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| Grand Jury News |
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| Local News Headlines |
| Written by Administrator |
| Thursday, 03 May 2012 08:37 |
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Three Men Charged with Concealing and Selling Stolen Army Telescopic Rifle Scopes BIRMINGHAM – A federal grand jury today indicted three Birmingham-area men on charges of concealing and selling stolen U.S. Army telescopic rifle scopes, announced U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance, Pentagon Defense Criminal Investigative Service Special Agent in Charge John F. Khin and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Special Agent in Charge Glenn N. Anderson. Charged in the indictment are GARRETT THOMAS HOWZE, 23, and DUSTIN PERRY HUGHES, 24, both of Trussville, and RYAN PATRICK WHITE, 31, of Birmingham. The two-count indictment filed in U.S. District Court charges that between January 2010 and March 2010, the three men received and concealed 63 Aimpoint CompM2 optical rifle sights and two ACOG Model TA31RCO optical rifle sights that they knew had been stolen from the Army. The Army paid $18,164 for the rifle sights. The indictment also charges that the three men conspired to conceal and sell the stolen rifle sights to a Hoover business. The business became suspicious of the sights, contacted authorities and cooperated throughout the investigation. “The theft of armed forces property meant for our soldiers and paid for by U.S. taxpayers is a serious offense,” Vance said. The maximum sentence for receiving and concealing stolen U.S. government property is 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The maximum penalty for conspiring to sell the stolen property is five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The DCIS and ATF investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael W. Whisonant Sr. is prosecuting the case. Members of the public are reminded that the indictment contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove a defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial. Lauderdale County Doctor Indicted for Health Care Fraud and Wire Fraud BIRMINGHAM – A federal grand jury indicted a Lauderdale County physician for fraud totaling about $1.3 million in connection to billing a health insurer and Medicare for non-reimbursable cosmetic skin treatments, announced U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance and FBI Special Agent in Charge Patrick J. Maley. The 96-count indictment filed in U.S. District Court charges DIANA K. McCUTCHEON, 54, of Killen, with committing health care fraud and wire fraud through her medical clinics in Elgin and Lexington in North Alabama. The indictment charges McCutcheon with operating a scheme to defraud Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama and Medicare between 2007 and 2012 by fraudulently billing for the removal of multiple skin lesions on patients who had received cosmetic laser and other treatments for various skin conditions, including sun spots, age spots and wrinkles, that were not covered by insurance. The indictment charges 48 counts each of health care fraud and wire fraud. It seeks forfeiture of $1.3 million from McCutcheon as proceeds of the frauds. “Health care and the cost of insurance are vitally important issues to us all,” Vance said. “Anyone who fraudulently bills private and public insurance plans for money he or she is not entitled to drives up costs for everyone. We will thoroughly investigate and aggressively prosecute this crime,” she said. Each of the health care fraud counts carries a maximum punishment of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Each of the wire fraud counts carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Russell E. Penfield is prosecuting the case. Members of the public are reminded that an indictment contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove a defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial. Two U.S. Mail Carriers Indicted for Delaying and Stealing Mail BIRMINGHAM – A federal grand jury today indicted two U.S. Postal Service employees for delaying and stealing mail, announced U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance and Postal Service Office of Inspector General Special Agent in Charge Kenny Smith. In separate indictments filed in U.S. District Court, the grand jury charged JENNIFER NICOLE HAYES, 29, of Madison, and ANNIE MELISSA HENDERSON, 36, of Leeds, with the postal violations. The indictment against Hayes charges that, while employed as a mail carrier at the Madison Post Office on Dec. 21, 2011, Hayes delayed mail meant for delivery. It also charges that on Jan. 7, 2012, she embezzled a letter containing a department store gift card. The indictment against Henderson charges that, on Jan. 6, 2012, while employed as a mail carrier at the Leeds Post Office, Henderson both delayed mail and embezzled a letter containing a department store gift card. The maximum penalty for both delay and theft of mail is five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The Postal Service Office of Inspector General investigated the cases. Assistant U.S. Attorney Frank M. Salter is prosecuting the cases. Members of the public are reminded that an indictment contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent and it will be the government’s burden to prove a defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial. Federal Grand Jury Indicts Two People for Disaster Fraud BIRMINGHAM – Two more people face federal charges of fraudulently claiming disaster benefits following the April 27, 2011, tornadoes that struck northern Alabama, announced U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance, FBI Special Agent in Charge Patrick J. Maley, and Department of Homeland Security, Office of the Inspector General, Special Agent in Charge James E. Ward. In separate indictments returned today, a federal grand jury charged ANGELA MICHELLE ANDERSON, 42, of Tuscaloosa, and DONNIE LEE BURLESON, 37, of Hackleburg, with making fraudulent representations to the Federal Emergency Management Agency in an application for disaster benefits concerning their places of residence on the day of the tornadoes. These indictments bring to 11 the number of people who have been charged in federal court in the Northern District of Alabama with fraudulently claiming benefits intended for victims of the April 2011 storms. According to the indictment against Anderson, she falsely represented that she lived at a Crescent Lane residence in Tuscaloosa that had been damaged by the storm. She is also charged with falsely stating on a FEMA form that all the information she provided in her application for disaster benefits was true and correct. Burleson is charged with falsely claiming that he owned a dwelling on Nix Road in Hackleburg that had been damaged by the storm. The public can report fraud, waste, abuse or allegations of mismanagement involving disaster relief operations through the National Disaster Fraud Hotline, toll free, at 1-866-720-5721, or by e-mailing This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . The telephone line is staffed by a live operator 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The FBI and Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General investigated both cases. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Alabama is prosecuting the cases. Members of the public are reminded that an indictment contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove a defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial. Shelby County Woman Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Plotting to Kill Ex-husband BIRMINGHAM – U.S. District Judge Abdul Kallon sentenced a Shelby County woman to 10 years in prison for conspiring with her mother to hire someone to kill her ex-husband in 2009, announced U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance and FBI Special Agent in Charge Patrick J. Maley. KIMBERLY DAWN McGUFFIE, 44, of Calera, pleaded guilty to the conspiracy in December. Judge Kallon sentenced her to the maximum statutory sentence allowed for the crime. McGuffie was indicted along with her mother, BARBARA LOUISE PATTERSON, 64, of Columbiana, on the conspiracy charge in March 2011. McGuffie admitted in her plea that she had conspired with her mother to hire someone to kill McGuffie’s ex-husband with a poison cocktail of prescription medication supplied, in part, by Patterson. A federal jury in February convicted Patterson of the conspiracy. She is scheduled for sentencing May 31. “In this country, we use the courts to resolve divorce and custody disputes. McGuffie, however, decided to arrange for the murder of her ex-husband to resolve her custody issues,” Vance said. “The murder plot was never executed because the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, the Alabama Bureau of Investigation and the FBI were able to prevent it. McGuffie is now facing 10 years alone in prison, instead of spending those years with her children.” According to court records, McGuffie and Patterson attempted to carry out their conspiracy as follows: In mid-July, 2009, McGuffie first called an acquaintance and asked for his assistance in murdering her former spouse. She later met the man in person to discuss her plan. On July 23, 2009, Patterson called her own doctor’s office, requested a prescription for Lexapro, a medication used to treat depression, and picked up 14 sample tablets of the drug, which she gave to her daughter. In August, 2009, McGuffie and Patterson drove to a location near Columbiana to meet and again try to enlist the assistance of the man they wanted to help them kill the ex-husband. On Sept. 8, 2009, that man, who became a confidential informant to police, told McGuffie he had found someone to do the job and would introduce her to him that night. McGuffie drove that day to the town of Shelby and bought methadone pills, which she added to her deadly cocktail. Later that evening, McGuffie drove to a shopping center parking lot in Calera where she met the confidential informant and an undercover officer posing as the hit man. She gave the hit man a small bag containing Lexapro, methadone and Xanax, plus a key and a hand-drawn map to her ex-husband’s home. She also wrote him a $1,000 check to cement her agreement to pay him for the murder. The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, the Alabama Bureau of Investigation and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney William G. Simpson is prosecuting the case. |
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