Federal Grand Jury Returns Indictments
| U.S. Attorney’s Office September 28, 2011 |
MADISON, WI—A federal grand jury in the Western District of Wisconsin, sitting in Madison, returned the following indictments today. You are advised that a charge is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Eau Claire Man Charged with Child Pornography Crimes
David J. Kmetz, 43, Eau Claire, Wis., is charged with one count of distributing child pornography and one count of possessing a computer hard drive containing child pornography. The indictment alleges that on July 26, 2010, he distributed computer images and video files containing visual depictions involving the use of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, and that he possessed the computer hard drive on January 11, 2011.
If convicted, Kmetz faces a penalty of at least five years and up to 20 years in federal prison on the distribution count, and 10 years on the possession count. The charges against him are the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The prosecution of this case has been assigned to Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter M. Jarosz.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Waterloo Man Charged with Embezzlement
Allen R. Howe, 63, Waterloo, Wis., is charged with embezzling $56,723.74, from the Allen Howe & Son, Inc. Simple Retirement Account Trust. The indictment alleges that from December 2006 through September 2009, he withheld that amount of Allen Howe & Son, Inc. employee contributions, and failed to make payments to any financial institution on behalf of those employees.
If convicted, Howe faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. The charge against him is the result of an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration. The prosecution of this case has been assigned to Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter M. Jarosz.