April 2011 Press Releases
April 29, 2011 - Officer Safety
US ATTORNEY MORENO LAUNCHES SDTX OFFICER SAFETY INITIATIVE IN LAREDO
(LAREDO, Texas) - Today, as part of the Attorney General’s Law Enforcement Officer Safety Initiative, U.S. Attorney José Angel Moreno met with heads of local law enforcement agencies (Read more)
April 29, 2011 - Benson
PRESIDENT OF HOUSTON SECURITY COMPANY CHARGED WITH FAILURE TO ACCOUNT FOR MORE THAN A MILLION IN PAYROLL TAXES
(HOUSTON) - Michael Lee Benson, the president and sole shareholder of B.P. Security Investigations Inc., has been indicted for willfully failing to account for and pay over more than $1.4 million in payroll taxes withheld from employees of the security company (Read more)
April 29, 2011 - Seaside Aquaculture
SEASIDE AQUACULTURE AND OWNER INDICTED FOR KILLING PROTECTED SPECIES
(CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas) – Seaside Aquaculture Inc., a fish farm located in Palacios, Texas, and its owner Khan Vu have been indicted by a federal grand jury for illegally killing approximately 90 brown pelicans (Read more)
April 29, 2011 - Solis
FORMER TEXAS REPRESENTATIVE “JIM” SOLIS ADMITS TO ROLE IN LIMAS EXTORTION SCHEME
(BROWNSVILLE, Texas) – Former Texas representative Jose Santiago “Jim” Solis, has been convicted of aiding and abetting the extortion by former state district judge Abel Corral Limas (Read more)
April 28, 2011 - Montalvo et al
LEADER OF DRUG TRAFFICKING TRANSPORT CELL SENTENCED TO 30-YEAR PRISON TERM
(McALLEN, Texas) – Trafficking a ton of marijuana earns a Starr County resident a 30-year federal prison term (Read more)
April 28, 2011 - Villanueva
FORMER DME EMPLOYEE CONVICTED OF HEALTH CARE FRAUD
(McALLEN, Texas) - A former employee of a McAllen-area durable medical equipment (DME) company has been convicted of conspiracy to commit health care fraud (Read more)
April 27, 2011 - Rezaei et al
GROCER AND EMPLOYEES ARRESTED FOR FOOD STAMP FRAUD
(BROWNSVILLE, Texas) – Federal agents have arrested the proprietor and two employees of Pariz Dollar Supermarket in Brownsville after a federal grand jury indicted the men for food stamp fraud and other charges (Read more)
April 26, 2011 - Ellington
WIFE OF FORMER HARRIS COUNTY DEPUTY SHERIFF PLEADS GUILTY TO CONCEALING HUSBAND’S CRIME
(HOUSTON) – The wife of a former Harris County Deputy Sheriff has been convicted of misprison of a felony after pleading guilty to the felony charge in federal court (Read more)
April 26, 2011 - Longoria
ALLEGED “MIDDLEMAN” IN FORMER JUDGE LIMAS’ EXTORTION SCHEME INDICTED
(BROWNSVILLE, Texas) – Jose Manuel Longoria, 52, the alleged “middleman” involved in former Judge Abel Corral Limas’ use of his state judicial bench to exact bribes for favorable court rulings, has been indicted by a Brownsville grand jury (Read more)
April 26, 2011 - Gomez et al
MEMBERS OF COCAINE AND CASH TRANSPORTATION CELL CONVICTED
(CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas) – Five members including the principal leaders of a drug and money transportation cell based in Brownsville, Texas, have been convicted for their respective roles in a conspiracy responsible for smuggling into the U.S. and transporting hundreds of kilograms of cocaine from Brownsville to Atlanta, Georgia and Dallas as well as millions of dollars in drug proceeds received from those northern points to Mexico (Read more)
April 26, 2011 - Hernandez
HEROIN SEIZURE AT THE VETERAN’S INTERNATIONAL BRIDGE LEADS TO INDICTMENT OF NORTH CAROLINA WOMAN
(BROWNSVILLE, Texas) - A Brownsville federal grand jury has returned a two-count indictment charging Tracey Joel Hernandez with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin and possession with intent to distribute 5.73 kilograms (12.6 pounds) of heroin (Read more)
April 25, 2011 - Holt
HOUSTON MAN SENTENCED ON CHILD PORNOGRAPHY CHARGES
(HOUSTON) - Curtis John Holt, 71, of Houston, has been sentenced to federal prison for possession of child pornography (Read more)
April 25, 2011 - Pantoja-Rosales et al
TWO HOUSTON MEN SENTENCED TO LENGTHY PRISON TERMS IN HOSTAGE TAKING CASE
(HOUSTON) - Alejandro Pantoja-Rosales, 29, and Juan Romero-Trejo, 36, both of Houston, have been sentenced to federal prison for holding smuggled aliens hostage for ransom payments (Read more)
April 25, 2011 - Enriquez-Rodriguez et al
THREE SENTENCED FOR ATTEMPTING TO SMUGGLE MACHINE GUNS AND GRENADES TO MEXICO
(LAREDO, Texas) – Guillermo Enriquez-Rodriguez, Hector Rolando Enriquez, and Rubisel Valdez-Mar have all now been sentenced for attempting to smuggle four machine guns and 30 grenades in violation of the National Firearms Act (Read more)
April 21, 2011 - Guerra
FORMER POLICE CHIEF OF SULLIVAN CITY SENTENCED TO PRISON
Court revokes bond ordering former chief into custody of USMS
(McALLEN, Texas) - Former Sullivan City Police Chief Hernan Guerra has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison without parole for drug-trafficking (Read more)
April 21, 2011 - Hughes
REGISTERED SEX OFFENDER CONVICTED OF DISTRIBUTION AND POSSESSION OF CHILD PORNOGRAPHY
(HOUSTON) – U.S. District Judge Gray Miller has convicted Burt Hughes, 58, a Houston resident, of one count each of distributing and possessing child pornography following a stipulated facts bench trial this morning (Read more)
April 20, 2011 - Pena
JURY CONVICTS DONNA, TEXAS, TRUCK DRIVER OF TRAFFICKING MARIJUANA
(LAREDO, Texas) – After a two-day trial, a federal jury has found a Donna, Texas, man guilty of conspiring to and possessing with intent to distribute marijuana (Read more)
April 20, 2011 - Mascorro et al
JAILERS AND ALLEGED MEMBERS OF RAZA UNIDA GANG CHARGED WITH BRIBERY TO SMUGGLE CELL PHONES INTO DETENTION CENTER
(CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas) – Three current or former jailers and two men alleged to be members of the “Raza Unida” prison gang have been charged with conspiring to bribe public officials (Read more)
April 19, 2011 - Gonzalez
TAX PREPARER SENTENCED TO PRISON FOR FILING FRAUDULENT TAX RETURNS
(McALLEN, Texas) - Israel E. Gonzalez Jr., of Mission, Texas, has been sentenced to 30 months in federal prison without parole and ordered to pay $936,15910 restitution to the IRS for filing fraudulent U.S. Income Tax returns (Read more)
April 19, 2011 - Uriegas
GRAND JURY INDICTS ROMA, TEXAS, WOMAN FOR CONSPIRING TO AND TRANSPORTING ILLEGAL ALIENS
(McALLEN, Texas) – A federal grand jury in McAllen, Texas, has handed up an indictment charging Elvia Elvira Uriegas, 27, of Roma, Texas, with one count of conspiring to transport illegal aliens and two counts of transporting illegal aliens arising from an incident in April in which an attempt to evade law enforcement resulted in two police officers and several aliens requiring medical attention (Read more)
April 18, 2011 - Osteen
FORMER BANK EMPLOYEE CONVICTED OF STEALING FUNDS HELD IN TRUST
(HOUSTON) - A former administrative assistant in the Trust Department of a Galveston branch of Frost Bank has been convicted of bank fraud (Read more)
April 18, 2011 - Sauzo
LAST DEFENDANT CHARGED AS A RESULT OF HTRA INVESTIGATION OF LOCAL BAR SENTENCED TO PRISON FOR DRUG DEALING
(HOUSTON) - The last defendant charged as a result of an human trafficking investigation at a Houston area bar has been sentenced to prison for drug trafficking (Read more)
April 15, 2011 - Ita
DME OWNER PLEADS GUILTY TO DEFRAUDING MEDICARE OF MILLIONS IN WAKE OF HURRICANES KATRINA AND RITA
(HOUSTON) - A former owner of a durable medical equipment company (DME) pleaded guilty to engaging in a conspiracy to defraud Medicare of more than $5 million (Read more)
April 15, 2011 - Rodriguez
FORMER BANK EMPLOYEE CONVICTED OF EMBEZZLING BANK FUNDS
(McALLEN, Texas) – The former supervisor of the electronic marketing department of a local bank has been convicted of embezzling bank funds (Read more)
April 14, 2011 - Limas
FORMER STATE DISTRICT COURT JUDGE CONVICTED OF ACCEPTING BRIBES FOR FAVORABLE RULINGS
Former 404th JDC Judge acknowledges using former court as a criminal enterprise to enrich himself
(BROWNSVILLE, Texas) – The formal charges as well as the plea agreement and factual summary executed by a former state district court judge resulting in his conviction for using his state court as an illegal racketeering enterprise by soliciting and accepting bribes in his official capacity in return for favorable judicial action have been unsealed (Read more)
April 14, 2011 - Perez-Contreras and Miramontes-Duarte
TWO UNDOCUMENTED ALIENS SENTENCED TO PRISON FOR ATTEMPTING TO EXPORT MUNITIONS
(McALLEN, Texas) - Two Mexican nationals have been sentenced to prison for their roles in attempting to export munitions from the United States without a license (Read more)
April 14, 2011 - Ellington
FORMER HARRIS COUNTY DEPUTY SHERIFF CONVICTED OF EXTORTION
(HOUSTON) – A former Harris County Deputy Sheriff has been convicted of extortion after pleading guilty to the felony charge in federal court (Read more)
April 13, 2011 - Randle
HOUSTON WOMAN INDICTED FOR WIRE FRAUD, THEFT AND MAKING A FALSE STATEMENT
(HOUSTON) - Mary Kirby-Randle, aka Mary Ellis Randle, 63, of Houston, has been arrested and charged with wire fraud, theft of public funds and making a false statement (Read more)
April 13, 2011 - Huerta
JURY CONVICTS AREA MAN FOR BEING A FELON IN POSSESSION OF AMMUNITION AND ATTEMPTING TO EXPORT AMMUNITION TO MEXICO
(BROWNSVILLE, Texas) - A Brownsville federal jury returned verdicts yesterday, finding Rene Huerta Jr. guilty of being a felon in possession of ammunition and attempting to export ammunition into Mexico without a license (Read more)
April 11, 2011 - Hale
FORMER LPD OFFICER SENTENCED TO LENGTHY PRISON TERM FOR DRUG TRAFFICKING AND FIREARMS CONVICTIONS
(LAREDO, Texas) – Former Laredo Police Department (LPD) officer Orlando Jesus Hale, 28, has been sentenced to almost 25 years in federal prison without parole for drug trafficking and using a firearm during and in relation to the drug trafficking offense (Read more)
April 11, 2011 - Ruffino
SCHOOL IT DIRECTOR ORDERED HELD WITHOUT BOND ON ATTEMPTED DISTRIBUTION AND POSSESSION OF CHILD PORNOGRAPHY CHARGES
(HOUSTON) – An Arkansas school Information Technology (IT) director has been ordered to remain in federal custody without bond pending trial on charges of attempted distribution and possession of child pornography (Read more)
April 8, 2011 - Heard et al
JOHN F. HEARD JR., OWNER OF SUPERIOR PROTECTION INC., SENTENCED TO PRISON FOR CONSPIRACY, TAX FRAUD, BANKRUPTCY FRAUD, BRIBERY AND OTHER CHARGES
(HOUSTON) - John F. Heard Jr., the owner of Superior Protection Inc. (SPI), was sentenced to a total of 151 months in federal prison without parole (Read more)
April 8, 2011 - Ballow
HARRIS DEMPSEY “BUTCH” BALLOW EXTRADITED TO THE UNITED STATES FOR SENTENCING ON MONEY LAUNDERING CONVICTION
(HOUSTON) – Convicted money launderer Harris Dempsey “Butch” Ballow, 68, formerly of Galveston County, Texas, has been extradited from Mexico to the United States today to face sentencing (Read more)
April 8, 2011 - Essien
JURY CONVICTS HOUSTON FATHER AND DAUGHTER OF HEALTH CARE FRAUD
(HOUSTON) – The owners of a Houston area durable medical equipment company have been convicted by a jury of multiple counts of health care fraud arising from their roles in a scheme to defraud Medicaid through fraudulent billing for adult urinary incontinence supplies (Read more)
April 8, 2011 - Rodriguez-Zuniga
UNDOCUMENTED ALIEN SENTENCED TO PRISON FOR ASSAULTING A BORDER PATROL AGENT
(LAREDO, Texas) – An El Salvadorian national illegally in the United States has been sentenced to prison for assaulting a Border Patrol (BP) agent (Read more)
April 7, 2011 - Alaniz
AREA MAN CONVICTED OF DISTRIBUTING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY
(CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas) – A 37-year-old Corpus Christi man has pleaded guilty to distributing and possessing child pornography (Read more)
April 7, 2011 - Vannoy
FORMER FINANCIAL ADVISOR SENTENCED TO FIVE YEARS PRISON FOR MONEY LAUNDERING
(CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas) – A former Kingsville area financial advisor who has admitted to defrauding his clients to his advantage and their detriment has been sentenced to federal prison for money laundering and ordered to pay thousands of dollars in restitution (Read more)
April 5, 2011 - Alfaro, Guzman, Aguirre
FORMER BANK OFFICERS AND HOMEBUILDER CONVICTED OF BANK FRAUD
(MCALLEN, Texas) – The former president and vice president of a McAllen-area bank and an area homebuilder have been convicted of bank fraud after pleading guilty yesterday (Read more)
April 4, 2011 - Hamilton
TAX RETURN PREPARER PLEADS GUILTY TO PREPARING FALSE TAX RETURNS
(HOUSTON) – False deductions on client tax returns has resulted in a local tax return preparer’s conviction (Read more)
April 4, 2011 - Wang
FOREIGN NATIONAL CONVICTED OF TRAFFICKING FAKE DRUGS SENTENCED IN ABSENTIA
(HOUSTON) – A Chinese national, who fled the country after a jury convicted him of trafficking in counterfeit pharmaceuticals, has been sentenced in absentia (Read more)
April 1, 2011 - Longoria
LOCAL MAN CHARGED WITH WIRE FRAUD INVOLVING 404TH DISTRICT COURT
(BROWNSVILLE, Texas) – A San Benito resident has been arrested following the filing of a criminal complaint accusing him of wire fraud arising from a scheme to defraud the state of Texas and its citizens of their right to the honest services of a state district judge performed free from deceit, favoritism, bias, self-enrichment and self-dealing (Read more)
April 1, 2011 - Rios
JURY CONVICTS LOCAL MAN OF POSSESSING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY
(CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas) – A 20-year-old Corpus Christi man has been convicted by a federal jury of eight counts of possessing child pornography (Read more)
