BOISE – Manual Vera-Gonzalez, of Guanajuato, Mexico, was sentenced today to time served by Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced. Vera-Gonzalez had served over seven months in custody since his arrest in April 2017. Vera-Gonzalez pleaded guilty on August 30, 2017, to failure to register as a sex offender.
According to the plea agreement, Vera-Gonzalez is a native and citizen of Mexico. Vera-Gonzalez had been removed from the United States to Mexico on or about August 15, 2016. He returned to the United States and was discovered in Ada County, Idaho, in April 2017. Vera-Gonzalez was required to register under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA) by virtue of his 2005 conviction for sexual battery by restraint in Orange County, California. He was previously convicted in 2014 for failure to register as a sex offender in the District of Idaho. Nonetheless, Vera-Gonzalez again knowingly failed to register as a sex offender, as he was required to do under SORNA.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service and the Department of Homeland Security Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
BOISE – Acting U.S. Attorney Rafael M. Gonzalez, Jr., announced today that the office’s Financial Litigation Program collected more than $10.94 million in criminal restitution, fines, and assessments and in civil debts for the fiscal year that ended September 30, 2021. In some cases, the U.S. Attorney’s Office worked in conjunction with litigating components of the U.S. Department of Justice. Of the total collected, approximately $5 million were criminal restitution, fines, and/or assessments, and approximately $5.9 million were civil debts. In addition, the Asset Forfeiture Unit deposited to the Asset Forfeiture Fund approximately $452,963 in proceeds and instruments of crime in criminal and civil forfeiture actions.
“This office’s collection and asset forfeiture attorneys, paralegals, analysts, and fiscal agents is second to none. They come to work every day to recover money for you from those who have hurt victims and attempted to profit from their nefarious deeds,” said Mr. Gonzalez. “We should all be proud of the outstanding work these dedicated public servants have done over the past year. These results show they served this office and the taxpayers of Idaho so very well.”
Victims of crime receive funds collected in criminal restitution cases. In fiscal year 2021, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, through the Financial Litigation Program, collected over $4.6 million in criminal restitution that was or will be distributed to victims of crime. Other criminal collections such as fines go into the Crime Victims Fund. From there, funds are distributed to the Idaho Crime Victims Compensation Program, the Idaho Council on Domestic Violence and Victim Assistance, and similar programs across the country. Money recovered from the illegal proceeds of criminal activity through forfeiture is returned to victims, used to offset the costs of operating federal prisons, and shared with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies to help fight crime. Other recoveries go back to agency creditors.
During the fiscal year, some notable criminal restitution collections include $3 million from a defendant who committed wire fraud, almost $250,000 from a defendant who embezzled from their employer, $100,000 from a defendant who also embezzled funds, and almost $100,000 from a business for violating the Clean Water Act.
Forfeitures valued at approximately $452,963, included currency, vehicles, and other property related to trafficking in controlled substances, fraud, child exploitation, and other serious crimes. These included $191,841 from a defendant who embezzled from his employer and invested the proceeds in real estate and two $100,000 payments from defendants convicted of drug crimes. In some cases, the United States shared, or will share, seized money and property with local investigating agencies. In victim cases, the U.S. Attorney’s Office works to direct proceeds of forfeiture to crime victims.
As for civil debts and penalties, the Financial Litigation Program collects civil penalties for violations of regulations involving, among other things, controlled substances, environmental protection, damage to federal property, and procurement fraud. It also collects civil debts for defaulted loans.
BOISE -Travis Richard Hampton, 41, of Glenns Ferry, Idaho, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 46 months in federal prison based upon his April 2021 guilty plea for the unlawful possession of firearms and the possession of unregistered silencers, Acting U.S. Attorney Rafael M. Gonzalez, Jr., announced today. U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also ordered Hampton to serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence. Hampton pleaded guilty to the charges on April 22, 2021.
According to court records, on January 5, 2021, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on Hampton’s vehicle in Gooding County, Idaho. Hampton was the driver and he was accompanied by one passenger. A search of the vehicle was conducted pursuant to a search warrant and seven firearms were located, along with other dangerous items. It was determined that four of these firearms were jointly possessed by Hampton and the passenger, and which they intended to sell together. Hampton is prohibited from possessing firearms as a result of a prior felony conviction for Injury to Child in Elmore County, Idaho in 2008.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) also executed a search warrant at Hampton’s residence in Elmore County, Idaho. There, agents located two additional firearms, four non-commercially manufactured silencers with no serial numbers, and other dangerous items. None of the silencers were registered to Hampton under the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record as is required by law.
Acting U.S. Attorney Gonzalez credited the cooperative efforts of the ATF, the Twin Falls Police Department, the Elmore County Sheriff’s Office, and the Idaho State Police, which led to charges.
This case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) program. PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
BOISE and POCATELLO – U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit announced the outcomes in two separate District of Idaho cases in which the defendants were sentenced to 24 years and over 21 years in federal prison, respectively, for sex crimes against minor children.
“Our prosecutors and victim support staff are second to none when it comes to holding child predators accountable and supporting victims on the path towards healing,” said U.S. Attorney Hurwit. “Protecting Idaho’s children is a sacred duty for my office, and we are lucky to work with so many dedicated partners in this mission.”
On September 10, 2024, Nicholas Glenn Baker 37, of Twin Falls, was sentenced to 288 months in federal prison for aiding and abetting the sexual exploitation of a child.
According to court records, on July 17, 2023, detectives with the Idaho Falls Police Department and the Idaho Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force began an investigation after receiving a report that child pornography had been uploaded to an online file storage account. Detectives determined that the account belonged to Rexanna Marie Johnston of Idaho Falls. Detectives obtained and executed a search warrant on Johnston’s residence and electronic devices. Detectives discovered that Johnston had produced images of a child pornography of an infant that was in her custody. Detectives further recovered online chat communications between Johnston and Baker. In those communications Johnston and Baker discussed their sexual interests in children, and child pornography. Johnston also sent Baker child pornography images she had produced of the infant in her custody. Baker then asked for Johnston to produce additional child pornographic images of the infant and send them to him, which she did. (Johnston pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation charges on May 22, 2024, and is awaiting sentencing scheduled for November 19, 2024.) When detectives arrested Baker he admitted that he knew the infant in Johnston’s custody was a real child, that he requested Johnston produce and send him child pornography images of the infant, and that he received those images.
“Our job, as HSI special agents or in working through our many partnerships, is to protect the most vulnerable. This 288 month sentence helps to accomplish that,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert Hammer, who oversees HSI operations in the Pacific Northwest. “Every image of child exploitation represents a life that has been altered by a child predator, and as a community we can be ever more vigilant to reduce the amount of these images that are distributed online.”
“I am continually grateful for the hard work and partnerships that enable us to successfully investigate and prosecute these horrific crimes against children,” said Attorney General Raúl Labrador. “Removing these predators from our neighborhoods is a top priority for all of us and I’m encouraged to see the courts delivering sentences that are commensurate with the crimes.”
“We are proud of the work done in this case by Idaho Falls Police Investigators and grateful for our partnerships with the US Attorney’s Office and the ICAC Taskforce,” said Idaho Falls Police Chief Bryce Johnson. “This case underscores the important work being done through these partnerships – protecting the most vulnerable members of our communities and seeking justice on their behalf.”
Senior U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also ordered that Baker serve a lifetime of supervised release following his prison sentence. Baker will be required to register as a sex offender as a result of the conviction.
In a separate case, Alexis Alatriste, 27, of Nampa, was sentenced to 262 months in federal prison for sexual exploitation of a child.
According to court records, on January 5, 2024, a citizen reported to the Nampa Police Department that she had found videos on Alatriste’s cellphone of Alatriste sexually abusing the four-year-old victim. Investigators seized and examined Alatriste’s cellphone after obtaining a search warrant. Alatriste had deleted the explicit videos, but investigators recovered the videos using forensic tools. Investigators determined that Alatriste had used his cellphone to record the videos of himself sexually abusing the victim. Investigators also located other files of child pornography on the cellphone.
“This case is an excellent example of the importance of strong partnerships between local and federal agencies. Our teamwork successfully brought this case to a positive resolution, with Mr. Alatriste serving time in prison for this terrible crime. We’ll continue to work together to help protect our community,” said Nampa Police Chief Joe Huff.
U.S. District Judge Amanda K. Brailsford also ordered Alatriste to be placed on lifetime supervised release after the end of his prison term. Alatriste will be required to register as a sex offender as a result of the conviction.
The Baker case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations in Idaho Falls, the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office, the Idaho Falls Police Department, and the Idaho ICAC Task Force. The Alatriste case was investigated by the Nampa Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Justin Paskett and Kassandra McGrady prosecuted these cases.
These cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. As part of Project Safe Childhood, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho and the Idaho Attorney General’s Office partner to marshal federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
COUER D’ALENE – U.S. Chief District Judge B. Lynn Winmill sentenced Dr. Stanley Toelle to one month in federal prison to be followed by one year supervised release for submitting false income tax returns in 2012 and 2013, Acting U.S. Attorney Rafael Gonzalez announced. Pursuant to a plea agreement, Toelle admitted that his and his wife’s joint tax returns were false because they did not report that his wife, Loren Toelle, was conducting business activities. Toelle admitted that Loren Toelle generated income of $52,692.00 in 2012 and $111,396.00 in 2013, none of which was reported. As a result, Judge Winmill also ordered Toelle to pay $47,597.31 in restitution for back taxes on this revenue. Judge Winmill also ordered Toelle to pay a $5,000 fine.
Loren Toelle, now divorced from Toelle, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and conspiracy to launder money. She was sentenced to 212 months in prison. Loren Toelle admitted to being the organizer and leader of her drug trafficking and money laundering organization, which involved her children and friends. This group sold oxycodone, heroin and methamphetamine in Idaho, Washington, Montana and North Dakota. The organization sold an average of about $1 million of illegal narcotics per year from 2012 through 2014.
Toelle maintains that he did not know about Loren Toelle’s drug organization and that it was the source of her income. In a separate civil action, he agreed to forfeit $150,000 to resolve forfeiture claims on two homes and other assets that constituted proceeds of Loren Toelle’s drug trafficking organization.
The case is a result of a joint investigation and cooperative law enforcement efforts of the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), including the FBI North Idaho Violent Crime Task Force which consist of the Coeur d’Alene Police Department, the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office, Post Falls Police Department, Kootenai county Sheriff’s Department, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), U.S. Marshal Service and Department of Homeland Security. Other agencies involved include the Williston, North Dakota Police Department, the United States Attorney’s Offices in Las Vegas, Nevada and North Dakota, the FBI in North Dakota, Williams County Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Border Patrol, Williston Police Department, North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation, Northwest Narcotics Task Force, the Washington State Patrol, the U.S. Marshal Service in Las Vegas, IRS-CI in Las Vegas, and the DEA in Las Vegas and the United States Attorney’s Office in Idaho.
The indictments are the result of a joint investigation of the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The OCDETF program is a federal multi agency, multi- jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations.
