Former East St. Louis Police Officer Pleads Guilty in Federal Court

A former East St. Louis police officer, Ramon T. Carpenter, 40, pled guilty to two federal charges of making false statements to federal law enforcement officers during their investigation of a civil rights complaint, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Stephen R. Wigginton, announced today.

Carpenter was fired from the East St. Louis Police Department on July 10, 2012, and was indicted by the federal grand jury on July 17, 2012, following a complaint that he received oral sex from an intoxicated female driver whom he then released with no charges filed, despite the fact that she was also uninsured and driving without a driver’s license.

“The power to arrest is the power to deprive someone of their liberty. Used properly and professionally, such power is valid. However, the conduct described in the indictment deprived this victim of more than her liberty—it also deprived her of her dignity. This prosecution is a strong reminder to those in law enforcement that police officers are sworn to protect citizens, not prey upon them,” noted United States Attorney Wigginton.

The indictment alleged that in the early morning hours of May 8, 2012, that the driver was driving near the intersection of Louisiana Blvd. and 25th Street in East St. Louis, Illinois, when she encountered two on-duty East St. Louis Police officers. The driver was intoxicated and driving with open liquor at the time. The driver believed that she would be arrested by the officers for driving with no license, no insurance, and for driving while under the influence of alcohol (DUI). The female alleged that she was driven to a secluded area in Jones Park in East St. Louis, where she felt that she had to perform oral sex on the officer to avoid going to jail. The charges state that when Carpenter was interviewed by federal agents that he falsely denied being present in Jones Park during his shift and that he also falsely denied receiving oral sex.

The crime of making a false statement to a federal law enforcement officer is punishable by up to five years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and not more than three years’ supervised release upon release from prison. However, the United States Sentencing Guidelines must be applied to the case and considered by the court during sentencing. Carpenter will be sentenced in U.S. District Court on January 3, 2012.

The investigation was conducted through the Metro East Public Corruption Task Force by agents from the Illinois State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft.

VILLA RIDGE WOMAN SENTENCED TO FEDERAL PRISON

Tara Michelle Kern, 39, of Villa Ridge, Illinois, was sentenced on August 8, 2012, to 6 months in federal prison, to be followed by 6 months house arrest, for federal gun offenses and obstructing justice, Stephen R. Wigginton, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today. Kern was also placed on two years supervised release and was fined $400.

Kern had previously pleaded guilty to a four count Indictment which charged in Count 1 of the Indictment charges that from on or about October 8, 2006, to on or about May 17, 2011, in Pulaski County, Tara M. Kern did knowingly aid and abet a convicted felon (William A. Kern) in the possession of a firearm, a Ruger Mini 14, .223 caliber rifle, in violation of federal law; in Count 2 of the Indictment charges that from on or about September 25, 2007, to on or about May 17, 2011, in Pulaski County, Tara M. Kern did knowingly aid and abet a convicted felon (William A. Kern) in the possession of a firearm, a Ruger Model 10/22. .22 caliber rifle, in violation of federal law; in Count 3 of the Indictment charges that from on or about November 20, 2007, to on or about May 17, 2011, in Pulaski County, Tara M. Kern did knowingly aid and abet a convicted felon (William A. Kern) in the possession of a firearm, a Benelli Super Black Eagle 12 gauge shotgun, in violation of federal law; and in Count 4 of the Indictment charges that on May 17, 2011, in Pulaski County, Tara M. Kern did knowingly conceal six (6) firearms with the intent to impede, obstruct, and influence the investigation of a matter within the jurisdiction of the ATF, all in violation of federal law.

William Kern was previously sentenced to 42 months imprisonment on federal gun charges.

The investigation in this case was conducted by the ATF, Illinois State Police, Union County Sheriff's Office, Union County State's Attorney's Office, the Southern Illinois Drug Task Force. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney George A. Norwood.

Former East St. Louis Police Officer Indicted

A former East St. Louis Police officer was indicted by a federal grand jury on July 17, 2012, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, Stephen R. Wigginton, announced today. Ramon T. Carpenter, 40, was indicted for making false statements to federal law enforcement officers during their investigation of a civil rights complaint.

The indictment alleges that in the early morning hours of May 8, 2012, a female driver was driving near the intersection of Louisiana Blvd. and 25th Street in East St. Louis, Illinois, when she encountered two on-duty East St. Louis Police officers. The driver was intoxicated and driving with open liquor at the time. The driver believed that she would be arrested by the officers for driving with no license, no insurance, and for driving while under the influence of alcohol (DUI). The female alleged that she was driven to a secluded area in Jones Park in East St. Louis, where she felt that she had to perform oral sex on the officer to avoid going to jail. The charges state that when Carpenter was interviewed by federal agents that he falsely denied being present in Jones Park during his shift and that he also falsely denied receiving oral sex.

The crime of making a false statement to a federal law enforcement officer is punishable by up to five years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and not more than three years’ supervised release upon release from prison. However, the United States Sentencing Guidelines must be applied to the case and considered by the court during sentencing.

The investigation was conducted through the Metro East Public Corruption Task Force by agents from the Illinois State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Steven D. Weinhoeft.

An indictment is a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, that charge is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

Tamms Woman Guilty of Bank Robbery

Stephen R. Wigginton, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today that on June 14, 2012, Franchie Farmer, 39, of Tamms, Illinois, formerly of Thebes, Illinois, was convicted by a jury in Benton, Illinois, of armed bank robbery and using a firearm during a crime of violence. The offense occurred on November 6, 2008, at the Capaha Bank in Tamms, Illinois.

Evidence at trial established that Farmer was the getaway driver for two other individuals who robbed the Capaha Bank. Those individuals, Holli Wrice and Richard Anderson, entered the bank, drew firearms, and ordered all the customers to the floor. They then took over $14,000 from two tellers who were threatened at gunpoint. Under federal law, because Farmer aided Wrice and Anderson, she can be found guilty of the same crimes for which they were convicted. Wrice received a 35-year sentence for her role in the offense and Anderson received a 10-year sentence.

Farmer’s bank robbery offense carries a possible penalty of up to life in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and five years’ supervised release. The using a firearm charge carries a mandatory term in prison of seven years, which must run consecutively to any sentence imposed for the bank robbery. The district court ordered that Farmer be held without bond pending her September 12, 2012 sentencing hearing.

The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Illinois State Police. The trial was conducted by Assistant United States Attorney Thomas E. Leggans.

U.S. Attorney’s Office Announces Sentencing, Prosecution of Louisville-Area Cocaine Ring

Hogsett Says Prosecution an Example of Successful Federal-Local Collaboration

JEFFERSONVILLE—Joseph H. Hogsett, the United States Attorney, announced this afternoon that Jesse K. Bottoms, Sr., age 47, of Sellersburg, Indiana, has been sentenced to 168 months (14 years) in prison by federal Judge Tanya Walton Pratt. Bottoms was also ordered to forfeit $37,568. The sentencing of Bottoms, the leader of a multi-state cocaine trafficking organization, marks the 15th defendant to be sentenced, with three additional defendants awaiting sentencing.

“This group of individuals spent two years peddling drugs and death on the streets of Louisville and throughout Southern Indiana,” said Hogsett. “Now, thanks to the invaluable assistance of our federal and local law enforcement partners, we can announce today that none of them will walk the streets of the Louisville metro area for a long, long time.”

“The Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force in Indiana has a long track record of successfully taking down this type of large criminal organization,” added First Assistant U.S. Attorney Josh J. Minkler. “There is no doubt that the significant sentences handed down over the course of this prosecution send a powerful message about how seriously federal law enforcement treats drug trafficking.”

In September 2010, federal, state, and local law enforcement officers served 16 search warrants (eight in Indiana, seven in Kentucky, and one in Illinois) as part of an investigation into an area cocaine trafficking organization. Seized during the execution of those search and arrest warrants were approximately 10 ounces of cocaine, $82,000 in cash, and 30 firearms, including two AR-15 assault rifles.

At a hearing this morning, a change of plea was entered and a sentence was imposed in the matter of Bottoms, who from July 2008 until September 2010 was the ring leader of the drug trafficking organization. Bottoms was responsible for acquiring large quantities of cocaine from his sources and then providing cocaine to mid-level cocaine distributors in southern Indiana and throughout Louisville.

The investigation uncovered that as part of this trafficking scheme, bulk quantities of cocaine and cash were maintained at “stash” houses in Louisville. In order to protect their money and drugs, conspirators possessed numerous assault rifles, shotguns, and pistols.

This resulted in the indictment of the following 15 individuals in September 2010, with their respective subsequent prison sentences as indicated:

■Jesse K. Bottoms, Sr., age 47, Sellersburg, Indiana—168 months;

■Mario Holbrook, age 50, Louisville, Kentucky—27 months;

■Antwan C. Allen, age 27, Louisville, Kentucky—42 months;

■John Minor, age 34, Louisville, Kentucky—51 months;

■Gerrard W. Bass, age 31, Louisville, Kentucky—32 months;

■Wess C. Nelson, age 46, Glen Ellyn, Illinois—120 months;

■Scott Sipes, age 59, Louisville, Kentucky—12 months;

■Russell L. Embry, Sr., age 46, Clarksville, Indiana—48 months;

■Warren A. Garbrough, age 46, Clarksville, Indiana—37 months;

■Mike A. Helm, Jr., age 33, Louisville, Kentucky—36 months’ supervised release

■Jesse K. Bottoms, Jr., age 22, Sellersburg, Indiana—20 months;

■Amber N. Tucker, age 24, Clarksville, Indiana—15 months;

■Marshaun L. Long, age 37, New Albany, Indiana—15 months;

■Johnathon E. Rickards, age 41, New Albany, Indiana—11 months;

■Nia Bottoms, age 45, Sellersburg, Indiana—60 months’ probation.

Three additional defendants have filed petitions to enter a plea of guilty in this case and are awaiting sentencing.

According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Josh J. Minkler, who prosecuted the case for the government, all but three of the defendants were charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute five kilograms or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine. Nia Bottoms and Amber Tucker were charged with one count of knowingly and intentionally using a communication facility to facilitate the commission of an act constituting a felony. Jesse Bottoms, Jr. was charged with one count of transferring a firearm, knowing that the firearm would be used in a drug trafficking crime.

This indictment was the result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Division; the Indiana State Police; the Jeffersonville, Indiana Police Department; and the Charlestown, Indiana Police Department.

In addition to the agencies named above, the following agencies assisted in arrests and searches as part of this case: Chicago FBI, Clark County Sheriff’s Department, Clarksville Police Department, Floyd County Sheriff’s Department, Illinois State Police, Indianapolis FBI Safe Streets Gang Task Force, Louisville FBI, Louisville Metro Police Department, New Albany Police Department, Scottsburg Police Department, Seymour Police Department, and the U.S. Marshals Service.

Fourteen Defendants Face Federal or State Charges Involving Cocaine Sales in Lake County’s Round Lake Beach Area

CHICAGO—Fourteen Lake County and area residents are facing narcotics charges after a joint state and federal investigation of alleged cocaine trafficking in the Round Lake and Round Lake Beach areas, state and federal law enforcement officials announced today. FBI agents, together with local police and other authorities, yesterday began executing arrest warrants for six federal defendants and eight state defendants resulting from an investigation that began in August 2010. Since then, investigators have seized more than 1.3 kilograms of cocaine as part of the investigation, which is continuing. Officers and agents also executed a seizure warrant yesterday for a 2008 Cadillac Escalade from one of the federal defendants.

The arrests and charges were announced by Patrick J. Fitzgerald, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Michael J. Waller, Lake County State’s Attorney; and Robert D. Grant, Special Agent in Charge of the Chicago Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The investigation was conducted under the umbrella of U.S. Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF).

Also participating in the investigation were the Lake County Metropolitan Enforcement Group, the Round Lake Beach and Rolling Meadows police departments, as well as the police departments of Palatine and Mundelein and the McHenry County Sheriff’s Police through their membership on the North Suburban Safe Streets Task Force, the Illinois State Police, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.

FBI agents and local authorities began investigating lead defendant Jose Luis Chavez and his alleged drug trafficking organization, which operated principally in the northern suburbs of Chicago. The investigation included at least three seizures of cocaine, court-authorized electronic surveillance on various telephones, and extensive physical surveillance. The federal complaint traces the movement of cocaine through excerpts of the defendants’ numerous, intercepted telephone conversations. Between February and November 2011, Chavez allegedly obtained ounce and kilogram quantities of cocaine that he distributed in multi-ounce quantities through his primary distributor, Armando Lopez, in and around Round Lake and Round Lake Beach in Lake County, according to the charges.

Chavez, also known as “Big Lou,” 33, of Round Lake; and Lopez, aka “Mando,” 34, of Round Lake Beach, were among six defendants charged with conspiracy to distribute cocaine in a criminal complaint that was unsealed yesterday in U.S. District Court in Chicago. Chavez and Lopez appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Susan E. Cox and remain in federal custody pending a detention hearing at 11 a.m. on Monday.

A third federal defendant, Joseph Garcia, aka “Evil,” 28, of Algonquin, was arrested yesterday in Orlando, Florida. He appeared in federal court there and is being returned to Chicago. A fourth defendant, Amber Learn, 26, of Round Lake Beach, was arrested in Lake County and was released on bond after appearing before Magistrate Cox.

Two additional federal defendants, Ryon Baldarez, 35, and Agustin Zetina-Marin, 29, both of Round Lake Beach, remain at large and warrants were issued for their arrests.

Eight additional defendants are facing state prosecution on drug charges in Lake County.

According to the federal complaint, after receiving cocaine from Chavez, Lopez redistributed it through Learn and Baldarez, who were responsible for delivering the cocaine to Lopez’s customers. Lopez allegedly brokered kilogram -cocaine deals for Chavez by connecting Chavez with various sources of supply. Chavez allegedly distributed his cocaine through Lopez, as well as through Garcia and Zetina-Marin.

The largest seizure during the investigation occurred on May 31, 2011 when law enforcement recovered approximately a kilogram of cocaine during a traffic stop on I-94 near Deerfield Road, which was allegedly en route to be delivered to Chavez.

The drug distribution conspiracy charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and a maximum of 40 years in prison and a $5 million fine. If convicted, the court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines.

The government is being represented by Assistant United States Attorneys Renai Rodney, Dylan Smith, and Naana Frimpong.

The public is reminded that a complaint contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent and are entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.