Federal Judge in Waco Issues Several Lengthy Prison Sentences Today

In Waco today, U.S. District Judge Alan Albright handed down lengthy federal prison sentences to multiple defendants in four separate cases, announced U.S. Attorney John F. Bash, FBI Special Agent in Charge Chris Combs, San Antonio Field Office, and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent in Charge Steve Whipple, Houston Division.   

• Judge Albright sentenced 31-year-old Michael James Wier of Jacksonville, FL, to 30 years imprisonment followed by a lifetime of supervised release.  Judge Albright also ordered Wier to pay a $10,000 fine.  On December 19, 2019, Wier pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a child.  Wier admitted to sexually assaulting two minors, both of whom were under the age of 12, while residing on Fort Hood between May 2008 and January 2011.  The FBI, U.S Army Criminal Investigation Command and the Aiken County Sheriff’s Office in South Carolina investigated this case.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark Frazier and Mary Kucera prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
   
• Judge Albright sentenced 32-year-old Devito Dembinsky of McGregor, TX, to 413 months imprisonment followed by five years of supervised release.  On June 11, 2019, Dembinsky pleaded guilty to one count of obstruction of justice, one count of retaliating against a witness and one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute at least 50 grams of methamphetamine.  Dembinsky admitted that in January 2019, while incarcerated awaiting trial on the meth charge, he punched a co-conspirator multiple times in the face.  The co-conspirator suffered multiple broken bones in his nose and a large lip contusion.  During subsequent recorded telephone conversations from inside the detention facility, Dembinsky bragged to two different individuals that he had assaulted the “snitch” and “rat” because he believed the individual agreed to cooperate with prosecutors and be a witness against Dembinsky.  “The lengthy sentence handed down today sends a clear message to those who poison our communities with dangerous drugs, and then attempt to avoid accountability for their criminal conduct by threatening or harming witnesses,” stated FBI Special Agent in Charge Combs. “Obstruction of Justice strikes at the foundation of our criminal justice system and will not be tolerated.”  The FBI and the Temple Police Department investigated this case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Smith-Burris prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
   
• Judge Albright sentenced a pair of defendants, 36-year-old Jeremy King of Temple, and 42-year-old Joe Aaron Holmesley of Austin, TX, to 365 months and 300 months imprisonment, respectively, for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine throughout the Waco area from September 2018 to April 2019.  Judge Albright ordered that each defendant pay a $1,000 fine and be placed on supervised release for a period of five years after completing their prison terms.  Both defendants pleaded guilty to the charge.  The Temple Police Department, FBI and the DEA investigated this case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Smith-Burris prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
   
• Judge Albright sentenced 55-year-old Delida Mindieta of Temple, to 87 months imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release.  Judge Albright also ordered that Mindieta pay a $100 fine and $8,121 in total restitution to three separate banks.  On November 5, 2019, Mindieta pleaded guilty to three counts of bank robbery.  Mindieta admitted robbing: the BBVA Compass Bank located on East Central Avenue in Belton, TX, on April 22, 2019; the Wells Fargo Bank located on University Oaks Boulevard in Round Rock, TX, on April 22, 2019; and, the Texas Champion Bank located on West Oaklawn Road in Pleasanton, TX, on April 25, 2019.  She also admitted to robbing the Wells Fargo Bank in Edna, TX, on April 30, 2019.  On each occasion, Mindieta entered the financial institution and demanded cash from bank tellers.  The FBI, Belton Police Department, Round Rock Police Department and the Atascosa County Sheriff’s Office investigated this case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg Gloff prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

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The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice.  Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.