Inver Grove Heights Man Sentenced for Armed Robbery of White Bear Lake and Maplewood Convenience Stores

MINNEAPOLIS — Earlier today in federal court in St. Paul, a 21–year–old Inver Grove Heights man was sentenced in connection with the June 14, 2011, armed robberies of SuperAmerica stores in Maplewood and White Bear Lake. United States District Court Judge Donovan W. Frank sentenced Joseph Laurence Forliti to 108 months in prison on two counts of interference with commerce by robbery, pursuant to the Hobbs Act. Forliti was indicted on August 8, 2011, and pleaded guilty on November 9, 2011.

In his plea agreement, Forliti admitted that on June 14, he and another man entered a SuperAmerica store in Maplewood. Forliti also admitted that he ran behind the check–out counter, pointed a BB–gun at the store clerk and demanded the clerk open the cash register. Once the register was opened, Forliti admitted he stole approximately $200, using the gun to compel the clerk to relinquish the cash. In addition, Forliti admitted that same day, the two men stole approximately $200 from a SuperAmerica store in White Bear Lake in the same manner.

According to a law enforcement affidavit filed in the case, the two masked men robbed the Maplewood store at approximately midnight. The White Bear Lake store was robbed shortly after 4 a.m. At 5:15 a.m., a Washington County Sheriff’s deputy observed two men near a wooded area close to the White Bear Lake store. The men matched the descriptions of the robbers. The deputy apprehended the men and recovered $181 in cash from Forliti’s pockets. His accomplice is being prosecuted in Ramsey County in connection with the White Bear Lake robbery.

The Hobbs Act, passed by Congress in 1946, allows federal prosecutors to prosecute violent, habitual criminals who commit armed robbery in places of business involved in interstate commerce. Federal prosecution of these cases is sometimes beneficial since the penalties are often tougher than under state law. Furthermore, because the federal system has no parole, those who receive federal sentences serve virtually the entire time imposed.

This case was the result of an investigation by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the sheriff offices of Ramsey and Washington counties, and the police departments of Maplewood and White Bear Lake. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie E. Allyn.

Mexican Citizens Residing in Johnson City and Baileyton Plead Guilty to Cocaine and Firearms Charges

GREENEVILLE, TE—Raul Alfaro, 56, of Baileyton, Tennessee, and Benito Gonzalez, 27, of Johnson City, Tennessee, both citizens of Mexico, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Greeneville. Sentencing dates for both Alfaro and Gonzalez have been set for July 12, 2012 before the Honorable Leon Jordan, U.S. District Judge.

On multiple occasions during October and November 2011, Alfaro sold ounces of cocaine, which he obtained from Gonzalez, to a confidential informant working on the behalf of law enforcement. By the middle of November, Alfaro began negotiating the sale of up to 12 ounces of cocaine at one time to the informant. He also offered to sell the informant a variety of firearms, including an AK-47 assault rifle. In order to show the weapons he had for sale, Alfaro took pictures of the AK-47, a .380 pistol, a .357 magnum, a 9mm pistol, and a shotgun and texted them to the informant. In November 2011, Alfaro met the informant again and sold him the .357 revolver. During this recorded transaction, Alfaro said that he and his supplier Gonzalez would be ready to sell 9 to 12 ounces of cocaine in about a week.

In November 2011, law enforcement agents conducted a “buy bust” on a vehicle occupied by Alfaro and Gonzalez in Johnson City right before the deal with the informant was schedule to occur. Agents searched the vehicle and found approximately 10 ounces of cocaine, digital scales, the 9mm pistol Alfaro had previously offered to sell, and a magazine with six rounds of ammunition.

Search warrants were subsequently executed at the residences of Alfaro and Gonzalez. During the search of Alfaro’s residence, agents located and seized six firearms and close to 400 rounds of ammunition. During the search of Gonzalez’s residence, agents located and seized over $20,000.00 in U.S. currency, a .25 caliber handgun, ammunition, approximately 45 grams of cocaine and digital scales.

Law enforcement agencies participating in the investigation that led to the indictment and subsequent convictions of Alfaro and Gonzalez include the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, First Judicial Drug Task Force, Washington County Sheriff’s Office, Third Judicial Drug Task Force, Fourth Judicial Drug Task Force, Hamblen County Sheriff’s Office, Johnson City Police Department, and Elizabethton Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Wayne Taylor represented the United States.

FBI Seeks Serial Bank Robber

The Charlotte Division of the FBI is seeking assistance to identify a subject responsible for two recent bank robberies in the Greenville, North Carolina area. Surveillance photos from the robberies show the same individual is responsible for robbing the East Carolina Bank located at 305 7th Street in Creswell, NC on January 6, 2012, and the RBC Bank located at 113 South Main Street in Colerain, NC on January 27, 2012.

In both robberies, the subject was armed with a silver revolver. The subject is described as a black male, 20-30 years old, approximately 6’ tall, 175-200 lbs. He wore a dark-colored cap with what appeared to be fake dreadlocks. The getaway car is believed to be a white Toyota Corolla or Camry and it is missing a hubcap. There is no description available on the person driving the getaway car.

The FBI is investigating in partnership with the Bertie County Sheriff’s Office and the Washington County Sheriff’s Office. If you have any information about either robbery, call the Charlotte Division of the FBI at 704-672-6100.

U.S. Marshals Task Force Capture Illinois Escapee in Pensacola; and Sexual Battery Suspect in Defuniak Springs

Pensacola, FL – The U.S. Marshals Florida Regional Fugitive Task Force arrested an escapee today from Chicago, who reportedly arrived in Pensacola on New Year’s Eve. Fred Hoye, 40, who was originally arrested under the alias “Theodore Usher” was out on bail in Cook County, IL on drug charges and placed on GPS monitoring.  According to law enforcement officials there he cut the device off and headed to Pensacola at 9:30 p.m., December 30 from Chicago. Hoye, using the name “Fred Boyd”, and another man and woman left on a Greyhound Bus. Earlier today a detective there contacted the Escambia county Sheriff’s Office Warrants Unit who then requested the help of the Task Force. Several hours later the U.S. Marshals and Task Force Officers from Escambia County discovered that Hoye and the female were staying at an apartment complex off of

Fairfield Avenue

near highway 98. At approximately 3:30 p.m., they were driving through the complex when they saw both Hoye and the female walking out of the complex onto

Fairfield Avenue

. Shortly after, the Task Force with the assistance of Escambia Patrol Units arrested Hoye without incident. Hoye was booked into the Escambia County Jail where he will be held until he is extradited back to Illinois.

Earlier this morning, Task Force Officers from Defuniak Springs Police Department along with others from Walton, Okaloosa and Washington County Sheriff’s Offices as well as Niceville Police Department and the State Attorney’s Office were planning to serve a Walton County arrest warrant for Lewd and Lascivious Battery on a Child, Failure to Appear on Pablo Baza-Valerio of the 600 Block of Ruckel Drive in Walton County. The Task Force quickly learned that he may be in a vehicle that had just left the residence and Task Force Members conducted a traffic stop on that car and found three of the suspect’s family members but not the fugitive. They were interviewed in an attempt to locate Baza-Valerio. Soon afterwards officers spoke to Baza-Valerio on the phone and negotiated his surrender. Baza-Valerio was taken into custody at the DeFuniak Springs Police Department at approximately 8:00am and he was transported to the Walton County Jail. Baza-Valerio also has a Failure to Appear warrant in Okaloosa County.