Louisiana Tech agreed, that more work is needed to open up A.E. Phillips’ quality educational program to all students of Lincoln Parish.  As a laboratory school, A.E. Phillips is known for its strong academic programs and teaching, and serves as a resource for Louisiana Tech’s College of Education to train future teachers and apply innovative education techniques.

The University of Louisiana System, the Louisiana Board of Regents, the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education and the Louisiana State Superintendent of Education are also parties to the settlement agreement.  Under the consent order, Louisiana Tech and A.E. Phillips will do the following:

• increase the percentage of black student enrollment so that the percentage of black students enrolled at A.E. Phillips reflects the percentage of black students in grades K-8 enrolled in Lincoln Parish School Board’s schools by the 2020 through 2021 school year;
• take steps to expand A.E. Phillips’ existing facilities to two classrooms per grade level to accommodate additional black student enrollment;
• develop a comprehensive plan to recruit black students for incoming kindergarten classes and for available vacancies in other grade levels;
• offer full and partial tuition scholarships to admitted black students who are eligible for free and reduced price student meals under the federal guidelines;
• offer free and reduced price meals to admitted black students who meet the federal requirements for assistance; and
• take affirmative measures to recruit black candidates for administrator, teacher, certified staff and other staff vacancies at the school.

“We commend the Louisiana Tech community for its firm commitment to make the promise of equal access to education a reality for all children, regardless of the color of their skin,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.  “Our consent order establishes long overdue protections critical to increasing the enrollment of – and support for – black students at A.E. Phillips.”

“All students should have a quality education and should not be barred from any school that provides them that education,” said U.S. Attorney Stephanie A. Finley of the Western District of Louisiana.  “This consent order will have an important and lasting impact for all the students in the Lincoln Parish community.  The children of Louisiana should always be the focus.  We look forward to continuing to work with Louisiana Tech, A.E. Phillips and the state education agencies to ensure that the order is successfully implemented.”

The order dismisses the court’s supervision of the desegregation of A.E. Phillips in the areas of transportation and extracurricular activities.  Upon full implementation of the consent order, Louisiana Tech and the state education agencies may seek the court’s approval to dismiss the desegregation case against A.E. Phillips.

Promoting school desegregation and enforcing Title IV of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 is a top priority of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. Additional information about the Civil Rights Division is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt.

SHREVEPORT, LAFAYETTE, MONROE, ALEXANDRIA, LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley urges the public to discard unused prescription drugs this weekend at neighborhood collection sites during Drug Take-Back Day.

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and more than 4,200 national, tribal and community law enforcement partners nationwide will be promoting National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day with events across the nation this weekend. The National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day provides a safe, convenient and responsible means of disposing of prescription drugs. It also educates the public about the potential for abuse of medications.  Unused medications in homes create a public health and safety concern because they are highly susceptible to accidental ingestion, theft, misuse and abuse. More than 46,000 Americans die each year from drug-related deaths, and more than half of those are from prescription opioids and heroin.

The majority of prescription drug abusers report in surveys that they get their drugs from friends and family.  Cleaning out old prescription drugs from medicine cabinets, kitchen drawers, and bedside tables can reduce accidents, thefts, and the misuse and abuse of these medicines, including the opioid painkillers.  Eight out of 10 new heroin users began by abusing prescription painkillers and moved to heroin when they could no longer obtain or afford those painkillers.

The DEA will have collection sites across the country on Saturday, October 22nd, 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., Saturday, October 22nd at the following sites:

 

Shreveport

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

 

Bossier City

• Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Office, Viking Drive Substation, 2510 Viking Drive
• Louisiana State Police Troop G office, 5300 Industrial Drive

 

Barksdale Air Force Base

• Barksdale Air Force Base Exchange, 455 Curtis Road

 

Monroe

• Louisiana State Police Troop F office, 1240 Highway 594
• University of Louisiana at Monroe Police Department, 3811 Desiard St.

 

West Monroe

• Brookshire Food Store, 3426 Cypress St.

 

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

 

Broussard

• Broussard Police Department at Walgreen’s Parking Lot, 105 St. Nazaire St.

 

Lake Charles

• Lake Charles Police Department, 830 Enterprise Blvd.
• Louisiana State Police Troop D office, 805 Main St.

 

The public can also find other nearby collection sites by visiting www.dea.gov, clicking on the “Got Drugs?” icon, and following the links to a database where they enter their zip code or call 800-882-9539.

LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a man from Mexico was sentenced to six months in prison for submitting false information when applying for a passport.

Juan Carlos Guzman, 36, of San Lui Potosi, Mexico, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Patricia Minaldi on one count of making a false statement on a passport application in an attempt to illegally obtain a U.S. passport. According to the July 26, 2016 guilty plea, Guzman used another individual’s name, birthdate and social security number and submitted the documents to the Iberia Parish Clerk of Court on March 31, 2015 to process a passport application. Guzman is in the country illegally.

The U.S. State Department conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Dominic Rossetti prosecuted the case.

ALEXANDRAI, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a Lafayette man was sentenced Wednesday to 55 months in prison for possessing two stolen pistols.

James Martin Jr., 21, of Lafayette, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell on one count of possession of stolen firearms. He was also sentenced to three years of supervised release. According to the May 23, 2016 guilty plea, Lafayette Police responded to reports of gunfire at the 200 block of East Clinton Street. After arriving at the scene, an officer saw Martin holding a firearm. When told to drop the weapon, Martin instead pointed it at the officer. The officer fired twice at Martin hitting him once in the shoulder. Martin fled the scene dropping one of the guns. He was later found in possession of a second firearm. He admitted they were both stolen. The two recovered pistols were a Sig Sauer, model P220, .45 caliber pistol and a Sig Sauer, model P224, .40 caliber pistol.

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 Lafayette Police Department conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dominic Rossetti and Joseph T. Mickel prosecuted the case.

ALEXANDRIA, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a Cottonport woman pleaded guilty Wednesday to stealing more than $6,000 from the Effie Post Office.

Chelsa Dobison, 26, of Cottonport, La., pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell to one count of issuing fraudulent money orders. According to the guilty plea, Dobison was an employee of the Post Office in Effie, La.  From January 2016 to April 2016, she issued $6,631.55 in money orders to herself without prepaying for them. This caused a financial loss to the Post Office. She resigned her position in April of 2016.

Dobison faces five years in prison, three years supervised release, restitution and a $250,000 fine. A sentencing date of January 26, 2017 was set.

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

LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that an Arizona man was sentenced Thursday to 84 months in prison for traveling from Texas to Louisiana to engage in sexual activity with a minor.

Jonathan Glosch, 26, of Golden Valley, Ariz., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Patricia Minaldi on one count of traveling with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct. He was also sentenced to 10 years of supervised release and must register as a sex offender. According to the July 8, 2016 guilty plea, Glosch was traveling with an Arizona family in November of 2015 on their way to Louisiana. The family asked Glosch to leave the trip while in Texas. The mother believed he was having an inappropriate relationship with their 14-year-old daughter. Glosch stayed in contact with the daughter telling her that he had feelings for her and that they would run away together. He stole an automobile while in Texas and followed the family to Morgan City, La. On December 3, 2015, he picked up the daughter without the family’s knowledge and drove to Lafayette Parish. Law enforcement agents used information provided by the parents to track the defendant. The juvenile female was found with Glosch in the back of the vehicle.

The FBI, Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office and Morgan City Police Department investigated the case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert F. Moore prosecuted the case.

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 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.

Those concerned may also leave tips with the FBI at tips.fbi.gov. Tips may be submitted anonymously.  The Lafayette FBI office number is (337) 233-2164.

SHREVEPORT / LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley advises the public today of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s role during the upcoming November 8, 2016 general elections and the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program.

“Early voting begins on Tuesday, October 25th in Louisiana, and I want to provide the public with information regarding the enforcement of laws related to voting,” Finley stated. “Our staff will be available to assist in pursuing complaints of voting fraud and intimidation throughout the election cycle. Free and open elections are an essential part of our democracy, and we want to ensure that everyone’s rights are protected.”

State and local governments have primary responsibility for administering elections. The Justice Department is charged with and committed to protecting the rights of all citizens to access the ballot on Election Day, preventing and prosecuting voter fraud and discrimination at the polls, combating these violations whenever and wherever they occur.  The Department’s long-standing Election Day Program furthers these goals and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the integrity of the election process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible election fraud and voting rights violations while the polls are open on election day.

Federal law protects against such crimes as intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input.  It also contains special protections for the rights of voters and provides that they can vote free from acts that intimidate or harass them.  For example, actions of persons designed to interrupt or intimidate voters at polling places by questioning or challenging them, or by photographing or videotaping them, under the pretext that these are actions to uncover illegal voting may violate federal voting rights law.  Further, federal law protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice.

Early voting starts October 25th and continues to November 1st (except Sunday) from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. for the November 8th general election, and November 26th to December 3rd (except Sunday) from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. for the December 10th runoff election. 

Residents should contact their local Registrar of Voters’ Office to determine their voting location.  Voters can download a sample ballot or obtain other election information by visiting the Louisiana Secretary of State’s web page online at www.sos.la.gov/ElectionsAndVoting. To find out more, call the Louisiana Secretary of State’s Office at 225-922-0900.

For those seeking to register to vote, registration is open throughout the year.  Registration to be eligible to vote in the November 8th election has ended, but registration is open for subsequent elections throughout the year. In Louisiana, eligibility to register to vote in an election ends 30 days before that election. To find out more, call the Louisiana Secretary of State’s Office at 225-922-0900.

Complaints of election fraud or voting rights violations should be directed to the FBI, who will have special agents available in each field office and resident agencies throughout the country to receive allegations. The local FBI field offices can be reached by the public at the following telephone numbers: Shreveport at 318-861-1890, Lafayette at 337-233-2164, Monroe at 318- 387-0773, Alexandria at 318-443-5097 and Lake Charles at 337-433-6353. The U.S. Attorney’s Office can be reached by the public at 318-676-3600 (Shreveport) or 337-262-6618 (Lafayette).

Complaints about ballot access problems or discrimination can also be made directly to the Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section in Washington, D.C., at 800-253-3931, 202-307-2767 or by fax at (202) 307-3961. The division’s email address is voting.section@usdoj.gov, and voter complaints can also be filed online at www.justice.gov/crt/complaint/votintake.

The Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section enforces six federal statutes. They are the Civil Rights Act, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the Voting Accessibility for the Elderly and Handicapped Act of 1984, the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act of 1986, the National Voter Registration Act of 1993, and the Help America Vote Act of 2002. For more information on the acts that the division enforces, visit www.justice.gov/crt/about/vot/overview.php.

ALEXANDRIA, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a Jonesville man was sentenced Wednesday to one year and one day in prison for possessing a silencer.

John Wesley Smith, 40, of Jonesville, La., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell on one count of possessing an unregistered firearm (a firearm silencer, firearm muffler and suppressor). He was also sentenced to one year of supervised release. According to the June 30, 2016 guilty plea, Louisiana State Police officers were surveilling a house in a Jonesville neighborhood on September 1, 2015 while working another investigation. State police observed Smith enter the home and confronted him when he emerged. While accompanying Smith to his vehicle to retrieve his identification, the officer saw an M4 rifle with a scope, silencer and large capacity magazine placed barrel down in the front seat. When asked about the weapon, Smith told the officers he made the silencer from parts of an old boat. Silencers and silencer parts are defined as firearms according to federal law and are required to have serial numbers and be registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. The illegal silencer Smith possessed was not registered and had no serial number.  Officers seized the M4 rifle with the silencer, and they told Smith that silencers must be registered and have a serial number.  When Smith was arrested on March 3, 2016 at his home, agents found methamphetamine and marijuana in Smith’s pants pocket along with a 22 caliber pistol strapped to his ankle.  During a search of Smith’s property, agents also found three more homemade, illegal, unregistered silencers on a workbench in a shed. 

The ATF and the Louisiana State Police conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael O’Mara prosecuted the case.

SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a Shreveport optometrist was sentenced Monday to six months in prison for writing prescriptions for non-patients and non-medical purposes.

Charles D. Shanks, 64, of Shreveport, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Donald E. Walter on one count of distributing or dispensing a controlled substance. He was also sentenced to three years of supervised release.  According to the September 14, 2015 guilty plea, Shanks wrote dozens of prescriptions for codeine and hydrocodone in 2012 and 2013 from pharmacies and wholesale distributors that were for non-patients and not for valid medical purposes.

The DEA conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney James G. Cowles Jr. prosecuted the case.

SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a Shreveport man was sentenced Thursday to 121 months in prison for sex trafficking of a minor.

In addition to the term of incarceration, Zayne Ghandi Anderson, 41, of Shreveport, was also sentenced by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote to five years of supervised release and must register as a sex offender.  According to the June 13, 2016 guilty plea, undercover law enforcement agents responded to an online advertisement Anderson posted for the prostitution of minors. Upon further investigation, agents met a 16-year-old female. Agents discovered that Anderson had posted several advertisements online soliciting money in exchange for sex with the minor.

“This sentence reflects our commitment to halt the sex trafficking of young girls in this district,” Finley stated. “My office will continue to work with our partners in law enforcement to ensure that individuals who commit these crimes are found and convicted.”

The FBI Violent Crimes Against Children Task Force conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Earl M. Campbell and Jonathan S. Drucker prosecuted the case.

LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a Lafayette man was sentenced Thursday to 60 months in prison for receiving child pornography and storing it on a thumb drive.

James Michael Hinson, 67, of Lafayette, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Patricia Minaldi on one count of receiving child pornography. He was also sentenced to five years of supervised release and must register as a sex offender. According to the June 2, 2016 guilty plea, electronic files containing child pornography were detected in May of 2015 as being transferred to an account associated with the defendant. Hinson was later arrested, and a thumb drive containing 383 images and 65 videos of child pornography was found.

Homeland Security Investigations and the Louisiana Attorney General’s Cyber Crime Unit conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert C. Abendroth prosecuted the case.

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 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.

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.

LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a federal jury found a Lafayette man guilty Thursday of possessing a handgun after being convicted of a felony.

Damion Hamilton, 32, of Lafayette, was found guilty of one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.  United States District Judge Donald E. Walter presided over the trial, which started Tuesday and ended Thursday with the jury returning the guilty verdict after deliberating for approximately three hours.  Evidence admitted at trial revealed that a traffic stop was conducted on a vehicle Hamilton was driving on January 19, 2016. A search of the vehicle was conducted, and a gun safe was found on the vehicle’s back seat. The safe was later opened, and a FNS-40 .40 caliber pistol and ammunition were found. In addition to DNA evidence, the pistol’s loaded magazine also had Hamilton’s fingerprints on it.

Hamilton faces up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, forfeiture of the weapon seized and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing will be set at a later date.

“Those prohibited from carrying firearms because of a prior felony will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” Finley stated. “In this case, it took the work of federal and local law enforcement to bring this defendant to justice. These collaborations further our work to keep firearms out of the hands of criminals and protect our community.”

This investigation and prosecution is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, which is a Department of Justice initiative 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 and to promote firearm safety.

The ATF and Lafayette Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jamilla A. Bynog and Kelly P. Uebinger are prosecuting the case.

LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that the last of five Calcasieu Parish residents was sentenced Thursday to 24 months in prison for conspiring to steal yard equipment worth more than $190,000 from owners living in south central and southwest Louisiana.

Kevin Henry, 44, of Lake Charles, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Patricia Minaldi on one count of conspiracy to commit transportation of stolen motor vehicles. He was sentenced to three years of supervised release and also ordered to pay $78,513 restitution.

The other defendants were also previously sentenced on one count of conspiracy to commit transportation of stolen motor vehicles. They are:

Melvin Simien III, 34, of Iowa, La., was sentenced April 4, 2013 to 33 months in prison with three years of supervised release. He was ordered to pay $78,513 restitution and complete 50 hours of community service.                                                                                

Robert Jordan Handy, 26, of Lake Charles, was sentenced April 4, 2013 to 30 months in prison with three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $78,513 restitution.

Donald James Odia Ellis, 25, of Lake Charles, was sentenced April 4, 2013 to six months in prison with three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to complete 50 hours of community service.

Paula Garrick, 46, of Iowa, was sentenced March 7, 2013 to one year of unsupervised probation.

According to the January 3, 2013 guilty plea, Henry initiated the illegal operation by asking Handy to steal lawn mowers and other types of yard equipment. Handy would then ask others to help him steal equipment. Handy would pay those involved for their help and then sell the equipment to Henry who later sold the equipment in Louisiana and Texas. Henry bought newspapers ads in Dallas and Baton Rouge to sell the stolen items.

In one instance, a Louisiana state trooper stopped a GMC Yukon sports utility vehicle(SUV) Sept. 29, 2009 on Interstate 49 in St. Landry Parish that had been pulling a utility trailer containing three zero-turn radius lawn mowers.  A car, driven by Garrick, was observed following the trailer and had flashed its headlights as the trooper approached. After stopping the SUV and trailer, the trooper found Simien and Ellis. During the examination of the SUV and trailer, Simien and Ellis fled the scene. They were later apprehended.

Law enforcement determined that two lawn mowers in the trailer were stolen from a dealership in Opelousas, La., and one was stolen from a private residence in Duson, La.  The trailer holding the lawn mowers was stolen from a dealership in Duson.   

The FBI and Louisiana State Police investigated the case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly P. Uebinger prosecuted the case.

SHREVEPORT/LAFAYETTE, La. – Western District of Louisiana U.S. Attorney’s Office staff members, local law enforcement and community leaders met in neighborhoods throughout Caddo, Bossier and Lafayette parishes Tuesday in conjunction with Community Policing Week and National Night Out.

National Night Out takes place for one night usually the first Tuesday in August or October and is designed to heighten crime and drug prevention awareness, generate support for local anti-crime efforts, strengthen neighborhood spirit and police-community partnerships. It sends a clear message that neighbors are orga­nized and fighting back.

Residents unlocked their doors, turned on porch lights and spent the evening outside with family, friends, neighbors, emergency response personnel and city officials. Many neighborhoods throughout Caddo and Bossier parishes hosted a variety of special events such as block parties, cookouts, parades, flashlight walks, contests, youth activities and anti-crime rallies.

In Lafayette, residents met at the Martin Luther King Center near Willow Street. The events included music, food, games, fun jumps and other displays by local agencies including the Lafayette Police Department SWAT Team, Horse Patrol, Motorcycle Unit, Bicycle Patrol and the Police Command Bus.

Community policing is a public safety philosophy based on partnership and cooperation between law enforcement and the communities that they are sworn to protect and serve.  At the center of community policing is the idea that all members of the community, both officer and civilian, have a stake in the safety of their neighborhoods where they live and work. 

As part of the Obama Administration’s commitment to building stronger relationships between law enforcement and the communities they serve, the Department of Justice is leading nearly 400 events in support of community policing efforts around the country.  To further that effort, President Obama designated the week of October 2 to 8, 2016, as National Community Policing Week.  The week is also an extension of Attorney General Loretta Lynch’s 12-city Community Policing Tour that highlights collaborative programs and policing practices designed to advance public safety, strengthen police-community relations, and foster mutual trust and respect between law enforcement and citizens.  National Community Policing Week builds on President Obama’s efforts to engage with law enforcement and other members of the community to implement key recommendations from the 21st Century Policing Task Force report.

“This year Community Policing Week and National Night Out took place during the same week,” Finley stated. “The aim of both is to foster a strong bond among community members and law enforcement. It is also a great way to acknowledge the accomplishments of neighborhood organizations that keep communities safe, and especially to thank and acknowledge our law enforcement community for putting their lives on the line for us every day.”

In Shreveport and Bossier City, various member of the U.S. Attorney’s Office staff joined Shreveport Mayor Ollie Tyler, Shreveport Interim Police Chief Alan Crump, Caddo Parish Sheriff Steve Prator’s Office, the Shreveport Fire Department and other agencies in Caddo and Bossier parishes. In Lafayette, members of the U.S. Attorney’s Office staff joined the Lafayette Police Department, Lafayette Sheriff’s Office, Lafayette Parish Fire Department and other agencies at the community center on Cora Street.

Thousands of communities across the United States took part in the 33nd Annual National Night Out starting in August. To find out more about National Night Out, visit the National Association for Town Watch at http://www.natw.org.

SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a Shreveport man pleaded guilty Tuesday to illegally possessing two pistols after being convicted of a felony.

Terrell Kellum, 29, of Shreveport, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote to one count of felon in possession of a firearm. According to the guilty plea, a member of the public informed law enforcement on November 6, 2015 that an individual was carrying two pistols near the intersection of Linwood and 70th Street in Shreveport. The individual was seen leaving in a vehicle some time later. A Shreveport police officer conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle and searched it. Kellum was found to be in possession of two .380 caliber Lorcin Model L380 pistols. Kellum had been previously convicted of a felony and was not allowed to possess a firearm.

Kellum faces up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, forfeiture of the seized items and a $10,000 fine. A sentencing date of February 10, 2017 was set.

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 Shreveport Police Department conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Drucker is prosecuting the case.

The Justice Department announced today that the Bossier City, Louisiana, Housing Authority (BCHA) has agreed to pay $120,000 and adopt new policies and practices to settle a lawsuit alleging that it discriminated on the basis of race and disability, in violation of the Fair Housing Act.  The settlement must still be approved by the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana.

The complaint alleges that from 2007 to 2014, BCHA assigned elderly residents to housing on the basis of race, rather than by their place on the waiting list, and restricted residents with disabilities primarily to one of BCHA’s seven apartment complexes.  Specifically, the Justice Department alleges that BCHA assigned white elderly residents to Patricia Plaza I or Patricia Plaza II, the two complexes that it had reserved for elderly persons.  By contrast, the complaint alleges that BCHA assigned African-American elderly residents to one of its other five complexes, all of which were at least 90 percent African-American.  The complaint further alleges that BCHA primarily assigned residents with disabilities to Patricia Plaza II and did not consider such residents for vacancies at BCHA’s six other properties. 

“Denying housing or dictating where someone can live based on their race or disability perpetuates residential segregation and violates federal law,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.  “This settlement ensures equal access to federally-subsidized housing in Bossier City, and the department will continue to confront discriminatory policies or practices in the housing market throughout the country.”   

“All of the residents of our district deserve to live in housing managed with policies that are free of discrimination,” said U.S. Attorney Stephanie A. Finley of the Western District of Louisiana.  “In some cases, these federally-subsidized housing units are the last resort for those seeking a place to live.  Their situations should not be further complicated or burdened by illegal actions taken by those tasked with meeting their needs.”

If approved by the district court, the settlement will require BCHA to implement non-discriminatory policies and procedures to ensure compliance with the Fair Housing Act and to ensure that BCHA housing units are made available for rent based on an applicant’s position on its waiting list, irrespective of race or disability.  In addition, BCHA employees who are responsible for making housing decisions will receive training on the new non-discriminatory policies and procedures, the consent decree and the Fair Housing Act.

In addition, BCHA will pay $120,000 to compensate elderly persons or persons with disabilities who were passed over on the waiting list or otherwise denied the right to move into the apartment of their choice because of race or disability.  Such persons who are current tenants will also be allowed to request a transfer on a priority basis.  The settlement establishes a process for identifying people who are entitled to share in the settlement fund.  Persons who believe they were subjected to unlawful discrimination at one of BCHA properties and may be entitled to receive compensation should contact the Justice Department toll-free at 1-800-896-7743, Mailbox 9993, or email the department at fairhousing@usdoj.gov.  More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.justice.gov/crt.

Bossier Complaint

Bossier Consent Decree

WASHINGTON – The Justice Department and U.S. Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that the Bossier City Housing Authority (BCHA) has agreed to pay $120,000 and adopt new policies and practices to settle a lawsuit alleging that it discriminated on the basis of race and disability in violation of the Fair Housing Act. The settlement must still be approved by the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana.   

The complaint alleges that from 2007 to 2014, BCHA assigned its elderly residents to housing in their seven complexes on the basis of race, rather than by their place on waiting lists. BCHS also restricted residents with disabilities primarily to one of BCHA’s seven apartment complexes.  Specifically, the Justice Department alleges that BCHA assigned white elderly residents to Patricia Plaza I or Patricia Plaza II, the two complexes that it had reserved for elderly persons.  By contrast, the complaint alleges that BCHA assigned African-American elderly residents to one of its other five complexes, all of which were at least 90 percent African-American.  The complaint further alleges that BCHA primarily assigned residents with disabilities to Patricia Plaza II and did not consider such residents for vacancies at BCHA’s six other properties. 

“Denying housing or dictating where someone can live based on their race or disability perpetuates residential segregation and violates federal law,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.  “This settlement ensures equal access to federally-subsidized housing in Bossier City, and the department will continue to confront discriminatory policies or practices in the housing market throughout the country.”   

“All of the residents of our district deserve to live in housing managed with policies that are free of discrimination,” said U.S. Attorney Stephanie A. Finley of the Western District of Louisiana.  “In some cases, these federally-subsidized housing units are the last resort for those seeking a place to live.  Their situations should not be further complicated or burdened by illegal actions taken by those tasked with meeting their needs.” 

If approved by the district court, the settlement will require BCHA to implement non-discriminatory policies and procedures to ensure compliance with the Fair Housing Act and to ensure that BCHA housing units are made available for rent based on an applicant’s position on its waiting list, irrespective of race or disability.  In addition, BCHA employees who are responsible for making housing decisions will receive training on the new non-discriminatory policies and procedures, the consent decree and the Fair Housing Act.

In addition, BCHA will pay $120,000 to compensate elderly persons or persons with disabilities who were passed over on the waiting list or otherwise denied the right to move into the apartment of their choice because of race or disability.  Such persons who are current tenants will also be allowed to request a transfer on a priority basis.  The settlement establishes a process for identifying people who are entitled to share in the settlement fund.  Persons who believe they were subjected to unlawful discrimination at one of BCHA properties and may be entitled to receive compensation should contact the Justice Department toll-free at 1-800-896-7743, Mailbox 9993, or email the department at fairhousing@usdoj.gov.  More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.justice.gov/crt.

SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a Homer resident pleaded guilty Wednesday to failing to update his sex offender registration.

James Fernando Rhodes, 50, of Homer, La., pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark L. Hornsby to one count of failure to update sex offender registration.  The plea will become final when accepted by U.S. District S. Maurice Hicks Jr. According to the guilty plea, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office in Indiana conducted a sex offender compliance check on Rhodes in March of 2013. He was not found at his reported address and a warrant was issued for his arrest. A tip to the Claiborne Parish Sheriff’s Office led to Rhodes’ arrest in May of 2016. He later admitted to living in Louisiana for two years without registering as required by law. The defendant was convicted of indecency with a child-sexual contact on December 8, 1995 in Dallas County, Texas, and was required to register as a sex offender for life.

Rhodes faces up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine.  A sentencing date of February 1, 2017 was set.

The U.S. Marshals Service, Claiborne Parish Sheriff’s Office and Marion County Sheriff’s Office in Indiana conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary J. Mudrick is prosecuting the case.

SHREVEPORT, LAFAYETTE, MONROE, ALEXANDRIA, LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley reminds voters that today is National Voter Registration Day (NVRD), which is dedicated to ensuring every American is registered to vote at their current address in time for the next election. National Voter Registration Day is celebrated on the fourth Tuesday of every September by thousands of volunteers, celebrities, organizations, businesses and elected officials from all over the country. To find out more about NVRD, visit nationalvoterregistrationday.org.

In Louisiana, registering can be done in person, by mail or online and is open throughout the year.  Registration to be eligible to vote in the November 8th presidential election and congressional primary ends on October 11th, and registration to be eligible to vote in the December 11th general congressional election is open until November 9th.  Early voting is October 25th to November 1th (except Sunday) from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. for the November 8th election, and November 26th to December 10th (except Sunday) from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. for the December 10th election. 

Residents should contact their local Registrar of Voters’ Office to determine their voting location.  Voters can download a sample ballot or obtain other election information by visiting the Louisiana Secretary of State’s web page online at www.sos.la.gov/ElectionsAndVoting. Eligibility to register to vote in an election ends 30 days before that election. To find out more, call the Louisiana Secretary of State’s Office at 225-922-0900.

“The right to vote is essential to maintaining our system of democracy,” Finley stated. “One of the Department of Justice’s most important responsibilities is ensuring access to the ballot box for every eligible American in the Western District of Louisiana.”

Federal law protects against such crimes as intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input.

Complaints of election fraud or voting rights violations should be directed to the FBI, who will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations.  The local FBI field offices can be reached by the public at the following telephone numbers: Shreveport at 318-861-1890, Lafayette at 337-233-2164, Monroe at (318) 387-0773, Alexandria at (318) 443-5097 and Lake Charles at (337) 433-6353. For a more information about FBI field offices in Louisiana visit https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/neworleans. The U.S. Attorney’s Office can be reached by the public at 318-676-3600 (Shreveport) or 337-262-6618 (Lafayette).

Complaints about ballot access problems or discrimination can also be made directly to the Civil Rights Division=s Voting Section in Washington, D.C., at 1-800-253-3931 or 202-307-2767. The division’s email address is voting.section@usdoj.gov, and voter complaints also can be filed online at www.justice.gov/crt/complaint/votintake.

The Civil Rights Division=s Voting Section enforces six federal statutes. They are the Civil Rights Act, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the Voting Accessibility for the Elderly and Handicapped Act of 1984, the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act of 1986, the National Voter Registration Act of 1993, and the Help America Vote Act of 2002. For more information on the acts that the division enforces, visit www.justice.gov/crt/about/vot/overview.php.

ALEXANDRIA, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a Morgan City woman was sentenced Monday to 25 months in prison for her role in a scheme to use stolen identities to file false tax returns and pocket refunds.

Laphrida T. Watts, 40, from Morgan City, La., currently residing in Palmdale, Calif., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell on one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and one count of aggravated identity theft. She was also sentenced to three years of supervised release and was ordered to pay $45,252.02 restitution. According to the January 13, 2016 guilty plea, from February 2013 to August of 2013, Watts and co-defendant Louis W. Carbins Jr., 36, of Patterson, La., knew and allowed individuals from overseas to use stolen identities to file tax returns. The overseas individuals then directed the IRS to deposit the refunds into Carbins’ bank accounts. Watts and Carbins would then wire some of the money overseas and keep the rest.  The IRS issued more than $815,000 in refunds to Carbins’ accounts. Watts and Carbins spent $45,681.22 of the funds.

Carbins was sentenced on August 29, 2016 to 60 months in prison and three years of supervised release and was ordered to pay $45,252.02 restitution. He was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States, seven counts of theft of government money and one count of aggravated identity theft after a three-day trial that ended May 25, 2016.

The IRS conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kelly P. Uebinger and Robert F. Moore are prosecuting the case.

SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a Mexican citizen was sentenced Monday to 10 months in prison on charges that he reentered the United States illegally.

Ruperto Ocampo-Marchan, 38, of Alcapulco Guerrero, Mexico, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote on one count of illegal reentry of a removed alien. According to the May 5, 2016 guilty plea, a Louisiana state trooper conducted a traffic stop on January 28, 2016 on the vehicle Ocampo-Marchan was driving near Bossier City, La. He was found with two juvenile females who he said he was transporting to Atlanta, Ga. After further investigation, it was determined that the defendant was illegally in the United States and had been removed previously in 2005, 2013 and 2015.

United States Immigrations and Customs Enforcement and the Louisiana State Police conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Earl M. Campbell prosecuted the case.

ALEXANDRIA, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a Maurice man was sentenced Monday to 24 months in prison for possessing an unregistered sawed-off shotgun.

Kevin Patrick Abshire, 32, of Maurice, La., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell on one count of possession of an unregistered firearm; namely, a shotgun having a barrel less than 18 inches in length. He was also sentenced to three years of supervised release. According to the June 16, 2016 guilty plea, Abshire admitted that on June 6, 2015, he was involved in a high-speed car chase within the city limits of Lafayette and Lafayette Parish, after he nearly struck an officer of the Lafayette Police Department while that officer was directing traffic at an accident scene.  Instead of following the directions of the officers on the scene to turn off the engine to his vehicle, Abshire admitted that he drove away at a high rate of speed, causing officers of the Lafayette Police Department and the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office to pursue Abshire’s vehicle.  Abshire was involved in a single-vehicle accident near the Ridge Road area of Lafayette, and upon exiting the vehicle, officers noticed that he was in possession of a shotgun.  Officers were successful in subduing Abshire and placing him into custody.  The investigation revealed that the shotgun Abshire possessed when he exited the vehicle was not registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record, was loaded, and had a barrel length of 13-7/8 inches.

The ATF, Lafayette Police Department and Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. McCoy prosecuted the case.

SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a Castor couple pleaded guilty to charges related to converting a rifle into a machine gun.

Michael Deen Reeves, 58, and Crissy Lawson Reeves, 37, of Castor, La., and who are married pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote. Michael Reeves pleaded guilty to one count of manufacturing an unregistered firearm, and Crissy Reeves pleaded guilty to one count of transferring an unregistered firearm. According to the guilty pleas, a cooperating witness informed law enforcement officials that he had met with Michael and Crissy Reeves in October of 2015 to purchase a fully automatic SKS rifle. They negotiated a price, and Crissy Reeves agreed to retrieve a previously pawned rifle from a pawn shop in Natchitoches, La. Law enforcement recorded the defendants on October 30, 2016 in their home selling the rifle to the witness. Law enforcement agents also recorded Michael Reeves converting the Norinco SKS 7.62 x 39 mm rifle to a fully automatic rifle.

They face up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, forfeiture of the seized items and a $10,000 fine. A sentencing date of January 20, 2017 was set.

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 Bienville Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Drucker is prosecuting the case.

LAKE CHARLES – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a Franklin woman was sentenced Thursday to 24 months in prison for stealing more than $61,500 from the company where she worked.

Michelle Leann Berry-Ortemond, 41, of Franklin, La., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Patricia Minaldi on one count of wire fraud. She was also sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $55,346.66 restitution. According to the May 25, 2016 guilty plea, Berry-Ortemond stole $61,696.41 from a Lafayette construction company from February 2010 to April 2011 while employed there. She forged and cashed forged checks, initiated wire transfers and accessed a line of credit in the corporation’s name without consent.

The U.S. Secret Service conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert C. Abendroth prosecuted the case. 

LAFAYETTE – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a Breaux Bridge woman pleaded guilty Tuesday to stealing more than $64,000 from a New Iberia company.

Joan C. Edgar, 66, of Breaux Bridge, 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 Dee D. Drell. According to the guilty plea, Edgar worked as an office manager for a New Iberia company. The company’s sole stockholder began negotiating with Edgar for her to buy the company in 2011, and while still working for the company, she stole $64,860. She concealed her actions by altering company records.

Edgar faces up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, restitution and a $250,000 fine. A sentencing date was not set.

The FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly P. Uebinger is prosecuting the case.

LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a North Carolina man was sentenced Wednesday to 63 months in prison for possessing a sexually explicit image of a Lafayette minor.

Eric Teague, 48, of Granite Falls, N.C., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Patricia Minaldi on one count of possession of child pornography. He was also sentenced to three years of supervised release and must register as a sex offender. According to the June 23, 2016 guilty plea, Teague contacted a minor in the Lafayette area through a social media site online. The defendant received a sexually explicit image from the minor in January of 2015 and was later found in possession of the image.

Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamilla A. Bynog prosecuted the case.

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 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.

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.

LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a federal jury found a Florida man guilty Tuesday of sexually assaulting a female officer stationed at the Fort Polk Military Base.

Maurice Antuan Speights, 32, of Tallahassee, Fla., was found guilty of one count of sexual abuse.  United States District Judge Patricia Minaldi presided over the trial, which started Monday and ended Tuesday with the jury returning the guilty verdict after deliberating for 50 minutes. According to testimony and evidence admitted at trial, the defendant, a civilian, was an acquaintance who was temporarily residing at a relative’s home in Leesville. Speights, the victim and a female friend went out for a night of drinking on October 20, 2013. At trial, the female friend testified about the events of the evening. She stated that the victim was so intoxicated that by the time the three returned to the female friend’s home, the victim passed out. The female friend and Speights had to carry the victim to an upstairs bedroom. An FBI agent testified that during an interview, Speights acknowledged engaging in sexual intercourse with the victim but claimed it was consensual. The victim took the stand during the two-day trial and testified that she had no memory of anything that occurred until she woke up in the middle of the night with the defendant sexually assaulting her.

The case was brought by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the crime occurred on the Fort Polk Military Base where the United States has exclusive jurisdiction.

Speights faces up to a lifetime in prison, life of supervised release, registration as a sex offender and a $250,000 fine.  Sentencing has been set for January 12, 2017.

The U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command and the FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Luke Walker and David C. Joseph are prosecuting the case.

MONROE, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a West Monroe woman pleaded guilty Monday to stealing bankruptcy clients’ Chapter 13 payments.

Jessica M. Millwood, 39, of West Monroe, La., pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Karen L. Hayes to one count of embezzlement against a bankruptcy estate. The plea will become final when accepted by U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. According to testimony presented during the guilty plea, Millwood worked for a Monroe bankruptcy attorney, Glay H. Collier II, who himself was previously convicted of bankruptcy fraud against his clients. Millwood dealt directly with the clients and took money from debtor-clients. A client filed for Chapter 13 bankruptcy in March of 2014 and began paying $1,105 per month to settle debts. Millwood began embezzling the money from the client for her own use in May of 2014 rather than remitting the plan payments to the Chapter 13 trustee. In August of 2014, the client’s case was dismissed for failure to pay. Milwood embezzled funds from approximately 10 debtor-clients during her employment with Glay Collier.

Millwood faces a maximum penalty of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release, restitution and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for January 26, 2017.

The FBI and the U.S. Trustee’s Office – Region 5 conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Cytheria D. Jernigan is prosecuting the case.

SHREVEPORT, La. — United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that her office is observing National Heroin and Opioid Awareness Week by bringing the discussion to Shreveport and surrounding high schools.

Today’s program at Northwood High School in Shreveport kicks off similar events that begin this week and will continue throughout the year. Students at schools in the Western District of Louisiana will view the FBI and DEA documentary “Chasing the Dragon: The Life of an Opiate Addict.” There will be a discussion of the film followed by presentations from an Assistant U.S. Attorney, U.S. Attorney’s Office staff, members of law enforcement, counselors and others. A discussion guide will also be made available to classroom teachers for use after the events.

“I want to thank the Caddo Parish School Board, Superintendent Theodis Lamar Goree and Northwood High School Principal Darlene Simons for hosting the first of these presentations,” Finley stated. “Our goal is to have many more of these programs at local schools and expand them to university and technical college campuses. Addiction to these substances affects all of us on some level, young and old. We want to do everything we can to make sure that the young people of this District are aware of the dangers and pitfalls so that they can have great futures.”

The White House, Department of Justice and U.S. Attorney’s Offices have joined with law enforcement, schools and other public and private agencies to observe National Heroin and Opioid Awareness Week. It provides the chance to educate the public about the dangers of heroin and opioid abuse, as well as how they can help stop the epidemic that is killing so many of children, friends and neighbors.  Many people are not aware how pervasive opioids have become and do not know how rapidly the opioid threat is evolving.

The prescription opioid and heroin epidemic has taken a toll on many Americans and their families, while straining resources of law enforcement and treatment programs.  More Americans now die every year from drug overdoses than they do in motor vehicle crashes—and most of those involve prescription opioids or heroin. More than 27,000 lives were lost in 2014 to heroin and opioids, and reports from the field indicate that this number has increased in 2015 and this year.  The largest share of this toll comes from the abuse of prescription opioids, but the number of deaths from heroin has increased dramatically over the last several years.  Particularly disturbing is the recent rise of deaths caused by fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that is estimated to be 80 times the potency of morphine.

More information is available at www.fbi.gov/ChasingTheDragon.

SHREVEPORT, La. – U.S. Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a Shreveport man pleaded guilty to possessing methamphetamine and a handgun.

Paul Matthew Garza, 35, of Shreveport, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Mark L. Hornsby to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. The plea will become final when accepted by U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. According to the guilty plea, Garza’s vehicle was pulled over during a traffic stop on May 25, 2016 near the Louisiana/Texas border in Caddo Parish. Upon searching his vehicle, law enforcement found 408 grams of methamphetamine and 142.73 grams of Xanax bars. Upon searching his home, additional methamphetamine and Xanax were found. A Ruger LCP .380 semi-automatic handgun, digital scales and $17,400 were also found.

Garza faces 10 years to life in prison for the drug count and five years in prison for the firearm count. He also faces at least five years of supervised release and a $10 million fine. A sentencing date of January 12, 2017 was set.

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