Federal Grand Jury Indictments

COLUMBIA, SC—United States Attorney Bill Nettles stated today that a Federal Grand Jury in Greenville, South Carolina, returned indictment(s) against the following:

Foreign Nationals Charged with Illegal Re-Entry

Juan Govea-Tejeda, Ruben Cornelio-Correa, Lazaro Victor Calderon-Cuevas, and Santiago Vasquez-Maldonado were each charged in a one-count indictment with illegal re-entry to the United States, a violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326. The maximum penalty each could receive, depending on his prior criminal history, is two to 20 years’ imprisonment. These cases were investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents and are assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Max Cauthen of the Greenville office for prosecution.

Pickens County Man Charged with Mailing Threatening Communication to U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham

Simon Peter Long, age 31, of Pickens County, was charged in a single-count indictment with mailing threatening communications, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 876(c). The maximum penalty Simon Peter Long could receive is 10 years’ imprisonment. The case was investigated by agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Jeanne Howard of the Greenville office for prosecution.

Illegal Re-Entry

Isaias Guevara-Marroquin was charged in a single-count indictment with illegally re-entering the United States after having been deported, a violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326. The maximum penalty Guevara-Marroquin could receive is 10 years’ imprisonment. The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents and is assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Carrie Fisher Sherard of the Greenville office for prosecution.

Greenville County Man Charged with Felon in Possession of a Firearm

Jeremy Steven Fowler, age 34, of Greenville, South Carolina, was charged in a single-count indictment with felon in possession of a firearm, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g). The maximum penalty Jeremy Steven Fowler could receive is 10 years’ imprisonment. The case was investigated by agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the South Carolina Highway Patrol and is assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Jeanne Howard of the Greenville office for prosecution.

Taylors Man Indicted for Possessing, Receiving, and Distributing Child Pornography

Russell Chaney Leupp, age 24, of Taylors, South Carolina, was charged in a two-count indictment with possessing, receiving and distributing child pornography, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2252A(a)(5)(B), and 2252(a)(2). The maximum penalty Russell Chaney Leupp could receive is 10 years’ imprisonment for violating Title 18, United States Code, Section 2252A(a)(5)(B). The minimum penalty Russell Chaney Leupp could receive for violating Title 18, United States Code, Section 2252(a)(2) is no less than five years’ imprisonment with the maximum being not more than 20 years’ imprisonment. The case was investigated by agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and is assigned to Assistant United States Attorney William J. Watkins, Jr., of the Greenville office for prosecution. This case is being brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices, 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 identify and rescue victims. For more information, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

The United States Attorney stated that all charges in these indictments are merely accusations and that all defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.