Several individuals were sentenced in the U.S. District Court for the District of Wyoming for crimes ranging from financial fraud to violent offenses and drug trafficking, according to announcements from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Cassandra Lee Corbin, 36, with no permanent address, received a sentence of 21 months in prison and three years of supervised release for theft of government funds. Court records state that Corbin was receiving Survivor Insurance Benefits from the Social Security Administration (SSA) as custodian of her two minor children after her husband’s death. However, between November 2020 and May 2023, Corbin did not have custody of the children but continued to collect benefits on their behalf without notifying SSA. The Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General investigated this case. Corbin was indicted on May 12 and pleaded guilty on June 27. Chief U.S. District Judge Kelly H. Rankin imposed the sentence on September 25 in Cheyenne.
In another case, Cole Posey, 35, of Arapahoe, Wyoming, was sentenced to 50 months in prison with three years of supervised release for assault resulting in serious bodily injury. On May 1, authorities responded to an assault at a residence in Ethete where Posey struck a victim in the face causing a displaced nasal fracture along with other injuries. The Bureau of Indian Affairs Wind River Police Department and FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Elmore prosecuted the case; Posey was indicted on May 21 and pleaded guilty July 1.
Gonnie Chad Luis Angatomope Mendez (also known as Luis Mendez), age 44 with no permanent residence, received a sentence of 51 months’ imprisonment plus three years’ supervised release for threatening a witness or victim with physical force. According to court documents, Mendez abused both his partner and her child and threatened violence if his actions were reported to law enforcement: “The defendant provided a factual basis in which he admitted using physical force and the threat of physical force against the victim to hinder, delay and prevent the victim’s communication with law enforcement.” The FBI investigated; Assistant U.S. Attorney Kerry J. Jacobson prosecuted; U.S. District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson imposed sentencing on September 22.
Carlos Salazar, age 50 without a permanent address, was sentenced to over seven-and-a-half years (92 months) in prison followed by four years’ supervised release for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Authorities began investigating suspected drug distribution activities in December 2024; Salazar was identified as a distributor obtaining drugs from Colorado suppliers and transporting them into Wyoming via vehicle before being apprehended after fleeing law enforcement during a traffic stop attempt by Wyoming Highway Patrol (WHP). Methamphetamine thrown out during pursuit was recovered by agents from multiple agencies including WHP and Homeland Security Investigations.
Elmer Danillo Martinez Quinteros, age 33 from Santa Barbara, Honduras received time served—about four months—for illegal reentry into the United States after previous deportation following arrest for driving under influence in Laramie County on July 6, 2020; he will be deported following sentencing by U.S. District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson.
Andres Sanchez Yobal of Bozeman, Montana pled guilty to operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated (.08 BAC or higher) and without valid driver’s license within Yellowstone National Park boundaries; he was sentenced to serve remaining days out of a total sixty-day incarceration term immediately along with five years unsupervised probation including park ban during probationary period.
The United States Attorney’s Office represents federal interests across all criminal prosecutions for violations within Wyoming’s jurisdiction as well as civil litigation involving federal parties or interests—including restitution collection efforts for victims or taxpayers—and is involved in several community safety initiatives such as Project Safe Childhood (targeting technology-facilitated sexual exploitation crimes against children), Operation Take Back America (focused on combating illegal immigration and transnational crime), and its Victim Witness Program providing support services throughout legal proceedings.
To report federal crimes or seek more information about these programs visit https://www.justice.gov/actioncenter/report-crime
