October 2011 Press Releases
Oct. 31, 2011 - Avila et al
Seven Men Sentenced to Prison for Drug Trafficking and Money Laundering
McALLEN, Texas – Six men from Texas and one from Ohio have all been sentenced to prison on drug trafficking and money laundering charges as a result of an investigation that began more than five years ago read more
Oct. 31, 2011 - Villarreal
Former Bank Employee Pleads Guilty in Fraud Case
LAREDO, Texas – The former employee of Compass Bank in Laredo Texas accused in a case involving more than $8 million of losses to bank customers has pleaded guilty read more
Oct. 31, 2011 - Lindsley
Houston Man Pleads Guilty to Distribution of Child Pornography
HOUSTON – Peter Kingman Lindsley, 49, has pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of child pornography read more
Oct. 28, 2011 - Clardy
Local Doctor Gets 11+ Years in Health Care Fraud Scheme
HOUSTON – Houston doctor Christina Joy Clardy, 61, has been sentenced to 135 months in federal prison for her role in a massive health care fraud conspiracy that billed the federal Medicare and Texas Medicaid programs for $45,039,230 over a 2 ½-year-period read more
Oct. 28, 2011 - Aflac
10 South Texas Residents Sentenced to Prison for Defrauding Aflac
McALLEN, Texas - Ten south Texas residents have been sentenced to federal prison for their roles in a scheme to defraud the American Family Life Assurance Company (Aflac) by filing false injury claims under Aflac’s Accident-Only Insurance Plan read more
Oct. 28, 2011 - Ibarra
Federal Jury Convicts Laredo Man in Gun Case
LAREDO, Texas – Ruben Ibarra, 37, of Laredo, Texas, has been convicted by a jury’s verdict of being a prior convicted felon unlawfully in possession of a firearm read more
Oct. 28, 2011 - Fisch et al
Local Defense Attorney and Others Arrested in Connection with Scheme to Obstruct Justice
HOUSTON - Abraham Moses Fisch, 52, a criminal defense attorney in Houston, has been arrested on charges of conspiracy, obstruction of justice, money laundering, conspiracy to commit money laundering and failure to file tax returns read more
Oct. 27, 2011 - Okehie
Houston Chiropractor Pleads Guilty to Health Care Fraud Conspiracy
HOUSTON – Justina Okehie aka Dr. Tina Collins, 55, of Richmond, Texas, has pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud read more
Oct. 27, 2011 - Mata
Jury Convicts Laredo Drug Smuggler
LAREDO, Texas – A federal jury in Laredo has convicted a Laredo man of all counts in connection with an attempt to smuggle approximately 99.6 kilograms of marijuana read more
Oct. 27, 2011 - James
Jury Convicts Detainee of Assaulting Immigration Agent at Port Isabel Detention Center
BROWNSVILLE, Texas – An immigration center detainee has been convicted of assaulting and obstructing a federal agent by a jury in federal court today read more
Oct. 26, 2011 - Avila
Houston Resident Pleads Guilty to Possession of Child Pornography
HOUSTON – Armando Ruben Avila, 48, has pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography read more
Oct. 25, 2011 - Richardson
Pasadena Man Sentenced in Distribution and Possession of Child Pornography Case
HOUSTON - Bennie E. Richardson IV, of Pasadena, Texas, has been sentenced to more than 12 years in prison for distributing and possessing child pornography read more
Oct. 25, 2011 - Noriega
Laredoan Gets 10+ Years in Federal Prison
BROWNSVILLE, Texas - Jorge Noriega, 31, of Laredo, Texas, has been sentenced to 125 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute approximately 70 kilograms of cocaine read more
Oct. 25, 2011 - Lopez et al
Three Guilty of Laundering Money Embezzled From Sherwin Alumina
(CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas) - Richard Lopez, 43, Benjamin Martinez, 74, and Toby Clarkson, 39, have all pleaded guilty to federal money laundering charges related to an embezzlement scheme at Sherwin Alumina Company read more
Oct. 21, 2011 - Talamantes et al
Thirteen Rio Grande Valley Men Sentenced to Prison for Drug Trafficking and Money Laundering
Last defendant sentenced this week to 210 months
McALLEN, Texas – Thirteen Rio Grande Valley men from the cities of Donna, Edinburg, San Juan and Weslaco, Texas, have all been sentenced to prison for drug trafficking and money laundering charges as a result of an investigation that began in January 2009 read more
Oct. 21, 2011 - Nguyen et al
Discovery of Approximately 420 Marijuana Plants Results in Arrests
HOUSTON – Three individuals were arrested yesterday following the execution of search warrants at several locations and the discovery of grow operations of hydroponic marijuana read more
Oct. 21, 2011 - Lim et al
Houston Mail Presort Operation Owners and Workers Headed to Federal Prison for Stealing Millions
Profits from the scheme represent the largest counterfeit postage meter loss in the history of the U.S. Postal Service and the greatest breach of security features of postage meter machines
HOUSTON - Neal Lim, 50, the former owner of one of the largest mail presort operations in the Houston area has been sentenced to 14 years in federal prison read more
Oct. 21, 2011 - Boncamper
Boncamper Pleads Guilty to Money Laundering Conspiracy
HOUSTON - Malchus Irvin Boncamper, 56, of the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis, West Indies, has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to launder money read more
Oct. 21, 2011 - Imo
Owner of City Nursing Gets More than 27 Years in Federal Prison
HOUSTON – Umawa Oke Imo, 57, a citizen of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the owner of City Nursing Services of Texas Inc., was sentenced to 327 months in federal prison today for his role in a massive health care fraud conspiracy read more
Oct. 21, 2011 - Hughes
Convicted Child Molester Gets 30 Years in Child Pornography Case
HOUSTON – Houston resident Burt Hughes, 58, has been sentenced to 360 months in prison following his convictions for distribution and possession of child pornography read more
Oct. 20, 2011 - Diaz
Jury Finds Former County Investigator Guilty
McALLEN, Texas - Heriberto Diaz, 41, of San Juan, Texas, has been convicted by a jury's verdict of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute more than 100 kilograms of marijuana read more
Oct. 20, 2011 - Ochoa
Production and Distribution of Child Pornography Lands Houston Man in Federal Prison for 50 Years
HOUSTON – Arturo Enrique Ochoa, 23, of Houston, will now serve 50 years in federal prison following his convictions of production and distribution of child pornography read more
Oct. 20, 2011 - Langley and Meltzer
Oil Traders Plead Guilty In Multimillion Dollar Kickback Scheme
HOUSTON – Oil traders Bernard Langley, 54, of the United Kingdom, and Clyde Meltzer, 65, of Houston and Livingston, N. J., have pleaded guilty to conspiring to engage in wire fraud in connection with a multimillion dollar kickback scheme read more
Oct. 20, 2011 - Baker
Jury Convicts Local Tax Return Preparer
HOUSTON - Kendrick Baker, a former Houston-area Colbert/Ball Tax Service franchisee, has been found guilty on all 16 counts against him of willfully aiding and assisting in the preparation of false U.S. individual income tax returns read more
Oct. 20, 2011 - Ortiz
Assistant Nurse from the East Hidalgo Detention Center Pleads Guilty to Providing Contraband in Prison
McALLEN, Texas - An assistant nurse from the East Hidalgo Detention Center in La Villa, Texas, has pleaded guilty to providing contraband to a federal inmate read more
Oct. 20, 2011 - Avila
San Juan Resident Sentenced to Prison for Guns and Drugs
McALLEN, Texas - A San Juan, Texas, resident convicted by a federal jury of conspiring to possess 528 kilograms and being a felon in possession of a firearm in violation of federal law will be spending the next five years and 10 months in federal prison without parole read more
Oct. 19, 2011 - Lopez
Drug Trafficking Conviction Lands Rio Grande City Man 30 Years
BROWNSVILLE, Texas - Jaime Lopez, 54, of Rio Grande, Texas, has been sentenced to 360 months in federal prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 75.76 kilograms of cocaine read more
Oct. 19, 2011 - Oberoi
Federal Jury Convicts Second Defendant in Interstate Robbery Scheme
HOUSTON – A Florida resident who, along with a reputed mafia enforcer, traveled from New Jersey to Houston in order to obtain money from a Houston businessman has been convicted by a federal jury read more
Oct. 14, 2011 - Aguilar-Lopez et al
Three Sentenced to Federal Prison for Forcing Labor and Distributing Pirated/Counterfeit CDs and DVDs
HOUSTON – Three people have been sentenced by United States District Court Judge Ewing Werlein for conspiring to force labor and conspiring to distribute pirated CDs and DVDs read more
Oct. 13, 2011 - Washington and Manzanares
Houston Residents Convicted of Conspiracy to Traffic Cocaine
HOUSTON - Michael Washington, 37, and Juan Manzanares, 40, both of Houston, have been convicted by a jury's verdict of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine and aiding and abetting the possession with the intent to distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine read more
Oct. 13, 2011 - Porter
Former Mail Carrier Pleads Guilty to Receipt of Child Pornography
HOUSTON - James Walter Porter Jr., 57, has pleaded guilty today to one count of receipt of child pornography before U.S. District Judge Sim Lake read more
Oct. 13, 2011 - Perez
Mexican National Pleads Guilty to Receipt of Child Pornography
HOUSTON - Jorge Luis Perez, 27, pleaded guilty today to one count of receipt of child pornography before U.S. District Judge Keith P. Ellison read more
Oct. 12, 2011 - Transocean
Civil Action Filed Against Transocean
HOUSTON – A civil action has been filed in federal court to enforce administrative subpoenas issued to Transocean Deepwater Drilling Inc. by the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) read more
Oct. 12, 2011 - Gonzalez
Former Detention Center Guard Sentenced to Four Years in Cocaine Sting
BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A former Willacy County Detention Center guard received his sentence yesterday after having previously been convicted of attempting to possess with intent to distribute what he believed to be cocaine read more
Oct. 7, 2011 - Benton
Offshore Insurance Operator Pleads Guilty to Money Laundering Conspiracy
HOUSTON - Edmund Hugh Benton, 63, of Scottsdale, Ariz., pleaded guilty yesterday to the federal felony offense of conspiracy to launder money before U.S. District Judge Sim Lake read more
Oct. 7, 2011 - Martinez
Corpus Christi Man Convicted of Possession of Child Pornography
HOUSTON - David Arturo Martinez, 31, has pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography read more
Oct. 7, 2011 - Martinez
California Man Sentenced to 292 Months for Bringing in Meth from Mexico
LAREDO, Texas – Fidel Martinez, 41, has been sentenced to 292 months in prison for possessing with intent to deliver 16.4 pounds of methamphetamine read more
Oct. 6, 2011 - Bland
Houston Man Charged with Sex Trafficking
HOUSTON - A federal grand jury has charged 30-year-old Jerald Bland aka “Moe Betta” with sex trafficking of two minors and one adult as well as transporting one adult and one minor for the purposes of prostitution read more
Oct. 6, 2011 - Leggett
Chambers County Woman Charged with Conspiring and Aiding Her Deceased Husband to Make 122 Destructive Devices
HOUSTON - A federal grand jury has charged 32-year-old Pamela Leggett of aiding and abetting her deceased common law husband, Gilbert Ortez, in the making and possessing, along with conspiring to make and possess, destructive devices and firearms read more
Oct. 5, 2011 -Vargas-Ocampo
Man Who Ran From Agents Found Guilty of Marijuana Trafficking
McALLEN, Texas – Ruben Vargas-Ocampo, 35, a Mexican national, was found guilty today by a McAllen jury of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and possession with intent to distribute in excess of 100 kilograms of marijuana read more
Oct. 5, 2011 - Purser
“Insurer” of the Ethan Allen Pleads Guilty in Insurance Fraud Scheme
HOUSTON - Christopher Purser, 50, of Houston, has pleaded guilty to the federal felony offense of conspiracy to commit wire fraud read more
Oct. 4, 2011 - Parsons
Houston Man Charged With Receipt and Possession of Child Pornography
HOUSTON – A four‐count sealed indictment charging Douglas Bruce Parsons, 64, with possession, distribution and receipt of child pornography has been unsealed following his initial appearance in federal court in Houston read more
Oct. 3, 2011 - Cooper
Drug Dealer Sentenced to 40 Years in Federal Prison
HOUSTON - A federal judge has sentenced Houston drug dealer Fred Joseph Cooper, 41, to 481 months in prison read more
Oct. 3, 2011 - Sanchez et al
Six South Texas Residents Sentenced to Prison for Insurance Fraud Scheme
McALLEN, Texas - Six south Texas residents have been sentenced to federal prison for their roles in a scheme to defraud the American Family Life Assurance Company (AFLAC) by filing false injury claims under AFLAC’s Accident-Only Insurance Plan read more
