FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, May 05, 2008
THOMAS PRESTON ADAMS, CANDIDA M. CHAMPAGNE and BRUCE T. HIRONAKA SENTENCED IN U.S. DISTRICT COURT
Bill Mercer, United States Attorney for the District of Montana, announced today that during a federal court session in Great Falls, on May 5, 2008, before U.S. District Judge Sam E. Haddon, THOMAS PRESTON ADAMS, a 41-year-old resident of Missoula, and CANDIDA M. CHAMPAGNE, age 27, and BRUCE T. HIRONAKA, age 41, residents of Great Falls, appeared for sentencing.
ADAMS was sentenced to a term of:
- Prison: 51 months
- Special Assessment: $400
- Restitution: $20,063.63
- Supervised Release: 5 years
CHAMPAGNE was sentenced to a term of:
- Prison: 6 months
- Special Assessment: $100
- Restitution: $1,356.79
- Supervised Release: 5 years
HIRONAKA was sentenced to a term of:
- Prison: 12 months
- Special Assessment: $200
- Restitution: $1,371.08
- Supervised Release: 5 years
They were sentenced in connection with their guilty pleas to bank fraud. ADAMS also pled guilty to aggravated identity theft, interstate transportation of a stolen motor vehicle, and being a fugitive in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
In an Offer of Proof filed by the United States, the government stated it would have proved at trial the following:
ADAMS was arrested for felony theft in Worcester County Maryland and appeared on those charges on June 22, 2007. He requested a jury trial and was released. The trial was set for August 6, 2007. ADAMS failed to appear and a warrant was issued for his arrest.
On August 24, 2007, S&C Wrecker Service towed a 2005 Chevy Van from the alley near ADAMS' girlfriend's (Carrie McLean) house due to a parking violation. Upon checking the VIN of the van, S&C employees determined that it was stolen. Law enforcement determined that the vehicle had been stolen from Marksmen Construction Services in Indianapolis, Indiana, on or about August 13, 2007. The vehicle was towed to the Great Falls Police Department.
Later in the day, ADAMS arrived at S&C Towing to retrieve the van. Employees of S&C Towing called the police department. Before police officers arrived at S&C Towing, ADAMS departed. Police officers located the vehicle in which ADAMS was riding, and were able to detain ADAMS after chasing him through a field. ADAMS told officers his name was Chris Thomas Adams, which is the identity of ADAMS' deceased brother. At the time of ADAMS' arrest, he was in possession of the identification documents in the name of M.T. and a Western Union Money order purchased from Van's IGA in Great Falls on August 23, 2007.
A state search warrant was executed on the van. It contained a Senco staple gun, Senco nail gun, Milwaukee circular saw, Milwaukee sawzall, Trac fastener, Honda powerwasher, a blue bag containing hundreds of rounds of various ammunition, and a Remington M700 .338 winchester magnum rifle. Located in the blue bag was a leather ammunition belt with a pouch containing a Fish and Game license belonging to D.M.
D.M. and M.M. were contacted and they advised police officers that their business had been burglarized on or about August 18, 2007, and that power tools, as well as the blue duffle bag and rifle had been stolen. D.M. and M.M. verified that the tools, duffle bag and rifle belonged to them.
On September 17, 2007, M.M. also discovered that business checks had been taken in the burglary because 16 forged checks had come through the business bank account. The names listed in "pay to the order of" on the checks were HIRONAKA, N.L., M.T. and B.D. HIRONAKA was given checks in his name, a juvenile female was given checks in the name of N.L., and CHAMPAGNE received checks in the name of B.D. from McLean, drawn on D.M. and M.M.'s U.S. Bank business checking account. McLean advised investigators that ADAMS had provided her with the checks and told her to use them when and if she needed money, groceries, etc. McLean had used her computer to print the checks so that they would appear to be legitimate payroll checks.
On August 23, 2007, ADAMS had used three of the stolen and fraudulently endorsed bank checks, made payable to M.T., to obtain money.
HIRONAKA was interviewed and admitted getting the fraudulent business checks in his name and drawn on the victims' business account from McLean. HIRONAKA admitted passing the checks and was captured on closed circuit video at a local convenience store negotiating one of the stolen and fraudulently endorsed checks.
CHAMPAGNE was interviewed and admitted getting two of the fraudulent business checks in the name of B.D. and drawn on the victims' business account from McLean. CHAMPAGNE admitted passing the checks and fraudulently using the identity of B.D. to do so.
While the entire scheme netted almost $8,500 for the conspirators, the checks negotiated by ADAMS totaled $2,121; the checks negotiated by HIRONAKA totaled $1,371.08; and the checks negotiated by CHAMPAGNE totaled $1,356.79.
McLean pled guilty to federal charges and has been sentenced.
Because there is no parole in the federal system, the "truth in sentencing" guidelines mandate that they will likely serve all of the time imposed by the court. In the federal system, they do have the opportunity to earn a sentence reduction for "good behavior." However, this reduction will not exceed 15% of the overall sentence.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Carl E. Rostad prosecuted the case for the United States.
The investigation was a cooperative effort between the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Great Falls Police Department.
