U.S. Attorney’s Office

Southern District of Illinois

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Thursday, June 17, 2021

Behavioral Health Specialist Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Enticing A Minor Hopsital Patient for Sex, and Attempting to Obstruct His Prosecution

EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – Ricardo D. Minor, 40, of Cahokia, Illinois, will be spending 15 years in federal prison for enticing a minor to have sex with him. Minor was sentenced to 180 months’ imprisonment for enticement of a minor; traveling with intent to have sex with a minor; and attempting to obstruct his prosecution. Minor will also serve ten years of supervised release after release from prison.

According to court documents, the crimes occurred between June 14, 2017 and September 3, 2017, while Minor was working as a Behavioral Health Specialist at a local hospital and the victim was a patient. Minor admitted that he used his cell phone and internet to contact the victim to have sex with him on several occasions in homes in Collinsville, Illinois, and Cahokia, Illinois. Minor was also a driver for Uber and would take the victim with him on trips to have sex. The Court also heard evidence regarding other allegations of criminal and inappropriate sexual contact by Minor, including with patients receiving therapy at the same hospital.

The obstruction charge was based upon Minor’s activity between August 2017 and November 27, 2017. During this time, he attempted to obstruct his prosecution by contacting the victim and witnesses to get them to lie regarding his criminal conduct. One witness was asked to call the family of the victim to get the family not to pursue charges.

The Court in sentencing Minor said that his conduct was “reprehensible” and noted that the 15-year sentence of imprisonment was needed to deter further criminal conduct.

After the sentencing U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft said, “This case is so egregious because the defendant preyed on a vulnerable victim who he knew was receiving behavioral health treatment.” He cautioned parents that, “The case serves to highlight how important it is for parents to monitor their children’s internet and cell phone usage because sexual predators rely on their cell phones to gain access to victims.”

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.”

The case was investigated by the Collinsville Police Department, the St. Louis County Police Department and the FBI. Assistant United States Attorney Angela Scott prosecuted the case.

https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdil/pr/behavioral-health-specialist-sentenced-15-years-federal-prison-enticing-minor-hopsital

U.S. Attorney’s Office

District of South Carolina

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Thursday, June 17, 2021

Former Florence County Sheriff’s Lieutenant Sentenced to Just Over a Year in Federal Prison after Joint Investigation into Public Corruption and Illegal Gambling

FLORENCE, SC — Acting U.S. Attorney M. Rhett DeHart announced today that former Florence County Sheriff’s Lieutenant Mark Edward Fuleihan, 49, of Florence, was sentenced to just over a year in federal prison as the result of an extensive joint federal and state investigation into public corruption and illegal gambling operations in the Pee Dee region. Fuleihan, who previously pleaded guilty for operating an illegal gambling business, is one of nine defendants to be charged in the case and is among eight defendants who have pleaded guilty for their role in the illegal operation.

Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) began the operation years ago after a request from the Florence County Sheriff’s Office. The investigation specifically focused on allegations that a senior law enforcement official was obstructing the ability of SLED and others to monitor illegal gambling operations by, among other things, informing those gambling operators about planned law enforcement activity. The case led to SLED’s arrest of Fuleihan on April 2, 2020, on a South Carolina State Grand Jury arrest warrant for a state Ethics Act bribery charge, followed by South Carolina State Grand Jury indictments for misconduct in office and Ethics Act bribery charges on May 14, 2020. Federal charges for obstruction of justice were filed on June 30, 2020, and a federal grand jury indicted Fuleihan on October 20, 2020, for operating an illegal gambling business, conspiracy to obstruct enforcement of state criminal law, and obstruction of an official proceeding. Then-Florence County Interim Sheriff William Barnes dismissed Fuleihan, who had served as a Florence County Sheriff’s Deputy since 1995, from his position just before his arrest by SLED.

“We trust our law enforcement officers to protect society and stand against wrongdoing,” said Acting U.S. Attorney DeHart. “When an officer violates that trust, it is imperative that we hold them accountable. I commend our state and federal partners for doing just that in this case. This team was able to dismantle a criminal organization that was bolstered by a crooked cop and to send that officer to prison.”

Evidence presented to the court showed that since at least July 2014, the defendants operated illegal gambling houses throughout Florence and Williamsburg. The gambling organization allowed individuals to play illegal gambling machines, collected monies from those individuals playing, and payed out winnings to those individuals. Approximately $1,000,000 in cash was deposited into the accounts of at least two members of the gambling organization.

The evidence showed that Fuleihan was essential to the ability of the gambling operation to operate. Fuleihan used his former position as a senior officer with the Florence County Sheriff’s Office to uncover details about the joint federal and state investigation into the illegal gambling operation, which included calling SLED officials and requesting to be informed about any upcoming operations related to gambling enforcement. Fuleihan would share this information with members of the illegal gambling operation, and the members would use it to evade law enforcement operations and to destroy potentially relevant evidence. Fuleihan was recorded on several calls with at least one member of the gambling operation discussing pending federal search warrants, potential wiretaps, and law enforcement raids. At least one member of the illegal gambling operation explained how Fuleihan would sell previously seized gambling machines back to members of the illegal gambling operation.

Chief U.S. District Judge R. Bryan Harwell sentenced Fuleihan to twelve months and one day in federal prison, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system. The South Carolina State Grand Jury charges remain pending at this time.

The following co-defendants in the case have pled guilty and been sentenced to terms of probation or house arrest: Timothy Dane Keefe, 39, of Lake City; Thyrone Eaddy, 54, of Lake City; Cliff Cantey, 62, of Lake City; Kenneth Moore, 64, of Salters; George Dollard, 70, of Lake City; and Leroy Barbour 51, of Florence. Co-defendant Sheryl Kirby, 52, of Lake City, has pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing. Co-defendant Dale Smith, 64, of Lake City, has been charged but has not entered a plea in the case or otherwise been convicted.

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https://www.justice.gov/usao-sc/pr/former-florence-county-sheriff-s-lieutenant-sentenced-just-over-year-federal-prison-after