Date: 08-12-2024

Case Style:

United States of America v. Wendy Berger

Case Number:

Judge: Scott L. Palk

Court: The United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida (Hillsborough County)

Plaintiff's Attorney: The United States Attorney’s Office in Tampa, Florida

Defendant's Attorney: center>

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Description:

Tampa, Florida criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with Money Laundering
Chinese National Sentenced To 17 Months For Money Laundering

On October 3, 2023, a federal grand jury returned a three-count Superseding Indictment, charging Reuben Julius Ingram, III, age 44, of Oklahoma City, with being a felon in possession of firearms, possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute, and possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime. According to public record, on August 22, 2023, the Oklahoma City Police Department (OCPD) received a call from a woman who claimed Ingram had pointed a firearm at her multiple times, threatened to kill her, and hit her vehicle window with the firearm. OCPD officers later located Ingram’s car in a nearby motel parking lot, and arrested Ingram after a traffic stop. Officers then searched Ingram’s motel room pursuant to a search warrant, where they found three firearms, ammunition, and large quantities of fentanyl and crack cocaine.

Public record further reflects that Ingram holds multiple prior felony convictions, all in Oklahoma County District Court, including trafficking in illegal drugs in case number CF-2012-1744, domestic assault and battery in case number CF-2007-6521, and driving while under the influence of alcohol and attempting to elude officers in case number CF-2000-4027.

On January 9, 2024, Ingram pleaded guilty to counts 1 & 2 of the Superseding Indictment, and admitted to possessing at least forty grams of fentanyl with the intent to distribute it, and to possessing a firearm despite his criminal history.

At the sentencing hearing on August 8, 2024, U.S. District Judge Scott L. Palk sentenced Ingram to serve 180 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. In announcing his sentence, Judge Palk noted the seriousness of Ingram’s crimes, as well as his history of violence, including domestic violence offenses.

This case is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Oklahoma City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary E. Walters prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a Department of Justice program to reduce violent crime. In October 2017, the Department announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop crime-reduction strategies that incorporate lessons federal law enforcement has learned since the program’s launch in 2001. This case is also part of “Operation 922,” the Western District of Oklahoma’s implementation of PSN, which prioritizes prosecution of federal crimes connected to domestic violence. For more information about PSN, please visit https://justice.gov/psn and https://justice.gov/usao-wdok.

Outcome:

Defendant was found guilty and sentenced to 180 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release

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Defendant's Experts:

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