Middle District of Florida

Tampa, FL – Acting United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow announces that Dr. Arthur S. Portnow, the owner and operator of Arthur S. Portnow, P.A., d/b/a Apple Medical and Cardiovascular Group, d/b/a Apple Medical Group (collectively, Dr. Portnow) has agreed to pay $1.95 million to resolve allegations that he and his practice violated the False Claims Act by knowingly seeking reimbursement for medically unnecessary ultrasound tests that were performed on Medicare beneficiaries. 

 

The government alleges that from August 2009 through August 2017, Dr. Portnow submitted fraudulent claims to Medicare for the evaluation and performance of medically unnecessary carotid ultrasounds, lower extremity arterial ultrasounds, abdominal aortic ultrasounds, renal and renal artery ultrasounds, and echocardiograms. The government also alleges that Dr. Portnow falsified patient records in an effort to justify those unnecessary ultrasounds. Dr. Portnow and his practice received hundreds of thousands of dollars as a result of this illicit testing. 

 

“Fraudulently billing the government for medically unnecessary tests deprives federal health care programs, like Medicare, of valuable resources,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Muldrow. “This settlement is evidence that our office will continue to pursue those who seek to unlawfully exploit our nation’s federal health care programs at the expense of patients and the Federal Treasury."

 

“Physicians who seek to boost their profits by charging taxpayers and patients for medically unnecessary tests will be thoroughly investigated,” said Special Agent in Charge Shimon R. Richmond of the U.S. Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General.  “Working in coordination with our law enforcement partners, we will continue to pursue health care professionals who threaten the integrity of Federal health care programs."

 

In addition to paying the $1.95 million, as part of the settlement, Dr. Portnow has also agreed to enter into an integrity agreement with the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 

 

The settlement concludes a lawsuit originally filed in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida by a former employee (Kathleen Siwicki) of Dr. Portnow’s practice. The lawsuit was filed under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the False Claims Act that permits private individuals to sue on behalf of the government for false claims and to share in any recovery. The Act also allows the government to intervene and take over the action. Ms. Siwicki will receive roughly $350,000 of the proceeds of the settlement with Dr. Portnow.

 

The government’s action in this matter illustrates the emphasis on combating health care fraud, and one of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services, at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477). The case is captioned United States, et al. ex rel. Siwicki v. Arthur S. Portnow, M.D., et al., Case No. 8:15-cv-987-T-27MAP. The settlement resolves the United States’ claims in that case. The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.

 

This settlement was the result of a coordinated effort by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida and the HHS-OIG. It was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher Tuite.

 

 

Jacksonville, Florida – Acting United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow announces that William Danzeisen (60, Ponte Vedra Beach), a licensed podiatrist, and Sachin Brahmbhatt (37, Jacksonville), an unlicensed podiatrist, have pleaded guilty to theft of government property. Each faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. The sentencing hearings have been set for January 30, 2018.

 

          According to the plea agreement, Danzeisen and Brahmbhatt owned and operated Nourish Foot Care, a medical spa and mobile podiatric service that provided podiatry services to residents of long-term care facilities across northeast Florida. They defrauded Medicare by billing for medical services not rendered by a licensed podiatrist. Since Brahmbhatt was an unlicensed podiatrist, he was unable to bill Medicare. Danzeisen billed Medicare representing that he had performed podiatry care when the care had been provided by Brahmbhatt. Since 2015, $121,537.50 in false and fraudulent claims were submitted to Medicare.

 

          This case was investigated by U.S. Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jay Taylor.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Kovachevich today sentenced Wayne St. Aubyn Smith (50, Parrish), a/k/a Wayne Smith El-Bey, to 3 years and 10 months in federal prison for attempting to file a false lien against a federal judge. A federal jury found him guilty on July 19, 2017.

 

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, in May 2015, Smith filed a lawsuit against several New Jersey officials in U.S. District Court in New Jersey, claiming that his constitutional rights had been violated. However, Smith failed to pay the fee required to file a lawsuit in federal court. United States District Judge Jose L. Linares was assigned to the case. Judge Linares issued an order instructing Smith on how to file for indigent status to waive his filing fee and dismissed the lawsuit without prejudice. After several rounds of filings claiming that Judge Linares was violating his constitutional rights, Judge Linares denied Smith’s motion to proceed in forma pauperis.       

 

On December 21, 2016, Smith attempted to record three separate liens against several individuals at the Manatee County Clerk’s Office. One of the documents claimed that Judge Linares owed Smith $750,000 for violating his constitutional rights. Furthermore, Smith claimed an interest in all of Judge Linares’s real and personal property and his checking and savings accounts up to the amount of $750,000. The other two documents were liens totaling more than $1 million against the State of Florida and several New Jersey government officials. The clerk’s office refused to record the documents.

 

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Shauna S. Hale and Michael Gordon.

Ocala, FL – Acting United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow announces that a federal jury has found Avery Leanard Tumer (23, Leesburg) guilty of carjacking, conspiracy to commit carjacking, brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. He faces a maximum penalty of 37 years in federal prison, including a 7-year minimum mandatory penalty for brandishing the firearm. In a separate trial, the same jury previously found Timotheus Gersom Reed (30, Leesburg) guilty of conspiracy to commit carjacking and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. He faces a maximum sentence of 12 years’ imprisonment, including a 7-year minimum mandatory penalty. The sentencing hearings are scheduled for February 21, 2017.

 

According to evidence presented during the trials, on the evening of December 23, 2016, Tumer and Reed, along with co-defendants Jonathan Kyle Lanier and Amy Denise Scott, conspired to rob an individual of his money, other personal items, and his car by arranging a meeting at a remote location between the victim and Scott. The victim believed he was going to the meet the woman only; however, shortly after he arrived, Lanier, Tumer, and Reed pulled the victim from his car and stole his wallet and other personal property. During the robbery, the three men wore masks and pointed firearms at the victim; Turner later pistol-whipped the victim and took his car while Scott left in her car with Reed and Lanier.

 

Later that evening, Tumer and Scott were arrested by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office after the victim’s car was located outside an apartment where the two had stayed together. Inside the apartment, deputies found the victim’s identification, cell phones, and debit card. Multiple firearms were recovered from the attic, where Tumer had been hiding.

 

On November 15, 2017, a separate federal jury found Lanier (24, Leesburg) guilty of carjacking, conspiracy to commit carjacking, brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.

 

He faces up to 37 years in federal prison, including a 7-year minimum mandatory penalty. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

 

On May 9, 2017, Scott (32, Leesburg) pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit carjacking. She faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison; her sentencing hearing is set for December 15, 2017.

 

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (Daytona Beach Office), the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, and the Leesburg Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dale Campion.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Kovachevich today sentenced Everett Taylor to eight years, six months in federal prison for theft of government funds and aggravated identify theft. The Court also ordered him to forfeit real property located in Tampa, which is traceable to the offenses. In addition, the Court entered a money judgment in the amount of $124,521, the proceeds of the charged criminal conduct.   

    

Everett Taylor pleaded guilty on July 3, 2017.

 

According to court documents, Taylor and his brother, Robert Earl Taylor, were involved in a scheme to file false and fraudulent income tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in order to generate large refunds. The investigation revealed that the IRS had received fraudulent tax returns and had issued refunds totaling $304,411.24 based on fraudulent tax filings in the amount of $575,884.24. Pending trial, Everett Taylor was released from detention and ordered to home confinement and electronic monitoring. In June 2015, he removed his electronic monitoring device and fled from pretrial release. He remained a fugitive until mid-2017.

 

In January 2015, Robert Earl Taylor was sentenced to eight months of home detention for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, theft of government property, and making fraudulent claims to the Department of the Treasury.

 

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation and U.S. Secret Service. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Adam M. Saltzman and Sara C. Sweeney.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Virginia Hernandez Covington today sentenced Richmond Joseph McDonald (40, Tampa) and Shauna Maryann Boselli (25, Tampa) to life, and 40 years in federal prison, respectively, for enticement of a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct. McDonald and Boselli previously pleaded guilty.

 

According to court documents, McDonald and his wife, Boselli, engaged in sexual activity with a 7-year-old girl, with the consent of her relative. McDonald and Boselli engaged in explicit conversation, via the Internet and text messages, with the minor’s relative regarding sexual acts with the child victim.

 

On July 19, 2016, the child’s relative brought the child to Tampa to meet McDonald and Boselli for the purpose of all three engaging in sex acts with the victim.  The relative took the child to the Lowry Park Zoo in Tampa, where they met with McDonald and Boselli. After spending time at the zoo and taking the child for ice cream, McDonald and Boselli led the relative and the child to their house in Tampa.  While at the house, McDonald and Boselli sexually abused the child while the relative watched. Afterwards, the relative and the child returned to their hotel in Tampa. On July 21, 2016, McDonald and Boselli met with the relative and child at their hotel, where couple engaged in multiple sex acts with the victim.

 

Federal agents with Homeland Security Investigations executed a federal search warrant at the defendants’ residence and seized numerous electronic devices and the vehicle that McDonald and Boselli had used in the commission of the offense. A forensic analysis on all of the devices revealed that McDonald was in possession of over 1,300 child-pornographic images, including images and videos of the child victim performing sex acts.

 

The victim’s relative was prosecuted in federal court, in Orlando, and was previously sentenced to 75 years in prison.

 

“These crimes are tragic and heart breaking beyond comprehension,” said HSI Tampa Special Agent in Charge James C. Spero. “Our greatest hope is that putting this predatory couple behind bars can help this young girl in her recovery process.”

 

This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Lisa M. Thelwell and Josephine W. Thomas.

 

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 James S. Moody, Jr. today sentenced former WellCare General Counsel, Thaddeus M.S. Bereday (52, Tampa), to six months in federal prison, followed by a three-year term of supervised release that includes one year of home confinement, for making a false statement to the Florida Medicaid Program. The Court also ordered him to pay a $50,000 fine.

 

Bereday pleaded guilty on June 26, 2017.

 

A federal grand jury in the Middle District of Florida returned an indictment on March 2, 2011, charging five former WellCare Health Plans, Inc. (“WellCare”) executives (Todd S. Farha, Paul L. Behrens, William L. Kale, Peter E. Clay, and Bereday) with four counts of healthcare fraud, four counts of making false statements relating to healthcare matters, and conspiracy to commit those crimes and defraud the United States. In addition, Clay was charged with two counts of making false statements. The fraud counts alleged that Bereday and his co-defendants had executed and attempted to execute both a scheme to defraud the Florida Medicaid Program through Florida’s Agency for Health Care Administration (“AHCA”), and a scheme to obtain, by means of false and fraudulent pretenses and representations, money under the custody or control of the program.

 

WellCare operates health maintenance organizations (AHMOs@) in several states targeted to government-sponsored health care benefit programs like Medicaid. Two WellCare HMOs operating in Florida, StayWell and Healthease, contracted with the AHCA to provide Florida Medicaid Program recipients with an array of services, including behavioral health services. 

 

In 2002, the State of Florida enacted a statute requiring Florida Medicaid HMOs to expend 80% of the Medicaid premiums paid for certain behavioral health services on the provision of those services. If the HMO expended less than 80% of the premiums, the difference was required to be returned to the AHCA. The defendants in this case falsely and fraudulently schemed to submit inflated expenditure information in the company's annual reports to the AHCA in order to reduce the WellCare HMOs= contractual payback obligations for behavioral health care services.

 

A federal jury found Bereday’s co-defendants guilty on June 10, 2013. For their respective roles in the scheme, in May 2014, Judge Moody sentenced Farha to 36 months in prison; Behrens to 24 months’ imprisonment; and Kale to 1 year and 1 day in prison. Clay was sentenced to serve 5 years’ probation. The defendants appealed their convictions, which were all affirmed by the Eleventh Circuit in August 2016.

 

On May 5, 2009, the United States filed related charges in an Information and Deferred Prosecution Agreement ("DPA") against WellCare. Pursuant to that DPA, WellCare was required to pay $40 million in restitution, forfeit another $40 million to the United States, and cooperate with the government=s criminal investigation. The company complied with all of the requirements of the DPA. As a result, the Information was later dismissed by the Court following a government motion.

          

This case was investigated by U.S. Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, along with the Florida Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jay G. Trezevant and Cherie L. Krigsman, DOJ Senior Litigation Counsel John A. Michelich, and Special Assistant United States Attorney John Bowers.

The former general counsel of a company that operates health maintenance organizations in several states was sentenced to six months in prison today for his role in a $35 million health care fraud scheme.

Acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Blanco of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney W. Steven Muldrow of the Middle District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Shimon Richmond of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General’s (HHS-OIG) Miami Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Eric W. Sporre of the FBI’s Tampa Field Office and the Florida Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit made the announcement.

Thaddeus M.S. Bereday, 52, of Tampa, Florida, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge James S. Moody of the Middle District of Florida, who also ordered Bereday to serve three years of supervised release that includes one year of home confinement following his prison term and to pay a fine in the amount of $50,000.  Bereday pleaded guilty on June 27, to one count of making a false statement in connection with health care matters.

According to admissions made in connection with his guilty plea, Bereday served in several positions, including as general counsel, with WellCare Health Plans Inc. (WellCare), a publicly traded corporation that operates health maintenance organizations (HMOs) in several states targeted to government-sponsored health care benefit programs such as Medicaid.  Two WellCare HMOs operating in Florida, StayWell and Healthease, contracted with the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA), the Florida agency that administers the Medicaid program, to provide Florida Medicaid program recipients with an array of services, including behavioral health services.

In 2002, Florida enacted a statute that required Florida Medicaid HMOs to expend 80 percent of the Medicaid premium they received for certain behavioral health services on the actual provision of those services to beneficiaries.  If the HMO expended less than 80 percent of the premium, the law required the excess funds to be returned to the Medicaid Program.   Bereday and four other defendants were charged in an indictment that alleged the ways in which the defendants falsely and fraudulently schemed to submit inflated expenditure information in the company’s annual reports to AHCA in order to reduce the WellCare HMOs’ contractual payback obligations for behavioral health care services.

As part of his guilty plea, Bereday admitted that he, along with others, knowingly and willfully caused the submission of a false expenditure report for calendar year 2006 to the Florida Medicaid Program on behalf of Healthease, a WellCare HMO that was under contract to provide health care services to Medicare beneficiaries in Florida in 2006. 

On May 5, 2009, the United States reached a resolution with WellCare on related charges.  Pursuant to a Deferred Prosecution Agreement (DPA), WellCare was required to pay $40 million in restitution, forfeit another $40 million to the United States and cooperate with the government’s criminal investigation.  The company complied with all of the requirements of the DPA.  As a result, the criminal Information was later dismissed by the Court following a government motion.

After a 13-week trial in June 2013, a jury found the four other defendants guilty for their roles in a scheme to defraud the Florida Medicaid Program of more than $35 million.  Todd S. Farha of Tampa, Florida, former WellCare chief executive officer, was convicted of two counts of health care fraud; Paul L. Behrens of Odessa, Florida, former WellCare chief financial officer, was convicted of two counts of making false statements relating to health care matters and two counts of health care fraud; William L. Kale of Oldsmar, Florida, former vice president of Harmony Behavioral Health Inc. (a wholly owned subsidiary of WellCare), was found guilty of two counts of health care fraud; and Peter E. Clay of Wellesley, Massachusetts, former WellCare vice president of medical economics, was found guilty of making false statements to a law enforcement officer.  In May 2014, Judge Moody sentenced Farha to 36 months in prison; Behrens to 24 months in prison; and Kale to one year and one day in prison. Clay was sentenced to serve 5 years’ probation. The defendants appealed their convictions, which were all affirmed by the Eleventh Circuit in August 2016.

 

This case was investigated by the HHS-OIG, the FBI and the Florida Attorney General's Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.  Senior Litigation Counsel John A. Michelich of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jay G. Trezevant and Cherie Krigsman of the Middle District of Florida prosecuted the case.

The Fraud Section leads the Medicare Fraud Strike Force.  Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, now operating in nine cities across the country, has charged nearly 3,500 defendants who have collectively billed the Medicare program for more than $12.5 billion.  In addition, the HHS Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to increase accountability and decrease the presence of fraudulent providers.

Jacksonville, Florida – Acting United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow announced today that Pryce Elijah Demars (24, Jacksonville) has been arrested and indicted by a federal grand jury for distribution of child pornography. He faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 5 years, up to 20 years, in federal prison and a potential lifetime of supervision. Demars has been detained pending his trial on January 2, 2018.

 

According to court documents, on November 15, 2017, FBI agents and local police officers executed a federal search warrant at Demars’s Jacksonville residence, in connection with a child exploitation investigation into online users of a particular file-sharing program. FBI agents determined that from August 3, 2016, through April 12, 2017, Demars had distributed videos depicting young children being sexually abused to other individuals using a computer over the Internet. During an interview, Demars admitted that he had searched for child pornography on the Internet, downloaded it, and distributed it to another individual in exchange for video games and other items of value. 

 

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, and the Nassau 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 May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."

Tampa, FL – Acting U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow today announced $9,515,210 in grant funding through the Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) COPS Hiring Program (CHP). These funds have been awarded to 10 law enforcement agencies throughout the Middle District of Florida and will allow for the hiring of 75 additional full-time law enforcement officers. CHP provides grant funding directly to state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies to support the hiring of additional law enforcement officers, for three years, to address specific crime problems utilizing community policing strategies.

 

“Community policing is an effective tool in reducing violent crime in our neighborhoods,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Stephen Muldrow. “We are very glad that our partner agencies will be able to hire and train additional officers to engage citizens in this collective problem solving strategy to improve public safety.”

 

Earlier today, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced that 179 law enforcement agencies across the nation were awarded $98,495,397 through the COPS Office’s CHP funding program. These awards will allow for the hiring of 802 additional full-time law enforcement officers.

 

The complete list of award recipients can be found here.

 

The COPS Office awards grants to hire community policing officers, develop and test innovative policing strategies, and provide training and technical assistance to community members, local government leaders, and all levels of law enforcement. Since 1994, the COPS Office has invested more than $14 billion to help advance community policing.

 

 

 

Middle District of Florida 2017 COPS Hiring Program Awards

 

Agency

Number of Officers Awarded

Award Amount

City of Casselberry

3

$325,967

 

City of Fort Myers

9

$1,125,000

 

Hendry County Sheriff’s Office

4

$771,724

 

Leesburg Police Department

3

$375,000

 

Nassau County Board of County Commissioners

4

$462,239

 

Ocoee Police Department

3

$375,000

 

Orange County Sheriff’s Office

25

$1,875,000

 

City of Orlando

15

$1,875,000

 

Sanford Police Department

7

$875,000

 

City of Starke

2

$205,280

 

Total

75

$9,515,210

 

 

 

 

 

 

Orlando, Florida – Acting United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow announces that a federal jury has found McKenzie Calixte guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit theft of government property and five counts of theft of government property. He faces a maximum of 5 years in prison on the conspiracy count and up to 10 years’ imprisonment for each of the theft counts. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for January 29, 2018.

 

Calixte was indicted on February 15, 2017.

 

According to evidence introduced during trial, Calixte conspired with Tanya Fox and others in a scheme involving the filing of fraudulent tax returns using identities that had been stolen from a variety of sources. Fox directed Calixte and others to open business bank accounts in the name of a fraudulent tax preparation business and to have the tax refunds deposited into those accounts. Fox then worked with Calixte and the conspirators to withdraw the funds and spend the money. As part of the scheme, Calixte incorporated a false tax preparation business, Strong Hand Accounting, Tax & Payroll Services, Inc., and opened a business bank account in that name. He had 127 fraudulent tax refunds deposited into this account totaling more than $160,000. According to trial testimony, Calixte then withdrew funds from the account to pay a co-conspirator, to pay rent for a home that he leased with Fox, and to purchase a Range Rover. 

 

Fox attempted to receive approximately $5.8 million in fraudulent tax refunds and was successful in receiving over $4 million from the United States Treasury throughout the conspiracy, which lasted over two years. A federal jury previously found her guilty and she was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison.

 

Calixte is the eleventh person to be found guilty as a result of this scheme.  Shanterica Smith, Gerald Williams, and Delray Duncan provided approximately 2,400 names from the Orange County Health Department to Fox, so that she and her co-conspirators could file the fraudulent tax returns. Smith was sentenced to five years in federal prison, Williams was sentenced to four years and six months’ imprisonment, and Duncan was sentenced to a term of three years and six months in federal prison.

 

In addition, April Cuyler was sentenced to 30 months’ imprisonment and Chianti Smith was sentenced to a year and a day in prison. Marceila Jackson and Reshonda Roberts each received two years in federal prison. Shanta Thaxton was sentenced to two years’ probation, and Mariah Herron is currently awaiting sentencing. 

 

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn P. Napier.

Orlando, FL – U.S. District Judge John Antoon, II today sentenced Luis David Huerta-Carranza (37, Mexico) to two years in federal prison for illegal re-entry into the United States. He pleaded guilty on August 31, 2017.

 

According to court documents, Huerta-Carranza was previously deported from the United States to Mexico in June 2001, September 2013, and January 2014.

 

“U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations will continue to focus on investigating, arresting, and removing criminal aliens from the United States,” said Michael W. Meade, acting field office director for the Miami Field Office of ERO.

 

This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kara Wick.

Ocala, FL – U.S. District Judge James D. Whittemore has sentenced Charles Wallace Ellsworth (55, Summerfield) to 10 years in federal prison for receiving child pornography. He also was ordered to serve a life term of supervised release, and to comply with all applicable state and federal sexual offender and sexual predator registration statutes, upon his release from prison. Ellsworth pleaded guilty on August 21, 2017.

According to court documents, between March 2017 and May 11, 2017, Ellsworth received images of child pornography on a file sharing network. On May 12, 2017, agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations executed a search warrant at Ellsworth’s home. Forensic analyses of his computer revealed more than 100 images of child pornography, including numerous images of infants and toddlers. 

“This criminal preyed on the most vulnerable in our society, our children,” said HSI Tampa Special Agent in Charge, James C. Spero. “We have stopped this predator in his tracks, protecting countless children from his crimes.”

This case was investigated by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, Orlando Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dale R. Campion.

 

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

Jacksonville, Florida – Acting United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow announces that Stanley Hagan, Jr. (33, Jacksonville) has pleaded guilty to receiving child pornography over the Internet. He faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 5 years, up to 20 years, in federal prison, and a potential life term of supervised release. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

 

According to court documents, in 2015, convicted child sex offender Darren Dozier was released from prison and established a residence in Philadelphia. While there, he molested an 8-year-old child and produced images and videos of the abuse. On December 19, 2015, and again on August 7, 2016, Hagan engaged in sexually explicit online conversations with Dozier. During the first conversation, Dozier offered to send Hagan sexually explicit images of his victim, and Hagan accepted the offer. Dozier then sent Hagan four images depicting Dozier sexually abusing the child. On August 30, 2017, during an interview with FBI agents in Jacksonville, Hagan admitted that he had solicited and received these images from Dozier. 

 

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

 

It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by 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.   

Jacksonville, Florida - U.S. District Judge Harvey E. Schlesinger has sentenced 11 individuals in connection with their involvement in a year-long methamphetamine distribution conspiracy.

 

According to court documents, between mid-2015 and mid-2016, Audrey Jenkins, along with her sons, Marcelle and George Jenkins, supplied multi-ounce quantities of highly pure crystal methamphetamine, directly or through others, to Kathy Meyer, Lena Leigh Davis, Dane Lloyd, Tina Rayos, Melinda Reeves, Layton Franklin Thomas, Shanique Morgan, and Michelle Ryder. Those individuals, in turn, distributed the methamphetamine to others in south Georgia and north Florida. Audrey Jenkins’s residence in Alma, Georgia was a central meeting and distribution point.

 

On January 9, 2016, Marcelle Jenkins was arrested on state charges in Bacon County, Georgia. While in custody, he continued to run the drug organization via cellphones that were smuggled into the jail.

 

During this investigation, law enforcement officers seized methamphetamine from a number of the defendants. Tests by the Drug Enforcement Administration laboratory determined the methamphetamine to be as much as 99% pure. 

 

Name

Age, Residence

Term of Imprisonment

Marcelle Jenkins

25, Alma, GA

22 years

Audrey Jenkins

44, Alma, GA

21 years and 8 months

George Jenkins

27, Alma, GA

12 years

Tina Rayos

44, Fernandina Beach, FL

10 years

Kathy Meyer

63, Folkston, GA

6 years

Layton Franklin Thomas

22, Folkston, GA

6 years

Michelle Ryder

43, Fernandina Beach, FL

6 years

Melinda Reeves

38, Jacksonville, FL

5 years

Lena Davis

40, Waycross, GA

4 years

Norman Dane Lloyd

45, Folkston, Georgia

3 years

Shanique Morgan

23, Alma, GA

2 years

 

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Baker County Sheriff’s Office, and the Charlton County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Julie Hackenberry Duva.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Mary S. Scriven has sentenced Efrain Cordoba Carrera (30, Plant City) to two years in federal prison for being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm. He pleaded guilty on August 17, 2017.

 

According to court documents, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at a residence in Plant City based on evidence that Fausto Beltran Sedano and Lazaro Sandobal Gonzalez were counterfeiting identity documents, such as lawful permanent resident alien cards (also known as green cards) and social security cards, to allow undocumented individuals to unlawfully obtain employment and continue their unlawful presence in the United States. During the execution of the warrant, an arsenal of weapons was found in Carrera’s bedroom, including 11 firearms and hundreds of rounds of ammunition. Two of the firearms had high-capacity magazines and the serial number on one of them was obliterated. Carrera was prohibited from possessing the firearms and ammunition because he was unlawfully present in the United States.

         

"This criminal not only violated our nation's immigration laws, but also illegally possessed more than 10 weapons," said HSI Tampa Special Agent in Charge James C. Spero. "Our communities are safer today because of the hard work of our HSI special agents."

 

In July 2017, Lazaro Sandobal Gonzalez was sentenced to eight months’ imprisonment for transferring a false identification document knowing that it had been produced without lawful authority. In September 2017, Fausto Beltran Sedano was sentenced to 15 months’ imprisonment on the same charge. 

         

This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam M. Saltzman.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Mary S. Scriven yesterday sentenced Joseph Rumore (34, Plant City) to nine years and two months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. As part of his sentence, the Court also entered a money judgment in the amount of $2,560,000, the proceeds of the drug trafficking conspiracy.

 

Rumore pleaded guilty on January 26, 2017.

 

According to court documents, Rumore served as a significant distributor for the Plant City, Florida-arm of a Matamoros, Mexico-based money laundering and drug trafficking organization operating out of SAME Pallets Company in Plant City.  He obtained kilograms of cocaine at the pallet yard and then re-sold them at a profit, selling from one to five kilograms per week throughout most of 2016. During the investigation, law enforcement seized cocaine, methamphetamine, and over $775,000 in drug proceeds from members of the drug trafficking organization. During Rumore’s participation in the conspiracy, the drug trafficking organization obtained at least $3,823,000 in proceeds.

 

“HSI special agents, with our Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office partners, have dismantled a drug trafficking organization that was targeting our local communities,” said HSI Tampa Special Agent in Charge James C. Spero. “This sentencing highlights HSI’s vigilance in the investigation and prosecution of those engaging in drug activity.”

 

This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Josephine W. Thomas.

Fort Myers, Florida – Acting United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow announces that a federal jury has found Victoria Louise Whidden (26, Fort Myers) guilty of two counts of providing a false statement to a federally licensed firearms dealer. She faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

 

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, on October 25, 2016, Whidden provided a false statement to Shoot Straight in Fort Myers, a licensed firearms dealer, in connection with her purchase of two AK-47 rifles. Additionally she provided a false statement to another licensed firearms dealer, EBS Arms in Cape Coral, on October 31, 2016, in connection with her attempted purchase of three AK-47 rifles. Whidden’s false statements concerned her misrepresentation of her current residence address at both gun stores.    

 

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Simon R. Eth.

 

This is another case prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Middle District of Florida, Acting U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.

Ocala, Florida – Acting United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow announces that Albert Larry Harris, Jr. (27, Lake County) today pleaded guilty to accepting a bribe as a public official. He faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. The sentencing date has not yet been set. 

 

According to the

plea agreement , Harris worked as a correctional officer in a penitentiary at the Coleman Federal Correctional Complex. Beginning in June 2017, he provided inmates at the facility with contraband (drugs and tobacco products) in exchange for large cash payments. Harris met with an undercover federal agent in Ocala on August 22, 2017, where he accepted a $5,000 bribe payment and 200 Suboxone strips for delivery to a federal inmate. Following that exchange, Harris was arrested.

 

This case was investigated by the Department of Justice - Office of the Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Bodnar, Jr.

Jacksonville, Florida – Acting United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow announces that Christopher Jaye Boykin (34, Lisman, Alabama) has pleaded guilty to four charges of receiving child pornography over the Internet. He faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 5 years, up to 20 years, in federal prison on each count. 

 

According to court documents, in February 2014, agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations determined that a host computer in Jacksonville, where Boykin was residing, was offering child pornography on a file sharing network. Boykin later pawned that computer at a shop in Jacksonville, and it was seized by law enforcement. On November 14, 2014, HSI agents executed a search warrant at Boykin’s home and seized another computer that he had used to download at least 49 videos depicting sexual abuse of young children. During an interview, Boykin admitted that both computers contained child pornography for his own “viewing pleasure.”

 

This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, and the Jacksonville Beach Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.

 

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

Tampa, Florida – Acting United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Jodarin Marquis Whitfield (27, Sarasota), Herbert Adelphus Pinckney (39, Avon Park), and Rashica Shaguana Ford (39, Sarasota) with conspiracy and arson. If convicted, each faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison.

 

According to the indictment, on March 11, 2015, Whitfield, Pinckney, and Ford set fire to a residential dwelling in Bradenton. At the time of the arson, three adults and five children occupied the home.

 

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 jointly investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the State Bureau of Fire and Arson Investigations, the Bradenton Police Department, the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office, and the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Carlton C. Gammons.

Fort Myers, Florida – Senior U.S. District Judge John E. Steele today sentenced Derrick L. Kinchen (39, Fort Myers) to 15 years and 8 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. As a three-time convicted felon, he was subject to enhanced penalties under the Armed Career Criminal statute. The Court also ordered him to forfeit the firearm and ammunition associated with the offense.   

 

According to court documents, on July 22, 2016, the Fort Myers Police Department was contacted regarding an individual with a gun at an apartment complex. Following a search in the area, Kinchen was located and identified as the individual with the firearm. As a result of his prior felony convictions, Kinchen is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.

 

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Fort Myers Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jesus M. Casas. 

 

This is another case prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Middle District of Florida, Acting U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.

Tampa, Florida – Acting United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow announces that Javis D. Wilson (39, Tampa) has pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. He faces up to life in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

 

According to the plea agreement, in 2016, Wilson sold undercover agents cocaine, ammunition, and several firearms, including a 30-06 caliber rifle, a .25 caliber handgun, and a .40 caliber handgun. As a previously convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.

 

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Murray.

 

This is another case prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Middle District of Florida, Acting U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.

Tampa, Florida – Acting United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow announces that U.S. District Judge James S. Moody, Jr. has found Clayton Junior Thornburg (55, Iuka, Mississippi) guilty of attempted enticement of a minor, attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor, transportation of child pornography, and enhanced penalties for sex offenders. He faces a mandatory minimum of 25 years, up to life, in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for February 1, 2018.

 

According to evidence presented at trial, between August and November 2015, Thornburg communicated online with an undercover agent who he believed to be a 13-year-old girl. He repeatedly expressed explicit interest in having sex with the “child,” and he sent multiple pornographic images and videos in attempts to illustrate what “it’s like for a young girl to have sex.” Thornburg is a two-time convicted sex offender and was on probation in Illinois for possession of child pornography at the time of the offenses in this case.

 

This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Lisa M. Thelwell and Stacie B. Harris.

 

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

Jacksonville, Florida – Acting United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow announces that Xiu Rong Liu (43) and Liang Wu Yang (44), both of Jacksonville, have pleaded guilty to harboring undocumented aliens for commercial advantage and private financial gain. They each face a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled.

 

Liu and Yang were charged on July 31, 2017.

 

According to court documents, Liu and Yang are husband and wife and operated the Fujiyama Japanese Steakhouse and Sushi Lounge in Jacksonville. On July 6, 2017, U.S. Homeland Security Investigations agents went to a residence in Jacksonville owned by Liu and Yang as part of an unrelated immigration investigation and encountered several people living there. The agents observed mattresses on the floor of the formal dining room, which had been converted into a makeshift bedroom. Further investigation revealed that all of the people who lived at the residence, except one, were undocumented aliens from Indonesia and Guatemala, that they all lived at the house rent free, and that they worked at the Fujiyama restaurant. Yang provided some of the workers with rides between the residence and the restaurant.

 

Under federal law, an employer is required to complete an Enforcement Employment Eligibility Verification Form (I-9) verifying that an employee is lawfully permitted to work in the United States. Liu and Yang did not complete the form certifying the aliens. The aliens were paid in cash and Liu and Yang did not withhold taxes and other payments from the workers’ wages and did not pay the employer’s portion of these payments to government authorities. They also did not report the workers to state revenue authorities as required under Florida law, ensuring the collection of the proper amount of unemployment compensation tax.

 

This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Arnold B. Corsmeier.

Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan has sentenced Matthew Barker (34, Jacksonville) to five years and five months in federal prison for distributing heroin and for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. He pleaded guilty on May 24, 2017.

 

According to court documents, during July 2016, detectives from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration were investigating Barker for selling heroin and firearms in Jacksonville. Task force agents purchased almost 7 grams of heroin mixed with fentanyl for $1,500 and a .40 caliber pistol from Barker. FBI SWAT team members later executed a search warrant at Barker’s home and recovered more than 40 firearms and thousands of rounds of ammunition. All of the firearms and ammunition were forfeited to the government.

 

This case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Drug Enforcement Administration as part of the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and those primarily responsible for the nation's drug supply. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Talbot.

Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge James S. Moody Jr. today sentenced Samuel Priester to four years in federal prison for tax fraud. As part of his sentence, the Court also ordered him to forfeit the proceeds from the offense and to pay restitution to the Internal Revenue Service in the amount of $152,418.

 

Priester pleaded guilty on June 13, 2017.

 

According to court documents, in March 2012, Priester was in possession of numerous unauthorized prepaid cards, in other peoples’ names, that had been loaded with tax refunds from unauthorized and fraudulently filed federal tax returns. Some of the cards were still attached to mailers from the card issuers. Preister also possessed a hand-written ledger containing personally identifying information (PII) with notations such as “used,” “good,” or “rejected,” along with instructions as to how much money could be withdrawn from ATMs daily, using various types of prepaid debit cards. One of the cards and PII found matched a card that had been used to purchase new merchandise found in Priester’s room. 

 

In total, there were 34 false 2011 income tax returns filed with the IRS from the PII and prepaid cards in Priester’s possession, claiming a total of $230,045. Of these, $205,785 had been accurately noted in the hand written ledger. A total of $152,418 in fraudulent tax refunds were issued.

 

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation and the Bradenton Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelley Howard-Allen.

 

Orlando, Florida – Acting United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow announces that a federal jury has found William B. Pringle, III (55, Orlando) guilty of tax evasion. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison and a maximum fine of $100,000. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for January 22, 2018.

 

Pringle was indicted on June 14, 2017.

 

According to evidence presented at trial, Pringle owed more than $2.1 million in federal income taxes, interest, and penalties for the years 1996 and 1998-2010.  Over a period of at least nine years, Pringle avoided paying his income taxes by hiding his substantial income and luxury assets from the Internal Revenue Service and engaging in tactics to stop the IRS from locating and seizing his assets to pay the taxes that he owed. 

 

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Karen L. Gable.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday today sentenced Victor Bermudez-Ruiz (38), a Mexican national, to the statutory maximum penalty of two years in federal prison for illegally reentering the United States after deportation. He pleaded guilty on June 22, 2017. 

 

According to court documents, since 2008, Bermudez-Ruiz illegally entered the United States at least seven times, after being deported. He has been convicted twice for illegal entry in other districts.

 

This case was investigated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Border Patrol. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kristen A. Fiore.

Tampa, Florida– Senior U.S. District Judge Susan C. Bucklew today sentenced Anthony Sanchez (25, Bradenton) to 11 years in federal prison for possessing carfentanil, a Schedule II controlled substance, with the intent to distribute it, and for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime. He pleaded guilty on August 4, 2017.

 

According to court documents, Sanchez sold a stolen Sig-Sauer .9mm caliber pistol and ammunition to an undercover agent at the Desoto Square Mall, in Bradenton. He also sold the agent 10.85 grams of carfentanil, while possessing a loaded .22 caliber revolver.

 

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Murray.

 

This is another case prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN) — a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Middle District of Florida, Acting U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.

The president and owner of a Florida pharmacy that was at the center of a massive compounding pharmacy fraud scheme, which impacted private insurance companies, Medicare and TRICARE, pleaded guilty today for his role in the scheme.  Seven other individuals have previously pleaded guilty in connection to the scheme.  Various real properties, cars and a 50-foot boat will be forfeited as part of the guilty pleas. 

 

Acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Blanco of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow of the Middle District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Eric W. Sporre of the FBI’s Tampa Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Robert F. Lasky of the FBI’s Miami Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Shimon Richmond of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General’s (HHS-OIG) Miami Regional Office and Resident Agent in Charge Brooke Harris of the U.S. Defense Criminal Investigative Service’s (DCIS) Tampa Regional Office made the announcement.

 

Nicholas A. Borgesano Jr., 45, of New Port Richey, Florida, the president and owner of A to Z Pharmacy of New Port Richey, pleaded guilty in the Middle District of Florida to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and one count of conspiracy to engage in monetary transactions involving criminally derived property.  His sentencing will be scheduled before U.S. District Judge James S. Moody Jr of the Middle District of Florida.  

 

According to admissions made as part of his plea agreement, Borgesano owned and operated numerous pharmacies and shell companies that he and his co-conspirators used to execute a fraud scheme involving prescription compounded medications.  The scheme generated over $100 million in fraud proceeds, he admitted.  Borgesano acquired and controlled A to Z Pharmacy in New Port Richey, Havana Pharmacy, Medplus/New Life Pharmacy and Metropolitan Pharmacy, all of Miami; and Jaimy Pharmacy and Prestige Pharmacy, both of Hialeah, Florida.  He admitted using these pharmacies to cause the submission of false and fraudulent reimbursement claims for prescription compounded medications, chiefly pain creams and scar creams, to private insurance companies, Medicare and TRICARE.  Borgesano admitted that he and his co-conspirators manipulated billing codes in the reimbursement claims and submitted reimbursement claims for pharmaceutical ingredients they did not have.  Borgesano and his co-conspirators also paid kickbacks and bribes in exchange for prescriptions and patient identifying information used to further the scheme, including to a physician in exchange for the physician signing prescriptions for patients he never saw.  Borgesano admitted using A to Z Pharmacy as the hub of his operation on behalf of all his pharmacies.  He disbursed proceeds of the fraud scheme through a variety of methods, including by check and wire transfer to co-conspirators’ shell companies and through the purchase of assets, he admitted. 

 

In addition to Borgesano, the following defendants have previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud for their roles in the scheme:

 

• Bradley Sirkin, 55, of Boca Raton, Florida;
• Scott P. Piccininni, 49, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida;
• Edwin Patrick Young, 49, of New Port Richey, Florida;
• Wayne M. Kreisberg, 40, of Parkland, Florida;
• Matthew N. Sterner, 48, of New Port Richey, Florida;
• Peter B. Williams, 57, of New Port Richey, Florida; and
• Joseph Degregorio, 71, of New Port Richey, Florida

 

The cars that will be forfeited include a 1936 Ford Deluxe, a 1964 Chevrolet Corvette convertible, a 1967 Chevrolet Camaro, a 1970 Chevrolet Monte Carlo and a 2008 Lamborghini convertible.  The boat that will be forfeited is a 2009 50’7” Cigarette racing boat.   The cars and boat had previously been seized.  The combined equity in the real properties, cars and boat that will be forfeited is over $7.6 million.  The real properties, cars and boat had been purchased with proceeds from the fraud scheme. 

 

This case was investigated by the FBI with support from HHS-OIG and DCIS and was brought as part of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, under the supervision of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida.  The case is being prosecuted by Senior Trial Attorney Christopher J. Hunter and Trial Attorney Timothy P. Loper of the Fraud Section.

 

The Fraud Section leads the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, which is part of a joint initiative between the Department of Justice and HHS to focus their efforts to prevent and deter fraud and enforce current anti-fraud laws around the country.  The Medicare Fraud Strike Force operates in nine locations nationwide.  Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force has charged over 3,500 defendants who collectively have falsely billed the Medicare program for over $12.5 billion.

Tampa, FL – The president and owner of a Florida pharmacy that was at the center of a massive compounding pharmacy fraud scheme, which impacted private insurance companies, Medicare and TRICARE, pleaded guilty today for his role in the scheme.  Seven other individuals have previously pleaded guilty in connection to the scheme.  Various real properties, cars and a 50-foot boat will be forfeited as part of the guilty pleas. 

 

Acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Blanco of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow of the Middle District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Eric W. Sporre of the FBI’s Tampa Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Robert F. Lasky of the FBI’s Miami Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Shimon Richmond of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General’s (HHS-OIG) Miami Regional Office and Resident Agent in Charge Brooke Harris of the U.S. Defense Criminal Investigative Service’s (DCIS) Tampa Regional Office made the announcement.

 

Nicholas A. Borgesano Jr., 45, of New Port Richey, Florida, the president and owner of A to Z Pharmacy of New Port Richey, pleaded guilty in the Middle District of Florida to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and one count of conspiracy to engage in monetary transactions involving criminally derived property.  His sentencing will be scheduled before U.S. District Judge James S. Moody Jr of the Middle District of Florida.  

 

According to admissions made as part of his plea agreement, Borgesano owned and operated numerous pharmacies and shell companies that he and his co-conspirators used to execute a fraud scheme involving prescription compounded medications.  The scheme generated over $100 million in fraud proceeds, he admitted.  Borgesano acquired and controlled A to Z Pharmacy in New Port Richey, Havana Pharmacy, Medplus/New Life Pharmacy and Metropolitan Pharmacy, all of Miami; and Jaimy Pharmacy and Prestige Pharmacy, both of Hialeah, Florida.  He admitted using these pharmacies to cause the submission of false and fraudulent reimbursement claims for prescription compounded medications, chiefly pain creams and scar creams, to private insurance companies, Medicare and TRICARE.  Borgesano admitted that he and his co-conspirators manipulated billing codes in the reimbursement claims and submitted reimbursement claims for pharmaceutical ingredients they did not have.  Borgesano and his co-conspirators also paid kickbacks and bribes in exchange for prescriptions and patient identifying information used to further the scheme, including to a physician in exchange for the physician signing prescriptions for patients he never saw.  Borgesano admitted using A to Z Pharmacy as the hub of his operation on behalf of all his pharmacies.  He disbursed proceeds of the fraud scheme through a variety of methods, including by check and wire transfer to co-conspirators’ shell companies and through the purchase of assets, he admitted. 

 

In addition to Borgesano, the following defendants have previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud for their roles in the scheme:

 

• Bradley Sirkin, 55, of Boca Raton, Florida;
• Scott P. Piccininni, 49, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida;
• Edwin Patrick Young, 49, of New Port Richey, Florida;
• Wayne M. Kreisberg, 40, of Parkland, Florida;
• Matthew N. Sterner, 48, of New Port Richey, Florida;
• Peter B. Williams, 57, of New Port Richey, Florida; and
• Joseph Degregorio, 71, of New Port Richey, Florida

 

The cars that will be forfeited include a 1936 Ford Deluxe, a 1964 Chevrolet Corvette convertible, a 1967 Chevrolet Camaro, a 1970 Chevrolet Monte Carlo and a 2008 Lamborghini convertible.  The boat that will be forfeited is a 2009 50’7” Cigarette racing boat.   The cars and boat had previously been seized.  The combined equity in the real properties, cars and boat that will be forfeited is over $7.6 million.  The real properties, cars and boat had been purchased with proceeds from the fraud scheme. 

 

This case was investigated by the FBI with support from HHS-OIG and DCIS and was brought as part of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, under the supervision of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida.  The case is being prosecuted by Senior Trial Attorney Christopher J. Hunter and Trial Attorney Timothy P. Loper of the Fraud Section.

 

The Fraud Section leads the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, which is part of a joint initiative between the Department of Justice and HHS to focus their efforts to prevent and deter fraud and enforce current anti-fraud laws around the country.  The Medicare Fraud Strike Force operates in nine locations nationwide.  Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force has charged over 3,500 defendants who collectively have falsely billed the Medicare program for over $12.5 billion.

Jacksonville, Florida – Acting United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow announces that Charles Cory Thornton (37, Yulee) has pleaded guilty to using hidden cameras in his bathroom to produce pornographic images and videos of an unsuspecting child. He faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 15 years, up to 30 years, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

 

According to court documents, on July 20, 2017, FBI agents executed a search warrant at Thornton’s residence based on suspected online child exploitation activity. When interviewed, Thornton admitted that he had been searching for child pornography online for several years, and that he was sexually attracted to children. The agents seized several cameras and other computer media from the home. Forensic analyses revealed that, from January 2007 through August 2010, Thornton produced at least 88 videos of four different children changing clothes in the bathroom of his home in Florida and the bathroom of a cabin in Virginia. Thornton surreptitiously recorded these videos using tiny cameras hidden in different spots in the bathrooms. Many of the videos captured explicit close-up footage of the children.  

        

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

 

It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by 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 – Acting United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow announces that Paul Fabrizio Solis (40, Bradenton) has pleaded guilty to producing and possessing child pornography. He faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 15 years, up to 30 years, in federal prison for the production charge, and up to 10 years’ imprisonment for the possession charge.

 

According to court documents, Solis took explicit photographs of a young child who was in his care. He kept the images on a thumb drive hidden in a locked safe in his home. He also had more than 4,000 videos and images of child pornography stored on his laptop computer. 

 

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation - Tampa Division, with support from the Bradenton Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kristen A. Fiore.

 

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

Tampa, Florida – Chief U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday yesterday sentenced Gary Paul Moorman (35, Cincinnati, Ohio) to 20 years in federal prison, the statutory maximum penalty, for inducement to travel to engage in criminal sexual activity. He pleaded guilty on July 21, 2017. 

 

According to court documents, Moorman systematically and violently abused multiple victims and induced them, against their wills, to travel between Florida, Ohio, and elsewhere to engage in criminal sexual activity. Specifically, he induced the victims to commit acts of prostitution for his own financial gain. In furtherance of his criminal activity, Moorman took provocative photos of the victims and posted prostitution advertisements on the Internet. After the victims were forced to provide the sex acts, Moorman demanded and took all of the proceeds for himself. 

 

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) - Tampa Division (Pinellas Resident Agency), with support from St. Petersburg Police Department and the Clearwater Police Department. Substantial assistance was provided by the FBI’s Cincinnati Field Office and the Cincinnati Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Stacie B. Harris and Kristen A. Fiore.

Fort Myers, Florida – Acting United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow announces that a federal jury has found Diosme Fernandez Hano (43) and Reinaldo Arrastia-Cardoso, a/k/a “Reinaldo Arrastia” (47), both from Hialeah, guilty of armed robbery and conspiracy to commit armed robbery. Each faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. The sentencing hearings are scheduled for January 29, 2018.

 

Hano and Arrastia-Cardoso were charged in a superseding indictment on March 16, 2016.

 

According to evidence presented at trial, on November 30, 2009, Hano and Arrastia-Cardoso committed an armed robbery of a Brink’s armored truck outside of the Fifth Third Bank on Daniels Parkway and Treeline Avenue in Fort Myers. Almost $1.8 million was stolen during the robbery. 

 

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the Tampa Police Department, and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.  It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jeffrey F. Michelland and Simon R. Eth.

Jacksonville, Florida –U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan yesterday sentenced Michael Holmes (53, Jacksonville) to 17 years and 6 months in federal prison for illegal possession of multiple firearms by a convicted felon, and possession with intent to distribute cocaine and cocaine base (“crack cocaine”). He was found guilty in a bench trial before Judge Corrigan on November 12, 2015.

 

According to court documents and testimony at the sentencing hearing, on December 29, 2013, Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office detectives questioned Holmes on the front porch of his home about complaints of drug sales occurring at the property.  When asked to retrieve his identification, Holmes left the detectives on his front porch and attempted to obtain a firearm from his gun safe inside the home. Unable to get the safe open, Holmes returned to the front porch. He later told the detectives that if he had been able to get the safe open, he believed that he would have been able to “take . . . out” at least two detectives before making his escape.

 

While waiting on the front porch, detectives smelled fresh burning marijuana wafting out the front door and, when Holmes returned from inside the home, he admitted to smoking marijuana. The detectives obtained a search warrant for the home and later found the gun safe, 12 firearms, over 1,100 rounds of ammunition, high-capacity magazines, a bulletproof vest, approximately $3,600 in cash, three digital scales, more than 49 grams of marijuana, 20 grams of cocaine base, and 29 grams of powder cocaine. When asked how he came to possess the cache of firearms, Holmes explained, “I sell dope. People come. I buy.” 

 

Holmes has multiple, prior felony convictions, including drug sale convictions. As such, 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 is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Cherie Krigsman and Michael J. Coolican.

 

This is another case prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN) — a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Middle District of Florida, Acting U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.

 

Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Susan C. Bucklew today sentenced Demeko Wells (22, Tampa) to four years and nine months in federal prison for conspiracy to commit credit card fraud and aggravated identity theft. He pleaded guilty on July 19, 2017.

 

According to court documents and statements made in court, from at least January 2015 through November 2016, Wells and others affiliated with the “Manche Boy Mafia” or “MBM” organization conspired to commit credit card fraud and identity theft in the Tampa Bay area. Investigators learned that these individuals had purchased stolen credit and debit card account numbers online from various websites, some of which used bitcoins as their currency. The conspirators purchased or stole reloadable gift cards and used a machine to emboss the stolen account numbers and their own names onto the front of these altered gift cards, thereby generating counterfeit credit cards. The conspirators then used these counterfeit cards at various retailers around the Tampa Bay area to purchase gift cards and electronics, which they either kept or sold for cash. 

 

Investigators determined that these individuals had engaged in hundreds of successful transactions with counterfeit credit cards, and had possessed and used thousands of stolen account numbers from individuals across the United States. In total, Wells was held responsible for more than $350,000 in intended or attempted purchases with counterfeit credit cards and stolen account information.

 

Wells’s co-defendant, Maurice Lewis, pleaded guilty to conspiracy and aggravated identity theft and was sentenced on October 17, 2017, to 61 months in prison. 

 

In a related case, fellow MBM members, Brandon Lewis and Terrance Cobb, were each sentenced to 5 years and 1 month in federal prison; Dontae Williams was sentenced to 5 years and 10 months in federal prison; and Davon Smith was sentenced to 5 years and 5 months in federal prison - all for engaging in a conspiracy to commit credit card fraud, credit card fraud, and identity theft.

 

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Tampa Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mandy Riedel.

Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Joseph Rodriguez Fraguada (25, Jacksonville) to 11 years and 8 months in federal prison for receiving child pornography. He pleaded guilty on August 25, 2017.

 

According to court documents, the investigation began when various members of the North Florida Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) task force separately identified a host computer sharing child pornography from Clay County. Further, detectives in Snohomish County, Washington identified the user of the same host computer actively engaging in online chat communications with a 10-year-old child, during which the user requested the girl to take and send visual images of herself engaging in sexually explicit conduct to him. Law enforcement identified the computer user to be Fraguada.

 

Agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, working in conjunction with the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, executed a search warrant at Fraguada’s residence on April 27, 2017. They located a laptop computer under Fraguada’s bed that was actively running the file-sharing program through which he had been sharing child pornography. Fraguada also had a thumb drive containing a collection of child pornography.

 

“HSI special agents, with our Clay County Sheriff's Office law enforcement partners, have stopped this predator,” said HSI Tampa Special Agent in Charge James C. Spero. “Protecting the most vulnerable in our society will remain a priority for HSI.”

 

This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, and the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelly S. Karase.

 

It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by 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, FL – Acting United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow announces that David Owen (39) and Andrew Corrigan (24), both of New Port Richey, have pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit money laundering and extortion. Owen also pleaded guilty to a separate telemarketing mail fraud and money laundering scheme, that involved sweepstakes fraud targeting elderly victims. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison for each of the 12 counts of conspiracy, extortion, and mail fraud. He also faces up to 10 years’ imprisonment on each of the 4 money laundering counts. Corrigan faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison for each of the money laundering and conspiracy counts.

 

At sentencing, the United States will seek a money judgment of at least $870,652.66, the proceeds of the money laundering and extortion conspiracies, and $315,000 in connection with the sweepstakes fraud. Owen has agreed to the administrative forfeiture of approximately $94,000, which was seized from him and were proceeds of the frauds.

 

According to court documents, Owen and Corrigan recruited individuals to open bank accounts (straw account owners) for the purpose of depositing money extorted from victims of tax impersonation calls, and to conceal their involvement in the fraud. The money was deposited by victims who were contacted by callers who falsely represented themselves as officials with the IRS, Canadian tax authorities, or as local law enforcement officers. The callers demanded payment for federal income taxes or other financial obligations and stated that if the victims failed to pay, they or their family members would face arrest, prosecution, or other legal consequences.

 

With online access provided by the straw account owners, Owen and Corrigan monitored the straw bank accounts in order to verify victims’ deposits and ensure timely withdrawals by the straw account owners. In order to make the withdrawals at the bank, Owen and Corrigan provided the straw account owners with the victims’ names, locations, and amounts of the deposits. They then directed the straw account owners to withdraw the funds in cash, and turn it over to them, often less a payment for their role in the scheme.

 

To facilitate the telemarketing fraud scheme, Owen recruited an individual to “operate” a business and open bank accounts in that business’s name for the purpose of depositing the proceeds of a sweepstakes fraud. Owen’s conspirators called elderly victims and falsely represented that they were with the Publisher’s Clearinghouse lottery, informing the victim that they had won the lottery for millions of dollars. The callers then induced the victims to provide financial information and to send large cashier’s checks to the Florida company, falsely claiming that advance taxes had to be paid in order to collect the full amount of the alleged lottery winnings. Owen, and others, then laundered the proceeds of this fraud scheme.

 

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, the Largo Police Department, the Gulfport Police Department, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and the Toronto Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kelley Howard-Allen and Rachel Jones.

Orlando, Florida – Acting United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow announces that a federal jury has found Tammie McConico, a/k/a “Tammie Brown,” (56, Orlando) guilty of aiding the preparation of false tax returns. She faces a maximum penalty of 51 years in federal prison. Her sentencing hearing is scheduled for January 8, 2018. 

 

McConico was indicted on April 12, 2017.

 

According to evidence presented at trial, between at least 2010 and 2014, McConico held herself out as a tax preparation expert who offered assistance with federal income tax returns as part of her “ministry” to the community. Her customers would bring her their W-2’s, charitable giving receipts, and other tax documents and she would prepare their tax returns for a fee of $500-$1,000 per return, which McConico would deduct from the customers’ refunds. These returns resulted in significant tax refunds for her customers, which McConico attributed to her vast experience in the tax industry, her attendance at tax seminars, and her previous employment with the Internal Revenue Service. McConico claimed that she spent extra time with each tax return, and that she knew about “hidden” tax deductions that other tax preparers did not get for their customers. In actuality, McConico had never worked in the tax industry, had little tax training, and had never worked for the IRS. She obtained refunds for her customers by putting false information on their returns, without their knowledge, including false losses, income from fake businesses, false family member exemptions, and false higher education expenses. Many of her customers discovered the false information after they were audited by the IRS, and required to pay back their refunds plus interest and penalties. As part of her scheme, McConico collected over $467,687 in tax preparation fees between 2011 and 2012.

 

This case was investigated by Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Vincent S. Chiu.

 

Tampa, Florida– Acting United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow announces that a federal jury has found Alvoid Kennon (39, Bradenton) guilty of possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. He faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 15 years, up to life, in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for January 17, 2018.

 

Kennon was indicted on December 15, 2016.

 

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, on April 13, 2016, members of the Bradenton Police Department (BPD) were scheduled to execute a search warrant at 1106 3rd Street in Bradenton. Prior to executing the warrant, a BPD detective observed Kennon arrive at the location and park his vehicle at the residence. Kennon had an outstanding warrant for his arrest and a suspended driver’s license. Kennon walked away from the vehicle and head down the street. A few minutes later, additional detectives arrived at the location and when Kennon saw them, he attempted to flee.    

     

After arresting Kennon on the outstanding warrant, detectives returned him to the home and recovered a loaded Glock .40-caliber pistol from the front passenger seat of the vehicle. Kennon has multiple prior felony convictions and is therefore prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.

 

This case was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Bradenton Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Shauna S. Hale and Charlie D. Connally.

 

This is another case prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN) — a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety-one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Middle District of Florida, Acting U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.

WASHINGTON – Attorney General Jeff Sessions recognized 202 department employees for their distinguished public service today at the 65nd Annual Attorney General’s Awards Ceremony. Nineteen other individuals outside of the department were also honored for their work. This annual ceremony recognizes individuals for their outstanding service and dedication to carrying out the missions of the Department of Justice. The department will also present one posthumous award to Deputy Commander Patrick T. Carothers for exceptional heroism in the line of duty during a fugitive apprehension in Allenhurst, Georgia on November 18, 2016, in which  Deputy Commander Carothers was mortally wounded.

           

“Every single day, the 115,000 men and women of the Department of Justice work to protect our national security against terrorist threats, defend the civil rights of all Americans, reduce violent crime in our communities, stop deadly drug dealers and their organizations, and strengthen the rule of law,” said Attorney General Sessions.  “This work benefits every American, and each Department of Justice employee plays a role that helps us accomplish our objectives. Today, we take a moment to recognize those who have distinguished themselves by exemplary service to the Department. Each one of these men and women—through their dedication and commitment—has made a difference. Meeting with them and their families today, I am more confident than ever that the Department—and the safety of the American people—are in good hands.”

 

“Today’s recognition of members of our office, DOJ’s Organized Crime and Gang Section, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is well-deserved,” said U.S. Attorney Muldrow. “As a result of their combined, tireless efforts over two years, a violent criminal gang was brought to justice. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners and the community to reduce crime throughout our district.”

This year’s program honors individuals across the department and our federal, state, local, and tribal partners for their selfless efforts, protecting our national security and our civil rights, addressing rising violent crime in our communities, and going after gangs and those trafficking in dangerous narcotics and human beings.

From the Middle District of Florida, Assistant United States Attorneys Christopher Murray, Natalie Hirt Adams, and Administrative Specialist Abbey Hicks, Special Agents Yannick J. Deslauriers and Melinda G. Sears from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, along with Trial Attorney Marty Ann Woelfle from the Organized Crime and Gang Section, were recognized for their outstanding achievements in the case of United States v. Nathaniel Harris, et al.

Between April 2014 and September 2016, this team successfully investigated and prosecuted six leaders of the most violent gang in Manatee County. For nearly a decade, the Harris defendants operated an extremely violent racketeering enterprise.  The gang’s violence culminated on August 1, 2013, when two defendants stormed a youth football practice and gunned down Coach Brenton Coleman, killing him in front of 300 children and their parents. The recipients prosecuted the six defendants in a 28-count racketeering indictment involving charges for seven murders, one attempted murder, and two armed kidnappings, among many other crimes.  Additionally, the team worked feverishly to prepare over 150 witnesses and over 1,800 exhibits for trial. Through the course of a grueling three-month trial that began on June 6, 2016, the recipients excelled in the complex task of persuasively presenting the testimony of cooperating defendants and other witnesses, coupled with physical, forensic, and electronic evidence. The team’s work resulted in the conviction of all six defendants and sentences ranging from 120 years to multiple life sentences. The Harris case was one of the most complex and successful violent crime prosecutions in the history of the Middle District of Florida. Furthermore, the professionalism, dedication, and devotion to duty of the recipients are in keeping with the highest traditions of the U.S. Department of Justice.

Orlando, Florida – Senior United States District Judge Gregory A. Presnell has sentenced Rigaud Colin (49, Apopka) to two years and three months in federal prison for wire fraud and making a false claim to the United States. He was also ordered to forfeit $189,409, which represents the proceeds Colin obtained as a result of his offenses. Colin pleaded guilty on July 25, 2017. 

 

According to court documents, Colin was the owner and operator of Rigaud Investment Group, Inc., a tax preparation business in Orange County. Using his business, he executed a scheme to defraud the IRS by preparing and filing false and fraudulent income tax returns for residents of the U.S. Virgin Islands who were not eligible to receive tax refunds from the IRS. Colin included false and fraudulent addresses and education tax credit claims in the tax returns that he had electronically filed with the IRS on behalf of the Virgin Islands residents. As a result of Colin’s scheme, the IRS sustained a loss of $1,393,097.

 

This case was investigated by Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew C. Searle.

Orlando, Florida – United States District Judge Roy B. Dalton, Jr. has sentenced Laidy Ann Rosaly-Donato (26, Orlando) to five years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute and possessing with the intent to distribute cocaine. She pleaded guilty on August 1, 2017.

 

According to court documents, between October 2016 and May 2017, Rosaly-Donato received packages of cocaine that were mailed to her home by individuals in Puerto Rico and then later picked up by other co-conspirators. In total, she received 10 packages containing approximately 2 kilograms of cocaine each. She was paid $1,000 for each package she had received. Rosaly-Donato also received, counted, and stored drug proceeds inside her residence.

 

In May 2017, agents recovered two kilograms of cocaine from a package that had been mailed from Puerto Rico and was addressed to Rosaly-Donato. An undercover agent, posing as a mail carrier, delivered the package to Rosaly-Donato at her home. During the execution of a search warrant, agents recovered the cocaine package, which Rosaly-Donato had cut open. Agents also recovered additional drug ledgers, a money-counting machine, and $255,506 in drug proceeds.  

 

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the United States Postal Inspection Service. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew C. Searle.

Orlando, Florida – Acting United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow announces that a federal jury has found Christopher Gerard Dickerson (38, Sanford) guilty of one count of conspiracy to distribute and possessing with the intent to distribute controlled substances, four counts of distribution and possession with the intent to distribute controlled substances, and one count of possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. He faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 15 years, up to life, in federal prison. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for January 10, 2018.

 

Dickerson was indicted on May 17, 2017.

 

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, Dickerson conspired with others to possess and sell street-level quantities of heroin, cocaine, fentanyl, and crack. On two occasions in September 2016, in parking lots in east Orlando, Dickerson sold grams of heroin to a confidential informant who was working for law enforcement. Thereafter, he agreed to sell firearms and drugs to an undercover agent with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. 

 

On March 17, 2017, at a hotel on International Drive in Orlando, Dickerson and a co-conspirator, David Charles Heineman, sold the undercover agent seven firearms, a bag of cocaine, ammunition, and a large-capacity drum magazine for one of the firearms. The firearms included semiautomatic pistols, a tactical rifle, shotguns, and an AK-47 style firearm. Three of the seven firearms had been reported stolen. Heineman also later sold two additional firearms, two bulletproof vests, and other drugs to the undercover agent.    

 

On April 19, 2017, agents executed a federal search warrant at Dickerson and Heineman’s apartment in Titusville. After Dickerson’s arrest, agents recovered a stash of drugs from the apartment, including crack and fentanyl. 

 

Due to his multiple prior felony convictions, including possession of cocaine, delivery of hydromorphone, possession of cocaine with the intent to sell or deliver, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, Dickerson is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.

 

On October 3, 2017, Heineman pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possessing with the intent to distribute controlled substances and possessing a firearm as an unlawful user of a controlled substance. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for December 20, 2017.

 

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Orlando Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew C. Searle.

 

This is another case prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN) — a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety-one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Middle District of Florida, Acting U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.

Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan has sentenced Raimundo Hogan (41, Jacksonville) to 15 years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. A federal jury found him guilty on December 15, 2016.

 

According to testimony presented at trial, on February 26, 2016, Hogan was a passenger in a car that was stopped for a seatbelt violation. A patrol officer with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and a civilian observer both witnessed Hogan flee from the vehicle with a Glock pistol in his hand. Hogan threw the pistol and officers later recovered the firearm at the scene. After a short pursuit, Hogan was apprehended.

 

According to court documents and Florida Department of Corrections records, Hogan has prior convictions for escape, armed robbery, aggravated assault, armed carjacking, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. As a result, 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 Attorneys Jason Mehta and Frank Talbot.

 

This is another case prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN) — a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Middle District of Florida, Acting U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Gregory A. Presnell has sentenced Luis Bernardo Gonzalez-Martinez (29, Mexico) to 15 months in federal prison for illegal reentry after deportation, subsequent to an aggravated felony conviction.        

 

Gonzalez-Martinez pleaded guilty on July 25, 2017.

 

According to court documents, Gonzalez-Martinez, a Mexican citizen, was convicted of burglary on May 26, 2009, and sentenced to three years’ imprisonment before being removed from the United States on or about June 12, 2012, and again on June 17, 2013. On April 1, 2017, immigration officers encountered Gonzalez-Martinez, a confirmed member of the Sureños (Sur 13) street gang, back in the United States illegally when he was arrested for possession of marijuana. 

 

“Our communities are safer today with this criminal gang member behind bars,” said Marc J. Moore, field office director for the Miami Field Office of ERO. “This case highlights ICE’s priorities on the arrest and removal of national security and public safety threats, as has been emphasized by our leadership.”

 

This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations and U.S. Custom and Border Protection’s Border Patrol. It was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Christina R. Downes, on assignment from the Office of Principal Legal Advisor, ICE, in the Middle District of Florida.

Orlando, Florida –United States District Court Judge Carlos E. Mendoza yesterday sentenced Anthony Carl Spence (45, Jamaica) to five years and eight months in federal prison for transporting and possessing child pornography. He was found guilty by a federal jury on July 26, 2017. Spence was indicted on March 8, 2017.

 

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, Spence arrived at the Orlando International Airport from Jamaica on February 6, 2017, with a smartphone. After a routine border search of the smartphone, law enforcement located a video that depicted an adult male sexually abusing a toddler. Later, officers located a second video depicting a young child engaged in sexually explicit conduct. During an interview with law enforcement, Spence admitted that he had shared the videos with multiple people in Jamaica, but claimed that he thought he had deleted the videos before coming to the United States. 

 

"This predator was discovered as he entered our country," said HSI Tampa Special Agent in Charge James C. Spero. "HSI special agents and our U.S. Customs and Border Protection partners will continue to use our border search authorities to keep our citizens safe."

 

This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn P. Napier.

 

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

Jacksonville, FL – Acting United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow announces today that Total Lab Care, LLC, a toxicology laboratory based in Jacksonville, Florida, has agreed to pay the government $212,500 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act. In addition, the company agreed not to participate in any federal healthcare programs in the future.

 

According to the settlement agreement, Total Lab Care, LLC sought reimbursements for urine toxicology samples that were referred from Dr. Nikhil Nihalani. The United States contends these toxicology samples were the product of improper financial remuneration and, as such, the claims were tainted under the Anti-Kickback Statute. The United States contends that Total Lab Care improperly paid a physician for the referral of toxicology samples – samples that are usually tested for drug diversion potential.

 

This settlement reflects the government’s commitment to investigating toxicology laboratories for improper and unnecessary services. Earlier last year, the United States Attorney’s Office reached a $7.4 million False Claims Act settlement with another local toxicology laboratory. Toxicology laboratory tests are one of the fastest growing healthcare expenditures. 

 

“Illegal arrangements in order to boost profits at the expense of the taxpayers will not be tolerated,” said Special Agent in Charge Shimon R. Richmond of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. “This settlement reflects the resolve of the OIG and our partners to ensure accountability in every corner of the health care industry.”

 

This matter was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, and the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. It was handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Shea Gibbons and Jason Mehta.

 

The claims resolved by this settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.