IFIRE.org

29. Indianapolis--March/2005--fraudulently obtaining DL, CDL and citizenship. (possible espionage?)

This Indiana truck driver fraudulently obtained a DL and citizenship. It looks like marriage fraud was possibly involved (see timeline on side of article). He was authorized by the BMV to transport hazardous materials! Neighbors noticed box trucks going to and from his home at night. He is accused of trying to sell identities of US intelligence agents to the Iraqi government for millions of dollars before the Iraq War. He tried to set up a pro-Iraq Arabic TV station in the US with financial help from Saddam Hussein's government and wanted to organize volunteers to be human shields.

Cheree

http://www.indystar.com/articles/1/226724-4661-009.html

Hoosier jailed in Iraq conspiracy
Man accused of trying to sell U.S. spies' IDs


Greg Lipps stands in his driveway, across the street from the home (left) of Shaaban Hafiz Ahmad Ali Shaaban, who has been charged with offenses against the United States. -- Adriane Jaeckle / The Star

Indictment lists suspect's activities

Here is a timeline of Shaaban Hafiz Ahmad Ali Shaaban's activities, according to federal indictment released Thursday:
• June 1994: Married U.S. citizen Hanan M. Zayed in Chicago.
• May 1997: Changed his name to Joe H. Brown.
• 1999: Moved from Illinois to the Indianapolis area.
• November 2000: Became a naturalized U.S. citizen.
• Oct. 26, 2002: Began his trip to Baghdad, Iraq, by flying on Air France from Chicago to Paris. He then flew to Damascus, Syria, before traveling on to Iraq.
• Nov. 1-4, 2002: Stayed at the Al Rashid Hotel in Baghdad, where he met with Iraqi intelligence officers. He offered to sell the names of about 60 U.S. intelligence operatives for $5 million. Iraqi intelligence officers agreed to pay $3 million but required a sample of the names.
• Nov. 5, 2002: Left Iraq.
• March 25, 2003: Provided a message to be broadcast through the Iraqi media to support the government of Saddam Hussein and to urge Iraqis to resist the United States.




By Matthew Tully and Bill McCleery
matthew.tully@indystar.com
March 4, 2005


Federal officials have charged a Greenfield truck driver with offering to sell the Iraqi government the identities of U.S. intelligence agents in 2002, just months before the United States attacked that country.

Shaaban Hafiz Ahmad Ali Shaaban's arrest shocked his neighbors. By most accounts, he was quiet but friendly -- and joined in the neighborhood's Fourth of July celebration.

"Of course it's shocking," said Greg Lipps, who lives across the street from Shaaban. "This is Greenfield, Indiana, you know?"

Shaaban's actions "go to the heart of the nation's security," U.S. Attorney Susan Brooks said Thursday in announcing his arrest and indictment. Authorities believe the 52-year-old Shaaban is a Jordanian native with several aliases, including Joe Brown.

Now sitting in the Marion County Jail, Shaaban could face 10 years in prison, the loss of his U.S. citizenship and possible deportation if convicted of charges that include conspiracy and acting illegally as a foreign agent.

The federal government alleges Shaaban traveled to Iraq, where he agreed to take $3 million in return for the names of U.S. operatives in that country. Officials said they did not think the exchange of names for money occurred, explaining the absence of the more serious charges of espionage or treason.

But Brooks said the threat was nevertheless serious.

"Obviously, it's possible that those individuals could have been killed or their activities could have been closely monitored," Brooks said, referring to U.S. agents and operatives. "That is why these types of allegations are so serious."

It was unclear Thursday whether Shaaban had access to intelligence operatives' names. The indictment says Shaaban claimed he did through a source in another country.

The indictment, which follows a yearlong investigation, alleges Shaaban attempted to establish a pro-Iraqi Arabic TV station in the United States, with financial help from the Iraqi government. Also, the government said Shaaban attempted to reach a financial deal with Iraq to "organize volunteers to act as human shields" during the war.

Using his aliases, authorities said Shaaban fraudulently obtained an Indiana driver's license, including a commercial license to drive trucks. He is also accused of fraudulently obtaining his U.S. citizenship.

According to Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles records, Shaaban was authorized to transport hazardous materials. Brooks said it was not known whether Shaaban transported such materials or whether he posed a danger in this country.

"But when you think about what he was trying to do in Iraq right before the beginning of the war, which obviously shows what his intentions were, we have very serious concerns about his allegiance and loyalty to this country," Brooks said. "And it is difficult to know what he might do in this country."

U.S. officials would not discuss Shaaban's possible motives.

On the cul-de-sac where he lived with his wife and young son, residents knew the suspect as Joe Brown; federal officials say that's what Shaaban legally changed his name to in 1997.

Someone could be seen inside the Shaaban home, though no one answered a reporter's knock. The assistant principal of the local elementary school was let in -- after a neighbor offered to call the Shaaban home to say who was at the door.

Many reacted with disbelief. Betsey Lipps, Greg Lipps' wife, said Shaaban and his wife seemed like loving parents and, on at least one occasion, patriotic.

"They flew the American flag on the Fourth of July," she said.

Lipps said the family, who has lived in the neighborhood for at least a year, joined other neighbors in celebrating the holiday, bringing food and folding chairs to a pitch-in barbecue.

The couple's son enjoyed riding his bike around the cul-de-sac and jumping on the large trampoline, surrounded by a safety net, beside the family's home. His mother was always outside with her son, watching him closely, Lipps said. Other neighborhood children frequently visited the Shaabans.

"Our daughter plays over there all the time," said Greg Lipps.

Several residents said they had agreed not to talk about their neighbor but, before asking reporters to leave, said they believed Shaaban was innocent.

Those willing to talk said it was clear the Shaabans had international connections. He married a woman in Moscow in 1972, the indictment states.

"His (current) wife said he ran a political newspaper on the Internet over in Russia, where she said they originated from," Betsey Lipps recalled.

Neighbors said Shaaban's wife and son were home much more than he was. They sometimes noticed box trucks going to and from the home at night.

On Thursday, Betsey Lipps was startled to see her neighborhood filled with FBI vehicles. Agents were carrying items from the house from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Shaaban held a variety of trucking jobs through the years, including one that he started just last week, said Brooks, who declined to provide the names of Shaaban's employers.

The FBI investigation into Shaaban's activities lasted for more than a year and culminated with his arrest Thursday at the Transportation Security Administration offices in Indianapolis. He had been called there to talk about the status of his commercial driver's license.

Officials would not say what led to the investigation into Shaaban's activities.

Booked in the Marion County Jail, Shaaban faces a preliminary hearing in federal court Wednesday. It was unclear Thursday if he had retained an attorney.

Federal officials are seeking to keep Shaaban behind bars for the length of his trial. Brooks said prosecutors would rely on "human and physical evidence" to make their case.

According to the indictment, Shaaban has been in the United States since at least 1994. He moved to Indianapolis from Illinois in 1999 and later moved to Greenfield. He was naturalized in 2000, using the name Shaaban Shaaban Hafed.

In October 2002, according to the indictment, Shaaban traveled to Iraq at the expense of that country's government and offered to sell the names of 60 U.S. intelligence officers to the Iraqis for $5 million. He later agreed to sell the names for $3 million. Authorities said the deal fell through after Iraqi government officials asked for a sample of names.

That same year, the indictment says, he attempted to help Iraq prepare human shields who would protect sites during a U.S. invasion and "provided a message to be broadcast through Iraqi media that . . . encouraged others to forcibly resist the United States."

According to the indictment, Shaaban has used several aliases, including Shaaban Shaaban Hafed and Joe H. Brown. Under different names, he has claimed to be a native of Jordan and Lebanon. U.S. authorities think he was born in 1952 in Jordan.

He faces six counts -- five carrying penalties of 10 years in prison and fines of up to $250,000, and one with a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. But Brooks said the charges were structured in a way that Shaaban would likely serve no more than 10 years.

Star reporter Vic Ryckaert contributed to this story.

Call Star reporter Matthew Tully at (317) 444-6033.
***********************************************************

http://www.indystar.com/articles/4/227067-5854-009.html




U.S.: Russia trained Greenfield man to spy
Truck driver indicted in Iraq conspiracy also had 5 passports, court documents allege.

Related content

• U.S.: Russia trained Greenfield man to spy
• Indiana soldier to be tried in death of Iraqi policeman
• Just-freed journalist wounded by troops




By Vic Ryckaert
vic.ryckaert@indystar.com
March 5, 2005


A Greenfield truck driver accused of offering to sell the names of U.S. intelligence agents to the Iraqi government received espionage training in Russia about 30 years ago, authorities say.

Court documents released Friday in the case of Shaaban Hafiz Ahmad Ali Shaaban also reveal that the Jordanian native had five passports and used several Social Security numbers.

Shaaban, 52, was arrested Thursday. He is scheduled to appear for a detention hearing Wednesday before U.S. Magistrate Kennard Foster.

A federal grand jury this week indicted Shaaban on charges of conspiracy, acting illegally as a foreign agent, violating sanctions against Iraq, unlawful procurement of identification documents and unlawful procurement of naturalization.

If convicted, he could face up to 10 years in prison, $250,000 in fines and deportation.

While many questions about Shaaban remain unanswered, an espionage expert said he appears to have foreign support.

"It sounds like he was under some kind of deep cover," said Edward B. Atkeson, a senior fellow at the Arlington, Va.--based Institute of Land Warfare and a former chief of Army intelligence in Europe. "He's got some professional backing. He couldn't have built that kind of background and documentation by himself."

U.S. Attorney Susan Brooks and FBI spokeswoman Wendy Osborne would not disclose how Shaaban came under suspicion or what methods were used to build a case against him.

The indictment hints that wiretaps were used, noting that Shaaban had communicated by telephone and facsimile with Iraqi intelligence officers.

Brooks' office is seeking to have Shaaban detained until his trial. Documents released Friday cite his numerous aliases and state that Shaaban has threatened to harm anyone who turned him in.

Shaaban's attorney, public defender William H. Dazey, visited him Friday at the Marion County Jail. Dazey declined to be interviewed.

"There are at least two sides to every story," Dazey said in a written statement. "The Constitution provides for a presumption of innocence for anyone accused of a crime."

The FBI spent more than a year building its case against Shaaban.

Shaaban was born in Dzhariko, Jordan, on March 15, 1952, records say. He is believed to have been in the United States since at least 1993.

Shaaban changed his legal name to Joe H. Brown in 1997, but court documents say he maintained two separate identities. The indictment identifies him as Shaaban Hafiz Ahmad Ali Shaaban.

In 1972, he lived in Moscow and married his first wife, Svetlana Anatolevna Shaban. It's unclear whether they were divorced.

During his stay in Moscow, the federal government says, Shaaban received training from Russian intelligence agents. The documents do not detail what kind of training. Authorities refused to elaborate.

At the time, Atkeson said, the Soviet Union was active in the international spy game.

"They did everything. You name it, they were up to it," Atkeson said, noting that the fact that Shaaban was allowed to enter Russia is a signal that he was likely recruited.

"It was a police state -- nobody came in without their clear interest," Atkeson said. "They would take a Jordanian with the idea of using him somehow."

Shaaban's first wife is thought to reside in Florida. Attempts to reach her were unsuccessful.

According to a search of public records, Shaaban lives in a home in the 1300 block of Palm Court, Greenfield, with his current wife, Hanan M. Zayed, and their son. Shaaban has used at least 10 addresses and post office boxes in the past decade, records show.

He made a living as an over-the-road truck driver, hopping from employer to employer. Court documents say his known financial resources are limited and his employment is sporadic.

In 2003 and 2004, he worked for Greenfield-based Novelty Inc., which manufactures and distributes toys and trinkets. For some of the time that Shaaban drove for Novelty, the firm's "Iraq's 52 Most Wanted Playing Cards" were a hot seller, company attorney Jeanne Hamilton said.

Indianapolis-based Celadon Trucking apparently employed Shaaban twice under different names, according to company spokesman Craig Koven.

Shaaban, using the name Shaaban S. Hafed and an Indianapolis post office box, drove for Celadon from August 1999 to January 2000. From November 2000 to September 2001, Shaaban worked for the company again under the name Ahmed S. Shaban and gave an address in the 3100 block of Huber Street, Indianapolis.

Public records show Shaaban and his wife lived on Huber Street about the same time.

Huber Street neighbor Jeffrey Maag recalled thinking it strange that Shaaban had three satellite dishes on his roof.

"They pretty much stuck to themselves," Maag said.

Call Star reporter Vic Ryckaert at (317) 444-2750.

30. Indianapolis--2004--Bribery, fraud, forged documents for illegals

2 plead guilty to bribery in license scam at BMV

Indianapolis Star
By Vic Ryckaert
October 13, 2004


Two former Bureau of Motor Vehicles workers on Tuesday pleaded guilty to bribery, admitting they forged documents for foreign nationals.

Vernetta Brown, 39, faces a maximum of four years in prison, and Marvin Fennell, 38, faces a maximum of three years under terms of plea agreements filed in Marion Superior Court. Judge Robert Altice scheduled sentencing hearings for Nov. 10.

Police say Brown and Fennell, who worked at the license branch at 4050 Meadows Parkway, charged $300 per transaction to foreign nationals who wanted driver's licenses and state identification to stay in the United States illegally.

"Brown and Fennell were more concerned with making money than ensuring this country's safety and security," Prosecutor Carl Brizzi said.

"If their scheme had continued, who knows who might have wound up with a valid ID or driver's license?"

A probe into fake identification scams at the Northeastside BMV led to the arrests of 33 people -- 20 of whom have been sentenced.

Investigators say that from March until November 2003, Brown, Fennell, Crystal Rodriguez and Daryl Bowsky ran a bribery and fraud ring at the Meadows branch in which they forged documents and provided answers on driving tests for five to 10 foreign nationals per day.

Last March, Rodriguez, 28, pleaded guilty to bribery, and Bowsky, 37, pleaded guilty to official misconduct. Both are scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 20.

Court records suggest that the BMV's former practices did little to prevent or identify the scam.

Six co-workers knew the four were running the bribery ring, court records show. One worker brought concerns to managers and was told "they are not the cops," according to records.

"No one was minding the store," Brizzi said.

The BMV's leader said Tuesday that as a result of the scandal, the agency has beefed up security.

"This is an ever-changing business we're in," Commissioner Mary L. DePrez said. "We always have to be on guard and vigilant on what's happening outside our doors to make sure we have as secure a system as possible."

DePrez, who took over the embattled agency March 1, said workers trained to spot fakes now verify all documents from foreign citizens. This so-called Central Verification Process double-checks the documents with the Citizenship and Immigration Service, the Department of Homeland Security and the Social Security Administration.

BMV employees now go through stringent background checks that discover arrests as well as criminal convictions. Fennell had been convicted in 1992 of conspiracy to deal cocaine and handgun charges before he was hired by the BMV in 2001. Brown and Rodriguez had prior arrests but no convictions.

"To rebuild the public's trust, we had to take those several extra steps to ensure them that the employees dealing with confidential information have gone through a clearance process," DePrez said.

The BMV has beefed up its team of internal investigators, who are working with law enforcement agents to weed out any other possible corruption, DePrez said.


Call Star reporter Vic Ryckaert at (317) 444-2750.

31. Anderson--Aug./2005--stabbing death ruled self-defense, illegals to be deported

www.theheraldbulletin.com/story.asp?1d=14468

Today's Date:
8/17/2005

No charges filed in stabbing death
By MELANIE D. HAYES

Two men originally suspected of stabbing two other men were released from criminal charges after police decided they acted in self-defense after the victims yelled out racial slurs and attacked them.

One of the stabbing victims, Andrei Quick, 20, of Anderson, was declared brain dead, but he was to be kept on life support until his organs were harvested.

Juan Soto Padilla, 27, and Juan Rodriguez Ramirez, 23, both Anderson residents, were arrested July 19 and preliminarily charged with battery resulting in serious bodily injury.

When they each appeared in video court Monday, Magistrate Stephen Clase informed them that no formal charges were filed, and they were, therefore, released from the criminal case.

Neither will be released from jail, though. Both men are illegal immigrants from Mexico and the immigration department has a hold on them for deportation, Clase told them.

Madison County Prosecutor Rodney Cummings said charges were not filed against the two suspects because evidence and witness statements have led him and investigators to believe Quick and his friend, Rodney Hedgecraft, 35, of Anderson, initiated the fight and attacked them.

“It appears right now that it was a racially motivated attack,â€

32. Multiple workplaces in Jackson & Bartholomew Counties--Apr./2006--Illegal employment

http://www.therepublic.com/main.asp?Sea ... onID=1&S=1

Saturday, April 22, 2006

Immigration rumors lead to panic, absenteeism

By Paul Minnis
editorial@therepublic.com

Saturday, April 22, 2006


A false rumor that raced through the Hispanic community closed businesses, kept children home from school and led to massive employee walk-outs in Bartholomew and Jackson counties.

Officials were trying to quell the rumor, which hinged on the belief that federal immigration raids would happen across the area Thursday.

“I have never seen a rumor take off like this one,â€

# 33 Mishawaka, IN – Illegal Immigration, Violation of U.S. Immigration laws.

http://www.wndu.com/news/headlines/6346747.html

Mishawaka Company Raided For Illegal Aliens
Reporter: Sarah Platt
Email Address: sarah.platt@wndu.com

Topping our news, federal immigration officials made a raid at a Mishawaka business this morning. Three dozen people, all alleged illegal aliens, were arrested at Janco Composites, Inc.

According to Immigration and Customs officials or ICE, a total of 16 men and 20 women were arrested at Janco Composites during that raid. A source tells us all of those workers arrested at Janco had social security numbers.

Friends and family of the suspected illegal aliens met for a service at South Bend's Saint Adalbert's Church.

Lighting candles for loved ones, family and friends of the 36 arrested workers met, many acknowledging the workers were here illegally, but also wishing those arrested might get a second chance. “They did break the law by coming here illegally, but they are working, paying their taxes, doing everything else legally as much as possible,â€

34. Elkhart--Nov./2006--Murdering 4 children

http://www.idsnews.com/news/story.aspx?id=39454

Elkhart woman charged with killing her 4 children
Prosecutor says he might seek the death penalty
Tom Coyne |ap | 11/27/2006


ELKHART, Ind. -- A prosecutor is considering seeking the death penalty against a mother charged with strangling her four young children.

Angelica Alvarez, 27, of Elkhart, was ordered to be jailed without bond on four counts of murder during a court hearing held Wednesday just hours after she was released from Elkhart General Hospital. She had been in the hospital since being found unconscious with a faint pulse Nov. 14 next to the bodies of her children, ages 2 to 8.

Elkhart County Prosecutor Curtis Hall called the case one of the worst he could recall because four children from the same family were killed.

"That is particularly troubling, and I think a circumstance of this nature requires an appropriate response," he said.

Authorities allege that Alvarez strangled her children, Jennifer Lopez, 8, Gonzalo Lopez, 6, Daniel Valdez, 4, and Jessica Valdez, 2. Fernando Valdez, the father of the two youngest and Alvarez's husband, came home from work and found their bodies in the basement of their home in Elkhart, 15 miles east of South Bend. The charges came a day after 300 people attended the children's funeral.

Hill would not give specifics on how the children were killed and does not know whether investigators have a theory on motive, saying Indiana law does not require it to try the case.

"I don't think there's anybody on this earth that can suggest to me a reason for killing children. So I'm not too concerned about what motive might be there," he said at a news conference.

Hill said he would not describe the case as a murder-suicide attempt.

"I would not consider this as anything other than a murder at this time," he said.

Elkhart Circuit Judge Terry Shewmaker ordered Alvarez be jailed without bond and that she be examined to make sure she is competent to stand trial. Hill said earlier he had no reason to believe she wasn't.

Gonzalo Lopez, father of the two oldest children, has said Alvarez was depressed after losing her job and had been hospitalized for 12 days. Officials at Norco Industries, where Alvarez had worked as a housekeeper for three years, said she quit in mid-September.

Lopez earlier told the South Bend Tribune that he met Alvarez in Mexico and that they lived in Lazaro Cardenas, a port city in the state of Michoacan. A decade ago, Lopez and Alvarez moved to Goshen, Ind., a town near Elkhart, where Lopez had family.

Shewmaker asked Alvarez through a translator Wednesday at the courthouse in Goshen whether she was in the country legally. She said no. A pretrial hearing was scheduled for Dec. 21.

Hill said the Mexican consulate has been in touch with his office about Alvarez and said U.S. immigration officials also have inquired about the case. He said her citizenship status was not a concern.

"I don't think that really matters," he said. "I don't care if she is an American citizen; I don't care if she's a Mexican national; I don't much care if she is from the planet Mars. When you commit a murder of a child in Elkhart County, you will commit a steep price."

35. Jeffersonville-- --Child molestation, battery, escape.

http://www.news-tribune.net/clarkcounty ... printstory

Jeffersonville suspect caught in Louisville

— Jeffersonville police on Monday captured an accused child molester who has been on the run for the last seven months.
Jose L. Zayas, 26, was found and arrested in Louisville at a Mexican restaurant along the 4700 block of Bardstown Road where he had been working.
Detective Charlie Thompson of the Jeffersonville Police Department said Zayas had been using a false name, which had made it significantly harder for police to locate him. Police also believed him to be an illegal immigrant from Mexico.
Zayas was arrested in March for allegedly molesting his girlfriend’s 8-year-old daughter. The molestation — the girl’s mother told police — had been going on for some time before the girl came forward.
After being held at the Clark County Jail for less than three weeks, Zayas posted a bond of $2,500 — an amount Thompson called “not near enoughâ€

36. Crown Point--Oct./2007--Illegal alien caught transporting $440,000 of suspected drug money


http://www.post-trib.com/news/608961,lccash.article
County police seize $440,000 during I-94 stop
October 18, 2007
By Andy Grimm Post-Tribune staff writer

CROWN POINT -- Lake County Sheriff's police Monday pulled nearly half a million dollars in suspected drug money from a hidden compartment in a SUV headed east on Interstate-94 outside Porter.
The $440,000 in cash bundled below the rear cargo compartment of a 1996 Ford Explorer was the largest seizure of cash ever made by the Lake County Sheriff's Drug Interdiction Task Force and the unit's patrols of area highways, Sheriff Roy Dominguez announced at a news conference Wednesday.
"Taking money from drug dealers is to take the profits from their illegal enterprise," Dominguez said, standing at a podium next to foot-high stacks of bills stuffed in plastic evidence sacks, including a bag of 1,000, $100 bills.
The sheriff's department will keep 75 percent of of the cash once it has been legally forfeited.
The Porter County Prosecutor's office also will receive some of the seized cash.
The cash likely was proceeds from a major drug sale, heading back to dealers in Chicago, said Cmdr. Zon Haralovich, head of the task force.
Detective Ed Karballa pulled over the Explorer for speeding and tailgating around 4:30 p.m. and said the driver, 27-year-old Erica Aramula-Fonseca, appeared nervous and could not provide detailed information about her destination.
Karballa located the secret compartment during a search of the vehicle, and a sweep of the vehicle by a narcotic-sniffing dog indicated drugs had been in the truck, though none were found. Fonseca said she wasn't aware the cash was in her vehicle and didn't know how it got there.
Asked his initial reaction to finding the bundles of cash, Karballa, said: "I thought it was a good day for the Drug Interdiction team and the Sheriff's Department." Later, Karballa conceded his first thought was "Whoa."
Karballa's previous largest seizure was $45,000. During his three years on the task force, he has been responsible for the seizure of $451,991, five weapons, 21âÂ

37--Evansville--Dec. 2007--immigration document fraud and illegal reentry

http://www.courierpress.com/news/2007/d ... ion-fraud/

Evansville men indicted for immigration fraud

Staff report
Originally published 09:50 a.m., December 4, 2007
Updated 09:50 a.m., December 4, 2007
Three Evansville residents are facing federal charges for immigration document fraud, according to a news release issued by the office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana.
Oscar Velazquez Gonzalez, 31, Misael Tomis Velazquez, 24, and Armando Patino Sanchez, 35, were indicted by a federal grand jury in Indianapolis, officials announced today.
The case, which was investigated jointly by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Evansville Police Department, centers on allegations that the three men arranged for fradulent immigration documents to be prepared and delivered to individuals in the Evansville area, the release said.
Sanchez is also charged with reentry into the U.S. after deportation.
The defendants face a maximum possible prison sentence of 10 years and a maximum possible fine of $250,000. Velazquez and Sanchez are being held at the Henderson County Detention Center but Gonzalez has not yet been arrested.
- Gavin Lesnick

38. Whitestown, IN--April, 2008--Possession with intent to distribute $1.6 Million in heroin and marijuana; moving violations and lack of vehicle registration; immigration charges leading to deportation.

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/a ... 8304100003

April 10, 2008
Whitestown cops nab 2 in $1.6M drug bust

By Robert Annis
robert.annis@indystar.com

A recent traffic stop by Whitestown Police netted seven kilos of heroin, 100 pounds of marijuana and two arrests.

Town Marshal Ralph Roberts said patrol officer Chris Nelson stopped a 2002 white Ram pickup on I-65 for speeding and failing to signal during a lane change on Thursday.

The driver, Jose Gonzalez, 26, failed to produce a vehicle registration, and Nelson noticed passenger Ausencio Gonzalez, 19, shaking uncontrollably.

Nelson smelled marijuana and received permission to search the back of the vehicle, where he discovered the drugs. Roberts estimated the drugs’ value at about $1.6 million.

Dennis Wichern, an assistant special agent with the Drug Enforcement Agency, said the two men were taken into federal custody. Jose Gonzalez was charged with possession with the intent to distribute heroin and possession with the intent to distribute marijuana. Ausencio Gonzalez was held on immigration charges and will be deported.

The two were held in the Marion County Jail on Wednesday night. No information was listed for their home addresses.

#39 - Indianapolis, IN --April 10, 2008-- initial charges of dealing and possessing heroin

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080411/NEWS02/804110447#pluckcomments


A routine traffic stop on the Far Eastside Thursday led police to arrest a California man and seize about 15 pounds of heroin found hidden inside the drive shaft of a pickup truck.

The incident began when Sgt. Paul McDonald pulled over a 2001 Dodge Ram after he spotted the driver speeding and tailgating on I-70 near Post Road at about 4:20 p.m., according to an Indianapolis metropolitan police report.

The driver, Jaime Carrillo, 59, was fidgeting and nervous, police said. Carrillo gave officers permission to search the vehicle. Flash, a Hancock County Sheriff's Department police dog trained to detect narcotics, located the smell of drugs in the undercarriage of the vehicle. Police took the truck to a garage and found about 15 pounds of heroin stashed inside the drive shaft, according to the report.

The drugs have a street value of about $1 million, Sgt. Matthew Mount said.

Carrillo said he had driven from Burbank, Ca., and was heading to Columbus, Ohio. He also admitted stopping in Dallas, Texas, to visit friends. Police learned Carrillo and the truck had recently left Mexico and entered the U.S. in Brownsville, Texas.

Carrillo, Burbank, Ca., was held in the Marion County Jail this morning on initial charges of dealing and possessing heroin, records show.

Call Star reporter Vic Ryckaert at (317) 444-2761.

***Being that the truck was driven into the USA from Mexico, the driver is a suspected illegal alien.

40. Columbus, IN--April, 2007--Rape

http://www.therepublic.com/main.asp?Sec ... eID=115572

Rapist receives 15-year sentence
By Chris Schilling
Source:
Republic The Republic
April 10, 2008
, Section: News, Page A1
________________________________________
By Chris Schilling
cschilling@therepublic.com

An illegal immigrant who raped the mother of one of his children was sentenced Wednesday to 15 years in prison.

Angel Hernandez, 31, a Mexico native, also will be recommended for deportation once he completes his prison sentence, said Bartholomew Superior Court 1 Judge Chris Monroe.

Hernandez, who was deported seven years ago but returned to the U.S., raped the woman in April 2007 while the couple’s 5-year-old daughter was present.

“You shouldn’t have been here when this happened, and you shouldn’t be here when you get out,” Monroe told Hernandez.

Charged with rape and criminal confinement, both Class B felonies, and two counts of battery, both Class D felonies, Hernandez pleaded guilty in March to rape.

In return, prosecutors agreed to drop the other charges.

Hernandez, through an interpreter, said he came to the U.S. to find work and support his poor family in Mexico.

The father of three children, two of whom live in the U.S. and one of whom lives in Mexico, said he wanted to apologize for the rape.

Criminal history

After reviewing Hernandez’s criminal history, which includes convictions of misdemeanor battery, driving while intoxicated and resisting law enforcement, Monroe said Hernandez has shown disregard for the safety of other people and doesn’t take responsibilities for his actions or care about the law.

Monroe noted that Hernandez had been paying child support to the woman he raped but added that Hernandez seemed to think that entitled him to abuse her.

“It sounds like you think it’s OK because you were paying child support,” Monroe said.

The victim did not attend the sentencing hearing, but Bartholomew County Deputy Prosecutor Lynda Robison read from a statement in which the woman said that after Hernandez raped her, she couldn’t leave her house without shaking and feeling ill.

“I was physically sick with fear of retaliation,” she said.

The woman said she doesn’t expect retribution, but that she just wanted a feeling of safety.

Monroe said he suspects Hernandez will someday return to the U.S. despite his deportation recommendation.

Hernandez lived here for two years before getting deported the first time and has lived here seven years since his return.

“You obviously know how to get back into the country,” Monroe said.
Prison, deportation

WHO: Angel Hernandez, 31, a Mexico native living in Columbus.
CRIME: Raped the mother of one of his children in April 2007.
CONVICTION: Pleaded guilty to rape, a Class B felony, in exchange for other charges being dropped.
SENTENCE: 15 years in prison.
DEPORTATION: A judge said he would recommend that Hernandez, who is an illegal immigrant, be deported after serving his time.

Photo Caption: By Chris Schilling
cschilling@therepublic.com
An illegal immigrant who raped the mother of one of his children was sentenced Wednesday to 15 years in prison.
Angel Hernandez, 31, a Mexico native, also will be recommended for deportation once he completes his prison sentence, said Bartholomew Superior Court 1 Judge Chris Monroe.

41.--Seymour, IN--dealing coke & meth (immigration status unknown)

Meth busts net 4
April 5, 2008 - 1:44AM
TRIBUNE REPORTS
Seymour police made one of Jackson County's largest crystal methamphetamine arrests in the past few years on Wednesday.
"We normally don't see crystal meth in Jackson County," Seymour Police Capt. Carl Lamb said Friday.

Lamb, the lead investigator, said the incident occurred in a parking lot around 5 p.m. Wednesday in the 400 block of Tipton and Vine streets on the city's west side.

"Members of the Seymour Police Department Criminal Interdiction Team were conducting surveillance when they observed what appeared to be a drug delivery," Lamb said.

Maximino Maldonado, 32, Seymour, was confronted and police confirmed that a drug deal had just taken place, Lamb said. Maldonado was then arrested.

"Located then was six ounces of crystal meth," Lamb said. He estimated the street value at $16,000.

The investigation continued and detectives gathered enough information to obtain a search warrant at 300 W. Cardinal Drive, Seymour. That search warrant was issued by Jackson Superior Court I Judge Bruce Markel.

Seymour Police SWAT Team and Seymour detectives executed the search at 11:22 p.m. Wednesday, Lamb said.

"That warrant revealed an additional six grams of crystal meth, six additional grams of cocaine and three guns," Lamb said. One of the guns was reported stolen in a burglary that took place March 14 in Seymour.

Also in the home, Lamb said, items consistent with drug distribution were found, including packaging material, scales, ledgers and $23,000 in U.S. currency.

As the SWAT team was entering the home, one of the suspects inside jumped through a glass window. He attempted to flee the area but was quickly apprehended, Lamb said.

The suspect was taken to Schneck Medical Center in Seymour where he received stitches and staples.

Three people were arrested at the home. They were Jose Crambrano, 33, Seymour, Davit Samol, 33, Seymour, and Maria Prieto, 34, Seymour. All three lived at the residence, while Maldonado lives at 326 S. Broadway, Seymour.

"Altogether, there were five adults in the house at the time and seven children," Lamb said. Three of the five adults were arrested.

Crambrano was charged with dealing cocaine, a Class A felony. Maldonado was charged with dealing methamphetamine more than three grams, a Class A felony. Samol was charged with dealing methamphetamine, a Class A felony.

Prieto was charged with possession of cocaine more than three grams with intent to deliver and also being within 1,000 feet from a school.

Lamb said a Class A felony could result in 20 to 50 years in prison.

The investigation is ongoing, he said, and the four suspects are being held at the Jackson County Jail in Brownstown, each on a $100,000 cash bond.

"They have yet to make their initial hearings," Lamb said.

Those will be made next week, as the formal charges and paperwork are filed with Jackson County Prosecutor Rick Poynter's office, he added.

Lamb said the money found during the investigation will go through federal forfeiture proceedings.

http://www.tribtown.com/news/seymour_73 ... three.html

42. Seymour, IN--Cocaine dealing by illegal aliens

http://www.tribtown.com/news/cocaine_76 ... lasco.html

Cops seize coke
By AUBREY WOODS
April 23, 2008 - 11:45AM
Police say they continue to look for an Indianapolis connection to one of the largest cocaine busts made in Seymour in several years.

Capt. Carl Lamb with Seymour Police Department said Tuesday the arrests of Norberto Padilla, 34, of Seymour and Diana K. Nolasco-Lano, 18, of Indianapolis occurred April 15 after an undercover agent purchased three-quarters of a pound of cocaine from Padilla at his residence in the 600 block of Peak Avenue.

"Nolasco picked up the cocaine in Indianapolis and delivered it to Padilla," Lamb said.

They each face one charge of dealing in cocaine, a Class A felony, because of the amount of the cocaine involved, Lamb said. A Class A felony is punishable by 20 to 50 years in prison.

Each is also under investigation by federal officials for their immigrant status.

Nolasco-Lano was at the residence at the time of the buy, Lamb said. During a search of the residence, Lamb said police discovered several items associated with the cocaine distribution.

He said he continues to work with officers with the FBI's Safe Streets program to discover who supplied the cocaine to Nolasco-Lano.

Lamb said an undercover agent paid $12,000 for the cocaine, which had an estimated street value of $36,000.

Padilla and Nolasco-Lano continued to be held at the Jackson County Jail in Brownstown this morning on $100,000 bonds.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers were involved in the investigation because Padilla and Nolasco-Lano are illegal immigrants, Lamb said.

Lamb said the Southern Indiana Drug Task Force will be disbanded later this week, and he will be sworn in as an officer with the FBI's Safe Streets program.

43. Merrillville, IN--May, 2008--Drunk driving illegal runs stop sign, killing 3 including self


Speed, alcohol thought to be factors in fatal Merrillville crash

(http://www.post-trib.com/news/926353,MV ... 01.article)

May 1, 2008

By Andy Grimm Post-Tribune staff writer

MERRILLVILLE — Friends and family mourned the death of a prominent attorney, a young couple soon to be married and a Mexican immigrant who had long struggled with a drinking problem — all four of them killed in three-car collision Wednesday near the border of Merrillville and Winfield.

Only a day after ending a high-profile dogfighting trial, Garry Weiss was driving south on Randolph Street toward his home in Lakes of the Four Seasons after league night at Stardust Bowl in Merrillville. Heading north on Randolph were Steve Hough, 26, and his girlfriend, Amy Bartelmey, 25, who made their home in Hobart.

As Hough and Weiss pulled into the intersection of Randolph and 101st Avenue, Mario Cadena sped west, past a stop sign and into Hough’s Ford Explorer, driving the truck into Weiss’ Mustang. No one emerged alive from the twisted wreckage.

Merrillville police declined comment on the crash but said high speed was a factor. The Lake County coroner will not have results of blood toxicology reports for several days. Police sources say they believe Cadena had been drinking, and a beer bottle was on the front seat of his ruined Jeep Cherokee at the police impound yard.

Hough was due to graduate from Purdue University Calumet in two weeks with a degree in public relations, and had picked out an engagement ring for Bartelmey, his girlfriend of more than a year. Bartelmey, who had a 2-year-old son from a previous relationship, was a hair stylist and hoped to work at a high-end salon.

“(Hough) could have done anything he wanted, he was that kind of guy,” said Jessica DeKruiff, a classmate. “I know he was really ready to get a job, so he and Amy could get a place of their own and get a wedding ring.”

Weiss, 53, is survived by two high school-age children and his wife, who attended several days of his most recent trial in Lake County, in which Weiss defended Gary firefighter Carlton Davis Jr. against charges he operated a dogfighting kennel. Davis was found guilty on 23 of the 26 counts against him, but Weiss had said he would appeal the verdict.

“He was just the nicest, funniest guy,” said Jennifer Campbell, a lawyer at Weiss’ firm. “He was everything a lawyer, and a person, should try to be. He just believed lawyers should help people.”

“Honestly, if he heard about (Cadena) or someone like him, and the thought he could help him, he might have done it.” Cadena, 30, had lived in the U.S. for 12 years and had no driver’s license.

His work visa had long ago expired, but he continued to live and work in and around Crown Point, often holding down several jobs at once so he could send money to his family in Mexico, said Kim Rodriguez, who had dated Cadena for several years.

Cadena had struggled with alcoholism, and he and Rodriguez remained close even after breaking off their relationship two years ago. Cadena was a father figure for Rodriguez’s son, and was planning to move in with Rodriguez’s mother in hopes of kicking his drinking habit.

Rodriguez said she last spoke to Cadena on Monday, and had no idea if he had been drinking the night of the crash.

“I know people are going to say he was illegal and he was drunk,” Rodriguez said. “He was battling (alcoholism) as hard as he could. He was still reading his Bible every day, and he had things he wanted to do.”

Contact Andy Grimm at 648-3073 or agrimm@post-trib.com. Comment on this story at http://www.post-trib.com
**************************************************************************************************************************
http://nwi.com/articles/2008/05/02/upda ... wicomments

More than 1,000 mourn accident victim Weiss
BY THE TIMES | Friday, May 02, 2008 | 10 comment(s)
More than 1,000 people crowded Burns Funeral Home in Crown Point Friday, some spilling outside into the funeral home lobby and outdoor walkways, to pay their final respects to Lake County defense attorney Garry Weiss.

Many mourners couldn't make it into the packed chapel on Broadway, instead having to listen to the service on a public address system in the lobby.

Weiss died Tuesday along with three other people in a three-vehicle crash near the Merrillville/Winfield border.

Many who spoke during the service described Weiss as a family man and role model who had a love for life and a great sense of humor. Weiss' brother, Howard Weiss, said Garry was a "fierce competitor" whether it was in the court room, in sports or anything else in life.

While it was difficult for the many that were mourning Garry Weiss' death on Friday, Rabbi Stanley Halpern, who was officiating the service, urged them to celebrate Weiss' life. He said Weiss would have wanted it that way.

Meanwhile, Lake County court records reflected that the deceased driver who police say caused the pileup -- Mario Cadena, 30 -- was driving on a suspended license at the time and had at least one prior drunken driving conviction. The Tuesday incident that claimed the lives of Weiss, Cadena and region couple Stephen Hough, 26, of Merrillville, and Amy Bartelmey, 25, of Hobart, remained under police investigation Friday.

It had not yet been determined if alcohol played a role in the wreck. Cadena, who lived in Crown Point, was charged in 2001 with misdemeanor operating while intoxicated and operating a motor vehicle without ever receiving a license, records show. The OWI was later amended to a count of reckless driving to which Cadena pleaded guilty, court records show.

Lake Superior Court Judge Julie Cantrell sentenced Cadena to a 180-day suspended sentence in that case that was served on probation. He also was required to complete five days of community service.

Cadena was charged again in 2003 with misdemeanor drunken driving, OWI with a blood alcohol content of .15 or more and unsafe lane movement, Lake Criminal Court records show. The OWI and unsafe lane movement charges were dismissed by Lake County prosecutors in return for a guilty plea to operating while intoxicated with a blood alcohol content of .15 or more.

Cantrell sentenced Cadena to 365 days in jail in that case but suspended the entire sentence. The legal blood-alcohol content in Indiana is .08.

UPDATE as of Dec. 2008

http://nwi.com/articles/2008/12/04/opin ... 77a8a5.txt

Indiana should require employers to verify citizenship
| Thursday, December 04, 2008 | 6 comment(s)

The Nov 30 story on how illegal alien Mario Cadena was allowed to continue to drink and drive without being deported after his first offense has many people baffled. People want to know why this man was allowed to roam our state after so many arrests while being illegally in our country.

Indiana, like many other states, does not assist the federal government in enforcing our immigration laws. If Indiana would just require businesses to use the E-verify system to check a new employee's employment eligibility, this would go a long way in solving many different problems illegal aliens cause. With the job magnet turned off, people illegally in our country would not settle in Indiana.

Many pro-illegal immigrant supporters state only the federal government can enforce immigration laws, but other states, like Arizona and Oklahoma, mandate the use of the E-verify system, and it works. It's time that our state legislatures pass a law that will turn illegal aliens away from our state, and E-verify -- if enforced -- is that law.

Greg Serbon, State Director, Indiana Federation for Immigration, Reform and Enforcement, Valparaiso

#############

Greg’s letter was written in response to this article: http://nwitimes.com/articles/2008/11/30 ... 000154.txt

(Click link to see photos or read online comments.)


State couldn't keep repeat offender off roadway before fatal region wreck
BY MARISA KWIATKOWSKI
mkwiatkowski@nwitimes.com
219.662.5333 | Sunday, November 30, 2008 | 68 comment(s)


Ronald and Bonnie Hough carried their son's college diploma to the Christian Reformed Church cemetery in Munster where they buried him.

"We took his diploma to the cemetery to tell him how proud we were of him," Bonnie Hough said, tears welling up in her eyes. "It was the most horrific day of our lives."

Stephen Hough was buried four days before his college graduation. The ashes of the 26-year-old's fiancee, Amy Bartelmey, were buried in his arms.

The couple and well-known defense attorney Garry Weiss died in an April 29 accident following the actions of a drunken driver the system couldn't keep off the road, a Times investigation shows.

Mario Cadena careened his Jeep Grand Cherokee on the wrong side of the road through a stop sign at the intersection of 101st Avenue and Randolph Street, causing a three-car crash.

Weiss, 53, of Crown Point; Hough, 26, of Merrillville; Bartelmey, 25, of Hobart; and Cadena, 30, of Crown Point, all died of blunt force trauma with massive internal injuries, Lake County Coroner David Pastrick said.

Cadena's blood-alcohol level was 0.17 the night of the fatal wreck, Pastrick said. Indiana's legal limit is 0.08.

At the time, Cadena already was a twice-convicted drunken driver whose license had been suspended seven times since 2002, Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles and Lake County Superior Court records show.

And being an illegal immigrant, Cadena never should have been issued a driver's license to begin with, state officials concede.

Repeat offender

Cadena was charged for an alleged drunken driving accident in 2001, a year before he ever applied for a driver's license, state and Lake County court records show.

He pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of reckless driving and was sentenced to six months of probation, five days of community service and drug and alcohol counseling, the plea agreement states.

In return, Lake County prosecutors dropped the misdemeanor charges of operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated and operating a motor vehicle without ever receiving a license.

Cadena's second alleged drunken driving case came less than two years after the first one settled. He again pleaded guilty and was sentenced to probation, alcohol and drug counseling, and his driver's license was suspended for three months, the plea agreement in that case states.

Both drunken driving arrests were the result of car accidents.

In all, Cadena was slapped with 13 traffic citations -- including two drunken driving arrests -- dating back to 2001, Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles records show.

He had overlapping driver's license suspensions between 2002 and 2005, state records show, and his license expired in January 2007.

But Cadena, who was an illegal immigrant, should never have been issued a license at all.

BMV issues

Cadena finagled a driver's license in 2002 from a former Gary branch of the BMV without a valid U.S. Social Security number, BMV spokesman Dennis Rosebrough said.

Despite multiple infractions on his driving record, officials never noticed a Social Security number was missing.

"We weren't doing that level of checking then," Rosebrough said.

The BMV bulked up its security in the past six years as a result of multiple scandals involving illegal immigrants who secured driver's licenses and state identification cards by bribing BMV employees, Rosebrough said.

Three BMV employees were charged and later convicted in Marion County for bribery and official misconduct, according to the Marion County prosecutor's office.

And three Chinese nationals were convicted in the early 2000s in federal court in Hammond for either obtaining state identification cards or steering others to do so, according to the U.S. attorney's office.

Last November, the state transitioned to a direct online process provided by the Social Security Administration to verify Social Security numbers. That work was done by a third-party vendor in the past.

Rosebrough said all of the agency's records were purged and are accurate as of November 2007.

Advocates for change

But the BMV improvements do little to ease the hearts of Ronald and Bonnie Hough.

The couple said they are concerned prosecutors and courts are in such a hurry to dispose of cases that they forget their duty -- keeping the streets of Indiana safe.

They advocate for the courts to use ignition interlock systems, which require periodic breath tests from drivers convicted of drunken driving offenses. The system requires a breath test not only at the time of starting the vehicle but also randomly during the drive, which discourages attempts to have someone other than the driver submit samples.

Lake County Prosecutor Bernard Carter said his office is "overwhelmed" by alcohol-related offenses.

He said there is merit to the use of ignition interlock, but the systems are used sparingly because of expense.

"Many times, the interlock system is used as an alternative to sentencing someone to jail," he said. "It's not utilized as often as it could be or should be."

All parties in the case acknowledge Cadena's dismissal of court orders and BMV directives resulted in his death and the deaths of Hough, Bartelmey and Weiss.

"He was definitely the heart of our family," Ronald Hough said of his son.

Stephen Hough scholarship fund

To contribute to the scholarship fund created in Hough's name, send a check to the Purdue University Calumet Office of Advancement, 2200 169th St., Hammond, IN 46323. The check should have Stephen Hough's name on it. Once the fund reaches $25,000, scholarships will be given annually.