Middle District of Florida
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Orlando Woman Pleads Guilty to Committing Fraud While on Federal Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – Lavitress Williams (39, Orlando) has pleaded guilty to five counts of wire fraud and five counts of passing counterfeit checks. She faces up to 20 years in federal prison for each wire fraud count, and up to 10 years’ imprisonment for each count of passing a counterfeit check. Williams will also be ordered to pay restitution to her victims.
According to court documents, in 2013, Williams was sentenced to five years and three months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for participating in a scheme involving counterfeit travelers’ checks that were passed at Target stores located throughout the southeastern United States. After she was released from prison, and while serving on federal supervised release, Williams engaged in another fraud scheme in which she passed counterfeit checks at Walgreens and CVS stores in central Florida.
Over the course of more than five months, Williams passed, or attempted to pass, counterfeit checks at more than 30 drugstores. The total amount of actual and attempted losses associated with the scheme is estimated at over $60,000.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service, with assistance from the Eatonville Police Department, the Maitland Police Department, the Orlando Police Department, the Winter Park Police Department, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office, and the U.S. Marshals Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg.
Flagler Beach Man Sentenced to Nearly Eleven Years in Federal Prison for Selling Benzoyl Fentanyl and Other Drugs OnlineRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Robert Richard Jodoin (50, Flagler Beach) to 10 years and 10 months in federal prison for importing GHB into the United States, distributing benzoyl fentanyl, possessing with the intent to distribute N-Ethylhexedrone, maintaining a residence for the purpose of distributing controlled substances, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The court also ordered Jodoin to forfeit the web domain PRIMALVISIONS.NET, which Jodoin had used to sell drugs. Jodoin had pleaded guilty on February 6, 2019.
According to court documents, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) began investigating Jodoin. The investigating agencies discovered that multiple drug overdose victims around the country had purchased their drugs from Jodoin via his website. The investigation revealed that Jodoin was selling a wide array of controlled substances on his website, including fentanyl analogues. He routinely imported controlled substances from outside the United States, including, on one occasion, more than a kilogram of GHB. Information received from local law enforcement agencies revealed multiple overdose victims around the country had identified PRIMALVISIONS.NET as their drug source. One of the overdose victims told law enforcement that he had purchased fentanyl, methamphetamine, and ketamine from the website.
In May 2018, an undercover special agent with HSI purchased drugs from Jodoin.
Also in May 2018, during the time the undercover buy was being conducted, Jodoin posted an advertisement on PRIMALVISIONS.NET offering $1,300 to anyone who would beat up his girlfriend, and stated that she was “wanted dead or alive.” Jodoin also solicited the undercover agent via text message to “take out” his girlfriend.
Federal agents also learned that Jodoin was using the Flagler Beach Post Office to receive international drug shipments and to mail drug packages to his customers across the country. On May 26, 2018, a postal inspector was alerted that a package addressed to PRIMAL VISIONS had arrived from China. A border search of the parcel revealed that it contained more than 100 grams of N-Ethylhexedrone, a controlled substance analogue. On June 6, 2018, the package was scanned as available for pickup, and law enforcement observed as Jodoin traveled from his residence to the Flagler Beach Post Office. Upon arriving, Jodoin took possession of the package and was arrested as he exited the building.
Also on June 6, 2018, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Jodoin’s residence and located a drug packaging table with a mortar and pestle for grinding drugs, a drug scale, large quantities of USPS packaging materials, and drug dosing spoons and pipes. Next to the drug packaging table was a .380 caliber pistol, which was loaded.
“This case highlights the wide range of criminal statutes our HSI special agents enforce,” said HSI Tampa Special Agent in Charge James C. Spero. “Our communities are safer with this criminal and his drugs off our streets.”
This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with assistance from the Florida National Guard Counterdrug Program, the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office, and the Flagler Beach Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Laura Cofer Taylor.
Federal Jury Convicts Two Colombian Nationals and One Belizean National for International Cocaine Smuggling ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – A federal jury has found Rudolph Randolph Meighan (28, Belize), Jorge Ramon Newball-May (48, Colombia), and Calbot Reid-Dilbert (59, Colombia) each guilty of one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with the intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine while onboard a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, as well as one count of possession with the intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine on that vessel. Each faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. Their sentencing hearings are scheduled for August 7, 2019. A fourth defendant, Emiro Hinestroza-Newbbooll, is awaiting trial.
According to evidence presented at trial, the defendants were part of an international maritime drug smuggling operation involving at least 600 kilograms of cocaine, worth approximately $18 million, that was bound for the United States. Randolph Meighan was the Belizean load guard for a Cartagena, Colombia-based cocaine smuggling crew, which included Newball-May and Reid-Dilbert as crewmembers. Prior to their interdiction by the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), the individuals were transporting approximately 30-to-40 bales of cocaine onboard a go-fast vessel from Colombia to Belize, following a known cocaine smuggling route known as the “Honduras Rise.”
On December 1, 2018, a USCG HC-130 aircraft deployed from Air Station Elizabeth City, North Carolina spotted and recorded the defendants onboard a go-fast vessel traveling north at a high rate of speed, approximately 110 nautical miles southwest of Jamaica. In an attempt to destroy evidence and evade capture, the defendants jettisoned all of the cocaine bales onboard the vessel and sank them to the ocean bottom, by tying the bales to their outboard engines and throwing the engines (their only means of propulsion) overboard. The USCG aircrew thwarted that attempt and was able to observe and record most of the jettison.
Later that day, the men and their now engine-less vessel were interdicted and boarded by USCG law enforcement officers from Tactical Law Enforcement Team (TACLET) Pacific. That boarding yielded crucial evidence consistent with cocaine trafficking, including trace amounts of cocaine present on the smuggling vessel and the defendants.
This case was investigated by the Panama Express Strike Force, an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) comprised of agents and analysts from the United States Coast Guard Investigative Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, and U.S. Southern Command's Joint Interagency Task Force South. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and those primarily responsible for the nation’s drug supply. The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas DeRenzo and Assistant United States Attorney Dan Baeza.
Eleven Individuals Plead Guilty to Conspiring to Manufacture and Distribute Heroin, Fentanyl, Carfentanil, and Other Controlled Substances in Manatee and Pasco Counties, Resulting in DeathRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces that 11 individuals have entered guilty pleas stemming from a conspiracy to distribute, to possess with the intent to distribute, to manufacture, and to possess with the intent to manufacture at least one kilogram of heroin, at least 40 grams of fentanyl, carfentanil, furanyl fentanyl, cyclopropylfentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine, the distribution of which resulted in one death from carfentanil intoxication.
Manatee/Pasco Drug Trafficking Organization
Name
Age, Residence
Status
Rafael Sanchez, a/k/a “Chico Jay”
30, Palmetto
Pleaded guilty to 1 count of conspiracy to distribute, possess with the intent to distribute, manufacture, and possess with the intent to manufacture at least one kilogram of heroin.
Faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 15 years, and up to life, in federal prison.
Jerome Miller, a/k/a “Madball”
30, Bradenton (Deceased)
Pleaded guilty to 1 count of conspiracy to distribute, possess with the intent to distribute, manufacture, and possess with the intent to manufacture at least one kilogram of heroin.
Faced a minimum mandatory penalty of 10 years, and up to life, in federal prison.
James McClinton
40, Dade City
Pleaded guilty to 1 count of conspiracy to distribute, possess with the intent to distribute, manufacture, and possess with the intent to manufacture at least one kilogram of heroin.
Faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 15 years, and up to life, in federal prison.
Jose Venegas, a/k/a “Tiny”
24, Dade City
Pleaded guilty to 1 count of conspiracy to distribute, possess with the intent to distribute, manufacture, and possess with the intent to manufacture at least one kilogram of heroin.
Faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 10 years, and up to life, in federal prison.
Bryan Reshaun Wright
36, Dade City
Pleaded guilty to 1 count of conspiracy to distribute heroin.
Faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 15 years, and up to life, in federal prison.
Robert Lee Nealey
38, Dade City
Pleaded guilty to 1 count of conspiracy to distribute heroin.
Faces up to 20 years in federal prison.
Eduardo Sanchez-Lara, a/k/a “Lalo”
42, Atlanta, GA
Pleaded guilty to 1 count of conspiracy to distribute at least one kilogram of heroin.
Faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 10 years, and up to life, in federal prison.
Demetrius Cherilus Morancy, a/k/a “Pearl”
26, Bradenton
Pleaded guilty to 1 count of conspiracy to distribute at least one kilogram of heroin, at least 40 grams of fentanyl, and other controlled substances.
Faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 10 years, and up to life, in federal prison.
Homar Guerrero-Hernandez
25, Bradenton
Pleaded guilty to 1 count of conspiracy to distribute at least one kilogram of heroin, at least 40 grams of fentanyl, and carfentanil resulting in death. Pleaded guilty to 1 count of distribution of carfentanil resulting in death.
Faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 20 years, and up to life in federal prison.
Wilson Peter Revange, a/k/a “Jackboi”
26, Bradenton
Pleaded guilty to 1 count of conspiracy to distribute heroin, fentanyl, and other controlled substances.
Faces up to 20 years in federal prison.
Aljan Blanchard
27, Bradenton
Pleaded guilty to 1 count of conspiracy to distribute heroin.
Faces up to 20 years in federal prison.
According to the plea agreements and other filings in this case, these 11 individuals were part of a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that conspired to distribute heroin, fentanyl, fentanyl analogues, and other substances. The DTO operated in and around Manatee and Pasco Counties, with ties to other criminal organizations in Georgia and elsewhere. In July 2018, the DTO conspired to receive heroin from a Mexican transnational criminal organization and then convert it into at least a kilogram of heroin for street distribution. Law enforcement seized the heroin from the DTO while it was being prepared for distribution and also seized fentanyl, carfentanil, and other fentanyl analogues, after recording purchases of opioids from various members of the DTO. In all, the investigation resulted in the seizure of more than a kilogram of heroin; various amounts of fentanyl, carfentanil and other fentanyl analogues; firearms; and cash proceeds from the drug trafficking.
In addition, law enforcement officers identified an overdose that occurred in spring 2017 that was linked to the DTO. Homar Guerrero-Hernandez had distributed carfentanil to a person in Manatee County, who later died from ingesting the drug.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, and the Hardee County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, as part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and those primarily responsible for the nation’s drug supply. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dan Baeza.
Dallas-Based Methamphetamine Trafficker Sentenced to More Than Seventeen Years in Prison for Conspiring to Distribute Methamphetamine in Pasco CountyRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Susan C. Bucklew has sentenced Ruben Longoria, Jr. (31, Dallas, Texas), a/k/a “Scooter,” to 17 years and 6 months in federal prison for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine from Texas into the Middle District of Florida.
Longoria had pleaded guilty on January 29, 2019.
According to court documents, Longoria was a supplier of methamphetamine in Dallas, Texas, who had planned to distribute at least three kilograms of methamphetamine to the Pasco County area. After several recorded conversations between Longoria and a cooperating defendant, the Drug Enforcement Administration obtained a search warrant for Longoria’s Dallas residence. During the execution of the warrant on September 19, 2018, law enforcement officers seized almost 4.5 kilograms of methamphetamine, as well as a trafficking amount of cocaine and a loaded firearm.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, and the Hardee County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from a task force in DEA’s Dallas Field Division, as part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and those primarily responsible for the nation’s drug supply. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dan Baeza.
Convicted Felon Sentenced to Federal Prison After Living Under an Assumed Identity for Nearly 18 YearsRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida– Chief U.S. District Judge Steven Merryday today sentenced Luilly Rafael Almonte Hiciano (48, St. Pete Beach) to four years and three months in federal prison for aggravated identity theft and lying to the United States government. The court also ordered Hiciano to pay restitution to the victim of the offense.
Hiciano had pleaded guilty on February 8, 2019, to one count of aggravated identity theft and two counts of lying to the United States government. As part of the plea agreement, Hiciano agreed that he may be removed from the United States and denied immigration benefits in the future.
According to court documents, Hiciano attempted to move to the United States in 1999, but was denied a visa to enter. Nevertheless, he moved to the United States and assumed the identity of an unsuspecting U.S. citizen, which Hiciano used for approximately 18 years until his arrest in 2018. Hiciano used the victim’s identity to obtain two U.S. Passports, driver licenses, and three Social Security cards. In addition, between 2004 and 2010, Hiciano served approximately 3 ½ years in jail for crimes he had committed using the victim’s identity.
“The Diplomatic Security Service is firmly committed to making sure that those who commit passport fraud face consequences for their criminal actions,” said Frederick R. Stolper, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, Miami Field Office. “The strong relationship we enjoy with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and other law enforcement agencies around the world is vital towards ensuring the integrity of U.S. travel documents and protecting greater U.S. interests.”
“Illegal aliens who commit identity theft and fraudulently acquire U.S. passports are a threat to our nation’s security,” said Homeland Security Investigations Tampa Special Agent in Charge James C. Spero. “The U.S. passport is one of the most valuable travel documents in the world and HSI places a high priority on investigating document and benefit fraud.”
This case was investigated by the State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service, with assistance from the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel George.
Jacksonville Couple Sentenced to Prison After Trading Guns to Drug DealersRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard today sentenced Jonathan Cody (53, Jacksonville) to 37 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm while an unlawful user of controlled substances. The court also ordered Cody to pay a $5000 fine. Cody’s girlfriend, Kyle Ann Louise Mollgren (30, Jacksonville), was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Cody and Mollgren had pleaded guilty on October 10, 2018.
According to court documents and information presented at sentencing, in late 2017, Cody and Mollgren sold three firearms that belonged to Cody to two Jacksonville drug dealers. One of those firearms was a Colt .556 caliber law enforcement carbine with an extended magazine, which Cody and Mollgren sold to Nathaniel Harrison on September 21, 2017. Later that day, Harrison sold the firearm to an undercover agent from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. After Harrison was arrested, he identified Cody and Mollgren as the individuals who had sold the firearm to him. Harrison pleaded guilty to federal drug and firearms charges on February 23, 2018, and was later sentenced to seven years in federal prison.
On February 9, 2018, Cody and Mollgren were interviewed by ATF agents and admitted that they had sold the Colt .556 caliber law enforcement carbine to Harrison in exchange for money and drugs. Cody and Mollgren estimated that they had purchased $10,000 worth of drugs from Harrison. During this time, Cody was an unlawful user of crack cocaine, and Mollgren was a convicted felon. Both Cody and Mollgren were prohibited from possessing firearms under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Laura Cofer Taylor.
This is another case prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Middle District of Florida, U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.
Orange Park Man Charged with Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces the return of an indictment charging Michael Glenn Chope, (55, Orange Park) with four counts of production of child pornography. If convicted, Chope faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison for each count. Chope has been ordered detained pending trial.
According to court documents, on March 13, 2019, detectives from the Clay County Sheriff’s Office met with Chope regarding the investigation into a cyber-tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children related to child pornography. Chope confirmed his email address and telephone number were the same ones identified during the investigation and stated he was the only one to use his electronics and computers. Chope also admitted to viewing and possessing child pornography, including on several devices in his home. Detectives seized multiple electronic devices from Chope’s home and analyzed their contents. The detectives located numerous images produced by Chope depicting him sexually abusing and exploiting a child to whom he had access. Following Clay County Sheriff’s Office’s contact with Chope, he fled the state. Chope was arrested on April 3, 2019, in Rowlett, Texas.
Chope was originally charged by federal complaint for a single count of production of child pornography. He was later indicted for four counts of production of child pornography that had been created between approximately May 2015 and February 2018.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Clay County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ashley Washington and Kelly Karase.
It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Members of Methamphetamine Distribution Organization SentencedRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Roy B. Dalton has sentenced James Kamisky (54, Augusta, GA) to 20 years in federal prison for his role in a drug conspiracy involving the distribution of large quantities of methamphetamine in Orlando. In addition, Jada Thomas (28, Orlando) was sentenced to 11 years and 8 months in federal prison for her participation in the drug conspiracy and for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, and Dejah Gooding (23, Snellville, GA) was sentenced to 9 years and 2 months’ imprisonment for her participation in the drug conspiracy.
Kamisky had pleaded guilty on January 15, 2019. Thomas and Gooding had pleaded guilty on January 22, 2019, and December 18, 2018, respectively.
According to court documents, in November 2018, Kamisky possessed with the intent to distribute more than 2 kilograms of methamphetamine. Kamisky provided Thomas and Gooding with approximately 1.4 kilograms of this methamphetamine, which they attempted to sell to a Drug Enforcement Administration informant on November 13, 2018, at an Orlando resort. At the time of the attempted sale, Thomas was in possession of a loaded firearm. Later in the day on November 13, 2018, Kamisky attempted to deliver more methamphetamine to Thomas and Gooding, at which time law enforcement agents arrested him after a brief vehicle pursuit.
“The Drug Enforcement Administration is committed to investigating those individuals or organizations that are distributing dangerous drugs, committing acts of violence, and fueling the addiction that destroys communities and families,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Marcus R. Anderson.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Florida Highway Patrol, the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office, and the Longwood Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Chauncey A. Bratt.
Coral Springs Man Sentenced to More Than Four Years in Federal Prison for Check Counterfeiting SchemeRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Roy B. Dalton, Jr. has sentenced Allen Griffin (23, Coral Springs) to four years and nine months in federal prison for his role in a check counterfeiting scheme. The court also ordered Griffin to pay nearly $80,000 in restitution to financial institutions. Griffin had pleaded guilty on February 21, 2019, to seven counts of bank fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud.
According to court documents, during the summer of 2018, Griffin and his co-conspirators created counterfeit checks and obtained access to individual bank accounts into which they deposited the counterfeit checks. Griffin and his co-conspirators then withdrew the funds from those accounts before the fraud was detected. Griffin and his co-conspirators deposited counterfeit checks totaling more than $370,000 into Orlando-area banks.
On August 3, 2018, Griffin was arrested at a hotel in Orlando. He had blank check stock paper in his car and hotel room, a printer and laptop that he had used to create counterfeit checks, computerized images of signatures used on the counterfeit checks, ATM cards that had been used in the check fraud scheme, and an ATM receipt from one of the fraudulent transactions. Griffin was also captured on bank surveillance video depositing counterfeit checks and making withdrawals from accounts where the counterfeit checks had recently been deposited.
Griffin’s co-defendants, Wesley Anderson and Christopher Stewart, have both pleaded guilty and are scheduled to be sentenced in July 2019.
This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service, with assistance from the Orange County Sherriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dana E. Hill.
Clay County Fentanyl and Heroin Dealer Sentenced to Life in Prison for Role InRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard today sentenced Trumaine “Lucky” Muller (34, Orange Park) to life in federal prison for distributing a lethal dose of fentanyl that resulted in the overdose death of an 18-year old woman.
A federal jury had found Muller guilty on January 16, 2019. The jury also convicted Muller of other felony drug offenses and for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
According to court documents, on November 9, 2016, at approximately 10:30 pm, Muller sold heroin (which was actually fentanyl) to Christopher Williams and Tyler Hamilton. Williams and Hamilton provided a portion of the substance to “A.B.,” an 18-year old female. A.B., a first time opiate user, snorted what she believed was a small dose of heroin. However, the substance that Muller had sold was fentanyl, which caused the death of A.B. at approximately 4:45 am on November 10, 2016.
On January 31, 2017, during the ensuing investigation into A.B.’s death, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office made a controlled purchase of heroin and furanylfentanyl from Muller. On February 8, 2017, during the execution of a search warrant, officers seized furanylfentanyl and a loaded revolver from an apartment in Clay County where Muller had been living.
Christopher Williams and Tyler Hamilton previously pleaded guilty to manslaughter in state court.
“Families and communities have been ravaged by the opioid epidemic. I commend law enforcement and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their skillful investigation and prosecution of Trumaine Muller for the overdose death of AB,” said State Attorney Melissa Nelson.
“We appreciate the hard work of everyone involved in this. This is truly teamwork at its finest,” stated Clay County Sheriff Darryl Daniels.
This case was investigated by the Clay County Sheriff’s Office and the Office of the State Attorney for the Fourth Judicial Circuit. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tysen Duva.
Kissimmee Man Convicted for Sending Death Threats to Senator Bernie SandersRead the Press Release
Orlando, FL – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces that a federal jury yesterday found Robert Francis Pratersch (57, Kissimmee) guilty of threatening a federal official and interstate transmission of a threat to injure. Pratersch faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for July 16, 2019.
According to evidence presented at trial, Pratersch left three threatening voicemail messages at the Office of Senator Bernie Sanders in Burlington, Vermont. These profanity-laced messages included a threat to “behead” Senator Sanders, “ISIS-style,” and videotape the execution. The messages also included numerous anti-Semitic remarks directed at Senator Sanders.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Capitol Police. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Vincent S. Chiu.
Armed Felon Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan today sentenced Jerome Stancil (52, Jacksonville) to 15 years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
Stancil had been found guilty on January 31, 2019, following a bench trial.
According to court documents, Stancil was stopped by officers from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office for speeding. The officers discovered that Stancil was in violation of his state probation curfew and also noticed an odor of marijuana coming from Stancil’s vehicle. Officers searched Stancil’s car and found a loaded .40 caliber pistol near the driver’s seat. Stancil admitted that the firearm was his and said it was for protection.
At the time, Stancil had prior convictions in Virginia for multiple drug trafficking felonies. As a result of his prior convictions, Stancil was prohibited from possessing a firearm and qualified as an armed career criminal under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Talbot.
This is another case prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Middle District of Florida, U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.
Largo Man Sentenced for Transporting Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Charlene E. Honeywell has sentenced Kirk David Blank (50, Largo) to nine years in federal prison for transporting child pornography. The court also ordered Blank to pay $10,000 in restitution to the victims of his offense and to forfeit the electronic devices that he had used in the commission of the offense.
Blank had pleaded guilty on December 13, 2018.
According to court documents, Blank was a member of an online chat group where members discussed the sexual abuse of children and shared child pornographic images and videos. Between September 3 and September 13, 2017, Blank distributed multiple links to online cloud storage accounts containing images and videos that depicted minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. In total, the links that Blank shared contained approximately 2,630 child-pornographic images and videos. Blank admitted to law enforcement officers that he had shared the links with the group because he desired to be elevated to the position of an administrator in the chat group.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lisa M. Thelwell.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Two Illegal Aliens Sentenced for Conspiracy to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – Senior U.S. District Judge James D. Whittemore has sentenced two illegal aliens, Mario Perez-Ramos (33) and Ansonitc Torres-Ibarra (34), both of Mt. Dora, to 87 months and 78 months in federal prison, respectively, for their roles in a drug conspiracy involving the distribution of large quantities of methamphetamine in Lake County. Both individuals have been detained since their arrest and are expected to be deported to Mexico following their prison sentences.
Perez-Ramos and Torres-Ibarra had entered guilty pleas on January 24, 2019.
According to court documents, agents from Homeland Security Investigations arrested Perez-Ramos and Torres-Ibarra on December 3, 2018, in the parking lot of a Mt. Dora motel. The men had two kilograms of methamphetamine in their possession that they had planned to sell to an undercover law enforcement officer.
“These individuals were members of an international money laundering drug trafficking organization who sold dangerous drugs in our community,” said HSI Orlando Assistant Special Agent in Charge David J. Pezzutti. “After they are held accountable for these crimes in U.S. prison, they will be deported to Mexico.”
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Lake County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael P. Felicetta.
Lake County Man Sentenced to More Than 11 Years for Methamphetamine DistributionRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – Senior U.S. District Judge James D. Whittemore has sentenced James Adelbert Walker, II (43, Leesburg) to 11 years and 3 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine.
Walker had pleaded guilty on February 5, 2019.
According to court documents, in November 2018, agents with Homeland Security Investigations identified Walker as a distributor of large quantities of methamphetamine in and around Lake County, Florida. Working with a confidential source, agents intercepted an inbound parcel containing four kilograms of methamphetamine intended for Walker. The source then placed a series of recorded telephone calls to Walker in which Walker described his role in distributing “5-10 kilograms [of methamphetamine] per week” over the previous year. Subsequently, Walker was arrested when he attempted to purchase four kilograms of methamphetamine directly from undercover agents. Afterwards, a search of Walker’s residence revealed a firearm, ammunition, numerous packages of marijuana, cocaine, and methamphetamine that was intended for distribution.
“This investigation disrupted a money laundering and drug trafficking organization,” said HSI Orlando Assistant Special Agent in Charge David J. Pezzutti. “Thanks to HSI and our law enforcement partners, including the DEA, the U.S. Postal Inspectors, the Lake County and Sumter County Sheriff’s Offices, and the Winter Park and Orlando Police Departments we have stopped dangerous drugs from hitting the streets of our communities.”
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Winter Park Police Department, the Orlando Police Department, the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office, and the Lake County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Bodnar, Jr.
Jacksonville Man Pleads Guilty to Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, FL – Timothy Tijwan Doctor (42, Jacksonville) has pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Due to his extensive criminal history, Doctor qualifies as an Armed Career Criminal and faces an enhanced minimum mandatory penalty of 15 years, and up to life, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to court documents, on August 11, 2018, multiple officers from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office responded to a call at a residence in Jacksonville. As the officers arrived, they observed a crowd of individuals in front of the residence, some yelling, who were engaging in a confrontation. As officers separated individuals in the crowd, Doctor was identified as having a firearm. Officers made contact with Doctor and removed a Ruger 9mm pistol from his waistband. The pistol was loaded with a round in the chamber and 12 rounds in the magazine. At the time, Doctor had numerous prior felony convictions and therefore was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.
This is another case prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Middle District of Florida, U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.
Federal Inmate Sentenced to Additional 48 Months in Prison for Assault with A Dangerous WeaponRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – U.S. District Judge James D. Whittemore has sentenced German De Jesus Ventura (40, Sumter County) to an additional 48 months in federal prison for assault with a dangerous weapon with intent to do bodily harm. The sentence will be served consecutive to an existing 35-year prison sentence that Ventura was already serving at the time he committed the assault.
Ventura had pleaded guilty on February 7, 2019.
According to court documents, Ventura was an inmate at the Federal Correctional Complex in Coleman, Florida. In August 2017, he repeatedly struck another inmate in the back of the head with a homemade contraband weapon consisting of a solid metal plate attached to a lanyard. The other inmate suffered a large head wound, two depressed skull fractures, and significant blood loss. A correctional officer who had witnessed the assault quickly apprehended Ventura as Ventura attempted to discard the weapon and flee from the area where the attack had occurred.
This case was investigated by the FBI—Ocala Resident Agency, and the Federal Bureau of Prisons. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William S. Hamilton.
Cocoa Beach Man Indicted for Submitting False Claim for FEMA Benefits Related to Hurricane IrmaRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces the return of an indictment charging Albert Chris Partee (25, Cocoa Beach) with disaster-assistance fraud involving Hurricane Irma. If convicted, Partee faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison.
Partee is currently incarcerated on unrelated charges in Indiana. He is scheduled to make his initial appearance in Jacksonville on May 20, 2019.
According to the indictment, in September 2017, Partee falsified records concerning his primary residence when submitting an application for assistance to the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Individuals and Households Program for Hurricane Irma.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has violated one or more federal criminal laws, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case is part of the United States Attorney’s Disaster Fraud Task Force, which was announced in September 2017. This case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security - Office of Inspector General. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.
Members of the public who suspect fraud, waste, abuse, or allegations of mismanagement involving disaster relief operations, or believe they have been the victim of fraud from a person or organization soliciting relief funds on behalf of disaster victims, should contact the National Disaster Fraud Hotline toll free at (866) 720-5721. A live operator 24 hours a day, 7 days a week staffs the telephone line. You can also fax information to the Center at (225) 334-4707, or email it to [email protected]. You may also visit www.justice.gov/usao-mdfl.
Tampa Woman Indicted for Immigration Fraud Scheme Stretching from Tampa to ChicagoRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces the return of an indictment charging Erika Paola Intriago (44, Tampa) with four counts of wire fraud and three counts of wrongfully using government seals. If convicted, Intriago faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison for each count of wire fraud and up to five years in federal prison for each count of wrongfully using government seals.
According to the
indictment , Intriago portrayed herself as an immigration attorney and personal representative offering immigration-related services. She advertised her services on social media, targeting immigrants and immigrant families from Spanish-speaking countries. In fact, Intriago was not a licensed attorney.Victims retained and paid Intriago to represent them in immigration-related matters before U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and other agencies. To show that she was acting on the victims’ behalf, Intriago sent fraudulent letters, emails, receipts, documents, and communications to her victims fraudulently representing that the records were legitimate communications sent from agencies of the United States, including the Department of Homeland Security and USCIS. In actuality, Intriago had either never filed the necessary immigration paperwork, or had abandoned the immigration process, or the applications had already been denied without Intriago informing the victims. Intriago also threatened and intimidated victims who complained about her conduct by telling them that she would report their immigration status to U.S. immigration authorities, which Intriago claimed would result in the victims being deported.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
Any person who was, or knows of someone who may have been, a possible victim is urged to contact the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, at 1-866-DHS-2ICE or http://www.ice.gov/webform/hsi-tip-form.
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Murray.
Ringleader of Violent Robbery Organization Sentenced for Conducting Violent Robberies Throughout the Middle District of FloridaRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge James S. Moody has sentenced Marion Dwight, Jr., a/k/a “Woe,” (31, Lakeland) to 23 years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit robbery, robbery, and brandishing and discharging a firearm in furtherance of a violent crime.
Dwight had pleaded guilty on February 23, 2018.
According to court documents, from at least May 2015 and continuing through July 20, 2017, Dwight conspired with others to commit multiple armed robberies and burglaries of several local drug dealers within the Middle District of Florida. Dwight was the leader of the organization and had orchestrated the robberies. To date, the FBI has identified at least 14 armed robberies and 4 armed burglaries that were committed by Dwight and his co-conspirators. The conspirators discharged and otherwise brandished firearms during the commission of all of the robberies and burglaries. In many instances, small children were present at the time of the robberies.
Dwight’s co-conspirators have pleaded guilty and each faces a maximum penalty of life imprisonment, as noted below:
Name
Age, Residence
Status
Bradney Henry McGary
32, Lakeland
Pleaded guilty to 1 count of conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, 1 count of conspiracy to commit robbery, 2 counts of robbery, and 1 count of discharging a firearm in furtherance of a violent crime.
Sentenced to 19 years and 2 months in prison on October 17, 2018.
Sherrod Raeshad Gordon,
a/k/a “Hott”
32, Tampa
Pleaded guilty to 1 count of conspiracy to commit robbery, 2 counts of robbery, and 2 counts of discharging a firearm in furtherance of a violent crime.
Sentenced to 29 years and 8 months in prison on February 1, 2019.
Michael James Baker,
a/k/a “Bake,”
a/k/a “Maserati”
35, Clearwater
Pleaded guilty to 1 count of conspiracy to commit robbery, 2 counts of robbery, and 2 counts of brandishing and discharging a firearm in furtherance of a violent crime.
Sentenced to 21 years and 4 months in prison on April 12, 2019.
Fredrick James Burney, Jr.,
a/k/a “Frido”
a/k/a “Free”
28, Clearwater
Pleaded guilty to 1 count of conspiracy to commit robbery, 2 counts of robbery, and 2 counts of discharging a firearm in furtherance of a violent crime.
Sentenced to 30 years in prison on April 12, 2019.
Antonio Marquis Roddy,
a/k/a “Lil Head”
31, Orlando
Pleaded guilty to 1 count of conspiracy to commit robbery, 2 counts of robbery, and 2 counts of discharging and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a violent crime.
Faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 17 years, and up to life, in federal prison.
Sentencing scheduled for May 10, 2019.
Jevin Michael Stone
30, Lakeland
Pleaded guilty to 1 count of conspiracy to commit robbery, 2 counts of, and 2 counts of discharging and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a violent crime.
Sentenced to 23 years and 5 months in prison on April 12, 2019.
Shamar Thomas
26, Clearwater
Found guilty of conspiracy to commit robbery, robbery, and using or carrying a firearm in furtherance of a violent crime, after a jury trial on October 11, 2018.
Sentenced to 35 years in prison on February 1, 2019.
"This case exemplifies the determination and dedication of the Tampa Bay Safe Streets Task Force to rid our communities of violent crime", said Eric W. Sporre, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Tampa Division. "This gang brought fear and violence to neighborhoods from Clearwater to Orlando. I want to commend the work of our special agents, task force officers and prosecutors who worked diligently throughout this investigation to protect our community and stop the violence."
This case was investigated by the FBI. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lisa M. Thelwell. Co-conspirator Shamar Lajuan Thomas was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Lisa M. Thelwell and James Muench.
Jacksonville Woman Indicted for Submitting False Claim for FEMA Benefits Related to Hurricane IrmaRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces the return of an indictment charging Kimberly Dues (37, Jacksonville) with disaster assistance fraud involving Hurricane Irma. If convicted, Dues faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison, plus restitution to the United States. Dues made her initial appearance in federal court yesterday. Her arraignment is set for April 24, 2019.
According to the indictment, in September 2017, Dues falsified records concerning her primary residence when submitting an application for assistance to the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Individuals and Households Program for Hurricane Irma.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has violated one or more federal criminal laws, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case is part of the United States Attorney’s Disaster Fraud Task Force, which was announced in September 2017. This case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security - Office of Inspector General. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.
Members of the public who suspect fraud, waste, abuse, or allegations of mismanagement involving disaster relief operations, or believe they have been the victim of fraud from a person or organization soliciting relief funds on behalf of disaster victims, should contact the National Disaster Fraud Hotline toll free at (866) 720-5721. A live operator 24 hours a day, 7 days a week staffs the telephone line. You can also fax information to the Center at (225) 334-4707, or email it to [email protected] . You may also visit www.justice.gov/usao-mdfl.
Former Postal Carrier Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida - U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Kovachevich has sentenced Richard Huntington (45, Lakeland) to 120 days in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute marijuana. Huntington was also ordered to serve a three-year term of supervised release following his imprisonment. He had pleaded guilty on January 11, 2019.
According to court documents, Huntington, a former U.S. Postal carrier, provided addresses along his delivery route to coconspirators who arranged to have packages containing marijuana shipped from Oregon to those addresses. When the packages arrived and were placed in Huntington’s control, Huntington would scan the packages as delivered to the addresses, and then turn them over to his coconspirators for further distribution of the marijuana.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney James C. Preston, Jr.
Brandon Man Sentenced to 37 Years for Sexual Enticement of A Minor Relative and Document FraudRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge James D. Whittemore has sentenced Mirza Afzal Hussain (56, Brandon) to 37 years in federal prison for enticement of a minor, document fraud, and aggravated identity theft.
A federal jury found Hussain guilty on January 11, 2019, after a one-week trial.
According to court documents and the evidence presented at trial, Hussain agreed to house his sister and her family, including two minor daughters, when the relatives legally immigrated to the United States from Bangladesh in 2010. Hussain’s relatives were culturally and socially isolated, did not have employment, lacked transportation, and spoke very little English. During their stay at his house, Hussain developed a romantic and sexual interest in his 12-year old niece. He bought the child tight fitting clothing, romantic jewelry, and cellphones. He also sexually battered his niece and started living with her openly as if she were his spouse—in front of her family and his wife.
Hussain’s wife left him, and, in early 2012, the relatives (including his 12-year-old niece), also moved out of his home. Hussain sent numerous sexually explicit text messages to his niece—professing his love for her and his intention to marry her, discussing sex with her, soliciting naked photographs from her, and asking her to masturbate for him. He also manipulated her into falsifying reports claiming that her parents were abusing her.
In November 2012, Hussain traveled to Bangladesh and obtained a false birth certificate that changed his niece’s birthdate, making her appear to be three years older. He returned to the United States and used that birth certificate fraudulently to obtain a new Legal Permanent Resident Card reflecting her new birth year. Hussain then showed up at his niece’s home and tried to take her away from her parents—presenting the Legal Permanent Resident Card as proof that she was an adult.
“This criminal put his own agenda first, hurting his own family. He thought he could get away with his despicable behavior by lying and blaming others for his actions,” said HSI Tampa Special Agent in Charge James C. Spero. “Thanks to our HSI special agents and law enforcement partners, a jury of his peers found him guilty and he will now be unable to harm anymore. His family can feel safe knowing justice has been served.”
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Frank Murray and Mandy Riedel. Assistant United States Attorneys Jennifer Peresie and Rachel Jones assisted in the prosecution.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Serial Bank Robber Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces that Myron William Ernst (61, Orlando) today pleaded guilty to bank robbery. Ernst faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the plea agreement, Ernst committed a spree of nine bank robberies and attempted bank robberies in both Florida and Alabama. During each incident, Ernst presented bank employees with a threatening note demanding money.
This case was investigated by the FBI. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Callan L. Albritton.
Second Foreign National Sentenced to More Than Eight Years for Role in International Call Center ScamRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Virginia Hernandez Covington has sentenced Hemalkumar Shah (27, citizen of India, residing in Tampa) to eight years and six months in federal prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft related to his participation in an Indian call center scam. As part of Shah’s sentence, the court also entered a money judgment of $80,000.
Shah had pleaded guilty on January 28, 2019.
According to court documents, from 2014 through at least 2016, Shah conspired with U.S.-based co-conspirators and India-based call centers to extort money from U.S. residents by impersonating IRS officers and misleading victims to believe that they owed money to the IRS and would be arrested and fined if they did not pay their alleged back taxes immediately. The conspirators collected the fraud proceeds by (1) withdrawing cash from prepaid cards purchased and funded by victims; (2) hiring other conspirators (runners) to retrieve money wired by the victims to those runners; and/or (3) hiring runners to open bank accounts into which victims deposited fraud proceeds. The defendants collected the proceeds by providing the runners with the victims’ names, locations, and amounts paid. The runners were directed to retrieve the fraud proceeds in cash and turn the funds over to the defendants, often less a payment to the runner for opening the account or conducting the transaction.
Four others previously pleaded guilty for their roles in the scheme. On March 25, 2019, Alejandro Juarez was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison, and on March 29, 2019, Nishitkumar Patel was sentenced to 8 years and 9 months’ imprisonment. Sharvil Patel and Brenda Dozier are currently awaiting sentencing.
This case was investigated by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Tampa Police Department, and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rachel K. Jones.
Haitian National Sentenced for Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge G. Kendall Sharp has sentenced Alain Nezius (36, Orlando) to two years in federal prison for aggravated identity theft. Nezius had pleaded guilty on January 29, 2019.
According to court documents, in 2007, Nezius was deported to Haiti following multiple convictions for possession of cocaine, delivery of cocaine, and possession of cocaine with the intent to sell or deliver it. He illegally returned to the United States after being deported and has a current outstanding order of removal with the Department of Homeland Security.
After illegally reentering the United States, Nezius assumed his deceased brother’s identity and obtained a Florida driver license in his brother’s name. On April 17, 2018, Nezius attached and submitted his own photo with an application to renew his brother’s U.S. passport. The U.S. Department of State recognized that the alleged passport applicant was deceased and that the submitted photograph did not match the previous photographs associated with the passport. On the passport application, Nezius represented himself to be his deceased brother, who was a naturalized U.S. citizen.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations as part of Homeland Security Investigation’s Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force. It was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Brandon Bayliss, on assignment from the Office of Principal Legal Advisor, ICE.
Palm Bay Man Sentenced to 14 Years for Receipt and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Carlos E. Mendoza has sentenced Christopher Ray Faella (34, Palm Bay) to 14 years in federal prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release, for receiving and possessing child pornography. The court also ordered Faella to forfeit a cellphone and micro SD cards, which were used to download and store images of child pornography.
Faella had pleaded guilty on August 15, 2018.
According to court documents, on April 13, 2017, the Palm Bay Police Department initiated an investigation, based on a tip received by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), that a Google account under Faella’s name had uploaded files containing child pornography. The tip involved 946 images and 22 videos of child pornography. Google identified Faella’s email address and several internet protocol addresses that were associated with Faella and his residence.
On July 22, 2017, the Palm Bay Police Department executed a search warrant at Faella’s residence. Faella, a known felon with a lengthy criminal history, was in possession of a .22 caliber revolver and several rounds of .22 caliber ammunition, as well as marijuana and drug paraphernalia.
A forensic analysis of Faella’s cellphone revealed 617 images and 3 videos of young children engaged in sexually explicit conduct that had been downloaded through Google Chrome. Faella also had several micro SD cards that contained 1,147 images of child pornography. The images depicted bondage, bestiality, and other acts of sadistic conduct perpetrated against young children, including toddlers. As a result, the Palm Bay Police Department referred the investigation to the FBI for the filing of criminal charges.
This case was investigated by the Palm Bay Police Department, the FBI, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ilianys Rivera Miranda.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Former Colombian Police Officer Sentenced to More Than 12 Years for Attempted Cocaine SmugglingRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Susan C. Bucklew today sentenced Santiago Silva-Ortiz (28, Colombia) to 12 years and 7 months in federal prison for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine on a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States.
Silva-Ortiz had pleaded guilty on January 14, 2019.
According to testimony and court documents, Silva-Ortiz served as a member of the Colombian National Police for two years and became involved with narco-traffickers. On October 10, 2018, Silva-Ortiz served as the load guard on a go-fast vessel that was interdicted south of the Dominican Republic by the United States Coast Guard. Silva-Ortiz and his conspirators were attempting to smuggle more than 1,190 kilograms of cocaine.
In March 2019, the captain of the go-fast vessel, Eulices De Jesus Barliza-Lopez, was sentenced to 11 years and 3 months in federal prison for his role in the offense.
This case was investigated by the Panama Express Strike Force (PANEX) - a federally approved Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) consisting of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Drug Enforcement Administration, United States Coast Guard, Internal Revenue Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Operation Panama Express currently targets South American-based drug trafficking organizations responsible for smuggling drugs to the United States and elsewhere for distribution. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Thomas N. Palermo.
Volusia County Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Program FraudRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Paul G. Byron has sentenced Thomas A. Calderon (49, Deltona) to a year in federal prison for making a materially false statement to the U.S. Railroad Retirement Board (“RRB”) concerning his eligibility for disability benefits. As part of his sentence, Calderon was also ordered to pay $168,950.70 in restitution.
Calderon had pleaded guilty on January 11, 2019.
According to court documents, in 2012, Calderon applied for and obtained disability retirement benefits. In his application, Calderon indicated that he was unemployed and acknowledged that he must notify the RRB immediately should he work for any employer or perform any self-employment work. On July 14, 2017, Calderon signed and submitted to the RRB a Continuing Disability Update Report in which he indicated that since January 1, 2015, he had not worked anywhere and had not been self-employed. In fact, from 2012 through 2017, Calderon owned and operated the Sports Den Bar in Orange City, Florida.
“The U.S. Railroad Retirement Board, Office of Inspector General is committed to fighting fraud, waste and abuse,” said Inspector General Martin J. Dickman. “The case sends a loud and clear message that combating disability fraud is a top priority and abuse of RRB programs will not be tolerated.”
This case was investigated by the U.S. Railroad Retirement Board - Office of Inspector General. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Chauncey A. Bratt.
Tampa Man Sentenced to Twenty Years for Producing Child Pornography of Minors He Met OnlineRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Susan C. Bucklew today sentenced Terrell Eady (33, Tampa) to 20 years in federal prison for producing child pornography. Eady had pleaded guilty on December 21, 2018.
According to court documents, between February and March 2010, Eady persuaded two female minors, whom he had met online, to produce and send him child pornography.
Eady met one of his victims on Facebook, where he had claimed to be a 15-year-old boy. He told the victim that he had obtained a naked video of her and threatened to send the video to her Facebook friends unless, she took naked photographs of herself for him, or filmed herself on a webcam. Unbeknownst to Eady, law enforcement took over the girl’s Facebook account and Eady attempted to persuade an undercover agent, whom Eady believed was the minor, to produce child pornography and send it to him.
The investigation revealed that Eady had previously communicated with a 16- year-old girl online. Eady had pressured that minor to produce and send him child pornography and threatened to send naked photographs of the girl to her friends on the internet unless, she produced more naked photographs for him. Pressured by Eady, the minor produced and sent him at least three pornographic images of herself.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the New York Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer L. Peresie.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Man Sentenced for Assaulting Customs and Border Protection Officer at Orlando International AirportRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Paul G. Byron has sentenced John Craig Myrick (67, Groveland) to seven years and three months in federal prison for forcible assaulting a federal officer causing bodily injury. Myrick was convicted following a two-day jury trial on January 8, 2019.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, on August 11, 2018, Myrick arrived at the Orlando International Airport from Bogota, Colombia. While passing through the screening area, a Customs and Border Protection officer (CBPO) directed Myrick to the baggage control seating area. While in the seating area, Myrick had an altercation with another CBPO who attempted to control Myrick by grabbing Myrick’s arm. Myrick resisted, fell on top of the CBPO, and began punching the officer in the back of the head several times. The CBPO suffered a fractured ankle in the process.
“This case emphasizes zero tolerance for violence against law enforcement,” said HSI Orlando Assistant Special Agent in Charge David J. Pezzutti. “Thanks to our law enforcement partners, including U.S. Customs and Border Protection, this man will be held accountable for his actions.”
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. It was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Brandon Bayliss, on assignment from the Office of Principal Legal Advisor, ICE, and Assistant United States Attorney E. Jackson Boggs.
Lehigh Acres Man Sentenced for Theft of Government Money and Identity Theft CrimesRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge John E. Steele has sentenced Kenneth R. Jackson, Jr. (42, Lehigh Acres) to six years and three months in federal prison for identity theft, conversion of government property, aggravated identity theft, passing a forged treasury check, and access device (credit card) fraud. As part of his sentence, the court also entered a money judgment of $71,931.87, the proceeds obtained from the charged criminal conduct. Jackson was also ordered to pay $99,230.90 in restitution to three banks.
Jackson had been found guilty by a jury on December 21, 2018.
According to testimony and evidence presented during the five-day trial, Jackson operated a business that allowed him full access to credit reports. He used his business to unlawfully obtain credit reports on his victims and opened fraudulent online bank accounts in their names. Jackson then deposited approximately $115,000 in stolen U.S. Treasury tax refund checks into the fraudulent accounts. He used associates to launder the money or directly withdrew cash from ATMs at the banks.
“We have come a long way in combatting the scourge of identity theft in Florida,” stated Special Agent in Charge Mary Hammond of IRS Criminal Investigation. “Today’s sentencing should pose as yet another warning to would-be crooks that stealing someone’s identity is a serious crime that IRS Criminal Investigation will not tolerate. We will continue to work together with our law enforcement partners to track down identity thieves. We will continue to fight for the victims. We will continue to put offenders behind bars.”
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation and the U.S. Secret Service. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey F. Michelland.
California Man Sentenced to Life in Federal Prison for Sexually Exploiting Minor in OrlandoRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Carlos E. Mendoza has sentenced Deepak Deshpande (41, Dublin, California) to life in federal prison for enticing a minor to engage in sexual conduct, and 30 years’ imprisonment for production of child pornography. Deshpande had pleaded guilty on October 29, 2018.
According to court documents and evidence presented during the sentencing hearing, in July 2017, Deshpande contacted a minor in Orlando through an online chat application. At that time, Deshpande posed as a modeling agent and persuaded the minor to send him nude images of herself. In the months that followed, Deshpande contacted the same minor, posing as two other individuals, and threatened to disseminate her nude images if she did not continue producing additional child pornography for him.
In September 2017, Deshpande traveled to Orlando from California to meet the minor in person for the first time. He brought her to a local hotel, and filmed himself sexually assaulting the victim multiple times. Between September 2017 and April 2018, he repeated this same conduct during four additional visits to Orlando.
In early May 2018, following an anonymous tip, the FBI began investigating Deshpande. An undercover FBI agent then began posing as the minor in communications with Deshpande. On May 12, 2018, as a result of the undercover investigation, Deshpande returned to Orlando and was arrested upon his arrival at the Orlando International Airport.
Following his arrest, Deshpande plotted to kidnap and murder the minor victim in advance of his trial. Deshpande recruited a fellow inmate, whom he believed would soon be released, to serve as a middleman. Deshpande gave the inmate names and contact information for individuals who might be willing to carry out the abduction and murder, and furnished personal details concerning the victim and her family, including her residence and schedule. Upon learning of the plot, the FBI conducted an undercover investigation and Deshpande’s efforts were ultimately unsuccessful.
“Those who work the FBI’s Violent Crimes Against Children program bring compassion, commitment, and steadfast determination to their investigations to ensure predators like this are brought to justice,” said Eric Sporre, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Tampa Division. “This case is particularly noteworthy in the level of planning conducted and depravity displayed by the perpetrator. I would like to recognize the courage of the victim who helped make sure this predator cannot hurt others and also encourage our community to remain vigilant online and report any suspicious activity to law enforcement.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Emily C. L. Chang.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Texas Man Sentenced for Role in Complex Nigerian Money Laundering RingRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge James Moody today sentenced Okechuwku Desmond Amadi (39, Garland, TX), a/k/a Desmond Amadi, to 11 years and 3 months in federal prison for conspiracy to commit money laundering and money laundering. As part of Amadi’s sentence, the court also entered a forfeiture order of $833,625 against him, representing the proceeds of the charged criminal conduct, and ordered Amadi to pay $1,358,500 in restitution to the victims.
A jury had found Amadi guilty on November 7, 2018.
According to the evidence presented at trial, Amadi worked with an international criminal organization based in Nigeria that defrauded dozens of victims across the United States with multiple schemes and then laundered the funds through a complex network of bank accounts. The organization, known as the Neo Black Movement of Africa or the Black Axe Group, coordinated the fraud and money laundering activity around the globe via cells or “zones” in Nigeria, Canada, the United States, and elsewhere.
The Black Axe fraud schemes took several forms. Many of the organization’s victims were widowed or divorced elderly women. Conspirators posed as fake suitors on dating websites to develop relationships with the victims. They then convinced the women to wire money, often consisting of their retirement savings and cash taken out from home equities, to bank accounts in the United States as part of a supposed investment opportunity. The conspirators also defrauded title companies with fake cashier’s checks in phony real estate transactions.
The organization’s victims were instructed to wire their money into funnel accounts held by conspirators in the United States, known as “money mules,” and the funds were then quickly moved to other accounts in the United States and around the world before the victims could discover the fraud. Bank records presented at trial demonstrated that, from 2012 to 2015, several millions of dollars in wire transfers were funneled into Black Axe accounts to be laundered. Amadi, a real estate investor and insurance broker in Texas, used his own bank accounts to launder more than $833,000 in fraud proceeds that victims had sent to accounts controlled by his associate in the Dallas area. Amadi wired much of that money overseas, including to Canada and Nigeria, to promote the conspiracy and conceal the source of the funds.
This case was investigated by the FBI, with assistance from various federal and local law enforcement partners, including the Toronto Police Service (Ontario, Canada) and the Toronto Strategic Partnership. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Patrick Scruggs and Diego Novaes.
Fort Myers Man Sentenced to Twenty Years for Receiving and Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Mary S. Scriven has sentenced Kenneth Minnick (43, Fort Myers) to 20 years in federal prison for receiving and possessing images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children.
Minnick had pleaded guilty on December 12, 2018.
According to court documents, between September 16 and October 25, 2016, the FBI downloaded multiple child pornography files from an Internet Protocol address associated with Minnick’s residence. On December 9, 2016, the FBI and local law enforcement executed a search warrant on Minnick’s home and seized his computer and two flash drives. A forensic analysis of the devices revealed 253 images and 13 videos of child pornography. Some of the images and videos depicted infants, toddlers and pre-school age children engaging in sex acts.
"Together with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners, we are taking action to protect our children from sexual exploitation and abuse," said Eric Sporre, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Tampa Division. "I would like to thank all the investigators, attorneys and other professional staff who do this difficult but extremely important work."
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Innocent Images Task Force in Fort Myers, which includes the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, the Sarasota Police Department, the Cape Coral Police Department, and the Bradenton Police Department. The New York Police Department also assisted with this case. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Charlie D. Connally and Jennifer Peresie.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Leader of Pagans Motorcycle Gang in Florida Sentenced to Eleven Years in Prison for Role in Methamphetamine Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Roy B. Dalton, Jr. today sentenced Brian Burt, a/k/a “Sledge,” (47, Port Orange) to 11 years in federal prison for conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.
Burt pleaded guilty on January 16, 2019.
According to court documents, in April 2017, the FBI, and later the DEA, began an investigation into the drug trafficking organizations (DTO) that had supplied motorcycle clubs, including the Pagans Motorcycle Club, operating in the Middle District of Florida with distribution amounts of methamphetamine. At the time, Burt was a member of the Pagans’ Mother Chapter, a group of 13 that directed the Pagans’ criminal activities throughout the United States and conspired with different DTOs to distribute methamphetamine in and around Daytona Beach.
To date, 19 individuals have been found guilty as a result of this joint investigation.
“This case exemplifies the cooperation among federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to dismantle dangerous criminal organizations that threaten the safety of our communities," said Rachel L. Rojas, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Jacksonville Division. "The FBI will continue to target the leadership of these organizations and bring them to justice for the harm caused by their criminal actions.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Volusia Bureau of Investigation, the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office, and the Daytona Beach Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sean P. Shecter.
Federal Indictments and Law Enforcement Actions in One of the Largest Health Care Fraud Schemes Involving Telemedicine and Durable Medical Equipment Marketing Executives Results in Charges Against 24 Individuals Responsible for over $1.2 Billion in LossesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – One of the largest health care fraud schemes investigated by the FBI and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG) and prosecuted by the Department of Justice resulted in charges against 24 defendants, including the CEOs, COOs and others associated with five telemedicine companies, the owners of dozens of durable medical equipment (DME) companies and three licensed medical professionals, for their alleged participation in health care fraud schemes involving more than $1.2 billion in loss, as well as the execution of over 80 search warrants in 17 federal districts. In addition, the Center for Medicare Services, Center for Program Integrity (CMS/CPI) announced today that it took adverse administrative action against 130 DME companies that had submitted over $1.7 billion in claims and were paid over $900 million.
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Sherri A. Lydon of the District of South Carolina, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito of the District of New Jersey, U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez of the Middle District of Florida, Assistant Director Robert Johnson of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division, Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Gary Cantrell of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), Chief Don Fort of the IRS Criminal Investigation (CI) and Deputy Administrator and Director of CPI Alec Alexander of the CMS/CPI made the announcement.
Today’s enforcement actions were led and coordinated by the Health Care Fraud Unit of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section in conjunction with its Medicare Fraud Strike Force (MFSF), as well as the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Districts of South Carolina, New Jersey and the Middle District of Florida. The MFSF is a partnership among the Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney’s Offices, the FBI and HHS-OIG. In addition, IRS-CI and other federal law enforcement agencies participated in the operation.
The charges announced today target an alleged scheme involving the payment of illegal kickbacks and bribes by DME companies in exchange for the referral of Medicare beneficiaries by medical professionals working with fraudulent telemedicine companies for back, shoulder, wrist and knee braces that are medically unnecessary. Certain of the defendants allegedly controlled an international telemarketing network that lured over hundreds of thousands of elderly and/or disabled patients into a criminal scheme that crossed borders, involving call centers in the Philippines and throughout Latin America. The defendants allegedly paid doctors to prescribe DME either without any patient interaction or with only a brief telephonic conversation with patients they had never met or seen. The proceeds of the fraudulent scheme were allegedly laundered through international shell corporations and used to purchase exotic automobiles, yachts and luxury real estate in the United States and abroad.
“These defendants — who range from corporate executives to medical professionals — allegedly participated in an expansive and sophisticated fraud to exploit telemedicine technology meant for patients otherwise unable to access health care,” said Assistant Attorney General Benczkowski. “This Department of Justice will not tolerate medical professionals and executives who look to line their pockets by cheating our health care programs. I commend the Criminal Division prosecutors and our partners from U.S. Attorney’s Offices and law enforcement agencies across the country for their unrelenting efforts to stop this alleged fraud before more money was stolen from American taxpayers.”
“Simply put, the law applies equally to all in South Carolina,” said U.S. Attorney Sherri Lydon. “The same spoon that serves indictments on drug dealers, felons in possession of firearms, and corrupt officials will also feed those companies and individuals who engage in Medicare fraud. White collar crime is not victimless. All taxpayers will endure the rising cost of health care premiums and out-of-pocket costs as a result of fraud on our Medicare system. I am honored to stand with our partners at the FBI, HHS-OIG, and IRS-CI, who led this outstanding and nationally significant investigation from right here in South Carolina.”
“The indictments we are unsealing today charge the defendants with running a complex, multilayered scheme to defraud our Medicare system and avoid detection by government regulators,” said U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito. “The defendants took advantage of unwitting patients who were simply trying to get relief from their health concerns. Instead, the defendants preyed upon their weakened state and pushed millions of dollars’ worth of unnecessary medical devices, which Medicare paid for, and then set up an elaborate system for laundering their ill-gotten proceeds. We are proud to join our law enforcement partners in New Jersey and around the country to put a stop to this unscrupulous criminal activity.”
“Protecting the integrity of America’s health care programs is necessary to ensure that our citizens receive the care they have paid for and deserve,” said U.S. Attorney Chapa Lopez. “The mammoth coordination and cooperation demonstrated among the various offices, districts, and agencies involved in this case leaves no doubt. We will leverage the full weight of our resources to combat fraud and abuse, wherever it is found.”
“Today, one of the largest health care fraud schemes in U.S. history came to an end thanks to close collaboration and coordination between the FBI and partners including HHS-OIG and IRS-CI,” said FBI Assistant Director Robert Johnson. “Health care fraud causes billions of dollars in losses, it deprives real patients of the critical health care services they need, and it can endanger the lives of real patients so individuals like those arrested today can profit from their criminal activity. Through today’s coordinated national effort, we put an end to this egregious and costly health care fraud scheme, and the public can rest assured the FBI will continue to make health care fraud investigations a top priority.”
“Our law enforcement officers are focused on preventing and uprooting health care fraud schemes like those alleged today,” said Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Gary Cantrell. “These schemes divert money from taxpayer-funded federal health care programs into the hands of criminals. Working closely with our law enforcement partners, our agency will continue to investigate and disrupt attempts to undermine Medicare and target beneficiaries.”
“The breadth of this nationwide conspiracy should be frightening to all who rely on some form of healthcare,” said IRS-CI Chief Don Fort. “The conspiracy described in this indictment was not perpetrated by one individual. Rather, it details broad corruption, massive amounts of greed, and systemic flaws in our healthcare system that were exploited by the defendants. We all suffer when schemes like this go undiscovered and I’m proud of the work our agents did in working with our partners to uncover this complex scheme.”
“The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Center for Program Integrity (CPI) is proud to work very closely everyday with our law enforcement partners to stop exploitation of vulnerable patients and misuse of taxpayer dollars,” said Deputy Administrator and CPI Director Alec Alexander. “In this case CMS has taken swift administrative action and has suspended payments to 130 distinct providers thereby likely preventing billions of additional dollars in losses. CMS remains committed to protecting the millions of beneficiaries we are honored to serve and to preventing fraud of all sorts in the Medicare and Medicaid programs.”
According to allegations in court documents, some of the defendants obtained patients for the scheme by using an international call center that advertised to Medicare beneficiaries and “up-sold” the beneficiaries to get them to accept numerous “free or low-cost” DME braces, regardless of medical necessity. The international call center allegedly paid illegal kickbacks and bribes to telemedicine companies to obtain DME orders for these Medicare beneficiaries. The telemedicine companies then allegedly paid physicians to write medically unnecessary DME orders. Finally, the international call center sold the DME orders that it obtained from the telemedicine companies to DME companies, which fraudulently billed Medicare. Collectively, the CEOs, COOs, executives, business owners and medical professionals involved in the conspiracy are accused of causing over $1 billion in loss.
The Fraud Section leads the Medicare Fraud Strike Force. Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, which maintains 14 strike forces operating in 23 districts, has charged nearly 4,000 defendants who have collectively billed the Medicare program for more than $14 billion. In addition, the HHS Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the HHS-OIG, are taking steps to increase accountability and decrease the presence of fraudulent providers.
Amongst those charged by Strike Force attorneys include:
In the District of New Jersey, charges were brought against Creaghan Harry, 51, of Highland Beach, Florida; Lester Stockett, 51, of Deefield Beach, Florida; and Elliot Loewenstern, 56, of Boca Raton, Florida; the owner, CEO and VP of marketing, respectively, of purported call centers and telemedicine companies, for their alleged participation in a $454 million illegal health care kickback and international money laundering scheme related to the solicitation of illegal kickbacks and bribes in exchange for the referral of DME orders to DME providers. In addition, Joseph DeCoroso, M.D., 62, of Toms River, New Jersey, was charged in a $13 million conspiracy to commit health care fraud and separate charges of health care fraud for writing medically unnecessary orders for DME, in many instances without ever speaking to the patients, while working for two telemedicine companies. The cases are being prosecuted by Fraud Section Acting Assistant Chief Jacob Foster and Trial Attorney Darren Halverson.
In the Middle District of Florida, charges were brought against Willie McNeal, 42, of Spring Hill, Florida, the owner and CEO of two purported telemedicine companies, for his alleged participation in a $250 million scheme related to the solicitation of illegal kickbacks and bribes in exchange for the referral of DME orders to DME providers. The case is being prosecuted by Fraud Section Acting Assistant Chief Jacob Foster and Trial Attorneys John Michelich, Catherine Wagner and Sara Clingan.
In the Northern District of Texas, charges were brought against Leah Hagen, 48, and Michael Hagen, 51, of Dalworthington Gardens, Texas, owners and operators of two DME companies, for their alleged participation in a $17 million illegal health care kickback scheme related to the payment of kickbacks in exchange for the referral of medically unnecessary DME orders. The case is being prosecuted by Fraud Section Trial Attorneys Brynn Schiess and Carlos Lopez.
In the Western District of Texas, Christopher O’Hara, 54, of Kingsbury, Texas, the owner of a purported telemedicine company, was charged in an $40 million scheme related to the alleged solicitation of illegal kickbacks and bribes in exchange for the referral of DME orders to DME providers. The case is being prosecuted by Fraud Section Trial Attorney Kevin Lowell.
In the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Randy Swackhammer, M.D., 60, of Goldsboro, North Carolina, was charged for an alleged $5 million conspiracy to commit health care fraud that involved writing medically unnecessary orders for DME while working for a telemedicine company, in many instances with only a brief telephonic conversation with the patients. The case is being prosecuted by Fraud Section Trial Attorney Adam Yoffie.
In the Central District of California, charges were brought against Darin Flashberg, 41, of Glendora, California, and Najib Jabbour, 47, of Glendora, California, owners of seven DME companies, for their alleged participation in a $34 million scheme related to their payment of kickbacks and bribes in exchange for medically unnecessary DME orders. The case is being prosecuted by Fraud Section Trial Attorney Robyn Pullio.
In addition to the Strike Force prosecutions, other enforcement actions were taken, including the execution of search warrants to support related investigative efforts in seven additional U.S. Attorney’s Offices to include in various investigations conducted by the District of New Jersey, District of South Carolina, Southern District of California, District of Nebraska, Middle District of Florida, Eastern District of Missouri and Western District of Washington.
In the District of South Carolina, charges were brought against Andrew Chmiel, 43, of Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina, owner of over a dozen companies involved in the scheme, for his alleged participation in a $200 million scheme related to the payment of kickbacks and bribes in exchange for medically unnecessary DME orders. The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jim May and Will Lewis of the District of South Carolina.
In the District of New Jersey, charges were brought against Neal Williamsky 59, of Marlboro, New Jersey, and Nadia Levit, 39, of Englishtown, New Jersey, owners of approximately 25 DME companies, for their alleged participation in a $150 million scheme related to the payment of kickbacks and bribes in exchange for medically unnecessary DME orders. Albert Davydov, 26, of Rego Park, New York, was also charged for his alleged participation in a $35 million scheme related to the payment of kickbacks and bribes in exchange for medically unnecessary DME orders. The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian Urbano and Stephen Ferketic of the District of New Jersey.
In the Middle District of Florida, search and seizure warrants are being executed at 20 different business locations, including numerous DME companies and a fraudulent telemarketing company. The search and seizures are being executed by over 100 law enforcement officers from six federal agencies, including HHS-OIG, FBI, IRS-CI, VA-OIG, SSA-OIG, and USPS-OIG. In addition to the 20 search warrants, millions of dollars and other assets tied to the conspiracy are being seized and/or frozen, including through a civil injunction naming 13 defendants as authorized under 18 U.S.C. § 1345.
The cases announced today are being prosecuted and investigated by U.S. Attorney’s Offices nationwide, along with MFSF teams from the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and from the U.S. Attorney’s Offices in the District of New Jersey, District of South Carolina, Southern District of California, District of Nebraska, Middle District of Florida, Eastern District of Missouri and Western District of Washington; and agents from the FBI, HHS-OIG, IRS-CI and other federal law enforcement agencies.
A complaint, information or indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Any doctors or medical professionals who have been involved with alleged fraudulent telemedicine and DME marketing schemes – including Video Doctor USA, AffordADoc, Web Doctors Plus, Integrated Support Plus and First Care MD – should call to report this conduct to the FBI hotline at 1-800-CALL-FBI.
Additional documents related to this announcement will shortly be available here: https://www.justice.gov/opa/documents-and-resources-april-9-2019-press-release-health-care-fraud.
Federal Indictments & Law Enforcement Actions in One of the Largest Health Care Fraud Schemes Involving Telemedicine and Durable Medical Equipment Marketing Executives Results in Charges Against 24 Individuals Responsible for over $1.2 Billion in LossesRead the Press Release
One of the largest health care fraud schemes investigated by the FBI and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG) and prosecuted by the Department of Justice resulted in charges against 24 defendants, including the CEOs, COOs and others associated with five telemedicine companies, the owners of dozens of durable medical equipment (DME) companies and three licensed medical professionals, for their alleged participation in health care fraud schemes involving more than $1.2 billion in loss, as well as the execution of over 80 search warrants in 17 federal districts. In addition, the Center for Medicare Services, Center for Program Integrity (CMS/CPI) announced today that it took adverse administrative action against 130 DME companies that had submitted over $1.7 billion in claims and were paid over $900 million.
Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Sherri A. Lydon of the District of South Carolina, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito of the District of New Jersey, U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez of the Middle District of Florida, Assistant Director Robert Johnson of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division, Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Gary Cantrell of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), Chief Don Fort of the IRS Criminal Investigation (CI) and Deputy Administrator and Director of CPI Alec Alexander of the CMS/CPI made the announcement.
Today’s enforcement actions were led and coordinated by the Health Care Fraud Unit of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section in conjunction with its Medicare Fraud Strike Force (MFSF), as well as the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Districts of South Carolina, New Jersey and the Middle District of Florida. The MFSF is a partnership among the Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney’s Offices, the FBI and HHS-OIG. In addition, IRS-CI and other federal law enforcement agencies participated in the operation.
The charges announced today target an alleged scheme involving the payment of illegal kickbacks and bribes by DME companies in exchange for the referral of Medicare beneficiaries by medical professionals working with fraudulent telemedicine companies for back, shoulder, wrist and knee braces that are medically unnecessary. Some of the defendants allegedly controlled an international telemarketing network that lured over hundreds of thousands of elderly and/or disabled patients into a criminal scheme that crossed borders, involving call centers in the Philippines and throughout Latin America. The defendants allegedly paid doctors to prescribe DME either without any patient interaction or with only a brief telephonic conversation with patients they had never met or seen. The proceeds of the fraudulent scheme were allegedly laundered through international shell corporations and used to purchase exotic automobiles, yachts and luxury real estate in the United States and abroad.
“These defendants — who range from corporate executives to medical professionals — allegedly participated in an expansive and sophisticated fraud to exploit telemedicine technology meant for patients otherwise unable to access health care,” said Assistant Attorney General Benczkowski. “This Department of Justice will not tolerate medical professionals and executives who look to line their pockets by cheating our health care programs. I commend the Criminal Division prosecutors and our partners from U.S. Attorney’s Offices and law enforcement agencies across the country for their unrelenting efforts to stop this alleged fraud before more money was stolen from American taxpayers.”
“Simply put, the law applies equally to all in South Carolina,” said U.S. Attorney Sherri Lydon. “The same spoon that serves indictments on drug dealers, felons in possession of firearms, and corrupt officials will also feed those companies and individuals who engage in Medicare fraud. White collar crime is not victimless. All taxpayers will endure the rising cost of health care premiums and out-of-pocket costs as a result of fraud on our Medicare system. I am honored to stand with our partners at the FBI, HHS-OIG, and IRS-CI, who led this outstanding and nationally significant investigation from right here in South Carolina.”
“The indictments we are unsealing today charge the defendants with running a complex, multilayered scheme to defraud our Medicare system and avoid detection by government regulators,” said U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito. “The defendants took advantage of unwitting patients who were simply trying to get relief from their health concerns. Instead, the defendants preyed upon their weakened state and pushed millions of dollars’ worth of unnecessary medical devices, which Medicare paid for, and then set up an elaborate system for laundering their ill-gotten proceeds. We are proud to join our law enforcement partners in New Jersey and around the country to put a stop to this unscrupulous criminal activity.”
“Protecting the integrity of America’s health care programs is necessary to ensure that our citizens receive the care they have paid for and deserve,” said U.S. Attorney Chapa Lopez. “The mammoth coordination and cooperation demonstrated among the various offices, districts, and agencies involved in this case leaves no doubt. We will leverage the full weight of our resources to combat fraud and abuse, wherever it is found.”
“Today, one of the largest health care fraud schemes in U.S. history came to an end thanks to close collaboration and coordination between the FBI and partners including HHS-OIG and IRS-CI,” said FBI Assistant Director Robert Johnson. “Health care fraud causes billions of dollars in losses, it deprives real patients of the critical health care services they need, and it can endanger the lives of real patients so individuals like those arrested today can profit from their criminal activity. Through today’s coordinated national effort, we put an end to this egregious and costly health care fraud scheme, and the public can rest assured the FBI will continue to make health care fraud investigations a top priority.”
“Our law enforcement officers are focused on preventing and uprooting health care fraud schemes like those alleged today,” said Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Gary Cantrell. “These schemes divert money from taxpayer-funded federal health care programs into the hands of criminals. Working closely with our law enforcement partners, our agency will continue to investigate and disrupt attempts to undermine Medicare and target beneficiaries.”
“The breadth of this nationwide conspiracy should be frightening to all who rely on some form of healthcare,” said IRS-CI Chief Don Fort. “The conspiracy described in this indictment was not perpetrated by one individual. Rather, it details broad corruption, massive amounts of greed, and systemic flaws in our healthcare system that were exploited by the defendants. We all suffer when schemes like this go undiscovered and I’m proud of the work our agents did in working with our partners to uncover this complex scheme.”
“The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Center for Program Integrity (CPI) is proud to work very closely everyday with our law enforcement partners to stop exploitation of vulnerable patients and misuse of taxpayer dollars,” said Deputy Administrator and CPI Director Alec Alexander. “In this case CMS has taken swift administrative action and has suspended payments to 130 distinct providers thereby likely preventing billions of additional dollars in losses. CMS remains committed to protecting the millions of beneficiaries we are honored to serve and to preventing fraud of all sorts in the Medicare and Medicaid programs.”
According to allegations in court documents, some of the defendants obtained patients for the scheme by using an international call center that advertised to Medicare beneficiaries and “up-sold” the beneficiaries to get them to accept numerous “free or low-cost” DME braces, regardless of medical necessity. The international call center allegedly paid illegal kickbacks and bribes to telemedicine companies to obtain DME orders for these Medicare beneficiaries. The telemedicine companies then allegedly paid physicians to write medically unnecessary DME orders. Finally, the international call center sold the DME orders that it obtained from the telemedicine companies to DME companies, which fraudulently billed Medicare. Collectively, the CEOs, COOs, executives, business owners and medical professionals involved in the conspiracy are accused of causing over $1 billion in loss.
The Fraud Section leads the Medicare Fraud Strike Force. Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, which maintains 14 strike forces operating in 23 districts, has charged nearly 4,000 defendants who have collectively billed the Medicare program for more than $14 billion. In addition, the HHS Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the HHS-OIG, are taking steps to increase accountability and decrease the presence of fraudulent providers.
*********
Amongst those charged by Strike Force attorneys include:
In the District of New Jersey, charges were brought against Creaghan Harry, 51, of Highland Beach, Florida; Lester Stockett, 51, of Deefield Beach, Florida; and Elliot Loewenstern, 56, of Boca Raton, Florida; the owner, CEO and VP of marketing, respectively, of purported call centers and telemedicine companies, for their alleged participation in a $424 million illegal health care kickback and international money laundering scheme related to the solicitation of illegal kickbacks and bribes in exchange for the referral of DME orders to DME providers. In addition, Joseph DeCorso, M.D., 62, of Toms River, New Jersey, was charged in a $13 million conspiracy to commit health care fraud and separate charges of health care fraud for writing medically unnecessary orders for DME, in many instances without ever speaking to the patients, while working for two telemedicine companies. The cases are being prosecuted by Fraud Section Acting Assistant Chief Jacob Foster and Trial Attorney Darren Halverson.
In the Middle District of Florida, charges were brought against Willie McNeal, 42, of Spring Hill, Florida, the owner and CEO of two purported telemedicine companies, for his alleged participation in a $250 million scheme related to the solicitation of illegal kickbacks and bribes in exchange for the referral of DME orders to DME providers. The case is being prosecuted by Fraud Section Acting Assistant Chief Jacob Foster and Trial Attorneys John Michelich, Catherine Wagner and Sara Clingan.
In the Northern District of Texas, charges were brought against Leah Hagen, 48, and Michael Hagen, 51, of Dalworthington Gardens, Texas, owners and operators of two DME companies, for their alleged participation in a $17 million illegal health care kickback scheme related to the payment of kickbacks in exchange for the referral of medically unnecessary DME orders. The case is being prosecuted by Fraud Section Trial Attorneys Brynn Schiess and Carlos Lopez.
In the Western District of Texas, Christopher O’Hara, 54, of Kingsbury, Texas, the owner of a purported telemedicine company, was charged in an $40 million scheme related to the alleged solicitation of illegal kickbacks and bribes in exchange for the referral of DME orders to DME providers. The case is being prosecuted by Fraud Section Trial Attorney Kevin Lowell.
In the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Randy Swackhammer, M.D., 60, of Goldsboro, North Carolina, was charged for an alleged $5 million conspiracy to commit health care fraud that involved writing medically unnecessary orders for DME while working for a telemedicine company, in many instances with only a brief telephonic conversation with the patients. The case is being prosecuted by Fraud Section Trial Attorney Adam Yoffie.
In the Central District of California, charges were brought against Darin Flashberg, 41, of Glendora, California, and Najib Jabbour, 47, of Glendora, California, owners of seven DME companies, for their alleged participation in a $34 million scheme related to their payment of kickbacks and bribes in exchange for medically unnecessary DME orders. The case is being prosecuted by Fraud Section Trial Attorney Robyn Pullio.
*********
In addition to the Strike Force prosecutions, other enforcement actions were taken, including the execution of search warrants to support related investigative efforts in seven additional U.S. Attorney’s Offices to include in various investigations conducted by the District of New Jersey, District of South Carolina, Southern District of California, District of Nebraska, Middle District of Florida, Eastern District of Missouri and Western District of Washington.
In the District of South Carolina, charges were brought against Andrew Chmiel, 43, of Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina, owner of over a dozen companies involved in the scheme, for his alleged participation in a $200 million scheme related to the payment of kickbacks and bribes in exchange for medically unnecessary DME orders. The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jim May and Will Lewis of the District of South Carolina.
In the District of New Jersey, charges were brought against Neal Williamsky 59, of Marlboro, New Jersey, and Nadia Levit, 39, of Englishtown, New Jersey, owners of approximately 25 DME companies, for their alleged participation in a $150 million scheme related to the payment of kickbacks and bribes in exchange for medically unnecessary DME orders. Albert Davydov, 26, of Rego Park, New York, was also charged for his alleged participation in a $35 million scheme related to the payment of kickbacks and bribes in exchange for medically unnecessary DME orders. The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian Urbano and Stephen Ferketic of the District of New Jersey.
In the Middle District of Florida, search and seizure warrants are being executed at 20 different business locations, including numerous DME companies and a fraudulent telemarketing company. The search and seizures are being executed by over 100 law-enforcement officers from six federal agencies, including HHS-OIG, FBI, IRS-CI, VA-OIG, SSA-OIG, and USPS-OIG. In addition to the 20 search warrants, millions of dollars and other assets tied to the conspiracy are being seized and/or frozen, including through a civil injunction naming 13 defendants as authorized under 18 U.S.C. § 1345.
The cases announced today are being prosecuted and investigated by U.S. Attorney’s Offices nationwide, along with MFSF teams from the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and from the U.S. Attorney’s Offices in the District of New Jersey, District of South Carolina, Southern District of California, District of Nebraska, Middle District of Florida, Eastern District of Missouri and Western District of Washington; and agents from the FBI, HHS-OIG, IRS-CI and other federal law enforcement agencies.
A complaint, information or indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Any doctors or medical professionals who have been involved with alleged fraudulent telemedicine and DME marketing schemes – including Video Doctor USA, AffordADoc, Web Doctors Plus, Integrated Support Plus and First Care MD – should call to report this conduct to the FBI hotline at 1-800-CALL-FBI.
Additional documents related to this announcement will shortly be available here: https://www.justice.gov/opa/documents-and-resources-april-9-2019-press-release-health-care-fraud.
Former Clay County High School Teacher Pleads Guilty to Distributing Child Sex Abuse Video over the InternetRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – Christopher Shawn Potter (50, Jacksonville) has pleaded guilty to distributing a video over the internet that depicts a young child being sexually abused. Potter faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 5 years, and up to 20 years, in federal prison, and a potential life-term of supervised release. He has been detained since his arrest on September 20, 2018.
Potter worked as a teacher at Clay High School in Green Cove Springs from 2016 - 2017, and was a teacher at Orange Park High School from 1997 - 2004.
According to court documents, in February 2018, Potter, utilizing the user name “Catsfan1987,” responded to a notice posted online by an undercover officer with the Orange Park Police Department who was posing as a 14-year-old child. Potter engaged in online conversations with the undercover officer during which Potter requested photos of the “child” and discussed meeting the “child” for sex. Potter sent the undercover officer a video clip depicting a young child being sexually abused and a video of Potter performing a sexual act.
On September 20, 2018, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Potter’s home and seized several computer devices and smartphones. During an interview, Potter admitted sending the video and stated that he fantasizes about sexual acts with young girls. One of Potter’s smartphones contained 21 videos depicting child pornography.
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Orange Park Police Department, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, and the Palatka Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.
It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Tampa Man Sentenced to More Than Eight Years for Tampering with A Federal WitnessRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge William F. Jung has sentenced William Beach (40, Tampa) to eight years and three months in federal prison for tampering with a federal witness.
Beach was found guilty following a jury trial on December 17, 2018.
According to court documents and trial testimony, Beach threatened to shoot a key federal witness in a case (United States v. Corey Damond Smith, Jr., involving a death caused by a fentanyl overdose), if that witness continued to cooperate with the investigation and prosecution of the defendant. Law enforcement immediately intervened to protect the safety of the federal witness.
This case was investigated by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Thomas N. Palermo. It is part of the Middle District of Florida’s anti-opioid strategy to combat opioid trafficking and abuse.
North Port Man Convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine and Heroin, Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces that a federal jury has found Ashanti Roundtree (44, North Port) guilty of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and heroin, possessing a firearm in the furtherance of a drug trafficking offense, and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Roundtree faces a maximum penalty of life and a mandatory minimum of 20 years in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for July 11, 2019.
Roundtree was indicted on November 21, 2017.
According to testimony presented at trial, from about October 2014 through on or about February 26, 2015, Roundtree directed the illegal narcotics distribution activities at a “trap house” located at 200 Granada Boulevard, in North Port, Florida. Roundtree supplied drugs to the residents of the house, then sold the drugs on Roundtree’s behalf, purchased the drugs for their own use, or used them with the promise of paying Roundtree later. Along with supplying the residents with heroin, cocaine, synthetic marijuana (spice), marijuana, and a variety of prescription pills, Roundtree supervised the sale of the drugs, including setting the prices and the hours of sale. He also collected the proceeds from the various drug transactions and participated in drug transactions, by either selling drugs directly to customers or giving drugs in exchange for sexual favors.
During the illegal activities, Roundtree used violence, fear, and intimidation to maintain his position as leader of the conspiracy. While at the trap house, he commonly carried a Taurus firearm for protection. Additionally, co-conspirators and other witnesses saw Roundtree pistol-whip someone with the gun and point it at persons. As a previously convicted felon, Roundtree is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.
On February 26, 2015, law enforcement executed a search warrant at the trap house and recovered a loaded Taurus firearm. Forensic testing confirmed Roundtree’s DNA on the firearm and ammunition magazine. Agents also recovered an assortment of controlled substances, including heroin, marijuana, cocaine, prescription pills, and drug paraphernalia.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office, and the North Port Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Michael C. Baggé-Hernández and Kaitlin R. O’Donnell.
Lady Lake Man Indicted for Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces the return of an indictment charging Brian Alan Jones (36, Lady Lake) with producing child pornography. If convicted, Jones faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 15 years, and up to 30 years, in federal prison.
According to court documents, Jones produced sexually explicit images of a minor. Jones took photographs of the victim’s genitalia on his cellphone and sent them to an undercover officer who was posing as a pedophile.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has violated one or more of the federal criminal laws, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael P. Felicetta.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Jacksonville Man Pleads Guilty to Distributing Child Sex Abuse Photos over the InternetRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – Marc Lionel Lewis (51, Jacksonville) has pleaded guilty to a federal charge that he distributed images depicting the sexual abuse of children over the internet. Lewis faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 5 years, and up to 20 years, in federal prison, and a potential life term of supervised release. He must also register as a sex offender. A sentencing date has not been set.
According to court documents, agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) began an investigation to identify individuals who were using a particular file-sharing network to access and distribute child pornography over the internet. Agents confirmed that a host computer located in Jacksonville, Florida was offering files depicting child pornography for sharing over the internet, and were able to download images of young children being sexually abused from this host computer. Further investigation revealed that these files were being shared over the internet, by Lewis, at his Jacksonville residence.
On July 17, 2017, HSI agents executed a federal search warrant at Lewis’s residence and seized several computer devices. Forensic analysis of the computer media revealed approximately 37 images of child pornography and 142 images of child erotica. Lewis had attempted to delete these files using anti-forensic software, but the contraband images, as well as evidence of the file sharing program, remained and were recovered. By accessing and downloading child pornography through the file-sharing program, Lewis knowingly made it available for sharing and distribution to other users over the internet.
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Plant City Man Sentenced to Five Years for Jacksonville ArsonRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard today sentenced Pedro Sanchez (35, Plant City) to five years in federal prison for arson. The court also ordered Sanchez to pay $15,000 in restitution.
Sanchez was found guilty on January 3, 2019, following a bench trial.
According to court documents, on January 10, 2018, Sanchez set fire to a house located at 8579 Lamanto Avenue North in Jacksonville. The house belonged to his employer, and the employer had assigned Sanchez to renovate the house and prepare it for sale. Eyewitnesses observed Sanchez walking away from the house after it had erupted into flames. Sanchez later admitted to law enforcement that he had set the house on fire.
This case was investigated by the Florida Bureau of Fire, Arson, and Explosives Investigations, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ashley Washington and Frank Talbot.
This is another case prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Middle District of Florida, U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.
Indian National Sentenced to More Than Eight Years for Call Center ScamRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Virginia Hernandez Covington has sentenced Nishitkumar Patel (31, Tampa) to eight years and nine months in federal prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, relating to his participation in an India-based call center scam. As part of his sentence, the court also entered a money judgment of $200,000, and ordered Patel to forfeit cash and a 2015 Land Rover that was seized in October 2018.
Patel pleaded guilty on January 9, 2019.
According to court documents, from 2014 through at least 2016, Patel conspired with U.S.-based coconspirators and India-based call centers to extort money from U.S. residents by impersonating IRS officers and misleading victims to believe that they owed money to the IRS and would be arrested and fined if they did not pay their alleged back taxes immediately. The conspirators collected the fraud proceeds by (1) withdrawing cash from prepaid cards purchased and funded by victims; (2) hiring other conspirators (runners) to retrieve money wired by the victims to those runners; and/or (3) hiring runners to open bank accounts into which victims deposited fraud proceeds. The defendants collected the proceeds by providing the runners with the victims’ names, locations, and amounts paid. The runners were directed to retrieve the fraud proceeds in cash and turn the funds over to the defendants, often less a payment to the runner for opening the account or conducting the transaction.
Four others previously pleaded guilty for their roles in the scheme. On March 25, 2019, Alejandro Juarez was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison. Hemalkumar Shah, Sharvil Patel, and Brenda Dozier are currently awaiting sentencing.
“As a proud IRS Special Agent of 20 years, this fraud infuriates me,” stated Special Agent in Charge Mary Hammond of IRS Criminal Investigations Tampa Field Office. “We here at IRS CI recognize the heartache and concern these crooks cause innocent people. This is why we are eager to team up with our law enforcement partners to track down these impersonators in whatever corner of the globe they may be hiding in.”
“This terrible scam took advantage of people who wanted to comply with what they thought were proper authorities,” said FDLE’s Tampa Special Agent in Charge Mark Brutnell. “Thank goodness, investigators from several agencies were able to put an end to it and those responsible will no longer be able to mislead innocent people.”
“Over the last several years, American taxpayers have been subjected to unprecedented attempts to fraudulently obtain money by individuals impersonating Internal Revenue Service employees,” said J. Russell George, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. “Victimizing taxpayers by impersonating IRS employees is a serious crime,” George continued. “TIGTA and our law enforcement partners will continue working to ensure that those involved in the impersonation of IRS employees are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. This significant sentencing should serve notice to those who engage in this type of criminal activity that they will be held accountable.”
This case was investigated by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Tampa Police Department, and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rachel K. Jones.
Sex Offender Sentenced to Fifteen Years for Child Pornography Offenses, Violating Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States District Judge Paul G. Byron has sentenced Vincenzo (Vincent) G. Savarese (36, Melbourne) to 15 years in federal prison, for accessing with the intent to view child pornography and for violating the terms of his supervised release. The court also ordered Savarese to serve a lifetime of supervision following his release from prison.
Savarese pleaded guilty on October 5, 2018.
According to court documents, in 2009, Savarese was convicted in the United States District Court in Utah of possession of child pornography. Savarese was sentenced to 6 years and 6 months in federal prison, to be followed by 10 years of supervised release. On June 9, 2015, Savarese completed his prison term and returned to Brevard County, Florida, where he began his supervised release.
On May 24, 2018, while on supervised release, Savarese accessed and attempted to access child pornography with the intent to view it, using a computer at a job placement business that was open to the public. Savarese stated that he had gone to the business several times a week and used the computers there to search for child pornography. Law enforcement officers searched the computer used by Savarese and located more than 85 searches for child pornography and 4 images depicting child pornography.
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Karen L. Gable.
It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Former Hillsborough Community College Professor Pleads Guilty to Possession and Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – Howard Joseph Vorder Bruegge, III (36, Tampa) pleaded guilty today to possessing and distributing child pornography. Vorder Bruegge, a former mathematics professor at Hillsborough Community College (HCC), faces a minimum mandatory penalty of five years, and up to 40 years, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the plea agreement, Vorder Bruegge, using the internet monikers “JoeBlow73” and “JoeBlowFL,” distributed child pornography on multiple occasions. He also collected child pornography on his cellphone, including sex-abuse videos of babies and toddlers.
Vorder Bruegge also used his phone to film and publically share voyeur videos on the internet. He employed peepholes in bathrooms on the HCC campus to film college students while they were in restroom stalls. He then distributed those videos on websites that host voyeur content. Vorder Bruegge’s phone contained at least four videos capturing adult males through peepholes in public HCC restrooms.
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Murray.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Florida Man Sentenced to More Than Three Years in Prison for Credit Card FraudRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge James D. Whittemore has sentenced Nicholas Whitetto (39, Quincy) to 42 months in federal prison for conspiracy to commit access device fraud. As part of his sentence, the court also entered a money judgment of $65,000, the proceeds of the credit card fraud.
Whitetto pleaded guilty on January 11, 2019.
According to court documents, Whitetto and others devised a scheme wherein they called a credit card company (referred to in court documents as the Banking Institution) and provided the personal identifying information of actual credit card account holders. Whitetto or another coconspirator then requested to be added as an authorized user on the credit card accounts and directed that the new authorized user’s credit cards be mailed to addresses controlled by the conspirators. The conspirators utilized this plan to fraudulently obtain at least 50 unauthorized credit cards.
Once they received the fraudulently-obtained credit cards in the mail, the conspirators went to various banks and made cash advance withdrawals. The conspirators also used the fraudulently-obtained cards to make unauthorized purchases. The Banking Institution suffered a loss exceeding $100,000.
On January 11, 2019, co-conspirator Frank Tillman pleaded guilty to his role in the scam. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for April 8, 2019.
This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rachel K. Jones.
Brevard Man Sentenced to 80 Years for Committing Sex Crimes Against ChildrenRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States District Judge Carlos E. Mendoza has sentenced Keneon Fitzroy Isaac (45, Cocoa) to 80 years in federal prison for production and possession of child pornography. The court also ordered Isaac to forfeit the smart phones that he used to commit the offenses.
Isaac was found guilty on January 4, 2019.
According to court documents, Isaac sexually abused a homeless, 13-year-old child on at least two occasions, and recorded the abuse using his smart phone. Isaac met the victim at a gas station, where she was panhandling with her mother. During the next two months, Isaac gained the family’s trust by providing basic necessities for the family including food, clothing, and shelter. Isaac also obtained 213 images of child pornography from the internet, some of which depicted the sexual abuse and exploitation of infants, toddlers and prepubescent children.
“This criminal abused the trust of a family under the worst of circumstances,” said HSI Tampa Special Agent in Charge James C. Spero. “While this predator has essentially received a life sentence, we hope it can provide some closure for the young victim during the healing process.”
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office, and the Cocoa Beach Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Karen L. Gable.
It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.