Activity in the U.S. Attorney's Office

Public Lands Violations

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Yellowstone National Park

Alexander Villanueva, 37, of Las Vegas Nevada, pled guilty to reckless driving, failing to comply with a traffic control device, possessing an open container of alcohol in a vehicle, and refusing to submit to a test of his breath on January 14, 2025 in Mammoth, Wyoming. According to court documents, Villanueva was contacted by law enforcement officers after a park visitor reported him for an erratic driving pattern. After standard field sobriety testing indicated Mr. Villanueva was unsafe to operate a motor vehicle, he was arrested. After his arrest, Mr. Villanueva refused to submit to an official breath test. For refusing to submit to a breath test, Villanueva was sentenced to a 7-day term of incarceration with credit for 2 days previously served. He was also sentenced to pay a total of $1,020 in fines and court costs and placed on a 2 year term of unsupervised probation, one of the terms prohibit him from entering Yellowstone National Park during the period of probation. Because he refused the official breath test, he may not operate a motor vehicle for a period of 1 year on any federal lands pursuant to 18 U.S.C. 3118.

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Drug Trafficking and Firearm Offenses

Phillip Brent Chiles, 61, of Riverton, Wyoming, was sentenced to three years' probation with two months of home confinement for being a felon and unlawful user of a controlled substance in possession of a firearm. According to court documents, on May 3, 2024, the Riverton Police Department contacted Chiles at his residence about a comment his child made at school about gaining access to a gun. Chiles cooperated with the officer and showed him where he kept a .22 hunting rifle. Chiles said he possessed the weapon to take his son hunting. He also admitted to using approximately 1 gram of methamphetamine a week and was trying to cut back. His felony conviction was a burglary offense from 1983. Pacheco was indicted on July 18, 2024, pleaded guilty on Oct. 9, 2024, and Chief U.S. District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl imposed the sentence on Jan. 16, in Casper. The Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation and Riverton Police Department investigated the crime and Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy w. Gist prosecuted the case. Case No. 24-CR-00121

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Illegal Re-Entry of a Previously Deported Alien

Joel David Vazquez-Sanchez, 33, of Curaren, Francisco Morazan, Honduras, was sentenced to time served and will be deported for illegal reentry into the United States. According to court documents, on July 3, 2024, Vazquez-Sanchez was arrested by the Albany County Sheriff's Office for driving while under the influence. The Albany County Wyoming Detention Center provided a booking sheet that indicated Vazquez-Sanchez was born in Honduras. Agents with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) were contacted and determined that Vazquez-Sanchez had previously been removed from the U.S. and had not applied for permission to reenter after being formally removed in September 2016. ICE investigated the crime, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron J. Cook prosecuted the case. Chief U.S. District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl imposed the sentence on Jan. 16, Casper. Case No. 24-CR-00176