Case News Releases

December 27, 2011

• Victor Ray Mendoza, Jr., 29, of San Angelo,was arrested for a third-degree felony Tobacco Tax offense. Mendoza is accused in court documents of possessing tobacco products upon which more than $50 in tax is due at New Era in San Angelo. Mendoza’s case is pending indictment in Tom Green County.

December 15, 2011

• Thomas Lee Covington, 22, of Sweetwater, was convicted of the Class A misdemeanor offense of Concealing Motor Fuel upon a plea of guilty. Covington was sentenced to a $500 fine in the case, filed as Glasscock County cause number 773.

December 12, 2011

• Hector Deleon, 40, of Big Lake, was arrested after being indicted by a Reagan County Grand Jury for a third-degree felony offense involving improper use of dyed diesel fuel. Deleon is charged by indictment with intentionally and knowingly delivering dyed diesel into a motor vehicle for operation upon a public highway. The case, filed as cause number 1619, is pending in Reagan County District Court.

December 8, 2011

• Lawrence Leonard Breecher, 84, of Fort Worth, was arrested for felony motor vehicle tax fraud. Breecher was indicted, along with 8 others, by a Travis County Grand Jury on September 28, 2011 for violations of Tax Code Section 152.101. The individuals are accused in court documents of signing applications for Texas certificates of title knowing that the applications were false in material facts. Peter Daley, 49, Elizabeth Gorman, 71, Bartley Gorman, 47, James McDonald, 49, and Elizabeth McDonald, 52, all of Fort Worth, Margaret Breecher, 42, of Houston, and Lawrence James Breecher, 49, of Pensacola, FL, were previously arrested. One defendant remains at large. The court cases, filed as cause numbers D1DC11-900267 through -75, are pending in Travis County District Court.

• Jimmy Dane Bishop, 58, of Winters, entered two pleas of guilty to second- and third-degree motor fuels tax fraud. It was alleged in cause number D1DC11-900075 that Bishop attempted to evade motor fuels tax for a period of 15 months by using dyed diesel in a motor vehicle on a public highway, made and delivered false tax reports to the Comptroller, and failed to remit motor fuel tax funds. Additionally, in cause number D1DC11-900076, Bishop was accused of intentionally and knowingly making and delivering to the Comptroller reports required to be made by law which contained false information. Bishop’s cases are set for sentencing on January 19, 2012.

December 6, 2011

• George “Scott” Emerson, 51, of Big Spring, was convicted of the Class A offense of possessing tobacco with less than $50 in tax due. Emerson’s conviction came after a plea of no contest to the charge, filed as Howard County cause number 60,171. Emerson was ordered to pay a $500 fine.

December 2, 2011

• Miguel Robles, 29, of Odessa, was convicted of a Class A motor fuel tax fraud offense and sentenced to serve 3 days in the Ector County Jail. Robles’ sentence came after a plea of guilty to the offense of Concealing Motor Fuel in Ector County cause number 11-2218. Robles will pay a $1,000 fine in addition to his jail sentence.

• Christopher Calva, Jr., 28, of Fort Worth, was sentenced to 8 years of deferred adjudication and ordered to serve 25 days in the Travis County Jail as a condition of probation after pleading guilty to the second-degree felony offense of Engaging in a Motor Fuel Tax Scheme.   Calva was accused in Travis County indictment number D1DC11-900157 of engaging in motor fuels transactions without a distributor’s license.    Calva was ordered to pay a $5,000 fine and perform 320 hours of community service restitution. 

November 30, 2011

• David Tapia, 39, of Midland, was arrested after being indicted November 10th by a Yoakum County Grand Jury for state jail felony Theft. The indictment alleges that Tapia unlawfully appropriated diesel fuel valued between $1500 and $20,000 from Five Star Consolidated without its consent. The case, filed as cause number 2921, is pending in Yoakum County District Court.

November 22, 2011

• Juan Ramon Guzman, 43, of Longview, pled guilty on November 22, 2011 to knowingly providing false sales price information on motor vehicle title applications, a third-degree felony offense. Guzman was sentenced to 2 years deferred adjudication in the case, and was ordered to pay $1751 in restitution to the Comptroller for lost motor vehicle sales tax. Guzman’s case was prosecuted in Gregg County as cause number 40719-B.

November 19, 2011

• Navaid Ahmed Khan, 47, of Bastrop, was arrested after being indicted November 17th by a Fayette County Grand Jury for a books and records violation relating to Tobacco Tax. Khan is accused in court documents of possessing tobacco products at his convenience store, “The Point,” in West Point, without books and records documenting their purchase as required by law. Khan’s case, filed as cause number 2011R-144, is pending in Fayette County District Court.

November 17, 2011

• Juan Jose Hernandez, 31, of Denver City, was arrested after being indicted November 10th by a Yoakum County Grand Jury for state jail felony Theft. The indictment alleges that Hernandez unlawfully appropriated diesel fuel valued between $1500 and $20,000 from Five Star Consolidated without its consent. The case, filed as cause number 2923, is pending in Yoakum County District Court.

November 8, 2011

• Jaroe Gregorio Parnell, 28, of Big Spring, was convicted of a Class A misdemeanor motor fuels tax fraud offense and was sentenced to 90 days in the Martin County Jail, probated for one year. Parnell’s sentence was imposed after his plea of guilty in the case, Martin County cause number 8373. Parnell will pay a $350 fine and perform 50 hours of community service restitution as conditions of probation.

• Adrian Padron, 38, of Beckville, was convicted of the Class A misdemeanor offense of Concealing Motor Fuel and after a plea of guilty to the charge. Padron was sentenced to 90 days in the Harrison County Jail, probated for 6 months, and ordered to perform 20 hours in community service. Padron’s case was prosecuted in Harrison County as cause number 2011-0894.

October 31, 2011

• Ghassan Said, 39, of Houston, entered a plea of guilty to state jail felony Theft and was sentenced October 31, 2011 to 4 years deferred adjudication in a case relating to sales tax fraud. Said paid $225,000 in restitution to the Comptroller of Public Accounts prior to the plea, as part of the case disposition. Said’s case was prosecuted as Harris County cause number 1207025.

October 26, 2011

• Tomas Quintero, 52, Luis Campos, 63, and Fernando Baca, 54, all of El Paso, were indicted by a federal grand jury with Richard Baca, 55, of Albuquerque, NM for crimes relating to the theft of fuel from Biggs Army Airfield. The indictment alleges that the defendants committed Conspiracy to Commit an Offense or Defraud the United States (18 U.S.C. 371), Theft of Public Property (18 U.S.C. 641), and Theft from Territorial Jurisdiction of U.S. (18 U.S.C. 661). The highest charge has a punishment range of up to 10 years in prison. CID (El Paso) assisted the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service on the investigation. The indictment, filed as cause number EP-11-CR2587, is pending in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas in El Paso.

October 21, 2011

• Sergio Marin, 38, of Fabens, was arrested for Cigarette Tax fraud. Martin is alleged in court documents to have failed to keep books and records documenting the purchase of inventory offered for retail sale at Marin’s Depot in Fabens. Marin is alleged to have purchased and offered for sale cigarettes that lacked Texas tax stamps, and to have destroyed receipts documenting their purchase. Marin’s case is pending indictment in El Paso County.

October 17, 2011

• Charles Jerome Hutchinson, 43, of Humble, was convicted of the second-degree felony offense of Transporting Motor Fuel without Shipping Documents.The conviction came after his plea of guilty on August 29th. Hutchinson was sentenced to 5 years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice – Institutional Division, probated for 5 years, and was ordered to serve 10 days in the Travis County Jail as a condition of probation. Restitution in the amount of $5,000 was made prior to the plea. Hutchinson’s case was prosecuted as Travis County cause number D1DC10-900019.

October 10, 2011

• Jose Luis Hernandez, 39, of El Paso, was arrested for felony Transportation Code violations relating to motor vehicle registration and tax. Hernandez is accused in court documents of selling a motor vehicle to a consumer, and underreporting the sales price and sales tax amount collected the title application. The case is pending indictment in El Paso County.

October 7, 2011

• Cisneros Tobacco Corporation entered a corporate plea of guilty in Travis County District Court to possessing tobacco with more than $50 of tax due. The offense is a third-degree felony. The corporation was convicted and sentenced to pay a $3000 fine. The case was adjudicated as cause number 11-900326.

October 6, 2011

• Mario Garcia, 36, of El Paso, pled guilty to a felony offense relating to the production of temporary motor vehicle tags, a Transportation Code crime. Garcia was accused in court documents of forging Texas 30-day vehicle permits, and selling them to the customers of his business, Locator’s Auto Center #2. Garcia was sentenced to 2 years deferred adjudication, and ordered to pay a $500 fine and perform 200 hours community service as conditions of probation. The case, filed as cause number 2011-D02138, was the result of a joint operation of the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles and the Comptroller’s Criminal Investigation Division.

September 28, 2011

• Beverly Ann Neathery, 39, of Abilene, pled guilty to Burglary of a Building with intent to commit Theft in Taylor County cause number 10047-D. Neathery’s conduct was originally charged as Failure to Keep Books and Records relating to cigarette tax. Neathery was sentenced to 5 years of deferred adjudication, and was ordered to pay $3,000 restitution, pay a $100 fine, and perform 120 hours of community service within 12 months.

September 22, 2011

• Alejandro Ray Cardona, 33, of Odessa, was convicted of Concealing Motor Fuel, a Class A misdemeanor, upon a plea of guilty.  Cardona was ordered to pay a $750 fine in the case, filed as cause number 737 in Glasscock County.
• Ty Eric Page, 28, of New Home, was convicted of the Class A misdemeanor offense of Concealing Motor Fuel in Lynn County cause number 2011CR0150. Page entered a plea of guilty and was sentenced to serve 45 days in the Lynn County jail.
• John Allen Culbertson, 28, of Jamestown, LA, was convicted of Class A misdemeanor motor fuel tax fraud in the County Court of Glasscock County. Culbertson entered a plea of guilty in cause number 751 to intentionally and knowingly concealing motor fuel in his motor vehicle for the operation of the vehicle upon the public highways in order to evade motor fuel tax. Culbertson was sentenced to pay a fine of $750.

September 16, 2011

• Raymond Rodriguez, 36, of Abilene, pled guilty to a third-degree felony Transportation Code offense and was sentenced to 2 years deferred adjudication. Rodriguez admitted to intentionally and knowingly providing false information relating to Texas motor vehicle titles, as alleged in Taylor County indictment number 24568-A. Rodriguez must pay a $2,000 fine and perform 40 hours of community service as conditions of probation.

September 15, 2011

• Jeffrey Stoddard, 40, of El Paso was indicted by an El Paso County Grand Jury for transporting unstamped cigarettes, a third-degree felony. Court documents allege that Stoddard offered unstamped cigarettes for sale on Craig’s List, and then transported the product for the purpose of making a sale. Stoddard’s case is pending in El Paso County District Court as cause number 2011ODO3977-327.

September 7, 2011

• Joe Flores, 57, of Morton, was arrested for two felony motor fuel tax offenses. Court documents allege that Flores knowingly engaged in a motor fuel transaction without being licensed as required by state law, and transported motor fuel without delivering proper shipping papers upon delivery. Flores’ case is pending indictment in the 286th Judicial District.

September 6, 2011

• Walter Huerta, 42, of Dallas, was sentenced to 5 years of deferred adjudication after entering a plea of guilty to second-degree motor fuel tax fraud. Huerta’s sentence was imposed in the 147th District Court of Travis County in cause number D1DC10-900292. As part of the plea bargain, Huerta agreed to pay $5,525 in restitution prior to sentencing, and pay an additional $5,000 in restitution, jointly and severally with co-defendant August Huerta. Walter Huerta was also ordered to perform 250 hours of community service.
• August Huerta, 46, of Dallas, was sentenced to 5 years of deferred adjudication after entering a plea of guilty to second-degree motor fuel tax fraud. Huerta’s sentence was imposed in the 147th District Court of Travis County in cause number D1DC10-900293. As part of the plea bargain, Huerta agreed to pay $5,525 in restitution prior to sentencing, and pay an additional $5,000 in restitution, jointly and severally with co-defendant Walter Huerta. August Huerta was also ordered to perform 250 hours of community service.

September 4, 2011

• Jeffrey Allen Burns, 24, of Edgewood, was arrested after being indicted by a Panola County Grand Jury for motor fuels tax fraud. Burns is alleged by indictment of intentionally and knowingly evading and attempting to evade motor fuel tax by selling and delivering dyed diesel fuel for the operation of a motor vehicle on a public highway. The charge, filed as Panola County cause number 2011-C-0146, is a second degree felony. Burns’ case is pending in Panola County District Court.
• Samuel Furrh, 24, of Ben Wheeler, was arrested after being indicted by a Panola County Grand Jury for motor fuels tax fraud. Furrh is alleged by indictment of intentionally and knowingly evading and attempting to evade motor fuel tax by selling and delivering dyed diesel fuel for the operation of a motor vehicle on a public highway. The charge, filed as Panola County cause number 2011-C-0145, is a second degree felony. Furrh’s case is pending in Panola County District Court.

September 1, 2011

• Don Sheron Adams, 69, of Ranger, pled guilty to intentionally and knowingly evading and attempting to evade motor fuel tax, a second-degree felony, in Travis County District Court. After paying $21,552 in restitution to the Comptroller, Adams was sentenced to 5 years of deferred adjudication probation and was ordered to pay a $10,000 fine in the case, filed as cause number D1DC10-900215.

August 27, 2011

• David Melendez, 32, of Brownfield, was arrested after being indicted by the Terry County Grand Jury on August 22nd for second-degree felony motor fuel tax fraud. Melendez is accused in the indictment of intentionally and knowingly evading and attempting to evade motor fuel tax. The offense, filed as cause number 6213 , is pending in the 121st District Court.

August 26, 2011

• Rene Delgado, 47, of Miami, FL, was convicted after a plea of guilty to the third-degree felony offense of Transportation of Unstamped Cigarettes. Delgado was sentenced to two years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice – Institutional Division. The case, filed as Kenedy County cause number 09-CRF-055, was adjudicated in the 105th Judicial District Court of Kenedy County.

August 25, 2011

• Shawn Blythe, 38, of Big Spring, was convicted of Class B misdemeanor Theft involving dyed diesel. Blythe pled no contest to cause number 134335 in Midland County Court and was ordered to pay a $500 fine.

August 15, 2011

• Archie Dale Goodman, 39, of San Angelo, was arrested for the state jail felony offense of Forgery of a Financial Instrument. According to court documents, Goodman is accused of creating forged State of Texas Treasury warrants and attempting to obtain over $4200 by naming himself as the payee and negotiating the warrants for cash at local grocery stores in the San Angelo area. Goodman’s case is pending indictment in Tom Green County.

August 4, 2011

• Shawn Ellis Pardue, 37, of Sweetwater, was convicted of a third-degree felony relating to failure to keep books and records required for Cigarette Tax purposes. Pardue’s conviction came after a plea of guilty in cause number 17622-B, which was filed in the 104th District Court of Taylor County. Pardue was sentenced to two years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice – Institutional Division, probated for two years, and was ordered to pay a $750 fine.
• Michael James Waterbury, 30, of Winters, was convicted of motor fuel tax fraud and sentenced to 10 years in prison. Waterbury plead guilty to the offense, which involved using, concealing, and delivering dyed diesel fuel for the operation of motor vehicles on public highways. Dyed diesel may not be used on public highways. The case, filed as cause number 6103 in Runnels County. Waterbury will serve his sentence at the Texas Department of Criminal Justice – Institutional Division.

• Jeremy Burney, 41, of Eden, was convicted of second-degree felony motor fuel tax fraud and sentenced to 7 years in prison after a plea of guilty to his indictment. Burney admitted to intentionally and knowingly evading and attempting to evade motor fuel tax by using, concealing, and delivering dyed diesel fuel for the operation of motor vehicles upon public highways. Burney’s case had been pending in Concho County as cause number DOF-11-01749 in 119th Judicial District Court. He will serve his sentence in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice – Institutional Division.

July 22, 2011

• Ronald Emanuelson, 69, of Clint, was sentenced to 5 years of deferred adjudication probation in Travis County cause number D1DC08-900241, a Tampering with a Governmental Record felony case. Emanuelson’s sentence came after a plea of guilty to the charge alleged in the indictment, which was that he knowingly made false entries on Texas Sales and Use Taxes reports with intent to harm and defraud the Comptroller. Emanuelson paid $4,000 in restitution to the Comptroller prior to sentencing, was ordered to pay an additional $18,416 in restitution to the Comptroller during probation, and was ordered to perform 60 hours of community service. A second charge filed as D1DC08-900242 was dismissed as part of the plea bargain.

July 21, 2011

• Juan Ramon Guzman, 43, of Longview, was arrested after being indicted by a Gregg County Grand Jury on July 13th. Guzman is accused in court documents of intentionally providing false motor vehicle sales price information on an applications for certificates of title. The Transportation Code offense is a third-degree felony. Guzman’s case, filed as cause number 40719-B, is pending in Gregg County.

July 20, 2011

• Chelsea Furrow, 41, of Amarillo, pled guilty to Attempted Failure to Remit Motor Vehicle Tax Collected, a Class A misdemeanor. Furrow paid $7,880 in restitution to the Comptroller prior to sentencing, and was placed on deferred adjudication probation for 2 years. As conditions of probation, Furrow was ordered to pay a $4,000 fine and perform 80 hours of community service. Furrow’s case was prosecuted as Travis County cause number D1DC10-900152.

July 18, 2011

• Stephanie Ellen Casarez, 26, of Laredo, was pled guilty to misdemeanor cigarette tax fraud and was sentenced to 2 years of deferred adjudication. Casarez admitted possession of unstamped cigarettes in a quantity of 10,000 or less. Conditions of probation include payment of $255 in restitution to the Comptroller and the performance of 80 hours community service. Casarez’s case, filed as cause number D1DC10-900284, was prosecuted in Travis County District Court.

July 13, 2011

• Michael Shawn Roberts, 26, of Levelland, admitted that he intentionally and knowingly evaded and attempted to evade motor fuel tax by using, concealing, and delivering dyed diesel fuel for the operation of a motor vehicle upon public highways. Roberts’ admission occurred after he entered a plea of guilty in a state jail felony Theft case. The admission was taken into account during sentencing in that case, and an 18 month state jail sentence was imposed. Roberts’ tax case, filed as cause number 1102762, and theft case, filed as cause number 1102765, were heard in Hockley County District Court.

July 5, 2011

• Larry David Stott, 32, of Midland, pled guilty to the third-degree felony offense of delivery of dyed diesel fuel in cause number 1519 in the 118th District Court of Martin County. Stott was sentenced to 3 years of deferred adjudication probation, and ordered to pay a fine of $1500 and to perform 300 hours of community service.

June 28, 2011

• Bobby Joe Ashcraft, Jr., 42, of Troy, was arrested after being indicted June 13th by a McCullouch County Grand Jury. Ashcraft is alleged to have intentionally and knowingly evaded motor fuel tax by using dyed diesel fuel for the operation of a motor vehicle upon a public highway. Ashcraft’s case, filed as cause number 5560, is pending in the 198th District Court.

June 27, 2011

• Tony Rhett Dickey, 44, of Rhome, was convicted of the third-degree felony offense of Cooperative Agreement w/States on Fuel Tax after a plea of guilty.  Dickey admitted he intentionally and knowingly delivered dyed diesel fuel into a motor vehicle for operation upon a public highway.  Dickey was sentenced to serve 10 years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, probated for 5 years, and was ordered to pay a $3,500 fine in the case, Wise County cause number CR15914.

June 24, 2011

• Mohammed Shidul Islam, 40, of Wichita Falls, was sentenced to 4 years of deferred adjudication probation in each of 3 third-degree felony tax offenses after entering pleas of guilty in Travis County District Court on May 20th. Islam was ordered to pay a combined total of over $163,000 in restitution to the Comptroller as part of the plea agreement. In cause number D1DC09-900225, Islam admitted to knowingly transporting unstamped cigarettes, and agreed to pay $14,804 in restitution. In cause number D1DC11-900178, Islam admitted that he failed to remit sales taxes collected, and agreed to pay $58,433 in restitution. In D1DC11-900179, Islam admitted to a criminal tax violation relating to other tobacco products and agreed to pay $90,103 in restitution , with $30,000 to be paid within sixty days of sentencing.

• Jaime Humberto Guaracha, 30, of Pharr, was arrested after being indicted by a Travis County Grand Jury on March 29, 2011 for fraud relating to the Cigar and Tobacco Products tax. Guaracha is accused in court documents of possessing tobacco products upon which more than $50 in tax was required to have been paid, knowingly transporting the untaxed products, and failing to keep books and records relating to tobacco products as required by law. The offenses are third-degree felonies. His case, filed as cause number D1DC11-900078, is pending in Travis County District Court.

June 22, 2011

• Badruddin Kassan Ali, 46, of Sugarland, was arrested after being indicted June 2 by a Travis County Grand Jury for motor fuel tax fraud. The indictment alleges three different motor fuels tax offenses, all second-degree felonies. Ali’s case, filed as cause number D1DC11-900154, is pending in Travis County District Court.
• Frank E. Strickland, 52, of Seguin, was convicted of the Class A offense of Concealing Motor Fuel in Upton County cause number 11-05-U7035-OTH. Stickland was sentenced to one year in the county jail, probated for two years, and was ordered to pay a $750 fine and perform 60 hours community service.
• Maria Guaracha, 50, of Pharr, was arrested after being indicted by a Travis County Grand Jury on March 29, 2011 for fraud relating to the Cigar and Tobacco Products tax. Guaracha is accused in court documents of possessing tobacco products upon which more than $50 in tax was required to have been paid, knowingly transporting the untaxed products, and failing to keep books and records relating to tobacco products as required by law. The offenses are third-degree felonies. Her case, filed as cause number D1DC11-900079, is pending in Travis County District Court.

June 17, 2011

• Jose Mendoza-Olivas aka Jose Remerio Mendoza, 45, of Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico, pled guilty to the Class A misdemeanor offense of Concealing Motor Fuel and was sentenced to 2 years of deferred adjudication. Mendoza’s case, filed as cause number D1DC10-900333, was prosecuted in Travis County.
• Eliseo Rendon Ponce, 43, of Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico, pled guilty to the Class A misdemeanor offense of Concealing Motor Fuel and was sentenced to 2 years of deferred adjudication. The case, filed as cause number D1DC10-900335, was prosecuted in Travis County.

June 14, 2011

• Anthony Neil Dezell, 45, of San Angelo, was convicted of the Class A offense of Concealing Motor Fuel in Reagan County Court. Dezell was arrested for the offense August 27, 2010. Dezell was sentenced in cause number 7414 to pay a $500 fine, pay $533 in restitution to the Comptroller, and pay $232 in court costs.

June 13, 2011

• Jesse James Bishop Jr., 48, of Midland, was sentenced to serve 1 year in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice – State Jail Division, after pleading true to allegations in a Motion to Revoke Probation. Bishop was placed on probation July 13, 2009 for 4 years for Theft in cause number B-35,948 in the 161st District Court of Ector County. The case related to theft of motor fuel.

June 6, 2011

• Charles Clay Clark, 23, of Robert Lee, was indicted after being arrested April 11, 2011 for motor fuel tax fraud. A grand jury in Tom Green County returned an indictment alleging that Clark intentionally and knowingly evaded and attempted to evade motor fuel taxes by using, concealing, and delivering dyed diesel for the operation of a motor vehicle upon a public highway. The offense is a second-degree felony. The case, filed as cause number C-11-0472-5B, is pending in the 119th Judicial District Court.

June 3, 2011

• Eduvijes Franco Zubia, 56, of Odessa, pled guilty to the Class A offense of Concealing Motor Fuel in Ector County Court. Zubia was sentenced in cause number 10-4547 to 9 months of deferred adjudication. Conditions include payment of a $300 fine and $274 restitution to the Comptroller.

June 2, 2011

• Kenneth Obrian Payne, 41, of Houston, was indicted by a Travis County Grand Jury for motor fuel tax fraud. Payne is accused by indictment of evading motor fuels tax, a second-degree felony, and of transporting motor fuel without shipping documents, a third-degree felony. Payne’s case, filed as D1DC11-900155, is currently pending in Travis County District Court.

May 20, 2011

• Christopher Ray Hall, 36, of Odessa, was arrested in the state of Colorado after being indicted May 3 by an Ector County Grand Jury for second-degree motor fuel tax fraud. Hall is accused of intentionally and knowingly evading or attempting to evade motor fuel tax by concealing, storing, and using untaxed dyed diesel fuel and by delivering it for the operation of a motor vehicle on the public highway. Hall’s case, filed as cause number C-38,778, is pending in District Court of Ector County.

May 17, 2011

• Jeffrey Stoddard, 40, of El Paso was arrested for transporting unstamped cigarettes, and failing to keep books and records relating to cigarette tax, both third-degree felonies. Court documents allege that Stoddard offered unstamped cigarettes for sale on Craig’s List, and then sold such cigarettes to an undercover peace officer who responded to the advertisement. Stoddard’s case is pending indictment in El Paso.

May 13, 2011

• Michael James Waterbury, 30, of Winters, was indicted by a Runnels County Grand Jury for motor fuel tax fraud. The offense, normally a second-degree felony, was enhanced to a first-degree felony in the indictment due to a prior final felony conviction. The case, filed as cause number 6103, is currently pending in the 119th District Court of Runnels County.

May 12, 2011

• Jeremy Burney, 41, of Eden, was indicted after being arrested March 28 for felony motor fuel tax fraud. Burney was indicted by a Concho County Grand Jury for intentionally and knowingly evading and attempting to evade motor fuel tax by using, concealing, and delivering dyed diesel fuel for the operation of motor vehicles upon public highways. The case, filed as cause number DOF-11-01749, is pending in 119th Judicial District Court.

May 11, 2011

• Mario Garcia, 35, of El Paso, was indicted by an El Paso County Grand Jury after being arrested March 16 for a felony offense relating to the production of temporary motor vehicle tags, a Transportation Code crime. Garcia is accused in court documents of forging Texas 30-day vehicle permits, and selling them to the customers of his business, Locator’s Auto Center #2. The indictment, filed as cause number 2011-D02138, was the result of a joint operation of the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles and the Comptroller’s Criminal Investigation Division.

May 5, 2011

• Raymond Rodriguez, 36, of Abilene, was indicted May 5, 2011 after being arrested on January 5 for intentionally and knowingly providing false information relating to Texas motor vehicle titles. The Transportation Code offense is a third-degree felony. The case, filed as cause number 24568-A, is pending in Taylor County District Court.

April 28, 2011

• Lizeth Leon, 30, of El Paso, was arrested for third-degree cigarette tax fraud. According to court documents, Leon possessed unstamped cigarettes at her place of business, Rockstarz, in El Paso, where she offered them for sale. Leon did not possess books and records for the purchase of the cigarettes as required by law. Leon’s case is pending indictment in El Paso County.

April 26, 2011

• Son Kyu Kim, 46, of El Paso, pled guilty to the third-degree felony offenses o f Transportation of Unstamped Cigarettes and Failure to Keep Books and Records pertaining to Cigarette Tax. Kim had been indicted by an El Paso Grand Jury on February 15 in the case, filed as cause number 2011-0000726. Kim was sentenced to two years of deferred adjudication, fined $500, and ordered to perform 120 hours of community service.

April 11, 2011

• Colton Kraft Anderson, 24, of Melvin, pled guilty to motor fuel tax fraud. Anderson admitted to have intentionally and knowingly used dyed diesel fuel to operate a motor vehicle on a public highway, in order to evade motor fuels tax. The offense is a second-degree felony. Anderson was sentenced in McCulloch County District Court to five years of deferred adjudication and was ordered to pay a $1000 fine. Anderson’s case was filed as cause number 5475 in McCulloch County.
• Michael Waterbury, 30, of Winters, was arrested April 11 after being indicted March 29 by a Runnels County Grand Jury for motor fuel tax fraud. The tax offense is a second-degree felony, enhanced to a first degree by a prior final felony conviction. The indictment alleges that Waterbury evaded and attempted to evade motor fuel tax by using, concealing, and delivering dyed diesel fuel for the operation of a motor vehicle on the public highway. The case, filed as cause number 6103, is pending.

April 6, 2011

• Lanny Dale Baker, 29, of Cross Plains, was convicted of a Class A misdemeanor motor fuels tax crime in Throckmorton County. Baker admitted, in cause number 3239, to intentionally and knowingly concealing motor fuel in order to use non-taxed dyed diesel fuel upon a public highway. Baker was fined $500.
• Andreas Guerrero Ramirez, 37, Cleburne, was arrested after being indicted March 3, 2011 by a Travis County Grand Jury for motor fuel tax fraud. Ramirez is charged with the third-degree offense of Engaging in a Motor Fuels Transaction without a License. The case, filed as cause number D1DC11-900077, is pending in Travis County District Court.
• Andres Guerrero Ramirez, 37, of Cleburne, was arrested after being indicted March 3 by a Travis County Grand Jury for Engaging in a Motor Fuel Transaction without a License. The offense is a third-degree felony. The case, filed as cause number D1DC11-900007, is pending in Travis County District Court.

March 28, 2011

• Don Kurt Dunn, 30, of Fort Worth, was arrested March 28 after being indicted March 4th in Travis County for Evading Motor Fuel Tax, a second-degree felony. The indictment alleges that Dunn and Donald Ray Scott III, for a 6 month period beginning in November 2007, intentionally and knowingly evaded and attempted to evade motor fuels tax by appropriating tax-free dyed diesel valued at $200,000 or more with the intent to deprive the owner of the property, transporting the fuel under false cargo manifests and shipping documents, using or causing to be used dyed diesel fuel for the operation of motor vehicles upon public highways, engaging in motor fuel transactions without a license, and by additional acts. The case, filed as D1DC10-900218, is pending in Travis County District Court.

March 24, 2011

• Donald Ray Scott III, 36, of Fort Worth, was arrested March 24th after being indicted March 4th in Travis County for Evading Motor Fuel Tax, a second-degree felony. The indictment alleges that Scott and Don Dunn, for a 6 month period beginning in November 2007, intentionally and knowingly evaded and attempted to evade motor fuels tax by appropriating tax-free dyed diesel valued at $200,000 or more with the intent to deprive the owner of the property, transporting the fuel under false cargo manifests and shipping documents, using or causing to be used dyed diesel fuel for the operation of motor vehicles upon public highways, engaging in motor fuel transactions without a license, and by additional acts. The case, filed as D1DC10-900218, is pending in Travis County District Court.

March 16, 2011

• Mario Garcia, 35, of El Paso, was arrested for the State Jail Felony offense of Unauthorized Reproduction of Temporary Tags, a Transportation Code offense. Garcia is accused in court documents of forging Texas 30-day vehicle permits, and selling them to the customers of his business, Locator’s Auto Center #2. The arrest was the result of a joint operation of the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles and the Comptroller’s Criminal Investigation Division. Garcia’s case is pending indictment in El Paso County.

March 11, 2011

• Benito Salinas, 41, of Mission, pled guilty to the Class A offense of Concealing Motor Fuel on March 11, 2011. Salinas was sentenced in Travis County District Court to 2 years of deferred adjudication. Conditions included payment of a $500 fine and $132 in restitution, and the performance of 100 hours community service restitution. Salinas’ case was filed as cause number D1DC10-900217.

March 10, 2011

• Larry David Stott, 33, of Midland, was indicted after being arrested October 20, 2010 for a third-degree felony motor fuel tax offense. An indictment returned by a Martin County Grand Jury alleges that Stott intentionally and knowingly delivered dyed diesel fuel into a motor vehicle for use on a public highway, in violation of state law. The case is pending.

March 9, 2011

• Jimmy Dane Bishop, 58, of Winters, was arrested after being indicted by a Travis County Grand Jury for second-degree motor fuels tax fraud. Bishop is alleged in cause number D1DC11-900075 to have attempted to evade motor fuels tax for a period of 15 months by using dyed diesel in a motor vehicle on a public highway, making and delivering false tax reports to the Comptroller, and failing to remit motor fuel tax funds. He is additionally charged in cause number D1DC11-900076 with a third-degree felony: intentionally and knowingly making and delivering to the Comptroller reports required to be made by law which contained false information. The cases are pending in Travis County District Court.

March 3, 2011

• Richard Owens, 33, of Richmond, was sentenced to 2 years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice for Engaging in a Motor Fuel Transaction without a License, a third-degree felony. Owens pled guilty to the charge, filed as cause number D1DC09-900078 in Travis County.

February 28, 2011

• Ramona Contreras, 82, of Laredo, pled guilty to the Class A offense of Possession of Tobacco Products with Tax Due of less than $50. Contreras was sentenced to 6 months of deferred adjudication in the case, filed as D1DC10-900211 in Travis County.

February 17, 2011

• Michael Shawn Roberts, 26, of Levelland, was indicted after being arrested January 31st for motor fuel tax fraud. A Hockley County Grand Jury’s indictment alleges that Roberts intentionally and knowingly evaded and attempted to evade motor fuel tax by using, concealing, and delivering dyed diesel fuel for the operation of a motor vehicle upon public highways. The offense is a second degree felony. The case, filed as cause number 11027262, is pending in Hockley County District Court.

February 7, 2011

• Manish Amin, 42, of East Tawakoni, was arrested after being indicted by a Travis County Grand Jury on January 14, 2011 for sales tax fraud. The indictment alleges that Amin failed to remit sales taxes collected, knowingly made false statements in state tax returns with the intent to defraud, and presented the tax returns with knowledge of their falsity with the intent to defraud another. Amin faces third-degree punishment on the highest charge. The case, filed as D1DC09-900010, is currently pending in Travis County District Court.

February 1, 2011

• Johnnie Moore, 64, of Houston, was arrested after being indicted by a Travis County Grand Jury on January 26th for two felony charges relating to making false statements on a Mixed Beverage Permit renewal. Moore is accused in court documents of knowingly making false entries in an application for a renewal of a Mixed Beverage permit, with the intent to defraud and harm the State of Texas. He is also accused of submitting the application to the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission with knowledge of its falsity, intending to defraud and harm the TABC and State of Texas. The case, filed as cause number D1DC10-900323, is pending in Travis County District Court.

January 28, 2011

• Seven individuals were indicted by a Travis County Grand Jury as a result of “Operation Filler Up,” an investigation into thefts of untaxed, unleaded fuel from an El Paso area fuel terminal.

The following individuals were indicted for illegally selling, distributing, or storing motor fuel, a second-degree offense:

• Lorenzo Ernesto Nevarez Armendariz, 46, of Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico
• Rafael Cordova Molina, 45, of Cuidad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico
• Eliseo Rendon Ponce, 42, of Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico
• Jose Mendoza-Olivas, 44, of Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico
• Jose Dolores Sandoval-Leon, 48, of Cuidad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico

Two individuals were indicted for that second-degree offense, as well as for Engaging in a Motor Fuel Transaction without a License, also a second-degree felony:

• Salvador Armendariz, 61, of El Paso
• Cesar Ochoa, 49, of El Paso

The cases are pending in Travis County District Court.

January 26, 2011

• Thomas Meadows, 32, of Midland, pled guilty to the Class A misdemeanor offense of Concealing Motor Fuel in Martin County Court. Meadows was sentenced to 6 months deferred adjudication and ordered to pay a $750 fine. The case was filed as cause number 8213.

January 21, 2011

• Benjamin Porras-Uribe, 51, of Odessa, was indicted by an Ector County Grand Jury on January 21, 2011 after being arrested December 2, 2010 for the second-degree offense of Evading Motor Fuel Tax. The indictment alleges that Porras-Uribe sold and delivered dyed diesel fuel for the operation of motor vehicles on public highways, a violation of state law, engaged in motor fuels transactions without the license required by law, and failed to remit motor fuel tax funds to the Comptroller. The case, filed as cause number B-38,175, is pending in Ector County District Court.

January 18, 2011

• Don Roddam, 79, of Minerva Community, pled guilty to the second-degree felony offense of Failing to Remit Motor Fuels Taxes Collected. The case, filed as Travis County cause number D1DC10-900035, related to Cam-Rock Oil Company, a motor fuel distribution company based in Cameron. Roddam was sentenced to 10 years of deferred adjudication and was ordered to pay $504,866 in restitution to the Comptroller, pay a $2500 fine, perform 120 hours of community service restitution, and provide annual information about his income to the Travis County Supervision and Corrections Department.

January 7, 2011

• Mansukh Padsala, 39, of Irving, pled guilty to failing to keep books and records relating to the payment of tobacco tax for the period of time required by law. The offense, filed as D1DC09-900332, is a third-degree felony. Padsala was sentenced to 2 years of deferred adjudication and was ordered to perform 60 hours of community service restitution.
• Nisar Ahmad, 49, of Houston, was sentenced in a Travis County District Court after pleading guilty November 23, 2010 to a second-degree felony motor fuel tax offense. Ahmad had been accused by indictment in cause number D1DC09-900207 of evading the tax by illegally appropriating between $1,500 and $20,000 worth of gasoline, transporting it without required shipping documents, and distributing it without a license, without remitting tax funds due. He was sentenced to 4 years deferred adjudication. Conditions of the deferred adjudication included the payment of a $2500 fine and performance of 350 hours community service.

January 1, 2011

• Tony Rhett Dickey, 43, of Rhome, was arrested after being indicted by a Wise County Grand Jury for motor fuel tax fraud. Dickey is alleged to have intentionally and knowingly delivered dyed diesel fuel into a motor vehicle for operation on a public highway. The offense is a third-degree felony. Dickey’s case, CR15914, is currently pending.

December 14, 2010

• John Gregory Frye, 24, of Hamlin, was sentenced by a Jones County district judge to 6 years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice – Institutional Division in a felony motor fuel tax fraud case. Frye pled guilty to the offense in August 2007 and received a six year deferred adjudication sentence at that time. Frye was found to have violated the terms of the deferred adjudication sentence in a subsequent hearing, resulting in adjudication and imposition of a prison sentence on this date.

December 8, 2010

• Douglas Dean Currington, 46, of Levelland, pled guilty and was sentenced to 2 years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice – State Jail Division for Possession of a Controlled Substance with Intent to Deliver. As part of his plea agreement, Currington admitted guilt in numerous unadjudicated offenses including Selling Dyed Diesel for Use on a Highway, a motor fuel tax felony. Currington’s tax offense, which had been pending in Hockley County as cause number 10-04-7050, was taken into account during the sentencing of his drug case, Hockley County cause number 09-11-6973, pursuant to Section 12.45 of the Penal Code. Currington was ordered to pay restitution to the Comptroller of Public Accounts as part of the plea agreement.

December 7, 2010

• Nazia Javiad, 37, of Eastland, was arrested for the third-degree felony sales tax offense, Failure to Pay Taxes Collected. Javiad is accused in arrest documents of not remitting an amount of tax that is more than $20,000 but less than $100,000. Javiad’s case is pending indictment in Eastland County.

• Ilyas Javiad, 52, of Eastland, was arrested on Eastland for two third-degree tobacco tax fraud offenses. Javiad is accused in arrest documents of purchasing tobacco products from an out-of-state vendor upon which Texas tobacco tax had not been paid, for resale at Tobacco Plus, a retail store in Eastland. Javiad was also arrested for failing to keep books and records relating to tobacco tax as required by law. Javiad’s cases are pending indictment in Eastland County.

December 4, 2010

• Antonio Barrera Hinojosa, 55, of Roma, was arrested after being indicted November 4, 2010 for possessing tobacco products on which more than $50 was required to be paid. The offense is a third-degree felony. A Travis County Grand Jury returned the indictment, which is now pending as cause number D1DC10-900285 in Travis County District Court.
• Stephanie Ellen Casarez, 26, of Laredo, was arrested in Laredo after being indicted by a Travis County Grand Jury on November 4, 2010 for cigarette tax fraud. Casarez is alleged to have failed to keep books and records relating to cigarette tax as required by law. The offense is a third-degree felony. Casarez’s case, filed as cause number D1DC10-900284, is pending in Travis County District Court.

December 2, 2010

• Benjamin Porras-Uribe, 51, of Odessa, was arrested for the second-degree offense of Evading Motor Fuel Tax. Porras-Uribe is accused in arrest documents of selling and delivering dyed diesel fuel for the operation of motor vehicles on public highways, a violation of state law, and of engaging in motor fuels transactions without the license required by law. The charges are pending indictment in Ector County.

December 1, 2010

• Larry David Stott, 32, of Midland, was arrested after a motion to revoke probation was filed in against him in cause number 58998 Howard County. Stott is alleged to have violated his current misdemeanor probation in that case, which was a motor fuel tax offense, by committing a felony motor fuel tax offense. A hearing on the motion is pending in Howard County Court.

November 30, 2010

• Yunus Ali Desai, 50, of Katy, pled guilty to Tampering with a Governmental Record, a third-degree felony, and was sentenced to two years of deferred adjudication. Desai had been accused by indictment making a false entry into an application for a Texas Sales and Use Tax Permit. Desai was also fined $800 and ordered to perform 120 hours of community service restitution in the case, filed as Harris County cause number 1264900.

November 16, 2010

• Billy Dwayne Foster, 53, of Odessa, pled guilty to the Class A misdemeanor offense of Concealing Motor Fuel. Foster was sentenced to 3 days in the Martin County Jail. He was also ordered to pay a $750 fine in the case, filed as cause number 8259 in Martin County.

November 4, 2010

• Hung Van Doan, 45, of Grand Prairie, was arrested in Tarrant County after being indicted by a Travis County Grand Jury for cigarette and tobacco tax felonies. Doan is accused in three indictments of possessing tobacco products upon which more than $50 of tax is due, and of failing to keep books and records relating to cigarette and tobacco tax as required by law. The offenses are third-degree felonies. Doan’s cases, filed as cause numbers D1DC10-900141, -176, and -177, are pending in Travis County District Court.

November 1, 2010

• Freddie Lee Davis, 27, of Mertzon, pled guilty to the third-degree felony offense of Transporting Motor Fuel without a License in Travis County District Court. Davis was sentenced to 4 years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice - Institutional Division, probated for 4 years. Conditions of probation include a restriction on hauling dyed diesel, a fine of $500, and the performance of 200 hours of community service in the case, filed as D1DC09-900256.

October 27, 2010

• George John Cobos, 27, of Monahans, pled guilty and was sentenced to 3 days in the Martin County Jail for committing the Class A misdemeanor offense of Concealing Motor Fuel. Cobos was also ordered to pay a fine of $750 in the case, filed as cause number 8258.

October 21, 2010

• Luis Lauro Gonzalez, 47, of Laredo, was arrested in Laredo after being indicted by a Travis County Grand Jury on September 17, 2010, for cigarette tax fraud. Gonzalez is alleged to have possessed unstamped cigarettes in a quantity of 10,000 or more. He is also alleged to have failed to keep books and records relating to cigarette tax as required by law. Both offenses are third-degree felonies. The cases, filed as cause numbers D1DC10-900210 and -209, are pending in Travis County District Court.

October 20, 2010

• Larry David Stott, 32, of Midland, was arrested in Stanton for a third-degree felony motor fuel tax offense. Stott is alleged to have intentionally and knowingly delivered dyed diesel fuel into a motor vehicle for use on a public highway, in violation of state law. Stott’s case is pending indictment.

October 8, 2010

• Elsa Valdez, 41, of Carrizo Springs, pled guilty to Possession of Unstamped Cigarettes – Under 10,000, a Class A misdemeanor. Valdez was sentenced to 6 months of deferred adjudication in the case filed as Travis County cause number D1DC10-900118.

September 29, 2010

• A. B. Butler, Jr., 55, of Tyler, pled guilty to misdemeanor motor fuel tax fraud and received one year deferred adjudication from a Smith County court. Butler was alleged to have used dyed diesel fuel in a motor vehicle on a public highway, which is prohibited by law. The offense, a Class A misdemeanor, was filed as cause number 001-81602-10. Butler was also ordered to pay a $300 fine, pay $277 in restitution to the Comptroller, and to perform 80 hours community service.

September 28, 2010

• Colton Wayne Benningfield, 20, of Denver City, pled guilty to the second-degree felony offense of Evading or Attempting to Evade Motor Fuel Tax. Benningfield was sentenced in the 121st District Court of Terry County to 5 years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, probated for 5 years. As conditions of his probation, Benningfield was ordered to pay restitution of $1,435, pay a fine of $750, and perform 240 hours of community service in the case, filed as cause number 6007.

September 20, 2010

• Bilal Ghauri, 44, of Sugarland, pled guilty September 20, 2010 to the Class A misdemeanor offense of Concealing Motor Fuel. Ghauri admitted to intentionally and knowingly concealing fuel with the intent to engage in conduct that violated the Tax Code. The plea was entered in cause number D1DC09-900208. Ghauri was sentenced to 120 days in the Travis County Jail.

September 10, 2010

• Colton Kraft Anderson, 23, of Melvin, was arrested after being indicted by a McCulloch County Grand Jury on September 7, 2010 for motor fuel tax fraud. Anderson is alleged to have intentionally and knowingly used dyed diesel fuel to operate a motor vehicle on a public highway, a violation of state law. The offense is a second-degree felony. Anderson’s case, filed as cause number 5475, is pending in McCulloch County District Court.

September 8, 2010

• Lee Herbert Moses, 39, of Cleburne, pled guilty to a Class A motor fuels tax offense in Johnson County Court and was sentenced to serve 180 days in the county jail for the dyed diesel-related offense.

• Benito Salinas, Jr., 40, of Mission, was arrested September 8, 2010 after being indicted August 30 by a Travis County Grand Jury for motor fuels tax fraud. Salinas is accused in court documents of intentionally and knowingly evading and attempting to evade motor fuel tax by delivering and using dyed diesel fuel for the operation of a motor vehicle on a public highway, concealing motor fuel, engaging in motor fuel transactions without the license required by law, and failing to remit motor fuel tax funds to the Comptroller as required by law. The offense is a second-degree felony. The case, filed as D1DC10-900217, is pending in Travis County District Court.

September 3, 2010

• Don Sheron Adams, 68, of Ranger, was arrested September 3, 2010 after being indicted August 30 by a Travis County Grand Jury for motor fuels tax fraud. Adams is alleged in court documents to have intentionally and knowingly evaded and attempted to evade motor fuel over an eight year period from 2000-2008 by operating liquefied gas-propelled motor vehicles without displaying current liquefied gas tax decals as required by law, engaging in motor fuels transactions without the license required by law, and failing to remit motor fuel tax funds to the Comptroller as required by law. The offense is a second-degree felony. The case, filed as D1DC10-900215, is pending in Travis County District Court.

August 31, 2010

• Gerardo Gomez, Jr., 28, of San Antonio, pled guilty and was sentenced to four years deferred adjudication and 10 days in the Travis County Jail’s SWAP Program for motor fuel tax fraud. Gomez was charged in Travis County cause number D1-DC-09-900279 with Transporting Motor Fuel without a License, a third-degree felony. Gomez was also ordered, as conditions of his probation, to pay a $3500 fine and perform 300 hours community service.

August 6, 2010

• Viphuc Luu Huynh, 21, of Arlington, was arrested August 6, 2010 after a Travis County Grand Jury returned three indictments for cigarette tax fraud. Huynh is accused in court documents of knowingly transporting unstamped cigarettes, failing to keep books and records relating to cigarettes as required by law, and possessing unstamped cigarettes in a quantity of 10,000 or more, all third-degree felony offenses. The charges were the result of a joint investigation by CID and the Dallas Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The cases, filed as D1-DC-09-900131, -32, and -33, are pending in Travis County District Court.

July 23, 2010

• John Manuel Montalvo, 60, of El Paso, was arrested for felony motor fuel tax fraud. Montalvo is accused in court documents of Transporting Motor Fuel Under False Manifest, a third-degree felony. Montalvo’s case is pending indictment in El Paso County.

July 22, 2010

• Michael Allen Wooten, 48, of Dallas, pled guilty in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas to Misprision of a Felony, namely, Wire Fraud, a violation of Title 18, U.S.C., Section 4. According to court documents, Wooten, the owner of West Texas Lighting, under-reported the amount of the company’s taxable sales with intent to defraud the State of Texas, and used interstate wire communication facilities to file such reports. Wooten’s case is pending sentencing in U.S. District Court in Lubbock.

July 8, 2010

• Charles Allen Thomas, 21, of Sweetwater, pled guilty on July 8, 2010 to the third-degree felony offense of Failure to Keep Books and Records relating to cigarette tax. Thomas was sentenced in the 350th District Court of Taylor County in cause number 9455-D to two years in the Institutional Division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Thomas was sentenced in a Burglary of a Building case related to the cigarettes at issue, filed as cause number 9456-D, to fifteen months in the State Jail Division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. The sentences will run concurrently.

June 23, 2010

• Bernie Gonzalez, 29, of Houston, pled guilty on June 23, 2010 to Tampering with a Governmental Record, a Class A misdemeanor, after paying $100,000 in restitution up front to the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts as part of a plea agreement in a sales tax fraud case. Gonzalez was sentenced in cause number D1DC09-900121 to two years deferred adjudication, and was ordered as conditions of probation to maintain proper books and records and perform 80 hours of community service.

June 10, 2010

• Elsa Valdez, 41, of Carrizo Springs, was arrested after being indicted by a Travis County Grand Jury for cigarette tax fraud. Valdez is accused of failing to keep books and records relating to cigarette tax for the period of time required by law, and of knowingly failing to make entries in or making false entries in books and records. The offenses are second-degree felonies. The case, filed as D1DC10-900118, is pending in Travis County District Court.

June 7, 2010

• Rogelio Ramirez, 55, of Edinburg, was sentenced to 10 years deferred adjudication after pleading guilty to two counts of sales tax fraud. Ramirez admitted to intentionally failing to remit over $100,000 of sales tax collected, a second-degree felony. Ramirez also admitted to intentionally making false entries in and failing to make entries in sales tax records required to be kept by law, a third-degree felony. Ramirez agreed to pay over $116,000 in restitution to the Comptroller of Public Accounts as part of his plea bargain, paying $60,000 prior to sentencing. Ramirez will pay the balance of $56,290 as a condition of his deferred adjudication. He will also perform 200 hours of community service under the agreement. Ramirez’s case, filed as Travis County cause number D1DC09-900325, related to sales tax collected at two convenience stores in Hidalgo County.

June 4, 2010

• Steven Frank Sopp, II, 26, of Hudson Oaks, pled guilty to the Class A misdemeanor offense of Concealing Motor Fuel. Sopp, who had been charged by information, was sentenced in the County Court of Martin County in cause number 8189 to 90 days in jail, probated for one year. He was ordered to pay a $1,000 fine, perform 24 hours of community service, and pay $72 in restitution to the victim, Pioneer Natural Resources, the owner of the untaxed dyed diesel fuel at issue.

May 21, 2010

• Nedal Nabil Hussein, 41, of Houston, was sentenced to federal prison time May 21, 2010 for committing Mail Fraud during a scheme to defraud the Unclaimed Property Program of the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. The indictment alleges that Hussein, while employed at an insurance agency in Houston during five months in 2008, used the names and personal identifying information of agency clients and other individuals to apply for unclaimed property held by the Comptroller without the true owners’ consent. Hussein allegedly falsely represented himself as the individuals who were the true owners, caused the checks to be mailed to a rented post office box, and later deposited the checks into an account in his name. Hussein pled guilty to one count of Mail Fraud, a violation of Title 18, U.S.C. Section 1341, on February 19, 2010 and was sentenced May 21, 2010 in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas to serve one year and one day in federal prison, and upon release from imprisonment, three years of supervised release. Hussein was ordered to pay over $14,000 in restitution to the Comptroller, provide access to all requested financial information to his probation officer, was prohibited from possessing a credit device without permission from his probation officer, and was prohibited from employment or acting in a fiduciary rule during the term of supervision. The case was jointly investigated by the Criminal Investigation Division of the Comptroller’s Office and the United States Postal Service. The case was prosecuted by the U. S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas, Houston Division.

May 19, 2010

• Ernesto S. Granillo, 51, of Kermit pled guilty and was sentenced in two cases relating to motor fuels fraud. Granillo was convicted of Theft of $50 or more but less than $500, a Class B misdemeanor, and Concealing Motor Fuel, a Class A misdemeanor, in Martin County cause numbers 8191 and 8192. Granillo was accused in court documents filed on one case of stealing untaxed dyed diesel fuel from Pioneer Natural Resources, and in documents filed in the other of intentionally concealing 144 gallons of untaxed diesel fuel with intent to violate the Tax Code. Granillo was sentenced in the County Court of Martin County to 90 days in jail, probated for one year in each case, fined a total of $1200, ordered to pay $324 in restitution to Pioneer Natural Resources, and required to perform 24 hours community service.

May 17, 2010

• Terry Burleson, 48, of Eldorado, pled guilty and was sentenced to the Class A misdemeanor offense of Concealing Motor Fuel. Burleson was charged by information in Andrews County cause number 10-0081. He was sentenced to 180 days in jail, probated for four months, fined $250, and ordered to perform 24 hours community service.

April 30, 2010

• Demerest Davis, 40, of Spring, was sentenced in the 390th District Court of Travis County after a plea of guilty to second-degree felony motor fuel tax fraud. Davis was alleged in cause number D1DC09-900125 of intentionally and knowingly evading and attempting to evade motor fuel tax by illegally appropriating between $1500 and $20,000 worth of dyed diesel fuel, storing the fuel without a permit, transporting it without delivering required shipping documents, selling it tax- free to a person who was not a licensed distributor or bonded user, and failing to remit tax funds due. Davis was sentenced to four years’ deferred adjudication, fined $500, and ordered to pay $1500 in restitution to the comptroller.

• Louis Sereseres, 60, of El Paso, pled guilty and was sentenced to the third-degree offense of Failure to Keep Books and Records relating to cigarette tax. Sereseres admitted to failing to keep records for the period of time required by law, and to knowingly making a false entry or failing to make entries as required. He was sentenced in the 167th District Court of Travis County in cause number D1DC09-900281 to two years deferred adjudication, and ordered to pay a fine of $800.

April 24, 2010

• Donald Ray Bennett, 72, of Bowie, was convicted of possessing unstamped cigarettes in a quantity less than 10,000, a Class A misdemeanor. Bennett was sentenced in Montague County cause number 358-09-B to one year in jail, probated for two years, and ordered to perform 100 hours of community service.

April 22, 2010

• Charles Jerome Hutchinson, 41, of Humble, was arrested after being indicted by a Travis County Grand Jury for the second-degree offense of Transporting Motor Fuel without Shipping Documents. Hutchinson’s case, filed as D1DC10-900019, is pending in Travis County District Court.

April 21, 2010

• Justin M. Peyton, 19, of Hawley, was convicted, received a deferred adjudication sentence for Concealing Motor Fuel, a Class A misdemeanor. Peyton was accused by information in Jones County cause number 024278 of intentionally, knowingly, and recklessly using, and holding for use, dyed diesel fuel for a use other than a non-taxable use. Peyton pled guilty in the 259th District Court of Jones County and was sentenced to one year deferred adjudication, fined $500, ordered to pay $150 in restitution to Terry Edwards, and ordered to perform 100 hours of community service restitution.

April 15, 2010

• Jose Avalos, 46, of Tatum, NM pled guilty to Class A misdemeanor Concealing Motor Fuel case. Avalos was accused by information in Borden County cause number 1466. He was sentenced to 60 days in jail, probated for one year, fined $750, and ordered to perform 80 hours of community service.
• Douglas Dean Currington, 44, of Levelland, was indicted by a Hockley County Grand Jury with felony motor fuels tax fraud. He is accused by indictment in cause number 10047050 of selling or delivering dyed diesel fuel for highway use, a third-degree felony. The case is pending in the 286th District Court of Hockley County.

April 13, 2010

• Brenda Kay Hickman AKA Brenda Kay Killen, 40, of Nocona, pled guilty to two cases related to sales tax fraud. Hickman pled to the third-degree felony offense of False Entry or Failure to Enter in Records, and was sentenced to ten years deferred adjudication. As a condition, she was ordered to pay $14,182 in restitution. Hickman also pled guilty to Failing to Pay Taxes Collected, a state jail felony, for which she received a five year deferred adjudication sentence.

April 12, 2010

• Colton Wayne Benningfield, 19, of Denver City, was indicted by a Terry County Grand Jury for second-degree motor fuel tax fraud. Benningfield is accused in court documents of stealing dyed diesel fuel from a farm in Terry County, using the fuel for highway use, and transporting fuel and storing fuel in Yoakum County. The case is pending in Terry County District Court.

April 8, 2010

• Beverly Ann Neathery, 38, of Abilene, was indicted by a Taylor County Grand Jury for the third-degree felony offense of Failure to Keep Books and Records relating to cigarette tax. Neathery is accused in court documents of failing to keep records relating to the purchase and sale of cigarettes for the period of time required by law. Her case, cause number 17621-B, is pending in Taylor County.

• Shawn Ellis Pardue, 35, of Sweetwater, was indicted by a Taylor County Grand Jury for the third-degree felony offense of Failure to Keep Books and Records relating to cigarette tax. Pardue is accused in court documents of failing to keep records relating to the purchase and sale of cigarettes for the period of time required by law. His case, cause number 17622-B, is pending in Taylor County.
• Gerry Williams, 43, of Pearland, was convicted of state jail felony Theft and sentenced to two years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice - State Jail Divison, probated for five years probation. Williams indicted in Harris County cause number 1151371 for theft of 2,000 gallons of diesel fuel from Jeffrey Savage. Williams entered a plea of guilty and was sentenced in the 180th District Court of Harris County. Williams was ordered, as conditions of probation, to perform pay $3,500 restitution to BNSF Railway and perform 200 hours community service restitution.

March 29, 2010

• William Roy Barrow, 54, of Odessa, pled guilty to the Class A misdemeanor offense of Concealing Motor Fuel and was sentenced. Barrow was charged by information in Andrews County cause number 10-0080. He was sentenced to 180 days in jail, probated for four months, fined $250, and ordered to perform 24 hours of community service restitution.

March 25, 2010

• Kristopher Goodwin, 37, of La Porte, was sentenced to 2 years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice - Institutional Division in the 331st District Court of Travis County after a hearing on the State’s motion to adjudicate guilt. Goodwin was indicted in June 2008 for second degree felony motor fuel tax fraud by a Travis County Grand Jury in cause number D1DC08-900188. He pled guilty in June 2009 and was sentenced to two years deferred adjudication, and was ordered to pay a fine of $500, complete counseling as required, and have no contact with co-defendants Sidney Baldon and Yousef Abutier. The State subsequently filed court documents alleging Goodwin violated the terms of his deferred adjudication. On, March 25, 2010, Goodwin pled true to the allegations. He was found guilty of the underlying offense and sentenced to prison.

March 23, 2010

• Earnest Chase, 38, of Houston, was sentenced to 2 years of deferred adjudication probation after pleading guilty to second-degree felony motor fuel tax fraud in Travis County cause number D1DC09-900124. Chase was ordered to pay $1,000 in restitution to the Comptroller of Public Accounts, pay a $400 fine, and perform 160 hours of community service.

March 12, 2010

• Mansukh Padsala, 28, of Dallas, was arrested after being indicted by a Travis County Grand Jury for record violations relating to cigarette tax. Padsala is accused in the indictment of failing to keep books and records relating to the payment of tax for the period of time required by law, and also of knowingly making false entries and failing to make entries into books and records required to be kept. The offenses are third-degree felonies. The indictment, filed as D1DC09-900332, is pending in Travis County District Court.

March 9, 2010

• Josie Ekoh, 29, of Houston, was sentenced to 6 months in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice – State Jail Division after a plea of guilty to state jail felony Forgery. Ekoh’s conviction occurred in the 230th District Court of Harris County in cause number 1204046. Ekoh was the last of seven defendants originally indicted for Engaging in Organized Crime relating to the forging of documents, including checks issued by the Comptroller, called “warrants”, which are similar to checks.

March 8, 2010

• Jerry Lee Merwin, 66, of Eldorado, received additional conditions of probation in response to a motion to revoke community supervision filed by Travis County prosecutors in November. The judge of the 403rd District Court of Travis County continued Merwin on probation, but added restrictions specifically relating to his possession, use, and storage of motor fuel. The court also ordered Merwin to pay restitution of $500. Prosecutors had alleged in court documents that Merwin committed a subsequent motor fuels crime while on probation. The new conditions remain in effect for the duration of Merwin’s probation term, which ends June 2012.

March 4, 2010

• Gary Don Phillips, 30, of Granberry, entered a plea of guilty in Travis County cause number D1DC09-900127. Phillips pled guilty to the lesser included offense of Concealing Motor Fuel with Intent to Engage in Unlawful Conduct, a Class A misdemeanor. Phillips was sentenced by the 167th District Court of Travis County to 60 days in the Travis County Jail and fine of $500.

March 3, 2010

• Tommy Eugene Aaron, 51, of Abilene, was sentenced to two years’ confinement in the Institutional Division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice after a plea of guilty in a second-degree felony Evading Motor Fuel Tax case pending in Travis County. Aaron admitted in cause number D1DC09-900079 that he intentionally and knowingly stole dyed diesel fuel valued between $1,500 and $20,000, and diverted it for personal highway use.

February 25, 2010

• Tony Martinez, 47, of Midland, pled guilty to a Class A misdemeanor motor fuel tax crime. Martinez admitted that he concealed motor fuel with the intent to violate the motor fuel tax laws, as alleged in court documents. He was sentenced by the County Court at Law of Upton County to one year in jail, probated for two years. As conditions of his probation, he was ordered to pay a $750 fine and perform a minimum of 10 hours community service restitution per month. Martinez’ case was filed as cause number 10-01-U6922-OTH in Upton County.

February 19, 2010

• Jayesh Patel, 45, of Houston, was sentenced on the state jail felony offense of Attempted Sale of Cigarette Stamps after a plea of guilty on December 18, 2009. Patel was placed on deferred adjudication for a period of three years, fined $1,500, and ordered to perform 120 hours of community service restitution. He was also ordered by the court to make no future application for a cigarette or tobacco license. Patel’s case was filed as Travis County cause number D1DC09-900251.

February 17, 2010

• Muslim Al-Musawi, 52, of Arlington, was arrested in Dallas County after being indicted December 30, 2009 in Travis County for cigarette tax fraud. Al-Musawi is accused of failing to keep books and records required by the Tax Code for the period of time required by law. The offense is a 3rd degree felony. Al-Musawi’s case is pending Travis County District Court.

February 16, 2010

• William Max Thomas, 38, of Gatesville, was sentenced in a second-degree felony motor fuels tax case. Thomas pled guilty to Evading Motor Fuel Tax in Travis County cause number D1DC09-900086. Maxwell admitted on February 11, 2010 that he intentionally and knowingly evaded taxes by storing dyed diesel without a permit, using it to operate motor vehicles on public highways, and failed to remit tax funds due to the State. Maxwell was sentenced in the 390th District Court of Travis County to three years of deferred adjudication. As conditions of probation, Maxwell was ordered to pay $3,636 in restitution, perform 200 hours of community service and to serve two days in the Travis County Jail.

February 5, 2010

• J&M Longhorn, Inc. pled of guilty to sixteen felony counts relating to cigarette tax fraud. The defendant corporation admitted to knowingly filing reports with the Comptroller that underreported the amount of cigarette inventory present at convenience stores located in Breckenridge, Crowley, Saginaw, and Haltom City on December 31, 2006, and to doing so with the intent to defraud the Comptroller. On January 1, 2007, the state cigarette tax increased by $1.00 per pack, and cigarette retailers were required to report the amount of unsold inventory present in their stores the day before the tax increase went into effect. Cigarette retailers were required to pay the Comptroller $1.00 in tax per pack inventory remaining. The defendant corporation was convicted on all sixteen felony counts as a result of its plea, paid $55,572 in restitution to the Comptroller, and was fined a total of $10,000 in the case, Travis County cause number D1DC09-904102.

February 2, 2010

• Xavier Escobedo, 51, of El Paso, was arrested by the United States Marshals Service Lone Star Fugitive Task Force for the third-degree felony offense of Failure to Pay Taxes Collected. Escobedo was indicted by a Travis County Grand Jury on June 17, 2009. He is alleged by indictment to have intentionally and knowingly failed to remit sales tax to the Comptroller in an amount between $20,000 and $100,000. Escobedo’s case, filed as cause number D1DC09-900179, is pending in Travis County District Court.

• Willie Tolder, 24, of Houston, pled guilty to Class A misdemeanor Forgery in Harris County cause number 1204045. Tolder was sentenced in the 230th District Court of Harris County to 90 days in the Harris County Jail.

January 18, 2010

• Billy Ray Smith, 53, of Carlsbad, NM, pled guilty to a Class A misdemeanor motor fuel tax crime. Smith admitted that he concealed motor fuel with the intent to violate the motor fuel tax laws, as alleged in court documents. He was sentenced by the County Court of Gaines County to 180 days in jail, probated for two years, and was fined $1,500. Smith’s case was filed as cause number 17,112 in Gaines County.

January 14, 2010

• Colton Wayne Benningfield, 19, of Denver City, was arrested for the 2nd degree felony offense of Evading and Attempting to Evade Motor Fuel Tax. Benningfield is accused in court documents of stealing dyed diesel from a Terry County farm on a regular basis, transporting it by the barrel to his residence in Yoakum County, and fueling personal vehicles with it for state highway use, a use prohibited by law. Benningfield’s case is pending indictment in Terry County.

January 11, 2010

• Stanley Dickerson, 65, of Gardendale, pled guilty to the second-degree felony offense of Evading Motor Fuel Tax. Dickerson paid $103,152 in restitution to the Comptroller of Public Accounts, and was sentenced in the 167th District Court of Travis County to two years of deferred adjudication, fined $4,000, and ordered to perform 40 hours of community service.

  Dickerson’s sentence was imposed in cause number D1DC09-900138, in which he was indicted personally. Two corporations for which Stanley Dickerson served as President, Quality Truck Tires, Inc. and Desert Sands Trucking, Inc., also were indicted for second-degree felony Evading Motor Fuel Tax. Dickerson entered corporate pleas of guilty on indictments D1DC09-900139 and -40 on behalf of the corporations. Each corporation was convicted of a felony and fined $500.

January 5, 2010

• David Paul Briggs, 46, of Hobbs, NM, pled guilty to the Class A misdemeanor offense of Concealing Motor Fuel. Briggs was found guilty of the Class A offense and by the County Court, and was ordered to pay a fine of $1,500 and restitution in the amount of $300 to the Comptroller of Public Accounts. Briggs’ case was filed as Gaines County cause number 70E-120.

January 4, 2010

• Luis Betancourt, 38, of Houston, pled guilty to the second-degree felony offense of Transportation of Motor Fuel without Proper Documentation. Betancourt was sentenced to four years of deferred adjudication by the judge of the 331st District Court. Betancourt was ordered as conditions of his deferred adjudication to serve eight days in jail, pay a $5,000 fine, and perform 320 hours of community service restitution as conditions of his deferred adjudication.

December 22, 2009

• Rogelio Ramirez, 55, of Edinburg, was arrested after being indicted by a Travis County Grand Jury for four counts of failing to remit taxes collected to the Comptroller as required by law, and two counts of record keeping violations relating to Sales and Use Tax. The offenses as alleged are second- and third-degree felonies. The indictment, filed as D1DC09-900325, is pending in Travis County District Court.

December 18, 2009

• Louis Sereseres, 60, of El Paso, was arrested for a felony cigarette tax offense after being indicted by a Travis County Grand Jury on November 30th. Sereseres is accused in the indictment of making false entries into books and records required to be kept by law, failing to make entries, and failing to keep books and records for the period required by law. The acts are third-degree felonies. Sereseres’ case, filed as D1DC09-900281, is pending in Travis County District Court.

December 9, 2009

• Dwaine Allen Collier, 38, of Houston was sentenced December 9, 2009 to 25 years in the Institutional Division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice after pleading guilty to the third-degree felony offense of Engaging in Organized Criminal Activity - Forgery on October 14, 2009 in the 230th District Court of Harris County. Because Collier pled true to having served two prior prison sentences for Forgery, he faced a minimum of 25 years in prison.

  In the current case, filed as cause number 1204040, Collier admitted to being involved with six others to forge checks, including checks that appeared to be issued by the Comptroller which are called "warrants." The purported checks and warrants were made out to Collier and other co-defendants, and were cashed at local grocery and discount stores before they were determined to be counterfeit. Collier's sentence includes paying $15,000 to these stores as restitution for payouts made.

December 8, 2009

• Charles Nathan Hutson, 57, of Houston, was sentenced to 2 years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice – Institutional Division after a plea of guilty to the third-degree felony offense of Fraudulent Transfer of a Motor Vehicle. Hutson was alleged by indictment in Harris County cause number 1156529 of possessing and arranging the transfer of a motor vehicle to a person with intent to defraud the vehicle’s owner.

November 23, 2009

• Derek Lind, 37, of Sherman, pled guilty to the state jail felony offense of Attempted Sale of Cigarette Stamps. Lind admitted the offense in the 299th District Court of Travis County, and was sentenced to three years of deferred adjudication, fined $500, and ordered to perform 120 hours of community service restitution.

November 19, 2009

• Brenda Kay Killen, 40, of Nocona, was arrested on felony warrants related to sales tax. Killen is alleged in probable cause affidavits to have collected and not remitted over $16,000 in sales tax during her operation of Whit’s Restaurant in Nocona, and is alleged to have failed to keep records as required by law. Killen faces state jail and third-degree felony punishment ranges on the offenses. The cases are pending indictment in Montague County.

November 9, 2009

• John Raymond Smith, 64, of Murchison, pled guilty to one count of Filing a False Affidavit in a case relating to motor vehicle tax fraud. Smith was indicted in four cases in April 2009, two for knowingly providing false sale prices for motor vehicles in applications for certificates of title, and two for knowingly or recklessly signing false affidavits containing that information. Smith was sentenced in cause number C-16,914 in the 173rd District Court of Henderson County to two years of deferred adjudication, a $1500 fine, and 100 hours of community service restitution. The punishment included consideration of Smith's remaining cases, which were dismissed as part of a plea bargain.

November 6, 2009

• Freddie Lee Davis, 26, of Mertzon, was arrested after being indicted on October 21, 2009 by a Travis County Grand Jury for the third-degree felony offense of Transporting Motor Fuel without a License. Davis is alleged to have transported the fuel in Tom Green County. The case, filed as D1DC09-900256, is pending in Travis County District Court.

November 5, 2009

• Gerardo Gomez, Jr., 27, of San Antonio, was arrested after being indicted October 21, 2009 by a Travis County Grand Jury for motor fuels tax fraud. The indictments allege that Gomez transported motor fuel without a license and without shipping documents. Both offenses are third-degree felonies. The cases, D1DC09-900279 and -80, currently are pending in Travis County District Court.
• A motion to revoke community supervision was filed by the Travis County District Attorney’s Office in State v. Jerry Merwin, cause number D1DC09-900386. Merwin, 66, of Eldorado, began serving a four-year probation sentence on a 2nd degree felony Evading Motor Fuels Tax case in June, 2008. Conditions of his probation include committing no new offenses and remaining in the State of Texas. In the motion, Travis County prosecutors allege that Merwin committed a subsequent motor fuel tax crime in September 2009, and also left the state without permission. The motion is pending in the 403rd District Court of Travis County.

October 30, 2009

• Nisar Ahmad, 48, of Houston, and Bilal Ghauri, 43, of Sugarland, were arrested after being indicted on October 21, 2009 by a Travis County Grand Jury for the second-degree felony offense of Evading and Attempting to Evade Motor Fuels Tax. Ahmad and Ghauri are alleged to have evaded the tax by illegally appropriating between $1,500 and $20,000 worth of gasoline, transporting it without required shipping documents, and distributing it without a license, without remitting tax funds due. The cases, filed as cause numbers D1DC09-900207 and -8, are pending in Travis County District Court.

October 29, 2009

• Beverly Ann Neathery, 38, of Abilene, and Shawn Ellis Pardue, 35, of Sweetwater, were arrested for the third-degree felony offense of Failing to Keep Books and Records under chapter 154 of the Tax Code. Neathery and Pardue are accused in probable cause affidavits of illegally obtaining cigarettes, selling them without a permit at the Cabaret Club in Abilene, and failing to keep books and records on purchases and sales as required by law. The cases are pending indictment in Taylor County.

October 9, 2009

• Mohammed Shidul Islam, 38, of Wichita Falls, was arrested after being indicted by a Travis County Grand Jury on September 18, 2009 for three counts of cigarette tax fraud. Islam is accused in cause number D1DC09-900225 of possession of over 10,000 unstamped cigarettes, transporting unstamped cigarettes, and failing to maintain books and records as required by law. Each charge is a third-degree felony. The case is pending in Travis County District Court.

September 18, 2009

• Mohammed Jamshed, 46, of Fort Worth, was re-indicted by a Travis County Grand Jury for offenses relating to the Cigarette Tax. Jamshed is accused in cause number D1DC09-904102 of eight counts of the third-degree felony offense of Books and Records, and eight counts of Tampering with a Governmental Record, a state jail felony. Jamshed is alleged to have underreported cigarette inventory located at several retail establishments in order to evade taxes owed. The case is pending in Travis County District Court.

September 15, 2009

• Ronald Stacy Payne, 37, of Big Spring, pled guilty on September 15, 2009 to the Class A misdemeanor offense of Concealing Motor Fuel. Payne, charged by information in Howard County cause number 59,119, was sentenced to 180 days in jail, probated for two years. He was ordered to pay a $2,000 fine, pay $236 to the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts and to perform 24 hours of community service restitution.

September 11, 2009

• Gustavo Ramos Rodriguez, 30, of Andrews, pled guilty to state jail felony Theft after being indicted for stealing diesel fuel from his employer for his own personal use. Rodriguez was sentenced in cause number B-35,961 in the 161st District Court of Ector County to two years in the State Jail Division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, probated for two years. He was also ordered to pay restitution of $4,200 to the victim-employer.

September 8, 2009

• Seven individuals were arrested as a result of “Operation Filler Up,” an investigation into thefts of untaxed, unleaded fuel from an El Paso area fuel terminal. According to probable cause affidavits, drivers of tanker trucks transporting fuel for export to Mexico allegedly diverted the fuel for use in the U.S. The drivers are accused of unloading the fuel in El Paso to individuals who resold the fuel, without being permitted to do so, below market rates. Fuel exported out of the U.S. is not taxed, but fuel to be used for state highway use is taxed. The investigation, conducted by the Comptroller’s Criminal Investigation Unit in cooperation with the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office and Texas Department of Public Safety Aircraft Division, resulted in the arrest of the following individuals for the third-degree felony offense of Transporting Motor Fuel under False Manifest:
• Lorenzo Ernesto Nevarez Armendariz, 45, of Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico
• Rafael Cordova Molina, 44, of Cuidad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico
• Eliseo Ponce, 41, of Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico
• Jose Mendoza Olivas, 43, of Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico
• Jose Dolores Sandoval Leon, 47, of Cuidad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico

Two individuals were arrested for the third-degree felony offense of Engaging in a Motor Fuel Transaction without a Permit for their involvement reselling the fuel:

• Salvador Armendariz, 60, of El Paso
• Cesar Ochoa, 48, of El Paso

The cases are pending indictment in Travis County.

September 1, 2009

• Larry David Stott, 30, of Midland, pled guilty to a Class B misdemeanor Theft and a Class A misdemeanor motor fuels fraud offense in Howard County cause numbers 58,998 and 58,999. Stott was alleged to have stolen fuel from Acme Energy, and then to have intentionally and knowingly concealed it with the intent to violate motor fuels provisions of the Tax Code. Stott was sentenced to 180 days in the county jail, probated for two years, in each case. In addition, Stott was fined a total of $2,750, ordered to complete a total of 104 hours of community service restitution, and ordered to pay $234 restitution to the victim.

August 10, 2009

• David Ora Humphrey, 63, of Amarillo, was sentenced in a second-degree felony motor fuel offense case. Humphrey was indicted by a Travis County Grand Jury in May 2008 for illegally appropriating between $1500 and $20,000 worth of dyed diesel fuel, transporting it without delivering required shipping documents, using it upon a public highway, and failing to remit tax funds due in order to evade or attempt to evade taxes imposed on motor fuels. His case was filed as cause number D1DC08-900159. He pled guilty on July 10, 2009 and was sentenced on August 10, 2009 in the 390th District Court of Travis County to four years’ deferred adjudication. As conditions of probation, he was ordered to pay a $1,000 fine, pay $6,000 in restitution to the Comptroller, perform 200 hours community service restitution, and refrain from motor fuels related employment.

August 10, 2009

• W. H. Calobreves, 55, of Kerrville pled guilty to felony motor fuels tax fraud and was sentenced August 10, 2009 in Crockett County District Court. Calobreves admitted that he intentionally and knowingly evaded and attempted to evade motor fuel taxes by intentionally and knowingly selling and delivering dyed diesel fuel for public highway use. The case was filed as cause number 2579, and the offense is a second-degree felony. Calobreves received five years’ deferred adjudication, was fined $5,000, and ordered to perform 240 hours of community service restitution.

August 4, 2009

• Steven Wayne Long, 54, of Amarillo, was sentenced to three years’ deferred adjudication in the 390th District Court of Travis County after entering a plea of guilty to a second-degree felony motor fuels tax offense on June 30, 2009. Long was indicted by a Travis County Grand Jury on May 29, 2008. He was accused of illegally appropriating between $1500 and $20,000 worth of dyed diesel fuel, transporting it without delivering required shipping documents, using it upon a public highway, and failing to remit tax funds due in order to evade or attempt to evade taxes imposed on motor fuels. As conditions of probation, he was ordered to pay $6,000 in restitution and perform 200 hours of community service.

July 30, 2009

• Charles Clinton Carey II, 25, of Breckenridge, was found guilty of Burglary of a Habitation and sentenced to ten years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice – Institutional Division, probated for ten years, after entering a plea of true to a misdemeanor tax crime in a motion to adjudicate guilt. On February 22, 2007, Carey was placed on deferred adjudication for three years for Burglary of a Habitation in Stephens County cause number 29,995. As a condition, Carey was ordered not to commit any offenses against the State of Texas. On January 21, 2009, the State filed a motion to proceed to adjudicate Carey’s guilt alleging that on December 12, 2008, Carey committed a Class B motor fuels tax offense when he refused to allow the Comptroller to inspect the fuel supply in his vehicle. On July 30, 2009, Carey pled true to the tax allegation, admitting that he violated the terms of his deferred adjudication. The court subsequently granted the State’s motion and found Carey guilty of the second-degree Burglary offense.

July 23, 2009

• Lazaro Mateo-Jardines, 39, of Houston, was arrested on July 23, 2009 after being indicted by a Fort Bend County Grand Jury for a second-degree felony motor fuel tax violation. The indictment alleges that Mateo-Jardines intentionally and knowingly transported diesel fuel without documents required by law. The case, filed as cause number 52,380, is pending in Fort Bend District Court.

July 14, 2009

• James H. Wells Jr., 26, of Snyder, pled guilty to the third-degree felony offense of Providing False Information for a Title Application, a violation of the Transportation Code, in cause number 9500 in the 132nd District Court of Scurry County. Wells admitted that he falsely claimed a certificate of title to a vehicle he wanted to sell had been lost or destroyed. Wells’ false claim induced a buyer to purchase the vehicle in cash, but after completing the transaction, her application for title was denied when the title history showed a bank held an active lien on the car. Wells was sentenced to five years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice’s Institutional Division, probated for five years, was ordered to pay a $1,500 fine, pay $500 restitution to the victim, and perform 160 hours of community service.

July 13, 2009

• Jessie James Bishop Jr., 46, of Midland, pled guilty to state jail felony Theft in cause number B-35,948 in the 161st District Court of Ector County. Bishop was accused in court documents of stealing approximately 1,200 gallons of diesel fuel from his employer for his own personal use. Bishop was sentenced to two years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice’s State Jail Division, probated for four years, was ordered to pay $4,500 in restitution to the victim-employer, and perform 480 hours of community service.

July 7, 2009

• Billy Gene Finch, 48, of Abilene, pled no contest to a Class A misdemeanor violation of the motor fuels tax laws. Finch was accused in Jones County cause number CR024101 of knowingly concealing dyed diesel in the tank of his motor vehicle with intent to use the fuel on the public highways in violation of state law. He was sentenced in the 259th Judicial District Court of Jones County to six months in the county jail.

June 26, 2009

• Phuoc Van Ngo, 48, of Arlington, pled guilty and was sentenced to thirteen days in the county jail on June 26, 2009 for a misdemeanor violation of Chapter 2153 of the Occupations Code involving coin-operated machines. According to court documents filed in cause number 08-4734, Ngo owned and operated the Party Room in Odessa in the fall of 2008, which featured coin-operated machines owned by him. Ngo knowingly failed to obtain a license required for such ownership.

June 23, 2009

• Sidney Baldon II, 47, of the Houston area, was sentenced to twelve years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice – Institutional Division and ordered to pay $1 million dollars restitution to the State of Texas after pleading guilty to three second-degree felony motor fuels tax crimes. Baldon II was indicted by a Travis County Grand Jury in 2007 in cause numbers D1DC07-900191, -2, and -3 for his role in a motor fuel tax fraud scheme which operated from 2002 to 2003. Baldon II, once the owner-operator of a distributor of kerosene and other motor fuel products, purchased kerosene on his company's behalf from a refining company in Louisiana and falsely claimed the fuel was purchased for export to Mexico to avoid paying excise taxes. The untaxed fuel was then shipped to Texas destinations where it was blended with other materials to produce over 22 million gallons of blended fuel. The untaxed blended fuel was then transported to retail filling stations where it was sold as taxable motor fuel. State taxes were collected from consumers but never remitted to the State of Texas, resulting in a $4.5 million dollar tax loss to the State. In addition to the state charges, Baldon II pled guilty to federal charges and received a five-year sentence.

June 10, 2009

• Salim Dossani, 46, of Sugarland was arrested after being charged with cigarette tax fraud in Harris County. Dossani is accused in cause number 1218769 of Failure to Keep Books and Records for the purchase of cigarettes. The case is pending in Harris County District Court. At the time of the alleged offense, Dossani was on deferred adjudication in Travis County in three felony motor fuels cases and he had previously paid $150,000 in restitution as part of those cases. Dossani’s deferred adjudication status is under review in Travis County.

June 9, 2009

• Earnest Chase, 37, of Houston and Demerest Davis, 39, of Spring, were arrested on June 9, 2009 after being indicted by a Travis County Grand Jury for motor fuel tax fraud. Chase and Davis are alleged to have illegally appropriated between $1500 and $20,000 worth of dyed diesel fuel and to have stored it without a permit, transported it without delivering required shipping documents, sold it tax free to a person who is not a licensed distributor or bonded user, and to have failed to remit tax funds due. The cases, filed as cause numbers D1DC09-900124 and -5, are pending in Travis County District Court.
• Gary Don Phillips, 29, of Granberry, was arrested June 9, 2009 after being indicted by a Travis County Grand Jury for the second-degree felony offense of Evading or Attempting to Evade Motor Fuel Tax. Phillips is accused in the indictment of intentionally and knowingly storing dyed diesel fuel without a permit as required by the Comptroller, using dyed diesel for the operation of motor vehicles on public highways, and failing to remit tax funds due in order to evade or attempt to evade taxes imposed on motor fuels. The case, filed as D1DC09-900127, is pending in Travis County District Court.

June 5, 2009

• Stanley Dickerson, 64, of Gardendale, was arrested on June 5, 2009 after being indicted by a Travis County Grand Jury for the second-degree felony offense of Evading or Attempting to Evade Motor Fuel Tax. Dickerson is accused in the indictment of intentionally and knowingly storing dyed diesel fuel without a permit as required by the Comptroller, using dyed diesel fuel for the operation of motor vehicles on public highways, and failed to remit tax funds due in order to evade or attempt to evade taxes imposed on motor fuels. The case, filed as D1DC09-900138, is currently pending in Travis County District Court.

June 3, 2009

• David Dominguez Sanchez, 30, of Odessa, pled guilty to state jail felony Theft in cause number B-35,963 in the 161st District Court of Ector County. Sanchez is alleged in court documents to have unlawfully appropriated approximately 2,100 gallons of diesel fuel from his employer and to have sold approximately 1,000 gallons of company fuel to third parties. Sanchez was sentenced to five years of deferred adjudication, and was ordered to pay $7,875 in restitution to the victim-employer and perform 300 hours of community service.

June 2, 2009

• Sanjiv Marwaha, 45, of Porter, was sentenced to six years of deferred adjudication and ordered to pay $50,000 in restitution to the state after his plea of guilty in a motor fuel tax fraud case. Marwaha pled guilty to two counts Accepting Motor Fuel without Shipping Documents, a second-degree felony, in the 390th District Court of Travis County. Marwaha was also ordered to serve 30 days as a condition of probation in the county jail, and to perform 300 hours community service.

May 29, 2009

• A Houston man was arrested May 29, 2009 after indictment by a Travis County Grand Jury for sales tax fraud. Bernie Gonzalez, 28, of Houston is alleged in cause number D1DC09-900121 to have intentionally and knowingly concealed, destroyed, made false entries in, and failed to make entries in books and records that are required to be kept by law for sales and use tax purposes over a two year period from July 2005 to July 2007. The offense is a third degree felony. The case is currently pending in Travis County District Court.

May 20, 2009

• Luis Betancourt, 37, of Houston, was arrested May 20, 2009 after indictment by a Travis County Grand Jury for motor fuel tax fraud. Betancourt is alleged in cause number D1DC 09-900085 to have intentionally and knowingly transported diesel fuel without proper documentation. The offense is a second-degree felony. The case is currently pending in Travis County District Court.

May 19, 2009

• Steven Brown, 21, of Houston, pled guilty and was sentenced to the third-degree felony offense of Engaging in Organized Crime — Forgery in cause number 1204044 in the 230th District Court of Harris County, Texas. Brown was sentenced to three years of deferred adjudication and was ordered to pay $996 in restitution and perform 160 hours of community service.

May 8, 2009

• An Anson man was arrested May 8, 2009 after being indicted by a Travis County Grand Jury for motor fuels tax fraud. Tommy Aaron, 50, is alleged in cause number D1DC09-900079 to have committed the second degree felony offense of Evading Motor Fuels Tax by intentionally and knowingly stealing dyed diesel fuel valued between $1,500 and $20,000 and diverting it for personal highway use. This case is pending in Travis County District Court.

May 7, 2009

• William Max Thomas, 37, of Gatesville, was arrested May 7, 2009 after being indicted by a Travis County Grand Jury on April 22, 2009 for Evading or Attempting to Evade Motor Fuels Tax, a second-degree felony. Thomas is alleged in cause number D1DC 09-900086 to have intentionally and knowingly stored dyed diesel fuel without a permit as required by the Comptroller, to have used dyed diesel fuel for the operation of motor vehicles on public highways, and to have failed to remit taxes due in order to evade or attempt to evade taxes imposed on motor fuel. The case is currently pending in Travis County District Court.

May 1, 2009

• Richard Owens, 31, of Richmond, was arrested May 1, 2009 after being indicted by a Travis County Grand Jury for motor fuel tax fraud. Owens is alleged in cause number D1DC09-900078 to have stolen dyed diesel fuel, valued between $1,500 and $20,000, and to have sold it without remitting the tax funds to the state. He is further charged with distributing motor fuel without a license. The charges, which are second and third degree felonies, are pending in Travis County District Court.

April 29, 2009

• Wanda Brown, 48, of Houston, pled guilty and was sentenced to the third-degree felony offense of Engaging in Organized Crime — Forgery in cause number 1204042 in the 230th District Court of Harris County, Texas. Brown was sentenced to two years of deferred adjudication and was ordered to pay $996 in restitution.

April 27, 2009

• Kimbra Lockridge, 21, of Houston, pled guilty to the third-degree felony offense of Engaging in Organized Crime — Forgery in cause number 1204041 in the 230th District Court of Harris County, Texas. Lockridge was sentenced on April 27, 2009 to two years of deferred adjudication and was ordered to pay $578 restitution and a $500 fine.
• Latasha Brown, 29, of Houston, pled guilty to the third-degree offense of Engaging in Organized Crime—Forgery in cause number 1204043 in the 230th District Court of Harris County, Texas. Brown was sentenced on April 27, 2009 to three years of deferred adjudication and was ordered to pay $3,338 in restitution.

April 10, 2009

• A Kerr County man was arrested April 10, 2009, after being indicted by a Crockett County Grand Jury for motor fuel tax fraud. W. H. Calobreves, 55, of Kerrville, is alleged in cause number 0904-02579 to have intentionally and knowingly evaded and attempted to evade by selling and delivering dyed diesel fuel for public highway use. The offense is a second-degree felony. The case is pending in Crockett County District Court.

April 7, 2009

• A Henderson County Grand Jury returned four indictments against a local man for motor vehicle tax fraud on April 7, 2009. The indictments allege that John Raymond “Ray” Smith, 64, of Murchison, knowingly provided false sales prices for thirty-three motor vehicles in applications for certificates of title, and then knowingly or recklessly signing false affidavits containing that information. The cases, which are pending as cause numbers C-16,914 through 16,917, are third degree felonies. The cases are pending in Henderson County District Court.

April 6, 2009

• Tony Hudson, 40, of Odessa, pled guilty to the third-degree felony offense of Failing to Keep Books and Records (Cigarette Tax), in cause number C-36,023 in the 161st District Court of Ector County, Texas. Hudson was sentenced on April 6, 2009 to two years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice’s Institutional Division.

April 1, 2009

• Derek B. Lind, 36, was arrested in Sherman on April 1, 2009, after being indicted by a Travis County Grand Jury for intentionally and knowingly selling lawfully issued cigarette tax stamps to another without permission from the Comptroller of Public Accounts. The indictment, which is pending in cause number D1DC09-900066, also alleges that Lind knowingly failed to make tax returns that are required by Cigarette Tax laws. Lind is accused of committing the offenses, which are both third-degree felonies, in Grayson County, Texas. Lind’s case is currently pending in Travis County District Court.

March 27, 2009

• A Corinth woman was arrested March 27, 2009 after being indicted by a Denton County Grand Jury for Misapplication of Fidiciary Property and Tampering with a Governmental Record. Katana Gurkin, 37, is alleged in cause number F-2009-0580-C to have intentionally, knowingly, and recklessly misapplied funds in an amount of $100,000 or more but less than $200,000 that she held as a fiduciary for the Comptroller of Public Accounts. The offense is a second-degree felony. She is further alleged in the indictment to have knowingly made false entries regarding sales and use taxes collected in tax returns required to be filed with the Comptroller, also a felony. Gurkin’s case is pending in the Denton County District Court.

March 11, 2009

• A Harris County Grand Jury on March 11, 2009 indicted two Houston men for collecting more than $100,000 in taxes and not remitting the funds to the State. Faraj Said, 51, and Ghassan Said, 36, are alleged in cause numbers 1207024 and 1207025 to have defrauded the State of limited sales, excise and use taxes collected at four different businesses: Budget Collision, Bichr Collision, National Collision Center, and Lonestar Collision. The cases are pending in the 208th District Court of Harris County. Failing to pay taxes collected is a second-degree felony when the amount is $100,000 or more.

February 27, 2009

• Randall Loyal Cole, 24, of Alba, pled guilty to Class A misdemeanor Theft in cause number CCL2-09-0014 in the County Court at Law #1 of Parker County. Cole was sentenced on February 27, 2009 to one year of deferred adjudication was ordered to pay $816.10 in restitution, pay a $400 fine and perform 40 hours of community service.

February 19, 2009

• Johnnie Lee Gueuea, 57, of San Angelo, pled guilty to one count of the third-degree felony offense of Misapplication of Fiduciary Funds and four counts of the third-degree felony offense of Making a False Entry in a Governmental Record in cause number B-08-0628-SA in the District Court of Tom Green County. Gueuea was sentenced on February 19, 2009 to five years of deferred adjudication on each count; was ordered to pay $55,664.92 of restitution to the state on count I; and was fined $500 on count II.

February 18, 2009

• Gary Richards, 40, of San Angelo, pled guilty to the Class A offense of Concealing Motor Fuel, a violation of Section 162.403(19) of the Tax Code. Richards entered his plea in cause number 08-02885 on February 18, 2009 in the County Court at Law of Tom Green County. He was fined $1,200 and ordered to pay $258 in court costs.

December 15, 2008

• Ziad Alsalameh, 49, of Houston was arrested December 15, 2008 for the felony offense of Possession of more than $50 of Tobacco Products upon which tax has not been paid. At arrest, it was discovered that Alsalameh was currently on bond out of the Western District of Texas on federal cigarette charges. On December 22, 2008, a federal petition for action on setting conditions of release was filed based solely on the December arrest. Alsalameh waived a hearing and was sentenced January 27, 2009 to 27 months in prison, 3 years supervised release, and $27,798 in restitution in United States District Court cause number SA-05-CR-613-(16)-RF.

December 12, 2008

• Michael James Lyons, 32, of Houston, pled guilty to state jail felony Theft in cause number 1122730 in the 180th District Court of Harris County. Lyons was sentenced on December 12, 2008 to two years of deferred adjudication, $3,000 in restitution and 200 hours of community service.

December 9, 2008

• Terry Allen Cortez, 32, of Dallas, was sentenced in a state jail felony Theft case in Johnson County District Court. Cortez entered a plea of guilty to the indictment in cause number F42881, and was sentence to two years in the State Jail Division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, probated for five years. As conditions, Cortez was ordered to pay a $750 fine, pay $1,900 in restitution to the victim, Devon Energy Corporation, and perform 120 hours of community service restitution.

October 30, 2008

• Lazaro Ramirez, 42, of El Paso, pled guilty to the Class A offense of Possession of Unstamped Cigarettes in a quantity of less than 10,000 in cause number D1DC08-900177 in the 403rd District Court of Travis County. Ramirez was sentenced on June 9, 2008 to one year in county jail, probated for two years and 80 hours of community service. On October 30, 2008, Ramirez pled true to violating his probation. His probation was revoked and he was sentenced to 300 days in jail.

October 22, 2008

• Ronald Emanuelson, 66, of Clint, was arrested after being indicted by a Travis County Grand Jury for two felonies relating to sales and use tax. Emanuelson is accused in cause number D1DC08-900241 of Tampering with a Governmental Record, a state jail felony offense, of knowingly claiming falsely that did not owe sales and use tax to the Comptroller. He is accused in D1DC08-900242 of a third-degree felony, collecting between $20,000 and $100,000 in sale and use tax but not remitting it to the Comptroller. The cases are pending in Travis County District Court.

September 24, 2008

• Rickie Skinner, 55, of Tulia, pled guilty to the third-degree felony offense of Possession of Unstamped Cigarettes in a quantity of 10,000 or more in cause number D1DC08900175 in the 299th District Court of Travis County. On September 24, 2008, Skinner was sentenced to three years of deferred adjudication, a $500 fine, 100 hours of community service and court costs. His co-defendant, Tracie Skinner Lowry, 33, of Tulia, pled guilty to the Class A offense of Possession of Unstamped Cigarettes in a quantity of less than 10,000 in cause number D1DC08900176. She was sentenced to one year of deferred adjudication, a $250 fine and 80 hours of community service. The state recovered $48,543 in cigarette tax and $4,717 in sales tax.

September 9, 2008

• Jeremiah Ramirez, 31, of Vernon, pled guilty to the second-degree offense of Evading or Attempting to Evade Motor Fuels Tax in cause number 11,180 in the 46th District Court of Wilbarger County. Ramirez was sentenced on September 9, 2008 to two years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice’s Institutional Division.

August 22, 2008

• Akilla Morris, 23, of Missouri City, pled guilty to the third-degree felony offense of Forgery in cause number 48,446 in the 268th District Court of Fort Bend County. Morris was sentenced on August 22, 2008 to two years of deferred adjudication, a $1,000 fine and 100 hours of community service.

June 11, 2008

• Jerry Lee Merwin, 64, of Eldorado, was sentenced after a plea of guilty to Evading Motor Fuel Tax, a second-degree felony. Merwin was sentenced by the 403rd District Court of Travis County to four years in the Institutional Division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, probated for four years, fined $500, and ordered to perform 200 hours of community service restitution. Merwin’s case was filed as Travis County cause number D1-DC07-900386.

May 15, 2008

• Keilen Gordon, 21, of Houston, pled guilty to the third-degree felony offense of Forgery in cause number 48447 in the 268th District Court of Fort Bend County, Texas. Gordon was sentenced on May 15, 2008 to two years of deferred adjudication, a $500 fine, 150 hours of community service.

April 28, 2008

• Edward G. Robinson, 51, of Missouri City, pled guilty to state jail felony Theft in cause number 1148676 in the 177th District Court of Harris County. Robinson was sentenced on April 28, 2008 to three years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice’s State Jail Division, probated for three years, and was ordered to pay $4,050 in restitution and to perform 160 hours of community service.

April 11, 2008

• Darrell Wofford, 45, of Fort Worth, pled guilty to state jail felony Theft in cause number 1148675 in the 177th District Court of Harris County. Wofford was sentenced April 11, 2008 to nine months in the Harris County Jail.
• Alvonest Ladell Morgan, 32, of Missouri City, pled guilty to state jail felony Theft in cause number 1148674 in the 177th District Court of Harris County. Morgan was sentenced on April 11, 2008 to three years of deferred adjudication, $8,100 in restitution and 120 hours community service.

March 12, 2008

• Michael Anthony Boudreaux, 43, of Bacliff, pled guilty to third-degree felony Theft in cause number 1134591 in the 180th District Court of Harris County. Boudreaux was sentenced on March 12, 2008 to four years of deferred adjudication, a $1,000 fine and 200 hours of community service.

February 18, 2008

• Sabien Baker, 28, of Spring, pled guilty to state jail felony Theft in cause number 1122729 in the 180th District Court of Harris County. Baker was sentenced on February 18, 2008 to two years of deferred adjudication and was ordered to pay $3,000 in restitution and to perform 200 hours of community service.

January 11, 2008

• Richard Russo, 37 and Mike Kimzey, 35, both of Louisville, Kentucky, pled guilty to Tampering with a Governmental Record, a state jail felony, in cause numbers D1DC07900302 and D1DC07900303 in the 403rd District Court of Travis County. Russo and Kimzey, as owners of General Commodities, a permitted cigarette distributor, admitted to intentionally and knowingly, with intent to defraud, making false entries in reports to the Comptroller by claiming to have purchased and received cigarettes for distribution when in fact they had not. Investigation revealed no distribution operation at the permitted location. Cigarette stamps purchased by General Commodities with a purchase value in excess of $2.5 million were recovered by the Comptroller. Due to a recent cigarette tax increase, these stamps had a street value of over $9.7 million. Russo and Kimzey were sentenced on January 11, 2008. Each was sentenced to four years of deferred adjudication and ordered to pay the Comptroller $26,150 for half of their cases’ investigative costs under Section 154.301 of the Tax Code, to pay a $500 fine and to perform 120 hours of community service. The cigarette distributor permit issued to General Commodities, L.L.P. was summarily suspended prior to the plea.

October 26, 2007

• A Travis County Grand Jury returned four guilty verdicts for motor fuels tax fraud against Travis Glenn Roberson, 61, of DeBerry. Roberson was accused in two indictments of Engaging in a Motor Fuels Tax Scheme, one scheme being filing false motor fuels tax reports, and the other engaging in a motor fuels transaction without a permit. Roberson was accused in two other indictments of Failure to Remit Motor Fuels Tax, with each indictment covering different time periods. The charges, filed as cause numbers D1DC05-900691 through -94, are second degree felonies. A judge sentenced Roberson on October 26, 2007 to 11 years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice's Institutional Division on each case, to run concurrently, and was ordered to pay restitution of $1,438,281 as a condition of parole.

August 15, 2007

• John Gregory Frye, 21, of Hamlin, pled guilty to Evading Motor Fuel Tax, a second-degree felony, in Jones County cause number 9948. Frye was sentenced to deferred adjudication for a period of six years, fined $1,500, ordered to perform 240 hours of community service restitution and to pay restitution to the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts and to another victim.

July 3, 2007

• Jamil Sayfi, 54, of Converse, pled guilty to Attempted Evasion of Motor Fuels Tax, Attempted Failure to Remit Motor Fuels Tax and Filing False Motor Fuels Tax Reports, all third-degree felonies, in cause numbers D1DC06900632, D1DC06900633 and D1DC06900637, in Travis County. He was sentenced on July 3, 2007 to three years of deferred adjudication and was ordered to pay $27,000 in restitution to the state and perform 160 hours of community service. Sayfi’s corporation, Patriot Petroleum, entered corporate pleas of guilty to the same felony charges in cause numbers D1DC06900634, D1DC06900635 and D1DC06900636, and was sentenced to $500 fine in each case.

April 26, 2007

• John Gregory Frye, 20, of Hamlin, was indicted by a Jones County Grand Jury for second-degree felony Evading Motor Fuel Tax. The case, filed as Jones County cause number 9948, is pending.