NASHVILLE, Tenn. – October 1, 2019 – Jose Lopez-Ruiz, 39, an illegal alien from Guatemala, pleaded guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court in Nashville, to re-entering the U.S. after having been previously deported, announced Don Cochran, U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee. 

In May 2019, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO) agents encountered Lopez-Ruiz while detaining another individual in Madison, Tennessee, as part of its Criminal Alien Program.   During this encounter, Lopez-Ruiz fled on foot and was not apprehended.  Approximately two months later, on July 9, 2019, ICE ERO, after receiving information on his whereabouts, engaged Lopez-Ruiz again in Madison.  After initially resisting officers, Lopez-Ruiz was taken into custody.

Lopez-Ruiz is a native a Guatemala and has been physically deported from the United States on seven previous occasions beginning in 2000 and most recently in January 2018.  While in the United States illegally, Lopez-Ruiz has been convicted of Driving Under the Influence on five occasions with another DUI offense still pending.

Lopez-Ruiz faces up to two years in prison when he is sentenced on January 24, 2020.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Josh Kurtzman is prosecuting the case.

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PITTSBURGH, PA - A resident of Akron, Ohio, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of drug trafficking, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.

The one-count Indictment, returned on Sept. 25 and unsealed today, named Oshay Love, 28, as the sole defendant.

According to the indictment, on July 23, 2019, Love possessed with the intent to distribute fentanyl, and over $700 in cash that was seized from the defendant’s red Chevy Blazer. The court was further informed that the defendant attempted to evade arrest in the parking lot of the Monroeville Hampton Inn by fleeing in his vehicle, damaging multiple police vehicles, and jumping off a cliff before he was apprehended.

The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of $1,000,000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca L. Silinski is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General, and the Monroeville, Elizabeth, and Wilkinsburg Police Departments conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.

An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

LAREDO, Texas – A 51-year-old citizen from Tamaulipas, Mexico, now faces up to life in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy and importation of marijuana into the country, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick. 

Benjamin Gil Aguilera pleaded guilty today in federal court.

On Aug. 1, he arrived at the World Trade International Bridge in Laredo driving a semi-truck and trailer. During the inspection, a service canine alerted to the vehicle’s trailer where authorities observed anomalies within the doors. A search of the trailer yielded 2,949 pounds of tightly wrapped bundles of marijuana.

The drugs weighed a total of 1,338 kilograms with a value of $56ayer0,000.

He has been and will remain in custody pending his sentencing, to be set at a later date before U.S. District Judge Diana Saldaña. At that time, Gil Aguilera faces a minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison as well as a possible $10 million maximum fine.  

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

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

            St Louis - Dayon J. Fips, 37, of Florissant, Missouri, pleaded guilty to multiple criminal counts before United States District Judge John A. Ross today.  His sentencing has been set for January 10, 2020.

            According to court documents, on July 31, 2018, Fips distributed fentanyl to victim N.B. who ingested that fentanyl and died as a result.  The investigation into N.B.’s death determined that, on the date of his death, N.B. contacted Fips multiple times via mobile phone.  Shortly before N.B.’s death, Fips picked up N.B. at his residence, drove N.B. to a bank and then returned N.B. to his residence.  Ninety minutes later, N.B.’s father called 911 after finding his son unresponsive in the family’s basement.  N.B. died of acute fentanyl intoxication.

            Following N.B.’s death, Fips distributed fentanyl on multiple occasions to a confidential informant.  In connection with those sales, Florissant Police executed a search warrant at Fips’ residence in the 8800 block of Harold in Berkeley, Missouri, in August 2018.  Officers recovered heroin, fentanyl, multiple firearms, and body armor.  Fips was on parole to the Missouri Department of Corrections for Robbery in the First Degree at the time of N.B.’s death and when the warrant was executed.  During an interview with police, Fips admitted that he knew N.B. and had sold N.B. drugs on multiple occasions. 

            After Fips was arrested, incarcerated and awaiting trial, Fips attempted to tamper with one or more witnesses connected to the investigation.  Fips’ efforts were detected and prevented by jail staff.  In court today, Fips admitted that he attempted to induce others to give false testimony.

            Following today’s guilty plea, Florissant Police Department Chief Timothy Fagan stated, “Mr. Fips’ conduct resulted in the loss of one life and presented a danger to countless others.  Even incarceration did not deter Mr. Fips’ conduct, and we are grateful to the jail staff for their diligent efforts, which thwarted an attempt to tamper with a witness.  His continued criminal conduct while on parole must be met with serious consequences.”

            Fips pleaded guilty to one count of felon in possession of a firearm, one count of ownership of body armor by violent felons, one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance drug and one count of influencing testimony of any person in an official proceeding.

            Felon in possession charges carries a penalty of not more than 10 years and a fine of $250,000; ownership of body armor carries a penalty of not more than three years and a fine of $250,000; possession with intent to distribute carries a penalty of not more than life and a fine not more than $1,000,000; and influencing testimony carries a penalty of not more than life and a fine of $250,000.

            The Florissant Police Department is handling the case.

RAPID CITY, SD – United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that Stanley Patrick Weber, age 70, of Spearfish, South Dakota, was found guilty by a federal jury of 5 counts of Aggravated Sexual Abuse and 3 counts of Sexual Abuse of a Minor following a week-long  jury trial in Rapid City, South Dakota.

Aggravated Sexual Abuse carries a penalty of a mandatory minimum of 30 years up to life in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, a minimum of 5 years up to lifetime supervised release, and a $500 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Sexual abuse of a minor carries a penalty of 15 years in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, a minimum of 5 years up to lifetime supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund for each count. Restitution may also be ordered.

Evidence at trial established that Weber, while employed as a pediatrician with the Indian Health Services at Pine Ridge, sexually abused minors between 1999 and 2011.

“This defendant is the worst kind of sexual predator: a person placed in a position of trust – a pediatrician – who abused that position to rape and sexually assault the children entrusted to his care,” said U.S. Attorney Parsons.  “I want to commend the courage and bravery of the men who came forward to testify about what happened to them as boys.  I know that the jury’s unanimous verdict has brought them some measure of justice.  I hope that it will bring them some measure of peace.  Let us never forget that with the justice granted by these convictions comes an obligation shared by us all.  We must resolve to do everything we can to ensure that nothing like this can ever happen again to any of our children in any of our communities.”

This case was investigated by the United States Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General and the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Office of Justice Services.  Assistant United States Attorneys Sarah B. Collins and Eric Kelderman prosecuted and tried the case.  A sentencing date is set for February 10, 2020.  Weber was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending sentencing.

ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Jonathan Allen Mowery, of Harman, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 70 months incarceration for distributing methamphetamine, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.

Mowery, age 37, pled guilty to one count of “Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine” in April 2019. Mowery admitted to distributing methamphetamine, also known as “ice,” in March 2017 in Randolph County.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen D. Warner prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco and Explosives and the Mountain Region Drug & Violent Crime Task Force investigated. 

The investigation was funded by the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Program (OCDETF). The OCDETF program supplies critical federal funding and coordination that allows federal and state agencies to work together to successfully identify, investigate, and prosecute major interstate and international drug trafficking organizations and other criminal enterprises.

U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.

ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Sandra Mae Evans, of Petersburg, West Virginia, was sentenced today to five years probation for mail fraud, United States Attorney Bill Powell announced.
 
Evans, age 62, pled guilty to one count of “Mail Fraud” in May 2019.  Evans admitted to opening an IRA account at Pendleton Community Bank’s Petersburg, West Virginia, branch in July 2018. A check in the amount of $82,170.50 was mailed from St. Louis, Missouri to Pendleton Community Bank to be deposited into Evan’s IRA account. Evans then deposited the check in August 2018, knowing the check was fraudulent. Evans admits to then requesting and successfully collecting withdrawals from the fraudulent check totaling more than $42,000. Evans then sent $18,000 cash to someone in Florida and $11,000 cash to someone in Utah.

Evans was ordered to pay $35,808.05 in restitution to the Pendleton Community Bank. The amount represents the unrecovered amount of withdrawals made against the fraudulent check.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jarod J. Douglas prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the West Virginia State Police investigated.

U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.

LAREDO, Texas – A 51-year-old citizen from Tamaulipas, Mexico, now faces up to life in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy and importation of marijuana into the country, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick. 

Benjamin Gil Aguilera pleaded guilty today in federal court.

On Aug. 1, he arrived at the World Trade International Bridge in Laredo driving a semi-truck and trailer. During the inspection, a service canine alerted to the vehicle’s trailer where authorities observed anomalies within the doors. A search of the trailer yielded 2,949 pounds of tightly wrapped bundles of marijuana.

The drugs weighed a total of 1,338 kilograms with a value of $56ayer0,000.

He has been and will remain in custody pending his sentencing, to be set at a later date before U.S. District Judge Diana Saldaña. At that time, Gil Aguilera faces a minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison as well as a possible $10 million maximum fine.  

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

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

BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 59-year-old U.S. citizen who resided in Mexico has admitted she possessed with intent to distribute nearly two kilograms of meth, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan Patrick.

Sharon Elaine Horne now faces up to life in prison.

On March 29, Horne attempted to enter the United States via the pedestrian lane at the Gateway International Port of Entry in Brownsville. A search of her belongings revealed two canisters of powdered baby formula. The seals appeared to have been removed and then re-glued.

The investigation revealed a total of 3.9 pounds of crystal meth concealed in bags and hidden underneath the baby formula.

At the time of her plea today, she admitted she picked up the two containers in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico, with instructions to walk them across the bridge into the United States.

U.S. District Judge Rolando Olvera will impose sentencing Jan. 8, 2020. At that time, Horne faces a minimum of 10 years and up to life in federal prison and a possible $10 million maximum fine.

She has been and will remain in custody 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 Nikki Piquette is prosecuting the case.

LAREDO, Texas – A 29-year-old resident of Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico, has been ordered to prison for conspiracy with intent to distribute meth, announced U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick. Fernando Garcia-Leal pleaded guilty July 3.

Today, U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo imposed a 72-month term of imprisonment. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings following the sentence. The court further ordered he not return to the U.S. illegally.

On March 23, Garcia-Leal applied for entry into the United States at the Juarez-Lincoln Bridge in Laredo driving a gray 2007 Jeep Commander. At inspection, an x-ray of the vehicle revealed anomalies within all four tires. A K-9 also alerted to possible narcotics.

Authorities ultimately found a total of 34 packages wrapped in black tape. All tested positive for meth and weighed approximately 25.46 kilograms.

Garcia-Leal initially denied knowledge of the narcotics, claiming he had purchased the vehicle approximately three weeks prior and was traveling to Houston to have maintenance work performed on it. He further added that he had purchased the vehicle from his wife’s relative who was in a drug cartel. He thought it might contain drugs, but was afraid to ask.

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 and Customs and Border Protection conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Bukiewicz is prosecuting the case.

Fort Smith, AR – Duane (DAK) Kees, United States Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas, announced today that Jaime Leonel Reinosa-Salguero, of Springdale, Arkansas, has pleaded guilty to one count of Bank Robbery and one count of Use of a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence.  The Honorable P.K. Holmes III accepted the plea in the United States District Court in Fort Smith on October 1, 2019.

According to court records, Reinosa-Salguero entered the Arvest Bank in Alma at approximately 10:38 a.m. on May 29, 2019.  He approached the teller and demanded money while brandishing a firearm.  The teller placed a large amount of currency into Reinosa-Salguero’s backpack.  Reinosa-Salguero then fired one round from his handgun directly over the teller’s head and the bullet impacted the north wall near the ceiling.  Reinosa-Salguero then fled the bank.  A short time later, Reinosa-Salguero was located traveling northbound on Interstate 49.  When Arkansas State Police initiated a traffic stop and ordered himto exit the vehicle, Reinosa-Salguero refused and fled, reaching speeds in excess of 100 m.p.h.  During the pursuit, Reinosa-Salguero fired multiple rounds at the trooper who returned fire and struck Reinosa-Salguero.  At approximately 11:12 a.m., the trooper performed a pursuit intervention technique causing Reinosa-Salguero’s vehicle to crash near the 55 mile marker.  A subsequent search of the vehicle and surrounding area revealed the firearm used in the robbery, the money taken from the bank, and 15 rounds of ammunition.  Arvest Bank’s deposits were insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.

Reinosa-Salguero’s sentence will be determined by the court at a later date.  In this case, Reinosa-Salguero faces a maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment for the bank robbery and life imprisonment for the use of a firearm. 

The investigation was conducted by the Alma Police Department, Arkansas State Police and FBI.  Assistant United States Attorney David Harris is prosecuting the case for the United States.

CHARLESTON, W.VA. – United States Attorney Mike Stuart issued the following statement about the important issues of elections, election security and voter legitimacy: 

“During the 2018 election cycle, Secretary of State Warner referred to my office what he perceived to be an attempted intrusion by an outside party into the West Virginia military mobile voting system. I note that there was no intrusion and the integrity of votes and the election system was not compromised.    My office instituted an investigation to determine the facts and whether any federal laws were violated. The FBI has led that investigation.  That investigation is currently ongoing and no legal conclusions whatsoever have been made regarding the conduct of the activity or whether any federal laws were violated.

The United States Department of Homeland Security has designated elections as “Critical Infrastructure.”  Federal and state officials including law enforcement treat potential threats against our elections extremely seriously.  There is no greater threat to our way of life and democracy than the threat of compromised elections.  The reliability of our election system and the sanctity of every vote is something we should never have to question.  Sadly, the challenge and threat isn’t only foreign interference but, rather, institutions, interest groups, third parties and trouble makers that seek to test or challenge or ultimately undermine the legitimacy of our elections and, as a result, our governing institutions and our government. It is something the Department of Justice and this office will not tolerate – not even a little.

In anticipation of the 2020 election cycle, a cycle that may well be the most contested, most intense and most brutal election cycle in the history of the nation, let me be absolutely clear:  If you are a party – any party – or an individual – any individual – that intentionally compromises or attempts to intentionally compromise our election systems, the security related to our election systems, or the legitimacy of the votes cast by citizens, my office will prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law.  Free and fair elections are a critical foundation to the maintenance of liberty.  Whether in the name of an academic exercise, a mere challenge or thrill, or to actually cause harm, we will treat every risk extremely seriously and as a threat to “Critical Infrastructure.”  Even a mere attempt is unacceptable.  If you do the crime, be ready to do the time.  Our election systems are sophisticated with many electronic fingerprints that will lead us exactly to the violators of our secured systems.  Don’t do it.  Don’t even think about it.”

Follow us on Twitter:SDWVNewsand USAttyStuart
 

 
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Bangor, Maine:  A Rochester, New York man was sentenced today in federal court in Bangor for conspiring to distribute heroin, cocaine base and fentanyl, U.S. Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced.

U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced Darrell Newton, a/k/a “Coast,” a/k/a “D-Coast,”39, to 20 years in prison and five years of supervised release. Newton pleaded guilty in October 2018.

According to court records, between June 2015 and March 2017, Newton ran a drug distribution operation based out of Rochester, New York that operated in central Maine. Individuals from Rochester were sent to central Maine to sell the drugs. They stayed with various local residents who allowed the drugs to be sold from their homes and assisted the Rochester dealers in distributing, storing and transporting the narcotics throughout the region. There were approximately 12–15 such area residences during the height of the conspiracy’s activities. The local residents were paid in cocaine base or heroin for allowing the Rochester dealers to stay in the residences and sell the drugs. Periodically, drug proceeds were collected from the various distribution points in central Maine and transported back to Newton. 

Newton organized and operated the drug trafficking operation from Rochester. He recruited and sent drug dealers from Rochester to central Maine. He also obtained large quantities of heroin, cocaine base and fentanyl that he arranged to be transported to the area by couriers whom he recruited. Once in the area, the Rochester dealers distributed the drugs in cooperation with local dealers. 

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency and the Kennebec County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case, with assistance provided by the Augusta Police Department. This case was investigated and prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s Strategy to Combat the Opioid Epidemic.

A Cedar Rapids man, responsible for selling over 480 grams of heroin, was sentenced September 30, 2019, to 200 months in prison.

Lloyd Koger, age 42, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison sentence after a December 28, 2018 guilty plea to distribution of heroin after a prior felony drug conviction. 

Information disclosed at sentencing and at his plea hearing showed that Koger was convicted in 1995, 1999, and 2004 of felony drug offenses in Illinois.  During one such offense, Koger was found in possession of 170 baggies of heroin within 1,000 feet of a school.  In 2016, Koger started selling heroin in the Cedar Rapids area.  At times, he was selling daily and people would line up to get heroin from him.  In February 2018, Koger led police on a pursuit after Cedar Rapids police officers attempted to stop the car he was driving.  Koger eventually came to a stop.  Officers located over $3,000 in drug proceeds on him. 

On August 3 and August 9, 2018, Koger sold heroin to a confidential informant.  In August 2018, Koger again led officers on another pursuit after Cedar Rapids police officers tried to stop the car he was driving.  Koger drove up to 80 miles per hours through residential areas of Cedar Rapids.  He eventually came to a stop after colliding with another vehicle.  No one was injured in the crash.  Koger had over $9,000 on him at that time. 

In total, Koger was responsible for selling over 480 grams of heroin in the Cedar Rapid area.  Koger has 17 criminal convictions going back to the age of 17.

Koger was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Koger was sentenced to 200 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a six-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Corkery and was investigated as part of the Northern Iowa Heroin Initiative and the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program of the United States Department of Justice through a cooperative effort of the Cedar Rapids Police Department, Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Marion Police Department, Linn County Sheriff’s Department, Johnson County Drug Task Force, and the Drug Enforcement Agency. 

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. 

The case file number is 18-CR-00093.

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John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that JAMAR SMITH, also known as “JT,” 37, of Bridgeport, and JOHN FLANNERY, III, 29, of East Hartford, have been charged with various federal offenses related to the straw purchases of firearms.

As alleged in court documents, Smith has been previously convicted in state court of multiple felony offenses and, as a convicted felon, is prohibited from purchasing or possessing firearms and ammunition.  In March 2019, Smith recruited Flannery, who had a valid Connecticut pistol permit, to purchase firearms for Smith and his associates.  On three occasions in March and April 2019, Flannery purchased semiautomatic pistols at federally licensed firearms dealers in Bridgeport and East Hartford, typically with cash that Smith had given him.  During each of the transactions, Flannery was required to complete an ATF Form 4473.  On the forms, Flannery falsely marked “Yes” in response to the question “Are you the actual buyer of the firearm(s) listed on the form?”  He also marked “No” in response to the question “Are you an unlawful user of, or addicted to, marijuana or any depressant, stimulant, narcotic drug, or any other controlled substance?”

It is alleged that Flannery provided the three firearms to Smith.

It is further alleged that, on April 17, 2019, after the Bridgeport firearms dealer had refused to sell Flannery another handgun and subsequently alerted the Connecticut State Police, Flannery unsuccessfully attempted to purchase two semiautomatic pistol at a firearms dealer in Newington.

It is also alleged that Flannery, at Smith’s direction, told the Connecticut State Police that he was purchasing firearms to start a licensed security business.

Flannery was arrested on state charges on July 23, 2019.  On August 7, a grand jury in Bridgeport returned an indictment charging him with two counts of making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm, and two counts of transfer of a firearm to a prohibited person.  Each offense carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.  He is released on a $100,000 bond pending trial.

On September 10, 2019, Smith was arrested on a federal criminal complaint.  On September 19, a grand jury in Bridgeport returned an indictment charging him with one count of conspiracy to make a false statement during the purchase of a firearm, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years; four counts of aiding and abetting the making of false statements during the purchase of a firearm, and three counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, offenses that carry a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years on each count.

Smith appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Donna F. Martinez in Hartford and entered a plea of not guilty to the charges.  He has been detained since his arrest.

U.S. Attorney Durham stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt.  Charges are only allegations, and each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This matter is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Connecticut State Police.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen L. Peck.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone.

A woman who conspired to distribute methamphetamine was sentenced October 1, 2019, to five years in federal prison.

Chelsea Collins, 31, from Fort Dodge, Iowa, was convicted of one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and one count of distributing methamphetamine.

At the plea hearing, Collins admitted her involvement in a conspiracy that distributed methamphetamine in the Fort Dodge area from January 2018 through September 2018.  In four separate transactions in July 2018, Collins distributed and aided others in the distribution of over 35 grams of pure methamphetamine to individuals cooperating with law enforcement.  Evidence at sentencing also showed Collins threatened cooperators and law enforcement officers involved in the investigation of her and her co-conspirators.

Collins was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Collins was sentenced to 60 months’ imprisonment.  She must also serve a 4-year term of supervised release after the federal prison term.  This term was ordered consecutive to two state prison sentences Collins is also serving at this time.  There is no parole in the federal system.  Collins is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until she can be transported to a federal prison.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by the Fort Dodge Police Department, Webster County, Iowa Sheriff’s Office, and Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.   

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. 

The case file number is 18-3041. 

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A man who conspired to distribute meth was sentenced on September 30, 2019, in federal court in Sioux City to 15 years in federal prison.

Raul Flores Marin, 47, from Bigelow, Minnesota, was convicted on April 25, 2019, after a four-day jury trial of one count of conspiracy to distribute meth, one count of possession with intent to distribute meth, and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.

The evidence at trial showed that in the early morning hours on July 19, 2017, the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call regarding a suspicious pickup truck with Minnesota license plates trespassing on property in rural Osceola County.  While traveling towards the residence, law enforcement observed a pickup bearing Minnesota plates heading away from the property.  Shortly after following the truck, it veered onto the left-hand side of the gravel road and almost into the ditch and a traffic stop was initiated.  Law enforcement encountered Marin and after a search of the truck, law enforcement located and seized a 9mm handgun along with over 15 grams of methamphetamine.  Evidence at trial further showed that Marin was involved in a conspiracy that distributed more than 50 grams of pure methamphetamine in the Osceola County, Iowa area.  

Marin was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Marin was sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.  There is no parole in the federal system.  Marin remains in custody of the United States Marshals until he can be transported to a federal prison. 

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mikala M. Steenholdt and was investigated by the Iowa Department of Narcotics Enforcement, Osceola County Sheriff’s Department, Iowa Great Lakes Drug Task Force, and Iowa Division of Criminalistics Investigation. 

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. 

The case file number is 18-4011. 

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A man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine was sentenced on September 30, 2019, in federal court in Sioux City to 15 years in federal prison.  Armondo Grimaldo pled guilty May 2, 2019, in federal court in Sioux City.

Armondo Grimaldo, 33, from Sioux City, Iowa, was convicted of one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.  Grimaldo was previously convicted of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine in 2015 in Woodbury County, Iowa.

At the plea hearing, on May 2, 2019, Grimaldo admitted his involvement in a conspiracy that distributed more than 4 pounds of meth in the Sioux City, Iowa area from September 2018 through November 2018.  On November 16, 2018, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle operated by Grimaldo, for fraudulent license plates.  During a search of Grimaldo and his vehicle, five separate baggies, each containing methamphetamine (total of more than ½ pound), $6,351 and a collapsible baton, all in close proximity with each other were located and seized. 

Grimaldo was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Grimaldo was sentenced to 180 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a 10-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.  Grimaldo is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office.   

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. 

The case file number is 18-4088. 

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FRESNO, Calif. — Monday, a federal jury in Fresno convicted two defendants for assisting in an effort to help Paulo Virgen Mendoza’s escape from California to Mexico after he allegedly killed Newman Police Corporal Ronil Singh during a traffic stop, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

Virgen Mendoza’s brother, Conrado Virgen Mendoza, 34, an illegal alien from Colima, Mexico, residing in Chowchilla; and friend, Erik Quiroz Razo, 28, an illegal alien from Michoacán, Mexico residing in Merced, were found guilty of conspiring to aid and abet Paulo Virgen Mendoza’s flight to avoid prosecution for murder. The jury acquitted other family members, Erasmo Villegas Suarez, 36, and Maria Luisa Moreno, 57, both of the Bakersfield-Lamont area. However, Villegas and Moreno have been issued notices to appear initiating deportation proceedings and Villegas faces additional federal charges relating to fraud involving identification documents. Villegas is scheduled to appear in court on Oct. 21 in connection with that case, and he is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Paulo Virgen Mendoza’s girlfriend, Ana Leydi Cervantes Sanchez, 31, an illegal alien from Michoacán, Mexico, who was residing with Paulo in Newman, was sentenced today to one year and one day in prison after previously pleading guilty to conspiring to aid and abet Paulo’s flight to avoid prosecution for murder, conspiring to harbor an illegal alien, and harboring an illegal alien. Paulo Virgen Mendoza is an illegal alien from Colima, Mexico. Virgen Mendoza’s brother, Adrian Virgen Mendoza, 26, an illegal alien from Colima, Mexico, previously pleaded guilty to conspiring to aid and abet his brother’s flight to avoid prosecution for murder and was sentenced to one year and nine months in prison. Moreno’s husband, Bernabe Madrigal Castañeda, 60, an illegal alien of Colima, Mexico, also previously entered a guilty plea to the conspiracy and was sentenced to one year and one day in prison. Cervantes, Adrian Virgen Mendoza, and Madrigal have been issued notices to appear initiating deportation proceedings after serving their prison terms.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, in the early morning hours of Dec. 26, 2018, Paulo returned to his residence in Newman after killing Newman Police Corporal Ronil Singh during a traffic stop. In the following two days, Paulo’s friends and relatives conspired together to help him escape to Mexico. Conrado, Quiroz, Cervantes, Adrian Virgen Mendoza, and Madrigal were aware from news coverage, social media, and from cellphone alerts that Paulo was wanted for murder of an officer. Nevertheless, Conrado and Quiroz helped him to conceal his truck and drove him to various locations, and Quiroz disposed of Paulo’s loaded firearm. Cervantes provided Paulo with clothes, and Madrigal provided him with food and shelter.

As part of the conspiracy, Adrian Virgen Mendoza arranged for a smuggler to take Paulo across the border, and Adrian and Madrigal purchased a new cellphone for Paulo to use to communicate with the smuggler. On Dec. 28, SWAT officers were deployed to Moreno and Madrigal’s residence after receiving information that Paulo was there. Paulo was then arrested for murder.

Throughout the manhunt, there were immediate and widespread media reports and various alerts indicating that Paulo was wanted for killing Corporal Singh, identifying Paulo as an illegal alien, and showing Paulo’s photograph and the truck that he was driving at the time of the shooting. None of the defendants notified the authorities of their contacts with Paulo when they learned that he was wanted. Ultimately, Conrado directed law enforcement officers to the dumpster where Quiroz had thrown the gun.

This case is the product of an investigation led by Homeland Security Investigations and the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office with assistance from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations; Central Valley High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) task force; Southern Tri-County HIDTA; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; California Highway Patrol; California Department of Justice, the Sheriffs’ Offices for Kern, Merced, and Santa Cruz Counties; and the Police Departments for Merced, Turlock, Modesto, and Santa Cruz. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen A. Escobar, Laura D. Withers, and Michael G. Tierney are prosecuting the case.

Conrado Virgen Mendoza and Erik Quiroz Razo are scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd on January 13, 2020. They face a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentences, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

Tacoma – An Olalla, Washington man is under arrest on a criminal complaint charging him with aggravated identity theft and access device fraud for his scheme to steal the identity and income of his missing brother.  CHRIS HARVEY SAYLER, 72, allegedly began fraudulently collecting his missing brother’s Social Security Disability benefits by at least 1998.  Over the last twenty years, those benefits total more than $400,000.  SAYLER made his initial appearance on the criminal complaint in U.S. District Court in Tacoma today. He remains detained pending a further hearing on Friday October 4, 2019.

According to the complaint, CHRIS SAYLER’s brother, Jarvis L. Sayler, traveled from his home in Missouri to the Vancouver, Washington area in 1988.  He told relatives that he planned to visit CHRIS SAYLER, then return to Missouri to build a home on property there.  Jarvis Sayler was born with partial eyesight, and had been receiving Social Security disability benefits since 1977.  Jarvis Sayler wrote a few letters to Missouri between June and September 1988, but that was the last anyone heard from him.  A third brother in Missouri reported Jarvis Sayler missing in March of 1989.  The Clark County Sheriff’s Office interviewed CHRIS SAYLER about his brother’s whereabouts.  SAYLER claimed his brother moved from his home after the two had an argument. That was the last reported sighting of Jarvis Sayler.

In 2013, a person claiming to be Jarvis Sayler attempted to renew a Washington State ID card, but the renewal was denied because facial recognition software indicated the person in the ID photo was the same as in a drivers license photo of  CHRIS SAYLER. When SAYLER went to a Department of Licensing Office to renew a license (in the SAYLER name) years later, he claimed that he and Jarvis were twins and that was the reason for the facial recognition report.  The clerk pointed out that the two men’s birthdates were four years apart, but SAYLER said it is a “rare twin situation” that does occur.  The investigation has revealed that SAYLER and Jarvis Sayler are not biologically related. 

In 2019, the Department of Licensing referred the matter to the Social Security Office of Inspector General (SSA-OIG) for investigation.  The investigation revealed that as early as 1998, SAYLER’s photo appears on Jarvis Sayler’s identification card and that the addresses on Jarvis’ cards and other identifying documents are associated with SAYLER. 

Since at least 1998, Jarvis Sayler’s Social Security benefits went to a bank account opened with an address in Vancouver, Washington.  When SAYLER moved to Olalla, the address on the account was updated to the new address as well. ATM withdrawal records and debit card records from retailers such as Costco and Fred Meyer show SAYLER withdrawing money or making purchases with the debit card associated with Jarvis Sayler’s account.

Access device fraud is punishable by up to ten years in prison.  Aggravated identity theft is punishable by a mandatory minimum two-year sentence to run consecutive to any other sentencing in the case.

The charges contained in the complaint are only allegations.  A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

The Clark County Sheriff’s Office is interested in hearing from anyone who has information on Jarvis Sayler and his disappearance.  Contact Detective Jon Shields at 564-397-2120. 

The case is being investigated by the Social Security Office of Inspector General (SSA-OIG), Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) as part of the Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force in Seattle. Investigative assistance was also provided by the FBI and Sheriff’s Offices for Clark County, Cowlitz County, and Kitsap County.

The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin Diggs.  Mr. Diggs is an attorney with the Social Security Administration specially designated to prosecute fraud cases in federal court.

sayler_complaint_0.pdf