Northern District of Texas

An oil and gas fraudster was sentenced to more than 17 years in federal prison for running a multi-million dollar Ponzi-type scheme, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.

Billy Marcum, Jr., 67, of Fort Worth, Texas, pleaded guilty in December 2022 to wire fraud. On Thursday, he was sentenced to 210 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Mark Pittman, who also ordered him to pay more than $16 million in restitution.

In plea papers, Mr. Marcum – the owner of a number of oil and gas companies, including  Navarro Minerals, Caddo I, Bluecreek Operating, Fullspike Energy, Viejo Services, and Viejo Exploration – solicited money from investors, telling them their funds would be used to purchase oil and gas leases and to pay for well oil repairs and returns would be paid out of profits from the ensuing oil and gas sales.

A classic Ponzi scheme, instead of purchasing the leases, Mr. Marcum used new investors’ money to fund earlier investors’ returns, lulling them into believing their investments were sound and that they should continue investing with him. (He also used some of the investment money to pay personal expenses.)

In furtherance of the scheme, Mr. Marcum fabricated reports about oil production and sales and sent them to investors. The false run statements noted purported lease name and number, the gross volume of product taken, sales value, taxes paid, dates, and net amount to be paid to the operator.  Marcum also recorded false lease assignments related to his scheme in counties throughout Texas to disguise his crime.

Around September 2018, Mr. Marcum realized he lacked sufficient revenues and could no longer raise sufficient funds to pay existing investors. He conspired with a man named Jay Taylor to solicit investor funds on behalf of several of his companies. Mr. Marcum knowingly supplied false information to Mr. Taylor, who used the information to successfully solicit additional funds.  

In April 2022, Mr. Marcum admitted to FBI agents that he concocted false run statements about oil and gas sales and sent them directly to some investors and indirectly, through Mr. Taylor, to others in order to entice investments. He also admitted that he used new investor funds to pay off other investors and represented to them that the returns were from oil sales.

At sentencing, prosecutors said Mr. Marcum defrauded over 150 victims, collecting nearly $30 million in investor funds and inflicting over $16 million in losses.

Mr. Taylor also pleaded guilty to wire fraud and was sentenced in April to eight years in federal prison.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office – Fort Worth Resident Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nancy Larson, John de la Garza, and Beverly Chapman prosecuted the case.

A Lamesa man who bragged to his coworkers about having sex with a 16-year-old child was sentenced Thursday to 14 years in prison for his sexually explicit photographs of her, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.

Osbaldo Moreno, 21, was charged via criminal complaint in November 2022 and indicted the following month. He pleaded guilty in February to receipt of child pornography and was sentenced Thursday by U.S. District Judge James Wesley Hendrix.

According to court documents, the investigation began when a co-worker reported to law enforcement that Mr. Moreno bragged about having sex with the minor victim in the workplace bathroom, breakroom, and parking lot.

In plea papers, Mr. Moreno admitted that the child was 15 when he first began having sex with her.

A review of the defendant’s cell phone revealed multiple disturbing text messages, including one in which he threatened, “U need to chill or am going to rape u and u not going to be able to walk again.”

He also demanded sexually explicit photos of the victim, which she sent. On his cell phones (he had several), investigators discovered more than 150 explicit images and videos of the child.

In an interview with law enforcement at the Midland Children’s Advocacy Center, the child reported that Mr. Moreno routinely ordered her to send nude images of herself and asked her to stop going to school so that they could have sex more often. She said that he declined to use protection during sex because he wanted to impregnate her.

Mr. Moreno has also been charged by the state with two counts of sexual assault of a child. Those cases remain pending.

Homeland Security Investigations’ Dallas Field Office and the Lamesa Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Callie Woolam prosecuted the case.

A darknet fentanyl dealer who used the moniker “Fent4U” was found guilty yesterday of multiple drug crimes and possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.

After four days of trial and five hours of deliberation, a jury convicted Sean Shaughnessy, 55, of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance analogue, distribution of controlled substances, and possession of child pornography.

“Drug traffickers who think operating on the darknet will shield them from prosecution should think again,” said U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton. “We will scour the darkest recesses of the internet to find those dealing fentanyl, a drug that shatters lives and wrecks futures. We are grateful to the many agents and officers – both in uniform and undercover – that worked together to arrest Mr. Shaughnessy, and to the jurors who thoughtfully weighed the evidence and voted to convict.”

“This drug dealer, who used the cloak of the dark web to peddle fentanyl and other illicit drugs, is no longer in business thanks to the investigative efforts and technological expertise of our agents and law enforcement partners,” said Lester R. Hayes Jr., Special Agent in Charge of HSI Dallas. “Criminals who seek personal gain by trafficking illicit drugs at the expense of victims in our communities cannot hide on the dark web. Our team of special agents and criminal analysts will never relent in our resolve to bring to justice those that seek financial gain by selling this poison in our neighborhoods as we all work tirelessly as a community to address drug addiction and fatal overdoses throughout the country.”

According to evidence presented at trial, Mr. Shaughnessy sold fentanyl, carfentanil (a frequently abused  elephant tranquilizer), pentedrone, and fentanyl and pentedrone analogues over the dark web, an unindexed portion of the internet accessible only via specialized software that allows users to conduct transactions with relative anonymity. His buyers purchased the drugs on dark web marketplaces using cryptocurrencies like bitcoin, and Mr. Shaughnessy shipped the drugs to their addresses.

Multiple former customers testified at Mr. Shaughnessy’s trial, noting the drugs Shaughnessy sold them, including fentanyl and its analogues, arrived to their DFW are homes very quickly and were of high potency.

Just days after purchasing fentanyl analogues from Mr. Shaughnessy, one of his customers, a young man in his 20s, died of an overdose involving that substance.  

An undercover Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent testified about the undercover operation that identified Mr. Shaughnessy, explaining that Mr. Shaughnessy directed tens of thousands of dollars of his illicit drug proceeds to be sent to Mr. Shaughnessy in the Dallas area.

Another agent testified that during an interview with law enforcement, Mr. Shaughnessy claimed that the agents would have to “check his taxes” to determine what Mr. Shaughnessy did for a living.  Agents contacted the Internal Revenue Service, which indicated Mr. Shaughnessy had filed no taxes for the relevant time periods.

In a video of his July 2016 arrest played for the jury, Mr. Shaughnessy, with white powder visible around his nose, removed and dropped a baggie of drugs from his pocket while officers were placing handcuffs on him, and he then attempted to kick it out of officers’ view. When officers noticed the baggie, the defendant insisted, “that ain’t mine,” though it was plainly visible on the officers’ body-camera footage.

The defendant now faces up to 80 years in federal prison.

Homeland Security Investigations’ Dallas and New York Field Offices conducted the investigation in partnership with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Customs & Border Protection, the Irving Police Department, and the Sacramento District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joe Magliolo, Gary Tromblay, Nicole Dana, and Jordan Ganz are prosecuting the case. U.S. District Judge Sam A. Lindsay presided over the trial.

A fentanyl dealer tied to the death of a 16-year-old boy was sentenced this week to 12 years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.

Eric Aden Herrera, 20, pleaded guilty in September 2022 to distribution of controlled substances to a person under 21. He was sentenced Tuesday by Senior U.S. District Judge Terry R. Means.

“Fentanyl, which is often hidden inside more innocuous-looking counterfeit pills, can snuff out a life in an instant,” said U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton. “This defendant claimed he was too afraid to try these pills himself, yet he was willing to sell them to an unsuspecting teenager. We must ensure our teens understand that drug dealers will resort to unscrupulous behavior in order to make a buck, and that unless prescribed by a doctor, no pill is safe. The Justice Department will not rest until fentanyl is no longer being sold on our streets.”

“Dealing and purchasing pills on the streets, regardless of what they ‘might’ look like, must stop,” said Eduardo A. Chávez, Special Agent in Charge of DEA Fort Worth.  “Illicit fentanyl has made its way into every one of our neighborhoods and you cannot take a chance.  The consequences are real.  While we cannot heal the damage already done to the victim’s family, we can continue to hold those like Mr. Herrera, and all others, accountable for the devastation selling drugs cause.”

According to plea papers, Mr. Herrera admitted he knowingly distributed counterfeit Percocet pills laced with fentanyl to a victim identified in the complaint as L.W.

He arranged the sale via Snapchat and then met the victim outside his girlfriend’s house to make the exchange.

Shortly after purchasing the pills, L.W. ingested two of them and fatally overdosed. His friend found him unresponsive in bed and called 911.  An autopsy revealed L.W. died of acute fentanyl toxicity.

In an interview with law enforcement, Mr. Herrera admitted he sold pills to L.W.

He said that after he got the pills from his dealer, he considered breaking one in half to try it with his girlfriend, but decided not to because he didn’t know about how they were made and was too scared to take them himself. 

A review of Mr. Herrera’s Snapchat history confirmed that he offered to sell L.W. Percocet and directed him to Mr. Herrera’s girlfriend’s street.

The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Dallas Field Division and the Fort Worth Police Department conducted the investigation with assistance from the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura Montes prosecuted the case.

Note: Illicitly produced, fentanyl-laced pills often look similar to legitimate prescription pills like Oxycontin or Percocet, but can pose significantly more danger. On the street, these pills are often referred to as “M30s” (a reference to the markings on some of the pills), “blues,” “perks,” “yerks,” “china girls,” or “TNT.” DEA research shows that six out of ten pills laced with fentanyl contain a potentially lethal dose. One pill can kill. For resources, visit https://www.dea.gov/onepill.

A DeSoto man who drugged young girls and then forced them into commercial sex was convicted Wednesday evening of 15 counts related to sex trafficking, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.

Anjum Zafar Mian, 42, was charged via criminal complaint in December 2022 and indicted in March 2023. After two days of trial and an hour and a half of deliberation, a jury convicted him Wednesday of two counts of sex trafficking through force, fraud and coercion; two counts of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking through force, fraud and coercion; four counts of sex trafficking of a minor; three counts of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of a minor; two counts of sexual exploitation of a child; one count of transporting a minor across state lines for prostitution; and one count of interstate transportation for prostitution.

“This man threatened, beat, drugged, and raped these girls – mere children – so that he could make money. That is the horrific truth of human trafficking, and it’s happening in our backyard,” said U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton. “These victims are hiding in plain sight. Please, if you suspect trafficking, reach out to law enforcement. The Justice Department will not rest until the invisible chains of trafficking are broken.”

“Successfully removing child predators from our communities is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the North Texas Trafficking Task Force,” said Lester R. Hayes Jr., Special Agent in Charge HSI Dallas. “During the trial, the courageous testimony of the minors abused by this defendant ensured that he will account for his actions. Today’s verdict stands as a strong message that HSI will never relent in the pursuit of those who exploit children.“   

According to evidence presented at trial, Mr. Mian forced at least two young girls – ages 16 and 17 – to engage in commercial sex by intimating that he would harm their family if they did not comply.

He brought another 17 year old down from Oklahoma, would not allow her to go back home when she asked, and made her engage in commercial sex.

He also attempted to traffick an adult woman from Oklahoma, who called the police after he assaulted her.

The victims testified that Mr. Mian, who also went by the “AJ” and “Dre,” used explicit photos of them to advertise their sexual service online. He communicated with customers via TextNow and Google, then plied the girls with drugs and alcohol, delivered them to customers, and demanded they turn all proceeds over to him.

On multiple occasions, Mr. Mian raped them while they were unconscious, victims testified.

Mr. Mian now faces up to life in federal prison. He is set to be sentenced on Friday, Oct. 13 in Fort Worth.

The Arlington Police Department conducted the investigation in conjunction with Homeland Security Investigations’ Dallas Field Office and with the assistance of the Dallas Police Department, DeSoto Police Department, Fort Worth Police Department, and Texas Department of Public Safety. This was a North Texas Trafficking Task Force case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brandie Wade and Matthew Weybrecht are prosecuted. U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor presided over trial.

If you believe you or someone you know may be a victim of human trafficking, call local law enforcement or the 24/7 confidential National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888.

A major drug trafficker linked to a string of juvenile fentanyl overdoses in north Texas pleaded guilty today to multiple drug crimes, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.

Jason Xavier Villanueva, 22, was charged via criminal complaint in February and indicted later that same month. On Tuesday, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and distribution of fentanyl to a person under 21 years of age.

“Over and over, Mr. Villanueva put poison into the hands of teenagers who could not possibly comprehend the inherent risks. Not even the news of multiple teenage deaths deterred this defendant,” said U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton. “The Justice Department will not rest until every person who peddled pills to these children, directly or indirectly, is behind bars.  We have seen these kids’ faces – vibrant in life, heartrending in death – and we will not forget.”

“The men and women of the DEA Dallas are pleased Mr. Villanueva has pled guilty and will answer for the crimes he has committed,” said Special Agent in Charge Eduardo A. Chávez.  “Unfortunately we cannot undo the damage already done to our community, but we can use this to prove once again that drug trafficking cannot be tolerated and we must all stand together to rid our communities of the dangers of illicit drugs like fentanyl.”

In plea papers, Mr. Villanueva admitted he distributed more than 200,000 fentanyl pills to north Texas customers over the course of five or six months, at a rate of about 40,000 pills per month. He sold the pills – round blue tablets marked M-30 – to a network of juvenile and adult dealers in Carrollton, who went on to sell to friends, classmates, and other customers. He often advertised on Instagram.

Mr. Villanueva, through his lower-level dealers, is tied to as many as ten overdoses of nine teenagers in the Carrollton Farmer’s Branch Independent School District. The victims, all middle and high school students, ranged in age from 13 to 17.

Following the arrest of two of these lower-level dealers – Eduardo Navarrete and Magaly Cano – Mr. Villanueva  posted on social media, “Only thing that’s gonna stop us is feds.”

Mr. Villanueva is the third defendant charged in the wake of the Carrollton / Flower Mound juvenile overdoses to enter a guilty plea. Magaly Cano and Stephen Paul Brinson pleaded guilty last month; five other defendants, including Mr. Navarrete, have been charged but not yet convicted. (All are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.)

Mr. Villanueva now faces up to 40 years in federal prison. His sentencing is slated for Wednesday, Oct. 4.

The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Dallas Field Office and the Carrollton Police Department conducted the investigation with the assistance of School Resource Officers from the Carrollton – Farmer’s Branch Independent School District and the Lewisville Independent School District. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rick Calvert and Phelesa Guy are prosecuting the case.

Note: Illicitly produced, fentanyl-laced pills often look similar to legitimate prescription pills like Oxycontin or Percocet, but can pose significantly more danger. On the street, these pills are often referred to as “M30s” (a reference to the markings on some of the pills), “blues,” “perks,” “yerks,” “china girls,” or “TNT.” DEA research shows that six out of ten pills laced with fentanyl contain a potentially lethal dose. One pill can kill. For resources, visit https://www.dea.gov/onepill.

 

A Houston man who menaced a flight crew was charged with a federal crime, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.

Marcus Huff, 45, was indicted on April 25 for interference with a flight crew. He was arrested in Houston on Wednesday and made his initial appearance there on Thursday.  He will return to the Northern District of Texas for his eventual arraignment.

According to court documents, Mr. Huff’s actions forced a Southwest Airlines flight from Las Vegas to Houston to divert to Dallas Love Field.

Mr. Huff allegedly threw a drink at one flight attendant, yelled profanities at the entire flight crew, and refused to remain seated during the flight.

An indictment is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. Mr. Huff is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in federal prison.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas and Houston Field Offices conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dimitri Rocha is prosecuting the case.

A woman who pointed a loaded gun at an FBI agent during her boyfriend’s arrest was sentenced today to almost six years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.

Rebekah Jones, 30, was charged via criminal complaint in December 2021 and indicted later that same month. She elected to proceed to trial. In November 2022, a federal jury found her guilty of assaulting a federal officer using a deadly weapon. She was sentenced Thursday by U.S. District Judge Matthew J. Kacsmaryk to 71 months in prison.

“The men and women of the FBI routinely risk their lives undertaking high-stakes operations, knowing each one could end in tragedy. This arrest was no exception. Thankfully, this agent’s deft action protected not only himself and his colleagues, but the defendants he would go on to apprehend,” said U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton. “We are immensely proud of our brothers and sisters in blue, and are dedicated to holding accountable those who would seek to harm them.”

“The defendant knowingly assaulted a federal officer attempting to conduct a lawful arrest. Her actions threatened the safety of not only this officer, but also others who were present. We are grateful to our partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office and Randall County’s Sheriff’s Office for assisting us in holding this individual accountable,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge B. Chad Yarbrough. "The defendant's actions are a stark reminder of the dangers law enforcement officers face every day."

At her trial, agents testified that she became combative when they attempted to arrest her boyfriend, Christopher Stephen Brown, who’d been charged with threatening to kill certain members of the Beth-Din, a Jewish rabbinical court.

When Mr. Brown refused to obey agents’ commands to exit his residence, they entered his apartment and grabbed him. Ms. Jones, however, locked arms with Mr. Brown and attempted to pull him inside the bedroom.

She pointed a loaded gun at one of the agents, who immediately grasped it and pointed it in a safe direction. While wrestling with both Mr. Brown and Ms. Jones, the agent was eventually able to free the gun and fling it onto the floor.’’ The pair was subdued without injury.

Shortly before Ms. Jones’ trial, Mr. Brown pleaded guilty to interstate threats, admitting in court documents that he placed threatening calls to Chabad Lubavitch, a Jewish organization that has provided spiritual guidance and assistance to Jewish people since before the Holocaust, and that he threatened to “execute” several prominent rabbis. He was sentenced in January to two years in federal prison.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office, Amarillo Resident Agency and the Randall County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation in partnership with the FBI’s New York Field Office and the New York Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeff Haag and Joshua Frausto prosecuted the case.

A Fort Worth drug trafficker with eight firearms – including one stolen from Tarrant County law enforcement – was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.

Juan Carlos Perez, 20, was charged in November 2022. He pleaded guilty in February to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and was sentenced Friday by U.S. District Judge Reed C. O’Connor.  

In plea papers, Mr. Perez admitted he conspired to deal methamphetamine, including methamphetamine-laced counterfeit pills.

According to court documents, law enforcement recovered eight firearms, including two AM-15s and two 9mm Glock pistols, from Mr. Perez’s apartment. One of the Glock pistols had previously been reported stolen from a Tarrant County Detention Officer.

On his phone, law enforcement discovered multiple photos and videos of firearms, narcotics, and large quantities U.S. currency. 

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives’ Dallas Field Office and the Fort Worth Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Levi Thomas prosecuted the case.

A Mexican man who shot a police officer in Seminole, Texas pleaded guilty today to a federal firearm crime, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.

Jose Ramon Castillo-Lopez, 28, was charged via criminal complaint in October 2022 and indicted later that same month. He pleaded guilty Tuesday to illegal alien in possession of a firearm.

According to court documents, Mr. Castillo-Lopez, a Mexican national in the United States illegally, admitted he was pulled over by a Seminole Police Department officer for traffic violations on Oct. 1, 2022.

As the officer approached Mr. Castillo-Lopez’s vehicle, he began firing at the officer with a handgun. The officer was struck but moved to a defensive position and returned fire. Mr. Castillo-Lopez exited his vehicle and fled, dropping a 9 mm semi-automatic pistol as he did so.

The officer was able to radio in a description of the defendant, and he was apprehended a few blocks away shortly thereafter.

In an interview with law enforcement, Mr. Castillo-Lopez admitted he had been previously deported and was currently in the county illegally. He also admitted to firing the pistol, which he said he purchased from an unknown individual at a traffic light in Midland, Texas for $200.

Mr. Castillo-Lopez now faces up to 15 years in federal prison.

The victim officer’s body armor prevented serious injury, and he returned to duty shortly thereafter.

Homeland Security Investigation’s Dallas Field Office and the Seminole Police Department conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives’ Dallas Field Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew McLeod is prosecuting the case.

The victim officer’s body armor prevented serious injury, and he returned to duty shortly after the incident.

A fentanyl trafficker responsible for distributing thousands of counterfeit pills across north Texas pleaded guilty today to federal drug charges, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.

Stephen Paul Brinson, aka “Steve-O,” 18, was charged in March. He pleaded guilty Tuesday to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a Schedule II controlled substance (fentanyl) before U.S. Magistrate Judge Irma Carrillo Ramirez.  

In plea papers, Mr. Brinson admitted he dealt fentanyl-laced counterfeit pills out of a home in Flower Mound.

He used an Instagram account to facilitate the sale of the round blue pills, which were imprinted “M/30” to resemble legitimate 30mg oxycodone pills.

 According to court documents, Mr. Brinson acted as the source of supply for fentanyl to Donovan Jude Andrews, the Carrollton dealer who allegedly capitalized on the arrest of Luis Navarrete and Magaly Cano to advertise his pill business. (Mr. Andrews is allegedly tied to at least one juvenile fentanyl overdose – that of a 14-year-old girl who paid her dealer through CashApp; Mr. Navarrete and Ms. Cano, along with their supplier, Jason Villanueva, are allegedly tied to more than ten others.)

During a search of Mr. Brinson’s residence, law enforcement recovered approximately 1,800 fentanyl-laced pills along with cocaine, marijuana, and two firearms.

In plea papers, he admitted that at the time of the search, he was armed and en route to deliver an M/30 pill to a customer in Flower Mound.

Mr. Brinson is the second defendant charged in the wake of the Carrollton / Flower Mound juvenile overdoses to enter a guilty plea. Magaly Cano, 29, pleaded guilty earlier this month. Six other defendants – including Mr. Andrews, Mr. Villanueva, and Mr. Navarrete – have been charged but not yet convicted. (All are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.)

Mr. Brinson now faces up to 40 years in federal prison.

The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Dallas Field Division and the Carrollton Police Department conducted the investigation with the assistance of School Resource Officers from the Carrollton – Farmer’s Branch Independent School District and the Lewisville Independent School District. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Phelesa Guy and Rick Calvert are prosecuting the case.

Note: Illicitly produced, fentanyl-laced pills often look similar to legitimate prescription pills like Oxycontin or Percocet, but can pose significantly more danger. On the street, these pills are often referred to as “M30s” (a reference to the markings on some of the pills), “blues,” “perks,” “yerks,” “china girls,” or “TNT.” DEA research shows that six out of ten pills laced with fentanyl contain a potentially lethal dose. One pill can kill. For resources, visit https://www.dea.gov/onepill.

A Rowlett man who cyberstalked his ex-girlfriend and shot and stabbed her to death in the midst of a bitter custody dispute was sentenced today to 43 years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.

Andrew Charles Beard, 36, was charged in October 2020. He pleaded guilty to cyberstalking using a dangerous weapon resulting in death and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence in June 2022 and was sentenced on Wednesday by U.S. District Judge Jane J. Boyle.

“This case is a sobering reminder of the brutal violence some women endure at the hands of their intimate partners. The victim in this case fought valiantly until the end. We hope today’s sentence brings a measure of peace to her family,” said U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton.

In plea papers, Mr. Beard admitted that he cyberstalked and murdered his ex-girlfriend, 24-year-old Alyssa Ann Burkett, in a parking lot in Carrollton on Oct. 2, 2020, in an attempt to gain custody of their young daughter. He admitted that he placed a GPS tracking device on Ms. Burkett’s car, entered a black SUV he had purchased for the occasion, followed her to the apartment complex where she worked, and donned a disguise. He then exited his vehicle with a shotgun and shot Ms. Burkett in the head as she sat behind the wheel of her car. Believing that he had fatally shot her, Mr. Beard ran back to the SUV to drive away.

However, Ms. Burkett—severely injured and bloodied from the shotgun blast—staggered out of her car and attempted to enter a nearby building for help. Realizing that his ex-girlfriend was still alive, Mr. Beard exited the SUV, ran up to her, grabbed her from behind, and stabbed her 13 times through the upper body with a sharp object.  She died in the parking lot as he raced away from the scene. 

Ms. Burkett’s mother and coworkers told responding officers that Ms. Burkett feared Mr. Beard, believed he was tracking her, and worried he would kill her. Her boyfriend told police that Mr. Beard had seemed “overly obsessed” with Ms. Burkett and their child.

Three hours later, officers stopped Mr. Beard as he drove away from his residence in a white pickup truck. They seized three phones from Mr. Beard, including a prepaid burner phone. On one phone, they found an internet search for “what is the best way to remove gunpowder residue from hands.”

Officers also searched his vehicle, where they found a pair of men’s hiking boots cut into pieces and soaking in bleach, and they searched his residence, where they found a battery that matched the GPS trackers affixed to Ms. Burkett’s vehicle. They also found a written script Mr. Beard had used to phone in a false drug tip against Ms. Burkett a month earlier.

In plea papers, Mr. Beard admitted that he called in the fake tip on September 2, 2020, after planting drugs and a gun in her car.  Identifying himself as “Frank Marrow,” he claimed Ms. Burkett was selling drugs out of the trunk of her car and advised police to check the spare tire well. Officers searched the tire well and found illegal drugs and a pistol with an obliterated serial number.  Ms. Burkett vehemently denied selling drugs and stated that she believed Mr. Beard had planted the evidence in her vehicle.

The day after the murder, officers found the black SUV Mr. Beard had driven to and from the murder scene abandoned in a residential neighborhood near Mr. Beard’s home. Dried blood recovered from the vehicle contained DNA that matched Ms. Burkett.  A fake beard recovered from the vehicle contained DNA that matched Mr. Beard. 

The Carrollton Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives’ Dallas Field Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gary Tromblay, Camille Sparks, and Andrew Briggs are prosecuting the case.

 A fentanyl trafficker tied to the rash of juvenile overdoses in Carrollton and Flower Mound pleaded guilty today to a drug crime, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.

Magaly Mejia Cano, 29, was charged via criminal complaint in February. On Tuesday she pleaded guilty to a superseding information charging her with one count of distribution of a controlled substance (fentanyl) to a person under 21 years of age.

“Just 2mg of fentanyl can cut a young life tragically short. Peddling fentanyl pills to teenagers is one of the most callous crimes a trafficker can commit,” said U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton. “With Ms. Cano’s plea today, we are one step closer to getting justice for parents who lost their teens to fentanyl.”   

“Those who choose a path of darkness to distribute and pollute our communities with fentanyl, should always be looking over their shoulder because of the relentless efforts of DEA Dallas and our law enforcement partners,” said DEA Dallas Special Agent in Charge Eduardo A. Chávez. “Ms. Cano’s guilty plea is a clear result and warning to those that decide this same path.“

Ms. Cano is the first defendant to enter a guilty plea in the drug distribution scheme, which has been linked to at least 12 juvenile overdoses – three of them fatal – in Carrollton and Flower Mound since September 2022.

Others charged in the conspiracy include:  Jason Xavier Villanueva, Luis Eduardo Navarrete, Donovan Jude Andrews, Stephan Paul Brinson, Robert Alexander Gaitan, and Rafael Soliz, Jr.

In plea papers, Ms. Cano admitted that co-defendant Luis Navarrete routinely dealt fentanyl-laced pills to juveniles from his Highland Drive residence.  The round blue pills, imprinted with M/30, resembled prescription narcotics, but were in actuality clandestinely produced fakes.

In plea papers, Ms. Cano said Mr. Navarrete stored the counterfeit pills near their front door of their Carrollton residence and distributed them to customers who came by the house – including a network of juvenile dealers who dealt to other minors.  

On at least three occasions, Ms. Cano admitted, she distributed pills directly to customers, including a 16-year-old, at Mr. Navarrete’s direction.

Ms. Cano now faces up to 40 years in federal prison and a $2 million fine. Her co-defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Dallas Field Office and the Carrollton Police Department conducted the investigation with the assistance of School Resource Officers from the Carrollton – Farmer’s Branch Independent School District and the Lewisville Independent School District. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Phelesa Guy and Rick Calvert are prosecuting the case.

Note: Illicitly produced, fentanyl-laced pills often look similar to legitimate prescription pills like Oxycontin or Percocet, but can pose significantly more danger. On the street, these pills are often referred to as “M30s” (a reference to the markings on some of the pills), “blues,” “perks,” “yerks,” “china girls,” or “TNT.” DEA research shows that six out of ten pills laced with fentanyl contain a potentially lethal dose. One pill can kill. For resources, visit https://www.dea.gov/onepill.

A Burleson man who allegedly idolized the Columbine High School shooters has been charged with possessing a homemade bomb, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.

Noah Robert Calderon, 22, was charged via criminal complaint on April 18 and indicted on May 10 on one count of possession of a destructive device. He made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeffrey L. Cureton on May 15, 2023.

“This defendant exhibited several indicators of potential violence: a fascination with mass shooters, an obsession with weapons, and hatred towards a protected class. What’s worse, he had allegedly progressed from ideation to planning and preparation,” said U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton. “In apprehending Mr. Calderon, we may have averted mass tragedy. We are especially grateful to the tipster who alerted law enforcement to Mr. Calderon’s concerning social media posts. We encourage anyone who witnesses worrisome behavior to report it to law enforcement. Texas iWatch is anonymous and available 24/7.”

“The FBI’s top priority is to protect the communities we serve from acts of violence. Mr. Calderon’s actions presented a potential threat to the public’s safety, and the FBI moved quickly to ensure no one was harmed, “ said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge Chad Yarbrough. “We encourage the public to remain vigilant and contact law enforcement if they see anything suspicious. Awareness allows us to take actions such as we did in this investigation to protect the American public.”

According to court documents, the FBI was alerted to SnapChat images allegedly posted by Mr. Calderon in October 2022.  In the posts, Mr. Calderon allegedly shared images of homemade explosives, including one marked “SS” – an apparent reference to the infamous Nazi paramilitary organization.  

On his social media accounts, Mr. Calderon allegedly embraced white supremacist ideology and professed a fascination with high-profile mass shootings, particularly the 1999 massacre at Columbine High School. He posted numerous images of himself in tactical-style vests posing with AR-15-style rifles and handguns and shared Columbine-themed memes.

In March 2023, FBI received a tip that Calderon had detonated a homemade bomb in a residential neighborhood. (911 calls about a loud concussive sound and smoke corroborated the account.)

Shortly thereafter, agents reviewed Mr. Calderon’s Google account and found searches for the Columbine killers, the Charleston church shooter, “pipe bomb how to make,” “how to make propane bombs,” and “wear [sic] were the propane bombs in Columbine,” as well as searches of the names of several local public schools.  They also searched e-commerce activity, which showed that Mr. Calderon allegedly bought two pounds of potassium percholorate, one pound of aluminum powder, and a striped fuse online.

On April 17, 2023, agents executed a federal search warrant at Mr. Calderon’s home in Burleson, Texas. In the garage, they located a brown shoe box that contained items that could be used to make and detonate a bomb, including a glass jar marked “frag,” which contained metal bb’s and lead.  Near the carboard box was a white plastic container with 659.2 grams of explosive powder.  In Mr. Calderon’s room, they recovered a handwritten document labeled “Manifesto” that glorified the Columbine shooters and espoused white supremacy.

Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations of criminal conduct, not evidence. Mr. Calderone is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in federal prison.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office, the Burleson Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives’ Dallas Field Division conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney  Jay Weimer is prosecuting the case.

Two more defendants have been charged in the drug conspiracy that claimed the lives of three teenagers, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.

Roberta Alexander Gaitan, 20, and Rafael Soliz, Jr., 22, were charged in a superseding indictment filed in March with conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance; Mr. Gaitan was also charged with distribution of a controlled substance to a person under 21 years of age. The charges were unsealed on Tuesday, immediately following the defendants’ arrests. They made their initial appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge Renee Toliver on Friday and were both ordered detained pending trial.

According to the indictment, Mr. Gaitan and Mr. Soliz allegedly conspired with Jason Xavier Villanueva, Donovan Jude Andrews, Stephan Paul Brinson, Magaly Mejia Cano, and Luis Eduardo Navarrete to traffic counterfeit opioid pills laced with fentanyl to young teens, often via juvenile dealers.

To date, members of the conspiracy are tied to at least 12 juvenile overdoses – three of them fatal – in Carrollton and Flower Mound. The victims span the ages of 13 to 17. The deadly drugs were often advertised via social media.

An indictment is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. All conspirators are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

If convicted, the defendants face up to 20 years each in federal prison.

The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Dallas Field Office and the Carrollton Police Department conducted the investigation with the assistance of School Resource Officers from the Carrollton – Farmer’s Branch Independent School District and the Lewisville Independent School District. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Phelesa Guy and Rick Calvert are prosecuting the case.

Note: Illicitly produced, fentanyl-laced pills often look similar to legitimate prescription pills like Oxycontin or Percocet, but can pose significantly more danger. On the street, these pills are often referred to as “M30s” (a reference to the markings on some of the pills), “blues,” “perks,” “yerks,” “china girls,” or “TNT.” DEA research shows that six out of ten pills laced with fentanyl contain a potentially lethal dose. One pill can kill. For resources, visit https://www.dea.gov/onepill.

 

A Grand Prairie man was sentenced today to four years in federal prison and ordered to pay $1.15 million in restitution for lying to the federal government about where his company’s products were manufactured, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.

Suhaib Allababidi, 45, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States in November 2022. His company, 2M Solutions Inc., pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and one count of filing false or misleading export information. Mr.  Allababidi was sentenced Friday by U.S. District Judge Reed C. O’Connor, who sentenced 2M to five years of probation plus a $1 million fine and ordered the company jointly and severally liable for the $1,154,634.11 in restitution.

According to court documents, Mr. Allababidi, the owner and president of 2M, admitted that the company – which provided security cameras, solar-powered light towers, digital video recorders, and other electronics to various U.S. government agencies – claimed that its products were manufactured in the United States, when in actuality they were manufactured in the People’s Republic of China by Chinese companies.

In order to secure contracts with U.S. government agencies, including the Department of Defense, Department of Justice, and Department of Homeland Security, Mr. Allababidi represented that 2M was “a USA Manufacturing Company.”  In actuality, 2M did little to no manufacturing but instead often purchased products from Chinese companies, removed labels indicating the true country of origin, and replaced them with labels indicating they were manufactured in 2M’s Grand Prairie facility. 

By falsely representing that its products were manufactured in the United States, 2M was able to secure contracts subject to the Buy America Act (BAA), a law which generally prohibits United States Government agencies from purchasing products made outside the United States with some limited exceptions.

2M repeatedly certified to the government that its products were BAA-compliant and took various steps to conceal their Chinese origin.  On one occasion, when products were to be shipped directly from a Chinese company to the government agency, a 2M employee sent the Chinese company an email reminding them, “we do not want any Chinese characters or stickers on the shipment” and adding that such stickers “will cause many problems for us.”

2M also pled guilty to submitting false information in relation to products exported to foreign customers.  In contravention of export laws, the company submitted false information to the Automated Export System, a government-run platform that collects export information and distributes it to multiple federal agencies to assure compliance. The company falsified the description of items exported, misrepresented the ultimate recipient of the items, and falsely stated that no export license was needed for shipments that required a license.

The Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office, the U.S. Department of Commerce - Bureau of Industry and Security, Office of Export Enforcement, the General Services Administration’s Office of Inspector General,  Homeland Security Investigations, and the Justice Department’s Office of the Inspector General conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Weimer prosecuted the case with the assistance of the Justice Department’s National Security Division.

A drug trafficker who retrieved methamphetamine from a stash house in Dallas was sentenced today to 30 years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.

Omar Jorge Valle Estrada, a 37-year old citizen of Mexico, was convicted at trial of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine in December 2022. He was sentenced Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Brantley Starr, who presided over the trial.

According to evidence presented at trial, law enforcement conducting surveillance at a stash house on Holcomb Road in Dallas observed Mr. Estrada drive up to the residence in a white Chevy Malibu. He used a code word to gain access to the property, which was being used by a transnational criminal organization as storage for nearly $10 million worth of Mexican methamphetamine.

Two men emerged from inside the home carrying duffel bags, which they placed in Mr. Estrada’s passenger seat.

After he departed the home, law enforcement pulled him over for operating with an expired registration and discovered 120 pounds of crystal methamphetamine inside the duffel bags. Experts put the street value of the methamphetamine, which was 99% pure, between $1.1 and $2.2 million.

Codefendants Angel Cabrera and Joaquin Salinas – who admitted they were concealing millions of dollars of methamphetamine inside boxes of cauliflower – pleaded guilty prior to trial. Mr. Salinas received a life sentence; Mr. Cabrera received a sentence of more than 21 years.

At Mr. Salinas’ sentencing hearing, testimony showed that the Salinas had ties to Sureños XIII criminal street gang and the Puro Tango Blast street and prison gang.

The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Dallas Field Division conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Dallas Police Department, the Hickory Creek Police Department, the Fort Worth Police Department, and the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys George Leal and John Kull prosecuted the case.

This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

The founder of Slync, a supply-chain management software startup, has been indicted for defrauding investors out of at least $25 million, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton. 

Christopher Kirchner, 35, was charged via criminal complaint in February. On Tuesday, a federal grand jury indicted him on five counts of wire fraud and eight counts of money laundering.

“Rather than focus on growing his fledgling business, Christopher Kirchner allegedly swindled investors out of millions of dollars he used to fund a splashy lifestyle – then allegedly attempted to cover his tracks by conning even more investors and by firing employees who dared question him,” said U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton. “Investors deserved honesty; instead they got chicanery. We will not allow businesspeople to treat their stockholders this way. We look forward to proving our case against Mr. Kirchner in court.”

“As the indictment alleges, Mr. Kirchner chose to enrich himself by diverting corporate assets away from Slync in order to fund his lavish lifestyle. Deceptive acts of corporate greed not only erode investor confidence and employee trust, but also financial market integrity,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge Chad Yarbrough. “If you deceive and defraud your investors and employees, the FBI will persist in our efforts to bring you to justice.”

According to the indictment, Mr. Kirchner – who served as Slync’s CEO from 2017 until 2022, when he was terminated by the Board of Directors due to allegations of misconduct – allegedly converted at least $25 million in investor money to his own personal use.

Records indicate that Slync raised roughly $7 million in its Series A investment round and roughly $50 million in its Series B investment round. All investor funds, which were supposed to be used for “product development and other general corporate purposes,” were wired into the company’s account at Silicon Valley Bank.

Mr. Kirchner allegedly misappropriated the investor funds in various ways: Between April 2020 and March 2022, Mr. Kirchner allegedly initiated nearly 100 wire transfers moving money from Slync’s Silicon Valley Bank account into the company’s account at JPMorgan Chase Bank – an account only he had access to. He then allegedly wired much of the money from the Chase account to his personal bank accounts.  In addition, Mr. Kirchner allegedly wired $20 million directly from Slync’s Silicon Valley Bank account into his personal checking account.  He used some of those funds to buy a $16 million private jet and to secure a luxury suite at the stadium of a Dallas-area professional sports team.

When Slync, drained of funds, struggled to make payroll in the spring of 2022, Mr. Kirchner allegedly attempted to replace some of the money he had allegedly misappropriated by convincing at least four investors to wire approximately $850,000 to Slync as part of a purported Series C investment round.  Slync’s Board of Directors never authorized this Series C investment round. 

In the meantime, Mr. Kirchner offered various explanations for Slync’s payroll issues.  He first claimed that the company’s cash was invested in illiquid assets that were difficult to divest.  Later, he said that the U.S. government had frozen the company’s accounts because he had transacted in his personal capacity with sanctioned entities in Russia. Neither explanation was true.

In June 2022, Mr. Kirchner allegedly fired two Slync employees who expressed concern about his management of the company.  One of the employees had reported that Mr. Kirchner may have falsely exaggerated Slync’s financial performance to investors.

Immediately following his suspension by the Board in late July 2022, Mr. Kirchner removed certain IT administrator privileges from key Slync employees, preventing the employees from accessing Slync’s computer systems.  He then allegedly attempted to delete approximately 18 gigabytes of Slync data, including emails.

An indictment is merely an allegation of wrongdoing, not evidence. Mr. Kirchner is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in federal prison per count of wire fraud and up to 10 years in prison per count of money laundering.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua D. Detzky, Blake J. Ellison, and John de la Garza are prosecuting the case.

Two fentanyl traffickers were sentenced to a combined 23 years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.

Steven Keys, 28, and Rico Marion, 26, were indicted in August 2022. The following month, Mr. Keys pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance; Mr. Marion pleaded guilty to the same charge shortly thereafter. Mr. Keys was sentenced in February to 151 months in federal prison, and Mr. Marion was sentenced Tuesday to 135 months in federal prison.

“HSI is deeply committed to prosecuting those who bring illicit drugs into our communities,” said Todd Johnson, Assistant Special Agent in Charge HSI Dallas.  “We hope these combined sentences send a direct message to the drug traffickers who  peddle this poison that HSI will never relent in putting those away who have no regard for our nation’s laws.”  

According to court documents, Mr. Keys and Mr. Marion dealt fentanyl-laced counterfeit oxycodone pills out of a motel in Fort Worth.

On July 12, 2022, after a surveillance team posted at the motel observed an apparent drug sale, law enforcement pulled Mr. Keys and Mr. Marion over on traffic violations. Inside the vehicle, investigators discovered a Louis Vuitton bag containing $7,129 cash, likely derived from the sale of illegal drugs.

The following day, law enforcement reviewed surveillance footage from convenience stores where open-air narcotics sales are known to occur and observed Mr. Keys and others dealing drugs from the vehicle.

They tracked the vehicle back to the motel and sent a confidential source into the room to purchase fentanyl pills. The confidential source stated he purchased five small blue pills – which he turned over to agents – from Mr. Keys.

Agents arrested Mr. Keys without incident that evening. They arrested Mr. Marion in the motel room after breaching the door and deploying gas inside the motel.

A search of the room uncovered a black backpack containing approximately 1,000 fentanyl-laced blue pills, a .40 caliber handgun on the bed, and a plastic baggy of marijuana inside the toilet. 

Homeland Security Investigations and the Fort Worth Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Shawn Smith prosecuted the case.

A Dallas woman pleaded guilty today to scamming insurers out of more than $7 million for COVID-19 testing that was never actually performed, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.

Connie Jo Clampitt, 52, was indicted in December. She pleaded guilty Tuesday to conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud before U.S. Magistrate Judge Irma Carrillo Ramirez.  

“As the country struggled to cope with a devastating pandemic, this defendant conspired to swindle insurance providers out of millions of dollars.  She exploited the healthcare system when it was at its most vulnerable, indirectly raising healthcare costs for everyday Americans. We are proud to hold her accountable for her role in this conspiracy, and look forward to proving our case against her co-conspirators in court,” said U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton.  

According to plea papers, Ms. Clampitt admitted that she and her co-conspirators accessed private patient information – including names, dates of birth, and insurance subscriber numbers – through various clinics where one defendant worked as a contract lab technician.

They then used the patient information to submit claims to insurance providers – including Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, United Healthcare, Aetna, Humana, and Molina Health Care – for COVID-19 testing that was never performed. (The patients had not requested COVID-19 testing, nor were they aware their information was being used to submit claims.)

Ms. Clampitt admitted that the “labs” at which the co-conspirators claimed the testing occurred, including TC Diagnostics, ME Diagnostics, and PHR Diagnostics, were, in fact, shell entities that never operated as labs.  Collectively, these three entities submitted approximately $30 million in claims and were paid more than $7 million in reimbursements for fake testing.

Ms. Clampitt now faces up to five years in federal prison. According to the terms of her plea agreement, she has agreed to a $7.29 million forfeiture money judgment and will forfeit a number of items seized during the investigation, including $2.5 million in funds from numerous bank accounts, two residences, six vehicles, and six luxury watches.

Also charged in the scheme are Terrance Barnard, 39, William Paul Gray, 49, and Donn Hogg, 37. Mr. Barnard, Mr. Gray, and Mr. Hogg are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

The Dallas Regional Office of the United States Department of Labor – Employee Benefits Security Administration,  the Dallas Office of the Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General, the Texas Department of Insurance Fraud Unit's Fort Worth Field Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Dallas Field Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Renee Hunter is prosecuting the case; Assistant U.S. Attorney Dimitri Rocha is handling the forfeiture.

For more information about the Justice Department’s response to wrongdoing connected to the COVID-19 pandemic, visit  https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.

A violent felon was sentenced today to five years in federal prison for immigration violations, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.

Gustavo Adolfo Ramirez-Leos, a 30-year-old citizen of Mexico, pleaded guilty in January to illegal re-entry after removal from the United States. He was sentenced Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Ada Brown, who handed down a sentence longer than the guidelines due to his history of violence.

In plea papers, Mr. Ramirez-Leos – who had been deported or instructed to depart the U.S. on six prior occasions – admitted to being in north Texas without authorization.

According to records introduced into evidence at sentencing, during his time in the U.S., Mr. Ramirez-Leos committed at least eight crimes, including burglary, theft, and family violence.  

Prior to his second deportation in 2013, Mr. Ramirez-Leos attacked his pregnant girlfriend, choking her and then throwing her to the ground and stomping on her back while yelling, “I will kill you and the baby.” He also attacked the victim’s roommate, who attempted to intervene.

Seven years later, in 2020, after returning to the U.S., he attacked his own sister, punching her in the face and neck, pointing a BB gun at her head, and dragging her by the hair.  

(Following both altercations, Mr. Ramirez-Leos pleaded guilty to state charges of assault causing bodily injury to a family member and was sentenced, respectively, to 180 days and 120 days in jail.)

Upon completion of his sentence in the immigration case, Mr. Ramirez-Leos will once again face deportation.

Immigration & Customs Enforcement conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dimitri Rocha prosecuted the case.

Seven alleged drug dealers were arrested in a Texas Anti-Gang Center takedown in Dallas on Wednesday, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.

Brandon Jones, Jaleel Peterson, Victor Contreras, Glenn Blair, Corey Allen, Derrick Richardson, and Antonie Thompson-Stevens were charged via criminal complaint with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. They made their initial appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge Renee Harris Toliver on Friday.

According to the complaint, a source told law enforcement that members of the conspiracy were operating a so-called “trap room,” or narcotics distribution room, out of a motel in Las Colinas. At the direction of law enforcement, the source made three controlled drug buys inside the room.

Law enforcement then identified a second motel room being operated as a trap room. They used another source to make four controlled purchase inside the room.

On April 19, 2023, law enforcement executed a search warrant at the motel rooms in question. As officers made their entry, a firearm was thrown out the window. Two defendants, Brandon Jones and Jaleel Peterson, attempted to flee through a back window but were apprehended by police. Mr. Jones was carrying a handgun and a small baggie of crack cocaine when he was arrested. Three more defendants, Victor Contreras, Derrick Richardson, and Antonie Thompson-Stevens, were apprehended inside the rooms, and one, Glenn Blair, was taken into custody nearby.

From the first room, room 111, officers seized 85.3 grams of heroin, 1949.5 grams methamphetamine, 114.7 grams cocaine, 2.6 grams suspected PCP, 60 grams fentanyl,15.8 grams Alprazolam, 142 grams suspected methamphetamine tablets, 44 grams marijuana, 643.8 grams THC products, 2.3 grams white powder, 2.3 grams THC pills, 23.4 grams hydrocodone, 21.5 grams Omeprazole, 28 grams Sertraline, and four firearms. From the second room, they seized 1139.1 grams of marijuana, 44.8 grams psilocybin mushrooms, 113.1 grams heroin, 31.3 grams crack cocaine, 335.5 grams methamphetamine, 23.5 grams powder cocaine, 48.3 grams fentanyl, 6 grams morphine, two handguns, one rifle and a tactical ballistic vest. They also seized scales, packing, and equipment used to “cap” fentanyl powder into individual capsules sold to customers.

A complaint is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

If convicted, each faces between five and 40 years in federal prison.

The Texas Department of Public Safety’s Criminal Investigations Division, Texas Highway Patrol, and Special Response Team (SRT) and the Dallas Police Department’s Intelligence, Narcotics, Northwest Crime Response, and SWAT units conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rick Calvert is prosecuting the case.

This operation was coordinated through the Texas Anti-Gang Center.  The TAG serves as the unified headquarters for an estimated 75 - 100 of the region’s most knowledgeable and experienced federal, state and local anti-gang investigators, analysts and prosecutors.  The TAG is comprised of various law enforcement agencies and has implemented innovative approaches to fighting violent criminal gangs and transnational criminal organizations.

A Dallas man who allegedly shot at an ATF agent in an apparent fit of road rage has been federally charged, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.

Michael Fagan, 30, was charged on April 19 with assaulting or impeding a federal officer. He made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Renée Toliver on Friday.

“Mr. Fagan’s behavior two weeks ago was allegedly violent and hostile; two adjectives that don’t go well with firearm possession. While acting in this manner, he encountered a highly trained and dedicated ATF Special Agent. Luckily for the citizens of Dallas, that ATF Special Agent was able to put a stop to Mr. Fagan’s alleged acts of violence,” stated ATF Dallas Field Division Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey C. Boshek II. “I would like to thank our partners at the Dallas Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the United States Attorney’s Office for aggressively investigating this vicious act upon one of my agents and friend.”

According to the complaint, around 8 p.m. on April 6, an ATF agent stopped at a red light near the entrance to the Dallas Arboretum noticed an SUV use the far-right turn lane to bypass all the other stopped cars and proceed through the intersection, running the red light.

A few blocks later, the agent observed the SUV’s driver, later identified as Mr. Fagan,  inside the vehicle yelling and flailing his arms. Thinking the driver might be experiencing an emergency, the agent rolled down his front passenger window and asked if the driver was okay.

Mr. Fagan allegedly opened his driver-side door and began yelling incoherently at the agent, who instructed Mr. Fagan to get back in his vehicle. Mr. Fagan re-entered his vehicle, leaned over the passenger seat, and turned around to face the agent allegedly holding a black semiautomatic pistol in his hand.

The agent yelled “no,” or “don’t,” ducked down below the dashboard, and heard a gun discharge twice. The agent drew his weapon and fired three shots.  Mr. Fagan fell back into the SUV.

He fled the scene to meet up with his girlfriend, who called 911 to report Mr. Fagan had been shot and took him to Baylor hospital.

In law enforcement interviews, Mr. Fagan acknowledged he had been drinking at a local club prior to the shooting. He claimed the driver of a mid-sized Chevrolet that had been tailgating him fired at him, and denied firing more than one round in the air in response.

No cars resembling the Chevy Mr. Fagan described were located in surveillance footage from the area and day in question. At the scene, law enforcement recovered five casings: three consistent with the duty ammunition carried by the ATF agent, and two consistent with another firearm.

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. Mr. Fagan is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in federal prison.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives’ Dallas Field Division, the Dallas Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Withers is prosecuting the case.

A San Angelo man who used Snapchat to lure teenage girls into sexual encounters was sentenced to 33 years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.

Esiah Cruz Castillo, 23, was indicted in October 2022. He pleaded guilty in December to enticement of minors and was sentenced on Thursday by U.S. District Judge James Wesley Hendrix, who ordered the defendant be subject to 30 years of supervised release following his 30 year sentence.

“HSI will spare no resource in protecting children from sexual predators,” said Lester R. Hayes Jr., Special Agent in Charge HSI Dallas. “A deviant can no longer lurk behind social media applications seeking new victims once he is behind bars.”

In plea papers, Mr. Castillo admitted that he used Snapchat to connect with a 14-year-old child and convince her to sneak out of the house. He admitted that on Sept. 15, 2021, he took her to a remote storage facility, plied her with alcohol, and sexually assaulted her.

After the sexual assault, Homeland Security Investigations agents assumed the child’s identity on Snapchat and continued the correspondence with Mr. Castillo, who used the handle “Mik_Chap.”  A few weeks later, Mr. Castillo once again urged the child to leave school and meet him at a gas station for sex, warning her that it might hurt. Agents, posing as the child, agreed. The arrested Mr. Castillo at the agreed-upon gas station.

En route to the processing facility, Mr. Castillo spontaneously stated that he was “really sorry.” He asked if “anyone was going to find out about this” and whether he could “delete” his social media.  In an interview with law enforcement, he admitted to sexually assaulting at least four other children under the age of 15, including a 13-year-old. He stated he had sex with minor females because it was “easy.” Agents interviewed the children, who corroborated Mr. Castillo’s account.

At his sentencing hearing, prosecutors revealed that law enforcement had identified a total of seven minor victims.

Homeland Security Investigations’ Dallas Field Office and the Tom Green County Sheriff’s Office in San Angelo conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Tusing prosecuted the case.

A federal jury convicted two Texas men today for their role in a scheme to fraudulently bill TRICARE – the health care program for U.S. service members and their families – for compounded creams that were medically unnecessary and procured through kickbacks and bribes. 

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Brian Carpenter, 56, of Bridgeport, was a podiatrist who signed prescriptions for compounded pain and scar creams for TRICARE beneficiaries to whom he never spoke and whom he never examined or treated. Jerry Lee Hawrylak, 69, of Lake Worth, recruited Carpenter to sign the prescriptions and recruited TRICARE beneficiaries to accept the medically unnecessary creams. From November 2014 to January 2017, Carpenter and Hawrylak caused the Fort Worth-based pharmacy involved in the conspiracy to fraudulently bill TRICARE approximately $8.5 million for these creams. 

Carpenter and Hawrylak were convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and six counts of health care fraud. They are scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 23 and face a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on each count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton for the Northern District of Texas, Special Agent in Charge Michael Mentavlos of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Special Agent in Charge Jason Meadows of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) Dallas Regional Office, Special Agent in Charge Chad B. Yarbrough of the FBI Dallas Regional Office, Special Agent in Charge Steven Grell of the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG) Central Regional Office, and Special Agent in Charge Kris Raper of the Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General (VA-OIG) South Central Field Office made the announcement.

The DCIS, HHS-OIG, FBI, DOL-OIG, and VA-OIG investigated the case.

Acting Assistant Chief Brynn A. Schiess and Trial Attorneys Lee Hirsch and Andrea Savdie of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.

The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, comprised of 15 strike forces operating in 25 federal districts, has charged more than 5,000 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $24 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at https://www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.

A drug trafficker who left Dallas’ Galleria Mall laden with more than 2,000 fentanyl-laced pills was sentenced to more than 12 years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.

Jesus Alexander Perez Fuentes, 27, pleaded guilty to in October 2022 to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. He was sentenced Wednesday to 145 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Ed Kinkeade, who also ordered him to forfeit more than $13,000.

According to the criminal complaint, the investigation began when a confidential informant tipped off law enforcement that Mr. Fuentes was distributing fentanyl-laced counterfeit oxycodone tablets marked M/30.

On March 30, 2022, agents received information that Mr. Fuentes would be at the Galleria Dallas Mall with well over a thousand counterfeit pills. A surveillance team observed Mr. Fuentes and an unknown female exit the mall and enter Mr. Fuentes’ pickup.

Troopers followed the pair towards Interstate 635, then pulled over the pickup for traffic infractions. A Dallas Police Department canine alerted to narcotics in the vehicle.

In the center console, law enforcement found a loaded Glock 30, which Mr. Fuentes later admitted he used in furtherance of drug trafficking. Under the driver’s seat, they found a black backpack containing two clear plastic baggies stuffed with 2,072 fentanyl-laced pills. Also inside the backpack was $13,821, which Mr. Fuentes later admitted was proceeds from drug trafficking.

The Drug Enforcement Administration’s High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas Group 3 (Dallas Field Division), the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Dallas Police Department, the Frisco Police Department, and the Colony Police Department conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives’ Dallas Field Division.

A Fort Worth father who conspired with his son to deal methamphetamine was sentenced Thursday to 40 years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.

David Devaney, Sr., 59, and David Devaney, Jr., 36, opted for a bench trial and were found guilty of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance by U.S. District Judge Mark Pittman in November 2022. The elder Mr. Devaney was sentenced on Thursday; the younger Mr. Devaney is slated to be sentenced on May 4. Co-conspirator Cory Litts, 36, pleaded guilty to the same charged in October 2022 and was sentenced in April to more than 22 years in prison.

“The dangerous culture created by drug trafficking impacts all of us, creating a terminal plague that ruins the livelihood of our communities,” said Lester R. Hayes Jr., Special Agent in Charge HSI Dallas. “As long as this illicit activity exists, we are all susceptible to the violence and societal ills of the drug trade.”

According to court documents, the investigation into the elder Mr. Devaney began in June 2022, when a cooperating defendant identified the elder Mr. Devaney as a methamphetamine distributor.  

Later that month, law enforcement received a 911 call about a 64-year-old woman who was shot and killed in Burleson, Texas. Surveillance video showed that Mr. Devaney, Sr.’s vehicle was involved in the incident, which was thought to be a drug deal gone bad. (The deceased woman was an innocent bystander.)

Officers tracked the vehicle to a hotel parking lot, where they frisked the driver, Mr. Litts, and found a plastic baggy containing 115 grams of methamphetamine and a digital scale concealed inside his clothing.

Officers then approached Mr. Devaney, Sr., who was sitting on the passenger’s side of the vehicle, and observed him throw a shaving kit bag into a nearby bush.  Inside the bag, officers found more than a kilogram of methamphetamine and a substantial amount of U.S. currency. They frisked Mr. Devaney, a ten-time convicted felon, and found a .40 caliber Smith & Wesson pistol tucked into his waistband.

Both men were arrested and transported to the Burleson police department.

That same evening, Mr. Devaney, Jr., was also arrested in connection with the shooting in Burleson.

In an interview with law enforcement, Mr. Devaney, Jr. denied involvement with the shooting, but admitted, “obviously, there’s been drugs.”   He said his dad “just went off the deep end… and he started selling drugs,” and claimed his father “just kept sucking me in.”

Homeland Security Investigations’ Dallas Field Office, the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office Stop The Offender Program (STOP), the Burleson Police Department, and the Texas Department of Public Safety conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shawn Smith and Laura Montes prosecuted the federal case.

The state has filed capital murder charges against both Devaneys and several other individuals for their alleged roles in the Burleson shooting. Although they have been convicted of the federal drug charges, they are presumed innocent of the state capital murder charges until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Three men accused of selling guns illegally were arrested in an ATF takedown on Wednesday, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.

Michael Smith, 36, Khalid Amill, 27, and Rondell Jones, 27, were arrested in Fort Worth on Tuesday, charged via criminal complaint with conspiracy to deal in firearms without a license and felon in possession of a firearm.  

Smith and Amil were also charged with drug offenses, as were three other men arrested during the bust: William Davis, 42, and Dwayne Purnell, 54, both charged with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and Jaquan Thomas, 23, charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine. 

All six defendants made their initial appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeffrey L. Cureton in Fort Worth on Thursday.

According to court documents, Smith, Amill, Jones, and their co-conspirators sold more than two dozen firearms to undercover agents over the course of a month and a half.  On multiple occasions,  co-conspirators were informed that the guns they sold would be trafficked across the border into Mexico, where they would be resold illegally.

Court documents allege they repeatedly bragged that they could obtain fully automatic AK- and AR-style rifles, referred to as “choppers.”  On one occasion, Smith and a coconspirator allegedly attempted to sell a Smith & Wesson pistol that they claimed was equipped with a custom firing pin that made it automatic. When an undercover agent expressed skepticism, they claimed the firing pin was “internal.”  On another occasion, Smith allegedly acted as middleman for the sale of a short-barreled Seekins Precision rifle equipped with a selector switch that moved from safe, to single shot, to automatic.  

Smith also allegedly brokered the sale of a privately manufactured firearm (PMF), commonly referred to as a “ghost gun,” that contained an extended magazine.  

A complaint is merely an allegation of wrongdoing, not evidence. Defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

If convicted, Smith and Amil face up to 35 years in federal prison, while Jones faces up to 15 years in prison.  Davis faces up to 40 years in prison, and Thomas faces up to 20 years in prison.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives’ Dallas Field Division conducted the investigation in partnership with the Fort Worth Police Department’s Gang Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Levi Thomas is prosecuting the case.

The mastermind behind a $1.9 million bank fraud was sentenced today to more than 13 years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.

Nohmaan Malik, 30, pleaded guilty in November 2022 to conspiracy to commit bank fraud, passport fraud, and aggravated identity theft. He was sentenced Thursday by U.S. District Judge Mark Pittman.  The Court ordered restitution in the amount of $1.9 million, the amount of loss the victims suffered.

According to plea papers, Mr. Malik admitted he and coconspirators defrauded Chase Bank customers.

They selected customers with sizeable balances at Chase and created counterfeit passport cards using the customers’ names and identifying information but with conspirators’ photographs. Using those counterfeit passport cards, conspirators imitating the bank customers opened fraudulent joint bank accounts with other conspirators acting as money mules.

The impersonator or the mule then transferred money from the customers’ actual account to the joint bank account, and then transferred the money from the joint account into a third bank account controlled solely by the conspirators.

His coconspirators include:

• Juan Cruz – pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud, passport fraud, and aggravated identity theft / sentenced to 10 years and nine months in federal prison

• Ronald Godbold – pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft /  sentenced to five years and five months in federal prison

• Jeremy Pena – pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud, passport fraud, and aggravated identity theft / sentenced to five years and five months in federal prison

• Louie Walencik – charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud, use of a false passport, and aggravated identity theft  / fugitive

• Gregory Jesus Acevedo – pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and passport fraud and aggravated identity theft / sentenced to three years and four months in federal prison

• Christian Martinez – pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud / slated to be sentenced on May 9 before Judge Reed O’Connor

The U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), Dallas Resident Office, conducted the investigation with the assistance from the DFW Airport Police Department, Dallas Police Department, Benbrook Police Department, and Flower Mound Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Weybrecht prosecuted the case.

A Flower Mound woman who allegedly absconded from the United States in order to avoid serving a 46-month prison sentence has been federally charged, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.

Florence Enerwim Onyegbu, 64, also known as Florence Oshiegbe, was charged via criminal complaint with failure to surrender for service of sentence. She made her initial appearance in federal court Friday afternoon.

According to court documents, on February 14, 2011, a federal judge sentenced Ms. Onyegbu to 46 months in federal prison for her role in a healthcare fraud scheme.

Ms. Onyegbu had pleaded guilty to one count of offer and payment of illegal remuneration. In plea papers, she had admitted that her home health company, De-Promise, paid kickbacks to induce Medicare beneficiaries to arrange for home health services, then billed Medicare for home health services that were not provided – knowing full well that the beneficiaries were not home-bound or confined to a hospital and did not need those services. She had admitted she submitted more than $1.8 million in fraudulent claims and received more than $1.3 million in fraudulently-obtained payments.

At her 2011 sentencing, the judge ordered Ms. Onyegbu to self-surrender to a Bureau of Prisons facility on Monday, April 14, 2011 before 11 a.m. Ms. Onyegbu allegedly failed to do so.

She was arrested in Lagos, Nigeria on February 22, 2022 by the Nigerian Economic and Financial Crimes Commission at the request of the United States.  Following court proceedings in Nigeria, she was extradited to the United States and arrived in Texas on Thursday.

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. Ms. Onyegbu is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

If convicted, she faces five years in prison on the failure to surrender charge.

The U.S. Marshals Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office conducted the investigation into the alleged failure to surrender. The US. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General and the FBI’s Dallas Field Office investigated the healthcare fraud. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marty Basu is prosecuting the case with the help of Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Miller, who prosecuted the original fraud case alongside Assistant U.S. Attorneys John de la Garza and Megan Fahey (fmr).

The U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs and the FBI’s Legal Attaché Office at the U.S. Embassy in Nigeria provided significant assistance in securing the defendant’s extradition from Nigeria, as did FBI’s Dallas Field Office. The United States Attorney’s Office also thanked Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Justice, Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (“EFCC”), the Central Authority Unit of Nigeria’s Ministry of Justice, and the Attorney General of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for their assistance with her arrest and extradition.

A Plainview man admitted to defrauding pandemic-era financial programs out nearly $4 million, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.

Andrew Travis Johnson, 58, was charged earlier this month and pleaded guilty Friday to three counts of bank fraud, one count of aggravated identity theft, and one count of engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from unlawful activity.  

According to plea papers, Mr. Johnson admitted the he fraudulently applied for an obtained 27 Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans totaling almost $4 million.

He admitted he applied for loans on behalf of three entities: an actual business that provided contract speech and occupational therapy services, an actual nonprofit that organized community fundraisers for individuals with intellectual limitations, and a fictitious entity that never provided goods or services of any kind and had no employees.  

In the business’s application, Mr. Johnson falsely claimed the company paid 49 employees an average of $441,667 per month and provided a fabricated IRS Form 940 that indicated it paid its employees more than $5.1 million in calendar year 2019. In actuality, the company employed about 10 individuals on an ad hoc basis and paid less than $100,000 in wages in 2019. Nevertheless, based on his application, the business qualified for a $1.1 million PPP loan, which it re-drew the following year, for a total of $2.2 million.  

In the nonprofit’s application, he falsely claimed the organization employed 33 individuals (in actuality, it employed fewer than five), and in the application submitted on behalf of the fictitious entity, he falsely claimed the company employed 24 individuals (in actuality, the company did not exist). For each entity, he provided fabricated list of employees, some of which did not exist and others of which were clients, along with fabricated IRS forms. Nevertheless, he qualified for a $326,770 loan for the entity and a $523,00 loan for the nonprofit.  He redrew a loan for the non-existent entity the following year for a total of $653,540.     

Each entity sought – and received – forgiveness on the principal and interest on each of the small business PPP loans. Yet very little, if any, of the money was used for payroll or business expenses. Instead, Mr. Johnson spent nearly $3.5 million on home renovations, vacations, clothing, cosmetic surgery, college tuition, cars, wedding expenses, and equipment for an unrelated business venture.   

In addition to the small business loans, Mr. Johnson also fraudulently obtained $436,524.80 in first and second draw loans for 11 purported independent contractors, several of whom were related to him.

At least four of the recipients were unaware that Mr. Johnson had used their identifying information to obtain the loans, nor did they ever receive any proceeds of the loans. Mr. Johnson opened bank accounts under the victim’s names, transferred to loan proceeds into the accounts, and obtained debit cards for each account; he used the cards to spend the loan monies.

Mr. Johnsons and others sought – and received – forgiveness on the principal and interest on each of the independent contractor loans, which ranged from roughly $15,000 to nearly $24,000 each.

Mr. Johnson now faces up to 102 years in federal prison. His sentencing date has not yet been set.

In plea papers, he agreed to pay more than $4 million in restitution.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office and IRS – Criminal Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ann Howey and Jeff Haag are prosecuting the case with help from Assistant U.S. Attorneys Beverly Chapman and John de la Garza .

The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) was authorized under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, a federal law enacted on March 29, 2020, to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering economic hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The PPP provided forgivable loans to small businesses to cover payroll, rent, and other certain business expenses; the program ended in May 2021.

A Fort Worth man who attempted to traffic a military-grade machine gun to a Mexican drug cartel was sentenced today to 10 years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.

Daniel Loyola, Jr., 24, pleaded guilty in December 2022 to possession of a machinegun. He was sentenced Friday by U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor.

“Thanks to excellent undercover work by ATF and Texas DPS, we have thwarted a firearms trafficker intent on sending dangerous guns to a drug cartel,” said U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton. “The Justice Department is committed to stemming the flow of firearms across the southern border.”

“The fight to keep high powered weapons out of the hands of drug cartels and narco-terrorists is real and here in North Texas. ATF and our partners are working tirelessly to protect both the citizens of the United States and Mexico from the scourge of violence perpetrated by weapons like this. Mr. Loyola’s ten-year sentence should serve as a warning to others looking to get into the firearms trafficking business,” stated ATF Dallas Field Division Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey C. Boshek II.

According to court documents, Mr. Loyola posted on Instagram that he possessed a potential machinegun, a potential silencer, and a .50 caliber rifle – a firearm commonly sought by Mexican drug cartels – and that he wished to buy a high-caliber machine gun.

Seeing these posts, an undercover agent initiated a conversation. Ultimately, Mr. Loyola agreed to purchase an M-60 from the undercover for $20,000 cash, and mentioned that the payment would be coming from Mexico.

On Oct. 25, 2022, Mr. Loyola met with two undercover agents in a parking lot in Fort Worth.  He handed over the money, and they presented him with a cardboard box containing an M-60 in three pieces, the frame/receiver and two barrels.

One of the undercover agents explained that the firearm was fully automatic; Mr. Loyola responded, “yeah, I know.” After paying over $20,000 in cash for the firearm, Mr. Loyola began to take possession of the machinegun and was immediately taken into custody.

Following his arrest, Mr. Loyola admitted that he had purchased the M-60 on behalf of an individual who worked for a Mexican drug cartel. He stated that he’d sold multiple firearms to the man before, and that the .50 caliber rifle he’d posted on Instagram was also purchased on the individual’s behalf.

At Friday’s sentencing hearing, Judge O’Connor found that the defendant was engaged in the trafficking of firearms, and applied an enhancement to his sentence based on that finding.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives’ Dallas Field Division and the Texas Department of Public Safety conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Fort Worth Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Levi Thomas prosecuted the case.

A Flower Mound man who supplied fentanyl to a trafficker linked to at least one juvenile overdose has been federally charged, announce U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.

Stephen Paul Brinson, 18, was arrested in Flower Mound on Wednesday, charged via criminal complaint with conspiracy to distribute a schedule II controlled substance. He made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Rene Toliver Friday.  

“In just four weeks, we have charged five adults accused of trafficking deadly fentanyl to children. The Justice Department will deploy every investigative technique, pursue every lead, and exhaust every legal avenue available to eradicate counterfeit fentanyl pills,” said U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton. “In the meantime, we urge the community to remind our young people: Any pill not prescribed by a doctor could be lethal. One pill can kill.”

“The latest arrest of Mr. Brinson shows that our determination to reduce the threat of illicit fentanyl and save lives will not stop,” said Eduardo A. Chavez, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Dallas Field Division.  “Let me be clear to those who still continue to traffic fentanyl pills: DEA Dallas and our law enforcement partners such as Carrollton PD will find you and hold you accountable for your selfish actions.  The safety of our families and community depend on it.”

“Taking this dealer out of the network puts a significant dent in the dealers’ ability to sell drugs to all DFW-area children. We remain committed to arresting those who put the lives of our children in danger,” said Carrollton Police Chief  Roberto Arredondo.

According to the complaint, Mr. Brinson acted as the source of supply for fentanyl to Donovan Jude Andrews, the Carrollton dealer who allegedly capitalized on the arrest of Luis Navarrete and Magalo Cano to advertise his pill business. (Mr. Andrews is allegedly tied to at least one juvenile fentanyl overdose, and Mr. Navarrete and Ms. Cano, along with their supplier, Jason Villanueva, are allegedly tied to ten others.)

Law enforcement identified Mr. Brinson shortly after they arrested Mr. Andrews and his juvenile driver, identified in court documents as “DC,” a Hebron high school student who allegedly chauffeured the dealer around in exchange for fentanyl pills.

In DC’s phone, DEA agents found text messages identifying the Instagram user “superstarxs” – later identified as Mr. Brinson – as a “plug,” or source, for fentanyl pills. A few days later, another young woman also identified Mr. Brinson, whom she called “Steve-O,” as the “main plug” for fentanyl.

On March 8, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Mr. Brinson’s house in Flower Mound, where they encountered his 19-year-old girlfriend apparently under the influence of fentanyl. She told officers that there were crushed-up fentanyl pills near the nightstand in the room that she and Mr. Brinson shared and advised that Brinson had two safes in the bedroom.  Inside one of the safes, Carrollton police officers found multiple bags containing more than 1,000 blue counterfeit M/30 pills that field tested positive for fentanyl:

Officers also found a digital scale covered in drug residue, small drug baggies used for repackaging for sale, and bulk U.S. currency. On a console table at the bottom of the stairs, they also found a note from Mr. Brinson’s parents outlining chores they wanted him to do and warning him, “don’t meet people in front of the house or in view of the house.” (Mr. Brinson’s father later told law enforcement he and his wife knew Stephen used fentanyl but claimed they did not know he was dealing pills in front of the home.)

Meanwhile, law enforcement observed Mr. Brinson load a large bag into his Lexus and followed him to a nearby parking lot, where cooperating defendants claimed he often conducted drug transactions. Inside the car, officers found an FN 5.7 pistol, commonly referred to a “cop killer,” and an AR-15 platform rifle; inside Brinson’s sock, they found a small baggy containing an M/30 pill.  When he arrived at the Carrollton Jail for processing, Mr. Brinson began kicking his cell door and shouting. He later insisted he was “minding his own [expletive] business in my white-[expletive] house in Flower Mound,” and advised agents and officers that because he was white and living in Flower Mound, Texas, that was going to help him in his case.  

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. Like all defendants, Mr. Brinson is presumed innocent until proven guilty, as are Mr. Andrews, Mr. Navarrete, Ms. Cano, and Mr. Villarreal.

If convicted, Mr. Brinson faces up to 20 years in federal prison.

The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Dallas Field Division and the Carrollton Police Department conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Flower Mound Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rick Calvert and Phelesa Guy are prosecuting the case.

Note: Illicitly produced, fentanyl-laced pills often look similar to legitimate prescription pills like Oxycontin or Percocet, but can pose significantly more danger. On the street, these pills are often referred to as “M30s” (a reference to the markings on some of the pills), “blues,” “perks,” “yerks,” “china girls,” or “TNT.” DEA research shows that six out of ten pills laced with fentanyl contain a potentially lethal dose. One pill can kill. For resources, visit https://www.dea.gov/onepill.

A young man who turned to fraud to fund the lavish lifestyle he craved was sentenced today to 14 years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.

J. Nicholas Bryant, 26, of Slaton, Texas, pleaded guilty to wire fraud in November 2022. He was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge James Wesley Hendrix, who handed down a sentence five years longer than the guideline range based on the defendant’s cavalier attitude and the egregious nature of the scheme.

Mr. Bryant engaged in various wire fraud schemes to defraud at least 56 unsuspecting individuals and small businesses during an 18-month crime spree that spanned multiple states.

The fruits of his crimes brought him luxury goods and services – including private jet rides, private yacht excursions, and extravagant meals complete with champagne and steak. 

In many instances, Mr. Bryant manipulated online payment platforms like QuickBooks and Veem to make it appear that payments were forthcoming.  Knowing that the software would generate payment confirmations immediately but would take several days to notify victims of cancelled payments, Mr. Bryant satisfied vendors and business owners that payments were forthcoming when due, he admitted in plea papers. The payments never funded. 

In all, he defrauded and attempted to defraud victims of more than $3.5 million, and successfully racked up nearly $1.2 million in actual losses to the victims, prosecutors said at Thursday’s sentencing hearing.

In one fraud scheme, Mr. Bryant convinced small businesses to front money and equipment to reopen an oil well.  In the process, he exploited the trust of former colleagues, friends, and acquaintances who worked in the West Texas oil and gas industry, where business is often conducted with a handshake, the government said.   In several others, he defrauded small business owners who were eager for business during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Mr. Bryant did so for pretention, ostentation, and Instagram moments, the government noted at sentencing.  The government also observed that rather than expressing remorse for targeting companies that were struggling to survive in the midst of a pandemic that had gutted their business models, Mr. Bryant reveled in his notoriety, bragging about his crimes to media outlets and to his friends. 

Judge Hendrix determined that Mr. Bryant had failed to accept responsibility for his crimes and revoked the credit he was set to receive based on acceptance of responsibility.  Judge Hendrix also ordered Mr. Bryant to pay $1,185,691.38 in restitution to his victims.

The U.S. Secret Service’s Lubbock Resident Office, the Texas Department of Public Safety’s Criminal Investigations Division, the Lubbock Police Department, the Brazos County Sheriff’s Office, the Brownwood Police Department, Texas Parks & Wildlife of Coleman County, the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office in Louisiana, and the Cody Police Department in Wyoming conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ann Howey prosecuted the case with the help of Assistant U.S. Attorney Beverly Chapman. 

BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A former Wells Fargo branch manager has been ordered to federal prison for helping a drug trafficking ring launder their money through his bank, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

Stephen Roland Reyna, 36, pleaded guilty Sept. 1, 2021.  

Today, U.S. District Judge Rolando Rivera ordered Reyna to serve 20 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by 16 months of supervised release with home detention. At the hearing, the court Reyna was given and held a position of trust with the bank, of which he took advantage. In handing down the sentence, the court noted the amount of money Reyna laundered and the sequence of events in which he participated.

“If you help drug traffickers ‘clean’ their money, you will be prosecuted,” said Hamdani. “It is especially disappointing that a bank manager for Wells Fargo chose to violate his position of trust for easy money, money from organizations that are destroying our communities.”

Reyna was the manager of a Wells Fargo branch in Harlingen. While serving in that position and utilizing his position and knowledge of the banking industry, Reyna assisted a drug trafficking organization to launder $410,000 in drug sale proceeds.

The organization would transport multi-kilogram cocaine loads from the Rio Grande Valley to northern states. Upon successful delivery, thousands of dollars in drug proceeds would then be dispersed through multiple Wells Fargo bank accounts in the northern states.

Reyna would coordinate with multiple co-conspirators in the Rio Grande Valley to launder the funds through their accounts at Wells Fargo. Reyna ensured the proceeds were successfully withdrawn from his branch in Harlingen. 

Co-conspirators would frequently pay Reyna in cash right after he helped them get their drug proceeds out of the bank.

Reyna ultimately admitted he suspected the funds were from illegal activity, including narcotics trafficking.

Reyna was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation with assistance from the Cameron County District Attorney’s Office and Wells Fargo. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David A. Lindenmuth and Karen Betancourt prosecuted the case.

A Wichita Falls drug dealer who sold fentanyl to 27-year-old who suffered a fatal overdose was sentenced today to more than 17 years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.

Lionel DeSaun Henderson, 33, and his former girlfriend, Shameka Tanee Mason, 29, were first charged in July. Mr. Henderson pleaded guilty in November 2022 to possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and was sentenced Friday by U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor to 210 months in federal prison.  Ms. Mason pleaded guilty in August 2022 to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance and was sentenced in December to 24 months in federal prison.

In court documents, the pair admitted they knowingly sold counterfeit oxycodone pills laced with fentanyl to an individual who later sold them to his 27-year-old cousin, J.D.K.  J.D.K. split the drugs with his coworker.  On June 12, 2020, both J.D.K. and his coworker overdosed; the coworker received medical attention and recovered, but J.D.K. died of drug toxicity.  

During an interview at a Denton hospital, the coworker told investigators that he and J.D.K. split what appeared to be a 30mg oxycodone tablet. He said some of the remaining pills were stored at J.DK.’s home in Graham, Oklahoma. Agents searched the bedroom and recovered one round blue tablet marked M/30, three green rectangle tablets marked S/90/3, and one pink capsule with illegible markings.  The blue M/30 – which appeared identical to brand name oxycodone – instead tested positive for butyryl fentanyl.

Agents then cultivated a confidential source who identified Lionel Henderson as the source of the blue M/30s. He went through Mr. Henderson’s girlfriend, Shameka Mason, to arrange a meeting with an undercover agent at Ms. Mason’s residence in Wichita Falls. On June 25, agents met with Mr. Henderson and Ms. Mason and purchased five M/30 tablets, which later tested positive for fentanyl and acetaminophen.

They then executed a search warrant of Mr. Henderson’s home, where they recovered 497 blue m/30s that later tested positive for fentanyl and acetaminophen, 1,035 multicolored tablets that later tested positive for ecstasy, and multiple firearms, including one that was stolen. 

A month later, agents interviewed Ms. Mason, who admitted that she and Mr. Henderson had been dealing illicit substances in December 2018. They began with alprazolam, or “bars,” then escalated to ecstasy, and later to M/30s, which she called “percs,” in December 2019. She claimed she did not know where Mr. Henderson obtained the pills, but admitted they sold the pills for $25 apiece.

In plea papers, Mr. Henderson admitted that he had been selling fentanyl-laced counterfeit pills since March 2020.

The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Dallas Field Division, the Carter County Sheriff’s Office, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, and the Oklahoma City Medical Examiner’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney P.J. Meitl is prosecuting the case.

A Carrollton drug dealer who allegedly capitalized on the arrest of two prominent fentanyl traffickers to entice young buyers has been charged with a federal drug crime, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.

Donovan Jude Andrews, 20, was arrested in Carrollton on Wednesday, charged via criminal complaint with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance. He made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Rebecca Rutherford Friday morning and was ordered detained pending trial.

According to court documents, in early February 2023, Mr. Andrews allegedly commented on an Instagram post announcing the arrest of Luis Navarrete and Magaly Cano, the pair allegedly tied to at least ten juvenile overdoses in the Carrollton Farmers Branch School District.

Posting under the handle “deegetbandz_3x,” Mr. Andrews noted that Navarrete and Cano “took all the ATTENTION” from law enforcement and divulged that he was selling M/30 pills for $10 apiece.   He later shared an Instagram post announcing the overdose deaths of three kids tied to Navarrete and Cano with the caption “F**k em come get em.”

Shortly thereafter, a 14-year-old girl suffering from an apparent fentanyl overdose told police that she purchased five M/30 pills from the individual using the “deegetbandz_3x” Instagram account. She said she paid the individual via cash app and he dropped the pills in her mailbox. Home surveillance video confirmed the delivery.

Law enforcement surveilled Mr. Andrews’ home and observed him allegedly conducting hand-to-hand transactions on the street outside. They also located an 18-year-old girl, a student at Hebron High School, who admitted to buying pills from a man named “Donovan” who used the “deegetbandz_3x” Instagram handle.

In early March, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on a Toyota Camry linked to Mr. Andrews. Mr. Andrews, who had a baggie of pills stashed inside in his sock, sat in the passenger seat next to a 17-year-old driver.  The 17-year-old, a student at Hebron High School, told law enforcement that he drove Mr. Andrews around in return for M30 fentanyl pills.  

Mr. Andrews allegedly admitted to law enforcement that he sold M/30 pills using the Instagram handle “deegetbandz_3x.”  He further confirmed he delivered pills to the 14-year-old girl’s mailbox and gave the 17-year-old pills in return for his driving services.

According to the complaint, law enforcement concluded that Mr. Andrews allegedly dealt fentanyl to minors knowing fully well that counterfeit M/30 pills like the ones he was distributing were responsible for multiple overdoses and deaths.

“Most of us recoiled in horror when we heard that nine Carrollton children suffered ten fentanyl overdoses in the span of just six months. Mr. Andrews, on the other hand, allegedly seized on the situation as a marketing opportunity. Knowing full well that fentanyl was killing our kids, he allegedly attempted to convert survivors into customers,” said U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton. “The Justice Department works tirelessly to investigate and prosecute fentanyl traffickers. But when we arrest one dealer, another inevitably pops up to take his place. We need the community’s help to educate our kids about the danger of fentanyl. One pill – or even half or a quarter of one pill – can kill.”

“The arrest of Mr. Andrews serves as notice to those who participate in any aspect of drug trafficking: DEA Dallas will continue to partner with our communities to educate and prevent these drugs from reaching our homes and will most importantly, hold those accountable who choose to distribute and profit from this poison,” said Eduardo A. Chavez, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Dallas Field Division. 

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. Mr. Andrews is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law, as are Luis Navarrete and Magaly Cano.

If convicted, Mr. Andrews faces up to 20 years in federal prison.

The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Dallas Field Division and the Carrollton Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rick Calvert and Phelesa Guy are prosecuting the case.

Note: Illicitly produced, fentanyl-laced pills often look similar to legitimate prescription pills like Oxycontin or Percocet, but can pose significantly more danger. On the street, these pills are often referred to as “M30s” (a reference to the markings on some of the pills), “blues,” “perks,” “yerks,” “china girls,” or “TNT.” DEA research shows that six out of ten pills laced with fentanyl contain a potentially lethal dose. One pill can kill. For resources, visit https://www.dea.gov/onepill.

Two men involved in a shooting at a restaurant in Arlington have been sentenced to a combined 20 years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.

James Edward Johnson, 34, and Leroy Harold White, Jr., 53, were charged via criminal complaint in August 2022 and indicted the following month. Mr. White plead guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm in October 2022; Mr. Johnson plead guilty to the same charge two weeks later. They were sentenced on  Friday to 10 years each in federal prison.

According to court documents, Mr. Johnson and another patron got into a physical altercation with Mr. White and another security guard at JJ’s Corner Lounge in Arlington just before midnight on July 29, 2022.

During the altercation, Mr. White fired his a Smith & Wesson pistol, missing the unidentified patron involved in the altercation.  In response, Mr. Johnson fired his Ruger at a random group of citizens that had just entered the business, hitting a victim in their right foot.

Mr. White then approached Mr. Johnson from behind, striking him in the head with his hand. Mr. Johnson whirled around and fired at Mr. White, striking him two times in the front of his body armor and one time in his left arm.

In plea papers, both men admitted that they were previously convicted felons and thus prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.

“ATF is proud of our long standing relationship with the Arlington Police Department. Chief Jones is a national leader amongst law enforcement in the fight against firearms violence. His vision to create the NIBIN Engagement Team (NET) led us to these convictions. Mr. Johnson and Mr. White will now have ten years to think about carrying guns illegally in Arlington, Texas. Gun crime will always equal hard time,” stated ATF Dallas Field Division Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey C. Boshek II. 

The Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives’ Dallas Field Division and Arlington Police Department’s Violent Crime United conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney P.J. Meitl prosecuted the case.

A 3D printing company has agreed to pay the United States up to $4.54 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by improperly transmitting export-controlled technical data to China in violation of the export control laws of the United States in connection with certain NASA and DOD contracts, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.

In parallel agreements also related to alleged export violations, the company has agreed to a $20 million administrative settlement with the U.S. Department of State, and a $2.77 million administrative settlement with the U.S. Department of Commerce. 

Per the terms of a civil settlement executed with the Department of Justice on February 27, 2023, South Carolina-based 3D Systems Corporation agreed to pay $2.27 million in restitution to the federal government within the next 30 days. The company may be required to pay an additional $2.27 million in penalties under the Justice Department settlement agreement, for a total of up to $4.54 million, if it fails to pay at least that amount in civil penalties to the Department of State and the Department of Commerce in connection with the parallel administrative settlements referenced above.

According to the Justice Department Settlement Agreement, 3D Systems – through its Quickparts subsidiary – completed on-demand manufacturing projects both directly and indirectly on contracts issued by DOD and NASA, including for projects involving technical or other data potentially classified under and controlled by the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, the Arms Export Control Act, the Export Administration Regulations, and/or the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (collectively, the Export Control Laws). 

Generally, the Export Control Laws prohibit certain controlled items and/or intellectual property from being exported to certain foreign countries, including the People’s Republic of China, without a license or authorization from the appropriate federal agencies.  In the Justice Department settlement agreement, the United States alleged that between January 1, 2012 and December 31, 2017 3D exported certain items and/or intellectual property to China without the appropriate license or authorization in violation of the Export Control Laws in connection with certain contracts issued by DOD and NASA in violation of the False Claims Act.

The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only. There has been no determination of liability.

This matter was jointly investigated by the U.S. Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Office of Inspector General, Homeland Security Investigations, and the U.S. Department of Commerce, Office of Export Enforcement.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth Coffin handled this matter on behalf of the Department of Justice.

A Granbury man whose son reported him to law enforcement was convicted at trial of child sexual exploitation, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.

After three days of trial and just 45 minutes of deliberation, a federal jury found David Earl Boyd, 64, guilty of two counts of producing child pornography, one count of possession of child pornography, and one count of penalties for registered sex offenders.

According to evidence presented at trial, in the spring of 2022, Mr. Boyd, already a registered sex offender, took sexually explicit images of two young children, aged 6 and 3.

Mr. Boyd’s son discovered nude images of the children in his father’s trash folder. He took a screenshot of the trash gallery and submitted a report to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which forwarded the tip to law enforcement.  

Shortly thereafter, officers arrested Mr. Boyd and seized his Samsung smartphone.

During an extraction of the phone, forensic examiners discovered thousands of child pornography images in a directory associated with the application “Hide it Pro,” an application designed to conceal images and videos. (Although Mr. Boyd had previously deleted the app, the directory retained the images and videos.)  

“We are grateful to the defendant’s son for reaching out to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. It cannot have been easy to report his father’s crimes, but in so doing, he likely saved two children from further victimization. We are proud to hold this predator to account,” said U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton.

Mr. Boyd now faces a minimum of 45 years in federal prison. He is slated to be sentenced on June 27.

Previously, Mr. Boyd was convicted of possession of child pornography in Taylor County. In 2003, the state sentenced him to three years and required to register as a sex offender.

Homeland Security Investigations’ Dallas Field Office, the Hood County District Attorney’s Office, and the Dallas Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aisha Saleem prosecuted the case with the help of Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex Lewis. U.S. District Judge Terry Means oversaw the trial.

A 24-year-old man who posed as a high school student to recruit victims on social media was sentenced Thursday to 30 years in federal prison for child sexual exploitation, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.

Tyler Patrick Brown, now 25, of Lubbock, was charged via criminal complaint in June 2022 and indicted the following month. He pleaded guilty in September 2022 to production and attempted production of child pornography and was sentenced Thursday by U.S. District Judge James Wesley Hendrix, who ordered a lifetime of supervised release following his sentence and ordered him to pay $25,000 to the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance Act’s reserve fund.

According to plea papers, Mr. Brown admitted he gave multiple children gifts, money, and alcohol in exchange for sexual acts.

He told at least one of the victims, a 16-year-old girl, that he was 17 years old and went to high school online. When the girl spotted an ID that stated he was 24 years old, he claimed it was a fake.  While she was under the influence of alcohol, he coerced the child into oral sex, recorded the encounter on his phone, and shared it.  The child attempted to distance herself from the relationship, but Brown sent her a photo of his roommate’s gun and threatened to kill himself if she stopped seeing him.

According to court documents, Mr. Brown repeatedly referred to himself as a “sugar daddy.” When he video chatted with his victims, he seldom showed his face or obscured most of it.

In June 2022, Mr. Brown was spotted at a high school girls’ basketball game wearing a lanyard labeled “Press.” Concerned parents contacted law enforcement.

In an interview with law enforcement, Mr. Brown admitted to engaging in 14 sexual relationships with minors after he’d turned 18. At Thursday’s sentencing, it was noted that law enforcement had, in fact, identified 22 children between the ages 13 and 17 who had been victimized by Mr. Brown when he was 20 to 24 years old.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office – Lubbock Resident agency, the Texas Rangers, the Texas Department of Public Safety, and the Lubbock Police Department conducted the investigation with the significant assistance of local law enforcement agencies who helped identify and contact the victims. Assistant U.S. Attorney Callie Woolam prosecuted the case.

A Dallas man who repeatedly raped a 7-year-old child was sentenced Wednesday to 50 years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.

Luis Humberto Rodriguez, 30, plead guilty in January 2021 to one count of production of child pornography and one count of transportation of child pornography. He was sentenced Wednesday by U.S. District Judge Brantley Starr to 30 years in prison on the production count plus 20 years in prison on the transportation count to run consecutively, for a total of 50 years behind bars.

In plea papers, Mr. Rodriguez admitted that he filmed himself sexually abusing a seven-year-old Jane Doe on multiple occasions, then shared the images with others over the social media application Kik.

At Wednesday’s sentencing hearing, an agent testified that the defendant also admitted to sexual contact with four additional victims – including a one-year-old toddler and a special needs child.

Per court documents, the investigation into Mr. Rodriguez began when agents in Olympia, Washington seized an iPad from a registered sex offender and discovered conversations between the offender and Mr. Rodriguez.  In it, the defendant discussed a child porn “trade” and offered up his email address.

Law enforcement tracked Mr. Rodriguez to Dallas and searched his home, where they seized a smartphone containing videos of the defendant sexually abusing a child and a collection of child pornography that Mr. Rodriguez estimated exceeded 20 gigabytes.

In plea papers, Mr. Rodriguez admitted that he possessed more than 600 videos and images of child pornography, including “sadistic” imagery.

“The sexual exploitation of children is unconscionable.  It is the mission of HSI Dallas to secure the safety of all children.  Now that justice has prevailed, our hope is that the victims, their families, and the community will now begin their journey of recovery with this predator behind bars,” said HSI Dallas Special Agent in Charge Lester R. Hayes Jr.

Homeland Security Investigations’ Dallas and Olympia Field Offices conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Camille Sparks prosecuted the case.

A top source of supply in the Carrollton fentanyl overdoses case has been charged with a federal drug crime, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.

Jason Xavier Villanueva, 22, was charged via criminal complaint with conspiracy to distribute a Schedule II controlled substance. He was arrested on Tuesday  and made his initial appearance in federal court Wednesday afternoon.

According to the complaint, Mr. Villanueva allegedly worked through a juvenile dealer to supply fentanyl-laced pills to Luis Eduardo Navarrete, 21, and Magaly Mejia Cano, 29, the pair accused of peddling pills to teenage dealers in Carrollton. Mr. Villanueva also allegedly transacted with some of the teenage dealers directly.

Mr. Navarrete and Ms. Cano were charged via criminal complaint with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances last week and remain detained pending trial.

“Fentanyl is killing our kids. We are angry about it. We are heartbroken about it. And we are determined to do all we can about it,” U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton said at a press conference Wednesday afternoon. “Make no mistake: Unless it comes from a licensed medical provider, that pill your child thinks is Percocet, or OxyContin, or Xanax, or Adderall, may actually be fentanyl.  And if it is fentanyl, chances are, even a small part of one pill may be deadly.”

“Fentanyl does not discriminate by age, race, gender, or socio-economic status. Its addictive properties cannot be compared to anything else on the streets today. The overdose and poisoning margin of error between life or death is microscopic,” DEA Dallas Special Agent in Charge Eduardo  Chávez said at the press conference. “We all have a role in this fight. Because it is a fight. It is a fight for our families, it is a fight to curb substance abuse, and it is a fight to hold criminal drug networks accountable for their actions.”

“We take this seriously in our community; we will leave no stone unturned to ensure the safety of our children,” said Carrollton Police Chief Roberto Arredondo.

All three defendants allegedly trafficked pills, mostly blue tablets inscribed “M-30,” to juvenile dealers in Carrollton, who went on to sell to friends and classmates.

The drugs led to as many as ten overdoses, three of them fatal, of nine teenagers in the Carrollton Farmer’s Branch Independent School District. The victims, all middle and high school students, ranged in age from 13 to 17 and usually referred to the pills with slang terms like “percs,” “yerks,” “blues,” or “M-30s.”

According to the complaint, three of the surviving overdose victims identified two juvenile dealers as their sources for pills. Evidence showed that both juvenile dealers corresponded with Mr. Villanueva over social media about drug purchases, and one even admitted to law enforcement that Villanueva was his supplier.

In an interview with law enforcement following his arrest, Mr. Navarrete allegedly revealed that he, too, obtained the drugs he allegedly dealt to minors from Mr. Villanueva through one of the juvenile dealers.

Mr. Villanueva allegedly posted photographs of “M30” pills, money, and firearms on social media. He used the message function on a popular social media app to negotiate drug transactions with juvenile dealers and described the quality of the pills he was selling to his customers. 

Following Navarrete and Cano’s arrests last week, Mr. Villanueva posted on social media, “Only thing that’s gonna stop us is feds.”

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. Like Mr. Navarrete and Ms. Cano, Mr. Villanueva is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

If convicted, the defendants face up to 20 years each in federal prison.

The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Dallas Field Office and the Carrollton Police Department conducted the investigation with the assistance of School Resource Officers from the Carrollton – Farmer’s Branch Independent School. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Phelesa Guy and Rick Calvert are prosecuting the case.

Note: Illicitly produced, fentanyl-laced pills often look similar to legitimate prescription pills like Oxycontin or Percocet, but can pose significantly more danger. On the street, these pills are often referred to as “M30s” (a reference to the markings on some of the pills), “blues,” “perks,” “yerks,” “china girls,” or “TNT.” DEA research shows that six out of ten pills laced with fentanyl contain a potentially lethal dose. One pill can kill. For resources, visit https://www.dea.gov/onepill.

The founder of Slync, a supply-chain management software startup, has been charged for misappropriating $20 million from the company, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.

Christopher Kirchner, 35, was charged via criminal complaint with wire fraud and arrested at his home in Westlake early Tuesday morning. He made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Hal R. Ray, Jr. later in the day.

“This defendant flaunted his apparent wealth while allegedly diverting millions from company coffers into his private bank account,” said U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton. “Slync investors and employees are understandably outraged, and we sympathize. We look forward to holding Mr. Kirchner accountable in federal court.” 

“As the criminal complaint alleges, Mr. Kirchner used his position as a CEO to defraud investors and the company he worked for by diverting funds for his personal benefit. He did this to fund a lavish lifestyle at the expense of those that trusted him to act responsibly and ethically,” said FBI Dallas Acting Special Agent in Charge James J. Dwyer. “The FBI will remain persistent in our efforts to hold individuals accountable that commit such brazen acts of corporate greed.”

According to the complaint, Mr. Kirchner – who served as Slync’s CEO from 2017 until 2022, when he was suspended  by the Board of Directors due to allegations of misconduct – allegedly wired $20 million from Slync’s bank account to his personal checking account.

In text messages, Mr. Kirchner told an employee that he was transferring money received from an investor into “an investment account” and a “chase” account.  He then instructed the employee to approve the wires.  But Mr. Kirchner did not transfer money into an “investment account” or a “chase” account.  He instead transferred $20 million of Slync funds into his personal account.

Meanwhile, in emails, Mr. Kirchner told private bankers that the $20 million represented “a distribution from my company.” Slync’s Board of Directors never authorized such a distribution.

Mr. Kirchner allegedly used the $20 million – which amounted to roughly 40 percent of $50 million raised from private equity investors and venture capital groups during the company’s Series B investment round – to fund a lavish lifestyle, including a $16 million private Gulfstream jet and a $495,000 luxury suite at a local sports stadium.

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation of wrongdoing, not evidence. Like all defendants, Mr. Kirchner is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in federal prison.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua Detzky, John de la Garza, and Blake Ellison are prosecuting the case.

A Saginaw man running a fentanyl pill-pressing operation was sentenced Friday to 30 years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.

Adrian Warren, 33, aka “Peanut,” pleaded guilty in October 2022 to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. He was sentenced Friday by U.S. District Judge Reed C. O’Connor.  

Codefendant Joanna Martinez-Otero, 28, pleaded guilty in October 2022 to maintaining a drug involved premises and was sentenced on Tuesday to 15 years in federal prison;  Jamie Rodriguez, 39, pleaded guilty in September 2022 to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances  and was sentenced in January to nearly 11 years in federal prison.

The Drug Enforcement Administration took possession of the pill press.

“One of the scariest things about fentanyl is that drug traffickers press it into pills that look identical to real pills containing other medications, meaning many users are buying and ingesting these counterfeit pills off the street without knowing they contain a drug 100 times more potent than morphine,” said U. S. Attorney Leigha Simonton. “Fentanyl is tearing through our communities at an alarming rate, poisoning our friends, our family members, and worst of all, our children. We will not rest until we stop this killer drug from circulating in our communities.  We urge everyone to immediately educate themselves and their loved ones about the dangers of ingesting any type of pill that comes off the street because it could contain this deadly substance.”

“Fentanyl is the single deadliest drug threat our nation has ever encountered,” said Eduardo A. Chávez, Special Agent in Charge of DEA operations in Dallas-Fort Worth. “The sentence handed down to Mr. Warren, Ms. Martinez-Otero, and Mr. Rodriguez is a clear message that the production and trafficking of fentanyl will not be tolerated in our neighborhoods. DEA and all of our law enforcement partners will continue to work together and keep this poison off our streets.”

According to court documents, the investigation began when DEA agents learned that Mr. Warren and others were likely operating a pill press machine to make counterfeit pills in Fort Worth.

Over the course of the investigation, they learned that Mr. Warren had purchased more than two dozen kilograms of excipient – an inactive binder used in the production of pills – in various colors, including blue (often used in the illicit production of counterfeit oxycodone pills), white (often used in the illicit production of counterfeit Xanax pills), and yellow. In the months that followed, his associates, Ms. Martinez-Otero and Mr. Rodriguez, also purchased several kilograms of excipient in a range of colors.

On Aug. 3, 2022, agents met with a young woman seen exiting Mr. Warren’s residence. She described herself as a recovering drug addict and consented to a cursory search of her phone, where agents found coded text messages between her and Mr. Warren discussing narcotics. They later watched as she entered a fast food restaurant, where she met with Ms. Martinez-Otero and tipped off the conspirators about the DEA’s investigation.   

That evening, agents followed Mr. Rodriguez to a storage facility, where he met Mr. Warren and Ms. Martinez-Otero. After Mr. Rodriguez departed the facility, a marked patrol unit pulled him over and arrested him. He admitted that Mr. Warren had asked him to deliver a backpack of approximately 2,000 counterfeit pills to the storage unit and confirmed that Mr. Warren had a tableting machine, or pill press.

That night, agents also attempted to follow Mr. Warren from a residence in Saginaw, but he began driving erratically and at a high rate of speed, making surveillance challenging. Shortly thereafter, agents spotted smoke emanating from a nearby field and found Mr. Warren’s truck had skidded off the street, rolled over, and come to rest on the cab; Mr. Warren had apparently escaped the wreckage and fled on foot.  Law enforcement arrested Mr. Warren a short time later.

Amid the accident debris, agents found a used pill press machine covered in blue fentanyl residue. Agents later discovered a counterfeit blue M-30 pill containing fentanyl sandwiched between the punch dies of the pill press machine:

Agents then followed Ms.  Martinez-Otero to the residence in Saginaw, where they arrested her and seized more than 100 counterfeit blue M-30 pills that field-tested positive for fentanyl. They also recovered multiple kilograms of excipient and a short barrel rifle.

In the storage facility, they found thousands of additional pills and other controlled substances, including 45 grams worth of counterfeit blue M-30 pills laced with fentanyl, 100 grams counterfeit hydrocodone pills laced with fentanyl, 174 grams of counterfeit Xanax bars laced with fentanyl, 576 grams of counterfeit MDMA (ecstasy) pills laced with fentanyl, 1248 grams of methamphetamine, a bag of blue excipient laced with heroin, and a 9mm pistol previously reported as stolen.

The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Dallas Field Division – Fort Worth District Office, US Postal Inspections Service, and the Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation, and the Saginaw Police Department assisted in Mr. Warren’s apprehension. U.S. Attorney Levi Thomas prosecuted the case.

Two brothers with ties to a notorious Mexican cartel have been sentenced to a combined 70 years in federal prison for methamphetamine and money laundering offenses, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.

Pedro Hernandez Zarate, a 45 year-old Mexican national in the U.S. illegally, and his brother Ricardo Hernandez Zarate, a 33-year-old legal resident, were charged via criminal complaint in March 2021. Ricardo pleaded guilty in February 2022 to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and money laundering, and was sentenced in November 2022 to 40 years in federal prison (40  years on the drug charges and 20 years on the money laundering charges, to run concurrently). Pedro pleaded guilty in November 2021 to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced Thursday to 30 years in federal prison. 

"The FBI in collaboration with our law enforcement partners was able to successfully disrupt the illegal activities of individuals affiliated with Cartel de Jalisco Nuevo Generación (CJNG). This removal of large amounts of methamphetamine from our streets makes our communities safer from deadly narcotics," said FBI Dallas Acting Special Agent in Charge James J. Dwyer. "We will continue to work collaboratively to prosecute and dismantle the individuals and organizations that traffic and distribute narcotics into our communities."

According to court testimony, Pedro helped coordinate the transfer of approximately 112 liquid gallons of methamphetamine – a quantity with a street value of more than $9.9 million dollars -- to codefendants who planned to transport it from Texas to Oklahoma. The liquid meth – which arrived in Dallas in the diesel tank of a tractor trailer before being transferred into a holding tank and then given over to Pedro’s co-defendants – was seized by law enforcement in Gainesville, Texas.

Agents linked the meth shipment to the Cartel de Jalisco Nuevo Generación (CJNG) Transnational Criminal Organization, one of the two largest and most dangerous drug cartels in Mexico.

Meanwhile, Ricardo acted as a Dallas-area cell head, sourcing his methamphetamine from two suppliers in Mexico and selling kilogram quantities of meth, which he called “shaved ice,” to customers. He also instructed people to deliver methamphetamine in other parts of Texas. 

Co-defendant Elmer Gardea Tello was previously sentenced to a term of 55 months confinement for his involvement in drug trafficking.

Eight additional defendants – including Benito Diaz Hernandez, Marcos Garcia Reyes, Rafael Diaz,  Jose Alberto Plascencia Torres, Heleodoro Rosales Ramirez, Salvador Antonio Martinez, Walter Daniel Chapa Marty, and Uriel Marin Gaona –  have entered guilty pleas in the case and await sentencing.

The investigation was led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office, with special assistance provided by the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Gainesville Police Department, Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, the Dallas Police Department, the Fort Worth Police Department, the Williamson County, Texas Sheriff’s Department, the Hawkins County Sheriff’s Department in Tennessee, the FBI’s Knoxville Field Office (Tennessee Resident Agency Office), and the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Dallas Strike Force 1. Assistant U.S. Attorneys George Leal and John Kull are prosecuting the case.

The case is an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) case.  The OCDETF program was established in 1982 in order to attack and reduce the supply of illegal drugs entering the United States and to diminish violence and other criminal activity associated with the drug trade.  The OCDETF program leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the highest-level drug traffickers and drug trafficking networks using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information can be found at https://www.justice.gov/ocdetf.

A drug trafficker who had more than $1.5 million stashed in his residence when agents raided his home was sentenced Wednesday to 20 years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.

Hector Manuel Castro-Quirino, 49, pleaded guilty in September 2022 to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and was sentenced this week by U.S. District Judge Barbara M.G. Lynn, who also ordered him to forfeit the $1,595,185 in U.S. currency seized from his home.

According to court documents, in June 2021, a confidential informant tipped off law enforcement about a drug house on South Acres Drive in Dallas. Over the next few weeks, agents and officers made a series of undercover purchases at the home.

On July 13, 2021, a SWAT team executed a search warrant. Officers initially confronted Mr. Castro in his kitchen, but he then fled to the attic before finally surrendering.

During a search of his master bedroom, law enforcement located five gallon sized bags containing bulk quantities of methamphetamine (594 grams) and cocaine (1,447.8 grams), along with drug ledgers containing customer and payment information and 14 firearms, several of them loaded. They also recovered copious amounts of cash stashed inside tube socks, shoe boxes, a trash bag, and a banker box. It took them several hours to count.

In plea papers, Mr. Castro-Quirino admitted that he regularly sold methamphetamine and cocaine, noting that he received roughly a kilogram of cocaine each week and a kilogram of methamphetamine each month. He said his common law wife, Vanesa Cervantes, 39, kept his books.

Ms. Cervantes pleaded guilty in September 2022 to misprision (concealment) of a felony and was sentenced in Wednesday to 21 months in federal prison.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives’ Dallas Field Division, the Dallas Police Department, and the Texas Department of Public Safety conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Phelesa Guy prosecuted the case.

An Irving woman was sentenced Tuesday to more than six years in federal prison for embezzling more than $800,000 from her employer, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.

She-Daria Latisha Owens-Sharp, 42, pleaded guilty in April 2022 to one count of wire fraud. She was sentenced Tuesday to 77 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Sam A. Lindsay, who ordered her to pay $1.1 million in restitution – the amount she embezzled from the company plus the amount of extra payroll taxes the company incurred as a result of her fraud.

According to court documents, Ms. Owens-Sharp, who served as operations manager for an IT staffing service company from April 2012 to March 2019, admitted that she requested paper paychecks for employees in addition to those employees’ direct deposit checks. She then altered the paper checks, removing the employees’ names and replacing them with her own, and deposited the checks into her own bank account.

She further admitted that she informed the company’s payroll vendor that her salary had been increased from $17 to $25 per hour (a nearly 50 percent increase), causing the company to increase her direct deposit, without authorization. She concealed her lie from the company by making false entries in their records reflecting payroll and expenses for employees that had left the company.

Ms. Owens-Sharp admitted that she deposited approximately 376 altered checks totaling more than $818,000. The company paid an additional $224,000 in payroll taxes on the fraudulently obtained checks, resulting in a loss to the company of more than $1 million.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas Brasher prosecuted the case.

A Plano man has been charged with stealing more than a dozen guns from a local pawn shop, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.

Christian Alfredo Benitez-Ramirez, 28, was charged via criminal complaint with theft from a federal firearms licensee and arrested at his residence on Monday. He made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Irma Carrillo Ramirez that afternoon.

According to the complaint, on Jan. 30, Mr. Benitez-Ramirez allegedly entered a Cash America Pawn in Duncanville, walked to the rear of the store, reached over the counter, and attempted to open the sliding door of a firearm display cabinet.

When the door didn’t open, the defendant hoisted himself over the counter and attempted to gather an armful of firearms from a rack on the wall. He saw that the firearms were attached to the wall via a cable, whipped out a pocketknife, and attempted to cut the cords.

When that didn’t work, Mr. Benitez-Ramirez pulled the cable and attachment from the wall, gathered up an armful of firearms, and – with additional guns still attached to the cable dragging behind him – exited the store and loaded the firearms into a Honda CR-V.

Cash America employees told law enforcement that when they saw the defendant behind the counter, they asked if he worked there, and the defendant answered that he did. Not recognizing him, several employees pressed store panic buttons.

The store reported five shotguns, one pistol, and seven rifles as stolen.

A criminal complaint is merely and allegation of wrongdoing, not evidence. Like all defendants, Mr. Benitez-Ramirez is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in federal prison.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives’ Dallas Field Division conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Damien Diggs is prosecuting the case.

Two fentanyl dealers allegedly tied to as many as 10 juvenile overdoses, three of them fatal, have been federally charged, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.

Luis Eduardo Navarrete, 21, and Magaly Mejia Cano, 29, were charged via criminal complaint with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl. They were arrested at Mr. Navarrete’s residence in Carrollton on Friday and made their initial appearances Monday afternoon.

“To deal fentanyl is to knowingly imperil lives. To deal fentanyl to minors — naive middle and high school students — is to shatter futures. These defendants’ alleged actions are simply despicable. We can never replace the three teenagers whose lives were lost, nor can we heal the psychological scars of those who survived their overdoses. But we can take action to ensure these defendants are never allowed to hand a pill to a child again,” said U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton.

“Selling drugs alone is a serious transgression, but to sell deadly fentanyl to a juvenile is one of the most shocking and callous ways to hurt a community,” said Eduardo A. Chavez, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Dallas Field Division.  “DEA Dallas and our partners from the Carrollton Police Department will work to identify and hold accountable every individual who thinks they can profit by exposing our neighborhoods, and our children, to this deadly substance.”

“I am very appreciative of our partnerships with all federal agencies. I am proud of the Carrollton Police Department’s work in providing the necessary evidence to the DEA. We continue to work with the DEA and other federal partners to rid our great community of this poison. We take this very seriously; there is nothing more precious than our children,” said Carrollton Police Chief  Roberto Arredondo.

According to the complaint, Mr. Navarrete and Ms. Cano allegedly dealt fake Percocet and Oxycontin pills laced with fentanyl, commonly known as “M30s,” to multiple juvenile drug dealers, mostly students at RL Turner High School, who in turn sold the drugs to their fellow students at R.L. Turner High School and to younger students at Dewitt Perry and Dan F. Long Middle Schools. 

Nine students at those schools – ranging in age from 13 to 17 – suffered ten overdoses, three of which were fatal, between September 2022 and February 2023.

One victim, a 14-year-old girl who overdosed twice and suffered temporary paralysis, told law enforcement the pills she ingested came from juvenile dealers who obtained the drugs from Mr. Navarrete. (She also confirmed she had purchased pills directly from Mr. Navarrete in the past.)

Law enforcement conducting surveillance at Mr. Navarrete’s home observed him engage in a hand-to-hand transaction with another 16-year-old dealer on January 12, 2023. Officers followed the juvenile into a bathroom at R.L. Turner, where he holed up in a stall to snort the drugs. He later admitted that he’d obtained the pills – which he called “perc pills” – from Mr. Navarrete.

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation of wrongdoing, not evidence. Both Mr. Navarrete and Ms. Cano are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

If convicted, they each face up to 20 years in federal prison.

The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Dallas Field Office and the Carrollton Police Department conducted the investigation with the assistance of School Resource Officers from the Carrollton – Farmer’s Branch Independent School. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rick Calvert and Phelesa Guy are prosecuting the case.

Note: Illicitly produced, fentanyl-laced pills often look similar to legitimate prescription pills like Oxycontin or Percocet, but can pose significantly more danger. On the street, these pills are often referred to as “M30s” (a reference to the markings on some of the pills), “blues,” “perks,” “yerks,” “china girls,” or “TNT.” DEA research shows that six out of ten pills laced with fentanyl contain a potentially lethal dose. One pill can kill. For resources, visit https://www.dea.gov/onepill.