Western District of Louisiana

LAFAYETTE, La. –United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that Desperado’s Cabaret owner James “Jim” Panos, 55, of Broussard, La., was indicted on May 8, 2013 in a superseding indictment, along with nine others on racketeering conspiracy and drug charges.

James Panos was charged with four counts in the indictment unsealed yesterday.  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.  Panos was charged with  racketeering conspiracy, conspiracy to maintain a drug-involved premises and distribution of controlled substances, possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number, and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.

The co-defendants charged with one count of racketeering conspiracy are:

• Jennifer “Nancy” Panos, 47, of Broussard; and
• Dipak Vora, 69, of Baton Rouge, La.

The co-defendants charged with one count of conspiracy to maintain a drug-involved premises and distribution of controlled substances are:

• Jennifer “Nancy” Panos, 47, of Broussard;
• Elias “E.J.” White, 52, of Lafayette;
• Heike Slattery, 41, of Carencro;
• Crystal Sampy, 51, of Lafayette;
• Acquila Shanete “Sexy” Latigue, 27, of Lafayette;
• Gerald Cormier, 43, of Carencro;
• Tanja Clavier, 28, of Lafayette; and
• Lydia “Unique” Gauthreaux, 31, of Crowley.

The racketeering conspiracy charge carries penalties of up to 20 years in prison, a fine of not more than twice the gross profits, and three years supervised release.  The conspiracy to maintain a drug involved premises charge carries penalties of up to 20 or 30 years in prison, fines of up to $500,000 to $2 million, and supervised release of three to six years.  James Panos faces five years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release for the possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number charge.  He also faces 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release for the possession of a firearm by a prohibited person charge.  The defendants are scheduled to appear for arraignment on May 29, 2013.

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

The DEA, the FBI, the 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 prosecuted the case.

LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley is proud to announce today that the U.S. Justice Department has recognized Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) John Luke Walker for his exemplary efforts to protect children.  AUSA Walker is the recipient of the Child Protection Award at the annual National Missing Children’s Day commemoration held in Washington, D.C. today.  The award recognizes the extraordinary efforts of citizens and law enforcement officers who have  made a significant investigative or program contribution to protecting children from abuse or victimization.  Walker is one of nine citizens and law enforcement officers from Louisiana, Illinois, North Carolina and Washington state to receive the award.

Walker serves as the Western District of Louisiana’s Project Safe Childhood Coordinator.  He was the lead prosecutor and a driving force behind Operation Delego, the largest child exploitation case ever prosecuted by the Department.  To date, his efforts have resulted in 44 convictions of Operation Delego targets.  The defendants included a teacher, police officer and a member of the military.  The convictions resulted in sentences ranging from five years to life imprisonment and helped to successfully dismantle a network of individuals whose main objective was the production of hardcore child pornography involving children under the age of 12.  Overseas child sex rings and commercial child pornography production rings were also dismantled as part of Operation Delego.  As a result of Operation Delego, at least three child victims in the United States were identified.

In addition to his significant contributions during the prosecution of Operation Delego, Walker carries a full caseload of various other cases.  Walker also teaches children and parents throughout the Western District of Louisiana about the dangers of online activity through Internet Safety presentations. During 2012, he provided more than 25 presentations and reached approximately 3,000 children and 500 adults.

“AUSA Walker is a committed lawyer, but it is his tireless work and dedication to the children of this community that led to his being named as a recipient of this award,” Finley stated.  “Walker is most deserving of this recognition.  Still, no one does any of this difficult work alone.  He has a wonderful assistant, and outstanding state and local officers and federal agents who assist in these difficult cases. A special thank you goes out to all of them.  The Western District of Louisiana is committed to protecting children from exploitation and abuse.”

Ronald Reagan proclaimed May 25, 1983, the first National Missing Children’s Day to remember Etan Patz, a six-year-old boy who disappeared from a New York City street corner on May 25, 1979.  Missing Children’s Day honors his memory and the memories of children still missing.

Project Safe Childhood is 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.

LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that Derrick Nathaniel Hartfield, age 45, of Smyrna, Ga., and Rico Carty Clemons, 47, of Riverdale, Ga., pleaded guilty Monday before U.S. District Court Judge Richard T. Haik to taking part in a scheme to defraud Wal-Mart and other retail business nationwide out of hundreds of thousands of dollars through identity theft and wire fraud.

According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, Hartfield and Clemons admitted they used the illegally obtained retail store gift cards and applied for credit/debit cards using other peoples’ identities. Hartfield acknowledged during the entry of his guilty plea that he had advised law enforcement officers that he may have obtained approximately one million dollars in cash since 2005 as a result of the scheme. A Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office deputy working a security detail at a Lake Charles Wal-Mart on July 7, 2012, apprehended the defendant Hartfield in the store. The officer then identified Clemons who was in a parked vehicle. The two men were in possession of thousands of dollars and numerous debit and credit cards that were not in their names.

Both defendants face a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison, a $1 million fine, restitution, and five years of supervised release for pleading guilty to one count of wire fraud. Hartfield faces a mandatory two years in prison consecutive to any other sentence, a $250,000 fine, restitution, and three years of supervised release for pleading guilty to one count of aggravated identity theft. A sentencing date has not been set.

The Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Secret Service conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brett L. Grayson is prosecuting the case.

LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that Larry Wayne Bruce, 61, of Leesville, La., was sentenced on Monday by U.S. District Judge Richard T. Haik to serve five years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release for failing to pay corporate payroll taxes collected from Express Marketing Inc. (EMI) employees and for failure to pay his own personal taxes. Judge Haik also ordered Bruce to pay restitution in the amount of $190,783.96 to the owners of EMI and restitution in the amount of $294,070.98 to the IRS.

According to evidence presented during the guilty plea and sentencing, Bruce admitted to being responsible for not paying payroll taxes owed to the Internal Revenue Service while working as the financial officer for EMI in Leesville from 2003 to 2007. Bruce admitted the owners relied on him to pay the payroll taxes withheld from EMI employee paychecks and also admitted to taking more than $190,000 in excess of his salary from EMI during the time he failed to pay the taxes. By Bruce not paying the payroll taxes collected from EMI’s employees, EMI realized a profit of approximately $1 million per year. Bruce embezzled part of this money, but also manipulated company documents and reports to make EMI seem more profitable than it really was by withholding these tax liabilities from the owners and banks.

Because of Bruce’s conduct, the loss to the IRS exceeds $3 million. The loss represents payroll taxes taken from EMI employee checks for several years but never paid to the IRS or reported to Social Security or other agencies. EMI collected the taxes from employees and kept the money under Bruce’s management.

Bruce also pleaded guilty to another count of the pending indictment, where he admitted to not paying his personal taxes from 2005 until he left the company in 2007.

“The owners and employees of EMI relied on the defendant to fulfill his responsibility as financial officer for the company,” Finley said. “When Bruce chose to ignore his duty to pay the payroll taxes, he caused significant loss of tax revenue to the United States government and loss of future Social Security or Medicare benefits for the employees, all while embezzling extra money for himself. Yesterday, the defendant was held accountable for his actions, and in the end, the sentence represents appropriate justice. Further motivated by his greed, Bruce also willfully violated tax laws when he failed to file his personal income taxes for several years.”

“Our office is committed to vigorously prosecuting those who intentionally violate the tax laws. This should serve as a reminder to anyone who refuses to play by the rules that they will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law; Mr. Bruce is now a convicted felon with a long prison term to serve.”

The IRS conducted the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Myers P. Namie prosecuted the case.

LAFAYETTE, La.: United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that Ray Hatton III, 30, of Lafayette, pleaded guilty Tuesday before U. S. District Judge Richard T. Haik, to possessing child pornography involving some images of infants.

According to the evidence presented at the guilty plea, law enforcement authorities used computer surveillance software which detected the defendant downloading child pornography. He used the internet file sharing program Limewire to download the files. Limewire is an internet peer to peer site used to trade files among members and is regularly used to distribute child pornography. After obtaining a warrant, authorities searched his residence on March 8, 2012, and seized the defendant’s computer. Hatton was found to have downloaded 10 movies of child pornography. Some of the pornography depicted infants and very young children.

Hatton faces a minimum of five years to a maximum of 20 years incarceration, a $250,000 fine, and five years of supervised release. The Lafayette Police Department and the Department of Homeland Security conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Luke Walker is prosecuting the case. Hatton was indicted Dec. 11, 2012.

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.

LAFAYETTE, La.: United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that Brad Maruschak, 37, of Denham Springs, La., was sentenced to 30 months in prison by U.S. District Court Judge Richard T. Haik for attempted possession of child pornography. Maruschak is also required to complete five years of supervised release and register as a sex offender. Maruschak pleaded guilty on Dec. 17, 2012.

According to the evidence presented at the guilty plea, Maruschak contacted an individual who he thought was a 14-year-old girl in an online chat room in April 2010. The person chatting with Maruschak was in fact an undercover Louisiana State Police officer in Lafayette posing as a 14-year-old girl. From April to August, Maruschak took part in a series of sexually graphic communications and asked the 14-year-old girl for pictures.

“Unfortunately, the internet should not be the playground for predators. Child predators troll the internet looking for children so that they can lure them into abusive situations,” Finley said. “In this case, the defendant was apprehended before any children were abused. Hopefully, this case causes child predators to think twice before trying to connect to youths online. We will continue to prosecute these cases. The safety of the children in this community is a priority for the Western District.”

The Louisiana State Police investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Myers P. Namie prosecuted the case.

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.

Shreveport/Lafayette/Alexandria/Lake Charles/Monroe, La. : Communities across the United States will come together during National Police Week - May 12th through May 18th - to honor and remember those law enforcement officers who made the ultimate sacrifice, as well as the family members, friends and fellow officers they left behind. The U.S. Attorneys will be honoring local heroes at their offices.

“Law enforcement officers face the monumental challenge of protecting and serving the public every day,” stated U.S. Attorney Stephanie Finley. “They risk their lives for all of us, and the men and women of the Western District salute and remember them during National Police Week. We specifically remember those who have fallen while on duty and the legacy of service their sacrifice leaves.”

This year, the names of 321 officers killed in the line of duty are being added to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C. These 321 officers include 120 officers who were killed during 2012, plus 201 officers who died in previous years but whose stories of sacrifice had been lost to history until now.

The fallen officers of 2012 include two members of the law enforcement community in the Western District of Louisiana. Deputy Sheriff Randall L. Benoit, age 41, of the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office, died in an automobile accident Jan. 18, 2012. He served for 18 years and is survived by his wife. Deputy Sheriff Ricky Ray Issac Jr., age 24, of the Natchitoches Parish Sheriff’s Office, died Dec. 8, 2012, in an automobile accident as well. He is survived by his wife and newborn son.

In order to assist local public safety officers in the work that they do, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of Louisiana, offers safety and survival training to increase awareness of the hazards they encounter on a daily basis. Some of the training classes offered by the U.S. Attorney’s Office this year are “Use of Force,” “Emotional Survival for Law Enforcement,” “the Bullet Proof Mind,” and “Road Side Interview Techniques.” The remaining courses for 2013 focus on officer safety and survival, and they are offered at various times throughout the year. The course curriculum and sessions are overseen by the Western District’s Law Enforcement Coordinator, Michael Campbell, a former Chief of Police for the city of Shreveport. The Western District of Louisiana consists of 42 of Louisiana’s 64 parishes, and the courses are open to federal, state, local, military and tribal offices.

“We have and will continue to offer officer safety and survival training to increase awareness of the hazards our public safety officers face on a daily basis,” Finley stated. “Our goal is for all public safety officers to return home to their families at the end of their shifts each and every day.”

The names of all 321 fallen officers nationwide will be formally dedicated on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C., during the 25th Annual Candlelight Vigil on the evening of May 13, 2013. So that people across the country can experience this unique and powerful ceremony, the vigil will be webcast live over the Internet beginning at 8 p.m. (EDT) on May 13. To register for this free online event, visit www.LawMemorial.org/webcast.

LAFAYETTE, La.: United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley will be the keynote speaker for the 2013 Southern University Law Center (SULC) Commencement on Saturday, May 11, 2013, in the F.G. Clark Activity Center on the Southern University Baton Rouge campus. During the day’s event, U.S. Attorney Finely will speak to 173 graduates receiving their juris doctorate degrees.

“I am honored that Southern University Law Center chose me to speak to these students,” Finley said. “They are the future leaders who will serve our communities. It seems like only yesterday that I was where they are. They are now armed with a great legal education, and I am confident that they will be great lawyers who will affect meaningful change in whatever area of law that they choose to practice. I am excited for them, but will emphasize how crucial this time of transition is, and how important it is for them to remember service as they begin the next phase of their lives.

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

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

Prior to her appointment, she served as the Senior Litigation Counsel and the Acting Deputy Chief in the Lafayette office and as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the criminal divisions of the Shreveport and Lafayette offices of the Western District. Finley has prosecuted cases involving white collar crimes, violent crimes, civil rights, environmental crimes, drug trafficking, public corruption and tax evasion. She also served as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Western District in 1991-1992 and in the District of South Carolina in 1992-1995.

United States Attorney Finley previously served as a member of the Attorney General Advisory Committee (AGAC). The AGAC is responsible for advising the Attorney General on a broad array of Department of Justice policy issues. In addition to having served on the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee, Finley continues to serve on a number of subcommittees and working groups under the AGAC.

Before joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office in 1995, Finley was on active duty with the U.S. Air Force, stationed at England Air Force Base in Louisiana and Shaw Air Force Base in South Carolina. She currently serves as a Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Air Force Reserves where she is a Judge Advocate assigned to the 8th Air Force Global Strike Command located at Barksdale Air Force Base. Prior to being at the 8th Air Force, she was assigned to the 2nd Bomb Wing Judge Advocate General’s Office at Barksdale Air Force Base. Her duties as a JAG officer have included serving as a hearing officer for criminal cases and administrative discharge boards, working in the areas of contract and labor law and military justice as well as providing legal assistance services for active duty, reservists and dependants of the military.

U.S. Attorney Finley has served as the Criminal Bar Examiner and an Assistant Bar Examiner for the Louisiana Bar. She is the recipient of various awards recognizing her leadership and public service. Finley has been honored as a “Top 20 under 40” recipient, one of Lafayette’s “Women Who Mean Business,” a “Person of Excellence” recipient from the National Association of University Women, a Torchbearer’s Award recipient, Grambling State University’s Beacon Award recipient for public service and a public service award recipient at Alpha Kappa Alpha’s Regional Conference.

Finley is a Magna Cum Laude graduate of Grambling State University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and was selected as one of the nation’s distinguished graduates of the Reserve Officer Training Corps. She is a Cum Laude graduate of SULC where she received her Juris Doctorate in 1991 and was the editor-in-chief of the Southern University Law Review. In 2011, she was inducted into the Southern University Law Center Hall of Fame.

Southern University Law Center (SULC) is located in Baton Rouge, La. The law school was established in 1947. Today SULC has more than 3,000 alumni and is noted as one of the most diverse law schools in the country. In addition to daytime classes, SULC offers a part-time evening program with classes meeting on Monday through Thursday from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. For more information on Southern University Law Center visit www.sulc.edu.

SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a Canadian and a California man were sentenced by U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks for their roles in an internet-based international criminal child pornography and sexual exploitation network called Dreamboard.

Paul Graham Fry, 55, of Ontario, Canada, was sentenced to 20 years in prison and a lifetime of supervised release. According to the evidence presented at the guilty plea, Fry joined Dreamboard Dec. 2, 2009, and posted 2,722 child pornography posts to the online bulletin board.

Kevin Casey, 40, of Palos Verdes, Calif., was sentenced to 60 months in prison and five years of supervised release. According to the evidence presented at the guilty plea, Casey joined Dreamboard April 27, 2010, and posted advertisements offering to distribute child pornography to other members of the board.

Dreamboard was a private, members-only, online bulletin board that was created and operated to promote pedophilia and encourage the sexual abuse of very young children in an environment designed to avoid law enforcement detection. Fry and Casey were charged in an indictment unsealed on Aug. 3, 2011. The charges are the result of Operation Delego, an ongoing investigation launched in December 2009 that targeted individuals around the world for their participation in Dreamboard.

A total of 72 individuals, including Fry and Casey, have been charged as a result of Operation Delego. To date, 57 of the 72 charged defendants have been arrested in the United States and abroad. Forty-seven individuals have pleaded guilty, and one was convicted after trial. Forty-four of the 48 individuals who have pleaded guilty or found guilty for their roles in the conspiracy have been sentenced to prison and have received sentences ranging from five years to life in prison. Three defendants have received life sentences, including one who was convicted at trial. Fifteen of the 72 charged individuals remain at large and are known only by their online identities. Efforts to identify and apprehend these individuals continue. Operation Delego represents the largest prosecution to date in the United States of individuals who participated in an online bulletin board conceived and operated for the sole purpose of promoting child sexual abuse, disseminating child pornography and evading law enforcement.

“Members of this board traded graphic images and videos of adults molesting young children – often violently; and created a massive private library of images of child sexual abuse. They encouraged, and incentivized, the creation of child pornography,” Finley said. “My office will continue to work with our federal, state and local partners and international counterparts to identify, investigate and apprehend those who prey on or exploit children. This work is a priority for the Western District of Louisiana, and I hope these sentences send another strong message that we will continue to vigorously prosecute this kind of activity to the fullest extent of the law.”

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

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John Luke Walker of the Western District of Louisiana and Trial Attorney Keith Becker of CEOS. The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance. The investigation was conducted by ICE-Homeland Security Investigations, the Child Exploitation Section of ICE’s Cyber Crime Center, CEOS, CEOS’s High Technology Investigative Unit and 35 ICE offices in the United States and 11 ICE offices in 13 countries around the world, with assistance provided by numerous local and international law enforcement agencies across the United States and throughout the world.

The investigation was part of Operation Predator, a nationwide ICE initiative to identify, investigate and arrest those who prey on children, including human traffickers, international sex tourists, Internet pornographers and foreign-national predators whose crimes make them deportable.

ICE encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free hotline at 1-866-DHS-2ICE. This hotline is staffed around the clock by investigators. 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 that Robert E. “Red” Stevens, 61, former elected member of the City Council of Monroe, Louisiana, pleaded guilty today, to accepting cash bribe payments from an FBI cooperating witness in exchange for help with matters pending before the City Council. The guilty plea was entered in federal court in Shreveport before United States District Judge Donald E. Walter.

Stevens was indicted in 2010 and charged with violating the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, more commonly known as RICO, and the Hobbs Act, which involves extortion by a public official. During today’s court appearance, Stevens pleaded guilty to the RICO violation; pursuant to a plea agreement with the government, the Hobbs Act count will be dismissed after sentencing.

Stevens admitted in court filings that on three separate occasions in 2008 and 2009, he accepted cash bribe payments from a Monroe businessman who was working as a cooperating witness under the direction of the FBI. The payments were in exchange for Stevens’ assistance with matters pending before the City Council.

Stevens faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both. Sentencing in federal court is governed by the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the discretion of the sentencing judge. Sentencing is scheduled for September 26, 2013.

The case was investigated by the FBI-Monroe Resident Agenc and is being prosecuted by First Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook and Counsel to the U.S. Attorney William J. Flanagan.

ALEXANDRIA, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that Alexander MacIver, 23, of Ball, La., pleaded guilty before U. S. District Judge Dee D. Drell to possessing child pornography on his computer.

According to evidence presented at the guilty plea, authorities discovered more than 10 images of child pornography and one video on MacIver’s laptop, after authorities executed a search warrant of his home on July 18, 2011. The images and video involved minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. MacIver admitted to downloading the material off the internet.

MacIver faces up to 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and five years to life of supervised release. Sentencing has been set for Aug. 12, 2013. The Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security/Lafayette investigations unit conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney James T. McManus 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 can be submitted to ICE investigators online at www.ice.gov/exec/forms/hsi-tips/tips.asp.

LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that Glenn J. Soileau, 64, of Branch, La., pleaded guilty before U.S. District Magistrate Judge C. Michael Hill to illegally accessing a computer which held valuable copyright protected oilfield intellectual property, to include diagrams, product designs, schematics and oil exploration related materials.

According to the Stipulated Factual Basis at the guilty plea, Soileau admitted that he used a portable USB storage device to access his former employer’s computers at Applied Electronic Systems and Sondex, which are both located in Broussard, La., and subsidiaries of General Electric Oil and Gas (GE). Soileau downloaded more than 3,700 files containing pictures, diagrams and other information relating to tools and equipment used in oilfield exploration work. He then brought the information to his new employer at Advanced Electronic Services, and they used the information for work done at Advanced Electronic Services. After being questioned by GE security staff, Soileau admitted to taking the computer files and providing them to his new employer. FBI agents linked Soileau to the computers used in the theft through the USB.

Soileau faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine, restitution, and three years of supervised release for the count of unauthorized access to a protected computer. Sentencing was set for Sept. 13, 2013, in Lafayette. The FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Namie P. Myers is prosecuting the case.

“Theft of intellectual property information is a growing problem in our country,” Finley stated. “We are primarily seeing it here in the oil and gas industry, but it occurs in many other industries. Intellectual Property theft hurts everyone, not just companies, and our office will continue to investigate and prosecute those who violate these laws. On the eve of World IP Day, this prosecution should serve as a deterrent to those who would seek to profit by stealing the intellectual property of others.”

Intellectual property (IP) refers to creations of the mind, inventions, literary and artistic works, and symbols, names, images and designs used in commerce. World IP Day was established by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) to be celebrated every April 26th in order to promote the discussion of IP in encouraging innovation and creativity. The entire U.S. economy relies on some form of IP, because virtually every industry either produces it or uses it. American IP-intensive industries directly accounted for 27.1 million American jobs or 18.8 percent of all employment in the economy in 2010.

Intellectual property (IP) theft is an ongoing problem, and the Department of Justice’s Task Force on Intellectual Property, the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center (IPR Center) and the National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC), and other government and private organizations work to fight IP theft. Citizens can help stop IP theft by not purchasing ‘knock-offs,’ pirated media or other counterfeit goods. To find out more about IP theft the public is encouraged to visit www.justice.gov/dag/iptaskforce, www.iprcenter.gov and www.ncpc.org/topics/intellectual-property-theft.

Lafayette/Alexandria/Lake Charles, La.: United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley recently visited local colleges within the Western District of Louisiana. On April 9, 2013, U.S. Attorney Finley spoke to the Criminal Justice Society at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, the Louisiana College Criminal Law Class on April 16, 2013, and the Juvenile Delinquency Class at McNeese State University on April 18, 2013.

Finley spoke to the students about her job as the chief law enforcement officer for 42 of the 64 parishes in the state of Louisiana and explained the daily work that she and her staff undertake in overseeing the investigation and litigation of all criminal and civil cases brought on behalf of the United States. U.S. Attorney Finley discussed with the students what is involved in prosecuting criminal activity to include terrorism, public corruption, complex white collar crime, investment schemes, organized crime and gang activities, civil rights, internet-related crimes, drug trafficking, firearms violations, violent crimes, environmental crimes, tax evasion, illegal immigration and alien smuggling and representing the United States in civil actions.

During her visits, the Louisiana educated U.S. Attorney encouraged students to reach for the stars, but also cautioned them about the pitfalls that prevent young people from reaching their goals, to include social media and allowing others to negatively influence their lives. Finley told the students that hard work and good grades are the best preparation for success, and she reminded them that they are the future of our nation.

“I am honored to be invited by the faculty of these universities to speak to their students,” Finley said. “I have been extremely blessed. My life has been filled with great teachers, mentors, and wonderful parents. Now, I’ve got to pay it forward because the future leaders of our country are in those classrooms. Some of these kids just need a nudge; they just need some encouragement to know that the achievement of their dreams can happen. This is just a little something that I can do to assist in that process.”

For more information on the Western District of Louisiana U.S. Attorney’s Office, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-wdla.

LAFAYETTE, La.: United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley was the guest speaker at a special event on April 17, 2013, hosted by the American Legion Vermilion Post 29. The American Legion Vermilion Post 29 held the event to honor women veterans.

During the night’s event, Comrade Jeffery Cessac was presented with the Blue Cap Award by Post 29 Commander Willie Hymel. The Legionnaire Blue Cap Award is a prestigious achievement presented to members with years of service in the Legion. The honor recognizes those who exemplify a lifetime of dedication, leadership, and servitude. Comrade Cessac served in the United States Navy from 1963-1967 during the Vietnam War. He is also a member of the Lions Club, Woodmen of the World and Knights of Columbus.

United States Attorney Finley thanked the veterans for their service and shared how much her career as both the U.S. Attorney and as an officer in the U.S. Air Force had been shaped by the military. Finley reminded those in attendance that they must continue to share their stories of service because they are examples and mentors for future generations. She applauded Post 29 for the work that they are doing to include more women and younger veterans. Among the veterans present were two female veterans who served in Vietnam and during Iraqi Freedom.

“As an officer in the United States Air Force, I am very aware of how lucky we are to have the veterans in our communities and am passionate about recognizing their service,” Finley said. “We owe a debt of gratitude to all of the men and women who serve and have served our nation and safeguarded our freedoms.”

This event is the first of its kind for Post 29, but Commander Willie Hymel and Thomas Thompson, the Judge Advocate for Vermilion Post 29 and a former Assistant United States Attorney, hopes it will not be the last. Commander Willie Hymel served in the United States Marine Corps from 1961-1966 and the U.S. Army Reserves from 1973-2003. Judge Advocate Thomas Thompson served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1969-1975.

The American Legion is the nation's largest wartime veterans' service organization with a membership of 2.4 million men and women. All veterans of honorable service during a wartime period, and those currently serving on active duty, are eligible to join the American Legion. Congress chartered the American Legion in 1919 as a veterans service organization. The Legion’s primary goal is to protect veteran’s benefits. The American Legion continues to fight for a variety of veteran causes, to include a strong veterans health care system and a strong quality of life for U.S. military members and their families, and although it has an international presence, the Legion is very much a community-based service organization. Among the programs conducted regularly are community Veterans Day and Memorial Day observations, Blue Star Salutes honoring local military families and supportive businesses, American Legion Baseball, Junior Shooting Sports, a High School Oratorical Contest and American Legion Boys State and Nation. The American Legion is one of the nation's largest supporters of Scouting and the largest single donor organization of blood to the American Red Cross. Members of local American Legion posts provide volunteer funeral details to render military honors for fallen comrades. It’s Child Welfare Foundation donates over a quarter of a million dollars each year to worthy children and youth programs and the Legion's National Emergency Fund provides immediate financial assistance to fellow Legionnaires and their families displaced by natural disasters. Legionnaires record over a million volunteer-hours annually in VA medical facilities throughout the nation and they reinvest millions of dollars back into local communities through cash donations.

If you are interested in joining a local American Legion Post or are interested in other veterans issues, you can find information on the American Legion website at www.legion.org to locate a Post nearest to you. The American Legion Vermilion Post 29 is located in Abbeville, La., and can be reached at (337) 893-5366 or through their website at www.vermilionpost29.com.

LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that Gloria Adams, 63, of LaPlace, La., pleaded guilty before U.S. District Magistrate Judge Patrick J. Hanna for her part in a conspiracy to sell and fill prescriptions without doctor supervision.

According to the Stipulated Factual Basis at the guilty plea, Adams, who is not a doctor, opened Essential Medical Center (EMC) in Lafayette November 2005. She admitted to conspiring to dispense Controlled Dangerous Substances (CDS) such as Xanax and Lortab when no doctors were present at the clinic through a system called “pre-signing.” Pre-signing took place at the clinic when some non-physician staff used pre-signed documents to dispense prescriptions to patients while doctors were absent. She also admitted that she aided and abetted the practice of dispensing CDS outside the scope of professional practice and not for a legitimate medical purpose. Adams also admitted to using $15, 917 in proceeds derived from the illegal sale of controlled substances to engage in a monetary transaction through a financial institution.

Adams pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful dispensing of controlled substances and one count of money laundering. Each count carries a maximum penalty of up to 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release. Adams is scheduled to appear Aug. 8, 2013, for sentencing before U.S. District Court Judge Elizabeth E. Foote in Lafayette. Adams was indicted with co-defendants Dr. Kasimu Moody, Dr. Toland Ash, and Patrick Smith on May 12, 2011.

The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA)/Office of Diversion Control and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. McCoy is prosecuting the case.

MONROE, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that lawyer Francis C. Broussard, 53, of West Monroe, La., pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Robert G. James Friday to 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.

According to the Stipulated Factual Basis in the plea agreement, Broussard, who has been licensed to practice law in Louisiana since 1986, had his accountant prepare his 2005 through 2007 tax returns, but the defendant never filed them. Broussard did present the documents to various financial institutions in efforts to obtain personal loans and other types of financing. In 2009, the defendant went to a different tax preparer to have his personal tax returns prepared for 2005 through 2008. The defendant brought already-prepared federal tax returns along with a separate piece of paper with a set of numbers on it. The defendant instructed the preparer to use the set of numbers on Forms 1099-Original Issue Discount (OID) and on the Schedule B, Interest Income section of the form. The defendant’s fraudulent claim is based on the OID interest income. Broussard claimed that he received Forms 1099-OID from four banks. All four banks denied they issued any forms to Broussard for his tax returns.

Additionally, the Stipulated Factual Basis states that IRS agents interviewed Broussard in February 2009 regarding the tax returns he submitted for 2005, 2006, and 2008. The 2007 false return reflecting a multi-million dollar return was mailed after IRS agents contacted the defendant. Broussard did not receive the requested refunds.

Broussard faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and one year of supervised release for the false claim count.

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

SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that Thomas R. Dooley Jr., 28, of Webster, La., was sentenced on Tuesday, April 16, 2013, by U.S. District Judge Maurice S. Hicks to 10 years in federal prison and three years supervised release for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon to be served after completion of his state prison term.

According to courtroom testimony, Dooley stole a .22 caliber handgun and used it to rob a Haughton, La., business on May 20, 2011. Haughton Police responded and stopped Dooley’s vehicle, but Dooley then sped away leading authorities on a high-speed chase. During the chase, Dooley fired his weapon at a pursuing officer, attempted to ram a Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Office vehicle, and caused another vehicle to crash. After turning down a dead-end road, Dooley lost control of his truck and his vehicle ran into a tree. Then, he fled on foot. The handgun was found in his truck with all nine rounds fired. Dooley was later apprehended by law enforcement.

Dooley entered a guilty plea on July 23, 2012, in the 26th Judicial District Court, Bossier and Webster parishes, and was sentenced to 40 years in prison on Nov. 20, 2012, for attempted first degree murder of a peace officer and armed robbery.

Dooley pleaded guilty to the federal charge on Dec. 12, 2012. Dooley’s 10-year federal sentence is to be served consecutive to the state court sentence, and the federal sentence begins to be served after he completes his 40-year state court sentence.

“The defendant put citizens and law enforcement officers in harm’s way during the high-speed chase,” Finley stated. “Possessing a firearm by a convicted felon is illegal, and our office will continue to prosecute these cases. We hope these sentences send a message that this type of crime will not be tolerated.”

The Haughton Police Department, Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Office, Webster Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the Shreveport office of the ATF conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert W. Gillespie Jr. prosecuted the case.

LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that Dr. Lynn E. Foret, 63, of Lake Charles, La., pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Richard T. Haik to defrauding Medicare, Medicaid and private insurance companies out of close to $1 million.

According to the bill of information, from 2003 to 2009, Foret injected his patients’ knees with a steroid solution while falsely billing and receiving payments from Medicare, Medicaid and private insurance companies for a more costly drug called Hyalgan. During the time period outlined in the bill of information, he received reimbursements totaling $948,249.11. Foret is a Lake Charles medical doctor who specialized in orthopedic surgery since 1976. He closed his practice in December of 2012.

Various types of steroids are often used to treat osteoarthritis of the knee. Hyalgan is another more costly type of medication that is used to treat osteoarthritis. It contains a natural substance called Hyaluronate, which is normally found in the fluid that lubricates and cushions knee joints and is injected directly into a patient’s knee to relieve inflammation.

Foret faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, restitution, and three years of supervised release for the count of heath care fraud. A sentencing date has not been set.

The Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU) of the Louisiana State Attorney General’s Office, FBI, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and the Department of Health and Human Services - Office of Inspector General (OIG) conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly P. Uebinger is prosecuting the case

LAFAYETTE, La. – U.S. Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that Mark Anthony Slade, 55, of Lafayette, pleaded guilty Tuesday before U. S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote to knowingly receiving child pornography on his computer.

According to court documents, local and federal law enforcement authorities using computer surveillance software detected the defendant downloading child pornography. He used the internet file sharing program Limewire to download the files. After obtaining a warrant, authorities searched his residence Oct. 29, 2010, and seized the defendant’s computer. Slade was found to have downloaded 10 movies of child pornography. Some of the pornography depicted prepubescent children.

Slade faces up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and five years of supervised release. Sentencing has been set for Sept. 13, 2013. The Lafayette Police Department and the Department of Homeland Security conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Luke Walker and Daniel J. McCoy are 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.

LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that Francisco “Pancho” Delgado-Galaviz, 36, of Mexico and a member of a drug trafficking organization based out of Vermilion Parish, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote to 10 years in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine.

Delgado-Galaviz, and 11 co-defendants were indicted in June of 2009 on a variety of drug trafficking and firearms charges, along with unlawful use of communication facilities. The Stipulated Factual Basis entered into by both parties at the time of the guilty plea revealed that this drug trafficking organization was responsible for the movement and sale of methamphetamine and cocaine from Mexico into the United States and distribution throughout the Acadiana area. Delgado-Galaviz and his co-conspirators possessed and distributed kilos of methamphetamine and cocaine. The defendant admitted that he, along with another co-conspirator, was a decision maker in the organization. Their source of supply was from Arizona, but they developed a secondary source of supply for this conspiracy in Houston. The defendant’s couriers were often armed with weapons while transporting the illegal substances. Delgado-Galaviz acknowledged that he was specifically responsible for the distribution of approximately 2 kilograms of methamphetamine and approximately 5 kilograms of cocaine. He is the last of 11-co-defendants to be sentenced.

“The arrests and convictions in this case resulted in the elimination of large quantities of methamphetamine and cocaine being distributed from Mexico into the Western District of Louisiana,” Finley said. “The agencies involved in this case worked tirelessly to investigate and remove these dangerous criminals and drugs from our streets. My office, along with our federal, state and local partners, will continue in their efforts to bring drug dealers to justice.”

The Lafayette Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Post of Duty, the Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the Lafayette Metro Narcotics Task Force investigated the case. United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley prosecuted the case.

LAFAYETTE, La. – The day after the annual tax filing deadline United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that Gary M. Scott, 61, of Lafayette, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote on one count of tax evasion to two years in prison, three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $362,961.65 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service(IRS) in unpaid taxes.

According to the Stipulated Factual Basis in the plea agreement, Scott earned more than $2.4 million in gross receipts between 2004 and 2009, and failed to file timely tax returns for those years. In an attempt to avoid paying his tax liability and evade assessment of future income taxes, Scott intentionally hid assets and went to great lengths to remove those assets out of his name. He cashed checks totaling approximately $722,000 at local check cashing stores. Scott received wire transfers from customers into a bank account established under a third party’s name. The third party stated that Scott told him he needed a third party to open a bank account because Scott owed money to the IRS.

Each year, U.S. Attorneys’ Offices around the country work with the IRS to enforce the nation’s tax laws.

“Our office will continue to prosecute those who intentionally violate tax laws. Internal Revenue Service agents and federal prosecutors are working together to protect the public and hold violators accountable,” said U.S. Attorney Finley.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office has prosecuted cases for Failure to Report Income, “Structuring” to Hide Income, Fraudulent Tax Preparers, and Stolen Identity Refund Fraud.

“The defendant attempted to hide income from the IRS in order to avoid paying taxes,” Finley said. “His actions were a willful violation of tax laws. This should serve as a reminder to those who refuse to play by the rules that they will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

“The term voluntary compliance means that each of us is responsible for filing a tax return when required and for paying the correct amount of tax,” according to IRS Criminal Investigation’s Acting Special Agent in Charge Damon Rowe. “That responsibility should not be taken lightly. Mr. Gary Scott chose to ignore his duty to file and pay taxes and is now a convicted felon with a prison term to serve.”

The IRS office of criminal investigations in New Orleans conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Howard Parker prosecuted the case.

SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that two additional defendants pleaded guilty Thursday for their involvement in an international criminal network organized to sexually exploit children in connection with their participation in the Dreamboard child exploitation operation. United States District Judge S. Maurice Hicks presided over the hearing.

Christopher Blackford, 28, of Charleston, S.C., pleaded guilty to participating in a child exploitation enterprise and faces 20 years to life in prison, a $250,000 fine, and five years supervised release. According to the stipulated factual basis contained in the plea agreement, Blackford joined Dreamboard Dec. 29, 2009, and placed 84 online bulletin board posts containing child pornography.

William Davis, 39, of Bristol, N.H., pleaded guilty to conspiracy to advertise child pornography and faces 15 to 30 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and five years to life of supervised release for his part in the Dreamboard child exploitation operation. According to the stipulated factual basis contained in the plea agreement, during his time on Dreamboard, Davis posted advertisements offering to distribute child pornography to other members of the board.

Sentencing has been set for July 29, 2013.

Blackford and Davis were charged in an indictment unsealed on Aug. 3, 2011. The charges are the result of Operation Delego, an ongoing investigation launched in December 2009 that targeted individuals around the world for their participation in Dreamboard. Dreamboard was a private, members-only, online bulletin board that was created and operated to promote pedophilia and encourage the sexual abuse of very young children in an environment designed to avoid law enforcement detection.

A total of 72 individuals, including Blackford and Davis, have been charged as a result of Operation Delego. To date, 57 of the 72 charged defendants have been arrested in the United States and abroad. Forty-seven individuals have pleaded guilty, and one was convicted after trial. Forty-two of the 48 individuals who have pleaded guilty or found guilty for their roles in the conspiracy have been sentenced to prison and have received sentences ranging between 10 years to life in prison. Three defendants have received life sentences, including one who was convicted at trial. Fifteen of the 72 charged individuals remain at large and are known only by their online identities. Efforts to identify and apprehend these individuals continue. Operation Delego represents the largest prosecution to date in the United States of individuals who participated in an online bulletin board conceived and operated for the sole purpose of promoting child sexual abuse, disseminating child pornography and evading law enforcement.

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

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John Luke Walker of the Western District of Louisiana and Trial Attorney Keith Becker of CEOS. The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance. The investigation was conducted by ICE-Homeland Security Investigations, the Child Exploitation Section of ICE’s Cyber Crime Center, CEOS, CEOS’s High Technology Investigative Unit and 35 ICE offices in the United States and 11 ICE attaches offices in 13 countries around the world, with assistance provided by numerous local and international law enforcement agencies across the United States and throughout the world.

The investigation was part of Operation Predator, a nationwide ICE initiative to identify, investigate and arrest those who prey on children, including human traffickers, international sex tourists, Internet pornographers and foreign-national predators whose crimes make them deportable.

ICE encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free hotline at 1-866-DHS-2ICE. This hotline is staffed around the clock by investigators. 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.

LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a jury found Anthony Frederick “Tony” Giaimis, 48, of Westlake, La., guilty Wednesday of conspiring to distribute and of possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The jury also found him guilty of one count felony weapon possession. District Judge Patricia Minaldi presided over the trial.

Giaimis’ trial started Monday and ended Wednesday with the jury returning the guilty verdict after deliberating for about 45 minutes. The jury found that Giaimis conspired to distribute more than 50 grams of pure methamphetamine, and that he possessed more than 5 grams of pure methamphetamine, which police found on Jan. 6, 2012, during a search of a marina owned by his mother, the Bridge Port Yacht club, where Giaimis was living. The jury heard testimony that during the dates of the conspiracy, Giaimis obtained more than 80 ounces of methamphetamine from two men in the Houston area, which he sold to people living in and around Calcasieu Parish. Police also found 14 firearms in various locations at the marina. Giaimis had been previously convicted of a felony in June 2011 in the 253rd District Court of Texas in Chambers County for possession with intent to deliver more than 200 grams of methamphetamine.

Because of his prior conviction, Giaimis faces a minimum of 20 years to life in prison, a fine of up to $20 million, and at least 10 years of supervised release for the conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine count; and 10 to 40 years in prison, an $8 million fine, and at least eight years of supervised release for the possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine count; and he faces 15 years to life in prison, a $250,000 fine, and five years of supervised release for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

Justin W. Brewer, 42, and Ricky Martinez, 43, both of Houston, Texas, were charged in the same indictment with Giaimis in August 2012. Giaimis’ trial was severed from that of his co-defendants April 4, 2013.

Brewer pleaded guilty Monday before District Judge Patricia Minaldi to possession with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine. According to the stipulated factual basis for the guilty plea, Brewer was arrested Dec. 28, 2011, after 51.1 grams of pure methamphetamine was found in the trunk of his car. An informant told authorities that Brewer was in the Westlake area and was transporting a large quantity of methamphetamine. A Westlake police officer pulled Brewer over for a traffic violation, and found a drug smoking pipe and other drug paraphernalia in the console of car, and a box containing methamphetamine in the trunk.

Brewer faces 10 years to life in prison, a fine of up to $10 million, and at least five years of supervised release for the methamphetamine count.

Martinez is set for trial May 13, 2013. He is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine and one count of possession of more than 50 grams of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. Martinez is alleged to have taken part in a conspiracy to distribute the methamphetamine from January 2009 to February 2012. If convicted, Martinez will face 10 years to life in prison, a fine of up to $10 million, and at least five years of supervised release for each count.

“It took the work of informants, police, sheriff’s officers, and federal agents to bring the defendants in this drug distribution operation to justice,” Finley stated. “I want to thank all of those who put their time and lives on the line to remove harmful and illegal drugs from our streets.”

The Westlake Police Department, Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office, Lake Charles Police Department, FBI Safe Streets Task Force, Combined Anti-drug Team(CAT) Task Force, and the Drug Enforcement Administration Laboratory conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph T. Mickel is prosecuting the case.

SHREVEPORT, La. – U.S. Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that John Carpenter Myers, 43, of Shreveport, was sentenced Tuesday by U. S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote to 100 months in prison and lifetime supervised release for distributing child pornography.

According to court documents, Louisiana authorities received notice from an undercover investigator in another state that Myers was making images depicting children in sexual situations available through file sharing software on his computer. After a search of his computer, authorities found 1,857 videos and 3,656 digital photographs that depicted minors in sexually abusive circumstances.

“The individual in this case used his computer to provide images of abused children to others online,” Finley said. “His actions contributed to a worldwide trade of such material. Our office will not stop prosecuting those who distribute images and videos depicting abuse of children.”

The Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations and the Louisiana State Police – Criminal Investigations Division investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Earl Campbell and 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 http://www.ice.gov/exec/forms/hsi-tips/tips.asp and to the FBI at https://tips.fbi.gov. Tips may be reported anonymously. The Shreveport FBI office number is (318) 861-1890.

ALEXANDRIA, La.– United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that Manuel Rivas, 45, of El Salvador, was found guilty on Friday by a federal jury on two counts of resisting his deportation. United States District Judge Dee D. Drell presided over the trial.

Rivas’ trial started Thursday and ended Friday morning with the jury returning the guilty verdict after deliberating for 28 minutes. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested Rivas on July 11, 2011, and he was issued an administrative order for removal because he was an alien convicted of a felony. According to court documents, Rivas refused to fill out necessary paperwork for his request for travel documentation from El Salvador on July 3, 2012, and Aug. 16, 2012.

“There is no basis for the defendant to remain in the United States after being convicted of a felony,” Finley stated. “His refusal to comply with deportation orders on multiple occasions caused unnecessary cost to ICE. I want to thank the prosecutor in the case and ICE officials who investigated this case.”

“Immigration and Customs Enforcement will continue to dedicate all its resources to prosecuting individuals who hamper their removal,” said Scott L. Sutterfield, acting field office director for the New Orleans Field Office. “This case illustrates our close cooperation with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the successful prosecution of egregious immigration law violators who pose a threat to public safety and border security.”

Rivas faces four years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and one year of supervised release for each count. Sentencing has been set for July 5, 2013.

The Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Enforcement and Removal Operations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Earl M. Campbell and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Seiji Ohashi prosecuted the case.

ALEXANDRIA, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a year-long undercover investigation resulted in 10 arrests in the Marksville and Alexandria areas on distribution of cocaine and crack cocaine charges.

Federal, state and local law enforcement officials seized more than $60,000, 5 kilograms of powder cocaine, 350 grams of crack cocaine, and numerous firearms over the course of the investigation. The defendants are charged with various counts of cocaine and crack cocaine distribution, possession with intent to distribute, conspiracy, and firearms offenses that took place in Avoylles and Rapides parishes between January 2012 and March 2013.

Those arrested are: Michael J. Wright, 27, Houston; Dontour D. Drakes, 37, Alexandria; Sedrick D. Porter, 36, Alexandria; Abraham Baylor III, 39, Alexandria; Earnest G. “Gucci” Miles III, 25, Alexandria; Terrace D. Winchester, 34, Alexandria; Brandon C. “Lanky B” Thomas, 31, Marksville; Leotis V. Perry, 36, Alexandria; Falon S. Maricle, 31, Marsksville; and Dennis Lee Bradford, 30, Cottonport.

The charges and arrests are part of the Safe Streets Task Force “Operation Double Down.” The FBI-Central Louisiana Gang Safe Streets Task Force; Alexandria Police Department; Avoyelles Parish Sheriff’s Office; Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Office; U.S. Marshall’s Service; Louisiana State Police; and Louisiana State Department of Probation and Parole, participate in the task force program and conducted the operation.

A federal grand jury returned the first “Operation Double Down” indictment March 20, 2013, charging the defendants on 16 counts related to the cocaine and crack cocaine distribution ring’s activities.

The defendants face a variety of federal and state charges. The penalties range from mandatory 10 years incarceration to life imprisonment. Initial appearance was held Tuesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge James D. Kirk. Detention hearings have been set for April 1.

“It took the combined effort of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to make these arrests happen,” Finley said. “I want to thank the Alexandria Police Department, Avoyelles and Rapides sheriff’s offices, the Louisiana State Police, the Louisiana State Department of Probation and Parole, the U.S. Marshals, and the FBI for their roles in removing these drugs from our streets.”

“This operation will have a significant impact on the landscape of illegal drugs in Central Louisiana,” said Alexandria Police Chief Loren Lampert. “This investigation and its success serve as a perfect example of how federal, state and local law enforcement can and should cooperate in fighting crime. We are extremely pleased with the efforts of all agencies and the results of those efforts. We look forward to future cooperative efforts such as this to improve the quality of life in our community.”

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

Assistant U.S. Attorney James Cowles Jr. is prosecuting the case.

Lafayette, La. – United States Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana, Stephanie A. Finley, was recognized on March 22, 2013, at Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority’s 81st Regional Conference for her public service as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana. The public service award is presented to citizens for distinguished service to their community as a part of the organization’s commitment to serve mankind. Alpha Kappa Alpha is an international service organization founded in 1908 as the oldest Greek-letter sorority established by African-American college-educated women.

United States Attorney Finley is a Grambling State University and Southern University Law Center graduate who was selected by President Barack Obama in January of 2010, after being recommended by Senator Mary Landrieu and confirmed by the U.S. Senate in June of 2010, to serve as the United States Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana. She was sworn into office on June 2, 2010. Ms. Finley is the first woman in the State of Louisiana appointed as U.S. Attorney. She serves as the chief law enforcement officer for 42 of the 64 parishes in Louisiana and is charged with the prosecution of criminal cases brought by the Federal Government and the prosecution and defense of civil cases in which the United States is a party.

Other honorees included Chief Justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court, Bernette Joshua Johnson, State Representative Patricia Haynes Smith, President of Xavier University of Louisiana, Dr. Norman C. Francis, Executive Director of the Ellis Marsalis Center for Music, A. Michele Jean-Pierre, Director of Human Resources for the Jefferson Parish School System, Cynthia M. A. Butler-McIntyre, Founder of Love in Action Outreach, Inc., Gail Womack-Murray, Oscar nominee Quvenzhane Wallis, Isidore Newman High School Senior Ashley Adams, Isidore Newman Upper School Ninth Grade Honor Student Princeton Jerome Carter, and Kid Chef Eliana de Las Casas.

LAFAYETTE, La. – U.S. Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a former youth minister and Half Back Media owner Eric Michael Manuel, 23, of Lafayette was sentenced to 27 years in prison by U.S. District Court Judge Elizabeth E. Foote for enticing minors to engage in criminal sexual activity. Manuel also is required to complete 15 years of supervised release.

A federal grand jury indicted Manual in January 2012 on 18 counts of production of child pornography and two counts of using a facility of interstate commerce to persuade a minor to engage in criminal sexual acts.

In the factual basis for the guilty plea, Manuel admitted he would text underage boys to convince them to engage in sexual acts. Manuel also would pay the boys to allow him to perform oral sex upon them. The defendant attempted to entice a third boy to engage in sexual conduct with him, but the boy refused.

Additionally, Manuel admitted to creating a Facebook page in the name of a young girl, Emily Brandt. While using the false persona of Emily, Manuel convinced 18 boys between the ages of 13 and 17 to produce sexually explicit images and videos of themselves and send them to him. When one boy refused to send the sexually explicit images to Manuel, he threatened the boy.

The FBI-Lafayette Resident Agency, the Louisiana State Police, and the Lafayette Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Luke Walker prosecuted the case.

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.

Investigators are available at all hours to answer hotline calls concerning child exploitation. The Lafayette FBI office number is (337) 233-2164.

ALEXANDRIA, La. – U.S. Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that funeral home director John Casey Young, 45, of Vidalia, pleaded guilty before U. S. District Judge Dee D. Drell to knowingly receiving child pornography on his computer.

According to court documents, the Federal Bureau of Investigations, during an investigation of a separate but related matter in September 2011, discovered that Young used his work computer to search for child pornography on the internet.

Young faces up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and five years of supervised release. Sentencing has been set for June 10, 2013. The FBI and the Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Earl Campbell and John Luke Walker are 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.

Investigators are available at all hours to answer hotline calls about child exploitation. The Alexandria FBI office number is (318) 443-5097.

LAFAYETTE, La: United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that Jacqueline Marie Benjamin, 43, of New Iberia, La., pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Richard T. Haik to conspiring to defraud the Federal Emergency Management Agency out of thousands of dollars in false hurricane damage claims.

In a 2005 application to FEMA following hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the defendant’s sister-in-law Valerie Benjamin applied for rental assistance money claiming she was forced to move as a result of storm damage to her home. According to the stipulated factual basis signed by the defendant in open court, Valerie Benjamin listed her new residence in New Iberia as a rental property and listed Jacqueline Benjamin as her landlord when she was not. As a result of the fraudulent claim, between April 20, 2007 and June 22, 2007, Jacqueline Benjamin received four checks for storm damage losses. The defendant took $200 out of each check and paid Valerie Benjamin.

Jacqueline Benjamin also admitted in the stipulated factual basis that in 2008 following hurricanes Gustav and Ike, she gave permission for Valerie Benjamin to file FEMA disaster assistance applications in her name. The FEMA application stated that Jacqueline Benjamin had to evacuate her home because of storm damage. The application also contained false landlord statements, false medical bills, false medical bill receipts, false insurance statements, false rental agreements, and false rental receipts. Jacqueline Benjamin admitted that she never left her home, and the home sustained only minor damage. Between Dec. 22, 2008 and April 9, 2009, the defendant received four checks for storm damage losses. She took $200 out of each check and paid Valerie Benjamin.

Jacqueline Benjamin faces five years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both with three years of supervised release. A sentencing date has not been set.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph T. Mickel is prosecuting the case.

ALEXANDRIA, La.: United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that Seyba Diallo, 46, of the Central African Republic, was found guilty on Tuesday afternoon by a federal jury on two counts of impeding or hampering his deportation from the United States. United States District Judge Dee D. Drell presided over the trial.

Diallo’s trial started Monday and ended Tuesday afternoon with the jury returning the guilty verdict after deliberating for 50 minutes. Based on witness testimony and documents admitted into evidence, it was established that on Nov. 11, 2011 and March 13, 2012, Diallo physically resisted U.S. Immigration Enforcement Agents (IEA) when they attempted to put him on a plane in Rapides Parish to return him to his country of origin. On both dates, IEAs brought him to the Alexandria International Airport and attempted to put him on a commercial flight where he began to yell and physically resist officers, which prevented him from being allowed on the flight due to airline and Transportation Security Administration policies. Diallo’s actions at the airport delayed his removal, but they also led to his deportation documents expiring, which further delayed his removal. Diallo has been in the United States for more than nine years.

“The defendant defied the law and placed additional burdens on our immigration system,” Finley stated. “I want to thank the prosecutor in the case and ICE officials who investigated this case.”

“ICE will continue to dedicate all its resources to prosecuting individuals who unlawfully hamper their removal,” said Scott L. Sutterfield, acting field office director for the Immigration and Customs Enforcement New Orleans Field Office. “This case illustrates our close cooperation with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the successful prosecution of egregious immigration law violators who pose a threat to public safety and border security.”

Diallo faces four years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and one year of supervised release for each count. Sentencing has been set for June 10, 2013.

The Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Enforcement and Removal Operations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph T. Mickel prosecuted the case.

LAFAYETTE, La: United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that Deynoodt Joseph Besse, 53, of Rayne, La., pleaded guilty Monday before U.S. District Court Judge Richard T. Haik to one count of wire fraud.

Besse worked for Rayne tire company Interco’s sales department from Aug. 1, 1997 to Aug. 3, 2010. On Jan. 29, 2003, he created a separate company called INT Sales. According the indictment, Besse used his Interco sales position to divert tire sales to his INT Sales account. He would arrange for the tire sales as an Interco sales associate and then take customers’ account information. Besse would process the account information through a point of sale device, and the transactions were then credited to a bank account associated with INT Sales. The government alleges that Besse fraudulently obtained $143,872.88 using the scheme.

Besse faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both, and three years of supervised release for the count of wire fraud. A sentencing date has not been set.

The FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel J. McCoy and Myers P. Namie are prosecuting the case.

LAKE CHARLES, La: United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that Annette Victorian, 44, of Lake Charles, was ordered Thursday by U.S. District Judge Patricia Minaldi to pay $71,660.70 in restitution, a $1,000 fine, serve five years probation, and complete 100 hours of community service, for defrauding the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services.

Victorian is the owner/director of Annette’s Developmental and Learning Center located in Lake Charles, which receives payments for child care services through the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP). Prior to being paid by CCAP for child care services she provided, Victorian was required to submit accurate provider invoices for each child. According to court documents, beginning in April 2007 and continuing through October 2009, Victorian submitted invoices which contained false and fraudulent information, inflating the number of children who received care and the hours the children were present. In some instances, Victorian claimed reimbursement for children who were no longer enrolled at her day care center.

“The money this defendant took should have been used to help those in need of day care services,” Finley said. “Instead, the money was siphoned out of the community and grant system for personal use. Our office will continue to aggressively prosecute those who defraud these programs.”

CCAP is funded by a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ grant and is administered by the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services.

The Department of Health and Human Services and the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly P. Uebinger prosecuted the case.

LAKE CHARLES, La: United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that Shanji Jin, 38, of Chicago, Ill., Hong Xi, 63, of Flushing, N.Y., and Yuan Chunshan, aka, “Guang Li”, 43, of Albuquerque, N.M., pleaded guilty Wednesday(Feb. 27) before U.S. District Judge Patricia Minaldi to using counterfeit credit cards to fraudulently obtain funds from Louisiana casinos totaling $103,624.81.

According to court documents, authorities arrested Jin, Xi and Chunshan Nov. 24, 2012, at the Coushatta Casino Resort in Kinder for using the counterfeit cards to get cash advances. The counterfeit cards had the defendants’ names on them, but the numbers could not be matched to any of the three men’s accounts with the financial institutions alleged to have issued the credit cards. They are also responsible for using the cards at L’Auberge Casino in Lake Charles, El Dorado Casino in Shreveport and the Horseshoe Casino in Shreveport. The investigation revealed that Jin took $41,934.55; Xi took $42,394.26; and Li took $19,296.

The defendants face up to 10 years in prison for Conspiracy to Use Unauthorized Access Devices and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing will take place at a later date. The U.S. Secret Service-Baton Rouge Agency and the Louisiana State Police conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Howard Parker is prosecuting the case.

MONROE, La.: The U.S. Attorney’s Office has informed United States District Judge Donald E. Walter that it consents to a new trial in United States v. Robert “Red” Stevens and Arthur Gilmore, Jr., two former Monroe City Councilmen indicted for racketeering and extortion. Thereafter, the Court continued the evidentiary hearing scheduled for March 4, 2013, and entered an order today scheduling a new trial for April 22, 2013, in Shreveport. Stevens and Gilmore had sought a new trial based on allegations of misconduct by the former lead Assistant United States Attorney and FBI agent.

U.S. Attorney Stephanie Finley stated: “While I do not believe that the jury’s guilty verdict in this case was the result of any misconduct, I believe that it is important that the public have confidence in the integrity of the prosecutions brought by the United States. Therefore, I directed the prosecutors in this case to consent to a new trial even though the trial had been completed and the case was on appeal. We chose to disclose the allegations of misconduct to the Court and to all defense attorneys because we want every prosecution to be based on fairness.

The allegations at issue first came to light in June 2012 when defense counsel in the case of United States v. Royce Toney, Michael Davis, made allegations of misconduct on the part of Assistant United States Attorney Mignonne Griffing. My office reviewed the allegations, and pursuant to established protocol, an investigation was opened by the Department of Justice. In the meantime, in order to ensure the integrity of the prosecution of former Sheriff Toney, I removed AUSA Griffing from the case and assigned a different prosecutor in my office to take it over. Based on the totality of the evidence and the testimony of the witnesses, the prosecution was ultimately resolved with a guilty plea to nine misdemeanor counts of unauthorized access of a protected computer. This resolution was based on the most readily provable offenses, not because of any allegations of misconduct. The plea agreement addressed Sheriff Toney’s criminal conduct and was in the interest of justice. The Government believed then, as it does now, that this was the fairest resolution to this case in light of all of the evidence.

On August 2, 2012, Royce Toney appeared before U.S. District Judge Robert G. James and knowingly and voluntarily pled guilty with advice of his counsel.

Our goal in every case that we prosecute is to ensure the integrity of the prosecution. My office, along with the appropriate offices at the Department of Justice, will continue to investigate any and all allegations of misconduct to determine whether or not there is any merit to them, and at the same time will take all necessary steps to preserve the integrity of all prosecutions brought by the United States.”

During the trial set for April 22, 2013, Mr. Stevens and Mr. Gilmore will face the same charges as returned by the Grand Jury in June of 2010. Specifically, each defendant was named in a two-count indictment charging violations of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), 18 U.S.C. § 1962(c), and the Hobbs Act, 18 U.S.C. § 1951.

If convicted, both men face a maximum sentence on Count 1, RICO, of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both. The Hobbs Act contained in Count 2 is punishable by a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both.

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

SHREVEPORT, La: United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a grand jury indicted four Shreveport men Thursday as part of a 27-count indictment related to a string of robberies last year that took place in Shreveport, Bossier City, Sabine Parish, and Texas.

Myles W. Robinson, 20, is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit robbery, 13 counts of robbery, and 13 counts of using firearms during a crime of violence.

Halston M. Smith, 22, is charged with one count of conspiracy, seven counts of robbery, and seven counts of using firearms during a crime of violence.

James D. Tyson, 22, is charged with one count of conspiracy, one count of robbery, and one count of using firearms during a crime of violence.

Tremario D. Washington, 23, is charged with one count of conspiracy, one count of robbery, and one count of using firearms during a crime of violence.

According to the indictment, the armed robberies took place between June 1, 2012 and Nov. 14, 2012 at 15 businesses with the men stealing more than $17,900. Robinson took part in all 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, Tx.

Each defendant faces up to 20 years in prison, a fine of $250,000 or both with five years of supervised release for the conspiracy count; and 20 years in prison, a fine of $250,000 or both with 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 fine of $250,000 or both with five years of supervised release. After that, each firearms count requires 25 years in prison, a fine of $250,000 or both with five years of supervised release. A trial date will be set at a later date.

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

The ATF, Shreveport Police Department, Bossier City Police Department, Atlanta Texas Police Department, Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office, Caddo Parish District Attorney’s Office, DeSoto Parish Sheriff’s Office, DeSoto Parish District Attorney’s Office, and the Bossier Parish District Attorney’s Office took part in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney James Cowles is prosecuting the case.

LAFAYETTE, La: United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a federal grand jury indicted private investigator Robert Williamson, 64, of Lafayette on one count of conspiracy, six counts of bribery for operating a pay-for-plea scheme that garnered favorable treatment for defendants charged with state violations of operating while intoxicated (OWI), and one count of Social Security Fraud for claiming Social Security payments while not reporting income from the bribery scheme. Additionally, Williamson was charged with one count of making false statements to a federal agent.

According to the indictment, Williamson, who is not licensed to practice law, was part of a conspiracy from March 2008 to February 2012 to solicit thousands of dollars from individuals with pending criminal charges in the 15th Judicial District by promising favorable resolutions to their pending felony and misdemeanor cases, the majority of which were OWI cases. The favorable resolution of OWI cases included having the cases placed in “immediate 894 sessions.”

The Louisiana Code of Criminal Procedure Article 894 provides a procedure by which a person can initially plead guilty to a crime with the understanding that the conviction will be set aside if the person successfully completes certain requirements imposed during a probationary period, including community service.

The indictment states that Williamson paid bribes in cash and other things of value to personnel within the District Attorney’s office and employees with other organizations associated with the OWI program, including Acadiana Outreach.

Williamson is also alleged to have obtained false and fraudulent certifications from Acadiana Outreach, which certified that his clients completed court-ordered community service, when in fact the individuals had not. The indictment outlines that Williamson would obtain fraudulent driver safety training certificates showing that Williamson’s “clients” completed court-mandated driver improvement programs when they had not. Williamson would then take these certificates and provide them to District Attorney’s office staff members who would file them in the court record during the clients’ “immediate 894 session.”

If convicted, Williamson faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both with up to three years of supervised release for the conspiracy count. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, a 250,000 fine or both with three years of supervised release for each count of bribery, five years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both with three years of supervised release for the Social Security Fraud count, and five years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both with three years of supervised release for the false statements to a federal agent count. A trial will be scheduled at a later date.

“This case should serve as a reminder that private citizen facilitators who participate in corruption conspiracies will be held as accountable as public officials,” said Mike Anderson, Special Agent in charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, New Orleans Division.

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

The FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Luke Walker and Richard Willis are prosecuting the case.

Lafayette/Shreveport/Lake Charles/Alexandria/Monroe, La: The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana recognized Black History Month with programs in their Shreveport and Lafayette offices and other community events. These celebrations included recognizing the culture, social, scientific and political contributions of African- Americans. Black History Month grew out of “Negro History Week,” the brainchild of noted historian Carter G. Woodson and other prominent African Americans. Since 1976, every U.S. president has officially designated the month of February as Black History Month.

The theme for the U.S. Attorney’s Office programs was “At the Crossroads of Freedom and Equality: The Emancipation Proclamation and the March on Washington.” This year’s theme marks the sesquicentennial of the Emancipation Proclamation and the 50 anniversary of the th March on Washington. The events provided a chance to look back on the crossroads of the country’s journey, to reflect upon freedom and equality, and to recognize pivotal movements forged by extraordinary individuals in the struggle to dismantle institutions of slavery and segregation in America.

The 2013 Black History Month Committee for the U.S. Attorneys Office organized events held in Shreveport on Feb. 19, 2013 at the U.S. Federal Courthouse and in Lafayette on Feb. 21, 2013 at the John M. Shaw Federal Courthouse Building. Each program featured guest speakers, including U.S. District Judges, a U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit Chief Judge, attorneys, local pastors, professors, singers, storytellers and authors. Members of the local bar associations, community and federal agencies turned out for both programs to celebrate the month.

In Shreveport, the Honorable S. Maurice Hicks Jr., U.S. District Judge, Western District of Louisiana, welcomed the crowd and led the audience in the pledge of allegiance; the invocation was given by Rev. Antonio T. Dixon Sr., Pastor, Steeple Chase Baptist Church in Shreveport; and the occasion was recognized by the Honorable Carl Stewart, Chief Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit.

A dramatic performance about the life of Harriet Tubman was given by Thelma Harrison, a professional storyteller and actress. Courtney Joiner, an Assistant U.S. Attorney, introduced the keynote speaker, Dr. Harry Blake, Pastor, Mount Canaan Baptist Church in Shreveport, who shared his experience about growing up on a plantation as a young boy and his role as a civil rights activist on the staff of Martin Luther King, Jr. The program concluded with a vocal performance of “Swing Low Sweet Chariot” by playwright, producer and singer Vincent Williams.

The director of the Multicultural Center of the South, Janice Gatlin, provided an array of exhibits depicting the culture of black history. The Multicultural Center is located in Shreveport and is the only multicultural center in the State of Louisiana with over 2,000 cultural exhibits representing 26 cultures.

The Lafayette program included opening remarks from the Honorable Rebecca F. Doherty and reflections by the Honorable Richard T. Haik, U.S. District Judges for the Western District of Louisiana. Rev. Chester Arceneaux, Pastor of The Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist in Lafayette, gave the invocation, followed by Willie Leday, Chief Probation Officer for the U.S. District Court, Western District of Louisiana, who recognized the occasion.

Sherry T. Broussard, author and professional storyteller, told stories highlighting the achievements of various African Americans. Karen J. King, an Assistant U. S. Attorney, was the Mistress of Ceremonies for both the Shreveport and Lafayette events. Keynote speaker for the Lafayette celebration was Albert Samuels, Ph. D., professor and chair of the Department of Political Science and Geography at Southern University in Baton Rouge. The Lafayette program concluded with “His Eye Is on the Sparrow,” being performed by Sa’Rah Hamm, singer and student at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. United
States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley gave closing remarks for both programs.

On Sunday, Feb. 24, 2013, U.S. Attorney Finley was the guest speaker at the African American Black History Program held at the Redeemer Lutheran Church in Alexandria, La. The theme for the program was “Honoring The Past - Inspiring the Future.” It was the first time the church had such a program. Ms. Finley spoke to the congregation about the importance of the role that we all play in embracing the diverse and rich history of our nation.

The congregation of Steeple Chase Baptist Church in Shreveport, La. was addressed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Earl M. Campbell, on Feb. 24, 2013, who spoke on the accomplishments and achievements of African Americans in the United States and how African American history is intertwined with American History. The programs’s theme was “At the Crossroads of Freedom and Equality.”

“Our programs saluted the extraordinary contributions that generations of African Americans have made in shaping, securing and strengthening the United States,” Finley said. “Our goal was to commemorate the historic events and provide a glimpse of the past. I would like to thank all who participated and attended this year’s programs and would like to commend the 2013 Black History Month Committee for putting together two informative and entertaining programs. This nation is a great and diverse country which has a rich history that includes people of all backgrounds, races and faith.”

LAFAYETTE, La: United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that former Acadiana Outreach Center employee Sandra Degeyter, 61, of Lafayette, pleaded guilty to a one-count Bill of Information charging her with conspiracy to commit bribery.

This plea is related to the bribery investigation of former employees of the 15th Judicial District Attorney’s Office who accepted bribes in return for their participation in the facilitation of “immediate 894 pleas.” This is the fifth plea related to the bribery scheme.

The Louisiana Code of Criminal Procedure Article 894 provides a procedure by which a person can initially plead guilty to a crime with the understanding that the conviction will be set aside if the person successfully completes certain requirements imposed during a probationary period, including community service.

Degeyter made the following admissions in open court before Magistrate Judge Patrick J. Hanna as outlined in her factual stipulations entered during the guilty plea hearings today:

Degeyter worked as a case manager for Acadiana Outreach from March 2008 to October 2009. Beginning in 2008 and continuing until Feb. 17, 2012, Degeyter conspired to provide false and fraudulent Acadiana Outreach community service certificates to an unnamed, uncharged co-conspirator in exchange for money. The fraudulent certificates purportedly confirmed that “clients” of the co-conspirator had completed court-ordered community service, when in fact they had not. The co-conspirator paid Degeyter cash, $100 per certificate, and also made in-kind contributions to Acadiana Outreach for the false certificates. Degeyter admitted producing more than 50 false certificates between the spring of 2008 and October 2009.

After Degeyter left Acadiana Outreach in October of 2009, she asked Elaine Crump, who was still employed as a case manager at Acadiana Outreach, to assist her with continuing the fraudulent scheme. The two agreed that Degeyter would continue to create fraudulent Acadiana Outreach community service certificates, and in exchange for cash payments, Crump would permit Degeyter to sign Crump’s name on the fraudulent certificates. Crump previously pleaded guilty on Feb. 5, 2013, to misprision of a felony.

Degeyter began to provide cash payments to Crump ranging from $25 to $100, which was a portion of the cash Degeyter received from the co-conspirator. Degeyter provided Crump with the names of the people she had prepared false certificates for and the number of community service hours the certificates falsely stated had been completed. Degeyter did this so that if questioned by anyone, Crump could falsely verify the accuracy of the certificates.

Crump was laid off from Acadiana Outreach in September 2011. Shortly thereafter, Degeyter and Crump agreed that Degeyter would continue to create additional certificates and sign Crump’s name on them, but would backdate the documents to dates within Crump’s employment at Acadiana Outreach. In exchange, the co-conspirator would continue to pay Degeyter, and she would continue to share those payments with Crump. Degeyter’s payments to Crump continued until December of 2011.

Degeyter faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both with up to three years of supervised release for the conspiracy count.

“The defendant’s actions were motivated by greed,” Finley said. “Her criminal activity has not only affected the justice system, but it has tarnished the good work of her former employer. Those involved in this case did not seem to consider the far-reaching damage that their actions would have on our community and the agencies that serve it.”

The FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Luke Walker and Richard Willis are prosecuting the case.

LAFAYETTE , La.: U.S. Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that Phillip Sessa Jr., 30, of Essex, Md., was sentenced Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Richard T. Haik to 97 months in prison and 15 years of supervised release for possessing child pornography.

According to court documents, an acquaintance of Sessa alerted authorities in November 2011 that Sessa’s personal computer at his Opelousas residence contained child pornography. A search of the residence turned up compact discs, computer hard drives and a phone containing child pornography. More than 1,000 videos depicting children in sexual situations were found. When questioned about the images on his computer, Sessa said some were of his girlfriend’s children who resided in the Baltimore, Md., area. Sessa was later released pending the investigation, and in December 2011, he moved back to Maryland. Over the course of the investigation, authorities seized more than 150,000 images and videos. Sessa was arrested in January 2012 and pleaded guilty July 23, 2012.

“Possessing obscene and illegal images is a serious crime that will not be tolerated,” Finley said. “Protecting children from exploitation is a priority for our office. We will not stop prosecuting those who promote the abuse of children by possessing such images.”

The Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations and the Louisiana State Police-Criminal Investigations Division investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Luke Walker prosecuted the case.

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 andObscenity 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 ours to answer hotline calls.

LAFAYETTE, La.: The U.S. Attorneys Office announced that Brian Toriano Crimiel, 35, of Lafayette, was sentenced today before U.S. District Court Judge Richard T. Haik to one year in prison for defacing Immaculate Heart of Mary Church and five years in prison for lying to a federal agent with time to be served concurrently.

Crimiel was ordered to pay $2,972 to the Immaculate Heart of Mary’s insurance company and $1,000 to St. James Baptist Church for damage to property. He also was ordered to serve one year of supervised release for defacing the church and three years of supervised release for lying to an FBI agent.

According to court documents, authorities discovered on Feb. 26, 2011 that someone had painted racial slurs on the Immaculate Heart of Mary Church and school on 12th Street in Lafayette. Crimiel later admitted to defacing the property, saying he was trying to frame his ex-girlfriend for the damages and threats, and left a number of pieces of evidence at the scene pointing to her as the culprit.

As part of his plea agreement, Crimiel also acknowledged that on Feb. 13, 2011, he defaced and damaged the St. James Baptist Church on Plum Street in Lafayette as well by writing racial slurs on the church with spray paint and pouring gasoline on the bushes near the front door with a threat that the church would burn.

Crimiel also admitted that he lied to an FBI agent when he denied using his cell phone on the morning of Feb. 13, 2011. Crimiel called 911 anonymously to advise authorities that he saw two women and one man trespassing on St. James Baptist Church property. He admitted later it was part of his scheme to frame his ex-girlfriend.

The FBI-Lafayette Resident Agency and the Lafayette Police Department investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney James T. McManus prosecuted the case.

LAFAYETTE, La: United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that Ramon Guadalupe Aldama-Rodriguez, 35, of Mexico, was sentenced Tuesday before U.S. District Judge Richard T. Haik to 37 months in prison plus five years supervised release for distributing cocaine and heroin between Abbeville and Baton Rouge.

According to court documents, Aldama-Rodriguez and Jose Manuel MojicaEcheverria were approached at a Duson trailer park by Abbeville drug traffickers Jesus Silverio Cervantes and Joel Sotomayor Cervantes on June 13, 2010, to drive a truck loaded with 2 kilograms of cocaine and 360 grams of heroin to Baton Rouge. Aldama-Rodriguez drove the truck and Mojica-Echeverria rode with him, while Jesus Silverio Cervantes and Joel Sotomayor Cervantes followed in another vehicle. Authorities stopped the truck and the drugs were found. Aldama-Rodgriguez pleaded guilty on Oct. 11, 2012.

“This investigation disrupted the sale of illegal drugs that spanned from Abbeville to Baton Rouge,” Finley stated. “We thank the federal, state and local authorities who participated to end this criminal activity. This case reflects a joint effort by this office, the DEA, the Baton Rouge Police Department and the sheriff’s office. More operations like this one make a difference in our communities.”

Aldama-Rodriguez was arrested as part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. The DEA, the Baton Rouge Police Department, and the Vermillion Parish Sheriff’s Office participated in this OCDETF investigation.

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

Assistant U.S. Attorney Brett L. Grayson prosecuted the case.

SHREVEPORT, La: United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that Dallas Day Humble, 53, of Monroe, was sentenced Thursday to 27 months in prison and two years of supervised release for conspiracy to import and distribute and distribution of human growth hormones. Humble was also ordered to pay a forfeiture money judgment of $585,648 jointly with co-defendant Linda Bunch Wells.

Co-defendant Linda Bunch Wells, 53, of Monroe, was sentenced Jan. 24, 2013 to 27 months in prison with two years of supervised release for distributing and importing human growth hormones at the Northeast Louisiana Anti-Aging and Wellness Center (NLAW) in Monroe. Co-defendant Paul N. Temple, 56, of Monroe, was sentenced Aug. 31, 2012 to five years supervised probation for facilitation and receipt of human growth hormones he purchased for the center.

According to court documents, Humble, who owned and operated the NLAW, asked Temple in the summer of 2003 to locate a company and buy human growth hormones for distribution at the center. The hormones were part of a so-called anti-aging program for patients. Some of the human growth hormones administered were illegally imported into the United States from China. Humble and his business partners would order hormones from overseas, and the packages would be labeled as non-medical products in order to pass through U.S. Customs.

Under federal law, human growth hormones may only be prescribed for the treatment of specified diseases and medical conditions. Evidence at sentencing revealed that the company administered more than 26,926 units of the hormones over the five-year period totaling more than $406,000 in sales.“The center’s operation facilitated the distribution of a controlled substance that could have caused harm instead of helping those in the community, ” Finley said. “We will not ignore this kind of illegal activity, and any involved in conspiracies should know that they will be investigated and prosecuted.”

The Food and Drug Administration/Office of Criminal Investigations and Louisiana State Police conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Earl Campbell prosecuted the case.

LAFAYETTE, La: United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that Randy P. Courville, 53, of Milton, La., pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote to defrauding $324,818 from the Social Security Administration (SSA).

According to court documents, Courville received Social Security disability payments from early 1995 until March 2012 even though he continuously worked selfemployed as a painter. He owned his own business called R.T’s painting, which was later changed to Affordable Painting. Courville’s wife and three children also received benefits during this time. The SSA informed Courville after he started receiving benefits that should he be able to work or had completed any work that he, Courville, was required to notify their office. At no time between 1995 and 2012 did Courville notify SSA that he was able to or had completed any work.

Courville faces a maximum penalty of up to 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both, and three years of supervised release for the count of theft of government money. He is required to pay $324,818 in restitution. Courville is scheduled to appear June 21, 2013 for sentencing in U.S. District Court in Lafayette.

“Courville worked at his private business while taking money that was meant for those who cannot work,” Finley said. “This case should serve as a warning to anyone who lies in order to receive benefits that we do not take the defrauding of SSA lightly.”

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

LAFAYETTE, La: United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a federal grand jury indicted David Frederick, 37, Charenton, La., Thursday on four counts for assaulting three people, two of which were Chitimacha tribal police officers.

According to the indictment, Frederick is charged with two counts of assaulting, resisting and impeding the work of law enforcement on the Chitimacha Tribal Reservation on Jan. 27, 2013. He also is charged with one count of assault by a non-Indian on an Indian reservation and one count of interstate domestic violence against an intimate partner. The criminal activity took place on the Chitimacha Reservation.

If convicted, Frederick faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both with up to three years of supervised release for each assault count. He also faces a maximum penalty of six months in prison, a $250,000 fine or both with one year of supervised release for the Assault within Indian Country count. He also faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both with up to three years of supervised release for the Interstate Domestic Violence count.

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

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

SHREVEPORT, La.: United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that Kenneth A. Gordon Jr., 43, of Bossier City, was sentenced Thursday before U.S. District Court Judge Donald E. Walter, to 20 months in prison following his convictions for conspiracy and wire fraud after filing a false insurance claim for theft of his John Deere equipment. Gordon is also required to pay $104,134 in restitution.

Gordon’s co-defendant, Don E. Newton, was sentenced in December 2012 to two years of supervised probation for conspiring with Gordon to commit wire fraud.

Trial testimony revealed that Gordon had asked Newton to report that a John Deere skid steer and a John Deere telehandler valued at approximately $140,000 had been stolen in August 2006. Gordon then filed a false claim to Sentry Insurance for the equipment. Instead of being stolen, Gordon had been leasing the equipment to a friend for $15,000 per month. Gordon later agreed to sell the skid steer to another friend in Texas for an additional $15,000. Gordon testified that he permitted his elderly parents to travel across state lines to deliver the equipment to his friend even though they were unaware it had been reported stolen. Law enforcement discovered the John Deere skid steer in Hico, Texas, in June 2009 on the friend’s property with an identification number matching the one Gordon previously reported stolen.

“Insurance fraud is a serious federal offense that affects everyone,” Finley said. “We will continue to use every tool available to aggressively investigate and prosecute those individuals who perpetrate these types of financial crimes that affect our community.”

The Louisiana State Police/Insurance Fraud Auto Theft Unit and the Texas Department of Public Safety/Motor Vehicle Theft Services investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cytheria D. Jernigan prosecuted the case.

430,000 in checks written for work never performed

SHREVEPORT, La: United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that former Homer Housing Authority executive director Michelle Green, 35, of North Little Rock, Ark., and five co-defendants were sentenced before U. S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote for defrauding the HHA out of $430,000.

Green was sentenced to 37 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay $430,000 in restitution to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

Green pleaded guilty Oct. 29, 2012 to causing checks to be issued to friends and relatives for work allegedly performed for HHA. The defendants admitted they did no work for HHA, and that they usually cashed the checks and returned much of the proceeds to Green. More than $430,000 worth of checks were written between December 2007 until Green was fired in April 2011. Green and five co-defendants were indicted in July 2012.

Co-defendant Curtis L. Mays, 34, of Harker Heights, Tx., was sentenced to probation, five years supervised release, and was ordered to pay $26,176 in restitution.

Katrina G. Robertson, 38, of Haynesville, La., received probation, five years supervised release, and $26,176 in restitution.

Flack D. Robertson, 35, of Haynesville, La., was sentenced to probation, five years supervised release, and $50,190 in restitution.

Aaron Perry, 29, of Haynesville, La., received probation, three years supervised release, and $20,630 in restitution.

Katrina Henderson, 34, of Shreveport, received probation, three years of supervised release, and $15,380 in restitution.

“The victims in this case are the Homer Housing Authority and the citizens of Homer, Louisiana. The defendants sought to enrich themselves at the expense of the residents who could potentially qualify and are in need of low-income housing opportunities,” Finley said. “The citizens of this community lose when criminals steal from programs like this. Our office will continue to investigate and prosecute anyone who violates the public trust in this manner.”

The Housing and Urban Development-Office of Inspector General and the FBI investigated the case. Senior Litigation Counsel Joseph G. Jarzabek prosecuted the case.

SHREVEPORT, La: United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that former DeSoto Parish School Board member Bartholomew Claiborne, 25, of Mansfield, pleaded guilty Thursday before U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote to distributing cocaine.

Claiborne was indicted on Sept. 4, 2012, for distributing cocaine. According to the indictment, Claiborne was recorded to have distributed cocaine on 14 separate occasions between Oct. 11, 2011 and July 12, 2012. Authorities used surveillance methods to observe Claiborne selling cocaine.

Claiborne faces up to 20 years in prison, a fine of $1 million or both with three years of supervised release on the count. Sentencing has been set for May 21, 2013 at 11:30 a.m. “As an elected official, Bartholomew Claiborne swore to uphold the law, and by his own admission, failed to do so,” Finley stated. “He also failed the children and parents of his school board district where he served as a role model. We hope this case sends a message that public officials are not above the law. We will continue to prosecute those who violate federal laws. I thank all of the agencies on a federal, state and local level who participated in the investigation.”

Claiborne was the first indictment as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) “Operation Limpiar Casa.” The FBI, the DEA, 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 is prosecuting the case.

United States Attorney Stephanie Finley is available for comment and can be reached at (337) 262-6618.

LAKE CHARLES, La.: United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana member Nicholas Tyler Poncho, 21, of Elton, La., was sentenced Thursday before U.S. District Court Judge Patricia Minaldi to 33 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release and a $1,000 fine for assault.

Poncho pleaded guilty October 4, 2012, to one count of assault with a dangerous weapon after a federal grand jury indicted him in May 2012 for assault with a dangerous weapon and assault resulting in serious bodily injury. According to court documents, Poncho admitted to intentionally striking his father Jan. 22, 2012, while on the Coushatta Tribal Reservation with a 1.5 liter wine bottle with the intent to do bodily harm. Poncho also admitted that the wine bottle was an instrument capable of inflicting grave bodily harm or death.

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.

“Safeguarding the lives of those on reservations is of upmost concern to our office,” Finley said. “Violence on the lands of native peoples will not be tolerated and offenders will be prosecuted.”

The Coushatta Tribal Police Department and the FBI-Lake Charles Resident Agency investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. McCoy prosecuted the case.

Deadline for submission of a grant proposal to the U.S. Attorney is February 18, 2013

United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that the Department of Justice (DOJ), the Office of Justice Programs (OJP), and the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) is seeking applications for funding of grants under the Violent Gang and Gun Crime Reduction Program, also known as Project Safe Neighborhoods. This program furthers the Department of Justice’s mission and violent crime reduction strategy by providing support to state, local and tribal efforts to reduce gun and gang-related violent crime. Contingent on the availability of funds, grant awards totaling $300,000 are possible in the Western
District of Louisiana to fund new and current comprehensive gun crime reduction strategies and gang violence reduction strategies. The deadline to submit the proposal to the U.S. Attorney’s Office is noon on February 18, 2013.

Various types of single or multi-grantee grant applications are welcome, including those that address the following:

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

The 2013 Competitive Grant Announcement can be found at http://www.bja.gov/Funding/13PSNsol.pdf. Those who are interested should contact Robert W. Gillespie Jr., Assistant U. S. Attorney and PSN and Anti-Gang Coordinator for the Western District of Louisiana, at (318) 676-3600 for additional information.

The deadline to submit applications to the U.S. Attorney is noon on February 18, 2013.

Applicants can contact the www.Grants.gov Customer Support Hotline for technical assistance with submitting an application at (800) 518-4726, (606) 545-5035, or by e-mail to support@grants.gov.

For more information regarding the Project Safe Neighborhoods Program, visit the Western District of Louisiana U.S. Attorney’s Office website at: http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/law/programs/projectsafe.html, as well as www.psn.gov and http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/BJA/grant/psn.html.