Defendants plead guilty in Albany federal court

ALBANY — At least three defendants entered guilty pleas in Albany federal court this week, with two of those cases stemming from child pornography discovered on home computers, court officials say.

In unrelated cases, Christopher B. Wilcox, 41, formerly of Cordele, and Brian O. Brannen, 41, formerly of Albany, each pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography before U.S. District Court Judge W. Louis Sands.

Officials of the U.S. Department of Justice said that at the time of his plea, Wilcox was already on supervised release from a previous conviction in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Georgia for possession of child pornography in March, 2003. Wilcox received a sentence of 33 months in prison for that offenses, officials say.

According to a DOJ release, Wilcox was subsequently convicted of aggravated child abuse in Crisp County Superior Court in February 2005, for which he was on probation at the time for his latest offense. Wilcox is now serving a 10-year parole revocation of this state sentence based on the new offense, officials say.

According to the DOJ release, the charge against Brannen originated with reports from a person who had stayed briefly at the defendant’s residence that child pornography had been observed on Brannen’s computer. Officers of the Dougherty County Sheriff’s Office subsequently obtained and executed a search warrant on the residence and computer and discovered numerous incidents of child pornography, officials say.

“Child pornography is a scourge that makes victims of the most innocent members of our society,” said U.S. attorney Michael J. Moore in a statement. “I commend the investigators in this case for their diligence in uncovering the participation of Mr. Brannen in this illegal activity.”

Wilcox and Brannen each face potential maximum sentences of 20 years imprisonment, fines of $250,000 or both, officials say, and both offenders will be required to register as sex offenders. Sentencing is expected in about 60 days.

In a third unrelated case, Timothy D. Wilburn, 32, of Ashburn entered a plea of guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. According to the DOJ, together the two offenses carry a maximum sentence of 22 years imprisonment and a a maximum fine of $50,000. Officials say Wilburn will be sentenced in about 60 days.

Wilburn had submitted more than 70 false income tax returns involving the name and identities of actual persons, the DOJ release states, after which he converted the funds received to his own use. According to the DOJ, evidence of the ongoing scheme was discovered by officers of the Albany Police Department while responding to a burglary report at Wilburn’s home.