United States Attorney's Office
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced the federal Grand Jury for the District of Nebraska has returned eleven (11) unsealed Indictments charging 15 defendants. Indictments are charging documents that contain one or more individual counts that are merely accusations, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Rebecca Marie Hernandez, age 53, of Lincoln, Nebraska, is charged with failure to appear on or about or between December 12, 2023, and January 2, 2024. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
Christopher Gerald Ryan, age 52, of Lincoln, Nebraska, is charged in a two-count Indictment. Count I charges Ryan with possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine on or about August 1, 2024. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 10 years’ and up to life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, a term of supervised release of not less than 4 years and up to life, and a $100 special assessment. Count II charges Ryan with possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime on or about August 1, 2024. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 5 years’ and up to life imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
Stephanie Marie Bartels, age 30, of Lincoln, Nebraska, and Xavier Rashaad Blanton, age 33, of Lincoln, Nebraska, are charged in a two-count Indictment. Count I charges Bartels and Blanton with conspiracy to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl beginning on or about December 1, 2023, and continuing to on or about June 27, 2024. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 5 years’ and up to 40 years’ imprisonment, a $5,000,000 fine, a term of supervised release of not less than 4 years and up to life, and a $100 special assessment. Count II charges Bartels and Blanton with possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, cocaine, and marijuana on or about June 27, 2024. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 5 years’ and up to 40 years’ imprisonment, a $5,000,000 fine, a term of supervised release of not less than 4 years and up to life, and a $100 special assessment.
Michael A. Paris, age 37, and Kelcee Elizabeth Albin, age 28, both of Osmond, Nebraska, are charged in a two-count Indictment. Count I charges Paris and Albin with possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of meth on or about August 31, 2024. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 10 years’ and up to life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, a term of supervised release of not less than 5 years and up to life, and a $100 special assessment. Count II charges Paris and Albin with possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime on or about August 31, 2024. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 5 years’ and up to life imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a term of supervised release of not more than 3 years, and a $100 special assessment.
Alfredo Venancio Dominguez, age 27, and Nathaniel Lee Stephenson, age 27, both of Lincoln, Nebraska, are charged in a three-count Indictment. Count I charges Venancio Dominguez and Stephenson with conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of meth with prior serious violent felony convictions, beginning on or about June 11, 2024, and continuing to on or about July 15, 2024. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 15 years’ and up to life imprisonment, a $20,000,000 fine, a term of supervised release of not less than 10 years and up to life, and a $100 special assessment. Count II charges Venancio Dominguez with using and carrying a firearm during and in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime on or about July 15, 2024. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 5 years’ and up to life imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a term of supervised release of not more than 3 years, and a $100 special assessment. Count III charges Stephenson with distribution of 50 grams or more of meth on or about June 13, 2024. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 15 years’ and up to life imprisonment, a $20,000,000 fine, a term of supervised release of not less than 10 years up to life, and a $100 special assessment.
Bernie Charles Campbell, age 54, of Lincoln, Nebraska, is charged with conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of meth beginning on or about June 10, 2024, and continuing to on or about August 12, 2024. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 10 years’ and up to life imprisonment, an $8,000,000 fine, a term of supervised release of not less than 8 years and up to life, and a $100 special assessment.
Brandon M. McEvoy, age 33, of Omaha, Nebraska, is charged in a four-count Indictment. Count I charges McEvoy with wrongful disclosure of individually identifiable health information on or about August 14, 2024. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 5 years’ imprisonment, a $100,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count II charges McEvoy with wrongful disclosure of individually identifiable health information on or about August 14, 2024. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 1 year imprisonment, a $50,000 fine, a 1-year term of supervised release, and a $25 special assessment. Count III charges McEvoy with misuse of a social security number on or about August 14, 2024. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 5 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count IV charges McEvoy with a false statement or representation made to a department or agency of the United States on or about August 28, 2024. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 5 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
Paul M. Hughes, age 36, of Omaha, Nebraska, is charged in a nine-count Indictment. Count I charges Hughes with obtaining a controlled substance by fraud between on or about March 17, 2021, and March 19, 2021. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 4 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count II charges Hughes with obtaining a controlled substance by fraud on or about June 16, 2021. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 4 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count III charges Hughes with obtaining a controlled substance by fraud between on or about August 19, 2021, and August 23, 2021. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 4 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count IV charges Hughes with obtaining a controlled substance by using the registration of another between on or about April 1, 2021, and April 2, 2021. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 4 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count V charges Hughes with obtaining a controlled substance by using the registration of another on or about February 17, 2022. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 4 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count VI charges Hughes with a false statement on or about March 21, 2020. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 5 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count VII charges Hughes with a false statement on or about February 21, 2020. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 5 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count VIII charges Hughes with a false statement on or about May 16, 2021. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 5 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count IX charges Hughes with social security fraud on or about June 22, 2021. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 5 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
Clara Phillips, age 44, of Omaha, Nebraska, is charged with distribution and possession with the intent to distribute 100 grams or more of fentanyl on or about September 10, 2024. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 10 years’ and up to life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, a term of supervised release of not less than 5 years and up to life, and a $100 special assessment.
Steven Staley, age 28, of Omaha, Nebraska, is charged in a two-count Indictment. Count I charges Staley with possession with intent to distribute 10 grams or more of fentanyl on or about October 10, 2024. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 5 years’ and up to 40 years’ imprisonment, a $5,000,000 fine, a term of supervised release of not less than 4 years and up to life, and a $100 special assessment. Count II charges Staley with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime on or about October 10, 2024. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 5 years’ and up to life imprisonment consecutive, a $250,000 fine, a term of supervised release of not more than 5 years, and a $100 special assessment.
Lindsay Helm, age 39, and Harold Helm, age 40, both of Council Bluffs, Iowa, are charged in a three-count Indictment. Count I charges Lindsay and Harold Helm with disaster fraud beginning on or about March 21, 2019, and continuing through May 2020. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not more than 30 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a term of supervised release of not more than 5 years, and a $100 special assessment. Count II charges Lindsay Helm with a false statement to law enforcement on or about December 14, 2021. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not more than 5 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a term of supervised release of not more than 3 years, and a $100 special assessment. Count III charges Lindsay Helm with a false statement to law enforcement on or about December 14, 2021. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not more than 5 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a term of supervised release of not more than 3 years, and a $100 special assessment.