Western District of Tennessee

The following individuals are alleged to have conspired to distribute prescription drugs:

Marlon Deshone Quarles, a/k/a “Marlon Patterson,” 41, address unknown; Saul Williams, a/k/a “Jabo,” 37, address unknown; Victor Quarles, a/k/a “Vic,” 29, Cordova, TN; Brandon Powell, 26, address unknown; Zack Patterson, 63, Memphis, TN; Walter Echols, 31, address unknown; Maurice Woodard, 26, Memphis, TN; Christopher Munn, 28, address unknown; Troy Stephenson, 29, Bartlett, TN; Antonio Humphries, 32, address unknown; Bobby Griffin, a/k/a/ “Unc,” 45, address unknown; Michelle Carlson, 31, Horn Lake, MS; Jasmine King, 21, address unknown; Kiara Wright, 22, Memphis, TN; Latisha Bobo, 26, address unknown; and
Manika Shelby, 22, address unknown.

The group is specifically charged with conspiring to do the following: • Possession with intent to distribute oxycodone (Oxycontin), which carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $1,000,000, unless the defendant has a prior felony drug conviction, in which case the penalty would be up to 30 years and a fine of up to $2,000,000; • Possession with intent to distribute morphine, which carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $1,000,000, unless the defendant has a prior felony drug conviction, in which case the penalty would be up to 30 years and a fine of up to $2,000,000; • Possession with intent to distribute Meperidine which carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $1,000,000, unless the defendant has a prior felony drug conviction, in which case the penalty would be up to 30 years and a fine of up to $2,000,000; • Possession with intent to distribute hydrocodone (a/k/a “Lortab”, “Lorcet,” “Tussionex.” “Hydromet,” and “Vicodin”), which carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $500,000, unless the defendant has a prior felony drug conviction, in which case the penalty would be up to 20 years and a fine of up to $1,000,000; • Possession with intent to distribute alprazolam (a/k/a “Xanax,” “Xanax bars,” and “bars”), which carries a penalty of up to 5 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000, unless the defendant has a prior felony drug conviction, in which case the penalty would be up to 10 years and a fine of up to $500,000; • Possession with intent to distribute lorazepam (a/k/a “Ativan”), which carries a penalty of up to 5 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000, unless the defendant has a prior felony drug conviction, in which case the penalty would be up to 10 years and a fine of up to $500,000; and

• Possession with the intent to distribute Carisoprodol (a/k/a Soma), which carries a penalty of up to 5 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000, unless the defendant has a prior felony drug conviction, in which case the penalty would be up to 10 years and a fine of up to $500,0000.

Marlon Deshone Quarles, a/k/a “Marlon Patterson,” 41, address unknown; Saul Williams, a/k/a “Jabo,” 37, address unknown; Victor Quarles, a/k/a “Vic,” 29, Cordova, TN; Tyrone Williams, a/k/a “Ty,” age unknown, address unknown; Brandon Powell, 26, address unknown; Maurice Woodard, 26, Memphis, TN; Christopher Munn, 28, address unknown; and
Jacqueline Chambers, a/k/a “Jackie,” age unknown, address unknown.

The group is specifically charged with conspiring to do the following: • Possession with intent to distribute up to 500 grams of cocaine, which carries a penalty of at least 5 years in prison up to a maximum of 40 years in prison and a fine of up to $5,000,000, unless the defendant has a prior felony drug conviction, in which case the penalty would be at least 10 years in prison up to life and a fine of up to $8,000,000 and; • Possession with intent to distribute up to 100 kilograms of marijuana, which carries a penalty of at least 5 years in prison up to a maximum of 40 years in prison and a fine of up to $5,000,000, unless the defendant has a prior felony drug conviction, in which case the penalty would be at least 10 years in prison up to life and a fine of up to $8,000,000.

Memphis, TN – Ronnie Jackson, Jr., 29, of Memphis, TN, faces up to life in prison following his conviction on March 13, 2014, by a federal jury on 12 counts related to a series of robberies in and around Shelby County, announced U.S. Attorney Edward L. Stanton III.

According to the indictment and facts presented in open court, Jackson and his accomplices robbed three Dollar General Stores, a Family Dollar Store, and two Walgreens drug stores in April and May of 2012. During the last robbery, Jackson and a female accomplice went into the Walgreens at 824 West Poplar Street, Collierville, TN, to case the store. After Jackson and his female accomplice returned to their getaway vehicle, two male accomplices entered the store, forcing approximately 14 customers and five employees to the floor at gunpoint. They ordered the manager to open the safe and took more than $6,000.

One of the victims of the robbery managed to dial 911, and Collierville Police converged on the scene, arriving in time to witness one of the male accomplices attempting to enter the getaway vehicle. Jackson and his female accomplice were taken into custody and the male accomplices were apprehended after a brief foot pursuit.

Jackson was convicted on six counts of robbing a business engaged in interstate commerce (also known as “Hobbs Act” robberies), and six counts of using a firearm during a crime of violence. Each robbery carries a penalty of up to 20 years. The first firearms charge carries a penalty of seven years to life in prison and each of the other firearm charges carries a penalty of 25 years to life in prison. All firearms charges must be served consecutively and there is no parole in the federal system. He will be sentenced on June 19, 2014, at 2:00 p.m., before U.S. District Judge S. Thomas Anderson.

This case was investigated by the Safe Streets Task Force, specifically by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Memphis Police Department, and the Collierville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Pritchard and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Bo Summers represented the government.

Jackson, TN – Justin Shawn Baker, 25, of Jackson, TN, was sentenced to 12 months in prison following his guilty plea of violating the civil rights of students and faculty of the Margolin Hebrew Academy by defacing a Torah and religious prayer books, announced U.S. Attorney Edward L. Stanton III.

According to information contained in the indictment and facts revealed during today’s sentencing hearing, on or about January 12, 2013, students and faculty of the Margolin Hebrew Academy were staying overnight at the Doubletree Hotel in Jackson en route to Gatlinburg, TN. While there, they used a meeting room at the hotel to conduct a Sabbath worship service. A Torah, religious books, and musical instruments were left in the meeting room overnight with the intention of continuing worship services on the following morning.

The facts presented today further revealed Baker admitted that while employed as a security guard at the hotel, he discovered the items in the room, and defaced the Torah, the prayer books, and the musical instruments with profanity, anti-Semitic phrases, and Satanic writing. He also admitted to spitting on the Torah. Photographic evidence presented during the hearing confirmed that the Torah was defaced with profanity and phrases including “Hail Satan.”

In addition to the prison sentence, Chief U.S. District Judge J. Daniel Breen ordered Baker to pay $9,999.99 in restitution to Margolin Hebrew Academy and to serve one year of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

This case was investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by First Assistant U.S. Attorney Larry Laurenzi and Trial Attorney Douglas Kern of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section.

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Memphis, TN – James Lee Bishop, 47, of Memphis, TN, pleaded guilty today to a one-count criminal information charging him with bank fraud against Community Bank in Jackson, TN, announced U.S. Attorney Edward L. Stanton III.

According to the facts revealed during the plea hearing and alleged in the criminal information, from October 2007 through July 2010, Bishop conspired with Clay McCormack, a closing attorney in Jackson, to produce fraudulent documents as part of a scheme to defraud Community Bank and First South Bank.

Bishop admitted that on or about July 17, 2009, as part of the scheme to defraud Community Bank, a residential loan was closed on a piece of property located at 319 Fairmont, Jackson, TN by McCormack. To further their scheme, McCormack created or directed the creation of a fraudulent HUD-1 showing that the first mortgage to the Bank of Jackson, in the amount of $36,000, was being paid in full.

McCormack ordered a check to be written to the Bank of Jackson in the amount of $36,000, and then on July 20, 2009, McCormack ordered an employee to void the check and instead to write a $36,000 check payable to Bishop, who deposited the check.

On December 8, 2009, McCormack created or directed the creation of a letter to Community Bank. This letter fraudulently advised Community Bank that the bank was now in “a first (1st) mortgage lien against the tract.”

McCormack then allowed Bishop to provide “cash from borrower” in the amount of $8,613.83 through his company, Premier Funding Group LLC. On the HUD-1, McCormack indicated that Cash from Borrower payment had originated from H&H Properties. In this document, McCormack indicated that the payoff of the first mortgage loan to the Bank of Jackson had occurred.

This case was investigated by the FBI Memphis, Jackson Resident Office and by the United States Postal Inspection Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Henry on behalf of the government.

Memphis, TN – James Lee Bishop, 47, of Memphis, TN, pleaded guilty today to a one-count criminal information charging him with bank fraud against Community Bank in Jackson, TN, announced U.S. Attorney Edward L. Stanton III.

According to the facts revealed during the plea hearing and alleged in the criminal information, from October 2007 through July 2010, Bishop conspired with Clay McCormack, a closing attorney in Jackson, to produce fraudulent documents as part of a scheme to defraud Community Bank and First South Bank.

Bishop admitted that on or about July 17, 2009, as part of the scheme to defraud Community Bank, a residential loan was closed on a piece of property located at 319 Fairmont, Jackson, TN by McCormack. To further their scheme, McCormack created or directed the creation of a fraudulent HUD-1 showing that the first mortgage to the Bank of Jackson, in the amount of $36,000, was being paid in full.

McCormack ordered a check to be written to the Bank of Jackson in the amount of $36,000, and then on July 20, 2009, McCormack ordered an employee to void the check and instead to write a $36,000 check payable to Bishop, who deposited the check.

On December 8, 2009, McCormack created or directed the creation of a letter to Community Bank. This letter fraudulently advised Community Bank that the bank was now in “a first (1st) mortgage lien against the tract.”

McCormack then allowed Bishop to provide “cash from borrower” in the amount of $8,613.83 through his company, Premier Funding Group LLC. On the HUD-1, McCormack indicated that Cash from Borrower payment had originated from H&H Properties. In this document, McCormack indicated that the payoff of the first mortgage loan to the Bank of Jackson had occurred.

This case was investigated by the FBI Memphis, Jackson Resident Office and by the United States Postal Inspection Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Henry on behalf of the government.

Memphis, TN – Joseph Banks, 31, and Lareginald Strong, 31, both of Memphis, TN, were sentenced recently to more than 30 years each in federal prison for their roles in an October 2012 carjacking, announced U.S. Attorney Edward L. Stanton III.

According to facts revealed during their trials and at sentencing, on October 23, 2012, Banks and Strong approached a man at the carport door to his residence. Banks pointed a firearm at the victim’s head as he walked towards him. After Banks attempted to use an electroshock weapon on the victim while Strong served as a lookout, Banks chased the victim and shot at him. Banks grabbed the keys to the victim’s Lexus GS300, and he and his accomplice Strong fled the scene in the car.

Approximately ten minutes after the carjacking was reported, officers with the Memphis Police Department observed the Lexus GS300 driving on Summer Avenue occupied by Banks and Strong. The defendants refused to stop when ordered to do so and a high speed chase began. After wrecking the vehicle, Banks and Strong were taken into custody. Officers removed clothing matching the description of the robbers and two guns from the car.

Both men were convicted by a federal jury on August 1, 2013 and sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge Jon P. McCalla. Banks was sentenced to 420 months in federal prison for one count of carjacking, one count of discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, and two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Strong was sentenced to 372 months in federal prison for one count of carjacking, one count of discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. There is no parole in the federal system.

This case was investigated by the Memphis Police Department and the Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN) Task Force. PSN is composed of representatives from the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office, Memphis Police Department, the Shelby County Sheriff ’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms and Explosives. The PSN task force meets weekly to examine every gun crime committed in Shelby County as well as gun crimes from other counties submitted by the ATF.

Memphis, TN – Sylvia Denise Cathey, 46, of Memphis, TN, was sentenced yesterday to 57 months in federal prison following her guilty plea to one count of mail fraud and one count of money laundering, announced U.S. Attorney Edward L. Stanton III.

According to the facts alleged in the indictment and revealed in open court, Cathey was engaged in a mortgage fraud scheme that utilized third parties as “straw” buyers. As part of her plea agreement, Cathey admitted that on March 22, 2007, she knowingly sent a package of fraudulent documents to Chase Bank USA. She further admitted that on July 12, 2007, $11,517.48 was transferred to her company, Preferred Title and Escrow, as part of another fraudulent transaction.

In addition to the prison sentence, Senior U.S. District Judge Jon P. McCalla ordered Cathey to serve three years of supervised release, 300 hours of community service, and to either pay a $5,000 dollar fine or make at least $5,000 in restitution to the victims of her scheme.

This case was investigated by Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the United States Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Cotten represented the government.

Jackson, TN – Christopher Eugene Reynolds, 39, a former police officer of the Selmer, Tenn., Police Department, was sentenced yesterday by Chief U.S. District Judge J. Daniel Breen to serve one year and one day in prison following his conviction for violating the civil rights of an arrestee, announced United States Attorney Edward L. Stanton III.

Reynolds pleaded guilty on November 6, 2013. Judge Breen also sentenced Reynolds to a period of two years supervised release and a $100 special assessment. Reynolds admitted that on April 28, 2011, while using his authority as a SPD officer, he slammed a handcuffed arrestee to the floor of the McNairy Regional Hospital and struck him once in the face. According to information presented in court, Reynolds acknowledged that this assault was unreasonable, did not serve a legitimate law enforcement purpose and was not made by accident, mistake or inadvertence.

“Law enforcement officers must abide by and adhere to the same laws they take an oath to enforce,” said U.S. Attorney Stanton. “Instead of serving and protecting the public, this officer used physical force to violate the civil rights of an individual and will now serve prison time, vividly illustrating that no one is above the law.”

This case was investigated by FBI Special Agent Christopher Miller with the assistance of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Trial Attorney Ryan J. Murguía for the Civil Rights Division and Special Litigation Counsel Gerard V. Hogan, with the assistance of Assistant U.S. Attorney Victor L. Ivy for the Western District of Tennessee.

Memphis, TN – The teamwork between the offices of District Attorney General Mike Dunavant and United States Attorney Edward L. Stanton III continues to pay dividends to the citizens of the 25th Judicial District.

Recently, Richard Dewalt, 30, of Gates, TN, was sentenced to 50 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Samuel H. Mays following his guilty plea of possession with intent to distribute dihydrocodinone, a Schedule III controlled substance. Following his prison term, Dewalt must also serve three years of supervised release.

John McPeak, 34, of Drummonds, TN, was sentenced to 77 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Samuel H. Mays following his guilty plea of possession of precursor materials with the intent to manufacture methamphetamine. Following his prison term, McPeak must also serve three years of supervised release.

“Because General Dunavant has generously loaned us a prosecutor from his office to work as a Special Assistant United States Attorney, we can more effectively target significant drug dealers and other worst-of-the-worst criminals for prosecution in federal court,” said U.S. Attorney Stanton. “These successful prosecutions demonstrate the benefits of our federal-state partnership.”

“Citizens have a right to be safe in their homes and on the streets of our communities,” said General Dunavant. “I promise that we will use every means at our disposal to get criminals off the streets and behind bars in federal prison where there is no parole.”

In addition, four other individuals were indicted yesterday on the following charges: Mark Anthony Stephens, 41, of Brighton, TN, was indicted for one count of possession and distribution of less than 50 kilograms of marijuana, a charge that carries a penalty of not more than five years in prison, or not more than 10 years in prison if the defendant has a prior felony drug conviction; one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm, a charge that carries a penalty of not more than 10 years in prison or a minimum of 15 years in prison if the defendant has three prior violent felonies or serious drug offenses; one count of using a firearm during a drug crime, which carries a penalty of at least five years in prison to be served consecutively to other prison terms; and one count of distributing marijuana within 1000 feet of a public elementary school, which carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison, or if previously convicted, up to 20 years.

Albert Dajaun White, 36, of Covington, TN, was indicted for one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm, a charge that carries a penalty of not more than 10 years in prison or a minimum of 15 years in prison if the defendant has three prior violent felonies or serious drug offenses; one count of being a felon in possession of ammunition, a charge that carries a penalty of not more than 10 years in prison or a minimum of 15 years in prison if the defendant has three prior violent felonies or serious drug offenses; one count of possession and distribution of less than 50 kilograms of marijuana, a charge that carries a penalty of not more than five years in prison, or not more than 10 years in prison if the defendant has a prior felony drug conviction; and one count of using a firearm during a drug crime, which carries a penalty of at least five years in prison to be served consecutively to other prison terms.

Freddy Reynolds, Jr., 50, and Pamela Diane Carter, 43, both of Millington, TN, were indicted for one count of conspiring to manufacture methamphetamine, a charge that carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison, or up to 30 years in prison if the defendant has a prior felony drug conviction; one count of possession of materials to manufacture methamphetamine with intent to do so, a charge that carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison, or up to 20 years in prison if previously convicted; maintaining a place for the purpose of manufacturing, distributing and using a controlled substance, specifically methamphetamine, a charge that carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison; and three counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm, a charge that carries a penalty of not more than 10 years in prison or a minimum of 15 years in prison if the defendant has three prior violent felonies or serious drug offenses.

These cases were investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Tipton County Sheriff’s Office; and the Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Office. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Sam Stringfellow represents the government.

The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Memphis, TN – Jeffrey Mack Traywick, 48, of Ocala, FL, was sentenced on Wednesday by Chief U.S. District Judge J. Daniel Breen to 140 months in federal prison for the robbery of the First South Bank in Brownsville, TN, announced U.S. Attorney Edward L. Stanton III.

According to facts revealed in the indictment and during court hearings, Traywick entered First South Bank on June 28, 2013 and passed a note to a teller demanding money. He also acted in a manner to indicate that he had a gun. He was arrested by members of the Brownsville Police on July 3, 2013.

Traywick pleaded guilty on October 25, 2013. In addition to the prison sentence, Judge Breen ordered Traywick to pay $1,450 in restitution to First South Bank and serve two years of supervised release.

This case was investigated by FBI and the Brownsville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Victor L. Ivy represented the government.

Memphis, TN – Bryan Gardner, 31, of Cordova, TN, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge S. Thomas Anderson to 78 months in federal prison for stealing government funds through the filing of false income tax returns and identity theft, announced United States Attorney Edward L. Stanton III.

According to the Indictment and facts discussed in court, at different times between August 19, 2010 and November 15, 2011, Gardner and other individuals obtained the names, dates of birth and Social Security numbers of individuals without their knowledge or consent. He then provided this information to his brother, Jeremy Lasane, and other associates who filed taxes claiming refunds using this information. Gardner and Lasane opened bank accounts and directed the U.S. Department of Treasury Tax refunds associated with the false tax returns to be electronically deposited into these accounts. Over $135,000 of refunds were deposited into Gardner’s accounts.

Lasane was sentenced last year to serve 12 years in prison for a related tax fraud scheme. In addition to the prison sentence, Lasane was ordered to pay over $791,000 in restitution, and his vehicles, including a Maserati and Mercedes-Benz, were forfeited to the United States Government.

In addition to the prison sentence, Judge Anderson ordered Gardner to pay restitution in the amount of $135,595.26.

The case was investigated by the United States Secret Service and IRS-Criminal Investigative Division. These cases were prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stephen Hall on behalf of the government.

Jackson, TN – Law enforcement officials from at least 10 federal, state, and local agencies participated in today’s round-up of individuals indicted for federal drug trafficking violations, announced United States Attorney Edward L. Stanton III and Special Agent in Charge of the Memphis Division of the FBI A. Todd McCall.

The indictments were returned by a federal grand jury in Jackson on January 21, 2014, but remained under seal until today’s arrests. The charges in the indictments stem from the illegal activity of selling, manufacturing, and distributing methamphetamine and marijuana, as well as possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

The suspects arrested during the operation were: • Richard Alley, 40, of Hardin County
• Scotty Alley, 41, of Wayne County
• Sherill Douglas, 43, of Henderson County
• Steven Flowers, 41, of Henderson County
• Brandon Frazier, 35, of Wayne County
• Sherry Gilbert, 36, of Henderson County
• Bryant Hart, 43, of Decatur County
• Carol Ann Lee, 38, of Wayne County
• Jamie Pearson, 34, of Henderson County
• Kelvin Pettigrew, 38, of Henderson County
• Bartee Rich, 36, of Hardin County
• Diana Williams, 42, of Hardin County
• Emanuel Lopez, 24, of Tarrant County (Texas)
• Francisco Lopez, 28, (Already In Federal Custody)

During the course of this investigation, law enforcement officials have seized illicit narcotics, including at least 550 grams of methamphetamine, U.S. currency, drug paraphernalia, and at least 70 firearms, which included both handguns and long guns.

Law enforcement agencies participating in today’s round-up include the FBI, the United States Marshals Service, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, the 24th Judicial District Drug Task Force, the Tennessee Highway Patrol, the Dyer County Sheriff’s Department, Dyersburg Police Department, Henderson County Sheriff’s Department, Jackson Police Department, Lexington Police Department, and Wayne County Sheriff’s Department.

The case was investigated by members of the FBI’s Memphis Safe Streets Task Force (ME SSTF), the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, and the 24th Judicial District Drug Task Force. The ME SSTF is a FBI sponsored task force comprised of agents from the FBI Memphis Division’s Jackson Resident Agency, the Dyer County Sheriff’s Department, the Dyersburg Police Department, the Jackson Police Department, and the Lexington Police Department. The ME SSTF focuses on bringing together the combined resources of the FBI and other federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to address violent criminal threats. This investigation is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Beth Hall on behalf of the government.

Memphis, TN – Sean McWhirter, 30, of Memphis, TN, was sentenced today to one year and one day in federal prison following his guilty plea to one count of transportation of individuals in interstate commerce for the purpose of prostitution (Mann Act), announced United States Attorney Edward L. Stanton III, and A. Todd McCall, Special Agent in Charge of the Memphis Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

According to the facts alleged in the indictment and revealed during plea and sentencing hearings, on September 13, 2012, while on duty and in his patrol car, McWhirter agreed to transport three women to a location in Tunica, MS for the purpose of prostitution. Subsequently, on September 16, 2012, while off duty, McWhirter delivered two women from Memphis to a hotel in Tunica. Upon entering the room with the women, McWhirter was arrested by Special Agents and Task Force Officers of the FBI. McWhirter was a five-year veteran of the Memphis Police Department who was serving as a patrolman at the time of his arrest.

McWhirter pleaded guilty to the charge on October 7, 2013. In addition to the prison sentence, U.S. District Judge S. Thomas Anderson ordered McWhirter to serve five years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

This crime was investigated by the Tarnished Badge Task Force, which is comprised of investigators from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Memphis Police Department, and Shelby County Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brian K. Coleman on behalf of the government.

Memphis, TN – Ignacio Lazcano-Acosta, 52, of Obion County, Tennessee was sentenced yesterday to 120 months in federal prison for his role in one of the largest marijuana grow operations ever discovered in the state of Tennessee, announced United States Attorney Edward L. Stanton III.

According to the facts alleged in the indictment and revealed in court, on October 11, 2011, deputies with the Obion County Sheriff’s Department discovered a large outdoor marijuana grow encompassing 15 acres of plants that were being grown, harvested and processed for distribution. With the assistance of agents from the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), the plants were identified as marijuana, and DEA agents were able to identify Lazcano-Acosta as one of the persons involved with the operation.

Lazcano-Acosta pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to manufacture marijuana in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 846 on October 7, 2013 before Chief U.S. District Court Judge J. Daniel Breen. There is no parole in the federal prison system.

This crime was investigated by the Obion County Sheriff’s Office, the West Tennessee Drug Task Force, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, and the Union City Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Victor L. Ivy on behalf of the government.

Memphis, TN – Lewis Gibson, 29, of Memphis, TN, was sentenced yesterday to 210 months in federal prison for his role in a conspiracy to distribute over 500 grams of cocaine, announced U.S. Attorney Edward L. Stanton III.

According to facts alleged in the indictment and revealed during court hearings, officers with the Memphis Police Department’s Organized Crime Unit received a tip that Gibson was selling a large amount of cocaine from his residence. Surveillance by the officers revealed a large amount of foot traffic consistent with illegal drug sales.

After obtaining a search warrant, officers detained Gibson and searched his home, where they recovered cocaine base (crack), heroin, powder cocaine, $10,000 in cash, and a .357 caliber pistol, in addition to other items.

On August 22, 2013, Gibson pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute over 500 grams of cocaine and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. In addition to the 210 month sentence for conspiracy to distribute, U.S. District Judge S. Thomas Anderson sentenced Gibson to a concurrent term of 120 months for firearms possession. Gibson will further be required to serve four years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal prison system.

This case was investigated by the Memphis Police Department’s Organized Crime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jerry Kitchen represented the government.

Memphis, TN – A federal jury in Memphis has convicted Keith Gibson, a/k/a “Greedy,” 44, of Memphis, on four charges relating to child sex trafficking announced U.S. Attorney Edward L. Stanton III, and Special Agent in Charge Todd McCall of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Memphis Field Office.

Gibson was found guilty of child sex trafficking and conspiracy to commit child sex trafficking for his role in the exploitation of a 14-year-old girl. He was also found guilty of two counts of false statements in relation to a child sex trafficking investigation for his subsequent efforts to cover up the crime.

Gibson faces a mandatory sentence of at least ten years in prison and faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. He will be sentenced on April 30, 2014, by U.S. District Judge Jon Phipps McCalla. Gibson’s co-defendants, Tony Grandberry, Orreco Lyons a/k/a “Pico the Pimp,” Vivian Briggs a/k/a “Fortune,” Tamara Ramsey, and Falisha Edwards all pled guilty prior to trial. Grandberry received 11 years imprisonment followed by 10 years supervised release on October 30, 2013. Briggs received 4 years imprisonment and 3 years supervised release on November 14, 2013. Lyons received 7 years imprisonment and 7 years supervised release on December 16, 2013. Ramsey and Edwards are scheduled to be sentenced later this month.

The evidence at trial showed, among other things, that Gibson provided payment and contact information for an advertisement on Backpage.com offering the 14-year-old for prostitution. The jury heard from multiple people who were present with Gibson on January 1, 2013, when he provided the payment and contact information for the ad. The jury also heard from the 14-year-old victim, who testified that Gibson had talked about being her pimp and posting her to Backpage.com. She also testified that she lied about how old she was and that Gibson did not believe her and repeatedly questioned her age.

The jury saw a notebook recovered from Gibson’s car which included letters written by Gibson bragging that he “went back to what I’m famous for (Pimpin)” and was “getting pimp money.” The evidence also included the credit card used to pay for the advertisement, which had been on Gibson’s person when he was arrested.

The jury also heard from several FBI agents who testified regarding the lies Gibson told them after he was arrested. Two FBI agents also testified that when they arrested Gibson, his laptop computer was open to Backpage.com.

Protecting our children is one of society’s highest callings,” said U.S. Attorney Stanton. “When dangerous people look to fatten their wallets through the sexual exploitation of vulnerable young victims, the United States of America will not hesitate to bring them to justice."

“No child deserves to suffer the exploitation and abuse by “pimps” who prey on and destroy the lives of the most vulnerable in our community,” said Special Agent in Charge McCall. “Those who exploit their victims for profit should know the FBI and our law enforcement partners are committed to investigating allegations of sex trafficking, and are working to ensure that they face justice and are held accountable for their abominable criminal conduct.”

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation working with the Memphis Police Department and the United States Secret Service. Jaime Corman and Anthony Householder of the FBI led the investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Skrmetti and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Erskine.

Memphis, TN – David Arthur Rohm, 65, of Jackson, TN, was sentenced yesterday to 87 months in federal prison following his guilty plea to one count of receipt of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Edward L. Stanton III.

According to facts alleged in the indictment and revealed during the sentencing hearing, Rohm knowingly received DVDs which contained visual depictions of minor boys engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

In addition to the prison sentence, United States District Judge S. Thomas Anderson ordered Rohm to serve 10 years of supervised release and to forfeit all computers and media containing alleged child pornography. There is no parole in the federal prison system.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Debra Ireland represented the government.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative of the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, PSC marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about PSC, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/. For more information about internet safety education, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/resources.html and click on the tab “resources.”

Memphis, TN – Allan D. Cooper, 66, of Memphis, TN, was sentenced today to 27 months imprisonment by United States District Judge John T. Fowlkes, Jr., announced U.S. Attorney Edward L. Stanton III. Cooper entered a guilty plea in September to a criminal information charging him with one count of wire fraud.

According to the one-count criminal information and statements made in court, between approximately October 2011 and May 2013, Cooper defrauded six individuals of $395,300. According to the information, Cooper made various false and fraudulent statements, representations and promises to induce the victims to give him monies as either a “loan” or an “investment.”

Cooper told some of his victims about an investment opportunity with an old friend of his named “Charlie” and that if the victims would give Cooper funds to invest with Charlie they would receive a substantial return. In these instances Cooper frequently gave the victims a post-dated check payable in an amount that represented the principal and the return on the investment. When the victim discovered that the check was worthless, Cooper made other false representations and promises to repay.

Cooper told other victims that he was the owner of Cooper Chemical Company and that if they would loan him funds he would pay them back with substantial interest. In fact, “Cooper Chemical Company” was inactive and not conducting any business. Cooper also falsely represented that if a victim would loan him funds, they would be repaid with interest through disbursements from a trust in which defendant Cooper was a named beneficiary.

Cooper was also ordered to pay restitution to the victims in the amount of $395,300. There is no parole in the federal prison system. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carroll L. Andre III represented the government.

Jackson, TN – Cardiologist Dr. Elie H. Korban will pay $1.15 million to resolve False Claims Act allegations that he billed Medicare and Medicaid for medically unnecessary cardiac stent placements, the Justice Department announced today. Korban owns Delta Clinic, with offices in Jackson, Tenn., and Lexington, Tenn., and has privileges at Jackson-Madison County General Hospital and Regional Hospital of Jackson, both in Jackson, Tenn.

“Billing Medicare for cardiac procedures that are not necessary or appropriate contributes to the soaring costs of health care and can harm patients,” said Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Civil Division Stuart F. Delery. “Protecting public funds and safeguarding Medicare beneficiaries continues to be a Department of Justice priority.”

Cardiac stents are mesh tubes placed in coronary arteries of patients to keep their arteries open during the treatment of coronary heart disease. The government contends that, from January 1, 2005, through December 31, 2008, Korban placed cardiac stents in Medicare and Medicaid patients when the stents were not medically necessary. The government also claims that Korban improperly billed Medicare for work performed by substitute doctors when he was available to perform the services himself.

“This case is one of many that underscores our commitment to holding accountable those who would cheat the health care system for their own personal profit,” said U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee Edward L. Stanton III. “We will continue to vigorously protect citizens from schemes that damage the ability of health care providers and patients to participate in a system free of false claims and dishonesty.”

As part of the settlement, Korban entered into an Integrity Agreement with the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General intended to deter wrongful conduct in the future. The agreement requires enhanced accountability and monitoring activities to be conducted by both internal and independent external reviewers.

“Too many recent frauds involve medically unnecessary heart stents,” said Derrick L. Jackson, Special Agent in Charge at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General region including Tennessee. “Providers are warned that they can be aggressively investigated and held accountable for falsely billing federal health programs.”

Assistant Attorney General Delery thanked the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee and the Commercial Litigation Branch of the Justice Department’s Civil Division for the collaboration that resulted in the settlement.

The allegations resolved by the settlement were first raised in a lawsuit filed against Korban under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the False Claims Act. The Act allows private citizens with knowledge of fraud to bring civil actions on behalf of the government and to share in any recovery. As part of the settlement, the whistleblower, Dr. Wood M. Deming, will receive a share of the settlement amount. Deming’s share has not been determined.

This settlement illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating health care fraud and marks another achievement for the Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team (HEAT) initiative, which was announced in May 2009 by Attorney General Eric Holder and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. The partnership between the two departments has focused efforts to reduce and prevent Medicare and Medicaid financial fraud through enhanced cooperation. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Since January 2009, the Justice Department has recovered a total of more than $17 billion through False Claims Act cases, with more than $12.2 billion of that amount recovered in cases involving fraud against federal health care programs.

The case is captioned United States ex rel. Wood M. Deming v. Jackson-Madison County General Hosp., et al., Case No. 07-1116-BBD (W.D. Tenn.). The claims settled by this agreement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.

Jackson, TN – John McKinney, 71, of Bolivar, TN was sentenced yesterday to a total of 480 months in federal prison, following his September conviction on four counts of producing child pornography, and one count of possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Edward L. Stanton III.

Chief U.S. District Judge J. Daniel Breen sentenced McKinney to 360 months in prison for each production charge, with the sentences set to run concurrently. Judge Breen further sentenced McKinney to 120 months in prison for the possession charge, with the sentence set to run consecutive to the other sentences. There is no parole in the federal prison system.

“Today’s sentence of 480 months reflects this community’s intolerance for the predatory acts committed by John McKinney,” said U.S. Attorney Stanton. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to relentlessly pursue anyone who commits such heinous crimes and ensure that they face the full consequences of the law.

According to facts revealed during the trial, McKinney took sexually explicit pictures of girls as young as nine years old while the girls were visiting at his home. According to the sworn testimony of the mother of one victim, her younger daughter saw sexually explicit photos on McKinney’s computer. Investigators confiscated more than 87 CDs from a building on McKinney’s farm that contained pictures that he had taken depicting child pornography.

On June 25, 2013, McKinney was convicted by a federal jury of four counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm or ammunition. The guns and ammunition were discovered during the search of his home that revealed the pornographic photos. On September 27, 2013, Judge Breen sentenced McKinney to 33 months in prison on those charges. That sentence will run consecutive to his other sentences.

This case was investigated by the Hardeman County Sheriff’s Office, the Jackson Police Department and the FBI in Jackson. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Deb Ireland and James Powell represented the government.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative of the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, PSC marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about PSC, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/ For more information about internet safety education, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/resources.html and click on the tab "resources."

Memphis, TN – Temetriss Pope, 34, of Memphis, TN was sentenced last week by U.S. Senior District Judge Jon P. McCalla to 48 months in prison for stealing government funds through the filing of false income tax returns, announced U.S. Attorney Edward L. Stanton III.

According to the charging document and the facts discussed in court, at different times from 2008 to 2012, Temetriss Pope and other individuals obtained the names, dates of birth and Social Security numbers of individuals without their knowledge or consent, and thereafter filed numerous federal tax returns claiming refunds using this information. Some of this information was obtained from a Shelby County Warrant book that had been stolen.

Pope and others opened bank accounts in the name of fictitious businesses and directed the U.S. Department of Treasury tax refunds associated with the false tax returns to be electronically deposited into these accounts. Pope and her associates used different versions of tax preparation software to electronically file hundreds of false tax returns and fraudulently obtained over $870,000 during the scheme.

In addition to the prison sentence, Pope was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $870,252.45. There is no parole in the federal system. The case was investigated by the United States Secret Service and IRS-CID and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stephen Hall on behalf of the government.

Jackson, TN – Justin Shawn Baker, 25, of Jackson, TN, pleaded guilty today to violating the civil rights of students and faculty of the Margolin Hebrew Academy by defacing a Torah and religious prayer books, announced U.S. Attorney Edward L. Stanton III.

According to information contained in the indictment and facts revealed during today’s plea hearing, on or about January 12, 2013, students and faculty of the Margolin Hebrew Academy were staying overnight at the Doubletree Hotel in Jackson en route to Gatlinburg, TN. While there, they used a meeting room at the hotel to conduct a Sabbath worship service. A Torah, religious books, and musical instruments were left in the meeting room overnight with the intention of continuing worship services on the following morning.

The facts presented today further revealed Baker admitted that while employed as a security guard at the hotel, he discovered the items in the room, and defaced the Torah, the prayer books, and the musical instruments with profanity, anti-Semitic phrases, and Satanic writing. He also admitted to spitting on the Torah. Photographic evidence presented during the hearing confirmed that the Torah was defaced with profanity and phrases including “Hail Satan.”

“Freedom of religion and the freedom to practice it without harassment are bedrock principles upon which our nation was founded,” said U.S. Attorney Stanton. “Baker’s offensive acts represent an attack upon the rights and freedoms enjoyed by every citizen, which generations of Americans fought and died to ensure and protect.”

This case was investigated by the FBI, and is being prosecuted by Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney Larry Laurenzi and Trial Attorney Douglas Kern of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section.

Jackson, TN – Angel Hernandez, 33, of Bells, TN, was convicted last night by a federal jury on one count of possession with intent to distribute 351 grams of ice methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Edward L. Stanton III.

According to facts revealed during trial, on March 12, 2013, agents with the West Tennessee Violent Crime and Drug Task Force for the 28th Judicial District, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Jackson Police Department executed a search warrant at the Deerfield Inn in Humboldt, Tennessee.

Hernandez was found in possession of 351 grams of ice methamphetamine. Agents also found a large amount of U.S. currency and other evidence that he intended to distribute the drugs. Agents with the task force testified that due to the purity of the methamphetamine, it had a potential street value of up to $50,000 and could have been distributed to more than one thousand individuals.

The jury deliberated approximately 30 minutes before returning its guilty verdict. Hernandez could be sentenced to between five and 40 years in prison and fined up to $5 million. There is no parole in the federal system.

This case was investigated by the West Tennessee Violent Crime and Drug Task Force for the 28th Judicial District and the Jackson Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Wilson represented the government.

Jackson, TN –Rebecca Christain, 57, of Mountain Home, AR, pleaded guilty on November 20, 2013, to a two-count federal information charging her with one count of health care fraud and one count of money laundering in relation to a Medicare fraud scheme, announced U.S. Attorney Edward L. Stanton III.

According to the facts alleged in the information and statements made during her guilty plea, Christain was the owner of Sleep Analysts, Inc. and a subsidiary company, Pulmonary Solutions. Pulmonary Solutions had offices in Michie, TN; Brownsville, TN; Savannah, TN; Waynesboro, TN; and Jackson, TN, and was in the business of providing respiratory therapy services to Medicare, Medicaid and other federal healthcare program patients.

From October 2008 to December 2009, Christain devised a scheme to defraud the Medicare program by hiring unlicensed individuals to perform services that were billed to Medicare as respiratory therapy services, and by instructing her staff to falsify records setting forth the amount of time during which services were provided. She also instructed employees to designate certain services for billing under physical therapy codes, which resulted in payments approximately double those of respiratory codes, and instructed employees to designate certain services to be double or triple billed using both physical therapy and respiratory therapy codes, even though Pulmonary Solutions never employed any physical therapists.

In total, Christain caused fraudulent claims in excess of $1,000,000 to be paid by Medicare and Medicaid for fraudulently billed respiratory therapy services. Christain is scheduled to be sentenced on February 20, 2014, in Jackson, TN, before U.S. District Judge J. Daniel Breen.

This investigation was conducted by the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General; IRS-Criminal Investigation; the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Fabian represented the government.

Memphis, TN – Earlier today, federal search warrants were executed upon a number of establishments in Shelby County and North Mississippi. These warrants were filed under seal and are part of an ongoing investigation. Therefore, we have no further comment on this matter at this time.

Law enforcement agencies involved in the execution of these search warrants include the Memphis Police Department Organized Crime Unit, the United States Secret Service, the United States Marshals Service, the United States Department of Agriculture, and the Tennessee Department of Human Services.

Memphis, TNMatthew Schweitzer, 26, of Memphis and Derek Wurth, 25, were each charged in separate criminal complaints with one count of bank robbery, announced U.S. Attorney Edward L. Stanton III.

According to the facts alleged in the criminal complaints, on November 4, 2013, at approximately 1:43 p.m., a lone male entered the Kroger Store located at 676 N. Germantown Parkway in Cordova. He approached one of the bank tellers at Suntrust Bank located within Kroger, demanded money, and fled with the money.

On November 5, 2013, a Crime Stopper tip identified Schweitzer as the individual responsible for the bank robbery. That same day, members of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Safe Streets Task Force arrested Schweitzer without incident.

While in custody, Schweitzer confessed to the robbery of the Suntrust Bank and further confessed to being present during the October 11, 2013 robbery of the First Tennessee Bank located inside the Kroger Store at 9025 U.S. Highway 64.  He identified Wurth as the individual responsible for the robbery of the First Tennessee Bank. Wurth was arrested on November 6, 2013 in Oxford, MS.

This case was investigated by the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lorraine Craig is representing the government.

The charges and allegations contained in the complaints are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Memphis, TN – Justin A. Jones, 31, of Memphis, TN was indicted by a federal grand jury last week on charges that he created false Internal Revenue Service (IRS) documents for the purpose of causing the agency to place financial obligations on a third party, announced U.S. Attorney Edward L. Stanton III and Christopher A. Henry, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Nashville Field Office.

According to facts revealed in the indictment, Jones corruptly endeavored to obstruct and impede the due administration of Internal Revenue laws by submitting to the Internal Revenue Service fictitious IRS Forms 1099-C (Cancellation of Debt) and 1099-OID (Original Issue Discount), each in the amount of $25,000, along with an IRS Form 1096 (Annual Summary and Transmittal), in order to cause the Internal Revenue Service to place financial obligations on J.W., a prosecutor assigned to prosecute Jones for criminal violations in Germantown, Tennessee, and the City of Germantown, when no relationship existed between Jones and J.W. or the City of Germantown that required the filing of the Form 1099-C or 1099-OID with the IRS. The IRS typically considers cancelled or forgiven debt to be taxable income to the debtor.

If convicted, Jones could receive up to three years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. There is no parole in the federal system. This case was investigated by IRS Criminal Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Germantown Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Fred Godwin is representing the government.

The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Jackson, TN – More than 120 law enforcement officials from 13 different agencies participated in a takedown Wednesday of a group of individuals indicted for their roles in distributing methamphetamine, cocaine, and marijuana throughout West Tennessee, announced U.S. Attorney Edward L. Stanton III and Brian K. Chambers, Resident Agent-in-Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Memphis office.
Thirteen individuals were charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine, and marijuana; and one count of distribution of methamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana. The individuals charged are: Roman Morales-Garza, 55, Jackson, TN
Felicia Almodover, 39, Jackson, TN
Angel Valeriano, 42, Jackson, TN
Raul Morales, 46, Bald Knob, AR
Rodrigo Guitierrez, Age Unknown, Jackson, TN
Arturo Penaloza, 31, Jackson, TN
Saul Lara-Ruiz, 32, Jackson, TN
Brian Warlick, 33, Jackson, TN
Vandrian Bradford, a/k/a Vadrian Cooper, a/k/a Eric Cooper, 40, Jackson, TN
Doyle Rushing IIII, 33, Jackson, TN
Vance Hudson, Jr., 46, Jackson, TN
Juan Javier Acosta-Melendez, 24, hometown unknown, Mexico
Anthony McKinnis, 36, Ripley, TN

If convicted, each charge carries a sentence of up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to one million dollars. If any of the individuals has a prior drug conviction, the penalties increase to a maximum of 30 years in prison and a fine of up to two million dollars. There is no parole in the federal system.

This case was investigated by the DEA, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the Tennessee Highway Patrol, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, the Jackson Police Department, and the Madison County Sheriff’s Office. Agencies assisting the takedown included the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the U.S. Marshals Service, the United States Secret Service, the West Tennessee Drug Task Force, the 25th Judicial District, and the Chester County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Wilson is representing the government.

The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Memphis, TN – Anthony Grandberry, 32, of Memphis, Tenn., was sentenced to 11 years in federal prison today by U.S. Senior District Judge Jon P. McCalla for conspiracy to engage in child sex trafficking, announced U. S. Attorney Edward L. Stanton III. Grandberry pled guilty to the charge on July 1, 2013.
In addition to the prison sentence, Grandberry will be subjected to 10 years of supervision after release from prison and will have to register as a sex offender. There is no chance of parole in the federal prison system.

“Today’s sentencing sends a clear message that any effort to sexually exploit a child for profit will not be tolerated and will result in severe consequences,” said Edward L. Stanton III, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee. “Anthony Grandberry is going to spend over a decade in federal prison because he put a 14 year-old-girl to work as a prostitute and chose to prioritize commercial gain over the welfare of a minor.”

According to the indictment, Grandberry received the 14-year-old girl from his co-defendant Orreco Lyons, also known as “Pico the Pimp,” in December 2012 as partial payment for a debt Lyons owed Grandberry. Grandberry made the girl prostitute for several days before passing her along to another co-defendant, Keith Gibson, also known as “Greedy” and “Pee-Wee.”

Lyons, along with co-defendants Tamara Ramsey and Falisha Edwards, pled guilty to sex trafficking conspiracy charges and are pending sentencing. Co-defendant Vivian Briggs pled guilty to using a facility of interstate commerce to promote child prostitution and is also pending sentencing. Gibson is set for trial in January 2014 and faces up to life in prison on child sex trafficking and child sex trafficking conspiracy charges.

The case was investigated by the FBI and the Memphis Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Skrmetti prosecuted the case.

U.S. Attorney Edward L. Stanton III established the Civil Rights Unit in February 2011 to ensure that every individual in the Western District of Tennessee enjoys the rights and freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States. The Civil Rights Unit assigns dedicated prosecutors to pursue the full spectrum of federal civil rights crimes, including official misconduct, human trafficking, and hate crimes, as well as law enforcement public corruption cases. Since the formation of the Civil Rights Unit, the Western District of Tennessee has consistently ranked as one of the top U.S. Attorney=s Offices in the country for the prosecution of sex trafficking.

Memphis, TN – Amos Patton, 42, of Cordova, TN was indicted today by a federal grand jury on nine counts related to a shooting at the Tennessee Army National Guard Recruiting Center in Millington, TN, announced U.S. Attorney Edward L. Stanton III; Special Agent in Charge of the Memphis Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, A. Todd McCall; and Naval Criminal Investigative Service Special Agent Michael C. Cote.

Patton is charged with four counts of unlawfully attempting to kill Major WJC, Sergeant Major RRM, Lieutenant Colonel HLB, and Sergeant Major CTC while they were in performance of their official duties. Patton is also charged with four counts of assault with a deadly weapon on each of the four individuals, and further charged with one count of using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.

If convicted, Patton could receive up to 20 years in prison for each charge of unlawfully attempting to kill and up to 20 years for each assault charge. He also could receive a minimum of 10 years for the firearms charge. There is no parole in the federal system. This case is being investigated by the FBI and the NCIS. Assistant U.S. Attorney Fred Godwin is representing the government.

Memphis, TN – Terrence Yarbrough, a/k/a, “T-Rex,” 38, of Memphis, Tenn., was sentenced to 536 months in federal prison today by United States District Judge S. Thomas Anderson. There is no parole in the federal system. The sentencing follows Yarbrough’s December 2012 conviction by a federal jury on 10 counts of sex trafficking and one count of conspiracy to commit food stamp fraud.

“Today’s sentence of 536 months in prison ensures Terrence Yarbrough, a ruthless predator who inflicted unspeakable physical and emotional harm upon vulnerable young women, is held accountable for his depraved acts,” said Edward L. Stanton III, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee. “We will continue to prosecute those who engage in such reprehensible conduct.”

At the trial, victims recounted a series of violent acts perpetrated by Yarbrough to coerce them into prostituting for him, including beatings with belts, wooden coat hangers, crowbars, padlocks attached to belts, and dog chains. They also testified to being thrown down stairs, having their heads smashed into car doors, having their legs burned with irons, and being scalded with boiling water.

“The horrific physical violence, sexual abuse, and emotional torment suffered by the victims in this case cannot be undone, but this sentence ensures that their violent and evil predator will face the consequences of his actions,” said A. Todd McCall, Special Agent in Charge of the Memphis Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. “The efforts of the FBI and our law enforcement partners have removed a human trafficker from our streets. We will continue to work together to aggressively pursue and bring to justice those who cruelly exploit others for profit, and to restore the rights and dignity of human trafficking victims.”

Evidence presented at trial included the testimony of 10 victims identified in the indictment, as well as several eyewitnesses and investigators. Numerous witnesses testified that Yarbrough repeatedly enticed vulnerable women as young as 15 years old into prostitution with false promises of love, family, and prosperity. Any time a victim refused to engage in prostitution, he resorted to threats, intimidation, and violence. The jury heard testimony that Yarbrough’s pattern of recruitment, exploitation, and violent coercion continued for years before his 2009 arrest in St. Louis.

One of the victims testified that Yarbrough forced her to engage in prostitution the entire time she was pregnant with his child. He frequently beat her on the stomach when she did not want to comply with his demands. He forced her to work as a prostitute in Tunica, MS in her eighth month of pregnancy and induced her labor through a severe beating. Yarbrough drove her back to Memphis and dropped her off at a hospital. The day after she left the hospital following childbirth, Yarbrough forced her to resume prostituting. Sometime later, Yarbrough smashed her on the head with a lamp and kicked out her front teeth when she tried to stop prostituting for him.

Another victim testified that Yarbrough lured her into prostitution by promising to reunite her with their children, and then beat her severely when she insisted on seeing them and refused to continue working. Yarbrough punched her in the face so hard he broke three of her teeth. On another occasion, he beat her knees with a metal pipe and caused injuries that continue to affect her. She also testified that Yarbrough threatened to prostitute their nine-year-old daughter.

The jury heard testimony that one exhausted victim slept through a phone call from a client after serving prostitution clients for days on end with almost no sleep. When Yarbrough found out she missed the call, he smashed her head into a car door, dragged her by the hair to his hotel room, and beat her with his belt. Jurors saw a letter addressed to that victim and signed by Terrence Yarbrough stating that he was proud of how she did not scream while he beat her with the belt.

Witnesses testified that Yarbrough bragged about his beatings of some victims to other victims to let them know what would happen to them if they disobeyed him. Jurors also saw the “T-Rex” logos Yarbrough tattooed on four separate victims, and heard that he claimed that they had been “branded” as his property. Testimony and jail recordings showed that Yarbrough confiscated his victims’ identification documents as well as all their money to make it difficult for them to escape.

Jurors also heard testimony that Yarbrough conspired with his mother, Norma Yarbrough Webb, 66, and Michelle Johnson, 41, to fraudulently obtain food stamp benefits while Yarbrough was incarcerated. Johnson and Webb previously pled guilty to related charges.

“The USDA-Office of Inspector General is committed to the investigation and prosecution of those individuals who fraudulently obtain food stamp benefits. We are very pleased we were able to work with the U.S. Attorney's Office and other law enforcement agencies in this case,” stated Karen Citizen-Wilcox, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Southeast Region for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Office of Inspector General.

The case was investigated by the FBI and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General, with assistance from the St. Louis Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Skrmetti and Trial Attorney Benjamin J. Hawk of the United States Department of Justice Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit prosecuted the case.

Memphis, TN – Amos Patton, 42, of Cordova, TN, was charged today in a criminal complaint with one count of assault within the maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States, and one count of carrying and using a firearm during and in relation to a federal crime of violence, announced U.S. Attorney Edward L. Stanton III; Special Agent in Charge of the Memphis
Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, A. Todd McCall; Naval Criminal Investigative
Service Special Agent Michael C. Cote; and Millington Police Chief Rita Stanback.

According to the affidavit filed with the complaint, on October 24, 2013 Patton was directed by his commanders to come to the Tennessee Army National Guard Recruiting Center, located at
5650 Attu, Millington, TN. During this meeting, Patton was notified that he was being relieved of duty, recommended for reduction in rank, and recommended for separation from the active guard reserve because of misconduct.

Following the meeting, Patton was directed to return government equipment believed to be in his government vehicle. When he returned from the car, Patton had in his possession a “fanny pack.”
When he attempted to access the pack, one of the Tennessee Army National Guardsmen yelled
“Gun.”

At that point, a senior non-commissioned officer (NCO) attempted to subdue Patton. Patton was able to fire his weapon, and rounds struck three Tennessee Army National Guard personnel in the room. Patton ran from the building, followed by the senior NCO, who caught Patton, subdued him, and held him until the Millington Police Department arrived and took Patton into custody. The handgun was recovered at the scene of the shooting.

If convicted, Patton could receive up to 20 years for the assault charge and could receive a minimum of 10 years for the firearms charge. There is no parole in the federal system. This case is being investigated by the FBI and the NCIS. Assistant U.S. Attorney Fred Godwin is representing the government.

The charges and allegations contained in the criminal complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Memphis, TN – Ignacio Lazcano-Acosta, 52, pleaded guilty yesterday to one count of manufacturing and attempting to manufacture marijuana in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 846, announced United States Attorney Edward L. Stanton III.

According to information presented in court, on October 11, 2011 in Obion County, Tennessee, officers with the Obion County Sheriff’s Department discovered a large outdoor marijuana grow containing several acres of marijuana plants that had the appearance of being grown, harvested, and processed for distribution. DEA agents were able to identify Ignacio Lazcano-Acosta as one of the persons involved with the marijuana grow operation. Mr. Lazcano-Acosta changed his plea in a court hearing before Judge J. Daniel Breen yesterday, October 7, 2013.

The potential penalty for this charge is no more than 20 years in federal prison. Lazcano-Acosta is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Breen in Jackson on January 10, 2014 at 10:00 a.m. There is no parole in the federal prison system.

This crime was investigated by the 27th Judicial District Drug Task Force, the Drug Enforcement
Administration, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, the Tennessee Highway Patrol, the
Union City Police Department and the Obion County Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Victor L. Ivy on behalf of the government.

Memphis, TN – Sean McWhirter, 31, of Memphis, Tennessee pleaded guilty today to one count of transportation of individuals in interstate commerce for the purpose of prostitution, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2421, announced United States Attorney Edward L. Stanton III.
McWhirter is a five-year veteran of the Memphis Police Department who was serving as a patrolman at the time of his arrest.

On September 13, 2012, while on duty and in his patrol car, McWhirter agreed to transport three women to a location in Tunica, Mississippi, for the purpose of prostitution. Subsequently, on
September 16, 2012, while off duty, McWhirter delivered two women from Memphis, Tennessee, to a hotel in Tunica. Upon entering the room with the women, McWhirter was arrested by Special Agents and Task Force Officers of the FBI. McWhirter changed his plea in a court hearing before Judge S. Thomas Anderson today, October 7, 2013.

The penalty for this charge is no more than 10 years in federal prison and a fine of no more than
$250,000. McWhirter is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Anderson on January 7, 2014 at
1:30 p.m. There is no parole in the federal prison system.

This crime was investigated by the Tarnished Badge Task Force, which is comprised of investigators from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Memphis Police Department, and Shelby
County Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brian
K. Coleman on behalf of the government.

Memphis, TN – This morning, the United States Supreme Court granted the petition of the
United States for a writ of certiorari in United States v. Castleman, a criminal case originating in the Western District of Tennessee, announced U.S. Attorney Edward L. Stanton III.

In August 2009, a federal grand jury in Memphis returned a superseding indictment charging
James Castleman with two counts of possessing a firearm after having been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(9). The district court granted the defendant’s motion to dismiss these charges in April 2010, on the basis that defendant’s prior Tennessee domestic assault conviction was not “a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence,” as that term is defined in federal law.

The United States appealed, and in September 2012 the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth
Circuit affirmed the district court’s ruling, with each Judge of the three-member panel writing separately. The government sought rehearing by the en banc Court of Appeals, but the court declined to reconsider its decision.

In May 2013, the United States filed a petition for a writ of certiorari from the Supreme Court.
The Court granted that petition today and will consider the case during its 2013 term, which begins this Monday, October 7, 2013.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel French and Criminal Appellate Chief Kevin G. Ritz represented the United States in the lower courts. The Office of the Solicitor General is representing the government in the Supreme Court.

Memphis, TN – Montrell Levelle Arnold, 42, of Memphis, TN, was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury on two counts of extortion and two counts of bribery, announced U.S. Attorney Edward L. Stanton III.

According to the facts alleged in the indictment, on at least two occasions while Arnold was working as a Claims Representative for the United States Social Security Administration (SSA), he offered to “process” Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payment claims for individuals in exchange for a fee. Several SSI beneficiaries agreed to pay the defendant a fee to process the benefit payments.

After the benefit payments had been electronically deposited to the beneficiary’s electronic accounts, Arnold would contact the individuals by telephone and by text message to confirm receipt of the payment and to make arrangements to obtain his “processing fee.”

If convicted, Arnold faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 on each extortion charge, and up to 15 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 on each bribery charge. In addition, Arnold may be disqualified from holding any office of honor, trust or profit with the United States.

Investigators suspect that Arnold may have taken advantage of other individuals during his employment with the SSA. If anyone has any additional information, they are urged to contact the SSA Office of the Inspector General at 855-260-6353. This case is being investigated by the United States Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Leetra Harris is representing the government.

The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Memphis, TN – The final member of a criminal gang responsible for at least three bank robberies and two business robberies was sentenced on Monday to 300 months in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney Edward L. Stanton III.

According to facts revealed in the indictment and during plea and sentencing hearings, from July 21 to 27, 2011, Ernest Goodman, 25, of Memphis, TN, was part of a gang that robbed three Bank of America branches across the city. Goodman himself also robbed a Pizza Hut located on Elvis Presley Blvd. and a Church’s Chicken restaurant on Summer Ave.

On at least one occasion during their crime spree, members of the gang discharged firearms and pistol-whipped innocent victims. They also robbed victims personally, in addition to robbing the businesses.
On May 16, 2013, Goodman pleaded guilty to two counts of bank robbery, one count of using a firearm during a crime of violence, and two counts of robbery affecting interstate commerce. U.S. District Judge S. Thomas Anderson sentenced Goodman to 84 months for using a firearm during a crime of violence and to 216 months for the other four charges. The four robbery charges are to be served concurrently, and the firearm charge is to be served consecutively, for a total of 300 months. Judge Anderson also ordered Goodman to pay $23,217 in restitution.

The five other members of the gang pleaded guilty to various charges. They are: Thomas Vaughn, 28, of Memphis. Vaughn pleaded guilty on July 23, 2012, to three counts of bank robbery. On November 7, 2012, Judge Anderson sentenced him to a total of 300 months in prison and ordered restitution in the amount of $37,054.

Mario Ewing, 32, of Memphis. Ewing pleaded guilty on July 12, 2012, to three counts of bank robbery and three counts of using a firearm during a crime of violence. On August 8, 2013, Judge Anderson sentenced him to a total of 240 months in prison and ordered restitution in the amount of $37,054.

Edward Jones, 25, of Memphis. Jones pleaded guilty on August 31, 2012 to two counts of bank robbery and one count of using a firearm during a crime of violence. On January 29, 2013, Judge Anderson sentenced him to a total of 240 months in prison and ordered restitution in the amount of $32,908.

Deandre Taylor, 25, of Memphis. Taylor pleaded guilty on November 15, 2012 to one count of bank robbery and one count of using a firearm during a crime of violence. On April 16, 2013, Judge Anderson sentenced him to a total of 120 months in prison and ordered restitution in the amount of $13,841.

Joshua Shelton, 19, of Memphis. Shelton pleaded guilty on July 13, 2012, to one count of bank robbery and one count of using a firearm during a crime of violence. On October 31, 2012, Judge Anderson sentenced him to a total of 84 months in prison and ordered restitution in the amount of $13,841.

This case was investigated by the Safe Streets Task Force, comprised of law enforcement officials from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Memphis Police Department, the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, the Germantown Police Department, and the Bartlett Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lorraine Craig represented the government.

Memphis, TN – Allan D. Cooper, 66, of Memphis, TN, pleaded guilty today to one count of wire fraud before United States District Judge John T. Fowlkes, Jr., announced U.S. Attorney Edward L. Stanton III.

According to the one-count criminal information and statements made in court, between approximately October 2011 and May 2013, Cooper defrauded six individuals of $395,000. According to the information, Cooper made various false and fraudulent statements, representations and promises to induce the victims to give him monies as either a “loan” or an “investment.”

Cooper told some of his victims about an investment opportunity with an old friend of his named “Charlie” and that if the victims would give Cooper funds to invest with Charlie they would receive a substantial return. In these instances Cooper frequently gave the victims a post-dated check payable in an amount that represented the principal and the return on the investment. When the victim discovered that the check was worthless, Cooper made other false representations and promises to repay.

Cooper told other victims that he was the owner of Cooper Chemical Company and that if they would loan him funds he would pay them back with substantial interest. In fact, “Cooper Chemical Company” was inactive and not conducting any business. Cooper also falsely represented that if a victim would loan him funds, they would be repaid with interest through disbursements from a trust in which defendant Cooper was a named beneficiary.

Cooper faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000. He is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Fowlkes on January 10, 2014, at 9:30 a.m. There is no parole in the federal prison system.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carroll L. Andre III is representing the government.

Memphis, TN – An early morning sweep by law enforcement officers from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and numerous local law enforcement agencies resulted in the apprehension of 14 individuals involved in a drug distribution conspiracy, announced U.S. Attorney Edward L. Stanton III and A. Todd McCall, Special Agent in Charge of the Memphis Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

According to a federal grand jury indictment unsealed today, the following individuals did unlawfully and knowingly conspire to possess and distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine:

Osiel Lopez-Acuna, a/k/a “Buddha,” 34, of Memphis; Christopher Love, 38, of Memphis; Gilberto Conde, a/k/a “Gilberto Conde-Sanchez,” age unknown, of Memphis; Enrique Rodriguez, a/k/a “Kike,” age unknown, of Memphis; Alfonso Perez Hernandez, a/k/a “Kora,” 45, of Memphis; Francisco Javie Valtierra-Zuni, a/k/a “Fabian Avila-Prieto,” age unknown, of Memphis; David Martinez, age unknown, of Memphis; Jose Trinidad Arteaga, a/k/a “Pelon,” a/k/a “Dreamer,” 30, of Memphis; Julius Hull, a/k/a “Trey,” 36, of Memphis; Gregory Ledronte Miller, a/k/a “Bebe,” 34, of Memphis; Daniel Morales, age unknown, of Memphis; Benigno Morales Vasquez, a/k/a “Muchi,” 39, of Memphis; Aquilino Gonzalez, 30, of Memphis; Terry Greer, 40, of Memphis; Otis Booth, a/k/a “Otis Boothes,” age unknown, of Memphis; and Correy Dewayne Morris, 35, of Memphis.

In addition, Gilberto Conde was indicted for one count of possession of a firearm while in the country illegally and one count of possession of a firearm in the furtherance of drug trafficking. Otis Booth and Enrique Rodriguez remain at large.

Officials also seized approximately 10 guns, night vision goggles, body armor, approximately $125,000 in cash, and approximately two kilograms of suspected cocaine. This investigation was conducted in conjunction with prosecutors in Memphis as part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Program, which seeks to reduce the availability of drugs by disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations, money laundering organizations and related criminal enterprises.

This case is being investigated by the FBI Safe Streets Task Force, Shelby County Sheriff's Office, Memphis Police Department, Bartlett Police Department, Germantown Police Department and the DeSoto County Sheriff's Office. Assistant United States Attorney Daniel French is representing the government.

The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Jackson, TN – John McKinney, 71, of Bolivar, TN was convicted today of four counts of producing child pornography, and one count of possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Edward L. Stanton III.

It took the jury approximately 10 minutes to find McKinney guilty on all charges. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison for each of the production counts and a minimum of 10 years on the possession count. He could receive up to 140 years in prison. There is no parole in the federal prison system.

“The jury’s verdict clearly demonstrates that this community will not tolerate predatory acts like the ones carried out by John McKinney,” said U.S. Attorney Stanton. “We have an obligation to protect our most vulnerable citizens – young, innocent children. This office, working together with our law enforcement partners, will relentlessly pursue anyone who commits such heinous crimes and ensure that they face the full consequences of the law.”
According to facts revealed during the trial, McKinney took sexually explicit pictures of girls as young as nine years old while the girls were visiting at his home. According to the sworn testimony of the mother of one victim, her younger daughter saw sexually explicit photos on McKinney’s computer. Investigators confiscated more than 87 CDs from a building on McKinney’s farm that contained pictures that he had taken depicting child pornography.

On June 25, 2013, McKinney was convicted by a federal jury of four counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm or ammunition. The guns and ammunition were discovered during the search of his home that revealed the pornographic photos. He is awaiting sentencing in that case and is facing up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count.

This case is being investigated by the Hardeman County Sheriff’s Office, the Jackson Police Department and the FBI in Jackson. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Deb Ireland and James Powell represent the government.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative of the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, PSC marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about PSC, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/resources.html and click on the tab "resources."

Memphis, TN – Michael A. Lilley, 49, of Millington, TN was charged today in a criminal complaint with sex trafficking of minor girls from as many as three high schools in West Tennessee, announced U.S. Attorney Edward L. Stanton III and A. Todd McCall, Special Agent in Charge of the Memphis Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

According to facts revealed in a sworn affidavit filed with the complaint, Lilley was recruiting girls as young as 15 years old to work as prostitutes at his home in Millington. Lilley and another individual would provide alcohol and drugs for the girls, who would hang out at an enclosure in his back yard referred to as the “back house.”

One of the victims told authorities that Lilley would bring men to his home for the purpose of engaging in prostitution with the girls. The men paid $60 or $75 per session with the girls, and Lilley gave the girls approximately $30 per customer.

Another victim told authorities that she had sex with men at Lilley’s home, at the homes and trailers of men Lilley set her up to meet, and in a van owned by Lilley while parked in parking lots of various restaurants.

The girls were recruited out of various high schools by a minor boy who advised authorities that he had been working for Lilley for six months. He was paid $20 out of every $100 made by the girls.
Officials first became aware of Lilley’s actions when one of the girls confided what was going on to the school crisis counselor at one of the high schools. The counselor then reported it to the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office.

“The activities alleged in the sworn affidavit, if proven to be true, are reprehensible,” said U.S. Attorney Stanton. “This office remains committed to working with our law enforcement partners to prosecute and bring to justice anyone who exploits children for profit.”

Lilley is scheduled for a detention hearing on Thursday, September 12, 2013. If convicted he faces a minimum of 10 years in prison and a maximum of up to life in prison on each charge.

This case is being investigated by the FBI. Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney Larry Laurenzi and Assistant U.S. Attorney Deb Ireland are representing the government.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative of the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, PSC marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about PSC, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/ For more information about internet safety education, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/resources.html and click on the tab "resources."

The charges and allegations contained in the criminal complaint and the affidavit are merely accusations, and the defendant is considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Memphis, TN – Terry Green, 60, of Memphis, TN, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge John T. Fowlkes to 33 months in prison for tax fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Edward L. Stanton III.

According to facts revealed in the indictment and during the sentencing hearing, from 2005 to 2009, Green and his associate, Herman Shaw, ran several tax preparation businesses in Memphis (Computax and Shaw's Tax Express). Through these businesses, Green and Shaw routinely filed false federal income tax returns for their clients and generated fees for their tax businesses as a result. The returns falsely reflected losses and expenses arising from fictitious home-based businesses, such as cutting hair and landscaping. This would inflate the refund amount for the defendants' clients.

As a result of the scheme, numerous false returns were approved by the IRS, resulting in over $400,000 of loss to the United States Government. In June, Shaw, 33, of Cordova, TN, was sentenced to 26 months in prison. Both defendants were ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $404,078.

This case was investigated by IRS-CID and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stephen Hall on behalf of the government.

Memphis, TN – Victoria Wallace, a/k/a “Prune the Goon,” 20, of Memphis, TN, was sentenced Friday to 216 months in federal prison for her role in a child sex trafficking conspiracy, announced U.S. Attorney Edward L. Stanton III.

At the sentencing hearing, Senior U.S. District Judge Jon Phipps McCalla heard testimony that Wallace was a high-ranking member of the Piru Street gang who used force and threats of force to control her victims. One of her juvenile victims testified that she saw Wallace drag a woman by her hair while beating her. That juvenile also identified threatening text messages that Wallace sent her during the investigation of the case.

The juvenile explained that Wallace drove her and three other minors to New Orleans for the purpose of having them prostitute. Wallace also put minors to work in prostitution in Memphis, according to the juvenile. The juvenile testified that Wallace kept the money her victims made and threatened them if they refused to work.

Wallace pled guilty on January 2, 2013, to a child sex trafficking conspiracy charge. There is no possibility of parole in the federal system.

“Wallace’s sentence of 18 years in federal prison should send an unequivocal message: if you sexually exploit a child for profit, you will be held accountable,” said United States Attorney Stanton. “Working with our law enforcement partners, we will remain relentless in doing whatever it takes to protect our most vulnerable citizens – our children – from those who engage in sex trafficking.”

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation working in conjunction with the Memphis Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan Skrmetti and Trial Attorney Keith Becker from the U.S. Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative of the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, PSC marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about PSC, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/ For more information about internet safety education, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/resources.html and click on the tab "resources."

Memphis, TN – Eugene Bernardini, 38, of Olive Branch, MS was sentenced Friday evening by U.S. District Judge Samuel H. Mays to 15 years in federal prison for being a convicted felon in possession of ammunition, announced U.S. Attorney Edward L. Stanton III.

According to facts revealed during the sentencing hearing, on November 23, 2012, a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent was riding in a car with a friend and the friend’s 12-year-old son on Hacks Cross Road in Memphis, when their vehicle was struck by Bernardini’s vehicle. The FBI agent recommended to his friend that he pull into a parking lot. The driver and the Special Agent exited the vehicle, at which time Bernardini pulled a pistol and pointed it at the agent’s midsection. The FBI agent immediately took possession of the pistol and ordered Bernardini to the ground. Bernardini refused to comply and advanced toward the agent, saying “you won’t shoot.” The gun failed to fire, and the agent ejected the magazine from the weapon.

Bernardini then pulled a knife and advanced on the agent, who discarded the pistol to have his hands free to defend himself. While holding the agent at knife-point, Bernardini grabbed the pistol from the ground, pointed it at the driver of the vehicle who had come to the agent’s aid and then fled the scene. The police were called to the scene by an employee of a nearby business who witnessed the incident. Though the pistol was never recovered, the ejected magazine and ammunition left on the scene were tagged by Memphis Police Department officers, and Bernardini was arrested later that evening in Olive Branch, Mississippi.

Based on his prior convictions for aggravated robbery, robbery and possession of controlled substances with the intent to distribute, Bernardini was sentenced to the 15-year sentence required by the Armed Career Criminal Act. There is no possibility of parole.

This case was investigated by the Project Safe Neighborhoods Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Webber represented the government.

Memphis, TN – James Erwin, 39, of Memphis, TN, an officer with the Memphis Police
Department, was indicted today by a federal grand jury for possessing a firearm while being an unlawful user of, and addicted to, cocaine base.

According to a criminal complaint filed on August 28, 2013, agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives interviewed Erwin, who admitted to using a controlled substance for four months, including August 27, 2013, when he took his work-issued Sig Sauer pistol to a friend’s house. An individual advised Memphis Police Department officers that he has sold cocaine base to Erwin for several years, and that on August 27, 2013, that individual took several of Erwin’s personal items as security for Erwin’s crack cocaine debt.

If convicted, Erwin faces up to ten years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000 and supervised release of up to three years. This case was investigated by the Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative, which is made up of officers from the Memphis Police Department (MPD), the Shelby
County Sheriff’s Department (SCSD), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and
Explosives (ATF). Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Webber is representing the government.

The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Jackson, TN – Craig Michael Barbee, 40, of Dyersburg, TN, was sentenced today to 360 months in federal prison for being a previously convicted felon in possession of a firearm, announced
U.S. Attorney Edward L. Stanton III.

Barbee’s sentence comes as a result of his involvement in a May 2012 robbery at the
Dollar General Store in Friendship, Tennessee, which resulted in the shooting of Friendship
Police Chief Bill Garrett. Barbee was found guilty in state court of attempted second degree murder, especially aggravated robbery, two counts of aggravated assault and a felony firearms charge. He received a 106-year sentence in that case. The federal case arises from the day following the shooting, where Barbee was apprehended and found to be in possession of a firearm. Barbee’s federal sentence is concurrent to his state sentence.

“Today’s sentence of 30 years, without the possibility of parole, hopefully brings some measure of relief to Police Chief Garrett, his family and close friends,” said U.S. Attorney
Stanton. “Any attempt on someone’s life is horrific, but the fact that Mr. Barbee was brazenly attempting to take the life of a law enforcement official underscores the extreme danger he posed to the greater community.”

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Crockett County
Sheriff’s Department, Lauderdale Sheriff’s Department, and the Friendship Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorney Victor L. Ivy prosecuted this case on behalf of the United
States.

Memphis, TN – Craig Petties, 36, of Memphis, TN was sentenced today to nine life sentences in federal prison by United States District Judge Samuel H. Mays, announced U.S. Attorney Edward L. Stanton III.

In 2009, Petties pleaded guilty to 19 charges related to his role as the ringleader of one of the largest drug trafficking organizations ever prosecuted in West Tennessee. Petties and the other members of his criminal racketeering enterprise conspired with cocaine traffickers in Mexico, Texas, Mississippi, North Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, and elsewhere. As part of the conspiracy, cocaine was prepared, packaged and/or stored, prior to distribution to buyers in “stash houses.” The defendant and the co-conspirators used these “stash houses” to avoid detection by law enforcement authorities.

It was further part of the conspiracy that the defendants and their co-conspirators sorted, counted, packaged, and stored large amounts of cash derived from the sale of controlled substances in various co-conspirators’ premises in the Western District of Tennessee. The co-conspirators delivered large amounts of currency derived from the sale of cocaine from the Western District of Tennessee and elsewhere to Texas and Mexico. In order to facilitate continued drug trafficking and in order to prevent others from cooperating with law enforcement authorities, it was further part of the conspiracy that the defendant and the co-conspirators did kill other people. Petties pleaded guilty to murder in aid of racketeering and conspiracy to commit murder for hire, and he admitted to a role in at least four murders. Petties also later pleaded guilty to a separate charge of possessing a weapon while in custody at the Federal Correctional Institution in Memphis.

Over 40 people have been charged and convicted as part of this investigation. The sentencing of Petties represented the end of these successful prosecutions in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee.

“Craig Petties was the ringleader of one of the largest and most violent criminal organizations to ever operate in the state of Tennessee. The court’s sentence of life without the possibility of parole holds Petties accountable for his ruthless acts,” said U.S. Attorney Stanton. “It should also send a clear message to those who distribute poison into our communities and protect their criminal activity by any means necessary: you will not get away with it, and you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. I hope the sentence imposed today can provide a meaningful measure of closure to the families of those murdered and victimized by the Petties organization, as well as the community as a whole.”

“The dismantling of the Petties organization brought his reign of terror to an abrupt end. Petties, who was dubbed as a powerful ‘drug lord,’ trafficked vast quantities of cocaine and marijuana and was one of the most violent and notorious drug dealers in Memphis history,” said Harry S. Sommers, the Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division. “Despite his power, criminal protection and violent methods of operation, step by step, the government successfully dismantled his once-thriving criminal network. This life sentence would not have been possible without the high-level of cooperation between federal, state, local and Mexican law enforcement authorities.”

This investigation was conducted in conjunction with prosecutors in Memphis as part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program, which seeks to reduce the availability of drugs by disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations, money laundering organizations and related criminal enterprises.

Because there is no parole in the federal prison system, Petties will spend the rest of his life in prison. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the United States Marshals Service, the Memphis Police Department, the Shelby County Sheriff’s Department and the Olive Branch Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Pritchard on behalf of the government.

Memphis, TN – Randolph B. Robinson, 63, of Austin, TX, was indicted today on two counts related to his actions on board an AirTran flight between Baltimore, MD and Austin, announced U.S. Attorney Edward L. Stanton III.

Robinson is charged with knowingly and willfully attempting to damage, destroy, disable and wreck an aircraft, specifically, AirTran Airways Flight 265, by attempting to open exits while the aircraft was in flight.

Robinson is also charged with knowingly interfering with the duties of the flight crew by attempting to open the rear exit doors of the aircraft while in flight. The indictment alleges that his actions caused the flight attendants to be forced to physically remove him from the doors and that the flight crew was forced to divert the aircraft to Memphis.

If convicted, Robinson faces up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000 and supervised release of up to five years for each count. This case was investigated by the Joint Terrorism Task Force, which is led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and comprised of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Frederick Godwin is representing the government.

The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.