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October 8, 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

Three Individuals Sentenced and Two Individuals
Enter Pleas of Guilty in Federal Court

MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA - Three individuals were sentenced and two individuals entered pleas of guilty in United States District Court in Martinsburg with Chief Judge John P. Bailey presiding.

Acting United States Attorney Betsy C. Jividen announced that:

CARL D. HELTON, age 54, of Martinsburg, West Virginia, was sentenced on September 29, 2009, to 109 months imprisonment to be followed by ten years of supervised release. HELTON must also register as a sex offender. HELTON entered a plea of guilty on July 17, 2009, to one count of possession of child pornography on January 22, 2008, in Martinsburg. HELTON, who is free on bond, will self report on November 2, 2009.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Erin K. Reisenweber. The case was investigated by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs-Office of Inspector General, in conjunction with the Martinsburg Veterans Administration Medical Center Police Department.

ARTURO VARGAS GARCIA, age 40, formerly of Virginia, was sentenced on September 29, 2009, to 30 months imprisonment to be followed by three years of supervised release. GARCIA entered a plea of guilty on May 1, 2009, to one count of illegal re-entry into the Untied States after having previously been removed as an alien. GARCIA was discovered in Jefferson County, West Virginia, on February 12, 2009. GARCIA was remanded to the custody of the United States Marshal.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Erin K. Reisenweber. The case was investigated by the United States Department of Homeland Security-Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

SUSAN A. WATTS, age 39, of Martinsburg, was sentenced on September 29, 2009, to 30 months imprisonment to be followed by three years of supervised release. WATTS entered a plea of guilty on June 23, 2009, to one count of unauthorized use of an access device, which occurred beginning in or about September of 2007 and continued until in or about March of 2008. WATTS, while employed as a nursing aide at the Veterans Administration Medical Center, used a patient’s debit card, without the patient’s permission, to obtain goods and services in excess of $50,000, spending $13,175.00 after the patient’s death. WATTS also used another nursing home patient’s debit card without his permission incurring $1,812.10 in losses to him. The Court ordered WATTS to pay $54,353.79 in restitution to the estate of the first victim and $1,812.10 in restitution to the second victim. WATTS was remanded to the custody of the United States Marshal.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Erin K. Reisenweber. The case was investigated by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs-Office of Inspector General, in conjunction with the Martinsburg Veterans Administration Medical Center Police Department.

SEAN TYREE DICKERSON, age 22, of Forrestville, Maryland, entered a plea of guilty on October 5, 2009, to one count of an Indictment charging him with the possession with intent to distribute “crack” cocaine on July 13, 2006, in Martinsburg. DICKERSON, who is free on bond pending sentencing, faces a maximum exposure of 20 years imprisonment and a fine of $1,000,000.

CEDRIC A. SMITH, age 26, of Washington, DC, entered a plea of guilty on October 5, 2009, to one count of an Indictment charging him with the distribution of “crack” cocaine on July 13, 2006, in Martinsburg. SMITH, who is free on bond pending sentencing, faces a maximum exposure of 20 years imprisonment and a fine of $1,000,000.

These cases were prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Erin K. Reisenweber. The cases were investigated by the Eastern Panhandle Drug & Violent Crime Task Force, consisting of officers from the West Virginia State Police - Bureau of Criminal Investigation, the Martinsburg Police Department, and the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Department.