Western District of Louisiana

SHREVEPORT, La. –United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that Jose Luis Ariciaga-Banda, 28, of Mexico, pleaded guilty Tuesday before U.S. District Judge Donald E. Walter to possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon, possession of a firearm and ammunition by an illegal alien, possession with the intent to distribute marijuana, and illegal reentry into the United States after deportation.
           
According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, Louisiana State Troopers stopped the truck Ariciaga-Banda was driving on August 7, 2013 on Mansfield Road in Shreveport for a traffic violation.  He was found to be a Mexican citizen and illegally in the United States.  An Immigration and Customs Enforcement Special Agent who arrived at the scene placed the defendant under arrest.  A search warrant was also obtained and executed at Ariciaga-Banda’s residence.  A 9 mm pistol, ammunition, money and approximately 18 pounds of marijuana were found at Ariciaga-Banda’s residence.  The defendant was previously convicted in September of 2008 for possession of cocaine in Caddo Parish District Court.  In November of 2010, he was convicted in federal court of two counts of possession of a firearm by an alien illegally in the United States and a count of illegal reentry after his deportation from the United States.
 
Ariciaga-Banda faces 10 years in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm; 10 years in prison for being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm; 20 years in prison for illegal reentry after deportation; and five years in prison for possession with intent to distribute marijuana. Each count also carries up to a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is set for June 26, 2014.

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Louisiana State Police, the Caddo Parish Sheriff-Shreveport Police Drug Task Force, and the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Department investigated the case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert W. Gillespie Jr. prosecuted this case as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods.  Project Safe Neighborhoods is a nationwide program started in 2001 designed to reduce violence by aggressively enforcing existing federal firearms laws.

SHREVEPORT, La. –United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that an initial appearance and arraignment hearing was held for Shreveport Fire Department Dispatcher Stephen St. John, 45, of Shreveport, before Magistrate Judge Mark L. Hornsby for possessing and receiving child pornography.  He pleaded not guilty to both charges and was released on a $25,000 unsecured bond.

According to the indictment, St. John knowingly received child pornography on a computer on January 29, 2013. The images were video files depicting minors and prepubescent children engaging in sexually explicit conduct and lascivious exhibition of the genitals and pubic area.  Additionally, images of child pornography were found in his possession on a computer and computer disks on September 5, 2013.

The defendant faces up to 20 years in prison for one count of possession of child pornography and from five to 20 years in prison for one count of receiving child pornography.  He faces three years of supervised release for each count.  He also faces a $250,000 fine for each count and forfeiture of the equipment used to acquire, store and view the child pornography.

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

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.

SHREVEPORT, La. –United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that Laquon Ashton, 33, of Arlington, Texas, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Donald E. Walter to 48 months in prison and three years of supervised release for his role in distributing cocaine and methamphetamine in Northwest Louisiana.
           
According to evidence presented at the guilty plea on July 2, 2013, Laquon Ashton admitted to conspiring with his mother Janette Ashton, Seneca Colbert, Brian Davis and others to sell cocaine and methamphetamine in the Mansfield and Shreveport areas from January 2012 to March 2012. Authorities used a confidential informant and recorded defendants making sales, conducting purchases and scheduling deliveries of illegal drugs.

Janette Ashton was sentenced September 26, 2013 to 60 months in prison and four years of supervised release for one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.  She pleaded guilty April 16, 2013.  Colbert was sentenced December 23, 2013 to 96 months in prison and four years of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute cocaine. Colbert pleaded guilty July 2, 2013.  Davis was sentenced 120 months in prison and three years of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute cocaine and two counts of possession with intent to distribute cocaine base. Davis pleaded guilty November 4, 2013.

The defendants in this case were prosecuted as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) “Operation Limpiar Casa.” The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Desoto Parish Sheriff’s Office, the Mansfield Police Department, and the Tri-Parish Task Force which includes DeSoto, Sabine and Red River Parishes, participate in the OCDETF program and conducted the operation.

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.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Van Hook prosecuted the case.

SHREVEPORT, La. – U.S. Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that Sammy D. Mosely, 39, of Carthage, Texas, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks to attempting to entice a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity.

According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, Mosely responded to an online advertisement July 24, 2013 soliciting a mother and daughter for sex.  Mosely began to correspond with a law enforcement officer posing as a 13-year-old girl.  Mosely negotiated prices for sex with the minor and asked her to send nude pictures of herself.  Mosely was arrested on August 1, 2013 at a meeting place in Bossier City, La., where he had agreed to meet the girl and her mother.

Mosely faces 10 years to life in prison, five years to life supervised release, and a $250,000 fine for one count of attempting to entice a minor to engage in sexual activity.   A sentencing date of June 26, 2014 was set.  The FBI and Louisiana State Police 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.projectsafechildhood.gov.

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

LAFAYETTE, La. –United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that Robbie Mouton, 56, of Youngsville, La., pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge C. Michael Hill to one count of negligent discharge of pollutants.
           
According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, Mouton, who owns Robbie’s Gauging Service Inc. of Youngsville and is its principal gauger, negligently discharged a mixture of produced water and crude oil into the Vermilion River during the period January 6, 2009 to January 19, 2009, at an oilfield exploration site in Milton, La. Mouton admitted that the discharge took place without a permit.

Mouton faces a year in prison, a year of supervised release, and a fine of $2,500 to $25,000 per day of the violation or $100,000, whichever is greater. No sentencing date was set.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality-Criminal Investigations Division, and the Louisiana State Police-Emergency Services Unit conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. McCoy is prosecuting the case.

LAFAYETTE, La. –United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a federal jury found Elton Ray Jones, 67, of Zavalla, Texas, guilty Tuesday of attempting to entice a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity.  United States District Judge Elizabeth Foote presided over the trial.

Following the two-day trial, the jury found Jones guilty after deliberating for one hour. Based on witness testimony and documents admitted into evidence, it was shown that from September 11, 2012 to October 17, 2012, Jones made contact and conducted online chats with a law enforcement officer posing as a 14-year-old girl.  Jones engaged in explicit conversations with the girl and planned a sexual encounter. Law enforcement officers arrested Jones on October 17, 2012 in Lafayette where Jones had planned to meet the girl.

Jones faces 10 years to life in prison, five years to life of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine for one count of attempting to entice a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity. He must also register as a sex offender.

This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a U.S. Department of Justice launched 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 (CEOS), 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) encourages 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.

The Louisiana State Police and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Myers P. Namie and John Luke Walker are prosecuting the case.

SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that Isaac Boger, 22, of Bossier City, La., pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks to receiving child pornography.

According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, law enforcement authorities detected multiple files containing child pornography being downloaded at a residence on Barksdale Air Force Base.  Boger’s home and computer were searched on January 10, 2013 and more than 9,000 files of child pornography, many containing hard core sex involving children, were found on his computer.  Boger was an active duty member of the U.S. Air Force when arrested.

Boger faces five to 20 years in prison, a lifetime of supervised release, and up to a $250,000 fine for one count of receiving child pornography.  A sentencing date of June 26, 2014 was set.  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 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) encourages 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 announced today thatLeo Cortez Vinson Jr., 40, of Shreveport, was sentenced Monday by U.S. District Court Judge Elizabeth Foote, to 24 months in prison with one year of supervised release for failing to appear for sentencing on a tax fraud charge.

According to evidence presented at the guilty plea on February 20, 2014, Vinson pleaded guilty in September of 2011 to filing fraudulent tax returns and was allowed to remain free on bond.  He failed to appear for sentencing on November 30, 2011.  A warrant was issued for Vinson’s arrest, and he was arrested on October 3, 2013 in South Dakota.  Vinson had been traveling on a bus headed for Seattle, Washington.

On November 14, 2013, Vinson was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Tom Stagg, to 36 months in prison and one year of supervised release for one count of making false and fraudulent statements to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).  He was also ordered to pay $6,958 in restitution..  The failure to appear and the tax fraud prison terms will run consecutively for a total of 60 months in prison.  The supervised release terms will run concurrently.

According to evidence presented at the guilty plea on September 1, 2011, Vinson prepared 22 Form 1040 tax returns containing false information in early 2009 for tax year 2008.  He claimed $91,141 in refunds, but received $79,396 from the IRS.  Vinson received between $1,000 and $1,500 per tax return on average.  He would recruit inmates from different prisons to supply Social Security Numbers for the false returns and paid them $100 for their information.

“Tax fraud has consequences,” Finley stated.  “The defendant thought he could run from justice, but because of the hard work of the prosecutor and law enforcement officers, he was apprehended.  We will continue to prosecute those who try to manipulate the system for their gain.”

The IRS, U.S. Marshals Service, and U.S. Postal Inspection Service conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Cytheria D. Jernigan prosecuted the cases.

LAFAYETTE, La. –United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that Dakota Cole Yarbrough, 20, of Fort Polk, La., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Richard T. Haik, to serve 12 months in prison and two years of supervised release for one count of simple burglary.  Haik also ordered Yarbrough to pay $164.10 in restitution.
           
According to evidence presented at the guilty plea on July 17, 2013, Yarbrough entered a home on the Fort Polk military base without permission and removed a laptop computer and a wallet containing credit cards and bank cards.  He also entered a vehicle outside another residence on the military base without permission and removed $60 and a debit card.  He used the debit card from the vehicle to make two purchases in Deridder, La., totaling $100.21 and used the debit cards from the home to make two purchases totaling $164.10.

The Fort Polk Directorate of Emergency Services conducted the investigation. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward L. Westfall and Assistant U.S. Attorney Brett L. Grayson prosecuted the case.

LAFAYETTE, La. –United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley delivered the keynote address at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC) 28th Annual Observance of Black History Month Program held on Wednesday, February 26, 2014.  The event was held in Washington, D.C., and was attended by approximately 150 to 180 FERC employees.  In honor of the program’s theme, “Civil Rights in America,” Finley spoke about the history, struggles, and milestones of Civil Rights in the United States.

“It was an honor to be chosen to speak to the great employees of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission,” Finley said.  “FERC and the U.S. Attorney’s Office work together on cases, so it is important for me to thank them in person for all of the work that they do in the energy area.  This year’s Black History Month celebrations are focusing on the Civil Rights Movement.  The call for justice, fairness and equality is always relevant, and it is important to discuss how we implement those ideals in the workplace.  We all have to do our part.  Those who advocated for civil rights stood up for the rights of all Americans.  Each citizen of this great nation has a responsibility to do his or her part.  As President Kennedy said in 1963 when he addressed the nation – ‘The heart of the question is whether all Americans are to be afforded equal rights and equal opportunities, whether we are going to treat our fellow Americans as we want to be treated’ – that is still at the heart of the question today.”

The commission has five members who are nominated by the President and confirmed by the U.S. Senate. The President designates a chairman and each commission serves a fixed five-year term with one term expiring every year. The current commissioners are acting chairman Cheryl A. LaFleur, Philip D. Moeller, John Norris and Tony Clark. FERC Executive Director is Anton Porter and the Acting General Counsel is David Morenoff.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is an independent agency of the executive branch of the federal government that regulates the interstate transmission of electricity, natural gas, and oil.  FERC also reviews proposals to build liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals and interstate natural gas pipelines as well as licensing hydropower projects.  To find out more about FERC visit www.ferc.gov.

Diversity and inclusion are essential to the successful implementation of the Commission’s Strategic Plan.  Some of the programs and observances that help FERC to promote a diverse workforce are:  M.L. King Jr. Week, Black History Month, Women’s History Month, Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day, Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, Women’s Equality Day, Hispanic Heritage Month, Disability Employment Awareness Month and Native American Heritage Month. 

Ms. Finley is the first female U.S. Attorney to serve in Louisiana.  She was selected by President Barack Obama in January of 2010, after being recommended by U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu, and confirmed by the U.S. Senate in June of 2010.  United States Attorney Finley was sworn into office on June 2, 2010 to serve the Western District of Louisiana as the chief law enforcement officer for 42 of the state’s 64 parishes.  In addition to her duties as the U.S. Attorney, Finley is a Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Air Force, and currently serves as Vice Chair of Attorney General Eric Holder’s Advisory Committee’s Office of Management and Budget Committee. 

LAFAYETTE, La.–United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley was the keynote speaker today at the Sunset Middle School Black History Program.  She addressed approximately 375 students ranging from 5th through 8th grades, parents, and community members in attendance, to include the Mayor of Grand Coteau, the Sunset Chief of Police, a representative of the St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office, Sunset Town Council members and the St. Landry Parish School Board Social Studies Supervisor, in addition to the school’s faculty.  The event featured profiles of African Americans throughout history, stories, slide shows, songs, poems, dance, and other presentations.  

“As long as I’m in this position, children will be a priority whether that’s protecting them from crimes or spending time to encourage them to reach for their dreams,” Finley said.  “It is important to let all children know of the opportunities in life and the effort it takes to reach their goals.  I want to thank the faculty, students and parents at Sunset Middle School for inviting me to attend the event and for welcoming me so warmly.  It was clear to everyone in attendance that this school focuses on education and excellence.  This faculty is to be commended for their dedication and hard work in helping the student body achieve academic success.  We all should try to be positive influences in these children’s lives.   I have had many great teachers and mentors in my life, and now, I’ve got to pay it forward so that the future leaders of our communities can learn from my journey. ”

The Louisiana Department of Education recently recognized Sunset Middle School as a Top Gains School.  The recognition comes after students raised their performance scores from the previous academic year. The accomplishment brings the school up one letter grade overall.  A monetary award will be issued for the achievement, and the school will be recognized by the St. Landry Parish School Board at an upcoming meeting.  Sunset Middle School’s principal is Marquet S. Rideau.

Finley is the first female U.S. Attorney to serve in Louisiana.  She was selected by President Barack Obama in January of 2010, after being recommended by U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu, and confirmed by the U.S. Senate in June of 2010.  United States Attorney Finley was sworn into office on June 2, 2010 to serve the Western District of Louisiana as the chief law enforcement officer for 42 of the state’s 64 parishes.  In addition to her duties as the U.S. Attorney, Finley is a Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Air Force, and currently serves as Vice Chair of Attorney General Eric Holder’s Advisory Committee’s Office of Management and Budget Committee.

SHREVEPORT, La. –United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a federal jury found Andrea Lewis, 54, of Shreveport, guilty on three counts of transporting minors across state lines to have sex. United States District Judge Elizabeth Foote presided over the five-day trial.

A federal grand jury in Shreveport indicted Lewis in November of 2013.  His trial began Monday and ended today with the jury returning the guilty verdict after deliberating for approximately three hours.  Witness testimony and exhibits admitted into evidence established that Lewis transported at least three minors to and from Texas to have sex with them.  The events happened from 1994 to 2000.  Lewis is a Shreveport pastor who formed and actively recruited members of a choir, which consisted of girls mostly under the age of 18 in his congregation.  He used his status as pastor and choir director to coerce young female church members to have sex with him.  He threatened the girls not to tell anyone, and used choir trips and other church related travel to cover up sexual abuse.

“This verdict should send the message that if you harm children there are consequences,” Finley stated. “The Assistant U.S. Attorney, FBI and Shreveport Police Department are to be commended. Their hard work and efforts have removed a dangerous man from our community. He can no longer exploit and hurt young girls. My office and our federal, state, and local partners are committed to protecting children. We will continue to prosecute these cases to the fullest extent of the law.”

Lewis faces up to 10 years in prison, five years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine for each count of transportation of minors with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. He will also be required to register as a sex offender.  The sentencing date is June 20, 2014.

The Shreveport Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Earl M. Campbell is prosecuting the case.

ALEXANDRIA, La. –United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that James Goode Jr., 45, of Sicily Island, La., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell, to 12 months in prison and three years of supervised release for lying to the Farm Service Agency (FSA) in order to obtain more than $1.2 million in loans.  He was also ordered to pay $322,356 in restitution.
           
According to evidence presented at the guilty plea on October 16, 2013, Goode admitted to applying for three FSA sponsored loans totaling $1,263,800 in early 2009.  On the applications for the loans, Goode withheld reporting numerous debts totaling $357,470 from government agencies, banks and private companies, which he was required by law to disclose as it affected his eligibility to receive those loans.  As a result of the omissions on the loan applications, he was able to fraudulently obtain the money and defaulted on $322,356.
 
The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General, conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph G. Jarzabek prosecuted the case.

SHREVEPORT, La. –United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that Corey Crosby, 23, of Bossier City, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Donald E. Walter, to making and selling counterfeit Federal Reserve notes.

According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, authorities used a confidential informant to buy counterfeit money in the Shreveport/Bossier City area in June of 2013. Crosby was identified as the seller and manufacturer after the informant bought counterfeit money and uncut sheets of counterfeit money from him in denominations of $100, $20, and $10.  Investigators also matched Crosby’s fingerprints to a printer used to manufacture the counterfeit notes.

Crosby faces up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, restitution, and a fine of $250,000 for one count of counterfeiting obligations or securities. He will also face the same penalties for one count of dealing in counterfeit obligations or securities.  Sentencing was set for May 22, 2014.

The U.S. Secret Service - Shreveport Office, Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office, Shreveport Police Department, and Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon B Brown is prosecuting the case.

LAFAYETTE, La. –United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that Bunnie Morris, 60, of Lafayette, entered a guilty plea Wednesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge C. Michael Hill, to defrauding more than a half million dollars from the Lafayette company where she worked.
           
According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, Morris was employed as a financial accountant/bookkeeper for Waste Auditors Inc. from 2001 to 2009.  During that time, she forged signatures on numerous payroll, bonus, and expense account corporate checks processed through two banks totaling $579,050.  Not only did she forge checks and expense account information, she negotiated and received unauthorized payments in the form of pay raises and bonuses.  In order to disguise her actions, she voided all fraudulent checks that she had cashed or deposited, when in fact she negotiated and received benefits from those checks.  Morris also was not a signatory on any corporate checking account and was required to obtain signatures from supervisors before executing a transaction.
 
Morris faces up to 30 years in prison, five years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine for one count of bank fraud.  Sentencing is set for June 11, 2014.

The U.S. Secret Service conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Howard C. Parker is prosecuting the case.

SHREVEPORT, La. –United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that Michael Paul Boyter, 51, and Anthony Reuben Riley, 49, both of Shreveport, were sentenced by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote, on charges arising out of a money laundering conspiracy operated from their businesses: Mike’s Auto Sales and A-1 Auto Finance Company.

Boyter was sentenced to 60 months in prison for wire fraud and for evading or defeating tax charges.  He was also ordered to pay $290,381 restitution and a $200,000 fine.  Riley was sentenced to 15 months in prison for the failure to file Form 8300 charges and was ordered to pay a $100,000 fine.  They also received three years of supervised release.  As part of their plea agreements with the United States, both men agreed to forfeit property of Mike’s Auto Sales and A-1 Auto Finance, and agreed to pay a money judgment in the amount of $1.3 million.

According to evidence presented at the guilty plea on August 26, 2013, the defendants engaged in a conspiracy to commit money laundering beginning in 1996 through November 2010.  The defendants’ scheme concerned the sale and financing of used and new vehicles to individuals who derived, or represented that they derived, significant income from the distribution of illegal drugs.  The defendants knowingly accepted cash proceeds from drug dealers, allowed vehicle purchases in the names of nominees, and falsified records of payments received.  The defendants provided false information to multiple local and federal law enforcement agencies, including the Shreveport Police Department and the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office, to facilitate the release of vehicles seized from drug dealers.

In 2009 and 2010, the FBI conducted multiple “sting” operations directing cooperating individuals to purchase vehicles in the names of nominees and using large cash payments toward the purchase of those vehicles.  These operations proved that the defendants readily accepted large amounts of money thought to be drug proceeds and skimmed cash from down payments by manipulating records to show lower sales prices and reduced amounts of down payments.  Boyter pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud because he made false statements to law enforcement regarding the true customer, purchase price and balance due on a vehicle he was told had been seized in a narcotics arrest.

"I hope this sends a message that the facilitation of criminal activity has consequences,” Finley stated.  “The defendants sold vehicles to criminals that they knew were drug dealers and used the money to enrich themselves.  They were not concerned about the harm the drug dealers caused, nor were they concerned about the laws they were breaking.  Their primary focus was on hiding the proceeds and lying about their tax status so they would not have to report the illegally obtained funds.  I want to thank all of the federal, state and local law enforcement agencies who participated in this investigation.  Their efforts were outstanding and show what can be done to root out crime when we collectively bring to bear our law enforcement talent.  My office will continue to vigorously prosecute those who do business with criminal elements in order to make quick profits.”
This case is part of an investigation called Operation NOMAS conducted by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). OCDETF is a joint multi-agency group consisting of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies with a cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking.

Operation NOMAS was a jointly conducted investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Northwest Louisiana Violent Crimes Task Force, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations, Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Marshals Service, Immigration & Customs Enforcement, Shreveport Police Department, Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office, Bossier City Police Department, Louisiana State Police, the Louisiana National Guard Counter-Drug Task Force, and the DeSoto Parish Sheriff’s Office.  The Harrison County Sheriff’s Office in Marshall, Texas, also assisted.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Allison D. Bushnell and Cytheria D. Jernigan, and Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard A. Willis prosecuted the case.

SHREVEPORT, La. –United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a federal jury found Shelley R. Callahan, 49, of Clinton, Mo., guilty of making a false statement during a bankruptcy proceeding.  United States District Judge Donald Walter presided over the three-day trial.

Callahan’s trial began Monday and was postponed Tuesday and Wednesday because of weather.  The trial ended today with the jury returning the guilty verdict after deliberating for approximately 30 minutes.  Witness testimony and exhibits admitted into evidence established that Callahan filed for bankruptcy protection on August 26, 2010, her eighth bankruptcy filing in nine years. Callahan falsely stated that she had not made any gifts or payments to family members prior to filing for bankruptcy protection.  In truth, Callahan received more than $55,000 for a personal injury claim eight months before her latest bankruptcy filing.  Instead of paying her creditors, she provided gifts during the Christmas season and gambling trips to casinos to her family.

Callahan faces up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine for one count of making a false statement during a bankruptcy proceeding.  The sentencing date is May 22, 2014.

The U.S. Trustee’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Cytheria Jernigan is prosecuting the case.

LAFAYETTE, La. –United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that John Cedric Dauphin, 36, of Lafayette, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth Foote to 120 months in prison and five years of supervised release for conspiracy with intent to distribute and distribution of cocaine.  Dauphin pleaded guilty on October 17, 2013.

Dauphin along with co-defendants German Rodriguez, Tyrone Thibeaux, Fernellis Woods, and Glenn Charles, were indicted in April 2012 for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine between August 2008 and April 2011.  Depending on their respective roles, they participated in distributing between 5 and 10 kilos of cocaine. According to evidence presented at the guilty pleas, Rodriguez supplied multi-kilogram quantities of cocaine from Houston to a large scale Lafayette drug trafficking/distribution organization that included Dauphin, Charles, Woods and Thibeaux.

Rodriguez, Charles, Thibeaux and Woods previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy with intent to distribute and distribution of cocaine.  Rodriguez is scheduled for sentencing March 14, 2014, and Thibeaux is scheduled for sentencing on April 11, 2014.  Woods was sentenced on October 18, 2013, to 135 months in prison with five years of supervised release, and Charles was sentenced on December 12, 2013, to 71 months in prison with five years of supervised release.

The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Carencro Police Department, the Houston Texas Police Department and the Waller County Texas Sheriff’s Office participated in this OCDETF investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Howard C. Parker prosecuted the case.

The defendants were arrested as part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (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.

LAFAYETTE, La. –United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that Walter O. Guillory, 51, of Lafayette, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Elizabeth Foote, to receiving bribes while running two housing authorities in the Acadiana area and also for his part in a conspiracy to award bids to a preferred contractor in Opelousas.

According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, Guillory served as the Executive Director of the Lafayette Housing Authority (LHA) from June 1998 to October 2010, and he served as Executive Director of the Opelousas Housing Authority (OHA) from November 2005 to November 2010.  During this time period, Guillory sponsored a local baseball team.  He solicited donations from various vendors and contractors of both the LHA and the OHA for “his baseball team.”  From 2006 to 2010, the vendors were expected to make yearly donations in exchange for doing business with the housing authorities.  Some of the contributions were spent on personal expenses and not for the baseball team.  He solicited and received more than $100,000 in bribes from the vendors between 2006 and 2010.

 Guillory is also accused of conspiring with others to circumvent bid laws in order to award construction contracts to one company who performed construction work for OHA.  They used the fake bids to make it appear that several companies were placing bids on construction projects, but in fact, there was only one company being considered.  In addition, they used interstate wire communication facilities including email transmissions for a variety of purposes, including sending and receiving emails related to contracts and false bids.  Guillory approved these contracts with full knowledge that the bid rules, laws and regulations were not being followed from 2007 to 2009.

Guillory faces up to 10 years in prison for one count of receipt of a bribe by an agent of an organization receiving federal funds, and he faces 20 years in prison for one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.  The charges also carry three years of supervised release, a $250,000 fine, forfeiture, and restitution.  Sentencing is set for June 11, 2014.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly P. Uebinger is prosecuting the case.

SHREVEPORT, La. –United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that Steven Deem, 52, of Mooringsport, La., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks, to 240 months in prison and a lifetime of supervised release for distribution of child pornography.  He is also required to register as a sex offender.
           
According to evidence presented at the guilty plea on October 10, 2013, authorities discovered Deem had transmitted images of child pornography online in September 2012.  Upon further investigation, they found that he had previously uploaded a video to YouTube discussing his views on children and sex.  The YouTube video also contained images of nude and semi-nude children.  Deem’s home was searched on November 1, 2012, and authorities discovered more than 43 images of child pornography.

The Louisiana Attorney General’s High Technology Crime Unit, Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Earl M. Campbell prosecuted the case. 

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice 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 (CEOS), 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) encourages 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.

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.

LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that three Georgia men were sentenced by U.S. District Judge Patricia Minaldi for operating a counterfeit check scheme that bilked thousands of dollars from business bank accounts in South Central and Southwest Louisiana areas.  A jury found them guilty on November 8, 2013, after a five-day trial.

Anthown Latarius Swan, 28, of Fairburn, Ga., was sentenced to 50 months in prison, Orlando Brian Washington, 29, of Riverdale, Ga., was sentenced to 24 months in prison, and Lavar Elliot Kittelberger, 33, of Marietta, Ga., was sentenced to 30 months in prison. Kittleberger was also sentenced to an additional 24 months in prison for aggravated identity theft. They were also all sentenced to five years of supervised release.  The defendants are also responsible for paying $74,026 in restitution, except for Kittleberger who is responsible for $67,327.  All of the defendants were convicted on charges of conspiracy to defraud a financial institution and possession of stolen mail.  Swan and Washington were also convicted of eight counts of fictitious obligations, and Kittelberger was convicted of five counts of fictitious obligations and one count of aggravated identity theft.

According to evidence and testimony presented at the trial, the defendants stayed at Lafayette, La., hotels and stole from area businesses’ mailboxes looking for commercial checks sent to those businesses and drawn on local banks.  They used account information on the original checks to print the counterfeit checks and recruited individuals off the street and from homeless shelters who had valid identification to cash the fake checks.  Counterfeit checks were cashed at banks in Lafayette, Broussard, Crowley, Lake Charles, and Sulphur.  After a search of the group’s hotel room on November 27, 2012, authorities found the 43 original stolen checks worth $155,223 in addition to a computer, printer and blank check paper.

The fourth co-defendant of the group, Kwame Raphael Cunningham, 22, of Augusta, Ga., pleaded guilty on August 22, 2013 and was sentenced on December 6, 2013 to 15 months in prison for conspiracy to defraud financial institutions and 24 months in prison for aggravated identity theft.  He also received two years of supervised release. Cunningham is responsible, along with the other defendants, for paying $74,026 in restitution.

The U.S. Secret Service, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Lafayette Police Department, with assistance from the Sulphur Police Department, the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office and the Louisiana State Police conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Brett L. Grayson and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert C. Abendroth prosecuted the case.

LAFAYETTE, La. –United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that Tammy M. Krol, 42, of Charenton, La., entered a guilty plea Tuesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge C. Michael Hill to assaulting a Chitimacha Tribal Reservation resident.
           
According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, on September 11, 2013, Krol struck a member of the Chitimacha Tribe at the victim’s residence. After arriving at the scene, police found Krol in a house. The occupant said Krol had entered the home without permission, struck him during a confrontation, and tried to take the victim’s prescription pills.
 
Krol faces up to a year in prison, a year of supervised release, and a $100,000 fine for assault by striking, beating or wounding in Indian Country. A sentencing date was not set.

Jurisdiction in Indian Country is based upon the unique sovereign relationship between the federal government and Indian tribes.  Congress has criminalized certain acts that take place in Indian Country.  The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecutes all felony 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 U.S. Attorney’s Office also prosecutes cases involving misdemeanors where the defendant is a non-Indian.

The Chitimacha Tribal Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. McCoy is prosecuting the case.

LAKE CHARLES, La. –United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that Shaun Daigle, 35, and Patrick Murray, 45, both of Sulphur, La., were sentenced by U.S. District Judge Donald E. Walter for conspiring to counterfeit U.S. currency.  Daigle received 41 months in prison and Murray received 24 months in prison. They were also sentenced to serve two years of supervised release.  They pleaded guilty November 14, 2013.

According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, from May 1, 2013 to May 25, 2013, Daigle and Murray conspired to manufacture and distribute counterfeit U.S. currency in the Sulphur, Lake Charles, and Westlake, La. areas.

The U.S. Secret Service and Sulphur Police Department conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. McCoy prosecuted the case.

LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that Ricky Johnson, 53, of Chataignier, La., pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Richard T. Haik to possession of child pornography.

According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, in early 2010, a computer Johnson used was found to be downloading child pornography from a file sharing network online. In September of 2010, Johnson’s computer and other electronic devices were searched, and images and videos of child pornography were found. Johnson has a prior conviction for molestation of a juvenile.

Johnson faces up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and a lifetime of supervised release.  The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. McCoy 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) encourages 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.

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

SHREVEPORT, La. –United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that David Earl Sepulvado Jr., 33, of Zwolle, La., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth Foote to 30 months in prison and three years of supervised release for one count of felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.  He pleaded guilty September 25, 2013.

According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, on February 22, 2013, Deputy U.S. Marshals located and arrested Sepulvado in Shreveport on arrest warrants issued by the Kaufman County, Texas, Sheriff’s Office for aggravated robbery and theft of a motor vehicle.  At the time of his arrest, Sepulvado was found in possession of a .380 caliber pistol and ammunition.  He had prior felony convictions for possession of methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in the presence of controlled dangerous substances in Sabine Parish in 2008.          

MONROE, La. –United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that Michael Pryor, 37, of Monroe, was sentenced Monday by U.S. District Court Judge Robert G. James to 57 months in prison for one count of felon in possession of a firearm, and to an additional and consecutive 60 months in prison for one count of possession of a firearm in relation to drug trafficking.  He was also sentenced to five years of supervised release, and his firearm was forfeited.  He pleaded guilty October 28, 2013.

According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, on December 6, 2012, Monroe Police officers investigated reports of marijuana being sold at a home on Gordon Avenue.  They visited the home, and while speaking to Pryor about the reports, they smelled marijuana and received his permission to search the home.  They found a total of 33 grams of marijuana packaged for street sale, a loaded .22 caliber pistol, baggies, scales, and scissors, and three other firearms.  Pryor had previously been convicted in Orleans Parish in 1997 on possession of cocaine and attempted possession of a firearm while in possession of controlled dangerous substances.  He was also convicted in Orleans Parish in 2004 for possession with intent to distribute cocaine.

The Monroe Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert W. Gillespie Jr. 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.

MONROE, La. –United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that Francis C. Broussard, 54, of West Monroe, La., was sentenced Monday by U.S. District Court Judge Robert G. James to 28 months in prison and three years of supervised release for making false, fictitious, and fraudulent claims to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in an attempt to receive more than $9.7 million in tax refunds. He pleaded guilty April 19, 2013.

According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, Broussard, who has been licensed to practice law in Louisiana since 1986, filed personal tax returns in 2009 for years 2005 to 2008 using documents containing false information in an attempt to receive a total of 9.7 million in refunds to which he was not entitled.  Broussard did not receive the requested refunds.

The IRS criminal investigations unit conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney D. Cytheria Jernigan prosecuted the case.

MONROE, La. –United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that the former Madison Parish Hospital administrator and two of its vendors were sentenced Monday by U.S. District Judge Robert G. James for health care fraud.  They pleaded guilty in October and November of 2013.

Charles Wendell Alford, 71, of Newellton, La., received 37 months in prison and was ordered to pay $1,383,874 restitution; Barney W.I. Hughes IV, 45, of Keller, Texas, received 12 months in prison and was ordered to pay $566,874 restitution; and Henry Russell Ham, 65, of West Monroe, La., received 14 months in prison and was ordered to pay $817,000 restitution.  All were sentenced to three years of supervised release.

According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, Alford served as hospital administrator for Madison Parish Hospital in Tallulah, La; Hughes served as owner of Tech Solutions of Keller, Texas; and Ham, served as owner of Insurance World in Monroe. Both Hughes and Ham paid Alford a combined total of more than $1.3 million in kickbacks for his approval and continuation of their business agreements. The hospital is a critical care facility that receives Medicare funds.

Madison Parish Hospital leased equipment and personnel from Tech Solutions to operate the hospital’s nuclear medicine and Ultrasound departments. At no time did Alford or Hughes disclose to the hospital’s board or Medicare that they had an exclusive agreement. From October 2006 to June 2012, the hospital paid Hughes’ company $2,029,504, and Hughes paid Alford $566,874 of that total. They submitted fraudulent cost reports to Medicare at least six times from December 2006 to 2011.

Madison Parish Hospital purchased a majority of its health insurance and life insurance products from Ham. Alford and Ham negotiated and set the insurance policy rates and Alford approved Ham’s billings as well as the hospital’s payments to Ham. From 2007 through April 2012, the hospital paid Ham $4,979,487, and Ham paid Alford $817,000 of that total. They submitted fraudulent cost reports to Medicare at least five times from December 2007 to 2011.

The Louisiana Legislative Auditor’s Office and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, investigated the case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph G. Jarzabek prosecuted the case.

LAFAYETTE, La. –United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that former St. Landry Parish School Board member Quincy Richard Sr., 51, of Opelousas, La., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Richard T. Haik to 33 months in prison for one count of conspiracy to commit bribery and two counts of bribery.  He was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release and to pay a $10,000 fine.  A jury found him guilty after a two-day trial on August 20, 2013.

During trial, the witness testimony and documents presented revealed that Quincy Richard was shown to have conspired with fellow St. Landry Parish School Board member John Miller, 72, of Opelousas, to receive bribe money from former school board superintendent candidate Joseph Cassimere in return for their support. In July, August and September of 2012, Richard and Miller had a number of private meetings with Cassimere where they negotiated price and payment from Cassimere in exchange for their favorable individual votes as school board members in support of Cassimere’s candidacy for superintendent. At the same time the screening process for the superintendent position was ongoing, and by the week of September 16, 2012, five applicants had been publicly named; the final vote was scheduled for September 26, 2012.  Unknown to both school board members, Cassimere had reported Richard and Miller’s plans to the authorities and became a cooperating party in the investigation.

The defendants met with Cassimere on September 24, 2012, at the Quarters Restaurant in Opelousas and received $5,000 each in return for their votes.  During the conversation, they made it clear that Cassimere’s payment was for their services, efforts, influence, and due diligence relating to the votes of other members of the school board who would support Cassimere’s candidacy.  Trial testimony revealed that Richard advised Cassimere that he could recoup the $10,000 bribe by adding that amount to his salary request.  Richard and Miller provided Cassimere with instructions on how to justify the salary increase since it was above the amount advertised for the superintendent’s position.  The September 24, 2012 discussion was videoed and surveilled by the FBI.  After the defendants exited the restaurant, they were confronted by agents who recovered the $5,000 payments in the possession of Quincy and Miller.

Miller was indicted on October 24, 2012, and resigned from his position as a school board member on July 28, 2013.  He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery on July 1, 2013.  Miller was sentenced on November 19, 2013, to home detention for 10 months and ordered to pay a $15,000 fine.

 “This closes the door on a very unfortunate chapter for the School Board in Opelousas,” Finley stated.  “Quincy Richard was thinking only of himself and not about the children, the community and the School Board he was elected to serve.  This sentence should send a message that public corruption will not be tolerated.  I hope the Opelousas School Board can now move forward to take care of the important work that needs to be addressed for the citizens of Opelousas.”

“Public corruption is unacceptable within any level or function of government, but when it infiltrates our schools and future generations of the citizenry, there is an even greater need for full accountability,” said Michael J. Anderson, FBI Special Agent in Charge, New Orleans Division.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Alexandria Resident Agency, conducted the investigation with the assistance of the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Inspector General.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Howard C. Parker prosecuted the case.

ALEXANDRIA, La. –United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that 10 defendants were sentenced last week by U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell, for their roles in a cocaine distribution network operating across the central Louisiana area.

The defendants were sentenced on Thursday and Friday to three years of supervised release in addition to the drug conspiracy charge. They are: Michael J. Wright, 27, of Houston, who received 70 months in prison; Dennis Wayne Bradford, 30, of Cottonport, La., who received 54 months; Falon S. Maricle, 31, who received 40 months and Brandon C. Thomas, 31, who received 152 months, both of Marksville, La.; Abraham Baylor III, 39, who received 45 months, Earnest G. Miles III, 25, who received 48 months, Leotis V. Perry, 36, who received 60 months, Sedrick D. Porter, 36, who received 60 months, Terrace D. Winchester, 34, who received 44 months, and Dontour D. Drakes, 37, who received 168 months, all of Alexandria, La. Drakes was also sentenced to five years in prison as part of his sentence for one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, from January 2012 through March 2013, authorities in Avoyelles and Rapides parishes conducted an investigation into cocaine trafficking that resulted in the arrest of these 10 defendants.  It was determined that this group was responsible for the sale and distribution of more than 10 kilos of cocaine.  Law enforcement agents seized more than 5 kilograms of powder cocaine, 500 grams of crack cocaine, and approximately $70,000 in cash.  The defendants obtained their cocaine from Houston and converted it into crack in the central Louisiana area to sell in Avoyelles and Rapides parishes.

The FBI Central Louisiana Safe Streets Task Force, the U.S. Marshals Service Task Force, the Louisiana State Police, Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Office, Avoyelles Parish Sheriff’s Office, Alexandria Police Department, and the Louisiana Probation and Parole Office conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys James G. Cowles and Seth Reeg prosecuted the case.

LAFAYETTE, La. –United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that Rene Michael Ward, 45, of Chantilly, Va., entered a guilty plea before U.S. Magistrate Judge Patrick Hanna, to submitting false documents and lying to the Small Business Administration (SBA).
           
According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, Ward submitted numerous false documents to the SBA in an attempt to have the SBA agree to an offer-in-compromise to settle an outstanding loan in the amount of approximately $511,400 for a $10,000 lump sum payment.
           
Rene Ward faces five years in prison and three years of supervised release for one count of filing false documents to a government agency and also faces two years in prison and one year of supervised release for one count of making false statements to the Small Business Administration. He also faces a $250,000 fine for both counts.  A sentencing date of May 16, 2014 was set.
           
The Small Business Administration, Office of Inspector General, conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. McCoy is prosecuting the case.

ALEXANDRIA, La. –United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that Xavier L. Green, 26, of Ferriday, La., was sentenced late Friday afternoon by U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell, to 140 months in prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and 60 months in prison for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.  He was also sentenced to three years of supervised release.  Green pleaded guilty on October 11, 2013.

According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, from November 2011 to December 2011, authorities intercepted communications between Green and another defendant discussing the sale of crack cocaine and making purchases.  On February 1, 2012, authorities were approaching a crowd on Alabama Avenue in Ferriday when they observed Green flee a home from across the street.  They gave chase, and Green dropped and discarded a .357 caliber handgun and bags containing drugs.  After capturing Green, authorities found more than $1,000 and more suspected narcotics.

Green was one in a group of individuals who sold cocaine, crack cocaine and marijuana in the Ferriday area.  Green’s co-defendants were prosecuted and sentenced as follows:

Efuante Morales, 28, pleaded guilty September, 25, 2013, to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and was sentenced January 3, 2014 to 120 months in prison and five years of supervised release.

Wilbert Henderson, 35, pleaded guilty September 12, 2013, to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and was sentenced December 12, 2013 to 70 months in prison and five years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay a $4,500 fine.

Marquise Poole, 31, pleaded guilty July 18, 2012, to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and was sentenced March 22, 2013 to 66 months in prison and five years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay a $2,900 fine.

Ronathan Quinn, 41, pleaded guilty September 24, 2013, to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and was sentenced December 12, 2013 to 99 months in prison and 10 years of supervised release.

Frederick Saulsberry, 30, pleaded guilty July 10, 2013, to use of a communication facility and was sentenced October 28, 2013 to one year in prison and one year of supervised release.

Green and his co-defendants were arrested as part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Operation “Delta Blues” investigation.  The Federal Bureau of Investigation Central Louisiana Safe Streets Task Force, which is composed of the Louisiana State Police, Louisiana Department of Probation and Parole, Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Office and the Alexandria Police Department, participated in the investigation. The U.S. Marshals and the Concordia Parish Sheriff’s Office also participated in the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney James G. Cowles Jr. is prosecuting 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.

ALEXANDRIA, La. –United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that Lashanda E. Harris, 38, of Natchitoches, La., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell, to 18 months in prison and a year of supervised release for aiding and assisting in making and subscribing a false return. She was also ordered to pay $101,795 in restitution.  Harris pleaded guilty October 29, 2013.

According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, from January 2012 to April 2012, Harris, a tax preparer in Natchitoches, assisted customers in preparing false tax returns for tax year 2011.  The returns contained false information concerning W-2, federal tax withholdings, Earned Income Tax Credit and the American Opportunity Tax Credit.  Based on the false statements in the tax returns, individuals were able to obtain in excess of $100,000 in fraudulent tax refunds.  As part of the scheme, Harris received “kickbacks” from the customers.

The Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth D. Reeg prosecuted the case.

Tax filing season is upon us, U.S. Attorney Stephanie Finley urges the public to also protect themselves from identity thieves.  Tax identity theft can occur when someone files a phony tax return using your personal information to get a tax refund from the IRS.  It can also happen when someone uses a Social Security number to get a job or claims a child who is not theirs as a dependent on a tax return. Tax identity theft is the most common form of identity theft reported to the Federal Trade Commission. The IRS has made tax identity theft a top priority.

Keep your personal information safe by:

• shredding personal information before trashing it;
• being aware of imposters who send phony emails that look like they’re from the IRS asking for personal information; and
• limiting the personal information given to the public and businesses.

For those who have had their identity stolen and used for fraud, the IRS will issue a special PIN to use for filing taxes.  Information on the PIN program is available at www.irs.gov/uac/Newsroom/IRS-Combats-Identity-Theft-and-Refund-Fraud-on-Many-Fronts-2014. Please visit the FTC at ftc.gov/idtheft and the IRS at irs.gov/identitytheft for more information about tax identity theft.

LAFAYETTE, La. –United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that Dipvak Vora, 70, of Baton Rouge, La., pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote, to a one count bill of information on a charge of engaging in interstate travel in aid of racketeering by receiving illegal proceeds from prostitution at the now closed Desperado’s Cabaret in Carencro, La.  Desperado’s used facilities in interstate commerce to operate, which included shipment of alcohol and other goods, internet advertisements, and negotiation of debts through credit cards and checks.

According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, Vora is the property owner of the building and land that formerly operated as Desperado’s Cabaret.  Vora formed Desperado’s of Acadiana with business partner and operator of Desperado’s Cabaret, James Panos. 

Vora admitted that he knew Desperado’s engaged in prostitution as early as 2006, and that between 2006 and 2011, he was paid cash totaling $500,000 in illegal proceeds from Desperado’s.

Vora, Panos, and eight others were charged on May 15, 2013, in an indictment alleging racketeering conspiracy, drug conspiracy, and firearms charges.  The charges are the result of an investigation of drug trafficking, drug distribution, prostitution, and other illegal activity that took place at Desperado’s Cabaret in Carencro located on Northeast Evangeline Thruway. 

Vora is the fifth person to plead guilty in the case.  He faces up to five years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release for one count of interstate and foreign travel or transportation in aid of racketeering enterprises.  As part of the plea agreement, Vora agreed to forfeit $500,000 of illegal proceeds and to forfeit the Desperado’s property.  A sentencing date of June 11, 2014 was set.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations, Louisiana State Police, and Lafayette Metro Narcotics investigated the case.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Myers P. Namie and Daniel J. McCoy are prosecuting the case.

LAKE CHARLES, La. –United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that Christopher Paul Benoit, 33, of Jennings, La., pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Patricia Minaldi to conspiring to unlawfully import and possess with intent to distribute anabolic steroids.

According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, from January 2007 to June 2012, Benoit conspired with others to import steroids using the U.S. mail.  Benoit ordered anabolic steroids online and paid for the drugs using money wires or debit cards to foreign accounts.  The indictment lists five such orders delivered from China to Jennings from January 2011 to February 2012.  Benoit and his co-conspirators would then take the powdered steroids from the packages, liquefy them, and place them into vials for sale.  One of the co-conspirators, Regan Chase Benoit, 26, also of Jennings, and Christopher Benoit’s first cousin, approached Christopher Benoit in 2010 to purchase steroids.  Regan Benoit admitted he later assisted his cousin in liquefying the powder steroids for distribution. Regan Benoit pleaded guilty to steroid importation, possession, and distribution charges on September 5, 2013, and sentencing is set for March 27, 2014.

Christopher Benoit faces up to 10 years in prison, a $500,000 fine, and a lifetime of supervised release for one count of conspiracy to import and possess with intent to distribute anabolic steroids.  Sentencing has been set for May 8, 2014.

Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Jennings Police Department conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Brett L. Grayson is prosecuting the case.

ALEXANDRIA, La. –United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that Dwayne Dunlavy, 40, of Ravenna, Ohio, pleaded guilty Thursday before U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell to possession of child pornography.
           
According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, in December 2011 investigators began looking for a suspect who was making child pornography available on file sharing networks. One individual was found to be at an Alexandria hotel using the hotel’s Wi-Fi network to distribute child pornography. On March 5, 2012, Dunlavy was discovered in the hotel room. Law enforcement personnel searched his laptop and found images of child pornography.

Dunlavy faces 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, forfeiture, and a lifetime of supervised release.  He will also be required to register as a sex offender. A sentencing date of April 25, 2014 was set.

Homeland Security Investigations, Louisiana State Police, and the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force in the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Earl M. Campbell is prosecuting the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), 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) encourages 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.

LAKE CHARLES, La. –United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that Elliot R. Duke, 29, of Leesville, La., pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Patricia Minaldi, to receiving child pornography.

According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, after receiving information that child pornography was on Duke’s computer, law enforcement personnel searched Duke’s residence on May 14, 2013.  The search revealed there was child pornography on Duke’s laptop, and upon further investigation, agents also discovered that Duke had been discussing and trading child pornography with other persons through email.  A forensic examination of Duke’s laptop was conducted and revealed approximately 168 videos and 187 still images of child pornography.

Duke faces up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, forfeiture, and a lifetime of supervised release for receiving child pornography.  He will also be required to register as a sex offender.  Sentencing has been set for April 24, 2014.

Homeland Security Investigations, Louisiana State Police, and the Vernon Parish Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. McCoy is prosecuting the case.  This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.  Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), 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) encourages 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.

LAFAYETTE, La. –United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that Hue Bui, 27, of Erath, La., entered a guilty plea on Wednesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge C. Michael Hill, to one count of wire fraud involving theft from Walk-On’s Bistreaux and Bar in Lafayette.
           
According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, from February 2012 to August 2012, while employed as a server at Walk-On’s, Bui stole approximately $30,222.  She devised a scheme using $25 prepaid American Express, VISA, and Master Card gift cards that she bought herself.  During her shift, she would create a fake food or beverage order costing approximately $25, pay for the fake order with the gift card, write in a gratuity amount on the bill, and collect the tips at the end of her shift.  When the credit card companies realized the $25 limit was exceeded, they charged the transactions back to Walk-On’s.

Bui faces 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, restitution, and three years of supervised release for the count of wire fraud.  A sentencing date of May 16, 2014 was set.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly P. Uebinger is prosecuting the case.

LAFAYETTE, La. –United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that William Joseph Folse, Jr., 51, of Scott, La., pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge C. Michael Hill, to making false statements to the Social Security Administration (SSA) concerning his disability status in order to receive nearly $200,000 in fraudulent benefits.
           
According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, Folse applied for and was granted benefits for total disability in the 1990s for a slip and fall accident.  He also signed paperwork acknowledging that he would report his change in job status should he return to work.  Investigators later determined that Folse worked at a restaurant in Lafayette since 1998 and earned more than $12,000 per year plus tips.  It is estimated that he improperly received $199,007.80 from the SSA.

Folse faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine, restitution, and three years of supervised release.  A sentencing date of May 16, 2014 was set.

The Social Security Administration conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Howard C. Parker is prosecuting the case.

SHREVEPORT, La. –United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a federal jury found Myles W. Robinson, 20, and Halston M. Smith, 22, both of Shreveport, guilty of taking part in a string of robberies in Louisiana and Texas. United States District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote presided over the trial.

The trial started Monday and ended today with the jury returning a guilty verdict after deliberating for three and a half hours.  Robinson was found guilty of all 27 counts of the indictment, and Smith was found guilty of 13 counts.  Smith was found not guilty of interference with commerce by robbery, which is Count 10 of the indictment, and he was found not guilty of use of a firearm during a crime of violence, which is Count 11 of the indictment.

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, the armed robberies took place between June 1, 2012 and November 14, 2012 at 15 businesses with the men stealing more than $17,900.  Robinson took part in all of the robberies but perpetrated five of the robberies alone.  In some cases a shotgun was used, in other cases a handgun, and sometimes both were used to rob the businesses.  The defendants robbed businesses in Shreveport, La., Bossier City, La., Stonewall, La., Oil City, La., and Atlanta, Texas.  In addition to Robinson and Smith, two other defendants, James D. Tyson, 22, and Tremario D. Washington, 23, took part in the robberies.

“These men threatened and frightened the citizens of the community out of greed,” stated Finley.  “Hopefully, the citizens will feel safer now that they have been brought to justice.  This verdict is the result of the dedicated prosecutors and various agencies who investigated this case, and they are to be commended for all of their hard work.”

Robinson faces a 312-year prison term and Smith a 134-year prison term.  For the count charging conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery, they face up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and five years of supervised release, and they also face 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and five years of supervised release for each robbery count.  For using firearms during a crime of violence, the first count requires seven years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and five years of supervised release.  After that, each firearms count requires 25 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and five years of supervised release.  Sentencing for Robinson and Smith is set for June 4, 2014.

 Washington pleaded guilty on June 6, 2013, and Tyson pleaded guilty on July 1, 2013 to one count of conspiracy and one count of using firearms during a crime of violence.  Washington and Tyson are scheduled to be sentenced on February 5, 2014.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Caddo Parish District Attorney’s Office, DeSoto Parish District Attorney’s Office, Bossier Parish District Attorney’s Office, Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office, DeSoto Parish Sheriff’s Office, Shreveport Police Department, Bossier City Police Department, and the Atlanta, Texas Police Department took part in the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys James G. Cowles and Seth D. Reeg are prosecuting the case.

SHREVEPORT/LAFAYETTE/ALEXANDRIA/LAKE CHARLES/MONROE, La.:    United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley joins other federal law enforcement agencies to raise awareness about a growing problem of identity theft as it relates to tax refund fraud.  The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has named this week “Tax Identity Theft Awareness Week.”  The FTC reports that the use of a Social Security number or other personal information to file a false return is one of the fastest growing forms of identity theft.  Early in the year when tax refunds are due, tax thieves steal social security numbers to grab someone else’s tax refund. 

Nationwide tax ID theft fraud is estimated to cost the U.S. Treasury more than $5 billion annually.  The IRS has made tax identity theft a top priority and has hired new staff to explore new technologies and adopted new procedures to fight it.  In fiscal year 2013, the IRS initiated 1,492 identity theft related criminal investigations, an increase of 66 percent over investigations initiated in FY 2012.  Indictments and sentencing doubled in FY 2013 and the average prison term was more than three years (38 months).

Tax identity theft happens when someone files a tax return using other people’s personal information, like a Social Security number, to get an income tax refund from the IRS.  It also can happen when someone uses a Social Security number to get a job or claims someone else’s child as a dependent on a tax return.  Victims usually do not realize that their identity has been stolen until they do their taxes.  The IRS will contact the victim saying that more than one tax return was filed using their Social Security number, or that IRS records show they received wages from an employer they do not know.

There are a number of ways for tax identity thieves to get personal information, to include:

• going through trash or stealing mail from a home or car;
• sending phony emails that look like they’re from the IRS asking for personal information;
• misusing clients’ information or passing it along to identity thieves by employees of businesses.

“With the federal income tax season upon us, it is important that the public is aware of the ways that thieves can steal your identity and your income tax refund,” Finley stated.  “Tax identity is one of the biggest hassles you could face and protecting your personal information has never been more critical.  Our office, along with our federal law enforcement partners, are keenly aware that these types of crimes are on the rise, and we will continue to prosecute these cases and seek the stiffest penalties available for those who try to scam innocent victims.”

“Individuals who commit violations of identity theft deserve to be punished to the fullest extent of the law,” IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Gabriel L. Grchan said. “IRS Criminal Investigation remains vigilant in identifying, investigating, and prosecuting those individuals who participate in Stolen Identity Refund Fraud schemes.  We appreciate the Office of the U.S. Attorney for their aggressive support of identity theft tax fraud cases.  It is only with the support of our law enforcement partners that we can assure American taxpayers that identity thieves will be held accountable.”

“Tax identity theft is a significant and growing issue,” said Jessica Rich, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “It’s critical that we make sure consumers are aware of how they can prevent it, and if they are victimized, what steps they can take to recover as quickly as possible.”

To protect yourself this tax season, it is important to know the ways that the IRS will and will not contact you if they have concerns.  It is not going to be through text, email or the phone.  The IRS will only contact you by mail if there is anything they have a concern with.  If you receive a letter from the IRS, contact the IRS Identity Protection Specialized Unit at 1-800-908-4490. 

For those who have had their identity stolen and used for fraud, the IRS will issue a special PIN to use for filing taxes.  Information on the PIN program is available at http://www.irs.gov/uac/Newsroom/IRS-Combats-Identity-Theft-and-Refund-Fraud-on-Many-Fronts-2014.  Please visit the FTC at ftc.gov/idtheft and the IRS at irs.gov/identitytheft for more information about tax identity theft.

ALEXANDRIA, La. –United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a federal jury found Calvin James Doherty, 43, of Tioga, La., guilty on Wednesday of being a felon in possession of explosive material and improper storage of explosive material.  United States District Judge Dee D. Drell presided over the two-day trial.

Doherty’s trial began Tuesday and ended Wednesday with the jury returning the guilty verdicts after deliberating for about 30 minutes.  Witness testimony and exhibits admitted into evidence at the two-day trial established that on July 26, 2011, members of the Western District of Louisiana Violent Offender Task Force went to Doherty’s house in Tioga to arrest another person who had three outstanding felony arrest warrants pending against him.  While searching the home, Task Force members found and seized a spool belonging to Doherty.  The spool was wrapped with more than 700 feet of detonating cord, which is a high explosive.  Doherty had a prior felony conviction for possession of methamphetamine in 2007, which prohibited him from possessing any firearm, ammunition, or explosive.

Doherty faces up to 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release after he completes the prison term.  The sentencing date is April 25, 2014.

“Those with felony records are prohibited by law from owning dangerous devices such as explosives and firearms,” Finley stated.  “People who willfully commit these types of crimes will be prosecuted by this office to the fullest extent of the law.  I would like to thank the prosecutor and agents for their hard work in obtaining this conviction.”

Members of the Western District of Louisiana Violent Offender Task Force, U.S. Marshals Service, Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Department, FBI, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert W. Gillespie Jr. is prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods.  Project Safe Neighborhoods is a nationwide program to reduce violence by aggressively enforcing existing federal firearms and explosives laws.

MONROE, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a federal grand jury indicted Christopher Nixon, 21, of Quitman, La., Wednesday for production of child pornography.

According to the indictment, between February 1, 2012 and March 30, 2012, Nixon produced child pornography using a male under the age of 18. Nixon faces 15 to 30 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, and five years of supervised release for production of child pornography. He also faces forfeiture of the equipment used to produce and store the child pornography. A trial date will be set at a later date.

“This indictment was made possible by the tireless efforts of local, state and federal law enforcement agencies and the public who provided information sought in this case,” Finley stated. “I would like to thank all who are involved and dedicated to halting the production of child pornography in this district. The damage to victims that these crimes inflict cannot be calculated. This office will continue to prosecute these cases to the fullest extent of the law.”

“This case shows anyone who produces child pornography can and will be held accountable for their criminal actions regardless of where in the world the investigation leads or how much time has passed,” said Raymond R. Parmer Jr., Special Agent in Charge of HSI New Orleans. “Sexual abuse scars children for life, and HSI will continue to do all it can to identify the perpetrators of these horrendous acts and seek justice on behalf of their victims.”

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

Homeland Security Investigations, the Louisiana State Police, and the Jackson Parish Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Earl M. Campbell is prosecuting the case.

LAFAYETTE, La. –United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that businessman Daniel Paul Francis, 43, of Dawsonville, Ga., pleaded guilty Tuesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Patrick J. Hanna, to conspiracy to introduce misbranded drugs into interstate commerce.

According to the stipulated factual basis entered into the court record during the guilty plea, Francis admitted to conspiring with various individuals to cause the introduction of misbranded drugs into interstate commerce between early 2011 through early 2012.  Specifically, Francis admitted to conspiring to sell synthetic cannabinoids through a Lafayette area business known as Curious Goods LLC. 

Curious Goods sold a product infused with synthetic cannabinoids called “Mr. Miyagi.”  Francis admitted that although “Mr. Miyagi” was specifically labelled “not for human consumption,” it was sold to be consumed by the user of the product.  The users of “Mr. Miyagi” ingested it, typically by smoking it, in order to achieve a “high.” Francis also admitted that the co-conspirators intended the packaging of “Mr. Miyagi” to be false and misleading with the intent to defraud and mislead others by falsely identifying “Mr. Miyagi’s” contents, failing to identify the manufacturer, packer, or distributor, and falsely labeling “Mr. Miyagi’s” intended use.

Francis faces up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.  A sentencing date of May 16, 2014 was set.

LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that Christopher Wallace, 25, of Bastrop, La., was sentenced last week (January 10, 2014) by U.S. District Court Judge Elizabeth E. Foote to 65 months in prison and five years of supervised release for attempting to receive child pornography.  He pleaded guilty on September 5, 2013.

According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, on January 31, 2011, Wallace began chatting online with a female he believed to be 14 years of age.  He asked the girl, who was actually an undercover officer, to perform sexual acts in front of a web camera, while Wallace himself also performed sexual acts in front of the camera.  Wallace was attempting to receive the sexually explicit video by using the web camera feature.

Homeland Security Investigations and the Lafayette Police Department conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney John Luke Walker prosecuted the case.  This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a U.S. Department of Justice nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.  Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security/Homeland Security Investigations/Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) encourages 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/LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana collected $6,876,596.69in criminal and civil actions in Fiscal Year 2013.  Of this amount, $6,577,567.18 was collected in criminal actions and $299,029.51 was collected in civil actionsThe U.S. Attorney’s Office also worked with other offices and components of the Department of Justice to collect $508,781.75.

Additionally, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Western District of Louisiana collected$1,162,569 in asset forfeiture actions in FY 2013.Forfeited assets are deposited into the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund and are used to restore funds to crime victims and for a variety of law enforcement purposes.

Attorney General Eric Holder announced on Thursday that the Justice Department collected approximately $8.1 billion in civil and criminal actions in the fiscal year ending September 30, 2013. The more than $8 billion in collections in FY 2013 represents nearly three times the appropriated $2.76 billion budget for the 94 U.S. Attorney’s offices and the main litigating divisions in that same period.

Included in the FY 2013 criminal collections, the Western District of Louisiana recovered $2,000,000 in court-ordered restitution from Pelican Refining owed to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, to the Louisiana State Police, and to the Louisiana Environmental Trust Fund for violations of the Clean Air Act. A judgment was imposed against Pelican Refining on December 15, 2011, and the defendant agreed to an immediate payment of $2,000,000, and $2,000,000 per year for the next five years. Collected so far is $4,001,200 with a balance due of $8,010,970.19.

The U.S. Attorneys’ offices are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the United States and criminal debts owed to federal crime victims.  The law requires defendants to pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss.  While restitution is paid to the victim, criminal fines and felony assessments are paid to the Department of Justice Crime Victims’ Fund, which distributes the funds to state victim compensation and victim assistance programs.

“The Department’s enforcement actions help to not only ensure justice is served, but also deliver a valuable return to the taxpayer,” said Attorney General Holder. “It is critical that Congress provide the resources necessary to match the Department’s mounting caseload. As these figures show, supporting our federal prosecutors is a sound investment.”

“The U.S. Attorney’s Office is dedicated to protecting the public and recovering funds for the federal treasury and for victims of federal crime,” stated U.S. Attorney Stephanie A. Finley.  “Victims depend on our office to collect restitution.  We will continue to make every effort to collect restitution on behalf of victims and hold accountable those who seek to profit from illegal activities.”.

SHREVEPORT, La. –United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced thatAnthony Larance Williams, 36, of Many, La., was sentenced Wednesday by U.S. District Judge Maurice S. Hicks Jr. to 42 months in federal prison and three years of supervised release for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.  Williams pleaded guilty on July 24, 2013.

 According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, members of the U.S. Marshal’s Service Task Force arrested Williams and three others at a casino hotel in Shreveport on June 20, 2012. During the arrest, agents discovered methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia, two handguns, ammunition, and body armor in the hotel room. 

 The Louisiana State Police, U.S. Marshal’s Service Task Force, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth D. Reeg prosecuted the case.

SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced the retirement of Kathy T. Penfield, financial auditor, who served in the Western District of Louisiana for 22 years.  Penfield was honored on Tuesday, January 7, 2014, at a retirement ceremony held at the U.S. Courthouse in Shreveport.  Her last day with the office was December 31, 2013.

“We are losing a talented expert forensic auditor and public servant,” Finley stated. “Throughout her career, Ms. Penfield played an integral role in prosecuting cases with our office.  Her years of service and dedication to the Department of Justice are a true testament of her commitment to justice and the citizens of this district.  She will be greatly missed, and we wish her the very best as she starts the next chapter of her life.  I am grateful for her tireless advocacy on behalf of the Western District.”

Penfield joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana on November 12, 1991 as a forensic financial auditor assigned to the Criminal Division.  During her 22 years with the office, Penfield provided expert forensic auditing and accounting services in investigations by determining whether there were violations of federal statutes such as bank fraud, money laundering, securities fraud, commodities fraud, Racketeer Influenced Corrupt Organization (RICO), mail fraud, and more.  She focused her work on tracking complex financial transactions.   Her work was used by federal prosecutors to convict many high profile defendants, including corrupt public officials.  Penfield has worked with numerous federal agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Service, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Among her numerous awards and citations, Penfield received a letter of commendation from the Director of the FBI for her work on two very complex cases, received multiple recognitions from regional FBI offices for her forensic fraud examinations, and was a recipient of the 2007 and 2008 awards from the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, Southeast Region, for her service in the Western District of Louisiana. 

Penfield graduated Summa Cum Laude in 1981 from Centenary College in Shreveport receiving a bachelor’s degree in accounting.  She is a certified public accountant, a certified fraud examiner, past president of the local chapter of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, and is certified by the American Institute of CPAs in Financial Forensics.  She is a 25-plus year member of the Louisiana Society of CPAs and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.  Kathy Penfield is married to Jim Penfield, her husband of 42 years. 

L to R: Kathy Penfield and U.S. Attorney Stephanie Finley

SHREVEPORT, La. –United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that Darrell Rogers Johns, 32, of Shreveport, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Donald E. Walter, to 10 years in prison and three years of supervised release for one count of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon.  Judge Walter also ordered that the firearm and ammunition involved be forfeited.  Johns was found guilty on October 9, 2013, after a two-day bench trial.

Based on witness testimony, documents and other evidence presented at the trial, it was established that on February 11, 2011, Shreveport police stopped Johns’ vehicle because it matched the description of a vehicle sought in an ongoing criminal case.  Johns gave consent to search his vehicle, and 11 rounds of .40 caliber ammunition was found.  His residence was also searched, and a Smith & Wesson handgun loaded with 12 rounds of .40 caliber ammunition was found.  Johns accompanied another person earlier to two pawn shops where he directed the person to purchase the firearm at one pawn shop and then to purchase the ammunition at a second pawn shop.

Johns was on parole at the time of his arrest.  Before his arrest, he was convicted of the following state felony charges: possession of a Schedule II, controlled dangerous substance (cocaine), Caddo Parish District Court, 1999; forgery, Caddo Parish District Court, 2001; unauthorized entry of an inhabited dwelling, Caddo Parish District Court, 2005; possession of a Schedule II, controlled dangerous substance (crack cocaine), Caddo Parish District Court, 2006; and attempted possession with intent to distribute a Schedule I, controlled dangerous substance (marijuana), Bossier Parish District Court, 2010.

The Shreveport Police Department; the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections, Probation and Parole; and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert W. Gillespie Jr. prosecuted the case as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods.  Project Safe Neighborhoods is a nationwide program started in 2001 to reduce violence by aggressively enforcing existing federal firearms laws.

SHREVEPORT/LAFAYETTE/ALEXANDRIA/LAKE CHARLES/MONROE, La. –United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that the Western District of Louisiana, through its Law Enforcement Coordinator Mike Campbell, had an outstanding year in providing training courses to local law enforcement agencies in 2013. 

As the district’s Law Enforcement Coordinator, 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.

In 2013, Campbell worked with federal, state, local, military and tribal offices and spearheaded 28 training courses, which were provided in the district’s 42 parishes.  A total of 2,193 federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement officers participated in various training events provided at no-cost to the attendees.  Cities where the training events took place included: Shreveport, Bossier City, Monroe, West Monroe, Natchitoches, Plain Dealing, Many, Alexandria, Lafayette, Lake Charles, and New Iberia.  Topics covered included: investigation techniques, personal safety, narcotics, search and seizure, and many others.

Campbell joined the Western District of Louisiana U.S. Attorney's Office in November 2007 after a 33-year career in law enforcement with the Shreveport Police Department.  He entered service in 1974 as a patrol officer and retired as Chief of Police in 2007.  He is a retired officer from the Louisiana National Guard with 21 years of service.  During his military career, he served with the U.S. Air Force Reserve, U.S. Army Reserve, and the Louisiana National Guard.  Campbell holds a bachelor’s degree of science from Louisiana Tech.  He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy and a member of the Louisiana Association of Chiefs of Police. 

“We are proud to be able to continue to join with other organizations to provide these important services to law enforcement agencies within the Western District of Louisiana,” Finley stated.  “The training improves the knowledge and strengthens the skills of personnel working in the field.  I applaud Mike Campbell, the participating organizations, local law enforcement, and all of the trainers/speakers for their hard work and dedication that make these programs possible.  We are grateful to our law enforcement partners who assist us every day to get the job done and look forward to providing training for 2014 as well.”

For more information and a listing of resources that the LECC provides in the Western District of Louisiana visit www.justice.gov/usao/law/lecc.