FEDERAL GRAND JURY RETURNS INDICTMENTS IN THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS

Federal Charges Include Immigration Violations, Child Pornography, Counterfeiting

SHERMAN, TX-United States Attorney John L. Ratcliffe announced that a federal grand jury has returned indictments late Wednesday, February 13, 2008, charging multiple individuals in separate cases of federal violations in the Eastern District of Texas.

JOSE GUADALUPE ACEVEDO-GARCIA, a.k.a. Ricardo Ramos-Cordora; a.k.a. Adrian Rojas-Rico; a.k.a. Ruben Madrigal Moreno, 30, of Mexico, has been indicted for Illegal Reentry of Removed or Deported Alien.

According to the indictment, on November 22, 2007, Collin County notified Immigration and Customs Enforcement that they had a possible deported felon in custody on a local warrant. If convicted, Acevedo-Garcia faces up to 20 years and a fine of up to $250,000.00.

This case is being investigated by United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Randall Blake.

MARK H. BURNS, 52, of Melissa, Texas, has been indicted for Interstate Receipt of Child Pornography.

According to the indictment, on August 5, 2007, the Melissa Police Department received a complaint that the Defendant possessed child pornography on a home computer. Computer evidence was seized by Melissa PD and was analyzed by the North Texas Regional Computer Forensics Laboratory. The analysis revealed the presence of child pornography that had been transported in interstate commerce. If convicted, the Defendant faces imprisonment from 5 to 20 years and a fine up to $250,000.

This case is part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC). In February 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.
This case is being investigated by the Melissa Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Randall Blake.

ANASTACIO TORRES-FRANCO, 34, of Mexico, has been indicted for Illegal Reentry of Removed or Deported Alien.
According to the indictment, on December 30, 2007, Collin County notified Immigration and Customs Enforcement that they had a possible deported alien in custody on a local warrant. If convicted, the Defendant faces up to 20 years and a fine of up to $250,000.

This case is being investigated by United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Randall Blake.

IVAN BARRON-PALACIOS, 27, of Mexico, has been indicted for Illegal Reentry of Removed or Deported Alien.

According to the indictment, on December 31, 2007, Collin County notified Immigration and Customs Enforcement that they had a possible deported alien in custody on a local warrant. If convicted, the Defendant faces up to 20 years and a fine of up to $250,000.

This case is being investigated by United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Randall Blake.

ERNESTO DOMINGUEZ-HUERTA, 34, of Mexico, has been indicted for Illegal Reentry of Removed or Deported Alien.

According to the indictment, on January 6, 2008, Denton County notified Immigration and Customs Enforcement that they had a possible deported alien in custody on a local warrant. If convicted, the Defendant faces up to 20 years and a fine of up to $250,000.

This case is being investigated by United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Randall Blake.

ENEDINA LOPEZ DE ESCALANTE, 42, of Mexico, has been indicted for Illegal Reentry of Removed or Deported Alien.

According to the indictment, on February, 1, 2008, Collin County notified Immigration and Customs Enforcement that they had a possible deported alien in custody on a local warrant. If convicted, the Defendant faces up to 20 years and a fine of up to $250,000.

This case is being investigated by United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Randall Blake.

EDY MARCELINO QUEME-CARDONA, 39, of Guatemala, has been indicted for Illegal Reentry of Removed or Deported Alien.

According to the indictment, on January, 10, 2008, Collin County notified Immigration and Customs Enforcement that they had a possible deported alien in custody who had been convicted of DWI 3rd in the 219th District Court, Collin County, Texas. If convicted of the immigration offense, the Defendant faces up to 20 years and a fine of up to $250,000.
This case is being investigated by United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Randall Blake.

JESUS GORDILLO-REYES, Mexico, has been indicted for Illegal Reentry of Removed or Deported Alien.

According to the indictment, on October 26, 2007, Denton County notified Immigration and Customs Enforcement that they had a possible deported alien in custody on a local warrant. If convicted, the Defendant faces up to 20 years and a fine of up to $250,000.

This case is being investigated by United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Randall Blake.

SHAOHONG "DALTON" HU, 47, of Murphy, Texas, and HONGXI "VICTOR" ZHOU, 46, of Richardson, have been indicted on one count of trafficking in counterfeit goods in the Eastern District of Texas.

According to the indictment, between approximately January 2005 through March 2007, Hu and Zhou trafficked in counterfeit cell phones and cell phone equipment that bore the trade markings of Nokia, Motorola, Samsung, Sony, Oakley, and SanDisk. If convicted they face up to 10 years in federal prison and a fine of up to $2 million.

This case is being investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shamoil T. Shipchandler.

TAMIKA FAYE SCALES, 32, of Mesquite, has been indicted and charged with five counts of mail fraud in the Eastern District of Texas.

According to the indictment, between approximately July 2005 through January 2006, Scales obtained and fraudulently used a corporation's Verizon account information to place cell phone orders with Verizon in exchange for payment. If convicted, Scales faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000.00.

This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shamoil T. Shipchandler.

BRADLEE L. REDNOSE, 20, of Plano, has been indicted for bank robbery.

According to the indictment, on December 10, 2007, Rednose robbed the Compass Bank located at 848 W. Spring Creek Parkway in Plano, Texas. If convicted, Rednose faces up to 20 years imprisonment and a fine not to exceed $250,000.00.

This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney M. Andrew Stover.
Three Dallas area men, WAN SEOP KIM, 34, JAE MOON CHO, 22, and HONG IN LEE, 35, have been indicted for Conspiracy to Commit Mail Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft.

According to the indictment, the three men used the stolen identity information of another person in order to obtain a home mortgage loan from Countrywide Mortgage Company. The indictment alleges that Kim, a mortgage broker, submitted the stolen identity information of the other person in order to obtain the mortgage loan in the name of that person. Kim had Lee find a third conspirator who would attend the loan closing, posing as the other party, in order to sign the loan documents to obtain the loan. Lee recruited Cho, who agreed to attend the loan closing and execute the loan documents in return for a fee.

Lee assisted Cho in obtaining a driver's license that reflected the name and date of birth of the other person, but which bore Cho's picture. Cho attended the closing, used the false driver's license, and executed the loan documents. The United States Secret Service agent who received a tip concerning the scheme, went undercover to monitor the closing. As soon as Cho had signed the loan documents, he and Lee were arrested. Kim was arrested later, away from the scene. If convicted, the defendants could face up to 22 years imprisonment and fines totaling $500,000.00.

This case is being investigated by the United States Secret Service and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew Williams.

JAMES DONALD BEETS, 50, of Cumby, Texas has been indicted for corrupt or forcible attempts to interfere with the administration of Internal Revenue laws by intimidating and impeding an IRS Officer acting in his official capacity. If convicted, Beets could face up to 1 year in federal prison and a fine of up to$3,000.00.

This case is being investigated by the United States Department of Treasury and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Maureen Smith.

JEFFREY GRAY WISE, 44, of Prosper, Texas has been indicted for attempted bank robbery.

According to the indictment, Wise attempted to enter the Texas Star Bank in Sherman to commit bank robbery. He has also been charged with being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm in connection with the crime. If convicted, Wise could face up to 20 years on the bank robbery and up to 10 years on the felon in possession count, and fines of $250,000.00.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Maureen Smith.

MIKE FREEWITH, JR., 51, of Paris, Texas, has been indicted as a user of a controlled substance in possession of firearms. If convicted, Freewith could face up to 10 years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000.00.

This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sam Cantrell.

ROGER LEE BATT, 29, of Plano, has been indicted for being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm. If convicted, Batt could face a term of imprisonment of not more than 10 years and a fine not to exceed $250,000.00.

This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sam Cantrell.

JOHN FREDERICK WILHELM, 58, of Arlington, has been indicted for Conspiracy to Manufacture, Distribute or Possess with Intent to Manufacture, Distribute or Dispense a Controlled Substance. If convicted, the Defendant faces up to 5 years and a fine up to $250,000.

This case is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stevan Buys.

MICHAEL RUNKLE, 43, of Denton, has been indicted and charged with 3-counts of distribution and possession of child pornography. If convicted, Runkle could face up to 20 years in federal prison, and a fine of up to $250,000.

This case is part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC). In February 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.

The case is being investigated by the Department of Homeland Security and Denton Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michele A. Ratcliffe.

It is important to note that an indictment should not be considered as evidence of guilt and that all persons charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.