United States Attorney Trent Shores announced today the results of the September 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.

Christian Alvarado Morales; Anderson Garces Lopez. Conspiracy to Transfer Identification Documents; Aggravated Identity Theft; Possession With Intent to Use and Transfer Five or More Documents and Authentication Features; Unlawful Reentry of Removed Alien. Alvarado, 30, and Garces, 29, both of Tulsa, are charged with conspiring to create and sell fraudulent identification cards, including falsified U.S. Permanent Resident Cards and U.S. Social Security Cards. Garces is also charged with two counts of aggravated identity theft. Alvarado is also charged with three counts of aggravated  identity theft, and he is charged with possession with intent to transfer five or more falsified identification documents. Alvarado is further charged with reentry of a removed alien, having returned to the United States unlawfully after being deported March 25, 2008, at or near Laredo, Texas. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and Enforcement and Removal Operations are the investigative agencies.

Ivan Arroyo. Interstate Communication With Intent to Extort. Arroyo, 27, of Broken Arrow, is charged with extortion using social media. Arroyo allegedly threatened to harm the reputation of another individual if the victim did not comply with his demands. The Cherokee Nation Marshal Service and FBI are the investigative Agencies.

Paul B. Bowker. Failure to Account for and Pay Over Withholding and FICA (Social Security and Medicare) Taxes (7 counts); Bank Fraud (100 counts). Bowker, 56, of Lancashire, United Kingdom, was chief financial officer and vice president for finance at a company that maintained offices in the Northern District of Oklahoma. While working in this position, Bowker was living in Tulsa. Per United States tax law, the company was responsible for withholding income taxes and FICA taxes from employees’ paychecks and for paying the monies over to the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Bowker is charged with failure to collect and pay more than 3.6 million in income and FICA taxes from April 2014 through January 2016. In addition, Bowker is charged with 100 counts of bank fraud. As chief financial officer, Bowker was entrusted with a company credit card and was responsible for paying the monthly credit card bill by authorizing electronic transfer of funds from the company’s checking account at Mabrey Bank, in Bixby, to the company’s Visa account. From January 2014 through December 2015, Bowker is alleged to have fraudulently used the Visa credit card to make $130,000 worth of purchases for his own benefit then paying for those charges with the company’s checking account at Mabrey Bank. The IRS Criminal Investigation Division and FBI are the investigative agencies.

Neville David Ewell and Larry Latwan Walker. Possession of Cocaine With Intent to Distribute; Maintain Drug-Involved Premises; Felon in Possession of Firearms and Ammunition; Destruction or Removal of Property to Prevent Seizure; Unlawful User of Controlled Substances in Possession of Firearm and Ammunition; Drug Conspiracy; Possession of Methamphetamine With Intent to Distribute; Possession of Firearm in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking Crimes; and Destruction or Removal of Property to Prevent Seizure (Superseding Indictment).  Ewell, 45, of Broken Arrow, is charged with possessing with intent to distribute cocaine and maintaining a drug-involved premises. Ewell is alleged to have used and maintained a premises in Tulsa for the purpose of manufacturing, distributing, and using cocaine. He is also charged with being a felon in possession of a Pietro Beretta 9x19mm caliber semi-automatic pistol and ammunition. Walker, 29, of Tulsa, is charged with being a felon in possession of a Smith & Wesson .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol and ammunition; and he is charged with possessing the Smith & Wesson pistol knowing he was an unlawful user of a controlled substance.  Walker is further charged with possessing the Smith & Wesson pistol in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes. Ewell and Walker are both charged with conspiring to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Both men are further charged with possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute; and they are charged with destroying, damaging, or removing property to prevent its seizure by law enforcement. The Tulsa Police Department, FBI, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are the investigative agencies.

Richard Blake Holbrook. Attempted Coercion and Enticement of a Minor. Holbrook, 23, of Bristow, is charged with attempting to persuade and entice an individual whom he believed to be a minor to engage in sexual activity.  The Bristow Police Department is the investigative agency.

Edward Leiva-Alvarez. Drug Conspiracy. Leiva-Alvarez, 37, residing at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester, is charged with conspiring to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. The Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, Oklahoma Highway Patrol, Grand River Dam Authority and Miami Police Department are the investigative agencies.

Early Livestock. Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. Livestock, 48, of Tulsa, is charged with failing to register as a sex offender since July 2, 2018.  The U.S. Marshals Service and Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies.

Clinton Eugene Rose. Felon in Possession of a Firearm. Rose, 43, of Cleveland, is charged with being a felon in possession of a Hi-Point .45ACP caliber semi-automatic pistol. According to the Indictment, Rose has previously been convicted of 24 different felonies. The Tulsa Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are the investigative authorities.

Lucas Shane Vann. Sexual Exploitation of a Child (Superseding Indictment).  Vann, 19, of Salina, is charged with knowingly producing an image of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct. The Delaware County Sheriff’s Office and FBI are the investigative agencies.

Jalil Charles Edward West. Felon in Possession of Firearm and Ammunition. West, 30, of Tulsa, is charged with being a felon in possession of a Zastava 7.62X39mm semi-automatic pistol and 70 rounds of associated ammunition. The Tulsa Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are the investigative agencies.

 

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.