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Archive Press Releases Sorted by Month:
September 2009 Press Releases
Sept. 29, 2009 - Hernandez-Hernandez
MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO SMUGGLING VENTURE IN WHICH NINE ALIENS DIED
(McALLEN, Texas) – After one day of trial testimony, Jorge Hernandez-Hernandez, 38, decided to plead guilty to conspiracy to transport illegal aliens that resulted in the drowning death of nine aliens (Read more)
Sept. 28, 2009 - Los Hermanos de Pistoleros (HPL)
21 GANG MEMBERS/ASSOCIATES SENTENCED FOR COCAINE TRAFFICKING AND LAUNDERING MILLIONS IN DRUG PROCEEDS
(HOUSTON) – Pedro Gil III, 37, a member of the Los Hermanos de Pistoleros (HPL) prison and street gang, was among 21 defendants sentenced by U.S. District Judge Sim Lake over the past seven days (Read more)
Sept. 28, 2009 - Corro
CONVICTED FELON SENTENCED FOR POSSESSION OF A FIREARM
(McALLEN, Texas) - Anthony Corro, 25, from McAllen, Texas, has been sentenced to 57 months in federal prison for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm to be served consecutively to any sentence that may be imposed by a court upon conviction in pending state cases (Read more)
Sept. 25, 2009 - East and McCoy
TWO LOCAL WOMEN PLEAD GUILTY TO INTERSTATE IDENTITY THEFT SCHEME AFTER FOUR DAYS OF TRIAL TESTIMONY
(HOUSTON) – Brenda East, 48, and Jami McCoy, 31, both of Houston, have pleaded guilty to conspiracy, aggravated identity theft and bank fraud today after four days of trial testimony (Read more)
Sept. 25, 2009 - Loya
FORMER PORT ISABEL DETENTION CENTER GUARD PLEADS GUILTY TO CRIMINAL CIVIL RIGHTS VIOLATIONS
(HOUSTON) - Former Port Isabel Detention Center contract guard, Robert Luis Loya, 43, of Rio Hondo, Texas, has pleaded guilty to a six-count criminal information charging him with three counts of deprivation of rights and three counts of abusive sexual contact pertaining to three female detainees of the detention center (Read more)
Sept. 24, 2009 - Julca, Gomez and Jaimes-Vargas
THREE INDICTED FOR HOLDING ALIENS HOSTAGE IN SOUTHWEST HOUSTON RESIDENCE
(HOUSTON) - A federal grand jury has indicted three men for harboring and holding aliens hostage in a southwest Houston residence and demanding thousands of dollars from families for their release (Read more)
Sept. 24, 2009 - Pachuca
LAREDO MAN FOUND GUILTY OF TRANSPORTING MARIJUANA
(LAREDO, Texas) – Daniel Pachuca, 53, of Laredo, Texas, has been found guilty of possession with intent to distribute marijuanan (Read more)
Sept. 23, 2009 - James
BLOOMINGTON RESIDENT SENTENCED FOR POSSESSING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY
(VICTORIA, Texas) – Joey James, 26, of Bloomington, Texas, has been sentenced to 24 months in federal prison for possession of child pornography (Read more)
Sept. 23, - Texas Syndicate
ANTI-GANG EFFORT LEADS TO HEFTY SENTENCES AS 10 MEMBERS AND ASSOCIATES OF TEXAS SYNDICATE STREET/PRISON GANG SENTENCED
(HOUSTON) – Ten members and associates of a notorious street/prison gang have been sentenced to lengthy prison terms over the course of the last two weeks (Read more)
Sept. 22, 2009 - Garcia
SALINENO MAN SENTENCED FOR MARIJUANA TRAFFICKING AND BEING A FELON IN POSSESSION OF A FIREARM
(McALLEN, Texas) – Luis Roberto Garcia, of Salineno, Texas, has been sentenced to 188 months imprisonment for possessing with intent to distribute approximately 288 kilograms of marijuana and 120 months for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm in and affecting interstate commerce (Read more)
Sept. 18, 2009 - Merrick
FORMER SOUTHWEST AIRLINE EMPLOYEE RECEIVES LENGTHY SENTENCE FOR NARCOTICS TRAFFICKING
(HOUSTON) - A former Southwest Airlines employee who used his company flying privileges to transport cocaine between Houston and Baltimore has been sentenced to more than 10 years in federal prison without parole (Read more)
Sept. 18, 2009 - Tillis
HUMBLE AREA MAN TO BE HELD IN CUSTODY PENDING TRIAL ON CHILD PORNOGRAPHY CHARGES
(HOUSTON) - Larry Don Tillis, 47, of Humble, Texas, has been arrested and ordered detained on charges of receipt of child pornography (Read more)
Sept. 17, 2009 - Cantu
MAN CAUGHT AFTER 10 YEARS SENTENCED TO 60 MONTHS PRISON
(McALLEN, Texas) – Jose Luis Cantu, 49, of McAllen, Texas, a fugitive from justice for 10 years, has been convicted and sentenced to 60 months in prison to be followed by a four-year-term of supervised release for conspiring to distribute more than 100 kilograms of marijuana (Read more)
Sept. 16, 2009 - Diaz
FATHER AND SON SENTENCED TO 30 YEARS FOR COCAINE DISTRIBUTION
(McALLEN, Texas) - Hugo Alberto Diaz Jr. 30, and his father, Hugo Alfredo Diaz, 55, both of Montclair, Calif., have each been sentenced to 30 years in prison for their roles in a conspiracy to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine (Read more)
Sept. 16, 2009 - Ervin
“INSIDE JOB” BANK ROBBERY GUNMAN GETS LENGTHY PRISON TERM
(HOUSTON) - A Houston man who fired a shotgun during a robbery of a local credit union was sentenced to more than 16 years imprisonment (Read more)
Sept. 14, 2009 - Beltre
PODIATRIST INDICTED FOR HEALTH CARE FRAUD
(McALLEN, Texas) – A federal grand jury has indicted podiatrist Franklin Beltre, D.P.M., of Houston, for health care fraud (Read more)
Sept. 14, 2009 - Gonzalez
ANOTHER INDICTED IN THE MARIJUANA THROUGH THE US MAIL SCHEME
(MCALLEN, Texas) – Concepcion Gonzalez has been charged with drug offenses arising from a scheme to distribute more than 1,000 kilograms of marijuana through the U. S. Mail and laundering the proceeds (Read more)
Sept. 11, 2009 - Hogan
HOUSTON MAN SENTENCED TO PRISON IN ADULT DIAPER FRAUD CASE
(HOUSTON) – Ene Etim Hogan, of Houston, has been sentenced to two years in federal prison without parole and ordered to pay restitution for defrauding Medicaid of more than $680,000 through an adult diaper fraud scheme (Read more)
Sept. 11, 2009 - Adesoye
INTERNATIONAL IDENTITY THEFT SCHEME EARNS DEFENDANT LENGTHY PRISON TERM
Scheme targeted thousands of victims and caused millions in losses to financial institutions
(HOUSTON) – Koleowo Adeyemi Adesoye, 28, of Houston, was sentenced to 13 ½ years in federal prison without parole for his involvement in planning and executing an international identity theft scheme causing $2 million in losses to financial institutions (Read more)
Sept. 11, 2009 - Coronado and Zieger
BROWNSVILLE COUPLE PLEAD GUILTY TO SMUGGLING AND HARBORING ALIENS FOR PROSTITUTION
(BROWNSVILLE, Texas) - A Brownsville man and woman have been convicted for bringing in and harboring aliens for the purpose of prostitution (Read more)
Sept. 11, 2009 - Medina-Obregon
JURY CONVICTS MEXICAN NATIONAL CAUGHT CARRYING MARIJUANA BUNDLES INTO U.S.
(BROWNSVILLE, Texas) – A federal jury has convicted Javier Medina-Obregon, 55, a Mexican national, of conspiring to possess and possession with intent to distribute 321kilograms (707 pounds) of marijuana (Read more)
Sept. 11, 2009 - Vigil
FORMER LOAN OFFICER INDICTED FOR BANK FRAUD AND AGGRAVATED IDENTITY THEFT
(McALLEN, Texas) - A federal grand jury has indicted Emma Vigil, of McAllen, and charged her with five counts of bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft (Read more)
Sept. 10, 2009 - Huynh
HOUSTON BUSINESS OWNER SENTENCED TO 22 YEARS FOR MONEY LAUNDERING AND FAILING TO FILE CURRENCY TRANSACTION REPORTS
(HOUSTON) - Dong Dang Huynh has been sentenced to 22 years imprisonment for his participation in an international narcotics money laundering scheme (Read more)
Sept. 9, 2009 - Manzanares-Leija and Manzanares-Campos
ALIEN SMUGGLERS SENTENCED FOR BRINGING UNDOCUMENTED ALIENS THROUGH LAREDO PORT OF ENTRY USING FRAUDULENT DOCUMENTS
(LAREDO, Texas) – Cousins Saul Manzanares-Leija, 45, a Mexican citizen, and Edilberto Manzanares-Campos, 32, a U.S. citizen residing in Mexico, have been sentenced to three years in prison without parole for conspiring to smuggle undocumented aliens through the international port of entry in Laredo, Texas using fraudulent immigration travel documents (Read more)
Sept. 8, 2009 - Saldivar
CONTRACT POSTAL EMPLOYEE CONVICTED
(MCALLEN, Texas) – United States Postal Service (USPS) contract employee Manuel Saldivar, 37, of La Feria, Texas, has pleaded guilty to one count of theft of mail matter (Read more)
Sept. 8, 2009 - Edman
BROTHERS PLEAD GUILTY TO SELLING COUNTERFEIT CISCO PRODUCTS TO BUREAU OF PRISONS
(HOUSTON) – Michael Edman, 38, and Robert Edman, 29, both formerly of Richmond, Texas, have pleaded guilty to selling counterfeit Cisco products to the Federal Bureau of Prisons (Read more)
Sept. 4, 2009 - Jackson, Smith and Washington
THREE SENTENCED TO PRISON IN INTERSTATE IDENTITY THEFT RING INVOLVING JUVENILLE IDENTIFCATION INFORMATION
(HOUSTON) – A husband and wife and a third defendant convicted of for their roles in a multi-state identity theft ring that used the personal identification of juveniles to obtain credit cards in an effort to defraud several financial institutions have been sentenced to prison (Read more)
Sept. 4, 2009 - Dunn Jr.
FORMER VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION PROVIDER SENTENCED TO PRISON FOR FRAUDULENT CLAIMS AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT
(HOUSTON) - James Earl Dunn Jr., 39, former owner and operator of Rehab Specialist Inc. (RSI), has been sentenced to 33 months confinement in federal prison by United States District Judge Lee Rosenthal for submitting more than $300,000 in fraudulent claims against the government (Read more)
Sept. 4, 2009 - Brown
OWNER OF BROWNSTONE CONSTRUCTION INDICTED FOR MORTGAGE FRAUD
(HOUSTON) – A 16-count sealed indictment charging Melvin Lendall Brown, the owner of Brownstone Construction, with wire fraud arising from an alleged multi-million dollar mortgage fraud scheme has been unsealed (Read more)
Sept. 3, 2009 - Al-Zehairi
SAUDI PLEADS GUILTY TO VISA FRAUD AND SENTENCED
Court orders defendant to pay domestic employee $143,000 in back wages
(HOUSTON) - Mohammed Abbulazz Al-Zehairi, 43, of Houston, has pleaded guilty to committing visa fraud by submitting a false employment contract for an Indonesian domestic employee and has been ordered to pay the employee more than $140,000 in back wages (Read more)
Sept. 3, 2009 - Dewvall
FORMER AIRLINE CORPORATE SECURITY OFFICER CONVICTED OF DEFRAUDING EMPLOYER IN ELECTRONIC TRAVEL CERTIFICATE SCAM
(HOUSTON) - Rebecca Anne Dewvall, 42, of Channelview, Texas, has been convicted of executing a scheme to defraud her former employer, Continental Airlines Inc. in connection with Continental’s Electronic Travel Certificate (ETC) program. Dewvall, formerly with Continental’s corporate security team, pleaded guilty to wire fraud this morning before United States District Judge David Hittner (Read more)
Sept. 3, 2009 - Ogilvie
PRESIDENT OF UNITED CRANE INC. CHARGED AND PLEADS GUILTY TO FAILING TO PAY FEDERAL INCOME TAXES AND OTHER WITHHOLDINGS FROM EMPLOYEE WAGES
(HOUSTON) - Ellynn Ogilvie, president and sole shareholder of United Crane Inc., has been charged and pleaded guilty to willfully failing to truthfully account for and to pay over thousands of dollars in federal income taxes and other withholdings from employees’ wages (Read more)
Sept. 2, 2009 - Bietendorf
INGLESIDE RESIDENT PLEADS GUILTY TO RECEIVING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY VIA THE INTERNET
(CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas) – Terry Lee Bietendorf, 50, of Ingleside, Texas, has pleaded guilty to receiving child pornography (Read more)
Sept. 2, 2009 - Khan and Ghaffar
TWO CHARGED WITH POSSESSING A SKIMMING DEVICE WITH INTENT TO DEFRAUD UNSUSPECTING CREDIT CARD HOLDERS
(HOUSTON) – Tahmas Ali Khan and Umair Muhammad Ghaffar have been indicted for possessing access device making equipment with the intent to defraud (Read more)
Sept. 2, 2009 - Pineda
SALVADORAN SENTENCED FOR ILLEGALLY RE-ENTERING THE UNITED STATES
(LAREDO, Texas) – Jesus Alexi Pineda, 22, a native and citizen of El Salvador, has been sentenced to 46 months in federal prison for unlawfully re-entering the United States after he had previously been deported (Read more)
Sept. 2, 2009 - Rogers
OWNER OF OSA FINANCIAL SERVICES SENTENCED TO 10 YEARS FOR SECURITIES FRAUD
(HOUSTON) - James Gordon Rogers, 49, of Houston, has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for passing fictitious securities (Read more)
Sept. 2, 2009 - Simon
FORMER ACCOUNTING SUPERVISOR OF LOCAL COMPANY INDICTED FOR EMBEZZLEING MILLIONS FROM EMPLOYER
(HOUSTON) - A former accounting supervisor for a Houston area chemicals company has been charged with embezzling more than $3.6 million from her employer (Read more)
August 2009 Press Releases
Aug. 31, 2009 - Leggett
HOUSTON MAN SENTENCED TO PRISON FOR DEFRAUDING FEMA IN CONNECTION WITH HURRICANE RITA
(HOUSTON) - James T. Leggett, 32, of Houston, has been sentenced to seven months imprisonment for filing a fraudulent disaster assistance claim with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in the aftermath of Hurricane Rita (Read more)
Aug. 31, 2009 - Stevens
CONROE RESIDENT SENTENCED FOR DISTRIBUTING AND POSSESSING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY
(HOUSTON) – Josiah Samuel Stevens, 22, of Conroe, Texas, has been sentenced to five years in federal prison without parole for distributing and possessing child pornography to be followed by a lifetime term of supervised release (Read more)
Aug. 28, 2009 - Garza-Castañeda
LAREDO JURY CONVICTS LAREDOAN IN TWO TON MARIJUANA CASE
(LAREDO, Texas) – Sergio Garza-Castañeda, 39, of Laredo, Texas, was found guilty yesterday by a jury’s verdict of conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute more than 1,000 kilograms of marijuana (Read more)
Aug. 28, 2009 - Choudhry
BRYAN RESIDENT SENTENCED TO PRISON FOR BANK FRAUD
(HOUSTON) - Mohammad Ghafrullah Choudhry, aka Muhammad Ullah, a Pakistani national and resident of Bryan, Texas, was sentenced to 10 months imprisonment for bank fraud (Read more)
Aug. 27, 2009 - Guerra
FORMER SHERIFF SENTENCED TO PRISON FOR PROVIDING PROTECTION TO DRUG TRAFFICKERS IN EXCHANGE FOR CASH
(McALLEN, Texas) – Reymundo Guerra, 52, of Rio Grande City, Texas, has been sentenced to 64 months in the custody of the Bureau of Prisons without parole for using his position as Sheriff of Starr County, Texas, to facilitate a drug trafficking organization’s ability to conduct its illicit business in exchange for cash (Read more)
Aug. 27, 2009 - Adkins
HOUSTON MAN SENTENCED TO ALMOST 20 YEARS FOR SEXUALLY EXPLOITING A CHILD ONLINE
(HOUSTON) – Perry Adkins, of Houston, has been sentenced to 19.6 years in federal prison for online sexual exploitation of a child and possession of child pornography (Read more)
Aug. 26, 2009 - Barba de Garza
LAREDO WOMAN FOUND GUILTY OF IMPORTING METHAMPHETAMINE
(LAREDO, Texas) – Martha Silvia Barba de Garza, 47, of Laredo, Texas, has been found guilty by a jury’s verdict of possession with intent to distribute and importation of methamphetamine (Read more)
Aug. 26, 2009 - Morris
FORMER TDCJ CORRECTION OFFICER SENTENCED FOR LYING ABOUT HIS ASSAULT ON AN INMATE
(HOUSTON) - A former Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) corrections officer has been sentenced to prison for filling a false “use-of-force” report regarding the assault of a former inmate (Read more)
Aug. 26, 2009 - Nieto-Vazquez
ATTEMPT TO SMUGGLE A SEMI-AUTOMATIC MACHINE GUN RESULTS IN PRISON TERM FOR U. S. CITIZEN
(McALLEN, Texas) - Serjio Agustin Nieto-Vazquez, 31, a United States citizen residing in Reynosa, Tamaulipas, Mexico, was sentenced to prison for attempting to export a Browning M1919 machine gun converted to a semi-automatic with a tripod and other weapons and ammunition to Mexico (Read more)
Aug. 25, 2009 - Operation Total Exposure
SIX CHARGED IN LARGEST DOMESTIC HUMAN SEX TRAFFICKING CASE IN HOUSTON
(HOUSTON) – Five men and one woman have been charged in a 16-count indictment with conspiracy and sex trafficking of children and forcing and coercing adults to engage in commercial sex acts (Read more)
Aug. 24, 2009 - McWashington
REGISTERED SEX OFFENDER SENTENCED TO 15 YEARS FOR DISTRIBUTING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY
(HOUSTON) - Michael McWashington, 41, a convicted registered sex offender, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison without parole for distributing child pornography followed by a lifetime term of supervised release (Read more)
Aug. 24, 2009 - Pickens
LOCAL TAX RETURN PREPARER PLEADS GUILTY TO FALSIFYING RETURNS
(HOUSTON) – Nathalene Rice Pickens, a local tax return preparer, has pleaded guilty to charges he prepared false tax returns for local clients that inflated their refunds by $234,167 during 2002–2005 (Read more)
Aug. 24, 2009 - Ramon
BELLAIRE RESIDENT PLEADS GUILTY IN MULTIMILLION DOLLAR INVESTMENT FRAUD
(HOUSTON) – Melissa Marie Ramon, 33, of Bellaire, has pleaded guilty to wire fraud in connection with her operation of a fraudulent investment scheme (Read more)
Aug. 24, 2009 - Richarte
FIVE ARRESTED AND CHARGED IN CONNECTION WITH ATTEMPTED ARMORED CAR ROBBERY
(HOUSTON) — Five men have been arrested in connection with the attempted robbery of an armored car (Read more)
Aug. 21, 2009 - Borjas
SOUTH TEXAS MEN SENTENCED FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING AND FIREARMS CHARGES
(McALLEN, Texas) - Carlos Borjas, 34, of Rio Grande City, Texas; and Juan Jesus Rivera, 31, and Juan Eladio Rivera, 53, both of Roma, Texas, have been sentenced to lengthy prison terms for their respective convictions involving firearms and possession with the intent to distribute cocaine (Read more)
Aug. 21, 2009 - Juarez
ROMA WOMAN SENTENCED TO PRISON FOR LYING AND BUYING FIREARMS
(McALLEN, Texas) - Mireya Rivera Juarez, 44, of Roma, Texas, was sentenced to 37 months in federal custody without parole for lying and buying a total of 25 firearms, two of which were recovered in Mexico (Read more)
Aug. 20, 2009 - Aurignac
McALLEN CARDIOLOGIST SENTENCED TO PRISION ON HEALTH CARE FRAUD VIOLATIONS
(McALLEN) – Fabian Aurignac, M.D., the owner and operator of Cardiology Care Center has been sentenced to prison for committing more than $1 million in Health Care Fraud for submitting false and fraudulent claims to both the Medicare and Medicaid health care programs (Read more)
Aug. 20, 2009 - Harris
WACHOVIA BANK EMPLOYEE CHARGED WITH BANK FRAUD
(HOUSTON) – A former Wachovia Bank employee has been indicted for bank fraud (Read more)
Aug. 20, 2009 - Morgan
GALVESTON MAN CHARGED WITH FEMA FRAUD IN CONNECTION WITH HURRICANE IKE
(HOUSTON) - David F. Morgan, 51, of Galveston, has been charged with filing a fraudulent claim with FEMA for Hurricane Ike disaster assistance (Read more)
Aug. 20, 2009 - Plata
JURY CONVICTS RIO BRAVO RESIDENT OF CONSPIRING TO TRANSPORT UNDOCUMENT ALIEN
(LAREDO, Texas) – Legally admitted permanent resident Jose Arturo Plata, 51, born in Jalisco, Mexico, and a resident of Rio Bravo, Texas, has been convicted of transporting, as well as conspiracy to transport for financial gain, an alien who was present in the United States illegally (Read more)
Aug. 20, 2009 - Tovar
MEXICAN CITIZEN INDICTED FOR SEX TRAFFICKING OF A CHILD
(HOUSTON) - A Mexican national illegally in the United States has been indicted for sex trafficking of a child (Read more)
Aug. 19, 2009 - Zamora, Sierra and Sanchez
THREE INDICTED FOR DISTRIBUTING MARIJUANA VIA THE U. S. MAIL
(BROWNSVILLE, Texas) – An 11-count indictment charging three area residents with conspiracy, possession with intent to distribute kilogram quantities of marijuana and the use of a post office to commit the drug trafficking felony offenses has been unsealed and two of three defendants arrested (Read more)
Aug. 19, 2009 - Wittliff, Roberson, Hanna et al
SIX CHARGED FOR OBTAINING FEDERAL FUNDS FOR HUNDREDS OF CATTLE ALLEGEDLY SWEPT INTO GULF OF MEXICO DURING HURRICANE RITA
Brings to 100 charged in SDTX for fraud related to Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Ike
(HOUSTON) – Six gulf coast area residents have been charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) and filing false claims relating to loss of cattle as a result of Hurricane Rita (Read more)
Aug. 19, 2009 - Martinez
BROWNSVILLE RESIDENT FOUND GUILTY OF CONSPIRACY AND POSSESSION OF COCAINE
(BROWNSVILLE, Texas) – Brenda Martinez, 19, a U.S. citizen residing in Brownsville, has been found guilty following a two-day federal jury trial of conspiracy to possess and possession with intent to distribute more than 19 kilograms of cocaine (Read more)
Aug. 19, 2009 - Poole, Victor, Murphy et al
FOUR INDICTED FOR FRAUDULENTLY OBTAINING DISASTER RENTAL ASSISTANCE AFTER PURCHASING NEW HOMES THROUGH OPRAH WINFREY’S CHARITY “OPRAH’S ANGEL NETWORK”
(HOUSTON) - Three sealed Indictments charging four Hurricane Katrina evacuees with wrongfully obtaining rental assistance from FEMA after having purchased new, fully-furnished homes that were financed by Oprah Winfrey’s “Oprah’s Angel Network,” were unsealed today (Read more)
Aug. 19, 2009 - Rombado
WACHOVIA BANK EMPLOYEE CHARGED WITH EMBEZZLEMENT, ID THEFT AND BANK FRAUD
(HOUSTON) – Juan Rombado, a former Wachovia Bank employee, has been indicted with four counts of bank fraud, two counts of embezzlement and four counts of aggravated identity theft (Read more)
Aug. 18, 2009 - Rothey
ATTORNEY CONVICTED AND SENTENCED FOR VISA FRAUD CONSPIRACY AND MONEY LAUNDERING
(HOUSTON) – Local immigration attorney Kenneth L. Rothey, 70, of Houston, has pleaded guilty and been sentenced to 14 months imprisonment for conspiracy to engage in visa fraud, encouraging Chinese aliens to unlawfully enter the United States and money laundering (Read more)
Aug. 17, 2009 - Gonzales
WOMAN CONVICTED IN FAKE FLU VACCINE CASE SENTENCED TO PRISON FOR VIOLATING PROBATION
(HOUSTON) – Martha Denise Gonzales, who was convicted in 2007 and sentenced to a five-year-term of probation for her involvement in the distribution of a fake flu vaccine to more than 1000 persons in the Houston area, has been sentenced to 21 months in federal prison for violating the terms of her probation (Read more)
Aug. 17, 2009 - Sharma and Sharma
GRAND JURY CHARGES TWO HOUSTON AREA DOCTORS WITH 35 MORE COUNTS OF ILLEGALLY DISTRIBUTE NARCOTICS, MEDICARE/MEDICAID FRAUD AND MONEY LAUNDERING
(HOUSTON) - A federal grand jury has returned a superseding indictment adding 35 more counts to the previously returned 29-count indictment against Dr. Arun Sharma and his wife, Dr. Kiran Sharma, M.D. (Read more)
Aug. 14, 2009 - Gondrezick
FORMER HOUSTON RESIDENT PLEADS GUILTY IN MONTGOMERY COUNTY MORTGAGE FRAUD SCHEME
(HOUSTON) – Grant William Gondrezick, 45, has pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit wire fraud (Read more)
Aug. 14, 2009 - Juarez
ATTEMPT TO BRIBE CBP OFFICER LEADS TO ARREST OF MEXICAN NATIONAL
(BROWNSVILLE, Texas) – A Mexican national legally residing in the United States has been arrested and charged with attempting to bribe a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer (Read more)
Aug. 13, 2009 - Wilson and Kincade
CITY OF HEMPSTEAD OFFICIALS CONVICTED OF BRIBERY SENTENCED
(HOUSTON) – Former City of Hempstead Mayor Pro-Tem Larry Wilson and City Alderman Paris Kincade were sentenced to prison terms for accepting bribe money or kickbacks in exchange for awarding city contracts (Read more)
Aug. 12, 2009 - Jones
FORMER GUARD PLEADS GUILTY TO SEXUAL ABUSE OF A PERSON IN OFFICIAL DETENTION
(HOUSTON) - Nathan Jones, 30, of Houston, a former contract guard at the Leidel Comprehensive Sanction Center has pleaded guilty to sexual abuse of a person in official detention (Read more)
Aug. 11, 2009 - Yruegas-Pedraza
MEXICAN NATIONAL CONVICTED OF CONSPIRACY TO DISTRIBUTE MORE THAN 4,000 POUNDS OF MARIJUANA
(LAREDO, Texas) - A federal jury convicted a Mexican man of conspiring to distribute more than 4,000 pounds of marijuana following a one day trial (Read more)
Aug. 10, 2009 - Bocanegra
MEXICAN CITIZEN SENTENCED FOR ATTEMPTED ARMS EXPORTATION
(McALLEN, Texas) - Juan Carlos Bocanegra, 22, a resident of Mexico unlawfully residing in the United States has been sentenced to 33 months in federal prison for his role in the attempted exportation of firearms and magazines of ammunition from the U.S. into Mexico (Read more)
Aug. 10, 2009 - Brown
HOSPITAL EMPLOYEE CONVICTED OF STEALING PATIENT’S IDENTITY TO APPLY FOR CREDIT CARD
(HOUSTON) - Nakeshia Brown, aka Nakeshia Green, 30, of Rosenberg, has been convicted of bank fraud and aggravated identity theft arising from the theft of personal identifying information from the medical records of patients admitted to a Houston area hospital (Read more)
Aug. 10, 2009 - Ortiz
MEXICAN DRUG TRAFFICKER CONVICTED OF AGGRAVATED IDENTITY THEFT
(LAREDO, Texas) – Mexican citizen Jose Guadalupe Ramirez Ortiz, 33, has been convicted of falsely claiming to be a U.S. citizen and committing aggravated identity theft during his attempted illegal entry into the country earlier this year (Read more)
Aug. 7, 2009 - Williams
US CITIZEN TALIBAN SUPPORTER SENTENCED TO PRISON
Kobie Williams tells court actions were inconsistent with Muslim faith
(HOUSTON) – Kobie Diallo Willaims, 36, convicted of conspiring to unlawfully possess firearms by an alien and supporting the Taliban, has been sentenced to prison (Read more)
Aug. 7, 2009 - Shipley
LOCAL DOUGHNUT COMPANY ORDERED TO PAY CRIMINAL FINE AND FORFEIT $1.334 MILLION TO ICE
(HOUSTON) - Shipley Do-Nut Flour and Supply Company Inc. will be under court supervision for a period of three years, pay a criminal fine of $250,000 and forfeit $1.334 million to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for harboring illegal aliens (Read more)
Aug. 6, 2009 - Villarreal-Martinez
UNDOCUMENTED ALIEN AND CONVICTED AGGRAVATED FELON SENTENCED TO MORE THAN 8 YEARS IN PRISON
(LAREDO, Texas) – Jose Luis Villarreal-Martinez, a 46-year-old previously convicted aggravated felon, has been sentenced to a total of 97 months for his illegal reentry into the U.S. following deportation (Read more)
Aug. 4, 2009 - Lopez, Caballero and Vera
SEVERAL AREA RESIDENTS NABBED FOR MAILING DRUGS THROUGH U.S. MAIL CONVICTED
(McALLEN, Texas) – In two separate cases, seven residents of McAllen and Mission, Texas, have been convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana (Read more)
July 2009 Press Releases
July 31, 2009 - Sullivan
CORPUS CHRISTI AREA MAN ARRESTED AND CHARGED WITH TRANSPORTING A MINOR ACROSS STATE LINES TO ENGAGE IN SEX
(CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas) – Shaun P. Sullivan, 28, of Corpus Christi, Texas was arrested today and charged by criminal complaint with transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity and traveling across state lines with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct (Read more)
July 29, 2009 - Bell
CLEAR LAKE MORTGAGE BROKER/REAL ESTATE DEVELOPER SENTENCED TO 10 YEAR PRISON TERM
(HOUSTON, Texas) - Richard Bell, 50, president and CEO of Harborside Mortgage Corporation, was sentenced to 121 months in prison late yesterday by U.S. District Judge Gray Miller for bank fraud and money laundering (Read more)
July 29, 2009 - Showers
23-YEAR OLD PLEADS GUILTY TO POSSSESSING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY
(HOUSTON) - Sean Connery Showers, of Houston, has pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography (Read more)
July 28, 2009 - Bietendorf
INGLESIDE RESIDENT CHARGED WITH RECEIVING AND DISTRIBUTING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY ARRESTED
(CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas) – Terry Lee Bietendorf, 50, of Ingleside, Texas, has been arrested following the return of a seven-count indictment accusing him of receiving and distributing child pornography (Read more)
July 28, 2009 - Brunsma
CORPUS CHRISTI RESIDENT GUILTY OF RECEVING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY
(CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas) – Steven Thomas Brunsma, 61, has pleaded guilty to receiving child pornography via the internet (Read more)
July 28, 2009 - West
HOUSTON WOMAN SENTENCED TO PRISON FOR WHEELCHAIR FRAUD
To forfeit $2.3 million in ill-gotten gains to the U.S.
(HOUSTON) – The owner of Odyssey Medical and Counseling Center has been sentenced to prison for her role in a $2.3 million wheelchair fraud (Read more)
July 27, 2009 - Zamora-Cantu
LAREDO AREA DRUG TRAFFICKER WHO ATTEMPTED TO RUN OVER TROOPER THEN FLED TO MEXICO SENTENCED TO FEDERAL PRISON
(LAREDO, Texas) – Lino Zamora-Cantu, 30, of Rio Bravo, Texas, was sentenced to a total of more than 24 years in federal prison today for drug trafficking (Read more)
July 24, 2009 - Estes
TAX RETURN PREPARER SENTENCED FOR FILING FALSE RETURNS AND FOR DUPING CLIENT
(HOUSTON) - Tax return preparer Dennis Lane Estes has been sentenced to 30 months for evading the income taxes of one of the clients (Read more)
July 24, 2009 - Imo
PHYSICAL THERAPY CLINIC OWNER CHARGED IN MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR FRAUD CASE
(HOUSTON) - The owner of City Nursing Services of Texas Inc., an alleged Houston physical therapy clinic, has been indicted for conspiring to commit health care fraud, health care fraud, mail fraud and money laundering arising from an alleged multi-million dollar health care fraud scheme (Read more)
July 24, 2009 - Vasquez-Salgado and Salazar
MOTHER AND SON CONVICTED OF HARBORING ILLEGAL ALIEN AND LOSE HOUSE
(HOUSTON) - Gregoria Vasquez-Salgado and her son, David Salazar, have entered pleas of guilty to harboring an illegal alien (Read more)
July 23, 2009 - Ivory
TRUCK DRIVER CONVICTED OF SMUGGLING 1,252 POUNDS OF MARIJUANA
(LAREDO) – A federal jury convicted a Dallas area truck driver of smuggling more than 1000 pounds of marijuana from Laredo to the Dallas area (Read more)
July 23, 2009 - Escobedo
LOCAL DRUG DEALER SENTENCED TO 188 MONTHS
(CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas) – A Corpus Christi area crack cocaine dealer with be serving more than 15 years in federal prison without parole (Read more)
July 22, 2009 - Alvarez et al
FOUR RIO GRANDE VALLEY MEN CONVICTED OF COCAINE TRAFFICKING AND LAUNDERING MILLIONS
(HOUSTON) - A federal jury has convicted four Rio Grande Valley men of distributing more than 200 kilograms of cocaine and laundering millions in drug proceeds (Read more)
July 21, 2009 - Curtis
LEADER OF RING THAT USED CHILDREN’S SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBERS IN MORTGAGE FRAUD SCHEME SENTENCED TO 12 YEARS IN PRISON
(HOUSTON) – Craig Curtis, 37, has been sentenced to 144 months in prison for his role in organizing a mortgage fraud scheme in the Montrose area that used the stolen identities of minors to obtain fraudulent loans (Read more)
July 21, 2009 - Trammell
FATHER, DAUGHTER, WIFE INDICTED IN MORTGAGE FRAUD CONSPIRACY
(HOUSTON) - An 11-count sealed indictment charging conspiracy and wire fraud has been unsealed following the arrests of Claymon “Butch” Trammell, Michelle Trammell and Jeannettea Williams (Read more)
July 21, 2009 - Rangel-Hidalgo
MEXICAN NATIONAL SENTENCED IN COUNTERFEIT DOCUMENT SCHEME
(HOUSTON) – Mexican national Cornelio Rangel-Hidalgo, 27, aka El Chino, has been sentenced to prison for possessing counterfeit immigration documents and aiding and abetting the commission of that offense by his co-defendant, Cesar Gutierrez-Mendiola (Read more)
July 21, 2009 - Quintinsky
NEARLY $800,000 IN UNPAID TAXES LEADS TO FEDERAL INDICTMENT
(HOUSTON) - A sealed indictment charging Gary C. Quintinsky with failing to account for and pay over federal income taxes and other withholdings from employee wages totaling more than $798,000 has been unsealed today following his arrest (Read more)
July 21, 2009 - Itani
HOUSTON FOOD DISTRIBUTOR CONVICTED OF FRAUD IN IRAQ FOOD CONTRACTS
(HOUSTON) - Samir Mahmoud Itani, 49, the owner and operator of American Grocers Inc., has pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud the United States by misrepresenting the cost to deliver food to U.S. troops in Iraq and Kuwait (Read more)
July 21, 2009 - Duran et al
FIVE CHARGED IN AREA ”SMASH AND GRAB” GUN SHOP BURGLARY
(CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas) – Five Corpus Christi men have been indicted for various federal weapons charges arising from recent “smash and grab” burglary of a local gun store (Read more)
July 17, 2009 - Rodriguez
CORPUS CHRISTI MAN SENTENCED TO 20 YEARS FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING
(CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas) – Abraham Salomon Rodriguez, aka Paco, has been sentenced to serve 240 months in federal prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 50 kilograms of cocaine (Read more)
July 17, 2009 - Sharma and Sharma
TWO HOUSTON AREA DOCTORS CHARGED IN CONSPIRACY TO ILLEGALLY DISTRIBUTE NARCOTICS AND MEDICARE/MEDICAID FRAUD
(HOUSTON) - Dr. Arun Sharma and his wife, Dr. Kiran Sharma, M.D., both 54, have been charged in a 29-count indictment alleging conspiracy to unlawfully dispense and distribute controlled substances outside the scope of professional practice and not for a legitimate medical purpose (Read more)
July 16, 2009 - Operation Blood Loss
FREEPORT DRUG TRAFFICKING ORGANIZATION AND ASSOCIATES INDICTED ON DRUG TRAFFICKING CHARGES
(HOUSTON) – Several alleged members and associates of a drug trafficking organization operating in and around the Freeport/Lake Jackson, Texas, area have been indicted for trafficking in significant quantities of cocaine and crack cocaine (Read more)
July 16, 2009 - Hill
LOCAL PSYCHOLOGIST SENTENCED FOR FRAUD
(CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas) - A Corpus Christi area psychologist has been sentenced to five years of probation and six months house arrest for defrauding Medicaid (Read more)
July 16, 2009 - Garcia
PASADENA ALIEN SMUGGLER SENTENCED TO LENGTHY PRISON TERM IN ALIEN DEATH CASE
(CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas) – Frank Garcia, 30, of Pasadena, Texas, has been sentenced to a total of 234 months in federal prison for his involvement in a November 2008 alien smuggling conspiracy that resulted in the deaths of three individuals (Read more)
July 15, 2009 - Duann
HOUSTON COMPUTER ADMINISTRATOR SENTENCED TO TWO YEARS IN PRISON FOR HACKING FORMER EMPLOYER’S COMPUTER NETWORK
(WASHINGTON, D.C.)– The former director of information technology for a non-profit organ and tissue donation center was sentenced today to two years in prison for hacking into her former employer’s computer network (Read more)
July 15, 2009 - Bacon
SEPTUAGENARIAN CONVICTED OF POSSESSING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY
(CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas) – Welles D. Bacon, 72, of Corpus Christi, Texas, has been convicted of possessing child pornography following his guilty plea to the charge this morning (Read more)
July 15, 2009 - Gonzalez-Mendoza
MEN PLEAD GUILTY IN ALIEN SMUGGLING CONSPIRACY
(HOUSTON) – Anselmo Gonzalez-Mendoza, 32, Epifanio Gonzalez-Mendoza, 26, and Leonel Gonzalez-Mendoza, 20, all of Mexico, entered pleas of guilty before United States District Court Judge David Hitttner today for conspiring to harbor and transport illegal aliens within the United States for financial gain (Read more)
July 15, 2009 - Mora
FEDERAL PROBATION OFFICER CHARGED WITH DRUG TRAFFICKING AND BRIBERY
(McALLEN, Texas) – A United States Probation Officer has been arrested and charged with drug trafficking and bribery (Read more)
July 13, 2009 - Bishop
SMALL BUSINESS OWNER CONVICTED OF MAKING FALSE STATEMENT ON TAX RETURNS
(HOUSTON) - Gladys Nell Bishop, President of Quality Trucking Inc., has been convicted by a jury of three counts of making false statements on tax returns filed for the company for tax years 2000, 2001 and 2002 (Read more)
July 13, 2009 - Lozano
TEACHER INDICTED FOR SEXUAL EXPLOITATION OF CHILDREN AND POSSESSION OF CHILD PORNOGRAPHY
(BROWNSVILLE, Texas) - Ramiro C. Lozano, 46, has been indicted by a federal grand jury and charged with three counts of sexual exploitation of children and two counts of possession of child pornography (Read more)
July 13, 2009 - Garza
ROBSTOWN RESIDENT SENTENCED FOR RECEIVING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY
(CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas) – Ernest Garza, 23, of Robstown, has been sentenced to 87 months in prison to be followed by 10 years of supervised release and lifetime registration as a sex offender (Read more)
July 13, 2009 - Davis
AREA MAN ARRESTED AND CHARGED WITH SEX TRAFFICKING
(HOUSTON) - Barry Lernard Davis, aka Sir Lewis, has been arrested following the return of a indictment charging him with sex trafficking of a minor, transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, and coercion and enticement of yet another female to travel in interstate commerce to engage in prostitution (Read more)
July 10, 2009 - Breda Jr.
PEARLAND MAN ARRESTED AND CHARGED WITH ABUSIVE SEXUAL CONTACT
(HOUSTON) – A civilian defense contractor has been arrested following the return of a federal indictment charging him with abusive sexual contact (Read more)
July 10, 2009 - Horton
MONTGOMERY CO. MAN CHARGED WITH FAILURE TO REGISTER AS A SEX OFFENDER
(HOUSTON) - Jeffery Sharr Horton, 37, of Magnolia, Texas, has been charged with failing to register as a sex offender (Read more)
July 10, 2009 - Rodriguez
HOUSTON MAN FOUND GUILTY OF SMUGGLING MARIJUANA
(BROWNSVILLE, Texas) – Julian Rodriguez, 35, a U.S. citizen residing in Houston, has been convicted following a federal jury trial of conspiracy to possess and possession with intent to distribute 82.32 kilograms of marijuana (Read more)
July 8, 2009 - James
BLOOMINGTON MAN CONVICTED OF POSSESSION OF CHILD PORNOGRAPHY
(VICTORIA, Texas) – Joey James, 26, of Bloomington, Texas, has been convicted of possessing child pornography (Read more)
July 7, 2009 - Charleston
WALLER COUNTY JUSTICE OF THE PEACE INDICTED FOR BRIBERY
(HOUSTON) – A sealed indictment charging Waller County Justice of the Peace Dewayne Charleston with violations of federal law arising from a bribery scheme has been unsealed following his arrest today by FBI agents (Read more)
July 7, 2009 - Ramirez
U.S. POSTAL CARRIER PLEADS GUILTY FOR THEFT OF MAIL
(MCALLEN, Texas) – Uvaldo Ramirez Jr., 45, of Mission, Texas, has been convicted of stealing from U.S. Mail while employed as a U.S. Postal Service carrier (Read more)
July 7, 2009 - Mooneyham
VICTORIA RESIDENT SENTENCED FOR CHILD PORNOGRAPHY AND FIREARMS CHARGES
(VICTORIA, Texas) – Turner Cornell Mooneyham, 58, of Victoria, has been sentenced for violations of various federal firearms statutes as well as possession and receipt of child pornography (Read more)
July 6, 2009 - Camarena and Garaza
MORE LOCAL TAQUERIA ARANDAS RESTAURANT OWNERS SENTENCED ON FALSE INCOME TAX RETURN CHARGES
(HOUSTON) – Francisco Javier Camarena and Pablo Garza, both of Houston, have been sentenced to federal prison for filing false income tax returns relating to their Taqueria Arandas restaurants (Read more)
July 2, 2009 - Gonzalez
TEACHER PLEADS GUILTY TO CHILD PORNOGRAPHY CHARGES
(HOUSTON) – A teacher has been convicted of possessing child pornography after pleading guilty to the federal offense (Read more)
July 1, 2009 - Al-Zehairi
SAUDI ARABIAN NATIONAL CHARGED WITH FRAUD IN OBTAINING VISA FOR DOMESTIC EMPLOYEE
(HOUSTON) – Mohammed Abdulazz Al-Zehairi, a 42-year-old Saudi Arabian national residing in Houston, was arrested today by members of the Human Trafficking Rescue Alliance (HTRA) for providing a false statement to secure a United States Visa for a domestic employee (Read more)
July 1, 2009 - Davis
HOUSTON WOMAN PLEADS GUILTY TO DEFRAUDING EMPLOYER BANK OF $30,000
(HOUSTON, TX) – Chantranell K. Davis, of Houston, has plead guilty to one count of bank fraud for her role in a scheme to defraud Bank of America (Read more)
July 1, 2009 - Sancheznoriega
CORPUS CHRISTI MAN SENTENCED TO PRISON FOR RECEIVING AND DISTRIBUTING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY
(CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas) – A Corpus Christi resident has been sentenced to prison for receiving and distributing child pornography (Read more)
June 2009 Press Releases
June 30, 2009 - Brown and Oregon
TWO HOUSTON WOMEN CHARGED IN BANK FRAUD CASE
(HOUSTON) – Brittany M. Brown, 21, and Cecilia Oregon, 24, of Houston, have both been indicted with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and one count of bank fraud (Read more)
June 29, 2009 - Renaud
THIRD LOCAL TAQUERIA ARANDAS RESTAURANT OWNER SENTENCED ON FALSE INCOME TAX RETURN CHARGE
(HOUSTON) – Chris Anthony Renaud, of Houston, has been sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison without parole for filing a false income tax returns (Read more)
June 29, 2009 - Imo
PHYSICAL THERAPY CLINIC OWNER CHARGED IN HEALTH CARE FRAUD CASE
(HOUSTON) - The owner of a Houston physical therapy clinic charged in connection with an alleged multi-million dollar health care fraud was arrested on Friday, June 26, 2009, and remains in federal custody pending a detention hearing this afternoon (Read more)
June 26, 2009 - Espinosa, Espinosa, Flores, et al
DRUG TRAFFICKING, MONEY LAUNDERING AND LOAN FRAUD RESULTS IN FEDERAL PRISON FOR EIGHT LOCAL RESIDENTS
(CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas) – Nine people from Corpus Christi have been sentenced on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, money laundering and loan fraud (Read more)
June 26, 2009 - Gowing
SPRING MAN CONVICTED OF FAILURE TO FILE INCOME TAX RETURN
(HOUSTON) - Brendan F. Gowing, of Spring, Texas, has pleaded guilty to failing to file an income tax return on gross income of more than $1.7 million (Read more)
June 26, 2009 - Alaniz
MANAGER OF ADULT DAY CARE CENTER PLEAS GUILTY TO RECEIVING KICKBACKS
(McALLEN, Texas) – The manager of the la Familia Adult Day Care Center in Harlingen, Texas, has been convicted of receiving kickbacks and illegally referring Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries to Fabian Aurignac, M.D. (Read more)
June 25, 2009 - Perez
UNDOCUMENTED ALIEN SENTENCED FOR SMUGGLING OTHER ALIENS AND HOLDING ONE AGAINST HIS WILL
(LAREDO, Texas) – Gerardo Rafael Perez, 30, a Mexican undocumented alien, was sentenced late yesterday to a total of 102 months for his role in the smuggling of an undocumented alien that resulted in the alien’s forced detention (Read more)
June 24, 2009 - Sharma and Sharma
HUSBAND AND WIFE DOCTORS CHARGED WITH OPERATING A PILL MILL
(HOUSTON) - Two Houston area doctors have been charged by criminal complaint for operating their pain management clinic as a pill mill (Read more)
June 23, 2009 - Carter and Swetnam
TWO INSURANCE AGENTS CHARGED WITH MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR INSURANCE FRAUD SCHEME
(HOUSTON) - A 10-count indictment has been unsealed, charging Brent A. Carter and Michael N. Swetnam Jr., with conspiracy, mail fraud and wire fraud (Read more)
June 22, 2009 - Huynh
ECSTASY TRAFFICKER SENTENCED TO 20 YEARS IN FEDERAL PRISON
(HOUSTON) – A Canadian citizen responsible for distributing more than 200,000 Ecstasy pills in the Houston area has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison (Read more)
June 22, 2009 - Argandona
MEXICAN BUSINESSMAN SENTENCED TO PRISON FOR ILLEGAL EXPORT SCHEME
(LAREDO, Texas) – Jesus Argandona, a Mexican businessman, has been sentenced to prison for illegally attempting to export goods to Mexico (Read more)
June 22, 2009 - Brunsma
LOCAL RESIDENT INDICTED ON VARIOUS CHILD PORNOGRAPHY CHARGES
(VICTORIA, Texas) – Steven Thomas Brunsma, 60, of Corpus Christi, has been charged with possession, receipt and distribution of child pornography (Read more)
June 22, 2009- Cho and Park
HOUSTON MODELING STUDIO OWNERS SENTENCED TO PRISON FOR BRIBERY AND VISA FRAUD
(Houston) - Man Hui Cho, 55, and his wife, Ki Sun Park, 54, both of Houston, have been sentenced to federal prison for their roles in a bribery, visa fraud and an alien importation for prostitution purposes conspiracy (Read more)
June 22, 2009 - Noble
HOUSTON MAN INDICTED FOR DISTRIBUTING AND POSSESSING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY
(HOUSTON) - A federal grand jury has indicted Roger Lynn Noble, of Houston, for distributing and possessing child pornography (Read more)
June 22, 2009 - Showers
LOUISIANA NATIVE INDICTED FOR POSSESSING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY ORDERED HELD WITHOUT BOND
(HOUSTON) - Sean Connery Showers has been ordered held without bond on possession of child pornography charges (Read more)
June 19, 2009 - Stanford, et al
STANFORD FINANCIAL GROUP EXECUTIVES AND FORMER CHAIRMAN OF ANTIGUAN BANK REGULATOR INDICTED FOR FRAUD AND OBSTRUCTION
Charges Related to $7 Billion Dollar Scheme to Defraud Investors
(WASHINGTON) – Robert Allen Stanford, 59, chairman of the Houston-based Stanford Financial Group (SFG), three SFG executives and the former chief executive officer of the Antiguan bank regulatory agency have been indicted on fraud and obstruction charges related to a $7 billion scheme to defraud investors (Read more)
Click here for the Perraud Indictment
Click here for the Stanford Indictment
Click here for the Davis Information
June 18, 2009 - Saenz-Alejandro
FEDERAL JURY CONVICTS MAN FOR ILLEGALLY REENTRY
(BROWNSVILLE, Texas) - A Brownsville federal jury has convicted Eleazar Saenz-Alejandro of illegally reentering the country after having been previously deported (Read more)
June 17, 2009 - Bacon
SEPTUAGENARIAN CHARGED WITH POSSESSING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY
(CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas) – Welles D. Bacon, of Corpus Christi, has been arrested and released on bond following the return of a federal indictment charging him with five counts of possessing child pornography (Read more)
June 16, 2009 - Bridges
CONSPIRATOR INVOLVED IN APARMENT MAIL BOX BREAK INS PLEADS TO ACCESS DEVICE FRAUD
(HOUSTON) – Anthony Cole Bridges, 32, of Bryan, Texas, the second of two charged with mail theft and access device fraud, has been convicted (Read more)
June 12, 2009 - Ashoor
HOUSTON MAN INDICTED FOR TRAFFICKING COUNTERFEIT COMPUTER PRODUCTS
(HOUSTON) – Ehab Ashoor, 48, of Sugarland, Texas, has been arrested following the return of a federal indictment charging trafficking in counterfeit Cisco computer products (Read more)
June 11, 2009 - Cabrera-Ruiz
MEXICAN CITIZENS SENTENCED FOR CONSPIRACY TO TRANSPORT ILLEGAL ALIENS
(CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas) – Carlos Alberto Cabrera-Ruiz, 23, a Mexico citizen who entered the United States illegally, and Angel Miranda-Orosco, 25, a citizen of Mexico who had been previously deported from the United States, have been sentenced for conspiracy to transport undocumented aliens (Read more)
June 11, 2009 - Ngo
JURY CONVICTS HOUSTON BUSINESSMAN OF LAUNDERING DRUG MONEY
(HOUSTON) - A federal jury has convicted a Houston area businessman of laundering hundreds of thousands of dollars in drug proceeds through a local phone card business (Read more)
June 10, 2009 - Kahlon and Baron
OWNER AND MANAGERS OF ACTION RAGS INC. CONVICTED AND SENTENCED FOR HARBORING ILLEGAL ALIENS
(HOUSTON) – The owner and two managers of Action Rags USA LLC., a company involved in recycling discarded clothing for resale in developing countries, have been convicted and sentenced for conspiring to harbor illegal aliens (Read more)
June 9, 2009 - Orozco-Barajas
MAN EXTRADITED FROM MEXICO CITY TO PLEADS GUILTY TO METHAMPHETAMINE TRAFFICKING
(CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas) – Sergio Orozco-Barajas, a Mexican citizen extradited to the United States in early May 2009, has pleaded guilty to the charge of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine (Read more)
June 9, 2009 - Dennis
RAPPER WILLIE D INDICTED IN WIRE FRAUD SCAM
(HOUSTON) - William James Dennis, aka Willie D, has been indicted by a grand jury on 15 counts of wire fraud (Read more)
June 8, 2009 - Villarreal, Villarreal and Rangel
LAST OF THREE CONVICTED OF SHOOTING OF ICE AGENT SENTENCED
(McALLEN, Texas) – Juan Villarreal, 30, his brother, Leobardo Villarreal, 26, and Abel Rangel, 37, have been sentenced to long prison terms for shooting an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent (Read more)
June 8, 2009 - Texis-Montano, Aguila-Cuapio and Tecuapacho
THREE CHARGED WITH SMUGGLING A MINOR TO ENGAGE IN COMMERICAL SEX ACTS
(HOUSTON) – Three Mexican nationals have been indicted by a Houston grand jury for conspiring to engage in sex trafficking of a minor (Read more)
June 8, 2009 - Doyle III
AUSTIN AREA MAN SENT TO PRISON FOR PRODUCTION OF CHILD PORNOGRAPHY
(HOUSTON) - William Arthur Doyle, III, 56, from Round Rock, Texas, has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for producing child pornography (Read more)
June 5, 2009 - Jackson
APARTMENT MAILBOX BREAKS IN LEADS TO POSSESSION OF STOLEN MAIL, ACCESS DEVICE FRAUD AND AGGRAVATED IDENTITY THEFT CHARGES
(HOUSTON) – Gwendolyn Cheree Jackson, 30, of Houston, indicted on April 30, 2009, and charged with three counts of possession of stolen mail and one count each of access device fraud and aggravated identity theft, has been arrested by U.S. Postal Service inspectors (Read more)
June 5, 2009 - Sepulveda
AIRPORT POLICE OFFICER CONVICTED OF SELLING COCAINE SENTENCED TO PRISON
(LAREDO, Texas) - Vidal Gerardo Sepulveda, a Laredo International Airport police officer convicted of distributing cocaine while in uniform at the Laredo airport on Sept. 11, 2008, has been sentenced to prison (Read more)
June 5, 2009 - Hogan
HOUSTON MAN PLEADS GUILTY IN ADULT DIAPER FRAUD CASE
(HOUSTON) – Ene Etim Hogan, of Houston, has pleaded guilty to three counts of healthcare fraud for his role in a adult diaper fraud case (Read more)
June 5, 2009 - Kim
FORMER GEXA SENIOR DATABASE ADMINISTRATOR INDICTED
(HOUSTON) – Steven Jinwoo Kim, a former employee of GEXA Energy in Houston, has been indicted for intentionally causing damage to a protected computer, possessing child pornography and aggravated identity theft (Read more)
May 2009 Press Releases
May 29, 2009 - Blackard
CIVILIAN CONTRACTOR SENTENCED TO PRISON FOR MAKING FALSE STATEMENTS TO FEDERAL AGENTS
(HOUSTON) – Gregory W. Blackard, a civilian contractor who performed work on the United States Embassy in Beijing, China, has been sentenced to federal prison
(Read more)
May 29, 2009 - Kayode
NIGERIAN NATIONAL SENTENCED FOR MAIL FRAUD AND IDENTITY THEFT
(HOUSTON) - Rasheed Babatunde Kayode, 49, of Houston, has been sentenced to 235 months in federal prison following his convictions for mail fraud, aggravated identity theft and fraud in the procurement of naturalized U.S. citizenship (Read more)
May 29, 2009 - Woodard
FORMER AUTO DEALER INDICTED FOR BANK FRAUD
(BROWNSVILLE, Texas) – A six-count indictment has been unsealed charging John Jeff Woodard Jr., 47, of Harlingen, Texas, with bank fraud (Read more)
May 28, 2009 - McAfee
MAN SENTENCED FOR STEALING VETERAN’S IDENTITY AND RECEIVING BENEFITS
(HOUSTON) - A Texas City man has been sentenced to 33 months in prison for stealing the identity of a Vietnam War veteran and using that identity to receive health care benefits (Read more)
May 27, 2009 - Castillo and Ovalle
FIVE MEMBERS OF DRUG TRAFFICKING/MONEY LAUNDERING ORGANIZATION WHICH USED COMMERCIAL BUSES TO HIDE CONTRABAND SENTENCED TO PRISON
(HOUSTON) – Five members of a drug trafficking organization - all Mexican nationals - responsible for transporting and distributing thousands of kilograms of cocaine in the Houston area and transporting millions in drug money to Mexico in commercial buses were sentenced to prison today (Read more)
May 27, 2009 - Contreras
ADMITTED MEMBER OF MEXICAN MAFIA GANG SENTENCED TO LENGTHY FEDERAL PRISON TERM FOR TRAFFACKING MARIJUANA
(LAREDO, Texas) – A self-admitted member of the Mexican Mafia prison gang and a career offender with prior convictions for murder and drug trafficking has been sentenced to a lengthy federal prison term for conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute 74.39 kilograms of marijuana (Read more)
May 27, 2009 - Taylor
WOMAN WHO FILED FRAUDULENT KATRINA, RITA AND IKE CLAIMS SENTENCED TO LENGTHY PRISON TERM
(HOUSTON) – A Houston woman convicted of mail fraud and aggravated identity theft for her conduct in filing fraudulent claims for FEMA assistance for Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Ike has been sentenced to almost five years in federal prison without parole (Read more)
May 22, 2009 - Rodriguez
LYFORD MAN SENTENCED TO PRISON FOR POSSESSING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY
(BROWNSVILLE, Texas) - Francisco Rodriguez III, has been sentenced to five years in federal prison without parole for possessing child pornography on his computer
(Read more)
May 22, 2009 - Khilnani
LOCAL BUSINESSMAN SENTENCED TO PRISON FOR BRIBING AN IRS AGENT
(HOUSTON) - Ramesh G. Khilnani, 51, a native of India and a Houston area resident, has been sentenced to prison for attempting to bribe an IRS agent (Read more)
May 22, 2009 - Ostfeld
LAS VEGAS MAN CHARGED WITH IMPORTING TRANQUILIZERS FROM MEXICO TO ASSIST OTHERS IN COMMITTING SUICIDE ORDERED HELD WITHOUT BOND
(MCALLEN, Texas) – A Las Vegas man has been ordered detained in federal custody without bond pending further criminal proceedings on charges of importing tranquilizers from Mexico and possessing the controlled substance with the intent to distribute the drugs to persons seeking to commit suicide (Read more)
May 21, 2009 - Hill and Magodoro
TWO CHARGED IN INTERSTATE IDENTITY THEFT ENTERPRISE
(HOUSTON) – A federal grand jury in Houston has returned a two-count indictment charging John Lewis Hill II, of Savannah, Tenn., and Alan Tendai Magodoro, of Fontana, Calif., with conspiracy to commit Social Security fraud and aggravated identity theft (Read more)
May 19, 2009 - Killingsworth
HUNTSVILLE MAN INDICTED FOR POSSESSION OF CHILD PORNOGRAPHY
(HOUSTON, Texas) - A federal grand jury has indicted Stephen R. Killingsworth, Huntsville, Texas, for possessing child pornography (Read more)
May 19, 2009 - Torres
McALLEN MAN INDICTED FOR CONSPIRACY TO DEFRAUD MEDICARE AND MEDICAID AND PAYING ILLEGAL KICKBACKS
[McALLEN, TX] – Raul Torres, 59, of McAllen, Texas, has been indicted for conspiracy to commit health care fraud and paying illegal kickbacks (Read more)
May 19, 2009 - Garcia
PORT LAVACA MAN CONVICTED OF RECEIPT AND POSSESSION OF CHILD PORNOGRAPHY
(VICTORIA, Texas) – Roselio Garcia, 54, of Port Lavaca, Texas, has been convicted of receiving and possessing child pornography (Read more)
May 18, 2009 - Pineda
MEMBERS OF FIREARMS TRAFFICKING RING INDICTED
(HOUSTON) – An 11-count superseding indictment charging 10 defendants with conspiracy to make false material statements in connection with the acquisition of firearms was unsealed today following the arrest and appearance of eight of the 10 defendants charged (Read more)
May 15, 2009 - Gillum
AREA WOMAN CHARGED WITH POSSESSING STOLEN MAIL AND ACCESS DEVICE FRAUD
(HOUSTON, TEXAS) – Ebony Okie Gillum, 25, of Houston, Texas, has been arrested following the return of an indictment charging her with possession of stolen mail and access device fraud (Read more)
May 15, 2009 - Jones
OWNER OF ESCAPE LOUNGE STUDIOS SENTENCED TO PRISON FOR EVADING TAXES ON PROSTITUTION PROCEEDS
(HOUSTON) – The operator of a prostitution business has been sentenced to prison for tax evasion (Read more)
May 14, 2009 - Campos
JURY CONVICTS DALLAS RESIDENT OF MARIJUANA TRAFFICKING
(BROWNSVILLE, TEXAS) – A federal jury has found Arnoldo M. Campos, 62, a U.S. citizen from Dallas, guilty of trafficking more than 200 pounds of marijuana (Read more)
May 14, 2009 - Baldon II
FUEL TAX EVASION SCHEME RESULTS IN PRISON TERM FOR HOUSTONIAN
(HOUSTON, TX) - Sidney Berle Baldon, II, of Houston, Texas, was sentenced today to 60 months -- the maximum statutory penalty -- for conspiring to evade fuel excise taxes (Read more)
May 14, 2009 - Dennis
RAPPER WILLIE D ARRESTED AND CHARGED IN WIRE FRAUD SCAM
(HOUSTON) - William James Dennis, aka Willie D, was arrested last night on charges of wire fraud (Read more)
Click to view the criminal complaint
May 13, 2009 - Lewis
MORTGAGE BROKER CONVICTED FOR MORTGAGE FRAUD
(HOUSTON) – Clarence Lewis III has been was found guilty of devising a scheme to defraud residential mortgage lenders by misstating information material to the lending decision (Read more)
May 13, 2009 - Abdallah
LAST TWO DEFENDANTS CONVICTED IN AMBULANCE FRAUD CASE SENTENCED
(HOUSTON) – Mazen Abdallah and Wesam Abdallah, of Houston, have each been sentenced to 30 months in federal prison for their roles in a multi-million dollar ambulance fraud case (Read more)
May 11, 2009 - Funderburgh
MANAGER OF LOCAL JACKSON-HEWETT TAX PREPARATION FIRM SENTENCED TO PRISON FOR FILING FRAUDULENT TAX RETURNS
(HOUSTON) – Lee L. Funderburgh Jr., the manager of a local franchise of Jackson-Hewitt, a national income tax preparation firm, has been sentenced to prison for preparing false U.S. income tax returns (Read more)
May 8, 2009 - Aurignac
McALLEN CARDIOLOGIST PLEADS GUILTY TO HEALTH CARE FRAUD
(McALLEN, Texas) – Dr. Fabian Aurignac has pleaded guilty to submitting thousands of dollars in false and fraudulent claims to the Medicare and the Medicaid health care programs (Read more)
May 7, 2009 - Lopez, Caballaro and Vera
SECOND GROUP NABBED FOR ALLEGEDLY SENDING PARCELS OF MARIJUANA THROUGH U.S. MAIL
(MCALLEN, Texas) – For the second time this week, inspectors of the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) have arrested several McAllen area men allegedly involved in mailing packages containing marijuana through the U.S. Mail system (Read more)
May 7, 2009 - Hogan
CONVICTED SEX OFFENDER PLEADS GUILTY TO POSSESSION OF CHILD PORNOGRAPHY
(HOUSTON) – Thomas David Hogan, 47, a convicted sex offender, has pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography and faces no less than 10 years in federal prison without parole and up to a lifetime term of supervised release (Read more)
May 6, 2009 - Essien and Essien
BROTHER AND SISTER INDICTED IN ADULT DIAPER FRAUD CASE
(HOUSTON) – Benjamin B. Essien and his sister, Rose B. Essien, of Houston, have been charged by a federal grand jury with conspiracy, multiple counts of health care fraud and aggravated identity theft arising from a scheme to defraud Medicaid through the fraudulent filing of claims for adult urinary incontinence supplies (Read more)
May 5, 2009 - Rodriguez, Hernandez, Mares, et al
U.S. POSTAL INSPECTORS NAB FOUR AND CHARGE SIX FOR SENDING PARCELS OF MARIJUANA THROUGH U.S. MAIL
(MCALLEN, Texas) – A 10-month investigation by inspectors of the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) has lead to the filing of criminal charges against six area residents for allegedly mailing more than 200 packages containing marijuana through the U.S. Mail system (Read more)
May 5, 2009 - Ramirez, Alvarez-Reyes, Rubio-Garcia, et al
ANONYMOUS TIP LEADS TO SEIZURE OF 250+ KILOGRAMS OF COCAINE AND THE ARREST OF FOUR
(McALLEN, Texas) - An anonymous tip lead High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) task force officers to follow a truck bearing City of La Grulla decals to a Rio Grande City residence and initiate an investigation which resulted in the seizure of more than 250 kilograms of cocaine, and the arrest of four men including the driver of the truck on drug trafficking charges (Read more)
May 4, 2009 - Brown
ER WORKER INDICTED FOR THEFT OF PATIENT’S IDENTITY
(HOUSTON) – A federal indictment has been returned against Nakeshia Brown, 29, of Rosenberg, Texas, for identity theft and bank fraud (Read more)
May 1, 2009 - Alvarez-Rodriguez, Alvarez and Mireles
THREE MEMBERS OF A CRACK COCAINE DISTRIBUTION RING IN STARR COUNTY CONVICTED
(McALLEN, Texas) – Three members of a crack cocaine distribution ring which operated in Starr County have pleaded guilty to felony drug trafficking charges (Read more)
May 1, 2009 - Garcia Jr. and Serna
LAREDO MEN SENTENCED FOR NARCOTICS TRAFFICKING AND MONEY LAUNDERING
(LAREDO, Texas) – Juan Roman Garcia Jr., 40, and Adrian Serna, 29, both of Laredo, have been sentenced to lengthy prison terms for their roles in narcotics trafficking and money laundering conspiracies (Read more)
May 1, 2009 - Coronado and Zieger
BROWNSVILLE MAN AND WOMAN ARRESTED FOR SMUGGLING ALIENS FOR PROSTITUTION
(BROWNSVILLE, Texas) - A Brownsville man and woman have been arrested on warrants that issued following the return of a six-count indictment by a Brownsville grand jury charging them with importing and harboring aliens for prostitution (Read more)
May 1, 2009 - Orozco-Barajas
MAN EXTRADITED FROM MEXICO CITY TO FACE CHARGE ALLEGING METHAMPHETAMINE TRAFFICKING
(CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas) – Sergio Orozco-Barajas, a Mexican citizen, has been extradited to the United States to face charges of methamphetamine trafficking in Corpus Christi, Texas (Read more)
May 1, 2009 - Guerra
FORMER SHERIFF PLEADS GUILTY TO DRUG TRAFFICKING
(McALLEN, Texas) – Reymundo Guerra, 52, of Rio Grande City, Texas, has pleaded guilty to conspiring to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances (Read more)
May 1, 2009 - Duann
COMPUTER ADMINISTRATOR PLEADS GUILTY TO HACKING FORMER EMPLOYER’S COMPUTER SYSTEM
(HOUSTON) - A Seabrook resident has been ordered held in federal custody without bond pending his trial on charges of possessing child pornography (Read more)
April 2009 Press Releases
April 30, 2009 - Vasquez
SPRING MAN SENTENCED TO PRISON FOR RECEIPT OF CHILD PORNOGRAPHY
(HOUSTON) - Christopher Joe Vasquez, 33, a Spring resident, was sentenced today to 97 months in federal prison and a lifetime of supervised release for receiving child pornography via the internet (Read more)
April 30, 2009 - Kenvin
FORMER EMPLOYEE OF HOUSTON FOOD DISTRIBUTOR CONVICTED OF FRAUD IN IRAQ FOOD CONTRACTS
(HOUSTON) - Frederick Howard Kenvin, 47, of Houston, has pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud the United States by misrepresenting the cost to deliver food to U.S. troops in Iraq and Kuwait (Read more)
April 30, 2009 - Gil III
LEADER OF LAREDO’S PISTOLERO PRISON/STREET GANG CONVICTED OF COCAINE TRAFFICKING AND LAUNDERING MILLIONS IN DRUG PROCEEDS
(HOUSTON) – Pedro Gil III, 37, aka Master P, aka PG, aka Carwash, the reputed leader of the Laredo faction of the La Hermandad de Pistoleros Latinos (Brotherhood of the Latin Gunmen) (HPL) prison and street gang, has pleaded guilty to conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute more than 150 kilograms of cocaine and to laundering millions of dollars in drug proceeds complicit with HPL members or associates (Read more)
April 29, 2009 - Garza
ROBSTOWN RESIDENT PLEADS GUILTY TO CHILD PORNOGRAPHY CHARGE
(CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas) – Ernest Garza, 23, of Robstown, has pleaded guilty to receiving child pornography (Read more)
April 29, 2009 - Alvarez
NUEVO LAREDO MEN’S CLUB MANAGER SENTENCED FOR ATTEMPTING TO SMUGGLE AMMUNITION INTO MEXICO
(LAREDO, Texas) – U.S. District Judge Michaela Alvarez has sentenced Raul Alvarez, the business manager of a men’s club in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, to 51 months in federal prison without parole for attempting to smuggle ammunition from the United States into Mexico (Read more)
April 28, 2009 - Guerra
JURY CONVICTS LOPENO, TEXAS MAN OF MARIJUANA TRAFFICKING
(LAREDO, TX) – A jury has convicted Jose Eli Guerra, 57, of Lopeño, Texas, of possession with intent to distribute marijuana approximately 18 kilograms of marijuana (Read more)
April 28, 2009 - Ruiz
UNITED STATES BORDER PATROL AGENT SENTENCED TO PRISON FOR BRIBERY
(MCALLEN, Texas) – A United States Border Patrol (BP) agent has been sentenced to prison for accepting bribes in exchange for escorting narcotics loads (Read more)
April 28, 2009 - Villalpando
SECOND OF EIGHT LOCAL TAQUERIA ARANDAS RESTAURANT OWNERS CONVICTED OF
FILING FALSE INCOME TAX RETURNS SENTENCED TO PRISON
(HOUSTON) – Pedro Villalpando of Houston, one of eight local Taqueria Arandas Restaurant owners convicted last year of filing false federal income tax returns, has been sentenced to prison (Read more)
April 27, 2009 - Mondragon
LAST DEFENDANT SENTENCED FOR HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND ALIEN SMUGGLING CHARGES
(HOUSTON) – Maximino Mondragon, 57, has been sentenced for his role in a scheme to smuggle Central American women and girls into the United States and hold them in a condition of forced labor in the Houston area (Read more)
April 24, 2009 - Rodriguez-Jasso, Fernandez-Narvaez, Perez-Contreras, et al
PORT RUNNERS SENTENCED TO LENGTHY PRISON TERMS
(LAREDO, Texas) – United States District Judge Joseph Hood sent a strong message today to anyone thinking of attempting to go through a Port of Entry into the United States by vehicle by breaking through barriers to avoid inspection thinking they won’t be pursued (Read more)
April 24, 2009 - Sanders
HOUSTON WOMAN SENTENCED IN WHEELCHAIR FRAUD CASE
(HOUSTON) – The owner and operator of three durable medical equipment companies (DME) has been sentenced to prison for orchestrating a $2.3 million wheelchair fraud scheme to defraud Medicare and Medicaid (Read more)
April 24, 2009 - Smart Jr.
FORMER COSTAL BEND COLLEGE BUSINESS MANAGER SENT TO FEDERAL PRISON FOR EMBEZZLEMENT
(CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas) – Costal Bend College’s former Business Manager, Aubrey Mervin Smart Jr., 61, has been sentenced to federal prison for embezzlement from an organization receiving federal funds (Read more)
April 24, 2009 - Smith
FORMER LOAN BROKER PLEADS GUILTY
(HOUSTON) - Melkeisha Smith, of Houston, has pleaded guilty today to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud before United States District Judge David Hittner (Read more)
April 23, 2009 - Raza Unida Street Gang
RAZA UNIDA PRISON GANG MEMBERS AND ASSOCIATES INDICTED ON DRUG TRAFFICKING AND FIREARMS CHARGES
(HOUSTON) - Fifteen alleged members and associates of the Raza Unida (RU) prison and street gang have been indicted for trafficking in significant quantities of cocaine and methamphetamine and possessing firearms unlawfully and during the commission of drug trafficking offenses (Read more)
April 23, 2009 - Montana
FORMER LAKE JACKSON BUSINESSMAN SENTENCED FOR DEFRAUDING INVESTORS
(HOUSTON) - A former stock broker has been sentenced to prison today for defrauding investors (Read more)
April 23, 2009 - Coleman
DENTAL ASSISTANT PLEADS GUILTY TO MAIL FRAUD AND IDENTITY THEFT CHARGES
(HOUSTON) – Tara Monique Coleman, 40, a dental assistant, has pleaded guilty to mail fraud and aggravated identity theft (Read more)
April 22, 2009 - Fleming, Ebhamen and Arthur
HOUSTON BUSINESS OWNERS CONVICTED OF DEFRAUDING MEDICARE & MEDICAID OF $36 MILLION
(HOUSTON) – A Houston jury has convicted three Houston area residents of multiple counts of defrauding Medicare in a false billing scheme (Read more)
April 22, 2009 - Bui, Achord, Burke, et al
FOUR CHARGED IN ILLEGAL GAMBLING AND MONEY LAUNDERING OPERATION
(HOUSTON) - Thanh V. (Tommy) Bui, 33, Russell Wayne Achord Jr., 40, James Arthur Burke Jr., 30, and Gustavo Alfonzo Alvarez, 41, all from the Clear Lake area, have been indicted for money laundering, structuring financial transactions and conspiracy to operate an illegal gambling business (Read more)
April 17, 2009 - Hernandez
HOUSTONIAN SENTENCED TO PRISON FOR LYING TO BUY GUNS
Weapons later found at crime scenes in Mexico
(HOUSTON) – John Phillip Hernandez, 25, of Houston, has been sentenced to prison for making false material statements to a federal firearms licensee in connection with the purchase of firearms which were eventually found at crime scenes in Mexico and Guatemala (Read more)
April 16, 2009 - Nelius
BANK TELLER INDICTED FOR STEALING BANK FUNDS
(HOUSTON) - A Montgomery, Texas, woman has been indicted for allegedly defrauding the bank where she worked of more than $25,000 (Read more)
April 16, 2009 - Reyes-Cedillo, Turrubiates-Garza, Hernandez-Vera, et al
JURY CONVICTS FOUR OF MARIJUANA TRAFFICKING
(BROWNSVILLE, Texas) – A jury has returned it verdicts convicting four Mexican nationals for conspiring to and possessing with intent to distribution almost 120 kilograms of marijuana (Read more)
April 15, 2009 - Pickens and Bellamy
INDICTMENTS RETURNED CHARGING TAX RETURN PREPARERS WITH THE PREPARATION OF FALSE INCOME TAX RETURNS
(HOUSTON) – Indictment charging tax-return preparers Nathalene Rice Pickens and Veronica Bellamy with aiding and assisting in the preparation of false income tax returns for the years 2002 through 2005 have been returned by a federal grand jury in Houston (Read more)
April 14, 2009 - Hernandez
CBP INSPECTOR PLEADS GUILTY TO DRUG TRAFFICKING, ALIEN SMUGGLING AND BRIBERY
(BROWNSVILLE, Texas) – A Customs and Border Protection (CBP) inspector has been convicted of drug trafficking, alien smuggling and bribery (Read more)
April 13, 2009 - Stanley
MORTGAGE FRAUD CONVICTION
(HOUSTON) - Robert Wilfred Stanley, 35, of Katy, has been convicted of conspiring to commit mail fraud and wire fraud as part of a scheme to defraud residential mortgage lenders and money laundering conspiracy (Read more)
April 13, 2009 - Martinez-Gonzalez
ATTEMPT TO SMUGGLE MORE THAN A MILION DOLLARS INTO MEXICO FOILED
(LAREDO, Texas) – A 26-year-old Mexican national has been arrested and charged with attempting to smuggle more than a million dollars from the United States into Mexico (Read more)
April 13, 2009 - Day
HOUSTON BUSINESSMAN CONVICTED OF FRAUD IN IRAQ FOOD CONTRACTS
(HOUSTON) - Stephen Patrick Day, 35, of Houston, has pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud the United States by misrepresenting the cost to deliver food to U.S. troops in Iraq and Kuwait (Read more)
April 9, 2009 - Ervin
FORMER RURAL CARRIER ASSOCIATE IMPRISONED FOR STEALING IDENTITIES FROM THE MAIL
(HOUSTON) - Former rural carrier associate Rodney Ervin has been sentenced to prison for mail theft, access device fraud and aggravated identity theft (Read more)
April 9, 2009 - Douglas
LOAN OFFICER CONVICTED OF MORTGAGE FRAUD
(HOUSTON) – Nehemiah Jamal Douglas, 28, of Houston, has pleaded guilty to mail and wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering charges (Read more)
April 9, 2009 - Constante
MISSION MAN SENTENCED TO PRISON FOR BANK FRAUD
(McALLEN, Texas) – A Mission, Texas, man was sentenced to prison today for bank fraud and theft by bank employee (Read more)
April 8, 2009 - Garcia
FIRST OF EIGHT LOCAL TAQUERIA ARANDAS RESTAURANT OWNERS CONVICTED
OF FILING FALSE INCOME TAX RETURN SENTENCED TO PRISON
(HOUSTON) – The first of eight local Taqueria Arandas restaurant owners convicted for filing false tax returns has been sentenced to prison (Read more)
April 8, 2009 - De La Rosa
JURY CONVICTS HOUSTON MAN FOR SMUGGLING ILLEGAL ALIENS
(McALLEN, Texas) - Juan de la Rosa, 27, of Houston, has been convicted for conspiring to transport illegal aliens and alien smuggling (Read more)
April 8, 2009 - Amador
AREA METH DEALER SENTECED TO 30 YEARS IN FEDERAL PEN WITHOUT PAROLE
(CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas) – A Corpus Christi area methamphetamine dealer will be serving 30 years in federal prison without parole (Read more)
April 7, 2009 - Miller and Hawkins
SISTERS WHO OPERATED FRAUDULENT MEDICARE AND MEDICAID COMPANIES SENTENCED TO PRISON
(VICTORIA, Texas) - Two sisters convicted of conspiring to defraud Medicare and Medicaid have been sentenced to prison by U.S. District Judge John D. Rainey (Read more)
April 3, 2009 - Scott and Miller
LEADER OF DALLAS MARIJUANA DISTRIBUTION RING SENTENCED TO LIFE IMPRISONMENT
Co-defendant sentenced to 20 years
(LAREDO, Texas) - Ferrell Damon Scott, of Dallas, was sentenced to life behind bars for his role as a leader/organizer of a marijuana distribution ring which operated between Laredo and Dallas, Texas (Read more)
April 3, 2009 - Pena and Pena
TWIN BROTHERS CONVICTED IN CONSPIRACY TO OBTAIN FRAUDULENT VISAS FOR OVER EIGHTY CITIZENS OF INDIA
(HOUSTON) – A federal jury has found twin brothers, Alberto and Bernardo Pena, 39, of Brownsville, Texas, guilty of conspiring with each other and others to obtain fraudulent work visas for nearly 90 Indian nationals in exchange for at least $20,000 per visa (Read more)
April 3, 2009 - Guzman, Pena and Zamarripa
TRIO INVOLVED IN SEAPORT COPPER THEFT RING SENTENCED
(HOUSTON) - Lorenzo Guzman, 45, Saul G. Pena, 37, and Omar D. Zamarripa, 35, all of Houston, have been sentenced for their role in a copper theft ring involving the theft of bundles and sheets of commercial grade copper from ships at the Seaport and resold at a local scrap yard in Houston (Read more)
April 3, 2009 - Fontenot Jr.
LOUISIANA MAN SENT TO PRISON FOR POSSESSION OF CHILD PORNOGRAPHY CONVICTION
(HOUSTON) - Raymond Charles Fontenot, Jr., 25, from Denham Springs, Louisiana, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Ewing Werlein, Jr., to 84 imprisonment for his possession of child pornography conviction (Read more)
April 2, 2009 - Montano Jr. and Izaguirre-Leal
CBP OFFICER INDICTED FOR BRIBERY, DRUG TRAFFICKING AND ALIEN SMUGGLING
(BROWNSVILLE, Texas) – A Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer has been arrested following the filing of a criminal complaint accusing him of bribery, alien smuggling and drug charges (Read more)
April 2, 2009 - Handy-Espronceda, Espronceda, Landa de Hernandez
COUNTY COMMISSIONER AND THREE OTHERS CHARGED WITH HARBORING ALIENS FOR PERSONAL FINANCIAL GAIN AT COUNTY’S EXPENSE
(McALLEN, Texas) – A six-count indictment charging Hidalgo County Precinct One Commissioner Sylvia Sue Handy-Espronceda, 52; her spouse, Juan Gabriel Espronceda, 35; Maria De Los Angeles Landa de Hernandez, 27; and Eloisa Andrade Uriegas, 58, with harboring aliens for financial gain was unsealed today (Read more)
April 1, 2009 - Pleasant
FORMER FIREARMS LICENSEE ORDERED TO PRISON
(VICTORIA, Texas) - Eddy V. Pleasant, 52, of Sheridan, Texas, a former firearms dealer, has been ordered to surrender to a federal correctional institute to begin serving a prison sentence for making false statements during the purchase of firearms (Read more)
April 1, 2009 - Morales
FORMER BORDER PATROL AGENT CONVICTED OF BRIBERY SENTENCED
(LAREDO, Texas) – Former Border Patrol agent Leonel Morales, 30, of Zapata County, has been sentenced to prison for bribery (Read more)
April 1, 2009 - Grabar
CIVILIAN DEFENSE CONTRACTOR ORDERED HELD WITHOUT BOND PENDING TRIAL ON CHILD PORNOGRAPHY CHARGES
(HOUSTON) - A Seabrook resident has been ordered held in federal custody without bond pending his trial on charges of possessing child pornography (Read more)
April 1, 2009 - Crenshaw
LOAN OFFICER CONVICTED FOR ROLE IN MORTGAGE FRAUD SCHEME
(HOUSTON) – A former loan officer for Motown Mortgage Group and Central Capital Financial Group has pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit wire and mail fraud and laundering the proceeds of the fraud through a financial institution for his role in a mortgage fraud scheme (Read more)
April 1, 2009 - Garcia
PORT LAVACA MAN INDICTED ON CHILD PORNOGRAPHY CHARGES
(VICTORIA, Texas) – Roselio Garcia, 54, of Port Lavaca, Texas, has been indicted on 10 counts of child pornography (Read more)
March 2009 Press Releases
March 31, 2009 - Reyna
MEMBER OF GULF CARTEL CONVICTED FOR ASSAULT OF FEDERAL AGENTS
(HOUSTON) – Juan Carlos De La Cruz Reyna, 36, of Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico, has pleaded guilty to two counts of threatening to assault and murder federal agents (Read more)
March 30, 2009 - Oropeza
THIRD OROPEZA FAMILY MEMBER SENTENCED TO PRISON
(BROWNSVILLE, Texas) - Oscar Oropeza, 47, of Brownsville, has been sentenced to prison for trafficking in Marijuana and money laundering (Read more)
March 30, 2009 - Harmon
NASA CONTRACTOR CONVICTED FOR FRAUD INVOLVING SPACE VEHICLE PARTS
(HOUSTON) – Richard J. Harmon, 60, has pleaded guilty to one count of fraud involving space vehicle parts (Read more)
March 27, 2009 - Gutierrez
FIREARMS TRAFFICKER SENTENCED
(HOUSTON) – Juan Pablo Gutierrez, 25, of Houston, has been sentenced after pleading guilty before U.S. District Judge Gray Miller to eight counts involving the offense of making a false material statement to a federal firearms licensee in connection with the purchase of a firearm (Read more)
March 27, 2009 - Garcia and Garcia
LOCAL COUPLE AND TWO SAN ANTONIO ORTHOTISTS INDICTED FOR FRAUD
(CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas) - A Corpus Christi couple and two brothers from the San Antonio area have been indicted for allegedly defrauding Medicare and the Texas Medicaid Program (Read more)
March 27, 2009 - Rose
FORMER RURAL CARRIER ASSOCIATE IMPRISONED FOR STEALING IDENTITIES FROM THE MAIL
(HOUSTON) - Former rural carrier associate LaNardsha Rose has been sentenced to prison for aggravated identity theft (Read more)
March 26, 2009 - Ramirez
BROWNSVILLE MAN SENTENCED FOR SMUGGLING FIREARMS
(BROWNSVILLE, Texas) – Emmanuel Ramirez, 25, has been sentenced to federal prison for aiding and abetting others to make false statements on firearms purchase records and smuggling those firearms from the U.S. into Mexico (Read more)
March 26, 2009 - Houston Methodist Hospital
HOUSTON'S METHODIST HOSPITAL TO PAY U.S. MORE THAN $9 MILLION TO RESOLVE ALLEGATIONS OF OVERCHARGING MEDICARE
(Washington) – Methodist Hospital in Houston has agreed to pay the United States $9.99 million to settle allegations that it defrauded the federal Medicare program (Read more)
March 25, 2009 - Garcia, Guillen, Lucas, et al
13 SENTENCED FOR ROLES IN PURCHASING FIREARMS
(BROWNSVILLE, Texas) – Thirteen Brownsville residents have been sentenced for purchasing or recruiting others to purchase firearms by making false statements (Read more)
March 24, 2009 - Tindall
CONROE POLICE OFFICER ARRESTED FOR BANK ROBBERY
(HOUSTON) - A Conroe Police sergeant has been charged with bank robbery (Read more)
March 23, 2009 - Lopez
FORMER SAN BENITO POLICE OFFICER SENTENCED FOR TRAFFICKING IN MARIJUANA AND COCAINE
(BROWNSVILLE, Texas) - Edgar Heberto Lopez, 28, a former San Benito Police officer, has been sentenced to federal prison without parole for conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute marijuana, using a firearms during the commission of a drug trafficking offense and failure to appear for sentencing (Read more)
March 23, 2009 - Fletcher
DISTRIBUTOR OF COUNTERFEIT PHARMACEUTICALS DRUGS CONVICTED
(HOUSTON) - Richard Fletcher, 57, of Dallas, Texas, has been convicted of conspiring to distribute counterfeit pharmaceuticals and trafficking in pharmaceuticals bearing false labeling and counterfeit trademarks (Read more)
March 23, 2009 - Lopez Sr.
CONVICTION IN KIDNAPPING CONSPIRACY AND MURDER-FOR-HIRE PLOT INVOLVING FEDERAL JUDGE
(HOUSTON) - Joel Lopez Sr., 51, has been convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit kidnapping and one count of murder-for-hire (Read more)
March 23, 2009 - Baker
FORMER RAYMONDVILLE ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICER SENTENCED FOR CHILD PORNOGRAPHY
(BROWNSVILLE, Texas) - Samuel E. Baker, 44, a former animal control officer for the Raymondville Police Department, has been re-sentenced to a lengthy prison term for possessing and receiving child pornography (Read more)
March 20, 2009 - Menchaca
LAREDO MAN SENTENCED TO PRISON FOR POSSESSION OF COCAINE
(LAREDO, Texas) – A Laredo man convicted by his plea of guilty for possessing with intent to distribute cocaine has been sentenced to prison (Read more)
March 19, 2009 - Torres-Gomez
GRAND JURY INDICTS EL SALVADORAN FOR SMUGGLING ALIENS AND ASSAULTING A FEDERAL AGENT
(LAREDO, Texas) - A federal grand jury has indicted Rigoberto Torres-Gomez for unlawful transportation of an illegal alien and an assault on a Border Patrol agent (Read more)
March 19, 2009 - Perez-Mendoza, Gomez-Gonzalez, Galindo, et al
DRUGS AND GUNS LEADS TO LENGTHY PRISON TERMS FOR FOUR
(LAREDO, Texas) – Four defendants have been sentenced to lengthy prison terms for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute 433.28 kilograms of cocaine and for possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime (Read more)
March 17, 2009 - Buraimoh
MEN INDICTED IN MARRIAGE FRAUD CONSPIRACY
(HOUSTON) - Olanrewaju Adegoka Buraimoh, a citizen of Nigeria, and Ibraheem Adeneye, a naturalized U.S. citizen and Houston resident, have been indicted by a federal grand jury for conspiring to commit marriage fraud (Read more)
March 17, 2009 - Hale
HOUSTON MAN INDICTED FOR POSSESSION OF CHILD PORNOGRAPHY
(HOUSTON) - A federal grand jury has indicted James Walter Hale, of Houston, for possessing child pornography (Read more)
March 16, 2009 - Garza
CORPUS CHRISTI RESIDENT CHARGED WITH RECEIVING, POSSESSING AND DISTRIBUTING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY
(CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas) – Ernest Garza, 23, of Corpus Christi, was arrested today by FBI agents following his indictment for receiving, possessing and distributing child pornography (Read more)
March 13, 2009 - Williamson
HOUSTON ATTORNEY GOES TO PRISON FOR POSSESSION FOR CHILD PORNOGRAPHY
(HOUSTON) - Warren Reid Williamson, 56, a Houston resident and attorney, has been sentenced to 78 months in federal prison for possessing child pornography (Read more)
March 11, 2009 - Williams
HOUSTON RESIDENT PLEADS GUILTY TO MORTGAGE FRAUD
(HOUSTON) - Frankthea Williams, 33, of Houston, has been convicted of conspiring to commit mail fraud and wire fraud as part of a scheme to defraud residential mortgage lenders and engaging in a financial transaction involving criminally derived property (Read more)
March 11, 2009 - Packer
CALIFORNIA SEX OFFENDER WHO MOVED TO TEXAS SENT TO PRISON FOR FAILURE TO REGISTER
(HOUSTON) - Thomas Elvin Packer, 46, of Waller County, has been sentenced to 16 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal (Read more)
March 11, 2009 - Iqbal
GAS STATION EMPLOYEE PLEADS GUILTY TO EMBEZZLING FUNDS FROM THE U.S.POSTAL SERVICE
ATTENDANT RAN FRAUDULENT GAS CHARGES ON USPS GAS CARD
(HOUSTON) – Javed Iqbal, 37, has pleaded guilty to three counts of wire fraud, three counts of access device fraud and two counts of aggravated identity theft (Read more)
March 10, 2009 - Mooneyham
VICTORIA RESIDENT PLEADS GUILTY TO CHILD PORNOGRAPHY CHARGES
(VICTORIA, Texas) – Turner Cornell Mooneyham, 58, of Victoria, has pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography and to receipt of child pornography (Read more)
March 9, 2009 - Perez
BROWNSVILLE MAN SENTENCED FOR HIS ROLE IN PURCHASING FIREARMS
(BROWNSVILLE, Texas) – Jose Angel Perez, 30, has been sentenced to 30 months in prison for making false statements in relation to purchasing firearms (Read more)
March 9, 2009 - Gonzales Jr.
PASADENA DENTIST INDICTED FOR MEDICAID FRAUD
(HOUSTON) – A 24-count indictment charging Dr. David Lloyd Gonzales Jr., of Pasadena, with health care fraud was unsealed today following the dentist’s arrest by state agents (Read more)
March 6, 2009 - Davis
LOCAL WOMAN CHARGED WITH BANK FRAUD
(HOUSTON) - A one-count indictment charging Chantranell K. Davis, of Houston with bank fraud has been unsealed following her arrest Tuesday by federal and state investigating agents (Read more)
March 6, 2009 - Castillo and Ovalle-Martinez
JURY CONVICTS MEXICAN NATIONALS OF COCAINE TRAFFICKING AND MONEY LAUNDERING
(HOUSTON) - After approximately two hours of deliberations, a federal jury has convicted two Mexican nationals of trafficking in cocaine and laundering the proceeds (Read more)
March 6, 2009 - Ancira
LAREDO MAN SENTENCED TO PRISON FOR POSSESSION OF A FIREARM
(LAREDO, Texas) – A Laredo man convicted of possessing with possessing a firearm after having previously been convicted of a felony, has been sentenced to prison (Read more)
March 5, 2009 - Martinez
FORMER POLICE OFFICER SENTENCED ON GUN CHARGES
(BROWNSVILLE, Texas) - A former Palm Valley police officer convicted of dealing firearms without a federal firearms license has been sentenced to prison (Read more)
March 5, 2009 - Jammer
LOAN PROCESSOR CONVICTED OF MORTGAGE FRAUD
(HOUSTON, Texas) – Babette Jammer, 47, of Houston, has pleaded guilty to mail and wire fraud conspiracy charges (Read more)
March 5, 2009 - Cardona-Ramirez
“SICARIO” LEADER SENTENCED TO LIFE IN PRISON WITHOUT PAROLE
(LAREDO, Texas) - Gabriel Cardona-Ramirez, 22, has been sentenced to life imprisonment (Read more)
March 3, 2009 - Garza
CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION INSPECTOR SENTENCED FOR ALIEN SMUGGLING AND BRIBERY
(BROWNSVILLE, Texas) – Former Customs and Border Protection inspector Guadalupe Garza, 64, has been sentenced to 24 months in federal prison for alien smuggling and bribery (Read more)
March 3, 2009 - Gomez
LOCAL MAN INDICTED FOR BANK FRAUD AND EMBEZZLEMENT
(McALLEN, Texas) - A federal grand jury has indicted Alan Gomez, of McAllen, for bank fraud and embezzlement (Read more)
March 3, 2009 - Scruggs
CIVIL PENALTY IS IMPOSED AGAINST GALVESTON RESIDENT FOR VIOLATING CLEAN WATER ACT
(HOUSTON) – A Galveston area dentist has been ordered to pay $65,000 in civil penalties for violating the Clean Water Act (Read more)
February 2009 Press Releases
Feb. 27, 2009 - Galvan-De Luna
LAREDO WOMAN SENTENCED FOR LEADING ORGANIZATION RESPONSIBLE FOR SMUGGLING MORE THAN 100 UNDOCUMENTED ALIENS
(LAREDO, Texas) - Josefa Esther Galvan-De Luna, 55, of Laredo, Texas, has been sentenced to 63 months in prison for leading an extensive human smuggling organization responsible for smuggling more than 100 undocumented aliens from Laredo to other destinations in the U.S. (Read more)
Feb. 26, 2009 - Wilson and Kincade
CITY OF HEMPSTEAD OFFICIALS PLEAD GUILTY TO CONSPIRACY
(HOUSTON, Texas) – Former City of Hempstead Mayor Pro-Tem Larry Wilson and City Alderman Paris Kincade have both pleaded guilty to accepting bribes in exchange for their vote and support resulting in the awarding of city contracts (Read more)
Feb. 26, 2009 - Nunez
OPERATION URBAN COWBOY CONCLUDES WITH SENTENCING OF LAST DEFENDANT – THE DEALER’S WIFE
(HOUSTON) – Cynthia Ann Nunez, 30, the wife of Jose Miguel Nunez, 39, a major importer and distributor of cocaine throughout Texas, Louisiana, Georgia and North Carolina, has been sentenced for her role in structuring a financial transaction to conceal the nature and source of her husband’s drug proceeds (Read more)
Feb. 25, 2009 - Holloway
30-MONTH SENTENCE IN BANK FRAUD CASE
(HOUSTON, Texas) – Melvin Van Holloway, 41, has been sentenced to 30 months in federal prison for his part in a bank fraud scheme in connection with loans he made at Capital One Bank (Read more)
Feb. 23, 2009 - Adkins
HOUSTON MAN PLEAD GUILTY TO SEXUALLY EXPLOITING A CHILD ONLINE
(HOUSTON, Texas) – Perry Adkins, of Houston, has pleaded guilty in a Houston federal court to online sexual exploitation of a child and possession of child pornography (Read more)
Feb. 20, 2009 - Hernandez
CBP INSPECTOR INDICTED FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING, ALIEN SMUGGLING AND BRIBERY
(BROWNSVILLE, Texas) – Sergio Lopez Hernandez, 40, a Brownsville Customs and Border Protection (CBP) inspector was indicted by a federal grand jury on Wednesday Feb. 18, 2009, according to a sealed 11-count indictment that was partially unsealed yesterday by U.S. Magistrate John R. Froeschner (Read more)
Feb. 20, 2009 - Salazar-Cortes
MAN SENTENCED IN ALIEN SMUGGLING CONSPIRACY
(HOUSTON) - Cristino Salazar-Cortes, an illegal alien from Mexico, has been sentenced by United States District Judge Ewing Werlein Jr. to 51 months imprisonment for conspiring to harbor and transport illegal aliens within the United States for financial gain (Read more)
Feb. 19, 2009 - Escamilla & Villalon-Zarate
TWO FORMER BANK EMPLOYEES SENTENCE FOR FRAUD AND EMBEZZLING MORE THAN $100 THOUSAND
(McALLEN, Texas) - Two former employees of Inter National Bank of McAllen have been sentenced for embezzling approximately $120,000 from their former employer (Read more)
Feb. 13, 2009 - Hogan
OWNER OF DME COMPANY INDICTED IN ADULT DIAPER FRAUD CASE
(HOUSTON, Texas) – A 10-count indictment has been unsealed charging Ene Etim Hogan, the owner of a Houston area durable medical equipment company (DME), with health care fraud in an adult diaper fraud case (Read more)
Feb. 13, 2009 - Ortiz
DRIVER FOUND GUILTY FOR TRANSPORTING COCAINE INTO U.S.
(BROWNSVILLE, Texas) – A federal jury has convicted Ismael Ortiz, 43, a United States citizen residing in Matamoros, Mexico, of possession with intent to distribute more than 16 kilograms of cocaine (Read more)
Feb. 12, 2009 - Villagomez Jr.
LYING TO BUY FIREARMS LANDS ALAMO MAN IN FEDERAL PRISON
Gun found at Mexican crime scene traced back to defendant
(McALLEN, Texas) - Armando Villagomez Jr., 33, of Alamo, Texas has been sentenced to 46 months in federal prison for lying on federal firearms forms to purchase weapons that were smuggled into Mexico (Read more)
Feb. 12, 2009 - Lyons and Lyons
TWO CORPUS CHRISTI BUSINESSMEN SENTENCED TO PRISON IN PAYROLL TAX FRAUD CONSPIRACY
(CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas) – Two Corpus Christi businessmen have been sentenced to federal prison for Conspiring to Defraud the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) (Read more)
Feb. 11, 2009 - Johnson
NEW ORLEANS WOMAN PLEADS GUILTY TO MAKING FALSE STATEMENTS TO OBTAIN FEMA FUNDS FOR HURRICANE KATRINA
(HOUSTON) - Linda L. Johnson, 27, of New Orleans, La., has pleaded guilty to making false statements to obtain FEMA disaster assistance benefits following Hurricane Katrina (Read more)
Feb. 11, 2009 - Segovia
AUSTIN MAN SENTENCED TO PRISON FOR POSSESSION OF COCAINE
(LAREDO, Texas) – An Austin man convicted by his plea of guilty for possessing with intent to distribute cocaine has been sentenced to prison (Read more)
Feb. 10, 2009 - Stevens
CONROE RESIDENT INDICTED FOR DISTRIBUTING AND POSSESSING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY
(HOUSTON) - A federal grand jury has indicted Josiah Samuel Stevens, of Conroe, for distributing and possessing child pornography (Read more)
Feb. 9, 2009 - Feugate
SEX OFFENDER SENT TO PRISON
(HOUSTON) - Shawn Michael Feugate, 27, of Matagorda County, has been sentenced to 21 months in federal prison for failing to register as a sex offender (Read more)
Feb. 6, 2009 - Alvarez
NUEVO LAREDO MEN’S CLUB MANAGER CONVICTED OF ATTEMPTING TO SMUGGLE AMMUNITION INTO MEXICO
(LAREDO) – Raul Alvarez, 29, a U.S. citizen and the business manager of a men’s club in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, has pleaded guilty to attempting to smuggle ammunition from the United States into Mexico (Read more)
Feb. 6, 2009 - Lang and Davis
HOUSTON DUO INDICTED FOR FRAUD
(HOUSTON) - A Houston grand jury returned an indictment against Leslie Lang (also known as Leslie Lang-Reynolds) and Donya Davis, both of Houston, for conspiracy and wire fraud (Read more)
Feb. 5, 2009 - Symmank
COURT ISSUES NO BOND ORDER FOR HOUSTON AREA MAN INDICTED FOR POSSESSING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY
(HOUSTON) – United States Magistrate Judge Calvin Botley has ordered Keith Nathan Symmank, 46, of Houston, to remain in federal custody without bond pending his trial for possessing thousands of images of child pornography downloaded via the internet (Read more)
January 2009 Press Releases
Jan. 30, 2009 - Ruiz
UNITED STATES BORDER PATROL AGENT PLEADS GUILTY TO BRIBERY
(MCALLEN, Texas) – United States Border Patrol agent Salomon Ruiz, 34, of McAllen, has pleaded guilty to accusations of accepting bribes in exchange for escorting narcotics loads (Read more)
Jan. 30, 2009 - Jones
MAN WHO RAN PROSTITUTION BUSINESS PLEADS GUILTY TO TAX EVASION
(Houston) - Randall Bradley Jones has pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Melinda Harmon to one count of tax evasion (Read more)
Jan. 30, 2009 - Chavez-Gonzalez, Lopez-Villarreal, Posada, et al
FOUR SENTENCED TO LENGTHY PRISON TERMS FOR TRAFFICKING IN COCAINE AND LAUNDERING DRUG PROCEEDS
(LAREDO, Texas) - Four men convicted of conspiring to possess hundreds of kilograms of cocaine and laundering millions in drug proceeds have been sentenced to lengthy prison terms (Read more)
Jan. 29, 2009 - LaGrange
MEMBERS OF TRANSPORTATION CELL RESPONSIBLE FOR SMUGGLING UNDOCUMENTED ALIENS SENTENCED TO PRISON
(LAREDO, Texas) – The Leader of a conspiracy responsible for smuggling more than 70 undocumented aliens from Laredo in commercial tractor-trailers has been sentenced to 115 months in prison (Read more)
Jan. 29, 2009 - Ortiz, et al
MEMBERS OF BRYAN/COLLEGE STATION ALIEN TRAFFICKING ORGANIZATION SENTENCED
(LAREDO, Texas) – Members of the Ortiz Family Alien Trafficking Organization based in Bryan/College Station, Texas, were sentenced today in connection with federal alien trafficking charges (Read more)
Jan. 28, 2009 - Gonzalez
Woman Convicted in Kidnapping Conspiracy Involving Federal Judge
(HOUSTON) - Aracely Gonzalez, 53, of McAllen, has been convicted of conspiracy to commit kidnapping (Read more)
Jan. 28, 2009 - De Los Santos
DRUG SMUGGLER RECEIVES PRISON TERM OF 292 MONTHS
(LAREDO, Texas) – Esmeralda Griselda De Los Santos has been sentenced to a 292-month prison term for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute and possession with the intent to distribute 10.6 kilograms of cocaine and 0.6 kilograms of methamphetamine (Read more)
Jan. 26, 2009 - Villarreal-Ochoa
OWNER OF VILLARREAL TRANSPORT SENTENCED FOR COCAINE TRAFFICKING
(BROWNSVILLE, Texas) - Miguel Fernando Villarreal-Ochoa, 36, owner of Villarreal Transport, has been sentenced to 151 months in federal prison for conspiring to possess and possessing with intent to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine (Read more)
Jan. 26, 2009 - Wade
EX-HOSTGATOR.COM EMPLOYEE SENTENCED FOR COMPUTER INTRUSION
(HOUSTON, Texas) - A former employee of Hostgator.com has been sentenced following his conviction related to exceeding his access and intentionally causing damages to Hostgator.com (Read more)
Jan. 22, 2009 - Rodriguez Jr., Reyna and Ortiz
THREE VALLEY MEN SENTENCED FOR “GOOD SAMARITAN” CAR JACKING
(MCALLEN, Texas) – Alfredo Rodriguez Jr., 20, Jose De La Luz Reyna, 22, and Aaron Ortiz, 20, have been sentenced to 84 months, 108 months and 27 months, respectively, for carjacking and conspiracy to carjack (Read more)
Jan. 22, 2009 -Longoria
MORE THAN NINE YEARS IN FEDERAL PRISON FOR FELON WITH GUN
(CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas) – Daniel Longoria, 42, has been sentenced to more than nine years in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm (Read more)
Jan. 21, 2009 - Operation Broken Star
SEVERAL ARRESTED FOR COCAINE AND MARIJUANA TRAFFICKING
Result of multi-agency anti-gang task force initiative
(HOUSTON) – Ten defendants charged in a five-count indictment have been arrested for their roles in an alleged marijuana and cocaine trafficking conspiracy (Read more)
Jan. 16, 2009 - Alvarez-Rodriguez, Mireles, Alvarez, et al
14 CHARGED WITH FEDERAL AND STATE CRACK COCAINE CHARGES
Eight in custody; two others in state custody on unrelated charges; warrants outstanding for four more
(McALLEN, Texas) – A total of 14 area residents have been charged as the result of a joint federal and state investigation into the distribution of cocaine base, more commonly referred to as crack cocaine, in and around the Roma and Rio Grande City areas (Read more)
Jan. 16, 2009 - Blackard
CIVILIAN CONTRACTOR PLEADS GUILTY TO MAKING FALSE STATEMENTS TO FEDERAL AGENTS
(HOUSTON) – A civilian contractor who performed work on the United States Embassy in Beijing, China, has pleaded guilty to conspiring to make false statements about and concealing his frequent and lengthy contact with a female Chinese national as alleged in a superseding indictment (Read more)
Jan. 16, 2009 - Hernandez-Hernandez
MAN SENTENCED IN ALIEN SMUGGLING CONSPIRACY
(HOUSTON) - Jesus Hernandez-Hernandez, 33, an illegal alien from Mexico, has been sentenced by United States District Judge Ewing Werlein Jr. to 51 months imprisonment for conspiring to harbor and transport illegal aliens within the United States for financial gain (Read more)
Jan. 16, 2009 - Larrazolo
FORMER DPS TROOPER PLEADS GUILTY TO DRUG CHARGE
(BROWNSVILLE) – A former Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) Trooper has pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute 26 kilogram quantities of cocaine (Read more)
Jan. 15, 2009 - Xu
DISTRIBUTOR OF COUNTERFEIT PHARMACEUTICAL DRUGS SENTENCED
(HOUSTON) – Kevin Xu, 36, a citizen of the Peoples Republic of China, has been sentenced to prison for distributing counterfeit and misbranded pharmaceuticals in the United States (Read more)
Jan. 14, 2009 - Valencia-Zepeda, Valencia-Zepeda, and Torres-Cisneros
THREE MEXICAN NATIONALS SENTENCED TO PRISON FOR LAUNDERING DRUG MONEY
(McALLEN, Texas) – Three Mexican nationals, formerly residing in Roma and Laredo, Texas, were sentenced to federal prison on Jan. 13, 2009, for conspiring to launder drug money (Read more)
Jan. 9, 2009 - Esquivel
FORMER BANK EXECUTIVE ASSISTANCE SENTENCED FOR EMBEZZLING FROM CUSTOMER’S ACCOUNT
(LAREDO, Texas) – Brenda Esquivel, 26, formerly employed as the executive assistant to the president of International Bank of Commerce (IBC), has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Kazen to 13 months of imprisonment and ordered to pay $62,450 in restitution (Read more)
Jan. 9, 2009 - Estes
Tax Return Preparer Pleads Guilty
(Houston) - Dennis Lane Estes has pleaded guilty to one count of tax evasion for evading the taxes of one of his clients, in violation of Title 26, United Stares Code, Section 7201 (Read more)
Jan. 9, 2009 - Seyfried, Blair, Hutson, et al
SIX SENTENCED FOR FEMA FRAUD
Brings to 40 the number of persons sentenced to fraud relating to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in SDTX
(HOUSTON) – Six defendants convicted of FEMA fraud relating to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita were sentenced this week, with three receiving prison terms in excess of a year (Read more)
Jan. 8, 2009 - Mariscal-Orlandes, Pena, Arce, et al
FOUR SENTENCED FOR ROLE IN FIREARMS SCHEME
(McALLEN, Texas) – Four people have been sentenced for their roles in the purchase of firearms that were transferred to drug cartels in Mexico (Read more)
Jan. 7, 2009 - Rogers
OWNER OF OSA FINANCIAL SERVICES CHARGED WITH FRAUD
(HOUSTON) - James Gordon Rogers, 49, of Houston, has been indicted for allegedly passing fictitious securities (Read more)
Jan. 7, 2009 - Inglet
FORMER LOCAL ADULT BUSINESSES OWNER SENTENCED FOR CONSPIRACY TO IMPEDE THE IRS
(HOUSTON) – Andrew Jinks Inglet, 55, who once owned and operated a chain of adult-oriented businesses in the Houston-area, has been sentenced to 20 months for conspiracy to impede the Internal Revenue Service (Read more)
Jan. 7, 2009 - Wal-Mart Stores Inc.
WAL-MART STORES INC. PAYS FINE FOR ALLEGED RECORD-KEEPING VIOLATIONS
(HOUSTON) - Wal-Mart Stores Inc., including facilities doing business as Wal-Mart Pharmacy and Sam’s Club Pharmacy, has paid the Southern District of Texas a $637,000 fine to resolve numerous alleged record-keeping violations of the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act (Read more)
Jan. 7, 2009 - Alvarez
NUEVO LAREDO MEN’S CLUB MANAGER INDICTED FOR ATTEMPTING TO SMUGGLE AMMUNITION INTO MEXICO
(LAREDO, Texas) – Raul Alvarez, 29, a U.S. citizen and the business manager of a men’s club in Colonia Mirador, Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, has been indicted for attempting to smuggle hundreds of rounds of ammunition from the U.S. into Mexico and for making a false statement to a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer (Read more)
Jan. 6, 2009 - Morales
FORMER BORDER PATROL AGENT PLEADS GUILTY TO BRIBERY
(LAREDO, Texas) – Former United States Border Patrol agent Leonel Morales, 30, of Zapata County, has pleaded guilty to accepting bribes in exchange for escorting a narcotics load (Read more)
Jan. 6, 2009 - Gonzalez-Lopez and Barrera-Izquierdo
MEN SENTENCED IN ALIEN SMUGGLING CONSPIRACY
(HOUSTON) - Lander Gonzalez-Lopez, 21, and Juvenal Barrera-Izquierdo, 26, both illegal aliens from Mexico, have been sentenced by United States District Judge Ewing Werlein Jr. to 46 and 57 months imprisonment, respectively, for conspiring to harbor and transport illegal aliens within the United States for financial gain (Read more)
Jan. 5, 2009 - Sambrano and Guzman
EL PASO BUSINESSMEN PLEAD GUILTY IN PSJA-ISD BRIBERY SCHEME
(McALLEN, Texas) – Two El Paso, Texas, businessmen have entered pleas of guilty to charges alleging conspiracy to commit mail fraud involving items of value given to public officials in exchange for help in obtaining Pharr San Juan Alamo-Independent School District (PSJA-ISD) construction contracts (Read more)