Middle District of Florida

Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Ilian David Gomez Mathews (25, Orlando) today pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance. He faces a maximum penalty of 40 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to the plea agreement, between November 2012 and November 2015, Mathews conspired with others to ship at least 15 kilograms of cocaine through the U.S. mail from Puerto Rico to Orange and Osceola counties for distribution. Mathews admitted to distributing the majority of the cocaine, which was typically between 500 grams and two kilograms per month. As part of the scheme, tens of thousands of dollars were transported as bulk cash back to Puerto Rico, to the cocaine supply source. 

In November 2015, federal and local law enforcement arrested five individuals, including Mathews, for drug trafficking, as part of Organized Crime and Drug Trafficking Task Force Operation “Smokin’ Bones.” Those individuals were indicted in December  2015. Mathews is the first defendant to plead guilty. The remaining individuals, Jose Javier Nieves Torres (45, Kissimmee); Dennis Rodriguez De Jesus (38, Kissimmee); Ramon Alberto Castro Ortega (26, St. Cloud); and Hector Manual Sanchez Garay (55, Orlando) are awaiting trial. 

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

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Orlando Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney J. Bishop Ravenel.

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announced today that Clement Ashford Reeves, Jr. (73, Yulee) has been charged by indictment with receiving child pornography over the Internet. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 5 years, up to 20 years, in federal prison and a potential life term of supervision. Reeves was arrested at his residence on February 16, 2016.        

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

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 until, and unless, proven guilty.

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 – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the arrest of eight defendants on federal firearms and drug charges (see chart below). Penalties for the various offenses range from 5 to 40 years’ imprisonment. The arrests are the result of a violent crime initiative being jointly undertaken by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO). 

“Fighting violent crime is a top priority of my Office,” said U.S. Attorney Bentley. “We’re doing that by prosecuting felons possessing firearms and drug traffickers in the areas most victimized by violent crime. We’re very grateful for the hard work and dedication of ATF and our tremendous local partners, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office and the Hillsborough County State Attorney’s Office.”

“ATF will continue to work with our law enforcement partners and commit personnel and specialized resources in order to remove from our community individuals that use a gun to commit acts of violence,” said Special Agent in Charge Regina Lombardo, ATF-Tampa.

"Due to the increase in violent crimes involving firearms around the country, it is critical that we address these issues immediately through a variety of enforcement efforts. One effective measure are joint operations such as this, where we can optimize our manpower and strategically focus on offenders who put the citizens in our county in danger," stated Colonel Donna Lusczynski of the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.

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

These cases were investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.  They will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Natalie Hirt Adams, Michael Leeman, Shauna Hale, Taylor Stout, and Carlton C. Gammons.

These cases are prosecuted as a part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program - a nationwide, gun-violence reduction strategy.  United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III, along with Regina Lombardo, 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. It is also a part of ATF’s Frontline strategy to combat violent crime in our communities.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Susan C. Bucklew yesterday sentenced Seguiel Medrano (31, Dade City) to 17 years in federal prison for drug distribution and firearm charges. Medrano pleaded guilty on October 15, 2015.

According to court documents, Medrano, a member of a Dade City street gang, sold methamphetamine to undercover law enforcement officers, and was armed during the drug transactions. During a search of Medrano’s residence, law enforcement seized multiple firearms, ammunition, narcotics, and cash.  

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stacie B. Harris.

This is another case prosecuted as a part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program - a nationwide, gun-violence reduction strategy.  United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III, along with Regina Lombardo, 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. It is also a part of ATF’s Frontline strategy to reduce violent crime in our communities.

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announced today that Sunshine Marie McEwen (41, Atlantic Beach) has been indicted by a federal grand jury and charged with failing to register as a sex offender after traveling from Florida to California. If convicted, she faces up to 10 years in federal prison. McEwen was arrested in Palm Springs, California on November 28, 2015, and is currently in state custody in Jacksonville.      

According to the indictment, on or about August 20, 1998, McEwen was convicted of two counts of lewd and lascivious act (sexual battery) in Jacksonville, Florida. Subsequent to her conviction, and between May 15, 2015, and November 28, 2015, she traveled from Florida to California and failed to register as a sex offender, as required by the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.

The Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act is part of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006. The Adam Walsh Act provides for the use of federal law enforcement resources, including the United States Marshals Service, to assist state and local authorities in locating and apprehending non-compliant sex offenders. This case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Palm Springs (California) Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.

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 until, and unless, proven guilty.

This 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 today sentenced Roger Eugene Hagood (44, Fort Myers) to four years in federal prison for bank fraud. As part of the sentence, the Court also entered a money judgment in the amount of $677,722, the proceeds of the fraud. Hagood pleaded guilty on November 17, 2015.

According to court documents, Hagood operated Coral Palm Auto Sales, a used car dealership. Coral Palm Auto Sales received financing through a third-party lender to purchase automobiles. Vehicle titles were provided as security to procure the loans, and loan payments were made using proceeds from the vehicle sales. Once each loan was paid in full, the third-party lender would release the vehicle titles used to secure the loan back to Coral Palm Auto Sales.   

In November and December 2011, Hagood engaged in a check-kiting scheme by writing 13 checks, totaling $1,592,121, on his business checking account, made payable to the third-party lender, knowing that the account lacked sufficient funds to cover the checks. As a result, the third-party lender wrote new loan checks on its account made payable to Coral Palm Auto Sales. Hagood’s scheme caused two federally insured banks to suffer a total loss of $1,037,770.01.

On March 29, 2015, Hagood attempted to surreptitiously dispose of 20 banker’s boxes containing records and documents pertaining to Coral Palm Auto Sales by throwing them in a dumpster located more than a mile from his residence. A video surveillance camera partially captured Hagood attempting to dispose of the boxes. The boxes were retrieved by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office and turned over to the FBI. A portion of the records and documents that Hagood tried to destroy were responsive to a federal subpoena previously served on him earlier that month.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey F. Michelland.

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Carlos E. Mendoza has sentenced John A. White (40, Windermere) to four years and nine months in federal prison for wire fraud and filing a false tax-related document. A federal jury found him guilty on September 2, 2015.  The Court will decide at a later date the amount of restitution White owes and the proceeds he must forfeit.

According to evidence presented at trial, from 2006 through 2012, White was employed as the personal assistant to NBA basketball player Gilbert J. Arenas, who has since retired from professional basketball. During calendar years 2008 through 2011, White stole approximately $2,188,170 from Arenas by making unauthorized online banking money transfers from one of Arenas’s bank accounts, into three different bank accounts that White controlled. White spent these funds on his own personal expenses, including mortgage payments for his home in Windermere, and the purchase of a Ferrari and a Range Rover. White also filed false joint income tax returns with the IRS for each of these years. In these tax returns, he and his wife never reported more than $60,000 in gross income, when in fact their joint income was significantly greater, due to the money White had stolen from Arenas. 

White’s false tax returns caused a tax loss of approximately $621,144 to the IRS.    

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, with assistance from the United States Secret Service. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew C. Searle.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Susan Bucklew has sentenced James Dale Little (43, Jacksonville) to 20 years in federal prison for transporting and possessing child pornography. The Court also ordered him to serve a life term of supervision and to register as a sex offender upon his release. A federal jury found him guilty on October 21, 2015.

According to evidence presented during the three-day trial, law enforcement officers identified Little while investigating another individual with whom Little had been trading child pornography via email. The agents discovered that Little had received and sent images of prepubescent minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct and materials portraying children engaged in sadistic conduct and violence.

Little had a prior conviction in 1996 for injury to a child in Galveston, Texas. Evidence at sentencing showed that this prior conviction involved Little’s molestation and sexual abuse of a 4-year-old child.

"Protecting our children from these heinous crimes is one of the top priorities of Homeland Security Investigations," said Susan L. McCormick, special agent in charge of HSI Tampa. “This sentencing is one more step in making our communities safer.”

The case was investigated by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kelly S. Karase and Gregory Nolan.

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.   

The Justice Department announced today that Martin Alan Schnitzler, 43, pleaded guilty to a hate crime in the Middle District of Florida for calling two mosques located in Pinellas County, Florida, and threatening to firebomb the mosques and shoot their congregants.

Schnitzler pleaded guilty to obstructing persons in the free exercise of religious beliefs for making the violent threats.  As part of his plea, he admitted that on Nov. 13, 2015, he intentionally obstructed members of the Islamic Society of St. Petersburg, Florida, and the Islamic Society of Pinellas County from practicing their religion when he left voicemail messages threatening the safety of the mosques’ congregants.  Schnitzler admitted that his threats were prompted by the terrorist attacks in Paris.  Among other things, Schnitzler also admitted that in one of the voicemails he threatened to “personally have a militia” report to one of the mosques and “firebomb you, shoot whoever is there on sight in the head.  I don’t care if they’re [expletive] two years old or a hundred.”  

As a result of the above threats, both mosques requested increased law-enforcement presence at their locations and took extra safety precautions for congregants.

“Our Constitution and laws guarantee all people – regardless of where they worship – the right to live free from violence and discrimination,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.  “Criminal threats of violence against people or places of worship have no place in our society, and as proven today, the Department of Justice will continue to vigorously prosecute those who commit religion-based hate crimes.”

“The right to worship as one chooses, free from threats and intimidation, is one of the core principles upon which our great nation was founded,” said U.S. Attorney A. Lee Bentley III of the Middle District of Florida.  “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to taking whatever action is necessary to vindicate this important First Amendment right.”

Sentencing for the defendant will be scheduled at a later date.  Schnitzler faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. 

The FBI is investigating the case with the assistance of the St. Petersburg Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel George and Daniel Irick of the Middle District of Florida and Trial Attorney Gabriel Davis of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case.

Schnitzler Plea Agreement

Tampa, FL – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announced today that Martin Alan Schnitzler, 43, pleaded guilty to a hate crime in the Middle District of Florida for calling two mosques located in Pinellas County, Florida, and threatening to firebomb the mosques and shoot their congregants.

Schnitzler pleaded guilty to obstructing persons in the free exercise of religious beliefs for making the violent threats.  As part of his plea, he admitted that on Nov. 13, 2015, he intentionally obstructed members of the Islamic Society of St. Petersburg, Florida, and the Islamic Society of Pinellas County from practicing their religion when he left voicemail messages threatening the safety of the mosques’ congregants.  Schnitzler admitted that his threats were prompted by the terrorist attacks in Paris.  Among other things, Schnitzler also admitted that in one of the voicemails he threatened to “personally have a militia” report to one of the mosques and “firebomb you, shoot whoever is there on sight in the head.  I don’t care if they’re [expletive] two years old or a hundred.”  

As a result of the above threats, both mosques requested increased law-enforcement presence at their locations and took extra safety precautions for congregants.

“Our Constitution and laws guarantee all people – regardless of where they worship – the right to live free from violence and discrimination,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.  “Criminal threats of violence against people or places of worship have no place in our society, and as proven today, the Department of Justice will continue to vigorously prosecute those who commit religion-based hate crimes.”

“The right to worship as one chooses, free from threats and intimidation, is one of the core principles upon which our great nation was founded,” said U.S. Attorney A. Lee Bentley III of the Middle District of Florida.  “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to taking whatever action is necessary to vindicate this important First Amendment right.”

Sentencing for the defendant will be scheduled at a later date.  Schnitzler faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. 

The FBI is investigating the case with the assistance of the St. Petersburg Police Department.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel George and Daniel Irick of the Middle District of Florida and Trial Attorney Gabriel Davis of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case.

Jacksonville, FL – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that two compounding pharmacies - WELLHealth and Topical Specialists, as well as four physicians - Manish Bansal, Mehul Parekh, Marisol Arcila, and Syed Asad, have agreed to pay the government a total of approximately $10 million to resolve allegations involving TRICARE, the military’s healthcare program.

The United States contends that Topical Specialists was created by the pharmacist for WELLHealth and four physicians - Bansal, Parekh, Arcila, and Asad.  It was meant to be a standalone pharmacy, but was unable to obtain separate contracts with the government healthcare programs. Instead, Topical Specialists simply sent all of its prescriptions to WELLHealth, which in turn submitted these prescriptions to the federal government. 

The United States alleges that Bansal, Parekh, Arcila, and Asad had an incentive to refer prescriptions to their pharmacy, as steering costly prescriptions to Topical Specialists resulted in lucrative revenue streams for the doctors. The United States contends that these four physicians wrote hundreds of prescriptions for pain and scar creams.  After speaking with patients, the government contends that these prescriptions were often not used by patients, despite the tremendous cost to the government.  While the pharmacies billed the federal government tens of thousands of dollars for these creams, the cost to actually compound them was often 4-5% of the submitted cost.  Records reviewed by the government showed that the pharmacy was making up to 90% profit for each cream submitted to the TRICARE program.  This profit was then disbursed to the doctors who wrote the prescriptions.  In some cases, the four physicians recruited other doctors to write prescriptions – promising to share revenue with them.  The government alleges that in some cases, the doctors who wrote prescriptions to Topical Specialists and WELLHealth received up to 40% of the reimbursement.

At one point, certain defendants suggested that payments to physicians for these prescriptions were legitimate because these physicians were engaged in a “research study” to monitor the clinical effectiveness of these creams.  No patient contacted by the government knew that they were enrolled in a research study, and no research findings were ever published.

Roughly 40% of the prescriptions submitted by WELLHealth and Topical Specialists were written by these four physicians.  Bansal is a cardiologist at Baptist Hospital.  Arcila is a pain management physician at Premier Spine & Pain Center. Asad is a neurologist at Universal Neurological Care.  Parekh is a general practice physician at Baptist Hospital. All four received hundreds of thousands of dollars in reimbursements. 

“The United States Attorney’s Office is committed to fighting healthcare fraud wherever it may occur,” said U.S. Attorney Bentley. “Those who defraud the TRICARE program are stealing funds that should be used to provide quality healthcare to military families. We will continue to use every weapon at our disposal to stamp out this fraud and recover misappropriated funds.”

Today’s settlement involved false claims submitted to the TRICARE program.  This case was developed as part of a broader effort to identify and target unscrupulous compounding pharmacies.  The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida has been focusing efforts on pharmacies that abuse the TRICARE program and defraud the government. Since March 2015, the district has collected more than $50 million in recoveries related to compounding pharmacies.

"The Defense Criminal Investigative Service is committed to protecting the integrity of TRICARE, the U.S. military health care program, so that it continues to provide quality medical care to America's Warfighters and their families, while ensuring that health care facilities and providers comply with Federal laws and regulations," said John F. Khin, Special Agent in Charge, Defense Criminal Investigative Service - Southeast Field Office.  "Through joint investigations with our law enforcement partners, DCIS will fully pursue both civil remedies to recover taxpayer dollars and criminal prosecutions to bring violators to justice."

"I applaud the Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida for holding these pharmacies and physicians accountable for their actions," said Vice Admiral Raquel Bono, director of the Defense Health Agency. "Their egregious actions targeted American service members, veterans and their families, and in many cases offered them products with little or no substantiated evidence that they would improve health outcomes. The Defense Health Agency will continue working closely with the Justice Department and other state and federal agencies to investigate all those who participated in these nefarious, fraudulent practices."

This settlement illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating health care fraud and marks another achievement for the Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team (HEAT) initiative, which was announced in May 2009 by the Attorney General and the Secretary of Health and Human Services.  The partnership between the two departments has focused efforts to reduce and prevent Medicare and Medicaid financial fraud through enhanced cooperation.  One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act.  Since January 2009, the Justice Department has recovered more than $27.1 billion through False Claims Act cases, with more than $17.1 billion of that amount recovered in cases involving fraud against federal health care programs.

Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, including the conduct described in this case, can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services, at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).

These cases were investigated by Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS/OIG), Office of Personnel Management (OPM), the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General (VA/OIG), Defense Criminal Investigative Services (DCIS), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and were prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jason Mehta. 

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

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the return of an indictment charging David Anthony Moody (26, Fernandina Beach) with six counts of making hoax bomb threats. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison on each count.  

According to the indictment, Moody left notes at various public places in Fernandina Beach between January 30 and February 2, 2016. Each of the six notes stated, in substance, that a bomb was going to explode in the downtown Fernandina Beach area.  

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

This case was investigated by the Fernandina Beach Police Department, the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office, the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, the U.S. Coast Guard Explosives Detection Team, the Federal Bureau of Investigation Joint Terrorism Task Force, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations – Jacksonville Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.

Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell has sentenced Kurtis Johnson (26, Punta Gorda) to eight years in federal prison for distributing child pornography. The Court also ordered him to forfeit his laptop and three external hard drives that had been used to commit the offense.  Johnson pleaded guilty on November 5, 2015.

According to court documents, in October 2014, an FBI task force agent was able to download numerous images of child pornography from Johnson’s computer using a file sharing program. On October 30, 2014, a search warrant was executed at Johnson’s residence. During an interview with agents, Johnson admitted to downloading and possessing child pornography on his computer. Subsequent forensic analyses of the computer media seized from the home revealed more than 3,500 images, and over 800 videos depicting child pornography. 

This case was investigated by the FBI Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes the Lee County Sheriff’s Office and 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.

Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the return of an indictment charging William Bruce O’Donoghue (61, Winter Park) with failure to pay over federal employee payroll taxes. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison.           

According to the indictment, O’Donoghue was the President and majority owner of Control Specialists, a traffic engineering company in Central Florida. As president and majority owner, O’Donoghue exercised control over the company’s business affairs, including approving all payments by the company and controlling all of the company’s bank accounts.

Throughout 2009 and 2010, O’Donoghue caused Control Specialists to withhold payroll taxes from its employees, but failed to pay over those withheld payroll taxes to the IRS. During that same time period, O’Donoghue caused Control Specialists to make thousands of dollars in expenditures for his personal benefit, including approximately $125,000 in cash payments to fund his campaign for Congress. The amount of payroll taxes withheld by Control Specialists and not paid over to the Internal Revenue Service during this period is approximately $219,962.95.         

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 Vincent S. Chiu.

Tampa, Florida – Senior U.S. District Judge Richard A. Lazzara has sentenced Nathaniel Atkins (27, Tampa) to five years in federal prison for possessing with the intent to distribute crack cocaine. He pleaded guilty on November 20, 2015.

According to court documents, between January and May 2015, Atkins sold crack cocaine to a confidential informant (CI) on four occasions. He also sold a firearm to the CI on one occasion. Atkins was arrested on July 29, 2015, at the Tampa International Airport.

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

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge John Antoon, III sentenced Dontreaun Tremayne Alexander (25, Orlando) today to 21 years and 10 months in federal prison for robbing a convenience store and brandishing a firearm during that robbery. The Court also ordered him to forfeit the firearms and ammunition involved in the robbery. Alexander pleaded guilty on November 20, 2015.

According to court documents, on the night of December 28, 2014, Alexander and co-defendant Brandon Long robbed the Circle K store located at 7530 Forest City Road in Orlando. They entered the store with their faces covered and demanded that the cashier open the safe. Both men carried and brandished guns. When the cashier was unable to open the safe, Alexander threatened to shoot her. The robbery was recorded by store video and audio surveillance. Long was apprehended at the scene and Alexander fled. 

Long previously pleaded guilty for his involvement in this case. On July 17, 2015, he was sentenced to 10 years and 10 months in federal prison.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kara M. Wick.

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the return of an indictment charging Carmel Linot with one count of conspiracy, four counts of theft of government funds, and four counts of aggravated identity theft. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in federal prison for the conspiracy charge, 10 years’ imprisonment for each theft of government funds charge, and 2 years in federal prison for each identity theft charge. The indictment also notifies Linot that the United States intends to forfeit assets traceable to proceeds of the offense.

According to the indictment, between January 2011 and June 2012, in Duval County and elsewhere, Linot conspired with others to obtain the names and Social Security numbers of juveniles and then filed or caused to be filed fraudulent tax returns using that information. The indictment also alleges that the conspiracy involved the filing of 1,800 false and fraudulent federal income tax returns, resulting in $1.3 million in refunds being paid out. The conspiracy included the theft of the personal identifying information (“PII”) of juveniles from a website in Palm Beach County, Florida. These identities were then used in some of the false and fraudulent tax returns.

Linot is also charged in four individual counts of theft of government property, in which it is alleged that Internal Revenue Service tax refunds were electronically deposited into his bank account in June 2012. The theft charges are the basis of four separate aggravated identity theft charges because names and Social Security numbers of persons were used unlawfully in order to claim the four fraudulent refunds.

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 Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation.  It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dale Campion.

Tampa, FL – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Tonia Bright (53, Tampa) pleaded guilty today to two counts of obtaining information from a protected computer for a fraudulent purpose.  Each count carries a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison.  Her sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to the plea agreement, Bright was a civilian employee of the Tampa Police Department and worked as a community service officer.  As part of her authorized duties, Bright took reports from citizens related to incidents not requiring the response of a sworn police officer.  In this capacity, she had access to local, state, and federal law enforcement databases, including the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) computerized index that contains the personally identifiable information (PII) of millions of individuals. Bright’s use of these databases was restricted to the performance of her authorized duties.

Between 2009 and 2014, Bright accessed NCIC and other password-protected law enforcement databases to obtain PII, and then provided it to her friend, Rita Monique Girven, on at least ten occasions. Girven used the information to file fraudulent federal income tax returns and claim refunds to which she was not entitled. When Girven received the fraudulently obtained refunds, she shared some of the proceeds with Bright.  Girven previously pleaded guilty in a separate case. On November 20, 2015, she was sentenced to 12 years in federal.

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

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that a federal jury has found Tony Donnell Mathis (48, St. Petersburg) guilty of being a felon in possession of ammunition, and possession with the intent to distribute cocaine base (“crack cocaine”). He faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for April 22, 2016.

Mathis was indicted in December 2014.

According to evidence and testimony presented at trial, on or about September 25, 2014, Mathis operated a drug house, and was in possession of a loaded firearm, a distribution quantity of crack cocaine, and body armor. With prior convictions, including fleeing or eluding, aggravated assault, battery of a law enforcement officer, burglary, and robbery, he was 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 St. Petersburg Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jennifer L. Peresie and Rachel K. Jones.

This is another case prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program - a nationwide, gun-violence reduction strategy. United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III, along with Regina Lombardo, 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 – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that a federal jury yesterday found Naadir Cassim (40, Barcelona, Spain and Orlando, FL), Jon Craig Nelson (69, Houston, TX), Michael Skillern (49, Houston, TX), and Adriana Maria Camargo, a/k/a Adriana Palomino (37, Barcelona, Spain) guilty of conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy, and mail fraud. Each faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in federal prison on the conspiracy count, 20 years’ imprisonment on the money laundering conspiracy count, and 20 years in prison for each mail fraud count. Cassim, Nelson, and Skillern were also convicted of wire fraud charges, and face up to 20 years in federal prison for each charge. Additionally, the jury found Cassim guilty of an illegal monetary transaction charge that carries a maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment. The sentencing hearing has been set for May 24, 2016.

The individuals were indicted on February 18, 2014.

According to evidence presented at trial, from August 2011 through February 2014, Cassim, Nelson, Skillern, and Camargo, along with others, engaged in a fraud scheme where they directed and caused the sale of purported but nonexistent gold ore or gold doré from mines owned or controlled by them, through a company called OWN GOLD, LLC. The conspirators’ victims were located both inside and outside of the United States, including the United Kingdom. To facilitate the scheme, the conspirators paid telemarketers to place unsolicited calls to potential and existing victims outside the United States. The conspirators used the victims' funds to perpetuate the scheme and for their own personal enrichment. During the course of the fraud scheme, approximately 440 victims wired more than $7.3 million to the conspirators.

 “The defendants defrauded more than 400 victims and collected more than $7 million through an elaborate scheme to sell nonexistent gold ore and gold doré,” said Susan L. McCormick, special agent in charge of HSI Tampa. “Entrusted with a unique international authority and assisted by the efforts of our foreign law enforcement partners, HSI dismantled this transnational criminal organization.”  

The case was investigated by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the U.S. Secret Service, with assistance from law enforcement partners in the United Kingdom, Spain and Cyprus, and the U.S. Department of Interior’s Bureau of Land Management. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided assistance in the extradition and mutual legal assistance requests in this case. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Sara C. Sweeney and Rachelle DesVaux Bedke.

Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III, announces that Thomas Franklin Dinkins, Jr. (25, Lake Panasoffkee) has pleaded guilty to possessing with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.  He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison for the drug offense and a consecutive sentence of at least 5 years, up to life, for the firearms offense.  A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to the plea agreement, on December 16, 2014, deputies from the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) stopped Dinkins for an expired tag. After a narcotics canine subsequently alerted on the car, deputies performed a search and found a locked, portable safe in the trunk. The key to the safe was in Dinkins’s jacket. Inside the safe, deputies found methamphetamine, two digital scales, plastic baggies, and a loaded .22 caliber handgun with an obliterated serial number. Deputies also located a backpack containing additional plastic bags and ammunition. A check of Dinkins’s criminal history revealed he was a multi-convicted felon who is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition under federal law. Dinkins later admitted that the firearm was “probably stolen” and that he had it to protect himself while distributing drugs. 

On March 21, 2015, a discarded cellphone was discovered by a citizen and turned over to SCSO. After reviewing some of its contents, deputies determined that it had belonged to Dinkins. Multiple pictures and text messages found on the phone linked the recovered handgun, another shotgun, and numerous drug sales to Dinkins. 

This case was investigated by the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Bodnar, Jr.

Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Alan Kenneth Thompson, Jr. (33, Crystal River) has pleaded guilty to distributing child pornography.  He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years, up to 20 years, in prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to the plea agreement, on or about June 2, 2015, agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) determined that Thompson had been using a computer application to post and receive images of child pornography over the Internet. Agents tracked the activity to Thompson’s residence, executed a search warrant, and seized a cellphone and two laptop computers.  Forensics analyses confirmed that the devices contained more than 4,500 still images and 84 video files depicting child pornography. Thompson later admitted to the agents that he had been receiving child pornography, and that some of the victims were only four or five years old.   

This case was investigated by HSI. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Bodnar, Jr.

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 Steven D. Merryday today sentenced Nathan Bryan (40, Bradenton) to life in federal prison for producing child pornography and attempting to entice a minor for illegal sexual activity. The Court also ordered him to forfeit items that he had used while committing the offenses. Bryan pleaded guilty on October 25, 2015.

According to court documents, in April 2014, a detective from the Bradenton Police Department conducted an undercover investigation of Bryan, who was attempting to obtain babysitting jobs by posting and responding to online ads. Bryan communicated with the detective, who Bryan believed was the stepfather of an 8-year-old boy, and made plans to meet the “child” for sex. He also discussed various sex acts that he wanted to perform on the child.  On June 21, 2015, Bryan arrived at the prearranged location to meet the “dad” and to have sex with the “child.”  During that meeting, he shared a video that he had produced while babysitting that contained explicit images of a young boy.

This case was investigated by the Bradenton Police Department, which is a member of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Child Exploitation Task Force in Fort Myers. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Amanda C. Kaiser.

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

Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Dante Askins (18) and Gregory McDonald (18) have pleaded guilty to carjacking and using a firearm while committing that offense.  They each face a maximum penalty of 25 years in federal prison for the carjacking conviction and a mandatory 7-year consecutive term of imprisonment for the firearm conviction.  The sentencing hearing has been scheduled for April 25, 2016.

According to court documents, on August 12, 2015, Askins and McDonald committed an armed carjacking of a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer at a hotel in Orlando.  The victim, who was on vacation with his family, had gone down to his SUV in the hotel parking lot to preload his GPS for a trip to Destin the next morning.  Askins ran up to the victim and stuck a long-barreled .22 caliber revolver in his face.  He, along with McDonald, and two minors, then forced the victim into the backseat of his vehicle at gunpoint. McDonald pistol whipped the victim three times in the back of the head. The carjackers held the victim for approximately two hours. When OnStar location services contacted the vehicle, the carjackers fled and the victim escaped.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.  It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tiffany L. Cummins.

Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Chawalit Wongkhiao (29, Jacksonville) and Joshua Gilliland (31, Chattanooga, TN, formerly of Jacksonville) for conspiracy to commit wire fraud.  Wongkhiao was sentenced to a term of four years and seven months and Gilliland was sentenced to one year and three months’ imprisonment. The Court also entered a money judgment against Wongkhiao and Gilliland in the amount of $1,120,831.00, the proceeds of the fraud.

Wongkhiao pleaded guilty on August 25, 2015, and Gilliland pleaded guilty on September 25, 2015.

According to court documents, Gilliland and Wongkhiao, doing business as Allied Markets LLC, solicited money for purported investments in foreign currency exchange (“forex”) transactions. Between March 2012 and July 2014, based on their representations, investors gave them substantial amounts of money. Contrary to their representations, Gilliland and Wongkhiao invested only a small portion the total investors’ funds in forex transactions, which resulted in a loss. A large portion of the funds were used for personal expenses, including cash withdrawals, rent, furnishings, clothing, travel, food, and entertainment. They also used some of the funds received from later investors to pay off earlier investors       

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, the Florida Office of Financial Regulation, and the Jacksonville Beach Police Department.  It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Arnold B. Corsmeier.

Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge John E. Steele has sentenced Sydney Jackson Williams, Jr. to one year and a day in federal prison for structuring financial transactions.  As part of his sentence, the Court also entered a money judgment in the amount of $332,500.00, the proceeds traceable to the offense.  Williams will be jointly and severally liable for the amount of the money judgment, along with his wife and co-defendant, Lorie Ann Williams, who was sentenced last week.

According to court documents, subsequent to two civil lawsuits being brought against him, Williams transferred more than $3 million in joint marital assets into an account in his wife’s name. Soon thereafter, Williams and his wife began withdrawing funds from the account in structured cash withdrawals. Between March 3, 2010, and April 22, 2010, $332,500 was withdrawn from the account in 35 separate withdrawals of $9,500 each.

Ultimately, on September 30, 2010, Sydney Jackson Williams, Jr. filed a Chapter 11 bankruptcy petition with the United States Bankruptcy Court in the Middle District of Florida. 

Pursuant to the Bank Secrecy Act, financial institutions are required to file a "Currency Transaction Report" with the United States Treasury Department for each financial transaction that involves United States currency in excess of $10,000. These transactions include deposits, withdrawals, check cashing, or other transactions involving the physical transfer of currency from one person to another.

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Yolande G. Viacava and Charles D. Schmitz.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Kovachevich has sentenced Mahmoud Abdel-Ghani Mohammad Assaf (47, Amman, Jordan) to 33 months in federal prison for conspiring to export firearms and attempting to export firearms without a license, in violation of federal export control and firearms laws.  The Court also ordered Assaf to forfeit the firearms and vehicles that had been involved in the offenses.  He pleaded guilty on March 24, 2015.

According to court documents, Assaf was part of a network of individuals involved in smuggling firearms from the United States to the Middle East. The firearms were concealed in vehicles that had been purchased at used car auctions in Central Florida.  The vehicles were then scheduled for export to Jordan.

Two of Assaf’s co-conspirators, Eyad Farah (Barrington, TX) and Yasser Ahmad Obeid (St. Petersburg, FL and Lebanon), previously pleaded guilty to their roles in the conspiracy.  Farah was sentenced to 37 months and Obeid was sentenced to 51 months in federal prison.

This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, with assistance from the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs.  It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Josephine W. Thomas and Adam M. Saltzman.

"HSI, with our domestic and international law enforcement partners, is dedicated to making communities safer by bringing criminals to justice and seizing firearms before they fall into the hands of transnational criminal organizations who pose a threat to public safety both here and abroad,” said Susan L. McCormick, special agent in charge of HSI Tampa.

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the return of a superseding indictment charging Jon Christopher Stoune (44, Jacksonville) with attempted online enticement of an individual he believed to be a minor child, advertising for child pornography, and attempted production of child pornography. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison on the attempted enticement charge. The advertising and attempted production charges each carry a penalty of at least 15 years, up to 30 years, in federal prison. Stoune has been in custody since his arrest on April 21, 2015.

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

This case was investigated by the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office and 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.

Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell has sentenced Daniel Edward Palmer (38, Port Charlotte) to 15 years in federal prison for distributing child pornography, to be followed by a life term of supervision. The Court also ordered him to forfeit his computer and hard drive, which had been used to commit the offense. Palmer pleaded guilty on September 14, 2015.

According to court documents, between March 31, 2014, and July 8, 2014, an undercover FBI task force agent was able to download several child pornography files from Palmer’s computer using a file sharing program. During the execution of a federal search warrant at Palmer’s residence, agents located Palmer in his bedroom with his computer running. He admitted to the agents that he was the only person in the home who had used the computer. Forensic analyses of the computer revealed hundreds of videos depicting child pornography.

This case was investigated by the 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.

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the filing of a federal criminal complaint charging Joseph Michael Sharkey (36, Reston, VA) with assault or intimidation of a flight crew.  If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. 

According to the criminal complaint, on Sunday, January 31, 2016, Sharkey was a passenger on Jet Blue Flight 715 from Reagan International Airport in Washington, DC to Jacksonville International Airport (JIA). During the flight, Sharkey verbally assaulted another passenger and then placed that passenger in a headlock. When ordered by a flight attendant to return to his seat, Sharkey at first complied but then assaulted the flight attendant and made an effort exit the airplane through an exit door. Sharkey was stopped by another flight attendant, but then fought with him, kneeing him in the groin. The flight attendants enlisted the help of volunteers and subdued Sharkey, placing him in flex cuffs for the remainder of the flight. The airplane landed safely at JIA and Sharkey was removed from the flight by airport police.

Sharkey made his initial appearance in Jacksonville earlier today. He was temporarily ordered detained until his formal detention hearing, which has been scheduled for February 3, 2016.

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 Jacksonville Aviation Authority Police Department and the Jacksonville Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Dale Campion.

Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday today sentenced Bobby Muhammad to seven years and ten months in federal prison for theft of government property and identity theft stemming from his involvement in a stolen identity refund fraud (SIRF) conspiracy.  The Court also ordered him to pay $650,631 in restitution to the U.S. Treasury, jointly and severally with his co-conspirator, Tiffani Pye Williams. Muhammad pleaded guilty on October 26, 2015.

According to court documents, from December 2011 through October 2015, Muhammad participated in a scheme to defraud the IRS.  He, along with others, electronically filed fraudulent federal income tax returns using stolen identities.  The fraudulently obtained tax refunds were wired from the IRS to reloadable debit cards. Muhammad and others then used these debit cards at various ATMs.

Investigators determined that Muhammad and his conspirators had filed fraudulent federal income tax returns using the stolen identities of more than 400 individuals to make claims for refunds totaling approximately $3,089,219, and had received approximately $650,631 in fraudulently obtained refunds.

Williams previously pleaded guilty and was sentenced for her role in this scheme.

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigative and the Tampa Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mandy Riedel.

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Khanjar Ahmad Dandache (59, Tampa) today pleaded guilty to money laundering.  He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison.

According to the plea agreement, in June and July 2015, Dandache met repeatedly with a DEA confidential source (CS) and agreed to launder what he believed were heroin proceeds. Dandache had planned to receive funds from the CS, deposit them into numerous bank accounts in the United States, and then purchase vehicles with the funds. He had planned to ship the vehicles from Florida to Lebanon for re-sale and eventually transfer the funds to the heroin sources of supply. Dandache met with the CS and an undercover DEA agent on July 8, 2015, accepted $150,000 in purported heroin proceeds, and was subsequently arrested.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher F. Murray.

Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that a federal jury has found Michael Terrill Faircloth (58, Cape Coral) guilty of possessing a firearm and ammunition after being convicted of a felony offense. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 2, 2016.

Faircloth was indicted on July 9, 2014. 

According to testimony presented at trial, prior to May 21, 2014, the date of the offense, Faircloth had been convicted of felony offenses, and was wanted on an active arrest warrant. Upon receiving information of his possible location, law enforcement officers from the Florida Regional Fugitive Task Force, the United States Marshals Service, and the Cape Coral Police Department conducted an operation to arrest Faircloth. When law enforcement officers arrived to execute the arrest, they witnessed Faircloth, who was standing in a neighbor’s yard, holding a firearm in his back waistband. As the officers approached Faircloth, he fled a short distance, threw the loaded gun to the ground, and surrendered.

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

This is another case prosecuted as a part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program - a nationwide, gun-violence reduction strategy.  United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III, along with Regina Lombardo, 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 – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that a federal jury today found Samuel Lee Lynch (29) and Reo Thomas Nance (31), both of Temple Terrace, guilty of conspiracy, armed robbery, and firearms offenses in connection with five Tampa Bay area armed robberies occurring between March 15, 2015, and April 24, 2015. Lynch and Nance targeted check cashing businesses that kept large amounts of cash on hand, ultimately stealing more than $93,000. During each robbery, both defendants brandished firearms. During a March 26, 2015, robbery of the Nebraska Food Market, Lynch shot an accomplice and bystander.

Lynch faces a mandatory life sentence, and Nance faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 32 years’ imprisonment. Their sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 11, 2016.

This case was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Tampa Police Department, and the Temple Terrace Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Carlton C. Gammons.

Tampa - Rose Radiology Centers Inc. has agreed to pay $8.71 million to the government to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by billing federal health care programs for radiology procedures that were not medically necessary or furnished in violation of applicable Federal regulations, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida announced today. Rose Radiology is a provider of radiology services and has offices in multiple locations in the greater Tampa area. 

“This settlement resolves myriad allegations involving standards of medical care, false billing practices, and breaches of trust,” said U.S. Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III. “There is no room for such practices in our public health care programs. We will continue to do everything within our power to protect the public against such violations, when and where they are found.” 

The settlement resolves allegations originally brought in a lawsuit filed by two separate whistleblowers under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act, which allow private parties to bring suit on behalf of the government and to share in any recovery.  The whistleblowers will receive a combined $1.7 million as their share of the recovery in this case.

Among the allegations resolved was that Rose Radiology knowingly submitted false claims to the federal health care programs by administering contrast dye during MRI scans on patients without proper physician supervision. Contrast dye is a chemical that is injected intravenously into the body in order to make certain tissues, abnormalities, or disease processes more clearly visible on an MRI. Federal regulations require that a physician directly supervise the administration of contrast dye when used for an MRI as a potential adverse side effect is anaphylactic shock. Even though Rose Radiology was aware of this safety requirement, there were Rose Radiology locations that rarely, if ever, had a physician present when contrast dye was being administered. 

The settlement also resolves allegations that Rose Radiology improperly billed for radiology procedures referred by chiropractors. The regulations are clear that Medicare does not pay for diagnostic test orders made by chiropractors. To circumvent this prohibition, Rose Radiology would accept orders from chiropractors and bill for them as if the tests were actually ordered by a Rose Radiology employed physician.

In addition, the settlement resolves the claim that Rose Radiology would perform and bill for radiology procedures that were never actually ordered by the patients’ treatment providers.  Independent Diagnostic Testing Facilities (“IDTFs”), like Rose Radiology, are not permitted to add any procedures without a written order from the treating physicians. Also resolved was the claim that Rose Radiology submitted claims to Medicare for radiology services performed at locations that were not enrolled as authorized Medicare providers and billing Medicare for those services as if they had actually been performed at a different facility that was properly enrolled with Medicare.

Finally, the settlement resolves allegations that Rose Radiology engaged in the practice of giving kickbacks to referring physicians for the purpose of soliciting radiology referrals from these physicians. It is a violation of both the Anti-Kickback Act and the Stark Law to provide financial benefits to referring physicians. It was alleged that Rose Radiology provided key referral sources financial incentives in the forms of lunches, gift cards, and tickets to concerts or sporting events in exchange for receiving radiology business from these physicians. 

"The Defense Criminal Investigative Service is committed to protecting the integrity of TRICARE, the U.S. military health care program, so that it may continue to provide quality medical care to America's Warfighters and their families, said John F. Khin, Special Agent in Charge, Defense Criminal Investigative Service - Southeast Field Office."‎ ‎

“It is unconscionable for a physician to allow someone without the proper medical training to administer a test that could cause serious harm” said Shimon Richmond, Special Agent in Charge for the HHS Office of the Inspector General. “Not only do the kinds of frauds that were alleged in this case rob Medicare of needed funds, they threatened the health of elderly and disabled Americans.”

The investigation was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle S. Cohen from the Fort Myers Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida and Trial Attorney Eva Gunasekera from the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, with assistance from HHS-OIG and DCIS. 

The two lawsuits are captioned United States ex. rel. Schimke v. Rose Radiology Centers, Inc., Case No. 8:12-cv-2576-T35-MAP and United States ex. rel. Miller v. Rose Radiology, Inc., Case No. 8:13-CV-2757-T-35-EAJ.  The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability. 

Fort Myers, FL – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that David Spellberg, M.D., has agreed to pay $1,050,000 to the government to resolve allegations that he violated the False Claims Act by causing claims to be submitted to federal health care programs for laboratory tests that were not medically necessary. 

During the relevant time period, Spellberg was a board certified urologist practicing as part of Naples Urology Associates, which was a division of 21st Century Oncology, LLC. 21st Century is a nationwide provider of integrated cancer care services that is headquartered in Fort Myers. As part of its business, 21st Century employs and affiliates with physicians in specialty fields such as radiation oncology, medical oncology, and urology. 

The settlement announced today resolves allegations that Spellberg submitted claims to Medicare and Tricare for fluorescence in situ hybridization, or “FISH,” tests that were not medically necessary.  FISH tests are laboratory tests performed on urine that can detect genetic abnormalities associated with bladder cancer.  Medicare does not consider a FISH test reasonable or necessary unless it’s used to monitor for tumor reoccurrence in a patient previously diagnosed with bladder cancer or unless, after performing a full urologic workup, the physician has reason to suspect that a patient with hematuria (i.e., blood in the urine) may have bladder cancer.

In January 2010, Spellberg became an employee of 21st Century and began referring all of the FISH testing ordered by him to a laboratory owned and operated by 21st Century. He was paid bonuses by the company based, in part, on the number of FISH tests he referred to the 21st Century laboratory.  

The allegations that Spellberg was ordering unnecessary FISH tests were originally brought in a lawsuit filed by a whistleblower under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act, which allow private parties to bring suit on behalf of the government and to share in any recovery.  The whistleblower, a former medical assistant who worked directly for Dr. Spellberg, will receive $199,500 as her share of this recovery. This amount is in addition to a $3.2 million share she will receive as the result of the $19.75 million settlement previously reached with 21st Century Oncology.

“We intend to hold those accountable who intentionally use fraudulent practices to make a profit at others’ expense,” said U.S. Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III. “False claims such as these impact the solvency of our public healthcare programs and erode the confidence of those being serviced by that care.”

"This settlement demonstrates the commitment of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) and its law enforcement partners to protect the integrity of the U.S. military health care program (TRICARE) against fraudulent claims submitted by both corporate and individual medical services providers," said Special Agent in Charge John F. Khin, Southeast Field Office.

The investigation was handled by Trial Attorney Arthur Di Dio from the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle S. Cohen from the Fort Myers Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida, with assistance from DCIS, FBI, and the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. 

This settlement illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating health care fraud and marks another achievement for the Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team (HEAT) initiative, which was announced in May 2009 by the Attorney General and the Secretary of Health and Human Services.  The partnership between the two departments has focused efforts to reduce and prevent Medicare and Medicaid financial fraud through enhanced cooperation.  One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act.  Since January 2009, the Justice Department has recovered a total of more than $26.7 billion through False Claims Act cases, with more than $16.8 billion of that amount recovered in cases involving fraud against federal health care programs.  

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

The lawsuit is captioned United States, State of Florida, ex rel. Mariela Barnes v. Dr. David Spellberg, 21st Century Oncology and Naples Urology Associates, Civil Action No. 2:13-cv-228-FtM-38DNF (M.D. Fla.). 

Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Virginia M. Hernandez Covington today sentenced Kareem Spann and Cedrick Brown to 7 years, and 10 years and 4 months, in federal prison, respectively, for theft of government property and identity theft stemming from their involvement in a Stolen Identity Refund Fraud (SIRF) conspiracy. The Court also entered a money judgment in the amount of $412,758.84, the amount of the proceeds of the criminal conduct.

Spann pleaded guilty on October 7, 2015, and Brown pleaded guilty on October 14, 2015.

According to court documents, Spann, Brown and others engaged in a conspiracy and scheme to steal identities, file fraudulent federal income tax returns, obtain tax refunds in the names of the identity theft victims, and share in the proceeds. On September 7, 2013, Tampa Police Department officers went to a Tampa residence in an attempt to locate suspects related to a shooting investigation. At the residence, officers recovered ammunition, H&R Block prepaid/reloadable debit cards, a backpack containing more than 20 prepaid or reloadable debit cards, and paperwork listing numerous names and Social Security numbers (“PII”). Both Spann’s and Brown’s fingerprints were found on multiple pages of a notebook containing PII found inside the backpack. The investigators also seized computers and tables that had been used to electronically file federal income tax returns.

The next day, Spann was identified as the driver of a parked car, along with Brown and others, in front of the same Tampa residence. A search of the car revealed a piece of paper with a list of names and Social Security numbers, which appeared to be a printout of medical records. An H&R Block prepaid card was also recovered, along with a loaded Glock handgun, a 30-round magazine, loose marijuana, $1036 in cash from an occupant, and five cellular smart phones. Further investigation revealed that Spann, Brown, and their co-conspirators had used the debit cards at various locations.

The Internal Revenue Service determined that these conspirators and others had filed fraudulent tax returns for the 2011 and 2012 tax years, claiming refunds totaling $2,317,095 and receiving refunds in the amount of $412,326.42. The conspirators used the stolen PII of over 250 victims.

This case was investigated by the Tampa Police Department and the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mandy Riedel.

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that a federal jury yesterday found Frazier Williams, Jr. guilty of willfully aiding and assisting in the preparation and presentation of a tax return, which he knew to be false and fraudulent. Williams faces a maximum penalty of three years in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for April 14, 2016. Williams was indicted on February 10, 2015.

According to evidence presented at trial, Williams, an officer of Aztech Energy Corporation, assisted in the preparation of a federal corporate income tax return for Aztech that fraudulently inflated the amount of fuel tax credits the corporation was entitled to by more than $2 million.

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation.  It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert A. Mosakowski.

Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge John E. Steele has sentenced Lorie Ann Williams to one year and a day in federal prison for structuring financial transactions. As part of her sentence, the Court also entered a money judgment in the amount of $332,500, the proceeds traceable to the offense. Williams will be jointly and severally liable for the amount of the money judgment, along with her husband and co-defendant, Sydney Jackson Williams, Jr., who has not yet been sentenced.

Lorie Ann Williams pleaded guilty on October 27, 2015.

According to court documents, subsequent to two civil lawsuits being brought against him, Sydney Jackson Williams, Jr., transferred more than $3 million in joint marital assets into an account in Lorie Ann Williams’s name. Soon thereafter, she began withdrawing funds her account in structured cash withdrawals. Between March 3, 2010, and April 22, 2010, Lori Ann Williams made 35 separate cash withdrawals, totaling $332,500, from her solely-owned checking account. She wrote checks from the account, made payable to cash, each in the amount of $9,500. 

Ultimately, on September 30, 2010, Sydney Jackson Williams, Jr. filed a Chapter 11 bankruptcy petition with the United States Bankruptcy Court in the Middle District of Florida. 

Pursuant to the Bank Secrecy Act, financial institutions are required to file a "Currency Transaction Report" with the United States Treasury Department for each financial transaction that involves United States currency in excess of $10,000. These transactions include deposits, withdrawals, check cashing, or other transactions involving the physical transfer of currency from one person to another.

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Yolande G. Viacava and Charles D. Schmitz.

Jacksonville, Florida – United States District Judge Brian J. Davis today sentenced Charles Cornelius Smith (36, Jacksonville) to 30 months in federal prison for passing counterfeit Federal Reserve notes and failing to appear for his sentencing hearing. As part of the sentence, the Court ordered Smith to pay restitution to the various individuals that he defrauded. 

According to court documents, in December 2014, Smith was indicted on three counts of uttering counterfeit Federal Reserve notes. He was arrested on January 20, 2015, and was released on bail. Smith pleaded guilty on February 6, 2015, and a sentencing hearing was set for May 27, 2015. On the day of sentencing, however, Smith failed to appear. Approximately four months later, Smith was arrested by deputies from the U.S. Marshals Service in Jacksonville.

This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service, Jacksonville Field Office and the U.S. Marshals Service. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.

Former Marion County, Florida, Deputy Sheriff Jesse Alan Terrell, 33, was indicted late yesterday on charges of violating the civil rights of “D.P.”, an unnamed victim, by using excessive force during an arrest.  The indictment was returned by a federal grand jury in the Middle District of Florida, and was announced by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta, head of the Civil Rights Division, and U.S. Attorney A. Lee Bentley III of the Middle District of Florida.

The indictment alleges that on Aug. 7, 2014, Terrell, while working as a deputy sheriff with the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, assaulted “D.P.,” resulting in bodily injury.  The indictment alleges that Terrell repeatedly struck, kneed and kicked the victim in the head, neck and shoulder area.

If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

An indictment is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Jacksonville Division, and is being prosecuted by U.S. Attorney A. Lee Bentley III of the Middle District of Florida and Mark Blumberg and Maura White of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section. 

Terrell Indictment

Tampa, FL – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the return of an indictment charging former Marion County Deputy Sheriff Jesse Alan Terrell, 33, with violating the civil rights of “D.P.”, an unnamed victim, by using excessive force during an arrest.  

The indictment alleges that on Aug. 7, 2014, Terrell, while working as a deputy sheriff with the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, assaulted “D.P.,” resulting in bodily injury.  The indictment alleges that Terrell repeatedly struck, kneed and kicked the victim in the head, neck and shoulder area.

If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

An indictment is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Four other deputies from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office were previously charged for their roles in the August 2014 incident. Cody Hoppel, Adam Crawford, James Amidei, and Trevor Fitzgerald have each pleaded guilty to federal civil rights violations and are currently awaiting sentencing.

This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Jacksonville Division, and is being prosecuted by U.S. Attorney Bentley and Mark Blumberg and Maura White of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section.

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Robert Lohr (72, Bradenton) today pleaded guilty to conspiracy to smuggle goods into the United States. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to the plea agreement, from July 2009 through September 25, 2015, Lohr operated a business in Bradenton known as “Canadian American Drug Club” or “American Drug Club of Bradenton.” The business sold and distributed illegally smuggled prescription drugs, including Viagra, Cialis, Achiphex, and Lipitor, as well as other drug products that were falsely represented as “herbal”, but that contained active prescription ingredients. At no time was Lohr ever licensed as a pharmacist, a drug importer, or drug wholesaler. Neither was American Drug Club a licensed pharmacy or licensed drug importer or wholesaler. 

Between March 21, 2014, and September 15, 2015, several undercover purchases of misbranded, unapproved, and counterfeit prescription drugs were made from Lohr’s business. Prescriptions for Viagra and Cialis were filled and mailed from the business, along with counterfeit drugs made in China. Other prescription drugs, such as Achiphex and Lipitor, were filled by foreign pharmacies with foreign drugs, which had not been approved for the U.S. market. Lohr also sold several herbal Viagra products, without prescriptions, that had been illegally smuggled from China.  These products, with names such as “Maxmen”, “Superhard”, or “Vigour,” contained Sildendafil Citrate, the active pharmaceutical ingredient in Viagra. Several of the packages addressed to Lohr’s business, containing the counterfeit drugs, were seized by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. 

Lohr generated more than $1.1 million in sales from these counterfeit drugs. The proceeds were deposited in the form of cash, third-party customer checks, and bank card transactions into business and personal bank accounts controlled by Lohr and others. The proceeds from the sales were seized and forfeited in September 2015, including $765,909.35 from an investment account, $60,722 from a business bank account, as well as $79,700 in cash that was stored in Lohr’s safe deposit box. Another $20,135 in cash was seized from Lohr’s business. 

This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigaitons and the United States Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”), which is responsible for protecting the health and safety of the American public, and ensuring that drugs intended for human use bear true and accurate information and are safe and effective for their intended uses. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kelley Howard-Allen and Holly Gershow.

Jacksonville, Florida – United States District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Robert Lamar Starling (31, Lake City) to 13 years in federal prison for transporting child pornography over the Internet.  He was also ordered to serve a 15-year term of supervised release and to register as a sex offender. He has been in federal custody since his arrest on May 1, 2014.

According to court documents, beginning in September 2013, FBI agents executed a series of search warrants on several email accounts around the country and determined, among other things, that a user in Lake City, Florida had uploaded images of child pornography to the Internet, using an account on a photo sharing site. Further investigation traced the account back to a residence in Lake City, where Starling resided.

On May 1, 2014, FBI agents and other law enforcement officers executed a federal search warrant at the residence. Starling was not at the residence, but was located later that morning driving his golf cart at the Suwannee Music Park & Campground in Live Oak. During an interview at his campsite, Starling stated that he had produced pornographic images of several prepubescent children. Subsequent analyses of Starling’s laptop computer revealed that it contained more than 8,000 images and over 2,000 videos depicting child pornography.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, the Suwannee County Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.  It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.

It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 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 – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the unsealing of an indictment charging William Reid Penuel (37, Ponte Vedra Beach) with embezzlement from a bankruptcy estate and making a false statement. If convicted, he faces up to five years in federal prison on each count. Penuel was arraigned in federal court today and was released on a $50,000 bond.  

According to the indictment, between March 2015 and July 2015, Penuel, while serving as the Chapter 7 Trustee in a business bankruptcy case, embezzled estate funds held in a BB&T bank account. The indictment further alleges that, on August 19, 2015, Penuel lied to an FBI agent when he claimed that he had transferred the estate funds to his account at Ameris Bank. In fact, Penuel did not have an account at Ameris Bank.

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

This case was investigated by the Jacksonville office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dale Campion.

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Carlos E. Mendoza has sentenced Sandra Nieves (41, Orlando) to three years and ten months in federal prison for conspiring to pass and possess counterfeit currency.  Her co-conspirator, Eileen Santos (51, Orlando), was sentenced to seven months in federal prison for her role in this case.  Both women were found guilty by a federal jury on October 28, 2015.

According to evidence presented during trial and sentencing, between December 2011 and January 2012, Nieves, Santos, along with co-conspirators Jorge Ortiz-Pulgarin, Ramon Rodriguez, Carlos Fuentes, and others, traveled from central Florida up the east coast of the United States with approximately $40,000 in counterfeit currency.  The group stopped at more than 30 locations to make small purchases. They used counterfeit $100 bills and received genuine U.S. currency as change.  Additionally, Nieves made two trips to Colombia to obtain more than $100,000 in counterfeit currency to bring back into the United States.

Five others members of the conspiracy were previously federally charged, convicted, and sentenced for their roles in this case. Fabian Ortiz and Erik Rodriguez were each sentenced to 27 months’ imprisonment; Jorge Ortiz-Pulgarin was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison; Ramon Rodriguez and Carlos Fuentes were sentenced to serve 7 and 6 month sentences, respectively.

This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Embry J. Kidd and Shawn P. Napier.

Orlando, Florida – Senior U.S. District Judge G. Kendall Sharp has sentenced four family members for their involvement in an access device fraud ring. Eileen Hightower (50, Kissimmee) was sentenced to three years and ten months in federal prison.  Her children, Samuel Velasquez, Jr. (26, Kissimmee) and Sabrina Velasquez (25, Kissimmee), along with her niece, Jennifer Cancel (28, Hartford, CT), were each sentenced to serve a term of three years’ imprisonment. The Court also ordered the individuals to pay a total of $107.097.33 in restitution. Each previously pleaded guilty for their role in this case.

According to court documents, the group had obtained counterfeit driver licenses and counterfeit credit cards encoded with stolen account information. The account numbers actually belonged to cardholders who were victimized by this scheme. The counterfeit credit cards were used by Hightower and her family members to purchase Orlando-area theme park tickets at hotel ticket kiosks throughout central Florida. They then sold the fraudulently-obtained tickets to ticket resellers in Kissimmee.  Over a period of a few months, more than $100,000 in theme park tickets were fraudulently purchased and then resold.

This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel C. Irick.

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that a federal jury has found Alejandro Estrada Aplesa (27, DeLand) guilty of possession with intent distribute cocaine, and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, cocaine. He faces a maximum penalty of 40 years in federal prison for each count. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

Aplesa was charged by a superseding indictment on December 16, 2015. 

According to evidence presented at trial, on August 24, 2015, Aplesa was stopped for speeding in St. Johns County on Interstate I-95. The St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office deployed a canine and handler team, which detected the presence of illegal drugs in the car. A search of the car revealed three one-kilogram bundles of cocaine in a bag under the driver’s seat. At the scene, Aplesa and his passenger denied that there were drugs in the car. 

During the trial, Aplesa testified, denying that the cocaine had been his and asserted that he had been asked to run an errand, not knowing that the delivery of cocaine was involved. Aplesa claimed he had discovered the cocaine in the car only minutes before the traffic stop and that he had been returning to confront the man ultimately responsible for sending him on the delivery, but had been stopped by the police before he could do so. 

This case was investigated by the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Michael J. Coolican and Frank Talbot.

Jacksonville, Florida – Senior United States District Judge Henry Lee Adams has sentenced Darius Jondi Edwards (36, Tampa) to 33 months in federal prison for manufacturing counterfeit Federal Reserve notes. As part of his sentence, the Court ordered Edwards to pay restitution to the various businesses that he had defrauded. 

According to court documents, Edwards used computer media to manufacture counterfeit Federal Reserve notes in denominations of $10, $20, and $100, then provided them to his co-defendant, Timothy Deante Burroughs. During the same period, Burroughs and Edwards entered various businesses in Jacksonville and passed counterfeit $100 bills. On December 1, 2014, Burroughs entered a Publix and passed counterfeit cash. Upon being confronted by store employees, he fled on foot. Officers from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office soon located Burroughs at a nearby motel and detained him. A search of the motel room resulted in the recovery of additional counterfeit $100 bills and led law enforcement to another motel in the immediate vicinity.

At the second location, law enforcement encountered Edwards in front of a motel room. During a search of his room, officers located sheets of uncut counterfeit $100, $20, $10, $1 bills, along with several bleached genuine $10 bills printed as counterfeit $100 notes. They also recovered multiple computers and printers being used by Edwards to manufacture counterfeit currency.

On December 20, 2015, Burroughs was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison for his role in the case. As part of his sentence, the Court ordered Burroughs to pay restitution to the various businesses that he had defrauded.

This case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and the United States Secret Service, Jacksonville Field Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.

Jacksonville, Florida – United States District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Ronald Eugene Mabrey, Jr. (34, Callahan) to six years in federal prison for receiving child pornography over the Internet. He was also ordered to register as a sex offender and to forfeit his computer media. Mabrey has been in federal custody since his arrest on July 28, 2015. 

According to court documents, on July 28, 2015, FBI agents and other law enforcement officers executed a federal search warrant at Mabrey’s residence. During an interview, Mabrey admitted that he had searched for, downloaded, and viewed “all types” of child pornography, and he stated that his addiction to child pornography had started about four years ago.  A subsequent forensic examination of Mabrey’s laptop and a thumb drive revealed more than 190 videos and at least 4,000 images depicting child pornography.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.

It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 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.