HOUSTON MAN ARRESTED FOR POSSSESING APPROXIMATELY $2.6 MILLION IN COUNTERFEIT MONETARY INSTRUMENTS

(HOUSTON) – James E. Brown, 54, was arrested at his Houston home on Monday, April 5, 2010, by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents after accepting delivery of a package containing $747,990 in counterfeit monetary instruments, including cashier’s checks and money orders allegedly addressed to him, United States Attorney José Angel Moreno and ICE Special Agent in Charge Robert Rutt announced today.

Brown made his initial appearance yesterday before United States Magistrate Judge John Froeschner. He remains in custody pending a preliminary examination and detention hearing set for Friday, April 9, 2010. 

According the allegations of a criminal complaint filed on Tuesday, April 6, 2010, the package inbound from Ikeja Lagos, Nigeria, addressed to an Eddie Wrobiv, was first intercepted by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at the DHL international mail facility hub in Fort Mitchell, Ky. An undercover agent, dressed as a DHL delivery driver, delivered the package to a residence located on Windjammer Street in Houston. Upon arrival at Brown’s residence, the complaint alleges Brown claimed he was expecting a DHL package and identified himself as Eddie Wrobiv. Brown accepted delivery, taking the package into his house.

Thereafter, ICE agents executed a search warrant at the residence, found Brown, the $747,990 contained in the original package and $1.8 million worth of alleged counterfeit monetary instruments, ledgers, check writing software, check paper, a commercial printer, western union receipts and three computers.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney F. Andino Reynal.  

 

 

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