Southern District of Texas

HOUSTON – A 54-year-old man has been sentenced following his conviction for conspiring to pay and receive health care kickbacks and payment of kickbacks to marketers, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

A federal jury deliberated for an hour following a three-day trial before finding Ifeanyi Ozoh guilty on all counts Feb. 14.

U.S. District Chief Judge Randy Crane has now ordered Ozoh to serve 72 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. Ozoh was also ordered to pay restitution to Medicaid in the amount of $4.9 million. At the hearing, the court heard Ozoh was integral to the kickback scheme as he bribed marketers and parents to bring their Medicaid-insured children to a sham dental clinic. In handing down the sentence, the court noted the overwhelming evidence of Ozoh’s guilt presented at trial.

Ozoh worked at a local dental clinic known as Floss Family Dentalcare Center from January 2020 to February 2021.

At the time of trial, the jury heard how Ozoh paid marketers $20 to $100 for each Medicaid-insured child referred to Floss. The marketers testified that Ozoh secretly paid them in cash and out of sight of other witnesses, sometimes putting their illegal kickback payments on top of a vending machine down the hall from the clinic.

One clinic manager testified that she repeatedly warned Ozoh that paying marketers was illegal.

The jury also heard that Ozoh paid out over $163,000 in bribes to marketers and received bonuses for reaching a quota of patients.

From 2020 to 2021, Floss billed Medicaid over $6 million. Floss received over $4 million on those claims, most of which were predicated on a kickback paid to marketers and for dental services that were not provided.

During the trial, a representative testified that Medicaid prohibits the payment of kickbacks for referrals of medical services.

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

FBI, Texas Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and the Department of Health and Human Services - Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kathryn Olson and Lauren Valenti prosecuted the case.

HOUSTON – A 44-year-old woman has pleaded guilty to transmission in interstate commerce containing a threat to injure the person of another, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

Abigail J. Shry admitted that on Aug. 5, 2023, she placed a call to the chambers of a federal judge and made derogatory statements and threats to anyone that went after then former President Donald Trump. She also made a direct threat to a then sitting congresswoman, all democrats in Washington D.C. and all people in the LGBTQ community.

At the hearing, Shry claimed that at the time she made the calls, she did not think it was illegal to do so. She said she thought it was freedom of speech and that she did not intend to act on the threats. 

In her calls, Shry stated, “You are in our sights, we want to kill you. If Trump doesn’t get elected in 2024, we are coming to kill you, so tread lightly...” She added that “you will be targeted personally, publicly, your family, all of it.”

On Aug. 8, 2023, authorities went to her residence, at which time she admitted the phone number associated with the calls was hers and that she did in fact make the call to the judge’s chambers. She noted that she had no plans to travel anywhere to carry out anything she stated. However, she told authorities that if the congresswoman ever traveled to her city, then “we need to worry.”

“Shry thought the First Amendment protected her from sending a death threat to a member of congress,” said Hamdani. “She was wrong, and today’s plea demonstrates how the Southern District of Texas has no patience for those who target and threaten public servants – ignorance of the Constitution notwithstanding.”

Sentencing is set for Jan. 14 before U.S. District Judge Keith Ellison. At that time, Shry faces up to five years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.

She was permitted to remain on bond pending that hearing.

Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rick Hanes is prosecuting the case.

LAREDO, Texas – Another individual has been sentenced for his role in a Laredo human smuggling conspiracy, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

Jesus Aleman-Serrano, 34, Mexican citizen illegally residing in Laredo, and Laredo pleaded guilty May 8.

U.S. District Judge Diana Saldaña has now imposed a 24-month term of imprisonment for Aleman-Serrano. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. In handing down the prison terms, Judge Saldaña noted the intricacy and level of sophistication involved and the danger the migrants faced.

Two others – Laredo residents Edison Alfredo Escalante, 23, Clarissa Villarreal, 29, previously received sentences of 18 months in prison and time served, respectively. All were also ordered to serve a three-year term of supervised release.  

“Moving 11 individuals in dangerously cramped conditions inside a vehicle not only reflects the callousness of these operations but underscores the serious risk to life—where even a minor accident could have led to a tragic outcome,” said Hamdani. “Our efforts, including uncovering two stash houses used by the smuggling organization, send a clear message: we will continue to disrupt and dismantle these dangerous networks to protect lives and uphold the law.”

On Feb. 26, law enforcement observed a work truck displaying Union Pacific decals attempting to bypass the Interstate Highway 35 checkpoint north of Laredo.

Authorities later determined that this vehicle was not registered to Union Pacific; instead, the human smuggling organization had used decals to make it appear legitimate.

Law enforcement stopped the truck and identified Escalante as the driver. Upon further inspection, authorities found eight undocumented individuals concealed under a makeshift compartment in the bed of the truck.

Authorities found the compartment, hidden beneath a metal grate, which had plywood and a 102-pound generator resting on top.

Law enforcement used a crow bar to free three additional females from another small, locked hidden compartment within the vehicle. In total, authorities found 11 undocumented individuals from Mexico and Honduras trapped inside the truck.

Escalante initially told law enforcement he worked for Union Pacific and claimed that people in Mexico forced him to commit the crime.

However, evidence from Escalante’s cell phone revealed his connections to Cartel del Noreste and showed his participation in planning the smuggling event and purchasing the Union Pacific decals.

Later, Escalante admitted to smuggling another group of 10 migrants to San Antonio for the same organization.

Further investigation revealed the location where the undocumented individuals were harbored prior to Escalante transporting them. Authorities obtained a search warrant for a home on the 3600 block of Cancun Loop in Laredo and began surveillance later that day.

Law enforcement observed Aleman Serrano transport two individuals from the Cancun Street address to another apartment on Ligarde Street in a Ford Expedition. They approached the apartment and contacted the owner, who authorities identified as Villarreal.

Villarreal admitted Aleman Serrano hired her to “take care” of the people and that she knew they were undocumented.

Law enforcement later executed the search warrant at the Cancun Street address, where Aleman Serrano was identified as one of the owners. The evidence revealed this address was used as a stash house to harbor undocumented individuals.

Authorities recovered handwritten ledgers documenting the dates the migrants arrived, the number of days they stayed and how much was being charged.

Both Escalante and Aleman Serrano will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

Homeland Security Investigations, Border Patrol and the Laredo Police Department conducted the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found on the Department of Justice’s OCDETF webpage.

This sentencing is also the result of the coordinated efforts of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). Attorney General Merrick B. Garland established JTFA in June 2021 to marshal the investigative and prosecutorial resources of the Department of Justice, in partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), to combat the rise in prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking groups operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras. The initiative was expanded to Colombia and Panama to combat human smuggling in the Darién in June 2024. JTFA comprises detailees from U.S. attorneys’ offices along the southwest border including the Southern District of California, districts of Arizona and New Mexico and the Western and Southern Districts of Texas. Dedicated support is provided by numerous components of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, led by the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section, and supported by the Office of Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training; Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section; Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section; Office of Enforcement Operations; Office of International Affairs; and the Violent Crime and Racketeering Section. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration and other partners. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in over 325 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers and significant facilitators of human smuggling, more than 270 U.S. convictions, more than 210 significant jail sentences imposed and forfeitures of substantial assets.

Assistant U.S. Attorney and JTFA detailee Jennifer Day prosecuted this case.

HOUSTON – A federal jury has convicted a 25-year-old man for interference with commerce by robbery and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, announced U.S. Attorney Hamdani.

The jury deliberated for two hours and 45 minutes before finding Caleb Pickens guilty following a four-day trial.

Law enforcement began investigating a series of armed robberies at fast-food restaurants, primarily McDonald’s, and convenience stores, which drew attention to Pickens.

Pickens came to the attention of law enforcement between after they began an investigation into a series of armed robberies of fast-food restaurants, mainly McDonald’s, and convenience stores.

HOUSTON – A federal jury has convicted a 25-year-old man for interference with commerce by robbery and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, announced U.S. Attorney Hamdani.

The jury deliberated for two hours and 45 minutes before finding Caleb Pickens guilty following a four-day trial.

Law enforcement began investigating a series of armed robberies at fast-food restaurants, primarily McDonald’s, and convenience stores which drew attention to Pickens.

In January, Pickens wore either a red Nike sweatshirt or a black hooded jacket while committing a series of armed robberies at McDonald’s locations and brandishing a pistol.

Occasionally, Pickens held the gun to victims’ heads, backs or stomachs, demanding money from the safe. In one incident, he eventually fired his pistol into a microwave oven at a McDonald’s location.

During the robberies, Pickens ordered the manager to hand over the money from the safe before exiting through the restaurant’s back door.

He fled the locations in a stolen black Chevrolet Tahoe that had a broken left rear window, used scissors to start the ignition and drove away.

Law enforcement located the vehicle and started conducting surveillance. On Jan. 23, the Chevy Tahoe arrived at a McDonald’s in Houston where Pickens again committed another armed robbery.

Authorities arrested him on scene. At that time, he was wearing the same Nike sweatshirt and hooded jacket and was in possession of a pistol.

“Going to McDonald’s has become a quintessential part of American life, offering a familiar, convenient spot for families to come together for a meal, where kids feast on Happy Meals searching for hidden  toys,” said Hamdani. “Pickens turned that idyllic scene into a violent nightmare when he robbed several locations and pointed his gun at his victims. This verdict will insure that he is taken off Houston’s streets and away from its families for many years to come.”

He has been and will remain in custody pending sentencing.

U.S. District Judge David Hittner presided over the trial and set sentencing for Feb. 13, 2025. At that time, Pickens faces up to life imprisonment and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.

The Houston Police Department’s Violent Crime Task Force and FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jill Stotts and Brian Hrach are prosecuting the case.

HOUSTON - A 44-year-old man has been sentenced for producing and distributing child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

Adam Michael Ohlsen pleaded guilty May 5. 

U.S. District Judge Charles R. Eskridge has now ordered Ohlsen to serve 280 and 200 months for the production and distribution convictions, respectively. They will run consecutively for a total 480-month term of imprisonment. Restitution will be determined at a later date. During the hearing, the court learned how deeply and terribly this crime has affected the minor victim who suffered sexual abuse from Ohlsen. The court heard how the dissemination of the child pornography images depicting her being sexually abused will cause ongoing harm to the minor victim. Ohlsen was further ordered to remain on supervised release for the remainder of his life following completion of his prison term. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. Ohlsen will also be ordered to register as a sex offender.

The investigation began after authorities discovered Ohlsen was distributing child pornography in 2022 using a Russian image hosting website. 

Prior to executing a search warrant at his home, law enforcement found evidence he had sexually abused the minor victim and shared images of the abuse on an image sharing platform. Ohlsen confessed to the abuse and distribution. 

Ohlsen will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Queensland Police Service.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Lu prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page. 

A Maryland man pleaded guilty today for his role in a bribery scheme to give kickbacks to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) official in exchange for the official’s efforts to influence the award of lucrative federal contracts.

According to court documents, Christopher “Mac” Cassity, 51, of Glenwood, was charged in a single-count criminal information with honest services wire fraud, pursuant to a written plea agreement. As part of the plea agreement, Cassity admitted that, between July 29, 2019, and Dec. 29, 2022, he and Public Official A, an information system security officer residing in Pharr, Texas, devised and executed a bribery scheme in which Cassity paid Public Official A kickbacks in exchange for Public Official A taking official action to influence the award of CBP contracts to businesses that would subcontract with Cassity’s business, IVV Solutions. Specifically, Public Official A directed and pressured CBP contracting officials to select contractors, who bid on contracts to upgrade CBP’s information security system in various CBP facilities, from a list of contractors that Public Official A knew would then subcontract with IVV Solutions to provide “independent verification and validation services.”

According to court documents, Cassity’s business received approximately $814,570 in payments related to CBP contracts during the bribery scheme. In return, Cassity made approximately 58 kickback payments to Public Official A, totaling approximately $443,125. To conceal the scheme, Cassity transmitted the kickback payments by wire from IVV Solutions’ bank accounts to bank accounts in the name of conduits of Public Official A, which were controlled and used by Public Official A.

Cassity is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 10, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani for the Southern District of Texas; and Assistant Commissioner Matthew Klein of CBP’s Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) made the announcement.

CBP OPR is investigating the case.

Trial Attorney Demetrius D. Sumner of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Schammel for the Southern District of Texas are prosecuting the case.

HOUSTON – A 49-year-old man has pleaded guilty for his role in a bribery scheme to give kickbacks to a U.S. Customs & Border Protection (CBP) official in exchange for the official’s efforts to influence the award of lucrative federal contracts, announced U.S. Attorney Hamdani.

Court documents charge Christopher Cassity aka Mac, Glenwood, Maryland, with one count of honest services wire fraud.

As part of the plea agreement, Cassity admitted that between July 29, 2019, and Dec. 29, 2022, he and an information system security officer (ISSO) residing in Pharr carried out a bribery scheme.

Cassity provided kickbacks to the ISSO in exchange for the officer’s influence in awarding CBP contracts to businesses that would subcontract with Cassity’s company, IVV Solutions. 

The ISSO specifically directed and pressured CBP contracting officials to select contractors from a preferred list, who bid on contracts to upgrade CBP’s information security system in various CBP facilities.

The ISSO knew the contractors on his preferred list would subcontract with IVV Solutions to provide “independent verification and validation services.” 

Court documents reveal that Cassity’s business received approximately $814,570 in payments for CBP contracts during the bribery scheme. In exchange, Cassity made approximately 58 kickback payments to the ISSO, amounting to approximately $443,125. 

To conceal the scheme, Cassity falsely claimed that the ISSO conduits received payments for unnecessary and unperformed services, including translation services.

Cassity is scheduled for sentencing on Feb. 10, 2025. At that time, he faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.

He was permitted to remain on bond pending sentencing.

Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Assistant Commissioner Matthew Klein of CBP’s Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) made the announcement as well.

CBP OPR is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Schammel and Trial Attorney Demetrius D. Sumner of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section are prosecuting the case. 

LAREDO, Texas – Two individuals have been sentenced for their roles in a Laredo human smuggling conspiracy, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. 

Laredo resident Carlos Alberto Gonzalez, 23, and his sister Erika Yazbett Mendoza-Gonzalez, 36, a Mexican citizen illegally residing in Laredo, both pleaded guilty July 8.

U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo has now imposed a 46-month term of imprisonment for Gonzalez, while Mendoza-Gonzalez received 57 months. Both must also serve three years of supervised release following their sentence, although Mendoza-Gonzalez, not a U.S. citizen, is expected to face removal proceedings following her imprisonment. At the hearing, the court also noted Gonzalez had previously been sentenced for human smuggling and was still serving his term of supervised release when he committed this offense. The court also ordered Gonzalez to serve a consecutive 10 months for this violation.

In handing down the prison terms, Judge Garcia Marmolejo commented that Gonzalez learned nothing from his last offense and that Mendoza-Gonzalez was highly involved in the smuggling organization. The court also considered the conditions inside the stash house, noting that the siblings regarded the people they harbored as “commodities” and stating, “we just don’t treat human beings like this.”  

“No electricity, no running water and no toilet. Human smugglers do not care,” said Hamdani. “No individual should be subjected to such inhumane conditions. This case underscores our commitment to dismantling human smuggling networks that exploit vulnerable individuals, including children.”

On March 7, law enforcement observed Mendoza-Gonzalez pick up three suspected undocumented individuals near the intersection of Kearney Street and McDonnell Avenue in Laredo. Gonzalez was driving another vehicle that appeared to be traveling together with Mendoza-Gonzalez. Law enforcement followed both vehicles to a home on the 2300 block of San Leonardo Avenue where Mendoza-Gonzalez dropped off the individuals before leaving with two others.

Several hours later, they observed a large group of people exiting the backyard of this address and running into a nearby creek. A foot pursuit began, and law enforcement apprehended 20 individuals, all of whom are undocumented aliens from other countries.

Two were unaccompanied minors, ages 13 and 15.  

Upon entering the San Leonardo residence, authorities discovered deplorable living conditions. The home had no electricity or running water and large amounts of trash piled up throughout the home. They also observed large tubs of water in the home where the migrants would bathe and relieve themselves.

There have been no utilities in the residence since 2022.

Gonzalez was the stash house operator while Mendoza-Gonzalez was a transporter and delivered food to those harbored inside the home.

On April 23, authorities conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle Mendoza-Gonzalez was driving and found a female back seat passenger covered in mud, with a strong body odor, torn pants and scratch marks all over her arms. She was a Mexican national with no legal status in the United States.

Mendoza-Gonzalez admitted to her involvement with the human smuggling organization and stated she expected to receive $50 per migrant she transported.

Phone communications between Mendoza-Gonzalez and co-conspirators revealed that over only a seven-week period, she was also involved in coordinating the transportation and/or harboring of at least 55 additional individuals. 

Mendoza-Gonzalez and Gonzalez will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. 

Homeland Security Investigations, Border Patrol and the Laredo Police Department conducted the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found on the Department of Justice’s OCDETF webpage. 

This sentencing is also the result of the coordinated efforts of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). Attorney General Merrick B. Garland established JTFA in June 2021 to marshal the investigative and prosecutorial resources of the Department of Justice, in partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), to combat the rise in prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking groups operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras. The initiative was expanded to Colombia and Panama to combat human smuggling in the Darién in June 2024. JTFA comprises detailees from U.S. attorneys’ offices along the southwest border including the Southern District of California, districts of Arizona and New Mexico and the Western and Southern Districts of Texas. Dedicated support is provided by numerous components of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, led by the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section, and supported by the Office of Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training; Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section; Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section; Office of Enforcement Operations; Office of International Affairs; and the Violent Crime and Racketeering Section. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration and other partners. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in over 325 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers and significant facilitators of human smuggling, more than 270 U.S. convictions, more than 210 significant jail sentences imposed and forfeitures of substantial assets.

Assistant U.S. Attorney and JTFA detailee Jennifer Day prosecuted this case.

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A federal jury has convicted a 35-year-old Corpus Christi resident for felon in possession of a firearm and possessing unregistered pipe bombs, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

The jury deliberated for approximately 90 minutes before convicting Robert Spencer following a three-day trial.

The jury heard that law enforcement investigated a call reporting a shooting in the area. During the investigation, authorities approached Spencer, who fled into his home while appearing to be armed. This led to a standoff lasting an hour, during which law enforcement heard two gunshots from inside the home as Spencer yelled for them to leave. Eventually, Spencer exited his home without a firearm and law enforcement arrested him.

Authorities executed a search warrant for Spencer’s home and found six pipe bombs and three firearms, along with boxes of ammunition, in the attic. They also discovered another firearm next to Spencer’s home, where authorities initially spotted him. Spencer admitted to law enforcement that he personally assembled the pipe bombs and claimed ownership of the firearm found next to the house.

Testing confirmed the pipe bombs were destructive devices as defined by the law. In addition, the pipe bombs were not properly registered to Spencer in the National Firearms Registration and transfer record.

During the trial, the defense attempted to convince the jury that Spencer was unaware of the firearms found in his attic and outside his home. They contended that the pipe bombs Spencer admitted to making were not destructive devices. The jury rejected these claims and found him guilty as charged.

As a convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing firearms by federal law.

U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos presided over the trial and set sentencing for Feb. 4, 2025.  At that time, Spencer faces up to 15 years in federal prison for possession of firearms and up to 10 years for possession of unregistered pipe bombs and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.

He will remain in custody pending that hearing.

The Corpus Christi Police Department with the assistance of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S Attorneys Patrick Overman and Ashley Martin prosecuted the case with the assistance of Paralegal Rachel Gonzales. 

LAREDO, Texas – Two Texans have been sentenced for their roles in distributing and conspiring to distribute cocaine, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

Guillermo Fernando Rojo, 39, Laredo, and Gilbert Zambrano Saldivar, 45, Dallas, each pleaded guilty March 5 and April 4, respectively.

U.S. District Judge Diana Saldaña has now imposed 120-month-terms of imprisonment for both men. They must also serve five years of supervised release following their sentences.

Two others - Omar Acosta, 41, Laredo, and Juan Ambrosio Barrientos-Cano, 34, Austin, were previously sentenced to the same terms of imprisonment.

Between November and December 2021, Acosta and Rojo directed another individual to travel from Laredo to Austin to retrieve five kilograms of cocaine and $9,000 in cash from Barrientos-Cano. He was to deliver the cocaine to their courier in Dallas and the money to the two men.

The cocaine had an approximate street value of $81,150.

In Dallas, he actually delivered bundles of sham cocaine to Saldivar, who was also acting on instructions from the two men and reported the bundles had been successfully delivered. Authorities intercepted the delivery and arrested Saldivar.

Several days later, Rojo contacted the individual to make payment arrangements for picking up cocaine from Barrientos-Cano and delivering the drugs to Saldivar. Law enforcement arrested the remaining three co-conspirators who confessed to their roles in the crime.

The investigation revealed previous incidents where co-conspirators delivered multikilogram quantities of cocaine from the Laredo border to major cities in Texas, Illinois, Tennessee, Arkansas, Missouri and Mississippi.

The co-conspirators also collected several hundred thousand dollars of drug proceeds and delivered it to Acosta and Rojo to fund the organization’s operations in the United States and Mexico.

Additionally, truck drivers smuggled cocaine bundles from Mexico and delivered them to Acosta, Rojo or to couriers who the men recruited, gave orders to and paid.

Acosta and Rojo transported approximately $280,000 in cash proceeds three weeks before their arrest and occasionally delivered up to $500,000 to Mexico in single smuggling episodes.

The investigation also revealed Mexican organizers paid Acosta and Rojo 5% of money collections from outside Texas and 2% of proceeds collected within Texas.

Rojo was permitted to remain on bond while Saldivar will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation with the assistance of Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Marshals Service and police departments in Laredo and Austin.

Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Jose Angel Moreno prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jose Homero Ramirez handled the sentencings.

McALLEN, Texas – A 43-year-old man has been sentenced for importing meth, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

Arnulfo Hinojosa Jr. pleaded guilty Aug. 1.

Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane has now ordered Hinojosa to serve 135 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence that Hinojosa played an integral role in smuggling illegal narcotics into the United States. In handing down the sentence, the court noted traffickers could not succeed without the willing participation of transporters like Hinojosa.

On April 22, Hinojosa claimed he had no illegal drugs in his vehicle when arriving at the Rio Grande City Port of Entry.

Authorities referred him to secondary inspection where a K-9 alerted to the odor of narcotics. A subsequent search revealed 101 bricks of meth, weighing approximately 140 kilograms and hidden in compartments under the vehicle’s cargo bed.

The meth had an estimated street value of approximately $350,000.

At the time of his plea, Hinojosa admitted he knew he was smuggling narcotics into the United States.

Hinojosa will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

Customs and Border Protection and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Theodore Parran III prosecuted the case.

LAREDO, Texas – Two individuals have been sentenced to prison for their roles in an extensive human smuggling conspiracy involving Cartel del Noreste (CDN), announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. 

Laredo resident Francisco Suarez, 20, and Luis Daniel Segura Guzman, 26, a Mexican citizen residing in Laredo. Suarez pleaded guilty Dec. 20, 2023, and Jan. 18, respectively.    

U.S. District Judge Diana Saldaña has now imposed a 33-month term of imprisonment for Suarez, while Segura received 30 months. Both must serve three years of supervised release following their sentences. Not a U.S. citizen, Guzman is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence that Suarez and Segura were a part of Los Fantasmas, a gang and alien smuggling organization who works hand-in-hand with Mexican cartels. Judge Saldaña imposed sentencing enhancements that held each responsible for smuggling at least 100 aliens or more. The court commented that both were “committed to this lifestyle” and noted the importance of imposing a sentence that would deter them from becoming involved in this conduct in the future.  

Another co-conspirator Bernardo Aniceto Garza, 27, Laredo, also pleaded guilty and is set for sentencing Nov. 4.  

“Cartel del Noreste, a Mexican cartel, is known for engaging in ruthless acts of violence and extortion to support its drug trafficking operations, and in recent years it has added human smuggling to its list of illicit money-making operations, with Facebook and social media becoming invaluable tools to facilitate its new venture,” said Hamdani. “CDN uses these platforms to recruit, coordinate and expand its criminal operations, reaching broader audiences, while putting countless lives at risk. For years, Suarez and Guzman used Facebook to exploit and profit from vulnerable individuals while also evading detection, but thanks to the efforts of my office, those days are now over.”

On Aug. 23, 2023, authorities discovered a Facebook post that appeared to be advertising transportation services for undocumented aliens via sleeper cabs of tractor trailers. The investigation revealed Segura coordinated the transportation of three undocumented aliens for approximately $8,000 and arranged for a Garza to make the pickup in Laredo that afternoon.

Authorities were able to apprehend Garza and found two women and a 15-year-old minor inside a parked tractor. All were citizens of Mexico and El Salvador and illegally present in the United States. Law enforcement also discovered a firearm inside the vehicle Garza was driving.   

On Sept. 16, 2023, authorities encountered Segura in Laredo. He admitted the CDN had recruited him in Mexico to smuggle aliens and that he worked with Suarez to do so. Law enforcement located a cell phone in Segura’s possession that was still logged into the Facebook account used to advertise and coordinate the August smuggling event.  

Suarez was acting as a scout in a separate smuggling attempt Sept. 19, 2023, when law enforcement arrested him. He admitted he worked for Garza and had provided him with the three migrants authorities caught Garza transporting. The investigation also identified Suarez as a stash house operator responsible for harboring undocumented individuals. 

An analysis of Segura’s phone revealed his involvement in the smuggling of at least 133 undocumented individuals. Historical data and messages traced Segura’s smuggling activities back to May 2020. The phone also contained detailed information, including photographs and identifying information of suspected migrants, screenshots of smuggling routes and deposit receipts for payments tied to smuggling services. 

Authorities found similar information on Suarez’s cell phone which included photos of approximately 300 unique individuals illegally smuggled across the border, including children, dating back to September 2022. 

The men will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. 

Homeland Security Investigations, Laredo Police Department and Border Patrol conducted the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation with the assistance of Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations and the Texas Department of Public Safety. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found on the Department of Justice’s OCDETF webpage. 

This sentencing is also the result of the coordinated efforts of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). Attorney General Merrick B. Garland established JTFA in June 2021 to marshal the investigative and prosecutorial resources of the Department of Justice, in partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), to combat the rise in prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking groups operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras. The initiative was expanded to Colombia and Panama to combat human smuggling in the Darién in June 2024. JTFA comprises detailees from U.S. attorneys’ offices along the southwest border including the Southern District of California, districts of Arizona and New Mexico and the Western and Southern Districts of Texas. Dedicated support is provided by numerous components of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, led by the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section, and supported by the Office of Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training; Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section; Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section; Office of Enforcement Operations; Office of International Affairs; and the Violent Crime and Racketeering Section. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, FBI, Drug Enforcement Adminstration and other partners. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in over 325 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers and significant facilitators of human smuggling, more than 270 U.S. convictions, more than 210 significant jail sentences imposed and forfeitures of substantial assets.

Assistant U.S. Attorney and JTFA detailee Jennifer Day prosecuted this case.

McALLEN, Texas – The former elected Starr County Attorney has been sentenced for extortion under color of law, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

Victor Canales Jr., 51, pleaded guilty Sept. 5, 2023.

Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane has now ordered Canales to serve 37 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard testimony from an auditor with the Texas Attorney General’s Office describing the cash deposits made into Canales’s personal accounts and his use of funds from the Starr County Attorney’s account. In imposing the sentence, the court determined the amount of the bribes at $44,000. The court also noted comments about the culture of corruption in Starr County, and said today’s sentence would act as a deterrent to that corruption.

“Prosecutors of all stripes, whether at the federal, state or city level, are defined by an oath, one to serve and protect their communities. It’s an oath that seeks only one thing—justice,” said Hamdani. “Victor Canales Jr. violated that oath and the trust of Starr County’s residents in exchange for tens of thousands of dollars in bribes. As an office of dedicated public servants, including 200 prosecutors, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District has little patience for corrupt officials, especially when a prosecutor trades his authority, his oath, for personal gain.” 

“Today’s sentencing highlights the FBI’s commitment to combat public corruption at every level. Citizens in the Rio Grande Valley deserve local government officials who can be trusted,” said Special Agent in Charge Aaron Tapp of the FBI’s San Antonio Field Office. “The FBI would like to thank our Operation Ice River partners at the Drug Enforcement Administration, as well as Texas Office of the Attorney General, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Texas Department of Public Safety - Texas Rangers for their continued collaboration in rooting out corruption and keeping our communities safe.”

Canales was the Starr County Attorney from 2005 to 2022. In that role, he was responsible for prosecuting misdemeanor crimes.

In September 2021, a woman reached out to Canales for assistance because her son had been charged with three misdemeanor offenses in Starr County. He said he could help her and that for $1500, he could take care of the Starr County tickets.

The mother gave Canales three money orders totaling $1500. He deposited the proceeds into his own checking account and used it for his own personal needs rather than depositing the monies into the Starr County account.

Canales then sent a series of letters to Cameron County indicating the three charges against the woman’s son would be dropped.

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

The FBI worked in partnership with the Texas Attorney General’s Office to conduct the Border Corruption Task Force investigation with the assistance of Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Forces agencies including the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, Texas Department of Public Safety - Criminal Investigations and Texas Rangers.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia Cook Profit prosecuted the case.

HOUSTON – Two Assistant U.S. Attorneys will lead the efforts of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of Texas (SDTX) in connection with early voting in Texas, which runs through Nov. 1, and the upcoming Nov. 5 general election, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

Civil Chief Daniel Hu has been appointed to serve as the election officer for civil matters, while Deputy Criminal Chief Sharad Khandelwal is the criminal election officer. In their capacities, both are responsible for overseeing the SDTX’s handling of election related complaints related to voting rights, such as limiting access to the polls, threats of violence to election officials or staff and election fraud.

“Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted in a fair and free election,” said Hamdani. “Similarly, election officials and staff must be able to serve without being subject to unlawful threats of violence. My office will always work tirelessly to protect the integrity of the election process.”

The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring and combatting discrimination and intimidation at the polls, threats of violence directed at election officials and poll workers and election fraud. The department will address these violations wherever they occur. The department’s longstanding Election Day Program furthers these goals and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the electoral process by providing local points of contact within the department for the public to report possible federal election law violations.

Federal law protects against such crimes as threatening violence against election officials or staff, 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 interference, including intimidation, and other acts designed to prevent or discourage people from voting or voting for the candidate of their choice. The Voting Rights Act 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 inability to read or write in English).  

“The franchise is the cornerstone of American democracy,” said Hamdani. “We all must ensure that those who are entitled to the franchise can exercise it if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice.”

In order to respond to complaints of voting rights concerns and election fraud during the upcoming election and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, Khandelwal and Hu will be on duty in this district while the polls are open and can be reached at 713-567-9345 and 713-567-9518, respectively.

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 main number in Houston is 713-693-5000, while South Texas residents can contact the San Antonio office at 210-225-6741.

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

“Ensuring free and fair elections depends in large part on the assistance of the American electorate,” said Hamdani. “It is important that those who have specific information about voting rights concerns or election fraud make that information available to DOJ.”

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. 

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 46-year-old Aransas Pass resident has pleaded guilty to smuggling Dong Tao chickens into the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

In August 2023, Jennifer Mayo had illegally smuggled 60 Dong Tao chicken eggs into the United States from Vietnam and Cambodia. She was also attempting to hatch them at her home in Ingleside.

Although Mayo initially reported all the animals that hatched had died, authorities conducted subsequent checks which revealed there were multiple live Dong Tao chickens on her property. However, due to their health, they had to be euthanized.

Dong Tao chickens aka Dragon chickens are a rare, expensive breed of chicken typical to southeast Asia. Originally from the village of Dong Tao in Vietnam, these chickens have very large legs as their identifying feature.

It is illegal to import poultry into the United States from regions affected by highly pathogenic avian influenza or regions where Newcastle disease exist in commercial poultry populations unless specific conditions are met.

According to the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Vietnam and Cambodia are listed as regions affected with highly pathogenic avian influenza and are not listed as free of Newcastle disease.

U.S. District Court Judge David S. Morales will impose sentencing Jan. 23, 2025. At that time, Mayo faces up to 20 years imprisonment and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.

Mayo was permitted to remain on bond pending that hearing.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture conducted the investigation with the assistance of Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Liesel Roscher and Tyler Foster are prosecuting the case.

LAREDO, Texas – A 55-year-old Mexican national residing in Houston has been sentenced following her conviction of conspiracy to import and possession with intent to deliver meth, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

A federal jury in Laredo deliberated for less than two hours before returning the guilty verdict Feb. 8, 2023, against Ana Maria Pena-Gutierrez following a two-day trial.

U.S. District Judge Diana Saldaña has now ordered Pena-Gutierrez to serve 210 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release.

“Pena-Gutierrez and others like her who poison our communities with drugs and jeopardize the lives of countless persons of all ages deserve to be found and prosecuted without hesitation,” Hamdani said. “That continues to be my commitment to our communities, our people and our youth.”

Between Dec. 13, 2020, and June 14, 2022, Pena-Gutierrez and others conspired to import almost 60 kilograms of meth. She organized transportation, provided vehicles to load drivers and paid the drivers for each successful criminal venture.

At the time of the trial, co-conspirator Mike Mendoza testified Pena-Gutierrez hired and paid him to drive two vehicles to smuggle drugs from Mexico into the United States several times from Jan. 10, 2021, through Feb. 25, 2021.

Law enforcement arrested Mendoza Feb. 25, 2021, as he drove a pickup truck into Laredo with 24 bundles of meth, weighing 56.232 net kilograms and hidden within the tires. According to testimony given at trial, the approximate street value of the drugs was $451,244.

Mendoza admitted he successfully made two prior trips from Mexico at Pena-Gutierrez’s direction; however, an investigation revealed Mendoza had four prior entries from Mexico in a sedan.

Mendoza testified Pena-Gutierrez paid him $5,000 for each of the two prior smugglings and promised to pay him $9,000 at the time of his arrest. Pena-Gutierrez also fronted Mendoza $500 for travel expenses.

Authorities arrested another co-conspirator, Erik Alonso Martinez, April 23, 2021, as he entered Laredo with 52.28 kilograms of meth in the sedan’s fuel tank with a net weight of 25.04 kilograms and an approximate street value of $200,938.

During an interview, Martinez told law enforcement he picked up the car in Houston from someone whom he declined to identify. An investigation later revealed Pena-Gutierrez provided Martinez with the sedan.

After her arrest Aug. 10, 2021, Pena-Gutierrez told authorities others paid her to recruit Mendoza and Martinez. She also told law enforcement she received about $4,000 for each successful drug importation and paid each driver between $7,000 and $8,000 per trip.

During the trial, authorities presented evidence including charts of 350 phone calls and text messages between Pena-Gutierrez and Mendoza regarding the price of meth and how it increases as one travels further north from the border.

At the trial, the jury also heard from an expert in financial records describing the irregularities of Pena-Gutierrez’s bank activities. Authorities also testified, detailing her confession and the entire conspiracy.

Mendoza and Martinez received 84 months and 174 days in federal prison, respectively, for their roles in the smuggling organization.

Pena-Gutierrez will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with assistance from Customs and Border Protection.

Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) Jose Homero Ramirez prosecuted the case. Former AUSAs Matthew Isaac and José Angel Moreno tried the case to a jury.

HOUSTON – A 52-year-old Stafford resident has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

Kristen Fenrick admitted the fraud was in connection to false applications through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Programs provided through the Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

From March 2020 until February 2022, at the time of the COVID-19 pandemic, Fenrick conspired to submit false and fraudulent applications to the Small Business Administration (SBA) via the PPP and EIDL programs.

Fenrick was the owner of Klearly Kristen Inc., a business engaged in the sale of jewelry and accessories. As part of her plea, she admitted to conspiring to submit a PPP loan application that grossly inflated the number of employees her business purportedly had as well as the business’s average monthly payroll expenses.

In support of the application, she and a co-conspirator she paid for assistance submitted fraudulent IRS documents to the lender. Relying on the false representations in the application, a third-party lender with SBA-delegated authority disbursed a PPP loan to Klearly Kristen in the amount of $405,340 in June 2020.

Fenrick admitted to using at least some of those funds for her own personal benefit including the lease of a luxury vehicle and not for the loan’s intended use. The loan was later forgiven based on continued misrepresentations about the business’s employee headcount and payroll expenses.

Fenrick further admitted she submitted several false EIDL applications for Klearly Kristen and several other purported businesses she owned, most of which were unsuccessful except for a $10,000 advance issued to Klearly Kristen.

Due to her actions, the PPP and EIDL programs lost a total of $415,340.

U.S. District Judge Alfred H. Bennett has set sentencing for Jan. 30, 2025. At that time, Fenrick faces up to five years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine. Fenrick was permitted to remain on bond pending that hearing.

The SBA-Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Secret Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Shirin Hakimzadeh is prosecuting the case.

HOUSTON – A 22-year-old man has been taken into custody in connection to the fentanyl overdose death of a Houston resident, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

Law enforcement arrested Cole Martin Millsap Oct. 23. He is set to make his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Dena Hanovice Palermo at 2 p.m.

“The victim in this case had just completed rehabilitation before allegedly receiving the fatal dose,” said Hamdani. “Time and time again, Millsap had the chance to change his ways; however, he allegedly continued to sell fentanyl while on bond. Alleged poison peddlers who think they’re getting away with plaguing our communities have no place to hide.”

According to court documents, Millsap allegedly sold drugs to the victim multiple times. A forensic examination of the victim’s phone allegedly revealed text message conversations between Millsap and the victim discussing the purchase of illegal narcotics.

On April 22, law enforcement discovered the victim deceased at his residence following a welfare check, just three days after his last message to Millsap, according to the charges. The criminal complaint alleges an autopsy later confirmed that fentanyl toxicity caused the victim’s death.

At the time, Millsap was allegedly on felony bond with a condition that he wear a GPS monitoring device. Millsap’s GPS coordinate allegedly corroborate the delivery described in the text messages.

Through a cell phone number in the victims’ phone allegedly labeled as “COLE WORLD,” law enforcement identified Millsap as the alleged fentanyl dealer responsible for the overdose death. 

On Aug. 29, Millsap allegedly arranged the sale of 0.4 grams of powder fentanyl for $40 to a member of law enforcement as part of an undercover investigation.

On Sept. 4, Millsap sold 3.55 grams of powder fentanyl and 3.9 grams of heroin in plastic baggies to an undercover member of law enforcement for $530, according to the charges.

Again, on Oct. 3, Millsap allegedly sold 105.4 grams of fentanyl powder for $3,470.

If convicted, Millsap faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years and up to life in prison as well as a possible $5 million maximum fine.  

The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Fentanyl/Overdose Task Force conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Houston Police Department and the Harris County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stuart Tallichet is prosecuting the case.

A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.

McALLEN, Texas – Three Houston-area residents have been sent to prison following their convictions of possessing with intent to distribute 777 kilograms of meth, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

Eduardo Figueroa Jr., 29, Cleveland, and Cynara Lucia Sarmiento, 26, Conroe, pleaded guilty March 22, 2023. Marlon Deon Martin, 31, Conroe, pleaded guilty March 21, 2023.

U.S. District Chief Judge Randy Crane has now ordered Figueroa, Sarmiento and Martin to serve 144, 60 and 37 months in federal prison, respectively. All three must also serve three years of supervised release following their sentences. In handing down the prison terms, Chief Judge Crane informed Figueroa that he would end up with the biggest sentence as he was the organizer of this offense. During his statement at sentencing, Figueroa took responsibility for getting his co-conspirators involved and stated that he was in charge. Chief Judge Crane noted that he handed down lighter sentences as the co-conspirators were young and foolish with little to no criminal history who he wanted to help get back on the right path.  

At the time of his plea, Figueroa admitted he hired Sarmiento as his personal assistant and tasked her with leasing warehouse space and forming Hive Logistics, a business warehouse located in Houston. Figueroa recruited Martin to help unload the narcotics.

On May 12, 2021, authorities executed a search at the location and discovered 777 kilograms of meth, 10 kilograms of cocaine, ledgers, two pistols and five magazines. The meth was located inside metal barrels marked as mango puree.

In furtherance of his plea, Figueroa admitted the meth was part of a larger shipment he had received, of which approximately 800 kilograms had already been delivered to several individuals. Sarmiento also admitted to creating a ledger for the drugs and delivering them on at least one occasion with Figueroa.

The estimated street value of the meth is $29 million.

This case is part of an exportation and straw purchasing of firearms investigation from March 2021 where Figueroa was identified as a recruiter. He also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to straw purchase five shotguns on Nov. 22, 2021, and was sentenced to 60 months in prison to run concurrently.

Sarmiento and Martin were permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons (BOP) facility to be determined in the near future. Figueroa will remain in custody pending transfer to a BOP facility to be determined in the near future.

Homeland Security Investigations and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney M. Alexis Garcia prosecuted the case.

LAREDO, Texas – A 46-year-old man has been sentenced for possession with the intent to distribute meth, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

Daniel Rodriguez pleaded guilty April 2.

U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo has now ordered Rodriguez to serve 360 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. In handing down the sentence, the court noted Rodriguez sold poison to people and despite having multiple opportunities to stop, he continued selling drugs. During the hearing, Rodriguez remarked he was a father and the court asked if he sold these same drugs to his family. Additionally, the court questioned if he would stop selling drugs if one of his own children had overdosed.

On Jan. 3, authorities executed a search warrant at Rodriguez’s residence. While approaching the house, law enforcement saw Rodriguez flee from inside his home, during which time he attempted to discard a baggie that was later found to contain meth.

After detaining Rodriguez, authorities searched the home and found more meth inside. He later admitted that the seized drugs belonged to him.

Rodriguez will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

The Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, Customs and Border Protection, Border Patrol and the Laredo Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian Bajew and Leslie Cortez prosecuted the case.

The case was prosecuted as part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF is the largest anti-crime task force in the country. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found on the Department of Justice’s OCDETF webpage.

McALLEN, Texas – A 54-year-old man has been sentenced for illegally exporting firearms from the United States into Mexico, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

Elmer Espinoza-Ortega pleaded guilty July 11.

U.S. District Judge Drew B. Tipton has now ordered Espinoza-Ortega to serve 36 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by two years of supervised release.

“Many guns exported from the United States into Mexico are used for criminal activity or end up in the hands of the cartels,” said Hamdani. “My office is committed to preventing transnational gun violence by stopping the export of firearms from the United States.”

On May 26, Espinoza-Ortega attempted to exit the United States through the Anzalduas Port of Entry. Upon further inspection, law enforcement discovered a firearm magazine in Espinoza-Ortega’s pocket.

A subsequent search of his vehicle revealed four firearms and five firearm magazines concealed in the bumper of the vehicle.

At the time of his plea, Espinoza-Ortega admitted he did not possess a license to export firearms or ammunition, he knew the firearms were in his vehicle and he intended to transport the firearms into Mexico.

Espinoza-Ortega will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

Customs and Border Protection and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda McColgan prosecuted the case.

This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

McALLEN, Texas – A 21-year-old resident of Edinburg has been ordered to prison for receipt of child pornography depicting prepubescent minors, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

Lazaro Segundo-Vazquez pleaded guilty May 15, 2023, admitting he received over 1,800 images and video files containing child sexual abuse material.

Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane has now sentenced Segundo-Vazquez to 78 months in federal prison. He must also pay $3,000 in restitution to three victims and will serve 10 years on supervised release following completion of his prison term. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. Segundo-Vazquez will also be ordered to register as a sex offender.

An alert from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children led authorities to a residence in Edinburg appearing to be uploading child pornography to a Google account. The investigation revealed Segundo-Vazquez received images and videos containing child sexual abuse material via a third-party messaging application on his cellular phone.

Segundo-Vazquez admitted to receiving child sexual abuse material that included videos and images of prepubescent children and toddlers. The material depicted children engaged in sexual acts with adults and other children. Segundo-Vazquez then uploaded several images of child sexual abuse material to a Google account.

He will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

Homeland Security Investigations - Rio Grande Valley Child Exploitation Task Force conducted the investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Cahal P. McColgan prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources link on that page.

HOUSTON – A 41-year-old man has been sentenced for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

Fernando Perez pleaded guilty July 9. 

U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo has now ordered Perez to serve 71 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. 

The case began June 12, 2019, when authorities conducted an investigation into illegal firearms trafficking in Webb County.

Law enforcement identified Perez as the individual who was illegally selling semi-automatic rifles on the streets of Laredo. The investigation revealed Perez illegally sold a Stag Arms, model Stag 15, 5.56 caliber semi-automatic rifle for $2,000 in broad daylight. 

At the time of the illegal sale, Perez already had a prior 2012 felony conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm. As such, he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition per federal law.

He will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation with assistance from the Laredo Police Department and Webb County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Francisco J. Rodriguez and Andrew Hakala-Finch prosecuted the case.

McALLEN, Texas - A 38-year-old man is facing life in prison after pleading guilty in one of the largest fentanyl cases prosecuted in the Southern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

Juan Jesus Orozco-Vargas admitted he knew drugs were hidden within pallets of limes he helped import from Mexico.

On April 5, a tractor-trailer containing 24 pallets of limes crossed into Texas from Mexico through the Pharr Port of Entry and arrived at a warehouse in McAllen. Orozco-Vargas was waiting at the warehouse to supervise the transfer of the pallets. While warehouse workers were unloading the boxes of limes, a pallet broke, causing pink and blue fentanyl pills stamped “M30” to spill out onto the floor.

Orozco-Vargas attempted to flee upon law enforcement’s arrival on scene, but they quickly apprehended him.

He admitted he was there to make sure the pallets were not damaged. He planned to move the pallets containing the fentanyl pills to the side so they could be transported from the warehouse. He admitted he was going to be paid for his services.

Authorities examined the pallets and discovered they concealed approximately 1.4 million fentanyl pills totaling 152.98 kilograms.  

“At 1.4 million doses, this is one of the largest seizures of fentanyl the Southern District of Texas has prosecuted,” said Hamdani. “Removing these deadly pills from the streets of American cities, especially streets that are a few miles away from Mexico, will only save countless lives. My office is committed to dismantling the drug trafficking organizations that flood the United States with deadly fentanyl. This prosecution is emblematic of that commitment.”

“Today’s guilty plea further emphasizes how critical the investigative efforts of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) are, particularly those involving the smuggling of fentanyl into the United States,” said HSI San Antonio Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee. “HSI is relentless in its fight against those who deliberately engage in the illicit manufacturing and trafficking of dangerous drugs. We will continue to identify and investigate those who seek to introduce lethal drugs into our communities.”

U.S. District Judge Tipton will impose sentencing Feb. 4, 2025. At that time, Orozco faces up to life in federal prison as well as a possible $10 million maximum fine.

He has been and will remain in custody pending that hearing.

Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda McColgan is prosecuting the case.

LAREDO, Texas – A Texas man and a Mexican national have been indicted for allegedly attempting to purchase firearms in the United States to bring across the border into Mexico, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

A federal grand jury has now returned a three-count indictment against Jorge Alberto Morales-Calvo, 25, Mexico, and Homero Arteaga Jr., 45, Mission.

Originally charged by criminal complaint and in custody, they are expected to appear for their arraignment before a U.S. magistrate judge in the near future.

In September, Morales-Calvo and Arteaga allegedly went to Zapata to purchase a .50 caliber rifle and a FN Five-Seven pistol. The charges allege they were given a bag containing $16,850 in counterfeit U.S. currency to purchase the firearms.

According to the complaint, Morales-Calvo and Arteaga arrived in a black pickup truck at the predetermined meeting point, at which time Arteaga inspected the firearms. After retrieving the counterfeit money for the transaction, Arteaga allegedly grabbed the case holding the firearms and attempted to place them in the bed of the truck.

The charges allege Morales-Calvo noticed authorities and attempted to flee and left Arteaga behind. Law enforcement quickly apprehended both men, according to the complaint.

The firearms were intended for ultimate delivery in Mexico, according to the charges.

If convicted of the conspiracy, both men face up to 15 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine. Arteaga and Morales-Calvo are also charges with felon in possession of a firearm and alien in possession of a firearm, respectively, and face an additional 10 years in federal prison, upon conviction.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Texas Department of Public Safety and Border Patrol.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew P. Hakala-Finch is prosecuting the case.

An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.

HOUSTON – A 24-year-old Houston resident has been ordered to remain in custody for trafficking fentanyl, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

Antonio Curo has now appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Christina Bryan, at which time the court found him to be a danger to the community and a flight risk and ordered he remain in custody pending further criminal proceedings.

The indictment, returned Sept. 18, alleges Curo was a member of an ongoing 13-month conspiracy to distribute more than 400 grams of fentanyl resulting in death. According to records filed in the case, he recruited and directed accomplices and exercised decision making authority over the distribution of fentanyl during the conspiracy. He set the prices for the pills; negotiated, planned and organized their sale; prepared them for shipment; mailed parcels containing pills to individuals across the country; received payments; and claimed a right to the majority share of the drug proceeds, according to the allegations.

“Fentanyl is the greatest drug threat of our time, killing young people at catastrophic rates and devastating families in communities across the United States,” said Hamdani. “Curo allegedly used modern day methods and traditional means--social media and the mail--to help market and distribute his deadly fentanyl stock to victims near and far. Today’s announcement is a step towards achieving justice and closure for the families of the victims in this case.”

In December 2023, Curo allegedly distributed fentanyl that resulted in the death of a 24-year-old male in Connecticut. The victim had ordered pills via a social media and instant messaging service, according to records, and Curo sent them through the mail. The victim’s girlfriend allegedly saw him receive the package and ingest the pills before he died.

Records revealed he was also linked to shipments sent in January to Vermont and Iowa. A 16-year old juvenile residing in Vermont had allegedly purchased and received approximately 30 pills in a glass bottle. The pills were determined to be alprazolam. This individual did not ingest any of the substances.

Authorities also identified the intended recipient of the Iowa parcel who had ordered what she thought was Oxycodone through the mail, according to court records. Authorities allegedly tested the pills and found they actually contained fentanyl with a net weight of 5.1 grams. She alleges she was not aware the pills she ordered contained fentanyl.

Also in January, Curo again distributed fentanyl that resulted in the death of another, according to the charges. On Jan. 19, a 16-year-old female allegedly died after consuming pills that contained fentanyl. Curo had directly provided the pills to her, according to the allegations.

The victim’s father had found her deceased in her room with an imprinted “M-30” pill in a small, orange plastic bag next to her body, according to records. Lab testing confirmed the pill allegedly contained fentanyl.

Records also indicate a trip Curo paid for occurred from an address near the minor victim’s residence to an address near the his residence on the day before the minor victim died.

At the hearing, the court heard that Curo was aware of the deaths and that he knew he was selling fentanyl.

Curo is charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl resulting in death or serious bodily injury as well as six substantive counts of distribution of fentanyl from August 2023 through April 2024. He is also charged with a conspiracy to distribute and distribution of alaprazolam commonly known as “Xanax.”  

At the time of his arrest, he also had several pills in his possession, according to the charges.

If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum of 20 years imprisonment and up to life as well as a maximum $10 million possible fine.

Mikalob Hill, 24, Houston, is also charged in relation to the case. He allegedly picked up several parcels containing fentanyl at Curo’s direction and rented his mailbox to him. He faces one count of possession with intent to distribute alprazolam and faces up to five years in prison, upon conviction.

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) and Homeland Security Investigations in Houston conducted the investigation with the assistance of the USPIS in Vermont and Iowa and USPIS – Office of Inspector General, Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office, Fort Bend County Narcotics Task Force, Houston Police Department and Harris County Sherriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anibal J. Alaniz and Casey N. MacDonald are prosecuting the case.

An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 57-year-old Falfurrias resident is headed back to prison for illegally possessing a rifle, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

Gerardo Vargas pleaded guilty July 25.

U.S District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos has ordered Vargas to serve 84 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard about Vargas’ extensive criminal history involving burglary, narcotics trafficking and firearms charges and the fact that he was on supervised release for conspiracy to harbor/transport undocumented aliens at the time of the offense. The court also heard that Vargas has been a member of the Texas Syndicate Prison Gang since 1990. In imposing the sentence, the court noted his extensive criminal history, that this was his fifth federal case and his previous revocations.

In December 2022, authorities encountered Vargas hunting with a rifle on private property and took him into custody on related charges. At the time of his arrest, Vargas admitted to having hunted just days prior on another property.

At the time of his arrest, law enforcement knew he was a convicted felon. As such, he is prohibited from possessing firearms per federal law.

Vargas will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

GALVESTON, Texas – A 46-year-old man has been ordered to federal prison following his conviction for sending obscene photos and messages to a minor, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Brown convicted George Jimenez April 23 following a one-day trial earlier that month. Prior to trial, Jimenez pleaded guilty to two counts of transfer of obscene material to a minor.

Judge Brown has now sentenced Jimenez to 24o and 120 months for the coercion and enticement of a minor and transfer of obscene material to a minor convictions, respectively. They will run concurrently for a total 240-month-term of imprisonment. At the hearing, the court also heard additional information including testimony from four victims detailing how Jimenez’s actions affected them. In handing down the prison terms, the court noted the reprehensibility of Jimenez’s conduct and the need for a severe sentence to deter and prevent future criminal conduct. Jimenez was further ordered to serve 10 years on supervised release following completion of his prison term. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. Jimenez will also be ordered to register as a sex offender.

“Today’s sentence should be a deterrence to individuals who commit serious online crimes against minors, even when there has been no physical contact,” said Hamdani. “Jimenez preyed on vulnerable victims who were unaware they were communicating with an adult male.”

In April 2019, law enforcement discovered Jimenez had sent pictures of his genitals to a 13-year-old girl and other contacts in his phone. Five were the minors’ 12 and 13-year-old classmates.

Authorities executed a federal search warrant and discovered Jimenez was using the TextNow application to disguise himself as a teenage boy to engage in sexually explicit conversations with minors.

From March until April 2019, Jimenez engaged in those communications, including sending at least five pictures of his genitals to the 13-year-old child. In approximately 17 communications, Jimenez asked the minor victim for pictures of either her breasts, buttocks or genital area.

In a text exchange, the minor shared information with Jimenez that she shaved her genital region. Jimenez then sent messages asking to see images of it.

At the time of the trial, the defense attempted to convince the court the messages he sent to the minor did not arise to the level of attempting to persuade the minor to send him sexually explicit photos of herself. He did not believe those claims and found Jimenez guilty as charged. In his ruling, the court stated, “these requests were direct, specific and unambiguous. They were not shrouded in innuendo or bashfulness. Simply put, there is no question that Jimenez repeatedly asked [the minor] to take and send him pictures of her genitals and pubic area.”

He will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

FBI conducted the investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen M. Lansden and Sherin S. Daniel prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page. 

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 22-year-old Corpus Christi resident has been sentenced following his conviction of robbery and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

Rudy Feregrino pleaded guilty May 23.

U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos has now ordered him to serve a total of 90 months in prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release.

On Jan. 20, at approximately 1:44 a.m., Feregrino entered the Holiday Inn Express on Brookhaven Dr. in Corpus Christi. He was wearing distinctive grey high-top Nike sneakers and a black windbreaker with white reflective stripes. He went directly to the front desk and pointed a black and tan firearm at the clerk and demanded money from the register. The frightened clerk complied, after which Feregrino left.

Several hours later, law enforcement saw an individual that matched Feregrino’s description entering a vehicle. They discovered the vehicle had been reported stolen and conducted a traffic stop.

Feregrino was still wearing the same distinctive clothes from the robbery. Authorities also found the black and tan firearm.

Feregrino has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

The Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation with assistance from the Corpus Christi Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel Dunn prosecuted the case.

HOUSTON – A local tax business owner has been sentenced for aiding and assisting in the preparation and filing of false income tax returns, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

Krystal Wright pleaded guilty April 17.

U.S. District Judge Jeffrey V. Brown has now ordered Wright to serve 24 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by one year of supervised release. She was also ordered to pay $525,404 in restitution. At the hearing, the court heard how her criminal history, the length of her scheme and the harm to the taxpayers warranted a prison sentence. In handing down that sentence, the court noted that he hoped Wright would learn from her actions.

Wright was the sole owner and only tax preparer at WW2F in Freeport for six years. 

Most of Wright’s clients did not have a business nor did they discuss any business income or expenses with her. After Wright completed a tax return, she did not review the completed documents with clients and only provided them with the refund amount and first two pages of the return. This prevented her clients from identifying overstated or false items on their tax returns.

From 2017 through 2020, Wright prepared and filed approximately 83 federal income tax returns that contained false and fraudulent items. Some included qualified solar electric property costs, gifts by cash or check, business expenses, wages, salaries, tips and supplies. 

The false and fraudulent filings resulted in a total sustained tax harm of $525,404.

She will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

IRS Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rodolfo Ramirez and James Hu prosecuted the case.

McALLEN, Texas – A 29-year-old McAllen resident has entered guilty pleas to enticement of a minor and production of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

Christian Hanks recorded himself with a minor victim in December 2023.

The investigation also revealed Hanks had engaged in conversation with another minor victim in the Western District of Louisiana to entice her to engage in sexual conduct with him. The investigation revealed he also engaged in sexual intercourse with the second minor victim.

U.S. District Judge Micaela Alvarez will impose sentencing Jan. 15, 2025. At that time, Hanks faces up to 30 years in federal prison for the production of child pornography and up to life for enticing the second minor victim.

He has been and will remain in custody pending that hearing.

Homeland Security Investigations in Texas and Louisiana conducted the investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cahal P. McColgan and Earl M. Campbell prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources link on that page.

HOUSTON - A 59-year-old man has been convicted of all 15 counts as charged for heading a massive Medicare fraud scheme involving the fraudulent billing of expensive topical creams, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.  

The jury deliberated for less than five hours before convicting Mohamad Mokbel following a 10-day trial. 

From 2014 through 2021, Mohamad Mokbel led a company called 4M Pharmaceuticals which operated 14 pharmacies with straw owners. The jury heard evidence that Mokbel illegally purchased thousands of Medicare beneficiaries, including their identification number, personal health and physician information. Mokbel targeted elderly diabetic patients who are dependent on diabetic testing supplies to manage their blood sugar levels. Mokbel paid $16 to $40 per Medicare beneficiary.  

To maximize reimbursements and without regard for medical necessity, Mokbel then directed 4M employees to use the Medicare beneficiaries’ patient data to run insurance claims to determine if Medicare or other insurance plans would cover and reimburse at a high rate for the topical creams, Omega-3 pills and other medications that Mokbel intended to sell through 4M pharmacies.

At Mokbel’s direction, 4M employees would then fax pre-filled prescription requests to the patients’ doctors appearing to be for diabetic testing supplies with topical creams added at the bottom. They also included false representations that the patient was requesting a 4M Pharmacy fill their medications. In reality, Mokbel had previously purchased the patient’s personal information, the patient had not selected a 4M Pharmacy and the patient was often unaware the request was being made on their behalf. 

Many doctors apparently took the representations in the fax at face value and did sign and send back the prefilled prescription requests to 4M. Mokbel’s call center in Houston and later in Egypt then contacted the patients and made false and misleading statements about the topical cream and their doctor’s order. Mokbel’s pharmacies then shipped out numerous topical creams, often on auto-refill, and excessively billed Medicare, Medicaid and private insurance plans. 

Mokbel made over $200 million as a result of the scheme. 

From 2015 through 2020, Mokbel also corruptly gave a series of bribe payments, ranging from $2,000 to $5,000 and totaling over $188,000 an employee of a pharmacy benefits manager - OptumRx - in exchange for favorable treatment for 4M pharmacies. They were credentialed and recredentialed with OptumRx which allowed them to enter into retail network agreements with OptumRx, participate in the Medicare Part D program and submit claims for prescriptions for Medicare beneficiaries. Mokbel also received information and advice about responding to audits and preventing and/or delaying OptumRX termination of many 4M pharmacies.

U.S. District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal accepted the verdict and set sentencing for Jan. 7, 2025. At that time, Mokbel faces up to 20 years for conspiracy to commit mail fraud and health care fraud, 10 years for each of five counts of health care fraud, each of six counts of money laundering and one count of bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds as well as five years for

conspiracy to violate the Anti-Kickback Statute and conspiracy to commit bribery. He could also be ordered to pay up to a total of $4 million in fines and possible restitution in excess of $160 million.      

Previously released on bond, Mokbel was taken into custody pending sentencing.

The FBI, IRS Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration and the Texas Attorney General Medicaid Fraud Control Unit conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kathryn Leigh Olson and Adam Laurence Goldman are prosecuting the case.

McALLEN, Texas – A 41-year-old Dallas woman has been sentenced for possession with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of meth, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

Alma Delia Rios pleaded guilty March 22, 2022.

U.S. District Judge Micaela Alvarez has now ordered Rios to serve a total of 145 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard that Rios imported narcotics from Mexico on behalf of Dallas drug traffickers. In handing down the sentence, the court noted Rios’ use of her minor daughter as a means to disguise the trip as a typical family vacation when is was a drug deal.

In October 2021, Rios attempted entry from Mexico into the United States via the Hidalgo Port of Entry. A K-9 alerted to narcotics in her vehicle’s gas tank and door panels. A subsequent search revealed approximately 12 kilograms of crystal meth in the door panels and approximately 28 kilos of liquid meth in the gas tank.

Law enforcement determined Rios drove her minor daughter along with several friends from Dallas to a hotel in Reynosa, Mexico. Rios then knowingly provided her vehicle to Mexican drug traffickers who hid the narcotics in the vehicle.

Just a few months prior, in June 2021, Rios made the same trip and successfully entered the port of entry undetected with narcotics hidden in the same vehicle.

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

The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation with the assistance of Customs and Border Protection. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura Garcia prosecuted the case.

HOUSTON – A total of seven people in multiple states have been charged in a superseding indictment related to a large business email compromise (BEC) scheme, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

Authorities have now arrested Houston resident Amber Bush, 29. She is expected to make her initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Christina A. Bryan Oct. 15 at 2 p.m.

The three-count superseding indictment also charges Houston residents Bolaji Okunnu, 30, and Philip Ogbeide Jr., 34, along with Ayodeji Okunnu, 25, Austin; Victor Rubio Jr., 27, and Bougar Robert Linares Soto, 42, both of Los Angeles, California.

Another Houston resident - Destini Godfrey, 30 – is considered a fugitive and a warrant remains outstanding for his arrest. Anyone with information about his whereabouts is asked to contact the FBI at 713-693-5000.

All are charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering.

The BEC scheme involved deceiving victims into sending money to others and causing millions in losses, according to the charges.

Conspirators allegedly posed as legitimate businesses and fraudulently diverted money from victim bank accounts into accounts they controlled. According to the allegations, they gained access to business email accounts and spoofed email addresses to deceive victims into believing they were making legitimate payments.  

The superseding indictment indicates fraudulently diverted payments from numerous victims throughout the United States, including a financial services company from Oregon, a township in New Jersey, a demolition company in Texas, a healthcare liability insurance company in Georgia and a nutrition products manufacturer outside Texas.

Conspirators allegedly used email accounts to request payment for services to be sent to new bank accounts that did not belong to the vendor, according to the charges.

They allegedly deceived victims into wiring millions to fraudulent bank accounts the conspirators opened instead of actually paying the vendor. The charges further allege conspirators laundered the funds in a manner designed to conceal the source, ownership and control of the funds by quickly transferring the money from the receiving account to other bank accounts they controlled.

They then withdrew the fraud proceeds incrementally in cash, according to the charges.  

If convicted, they face up to 20 years in prison on the conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy charges as well as five years for the money laundering and illegal money transmitting charge. Each charge carries a possible $250,000 maximum fine.

The FBI-Bryan Resident Agency and IRS-Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation with valuable assistance from the Middlesex County District Attorney’s Office and the Edison Police Department in New Jersey and other law enforcement agencies and U.S. Attorney’s Offices throughout the United States. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Belinda Beek and James Hu are prosecuting the case.

An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.

HOUSTON – A 48-year-old Houston resident has been sentenced for wire fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

Walter Salek pleaded guilty April 5 to his involvement in a fraudulent scheme to obtain more than $1 million and falsely informing an investor the funds would be used to develop real estate.

U.S. District Judge Sim Lake has now ordered Salek to serve 15 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. He must also pay the victim $571,000 in restitution. At the hearing, the court heard additional testimony from the victim that described how Salek portrayed himself as a successful real estate developer who flew around in private jets and was letting the victim in on investments that before had only been available to Salek’s family. The victim testified that the worst part was not the fraud, but that Salek betrayed his trust by taking his money when Salek knew the victim’s wife was dying and leaving him with three children to raise. In handing down the prison sentence, the court noted that Salek’s claim he engaged in the fraud during a “manic episode” could not be true because the fraud and cover-up went on for years.

“Walter Salek took money from a friend who was in the midst of a family tragedy,” said Hamdani. “Instead of investing the money, he used it to live an extravagant lifestyle that included things like traveling by private jet, a $100,000 family vacation to Scotland and mortgage payments on a brownstone in Boston and his multi-million dollar house here in Houston. Today’s sentence demonstrates that everyone, even people living like the top 1%, will be held accountable for their criminal conduct.”

“Walter Salek committed clear-cut fraud, lived a care-free life until he got caught and will now spend time in federal prison for his crime,” said Special Agent in Charge Douglas Williams of the FBI Houston field office. “Salek took advantage of a friend’s long-time trust and money to invest in his fraudulent property ventures. He let his personal greed supersede that friendship and any potential opportunity for lawful prosperity.”

At the time of the plea, Salek admitted between 2019 and 2021, he entered into agreements with an investor to develop real estate in the Houston area. As per the agreement, Salek was to contribute real estate and the investor was to provide cash to develop the properties. Once developed, properties were to be either leased or sold.

The investor believed the funds would be used for the developments and deposited over $1 million into business bank accounts that Salek controlled through use of interstate wire communications. However, Salek diverted at least $571,000 of the investment funds for his own personal use on mortgage payments and luxury vacations.

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

The FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Belinda Beek prosecuted the case. 

HOUSTON – A Mexican national illegally residing in Houston and a relative have been sentenced following their convictions of several sex trafficking crimes, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

Maria Botello-Morales, 57, and her son Edgar Adrian Botello, 31, Houston, pleaded guilty in 2023.

U.S. District Judge Andrew S. Hanen has now imposed a 280-month-term of imprisonment for Botello-Morales, while Botello received a total of 180 months. Restitution will be determined at a later date. Not a U.S. citizen, Botello-Morales is expected to face removal proceedings following her imprisonment, while Botello will serve 15 years on supervised release following completion of his prison term. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. Both will also be ordered to register as sex offenders.

“Cantina cases shine a light on a unique form of trafficking where mostly undocumented women are sexually exploited for the financial benefit of the traffickers,” said Hamdani. “These individuals stole the American dream from the victims. This form of trafficking takes advantage of the fear these victims live in and we are grateful for the hard work of the Texas Alcohol and Beverage Commission (TABC) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in bringing them justice.”

“TABC is proud to work with the Office of the U.S. Attorney and our other partners in the effort to end human trafficking in Texas,” said TABC Chairman Kevin J. Lilly. “We join our fellow Texans in denouncing this heinous crime and reaffirming our pledge to help free the victims of human trafficking.”

At the time of the pleas, Botello-Morales admitted to sex trafficking with force, fraud or coercion and conspiracy to do so as well as sex trafficking of a minor. Botello pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit sex trafficking with force, fraud or coercion, two counts of sex trafficking of adults as well as possession of child pornography.

In 2007, Botello-Morales recruited a minor female from Mexico. She caused the minor to engage in commercial sex and took payment directly from the commercial sex buyers.

Botello-Morales ran Puerto Algre with Botello and others from 2015 to 2020. Puerto Algre was a cantina where numerous females were forced to engage in commercial sex in backrooms built specifically for that purpose. Botello-Morales, Botello and others threatened and intimidated these victims with violence to manipulate them into engaging in commercial sex for their own financial benefits.

The victims reported they started at the bar as waitresses. However, Botello-Morales soon told them they had to engage in commercial sex. If they refused, she threatened them with violence.  

Some witnessed violence and weapons at the bar and in the back area where the sex acts occurred. Each described how they had to take customers to the backrooms through a door and hidden from view of the bar. They were given a condom wrapped in a paper towel, were to spend no more than 15 minutes in the room and charge approximately $70. On the way out, they had to turn the money over to whoever was guarding the room.

During the investigation, one victim also explained when she refused to come to work, Botello-Morales sent someone to physically assault her.

The victims explained that Botello, who regularly carried a weapon, was the enforcer. He would also pass out the condoms and collect the money. During the execution of a search warrant at the home Botello-Morales and Botello shared, law enforcement found several loaded firearms in his room along with a computer containing child pornography.

Another co-conspirator, Esteban Toribio, 65, Houston, pleaded guilty June 17 and held the liquor license for the bar. Toribio reported the conduct to authorities in an attempt to help him gain control of the cantina. Also convicted in relation to the conspiracy was Arian Botello, 26, the nephew of Botello-Morales.

Both will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

TABC and HSI conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Houston Police Department (HPD) as part of the Human Trafficking Rescue Alliance (HTRA). Assistant U.S. Attorney Sherri L. Zack prosecuted the case.

HTRA law enforcement includes members of the HPD; FBI; HSI; Texas Attorney General’s Office; IRS-Criminal Investigation; Department of Labor (DOL); DOL – Wage and Hour Division; Department of State; Federal Air Marshals; TABC; Texas Department of Public Safety; Texas Rangers; Texas Parks and Wildlife; Social Security Administration – OIG; Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation; Texas Department of Family and Protective Services as well as police departments in Houston Independent School District (ISD), Conroe ISD and Missouri City; Harris County constables offices – Precincts one and four; sheriff’s offices in Harris, Montgomery, Fort Bend, Brazoria and Waller counties in coordination with District Attorney’s offices in Harris, Montgomery, Fort Bend and Galveston counties. They work in coordination with victim service providers such as YMCA, United Against Human Trafficking and Texas Forensic Nurse Examiners.

Established in 2004, the United States Attorney’s office in Houston formed HTRA to combine resources with federal, state and local enforcement agencies and prosecutors, as well as non-governmental service organizations to target human traffickers while providing necessary services to those that the traffickers victimized. Since its inception, HTRA has been recognized as both a national and international model in identifying and assisting victims of human trafficking and prosecuting those engaged in trafficking offenses.

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 20-year-old Pharr resident has pleaded guilty to conspiring to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, announced Alamdar S. Hamdani.

Jesus Neftali Padilla directed drivers to travel north through Border Patrol (BP) checkpoints further into the United States. He admitted to directing the drug smuggling events and supplying cocaine. He also placed modified cocaine-filled batteries in hidden compartments to attempt to avoid detection.

One incident occurred Jan. 27, 2023, at the Sarita BP checkpoint when authorities encountered a vehicle with approximately four kilograms of cocaine hidden in its battery compartment.

Approximately two months later, a truck approached the same checkpoint, at which time law enforcement again found four kilograms of cocaine hidden in the same manner inside a truck.

The cocaine bundles were to be delivered to various locations including San Antonio and Houston.

Padilla admitted to coordinating both events.

U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos will impose sentencing Jan. 8, 2025. At the time, Padilla faces the rest of his life in prison and a possible $10 million maximum fine.

Padilla was permitted to remain on bond pending that hearing.

The Drug Enforcement Administration and BP conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick Overman and Izaak Bruce are prosecuting the case.

HOUSTON - Charges have been unsealed as part of a larger enforcement action related to the unlawful distribution of nearly 70 million opioid pills and over 30 million doses of other commonly abused prescription drugs to alleged Houston-area pill-mill pharmacies. Three Houston-area pharmacy operators were also charged for their role in the schemes. Nine individuals have pleaded guilty.

According to court documents, the opioids allegedly distributed - oxycodone, hydrocodone and hydromorphone - were available in numerous strengths and forms, but the distributors allegedly sold the drugs almost exclusively in their most abused, most powerful immediate-release pill forms, i.e., the ones that sold for the most money on the black market. The distributors also allegedly sold prescription drug potentiators such as alprazolam, carisoprodol and promethazine with codeine syrup known for their reputation of enhancing the high from the opioids. The distributors allegedly charged their Houston customers far more for the drugs than what a legitimate pharmacy could or would pay.

As alleged in the charging documents, the defendants mostly targeted pill-mill pharmacies in and around Houston - a nationally recognized “hot zone” for diversion of pharmaceutical opioids onto the black market. The distributors sought to thwart Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) oversight function in several ways, including by following what one defendant called a “blueprint” for avoiding detection: high prices, low purchasing limits for the controlled drugs and compliance measures that only served appearances. In addition, the distributors were all located outside Texas, far removed from their Houston-area pill-mill pharmacy customers and the communities ravaged by their alleged offenses.

“The distributors that sourced pills into the Houston area may be located across the country, but they targeted Houston, helping to make it a known ‘hot zone’ for drug diversion,” said Hamdani. “This office will always support the prosecution of individuals who are believed to have thwarted law enforcement and oversight by operating across state lines and posing as legitimate businesses, while poisoning our district by targeting pill mills with precisely the drugs at the heart of our country’s addiction crisis. These cases build on this district’s history of systematically dismantling pill-mill clinics, pharmacies and the often-violent drug-trafficking organizations responsible for selling these pills in our community.”

“The defendants, including pharmaceutical drug distributors, allegedly exploited the opioid crisis for profit — selling dangerous and addictive drugs to pill-mill pharmacies at above-market prices, knowing that the drugs would end up on the black market,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s (DOJ) Criminal Division. “These charges represent the Justice Department’s largest criminal enforcement action targeting executives, brokers, and alleged pill-mill pharmacy owners for unlawfully distributing opioids and other commonly abused drugs. Our message is clear: we will not hesitate in our pursuit of those involved in dumping addictive pharmaceutical drugs onto the streets.”

Those charged include Velencia Griffin, 42, Kendal Lyons, 29, and Andre Reid, 44, Houston; Sheldon Dounn, 71, and Jason Smith, 43, Plantation, Florida Plantation; Hernan Alvarez, 52, Phoenix, Arizona; Joshua Weinstein, 50, Miami, Florida; Eric Bailey, 59, St. Louis, Missouri; Joseph Pesserillo, 38, The Villages, Florida; Cassandra Rivera, 40, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida; Richard “Dick” Osbourne, 78, Memphis, Tennessee and Courtney Rotenberry, 45, Savannah, Tennessee.

For unlawful distribution-related count, those charged face up to 20 years in federal prison, while a conspiracy to defraud the United States carries a possible five-year prison term. Conspiracy to use a communications facility to further the commission of a drug felony has a maximum four-year possible prison term.  

The DEA, Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General (DHHS-OIG), FBI, U.S. Postal Service - OIG, Food and Drug Administration - Office of Criminal Investigations and Texas Medicaid Fraud Control Unit conducted the investigation with assistance from the Department of Homeland Security, General Services Administration - OIG, Broward County, Florida, Sheriff’s Office, Houston Police Department and other federal and state law enforcement agencies.

DOJ Trial Attorneys Drew Pennebaker and Devon Helfmeyer are prosecuting the cases. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Fyffe is assisting with forfeiture. The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Southern District of Texas, Southern District of Florida, Eastern District of Missouri and Eastern District of North Carolina are assisting with the prosecution.

The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,400 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $27 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.

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

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 31-year-old felon from Donna has been convicted of assaulting two correctional officers while housed at Coastal Bend Detention Center in Robstown, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

U.S. District Judge David S. Morales has found Aaron Gutierrez guilty of two counts of assaulting or impeding a federal officer following a one-day bench trial that occurred Sept. 16. 

On Aug. 25, 2023, Gutierrez and six other inmates escaped from a recreation area through an unlocked gate. They ran down a walkway to intercept another inmate belonging to a rival gang. Two correctional officers were escorting that inmate - who was in full restraints.

The seven escaped inmates attacked the defenseless other inmate as well as the correctional officers who were attempting to protect him. As a result, both officers suffered injuries and were transported to the hospital for treatment. One required surgery. Authorities also transported the victim inmate to the hospital for treatment.

Within a minute of the attack, multiple correctional officers converged on the attackers and restrained them.

Gutierrez attempted to convince the court that while he intended to join the fight, he never got the chance because he was the last one to leave the recreation yard. However, testimony revealed that every inmate participated in the attack. Judge Morales did not believe defense claims and found him guilty as charged.

Correctional officers at Coastal Bend Detention Center work on behalf of the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) and are protected as federal officers when in the performance of their official duties. 

Judge Morales will impose sentencing in January 2025. At that time, Gutierrez faces up to eight years in federal prison. He will remain in custody pending that hearing.

The other six inmates involved in the attack had previously pleaded guilty. Raul Valdez, 49, San Antonio, received 24 months, while Corpus Christi residents Benito Aguirre, 43, John Steve Espinoza, 31, Joe Isaac Espinoza, 27, and Adalberto Pena, 32, each received 18 months. Emilio Salinas, 34, Edinburg, is set for sentencing Oct. 17.

They all also remain in custody.

The FBI conducted the investigation with assistance from the USMS. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel Dunn prosecuted the case.

LAREDO, Texas – Two members of the Hermanos de Pistoleros Latinos (HPL) gang have been sentenced for unlawful possession of a machine gun, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

Laredo residents and brothers Alberto Del Bosque, 24, and Anthony Del Bosque, 22, pleaded guilty Jan. 4, 2023, and Dec. 9, 2022, respectively. Alberto Del Bosque was also convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

U.S. District Judge Diana Saldaña has now imposed a total 120-month term of imprisonment for Alberto Del Bosque, while his brother received 63 months. Both must also serve three years of supervised release following their sentences. At the hearing, the court heard additional information about both men’s criminal histories as well as a recent shooting in another state where a machine gun similar to the ones the Del Bosque brothers were selling caused the death of four individuals and injured 22 others. In handing down the prison terms, Judge Saldaña noted the machine guns the brothers sold were very dangerous to the public.

“A small piece of plastic produced quickly and at a low cost on a 3-D printer can convert a legal firearm into a machine gun that sprays bullets indiscriminately,” said Hamdani. “The Del Bosque brothers manufactured these pieces of plastic, known as machine gun conversion devices (MCDs) and sold them to a purported cartel associate, which shows a total disregard for human life. This prosecution demonstrates my office’s commitment to disrupting MCD manufacturers and protecting the public by taking gang members, like the Del Bosque brothers, off the streets and into prison cells.” said Hamdani.

On July 5, 2022, law enforcement discovered Alberto Del Bosque was selling firearms and arranged to purchase one. He sold a Draco Nova Modul NAK9, 9mm AK pistol with 12 rounds of ammunition. As a convicted felon, Alberto Del Bosque is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition per federal law.

During August and September 2022, the Del Bosque brothers were also selling 3D-printed drop in auto sears and privately made AR-15s with drop in auto sears. The purchaser of the drop in auto sears and privately made AR-15s claimed to be a procurer of firearms for the Cartel Del Noreste.

A drop in auto sear aka MCD turns a semi-automatic firearm into a machine gun.

On Oct. 6, 2022, authorities executed a search warrant on Anthony Del Bosque’s residence and located a 3D printer with an MCD in the printer, a paper diagram of an AR-15 drop in auto sear, numerous MCDs, multiple calibers of ammunition, AR-15 and 9mm magazines, $18,071 in U.S. currency and a device for making AR-15 lowers.

The HPL translates to Brotherhood of Latin Gunmen. HPL members maintain ties to the cartels and have involvement in the trafficking of controlled substances into the United States.

The Del Bosque brothers have been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

The FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Border Patrol and Laredo Police Department conducted the investigation. Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Former (AUSA) Angel Moreno and AUSA Steven Chamberlin prosecuted the case.

LAREDO, Texas – A 23-year-old Mexican national residing in Houston has been sentenced following his conviction of murder-for-hire using interstate and foreign commerce facilities, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

Alejandro Cardona-Rodriguez pleaded guilty May 11, 2023.

U.S. District Judge Diana Saldana has now ordered Cardona-Rodriguez to serve the statutory maximum of 10 years in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard about his assaultive conduct against another inmate while pending sentencing. In handing down the sentence, the court noted his continued propensity for violence and the seriousness of the offense that involved negotiating with someone to kill another human being.

Cardona-Rodriguez came to the attention of law enforcement around January 2023. He had been in communication with someone via Facebook as well as WhatsApp text and voice messages negotiating a fee for the murder of one of his ex-girlfriend’s boyfriends. He also provided the location and photos of where the potential victim could be found.

At the time of his plea, Cardona-Rodriguez admitted to using interstate and foreign facilities with the intent to commit murder and promise or agreement to pay for the murder.

He will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

The FBI and the Laredo Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mary Ellen Smyth and Mike Makens prosecuted the case.

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A second man has now pleaded guilty to carjacking a McAllen resident, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

Jesus Rodriguez, 19, entered his plea Sept. 23, admitting he had recruited Christian Hardy, 18, to accompany him from Houston to the Rio Grande Valley to smuggle two people because he didn’t have a driver’s license. He also claimed the vehicle they were driving had mechanical problems, and they needed to steal a car. Hardy has now also admitted to his role in the crime.

While in McAllen May 19, Rodriguez and Hardy approached a male victim outside his car at a Stripes gas station near a mechanic shop. Rodriguez asked to use the victim’s phone, while Hardy got into the driver’s seat.

The victim attempted to stop the theft and jumped into the passenger side, pushed Hardy out of the vehicle and managed to move into the driver seat. However, Rodriguez then got into the passenger seat, pointed a firearm at the victim and said the vehicle was not worth his life.

The victim got out of the car, at which time both men fled. Rodriguez still had the victim’s phone, which he later tossed out of the vehicle so the victim would not be able to call authorities. Hardy and Rodriguez then picked up two non-U.S. citizens from a stash house in McAllen and proceeded to the Falfurrias Border Patrol Checkpoint.

After witnessing nervous behavior, law enforcement referred them to secondary inspection where they found the two undocumented people hiding in the trunk of the vehicle.  

Upon their arresting Hardy and Rodriguez, authorities discovered a firearm in Rodriguez’s waistband. The investigation also led to the discovery that the car Hardy was driving had been stolen out of Hidalgo County.

U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzalez Ramos will impose sentencing Jan. 28, 2025. At that time, the pair face up to 15 years in federal prison. 

Hardy was permitted to remain on bond pending that hearing, while Rodriguez is in custody.

Homeland Security investigations conducted the investigation with assistance from the Edinburg Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel Dunn is prosecuting the case.

BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 51-year-old man has been sentenced following his conviction for possession with intent to distribute cocaine, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

Rosalio Mendoza pleaded guilty May 1.

U.S. District Judge Rolando Olvera has now ordered Mendoza to serve 120 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. In handing down the sentence, the court noted the severity of drug case punishments and admonished Mendoza that should he ever return to the drug business, he could be facing potential life in federal prison.

On Jan. 26, Mendoza applied for entry into the United States at the Veteran’s Port of Entry in Brownsville, at which time authorities referred him to secondary inspection.

There, a K-9 alerted law enforcement to the driver’s side door and eventually to the center console in the vehicle. Law enforcement removed the console and found a hidden compartment containing 14 packages that tested positive for cocaine. 

The drugs had a combined weight of 12.42 kilograms with an estimated street value of $155,250.

Mendoza will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of Customs and Border Protection. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jose Arreola prosecuted the case.

HOUSTON – A 45-year-old dual citizen of Nigeria and the United Kingdom has been ordered to federal prison following his conviction in a wire fraud conspiracy involving two districts, announced U.S. Attorneys Alamdar S. Hamdani and Dena J. King for the Southern District of Texas (SDTX) and Western District of North Carolina (WDNC), respectively. 

Oludayo Kolawole John Adeagbo aka John Edwards and John Dayo arrived in the United States in August 2022 following his extradition from the United Kingdom to face criminal charges filed in SDTX and WDNC. He pleaded guilty April 8 for his criminal conduct in both cases. 

U.S. District Judge Kenneth Bell of the Western District of North Carolina has now ordered Adeagbo to serve a total of 84 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by one year of supervised release. The court also ordered him to pay $942,655.03 in restitution to the victims. 

“Adeagbo ran a sophisticated 21st century cyber-criminal operation hiding behind fake email accounts and anonymous internet addresses to steal from the innocent, a crime as old as time itself,” said Hamdani. “Business Email Compromise (BEC) scams have become an epidemic with individuals and businesses suffering debilitating financial losses, while eroding society’s trust in digital communications and undermining overall economic stability. That’s why prosecutors and agents in two jurisdictions worked tirelessly to identify Adeagbo and reach across the Atlantic to bring him to justice.”    

“BEC schemes, like the one perpetrated by Adeagbo and his co-conspirators, are sophisticated and devastating crimes that target the trust businesses and institutions place in their daily operations,” said King. “By exploiting this trust, fraudsters steal millions of dollars from unsuspecting victims. This case demonstrates the commitment of my office and our law enforcement partners to pursue justice for those impacted by these schemes and to hold cybercriminals accountable, regardless of where they are operating from.”

"Oludayo Adeagbo and his coconspirators perpetrated transnational cyber-enabled fraud schemes that targeted schools, government entities, and companies across the United States, and caused millions of dollars in losses,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Adeagbo’s extradition, plea, and sentencing underscore the Criminal Division’s commitment to working with our law enforcement partners to pursue cybercriminals who target American victims, no matter where that pursuit leads. We are especially grateful to the Government of the United Kingdom for its assistance in this case.” 

"Oludayo Adeagbo thought he was pretty slick stealing other people’s money via this scam. His victims, however, strongly disagreed,” said FBI Executive Assistant Director Michael Nordwall. “Instead of enjoying the fruits of his illegal labors, Adeagbo will now be spending time in a federal prison. The BEC is one of the fastest growing and most costly scams and the only way to fight it is through cooperation, often international cooperation, and this case is a prime example of partnerships working.”

A BEC scheme, also referred to as “cyber-enabled financial fraud,” is a sophisticated scam that often targets individuals, employees or businesses involved in financial transactions or that regularly perform wire transfer payments. Fraudsters are usually part of larger criminal networks operating in the United States and abroad. 

There are many variations of BEC scams. Generally, the schemes involve perpetrators gaining unauthorized access to legitimate email accounts or creating email accounts that closely resemble those of individuals or employees associated with the targeted businesses or involved in business transactions with the victim businesses. The scammers then use the compromised or fake email accounts to send false wiring instructions to the targeted businesses or individuals, to dupe the victims into sending money to bank accounts controlled by perpetrators of the scheme. Generally, the money is quickly transferred to other accounts in the United States or overseas. 

The Texas BEC Scheme 

From November 2016 until July 2018, Adeagbo conspired with others to participate in multiple cyber-enabled business email compromises in an attempt to steal more than $3 million from victim entities in Texas, including local government entities, construction companies and a Houston-area college. Adeagbo and his co-conspirators registered domain names that looked similar to legitimate companies. They then sent emails from those domains pretending to be employees at those companies to clients or customers of the companies they impersonated and deceived those customers into sending wire payments to bank accounts the co-conspirators controlled.

The North Carolina BEC Scheme 

From Aug. 30, 2016, to Jan. 12, 2017, Adeagbo and others defrauded a North Carolina university of more than $1.9 million via a BEC scheme. Adeagbo and his co-conspirators obtained information about significant construction projects occurring throughout the United States, including an ongoing multimillion-dollar project at the victim university. To execute the scheme, Adeagbo and others registered a domain name similar to that of the legitimate construction company in charge of the university’s project and created an email address that closely resembled that of an employee of the construction company. Using the fake email address, the fraudsters deceived and directed the university to wire a payment of more than $1.9 million to a bank account someone working under the direction of Adeagbo and his co-conspirators controlled. Upon receiving the payment, Adeagbo and his co-conspirators laundered the stolen proceeds through a series of financial transactions designed to conceal the fraud.

Co-conspirator Donald Ikenna Echeazu, 42, a dual citizen of Nigeria and the United Kingdom extradited to the United States, was previously sentenced to 18 months in prison followed by a year of supervised release and was ordered to pay $655,408.87 in restitution for his role in the conspiracy.   

Adeagbo will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. 

The FBI’s Houston Cyber Task Force and Charlotte Field Office conducted the investigation with assistance of the FBI’s Cyber and Criminal Investigative Divisions. The United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency, Metropolitan Police Service, City of London Police and Crown Prosecution Service also provided substantial assistance. The Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs helped secure the arrest and extradition. 

SDTX Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) Rodolfo Ramirez prosecuted the case along with WDNC AUSA Graham Billings and Trial Attorney Brian Mund of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section.

If you suspect you are a victim of a BEC scheme, you can file a complaint online with the FBI’s Internet Complaint Crime Complaint Cetner (IC3) at  bec.ic3.gov. The IC3 staff reviews complaints to detect patterns or other indicators of significant criminal activity for potential criminal prosecution. 

HOUSTON – A 28-year-old Houston man has pleaded guilty to multiple counts of robbery and one count of brandishing a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

In November and December 2023, Josue Castro-Gomez robbed two gas stations and one Houston-area smoke shop at gunpoint.

On Nov. 25, 2023, Castro-Gomez entered a Korner Food Mart located in Houston, brandished a firearm and demanded the store clerk give him cash from the register. He proceeded to discharge the firearm, shooting above the clerk’s head, but fled from the scene without taking any money.

On Dec. 11-12, 2023, Castro-Gomez went to a Circle K gas station and a Vape City, respectively, and demanded cash from the register. He received money on both occasions and fled the scenes.

On Dec. 12, law enforcement located Castro-Gonzalez and found him to be in possession of a .32 caliber handgun.

During the investigation, authorities matched a spent shell casing from the Nov. 25 robbery to the firearm in Castro-Gonzalez’s possession at the time of his arrest through the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) National Integrated Ballistic Information Network.

Castro-Gonzalez has prior felony convictions from 2015 and 2017 for unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and possession of a controlled substance, respectively. As a convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition per federal law.

U.S. District Judge George C. Hanks Jr. will impose sentencing Dec. 11. At that time, Castro-Gonzalez could receive up to 20 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine for each of two counts of robbery. For brandishing a firearm while committing a crime of violence, he faces another possible seven years in prison which he must serve consecutively to any other prison term imposed.

He has been and will remain in custody pending sentencing.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation with assistance from the Houston Police Department and Harris County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Francisco J. Rodriguez is prosecuting the case.

McALLEN, Texas – A 28-year-old man has pleaded guilty to utilizing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking activity, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

On July 24, authorities conducted a search warrant at the residence of Roberto Segura Jr. At that time, they discovered marijuana, over 400 grams of cocaine, and body armor within the home.

Authorities also found a firearm in Segura’s bedroom next to the body armor. Segura admitted he was in possession of the firearm to protect himself during his drug trafficking activity.

U.S. District Judge Drew B. Tipton has set sentencing for Jan. 7, 2025. At that time, he faces a minimum of five years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.

Segura will remain in custody pending sentencing.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Alamo Police Department conducted the joint investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Cahal P. McColgan is prosecuting the case as part of the joint federal, state and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program. In May 2021, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland announced a new effort to reduce violent crime, including the gun violence that is often at its core. Integral to that effort was the reinvigoration of PSN, a two-decade old, evidence-based and community-oriented program focused on reducing violent crime. The updated PSN approach, outlined in the department’s Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Violent Crime is guided by four key principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities and measuring the results of our efforts. The fundamental goal is to reduce violent crime, not simply to increase the number of arrests or prosecutions. 

LAREDO, Texas – A 25-year-old man has been sentenced for sexual exploitation of a child and possession of child sexual abuse material, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

Aaron Hernandez pleaded guilty May 29.

U.S. District Judge Diana Saldaña has now sentenced Hernandez to 360 and 240 months for the production and possessing of child pornography convictions, respectively. They will run partially concurrent for a total 420-month term of imprisonment. At the hearing, the court also heard from the victim’s father detailing how Hernandez’s conduct greatly affected the family and that children do not deserve this harm. Additionally, Hernandez self-described himself as a monster, an animal and a pig. In handing down the prison terms, the court noted this was one of the most egregious forms of conduct she has seen and how his conduct destroyed the lives of the victim and her family and how there is nothing Hernandez can do or say that will make it better. Hernandez was further ordered to pay $3,000 in restitution to a known victim and will serve 10 years on supervised release following completion of his prison term. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. Hernandez will also be ordered to register as a sex offender.

The investigation began after law enforcement learned of a person in Laredo sharing child pornography through a WhatsApp account linked to Hernandez.

On Oct. 30, 2023, authorities executed a search warrant at Hernandez’s home and seized his electronic devices.

Hernandez admitted to sending a video containing child pornography on WhatsApp and possessing videos containing child pornography on his computer. Hernandez also confessed to touching two minor relatives inappropriately.

Authorities found 11 videos and 10 pictures containing child pornography in Hernandez’s devices. Of all the files, 11 included self-produced content of him sexually assaulting a minor relative on two different occasions.  

“A home should be a sanctuary for every child, not a place where their innocence is exploited by those who are meant to protect it,” said Hamdani. “Today’s sentence sends a clear message: those who commit unthinkable acts against children, especially those entrusted with their care, will be held accountable. We will continue to relentlessly pursue justice for victims and fight to protect them.”

“Children deserve to live in a safe environment - free from child predators. This is especially true when they are with members of their own families,” said Special Agent in Charge Aaron Tapp of the FBI’s San Antonio field office. “Aaron Hernandez stole that safety from every child who was exploited by his actions. The FBI and the Laredo Child Exploitation Task Force continue to work tirelessly to bring anyone who would harm a child to justice.”

Hernandez has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

The FBI conducted the investigation with assistance from the Laredo Child Exploitation Task Force.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine A. Cortez prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page. 

HOUSTON – A 21-year-old man has been sentenced for illegal possession of a machine gun, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

Latravion Knighten aka pg_tray pleaded guilty on April 29.

U.S. District Judge Sim Lake has now ordered Knighten to serve 33 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court observed social media posts where Knighten bragged about the sound of his “switch” and appeared armed. In handing down the sentence, the court noted that a sentence at the higher end of the guidelines consecutive to his state court probation violation was appropriate in this case.

On May 10, 2023, law enforcement conducted surveillance on Knighten, a documented Problem Gang member, who was staying at an AirBNB location and had a warrant for his arrest. They witnessed flashes from a green light, akin to the type used as laser sights on firearms, on the wall within the back porch of the residence.

The next day, law enforcement saw Knighten leave the location and enter a silver Pontiac Grand Prix with a handgun in the waistband of his pants. As authorities began surveilling the vehicle, the Pontiac proceeded to make what appeared to be “heat runs,” signaling to law enforcement that the occupants of the vehicle noticed their mobile surveillance.

Authorities observed Knighten exit the vehicle and run to the side of the street where they saw him concealing something in an overgrown area around a tree. Knighten suddenly turned and ran into the path of the oncoming surveillance vehicle. The vehicle struck him, causing his feet to go over his head. Despite being hit, Knighten immediately stood up and approached authorities, proclaiming his innocence.

After placing him under arrest, law enforcement returned to the tree and found a .40 caliber Glock model 23 with a machine gun conversion device with attached green laser sight. Authorities also seized an extended magazine capable of accepting 17 rounds of ammunition.

They test fired the firearm and confirmed it met the definition of a machine gun.

Knighten has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and the Houston Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Richard Hanes and Kelly Zenon-Matos prosecuted the case.

This case was investigated as part of the Houston Law Enforcement Violent Crime Initiative, which combines personnel and resources from numerous federal, state and local agencies to include the Harris County District Attorney’s Office referring violent offenders released on state bonds to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for possible federal prosecution. The goal is to reduce violent crime across the Greater Houston area by targeting the region’s most violent offenders, augmenting investigative and prosecutorial efforts and enhancing training, public awareness and education. It stems from the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Under the PSN umbrella, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN partners focus enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and work with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

HOUSTON – A 25-year-old man has pleaded guilty to coercion and enticement of a minor, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

Michael Ramone Hooks, Houston, admitted to recruiting the 16-year-old victim to engage in prostitution via Instagram, text messages and video calls.

He communitated via cell phone with the minor and lured her away from a known sex trafficker, Antonio Dario Osario-Avelar aka Pressure. Prior to Hooks’ attempt to lure the minor victim away to work for him, Osario-Avelar had caused to her to engage in commercial sex.

Hooks knew the victim was a minor. Law enforcement discovered text messages revealing that they discussed her age. The victim agreed to pay Hooks a “choosing fee,” which is a fee the victim pays a trafficker for them to be their “pimp.”

In August 2023, authorities arrested Hooks and recovered the minor victim before she could join up with him.

Osario-Avelar was previously sentenced to 375 months in federal prison for his conduct in a separate case before U.S. District Judge George C. Hanks.

U.S. District Judge Sim Lake accepted the plea and has set sentencing for Dec. 20. At that time, Hooks faces up to life imprisonment and a possible $250,000 fine maximum fine.

He has been and will remain in custody pending sentencing.

Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of Human Trafficking Rescue Alliance (HTRA) and Houston Police Department (HPD).

Assistant U.S. Attorney Sherri Zack is prosecuting the case.

HTRA law enforcement includes members of HPD, FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, Texas Attorney General’s Office, IRS Criminal Investigation, Department of Labor (DOL), DOL – Wage and Hour Division, Department of State, Texas Alcoholic and Beverage Commission, Texas Department of Public Safety,  Department of Homeland Security – Office of Inspector General (OIG), Social Security Administration – OIG and Sheriff’s Offices in Harris and Montgomery counties in coordination with District Attorney’s offices in Harris, Montgomery and Fort Bend Counties.

Established in 2004, the United States Attorney’s office in Houston formed HTRA to combine resources with federal, state and local enforcement agencies and prosecutors, as well as non-governmental service organizations to target human traffickers while providing necessary services to those that the traffickers victimized. Since its inception, HTRA has been recognized as both a national and international model in identifying and assisting victims of human trafficking and prosecuting those engaged in trafficking offenses.

HOUSTON – A 27-year-old Houston resident has been sentenced for sex trafficking of a young woman, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

Michael Anthony Gonzalez aka Mumbles pleaded guilty June 27.

U.S. District Judge George C. Hanks Jr. has now ordered Gonzalez to serve 240 months in federal prison. In handing down the prison term, the court noted the things Gonzalez had done, the attitudes he had displayed and the people he had hurt. Gonzalez will also serve 10 years on supervised release following completion of his prison term, during which time he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. He will also be ordered to register as a sex offender.

From April 2019 to February 2020, Gonzalez and his co-conspirators worked to recruit young teenage girls and force them to engage in sex acts with “clients” for money in cars and hotels around the Bissonnet “blade.”

The blade or “track” is an area near I-59 Southwest Freeway and Bissonnet Street in Houston where pimps and traffickers commonly place their victims to engage in commercial sex.

The co-conspirators passed around or reassigned victims amongst one another, taught each other “the pimp game” and forced young girls to walk the blade while they kept the proceeds.  

To switch between pimps, the young girls had to pay an exit fee or get “beat out.” Some traffickers required daily quotas each night from their victims. If the victims failed to meet their daily quotas, they were severely punished through beatings and humiliation.

Co-conspirators Jerreck Michael Hilliard aka Jmoney, 35, and Javon Yaw Opoku aka Glizzy, 23, were previously sentenced to 292 and 365 months in prison, respectively, for their roles in the sex trafficking conspiracy.

The Houston Police Department initiated the investigation with the assistance of Homeland Security Investigations and the Harris County District Attorney’s Office as a part of the Human Trafficking Rescue Alliance (HTRA). Established in 2004, the U.S. Attorney’s office in Houston formed HTRA to combine resources with federal, state and local enforcement agencies and prosecutors, as well as non-governmental service organizations to target human traffickers while providing necessary services to those that the traffickers victimized. Since its inception, HTRA has been recognized as both a national and international model in identifying and assisting victims of human trafficking and prosecuting those engaged in trafficking offenses.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kate Suh and Anthony Franklyn prosecuted the case.