Table 3 - Federal Prosecutions of Cases Involving Inmates....

Table 3

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.

#####