Aug. 22, 2006

EL DORADO WOMAN CHARGED WITH COUNTERFEITING

FEDERAL GRAND JURY ALSO RETURNS INDICTMENTS
IN DRUG TRAFFICKING, IMMIGRATION FRAUD CASES

WICHITA, KAN. –An El Dorado woman was charged in a federal indictment Tuesday with making counterfeit $20, $50 and $100 bills.

Stephanie Marie Sciarrotta, 25, El Dorado, Kan., is charged with one count of making counterfeit bills, and one count of passing a counterfeit $100 federal reserve note. A separate count seeks the forfeiture of a desktop computer used in the alleged offense. The crimes are alleged to have occurred in July 2006 in Butler County, Kan.

If convicted, she faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison without parole and a fine up to $250,000. The U.S. Secret Service investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Anderson is prosecuting.

OTHER INDICTMENTS

A federal grand jury meeting in Wichita Tuesday also returned indictments in the following cases:

John V. Nguyen, 29, Dallas, Texas, is charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine. The crime is alleged to have occurred Aug. 15, 2006, in Sedgwick County, Kan.

If convicted, he faces a penalty of not less than 10 years and not more than life and a fine up to $4 million. The Kansas Highway Patrol and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Mott is prosecuting.

Joal Goodwin, 31, Wichita, is charged with one count of impersonating a federal agent. The crime is alleged to have occurred Aug. 9, 2006, at the Social Security Administration office at 8533 E. 32nd North in Wichita.

If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 3 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. The Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Protective Service investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Anderson is prosecuting.

David Munoz-Hernandez, 25, a citizen of Mexico, is charged with one count of using false documents to be employed in the United States, two counts of aggravated identity theft, two counts of making a false claim of citizenship, one count of making a false statement on an I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification form, and one count of misusing a Social Security number. The crimes are alleged to have occurred at various times from September 2000 through August 2006 in Finney County, Kan. The indictment says he attempted to deceive the Applebee’s restaurant in Garden City, Kan., by using a Social Security number that was not assigned to him.

If convicted, he faces the following potential penalties:

– Using false documents: A maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison without parole and a fine up to $250,000.
– Aggravated identity theft: A mandatory two years in federal prison that must run consecutively to any other sentences.
– Making a false claim of U.S. citizenship: A maximum penalty of five years in federal prison without parole and a fine up to $250,000.
– Making a false statement on an I-9 form: A maximum penalty of five years in federal prison without parole and a fine up to $250,000.
– Misusing a Social Security number: A maximum penalty of five years in federal prison without parole and a fine up to $250,000.
The Social Security Administration investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Anderson is prosecuting.

Hector Garcia, 32, a citizen of Mexico who has been living in Dodge City, Kan. , is charged with one count of using false documents to be employed in the United States, three counts of aggravated identity theft, one count of making a false statement on an I-9 Employment Eligibility verification form, and one count of misusing a Social Security number. The crimes are alleged to have occurred Dec. 20, 2004, in Ford County, Kan.

If convicted, He faces the following potential penalties:

– Using false documents: A maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison without parole and a fine up to $250,000.
– Aggravated identity theft: A mandatory two years in federal prison that must run consecutively to any other sentences.
– Making a false claim of U.S. citizenship: A maximum penalty of five years in federal prison without parole and a fine up to $250,000.
– Making a false statement on an I-9 form: A maximum penalty of five years in federal prison without parole and a fine up to $250,000.
– Misusing a Social Security number: A maximum penalty of five years in federal prison without parole and a fine up to $250,000.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Anderson is prosecuting.

Francisco Escorcia-Ortega, 36, a citizen of Mexico, is charged with one count of knowingly transporting illegal aliens in a Ford Aerostar minivan, and one count of unlawfully reentering the United States after being deported. The crimes are alleged to have occurred Aug. 11, 2006, in Edwards County, Kan.

If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison without parole and a fine up to $250,000 on the unlawful transportation charge, and a maximum penalty of 2 years in federal prison without parole and a fine up to $250,000 on the reentry charge. Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Anderson is prosecuting.

As in any criminal case, a person is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The indictments filed merely contain allegations of criminal conduct.

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