Middle District of Florida

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Kovachevich has sentenced Obenson Cerulist (27, Sarasota) to 4 years and 11 months in federal prison for theft of government property. He pleaded guilty on April 24, 2017.

 

According to court documents, in September 2013, a search warrant was executed at a home in Bradenton that Cerulist was sharing with Brandon Taylor. During the search, more than 250 items of personal identifying information (PII) belonging to others were found in the home. In February 2014, a second search warrant was executed at the home of Cerulist’s girlfriend, Loretta Gilchrist, where Cerulist occasionally stayed. PII was also found in Gilchrest’s home, along with prepaid debit cards and additional evidence linking Cerulist to the filing of fraudulent tax returns.

 

The direct loss to the Internal Revenue Service from fraudulent tax returns filed during the course of this scheme was $156,399.39. The total amount claimed as a result of fraudulent tax returns was $571,708.

 

Taylor and Gilchrist were also prosecuted for their roles in this scheme. On August 2, 2016, Taylor was sentenced to 32 months in federal prison for theft of government funds, and on February 28, 2017, Gilchrist was sentenced to 30 months for the same offense.

 

This case was investigated by Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam M. Saltzman.

Tampa, FL – United States District Judge Mary S. Scriven today sentenced Thomas Herris Sigler, III, 46, and William A. Dennis, 56, to serve 33 and 21 months incarceration, respectively. Sigler and Dennis both pleaded guilty to civil rights violations for their roles in attacking and intimidating an interracial couple in Port Richey, Florida. A third co-defendant, Pascual Carlos Pietri also pleaded guilty to the same charge and was sentenced to 37 months imprisonment on March 23, 2016. A fourth co-conspirator is now deceased.

 

According to the evidence presented in court proceedings and documents, in September 2012 an interracial couple moved in next door to Sigler and Dennis. Sigler and Dennis began regularly harassing the African-American male neighbor shortly after the couple moved in with racial slurs and derogatory statements. Then in mid-October 2012, Sigler physically attacked the African-American neighbor, while Dennis looked on and prevented another neighbor from intervening.

 

“Acts of intimidation and violence perpetrated against people because of their race, ethnicity, color, or creed are reprehensible,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Stephen Muldrow. “Individuals and families should have the right to live wherever they choose, without fear. Acts of hatred such as this simply cannot be tolerated and we will investigate and prosecute those who commit these crimes.”

 

On Halloween night, Sigler and Dennis attended a party at the home of the fourth co-conspirator. The men made a plan to intimidate the couple into moving from their residence by burning a cross in their front yard. Using wood and tools from the fourth co-conspirator, Sigler and Dennis constructed a wooden cross, and Dennis poured gasoline on the cross. Dennis and Pietri carried the cross to the victims’ front yard, leaned it against their mailbox, and Dennis instructed Pietri set the cross on fire, which he did.

 

“The victims were attacked and threatened in their own neighborhood and home because of their race,” said John M. Gore, Acting Assistant Attorney for Civil Rights. “Such violence and intimidation has no place in our society, The Justice Department is committed to protecting the rights of all citizens, and will continue to vigorously prosecute individuals who commit such atrocious acts of hate.”

 

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Josephine W. Thomas and Simon A. Gaugush of the Middle District of Florida and Trial Attorney William E. Nolan of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section.

Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard today sentenced Shaquana Quenella Brookins (32, Jacksonville) to 35 years in federal prison for sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion; conspiracy to manufacture and distribute crack cocaine; and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. The Court set scheduled separate hearing to determine restitution owed to two of her victims.

 

Brookins pleaded guilty on October 21, 2016.

 

According to court documents, from the summer of 2013 through late 2015, Brookins was trafficking illegal drugs, including crack cocaine, heroin, and flakka, in Jacksonville and routinely carried firearms for intimidation purposes. She also engaged in commercial sex trafficking.

 

In March 2014, Brookins met a woman who she began prostituting using the website Backpage.com. The victim was addicted to crack cocaine, and Brookins controlled her by exploiting her addiction. Brookins also repeatedly beat the victim in order to cause her to engage in commercial sex acts and to punish her if she stole drugs or withheld money. On several occasions, the victim attempted to escape from Brookins, but was forced by Brookins to return.

 

Brookins’s criminal enterprise included a driver, Victor Billy Parra, who would take the victim and others to commercial sex “dates” in exchange for crack cocaine. Parra was prosecuted in a separate case for selling crack cocaine to an undercover ATF agent and was sentenced to 90 months in federal prison.

 

Brookins also used crack cocaine to compensate an attorney, Tomislav Golik, who represented the sex trafficking victims in various criminal cases brought against them. Golik was prosecuted in a separate case for possessing firearms while an unlawful user of crack cocaine and sentenced to 33 months in federal prison.

 

Brookins obtained a Smith & Wesson .357 magnum revolver from Golik, which she paid for with crack cocaine. Prior to possessing the firearm, she had been convicted of four felonies, including grand theft auto, sale of cocaine, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and therefore was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.

 

“ATF’s primary focus is protecting the public by reducing violent crime,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Daryl McCrary. “The announcement of this sentencing today means that this individual will no longer be able to hurt, harm or intimidate this community. ATF continues to aggressively pursue violent offenders and will continue to protect and serve communities with our law enforcement partners.”

 

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Laura Cofer Taylor.

 

 

Jacksonville, FL – Acting United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow announces that John Christopher Walcutt (40, Jacksonville) has pleaded guilty to falsifying patient progress notes of children with autism and other behavioral health issues, in response to a federal audit. He faces a maximum term of five years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

 

According to the

plea agreement , Walcutt was the former managing member of Keystone Behavioral Pediatrics, a developmental center, where children with developmental, learning, and behavioral issues ostensibly received counseling and therapy. In late 2011, Keystone received an audit request from the government for randomly selected patient files.

 

In submitting claims for reimbursement from TRICARE, which is a health care program for military personnel, Keystone certified that some of its pediatric patients had received “one on one” counseling and therapy. Some of the patients were also represented to have received therapy for autism from licensed and credentialed providers. In reality, many of the patients had not received “one on one” counseling or therapy from licensed and credentialed providers and, in some cases, had been left unsupervised in a small “play pen” area. Only some of the children had received therapy in a group setting. In most cases, non-credentialed employees, including graduate students, were treating the children.

 

Walcutt and others participated in the altering of patient files that were sent in response to the government’s audit request. As a result of the falsified patient records, TRICARE paid Keystone approximately $600,000 for claims that otherwise would not have been reimbursable.

 

This case was investigated by the Defense Criminal Investigative Service and Naval Criminal Investigative Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jason Mehta.

Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Charlene E. Honeywell has sentenced Dameon Q. McDonald (38, Plant City) to 12 years and 10 months in federal prison for possessing with the intent to distribute crack cocaine and 5 grams or more of methamphetamine. He pleaded guilty on May 22, 2017.

 

According to court documents, on February 24, 2017, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at a Plant City home. As soon as they entered, McDonald tried to flee, carrying a blue bag in his hand. Officers stopped him as he was about to exit the backdoor. Among the items in McDonald’s bag were $4,078 in cash, more than 20 grams of 99%-pure methamphetamine, and distribution quantities of crack cocaine and marijuana. McDonald has numerous prior convictions, including several prior drug-trafficking offenses.

 

This case was investigated by the Plant City Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Gregory T. Nolan.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Kovachevich has sentenced Jarvis Lanard McCants (29, Bradenton) to 12 years and 6 months in federal prison for conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute fentanyl. He pleaded guilty on May 4, 2017.

 

According to court documents, law enforcement officers received information on McCants and his drug trafficking activities. They then executed a search warrant at McCants’s residence in Bradenton. Agents approached McCants as he sat in the driver’s seat of a vehicle near his home, identified themselves, and ordered him out of the vehicle. McCants disregarded the commands and drove away at a high rate of speed, eventually striking another vehicle. He then exited the vehicle and fled on foot, but was soon apprehended.

 

During a search of the residence, agents recovered narcotics, including 22 grams of a brown powdery substance that tested positive for fentanyl and 23 grams of white powder that tested positive for cocaine, along with drug paraphernalia, a loaded firearm, and $8,656 in cash.

 

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bradenton Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shauna S. Hale.

 

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge John Antoon, II today sentenced Jamie P. Esposito (32, Orlando) to 75 years in federal prison for producing and possessing child pornography. He pleaded guilty on March 29, 2017.

 

According to court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, Esposito sexually abused a 7-year-old child one to two times per month over an 18 to 24-month period. He chronicled the abuse by taking pictures and videos, and shared them with multiple people online. When federal law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Esposito’s home on November 29, 2016, they discovered more than 2,700 images of child pornography, including the images and videos he had produced of the child.

 

In addition, in July 2016, Esposito arranged to take the child to Tampa to be sexually abused by Richmond McDonald and Shauna Boselli. Esposito took pictures and video of the acts. McDonald and Boselli have been charged separately (case number 8:16-cr-517-T-33AEP) and have pleaded guilty to enticement of a minor. They are scheduled to be sentenced on October 4, 2017.

 

“This crime is beyond comprehension and no punishment can bring back the innocence of this child,” said HSI Tampa Special Agent in Charge James C. Spero. “But we hope that today’s sentencing can bring some solace to this young victim.”

 

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

 

Jacksonville, Florida – Acting United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow announces that Reginald Kevin Winford (26, Jacksonville) today pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

 

According to the court documents, police officers stopped Winford for a traffic offense and saw a baggie of cocaine on the floorboard of his car, prompting a search of the vehicle. During the search, officers discovered a loaded semi-automatic handgun and an extended magazine containing 29 rounds of ammunition. As a previously convicted felon on multiple offenses, Winford 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 Attorney Michael J. Coolican.

 

This is another case prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program - a nationwide, gun-violence reduction strategy. Acting United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow, along with Daryl McCrary, Special Agent in Charge, ATF, are coordinating the Project Safe Neighborhoods effort here in the Middle District of Florida in cooperation with federal, state, and local law enforcement officials. It is also a part of ATF’s Frontline Strategy on reducing violent crime in communities.

Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Elizabeth Kovachevich today sentenced Clark D. East (59, Sugarland, TX) to 30 months in federal prison for embezzlement from a bankruptcy estate. He pleaded guilty on April 3, 2017.

 

According to the plea agreement, East obtained a loan from Stearns Bank, a member bank of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Minneapolis, to develop a property located at 3700 Ulmerton Road Plaza in Clearwater. He subsequently defaulted on the loan and Stearns Bank obtained approval to sell the property at foreclosure on March 27, 2012. The day before the scheduled foreclosure sale, East filed for bankruptcy protection with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court through his company, 3700 Ulmerton Road, LLC. During the bankruptcy proceedings, East was ordered to sell the property and to remit $1.2 million in sales proceeds to Stearns Bank. Rather than repaying the bank, East embezzled approximately $800,000 of proceeds that were part of the bankruptcy estate and due to Stearns Bank.

 

This case was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Federal Housing Finance Agency – Office of Inspector General. The Office of the U.S. Trustee for the Middle District of Florida (Tampa Division) also provided substantial assistance. It was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Chris Poor and Assistant United States Attorney Jay G. Trezevant.

Tampa, FL – Acting United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow announces that LaJoyce Caldwell Houston (51, Riverview) today pleaded guilty to receiving stolen government property. She faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

 

According to the plea agreement, in 2011 and 2012, while working at the Tampa Police Department, LaJoyce Houston received goods, services, money orders, and cash that were obtained with debit cards tied to accounts that had been loaded with fraudulently obtained tax refunds. The fraudulent refunds deposited into these accounts totaled $284,490.41 and were the result of fraudulent federal income tax returns that had been filed by Rita Girven.

 

For example, in March 2011, Girven paid off LaJoyce Houston’s Target Visa credit card, with Houston’s knowledge, by making two in-store payments totaling $3,863.08. These in-store payments were made using a debit card loaded with nine fraudulently obtained tax refunds, eight issued in the name of identity theft victims, and one issued to Girven.

 

LaJoyce Houston’s co-defendant and husband, Eric Houston, pleaded guilty on March 31, 2017, to receiving stolen government property. He is scheduled to be sentenced on October 25, 2017.

 

In a related case (case no. 8:15-cr-58-T-17EAJ), Rita Girven pleaded guilty on March 16, 2015, to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. On November 20, 2015, she was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison.

 

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation and the Tampa Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Mandy Riedel and Megan Kistler.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Susan C. Bucklew today sentenced Willie L. Lee to two years in federal prison for aggravated identity theft. The Court also ordered him to pay $32,933 in restitution. He pleaded guilty on May 17, 2017.

 

According to court documents, during 2012 and 2013, Lee was employed at an Assisted Living Facility (ALF) where he conspired with another individual to defraud the United States by stealing personal identifying information (PII) from ALF patients and deceased individuals. The PII was then used to file fraudulent income tax returns that were electronically deposited into an account that Lee had opened and maintained.

 

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jay L. Hoffer.

Ocala, Florida – Acting United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow announces the arrest late Tuesday of Albert Larry Harris (27, Lake County) on a federal criminal complaint charging him with receipt of a bribe by a public official. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison.

 

According to the

criminal complaint , Harris works as a correctional officer in a penitentiary at the Coleman Federal Correctional Complex. Beginning in June 2017, he began providing inmates at the facility with contraband 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 payment and 200 Suboxone strips for delivery to a federal inmate. In the recorded transaction, Harris promised to take the drugs “straight to [the inmate].” He was arrested by federal agents after accepting the drugs and the money.

 

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.

 

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

 

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Susan C. Bucklew today sentenced Oscar Garcia Garcia (33, Tampa) to 30 months in federal prison for stealing firearms from a federal firearm licensee. He pleaded guilty on May 15, 2017.

 

According to court documents, on January 9, 2017, Garcia and his co-defendant, Jerry Nelson Reyes Torres, burglarized Rapture Guns and Knives in Lakeland and stole 58 firearms from a display case. On January 29, 2017, Garcia and Torres broke into Guns Galore in Lakeland and stole 46 firearms. On both occasions, the men arrived in a vehicle, entered the store by dismantling the lock on the front door, broke into display cases, used duffel bags to remove firearms, and then returned to their vehicle and fled the area.

 

In February 2017, law enforcement detained Garcia and another male after observing them smoking marijuana in a vehicle outside the residence of Garcia and Torres. The other individual told the officers that Garcia had given him two firearms to hold, and he consented to a search of his nearby residence. Officers recovered two of the firearms stolen from Rapture Guns and Knives from a suitcase found in that home.

 

On March 14, 2017, a superseding indictment was returned charging Jerry Nelson Reyes Torres with stealing firearms from a federal firearm licensee and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. A warrant has been issued for his arrest and he is currently at large. An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.

 

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

 

This is another case prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program - a nationwide, gun-violence reduction strategy. Acting United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow, along with Daryl McCrary, Special Agent in Charge, ATF, are coordinating the Project Safe Neighborhoods effort here in the Middle District of Florida in cooperation with federal, state, and local law enforcement officials. It is also a part of ATF’s Frontline Strategy on reducing violent crime in communities.

Tampa, Florida – Acting United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow announces that Ramon Green (35, Pinellas Park) today pleaded guilty to possessing with the intent to distribute marijuana and cocaine. He faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

 

According to the plea agreement, in February 2017, officers from the St. Petersburg Police Department responded to a 911 call reporting shots fired in a St. Petersburg neighborhood and found Green, covered in blood, standing outside a residence. Green told the officers that he had been inside the house when he heard a gunshot and then found his girlfriend outside the backdoor bleeding from a gunshot wound to her chest. He also told the officers that he had dropped his girlfriend off at the hospital and then returned to the house to lock it up.

 

Further investigation revealed a large pool of blood outside the backdoor of the home. The officers also confirmed that Green’s girlfriend was in the hospital with a gunshot wound to her chest. The officers smelled a strong odor of marijuana coming from inside the home. A search of the house revealed approximately 15 pounds of marijuana, several ounces of cocaine, drug packaging materials, and a variety of personal items and paperwork indicating that the house belonged to Green. A bullet was also found in the wall near the pool of blood, outside the backdoor. Although Green denied shooting his girlfriend, his hands tested positive for gunshot residue.

 

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the St. Petersburg Police Department, and the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Taylor G. Stout.

Tampa, Florida – Acting United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow announces that the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit has affirmed the conviction and sentence of Sami Osmakac (30, Pinellas Park) for attempted use of weapons of mass destruction and possession of a fully automatic firearm. A federal jury found him guilty in June 2014. In November 2014, U.S. District Judge Mary S. Scriven sentenced Osmakac to 40 years’ imprisonment.

 

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, on January 7, 2012, as part of a terrorist plot, Osmakac attempted to use weapons of mass destruction, including a car bomb, grenades, and a suicide explosive, at two locations in the Tampa Bay area, specifically; MacDinton’s Irish Pub and the Seminole Hard Rock Casino. Additionally, on January 7, 2012, Osmakac possessed a machinegun without the firearm being registered to him on the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record.

 

On appeal, Osmakac argued that his surveillance under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) had violated the law, that a misstatement by the government during closing arguments had made his trial unfair, and that the district court should have imposed a lower sentence based on the government’s purported sentencing-factor manipulation.

 

The United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit rejected each of these arguments. The evidence at trial, the Court observed, had established that, as early as December 2010, Osmakac had “demonstrated a commitment to Islamic extremism.” As to the FISA argument, the Court held that the surveillance of Osmakac pursuant to FISA had been proper and constitutional. The Court also held that the government’s misstatement in closing argument had been corrected by the district court and had been counteracted by the “substantial evidence of Osmakac’s guilt.” Finally, the Court held that the district court had correctly rejected Osmakac’s sentencing-factor manipulation argument because Osmakac, not the government, had “initiated and greatly escalated the planned terrorist attack by asking” to use weapons of mass destruction as part of his violent plot. The Court further noted that, even though Osmakac had “multiple chances” to decline to use a car bomb, “he never did, even after multiple warnings.”

 

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted in the district court by Assistant United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney and Trial Attorney Clement McGovern from the National Security Division at the Department of Justice. The appeal was handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Cherie L. Krigsman, David P. Rhodes, and Sara C. Sweeney.

Jacksonville, FL – Acting United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow announces that Dino Ajloni (40, St. Augustine) has pleaded guilty to healthcare fraud in connection with his role in a fraudulent compound pharmacy scheme. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison.

 

According to the plea agreement, Ajloni was the operator of Wellness Pharmacy in St Augustine. He performed various jobs, including marketing prescriptions, recruiting physicians to write and fill prescriptions at Wellness Pharmacy, and other jobs.

 

Ajloni also relied on marketers to help recruit patients to get prescriptions filled at his pharmacy. One of these marketers brought his family in to become “patients” of Wellness Pharmacy. The pharmacy filled numerous prescriptions for the marketer’s family and received nearly $200,000 in government reimbursement. Ajloni admitted paying the marketer almost $50,000 for the referral of work, in violation of the Anti-Kickback statute.

 

Ajloni also recruited patients himself. For example, he offered patients access to “anything in the store” if they agreed to receive compound prescription drugs. At other times, he offered gift baskets, with chocolate, deodorant, nuts, and other accessories, to patients that accepted compounded prescriptions.

 

In 2016, TRICARE developed suspicions regarding the legitimacy of these compound prescriptions. Because the vast majority of Wellness Pharmacy’s claims were purportedly written by a doctor who had never separately billed for these patient visits, TRICARE asked Wellness Pharmacy to complete an audit. During the course of the audit, Ajloni and others made a variety of false and misleading statements. Among other things, Ajloni noted that all patients paid co-pays, no patient was offered anything of value to receive prescriptions, and that Wellness Pharmacy called the doctor prior to dispensing the prescriptions.

 

Ajloni received $1,916,206.97 in healthcare reimbursement that he was not otherwise entitled to receive.

 

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jason Mehta.

Tampa, Florida – Acting United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow announces that a federal jury has found Ingrid McBride Rich (New Port Richey, 52) guilty of presenting a false claim to an agency of the United States and obstructing and impeding the Internal Revenue Service in the collection of taxes. She faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison for the false claim charge and up three years in federal prison for the obstruction charge. Her sentencing hearing has been set for November 14, 2017.

 

Rich was indicted on December 13, 2013.

 

According to evidence presented at trial, in March 2009, Rich submitted a fraudulent tax return to the IRS for tax year 2008 that resulted in her obtaining a refund in the amount of $510,222. After obtaining the refund check, she deposited it into a new bank account, and then immediately began transferring the money into various accounts (in her name and in the name of entities she owned) using cashier’s checks and cash transfers to thwart the efforts of the IRS in recouping the funds. She also sent the IRS frivolous correspondence, including bogus money orders and tax documents, with the intent that such correspondence impede the IRS’s collection efforts. Due to Rich’s obstruction, the IRS was only able to recoup a nominal amount of the fraudulently obtained funds.

 

This case was investigated by Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Rachel Jones and Adam Saltzman.

Tampa, Florida – Acting United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow announces the return of indictments charging Anner Javier Maldonado-Reyes (39, Largo) and Maria Guadalupe Maldonado (38, Largo) with illegal reentry into the United States. If convicted, each faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison.

 

According to the indictments, Anner Maldonado-Reyes, who has operated under several aliases over the years, including “Jose Martinez-Reyes,” “Juan Martinez,” and “Pedro Vargas-Monteramos,” has previously been removed from the United States on at least two occasions: in February 1999 and in February 2008. His February 1999 removal came after a conviction in Los Angeles County, California for possession of cocaine base for sale.

 

Maria Guadalupe Maldonado, who also has had several aliases over the years, including “Stephanie Sanchez,” was removed from the United States in October 1996 following a conviction in Los Angeles County, California for transportation/sale of a controlled substance.

 

These individuals do not have legal status in the United States and have not received permission from the Attorney General or the Secretary of Homeland Security to reapply for admission. Government records indicate that Anner and Maria Maldonado are the founders of, and employed as ministers in, the church Ministerio Internacional Jesucristo Es Mi Refugio located at 1550 Belcher Road South in Largo.

 

An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.

 

This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations, with assistance from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Murray.

Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard today sentenced George Pena (42, Edinburg, TX) to 10 years in federal prison for possessing with the intent to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine. He pleaded guilty on May 24, 2017.

 

According to court documents, in October 2016, following a month-long investigation, special agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration executed a search warrant at a home where Pena was located and recovered 12.5 kilograms of cocaine, over $17,000, and a loaded firearm.

 

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

Tampa, Florida – Acting United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow announces that Michael O. Johnson (28, Tampa) has pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. He faces up to life in federal prison.

 

According to the plea agreement, Johnson sold six firearms to undercover agents over several months, including a Russian model SKS, 7.62x39-caliber rifle. He sold the guns even after being told that they would be trafficked and resold illegally in other markets in the United States, including New York.

 

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 - a nationwide, gun-violence reduction strategy. Acting United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow, along with Daryl McCrary, Special Agent in Charge, ATF, are coordinating the Project Safe Neighborhoods effort here in the Middle District of Florida in cooperation with federal, state, and local law enforcement officials. It is also a part of ATF’s Frontline Strategy on reducing violent crime in communities.

Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell today sentenced Jorge Guerrero-Torres (29, Orlando) to 40 years in federal prison for production and possession of child pornography. The Court also ordered him to forfeit the cellphone that he had used to commit the offense. A federal jury found Guerrero-Torres guilty on May 16, 2017.

 

According to testimony and evidence presented during trial, Guerrero-Torres resided with a family in Fort Myers, including four children who Guerrero-Torres had known for several years. While living with the family, Guerrero-Torres used his cellphone to take sexually explicit photos of one of the children.

 

After moving out of the family’s residence in May 2016, Guerrero-Torres was questioned regarding a complaint of alleged inappropriate conduct related to one of the children. After learning that detectives from the Lee County Sheriff’s Office wished to further question him, Guerrero-Torres fled and discarded his cellphone. He was apprehended in Okeechobee while attempting to make arrangements to flee to Mexico. Guerrero-Torres’s cellphone was located in Orlando and a subsequent search revealed the sexually explicit images of the child. Guerrero-Torres acknowledged that he had taken the images while living with the child’s family.

 

This case was investigated by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Marshals, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Okeechobee Police Department, and the Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Chief Assistant United States Attorney Jesus M. Casas and Assistant United States Attorney Charles Schmitz.

 

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

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge James D. Whittemore has sentenced Rorn Sorn (34, St. Petersburg) to six years and five months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. He pleaded guilty on April 24, 2017.

 

According to court documents, on December 17, 2016, Sorn and another individual entered Club Lust in St. Petersburg and went into the restroom. A few moments later, a security guard heard a gunshot go off in the restroom and observed Sorn and another male as they were exiting the restroom. The security guard asked the men if they had fired a gun. Sorn replied, “It was an accident, man. I was just trying to take a selfie.” Nightclub employees observed a bullet hole in the bathroom mirror that went through the wall into the ladies’ room.

 

Officers from the St. Petersburg Police Department arrested Sorn a short time later. A .40 caliber firearm, a gun magazine, marijuana, and Xanax pills were recovered from his pockets. Sorn, a member of the Asian Pride Gang, has prior convictions for burglary of a dwelling and attempted first-degree murder and is therefore prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.

 

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shauna S. Hale.

 

This is another case prosecuted as a part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program - a nationwide, gun-violence reduction strategy. Acting United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow, along with Daryl R. McCrary, Special Agent in Charge, ATF, is coordinating the Project Safe Neighborhoods effort here in the Middle District of Florida in cooperation with federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.

 

Jacksonville, Florida – Acting United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow announces that a grand jury has returned an indictment charging Ryan Elton Devore (30, Satsuma) with one count of transporting and two counts of possessing child pornography. He faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 5 years, up to 60 years, in federal prison.

 

According to the criminal complaint and information presented in court, on July 18, 2017, federal agents and local officers executed a search warrant at Devore’s residence in connection with a child exploitation investigation involving online users of a file sharing program. Agents recovered a custom-built computer tower and a cellphone that belonged to Devore. A preview of the devices revealed that they contained numerous depictions of child pornography. Shortly after, agents located videos of minor children engaged in sexually explicit conduct that had been arranged and maintained in several folders on the computer, at which time Devore was arrested.

 

This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security and the Putnam 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.justice.gov/psc.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Charlene E. Honeywell today sentenced Michael Pirolo (48, Palm Harbor) to four years and two months in federal prison for wire fraud. As part of his sentence, the Court also entered a money judgment in the amount of $594,000, the proceeds of the criminal conduct. Pirolo pleaded guilty on April 10, 2017.

 

According to court documents, Pirolo served as the president of Government Contract Registry, Inc. (“GCR”), doing business as FEMA Contract Registration. He employed telemarketers who, during communications with victim-companies, falsely claimed that, for a fee, GCR would “register” the companies with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to enable them to receive preference in obtaining contracts from FEMA. The GCR telemarketers’ communications were based on instructions and scripts that they had received from Pirolo. In particular, the telemarketers falsely and fraudulently stated that for a one-time fee of $500, the customer would be registered with FEMA, and that this registration would place the customer on a list of preferred vendors. When the need for a vendor arose, the GCR telemarketer falsely stated that FEMA would bypass the contract acquisition process, contact the registered victim-company, and then offer a no-bid contract. At times, Pirolo also instructed GCR telemarketers to go back to victim-companies that had already paid the $500 one-time fee and seek renewal and payment of another fraudulent $500 fee.

 

To further the scheme, the GCR telemarketers provided victim-companies with an online GCR form that requested the same information as a form on FEMA’s website. FEMA does not charge a fee to companies to complete its form, which assists the agency with market research and does not “register” companies. Completing this form is not part of the United States government’s contract acquisition process. Once GCR telemarketers received the victim-companies’ information, GCR completed and submitted the online FEMA form that then enabled emails to then be sent from FEMA to the victim-companies, giving the appearance that the companies had been “registered.” The FEMA emails gave GCR the appearance of legitimacy.

 

Approximately 1,200 victim-companies were misled by this scheme, paying GCR at least $604,500.

 

This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General and the General Services Administration, Office of Inspector General. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam M. Saltzman.

Orlando, Florida – Acting United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow announces that Robert F. Stout (51) and Kasey N. Riley, a/k/a Kasey Stout (33), both of Windermere, have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and copyright infringement relating to the sale of illegal activation keys for Microsoft products. If convicted on all counts, each faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. The defendants have also been notified that the United States is seeking a money judgment in the amount of $1,480,227, the proceeds of the charged criminal conduct.

 

According to court documents, Stout and Riley advertised Microsoft software products for sale online, using a variety of sham business names. They purchased unauthorized activation keys from various websites and provided them, in exchange for PayPal payments, to at least 13,000 customers throughout the United States. They received at least $1.4 million from customers in exchange for providing them with the unauthorized, and often invalid, activation keys. Even after receiving customer complaints that specific activation keys were not functioning properly, Stout and Riley continued to sell them. For example, between September 2013 and June 2014, Stout and Riley sold one specific activation key approximately 880 times.

 

The Better Business Bureau received at least 140 complaints from customers who purchased the unauthorized software from the sham businesses. Over the course of two years, Stout and Riley also received – and ignored at least four warnings to stop from Microsoft.

 

This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. 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, and Assistant United States Attorney Wayne A. Myers from the Northern District of New York.

 

Jacksonville, Florida – Acting United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow announces today the return of an indictment charging Charles Cory Thornton (36, Yulee) with production and attempted production of child pornography; receipt, transportation, and attempted transportation of child pornography; and possession of child pornography. He faces potential cumulative penalties of not less than 45 years, up to 140 years, in federal prison, and a potential life term of supervision. Thornton was arrested on July 28, 2017, and has been detained pending trial.

 

According to the criminal complaint and information provided in court, on July 20, 2017, FBI agents and local officers executed a search warrant at Thornton’s residence based on suspected online child exploitation activity. Thornton was not at home, but he was located and interviewed later that day at Naval Air Station Jacksonville where he worked as a machinist. During an interview, Thornton admitted that he had been searching for child pornography for several years using a file sharing program, that he knew that other users were able to download images and videos from his computer, and that he was a “pedophile” and was sexually attracted to children. In subsequent interviews, Thornton admitted that he had used a small camera hidden in a digital clock in a bathroom to surreptitiously film videos of children during 2008 and 2009. Agents recovered this camera from Thornton’s home. A search of his electronic media revealed numerous images of at least two children in various stages of undress in a bathroom taken from several different vantage points, as well as images of Thornton setting up the hidden camera.

 

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office, and the Columbia 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.justice.gov/psc.

Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell has sentenced Brian Author Thomas (27, Port Charlotte) to 30 years in federal prison for production of child pornography. The Court also ordered him to forfeit his laptop computer and cellphone, which were used to commit the offense.

 

Thomas was found guilty on February 23, 2017.

 

According to court documents, FBI agents were able to download approximately 14 images and 2 videos depicting child pornography from Thomas’s computer between January 18, 2016, and March 2, 2016, using a peer-to-peer file sharing program. Agents executed a search warrant at Thomas’s residence on March 30, 2016, and seized his laptop computer and cellphone.

 

During an interview with agents, Thomas admitted that he had been downloading images and videos of child pornography for a few years. Thomas stated that he lived in the residence with a minor and her parents and that he had taken numerous videos of the minor while she was sleeping in her bed at night. He also admitted that he had started video recording the minor when she was nine years old.

 

A subsequent forensic analysis of Thomas’s laptop computer and cellphone revealed that from at least July 18, 2012, through March 30, 2016, he had collected in excess of 6,000 images and 35 videos depicting prepubescent minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Thomas’s cellphone contained approximately 11 videos that he had produced between May 1, 2014, through June 12, 2014, depicting the identified minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct.

 

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Yolande G. Viacava.

 

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

 

Ocala, Florida – Acting United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow announces that Susan Marie Kort (61, Ocala) today pleaded guilty to an indictment charging her with theft of government funds. She faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison and will be required to pay $35,577.60 in restitution to the Social Security Administration (SSA). A sentencing date has not yet been set.

 

According to court documents, Kort’s elderly father passed away at his Lake County residence in approximately November 2011. After discovering the body, she buried her father in the backyard of her Eustis home. Kort never reported the death to authorities. Over the next two years, she used forged checks and a power of attorney for her father’s financial affairs to withdraw and spend the SSA benefit payments that were being direct-deposited into his bank account. The SSA eventually suspended these benefit payments in December 2013, when they were unable to contact Kort’s father.

 

Inquiries into the father’s well-being by other relatives prompted a law enforcement investigation in late 2016. When confronted by investigators, Kort admitted to hiding her father’s body and to defrauding the SSA by unlawfully taking his benefit payments. Kort eventually led investigators to her father’s grave at her residence. Subsequent DNA testing confirmed the identity of the remains as Kort’s father.

 

This case was investigated by the Social Security Administration—Office of the Inspector General and the Lake County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Bodnar, Jr.

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Paul G. Byron today sentenced David R. Rivenbark (39, Las Vegas, Nevada) to 20 years in federal prison and 10 years of supervised release for transportation and possession of child pornography. He was found guilty by a federal jury on April 13, 2017.

 

According to the trial evidence, Canadian law enforcement authorities initiated an international investigation into individuals using chatrooms within a social media website to trade child pornography. In August 2014, Rivenbark, then a resident of Oviedo, Florida, posted a link within the social media website directing its users to a Dropbox location that contained 111 videos of child pornography. A Canadian agent preserved the evidence and referred the investigation to U.S.Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Orlando. In November 2014, HSI agents contacted Rivenbark at his residence. Rivenbark admitted that he had posted the link to a child pornography website and that he had searched for and viewed child pornography on his computer.

 

A forensic examination of Riverbark’s computer subsequently revealed 462 images and 2 videos containing child pornography in the deleted space. Additional forensic evidence showed that Rivenbark had actively searched for and viewed child pornography, which he later deleted using cleaning software.

 

“While this sentence cannot restore the lost innocence of the children depicted in these images, it should serve as a warning to those who engage in this behavior — HSI and our law enforcement partners, like the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, will be relentless in our pursuit of online predators," said HSI Tampa Special Agent in Charge James C. Spero.

 

This case was investigated by the York Regional Police Service (Ontario, Canada) - Special Victims Unit, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ilianys Rivera Miranda.

 

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

Jacksonville, Florida – Acting United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow announces the return of a superseding indictment charging Roderick Randolph Lester (38, Jacksonville) with robbery of a Jacksonville tire store, brandishing a firearm during the robbery, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. If convicted on all counts, he faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. The indictment also notifies Lester that the United States intends to forfeit the Taurus semiautomatic pistol he used during the robbery.

 

According to the indictment, on September 26, 2016, Lester robbed Glover’s New and Used Tires, in Jacksonville, of a Michelin-brand tire while brandishing a firearm. Lester had been previously convicted of seven felonies, including manslaughter, burglary, and two previous convictions for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Additionally, he was subject to federal supervision by the U.S. Probation Office when he committed the recent robbery and related offenses.

 

An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.

 

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Laura Cofer Taylor.

 

This is another case prosecuted as a part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program - a nationwide, gun-violence reduction strategy. Acting United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow, along with Daryl R. McCrary, Special Agent in Charge, ATF, is coordinating the Project Safe Neighborhoods effort here in the Middle District of Florida in cooperation with federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.

Tampa, Florida – Acting United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow announces that a federal jury today found Juan Escudero (36, Weslaco, Texas) guilty of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and 500 grams or more of cocaine; and distributing and possessing with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and 500 grams or more of cocaine. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for November 17, 2017.

 

Escudero was indicted on November 29, 2016.

 

According to evidence presented at trial, Escudero brokered a deal on behalf of the Gulf Cartel to mail approximately one kilogram of methamphetamine and one kilogram of cocaine from Texas to Tampa. Unbeknownst to Escudero, he sent those drugs to a confidential source (CS) of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). DEA agents intercepted the package of drugs, which Escudero believed had been delivered. Escudero then instructed the CS to pay for the drugs by depositing money into his wife’s and others’ bank accounts. Escudero also sent a money courier from Texas to pick up $30,000 from the DEA source. When the courier met the undercover detective to retrieve the money, he was arrested. Escudero subsequently sold additional methamphetamine to an undercover DEA agent over several additional months.

 

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Taylor G. Stout and Christopher Murray.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge James S. Moody, Jr. has sentenced D. Anda Norbergs to 5 years and 10 months in federal prison for receipt and delivery of misbranded drugs, smuggling goods into the United States, health care fraud, and mail fraud. As part of her sentence, the Court also entered a money judgment in the amount of $848,671.19, the proceeds of the criminal conduct. A federal jury found Norbergs guilty on November 18, 2016.

According to testimony and evidence presented during the nine-day trial, Norbergs, a licensed physician in Florida, was the head doctor, owner, and operator of East Lake Oncology (“ELO”), a cancer treatment clinic located in Palm Harbor. Beginning in at least May 2009, she ordered, and directed others at ELO to order, drugs from foreign, unlicensed distributors, including Quality Specialty Products (“QSP”). The drugs sold to ELO by QSP and other foreign, unlicensed distributors were not FDA-approved. In fact, QSP had reportedly sold counterfeit versions of a chemotherapy medication that did not have the key ingredient in the drug. Norbergs learned of this news from other sources yet continued to have QSP drugs administered to patients. When QSP shut down, Norbergs switched to buying drugs from another foreign, unlicensed distributor. Many of the drugs were shipped directly to ELO from a location outside the United States, usually from the United Kingdom. The packaging and documents shipped with the drugs showed that they were manufactured and packaged for distribution in foreign countries, such as Turkey, India, and Germany.

Unbeknownst to patients, these misbranded drugs were then administered at ELO. After administering these drugs to patients, ELO submitted claims for reimbursement to Medicare. In submitting those claims, Norbergs falsely represented that the FDA-approved versions of the drugs had been administered, when she knew that unapproved and misbranded versions had been given to patients. In so doing, Norbergs intended to generate profits from the difference between the Medicare reimbursement rates for the FDA-approved drugs and the discounted prices of the misbranded versions of those drugs purchased from foreign distributors.

 

This case was investigated by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Adam M. Saltzman and Jay Trezevant.

Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard today sentenced Darrell Bryant (48, Jacksonville) and Roshawn Anderson (34, Atlanta) each to six years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute heroin.

Bryant pleaded guilty on December 13, 2016. Anderson pleaded guilty on January 24, 2017.

 

According to court documents, in August 2016, Bryant and Anderson arranged to sell almost a kilogram of heroin to an individual in Jacksonville. Bryant brokered the deal locally and Anderson brought the heroin from Georgia. On August 31, 2016, while driving to deliver the heroin, Bryant and Anderson were stopped on Norwood Avenue, near I-95, by troopers from the Florida Highway Patrol who were working with the Drug Enforcement Administration. Anderson attempted to flee on foot but troopers caught up with him. He had approximately one kilogram of heroin hidden on his person.

 

 

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the Florida Highway Patrol. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Talbot.

Jacksonville, FL – Acting United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow announces that Vernon Stroman (40, St. Augustine) has pleaded guilty to violating the anti-kickback statute. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison.

 

According to the plea agreement, Stroman was a marketer and consultant for Wellness Pharmacy in St. Augustine. In this role, he was responsible for finding patients that had TRICARE insurance and could be referred to the pharmacy. Beginning on January 27, 2015, Stroman referred his parents to the pharmacy and provided them with prescriptions for several creams – including a “scar/post-op” cream and a “general pain/inflammation” cream. Neither of his parents had received a physician order attesting to the medical necessity of the cream. By submitting the prescriptions to Wellness Pharmacy, Stroman knew that the pharmacy intended to fill the prescriptions and submit claims for reimbursement.

 

Approximately one week after Stroman submitted the prescriptions to the pharmacy, he picked up the creams and purportedly paid the $102.00 in copayments. Stroman later admitted that he never paid these copayments; instead, he received $3,000.00 for “consulting services.” In total, from February to May 2015, Stroman received $50,461.75.

 

As a result of Stroman’s actions, Wellness Pharmacy submitted 18 claims for reimbursement for his parents. TRICARE paid Wellness Pharmacy a total of $178,193.40 for these prescriptions.

 

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jason Mehta.

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Carlos Mendoza has sentenced Angel N. Rodriguez (39, Miami) to four years in federal prison for aggravated identity theft and conspiracy to commit access device (credit card) fraud. He pleaded guilty on May 18, 2017.

 

According to court documents, Rodriguez and his co-conspirators used stolen identification information to obtain credit at retail stores throughout central Florida. When Rodriguez and others were arrested in late 2014, they were found in possession of 6 fake Florida driver licenses, 8 credit cards obtained using the fake licenses, folders with the personal information of identity theft victims, and 21 large items purchased through fraud - including washers, dryers, and refrigerators. In total, the group purchased more than $80,000 in merchandise using stolen identities in 2014 and early 2015.

 

This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nathan W. Hill.

Tampa, Florida – Senior U.S. District Judge Susan C. Bucklew has sentenced Victoriano Ruyan-Juarez (36), a Guatemalan national, to 18 months in federal prison for illegal reentry after deportation for a felony, and for failure to register as a sex offender, as required by the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.

 

Ruyan-Juarez pleaded guilty on April 27, 2017.

 

According to court documents, in April 2014, Ruyan-Juarez was convicted in Manatee County for traveling to entice a child to commit a sex act, as well as using a computer to do the same. Following the completion of his state sentence in February 2015, immigration officials deported him to Guatemala. He illegally reentered the United States in August 2015, settling in Florida, but he failed to register as a sex offender as required by state and federal law.

 

This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations and the U.S. Marshals Service. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Murray.

Tampa, Florida– Acting United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow announces that Anthony Sanchez (25, Bradenton) today pleaded guilty to possessing with intent to distribute carfentanil and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime. He faces a mandatory minimum penalty of five years, up to life, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

 

According to the plea agreement, Sanchez sold an undercover agent a stolen Sig-Sauer 9mm caliber pistol and ammunition at the Desoto Square Mall, in Bradenton, Florida. He also sold the agent 10.85 grams of carfentanil. During the sale, Sanchez possessed 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 is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Murray.

 

This is another case prosecuted as a part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program - a nationwide, gun-violence reduction strategy. Acting United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow, along with Daryl R. McCrary, Special Agent in Charge, ATF, is coordinating the Project Safe Neighborhoods effort here in the Middle District of Florida in cooperation with federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.

Fort Myers, Florida – Acting United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow announces the return of an indictment charging Miguel Jiminez Borda (38) and Alejandra Maria Mayo (34), both of Naples, with two counts of attempting to smuggle firearms from the United States to Bolivia. If convicted, each faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison per count. The indictment also notifies the couple that the United States intends to forfeit the firearms that they attempted to smuggle.

 

According to court documents, on June 27 and 28, 2017, Jiminez Borda and Mayo paid nearly $6,000 in cash to ship five boxes from the United States to Bolivia. The couple provided Federal Express with a fictitious sender name and labeled the box contents as “documents.” Federal agents searched the boxes and found more than 15 firearms hidden within hardened foam insulation, many of them AK-47 and AR-15 type weapons. The couple has allegedly shipped an estimated 50 such boxes to Bolivia since August 2016.

 

An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.

 

This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael V. Leeman.

Orlando, FL – Andre Bernard, of Mount Kisco, New York, pleaded guilty today for his participation in a multi-state scheme to defraud biodiesel buyers and U.S. taxpayers by fraudulently selling biodiesel credits and fraudulently claiming tax credits, announced Acting Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey H. Wood of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division and Acting U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow.

 

According to his plea, Bernard conspired with Thomas Davanzo, of Estero, Florida, Robert Fedyna, of Naples, Florida, and Scott Johnson of Pasco, Washington in a scheme to defraud biodiesel credit (known as “RIN” credits) buyers and U.S. taxpayers. The conspiracy involved having Gen-X Energy Group (Gen-X), headquartered in Pasco, Washington, and its subsidiary, Southern Resources and Commodities (SRC), located in Dublin, Georgia, generate fraudulent RINs and tax credits multiple times on the same material.

 

Bernard and his co-conspirators operated several shell companies that claimed to purchase and sell the renewable fuel. The co-conspirators also cycled the funds through these shell companies’ bank accounts to perpetuate the fraud scheme and conceal its proceeds.

 

From March 2013 to March 2014, the co-conspirators generated at least 60 million RINs that were based on fuel that was either never produced or was merely re-processed at the Gen-X or SRC facilities. The co-conspirators received at least $42 million from the sale of these fraudulent RINs to third parties. In addition, Gen-X received approximately $4,360,724.50 in false tax credits for this fuel.

 

This case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service, the Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division, and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara C. Sweeney of the Middle District of Florida and Trial Attorney Adam Cullman of the Environment and Natural Resources Division of the Department of Justice.

Fort Myers, Florida – Acting United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow announces that Twaski Jackson (38, Lee County) today pleaded guilty to a two count information charging him with stealing and embezzling thousands of dollars from the City of Fort Myers Housing Authority and the Lee County Housing Authority. Both agencies receive federal funds to further their mission of providing affordable housing to low income families. Jackson faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison for each count. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

 

According to the

plea agreement , Jackson served as the Director of Client Services for both housing authorities from 2012 until 2016. As part of his position, he had the authority to approve credit card disbursements and checks written on behalf of the agencies. Jackson used that authority to approve expenditures that benefited himself and his friends. Various personal charges were made, including payments of his own college tuition and personal trips. He also improperly paid a “vendor” (actually Jackson’s friend) who performed no services for the agencies, without authorization. The two then split the money.

 

Over a three-year period, Jackson bilked the agencies for over $86,000. Jackson’s plea agreement requires him to forfeit the proceeds of his crime and to repay his victims.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael V. Leeman.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge James D. Whittemore today sentenced Anthony J. Klatch II (36, previously of Tampa) to nine years and seven months in federal prison for wire fraud. The Court also ordered that he serve this sentence consecutive to a 39-month sentenced imposed in December 2016, in the Southern District of Florida for access device fraud and identity theft. Klatch also must pay $516,754.94 in restitution to the victims of his investment scheme.

 

According to court documents, in or around 2011, Klatch pleaded guilty to federal charges of conspiracy, securities fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering in the Southern District of Alabama. In December 2014, after his release from federal prison, he began serving a term of supervised release in Tampa.

 

While on supervised release, Klatch directed the establishment of and controlled a company called Assurance Capital Management, LLC (“ACM”) and maintained a bank account opened in that name. Between June 2015 and September 2015, Klatch used ACM to represent to investors and potential investors that ACM was a company with over $18 million in client assets under management and that ACM and those working for ACM engaged in profitable online stock trading on behalf of its investors. In truth, ACM was a shell company used by Klatch to induce and defraud investors.

 

In executing his scheme, Klatch would often disguise his true identity and tell investors that his name was “Larry Heim,” ACM’s fund manager. Klatch, often posting as “Larry Heim,” provided investors and potential investors false and fraudulent financial statements and other investment materials showing that ACM was profitable and had more than $18 million in online trading accounts and that its funds were profitably traded. In reality, ACM had few if any funds “under management,” and the funds ACM did have were either lost by Klatch during trading or used by him for personal expenditures. In total, Klatch defrauded investors out of more than $516,000.

 

In early 2016, while serving a nine-month sentence for violating his supervised release in the Alabama case, but before being charged in this case, Klatch absconded from a halfway house. He was rearrested approximately six months later in Miami. At the time of his arrest, he had approximately eight stolen identities in his possession that he had used to generate counterfeit credit cards to purchase such things as luxury automobiles and resort memberships.

 

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Commodities Futures Trading Commission. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mandy Riedel.

 

Orlando, Florida – Acting United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow announces that Julis Denson (Orlando, 30), Marquis Denson (Orlando, 31), Capree Patterson (Orlando, 26), Alvin Kendrick (Orlando, 42), and Isaac Tolbert (Orlando, 38) have pleaded guilty to robbery and brandishing a firearm in relation to the robbery of a Cash America Pawn store in Orlando. In addition to the armed robbery, Marquis Denson has also pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. Each faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. The sentencing dates have not yet been set.

 

According to the plea agreement, on December 7, 2016, Kendrick drove Marquis Denson, Julis Denson, Patterson, and Tolbert to the Cash America Pawn store in the Pine Hills area of Orlando. Marquis Denson took a .45 caliber pistol into the store, brandished it, and demanded that the employees empty the cash registers. Meanwhile, Patterson used a sledgehammer to break the glass display cases so that he, Julis Denson, and Tolbert could take the jewelry. Shortly after, Marquis Denson, Julis Denson, Patterson, and Tolbert exited the store with 99 pieces of jewelry, worth nearly $35,000, and $949 cash. They then jumped into the car that Kendrick had waiting and fled to a home several miles away. Law enforcement officers arrived at the home shortly after and arrested Patterson and Marquis Denson as they fled on foot. The remaining individuals were arrested several days later.

 

This case was investigated by the Orange County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn P. Napier.

Orlando, Florida – Acting United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Andy William Bosch (42, Orlando) with two counts of enticement of a minor. If convicted, he faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison.

 

According to the indictment, between March 10 and March 16, 2016, Bosch enticed a minor to travel from the Philippines to the United States to engage in sexual activity. Then, from October 20, 2016, to February 15, 2017, he used a cellphone to coerce the same minor into engaging in sexual activity. Bosch also has pending state charges for interference of custody and providing false information to a law enforcement officer, stemming from the same alleged incident.

 

An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.

 

This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service and the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Christina R. Downes, on assignment from the Office of Principal Legal Advisor, ICE.

 

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 – U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Kovachevich today sentenced Isabel Colmenares (56, Tampa) to a year and a day in federal prison for receiving misbranded items with the intent to defraud. The Court also ordered her to pay $15,500 in restitution to a victim who suffered adverse medical conditions from the injections.

 

Colmenares pleaded guilty on October 17, 2016.

 

According to court documents, in December 2015, Colmenares offered to provide buttocks injections to an undercover officer claiming to use purified hyaluronic acid in the injections. Instead, Colmenares planned to use silicone that she had purchased from an individual who imported it from Colombia, falsely labeling it as “mineral oil” to avoid inspection. Colmenares, who is not licensed in Florida to perform injections on any kind, had previously offered the same silicone injections for money.

 

This case was investigated by the Food and Drug Administration. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelley Howard-Allen.

Jacksonville, Florida – Acting United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow announces the arrest of Charles Cory Thornton (36, Yulee) on a criminal complaint charging him with transporting and attempting to transport child pornography over the Internet. He faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 5 years, up to 20 years, in federal prison. His detention hearing is scheduled for August 2, 2017.

 

According to the criminal complaint, on July 20, 2017, FBI agents executed a search warrant at Thornton’s residence based on suspected online child exploitation activity. Thornton was not at home, but he was located and interviewed later that day at Naval Air Station Jacksonville where he worked as a machinist. During the interview, Thornton admitted, among other things, that he had been searching for child pornography for several years using a particular file sharing program, that he knew that other users were able to download images and videos from his computer, and that he was a “pedophile” and was sexually attracted to children. In subsequent interviews over the next two days, Thornton admitted that he had used a small camera hidden in a digital clock in a bathroom to produce videos of child pornography depicting three children during 2008 and 2009. Agents recovered this camera from Thornton’s home.

 

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 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.

Ft. Myers, Florida – Acting United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow announces that a federal jury today found Brown Laster, Jr. (37, Tampa), also known as “AB” and “Rooster;” Jerry Browdy (44, Riverview), also known as “JB,” “Red,” and “Cuz;” and Wesley Petiphar (30, Davenport), also known as “Wildman,” guilty of conspiracy to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine. Each faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 25 years, up to life, in federal prison. The sentencing hearings are scheduled for October 30, 2017.

 

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, Laster, Browdy, and Petiphar were part of a conspiracy to ship kilograms of methamphetamine from Sacramento, California to various hotels in Florida and Georgia via Federal Express. The evidence showed that, throughout 2015, the men had sent approximately 40 packages of methamphetamine through the mail per week. The packages were delivered to coconspirators who had been recruited to wait at the hotels for the packages of methamphetamine to arrive. The packages were then delivered to local drug traffickers. In addition, witness testimony revealed that the men enforced the conspiracy through violence, including one incident where a cooperating witness had a gun placed in his mouth with such force that the gun knocked out some of his front teeth.

 

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office, the Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office, the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office (Georgia), the Placer County Sheriff’s Office (California), the Lakeland Police Department, and the Miami-Dade Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Dan Baeza and Mike Leeman.

 

Tampa, Florida – Acting United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow announces that Natalie Panko (57, Tampa) was arrested today on a four-count indictment charging her with conspiracy to commit theft of government property, identity theft, and theft of government property. She faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison on the conspiracy count and 10 years’ imprisonment on each of the three theft of government property counts. Panko made her initial appearance in federal court today and was released on bond.

 

According to the indictment, Panko and others knowingly processed debit and credit cards in other people’s names containing federal income tax refunds generated by fraudulent tax returns through Square Inc. accounts. Square Inc. is a merchant processor that provides terminals to businesses to process credit/debit card payments. Panko and others set up Square Inc. merchant accounts related to a restaurant located in the Middle District of Florida. The Square Inc. accounts associated with the restaurant were used to process credit and debit card transactions for both legitimate restaurant-related sales, as well as for tax fraud transactions using prepaid debit cards like Green Dot. After the payments were processed, Square Inc. electronically transferred the funds to bank accounts controlled by Panko and to the accounts of others, where the proceeds were shared with others and used for personal items.

 

An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.

 

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelley C. Howard-Allen.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Virginia M. Hernandez Covington has sentenced Johnny Dawson (38, Sarasota) to 15 years in federal prison for possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. The Court also ordered him to forfeit the firearm and ammunition seized during his arrest.

 

Dawson pleaded guilty on April 26, 2017.

 

According to court documents, on August 7, 2016, law enforcement officers responded to a call reporting an individual who had a firearm wrapped inside of a t-shirt. The responding officer observed Dawson walking away, holding a t-shirt. As the officer approached, Dawson moved the shirt behind his back, and the officer could see the outline of a firearm within the shirt. Dawson then put the shirt down and fled. The officer apprehended Dawson, seized the shirt, and recovered a loaded gun wrapped inside with the hammer cocked back. Dawson later admitted to possessing the loaded firearm. At the time of the offense, Dawson had multiple prior felony convictions and therefore is prohibited from carrying a firearm or ammunition under federal law.

 

This case was jointly investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Sarasota Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kaitlin R. O’Donnell.

 

This is another case prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program - a nationwide, gun-violence reduction strategy. Acting United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow, along with Daryl McCrary, Special Agent in Charge, ATF, are coordinating the Project Safe Neighborhoods effort here in the Middle District of Florida in cooperation with federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.

Orlando, Florida – Acting United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow announces that a federal jury has found Anthony Carl Spence (45, Jamaica) guilty of transporting and possessing child pornography. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison; his sentencing hearing is October 12, 2017.

 

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, on February 6, 2017, Spence arrived at the Orlando International Airport from Jamaica with a smartphone. During a routine border search of the phone, agents located a video depicting an adult male sexually abusing a toddler. Later, agents located a second video that depicted a child between the ages of seven and nine 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 he came to the United States.

 

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

Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge James S. Moody, Jr. has sentenced Cordera Hill (27, Tampa) to 24 months in federal prison for conspiracy and offering to pay and paying illegal kickbacks in connection with a federal health care benefit program. The Court also ordered Hill to forfeit more than $43,830.70, the proceeds traceable to his criminal conduct.

 

According to evidence presented at trial, in October 2014, Hill, a former member of the United States Army, agreed to become a sales representative for Centurion Compounding, Inc., a marketing firm in Wesley Chapel that utilized sales representatives as independent contractors to market compounded medications, including creams for pain and scars, to TRICARE beneficiaries. These creams had very high reimbursement rates, ranging from approximately $4,000 to $17,000 for a one-month supply. Centurion focused its promotional efforts on TRICARE beneficiaries because they knew TRICARE would pay claims for these compounded creams.

 

Hill paid, and conspired to pay, TRICARE beneficiaries to go to clinics at, among other places, a cosmetics store in a strip mall. Hill also paid for beneficiaries to fly to Tampa from Colorado and Hawaii for the purpose of visiting clinics to obtain compounding creams. The beneficiaries, who had access to free healthcare on base, would visit the cosmetics store after hours and on weekends to obtain prescriptions. Many of the beneficiaries did not need the creams and discarded them in the trash. Hill received $43,830.70 in commission payments from Centurion for referring TRICARE beneficiaries to doctors to obtain the creams. TRICARE paid out $728,909.82 for claims submitted on behalf of patients that Hill had recruited.

 

This case was investigated by the Department of Defense, Criminal Investigative Service; the United States Army Criminal Investigation Command, Major Procurement Fraud Unit; the United States Air Force Office of Special Investigations; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Mandy Riedel, Megan Kistler, Charles D. Schmitz, Simon Eth, and Rachelle DesVaux Bedke.