Western District of Louisiana

SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a Natchitoches man was sentenced to 70 months in prison for conspiring to sell cocaine and methamphetamine.

James R. Smith Jr., 39, of Natchitoches, La., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Donald Walter for one count of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and methamphetamine. He was also sentenced to three years of supervised release. According to evidence presented at the May 16, 2014 guilty plea, Smith conspired with others from 2010 to 2013 to distribute and possess powder cocaine and methamphetamine in Caddo Parish, Bossier Parish, Vernon Parish and Houston, Texas. Authorities recorded Smith selling another man 1 pound of methamphetamine.

Smith was arrested as part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation called Operation Styrofoam Cookies. The DEA participated in this OCDETF 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 disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations, targeting national and regional level drug trafficking organizations, and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to disrupt or dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize their assets.

Assistant U.S. Attorney James G. Cowles prosecuted the case.

SHREVEPORT, La.–United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley and five staff members, Aaron Broussard, U.S. Army; Robert Gillespie, U.S. Army; Samuel Glass, U.S. Air Force; Vincent Mangum, U.S. Army; and Mike O’Mara, U.S. Air Force visited the Overton Brooks Veterans Affairs Medical Center today to honor veterans and remember their service.  Finley also took a tour of the Overton Brooks VA facilities with Interim Director Toby Mathew and his staff.

Overton Brooks hosted a series of events from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. today which included a Veterans of Foreign Wars Poker Run, Combined Federal Campaign Armed Forces T-shirt sale, U.S. Marine cake cutting ceremony, Barksdale 8th U.S. Air Force Top 3 burger burn, visit from the Shreveport-Bossier Mavericks basketball team, and a dedication of three memorial benches from Hillcrest Funeral Home and the Overton Brooks student volunteers class of 2014.

“It’s an honor to participate and visit the Overton Brooks facility,” Finley stated. “I hope everyone takes a little time this weekend and next week to remember and thank veterans for their service. We owe a debt of gratitude to all of the men and women who serve and have served our nation and safeguarded our freedoms.”

Overton Brooks serves more than 37,000 Veterans per year. The hospital is accredited for 111 inpatient beds and provides more than 462,000 outpatient visits per year. The medical center has an active accredited research program and is one of the regional sites for Veterans Integrated Service Network 16 Hematology/Oncology Center. The medical center manages three Community-Based Outpatient Clinics in Monroe; Longview, Texas; and Texarkana, Ark. For more information, visit www.shreveport.va.gov.

LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that an Oakdale inmate pleaded guilty Thursday to severely beating a fellow inmate twice in one day.

Douglas Darrell Harris, 32, a resident of the Federal Correctional Institution in Oakdale, La., pleaded guilty Thursday before U.S. District Judge Patricia Minaldi to one count of assault at a federal correctional institution. According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, Harris assaulted a fellow inmate twice on April 1, 2014. One of the beatings was caught on camera, and the other was witnessed by a guard. As a result of the beatings, the injured inmate suffered from fractured fingers, a fractured humerus, blurred vision and head pain. He also suffered a seizure and was admitted into the intensive care unit. Additionally, his hands were so badly injured, they required surgery.

The defendant faces up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised and a $250,000 fine. A sentencing date of February 12, 2015 was set.

The FBI investigated the case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert C. Abendroth is prosecuting the case.

New demonstration trailer housed in Caddo Parish

SHREVEPORT, La. –United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley joined by Caddo Parish Sheriff Steve Prator, Shreveport Police Chief Willie Shaw and Caddo Parish School Board Superintendent Dr. Theodis Lamar Goree, Jr., debuted the newest tool available to law enforcement to teach firearm safety to children in the Western District of Louisiana.

            Students at Werner Park Academy were the first to see the Western District’s new firearm safety trailer in operation today. The trailer is available for use as part of the Louisiana Law Enforcement Gun Safety Program to teach firearm safety to children at area schools. Since its inception in June of 2013, the program has reached approximately 22,100 children.

Until last month, there was only one safety trailer available for use statewide. Now there is a trailer in each of the three federal judicial districts in Louisiana - Western, Middle and Eastern.  After Caddo Parish Sheriff Steve Prator agreed to provide space for the training trailer, the Western District was able to launch its program. The Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office now houses the trailer, which is available for law enforcement agencies in the District to use.  Forty-two of the state’s 64 parishes are in the Western District.

The Louisiana Law Enforcement for Gun Safety Program was created in response to the alarmingly high rate of accidental firearm injuries and deaths among children in Louisiana.   The program uses certified law enforcement officers to teach parents and children about gun safety through an interactive presentation involving live demonstrations.  The program demonstrates the dangers of firearms and tests students’ knowledge of gun safety. The instructors show students various handguns and ask them if the weapons are real or toys.  The students in many cases are unable to distinguish between real or toy guns because many toy guns look, feel and weigh the same as real ones. At the end of the program, students are shown the destructive capacity of guns by watching a pistol fire a bullet into a watermelon inside of a protective enclosure.  Students are instructed that weapons must be handled safely and with adult supervision.

The program aims to identify the hazards of unsecured firearms, teach individuals how to secure firearms, identify distinguishing characteristics between real and toy guns, and illustrate the destructive force of firearms through the use of the demonstration trailer.  Presentations are conducted at schools, camps and community events.

“The U.S. Attorney’s Office is proud help usher in the next step of this program,” Finley said. “We will now be able to reach even more schools and students using this new trailer. Children’s safety in the Western District of Louisiana is of the utmost concern for this office.  The Gun Safety Program helps educate students on how to react when finding a gun.  I would like to thank all law enforcement who have joined this effort to keep children safe.  This program will save lives.”

“The Caddo Sheriff’s Office looks forward to making the Louisiana Law Enforcement for Gun Safety Program available to the citizens of Caddo Parish,” said Caddo Parish Sheriff Steve Prator.  “The accidental injury or death of a child due to firearms is a terrible tragedy and one we hope to prevent by educating children and their parents about the safe handling and storage of weapons.  We’ve been successful with presenting this message to elementary-age students at Sheriff’s Safety Town and are excited to have a tool to now reach out to older children and adults.”

“Having seen firsthand the tragic results of accidental firearm injuries, we are well aware of the critical need to teach our children about gun safety and this unique, interactive educational program is the perfect opportunity to partner with other law enforcement entities in a proactive effort to keep our kids safe,” said Shreveport Police Chief Willie Shaw.

“Each day in Caddo Parish Public Schools we work to better students not only academically, but to ensure their safety and security and provide life skills needed to foster vibrant community members,” said Caddo Parish Superintendent Dr. Theodis Lamar Goree, Jr. “This program is a powerful tool to educate our students on the dangers of firearms and will translate into positive results for our youth. We are grateful for this partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office as well as the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office and Shreveport Police, and their desire to begin this program right here at Werner Park Elementary.”

The program is available for use by all law enforcement agencies in Louisiana through the endorsements of the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Western, Middle and Eastern districts, Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office, Baton Rouge City Constable’s Office, Louisiana Department of Corrections, Louisiana Sheriff’s Association, Louisiana Association of Chiefs of Police, Louisiana City Marshals and City Constables Association, Louisiana District Attorneys Association, Louisiana State Police, and the Louisiana Attorney General’s Office.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office Law Enforcement Community Coordinator Mike Campbell is conducting the training and is assisting with the operation of the program in conjunction with the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office.  As LECC, Campbell acts as a liaison between the U.S. Attorney=s Office and local, state, and federal law enforcement.  He assists with grants, coordinates and provides law enforcement training, and assists law enforcement agencies with special and community needs.

For more information about the firearms safety program, contact Mike Campbell at the U.S. Attorney’s Office at 318-676-3600 or Mike Gregory at the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office at 318-681-1106.

SHREVEPORT, LAFAYETTE, LAKE CHARLES, ALEXANDRIA, MONROE, La.– United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley advises that federal staff will be available to respond to complaints of possible election fraud and other violations of voting rights during the November 4 general election.

Election-crime complaints should be directed to the local U.S. Attorney’s Office or the local FBI office. The U.S. Attorney’s Office can be reached by the public at 318-676-3600 (Shreveport) or 337-262-6618 (Lafayette). The local FBI field offices can be reached by the public at the following telephone numbers: Shreveport at 318-861-1890 or Lafayette at 337-233-2164.  For a complete list of FBI field offices in Louisiana visit www.fbi.gov/neworleans/contact-us/territory-jurisdiction

Finley is joining other federal prosecutors nationwide to participate in the Department of Justice’s election-day program. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is responsible for overseeing and handling election fraud complaints and voting rights abuses in conjunction with the Justice Department.

On Nov. 4, 2014, the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices will work with specially trained FBI personnel in each district to ensure that complaints from the public involving possible voter fraud are handled appropriately.  Specifically:

• In consultation with federal prosecutors at the Public Integrity Section in Washington, D.C., the District Election Officers in U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, FBI officials at headquarters in Washington, D.C., and FBI Special Agents serving as Election Crime Coordinators in the FBI’s 56 field offices will be on duty while polls are open, to receive complaints from the public.

• Public Integrity Section prosecutors are available to consult and coordinate with the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the FBI regarding the handling of election-crime allegations.

• Complaints related to violence, threats of violence, or intimidation at a polling place should be reported first to local police authorities by calling 911.

Both protecting the right to vote and combating election fraud are essential to maintaining the confidence of all Americans in our democratic system of government.  We encourage anyone who has information suggesting voting discrimination or ballot fraud to contact the appropriate authorities.

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.

The Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section enforces the civil provisions of a wide range of federal statutes that protect the right to vote including: the Voting Rights Act; the National Voter Registration Act; the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act; and the Help America Vote Act.  Among other things, collectively, these laws:

• prohibit election practices that have either a discriminatory purpose based on race or membership in a minority language group or a discriminatory result of members of racial or language minority groups having less opportunity than other citizens to participate in the political process;

• prohibit intimidation of voters;

• provide that voters who need assistance in voting because of disability or illiteracy can obtain assistance from a person of their choice;

• require minority language election materials and assistance in certain jurisdictions;

• provide for accessible election machines for voters with disabilities;

• require provisional ballots for voters who assert they are eligible but whose names do not appear on poll books;

• provide for absentee ballots for service members, their family members and U.S. citizens living abroad;

• require states to ensure that citizens can register at drivers’ license offices, public assistance offices, other state agencies and through the mail; and

• include requirements regarding maintaining voter registration lists.

For more information on the acts that the division enforces, visit www.justice.gov/crt/about/vot/overview.php.

Civil Rights Division staff will be available by phone to receive complaints related to voting rights (1-800-253-3931 toll free or 202-307-2767) or by TTY (202-305-0082).  In addition, individuals may also report complaints, problems, or concerns related to voting by fax to 202-307-3961, by email to voting.section@usdoj.gov, and, by complaint forms that may be submitted through a link on the Department’s website, at http://www.justice.gov/crt/about/vot.

LAKE CHARLES, La. –United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a Ragley man and an Elton man were sentenced Thursday for participating in a home invasion on the Coushatta Tribal Reservation.

John Harold Materne, 22, of Ragley, La., was sentenced to 37 months in prison for one count of Indian Country crime acts robbery, and 84 months in prison for one count of carrying and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. The prison terms will run consecutively. He was also ordered to serve eight years of supervised release. Trevor James Simon, 21, of Elton, La., was sentenced to 24 months in prison and three years of supervised release for one count of Indian Country crime acts robbery. United States District Judge Patricia Minaldi presided over the sentencing hearings.

According to evidence presented at the guilty pleas, the defendants along with Floyd H. Martine, Chanten Keith L. Gautreaux and another suspect traveled to the home of an acquaintance on December 3, 2013 to steal illegal drugs. Simon drove the vehicle, while Materne, who was carrying a shotgun, and Martine entered the home.  As they were robbing the inhabitants, Gauthreaux entered the trailer and helped take pills and marijuana. The group was arrested while fleeing the scene.  Materne and two of the victims are Native American Indians and members of the Coushatta Tribe.

Martine was sentenced on September 18, 2014 to 84 months in prison and eight years of supervised release. Gauthreaux was sentenced on September 11, 2014 to 24 months in prison and two years of supervised release.

Jurisdiction in Indian Country is based upon the unique sovereign relationship between the federal government and Indian tribes.  Congress has extended the territorial jurisdiction of the United States to major crimes committed against Native Americans that take place in Indian Country, which includes all property that the government holds in trust or use by officially recognized Native American tribes.  The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecutes all major crimes and misdemeanor cases arising in Indian Country that are within the jurisdiction of this office.  The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecutes cases arising in Indian Country involving felonies where either the defendant or the victim is an Indian or both the defendant and the victim are Indian.

The FBI, ATF, and the Coushatta Tribal Police Department conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph T. Mickel prosecuted the case.

LAKE CHARKES, La. –United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a Honduran man was sentenced Thursday to 30 months in prison for reentering the United States illegally.

Felipe Mercado-Veliz, 39, of Honduras, was sentenced Thursday by U.S. District Judge Patricia Minaldi to one count of reentry of a deported alien. He was also sentenced to three years of supervised release. According to evidence presented at the July 24, 2014 guilty plea, Louisiana State Police stopped a vehicle on December 31, 2013 for a traffic violation. All three occupants did not have their identification, and U.S. Border Patrol was called. Records showed that Mercado-Veliz had been previously convicted of illegal reentry in 2008 and 2011. He was last removed on May 22, 2013.

United Stated Border Patrol and the Louisiana State Police conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly P. Uebinger prosecuted the case.

LAKE CHARLES, La. –United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a Californian pleaded guilty and was sentenced Thursday to 20 years in prison for sexually abusing a minor at Fort Polk.

Michael Anthony Zeno, 61, of Los Angeles, Calif., was sentenced Thursday by U.S. District Judge Patricia Minaldi for one count of aggravated sexual abuse of a minor. He was also ordered to serve a lifetime of supervised release. According to the evidence presented at the guilty plea, which also took place Thursday, the defendant entered the room of a minor relative under the age of 12 on June 1, 2007 and began performing a sex act on her while she slept. After the child woke up, Zeno exited the room. The home was located on the Fort Polk Military base.

The U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command and the FBI conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney John Luke Walker 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.

Those concerned may also leave tips with the FBI at tips.fbi.gov. Tips may be submitted anonymously.  The Lake Charles FBI office number is (337) 433-6353.

LAKE CHARLES, La. –United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a Lake Charles woman was sentenced to 14 months in prison for stealing more than a quarter of a million dollars from her employer.

Kristen Brady, 47, of Lake Charles, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Patricia Minaldi for one count of bank fraud. She was also sentenced to complete 50 hours of community service and ordered to pay $255,324.04 in restitution. According to the evidence presented at the July 24, 2014 guilty plea, Brady worked for a Lake Charles rental company as a bookkeeper for 12 years before her employment was terminated in November 2013. It was later discovered that she had forged authorizing signatures on more than 200 checks to her benefit in the company’s name, and in the process, received $255,324.04 of which she was not entitled.

The U.S. Secret Service and the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Howard C. Parker prosecuted the case.

ALEXANDRIA, La. –United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that two prisoners at the U.S. Penitentiary in Pollock, La., pleaded guilty to beating a fellow inmate resulting in traumatic brain injury.

Jeffrey Lovell, 32, and Christopher Simpson, 36, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell to one count of assault resulting in serious bodily injury. According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, video cameras captured Lovell and Simpson assaulting a third inmate outside of his cell on June 11, 2013 at the U.S. Penitentiary in Pollock. The inmate was struck around his head and torso repeatedly. The prisoner was later brought to a hospital where he was treated for traumatic brain injury, which required a feeding tube.

 The defendants face up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. A sentencing date of February 13, 2015 was set.

 The FBI and the U.S. Bureau of Prisons conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth D. Reeg prosecuted the case.

LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a Franklin man pleaded guilty to charges that he downloaded and stored images of child pornography on a hard drive.

Tommie Joseph Beason, 37, of Franklin, La., pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Richard T. Haik to one count of possession of child pornography. According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, law enforcement agents detected Beason downloading child pornography. Law enforcement agents then searched Beason’s residence on June 3, 2014 and found 230 images and 88 videos of hardcore child pornography on an external hard drive. The illegal files found included prepubescent child pornography with very young children and sadistic material.

Beason faces 10 years in prison, five years to life of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.  A sentencing date has not been set.

Homeland Security Investigations and the Louisiana State Police conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney John Luke Walker 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. Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security/Homeland Security Investigations/Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) encourage the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free hotline at (866) DHS-2ICE.  Investigators are available at all hours to answer hotline calls. Tips or other information can also be submitted to ICE online at www.ice.gov/exec/forms/hsi-tips/tips.asp. Tips may be submitted anonymously.

SHREVEPORT, La. –United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a Texan pleaded guilty Thursday to trying to lure a minor into producing a sex video.

Sach Kevin Vu, 32, of Arlington, Texas, entered a guilty plea Thursday before U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. for one count of attempting to entice a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity. According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, an undercover officer posing as a 16-year-old girl responded on February 7, 2014 to an online advertisement seeking models for a photo shoot. Vu began communicating with the officer posing as a 16-year-old girl and set up a meeting in Haynesville, La., where he planned to produce a pornographic video. He communicated in detail beforehand about what kinds of sex acts he wanted performed. Vu was arrested on February 20, 2014 in Haynesville, La., after traveling there from Texas.  Sex toys and camera equipment were found in his vehicle.

Vu faces 10 years to life in prison, not less than five years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. He is also required to register as a sex offender. A sentencing date of February 9, 2015 was set.

The FBI and the Claiborne Parish Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth D. Reeg 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, visit .

Those concerned may also leave tips with the FBI at tips.fbi.gov. Tips may be submitted anonymously.  The Shreveport FBI office number is (318) 861-1890.

SHREVEPORT, La. –United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a Shreveport man and a Texas man were sentenced Thursday to 219 months and 168 months in prison, respectively, for their roles in a methamphetamine distribution operation that stretched from Natchitoches, La., to Mexico.

Raymond D. Conley, 39, of Shreveport, was sentenced Thursday to 219 months in prison and Santiago Lopez, 41, of Harlingen, Texas, was sentenced to 168 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Donald E. Walter for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. They were also sentenced to five years of supervised release. According to evidence presented at the February 6, 2014 guilty pleas, law enforcement authorities became aware that Conley was storing illegal drugs at a girlfriend’s residence in Natchitoches. The property was searched on September 9, 2013, and Conley and Lopez were found there. They also found three large plastic wrapped bundles, one of which field tested positive for methamphetamine, and 13 one-ounce baggies containing methamphetamine. Conley admitted to storing the drugs at the Natchitoches home, and Lopez admitted to transporting the drugs from Mexico to the Natchitoches area for distribution.

“Those who deal in illegal narcotics will be brought to justice,” Finley stated. “We will continue to protect our communities from those who want to pollute them with dangerous drugs.  I want to commend the prosecutor and the law enforcement agencies in this case for their hard work and dedication to this case.”

The defendants were arrested as part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Operation code named “Crystal Bend.” The DEA, ATF, Louisiana State Police, and Natchitoches Multi-Jurisdictional Task Force participated in this OCDETF operation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney James G. Cowles Jr. prosecuted the case.

            The OCDETF program is a joint federal, state and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking and is the nation’s primary tool for disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations, targeting national and regional level drug trafficking organizations, and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to disrupt or dismantle targeted criminal organizations and seize their assets.

SHREVEPORT, La. –United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a Dallas woman was sentenced to 41 months in prison for her role in a cocaine conspiracy in Northwest Louisiana and Texas.

Ericka M. Ruffins, 41, of Dallas, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote for one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine. She was also sentenced to three years of supervised release. According to evidence presented at the June 12, 2014 guilty plea, Ruffins would transport cocaine for co-defendant Renando Johnson from Dallas to Shreveport for distribution in the Shreveport area. Ruffins was recorded in early 2013 discussing cocaine transactions and plans to transport cocaine. The investigation also revealed that Renando Johnson obtained 4 to 6 ounces of powder cocaine from Ruffins a week. It is estimated that she delivered approximately 1.7 kilos of powder cocaine from January to May of 2013.

Ruffins is the last of six defendants to be sentenced in this case. Renando Johnson was sentenced to 38 months in prison, Elijah Johnson was sentenced to 42 months in prison, Emmitt Williams IV was sentenced to 24 months in prison, and Eady J. Horton was sentenced to time served for one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine in June and July of 2014. Tracy Russell was sentenced to 15 months in prison on June 13, 2014 for one count of unlawful use of a communication facility. They were all sentenced to three years of supervised release.

The defendants were arrested as part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Operation code named “Hustle Hard.”  The DEA, Louisiana State Police, Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office, Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Office, DeSoto Parish Sheriff’s Office, Shreveport Police Department and Bossier City Police Department conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney James G. Cowles Jr. prosecuted the case.

The OCDETF program is a joint federal, state and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking and is the nation’s primary tool for disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations, targeting national and regional level drug trafficking organizations, and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to disrupt or dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize their assets.

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 4, 2014 and December 6, 2014 primary and general elections.

The Department of Justice’s Election Day Program is centered on deterring election fraud, discrimination at the polls and combating election violations.  The goal is 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 violations while the polls are open on Election Day. 

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.

Early voting is October 21st to October 28th (except Sunday) from 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. for the November 4th primary election, and November 22nd to November 29th (except Sunday) from 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. for the December 6th general election.  On November 4, 2014, the polls will open at 6:00 a.m. and close at 8:00 p.m., and on December 6, 2014, the polls will open at 7:00 a.m. and close at 8:00 p.m.  Residents should contact their local Registrar of Voters’ Office to determine their voting location.  If you would like to download a sample ballot or obtain other election information, visit the Louisiana Secretary of State’s web page at www.sos.la.gov/ElectionsAndVoting.

For those seeking to register to vote, registration is open throughout the year.  Registration to be eligible to vote in the November 4th election has ended, but registration to be eligible to vote in the December 6th election is open until November 5, 2014.  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 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 or Lafayette at 337-233-2164.  For a complete list of FBI field offices in Louisiana visit www.fbi.gov/neworleans/contact-us/territory-jurisdictionThe 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 Divisions 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.

LAKE CHARLES, La. – Unites States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a Jennings man was sentenced Thursday to 188 months in prison for downloading hundreds of movies of child pornography to his computer and other electronic devices.

Seth Ryan Bivens, 30, of Jennings, La., was sentenced Thursday by U.S. District Judge Patricia Minaldi for one count of receiving child pornography. He was also sentenced to serve a lifetime of supervised release and is required to register as a sex offender. According to evidence presented at the guilty plea on November 1, 2013, law enforcement authorities discovered that Bivens was downloading child pornography using “peer-to-peer” software. Bivens’ home was searched on November 14, 2012. An examination of Bivens’ computer and other electronic devices uncovered 294 movies and 28 images of child pornography.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations and the Louisiana State Police 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.justice.gov/psc.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security/Homeland Security Investigations/Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) encourage the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free hotline at (866) DHS-2ICE.  Investigators are available at all hours to answer hotline calls.  Tips or other information can also be submitted to ICE online at www.ice.gov/exec/forms/hsi-tips/tips.asp. Tips may be reported anonymously.

SHREVEPORT, La. –United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley, and members of her office, Mike Campbell, Law Enforcement Community Coordinator (LECC), and Robert Gillespie, Jr., an Assistant U.S. Attorney/Project Safe Neighborhoods Coordinator, joined Shreveport Mayor Cedric Glover, Shreveport Police Chief Willie Shaw, Caddo Parish Sheriff Steve Prator’s Office, Bossier Parish Julian Whittington’s Office, Bossier City Police Chief Shane McWilliams’ Office and other local law enforcement and community leaders in neighborhoods throughout Caddo and Bossier parishes Tuesday as part of their annual National Night Out crime and drug prevention event.

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. The Shreveport/Bossier Night Out is designed to heighten crime and drug prevention awareness, generate support for local anti-crime efforts, strengthen neighborhood spirit and police ­community partnerships, and send a clear message that neighbors are organized and fighting back.

“The Shreveport/Bossier Night Out is a way for neighbors to join with their law enforcement and community partners to demonstrate that crime does not rule the night and that criminals have no safe haven when the sun goes down,” Finley stated. “The ‘Night Out’ is also a great way to acknowledge the accomplishments of neighborhood organizations that keep communities safe. We are all in this effort together. I really enjoyed having the opportunity to visit with residents of the Shreveport/Bossier City area to discuss concerns and ways to improve law enforcement within our communities.”

“This is a very important event because it reaffirms our commitment to the community,” Shaw stated. “This is a new day to bond with the public. We want the people to know that law enforcement will work together as a team to solve crimes in our region.”

As the District’s Law Enforcement Community Coordinator, Mike Campbell acts as a liaison between the U.S. Attorney's Office and local, state, and federal law enforcement.  He assists with grants, coordinates and provides law enforcement training, and assists law enforcement agencies with special and community needs.  The mission of the Law Enforcement Coordinating Committee is to develop coordination, communication, and cooperation between local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies throughout the Western District of Louisiana by providing education, training, and technical assistance to all federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies in the district.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert W. Gillespie, Jr. is the District’s Coordinator for the Project Safe Neighborhoods Program.  Project Safe Neighborhoods (“PSN”), is the anti-gang, anti-gun violence initiative of the United States Department of Justice.  It is a comprehensive, strategic approach to reducing gun violence and promoting safe communities around the country.  PSN combats gun violence by bringing together local, state, and federal law enforcement officials, prosecutors, and community leaders to implement a multi-faceted strategy to deter and punish gun violence.

Thousands of communities across the United States took part in the 31st 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 and the Project Safe Neighborhoods Task Force announced today that the Shreveport and Bossier City police departments have been awarded more than $161,000 in grants through a Department of Justice (DOJ), the Office of Justice Programs (OJP), and the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), under the Violent Gang and Gun Crime Reduction Program, also known as Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).

The Shreveport Police Department will receive $132,984. The police department and the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office will use the funds to purchase law enforcement equipment and supplies. The Shreveport Police Department will act as fiscal agent. The goals are to improve criminal justice services and enhance police officer safety.

The Bossier City Police Department will receive $28,856. The police department and the Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Office will use the funds to purchase law enforcement equipment and supplies. The Bossier City Police Department will act as fiscal agent. The goal is to improve criminal justice initiatives.

The funds were made available through the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) program, which is a BJA grant program under DOJ that allows states and units of local government to support a broad range of activities to prevent and control crime based on their own state and local needs and conditions. This program furthers DOJ's mission and violent crime reduction strategy by providing support to state, local and tribal efforts to reduce gun and gang-related violent crime.

Various types of single or multi-grantee grant applications are allowed under the grant program that addresses the following:        

• Gang violence and gun violence reduction, deterrence, prevention, community outreach and education;
• Enforcement, adjudication, and supervision programs;
• Prisoner reentry programs; or
• Other innovative related projects.

“These grants mean that law enforcement in our community will be better equipped to protect and serve,” Finley stated. “I want to congratulate the police departments for being awarded these funds. It is through partnerships and grants like these that the mission of law enforcement agencies can be enhanced.”

“The working relationships we have forged with our law enforcement partners are one of the cornerstones of our crime reduction strategies and they have paid tremendous dividends for the citizens of Shreveport,” said Shreveport Police Chief Willie Shaw. “Working together we can accomplish anything and the dramatic decreases in crime across the board in our city are a testament to the importance of those collaborative partnerships.”

“We appreciate the assistance of the U.S. Department of Justice in securing these funds to help keep our city safe,” said Bossier City Police Chief Shane McWilliams. “These monies will enable our officers to increase enforcement in a number of areas including DWI saturation patrols and community policing initiatives including monitoring operations of registered sex offenders in our city.”

Information about the FY2014 PSN Competitive Grant and links to other grants available, and information on the PSN Program can be found at the U.S. Attorney’s web site www.justice.gov/usao/law/ as well as www.justice.gov/usao/law/psn.html or at www.psn.gov and www.bja.gov/Funding/14PSNsol.pdf.

For more information, contact Western District of Louisiana Assistant U.S. Attorney and PSN and Anti-Gang Coordinator Robert W. Gillespie Jr. at (318) 676-3600.

LAFAYETTE, La. –United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a New Iberia man was sentenced to 15 months in prison for failing to update his sex offender registration.

Rodger Dale Seilhan, 63, of New Iberia, La., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Richard T. Haik for one count of failure to register pursuant to the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act. He was also sentenced to 10 years of supervised release.  According to evidence presented at the May 14, 2014 guilty plea, after failing to report his whereabouts to authorities for two years, the U.S. Marshals Service and other law enforcement agencies located Seilhan in New Iberia at a relative’s residence.  He was arrested on March 11, 2014. The Travis County Sheriff’s Office in Texas arrested Seilhan on January 21, 1982 for aggravated sexual assault of a child, and he was later sentenced to 15 years in prison. After being released from prison, Seilhan reported residence changes to authorities while he lived in Texas until September 5, 2012.  He was found to not be living at his last known address in Willis, Texas, after a sex offender verification check was conducted.

The U.S. Marshals Service, Travis County Sheriff’s Office, Texas Department of Public Safety, Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, and Louisiana State Police conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney John Luke Walker prosecuted the case.

LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley, the U.S. Department of Justice and the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) announced funding awards to the Lake Charles Police Department aimed at creating seven new community police officer positions. Nearly $124 million will be awarded nationally, including $745,796 to the Lake Charles Police Department.

The COPS Hiring Program offers grants to state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to hire or rehire community policing officers. The program provides salaries and benefits for officer and deputy hires for three years.

“This grant will allow the Lake Charles Police Department to enhance law enforcement operations and increase protection in the community by hiring new personnel,” Finley stated. “Our office works with all law enforcement agencies within the Western District of Louisiana, and I’m very happy to see this department grow.  I also want to congratulate the police department for the hard work taken to obtain this grant.”

Lake Charles Police Chief Donald Dixon said that the department plans on hiring four new officers immediately and then would like to add three more over the next three years, for a total of seven new officer positions. He said the officers will be part of their community policing program. The program works with neighborhood watch groups and maintains contacts with members of the community in order to strengthen policing operations.

“We’re really excited to be able to hire additional officers,” Lake Charles Police Chief Donald Dixon said. “This grant comes at a time of economic expansion for our area, and we want to be ready.”

“The COPS Office is pleased to assist local law enforcement agencies throughout the country in addressing their most critical public safety issues,” said Ronald L. Davis, director of the COPS Office. “Funding from this year’s program will allow many cities and counties to apply new sworn personnel to issues related to violent crime, property crime, and school safety.”

Grantees for the 2014 hiring program were selected based on their fiscal needs, local crime rates, and community policing plans.  The COPS Office is a federal agency responsible for advancing community policing nationwide. Since 1995, COPS has awarded over $14 billion to advance community policing, including grants awarded to more than 13,000 state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies to fund the hiring and redeployment of approximately 125,000 officers and provide a variety of knowledge resource products including publications, training, and technical assistance.

For the entire list of grantees and additional information about the 2014 COPS Hiring Program, visit the COPS website at www.cops.usdoj.gov.

LAFAYETTE, La. –United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a Breaux Bridge man pleaded guilty to falsely claiming he was unemployed in order to continue receiving workers’ compensation benefits even though he owned and operated a lawn care business.

Mervin J. Noel, 51, of Breaux Bridge, La., entered a conditional guilty plea Tuesday to one count of making false statements to continue receiving workers’ compensation benefits under the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act to U.S. Magistrate Judge C. Michael Hill. The plea will become final when accepted by U.S. District Court Judge Elizabeth E. Foote.

According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, Noel began receiving workers’ compensation and Social Security disability benefits after sustaining an injury while working on an offshore oil platform in 1994.  In 2007, Noel began operating a lawn care business without informing either the Louisiana Workers’ Compensation Corporation (LWCC) or Social Security Administration that he was employed and earning income.  Noel instead falsely reported on four occasions to LWCC officials that he had no earnings from employment.  Noel also falsely reported to Social Security Administration officials on April 11, 2014 that he had not worked since becoming disabled. Noel received $20,776 in workers’ compensation benefits and $118,220 in Social Security benefits to which he was not entitled.

Noel faces up to five years in prison, three years supervised release, and a $10,000 fine.  A sentencing date of February 6, 2015 has been set.

The investigation was conducted by the Social Security Administration.  Assistant U.S. Attorney David C. Joseph is prosecuting the case.

SHREVEPORT, La. –United StatesAttorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a Florida woman pleaded guilty to mail fraud in connection with a bribery scheme involving a former staff member at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center (LSUHSC).

Rita M. Myler, 52, of Miramar Beach, Fla., pleaded guilty Monday before U.S. District Court Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. to one count of mail fraud.  According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, Myler paid LSUHSC’s Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) laboratory assistant director Anthony Roggero kickbacks so that he would continue buying products from her company Sangre Biologicals. From July 2001 to July 2008, Myler mailed cash kickbacks to Roggero’s residence after LSUHSC would make a payment to her company.  Sangre Biologicals received more than $540,000 from LSUHSC during the course of the scheme.  The HLA laboratory played a critical support role for solid organ and bone marrow transplants, performing cross matching and tissue typing analyses.  A former director of the HLA laboratory sought and obtained authority for Roggero to purchase up to $5,000 in Sangre products per month.

Myler faces up to 20 years in prison, five years supervised release, a $250,000 fine, and restitution. A sentencing date of January 26, 2015 was set.  Roggero pleaded guilty on October 31, 2012 to one count of mail fraud for his role.  Roggero’s sentencing date is November 10, 2014.

The FBI conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Cytheria D. Jernigan is prosecuting the case.

MONROE, La. –United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a West Monroe man was sentenced to 93 months in prison for possessing methamphetamine that was ready to sell.

Brian T. Menzie, 52, of West Monroe, La., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Robert G. James for one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. He was also sentenced to four years of supervised release. According to evidence presented at the July 7, 2014 guilty plea, law enforcement agents searched Menzie’s home on December 9, 2013 and found 121 net grams of methamphetamine at 86.5 percent purity inside a zip lock bag, packaged for sale. Agents also seized $3,565, a firearm, and assorted drug paraphernalia.

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

MONROE, La. –United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a man from Missouri was sentenced to 70 months in prison for possessing more than 3 kilos of cocaine meant for sale.

Michael Nathaniel Williams, 39, of St. Louis, Mo., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Robert G. James for one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine. He was also sentenced to four years of supervised release. According to evidence presented at the July 7, 2014 guilty plea, Williams was traveling through Monroe on Interstate 20 on March 14, 2014 when a Louisiana State Police Trooper conducted a traffic stop. The trooper conducted a search of the vehicle and found 3 kilos of cocaine inside a duffle bag. Williams later admitted that he was transporting cocaine from Texas to Missouri.

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

LAFAYETTE, La. –United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that, after a three-day trial, a federal jury found a Lafayette woman guilty of taking gift cards from U.S. mail.

After deliberating for a little over an hour, a federal jury found Crystal S. Boutte, 41, of Lafayette, guilty on two counts of theft of mail.  United States District Judge Richard T. Haik presided over the trial that ended on Wednesday.  In December of 2012, Boutte stole four Wal-Mart gift cards from the mail while working for the U.S. Postal Service.  One gift card was worth $200, and the other three were worth $25 each. The theft was discovered after the recipients of the mail reported the cards missing.

“Ms. Boutte was a postal employee who took advantage of and abused her position,” Finley stated. “Private citizens should not have to worry about their mail being stolen by those entrusted to deliver it.”

“The American public expects to receive their letters and parcels on time and intact,” said Maximo Eamiguel, Office of Inspector General, Special Agent in Charge, Southern Area Field Office. “Citizens have an expectation that their mail will not be stolen, rifled, read or obstructed while in the possession of Postal Service employees. That expectation and trust extends to every one of the millions of mail pieces that travel across the country daily. Anyone who betrays that trust will be thoroughly investigated by OIG special agents. The Postal Service has a long and proud tradition of protecting the ‘sanctity of the seal’ of First-Class Mail. The overwhelming majority of postal employees perpetuate this tradition every day in their efforts to move the nation’s mail to its proper destination. Unfortunately, when a few postal employees abuse the public trust placed in them, it is the job of OIG special agents to identify them and work in cooperation with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to ensure they are prosecuted in the criminal courts.”

Boutte faces five years in prison, three years of supervised release, restitution, and a $250,000 fine for each count.  The U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General, conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Howard C. Parker prosecuted the case.

SHREVEPORT, La. –United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a Shreveport man was sentenced to 15 months in prison for stealing more than $30,000 from an ATM located on bank property, causing more than $35,000 worth of damage in the process.

Frederick Charles Davis, 47, of Shreveport, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. for one count of bank theft. The judge also ordered Davis to serve three years of supervised release and pay $61,640 in restitution. According to evidence presented at the July 1, 2014 guilty plea, Davis broke into an automated teller machine (ATM) on July 13, 2012, located at the end of a drive-through lane at a Richland State Bank in Minden, La., and stole $30,320. He used a power tool and a chain attached to the back of his truck to open the ATM, which caused more than $30,000 in damage.

The FBI, Shreveport Office, conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Allison D. Bushnell prosecuted the case.

LAKE CHARLES, La. –United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a Lake Charles man pleaded guilty to a charge that he lied to federal agents in order to blame his wife for a fake terror plot.

Monte Henry Hurley, 54, of Lake Charles, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Patricia Minaldi, to one count of making false statements to FBI agents.  According to evidence at the guilty plea, Hurley falsely reported on October 18, 2013 that his estranged wife had forwarded a letter to him that contained a white powdery substance leaving law enforcement authorities to believe it may be anthrax, a biological weapon. Authorities quarantined Hurley and responding officers, and engaged in extensive response protocols for anthrax, which included evacuation and testing of the material. About a week later, Hurley claimed responsibility for the letter and powder admitting that he lied to authorities in order to frame his estranged wife.

Hurley faces up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.  A sentencing date of January 8, 2015, was set.

The members of the Joint Terrorism Task Force, which is composed of the FBI, U.S. Border Patrol, Louisiana State Police, Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the Lake Charles Fire Department, investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Myers P. Namie is prosecuting the case.

MONROE, La. –A Choudrant man pleaded guilty last week to distributing methamphetamine from his home, U.S.Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced.

Christopher Takewell, 38, of Choudrant, La., entered a guilty plea last week before U.S. District Judge Robert G. James, to one count of distribution of methamphetamine.  According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, law enforcement agencies conducted a controlled purchase of 104.65 grams of methamphetamine in January of 2014 from Takewell at his home.  The residence was searched on January 24, 2014, and the $6,250 used in the controlled purchase was recovered.

Takewell faces 10 years to life in prison, at least five years of supervised release, and a $10 million fine.  A sentencing date of January 5, 2015 was set.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Monroe Field Office, the Lincoln Parish Narcotics Enforcement Team and the Metro Narcotics Unit based in Monroe conducted this investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Allison D. Bushnell is prosecuting the case.

SHREVEPORT, La. –A Shreveport man pleaded guilty Thursday to possessing an assault rifle and ammunition after being convicted of multiple felonies, U.S. Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced.

Cori Yarborough, 40, of Shreveport, pleaded guilty Thursday before U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote to one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, Shreveport Police responded to a complaint on May 3, 2014 that someone was driving in a van with an assault rifle. They stopped Yarborough’s vehicle and found a Colt rifle, model M4, .223 caliber, and ammunition. After examining the rifle, police found that it had been reported stolen. Yarborough has multiple felonies including simple robbery in 1992, aggravated battery in 1997, and attempted burglary of an inhabited dwelling in 2012.

 Yarborough faces 10 years in prison, and if the court finds he qualifies as an armed career criminal based on his prior record, he could face a mandatory 15 years in prison.  He also faces three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. A sentencing date of January 30, 2015 was set.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, which is a Department of Justice initiative designed to reduce firearm crimes by removing dangerous and persistent felons from the community and promote firearm safety.

The ATF and Shreveport Police Department conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney James G. Cowles Jr. is prosecuting the case.

SHREVEPORT, La. –A Many, La., man pleaded guilty Thursday to possessing a shotgun and ammunition after being convicted of multiple felonies, U.S. Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced.

Jerry Kenneth Thompson Jr., 44, of Many, pleaded guilty Thursday before U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote to one count of possessing a firearm and ammunition after a felony conviction. According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) agents discovered Thompson on December 31, 2013 in possession of a 12 gauge shotgun and ammunition while hunting on private property without permission and using a stolen deer stand. Thompson admitted to LDWF agents that he had prior felony convictions and knew he could not possess a firearm.  Further investigation confirmed that Thompson had seven felony convictions in California. The felony convictions include: two convictions for grand theft, possession of marijuana with intent to sell, second degree burglary of a vehicle, possession with intent to sell a controlled substance with a gang affiliation enhancement, transportation of a controlled substance, and possession for sale of cocaine base.  Thompson also had a prior felony conviction in Sabine Parish for simple burglary.

Thompson faces up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a $250,000 fine, and forfeiture of the firearm and ammunition. A sentencing date of January 30, 2015 was set.

The ATF and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert W. Gillespie Jr. is prosecuting the case.

LAFAYETTE, La. –U.S. Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that Lafayette investment firm owner Richard Buswell was sentenced to 126 months in prison for a scheme that cost victims millions of dollars.

Richard Joseph Buswell, 46, of Lafayette, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Richard T. Haik for one count of wire fraud.  Buswell was also sentenced to three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $125,000 fine and $6,380,808.03 in restitution to victims of the scheme.

According to evidence presented at the July 24, 2013 guilty plea, Buswell worked as a licensed stockbroker from 2006 until 2009 in Lafayette for his company, Bowman Investment Group LLC. He used Brookstone Securities of Lakeland, Fla., as the company’s broker dealer. Buswell engaged in frequent and excessive stock trades in order to earn commissions.  He also placed his clients into high risk products when the clients did not meet the requirements under federal security laws, rules and regulations.  In order to do this, he falsified account applications concerning net worth and other client information so that some of the clients would appear to meet the requirements of the federal security laws, rules and regulations. As a result of these practices, Buswell received more than $1.7 million in commissions from Brookstone during 2008 and 2009.  When the investments failed to produce a profit, clients lost more than $6 million.

Co-defendant Herbert S. “Steve” Fouke, 55, of Lafayette, was sentenced on May 14, 2014 to 30 months in prison and three years of supervised release for conspiracy to commit securities fraud, investment adviser fraud, wire fraud and mail fraud.  He is jointly responsible with Buswell for paying restitution to the victims of the scheme.  They were indicted in August of 2011.

“The defendant in this case misled investors who put their trust in him solely so that he could enrich himself illegally,” Finley stated.  “He spent, in some cases, his clients’ life savings leaving them with nothing or in debt.  I hope this sentence serves as a warning to those who are thinking about stealing from their customers.  This office will continue to prosecute those who put their greed before the interests of well-meaning investors.  The prosecutors and agents in this case are to be commended for all of their hard work.”

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

ALEXANDRIA, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a federal jury in Alexandria, Louisiana, returned a verdict imposing the death penalty on a Las Vegas, Nevada, man for the kidnap and murder of a 12-year-old-girl.

On September 26, 2014, a federal jury in Alexandria, Louisiana, decided that Thomas Sanders, 57, should be put to death for the brutal kidnapping and murder of Lexis Roberts in the fall of 2010.  During the penalty phase of the trial, the jury heard from a total of 18 witnesses called by the United States and by the defense.  The jury determined that a sentence of death was appropriate for Sanders after deliberating for approximately seven hours.  United States District Judge Dee D. Drell presided over the trial. This case represents the first time that the death penalty has been imposed in federal court in the Western District of Louisiana.  

The penalty phase of the trial began on September 16, 2014, after the same jury found Sanders guilty of one count of kidnapping resulting in death and one count of using a firearm during a crime of violence resulting in death.  Jury selection lasted eight days.  Then the guilt phase began on Wednesday, September 3, and ended on Monday, September 8.  The jury returned a guilty verdict after deliberating for about an hour.

During the penalty phase, jurors were asked to decide whether Sanders should be executed or spend the rest of his life in prison.  Evidence admitted during trial established that Sanders met Suellen Roberts, 31, in the summer of 2010 when Roberts rented a storage unit at a warehouse in Las Vegas where Sanders worked.  Roberts and Sanders began dating, and approximately two months later Roberts agreed that she and her 12-year-old daughter, Lexis, would go on a trip with Sanders over the Labor Day weekend to a wildlife park near the Grand Canyon.  As they were returning to Nevada after three days of traveling, Sanders pulled off Interstate 40 in a remote location in the Arizona desert and fatally shot Suellen Roberts in the head and forced Lexis Roberts into the car, keeping her captive.

 Sanders drove several days across the country before he murdered Lexis Roberts in a wooded area in Catahoula Parish, Louisiana.  Evidence at trial established that Sanders shot Lexis Roberts four times, cut her throat, and left her body in the woods where a hunter found her body on October 8, 2010.  A nation-wide manhunt ensued  and Sanders was arrested on November 14, 2010, at a truck stop in Gulfport, Mississippi, by FBI agents and a Harrison County Sheriff's Deputy.

During the guilt phase of the trial, jurors heard from 16 witnesses who described Suellen Roberts’ relationship with Sanders, the sequence of events that led up to the murder, and how law enforcement established Sanders as the killer.  Jurors also heard a recorded confession from Sanders in which Sanders admitted killing the mother and daughter.  Evidence considered by the jury established that Sanders shot Lexis Roberts four times, cut her throat, and left her body in the woods.  A forensic analysis determined that Sanders slashed Lexis Roberts’ throat with such force and violence that the knife left cut marks on her cervical vertebra.

Members of Roberts’ family testified at trial, including her grandmother, grandfather, and great-aunt.  Testimony from family members shared with the jurors that Lexis was vulnerable and explained the devastating impact that the crime has had on their family.  Her great-aunt testified that Lexis vacationed at her New Hampshire home every summer, with the most recent trip just weeks before Lexis was kidnapped and murdered by Sanders.  Her aunt testified that during Lexis’ last trip to New Hampshire, she encouraged Lexis to write in two journals.  Pages from the journals were introduced during the penalty phase and were considered by the jury.  The journals helped establish that Lexis was trusting, and in one journal she wrote that she believed that nothing bad would ever happen to her.

Lexis Roberts’ grandfather testified that he encouraged Suellen and Lexis Roberts to move from New Hampshire to Las Vegas so that Suellen could find better employment.  He told jurors that based on what happened to his daughter and granddaughter, he now suffers from guilt for encouraging them to move.

The penalty phase of the trial further established that Sanders’ crime was the result of substantial planning and premeditation and that Lexis Roberts was a vulnerable victim.  Testimony included that of two of Lexis’ sixth grade teachers from Charles Silvestri Junior High in Las Vegas.  Her math teacher told jurors that Lexis was extremely shy but very hard working.  Her English teacher testified that Lexis was sweet and vulnerable.  When asked to describe Lexis in one word, she replied “innocent.”        

“These types of cases are never easy, but today we remember the victims, their families and their loved ones.  The nature of the crime and the level of violence involved are something that we never get used to no matter how long we have done this.  The severity of the sentence imposed against Sanders underscores the senseless brutality of his acts against an innocent 12-year-old girl,” Finley stated.  “Lexis Roberts was needlessly taken from a family that loved her, and she was denied the most fundamental right of life, and they were denied the joy of knowing what that life could have been.  Still, we do not lose sight of the fact that this trial and sentencing also represent the right of due process that was extended to Sanders, and a jury of his peers has rendered justice.  Nothing, no trial or sentence, can ever bring Lexis or her mother back, but we hope that the verdict brings some measure of closure to Lexis’ family.  The prosecutors and the law enforcement agencies that assisted in this case are to be commended for their hard work.  The importance of their collective efforts cannot be overstated.”

“This is a heartbreaking case,” said Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell.  “A young girl witnessed the murder of her mother, was held captive for days, and had her life cut tragically short by a senseless, brutal murder.  We hope today’s verdict will help Lexis’ family as they continue to struggle with the loss of their loved ones.”        

FBI Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Anderson added, “Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of the victims who have endured unimaginable grief while awaiting the just verdict and sentence for such horrific crimes.”

The FBI, Central Louisiana Safe Streets Task Force, Catahoula Parish Sheriff’s Office, Harrison County Sheriff’s Office, Yavapai County Arizona Sheriff’s Office, Coconino County Arizona Sheriff’s Office, and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney William J. Flanagan, Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown, and Trial Attorney Julie Mosley of the U.S.  Department of Justice’s Capital Case Section prosecuted the case.

ALEXANDRIA, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a federal jury in Alexandria, Louisiana, returned a verdict imposing the death penalty on a Las Vegas, Nevada, man for the kidnap and murder of a 12-year-old-girl.

On September 26, 2014, a federal jury in Alexandria, Louisiana, decided that Thomas Sanders, 57, should be put to death for the brutal kidnapping and murder of Lexis Roberts in the fall of 2010.  During the penalty phase of the trial, the jury heard from a total of 18 witnesses called by the United States and by the defense.  The jury determined that a sentence of death was appropriate for Sanders after deliberating for approximately seven hours.  United States District Judge Dee D. Drell presided over the trial. This case represents the first time that the death penalty has been imposed in federal court in the Western District of Louisiana.     

The penalty phase of the trial began on September 16, 2014, after the same jury found Sanders guilty of one count of kidnapping resulting in death and one count of using a firearm during a crime of violence resulting in death.  Jury selection lasted eight days.  Then the guilt phase began on Wednesday, September 3, and ended on Monday, September 8.  The jury returned a guilty verdict after deliberating for about an hour.

During the penalty phase, jurors were asked to decide whether Sanders should be executed or spend the rest of his life in prison.  Evidence admitted during trial established that Sanders met Suellen Roberts, 31, in the summer of 2010 when Roberts rented a storage unit at a warehouse in Las Vegas where Sanders worked.  Roberts and Sanders began dating, and approximately two months later Roberts agreed that she and her 12-year-old daughter, Lexis, would go on a trip with Sanders over the Labor Day weekend to a wildlife park near the Grand Canyon.  As they were returning to Nevada after three days of traveling, Sanders pulled off Interstate 40 in a remote location in the Arizona desert and fatally shot Suellen Roberts in the head and forced Lexis Roberts into the car, keeping her captive.

 Sanders drove several days across the country before he murdered Lexis Roberts in a wooded area in Catahoula Parish, Louisiana.  Evidence at trial established that Sanders shot Lexis Roberts four times, cut her throat, and left her body in the woods where a hunter found her body on October 8, 2010.  A nation-wide manhunt ensued  and Sanders was arrested on November 14, 2010, at a truck stop in Gulfport, Mississippi, by FBI agents and a Harrison County Sheriff's Deputy.

During the guilt phase of the trial, jurors heard from 16 witnesses who described Suellen Roberts’ relationship with Sanders, the sequence of events that led up to the murder, and how law enforcement established Sanders as the killer.  Jurors also heard a recorded confession from Sanders in which Sanders admitted killing the mother and daughter.  Evidence considered by the jury established that Sanders shot Lexis Roberts four times, cut her throat, and left her body in the woods.  A forensic analysis determined that Sanders slashed Lexis Roberts’ throat with such force and violence that the knife left cut marks on her cervical vertebra.

Members of Roberts’ family testified at trial, including her grandmother, grandfather, and great-aunt.  Testimony from family members shared with the jurors that Lexis was vulnerable and explained the devastating impact that the crime has had on their family.  Her great-aunt testified that Lexis vacationed at her New Hampshire home every summer, with the most recent trip just weeks before Lexis was kidnapped and murdered by Sanders.  Her aunt testified that during Lexis’ last trip to New Hampshire, she encouraged Lexis to write in two journals.  Pages from the journals were introduced during the penalty phase and were considered by the jury.  The journals helped establish that Lexis was trusting, and in one journal she wrote that she believed that nothing bad would ever happen to her.

Lexis Roberts’ grandfather testified that he encouraged Suellen and Lexis Roberts to move from New Hampshire to Las Vegas so that Suellen could find better employment.  He told jurors that based on what happened to his daughter and granddaughter, he now suffers from guilt for encouraging them to move.

The penalty phase of the trial further established that Sanders’ crime was the result of substantial planning and premeditation and that Lexis Roberts was a vulnerable victim.  Testimony included that of two of Lexis’ sixth grade teachers from Charles Silvestri Junior High in Las Vegas.  Her math teacher told jurors that Lexis was extremely shy but very hard working.  Her English teacher testified that Lexis was sweet and vulnerable.  When asked to describe Lexis in one word, she replied “innocent.”          

“These types of cases are never easy, but today we remember the victims, their families and their loved ones.  The nature of the crime and the level of violence involved are something that we never get used to no matter how long we have done this.  The severity of the sentence imposed against Sanders underscores the senseless brutality of his acts against an innocent 12-year-old girl,” Finley stated.  “Lexis Roberts was needlessly taken from a family that loved her, and she was denied the most fundamental right of life, and they were denied the joy of knowing what that life could have been.  Still, we do not lose sight of the fact that this trial and sentencing also represent the right of due process that was extended to Sanders, and a jury of his peers has rendered justice.  Nothing, no trial or sentence, can ever bring Lexis or her mother back, but we hope that the verdict brings some measure of closure to Lexis’ family.  The prosecutors and the law enforcement agencies that assisted in this case are to be commended for their hard work.  The importance of their collective efforts cannot be overstated.”

“This is a heartbreaking case,” said Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell.  “A young girl witnessed the murder of her mother, was held captive for days, and had her life cut tragically short by a senseless, brutal murder.  We hope today’s verdict will help Lexis’ family as they continue to struggle with the loss of their loved ones.”          

FBI Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Anderson added, “Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of the victims who have endured unimaginable grief while awaiting the just verdict and sentence for such horrific crimes.”

The FBI, Central Louisiana Safe Streets Task Force, Catahoula Parish Sheriff’s Office, Harrison County Sheriff’s Office, Yavapai County Arizona Sheriff’s Office, Coconino County Arizona Sheriff’s Office, and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney William J. Flanagan, Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown, and Trial Attorney Julie Mosley of the U.S.  Department of Justice’s Capital Case Section prosecuted the case.

SHREVEPORT, La. –A grand jury indicted former Bossier Parish Sheriff Larry Deen and two owners of Blakey Auto Plex, LLC, U.S. Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today.

Former Bossier Parish Sheriff Larry C. Deen, 66, of Benton, La., Clinton E. Blakey, 40, of Shreveport, La., and Clifton D. Blakey, 35, of Benton, La., were indicted on one count of conspiracy to commit federal program theft, one count of federal program theft, and one count of failure to file IRS Tax Form 8300.  According to the indictment, starting in January 2012, Deen is accused of conspiring with Clinton Blakey and Clifton Blakey, co-owners of Blakey Auto Plex, LLC (BAP), to retain control and gain ownership of a white four-door 2009 Chevrolet Suburban LTZ that was owned by the Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Office.  They are also accused of attempting to unlawfully enrich themselves through the conspiracy, and did this in part by undervaluing the vehicle at $21,375 when it was traded in to BAP by the Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Office in May of 2012.  The indictment also charges Clinton Blakey and Clifton Blakey with failing to file a Form 8300 in connection with $21,000 paid to BAP in July 2012.  A Form 8300 is required to be filed when anyone engages in a trade or business who, in the course of such trade or business, receives more than $10,000 in a transaction or in two or more related transactions.

The defendants face five years in prison and one year of supervised release for the conspiracy count and 10 years in prison and three years of supervised release for the theft count. Clinton Blakey and Clifton Blakey face five years in prison and one year of supervised release for the Form 8300 count.  They also face a $250,000 fine for each count and forfeiture of the proceeds traceable to and property involved in the offenses.

The FBI and Louisiana State Police conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cytheria D. Jernigan and Joseph G. Jarzabek are prosecuting the case.

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

SHREVEPORT, La. –United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley and Caddo Parish Sheriff Steve Prator have joined together to offer a new tool to law enforcement to teach firearm safety to children.

At a ceremony today at the Louisiana Sheriff’s Association Office in Baton Rouge, two new firearm safety trailers were unveiled.  The trailers will be used as part of the Louisiana Law Enforcement Gun Safety Program to teach firearm safety to children at area schools.  Currently, the program only uses one trailer.  Since its inception in June of 2013, the program has reached approximately 22,100 children and has distributed 300 gunlocks to adults.  The two new trailers were acquired to meet the demand from Louisiana schools.

When the new trailers are put into service, there will be a trailer in each of the three federal judicial districts in Louisiana - Western, Middle and Eastern.  The Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office will house one of the trailers, which will be available for law enforcement agencies to use throughout the Western District of Louisiana.  Forty-two of the state’s 64 parishes are in the Western District.  The trailer should be available for use in October.

The Louisiana Law Enforcement for Gun Safety Program was created in response to the alarmingly high rate of accidental firearm injuries and deaths among children in Louisiana.   The program uses certified firearm instructors to teach parents and children about gun safety through an interactive presentation involving live demonstrations and the distribution of gunlocks.  The program demonstrates the dangers of firearms and tests students’ knowledge of gun safety. The instructors show students various handguns and ask them if the weapons are real or toys.  The students in many cases are unable to distinguish between real or toy guns because many toy guns look, feel and weigh the same as real ones. At the end of the program, students are shown the destructive capacity of guns by watching a pistol fire a bullet into a watermelon inside of a protective enclosure.  Students are instructed that weapons must be handled safely and with adult supervision.

The program aims to identify the hazards of unsecured firearms, teach individuals how to secure firearms, identify distinguishing characteristics between real and toy guns, and illustrate the destructive force of firearms through the use of the demonstration trailer.  Presentations are conducted at schools, camps and community events.

“The U.S. Attorney’s Office is proud to support this program,” Finley said. “Children’s safety in the Western District of Louisiana is of the utmost concern for this office.  The Gun Safety Program helps educate students on how to react when finding a gun.  This program can save a life.”

“I’ve seen many cases in my 41-year law enforcement career that prove children need gun safety education,” said Caddo Sheriff Steve Prator. “The Caddo Sheriff’s Office is excited to play such an important role in this program and to offer it, along with other ongoing programs like Sheriff’s Safety Town, to help keep our children safe.”

The program is available for use by all law enforcement agencies in Louisiana through the endorsements of the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Western, Middle and Eastern Districts, Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office, Baton Rouge City Constable’s Office, Louisiana Department of Corrections, Louisiana Sheriff’s Association, Louisiana Association of Chiefs of Police, Louisiana City Marshals and City Constables Association, Louisiana District Attorneys Association, Louisiana State Police, and the Louisiana Attorney General’s Office.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office Law Enforcement Community Coordinator, Mike Campbell, will help implement and assist in the operation of the program in conjunction with the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office.  As LECC, Campbell acts as a liaison between the U.S. Attorney=s Office and local, state, and federal law enforcement.  He assists with grants, coordinates and provides law enforcement training, and assists law enforcement agencies with special and community needs.

For more information about the firearms safety program, contact Mike Campbell at the U.S. Attorney’s Office at 318-676-3600 or the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office at 318-675-2170.

From left are Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office Fleet Manager Mike Gregory; U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Louisiana Walt Green; Holly Sheets, Victim Witness Coordinator for the U.S. Attorney’s Office Middle District of Louisiana; First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana Alexander Van Hook; Baton Rouge Constable Reginald Brown; and Mike Campbell, Law Enforcement Coordinator for the Western District of Louisiana.

LAFAYETTE, La. –A Ville Platte man was sentenced last week to 105 months in prison for participating in the armed robbery of a St. Landry Parish casino and truck stop, U.S. Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today.

Dudley Stevens Nelson, 25, of Ville Platte, La., was sentenced Friday by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote, to 21 months in prison for one count of interference with commerce by robbery and to 84 months in prison for one count of use and carrying of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, for a total of 105 months in prison. He was also sentenced to serve five years of supervised release and ordered to pay $11,675 in restitution. According to evidence presented at the October 28, 2013 guilty plea, the defendant along with Ville Platte residents Arinskie Tryvon Orlandeze Jones and Ronald James Doomes robbed the Tiger Trax truck stop and casino in Whiteville, La., on April 8, 2011. Nelson admitted to driving the vehicle and knowing beforehand that a gun would be used. After robbing the truck stop and casino, the defendants left with $11,675 in a white sports utility vehicle. Authorities located the vehicle and attempted a traffic stop. Three individuals exited the vehicle and fled on foot. Nelson was apprehended. Jones and Doomes turned themselves in to authorities six days later.

A federal jury found Doomes guilty of one count of armed robbery and one count of use and carrying of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Doomes’ sentencing is scheduled for November 15, 2014, and he faces a prison term of seven years to life. Jones was found guilty of one count of interference with commerce by robbery on August 27, 2014. He faces 20 years in prison. A sentencing date has not been set. They both face five years of supervised release and up to a $250,000 fine.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods. Project Safe Neighborhoods is a Department of Justice initiative designed to reduce firearm crimes by removing dangerous and persistent felons from the community and promote firearm safety. The PSN attorneys prosecute a variety of federal firearms violations listed in Titles 18 and 26 of the U.S. Code, including illegal possession of firearms and commission of crimes with firearms.

The FBI, ATF and the St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph T. Mickel prosecuted the case.

LAFAYETTE, La. –A Scott, La., man was sentenced to 36 months in prison and two years of supervised release for stealing a car and driving to Florida after escaping from a prison road crew, U.S. Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today.

Shawn A. Jollivette, 36, of Scott, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote for one count of interstate transportation of a motor vehicle. He was also ordered to pay $197 in restitution. According to evidence presented at the June 24, 2014 guilty plea, Jollivette escaped a road crew work detail on March 27, 2012 in Marksville, La. He was arrested in Florida two days later with keys to a stolen vehicle in his possession. A 9 mm semiautomatic pistol was inside the car, which was found in a parking lot. Jollivette was an Avoyelles Parish Correctional Center inmate and was serving a state sentence. After the state sentence was to be completed, he was scheduled to start serving a federal prison term for a charge of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

The U.S. Marshals Service and the ATF conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph T. Mickel prosecuted the case.

SHREVEPORT/LAFAYETTE, La. –United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that the U.S. Attorney’s Offices in Shreveport and Lafayette recently collected more than 1,600 pounds of food and non-perishable items that were delivered to two local food pantries.

In all, both offices collected 1,626 pounds of food to be donated to the Food Bank of Northwest Louisiana located in Shreveport and the FoodNet: The Greater Acadiana Food Bank, located in Lafayette. The Shreveport U.S. Attorney’s Office gathered 1,378 pounds of the total and the Lafayette U.S. Attorney’s Office gathered 248 pounds. Donation boxes for the Feds Feed Families food drive campaign were located at the federal courthouses in Shreveport and Lafayette and at the Federal Public Defender’s Office (Midsouth Bank Building in Lafayette).  The food drive campaign ended August 29, 2014. Federal employees donated goods such as bags of rice, pasta, canned and boxed goods, bottled water and other non-perishable items.

“The donations and work of federal employees in our district will help feed those in need,” Finley said.  “Their efforts are helping to fight hunger and give back to our communities.  I want to thank those who donated, but also the volunteers who worked to collect and spread the word about this campaign.”

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

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

Feds Feed Families was started when Rep. Frank Wolf (R-Va.) and former Office of Personnel Management Director John Berry realized that food donations were dropping during the summer months because many families were on vacation.  The campaign has run every summer since 2009, and to date, it has collected more than 24.1 million pounds of food, including 9 million pounds last year alone.  In the United States, 50 million people are challenged with hunger, including 17 million children.

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

SHREVEPORT, La. – A dispatcher with the Shreveport Fire Department has pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography, U.S. Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today.

Shreveport Fire Department Dispatcher Stephen St. John, 46, of Shreveport, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote to one count of possession of child pornography. According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, law enforcement agents discovered that St. John was a member of a secret internet file posting board that distributed child pornography. His home was searched on September 5, 2013 and several computers, external hard drives, memory cards, DVDs and diskettes were seized. An examination of the seized items revealed pubescent and prepubescent males engaged in explicit sexual activity including 157 images on diskettes.

St. John, who was taken into custody at the hearing, faces up to 10 years in prison, five years to life of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. He also faces forfeiture of the devices used in the crime.  A sentencing date of January 30, 2015 was set.

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Marshals Service and the Louisiana State Police investigated the case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Cytheria D. Jernigan 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. Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security/Homeland Security Investigations/Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) encourage the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free hotline at (866) DHS-2ICE.  Investigators are available at all hours to answer hotline calls.  Tips or other information can also be submitted to ICE online at www.ice.gov/exec/forms/hsi-tips/tips.asp. Tips may be reported anonymously.

SHREVEPORT, La. – A Dallas man pleaded guilty to bringing a minor to Bossier City, La., for prostitution, U.S. Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today.

Qualyn D. Mitchell, 31, of Dallas, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote to one count of sex trafficking of a minor. According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, law enforcement agents responded in an undercover capacity to an online advertisement for prostitution on November 21, 2013, and found a 16-year-old minor at a Bossier City hotel engaged in prostitution. Mitchell was found in an adjacent hotel room with another prostitute. Upon further investigation, it was learned that Mitchell had met the minor a few days earlier and had brought her from Dallas to Bossier City. He instructed her to give him the money she made from prostitution. Agents found $1,200 on Mitchell at the time of the arrest.

Mitchell faces 10 years to life in prison, five years to life of supervised release, and up to a $250,000 fine.  Sentencing was set for January 23, 2015.

The FBI-Violent Crimes Against Children Task Force, Bossier City Police Department, and the Bossier City Marshal’s Office conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth D. Reeg 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.justice.gov/psc.

Those concerned may leave tips with the FBI at tips.fbi.gov and may be submitted anonymously.  The Shreveport FBI office number is (318) 861-1890.

LAFAYETTE, La. –A Lafayette man was sentenced Monday to 41 months in prison and three years of supervised release for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today.

David J. Narcisse Jr., 33, of Lafayette, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Richard Haik for one count of felon in possession of a firearm. According to evidence presented at the October 15, 2014 guilty plea, law enforcement discovered that a 12 gauge semiautomatic shotgun that had previously been reported stolen had also been pawned on September 6, 2012 in Lafayette. The person who pawned the shotgun stated that Narcisse had given it to him. After being arrested for another violation, Narcisse admitted to buying the firearm from a friend. Narcisse has previously been convicted in April of 2006 in 15th Judicial District Court in Lafayette of possession with intent to distribute cocaine; in August of 2008 in 15th Judicial District Court in Lafayette of Schedule II, prohibited acts; and in March 2010 in 16th Judicial District Court in St. Martinville of illegally carrying a weapon while in possession of a controlled dangerous substance.

            The ATF, Louisiana Probation and Parole, and East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Myers P. Namie prosecuted the case as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods.  Project Safe Neighborhoods is a nationwide program designed to reduce violence by aggressively enforcing existing federal firearms laws.

LAKE CHARLES, La. – A Houston man was sentenced last week to 154 months in prison for robbing from a Roanoke drug trafficker, U.S. Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today.

Francisco Javier Camacho, 42, of Houston, was sentenced Thursday by U.S. District Judge Patricia Minaldi to 70 months in prison for one count of interference with commerce by robbery and 84 months for one count of use and carrying of a firearm during a crime of violence with the prison terms to be served consecutively. He is also to serve five years of supervised release.

According to evidence presented at the November 1, 2012 guilty plea, Camacho and an accomplice, Cruz Martinez-Encinas, visited the home of a known drug trafficker on February 15, 2011 in Roanoke, La., saying they wanted to sell marijuana.  Instead of selling illegal drugs, the two men robbed the drug trafficker, stealing three guns and $7,500 in cash.  Camacho and Martinez-Encinas tied up the drug trafficker and a female who was present at the home. They then fled the scene.  The two were able to free themselves, and the drug trafficker followed the two men onto Interstate 10.  While chasing the men by car in between the Welsh, La., and Roanoke exits, the drug trafficker rammed the back of the car that Camacho was traveling in, which caused Camacho’s vehicle to run off the road and crash.  Camacho and Martinez-Encinas exited the vehicle and ran north. They were later arrested.  While in pursuit, law enforcement found four semi-automatic pistols. They also found $7,500 on Camacho when he was apprehended.

Martinez-Encinas pleaded guilty September 1, 2011. He was sentenced to 65 months in prison for possession of a stolen firearm and 65 months in prison for interference with commerce by robbery.  He was also sentenced to serve three years of supervised release for each count. The sentences are to be served concurrently.

The FBI, ATF and the Jefferson Davis Parish Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Mickel prosecuted the case.

LAFAYETTE, La. –A Church Point woman pleaded guilty to stealing more than $197,000 from her employer over a five-year period, U.S. Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today.

Michelle Dana Lavergne, 36, of Church Point, La., pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Richard Haik for three counts of making and possessing a forged security, as part of a larger fraudulent scheme. According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, from April 1, 2008 to April 30, 2013 Lavergne used her position at a Lafayette law firm to embezzle funds by writing checks to herself and another employee in various amounts ranging from $350 to $5,500. The checks totaled $197,371.53 over a five-year period. She worked at the law firm for 13 years as a financial secretary and paralegal. Lavergne had access to the business checks because of her position. She obtained pre-signed checks to pay bills or she forged the signature, so she could deposit the checks into her personal account.

Lavergne faces up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, forfeiture, and a $250,000 fine for each count.

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

SHREVEPORT, La. – The owner and operator of a Shreveport intensive outpatient program company pleaded guilty to charging Medicare for services never rendered, U.S. Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today.

Sharon Monroe, 43, of Shreveport, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. to one count of health care fraud and one count of wire fraud. According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, Monroe, owner of Monroe Medical Management LLC, submitted approximately $6 million in claims to Medicare for Part B psychotherapy services from 2007 to 2011. As a result of the fraudulent claims, she improperly received $2 million in payments from Medicare. Monroe filed claims for psychotherapy services that were never performed. She also used physicians’ Medicare provider numbers to submit claims without the physicians’ knowledge. In some cases, she claimed her employees rendered services in excess of 24 hours a day, that some of her employees were qualified to perform services when they were not, and that some of the services were performed at medical offices when they were not.

Monroe faces up to 10 years in prison and three years of supervised release for the health care fraud count, and up to 20 years in prison and five years of supervised release for the wire fraud count. She also faces a $250,000 fine and restitution for both counts. A sentencing date of January 8, 2015 was set.

The FBI and Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Earl M. Campbell is prosecuting the case.

SHREVEPORT, La. –A man from Missouri was sentenced Wednesday to 30 months in prison and five years of supervised release for moving to Shreveport without updating his sex offender registration, U.S. Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced.

John Mark Phillips, 50, of Springfield, Mo., was sentenced to the 30-month prison term by U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. for one count of failing to update his sex offender registration. Hicks also revoked Phillips’ supervised release for a previous offense, which added 24 months to Phillips’ prison term for a total of 54 months. According to evidence presented at the May 19, 2014 guilty plea, Phillips was convicted in Christian County Missouri on September 22, 1995, for sexual abuse of a victim under the age of 14, which requires 25 years of sex offender registration.  In 2006, he updated his sex offender registration to reflect a move to Wisconsin. In May of 2011, he failed to report that he had moved back to Missouri. In August of 2011, he pleaded guilty to failure to register as a sex offender in the Western District of Missouri. He was sentenced to serve 18 months in prison and five years of supervised release.  After the prison term ended, U.S. Probation Officers discovered on April 30, 2013, that Phillips had left his Springfield, Mo., housing complex. Probation officers were unable to locate him and issued a warrant for his arrest. Shreveport Police arrested Phillips the same day the warrant was issued.

The U.S. Marshals Service, the U.S. Office of Probation - Western District of Missouri, and the Shreveport Police Department conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth D. Reeg prosecuted the case.

LAFAYETTE, La. –A federal grand jury indicted a Lafayette man Wednesday for not listing more than $350,000 on an income tax return, U.S. Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced.

Donald Domingues, 56, of Lafayette, was charged by a federal grand jury with one count of tax evasion and one count of making a false tax return. According to the indictment, when Domingues filed his U.S. Individual Income Tax Return, Form 1040 for calendar year 2007, he reported $259,725 as income and paid $64,909 in taxes. Domingues is accused of intentionally leaving out a $351,000 sales commission, which would have made his correct gross income $610,725 and his payment to the IRS 185,959.

If convicted, Domingues faces five years in prison and three years of supervised release for tax evasion, and he faces three years in prison and one year of supervised release for making a false statement in a tax return.  He also faces up to a $100,000 fine and restitution.

The IRS investigated the case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Howard C. Parker is prosecuting the case.

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

LAFAYETTE, La. –An Opelousas man was sentenced last week to 23 months in prison and five years of supervised release for taking part in an international scheme to defraud banks and victims across the country, U.S. Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today.

Nelson Durald, 49, of Opelousas, La., was also ordered Thursday by U.S. District Judge Richard T. Haik to pay restitution to identifiable victims and amounts of loss in conjunction with the conviction for one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud. According to evidence presented at the March 26, 2014, guilty plea, Durald participated in a scheme from the end of 2011 to June 2013 to defraud banks and other financial institutions by cashing and asking other victims to cash fake monetary instruments such as checks and money orders that were shipped to Durald from other countries. Durald and other co-conspirators, some located within the United States and others in foreign countries, worked together to recruit victims to participate in a “Secret Shopper” program. Durald would mail fake monetary instruments to victim participants and ask them to cash the negotiable instruments at their bank or other financial institution as part of a seemingly legitimate Secret Shopper Program. The victim participant was instructed to send a portion of the cash obtained on the counterfeit instrument to another co-conspirator. Victims did this not knowing the monetary instruments they were attempting to cash were fake, which resulted in a loss to the victim participants and banks. At the time of Durald’s arrest, 316 counterfeit monetary instruments had been seized.  The total amount of all counterfeit financial instruments was $247,829.15. 

The St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Myers P. Namie prosecuted the case.

SHREVEPORT, La. – A former Barksdale airman was sentenced to 72 months in prison and 10 years of supervised release for downloading more than 9,000 files of child pornography, U.S. Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today.

Isaac Boger, 22, of Auburn, Ind., was also ordered by U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. to pay $2,000 for one count of receiving child pornography. According to evidence presented at the March 11, 2014 guilty plea, law enforcement agents detected multiple files containing child pornography being downloaded at a residence on Barksdale Air Force Base.  Boger’s residence and computer were searched on January 10, 2013, and more than 9,000 files of child pornography were found on his computer.  Boger was an active duty member of the U.S. Air Force when arrested.

Immigrations and Customs Enforcement-Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations, Louisiana State Police, and Bossier City Marshals Office conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth D. Reeg 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.justice.gov/psc.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security/Homeland Security Investigations/Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) encourage the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free hotline at (866) DHS-2ICE.  Investigators are available at all hours to answer hotline calls.  Tips or other information can also be submitted to ICE online at www.ice.gov/exec/forms/hsi-tips/tips.asp. Tips may be reported anonymously.

SHREVEPORT, La. –A Sabine Parish man pleaded guilty Monday to distributing methamphetamine in the Many area, U.S.Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced.

Jamal Holland, 28, of Many, La., entered a guilty plea for one count of distribution of methamphetamine before U.S. District Court Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr.  According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, law enforcement conducted controlled purchases of methamphetamine from Holland on September 18, 2013 and October 3, 2013. On both occasions, Holland was recorded selling 27 grams of methamphetamine.

Holland faces up to 20 years in prison, at least four years supervised release, and a $1 million fine. A sentencing date of January 8, 2015 was set.

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

ALEXANDRIA, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a federal jury in Alexandria found a Las Vegas man guilty of kidnapping and murdering a 12-year-old girl.

Thomas Sanders, 57, of Las Vegas, was found guilty by a federal jury of one count of kidnapping resulting in death and one count of use of a firearm during a crime of violence resulting in death.  United States District Judge Dee D. Drell presided over the guilt phase of the trial, which started September 3rd and ended September 8th with closing arguments.  The jury returned a guilty verdict after deliberating for about an hour.

The case will now move to the penalty phase of the trial, during which the same jury will decide whether Sanders should be put to death or serve a mandatory sentence of life without parole in federal prison. The penalty phase is scheduled to start Tuesday, September 16, 2014.

The FBI, Central Louisiana Safe Streets Task Force, Catahoula Parish Sheriff’s Office, Harrison County Sheriff’s Office, Yavapai County Arizona Sheriff’s Office, Coconino County Arizona Sheriff’s Office, and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney William J. Flanagan, Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown and Trial Attorney Julie Mosley of the Justice Department Criminal Division’s Capital Case Section are prosecuting the case.