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

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that on January 10, 2024, JOSHUA MORGAN, age 30, a resident of Orleans Parish, pled guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8).  If convicted, MORGAN faces up to 15 years of imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, up to 3 years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00.  Sentencing is set for April 10, 2024.

According to court records, on October 10, 2022, NOPD responded to a 911 call of shots being fired. The caller reported observing a subject in a grey shirt with black shorts flee from a vehicle, run through a parking lot, and put something in a storm drain behind a business located in the 3400 block of Tulane Avenue. Video surveillance from the area showed an Infiniti SUV driving on Tulane Avenue toward downtown New Orleans and stop at a red light. After the Infiniti stops, one vehicle pulled up next to the Infiniti while another pulled up from behind. The occupants of those two vehicles opened fire on the Infiniti. MORGAN, who was in the Infiniti, shot through his windshield, exited the Infiniti and continued firing at the two vehicles. Surveillance video also showed MORGAN running from the Infiniti with a firearm in his hand, placing the firearm in his pants pocket, and later discarding the firearm in a storm drain. MORGAN is a felon and prohibited from possessing a firearm.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Inga Petrovich of the Violent Crime Unit.

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

INDIANAPOLIS- Alicia Wilson, 37, of Indianapolis, has been sentenced to three years’ probation, with the first 15 months on home detention, and ordered to pay $270,876 in restitution after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

In April of 2023, Mindi B. Madison, 53, of Indianapolis plead guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and was sentenced to three years’ probation and also ordered to pay $270,876 in restitution.

According to court documents, Wilson and Madison conspired together to embezzle funds from WFYI (“WFYI”) Public Media into their personal checking accounts.

Madison began working as an Accounting Specialist for WFYI in January 2018. WFYI was owned and operated by Metropolitan Indianapolis Public Media, Inc., and provided television and radio programming throughout Central Indiana. Madison’s co-conspirator, Wilson, was neither an employee nor a vendor of WFYI.

As an Accounting Specialist, Madison had access to WFYI’s accounting software, and was trusted to present legitimate expenses, claims, invoices, and supporting documentation along with the unsigned WFYI checks to employees at WFYI who had signature authority for their approval and signature. Instead of presenting legitimate claims that arose out of WFYI’s legitimate business expenses for signature and payment, Madison abused her position of trust, and presented at least 156 fake claims and invoices for payment. In effort to conceal the theft from WFYI and their banking institutions, Madison and Wilson agreed that Madison would falsify invoices using versions of Wilson’s name and businesses connected to her. 

Madison tendered WFYI checks to Wilson, and they agreed that Wilson would then deposit the checks into her bank accounts. Wilson then withdrew Madison’s portion in cash, and they split the illegal proceeds. Both Madison and Wilson used WFYI’s stolen funds for their own personal expenditures including but not limited to, rent, restaurants, groceries, fuel, and utilities.

In total, the pair embezzled approximately $270,876 from WFYI before the theft was discovered. Wilson’s participation in the scheme made it virtually impossible for WFYI to detect the theft. 

“Complex economic crimes such as these devastate the finances and security of businesses and individuals. The defendants’ theft deprived WFYI of hundreds of thousands of dollars intended for public service and educating the community,” said Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Our office will continue to work with the FBI to identify and prosecute individuals who scheme and steal to satisfy their own greed.”

The FBI investigated this case. The sentences were imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Sarah Evans Barker.

U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorney Tiffany J. Preston, who prosecuted this case.

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

Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that EFRAIN DELEON, 61, of New Britain, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Robert N. Chatigny in Hartford to 79 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for committing nine robberies of convenience stores and smoke shops in Connecticut and New Hampshire in 2022.

According to court documents and statements made in court, between February 27 and March 16, 2022, Efrain Deleon, Gilberto Deleon, and Steven Galarza, using BB guns that are designed to appear similar to real firearms, robbed the following retail locations of cash, cigarettes and other items:

• February 27 – Scott’s Village Mobil Gas Station, 843 Farmington Avenue, Farmington
• March 2 – Mystic Mobil Gas Station, 66 Whitehall Avenue, Mystic
• March 3 – Shell Gas Station, 168 Bridge Street, East Windsor
• March 3 – Food Bag, 960 Meriden Waterbury Turnpike, Southington
• March 5 – Valero Gas Station, 1 Main Street, Ellington
• March 5 – Sunoco Gas Station, 446 Bloomfield Avenue, Windsor
• March 8 – Smoker’s Discount World, 636 Silas Deane Highway, Wethersfield
• March 16 – Cove Smoke Market, located at 841 Cove Road, Stamford

During the robberies, Efrain Deleon typically interacted directly with the store clerk and took the cash and tobacco products.  Gilberto Deleon acted as the “lookout” and Galarza acted as the “getaway” driver.  At times, their roles overlapped.

On March 19, 2022, Efrain Deleon and Galarza also robbed a 7-Eleven in Salem, New Hampshire.

Efrain Deleon has been detained since his arrest on April 19, 2022.  On May 9, 2023, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act Robbery.  Deleon’s criminal history includes seven prior robbery convictions.

Galarza, of Seymour, and Gilberto Deleon, of New Britain, pleaded guilty to related charges.  On July 20, 2023, Galarza, who also committed two additional robberies in Connecticut and New York, was sentenced to 78 months of imprisonment.  On December 14, 2023, Gilberto Deleon was sentenced to 34 months of imprisonment.

This investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Connecticut State Police, and the Farmington, Stonington, East Windsor, Southington, Windsor, Wethersfield, Stamford, New Britain, Salem (N.H.), and Somers (N.Y.) Police Departments. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan Keefe.

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

FRESNO, Calif. — Bobbi Jo Heiss, 37, of Fresno, was sentenced today to seven years in prison for bank fraud and aggravated identity theft, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, between August 2020 and September 2021, Heiss engaged in a scheme to steal debit cards, checks, identity documents, and banking information in order to make fraudulent purchases, cash checks, and open unauthorized lines of credit. The scheme caused at least $250,000 in actual and attempted loss during a year-long period. For example, as part of the scheme, on April 30, 2021, Heiss presented a check for $57,767 to a car dealership in Fresno with the name and driver’s license number of an identity theft victim in order to purchase a 2017 truck.

This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office – Elder Abuse Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Henry Z. Carbajal III prosecuted the case.

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

AUSTIN, Texas – A Georgetown woman was sentenced in a federal court in Austin to 41 months in prison for embezzlement by a credit union employee.

According to court documents, Tracy Mikulencak, 44, embezzled approximately $144,000 from her teller drawer and the vault while working at A+ Federal Credit Union. A+ auditors also revealed that Mikulencak had made unauthorized withdrawals from customer accounts, including a deceased account holder. In total, Mikulencak embezzled $325,708 from the credit union. In addition to her imprisonment, Mikulencak was also ordered to pay $302,668 in restitution.

“The excellent investigative work by our partners at the FBI and the Georgetown Police Department unraveled a scheme by a trusted credit union employee to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars from the credit union and its members,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas. “These crimes strike at the heart of our banking system. Those entrusted with customer funds must be held to the highest standards of honesty and integrity. The judge’s sentence in this case affirms the commitment of the U.S. Attorney’s office to swift and certain punishment.”

“Tracy Mikulencak used her position to steal from the elderly and from grieving family members of a deceased customer. This sentence is reflective of the FBI’s commitment to stopping criminals who take advantage of vulnerable members of society,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Doug Olson for the FBI San Antonio Division. “We want to thank the Georgetown Police Department for their continued partnership in keeping our communities safe.”

The FBI and Georgetown PD investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Dan Guess prosecuted the case.

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

Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that STEVEN JONES was sentenced to 200 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Kenneth M. Karas for his distribution of heroin and fentanyl that resulted in the death of Jamie Elliott, a 26-year-old woman from Cochecton, New York.  Today’s sentencing followed JONES’s guilty plea on November 29, 2021.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Steven Jones sold the fentanyl-laced heroin that killed Jamie Elliott, a 26-year-old mother.  Even after Jones’s drugs killed Jamie Elliott, he continued to peddle dangerous opioids.  This senseless tragedy could have been avoided, and we will continue to seek lengthy prison terms for those who poison others and add to the death toll of the opioid epidemic.”

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in related court proceedings: 

On June 1, 2018, the defendant sold fentanyl-laced heroin stamped “Dorney Park,” to Elliott, the mother of one of the defendant’s children.  Ms. Elliott was found dead inside her bedroom the following morning.  An autopsy conducted following Ms. Elliott’s death revealed that she had died from a lethal dose of fentanyl.  New York State Police (“NYSP”) investigators recovered additional bags of “Dorney Park” fentanyl-laced heroin in Ms. Elliott’s clothing. 

Facebook Messenger messages reflected that Ms. Elliott had purchased narcotics from JONES the evening before her death.  The day Ms. Elliott’s death was discovered, the defendant deactivated his Facebook account.  But the defendant did not stop selling dangerous drugs.  Shortly before his September 2, 2018, arrest the defendant obtained 500 more glassine envelopes of heroin for sale. 

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In addition to the prison term, JONES, 37, of Monticello, New York, was sentenced to three years of supervised release.

Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Hudson Valley Safe Streets Task Force and the NYSP in connection with this investigation.

This case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey C. Coffman is in charge of the prosecution.