Southern District of Texas

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - A 34-year-old from Tanlacut, San Luis Potosi, Mexico, has been convicted of illegal reentry after deportation, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.

The jury deliberated for 20 minutes following a one-day trial before returning a guilty verdict against Laureano Mar-Peres.

At trial, the jury heard how authorities found Mar-Peres in Kenedy County as he attempted to circumvent the United States checkpoint located near Sarita. Mar-Peres previously had been removed from the United States twice before, most recently on Oct. 22, 2021.

The defense attempted to convey to the jury that with the amount of illegal aliens processed, there was no way to prove beyond a reasonable doubt Mar-Peres was the same person who had been ordered removed previously.   

The jury was not convinced and found him guilty as charged.

U.S. District Judge David Morales presided over the trial and set sentencing for Feb. 22, 2023 at which time Mar-Peres faces up to 20 years in federal prison. He has been and will remain in custody pending sentencing.

Customs and Border Protection conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick Overman and Tyler Foster prosecuted the case.

McALLEN, Texas – A 31-year-old Texan has been sent to prison following his conviction of smuggling heroin and meth, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.

Gerardo Jimenez pleaded guilty May 12.

Today, U.S. District Judge Micaela Alvarez ordered Jimenez to serve 188 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence regarding Jimenez’s smuggling attempt and how the large amounts of heroin and meth Jimenez smuggled were a danger to the community. In handing down the sentence, the court noted that drug transportation is a serious offense and that Jimenez willingly participated as a transporter on behalf of the cartel.

At the time of his plea, Jimenez admitted that on Nov. 3, 2020, he knowingly entered the Hidalgo Border Patrol (BP) Port of Entry with drugs in his car.

Upon inspection, a K-9 alerted authorities to the hood of Jimenez’s vehicle. There, they discovered four kilograms of heroin and two kilograms of 100% pure meth concealed in the battery of his car.

The drugs had an estimated street value of $654,000.

Jimenez 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 Eliza Carmen Rodriguez prosecuted the case.

LAREDO, Texas – With the sentencing of a 37-year-old associate of the Texas Mexican Mafia, more than a dozen criminals are serving more than 1600 months combined for their respective roles in narcotics trafficking on the streets of Laredo, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.

Today, U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo sentenced Anthony “Tono” Mercado, Laredo, to serve 33 months in prison. The sentence will be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard additional testimony as to testing positive for cocaine while on bond for the offense.

The sentencing today brings to a conclusion a multi-agency operation which initially targeted the Texas Mexican Mafia prison gang in Laredo. Although not all were involved in gang activity, the resulting investigation led to indictments against 12 people. All were charged with narcotics trafficking with two facing additional firearms charges.

10 were convicted for their roles in distributing crack-cocaine from a home in Laredo aka Blue Point which was situated near a school and playground.

In addition, information obtained during this investigation also led to the arrest and conviction of a 36-year-old Corpus Christi area Texas Mexican Mafia member - Robert Loya Jr. aka Lil’ Rob. A jury convicted him of possessing over six kilograms of meth and several firearms including a stolen military grade .50 caliber rifle.

Along with Mercado, several ranking members of the Mexican Mafia were sentenced to lengthy prison terms, including the former “Captain” of the Laredo area Texas Mexican Mafia - Martin Perez Jr. aka Quince. Perez was convicted for his role in the crack cocaine distribution from the Blue-Point. At sentencing, the court heard that Perez was the leader of this activity and that he used threats of violence to control others involved as well as his rivals.

U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo previously sentenced Perez to serve 327 months in prison. At that hearing, the court heard that Perez directed at least five other subjects to assist with a 2009 murder. Evidence also showed he had an extensive criminal record and that he has been a member of the Texas Mexican Mafia for a significant amount of time. The remaining individuals convicted in the case received terms ranging from two years to 262 months for their respective roles in the conspiracy. In the Loya case, he received a 30-year sentence.

In total, all 13 individuals received a total of more than 1600 months in federal prison.  

Mercado 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 Drug Enforcement Administration; FBI; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Webb County Sherriff’s Office and the Laredo Police Department conducted the investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Brittany L. Jensen prosecuted the case which was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven and multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF

McALLEN, Texas – A federal jury sitting in McAllen has convicted a 52-year-old woman for conspiracy to commit murder for hire, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.
 
The jury deliberated for less than two hours before convicting Viola Elizabeth Garcia, Oxnard, California, following a four-day trial.
 
During trial, the jury heard that in 2018, Mexican Mafia gang members arranged for the murder of an individual residing in Mission. An inmate who was serving a sentence for an attempted murder in 1999 contracted a Colonia Chiques gang member on parole in Oxnard, California, to execute the murder in exchange for $20,000. 

The gang member recruited and conspired with three additional individuals including Garcia who was his mother. Testimony revealed she agreed to travel from California to Texas to commit the murder in exchange for payment. 
 
On Aug. 30, 2018, Garcia and co-conspirators forcibly entered the victim’s residence in 
Mission and attempted to execute the murder. Their attempt was unsuccessful and they tried to flee from the scene. At that time, Garcia led responding law enforcement officers on a high speed chase until she crashed the vehicle.  
 
The jury also heard that in July 2018, they attempted to murder the same victim.
 
At trial, Garcia admitted she traveled to Texas in July and August 2018 with the co-conspirators while they were in possession of firearms. She also admitted to being present and witnessing gunshots fired in the July 2018 murder attempt. 

Garcia attempted to convince the jury that she was unaware of any agreement or attempt to commit murder and claimed the purpose of the trip was to transport co-conspirators to visit family members and to look at potential real estate for her daughter who resided in Arizona.
 
They did not believe those claims and found her guilty as charged.  
 
U.S. District Judge Ricardo H. Hinojosa presided over trial and set sentencing for Jan. 30, 2023. At that time, Garcia faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a possible $??? maximum fine.
 
Garcia will remain in custody pending that hearing. 
 
The FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and police departments in Mission and Oxnard, California. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Roberto Lopez Jr., Cahal P. McColgan and Sarina S. DiPiazza are prosecuting the case.

McALLEN, Texas – A federal jury sitting in McAllen has convicted a 52-year-old woman for conspiracy to commit murder for hire, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.

The jury deliberated for less than two hours before convicting Viola Elizabeth Garcia, Oxnard, California, following a four-day trial.

During trial, the jury heard that in 2018, Mexican Mafia gang members arranged for the murder of an individual residing in Mission. An inmate who was serving a sentence for an attempted murder in 1999 contracted a Colonia Chiques gang member on parole in Oxnard, California, to execute the murder in exchange for $20,000.

The gang member recruited and conspired with three additional individuals including Garcia who was his mother. Testimony revealed she agreed to travel from California to Texas to commit the murder in exchange for payment.

On Aug. 30, 2018, Garcia and co-conspirators forcibly entered the victim’s residence in
Mission and attempted to execute the murder. Their attempt was unsuccessful and they tried to flee from the scene. At that time, Garcia led responding law enforcement officers on a high speed chase until she crashed the vehicle. 

The jury also heard that in July 2018, they attempted to murder the same victim.

At trial, Garcia admitted she traveled to Texas in July and August 2018 with the co-conspirators while they were in possession of firearms. She also admitted to being present and witnessing gunshots fired in the July 2018 murder attempt.

Garcia attempted to convince the jury that she was unaware of any agreement or attempt to commit murder and claimed the purpose of the trip was to transport co-conspirators to visit family members and to look at potential real estate for her daughter who resided in Arizona.

They did not believe those claims and found her guilty as charged. 

U.S. District Judge Ricardo H. Hinojosa presided over trial and set sentencing for Jan. 30, 2023. At that time, Garcia faces up to 10 years in federal prison.

Garcia will remain in custody pending that hearing.

The FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and police departments in Mission and Oxnard, California. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Roberto Lopez Jr., Cahal P. McColgan and Sarina S. DiPiazza are prosecuting the case.

HOUSTON – Two local men have been ordered to federal prison for their roles in two Houston-area robberies, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.

Charles Cox, 34, and Jarred Adams, 20, pleaded guilty May 15.

Today, U.S. District Judge David Hittner imposed a 240-month term of imprisonment for Cox, while Adams received 281 months. Both must also serve three years of supervised release following their sentences. At the hearing, the court heard both men apologize to the victims and accept full responsibility of their crimes. In handing down the prison terms, the court noted that the use of weapons was a significant factor in determining their long terms in prison.

On April 13, 2021, the men entered a Dollar Tree store located on FM 1960. Adams shot and injured a clerk to obtain cash. At that time, Cox acted as the getaway driver.

The following day, the men robbed a separate Dollar Tree located on SH 249. They brandished a firearm but no shots were fired.

Cox and Adams 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 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Houston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jim McAlister prosecuted the case.

BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 21-year-old Mexican citizen has been sent to prison following his conviction of conspiracy to transport over four thousand pounds of marijuana, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.

Jorge Monjaraz-Perez pleaded guilty Jan. 13.

Today, U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr. ordered Monjaraz-Perez to serve 200 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, Monjaraz-Perez is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. In handing down the sentence, the court noted Monjaraz-Perez coordinated with a drug trafficking organization and was also manager in that organization, facilitating the trafficking of the drug loads in numerous different ways. Judge Rodriguez further noted that this wasn’t aberrant behavior and that Monjaraz-Perez trafficked a large amount of marijuana over several different events.

At the time of his plea, Monjaraz-Perez admitted he conspired with a drug trafficking organization to transport at least 1,886 kilograms of marijuana.

He also acknowledged running a marijuana stash house located in Brownsville and participating in at least 12 drug trafficking loads. Law enforcement seized marijuana from 7 different events in Brownsville near the Rio Grande River, each load ranging between 91 kilograms and 528 kilograms.

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

The FBI and Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation with the assistance of Border Patrol and Texas Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney David A. Lindenmuth prosecuted the case.

HOUSTON – A 23-year-old man has been ordered to prison for enticement of a minor online, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.

Malcolm Lenard Thomas, Houston, pleaded guilty June 21.

Today, U.S. District Judge Charles Eskridge ordered Thomas to serve 121 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by 15 years of supervised release.

At the time of his plea, he admitted he communicated via Instagram with whom he thought was a 15-year-old female.

He connected with the individual in October 2021. In those conversations, he conveyed his expectations to recruit her to engage in commercial sex in Houston for his own financial benefit, calling it the rules of “the game.”

Through numerous exchanges over social media and other means, he instructed her how to send him money. He then purchased a bus ticket for her to travel to Houston. He made arrangements to pick her up on Oct. 29, 2021. Upon his arrival, law enforcement took him into custody.  

In addition to his plea, he also admitted to sending the bus ticket knowing the minor was coming to Houston to engage in commercial sex. He claimed his role would be to provide her with protection.

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

The Human Trafficking Rescue Alliance (HTRA) conducted the investigation.

HTRA law enforcement includes members of the Houston Police Department, 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.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Sherri L. Zack prosecuted the case.

LAREDO, Texas – A former Border Patrol (BP) agent, his wife and a Laredo man have been charged for their roles in a conspiracy to hire illegal aliens by fraudulently obtaining immigration permits, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.

Authorities arrested Ricardo Gonzalez, 39, his wife, Natalia Gonzalez, 35, and Alex Lopez, 33, today. They are expected to appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Diana Song Quiroga at 10 a.m. tomorrow.

A federal grand jury returned the three-count indictment Nov.15.

According to the charges, the three conspirators were responsible for the day-to-day operations of Gonmor Inc., a commercial trucking company located in Laredo.

Beginning in February of 2017, the indictment alleges the group recruited and hired undocumented individuals to work as commercial truck drivers and paid them less due to their citizenship status. They were allegedly aware that the people they hired were not legally allowed to work in the United States.

The conspirators allegedly prepared paperwork so the individuals could obtain an I-94 permit which allows a visitor to travel farther than 25 miles from the border and remain in the United States for more than 30 days. Applicants must present another permit/visa such as a border crossing card in order to obtain an I-94 and are not eligible to work in the United States by law, according to the charges.

The paperwork allegedly included a letter from a fictious Mexican trucking company and stated the undocumented individual was employed by the company as a truck driver. According to the indictment, the letter further requested that the person receive an I-94 permit so that he could travel into the United States.

The group allegedly instructed individuals to present the letter to authorities at a port of entry in Laredo to apply for the permit. When the individual received the permit, the co-conspirators allegedly assigned jobs to the new employee to transport legitimate cargo throughout the United States.

Gonzalez is a former BP agent and allegedly utilized his knowledge, training and experience to facilitate the employment of undocumented individuals and obtaining the I-94 permits.

If convicted, each faces up to five years for the conspiracy to fraudulently obtain immigration permits and up to 10 years each for the conspiracy to encourage or induce an alien to remain in the United States and conspiracy to harbor/shield an alien from detection.

Customs and Border Protection - Office of Professional Responsibility conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Bajew 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.

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 27-year-old man residing in Mission has been ordered to federal prison following his conviction of possession with the intent to distribute nine kilograms of heroin, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.

Gerardo Torres pleaded guilty April 5.

Today, U.S. District Judge Drew B. Tipton ordered Torres to serve 48 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by four years of supervised release. 

On Sept.10, 2021, Torres arrived at the Javier Vega Jr. Border Patrol (BP) checkpoint while driving a white Nissan Sentra. At that time, authorities believed he was carrying illegal narcotics and referred him to secondary inspection.

They noticed tool marks on his passenger seat rails. Law enforcement moved the front passenger seat further back and found white overspray on the wires beneath the seat. They lifted the carpet off the floorboard, found a trap door with four vacuum-sealed bundles wrapped in clear cellophane within the compartment.

Authorities continued to search the driver’s side floorboard which revealed another trap door. Five bundles were beneath the second door with four wrapped in black electrical tape and one vacuum-sealed in clear cellophane. Both rear floorboards also had trap doors but were empty.

The nine bundles were later determined to be 9.086 kilograms of heroin with an estimated street value of $545,160.

Torres 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. Assistant U.S. Attorneys J. Parker Gochenour and Liesel Roscher prosecuted the case.

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 54-year-old woman residing in Corpus Christi has been ordered to federal prison for mailing meth-laced papers disguised as mail to the Coastal Bend Detention Center (CBDC), announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.

Gail Hostetter pleaded guilty July 21 to knowingly and intentionally possessing and attempting to provide meth to an inmate.

Today, U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos ordered Hostetter to serve 24 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by two years of supervised release.

On Jan. 29, 2021, Hostetter mailed a letter purporting to be from a local law firm to an inmate at CBDC. However, facility staff intercepted it and sent it for testing. The mail tested positive for meth. Law enforcement subsequently executed a search warrant on Hostetter’s residence where they found additional empty envelopes pre-addressed from various local law firms.

The investigation revealed the inmate devised the plan and recruited Hostetter among others to mail meth-laced papers into the detention center. The scheme involved creating envelopes designed to look like legal mail.

At the time of her plea, Hostetter admitted to mailing meth into a jail facility on at least one other occasion.

She 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 and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of the U.S. Marshals Service, The GEO Group, Drug Enforcement Administration, Corpus Christi Police Department, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Bureau of Prisons and FBI Miami Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Marck and Christopher Marin prosecuted the case.

HOUSTON – A tax preparer is set to appear in court on charges of preparing a false joint income tax return, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.

Fabrice Mahinga is expected to make his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Yvonne Ho at 2 p.m.

The charges allege that in 2018, Mahinga willfully prepared a false tax return listing fake Schedule C loss, Earned Income Tax Credit, American Opportunity Credit, additional child tax credit and a false claim for an income tax refund.

If convicted, Mahinga faces up to three years in prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.

IRS - Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles J. Escher is prosecuting the case.

An information 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 federal jury in Corpus Christi has convicted a 44-year-old man for possessing an unregistered destructive device, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.

The jury deliberated for approximately 90 minutes before convicting Elden Don Brannan following a two-day trial.

On Feb. 23, law enforcement responded to reports of a family altercation involving Brannan. His sister informed authorities he had a pipe bomb in his room.

The jury heard from a law enforcement officer who explained how they located and disassembled the device. The item consisted of a fuse inserted into metal pipe wrapped in tape containing 39.7 grams of black powder and pyrotechnic stars, a wax-like substance and five U.S. dimes.

Laboratory analysis determined the powder, stars and fuse to be explosive materials. Testing also confirmed the device was destructive as the law defines. In addition, the bomb was not properly registered to Brannan in the National Firearms Registration and transfer record.

The defense tried to convince the jury Brannan had attempted to construct a firework. They did not believe those claims and found him guilty as charged.

U.S. District Judge David Morales presided over trial and set sentencing for Feb. 7, 2023. At that time, Brannan faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.

He will remain in custody pending that hearing. 

The Corpus Christi Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joel Dunn and John Marck prosecuted the case with the help of Paralegal Rachel Gonzales. 

A federal grand jury in Houston has returned an indictment charging a former Department of Transportation (DOT) employee with bribery and extortion.

Patrick Gorena, 54, Lyford, is scheduled for his initial court appearance today 2 p.m.

According to the indictment, returned Nov. 2, Gorena was a border investigator for DOT’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. In exchange for minimizing purported safety violations he encountered while auditing a trucking company, which would have exposed the company to potential fines and the loss of their DOT license, Gorena allegedly demanded a $3,500 payment. The charges allege Gorena ultimately accepted a $2,000 bribe from an undercover law enforcement officer posing as a representative of the trucking company.

Gorena is charged with one count of bribery and one count of extortion under color of law.

If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 35 years in prison.

Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Jennifer Lowery for the Southern District of Texas and Special Agent in Charge Todd A. Damiani of the DOT Office of Inspector General’s (DOT-OIG) Southern Region made the announcement.

The DOT-OIG and McAllen FBI Public Corruption Squad are investigating the case.

Trial Attorney Lauren Castaldi of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Hanes for the Southern District of Texas are prosecuting the case.

A federal grand jury in Houston has returned an indictment charging a former U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) employee with bribery and extortion.

Patrick Gorena, 54, of Lyford, Texas, is scheduled to make his initial court appearance today at 3 p.m. EST.

According to court documents, Gorena was a border investigator for DOT’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. In exchange for minimizing purported safety violations he encountered while auditing a trucking company, which would have exposed the company to potential fines and the loss of their ability to operate, Gorena allegedly demanded a $3,500 cash payment. The charges allege Gorena ultimately accepted a $2,000 bribe from an undercover law enforcement officer posing as a representative of the trucking company.

Gorena is charged with one count of bribery and one count of extortion under color of official right. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on the extortion count and 15 years in prison on the bribery count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Jennifer Lowery for the Southern District of Texas, Special Agent in Charge Oliver E. Rich Jr. of the FBI San Antonio Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Todd A. Damiani of the DOT Office of Inspector General’s (DOT-OIG) Southern Region made the announcement.

The McAllen FBI Public Corruption Squad and DOT-OIG are investigating the case.

Trial Attorney Lauren Castaldi of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Hanes for the Southern District of Texas are prosecuting the case.

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

HOUSTON – A local tax preparer is set to make her initial appearance in federal court on charges of aiding and assisting in the preparation and filing of false income tax returns, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.

Krystal Wright made her initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Palermo at 2 p.m. today.

A federal grand jury sitting in Houston returned an 18-count indictment Sept. 27.

According to the charges, Wright assisted in the preparation and filing of false income tax returns from 2016 to 2019.

If convicted, she faces up to three years in prison and a possible $100,000 maximum fine.

IRS-Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rodolfo Ramirez is prosecuting the case.

An information is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence.

A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.

LAREDO, Texas – Two men illegally residing in Laredo have pleaded guilty to harboring illegal aliens, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.

Angel Garcia-Garcia, 27, Veracruz, Mexico, and Selvin Antonio Gomez-Garranza, 22, Choluteca, Honduras, pleaded guilty to their roles in conspiring to conceal, harbor or shield 31 non-U.S. citizens.

As part of their pleas, Garcia-Garcia and Gomez-Garranza admitted on April 8, they transported undocumented individuals to a stash house. Gomez-Garranza also admitted to being a caretaker.

Authorities executed a search warrant and discovered 31 people inside the house. They additionally found three ledgers with approximately 350 names listed.

U.S. District Judge Diana Saldana will impose sentencing at a future date. At that time, both face up to 10 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine. Not U.S. citizens, both are expected to also face removal proceedings.

Garcia-Garcia and Gomez-Garranza have been and remain in custody pending that hearing.

Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Isaac is prosecuting the case.

BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 54-year-old man has been sent to federal prison following his conviction of trafficking 75 kilograms of cocaine, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.

Legusta Juaquim Rodan, De Valls Bluff, Arkansas, pleaded guilty Aug. 1.

Today, U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr. ordered Rodan to serve 87 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release. In handing down the sentence, the court noted that Rodan participated in a pattern of conduct in narcotics trafficking as opposed to being caught up in a one time event.

On Sept. 10, 2020, law enforcement inspected Rodan’s vehicle at the Falfurrias Border Patrol (BP) checkpoint. At that time, they discovered 75.5 kilograms of cocaine and 400 kilograms of marijuana in his tractor trailer.

The trailer contained wooden pallets full of cartons of raspberries. After a K-9 alerted to a drug scent, authorities found 43 bundles of drugs hidden below the pallets and cartons of fruit.

Rodan 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 and BP conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney David A. Lindenmuth prosecuted the case.

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A federal jury in Corpus Christi has returned a guilty verdict against a 44-year-old man for conspiring to transport illegal aliens, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.

The Jury deliberated for approximately 30 minutes before convicting Ernest Mario Gutierrez following a two-day trial.

On Aug. 5, 2020, law enforcement learned of a vehicle in which people were being loaded on Highway 281. Shortly thereafter, they found and began following a suspicious white pickup truck believed to be involved to a Stripes gas station.

There, they discovered two undocumented individuals in the bed of the truck and one in the cab.

At trial, the jury heard from law enforcement that Gutierrez has been a passenger of the vehicle and attempted to avoid detection by entering the gas station.

The defense attempted to convince the jury Gutierrez did not know that the driver of the truck was going to pick up aliens. The jury was not convinced and found him guilty as charged.

U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzalez Ramos presided over the trial and set sentencing for Feb. 1, 2023. At that time, Gutierrez faces up to 10 years in prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.

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

Border Patrol conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Texas Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda L. Gould is prosecuting the case.

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A federal jury in Corpus Christi has convicted a 52-year-old Texan for transporting illegal aliens within the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery today.

The jury deliberated for approximately two hours before convicting Rodolfo Cazares, San Juan, following a two-day trial

At trial, the jury heard on June 19, 2021, Cazares drove a tractor trailer to the Sarita Border Patrol (BP) checkpoint. At initial inspection, a K-9 alerted law enforcement to the tractor. They subsequently discovered four undocumented individuals hidden within various parts of the vehicle.

The individuals admitted to being in the country illegally. They also described to authorities how they were loaded into the trailer earlier that night.

Cazares attempted to convince the jury he did not know the individuals were in the tractor. The jury ultimately did not believe his claims and found Cazares guilty as charged.

U.S. District Judge David Morales presided over trial and set sentencing for Jan. 30, 2023. At that time, Cazares faces up to five years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.

He was permitted to remain on bond pending that hearing. 

BP conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Roland Swanson and Tyler Foster are prosecuting the case.

HOUSTON – A 38-year-old Indian citizen who was illegally residing in Houston has been ordered to prison for conspiracy to commit mail fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.

Waseem Maknojiya pleaded guilty Sept. 13, 2021.

Today, U.S. District Judge U.S. District Judge Lynn N. Hughes ordered him to serve 60 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, Maknojiya is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment.

Between April and October 2019, Maknojiya was involved in a telemarketing scheme via Indian call centers to extort money from victims in the United States. Maknojiya acted as a runner in these schemes, using aliases and fake identification documents to pick up more than 70 parcels containing cash the scheme’s victims had mailed.

One common script used in the scheme involved coercing victims into believing federal agents were investigating them. The “agent” on the phone would convince the victim the only way to clear his or her name from investigation was to send cash in a parcel shipped through FedEx to a name and address they provided. Runners in the United States like Maknojiya would then pick up the parcels.

At the time of his plea, Maknojiya agreed to pay restitution to the scheme’s identified victims.

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

The FBI, Social Security Administration - Office of Inspector General (SSA-OIG) and Department of Homeland Security - OIG conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Houston Police Department and the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephanie Bauman and Eun Kate Suh prosecuted the case.

The SSA consistently warns people of similar scams.

BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 53-year-old man residing in Brownsville has been ordered to federal prison following his conviction of trafficking one kilogram of meth, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.

Jose Salinas pleaded guilty Aug. 2. He is a former law enforcement officer of the Brownsville Police Department.

Today, U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr. ordered Salinas to serve 96 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release. He was further ordered to pay a $3,000 fine. In handing down the sentence, the court noted the position that Salinas held as an officer and that he misused this position of trust to commit the crime over a period of time, not just on one occasion. Judge Rodriguez also expressed concern that the criminal conduct Salinas committed cast all law enforcement in a bad light in the community.

On March 19, 2020, Salinas met people he believed to be drug traffickers at a used car lot he owned. Salinas received $2,500 in cash for escorting meth and cocaine from the lot to a stash house he provided. During that time, Salinas had parked his marked police car in front of the stash house to protect the drug load.

Salinas 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, Drug Enforcement Administration and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with assistance of the Brownsville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David A. Lindenmuth, Israel Cano and Jody Young prosecuted the case.

LAREDO, Texas – A 42-year-old man residing in Pearland has pleaded guilty to importing over 20 kilograms of meth and 900 grams of fentanyl, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.

On June 24, Jose Luis Escareno attempted to enter the United States through the Juarez-Lincoln Port of Entry in Laredo. At that time, he was driving a pickup truck and pulling a trailer.

At inspection, he claimed ownership of everything inside the vehicle and trailer. Shortly after, law enforcement discovered narcotics hidden inside a mini split air conditioning unit located in the trailer and within a cooler in the truck. They were later determined to be 21.40 kilograms of meth and 8,500 pills of fentanyl weighing approximately 931 grams.

As part of his plea, Escareno claimed the air conditioning unit belonged to a friend who was going to pay him $150 to transport it to Houston. He further admitted he purchased and packed the coolers with contents that belonged to him.

U.S. District Judge Diana Saldana will impose sentencing at a later date. At that time, Escareno faces up to life in prison and a possible $10 million maximum fine.

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

Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of Customs and Border Protection. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul A. Harrison is prosecuting the case.

#OnePillCanKill

HOUSTON – Two Assistant U.S. Attorneys will lead the efforts of this office in connection with the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming Nov. 8 general election, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.

Civil Chief Daniel Hu has been appointed to serve as the election officer for civil matters, while Deputy Criminal Chief Sharad Khandelwal will act as the criminal election officer. In their capacities, both are responsible for overseeing the Southern District of Texas’s handling of election day complaints of voting rights concerns, threats of violence to election officials or staff and election fraud in consultation with DOJ headquarters in Washington.

DOJ has an important role in deterring and combatting discrimination and intimidation at the polls, threats of violence directed at election officials and poll workers as well as election fraud. DOJ will address these violations wherever they occur.  DOJ’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 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. 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, AUSAs 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.

Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, D.C. by phone at 800-253-3931 or by this complaint form.

Ensuring free and fair elections depends in large part on the assistance of the American electorate. Those who have specific information about voting rights concerns or election fraud should 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.

HOUSTON – The former administrative and community outreach coordinator for the Houston Health Department (HHD) has pleaded guilty to bribery, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery along with Assistant Attorney General Kenneth Polite Jr. of the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Criminal Division.  

Barry Barnes, 62, accepted bribes from three businesses in exchange for influencing the selection of each to perform services for the HHD.   

“This office has an unyielding commitment to attack public corruption at any level. The people of the Southern District of Texas deserve an environment in which public officials are held to the highest standards,” said Lowery. “This prosecution should send a clear message that we will find and hold accountable any public official who abuses the public trust.”

From November 2019 until March 2021, Barnes engaged in a kickback scheme with a business owner and abused his position with the HHD to facilitate the selection of the business under the emergency purchase order process. Barnes subsequently submitted invoices to ensure this individual was paid for six lucrative marketing, advertising and media contracts, including three service contracts related to the COVID-19 global pandemic that federal COVID-19 relief funded. In exchange, Barnes received several cash payments from January 2020 to February 2021.

As part of his plea agreement, Barnes acknowledged that in December 2020, he selected another business owner to perform advertising services for the HHD. In return, Barnes received a portion of the funds. Barnes again engaged in the same scheme in January 2021 with yet another business. He received a kickback for assisting that business owner in obtaining a disbursement from the City of Houston for advertisement services performed for the HHD.

Barnes pleaded guilty to bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds and faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 maximum possible fine. U.S. District Judge Sim Lake will impose sentencing Jan. 26, 2023.  

He was permitted to remain on bond pending that hearing.

The FBI - Houston Field Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sebastian A. Edwards and Trial Attorney Demetrius Sumner of DOJ’s Public Integrity Section are prosecuting the case.

LAREDO, Texas – A 67-year-old Laredo man has been sent to federal prison following his conviction of conspiring to transport people in a sealed trailer, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.

A federal jury deliberated for approximately two hours following a two-day trial before returning a guilty verdict July 20 on one count of conspiracy against David William McKeon.

Today, U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo ordered McKeon to serve 57 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. In handing down the sentence, the court repeatedly emphasized McKeon’s actions resulted in endangering over 100 people.

On April 20, McKeon arrived at the Laredo North Border Patrol (BP) checkpoint while driving a tractor-trailer. At that time, law enforcement heard suspicious noises coming from the trailer. They opened a vent door and discovered 124 locked behind the doors.  

At trial, the jury heard that McKeon had said he was recruited for the job at his birthday party a few days earlier. They heard he picked up the tractor-trailer from a dirt road then was given a fraudulent bill of lading in the parking lot of a Popeye’s restaurant before driving to the checkpoint.

However, the defense attempted to convince the jury that McKeon didn’t know there were aliens inside the trailer. The jury ultimately found him guilty of engaging in a conspiracy to transport the aliens.

McKeon has been and 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 BP. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian Bajew and David Fawcett prosecuted the case.

LAREDO, Texas – A 46-year-old man has been sent to prison following his conviction of being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.

The jury deliberated for 45 minutes before convicting Daniel Arturo Lozano July 27 following a one-day trial.

Today, U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo ordered Lozano to serve 46 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. In handing down the sentence, the court stressed the fact that Lozano was a convicted felon yet brandished a firearm to law enforcement. The court further noted he would “have to make some changes.”

On June 21, 2021, law enforcement responded to reports describing Lozano’s angry and disorderly behavior at Lozano’s Country Store located in San Ygnacio.

Upon their arrival, Lozano fled the scene and began a vehicle chase before returning to the store. At that time, he exited his vehicle and brandished an AR-style rifle. Lozano left the rifle at the store, returned to his truck and departed. Law enforcement took Lozano into custody later that night.

The defense attempted to convince the jury that the weapon Lozano displayed was actually a realistic-looking pellet gun that law enforcement found when they arrested him. However, the jury saw both the pellet gun and AR-style rifle compared side by side and the rifle was identified as the weapon Lozano had showed at the scene.

The jury did not believe defense claims and found Lozano guilty as charged.

He has been previously convicted of possession of cocaine. As such, he is prohibited per federal law of possession of a firearms or ammunition.

Lozano 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 the assistance of the Zapata County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian Bajew and David Fawcett prosecuted the case.

HOUSTON – A former local tax preparer has been ordered to federal prison following his conviction of fraudulently filing tax returns from 2014 to 2017, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.

David Wright pleaded guilty June 3. 

Today, U.S. District Judge David Hittner sentenced him to 36 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by one year of supervised release. Wright was further ordered to pay $178,688 in restitution to the IRS. At the hearing, the court heard additional argument regarding how Wright profiting from several years of fraudulently filing tax returns. In handing down the sentence, the court noted the nature of the offense, the fact that Wright employed others to participate in the fraudulent activity and that these fraudulent filings were done without the knowledge of the taxpayer clients. 

The investigation revealed Wright and his employees prepared and submitted 43 fraudulent tax returns for 16 clients. They consistently used false Schedule C Business Income or Loss deductions to inflate tax refunds for clients.

They included fake expenses such as advertising, vehicle/transportation, legal/professional services, office/business property costs, maintenance, supplies, travel and utilities. This caused hundreds of thousands of dollars of tax loss to the IRS.

Wright was taken into custody and will be transferred to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

IRS-Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zahra Jivani Fenelon prosecuted the case.

BROWNSVILLE, Texas - A 20-year-old Katy resident has pleaded guilty to illegally smuggling a spider monkey into the United States and fleeing from federal law enforcement, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.

Savannah Nicole Valdez pleaded guilty to smuggling wildlife into the United States without first declaring and invoicing it and fleeing an immigration checkpoint.

On March 21, Valdez attempted to enter the United States through the Gateway International Bridge in Brownsville. Law enforcement observed a wooden box with holes inside the vehicle which Valdez said contained beer she had purchased in Mexico.

However, when authorities opened the box, they discovered a live spider monkey and referred Valdez to secondary inspection. Valdez refused to comply with their instructions and instead sped off, running a traffic light and nearly colliding with officers and other vehicles.

Later that day, agents found multiple online postings advertising the sale of the spider monkey in the Katy and Houston areas with Valdez’s phone number listed in the advertisements.

On March 28, Valdez contacted law enforcement and turned herself in. She admitted to knowingly importing the monkey despite not declaring it and intentionally fleeing from law enforcement.

The monkey was ultimately recovered and placed with an animal shelter in the Central Florida area.

U.S. District Judge Rolando Olvera will impose sentencing Jan. 25. At that time, Valdez faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.

She was permitted to remain on bond pending that hearing.

Homeland Security Investigations, Customs and Border Protection and the Fish and Wildlife Service conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Kingsville Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Edgardo J. Rodriguez is prosecuting the case.

LAREDO, Texas – Two women residing in Monterrey, Mexico, have admitted to their roles in importing nearly 1000 grams of heroin, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.

Maria Luisa Hernandez-Alanis, 41, and Tania Melissa Coutino-Hernandez, 40,  admitted that on Sept. 4, they arrived at the Juarez-Lincoln Bridge Port of Entry in Laredo in a vehicle. They applied for entry into the United States by presenting B1/B2 tourist visas.

At secondary inspection, law enforcement discovered two yellow bags of potato chips inside of Coutino-Hernandez’s purse. The bags appeared to be sealed and unopened. However, the contents felt like a heavy ball. Further inspection revealed the bags contained heroin bundles weighing 983.9 grams.

The investigation revealed the pair were both aware of the drugs and were going to be paid $300 each to cross into the country with them. The co-conspirators planned on returning to Mexico with a large amount of cash.

U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo will impose sentencing at a later date. At that time, Hernandez-Alanis and Coutino-Hernandez face up to 40 years in prison and a possible $5 million maximum fine.

Both Hernandez-Alanis and Coutino-Hernandez have been in and will remain in custody pending that hearing.

The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation with the assistance of Customs and Border Protection. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul A. Harrison is prosecuting the case.

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 27-year-old Mexican man has pleaded guilty to attempting to smuggle undocumented aliens, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.

Luis Alberto Garcia-Quirino admitted to one count of transporting illegal aliens within the United States.

On June 28, law enforcement observed a black Honda Accord traveling North near La Gloria. At that time, the vehicle appeared to be riding low and moving at a slow rate of speed.

Authorities followed the vehicle and pulled up next to it. They saw multiple silhouettes shifting around in the rear passenger area. They further noticed Garcia-Quirino repeatedly turning around to speak to someone in the rear of the vehicle.

A registration check on the Texas license plate revealed the year of the vehicle did not match its description in the system. Law enforcement attempted to conduct a traffic stop. However, the car failed to yield and continued northbound. The vehicle then crossed intersections of two county roads and pulled over at the gate of La Rucia Ranch.

Authorities discovered nine individuals in the car including an unaccompanied minor. They were all found to be illegally present in the country.

As part of his plea, Garcia-Quirino admitted he illegally entered the United States by crossing the river near Camargo, Tamaulipas, Mexico. After he and others were taken to a stash house, Garcia-Quirino then drove the others further into the United States. 

U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos will impose sentencing Feb. 14, 2023. At that time, Garcia-Quirino faces up to five years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.

Garcia-Quirino has been and will remain in custody pending that hearing.

Border Patrol conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Parker Gochenour is prosecuting the case.

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 44-year-old Corpus Christi man has admitted to possession with intent to distribute more than 100 grams of heroin, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.

On April 1, authorities executed a search warrant at the residence of Jose Adame Jr. There, there found approximately 389.2 grams of black tar heroin, crack cocaine, a digital scale and $4,000 in a kitchen cabinet. They also found several bags of marijuana in a Ms. Pac-Man arcade gaming cabinet.

U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos will impose sentencing Feb. 14, 2023. At that time, Adame faces up to 40 years in federal prison and a possible $5 million maximum fine.

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

Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Corpus Christi Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Overman is prosecuting the case.

LAREDO, Texas – A 32-year-old man residing in Laredo has been charged with possession of a firearm as a convicted felon, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.

Today, a federal grand jury returned the one-count indictment against Cesar Javier Estrada. He is expected to appear for his arraignment before U.S. Magistrate Judge Diana Song Quiroga in the near future.

According to the charges, on Oct. 6, law enforcement responded to a call reporting shots fired on the 800 block of Nafta Boulevard. Shortly after, they allegedly received a second call describing a person with a gunshot wound arriving at Doctor’s Hospital.

Authorities arrived at the hospital and determined the patient with the gunshot wound to be Estrada’s nephew, according to the charges. He and Estrada allegedly arrived together in the same vehicle. The charges further allege that Estrada’s car contained two pistols, spent shell casings and had numerous bullet holes in the exterior.

At the scene, law enforcement allegedly discovered two ounces of marijuana, shell casings and bullet fragments that matched the firearms found inside Estrada’s vehicle.

The charges allege Estrada has two prior felony robbery convictions in Webb County and one federal felony conviction for unlawful transportation of an alien in the Southern District of Texas. As such, he is prohibited from possession firearms or ammunition, according to the charges.

If convicted, Estrada faces a up to 15 years in prison and possible $250,000 maximum fine.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Laredo Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul A. Harrison 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.

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 40-year-old Brownsville resident has admitted to transporting illegal aliens within the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.

On June 30, Gaston Perez drove a truck hitched with a recreational vehicle (RV) in to the Javier Vega Border Patrol (BP) checkpoint near Sarita. Shortly after, a K-9 alerted law enforcement to the RV. Further inspection revealed individuals trapped in the back of the travel trailer. They were unable to exit on their own due to the slide outs being drawn in and not having power to extend them.

Authorities used jumper cables to restart the RV battery and operate the slide outs. Five people were located in the back of the trailer including two inside a bed. Three additional individuals were discovered in the front of the RV.

Law enforcement used a backscatter machine to scan the travel trailer and found two anomalies inside a wooden entertainment console. They removed a television set and discovered two more individuals sweating profusely.

A total of 10 undocumented individuals were located in the RV. One of them told authorities she felt like she was going to faint as she was getting out of the trailer.

U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos will impose sentencing Feb. 15, 2023. At that time, Perez faces up to five years in prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.

Perez was allowed to remain on bond pending that hearing.

BP and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Liesel Roscher and J. Parker Gochenour are prosecuting the case.

HOUSTON – The last convicted in a large-scale multi-year home health fraud conspiracy has been ordered to federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery. 

Felix Amos, 72, Houston, pleaded guilty Dec. 18, 2018, to conspiracy to commit health care fraud.

Today, U.S. District Judge Andrew S. Hanen ordered him to serve 30 months in federal prison and three years of supervised release. He was further ordered to pay $21,197,440 in restitution.

On March 22, a jury returned guilty verdicts against Fausat Adekunle, 39, Richmond, on 10 counts following a four-day jury trial. Judge Hanen later ordered her to serve 144 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. She muct also pay restitution of $21,197,440.14.

Oluyemisi Amos (the wife of Felix Amos), 41, Houston, previously pleaded guilty and later received a sentence of 72 months in prison.

At Adekunle’s trial, the jury heard that the Amos couple owned and operated five home health companies from 2010 to 2015. They included Dayton Health Bridges, Access Practical Solutions, Advanced Holisitic, GetUpandWalk Inc. and Guarranty Home Health Agency. Adekunle served as the office manager. Evidence and testimony revealed how the three conspired to submit claims to Medicare for home health services for patients that did not need services or did not receive services.

In addition, physicians did not order these services for the beneficiaries. Once the Amoses took over one of the companies, there was a dramatic increase in the billing for services. Authorities would place restrictions on them after noticing the high-volume billings, but not before Medicare had paid out millions in fraudulent claims.

At trial, the defense conceded the nature and scope of the health care fraud but argued Adekunle was not aware of the scheme.

However, the jury heard Adekunle was the signor on the Guarranty Home Health Agency bank account and used funds from the account to pay for her business, Gideon’s Boutique, and for the purchase of a Land Rover Range Rover vehicle.

Furthermore, billing emails showed how many of the claims Adekunle submitted were for Medicare beneficiaries who were dead for over three years or incarcerated in prison. Home health cannot be provided to such individuals.

Ultimately, the jury was not convinced of defense claims and found her guilty as charged.

Felix Amos owned Dayton Health Bridges, and Advanced Holistic Healthcare Services. He, along with Oluyemisi, paid physicians to certify Medicare beneficiaries for home health services they either did not provide or for which they did not qualify. Felix used the money to purchase a $3.5 million house in Houston and two other properties.

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

IRS - Criminal Investigation, Department of Health and Human Services - Office of Inspector General, Secret Service and Texas Attorney General’s - Office Medicaid Fraud Control Unit conducted the joint investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rodolfo Ramirez and Abdul Farukhi prosecuted the case. 

HOUSTON – A 65 year-old man has been ordered to prison for trafficking in counterfeit goods, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery. 

Murtaza Juma, Orlando, Florida, pleaded guilty March 25.

Today, U.S. District Judge Ewing Werlein Jr. orderd him to serve 48 months in federal prison. The court found Juma’s conduct harmed Hewlett Packard Enterprises (HPE), Cisco and Intel by at least $5 million. At the hearing, representatives from HPE and Cisco addressed the court and testified as to the harm this crime causes to their companies and consumers in the United States. 

Juma was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $263,000 to the three companies and to serve three years of supervised release upon completion of his prison sentence. 

Juma had illegally purchased and imported counterfeit computer parts from China and sold them to unwitting customers in the United States.

Judge Werlein ordered him into custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Jay Hileman prosecuted the case along with Department of Justice Senior Attorney Anand Patel.

McALLEN, Texas –  Two men who illegally resided in Edinburg have been ordered to federal prison for their role in a conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 128 kilograms of cocaine and five kilograms of meth, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.

Victor Hugo Gil-Martinez, 28, pleaded guilty Jan. 3, while Rodrigo Aguilar-Rosas admitted his guilt March 22.

Today, U.S. District Judge Micaela Alvarez sentenced both Gil and Aguilar to each serve 210 months in federal prison. Not U.S. citizens, both men are expected to face removal proceedings following their imprisonment. At the hearing, the court heard evidence that in addition to receiving and storing narcotics from Mexico, both men also participated in the transport of currency and ammunition back south to Mexico. In handing down the sentence, the court noted Gil and Aguilar illegally entered the United States for the sole purpose of working in the drug trafficking organization.

On Sept. 27, 2021, law enforcement conducted a search of an Edinburg residence and located approximately 39 vehicle batteries. Upon opening the batteries, they discovered a total of 128 kilograms of cocaine and five kilograms of meth.

Both Gil and Aguilar admitted to receiving the narcotics-filled batteries from other individuals who smuggled them into the United States from Mexico. The men would store the narcotics-filled batteries at the residence, remove the narcotics and then transport the narcotics to other individuals across the Rio Grande Valley.

At the time of the search, authorities also located approximately $142,000 in United States currency. The bulk currency was wrapped and packaged destined to be transported to Mexico.

The total narcotics seized has an estimated street value of $3,217,500.

Both men 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 Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Hidalgo County High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force and Hidalgo County Precinct 4 Constable’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura Garcia prosecuted the case.

HOUSTON – A 58-year-old woman has been sentenced to federal prison for her role in at least 40 sham marriages, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.

Ashley Yen Nguyen aka Duyen was the group’s ringleader and also often provided a fake wedding album to help people obtain legal permanent resident status. She pleaded guilty Nov. 5, 2020.

Today, U.S. District Judge Kenneth Hoyt ordered her to serve 120 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. She was also ordered to pay $334,605 in fines.

The court ruled that Nguyen utilized mass-marketing to facilitate the scheme by advertising it through recruiters and Facebook. Nguyen had also claimed to be an attorney who had contacts within U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) so as to make the scheme appear legitimate. 

At the hearing, the court heard that Vietnamese nationals would give Nguyen’s group $50,000 to $70,000 to marry a wife or husband in the United States to fraudulently obtain lawful permanent resident status. Nguyen issued routine payments of approximately $200 to those U.S. citizens who acted as recruiters in the fake immigration proceedings. Nguyen also promised the U.S. citizens who participated as spouses between $15,000 and $20,000 in installments, although few ever came close to getting the full amount. 

“For more than four years, this individual raked in millions by operating one of the largest marriage fraud conspiracies in U.S. history,” said Special Agent in Charge Mark Dawson, Homeland Security Investigations in Houston. “The sham marriages and improper immigration benefits that were fraudulently secured under this criminal conspiracy wasted countless federal resources, delayed an unknown number of legitimate marriages between foreign nationals and U.S. citizens, and threatened national security by enabling individuals to remain in the country through deceit.

“As experts in investigating all types of financial crimes, IRS-Criminal Investigation (CI) special agents worked with our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to put a stop to this criminal network, not just from committing tax fraud and money laundering, but from also circumventing our nation’s immigration laws said IRS-CI’s Special Agent in Charge Ramsey E. Covington of the Houston Field Office. “We leverage our ability to follow the money trail in order to bring down criminal conspiracies like the one Nguyen led.”

Nguyen ran the marriage fraud organization out of the Southwest Houston area but had associates operating across Texas and in Vietnam. As part of her plea, she admitted to conspiring to engage in marriage fraud, mail fraud, immigration fraud, money laundering and making false statements in a tax return.

Nguyen’s criminal organization was responsible for organizing well over 500 sham marriages in exchange for substantial amounts of money solely for the alien beneficiary to obtain immigration benefits. The criminal organization has received over $15 million from this scheme. 

Nguyen used well over a dozen recruiters of U.S. citizen spouses in the Houston vicinity and advertised via social media about the scheme in Vietnam.  Many of the U.S. citizens had extensive criminal histories, gang associations and crippling drug additions.

During her plea, Nguyen acknowledged the fake spouses did not live together and did not intend to live together, contrary to documents and statements submitted to federal authorities. At her instruction, the spouses only met briefly, immediately before they obtained their marriage license or not at all. To prepare the fake spouses for their interviews with immigration officials, Nguyen and her criminal organization provided fabricated facts to the fake spouses to study and recite details to falsely establish the pair was living together and familiar with each other’s daily habits.

The criminal organization even prepared and provided fake wedding albums containing photographs to make it appear as if they had a wedding ceremony above and beyond a marriage at a courthouse.

Nguyen purchased multiple residences with the criminal proceeds. She used them as part of the scheme to either collect, distribute the proceeds and/or stage some of the rooms for the times when authorities indicated they would conduct a site inspection. The rooms were setup to appear as if they belonged to the fake spouses.

Nguyen herself also entered the United States through a sham marriage.

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

HSI, USCIS and IRS-CI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam Laurence Goldman, Michael Day and Kate Suh are prosecuting the case.

HOUSTON - A 31-year-old Houston man has been taken into custody on charges of sex trafficking, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.

Law enforcement arrested Jonathan Smith-Byrd today. He is expected to make his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sam S. Sheldon at 2 p.m.  

A federal grand jury returned a six-count indictment Oct. 19 which was unsealed upon the arrest today.  

Smith-Byrd allegedly used force, fraud and coercion to cause three women to engage in commercial sex. Two of the victims were minors when Smith-Byrd trafficked them, according to the charges.

The indictment also alleges Smith-Byrd coerced the victims to engage in sex acts across state lines. 

If convicted, Smith-Byrd faces up to life imprisonment and a possible $250,000 maximum fine. 

The FBI conducted the investigation as part of the Human Trafficking Rescue Alliance (HTRA).

Established in 2004, the U.S. Attorney’s office in Houston formed the 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 a national model in identifying and assisting victims of human trafficking and prosecuting those engaged in trafficking offenses. 

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sherin Daniel and Sebastian A. Edwards 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 28-year-old Dickinson man has been handed a significant sentence for receipt and possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.

Richard Blake Howard pleaded guilty Feb. 16.

Today, U.S. District Judge Brown sentenced him to 174 and 120 months for the receipt and possession of child pornography convictions, respectively. They will run concurrently for a total 174-month-term of imprisonment. At the hearing, the court heard additional information that Howard was not deterred even after law enforcement executed a search warrant at his residence in March 2019, seized his electronic devices and arrested him on an unrelated state warrant. The court then heard how Howard continued to receive, distribute and view child pornography using his Xbox until law enforcement executed a second search warrant in February 2021. The court also heard how Howard had a collection of children’s panties that he would steal from when he babysat young children. The court heard how Howard morphed images to create his own child pornography and took candid photos of women’s buttocks.

Howard will further be ordered to pay restitution to the victims in an amount to be determined later and 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. Howard will also be ordered to register as a sex offender.

In December 2018, authorities began an investigation after receiving a cyber tip from a cloud storage company. They determined Howard’s location based on the IP address he used to receive and distribute child pornography to several storage accounts.  

Law enforcement executed a search warrant at Howard’s residence and seized laptop computers and cell phones. A search of his electronic devices revealed he received and distributed child pornography via his cloud storage accounts. Further investigation showed he received images from a particular website that is known by authorities to be a platform for child pornography.

Howard possessed approximately 973 images of prepubescent minors, bondage and bestiality involving minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct. He also had 1,203 videos with some over five minutes in length.

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

Homeland Security Investigations – Galveston and members of the Houston Metro Crimes Against Children Task Force conducted the investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sherri L. Zack and Kimberly A. Leo 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 – The Southern District of Texas Chapter of the Federal Bar Association has awarded U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery the Michael Taylor Shelby Award for Professionalism in Federal Service.  

Lowery received the award at the 2022 Federal Bar Association’s annual dinner the evening of Oct. 24.

The award was established in 2006 in memory of Michael Taylor Shelby, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas (SDTX) from 2001 to 2005. The award recognizes an attorney in federal service in the SDTX who has exhibited outstanding dedication, ethics and professionalism in the practice of law on behalf of the federal government.

As part of her selection, Lowery was recognized as a lifelong public servant who embodies the essence of what the late Shelby stood for - dedication to the pursuit of justice, adherence to ethical principles and commitment to professionalism. Lowery has been the chief federal prosecutor for the SDTX since February 2021. In that role, she has led her office of nearly 500 employees through unique challenges of the pandemic while ensuring the interest of the United States is served in criminal, civil and appellate cases.

Lowery joined the SDTX in 2008, initially as an Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA). She soon earned the title of senior litigation counsel and ethics advisor before joining management as a deputy criminal chief, executive AUSA, criminal chief, first assistant U.S. attorney and eventually the court-appointed U.S. attorney. As reflected in her titles, Lowery has vast knowledge of criminal law issues and a record of strong leadership.

Lowery’s colleagues note how she earned every title she has held at the U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO), bringing to each position her innovative thinking and sound reason. She leans forward by giving seasoned and newer attorneys opportunities to develop and demonstrate leadership skills. Defense attorneys seem to respect her because she is honest and fair and is never willing to compromise her integrity.

The award recognizes that Lowery sets standards to ensure the right cases are prosecuted and violent criminals are apprehended. She also takes a pragmatic approach to civil cases to ensure the United States is made whole in affirmative litigation and the interest of the United States is protected in defensive litigation. In the Appellate realm, she considers and reviews the SDTX’s adverse Fifth Circuit and district court decisions and determines what recommendations to make to the Department of Justice Criminal Appellate Section and the Office of the Solicitor General regarding further review.

Lowery’s federal service extends beyond the USAO. She is vice chair of the Border & Immigration subcommittee of the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee (AGAC) and a member of the Violent & Organized Crime AGAC subcommittee. She also takes advantage of opportunities to engage with the community in which she serves. She speaks at annual Red Ribbon Week events, law enforcement training workshops and conferences as well as local bar association events. She also participates in federal agency campaigns to reduce crime. Additionally, she serves as an adjunct professor at the University of Houston Law Center, where she teaches Criminal Litigation and Legal Issues in Criminal Procedure.

Accolades aside, Lowery was noted as a consummate professional who is well respected among her peers, staff and the community.

HOUSTON – A federal jury in Houston has convicted a 45 year-old Houston woman on two counts of drug trafficking, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.

The jury deliberated for approximately two hours before convicting Priscilla Yvette Cervantes of one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and aiding and abetting possession with intent to distribute cocaine following a five day trial.

During trial, the jury heard that in 2020, Cervantes assisted her former boyfriend/fiancé in transporting drug proceeds and escorting cocaine through the Houston area with police vehicles. Her boyfriend was Alexander S. Reyes - a former constable deputy for the Harris County Precinct One Constable’s Office.

Testimony revealed that authorities discovered text messages between the co-conspirators, undercover recordings and camera footage taken from Reyes’s constable vehicle.

The investigation revealed in that August and September 2020, they took two trips to Lake Charles, Louisiana, to transport drug proceeds into Houston. In December 2020, they used police vehicles to escort a tractor trailer containing six kilograms of cocaine and four “dummy” kilograms from Houston to Louisiana.

Reyes pleaded guilty Jan. 6 and remains in custody pending sentencing.

U.S. District Judge David Hittner presided over the trial and will set sentencing for Cervantes at a later date. At that time, Cervantes faces a mandatory minimum 10-year-term of imprisonment for both counts and a possible $10 million maximum fine. 

Previously released on bond, Cervantes was taken into custody following the conviction today where she will remain pending that hearing.

The FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Texas Department of Public Safety and Harris County Precinct One Constable’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carolyn Ferko and Heather Winter are prosecuting the case. HOUSTON – A federal jury in Houston has convicted a 45 year-old Houston woman on two counts of drug trafficking, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.

The jury deliberated for approximately two hours before convicting Priscilla Yvette Cervantes of one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and aiding and abetting possession with intent to distribute cocaine following a five day trial.

During trial, the jury heard that in 2020, Cervantes assisted her former boyfriend/fiancé in transporting drug proceeds and escorting cocaine through the Houston area with police vehicles. Her boyfriend was Alexander S. Reyes - a former constable deputy for the Harris County Precinct One Constable’s Office.

Testimony revealed that authorities discovered text messages between the co-conspirators, undercover recordings and camera footage taken from Reyes’s constable vehicle.

The investigation revealed in that August and September 2020, they took two trips to Lake Charles, Louisiana, to transport drug proceeds into Houston. In December 2020, they used police vehicles to escort a tractor trailer containing six kilograms of cocaine and four “dummy” kilograms from Houston to Louisiana.

Reyes pleaded guilty Jan. 6 and remains in custody pending sentencing.

U.S. District Judge David Hittner presided over the trial and will set sentencing for Cervantes at a later date. At that time, Cervantes faces a mandatory minimum 10-year-term of imprisonment for both counts and a possible $10 million maximum fine. 

Previously released on bond, Cervantes was taken into custody following the conviction today where she will remain pending that hearing.

The FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Texas Department of Public Safety and Harris County Precinct One Constable’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carolyn Ferko and Heather Winter are prosecuting the case. 

HOUSTON – Authorities have taken seven Houston area men into custody on allegations including conspiracy to commit interference with commerce by robbery, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and carrying a weapon in relation to a drug trafficking offense, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.

Travonte Ardoin, 25, Jcoi Naquon Barley, 23, Maurkael Brown, 27, Terrell Treyvon Davis, 25, Emery Jermaine Goodley, 23, and Jymonte McClendon, 24, all of Houston, and Terry Ardoin, 21, Richmond, are expected to make their initial appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sam Sheldon at 2 p.m.

Law enforcement took all seven into custody Friday following the filing of a criminal complaint.

The charges allege all are believed members or associates of the Freemoney gang operating in Southeast Houston. The Freemoney gang is suspected of committing a number of violent acts in and around the community, according to the complaint.    

On Aug. 14, the seven men planned to participate in a robbery at a residence of a known drug dealer who often advertised his marijuana on an open Instagram page, according to the complaint. Brown had allegedly confirmed with Barley they had people to help commit the robbery. The charges also allege Terry and Barley discussed recruiting or needing more people who could “hit licks, kill and do everything they needed to do.” 

Law enforcement was able to intercede and prevent the robbery from occurring, according to the complaint. Authorities allegedly recovered various firearms the men were planning to use at the time of the robbery including three that had glock switches attached to them.

All are charged with conspiracy to commit interference with commerce by robbery, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and carrying a weapon in relation to a drug trafficking offense. The robbery charge carries a potential 20-year prison sentence, while a conviction of the drug conspiracy has a maximum of 40 years. If convicted of the weapons charge, each will receive a minimum of five years and up to life which must be served consecutively to any other prison term imposed. Maurkael Brown and Terrell Davis are also charged with possession of a machine gun in relation to a drug trafficking offense – a crime that carries a minimum of 30 years and up to life which must also be served consecutively.

The FBI and Houston Police Department conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Texas Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa Collins 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

HOUSTON – A 61-year-old man residing in Houston has been ordered to federal prison following multiple child pornography convictions, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.

David Craig pleaded guilty May 24 to distribution and possession of child pornography.

Today, U.S. District Judge Andrew S. Hanen sentenced Craig to a total of 108 months in federal prison. He must also serve 10 years of supervised release following his incarceration, during which time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. Craig will also be ordered to register as a sex offender.

Restitution will be determined at a later date.

Craig came to the attention of law enforcement for his presence on dark web chat sites dedicated to child exploitation and advertising the distribution of child pornography. Law enforcement downloaded several images of child pornography from a particular IP address that led them to Craig’s residence. 

Authorities later executed a search warrant and seized various electronic devices including a Dell laptop. Further investigation of the laptop revealed child pornography of prepubescent minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct, sado-masochistic conduct with minors and the sexual assault and torture of infants and toddlers.  

Craig possessed over 18,000 images and over 4,000 videos of child pornography at his residence.

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

FBI - Houston conducted the investigation with the assistance of FBI – Violent Crimes Against Children Unit in Washington, D.C.  

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sherri L. Zack and Kimberly Ann Leo along with Trial Attorney James E. Burke IV of the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section 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.

A federal jury convicted two Texas men yesterday for conspiring to pay bribes to two city commissioners in Weslaco, Texas, in connection with millions of dollars in city contracts. 

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Richard Quintanilla, 57, of Weslaco, and former Hidalgo County Commissioner Arturo C. Cuellar Jr., 68, of Hidalgo County, agreed with others to bribe two Weslaco City Commissioners, John Cuellar and Gerardo Tafolla, in exchange for official actions favorable to engineering companies seeking large contracts with the city.

From approximately March 2008 through December 2015, one of the participants in the scheme received approximately $4.1 million from two engineering companies and shared nearly $1.4 million with Arturo Cuellar. Arturo Cuellar also used a company he controlled to facilitate the payment of approximately $405,000 in bribes to his cousin, John Cuellar, which were disguised as legitimate legal expenses. In exchange for these payments, John Cuellar took several official actions to benefit the companies, including helping to award a $38.5 million contract to rehabilitate Weslaco’s water treatment plant. Quintanilla also facilitated the payment of other bribes to Tafolla.

John Cuellar pleaded guilty in August 2019 to conspiracy to commit honest services fraud and has not yet been sentenced. Tafolla pleaded guilty in April 2019 to federal program bribery and has not yet been sentenced.

Arturo Cuellar was convicted of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud, four counts of honest services wire fraud, federal program bribery, conspiracy to commit money laundering, 26 counts of money laundering, and 26 counts of using a facility in interstate commerce to facilitate unlawful activity. Quintanilla was convicted of conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud, four counts of honest services wire fraud, federal program bribery, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and seven counts of money laundering.

Arturo Cuellar and Quintanilla each face up to 20 years in prison on the top count. Sentencing has been scheduled for Jan. 18, 2023. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Jennifer Lowery for the Southern District of Texas; Special Agent in Charge Oliver E. Rich Jr. of the FBI San Antonio Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Ramsey E. Covington of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Houston Field Office made the announcement.

The FBI San Antonio Field Office and IRS-CI Houston Field Office investigated the case.

Senior Litigation Counsel Marco A. Palmieri and Trial Attorney William J. Gullotta of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section (PIN) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Roberto Lopez Jr. for the Southern District of Texas are prosecuting the case. Deputy Chief of PIN Peter M. Nothstein and former PIN Trial Attorneys Erica O’Brien Waymack and Jessica C. Harvey assisted in the prosecution.

LAREDO, Texas – Two Texas men have been sent to federal prison following their convictions of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute 34.5 kilograms of liquid meth associated with the Cartel Del Noreste (CDN), announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.

Bonifacio Turrubiates, 48, Laredo, pleaded guilty July 7, while Dionicio Sanchez, 46, Houston, admitted his guilt June 3.

Today, U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo imposed a 188-month term of imprisonment for Turrubiates, while Sanchez received 168 months. They must also serve five years of supervised release following their sentences. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence including how both men had a lengthy criminal history of drug trafficking. In handing down the prison terms, Judge Marmolejo noted that they were both “lucky” not to receive life sentences.

On April 28, 2020, authorities conducted a seizure on their vehicle in the parking lot of an HEB grocery store located in Laredo. There, they discovered kilograms of liquid meth hidden inside multiple fire extinguishers. The investigation revealed the meth belonged to an organization affiliated with the CDN.

At the time of their pleas, Turrubiates and Sanchez admitted to conspiring to hide the meth inside fire extinguishers and transporting them outside of Texas by driving the drugs north of Laredo.

Both men 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 Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Operation Noreste with the assistance of Webb County Sheriff’s Office. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, mutlti-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found on the Department of Justice’s OCDETF webpage.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Francisco J. Rodriguez prosecuted the case.

HOUSTON – A 36-year-old South African citizen illegally residing in La Marque has handed a significant sentence multiple child pornography convictions, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.

Andrian Page pleaded guilty June 19, 2019.

Today, U.S. District Judge George C. Hanks sentenced him to 336 months for production of child pornography and 60 months each for the distribution, receipt and possession of child pornography convictions, respectively. They will run consecutively for a total 516-month term of imprisonment. The court also heard additional information today including a letter written by the mother of the production victim detailing how profoundly this has changed her life, how she trusts no one with her daughter and does not know if she will ever trust again. In handing down the prison terms, the court noted his role was not only to appropriately punish Page for his conduct but to protect future victims from him.

Restitution will be determined at a later date.

Page 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. Page will also be ordered to register as a sex offender. He is also expected to face removal proceedings following his incarceration and will be required to register as a sex offender.

Page came to the attention of law enforcement during an investigation into the distribution of child pornography via peer-to-peer software. Law enforcement was able to download several images of child pornography from a particular IP address. Further investigation led to Page’s home where he lived with his parents. 

Law enforcement executed a search warrant and seized various electronic devices such as laptop computers and cell phones. Upon searching those items, they found child pornography images of a then six-year-old minor female victim. The investigation revealed Page produced these images in his home. 

In total, Page possessed over 3300 images and over 125 videos of child pornography on numerous devices found at his residence.

The images/videos Page produced are of the minor who was nude in some instances. In one image, his genitalia in in the victim’s hand. Some of the other images and videos Page obtained elsewhere range from a 30-minute video of a six-year-old minor female with an adult male penetrating her orally to videos of anal intercourse between an adult male and a child under the age of 12.

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

Homeland Security Investigations – Galveston and members of the Houston Metro Crimes Against Children Task Force conducted the investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Sherri L. Zack is prosecuting 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 51-year-old man who advertised himself as the “Used Car King of New York” has admitted to conspiring to commit wire fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.

Octavian Ocasio pleaded guilty to conspiring with others residing in the Southern District of Texas to buying and selling thousands of fraudulent Texas-issued temporary buyer tags for cars outside of Texas without a legitimate vehicle purchase.

Ocasio and co-conspirators used the internet to buy and sell the fraudulent state-issued buyer tags and exchange proceeds from the illegal tag sales.

As part of his plea, Ocasio acknowledged he and his co-conspirators communicated through accounts on Gmail, Instagram and Facebook to receive and deliver fraudulent buyer tags to purchasers all over the United States, including New York, Florida and Washington, D.C. 

He also admitted he and his co-conspirators advertised the state-issued buyer tags on social media platforms and received and shared fraud proceeds via electronic payment services such as Cash App and Zelle.

U.S. District Judge George C. Hanks Jr. will impose sentencing Feb. 6, 2023. At that time, Ocasio faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.

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

Emmanuel Padilla Reyes aka Christian Hernandez Bonilla or Noel Rivera is still a fugitive in this case. The FBI is offering a $5,000 reward to anyone providing information that directly leads to his arrest. Those with information about the fugitive’s location should call 1-800-CALL-FBI.

The FBI conducted the investigation with assistance of Travis County Precinct 3 Constable’s Office, Houston Police Department, Texas Department of Public Safety, Texas Department of Motor Vehicles, Harris County Sheriff’s Office, New York State Police and New York City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Belinda Beek and Adam Goldman are prosecuting the case.

LAREDO, Texas – A 19-year-old Laredo resident has been charged for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 1.42 kilograms of fentanyl, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.                                                                                

Today, a federal grand jury returned the two-count indictment against Ivan Eleodoro Garcia. He is expected to appear for his arraignment before a U.S. magistrate judge in the near future.  

The complaint originally filed in the case alleges that on Sept. 29, Garcia drove a 2014 Ford Taurus sedan into the Border Patrol (BP) checkpoint on I-35 north of Laredo. Three, a K-9 unit allegedly alerted law enforcement to the presence of concealed humans or narcotics at the rear of the vehicle.

Authorities conducted a search and allegedly discovered a custom-installed hidden compartment between the trunk and passenger area of the sedan. The charges also allege they discovered 13 bags containing 1.42 kilograms of blue pills. Law enforcement allegedly believed the pills were oxycodone hydrocholoride due to an embossed letter M on each pill. However, a field test later revealed the pills were counterfeit and contained fentanyl, according to the charges.

If convicted, Garcia faces up to life in prison a possible $10 million maximum fine.

The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation with the assistance of BP. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul A. Harrison is prosecuting the case.

#OnePillCanKill

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

LAREDO, Texas – A 48-year-old Mexican Citizen has been indicted on charges of conspiracy to import 5.24 kilograms of cocaine, announced U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery.

Today, a federal grand jury returned the four-count indictment against Jose Juan Rosales-Vasquez. He is expected to appear for his arraignment before U.S. Magistrate Judge Diana Song Quiroga in the near future.

According to the charges, on Oct. 1, Rosales-Vasquez allegedly attempted to enter the United States from Mexico while driving a Chevrolet Beat sedan. At that time, Rosales-Vasquez allegedly told authorities he traveled to Dallas to visit relatives and presented a valid border crossing card.

However, during an X-ray inspection of his vehicle, law enforcement allegedly discovered anomalies in shopping bags located in the trunk and under the rear passenger seat. Further inspection revealed concealed bundles which tested positive for 5.24 kilograms of cocaine, according to the charges.

If convicted, Rosalez-Vasquez faces up to life in prison and a possible $10 million fine.

Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of Customs and Border Protection. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul A. Harrison 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.