ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, announced today that Lionel Vallo was sentenced to 37 months in prison. Vallo, 39, of Albuquerque, pleaded guilty on Nov. 14, 2022 to being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition and failure to update his sex offender registration.

According to the plea agreement and other court records, Vallo, who previously was convicted of aggravated sexual abuse in Indian Country in 2003, failed to update his sex offender registration after moving to a new address in Albuquerque. Vallo also failed to update his quarterly registration on July 1, 2020.

On July 26, 2022, in Albuquerque, members of the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) Southwest Investigative Fugitive Team (SWIFT) Task Force initiated a traffic stop on Vallo, who was subject to an arrest warrant for absconding from supervised release. Vallo did not stop immediately, and once stopped, initially was non-compliant with commands to exit the vehicle. After Vallo eventually exited the vehicle and was taken into custody, SWIFT members located loaded firearms in the vehicle.

Upon his release from prison, Vallo will be subject to 10 years of supervised release.

Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the U.S. Marshals Service investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorneys Nicholas Marshall and Matthew McGinley are prosecuting the case.

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ALBUQUERQUE – Lorenzo A. Ruiz-Gonzalez, 26, entered a guilty plea to heroin and methamphetamine trafficking charges today in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M.  Immediately thereafter, Ruiz-Gonzales was sentenced to 70 months of imprisonment.  He will be deported after completing his prison sentence.

Ruiz-Gonzalez , a Mexican national who had been residing in El Paso, Texas, was arrested in July 2017, after New Mexico State Police (NMSP) officers found approximately 1,061.1 grams of methamphetamine and 612 grams of heroin inside Ruiz-Gonzalez’s vehicle during a routine traffic stop on Interstate 10 in Dona Ana County, N.M. 

Today, Ruiz-Gonzalez pled guilty to a felony information charging him with possession of methamphetamine and heroin with intent to distribute.  In entering the guilty plea, Ruiz-Gonzalez admitted that on July 13, 2017, he drove a vehicle containing approximately 856.8 grams of methamphetamine and 493 grams of heroin.  Ruiz-Gonzalez admitted that he was in the process of delivering the drugs to another when he was pulled over by law enforcement for a traffic violation.

This case was investigated by the Las Cruces office of the FBI and the NMSP.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brock E. Taylor of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office as part of the New Mexico Heroin and Opioid Prevention and Education (HOPE) Initiative.  The HOPE Initiative was launched in January 2015 by the UNM Health Sciences Center and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in response to the national opioid epidemic, which has had a disproportionately devastating impact on New Mexico.  Opioid addiction has taken a toll on public safety, public health and the economic viability of our communities.  Working in partnership with the DEA, the Bernalillo County Opioid Accountability Initiative, Healing Addiction in our Community (HAC), the Albuquerque Public Schools and other community stakeholders, HOPE’s principal goals are to protect our communities from the dangers associated with heroin and opioid painkillers and reducing the number of opioid-related deaths in New Mexico. 

The HOPE Initiative is comprised of five components:  (1) prevention and education; (2) treatment; (3) law enforcement; (4) reentry; and (5) strategic planning.  HOPE’s law enforcement component is led by the Organized Crime Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the DEA in conjunction with their federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement partners.  Targeting members of major heroin and opioid trafficking organizations for investigation and prosecution is a priority of the HOPE Initiative.  Learn more about the New Mexico HOPE Initiative at http://www.HopeInitiativeNM.org.

ALBUQUERQUE – Leroy Tchod Cameron Ravenell, 28, of Colorado Springs, Colo., was sentenced this morning in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M., to 30 months in prison for his cocaine trafficking conviction.  Ravenell will be on supervised release for three years after completing his prison sentence.

U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested Ravenell on Nov. 11, 2016, after finding approximately .36 kilograms (.8 pounds) of cocaine and two loaded firearms concealed in his vehicle during an inspection at the U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint near Alamogordo, N.M., in Otero County, N.M.  Ravenell initially was charged in a criminal complaint.  He subsequently was indicted on May 17, 2017, and was charged with possession of cocaine with intent to distribute.

On Aug. 2, 2017, a federal jury returned a guilty verdict against Ravenell on the sole count of the indictment.  The testimony at trial established that on Nov. 11, 2016, Ravenell was a passenger in his vehicle when it drove into the U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint on Highway 54 south of Alamogordo.  During a routine inspection of Ravenell’s vehicle, Border Patrol agents found approximately 243 grams of cocaine and two firearms in the back of the vehicle, in addition to finding a large amount of cash on Ravenell’s person.  The jury also heard Ravenell’s statement to law enforcement acknowledging that he bought the cocaine in El Paso, Tex., on the morning of Nov. 11, 2016, with the intention of selling it to others.  

This case was investigated by the DEA and the U.S. Border Patrol and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Balla and Richard C. Williams of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, announced today that Tony Jake, Jr., was charged in a criminal complaint with abusive sexual contact with a minor. Jake, 74, of Ramah, New Mexico, and an enrolled member of the Ramah Navajo Nation, made an initial appearance in federal court on June 3 and will remain in custody pending a preliminary and detention hearing scheduled for June 7.

According to the complaint, on May 28, Jake allegedly engaged in sexual contact with a seven-year-old victim during a service at the Yahweh Church in Ramah. The alleged offense took place on the Ramah Navajo Reservation, and the victim is an enrolled member of the Ramah Navajo Nation.

A complaint is only an allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Jake faces up to life in prison.

The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Ramah Navajo Police Department. Special Assistant United States Attorney Chelsea N. Van Deventer is prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.  Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and DOJ’s Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals 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 http://www.justice.gov/psc/.

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              ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – David Richard Chavez, 57, of Bernalillo County, New Mexico, pleaded guilty in federal court today to possession of an unregistered destructive device and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.

              According to the plea agreement and other court records, on April 26, 2020, Chavez barricaded himself inside his home when officers arrived in response to a domestic dispute between Chavez and his wife. Chavez threatened to burn down the couple’s home and later attempted to do so using two Molotov cocktails. At the time, Chavez also possessed a stolen .380 caliber pistol and 36 rounds of ammunition.

              Chavez has five prior felony convictions from New Mexico and Montana, including aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, possession of a firearm by a felon, theft and criminal endangerment. As a previously convicted felon, Chavez cannot legally possess a firearm or ammunition.

              Chavez will remain in custody pending sentencing. Under the terms of the plea agreement, Chavez faces up to four years and nine months in prison.

              The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated this case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Jaymie L. Roybal is prosecuting the case.

ALBUQUERQUE – Mykal Concho, 23, an enrolled member and resident of Acoma Pueblo, N.M., pled guilty today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to a statutory rape charge.  Concho entered the guilty plea without the benefit of a plea agreement. 

 

Concho was arrested on May 23, 2017, on an indictment charging him with sexually abusing a minor between 12 and 16 years of age.  According to the indictment, Concho committed the crime between Nov. 24, 2014 and Dec. 31, 2014, on the Laguna Pueblo in Cibola County, N.M.

 

During today’s proceedings, Concho pled guilty to the indictment without the benefit of a plea agreement.  At sentencing, Concho faces a statutory maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison.  He will also be required to register as a sex offender after he completes his prison sentence.  A sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled.

 

This case was investigated by the Laguna/Acoma Agency of the BIA Office of Justice Services and the Pueblo of Laguna Tribal Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Elisa Dimas is prosecuting the case pursuant to the Tribal Special Assistant U.S. Attorney (Tribal SAUSA) Pilot Project in the District of New Mexico, which is sponsored by the Justice Department’s Office on Violence Against Women under a grant administered by the Pueblo of Laguna.  The Tribal SAUSA Pilot Project seeks to train tribal prosecutors in federal law, procedure and investigative techniques to increase the likelihood that every viable violent offense against Native women is prosecuted in either federal court or tribal court, or both.  The Tribal SAUSA Pilot Project was largely driven by input gathered from annual tribal consultations on violence against women, and is another step in the Justice Department's on-going efforts to increase engagement, coordination and action on public safety in tribal communities.

Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced a federal jury in New Haven today found LUIS PEREZ, 46, of Waterbury, guilty of a firearm offense related to an extensive gun trafficking investigation.According to court documents, statements made in previous court proceedings, and evidence presented during the trial, in May 2023, members of the FBI Waterbury Safe Streets Task Force conducted three controlled purchases of a total of nine firearms, and one controlled purchase of cocaine, from Perez.  An expanded investigation revealed that Perez was acquiring numerous firearms, most of which were purchased by straw purchasers from licensed gun dealers in Kansas and then shipped through the U.S. Mail to a stash location maintained by Perez’s associate, Algelly Diaz, in Hartford.  Perez then sold the firearms, which included assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, to others throughout Connecticut.  Perez and Diaz are previously convicted felons who cannot lawfully purchase or possess firearms.The investigation further revealed that, between August 2020 and May 2023, one of Perez’s co-conspirators purchased at least 73 firearms from a licensed gun dealer in Deerfield, Kansas. Perez and Diaz were arrested on May 19, 2023.  On that date, investigators executed search warrants at locations in Connecticut, Kansas, and California.  A search of Perez’s residence and vehicle revealed nine firearms; more than 200 rounds of ammunition; distribution quantities of cocaine, crack cocaine, and fentanyl/heroin; items used to process and package narcotics for street sale; and more than $7,000 in cash.  In addition, a search of Diaz’s residence revealed approximately 90 rounds of ammunition, and a search of a package that was shipped to Diaz and seized from the mail stream revealed an additional three firearms.The jury found Perez guilty of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.  On March 19, 2025, Perez pleaded guilty to the other nine counts of the indictment in which he was charged, including one count of firearms trafficking conspiracy, three counts of firearms trafficking, two counts of mailing nonmailable firearms, one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, and two counts of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine.At sentencing, which is not scheduled, Perez faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life.Perez has been detained since his arrest.Diaz pleaded guilty and, on February 4, 2025, was sentenced to 48 months of imprisonment.  Three others charged as a result of this investigation also pleaded guilty and await sentencing.This matter has been investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; the Connecticut State Police; and the Waterbury, Meriden, Hartford, Manchester, East Hartford, West Hartford, and Chino (Calif.) Police Departments.This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Natasha M. Freismuth and Christopher J. Lembo through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program.  OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.  Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.Acting U.S. Attorney Silverman thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Kansas and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California for their assistance in the investigation and prosecution of this case.

ALBUQUERQUE – Ellis Arkie Sago, 24, an enrolled member of the Mescalero Apache Nation who resides in Mescalero, N.M., was sentenced this morning in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M., to serve ten months in custody, five of which are to be served in prison and the remaining five in a halfway house, for assaulting a federal officer.  Sago will be on supervised release after completing his custodial sentence.

The BIA arrested Sago on Feb. 2018, on a criminal complaint charging him with assaulting a federal officer.  According to the criminal complaint, Sago was arrested on tribal charges after he assaulted a BIA officer.  Sago committed the assault on the Mescalero Apache Indian Reservation in Otero County, N.M., on Sept. 9, 2017, by kicking the officer in the legs while the officer was arresting Sago. 

Sago subsequently was indicted on April 18, 2018, and was charged with assaulting a federal officer in Otero County on Sept. 9, 2017.

On May 30, 2018, Sago pled guilty to the indictment and admitted that on Sept. 9, 2017, he assaulted a BIA officer by kicking the officer in the legs. 

This case was investigated by the Las Cruces office of the FBI and the Mescalero Agency of the BIA’s Office of Justice Services, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron O. Jordan of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, announced that Jerry Shrock, 47, of Meadowview, Virginia, pleaded guilty on Nov. 28 to conspiracy to defraud the United States. Shrock will remain on conditions of release pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled.

According to court records, beginning in January 2005, David Wellington, 62, of Albuquerque, and his business partner Stacy Underwood, 51, of Albuquerque, operated National Business Services, which promoted, sold and created Limited Liability Companies (LLCs) under New Mexico State Law. For many clients, National Business Services would open bank accounts under the names and IRS employer identification numbers (EINs) of the LLCs, and the clients – whose names were not associated with the bank accounts - would have access to the funds in those accounts. Clients received debit cards, online bank access information and pre-signed checks with Underwood’s signature, which clients could use to access the money despite the bank never associating the client with the account.

In his plea agreement, Shrock admitted that he contacted National Business Services in 2006 for help avoiding federal taxes by incorporating a business in New Mexico. Shrock spoke with Underwood and Wellington, and became a client of National Business Services.

Wellington and Underwood created three LLCs in New Mexico for Shrock: White Top Enterprise LLC; Poultry Enterprises LLC; and TALC Properties LLC. Shrock was not listed on the Articles of Organization. Instead, Underwood was listed as the “Organizer,” and National Business Services was the initial registered agent for each of the three LLCs.

On May 9, 2011, Underwood opened a bank account in the business name of White Top Enterprise, LLC, utilizing the company EIN. Shrock’s name was not on the signature card for the account. Underwood provided Shrock with online access to the bank account and a book of pre-signed checks with her signature. Between May 9, 2011, and June 30, 2015, Shrock caused approximately $4,875,940 to be deposited into the White Top Enterprise LLC bank account, and over the same time period, Shrock and his wife withdrew or caused the withdrawal of approximately $4,875,940. Among the withdrawals was a wire transfer of approximately $352,216 for the purchase of a home.

Prior to his indictment in this case on June 23, 2021, Shrock did not file a personal or business tax return with the IRS reporting the White Top Enterprises LLC income. At the time of the deposits and withdrawals, Shrock had a large outstanding IRS assessment for unpaid taxes, penalties and interest. Because it was not opened in his personal name, the White Top Enterprises LLC bank account enabled Shrock to generate and deposit income while evading the outstanding assessment and avoiding personal and business taxes on the income.

Wellington was arraigned on July 9, 2021, charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States and operation of an unlicensed money transmitting business. Wellington remains on conditions of release pending trial, which is scheduled for June 12, 2023. If convicted, Wellington faces up to 10 years in prison.

On Oct. 23, Underwood pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States. Underwood is scheduled for sentencing on Jan. 30, 2023.

Underwood and Shrock face up to five years in prison.

IRS Criminal Investigation investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy Peña is prosecuting the case.

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ALBUQUERQUE – A federal grand jury sitting in Albuquerque, N.M., has returned an indictment charging Jesse Furse, 34, with federal child pornography offenses, announced U.S. Attorney Damon P. Martinez, New Mexico Attorney General Hector H. Balderas, Special Agent in Charge Terry Wade of the Albuquerque Division of the FBI, Special Agent Philip J. Davis of the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI), and Chief Gorden E. Eden, Jr., of the Albuquerque Police Department (APD).

 

The nine-count indictment, which was filed yesterday and publicly posted earlier today, charges Furse with eight counts of distributing visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, and one count of possessing visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The indictment charges Furse with distributing child pornography on eight occasions between Oct. 2015 and Jan. 2016, and with possessing child pornography between May 2014 and Jan. 2016. According to the indictment, Furse committed the nine crimes in Bernalillo County, N.M. At the time, Furse, a lieutenant with the U.S. Air Force, was stationed at Kirtland Air Force Base.

 

Furse was arrested on Feb. 10, 2017, on a criminal complaint alleging child pornography charges, and remains in federal custody pending trial on the charges in the indictment. Furse is scheduled for arraignment on the indictment on March 9, 2017.

 

Court filings indicate that the investigation of this case was initiated in Oct. 2015, when an agent with the New Mexico Internet Crimes against Children (ICAC) Task Force, who was conducting an investigation into computers in the Albuquerque-area that were receiving, sharing, possessing and/or distributing child pornography, came upon a device using a specific IP address that allegedly was being used to share child pornography. In Jan. 2016, after investigation by APD revealed that the IP address was registered to Furse at an address located on Kirtland Air Force Base, the investigation was referred to AFOSI. On Jan. 29, 2016, AFOSI obtained a search warrant from a Military Magistrate, and AFOSI and APD executed the search warrant and seized a computer and computer-related media from Furse’s residence. The FBI joined the investigation in Feb. 2016, and obtained a federal search warrant for the computer-related evidence seized from Furse’s residence in March 2016.

 

According to the criminal complaint, the computer-related evidence seized from Furse’s residence was encrypted, and experts at the FBI’s New Mexico Regional Computer Forensics Laboratory (RCFL) made multiple attempts to access the computer-related evidence between March 2016 and Feb. 2017. In Feb. 2017, RCFL experts were able successfully to access the computer-related evidence. The criminal complaint alleges that a preliminary review of the contents of a hard drive seized from Furse’s residence contained approximately 1400 video files consistent with child pornography.

 

If convicted, Furse faces a statutory mandatory minimum of five years and a maximum of 20 years of imprisonment on the distribution charges, and a statutory maximum of 20 years of imprisonment on the possession charge. Charges in criminal complaints and indictments are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent unless found guilty in a court of law.

 

The investigation of this case, which is continuing, is being handled by the Albuquerque office of the FBI, New Mexico ICAC Task Force, AFOSI, APD, and RCFL. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Mease is prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and DOJ’s Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals 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, visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/.

 

The case also was brought as a part of the New Mexico (ICAC) Task Force’s mission, which is to locate, track, and capture Internet child sexual predators and Internet child pornographers in New Mexico. There are 82 federal, state and local law enforcement agencies associated with the New Mexico ICAC Task Force, which is funded by a grant administered by the New Mexico Office of the Attorney General. Anyone with information relating to suspected child predators and suspected child abuse is encouraged to contact federal or local law enforcement.

 

Furse Indictment

ALBUQUERQUE – Charmaine Peralta, 38, of Albuquerque, N.M., pled guilty today in federal court in to assaulting a federal law enforcement officer.

 

Peralta was charged in Jan. 2017, by criminal complaint with assaulting a federal officer in Bernalillo County, N.M.   According to the complaint, Peralta assaulted a Task Force Officer of the South West Investigative Fugitive Team (SWIFT) of the U.S. Marshals Service by biting the Task Force Officer on the arm resulting in bleeding and bruising, and by kicking the Officer repeatedly in the chest.  According to the complaint, Peralta committed the assault when SWIFT Officers were executing an arrest warrant on Peralta for the underlying charge of possession of a controlled substance and she became combative and actively resisted arrest when confronted by the Officers.  

 

Peralta subsequently was indicted on March 14, 2017, and was charged with assaulting and resisting a federal officer involving physical contact on Jan. 19, 2017, in Bernalillo County.  During today’s proceedings, Peralta pled guilty to the indictment without the benefit of a plea agreement.

 

 At sentencing, Peralta faces a maximum penalty of eight years in federal prison.  A sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled.

 

This case was investigated by the South West Investigative Fugitive Team (SWIFT) of the U.S. Marshals Service for the District of New Mexico with assistance from the New Mexico Department of Corrections and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David M. Walsh.

ALBUQUERQUE – This morning in Las Cruces, N.M., Michael Ray Sepulveda, 38, of Silver City, N.M., pled guilty to federal child exploitation and child pornography charges. The plea agreement recommends a sentence within the range of 20 to 25 years in prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release. Sepulveda will be required to continue to register as a sex offender after he completes his prison sentence.

 

Sepulveda was arrested on Oct. 28, 2016, on a criminal complaint alleging that he enticed a child to engage in sexual activity and to produce child pornography, which was transmitted in interstate commerce. According to the criminal complaint, Sepulveda committed these crimes between July 2015 and Nov. 2015. Court filings reflect that law enforcement authorities began investigating Sepulveda for the alleged crimes in the summer of 2016, immediately after learning about his crimes while investigating other conduct.

 

According to the criminal complaint, Sepulveda used an online social networking website to engage in sexually explicit communications with an underage minor (victim) between July 2015 and Nov. 2015. In these communications, Sepulveda, who pretended to be a 16-year-old girl, sent sexually explicit photographs to the victim and persuaded the victim to send him sexually explicit photographs of the victim to Sepulveda. Sepulveda also attempted unsuccessfully to meet with the victim for the purpose of engaging in sexual activity.

 

During today’s proceedings, Sepulveda pled guilty to a felony information charging him with child exploitation and receipt of child pornography. In entering the guilty plea, Sepulveda admitted that between July 29, 2015 and Nov. 15, 2015, he attempted to persuade the victim, a minor, to produce pornographic images of the victim and attempted to meet the victim to engage in sexual activity through a social media website. Sepulveda further admitted that while communicating with the victim, Sepulveda claimed to be a teenage female. Sepulveda admitted sending the victim images of female genitalia and heterosexual pornography and having sexually explicit conversations with the victim in an effort to induce the victim to produce child pornography for Sepulveda. According to the plea agreement, between July 29, 2015 and Nov. 15, 2015, in response to Sepulveda’s requests for sexually explicit photos of the victim, the victim sent five pornographic images depicting the victim to Sepulveda.

 

Under the terms of the plea agreement, Sepulveda will be prohibited from using or accessing the social media website he used to facilitate his criminal activity, and if Sepulveda wishes to become a member of, visit, or access any other social media website he must seek prior approval from his probation officer. Sepulveda also will be required to pay $15,000 in restitution to the victims of his crimes. Sepulveda remains in custody pending a sentencing hearing, which has yet to be scheduled.

 

This case was investigated by the Grant County Sheriff’s Office and the Las Cruces offices of FBI and HSI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dustin Segovia of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office is prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and DOJ’s Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals 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 http://www.justice.gov/psc/.

 

The case also was brought as a part of the New Mexico ICAC Task Force’s mission, which is to locate, track, and capture Internet child sexual predators and Internet child pornographers in New Mexico. There are 86 federal, state and local law enforcement agencies associated with the New Mexico ICAC Task Force, which is funded by a grant administered by the New Mexico Office of the Attorney General. Anyone with information relating to suspected child predators and suspected child abuse is encouraged to contact federal or local law enforcement.

SAN ANTONIO – A Houston man was sentenced in a federal court in San Antonio to 30 years in prison for sexual exploitation of children.

According to court documents, Xzavier Martin-Mari Drescher, 32, revealed his sexual interest in minor females through online conversations with FBI covert employees beginning in May 2022. During one of the conversations, Drescher sent the FBI employee 11 videos of himself in a room with a clothed prepubescent female. Drescher also admitted that he had gone “hands on” with the girl within the past 24 hours.

FBI agents located Drescher in Houston and confirmed he had used his phone to produce multiple videos depicting sexual acts with a prepubescent minor on or about July 9, 2022. Additionally, Drescher’s phone contained other child sexual abuse material that he had received via the Internet.

Drescher was arrested July 15, 2022 and has remained in federal custody. He pleaded guilty Oct. 18, 2023 to one count of sexual exploitation of children, a charge which carries a penalty of 15 to 30 years in federal prison. In addition to the imposed 30-year imprisonment, Drescher was ordered to pay $50,000 restitution to the victim.

“This defendant preyed on a young child by producing sexual abuse material, then sent it into the stream of commerce, using the illicit images for sexual gratification.,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas. “The 30-year sentence imposed by the court appropriately reflects the immense harm and long-term trauma inflicted on children who are sexually exploited by predators.”

“Xzavier Martin-Mari Drescher victimized innocent children,” said Special Agent in Charge Aaron Tapp for the FBI San Antonio Field Office. “Those who exploit and abuse these most vulnerable among us are a danger to society. The FBI is committed to putting them behind bars where they can no longer cause harm.”

The FBI investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracy Thompson prosecuted the case.

This case was 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. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals 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.

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ALBUQUERQUE – Adrian Tom, 38, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation who resides in Church Rock, N.M., was sentenced today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to 37 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for his conviction on an abusive sexual contact charge. Tom will also be required to register as a sex offender when he completes his prison sentence.

 

On March 29, 2017, Tom pled guilty to a felony information charging him with abusive sexual contact with a child under the age of 12 years on the Navajo Indian Reservation in McKinley County, N.M. In entering his guilty plea, Tom admitted that in March 2010, he engaged in sexual contact with an eight-year-old Indian child while on the Navajo Indian Reservation.

 

This case was investigated by the Gallup office of the FBI and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Mease as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and DOJ’s Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals 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 http://www.justice.gov/psc/.

ALBUQUERQUE – Ethan Guillen, 20, of Albuquerque, N.M., pleaded guilty in federal court yesterday to charges stemming from an incident in 2017 where he entered his former girlfriend’s home without permission and planted a bomb underneath her bed.

A grand jury previously indicted Guillen for possession of an unregistered destructive device and malicious attempt to destroy property by means of fire or explosives.  According to court documents, Guillen entered his former girlfriend’s apartment home on May 18, 2017.  The victim and her family were away from home attending a graduation.  Guillen secretly placed an improvised explosive device under the victim’s bed consisting of a pressure cooker with black powder, napalm, and shrapnel such as nuts, and bolts inside.  Guillen connected the device to a timer and electrical outlet.  He set the device to explode early the next morning.  However, the device did not explode as scheduled.  Several days later,  the victim found the device under her bed. The victim’s mother partially disassembled the device and alerted police. 

Guillen is currently in custodypending sentencing at a future date.The offense of possession of the unregistered destructive device carries a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, while Guillen’s attempt to destroy property carries a sentence of from 5 to 20 years in prison. 

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated this case with assistance from the Albuquerque Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Howard R. Thomas and David M. Walsh are prosecuting the case.

ALBUQUERQUE – Yvon Juteau, 32, a non-Indian man who resides in Rancho de Taos, N.M., pled guilty today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to an assault charge. Under the terms of the plea agreement, Juteau will be sentenced to 30 months of imprisonment followed by a term of supervised release to be determined by the court.

 

Juteau was arrested on Sept. 23, 2016, on an indictment charging him with assaulting an Indian man and woman resulting in serious bodily injury on July 10, 2013, on Taos Pueblo in Taos County, N.M.

 

During today’s proceedings, Juteau pled guilty to the indictment and admitted that on July 10, 2013, he drove a motor vehicle recklessly, causing a crash that seriously injured an Indian woman. A sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled.

 

This case was investigated by the Northern Pueblos Agency of the BIA’s Office of Justice Services and the Taos Pueblo Tribal Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Spindle.

ALBUQUERQUE – After a four-day trial, a federal jury convicted an Albuquerque man of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl following a high-speed pursuit through multiple New Mexico cities.According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Tevin King, 33, was the subject of an active federal arrest warrant on August 19, 2024, related to a supervised release violation. Surveillance indicated King was in Hobbs, New Mexico, where agents observed a black Malibu departing a residence and tracked it as it traveled to Portales, New Mexico.Law enforcement followed the vehicle to a Stripes gas station in Portales. There, the passenger exited the driver’s seat and entered the store, creating an opportunity for agents to move in on the vehicle. King, who had been concealed inside, then moved into the driver’s seat and fled as agents attempted to contain the car.During the pursuit, King drove at high speed while attempting to evade law enforcement. As agents followed closely, King discarded canvas tote bag from the driver’s side window near Eastern New Mexico University. The bag was observed by law enforcement and also by a civilian who retrieved the bag and delivered it to campus police. The bag contained approximately 16,000 fentanyl pills.The pursuit continued into Clovis, New Mexico, where King’s vehicle collided with a law enforcement unit in a residential area, ending the chase and resulting in King’s arrest.King was convicted of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. Following the verdict, the Court ordered that King remain in custody pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled. At sentencing, King faces no less than 10 years and up to life in prison. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Acting Special Agent in Charge Taekuk Cho of Homeland Security Investigations El Paso made the announcement today.Homeland Security Investigations El Paso investigated this case with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service, Portales Police Department, Clovis Police Department, the Lea County Drug Task Force, and the Region V Drug Task Force. Assistant United States Attorneys Sarah Mease and Natasha Moghadam are prosecuting this case.

Two Honduran nationals were sentenced Tuesday to 204 months and 51 months in prison for their roles in operating a years-long off-the-books cash payroll scheme that facilitated the employment of undocumented aliens working illegally in the United States and caused a loss to the United States of more than $38 million.According to court documents and statements made in court, from 2015 to 2022, Iris Villafranca and Osman Donaldo Zapata, both Honduran nationals, conspired together and with others to create a series of shell companies to run an unlicensed check cashing and cash courier service business. These shell companies cashed approximately $89 million in checks from subcontractors in the construction industry, charging them a percentage of the dollar amount of the checks they cashed as a fee for this service. Through this scheme, construction contractors and subcontractors paid their workers in cash without withholding and paying required payroll taxes, allowing them to operate without regard to the workers’ legal authority to work in the United States. The defendants also caused the filing of false tax documents with the IRS to conceal the off-the-books payroll scheme.In addition, the defendants defrauded workers’ compensation insurance companies by leasing their certificates of insurance to contractors and by providing false and fraudulent information to the insurers about, among other things, the number of workers covered by the insurance and the amount workers were paid.Villafranca and Zapata both pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and one count of conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business. Villafranca also pleaded guilty to four counts of filing false individual income tax returns based on her 2019 through 2022 tax returns, which did not report all the income she earned from the scheme and rental income she earned from real estate she owned.Villafranca was sentenced to 204 months and Zapata was sentenced to 51 months. Villafranca was ordered to pay more than $38 million in restitution to the United States and forfeit $89 million of criminal proceeds from the scheme and Zapata was ordered to pay more than $2.5 million in restitution to the United States. Francisco Alvarez, who conspired with Villafranca, Zapata and others, was previously sentenced to four years of probation and ordered to pay more than $2.3 million in restitution.A fourth member of the conspiracy is scheduled to be sentenced in June.Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe for the Middle District of Florida made the announcement.IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations.  ICE ERO Miami (Orlando sub-office), Florida Highway Patrol, Customs and Border Protection, US Marshals Service, State Department and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement have assisted in arrest operations.Senior Litigation Counsel Sean Beaty and Trial Attorney Kavitha Bondada of the Criminal Division’s Tax Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane Hu of the Middle District of Florida are prosecuting the case.On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.

ALBUQUERQUE – A federal jury in New Mexico has found Robert Haack guilty of wire fraud, mail fraud, and violating the Indian Arts and Crafts Act for selling counterfeit Charles Loloma jewelry on eBay, following a 4-day trial that concluded after approximately 4 hours of deliberation.Charles Loloma is one of the most well-known Native American jewelry-makers of the 20th century.  Today, his work is featured in many galleries and museums across the southwest.  His authentic pieces can cost tens of thousands of dollars.









Evidence presented at trial revealed that Haack engaged in a sophisticated scheme to defraud buyers by creating counterfeit Loloma jewelry pieces in his California home and selling them for several thousands of dollars per piece on eBay.  As part of the investigation into Haack, undercover federal agents purchased two pieces, pictured below, from him off of eBay in order to have them analyzed for authenticity.

















Loloma's niece, Verma Nequatewa, a jeweler who studied under her famous uncle, examined the two pieces purchased from Haack by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Agents and testified at trial that they were fakes.The jury was also presented with evidence seized from Haack's home, including raw materials for jewelry-making, unfinished Loloma-style jewelry, engraving tools hidden in a boot, practice Loloma signatures on metal shards, and design sketches.

























It is estimated that Haack sold more than four-hundred thousand dollars’ worth of fake Loloma jewelry before he was charged. The scheme spanned several years, causing significant harm not only to the victims who were defrauded but also to Loloma's legacy and the broader Native American art community.“We will protect the sacred cultural heritage and unique history of authentic Native American artistry as well as consumers from scammers,” said U.S Attorney Uballez.“Robert Haack’s counterfeit operation significantly impacted the Native American art and craft marketplace,” said Doug Ault, Assistant Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement. “Native American art fraud is a serious crime that exploits consumers and severely undermines the economic and cultural livelihood of Native American artists and Tribes. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is equipped with a dedicated team of special agents focused on enforcing the Indian Art and Crafts Act on behalf of the U.S. Department of the Interior and the Indian Arts and Crafts Board. Through these investigations, the Service endeavors to protect and preserve the authenticity of art produced by our Nation’s Native American artisans. We thank our partners at the U.S. Department of Justice and the Indian Arts and Crafts Board for their assistance with this investigation.”“Native American art fraud is a serious crime that exploits consumers and severely undermines the economic and cultural livelihood of Native American artists and tribes,” said Doug Ault, Assistant Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement. “We thank our partners at the U.S. Department of Justice and the Indian Arts and Crafts Board for their assistance with this investigation.”“Counterfeit Indian art – like Robert Haack’s jewelry that he misrepresented and sold as made by Charles Loloma -- the father of contemporary Indian jewelry -- tears at the very fabric of Indian culture, livelihoods, and communities,” said Meridith Stanton, Director of the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Indian Arts and Crafts Board (IACB).  “The IACB by statute is responsible for administering the Indian Arts and Crafts Act (IACA), an anti-counterfeiting law that protects Indian artists and consumers.  Mr. Haack’s actions demean and rob authentic Indian artists who rely on the creation and sale of their artwork to put food on the table, make ends meet, and pass along these important cultural traditions and skills from one generation to the next.  His actions undermine consumers’ confidence in the Indian art market in the Southwest and nationwide.  Due to the outstanding work of the Office of the U.S. Attorney-District of New Mexico and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service IACA Investigative Unit, Mr. Haack is being held accountable and the message is clear. For those selling counterfeit Indian art and craftwork it is important to know that wherever you are we will diligently work to find you and prosecute you under the Indian Arts and Crafts Act.”Following the verdict, the Court ordered that Haack remain on conditions of release pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled. At sentencing, Haack faces up to 20 years in prison.There is no parole in the federal system.U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Amy Lueders, Southwest Region Director for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, made the announcement today.The U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife, Office of Law Enforcement investigated this case with assistance from the Indians Arts and Crafts Board. The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico is prosecuting the case.# # #

ALBUQUERQUE – Three Albuquerque, N.M., residents were sentenced this afternoon in federal court for their convictions on aggravated identity theft charges. Amelia Cordova, 35, Bridget Jessica Sanchez, 35, and Kenneth Webb, 50, were each sentenced to 24 months in prison followed by one year of supervised release.

 

Cordova, Sanchez and Webb were charged in a five-count indictment filed on Oct. 25, 2016, with conspiracy to commit bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, and receipt of stolen mail. The indictment was superseded on April 26, 2017, and charged the three defendants with participating in a conspiracy to commit bank fraud from Jan. 2015 through Feb. 2016. The superseding indictment also charged each of the three defendants with committing aggravated identity theft on the following dates: Cordova on Feb. 13, 2016; Sanchez on Jan. 19, 2015; and Webb on June 2, 2015. It also charged Cordova and Sanchez with theft or receipt of stolen mail on July 20, 2015. According to the superseding indictment, the defendants committed the crimes in Bernalillo County, N.M.

 

On June 15, 2017, Cordova and Sanchez each pled guilty to an aggravated identity theft charge. In their plea agreements, Cordova and Sanchez admitted that they conspired to defraud financial institutions, including First Financial Credit Union, Kirtland Federal Credit Union, Sandia Laboratory Federal Credit Union, Bank of America and Bank of the West. They also admitted that in furtherance of that conspiracy, they possessed mail and other information, including bank account, debit card and credit card numbers belonging to others, that had been stolen from a post office, mail receptacle, or mail carrier. Cordova and Sanchez admitted using the numbers for the bank accounts, credit cards and debit cards to make purchases, and forging signatures of others in making those purchases. Cordova and Sanchez also admitted using bank account numbers and bank routing numbers contained in the stolen mail to make counterfeit personal checks, which they used to make purchases.

 

In entering her guilty plea, Cordova admitted that between Feb. 13 and 21, 2016, she used credit card number information from two different people to commit bank fraud.

 

In entering her guilty plea, Sanchez admitted that on Jan. 19, 2015 and between June 15 and 24, 2015, she used bank account information belonging to another person to commit bank fraud. Sanchez also admitted using credit card number information of another person on Feb. 10, 20, and 21, 2016.

 

On June 19, 2017, Webb pled guilty to an aggravated identity theft charge and admitted that he conspired with his codefendants to defraud the financial institutions. In entering the guilty plea, Webb further admitted that between June 2, 2015 and June 19, 2015, he possessed and used bank account information of other individuals. Webb also admitted that on July 20, 2015, he possessed counterfeit checks, counterfeit New Mexico state identification cards and other identification that belonged to other individuals.

 

This case was investigated the U.S. Postal Service and the Albuquerque Police Department and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney George C. Kraehe.

ST. LOUIS – A woman from St. Louis County, Missouri on Wednesday admitted committing both an armed robbery and carjacking in 2021.

Kadijah McFadden, 29, pleaded guilty in front of U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp to carjacking, discharge of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, robbery, brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

McFadden admitted robbing a Boost Mobile store at 12135 Bellefontaine Road at gunpoint on Aug. 9, 2021. McFadden pointed a firearm at a store employee and said, “give me everything out the drawer right now.” She stole approximately $630 as well as multiple cell phones. 

McFadden also admitted that on Sept. 5, 2021 around 9 a.m., she approached a woman in the 3600 block of Bates Street who had just parked her 2017 Jeep Cherokee and was unloading groceries. McFadden pointed a large black handgun at the victim and demanded her purse before trying to snatch it. McFadden did get the victim’s car keys. She then walked to the opposite side of the Jeep, opened the passenger side door and again demanded the purse before firing a total of four shots into the air and at the ground.

McFadden then stole the Jeep. The incident was captured on video.

About three hours later, St. Louis County police spotted the Jeep and followed it. During the pursuit, McFadden threw a black firearm out of the vehicle, but police recovered it. The Jeep eventually crashed and McFadden and her co-defendant, Damonta Jamall Bridges, were found inside.

A robbery and gun charge are pending against Bridges, 30, who has pleaded not guilty.

The case was investigated by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, the St. Louis County Police Department and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Walker is prosecuting the case.

            ALBUQERQUE, N.M. – Elijio Saenz, 27, of Albuquerque, was sentenced in federal court on Sept. 22 to three years in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Saenz pleaded guilty on Apr. 13.

            According to the plea agreement and other court records, on Nov. 19, 2019, law enforcement responded to a shooting at Saenz’s residence in Bernalillo, County, New Mexico. Law enforcement learned that Saenz had shot his own leg but was unaware of the injury at the time due to his legs being paralyzed. Law enforcement located the loaded firearm and arrested Saenz for an outstanding warrant by the New Mexico Corrections Department Division of Probation and Parole for absconding.

            At the time of the incident, Saenz had two previous felony convictions for child abuse. As a previously convicted felon, Saenz cannot legally possess a firearm or ammunition.

            Upon completion of his sentence, Saenz will be subject to three years of supervised release.

            The FBI Violent Crimes Task Force and the Albuquerque Police Department investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David M. Walsh and Nicholas Mote prosecuted the case

             ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. –Turab Lookman, 68, of Santa Fe, New Mexico, was sentenced on Sept. 11 to five years of probation and a $75,000 fine for providing a false statement to the Department of Energy.  Lookman is not allowed to leave New Mexico for the term of his probation.

            On June 6, 2018, Lookman, then an employee at Los Alamos National Laboratory, denied to a counterintelligence officer that he had been recruited or applied for a job with the Thousand Talents Program, established by the Chinese government to recruit individuals with access to or knowledge of foreign technology and intellectual property.  Lookman pleaded guilty to the charge in January.

            The FBI investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys George Kraehe and Jon Stanford prosecuted the case.

            ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Brittany Huizar, 20, of Santa Fe, New Mexico, pleaded guilty in federal court on March 31 to a charge of assault resulting in substantial bodily injury in Indian Country.

            A grand jury indicted Huizar on Nov. 4, 2020.  According to the indictment, on Dec. 31, 2019, Huizar and eight other individuals assaulted a child, who is an enrolled member of the Nambe Pueblo, multiple times before the child was able to escape. The assault began at Valdez Park on the Santa Clara Pueblo.

            Huizar faces up to 5 years in prison. 

            The Santa Fe Resident Agency of the FBI investigated this case with assistance from the New Mexico State Police and the Espanola Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Allison C. Jaros is prosecuting the case.

            ALBUQUERQUE – Stanton Sanchez, 33, of Zuni Pueblo, New Mexico, and an enrolled member of the Zuni Pueblo, was sentenced on Feb. 17 in federal court to 10 years in prison for assault of two minors resulting in serious bodily injury in Indian Country.

            Sanchez pleaded guilty on Jan. 8, 2020.  In his plea agreement, Sanchez admitted to driving recklessly while intoxicated and hitting two children who were walking in a residential area on the Zuni Pueblo in McKinley County on July 22, 2018. Sanchez’s blood alcohol content was more than twice the legal limit.  As a result of the crash, both children suffered serious injuries. At the time of the incident, the victims were 10 and 11 years old. 

            The Zuni Tribal Police Department investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Allison Jaros prosecuted the case.

ALBUQUERQUE – Ronald Roy Blaylock, Sr., 34, an enrolled member of the Mescalero Apache Nation who resides in Mescalero, N.M., pled guilty yesterday afternoon in federal court in Las Cruces, N.M., to assaulting a federal officer.

 

Blaylock was arrested on June 1, 2017, on a criminal complaint charging him with assaulting a federal officer.  According to the criminal complaint, Blaylock was arrested on tribal charges after he assaulted a law enforcement officer of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA).  Blaylock committed the assault on the Mescalero Apache Indian Reservation in Otero County, N.M., on Jan. 30, 2016, by head-butting the officer while the officer was arresting Blaylock.  The officer sustained a bump and bruise to his head as the result of the assault.

 

Blaylock was subsequently charged by indictment on Oct. 19, 2017, with assaulting a federal officer on Jan. 30, 2016, in Otero County.

 

During yesterday’s proceedings, Blaylock pled guilty to the indictment and admitted that on Jan. 30, 2016, he assaulted a BIA officer by intentionally head-butting the officer.  At sentencing, Blaylock faces a maximum penalty of eight years in federal prison.  A sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled.

 

This case was investigated by the Mescalero Agency of the BIA’s Office of Justice Services and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron O. Jordan of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office.

            ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Stephen C. Waites Jr., 32, of Mescalero, New Mexico pleaded guilty in federal court in Las Cruces, New Mexico on March 24 to assault on an intimate partner by strangling.

            A grand jury previously indicted Waites for this offense on Aug. 28, 2018.  In his plea agreement, Waites admitted punching and strangling his girlfriend at their home on the Mescalero Apache Reservation in Indian Country on July 26, 2018.  Both Waites and the victim are enrolled members of the Mescalero Apache Tribe.

            Waites is currently in custody awaiting sentencing. He faces a sentence of 37 up to 10 years in prison. 

            The FBI and the Bureau of Indian Affairs investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria Y. Armijo is prosecuting the case.

ALBUQUERQUE – Christian Begay, 29, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation who resides in Shiprock, N.M., was sentenced today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to 78 months in prison for his assault conviction.  Begay will be on supervised release for three years after completing his prison sentence.

Begay was arrested on May 26, 2016, on a criminal complaint charging him with shooting a Navajo man on May 21, 2016.  The complaint stated that the victim suffered severe damage to the pelvic bone and required hospitalization.

Begay was indicted on June 15, 2016, and was charged with assault with a dangerous weapon, a firearm, with intent to do bodily harm; assault resulting in serious bodily injury; and using and carrying a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.  According to the indictment, Begay committed the crimes on May 21, 2016, on the Navajo Indian Reservation in San Juan County, N.M. 

On Aug. 22, 2017, Begay pled guilty to a felony information charging him with assault with intent to commit murder.  In entering the guilty plea, Begay admitted that on May 21, 2016, he assaulted the victim with a dangerous weapon, a firearm, by shooting the victim with the intention of murdering the victim.

This case was investigated by the Farmington office of the FBI and the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elaine Y. Ramirez and Raquel Ruiz-Velez.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, announced today that Bobby Peña was sentenced on Nov. 14 to three years and seven months in prison. Peña, of Albuquerque, pleaded guilty on Feb. 10 to possession of child pornography and false claims against the government.

Peña was the owner and sole operator of De La Peña LLC. From May 2008 to June 2017, Peña worked as a subcontractor to Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) in Bernalillo County, New Mexico, and entered into a contract with SNL and the United States Department of Energy to provide specialized cleaning services, including air particle count monitoring and cleanroom cleaning services, for three buildings at SNL.

Between July 1, 2015, and Feb. 28, 2017, Peña fraudulently submitted invoices totaling $47,025 for air particle count monitoring and $6,000 for cleanroom cleaning services that had not been performed. In the plea agreement, Peña admitted to fraudulently submitting invoices for an additional $14,850 for air particle count monitoring and $2,250 for cleanroom cleaning services.  Peña received a total of $70,125 from the Department of Energy for services for which he had fraudulently invoiced SNL but had not performed.

In connection with the investigation into Peña’s illegal activities, law enforcement executed a search warrant at the De La Peña business address on Dec. 13, 2017. During the search, investigators seized several electronic devices, including three external hard drives. Forensic analysis of the devices revealed approximately 3,972 images and 58 videos of child pornography, material that included depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

Upon his release from prison, Peña will be subject to five years of supervised release and must register as a sex offender.

The Department of Energy Office of the Inspector General investigated this case.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico prosecuted the case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.  Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and DOJ’s Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals 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 http://www.justice.gov/psc/.

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ALBUQUERQUE – A Bosque Farms man pleaded guilty in federal court to domestic assault by a habitual offender.

According to publicly available court documents, on August 9, 2022, Daniel Vincent Olguin, 37, an enrolled member of the Pueblo of Isleta, assaulted his girlfriend, Jane Doe, by striking her in the back of the head with his hand.  Olguin was previously convicted of assaulting his intimate partner in 2012 and 2016.

The Court ordered that Olguin remain in custody pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled.

At sentencing, Olguin faces up to 10 years in prison. Upon his release from prison, Olguin will be subject to up to three years of supervised release.

U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez made the announcement today.

The Isleta Police Department investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Robert James Booth II is prosecuting the case.





View the Plea Agreement





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NORFOLK, Va. – A Portsmouth man was sentenced today to five years in prison for possessing multiple firearms and a machinegun conversion device as a convicted felon.

According to court documents, on June 9, 2022, after a lengthy investigation into several individuals suspected of being involved in the distribution of narcotics, law enforcement officers executed a court-authorized search warrant at the Portsmouth residence of Michael Jerrod Scott, 40. During the search, officers recovered three firearms, multiple firearm magazines and ammunition, approximately six ounces of marijuana and related edible products, items associated with the manufacturing and distribution of drugs, and $2,920 in cash.

One of the firearms had a machinegun conversion device installed at the rear of the slide, which made it a “machinegun” as defined by federal law. Scott had previously been convicted of several felony offenses, to include robbery, use of a firearm in the commission of robbery, statutory burglary of a dwelling while armed, use of a firearm in the commission of armed burglary, and possession of a schedule I or II drug.

Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Jason S. Miyares, Attorney General of Virginia; Craig Kailimai, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division; Stephen Jenkins, Chief of Portsmouth Police; and Mark G. Solesky, Chief of Chesapeake Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth W. Hanes.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Comstock and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Marc West prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-74.

ALBUQUERQUE – Kevin Scott Gordon, 59, of Albuquerque, N.M., was sentenced today in federal court to 21 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release including a mandatory year in a residential reentry program for violating the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). Gordon will be required to register as a sex offender when he completes his prison sentence.

 

SORNA, also known as the Adam Walsh Protection and Safety Act, requires that a convicted sex offender register in each jurisdiction where the offender resides, where the offender is employed, or where the offender is a student, and that the sex offender maintain current registrations.

 

Gordon was arrested in March 2016, on a criminal complaint charging him with violating SORNA by failing to update his sex offender registration. According to the complaint, Gordon was convicted in May 1983, of rape, sexual deviate conduct, robbery and confinement, and was sentenced to 22 years in prison. In 1983, Gordon escaped from the Indiana State Reformatory, was apprehended in 1990, and remained in custody in Indiana until his release in May 2006.

 

According to court documents, Gordon was arrested for violating SORNA in Dec. 2007, in Colorado, and has a pattern of non-compliance with registration requirements. On Feb. 22, 2016, law enforcement officers in N.M., received information that Gordon was residing in Albuquerque and was not registered as a sex offender in New Mexico.

 

Gordon was subsequently indicted on March 23, 2016, and charged with violating SORNA by failing to update his sex offender registration between May 2015 and March 2016, in Bernalillo County, N.M.

 

On March 2, 2017, Gordon pled guilty to the indictment. In his plea agreement, Gordon admitted that he was convicted in Dec. 1982, of a criminal offense that required him to register under SORNA. Gordon further admitted that before May 15, 2015, he traveled from Colorado to New Mexico, and that he resided in New Mexico between May 2015 and March 2016, but failed to update his sex offender registration in New Mexico as required.

 

This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service and the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Spindle.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Dan Keith Bobelu, 31, of Albuquerque, was sentenced today in federal court to two years and six months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Bobelu pleaded guilty on May 18, 2021.

According to the plea agreement and other court records, the offense took place in Albuquerque on Aug. 6, 2020. Bobelu admitted that he was carrying a revolver and ammunition in his pants pocket when he was taken into custody. As a previously convicted felon, Bobelu could not legally possess firearms or ammunition.

Upon his release from prison, Bobelu will be subject to three years of supervised release.

The Albuquerque Police Department investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Nayback prosecuted the case.