Read about our Top Ten news stories of the week, including the response from the FBI Laboratory director to the editor of 'The Wall Street Journal' regarding a recent opinion piece on the anthrax investigation; the guilty plea of a Texas State Representative to her role in a bribery and extortion scheme; and the conviction of a California woman for her role in a $6.5 million mortgage fraud scheme.
Rigoberto Torres-Gomez, a native of El Salvador illegally in the United States, pled guilty in Laredo, Texas to assaulting a U.S. Border Patrol agent by running into the agent with a vehicle.
Ming Shan Zhu, the owner of Catco Homes; Alvin Mark Eiland, former owner of Future Mortgage Company Inc.; and Gary Leonard Robinson II, a former employee of Future Mortgage Company Inc., were charged with offenses arising from a scheme to defraud residential mortgage lenders of more than $7 million in loans in connection with home purchases in the Houston area.
Francisco Flores, a member of Florencia 13, a street gang involved in narcotics distribution and shootings of African-Americans, was sentenced in Santa Ana, California to life in federal prison for his conviction on a host of federal criminal charges, including racketeering and narcotics distribution.
Rigoberto Torres-Gomez, a native of El Salvador illegally in the United States, pled guilty in Laredo, Texas to assaulting a U.S. Border Patrol agent by running into the agent with a vehicle.
Robert James Lawton, of Bozeman, Montana, was sentenced to 72 months in prison in connection with his guilty plea to receipt and possession of child pornography.
Kimberly Jean Palmer, formerly of Helena, Montana, pled guilty to wire fraud and bank fraud charges in connection with stealing approximately $50,000 from her former employer.
Eric Travis Turnsplenty, of Pryor, Montana, pled guilty to threatening to kill a Bureau of Indian Affairs officer and a Crow tribal officer during a five-hour standoff when the officers were trying to arrest Turnsplenty.
