Middle District of Florida

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Charlene Honeywell has sentenced Damon Bellamy (40, Riverview) and Quijuania Williams (40, Riverview) to seven years and eight months in federal prison and five years and three months in federal prison, respectively, for theft of government funds. The court will schedule a restitution hearing to determine the amount of restitution they owe to the Internal Revenue Service.

According to court documents, Bellamy and Williams engaged in a conspiracy to file false and fraudulent income tax returns using the personal identification information of unknowing third parties. Bellamy and Williams directed the deposit of the refunds that they had obtained in this manner onto debit cards in their own names and the names of others, including many family members and friends. This conspiracy began before 2010 and continued until June 2013. The court determined that as a result of this conspiracy, Bellamy and Williams caused an actual loss to the Internal Revenue Service of $1,579,567 and that their collective efforts had led to an attempt to collect over $6.3 million in fraudulent refunds.

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, with assistance from the Hillsborough County Sherriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jay L. Hoffer.

Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Virginia Hernandez Covington has sentenced Sharvil Patel (23, Tampa) to seven years and six months in federal prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, relating to his participation in an India-based call center scam. As part of his sentence, the court also entered a money judgment of $80,000.

Patel had pleaded guilty on February 6, 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. In March 2019, Alejandro Juarez was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison and  Nishitkumar Patel was sentenced to 8 years and 9 months in federal prison. In April 2019, Hemalkumar Shah was sentenced to 8 years and 6 months in federal prison and Brenda Dozier was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison.

“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.”

“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, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, the Tampa Police Department, and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rachel K. Jones.

Orlando, Florida – Jolanta Kucharski (54, Lake Mary) has pleaded guilty to mail fraud. She faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to court documents, Kucharski assisted her son, Brian Kucharski, in obtaining from publicly available websites personal identifying information of unsuspecting individuals, including their names and birthdates, and using that information to create fake eBay selling accounts. Brian Kucharski then used those accounts to negotiate the fraudulent sale of products, predominantly gift cards, through eBay, Inc. Unsuspecting eBay customers paid for ordered items through fraudulent PayPal accounts that Jolanta and Brian Kucharski had created. Brian Kucharski used the fraudulently obtained proceeds of the illegal activities to purchase precious metals, which were delivered to the Kucharskis through the U.S. mail.

Meanwhile, instead of mailing the purchased items to the eBay customers, Jolanta and Brian Kucharski also used the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to disguise their fraudulent activities, by mailing random items to other individuals and using the USPS tracking numbers for those items to represent to eBay customers, and eBay, that they had mailed the purchased eBay items. The customers never received their items, and their demands for refunds were routinely denied.

The scheme was uncovered when postal customers all over the United States received priority mail packages containing random items of no value and contacted their local police departments and post offices. U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigators then identified Brian and Jolanta Kucharski as the perpetrators of the eBay scheme.

On November 6, 2018, Brian Kucharski pleaded guilty to mail fraud. He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 10, 2019. 

This case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ilianys Rivera Miranda.

Tampa, FL – Juan Carlos Ramirez-Arcos (34, Bradenton) has pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm or ammunition as an illegal alien. He faces a maximum term of 10 years in federal prison. He is also required to forfeit the firearm and ammunition that were used in committing the offense. The Ramirez-Arcos sentencing hearing is set for August 19, 2019.

According to court records, on October 17, 2015, Ramirez-Arcos shot and killed Jose Luis Mendoza-Aguilar, known around the neighborhood as the “ice cream man” because he sold ice cream and other snacks in the area. Mendoza-Aguilar was shot three times and died approximately five hours after the shooting. Ramirez-Arcos was tried for murder in Manatee County. At his state trial, Ramirez-Arcos testified that he acted in self-defense and was acquitted.

Further investigation had revealed that Ramirez-Arcos was illegally in the United States when he shot Mendoza-Aguilar and had been so since approximately 2001. Moreover, according to a review of the firearm and ammunition Ramirez-Arcos used to shoot Mendoza-Aguilar, the firearm had traveled in foreign commerce and the ammunition had traveled in interstate commerce. Ramirez-Arcos was therefore indicted in federal court with illegal possession of a firearm.

This case was investigated by the United States Border Patrol with the assistance of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Bradenton Police Department, and the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dan Baeza.

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Roy B. Dalton, Jr. has sentenced Andrew Shettler a/k/a “Yeti” (36, Daytona Beach) to 10 years in federal prison for conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.

Shettler had pleaded guilty on January 30, 2019.

According to court documents, in April 2017, the FBI, and later the DEA, began an investigation into the drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) that had supplied motorcycle clubs, including the Pagans Motorcycle Club and their affiliated groups operating in the Middle District of Florida, with distribution amounts of methamphetamine. To date, 21 individuals have been found guilty as a result of the joint investigation.

Shettler was a member of the Thunderguards Motorcycle Club, a club affiliated with the Pagans Motorcycle Club. He conspired with several members of the Pagans to distribute methamphetamine in and around Daytona Beach.

“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 FBI, the DEA, the Volusia Bureau of Investigation, the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office, and the Daytona Beach Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sean P. Shecter.

Tampa, Florida – A federal jury has found Dr. Kendrick Eugene Duldulao (45, Tampa) and Dr. Medardo Queg Santos (66, Lakeland) guilty of conspiracy to distribute and dispense controlled substances for no legitimate medical purpose and outside the course of professional practice. Santos was also found guilty of three counts of illegally distributing and dispensing controlled substances. Duldulao and Santos each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison on each count.       

Duldulao and Santos were indicted on October 3, 2017.

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, Duldulao and Santos were the medical directors at Health and Pain Center, a pain management clinic in Tampa, from June 2011 through March 2014, and April 2014 through October 2016, respectively. They prescribed excessive amounts of controlled substances, including oxycodone, hydrocodone, hydromorphone, morphine, methadone, and alprazolam. During their tenures as medical directors, Duldulao and Santos had brief and timed medical visits with patients, performed cursory physical examinations, and required minimal medical history or documentation for purposes of treatment. Duldulao and Santos knew that patients’ records were, at times, falsified for purposes of papering the files. Duldulao, Santos, and their co-conspirators operated Health and Pain Center as a cash-only business, with little or no medical equipment on site, staffers with no medical training, and a high-volume patient base.   

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kaitlin R. O’Donnell and Gregory D. Pizzo.

Tampa, Florida – Jorge Delgado-Macias (44, Lutz) has pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as an illegal alien and aggravated identity theft. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison on the firearm charge and a mandatory consecutive two-year term of imprisonment on the aggravated identity theft charge.

According to the plea agreement, on October 17, 2018, deputies from the Hillsborough County Sheriff Office executed a search warrant at Delgado-Macias’s home, where they seized a 9mm pistol and a .40 caliber pistol, along with numerous rounds of ammunition. Delgado-Macias acknowledged to the deputies that the firearms were his, that he was a citizen of Mexico, and that he was unlawfully present in the United States. Also in his possession was a Florida driver license in the name of “JT, Jr.” Delgado-Macias told the deputies that he had purchased a California birth certificate and Social Security number for “JT” some years ago for $500, and that he had later used those documents to obtain the Florida license in the name of “JT, Jr.”

This case was investigated by the U.S. Border Patrol and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, with assistance from the Hillsborough County Sheriff Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jay L. Hoffer.

The United States has filed a complaint in intervention against Doctor’s Choice Home Care Inc (Doctor’s Choice), Timothy Beach, and Stuart Christensen alleging False Claims Act violations arising from the alleged payment of kickbacks in the form of sham medical director agreements and payments to the spouses of referring physicians, the Department of Justice today announced. Doctor’s Choice is a home health agency based in Sarasota, Florida. Timothy Beach and Stuart Christensen are partial owners of Doctor’s Choice.

“Healthcare providers must make recommendations about their patients’ health without respect to their own financial interests,” said Assistant Attorney General Jody Hunt for the Department of Justice’s Civil Division. “We will continue to do our part to protect federal health care program beneficiaries and the American taxpayers from the corrupting influence of kickbacks designed to undermine the impartiality and integrity of physician decision making.”

“Kickbacks and other improper remuneration that interferes with the medical decision-making process undermines the integrity of our healthcare system,” said U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez. “My Office will continue to aggressively pursue those who violate these laws and compromise our system of care.”

The lawsuit alleges that Doctor’s Choice, with the knowledge of Beach and Christensen, paid kickbacks in the form of sham medical directorships to three physicians to refer patients to Doctor’s Choice. All three physicians allegedly did little, if any, of the work for which Doctor’s Choice paid them as medical directors. Sham medical director agreements to induce patient referrals violate the Anti-Kickback Statute and the Stark Law. Doctor’s Choice also allegedly paid some employees in a manner that accounted for the volume of referrals by their physician spouses, in violation of the Stark Law.    

The Anti-Kickback Statute prohibits anyone from offering or paying remuneration in order to induce or reward referrals for services paid for under federal healthcare programs. The Stark Law forbids certain medical providers, including home health agencies, from submitting claims to Medicare for services provided to patients who were referred by a physician with whom the provider has a prohibited financial relationship, unless that relationship falls within an applicable exception. 

The lawsuit was filed under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act, which allow private parties to file suit on behalf of the United States for false claims and receive a share of any recovery. The act permits the United States to intervene and take over responsibility for litigating the case, as it has done here. A defendant who violates the act is subject to three times the government’s losses, plus applicable penalties. 

This case is being handled by the Department of Justice’s Civil Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida, with assistance from the Office of Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services. 

The claims made in the complaint are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability. The case is captioned United States ex rel. Herbold v. Doctor’s Choice Home Care Inc., et al., Case No. 8:15-cv-01044 (M.D. Fl.).

Tampa, FL – The United States has filed a complaint in intervention against Doctor’s Choice Home Care Inc (Doctor’s Choice), Timothy Beach, and Stuart Christensen alleging False Claims Act violations arising from the alleged payment of kickbacks in the form of sham medical director agreements and payments to the spouses of referring physicians, the Department of Justice today announced. Doctor’s Choice is a home health agency based in Sarasota, Florida. Timothy Beach and Stuart Christensen are partial owners of Doctor’s Choice.

“Healthcare providers must make recommendations about their patients’ health without respect to their own financial interests,” said Assistant Attorney General Jody Hunt for the Department of Justice’s Civil Division. “We will continue to do our part to protect federal health care program beneficiaries and the American taxpayers from the corrupting influence of kickbacks designed to undermine the impartiality and integrity of physician decision making.”

“Kickbacks and other improper remuneration that interferes with the medical decision-making process undermines the integrity of our healthcare system,” said U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez. “My Office will continue to aggressively pursue those who violate these laws and compromise our system of care.”

The lawsuit alleges that Doctor’s Choice, with the knowledge of Beach and Christensen, paid kickbacks in the form of sham medical directorships to three physicians to refer patients to Doctor’s Choice. All three physicians allegedly did little, if any, of the work for which Doctor’s Choice paid them as medical directors. Sham medical director agreements to induce patient referrals violate the Anti-Kickback Statute and the Stark Law. Doctor’s Choice also allegedly paid some employees in a manner that accounted for the volume of referrals by their physician spouses, in violation of the Stark Law.    

The Anti-Kickback Statute prohibits anyone from offering or paying remuneration in order to induce or reward referrals for services paid for under federal healthcare programs. The Stark Law forbids certain medical providers, including home health agencies, from submitting claims to Medicare for services provided to patients who were referred by a physician with whom the provider has a prohibited financial relationship, unless that relationship falls within an applicable exception. 

The lawsuit was filed under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act, which allow private parties to file suit on behalf of the United States for false claims and receive a share of any recovery. The act permits the United States to intervene and take over responsibility for litigating the case, as it has done here. A defendant who violates the act is subject to three times the government’s losses, plus applicable penalties. 

This case is being handled by the Department of Justice’s Civil Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Harden of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida, with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Office of Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services. 

The claims made in the complaint are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability. The case is captioned United States ex rel. Herbold v. Doctor’s Choice Home Care Inc., et al., Case No. 8:15-cv-01044 (M.D. Fl.).

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday today sentenced Luckner Stimphil (55, Brandon) to four years and nine months in federal prison for conspiracy to defraud the United States. Last week, Stimphil’s daughter, Elwolfine Dufort (31, Riverview), was sentenced to two years in federal prison for her role in the conspiracy. The court also ordered Stimphil and Dufort to pay $11 million in restitution, joint and several, to the United States and imposed a $10,000 fine against Stimphil. Stimphil and Dufort had pleaded guilty in February 2019.

Stimphil and Dufort have agreed to be permanently enjoined from preparing or assisting in the preparation or filing of federal tax returns or other related documents for any other person or entity; from maintaining any association with a tax return preparation business; and from instructing, teaching, or otherwise training any person in the preparation of federal tax returns. Stimphil further consented to pay all taxes, interest, and penalties he owed to the IRS relating to his personal tax returns for years 2012 and 2013.  

According to court documents, Stimphil, the then-pastor at First Calvary Family Life Ministry in Tampa, created and operated Top Popular Tax, a tax return preparer business with offices in Tampa, Winter Haven, and other locations. The business operated from around 2011 through at least mid-2015. Stimphil, Dufort, and others working under Stimphil’s supervision, routinely assisted in and advised in the preparation and presentation to the IRS of false and fraudulent Top Popular Tax clients’ IRS Forms 1040. They included materially false and fraudulent information on the client-taxpayers’ Schedule C Forms (business income or loss) and Forms 8863 (associated with a claim for the American opportunity credit). Some of the forms  submitted to the IRS by Top Popular Tax also included a false and fraudulent claim for a credit for federal tax on fuels.         

“Together, Luckner Stimphil and his daughter, Elwolfine Dufort, were responsible for preparing false tax returns that caused more than $11 million dollars in losses to the IRS, essentially stealing the tax dollars paid by honest Americans,” stated Special Agent in Charge Mary Hammond of IRS Criminal Investigation. “As unconscionable as that sounds, the damage did not stop there. Their actions upended the lives of their clients who now must sort out the mess caused by the false returns Stimphil and Dufort filed in their names. We plead with all taxpayers to do their due diligence in selecting a trustworthy and accredited return preparer.”

This case was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jay G. Trezevant and Craig R. Gestring.

Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan has sentenced Jason Cole Shreve (27, Paisley) to 10 years in federal prison, followed by 15 years of supervised release, for attempted enticement and coercion of a minor to engage in sexual activity. The court also ordered $168,915 in restitution to victims of child pornography.

Shreve had pleaded guilty on February 12, 2019.

According to court documents, between May 26 and 27, 2015, Shreve engaged in email and text communications with an undercover agent whom he believed to be the mother of a 14-year-old girl. Shreve was advised and acknowledged the child was a minor, yet provided explicit details regarding the sexual activities he wanted to engage in, and discussed traveling to the mother’s home to engage in sex with the minor. 

On May 27, 2015, Shreve traveled to Jacksonville to meet the child and was arrested by officers from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. After his arrest, Shreve admitted to engaging in the email and text conversations. 

“This predator shared child pornography on social media applications and traveled to a meeting where he thought he was going to sexually abuse a young child,” said HSI Tampa Special Agent in Charge James C. Spero. “Instead he was stopped by law enforcement and will now be held accountable for those crimes.”

This case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Washington.

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.

Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces the unsealing of a criminal complaint and arrest warrant charging Jonathan Bohn a/k/a “Jonah” (35, Orlando) with distribution of a controlled substance that resulted in death. If convicted, Bohn faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison.        

According to the criminal complaint, on December 16, 2017, Bohn sold a victim a controlled substance that contained fentanyl. After the victim ingested the narcotic, the victim’s daughter found the victim unresponsive in their residence. The Orange County Medical Examiner’s office subsequently determined that the victim’s cause of death was fentanyl and cocaine intoxication.       

A criminal complaint 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 is a part of the Middle District of Florida’s anti-opioid strategy to combat opioid trafficking and abuse. It was investigated by the Orange County Sheriff’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sean P. Shecter.

Ocala, Florida – Brian Alan Jones (36, Lady Lake) today pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation of a child under 12 years of age. He faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 15 years, and up to 30 years, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.      

According to court documents, Jones produced sexually explicit images of a 6-year-old girl who was under his supervision. He took explicit photographs of the victim on his cellphone and sent them to an undercover officer posing as a pedophile. The victim resided with her mother and Jones, who were allegedly dating at the time of this crime. 

Jones also admitted to sending another undercover officer sexually explicit videos depicting young children having sexual intercourse with adult men. Jones’s cellphone was later found to contain more than 100 images of the child victim and over 70 images of other child pornography or child erotica.

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. It is being 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.

Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces the arrest and filing of a criminal complaint charging Frederick M. Pohl, Jr. (40, Clermont) with transferring obscene materials to a minor and attempting to entice a minor. If convicted, Pohl faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. He has been detained since his arrest on May 21, 2019.             

According to the complaint, Pohl engaged in a series of online chat communications to arrange a sexual encounter with an 8-year-old girl. Pohl believed he was chatting with the child and her father, but he was actually communicating with an undercover federal agent. Pohl sent explicit photos of himself and arranged to meet with the child at an Orlando hotel. When Pohl arrived at the hotel, he was arrested. Pohl was found to be in possession of condoms and a child-sized pink dress.

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation 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 Homeland Security Investigations. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael P. Felicetta. Anyone with additional information should contact Homeland Security Investigations at 1-866-DHS-2ICE (347-2423).

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.

 

Orlando, Florida – Eric Bales (30, Winter Park) has pleaded guilty to distributing child pornography and online enticement of a child to produce child pornography. He faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 10 years, and up to life, in federal prison. Bales has been in custody since his arrest on November 15, 2018. 

According to the plea agreement, beginning in August 2018, Bales obtained and distributed images and videos of child pornography over internet peer-to-peer applications. Bales also elicited the production of pornographic images from a 16-year-old girl, and shared those images via messaging apps. In 2014, prior to committing these offenses, Bales was convicted for willful child abuse in Florida state court.  

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Brandon Bayliss, on assignment from the Office of Principal Legal Advisor, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

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, Florida – Jordan Frederic Schemmel (37, Ormond Beach) has pleaded guilty to distributing child pornography over the internet. He faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 5 years, and up to 20 years, in federal prison and a potential life term of supervised release. Additionally, Schemmel will be required to register as a sex offender. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to court documents, on September 5, 2018, Schemmel, using the user name “Profsunrise15,” responded to a message on an internet bulletin board frequented by individuals with a sexual interest in children. This message had been posted by an undercover FBI agent. Schemmel then began an online conversation with the agent using a popular social messaging application. After some conversation about sexual interest in children, Schemmel sent the agent a video that depicted a young child being sexually assaulted by an adult male, and later sent a photo depicting similar criminal conduct with a child. FBI agents were able to identify the IP address used by Schemmel and tracked it to his residence. At that time, Schemmel was a teacher at Terry Parker High School in Jacksonville. 

On October 19, 2018, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Schemmel’s home. During an interview, Schemmel stated that he had sent the child-pornographic video using the app, and that he had previously tried unsuccessfully to stop viewing child pornography on a number of occasions. A forensic examination of his smartphone and a thumb drive seized from his home revealed that Schemmel had collected 106 images and 28 videos depicting young children being sexually abused.   

This case was investigated by the FBI, United States Customs and Border Protection, and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. 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.

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Roy B. Dalton, Jr. has sentenced Keith Kirchoff (41, Key West) to 20 years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking crime. A jury had found Kirchoff guilty on February 26, 2019.

According to testimony presented at trial, in March 2018, Kirchoff conspired with members of the Pagans motorcycle club to deliver ounce quantities of methamphetamine to Pagans members located in Daytona Beach and Key West, Florida. On March 21, 2018, members of the Florida Highway Patrol pulled over a vehicle driven by Kirchoff and found nearly 10 ounces of methamphetamine and a loaded firearm.

“The FBI is committed to dismantling criminal organizations who threaten the safety of Central Florida,” said Rachel L. Rojas, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Jacksonville Division, “and we will continue to work with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to disrupt the flow of dangerous drugs into our communities.”

This case was investigated by the FBI, the DEA, the Florida Highway Patrol, the Volusia Bureau of Investigation, the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office, and the Daytona Beach Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sean P. Shecter.

Jacksonville, Florida – Lepoleon Spikes (47, Jacksonville) has pleaded guilty to wire fraud involving fraudulently obtained FEMA benefits. He faces up to 20 years in federal prison and has agreed to pay $57,789.19 in restitution to the United States. 

According to the plea agreement, in February 2018, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security - Office of Inspector General (DHS-OIG) received an allegation that Spikes had provided false information to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in order to receive disaster assistance. Further investigation determined that Spikes had submitted applications to receive disaster assistance from FEMA involving Tropical Storm Debby, Hurricane Matthew, and Hurricane Irma. In the applications, Spikes falsely claimed that his primary residence in Jacksonville had been damaged due to a storm, causing him to relocate. Based on these false claims, Spikes fraudulently obtained $57,789.19 in disaster assistance from FEMA.

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 is being 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.

Ft. Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge John E. Steele has sentenced Kay F. Gow (68, Naples) to 10 years in federal prison for her role in a conspiracy to defraud Lee County out of $5 million in grant funds, an individual investor out of $500,000, and the laundering of the proceeds. As part of Gow’s sentence, the court also entered a money judgment in the amount of $1.93 million, the proceeds of the criminal conduct. Judge Steele also sentenced co-conspirator John G. Williams, Jr. (67, Suffolk, VA) to 30 months in federal prison. 

Kay Gow, her husband, Robert Gow, and Williams were found guilty by a federal jury on February 22, 2019. Robert Gow is now deceased.

According to evidence presented at trial, the Gows owned and controlled multiple entities, including HerbalScience Group, LLC and HerbalScience Singapore Pte, Ltd. In 2010, the Gows formed VR Laboratories, LLC, in order to apply for a $5 million grant through the Lee County Financial Incentives for Recruiting Strategic Targets (“FIRST”) program. The FIRST program consisted of taxpayer funds that had been set aside by the county to bring economic development projects to the Ft. Myers area. In seeking the FIRST grant, the Gows made numerous false and fraudulent representations to various individuals and government entities about the financial success and that of HerbalScience, VR Labs, including that VR Labs was poised to become a leading global formulator and manufacturer of botanical pharmaceuticals. Ultimately, Lee County awarded VR Labs $5 million in FIRST grant funds to build a manufacturing facility that the Gows had claimed would bring hundreds of high-paying jobs and economic growth to Lee County. 

Once VR Labs executed an agreement with Lee County, Williams, a long-time friend of the Gows, registered a fictitious name, “Williams Specialty Bottling Equipment,” with the Florida Secretary of State. The Gows then represented that Williams would provide the bottling line for the manufacturing facility, when he had no such experience or expertise. Williams used false and fraudulent invoices for work and services allegedly performed on the bottling line to make demands for payment and, once paid, kicked back a substantial portion of the funds to VR Labs and the Gows. The Gows then used Williams’s false and fraudulent invoices to justify requests to Lee County for the payment of grant money. Once VR Labs received the grant funds, the Gows fraudulently transferred those funds to entities they owned and controlled, and ultimately to themselves, by disguising the transfers as fees, salaries, expenses, and other items. They also tried to conceal the source of the kickbacks through the creation of fictitious entities and documents.

Ultimately, Lee County disbursed approximately $4.7 million in FIRST grant funds to VR Labs, but the manufacturing facility was never completed or operational.

Having exhausted the stolen grant funds, the Gows defrauded additional private investors. One such investor lost his retirement savings of $500,000.  

“The FBI works diligently to ensure that those who profit from deception and greed are brought to justice,”said Special Agent in Charge of the Tampa Division Eric W. Sporre. “Honest, hardworking individuals deserve our protection and we encourage anyone with information regarding fraudulent activity to contact law enforcement immediately.”

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Rachelle DesVaux Bedke, Michael Leeman, and Josephine W. Thomas.

Orlando, FL – Kenneth Bernard Smith (54, Winter Garden) pleaded guilty today to two counts of possessing ammunition and a firearm as a convicted felon and two counts of distributing cocaine and heroin. He faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years, and up to life, in federal prison. Smith is scheduled to be sentenced in August 2019.

According to court documents, on February 8, 2019, deputies from the Orange County Sherriff’s Office responded to a call regarding a fatal drug overdose that had occurred in an apartment in Winter Garden, where Smith was the sole resident. The deputies found materials used for drug distribution as well as over 550 rounds of ammunition in the apartment. At the time, Smith had numerous prior felony convictions, including three felony convictions for drug distribution.

On February 20, 2019, law enforcement officers conducted an undercover purchase of cocaine from Smith. On March 6, 2019, officers executed a search warrant at Smith’s home and seized cocaine and heroin, packaged for distribution, along with a loaded 10 mm firearm.    

This case was investigated by the Orange County Sherriff’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dana E. Hill.

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.

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces the formation of the Tampa Bay Human Trafficking Task Force, which held its first meeting on May 16, 2019. The task force consists of federal, state, and local law enforcement and prosecutors, along with several victims’ services organizations. Members of the task force will work collectively to improve upon the detection, investigation, prosecution, and victim assistance efforts in human trafficking matters throughout the Tampa Bay area.

“Combating human trafficking is a priority for the Department of Justice and our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners,” said U.S. Attorney Chapa Lopez. “The Tampa Division of the United States Attorney’s Office covers eight counties and serves a population of over 4.4 million people. We intend to combine the resources, efforts and expertise of our task force partners to fight human trafficking at every level, from prevention, investigation and enforcement, to supporting the victims of these heinous crimes.”

For more information about the Tampa Bay Human Trafficking Task Force, please contact AUSA Mandy Riedel or Victim Coordinator Chris Griffiths at 813-274-6000.

Ocala, Florida – Winyontis Quavari Gordon (28, Ocala) pleaded guilty yesterday to an indictment charging him with possession of a firearm and ammunition affecting commerce by a convicted felon. Gordon faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years, and up to life, imprisonment for the offense. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to court documents, on July 5, 2018, detectives from the Ocala Police Department attempted to arrest Gordon on an outstanding state warrant.  Upon seeing the approaching detectives, Gordon exited the driver’s side of a parked car and fled on foot. Following a brief chase, the detectives took Gordon into custody and discovered a loaded .45 caliber handgun on the driver’s seat of the car, where Gordon had been sitting. During a subsequent interview with law enforcement, Gordon admitted that he had possessed the loaded firearm.      

A records check confirmed that Gordon has prior state felony convictions for aggravated battery with a firearm, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, domestic battery by strangulation, and felony battery. These felony convictions prohibit Gordon from lawfully possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law. They will also qualify Gordon for an enhanced sentence as an Armed Career Criminal.   

The Ocala Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives jointly investigated this case. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Bodnar, Jr.

Jacksonville, Florida – Anthony Davis Stagnitta (22, St. Petersburg) has pleaded guilty to distributing child sex abuse videos using the internet. Stagnitta faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 5 years, and up to 20 years, in federal prison, as well as a potential life term of supervised release. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to court documents, in February 2018, agents from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) began an investigation into the sexual exploitation of children that was occurring on a popular messaging application. The agents discovered that between November 24 and December 3, 2017, Stagnitta had engaged in online conversations with other users in a public group chat on the app and had discussed trading child pornography. On December 3, 2017, Stagnitta sent a video to the group that depicted the sadistic sexual abuse of an infant.

On April 30, 2018, HSI agents executed a search warrant at Stagnitta’s home in Jacksonville. During an interview, Stagnitta admitted that he had discussed child pornography using this app, had sent videos of child pornography to other users via private messaging, and had posted videos in the group chats. Forensic analysis of Stagnitta’s cellphone revealed that it contained 2,904 images depicting young children being sexually abused.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. 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.

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Paul G. Byron has sentenced Travis B. Hall (38, Orlando) to 15 years in federal prison, and Antonio Mobley (43, Orlando) to 14 years and 11 months in federal prison, for committing armed robberies at convenience stores in the Orlando area and for brandishing firearms during these crimes of violence. In addition, Derrick M. Davis (38, Orlando) was sentenced to 14 years and 7 months’ imprisonment for participating in the robberies.  

According to court records, on March 1, 2018, at 8:50 p.m., Hall and Davis robbed a convenience store at a Sunoco gas station in Kissimmee. Davis planned the robbery and drove Hall to the store, where Hall began filling a large trash bag with cartons of cigarettes. The attendant on-duty engaged in a shoving match with Hall, after which Hall lifted up his shirt to display a firearm in his waistband and then completed the robbery. Davis and Hall sold the stolen cartons of cigarettes to a cigarette vendor in exchange for cash.

On March 2, 2018, at 7:10 p.m., Davis, Hall, and Mobley robbed a convenience store at a Mobil gas station in Ocoee. Davis planned the robbery, drove Mobley and Hall to the store, and provided Mobley with a firearm. After entering the store, Mobley placed an on-duty attendant in a headlock and held the firearm to the attendant’s head, while Hall filled a trash bag with cartons of cigarettes. Davis, Hall, and Mobley then sold the stolen cartons of cigarettes to a cigarette vendor in exchange for cash.

On March 2, 2018, at 10:08 p.m., Davis, Hall, and Mobley robbed another convenience store at a Marathon gas station in Kissimmee. Davis drove Mobley and Hall to the store and then again provided Mobley with a firearm. After entering the store, Mobley held the on-duty attendant at gunpoint while Hall filled two trash bags with cartons of cigarettes. Hall and Mobley then fled with the firearm and cigarettes.

Hall and Mobley pleaded guilty on October 10, 2018. Davis pleaded guilty on February 27, 2019.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, the Ocoee Police Department, the Kissimmee Police Department, and the Orlando Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Chauncey A. Bratt.

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces that Daniel Butler (29, Miami) today pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. Butler faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 2 years in federal prison for the aggravated identity theft count and up to 20 years in federal prison for the wire fraud count. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to the plea agreement, Butler and his co-conspirators fraudulently obtained access to at least 477 credit card accounts and linked those accounts to the Apple Pay application on their iPhones. Then, using their iPhones, Butler and the others made purchases using the victims’ credit card accounts, all without having to present actual credit cards to retailers. The group made more than $1.5 million in fraudulent purchases.

Three co-conspirators previously pleaded guilty for their roles in this scheme. Johnny Max Wesley (23, Miami) was sentenced in December 2018 to four years in federal prison. Laurent Pierre Louis (30, Miami) is scheduled to be sentenced on July 25, 2019, and Rachel Bishop (26, Miami), is scheduled to be sentenced on September 18, 2019.  

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Coolican.

Jacksonville, Florida – Jaceta Anya Streeter (38, Jacksonville) has pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft and wire fraud. She faces up to 20 years in federal prison on the wire fraud charge and a consecutive minimum mandatory term of 2 years in federal prison for the aggravated identity theft charge. Streeter was also ordered to pay restitution to her victims.

According to court documents, in 2006, after being found guilty at trial for participating in a scheme involving the passing of counterfeit checks, Streeter was sentenced to seven years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. After she was released from prison and while on federal supervised release, the court issued a warrant for Streeter, as her whereabouts were unknown and she was considered a fugitive. When the U.S. Marshals Service eventually located and arrested her in Orlando, she had multiple counterfeit forms of identification in her possession. A follow-up investigation by law enforcement determined that Streeter had engaged in a scheme involving credit card fraud and identity theft. She obtained credit card account numbers for various victims, along with the victims’ personal identifiable information. Using this information, Streeter went to various merchants, including home improvement and clothing stores, and fraudulently purchased large quantities of merchandise.

This case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the U.S. Department of Treasury – Office of Inspector General Jacksonville Field Office, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the United States Secret Service Jacksonville Field Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.

Orlando, Florida – Jeffrey McKinney (61, Minneola) has pleaded guilty to wire fraud for his scheme to steal over $750,000 from his employer and one of its executives. McKinney is facing up to 20 years in federal prison, three years of supervised release, and will be ordered to pay restitution. Sentencing has not yet been set.

According to court documents, McKinney is a Certified Public Accountant and was the Controller of a local business. In addition to serving as the Controller, McKinney was responsible for moving funds between various accounts held by the business and one of its executives. For a period of over a year and a half, McKinney used his position to embezzle over $750,000 from those accounts. To cover up his thefts, McKinney falsified check stubs, moved money between accounts to hide what he had stolen, and provided the executive with reports that inflated the amount of money that remained in the executive’s accounts.                            

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg.

Orlando, Florida – A federal jury has found Vorarut Vorasiangsuk (36, Orlando) guilty of two counts of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. For each count of receipt of child pornography, Vorasiangsuk faces a minimum mandatory penalty of five years, and up to 20 years in federal prison. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years for the possession count. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for July 31, 2019.

Vorasiangsuk was indicted on February 13, 2019.

According to testimony presented at trial, in January 2019, the FBI conducted a search warrant at Vorasiangsuk’s residence. At that time, Vorasiangsuk confessed to having used peer-to-peer file-sharing programs to download child pornography from the internet, and he admitted that he had been downloading and viewing child pornography for approximately 15 years. Vorasiangsuk, a respiratory therapist, also told the agents that he had been working primarily with babies at a local healthcare facility for at least 10 years. The FBI recovered nine computer devices from Vorasiangsuk, containing thousands of images of child pornography, including images depicting young children engaged in sexually explicit conduct. 

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being 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.

Ocala, Florida – Michael Guell (37, Ocala) has pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to the plea agreement, on November 28, 2018, Guell was admitted to an Ocala-area hospital for gunshot wounds. When police arrived at the hospital, Guell told them that he had been robbed at gunpoint and shot by an unknown assailant. Investigating further, police located Guell’s car and saw shell casings and handgun ammunition through the car’s window. When interviewed a second time, Guell admitted that he had been drinking in his car and had accidentally shot himself. A search of Guell’s vehicle revealed a semi-automatic handgun, 26 rounds of ammunition, and multiple shell casings. 

As a convicted felon, Guell is prohibited from possessing any firearms or ammunition under federal law.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Ocala Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William S. Hamilton.

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.

Tampa, FL – Maria Chapa Lopez recognizes the service and sacrifice of federal, state, local, and tribal police officers on the occasion of National Police Week, which is being observed Sunday, May 12 to Saturday, May 18, 2019, and remembers those law enforcement officers killed and assaulted in 2018. During this month, communities throughout the Middle District of Florida (MDFL) will hold public memorial services honoring fallen officers and showing support for their families. In addition, multiple agencies will embark upon various media campaigns to strengthen connections between officers and citizens and to show appreciation for the officers’ continued service. The MDFL is home to more than 160 law enforcement agencies.

In October 1962, Congress enacted a joint resolution, which the President signed, declaring May 15th as National Peace Officers Memorial Day to honor law enforcement officers killed or disabled in the line of duty. The resolution also created National Police Week as an annual tribute to law enforcement service and sacrifice. 

“The Middle District of Florida joins the entire nation in saluting police officers throughout the country for their hard work, dedication, and sacrifice in keeping our communities safe,” stated U.S. Attorney Chapa Lopez. “We appreciate the tenacity and commitment of our federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement partners who often place themselves in harm’s way to protect us, daily.  They have our unwavering support.”

According to statistics reported to the FBI, 106 law enforcement officers were killed in line-of-duty incidents in 2018, including 1officer, Adam Edward Jobbers-Miller, here in the Middle District of Florida.

Comprehensive data tables about these incidents and brief narratives describing the fatal attacks are included in the sections of Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted, 2018 https://ucr.fbi.gov/leoka/2018/ released this week by the FBI.

The names of all 106 fallen officers nationwide will be formally dedicated on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, DC, during the 31st Annual Candlelight Vigil on the evening of May 13, 2019. No tickets are required and everyone is welcome. For additional information please call 202-737-3400.

Five Middle District of Florida officers were added to the Memorial this year: Deputy Sheriff Kevin James Stanton from the Brevard County Sheriff's Office, Officer Lance Christian Whitaker from the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, Officer Thomas Coulter from the Daytona Beach Police Department, Officer Adam Edward Jobbers-Miller from the Fort Myers Police Department, and Deputy Sheriff Benjamin LeMont Zirbel from the Clay County Sheriff's Office.

The Candlelight Vigil is one of many commemorative events taking place in the nation’s capital during National Police Week 2019.      

For more information about other National Police Week events, please visit www.policeweek.org.

 

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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, 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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, 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.

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.

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, 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.