Grand Jury Returns Indictments
MADISON, WIS. – A federal grand jury in the Western District of Wisconsin, sitting in Madison, returned the following indictments today. You are advised that a charge is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Madison Man Charged with Robbing Portage Credit Union
Jeffrey J. Parker, 40, Madison, Wisconsin, is charged with robbing the Summit Credit Union in Portage, Wisconsin. The indictment alleges that Parker robbed the credit union on August 16, 2019.
If convicted, Parker faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. The charge against him is the result of an investigation by the Portage Police Department, Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, Maple Bluff Police Department, Wisconsin State Patrol, and Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Corey C. Stephan is handling the prosecution.
Madison Man Charged with Gun Crime
Rojae A. Crosse, 21, Madison, Wisconsin, is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. The indictment alleges that he possessed a handgun and ammunition on April 29, 2019.
If convicted, Crosse faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. The charge against him is the result of an investigation by the Madison and Sun Prairie Police Departments and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Altman is handling the prosecution.
Stevens Point Man Charged with Gun Crime
David Tejeda, 29, Stevens Point, Wisconsin, is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. The indictment alleges that he possessed a rifle and ammunition on August 3, 2019.
If convicted, Tejeda faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. The charge against him is the result of an investigation by the Stevens Point Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rita M. Rumbelow is handling the prosecution.
La Crosse County Man Charged with Gun Crime
Yovon C. Boyd, 34, West Salem, Wisconsin, is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. The indictment alleges that he possessed a handgun and ammunition on October 16, 2018.
If convicted, Boyd faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. The charge against him is the result of an investigation by the La Crosse Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Corey C. Stephan is handling the prosecution.
The indictments against Parker, Crosse, Tejeda, and Boyd have been brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the U.S. Justice Department’s program to reduce violent crime. The PSN approach emphasizes coordination between state and federal prosecutors and all levels of law enforcement to address gun crime, especially felons illegally possessing firearms and ammunition, and violent crimes and drug crimes that involve the use of firearms.
Chicago Man Faces Heroin Charge
Ron McClellan, 41, Chicago, Illinois, is charged with possessing heroin with the intent to distribute. The indictment alleges that he possessed heroin on June 18, 2019.
If convicted, McClellan faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. The charge against him is the result of an investigation by the Dane County Narcotics Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron D. Wegner is handling the prosecution.
Indiana Man Charged with Producing Child Pornography & Traveling Interstate to Engage In Illicit Sexual Conduct
Adrian C. Gardiner, 40, Hammond, Indiana, is charged with two counts of using a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of the conduct. He is also charged with two counts of traveling interstate for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct with a minor. The indictment alleges that he produced the child pornography on July 2 and August 13, 2019, and that he engaged in interstate travel to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor on August 5 and August 13, 2019.
If convicted, Gardiner faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years and a maximum of 30 years in federal prison on each of the child pornography counts, and a maximum of 30 years on each of the interstate travel counts. The charges against him are the result of an investigation by the Cottage Grove Police Department, Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Indiana State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Altman is handling the prosecution.
Texas Man Charged with Fraud Scheme
Emmanuel Odiah, also known as James Princeton and Ryan Greg Mornsen, 32, Dallas, Texas, is charged in a superseding indictment with one count of conspiring to commit money laundering with individuals not identified in the indictment. The indictment alleges that Odiah opened bank accounts in New York and Georgia in the names of James Princeton and Ryan Greg Mornsen using fraudulent United Kingdom passports, and that he and co-conspirators in Nigeria and Ghana created fake profiles on internet dating sites, gained victims’ trust, and then defrauded victims out of money in a variety of ways.
The indictment alleges that between May 3, 2017 and March 11, 2019, victims of this scheme in Wisconsin, Georgia, California, and Florida transferred money to the James Princeton and Ryan Greg Mornsen bank accounts controlled by Odiah. The indictment alleges that Odiah converted the fraud proceeds to cash or money orders through a series of ATM withdrawals and debit card transactions. The indictment further alleges that between August 8 and November 29, 2017, Odiah’s co-conspirators directed an individual to wire transfer $66,800 from a bank account in Woodruff, Wisconsin to an account in New York controlled by Odiah in the name of James Princeton.
Odiah was originally charged with this offense in a sealed indictment returned by the grand jury on June 26, 2019. He was arrested on July 10 in Texas and was brought to the Western District of Wisconsin. He is being held in custody pending his trial, which is set for December 9, 2019 before U.S. District Judge William M. Conley.
If convicted, Odiah faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. The charge against Odiah is the result of an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the Vilas County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meredith P. Duchemin is handling the prosecution.
