Month: January 2023

Source: United States Department of Justice News

LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Garrett Michael Faulk, 25, of Iowa, Louisiana, has been sentenced by United States District Judge James D. Cain, Jr. to 262 months (21 years, 10 months) in prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, on child pornography charges. Faulk was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $3,000.

According to evidence presented to the court, investigators with the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office responded to a residence in Iowa, Louisiana, regarding a complaint of child exploitation. Through their investigation, law enforcement agents found an explicit video and pictures on Faulk’s cell phone depicting the exploitation of children. Faulk admitted to agents that he had used his cell phone to capture the video and pictures of prepubescent children. He was charged by a federal grand jury with production of child pornography and pleaded guilty to one count on August 23, 2022.

The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security Investigations and Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Danny Siefker.

This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a U.S. Department of Justice nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood combines federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

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Source: United States Department of Justice News

LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that two men from Lake Charles were sentenced by U.S. District Judge James D. Cain, Jr. yesterday for illegally possessing firearms.

Taylor Austin Chiasson, 33, of Lake Charles, Louisiana, was sentenced to 96 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release. The charges in this case stem from an incident which occurred on March 9, 2021, when Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office deputies were dispatched to a residence in response to a noise complaint. When deputies arrived, they observed Chiasson leaving the residence carrying a small child, several bags, and what appeared to be a pistol in a holster in his hand. Deputies stopped Chiasson to discuss what was going on and had dispatch run a criminal history of him. It was determined that in fact Chiasson had prior felony convictions and was prohibited from possessing any firearm or ammunition.  He was subsequently arrested and taken into custody. Chiasson pleaded guilty to the charge of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon on August 16, 2022.  Chiasson’s prior felony convictions were for simple burglary (2009) and distribution of a controlled substance (2012).

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ladonte A. Murphy.

The second case involved Deandrus T. Jones, of Lake Charles. Jones was sentenced to 36 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release. Jones was also charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and he pleaded guilty on August 29, 2022.  On May 13, 2020, detectives with the Jennings Police Department executed a search warrant at Jones’ residence and found a Taurus Millennium 9mm handgun next to his bed along with a loaded magazine and other narcotics and drug paraphernalia. Jones was arrested and the subsequent investigation by law enforcement officers revealed that Jones had previously been convicted on felony charges of attempted simple burglary and possession of alprazolam. Jones knew that he was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition because of his felony convictions.  

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Jennings Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. Vermaelen.

These cases are part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

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Source: United States Department of Justice News

TULSA, Okla. –A man who allegedly threatened to take the life of a federal judge and to return to the courthouse with an armed militia was charged in federal court, announced U.S Attorney Clint Johnson.

Cole Walker Morris, 29, was charged by Criminal Complaint with threatening to kidnap, assault, or murder a United States judge.

On Jan. 10, 2023, Morris, with court documents in hand, approached the intake counter at the Page Belcher Federal Courthouse to ask questions about the dismissal of his pro se lawsuit. An employee explained the documents to him and why it had been dismissed.

According to the Complaint, Morris then became agitated and started making threatening statements. Morris allegedly threatened to hold down Chief U.S. District Judge John F. Heil III and stated that the judge was going to “give his life.” Morris said that he would return to the courthouse with an armed militia and take hostages. He further asked the employee if the glass between the two was bullet proof, made threats to rape employees, and stated that the acts were within his rights as an American.

At that point, Morris said he would return and fled the building.

Individuals with information about Morris’ whereabouts may contact the Tulsa Police Department or the FBI-Oklahoma City Field Office at (405) 290-7770.

The FBI and Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher J. Nassar and Robert T. Raley are prosecuting the case. 

This matter will proceed in United States District Court in Tulsa, where the Complaint is currently pending. A Complaint is a temporary charge alleging a violation of law. For the case to proceed to trial, the United States must present the charge to a federal Grand Jury within 30 days. Once a Grand Jury returns an Indictment, a defendant has a right to a jury trial at which the United States would have the burden of proving the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that defendant RHOBAHIS HOLMES, a/k/a “Wild Card,” of New Orleans, Louisiana, was sentenced on January 10, 2023 by U.S. District Court Judge Susie Morgan to a prison term of one hundred and twenty (120) months, for two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1), to be run concurrently.  Judge Morgan ordered that HOLMES shall be on supervised release for a tern of three (3) years following his release from imprisonment.  Holmes was also ordered to pay a mandatory @200 special assessment fee.

According to public records, HOLMES also was observed with a firearm on July 22, 2020. On that day, HOLMES was observed adjusting the firearm while conducting what appeared to be drug deals in the 1700 block of Monroe Street, New Orleans. HOLMES was later stopped inside of a vehicle where police recovered a Smith and Wesson firearm.

U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the New Orleans Police Department. The case   was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mike Trummel of the Violent Crime Unit  of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that CLAUDIA CAMEY DE PEREZ, a native of Guatemala, pleaded guilty and was sentenced on January 12, 2023 by Chief Judge Nannette Jolivette Brown to one year probation and payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee for illegally using a social security number to qualify for employment, in violation of Title 42, United States Code, Section 408(a)(7)(B).

According to court documents, on March 29, 2022, Homeland Security Investigations received information that certain individuals had used fraudulent Social Security cards in an initial application to obtain employment. Prior to finalizing employment with their prospective company, the individuals had to report to the Gulf Coast Safety Council, which provides safety courses to applicants applying for work with companies servicing petrochemical processing plants. On March 30, 2022, CAMEY DE PEREZ arrived at the Gulf Coast Safety Council office in St. Rose, Louisiana to complete the safety course to finalize her employment with Company “A.” On that day, CAMEY DE PEREZ presented a fraudulent United States Social Security card bearing the name and United States Social Security number of a United States citizen, which he represented to be her own, in order to obtain employment.

U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of Homeland Security Investigations in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Spiro G. Latsis is in charge of the prosecution.