Centre County Man Pleads Guilty to Civil Rights Violations

JOHNSTOWN, PA—A resident of Centre County, Pennsylvania pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of interfering with housing, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.

Ryan M. Held, a/k/a Ryan M. Foley, 21, of 133 Hemlock Street in Philipsburg, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty to two counts before United States District Judge Kim R. Gibson.

In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that on August 20, 2010, Held, by force and threat of force, willfully intimidated and interfered with two minor victims, one of whom was an African-American male, because of his race and because he was occupying a dwelling; and one of whom was a female who was and had been lawfully allowing such African-American male, a friend, to occupy the dwelling in which she resided. During the afternoon of August 20, Held drove past the female victim’s home in Woodland, Pennsylvania, and saw her socializing with a few friends, one of whom was African-American. Just before midnight, Held returned to the property and placed a cross in the front yard of the female victim, approximately 60 feet from the entry to her home, and set it on fire for the purpose of intimidating and interfering with her and her African-American friend. Held spent a few minutes laying in the woods bordering the property watching the cross burn and waiting to see if anyone emerged from the residence.

“Every citizen has the right to be safe in their own home, free from racial intolerance and intimidation,” said U.S. Attorney Hickton. “We will continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute criminals whose actions are driven by bigotry and hate.”

Judge Gibson scheduled sentencing for February 7, 2013, at 10 a.m. The law provides for a total sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of $500,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Judge Gibson revoked bond and ordered Held detained pending the sentencing proceeding.

Assistant United States Attorney Carolyn J. Bloch is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government, together with Trial Attorney Roy Conn of the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Held.

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Pittsburgh Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Pornographic Images and Videos of Children

PITTSBURGH—A resident of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of possession of material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.

Matthew Lawrence Gamret, 28, of 111 Kentmoor Drive in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty to one count before Senior United States District Judge Gustave Diamond.

In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that on January 16, 2012, Gamret possessed visual depictions, namely, images and videos in computer graphics files, the production of which involved the use of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct.

Judge Diamond scheduled sentencing for January 30, 2013, at noon. The law provides for a total sentence of 10 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorney Jessica Lieber Smolar is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pennsylvania State Police conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Gamret.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “Resources.”

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Man Charged with Possession of a Firearm by Illegal Alien

Jose Miguel Perez, 31, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was charged today by indictment with one count of possession of a firearm by an illegal alien, announced United States Attorney Zane David Memeger. The indictment alleges that on or about August 24, 2012, Perez, an alien, knowingly possessed a Taurus Model PT 111, 9mm semi-automatic handgun loaded with 12 live rounds of ammunition.

If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of 10 years.

The case was investigated by the Philadelphia Police Department, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations, and the FBI. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Karen Fox.

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Terra Lee Brandy Running Crane Sentenced in U.S. District Court

The United States Attorney’s Office announced that during a federal court session in Great Falls on October 1, 2012, before U.S. District Judge Sam E. Haddon, Terra Lee Brandy Running Crane, a 27-year-old resident of Browning and an enrolled member of the Blackfeet Tribe, appeared for sentencing. Running Crane was sentenced to a term of:

■Prison: 57 months

■Special assessment: $100

■Supervised release: three years

Running Crane was sentenced after a federal district court trial in which she was found guilty of assault with a dangerous weapon and assault resulting in serious bodily injury.

At trial, the following evidence and testimony was presented to the jury.

On November 22, 2011, Running Crane floored her green Tahoe directly into a male individual, identified hereafter as “the victim,” as he stood outside a house in Browning, which is within the exterior boundaries of the Blackfeet Indian Reservation. An eyewitness testified that Running Crane was the driver of the vehicle that accelerated into the victim. Running Crane’s boyfriend then hopped in the passenger seat, and they sped off. The victim was left bleeding as he tried to lift himself out of a window at the house that the car ejected him through. Others inside rushed out to help him. He suffered fractures in his ankle, requiring the placement of two skews and a painful skin graft on his back. The Tahoe was later found abandoned in a ditch on the reservation.

Before Running Crane hit and injured the victim, she had been drinking inside with the victim and other individuals. The victim recalled Running Crane’s boyfriend getting tough and aggressive with him. The victim told Running Crane and her boyfriend to leave. The victim, defendant, and her boyfriend all went outside. The victim was chasing off the boyfriend when he was run into by Running Crane driving a green Tahoe. The victim described Running Crane as gunning the car over the sidewalk to strike him.

The victim saw a lot of blood coming from his left arm. His leg was pinned to the wall, and his body went through the window. The vehicle backed up. After being struck, the victim faded in and out of consciousness and stopped breathing at several points. Another individual came to the victim’s aid, kept him awake, and covered him with a blanket. The victim’s injuries included a fractured ankle—requiring surgery, and approximately 34 stitches/staples. He was given potent pain medication. The victim’s injuries also necessitated a skin graft on his back.

The owner of the house and the victim’s sister testified that she looked out a bedroom window and saw a dark green Chevy Tahoe back away from the window. Running Crane was in the driver’s seat. The car was on the curb in front of the residence when Running Crane backed up the Tahoe. Running Crane’s boyfriend was in the passenger seat of the vehicle as it backed away. The victim was on the ground; he tried to get up but could not lift himself. He was bleeding heavily from his left side. Neighbors called 911.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura B. Weiss prosecuted the case for the United States.

Because there is no parole in the federal system, the “truth in sentencing” guidelines mandate that Running Crane will likely serve all of the time imposed by the court. In the federal system, Running Crane does have the opportunity to earn a sentence reduction for “good behavior.” However, this reduction will not exceed 15 percent of the overall sentence.

The investigation was a cooperative effort between the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services.

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Stephen E. Vogt Named Special Agent in Charge of Baltimore Division

Director Robert S. Mueller, III has named Stephen E. Vogt special agent in charge of the FBI’s Baltimore Division. Mr. Vogt most recently served as the legal attaché in Kabul, Afghanistan.

Mr. Vogt began his career as a special agent with the FBI in August 1989. He first reported to the Cleveland Division, where he investigated white-collar crime, public corruption, organized crime, and drug cases and was also a member of the SWAT team. While there, he received the FBI Director’s Award and the Attorney General’s Award for his work on a law enforcement corruption investigation. In 1999, Mr. Vogt was promoted to supervisory special agent of a drug task force/High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Group (HIDTA) and was named the 2004 HIDTA Task Force Commander of the Year by the Office of National Drug Control Policy.

In 2005, Mr. Vogt was promoted to team leader in the Inspection Division at FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C. In this capacity, he managed teams of supervisors over a 12-month period as they conducted on-site inspections of field offices throughout the United States.

Mr. Vogt reported to the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq in 2006, where he served as an assistant legal attaché and investigated kidnappings, hostage matters, and general criminal activity.

In 2007, Mr. Vogt was promoted to an assistant special agent in charge of the Washington Field Office. He oversaw the cyber, gang/criminal enterprise, organized crime, and violent crime programs. During this time, he also worked with the Baltimore Division to establish a Cross Border Task Force in Prince George’s County, Maryland, aimed at combating violent gangs in the county.

Mr. Vogt reported to Kabul, Afghanistan as legal attaché in 2010. In this capacity, he was responsible for all FBI personnel and operations throughout the country.

Mr. Vogt earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature from Washington & Lee University and a Juris Doctorate degree from the University of Baltimore. He is married and has three children.

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