Tag: February 2017
Derek L. Winston Sentenced for Felon in Possession of Firearm
Derek L. Winston, 39, of Irvington, Alabama, is headed to federal prison after being sentenced to a year and a day for illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. The sentence was handed down this morning in federal court by U.S. District Judge William H. Steele, marking the end of a case rooted in…
Centralia Burglar Terrell Cleggett Sentenced to 42 Months
GRIMY TIMES EXCLUSIVE: Centralia, Illinois resident Terrell D. Cleggett, 35, has been sentenced to 42 months in federal prison for possession of a firearm by a felon and being in possession of stolen firearms, according to the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Donald S. Boyce. Cleggett’s sentence, handed down on February…
Bloods Gang Busted: 13 Face Federal Drug & Gun Charges
COLUMBIA, SC – Thirteen individuals are facing federal charges after a sweeping, two-year undercover investigation targeting a major drug trafficking operation with ties to the Billie East Side Bloods gang. The arrests, announced today by U.S. Attorney Beth Drake, mark a significant blow to criminal activity plaguing the Myrtle Beach, Florence, and Charleston areas of…
Boerne Couple Busted in $800K Bankruptcy Fraud Scheme
Boerne resident Curtis Harold DeBerry, 56, is headed to federal prison for 24 months after pleading guilty to bankruptcy fraud, while his wife, Kathy Suzanne DeBerry, 54, will serve five years of federal probation. The couple’s deception unraveled in San Antonio federal court, where U.S. District Judge Xavier Rodriguez handed down the sentences last week,…
Thomas Hammerstone Jailed for Dodging Sex Offender Registry
Thomas Hammerstone, 34, of McMechen, West Virginia, is headed to federal prison for six months after pleading guilty to dodging his legal obligation to register as a sex offender. The conviction hits hard in a region where public trust in offender accountability runs thin, and failures to comply don’t go unnoticed by federal authorities. Between…
Robert J. Johnson Guilty
A Cleveland man has pleaded guilty to distributing fentanyl that killed a woman, according to U.S. Attorney Carole S. Rendon. Robert J. Johnson, 27, pleaded guilty to two counts of distribution of fentanyl, charges that stem from sales of fentanyl that took place on Aug. 25 and 27, 2015. The Aug. 25 sale resulted in…
Jeffrey Sells, Jerod Kernen Sentenced on Firearm Charges
Two Northern Panhandle men are behind bars after being sentenced for illegal firearm possession in separate but equally damning federal cases out of West Virginia. Jeffrey L. Sells, Jr., 26, of Moundsville, was sentenced to 41 months in prison after being caught with an arsenal of weapons during a 2015 stop in Marshall County. The…
Heroin Kingpins Combs and Irvin Face Federal Prison Terms
Roanoke, Virginia – Two hard-core heroin kingpins have met their comeuppance after a federal court in Roanoke sentenced Kelly Marie Combs and Hameen Shahid Irvin to lengthy prison terms. Kelly Marie Combs, 28, of Salem, Va., who had previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute and to distribute heroin, was…
Michigan Woman Gets 70 Months for $7.5M Ponzi Scheme
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN – Sarah Frances Bolhuis, 70, of Ellsworth, Michigan, is headed to federal prison after being sentenced to 70 months for running a brazen, multi-million dollar investment scheme. U.S. District Judge Paul L. Maloney didn’t just hand down the prison term; he also ordered Bolhuis to repay a staggering $5,225,854.41 to the 53…
Luther ‘Pumpkin’ Ray Gets 40 Years for Sex Trafficking Teen
Luther Gene Ray, aka “Pumpkin,” was hit with a 40-year federal prison sentence Thursday for sex trafficking a 16-year-old girl by force in San Diego. The 33-year-old Hemet, CA man preyed on a runaway shortly after his release from federal prison, dragging her into a brutal cycle of prostitution and violence. Ray was convicted following…
