Criminal Indictments Announced: Individuals Have Charged For Commit Bank Fraud, Reentry of Removed Alien, And False Statements

Federal Grand Jury Criminal Indictments Announced

TULSA, Okla.— The results of the September 2016 Federal Grand Jury were announced today by Danny C. Williams Sr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Oklahoma.

The following individuals have been charged with violations of United States law in indictments returned by the Grand Jury. The return of an indictment is a method of informing a defendant of alleged federal crimes which must be proven in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt to overcome a defendant’s presumption of innocence.

Brandon Lee Amend and Cory Dean Blanchard. Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud, Bank Fraud, Possession of Device Making Equipment, Theft of Receipt of Stolen Mail Matter, and Keys or Locks Stolen or Reproduced. Amend, 30, and Blanchard, 32, both of Wichita, Kansas, are each charged with, six counts of bank fraud, one count each of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, possession of device-making equipment, mail theft, and possessing and counterfeiting mail keys. Amend and Blanchard are accused of possessing equipment to make counterfeit checks, driver’s licenses and United States Postal Service collection box keys. The defendants are accused of stealing checks from collection boxes then making and using false identification documents to fraudulently obtain money from a local bank. The defendants fraudulently obtained over $10,000. If convicted, the statutory maximum penalty is 30 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine. The United States Postal Inspection Service is the investigating agency.

Octavio Gaytan-Veles. Reentry of Removed Alien. Gaytan-Veles, 39, is charged with having returned to the United States unlawfully after being deported in June 2013 from Brownsville, Texas. If convicted, the statutory maximum penalty is 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement is the investigating agency.

Rigoberto Gomez-Mendez. Reentry of Removed Alien. Gomez-Mendez, 29, is charged with having returned to the United States unlawfully after being deported in November 2012 from Laredo, Texas. If convicted, the statutory maximum penalty is 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement is the investigating agency.

Ethan Joseph Hernandez. Aiming a Laser Pointer at an Aircraft. Hernandez, 24, of Sapulpa, is charged with aiming the beam of a laser pointer at a Tulsa Police Department helicopter. If convicted, the statutory maximum penalty is five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The Department of Transportation is the investigating agency.

Reuben Joe Mercado. False Statements or Representations and Concealing a Person From Arrest. Mercado, 37, of Tulsa, is charged with making false statements to a Deputy United States Marshal regarding the whereabouts of a fugitive and for the offense of harboring and concealing the fugitive from arrest. If convicted, the statutory maximum penalty is five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for both offenses. The United States Marshals Service is the investigating agency.

Daniel Vasquez-Garcia. Reentry of Removed Alien. Vasquez-Garcia, 50, is charged with having returned to the United States unlawfully after being deported in July 2009 from Laredo, Texas. If convicted, the statutory maximum penalty is 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement is the investigating agency.