Federal Prosecutions of Cases Involving Inmates
Using the Telephone to Facilitate a Crime
CASE NAME |
YEAR (a) |
OFFENSE |
INMATE USE OF TELEPHONE |
BOP INITIATED (b) |
US v. Steven Girard Szili, et al | 1985 | Conspiracy to distr marijuana, operating a continuing criminal enterprise | While serving a federal drug sentence, D directed drug business via phone calls to suppliers and his brother on outside. | No |
US v. Daulys Enrique Chico-Polo | 1986 | Conspiracy to distribute cocaine | Inmate used phones and visits to arrange delivery of cocaine and direct distribution of the proceeds | No |
US v. Jesus Carrasco Santoy | 1986 | Drug conspiracy, CCE, various drug offenses. | Santoy, after released from Leavenworth, obtained Mexican heroine through convicted trafficker Jesus Valenzuela-Verdugo, who was making delivery arrangements to Santoy from Leavenworth via telephone, per pen registers. | No |
US v. James O'Connor | 1987 | Obstruction of Justice, subornation of Grand Jury perjury | D, on outside, received collect calls from witness in prison whom D induced to commit perjury about D's arsons | No |
US v. Terri Coyle | 1988 | Contraband in prison | Inmate used telephone to communicate with co-consp re arranging introduction of drugs into the institution. | Yes |
US v. Thomas Lee Rush | 1989 | Retaliation on judge and witness, firearms violations | D used phones in attempt to hire murder of two witnesses and judge, and to arrange illegal firearms for payment. | No |
US v. Feiner | 1989 | Bank fraud | Already convicted of bank fraud, D used his corporate secretary to forward calls for hours each day, to conduct a bank fraud scheme of buying and selling airplanes. | No |
US v. Jeff Fort | 1989 | Distribution of drugs and weapons | Fort and others used telephones to facilitate distribution of drugs and weapons. Gang members used coded language, eventually cracked with aid of cooperating gang members. Prosecution led in part to prosecution of El Rukn gang in NDIL | Unknown |
US v. Mahmood Ul Hassan | 1990 | Conspiracy to possess and distribute heroine | Directed from inside Terre Haute the importation of heroine from Pakistan into New York. | Unknown |
US v. Liberatore | 1990 | RiCO, racketeering, conspiracy | D is capo in Cleveland La Cosa Nostra used visiting room phone to assist establish and run a drug money laundering operation. Also used phone to pressure Unions and make loans to "connected" union contractors. | No |
US v. Michael Barnes | 1991 | Conspiracy to possess and distribute heroine | Used telephones in USP Terre Haute to direct wife and others in the distribution of heroine in Baltimore, MD and into USP Terre Haute. | Unknown |
US v. Rafael Santana, et al | 1991 | Conspiracy to import, possession with intent to distr, heroine | Inmate used telephone to negotiate with his co-conspirators on the outside, his end of a 141 kilo heroine deal. | No |
US v. Dusenbery | 1991 | Taft Hartley Act, drug money laundering | Coordinated multi k cocaine distribution ring and money laundering | No |
US v. Lavell Johnson, Raymond Miolano, et al | 1991 | Drug charges | Two inmates approached CO to bring in contraband, and used phone to arrange delivery by one of D's sister of marijuana and heroine into the institution. | Yes |
US v. Marvin Mitchell | 1991 | Wire fraud | D bilks trucking companies out of funds (approx $100,000) available to truckers on the road, using three-way calling, and outside contacts to cash the checks. | No |
US v. Kenneth Noel | 1991 | Contraband in prison | Inmate used telephone to communicate with co-consp re arranging introduction of drugs into the institution. | Yes |
US v. Michael Bruce Marks | 1992 | Wire fraud (8 counts) | D, while incarcerated, set up and directed the operation of a fraudulent employment matching service of overseas jobs, $1M+. | No |
US v. Thomas Summerville & Ralph Sharp | 1992 | Wire fraud | D got names of recently deceased men from newspapers, use phone to call wives and claim that he was a friend of deceased. Wives would send money to Western Union, where D's accomplice picked it up. | Yes |
US v. Brian Lester | 1992 | Racketeering | D used phone to operate bookmaking activity. | No |
US v. Russell Bradely Marks | 1992 | Tampering with witness | D used phones to solicit the murder of a federal witness | No |
US v. Phillip R. Goldberg | 1992 | Wire fraud | D met women by phone, caused 1 woman's long distance carrier to be changed, then used that carrier and number, without authorization. | No |
US v. Julio Cesar Ramos-Oseguera, et al | 1993 | Recordings of calls used to prove consciousness of guilt of other charges. | Used telephone calls to family members to identify, intimidate and threat informants. | No |
US v. Arthur Acosta | 1993 | Possessing, and attempting to pass, counterfiet currency, aiding and abetting | After trial, before incarceration, D gave person a package of nearly $100,000 of counterfeit cash, and from inside, instructed by phone and visits, how to sell the counterfeit cash. | No |
US v. Russell Terry Williams, et al | 1993 | Drug charges | Inmates used phones to orchestrate heroine deals, speaking Spanish. | No |
US v. Joseph A. Demonte | 1993 | Conspiracy, wire fraud, aiding and abetting | Inmate defrauded females through "lonely hearts" ads, initial contact through mail then phones, and claimed to be white collar criminal with much money on outside that he needed the females to help him access. | No |
US v. Laughing | 1993 | Smuggling | Used phones to set up with Tribal Government officials, smuggling cigarettes and alcohol to Canada | No |
US v. Alfred Maisonet, et al | 1993 | Heroine Cocaine Distribution | Convicted drug dealer, for murder of witness, continued to direct Maisonet in narcotics transactions | Unknown |
US v. Salameh | 1993 | Explosives | Phones were used to assist in planning construction of explosive device. | No |
US v. Heriberto Huerta | 1993 | RICO, CCE, drug offenses (including use of a telephone facility) firearms offenses, commission of violent crimes in aid of racketeering. | Huerta was President of the San Antonio Division of the Mexican Mafia. Directed gang members on outside in drug trafficking, assault/murder, extortion, and smuggling drugs into Lompoc. | No |
US v. McLemore | 1994 | Drug conspiracy | Used telephone calls to a girlfriend to direct drug trafficking trips and recruit couriers. | No |
US v. Rivera, et al | 1994 | RICO, RICO conspiracy, VCAR, narcotics trafficking | Used phones to direct and receive profits from outside drug gang. | No |
US v. Stephen Cavano, et al | 1994 | RICO conspiracy, use of interstate facilities in commission of murder for hire | D used the phones in MCC Miami to communicate with co-conspirators in order to locate and id potential govt. witnesses in the crime pending against them. D conspired to murder the govt. witnesses. | No |
US v Antoino Rosada | 1994 | Consp to distri cocaine, smuggle into fed fac, use of comm device, assault on federal officer. | Drug introduction scheme, whereby inmate arranged deals over phone for other inmates to pay his courier, who would bring drugs into visiting room. | No |
US v.Nelson Luis Millet, et al (Latin Kings) | 1994 | Racketeering, violent crimes in aid of racketeering, witness intimidation, drug trafficking | Inmate, Supreme Commander of a branch of the Latin Kings, used telephones to run racketeering enterprise, including to select officers, collect intelligence, give orders re: drug block protection and punishing snitches. | No |
US v. Reggie Green | 1994 | Bank fraud | D used the telephone to direct people on how to advance his bank fraud scheme. | No |
US v. Michael Wilson & Joni Barriga | 1995 | Conspiracy to possess narcotics with intent to distribute | Talked girlfriend into bringing drugs into the institution. | Yes |
US v. (Names protected) | 1995 | Consp. to possess with intent to distribute, dist. of large quantities of cocaine and meth, and use of telephone to commit a drug felony. | Used telephone to relay in coded language his plan to resume trafficking and to check on the status of drug deliveries. Primary communication through family contact visits. | No |
US v. Gerald Francis Chilli, et al | 1995 | RICO conspiracy to commit counterfeit credit card fraud | Imprisoned pre-trial, organized crime member inmate maintained contact with co-conspriartor on outside in scheme to re-encode magnetic strips on counterfeit credit cards. Did not openly discuss scheme on phone, but conversations used to establish connection. | No |
US v. Akiyoshi Yamada | 1995 | Medicare fraud of $30 million | Inmate managed, directed, and supervised a scheme to continue to mail false claims for reimbursement to Medicare, using intimidation inside the prison to use the phone accounts of other inmates and using call forwarding. | No |
US v. Addison, et al | 1995 | Contaband in prison | Telephone used to arrange providing inmate with drugs. | Unknown |
US v. Prince, et al | 1995 | Contaband in prison | Telephone used to arrange providing inmate with drugs. | Unknown |
US v. Burton, et al | 1995 | Contaband in prison | Telephone used to arrange drug deal. | Unknown |
US v. Terry Williams | 1995 | Contaband in prison | Telephone used to arrange providing inmate with drugs. | Unknown |
US v. Willis Williams | 1995 | Contaband in prison | Telephone used to arrange providing inmate with drugs. | Unknown |
US v. Dennis McMullen | 1995 | Tampering with witness | D used phones to solicit the murder of a federal witness | No |
US v. Smith | 1995 | Mail fraud, conspiracy | D, while incarcerated, read newspaper to identify persons recently arrested, then called and directed his co-conspirator to call the person and offer to fix the charges for a fee. | No |
US v. Yong Bin Gong, et al | 1995 | Conspiracy to distribute heroine | Gong managed his drug distribution network in detail on a daily basis | Unknown |
US v. Palazollo | 1995 | Loan sharking, tax offenses | Inmate used telephone to communicate with co-consp re collecting outstanding loansharking debts | No |
US v. Eugene Smith | 1995 | Money laundering | D used phone to direct drug conspiracy | No |
US v. Paul Ahrens | 1995 | Contraband in prison | Inmate used telephone to communicate with co-consp re arranging introduction of drugs into the institution. | Yes |
US v. Ray Colon | 1995 | Contraband in prison | Inmate used telephone to communicate with co-consp re arranging introduction of drugs into the institution. | Yes |
US v. Barry Keeter | 1995 | Contraband in prison | Inmate used telephone to communicate with co-consp re arranging introduction of drugs into the institution. | Yes |
US v. Darres Park | 1995 | Contraband in prison | Inmate used telephone to communicate with co-consp re arranging introduction of drugs into the institution. | Yes |
US v. Tony Hill | 1996 | Drug offenses | D made calls to girlfriend in Florida to arrange purchase and delivery through two "mules" to D in institution. BOP prevented the delivery and mule later murdered D's girlfriend for non-payment. | Yes |
US v. David Robert Kennedy | 1996 | Obstruction of justice, enhancment on underlying drugs and firearms charges. | Following hung jury and partial conviction, inmate phoned witnesses to arrange for them to provide perjured testimony in the second trial. | No |
US v. Darryl Henly, et al | 1996 | Drug charges | D used phones to communicate to co-conspirators a multi k cocaine deal. Also used a cellular phone, provided by correctional officer, to orchestrate a murder for hire of the judge in his pending case. | No |
US v. Harold Goldstein | 1996 | Mail fraud (8 counts) | D used hundreds of phone calls to orchestrate a scheme to defraud investors by marketing bogus certificates of deposit. | No |
US v. Saul Pedraza | 1996 | Conspriacy, attempted possession of a prohibited object in prison | D placed calls from the MDC, providing instructions on smuggling heroine into institution. | Yes |
US v. Sisti | 1996 | Concealment of assets | Used phones in conspiracy to hide assets from bankruptcy trustee. | No |
US v. Robert Morgan | 1996 | Obstruction of justice enhancment on underlying drugs and firearms charges. | Inmate used phone to arrange with his mother to procure someone to commit the murder of the girlfriend of one of the witnesses in his case. | No |
US v. Robert G. Fierer | 1996 | Conspiracy to obstruct justice, tax fraud, money laundering | Inmate and co-conspirator spoke with numerous inmates on telephone concerning purchasing Rule 35's. | No |
US v. Donald Lee Crosswhite | 1996 | Wire fraud and credit card fraud | Inmate used stolen SSN's to establish fraudulent telephone service, sold phone service to inmates, used stolen credit card numbers to order consumer goods. | Yes |
US v. Habib Reza Jamshidi | 1996 | Stolen US mail | After stealing mail, inmate used phone to apply for credit cards. | No |
US v. Jaime Rosada Rosario,, et al | 1996 | Tampering with witness, conspiracy | Inmate received details by phone of the killing of the govt witness he and others had conspired to have killed to prevent testifying at the narcotics trafficking trial | No |
US v. Hamid Reza Sayadi-Takhtehkar, et al | 1996 | Consp to poss and distr heroine, intimidation of witness, aiding and abetting | Inmate used prison phone to dispatch threats to CI and family in Vienna, Austria | No |
US v. John Fornarelli | 1996 | Contraband in prison | Inmate used telephone to communicate with co-consp re arranging introduction of drugs into the institution. | Yes |
US v. Thomas Fornarelli | 1996 | Contraband in prison | Inmate used telephone to communicate with co-consp re arranging introduction of drugs into the institution. | Yes |
US v. Charles James | 1996 | Contraband in prison | Inmate used telephone to communicate with co-consp re arranging introduction of drugs into the institution. | Yes |
US v. John Zambrana | 1996 | Contraband in prison | Inmate used telephone to communicate with co-consp re arranging introduction of drugs into the institution. | Yes |
US v. Tina Zambrana | 1996 | Contraband in prison | Inmate used telephone to communicate with co-consp re arranging introduction of drugs into the institution. | Yes |
US v. Pamela Cain & Kiba Greenwood | 1997 | Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute narcotics | Talked girlfriend into bringing drugs into the institution. | Yes |
OCDETF | 1997 | Numerous charges | D and CI used phones to set up meetings at facility and at airport on the day D released to a half-way house, leading to several heroin and cocaine deals. | No |
US v. Lawrence Sangaree | 1997 | Money laundering, conspiracy | D used phones to continue money laundering after incarcerated, but before he pleaded, on unrelated charges. | No |
US v. Leetavious Gaines | 1997 | No additional charges for obsruction of justice using telephone. | D used the telephones to contact witnesses in his trial for multiple armed robberies, instructed witnesses to say they know anything and give false story as to why his fingerprints were at one crime scene. | No |
US v. Hamdoun, etal | 1997 | Attempt to distribute added to charge of conspiracy to distribute marijuana | Inmate negotiated drug deal with another inmate (CI) for purchase of an additional 1 ton of marijuana. | NA |
US v. Carter, et al | 1997 | Contaband in prison | Telephone used in drug deal involving correctional officer. | Unknown |
US v. Robinson et al | 1997 | Contaband in prison | Telephone used to arrange providing inmate with drugs. | Unknown |
US v. William Glassburn | 1997 | Obstruction of justice | D used phones to attempt to tamper with witnesses in the underlying prosecution. | No |
US v. Ronald Mancil | 1997 | Conspiracy, wire fraud bank fraud | Used phones and mail to disseminate fraudulent credit cards and merchandise. | Yes |
US v. Charles Edward Gammon | 1997 | Possessing contraband in prison | Inmate used phones to make arrangements for delivery of marijuana into prison in package labeled "legal mail". | Yes |
US v. Anthony Jones | 1997 | Murder in aid of racketeering | Inmate, serving short sentence on firearms offenses, directed by telephone his violent drug organization's response to an ongoing federal investigation of the organization. When he learned that his foster brother testified against the org, Jones ordered, using a coded language on the telephone his lieutenant to have him executed. The man was killed by contract killers at the behest of the lieutenant. | No |
US v. Garba | 1997 | Drug charges | Defendant used the telephone to arrange for pick-up by his brother of the drugs he had swallowed when arrested and was trying to smuggle out of the facility. | No |
US v. Knapik | 1997 | Extortion | Inmate was convicted of loansharking, and continued to direct his operation using the telephones, which led to the arrest of his associate. | No |
US v. Leslie Evans, et al | 1997 | Conspiracy to defraud using access device | D set up fraudulent phone lines in outside d's home ran up phone bills from inside | No |
US v. Michael Paul Schaeffer | 1997 | Mail/wire fraud | Used phones to speak with family members of the victims and with the victims personally after they were released from the Yankton facility. | Yes |
US v. Ray E. Black and Roderick D. Robinson | 1997 | Escape | D's used prison phones to arrange meetings with their girlfriends, who they met at a local hotel after escaping the facility. | Yes |
US v. James Butler, et al | 1997 | Delivery of controlled substance, possession with intent to distribute, possession of a prohibited object by an inmate. | Used telephone for arranging similar drug introductions | Yes |
US v. Antonio Monroy | 1998 | Cocaine possession and conspiracy | Recently arrested inmate and D discussed on telephone a false story to explain to authorities how inmate's fingerprints were on the evidence. | No |
US v. Claude Louis Duboc and Penelope Shelfer | 1998 | Consp to obstruct justice, consp to commit money laundering, money laundering (5 counts) | D used phones to coordinate with his attorney to recruit money launderer to launder overseas money to be used to bribe his sentencing judge. | No |
US v. Ricky Brownlee | 1998 | Money laundering | Inmate using phones to launder $175,000 to pay his atty fees, using other inmates' phone accounts and call forwarding. | No |
US v. Larry Peterson, Richard Atkins, et al | 1998 | Conspiracy to possess, intent to distr, possession of contraband in prison | Telephone conversation between D's arranging heroine deal on the inside. | Yes |
US v. Joshua Edmonds | 1998 | Drug charges | Inmate using telephones to arrange with family and friends to bring small amounts of drugs into the institution. | Yes |
US v. Frederick Heywood | 1998 | Drug charges | Inmate using telephones to arrange with family and friends to bring small amounts of drugs into the institution. | Yes |
US v. Crescioni | 1998 | Drug charges | D used the telephone to arrange a drug delivery to a tree outside the institution, to be picked up by the D while working as a member of the grounds crew. | Yes |
US v. Frechette | 1998 | Cocaine trafficking | D used phones to set up drug deals on outside for his son. | No |
US v. Dexter Isaac | 1998 | Obstruction of Justice | Arrested for murder, Isaac immediately began using phone to intimidate witnesses and destroy evidence | No |
US v. Gurmeet Singh Dhinsa | 1998 | Obstruction of justice | Inmate contacted via telephone his employees/witnesses, using coded language | No |
US v. Tim Roach | 1997 | Drug introduction | Inmate used phone to arrange from drug introduction. | Yes |
US v. Gerald Adriane Gatson | unknown | Wire Fraud | Inmate used phone to validate random credit card nos. through merchant account, then 3 ways to order merchandise. | No response |
Ongoing investigation | Drug charges | Inmate is continuing to direct a drug organization from the prison, and is making over 300 calls per month. | No |
|
Ongoing investigation | Wire Fraud, mail fraud, money laundering | D orchestrated a large number of inmates and outsiders to defraud banks of between $1million and $2 million using bad checks, and using phones to know when to collect money on those checks before they bounced. D paid his, and other involved inmates', high phone bills from proceeds. Used three-way phone conferencing. | No |
|
Ongoing investigation | Sale of stolen goods | Inmate operating trucking firm and scam involving transport of stolen goods. | No |
|
Ongoing Investigation | Ongoing investigation | Inmates associated with organized crime family used telephones to coordinate distribution of controlled substances and drug and gambling proceeds. | No |
|
Ongoing investigation | Murder conspiracy | Inmates convicted of drug conspiracy are suspected to have ordered via the prison telephones, murder to intimidate a witness, and are suspected of continuing to direct the activities of their drug organization. | No |
|
Ongiong investigation | Ongoing investigation | Cocaine trafficking kingpin has made hundreds of calls per month to suspected drug traffickers. | No |
|
Ongoing investigation | Ongoing investigation | D actively directs street gang activity from within institutions. | No |
|
Ongoing investigation | Ongoing investigation | Prison gang engaged in racketeering activity; telephone primarily used to communicate w/ members and associates outside prison. | No |
|
Ongoing investigation | Wire fraud | Inmate was caught revictimizing a business while awaiting trial, using materials obtained through discovery. Used three way calling. | No |
|
Ongiong investigation | ongoing investigation | Inmate used the phone to solicit individuals to intimidate federal witnesses. | No |
|
Ongoing investigation | Wire Fraud, Mail fraud, money laundering, RICO | D participated in conference calls with co-defendants and directed fraudulent activities. Called victims. | No |
|
Ongoing investigation | Murder for hire | D's used prison phones to facilitate murder for hire of federal witness in a robbery case. | No |
|
Ongoing Investigation | Ongoing Investigation | D used the telephones to direct movements of funds in check kiting scheme. Also may have instructed co-conspirator to file innocent third-party claim to forfeited property. | No |
|
Ongoing investigation | Contempt, obstruction of justice | D sent a forged letter to the court requesting a reduction of sentence for himself, used phone to facilitate and attempt to cover-up. | No |
|
Ongoing investigation | Ongoing investigation | D defrauds companies out of funds available to their employees, using three-way calling, and outside contacts to cash the checks. | No |
|
Ongoing investigation | Ongoing investigation | D is coordinating drug distribution using phone, relaying info between co-conspirators and cooperating inmate. | No |
|
Ongoing investigation | Ongoing investigation | D sentenced for marijuana manufacturing, continued via phones to manage operations. Also would leave prison camp, arranged for fellow inmates to call him on associate's cell phone when needed to return to camp. | No |
|
Ongoing investigation | Ongoing investigation | D called and threatened witnesses and encouraged them to coordinate their testimony. Also threatened FBI agents and prosecutor. | No |
|
a. Where a range of years was
reported, the most recent year was used. b. The crime was uncovered by BOP staff. Otherwise, by an outside law enforcement agency. Notes: All but three of the reported prosecutions resulted in pleas or convictions. Nine of the listed prosecutions were reported in 1995, and also appear on Table 2. |
Source: United States Attorney's Offices, 1998; 72 responded of 92 offices surveyed.
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