Kansas Man Indicted on Child Pornography and Sex Tourism Charges

A 70-year-old Kansas native who was residing in Panama was indicted today and charged with multiple crimes involving sexual conduct with minors in a foreign country, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Blanco of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson of the Southern District of Texas.

Jebediah Dishman, 70, of Fredonia, Kansas, was arrested in Houston on Nov. 8, 2016, and originally charged by criminal complaint.  He later appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mary Milloy who found him to be a flight risk and ordered him into custody.  Today, a grand jury in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas indicted him on one count each of engaging in illicit sexual conduct with a minor in a foreign country, production of child pornography, sex trafficking of children, and obtaining custody and control of a minor for the purpose of producing sexually explicit visual depictions of the minor.

According to the indictment, from September 2014 through March 2015, Dishman traveled from the United States to the Republic of Indonesia and engaged in illicit sexual conduct with minors.  While in Indonesia in February 2015, Dishman allegedly used a minor to produce visual depictions of the minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct.  In addition, the indictment alleges that between September 2014 and March 2015, Dishman attempted to recruit and entice minors in the Republic of Indonesia and other countries outside of the territorial jurisdiction of the United States to engage in commercial sex acts.     

The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations.  The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until he is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

The FBI is investigating this case with the cooperation of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.  Trial Attorney Elly M. Peirson of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sherri Zack of the Southern District of Texas are prosecuting the case.

Former Mayor Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud for Using Campaign Contributions for His Own Personal Benefit

A former mayor of Dunkirk, New York pleaded guilty today to engaging in a scheme to defraud his mayoral campaign and supporters by stealing campaign contributions for his personal benefit, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Blanco of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division and Acting U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy Jr. of the Western District of New York. 

Richard L. Frey, 85, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara of the Western District of New York.  Sentencing is scheduled for May 11, 2017.  

According to admissions made in connection with his plea, from at least January 2003 through June 2012, Frey solicited and received several large campaign contributions from a number of area businesses and businesspeople and then, instead of depositing the donations into his campaign accounts, either cashed the checks for his personal use or deposited the checks into his personal bank accounts.  Frey admitted that he concealed the existence of these larger campaign contributions by not reporting or disclosing them on his campaign disclosure reports, as was required of local candidates for public office. 

FBI’s Buffalo Field Office and the U.S. Housing and Urban Development Office of Inspector General investigated the case.  Former Assistant U.S. Attorney John E. Rogowski and Assistant U.S. Attorney John Fabian of the Western District of New York and Trial Attorney Edward P. Sullivan of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section are prosecuting the case. 

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How Consulting a Lawyer Could Help Your Case

Whether you are the one filing a lawsuit or are the recipient of a lawsuit notification, the thought of the court costs involved with such an event can get overwhelming. In fact, many people consider trying to handle court cases and settlements themselves in spite of little to no legal training in an effort to save money over hiring a lawyer. However, there are many good reasons why consulting a lawyer could benefit your case – even financially.

Consultations Are Usually Free

First of all, it’s important to understand that in many instances, it doesn’t cost you a thing to sit down and talk with a lawyer about your case for 30-60 minutes. Many attorneys offer free consultations that help them to determine if you have a viable lawsuit (or means to fight a lawsuit) and if their services would be a good fit for you. There usually is no obligation to hire the lawyer on the spot, so you can go home and mull it over or even visit with a few other lawyers to make sure you choose the right one. This is a benefit that only costs a little bit of your time.

Many Work on Contingency

In addition to free consultations, there are also many attorneys who choose to work on contingency. This means they do not require a fee for their services unless you win your case. If you lose your case or are not awarded any compensation, then the lawyer doesn’t charge you. If you do win or receive compensation, then the attorney will likely take a percentage of that compensation as a fee. You will need to consult with your lawyer of choice to determine if he or she works on contingency.

They Handle Much of the Work

Another way that hiring a lawyer could help your case is with the stress of the workload. If you’ve never filed a lawsuit before, the amount of paperwork and different deadlines involved might surprise you. If your case involves an injury, then it can be difficult to take care of paperwork and other procedures when you’re trying to heal. Your attorney handles the hard work for you and should consult with you to keep you up to date on the progress of your lawsuit.

Get More in Compensation

Legal professionals with experience handling cases involving monetary compensation are often skilled enough to negotiate a higher compensation than you might get if you handled your case yourself. This often helps you to receive the full benefit of your compensation in addition to covering the costs of hiring an attorney. Attorneys who work on contingency stand to benefit from a high compensation. After all, the more you are awarded, the more they get paid. In other words, they have a financial stake in helping you acquire as much compensation as possible.

While it’s tempting to try handling your own case in a court of law, oftentimes the benefits outweigh the costs of hiring a lawyer. If you’re facing a lawsuit, start researching lawyers to consult about your case right away.