William H. McMahan, Jr. Sentenced to 18 Years in Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute Drugs and Money Laundering

GREENEVILLE, TN—William H. McMahan, Jr., 41, of Newport, Tennessee, was sentenced on August 20, 2012, in U.S. District Court at Greeneville, to serve 18 years in federal prison for conspiring to distribute and possessing with the intent to distribute 1,713 kilograms of marijuana, 14 kilograms of cocaine, and 2,705 (30 milligram) oxycodone pills, as well as laundering money.

In addition to the prison sentence, the Honorable J. Ronnie Greer, U.S. District Judge, entered a monetary judgment against McMahan in the amount of $1,000,000. McMahan also agreed to forfeit three parcels of real property in Newport and Sevierville, Tennessee.

“The elimination of this criminal enterprise in Cocke County is notice to those who would distribute drugs in the Eastern District of Tennessee that we continue to work with federal, state, and local law enforcement to impose the most severe sentences in these cases. Not only are the violators facing long prison sentences, but their drug proceeds, houses, cars, and other assets will be forfeited,” said U.S. Attorney William C. Killian.

McMahan pleaded guilty on March 26, 2012, to a federal indictment charging him with conspiracy to distribute and to possess with the intent to distribute 1,000 kilograms or more of marijuana; conspiracy to distribute and to possess with the intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine; conspiracy to distribute and to possess with the intent to distribute a quantity of oxycodone; conspiracy to launder money; possession with the intent to distribute marijuana, cocaine, and oxycodone; possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking offenses; possession of firearms by a drug user; and money laundering.

The indictment and subsequent guilty plea by McMahan were the results of a three-year investigation conducted by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and Federal Bureau of investigation. The Tennessee Fourth Judicial Drug Task Force, Hamblen County Sheriff’s Office, Tennessee Fifth Judicial Drug Task Force, Blount County Sheriff’s Office, Tennessee Highway Patrol, Morristown High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area office, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, also provided valuable assistance during the course of the investigation.

Twenty-One Individuals Indicted on Drug, Money Laundering, and Firearms Charges

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GREENEVILLE, TN—An indictment charging 21 individuals with numerous drug and gun charges was unsealed on October 25, 2011, by U.S. Magistrate Judge Dennis H. Inman, in U.S. District Court, Greeneville. The charges involved distribution and possession with the intent to distribute more than 1,000 kilograms of marijuana, distribution and possession with the intent to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine, distribution and possession with the intent to distribute oxycodone, and conspiracy to launder money, within the Eastern District of Tennessee and elsewhere.

On September 13, 2011, a federal grand jury sitting in Greeneville, Tenn. indicted these 21 people on 45 separate counts including, a conspiracy to distribute and to possess with the intent to distribute marijuana, cocaine, and oxycodone, a conspiracy to launder money, possessing firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes, and other firearms violations. If convicted, the defendants face a mandatory term of 10 years in prison, a fine of $10,000,000.00, a term of supervised release of at least five years, and mandatory court assessments. In addition, three of the firearms charges carry a prison term of five years which, by federal law, is imposed consecutively to the sentence for the drug trafficking offense. The indictment is filed as a public record at the U.S. District Court, Greeneville.

Those charged in the indictment are: William McMahan, Jr., 35, of Newport, Tenn.; Buford Rogers, 65, of Knoxville, Tenn.; Lee Sharp, 56, of Sharps Chapel, Tenn.; Rodney Settles, 47, of Mt. Juliet, Tenn.; Audrey Jinks, 36, of Newport, Tenn.: Richard Black, 45, of Cosby, Tenn.; Joyce Roberts, 44, of Newport, Tenn.: Victor Loveday, Sr., 57, of Maryville, Tenn.; Danny Richardson, 28, of New Tazewell, Tenn.; Robbie Langford, 30,of Knoxville, Tenn.; Charles Parker, 35, of Powell, Tenn.; Dallas Parsley, 70, of East Bernstadt, Ky.; Billy Gibson, 45, of Newport, Tenn.; Jayson Cox, 35, of Maryville, Tenn.; Victor Loveday, Jr., 31, of Maryville, Tenn.; Monica Denton, 28, of Newport, Tenn.; Gary Bridges, 51, of Sharps Chapel, Tenn.; Terry Miller, 57, of Hartford, Tenn.; Melonie Montanaro, 25, of Newport, Tenn.; Brandon Miller, 25, of Newport, Tenn.; and, Rodney Tullock, 48, of Afton, Tenn.

As of today, all of the individuals named in the indictment are in custody. A trial date is expected to be set at a hearing in U.S. District Court on November 1, 2011.

The indictment is the result of a joint investigation between the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and Federal Bureau of Investigation. The Tennessee Fourth Judicial Drug Task Force, Hamblen County Sheriff’s Office, Tennessee Fifth Judicial Drug Task Force, Blount County Sheriff’s Office, Tennessee Highway Patrol, Morristown HIDTA office, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives also provided invaluable assistance during the course of the investigation.

Members of the public are reminded that an indictment constitutes only charges and that every person is presumed innocent until their guilt has been proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

Vice Lord Gang Members and Associates Indicted on Drug and Firearms Charges

Investigation Targeted Vice Lords Gang Members Operating in Wilson, Putnam, and Davidson Counties

A federal grand jury has indicted 17 mid-state individuals, including 11 members of the Vice Lords gang and their drug suppliers, for their participation in a drug distribution conspiracy and associated violence while illegally possessing firearms, announced Jerry E. Martin, U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee. Joining Martin in the announcement at an afternoon press conference were Keith Moses, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the FBI-Memphis Division, Nashville Resident Agency; William Benson, Assistant Director-Tennessee Bureau of Investigation; Scott Bowen, Chief-Lebanon Police Department; Terry Ashe, Sheriff of Wilson County; Odie Shoupe, Sheriff of White County; Jeff Guth, Chief-Sparta Police Department; and Captain Jim Hutcherson, Tennessee Highway Patrol.

On Friday, federal, state, and local law enforcement agents, armed with search warrants and arrest warrants, began arresting those charged in the indictment. Fifteen of the 17 defendants are in custody. Two remain at large.

Those charged with conspiracy to possess, with the intent to distribute crack cocaine, cocaine and marijuana are identified as:

■Jessie Lee Allen aka “Jeezy,” 24, of Lebanon, Tennessee;

■James Bean aka “Little Mighty,” 27, of Decherd, Tennessee;

■Brad Eliot Benedict aka “Kinfolk,” 34, of Lebanon, Tennessee;

■Jeffery Jermaine Benson aka “Black,” 28, of Lebanon, Tenessee;

■Marcus Antwan Carey aka “Forty,” 31, of Lebanon, Tennessee;

■Ricky Fenn aka ‘Halfbreed,” 27, of Lebanon, Tennessee;

■Cameron Vintez Hastings aka “Cat Dig,” 26, of Lebanon, Tennessee;

■Jermaine L. Jackson aka “Blue,” 34, of Lebanon, Tennessee;

■Charles Houston Mount, Jr. Aka “C-Red,” 29, of Murfreesboro, Tennessee;

■Corey Dregis Neal aka “Big Real,” 40, of Lebanon, Tennessee;

■Raytheon Tyeaze Neal aka “Rathy,” 27, of Lebanon, Tennessee;

■Christopher Nicholson aka “Chris Lopez,” 34, of Nashville, Tennessee;

■Sterling Reneva Rivers aka “Little Real,” 24, of Lebanon, Tennessee;

■Monique Smith aka “Money,” 40, of Cookeville, Tennessee;

■Orlando Steverson aka “C-Nut,” 29, of Lebanon, Tennessee;and

■Maurice Thompson aka “Reese,” 24, of Nashville, Tennessee.

Allen, Bean, Benson, Mount, and Rivers were also indicted on related federal firearms charges.

If convicted, these individuals face a minimum of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison.

Kevin Dwayne Thompson aka “Clump,” 25, of Murfreesboro, Tennessee was indicted on charges of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. He faces a maximum of 10 years in prison.

“This office has a relentless commitment to targeting, investigating and vigorously prosecuting violent street gangs who choose to operate in Middle Tennessee communities,” said U.S. Attorney Jerry Martin. “We are confident of the ability of our law enforcement partners to identify and penetrate even the most careful and well organized gangs in this area.”

According to the indictment, the object of the conspiracy included, among others, the acquisition of large quantities of controlled substances, including, but not limited to, cocaine, and marijuana, for distribution in Middle Tennessee.

The manner in which the conspiracy was conducted included actual and attempted acts of violence including murder, attempted murder, and assault to protect the gang’s criminal operations. The indictment also alleges that members of the conspiracy and their associates robbed rival drug dealers of controlled substances and proceeds derived from the sale of controlled substances, promoted a climate of fear through violence and threats of violence and used and threatened to use physical violence against various individuals.

Jeffery Benson and Sterling Rivers remain at large. Anyone having information on their whereabouts is asked to call the FBI at 615-232-7500 or your local law enforcement agency.

The investigation was a joint operation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Lebanon Police Department, the Wilson County Sheriff’s Office, the Sparta Police Department, the Cookeville Police Department, the White County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, and the Tennessee Highway Patrol. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Braden H. Boucek.

An indictment is merely an accusation and is not evidence of guilt. Each defendant has the right to a trial by jury, at which the government must bear the burden of proof beyond a reasonable doubt.

Defendants Sentenced in Major Cocaine Trafficking Organization Operating in the Tri-Cities Area

GREENEVILLE, TN—On Thursday, July 7, 2011, in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Greeneville, U.S. District Judge Leon Jordan sentenced Lee Carr, of Johnson City, Tenn., to 235 months in prison and Kelly Miller, of Utica, New York to 78 months in prison, for their respective roles in a drug trafficking organization. Following a four-week trial, a jury convicted Carr, Miller, and co-defendants Sunnah Maddox, Adrian Dorsey, Ronnie Cooper, Jason Dejesus, and Keith Ruffin of Utica, New York, of numerous federal drug trafficking charges. Co-defendant Adrian Dorsey was previously sentenced on Jun. 27, 2011, to 120 months in prison for his role in the conspiracy and his judgment of conviction was entered on July 6, 2011.

U.S. District Court Judge Leon Jordan also entered an order of forfeiture on July 6, 2011, for a money judgment against Maddox, Carr and Cooper in the total amount of $7,000,000.00 in U.S. currency, which represents the proceeds from the sale of cocaine, cocaine base (“crack”) and marijuana obtained and money laundered during the course of the conspiracy by the various co-defendants.

Sentencing hearings for Maddox, Cooper, Ruffin and Dejesus are all set within the next several weeks in U.S. District Court in Greeneville, before the Honorable Leon Jordan. Maddox faces a mandatory life sentence without parole. Ruffin, Cooper, and Dejesus face sentences of up to life in prison.

According to evidence presented at trial, in February 2008, Johnson City Police Officers and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents arrested an individual who was known by local law enforcement to be part of a group of drug traffickers who had moved to Johnson City Tenn., from Utica, New York, for the sole purpose of distributing cocaine and crack cocaine. A recorded telephone call from this individual monitored by law enforcement was made to Maddox to order a half-kilogram of cocaine. This led to the DEA obtaining a court-authorized wire tap for Maddox’s phone. Maddox operated his drug organization from his residences in both Johnson City, Tenn., and Utica, New York. Using coded conversation known as “Supreme Mathematics,” Maddox and other members of the conspiracy recruited couriers to transport kilogram quantities of cocaine, as well as large amounts of U.S. currency from Johnson City to Atlanta, Florida, and New York. The cocaine was then cooked into crack cocaine for distribution in the Johnson City area. During the investigation, agents conducted undercover drug purchases from members of the conspiracy and made traffic stops on organization members which resulted in the seizure of tens of thousands of dollars. The investigation culminated in the execution of search warrants on May 7, 2009, during which approximately one and one-half kilos of cocaine and over $21,000.00, were seized. Maddox and many of his other co-defendants were arrested soon thereafter. From jail, Maddox communicated with a co-defendant whom he suspected of cooperating with law enforcement agents, and threatened to take action against this individual if he testified against him at trial. Maddox communicated this information to conspiracy members Cooper and Ruffin, and in a recorded conversation, he announced a “green light” on this individual. An FBI cryptanalyst forensic examiner, who analyzed the coded conversations used by Maddox and other members of the conspiracy, testified at trial that the “green light” issued by Maddox during the telephone call was an order to kill this individual.

Evidence showed that Maddox’s organization was responsible for the distribution of over 40 kilograms of crack cocaine and dozens of kilograms of cocaine hydrochloride in the tri-cities area of upper east Tennessee.

U.S. Attorney Bill Killian said, “The sentences in these cases send a message to all, locally and from other parts of the country, that these dangerous and ruthless criminals in the drug business will receive the serious punishment that they deserve in the Eastern District of Tennessee.”

Law enforcement agencies participating in the investigation which led to indictment and subsequent conviction of Maddox, Carr, Miller, Dorsey, Cooper, Dejesus, and Ruffin included the DEA, Johnson City Police Department, Washington County, Tennessee Sheriff’s Department, First Judicial District Drug Task Force, Tennessee Highway Patrol and various law enforcement officers in New York State including the New York State Police, Utica, New York Police Department and New York DEA and FBI offices. Brian Vicchio, assigned to the DEA task force by the Johnson City Police Department was the lead investigator and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Wayne Taylor and Robert Reeves represented the United States at trial.

This case was part of the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) and the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) programs. OCDETF is the primary weapon of the United States against the highest level drug trafficking organizations operating within the United States, importing drugs into the United States, or laundering the proceeds of drug trafficking. The HIDTA program enhances and coordinates drug control efforts among local, State, and Federal law enforcement agencies. The program provides agencies with coordination, equipment, technology, and additional resources to combat drug trafficking and its harmful consequences in critical regions of the United States.

Defendants Sentenced in Major Cocaine Trafficking Organization Operating in the Tri-Cities Area

GREENEVILLE, TN—On Thursday, July 7, 2011, in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Greeneville, U.S. District Judge Leon Jordan sentenced Lee Carr, of Johnson City, Tenn., to 235 months in prison and Kelly Miller, of Utica, New York to 78 months in prison, for their respective roles in a drug trafficking organization. Following a four-week trial, a jury convicted Carr, Miller, and co-defendants Sunnah Maddox, Adrian Dorsey, Ronnie Cooper, Jason Dejesus, and Keith Ruffin of Utica, New York, of numerous federal drug trafficking charges. Co-defendant Adrian Dorsey was previously sentenced on Jun. 27, 2011, to 120 months in prison for his role in the conspiracy and his judgment of conviction was entered on July 6, 2011.

U.S. District Court Judge Leon Jordan also entered an order of forfeiture on July 6, 2011, for a money judgment against Maddox, Carr and Cooper in the total amount of $7,000,000.00 in U.S. currency, which represents the proceeds from the sale of cocaine, cocaine base (“crack”) and marijuana obtained and money laundered during the course of the conspiracy by the various co-defendants.

Sentencing hearings for Maddox, Cooper, Ruffin and Dejesus are all set within the next several weeks in U.S. District Court in Greeneville, before the Honorable Leon Jordan. Maddox faces a mandatory life sentence without parole. Ruffin, Cooper, and Dejesus face sentences of up to life in prison.

According to evidence presented at trial, in February 2008, Johnson City Police Officers and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents arrested an individual who was known by local law enforcement to be part of a group of drug traffickers who had moved to Johnson City Tenn., from Utica, New York, for the sole purpose of distributing cocaine and crack cocaine. A recorded telephone call from this individual monitored by law enforcement was made to Maddox to order a half-kilogram of cocaine. This led to the DEA obtaining a court-authorized wire tap for Maddox’s phone. Maddox operated his drug organization from his residences in both Johnson City, Tenn., and Utica, New York. Using coded conversation known as “Supreme Mathematics,” Maddox and other members of the conspiracy recruited couriers to transport kilogram quantities of cocaine, as well as large amounts of U.S. currency from Johnson City to Atlanta, Florida, and New York. The cocaine was then cooked into crack cocaine for distribution in the Johnson City area. During the investigation, agents conducted undercover drug purchases from members of the conspiracy and made traffic stops on organization members which resulted in the seizure of tens of thousands of dollars. The investigation culminated in the execution of search warrants on May 7, 2009, during which approximately one and one-half kilos of cocaine and over $21,000.00, were seized. Maddox and many of his other co-defendants were arrested soon thereafter. From jail, Maddox communicated with a co-defendant whom he suspected of cooperating with law enforcement agents, and threatened to take action against this individual if he testified against him at trial. Maddox communicated this information to conspiracy members Cooper and Ruffin, and in a recorded conversation, he announced a “green light” on this individual. An FBI cryptanalyst forensic examiner, who analyzed the coded conversations used by Maddox and other members of the conspiracy, testified at trial that the “green light” issued by Maddox during the telephone call was an order to kill this individual.

Evidence showed that Maddox’s organization was responsible for the distribution of over 40 kilograms of crack cocaine and dozens of kilograms of cocaine hydrochloride in the tri-cities area of upper east Tennessee.

U.S. Attorney Bill Killian said, “The sentences in these cases send a message to all, locally and from other parts of the country, that these dangerous and ruthless criminals in the drug business will receive the serious punishment that they deserve in the Eastern District of Tennessee.”

Law enforcement agencies participating in the investigation which led to indictment and subsequent conviction of Maddox, Carr, Miller, Dorsey, Cooper, Dejesus, and Ruffin included the DEA, Johnson City Police Department, Washington County, Tennessee Sheriff’s Department, First Judicial District Drug Task Force, Tennessee Highway Patrol and various law enforcement officers in New York State including the New York State Police, Utica, New York Police Department and New York DEA and FBI offices. Brian Vicchio, assigned to the DEA task force by the Johnson City Police Department was the lead investigator and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Wayne Taylor and Robert Reeves represented the United States at trial.

This case was part of the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) and the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) programs. OCDETF is the primary weapon of the United States against the highest level drug trafficking organizations operating within the United States, importing drugs into the United States, or laundering the proceeds of drug trafficking. The HIDTA program enhances and coordinates drug control efforts among local, State, and Federal law enforcement agencies. The program provides agencies with coordination, equipment, technology, and additional resources to combat drug trafficking and its harmful consequences in critical regions of the United States.

Defendants Convicted in Methamphetamine Case

GREENEVILLE, TN—Crisantos Nicholas Bautista, 30, and Enrique Mendoza-Barone, 23, of Asheville, North Carolina, both entered guilty pleas to methamphetamine conspiracy charges in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Greeneville, before the Honorable Ronnie Greer, U.S. District Judge, on May 23, 2011. Bautista has a sentencing hearing set for September 19, 2011, and Mendoza-Barone has a sentencing hearing set for October 3, 2011. Maria Antonia Manzanarez Nunez, 28, of Asheville, North Carolina, has also been convicted in this case on methamphetamine conspiracy charges and has a sentencing hearing set for August 1, 2011.

Plea agreements filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Greeneville state that Mendoza-Barone delivered methamphetamine for Bautista. On January 12, 2011, Bautista and Nunez distributed eight ounces of methamphetamine in Johnson City, Tennessee, to a confidential informant working for law enforcement. A 16-ounce methamphetamine buy was planned for February 3, 2011, to also take place in Johnson City with a confidential informant and Bautista. Law enforcement agents initiated and conducted surveillance on Bautista and Nunez as they left their residence in Asheville, North Carolina, and the 16 ounces of methamphetamine was found during a traffic stop of the vehicle in which Bautista and Nunez were traveling in Carter County, Tennessee, later that day. A subsequent search of their Asheville, North Carolina residence resulted in the seizure of another eight ounces of methamphetamine and a firearm.

The convictions are the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Johnson City Office, assisted by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation; the Bureau of Immigrations and Customs Enforcement; the First Judicial Drug Task Force; the Elizabethton Police Department; the Erwin Police Department, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office; the Tennessee Highway Patrol; the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Asheville, North Carolina Office; the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives in Asheville; and the Asheville Police Department.

Some of the task force officers who worked on the investigation were provided funding by the Appalachian High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA), a program funded by the White House’s Office of National Drug Control Policy. To report drug crimes or learn more about illegal drug diversion and the problem it is causing our country, visit http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Wayne Taylor.

United States Attorney Bill Killian said: “This case is an example of the multi-jurisdictional state, local, and federal cooperation among law enforcement agencies that results in the successful investigation, prosecution, and conviction of serious drug offenders in Northeast Tennessee. We continue to applaud the efforts of all the agencies involved, and commend Assistant U.S. Attorney Wayne Taylor for achieving the convictions.”

Arrests Continue Related to Yesterday’s Multi-Agency Probe Targeting Drug-Related Corruption

FBI Knoxville Special Agent in Charge Richard L. Lambert, TBI Director Mark Gwyn, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigative Division (IRS-CID), Supervisory Special Agent David Martin, and District Attorney General Paul Phillips announce the arrests of additional individuals who are charged with drug-related and other criminal offenses. These arrests represent the culmination of a long-term, multi-agency, undercover investigation targeting illegal activity in Union County, Tennessee.

The following individuals were arrested, without incident, as part of the ongoing investigation:

Jamison Ryan Bailey, age 21, of Maynardville, Tennessee

Tony Matthew Bailey, age 38, of Maynardville, Tennessee

Bobby Lynn Brown, age 32, of Sharps Chapel, Tennessee

Kevin Wayne Collins, age 37, of Sharps Chapel, Tennessee

Richard Ray Cooper, age 44, of Maynardville, Tennessee

Brenda Corum, age 31, of Luttrell, Tennessee

Pamela Keene, age 40, of Maynardville, Tennessee

Johnny Fred Gibson, age 49, of Maynardville, Tennessee

Fred Najar, age 61, of Maynardville, Tennessee

Tony Ray Odom, age 43, of Maynardville, Tennessee

Mark Stephen Williams, age 43, of Maynardville, Tennessee

All arrests were made pursuant to state capiases issued in Tennessee’s 8th Judicial District following the grand jury’s return of a multiple count indictment charging the above named persons. This investigation was a collaborative effort between the TBI and the Knoxville offices of the FBI and IRS-CID. Troopers from the Tennessee Highway Patrol, officers from the 8th Judicial Drug Task Force, and deputies from the Union County Sherriff’s Office assisted with the arrests.

Anyone with information related to this matter is encouraged to call the FBI’s toll free tip hotline at 888-678-6720.

Members of the public are reminded that an indictment constitutes only charges and that every person is presumed innocent unless or until their guilt has been proven beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Former high school band director sentenced to 200 months in prison and $3 million in restitution for child pornography

CHATTANOOGA - Roy Walsh, 39, formerly of Jasper, Tenn., now residing in Lenoir City was sentenced Monday in U.S. District Court to serve 200 months in prison and to pay $3 million in restitution to two victims in a child pornography case investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Tennessee Highway Patrol, Criminal Investigative Division.

Walsh will serve an additional 15 years of supervised release upon his release from prison.  He had pled guilty to transportation of child pornography in interstate commerce by means of a computer on April 5, 2010.

In February 2008, prosecution of an individual in Connecticut revealed that Walsh, former band director for the South Pittsburg High School Band, had been sending and receiving images of child pornography over the Internet. Chat logs involving Walsh and images sent and received by him were recovered in the investigation.

A search warrant was executed at Walsh's residence in Jasper on Oct. 10, 2008, and two computer hard drives were seized and forensically examined. The seized items were found to contain numerous images of child pornography.

"Each child seen in these pornographic videos is an innocent victim of those who produce, possess, transport and share child pornography. Unfortunately, these images are being viewed over and over again, perpetuating the abuse of these children," said Raymond R. Parmer, Jr., special agent in charge of ICE HSI in New Orleans. "HSI will continue to diligently work with our law enforcement partners to identify child predators and bring them to justice."  Parmer oversees a five-state area which includes Tennessee, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Arkansas.

This investigation was part of Operation Predator, a nationwide ICE initiative to identify, investigate and arrest those who prey on children, including human traffickers, international sex tourists, Internet pornographers, and foreign-national predators whose crimes make them deportable.

ICE encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free hotline at 1-866-DHS-2ICE. This hotline is staffed around the clock by investigators.

Suspected child sexual exploitation or missing children may be reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, an Operation Predator partner, at 1-800-843-5678 or http://www.cybertipline.com.

This case was also brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit projectsafechildhood.gov.

Assistant U.S. Attorney John MacCoon, Eastern District of Tennessee, represented the United States.