Southern District of Texas

HOUSTON – A 55-year-old woman has admitted guilt for her role in at least 40 sham marriages that charged foreigners up to $70,000 and often provided a fake wedding album to help obtain legal permanent resident status, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.

Ashley Yen Nguyen aka Duyen was the group’s ringleader. Today, she admitted she ran the criminal organization out of the Southwest Houston area but had associates operating across the state 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.

At times, Nguyen falsely represented herself as an attorney. She also admitted to arranging at least 40 sham marriages in which a Vietnamese national would pay her 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 participated in the fake immigration proceedings.

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. The spouses entered into the marriage pursuant to a financial arrangement for the primary purpose of circumventing U.S. immigration laws.

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. Following the arrangement, the group also submitted fabricated paperwork to authorities including tax, utility and employment information in order to help their clients gain entry and residency into the country.

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.

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.  The investigation revealed approximately 500 sham marriages in addition to the ones that were charged in the indictment.

Nguyen pled guilty to three counts for her role in running the marriage fraud scheme as well as a count to false statements in tax returns and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

U.S. District Judge Kenneth M. Hoyt will impose sentencing at a later date.  At that time, she faces up to 20 years in prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, and IRS – Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam Laurence Goldman, Michael Day and Kate Suh are prosecuting the case.

HOUSTON – A 39-year-old former Border Patrol (BP) agent has been ordered to prison following his conviction on multiple drug trafficking charges and threatening a federal agent with bodily harm, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.

A federal jury in Houston returned guilty verdicts July 22, 2019, against Daniel Polanco, Edinburg, on cocaine charges and making a false statement. He was again found guilty March 6 after a second trial for threatening a federal agent.

Today, U.S. District Judge Keith P. Ellison imposed a total 166-month sentence to be followed by five years of supervised release for all convictions. At the hearing, the court found Polanco played an integral role in the drug trafficking conspiracy, abused and exploited his position of trust as a law enforcement officer in order to facilitate the offenses and obstructed justice by providing false statements to federal agents during the course of the investigation.

In handing down the sentence, Judge Ellison also found Polanco made a credible threat of bodily harm against one the agents investigating the drug trafficking conspiracy. The court noted that as a former federal agent himself, Polanco knew the consequences of making such a threat and had the ability to carry it out. For that reason, Judge Ellison imposed a separate six months on that charge to be served consecutively to the 160 months he received for the drug trafficking charges. As a condition of supervised release, Judge Ellison ordered Polanco not to have any contact, directly or through a third party, with the federal agent he threatened.

Polanco was a former BP agent, but is no longer with the federal government.

“Every day, dedicated law enforcement officers across the nation risk their lives to make our communities safe. The criminal actions of Daniel Polanco, for which he was justly sentenced, demean that dedication and sacrifice,” stated Special Agent in Charge Steven S. Whipple of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). “DEA will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to target all narcotics traffickers, especially those who abuse their office and the trust of the American Public.”

The investigation began in 2011 when authorities targeted a drug trafficking organization involved in the transportation and distribution of cocaine and marijuana. Authorities soon found the organization was also stealing loads of cocaine and marijuana from sources of supply. As part of the scheme, the organization had created fake bundles of drugs and used law enforcement officers to seize them in order to cover up the theft.

At trial, the jury heard Polanco helped facilitate the distribution of more than 15 kilograms of cocaine in April 2013. He and others were hired to transport the cocaine but stole it instead and sold the cocaine for profit. To cover up the theft, co-conspirators created fake drug bundles that were placed in an abandoned vehicle. Polanco assisted in the planning and staging of that incident and devised a plan to ensure law enforcement seized the sham bundles. He personally called authorities to report the abandoned vehicle and falsely reported the vehicle as looking suspicious.

Testimony revealed the drug trafficking organization paid Polanco for his participation in the scheme to seize the fake drugs. The jury also heard he made a false statement to an agent who was investigating the 15-kilogram cocaine seizure in an attempt to cover up his involvement in the transaction.

Polanco testified at trial and denied participating in the scheme. The jury did not believe his claims and convicted him of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, possession with intent to distribute cocaine and knowingly giving a false statement to a federal agent.

Following that verdict and losing a legal motion, Polanco threatened one of the federal agents involved in the case. He was charged and later convicted of threatening to commit bodily harm with the intent to intimidate, interfere or impede the agent while he was engaged in the performance of his official duties and/or to retaliate against him for performance of his official duties.

The drug trafficking investigation has led to the arrest and prosecution of 20 individuals including six law enforcement officers, one of whom has already received a 10-year prison term.

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

Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations

and Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Investigation dubbed Operation Blue Shame. Assistant U.S. Attorney Casey N. MacDonald and Anibal J. Alaniz prosecuted the drug case, while Assistant U.S. Attorney Leo J. Leo III handled the threat matter.

HOUSTON – Two Assistant U.S. Attorneys will lead the efforts of this office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming Nov. 3 general election, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.

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 district’s handling of complaints of election fraud and voting rights concerns in consultation with Justice Department headquarters in Washington.

Federal law protects against such crimes as intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters and provides that they can vote free from acts that intimidate or harass them.

For example, actions of persons designed to interrupt or intimidate voters at polling places by questioning or challenging them, or by photographing or videotaping them, under the pretext that these are actions to uncover illegal voting may violate federal voting rights law. Further, federal law protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or illiteracy).

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

The franchise is the cornerstone of American democracy. We all must ensure that those who are entitled to the franchise exercise it if they choose and that those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice. In order to respond to complaints of election fraud or voting rights concerns during the voting period that ends on Nov. 3, 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 complaint form here.

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.

BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 52-year-old man has entered a guilty plea to one count of money laundering, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.

Edgardo Serrano admitted he drove $1,758,465 in proceeds from the sale of illegal narcotics from Florida to the Rio Grande Valley. He is originally from New Boston, Michigan, but now resides in Miami, Florida.  

The investigation revealed trucks would pick up cocaine from South Texas to be driven to Florida for illegal sale. Drivers like Serrano would then return to the Rio Grande Valley with the illegal drug proceeds for delivery into Mexico to drug cartel members.

Authorities discovered Serrano in Hidalgo County April 17 with drug money secreted in his semi-tractor-trailer.

As part of the plea today, Serrano agreed to forfeit the $1,758,465 as illegal money obtained from the sale of cocaine.

U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr. accepted the plea and set sentencing for Feb. 9, 2021. At that time, he faces up to 20 years in prison and a possible $500,000 fine. He was permitted to remain on bond pending that hearing.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations Drug Enforcement Administration and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives jointly conducted the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation titled La Familia Tradicion. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Betancourt is prosecuting the case.

OCDETF is the largest anti-crime task force in the country. Its mission is to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug trafficking and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States through prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency task forces that leverage the authorities and expertise of federal, state and local law enforcement.

McALLEN, Texas – Following the guilty pleas of three today, four local residents have now been convicted for knowingly making false statements in connection with firearms purchases from a local federally licensed dealer, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.

Mario Fierro, 40, Pharr, admitted to recruiting Juan Angel Hernandez, Becky Lynn Villasenor and Felipe Tudon Jr. to purchase firearms from Rio Grande Valley firearms dealers. The weapons would then be smuggled into Mexico.

Hernandez, 35, San Juan, and Villasenor, 32, Harlingen, admitted in court today to making a materially false statement in connection with the purchase of firearms. Tudon 35, also of San Juan, previously pleaded guilty Sept. 4.

Villasenor acknowledged the purchase of a Beretta 9mm pistol and a 5.7x28mm caliber pistol at Fierro’s direction. She made materially false statements to the firearms dealer to secure the sale.

As part of his plea, Hernandez admitted Fierro hired him to recruit others. He then had Tudon make a materially false statement while purchasing a 5.7x28mm caliber firearm from a federally licensed dealer.

The investigation began in June 2019.

Tudon is set for sentencing before U.S. District Judge Randy Crane Nov. 17, while the three who pleaded today will be sentenced Jan. 13, 2021. Each faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.

Tudon was permitted to remain on bond pending sentencing. Fierro, Hernandez and Villasenor have been and will remain in custody pending their hearings.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Frances Blake Land and Kristina Pekkala are prosecuting the case.

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - A 44-year-old Corpus Christi man has been ordered to federal prison for possessing child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.

Lazaro Eugene Velasquez pleaded guilty Jan. 21.  

Today, U.S. District Judge David S. Morales ordered Velasquez to serve an 84-month sentence. At the hearing, the court heard that in addition to possessing hundreds of images and videos of child pornography, Velasquez also had a child-sized sex doll which was made of rags and clothed in children’s items. It was also covered in what appeared to be semen. 

Evidence revealed Velasquez also had images of a local child. While not originally pornographic, Velasquez had altered them. The new images had cartoon-like captions that made it appear the child was asking Velasquez to perform lewd sexual acts on her.

In handing down the sentence, the court noted that while Velasquez was not being sentenced for directly committing sexual abuse against a child, possession of child pornography is also a crime that victimizes minors. She explained that children can also be abused because people who seek out child pornography create a demand for the images to be produced.

Velasquez will serve 15 years on supervised release following completion of his prison term, during which time he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. He will also be ordered to register as a sex offender. 

In February 2019, law enforcement learned Velasquez had used his father’s computer to upload an image of child pornography to an internet search engine. They then conducted a search of the residence.

They ultimately found the sex doll laying on his bed, children’s clothing in his closet and a spiral notebook containing hand-written stories describing the sexual abuse of children. At that time, authorities also seized his electronic devices. Forensic examination resulted in the discovery of more than 700 images and videos containing child pornography on his cellular phone. It also had 69 images of a local child whom Velasquez had known for several years.

He 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 Corpus Christi Police Department – Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and Immigration and Custom’s Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation.

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

HOUSTON – Authorities have arrested a 55-year-old Houston man on charges of operating a scheme to defraud investors in oil and gas transactions, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.

A federal grand jury returned the 12-count indictment against Arael Doolittle Oct. 22. He is expected to make his initial appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Dena H. Palermo at 2 p.m.

The indictment alleges Doolittle operated Sariel Petroleum LLC and Sariel Enterprises LLC. He is alleged to have taken in excess of $1.2 million from 21 investors under false pretenses through his companies. Doolittle falsely represented he had the necessary pre-existing relationships with major refiners and petroleum product suppliers to purchase fuels for resale to his customers, according to the charges.

The indictment further alleges Doolittle provided falsified documents to the investors to further assure them of the legitimacy of his representations. 

Doolittle is charged with eight counts of wire fraud and four counts of engaging in monetary transactions in criminally derived funds. Wire fraud carries a potential 20-year-maximum sentence and a possible $250,000 maximum fine. If convicted of any of the other four counts, he faces the same fines and up to 10 years imprisonment.

The FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa Annis 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 33-year-old Corpus Christi resident has been ordered to federal prison for unlawfully possessing a firearm and ammunition, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.

Michael Andrew Scott pleaded guilty Nov. 21, 2019. Scott is an identified member of the Tango Blast gang known locally as the “Corpitos.” 

Today, U.S. District Judge David S. Morales handed Scott an 87-month sentence to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release.  At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence detailing the Scott’s criminal conduct over the past 15 years.

In the very late hours of Sept. 29, 2019, law enforcement stopped Scott for speeding. At that time, they found a fully-loaded 15-round magazine within his reach as well as 12 separate small bags of marijuana, digital scale and U.S. currency that had cocaine residue. Further, authorities also discovered a Glock 19 firearm and second 9mm magazine concealed in the vehicle’s steering column.

Scott has prior felony convictions in Texas for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, robbery and cocaine possession. As such, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition per federal law.

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

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation along with the Corpus Christi Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Reid Manning is prosecuting the case.

A federal grand jury has returned an indictment alleging corporate entities conspired to steal technology from a Houston-area oil & gas manufacturer, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick and Assistant Attorney General John C. Demers of the Department of Justice’s National Security Division.

Jason Energy Technologies Co. (JET) in Yantai, People’s Republic of China; Jason Oil and Gas Equipment LLC (JOG) USA and Chinese national Lei Gao aka Jason Gao, 45, are charged with conspiracy, theft of trade secrets and attempted theft of trade secrets. 

Gao previously resided in Houston but is now believed to be in China. A warrant remains outstanding for his arrest.

Also charged in relation to the case is Robert Erford Jr., 41, Dayton, who worked for a Houston-area company. He previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit trade secrets.

On or about Nov. 7, 2019, Gao allegedly met with Erford at the JOG offices located in Houston. According to the indictment, Erford signed a consultancy agreement that Gao provided at that time, indicating Erford would work in China as a consultant to assist JOG in coiled tubing technology. Erford was to be $1,000 each day of a 15-day visit, according to the charges.

This agreement allegedly also included a confidentiality provision. 

At that meeting, Erford was also provided a letter from the JET general manager inviting him to visit in order to have a technical exchange and discussion, according to the charges. That letter allegedly indicated a goal of helping to promote the company’s manufacturing efficiency, reduce machine failure and increase production capacity.

Without authorization, on or about Nov. 22, 2019, Erford allegedly transferred a victim company document that contained a trade secret from the United States to the China for JET’s benefit. The indictment further alleges that from approximately Nov. 25-29, 2019, Erford held meetings with Gao and JET officials at JET’s offices in China and its coiled tubing facilities. At those meetings, they allegedly discussed coiled tubing technology, including victim company proprietary technology, practices and procedures.

The charges also allege authorities obtained evidence that Erford and Gao used encrypted messaging app WeChat in December 2019 to obtain, collect and copy victim company manufacturing information.

The corporate entities could be fined up to $5 million or three times the value of the stolen trade secret, whichever is greater. Gao faces the same potential fine as well as a possible prison sentence of up to 10 years.

The FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carolyn Ferko and S. Mark McIntyre of the Southern District of Texas are prosecuting the case along with Trial Attorney William Mackie from the Department of Justice’s National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.

The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations.  A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 39-year-old Corpus Christi man who initiated a sexual relationship with a child after Hurricane Harvey displaced her family has been sentenced for producing child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.

Stephen Scott Meals pleaded guilty Feb. 20.

Today, U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos ordered Meals to serve a 600-month sentence. At the hearing, the court heard how Meals groomed his victim over many years, gaining her trust and the trust of her family. He then initiated a sexual relationship with her while her family was displaced during Hurricane Harvey in 2017. 

In November 2018, law enforcement learned of the sexual relationship he had with the 15-year-old female. He admitted he had hoped to marry her - 22 years his junior at the time. When authorities identified her, she was wearing a promise ring Meals had given her.

Today, she stood before the court and bravely read her impact statement. She explained she would not live as a victim, but as a survivor.

During the investigation, authorities ultimately seized Meals’ electronic devices. Forensic evaluation revealed several pornographic images of the child victim in a secure folder on his cellular phone. Some of the images included the minor female in various stages of nudity that Meals has taken in order to memorialize the sexual assaults he had committed against her.  

The investigation had also led to the discovery of an additional child victim Meals had been sexually abusing. At the hearing today, the court heard testimony from a medical expert regarding the evidence of that abuse as well as the victim’s guardian about the impact Meals’ actions have had on her family.

Meals was further ordered to serve the rest of his life on supervised release following completion of his prison term, during which time he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. He will also be ordered to register as a sex offender. 

He 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 Corpus Christi Police Department – Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and Immigration and Custom’s Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation.

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

LAREDO, Texas – A 40-year old Laredo man has entered a guilty plea to attempting to smuggle ammunition out of the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.

Obed Rafael Cuevas-Serratos admitted that on Aug. 24, he purchased 13,000 rounds of 7.62x39 millimeter ammunition in San Antonio. The following day, his car attempted to cross into Mexico.

As part of his plea, Cuevas-Serratos admitted he hired a juvenile to cross the ammunition into Mexico for him.

U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo accepted the plea today and set sentencing for Feb. 22, 2021. At that time, Cuevas-Serratos faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.

He was permitted to remain on bond pending that hearing.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of Customs and Border Protection. Assistant U.S. Attorney April Ayers-Perez is prosecuting the case.

HOUSTON – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment alleging corporate entities conspired to steal technology from a Houston-area oil & gas manufacturer, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick and Assistant Attorney General John C. Demers of the Department of Justice’s National Security Division.

Jason Energy Technologies Co. (JET) in Yantai, People’s Republic of China; Jason Oil and Gas Equipment LLC (JOG) USA and Chinese national Lei Gao aka Jason Gao, 45, are charged with conspiracy, theft of trade secrets and attempted theft of trade secrets. 

Gao previously resided in Houston but is now believed to be in China. A warrant remains outstanding for his arrest.

Also charged in relation to the case is Robert Erford Jr., 41, Dayton, who worked for a Houston-area company. He previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit theft of trade secrets.

On or about Nov. 7, 2019, Gao allegedly met with Erford at the JOG offices located in Houston. According to the indictment, Erford signed a consultancy agreement that Gao provided at that time, indicating Erford would work in China as a consultant to assist JOG in coiled tubing technology. Erford was to be paid $1,000 each day of a 15-day visit, according to the charges.

This agreement allegedly also included a confidentiality provision. 

At that meeting, Erford was also provided a letter from the JET general manager inviting him to visit in order to have a technical exchange and discussion, according to the charges. That letter allegedly indicated a goal of helping to promote the company’s manufacturing efficiency, reduce machine failure and increase production capacity.

Without authorization, on or about Nov. 22, 2019, Erford allegedly transferred a victim company document that contained a trade secret from the United States to the China for JET’s benefit. The indictment further alleges that from approximately Nov. 25-29, 2019, Erford held meetings with Gao and JET officials at JET’s offices in China and its coiled tubing facilities. At those meetings, they allegedly discussed coiled tubing technology, including victim company proprietary technology, practices and procedures.

The charges also allege authorities obtained evidence that Erford and Gao used encrypted messaging app WeChat in December 2019 to obtain, collect and copy victim company manufacturing information.

The corporate entities could be fined up to $5 million or three times the value of the stolen trade secret, whichever is greater. Gao faces a possible prison sentence of up to 10 years as well as a $250,000 fine or twice the gross gain or loss.  

The FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carolyn Ferko and S. Mark McIntyre of the Southern District of Texas are proseuting the case along with Trial Attorney William Mackie from the Department of Justice’s National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.

The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations.  A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 42-year-old Houston man has been ordered to federal prison following his conviction of money laundering through wire fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.

Mohamad Sylla pleaded guilty May 28, admitting he conspired with Jose Luis Briseno, 41, Tynan, and David Contreras, 40, Paso Robles, California, to get a Houston oil production company to issue paychecks for work Contreras never completed and while he was not even employed at the company.

Today, U.S. District Judge David S. Morales handed Sylla a 30-month sentence to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release.

From Jan. 1 to Sept. 11, 2015, Briseno and Sylla were employed at the company as the service coordinator and South Texas region manager, respectively. The two men conspired to approve timesheets for Contreras even though he was no longer employed there. Briseno and Sylla ensured the timesheets were approved and payments issued. Once Contreras received the funds, he would split the paycheck with Briseno and Sylla. Briseno and Sylla additionally approved a series of fraudulent payments to fictitious vendors for services not provided.

The Houston oil production company paid out more than $400,000 as a result of the fraudulent schemes. Contreras, Briseno and Sylla then conspired to engage in monetary transactions using a portion of the funds.

On July 28, Judge Morales ordered Briseno to a 27-month sentence to be immediately followed by two years of supervised release. Contreras also pleaded guilty was sentenced to 12 months. 

Sylla was permitted to remain on bond and surrender at a later date to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility.

The FBI conducted the investigation. Former Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) Jeremy C. Fugate prosecuted the case. AUSA Robert Thorpe handled the sentencing.

The Justice Department announced today that it has reached a settlement with the City of Houston resolving allegations that personnel at Houston Fire Department (HFD) Station 54 discriminated and retaliated against former firefighter Jane Draycott in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Title VII is a federal statute that prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex and religion.   

The department also announced the April 28, 2020 settlement of the Title VII claims brought in its lawsuit on behalf of Houston firefighter Paula Keyes. Once the resolution announced today involving Draycott’s claims is entered by the court, all Title VII claims brought by the United States in its lawsuit will be resolved.    

“There is no place in the workplace for the type of egregious sexual harassment that these two female Houston firefighters suffered in this case, and the retaliation one firefighter endured after she complained is intolerable and unlawful. Sexual harassment and retaliation of this kind artificially slam shut the doors of equal employment opportunity for women who work in jobs historically dominated by men,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric S. Dreiband. “These two strong women and anyone else who is hardworking and courageous enough to serve as a first responder deserve the full protection of the Civil Rights Act. The Department of Justice is and will remain dedicated to enforcing these protections so that firefighters and other public safety officials can protect and serve the public free from illegal sex discrimination.”

“This settlement agreement exemplifies our commitment to civil rights and sends a clear message that the U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to protect all Americans, including public sector employees, from unlawful discrimination, retaliation and sexual harassment in the workplace,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick for the Southern District of Texas. “The type of systematic discrimination suffered by HFD female firefighters can only be prevented when employers unequivocally promote a workplace free from discrimination.”

Draycott and Keyes each filed charges of discrimination with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The EEOC’s Houston Office investigated the charges and made reasonable cause findings. After unsuccessful conciliation efforts, the EEOC referred the charges to the Justice Department.

According to the department’s complaint, filed in the Southern District of Texas, female firefighters Jane Draycott and Paula Keyes were subjected to a hostile work environment based on sex when they were employed at the HFD’s Station 54, located at Bush Intercontinental Airport in north Houston. The complaint alleged that, during the time that both Draycott and Keyes worked at Station 54, they were subjected to the soiling of their bathroom by male co-workers who urinated against the walls, floors, and sinks of that space. That misconduct escalated over time to dangerous activities that jeopardized the personal safety of Keyes and Draycott and their ability to do their jobs, to include the disconnection of the cold water in their showers and the silencing of the public announcement speakers in their residential areas such that they could not respond to emergency fire calls. This conduct was persistent even though Draycott complained about it through her chain of command. Prior to Draycott’s and Keyes’ transfer to Station 54, other female firefighters who had previously worked at Station 54 made similar complaints to the HFD about the conduct. According to the complaint, the HFD did not take meaningful steps to stop the discrimination against these other women.  

The complaint further alleged the harassing conduct culminated in death threats and vulgar race- and gender-based slurs written on the walls of their work and living spaces and on their personal possessions. Finally, the complaint also alleged that the HFD retaliated against Draycott for complaining about her working conditions by publicly disparaging her in a workplace meeting in order to force her to leave the station. Ultimately, Draycott left HFD’s employment earlier than anticipated due to the intolerable working conditions. 

Under the terms of the Oct. 26, 2020 consent decree with the City of Houston concerning HFD’s Station 54, which is subject to court approval, the city must provide training to certain supervisory staff and provide proof of compliance for up to 12 months. The city also agreed to pay Draycott $275,000.00 to resolve the claims of sex-based harassment and retaliation stemming from her employment with the HFD.  In a separate settlement agreement executed in April 2020, the city agreed to pay $67,500.00 to Keyes to resolve similar claims alleged by the United States in its complaint via a separate settlement agreement.

The Civil Rights Division’s Employment Litigation Section brought and resolved the case in collaboration with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas. This matter was handled by Employment Litigation Section attorneys Karen Woodard, Jeremy Monteiro, Hector Ruiz, and Hillary Valderrama and Assistant United States Attorneys Keith Wyatt and Elizabeth Karpati of the Southern District of Texas.     

The full and fair enforcement of Title VII is a top priority of the Justice Department’s Employment Litigation Section of the Civil Rights Division. More information about Title VII and other federal employment laws is available on the Civil Rights Division’s website at www.justice.gov/crt and https://www.justice.gov/crt/employment-litigation-section.

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - A 28-year-old Corpus Christi man has admitted to devising a scheme to fraudulently misappropriate $278,433 in unemployment benefits meant for those suffering financial hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.

William Cleveland Peck admitted to misappropriating personally identifiable information, such as Social Security numbers and dates of birth, related to various individuals. Peck then used that information to file multiple false and fraudulent claims for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) and general unemployment benefits between May and July 2020.  

As part of his guilty plea, Peck admitted to committing mail fraud by using a misappropriated identity to file a false and fraudulent claim with the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC), causing them to mail a debit card to a P.O. Box Peck utilized. Peck then used the fraudulently-obtained debit card to withdraw cash and make purchases.  The individual under whose identity Peck filed the false claim was not a resident of Texas, not eligible for benefits through TWC and did not authorize Peck to file such a claim.

PUA benefits were made available through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act - a federal law enacted March 29 which provides emergency financial assistance to millions of Americans who are suffering the economic effects resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.

U.S. District Judge David S. Morales accepted the plea today and set sentencing for Jan. 25, 2021. At that time, Peck faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 fine.

He was permitted to remain on bond pending that hearing.

The Department of Labor - Office of the Inspector General, U.S. Postal Inspection Service and TWC conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew Swartz and Asha Natarajan are prosecuting the case.

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 28-year-old Corpus Christi man has admitting to sending photos depicting the sexual exploitation of children, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.

Authorities had linked Daniel Ellsworth Janssen to an e-mail and IP address that was accessing child pornography. Law enforcement conducted a search, at which time they seized multiple electronic devices from Janssen’s Corpus Christi residence. A forensic examination later revealed images and videos of child pornography, some of which he had distributed using his cell phone. The majority of the images and videos located on Janssen’s devices depicted the sexual exploitation of children under the age of 10.

At the time of his arrest, Janssen was a registered sex offender following his conviction for attempted indecency with a child.

Sentencing has been set before U.S. District Judge David S. Morales Jan, 25, 2021. At that time, Janssen faces a mandatory minimum of 15 and up to 40 years in federal prison as well as a possible $250,000 maximum fine.

The Corpus Christi Police Department Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and Immigration and Custom’s Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation.

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

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 27-year-old Odom man has entered a guilty plea to transferring obscene materials to a minor, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.

Lazaro Benito Rocha admitted today that he had responded to an ad on Craigslist advertising a “good time” with a teenage girl. He continued communicating with whom he thought was a 14-year-old female which soon escalated into conversations of an explicit sexual nature via text messaging.  

Using his cell phone, Rocha eventually sent a photograph of his genitals.

The investigation revealed he was a part-time elementary music teacher at the Incarnate Word Academy in Corpus Christi.

U.S. District Judge David S. Morales will impose sentencing Jan. 25, 2021. At that time, Rocha faces up to 10 years in federal prison as well as a possible $250,000 maximum fine.

The Corpus Christi Police Department’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, Texas Department of Public Safety and Immigration and Custom’s Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara Popejoy 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 tab on that page.  

HOUSTON – A 61-year-old purported “investment advisor” has been ordered to serve the maximum sentence for his conviction of wire fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.

William Andrew Hightower pleaded guilty Oct. 19, 2019.

Today, U.S. District Judge Gray Miller ordered him to serve 188 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard from some of the victims who described how he stole retirement funds and their life savings. Judge Miller further ordered Hightower to pay a total of $9.5 million to the people victimized by his scheme.

Hightower was president of Hightower Capital Group (HCG) which he founded in 2010 and held himself out to be an investment advisor. However, he concealed the fact that the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) had barred him from acting as a broker or associating with a broker-deal firm in October 2015. 

Hightower conducted a Ponzi scheme – taking money from clients from 2013-2018 and making false promises regarding their investments. He falsely told them their money was being invested in various projects, such as restaurants, movies, insurance contracts and more.   

Hightower met most of his investors through referrals from other investors, family and friends. He lulled clients with misleading portfolios by presenting investment programs with purported high returns in a short period of time.

On some occasions, Hightower would make monthly payments to investors. They falsely believed their money was being properly invested. Some even re-invested additional funds with Hightower. 

Hightower fraudulently used investor monies to pay back other investors, pay his credit cards, fund his company and/or to enrich his own lifestyle. 

Previously released on bond, he was ordered into custody after the hearing today where he will remain pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

The FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Elmilady prosecuted the case.

LAREDO, Texas – Two men and one woman have been sentenced for their part in a conspiracy to transport illegal aliens, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.

A Laredo federal jury deliberated for eight hours following a one-day trial Jan. 16 before convicting Clarence James Lee, 61, San Antonio. Co-conspirators Ellis Levaughn Boston, 48, San Antonio, and Julie Perez, 34, Elmendorf, pleaded guilty Dec. 3, 2019.

Today, U.S. District Judge Diana Saldana ordered Lee to serve a total of 46 months in federal prison, while Boston and Perez were sentenced to respective terms of 24 and 15 months. They all must also serve three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard additional information including testimony detailing Lee’s knowledge of the scheme and how much he was to be paid for driving the truck. In handing down the sentence, Judge Saldana noted the trio appeared to be a “motley crew” who were easily convinced to take part in the scheme.

On Sept. 26, 2019, authorities at the Bruni immigration checkpoint on Texas Highway 359 stopped a Penske truck. Lee was driving. He said he lived in San Antonio and was moving furniture to Kingsville. During the initial inspection, a K-9 detected contraband in the cargo area of the truck.

Authorities conducted a search and discovered 24 illegal aliens hidden behind a false wall built into the truck. Furniture and appliances were blocking the door, leaving those inside with no means of escape. Upon their release, they were sweating profusely, gasping for air and immediately asked for water. A temperature reading inside the truck measured 94 degrees.

At trial, the jury heard Lee was to be paid cash and narcotics to drive the truck from Laredo to Kingsville. Testimony revealed he admitted he thought it contained contraband. However, Lee claimed he did not know people were in the back of the truck until he received a call about eight minutes prior to arriving at the checkpoint. He still decided to continue his trip.

The defense attempted to convince the jury that while Lee thought he was smuggling narcotics, he did not intend to transport persons. The jury was not convinced and found him guilty as charged.

Boston and Perez were in a scout car and admitted to their roles in the scheme. Perez admitted at today’s sentencing hearing that she knew the smugglers in Laredo and put them in contact with her boyfriend, Boston. Boston admitted to recruiting Lee to drive the truck in exchange for money.   

All three defendants have been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and Border Patrol conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul Harrison and Jennifer Day prosecuted the case.

LAREDO, Texas – A 24-year-old Laredo man has been ordered to federal prison following his conviction for knowingly conspiring to transport an undocumented alien resulting in serious bodily injury, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.

Oziel Rodriguez pleaded guilty Nov. 4, 2019.  

Today, U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo ordered him to serve a 72-month sentence to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court noted this was one of the worst cases she has seen.

On Aug. 2, 2019, Rodriguez was driving a truck in Laredo near the Rio Grande River. Authorities observed several people trying to hide in the truck’s bed and attempted to stop the vehicle. However, Rodriguez attempted to flee and soon hit a curb which rolled the vehicle multiple times. He then fled the scene. 

Law enforcement apprehended Rodriguez a short time later as well as a total of 11 undocumented aliens, eight of whom suffered injuries such as multiple fractures and head injuries. 

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

Immigration and Custom Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of Border Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney April Ayers-Perez prosecuted the case.

GALVESTON, Texas – A 40-year-old Houston-area man has been ordered to federal prison for the statutory maximum on all convictions for production, distribution, receipt and possession of child pornography as well as attempted destruction of evidence, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.

Keith Prescott Gace had pleaded guilty to all but the production charges. He proceeded to trial on that allegation in November 2019. A jury sitting in Galveston returned a guilty verdict on that charge after a two-day trial and approximately one hour of deliberation.

Today, U.S. District Judge  Jeffrey Brown sentenced Gace to 360, 240, 240 and 120 months for the production, distribution, receipt and possession convictions, respectively. He also received 60 months for the attempted destruction of evidence. Each sentence is the statutory maximum for the crime of conviction. The sentences will all run consecutively for a total 1,020 months of imprisonment.

At the hearing, the court heard trial testimony and was given additional information including child victim interviews detailing Gace’s sexual abuse. In handing down the sentence, the court noted how Gace victimized one of the victims and that the sentence reflected the seriousness of the offense, provided just punishment, protects the public and hopefully sends a message of deterrence to such criminal conduct. Gace will serve the rest of his life on supervised release following completion of his prison term, during which time he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. He will also be ordered to register as a sex offender.

"This individual preyed on the innocence of our most vulnerable population," said Mark Dawson, special agent in charge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Houston. "With today's sentencing we have removed this predator from the community and sent a resounding message that we are committed to working with our law enforcement partners to aggressively investigate and prosecute anyone who seeks to exploit our nation's children."

During the trial, the jury heard testimony from multiple law enforcement officers and Gace’s ex-wife and her husband. 

In October 2016, law enforcement learned that images and videos of child pornography had been posted to a file sharing network. Through investigation, the email and IP address of the account was associated with Gace. 

When law enforcement arrived to search his home, Gace attempted to immerse his cell phone under water to prevent access to its contents. That failed and authorities were able to conduct a forensic analysis which revealed hundreds of images and videos of child pornography. It also revealed that Gace used a messaging site to chat with others to receive and distribute images and videos of child pornography and that he had another file sharing account. 

Gace’s second account revealed hundreds more images and videos of child pornography, including images that Gace produced of a minor girl under the age of 10. Gace first captured images of the victim fully clothed, but progressed to producing photographs of her sleeping nude, seated naked on the floor with a vibrator next to her leg and an adult hand on her shoulder then finally to posing while nude in Gace’s bathtub. Along with the bathtub photographs, there were also images of Gace naked, standing and seated in his bathtub on the same day. 

At trial, the jury also heard Gace had sent a link to a child pornographic image to the cell phone the minor girl and two other children had used.

Gace attempted to convey that the images taken of the minor girl were not lewd and lascivious and, therefore, not child pornography. The jury was not convinced and convicted him for sexual exploitation of a child, otherwise known as production of child pornography.

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

HSI- Galveston conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Houston Metro Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force; police departments in Pearland, Galveston, Santa Fe, Webster and La Marque; and Jones Creek Marshals Office.

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

LAREDO, Texas - Two Mexican nationals have been ordered to federal prison for conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute approximately 14 kilograms of meth, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.

Julio Cesar Salinas-Saucedo, 40, and his nephew Juan Manuel Lira-Salinas, 32, pleaded guilty Feb. 4.

Today, U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo ordered Lira-Salinas to serve 168 months in federal prison for being a leader-organizer. Salinas-Saucedo received a 60-month sentence for his role in the scheme. Not U.S. citizens, both are expected to face removal proceedings following their terms of imprisonment.

In handing down the sentence, the court noted there was no thought to the people of the United States who would have been harmed by these drugs had their conspiracy been successful. The court also noted Lira-Salinas was the primary leader and organizer of the conspiracy.

On July 28 and July 30, 2017, authorities discovered two suspicious bags among the luggage of Turimex travel buses attempting to travel through the North Laredo Border Patrol checkpoint. The bags contained a total of eight bundles of meth.

The buses had departed the Laredo Turimex station and were bound for Houston.

The investigation led to Salinas-Saucedo and Lira-Salinas as the coordinators of the smuggling events. Both men provided drug-laden bags to couriers who were later arrested and convicted for trafficking meth.

They 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 jointly with assistance of Border Patrol and the Laredo Police Department’s Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Francisco J. Rodriguez is prosecuting the case.

LAREDO, Texas –  A 33-year-old man is now headed to federal prison after admitting to transporting aliens resulting in death, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.

Luis Morales-Melendez, a Guatemalan national who illegally entered the United States himself, pleaded guilty Dec. 2, 2019.  

Today, U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo handed him a 48-month sentence. Not a U.S. citizen, Morales-Melendez is expected to face removal proceedings following the sentence. At the hearing, the court noted that while there’s no indication Morales-Melendez intended for the death to happen, he was still responsible for their safety as they crossed the river. 

“Illegally entering the U.S. is not only a crime, it can be life threatening,” said chief Matthew Hudak of Border Patrol (BP)– Laredo Sector. “The harsh terrain and conditions along the border are inherently dangerous, and are made worse by the callous and reckless actions of smugglers that put lives at risk. The heartless actions of Morales-Mendez last year needlessly cost someone their life. This case is another unfortunate reminder that no one should but their life, or the life of a family member, in the hands of a criminal organization or human smugglers.”

"The tragic loss of life in this case is an example of the very real risks people face when they put their lives in the hands of smugglers," said Special Agent in Charge Shane Folden Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) - San Antonio. "Those responsible for illegally moving people into and through our country place personal profit ahead of public safety.  Driven by greed, they have little regard for the health and well-being of their human cargo, which can be a deadly combination.”

On Aug. 22, 2019, authorities encountered 12 individuals near Zebra Creek in Laredo. The investigation determined they were all undocumented aliens who had illegally entered the country by crossing the Rio Grande river. Several identified Morales-Melendez as the guide who led them into the United States.

Another man had been a part of the group, but had died along the way. The investigation revealed the victim had been struggling in the water, but Morales-Melendez did not offer aid or use a rope to help him. Morales-Melendez denied hearing anyone call for help. While some lifejackets were available, there were not enough for everyone. The victim’s body was recovered on the Mexican side of the river the following day.

Morales-Melendez admitted to illegally entering the United States with the group and acting as the foot guide on the American side of the river. As part of his plea, Morales-Mendez acknowledged receiving a discount on his smuggling fee in exchange for acting as the foot guide once the group crossed into the United States.

BP initiated the investigation in conjunction with HSI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Bukiewicz is prosecuting the case.

HOUSTON – A former deputy constable and her husband have entered guilty pleas to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick. 

Betty Jean Molina, 57, pleaded guilty today, while her husband - Henry Molina, 60 – entered his plea July 28. Both reside in Houston. The couple admitted to transporting what they believed to be approximately a half-million dollars in drug proceeds on multiple occasions. They had also agreed to transport heroin.

At the time of the offense, Betty Molina was a deputy constable with Harris County Precinct 5 Constable’s Office, but she is no longer employed there. As part of her plea, she admitted to using her law enforcement credentials when stopped for speeding on one of their trips.   

As part of the pleas, the couple admitted to obtaining several thousand dollars of what they believed to be drug proceeds and brought it back to Houston. On at least one occasion, they also transported a significant amount of narcotics.

In return, they received approximately $30,000 combined for all of their criminal actions.                                                                                                                            

U.S. District Judge George C. Hanks Jr. accepted both pleas and set sentencing for Jan. 26, 2021. At that time, they each face a minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison as well as a possible $10 million fine.

The couple was permitted to remain on bond pending sentencing.

The FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Texas Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alamdar S. Hamdani and Arthur R. Jones are prosecuting the case.  

HOUSTON – The 51-year-old El Salvadorian national who is suspected of killing a Houston police officer has been charged in federal court with being a felon and an alien unlawfully in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.

Elmer Rolando Manzano resided in Houston but has no legal status in the United States, according to the charges.

According to the criminal complaint filed today, two law enforcement officers had arrived at a Southwest Houston condominium and met with a woman and her son who wanted to retrieve some belongings from the location. Manzano, the woman’s estranged husband, resided in the apartment but refused to open the door when the officers attempted entry, according to the charges.

The son allegedly had a key which was used to gain entry. Shortly thereafter, Manzano allegedly fired shots from inside the residence. At least one of the officers returned fire, according to the complaint.

One of the officers died at the scene. The other officer and the woman’s son were also injured.

According to the charges, the woman had allegedly called authorities on Oct. 17 and 18, reporting Manzano had been acting aggressively and been verbally abusive towards her. The complaint further alleges she reported Manzano had a weapon, and she was in fear for her life.

According to the charges, authorities conducted a search of the residence and found two firearms – A Ruger P89, 9mm handgun and a Colt .38 caliber revolver

Manzano allegedly has a felony conviction and is, therefore, prohibited by federal law of possessing a firearm or ammunition. As an alien illegally or unlawfully in the United States, he is also prohibited of such.

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

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of Houston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jill Stotts is prosecuting the case.

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

McALLEN, Texas — A federal grand jury has returned an indictment against a South Texas man and woman for production, receipt and distribution of child pornography as well as coercion and enticement of a minor, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.

Initially charged by criminal complaint, Reid Etheridge, 41, McAllen, and Alicia Cronkhite, 28, Edinburg, have remained in custody since a detention hearing earlier this month. They will appear for their arraignment before a U.S. magistrate judge in the near future.

According to the charges, the investigation began after authorities discovered videos and images of minor victims uploaded to an email account. Etheridge was the alleged owner of that account.

The charges allege Etheridge had filmed his sexual abuse of a minor victim and uploaded the videos to that email account.

The investigation also led to a location in Edinburg where Cronkhite resided. According to the charges, Etheridge had encouraged Cronkhite to produce child pornography of another minor victim. Cronkhite then allegedly took photographs of herself abusing a minor victim and texted the photographs to Etheridge.

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

Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations - Rio Grande Valley Child Exploitation Investigations Task Force conducted the investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Mitchell 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 tab on that page.

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

LAREDO, Texas – A 28-year-old San Antonio man is now headed to federal prison for knowingly conspiring to transport an undocumented alien resulting in death, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.

Andres Jonathan Yeverino pleaded guilty March 3.  

Today, U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo ordered him to serve a 48-month sentence to be immediately followed by four years of supervised release.

On Oct. 21, 2019, law enforcement stopped a pickup truck in Webb County just north of Laredo. Yeverino was driving. Authorities conducted a search and discovered several people hidden underneath a blanket in the backseat and in the bed of the truck. All were determined to be aliens illegally present in the United States.

One of the individuals in the backseat ran from the vehicle onto Interstate Highway 35. Soon after, a passing vehicle struck and killed him.  

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

Immigration and Custom Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of Border Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney April Ayers-Perez prosecuted the case.

LAREDO, Texas – A 47-year-old man from Durango, Mexico, has been sentenced to federal prison following his conviction of conspiracy to import cocaine into the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.

Jaime Barraza-Pena pleaded guilty July 8.

Today, U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo handed Barraza-Pena a 46-month sentence. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings following the sentence.

Barazza-Pena attempted to enter the United States Jan. 26, at the Colombia Solidarity International port-of-entry in Laredo. At that time, a service K-9 alerted to the possible presence of narcotics. Authorities conducted a search and found 14 bundles inside a hidden compartment underneath the center console. They were found to contain approximately 15 kilograms of cocaine with an estimated street value of $375,000.

“Cocaine is a vicious drug that destroys lives, devastates our communities and compromises the public’s safety,” said Special Agent in Charge Shane Folden of Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), San Antonio. “The sentence in this case is fitting of the serious crime committed by this defendant. HSI will continue to combat this serious threat.”

HSI conducted the investigation with assistance from Customs and Border Protection. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Petters is prosecuting the case.

HOUSTON – Nearly two dozen people have been charged with various violations related to firearms in all five Southern District of Texas (SDTX) divisions in the last two weeks alone, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.

As the nation recognizes Firearms Related Criminal Offenses Week, the SDTX has charged several people in 15 separate cases in the Houston, Laredo, McAllen, Brownsville and Corpus Christi Divisions. The charges include straw purchasing of firearms, felons in possession of firearms, carjacking, interference with interstate commerce by robbery or by threats of violence, brandishing a firearm and aiding and abetting brandishing a firearm.

“Bottom line, we have great law enforcement relationships throughout the SDTX,” said Patrick. “From the smallest city police department to the biggest federal agencies, officers, agents, deputies and troopers are all working together to get dangerous criminals off the streets. These cases are a small representation of the record-setting violent crime and gun cases prosecuted by my office over the past three years. Criminals who carry a gun, rob with a gun or run guns are going to see the inside of a federal courtroom.”

In the Houston Division this week, a federal grand jury returned an indictment against two Houston men for their roles in the violent robbery of two Waffle House restaurants, a Shipley Donuts and a local gas station. Fabian Bradley, 19, and Deonta Brown, 29, allegedly aided and abetted brandishing a firearm and interfered with interstate commerce by robbery at the Star Stop gas station on McKay Road Oct. 24, 2019. On the same date, Brown allegedly did same at the Waffle House on Wilson Road in Humble. Bradley faces the same charges in relation to the Oct. 21, 2o19, robbery of the Waffle House on Rankin Road and again at the Shipley Donuts on North Freeway Nov. 11, 2019.

Also indicted yesterday was Justin Mouton, 31, Houston. The charges allege he is a convicted felon and prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition per federal law. However, he allegedly possessed a Taurus, Magnum .357 pistol on Feb. 21.

Just last week, another grand jury charged Jordan Stewart, 28, Houston, with two counts each of interstate commerce by robbery and illegally brandishing a firearm. The charges allege he was involved in the Dec. 4, 2019, robbery of 1% Check Cashing on Briar Forest Road in SDTX while brandishing a firearm. He allegedly did the same on Dec. 21, 2018, and June 13, 2019, when he interfered with interstate commerce by robbing Senor Check Cashing and A-1 Check Cashing on Beechnut Drive, respectively.

“The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) continues to work with our partners to focus our efforts on violent criminals who are using firearms to commit crimes,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Fred Milanowski. “This focus is critical, now more than ever, as violent crimes involving firearms are increasing in many areas throughout the United States.”

In Laredo, a 39-year-old felon is set to appear in federal court on allegations of carjacking and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Joaquin Joel Montemayor is expected to make his appearance in Laredo in the near future.

According to the indictment, Montemayor allegedly carjacked a vehicle that had traveled in interstate commerce on Aug. 11, 2018. He allegedly took that vehicle by force, violence and intimidation with the intent to cause death and serious bodily harm. At that time, Montemayor allegedly had possession of a pistol and four rounds of ammunition.

Also today, the fifth defendant charged with multiple counts of false statements and smuggling firearms from the United States is set to make his initial appearance in Laredo federal court. Authorities arrested Leopoldo Martinez, 23, yesterday. He will appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Christopher dos Santos at 1:30 p.m. Also charged and previously in custody are Irving Navarro, 32, Javier Chapa, 22, Cynthia Navarro, 27, and Heriberto Castillo, 23.

The indictment charges all individuals with making false statements during the purchase of firearms and smuggling goods outside of the United States. The indictment alleges that from July 17, 2019, to Aug. 22, 2020, they made false statements in connection with the purchase of 26 guns from four different federal firearms licensees in Laredo.

The Laredo grand jury also charged more defendants last week with conspiracy to straw purchase firearms and straw purchasing of firearms. Authorities arrested Jose Sanchez Jr., 37, Laredo, yesterday. He will make his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Christopher Dos Santos today. The indictment remains sealed as to those charged but not as yet in custody.

The Laredo grand jury also returned an indictment against Juan Antonio Cepeda, 47, Laredo, and Abraham Canela, 19, Houston, for attempting to illegally export firearms and ammunition to Mexico. Cepeda is also charged with possession of ammunition as a felon. They are both expected to appear for their arraignments before U.S. Magistrate Judge Christopher Dos Santos tomorrow at 3 p.m. 

On Sept. 14, Cepeda and Canela allegedly appeared to be traveling together as they rode in tandem along Interstate Highway 35 near Laredo, according to the charges. Authorities took them into custody, at which time they allegedly discovered 14 firearms - primarily semi-automatic rifles - and over 20,000 rounds of ammunition of various calibers in Cepeda’s vehicle.

“Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) possesses the broadest investigative authorities of any U.S. government agency in the areas of smuggling and illegal exports, including the illegal export of munitions, small arms and weapon sanctions violations,” announced Special Agents in Charge Shane Folden and Mark Dawson of the San Antonio and Houston Division, respectively. “HSI leverages its expansive authorities to combat transnational criminal organizations involved in weapons smuggling which often fuels the violence committed by cartels.”

The Rio Grande Valley also saw the return of indictments charging seven people on firearms-related offenses. Earlier this week, a grand jury sitting in Brownsville charged three Cameron County residents for being felons in possession of firearms. Clifford Wayne Moody, 44, Harlingen; and Damian De Los Reyes, 28, and Juan Carlos Sanchez, 26, both of Brownsville, are all convicted felons, according to the charges. They now face federal firearms charges for allegedly possessing a Howa 6.5 Creedmor Rifle, a Kimber .45 and Beretta .40 caliber pistols as well as a Springfield 9 mm pistol and a Ruger AR multi caliber rifle, respectively.

In another case indicted this week, a 26-year-old Brownsville man wearing a Hello Kitty bandana is charged with the robbery of two local Stripes convenience stores. Ruben Arredondo was allegedly a felon in possession of a firearm, interfered with commerce by robbery and brandished a firearm during a crime of violence. On Jan. 17, he allegedly entered the Stripes Convenience Store on Boca Chica after which he pointed a black gun with pink colored grips at the employee and demanded beer. The charges allege a store employee heard Arredondo rack the slide making him think there was a chambered round in the weapon.

Soon after, the indictment alleges Arredondo went to another Stripes on East University Boulevard and again brandished the black and pink weapon at the store employee, demanding beer. After allegedly taking the beer and some cigarettes, Arredondo then got into a station wagon and sped away, according to the charges. 

In another Brownsville case, a Harlingen man has just made his appearance in federal court on allegations he shot a bank teller in the head during a violent bank robbery earlier this year. Muhamed Pathe Bah, 27, is charged with bank robbery with a dangerous weapon and use of a firearm during a crime of violence. On June 26, Bah allegedly entered a Texas Regional Bank on Sunshine Strip in Harlingen and made his way to a bank teller. The indictment alleges he pulled a pistol from his bag and shot the teller in the head, after which he took money from the bank and fled the area.

In McAllen, two alleged felons are charged in relation to an attempted burglary that occurred Sept. 16. Eugene Brimzey, 28, Baytown, and Luther Remon Jones, 27, Houston, had allegedly fled the area. The charges allege authorities  eventually stopped them near El Campo, at which time they found two firearms. They have made their appearances and are in custody pending further criminal proceedings. They are charged with being felons in possession of firearms.

“Criminal organizations and their affiliates are habitually engaged in extensive violence, intimidation and drug distribution, which poses an immediate, dangerous and serious threat to the safety of our communities,” said FBI Special Agents in Charge Perrye K. Turner and Christopher Combs of the Houston and San Antonio offices, respectively. “We are committed to partnering with our local, state and federal law enforcement agencies to dismantle these criminal organizations and prosecute the most dangerous violent offenders.”

Charges have also been filed against Corpus Christi felons. Two indictments name Vernal Williams, 33, and Daniel Pulido, 28, for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. They are expected to appear for their arraignment before a U.S. magistrate judge in Corpus Christi in the near future.

According to William’s indictment, on April 30, he knowingly possessed a 9mm semi-automatic pistol and four rounds of  ammunition. Williams was previously convicted of numerous felonies, including injury to an elderly individual and delivery of a controlled substance.

Similarly, Pulido has multiple drug-related felony convictions - possession and manufacture/delivery of a controlled substance - and is prohibited per federal law of possessing firearms or ammunition. However, on June 25, Pulido knowingly possessed .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol and 14 rounds of ammunition.

Those charged with Hobbs Act robbery could be sentenced to a maximum of 2o years in federal prison. Related firearms charges carry additional sentences of seven years or more and must be served consecutively to any underlying charges.

Those convicted of being felons in possession of firearms and making false statements face penalties up to 10 years in prison, while carjacking carries a 15-year maximum sentence.

These cases are not all-inclusive of all similar cases in the SDTX but are being announced as part of Firearms Related Criminal Offenses Week and Project Guardian. They are an example of the coordination between law enforcement which combines personnel and resources from numerous federal, state and local agencies to proactively fight and reduce violent crime and offenses involving firearms across the SDTX. The focus is on robberies, felons/aliens in possession of firearms and straw purchasers to protect local communities from violent offenders and those illegally in possession of guns.

ATF, HSI and/or FBI conducted the aforementioned investigations. Several other federal, state and local agencies also routinely provide substantial cooperation and assistance in these violent crime and firearms initiatives. Those recognized for their efforts leading to these charges include Harris County Sheriff’s Office, police departments in Houston, Humble, Laredo and Brownsville; Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement Removal Operations; Customs and Border Protection - Office of Field Operations, Cameron County Sheriff’s Office and Texas Department of Public Safety.

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 47-year-old Magnolia resident has been sentenced to the maximum sentences allowed by federal law following his conviction of coercion and enticement as well as production and possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.

George Daniel McGavitt pleaded guilty March 11.

Today, District Judge Gray Miller sentenced him to serve life for the coercion and enticement. He also received 360 and 120 months for the production and possession charges, respectively. He will also be ordered to register as a sex offender. Restitution will be determined at a later date.

“All over the country we are seeing an increase of online child exploitation and targeting,” said Patrick. “Our kids have been on their devices a lot since March - both for school and for fun - and predators are out there. Parents must have access to their kid’s devices, know their online communities and talk with them about internet boundaries.”

At the hearing today, Judge Miller considered the statements of the victim and her father. They described how McGavitt’s actions scarred their family for life, changed how they viewed the world and stole their sense of security. The victim explained how she was attending school online and using Roblox to play games. McGavitt, portraying himself as 16 years of age, approached her through that application and had her switch over to Facebook. “Within three months, the free, bubbly, carefree girl that I knew myself to be became isolated, depressed, and suicidal,” she said.

She said McGavitt had stolen so much from her - the experience of her first kiss, her virginity and her feeling of safety anywhere.

The investigation into McGavitt began May 26, 2019. The barely-teenage victim had advised her parents she had been involved in an online relationship with an adult male known as “Daniel McGavitt,” who she believed resided in Texas. The pair had been communicating via Facebook. On several occasions, McGavitt had requested she send him nude photographs or videos of herself engaging in sex acts. The victim also detailed an occasion in April 2019 when McGavitt traveled to Arkansas and engaged in sexual intercourse with her multiple times.

Authorities investigated three different Facebook accounts, including those of the victim and the profiles McGavitt utilized. That investigation revealed voluminous communications between them. Law enforcement observed at least three images depicting the victim engaging in sexually explicit conduct. These were just a few of the 71 images and 13 videos McGavitt caused the victim to create and send to him during his nine-month manipulation of her.

A search warrant of his phone also revealed several chat conversations between the victim and McGavitt during which he controlled her and caused her to produce child pornography images. Further, he acknowledged her young age, discussing her birthday, getting married and impregnating her.

Authorities were also able to place McGavitt less than a mile from the victim’s residence.

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

The FBI in Houston conducted the investigation with the assistance of Washington County, Arkansas, Sheriff’s Office and FBI - Little Rock.

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

LAREDO, Texas - A 30-year-old Zapata man has been sentenced after admitting to conspiracy to transport aliens within the country, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.

Leonidas Navarro Jr. pleaded guilty June 8.

Today, U.S. District Judge Diana Saldana handed Navarro a 41-month term of imprisonment. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings following the sentence.

On Jan. 21, Navarro drove a white Volvo tractor-trailer combination through the Border Patrol (BP) checkpoint on Interstate 35 north of Laredo. He claimed to be transporting furniture but could not provide a bill of lading or any other identifying paperwork. A K-9 soon alerted to the presence of concealed persons in the trailer. He was then referred to secondary inspection.

However, rather than complying, he drove the truck through the inspection area, off the paved road, through ground barriers and into an adjacent field. Navarro drove through the field at a high rate of speed until he ran into a fence bordering the northeast corner of the field. Navarro then fled into the brush. He jumped out of the truck and attempted to flee, but law enforcement ultimately captured him hiding at a nearby ranch.

Authorities removed the metal seal and found a total of 63 aliens including one unaccompanied minor inside the trailer. All were determined to be aliens illegally present in the United States.

He later admitted to authorities that he was the driver of the truck.

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

Immigration and Custom Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of BP. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul A. Harrison prosecuted the case.

LAREDO, Texas – A 34-year-old legal permanent resident of Port Arthur has been ordered to federal prison following his conviction of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a large amount of narcotics, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.

Luis Jesus Hernandez Sanchez pleaded guilty March 2, admitting he knew there were narcotics in his vehicle and how he expected to be paid money for transporting them. 

Today, U.S. District Judge Diana Saldana ordered Sanchez to serve a 57-month sentence. As a legal permanent resident, he could lose his status and possibly face removal proceedings following his sentence.

On Nov. 18, 2019, Sanchez attempted entry into the United States via the Juarez-Lincoln International Bridge 2 in Laredo driving a Ford Crown Victoria. He presented his lawful permanent resident alien card, but gave inconsistent information with what authorities had found regarding the vehicle’s itinerary.

He was sent to secondary inspection where a K-9 alerted to the presence of concealed narcotics. An X-ray examination also showed an anomaly in the trunk. Authorities ultimately found cocaine and meth weighing approximately 13.88 kilograms and 10.84 kilograms, respectively.

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

Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with assistance from Customs and Border Protection. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony J. Evans prosecuted the case.

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 28-year-old resident of Los Fresnos has been ordered to federal prison following his conviction for large-scale meth trafficking, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.

Samuel Martinez pleaded guilty Aug. 29, 2019.

Today, U.S. District Judge David Morales ordered Martinez to serve 10 years in prison. At the hearing, the court heard evidence Martinez was smuggling the meth to Houston in order to pay a debt.

On May 2, 2019, Martinez approached the Border Patrol (BP) checkpoint located near Sarita. During inspection, a K-9 alerted to his vehicle.

Authorities then removed Martinez from his vehicle and patted him down, noticing an anomaly on his inner thigh. Martinez claimed it was a medical device.

However, upon further inspection, law enforcement located six bundles taped to his thigh that contained almost two kilograms of pure meth. Martinez then admitted he knew he was transporting narcotics for a drug cartel.

He 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 conducted the investigation with assistance from BP. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel Dunn prosecuted the case.

LAREDO, Texas – A 37-year-old Texan has been ordered to federal prison following his conviction of possession with intent to distribute a large quantity of marijuana, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.

Roberto Garcia Saldana pleaded guilty June 9, admitting he knew there were narcotics inside the travel trailer he was storing for others. 

Today, U.S. District Judge Diana Saldana ordered Garcia Saldana to serve a 60-month sentence to be immediately followed by four years of supervised release.

On May 2, 2017, authorities conducted surveillance on what they suspected to be a marijuana stash house in Zapata. As law enforcement approached, Garcia Saldana had attempted to run from the rear of the residence. He was soon apprehended.

A search of a travel trailer on the property led to the discovery of 50 bundles of marijuana. The drugs weighed a total of approximately 476 kilograms with an approximate value of $420,000.

Saldana 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 conducted Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation dubbed Operation Falcon Talon with assistance from FBI, Border Patrol and Texas National Guard. OCDETF is the largest anti-crime task force in the country. Its mission is to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug trafficking and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States through prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven and multi-agency task forces that leverage the authorities and expertise of federal, state and local law enforcement.

Deputy Criminal Chief Mary Lou Castillo and Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony J. Evans prosecuted the case.

HOUSTON – A 45-year-old Katy man has entered a guilty plea to embezzling over $2 million from a local oil services company, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan. K. Patrick.  

Robert Andrew Bishop was the vice president of resource management at International Professional Management (IPM), an oil services company located in Houston. As part of his duties, he was in charge of securing short term loans to cover IPM’s monthly operating capital.

Today, he admitted he would inflate the loan amount needed and then divert the excess money to fake vendor accounts he controlled.

Over the span of approximately six years, Bishop diverted roughly $2.1 million from the company’s operating expenses.

The owners of IPM discovered his fraud scheme in August 2019.

Sentencing has been set for Jan. 5, 2021, before U.S. District Judge Keith Ellison. At that time, Bishop faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.

The FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Carter is prosecuting the case.

LAREDO, Texas – A 47-year-old resident of Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico, has been ordered to federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.

David Villarreal-Leal, identified as a member of the Mexican Mafia, pleaded guilty Feb. 5 for re-entering the United States after having been previously removed.

Today, U.S. District Judge Diana Saldana ordered Villarreal-Leal to serve a total of 108 months in prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he will again be expected to face removal proceedings following his sentence. At the hearing, the court noted his multiple previous convictions and that he had attacked a rival gang member while waiting for one of his court hearings.

Authorities found Villarreal-Leal Nov. 27, 2019, in a ranch outside of Laredo after illegally crossing into the United States from Mexico.

Villarreal-Leal was removed from the country multiple times beginning Jan. 19, 2006. His most recent removal occurred Oct. 15, 2019, approximately one month prior to his current arrest and charge.

He is a federal felon - previously convicted in 2001 of conspiring to transport 494 pounds of marijuana and again in 2010 when Villarreal-Leal illegally re-entered the United States. His latest came in 2011 when he was found guilty of conspiring with others in a money laundering scheme involving $1.4 million in bulk cash drug proceeds being trafficked to the Zeta Drug Trafficking Organization in Mexico.

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

Border Patrol conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul A. Harrison is prosecuting the case.

LAREDO, Texas – A 30-year-old man from Guadalupe, Nueva Leon, Mexico, has been sentenced to federal prison following his conviction of conspiracy to import heroin into the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.

Marcos Braylobsky Cantu-Hernandez, 30, pleaded guilty Dec. 2, 2019.

Today, U.S. District Judge Diana Saldaña sentenced him to 51 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings following the term of imprisonment.

Cantu-Hernandez attempted to enter the United States Sept. 21, 2019, at the Juarez–Lincoln International Bridge in Laredo. At that time, an X-ray of his vehicle revealed anomalies. Authorities conducted a search and found 28 bundles hidden in the vehicle’s rocker panels. They were found to contain approximately 28 kilograms of heroin with an estimated street value of $1 million.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with assistance from Customs and Border Protection. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Petters is prosecuting the case.

HOUSTON - A 30-year-old man who posted hundreds of images depicting child pornography on two separate public blogs in 2017 and 2018 has been ordered to federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick. 

Marcus Ryan Howell pleaded guilty March 12 to two counts of distribution of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. 

Today, U.S. District Judge Jeffrey V. Brown ordered him to serve 151 months in federal prison. Following his prison term, Howell will serve 10 years on supervised release, during which time he will have to comply with numerous conditions that restrict his access to children and the internet. Howell will also be required to register as a sex offender.

In December 2017, authorities received information that a social media user was posting child exploitation material on a public blog. They later learned of a second blog with a different user name which also contained child pornography. Law enforcement traced both blogs to an IP address registered to Howell’s Lake Jackson address.

They executed a search warrant and seized an HP desktop computer belonging to Howell, which was found to contain multiple images and videos of child pornography. Approximately 20 of the videos were longer than five minutes in length, the longest of which lasted nearly 11 minutes.

Howell was ultimately held responsible for a total of 34 GIFs, 354 videos and 1,503 photos depicting child pornography. 

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

Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Houston Metro Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.

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

A Houston-area physician and anesthesiologist at two registered pain clinics, Texas Pain Solutions and Integra Medical Clinic, was sentenced today to seven years in prison for his role in fraudulently billing health care programs for at least $5 million dollars in medical tests and procedures, and for the role his fraud played in multiple patient deaths. 

Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian C. Rabbitt of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick of the Southern District of Texas, Montgomery County District Attorney Brett Ligon, Special Agent in Charge Will R. Glaspy of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Houston Division, and Special Agent in Charge Perrye K. Turner of the FBI’s Houston Field Office made the announcement.

Rezik Saqer, 66, of Houston, Texas, was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal of the Southern District of Texas.  Chief Judge Rosenthal also ordered the defendant to pay $5 million in restitution.  Saqer pleaded guilty on July 3, 2019, to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud.

According to the evidence presented at sentencing, Saqer’s health care fraud scheme involved luring vulnerable patients to his clinics by prescribing powerful opioid narcotics, and then requiring the patients to submit to unnecessary and dangerous procedures and tests, which were often performed by Saqer’s unlicensed staff and fraudulently billed to health care providers.  Saqer’s scheme contributed to multiple overdose deaths, as well as the death of a young family in an auto accident involving one of Saqer’s patients, according to the evidence.  

According to the court’s judgment, Saqer was responsible for fraudulently billing health care providers for at least $14,665,357.54. 

This case was investigated by the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office, DEA, FBI, IRS-Criminal Investigation, Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General, Conroe Police Department, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, and the Texas Department of Insurance.  Trial Attorneys Drew Pennebaker and Devon Helfmeyer of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Tina Ansari of the Southern District of Texas are prosecuting the case.

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

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

HOUSTON – An alleged associate of one most serious transnational organized criminal organizations has landed in the United States on charges of distributing  kilogram quantities of cocaine from Colombia, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.  

Jhony Fidel Cuello-Petro aka Mocho, 45, is set to appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Frances H. Stacy at 2 p.m. in Houston today.

A federal grand jury returned an indictment against Cuello-Petro and others Aug. 16, 2018. Colombian authorities took him into custody in November 2018. He was extradited and landed in Houston yesterday.

Cuello-Petro is an alleged close associate of Joaquin Guillermo David-Usuga aka Guillermo, 43, who is believed to be a ranking member of the Clan Del Golfo. David-Usuga was extradited to Houston Dec. 5, 2019, and is pending trial.

The Department of Justice designated Clan Del Golfo as one of the most serious transnational organized criminal organizations that threatens the United States.

The indictment alleges Cuello-Petro, David-Usuga and others were involved in the importation of kilogram quantities of cocaine into the United States. Both are charged with conspiracy to distribute cocaine internationally and one count of international cocaine distribution.

Cuello-Petro and David-Usuga were allegedly involved in an ongoing five-year conspiracy to distribute cocaine from Colombia to the United States. In May 2019, they and others participated in distributing approximately 20 kilograms of cocaine in Colombia knowing it was to be imported into the United States, according to the allegations. 

The FBI and DEA led the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation dubbed Operation Macondo. OCDETF is a partnership that brings together the combined expertise and unique abilities of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. OCDETF’s principal mission is to identify, disrupt, dismantle and prosecute high level members of drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations and enterprises.

The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance in the extradition. The Justice Department also extends its gratitude to the government of Colombia and the Colombian police and military for its cooperation and assistance.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Casey N. MacDonald and Anibal Alaniz 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 – Two alleged high ranking gang members are set to appear in federal court an allegations they committed murder in furtherance of the of the Mara Salvatrucha aka MS-13 international street gang, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.

Walter Chicas-Garcia, 23, and Jimmy Villalobos-Gomez, 23, are set to make their appearances via video conference today at 10 a.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Frances H. Stacy.

A federal grand jury returned an indictment Sept. 29 against the Salvadorian nationals who resided in Houston. They are charged with murder in aid of racketeering and conspiracy to do so.

The two men allegedly murdered the victim July 3. The charges allege Chicas-Garcia and Villalobos-Gomez beat the victim to death with a baseball bat and machete so they could increase their position in the MS-13 enterprise.

If convicted, they face up to life in federal prison or the possibility of death.  

The FBI, Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and Houston Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Michael Lewis and Britni Cooper are prosecuting the case along with Trial Attorneys Julie A. Finocchiaro and Matthew Hoff from the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime and Gang Section. 

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 42-year-old Mexican national has been ordered to federal prison for conspiring to import, and for importing, 8.8 kilograms of cocaine into the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.

Omar Jaime Flores, Monterrey, Mexico, pleaded guilty Dec. 2, 2019.

Today, U.S. District Judge Diana Saldaña handed Flores a 36-month term of imprisonment. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings after serving his sentence. In imposing the sentence, the court noted he was a border crosser and now will be forever banned from the United States. 

“While some may mistakenly view smuggling controlled substances as a path to a quick profit, this sentencing demonstrates that serious consequences await those who engage in this criminal activity,” said Special Agent in Charge Shane Folden of Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) - San Antonio. “HSI will continue to utilize its broad authorities to bring to justice those who blatantly ignore the laws of this nation and threaten the welfare of our communities.”

On Sept. 20, 2019, Flores attempted to enter the United States at the Gateway to the Americas Port of Entry in Laredo driving a 2003 Ford Explorer. Authorities conducted an x-ray inspection of the Explorer and saw anomalies near the vehicle’s front fender.   

Upon further examination, they discovered a hidden compartment filled with bundles of cocaine. The packages had a total weight of 8.8 kilograms with an estimated street value of nearly $225,000.

Flores ultimately admitted he had been hired to smuggle narcotics into the United States.

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

HSI conducted the investigation with the assistance of Customs and Border Protection. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Fawcett prosecuted the case.

LAREDO, Texas – A 43-year-old Mexican national has been ordered to federal prison after he admitted to conspiring with others to import approximately 25 kilograms of 100% pure meth from Mexico, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick. 

Edgar Eliud Villarreal Munoz pleaded guilty Nov. 4, 2019, while his co-conspirator - Pablo Xavier Castillo Jaramillo, 32 - entered his plea Feb. 4.

Today, U.S. District Judge Diana Saldana handed Munoz a 57-month term of imprisonment. In handing down the sentence, Judge Saldana noted Munoz was responsible for the transportation of narcotics from Mexico. U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo sentenced Jaramillo to 84 months during a video conference sentencing hearing June 29. Not U.S. citizens, both men are expected to face removal proceedings following his sentence.

“This sentence reflects the seriousness of the charges and the danger this drug poses to our communities,” said Special Agent in Charge Shane Folden Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) - San Antonio. “The vast scope of this criminal scheme would have had a devastating effect on the citizens of south Texas. HSI along with our law enforcement partners will continue to seek out and bring justice to those involved in the illicit drug trade.”

Munoz and Jaramillo planned to import meth from Mexico on Aug. 22, 2019. On that date, Munoz attempted to cross the border at the Juarez-Lincoln International Bridge in Laredo driving a Chevrolet Silverado 1500 hauling a utility trailer. Upon his arrival, authorities conducted an inspection of the truck’s interior and found packages concealed within the door frame.

The packages were ultimately found to contain approximately 25.04 kilograms of meth. Jaramillo admitted he was paid 10,000 pesos to build the compartments and conceal the narcotics inside Munoz’s vehicle. Munoz admitting he expected to be paid $5,000 for importing and transporting the narcotics inside the vehicle.

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

HSI conducted the investigation with assistance from Border Patrol and Customs and Border Protection. Assistant U.S. Attorney Yoona Lim prosecuted the case.

HOUSTON – A 25-year-old Magnolia man has been ordered to federal prison following his convictions in relation to the December 2019 shootings of a U.S. Postal Service (USPS) mail carrier and a Costco gas station attendant, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.

Matthew Anthony Williams pleaded guilty June 3 to assaulting a federal employee with a deadly weapon and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence.

Today, U.S. District Judge Nancy Atlas ordered Williams to serve 100 months for the assault and a consecutive 10 years for the firearms conviction. The total 220-month sentence will be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. Williams was further ordered to pay $75,512 in restitution. In handing down the sentence, Judge Atlas noted this was one of the worst crime sprees she has seen, adding that he  was lucky no one was dead from his dangerous conduct.

The court enhanced the sentence, finding Williams committed the shootings while under a court protective order for threatening behavior against his girlfriend. Judge Atlas also found Williams had obstructed justice by asking his girlfriend to retract her statement about stealing her car and handgun as well as his whereabouts during the time of the shootings. He also asked her to destroy evidence and contact the victim.

“Postal inspectors’ duties include protecting postal employees and investigating violent crimes that are committed against them,” said Adrian Gonzalez, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Houston Division. “These types of crimes are rare, but when someone attempts to take the life of one of our employees, USPIS will stop at nothing to identify those responsible and bring them to justice. We extend our appreciation to all our local, state and federal law enforcement partners that assisted with this investigation.”

On Dec. 28, 2019, Williams shot the USPS mail carrier while he was delivering mail in west Houston. Shortly thereafter, he drove to a Costco located at Interstate 10 and Bunker Hill and shot a gas station attendant. Both victims survived, but the mail carrier suffered permanent, debilitating injuries.

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

USPIS conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Houston Police Department and sheriff’s offices in Harris and Montgomery Counties. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Richard Hanes and Heather Winter prosecuted the case.   

HOUSTON – A 66-year-old Texas man has been ordered to federal prison after he admitted to wire fraud in his connection to stealing millions from a Deer Park corporation, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.

James Arthur Camp, New Braunfels, pleaded guilty June 4.

Today, U.S. District Judge Nancy Atlas ordered Camp to serve a 48-month sentence to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard from the company’s chief legal officer who detailed how Camp was to obtain approval for the fraudulent invoices he submitted. In handing down the sentence, Judge Atlas noted Camp made grievous mistakes in setting up his scheme and letting it get so big for long. The court ordered he pay restitution in the amount of $11,256,712.54.

“For 19 years, Camp took advantage of his employer by embezzling more than  $10 million, separate from his paycheck,” said Special Agent in Charge Perrye K. Turner of the FBI. “Today's sentencing demonstrates the ramifications of a man's years-long commitment to greed, deception and selfishness. This case should remind citizens that every action has a consequence, as Camp will now be held accountable for his actions.”

At the time of his plea, Camp admitted that from April 1998 through November 2017, he defrauded Lubrizol Corporation of $9,256,712.54. During the scheme, he submitted fraudulent invoices for laboratory services from two companies he owned, knowing they had not been performed.

Specifically, Camp admitted that one of those fraudulent laboratory charges included one from his company Bay Area Analytical in the amount of $2,774.06. Camp inputted the data into Lubrizol’s accounting system, causing it to be transmitted electronically from Deer Park to company headquarters in Wycliffe, Ohio. That fraudulent charge was then bundled with other similar charges and paid via electronic funds transfer to Bay Area Analytical’s bank account at J P Morgan Chase Bank in the amount of $12,294.23.

Camp was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined later. 

The FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Braddock prosecuted the case.

LAREDO, Texas – A 30-year-old resident of Laredo has been indicted for allegedly importing 1.26 kilograms of meth into the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.

The Laredo grand jury returned a two-count indictment today against Nicolas Castro Jr. for conspiracy and importing meth into the United States. He is expected appear for his arraignment before a U.S. magistrate judge in the near future.

The criminal complaint originally filed in the case alleges that on Sept. 8, Castro attempted to enter the United States at the Gateway to the Americas Bridge in Laredo. Upon his arrival, authorities inspected his belongings which included a plastic bag containing tacos and chips, according to the charges. A K-9 allegedly alerted to the presence of narcotics within the bag.

According to the charges, the contents of the tacos subsequently tested positive for meth and weighed a total of 1.26 kilograms.

If convicted, he faces up to life in prison as well as a possible $10 million fine.

The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation with assistance from Customs and Border Protection. 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.

HOUSTON – A 63-year-old resident of Dallas has been ordered to federal prison for her role in a multi-million dollar interstate theft ring involving merchandise sold on eBay, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.

Kim Richardson pleaded guilty Dec. 17, 2019.

Today, U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen ordered her to serve a total of 54 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. She has also agreed to pay $3.8 million in restitution. In handing down the sentence, the court noted it would be virtually impossible to identify all of the victims in this long-running scheme.

As part of her plea, Richardson admitted she participated in a conspiracy that spanned from August 2000 through April 2019. During that time, she shoplifted items as she traveled throughout the United States. She would then sell the stolen merchandise to buyers on eBay and via direct internet sales and sent it to them via the U.S. mail, Federal Express and United Parcel Service. 

Richardson stole items from numerous retail stores. She used shoplifting tools to disable security devices and would exit the store by placing the stolen merchandise in a large black bag she carried. Richardson assisted in the sale of the items on the internet as well as packaging and mailing the stolen items. 

Buyers sent approximately $3.8 million throughout the scheme into four PayPal accounts linked to Richardson.  

Richardson 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 Secret Service and FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Belinda Beek prosecuted the case.

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – Two Corpus Christi residents have been ordered to federal prison following their convictions of trafficking meth, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick. 

Scott Winterberg Jr., 26, and Brianna Sanchez, 23, pleaded guilty March 4.

Today, U.S. District Judge David S. Morales ordered Winterberg to serve a 300-month sentence for the drug conspiracy charge, while Sanchez received 102 months for her respective role. Each will also serve five years of supervised release following their sentences.

Between September and December 2019, Winterberg and Sanchez were involved in a conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute meth. They utilized social media to market and sell narcotics and made multiple meth sales to undercover law enforcement.  

On Dec. 17, 2019, Winterberg led law enforcement on a high speed chase after they had attempted to initiate a traffic stop of his vehicle. It lasted over 20 minutes and exceeded speeds of 120 mph. Upon his arrest, authorities discovered he was in possession of a handgun, ammunition and cocaine.

Sanchez and Winterberg both admitted they were trafficking meth. Sanchez further acknowledged they sold over 20 ounces each month from August through November 2019.

Both 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; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Corpus Christi Police Department and Texas Department of Public Safety conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney David M. Paxton is prosecuting the case.

LAREDO, Texas – A 49-year-old woman has been ordered to federal prison following her conviction for conspiring to import cocaine, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick.

Ramona Elizabeth Garcia Gonzalez pleaded guilty July 8.

Today, U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo handed Gonzalez a 48-month term of imprisonment. Not a U.S. citizen, she is expected to face removal proceedings following the sentence.

On Feb. 16, Gonzalez attempted entry into the United States at the Juarez-Lincoln International Bridge in Laredo driving a 2017 Nissan Versa. Upon inspection, an X-ray scan revealed anomalies concealed within her vehicle. At that time, authorities conducted a search and found several bundles of white powder hidden behind the glove box.

The bundles field tested positive for cocaine and weighed approximately 10.88 kilograms with an estimated street value of nearly $275,000.

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

Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with assistance of Customs and Border Protection. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Fawcett prosecuted the case.

LAREDO, Texas - A South Texas doctor has agreed to pay $3,234,900.50 to resolve allegations he fraudulently submitted claims to the Medicare program for medically unnecessary tests and procedures, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick. 

Dr. David Mora is an optometrist who owns the Mora Eye Clinic in Laredo.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO) conducted a proactive analysis of claims data and determined Mora to be one of the most significant statistical outliers in the nation for certain categories of claims.

From Jan. 1, 2013, to June 14, 2019, Mora billed Medicare for medically unnecessary punctal plug insertion, sensorimotor testing, vision therapy/orthoptics and amniotic membrane placement. Medical need did not appear to support many of the claims. The patient’s condition did not warrant the service or test or many treatments were repeated on the same patient more often than what would be medically reasonable or necessary. 

As part of the settlement, Mora and the Mora Eye Clinic agreed to a three-year integrity agreement with the Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General (DHHS-OIG). The agreement promotes compliance with the statutes, program requirements and written directives of Medicare and all other federal health care programs. Among other compliance obligations, Mora and the clinic must establish and maintain a compliance program and engage an independent review organization to perform quarterly claims reviews. The agreement also requires Mora and Mora Eye Clinic to routinely report on these obligations to DHHS-OIG.

The USAO jointly conducted the investigation with FBI and DHHS-OIG. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad Gray handled the matter.

The claims resolved by this agreement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.