Tag: February 2015
Gonzalez Pleads Guilty in NM Heroin Ring Case
ALBUQUERQUE – The final defendant in a major heroin trafficking investigation has pleaded guilty. Patrick Gonzalez, 39, of Las Cruces, N.M., entered his plea today in federal court to charges including heroin trafficking and firearms violations. The DOJ reported that Gonzalez was part of a group targeted by a multi-agency investigation led by the FBI.…
Bay Bandit: Hayden Gets 18 Months for Striped Bass Heist
Bay Bandit: Hayden Gets 18 Months for Striped Bass Heist TILGHMAN ISLAND, MD – Michael D. Hayden, 43, of Tilghman Island, is trading crab pots for prison bars after being sentenced today to 18 months behind bars for a brazen scheme to illegally harvest and sell nearly 186,000 pounds of striped bass from the Chesapeake…
Deming Couple Convicted of Kidnapping and Firearms Violations
ALBUQUERQUE – A federal jury in Las Cruces, N.M., delivered a guilty verdict today against Jessie Hopper, Sr., 54, and Polly Hopper, 61, of Deming, N.M., finding them guilty on multiple counts including kidnapping and firearms violations. The Hoppers were convicted alongside their co-defendant, Jessie A. Hopper, Jr., 30. Hopper, Sr., and Polly Hopper had…
Las Cruces Gunman Gets 20 Years for Violation of Federal Firearms Laws
ALBUQUERQUE – Clemente Eduardo Vasquez-De La Cruz, 27, a Mexican national living in Las Cruces, N.M., was handed a 20-year federal prison sentence this afternoon for violating firearms laws. The sentence also includes three years of supervised release. Vasquez-De La Cruz was targeted under the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s anti-violence initiative, which seeks to remove violent…
Castle High Treasurer Pilfers $134K: McKee Indicted
EVANSVILLE, IN – A former Castle High School employee is facing the music after a federal indictment revealed allegations of a brazen theft of over $134,000 in school funds. Rebecca A. McKee, 60, of Newburgh, Indiana, was indicted this week on three counts of theft concerning programs receiving federal funds, according to United States Attorney…
Whitlow Sentenced for Elderly Fraud Scheme
Former Kansas City resident Thomas Whitlow, 53, was handed a 9-year prison sentence on February 27, 2015, in Lincoln, Nebraska. The sentence came after Whitlow’s conviction for Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and Wire Fraud. U.S. Attorney Deborah R. Gilg announced the sentence, which also included restitution of $17,521 and a 3-year supervised release term.…
Walthill’s Harlan Sentenced for Habitual DV Attacks
Walthill’s own Terry L. Harlan, 52, has been handed a severe justice for his habitual domestic violence attacks, according to the United States Attorney Deborah R. Gilg. The sentence reflects the severity of Harlan’s actions, which took place on the Omaha Indian Reservation in March 2014. Harlan, found guilty following a jury trial in November…
Lincoln Man Sentenced for Child Porn Distribution
Charles LeRoy Walker, 54, once a resident of Lincoln, Nebraska, is facing a decade behind bars for his despicable distribution of child pornography. United States Attorney Deborah R. Gilg made the chilling announcement that Walker has been sentenced by United States District Judge John M. Gerrard to serve 70 months in federal prison. The Lincoln…
Brockport Man Admits To $400K Treasury Check Scam
Brockport Man Admits To $400K Treasury Check Scam ROCHESTER, N.Y. – Steven Ray, 49, of Brockport, New York, has confessed to a brazen scheme involving stolen U.S. Treasury checks, totaling over $400,000. Ray pleaded guilty today to one count of mail fraud and one count of forging treasury checks before U.S. Magistrate Judge Marian W.…
Lottery Scam Kingpins Sentenced in SC
United States Attorney Bill Nettles dropped the hammer today on a trio of SC lottery scam kingpins. Shadiki Brown, 29, from Little River; Davion Bellamy, 26, of Conway; and Ann Marie Yapp, 44, from North Myrtle Beach faced justice for their despicable scheme that bilked elderly Americans out of life savings. The scammers notified seniors…
