Eight Indicted For Conspiracy To Obstruct Investigation And Law Enforcement Effort To Capture Jamal Dean

Levon Varne Dean, Sr, age 55, Evette Morris-Hernandez, age 34, Kimberly Smith, age 50, and Steffan Dean, age 53, all of Sioux City, Ingmar Hernandez, age 26 and Monica Rocha-Contreras, age 21, both of South Sioux City, Nebraska, Anna Baker, age 24, of Winnebago, Nebraska, and Esteban Hernandez, age 36, of Mercedes, Texas, all have been charged with one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States by obstructing a Federal investigation.­ The charges are contained in an Indictment filed on November 20, 2014, in United States District Court in Sioux City.  All had previously been charged in a Complaint filed on October 31, 2014.    
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The Indictment alleges that, from April 29, 2013 to about September 1, 2013, Levon Varne Dean, Sr., Morris-Hernandez, Smith, Steffan Dean, Hernandez, Rocha-Contreras, and Baker, conspired to interfere with and obstruct legitimate governmental activities of the United States Department of Justice (e.g., The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the United States Marshals Service) by interfering with and obstructing the federal investigation into the events of April 29, 2013, and the federal effort to apprehend Jamal Dean. Other charges in the Indictment include False Statements, Concealing Evidence, Accessory After the Fact, and Misprision of a Felony. 

If convicted each faces a possible maximum sentence of up to 5 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, $100 in special assessments, and 3-years of supervised release following any imprisonment.­

Levon Varne Dean, Sr., Morris-Hernandez, Smith, Steffan Dean, Rocha-Contreras, and Baker were released on bond on November 7, 2014, and Ingmar Hernandez was held without bond.  Steffan Dean, Smith and Ingmar Hernandez next appearance for arraignment is December 8, 2014.  Levon Dean, Sr., Smith, Rocha-Contreras, and Morris-Hernandez’s have waived personal appearance at arraignment and their next appearance for trial is set for February 5, 2015. 

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As with any criminal case, a charge is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

The case is being prosecuted as a part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a cooperative local, state, and federal program aimed at the enhanced prosecution of gun crimes.  The case was investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations; the Tri-State Drug Task Force, the Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; the Sioux City Police Department, the United States Marshal’s Service; the Iowa Department of Public Safety; the Nebraska Department of Public Safety; and the Woodbury County Attorney’s Office.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Forde Fairchild.

Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.  The case file number is 14 CR 4088.