Showing posts with label prison. Show all posts
Showing posts with label prison. Show all posts

Monday, December 10, 2012

Iranian man living in Houston gets prison for mail, ID theft

AP  HOUSTON -- An Iranian man living in the Houston area has been sentenced to more than 20 years in prison for stealing mail, setting up fake identities and financial fraud.

Prosecutors in Houston say Hassan Ali Pejouhesh took advantage of the U.S. postal system and about 500 people were affected by the scheme.

A jury in April convicted Pejouhesh of four counts of bank fraud, one count of possession of stolen mail and three counts of aggravated identity theft. A federal judge on Thursday sentenced him to a total of 247 months behind bars. The court also ordered payment of nearly $218,000 in restitution.

The 63-year-old Iranian national has been in custody since 2010 when authorities discovered stolen mail, fake credit cards and cash in his apartment.

(Copyright ©2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Local »


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Saturday, September 29, 2012

Man in prison for 20-year-old killing denied parole again

John Buice was denied parole on Friday. John Buice was denied parole on Friday.

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A man in prison for the 1991 killing of a gay Houston man has again been denied parole.

John Buice stabbed Paul Broussard while out with other teens accused of going on a gay-bashing spree. Broussard died from his injuries and in 1992, Buice was convicted and sentenced to 45 years behind bars.

On Friday, a review panel of the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles voted to deny parole for Buice.

Just last year, Buice was granted parole, but based on evidence that remains confidential, the board reversed its decision.

Now, Buice has been denied another shot at freedom. He'll be eligible again in one year.

Buice is the last of 27-year-old Paul Broussard's killers left in prison.

(Copyright ©2012 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Local »


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Sunday, September 23, 2012

Puerto Rican gets prison in fake drugs case

AP  HOUSTON -- A Puerto Rican man convicted of selling thousands of fake prescription drugs in Texas has been sentenced to nearly two years in prison.

A federal judge in Houston on Thursday sentenced 41-year-old Luis Angel Garcia Torres of Patillas, Puerto Rico.

Torres in June was convicted of conspiring to traffic in counterfeit goods, causing the introduction of misbranded prescription drugs and causing the introduction of counterfeit prescription drugs into interstate commerce.

He was also convicted of trafficking in counterfeit goods, plus misdemeanor counts on misbranded drugs and fake trademarks.

The undercover investigation began in 2009. Investigators say Torres used the Internet to obtain and distribute counterfeit drugs for erectile dysfunction.

Torres remains free on bond as federal officials determine where he will serve his 21-month prison term.

(Copyright ©2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Local »


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Sunday, September 16, 2012

Man sentenced to prison for 5th DWI

  HUNTSVILLE, TX (KTRK) -- A Huntsville man received probation on four misdemeanor driving while intoxicated charges in the state of Washington. When his fifth charge happened in Texas, he wasn't as lucky.

Marc Al-vin Thomas, 35, was arrested January 5 for driving drunk in The Woodlands. He was charged with third-degree felony DWI, and he had a blood-alcohol content of 0.28.

It was the fifth DWI charge on his record. He was also arrested in Washington in 2001, 2003, 2004 and 2005.

According to The Courier of Montgomery County, Thomas was seeking probation and placement in a substance abuse facility program to help him overcome the alcohol addiction he claims is the reason for his DWI arrests over the years.

Thomas received four years in prison with credit for time served and good behavior time, a $2,000 fine and a one-year suspension of his driver's license.

Prosecutor Rob Freyer said Thomas was looking at prison time now because "this is Texas, not Washington."

You can read more about this story in The Courier of Montgomery County, one of our Houston Community Newspapers partners.

(Copyright ©2012 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Local »


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Saturday, September 15, 2012

Ex-Stanford exec gets 3 years in prison for role in $7B Ponzi scheme

AP  HOUSTON -- Ex-exec for Texas financier Stanford gets 3 years in prison for role in $7B Ponzi scheme.

Former Stanford chief investment officer Laura Pendergest-Holt was sentenced Thursday for her role in helping the once jet-setting businessman bilk investors out of more than $7 billion.

In June, Pendergest-Holt pleaded guilty to obstructing a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission proceeding. The plea was part of an agreement with federal prosecutors in exchange for a three-year prison sentence.

Her guilty plea came after Stanford was sentenced to 110 years in prison after his conviction on fraud-related charges for orchestrating one of the biggest Ponzi schemes in U.S. history.

Two other Stanford executives are set for trial later this month.

(Copyright ©2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Local »


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Saturday, September 8, 2012

Former non-profit employee with thousands of porn images gets prison

AP  HOUSTON -- A Houston man who had more than 17,000 child pornography images and videos has been sentenced to 6 1/2 years in prison.

A federal judge in Houston on Friday sentenced 64-year-old Christopher Clark Pollett. Pollett in November pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography in a 2010 case.

Investigators say Pollett worked for Neighborhood Centers Inc. The nonprofit group deals with community development and after-school programs. Organization officials did not immediately comment Friday.

The FBI in June 2010 searched Pollett's home. Authorities say several computers, film reels, books and binders had thousands of images of children. About 17,000 digital images and 400 child porn videos were located.

Pollett must also pay $21,000 in restitution to three child victims and a $7,800 fine. Further details on the victims weren't released.

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Friday, June 22, 2012

Sex offender who molested boy in library restroom gets life in prison

See it on TV? Check here.  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A sexual predator who attacked a little boy in a Montrose public library two years ago will spend the rest of his life in prison.

That was the sentence a judge handed to Michael Snowden on Thursday. The sentence came after heartbreaking testimony from the victim who was six years old at the time he was sexually assaulted in the library's bathroom.

Snowden is a registered sex offender with a history of assaulting young boys since he was just nine years old.

The judge said he felt Snowden would offend again if released and gave him a life sentence.

(Copyright ©2012 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)
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Wednesday, June 6, 2012

'Prison Show' host resigns over ban of co-host

AP  HOUSTON -- The host of a weekly Houston radio program targeted at state prison inmates has resigned after his co-host was banned.

David Babb had hosted "Prison Show" since January 2011. The two-hour, Friday night program airs on KPFT-FM, a noncommercial station supported by donations.

Babb says he resigned because KPFT is sending the wrong message by not allowing Jon Matthews to co-host the program and re-enter society. Matthews was a prominent conservative radio talk show host in Houston until his 2004 guilty plea to indecency with a child.

Station general manager Duane Bradley says some staff expressed concern about the potential effect Matthews would have on donors.

Station co-founder Ray Hill, who created the "Prison Show" in 1980, is hosting until a permanent replacement can be found.

(Copyright ©2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Local »


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Tuesday, May 1, 2012

3 members of Houston family get prison over fraud

AP  HOUSTON -- Prosecutors say three members of a Houston family have been sentenced to prison for mortgage fraud involving more than 70 homes.

No date has been set for 62-year-old Claymon "Butch" Trammell, his 57-year-old wife Jeannettea Williams and his 40-year-old daughter, Michelle Trammell, to report to prison.

A federal judge in Houston on Monday sentenced the couple to five-year prison terms. Michelle Trammell was sentenced to three years. Each must pay nearly $1 million to lenders.

All pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud through their company, North Belt Mortgage.

Some homebuyers were told they did not need to put any money down, they weren't responsible for monthly payments and they would get money for use of their name and credit.

Dozens of homes ended up in foreclosure.

(Copyright ©2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Local »


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Thursday, March 15, 2012

Three sentenced to prison for stealing millions from oil giant

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Three former employees of Davis-Lynch have been handed lengthy prison sentences for stealing millions from the oil company and using it to buy lavish items.

Nancy Moreno, 55, was sentenced to serve 30 years, Yvette Ybarra Trevino, 47, was sentenced to serve 15 years, and Ernest Trevino, 44, was sentenced to serve 20 years in prison, according to the Harris County District Attorney's Office. A judge also ordered that restitution of approximately $13 million be paid to the company as a condition of parole.

The former employees of Davis-Lynch were charged after an internal audit revealed more than $13 million had been stolen from the company and company equipment was found at the home of Moreno. Further investigation led authorities to discover that the employees used the money also to purchase luxurious homes, jewelry and vacations.

"Davis-Lynch was founded as a small, family- operated business, and Nancy Moreno was trusted completely. She would have coffee with the CEO in the morning, chat with him about news and such, and then steal him blind when his back was turned," Assistant District Attorney Wendy Baker said in a statement. "She started as the company receptionist, and although she had no formal training or college education, she eventually rose to act as the chief financial officer for the business. She and her codefendants were trusted, valued employees who betrayed the Davis-Lynch families."

Three others also have been charged in the case.

(Copyright ©2012 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Local »


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Thursday, January 12, 2012

Famed Texas prison rodeo arena being demolished

AP  HUNTSVILLE, TX -- Workers in Huntsville have been demolishing the home of the old Texas Prison Rodeo.

Crews on Wednesday continued tearing down the decades-old complex that served as the arena for what was billed as "The Wildest Show Behind Bars."

Some scenes from the 1980 movie "Urban Cowboy" were filmed at the arena. Scott Glenn portrayed a prisoner who competed in the rodeo, with newlyweds John Travolta and Debra Winger in the crowd.

The arena, on the grounds of the Huntsville Unit, has been quiet since the last rodeo was held in 1986. Prison system officials, faced with limited resources for repairs, scrapped the rodeo that had attracted big-name entertainers and thousands of spectators each Sunday in October.

The site became a tourist attraction in Huntsville, about 75 miles north of Houston.

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Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Illegal immigrant gets prison in ransom case

AP  HOUSTON -- Prosecutors in Houston say an illegal immigrant who led a smuggling ring that held people for ransom has been sentenced to more than 24 years in prison.

A federal judge on Monday sentenced 26-year-old Heriberto Perez-Pinon, who had been living in Houston.

Perez-Pinon in 2010 pleaded guilty to hostage taking. Authorities say smuggled immigrants were held until family or friends paid a release fee.

The investigation began in 2009 when two people escaped from a group being hauled to a Houston stash house. A concerned citizen contacted police on behalf of the pair.

Five co-defendants earlier pleaded guilty to hostage taking or conspiracy to commit hostage taking and have been sentenced to prison.

Further details on the home country of Perez-Pinon, who faces deportation after prison, were not immediately available.

(Copyright ©2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Local »


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Saturday, July 9, 2011

Former Liberty Co. officer gets prison time for mail, firearms fraud

See it on TV? Check here.Harry Leroy Kelley, 56, was convicted in February of possession of stolen ammunition and two counts of conspiracy to commit mail fraud, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office. Harry Leroy Kelley, 56, was convicted in February of possession of stolen ammunition and two counts of conspiracy to commit mail fraud, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A veteran Liberty County police officer was sentenced on Thursday to one year and one day behind bars for firearms and mail fraud violations.

Harry Leroy Kelley, 56, was convicted in February of possession of stolen ammunition and two counts of conspiracy to commit mail fraud, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. He is a former Cleveland Police Department officer and Liberty County Sheriff's Office captain. Kelley was indicted in August 2010 after an investigation determined that he had been exchanging firearms and ammunition manufactured exclusively for the use of qualified law enforcement officers for 86 new weapons that he could sell to customers of his business, K Ventures. He is also convicted of ordering six Glock training pistols under the premise they'd be used by the Cleveland Police Department when they were, in fact, being purchased for a non-law enforcement individual. Kelley also devised the same scheme to purchase laser sights. He made the order, claiming it was meant for the Liberty County Sheriff's Office when the items were bought for someone outside the law enforcement field. This case was investigated by the ATF, the Texas Rangers and the Cleveland Police Department. (Copyright ©2011 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)
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Friday, June 3, 2011

Two local men get prison over $10M mortgage fraud

AP  HOUSTON -- Two Houston men convicted in a $10 million mortgage fraud scam involving fake companies will be going to prison.

A federal judge in Houston has sentenced 40-year-old Adrian Levale Cole to nine years and 47-year-old Albert Terrance Watkins to more than 12 years behind bars. Both also must pay restitution, with the amounts to be determined later this year.

Cole pleaded guilty last year to wire fraud and false representation of Social Security numbers. Investigators say Watkins acted as a recruiter with Cole to buy residential properties through fraudulent mortgage loans. Watkins a year ago pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

Prosecutors say the scam, going back to 2005, involved inflated property values, bogus Social Security numbers and improper lines of credit.

Cole and Watkins were sentenced Wednesday.

(Copyright ©2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Local »


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Sunday, May 22, 2011

Felon sentenced to 60 years for '09 prison escape

See it on TV? Check here.   HOUSTON (KTRK) -- We have an update to the escape of a Texas prison inmate in November 2009.

A Montgomery County jury has sentenced Arcade Comeaux Junior to 60 years for aggravated kidnapping. The charge was related to Comeaux's escape during a prison transfer in November. Comeaux said he used a smuggled gun he obtained with the help of a prison guard to overpower two guards during a transfer. Comeaux is already serving three life sentences. You can read more about this story in the East Montgomery County Observer, one of our Houston Community Newspaper partners. (Copyright ©2011 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)
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Friday, May 20, 2011

Lawmakers closer to shutting Sugar Land prison

See it on TV? Check here.   AUSTIN, TX (KTRK) -- Texas budget negotiators have agreed on prison funding that would close a more than century-old unit near Houston to save money.

Legislative leaders Wednesday announced a prison budget of $6.1 billion, which is part of the overall state spending plan still under review.

The proposal includes closing the Central Unit in Sugar Land to save $50 million over two years. Backers say the acreage, near Sugar Land Regional Airport, could be sold for economic development.

The proposal is about $100 million, or 1.6 percent, less than the current prison budget. The measure includes raises for about 30,000 corrections employees as part of career-ladder increases.

Senate Criminal Justice Committee Chairman John Whitmire of Houston says the plan would maintain inmate security, treatment and rehabilitation.

(Copyright ©2011 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)
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Thursday, May 12, 2011

Man gets 3 years in prison for trying to hack ATMs

See it on TV? Check here. AP  HOUSTON -- A 20-year-old computer hacker is going to prison after admitting to trying to rig Houston-area automatic teller machines to dispense $20 for every dollar requested.

Thor Morris of Jacksonville, N.C., has been sentenced to three years and a month in federal prison without parole for computer fraud. U.S. District Judge Vanessa Gilmore sentenced Morris in Houston on Monday after he pleaded guilty in January to plotting to hack into about 35 ATMs around the area with the intent to embezzle more than $200,000. Court documents show that Morris revealed to an FBI informant that he had a confidential operator's manual to reprogram the ATMs and used "Barack Obama" as his alias and the White House as his address. (Copyright ©2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Killer could get out of prison after 2 years

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A man in California, who admitted to dumping the body of a Texas woman in the ocean after he claims she died of a drug overdose, is about to get out of prison after serving just two years of a five-year sentence. Now her father is preparing to fly from Clear Lake to California to fight his release.

Donna Jou graduated from Clear Lake High School in 2006. Now her father fears the man who admitted guilt in connection with her death could strike again.

Nearly four years after his 19-year-old daughter went missing, Reza Jou still wears a picture of his daughter, Donna, around his neck every day.


He said, "My child's voice has been silenced, but my voice is never going to be silenced."


Reza is speaking up again because the man who plead guilty in connection with Donna's death is about to be released from prison. Jou recently received a letter from the California Department of Corrections stating that John Steven Burgess would be paroled just two years into his five year sentence.


Jou said, "I'm very angry of how the criminal justice system works. In this case, we've been victimized not only by Burgess, we've been victimized by our criminal justice system."


Burgess pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and hiding Donna's body. Investigators say the two met through an ad Donna placed on Craigslist offering math tutoring. Burgess told investigators Donna attended a party at his Los Angeles-area home and that he gave her heroine, cocaine and alcohol. He claimed he woke up to find her dead the next morning. He says he panicked and dumped her body in the Pacific Ocean.


Donna has never been found. Without a body and scientific proof, her father never believed Burgess' claims. Donna was attending college in California as a straight-A student with aspirations of becoming a doctor. Her father can't believe what the state of California is telling him about why it is releasing Burgess, a convicted sex offender. He says they told him the sentence was reduced for good behavior.


"This is very unfair," Reza said. "He got a small slap on his wrist for such a heinous crime."


California Department of Corrections officials did not return calls for comment. Donna's mother is in Sacramento hoping to corner the governor at a victim's rights rally to see if he can intervene. Her father is planning a trip to California later this week to protest outside the Criminal Justice Center in Los Angeles on the day of the release.

(Copyright ©2011 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)

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