McLaughlin Man Pleads Guilty to Sexual Abuse by Force or Threat

United States Attorney Brendan V. Johnson announced that Bradley Speker, age 53, of McLaughlin, South Dakota, appeared before United States District Judge Roberto A. Lange on August 28, 2012, and pled guilty to a superseding information that charged him with sexual abuse by force or threat. The maximum penalty upon conviction is life in custody, a $250,000 fine, or both.

The conviction arose from incidents that occurred between January 2010 to January 2012 in Dupree, South Dakota, when Bradley Speker engaged in a sexual act with a victim by threat and by placing the victim in fear.

The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mikal Hanson.

A pre-sentence investigation was ordered, and a sentencing date was set for November 26, 2012. The defendant was remanded to the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.

Lakeville Man Pleads Guilty to Swindling $1.4 Million

MINNEAPOLIS—Earlier today in federal court, a 57-year-old Lakeville man pleaded guilty to obtaining fraudulently more than $1.4 million in loans from four different banks. Kevin A. Dahl pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud in connection to this crime. Dahl, who was charged on July 10, 2012, entered his plea before United States District Court Judge John R. Tunheim.

In his plea agreement, Dahl admitted that from February 6, 2007, through February 1, 2008, he submitted false applications and supporting documents for loans he sought from various banks. In the applications, he specifically overstated his assets, representing that he had assets worth more than $9 million, when that was not the case. Because of his fraudulent representations, Dahl obtained more than $1.4 million in total from Lake Area Bank, First National Bank of Northfield, Voyager Bank, and Community Banks of Colorado.

For his crime, Dahl faces a potential maximum penalty of 30 years in prison. Judge Tunheim will determine his sentence at a future hearing, yet to be scheduled. This case is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert M. Lewis and Kimberly A. Svendsen.

Former Credit Union Branch Manager Sentenced

Dala Nelson Freitas to Serve Five Years’ Probation with Home Confinement

LYNCHBURG, VA—The former branch manager of Blue Ridge Federal Credit Union in Lynchburg was sentenced this morning in the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia in Lynchburg to a false bookkeeping charge.

Dala Nelson Freitas, 57, of Lynchburg, Virginia, previously waived her right to be indicted and pled guilty to a one-count information charging her with making false entries in the books and records of Blue Ridge Federal Credit Union.

This morning, Freitas was sentenced to five years’ probation with home confinement and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $100,977.

“Ms. Freitas abused her position with the Blue Ridge Federal Credit Union and stole funds in order to benefit members of her family,” United States Attorney Timothy J. Heaphy said today. “Her greed motivated her to violate the trust placed in bank employees. This case demonstrates our commitment to investigating and prosecuting financial fraud where it occurs.”

According to evidence presented at a previous hearing by Assistant United States Attorney Jennie Waering, Freitas was the branch manager at Blue Ridge Federal Credit Union from 1997 until April 2003.

Freitas has admitted that between May 2002 through August 2002, she accepted 15 deposited checks totaling $100,977 from Clean Rite Sewer and Drain Cleaning. The 15 checks were never deposited into the credit union’s depository account. Instead, Freitas posted the checks to Clean Rite’s credit union account, from which payroll checks were subsequently written. Freitas knew and understood the checks had insufficient funds to cover them and this was the reason she never presented them for clearing. Clean Rite used the funds to meet its payroll obligations.

The owners of Clean Rite Sewer and Drain Cleaning were Freitas’ brother-in-law and nephew. At the time of the offense, Freitas was being paid by Clean Rite to handle the company’s bookkeeping.

The investigation of the case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Jennie L.M. Waering is prosecuting the case for the United States.

Title Company Attorney Convicted in Multi-Million-Dollar Mortgage Fraud Scheme

HOUSTON—Lisa Carol Ross, 50, of Missouri City, Texas, has pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, United States Attorney Kenneth Magidson announced today, along with FBI Special Agent in Charge Stephen L. Morris and Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Special Agent in Charge Lucy Cruz.

Ross, an attorney and escrow officer for Vision Title LLC, and three others were indicted in 2011 for a scheme to defraud residential mortgage lenders. According to the indictment, the conspirators allegedly used fraudulent documents to help borrowers qualify for mortgage loans to purchase condominium units in the Commerce Towers building located on Main Street in downtown Houston, as well as residential homes in the Houston area. The indictment indicates the documents had false and misleading information about the borrowers’ income, assets, liabilities, employment status, bank deposits, rental payments, intent to use properties as a primary residence, and source of funds used to close the real estate transactions. Today, Ross admitted that she arranged for disbursements from the title company to be turned into cash and money orders and secretly distributed to the involved parties.

Ross is currently in custody on unrelated state charges, where she will remain pending sentencing in this case by U.S. District Judge Gray Miller on January 25, 2013. At that time, Ross faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

The others charged in relation to this case are set to begin trial on December 3, 2012. They are presumed innocent unless and until convicted through due process of law.

The investigation leading to the charges was conducted by the FBI, IRS-CI, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation-Office of Inspector General, and Houston Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney John Lewis is prosecuting the case.

Lake Andes Man Charged with Sexual Abuse

U.S. Attorney Brendan V. Johnson announced that a Lake Andes, South Dakota man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for sexual abuse.

Ray Flying Hawk, age 43, was indicted by a federal grand jury on August 14, 2012, for aggravated sexual abuse and sexual abuse. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge John E. Simko on August 27, 2012, and pled not guilty to the indictment. The maximum penalty upon conviction is life imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. The charges are merely accusations, and Flying Hawk is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

The investigation is being conducted by BIA Law Enforcement Services-Yankton Agency and the FBI. Assistant US Attorney Thomas J. Wright is prosecuting the case. Flying Hawk was remanded to the custody of the US Marshals Service. A trial date has not yet been set.