US Marshals Add Convicted Murderer and Prison Escapee to 15 Most Wanted

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Marshals Service added a convicted murderer and prison escapee to its 15 Most Wanted fugitive list today.

Keana Barnes is wanted in the Middle District of Louisiana for escaping from the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women in St. Gabriel, La., where she was serving a 25-year sentence for two counts of manslaughter.

Barnes has a criminal history dating back to 1999 with prior convictions for aggravated assault, battery, theft and manslaughter. In March 2002, Barnes was arrested by the New Orleans Police Department for murder when she stabbed her victim a total of 17 times. Later in 2002, she was released pending the outcome of her murder trial. One year later in March 2003, Barnes committed her second murder, shooting her victim while he slept in a New Orleans apartment.

Barnes was apprehended in Mexico in May 2003 and extradited back to the United States. She pled guilty in 2004 to two counts of manslaughter and was sentenced to 25 years in prison to be served at the LCIW. On Jan. 1, Louisiana Department of Corrections officials discovered the glass window in Barnes’ cell was broken and she was missing. Officials believe Barnes made her escape by jumping out the first floor window, climbing several fences, including at least one barb wired fence, and eventually exiting the prison grounds.

“Barnes has an extremely violent criminal history and poses a direct threat to society, which is why we did not hesitate to add her to our 15 Most Wanted fugitive list,” Assistant Director for Investigative Operations William D. Snelson said. “Barnes’ criminal history dictates she will most assuredly commit another deadly crime. By adding such a violent fugitive to our 15 Most Wanted, the USMS has dedicated every available investigative resource to locate and apprehend Barnes before she can commit another heinous crime.”

Barnes has strong ties to New Orleans, is considered to be armed and dangerous, and poses an extreme danger to the community.

A reward of up to $25,000 is offered for information leading directly to Barnes’ arrest. Anyone with information is urged to contact the nearest U.S. Marshals office or the U.S. Marshals Service Communications Center at 1-800-336-0102.

SWAT Standoff Ends in a Blaze

Albuquerque, NM - The United States Marshal Service in New Mexico, Task Force Officers assigned to the Marshals Service South West Investigative Fugitive Team (SWIFT) Taskforce, SWAT Officers from the Grant and Luna County Sheriff’s Offices and Investigators with Homeland Security Investigations BEST unit arrested fugitive Nathan Rowland in Silver City, NM late Tuesday night after a tense standoff. Rowland wanted by the New Mexico Corrections Department and listed as one of the New Mexico Corrections Departments Most Wanted Offenders was added to the U.S. Marshals Service Most Wanted earlier this month. Rowland was wanted on charges of absconding from probation, drug possession, assault/battery, aggravated assault against a household member, larceny of a firearm, and felon in possession of a firearm.

SWIFT Task Force Investigators developed information that a possible suspect in a shooting at a rest stop between Deming and Silver City was fugitive Nathan Rowland. Based on information gathered by investigators, SWIFT investigators and Task Force Officers responded to the Silver City NM area Tuesday afternoon. Investigators identified the suspected location where Rowland was attempting to hide. Law enforcement surrounded the residence and safely evacuated the owner and other occupants. Investigators confirmed that Rowland was in the residence. They also developed information Rowland was armed.

SWAT members from the Grant and Luna County Sheriffs’ Offices were called in to help safely handle the allegedly armed fugitive. After several hours of a tense standoff with Law Enforcement, less than lethal chemical agents were deployed inside the residence, but Rowland refused to exit. After several minutes, the residence began to smoke near the back bedroom and a fire broke out. Firefighters who were on standby were able to control the fire while SWAT members entered the residence and located Rowland. He was taken into custody without further incident and was transported to the local hospital for medical treatment. Once released from the hospital, he was booked into Grant County Detention Center.

United States Marshal Conrad E. Candelaria commented "due to the extraordinary efforts of the Marshals Service fugitive task force, this dangerous fugitive can no longer cause terror in our communities by engaging in random acts of violence. The fugitive task force that is comprised of many law enforcement agencies partnered with Deputy United States Marshals combing every investigative lead that would eventually reveal the whereabouts of this violent fugitive; the success of this investigation is a testament to the exceptional investigative skill and expertise that exists in the District of New Mexico's fugitive task force".

Alabama Corrections Officer and Former Corrections Officer Indicted for Stolen Identity Tax Refund Fraud

A 29-count indictment was unsealed today in Montgomery, Ala., charging Bryant Thompson, an Alabama corrections officer, and Quincy Walton, a former Alabama corrections officer, with federal tax crimes, the Justice Department and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced. Thompson and Walton are both charged with one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States; Thompson is additionally charged with 10 counts of wire fraud and 10 counts of aggravated identity theft, and Walton is additionally charged with four counts of theft of government money and four counts of aggravated identity theft.

 

According to the indictment, Thompson, a corrections officer at the Alabama Department of Corrections, unlawfully obtained the names and Social Security numbers of inmates in the custody of the state of Alabama and caused to be filed false tax returns in the names of those inmates. The IRS issued tax refund checks in the names of inmates whose identities Thompson unlawfully obtained and Walton cashed those checks.  

 

An indictment is merely a formal charge by the grand jury. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

 

If convicted, Thompson and Walton face a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for the conspiracy count, a maximum of 20 years for each wire fraud count, a maximum of 10 years for each theft of government money count and a minimum of two years for aggravated identity theft. In addition to prison time, Thompson and Walton also face the possibility of fines and restitution to the IRS and other victims.  

 

The case was investigated by IRS Criminal Investigation and is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Alexander R. Effendi and Justin K. Gelfand of the Justice Department’s Tax Division.  

Department of Justice Awards $1 Million to the National Crime Prevention Council to Support Gun Safety Campaign

Award Allocated for the Development of a National Public Education Campaign on Responsible Gun Ownership Encouraging Safe Storage

 

The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) awarded $1 million to the National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC) to support the development of a National Public Education Campaign on the subject of responsible gun ownership and safe gun storage.   With the award, NCPC will create, produce, and distribute television, radio, and outdoor Public Service Announcements (PSAs) that encourage gun owners to safely store their firearms so that they do not fall into the wrong hands.   The campaign will also emphasize the importance of immediately reporting lost or stolen guns to local law enforcement to ensure public safety.  

 

“As part of President Obama's comprehensive plan to reduce gun violence, the Administration is committed to working with firearm owners and enthusiasts to prevent tragic accidents and keep guns from falling into the wrong hands,” said Attorney General Eric Holder.   “We are determined to implement the kinds of common-sense solutions that our citizens - and especially our young people - deserve.”

 

Ensuring the public is educated in responsible gun ownership and firearm safety is a critical aspect to reducing gun violence. Gun owners, community groups and businesses must be aware and reminded to practice safe firearm storage and to make certain that firearms in the home are not casually accessible.   This public awareness campaign will endeavor to decrease the threat of gun violence by promoting principles of responsible firearm ownership nationwide and providing guidelines for the safe usage and storage of firearms.

 

NCPC, founded in 1982, is the nation’s nonprofit leader in crime prevention. For 30 years, they have delivered crime prevention tips and public service advertising campaigns that empower citizens individually and collectively to keep themselves, their families and their communities safe from crime.

 

It is planned that the PSAs created through this award will be distributed to more than 1,700 television stations, nearly 15,000 radio stations and more than 500 cable networks in 210 markets in summer 2013.

Former New Mexico Corrections Officer Convicted on Obstruction of Justice Charges

A federal jury late yesterday convicted Kevin Casaus, 25, a former corrections officer at the Bernalillo County, N.M., Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Albuquerque, N.M., on obstruction of justice and falsification of records charges, announced the Justice Department.

 

Casaus and fellow former MDC corrections officers, Demetrio Juan Gonzales, 40, and Matthew Pendley, 26, were indicted in June 2012, and charged with various crimes related to the assault of an inmate housed at MDC on Dec. 21, 2011, and subsequent attempts to cover up and impede the investigation of the assault.  In Oct. 2012, Gonzales pleaded guilty to violating the civil rights of an individual in his custody when he struck and choked the victim in the shower room/dress out area of MDC.  Pendley pleaded guilty in Feb. 2012 to obstructing justice by making false statements to law enforcement during their investigation of the assault on an inmate. 

 

According to the evidence at trial, during the early morning hours of Dec. 21, 2011, Gonzales was assigned to the Receiving-Discharge-Transfer (RDT) Unit at MDC where individuals are brought to be booked soon after they are arrested.  His job was to photograph and fingerprint those who are brought to RDT for booking.  The victim, who had been arrested for Driving While Intoxicated, was verbally uncooperative during the booking process, but was not a physical threat to anyone.  Gonzales testified that he became angry at the victim and walked him to the shower room where he knew there were no surveillance cameras.  Several other corrections officers, including Casaus, followed Gonzales to the shower room.  There, Gonzales physically assaulted the victim, striking him multiple times, and choking him.  Gonzales testified that he beat the victim “in a blind rage” and then had to wash the victim’s blood off his hands.  He further testified that the victim did not do anything to justify the beating.

 

According to the testimony, Casaus and two other corrections officers were present in the shower room during the beating.  Additionally, a former inmate who was in the hallway outside the shower room at the time of the beating, overheard groans and sounds consistent with the assault coming from the shower room.  He was then tasked with cleaning the blood that was on the floors and walls of the shower room.  The victim testified that, after Gonzales left the shower room, Casaus assaulted him by shoving him and striking him. Casaus falsely stated during a recorded interview with a Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office investigator that the victim was not assaulted in the shower room, the victim was not bleeding, and that they only brought the victim to the shower room to ask him to change out of his clothes.  Casaus falsified his report when he wrote that he saw blood on the victim's clothes, but did not know where the blood came from.

 

The jury deliberated approximately four hours before returning a verdict of guilty on the obstruction of justice and falsification of records charges, and not guilty on the assault charge.

 

“Today's verdict affirms that law enforcement officers are not above the very laws they are sworn to uphold,” said Assistant Attorney General Thomas E. Perez.  “As in this case, the Civil Rights Division will work closely with our United States Attorneys to vigorously prosecute police misconduct.”

 

Casaus faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison when he is sentenced.  His sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled.  Gonzales was sentenced in Jan. 2013 to 33 months in prison.  Pendley’s sentencing hearing also has not been scheduled.

 

“When those who are sworn to uphold the law and protect others instead abuse their power and position, they undermine the public’s confidence in the justice system and our government institutions,” said Kenneth J. Gonzales, U.S. Attorney for the District of New Mexico.  “The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Department of Justice are committed to promoting trust in our system of justice by vigorously prosecuting those who obstruct justice.”

 

“Corrections officers have a special duty to safeguard the civil rights of the inmates they oversee.  That is why the Albuquerque FBI aggressively investigated this case that also resulted in the guilty pleas of two other former MDC officers,” said Carol K.O. Lee, Special Agent in Charge of the Albuquerque Division of the FBI.  “I would like to congratulate the FBI Special Agents for their hard work, and the U.S. Attorney's Office and the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division for three successful and important civil rights prosecutions.  I also want to thank the Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office and the Metropolitan Detention Center's executive management and internal affairs staff.”

 

This case was investigated by the Albuquerque Division of the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark T. Baker for the District of New Mexico and Trial Attorney Fara Gold of the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice.

Former U.S. Consulate Guard Sentenced to Nine Years in Prison for Attempting to Communicate National Defense Information to China

Bryan Underwood, a former civilian guard at a U.S. Consulate compound under construction in China, was sentenced today to nine years in prison in connection with his efforts to sell for personal financial gain classified photographs, information and access related to the U.S. Consulate to China’s Ministry of State Security (MSS), announced Lisa Monaco, Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s National Security Division; Ronald C. Machen Jr., U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia; Valerie Parlave, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office; and Gregory B. Starr, Director of the U.S. State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service.

Underwood pleaded guilty Aug. 30, 2012, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to one count of attempting to communicate national defense information to a foreign government with intent or reason to believe that the documents, photographs or information in question were to be used to the injury of the United States or to the advantage of a foreign nation. He was sentenced by the Honorable Ellen S. Huvelle. Upon completion of his prison term, Underwood will be placed on two years of supervised release.
 Underwood, 32, a former resident of Indiana, was first charged in an indictment on Aug. 31, 2011, with two counts of making false statements and was arrested on Sept. 1, 2011.  On Sept. 21, 2011, he failed to appear at a scheduled status hearing in federal court in the District of Columbia. The FBI later located Underwood in a hotel in Los Angeles and arrested him there on Sept. 24, 2011.  On Sept. 28, 2011, Underwood was charged in a superseding indictment with one count of attempting to communicate national defense information to a foreign government, two counts of making false statements and one count of failing to appear in court pursuant to his conditions of release.

 “Bryan Underwood betrayed America’s trust by attempting to sell access to secure areas of the very U.S. Consulate compound he was charged to protect,” said Assistant Attorney General Monaco. “Today, he is being held accountable for his actions.  As this case demonstrates, we remain vigilant in protecting America’s secrets and in bringing to justice those who seek to compromise them.”
 
“Access to classified information is a special responsibility to be honored, not a financial opportunity to be exploited,” said U.S. Attorney Machen.  “Bryan Underwood is going to prison because he tried to make millions by selling secret photos of a U.S. Consulate to a foreign government.  His sentence demonstrates our dedication to jealously guarding our nation’s secrets.  We all owe a great debt of gratitude to the agents who detected and stopped Underwood before he succeeded in betraying our country.”

“Bryan Underwood attempted to betray his country by using his access to sensitive information for his own benefit. Fortunately, he was stopped before classified information fell into the wrong hands,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge Parlave. “Together with our partner agencies, the FBI will continue to diligently work to combat potential acts of espionage that threaten our national security.”

“The close working relationship between the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office resulted in the conviction of Bryan Underwood before he could potentially harm the security of our country,” said Director Starr of the Diplomatic Security Service. “This was a great success by all of the agencies involved.”

According to court documents, from November 2009 to August 2011, Underwood worked as a cleared American guard (CAG) at the site of a new U.S. consulate compound that was under construction in Guangzhou, China.  During this time, the compound was not yet operational. CAGs are American civilian security guards with top secret clearances who serve to prevent foreign governments from improperly obtaining sensitive or classified information from the construction site. Underwood received briefings on how to handle and protect classified information as well as briefings and instructions on security protocols for the U.S. Consulate, including the prohibition on photography in certain areas of the consulate.

In February 2011, Underwood was asked by U.S. law enforcement to assist in a project at the consulate and he agreed. In March and April of 2011, Underwood lost a substantial amount of money in the stock market. According to court documents, Underwood then devised a plan to use his assistance to U.S. law enforcement as a “cover” for making contact with the Chinese government.  According to his subsequent statements to U.S. law enforcement, Underwood intended to sell his information about and access to the U.S. Consulate to the Chinese MSS for $3 million to $5 million. If any U.S. personnel caught him, he planned to falsely claim he was assisting U.S. law enforcement.

As part of his plan, Underwood wrote a letter to the Chinese MSS, expressing his “interest in initiating a business arrangement with your offices” and stating, “I know I have information and skills that would be beneficial to your offices [sic] goals. And I know your office can assist me in my financial endeavors.”  According to court documents, Underwood attempted to deliver this letter to the offices of the Chinese MSS in Guangzhou, but was turned away by a guard who declined to accept the letter.  Underwood then left the letter in the open in his apartment hoping that the Chinese MSS would find it, as he believed the MSS routinely conducted searches of apartments occupied by Americans.

In May 2011, Underwood secreted a camera into the new U.S. consulate compound and took photographs of a restricted building and its contents. Several of these photographs depict areas or information classified at the Secret level. Underwood also created a schematic that listed all security upgrades to the U.S. consulate and drew a diagram of the surveillance camera locations at the consulate. In addition, according to his subsequent statements to U.S. law enforcement, Underwood “mentally” constructed a plan in which the MSS could gain undetected access to a building at the U.S. consulate to install listening devices or other technical penetrations.

According to court documents, the photographs Underwood took were reviewed by an expert at the State Department’s Bureau of Diplomatic Security who had original classification authority for facilities, security and countermeasures at the U.S. Consulate. The expert determined that several of the photographs contained images classified at the Secret level and that disclosure of such material could potentially cause serious damage to the United States.

In early August 2011, Underwood was interviewed several times by FBI and Diplomatic Security agents, during which he admitted making efforts to contact the Chinese MSS, but falsely claimed that he took these actions to assist U.S. law enforcement.  On Aug. 19, 2011, Underwood was again interviewed by law enforcement agents and he admitted that he planned to sell photos, information and access to the U.S. Consulate in Guangzhou to the Chinese MSS for his personal financial gain.

           After initially being arraigned in this case on Sept. 1, 2011, Underwood was released on his personal recognizance, with certain conditions, including staying within the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area and returning to court for a status hearing on Sept. 21, 2011. Instead of returning to court as promised, Underwood purchased a bicycle, racks, panniers, helmet and multiple energy snack bars. He left a fake suicide note at his hotel room in Springfield, Va. Then, alive and well, he pedaled west out of Springfield and eventually boarded a bus in Wytheville, Va., under a false name. He was arrested on Sept. 24, 2011 in a hotel room in Los Angeles, with over $10,000 in cash and 80,000 Japanese yen. He has been in custody ever since.

The U.S. government has found no evidence that Underwood succeeded in passing classified information concerning the U.S. Consulate in Guangzhou to anyone at the Chinese MSS.

This investigation was conducted jointly by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the State Department’s Bureau of Diplomatic Security. The prosecution was handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorney Brandon L. Van Grack from the Counterespionage Section of the Justice Department’s National Security Division.

Three Philippine Nationals Convicted in Los Angeles of Importing Military Grade Weapons

Three Philippine nationals were convicted today in Los Angeles of illegally importing military grade weapons into the United States after being caught in a sting operation that was conducted in the Philippines, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Bill Lewis, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI's Los Angeles Field Office.

Sergio Syjuco, 26, Cesar Ubaldo, 27, and Arjyl Revereza, 26, each of the Philippines, were convicted after a four-week trial by a federal jury in U.S. District Court in the Central District of California of conspiring to illegally import the weapons into the United States, and aiding and abetting the importation of those weapons.  The defendants were charged in an indictment filed on Jan. 12, 2012.

According to the evidence presented at trial, the defendants conspired to sell high-powered military and assault weapons to a buyer interested in bringing weapons into the United States to arm drug dealers in Mexican drug cartels and Mexican Mafia gang members.  In November 2010, Ubaldo met with a prospective weapons buyer, who was actually an undercover FBI agent, and offered to introduce the agent to suppliers of high-powered firearms.  Ubaldo subsequently introduced the undercover agent to Syjuco, who supplied the weapons, and Revereza, who was a police officer in the Philippines Bureau of Customs who facilitated the movement of the illegal weapons through Philippines customs and eventually into the United States.  The weapons supplied included a rocket propelled grenade launcher, a mortar launcher, an M203 single-shot grenade launcher and 12 Bushmaster machine guns, as well as explosives including mortars and grenades.  The trial evidence demonstrated that the defendants also illegally imported into the United States the highest level military body armor.

The weapons, which were tracked and safeguarded by the FBI during their shipment, landed in Long Beach, Calif., on June 7, 2011, where they were seized by the FBI.

At sentencing, which is scheduled for June 10, 2013, each defendant faces a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for conspiracy to import weapons into the United States, as well as 20 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine for causing the importation of all of the weapons, excluding the 12 fully automatic Bushmaster firearms.  In addition, defendants Syjuco and Revereza face a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine for causing the importation of all of the weapons in this case, and five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for causing the importation of the 12 fully automatic Bushmaster firearms in this case.

The investigation was conducted by agents and investigators of the FBI, the U.S. Secret Service and the Philippine National Bureau of Investigation.  Deputy Chief Kim Dammers and Trial Attorney Margaret Vierbuchen of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section prosecuted the case.

Searching for Sandra: The Disappearance of Sandra Cantu

The April 11, 2013, episode of American Heroes Radio features a conversation with law enforcement official Stacy Ditrtich, the author of Searching for Sandra, The Story Behind the Disappearance of Sandra Cantu.

Program Date: April 11, 2013

Program Time: 1500 hours, PACIFIC

Topic: Searching for Sandra: The Disappearance of Sandra Cantu

Listen Live:  http://www.blogtalkradio.com/lawenforcement/2013/04/11/searching-for-sandra-the-disappearance-of-sandra-cantu

About the Guest

Stacy Dittrich is “an award-winning 15-year law enforcement officer, author, media consultant, and former detective specializing in sex crimes. With past training by a former FBI Behavioral Specialist, Stacy is certified through the National Institute of Truth Verification as an examiner (CVSA- lie detector). Stacy has also been assigned to a federal drug task in the investigations of numerous homicides. In 2002, she received the Victim’s of Crime Award.”  Stacy Dittrich is the author of Searching for Sandra: The Story Behind the Disappearance of Sandra Cantu.

According to the book description of Searching for Sandra: The Story Behind the Disappearance of Sandra Cantu, “Where was Sandra? Across the country, parents watched with growing panic as the surveillance video was replayed on the evening news: a young girl in black leggings and a Hello Kitty t-shirt, skipping alone through the mobile home park where she lived. Her bouncing steps carried her quickly across the screen and beyond the camera's view-just two weeks after she celebrated her eighth birthday, Sandra Cantu disappeared. Within days, panic gave way to horror when investigators reported that Sandra's neighbor, 28-year-old Melissa Huckaby, had been arrested and charged with the rape and murder of the young girl. Sandra's death at the hands of a trusted adult female sent a powerful message to parents everywhere: The days of warning against "Stranger Danger" are long gone, having been replaced by an even darker era where stereotypes no longer exist and families can never be sure who to trust.”

About the Watering Hole

The Watering Hole is police slang for a location cops go off-duty to blow off steam and talk about work and life.  Sometimes funny; sometimes serious; but, always interesting.

About the Host

Lieutenant Raymond E. Foster was a sworn member of the Los Angeles Police Department for 24 years.  He retired in 2003 at the rank of Lieutenant.  He holds a bachelor’s from the Union Institute and University in Criminal Justice Management and a Master’s Degree in Public Financial Management from California State University, Fullerton; and, has completed his doctoral course work. Raymond E. Foster has been a part-time lecturer at California State University, Fullerton and Fresno; and is currently a Criminal Justice Department chair, faculty advisor and lecturer with the Union Institute and University.  He has experience teaching upper division courses in law enforcement, public policy, law enforcement technology and leadership.  Raymond is an experienced author who has published numerous articles in a wide range of venues including magazines such as Government Technology, Mobile Government, Airborne Law Enforcement Magazine, and Police One.  He has appeared on the History Channel and radio programs in the United States and Europe as subject matter expert in technological applications in law enforcement.

Listen, call, join us at the Watering Hole:

Listen from the Archive:

http://www.hitechcj.com/americanheroesradio/searching_for_sandra_cantu.html

Program Contact Information

Lieutenant Raymond E. Foster, LAPD (ret.), MPA

editor@police-writers.com

909.599.7530

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Aryan Brotherhood of Texas Gang Member Pleads Guilty to Federal Racketeering Charges

A member of the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas gang (ABT) pleaded guilty today to racketeering charges related to his membership in the ABT’s criminal enterprise, announced Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson of the Southern District of Texas.

Christopher James Morris, aka, “Rockstar,” 37, of Dallas, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Sim Lake in the Southern District of Texas to one count of conspiracy to participate in racketeering activity.
On Feb. 22, 2013, Morris’s co-conspirator Chad Ray Folmsbee, aka, “Polar Bear,” 30, of Houston, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to participate in racketeering activity.

According to court documents, Morris, Folmsbee and other ABT gang members and associates, agreed to commit multiple acts of murder, robbery, arson, kidnapping and narcotics trafficking on behalf of the ABT gang.  Morris, Folmsbee and numerous ABT gang members met on a regular basis at various locations throughout Texas to report on gang-related business, collect dues, commit disciplinary assaults against fellow gang members and discuss acts of violence against rival gang members, among other things. 

 By pleading guilty to racketeering charges, Morris and Folmsbee have admitted to being members of the ABT criminal enterprise.

According to the superseding indictment, the ABT was established in the early 1980s within the Texas prison system.  The gang modeled itself after and adopted many of the precepts and writings of the Aryan Brotherhood, a California-based prison gang that was formed in the California prison system during the 1960s.  According to the superseding indictment, previously, the ABT was primarily concerned with the protection of white inmates and white supremacy/separatism.  Over time, the ABT expanded its criminal enterprise to include illegal activities for profit.

Court documents allege that the ABT enforced its rules and promoted discipline among its members, prospects and associates through murder, attempted murder, conspiracy to murder, arson, assault, robbery and threats against those who violate the rules or pose a threat to the enterprise.  Members, and oftentimes associates, were required to follow the orders of higher-ranking members, often referred to as “direct orders.”

According to the superseding indictment, in order to be considered for ABT membership, a person must be sponsored by another gang member.  Once sponsored, a prospective member must serve an unspecified term, during which he is referred to as a prospect, while his conduct is observed by the members of the ABT.

At sentencing, Morris and Folmsbee each face a maximum penalty of life in prison. Morris and Folmsbee are both scheduled for sentencing on Sept. 26, 2013.

Morris and Folmsbee are two of 35 defendants charged with conducting racketeering activity through the ABT criminal enterprise, among other charges.  Ben Christian Dillon, 40, of Houston and James Marshall Meldrum, 40, of Dallas each pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy on Jan. 31, 2013.

This case is being investigated by a multi-agency task force consisting of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Drug Enforcement Administration; FBI; U.S. Marshals Service; Federal Bureau of Prisons; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations; Texas Rangers; Texas Department of Public Safety; Montgomery County, Texas, Sheriff’s Office; Houston Police Department-Gang Division; Texas Department of Criminal Justice – Office of Inspector General; Harris County, Texas, Sheriff’s Office; Tarrant County, Texas, Sheriff’s Office; Atascosa County, Texas, Sheriff’s Office; Orange County, Texas, Sheriff’s Office; Waller County, Texas, Sheriff’s Office; Fort Worth, Texas, Police Department; Alvin, Texas, Police Department; Carrollton, Texas, Police Department; Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office; Atascosa County District Attorney’s Office; and the Kaufman County, Texas, District Attorney’s Office.

The case is being prosecuted by the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Southern District of Texas.

California Man Arrested in Federal Sex Trafficking Case

A Long Beach, Calif., man was arrested yesterday arraigned this afternoon on federal sex trafficking charges that allege he worked with a previously charged defendant to coerce women to work as prostitutes.

 

Marquis Monte Horn, also known as “Taylor,” 34, was named in an eight-count superseding indictment returned by a federal grand jury on Wednesday. The indictment includes charges of one count of conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking, and one count of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion.

 

The second man charged in the case – Roshaun Nakia Porter, 37, also of Long Beach – was arrested and indicted on sex trafficking charges in April 2012.

 

According to the superseding indictment, Horn used websites such as www.modelmayhem.com to recruit victims to work in a prostitution organization by claiming he and Porter were running an upscale escort service in which women could make $500 per day. Horn, Porter and others used various coercive tactics to induce the victims into engaging in prostitution. For example, they allegedly developed a romantic relationship with some victims, falsely promised victims they would only be working as an escort, falsely promised financial assistance for the victims and their families, falsely promised help to obtain lawful immigration status in the United States, and isolated some victims from their friends and family.

 

The indictment further alleges that Horn recruited one victim into the prostitution organization who was subsequently beaten, whipped and forced to engage in prostitution by Porter.

 

Investigators believe that there are additional, as-yet unidentified victims in this case. Anyone with information about this case is encouraged to contact the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office at (310) 477-6565.

 

Horn was arraigned on the indictment this afternoon in U.S. District Court in Santa Ana, Calif.

 

If convicted of the charges in the indictment, Horn would face a statutory maximum penalty of life in federal prison.

 

Porter has previously pleaded not guilty in this case and was ordered to be held without bond. A trial for Porter is scheduled for May 7, 2013, before U.S. District Judge Josephine Staton Tucker.

 

This week’s superseding indictment in the result of an ongoing investigation being conducted by the FBI. The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Department of Justice’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit.

 

An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.