January Grand Jury

United States Attorney Deborah R. Gilg announced the federal Grand Jury for the District of Nebraska has returned 19 indictments charging 20 defendants. Indictments are charging documents that contain one or more individual counts that are merely accusations, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

* Luis Aldana, age 44, of Omaha, is charged with illegal reentry after deportation on or about December 29, 2016. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.

* Andres Arza Asturizaga, a/k/a Andres Arza, age 27, is charged with illegal reentry after deportation following an aggravated felony conviction on or about January 10, 2017. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 20 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.

* Larry L. Boryca, age 58, of Blair, Nebraska is charged in a four-count Indictment. Count I of the Indictment charges the defendant with theft of government funds beginning in or around 1990, and continuing without interruption until in or around March 2016. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Counts II thru IV of the Indictment charge Boryca with social security fraud beginning in or around 1990 and continuing until on or about January 17, 2015. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 5 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment for each count .

* Keith Buchanan, aka Sung-Mai-Tu-Ska Buchanan, age 27, of Sioux City, Iowa is charged in a two-count Indictment. Count I of the Indictment charges the defendant with assault with a dangerous weapon, with intent to do bodily harm on or about October 22, 2016. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count II of the Indictment charges Buchanan with domestic assault by an habitual offender on or about October 22, 2016. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 5 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.

* Irma De La Cruz-Avalos, is charged in a three-count Indictment. Count I of the Indictment charges that on or about August 12, 2016, the defendant used a State of Nebraska Identification Card and a Social Security card knowing said documents were not issued lawfully for the use of the defendant. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 5 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count II of the Indictment charges De La Cruz-Avalos with false representation of a social security number on or about August 12, 2016. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 5 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count III of the Indictment charges the defendant with false representation of U.S. Citizenship on or about August 12, 2016. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 5 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.

* Lara Jean Deming, a/k/a Lara Jean Wolfe, age 28, is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon, with intent to do bodily harm on or about October 1, 2016. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.

* Latasha D. Ellis, age 43 and Niquisha Taylor, age 36, both of Omaha, are charged in a ten-count Indictment. Count I of the Indictment charges both defendants with conspiracy to defraud the government by filing fraudulent tax returns from on or about January 16, 2012, until on or about December 11, 2014. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Counts II through X of the Indictment charge Ellis and Taylor with filing false, fictitious, and fraudulent tax returns from February 2, 2012 through March 4, 2014. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 5 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment for each count.

* Feliciano Fuentes-Avecias, age 34, is charged with illegal reentry after deportation following a felony conviction on or about November 21, 2016. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.

* Fernando Garcia Menendez, age 50, is charged with illegal reentry after deportation following a felony conviction on or about December 14, 2016. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.

* Estaban Ignacio-Saligan, age 34, of Omaha, is charged with illegal reentry after deportation following an aggravated felony conviction on or about January 9, 2017. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 20 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.

* Pedro Raymundo Loarca, age 39, of Crete, Nebraska, is charged with illegal reentry after deportation on or about December 13, 2016. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 2 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 1 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.

* Nelson Mendoza-Zuniga, age 35, is charged with illegal reentry after deportation following a felony conviction on or about December 14, 2016. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.

* Celso Mercado-Sierra, age 39, of Grand Island is charged with illegal reentry after deportation following a felony conviction on or about December 10, 2016. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.

* Bernardo Miranda-Mauricio, age 24, of Omaha is charged with illegal reentry after deportation on or about December 7, 2016. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 2 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 1 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.

* Ricardo Ochoa Cervantes, age 47, of Bellevue, Nebraska, is charged with illegal reentry after deportation on or about January 4, 2017. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 2 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 1 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.

* Juan Francisco Rodriguez-Pena, age 48, is charged in a two-count Indictment. Count I of the Indictment charges that on or about October 25, 2016, the defendant used a State of Nebraska Identification Card and a Social Security card knowing said documents were not issued lawfully for the use of the defendant. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 5 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count II of the Indictment charges Rodriguez-Pena with false representation of a social security number on or about October 25, 2016. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 5 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.

* Simon Vega-Garduno, is charged with illegal reentry after deportation on or about January 11, 2017. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 2 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 1 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.

* Vicente Velazquez, age 32, of Omaha, is charged in a five-count Indictment. Count I of the Indictment charges the defendant with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture containing methamphetamine from an unknown date but at least as early as November 9, 2016, up to and including December 7, 2016. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 40 years imprisonment, a $5,000,000 fine, a 4 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Counts II through IV of the Indictment charge Velazquez with distribution and possession with intent to distribute a mixture containing methamphetamine on or about November 9, 2016, November 16, 2016, and November 29, 2016. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 20 years imprisonment, a $1,000,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment for each count. Count V of the indictment charges the defendant with possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture containing methamphetamine on or about December 7, 2016. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 40 years imprisonment, a $5,000,000 fine, a 4 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. The indictment also alleges any and all property constituting or derived from any proceeds obtained directly or indirectly as a result of the violation alleged in the indictment and any property used to commit the offense should be forfeited to the United States.

* Victor Wolfe, age 25, of Macy, Nebraska, is charged with failure to appear on or about December 2, 2016. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 5 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3 year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.