United States Attorney Erica H. MacDonald today announced the sentencing of GARY JAMES DOKULIL, 40, to 160 months in prison for distribution of child pornography and making false statements in an application for a passport. DOKULIL, who pleaded guilty on Sept. 13, 2019, was sentenced today before Judge Joan N. Ericksen in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
According to the defendant’s guilty plea and documents filed in court, between December 2008 and November 2018, DOKULIL admitted to using file-sharing software to search for, acquire, and distribute images and videos depicting child sexual abuse. DOKULIL also admitted to traveling to the Philippines on multiple occasions and, while there in 2016, purchased several DVDs containing child pornography.
According to the defendant’s guilty plea and documents filed in court, in November 2018, law enforcement executed a search warrant at DOKULIL’s residence and seized several items, including electronics, electronic media, various travel documents, and DOKULIL’s passport. Law enforcement informed DOKULIL that he could not report his passport lost or stolen in order to obtain a new one because the location of his passport (i.e., in the custody of the FBI) was known to DOKULIL. Despite the warning, DOKULIL submitted an application to the State Department for a replacement passport and, under penalty of perjury, falsely reported that his passport was “lost" or “missing." After fraudulently obtaining a replacement passport, DOKULIL traveled to the Philippines. On Feb. 26, 2019, DOKULIL was located and arrested in the Philippines and was later deported to the United States.
This case was the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI and the Maplewood Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Angela M. Munoz and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Carol M. Kayser prosecuted the case.
Defendant Information:
GARY JAMES DOKULIL, 40
Maplewood, Minn.
Convicted:
* Distribution of child pornography, 1 count
* False statement in application for passport, 1 count
Sentenced:
* 160 months in prison
* 15 years of supervised release
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
