Northern District of Texas

GUILTY PLEA – ENRIQUE BACA-TORRES

On November 10, Enrique Baca-Torres, 39, plead guilty to aiding and abetting possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Undercover officers met with Baca-Torres and another coconspirator at Dallas gas station. Baca-Torres and the coconspirator loaded a speaker that contained approximately 13 kilograms of methamphetamine into their vehicle. As Baca-Torres departed the gas station, he was stopped by Dallas County Sheriff’s Office for a traffic violation. A law enforcement canine detected the drugs located in the vehicle. Baca-Torres faces up to 20 years in federal prison for his crimes. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachael Jones is prosecuting this case.

SENTENCING – MICHAEL ALLEN GIBBS

On November 12, Michael Allen Gibbs was sentenced to 51 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.  During a post-arrest interview, Gibbs admitted to purchasing heroin from two individuals with the intention of distribution.  Gibbs also was in possession of three handguns and multiple rounds of ammunition.  This case was investigated by the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Dallas Police Department.   Assistant U.S. Attorney P.J. Meitl.

SENTENCING – MACLEAN MAFO

On October 22, Maclean Mafo, 41, was sentenced to 98 months in federal prison and ordered to pay $1,999,083 in restitution for wire fraud. Mafo devised a scheme to defraud the IRS and obtain money by fraudulent means. He unlawfully obtained personal identification information of U.S. taxpayers including names addresses and Social Security numbers. Mafo used the stolen taxpayer identification information to electronically file bogus individual IRS tax returns. He opened bank debit accounts to receive the fraudulently tax refunds and converted them to use for himself and others. This case was investigated by the IRS – Criminal Investigations.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Nick Bunch prosecuted this case.

SENTENCING – RAMON COSCOLLUELA

On October 8, Ramon Coscolluela, 42, was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison and ordered to pay $50,000 in restitution for laundering of monetary instruments.  Coscolluela met with an undercover officer in September 2017 at a purported investment office.  The undercover officer explained that he had a large sum of cash which originated from cocaine sales that needed to be cleaned. In a subsequent meeting, Coscolluela agreed that, for a fee, he would disguise the source the drug sales through different monetary instruments and eventually return the drug proceeds back to the undercover officer. Over the course of the conspiracy, Coscolluela delivered six monetary instruments totaling $188,600.  This case was investigated by IRS – Criminal Investigations and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney John De La Garza prosecuted this case.

A 37-year-old man who volunteered to torture a sex trafficking victim for money has been charged with human trafficking crimes, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox.

Billie Joe Sanford, of Eustace, Texas, was charged via criminal complaint on Friday, Nov. 6 with attempting to aid and abet sex trafficking. He made his initial appearance before Magistrate Judge David Horan on Monday, Nov. 9. 

Today, a federal magistrate judge ordered Mr. Sanford released on conditions pending trial. The U.S. Attorney’s Office has vowed to vigorously appeal that decision. The Defendant will be held in custody pending the filing of the appeal.

“I shudder to think what could have happened had the ‘victim’ in this case been a vulnerable woman, rather than an undercover agent. The North Texas Trafficking Task Force, led by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), is dedicated to stopping this sort of brutality in all its many forms,” said U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox. “Allowing this defendant back into the community is unacceptable to us and we will do everything we can to keep him off the streets until we can bring him to justice.”

“Human trafficking is one of the most despicable crimes against humanity that HSI investigates. The vicious criminals that often manipulate or force their victims into unspeakable situations for profit will pay a price of their own,” said Ryan L. Spradlin, Special Agent in Charge of HSI Dallas. “We will use every resource available with our law-enforcement partners to identify and hold responsible anyone who thinks this behavior is worth the risk. Eradicating human trafficking and protecting the victims is one of HSI’s top priorities.”

According to the complaint, Mr. Sanford, using the screenname“MasterBill75751,” responded to an online advertisement for a sex trafficking victim who “needs breaking.” Unbeknownst to the defendant, the ad had been posted by an undercover agent.

“I am willing to help break her into a proper slave,” Mr. Sanford wrote on Oct. 9.  

In subsequent messages, he asked for $5,000 a week to brutalize the victim, demanding “complete privacy” without neighbors nearby.

On Oct. 29, Mr. Sanford and the undercover agent met in person in Plano, TX.

Posing as the head of a sizable human trafficking ring, the agent told Mr. Sanford he planned to “make a fortune” pimping out the victim, but was concerned by her refusal to engage in commercial sex and her repeated attempts at escape. He stated he had resorted to handcuffing the victim and locking her in a bathroom.

In response, Mr. Sanford bragged that he had “broken” trafficking victims previously and outlined the methods of torture he planned to use: flogging, caging, shock therapy, blaring heavy metal music, whips, and black-out contacts. He explained that while he understood how to cause “excruciating pain,” he would not leave any scars that would affect the victim’s later sale.

“You want someone that when it’s done, if she gets just a smidgen out of line, then you can say, ‘hey, I’m going to call him back,’” he told the agent. “You want her to believe that whenever she leaves her job, if she does not report back to you, she is going back to Bill… I just make sure they understand they never want to experience this again.”

A week later, on Nov. 5, Mr. Sanford and the agent met again in Irving, TX. Mr. Sanford agreed to follow the agent to a nearby location, where a second undercover agent, posing as the victim, sat restrained in the back seat of a vehicle. When he arrived, Mr. Sanford unloaded a suitcase and bag containing leather restraints, flogs, spurs, and other equipment.

In a subsequent interview with law enforcement, the defendant said he’d been living the “kink” lifestyle for several years. Asked about the victim he’d offered to break, Mr. Sanford stated he was hard up for money and simply wanted to “help her enjoy life.”

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

If convicted, he faces up to life in federal prison.

Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office, Dallas County District Attorney’s Office Investigator, the Fort Worth Police Department, the Colleyville Police Department, and the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rebekah Ricketts and Andrew Briggs are prosecuting the case.

SENTENCING – DAVID RAMIREZ-ESPANA

On October 30, David Ramirez-Espana, 41, was sentenced to 9 years in federal prison for possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute. Ramirez-Espana was stopped for a traffic violation by Dallas Police Department.  Officers found a black plastic bag containing approximately one kilogram of black tar heroin.  Ramirez-Espana gave consent for officers to search his residence in Dallas where law enforcement recovered 26.30 kilograms of methamphetamine and $43,013 in drug proceeds.  This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Phelesa Guy is prosecuted this case.

SENTENCING – RAMON REYES, JR.

On November 2, Ramon Reyes, Jr., 47, was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for transporting and shipping child pornography. The Grand Prairie Police Department received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s cybertipline that Reyes uploaded eight videos containing child pornography using a social media application. Law enforcement executed a search warrant for Reye’s home. When questioned about the child pornography, Mr. Reyes admitted that some of the images and videos that he transported included sadistic images depicting infants and toddlers.  Reyes stipulated that he possessed over 12 images and 40 videos containing child pornography.  The case was investigated by the Grand Prairie Police Department and the FBI.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Camille Sparks prosecuted this case.

SENTENCING – ANDREW RAY LUGO

On November 2, Andrew Ray Lugo, 30,  was sentenced to 85 months in federal prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance.  In June 2018, Lugo paid a coconspirator $2,500 to settle a pervious drug debt. One month later, Lugo delivered $4,000 in drug proceeds to a conspirator. A few days later, a coconspirator coordinated a half-a-kilogram delivery of heroin to Lugo.  Agents conducted a search of Lugo’s residence where they seized heroin, a firearm, and $1,788 in drug proceeds.  This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration.  Assistant U.S. Attorney John Kull is prosecuted this case.

A Lubbock man who plotted a mass shooting has been sentenced to two years in federal prison for making false statements to a federally-licensed firearms dealer, and the court recommended he be evaluated for civil commitment prior to his release, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox.

William Patrick Williams, 20, was charged via criminal complaint in August 2019 with making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm. He pleaded guilty earlier this month and was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge James Wesley Hendrix in Lubbock.

“We are grateful to the many people – both within the defendant’s family and inside law enforcement – who came together to avert tragedy,” said U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox. “We are hopeful Mr. Williams will get the treatment he needs while incarcerated.”

According to the criminal complaint, Mr. Williams told his grandmother he had recently purchased an AK-47 rifle and planned to “shoot up” a local hotel and then commit suicide by cop. Sensing he was both homicidal and suicidal, she convinced him to allow her to bring him to a local hospital instead.

Mr. Williams gave officers consent to search the room he had rented at the hotel, where they found an AK-47 rifle, seventeen magazines loaded with ammunition, multiple knives, a black trench coat, black tactical pants, a black t-shirt that read “Let ‘Em Come,” and black tactical gloves with the fingers cut off. Mr. Williams told officers he had laid out his weapons on the bed so that law enforcement could take custody of them.

According to his plea papers, Mr. Williams admits he lied on the form 4473 he used to purchase the AK-47 from a local sporting goods store, listing an address where he no longer resided.

Court documents indicate that the residents of the address Mr. Williams listed on the form told agents they had changed the locks after Mr. Williams moved out; at the time of the purchase, he was actually living with a different roommate at a different address. 

The defendant admitted to misrepresenting his current address on the firearms transaction form.

As a convicted felon, Mr. Williams will now be legally barred from possessing a weapon after he is released from prison.  The Court recommended that Williams serve his 24-month incarceration at the Federal Medical Center in Fort Worth, Texas, and further recommended that prior to his release from prison, Williams be evaluated for the possibility of civil commitment under 18 USC § 4246. (18 USC § 4246 establishes a federal commitment procedure for mentally ill persons who are due to be released but whose release would create a substantial risk of serious bodily injury or serious property damage to others.)

The Lubbock Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey Haag, NDTX’s West Texas Branch Chief, and Stephen Rancourt are prosecuting the case.

A McKinney man who conned investors out of more than $13 million has pleaded guilty to securities fraud, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox.

Patrick O. Howard – owner of Insured Liquidity Partners CGF I, Insured Liquidity Partners CGF II, and Capital Ventures, LLC – was charged in June 2018 and pleaded guilty via videoteleconference Tuesday morning.

“This defendant repeatedly lied about his funds’ performance, inducing investors – including several retirees – to turn over considerable sums of money that he then squandered. The Northern District of Texas is committed to investigating and prosecuting financial fraud," said U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox. 

In plea papers, Mr. Howard, 49, admitted to running a Ponzi-type scheme, recruiting more than 100 investors to purchase $13 million in membership units for $50,000 apiece.

His companies promised  investors 12% annual returns, paid quarterly, and “insured liquidity.” However, instead of properly investing the money, the companies issued phony account statements and paid any investors who elected to receive their earnings quarterly out of the investments of later investors, rather than out of the earnings of the fund.

Mr. Howard falsely represented himself as a registered investment advisor and claimed his companies saw 20% annual earnings. Promising that investors could not possibly lose money due to insurance that offset poor performance, the defendant induced at least one investor to turn over his entire retirement savings to the fund.

Mr. Howard now faces up to five years in federal prison. His sentencing has been set for March 4, 2021.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office and the Postal Inspection Service conducted the investigation, with a parallel investigation conducted by the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Wirmani is prosecuting the criminal case.

Last week, U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox presented the 2020 United States Attorney’s Awards of Excellence, honoring law enforcement officers and agents who exceed the call of duty to keep their communities safe. 

“Collectively, this room has thwarted terrorists, taken aim at white supremacists, apprehended violent criminals, brought to justice corrupt medical professionals, and exposed greedy public servants. This room is the very definition of excellence,” U.S. Attorney Nealy Cox said during a socially-distanced ceremony at the Belo in Dallas on Thursday. “We are proud to stand behind you and beside you.”

Awardees worked the following cases:

U.S. v Michael Kyle Sewell
Federal Bureau of Investigation with Arlington Police Department
This undercover investigation resulted in the prosecution of an 18-year-old who conspired to recruit individuals to Lashkar-e-Taiba, a Pakistani-based foreign terrorist organization. More here.

Operation Diamond Blaster
Federal Bureau of Investigation with Dallas Police Department
This multi-year investigation resulted in the prosecution of 15 members of a violent transnational criminal enterprise who routinely robbed traveling diamond salesman. More here.

 U.S. v Jose Garcia-Lizanaga et al
Drug Enforcement Administration
This investigation led to the prosecution of high-level cocaine dealers in Lubbock and the seizure of more than 60 kg of cocaine, 8 firearms, and more than $500,000 cash.  

Operation Vanilla Ice  
Texas Department of Public Safety and Dallas Police Department
This multi-year investigation led to the nation’s largest prosecution of individuals connected to white supremacist gangs. More than 150 gang members, most with violent criminal records, were sentenced to a combined 2,000+ years in federal prison. More here. 

U.S. v Donnie Ferrell
U.S. Postal Inspection Service
This investigation into the murder of U.S. Postal worker Tony Mosby relied on tips from two individuals inside the car with the defendant, who shot Mr. Mosby in a fit of road rage. More here.

U.S. v Nelson Pabon et al
Federal Bureau of Investigation and IRS- Criminal Investigation Division with Dallas Police Department
This multi-year OCEDTF investigation revealed that several DFW Airport baggage handlers were using their positions to circumvent security in order to ship drugs and other contraband across the nation. More here.  

Dallas County Schools Investigation
Federal Bureau of Investigation and IRS-Criminal Investigation Division
This public corruption investigation uncovered a bribery scheme at Dallas City Hall, in which the owner of school bus stop arm camera company funneled nearly half a million dollars in bribes to former Mayor Pro Tem Dwaine Caraway, who resigned after charges were filed. More here.   

U.S. v Michael Webb
Homeland Security Investigations, Fort Worth Police Department, and Federal Bureau of Investigations
Following the abduction of an 8-year-old girl off the streets of Fort Worth, agents sprang into action to find her. The following morning, they recovered the child – alive – in a Forest Hills hotel room. The investigation led to the prosecution of the kidnapper, who received a life sentence.  More here.

U.S. v Darius Fields et al
Federal Bureau of Investigation
This investigation focused on those involved in the murder of an innocent 13-year-old kidnapped during a drug dispute and resulted in firearms charges against two defendants, both of whom were convicted at trial. More here.

Operation Bruised Thumb
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives with Dallas Police Department
This investigation led to the prosecution of 17 members of the “Bruised Thumb” gang on gun and drug charges, all while safeguarding the safety of a confidential informant.

U.S. v Carlos Vengas et al
Drug Enforcement Administration with Commerce Police Department
This investigation revealed a network of sham clinics, fake patients, and complicit pharmacies working together to facilitate the illegal distribution of opiates like hydrocodone. The leader of the pill mill, who was convicted at trial, oversaw the unlawful prescription of nearly a million units of narcotics with no medical purpose. More here.  

U.S. v Said Rahim
Federal Bureau of Investigation and NOAA Office of Law Enforcement
This investigation revealed that a U.S. citizen was using a push-to-talk application to promote violence in the name of ISIS. The defendant was arrested at DFW Airport, where he was attempting to board a flight to Amman, Jordan, and later convicted at trial. More here.

U.S. v Terrence Smith et al
Federal Housing Finance Agency Office of Inspector General
This investigation led to charges against three former executives of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas, who submitted more than 100 fraudulent expense reports for personal travel they falsely claimed was business-related, submitted cash-out requests for dozens of used vacation days, and sought reimbursement for personal holiday gifts. More here.

The U.S. Attorney and Chief U.S. District Judge Barbara M.G. Lynna also presented the “Administration of Justice” award, recognizing a staff member who consistently provides outstanding support, to Fort Worth Supervisory Legal Assistant Liuva Ruiz, and the “Barefoot Sanders Prosecutor of the Year” award to Amarillo-based Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Frausto.

Photos from the Awards Ceremony can be found here. The staff of the United States Attorney’s Office is grateful for law enforcement officers’ sacrifices, dedication, and skill.

 

SENTENCING – JOSHUSA DANIEL ZIVILI

On October 27, Joshua Daniel Zivili, 40, was sentenced to 235 months for interference with commerce by robbery and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.  Zivili admitted to robbing eight retail or restaurants establishments in the Dallas area. Following a robbery of a fast-food restaurant, Zivili fled the scene in a vehicle engaging in a high-speed police chase. During the chase, the vehicle crashed, and law enforcement recovered the cash stolen from the restaurant and the firearm used to commit the robbery.  This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Dallas Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gary Tromblay prosecuted this case.

SENTENCING – MICHAEL ASAGBA

On October 27, Michael Asagba, 22, was sentenced to 176 months in federal prison for three counts of interference with commerce by robbery and one count of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.  Over the course of four days in February 2018, Asagba robbed three convenience stores in located Mesquite.  During the commission of the robberies, he carried a Ruger 9 mm firearm.  This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Shane Read prosecuted this case.

GUILTY PLEA – TRIVIKRAM REDDY

On October 27, Trivikram Reddy, 38, plead guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Reddy, a licensed nurse practitioner, devised a scheme to defraud Medicare, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas, Aetna, UnitedHealthcare, Humana, and Cigna.  He made false billings using the provider numbers of six doctors.  All the claims were false and at no time did the six doctors provide billable services to any of Reddy’s clinics.  Reddy faces up to 20 years in federal prison for his crimes.  This case was investigated by the Health and Human Services-Office of the Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Donna Strittmatter Max is prosecuting this case.

A Rowlett man who allegedly gunned down his ex-girlfriend in the midst of a bitter custody dispute has been charged with possessing an unlicensed firearm silencer, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox.

Andrew Charles Beard, 33, was charged via criminal complaint. He was arrested Thursday afternoon and made his initial appearance before Magistrate Judge Renee Toliver Friday morning.

“Given the brutality of his alleged crimes, it’s unthinkable that Mr. Beard bonded out of county jail,” said U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox. “I am proud that our federal law enforcement partners acted quickly so that we could file federal charges. It is our fervent hope that justice will be swift, and that Mr. Beard will be kept behind bars — state or federal — before he can inflict more harm.”  

“ATF is steadfast in its pursuit of domestic abusers in possession of firearms illegally. Mr. Beard will now face the full force of the United States Justice Department and all of its law enforcement partners,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge of the Dallas Field Division Jeffrey C. Boshek II.

According to the complaint, Mr. Beard allegedly attacked his ex-girlfriend, Alyssa Burkett, outside her office on Oct. 2. Ms. Burkett, who was found with multiple stab wound to her torso and a possible gunshot wound to the head, died at the scene.

A coworker, identified in the complaint by the initials “M.J.,” told officers she’d observed a black-clad man climb out of a truck and take aim at the victim.  

Ms. Burkett’s friends and family informed officers that she and Mr. Beard were involved in an acrimonious dispute over the custody of their child. Two days prior to the shooting, records show, a judge awarded custody of the child to Ms. Burkett.

Ms. Burkett’s mother, “T.C.,” and her boyfriend, “B.E.,” told officers that Ms. Burkett feared Mr. Beard would kill her. B.E. said Mr. Beard was “overly obsessed” with the victim and their child. Her coworker, “M.J.,” reiterated the same concern, adding that Ms. Burkett was worried she was being tracked by Mr. Beard, who always seemed to know her location.

After the murder, investigators recovered a black Spy Bot box and tracking device underneath Ms. Burkett’s vehicle. They found a similar tracking device on her boyfriend’s vehicle.

During a search of Mr. Beard’s residence, investigators found a matching Spy Bot battery and a third tracking device in the upstairs loft. They also uncovered a .22 caliber revolver and a homemade gun silencer zipped into a baggie inside a toolbox in the garage. (Detectives believed the silencer was homemade because the threaded portion that would attach to the barrel and the muzzle end of the silencer were off center.)

An ATF analysis revealed that the metal cylinder, which included an expansion chamber, met the federal definition of a firearm silencer.

A search of the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record (NFRTR) did not pull up any silencers registered to Mr. Beard, and the homemade silencer recovered from Mr. Beard’s home lacked the serial number required for registration.  

Federal law prohibits possession of an unregistered silencer, defined as any device designed to silence, muffle, or diminish the report of a potable firearm.

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

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

Following his ex-girlfriend’s death, Mr. Beard was charged by the state with murder. Last week, he was released from Dallas County Jail on $1 million bond. He was taken into federal custody on Thursday afternoon, and prosecutors will seek federal detention.

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

The case was brought under Project Guardian, the Justice Department’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence using federal firearm laws.

The men who bought and sold a 19-year-old woman as a “sex slave” have been charged with human trafficking, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox.

Following an intensive investigation, Alfonso Orozco Juarez, 35, and Robert Hubert, 66, were charged via criminal complaint with conspiracy to commit sex trafficking. Mr. Juarez was arrested at his home in Dallas and made his initial appearance in court in Dallas on Wednesday; Mr. Hubert was arrested at his home in Roebuck, SC, and made his initial appearance in court in Greenville, SC last week.

“This victim endured horrific abuse at the hands of these defendants.  It’s unthinkable and frankly, difficult to learn that this type of thing is happening in our District,” said U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox.  “I am grateful that our North Texas Human Trafficking Task Force was able to act swiftly and aggressively.  The Northern District of Texas and its partners in the District of New Mexico are committed to ending the scourge of human trafficking, one brutal case at a time.”

“Anyone that is involved in human trafficking activities – either as a member of a transnational criminal organization, a business owner exploiting his/her employees, or a street level pimp  – should be viewed as a vicious predator. These despicable people who enrich themselves by exploiting the innocent have no place amongst law-abiding citizens and HSI will always combat it with every resource at our disposal.  We will continue to collaborate with any law enforcement agency at any level of government in our shared efforts to bring human traffickers to justice,” said Ryan L. Spradlin, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations Dallas.

According to a criminal complaint unsealed yesterday afternoon, Mr. Juarez contacted the Santa Fe-based victim via a dating app in 2019. In September 2019, they met in person inside a Dallas motel room, where Mr. Juarez pistol whipped the victim, bruising her hand and jaw. He later gave her a “slave name” and threatened to kill her and her family if she did not consent to being sold for sex. At one point, Mr. Juarez pointed an unloaded gun at her head and pulled the trigger.

After repeatedly selling the victim for commercial sex, Mr. Juarez advertised her as a  “slave” on a fetishism website, where he offered to sell her to the highest bidder. Mr. Hubert, screen name “The Darkest Lord,” offered $5,000. 

In text messages with Mr. Hubert, Mr. Juarez referred to the victim as “the property” and bragged that she “submitted fully” after he “pistol whip[ped]” her.

“She’s totally dependent on me,” he wrote.

“SWEET,” Mr. Hubert responded. “I will take the slave.”

The men met up at a gas station in Dallas, where Mr. Hubert put the victim in his car to drive her to his home in South Carolina. After Mr. Hubert clamped a metal collar around her neck, threatened to brand her, and provided her with a list of “fetishes he likes,” the victim texted Mr. Juarez, pleading for help: 

“I’m afraid if I don’t do something, he’s going to hurt me,” she said.

“Endure what you have to,” he responded. “He’ll punish you whip you . . . but not kill you.”

When they reached Mr. Hubert’s residence — where there was a room he described as a “dungeon”—Mr. Hubert required the victim to remove her clothes and “be naked all the time.”  Terrified, the victim persuaded Mr. Hubert to let her call her parents.

The victim’s father begged Mr. Hubert to let his daughter go, but Mr. Hubert informed him that he had purchased the victim for $5,000 and demanded $5,000 back in exchange for her safe return. He even sent the victim’s father a “contract,” signed by both Mr. Juarez and Mr. Hubert, as proof of the “sale.” Eventually, Mr. Hubert relented, and the victim was able to escape by bus. 

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation of wrongdoing, not evidence. Like all defendants, Mr. Juarez and Mr. Hubert are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

If convicted, both face up to life in federal prison.

Homeland Security Investigations and the North Texas Trafficking Task Force conducted the investigation with substantial support from the Crime Strategies Unit with the 2nd Judicial District Attorney's Office in Albuquerque, NM. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew Briggs and Rebekah Ricketts of the Northern District of Texas are prosecuting the case, with significant assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Letitia Simms of the District of New Mexico.

A former manager of a San Angelo meat packing plant plead guilty today to misleading federal regulators, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox.

Rean Brooks, 51, plead guilty to misprision of a felony, or concealing knowledge of the actual commission of a felony, before U.S. Magistrate Judge John Parker.

In plea papers, Mr. Brooks, former manager at Texas Packing Company, admitted that he concealed knowledge from federal regulators about the toxic chemical levels at the meat processing facility.

"Federal laws require employers to undertake steps that limit exposure to toxic substances to employees and the public,” said U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox. "Criminals that deceive regulators and skirt the law, potentially putting lives at risk, will be held accountable for their actions.”

According to court documents, Texas Packing Company was operating its refrigeration unit, which contained anhydrous ammonia, in violation of OSHA regulations posing danger to the safety of the plant’s employees.

Anhydrous ammonia is a chemical is used to recirculate fluid in refrigeration systems at facilities such as meat processing plants.  Exposure to the chemical in high concentrations is toxic and may result in temporary or permanent blindness; severe burns; corrosive damage to the mouth, throat, and stomach; asphyxiation; and death.

By law, OSHA requires that processing plants that operate with levels of anhydrous ammonia exceeding 10,000 pounds must implement and operate under a Process Safety Management (PSM) program to prevent the catastrophic release of dangerous chemicals and minimize damage in the event accidental release or spills occur.

In 2018, Texas Packing was operating its facility with 16,500 pounds of anhydrous ammonia or approximately 6,000 pounds over the level at which a PSM program is required. An individual reported the hazardous chemical issues to OSHA. The following day, an OSHA inspector traveled to the plant and met with Mr. Brooks and others and provided notice of the complaint.

Texas Packing was informed by a plant safety manager that the implementation of a PSM program would cost approximately $20,000.  To avoid the potential costs, an individual at Texas Packing falsified a document with the intent to make OSHA believe the plant was in compliance with regulations.  Mr. Brooks then gave that document to an OSHA inspector, also with intent to deceive the inspector.

OSHA subsequently assessed a $615,640 fine against Texas Packing for the plant’s non-compliance related to the anhydrous ammonia levels, lack of PSM program, and for other violations.  The fine was one of the top ten largest assessed by OSHA in 2018.

Mr. Brooks faces up to three years in federal prison for his crimes and a fine up to $250,000. A sentencing date has not been set.

This investigation was conducted by United States Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ann Howey is prosecuting this case.

A Midland man tied to bank robberies in Lubbock, Odessa, and Abilene has been federally charged, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox.

Kenneth Hoyd Seabourne, 57, was arrested on Oct. 20 and charged via criminal complaint with one count of bank robbery. He made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge D. Gordon Bryant, Jr. Thursday morning.

According to a criminal complaint unsealed today, on Sept. 3, an unidentified man entered Prosperity Bank in Odessa demanding money. The man – clad in a tie, white button up, pants, tennis shoes, sunglasses, rubber gloves, and a PPE mask – passed a teller a note that red, “All $ in Bag! I am armed. No Dye Packs no Bait $,” then fled the scene with several thousand dollars currency.  

Responding officers from the Odessa Police Department later observed a man matching the suspect’s description discarding rubber gloves and clothing on the roadway. They recovered the items and sent them to the Texas Department of Public Safety Crime Laboratory, which retrieved genetic material. The DPS Crime Lab then sent the recovered DNA sequence to the FBI, which ran it through its DNA indexing system, CODIS, and allegedly matched it to DNA on file for Mr. Seabourne.

Meanwhile, just 26 days after the first robbery, a similar unidentified male entered the First Abilene Federal Credit Union, where he passed a similar note to the teller. He then reached into his shirt, grabbed what appeared to be a gun, pointed it at the teller, and threatened to kill if he didn’t get money. Before fleeing the scene in a white Ford Explorer, he demanded the note back.

Sixteen days after that, the same man entered People’s Bank in Lubbock and passed a similar note to the teller there. He once again fled that scene in a similar white Ford Explorer, leaving the note behind.  

Forensic investigators from the Lubbock Police Department recovered a fingerprints off the note, which match fingerprints on file for Mr. Seabourne. Investigators also identified a white Ford Explorer registered in Mr. Seabourne’s name.

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. Like all defendants, Mr. Seaborne 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 Lubbock Field Office, Texas Department of Public Safety, the Lubbock Police Department, the Odessa Police Department, the Abilene Police Department, and the U.S. Marshal’s Service conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Callie Woolam is prosecuting the case.

SENTENCING – ESTEBAN BONILLA LOPEZ

On October 19, Esteban Bonilla Lopez, 35, was sentenced to 13 years in federal prison for possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. After stopping Lopez’s vehicle in Cleburne, Texas, officers requested to search the car. Lopez denied the request. Officers used a drug detecting canine which altered law enforcement to the presence of narcotics in the vehicle. Lopez admitted that he had methamphetamine in the truck and that he traveled to Midland to distribute the drugs.  This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanna Etessam prosecuted this case.

SENTENCING – GEOVANNI AARON LUNA

On October 19, Geovanni Aaron Luna, 23, was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison for possession of an unregistered firearm silencer.  Luna was pulled over in Garland, Texas for a traffic offense. During the traffic stop, troopers uncovered a homemade silencer created from a modified fuel filter with an aluminum tube and threaded adapter to fit his .22 caliber pistol. Luna admitted that the silencer was not registered to in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Texas Department of Public Safety and is prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin.

GUILTY PLEA – HUGO ALBERTO ESPINOZA-GONZALEZ

On October 20, Hugo Alberto Espinoza-Gonzalez, 38, plead guilty to possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and illegal reentry after removal from the United States.  Agents observed Espinoza-Gonzalez enter a vehicle containing 46.8 kilograms of methamphetamine. Dallas Police Department officers attempted to initiate a traffic stop of the vehicle, however, Espinoza-Gonzalez refused to stop and sped away. Eventually, Espinoza-Gonzalez abandoned the vehicle and fled on food until officers arrested him. Espinoza-Gonzalez faces up to 40 years in federal prison for the drug-related crimes and 20 years for the illegal immigration offenses. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Kull is prosecuting this case.

GUILTY PLEA – DOMINIQUE RAY MCNEELY

On October 20, Dominique Ray McNeely, 37, plead guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance. McNeely traveled to a Dallas residence to take part in cocaine transaction. During the drug deal one coconspirator was shot to death. McNeely also conspired with others to distribute two kilograms of cocaine to others in exchange for $70,000. He admitted to being primarily a marijuana dealer with suppliers located in California. Through the course of his unlawful activity he acquired a Jeep, Porsche, jewelry, and approximately $40,000 in drug proceeds all of which is subject to forfeiture. McNeely faces up to 20 years in federal prison for his crimes. This case was investigated by the ATF and the Dallas Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rick Calvert is prosecuting this case.

GUILTY PLEA – DANIEL HICKS

On October 22, Daniel Hicks, 55, plead guilty to attempting to transfer obscene material to a minor. Law enforcement established an undercover profile as a 14-year-old girl on an internet gaming website. Within a short period of time, Hicks sent 31 sexually explicit images or videos to a user which he thought was a minor. When questioned by law enforcement, Hicks admitted to chatting with a person he believed was a minor.  Hicks faces up to 10 years in federal prison for his crimes.  This case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service and the Garland Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Melanie Smith prosecuted this case.

A Dallas man plead guilty today to charges in connection with placing a hoax bomb on a Dallas railroad track, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox.

Mark Ashley Robert, 37, plead guilty to one count of false information and hoaxes before Magistrate Judge Irma Carrillo Ramirez via VTC.

According to court documents, during the early morning hours of December 21, 2018, Mr. Robert admitted to placing a device (as seen in the photo below) on the Kansas City Rail Line railroad tracks in Dallas.

A railroad conductor noted a red and green flashing LED light in the middle of the tracks while operating on the railroad. The conductor observed what appeared to be a box wrapped in electrical tape with a nine-volt battery attached to the side of the device.

The Dallas Police Department Bomb Squad responded to the scene to assess the device. Upon examination, law enforcement authorities determined that the box, placed by Mr. Robert, appeared to resemble an improvised explosive device (IED).  As a result, officers rendered the device safe.

Law enforcement submitted the remaining parts of the device to the FBI for latent print examination.  Through the course of that examination, Mr. Robert’s fingerprints were recovered.

Mr. Robert now faces up to 5 years in federal prison and up to a $250,000 fine. A sentencing date has been set for March 5, 2021.

This investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Dallas Field Office and the Dallas Police Department with the assistance of the Kansas City Southern Railway Company. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany Eggers is prosecuting this case.

United States Attorney Erin Nealy Cox announced today that Assistant United States Attorney Damien Diggs will lead the Northern District of Texas’ Election Day Program for the upcoming November 3, 2020 general election.  AUSA Diggs is responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of complaints of election fraud and voting rights concerns in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.

“Free and fair elections are vital to our American democracy.  Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination.  The Department of Justice will always act to protect the integrity of the election process.  If you have specific information about discrimination or election fraud, I urge you to report it to my Office, the Civil Rights Division, or the FBI,” said U.S. Attorney Nealy Cox.

The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring election fraud and discrimination at the polls, and combating these violations whenever and wherever they occur.  The Department’s long-standing Election Day Program furthers these goals, and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the integrity of the election process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible election fraud and voting rights violations while the polls are open through election day.

Federal law protects against such crimes as intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input.  It also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from acts that intimidate or harass them.  For example, actions of persons designed to interrupt or intimidate voters at polling places by questioning or challenging them, or by photographing or videotaping them, under the pretext that these are actions to uncover illegal voting may violate federal voting rights law.  Further, federal law protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or illiteracy).

The franchise is the cornerstone of American democracy.  We all must ensure that those who are entitled to the franchise exercise it if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice.  In order to respond to complaints of election fraud or voting rights concerns during the voting period that ends on November 3, 2020, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, United States Attorney Erin Nealy Cox stated that AUSA/DEO Diggs will be on duty in this District while the polls are open.  The public can reach him at 214-659-8600.

In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on election day.  The public can reach the local FBI field office at 972-559-5000.

Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC by phone at 800-253-3931 or by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/.

Please note, however, in the case of a crime of violence or intimidation, please call 911 immediately and before contacting federal authorities.  State and local police have primary jurisdiction over polling places, and almost always have faster reaction capacity in an emergency.

GUILTY PLEA – JOHN ADRIAN GARCIA

On October 13, John Adrian Garcia, 19, plead guilty to carjacking. In June 2019, Garcia took a black Lexus RX from another individual by intimidation and force.  Garcia faces up to 15 years in federal prison for his crimes. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Dallas Police Department as part of the Dallas Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Dana.

SENTENCING – DESMOND WELLS

On October 15, Desmond Wells, 26, was sentenced to 210 months and ordered to pay $110,860.05 in restitution for attempted bank robbery. Upon entering Veritex Community Bank in Fort Worth, Wells and a coconspirator demanded “hundreds, fifties, and twenties” from bank employees. Seconds later, the coconspirator fired gunshots at bank employees striking two tellers behind the counter and one employee seated at the center island. Both Wells and the coconspirator fled the bank only to be arrested by law enforcement later the same day. This case was investigated by the FBI’s Dallas Field Office and the Fort Worth Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Cole prosecuted this case.

GUILTY PLEA – GERSON GAMALIEL ROJO GUZMAN

On October 15, Gerson Gamaliel Rojo Guzman, 30, plead guilty to possession with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and cocaine. Law enforcement executed a search warrant at Rojo Guzman’s residence. Officers recovered cocaine, two firearms, ammunition, and $11,550 in cash.  Rojo Guzman faces up to 20 years in federal prison for his crimes.  This case was investigated by the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Desoto Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney P.J. Meitl is prosecuting this case.

GUILTY PLEA – CARLOS DANIEL MARTINEZ-MARIN

On October 15, Carlos Daniel Martinez-Marin, 22, plead guilty to possession with the intent to distribute a controlled substance. DEA agents located a house used as a meth conversion lab in the Northern District that was used by Martinez-Marin and other co-conspirators. As Martinez-Marin exited the house he was arrested, and agents executed a search warrant on the house.  Law enforcement recovered a meth conversion lab; large quantities of liquid methamphetamine in 18 containers; 21,332 grams of crystal methamphetamine; 3,013 grams of heroin; $3,252 in drug proceeds.  Martinez-Marin faces up to 40 years in federal prison for his crimes.  This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Kull is prosecuting this case.

A Big Spring restaurateur who illegally employed undocumented immigrants was sentenced today to 15 months in federal prison and ordered to pay a $100,000 fine, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox.

In March, Voum Chhuon, 45, owner of the Texas Cajun in Big Spring, Texas, pleaded guilty to harboring illegal aliens and unlawful employment of illegal aliens, both felonies. He was sentenced today before U.S. District Judge James Wesley Hendrix.

According to court documents, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) received a tip from the Howard County Sherriff’s Office that Mr. Chhuon was illegally employing undocumented workers at the Texas Cajun restaurant. Agents obtained search warrants for Mr. Chuuon’s residence and the restaurant, where two illegal aliens were present.

During an interview conducted by law enforcement, Mr. Chhuon admitted that all his kitchen staff were undocumented workers, and that he had been unlawfully employing illegal aliens since he purchased the restaurant. To disguise the employment of unauthorized workers, Mr. Chhuon paid the kitchen staff in cash and others by paycheck.

In furtherance of the scheme, once Mr. Chhuon unlawfully hired the illegal aliens, he would then provide them with room and board at a Big Spring residence. Mr. Chhuon would also arrange transportation to and from the Texas Cajun restaurant for the illegal aliens living at the residence.

From March 2015 until his arrest, Mr. Chhuon’s restaurant made a total revenue of $2,985,631 with a monthly average of approximately $82,000 by operating with illegal labor. HSI forensic accountants determined Mr. Chhuon transferred approximately $140,000 from his business account to pay for personal expenses including to pay off a mortgage.

This investigation was conducted by HSI with assistance provided by the Big Spring Police Department and the Howard County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Rancourt prosecuted this case.

Thirty members of an alleged methamphetamine distribution ring have been charged with drug crimes, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox.

Following a painstaking investigation led by DEA Dallas’s High Intensity Drug Trafficking Group, 21 of the 30 defendants were arrested Wednesday in “Operation Ice Tank.” Five were bonded over from state custody and four remain fugitives. All 30 were charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances.

During this week’s arrests, investigators seized 16 kilograms of methamphetamine, 9 ounces of heroin, and nine firearms.

“A highly-addictive and dangerous stimulant, methamphetamine has plagued North Texas communities for far too long. The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the DEA are determined to root out large-scale distribution operations like this one,” said U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox. 

“Methamphetamine trafficking has no place in Tarrant County,” stated Special Agent in Charge Eduardo A. Chavez of the DEA Dallas Field Division.  “Individuals and organizations who not only distribute this poison in our communities, but also endanger innocent lives by converting liquid meth to crystals in makeshift laboratories cannot be tolerated.  The DEA and our partners from Fort Worth, Haltom City, and North Richland Hills, remain committed to neighborhoods free from the scourge of illicit drugs.”

According to a criminal complaint unsealed today, the ring was allegedly led by Johnny Ray Rodriguez, Jr., the 30-year-old owner of Funky Town Swag, a Fort Worth clothing store. 

Mr. Rodriguez – aided by his cousin, 31-year-old Jonathan Rodriguez, Jonathan’s girlfriend, 31-year-old Chelsea Ann Pineiro, and 33-year-old Yvette Gonzalez – allegedly attempted to erect a meth conversion lab inside a residence in Fort Worth.  Inside the kitchen of the home, agents discovered 27 igloo coolers, a bucket of methylsulfonylmethane (a horse vitamin often used as a cutting agent), three jugs of acetone, one container of liquid meth, and two containers of crystal meth. They also found several zip-top baggies of crystal meth stashed inside the washing machine and a loaded revolver in the master bedroom. Investigators collectively recovered 8 kilograms of methamphetamine from inside the residence. 

Based on surveillance, multiple wiretaps, and interviews with cooperators, investigators determined that dealers working for Mr. Rodriguez allegedly distributed kilogram quantities of crystal meth out of Funky Town’s back office as well as several trap houses, a local motel, and a car wash.

Charged defendants include:

•             Johnny Ray Rodriguez

•             Jonathan Rodriguez, conversion lab operator

•             Chelsea Ann Pineiro, conversion lab operator

•             Yvette Gonzales, delivered equipment to conversion lab

•             Norma Casio, meth courier for Jonny Ray Rodriguez

•             Israel Rodriguez, meth courier for Jonny Ray Rodriguez

•             Derrick Fannin, multi kilogram-customer and dealer

•             Montreal Robinson, courier for Fannin

•             Michael Johnson, multi kilogram-customer and dealer

•             Nathan Cook, courier for Johnson

•             Enrique Faz, multi-kilogram customer

•             Roshua White, multi-kilogram customer

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation of wrongdoing, not evidence. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

If convicted, each defendant faces up to 40 years in federal prison.

The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Dallas Field Division conducted the investigation, with assistance from the Fort Worth Police Department, the Haltom City Police Department, and the North Richland Hills Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Shawn Smith is prosecuting the case.

Ten individuals in Lubbock have been charged with conspiracy to distribute cocaine and other related drug crimes, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox.

Nine members of a Lubbock drug trafficking organization were arrested on Wednesday, October 7 as part of Operation Los Perros De Nieve, a large-scale federal operation organized by the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from local, state and federal law enforcement partners.  Operation Los Perros De Nieve targeted nine locations in Lubbock and resulted in the seizure of approximately $40,000 in cash; in excess of 5 kilograms of cocaine; and 13 firearms. One defendant remains at-large.

In a 19-count federal indictment unsealed today, five defendants were charged with gun crimes, including possession of a firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, felon in possession of a firearm, and felon in possession ammunition, in addition to the drug charges.

“I am proud of the work of this Task Force and the collaborative effort of all the agencies,” said U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox.  “We are committed to disrupting the supply of illegal narcotics and to prosecuting those responsible for spreading deadly poison into our communities.”

“With these latest arrests, DEA Lubbock and our Caprock law enforcement partners have made a significant impact to the violent, cocaine trafficking networks in the area,” said DEA Dallas Field Division Special Agent in Charge Eduardo A. Chavez, who oversees DEA operations throughout the region. “Drugs and those who distribute them have no place in our neighborhoods. The DEA will never waver in our resolve to identify and hold those responsible for their actions.”

Those charged include:

•         Ronnie Manuel Garcia, Jr., 28

Charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine, possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking, and possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine.

•         Jonathan Phillip Reyes, aka “J.P.,” 34

Charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine and convicted felon in possession of ammunition.

•         Raul Perez, III, aka “Raw’lo” and “Raulo,” 34

Charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine, two counts of distribution and possession with intent to distribute cocaine, possession with intent to distribute cocaine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking and convicted felon in possession of a firearm.

•         Krystal Lynn Ramos, 35

Charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine and distribution and possession with intent to distribute cocaine.

•         Amy Shawn Rodriguez, 40

Charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine and possession with intent to distribute cocaine.

•         Juan Moncada, 35

Charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine, possession with intent to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base, possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking and convicted felon in possession of a firearm.

•         Jacob Anthony Molina, 28

Charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine, possession with intent to distribute cocaine and possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking.

•         Jeremy Wayne Beck, aka “Lil Jay,” 34

Charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine, possession with intent to distribute cocaine, possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking and convicted felon in possession of firearms.

•         Michael Paul Perez, 38

Charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine and possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine.

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

If convicted, the defendants face maximum sentences of up to 40 years, or life in some instances, in federal prison for the drug-related offenses and up to 10 years, or up to life in some instances, for the firearm-related crimes.

The investigation was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Lubbock Police Department with assistance from the Lubbock County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives’ Dallas Field Division, Homeland Security Investigations Dallas Field Office, and the Texas Department of Safety. This investigation was carried out as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program with the coordination of the Lubbock HIDTA group and Texas Anti-Gang initiative. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Long is prosecuting the case.

A Fort Worth man who videotaped the sexual assault of an infant was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison, the statutory maximum, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox.

Chester Devin Leban, 34, pleaded guilty in January to sexual exploitation of a child. He was sentenced last Tuesday before Senior U.S. District Judge Terry R. Means.

In July 2018, the Fort Worth Police Department was dispatched to a domestic disturbance call where officers met with Mr. Leban’s estranged wife. She notified law enforcement of the presence of child pornography on Mr. Leban’s cell phone.

When questioned by detectives, Mr. Leban admitted to using his cell phone to record a sexually explicit encounter between an adult female, Emily Conner, and a 5-month-old infant.

Ms. Conner pleaded guilty in January and was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison in connection with this case. Following their sentences, both defendants are ordered to serve a lifetime of supervised release.

The Fort Worth Police Department conducted the investigation with the assistance of the U.S. Secret Service. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney A. Saleem.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a Justice Department initiative designed to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse nationwide. The initiative organizes federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.

A Wichita Falls drug dealer has been sentenced to seven years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox.

Dustin Keith Weaver, 31, was indicted in July 2019 for conspiring to distribute marijuana along with six codefendants. He pleaded guilty to in May to conspiracy to contribute a controlled substances and was sentenced Friday by U.S. District Judge Reed C. O’Connor.

In his factual resume, Mr. Weaver admitted to coordinating shipments of marijuana through the U.S. Mail, typically using fictitious sender and recipient names to minimize likelihood of detection. Over an 18-month period (March 2015 to September 2016), he and his coconspirators shipped 443 packages, each containing an average of two to three pounds of marijuana, from Oregon to Wichita Falls. The packages were typically shipped in flat-rate Priority Mail boxes for easy tracking, and upon receipt, the drugs were repacked and resold in Texas, Mr. Weaver admitted.  

Mr. Weaver further admitted that he recruited a number of coconspirators, including a grower, into the scheme. He also coordinated payments, directing coconspirators to deposit money into certain bank accounts, or, in at least one instance, directing them to make car payments on behalf of others.

Five of Mr. Weaver’s codefendants – Randall Dizon, Jonathan Michael Fernandez, Jarrett Devon Grant, Ronald Vance Latimer, and Justin Kent Reed – also pleaded guilty.  The sixth, Chad Anthony Ray, was convicted at trial in November 2019 and sentenced to 50 months in federal prison.   

The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Wichita Falls Police Department, and the Texas Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Walters and Joseph Magliolo prosecuted the case.

A Dallas-area man was charged in an indictment filed Thursday for his alleged participation in a scheme to file fraudulent loan applications seeking approximately $24.8 million in forgivable Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans guaranteed by the Small Business Administration (SBA) under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian C. Rabbitt of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas, Inspector General Jay N. Lerner of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), Special Agent in Charge Tamera Cantu of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Dallas Field Office, and Inspector General J. Russell George of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) made the announcement.

Dinesh Sah, 55, of Coppell, Texas, was charged in an indictment filed in the Northern District of Texas with three counts of wire fraud, three counts of bank fraud and one count of money laundering. 

The indictment alleges that Sah submitted 15 fraudulent applications, filed under the names of various purported businesses that he owned or controlled, to eight different SBA-approved lenders seeking approximately $24.8 million in PPP loans.  In his applications, Sah claimed that these businesses had numerous employees and hundreds of thousands of dollars in payroll expenses when, in fact, no business had employees or paid wages consistent with the amounts claimed in the PPP applications.  The indictment further alleges that Sah submitted fraudulent documentation in support of his applications, including falsified federal tax filings and forged bank statements for the purported businesses.  Sah ultimately received approximately $17.3 million in PPP loan funds and used the proceeds primarily for personal expenses, spending them on multiple homes and luxury cars, including a 2020 Bentley convertible, and sending millions of dollars in international transfers, the indictment alleges.  To date, the government has seized more than $6.5 million in fraudulent proceeds that Sah obtained during the scheme. 

The CARES Act is a federal law enacted on March 29, 2020.  It is designed to provide emergency financial assistance to millions of Americans who are suffering the economic effects resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.  One source of relief provided by the CARES Act is the authorization of up to $349 billion in forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses through the PPP.  In April 2020, Congress authorized over $300 billion in additional PPP funding.

The PPP allows qualifying small businesses and other organizations to receive loans with a maturity of two years and an interest rate of one percent.  Businesses must use PPP loan proceeds for payroll costs, interest on mortgages, rent and utilities.  The PPP allows the interest and principal to be forgiven if businesses spend the proceeds on these expenses within a set time period and use at least a certain percentage of the funds towards payroll expenses.

An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. 

This case was investigated by the Dallas Field Offices of FDIC-OIG, IRS-CI, and TIGTA.  Assistant Deputy Chief Anna G. Kaminska of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, and Economic Crimes and Public Corruption Section Chief Katherine Miller of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas, are prosecuting the case.

Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice.  Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.

SENTENCING – DAVID MARTINEZ MARTINEZ

On October 5, David Martinez Martinez, 40, was sentenced to two years in federal prison for possession of a firearm by prohibited person. Martinez was previously admitted to the United States on a non-immigrant visa and not allowed to possess a firearm. In October 2019, Martinez was driving a truck down Interstate-45 when law enforcement noticed a defective taillight and pulled the vehicle over. A search was conducted of Martinez’s truck. Law enforcement recovered five firearms hidden in various packages. This case was investigated by the ATF. Assistant U.S. Attorney Melanie Smith prosecuted this case.

SENTENCING – ROBERT RIVEROS

On October 5, Robert Riveros was sentenced to 22 years for conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery, interference with commerce by robbery, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of crime of violence.  In 2016, Riveros was charged along with four other coconspirators for a string of violent robberies against jewelers. In one instance, Riveros punched through a car window of a jewelry salesman and took a case containing jewelry. The jewelry salesman attempted to enter a co-defendant’s vehicle through the window and to retrieve his case. Riveros and other co-defendants drove to an apartment complex in Irving, where the victim was removed from the vehicle and beaten, which contributed to his death. This case was investigated by the FBI, Dallas Police Department, and the DFW International Airport Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Keith Robinson is prosecuted this case.

GUILTY PLEA – ANTONIO LULE

On October 6, Antonio Lule, 26, plead guilty to assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers or employees. FBI agents obtained a search warrant for a Dallas residence.  Shortly before SWAT arrived at the residence, FBI agents who had been conducting surveillance that morning arrived and encountered Lule, who began yelling profanity at the agents. When SWAT arrived, agents gave verbal commands to Lule so law enforcement could detain him. Lule initially refused to obey the commands given by agents. As Lule was being detained he intentionally bit an agent. Lule faces up to 1 year years in federal prison for his crimes. This case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant U.S Attorney P.J. Meitl is prosecuting this case.

SENTENCING – ARTURO CALDERON

On October 7, Arturo Calderon, 26, was sentenced to 40 months in federal prison for making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm. Between February 2018 and February 2019, Calderon purchased numerous firearms from licensed vendors. During the purchase of these firearms, Calderon responded falsely to the question on the ATF Form that asks if the buyer is “the actual transferee/buyer of the firearms(s) listed on this form.” Calderon purchased at least 16 firearms that he then gave to an individual who covered the cost of the firearms, and then additionally compensated Calderon. This case was investigated by the ATF. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jon Bradshaw and Brian McKay prosecuted the case.

A Coppell man who spent more than $17 million in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans on lavish personal expenses has been charged with filing fraudulent loan applications, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian C. Rabbitt of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox.

A federal grand jury indicted Dinesh Sah, 55, on three counts of wire fraud, three counts of bank fraud and one count of money laundering.

“Mr. Sah exploited this terrible pandemic for personal gain – and he should be held accountable to the American people for that behavior,” said U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox. “COVID-19 has devastated the finances of hardworking business owners across the nation. PPP funds should be reserved for those who really need them to keep their companies afloat. We are committed to ensuring that anyone that take advantage of the system will be brought to justice. ”

“Today’s indictment shows Mr. Sah’s disgraceful display of greed.  Mr. Sah looked at the Paycheck Protection Program as his own personal piggy bank, treating himself to not only millions in cash, but several luxury vehicles and properties, all while legitimate small business owners in the United States desperately sought out ways to put food on their tables and to ensure their employees were paid,” said IRS-CI’s Special Agent in Charge of the Dallas Field Office, Tamera Cantu.  “This indictment reinforces that IRS Criminal Investigation, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our federal partners in the Northern District of Texas are dedicated to working together to protect innocent Americans from these CARES Act fraudsters.”

According to the indictment, unsealed yesterday evening, Mr. Sah allegedly submitted 15 fraudulent applications, filed under the names of various purported businesses that he owned or controlled, to eight different SBA-approved lenders seeking approximately $24.8 million in PPP loans, which are guaranteed by the  Small Business Administration (SBA) under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

In his applications, Sah allegedly claimed that these businesses had numerous employees and hundreds of thousands of dollars in payroll expenses – when, in fact, Sah created many of the businesses after the CARES Act was enacted, and no business had employees or paid wages consistent with the amounts claimed in the PPP applications.  Sah also submitted fraudulent documentation in support of his applications, including falsified federal tax filings and forged bank statements for the purported businesses. 

Sah ultimately received approximately $17.7 million in PPP loan funds and allegedly used the proceeds primarily for personal expenses, spending them on multiple homes and luxury cars, including a 2020 Bentley convertible, and sending millions of dollars in international transfers, the indictment alleges. 

To date, the government has seized more than $6.5 million in fraudulent proceeds that Sah obtained during the scheme. 

The CARES Act is a federal law enacted on March 29, 2020.  It is designed to provide emergency financial assistance to millions of Americans who are suffering the economic effects resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.  One source of relief provided by the CARES Act is the authorization of up to $349 billion in forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses through the PPP.  In April 2020, Congress authorized over $300 billion in additional PPP funding.

The PPP allows qualifying small businesses and other organizations to receive loans with a maturity of two years and an interest rate of one percent.  Businesses must use PPP loan proceeds for payroll costs, interest on mortgages, rent and utilities.  The PPP allows the interest and principal to be forgiven if businesses spend the proceeds on these expenses within a set time period and use at least a certain percentage of the funds towards payroll expenses.

An indictment is merely an allegation, no evidence. Like all defendants, Mr. Sah is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. 

This case was investigated by the Dallas Field Offices of FDIC Office of Inspector General, IRS - Criminal Investigations Division, and the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration.  Assistant Deputy Chief Anna G. Kaminska of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section Economic Crimes and Public Corruption Section Chief Katherine Miller of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas, and Assistant U.S. Attorney  Erica Hilliard of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas are prosecuting the case.

Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form. The COVID-19 Fraud Coordinator for the Northern District of Texas, AUSA Fabio Leonardi, can be reached at 214-659-8600.

A local meth dealer has been sentenced to 25 years in federal prison for drug conspiracy, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox.

Salvador Martinez, 31, of Grand Prairie, Texas, was arrested in August 2013 and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine in January 2014.

However, Mr. Martinez failed to appear for sentencing and a warrant was issued for his arrest. Following an exhaustive investigation by the U.S. Marshals Service, in December 2019, he was captured in Mexico, arrested by Mexican authorities on an arrest warrant based on a formal extradition request submitted by the United States. He was extradited from Mexico to the United States on May 6, 2020, and was sentenced Thursday to 300 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Jane J. Boyle.  

According to his plea papers, Mr. Martinez admits he conspired with several individuals to distribute meth in Texas and Mexico.  He admits that his coconspirators prepared the methamphetamine, which he then picked up and transported to his residence. On one occasion, he told his coconspirators that the drugs needed to “look better.”  The plea paperwork reflects he also agreed to forfeit a Tuarus revolver and ammunition.  

A total of 23 defendants were indicted in this case.  Including Mr. Martinez, 16 defendants have pleaded guilty and been sentenced, one was dismissed, and five remain fugitives.

Significant sentences in this case include:

• Gerardo Cisneros, of Arlington, Texas, was sentenced to 240 months for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, plus 240 months for money laundering.
• Israel De la Cruz Sotelo, a.k.a. Rale, of Piedras Negras, Coahuila, Mexico, was sentenced to 151 months for his role in methamphetamine and marijuana distribution conspiracies. 
• Israel De La Cruz Sotelo was sentenced on September 13, 2018, after being extradited from the Republic of Mexico.

The case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Task Force (OCDETF) Investigation.  Established in 1982, the OCDETF program aims 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.  OCDETF works with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to identify, disrupt, and dismantle, drug traffickers and drug trafficking networks.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Dallas Field Office, the Dallas Police Department, and the Garland Police Department.  The U.S. Marshal’s Service, provided special assistance, as did U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Department’s Office of International Affairs, which handled the extradition request. The Justice Department thanks the Fiscalía General de la Republica de Mexico (FGR) (Prosecutor General of the Republic of Mexico) and law enforcement authorities in Mexico for their support as well.  

Assistant United States Attorney George Leal prosecuted the case.

The man who sold the AR-15 used to gun down 32 people in Midland and Odessa, Texas last year has pleaded guilty to a gun crime, announced U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox.

Marcus Anthony Braziel, 45, of Lubbock, Texas, pleaded guilty to one count of dealing firearms without a license and one count of subscribing to a false tax return before U.S. District Judge James Wesley Hendrix Wednesday afternoon.

“If you’re a firearms dealer – whether you’re selling out of a brick-and-mortar store, in your basement, or online – you must ensure that a background check is conducted on your purchasers,” said U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox.  “As this case makes clear, dealing firearms without a license isn’t some obscure, technical violation. It is unlawful conduct that has real-world impact and the potential for devastating results. The Justice Department is committed to enforcing our nation’s long-held gun laws, designed to prevent firearms from falling into the wrong hands.”

“The thoroughness of this investigation shows the dedication of ATF and all of its law enforcement partners,” said Special Agent in Charge of ATF’s Dallas Field Division Jeffrey C. Boshek II. “This plea shows that people engaged in the business of manufacturing and selling firearms must do so lawfully to prevent prohibited persons from acquiring them. ATF provides potential dealers a straightforward way of becoming licensed without extensive complications or burdens.”

According to plea papers, Mr. Braziel admitted he sold Midland Odessa shooter Seth Aaron Ator an AR-15-style rifle on October 8, 2016 – nearly three years before Mr. Ator used the gun to murder seven people and wound 25 more. 

Mr. Ator, who had been adjudicated “mentally defective” and was therefore legally prohibited from possessing firearms, first attempted to purchase a gun from a sporting goods store, but was rejected after the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) flagged his mental status. He later circumvented the NICS system by purchasing a gun from Mr. Braziel, who elected not to run background checks on any of his buyers.

Background checks are not necessarily required for in-state, private transfers. However, Mr. Braziel admitted he was “engaged in the business of selling firearms” – repeatedly devoting time and attention to purchasing and reselling guns for pecuniary gain – and thus should have been licensed and conducting background checks.

In his plea papers, Mr. Braziel admitted he routinely bought firearm firing mechanisms (termed “lower receivers”), used milling equipment to build them into full-fledged guns, and then sold the completed weapons for roughly $100 - $200 profit. He said he typically listed his firearms for sale on Armslist.com and conducted the sales in the parking lot of a local sporting goods store or out of his garage.

In a four-year span, Mr. Braziel inadvertently sold firearms to four prohibited persons: a convicted felon, an man under felony indictment, an immigrant in the U.S. illegally, and Mr. Ator, a man who the courts deemed unfit to possess a firearm.

Agents traced the lower receiver of the gun Mr. Braziel sold to Mr. Ator to Mulehead Dans, a federally licensed firearm dealer in Lubbock. The owner of Mulehead Dans confirmed that Mr. Braziel often purchased lower receivers and firearms there.

In addition to concealing his unlicensed dealing, Mr. Braziel admitted he also concealed the income from his firearms sales from the IRS.

“The prosecution of individuals who intentionally conceal income and file false returns is a vital element of IRS Criminal Investigation’s enforcement strategy,” said IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Tamera Cantu.  “IRS-CI is pleased with the successful resolution of this investigation due to the cooperative efforts of our law enforcement partners.  This case shows there is no tolerance for illegal actions such as those taken by Mr. Braziel.”

Mr. Braziel now faces up to faces up to five years in federal prison. His sentencing has been set for January 7, 2021, at 10:00 a.m.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, IRS-Criminal Investigations Division, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Texas Department of Public Safety, and the Lubbock Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Haag, NDTX’s West Texas Branch Chief, is prosecuting the case.

Today, the Justice Department announced it has charged more than 500 domestic violence cases involving firearms during Fiscal Year (FY) 2020.  A department priority since 2019 when Attorney General William P. Barr created the Department of Justice’s first ever-Domestic Violence Working Group, these charges are the result of the critical law enforcement partnership between U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, led by Acting Director Regina Lombardo, who has made domestic violence firearms-related investigations a priority.

“Keeping firearms out of the hands of dangerous criminal offenders is one of the Department of Justice’s top priorities,” said Attorney General Barr.  “This is especially important when it comes to individuals with prior domestic violence convictions.  The statistics are clear that when domestic violence offenders have access to guns, their partners and their families are at much greater risk of falling victim to gun violence. In fact, in some communities across America, roughly half of the homicides are related to domestic violence.  The Department of Justice is committed to keeping guns out of the hands of those who are prohibited from having them, and we will continue investigating and prosecuting all domestic violence firearms related crimes.”

“According to the CDC, data suggests that about one in six homicide victims are killed by an intimate partner,” said ATF Acting Director Lombardo.  “Nearly half of female homicide victims in the U.S. are killed by a current or former male intimate partner.  ATF is committed to aggressively pursuing prohibited possession of firearms due to domestic violence convictions and certain protective orders.  It is another way we prevent violent gun crime within our communities.”

Under federal law, individuals with domestic violence misdemeanor and felony convictions, as well as individuals subject to domestic violence protective orders, are prohibited from possessing firearms.  The data shows that offenders with domestic violence in their past pose a high risk of homicide.  In fact, domestic violence abusers with a gun in the home are five times more likely to kill their partners.

The Working Group, chaired by U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox, of the Northern District of Texas, disseminates legal guidance on keeping guns out of the hands of domestic violence abusers using three federal statutes:

• 18 USC § 922 (g)(1), felon in possession of a firearm
• 18 USC § 922 (g)(9), possession of a firearm by a prohibited person (misdemeanor crime of domestic violence)  
• 18 USC § 922 (g)(8), possession of a firearm while subject to a domestic violence protective order

Based on the Working Group’s guidance, in FY 2020, U.S. Attorneys’ Offices nationwide brought 337 domestic violence felon-in-possession charges, 54 possession while subject to a protective order charges, and 142 possession by a prohibited person charges.

For more information on domestic violence or to get help, visit the National Domestic Violence Hotline website or call 1-800-799-SAFE (7233).

SENTENCING – JERARDO ALVAREZ

On September 29, Jerardo Alvarez, 35, was sentenced was sentenced to 5 years in federal prison for aiding and abetting foreign travel in aid of racketeering. Customs and Border Protection officers in Laredo identified a shipment of 200 kilograms of methamphetamine headed to a Dallas, Texas address from Mexico. DEA undercover agents coordinated delivery of the methamphetamine with a Mexico-based drug dealer. The Mexican drug dealer directed the undercover agents to contact Alvarez. Upon transfer, Alvarez signed the delivery manifest acknowledging receipt of the 48 buckets of the methamphetamine and was taken into custody by law enforcement. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanna Etessam prosecuted the case.

GUILTY PLEA – LEONARD TANNIEHILL

On September 29, Leonard Tanniehill, 20, plead guilty to interference with commerce by robbery. Tanniehill and coconspirators robbed two gas stations located in Irving and Dallas. While robbing the station in Irving, Tanniehill was a passenger in the “getaway” vehicle. He also disguised his identity before entering and robbing a gas station in Dallas. Tanniehill split the proceeds from the two robberies along with other coconspirtions. Tanniehill faces up to 20 years in federal prison for his crimes. This case was investigated by the FBI and the Dallas Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Damien Diggs is prosecuting this case.

GUILTY PLEA – MIGUEL ANGEL SAUSTEGUI-PEREZ

On September 29, Miguel Angel Saustegui-Perez, 30, plead guilty to possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. Saustegui-Perez visited a Dallas apartment to collect methamphetamine for further distribution. He was arrested while exiting the apartment. Law enforcement executed a search warrant on the apartment and recovered recovered 19 clear gallon sized zip-lock bags containing methamphetamine, $72,122, and a drug ledger. Saustegui-Perez faces up to 40 years in federal prison for his crimes. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kull is prosecuting this case.

SENTENCING – DEANNA JEFFERSON SMITH

On September 30, Deanna Jefferson Smith, 52, was sentenced to two years’ probation with the condition that she cannot practice law while on probation for theft in connection to health care. Deanna Jefferson Smith, a former municipal judge with the City of Dallas, met and became with Alicia Belfrey-Farley, a federal employee with the Bureau of Prisons. Belfrey-Farley listed Jefferson Smith’s children as Belfrey-Farley’s dependents on her health insurance policy through the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program. Belfrey-Farley also listed also listed Jefferson Smith as a dependent on the SF 2809 Health Benefits Election Form. The total billed cost of the services received by Jefferson Smith's children was approximately $28,000 and Blue Cross Blue Shield paid the providers at least $12,316.00 for the services. This case was investigated by the Department of Justice’s Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney John De La Garza prosecuted this case.

SENTENCING – IAN MOHN

On October 1, Ian Mohn, 27, was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison for making false statements to a federal agent. Mohn reported knowledge of human trafficking in Wisconsin during an interview conducted with the FBI. Agents in Lubbock and Milwaukee spent hours vetting Mohn’s story and requesting additional information which he could not provide. In a second interview with FBI agents, Mohn spent over four hours providing details of the false human trafficking story to law enforcement. At the end of the interview, Mohn admitted that the entire story was fraudulent.  This case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Callie Woolam prosecuted this case.

GUILTY PLEA – BRODERICK WALKER

On October 1, Broderick Walker, 40, plead guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering.  Walker engaged in schemes to defraud the IRS by obtaining stolen tax refunds that had been produced through electronic filings of false and fraudulent U.S Individual Income Tax Returns. Walker used stolen PII belonging to deceased individuals.  He admitted that the unlawful financial transactions totaled $27,457.07 Walker faces up to 5 years in federal prison for his crimes.  This case was investigated by the IRS – Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Martin is prosecuting this case.

A Lubbock man who allegedly plotted a mass shooting pleaded guilty today to making false statements to a federally-licensed firearms dealer, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox.

William Patrick Williams, 20, was charged via criminal complaint in August 2019 with making a false statements during the purchase of a firearm. He pleaded guilty today before U.S. Magistrate Judge D. Gordon Bryant, Jr., in Lubbock.

According to the criminal complaint, Mr. Williams told his grandmother he had recently purchased an AK-47 rifle and planned to “shoot up” a local hotel and then commit suicide by cop. Sensing he was both homicidal and suicidal, she convinced him to allow her to bring him to a local hospital instead.

Mr. Williams gave officers consent to search the room he had rented at the hotel, where officers found an AK-47 rifle, seventeen magazines loaded with ammunition, multiple knives, a black trench coat, black tactical pants, a black t-shirt that read “Let ‘Em Come,” and black tactical gloves with the fingers cut off. Mr. Williams told officers he had laid out his weapons on the bed so that law enforcement could take custody of them.

ATF received the firearms transaction form (Form 4473) that Williams had completed when purchasing the AK-47. On the form, Mr. Williams listed an address where he no longer resided.

According to court documents, agents discovered that Mr. Williams was actually living with a roommate at a different residence and had been residing there for a month or longer at the time he completed the Form 4473.  Mr. Williams admitted to misrepresenting his current address on the firearms transaction form.

“This defendant subverted important firearms laws to obtain a weapon with the intention of producing mass fatalities,” said U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox. “Thanks to the efforts of the defendant’s family members and law enforcement, this tragedy has been averted. If you suspect a friend or loved one is planning violence against themselves or others, do not hesitate to seek help immediately by calling law enforcement.”

“Federal firearms laws are designed to keep weapons from those that shouldn’t have them. This case shows that public cooperation with law enforcement is essential in preventing horrific acts of violence. ATF will continue to work tirelessly with its’ partners to keep firearms out of the hands of those that aim to cause harm”, said ATF Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey C. Boshek II.

“The FBI and our partners at the ATF and Lubbock Police Department were able to respond quickly and stop Mr. Williams from harming anyone or himself,” said Matthew DeSarno, Special Agent in Charge of the Dallas Field Office. “We will continue working with our law enforcement partners to protect the communities we serve.”

Mr. Williams faces up to five years in federal prison for his crime. A sentencing date has not been set.

The Lubbock Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey Haag, NDTX’s West Texas Branch Chief, and Stephen Rancourt are prosecuting the case.

Two Texas Syndicate gang members were sentenced today to a combined 50 years in prison for drug trafficking in Lubbock, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox.

Jose Daniel Flores, aka “Cuate,” 43, was sentenced to 360 months in prison after pleading guilty in March to intent to distribute heroin. Gabriel Sepulveda Manriquez, aka “Pistolas,” 50, was sentenced to 248 months in prison after his June guilty plea to intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.  The sentences were imposed by U.S. District Judge James Wesley Hendrix.

According to court documents, beginning in 2018, the Drug Enforcement Administration began investigating Texas Syndicate members in the Lubbock area for suspected drug trafficking.

DEA agents utilized a cooperating source to purchase methamphetamine from Manriquez at his Lubbock residence. By September 2019, the court authorized a wiretap of Manriquez’s electronic device. Agents intercepted numerous conversations between Manriquez and other members of the drug trafficking organization discussing the sale and distribution of narcotics.

Law enforcement executed a search warrant of Manriquez’s residence. He was arrested and law enforcement recovered cocaine packaged for distribution and a Ruger .357 with the serial numbers obliterated from the pistol.

Two search warrants were issued in connection to Flores’ drug trafficking activity.  The Lubbock Police Department SWAT team located Flores inside a Lubbock hotel room with co-defendant, Allison Langdon, along with two kilograms of methamphetamine, a large sum of cash, and a Glock .40 pistol. Agents also searched Langdon’s house and recovered approximately half-a-kilogram of heroin locked in a safe which Flores admitted belonged to him.

During an interview with law enforcement, Flores admitted that he obtained methamphetamine and heroin directly from suppliers in Mexico.  The investigation revealed that Flores was responsible for importing over 417 kilograms of methamphetamine from Mexico into the United States on behalf of the drug trafficking organization.

Co-defendants Allison Langdon, Ray Elias Narvais-Rodriguez, Luis Gonzalez, Jesus Manriquez, Angelica Del Valle, Randy Roy Nunez, and Tanner Paul Langdon have received sentences ranging up to 235 months.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Lubbock Police Department, Lubbock County Sheriff’s Office, and members of the Lubbock, Texas Anti-Gang Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Rancourt prosecuted this case.

Forty nine defendants, including two doctors and five pharmacists, have been charged with participating in an $18 million pill mill scheme, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox.

Following an exhaustive investigation by the DEA’s Fort Worth Tactical Diversion Squad, 40 of the 49 defendants were arrested last week in “Operation Wasted Daze.” All 49 have been charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. The final arrested defendant made her initial appearance in court this afternoon.

“By funneling addictive opioids onto our streets, these medical professionals violated both the Hippocratic oath and federal law – causing harm rather than healing, hurt rather than hope,” said U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox. “This 49-defendant case represents a significant step in the fight against drug diversion in North Texas, and we appreciate DEA’s commitment to ensuring that all pill mill doctors and conspirators are investigated and shut down.”

“Medical professionals hold the public’s trust to provide what is in the best interests of their patients,” said DEA Dallas Field Division Special Agent in Charge Eduardo A. Chávez.  “When this is eroded by supplying diverted prescription drugs to the streets in Fort Worth, DEA Dallas will ensure they are held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”

According to the criminal complaint, unsealed today, Dr. Caesar Mark Capistrano, 61, and Dr. Tameka Lachelle Noel, 36, allegedly wrote prescriptions for hydrocodone, oxycodone, alprazolam, carisoprodol, zolpidem, phentermine, and promethazine with codeine, knowing the drugs would be diverted to the streets for illicit use.

Dr. Capistrano and Dr. Noel, assisted by 48-year-old clinic manager Shirley Ann Williams, allegedly used a network of recruiters to enlist “patients” from the community and local homeless shelters.  Recruiters paid each “patient” a small fee, usually $50 to $200 cash, to obtain controlled substance prescriptions from Dr. Capistrano and Dr. Noel.  The recruiters – who paid the clinic based in part on the amount of drugs prescribed – then filled the prescriptions at various complicit pharmacies and diverted the drugs for resale on the streets.

At the clinic, many of the “patients” were seen not by the doctors, but by Ms. Williams, who possessed neither a medical license nor a DEA registration. After a perfunctory conversation with the “patient,” Ms. Williams allegedly coordinated with Dr. Capistrano and Dr. Noel to prescribe dangerous drugs without legitimate medical purpose.  In order to make the prescriptions appear legitimate, the doctors occasionally included prescriptions for non-controlled substances, such as antibiotics and mineral ice.

Over a nine-year span, Dr. Capistrano issued prescriptions for more than 524,000 doses of hydrocodone, 430,000 doses of carisoprodol, 77,000 doses of alprazolam, and 2.07 million doses of promethazine with codeine. Over seven years, Dr. Noel issued prescriptions for more than 200,000 doses of hydrocodone, 55,000 doses of carisoprodol, 14,000 doses of alprazolam, and 450,000 doses of promethazine with codeine. Often, the doctors prescribed multiple medications simultaneously and at the highest dosages available.

Medical professionals charged in the scheme include:

• Caesar Mark Capistrano, medical doctor  
• Tameka Lachelle Noel, medical doctor
• Ngozika Tracey Njoku, nurse practitioner
   

Clinic staff charged in the scheme include:

• Shirley Ann Williams, clinic office manager
• Latonya Ann Tucker, office staff  
   

Recruiters charged in the scheme include:

• Ritchie Dale Milligan, Jr
• Wayne Benard Kincade
• Katie Lorane Parker
• Cynthia Denise Cooks
   

Pharmacists charged in the scheme include:

• Wilkinson Oloyede Thomas, Calvary Pharmacy
• Christopher Kalejaiye Ajayi, Remcare Pharmacy
• Bartholomew Anny Akubukwe, Beco Pharmacy
• Nedal Helmi Naser, Brandy Pharmacy
• Ethel Oyekunle-Bubu, Ethel’s Pharmacy
   

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

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

The DEA Dallas Field Division’s Fort Worth Office conducted the investigation, with the assistance of Homeland Security Investigations, IRS – Criminal Investigation, the U.S. Marshals Service, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Parker County Sheriff’s Office, and the Fort Worth Police Department.  The DEA’s Fort Worth Tactical Diversion Squad is comprised of DEA agents and task force officers from the Arlington Police Department, the Ellis County Sheriff’s Office, the North Richland Hills Police Department, the Benbrook Police Department, the Granbury Police Department, the Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office, and the Parker County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura Montes is prosecuting the case.

A serial bank robber who led police on a high-speed chase across the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex has been sentenced to 14 years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox.

Dubbed the “Undead Bandit” by the FBI, Carter Briscoe Tucker, 54, pleaded guilty to three counts of bank robbery and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence in December of 2019. Last Friday, he was sentenced before U.S. District Judge Karen G. Scholer.

In plea papers, Mr. Tucker admitted to robbing ten banks across the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex from October 2017 to August 2019 and stealing in excess of $52,000. During the commission of most of the bank robberies, Mr. Tucker wore a Halloween-style mask, all black clothing, gloves, and a holster on his left hip, which contained a .45 caliber pistol.

On August 3, 2019, Mr. Tucker entered a Wells Fargo bank in Alvarado, Texas.  He approached the bank teller, placed a cooler on the counter, and stated, “Give me all your money. No dye packs. No trackers, and nobody is going to get hurt.” Afraid for her life, the teller complied with Mr. Tucker’s demand and handed over cash.

Local law enforcement were alerted to Mr. Tucker’s license plate number and he was located leaving the bank. Mr. Tucker fled the scene at speeds in excess of 100 mph when authorities attempted to pull him over. Police deployed spike strips in an effort to disable his vehicle, but Mr. Tucker continued to drive with flat tires. Eventually, Mr. Tucker bailed out of the vehicle and fled on foot. Law enforcement arrested him the following day.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Violent Crimes Task Force conducted the investigation and Alvarado Police Department, Johnson County Sheriff’s Office and Texas DPS assisted with the arrest. The following agencies aided in the robbery investigations: Denton Police Department, Grapevine Police Department, Rowlett Police Department, Balch Springs Police Department, Keller Police Department, Argyle Police Department, Bedford Police Department, Alvarado Police Department and Fort Worth Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Melanie Smith prosecuted this case.

The Justice Department today filed a lawsuit in the Northern District of Texas alleging that Dallas-based towing company United Tows LLC violated the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA), by unlawfully auctioning off vehicles owned by SCRA-protected servicemembers. 

The SCRA, which provides a wide variety of financial protections to members of the military, prohibits towing companies from auctioning off servicemembers’ vehicles or disposing of their personal property without a court order.

“When members of our military answer the call to serve our country, they should be able to do so without having to worry that their vehicles or property will be auctioned off while they are on duty,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The department is filing this lawsuit to ensure that United Tows provides just compensation to the servicemembers who were harmed and to ensure that the company does not continue to engage in these unlawful sales in the future.”

“The men and women who serve in the armed forces make immense personal sacrifices to keep our country safe,” said U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox for the Northern District of Texas. “This lawsuit is a reminder that we will aggressively hold those institutions and businesses accountable who are required to comply with the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act. Our military deserves no less.”

The lawsuit alleges that United Tows auctioned at least five vehicles in violation of the SCRA, including a Toyota Corolla that was towed while its owner was completing basic training in San Antonio, Texas. When the servicemember learned that his vehicle had been towed, he contacted United Tows and told the owner of the company that he was on active duty and that, due to military training requirements, he was unable to claim the vehicle at that time. The owner of United Tows responded by telling the servicemember that she did not believe that he was in the military. United Tows ultimately sold the vehicle without a court order while the servicemember was still completing his training requirements. 

The department’s complaint also alleges that United Tows does not have any written policies regarding SCRA compliance, and does not take any steps to determine whether the motor vehicles it auctions, sells or disposes of are owned by servicemembers.

In addition to seeking damages for the affected servicemembers, the Justice Department is asking the district court to prohibit United Tows from illegally auctioning off servicemembers’ vehicles in the future in violation of the SCRA. The lawsuit also seeks civil penalties against United Tows.

This lawsuit resulted from a referral to the Justice Department from the U.S. Air Force. Servicemembers and their dependents who believe their SCRA rights have been violated should contact the nearest Armed Forces Legal Assistance Program Office. Office locations may be found at http://legalassistance.law.af.mil/. The department’s enforcement of the SCRA is conducted by the Civil Rights Division’s Housing and Civil Enforcement Section and U.S. Attorney’s Offices throughout the country. Since 2011, the department has obtained over $474 million in monetary relief for over 120,000 servicemembers through its enforcement of the SCRA. Additional information on the Justice Department’s enforcement of the SCRA and other laws protecting servicemembers is available at www.servicemembers.gov.

A man who urged investors to “profit off” the COVID-19 pandemic has been charged with commodities fraud, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox.

A federal grand jury indicted Kenzley Ramos, 27, of Lawrenceville, Georgia, on one count of commodities fraud for falsely promising investors that he would trade their money on foreign currency exchange markets while pocketing their funds. Mr. Ramos surrendered to federal authorities in Atlanta on Friday morning, and made his initial appearance in federal court on Friday afternoon. 

According to the indictment, unsealed today, Mr. Ramos used a classified advertisements website to market himself as a skilled foreign currency exchange, or “forex,” trader.

As the nation’s stock markets cratered in the spring of 2020 due to the threat of COVID-19 outbreak, Mr. Ramos preyed on the public’s concerns surrounding the pandemic, telling prospective investors that the “stock market is crumbling” and inviting them to “profit off the coronavirus with forex.” He said there was “no possible way” investors could lose money with his expertise, claiming “guaranteed” returns as high as 300 percent.

Instead of investing their money, however, Mr. Ramos misdirected investors’ funds to his own personal use and to enrich others.

An indictment is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. Like all defendants, Mr. Ramos is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

If convicted, Mr. Ramos faces up to 25 years in federal prison.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and the Texas State Securities Board (TSSB). Assistant U.S. Attorney Fabio Leonardi, the Northern District of Texas’ COVID-19 Coordinator, is prosecuting the case.

SENTENCING – DOMINGO SANTIAGO CEDANO-MARTINEZ

On September 18, Domingo Santiago Cedano-Martinez, 24, was sentenced to 8 years in federal prison for possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute. On August 8, 2019, Cedano-Martinez met with a co-conspirator at Town East Mall in Mesquite, Texas to sell 993 grams of methamphetamine. During the drug transaction, law enforcement arrested Cedano-Martinez and seized the drugs. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Martin prosecuted this case.

GUILTY PLEA – BERNICE LEE WOODSON, JR.

On September 22, Bernice Lee Woodson, Jr., 35, plead guilty to possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. DEA agents executed a search warrant at Woodson’s home in Crandall, Texas. Inside the kitchen refrigerator, agents found 289 grams of heroin. Inside the kitchen cupboard, agents found over a kilogram of methamphetamine and approximately 200 grams of cocaine, pharmaceutical pills, and marijuana. In a bedroom, agents found 7.4 kilograms of miscellaneous pills and throughout the house were seven firearms and $36,000. Woodson faces up to life in federal prison for his crimes. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanna Etessam is prosecuting this case.

GUILTY PLEA – LEONEL GENARO YANEZ

On September 22, Leonel Genaro Yanez, 47, plead guilty to possession with intent to distribute a methamphetamine. Yanez, an illegal immigrant from Morelia, Mexico, met an individual in Mesquite, Texas where he purchased car audio speakers which he knew contained 20 kilograms of methamphetamine. Yanez planned to distribute the narcotics to an individual who was taking the speakers to Florida. Yanez faces up to 20 years in federal prison for his crimes. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachael Jones is prosecuting this case.

A Plano man has been convicted at trial of attempting to entice a 12-year-old girl at Sheppard Air Force Base, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox.

Following a day-long trial, a federal jury in Wichita Falls found Tzu Fan Chen, 54, guilty of one count of attempted enticement of a child.  The jury deliberated for just six minutes to reach its verdict.

According to evidence presented at trial, on June 16, 2020, an Air Force Office of Special Investigations agent acting in an undercover capacity placed an online advertisement on a popular social media website entitled, “Daughter & I seeking new friends.”

Mr. Chen responded to the ad and stated he was interested in getting to know the undercover agent and his daughter. During communications with law enforcement, Mr. Chen arranged to have a sexual encounter with the 12-year-old girl in Wichita Falls. Mr. Chen also asked the agent if his daughter was “trained,” how she responded to sexual contact, and stated “we must hush hush about our lifestyle.”

On June 18, Mr. Chen drove from Plano to Sheppard Air Force Base in Wichita Falls with the intention of meeting a dad who was offering up his 12-year-old daughter for sex. When Mr. Chen arrived at the address provided by undercover officers, he was intercepted by law enforcement and taken into custody.

Mr. Chen now faces up to life in federal prison. His sentencing is set for February 12, 2021 before U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor in Wichita Falls.

This case was investigated by the Air Force Office of Special Investigations and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brandie Wade and A. Saleem tried the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a Justice Department initiative designed to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse nationwide. The initiative pools federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.

A Texas woman was sentenced to 18 months in prison today for her role in a $5.5 million scheme to overbill the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Workers’ Compensation Program for physical therapy and other services.

Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian C. Rabbitt of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox of the Northern District of Texas, Special Agent in Charge Robert Bourbon of the U.S. Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General’s (DOJ-OIG) Dallas Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Steven Grell of the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General’s (DOL-OIG) Dallas Regional Office, Special Agent in Charge Scott Pierce of the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General’s (USPS-OIG) Southern Area Field Office, Acting Special Agent in Charge Patrick Roche of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s (VA-OIG) Criminal Investigations Division South Central Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Ray Rayos of the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command's Major Procurement Fraud Unit (MPFU) Southwest Fraud Field Office made the announcement.

Melissa Sumerour, 49, of Lorena, Texas, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Karen Gren Scholer of the Northern District of Texas to 18 in prison followed by three years of supervised release.  After a trial in December 2019, Sumerour was convicted of six counts of health care fraud.

According to evidence presented at trial, from approximately January 2011 to March 2017, Sumerour engaged in a scheme to defraud the DOL’s Office of Workers’ Compensation Program by overbilling for physical therapy.  The evidence established that the fraud, in which Sumerour billed for more physical therapy than was provided, cost the Office of Workers’ Compensation Program in excess of $5.5 million.

One other defendant has been charged in this matter.  Latosha Morgan, 42, of Grand Prairie, Texas, pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing.    

This case was investigated by DOJ-OIG, DOL-OIG, USPS-OIG, VA-OIG, and Army CID-MPFU.  Trial Attorneys Brynn Schiess and Amy Markopoulos of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.

The Fraud Section leads the Medicare Fraud Strike Force.  Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, which maintains 15 strike forces operating in 24 districts, has charged more than 4,200 defendants who have collectively billed the Medicare program for nearly $19 billion.  In addition, the HHS Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the HHS-OIG, are taking steps to increase accountability and decrease the presence of fraudulent providers.

The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.

Today, the Department of Justice, through the Joint Criminal Opioid and Darknet Enforcement (JCODE) team, joined Europol to announce the results of Operation DisrupTor, a coordinated international effort to disrupt opioid trafficking on the Darknet. The operation, which was conducted across the United States and Europe, demonstrates the continued partnership between JCODE and Europol against the illegal sale of drugs and other illicit goods and services. 

Operation DisrupTor actions have resulted in the arrest of 179 Darknet drug traffickers and fraudulent criminals who engaged in tens of thousands of sales of illicit goods and services across the United States and Europe — including a 39-year-old alleged Darknet cocaine and heroin trafficker charged in the Northern District of Texas. 

121 of Operation DisrupTor arrests were made in the United States, including two in Canada at the request of the United States, 42 in Germany, eight in the Netherlands, four in the United Kingdom, three in Austria, and one in Sweden.  A number of investigations are still ongoing to identify the individuals behind dark web accounts.

The operation also resulted in the seizure of over $6.5 million; approximately 500 kilograms of drugs worldwide (including approximately 275 kilograms of drugs in the U.S.); and 63 firearms.  Darknet vendor accounts were identified and attributed to real individuals selling illicit goods on Darknet market sites such as AlphaBay, Dream, WallStreet, Nightmare, Empire, White House, DeepSea, Dark Market and others. 

By leveraging complementary partnerships and surging resources across the U.S. government and Europol, Operation DisrupTor was used to significantly disrupt the online opioid trade and send a strong message that criminals operating on the Darknet are not beyond the reach of law enforcement. 

“Criminals selling fentanyl on the Darknet should pay attention to Operation DisrupTor,” said Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen.  “The arrest of 179 of them in seven countries—with the seizure of their drug supplies and their money as well — shows that there will be no safe haven for drug dealing in cyberspace.”

The extensive operation, which lasted nine months, resulted in over dozens of federal prosecutions including:

• Aaron Brewer, 39, of Corsicana, Texas, was charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance and distribution of a controlled substance in a two-count indictment returned by a grand jury in the Northern District of Texas.  According to court documents, the defendant allegedly sold cocaine, heroin, and other drugs via the dark web. He allegedly accepted payment in cryptocurrency, primarily bitcoin, and then shipped the drugs to customers’ addresses through the U.S. mail and other shipping services.  Following Brewer’s arrest on July 2, agents with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and FBI Dallas Field Office seized roughly 650 grams of black tar heroin, cocaine, and OxyContin, two computers, and more than $870 in postage stamps, as well as a ledger outlining 757 drug shipments sent to 609 unique addresses between December 2019 and March 2020.
   
• The Los Angeles JCODE Task Force, in conjunction with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, successfully dismantled a drug trafficking organization that used online monikers such as “Stealthgod” to sell methamphetamine and MDMA on multiple Darknet marketplaces. Investigators have linked the crew to more than 18,000 illicit drug sales to customers in at least 35 states and numerous countries around the world. During law enforcement actions in Southern California earlier this year, members of JCODE arrested five defendants and seized approximately 120 pounds of methamphetamine, seven kilograms of MDMA and five firearms. Two of the five – Teresa McGrath, 34, of Sunland-Tujunga, and Mark Chavez, 41, of downtown Los Angeles – have since pleaded guilty to narcotics-trafficking and other offenses, and each faces a 15-year mandatory minimum sentence.  As the investigation continued, the Los Angeles JCODE Task Force made additional seizures, including $1.6 million in cryptocurrency, 11 pounds of methamphetamine and 14 pounds of pills pressed with methamphetamine.  Andres Bermudez, 37, of Palmdale, California, who allegedly was a main supplier of methamphetamine to the “Stealthgod” crew, was charged last week with a narcotics-trafficking offense that carry a 10-year mandatory minimum sentence. He is considered a fugitive.
   
• Arden McCann, 32, of Quebec, Canada, was charged with conspiring to import drugs into the United States and money laundering conspiracy, in a four-count indictment returned by a grand jury in Atlanta, Georgia. According to court documents, the defendant is alleged to have imported alprazolam, fentanyl, U-47700, and fentanyl analogues such as carfentanil, furanyl fentanyl, 4-fluoroisobutyryl fentanyl, acryl fentanyl, and methoxyacetyl fentanyl into the United States from Canada and China.  The superseding indictment alleges that fentanyl analogues the defendant imported into the United States resulted in a non-fatal overdose in April 2016, and fentanyl the defendant imported into the United States resulted in an overdose death in December 2016.
   
• Khlari Sirotkin, 36, of Colorado; Kelly Stephens, 32, of Colorado; Sean Deaver, 36, of Nevada; Abby Jones, 37, of Nevada; and Sasha Sirotkin, 32, of California, were charged with drug trafficking and money laundering conspiracy, in a 21-count indictment returned by a grand jury in Cincinnati, Ohio.  According to court documents, the defendants are alleged to be members of one of the most prolific online drug trafficking organizations in the United States and allegedly specialized in the manufacturing and distribution of more than one million fentanyl-laced counterfeit pills and laundered approximately $2.8 million over the course of the conspiracy.  The pressed fentanyl pills, along with heroin, methamphetamine and cocaine, were shipped to the Southern District of Ohio and throughout the country.  FBI, DEA, FDA, HSI and USPIS agents seized 2.5 kilograms of fentanyl; 5,095 pressed xanax; 50 suboxone; 16.5 grams of cocaine; 37 grams of crystal meth; 12 grams of black tar heroin; an industrial pill press; 5,908 pounds of dried marijuana with an estimated street value of $9 million; $80,191 in cash, 10 firearms and one pound of fentanyl.
   
• The FBI Washington Field Office’s Hi-Tech Opioid Task Force, in conjunction with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, successfully thwarted a firebomb attack plot involving explosives, firearms, the Darknet, prescription opioid trafficking, cryptocurrency, and sophisticated money laundering.  William Anderson Burgamy, 33, of Hanover, Maryland, and Hyrum T. Wilson, 41, of Auburn, Nebraska, pleaded guilty in the Eastern District of Virginia to charges related to a conspiracy to use explosives to firebomb and destroy a competitor pharmacy in Nebraska.  Burgamy, who is not a pharmacist, operated as the Darknet vendor NeverPressedRX (NPRX) since at least August 2019.  Wilson, who was a licensed pharmacist, illegally mailed to Burgamy over 19,000 dosage units of prescription medications, including opioids, from his pharmacy in Nebraska.  Burgamy illegally sold prescription drugs through his Darknet vendor account to customers nationwide, and claimed at one point that he made nearly $1 million total.  Burgamy and Wilson agreed that Burgamy and another individual would carry multiple firearms during the attack operation and use explosives, specifically Molotov cocktails enhanced with Styrofoam as a thickening agent, to burn the victim pharmacy down in furtherance of their drug trafficking scheme.  Law enforcement agents seized thousands of opioid pills, eight unsecured firearms, including two loaded AR-15 assault rifles with high capacity magazines, and over $19,000 cash.  Prior to Burgamy’s arrest in April 2020, which uncovered and thwarted the firebombing plot, Burgamy and Wilson fully intended on the attack occurring after COVID-19 restrictions were lifted.
   

An indictment and criminal complaint merely alleges that crimes have been committed.  The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Operation DisrupTor was a collaborative initiative across JCODE members, including the Department of Justice; Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS); U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP); Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN); Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF); Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) and Department of Defense (DOD). Local, state and other federal agencies also contributed to Operation DisrupTor investigations.  The investigations leading to Operation DisrupTor were significantly aided by essential support and coordination by the Department of Justice’s multi-agency Special Operations Division, the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section, and Organized Crime and Gang Section, the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the National Cyber Joint Investigative Task Force (NCJITF), Europol and its Dark Web team and international partners Eurojust, Austrian Federal Investigation Bureau (Bundeskriminalamt), Cyprus Police (Αστυνομία Κύπρου), German Federal Criminal Police Office (Bundeskriminalamt), Canada’s Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Portuguese Judicial Police (Polícia Judiciária), Dutch Police (Politie), Swedish Police (Polisen), the British National Crime Agency, Australia's Western Australia Police Force and Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission.

Federal prosecutions are being conducted in more than 20 Federal districts, including: the Central District of California, the Eastern District of California, the Northern District of California, the Southern District of California, the District of Colorado, the District of Columbia, the District of Connecticut, the Middle District of Florida, the Southern District of Florida, the Northern District of Georgia, the District of Hawaii, the Western District of Missouri, the District of New Jersey, the Western District of North Carolina, the Northern District of Ohio, the Southern District of Ohio, District of Oregon, the Western District of Pennsylvania, the Northern District of Texas, the Eastern District of Virginia, the District of the Virgin Islands and the Western District of Washington.

JCODE is an FBI-led Department of Justice initiative, which works closely with the DEA-led, multi-agency, Special Operations Division to support, coordinate and de-conflict investigations targeting for disruption and dismantlement of the online sale of illegal drugs, especially fentanyl and other opioids. Additionally, JCODE targets the trafficking of weapons and other illicit goods and services on the internet.  Operation DisrupTor illustrates the investigative power of federal and international partnerships to combat the borderless nature of online criminal activity.

Photos of seizures can be obtained by clicking here, relevant court documents can be obtained by clicking here, and graphic can be downloaded here.

SENTENCING – MARCUS CARL GRANT

On September 11, Marcus Carl Grant, 38, was sentenced to 87 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and felon in possession of a firearm. During the execution of a search warrant of a known drug house, law enforcement located Grant along with two other individuals. Agents recovered controlled substances, loaded firearms, cash, digital scales, and narcotics bagged for individual sale. This case was investigated by the ATF and the Dallas Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Melanie Smith is prosecuted this case.

 

SENTENCING – SERGIO REYES

On September 11, Sergio Reyes, 48, was sentencing to 9 years in federal prison for possession of a controlled substance, methamphetamine, with the intent to distribute. Reyes and a co-conspirator negotiated with a confidential source for a multi-kilogram methamphetamine purchase. Reyes agreed to sell six kilograms of methamphetamine packaged in gallon-sized zip-locked bags. Shortly after the sell, Reyes was placed under arrest by the Mesquite Police Department. This case was investigated by the DEA and the OCDETF North Texas Strike Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Myria Boehm prosecuted this case.

 

GUILTY PLEA – DARNELL HARRIS GAUSE

On September 15, Darnell Harris Gause, 40, plead guilty to delay or destruction mail. While an employee of the United States Postal Service, Mr. Gause unlawfully delayed and detained items that were given to him to be mailed, namely, 10 checks. Mr. Gause faces up to five years in federal prison for his crimes. This case was investigated by the United States Postal Service – Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Bray is prosecuting this case.

 

GUILTY PLEA – ORALIA FIGUEROA

On September 15, Oralia Figueroa, 50, plead guilty to perpetration of a false and fraudulent federal income tax return. Figueroa engaged in a scheme to knowingly and willfully prepare fill false IRS tax returns. Figueroa unlawfully listed dependents on the Form 1040 when here clients were not eligible and fraudulently claimed thousands of dollars of unreimbursed employee expenses. The total tax loss attributed to her conduct is at least $120,200. Figueroa faces up to three years in federal prison for her crimes. This case was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Renee Hunter is prosecuting this case.

Two men who allegedly purchased sex from a 13-year-old trafficking victim have been arrested and charged with child sex trafficking, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox.

On Sept. 2, a federal grand jury indicted Kention Obryan Johnson, 35, and Sergio Trinidad Carvajal, 30, for conspiracy to commit sex trafficking and sex trafficking of children. The defendants were arrested in Dallas last Wednesday; their court documents were unsealed today.

“Traffickers sell children for sex because their clients will pay for it.  It’s that simple,” U.S. Attorney Nealy Cox said at a press conference this morning. “By attacking both the supply and the demand, we think we will be able to truly make a difference in fighting this dehumanizing, horrific crime.”

“The sex trafficking of minors is a despicable crime that HSI Dallas and our dedicated partners will continue to prioritize and relentlessly investigate. Whether you’re involved in the actual trafficking or perpetuate it as a consumer, HSI will use every resource available to ensure you face justice,” said Ryan L. Spradlin, Special Agent in Charge of HSI’s Dallas Field Office. “HSI will continue to pursue individuals involved in this type of modern-day slavery, and work vigorously to rescue the young, helpless victims whose dignity and well-being are blatantly disregarded.”

According to a criminal complaint filed late last year, Mr. Johnson and Mr. Carvajal’s coconspirator, 34-year-old Curtis Vance Mathis, allegedly advertised the Jane Doe on CityXGuide.com, an illegal sexual services website that has since been shut down by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas.  Agents recovered the child – dressed only in an oversized hoodie – in a West Irving hotel room rented in Mr. Mathis’ name on Nov. 5, 2019.

According to search warrant affidavits unsealed today, during the investigation, agents reviewed hotel surveillance footage and observed several men – later identified as Mr. Mathis, Mr. Johnson, Mr. Carvajal – enter and exit the room. Agents then searched Jane Doe’s phone records and uncovered text chats with Mr. Johnson and Mr. Carvajal discussing the price for a “qv,” or “quick visit,” commercial sex parlance for a brief sexual encounter. A forensic investigation later confirmed that DNA recovered from discarded condoms found in the hotel room matched Mr. Johnson and Mr. Carvajal.

This prosecution is part of the Justice Department’s sex trafficking demand reduction initiative, a program focused on punishing and deterring those who drive the market for sex from children and other vulnerable persons. The Abolish Human Trafficking Act of 2017 reaffirmed that a person who knowingly purchases a commercial sex act with a trafficking victim is just as culpable as the person who supplies the trafficking victim for commercial sex.

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

If convicted, Mr. Johnson and Mr. Carvajal each face up to life in federal prison, as does Mr. Mathis.

Homeland Security Investigations’ Dallas Field Office conducted the investigation with assistance from the Fort Worth Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Myria Boehm and Becky Ricketts are prosecuting the case.

SENTENCING – SAMUEL DE LA CRUZ-MEDINA

On September 4, Samuel De La Cruz-Media was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute a controlled substance. Mr. De La Cruz-Media utilized a room at the Han Gil Hotel Town to distribute quantities of heroine, methamphetamine, cocaine, and other drugs to numerous customers on a daily basis. Mr. De La Cruz-Media is the seventeenth defendant convicted in association with the Han Gil Hotel Town. The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Rick Calvert prosecuted this case.

SENTENCING – CESAR ORTIZ

On September 8, Cesar Ortiz was sentenced to 4 years in federal prison for conspiring to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and conspiring to launder money. Mr. Ortiz conspired with codefendants to pick up and distribute 12 kilograms of cocaine. He and a codefendant discuss splitting the profits for the cocaine as well as sending drug proceeds from three kilograms of cocaine to Mexico. Mr. Ortiz was illegally in the United States at the time of the offense. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Dallas County Sheriff's Office, Dallas Police Department, Irving Police Department, Richardson Police Department and Carrollton Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney George Leal prosecuted this case.

GUILTY PLEA – JAWED AHMAD

On September 8, Jawed Ahmad, 29, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud. Mr. Ahmad and other coconspirators used a scheme to unlawfully enrich themselves by causing victims throughout the United States to send money to him by mail. Mr. Ahmad would call victims posing as a government authority and request money to clear up arrest warrants, settle the victims IRS’s tax bill, and by purchase federal bonds to safeguard the victims’ accounts. During Mr. Ahmad’s arrest, U.S. Secret Service Investigators found in his possession over $105,000 in U.S. currency, more than 75 counterfeit driver’s licenses bearing defendant’s photos, multiple credit cards with names of other individuals, and $4,185 in blank money orders. Mr. Ahmed faces up to 20 years in federal prison for his crimes. This case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Damien Diggs is prosecuting this case.

GUILTY PLEA – ANTHONY CARDELL HENDERSON

On September 10, Anthony Cardell Henderson, 31, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute a controlled substance and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Mr. Henderson, a known convicted felon, conspired with other individuals to distribute and possess methamphetamine. On multiple occasions in August 2019, Mr. Henderson and two co-conspirators obtained methamphetamine and sold it for a profit. When officers took Mr. Henderson into custody they searched the minivan he had been driving and found a firearm. Mr. Henderson faces up to 30 years in federal prison for his crimes. This case was investigated by the ATF. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Magliolo is prosecuting this case.

GUILTY PLEA – EDDIE LEE BUSBY

On September 10, Eddie Lee Busby, 29, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance. During August 2019, Mr. Busby and two co-conspirators obtained and sold methamphetamine for profit. Mr. Busby faces up to 20 years in federal prison for his crimes. This case was investigated by the ATF. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Magliolo is prosecuting this case.

A man who brandished an assault rifle at a Black Lives Matter protest in Lubbock has pleaded guilty to making threats, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox.

Emmanuel Quinones, a 25-year-old local, was charged via criminal complaint in early June and indicted a week later. He pleaded guilty to interstate threatening communications via videoteleconference Friday morning.

According to plea papers, Mr. Quinones admitted he brought a loaded Smith & Wesson .223 caliber semi-automatic rifle to a protest decrying the death of George Floyd.

In view of the protesters, Mr. Quinones held the rifle at “low ready,” in firing position with the muzzle pointed toward the ground, as panic rippled through the assembled crowd.  He refused a Lubbock Police officer’s verbal commands to drop the rifle, and only did so when the officer drew his gun and a protestor moved to tackle him.  

Prior to the protest, Mr. Quinones admitted, he posted threatening messages online:

In a May 28 Facebook post, he wrote, “While a race riot erupted in Minneapolis the President literally retweeted a video of one of his supporters saying the only good Democrat is a dead Democrat. These people are PUSHING for America to rip itself to shreds. Disgusting. I’ll tell you right now if you keep provoking regular people we’ll make sure you never cross that line ever again. I guarantee it. #MountUp.”

In another post later that same day, he intimated that he planned to obtain gun parts “to off racists and MAGA people.”

Mr. Quinonnes now faces up to five years in federal prison. Sentencing will be set before U.S. District Judge James Wesley Hendrix in Lubbock at a later date.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation Dallas Field Office, Lubbock Resident Agency, the United States Secret Service, the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives Dallas Field Division, and the Lubbock Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeff Haag is prosecuting the case.

A Denton man has been convicted of child sex trafficking, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox.

Following a day-long trial, a federal jury last night returned a guilty verdict against William Adam Jonathan Smith, convicting him of one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of a minor and one count of sex trafficking of a minor.

According to evidence presented at court, Mr. Smith met and befriended the 17 year-old victim in the summer of 2019. He introduced her to Charity Cantu, his longtime girlfriend, who worked for him as a prostitute. Mr. Smith told Ms. Cantu that she was to groom and train the victim too make money for him providing commercial sex services.

From August thru October 2019, the victim accompanied Ms. Cantu to hotels in the Dallas and Fort Worth areas and engaged in commercial sex acts. All of the proceeds from the commercial sex acts performed by the victim were given to Mr. Smith.

Mr. Smith, 31, now faces up to life in federal prison. His sentencing is set for Jan. 8, 2021 before U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor in Fort Worth.

Ms. Cantu, 25, pleaded guilty in March to a racketeering charge. In court documents, she admitted that although she knew the victim was a minor, Ms. Cantu groomed the girl for commercial sex and posted ads for her sexual services online. Ms. Cantu testified at Mr. Smith’s trial and is slated to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Mark Pittman on Sept. 24, 2019.

The Texas Attorney General’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Denton Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Doug Allen and Brandie Wade tried the case.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas (NDTX) has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Office of the Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery (SIGPR) to investigate and prosecute fraud in the distribution of the massive relief package authorized by the CARES Act, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox.

“The CARES Act was passed by Congress and signed into law by the president to provide much needed relief to Americans suffering from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Nealy Cox. “But it is an unfortunate reality that scammers, fraudsters, and criminal actors are working overtime to illegally exploit this pandemic for profit. The Department of Justice is committed to investigating and prosecuting these wrongdoers. We are eager to continue this fight against fraud by partnering with Special Inspector General Brian D. Miller and his team.”

In response to the widespread economic harm caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act, which included over $2 trillion in emergency financial assistance designed to provide immediate help for American businesses and individuals. The purpose and mission of the MOU is to develop a cooperative effort to investigate and prosecute wrongdoing involving the making, purchase, management, and sale of loans, loan guarantees, and other investments by the Secretary of the Treasury under Division A of the CARES Act, and the management by the Secretary of any program established under Division A of the CARES Act. This partnership will make efficient use of resources and help ensure coordination with regulators and law enforcement so that just results can be achieved, while at the same time taking care not to stymie legitimate businesses acting in good faith to access the important financial resources that Congress made available to the public.

“I look forward to working with U.S. Attorney Nealy Cox and her team in the Northern District of Texas to identify fraud, waste and abuse of the money provided under the CARES Act,” said Special Inspector General Brian D. Miller. “We will bring to justice to those who steal CARES Act money, and recover money for the taxpayers. Taxpayers should expect nothing less.”

Two NDTX Assistant U.S. Attorneys – Deputy Chief Ken Coffin from the Civil Division and Fabio Leonardi from the Criminal Division – will serve as liaisons to the NDTX-SIGPR partnership. These AUSAs will be direct points of contact for case-related inquiries from SIGPR.

Texas residents who believe they are victims of fraud or other criminal activity related to the pandemic should contact the National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at (866) 720-5721. Members of the public can also contact the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3).

A Texas National Guardsman was sentenced to two years in federal prison and order to repay a $75,000 fine for theft of government money, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox.

Emmanuel Alvarado, 35, is the third of three conspirators to be sentenced for participating in a scheme to use stolen government fuel credit cards ("fleet cards") to purchase fuel for themselves and others. In September 2019, Mr. Alvarado pled guilty to one count of theft of government money.

According to information provided in court, Mr. Alvarado, along with Carlos Espinola, 48, and Don Wright, 41, knew each other through service in the Texas Army National Guard (TXARNG).

In their positions with the TXARNG, Mr. Espinola and Mr. Wright had access to General Services Administration and Department of Defense "fleet cards" used to purchase fuel and maintenance for government vehicles. Mr. Espinola and Mr. Wright stole fleet cards from the TXARNG and shared them with Mr. Alvarado. Mr. Espinola also obtained a "skimming" device, which he used to replicate stolen fleet cards.

Mr. Alvarado owned automotive businesses in the Fort Worth area, which, among other things, offered towing services. Mr. Alvarado used the fleet cards to fuel his tow trucks, as well as other vehicles. In exchange for the fleet cards, Mr. Alvarado paid Mr. Espinola a fee. The conspirators' thefts caused a loss exceeding $100,000 to the United States.

In September 2019, Mr. Alvarado pled guilty to one count of theft of government money. Mr. Espinola and Mr. Wright earlier pled guilty to conspiracy charges. Mr. Espinola was sentenced to 48 months in federal prison. Mr. Wright was sentenced to 3 months of confinement. The defendants were each ordered to pay restitution to the government.

The U.S. Department of Defense, Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, and U.S. General Services Administration, Office of Inspector General and the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Boudreau prosecuted the case.

SENTENCING – ANDREW TYLER MOLINA

On August 31, Andrew Tyler Molina, 31, was sentenced to 18 years in prison for transporting and shipping child pornography. Tumblr, a social media app popular amoung teenagers, reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, that a user, Mr. Molina, was involved in communications about the sexual molestation of children. Law enforcement executed a search warrant on Mr. Molina’s residence and conducted a forensic review of his cell phones. Mr. Molina admitted to transporting videos and images depicting sadistic child pornography with infants and toddlers. Law enforcement recovered 88 images and 16 vides of child pornography on Mr. Molina’s two cell phones. This case was investigated by the FBI and Grand Prairie PD. Assistant United States Attorney Camille Sparks is prosecuting this case.

GUILTY PLEA – ILDERALDO DEANDRE LIMA-MOSLEY

On September 1, Ilderaldo Deandre Lima-Mosley, 31, pled guilty to felon in possession of a firearm. In May 2020, Mr. Lima-Mosley, a previously convicted felon, met an individual at a Dallas area tobacco shop to sell a .380 pistol and several magazines containing ammunition for $740. Mr. Lima-Mosley faces up to 10 years in prison for his crimes. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant United States Attorney Phelesa Guy is prosecuting this case.

GUILTY PLEA – PETE TORRES

On September 1, Pete Torres, 30, plead guilty to conspiracy to launder money. Two individuals supplied Mr. Torres with cocaine. He sold the cocaine to others and earned a profit from his drug transactions. Mr. Torres used then profits to purchase more controlled substances from his suppliers to sell. Mr. Torres faces up to 20 years in prison for his crimes. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Dallas PD, Irving PD, Dallas County SO, Richardson PD, and Carrolton PD. Assistant United States Attorney George Leal is prosecuting this case.

SENTENCING – JASON CRAIG WILLIAMS

On September 1, Jason Craig Williams, 33, was sentenced to 150 months for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Mr. Williams engaged in this conspiracy form June 2017 through on or about June 28, 2017 in the Dallas Division of the Northern District of Texas. The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security Investigations, Texas Department of Public Safety, and Carrollton PD. Assistant United States Attorney George Leal is prosecuting this case.

SENTENCING – JEFFREY BRYAN DOUGHERTY

On September 2, Jeffrey Bryan Dougherty, 28, was sentenced to 9 years in prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Law enforcement located Mr. Dougherty in a motel in Hutchins, Texas. In plain view, officers observed drug paraphernalia and a black backpack containing a 9 mm firearm, methamphetamine, heroin, and Mr. Dougherty’s wallet. Mr. Dougherty admitted that his was in possession of a 9 mm firearm and that he was at the motel selling the methamphetamine and heroin. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Texas Department of Public Safety. Assistant United States Attorney Gary Tromblay is prosecuting this case.

A repatriated ISIS fighter has pleaded guilty to a terrorism charge, announced the Department of Justice.

Omer Kuzu – a 23-year-old U.S. citizen captured by the Syrian Democratic Forces and returned to the U.S. by the FBI after a five-year stint handling communications for ISIS – pleaded guilty Wednesday to conspiring to provide material support to terrorism.

“The Department of Justice remains committed to holding accountable those who have left this country in order to join and support ISIS,” said John C. Demers, Assistant Attorney General for National Security.  “We are thankful for the work of our foreign partners and the FBI in returning Kuzu to this country to face justice in an American courtroom.  We hope countries around the world, including our European allies and partners, will likewise take responsibility for their own citizens who traveled to support ISIS.”

“This defendant, an American citizen radicalized on American soil, pledged allegiance to a brutal terrorist group and traveled halfway across the world to enact its agenda,” said U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox for the Northern District of Texas.  “The United States must do everything we can to prevent and deter this type of radicalization and prioritize prosecution of those that support the terroristic agenda of ISIS.  I am gratified Mr. Kuzu faced justice in an American court.”

“Preventing terrorism remains the FBI’s top mission priority.  The defendant intentionally left the United States to join, train with, and fight on behalf of ISIS.  The North Texas Joint Terrorism Task Force worked closely with our domestic and foreign partners to ensure the threat he posed was mitigated,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge Matthew DeSarno.  “We remain vigilant in our effort to prevent terrorism as well as hold terrorists, and those who provide support to terrorist organizations, accountable for their actions.”

In plea papers, Kuzu admits that he and his brother, Yusuf, departed Texas for Istanbul, Turkey on Oct. 16, 2014.  They then traveled to Orfa, Turkey, where an “ISIS taxi” picked them up and smuggled them across the border into Syria.  They crashed in a series of “waiting houses” before ending up in Mosul, Iraq.

In Mosul, alongside 40 other foreign fighters, the brothers underwent five days of physical and weapons training led by ISIS instructors.  They were then sent to Raqqah, Syria, where Kuzu started work at the ISIS telecommunications directorate.

Shortly thereafter, Kuzu admits, he pledged allegiance, or “Bay’ah,” to ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and the Islamic Caliphate.  He was given a monthly stipend, a Chinese-made AK 47, and an ISIS bride.

Subsequently, Kuzu was sent to the second lines in Kobani, Syria and Hama, Syria, to provide communications support for ISIS fighters on the front lines.  He also worked in the Caliphate’s technology center.

In March 2019, Kuzu was captured by the SDF, alongside 1,500 suspected ISIS fighters.  He was handed over to FBI custody, returned to American soil, and charged with conspiring to provide material support to ISIS.  

In his plea papers, Kuzu admits that he knew ISIS had been designated a foreign terrorist organization (FTO) and engaged in terrorist activities.  

He now faces up to 20 years in federal prison. Sentencing is set for Jan. 22, 2021.

The FBI’s Dallas Field Office conducted the investigation through the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF).  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Errin Martin and Tiffany Eggers and Trial Attorney Michael Dittoe of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.

A repatriated ISIS fighter pled guilty to a terrorism charge, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox.

Omer Kuzu – a 23-year-old U.S. citizen captured by the Syrian Democratic Forces and returned to the U.S. by the FBI after a five-year stint handling communications for ISIS – pleaded guilty Wednesday to conspiring to provide material support to terrorism.

“This defendant, an American citizen radicalized on American soil, pledged allegiance to a brutal terrorist group and traveled halfway across the world to enact its agenda,” said U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox.  “The United States must do everything we can to prevent and deter this type of radicalization and prioritize prosecution of those that support the terroristic agenda of ISIS.  I am gratified Mr. Kuzu faced justice in an American court.”

“Preventing terrorism remains the FBI’s top mission priority.  The defendant intentionally left the United States to join, train with, and fight on behalf of ISIS.  The North Texas Joint Terrorism Task Force worked closely with our domestic and foreign partners to ensure the threat he posed was mitigated,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge Matthew DeSarno.  “We remain vigilant in our effort to prevent terrorism as well as hold terrorists, and those who provide support to terrorist organizations, accountable for their actions.”

“The Department of Justice remains committed to holding accountable those who have left this country in order to join and support ISIS,” said John C. Demers, Assistant Attorney General for National Security.  “We are thankful for the work of our foreign partners and the FBI in returning Kuzu to this country to face justice in an American courtroom.  We hope countries around the world, including our European allies and partners, will likewise take responsibility for their own citizens who traveled to support ISIS.”

In plea papers, Mr. Kuzu (now 25) admits that he and his brother, Yusuf, departed Texas for Istanbul, Turkey on Oct. 16, 2014. They then traveled to Orfa, Turkey, where an “ISIS taxi” picked them up and smuggled them across the border into Syria. They crashed in a series of “waiting houses” before ending up in Mosul, Iraq.

In Mosul, alongside 40 other foreign fighters, the brothers underwent five days of physical and weapons training led by ISIS instructors.  They were then sent to Raqqah, Syria, where Mr. Kuzu started work at the ISIS telecommunications directorate.

Shortly thereafter, Mr. Kuzu admits, he pledged allegiance, or “Bay’ah,” to ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and the Islamic Caliphate.  He was given a monthly stipend, a Chinese-made AK-47, and took an ISIS bride.

Subsequently, Mr. Kuzu was sent to the second lines in Kobani, Syria and Hama, Syria, to provide communications support for ISIS fighters on the front lines.  He also worked in the Caliphate’s technology center.

In March 2019, Mr. Kuzu was captured by the SDF, alongside 1,500 suspected ISIS fighters.  He was handed over to FBI custody, returned to American soil, and charged with conspiring to provide material support to ISIS.  

In his plea papers, Mr. Kuzu admits that he knew ISIS had been designated a foreign terrorist organization (FTO) and engaged in terrorist activities.  

He now faces up to 20 years in federal prison. His sentencing is set for Jan. 22, 2021. 

The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office conducted the investigation through the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF).  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Errin Martin and Tiffany Eggers and Trial Attorney Michael Dittoe of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.

A Honduran man who conned investors out of roughly $2 million has pleaded guilty to mail fraud, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox.

Jose Anibal Linares, 42, was charged in October with one count of mail fraud and two counts of wire fraud. He pleaded guilty to the mail fraud charge via videoteleconference before Magistrate Judge Renee Harris Toliver on Tuesday.

According to plea papers, Mr. Linares admitted to running a Ponzi-type scheme, luring investors into handing over “principal” that he later deposited in bank accounts at Wells Fargo, Bank of America, and Legacy Texas, then paying them “interest” from other investors’ principal payments.

Mr. Linares, who operated JC Loans Finance and Inversiones JC Dallas, admitted he falsely told investors their funds were “insured by the FDIC” and promised monthly returns based on investments in commercial and residential real estate, including a water resort and shopping centers in Honduras. He then mailed investors letters thanking them for joining the JC “family.”

Instead of investing their money, however, Mr. Linares admits he spent substantial amounts of investor funds on personal expenditures, and even wired some of the money to family members in Honduras.

In the meantime, he made lulling payments to investors by withdrawing large sums from his Bank of America and Wells Fargo accounts, generally using funds that had been deposited immediately beforehand from other investors. On some occasions, he even took investors’ cash payments from one set of investors in his office, then turned the cash over to other investors waiting in his lobby for their monthly disbursements.

By summer 2017, Mr. Linares admits, he had ceased all monthly payments and did not return investors’ principal investments.

Mr. Linares now faces up to 20 years in federal prison. His sentencing date is set for January 11, 2021. A Honduran citizen in the U.S. on Temporary Protected Status, Mr. Linares may be subject to removal from the U.S. after serving his sentence.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Miller is prosecuting the case.

A Plainview man was charged today with assisting a meth trafficker’s prison escape, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox.

Juan Anthony Cordero, 25, was arrested by United States Marshals Service’s North Texas Fugitive Task Force (NTFTF) on Saturday. He made his initial appearance in court today.

According to a criminal complaint unsealed today, Mr. Cordero spoke with Mark Lucio, a prisoner in federal custody at the Bailey County Jail to allegedly plan and assist with his escape. Mr. Lucio was in federal custody following his June 3rd guilty plea for possession to distribute methamphetamine and possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

On August 28, Mr. Cordero was seen on a video call with Mr. Lucio allegedly discussing the details of a prison escape that was to occur the next day. Mr. Cordero and Mr. Lucio allegedly discussed the time for the escape and the vehicle Mr. Cordero would be driving.

On the morning of August 29, Mr. Lucio called Mr. Cordero minutes before the planned prison escape was to take place to advise Mr. Cordero with last minute instructions. Mr. Lucio made his escape through a sally port door at the Bailey County Jail and ran to Mr. Cordero’s car and they fled the area together.

Shortly after the escape, the Hale County Sheriff’s Office was notified by the NTFTF to be on the lookout for Cordero’s vehicle. Deputies with the Hale County Sheriff’s Office located Cordero’s car at a residence in Plainview, Texas. NTFTF members, along with deputies with the Hale County Sheriff’s Office and the Texas Department of Public Safety made contact with Mr. Cordero at the residence.

Following an interview with NTFTF officers, Mr. Cordero admitted to helping Mr. Lucio escape from the Bailey County Jail. Mr. Cordero allegedly said that he also gave Mr. Lucio a 9mm pistol and he dropped Mr. Lucio off at a residence in Abernathy, Texas. NTFTF members found Mr. Lucio at that residence and took him into custody without incident.

A criminal complaint is formal accusations of criminal conduct, not evidence. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

If convicted of the charged offense, Mr. Cordero faces up to 5 years in federal prison.

The United States Marshal Service, Texas Department of Public Safety, Bailey County Sheriff’s Office, and Hale County Sheriff’s Office are investigating this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Haag is prosecuting this case.

Two relatives of Yaser Said – a capital murder suspect arrested Wednesday – have been charged with helping Mr. Said evade capture for more than 12 years, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox.

Islam Yaser-Abdel Said, Yaser’s 32-year-old son, and Yassein Said, Yaser’s 59-year-old brother, were arrested Wednesday in Euless, Texas by the FBI’s Dallas Violent Crimes Task Force and charged via criminal complaint with concealing a person from arrest. Both made their initial appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge Hal R. Ray in Fort Worth Friday afternoon.

Yaser Said, 63, had been a fugitive from justice since New Year’s Day 2008, when he allegedly murdered his teenage daughters, Amina and Sarah. According to law enforcement, Yaser drove them to a location in Irving and shot them to death inside his taxicab, abandoning their bodies inside the vehicle. The following day, he was charged by the state with two counts of capital murder. In Dec. 2014, Yaser was placed on the FBI’s “Ten Most Wanted” list, where he remained until his capture this week.

“For years, Islam and Yassein Said — Sarah and Amina’s own brother and uncle – allegedly harbored the girls’ killer,” said U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox. “In concealing Yaser Said from arrest, not only did these men waste countless law enforcement hours in the hunt for a brutal fugitive, they also delayed justice for Sarah and Amina. Thankfully, their day of reckoning has finally arrived. We are hopeful all three arrests will bring a measure of comfort to the girls’ mother, relatives, and friends.”

“The defendants provided aid and comfort to an individual who is accused of murdering his own daughters,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge of the Dallas Field Division Matthew DeSarno. “Harboring a dangerous fugitive is unacceptable. The FBI and our law enforcement partners will pursue anyone who helps a criminal evade capture.”

According to the criminal complaint against Islam and Yassein, nine years after the murder, on Aug. 14, 2017, investigators caught a break: A maintenance worker at the Copper Canyon Apartment complex in Bedford, Texas, spotted Yaser inside a unit leased to his son, Islam.  

Dispatched to repair a water leak, the maintenance worker knocked on the apartment door, but when no one answered, he used a key to unlock it. To his surprise, he found the interior deadbolt locked, indicating someone was inside the apartment. He knocked again, announcing himself as a maintenance worker. A tall, middle-aged Middle Eastern man opened the door and permitted him to make the repairs.

The maintenance worker later reported the incident to his apartment manager, who was aware of Islam’s relationship to a fugitive. The maintenance worker confirmed to his boss that the photo on Yaser Said’s wanted poster matched the man he’d seen in the apartment, and the pair immediately contacted the FBI. That same day, FBI Dallas dispatched a Violent Crimes Task Force agent to interview the maintenance worker. The agent showed him photos of Yaser’s brothers, along with Yaser himself. The maintenance worker pinpointed Yaser as the man he’d seen in the apartment.

At approximately 6:30 p.m. that evening, the same agent attempted to interview Islam, asking him for permission to search the apartment. Islam, upset, allegedly refused to cooperate. He then called placed a call, saying, “we have a problem.” AT&T records indicate Islam was in contact with his uncles.  

At 1 a.m. the following morning, the FBI Dallas SWAT team executed a search warrant on Islam’s apartment. Finding the front door locked, they were forced to breach the door. They did not discover anyone inside, but observed the sliding glass patio door open. Underneath the patio, they noticed a bush with broken branches, suggesting someone had jumped off the patio and landed on the bush. Next to the flattened bush, they found a pair of eyeglasses, which they collected as evidence.  

Agents also collected several pieces of evidence from inside the apartment, including several cigarette butts and a toothbrush inside a luggage bag in a closet. The FBI Laboratory in Quantico, Virginia cross-referenced DNA found on these items with DNA collected from Amina and Sarah. Analyists determined a 1 in 5.3 quintillion probably that the DNA found on the cigarette butts, eyeglasses, and toothbrush came from Amina and Sarah’s biological father: Yaser Said.

Twelve days after the raid on the apartment, on August 26, 2017, Customs and Border Patrol located Islam more than 1,000 miles away, inside a car selected for secondary screening at the U.S. Canada border. The driver of the car, Hany Medhat, told CBP agents that he and Islam had decided to take a “crazy road trip;” however, a search of his phone revealed he’d told his employer he had a “family emergency.”  

Three years later, on Aug. 17, 2020, FBI agents began 24-hour surveillance of a home in Justin, Texas, purchased in the name of Dalal Said, Yassein’s daughter. They watched Islam and Yassein allegedly drive up to the home, deliver grocery bags inside, and carry trash bags back to their car.

Two days later, at 11:51 p.m. on Aug. 19, after Yassein and Islam had departed the residence, agents observed what appeared to be a shadow of a person walk across the interior of the residence in front of window twice.

On Aug. 25, agents once again observed Islam and Yassein exit the home with two bags of trash:

 

 

 

 

 

The agents followed the pair to a shopping center in Southlake, TX, approximately 19 miles from the house. They watched as Islam exited the vehicle, and Yassein  pulled around to the side of the shopping center. Once the vehicle had pulled out of the parking lot, agents began to dig through the garbage cans on the side of the shopping center.

Inside the garbage cans, they located two bags matching the bags they’d seen the men carrying out to the car. They seized the bags and transported them back to the FBI Field Office, where they found numerous cigarette butts and other garbage.

The following day, agents executed a search warrant on the home, where they arrested Yaser Said. They arrested Yassein and Islam at a separate location in Euless, Texas.

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation of wrongdoing, not evidence. Like all defendants, Yassein and Islam Said are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law, as is Yaser Said.

If convicted, Yassein and Islam face up to five years in federal prison. Yaser, indicted by the state on capital murder charges, faces the death penalty.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Division and the Irving Police Department conducted the investigation with the assistance of U.S. Customs & Border Patrol, the Dallas Police Department, the Garland Police department, the Grand Prairie Police Department, and the Texas Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tiffany Eggers and Errin Martin are prosecuting the case.