Navy Seal Bickle Sentenced to 17½ Years in Prison

LAS VEGAS – The U.S. Navy SEAL who was convicted last fall of multiple felony weapons charges, including dealing in stolen firearms, was sentenced today to 17½ years in federal prison and three years of supervised release, announced Daniel G. Bogden, United States Attorney for the District of Nevada.

Nicholas Bickle, 34, of San Diego, was sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge Roger L. Hunt. Bickle was convicted by a jury in October 2011 of one count of conspiracy to unlawfully receive, transport, possess and transfer machineguns and stolen firearms and to deal in firearms; one count of dealing in firearms without a license; four counts of possession and transfer of machineguns; five counts of possession, concealment, sale and disposition of stolen firearms; one count of receiving, concealing and retaining property of the United States; and one count of transportation by and distribution of explosives to a non-licensee. The judge imposed a greater sentence because of the large number of firearms involved, the types of firearms involved, and because the firearms were stolen and trafficked. Judge Hunt also found that Bickle was a leader or organizer of the offense, and that Bickle had abused his position of trust in order to facilitate the offenses.

"The weapons trafficked in this case were not your ordinary firearms; rather, they were fully-automatic machineguns that likely would have ended up in the hands of criminals," said U.S. Attorney Bogden. "The defendant's conduct was serious, and the Court imposed a lengthy prison sentence that should serve as a deterrent to anyone who is considering trafficking in machineguns or other firearms."

"ATF works diligently with our law enforcement partners to ensure that illegal machineguns and explosives never make it to our streets," said Acting Special Agent in Charge John P. Lee. "Mr. Bickle abused the public trust inherent to the position of a Navy SEAL and today he paid the price."

The evidence at trial demonstrated that from about March 2009 to November 2010, Bickle, a Navy Seal, conspired with Richard Paul, 35,of Durango, Colorado, Andrew Kaufman, 37, and Omar Aguirre, 36, both of Las Vegas, to sell machineguns and other weapons possessed by Bickle when he returned from Iraq. The firearms included over 30 AK-47 type machineguns (some of which bore the markings or symbols of the Iraqi military forces) and multiple pistols previously procured by the United States for Iraqi security forces. Bickle transported the majority of the weapons to Nevada and Colorado where his co-conspirators sold them to others, including an undercover law enforcement agent who expressed the intent to smuggle the weapons to Mexico. Bickle received a substantial portion of the proceeds from the sales of firearms. Bickle was also convicted of unlawfully receiving and retaining government property (ammunition, explosives, grenades and optical sights) valued at more than $1,000, and unlawfully transporting and transferring approximately five pounds of C-4 explosives.

Aguirre, Paul, and Kaufman pleaded guilty prior to trial. Aguirre was sentenced in October 2011 to five years in prison. Paul and Kaufman are scheduled to be sentenced tomorrow, July 18, 2012.

The investigation was conducted by ATF, NCIS, and the LVMPD. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Timothy S. Vasquez and Phillip N. Smith, Jr.

Federal Indictments Returned Against Winnemucca Man for Shootings on Ft. McDermitt and Sex Trafficking of Minors

RENO—A Winnemucca man has been charged in two separate federal indictments with shooting at six persons on the Ft. McDermitt Indian Reservation on April 27, 2012, as well as sex trafficking of two victims, announced Daniel G. Bogden, United States Attorney for the District of Nevada.

Adam Scott, 26, is charged in an indictment returned by the grand jury on May 9, 2012 with two counts of assault with a deadly weapon and two counts of use of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. In a second indictment returned the same day, Scott is charged with one count of illegal transportation of a minor for prostitution and two counts of sex trafficking of a minor or with force, fraud, or coercion.

According to the indictment and criminal complaint filed in the shooting case, between 11:00 p.m. and 12:00 a.m. on April 27, 2012, Scott drove past a residence on the Ft. McDermitt Indian Reservation and fired multiple shots at the residence and at individuals located nearby. The indictment does not allege that anyone was injured during the drive-by shooting. Following the drive-by shooting, two individuals traveled to Scott’s residence, and Scott fired a gun at them, striking one of the individuals in the abdomen. Scott was arrested by FBI agents on May 1, 2012, and was ordered detained pending trial.

According to the indictment filed in the sex trafficking case, on about July 31, 2010, Scott knowingly transported a minor from California to Nevada with the intent that the victim engage in prostitution and between July 31 and August 11, 2010, Scott knowingly used force, fraud, and coercion to cause the minor victim to engage in sex acts. Scott is also charged with using force, fraud, and coercion to cause a second victim to engage in sex acts between August 11 and August 14, 2011.

If convicted, Scott faces up to 40 years in prison on the assault charges (20 years minimum) and up to life in prison (40 years minimum) on the sex trafficking charges, as well as fines of up to $1.75 million.

The assault case was investigated by the FBI and the Bureau of Indian Affairs and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael W. Large. The sex trafficking case is being investigated by the Reno Police Department Street Enforcement Team in conjunction with the FBI as part of the Innocence Lost Task Force and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Carla B. Higginbotham.

An indictment contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

Drug Trafficker Sentenced to Nearly 20 Years in Prison

LAS VEGAS—A Las Vegas-based narcotics dealer who coordinated the importation and interstate shipment of large quantities of methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, and marijuana across state lines, has been sentenced to almost 20 years in prison, announced Daniel G. Bogden, United States Attorney for the District of Nevada.

Bryan Binns, aka Jose Silva Ayala, 29, a citizen of Mexico who last resided in Henderson, Nevada, was sentenced on Monday, April 30, 2012, by Senior U.S. District Judge Lloyd D. George, to 235 months in prison, five years of supervised release, and was ordered to forfeit numerous vehicles, firearms, and over $38,000 in currency. Binns pleaded guilty on November 23, 2011, to four counts of conspiracy to possess controlled substances with the intent to distribute (methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, and marijuana). Binns has a prior felony conviction for unlawful re-entry into the United States following deportation.

According to the court filings, in February 2010, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in Las Vegas initiated an investigation of Binns and determined that he was coordinating the transportation of large quantities of narcotics, often via semi tractor-trailers, to persons in other states. During the course of the investigation, over five kilograms of methamphetamine, two kilograms of heroin, one kilogram of cocaine, and 227 kilograms of marijuana were seized. The drugs were seized from co-conspirators during several traffic stops in Utah, Nevada, and Arizona, between November 2010 and February 2011.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Bradley W. Giles, and investigated by the DEA and the Organized Crime Drug Trafficking Task Force (OCDETF). The OCDETF Program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multi-level attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations. Today, OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies, which include the DEA, FBI, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, ATF, U.S. Marshals Service, IRS, and the U.S. Coast Guard, in cooperation with the Department of Justice Criminal Division, Tax Division, and the 93 U.S. Attorney’s Offices, as well as with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and those primarily responsible for the nation’s drug supply.

Reno's Fugitive Task Force Arrests Colorado Sexual Assault and Kidnapping Suspect

Reno, NV – The Reno United States Marshals Service (USMS) led Fugitive Task Force, in partnership with the Department of Veterans Police, announces the arrest of Landan R. McMain (28). McMain is wanted by the Colorado Springs Police Department on an outstanding arrest warrant for multiple charges including kidnapping and sexual assault. It is alleged in 2006; McMain kidnapped and sexually assaulted an adult female. The warrant for arrest was issued on April 12, 2012 after McMain was determined to be a suspect.

After receiving information McMain was residing in Northern Nevada, the Task Force worked with the Department of Veterans Police to affect the arrest. McMain was arrested this afternoon, without incident, where he was employed at the Reno Veterans Administration Medical Center. He has been booked into the Washoe County Jail, as a fugitive from justice, awaiting extradition to Colorado.

The Fugitive Task Force, led by the U.S. Marshals Service, is a partnership comprised of law enforcement investigators from the United States Marshals Service, Washoe County Sheriff’s Office, Nevada Department of Public Safety (Probation & Parole), and Sparks Police Department. The Task Force combines the resources and expertise of local, state, and federal law enforcement in a coordinated effort to arrest dangerous fugitives and pursue sexual offenders wherever they are located.

Police from Nevada

Police-Writers.com is a website that lists state and local police officers who have written books. The website added three officer from departments within the state of Nevada: David E. Hatch; Lake Headley; and, Jeff Kaye.

Detective David E. Hatch spent more than 27 years with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. David Hatch joined the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department in 1969 after discharge from the U.S. Marine Corps. In 1980, as a detective, he joined the homicide section. During his time with homicide, he investigated over 400 homicides and 125 officer-involved shootings.

After retirement in 1997, David Hatch has concentrated on law enforcement related writing and teaching. He is the author of Officer-Involved Shootings and Use of Force: Practical Investigative Techniques, Second Edition (Practical Aspects of Criminal and Forensic Investigations).

David Hatch’s book, now in its second edition, “continues to provide sound and sober models, protocols, and procedures to handle the highly charged fall-out from officer involved shootings. Written by cops for cops, it is designed to address the needs of the agency, the rights of the employee, and the concerns of the public, and give law enforcement the policies and tools to properly investigate and document this high profile area.”

In 1957, Lake Headley joined the Clark County Sheriff’s Department (Nevada). After five years Lake Headley resigned because, as he puts it, the Department “more closely resembled a vigilante committee than a law enforcement agency.” Lake Headley launched his own Private Investigations firm and became involved in many interesting, if not extraordinary cases. Lake Headley is the author of Vegas P.I. And, the co-author of the true crime books: Contract Killer; The Court-Martial of Clayton Lonetree; and, Loud and Clear.

According to Lake Headley’s publisher, Vegas P.I is “filled with major crime cases and startling revelations, it chronicles his thirty-five perilous and action-packed years as a first-rank detective defending the disenfranchised and battling crime on the streets of Las Vegas and beyond. He takes us back to a period of gambling history when the Mob ruled the strip and he busted some of the most ingenious scams cheaters ever devised. Headley gives never-revealed details of the famous "Friars Club Cheating Case" in which celebrities such as Phil Silvers, Debbie Reynolds, Tony Martin, and Groucho Marx lost more than a million dollars in a rigged gin rummy game at the exclusive Friars Club in Beverly Hills. Headley chronicles his wild adventures with the legendary bounty hunter "Papa" Ralph Thorson.

Jeff Kaye is a sergeant with the Reno Police Department (Nevada). He has spent the majority of his career working various undercover assignments. He is considered an expert in undercover operations, street level drug enforcement and undercover operative stress syndromes. Jeff Kaye is the author of the novel Two Faces Have I

According to Jeff Kaye’s book description, “Jack Stoner is having a bad day. A psycho thief wants to kill him for being a snitch, a serial killer has set him up as a murder suspect, and he's about to cross paths with an organized crime boss, which will cause a sexy female F.B.I. Agent to enter his life and add to his troubles. On top of all this, he's having problems remembering he is really a cop named Jake Slater, who has been left undercover far too long. Follow him through Nevada's glitter towns on an emotional and action-packed tour of the dirty little secret Law Enforcement calls undercover work.”

Police-Writers.com now hosts 643 police officers (representing 282 police departments) and their 1373 books in six categories, there are also listings of United States federal law enforcement employees turned authors, international police officers who have written books and civilian police personnel who have written books.