Texas Duo to Serve Federal Prison Sentences for Multi-State Pharmacy Burglaries in Oklahoma and Kansas

 OKLAHOMA CITY – JEREMY BALLEW, 43, of Tyler, Texas, and DANIELLE MONSERRATE, 40, of Rowlett, Texas, have been sentenced to serve federal prison terms of 57 months and 12 months respectively for the burglaries of three pharmacies in Kansas and Oklahoma, announced U.S. Attorney Timothy J. Downing.

According to an Indictment filed on February 19, 2019, Ballew and Monserrate were charged with drug conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute hydrocodone. Ballew and Monserrate were then charged by Superseding Indictment filed on March 19, 2019, with burglary involving controlled substances and aiding and abetting, along with additional charges of drug conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute hydrocodone. On December 2, 2019, Ballew pleaded guilty to count 3 of the of the Superseding Indictment in CR-19-0046 for the Nichols Hills burglary and counts 1 and 2 of the Indictment filed in CR-19-00362 for the two Kansas pharmacy burglaries.  The counts of drug conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute found in the Superseding Indictment, as well as the counts of drug conspiracy found in the earlier Indictment in CR-19-0046 were ultimately dismissed as part of a plea agreement. 

On August 17, 2020, U.S. District Judge Scott L. Palk sentenced Ballew to 57 months in prison for the Nichols Hills Drug pharmacy burglary, on December 3, 2017 in count 3 of the Superseding Indictment in CR-19-0046, 57 months for the Dandurand Pharmacy burglary in Wichita, Kansas, and 57 months for the Sigler Pharmacy burglary in Lawrence, Kansas, both occurring October 29, 2017 in counts 1 and 2 of the Indictment in CR-19-00362. Each term of imprisonment was ordered to run concurrent to one another.  Judge Palk also imposed three years of supervised release as to each count to follow the terms of imprisonment, and ordered restitution in the amount of $29,253.11.  In announcing Ballew’s sentence, Judge Palk noted Ballew’s long criminal history, his serious addiction to pain killers, and the lack of any meaningful drug treatment while incarcerated earlier in the Bureau of Prisons.  Ballew’s sentence included strong recommendations to the Bureau of Prisons by Judge Palk for intensive drug treatment.

Monserrate was arrested in connection with the after-hours burglary of the Dandurand Pharmacy, Wichita, Kansas on October 29, 2017, and the after-hours burglary of the Nichols Hills Drug pharmacy on December 3, 2017.  Monserrate pled guilty to both of these pharmacy burglaries, which relate to count 3 of the Superseding Indictment in CR-19-0046 and count 2 of the Indictment in CR-19-00362.  For her role as a lookout in those two burglaries for Ballew, Judge Palk sentenced her to 12 months and a day in prison as to each count concurrently, followed by three years of supervised release, and $7,325.00 in restitution.  In announcing Monserrate’s sentence, Judge Palk noted Monserrate’s long history of substance abuse, her poor performance while on pretrial release, and the amount of dangerous prescription drugs she allowed illegally into the community.

This case is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s, Tactical Diversion Squad, Oklahoma City District Office, with assistance from the DEA Tactical Diversion Squad, Fort Worth District Office, the Oklahoma City Police Department, the Lawrence, Kansas Police Department, the Wichita, Kansas Police Department, the Irving, Texas Police Department, the Phelps County, Missouri Sheriff’s Department, and the U.S. Marshals Service.   Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Petermann and Matt Anderson prosecuted the case, with assistance from the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Kansas.

This case is part of the Department of Justice priority to address and reduce opioid-related criminal activity.