November 2011 Press Releases
Nov. 30, 2011 - DeLeon et al
Three Area Men Land in Federal Prison for Straw Purchasing Scheme
McALLEN, Texas - Three Rio Grande Valley men will be serving prison terms for falsifying information on the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) form 4473 read more
Nov. 30, 2011 - Parsons
Former Alarms Systems Salesman Pleads Guilty to Receipt of Child Pornography
Houston – Douglas Bruce Parsons, 64, has pleaded guilty to one count of receipt of child pornography read more
Nov. 30, 2011 - Cardenas-Meneses
30 Years for Mexican National Involved in Alien Smuggling Conspiracy Resulting in the Death of Nine
McALLEN, Texas – Joel Cardenas-Meneses, 43, a Mexican citizen, has been sentenced to 360 months in federal prison for his role in an alien smuggling conspiracy that resulted in the death of nine people read more
Nov. 29, 2011 - Gonzalez-Ramirez
Mexican National Gets 12 Years for Drug Trafficking and Assaulting Federal Officer
McALLEN, Texas – A 40-year-old Mexican national convicted of drug trafficking and for assaulting a federal agent during a high speed chase has been sentenced to 144 months in prison read more
Nov. 29, 2011 - Kimble
Local Music Producer and Club Owner Convicted on Multiple Federal Charges
HOUSTON - Julian Kimble, 46, has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering and tax evasion read more
Nov. 29, 2011 - Escobar
Jury Convicts El Cenizo Man in Alien Smuggling Conspiracy
Nov. 29, 2011 - Rojas et al
Two Plead Guilty in Sex Trafficking and Alien Harboring Case
HOUSTON - Two defendants have pleaded guilty for their roles in trafficking Mexican females for compelled service at Houston area bars and restaurants through force, fraud and coercion read more
Nov. 22, 2011 - Pollett and Ruffino
Two Houston Men Enter Guilty Pleas in Unrelated Child Pornography Cases
HOUSTON – Christopher Clark Pollett, 63, and Mario Joseph Ruffino, 29, both of Houston, have entered pleas of guilty for possession of child pornography read more
Nov. 22, 2011 - Bestcare
United States Files Suit Against Bestcare Laboratory Services for False Claims Involving Medicare
HOUSTON – The United States has filed suit against BestCare Laboratories Inc. and its founder and principal, Karim A. Maghareh read more
Nov. 21, 2011 - Grimaldi's Pizzeria
Four Grimaldi’s Employees Indicted Following Immigration Enforcement Action
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - Four employees of Grimaldi’s Pizzeria at the La Palmera Mall in Corpus Christi, including the kitchen manager and the assistant kitchen manager, have been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of forging immigration documents and fraudulent use of Social Security numbers read more
Nov. 21, 2011 - Waters
Former Winnie Resident Pleads Guilty to Receipt of Child Pornography
GALVESTON, Texas – Donald Wayne Waters, 44, has pleaded guilty to one count of receipt of child pornography read more
Nov. 21, 2011 - Longoria
Judge Limas Associate Pleads Guilty
BROWNSVILLE, Texas – Another defendant has entered a guilty plea in the FBI’s public corruption investigation of former 404th District Court Judge Abel Corral Limas read more
Nov. 21, 2011 - Aguilar and Mejia
Two Sentenced to Federal Prison for Involvement in Straw Purchase of Firearms
MCALLEN, Texas – Randy Aguilar, of McAllen, Texas, and Miguel Mejia, of Penitas, Texas, have been sentenced to prison for making false statements in acquisition of firearms from Federal Firearms Licensees (FFL), commonly referred to as straw purchasing read more
Nov. 18, 2011 - Simmons
Fugitive Sought in Relation to Serial Robberies of Banks in Grocery Stores
HOUSTON – An 18-count federal superseding indictment has been unsealed today charging nine area men for their roles in the robbery of eight area banks read more
Nov. 18, 2011 - Cardenas Vela
Gulf Cartel “Plaza Boss” Indicted for Drug, Money Laundering and Document Fraud
BROWNSVILLE, Texas - A federal Grand Jury sitting in Brownsville, Texas has indicted Rafael Cardenas Vela for participating in drug and money laundering conspiracies and for procuring fraudulent Visa documents read more
Nov. 18, 2011 - Garza and Flores
Pharmacy Owner and Technician Indicted on Federal Health Care Fraud and Conspiracy Charges
McALLEN, Texas - Sara Elicia Garza, 55, and Valerie Jean Flores 38, both of Mission, Texas, have been arrested on charges of health care fraud and conspiracy to commit health care fraud read more
Nov. 17, 2011 - Liszt
8 Years in Federal Prison for Clute Resident in Child Pornography Case
HOUSTON - Alain Marcony Liszt, 47, has been was sentenced today to 97 months in federal prison for receipt and possession of child pornography read more
Nov. 17, 2011 - Operation Stained Glass
Brownsville Residents Sentenced in Corpus Christi Federal Court on Cocaine and Money Laundering Charges
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – Five area people have been sentenced for their involvement in a cocaine trafficking and money laundering conspiracy read more
Nov. 17, 2011 - Mascorro
Freight Broker Heads to Federal Prison For Fraud Scheme
McALLEN, Texas - Alejandro “Alex” Mascorro, 41, of McAllen, Texas, has been sentenced to federal prison for wire fraud and bankruptcy fraud read more
Nov. 17, 2011 - Meredith
Houston Resident Gets 6 1/2-Year Sentence for Possession of Child Pornography
HOUSTON - Troy Alexander Meredith, 36, has been sentenced to 78 months in federal prison for possession of child pornography read more
Nov. 16, 2011 - Wilson
Verdict Returned in Bank Fraud Trial in Houston
HOUSTON – Steven Jerome Wilson, 24, has been found guilty of all counts with which he was charged following the verdicts of a Houston federal jury read more
Nov. 16, 2011 - Iyamu
Houston Man Arrested for Health Care Fraud
HOUSTON – Endurance Iyamu, 47, of Houston, has been indicted and arrested for devising and executing a scheme to commit health care fraud read more
Nov. 16, 2011 - Giventer and Shvabskaya
Arrested in Florida, Couple to Appear in Houston on Charges of Bankruptcy Fraud
HOUSTON – Husband and wife Michael Giventer and Julia Shvabskaya have been arrested for devising and executing a scheme to commit bankruptcy fraud and defrauding several creditors in Texas and elsewhere read more
Nov. 16, 2011 - Barrera et al
Seven Arrested for Marijuana Drug Trafficking
HOUSTON – Seven individuals have been arrested after they were observed unloading approximately 1600 pounds of marijuana read more
Nov. 16, 2011 - Fiscal Recoveries
U.S. Attorney’s Office Collects $219,457,789 in Civil & Criminal Actions in FY 2011
HOUSTON – The United States Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Texas (SDTX), collected $219,457,789 in criminal and civil actions in Fiscal Year (FY) 2011 read more
Nov. 16, 2011 - Operation Chacal
Multi District OCDETF Investigation Linked to Zeta Organization Leads to Local Arrests
LAREDO, Texas – Several men have been arrested following the return of a sealed indictment alleging ties to the Zeta drug cartel and charges of money laundering read more
Nov. 16, 2011 - Gonzalez
Channelview Resident Pleads Guilty to Possession of Child Pornography
HOUSTON – Eliseo Gonzalez Jr., 30, has pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography read more
Nov. 15, 2011 - Aikens
Former HPD Officer Convicted on Charges of Public Corruption
HOUSTON - Former Houston Police officer Leslie Aikens has been convicted by a federal jury on charges of corruption read more
Nov. 15, 2011 - Garcia
Laredo Man Convicted in Federal Court
LAREDO, Texas – Jesus Eloy Garcia, 37, of Laredo, Texas, has been convicted by a federal jury verdict after a two-day trial of being a prior convicted felon unlawfully in possession of a firearm and ammunition read more
Nov. 15, 2011 - Serrano-Lara
10 Years in Federal Prison for Alien in Smuggling Conspiracy
After hearing from witnesses, the court upwardly departs
Brownsville, Texas – Rogelio Serrano-Lara, 21, of Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico, has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for his role in an alien smuggling/transportation conspiracy read more
Nov. 14, 2011 - Bujol
Texas Man Convicted for Attempting to Provide Material Support to Al Qaeda
HOUSTON – Barry Walter Bujol Jr., a 30-year-old Hempstead, Texas, resident and former student at Prairie View A&M University, has been convicted for attempting to provide material support to Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), a designated foreign terrorist organization read more
Nov. 14, 2011 - Chavez
Former Houston Doctor Sentenced to Federal Prison
HOUSTON - A former Houston physician has been sentenced to 70 months in prison following his convictions for conspiracy to commit mail fraud and mail fraud read more
Nov. 14, 2011 - Aflac 7
Former Hidalgo County Probation Officer and Six Family Members Convicted for Defrauding Aflac
35 convicted to date in connection with multi-million dollar health insurance fraud ring
McALLEN, Texas — Homer Cedillo Jr., a former Hidalgo County District Court probation officer, along with his mother, two aunts and three cousins, have been convicted for defrauding the American Family Life Assurance Company (Aflac) read more
Nov. 8, 2011 - Seaside
Seaside Aquaculture and Owner Must Pay for Killing Protected Species
VICTORIA, Texas - Seaside Aquaculture Inc., a fish farm located in Palacios, Texas, and its owner Khan Vu have been sentenced for illegally killing approximately 90 brown pelicans read more
Nov. 8, 2011 - Trevino
Cocaine Conviction Nets U.S. Citizen Almost 7 Years in Federal Prison
BROWNSVILLE, Texas - Victor Manuel Trevino, a U.S. citizen who had been residing in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico, has been sentenced to 81 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute approximately 36 kilograms of cocaine read more
Nov. 8, 2011 - Ramos Ramos et al
Smuggling Assault Rifles Lands Three in Federal Prison
LAREDO, Texas – Three men have been sentenced to federal prison following their convictions for conspiring to smuggle assault rifles into Mexico read more
Nov. 7, 2011 - Garner
Local Man Pleads Guilty to Sending Obscene Material to a Child
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - Gregory Lynn Garner, 40, has pleaded guilty to transferring obscene material to a minor read more
Nov. 4, 2011 - Ortiz
Corpus Christi Meth Conspirator Convicted by a Federal Jury
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – Jose Antonio Ortiz Jr. of Corpus Christi, 32, has been found guilty for his involvement in a methamphetamine conspiracy read more
Nov. 4, 2011 - Radcliff
Houston Resident Enters Guilty Pleas on Child Pornography Charges
HOUSTON – Michael Johnathan Radcliff, 45, has pleaded guilty to possession and distribution of child pornography read more
Nov. 4, 2011 - Dolmuz-Carcamo
2,648 Kilos of Marijuana Lands Mexican National 10+ Years in Federal Prison
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A Mexican National legally in the United States has been sentenced to 126 months in federal prison without parole read more
Nov. 3, 2011 - Isidro Morales
Final Defendant in Harboring Case Gets Nine Years
HOUSTON – El Salvadorian native Jose Isidro Morales, 38, will be spending the next nine years in prison as a result of his criminal behavior related to harboring illegal aliens read more
Nov. 2, 2011 - Alaniz
Medical Equipment Business Owner and Manager Arrested for Health Care Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft
McALLEN, Texas - A co-owner and manager of a McAllen-area durable medical equipment (DME) business have been indicted by a federal grand jury and charged with conspiracy to commit health care fraud, multiple counts of health care fraud and aggravated identity theft for their alleged roles in a scheme to defraud Medicare and Medicaid through fraudulent billings for power wheelchairs read more
Nov. 1, 2011 - Reese et al
DME Company Owner and Marketers Land in Federal Prison for Massive $17.6 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme
HOUSTON – Six Houston residents involved in a long-term scheme to defraud the Medicare and Medicaid health care benefit programs have been sentenced to federal prison read more
Nov. 1, 2011 - Henry
Indiana Man Pleads Guilty as Trial About to Begin in Two-Ton Marijuana Case
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – An Indiana man has entered a guilty plea to possessing with intent to distribute more than 2,300 kilograms of marijuana read more
Nov. 1, 2011 - De Leon
Home Healthcare Nurse Sentenced to Federal Prison
McALLEN, Texas - A former home healthcare nurse has been sentenced to federal prison without parole for making false statements relating to health care matters read more
Nov. 1, 2011 - Sissom
Bastrop Couple Indicted for Bankruptcy Fraud
HOUSTON - Jimmy W. Sissom and Susan P. Sissom, of Bastrop, Texas, have been charged in a four-count indictment alleging conspiracy, bankruptcy fraud, making false oaths and false declarations in bankruptcy proceedings read more
