Six Plead Guilty in 3000+ Pound Marijuana Case Fugitive Sought

U.S. Attorney’s OfficeDecember 21, 2011

HOUSTON—A total of six men have entered guilty pleas in a case involving the smuggling of more than a ton of marijuana concealed in pallets of watermelons, United States Attorney Kenneth Magidson announced today. Humberto Reyes, 51, of Houston, and Victor Pena, 30, of Roma, Texas, entered their pleas today to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than 1,000 kilograms of marijuana before United States District Judge David Hittner, while Orlando Ramirez, 41, Lauro Cisneros, 27, both of Roma, Texas; Leonel Pena, 34, of Houston; and Roel Reyna, 47, of Rio Grande City, Texas, pleaded guilty last Friday.

Beginning in June 2011, these men began transporting marijuana via tractor trailer and concealed in pallets of watermelons from McAllen, Texas, to a warehouse in Houston. Once the marijuana reached the warehouse, they would unload the pallets, remove the marijuana and load the marijuana into other vehicles to be delivered for sale.

At their respective plea hearings, the government described how agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) conducted surveillance of the warehouse on July 28, 2011. At that time, Leonel Pena, Victor Pena and Cisneros unloaded pallets of watermelons from a tractor trailer, while Ramirez conducted countersurveillance in the area around the warehouse. Once the pallets were unloaded and the warehouse doors secured, agents observed Reyes and Roel Reyna drive past the warehouse at a slow rate of speed as Reyna was showing Reyes the location. Reyes returned to the warehouse later in a white panel van which he pulled into the warehouse. Agents then followed the van as it left the warehouse and stopped it a short time later. Agents discovered 84 bales of marijuana inside, while a search of the warehouse resulted in the seizure of an additional 53 bales of marijuana. The total weight of the marijuana seized was 3,158 pounds.

All of the defendants have been in custody since their arrests where they will remain pending their sentencing hearings. Judge Hittner has set sentencing for March 13, 2012, at which time they each face a minimum of 10 years and maximum of life in federal prison and a maximum $8 million fine. A seventh defendant, Agapito Lopez, 45, of Roma, Texas, remains a fugitive and a photo of him as attached. Anyone with information as to his whereabouts is asked to contact DEA at 713-693-3000. He is presumed innocent unless and until convicted through due process of law.

The case was investigated by the DEA, FBI and the Houston High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area initiative. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard D. Hanes as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force.

Photo Credit FBI

Six Plead Guilty in 3000+ Pound Marijuana Case Fugitive Sought

U.S. Attorney’s OfficeDecember 21, 2011

HOUSTON—A total of six men have entered guilty pleas in a case involving the smuggling of more than a ton of marijuana concealed in pallets of watermelons, United States Attorney Kenneth Magidson announced today. Humberto Reyes, 51, of Houston, and Victor Pena, 30, of Roma, Texas, entered their pleas today to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than 1,000 kilograms of marijuana before United States District Judge David Hittner, while Orlando Ramirez, 41, Lauro Cisneros, 27, both of Roma, Texas; Leonel Pena, 34, of Houston; and Roel Reyna, 47, of Rio Grande City, Texas, pleaded guilty last Friday.

Beginning in June 2011, these men began transporting marijuana via tractor trailer and concealed in pallets of watermelons from McAllen, Texas, to a warehouse in Houston. Once the marijuana reached the warehouse, they would unload the pallets, remove the marijuana and load the marijuana into other vehicles to be delivered for sale.

At their respective plea hearings, the government described how agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) conducted surveillance of the warehouse on July 28, 2011. At that time, Leonel Pena, Victor Pena and Cisneros unloaded pallets of watermelons from a tractor trailer, while Ramirez conducted countersurveillance in the area around the warehouse. Once the pallets were unloaded and the warehouse doors secured, agents observed Reyes and Roel Reyna drive past the warehouse at a slow rate of speed as Reyna was showing Reyes the location. Reyes returned to the warehouse later in a white panel van which he pulled into the warehouse. Agents then followed the van as it left the warehouse and stopped it a short time later. Agents discovered 84 bales of marijuana inside, while a search of the warehouse resulted in the seizure of an additional 53 bales of marijuana. The total weight of the marijuana seized was 3,158 pounds.

All of the defendants have been in custody since their arrests where they will remain pending their sentencing hearings. Judge Hittner has set sentencing for March 13, 2012, at which time they each face a minimum of 10 years and maximum of life in federal prison and a maximum $8 million fine. A seventh defendant, Agapito Lopez, 45, of Roma, Texas, remains a fugitive and a photo of him as attached. Anyone with information as to his whereabouts is asked to contact DEA at 713-693-3000. He is presumed innocent unless and until convicted through due process of law.

The case was investigated by the DEA, FBI and the Houston High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area initiative. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard D. Hanes as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force.

Photo Credit FBI

Metro-East Woman Sentenced on Mortgage Loan Fraud, Tax Fraud, and Food Stamp Fraud Offenses

U.S. Attorney’s OfficeDecember 21, 2011

A metro-east resident was sentenced today in the United States District Court in East St. Louis for participating in a conspiracy to defraud the United States and evade the payment of federal income taxes, for making false statements on a mortgage loan application, and for making false statements to obtain Food Stamp Program benefits, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Stephen R. Wigginton, announced today. Chamethele McKinney, 36, was sentenced to 37 months’ imprisonment.

Court documents indicate that brothers Robert Todd McKinney and John Quinn McKinney owned and operated McKinney Hauling, a construction business located in East St. Louis, Illinois. In 2003, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) began pursuing the brothers for unpaid taxes. The McKinney brothers evaded the payment of their tax obligations for the tax years 1999-2000, and 2002-2006, by diverting business income from McKinney Hauling into nominee bank accounts, which were used to pay personal and household expenses. Robert and John McKinney also admitted lying to federal officials about their business income and their home addresses. Belinda and Chamethele McKinney each pled guilty to falsifying mortgage loan documents while purchasing real estate—solely in their own names—so that business income earned by the husbands could be diverted into assets owned exclusively by their wives, thereby avoiding a combined IRS tax lien of $2,465,089.74, including penalties and interest.

On her loan application to purchase a house on Seasons Ridge in Maryville, Chamethele McKinney indicated that she was a manager at McKinney Hauling, she had a gross monthly income of $15,374.23, she had a letter indicating that she was a part owner of McKinney Hauling since January 1998, and that she had a verification of rent or mortgage; all of which were false and misled the lender. Knowing that her husband John Quinn McKinney had tax liens and poor credit, Chamethele McKinney submitted the loan applications in her own name only. After closing, Chamethele received a kickback of $45,541.16 from the seller, an amount above the actual cost of the house.

At sentencing, the United States argued that incarceration was necessary to put an end Chamethele’s parasitic lifestyle.

Chamethele McKinney was also sentenced to five years of supervised release, ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $1,512,384.22 to the Internal Revenue Service, in the amount of $267,678.47 to Deutsche Bank, and in the amount of $22,488.00 to the Illinois Department of Human Services, and ordered to pay $300 as a special assessment to the court.

On December 2, 2011, her husband John Quinn McKinney and her brother-in-law Robert Todd McKinney were both sentenced to 57 months’ imprisonment. On December 13, 2011, her sister-in-law Belinda Cheri McKinney was sentenced to 37 months’ imprisonment.

The investigation was conducted by agents from the Internal Revenue Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Illinois Department of Human Services. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Liam Coonan and Steven D. Weinhoeft.

Metro-East Woman Sentenced on Mortgage Loan Fraud, Tax Fraud, and Food Stamp Fraud Offenses

U.S. Attorney’s OfficeDecember 21, 2011

A metro-east resident was sentenced today in the United States District Court in East St. Louis for participating in a conspiracy to defraud the United States and evade the payment of federal income taxes, for making false statements on a mortgage loan application, and for making false statements to obtain Food Stamp Program benefits, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Stephen R. Wigginton, announced today. Chamethele McKinney, 36, was sentenced to 37 months’ imprisonment.

Court documents indicate that brothers Robert Todd McKinney and John Quinn McKinney owned and operated McKinney Hauling, a construction business located in East St. Louis, Illinois. In 2003, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) began pursuing the brothers for unpaid taxes. The McKinney brothers evaded the payment of their tax obligations for the tax years 1999-2000, and 2002-2006, by diverting business income from McKinney Hauling into nominee bank accounts, which were used to pay personal and household expenses. Robert and John McKinney also admitted lying to federal officials about their business income and their home addresses. Belinda and Chamethele McKinney each pled guilty to falsifying mortgage loan documents while purchasing real estate—solely in their own names—so that business income earned by the husbands could be diverted into assets owned exclusively by their wives, thereby avoiding a combined IRS tax lien of $2,465,089.74, including penalties and interest.

On her loan application to purchase a house on Seasons Ridge in Maryville, Chamethele McKinney indicated that she was a manager at McKinney Hauling, she had a gross monthly income of $15,374.23, she had a letter indicating that she was a part owner of McKinney Hauling since January 1998, and that she had a verification of rent or mortgage; all of which were false and misled the lender. Knowing that her husband John Quinn McKinney had tax liens and poor credit, Chamethele McKinney submitted the loan applications in her own name only. After closing, Chamethele received a kickback of $45,541.16 from the seller, an amount above the actual cost of the house.

At sentencing, the United States argued that incarceration was necessary to put an end Chamethele’s parasitic lifestyle.

Chamethele McKinney was also sentenced to five years of supervised release, ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $1,512,384.22 to the Internal Revenue Service, in the amount of $267,678.47 to Deutsche Bank, and in the amount of $22,488.00 to the Illinois Department of Human Services, and ordered to pay $300 as a special assessment to the court.

On December 2, 2011, her husband John Quinn McKinney and her brother-in-law Robert Todd McKinney were both sentenced to 57 months’ imprisonment. On December 13, 2011, her sister-in-law Belinda Cheri McKinney was sentenced to 37 months’ imprisonment.

The investigation was conducted by agents from the Internal Revenue Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Illinois Department of Human Services. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Liam Coonan and Steven D. Weinhoeft.

Woman Pleads Guilty To Theft of Road Home Money

U.S. Attorney’s Office

NEW ORLEANS, LA—RACHEL SAVAGE, age 48, a resident of Foley, Alabama, pleaded guilty to a one-count bill of information today for theft of government funds, based on her fraudulent receipt of over $100,000 from the Louisiana Road Home program, announced U.S. Attorney Jim Letten.

According to the court documents, on or about December 8, 2001, SAVAGE’s residence in Slidell, Louisiana, was completely destroyed by fire. The home was not rebuilt prior to Hurricane Katrina making landfall in August 2005. However, following Hurricane Katrina, SAVAGE applied for and was awarded money from the Louisiana Road Home program totaling $104,935.00 after she made affirmative representations in her application that she had lived at the destroyed residence at the time of Hurricane Katrina and that it had been destroyed as a result of Hurricane Katrina.

SAVAGE faces not more than 10 years in prison and/or a $250,000 fine. SAVAGE will also be responsible for restitution to the government in the amount of $104,935.00. Upon release from any term of imprisonment, she is subject to up three years’ supervised release. Sentencing is scheduled for March 28, 2012.

The case was investigated by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development–OIG with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Emily Greenfield.

Woman Pleads Guilty To Theft of Road Home Money

U.S. Attorney’s Office

NEW ORLEANS, LA—RACHEL SAVAGE, age 48, a resident of Foley, Alabama, pleaded guilty to a one-count bill of information today for theft of government funds, based on her fraudulent receipt of over $100,000 from the Louisiana Road Home program, announced U.S. Attorney Jim Letten.

According to the court documents, on or about December 8, 2001, SAVAGE’s residence in Slidell, Louisiana, was completely destroyed by fire. The home was not rebuilt prior to Hurricane Katrina making landfall in August 2005. However, following Hurricane Katrina, SAVAGE applied for and was awarded money from the Louisiana Road Home program totaling $104,935.00 after she made affirmative representations in her application that she had lived at the destroyed residence at the time of Hurricane Katrina and that it had been destroyed as a result of Hurricane Katrina.

SAVAGE faces not more than 10 years in prison and/or a $250,000 fine. SAVAGE will also be responsible for restitution to the government in the amount of $104,935.00. Upon release from any term of imprisonment, she is subject to up three years’ supervised release. Sentencing is scheduled for March 28, 2012.

The case was investigated by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development–OIG with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Emily Greenfield.

Road Closure: Northcliffe Blvd from Keywest Ave to Vaughan Rd (Toronto)

Road Closure Information

Location:


Description: Northcliffe Blvd from Keywest Ave to Vaughan Rd closed due to watermain repairs

Proposed end: 2011-Dec-26 21:13


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