January 2011 Press Releases
Jan. 31, 2011 - Norris
KATY BUSINESS MAN INDICTED FOR BANK FRAUD
(HOUSTON) - The owner of the Kaufhaus Group Inc., in Katy, Texas, has been indicted for bank fraud and making false statements to a financial institution (Read more)
Jan. 31, 2011 - Garza-Saldivar
RIO BRAVO MAN SENTENCED TO LENGTHY PRISON TERM FOR TRAFFICKING COCAINE
(LAREDO, Texas) – A naturalized U.S. citizen and Rio Bravo, Texas, resident will be spending the next 210 months in federal prison for trafficking a load of 111 kilograms of cocaine (Read more)
Jan. 28, 2011 - Flores-Quintana
DALLAS RESIDENT SENTENCED TO PRISON FOR TRAFFICKING ILLICIT DRUGS
(LAREDO, Texas) – A permanent legal resident from Dallas, Texas, will be spending the next 11 years and several months in federal prison without parole for trafficking heroin and cocaine (Read more)
Jan. 27, 2011 - Cuadros
LAST DEFENDANT SENTENCED FOR TRANSPORTING AND HARBORING AN ALIEN RESULTING IN DEATH
(HOUSTON) – Mary Jesse Cuadros, 24, of Houston, has been sentenced to 22 months imprisonment for conspiring to transport and harbor an illegal alien within the United States resulting in his death (Read more)
Jan. 26, 2011 - Aldridge et al
ATTORNEY, TITLE COMPANY EMPLOYEE AND BUILDER FOUND GUILTY OF WIRE FRAUD AND MONEY LAUNDERING IN A MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR MORTGAGE FRAUD SCHEME
(HOUSTON) – Today, a jury sitting in United States District Judge Sim Lake’s Courtroom found Vincent Wallace Aldridge, former fee attorney for First Southwestern Title Company and attorney for Aldridge and Associates, along with Tori Elyse Aldridge, a former employee of First Southwestern Title Company and Gilbert Barry Isgar, a co-owner of Waterford Homes, guilty of charges of wire fraud and money laundering in a scheme to defraud residential mortgage lenders of more than $3.7 million in loans in connection with home purchases in the Houston area (Read more)
Jan. 26, 2011 - Cavazos
CAREER OFFENDER FINDING LEADS TO 17.5 YEAR PRISON TERM FOR LAREDOAN
Three other Laredoans convicted in same case serving prison terms
(LAREDO, Texas) – A Laredoan convicted in April 2010 of conspiring to and possessing with intent to distribute more than 445 kilograms of marijuana has been designated a career offender and sentenced to more than 17 years in federal prison for two drug trafficking convictions (Read more)
Jan. 26, 2011 - Barry
SPRING, TEXAS, RESIDENT ORDERED HELD WITHOUT BOND PENDING TRIAL ON DISTRIBUTION OF CHILD PORNOGRAPHY CHARGES
(HOUSTON) – A Spring, Texas resident indicted and in custody on charges of distributing child pornography via the Internet has been ordered to remain in federal custody without bond pending trial (Read more)
Jan. 25, 2011 - Gonzales
FORMER DENTIST SENTENCED TO PRISON FOR MEDICAID FRAUD
(HOUSTON) – Former dentist David Lloyd Gonzales Jr., of Pasadena, Texas, has been sentenced to prison for health care fraud (Read more)
Jan. 25, 2011 - Pollett
COMMUNITY PROGRAM EMPLOYEE HELD WITHOUT BOND ON DISTRIBUTION OF CHILD PORNOGRAPHY CHARGES
(HOUSTON) – Following a hearing today, United States Magistrate Judge Nancy Johnson ordered Christopher Clark Pollett, 62, a Houston resident and employee at a Houston area non-profit community program center, be held in federal custody without bond pending trial on charges of distributing child pornography (Read more)
Jan. 24, 2011 - Williams
TYRONE WILLIAMS RE-SENTENCED
(HOUSTON) - The driver of the insulated tractor trailer used in a smuggling operation which left a total of 19 aliens dead in the deadliest smuggling operation ever in the district has been sentenced to more than 30 years imprisonment without the possibility of parole (Read more)
Jan. 24, 2011 - Martinez-Rangel
JURY CONVICTS MEXICAN NATIONAL OF TRAFFICKING MARIJUANA
(LAREDO, Texas) – A federal jury has convicted a Mexican national from Anahuac, Nuevo Leon, Mexico, of possession with intent to distribute marijuana (read more)
Jan. 24, 2011 - Gelover-Jerez
LAST OF THREE CHARGED AND CONVICTED IN ALIEN SMUGGLING VENTURE THAT ULTIMATELY LEFT ONE DEAD SENTENCED
(CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas) – The third of three convicted for their part in an alien smuggling organization which resulted in the dehydration and ultimately the death of a Mexican national in Brooks County in 2009 has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison (Read more)
Jan. 21, 2011 - Barnes et al.
OIL TRADERS AND FORMER EMPLOYEE CHARGED IN MULTIMILLION DOLLAR KICKBACK SCHEME AT LYONDELL HOUSTON REFINERY
(HOUSTON) – A former employee at LyondellBasell Industries and two international oil traders have been charged with engaging in a multimillion dollar kickback scheme in a superseding indictment partially unsealed today (Read more)
Jan. 20, 2011- Hamilton
TAX PREPARER INDICTED FOR PREPARING FALSE TAX RETURNS
(HOUSTON) – A 16-count indictment charging a Houston tax preparer with willfully aiding and assisting in the preparation and presentation of false U.S. Income Tax Returns has been unsealed (Read more)
Jan. 20, 2011 - Flores
PRODUCTION OF CHILD PORNOGRAPHY RESULTS IN MORE THAN 27 YEARS IN PRISON FOR 23-YEAR OLD AUSTIN MAN
(CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas) – A 23-year old Austin man convicted of producing child pornography, has been sentenced to more than 27 years in federal prison without parole (Read more)
Jan. 19, 2011 - Linares-Soberanis
HOUSTON SALVAGE YARD OWNER SENTENCED TO 30 YEARS IN PRISON FOR HEROIN TRAFFICKING
(BROWNSVILLE, Texas) - Joel Linares-Soberanis, 36, has been sentenced to 30 years in federal prison without parole for trafficking heroin into the United States from Mexico (Read more)
Jan. 19, 2011 - Monserrat
PREVIOUSLY CONVICTED FELON SENTENCED TO 24 YEARS IN PRISON FOR POSSESSING FIREARM
(CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas) – A previously convicted felon, Damian Valentin Monserrat, 48, has been sentenced to 24 years in federal prison without parole for possessing a stolen firearm and being a felon in possession of a firearm (Read more)
Jan. 19, 2011 - Sanchez
JURY CONVICTS LAREDOAN FOR TRANSPORTING MORE THAN A TON OF MARIJUANA
(LAREDO, Texas) – Earlier today, a federal jury returned its verdict convicting Cesar Sanchez, 29, of Laredo, Texas, of possessing with intent to distribute more than 2800 pounds of marijuana (Read more)
Jan. 14, 2011 - Nutt et al
HARRIS COUNTY DEPUTY SHERIFF AND FOUR OTHERS CHARGED WITH COCAINE TRAFFICKING
(HOUSTON) – A Houston grand jury has indicted a Harris County Sheriff’s Department deputy and four others for conspiring to possess with intent to distribute cocaine (Read more)
Jan. 14, 2011 - Sanchez-Reyez
MAN CONVICTED FOR ILLEGALLY RE-ENTERING THE COUNTRY AFTER HAVING BEEN DEPORTED
(BROWNSVILLE, Texas) - A Brownsville federal jury has convicted Jose Ivan Sanchez-Reyez of illegally reentering the country after having been previously deported (Read more)
Jan. 13, 2011 - Quintanilla
FINAL DEFENDANT SENTENCED FOR COCAINE TRAFFICKING SCHEME
(HOUSTON) – Edwin Quintanilla, 41, an El Salvadorian citizen and legal permanent resident of the U.S., has been sentenced to 121 months in prison (Read more)
Jan. 12, 2011 - Marsh
CHILD PORNOGRAPHY ON OFFICE COMPUTER LEADS TO CONVICTION AND PRISON TERM
(CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas) – Donald Earl Marsh, 62, of Corpus Christi, Texas, has been sentenced to prison for possessing child pornography (Read more)
Jan. 12, 2011 - Johnson
MICHIGAN MAN CONVICTED FOR FAILING TO REGISTER AS A SEX OFFENDER AFTER MOVING TO TEXAS
(HOUSTON) - Robert Earl Johnson, 44, a convicted sex offender, pleaded guilty today to failing to register as a sex offender upon moving to Texas (Read more)
Jan. 11, 2011 - Zamora-Mendoza
ARMY 1ST SERGEANT CONVICTED OF ATTEMPTING TO UNLAWFULY SMUGGLE FIREARMS INTO MEXICO SENTENCED
(LAREDO, Texas) - A United States Army First Sergeant has been sentenced to a three-year-term of probation for smuggling weapons, ammunition and a pair of night vision goggles into Mexico (Read more)
Jan. 11, 2011 - Soliz
FORMER CBP OFFICER SENTENCED FOR ALIEN SMUGGLING AND BRIBERY
(BROWNSVILLE, Texas) – Former CBP (Customs and Border Protection) officer Rudy Trace Soliz III, 44, has been sentenced to 30 months in federal prison for alien smuggling and bribery (Read more)
Jan. 11, 2011 - Garcia and Garcia-Leal
TWO CONVICTED OF TRAFFICKING 892 KILOGRAMS OF MARIJUANA
(LAREDO, Texas) – The discovery of almost 2000 pounds of marijuana in a van which led law enforcement on a high speed chase and ended after the driver crashed into another motorist causing life threatening injuries has resulted in guilty pleas of the driver and the marijuana stash house occupant (Read more)
Jan. 10, 2011 - Urbina et al
“LA POTRA” BAR INVESTIGATION RESULTS IN CONVICTIONS AND PRISON TERMS
(HOUSTON) – A Human Trafficking Rescue Alliance (HTRA) task force investigation into reported illegal activities at the La Potra bar has resulted in the conviction of four for various federal offenses and prison terms for two sentenced today (Read more)
Jan. 10, 2011 - Olivo
BAR OWNERS SENTENCED FOR HARBORING ALIENS
(MCALLEN, Texas) - Tereso Murrillo Olivo, 55, and Nancy Olivo, 44, of Mission, Texas, have been sentenced for conspiring to harbor aliens (Read more)
Jan. 10, 2011 - Ita
DME OWNER INDICTED IN ALLEGED SCHEME TO DEFRAUD MEDICARE OF MILLIONS
In custody since News Year’s Day, court orders Ita detained without bond pending trial
(HOUSTON) – A 31-count sealed indictment charging a durable medical equipment company (DME) owner with conspiracy, health care fraud, wire fraud and money laundering in a scheme to defraud Medicare of nearly $5 million has been unsealed (Read more)
Jan. 10, 2011 - Cruz
ONE LOAD OF 10 KILOGRAMS OF METHAMPHETAMINE LANDS BROWNVILLE MAN IN PRISON FOR MORE THAN 24 YEARS
(CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas) – A Brownsville man has been sentenced to 292 months in federal prison without parole (Read more)
Jan. 10, 2011 - Birts
OWNER OF BEHAVIORAL COUNSELING COMPANY SENTENCED TO PRISON FOR HEALTH CARE FRAUD SCHEME
Court orders defendant to pay almost $1 million in restitution
(HOUSTON) – Edward Birts, 51, the owner/operator of Courage to Change, a Houston behavioral counseling company has been sentenced to more than five years in federal prison without parole and ordered to pay $968,583 in restitution to Medicare and Medicaid for defrauding the health care programs (Read more)
Jan. 7, 2011 - Salazar
FORMER CBP INSPECTOR CHARGED WITH BRIBERY
(HOUSTON) - A former Customs and Border Protection (CBP) inspector has been arrested after being indicted by a federal grand jury for providing false statements during a federal investigation and bribery (Read more)
Jan. 7, 2011 - Laredo et al
JURY CONVICTS EL CENIZO MAN FOR ROLE AS MIDDLEMAN IN DRUG DISTRIBUTION CELL
(LAREDO, Texas) – After three days of trial testimony and one hour of deliberation, a federal jury has found the middle man involved in securing buyers for a marijuana distribution cell guilty of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute in excess of 1,000 kilograms of marijuana (Read more)
Jan. 7, 2011 - Jabbour
VICTORIA LAWYER CONVICTED OF RECEIVING AND POSSESSING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY VIA THE INTERNET AT HOME AND OFFICE
(CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas) – A Victoria, Texas, lawyer has been convicted of receiving child pornography via the Internet and now faces a substantial prison term and possibly a lifetime of supervised release (Read more)
Jan. 6, 2011 - James
DETAINEE CONVICTED OF ASSAULTING IMMIGRATION AGENT AT DETENTION CENTER
(BROWNSVILLE, Texas) – An immigration center detainee has been convicted of assaulting and obstructing a federal agent after pleading guilty in federal court yesterday (Read more)
Jan. 6, 2011 - Garcia et al
THREE TEXAS SYNDICATE MEMBERS SENTENCED TO LIFE IMPRISONMENT
(MCALLEN, Texas) – Three members of the Texas Syndicate prison gang convicted by a jury of racketeering and committing violent crimes in aid of racketeering (VCAR) have been sentenced to life imprisonment (Read more)
Jan. 5, 2011 - Tilford
NAVY LAWYER INDICTED FOR POSSESSING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY
(CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas) – A sealed indictment charging a Navy lawyer stationed at the Naval Air Station in Corpus Christi with receiving and distributing child pornography via his home computer has been unsealed today (Read more)
Jan. 5, 2011 - Quintanilla
STRAW PURCHASE OF GUNS LEADS TO PRISON TERM FOR U.S. CITIZEN
(McALLEN, Texas) - A United States citizen, who had resided in Reynosa, Tamaulipas, Mexico, has been sentenced to 37 months in federal prison without parole for straw purchasing 13 firearms (Read more)
Jan. 4, 2011 - Rodriguez
BANK SUPERVISOR CHARGED WITH EMBEZZLEMENT
(McALLEN, Texas) - A three-count indictment charging a First National Bank supervisor with embezzlement by a bank employee has been unsealed (Read more)
Jan. 4, 2011 - Mares
SAN BENITO RESIDENT CONVICTED OF HARBORING ESCAPED FEDERAL PRISONER
(CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas) – David Mares Jr. has been convicted of harboring an escaped prisoner (Read more)
