LAS VEGAS, Nev. – A registered child sex offender was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jennifer A. Dorsey to 180 months in prison for receipt of child pornography, which was also a violation of his supervised release conditions, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Steven W. Myhre for the District of Nevada.

Clayton Call, 64, of Las Vegas, pleaded guilty on July 25, 2017, to one count of receipt of child pornography. Call was previously convicted of receipt of child pornography and was sentenced to 72 months in prison and a lifetime of supervised release following his release.

According to the plea agreement, as a condition of the terms of his supervised release, a U.S. Probation Officer conducted an inspection of Call’s residence. During the inspection, the officer seized Call’s laptop after discovering that it contained child pornography. During a forensic analysis of the laptop, law enforcement found nearly 140 images and videos of child sexual exploitation.

The case was investigated by the FBI and the U.S. Probation Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Phillip N. Smith Jr. prosecuted the case.

To report child sexual exploitation, contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678) or the FBI’s Las Vegas Office at (702) 385-1281.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, 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, Project Safe Childhood 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 Project Safe Childhood and for information about internet safety education, visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.

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BOSTON – A Boston man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to robbing a branch of the RTN Federal Credit Union in Brookline and a branch of the Mansfield Bank in West Bridgewater in November 2016.  

Stephen D. Williams, 55, pleaded guilty to two counts of bank robbery. U.S. Senior District Court Judge Mark. L. Wolf scheduled sentencing for March 13, 2018.

On Nov. 15, 2016, two individuals, one later identified as Stephen Williams, and the other later identified as Joseph Morris, entered a branch of the RTN Federal Credit Union in Brookline. Williams approached a teller and demanded cash.  The teller handed Williams cash from her drawer and the two exited the bank and fled the area in a dark colored Volkswagen.

 On Nov. 22, 2016, an individual, later identified as Williams, entered a branch of the Mansfield Bank in West Bridgewater. Brandishing a black semi-automatic firearm, Williams approached a teller and demanded money. The teller handed Williams cash, and Williams fled the area again in a dark-colored Volkswagen.  Bank surveillance cameras recorded images of Williams during the robbery.

On Nov. 23, 2016, law enforcement officers familiar with both Williams and Morris and the dark-colored Volkswagen located and arrested the two men at an apartment complex in Brockton. Morris was charged in state court, and Williams was charged in federal court.

Williams faces a sentence of no greater than 25 years in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.  Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.

Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb; Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; U.S. Marshal John Gibbons of the District of Massachusetts; Norfolk County District Attorney Michael Morrissey; West Bridgewater Police Chief Victor R. Flaherty Jr.; Brookline Police Chief Daniel C. O’Leary; and Brockton Police Chief John Crowley made the announcement today.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth G. Shine of Weinreb’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.

            WASHINGTON – Blair Wynkoop, 59, the former executive director of a non-profit organization, was sentenced today to 18 months in prison on a charge stemming from the theft of more than $400,000 from the charity, announced U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu and Norbert E. Vint, Acting Inspector General for the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM).

            Wynkoop, of Portland, Oregon, pled guilty in December 2016 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to a charge of interstate transportation of stolen property. He was sentenced by the Honorable Reggie B. Walton. Following his prison term, Wynkoop will be placed on three years of supervised release. He also was ordered to pay $385,564 in restitution to a number of charitable organizations and $443,996 in a forfeiture money judgment. While on supervised release, Wynkoop is barred from having a job that gives him unmonitored access to financial accounts. He also can establish no new credit accounts while he is on release.

            According to a statement of offense submitted at the time of the guilty plea, Wynkoop became executive director of the charity, identified in court documents as “Company A,” in 2008. The non-profit sought to address the needs of people with HIV or AIDS. It operated as a consortium of independent charities and received charitable donations itself and functioned as a pass-through for donations to its member charities.

            At the outset of his tenure as executive director, Wynkoop caused “Company A” to make many of the required distributions of contributions to the member charities. However, from 2010 through 2012, he did not distribute all of the money and used funds for his own benefit.

            While he was executive director, Wynkoop wrote checks and made wire transfers from the bank accounts of “Company A” to himself. For some, but not all, of these payments, he provided the non-profit’s part-time bookkeeper with justifications for expenses; many of these justifications were fabricated and designed to conceal the fraud. In the course of the scheme, Wynkoop defrauded the non-profit of more than $400,000.

            In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Liu and Acting Inspector General Vint expressed appreciation for the work of Special Agent Christopher Sulhoff and others who assisted with investigating the case from the OPM Inspector General’s Office. They also commended the efforts of those who handled the case for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including former Document Management Analyst John Lowell and Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Swanton, who handled forfeiture issues. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter C. Lallas, who prosecuted the case.

Joon H. Kim, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, William F. Sweeney Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), and Donald B. Smith, Putnam County Sheriff, announced today that JENNIFER COVIELLO was arrested for the sex trafficking of a 17-year-old girl.  COVIELLOwas presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lisa Margaret Smith in White Plains federal court this afternoon. 

Acting Manhattan U.S. Attorney Joon H. Kim said:  “Jennifer Coviello coerced a child to engage in commercial sex acts for Coviello’s profit, introducing the minor to illegal drugs, and fostering a drug dependency in the process.  Today’s arrest takes an allegedly dangerous woman off the street and is a testament to the continued cooperation between our federal and local law enforcement partners to combat the exploitation of children in our communities.”

FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge William F. Sweeney Jr. said:  “There are simply no words to express how despicable human behavior can be at times, and in law enforcement we see a lot of lows in human behavior.  But for a woman to allegedly sell an underage girl for sex is too much to understand.  The FBI agents and law enforcement officers who investigate these cases each day should be truly commended for their work, and their dedication to save these children from adults who put them in harm’s way just to make a dollar.”

Putnam County Sheriff Donald B. Smith said:  “My office is grateful to the U.S.  Attorney’s Office and the FBI for their diligent work in helping to put an end to this deplorable case, stopping the victimization of a young woman and bringing the perpetrator to justice.  This case is yet another example of how effective law enforcement can be when local agencies, the FBI, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office all work together to fight crime and to help keep Putnam County and the Hudson Valley safe.”   

According to the allegations in the Complaint[1] filed in White Plains federal court:

In December 2017, COVIELLO posted online advertisements soliciting prostitution customers for herself and the victim (“Victim-1”).  When COVIELLO received inquiries in response to the advertisements, she emailed and sent by text message photographs of Victim-1, including nude and partially nude photographs.  For approximately a week, COVIELLO operated her commercial sex business out of a motel in Putnam County, where she arranged for customers to meet her and Victim-1 to engage in commercial sex acts in exchange for cash.  During that week, COVIELLO provided Victim-1 with illegal drugs, including heroin, and arranged for Victim-1 to misrepresent to customers that she was over 18 years old.  COVIELLO kept the bulk of the profits from the commercial sex acts.

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COVIELLO, 43, is charged with one count of sex trafficking of a minor, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison; and one count of use of interstate facilities to promote a prostitution enterprise, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.  The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.

The investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Westchester County Safe Streets Task Force with the assistance of the Putnam County Sherriff’s Department.  Mr. Kim praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI and the Putnam County Sherriff’s Department.  

This case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division.  Assistant United States Attorney Jacqueline Kelly is in charge of the prosecution.

The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

BOSTON – A Boston man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to failing to register as a sex offender.

Rodney Anderson, 46, pleaded guilty to one count of failure to register as a sex offender. U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton scheduled sentencing for April 19, 2018.

Anderson is required to register as a sex offender in Massachusetts based on a North Carolina state court conviction for second degree rape in 1986.  According to court documents, shortly following his release from custody in 2014 for his 1986 conviction, Anderson left North Carolina for Massachusetts. When he arrived, he failed to report to authorities, but was tracked to a residence in Boston.

The charge provides for a sentence of no greater than 10 years in prison, a minimum of five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and up to a $250,000 fine.  Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb; U.S. Marshal John Gibbons of the District of Massachusetts; and Boston Police Commissioner William B. Evans made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anne Paruti, Weinreb’s Project Safe Childhood Coordinator and a member of the Major Crimes Unit, is prosecuting the case.

The case is brought as part of Project Safe Childhood.  In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse.  Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.

DALLAS— Kirk Patrick Keshler, 60, of Garland, Texas, appeared today in federal court in Dallas and pleaded guilty, before U.S. Magistrate Judge David L. Horan, to one count of transportation of child pornography.  The announcement was made today by Erin Nealy Cox, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas. 

Keshler faces a maximum penalty of not less than five, nor more than 20 years in federal prison, a $250,000 fine, and a lifetime of supervised release. He will remain in custody pending sentencing which is set for April 4, 2018.

According to the plea agreement factual resume filed in the case, Keshler, a teacher for special needs children at Garland High School, used the internet and a peer-to-peer file-sharing account to send and receive visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

On August 16, 2017, law enforcement received a search warrant for Keshler’s residence in Garland, Texas. While conducting the search of the residence, law enforcement entered the master bedroom of the home and located a nude, realistic-looking child size doll lying on the floor of a closet with a wig covering the face of the doll. Additionally, law enforcement observed in the master bedroom a large television connected to a laptop computer. The laptop computer was powered on and Windows media player was open on the screen showing that Keshler was actively viewing child exploitative movies when law enforcement made contact at his residence.

A forensic review of the seized laptop computer, according to the factual resume, revealed over 10,000 images and 3,000 videos involving toddler aged children to early and pubescent teens, both male and female, engaged in sexual activity with adults and with other children. Some of the child pornography files depict sadistic and masochistic content and bestiality. Law enforcement also seized several pairs of female children’s panties in various child sizes.

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.  Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood leverages federal, state and local resources to better investigate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children.  Project Safe Childhood also prioritizes identifying and rescuing victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/.  For more information about internet safety education, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/ and click on the tab “resources.”

The FBI and Garland Police Department investigated.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Camille Sparks is in charge of the prosecution.

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PENSACOLA, FLORIDA– William Charles Huff Jr., 32, a former active duty Navy sailor stationed in Pensacola, was sentenced today to 120 months in prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release, after pleading guilty on October 6, 2017, to attempted enticement of a minor for sex.  The sentence was announced by Christopher P. Canova, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

In October 2016, Huff began text messaging a 13-year-old girl from central Florida.  Huff knew the child from a church they both attended.  When the child’s parents discovered the content of the text messages, they told her to stop communicating with Huff and contacted law enforcement officers.  The child’s parents gave permission for an undercover officer to assume her identity and take control of her cellular telephone.

In February 2017, Huff and the undercover officer, acting as the child, began communicating via text message and later through a shared e-mail account that Huff set up.  During this time, Huff told the undercover officer about his sexual desires for the child.  The undercover officer indicated that the child would be going to Destin, Florida, for spring break with a friend.  In March 2017, Huff drove from his residence at the Naval Air Station Pensacola to Destin and was arrested when he arrived at the designated meeting location.

The case was investigated by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office, the Walton County Sheriff’s Office, the Highlands County Sheriff’s Office, and the Beech Grove, Indiana, Police Department.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey M. Tharp.

The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website.  For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

NORFOLK, Va. – A Suffolk man pleaded guilty today to piloting an aircraft without a proper pilot’s license from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

According to court documents, Robert R. Gray, Jr., 55, was flying a 1972 Piper Aircraft in July when he crashed it while attempting to land at the Umphlett Airstrip in Suffolk. Gray had a student pilot license but that license had expired and medical conditions, including a prosthetic leg, prevented Gray from obtaining the required medical clearance to fly an aircraft. It was during the crash landing that his prosthetic leg became stuck on the aircraft’s brake and caused it to spin out on landing. After initially denying he was the pilot of the aircraft, Gray admitted he had flown the plane, and told investigators he had no business flying the plane because he can barely drive a car.

Court records further indicate that Gray bought and sold aircraft, and reports to the FAA indicated Gray was flying airplanes in October 2016 and June 2017, despite officials specifically informing him on each occasion that he was not permitted to fly an aircraft.

Gray, Jr. pleaded guilty to serving as an airman without a certificate and faces a maximum penalty of three years in prison when sentenced on March 23, 2018. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Calvin L. Scovell, III, Inspector General of the Department of Transportation, made the announcement after U.S. Magistrate Judge Lawrence R. Leonard accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph L. Kosky is prosecuting the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:17-cr-140.

United States Attorney Randolph J. Seiler announced that a Harrold, South Dakota, man charged with Assaulting, Resisting, and Impeding a Federal Officer pled guilty and was sentenced on December 18, 2017, by U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Moreno.

Raynard Lee Howe, Jr., age 20, was sentenced to two years of probation, and $25 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

The conviction stems from an incident that took place on April 28, 2017, when Howe, who was brought into the BIA Correctional center in Lower Brule following his arrest, refused to cooperate by refusing to answer any questions and remained silent.  A correctional officer began to collect Howe’s personal belongings, but Howe began to move, squirm, and resist the officer in an attempt to impede the booking process. 

The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Troy R. Morley. 

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Marcus Israel Butler, 33, of Sacramento, pleaded guilty today to access device fraud, United States Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. 

According to court documents, Butler traveled from Sacramento to cities throughout California and the rest of the United States, including the East Coast, Midwest, and Alaska, using a revoked debit card to purchase products from Apple stores.  Butler told store associates that there was a problem with his debit card and invited the associates to call his bank. In fact, it was Butler’s conspirator with whom the associates spoke. The conspirator gave the sales associates a false code that allowed the transactions to be completed on Butler’s revoked debit card. Butler was arrested in Colorado after attempting further fraudulent purchases at Apple stores.

Butler also used the revoked debit card to purchase other goods and services. All totaled, the loss caused by Butler’s fraud scheme was approximately $353,000.   

This case was the product of an investigation by the United States Secret Service. Assistant United States Attorney Todd A. Pickles is prosecuting the case.

Butler is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge John A. Mendez on March 27, 2018.  Butler faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, 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.

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A Newport News man was sentenced today to nine years in prison for his role in planning and attempting to murder a rival gang member in Hampton in June 2015.

According to court documents, on June 5, 2015, Shaquone Ford, 22, along with co-defendants Martin Hunt, 20, of Newport News, Jamaree Green, 21, of Hampton, and Corey Sweetenburg, 21, of Hampton, all members of a local gang known as the 36th Street Bang Squad, drove to a Hampton high school looking for a rival gang member suspected of murdering a 36th Street Bang Squad member two days prior, on June 3, 2015. Once at the location, other 36th Street members and associates joined the group. The group followed a Hampton City school bus in two vehicles, waiting for their target to get off at a stop. When the target exited the bus, the defendants and other 36th Street members and associates chased him into an apartment complex. The defendants carried loaded firearms and planned to kill the target if he was found.  

On December 7, co-defendant Green pleaded guilty to the conspiracy to murder the rival gang member and to possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Green faces a minimum of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life in prison when he is sentenced on March 2, 2018. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing will be determined by the Court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. 

This case is a product of a two-year ongoing investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Hampton Police Division and the Newport News Police Department, to address violent gang crime on the peninsula. As part of this ongoing focused effort to address violent crime, gang activities and drugs in Hampton, the Hampton Police Division has funded a full-time prosecutor to lead the federal prosecution of these cases. 

Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Thomas L. Chittum, III, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Washington Field Division, Terry L. Sult, Chief of the Hampton Police Division, and Michael C. Grimstead, Acting Chief of the Newport News Police Department, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Mark S. Davis. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy E. Cross and Managing Assistant U.S. Attorney Howard J. Zlotnick prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:17-cr--52.

NORFOLK, Va. – A Virginia Beach man was sentenced today to eight years in prison for possession with intent to distribute heroin and possessing a firearm with the heroin.

According to court documents, Tirado Johnson, 33, had two outstanding warrants for his arrest from Virginia Beach and Portsmouth. The Fugitive Squad from both police departments located and arrested Johnson at an apartment building in Virginia Beach after watching him exit the apartment building carrying a black backpack. Inside the backpack the police found 46 individually wrapped baggies of heroin and a 9mm handgun with an extended clip that held 28 rounds of ammunition.

Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Thomas L. Chittum, III, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) Washington Field Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Mark S. Davis. Assistant U.S. Attorney William D. Muhr prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:17-cr-33.

MONROE, La. – Acting U.S.Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced today that a Bastrop farmer was sentenced to 108 months in prison for creating shell farms so he could receive more than $5.4 million in subsidy payments to which he was not entitled.

Brad A. McIntyre, 35, of Bastrop, La., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. on one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud, five counts of mail fraud and four counts of money laundering related to engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from specified unlawful activity.  He was also sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $4.3 million in restitution to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Farm Service Agency and Risk Management Agency. The court also ordered him to pay a $1.6 million money judgement of forfeiture. McIntyre was previously found guilty by a federal jury at a trial, which started July 10 and ended July 21, 2017.

Evidence admitted at trial revealed that McIntyre, a fourth generation farmer and the owner of Delta Agriculture and Company, sought to avoid the Farm Service Agency direct program payment limitation of $40,000 per year per farm entity member.  From August 2009 until February 2013, McIntyre conspired to create fictitious farm operations. When applying for FSA’s direct program payments, McIntyre listed the names of his relatives and employees as the owners of these entities when in fact he controlled and managed all of these farming entities.  The Farm Service Agency’s Supplemental Revenue Assistant (SURE) and Crop Assistance Program (CAP) payments were each limited to $100,000 per person who experienced a qualifying crop loss because of disaster. These fake farms also fraudulently received disaster program payments from FSA.

When the FSA mailed agricultural subsidy checks to the entities, they went to U.S. Post Office boxes in Mer Rouge, La., established and controlled by McIntyre. He unlawfully received more than $5.4 million during the course of the scheme.

“I want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s office, OIG special agents and our investigative partners for their hard work on this investigation,” USDA Office of Inspector General Special Agent-in-Charge Dax Roberson stated. “When the integrity of USDA’s farming programs is violated by criminal conduct, the Office of Inspector General will pursue justice to the fullest extent of the law.”

“Brad McIntyre was sentenced today for his scheme to defraud the U.S. farm subsidy program and for his associated money laundering violations,” Assistant Special Agent in Charge, Ted A. Magee, IRS Criminal Investigation, stated. “He was held accountable for his fraud and the spending of his ill-gotten gains.  IRS - Criminal Investigation special agents are experts in following the money, which ultimately demonstrates that monetary gain is often the reason for criminal activity.   I am especially proud of the work we do with our federal law enforcement partners and of our financial expertise that is utilized to make sense of complex schemes such as this one and helps put criminals like McIntyre in prison where they belong.”

The USDA-OIG and IRS-Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation. Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Cytheria D. Jernigan and Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany E. Fields prosecuted the case.

JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A resident of Berlin, Pa., pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of making a threat against the Vice President of the United States, Acting United States Attorney Soo C. Song announced today.

William R. Dunbar, 23, pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Kim R. Gibson.

In connection with the guilty plea, on Sept. 8, 2017, while on military duty in Johnstown, Pa., Dunbar, made a threat against the Vice President of the United States, who was to arrive in Johnstown on Sept. 11, 2017. Three witnesses heard Dunbar specifically state he would kill the Vice President.

Judge Gibson scheduled sentencing for April 12, 2018, at 1:30 p.m. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 5 years in prison, a fine of $250,000 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 Stephanie L. Haines, is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The United States Secret Service conducted the investigation leading to the prosecution of Dunbar.

In San Antonio today, a federal judge sentenced 54-year-old David Thayer Girard, formerly of San Antonio, to 15 years in federal prison for distribution of child pornography announced United States Attorney John F. Bash and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Christopher Combs, San Antonio Division.

In addition to the prison term, United States District Judge Fred Biery ordered that Girard pay $3,000 restitution and be placed on supervised release for the rest of his life after completing his prison term.

On August 2, 2017, Girard pleaded guilty to the charge.  By pleading guilty, Girard admitted that he uploaded numerous video and image files depicting child pornography to the Internet.  In December 2014, Girard gave the password to an electronic folder containing the child pornography to an FBI employee acting in an undercover capacity. 

The FBI conducted this investigation.  Assistant United States Attorney Tracy Thompson prosecuted this case on behalf of the Government. 

DES MOINES, Iowa - Dcember 19, 2017, David Marken Aikoriegie and Myles Jordan Maricle Pena, both of Des Moines, Iowa, appeared in federal court before United States Magistrate Judge Celeste F. Bremer on charges related to a series of gun store burglaries in the Des Moines area, announced United States Attorney Marc Krickbaum.

David Marken Aikoriegie is charged with three counts of theft of firearms from a federal firearm licensee and one count of unlawful possession, receipt, and sale of a stolen firearm. The Complaint alleges between the dates of November 16, 2017, and December 14, 2017, Aikoriegie burglarized and stole firearms from JLM Gun Shoppe in Urbandale and Rangemasters in Clive. It is also alleged Aikoriegie sold some of the stolen firearms.

Myles Jordan Maricle Pena appeared on the charge of unlawful drug user in possession of a firearm. The Complaint Affidavit alleges on or about December 14, 2017, Pena sold a stolen firearm to another individual. The firearm was stolen from one of the burglaries alleged to have been committed by Aikoriegie. The complaint further alleges, during the execution of a search warrant at his home, Pena was found in possession of a firearm and marijuana.

The public is reminded the charges are an accusation, and individuals are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. 

This investigation is being conducted by the Clive Police Department; United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); Des Moines Police Department; and Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement. The case is being prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

Law enforcement request the public’s assistance in supplying any information as to the location of firearms stolen from JLM Gun Shoppe and Rangemasters. You can contact the Clive Police or the ATF.

Clive Police, during business hours    515-278-1312

Clive Police, 24/7 through Westcom  515-222-3312

ATF Tip Line 24/7      1-800-ATF-GUNS (1-800-283-4867)

ATF Online 24/7         https://www.atf.gov/contact/atf-tips

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Learn more about this release by calling Rachel J. Scherle at 515-473-9300, or by emailing her at Rachel.Scherle@usdoj.gov (link sends the e-mail).

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Christopher Mroz, 26, of Sacramento, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kimberly J. Mueller to 15 years in prison for stalking and two counts of assault resulting in serious bodily injury, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, Mroz was a member of the Air Force stationed in Lakenheath, England from 2012 through 2014. Although he was discharged from the Air Force in 2014, Mroz remained on base with his wife, who was an active duty member of the Air Force. During the course of their time in England, Mroz subjected his wife to sustained physical and emotional abuse, which included incidents involving suffocation and strangulation. The defendant’s assaults sent the victim to the emergency room on two occasions. On one occasion, he repeatedly kicked her and stomped on her head and neck; on another occasion, he broke her arm after he became angry about the way she folded money. Mroz was also emotionally abusive, attempting to control her personal and work relationships and restricting her ability to leave the house. The victim ultimately reported the abuses to Air Force authorities in April 2015, which led to his return to Sacramento, California. 

Mroz is subject to prosecution for the offenses in this case based on the Military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act of 2000.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Air Force Office of Special Investigations and the FBI. Assistant United States Attorneys Jill Thomas and Michele Beckwith prosecuted the case.

Assistant U. S. Attorney Daniel Zipp (619) 546-8463  

NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY– December 19, 2017

SAN DIEGO – Victor Manuel Felix-Felix, the alleged leader of a Mexican money laundering and cocaine trafficking organization, was extradited to the United States by Mexico yesterday and made his first appearance in federal court this afternoon.  Felix-Felix was a close associate of Joaquin “Chapo” Guzman-Loera and Felix Felix’s daughter is reportedly married to Guzman-Loera’s son.

According to extradition documents, in 2009, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents began investigating a money laundering organization based in Southern California. One agent, acting in an undercover capacity, flew to Panama City, Panama and posed as the leader of a transportation cell capable of moving narcotics and bulk currency using private aircraft.  After several additional undercover meetings, the agent gained the trust of the organization and agreed to begin picking up bulk currency for transfer to Mexico. Over the course of 2010 and 2011, the agent arranged for the transfer of millions of dollars in currency, coordinating with local law enforcement to arrange pick-ups in Los Angeles, California; New York, New York; Houston, Texas; Chicago, Illinois; Vancouver, Canada and Montreal, Canada.

After the successful currency pick-ups, the undercover agent began traveling to Central America to meet with higher-level members of Felix-Felix’s organization. In September 2010, at a meeting in the Dominican Republic, the undercover agent offered that he could transport cocaine from Ecuador to Mexico City, extradition documents said. Felix-Felix agreed, and provided the agent with an encrypted phone and a cash down-payment of $3.5 million for his services. A team of DEA agents then traveled to Ecuador and worked with local law enforcement to set up a roadside checkpoint and seize a truck containing 2,500 kilograms of cocaine intended for Felix-Felix.

After the seizure in Ecuador, the undercover agent offered Felix-Felix that he could transport another load of cocaine from Ecuador to Mexico City.  After receiving another upfront payment of $1 million in cash, DEA agents coordinated with Ecuadorian and Mexican law enforcement to arrange for an international “controlled delivery” of cocaine using a private jet.  Agents picked up cocaine in Ecuador, transported it to Mexico City, and then seized it after it was delivered to members of Felix-Felix’s organization, the extradition documents said.  Felix-Felix and 18 others were then arrested.

On May 13, 2011, a federal grand jury in San Diego returned an indictment, charging Felix-Felix with Engaging in a Continuing Criminal Enterprise, Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine and Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering. Felix-Felix was flown by the United States Marshals Service from Mexico City to San Diego on December 18, 2017. He is scheduled to be arraigned on Tuesday, December 19, 2017, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Andrew Schopler.

United States Attorney Adam Braverman stated, “Today is a reminder that international drug kingpins who profit by shipping narcotics into our community are not safe from prosecution. We will work with our international partners to bring them to justice wherever they reside.” 

U.S. Attorney Braverman also praised the outstanding work of the DEA, National City Police Department, San Diego Police Department, San Diego Sheriff’s Office, Mexican Federal Police, Colombian National Police, Panamanian National Police, and the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Enforcement Operations and the Office of International Affairs, and the Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control for their ongoing assistance in this investigation.

“DEA will continue to hunt down these violent drug traffickers,” said DEA San Diego Special Agent in Charge William R. Sherman.  “Let this be a warning to those who think they can step into the shoes of those who have been arrested-we will come for you too.”

This case is the result of the ongoing efforts by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), a partnership that brings together the combined expertise and unique abilities of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, dismantle and prosecute high-level members of drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations and enterprises.

In 2012, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated Felix-Felix under the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act. The Kingpin Act prohibits U.S. persons from conducting financial or commercial transactions with these individuals and freezes any assets they may have under U.S. jurisdiction.

Felix-Felix’s next court appearance is scheduled for January 16, 2018 before U.S. District Judge Marilyn Huff.

DEFENDANT                                                      11-CR-1926-H

Victor Manuel Felix-Felix

SUMMARY OF CHARGES

• Operating a Continuing Criminal Enterprise (18 U.S.C. 848)
• Conspiracy to Launder Monetary Instruments (18 U.S.C. 1956(h))
• Transportation of Monetary Instruments from the United States to a Place Outside the United States (21 U.S.C. 1956(a))
• Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine Outside the United States ( 21 U.S.C. 959, 960)
• Distribution of Cocaine Outside the United States (21 U.S.C. 959, 960)
• Conspiracy to import cocaine (21 U.S.C. 952 and 960)

AGENCIES

Drug Enforcement Administration

Department of Justice, Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces

Department of Justice, Office of International Affairs

National City Police Department

San Diego Narcotics Task Force

San Diego District Attorney, Bureau of Investigations

Mexican Federal Police

Mexico’s Procuraduria General de la Republic (PGR)

Panamanian National Police

Ecuadorian National Police

Colombian National Police

Vancouver Police Department

Quebec Provisional Police

*The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Fayetteville, Arkansas - Kenneth Elser, United States Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas, announced that Jose Luis Vaca, age 32, of Claremore, Oklahoma, was sentenced today to 60 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release and was ordered to pay a $3,000.00 fine on one count of Possession with intent to Distribute Methamphetamine. The Honorable Timothy L. Brooks presided over the sentencing hearing in the United States District Court in Fayetteville.

According to court records,  on October 12, 2016, the Fourth Judicial Drug Taskforce (4^th JDTF)  received a tip from a confidential informant that a Hispanic male would be traveling from Tulsa, OK to a residence in Springdale, AR with approximately one-half pound of Methamphetamine. The residence was known to detectives as a drug trafficking residence. At 9:03pm, detectives observed a known white Infiniti M45 approach the aforementioned residence. After confirming the license tag on the vehicle, detectives made contact with the driver and sole occupant, Jose Vaca. Vaca initially provided a false name to law enforcement officers but confirmed that he intended to visit the residence he parked in front of although he did not know the occupants. After obtaining consent to search the vehicle, detectives located approximately one-half pound of Methamphetamine, in two separate packages, concealed inside the glove compartment. Vaca admitted to possessing the Methamphetamine, stating he regularly drives around with amounts of Methamphetamine in his vehicle.

The substance seized was sent to the Arkansas State Crime Lab for testing. The lab determined that it was a mixture of a substancethat contained methamphetamine weighing approximately 163.98 grams.

Vaca was indicted by a federal grand jury in March, 2017 and plead guilty in August, 2017.

This case was investigated by the 4^th JDTF.  Assistant United States Attorney Denis Dean prosecuted the case for the United States.

LUBBOCK, Texas — Timothy Wade Barton, 55, of Sweetwater, Texas, was sentenced this morning by U.S. District Judge Sam R. Cummings to 97 months in federal prison, following his guilty plea in July 2017 to a superseding information charging one count of possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox of the Northern District of Texas.

Barton, who has been on bond, was ordered to report to the Bureau of Prisons on January 17, 2018.

According to documents filed in his case, between May 9, 2011 and September 23, 2014, Barton possessed a custom-built desktop computer and hard disk drive that contained numerous images and videos of child pornography.  Barton used his computer to search on the Internet to locate material depicting minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct.

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative, which was launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.  Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, and identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/.  For more information about internet safety education, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/ and click on the tab “resources.”

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) investigated the case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven M. Sucsy was in charge of the prosecution.

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