Category: FBI

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)

LAFAYETTE, La. – Three defendants from Lafayette, Louisiana who were involved in an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation have been sentenced, announced United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown. United States District Judge James D. Cain, Jr. sentenced the following defendants:

Brandon Anderson, 30, was sentenced to 188 months (15 years, 8 months) in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release. He pleaded guilty on December 21, 2021, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances.

Cord Anderson, 34, was sentenced to 120 months (10 years) in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release. He pleaded guilty on May 30, 2023, and admitted to possessing at least 350 but not more than 500 grams of methamphetamine.

Tory Phillips, 32, was sentenced to 88 months (7 years, 4 months) in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release. He pleaded guilty on December 21, 2021, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances.

This Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation resulted in a federal indictment against several defendants for conspiring together to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin, methamphetamine, and cocaine in the Morgan City area. Law enforcement agents began an investigation in September 2019 into the drug trafficking activities of Anderson, Phillips, and their co-defendants. During the conspiracy, Brandon Anderson supplied heroin to his co-defendants who in turn sold the heroin for profit. Agents intercepted phone calls during the court-authorized intercepts on the phone of his co-defendant, Jhailen Zeno, and observed Anderson travel to narcotics transactions with Zeno. Anderson also set up narcotics transactions and traveled to conduct the transactions. Vehicles used in these narcotics transactions were a 2014 Audi and a 2014 Range Rover.

In October 2020, law enforcement agents learned that Anderson was in Houston, Texas and during that time he was receiving phone calls from individuals in Lafayette requesting a supply of narcotics. Agents obtained a warrant to search a residence in Lafayette that Anderson had been utilizing in his drug trafficking activities. On October 21, 2020, agents executed the search warrant and located the Audi A7, and Ranger Rover seen previously, as well as a 2015 Mercedes C300. Inside the trunk of the Mercedes agents found approximately 600 grams of cocaine and 500 grams of heroin. Anderson pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute at least 1 kilogram but less than 3 kilograms of heroin.

Through their investigation, agents learned that Phillips communicated with his co-conspirators about traveling to Houston with co-defendant Kendrick James. On June 29, 2020, agents conducted surveillance of Phillips’ vehicle and observed him arrive at a residence in Houston, stay for a few minutes, and leave. Law enforcement officers with the Sulphur Police Department stopped the vehicle belonging to Phillips and conducted a traffic stop after the driver committed a traffic infraction. Officers performed a probable cause search of the vehicle and a pat down search of Phillips and James and found a bag hidden in Phillips’ groin area. The bag contained a brown substance weighing approximately 20 grams. A field test was conducted, and the substance was identified as heroin.  Phillips admitted to conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.

On March 10, 2020, law enforcement agents received information of an individual found in a vehicle stuck in a ditch. Agents responded and found Cord Anderson to be asleep inside the vehicle. He woke and attempted to flee from law enforcement but was apprehended. Inside the vehicle, agents found approximately 414 grams of a substance which was tested to be methamphetamine.

Five other defendants have already been sentenced in this case as follows:

Jhailen Zeno, of 27, of Lafayette, received a sentence of 85 months (7 years, 1 month) in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin.

Jerrick Williams was sentenced to 8 months in prison, followed by 2 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances.

William Williams was sentenced to 70 months (5 years, 10 months) in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances.

Randy Dugas was sentenced to 8 months in prison, followed by 2 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances.

Ericka Guidry was sentenced to 12 months and 1 day in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances.

Kendrick James is the only remaining defendant to be sentenced. His sentencing has been scheduled for October 31, 2023.

The case was investigated by the FBI, DEA, ATF, Sulphur Police Department and Lafayette Police Department, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John W. Nickel.

The investigation and conviction of these defendants is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

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Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (c)

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Todd Tyler Snead, 57, of Waynesboro, Virginia, was sentenced today to 10 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, admitting to a role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that operated in the Charleston area.

According to court documents and statements made in court, beginning in October 2022, Snead transported 1 pound per month from West Virginia to Virginia as part of the conspiracy. On March 14, 2023, Snead traveled from Virginia to St. Albans to obtain 4 pounds of methamphetamine from a co-defendant. Law enforcement officers followed Snead back to a hotel in Cross Lanes, where they searched the trunk of his vehicle, found the methamphetamine and arrested him.

Snead has a criminal history that includes a prior felony conviction for conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia on December 13, 2006.

Snead is among 30 individuals indicted as a result of Operation Smoke and Mirrors, a major drug trafficking investigation that has yielded the largest methamphetamine seizure in West Virginia history. Law enforcement seized well over 200 pounds of methamphetamine as well as 28 pounds of cocaine, 20 pounds of fentanyl, 18 firearms and $747,000 in cash.

Nineteen of the defendants have pleaded guilty. Indictments against the other defendants are pending. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the West Virginia State Police, the West Virginia National Guard Counter Drug program, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Charleston Police Department, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office and the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Office. MDENT is composed of the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Nitro Police Department, the St. Albans Police Department and the South Charleston Police Department..

Chief United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe prosecuted the case.

The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-31.

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Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News

NEW ORLEANS – On August 31, 2023, United States District Judge Ivan L.R. Lemelle sentenced SEAN MARTIN, age 56, and GENE JACKSON, age 53, both of New Orleans, for violations of the Controlled Substances Act, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.

According to court records, MARTIN admitted to jointly possessing with the intent to distribute over a kilogram of heroin, over 400 grams of fentanyl, and a quantity of cocaine hydrochloride, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(A), and 841(b)(1)(C).  JACKSON admitted to possessing with the intent to distribute approximately two ounces of heroin, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C).

Judge Lemelle sentenced MARTIN to 140 months imprisonment to be followed by a five-year term of supervised release.  Judge Lemelle sentenced JACKSON to time served with three years of supervised release.  Judge Lemelle also ordered MARTIN and JACKSON to pay a mandatory special assessment of $100.

This case is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney David Haller of the Violent Crime Unit is in charge of the prosecution.

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (c)

PITTSBURGH, PA – Jackie Bell pled guilty to conspiring to distribute fentanyl and heroin, and to possessing fentanyl and heroin with intent to distribute, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.

Bell, age 31, of Columbus, Ohio, pled guilty before United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon. Judge Bissoon scheduled sentencing to occur on January 30, 2024, at 10:00 a.m.

The law provides for a sentence of up to 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $2,000,000 for each count of conviction. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is to be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorneys Benjamin C. Dobkin and Craig W. Haller are prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Pennsylvania State Police, the Lawrence County Drug Task Force, the Mercer County Drug Task Force, the New Castle Police Department, the Sharon Police Department, the Hermitage Police Department, and the Farrell Police Department led the investigation resulting in the conviction in this case.

This prosecution is a result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten communities throughout the United States. OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – On August 29, 2023, United States District Judge Susie Morgan sentenced MORRIS SUMMERS, age 33, a resident of New Orleans, to 30 months in the Bureau of Prisons following his guilty plea for  being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of the Federal Gun Control Act, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.

According to court records and statements made in court, SUMMERS was convicted several years ago in another federal case before Judge Morgan of conspiring to distribute crack and conspiring to possess firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking.  That case involved a violent gang that referred to itself as the “Ride or Die Gang”.  In this case, SUMMERS admitted to being in the same area of the 8th Ward where “Ride or Die” had previously operated, while in possession of a Springfield Armory, Hellcat, 9 milli-meter caliber semi-automatic pistol.  SUMMERS acknowledged his prior federal conviction as part of this guilty plea.

Judge Morgan also sentenced SUMMERS to serve three years of supervised release upon his release from imprisonment and ordered him to pay a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation , the New Orleans Police Department, and the Louisiana State Police.  The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney David Haller of the Violent Crime Unit.

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – DAVID SCOTT, age 19, a resident of New Orleans, Louisiana, was charged on August 24, 2023 in a previously sealed two-count indictment, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.  Count 1 charged SCOTT with possession with intent to distribute tapentadol, pursuant to Title 21 United States Code Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C).  Count 2 charged SCOTT with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, pursuant to Title 18 United States Code Section 924(c).

If convicted of Count 1, SCOTT faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years, up to a $1,000,000 fine, at least 3 years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.  If convicted of Count 2, SCOTT faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years up to life imprisonment, to run consecutively to all other sentences, up to a $250,000 fine, up to five years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.

U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. 

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Dawkins of the Violent Crime Unit is in charge of the prosecution.

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (c)

PORTLAND, Ore.—A federal jury in Portland found a Warm Springs, Oregon man guilty today of assaulting his girlfriend and leaving her lying injured in the driveway of her home on the Warm Springs Indian Reservation.

Maron Brent Graybael, Jr., 38, was found guilty of one count of assault resulting in serious bodily injury.

“Domestic violence is a devastating crime that inflicts severe harm on individuals and communities,” said Natalie Wight, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon. “Our office remains intently focused on holding abusers accountable for their actions and stopping this violence in our communities.”

“For generations, Native American and Indigenous women have disproportionately been victims of violent crime,” said Kieran L. Ramsey, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Portland Field Office. “The FBI and Warm Springs Tribal Police, alongside other federal, state, and local partners remain dedicated to working together to investigate the most serious crimes affecting our Tribal communities.”

According to court documents, on May 16, 2023, Graybael Jr. became angry at his girlfriend, grabbed her by her hair, and punched her more than ten times with a closed fist in her abdomen. After the woman fell to the ground, Graybael Jr. kicked her, grabbed her by her hair again, and slammed her head into the ground multiple times. He then left the woman, seriously injured, lying in her driveway, and walked away. After several minutes, the woman called 911 to report her own assault and injuries. Police responded and she was transported to a local hospital.

On June 1, 2023, Graybael Jr. was charged by criminal complaint with assault resulting in serious bodily injury. One week later, on June 7, 2023, a federal grand jury in Portland indicted him on the same charge.

Graybael Jr. faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and five years of supervised release. He will be sentenced on November 27, 2023, by U.S. District Court Judge Karin J. Immergut.

This case was investigated by the FBI and the Warm Springs Tribal Police Department. It was prosecuted by Pamela Paaso and Suzanne Miles, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon.

Domestic violence is a serious crime that can include both physical and emotional abuse, and it is frequently hidden from public view. Many survivors suffer in silence, afraid to seek help or not knowing where to turn. The traumatic effects of domestic violence also extend beyond the abused person, impacting family members, friends, and communities.

If you or someone you know are in immediate danger, please call 911.

If you need assistance or know someone who needs help, please contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). Many communities throughout the country have also created support networks to assist survivors in the process of recovery.

The StrongHearts Native Helpline offers culturally specific support and advocacy for American Indian and Alaska Native survivors of domestic violence. Please call 1-844-762-8483 or visit www.strongheartshelpline.org for more information.

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News

INDIANAPOLIS- Jimmie Ray Harris, 42, of Indianapolis, Indiana, has been sentenced to 14 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.

According to court documents, on September 8, 2021, Federal Bureau of Investigation agents arrested Jimmie Ray Harris after he led IMPD officers on a vehicle pursuit. During the chase, Harris threw 907.18 grams of cocaine, 28 grams of methamphetamine and 28 grams of heroin from his vehicle. Harris also had $22,147.50 in cash on his person and in his vehicle at time of arrest. He was charged in Marion County, Indiana with three felonies for dealing in cocaine, methamphetamine, and a narcotic drug, and was placed in custody at the Marion County Jail.

The next day, Harris made an outgoing phone call from jail to another person asking about the drugs and money remaining in his home and discussing efforts to “clean up” the house. Harris asked about customers coming to the house to pay drug debts, and directed the other person to keep track of who owes him money for drugs. Harris told the other person not to worry about the police searching the residence because he gave them the wrong address.

On September 10, 2021, Harris posted an $80,000-surety bond and was released from jail. On September 13, 2021, officers obtained a search warrant for the home Harris referenced on the jail call. During a search of the residence, officers located a total of nearly 5 pounds of methamphetamine hidden throughout the house, including on top of the dryer in the laundry room, in a desk drawer, in a DeWalt floor vacuum and a DeWalt bag, in a bedroom closet, and inside of a purse. The search also uncovered a glass meth pipe with burn marks, a loaded 9mm magazine, and $13,909 in cash. A young child was living with Harris in the home at the time of the search. Harris admitted he possessed the methamphetamine in his home with the intent to distribute it to others.

U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, Zachary A. Myers, Herbert J. Stapleton, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Indianapolis Field Office, Michael Gannon, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the DEA’s Indianapolis Field Office, and Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department Chief Randal Taylor made the announcement.

“This defendant was determined to keep making money pushing poison into our neighborhoods even while he was in jail for dealing drugs,” said U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, Zachary A. Myers. “The serious federal prison sentence imposed here demonstrates that there are serious consequences for fueling the devastation that deadly drugs cause in our communities.”

The FBI, IMPD, DEA, and Indiana Crime Guns Task Force investigated the case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge, Matthew P. Brookman. Judge Brookman also ordered that Harris be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for 5 years following his release from federal prison.

U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorney Peter A. Blackett, who prosecuted this case.

This case was brought as part of the Indiana Crime Guns Task Force (ICGTF). ICGTF is a partnership of law enforcement officers and analysts from several central Indiana law enforcement agencies in Boone, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks, Marion, Morgan, Johnson, and Shelby counties. In cooperation with state, local, and federal partners, ICGTF collaborates to address violent crime through a comprehensive strategy including innovative approaches to locating suspects and evidence related to violent crimes and illegal possession of firearms.

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Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (c)

TULSA, Okla. – A previously convicted sex offender who sexually assaulted a homeless woman taking shelter from the Father’s Day storm pleaded guilty in federal court, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.

Dennis Ray Thompson, a homeless 64-year-old Choctaw Nation citizen from Tulsa, pleaded guilty to aggravated sexual abuse by force in Indian Country and failure to register as a sex offender.  

“Thompson was caught in the act of sexually violating the victim where she was taking shelter from the Father’s Day storm,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “Crimes among the homeless community are often harder to solve and prosecute because of the transient nature of both the accused and the victims; but our office, with help and dedication of our law enforcement partners, will continue to prosecute the offenders and seek justice for the victims.”  

In the early morning hours of June 19, 2023, Tulsa Police Officers spotted Thompson on the sidewalk, completely naked, pinning down the victim. They noticed the victim was in distress and crying. The victim, who was homeless and legally blind, informed the officers she “didn’t want this,” and that she had not consented. Thompson claimed he knew Bannon “from the streets,” but could not tell the officers her name.

In his plea, Thompson admitted to striking the victim in the face, pinning her to the ground and sexually assaulting her. He further admitted that he knew he was required to register as a sex offender and that he had failed to do so.

Thompson faces up to life in federal prison and a fine of not more than $250.000. A federal district court judge will determine his sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Thompson has been and will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshal Service pending sentencing.

The Tulsa Police Department and FBI conducted the investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Briden is prosecuting the case.

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (c)

TULSA Okla. – A Claremore man was sentenced to 33 months in prison for assault with a dangerous weapon with intent to do bodily harm in Indian Country and assault by beating, striking, and wounding, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.

U.S. District Judge Keith Starrett sentenced Robert Ross Patton Jr., 47, of Claremore to 33 months in federal prison for assault with a dangerous weapon and 12 months for assault by beating, striking, and wounding. The sentences are to run concurrently and will be followed by 3 years of supervised release.

During his allocution, the defendant told the Judge, “I’m sorry I did it.”

Judge Starrett in addressing the defendant acknowledged that he heard him, but told the defendant, “What happened was terrible and you have a price to pay.”

Patton violently attacked his girlfriend, pulled a knife on her, threatened to kill her, and stabbed at her head and neck multiple times. Patton then stabbed the knife into the wall, dragged the victim to the bathroom, repeatedly banged her head into the tub and punched her in the face. Patton further told the victim that she “needed to get into the tub so that when he killed her, she would not get blood all over the house,” and that “she was not leaving there alive.”

While his case was pending, Patton cut off his ankle monitor and fled the state. When he ran out of money, he called his parents and asked them to come pick him up in Arkansas. When law enforcement located him at his parent’s residence, he fled into the woods where he hid out for over 24 hours before a concerned citizen called the police. He was apprehended and on April 4, 2023, Patton pled guilty and admitted to assaulting the victim.

Patton has been and will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshall pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

The Rogers County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Briden prosecuted the case.