Score:   1
Docket Number:   ND-OK  4:19-cr-00160
Case Name:   USA v. Spaeth
  Press Releases:
A Broken Arrow man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to just over seven years in prison for the attempted receipt of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Trent Shores.

Chief U.S. District Judge John E. Dowdell sentenced Carl Thomas Spaeth, 35, to 87 months in federal prison to be followed by five years of supervised release, during which time he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. Spaeth will also be ordered to register as a sex offender.

“Carl Spaeth knowingly engaged in sexually graphic communications and requested child pornography from someone he thought to be a 14-year-old girl. He even arranged an in-person meeting with the purported child,” said U.S. Attorney Trent Shores. “Rather than finding a teenage girl at the meet spot, Spaeth found himself face-to-face with law enforcement agents from the FBI and Tulsa Police Department. I am so thankful for the work of law enforcement to keep children safe from predators like Mr. Spaeth.”

Spaeth pleaded guilty on Sept. 5. In his plea agreement, Spaeth admitted that between July 5 and July 10, 2019, he used a cell phone app to talk with an individual he believed to be a 14-year-old girl. In actuality, he was communicating with a law enforcement officer. During the course of the conversation, Spaeth described sexual acts he wanted to engage in with the “girl.” He further asked for explicit pictures and sent sexually explicit pictures of himself via the app.

This prosecution is the result of Operation Independence Day, a month-long operation led by the FBI to apprehend child predators and recover victims of child exploitation and sex trafficking.  The operation was executed during the month of July.

The FBI and Tulsa Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Victor A.S. Régal prosecuted the case.

Operation Independence Day is part of the broader Project Safe Childhood initiative. PSC combats the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse and was launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (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.projectsafechildhood.gov.

United States Attorney Trent Shores announced today the results of the August 2019 Federal Grand Jury B.

The following individuals have been charged with violations of United States law in indictments returned by the Grand Jury. The return of an indictment is a method of informing a defendant of alleged violations of federal law, which must be proven in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt to overcome a defendant’s presumption of innocence.

Joshua William Beyerl. Felon in Possession of Firearm and Ammunition; Tampering With a Witness by Physical Force or Threat; Carrying, Using, and Brandishing a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence. Beyerl, 36, of Jay, is charged with being a felon in possession of a Savage Arms .22 LR rifle and associated ammunition. He is also charged with threatening to use physical force against a Delaware County Undersheriff, and with brandishing a firearm during the incident. The Delaware County Sheriff’s Office, Grand River Dam Authority, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are the investigative agencies.

Jeffrey Scott Bruce. Attempted Bank Robbery. Bruce, 55, of Tulsa, is charged with attempting to rob a JP Morgan Chase Bank on July 25, 2019. The Tulsa Police Department and FBI are the investigative agencies.

Thomas Dustin Daughtry. Sexual Exploitation of a Child; Possession of Child Pornography; Coercion and Enticement. Daughtry, 42, of Sperry, is charged with coercing a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing pictures. He is further charged with possessing and accessing pornographic images, including at least one with a prepubescent minor. He is finally charged with knowingly coercing a minor to engage in sexual activity. The Tulsa Police Department and FBI are the investigative agencies.

Thomas Lawrence Dean. Bank Robbery Using a Dangerous Weapon; False Information on Hoaxes; Felon in Possession of Firearm and Ammunition. Thomas Lawrence Dean, 50, of Tulsa, is charged with two counts of bank robbery using a dangerous weapon, conveying false information on hoaxes, and being a felon in possession of a FIE Corp. TITAN TIGER BLU .38 Special Caliber Revolver and associated ammunition. Dean allegedly robbed an International Bank of Commerce (IBC) on July 1, 2019, and an Arvest Bank on July 10, 2019. In the IBC robbery, he is alleged to have approached a teller and handed her a note demanding money. In the note, Dean indicated that he was in possession of a bomb and firearm. Later, at Arvest Bank, Dean also demanded money, indicating in a note that he had a firearm. The Tulsa Police Department and FBI are the investigative agencies.

John Samuel Glenn. Possession of Methamphetamine With Intent to Distribute; Possession of a Firearm in furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime. Glenn, 29, of Tulsa, is charged with possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine. He is also charged with possessing a Smith & Wesson 9x19 caliber semiautomatic pistol in furtherance of his drug trafficking crime. The Tulsa Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are the investigative agencies.

Keith Ingram. Drug Conspiracy; Possession of Methamphetamine With Intent to Distribute; Distribution of Methamphetamine (2 counts); Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking Crimes; Felon in Possession of a Firearm. From May 28 to May 29, 2019, Ingram, 34, of Tulsa, is alleged to have conspired with others to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute methamphetamine; he is also charged with two counts of knowingly possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine while aiding and abetting others. He is further charged with possessing a firearm to further his drug trafficking crimes and with being a felon in possession of a Taurus .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol. The Tulsa Police Department is the investigative agency.

Carnell Lovette Matthews.  Attempted Coercion and Enticement of a Minor; Receipt of Child Pornography. From April 30 to May 2, 2019 Matthews, 43, of Tulsa, is alleged to have attempted to persuade, induce, coerce, and entice a minor to engage in sexual activity. He is further charged with receiving images of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The FBI and Broken Arrow Police Department are the investigative agencies.

Alexander Joshua Milner. Possess, Receive, Conceal, Store, Barter, Sell and Dispose of Stolen Firearms; Theft of a Firearm From a Federal Firearm Licensee. Milner, 31, of Sand Springs, is charged with knowingly possessing the following stolen firearms: a Beretta .40 S&W caliber semi-automatic pistol; a Herbert Schmidt .22 caliber revolver; a Mossberg 12 gauge pump-action shotgun; a Remington 12 gauge semi-automatic shotgun; a Benelli 12 gauge semi-automatic shotgun; a Weatherby .22 caliber semi-automatic rifle; and an Anderson Manufacturing 5.56mm caliber semi-automatic rifle. He is further charged with stealing the firearms in July 2019 from a federal firearms licensee in Tulsa. The Osage County Sheriff’s Office and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives are the investigative agencies.

Kameron Todd Myers, Chelsey Sky Inman, and Colby Murphy. Carjacking (2 counts); Carrying, Using, and Brandishing a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence (2 counts); Accessory After the Fact; Felon in Possession of Firearm and Ammunition. Myers, 32, and Murphy, 21, both of Tulsa, are charged with carjacking a 2002 Mercedes-Benz on June 2, 2019. Myers is further charged with brandishing a firearm during the carjacking. Myers is also charged with carjacking a 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee on June 4, 2019, and with brandishing a firearm during the crime. Finally, Myers is charged with being a felon in possession of a Glock .45ACP caliber semi-automatic pistol. Inman, 26, of Tulsa, is charged with being an accessory after the fact for assisting Myers and Murphy in order to prevent their apprehension and future trial regarding the June 2, 2019, carjacking. The Tulsa Police Department and FBI are the investigative agencies.

Casey Adam Parker. Attempted Coercion and Enticement of a Minor. From July 1 to July 2, 2019, Parker, 39, of Afton, allegedly attempted to knowingly persuade and entice an individual he believed to be a minor to engage in sexual activity. The Tulsa Police Department and FBI are the investigative agencies.

Dawn M. Setser. Unlawful User of a Controlled Substance in Possession of a Firearm. Setser, 39, of Rose, is charged with being an unlawful user of a controlled substance in possession of an Amadeo Rossi .38 special revolver. The Delaware County Sheriff’s Office and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are the investigative agencies.

Jason Ray Smith. Attempted Coercion and Enticement. Smith, 40, of Sapulpa, is charged with attempting to persuade and entice an individual whom he believed to be a minor to engage in sexual activity.  The Tulsa Police Department and FBI are the investigative agencies.

Lee Charles Smith. Destruction of an Energy Facility (6 Counts). In September 2018, Smith, 32, of Wynona, is alleged to have damaged six oil pumping rigs throughout Osage County by removing motors and other equipment from the pumpjack rigs. In total, Smith is alleged to have caused in excess of $30,000 worth of damages.  The Osage County Sheriff’s Office and Oklahoma Bureau of Investigation are the investigative agencies.

Carl Thomas Spaeth. Attempted Coercion and Enticement of a Minor. From July 5 to July 10, 2019, Spaeth, 35, of Broken Arrow, is alleged to have persuaded and enticed an individual whom he believed to be a minor to engage in sexual activity. The Tulsa Police Department and FBI are the investigative agencies.

Jimmy Townsend. Possession of Methamphetamine With Intent to Distribute.  Townsend, is charged with possessing with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. The Tulsa Police Department, Drug Enforcement Administration, and U.S. Postal Inspection Service are the investigative agencies.

Lucas Shane Vann. Sexual Exploitation of a Child.  Vann, 19, of Salina, is charged with knowingly enticing a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing sexual images. The Delaware County Sheriff’s Office and FBI are the investigative agencies.

Brent Kenneth Whinery. Felon in Possession of Firearm and Ammunition. Whinery, 28, of Avant, is charged with being a felon in possession of a Rohn GMBH .22 caliber revolver and 90 rounds of ammunition. The Skiatook Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are the investigative agencies.

The Department of Justice announced Tuesday the FBI-led recovery or identification of 103 child victims and the arrest of 67 sex traffickers through Operation Independence Day.  This initiative — a revamping of a previously successful program — was executed during the month of July through 161 operations conducted nationwide.

Operation Independence Day relied on the 86 FBI-led Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Forces (CEHTTFs), which leveraged the resources and intelligence of other federal, state, local, and tribal partners.  Overall, more than 400 agencies participate in these task forces.

Operation Independence Day prioritized locating and rescuing missing minors who are at great risk for sexual exploitation, and arresting the traffickers exploiting them.  To that end, through its partnership with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), FBI special agents and intelligence analysts reviewed information provided through NCMEC’s CyberTipline, to identify missing minor children at risk for sexual exploitation, and then worked with state and local partners to execute law enforcement activity designed to recover those children and arrest traffickers.

The health and welfare of recovered minor and adult trafficking victims was a further priority.  To facilitate these efforts, the FBI’s Victim Services Division and victim specialists stationed in each of our 56 field offices also worked closely with the task forces during the operation to ensure recovered children received the help they needed.  Victim specialists put internal and external resources in place before the operation to ensure victim assistance was a priority in the aftermath of the law enforcement operations.

“This initiative has two crucial goals: rescuing children being sold for sex and prosecuting their adult traffickers,” said Attorney General William P. Barr.  “Child sex trafficking is a heinous crime that preys on the most vulnerable in our society.  Perpetrators victimize children in communities throughout the country, and we are determined to find and rescue them.  Through the FBI’s leadership, we have recovered thousands of child victims, and this latest operation adds to the success of that decades-long effort.”  

“Make no mistake, the FBI is fiercely focused on recovering child victims and arresting the sex traffickers who exploit them,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray.  “Through operations like this, the FBI helps child victims escape the abusive life of sex trafficking.  Our agents, intelligence analysts, professional staff, and victim specialists work tirelessly before, during and after these operations to make sure that victims get the help they need to reclaim their lives.”

“The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children is proud to be part of this extraordinary partnership with the FBI.  The FBI and the Department of Justice have been instrumental in spearheading multi-agency collaboration between organizations to locate and provide resources to victims of child sex trafficking,” said John Clark, President and CEO of NCMEC.  “We know this horrendous crime impacts communities across our country every day and we applaud the FBI for continuing to work tirelessly to locate these victims and hold accountable those who are selling children for sex.”

As part of Operation Independence Day, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Oklahoma and the FBI Oklahoma City Division announced charges against nine individuals in U.S. District Court.

“I have zero tolerance for child predators and will use every tool available to identify and prosecute them. They will feel the full weight of law. Child victims will be given a voice. Justice for these victims will be our constant pursuit,” said U.S. Attorney Trent Shores. “Operation Independence Day was a success because of the multi-jurisdictional partnerships who came together in common cause and mission. For that, I am grateful, and I know that children in northern Oklahoma are safer as a result.”

"The law enforcement actions taken by the FBI and our law enforcement partners, in support of Operation Independence Day, epitomizes our dedication to apprehending those who choose to engage in criminal activity that exploits innocent children," said Melissa Godbold, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Oklahoma City Division. "The alleged actions exhibited by each of these subjects not only violate the law but have the potential to cause irreparable harm to the mental and physical well-being of their victims."

Individuals charged federally are as follows:

Christopher Cervantes, 48, of Skiatook:  Attempted Coercion and Enticement of a Minor

Thomas Dustin Daughtry, 42, of Sperry: Sexual Exploitation of a Child, Possession of Child Pornography, and Coercion and Enticement.

Carnell Lovette Matthews, 43, of Tulsa:  Attempted Coercion and Enticement of a Minor

Casey Adam Parker, 39, of Afton: Attempted Coercion and Enticement of a Minor

Jason Ray Smith, 40, of Sapulpa: Attempted Coercion and Enticement of a Minor

Carl Thomas Spaeth, 35, of Broken Arrow: Attempted Coercion and Enticement of a Minor

Lucas Shane Vann, 18, of Salina, Oklahoma: Sexual Exploitation of a Child

Corey Daniel Vessar, 30, of Skiatook, Attempted Coercion and Enticement of a Minor

Thomas Kyle Williams, 40, of Sand Springs: Attempted Coercion and Enticement of a Minor; Receipt of Child Pornography; Possession of Child Pornography

As part of the operation, the Tulsa County District Attorney’s Office has charged multiple other defendants for alleged sex crimes against children.

In June 2003, the FBI, in conjunction with the Justice Department Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section and NCMEC, launched the Innocence Lost National Initiative (ILNI).  This combined effort was aimed at addressing the growing problem of domestic sex trafficking of children in the United States.  In the years since its inception, the ILNI has expanded to 86 dedicated CEHTTFs.  These task forces, with the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the FBI’s Victim Services Division, have worked successfully to rescue thousands of children.

Through ILNI, the FBI, along with its local law enforcement partners, uses task forces to leverage resources and intelligence to identify and recover child victims and prosecute those responsible for their exploitation.  This collaborative effort has led to the recovery or identification of more than 6,600 child victims.  The initiative has also led to more than 2,750 convictions, including more than 15 life sentences and many other sentences ranging from 25 years to life.

In 2008, the ILNI initiated Operation Cross Country (OCC)—a focused, national campaign that targeted the venues where children were the victims of commercial sex trafficking.  Since 2008, there have been 11 iterations of OCC, recovering more than 900 child victims and arresting nearly 1,400 traffickers.  The last operation was held in October 2017 with 78 task forces participating.

The FBI determined that after 11 years of OCC success, it was time to re-evaluate the program.  The newly renamed Operation Independence Day was conducted over an entire month, rather than a few days, but continued to focus on the recovery of child victims from commercial sex trafficking and pursuing those who exploit them.

The FBI’s Crimes Against Children and Human Trafficking Unit and DOJ coordinated the operation.  For additional information on Operation Independence Day and the Innocence Lost initiative, please visit www.fbi.gov/oid2019.

Description: The fiscal year of the data file obtained from the AOUSC
Format: YYYY

Description: The code of the federal judicial circuit where the case was located
Format: A2

Description: The code of the federal judicial district where the case was located
Format: A2

Description: The code of the district office where the case was located
Format: A2

Description: Docket number assigned by the district to the case
Format: A7

Description: A unique number assigned to each defendant in a case which cannot be modified by the court
Format: A3

Description: A unique number assigned to each defendant in a case which can be modified by the court
Format: A3

Description: A sequential number indicating whether a case is an original proceeding or a reopen
Format: N5

Description: Case type associated with the current defendant record
Format: A2

Description: A concatenation of district, office, docket number, case type, defendant number, and reopen sequence number
Format: A18

Description: A concatenation of district, office, docket number, case type, and reopen sequence number
Format: A15

Description: The status of the defendant as assigned by the AOUSC
Format: A2

Description: A code indicating the fugitive status of a defendant
Format: A1

Description: The date upon which a defendant became a fugitive
Format: YYYYMMDD

Description: The date upon which a fugitive defendant was taken into custody
Format: YYYYMMDD

Description: The date when a case was first docketed in the district court
Format: YYYYMMDD

Description: The date upon which proceedings in a case commenced on charges pending in the district court where the defendant appeared, or the date of the defendant’s felony-waiver of indictment
Format: YYYYMMDD

Description: A code used to identify the nature of the proceeding
Format: N2

Description: The date when a defendant first appeared before a judicial officer in the district court where a charge was pending
Format: YYYYMMDD

Description: A code indicating the event by which a defendant appeared before a judicial officer in the district court where a charge was pending
Format: A2

Description: A code indicating the type of legal counsel assigned to a defendant
Format: N2

Description: The title and section of the U.S. Code applicable to the offense committed which carried the highest severity
Format: A20

Description: A code indicating the level of offense associated with FTITLE1
Format: N2

Description: The four digit AO offense code associated with FTITLE1
Format: A4

Description: The four digit D2 offense code associated with FTITLE1
Format: A4

Description: A code indicating the severity associated with FTITLE1
Format: A3

Description: The title and section of the U.S. Code applicable to the offense committed which carried the second highest severity
Format: A20

Description: A code indicating the level of offense associated with FTITLE2
Format: N2

Description: The four digit AO offense code associated with FTITLE2
Format: A4

Description: The four digit D2 offense code associated with FTITLE2
Format: A4

Description: A code indicating the severity associated with FTITLE2
Format: A3

Description: The FIPS code used to indicate the county or parish where an offense was committed
Format: A5

Description: The date of the last action taken on the record
Format: YYYYMMDD

Description: The date upon which judicial proceedings before the court concluded
Format: YYYYMMDD

Description: The date upon which the final sentence is recorded on the docket
Format: YYYYMMDD

Description: The date upon which the case was closed
Format: YYYYMMDD

Description: The total fine imposed at sentencing for all offenses of which the defendant was convicted and a fine was imposed
Format: N8

Description: A count of defendants filed including inter-district transfers
Format: N1

Description: A count of defendants filed excluding inter-district transfers
Format: N1

Description: A count of original proceedings commenced
Format: N1

Description: A count of defendants filed whose proceedings commenced by reopen, remand, appeal, or retrial
Format: N1

Description: A count of defendants terminated including interdistrict transfers
Format: N1

Description: A count of defendants terminated excluding interdistrict transfers
Format: N1

Description: A count of original proceedings terminated
Format: N1

Description: A count of defendants terminated whose proceedings commenced by reopen, remand, appeal, or retrial
Format: N1

Description: A count of defendants pending as of the last day of the period including long term fugitives
Format: N1

Description: A count of defendants pending as of the last day of the period excluding long term fugitives
Format: N1

Description: The source from which the data were loaded into the AOUSC’s NewSTATS database
Format: A10

Description: A sequential number indicating the iteration of the defendant record
Format: N2

Description: The date the record was loaded into the AOUSC’s NewSTATS database
Format: YYYYMMDD

Description: Statistical year ID label on data file obtained from the AOUSC which represents termination year
Format: YYYY

Data imported from FJC Integrated Database
Arrest Start Date: Aug 12, 2019
Photo: N
Arrested: 1
Rescued: Unknown
Country: US
State: OK
Comments: Project Safe Childhood-Attempted Enticement of a minor & CP related charges
Additional data courtesy @ArrestAnon 👼  
F U C K I N G P E D O S R E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E