Middle District of Florida

Orlando, Florida – A federal jury has found Dexter Ray King (36, Orlando) guilty of bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. King faces a mandatory penalty of 2 years in federal prison for the aggravated identity theft and up to 30 years on each bank fraud count. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for April 7, 2026.  United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.

According to evidence presented at trial, during the COVID-19 pandemic, King filed dozens of fraudulent claims for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) benefits across several states. For many of the claims, King used stolen identities and fake addresses. Once the claims were approved, King changed the addresses on the claims to his Orlando apartment, ensuring that the debit cards containing the fraudulently obtained government benefits were mailed to him. He then used the debit cards to withdraw the funds from the bank. King also filed fraudulent claims using his own name, but Social Security numbers that did not belong to him, and had the resulting benefits direct deposited into his bank account. In total, King received more than $500,000 in fraud proceeds, which he spent on a new $77,000 SUV, a trip to Las Vegas, pricey restaurants, and luxury fashion brands. 

This case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Del Mastro.

Tampa, FL – A federal jury has found Nidia Roxana Maradiaga-Flores (28), an illegal alien from Honduras, guilty of aggravated identity theft, false representation of a Social Security number, and making a false claim of United States citizenship for employment purposes. Maradiaga-Flores faces a maximum penalty of 12 years in federal prison. Her sentencing hearing is scheduled for April 17, 2026. U.S. Attorney Gregory Kehoe made the announcement.

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, Archer Western-de Moya Group Joint Venture II (Joint Venture), a construction company, is enrolled in E-Verify, a web-based system through which employers electronically confirm the employment eligibility of their employees. Maradiaga-Flores is an illegal alien from Honduras with no lawful status in the United States. On March 23, 2022, Maradiaga-Flores applied for employment with the Joint Venture in Pinellas County and filled out an I-9 form for use in the E-Verify system. On that form, Maradiaga-Flores falsely identified herself as a United States citizen and used another person’s means of identification to defeat the E-Verify system. 

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Department of Transportation – Office of Inspector General, the Social Security Administration–Office of the Inspector General, the United States Border Patrol, the Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Joseph Wheeler, III, and Assistant United States Attorney Karyna Valdes.

A Jacksonville minister pleaded guilty today to obstructing the IRS’s efforts to collect his tax debts.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Brian Carn, Jr. operated a ministry under various names, including Healing House Ministries, Inc., Brian Carn Ministries, Inc., and Kingdom Culture City Churches. In 2016, Carn filed his tax return for 2015 that properly reported that he earned more than $1.4 million in income and owed more than $600,000 in taxes. He did not, however, pay those taxes to the IRS and instead came up with a scheme to deceive the IRS.

A few months later, when the IRS attempted to collect his unpaid taxes — including by placing liens on his properties and attempting to levy his bank accounts — Carn amended his 2015 tax return and falsely removed nearly $1.3 million in income that he previously reported. To accomplish this, Carn hired a new accountant and provided him with a fictitious, backdated employment agreement that provided for an annual salary of $120,000 and an annual parsonage allowance of $24,000. Carn represented to his accountant that this was all the income he earned for the year. Carn represented third parties on credit applications, financial account openings, and lease applications, and otherwise knew that the income he actually earned far exceeded the purported salary in the employment agreement provided to the new accountant..

In the following years, operating under the premise of the fictitious employment agreement, Carn filed a series of other tax returns that drastically underreported his true income. But in 2020, he stopped filing tax returns, despite continuing to earn income by using ministry funds to pay for personal expenses.

Finally, when the IRS was trying to collect the outstanding taxes, Carn made a number of false representations and material omissions to the IRS to conceal his assets and income.

Carn’s obstruction caused a loss to United States of between $550,000 and $1,500,000. Carn faces a maximum penalty of three years in prison.

Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division made the announcement.

IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.

Assistant Deputy Chief David Zisserson and Trial Attorney Max Wilner-Giwerc of the Criminal Division, Tax Section are prosecuting the case, with the assistance of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida. 

A Jacksonville minister pleaded guilty today to obstructing the IRS’s efforts to collect his tax debts.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Brian Carn, Jr. operated a ministry under various names, including Healing House Ministries, Inc., Brian Carn Ministries, Inc., and Kingdom Culture City Churches. In 2016, Carn filed his tax return for 2015 that properly reported that he earned more than $1.4 million in income and owed more than $600,000 in taxes. He did not, however, pay those taxes to the IRS and instead came up with a scheme to deceive the IRS.

A few months later, when the IRS attempted to collect his unpaid taxes — including by placing liens on his properties and attempting to levy his bank accounts — Carn amended his 2015 tax return and falsely removed nearly $1.3 million in income that he previously reported. To accomplish this, Carn hired a new accountant and provided him with a fictitious, backdated employment agreement that provided for an annual salary of $120,000 and an annual parsonage allowance of $24,000. Carn represented to his accountant that this was all the income he earned for the year. Carn represented third parties on credit applications, financial account openings, and lease applications, and otherwise knew that the income he actually earned far exceeded the purported salary in the employment agreement provided to the new accountant.

In the following years, operating under the premise of the fictitious employment agreement, Carn filed a series of other tax returns that drastically underreported his true income. But in 2020, he stopped filing tax returns, despite continuing to earn income by using ministry funds to pay for personal expenses.

Finally, when the IRS was trying to collect the outstanding taxes, Carn made a number of false representations and material omissions to the IRS to conceal his assets and income.

Carn’s obstruction caused a loss to United States of between $550,000 and $1,500,000. Carn faces a maximum penalty of three years in prison. 

Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division made the announcement.

IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.

Assistant Deputy Chief David Zisserson and Trial Attorney Max Wilner-Giwerc of the Criminal Division, Tax Section are prosecuting the case, with the assistance of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida. 

Florida ophthalmology practices Clay Eye Holdings LLC, Retina Macula Specialist of Miami LLC, Florida Eye Institute P.A., Miami Eye LLC, and Kendall Eye Institute Inc. have agreed to pay a total of nearly $6 million to resolve alleged violations of the False Claims Act arising from their billing for trans-cranial doppler ultrasounds (TCDs) through a kickback arrangement with a third-party testing company. All five practices have agreed to cooperate with the Justice Department’s ongoing investigations of other participants in the alleged scheme.

“Kickbacks and false claims increase healthcare costs for all Americans and undermine the integrity of healthcare decision-making,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Combatting such schemes will continue to be a priority for the Justice Department.”

“These settlements are a continuing testament to the United States’ commitment to fight healthcare fraud and ensure that federal healthcare dollars are spent consistently with the law,” said U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe for the Middle District of Florida.

“Submitting false claims destroys the public’s trust in our federally funded healthcare programs,” said Special Agent in Charge Matthew Fodor of the FBI Tampa Field Office. “Working together with our law enforcement partners, the FBI will continue to prioritize safeguarding the integrity of the nation’s healthcare system and hold accountable those who try to profit from deception.”

“Kickback arrangements can corrupt legitimate medical decision-making and undermine the integrity of federal healthcare programs,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Ricardo Carcas of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG, working with our law enforcement partners, will continue to investigate improper billing and kickback schemes to protect both Medicare and Medicaid as well as those served by these programs.”

The settlements announced today resolve allegations that the settling practices knowingly submitted, and caused the submission of, false claims to Medicare and Medicaid for medically unnecessary TCDs. The settling practices performed TCDs on thousands of patients and billed Medicare and Medicaid hundreds of dollars per test. Before the patients received the results of the test, the practices and the third-party testing company identified the patients as having received a serious diagnosis that could qualify the patient for reimbursement of a TCD by Medicare or Medicaid. However, nearly all patients who received TCDs never had that diagnosis, and it was not reflected in the patient’s medical history or in the TCD results. The settling practices paid the third-party testing company based on the volume or value of tests ordered and referred the patients to the testing company’s preferred radiology group for the TCDs’ professional component.   

The United States alleged that as a result of this scheme, the settling practices submitted, or caused the submission of, false claims to Medicare and Medicaid for TCDs between Jan. 1, 2018 and June 1, 2022 that were medically unnecessary, that were premised on false diagnoses, and that resulted from violations of the Anti-Kickback Statute and the Stark Law.

As a result of the settlements, Clay Eye Holdings LLC will pay $2,140,000, Retina Macula Specialist of Miami LLC will pay $1,750,000, Florida Eye Institute P.A. will pay $1,250,000, Miami Eye LLC will pay $525,000, and Kendall Eye Institute Inc. will pay $310,000. Of the total settlement amount, $333,500 will be paid to the State of Florida for its share of Medicaid, which is a jointly funded federal and state program.

The civil settlements resolved claims in a lawsuit filed under the qui tam or whistleblower provision of the False Claims Act, which permits private parties to file suit on behalf of the United States for false claims and share in a portion of the Government’s recovery. The qui tam was filed by a whistleblower who will receive $1,135,250 in connection with the settlements.

The settlements were the result of a coordinated effort between the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida, with assistance from HHS-OIG and the FBI. The United States previously resolved similar allegations against Brandon Eye Associates P.A. and Pinellas Eye Care, P.A. (doing business as Gulfcoast Eye Care).

The government’s pursuit of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement can be reported to HHS at 1-800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).

Trial Attorney Nelson Wagner in the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and Assistant U.S Attorney Mamie Wise for the Middle District of Florida handled the matter.

The claims resolved by the settlements are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.

WASHINGTON — Florida ophthalmology practices Clay Eye Holdings LLC, Retina Macula Specialist of Miami LLC, Florida Eye Institute P.A., Miami Eye LLC, and Kendall Eye Institute Inc. have agreed to pay a total of nearly $6 million to resolve alleged violations of the False Claims Act arising from their billing for trans-cranial doppler ultrasounds (TCDs) through a kickback arrangement with a third-party testing company. All five practices have agreed to cooperate with the Justice Department’s ongoing investigations of other participants in the alleged scheme.

“Kickbacks and false claims increase healthcare costs for all Americans and undermine the integrity of healthcare decision-making,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Combatting such schemes will continue to be a priority for the Justice Department.”

“These settlements are a continuing testament to the United States’ commitment to fight healthcare fraud and ensure that federal healthcare dollars are spent consistently with the law,” said U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe of the Middle District of Florida.

“Submitting false claims destroys the public’s trust in our federally funded healthcare programs,” said Special Agent in Charge Matthew Fodor of the FBI Tampa Field Office. “Working together with our law enforcement partners, the FBI will continue to prioritize safeguarding the integrity of the nation’s healthcare system and hold accountable those who try to profit from deception.”

“Kickback arrangements can corrupt legitimate medical decision-making and undermine the integrity of federal healthcare programs,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Ricardo Carcas of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG, working with our law enforcement partners, will continue to investigate improper billing and kickback schemes to protect both Medicare and Medicaid as well as those served by these programs.”

The settlements announced today resolve allegations that the settling practices knowingly submitted, and caused the submission of, false claims to Medicare and Medicaid for medically unnecessary TCDs. The settling practices performed TCDs on thousands of patients and billed Medicare and Medicaid hundreds of dollars per test. Before the patients received the results of the test, the practices and the third-party testing company identified the patients as having received a serious diagnosis that could qualify the patient for reimbursement of a TCD by Medicare or Medicaid. However, nearly all patients who received TCDs never had that diagnosis, and it was not reflected in the patient’s medical history or in the TCD results. The settling practices paid the third-party testing company based on the volume or value of tests ordered and referred the patients to the testing company’s preferred radiology group for the TCDs’ professional component.   

The United States alleged that as a result of this scheme, the settling practices submitted, or caused the submission of, false claims to Medicare and Medicaid for TCDs between Jan. 1, 2018 and June 1, 2022 that were medically unnecessary, that were premised on false diagnoses, and that resulted from violations of the Anti-Kickback Statute and the Stark Law.

As a result of the settlements, Clay Eye Holdings LLC will pay $2,140,000, Retina Macula Specialist of Miami LLC will pay $1,750,000, Florida Eye Institute P.A. will pay $1,250,000, Miami Eye LLC will pay $525,000, and Kendall Eye Institute Inc. will pay $310,000. Of the total settlement amount, $333,500 will be paid to the State of Florida for its share of Medicaid, which is a jointly funded federal and state program.

The civil settlements resolved claims in a lawsuit filed under the qui tam or whistleblower provision of the False Claims Act, which permits private parties to file suit on behalf of the United States for false claims and share in a portion of the Government’s recovery. The qui tam was filed by a whistleblower who will receive $1,135,250 in connection with the settlements.

The settlements were the result of a coordinated effort between the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida, with assistance from HHS-OIG and the FBI. The United States previously resolved similar allegations against Brandon Eye Associates P.A. and Pinellas Eye Care, P.A. (doing business as Gulfcoast Eye Care).

The government’s pursuit of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement can be reported to HHS at 1-800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).

Trial Attorney Nelson Wagner in the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and Assistant U.S Attorney Mamie Wise for the Middle District of Florida handled the matter.

The claims resolved by the settlements are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.

WASHINGTON — The Justice Department, acting on referral from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), announced today that a federal court has entered a stipulated order resolving a case against Dun & Bradstreet Inc., doing business as D&B. Under the court’s order, Dun & Bradstreet will pay a $2,063,000 civil penalty and $2,785,786 in customer refunds, in addition to $924,590 of refunds it has already issued, to resolve allegations that it violated an FTC order.

The FTC entered an administrative order against Dun & Bradstreet in 2022 based on alleged unfair or deceptive business practices prohibited by the FTC Act. According to a complaint filed in the Middle District of Florida, Dun & Bradstreet violated provisions of that order requiring it to (1) accurately notify customers of the automatic renewal prices of its products; (2) not misrepresent its products; and (3) create and maintain records of its compliance with the order. The complaint alleges that in connection with its sale of credit-related services to small businesses, Dun & Bradstreet sent many of its customers inaccurate pricing notices, omitted or misrepresented certain facts about its products during sales calls, and failed to retain all of the call recordings required by the order.

“The Justice Department is committed to ensuring that American small businesses receive accurate information about the products and services they purchase,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Department will continue to work with the FTC to enforce its orders and hold violators accountable.”

“Our signed orders are not suggestions,” said Director Christopher Mufarrige of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “This settlement is another example of the Bureau’s effort to reinvigorate its fraud program and protect small businesses from deceptive and unlawful conduct.”

The United States is represented in this action by Senior Trial Attorney Sarah Williams and Assistant Director Zachary A. Dietert from the Enforcement Section of the Civil Division’s Enforcement and Affirmative Litigation Branch. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lacy R. Harwell, Jr. for the Middle District of Florida provided assistance. Christopher J. Erickson and Taylor H. Bates represent the FTC.

For more information about the Enforcement Section of the Civil Division’s Enforcement and Affirmative Litigation Branch, visit www.justice.gov/civil/enforcement-affirmative-litigation-branch.

Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Jesse William Korff (31, North Fort Myers) today pleaded guilty to a superseding indictment charging him with possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon, possession of unregistered silencers, possession of an unregistered destructive device, and attempted malicious use of an explosive. Korff faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison for possession of firearms by a convicted felon, up to 10 years’ imprisonment for the possession of unregistered silencers and destructive device, and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for attempted malicious use of an explosive. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to court documents, on May 19, 2025, Korff was at a residence when the Fort Myers Police Department was dispatched to a 911 hang-up call. Officers arrived and reported a hostage situation. The officers observed a male, later identified as Korff, in a scuffle with a female. They detained Korff. The officers seized a firearm and silencer that had come loose during the scuffle and also located a destructive device coming out of Korff’s pocket.

The Lee County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) Bomb Squad used a robot to remove the pipe bomb and take Korff into custody. Further evidence and testing of the device by LCSO and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives confirmed that the device had attempted to be detonated. Another silencer, firearm, and ammunition were located inside Korff’s vehicle. Officers and agents also found other bomb making materials within Korff’s residence.

Korff is a convicted felon and prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law. He was previously convicted of transfer and possession of a toxin for use as a weapon, smuggling toxins from the United States, and conspiracy to kill, maim, or injure a person in a foreign country.

This case was investigated by the Fort Myers Police Department, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Morgan.

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Richard Lynn Simmons, Jr. (36, Sopchoppy) has been arrested and charged by criminal complaint with using his cellphone and the internet to attempt to entice an 11-year-old child to engage in sexual activity. If convicted, Simmons faces a minimum penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison and a potential lifetime term of supervised release. Pursuant to his appearance in federal court on January 9, 2026, Simmons was detained pending further proceedings in this case.  

According to court documents, between November 8, 2025, and January 6, 2026, an FBI agent (UC) in Jacksonville conducted an undercover operation using an online social media application (“app”) to identify adults who were seeking to make online contact with and engage in sexual activity with children. During this time period, UC was posing as the parent of an underage child. UC and app user “snowwis89” exchanged several private online messages on the app and by text messaging. After UC advised app user “snowwis89” that UC had access to an 11-year-old child, app user “snowwis89” stated that he was into “kinky stuff” and that he liked “young.” When asked if “is 11 too young for u,” app user “snowwis89” responded, “Na it’s not … would she be ok with it?” Later, app user “snowwis89,” who was subsequently identified as Simmons, described by text the specific sexual acts that he wanted to perform on the “child.” After more text messages and several telephone conversations discussing his travel plans and his desire to meet UC and the “child,” on January 6, 2026, Simmons drove from the Tallahassee area to Jacksonville where he was arrested by FBI agents.

A criminal complaint is 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 the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the St. Johns County 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 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 and seek justice for child 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 Island Thi Truong (40, Orlando) to five years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit money laundering. The court also ordered Truong to forfeit two real properties and two luxury watches, all of which were purchased with proceeds of drug distribution activities and were used to conceal the origin of those funds. Truong pleaded guilty in August 2025.

According to the plea agreement, Truong conspired with her husband, George Pherai-Bogeajis, to launder the proceeds of his drug distribution activities. Pherai-Bogeajis was separately convicted of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and 500 grams of methamphetamine, for which he was sentenced to 19 years and 7 months’ imprisonment. Truong helped Pherai-Bogeajis conceal hundreds of thousands of dollars of illicit drug proceeds by making extensive cash deposits, using a fake tax services company through which drug proceeds were laundered, and using third-party nominees to write checks in exchange for cash. In turn, Truong used the concealed proceeds to fund luxury vacations and purchase expensive jewelry, including an 18-karat yellow gold Rolex wristwatch for approximately $44,000. In total, Truong laundered more than $750,000 in drug proceeds.

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Money Laundering Task Force and the Drug Enforcement Administration. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Dana Hill and Risha Asokan. The asset forfeiture is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer M. Harrington.

Jacksonville, Florida – Senior United States District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan has sentenced Alexander James Koby (40, Jacksonville) to 15 years in federal prison for receiving child sexual abuse materials (CSAM) over the internet. Koby was also ordered to serve a 15-year term of supervised release and pay $45,000 in restitution to child victims. Koby pleaded guilty on August 15, 2025. Koby has been in federal custody since September 2024 when he was transported from state prison where he was serving a sentence for failing to register as a sex offender.

According to court documents, in 2014, Koby was convicted in federal court of possessing CSAM. After serving his federal prison sentence and being released in August 2019, Koby began serving a 25-year term of supervised release while living in Jacksonville.

On December 7, 2022, a search of Koby’s residence revealed that he possessed a computer, a cellphone, and an external hard drive in violation of the terms of his supervision, and these items were seized. During an interview, Koby admitted that he used a particular internet browser to search for photos and videos depicting children being sexually abused, and further that he masturbated when viewing these materials. When asked why he would continue to do this, Koby stated that he gets a high from “living dangerously.” 

Forensic examination of the three devices seized from Koby’s residence revealed that they contained a total of 103 videos and 2,311 photos depicting the sadistic sexual abuse of young children. Koby had downloaded these contraband materials using the internet from March 11 through December 7, 2022.

“This predator’s repeated conviction for seeking out and downloading hundreds of videos and thousands of photos depicting the sadistic sexual abuse of children—to ‘live dangerously’—is in defiance of the law, and at the expense of perpetuating the lifetime victimhood of innocent children,” said Homeland Security Investigations Jacksonville Assistant Special Agent in Charge Tim Hemker. “These images and videos are not just pictures, but evidence of heinous crimes against real children. Every time this vile material is viewed or shared, the suffering of these young victims is renewed. HSI and the INTERCEPT Task Force partners will stop at nothing to find these predators and hold them accountable to their crimes.”

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. It was 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 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, rescue, and seek justice for child victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. 

Tampa, Florida – Senior U.S. District Judge Steven Merryday has sentenced Benjamin Crawford (47, Brandon) to six years and six months in federal prison, followed by 25 years of supervised release, for distributing child sexual abuse material. Crawford pleaded guilty in June 2025. The court also ordered Crawford to forfeit a cellphone and laptop, which were used in the commission of the offense. Crawford is also required to register as a sex offender. 

According to court documents, Crawford distributed child sexual abuse material over a social media application and accessed with the intent to view child sexual abuse material on his cellphone and laptop. Crawford also obstructed law enforcement’s investigation by deleting various applications from his cellphone before law enforcement conducted a search related to his criminal activity.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Tampa and Tennessee. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ilyssa M. Spergel.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 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.

Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Chason Reed Peck (37, Palm City) has pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and three counts of money laundering. Peck faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison on the wire fraud charge and up to 10 years’ imprisonment on each of the money laundering counts. As part of his guilty plea, Peck has agreed to forfeit $300,000, which are funds traceable as proceeds of the offenses. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to the plea agreement, on February 3, 2017, Peck applied for and received business financing from Deere & Company (“John Deere”). On February 16, 2020, Peck applied for a $300,000 total credit limit on his John Deere credit. Peck hand-wrote the financial application and gave it to a representative of an agricultural store in Ocala to submit on his behalf. The application, however, contained false information that greatly overstated Peck’s assets. For instance, Peck claimed his cash assets were approximately $3 million. He also claimed to have 1,500 of acres of farming land. In reality, Peck’s cash assets were approximately $6,000, and he was only farming about 60 acres. Based on the fraudulent information he submitted, Peck obtained the increased credit line along with lines of ‘liquid credit” (business loans). Peck then used the increased credit line to make three payments towards debts he already had with his employer. Those payments totaled $274,673.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk Watson.

Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the arrest and filing of a criminal complaint charging Ivel Sanchez Rivera (52, Hialeah) with conspiracy and interference with commerce by robbery and use and brandishing of a firearm during a crime of violence. If convicted, Sanchez Rivera faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison for the conspiracy offense and a consecutive 7 years in federal prison for the firearm offense.

According to the criminal complaint, on January 6, 2026, two armed assailants entered the Tio Jewelers in Cape Coral from an adjacent vacant business space while the jewelry store was closed. Upon the arrival of the manager that morning to the store, the robbers restrained the manager and forced a safe to be opened. The robbers then took a large amount of jewelry and two firearms from the store. The robbers left in a getaway vehicle driven by a third individual who was later identified as Sanchez Rivera. 

The Cape Coral Police Department identified Sanchez Rivera’s vehicle as being involved in the robbery. Sanchez Rivera had driven the car to the area of the jewelry store the night before and then immediately returned to Miami following the robbery. A search warrant was executed at Sanchez Rivera’s residence and two firearms were recovered, including a firearm that was taken from the jewelry store manager during the robbery.   

A criminal complaint is 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 the Cape Coral Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jesus M. Casas.

Jacksonville, Florida – Senior United States District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan has sentenced Matthew Christopher Yates (31, Hastings) to 15 years in federal prison for attempting to entice and use a child to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a video of her own sexual abuse. Yates was also ordered to serve a 10-year term of supervised release and to register as a sex offender. Yates pleaded guilty on August 27, 2025. At the time of his arrest on March 11, 2022, Yates was employed as an eighth-grade teacher at a school in St. Augustine. 

According to court documents, on February 11, 2022, an undercover FBI agent in Jacksonville, who was posing online as a 14-year-old child, responded to an online notice on a social media application posted by the user “English teacher,” who was subsequently identified as Yates. The notice read, “Any women want to be rated by a teacher?” During this online text conversation, the “child” advised that “she” was 14 years old and in eighth grade, and Yates stated that he was a teacher, asking the “child,” “[e]ver fantasize about a teacher?” Yates and the “child” exchanged photos, and Yates stated, “I bet you look hot in a bikini.”  

Between February 22 and March 11, 2022, Yates and the “child” exchanged more text messages, and Yates sent the “child” several photos, including some that were sexually explicit. On March 8, 2022, Yates asked the “child” to meet in person, and he detailed the specific sexual acts that he intended to perform on the “child” when they met. 

Two days later, Yates and the “child” confirmed plans to meet, and Yates asked the “child” if “she” wanted to video-record their planned sexual activity so that the “child” “could remember it even better.” Yates told the “child” that he could use his cellphone to record their sexual activity and that he would later delete the video so that no one would see it. 

On March 11, 2022, Yates drove to a prearranged location in Jacksonville to meet the “child” for sex and was arrested by FBI agents. A search revealed that Yates had brought several condoms and a cellphone with him. During an interview, Yates admitted that he was going to meet a 14-year-old girl that he had met online and that he intended to have sex with “her.” When asked if he going to have sex with the 14-year-old girl and record it on video, Yates stated, “I said if that’s what she wanted, that we could,” and “I did just want to leave it up to her.” He admitted that it was his idea to make a video of his sexual encounter with the “child.” 

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Jacksonville. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched 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, rescue, and seek justice for child victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. 

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Myles M. McQuade (30, Tampa) has pleaded guilty to interstate transmission of a threat to injure a Member of the United States House of Representatives. McQuade faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison.  A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to court documents, on September 12, 2025, McQuade transmitted social media posts containing gruesome and threatening messages to harm a U.S. Congresswoman as well as members of her immediate family.

This case was investigated by the United States Capitol Police. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Joseph Wheeler III.

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the  unsealing of an indictment charging Lucas Mirtl (42, Prosper, TX) with four counts of wire fraud. If convicted, Mirtl faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison for each count. The indictment also notifies Mirtl that the United States intends to forfeit at least $351,797, which is alleged to represent proceeds obtained from the offenses.

According to the indictment, Mirtl worked as a sports agent for a sports marketing and talent management company based in Los Angeles, California. Between August 2023 and January 2025, Mirtl perpetrated a scheme to defraud two clients of hundreds of thousands of dollars. As part of the scheme, Mirtl gained access to bank accounts that contained funds generated by his clients’ professional activities. Mirtl, without authorization, withdrew funds in small increments from those accounts for his personal use over the course of approximately 18 months, including transactions sent directly to his personal bank account. To conceal the unauthorized transactions, Mirtl entered false and fraudulent memo lines that identified payments as being for goods and services that Mirtl never provided.

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 Federal Bureau of Investigation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ross Roberts.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge William F. Jung has sentenced James Matthew Oxley (53, Polk City) to 30 years in federal prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for transporting child sexual abuse material. Oxley was also sentenced to 20 years, to run concurrently with the 30-year sentence, for possession of child sexual abuse material and possession of obscene visual depictions of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct. The court also ordered Oxley to forfeit a cellphone used in the commission of the offense, pay $18,000 in restitution to victims, and register as a sex offender. Oxley pleaded guilty in September 2025.

According to court documents, on December 17, 2024, Oxley left the Tampa seaport onboard a cruise ship. The ship traveled to two destinations in Mexico before returning to Tampa. On December 22, 2024, upon disembarking in Tampa, all individuals aboard the ship went through U.S. Customs. Oxley was referred for a secondary inspection. During the secondary inspection, agents from U.S. Customs and Border Protection discovered suspected child sex abuse material on Oxley’s cellphone. The agents observed images and videos involving the sexual abuse of minors, including children under 12 years of age. Oxley also possessed AI-generated images that appeared to depict minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Oxley is a registered sex offender who was previously convicted in 2012 of three counts of possessing images showing the sexual performance by a child, in violation of Florida state laws.

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.

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ilyssa M. Spergel.

Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the arrest of Richard Joseph Edstrom (40, Hernando) on an indictment charging him with possession of child sexual abuse material. If convicted, Edstrom faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. 

According to the indictment, between March 2024 and October 2025, Edstrom possessed and accessed material that contained child sexual abuse material. 

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 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 Attorney’s 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. 

This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office, and the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk Watson.

Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell has sentenced Daniel Juarez (39, Hardee County) to 21 years and 10 months in federal prison for distribution of methamphetamine. Juarez was found guilty on September 29, 2025, after a stipulated facts bench trial.

According to court documents, on March 15, 2024, Juarez sold a pound and a half of methamphetamine to an undercover DEA agent. Juarez had a previous conviction for possession of methamphetamine with intent to sell in Hardee County Circuit Court in 2020.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Morgan.

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the return of an indictment charging Francesca Charles, 28, a U.S. citizen residing in Florida; Jacques Pierre, 32; and his brother, Jeff Pierre, 34, both citizens of Haiti residing in FL, with conspiracy to smuggle goods and unlawfully ship firearms, smuggling goods from the United States, and unlawfully shipping firearms. If convicted, each faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison.

According to court documents, in February 2025, officials in the Dominican Republic seized 18 rifles, 5 handguns, firearms magazines, over 36,000 rounds of ammunition, and a silencer from inside a container that had been shipped from Miami, Florida. The shipping container was destined for Haiti. The firearms and ammunition were not listed on the shipping manifest, which instead listed household goods. Agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), as well as Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), learned that the defendants were the purchasers of at least 20 of the 23 firearms seized from the shipping container.

Throughout the investigation, agents learned that the defendants purchased at least 46 firearms between May 2024 and February 2025, most of which were the same make and model as the firearms recovered in the Dominican Republic. Thirty-seven of those firearms were purchased between August 9, 2024, and February 10, 2025. Agents also obtained records that Jacques Pierre purchased two Barrett .50-caliber rifles, which are heavy-duty military-style weapons that are typically mounted to the tops of vehicles and used in furtherance of violence by gangs and cartels. One of the Barrett rifles was recovered in the aforementioned shipment in February 2025.

Travel and shipping records showed that the co-conspirators would facilitate a shipment to Haiti shortly after purchasing a large number of firearms, then would travel to Haiti around the time the shipment was scheduled to arrive in Haiti. Travel records also showed that the defendants traveled to the Dominican Republic three days before the shipping container was intercepted.

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 is being investigated by the ATF and HSI with assistance from U.S. Embassy Port-au-Prince and the United States Marshals Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Elisibeth Adams.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. 

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Benjamin Rubin (79, New Port Richey) has pleaded guilty to interstate transmission of threats to kill multiple federal officials. Rubin faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison.  A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to court documents, during the month of February 2025, Rubin began posting about his frustrations on social media. The tenor of his postings became increasingly violent and he began threatening to injure and kill United States officials and political figures.

On February 20, 2025, Rubin posted that the head of a federal law enforcement agency “will be assassinated.” Two days later, Rubin posted “I shot my TV when [U.S. Cabinet Member] appeared in an ad on illegals. Next time I see her in person the shots will be for her.” 

This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Pasco Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Joseph Wheeler, III.

Orlando, Florida – Senior U.S. District Judge Roy B. Dalton, Jr. has sentenced Demetric Antwan Swinton (39, Cocoa) to 15 years in federal prison for distributing methamphetamine. Swinton pleaded guilty on August 26, 2025. 

According to court documents, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office used a confidential source to conduct two controlled purchases of more than a pound of methamphetamine each from Swinton after he was identified as a methamphetamine source operating in Brevard County. A search warrant was then executed at Swinton’s residence resulting in the seizure of additional methamphetamine, cocaine, and drug processing materials. In total, Swinton was responsible for over 1,750 grams of pure methamphetamine and over 50 grams of cocaine.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Megan Testerman.

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the return of an indictment charging Lucas Alexander Temple (20, Sarasota) for possessing an unregistered firearm, possession of a firearm with a removed serial number, and receipt of child sexual abuse material. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. Temple was previously arrested on a criminal complaint. 

According to the indictment and criminal complaint, while executing the search warrant at Temple’s home in Sarasota on November 20, 2025, federal agents recovered a shotgun with sawed-off barrel that was not registered to Temple. Federal law prohibits the possession of shotguns with barrels fewer than 18 inches in length without registration in National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. Agents also found evidence that Temple had been plotting a racially motivated act of violence, including pipe bombs, multiple firearms, ammunition, a pressure cooker, literature on how to manufacture explosives, and a written plan as to his intentions:

Temple also possessed a variety of Nazi and mass shooting propaganda materials, including the Journals of Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris, the perpetrators of the 1999 Columbine High School massacre, and a large flag bearing the Atomwaffen Division symbol:

The Atomwaffen Division (AWD) is a US-based racially or ethnically motivated violent extremist group. The group’s targets have included racial minorities, the Jewish community, the LGBTQ community, the United States Government, journalists, and critical infrastructure. AWD’s ideology largely focused on accelerationism, meaning the goal was to push society into armed conflict in an effort to create a radical social transformation.

As part of its investigation, federal agents learned that Temple had been communicating with other ideologically aligned individuals online about conducting violence against minorities and providing instructions on how to manufacture explosives.

Agents also discovered that, on at least two occasions, Temple received images of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

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 is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Joint Terrorism Task Force with assistance from the Sarasota County’s Sheriff’s Office and the Sarasota Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Lauren Stoia and Risha Asokan.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that a federal jury has found Cristian Daniel Diaz-Garcia (27), an illegal alien from Honduras, guilty of two counts of aggravated identity theft, two counts of false representation of a Social Security number, and two counts of making a false claim of United States citizenship for employment purposes. Diaz-Garcia faces a maximum penalty of 24 years in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for March 17, 2026. He was indicted on July 30, 2024.

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, Archer Western-de Moya Group Joint Venture II (Joint Venture) is enrolled in E-Verify, a web-based system through which employers electronically confirm the employment eligibility of their employees. Diaz-Garcia is an illegal alien from Honduras with no lawful status in the United States. On August 17, 2021, Diaz-Garcia applied for employment with the Joint Venture in Pinellas County and filled out an I-9 form for use in the E-Verify system. On that form, Diaz-Garcia falsely identified himself as a United States citizen and used another person’s means of identification to defeat the E-Verify system. 

After getting fired in 2022, Diaz-Garcia purchased additional means of identification of a different U.S. Citizen, without that citizen’s knowledge. On February 1, 2023, Diaz-Garcia, once again, applied for employment with the Joint Venture in Pinellas County and filled out an I-9 form for use in the E-Verify system. On that form, Diaz-Garcia falsely identified himself as this other United States citizen and used that other person’s means of identification to defeat the E-Verify system.

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Department of Transportation – Office of Inspector General, the Social Security Administration–Office of the Inspector General, the United States Border Patrol, the Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph Wheeler, III and Assistant United States Attorney Karyna Valdes.

Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that a federal jury has found Jincheng Shi (St. Cloud, 28) guilty of aiding and abetting unlicensed firearms dealing and possession of a firearm as an alien admitted under a nonimmigrant visa. Shi faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for March 9, 2026.

Shi was indicted on September 3, 2025.

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, Shi was admitted to the United States under a nonimmigrant work visa in 2022, placing him in a prohibited class of persons not legally allowed to possess firearms. Since then, Shi operated a firearms parts business through which he sold various firearms parts and accessories at gun shows and out of a rented storage unit. Codefendants Victor Lafontaine and Jose Maldonado were among his customers, who then assembled the parts into completed firearms and sold them without the required Federal Firearms License. The evidence at trial showed that Lafontaine sold firearms to prohibited persons, including convicted felons. 

When executing a search warrant at Shi’s home on February 20, 2025, federal agents found multiple firearms, including the Ruger rifle depicted below:

Trial evidence showed that Shi knew that his customers were assembling the firearms parts into completed firearms for sale.

Shi was originally charged with six other individuals, including Lafontaine and Maldonado, as part of a gun trafficking operation. Shi’s six codefendants pleaded guilty and either have been sentenced or are awaiting sentencing.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with assistance from the Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, the Orlando Police Department, the Winter Garden Police Department, the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, the Apopka Police Department, the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, and the Florida Highway Patrol. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Risha Asokan.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Julie S. Sneed has sentenced Dariel Javier Quiles-Davila (27, Kissimmee) to seven years in federal prison for receiving child sexual abuse material. Quiles-Davila was found guilty by a federal jury on August 22, 2025.

According to court documents and the evidence presented at trial, in October 2023, Quiles-Davila was an officer with the Kissimmee Police Department. At that time, Quiles-Davila met a minor victim while on duty. After learning the minor victim’s contact information, Quiles-Davila began to communicate directly with the minor victim with his personal cell phone and over social media, sent the minor victim money, and solicited and received sexually explicit photographs and videos of the minor victim. 

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

This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Virgina Covington has sentenced Robert B. McDougal (30, California) to six years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for one count of cyber stalking and three counts of interstate transmission of threats to injure. 

McDougal pleaded guilty on March 24, 2025.

According to court documents, McDougal made numerous public social media posts threatening to kill the victim and his family members. McDougal started making these threats in July of 2020. On January 28, 2021, the defendant was served with an Injunction and ordered to stop making these posts but persisted in making several violent and graphic threats to kill the victim and his family until shortly before his arrest in April of 2024. McDougal had previously been convicted of similar offenses with different, unrelated victims. 

This case was investigated by the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Karyna Valdes and Special Assistant United States Attorney Joesph Wheeler III.

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the return of an indictment charging Justin Charles Brown (45, Ocala) with producing child sex abuse material (CSAM) and possessing CSAM. If convicted on all counts, Brown faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years, up to 60 years, in federal prison. In addition, he would be required to serve a minimum term of 5 years’ supervised release and register as a sex offender. The indictment also notifies Brown that the United States intends to forfeit a cellular phone, which was used in the offense.

According to a previously issued criminal complaint, Brown came into contact with a child in California on social media around February 2024. Brown sent files of CSAM to the child and asked the child to produce child sex material for Brown.  The child disclosed to the FBI that on one occasion she had broadcast herself being sexually abused by a friend of the family to Brown, at his request, via Facetime.

On October 2025, the FBI executed a federal search warrant at Brown’s residence and seized his cellular phone. A review of the phone revealed that it contained CSAM, including a video of the child in California being sexually abused by the family friend in February 2024.

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 Federal Bureau of Investigation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Laura Cofer Taylor.

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.

Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Virginia Covington has sentenced George Tucker, Jr. to seven years and six months in federal prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aiding and assisting in the filing of false and fraudulent tax returns. As part of his sentence, the court also entered an order of forfeiture in the amount of $1,354,757.64, the proceeds of the criminal conduct, and restitution in the amount of $15,028,309.89 to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Tucker entered a guilty plea on December 2, 2024.

According to court documents, beginning in March 2021, and continuing through February 2024, Tucker engaged in a scheme to defraud the IRS. Tucker prepared or assisted in the preparation of 316 false and fraudulent tax returns for 196 taxpayers, including himself, for tax years 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023. The tax returns contained falsified Schedules A, B, 1, and 3, as well as fraudulent Forms W-2G, which contained fabricated figures for gambling winnings and losses, and federal tax withholding amounts (based on the fake gambling winnings). The false tax returns requested substantial refunds from the IRS that the taxpayers were not legally entitled to receive.

The total intended tax loss from the tax returns Tucker prepared was $59,941,751. The actual loss totaled $15,028,309.89, which the IRS paid out to taxpayers, including Tucker, either as tax refunds or credits applied to prior debts. Tucker personally profited $1,354,757.64 in the form of payments from his taxpayer-clients or refunds he received directly from the IRS. Tucker used the fraud proceeds to enrich himself, including buying expensive jewelry.

"These defendants spent their days looking for ways to cheat. Those who deliberately exploit our tax system for personal gain will face serious consequences," said Special Agent in Charge Ron Loecker of the IRS Criminal Investigation Florida Field Office. "These prosecutions reflect the dedication of our agents to protecting honest taxpayers and upholding justice for all Americans."

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jennifer Peresie and Ross Roberts.

Tampa, FL – Earlier today, the Department of Justice announced the results of Operation Relentless Justice, a coordinated enforcement effort to identify, track, and arrest child sex predators. The nationwide crackdown resulted in more than 205 child victims being located and the arrests of over 293 child sexual abuse offenders. The coordinated effort was executed over the course of two weeks by all 56 FBI field offices, the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) in the Department’s Criminal Division, and U.S. Attorneys’ offices around the country.

“We will not allow evil criminals who prey on children to evade justice,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Our federal agents have worked tirelessly alongside our state and local partners to track down these vile predators, and now our prosecutors will ensure they receive severe punishments to match their horrific crimes.”

“Operation Relentless Justice shows no child will be forgotten and that all predators targeting the most vulnerable amongst us will be held accountable,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “This year, the FBI has led multiple nationwide surges across the U.S. to find and arrest hundreds of child predators. We will not stop until every child can live a life free of exploitation. We will utilize the strength of all our field offices and our federal, state, and local partners to protect communities across the nation from such horrific crimes.”

“Protecting our children is a top priority of the U.S. Attorney’s Office,” said U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida Gregory W. Kehoe. “We will work with our law enforcement partners to vigorously investigate and prosecute those who target, exploit, and violate our children. In addition to our enforcement efforts, our office will continue to engage and educate communities on specific strategies to prevent these heinous crimes.”

“Protecting children and preventing exploitation are central to the FBI mission,” said FBI Jacksonville Special Agent in Charge Jason Carley. “The FBI is committed to working closely with our law enforcement partners every day to safeguard our communities and stop predators.”

“Investigative operations like this are a testament to the work our special agents and analysts do day in and day out to protect the innocent from predators,” said FBI Tampa Division Special Agent in Charge Matthew Fodor. “Crimes against children are among the FBI’s highest priorities, and we will continue working relentlessly to identify the predators and rescue the victims.”

Middle District of Florida Cases

Fort Myers

U.S. v. James Gregory Ford - Enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity and transfer of obscene matter to a minor.

U.S. v. Jeremiah Victor Jacobs - Distribution and possession of child sexual abuse material.

Jacksonville

U.S. v. Alec Lyle Higginbotham - Attempted enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity.

U.S. v. Justin Charles Brown - Production and possession of child sexual abuse material.

Orlando

U.S. v. Chase Dean Suriano – Receipt and possession of child sex abuse material.

Tampa

U.S. v. Richard Plummer - Distribution and possession of child sexual abuse material and escape.

U.S. v. Christopher Michael Barnes - Possession of child sexual abuse material.

U.S. v. Justin Travis Garner - Possession of child sexual abuse material.

U.S. v. Joel Reynolds – Production, distribution, and possession of child sex abuse material.

U.S. v. Jeremiah Kelsene Smith – Attempted production of child sex abuse material and transfer of obscene material to a minor.

Those arrested are alleged to have committed various crimes, including the production, distribution, and possession of child sexual abuse material and online enticement of minors.

This effort follows two other successful operations, including Operation Restore Justice in May, which resulted in the rescue of 115 children and the arrests of 205 child sex abuse offenders and Operation Enduring Justice in August, which resulted in the rescue of 133 children and the arrests of 234 offenders.

The FBI's Victim Services Division (VSD) assisted victims during this operation and provided services, to include forensic interviews, referrals for medical and mental health resources, and coordination with partners. VSD's mission is to inform, support, and assist victims in navigating the aftermath of crime and the criminal justice process with dignity and resilience.

These operations underscore the Department’s unwavering commitment to protecting children and combating child sexual exploitation. These cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. attorneys’ offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit justice.gov/psc.

The Department partners with and oversees funding grants for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24/7 hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on missingkids.org.

The Department urges the public to remain vigilant and report suspected exploitation of a child through the FBI's tipline at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324), tips.fbi.gov, or by calling your local FBI field office.

An indictment is merely an allegation. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Harvey Schlesinger has sentenced Briyhon Johnson (24, Jacksonville) to 14 years and 3 months in federal prison for conspiring to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute marijuana, aiding and abetting the commission of a drive-by shooting in furtherance of a major drug offense, and aiding and abetting the discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence. Johnson entered a guilty plea in August 2025.

According to court documents, Johnson served as an armed distributor for a Jacksonville-based drug trafficking organization (DTO) operated and led by Nathaniel Hatcher, III. Hatcher’s DTO trafficked bulk marijuana from northern California to Jacksonville by smuggling the drugs on commercial airlines, shipping it through the U.S. mail system, and transporting it by vehicle across state lines. Once the marijuana arrived in Jacksonville, Johnson and other DTO members transported the marijuana to various short-term rental homes throughout Jacksonville. Johnson and other members of the DTO carried and possessed firearms at these residences to protect themselves, their drugs, and their drug proceeds during the drug sales. In addition to trafficking, transporting, smuggling, and selling marijuana, Johnson was also responsible for carrying out violence on behalf of the DTO. 

On September 18, 2023, Hatcher, James Toney, and other DTO members arranged a drug transaction with subjects they had met that evening in Jacksonville. The drug transaction failed when the other subjects never provided the promised marijuana, and instead, stole approximately $45,000 in cash from Hatcher and Toney. After the failed drug transaction, Hatcher contacted a former police officer who illegally accessed law enforcement databases to provide Hatcher with the names and home addresses of the subjects who had stolen the money. For nearly a month, Johnson and other DTO members tracked, surveilled, and cyber-stalked the other subjects and their family members. 

On October 15, 2023, Johnson and Toney traveled to the Jacksonville International Airport, broke into a rental car lot, and stole two vehicles with the intention of using one in the planned retaliation. The theft had been coordinated by Johnson and Toney through text messages. Two days later, Toney traveled to the Duval County courthouse for a scheduled court date in an unrelated pending criminal matter. Toney and other DTO members knew that one of the subjects from the September 18 drug transaction also had court that day for a separate criminal matter. After court concluded, Hatcher and other DTO members surveilled as the subject exited the Duval County courthouse, accompanied by a female subject, and enter his vehicle.

Toney traveled to meet with Johnson, who provided Toney with a firearm. Johnson, Toney, Hatcher, and Tavarius Blue were operating multiple vehicles, including a red sedan and a gray SUV, and followed the subject’s car from downtown Jacksonville to I-95. Darion Jerido was driving a separate sedan, acting as the lookout for the others and to keep pace of the subject’s sedan. Johnson was driving the red car, with Toney traveling in the passenger seat. Blue was driving the gray SUV, with Hatcher traveling in passenger seat. At approximately 11:20 a.m., during the pursuit along I-95 South, the red and the gray vehicles boxed the subject’s sedan into the left lane of traffic. Toney and Hatcher discharged dozens of rounds of 7.62 caliber ammunition at the subject’s sedan. According to witness interviews, Johnson and Toney were both wearing masks. Following the shooting, the red and gray vehicles fled the scene.

Deputies from the St. Johns County Sheriffs’ Office and emergency medical personnel quickly arrived on scene. The driver of the sedan, who was the male subject from the courthouse, sustained one gunshot wound but survived and was air-lifted to a trauma unit. The passenger, the female subject from the courthouse, did not sustain any gunshot wounds but did suffer injuries from broken glass. She was transported to a nearby hospital. The sedan sustained gunshots to the passenger side, the rear, the front and hood, the front windshield, the interior, and the engine block. Deputies recovered approximately 25 spent 7.62 caliber shell casings. According to ballistics analysis, two different firearms were used during the shooting.

In related court proceedings, Nathaniel Hatcher pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 1,000 kilograms or more of marijuana, conspiracy to commit money laundering, committing a drive-by shooting in furtherance of a major drug offense, and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Hatcher faces a minimum penalty of 20 years, up to life plus 45 years, in prison. Hatcher has also agreed to forfeit over $2 million, which represents illicit proceeds derived from drug trafficking. See chart below for status of remaining co-conspirators.

Status of Hatcher DTO Co-conspirators

Name

Status

This was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, and the Florida Highway Patrol. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Elisibeth Adams.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

Jacksonville, Florida –United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Delvenia Renee Mitchell (54, Jacksonville) has pleaded guilty to theft of government of property, over $1,000. Mitchell faces up to 10 years in prison and payment of restitution. No sentencing date has been set.    

According to court documents, in 2023, Mitchell worked as a postal carrier for the United States Postal Service (USPS). Investigation by the USPS – Office of Inspector General determined that Mitchell, using her assigned USPS gas card, made multiple gas purchases in Jacksonville and elsewhere that were outside of her delivery area and beyond the fuel capacity for her assigned USPS vehicles. Video evidence obtained in the investigation showed Mitchell using her assigned gas card to purchase gas for other vehicles.  

This case was investigated by United States Postal Service – Office of Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.

Jacksonville, Florida –United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Eric Joel Valdez (24, Clay County) pleaded guilty to theft of a firearm from a federal firearms licensee (FFL). Valdez faces up to 10 years in federal prison and payment of restitution to the victim. Sentencing is set for March 18, 2026. Valdez appeared in federal court on September 30, 2025, on a writ from state prison in New Jersey. He is serving a 10-year prison sentence for two armed robberies involving the firearm stolen from the FFL in Florida.  

According to court documents, on November 11, 2022, Valdez entered Orange Park Gun & Pawn in Clay County and requested to see a Taurus G2C 9mm pistol. As he examined the pistol, he suddenly ran out the front door of the business and fled the area in a sedan style car. Using street cameras and surveillance footage from the area, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) identified Valdez as the individual who stole the pistol. On November 18, 2022, the Perth Amboy Police Department (PAPD) in Perth Amboy, New Jersey conducted a stop of a car driven by Valdez, as part of an armed robbery investigation. After obtaining a search warrant for the car, the PAPD located in the car the stolen Taurus G2C 9mm pistol, loaded with eleven rounds of ammunition, including one round in the chamber. 

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Clay County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the arrest and filing of a criminal complaint charging Shannon Luster (49, Largo) with bank robbery. If convicted, Luster faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. 

According to the complaint, Luster robbed two banks in Clearwater at gunpoint. He robbed the first bank on November 5, 2025, and the second on December 9, 2025. Each time, Luster was disguised with a hat, sunglasses, and carried a laptop bag that concealed his firearm. During each robbery, Luster used an e-bike as his getaway mode of transportation. Luster entered the banks, pointed his guns at the bankers, and demanded he be taken to the tills where he stole thousands of dollars before fleeing. An investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Clearwater Police Department determined that Luster was the perpetrator. Law enforcement located the firearm and laptop bag in a dumpster near Luster’s house. They also recovered the e-bike, clothing that appeared to be worn during the robberies, and some of the cash stolen during the robberies from Luster’s house.  

A 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 was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Clearwater Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Yara Dodin.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Terry Alonza Brown (54) and Doug Bradley (46), both of Lake City, have pleaded guilty to possessing 500 grams or more of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. They each face a mandatory minimum term of 15 years, up to life, in federal prison.

According to their plea agreements, on June 23, 2025, law enforcement officers conducting surveillance at Brown’s residence in Lake City observed Bradley enter the residence, exit a short time later with a bag, place the bag in a vehicle, and then drive away. After Bradley was stopped for a traffic infraction, his vehicle was searched and officers found a vacuum-sealed plastic bag that contained a large amount of a white crystalline substance. The substance was later determined to be 100% pure methamphetamine weighing 1,340.2 grams.

Later that same day, officers observed Brown leave the residence with a multi-colored bag, place the bag in a vehicle, and then drive away. After Brown was stopped for a traffic infraction, his vehicle was searched and officers found the multi-colored bag in the backseat area. The bag contained two separate vacuum-sealed plastic bags, inside of which were additional bags containing a white crystalline substance. The substance was later determined to be 99% pure methamphetamine weighing 2,694 grams.

Subsequently, officers obtained a search warrant for Brown’s residence. During the search, they found two black bags containing packages of a white crystalline substance, $12,000 in a safe, and $1,000 in one of the bedrooms. The substance was later determined to be 99% pure methamphetamine weighing 1,786.8 grams.

Before committing these offenses, Brown and Bradley had previously been convicted of federal drug trafficking charges. In April 2013, Brown was convicted of five counts of distributing and possessing with intent to distribute cocaine and cocaine base (crack cocaine). In November 2008, Bradley was convicted of conspiracy to distribute and possessing with intent to distribute cocaine and cocaine base (crack cocaine).

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Arnold B. Corsmeier.

Jacksonville, Florida – Senior U.S. District Judge Harvey E. Schlesinger has sentenced Nicholas High (38, Jacksonville) to 12 years in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute cocaine and possessing a firearm after being convicted of a felony. High pleaded guilty on June 18, 2025. 

According to court documents and records, during 2022 and 2023, High and others working with High sold a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) confidential informant ounce quantities of cocaine. High, a convicted felon, also sold the ATF confidential informant a Bushmaster .223 caliber rifle. High had both prior state and federal drug distribution convictions that qualified him for enhanced sentencing as a career offender. As a prior convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition 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 case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Samuel Walter Perkins, Jr. (46, Fernandina Beach) today pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm as a convicted felon and distribution of cocaine and cocaine base (commonly known as crack cocaine). Perkins faces a minimum penalty of 15 years, up to life, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to the plea agreement, in late 2024, Perkins twice sold crack cocaine to a confidential informant in Nassau County. After detectives from the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office confronted Perkins about these two drug sales, Perkins agreed to work with them as a confidential informant himself. Before taking on that role, Perkins was specifically instructed that he could not engage in illegal activities, could not possess firearms, and would never be tasked “to create crime,” but instead should be “only working to interrupt ongoing criminal activity.” 

Ostensibly, in his role as a confidential informant, on January 29, 2025, Perkins provided a tip to his law enforcement handler about two individuals traveling to Jacksonville to meet with an unknown subject to obtain drugs and guns.  Later that day, without telling Perkins, the detectives followed up on that lead by surveilling the two targets named by Perkins. Following those individuals, the detectives saw them drive from Nassau County to Jacksonville where the pair met with only one person—Perkins—who gave the two men a black bag, which they put in the truck of their car. During a subsequent stop and search of that car, detectives located the bag, which contained a loaded 9mm pistol, cocaine, and cocaine base.

Detectives later interviewed Perkins about these events. After a detective explained what they had seen while conducting surveillance, Perkins asked, “So they got it from me?” – referring to the firearm and drugs in the black bag. The detective replied, “They got it from you.” Realizing that he was caught, Perkins then stated, “Well, I tried, man.” Asked where he obtained the gun, Perkins stated, “I just had a gun.” 

Perkins is a multi-time convicted felon who previously has been prosecuted by both state and federal authorities for a variety of drug offenses. As such, he is prohibited from possessing firearms under federal law.

This case was investigated by the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Coolican.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the return of an indictment charging Richard Plummer (44, Tampa) with distribution and possession of child sexual abuse material and escape. If convicted on all counts, Plummer faces a maximum penalty of 65 years in federal prison. 

According to the indictment, in 2018, Plummer was convicted of coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity. He was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison. Between October 29 and 31, 2025, Plummer distributed and possessed a visual depiction of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct. On November 1, 2025, Plummer escaped from the Bureau of Prisons and the Tampa Residential Re-Entry Center, a facility where he was serving his sentence. 

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 Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Tampa Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Courtney Derry.

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.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Mary S. Scriven today sentenced Juan Ariel Molina-Salles (35, Honduras) to two years and one month in federal prison for aggravated identity theft, false representation of a Social Security number, and making a false claim of United States citizenship for employment purposes. The court ordered the sentence to run consecutive to his 12-year state sentence in case no. 22-CF-09348 in the Sixth Judicial Circuit Court in Pinellas County for leaving the scene of a crash involving death. Molina-Salles pleaded guilty on September 15, 2025.

According to court documents, Archer Western-de Moya Group Joint Venture II (Joint Venture) is enrolled in E-Verify, a web-based system through which employers electronically confirm the employment eligibility of their employees. Molina-Salles is an illegal alien from Honduras with no lawful status in the United States. On February 16, 2022, Molina-Salles applied for employment with the Joint Venture in Pinellas County and filled out an I-9 form for use in the E-Verify system. On that form, Molina-Salles falsely identified himself as a United States citizen and used another person’s means of identification to defeat the E-Verify system. Molina-Salles provided no documents or other proof that he was trained or qualified to operate a front-end loader or other heavy construction equipment.

Molina-Salles was working at the Joint Venture’s highway construction site in Pinellas County under the stolen identity on the evening of September 22, 2022. That night, while operating a front-end loader, he struck and killed Deputy Michael Hartwick, a 19-year veteran of the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office. Rather than staying at the scene and attempting to assist Deputy Hartwick, first responders, and investigators, Molina-Salles handed his construction helmet and safety vest to a co-worker, told the co-worker to get rid of those items, and fled. On September 23, 2022, Molina-Salles was arrested in connection with Deputy Hartwick’s death.

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Department of Transportation – Office of Inspector General, the Social Security Administration–Office of the Inspector General, the United States Border Patrol, the Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher F. Murray.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Daniel L. Hovland has sentenced Jhakheem Smith (26, Gainesville) to 10 years and 6 months in federal prison for the armed robbery of a convenience store in Clearwater in November 2023. Earlier this year, Smith pleaded guilty to robbing and conspiring to rob the store. He pleaded not guilty to brandishing a firearm during a violent crime. Smith proceeded to trial on the firearm charge. A federal jury found Smith guilty of the firearm offense in March 2025. 

According to testimony and evidence presented at the trial, on November 8, 2023, 

Store surveillance video showed Jones and Smith jumping over the counter to confront the victim. The video also showed Smith searching throughout the store for a safe which allegedly contained additional money. The safe was never found. The store surveillance video also showed Smith attempting to damage the store surveillance cameras. Text messages obtained pursuant to a search warrant for Jones’s phone revealed text messages between Jones and Smith planning the robbery.

Jones pleaded guilty to all three charges in the indictment. On February 6, 2025, Jones was sentenced to 12 years and 11 months in federal prison.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Clearwater Police Department, the Largo Police Department, and the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Samantha Newman.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

Fort Myers, Florida – United States District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell has sentenced Craig Austin Lang (35, Kyiv, Ukraine) to consecutive life sentences in federal prison as a result of his convictions for conspiracy to commit robbery and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, robbery interfering with commerce, discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence which resulted in death, conspiring to kill persons in a foreign country, and a violation of the Neutrality Act. Lang was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $10,886 to the family members of the victims of the offenses.

Lang was indicted on December 4, 2019, and extradited from Ukraine to the United States in 2024. Lang was found guilty by a jury on September 15, 2025.

According to testimony presented at trial, on April 10, 2018, two individuals, S.L., Jr. and D.L., were found dead in Estero, Florida from multiple gunshot wounds to the head and body. Further investigation revealed that the couple had traveled to Estero from Brooksville, Florida to complete the purchase of several firearms from an individual who had listed them for sale on a website known as Armslist. As a result of the investigation, Lang was identified as one of two individuals who was believed to have murdered the couple during an armed robbery of the $3,000 that the couple had intended to use to purchase the firearms. 

Lang, who had previously fought in the Ukraine, pursued a plan to fight the Venezuelan government and committed the robbery of S.L., Jr. and D.L. to obtain money to fund his travel to Venezuela. Lang’s co-defendant, Alex Jared Zwiefelhofer, was previously convicted at trial in 2024 and sentenced to two consecutive life sentences. 

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Lee County Sheriff’s Office. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in securing Lang’s arrest and extradition from Ukraine. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jesus M. Casas and Benjamin S. Winter. 

Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the return of an indictment charging James Gregory Ford (34, Port Charlotte) with coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity and transferring obscene matter to a minor. If convicted on all counts, Ford faces a minimum penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison. 

According to the indictment and court records, in October 2025, Ford communicated with a 10-year-old child using a social media application and engaged in sexually explicit conversations. Ford asked the child for sexual images and videos. He also sent a nude image of himself to the child.

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 Federal Bureau of Investigation, Fort Myers Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, along with the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Yolande G. Viacava.

This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 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 child victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

Jacksonville, Florida – United States District Judge Wendy W. Berger has sentenced Matthew Eric Baumgardner (50, Jacksonville) to 10 years and 10 months in federal prison for using the internet to access and view child sexual abuse materials (CSAM). The court also ordered Baumgardner to serve a lifetime term of supervised release and pay $10,000 in restitution to a child victim. Baumgardner is a registered child sex offender who was convicted in 2017 of possessing photographs depicting the sexual performance by a child, traveling to meet a minor for unlawful activity, and unlawful use of a two-way communication device.

Baumgardner was on state sex probation when he was committed this federal offense and was arrested on July 28, 2025. He pleaded guilty on September 10, 2025.   

According to court documents, law enforcement received a notification from a company that owns a social messaging application (the “App”) that files containing CSAM were uploaded using the App between May 6 and June 5, 2024. Subsequent investigation revealed that these files were uploaded from a residence in Jacksonville, using an account that was associated with Baumgardner.

In April 2025, a warrant was issued for Baumgardner’s arrest based upon his violation of his sex offender probation. On that same day, a detective with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office contacted Baumgardner and seized his cellphone. Baumgardner admitted that the email address and phone number associated with the internet uploads of CSAM were his and that he had used the App in the past. Baumgardner also admitted using the internet to access and view photos of children being sexually abused, stating that none of the child victims were personally known by him.

Subsequent forensic examination of Baumgardner’s cellphone revealed that it contained 67 photos depicting CSAM, including sadistic sexual abuse and bondage involving young children. 

This case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was 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 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, rescue, and seek justice for child victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. 

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the return of an indictment charging Sherell Breus (40, Champions Gate), Jessie Perlado (63, Lakeland), Candice Harper (37, Pooler, GA), Yashica Carter (40, Ft. Lauderdale), Brandon Thomas (39, Champions Gate), Antwaun Jonson (39, Delray Beach), Jessica Sejour (33, Greenacres), Tameshia Roberson (44, Winter Haven), Vance Houston (30, Oakland Park), and Raymound Carvil Sr. (61, Ft. Lauderdale) with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and nine counts of wire fraud. If convicted, each faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison on each count. The indictment also notifies the conspirators that the United States is seeking an order of forfeiture in the amount of $2,294,734.50, which represents the alleged proceeds traceable to the offense.

According to the indictment, between April 2020 and June 2021, the conspirators devised a scheme to defraud the Small Business Administration by submitting multiple false and fraudulent Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) and Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) applications. These programs were two sources of economic relief provided by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act to help small business during the COVID-19 pandemic. The conspirators’ applications all contained fraudulent documentation which at times included Department of Treasury - Internal Revenue Service Tax Forms. After receiving their fraudulently obtained proceeds, the conspirators transferred a portion of their funds to other accounts belonging to co-conspirators. 

In a separate indictment, an associate of one the conspirators, Neil Bryant (45, Winter Haven) was charged with one count of wire fraud. According to the indictment, Bryant defrauded the Small Business Administration by submitting a fraudulent EIDL application. If convicted, Bryant faces a maximum of 20 years in federal prison. Bryant was also notified that the United States is seeking an order of forfeiture in the amount of $52,400, which represents the proceeds traceable to his offense.

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. 

These cases were investigated by the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. They will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Merrilyn Hoenemeyer.

Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by contacting the Justice Department’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Steven Merryday has sentenced Jonathan Rafael Ortega Martinez (42) to 10 years in federal prison for conspiracy to traffic firearms and trafficking in firearms. Ortega Martinez previously pleaded guilty.

According to the plea agreement, between 2023 and April 2024, Ortega Martinez was a member of a large-scale firearms trafficking operation. Specifically, he and members of his conspiracy recruited individuals, known as “straw purchasers,” to illegally purchase firearms—including Glocks, rifles and AK-47s—from licensed federal firearms dealers across Florida. After obtaining the firearms, Ortega Martinez and his co-conspirators smuggled them overseas, shipping them to countries including the Dominican Republic and Haiti. Between 2023 and 2024, Ortega Martinez and his co-conspirators trafficked more than 1,000 firearms. Investigations revealed that several of these firearms were later recovered at crime scenes.

On April 18, 2024, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Homeland Security Investigations agents in Tampa and Orlando executed three search warrants at three residences in the Orlando area. There, agents found Ortega Martinez and recovered approximately 57 firearms, 30 empty gun boxes, approximately $16,000 in cash, ammunition, and money counters.

In addition to Ortega Martinez, two others were indicted and convicted of conspiracy to traffic firearms. On March 11, 2025, Ricardo Sune Giron, who was living in the United States illegally under an assumed name, and who was the subject of an active INTERPOL Red Notice from Guatemala, was sentenced to 14 years for his role in this conspiracy. On July 31, 2025, Maicor Eliud Cepeda-Garcia was sentenced to 15 years—the maximum sentenced allowed under the law—for his role in the conspiracy. 

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Homeland Security Investigations, with support from INTERPOL Washington. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Diego F. Novaes and Noah Dorman. 

Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that a federal jury has found Emarjai Walker (29, Plant City) guilty of interference with commerce by robbery and discharging a firearm during a violent felony. Walker faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. 

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, just before midnight on April 5, 2020, Walker robbed a gas station located at 2911 James Redman Parkway in Plant City. After the clerk opened the register as Walker had demanded, Walker shot the clerk in the face. While his victim was lying on the floor bleeding, Walker fired a second shot which barely missed the clerk’s head. Walker ran from the store leaving the clerk for dead. The victim was discovered by a customer 10 minutes after the shooting. Although Walker was disguised and masked, the clerk’s familiarity of Walker’s mannerisms from previous visits to the store allowed him, from his hospital bed days later, to identify Walker as the shooter. Further investigation revealed that Walker had done extensive media research following the shooting and that he had tried to sell a .38 handgun the next day.

This case was investigated by the Plant City Police Department, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Tampa Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jim Preston and Brooke Padgett.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).

Tampa, FL - United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Tyler Corbin (25, Tampa), Edward Noel (26, Canada), Alfredo Santana (32, Miami), Omar Singateth (24, Canada), and Arif Jhuman (39, Canada) with conspiracy to traffic firearms, trafficking in firearms, and dealing firearms with a license. The indictment also charges Corbin with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. The indictment was unsealed following the recent arrests of Corbin and Santana.

According to the indictment and court hearings, these individuals trafficked, and conspired to traffic, more than 100 firearms from Florida to Canada in 2023 and 2024. Of those firearms, 29 were recovered from Canadian crime scenes, including homicides. One firearm purchased by Corbin was recovered at the scene of a homicide 32 days after Corbin had purchased the firearm. None of these defendants are licensed to deal firearms.

These arrests were the result of joint investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Homeland Security Investigations Miami Field Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Samantha Newman.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).

Tampa, FL — Monday, a federal court prohibited a Tampa-area pharmacist from filling prescriptions for opioids and other controlled substances and entered a civil penalty against him in a case alleging violations of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA).

In a complaint filed in August 2022, the United States alleges that Nathaniel Esalomi unlawfully distributed powerful opioids by filling prescriptions he knew were not valid at Apexx Pharmacy in Hudson, Florida, where he was the owner and sole pharmacist. The complaint alleges that Esalomi charged dramatically inflated prices to fill opioid prescriptions and accepted thousands of dollars in cash for the drugs. The complaint further alleges that Esalomi instructed individuals to forge signatures on certain forms and to falsify addresses. The complaint also alleges that Esalomi filled numerous controlled substance prescriptions for persons who were deceased.

“Medical professionals who knowingly facilitate the abuse of opioids violate their legal obligations,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Department will pursue justice against anyone who seeks to profit from unlawfully distributing opioids.”

“The opioid epidemic has devastated not only our communities here in Florida but the entire nation,” said U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe for the Middle District of Florida. “Our office will continue to investigate and hold accountable those who contributed to this crisis.”

“Approximately 70 percent of all drug overdose deaths in America involve opioids,” said Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter of the Drug Enforcement Administration Miami Field Division. “This epidemic began in the mid-1990s, and it’s still something we’re fighting. We will remain steadfast in our effort to remove these poisons from our communities.”

Esalomi agreed to a consent judgment to settle the allegations in the complaint. The order entered by the court permanently prohibits Esalomi from distributing opioids or other controlled substances, permanently prohibits him from managing, owning, or controlling any entity that dispenses controlled substances, and requires Esalomi to pay $10,000 of a $500,000 suspended civil penalty. Apexx Pharmacy was dissolved following the United States’ August 2022 complaint and the federal court’s associated temporary restraining order, and remains dissolved under the terms of the consent order. Esalomi also pleaded no contest to charges brought by the State of Florida in a related criminal case.

U.S. District Judge Thomas Barber entered the judgment and permanent injunction in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida. The case was investigated by DEA’s Tactical Diversion Squad in the Tampa District Office.

This case was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carolyn B. Tapie and Alexandra N. Karahalios for the Middle District of Florida, and Trial Attorney Scott B. Dahlquist of the Justice Department’s Enforcement & Affirmative Litigation Branch.

The claims made in the complaint are allegations that the United States would need to prove by a preponderance of the evidence if the case proceeded to trial.

Monday, a federal court prohibited a Tampa-area pharmacist from filling prescriptions for opioids and other controlled substances and entered a civil penalty against him in a case alleging violations of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA).

In a complaint filed in August 2022, the United States alleges that Nathaniel Esalomi unlawfully distributed powerful opioids by filling prescriptions he knew were not valid at Apexx Pharmacy in Hudson, Florida, where he was the owner and sole pharmacist. The complaint alleges that Esalomi charged dramatically inflated prices to fill opioid prescriptions and accepted thousands of dollars in cash for the drugs. The complaint further alleges that Esalomi instructed individuals to forge signatures on certain forms and to falsify addresses. The complaint also alleges that Esalomi filled numerous controlled substance prescriptions for persons who were deceased.

“Medical professionals who knowingly facilitate the abuse of opioids violate their legal obligations,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Department will pursue justice against anyone who seeks to profit from unlawfully distributing opioids.”

“The opioid epidemic has devastated not only our communities here in Florida but the entire nation,” said U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe for the Middle District of Florida. “Our office will continue to investigate and hold accountable those who contributed to this crisis.”

“Approximately 70 percent of all drug overdose deaths in America involve opioids,” said Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter of the Drug Enforcement Administration Miami Field Division. “This epidemic began in the mid-1990s, and it’s still something we’re fighting. We will remain steadfast in our effort to remove these poisons from our communities.”

Esalomi agreed to a consent judgment to settle the allegations in the complaint. The order entered by the court permanently prohibits Esalomi from distributing opioids or other controlled substances, permanently prohibits him from managing, owning, or controlling any entity that dispenses controlled substances, and requires Esalomi to pay $10,000 of a $500,000 suspended civil penalty. Apexx Pharmacy was dissolved following the United States’ August 2022 complaint and the federal court’s associated temporary restraining order, and remains dissolved under the terms of the consent order. Esalomi also pleaded no contest to charges brought by the State of Florida in a related criminal case.

U.S. District Judge Thomas Barber entered the judgment and permanent injunction in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida. The case was investigated by DEA’s Tactical Diversion Squad in the Tampa District Office.

This case was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carolyn B. Tapie and Alexandra N. Karahalios for the Middle District of Florida, and Trial Attorney Scott B. Dahlquist of the Justice Department’s Enforcement & Affirmative Litigation Branch.

The claims made in the complaint are allegations that the United States would need to prove by a preponderance of the evidence if the case proceeded to trial.