Federal court sentences Georgia man to probation for illegally transporting wildlife

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) — The US Attorney’s Office for the District of Nebraska reported weekly sentencing updates.

US Attorney Jan Sharp’s office in Omaha is a reminder to the public that probation does not exist in the federal system.

Gustavo Perez-Heurerta, 23, of Redwood Valley, Calif., was sentenced Friday to five years in prison by Lincoln Judge John M. Gerrard for possessing marijuana with intent to distribute it. In an investigation with the Nebraska State Patrol and Department of Homeland Security, a police officer stopped a pickup truck last March after watching the pickup truck speeding 80 miles per hour in a 75-mile zone. It is reported that the police officer also noticed that the van was following another car too closely and changed lanes without indicating. After officers obtained a warrant to search, they found that Perez-Heurerta and the co-defendant were transporting about 770 pounds of marijuana, according to the release.

Daniel C. Morris, 40, of Monroe, Georgia, was sentenced Friday to seven years’ probation by Lincoln Judge John Gerrard for unlawfully transporting wildlife in interstate commerce and violating the Lacey Act. In an investigation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement, and the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, Law Enforcement Division, officials determined that Morris had been conducting a mule deer hunt using archery in October 2020 when, according to the publication, Noble Outdoors traveled. He is reported to have illegally shot a mule deer and later took trophy parts of the deer out of state for taxidermy services in Georgia. “Under Nebraska law, shooting from the street and using a firearm to trap deer in archery during hunting season is prohibited,” the press release said. Officials say Morris also illegally dumped and dumped the deer carcass into a public waterway near North Platte with the help of Noble and his hunting partners. “Morris abandoned and abandoned the antlers and other parts of the mule deer captured in 2020, as well as an undisclosed additional number of stuffed mounts derived from mule deer captured on previous hunts at Noble Outdoors in 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 ‘ according to the publication. He must pay a total of $7,000 in fines and reparations.

Jean Thomas, 56, of Gering, was sentenced to two years’ probation for mail theft by Justice John M. Gerrard in Lincoln on Friday. In a 2017 investigation with the Office of Inspector General for the US Postal Service, there were complaints of missing mail from customers on delivery routes operated by Thomas, which the press release said was a rural route carrier at the time. As part of the investigation, the Office of the Inspector General sent “test pieces” containing gift cards for Thomas to deliver. It is reported that at least six of the tests were either undelivered or improperly returned to the post office. The press release went on to say that there was a review of the financial transactions and surveillance at the store, showing that she took the gift cards for her own use. Thomas also has a $250 fine.

Brett Cook, who has since passed away, is accused of using his position as vice president at Darland Properties to orchestrate an alleged fraud scheme involving Jeff Stenstrom, Brian Cook and others. The allegation follows a recent civil lawsuit seeking forfeiture of assets acquired in an alleged nearly $6 million fraud scheme. The complaint alleges that Brett Cook referred repair work for his company’s customers to Stenstrom Services, Inc., Jeff Stenstrom’s company. He is accused of billing customers for work that was not done and of submitting inflated bills to insurance companies. The complaint states that the program resulted in a loss of approximately $4,250,000 from which Brett Cook and Stenstrom personally benefited.

US Attorneys allege that by 2019, Brett Cook and Strenstrom stopped using Strenstrom Services for customer repairs. Brett Cook is also accused of starting a new company called Midwest Property Maintenance Solutions with his brother Brian Cook. Prosecutors allege that this new company operated in the same manner as Strenstrom Services allegedly, charging clients for work not performed and other work already completed and overcharged for other jobs. The civil suit alleged the system resulted in at least another $600,000 in loss.

The complaint also alleges that Brett Cook used his position as vice president to use client funds to reimburse himself for personal expenses, oblige subcontractors to pay him and others indirect kickbacks to get jobs, and a fee of approximately US$850,000. Dollars for negotiations with insurance companies receive names from customers.

Overall, Brett Cook is accused of running programs that resulted in a loss of at least $5,950,000 for customers.

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