Southern District of Mississippi

Hattiesburg, Miss. – Paul Ruff, 42, of Hattiesburg, was sentenced today by Senior U.S. District Judge Keith Starrett to 6 months in the community corrections center, followed by 6 months’ home confinement, for misapplication of funds by a bank officer, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Michelle A. Sutphin, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Mississippi.

Ruff was also ordered to pay a $10,000 fine.   The court determined the loss amount to be $193,920.81.  A hearing on the total restitution owed by the defendant will be held at a later date.  

Ruff was employed as the Commercial Relationships Manager of Trustmark National Bank in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, from 1999 to 2014. From 2008 through March 6, 2014, Ruff willfully misapplied moneys, funds, assets or securities that were entrusted to the care of Trustmark National Bank.  During this period, Ruff issued unapproved monetary advances, made unauthorized loans, moved money in and out of different customer accounts without authorization, and created fraudulent entries in the electronic records of Trustmark National Bank to conceal the unauthorized transactions.  

Ruff pled guilty before Judge Starrett on April 9, 2019, to misapplication of funds by a bank officer or employee.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case.  It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Erin Chalk.

Hattiesburg, Miss. – James Douglas Maxwell, 26, of Hattiesburg, pled guilty today before Senior U.S. District Judge Keith Starrett to being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Kurt Thielhorn with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Maxwell was previously convicted in Forrest County in 2013 of being an accessory after the fact to armed robbery and was sentenced to serve 20 years in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections, but with all 20 of those years suspended.  On February 14, 2019, Maxwell was found in possession of a firearm during a traffic stop in Hattiesburg.

Maxwell will be sentenced by Judge Starrett on January 9, 2020 at 10:15 a.m.  He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

This case is part of Project EJECT, an initiative by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi under the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). EJECT is a holistic, multi-disciplinary approach to fighting and reducing violent crime through prosecution, prevention, re-entry and awareness. EJECT stands for “Empower Justice Expel Crime Together.” PSN is bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Former Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Forrest County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew W. Eichner.

 

 

The Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General (VA-OIG) and the Department of Justice today announced the establishment of the VA Health Care Fraud Task Force to combat fraud in VA’s expanding health care programs. 

The Task Force combines VA-OIG’s substantial experience investigating health care fraud at VA with the Justice Department’s proven track record prosecuting health care fraud through its Medicare Fraud Strike Force, which resides within the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section.  The Task Force initially will focus on investigating and prosecuting health care fraud in VA’s growing Community Care program, under which eligible veterans may receive health care from a private provider in their community (rather than from a VA medical facility), similar to the Medicare program.  As part of the Task Force, a VA-OIG attorney will be detailed to serve as a special prosecutor in the Health Care Fraud Unit of the Fraud Section.

The VA operates the nation’s largest integrated health care system, providing care to approximately nine million veterans at over 1,200 medical facilities.  Beginning on June 6, 2019, the VA MISSION Act significantly increased veterans’ access to health care by expanding their ability to receive health care from approved non-VA providers (referred to as community care providers).  As with the Medicare program, these community care providers submit claims to the VA for payment for their services. 

“It is beyond the pale when individuals commit fraud against health care programs designed to assist the men and women who have served in our nation’s military,” said Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.  “This new Task Force leverages the proven success of the Department’s Strike Force model and will aggressively target fraud in the VA’s expanding health care programs.”

“Combating health care fraud is one of our highest priorities at VA-OIG,” said VA Inspector General Michael J. Missal.  “Our agents in the VA-OIG are experts at detecting and investigating health care fraud in VA’s complex and diverse health care system.  We are enthusiastic about the opportunity to tap into the wealth of knowledge and expertise of DOJ and the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, particularly in the fee-for-service environment.  As the VA MISSION Act expands VA’s Community Care program, this is one of those rare opportunities in government where we can be proactive and get ahead of the curve by partnering with the Fraud Section and leveraging its proven strategies for combating fraud in the Medicare program.  This Task Force sends a clear message to anyone considering committing health care fraud at VA – we will protect our veterans’ health care system at all costs.”

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In coordination with the recently announced Medicare Fraud Strike Force enforcement actions, VA-OIG partnered with the Department to bring charges in cases impacting VA’s health care programs in August and September 2019.  These cases are being investigated by agents from the FBI, HHS-OIG, IRS-CI and other federal law enforcement agencies and are being prosecuted by the Fraud Section.

Among those charged are the following:

In the Northern District of Texas:

Jamshid Noryian, Dehshid Nourian, Christopher Rydberg, Leyla Nourian, Ashraf Mofid, Leslie Benson, Michael Taba and Ali Khavarmanesh were charged for their alleged participation in a scheme to defraud the Department of Labor-Office of Worker’s Compensation and Blue Cross Blue Shield and conspiracies to launder money and evade the payment of taxes through Ability Pharmacy, Industrial & Family Pharmacy and Park Row Pharmacy, all located in the Dallas/Fort Worth area of Texas.  As part of the scheme, the defendants allegedly provided unnecessary and expensive creams to VA employees and employees of other federal agencies, that were billed to DOL-OWCP.  The case was investigated by the VA-OIG, USPS-OIG, DOL-OIG and IRS-CI and is being prosecuted by Assistant Chief Adrienne Frazior of the Fraud Section.

Nilesh Patel, Craig Henry and Bruce Henry were charged for their alleged participation in a scheme to defraud TRICARE through marketing company RxConsultants and a compounding pharmacy located in Fort Worth, Texas.  The case was investigated by the VA-OIG, FBI and HHS-OIG and is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Carlos Lopez of the Fraud Section.

In the Southern District of Mississippi:

Wade Ashley Walters, 52, of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, a co-owner of numerous compounding pharmacies and pharmaceutical marketing companies, was charged for his alleged role in a scheme to defraud TRICARE and other private health insurance companies by paying kickbacks to practitioners and marketers for the prescribing and referring of fraudulent prescriptions for medically unnecessary compounded medications that were ultimately dispensed by his pharmacies, as well as for his alleged role in a scheme to launder the proceeds of the fraud scheme.  The indictment alleges that, based on these fraudulent prescriptions, Walters caused TRICARE and other health care benefit programs to reimburse his and other compounding pharmacies more than $510 million.  Assistant Deputy Chief Dustin Davis and Trial Attorney Sara Porter of the Fraud Section, Trial Attorneys Amanda Wick and Stephanie Williamson of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Helen Wall of the Southern District of Mississippi are prosecuting the case. 

Gregory Auzenne, M.D., 49, and Tiffany Clark, 45, both of Meridian, Mississippi, were charged for their alleged participation in a scheme to defraud TRICARE and other private health insurance companies by prescribing medically unnecessary compounded medications in exchange for kickbacks and bribes.  The indictment alleges that Auzenne and Clark caused the submission of over $1.6 million in fraudulent claims to TRICARE.  Trial Attorneys Jared Hasten and Sara Porter of the Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Helen Wall are prosecuting the case.

A complaint, information or indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

The VA OIG conducts oversight of VA programs and operations, providing independent and objective reporting to VA and Congress in order to prevent and detect fraud, waste and abuse, as well as enhance VA’s integrity, efficiency and effectiveness.  To report potential fraud, waste, mismanagement, or other abuse, contact the VA OIG Hotline at www.va.gov/oig/hotline/default.asp.

The Fraud Section leads the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, which maintains 15 strike forces operating in 24 districts.  The Medicare Fraud Strike Force is a partnership among DOJ’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney’s Offices, the FBI and the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG).  Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force has charged over 4,200 defendants who have collectively billed the Medicare program for more than $19 billion.

Jackson, Miss. – Garrett Dean Thomas, 23, a member of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, was sentenced today by Senior U.S. District Judge David Bramlette III to 21 months in prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release, for sexual abuse of a minor within the Pearl River Community of the Choctaw Indian reservation, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and FBI Special Agent in Charge Michelle A. Sutphin.

On August 10, 2016, the victim visited Choctaw Health Center complaining of abdominal pain and morning sickness. It was discovered she was pregnant. A case manager informed social services due to the age of the suspected father, Thomas, who was 20 years old at the time. Thomas admitted to his sexual abuse of the minor, who was 14 years old. A paternity test confirmed Thomas is the father of the child.

Twelve months of today’s sentence will be served consecutively to a 24-month sentence imposed by U.S. District Judge Henry T. Wingate on September 9, 2019. The defendant was convicted of the same offense in that case, but a different victim was involved.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Choctaw Police Department investigated both cases. They were prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kimberly Purdie and Special Assistant United States Attorney Kevin Payne.

           

Jackson, Miss. – Virginia Perkins, 49, of Lake, Mississippi, was sentenced yesterday by Senior U.S. District Judge David Bramlette III to two years probation for delay or destruction of U.S. mail by a postal employee, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Christopher Cave with the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, Southern Area Field Office.

Perkins was employed as a rural carrier associate at the Canton, Mississippi, Post Office. On January 17, 2017, following numerous complaints regarding undelivered mail along her route, agents conducted surveillance of Perkins as she delivered mail. Agents found that mail was not being delivered as addressed. A search of her vehicle yielded approximately 2,044 pieces of letter mail and 340 flats that Perkins had not delivered.

The case was investigated by agents from the U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kimberly Purdie.

 

 

 

Gulfport, Miss. – Noel Velasquez-Lucas, 50, a citizen of Guatemala, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sul Ozerden to “time served” (effectively 148 days in prison), and one year of supervised release, for unlawful reentry by an alien after deportation or removal, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst, and William Joyce, Acting Field Office Director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations in New Orleans. 

Velasquez-Lucas pled guilty to the felony offense before Judge Ozerden on June 20, 2019.  After completion of his imprisonment, he will be transferred to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration & Customs Enforcement, where he will be subject to administrative detention and removal proceedings to remove him from the United States to his home nation of Guatemala.  

On May 2, 2019, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents encountered Noel Velasquez-Lucas while conducting fugitive operations in Biloxi, Mississippi.  The agents identified themselves as ICE Deportation Officers and determined that Velasquez-Lucas was an illegal alien from Guatemala, with multiple prior immigration removals.  Velasquez-Lucas was arrested and transported to the Gulfport, Mississippi, ICE office for processing. 

An investigation revealed that Velasquez-Lucas initially unlawfully entered the United States in March, 2002, near Lukeville, AZ.  Border Patrol Agents arrested him and granted him a Voluntary Return in lieu of formal removal. 

On March 7, 2014. Velasquez-Lucas was arrested by Border Patrol Agents near Kingsville, Texas.   He was issued a lawful order of removal on March 12, 2014, and was physically removed from the United States pursuant to that order from Harlingen, Texas. 

On April 21, 2014, Velasquez-Lucas was arrested again by US Border Patrol Agents near McAllen, Texas, and his order of removal was reinstated on April 29, 2014, and he was physically removed from the United States.

On January 16, 2019, Velasquez-Lucas was arrested yet again by US Border Patrol Agents near San Luis, Arizona.  His order of removal was again reinstated, and he was released with supervision including electronic monitoring.  On January 23, 2019, a tampering alert identified that Velasquez-Lucas had absconded, and he was found in the Southern District of Mississippi. 

U.S. Attorney Hurst praised the cooperation exhibited by the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration & Customs Enforcement, Enforcement Removal Operations, and the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department.  Assistant United States Attorney Stan Harris was the prosecutor for this case.

Hattiesburg, Miss. – Gregorio Xolotl-Hipolito, 42, an illegal alien from Mexico, pled guilty today before U.S. District Judge Keith Starrett to possession of a firearm by an illegal alien, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Mr. William Joyce, Acting Field Office Director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations, in New Orleans. 

Xolotl-Hipolito will be sentenced by Judge Starrett on January 9, 2020, at 10:00 a.m.  He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release and a maximum $250,000 fine. He also faces being removed from the United States to his home nation of Mexico, following the completion of any prison sentence.

On June 24, 2019, while conducting Criminal Alien Program duties at the Forrest County Adult Detention Center, an Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent encountered Xolotl-Hipolito, who had been arrested by Hattiesburg Police for possession of a stolen firearm and driving while consuming alcohol.  When stopped by police, Xolotl-Hipolito had no driver’s license and only a Tennessee ID card.  A .22 caliber pistol was found in plain view next to Xolotl-Hipolito in the vehicle.   Police also found .22 ammunition in Xolotl-Hipolito’s pocket as well as elsewhere in the vehicle.  Additionally, police determined that the pistol had been reported as stolen.

Local officials notified ICE, and Xolotl-Hipolito was identified as an illegal alien from Mexico who had been previously removed from the United States.  Records revealed that, in 2011, an Immigration Judge ordered Xolotl-Hipolito removed from the U.S.  Records also documented that Xolotl-Hipolito illegally reentered the U.S. and was removed four additional times.

U.S. Attorney Hurst praised the cooperation of the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration & Customs Enforcement, Enforcement Removal Operations, the Hattiesburg Police Department and the Forrest County Sheriff’s Department.  Assistant United States Attorney Stan Harris is the prosecutor for the case.

 

Gulfport, Miss. – Michael Wayne Dossett, 38, or Carriere, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sul Ozerden to 78 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Kurt Thielhorn with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. 

Dossett was also ordered to pay a $3,000 fine and forfeit six firearms, including a stolen SKS 7.62 caliber rifle with an extended magazine.  Dossett has previous felony convictions for robbery and possession of cash in a correctional facility.    

An investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives into the Simon City Royals criminal street gang activity in Pearl River County resulted in the April 17, 2019, execution of  a search warrant at the home of Dossett, where firearms, 152 rounds of assorted ammunition, a ballistic vest, and various gang paraphernalia was seized.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case.  It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Annette Williams.

Jackson, Miss. – Mackee Donell Jefferson, 38, of Jackson, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Tom S. Lee to 21 months in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Michelle A. Sutphin, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Mississippi.

On September 14, 2018, Jefferson was waiting in a drive-through line of a fast food restaurant in Jackson.  After a long wait, Jefferson became irritated.  In an apparent attempt to accelerate his order, Jefferson approached the drive-thru window and tapped on the window with a handgun.  A restaurant employee called the Jackson Police Department and officers responded.  The officers approached Jefferson’s vehicle and questioned Jefferson while he was in his car.  Jefferson admitted to possessing a gun.  Jefferson has prior felony convictions for auto burglary in Rankin County and auto theft in Hinds County.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Bert Carraway.

This case is part of Project EJECT, an initiative by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi under the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). EJECT is a holistic, multi-disciplinary approach to fighting and reducing violent crime through prosecution, prevention, re-entry and awareness. EJECT stands for "Empower Justice Expel Crime Together." PSN is bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Former Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

Jackson, Miss. – Daniel S. Dixon Jr. Tubby, 39, a member of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, pled guilty Thursday before Chief United States District Judge Daniel P. Jordan III to sexual abuse of a minor.  The crime occurred within the Pearl River Community of the Choctaw Indian reservation.

Judge Jordan will sentence Tubby on December 13, 2019, at 9:00 a.m. in Jackson. He faces a maximum penalty of 15 years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine.

This case was investigated by the Choctaw Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kimberly Purdie.       

Gulfport, Miss. – Zenon Carbajal-Osorio, an illegal alien from Mexico, pled guilty today before Senior U.S. District Judge Louis Guirola, Jr. to unlawful reentry by an alien after removal, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst, and Jere Miles, Special Agent in Charge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in New Orleans.

Carbajal-Osorio will be sentenced by Judge Guirola, on December 10, 2019, at 10:00 a.m. He faces a maximum penalty of 2 years in prison followed by one year of supervised release and a maximum $250,000 fine. He also faces being removed from the United States following the completion of any prison sentence.

On July 17, 2019, the Homeland Security Investigations office in Gulfport received a complaint that Carbajal-Osorio was physically present at the Jackson County Circuit Court in Jackson County Mississippi, after having previously been deported from the United States. Agents made contact with Carbajal-Osorio, who provided a Mexican passport as his means of identification. Agents questioned Carbajal-Osorio regarding his legal status to reside in the United States, which he did not deny being in the country without legal status, and in fact admitted to having been previously removed from the United States to Mexico. Further investigation revealed that Carbajal-Osorio had unlawfully entered the United States, and been lawfully removed from the United States, on multiple occasions.

On December 5, 2007, Carbajal-Osorio was encountered by Border Patrol Agents in o Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Agents determined that he was in the country illegally. He was granted a Voluntary Return to Mexico and he departed the United States through Hidalgo, Texas, on December 21, 2007.

On April 4, 2011, Mr. Carbajal-Osorio was encountered by an ICE Agent at the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison, having been arrested by local authorities for Domestic Abuse Battery (a local misdemeanor charge for which he was convicted and sentenced to 6 months in jail). Carbajal-Osorio was issued a Warrant of Removal/Deportation on November 1, 2011, and was physically removed from the United States, pursuant to the lawful removal order.

On October 18, 2012, Carbajal-Osorio was again encountered by Border Patrol Agents in the Southern District of Texas. He was issued an Order to Reinstate his lawful removal order from 2011, and he was returned to his home nation of Mexico from Laredo, Texas. At the time of his most recent removal, Carbajal-Osorio was prohibited from entering, attempting to enter, being in the United States or even lawfully applying to reenter the U.S. for a period of 20 years.

U.S. Attorney Hurst praised the cooperation exhibited by the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Stan Harris is the prosecutor for the case.

Jackson, Miss. – Mark Cassity, 22, of Jackson, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge Daniel P. Jordan III to 30 months in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Kurt Thielhorn, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

On June 8, 2018, Cassity was arrested by an officer of the Jackson Police Department during a traffic stop for providing false information.  During the arrest, a brief struggle ensued between the officer and Cassity.  Once the officer gained control, the officer discovered a handgun in Cassity’s front pocket.  During booking, the officer learned Cassity had been previously convicted of auto burglary.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.  It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Bert Carraway.

This case is part of Project EJECT, an initiative by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi under the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). EJECT is a holistic, multi-disciplinary approach to fighting and reducing violent crime through prosecution, prevention, re-entry and awareness. EJECT stands for "Empower Justice Expel Crime Together." PSN is bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Former Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

Jackson, Miss – Braxton Dontrel Burns, 33, of Jackson, pled guilty Friday before Chief U.S. District Court Judge Daniel P. Jordan III to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Kurt Thielhorn, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

On May 5, 2018, a Jackson Police officer conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle for speeding.  Before the vehicle stopped, the driver tossed a handgun from the vehicle.  The driver was identified as Braxton Burns. The officer determined that Burns had a prior conviction for auto burglary in Madison County, Mississippi.  On February 20, 2019, Burns was charged in a federal indictment with being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.        

Burns will be sentenced on December 12, 2019, by Judge Jordan, and faces a maximum penalty of ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Bert Carraway.

This case is part of Project EJECT, an initiative by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi under the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).  EJECT is a holistic, multi-disciplinary approach to fighting and reducing violent crime through prosecution, prevention, re-entry and awareness.  EJECT stands for "Empower Justice Expel Crime Together."  PSN is bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  Former Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

Jackson, Miss. – Jalen Sean Benton, 19, of Georgia, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge Daniel P. Jordan III to 358 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for carjacking, two business robberies, and using a firearm to commit each offense, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst, FBI Jackson Division Special Agent in Charge Michelle A. Sutphin, and Warren County Sheriff Martin Pace. Benton was also ordered to pay a $1,500 fine.

On March 25, 2019, Benton robbed the Jimmy Johns Restaurant in Meridian, the McDonalds in Brandon, and carjacked a vehicle in Vicksburg. Benton used pistols in committing each offense. The Warren County Sheriff’s Office arrested Benton in Vicksburg after shooting at law enforcement and subsequently committing the carjacking.

On April 16, 2019, Benton was charged in a federal criminal indictment with carjacking, two business robberies, and using a firearm to commit each offense. He pled guilty before Judge Jordan on June 12, 2019.

"Because of the courage and bravery of our law enforcement, this criminal’s rampage of terror is over. He will now spend the next three decades of his life repaying a debt to society for the harm he has caused others. I want to sincerely thank our law enforcement for literally putting themselves in harm’s way in order to stop this violent criminal from harming anyone else," said U.S. Attorney Hurst.

"The crime spree that this individual went on put the innocent lives of citizens across Central Mississippi in danger," said FBI Special Agent in Charge Sutphin. "Without the assistance and quick actions of Sheriff Pace and his deputies, this individual could have committed more violent crime. Cooperation with all levels of law enforcement is essential in cases like these to bring justice to the affected victims and communities."

"The excellent cooperation between the FBI, the U.S. Attorney's Office and the Warren County Sheriff's Office has made our community a safer place and made certain this violent offender will serve a very long time in federal prison," said Warren County Sheriff Martin Pace.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lynn Murray.

This case is part of Project EJECT, an initiative by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi under the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). EJECT is a holistic, multi-disciplinary approach to fighting and reducing violent crime through prosecution, prevention, re-entry and awareness. EJECT stands for "Empower Justice Expel Crime Together." PSN is bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Former Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

Jackson, Miss. –Shakedra Verleece Smith, of Nashville, Tennessee, and Sheri Youse a/k/a Sheri Johnson, of Birmingham, Alabama, were sentenced today by Senior U.S. District Judge Tom S. Lee for their roles in a conspiracy to commit bank and mail fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Jere T. Miles, Special Agent in Charge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations in New Orleans, and Shawn Wolfe, Resident Agent in Charge of the United States Secret Service in Mississippi.  

Smith and Youse were each sentenced to 60 months’ probation with 6 months of home confinement.   Smith was ordered to pay $40,000 in restitution and Youse was ordered to pay $55,000 in restitution.

Smith and Youse conspired with each other to apply for fraudulent automobile loans at Magnolia Federal Credit Union in Hinds County, Mississippi. The conspiracy spanned from March 2017 through October 2018. The fraudulent loan applications contained false information to include computer-generated numbers in lieu of their legitimate social security numbers and places of employment. Magnolia Federal Credit Union relied on the information provided in the automobile loan applications and processed loans in each of the defendant’s names. The false representations caused Magnolia Federal Credit Union to mail checks in amounts from $25,000 to $55,000 to what was later determined to be a fictitious automobile dealership. The defendants never intended to purchase or take possession of the vehicles that were referenced in the fraudulent loans.

The defendants were indicted on October 24, 2018.  Youse pled guilty before Judge Lee on February 7, 2019, and Smith pled guilty on February 28, 2019. 

“Those who defraud our financial institutions are defrauding all American taxpayers. I appreciate our law enforcement partners and prosecutor for catching these criminals and ensuring that our victims and taxpayers are protected,” said U.S. Attorney Hurst.

“This case makes clear that scammers who believe they can avoid accountability for their financial schemes are mistaken," said Jere T. Miles, Special Agent in Charge of ICE, Homeland Security Investigations in New Orleans. "HSI is committed to using its broad investigative authorities to investigate financial crimes and seek prosecution of offenders. We are appreciate of our partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and U.S. Secret Service to successfully prosecute this case and will continue to work with our partners to identify and stop these crimes.”

The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the United States Secret Service.  It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Erin Chalk.

Gulfport, Miss. – Geroyce Dewayne Sibley, 25, of Lumberton, was sentenced Tuesday by Senior U.S. District Judge Keith Starrett to 189 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, announced U. S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Kurt Thielhorn with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Sibley was also ordered to pay a $5,000 fine.

In July and August 2017, in Pascagoula, a confidential informant purchased 200 grams of crystal methamphetamine and eight firearms from Sibley.

Sibley was indicted on November 27, 2018, and pled guilty before Judge Starrett on April 24, 2019 to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Annette Williams.

Jackson, Miss. –  Yolunda Shaunderes Walker, 36, of Clinton, pled guilty today before Senior U.S. District Judge Tom Lee to attempting to purchase a firearm by making false statements on a federal background check form, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Kurt Thielhorn, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

On June 6, 2019, Walker attempted to purchase a 9mm pistol from a pawn shop in Jackson by completing ATF Form 4473, a federal background check form required for all firearms purchases from firearms dealers.  On the form, Walker falsely stated that she was not a habitual user of controlled substances. 

In, 2017, Walker was charged with possession of marijuana after calling the Clinton Police Department to report that she was holding burglars at gunpoint in her home.  Officers investigated and determined there were no burglars in the home and no evidence that a burglary had taken place. The officers found marijuana and a firearm in the home. There were also bullet holes inside the home where it was apparent that Walker had discharged her firearm several times inside the residence.   Walker was interviewed by an officer and admitted that she smoke marijuana almost daily.  As a habitual user of controlled substances, Walker is legally prohibited from purchasing a firearm.

Walker will be sentenced by Judge Lee on December 12, 2019, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000.00 fine.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.  It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Charles W. Kirkham.

 

 

Jackson, Miss. – Jeremie Markell Torrey, 29, of Clinton, pled guilty today before Senior U.S. District Judge Tom Lee to being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Michelle A. Sutphin, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Mississippi.

On June 1, 2018, Torrey was a passenger in a vehicle that was stopped by Jackson Police Department officers.  When the officer spoke with the driver, he smelled marijuana in the vehicle.  Marijuana was found in the vehicle, along with baggies for packaging and a digital scale.

Torrey was sitting in the back seat of the car, and a Glock pistol was found on the rear passenger armrest just next to where he was sitting.  A Smith & Wesson pistol was also found under the front passenger side seat where another passenger, Clifton Horton, was sitting.

During interviews by the FBI, Torrey admitted to possessing the Glock pistol and Horton admitted to possessing the Smith & Wesson pistol.  Both Torrey and Horton are convicted felons and it is illegal for them to possess firearms.  Horton is being prosecuted in a separate criminal case by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Torrey will be sentenced on December 12, 2019, by Judge Lee, and faces a maximum penalty of ten years in prison and a $250,000.00 fine.

The case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Charles W. Kirkham.

This case is part of Project EJECT, an initiative by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi under the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). EJECT is a holistic, multi-disciplinary approach to fighting and reducing violent crime through prosecution, prevention, re-entry and awareness. EJECT stands for "Empower Justice Expel Crime Together." PSN is bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Former Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

 

 

El Honorable Juez Keith Starrett, del Tribunal Federal de Distrito para el Distrito Sur de Mississippi, condenó al acusado Louie Bernard Revette, de 38 años de edad, a 11 años de cárcel por cargos federales que se basan en su quema de cruces del 24 de octubre del 2017 en Seminary, Mississippi. Previamente, Revette se había declarado culpable el 12 de abril del 2019 a un cargo de interferencia al derecho a la vivienda, lo que es una vulneración de derechos civiles, y un cargo de confabulación a emplear un incendio para cometer un delito federal grave. Revette, junto con un coconspirador que él había reclutado, construyó y quemó una cruz de madera cerca de la casa de la víctima, M.H., un menor de edad que vivía en una zona residencial de Seminary habitada principalmente por afroestadounidenses. Quemó la cruz para amenazar, asustar e intimidar a M.H. y a otros residentes afroestadounidenses por motivos de su raza y color de piel y por vivir en y ocupar residencias en esa zona de Seminary.

«El acusado aterrorizó a miembros comunitarios sencillamente por motivos de su raza y el lugar donde vivían», afirmó el Fiscal General Auxiliar de la División de Derechos Civiles, Eric Dreiband. «El Departamento de Justicia no tolerará estos actos de odio y seguiremos enjuiciando delitos de odio como este en la medida que lo permita la ley».

«Cualquier individuo que infunda temor y terror en nuestros vecinos y conciudadanos por motivos del color de su piel se les aplicará, desde la Fiscalía Federal, todo el peso de la ley», declaró Mike Hurst, el Fiscal Federal para el Distrito Sur de Mississippi. «No hay un lugar en nuestra sociedad o nación para este tipo de comportamiento, y haremos todo lo posible por prevenir estos actos racistas y enjuiciar a aquellos que estén decididos a cometer estos delitos».

«Todo vecino de Mississippi tiene derecho a sentirse seguro en su comunidad, pero delitos como este no hacen más que reabrir viejas cicatrices que todavía se están curando», dijo Michelle A. Sutphin, la Agente Especial Encargada del FBI en Mississippi. «El FBI, junto con nuestros socios, no tolerará delitos motivados por el odio y perseguiremos activamente a cualquiera que los cometa».

Este caso fue investigado por la Oficina Local del FBI en Jackson, Mississippi, incluyendo el Equipo de Trabajo del FBI para promover las Calles Seguras y el Equipo de Trabajo de Jackson contra la Corrupción Pública. Julia Gegenheimer, Consejera Especial de Litigios de la División de Derechos Civiles del Departamento de Justicia, y Candace Mayberry, Fiscal Federal Auxiliar para el Distrito Sur de Mississippi, enjuiciaron el caso.

Hattiesburg, Miss. – Joe Lamont Gholar, 46, formerly of Jefferson Davis County, Mississippi, was sentenced today by Senior U.S. District Judge Keith Starrett to 48 months in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst, Special Agent in Charge Kurt Thielhorn with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and Special Agent-in-Charge Brad L. Byerley with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). 

On June 9, 2015, agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration Hattiesburg High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) team served a search warrant at a residence where Gholar was living.   Gholar was present during the search, and 35 rounds of .380 ammunition were found in his room.  A .380 caliber pistol was found in a vehicle for which Gholar was the only driver, and a shotgun and rifle belonging to Gholar were also found on the premises.   Gholar was previously convicted in the Western District of Texas for possession with intent to distribute cocaine.    

Gholar was indicted on October 18, 2017 for being a felon in possession of a firearm.  He pled guilty before Judge Starrett on February 1, 2018.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Drug Enforcement Administration.   It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stan Harris. 

 

Jackson, Miss. – Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division joined U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst, Southern District of Mississippi, U.S. Attorney Chad Lamar, Northern District of Mississippi, Commissioner Marshall Fisher, Mississippi Department of Public Safety, and Philip Gunn, Speaker of the Mississippi House of Representatives, today to announce the creation and launch of a new, statewide Mississippi Human Trafficking Council.

Building on the foundation established byGovernor Phil Bryant’s Human Trafficking Task Force Report from 2015, as well as task forces from around the country, the Mississippi Human Trafficking Council’s mission will be to prevent trafficking, protect victims, and prosecute criminals using a victim-centered, collaborative, and multi-disciplinary model. The Council will be led by three Co-Chairs: (1) Susan Bradley, Assistant U.S. Attorney, Northern District of Mississippi; (2) Kathlyn Van Buskirk, Assistant U.S. Attorney, Southern District of Mississippi; and (3) Ashlee Lucas, Mississippi Human Trafficking Coordinator, Mississippi Department of Public Safety.

"The Department of Justice is proud to announce the formation of the Mississippi Human Trafficking Council, which will serve as a crucial component to ongoing efforts to secure justice for victims of sex and labor trafficking crimes," said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband of the Civil Rights Division. "This is the first statewide trafficking council, and it will help law enforcement more effectively prosecute criminals and protect the rights of victims. This is another strong step in the Department of Justice’s commitment to fighting violent crime and protecting the most vulnerable in our society."

"Human trafficking is a crime against humanity, and the monsters who commit these crimes against our children and our fellow human beings will continue to face swift and certain justice in our district," said U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst. "This Council will coordinate multiple entities and agencies, and help our citizens effectively battle this growing epidemic in our state. I want to thank our law enforcement, our prosecutors, and our governmental and non-governmental partners for stepping up to take this fight to the traffickers. At the end of the day, this is all about protecting victims, preventing trafficking and prosecuting the criminals."

"We are so pleased to announce the launching of multiple regional human trafficking task forces throughout the state, Northern and Southern Districts," said U.S. Attorney Lamar. "Not only are these task forces collaborative efforts by federal, state and local law enforcement, but also state service agencies and non-government service providers. The Human Trafficking Council and its committees, comprised of members from both Districts, will provide valuable direction and support."

"The Mississippi Department of Public Safety is dedicated to building an effective Human Trafficking Division to combat those who prey upon, victimize and traffic others for sexual or labor purposes," said Commissioner Marshall Fisher. "With the aid of the Human Trafficking Council, MDPS’s Human Trafficking Division has access to a team of state and federal resources to thwart these threats to our communities."

"Strengthening and improving Mississippi’s human trafficking laws has been and continues to be one of my top priorities," said Mississippi House Speaker Philip Gunn. "It’s important to me that we make the process work for these victims while we support those law enforcement personnel on the ground across our state who are on the front lines fighting human trafficking. I envision the Mississippi Human Trafficking Council being an important resource to complement our state’s five existing regional task forces by collaborating and offering assistance when and where needed," said Mississippi House Speaker Philip Gunn.

I. Steering Committee

The Council will have a Steering Committee, overseen by the Council Co-Chairs, and will be made up of the five subcommittee chairpersons along with the Council Co-Chairs. The Steering Committee will serve as the primary policy making body of the Council. The Steering Committee will discuss and propose recommendations for the Council, upon which the Co-Chairs will vote to approve or disapprove of such recommendations.

II. Subcommittees

The Council will consist of five subcommittees and will focus on all forms of domestic and international human trafficking, to include commercial sex trafficking and labor trafficking, for the protection of both adult and minor victims. Each subcommittee chairperson will oversee the operation of each subcommittee, arranges logistics for meetings, keeps records of activities and issues, serves as a member of the Steering Committee and performs other duties as necessary for the efficient and productive operation of the Council.

The five subcommittees and chairpersons are:

1. Outreach and Public Awareness Subcommittee

Chair: Mandy Davis, Mississippi Department of Public Safety

2. Strategic Planning and Trafficking Protocol Subcommittee

Chair: Dr. Tamara Hurst, University of Southern Mississippi

3. Policy and Legislation Subcommittee

Co-Chairs: Angela Cockerham, Mississippi House of Representatives

Lora Hunter, Mississippi Department of Public Safety

4. Training Subcommittee

Chair: Paula Broome, Mississippi Attorney General’s Office

5. Victim Service Subcommittee

Co-Chairs: Hollie Jeffery, Children’s Advocacy Center of Mississippi

Heather Wagner, Mississippi Department of Health

III. Task Forces

The Council will also consist of small, regional Task Forces, made up of local, state, federal and tribal law enforcement, local prosecutors, and victim service providers, and will be led by an Assistant U.S. Attorney. These Task Forces will meet monthly and will share information, coordinate investigations, and discuss potential matters and active cases in preparation for prosecution.

The Department of Justice continues to fight human trafficking through investigating and prosecuting traffickers, dismantling transnational human trafficking networks, enhancing victim identification and protection of all victims of trafficking, and funding and providing domestic and international anti-trafficking programs. Information on the Department of Justice’s efforts to combat human trafficking can be found here. An update on human trafficking prosecution statistics can be found here.

 

 

 

WASHINGTON – The Honorable Judge Keith Starrett, of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi, sentenced defendant Louie Bernard Revette, 38, to serve 11 years on federal charges for his commission of a crossburning on Oct. 24, 2017, in Seminary, Mississippi. Revette previously pled guilty on April 12, to one count of interference with housing rights, a federal civil rights violation, and one count of using fire to commit a federal felony. Revette, along with a co-conspirator whom he recruited, built and burned a wooden cross near the home of a juvenile victim, M.H., who lived in a predominantly African-American residential area of Seminary. He burned the cross to threaten, frighten, and intimidate M.H. and other African-American residents because of their race and color, and because they lived in and occupied residences in that area of Seminary. 

“The defendant terrorized members of a community simply because of their race and where they lived,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband of the Civil Rights Division. “The Department of Justice will not tolerate these acts of hate, and we will continue to prosecute hate crimes like these to the fullest extent of the law.”

“Those who instill fear and terror into our neighbors and our fellow citizens because of the color of their skin will face the full weight and force of the law from the U.S. Attorney’s Office,” said U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst of the Southern District of Mississippi. “There is absolutely no place in our society or our country for this type of behavior, and we will do all that we can to prevent these racist acts and bring to justice those who are intent on committing these crimes.”

“All Mississippians have the right to feel safe in their communities, but crimes like these only tear open wounds that are still healing,” said Michelle A. Sutphin, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Mississippi. “The FBI and our partners will not tolerate crimes motivated by hate, and we will vigorously pursue those that commit them.”

This case was investigated by the FBI’s Jackson, Mississippi Field Office, including the FBI Safe Streets Task Force and the Jackson Public Corruption Task Force. Special Litigation Counsel Julia Gegenheimer of the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Candace Mayberry of the Southern District of Mississippi prosecuted the case.

The Honorable Judge Keith Starrett, of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi, sentenced defendant Louie Bernard Revette, 38, to serve 11 years on federal charges for his commission of a crossburning on Oct. 24, 2017, in Seminary, Mississippi. Revette previously pled guilty on April 12, to one count of interference with housing rights, a federal civil rights violation, and one count of using fire to commit a federal felony. Revette, along with a co-conspirator whom he recruited, built and burned a wooden cross near the home of a juvenile victim, M.H., who lived in a predominantly African-American residential area of Seminary. He burned the cross to threaten, frighten, and intimidate M.H. and other African-American residents because of their race and color, and because they lived in and occupied residences in that area of Seminary. 

“The defendant terrorized members of a community simply because of their race and where they lived,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband of the Civil Rights Division.  “The Department of Justice will not tolerate these acts of hate, and we will continue to prosecute hate crimes like these to the fullest extent of the law.”

“Those who instill fear and terror into our neighbors and our fellow citizens because of the color of their skin will face the full weight and force of the law from the U.S. Attorney’s Office,” said U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst of the Southern District of Mississippi. “There is absolutely no place in our society or our country for this type of behavior, and we will do all that we can to prevent these racist acts and bring to justice those who are intent on committing these crimes.”

“All Mississippians have the right to feel safe in their communities, but crimes like these only tear open wounds that are still healing,” said Michelle A. Sutphin, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Mississippi. “The FBI and our partners will not tolerate crimes motivated by hate, and we will vigorously pursue those that commit them.”

This case was investigated by the FBI’s Jackson, Mississippi Field Office, including the FBI Safe Streets Task Force and the Jackson Public Corruption Task Force. Special Litigation Counsel Julia Gegenheimer of the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Candace Mayberry of the Southern District of Mississippi prosecuted the case.

Hattiesburg, Miss. – Lydia Walters, 34, of Hattiesburg, was sentenced today by Senior U.S. District Judge Keith Starrett to 48 months in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst, Special Agent in Charge Kurt Thielhorn with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Special Agent in Charge Brad Byerley with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).  Walters was also ordered to pay a $5,000 fine.

Beginning in July 2016, ATF agents received information that Adrian Parker was distributing ounce quantities of methamphetamine at an apartment complex in Hattiesburg.  On October 17, 2016, a confidential informant purchased 13.19 grams of methamphetamine from Parker at an apartment in Hattiesburg. 

Further investigation revealed that Parker’s girlfriend, Lydia Walters, was also involved in distributing methamphetamine.  On December 22, 2016, a DEA confidential informant purchased 17.3 grams of methamphetamine from Walters in the parking lot of a business on Highway 49 in Hattiesburg. 

Walters was subsequently indicted for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and pled guilty before Judge Starrett on June 6, 2019.

Adrian Parker was indicted for his role and pled guilty before Judge Starrett to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine on July 1, 2019.  He will be sentenced by Judge Starrett on October 2, 2019 at 10:00 a.m.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Drug Enforcement Administration.  It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shundral H. Cole.

 

Gulfport, Miss. – Pablo Vega-Ontanon, 53, an illegal alien from Mexico who was living in Georgia, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sul Ozerden to 74 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute heroin, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Jere T. Miles with Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations in New Orleans.

On November 6, 2018, Vega-Ontanon and two co-defendants arrived in Gulfport to sell heroin to a confidential informant. They claimed to have ten kilograms of heroin hidden in a compartment of their vehicle. All three were arrested shortly thereafter. The substance was eventually tested and found to contain nine kilograms of heroin and one kilogram of fentanyl.

One kilogram of fentanyl can produce half a million fatal doses.

Vega-Ontanon was indicted on November 27, 2018 along with co-defendants Eder Ortega- Casarrubias and Eric Estudillo-Carrazco.

Co-defendant Eder Ortega-Cassarubias pled guilty and was sentenced on June 26, 2019, by Judge Ozerden, to 127 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release.

Co-defendant Estudillo-Carrazco pled guilty on August 28, 2019, and will be sentenced by Judge Ozerden on November 27, 2019. He faces a maximum penalty of life in prison and a $10,000,000 fine.

The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John Meynardie.

Hattiesburg, Miss. – Isaiah Longino, 38, of Hattiesburg, was sentenced yesterday by Senior U.S. District Judge Keith Starrett to serve 262 months in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Brad Byerley with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Longino was also ordered to pay a $5,000 fine.

An investigation by the DEA revealed that Longino was a distributor of methamphetamine in the Forrest County area. On January 25, 2018, in Hattiesburg, Longino sold 445 grams of methamphetamine to a DEA confidential source for $5,500. Longino pled guilty on April 12, 2019, to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shundral H. Cole.

 

Gulfport, Miss – William Lance Chaney, 27, of Biloxi, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Sul Ozerden to 63 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Kurt Thielhorn with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Chaney was also ordered to pay a $5,000 fine.    

During the course of an investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives discovered that Chaney was buying and selling firearms to known felons and Simon City Royals gang members.  Agents determined that Chaney offered at least three firearms for sale in March, 2018.  Chaney has a previous conviction for possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance in Harrison County in 2010 and is pending trial on a new drug charge in Harrison County.  He was on parole with MDOC at the time of the federal charge. 

Chaney pled guilty before Judge Ozerden on May 31, 2019 to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case.  It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Annette Williams.

Jackson, Miss. – Herbert Thomas, 41, of Jackson, pled guilty today before Chief U.S. District Judge Daniel P. Jordan to being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Kurt Thielhorn with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

On January 23, 2018, Thomas fled from Jackson Police Department officers, first in his vehicle and then on foot, before ultimately being subdued by law enforcement.  Upon a subsequent inventory of his vehicle, a firearm was located.  When interviewed, Thomas admitted to knowingly possessing the firearm and being a convicted felon.  He was previously convicted of felonious motor vehicle theft and felony fleeing from a law enforcement officer in Hinds County in 2009

Thomas will be sentenced by Chief Judge Jordan on January 6, 2020 at 9:00 a.m.  He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Jackson Police Department.  It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Lynn Murray and Andrew W. Eichner.

This case is part of Project EJECT, an initiative by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi under the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). EJECT is a holistic, multi-disciplinary approach to fighting and reducing violent crime through prosecution, prevention, re-entry and awareness. EJECT stands for “Empower Justice Expel Crime Together.” PSN is bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Former Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

Gulfport, Miss. –  Merrideth Christina McMillian, 46, of Vancleave, Mississippi, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sul Ozerden to 33 months in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for credit union theft, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and and Michelle A. Sutphin, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Mississippi.  Judge Ozerden further ordered that $376,152.60 in restitution be paid to the victims.

While employed as the vice president of Singing River Federal Credit Union’s Moss Point branch, McMillian stole more than $350,000 from the credit union. The fraud was discovered after an audit in August 2018 showed suspicious transactions.

McMillian carried out the fraudulent scheme by going into the bank’s computer system and releasing collateral that was used for other loans. Once the collateral was released, she used that collateral to borrow money. Agents also uncovered that in 2017, McMillian used a customer’s information, without her consent, to take out several unsecured loans. The loans ranged from $5,000.00 to $60,000.00. On another occasion, McMillian used a friend’s name and a customer’s money market account information to take out a fraudulent loan of $47,500. In total, McMillian stole more than $350,000.00.

The case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathlyn R. Van Buskirk. 

 

Jackson, Miss. – Jordan Reshard Poole, 29, of Hattiesburg, pled guilty yesterday before U.S. District Judge Keith Starrett to being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Kirk Thielhorn with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

On July 17, 2017, Poole was involved in a high speed car chase in Lamar County that ultimately resulted in a car crash.  Jumping from the car after the collision, Poole attempted to flee and was quickly apprehended by Hattiesburg Police officers.  While running, Poole attempted to hide a firearm by throwing it under a parked vehicle.  The firearm was recovered and Poole admitted to possessing it.   Poole was previously convicted of multiple felonies, including arson and burglary, and prohibited from possessing a firearm. 

Poole will be sentenced by Judge Starrett on December 10, 2019 at 10:00 a.m. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

This case is part of Project EJECT, an initiative by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi under the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). EJECT is a holistic, multi-disciplinary approach to fighting and reducing violent crime through prosecution, prevention, re-entry and awareness. EJECT stands for “Empower Justice Expel Crime Together.” PSN is bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Former Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Hattiesburg Police Department.  It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew W. Eichner.

Gulfport, Miss. – Eric Estudillo-Carrazco, 28, of Norcross, Georgia, pled guilty yesterday before U.S. District Judge Sul Ozerden to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin, 400 grams or more of fentanyl and 5 kilograms or more of cocaine, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Jere T. Miles, Special Agent in Charge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations in New Orleans.

On November 6, 2018, Estudillo-Carrazco and two co-defendants arrived in Gulfport to sell heroin to a confidential informant. They claimed to have ten kilograms of heroin hidden in a compartment of their vehicle. All three were arrested shortly thereafter. The substance was eventually tested and found to contain nine kilograms of heroin and one kilogram of fentanyl.

That amount of fentanyl is enough to kill half a million people.

Estudillo-Carrazco will be sentenced by Judge Ozerden on November 27, 2019, and faces a maximum penalty of life in prison and a $10,000,000 fine.

Co-defendant Pablo Vega-Ontanon pled guilty and will be sentenced on September 23, 2019. He faces a maximum penalty of life in prison and a $10,000,000 fine.

Co-defendant Eder Ortega-Cassarubias pled guilty and was sentenced by Judge Ozerden on June 26, 2019, to 127 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release.

The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John Meynardie.

Hattiesburg, Miss. – U.S. Attorneys Mike Hurst of the Southern District of Mississippi and Chad Lamar of the Northern District of Mississippi announced today an Anti-Human Trafficking Training that their offices are sponsoring on the campus of the University of Southern Mississippi to train law enforcement, governmental agencies, and non-profits on combatting this growing threat to our communities.

"Human trafficking is a crime against humanity. This training seeks to educate stakeholders throughout the state to combat this modern day form of slavery and oppression. Sadly, this is a growing problem throughout our state and our nation, and through this training, we are seeking to help people understand this scourge that is plaguing our communities, our citizens and our children. In the coming months, you will see more being done to address this issue as our offices prepare to launch a statewide human trafficking coordination council with our federal, state, and local partners. I want to thank USM President Rodney Bennett for hosting us today and for being a partner in this worthy effort," said U.S. Attorney Hurst.

U.S. Attorney Chad Lamar, Northern District of Mississippi, also stressed the importance of this training and this issue in our communities. "The investigation and prosecution of human trafficking cases remains a priority for our office. Those engaged in these offenses prey on the victims, many of whom are young, vulnerable, and subjected to repeated abuse. Many of these victims lack the knowledge, education and resources to escape their unfortunate situations. We must train our law enforcement agencies, social service providers and citizens to recognize the signs of human trafficking if we are to help prevent future occurrences and hold accountable those who choose to engage in such reprehensible conduct." Lamar stated.

Presenters at the training event include Ashlee Lucas, the new Mississippi Human Trafficking Coordinator, the Mississippi Center for Violence Prevention, the Gulf Coast Center of Non-Violence, the Mississippi Department of Public Safety, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Mississippi Department of Child Protective Services, Children’s Advocacy Centers, the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office, and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Northern and Southern District of Mississippi.

Jackson, Miss. – Sacory Brown, 28, of Hattiesburg, pled guilty today before Senior U.S. District Judge Keith Starrett to being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Kurt Thielhorn with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

On March 8, 2018, Brown was found in possession of a firearm during a traffic stop. He was previously convicted of burglary of a dwelling in Forrest County in 2012. He was on state parole at the time of his 2018 arrest.

Brown will be sentenced by Judge Starrett on November 21, 2019 at 10:30 a.m. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Hattiesburg Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew W. Eichner.

This case is part of Project EJECT, an initiative by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi under the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). EJECT is a holistic, multi-disciplinary approach to fighting and reducing violent crime through prosecution, prevention, re-entry and awareness. EJECT stands for "Empower Justice Expel Crime Together." PSN is bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Former Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

 

Gulfport, Miss. – Clifford Randell Montague, 53, of Hattiesburg, pled guilty Friday before U.S. District Sul Ozerden to bank robbery, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Michelle A. Sutphin, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Mississippi.

On February 23, 2019, Montague robbed a credit union in Gautier, Mississippi, by handing a teller a note threatening to shoot if she did not put money in a bag. Montague went on to rob a bank in Pace, Florida, on March 4, and another bank in Ellisville, Mississippi on March 18. Each time, Montague used a note. He was stopped in Memphis, Tennessee, driving a stolen car from Florida and confessed to FBI agents.

Montague will be sentenced by Judge Ozerden on November 25, 2019, at 10:00 a.m. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation Safe Streets Task Force investigated the case. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Annette Williams.

Jackson, Miss. – Vincent Taylor McGee, 32, of Raymond, Mississippi, pled guilty today before District Judge Henry T. Wingate to being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Michelle A. Sutphin, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

On September 7, 2016, while fleeing from officers attempting to conduct a traffic stop, McGee tossed a Ruger .22 caliber pistol from his vehicle. Officers recovered the pistol after the vehicle lost a tire and the chase ended. McGee was previously convicted of armed carjacking and armed robbery in Hinds County, possession of a cell phone by an offender in Lauderdale County and Sunflower County, and conspiracy in Sunflower County. Last December, he was also convicted of conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a detectable amount of methamphetamine, and sentenced by then-Senior U.S. District Judge William H. Barbour, Jr. to serve 120 months in federal prison.

McGee will be sentenced by Judge Wingate on November 5, 2019, at 9:30 a.m. and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.  

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Jackson Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kimberly T. Purdie.  

This case is part of Project EJECT, an initiative by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi under the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). EJECT is a holistic, multi-disciplinary approach to fighting and reducing violent crime through prosecution, prevention, re-entry and awareness. EJECT stands for "Empower Justice Expel Crime Together." PSN is bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Former Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

 

 

 

Gulfport, Miss – LaRobert Kadarius Hollins, 19, of Moss Point, pled guilty today before U.S. District Sul Ozerden to possession of a firearm by an unlawful user of a controlled substance, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Kurt Thielhorn with the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives.

On February 8, 2019, Hollins was in a car stopped by the South Mississippi Metropolitan Enforcement Team for an illegal turn.  Officers found a bag of marijuana in Hollins’ pocket and a loaded 9mm pistol under the seat of the car.  Hollins admitted to agents with ATF that he smoked marijuana on a regular basis and that the gun was his.

Hollins will be sentenced by Judge Ozerden on November 25, 2019 at 9:30 a.m. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

The South Mississippi Metropolitan Enforcement Team and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case.  It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Annette Williams.

Gulfport, Miss. – Jose Guadalupe Perez-Velasquez, 29, an illegal from Mexico, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Louis Guirola, Jr. to “time served,” effectively 121 days in federal prison, and one year of supervised release, for the crime of unlawful reentry by an alien after removal, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst, and Scott Sutterfield, Acting Field Office Director of Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE), Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) in New Orleans.  

Upon release from his federal prison sentence, Guadalupe Perez-Velasquez will remain in the administrative detention custody of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration & Customs Enforcement.  He will face removal proceedings to remove him from the United States back to his home nation of Mexico.  As a result of this felony conviction, if Perez-Velasquez were to unlawfully return to the United States, he could face up to ten years in federal prison.  Further, if he were to unlawfully return again to the United States during his 1-year term of supervised release, he could face separate penalties consecutive to imprisonment from additional prosecution. 

On March 25, 2019, the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office notified ICE that Perez-Velasquez had been arrested for misdemeanor offenses of domestic disturbance of family and false information to law enforcement.  Harrison County officials said Perez-Velasquez had confessed to being an illegal alien from Mexico.  Perez-Velasquez was arrested by ICE and transported to the Gulfport ICE Office.

Further investigation revealed that Perez-Velasquez was originally removed from the United States to his home nation of Mexico on November 2, 2009.  Subsequently, Perez-Velasquez illegally reentered the United States and was removed again.  On August 16, 2010, he was encountered by ICE officials near Milledgeville, Georgia, and was again removed to Mexico on September 4, 2010. 

 U.S. Attorney Hurst praised the cooperation exhibited by the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration & Customs Enforcement, Enforcement Removal Operations, and the Harrison County Sheriff’s Department.  Assistant United States Attorney Stan Harris is the prosecutor for this case.

Gulfport, Miss. – Duniesky Vizcay De La Cruz a/k/a Vizcay Delacruz Duniesky, 34, an illegal alien from Cuba, pled guilty Wednesday before U.S. District Judge Sul Ozerden, to knowingly possessing 15 or more counterfeit or unauthorized access devices, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Shawn Wolfe, Resident Agent in Charge of the United States Secret Service in Mississippi.

On December 6, 2017, the South Mississippi Metro Enforcement Task Force conducted a traffic stop on Interstate I-10 in Jackson County.  Duniesky Vizcay De La Cruz, a passenger in the car, was found to be in possession of approximately 528 “Vanilla MasterCard” pre-paid gift cards in his luggage.  An inventory determined the value of the gift cards, purchased with victims’ money, was $89,900.  The investigation revealed that the 528 gift cards had been purchased at wholesale club stores in Georgia and Florida a few days prior to this traffic stop in Mississippi.   

Vizcay De La Cruz was charged on March 5, 2019 in a federal criminal indictment.  He pled guilty before Judge Ozerden on August 21, 2019.  He will be sentenced by Judge Ozerden on November 21, 2019 at 9:00 a.m. in Gulfport, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

The case was investigated by United States Secret Service, with assistance from the South Mississippi Metro Enforcement Task Force.  It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Jones.

                                              

Gulfport, Miss – Anh Viet Quach, 42, of D’Iberville, was sentenced yesterday by Senior U.S. District Judge Louis Guirola, Jr. to five years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Michelle A. Sutphin, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Mississippi. Quach was also ordered to pay a $15,000 fine.

The Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, working with the FBI Safe Streets Task Force, obtained information that an individual in D’Iberville was selling large quantities of high grade marijuana. Following surveillance, agents approached Quach and obtained a search warrant for his home. They found approximately 42 pounds of high grade marijuana, $7,200 in cash, a currency counter, and a Berretta 9mm handgun. Quach admitted he received 420 pounds of marijuana by mail from California, which he sold for $2,800 per pound. Quach has prior gang-related felony convictions from California.

Quach’s federal sentence will be served consecutive to his sentence in Harrison County Circuit Court on the drug charges.

This case was investigated by the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Annette Williams.

Jackson, Miss. – Bobby Joseph Stallworth, 59, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, was sentenced today by Senior U.S. District Judge David C. Bramlette III to 35 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Michelle A. Sutphin with the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  Stallworth was also ordered to pay a $1500 fine.

On October 9, 2017, Stallworth was found in possession of a firearm in Jackson, after law enforcement intervened in a domestic dispute with his then-girlfriend.  Stallworth had previously been convicted of approximately twenty felony offenses out of Escambia County, Florida over the past thirty years, most of which involved theft or forgery.

On April 3, 2019, Stallworth was indicted for being a felon in possession of a firearm.  He pled guilty before Judge Bramlette on May 16, 2019.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Jackson Police Department investigated the case.  It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew W. Eichner.

This case is part of Project EJECT, an initiative by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi under the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). EJECT is a holistic, multi-disciplinary approach to fighting and reducing violent crime through prosecution, prevention, re-entry and awareness. EJECT stands for “Empower Justice Expel Crime Together.” PSN is bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Former Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

 

Jackson, Miss. – Federico Hernandez-Rios, 33, an illegal alien from Mexico, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Carlton W. Reeves to time served (13 months in federal custody), followed by immediate deportation to Mexico, for illegally reentering the United States after his prior deportation, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Jere T. Miles, Special Agent in Charge with Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations in New Orleans. 

According to testimony provided in open court and court filings, Hernandez-Rios had been charged in 2010 in Florida, and pled guilty to, the state felony offense of possession of cocaine with intent to sell or deliver.  Thereafter, in October 2010, immigration authorities deported Hernandez-Rios to Mexico.  On August 2, 2018, Brandon police officers made a traffic stop of a vehicle carrying six passengers, all of whom, including the driver, were aliens illegally present in the United States.  Hernandez-Rios was one of those passengers, and he was detained by Homeland Security Investigation agents.  Hernandez-Rios had not requested or received permission of United States Immigration authorities to reenter the United States, as required by federal law. Reentry by an alien, who had previously been convicted of an aggravated felony before he was deported, is a felony punishable by up to twenty years imprisonment under federal law.

            The case was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the Rankin County Sheriff’s Office, the Brandon Police Department, and the U.S. Marshals Service. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Glenda Haynes and Theodore M. Cooperstein.

Jackson, Miss. – U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst announced today that Xiaobing Yan, a Chinese National indicted in the Southern District of Mississippi, has been designated by the U.S. Department of the Treasury as a significant foreign narcotics trafficker pursuant to the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act (Kingpin Act).

The Department of the Treasury announced yesterday it is identifying two Chinese nationals and a China-based Drug Trafficking Organization as significant foreign narcotics traffickers pursuant to the Kingpin Act and designated one associate and a China-based entity for being owned or controlled by one of the Chinese nationals.

Xiaobing Yan was indicted in the Southern District of Mississippi on September 7, 2017. He is the first manufacturer and distributor of fentanyl and other opiate substances to be indicted in the history of the United States while being designated as a Consolidated Priority Organization Target (CPOT). CPOT designations are those who have "command and control" elements of the most prolific international drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and are considered by DEA to be some of the most significant drug trafficking threats in the world.

Yan is charged in the Southern District of Mississippi with two counts of conspiracy to manufacture and distribute multiple controlled substances, including fentanyl and fentanyl analogues, and seven counts of manufacturing and distributing the drugs in specific instances. According to the indictment, Yan, a distributor of a multitude of illegal drugs, used different names and company identities over a period of at least six years and operated websites selling acetyl fentanyl and other deadly fentanyl analogues directly to U.S. customers in multiple cities across the country. He also operated at least two chemical plants in China that were capable of producing ton quantities of fentanyl and fentanyl analogues. Yan monitored legislation and law enforcement activities in the United States and China, modifying the chemical structure of the fentanyl analogues he produced to evade prosecution in China. Over the course of the investigation, federal agents identified more than 100 distributors of synthetic opioids involved with Yan’s manufacturing and distribution networks. Federal investigations of the distributors are ongoing in 10 judicial districts, and investigators have traced illegal proceeds of the distribution network. In addition, law enforcement agents intercepted packages mailed from Yan’s Internet pharmaceutical companies, seizing multiple kilograms of suspected acetyl fentanyl, potentially enough for thousands of lethal doses. If convicted, Yan faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a $1 million fine and three years of supervised release. The public is reminded that an indictment is merely a charge and should not be considered as evidence of guilt. A defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

The White House, through the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), unveiled a series of private-sector advisories yesterday to help domestic and foreign businesses better protect themselves and their supply chains from inadvertent fentanyl trafficking, explain how fentanyl traffickers exploit their businesses and their supply chains to move and market deadly drugs, and foster deeper public-private collaboration to curb the production and sale of illicit fentanyl, fentanyl analogues, and other synthetic opioids. To see the announcement from the White House, click HERE.

The ONDCP advisories are focused on four facets of the trafficking of illicit fentanyl, fentanyl analogues, and synthetic opioids destined for the United States: manufacturing, marketing, movement, and money. Links to each of the advisories, along with a summary can be accessed below.

• Manufacturing: Describes the unique characteristics of manufacturing illicit synthetic opioids to assist stakeholders in combating the scourge of fentanyl and other synthetic opioids.

• Marketing: Raises awareness about the marketing and sale of illicit fentanyl via vulnerable and unsuspecting private-sector digital platforms, including social media, e-commerce sites, and online forums.

• Movement: Increases awareness about the entities at each stage of the illicit fentanyl and synthetic opioids supply chain, including information that can help identify and prevent the movement of these deadly drugs into the United States and during domestic distribution.

• Money: Alerts financial institutions to help them detect and report on illicit financial schemes and money laundering mechanisms related to the trafficking of fentanyl, fentanyl analogues, and other synthetic opioids.

To access a one-page summary of the 21st Century Drug Trafficking: Advisories on Fentanyl and Other Synthetic Opioids, click HERE.

To view past press releases from our office relating to Xiaobing Yan, see:

• Justice Department Announces First Ever Indictments Against Designated Chinese Manufacturers of Deadly Fentanyl and Other Opiate Substances, October 17, 2017

• First in the Nation Criminal Indictment of a Chinese National for Manufacturing and Distributing Fentanyl and Other Opiates, October 19, 2017

Gulfport, Miss. – Jose Valdez-Santana, 46, an illegal alien from Mexico, was sentenced yesterday by Senior U.S. District Judge Louis Guirola, Jr. to 15 months in federal prison, followed by one year of supervised release, for unlawful reentry by an alien after removal, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst, Jere T. Miles, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in New Orleans, and Gregory K. Bovino, Chief Patrol Agent of the U.S. Border Patrol’s New Orleans Sector. 

Upon release from his federal prison sentence, Valdez-Santana will remain in the administrative detention custody of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration & Customs Enforcement.  Valdez-Santana will face removal proceedings to remove him from the United States back to his home nation of Mexico.  As a result of this felony conviction, if Valdez-Santana were to unlawfully return to the U.S., he could face up to ten years in federal prison.  Valdez-Santana pled guilty before Judge Guirola on May 9, 2019.

On April 4, 2019, a Biloxi Police officer conducted a traffic stop on a Dodge Caravan on I-10.  The officer encountered the driver who was a citizen of Honduras and was illegally present in the United States.  The officer observed seven Hispanic passengers, five males and two females.  Since the officer did not speak Spanish, he contacted the Department of Homeland Security’s Blue Lightning Operations Center, and two Homeland Security Investigations Special Agents responded to the traffic stop.  All occupants of the vehicle were determined to be illegally present in the U.S. and were transported to the U.S. Border Patrol office in Gulfport, for further processing.  After interviewing all occupants, it was determined that they were being smuggled from Houston, Texas to Maryland.  Further investigation revealed that three of the passengers, including Valdez-Santana, were aliens who had unlawfully returned after they had been formally removed from the United States. 

Valdez-Santana was first encountered by federal officials in 2009, near Joliet, Illinois, where he was serving a 3-year prison sentence with the Illinois Department of Corrections for a state offense of “Aggravated Driving Under the Influence.”  An immigration detainer was placed on Valdez-Santana pending completion of his state prison sentence. In 2011, he was removed from the United States.   He was encountered again by federal officials in 2017, and again removed from the United States.   

The other two illegal aliens who had returned to the United States, after having been formally removed, were separately prosecuted, convicted and given prison sentences, to be followed by Immigration & Customs Enforcement removal proceedings.  

The driver of the vehicle pled guilty and was convicted of unlawful transportation of an alien within the United States.  He is awaiting sentencing on that charge.

U.S. Attorney Hurst praised the teamwork and cooperation exhibited by the Biloxi Police Department, the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration & Customs Enforcement, Customs & Border Protection, the U.S. Border Patrol, and Homeland Security Investigations.  Assistant United States Attorney Stan Harris was the prosecutor for the case.

 

Jackson, Miss. – Ryan Storm Irwin, 26, of Brandon, was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge Carlton W. Reeves to 12 months and a day in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Kirk Thielhorn, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.  Irwin was also ordered to pay a $1,000.00 fine.

On February 18, 2018, special agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives encountered Irwin alone in a vehicle in Jackson. As a result of a consent search, a shotgun was found in the vehicle.  Irwin has a prior felony conviction for grand larceny.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lynn Murray.

This case is part of Project EJECT, an initiative by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi under the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). EJECT is a holistic, multi-disciplinary approach to fighting and reducing violent crime through prosecution, prevention, re-entry and awareness. EJECT stands for "Empower Justice Expel Crime Together." PSN is bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Former Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

Jackson, Miss. – Dewayne Yates, 28, of Picayune, pled guilty today before U.S. District Judge Henry T. Wingate to being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Michelle A. Sutphin with the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

On March 31, 2017, Yates was found in possession of a firearm during an administrative checkpoint in Jackson.  He was previously convicted of felonious aggravated assault with a gun in Hinds County.  On March 5, 2019, Yates was charged in a federal criminal indictment with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. 

Yates will be sentenced by Judge Wingate on November 21, 2019 at 9:00 a.m.  He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Jackson Police Department.  It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew W. Eichner.

This case is part of Project EJECT, an initiative by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi under the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). EJECT is a holistic, multi-disciplinary approach to fighting and reducing violent crime through prosecution, prevention, re-entry and awareness. EJECT stands for “Empower Justice Expel Crime Together.” PSN is bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Former Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

Jackson, Miss. –  Bernard Lavon Woofter, 43, of Jackson, pled guilty today before Chief U.S. District Court Judge Daniel P. Jordan III to being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Michelle A. Sutphin, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Mississippi.

On February 13, 2018, Woofter was arrested by an officer with the Jackson Police Department following a pat down search wherein the officer discovered he was carrying a Rossi .38 Special revolver in his waistband.  Woofter had previously been convicted of felony theft in Knox County, Tennessee.

Woofter will be sentenced by Judge Jordan on November 22, 2019 at 9:00 a.m. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Jackson Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kimberly T. Purdie.

This case is part of Project EJECT, an initiative by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi under the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). EJECT is a holistic, multi-disciplinary approach to fighting and reducing violent crime through prosecution, prevention, re-entry and awareness. EJECT stands for "Empower Justice Expel Crime Together." PSN is bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Former Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

 

Jackson, Miss. –Otha Ray Flowers, 37, of Jackson, was found guilty this afternoon by a federal jury for illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst, Special Agent in Charge Michelle A. Sutphin with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Special Agent in Charge Kirk Thielhorn with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

At approximately 8:30 pm. on February 18, 2017, an officer with the Jackson Police Department initiated a field interview of two men sitting in a parked vehicle outside of Big Boys Groceries on Road of Remembrance. Upon approaching the vehicle, the officer smelled the odor of marijuana. After asking the driver, later identified as Flowers, for his driver’s license, another officer observed the passenger appearing to put something in his mouth. Both Flowers and the passenger were ordered out of the vehicle. Flowers had been sitting on a .32 silver colored revolver, which the officer saw in plain view when Flowers exited the vehicle. The pistol was loaded with five live rounds and two spent shell casings. A records check revealed that Flowers had multiple felony convictions in Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas. Flowers also had outstanding warrants for his arrest. Officers recovered marijuana from Flowers’ pocket in addition to the loaded firearm.

Flowers was previously convicted in St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana, for attempted armed robbery; in Hinds County, Mississippi for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon; and in Guadalupe County, Texas for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

Flowers will be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Henry T. Wingate on November 22, 2019, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Jackson Police Department. It was prosecuted and tried by Assistant United States Attorneys David Fulcher and Chet Kirkham.

This case is part of Project EJECT, an initiative by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi under the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). EJECT is a holistic, multi-disciplinary approach to fighting and reducing violent crime through prosecution, prevention, reentry and awareness. EJECT stands for "Empower Justice Expel Crime Together." PSN is bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Former Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

Gulfport, Miss. – Jorge Alberto Perez, 57, of Miami, Florida, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sul Ozerden to 24 months in federal prison, followed by one year of supervised release, for aggravated identity theft, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Jere. T. Miles, Special Agent in Charge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations in New Orleans.  Perez was also ordered to pay a $1,000 fine.  

On February 17, 2018, Perez was detained by the Gulfport Police Department on suspicion of credit card fraud.  During the course of the investigation, it was discovered that Perez was in possession of illegally obtained credit card account information. 

On April 30, 2019, Perez was charged in a criminal information with aggravated identity theft.  He pled guilty before Judge Ozerden the same day.

The Gulfport Police Department and Department of Homeland Security investigated the case. It was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Joshua Paul Fortenberry.

 

Hattiesburg, Miss. – Earlier today, a federal jury in Hattiesburg found that Plaintiff Warren Flowers, a former Special Agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation who had been fired by the agency, failed to prove that his termination was the result of retaliation for filing a claim of discrimination against his supervisors, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office represented the FBI at trial and, during the trial, introduced evidence that the FBI had fired Flowers for his repeated lack of candor. For example, Flowers admitted in a signed, sworn statement that he had knowingly falsified a FBI form seeking approval to use a confidential human source. When confronted by his supervisor, Flowers falsely claimed he had received approval when he knew he had not.

"The FBI did the right thing with regard to Warren Flowers and a jury of his peers agreed," said U.S. Attorney Hurst. "I want to commend our attorneys who defended the FBI in this suit. We as citizens expect nothing less from our law enforcement officers than honesty and candor, and those who cannot simply tell the truth should not expect to remain in this honored profession."

The suit was filed by Flowers in 2017 against the United States Attorney General. Prior to trial, the Court dismissed Flowers’ claims of race discrimination and hostile work environment.

Hurst applauded the excellent legal work in defending the FBI performed by Assistant United States Attorneys Angela Givens Williams and Kristi Johnson. The cases is captioned Flowers v. Attorney General Barr, 2:17-cv-118-KS-MTP.

Jackson, Miss. – Shawnveon Holiday, 21, of Woodville, Mississippi, was sentenced Tueseday by Senior U.S. District Court Judge David C. Bramlette III to 33 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiring to violate federal firearms laws, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Kirk Thielhorn, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Holiday was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $40,803.56 and a special assessment of $100.

On December 11, 2018, Holiday and co-defendant Kelandrix Lushaw were charged in a federal indictment with stealing multiple firearms from two federally licensed firearms dealers in Natchez, Mississippi. The defendants stole 13 firearms from Natchez Pawn & Jewelry on April 27, 2018, and 34 firearms from the Sports Center Sporting Goods Store on April 28, 2018. Earlier, on April 26, 2018, they had crossed the border into Louisiana to attempt to rob a gun dealer in Ridgeville, Louisiana. They proceeded to sell the stolen firearms in Wilkinson County on April 28 and 29, 2018. Holiday pled guilty before Judge Bramlette on April 11, 2019.

Co-defendant Kelandrix Lushaw pled guilty to the same charge and was sentenced by Judge Bramlette to 33 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with assistance from the Wilkinson County Sheriff’s Office, the Natchez Police Department, and the U.S. Marshals Service. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Theodore M. Cooperstein.