News Releases and Statements

This case was investigated by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), FBI, and the IRS – Criminal Investigation Division. The Korean National Police of the Republic of Korea provided assistance and coordinated with their parallel investigation. U.S. Attorney Timothy J. Shea, of the District of Columbia, announced the indictment.

The charge stems from a bribery investigation involving Benito Barrientes, 42, from Lyford; Exy Adelaida Gomez, 42, from Los Fresnos; and Damian Ortiz, 30, and her brother and McAllen attorney Roel Alanis, 39, both from Weslaco. They were charged with conspiracy to commit bribery and bribery in relation to obtaining alien detainee roster lists.

Saul Rodriguez-Soto, 39, of Indianapolis, operated SR Bulls Auto Sales LLC, Bulls Auto Sales II Inc., and Chicago Auto Sales LLC. He was also ordered to three years of supervised release following his sentence.

Pursuant to an investigation by ICE’s HSI New York, working with the Department of Justice, Airbus SE (Airbus or the company), a global provider of civilian and military aircraft based in France, has agreed to pay combined penalties of more than $3.9 billion to resolve foreign bribery charges with authorities in the United States, France and the United Kingdom arising out of the company’s scheme to use third-party business partners to bribe government officials, as well as non-governmental airline executives, around the world and to resolve the company’s violation of the AECA and its implementing regulations, the ITAR, in the United States.

The $460,560.26 the Dallas District Attorney’s Office received was part of nearly $9 million seized by HSI and the IRS during the investigation of a criminal organization led by Frank Cacopardo.

The investigation began in 2017 after HSI special agents and TPD officers discovered evidence that drug trafficking organizations were utilizing United Parcel Service (UPS) employees to facilitate the movement of bulk narcotics to destinations throughout the eastern part of the United States, along with the movement of bulk U.S. currency back to the Tucson metropolitan area.

The indictment was unsealed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York (SDNY) charging Anthony Cheedie, Chad Allen, Shane Hanna, Cameron Brewster, Kevin Handren, Joseph Ciaccio, a/k/a “Joseph Gallagher,” Joseph Minetto, Joseph Depaola, a/k/a “Joe Hall,” Derrek Larkin, a/k/a “Derrek Martin,” and Mattie Cirilo with conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with telemarketing. Larkin and Cirilo also are charged with obstruction of justice.

Billy Ray Mitchell, 48, from Corpus Christi, was sentenced Nov. 14 to 125 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. Mitchell pleaded guilty to the criminal charges July 25, 2019.

The workshop, which took place between Sept. 26-27, was designed to help attendees leverage established procedures by various private sector participants to facilitate the timely exchange of information with Spanish-speaking law enforcement agencies worldwide in anti-financial crimes.

Pamela Sue Hannan, 66, of Sherman, Texas, and Pamela Sue Jennings, 68, of Houston, Texas, were indicted by a federal grand jury Oct. 16.   Both defendants were charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering.

James T. Booth, 74, was indicted in the Southern District of New York, charged with securities fraud, wire fraud, and investment advisor fraud charges in connection with his years-long scheme to defraud customers of his financial services firm named Booth Financial Associates (“Booth Financial”).

Fifteen individuals were charged in U.S. District Court today with illegal gambling, money laundering and other financial violations related to an ongoing investigation of a criminal organization operating multiple illegal game rooms and casinos on the island of Oahu.

Emilio Testa, 32, an Australian national and Boulder, Colorado resident, was sentenced Aug. 22 to one year and one day in federal prison for money laundering Bitcoin, a type of cryptocurrency otherwise known as digital cash.

Kunal Kalra, 25 – who was also known as “Kumar,” “shecklemayne” and “coinman” – was charged today in a four-count criminal information filed in U.S. District Court and is expected to make his initial court appearance next month.

Joaquin Archivaldo Guzman Loera, known by various aliases, including “El Chapo” and “El Rapido,” was sentenced today by United States District Judge Brian M. Cogan to life imprisonment plus 30 years to run consecutive to the life sentence for being a principal leader of a continuing criminal enterprise – the Mexican organized crime syndicate known as the Sinaloa Cartel – a charge that includes 26 drug-related violations and one murder conspiracy. The Court also ordered Guzman Loera to pay $12.6 billion in forfeiture.

Pursuant to an investigation by ICE’s HSI New York, Hema Patel, 51, a Texas-based bail bondswoman, was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment for her role in smuggling hundreds of illegal aliens into the United States.

Larry Earnest Tillery (father), 69, Judy Kay Tillery (mother), 62, and Brian Tillery (son), 46, all from Beaumont, Texas, pleaded guilty June 25, for their roles in a massive gambling operation.