Middle District of Florida
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Casselberry Man Convicted of Possessing Bombs in Winter ParkRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that a federal jury today found Carl Joseph Thomas Pisa (24, Casselberry) guilty of possessing destructive devices. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. His sentencing hearing has been set for January 20, 2016.
According to court documents, in December 2014, an undercover agent (UC) contacted Pisa in response to an online ad for a military simulator offered for sale. Pisa agreed to sell him the simulator. Between December 2014 and February 2015, Pisa met with the UC on several occasions to sell the UC explosives. On February 6, 2015, Pisa sold the UC 12 improvised explosive devices in a parking lot in Winter Park. During that meeting, the UC asked Pisa if the explosives could kill somebody, to which Pisa responded, “yes.” In describing the bombs, Pisa explained how ball bearings would blast out from the device in a perfect cone upon initiation. The devices were sent to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives laboratory for examination, where they were identified as explosive bombs and destructive devices. It was also determined that they were not properly registered to Pisa in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys James D. Mandolfo and Kara M. Wick.
It 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 and improve the quality of life where law enforcement efforts are focused.
Patrick Air Force Base Staff Sergeant Arrested for Enticement of Minor for SexRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Staff Sergeant Thomas Allen Vaughn (33, Patrick Air Force Base, Florida) has been arrested and charged by criminal complaint for enticement of a minor for sex.
According to the complaint, between October 23, 2015, and October 28, 2105, Vaughn communicated by email and text message with and individual he believed was a 14-year-old female “child,” but who was actually an undercover law enforcement officer. During the communications, Vaughn solicited “naughty” pictures from the “child,” informed the “child” that his hobbies included kissing, foreplay, oral, teasing, and sex, and told the child about his genitalia. Subsequently, Vaughn made plans to meet the “child” at an agreed upon location, where he was arrested.
A criminal complaint is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations. It will be 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.
Former Telemarketing Manager Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – Senior U.S. District Judge John Antoon, II has sentenced Tammie Lynn Cline (33, Leominster, MA) to two years and six months in federal prison for her role in the operation of a boiler room. She also was ordered to pay more than $1.2 million in restitution to her victims. Cline pleaded guilty on July 17, 2015.
According to court documents, Cline and her codefendant, Mark Gardner (28, Osteen, FL), operated a boiler room in Central Florida. Along with the telemarketers who worked at their call center, they would make unsolicited calls to owners of timeshare properties located throughout the United States. During those calls, they claimed that they worked for Universal Timeshare Sales Associates (UTSA) out of Beaverton, Oregon, that UTSA had a purchaser who was interested in buying a timeshare, and that the timeshare owner just needed to pay a fee between $1,600 and $2,200 for the sale to proceed.
In order to convince timeshare owners to pay the fee, Gardner, Cline, and their telemarketers would sometimes claim that an interested purchaser was present in the showroom ready to buy a timeshare, that a buyer had already deposited money into an escrow account for the sale, or that the sale would take place in about 90 days. Those representations were false. The timeshares were not sold as had been promised, and members of the conspiracy would deny or ignore requests for refunds, and would dispute chargebacks with the credit card companies.
In total, victims lost more than $1.2 million due to operation of the telemarketing call center.
In May 2013, the Federal Trade Commission and the Florida Attorney General’s Office filed a civil action against Gardner, Cline, and others in federal court. In June 2014, the district court entered a permanent injunction against them related to certain telemarketing practices.
Gardner previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud and money laundering. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for December 3, 2015.
This case was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg.
Neptune Beach Man Sentenced to More Than Seven Years for Transporting and Receiving Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States District Judge Brian J. Davis yesterday sentenced Robert Earl Rice (48, Neptune Beach) to seven years and six months in federal prison for transporting and possessing child pornography, to be followed by 10 years of supervised release. Rice pleaded guilty on June 24, 2015.
According to court records, Rice used his email address to trade and receive videos of child pornography. He admitted to viewing and collecting child pornography from 2012 until April 2014, and he also admitted to using search terms to find child pornography on the Internet.
“Crimes against our children are deplorable and HSI special agents will not rest until these criminals are brought to justice,” said Susan L. McCormick, special agent in charge of HSI Tampa.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelly S. Karase.
It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Jury Convicts Orlando Women of Conspiring to Pass and Possess Counterfeit CurrencyRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that a federal jury has found Sandra Milena Nieves (41) and Eileen Santos (50), both of Orlando, guilty of conspiring to pass and possess counterfeit currency. The jury also convicted Nieves on substantive counts of passing and possessing counterfeit currency and Santos on a substantive count of possessing counterfeit currency. Nieves and Santos each face a maximum penalty of 45 and 25 years in federal prison, respectively. They were indicted on June 2, 2015. Their sentencing hearing is scheduled for January 21, 2016.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, 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. During the road trip, in December 2011, conspirators attempted to pass a counterfeit bill at a mall in Melbourne, Florida. The serial number on the bill matched the number of other counterfeit bills that were subsequently seized from co-conspirators.
In January 2012, Jorge Ortiz-Pulgarin was arrested with $6,500 in counterfeit currency. Shortly thereafter, another member of the conspiracy, Fabian Ortiz, was arrested with more than $200,000 in counterfeit currency. Ortiz-Pulgarin and Ortiz were each federally charged, convicted, and sentenced for their roles in the conspiracy. Ramon Rodriguez and Carlos Fuentes have pleaded guilty for their roles in this conspiracy and are scheduled to be sentenced on November 5, 2015.
This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Embry J. Kidd and Shawn P. Napier.
Former Immigration Officer Pleads Guilty to Concealing Relationship with Foreign National During Security Clearance InvestigationRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida. – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Paul Reynolds Friel, Jr. (47, Orange Park) pleaded guilty today to concealing material facts during an interview with a government agent. He faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison. His co-defendant, Marisol Del Carmen Rodriguez Chavarria (40, Orange Park), also pleaded guilty today, to possessing a visa that had been obtained by means of a false statement. She faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. The sentencing dates have not yet been set.
According to court documents, Rodriguez entered the United States from Nicaragua on December 10, 2010, on an immigrant visa issued by the State Department. Her visa was granted based on the false representation that she intended to permanently reside with her American spouse, Luis Aguilar, at his residence. Court records indicate that Friel knew Rodriguez from previous trips to Nicaragua and that he had made the reservations and paid for her airfare to the United States. In March 2011, Rodriguez divorced her spouse and moved into an apartment with Friel. Thereafter, she and Friel lived together in a romantic relationship. In March 2012, they were married and later had a child together.
Friel was an immigration officer with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. In December 2011, during a background investigation for a national security clearance, Friel failed to disclose his relationship with Rodriguez, a foreign national.
Rodriguez’s former spouse, Luis Aguilar, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit visa fraud, and is awaiting sentencing.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General, and the Jacksonville office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dale Campion.
Two Former Tampa Police Department Officers Indicted on Tax Fraud and Money Laundering ChargesRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the return of an indictment charging LaJoyce Caldwell Houston (49) and Eric Houston (54) with conspiracy, theft of government property, and money laundering conspiracy. LaJoyce Houston is also charged with obtaining information from a protected computer with the intent to defraud and aggravated identity theft. If convicted, each faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in federal prison for the conspiracy count, up to 10 years in federal prison for each of the theft of government property counts, and up to 20 years’ imprisonment for the money laundering conspiracy count. LaJoyce Houston also faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison for the computer intrusion count and 2 years’ imprisonment for the aggravated identity theft count, to be served consecutive to any term of imprisonment imposed for the theft of government property and computer intrusion counts. The indictment notifies the couple that the United States intends to seek a forfeiture money judgment in an amount to be determined, but at least $239,116.91, which is traceable to the proceeds of the offenses.
According to the indictment, LaJoyce Houston was a sworn law enforcement officer with the Tampa Police Department (TPD). As part of her authorized duties, she had access to local, state, and federal law enforcement databases, including the State of Florida’s Driver and Vehicle Information Database (DAVID), but her use was restricted to the performance of her authorized duties. Her husband, TPD homicide detective Eric Houston, also had access to the databases for the performance of his authorized duties.
The indictment alleges that beginning in approximately 2010, the Houstons conspired to, among other things, access the personally identifiable information (PII) of individuals using a variety of sources, including law enforcement databases, and transmit it to Rita Girven and others, whom they knew were using that information to commit crimes, including the filing of false federal income tax returns, the receipt of fraudulently obtained tax refunds, establishing and using bank accounts in others’ names, and identity theft. Girven was a TPD informant and a friend of the couple.
The conspirators directed that the fraudulently obtained tax refunds be deposited onto reloadable debit cards or deposited directly into bank accounts opened and maintained in the names of the conspirators and others, including identities that had been stolen. The conspirators then used the debit cards and bank accounts to conduct financial transactions, including making purchases, paying off lines of credit, purchasing money orders, and withdrawing cash from ATMs.
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.
Rita Girven was charged separately with conspiracy to commit wire fraud in the filing of fraudulent federal income taxes. She pleaded guilty on March 16, 2015, and is scheduled to be sentenced on November 20, 2015.
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, the Tampa Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Mandy Riedel and Megan Kistler.
Live Oak Police Sergeant Arrested and Charged in Federal Court with Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces today that Kyle Adam Kirby (35, Live Oak) has been arrested and charged with possession of child pornography. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison, and a potential life term of supervision. Kirby was arrested today, without incident, at the Live Oak Police Department. His detention hearing is scheduled for October 30, 2015.
According to the criminal complaint, on October 22, 2015, FBI agents and other law enforcement officers executed a federal search warrant at Kirby’s residence, as the result of an undercover online child pornography investigation. No computers were recovered from the home. That same morning, the Live Oak police chief authorized the agents to inspect and search the computer located inside Kirby’s patrol car. A forensic examination of the patrol car computer used by Kirby revealed that it contained at least 87 thumbnail images in a “Downloads” folder that either depicted children engaged in sexually explicit conduct or that had titles indicative of child pornography.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. 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.
Clermont Woman Sentenced to 9 Years in Federal Prison for Investment FraudRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – Senior U.S. District Judge Wm. Terrell Hodges has sentenced Jenifer E. Hoffman (39, Clermont) to nine years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and filing a false tax return. She was also ordered to pay more than $10.7 million in restitution. Hoffman pleaded guilty on June 29, 2015.
According to court documents, Hoffman and her two conspirators, John C. Boschert (43, Apopka) and Bryan T. Zuzga (39, Coldwater, Michigan), defrauded over $10 million from more than 100 victims through investments offered in connection with a company called Assured Capital Consultants. As part of their solicitations, the conspirators represented to investors that money would be placed in a Performing Private Placement Investment, and that Boschert had connections to the trading program being used. Investors were told that their investments would be safe and that none of their money would leave the attorney escrow account that belonged to Zuzga, who was represented as being an attorney licensed in Florida. Investors were further advised that their funds would be used as collateral for a line of credit, which would then be used in trading.
None of those representations were true. Zuzga was not an attorney licensed in Florida or any other state, and the funds were not deposited into any escrow account controlled by him. Instead, the three operated a scheme in which money from later investors was paid to earlier investors. The three also used some of the money from the scheme for themselves, including purchasing residences for Hoffman and Zuzga.
In a prior civil proceeding, the United States forfeited two residences belonging to Hoffman and Zuzga, which had been purchased with proceeds from the scheme. The government obtained more than $850,000 from the sale of the two properties, and the proceeds from those sales were distributed to the victims of the scheme.
Boschert and Zuzga previously pleaded guilty for their roles in this scheme. On June 23, 2015, Boschert was sentenced to nine years in federal prison. Zuzga was sentenced on September 24, 2015, to six years in federal prison.
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, the United States Secret Service, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Roger B. Handberg, James Mandolfo, and Nicole M. Andrejko.
South Florida Man Pleads Guilty to Manufacturing and Passing Counterfeit Federal Reserve NotesRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Ralph Darel Lipsey (28, Miramar) has pleaded guilty to manufacturing and passing counterfeit Federal Reserve notes. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison on each count. Lipsey also has agreed to forfeit the monetary proceeds he obtained as a result of the crime, as well as the computer media he used to manufacture counterfeit notes. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the plea agreement, in January 2015, Lipsey and his co-defendants, Marcos Rogelio Blake and Leon White, passed or attempted to pass counterfeit Federal Reserve notes at multiple businesses in Nassau County. Law enforcement officers subsequently issued an alert for the three individuals. On January 17, 2015, a deputy from the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office stopped a vehicle with the three men inside. Blake, who was driving the vehicle, was detained due to a suspended license. During a search, the deputy found genuine and counterfeit bills on Blake. An inventory search of the vehicle yielded additional counterfeit notes and a lock box. The lock box contained computer media and supplies used to manufacture counterfeit bills.
On September 30, 2015, Marcos Rogelio Blake (24, New York) pleaded guilty to manufacturing and passing counterfeit Federal Reserve notes, and possessing counterfeit business checks. His sentencing date has not yet been set. Leon White is scheduled for trial in December 2015.
This case was investigated by the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office and the United States Secret Service, Jacksonville Field Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.
Former Police Chief Convicted of Conspiracy and BriberyRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that a federal jury today found Thomas S. Jackson (58, Longwood) guilty of one count of conspiracy and three counts of bribery of an agent of a local government receiving federal funds. He faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in federal prison for the conspiracy count and up to 10 years’ imprisonment for each bribery count. His sentencing hearing has been set for January 11, 2016.
According to the evidence introduced at trial, from 1997 to May 28, 2010, Jackson was the Chief of Police of the Longwood Police Department (LPD). Between October 2007, and Jackson’s retirement on May 28, 2010, Samer Majzoub (54, Heathrow, FL), a convicted felon, paid Jackson more than $30,000 in bribes. In return, Jackson appointed Majzoub as an officer with the LPD. He also gave Majzoub the supervisory titles of commander, lieutenant, and sergeant. Jackson provided Majzoub with badges and credentials that represented Majzoub as an officer of LPD, and also assisted Majzoub in possessing firearms and ammunition. As a previously convicted felon, Majzoub was prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition under federal law.
Majzoub has been charged by indictment with one count of conspiracy and three counts of bribery of an agent of a local government receiving federal funds. He has not been arrested and is a fugitive.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Roger B. Handberg and James D. Mandolfo.
Windermere Woman Pleads Guilty in "Project Synergy” Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Camila Correa (25, Windermere) has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to import a controlled substance, conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute and distribution of a controlled substance, and witness tampering. She faces a maximum penalty of 60 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
Camila Correa is the fifth Orlando defendant to plead guilty to drug trafficking and related charges concerning the importation and distribution of methylone and ethylone from China, into the Middle District of Florida. These Florida prosecutions are part of an international investigation headed by the Department of Justice’s Special Operations Division entitled Project Synergy.
According to court documents and evidence presented in this case, from no later than January 2014, through their arrests on March 18, 2015, Thiago Correa (“T. Correa”), Camila Correa (“C. Correa”), Travis Simmons, and others conspired to import and distribute no less than 25 kilograms of ethylone and methylone, also called “Molly” or “Mol,” from China, into Orlando, Melbourne, Titusville, Windermere, Orange and Brevard Counties. Additional controlled substances involved in this case are referred to as a-PVP and PVP. T. Correa was a leader and organizer in the conspiracy, in that he ordered the drugs from China, paid for and directed others to pay for the drugs, coordinated shipments, recruited and directed others to the drugs, and distributed and directed others to distribute the drugs. He also possessed and carried firearms during meetings wherein at least one other person was recruited to participate in the conspiracy. C. Correa recruited at least one other person to participate in the conspiracy, provided detailed directions regarding the receipt and transportation of several packages of ethylone, communicated messages to and from co-conspirators, and threatened and intimidated a witness believed to be providing information to federal authorities regarding the groups’ criminal activities. As part of his role in the conspiracy, Simmons transported ethylone, communicated messages, and recruited others to participate in the conspiracy. During the meeting to recruit others into the conspiracy, he also possessed firearms.
In late 2014, Eduardo Da Silva and Mirielson Macedo Pereira worked together to import over a kilogram of ethylone from China to Orlando. Da Silva had previously attempted to import additional ethylone from China and was found with money, drugs, and other evidence upon his arrest.
Below is a chart indicating the status of the defendants’ court cases:
Defendant:
Potential Maximum Sentence:
Sentencing Court:
Sentence / Sentencing Date:
Thiago Correa
Life
U.S. District Judge Gregory A. Presnell
December 14, 2015
Camila Correa
60 Years
U.S. District Judge Gregory A. Presnell
January 11, 2016
Travis Simmons
40 Years
U.S. District Judge Gregory A. Presnell
84 months in federal prison
Eduardo Da Silva
40 Years
U.S. District Judge Carlos E. Mendoza
December 3, 2015
Mirielson Macedo Pereira
40 Years
U.S. District Judge Carlos E. Mendoza
December 3, 2015
“This conspiracy shows how massive quantities of synthetic drugs can enter our communities,” said Susan L. McCormick, special agent in charge of HSI Tampa. “HSI special agents and our law enforcement partners, like the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office, will continue to work together toward keeping dangerous and deadly substances from harming our citizens.”
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney J. Bishop Ravenel.
Tampa Man Pleads Guilty to Manufacturing Counterfeit Federal Reserve NotesRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Darius Jondi Edwards (35, Tampa) has pleaded guilty to manufacturing counterfeit Federal Reserve notes. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the plea agreement, in November and December 2014, 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 bills. Upon being confronted by store employees, he fled the store on foot. 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 Edwards’s 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 October 20, 2015, Burroughs (32, Jacksonville) was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison for passing counterfeit notes.
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.
New Port Richey Man Sentenced for Child ExploitationRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – United States District Judge Elizabeth A. Kovachevich today sentenced Mark Joseph Unrein (62, New Port Richey) to 12 years and 7 months in federal prison for using a computer and cell phone to attempt to entice a child for sex, and for possession of child pornography. He was found guilty by a jury on July 24, 2015.
According to court documents, Unrein communicated online with an undercover officer who was posing as the mother of a 12-year-old girl. Unrein discussed engaging in sexual acts with the child and traveled late at night on May 9, 2014, to a location in order to meet the “child” for sex. Upon arriving at the location, Unrein crept around the house, peered into windows, and finally approached the door, where he was arrested. Law enforcement subsequently located the computer that Unrein had used to communicate with the undercover officer. A forensic examination of that computer showed that Unrein possessed multiple images of child pornography, including pictures of children in 29 separate identified series. A number of the victims were from the United States, Germany, Norway, Canada, and other places. Unrein was also found to possess images of babies and toddlers being sexually abused, as well as children that were bound and being forced to engage in sexual acts.
“This sentencing emphasizes the gravity of this crime,” said Susan L. McCormick, special agent in charge of HSI Tampa. “This should serve as a shocking reminder to parents that the Internet can be dangerous and online activity of children should be appropriately monitored.”
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. 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.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Lake Mary Man Sentenced to More Than Seventeen Years for Attempting to Entice A Minor into Illicit Sexual ConductRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States District Judge Roy B. Dalton, Jr. has sentenced Dennis Michael Wilkerson (40, Lake Mary) to 17 years and 6 months in federal prison for attempting to persuade, induce, and entice a minor to engage in illicit sexual conduct. Wilkerson was convicted by a federal jury on April 16, 2015.
According to evidence presented during the trial, on October 22, 2014, an FBI Task Force Officer, working in an undercover capacity, posted an advertisement on Craigslist. Wilkerson responded by e-mail, inquiring about sexual activity with a 12-year-old “girl.” After a series of communications with the undercover officer, Wilkerson agreed to pay $50 to receive oral sex from the “girl.” A few days later, Wilkerson traveled to Seminole County to meet with the minor. He was subsequently arrested. Agents recovered $53 from Wilkerson’s pocket after his arrest. He acknowledged that the money was to be used as payment for sex.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ilianys Rivera Miranda.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Jacksonville Woman Pleads Guilty to Manufacturing and Possessing Counterfeit Business ChecksRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Mychi Michelle Jones (30, Jacksonville) has pleaded guilty to manufacturing and possessing counterfeit business checks. She faces a maximum penalty of up to 25 years in federal prison for the manufacturing charge and up to 10 years’ imprisonment on the possession charge. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the plea agreement, between 2013 and October 2014, Jones manufactured more than 100 counterfeit business checks. Working with others, she obtained compromised bank account numbers and payee names and used that information to print counterfeit business checks. In an effort to make the checks look authentic, Jones used the names of various Jacksonville-area businesses as the purported issuers.
In October 2014, as part of a joint investigation with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, agents from the United States Secret Service executed a federal search warrant at Jones’s room at the Emerson Inn hotel in Jacksonville. Agents located, among other items, a computer, a printer, blank check stock, and a large number of counterfeit checks in various stages of completion. A forensic examination of the seized computer subsequently established that it had been used by Jones to manufacture counterfeit business checks.
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 Man Pleads Guilty in $2.1 Million Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Andrew A. Rooks (58, Jacksonville) has pleaded guilty to two separate conspiracies to commit mail and wire fraud. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison on each count, plus a fine of twice the amount of the fraud loss. The plea agreement provides for restitution in the approximate amount of $2,187,000 to two victims, Sea Star Line, LLC and TrailerBridge, Inc. The agreement also provides for the entry of a personal money judgment against Rooks in the amount of approximately $2,187,000, which represents the proceeds of the fraud. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to court documents, from 2001 until July 2011, Rooks worked for Sea Star Line, LLC, in its Jacksonville office. Sea Star transports goods by vessel in interstate and foreign commerce and has operations at the Port of Jacksonville. Rooks last served as the assistant vice president of operations. Beginning no later than November 2005, Rooks authorized the payment of phony invoices submitted on behalf of co-conspirator Keith Beavers. The invoices were for container and equipment decals that were never provided to Sea Star. The total payments Sea Star made to Beavers exceeded $1 million. During the same period, Rooks also carried on a second conspiracy. He authorized the payment of phony invoices to two companies controlled by co-conspirator Russell Cody. The invoices, totally more than $1 million, were for inspection and transportation services of Sea Star’s containers and equipment. They were false because those services were never provided by Tiburon Transportation Services or Lancer Logistics, which were front companies that Cody controlled. Instead, Beavers and Cody made kickback payments to Rooks, and to a company Rooks controlled.
After Rooks was terminated by Sea Star, he got a job with another Jacksonville company, TrailerBridge, Inc., and continued the scheme. TrailerBridge paid approximately $107,000 as a result of phony invoices.
Beavers and Cody previously pleaded guilty to their role in the conspiracies and are scheduled for sentencing on February 1, 2016.
This case was investigated by the Jacksonville office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dale Campion.
Indiana Man Indicted on Federal Charge of Failure to Register as A Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Ricardo Lamont Irvine (42, Evansville, Indiana) has been indicted by a federal grand jury and charged with failing to register as a sex offender after traveling from Indiana to Florida. If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in federal prison. Irvine was arrested in Jacksonville on September 22, 2015.
According to the indictment, on or about November 4, 1996, Irvine was convicted of child molestation in Evansville, Indiana. Subsequent to his conviction, and between June 8, 2015, and September 14, 2015, Irvine traveled from Indiana to Florida but 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.
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 until, and unless, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.
It is another 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, 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.
Gibsonton Couple Indicted for Stolen Identity Refund FraudRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Ynessa Brown and Thelonius Robertson with 10 counts of wire fraud, 1 count of conspiring to commit tax fraud, and 5 counts of aggravated identity theft. Brown is also charged with 2 counts of filing false tax returns. If convicted, they face a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison for each count of wire fraud, and up to 5 years’ imprisonment for each count of filing a false tax return and the conspiracy charge, to be followed by 2 years’ imprisonment on the identity theft counts. The indictment also notifies Brown and Robertson that the United States is seeking a money judgment in the amount of $767,398, the proceeds of the charged criminal conduct.
According to the indictment, from January 2012 through June 2013, Brown and Robertson possessed and used stolen identities, including those of deceased persons, to electronically file false and fraudulent tax returns. They then directed the refunds from those fraudulent filings to debit cards, many in other people’s names. The debit cards were sent directly to Brown and Robertson, as well as to their friends and family, and to vacant addresses. Brown and Robertson spent the fraudulently obtained tax refund monies at various retail locations and also obtained cash via ATM withdrawals. In addition, Brown filed fraudulent tax returns in her name for 2011 and 2012, claiming more than $18,000 in refunds to which she was not entitled.
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 Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office and the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelley C. Howard-Allen.
Court of Appeals Upholds 210-Year Sentence for Child-Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
Orlando, FL - United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley III announces that the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit today upheld a 210-year sentence of imprisonment for Matthew Graziotti—a former elementary-school teacher, summer-camp director, and youth pastor—for producing, distributing, and possessing child pornography.
According to court documents, Graziotti had distributed images and videos depicting the sexual abuse and exploitation of children to an undercover FBI agent. During the execution of a search warrant, agents had located an enormous collection of photographs and videos showing the rape and exploitation of thousands of children. One computer folder, titled, “personally known,” had contained sexually explicit photographs and videos of 29 children whom Graziotti personally had sexually abused when they were under the age of 12 and had been entrusted to him in his various positions of authority. Graziotti had stored those sexually explicit photographs and videos in subfolders bearing each child-victim’s name. He had produced these images from 2010 through 2014.
Graziotti argued that his 210-year sentence is unreasonable because it is several times greater than his remaining life expectancy and therefore is, by definition, greater than necessary to serve any legitimate sentencing purpose. The Court of Appeals stated that the sentence is not unreasonable simply because it is physically impossible for Graziotti to serve it, observing that child-sex offenses are among the most “egregious and despicable of societal and criminal offenses.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted in the district court by Assistant United States Attorney Karen L. Gable. The appeal was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Susan H. Rothstein-Youakim and Assistant United States Attorney Linda Julin McNamara, Deputy Chief of the Appellate Division.
The 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.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Polk County Man Pleads Guilty in “G-RAP” Military Recruitment ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Frank Gonzalez-Santiago (52, Polk County) has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to steal government funds. He faces up to five years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to court documents, in 2005, the Department of Defense contracted with a private company to operate the Guard Recruiting Assistance Program (“G-RAP”) to help in the recruitment and enlistment of members of the armed services. Under this program, G-RAP Recruitment Assistants (“RAs”) were paid to identify and solicit individuals to join the armed services, and were paid only after one of their recruits joined the armed services. Program rules prohibited professional military recruiters from being paid for any part of a recruitment that a G-RAP RA had initiated. During the course of the conspiracy, Gonzalez-Santiago was a professional Army National Guard recruiter. He conspired with G-RAP RAs who falsely claimed to have recruited enlistees when, in reality, Gonzalez-Santiago had recruited them into the military. The conspirators did so in order to share their G-RAP payments with recruiters such as Gonzalez-Santiago.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Army-Criminal Investigation Division. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jay L. Hoffer.
Jury Convicts Jacksonville Man of Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that a federal jury today found James Dale Little (43, Jacksonville) guilty of transporting and possessing child pornography. Little faces a mandatory minimum of 5 years, up to 30 years, in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for January 26, 2016. He was indicted on March 26, 2015.
According to evidence presented at trial, from December 21, 2012, through January 26, 2013, Little obtained images depicting child pornography using an email account. He also sent an image of child pornography by email on January 26, 2013.
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kelly S. Karase and Gregory T. 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 the 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 Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Passing Counterfeit Federal Reserve NotesRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – Senior United States District Judge Henry Lee Adams has sentenced Timothy Deante Burroughs (32, Jacksonville) to 21 months in federal prison for passing counterfeit Federal Reserve Notes. As part of the sentence, the Court also ordered Burroughs to pay restitution to the various businesses that he had defrauded.
According to court documents, in November and December 2014, Burroughs entered various businesses in Jacksonville and passed counterfeit $100 Federal Reserve Notes (FRN). On December 1, 2014, he entered a Publix and passed counterfeit FRN. Upon being confronted by Publix employees, Burroughs fled the store on foot. The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO) soon located Burroughs at a nearby Motel 6 hotel room and detained him. A search of the room resulted in the recovery of additional counterfeit $100 FRN.
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.
Four Charged in Series of Armed RobberiesRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the return of a third superseding indictment charging Samuel Lee Lynch (29, Tampa), Christopher Marquis Fruster (20, Tampa), Reo Thomas Nance (31, Lakeland), and Brittany Jenae Hall (26, Tampa) with conspiracy, armed robbery, and firearms offenses in connection with five Tampa Bay area armed robberies occurring between March 15, 2015, and April 24, 2015. In addition, Hall has been charged with obstruction of justice for providing false testimony before a federal grand jury.
Lynch faces a mandatory life sentence if convicted on any one of the six charges related to the robberies. If convicted on all counts, Fruster, Nance, and Hall each face a mandatory minimum penalty of 35, 32, and 10 years’ imprisonment, respectively. The indictment also notifies the defendants that the United States intends to forfeit two firearms and $93,519, which is alleged to be traceable to proceeds of the offenses.
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 Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Tampa Police Department, and the Temple Terrace Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Carlton C. Gammons.
Lake City Man Sentenced to 16 Years for Sex TraffickingRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida– United States District Judge James S. Moody, Jr. has sentenced Kavin Carter (40, Lake City) to 16 years’ imprisonment for sex trafficking of a minor by force, fraud, or coercion. He was also ordered him to pay a $10,000 fine. Carter pleaded guilty on November 24, 2014.
According to the plea agreement, in October 2012, law enforcement officers received information related to human trafficking activities in Lakeland and Lake City. They identified Michael Gallon as a “pimp” who was operating in Florida and the southeastern United States. Gallon recruited adult and minor females to join his “dance team.” He then transported the girls to bachelor parties and house parties that he had arranged. The females danced and performed acts of prostitution at these parties.
Gallon partnered with Carter, who co-hosted parties at his home. Gallon transported the girls, almost every weekend, to Carter’s residence in Lake City. Carter and Gallon set up “VIP” rooms at the parties, and they encouraged the females to engage in commercial sex acts. They charged the women to use these “VIP” rooms and kept most of the money the women had earned. Law enforcement has identified at least 12 minor-aged victims of Gallon’s offenses, and most of these girls engaged in commercial sex acts at Carter’s home.
Michael Gallon (50, Lakeland) previously pleaded guilty for his role in this case. On May 29, 2014, he was sentenced to 33 years and 9 months’ imprisonment for sex trafficking of a minor by force, fraud, or coercion and a concurrent term of 20 years in federal prison for distributing child pornography.
“We cannot undo the horrific crimes against the young victims, but this sentence will ensure this criminal cannot cause additional harm,” said Susan L. McCormick, special agent in charge of HSI Tampa. “The hard work of HSI special agents and the Lakeland Police Department have brought this predator to justice and made our local communities a safer place.”
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Lakeland Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stacie B. Harris.
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.
Former Federal Employee Indicted for Lying to Investigators About Placing Confederate Flag on Coworker’s DeskRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the return of an indictment charging Susan R. Thompson (58, Jacksonville) with two counts of making false statements to a federal officer. If convicted, she faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison on each count.
According to the indictment, while working for the Army Corps of Engineers, Thompson placed a printed image of the Confederate battle flag on the desk of an African-American coworker. Thompson then lied on two occasions to an inspector from the Federal Protective Service by stating that she had not placed the image on her coworker’s desk.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more of the federal criminal laws, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Federal Protective Service. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Coolican.
Two California Residents Indicted on Conspiracy and Bank Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida - United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Gary Hughes (35, San Diego, CA) and Jason Martin (36, Orange County, CA) with one count of mortgage fraud conspiracy involving bank fraud, and other related substantive charges. Hughes and Martin each face a maximum penalty of 30 years’ imprisonment for each count. The indictment also notifies the individuals that the United States is seeking a forfeiture money judgment for the proceeds of the charged mortgage fraud conspiracy.
According to the indictment and court proceedings, in 2005, entities controlled by co-conspirators entered into a contract to purchase The Arbors, an apartment complex in Hillsborough County, Florida. The new owners of The Arbors then engaged in a plan to convert the complex from rental apartments to condominium units.
Hughes and Martin’s co-conspirator, Brendan Bolger, aided the developers in the sale of numerous condominium units at The Arbors through his company, Capital Management Guarantee, LLC. In order to induce buyers to purchase units at The Arbors, Bolger created an addendum to the purchase contract that offered buyers various incentives, such as rental supplements, money to defray maintenance costs, and a design credit to upgrade the unit’s amenities. When the buyers cancelled the design credit within 10 days of signing the addendum, Bolger paid a kickback for the amount of the design credit to the buyer from Capital Management’s bank account. In this manner, Bolger and other co-conspirators failed to disclose to buyers’ mortgage lenders material facts about the financing of the sale of The Arbors condominium units. Bolger and others referred prospective buyers to Hughes and Martin to obtain financing for their unit purchases.
Hughes’s and Martin’s roles in the conspiracy as mortgage brokers consisted of originating mortgages for The Arbors units through Envision Lending and Set 2 Go Loans. The loan applications Martin and Hughes submitted contained material misrepresentations, including false occupancy and inflated borrower income and asset information. These loan applications were submitted to FDIC insured institutions and other mortgage lenders. Additionally, through their company, HUMAR Investments, Hughes and Martin provided the borrowers cash to close without disclosing the payments to the lenders.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has violated one or more federal criminal laws, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Office of Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Chris Poor and Assistant United States Attorney Jay Hoffer.
Orange Park Man Sentenced to More Than 7 Years for Receiving Child Pornography over the InternetRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States District Judge Brian J. Davis has sentenced Charles Eugene Mears (56, Orange Park) to seven years and six months in federal prison for receiving child pornography over the Internet. He was also ordered to serve a 10-year term of supervised release, register as a sex offender, and pay $3,000 in restitution to one of the victims.
According to court documents, a Florida Department of Law Enforcement agent in Jacksonville began an undercover investigation to identify individuals in northeast Florida that were trading images and videos of child pornography over the Internet. The agent identified a computer that was hosting images of child pornography using a file sharing program, and was able to download several of the files. Further investigation traced the host computer to Mears’s residence.
Agents subsequently executed a federal search warrant at Mears’s residence and seized several computers and other electronic media. Forensic analyses of Mears’s laptop revealed that it contained at least 211 videos depicting child pornography, including at least one video depicting the sexual abuse of a toddler.
This case was investigated by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Clay County 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.
Two Tampa Men Indicted on Credit Card Fraud and Identity Theft ChargesRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the unsealing of a 31-count indictment charging Tampa residents Yannier Arias (29) and Jose Ojeda Vera (25) with conspiracy to commit credit card fraud and identity theft. If convicted, each faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in federal prison for each conspiracy charge and up to 10 years’ imprisonment for each credit card fraud charge, to be followed by two years in federal prison for the identity theft charges. They were indicted on August 27, 2015.
According to the indictment, Arias and Vera obtained and used counterfeit and unauthorized credit cards that had been encoded with stolen credit card account information. In many cases, the stolen information had been obtained by “skimming” victims’ credit cards at local gas stations. The fraudulent credit cards were embossed and encoded with names and account numbers belonging to individuals who were often unaware that they had been victimized. Many learned that their information had been stolen when they were notified by law enforcement. Arias and Vera allegedly used these stolen identities and credit cards to purchase merchandise from local stores.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has violated one or more federal criminal laws, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Financial Crimes Task Force, which includes the United States Secret Service, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelley C. Howard-Allen.
Man Who Pointed Laser at Tampa Police Department Helicopter Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Kovachevich has sentenced Jeremy Wayne Sumpter (31, Garland, TX) to 12 months and one day in federal prison for knowingly aiming a laser at an aircraft. He pleaded guilty on March 24, 2015.
According to court documents, on February 14, 2014, aviation officers with the Tampa Police Department (TPD) were flying in a Bell 407 helicopter during aerial patrol when they observed a green light illuminate the cockpit. The officers observed the laser hit the helicopter four times. They were soon able to locate the suspect who had been standing in the middle of the roadway. As the officers turned the aircraft toward the suspect, he began to run into his residence.
TPD officers made contact with Sumpter at his front door, and observed a broken laser pointer on his coffee table. Sumpter admitted that he had been outside with a laser pointer and that there had been a helicopter in the area where he had been pointing the laser. He also stated that he had destroyed that laser because he thought he was in trouble. Several other lasers were discovered in the residence.
On Feb. 14, 2012, President Barack Obama signed the FAA Modernization and Reform Act, which modernizes the nation's aviation system. This Act establishes a new criminal offense for aiming the beam of a laser pointer at an aircraft in the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States, or at the flight path of such an aircraft. The statute was enacted in response to a growing number of incidents of pilots being distracted or even temporarily blinded by laser beams.
This case was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Tampa Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shauna S. Hale.
Heroin Dealer Sentenced to More Than 15 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida - U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Kovachevich has sentenced Alexis Rodriguez (38, Kissimmee) to 15 years and 8 months in federal prison for distributing more than 100 grams of heroin. He pleaded guilty on June 29, 2015.
According to court documents, in March 2013, DEA agents began investigating Rodriguez as a supply source for cocaine and heroin. On April 4, 2013, a confidential source (CS) traveled to Tampa to meet with Rodriguez. During the meeting, Rodriguez gave the CS approximately 10 grams of a brown powder substance on consignment and requested payment at a later date. The substance tested positive for the presence of heroin.
The CS called Rodriguez three days later and informed him that he had the money for the heroin, and then made arraignments to deliver the money that morning. During that meeting, the CS provided Rodriguez with $950 for the heroin he had previously supplied. The CS informed Rodriguez that his associates were interested in purchasing additional quantities of heroin from Rodriguez, and arrangements were made for another meeting later that day. During that meeting, Rodriguez provided the CS with a plastic bag containing approximately 113 grams of a brown powder substance that also tested positive for heroin.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shauna S. Hale.
Convicted Felon Sentenced to Three Years for Possessing A FirearmRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – Senior U.S. District Judge Richard A. Lazzara today sentenced Cory Quintana, aka Corey Quintana, (24, Lakeland) to three years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. The Court also ordered him to forfeit a Taurus .38-caliber revolver and 18 rounds of ammunition. He pleaded guilty on July 24, 2015.
According to court documents, approximately three months after his release from state prison with felony convictions for aggravated battery and aggravated assault, Quintana’s probation officer found him in possession of a firearm in violation of his probation order. Because of his prior felony convictions, Quintana also was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office joint Task Force, along with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rachel Jones.
International Fugitive Arrested for Role in Multi-Million Dollar Health Care Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A Cuban national who had been wanted since 2013 on charges relating to a multi-million dollar health care fraud scheme was arrested on Friday, Oct. 9, 2015, when he arrived in Miami on a flight from Cuba.
Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney A. Lee Bentley III of the Middle District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Paul Wysopal of the FBI’s Tampa Division and Special Agent in Charge Shimon Richmond of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General’s (HHS-OIG) Miami Regional Office made the announcement.
Ubert Guillermo Rodriguez, aka Ubert Guillermo Rodriguez Sigler, 47, of Cuba, was charged by indictment, returned on July 31, 2013, with 14 counts of health care fraud. The indictment was unsealed today following his initial appearance in the Southern District of Florida.
According to the indictment, Rodriguez was the president and owner of G.R. Services Equipment & Supplies Inc. (G.R. Services), a Largo, Florida, company that purported to provide durable medical equipment to Medicare beneficiaries. The indictment alleges that, between May and July 2013, Rodriguez caused G.R. Services to submit to Medicare approximately $2,579,695 in false and fraudulent claims seeking reimbursement for durable medical equipment that was not prescribed by doctors and not provided to beneficiaries. For example, according to the indictment, G.R. Services sought thousands of dollars in reimbursement for wound therapy electrical pumps and sterile collagen dressings purportedly provided in 2013 to Medicare beneficiaries who had died in 2010.
Federal law enforcement agents previously seized from the bank account for G.R. Services approximately $243,339 in proceeds from the health care fraud scheme.
The charges and allegations contained in an indictment are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by HHS-OIG and the FBI and was brought as part of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, under the supervision of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Middle District of Florida. This case is being prosecuted by Senior Trial Attorney Christopher J. Hunter of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section.
Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, now operating in nine cities across the country, has charged over 2,300 defendants who collectively have billed the Medicare program for over $7 billion. In addition, the HHS Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the HHS-OIG, are taking steps to increase accountability and decrease the presence of fraudulent providers.
To learn more about the Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Team, go to: www.stopmedicarefraud.gov.
Guillermo Rodriguez Indictment
Court of Appeals Upholds Conviction of Courtnee Brantley for Misprision Crime Committed Following Police MurdersRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL - United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit today affirmed the conviction of Courtnee Brantley of Tampa for misprision of a felony, a crime she committed in the immediate aftermath of her boyfriend Dontae Morris’s murder of Tampa police officers David Curtis and Jeffrey Kocab.
In January 2013, a federal jury in Tampa found Brantley guilty of misprision of a federal felony: Morris’s possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. (A person commits misprision when she knows that someone committed a felony, she fails to notify the authorities about it, and she takes affirmative steps to conceal the felony.) The jury found that Brantley had known that Morris was a convicted felon and that he had possessed the gun that night, that she had not reported the crime to authorities, and that she had taken affirmative steps to conceal Morris’s possession of the firearm from authorities. The evidence at trial showed that Brantley had left the scene immediately after the shootings, had almost immediately begun texting with Morris and pledging her loyalty to him, and had parked her car—backed up against some bushes to conceal the car’s missing license plate—several hundred feet from where she was staying. The district court sentenced her to a year and a day of imprisonment, but allowed her to remain free on bond until the appeal was decided.
On appeal, Brantley argued that she was the victim of selective prosecution, that her prosecution violated her Fifth Amendment rights, and that the evidence was insufficient to support the jury’s guilty verdict. The Court of Appeals rejected all of those arguments. The Court ruled that Brantley had not shown that the decision to prosecute her was based on race or any other arbitrary reason, and the Court further recognized that her prosecution legitimately “publicized the fact that those who conceal evidence about the capital murder of a police officer will be prosecuted and that fact, without question, could have a deterrent effect on others.” The Court also rejected her Fifth Amendment challenge, explaining that “she was not prosecuted for her silence. Rather, she was prosecuted because she knowingly participated in affirmative acts of concealment of Morris’s crime—i.e., (1) hiding herself and the car and (2) calling and texting Morris in an effort to conceal his crime.” Finally, the Court held that the evidence—including Brantley’s text messages and cellphone calls with Morris immediately following the shootings and her decision to conceal the car and herself— provided “sufficient evidence of [her] affirmative acts of concealment to support the jury’s guilty verdict.”
This case was prosecuted in the district court by Assistant United States Attorney Jim Preston. The appeal was handled by Assistant United States Attorney David Rhodes, Chief of the Appellate Division, and Assistant United States Attorney Yvette Rhodes.
Link to 11th Circuit Opinion
“Secret Sinkhole” Sellers Guilty of Wire FraudRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that a federal jury today found Spring Hill residents Glenn and Kathryn Jasen guilty of wire fraud. They each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. The sentencing hearings are scheduled for January 11, 2016. They were indicted on July 15, 2015.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, in 2009, the Jasens discovered a sinkhole beneath their home in Hernando County and made a claim to Citizens Property Insurance. Citizens offered the Jasens either a check to compensate for their losses or mitigation of the sinkhole. Rather than having Citizens repair the developing sinkhole, the Jasens instead chose to receive a check for $153,745.37. But they kept the money and did not repair the sinkhole. The Jasens then made cosmetic repairs to the house and listed it for sale in 2013, but kept the sinkhole a secret from prospective buyers. In fact, on a required Florida real estate disclosure form, the Jasens denied any knowledge of a prior sinkhole or sinkhole claim. The home was ultimately sold to a family with five children. In March 2015, the family heard what sounded like a car crash in the earth beneath their house. They soon discovered a crack running across the floor of the house, and immediately had to evacuate.
This case was investigated by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement Tampa Bay Regional Operations Center. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Thomas N. Palermo.
Jacksonville Fugitive Pleads Guilty to Failing to Appear for SentencingRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Charles Cornelius Smith (35, Jacksonville) has pleaded guilty to failing to appear in federal court for his sentencing hearing. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison that must run consecutively to the sentence that will be imposed in a second federal case involving the passing of counterfeit Federal Reserve notes. No sentencing date has been set for either case.
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 is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.
St. Jude’s Pharmacy Owner Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell has sentenced Jorge Otano (54, Cape Coral) to 12 years in federal prison and imposed a fine of $15,000. The Court also entered a money judgment of $1,307,000 against Otano and his wife, Martha Otano, representing the amount of funds involved in a conspiracy to evade transaction reporting requirements. As partial satisfaction of the money judgment, Otano was ordered to forfeit $870,376.79 that had been seized by law enforcement during the investigation. He was also ordered to forfeit two vehicles that were involved in the money laundering conspiracy. Jorge Otano pleaded guilty on February 11, 2015.
According to court documents, from August 2009, to November 15, 2012, Otano and his wife owned and operated St. Jude’s Pharmacy in Cape Coral. During that period, the pharmacy made a significant profit by filling fraudulent prescriptions for oxycodone and charging $4.00 to $12.00 per pill.
From April 2011 to November 15, 2012, the Otanos made structured cash deposits of the proceeds of the illegal narcotics sales into multiple bank accounts. They knew that the money obtained from the sale of oxycodone through the pharmacy was the proceeds of unlawful narcotics distribution. They then used drug proceeds to purchase two residences in Cape Coral, a truck, and a luxury car.
Martha Otano pleaded guilty to conspiracy to evade reporting requirements and substantive acts of evading reporting requirements. On July 21, 2014, she was sentenced to three years and one month in federal prison.
This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service and the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the Cape Coral Police Department and the Lee County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David G. Lazarus and Yolande G. Viacava.
South Florida Artist Sentenced to Five Years in $4 Million Counterfeit Currency ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Jean Phineas Losier (41, Wellington) to five years in federal prison for conspiracy to deal in counterfeit Federal Reserve notes. A federal jury in Jacksonville convicted him in June 2015. Losier also faces counterfeit manufacturing charges in the Southern District of Florida.
According to trial testimony and court documents, Losier began manufacturing a specific United States counterfeit note (designated by the United States Secret Service as D23548 and D23548A) in 2008. Over the ensuing years, he engaged in a business relationship with co-defendant Mercury Thompson, and others, to sell and pass the counterfeit $100 and $50 notes.
On January 14, 2014, Secret Service agents executed search warrants at a Wellington apartment where Losier had manufactured the notes. The agents seized manufacturing devices and also located bleached genuine $1 Federal Reserve notes, chemicals and chemical residue, as well as other indicators of high volume bleaching. Detailed molds and templates, reflecting the image of genuine United States security watermarks, were located inside the residence. Losier, an artist, had etched the watermark molds.
Forensic analyses of the seized electronic media and counterfeit notes revealed Losier’s detailed manufacturing process, including images of the notes at virtually every stage of the manufacturing process. Investigators were able to forensically match the electronic devices to counterfeit $100 bills seized at various stores in the Jacksonville area during April and May 2010. The forensic comparison of the images also matched $4,200 of counterfeit $100 notes seized from a rental vehicle in which Thompson had been present on July 12, 2012, and $10,000 in $100 counterfeit notes that another individual had purchased from Losier on January 10, 2014.
According to Secret Service forensic examiners, the value of the known counterfeit notes (D23548 and D23548A) passed in the Southern and Middle Districts of Florida since late 2008 is more than $3.5 million. The known amount passed worldwide exceeds $4.3 million. After Losier’s arrest on January 14, 2014, the passing of these designated counterfeit notes ceased almost entirely.
Mercury Thompson (39, Delray Beach) pleaded guilty on May 8, 2015, and was later sentenced to three years in federal prison for his role in the conspiracy.
This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the Delray Beach Police Department, the Boynton Beach Police Department, and the Boca Raton Police Department. The United States Attorneys’ Offices for the Middle and Southern Districts of Florida participated in this investigation and prosecution. Assistant United States Attorneys Michael Coolican and A. Tysen Duva prosecuted the Middle District of Florida case.
Two Jacksonville Men Plead Guilty to Aggravated Identity Theft, Attempted Bank Fraud, and Possession of Counterfeit SecuritiesRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Jacksonville residents Hezekiah Williams (59) and David Lee Mitchell (53) have pleaded guilty to attempted bank fraud, possession of counterfeit business checks, and aggravated identity theft. Each faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison for the attempted bank fraud charge and up to 10 years in prison for the possession of counterfeit securities charge, to be followed by a consecutive mandatory minimum of 2 years’ imprisonment for the aggravated identity theft offense.
According to the plea agreement, on November 23, 2014, troopers with the Florida Highway Patrol pulled over a vehicle occupied by Williams, Mitchell, and Travis Ware. During the traffic stop, the troopers observed marijuana inside the SUV. A search of the vehicle revealed 25 counterfeit business checks made out to various individuals and 15 forms of identification from 7 different people. Many of the names on the identification documents matched those printed on the counterfeit checks. Further investigation determined that Mitchell, Williams, and Ware had been driving around three days earlier attempting to fraudulently cash the counterfeit checks and recruiting others to use the ids to cash the checks.
Travis Ware is set to begin trial on November 2, 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 unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Florida Highway Patrol and the United States Secret Service, Jacksonville Field Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.
Federal Corrections Officer Indicted for Making A False Statement to InvestigatorsRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the return of an indictment charging Rashan L. Gibson (28, Clermont) with making a false statement to federal investigators. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison.
According to court documents, in January 2015, federal investigators were contacted by an inmate at the Coleman Federal Correctional Institution in Sumter County who claimed that Gibson, a federal corrections officer, had smuggled cigarettes into the facility in exchange for a $500 bribe. In May 2015, investigators monitored an audio and video-recorded meeting between Gibson and the inmate. During that meeting, Gibson and the inmate discussed the previous transaction, as well as a future $5,000 payment for other contraband that Gibson would smuggle into the prison. The inmate also provided Gibson with the name of a contact who could deliver the payment to him.
On August 6, 2015, investigators confronted Gibson about the smuggling operation. During the meeting, Gibson denied smuggling contraband into the prison. He also claimed that he had not met with the inmate, had not discussed a bribery payment, and had never received the name of a person who would pay him money on the inmate’s behalf.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has violated one or more federal criminal laws, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Bodnar, Jr.
Convicted Felon Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Selling GunsRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Brian J. Davis has sentenced Alphonso Parker (36, Jacksonville) to 10 years in federal prison for being a convicted felon in possession of multiple firearms. He pleaded guilty on May 28, 2015.
According to court documents, between June and July 2014, Parker sold nine firearms to a confidential informant. At the time, Parker had prior felony convictions for battery, burglary, and aggravated fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer, and therefore was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Talbot.
This 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.
Yulee Man Sentenced to More Than Thirteen Years for Distributing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan has sentenced Nicholas Mitko Clark (22, Yulee) to 13 years and 4 months in federal prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for transporting child pornography. The Court also ordered him to forfeit the laptop computer and cellphone that he had used to commit the offense. Clark pleaded guilty on January 13, 2015.
According to court documents, in April 2013, Clark used an instant messaging service to chat with an individual in Canada, with whom he exchanged child pornography. During the chat, Clark requested that the individual send him child pornography and advised that he likes children between the ages of and 8 and 13. After receiving an image depicting a young child, Clark responded that he already had that file and requested another one. Clark and the individual proceeded to exchange additional files of child pornography. Through their investigation, law enforcement agents obtained Clark’s cellphone and recovered several additional images of child pornography.
At the time of his arrest, Clark was employed as an afterschool counselor by a youth development organization in Northeast Florida, and worked with children through various churches. He also advertised his babysitting and child transportation services on the Internet.
“This case is especially egregious, as this pedophile actively sought to work with children, in places they should feel safe and secure,” said Susan L. McCormick, special agent in charge of HSI Tampa. “HSI special agents, and our law enforcement partners like the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office, will continue to work diligently to protect our children from predators.”
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelly S. Karase.
It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Sarasota Man Pleads Guilty to Making False Statements in Mortgage Loan ApplicationsRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Randy Platfoot (54, Clearwater) today pleaded guilty to making false statements in mortgage loan applications. He faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison. His sentencing is scheduled for December 18, 2015.
According to court documents, between September 2005 and April 2007, Platfoot applied for two separate mortgage loans from Washington Mutual Bank, in connection with the purchase of properties in Myakka City and Sarasota. In the loan documents that Platfoot signed and submitted to the bank, he made false statements about his income and about the lack of subordinate financing in connection with one of the properties. Washington Mutual Bank suffered financial losses after Platfoot defaulted on both loans.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation-Office of Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jay L. Hoffer.
Palm Coast Man Sentenced to More Than 21 Years for Possessing A Machinegun and Silencer and Assaulting A Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Paul G. Byron has sentenced Radbourne Mark Anthony Saleem (40, Palm Coast) to 21 years and 10 months in federal prison for possessing a machinegun and silencer and assaulting a federal officer. He pleaded guilty on November 5, 2014.
According to court documents, on November 1, 2013, Saleem, a previously convicted felon, met with a confidential informant (CI) to discuss purchasing a machinegun, a silencer, and a pistol. During the meeting, Saleem talked with the CI about the advantages of using a silencer to commit home invasion robberies. He also mentioned that he was looking for something to catch the shells. Saleem told the CI that he would sell his “soul to the devil” to get the weapons.
On November 15, 2013, Saleem met with the CI again and bought a .45 caliber pistol with a silencer and a machinegun for $1,000. As agents attempted to arrest him, Saleem began driving toward the agents at a high rate of speed. Saleem was shot several times as he fled the scene. He later hit a vehicle in Flagler County, was ejected from his vehicle, and was subsequently arrested.
“Mr. Saleem is a multi-convicted felon who will be off of our streets and unable to victimize anyone for a long time,” said Special Agent in Charge Regina Lombardo, ATF. “He will no longer be in a position to possess or use firearms. The sentence imposed by the court guarantees that our community will be safe from Mr. Saleem.”
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney James D. Mandolfo.
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 violence in our communities.
Palm Coast Man Sentenced to More Than 11 Years for Receiving Child Pornography over the InternetRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan has sentenced Timothy Edward McDermott (61, Palm Coast) to 11 years and 3 months in federal prison for receiving child pornography over the Internet. He pleaded guilty on May 14, 2015.
According to court documents, an FBI agent began an undercover investigation to identify individuals that were trading child pornography over the Internet. The agent determined that McDermott was hosting and trading images of child pornography using a peer-to-peer file sharing program. A search warrant was then executed at McDermott’s residence and his computer was seized. During an interview, McDermott admitted that he had downloaded child pornography from a file sharing website. Forensic analyses of McDermott’s computer revealed that it contained 310 images and 68 videos depicting child pornography, including babies being sexually exploited by adults.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Dallas, Daytona Beach, and Jacksonville; the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office; and the Wheaton (Illinois) Police Department. 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.
Two Orlando Men Federally Indicted on Carjacking ChargesRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the return of an indictment charging Orlando residents Dante Askins (18) and Gregory McDonald (18) with carjacking and using a firearm while committing that offense. Each faces 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.
According to court documents, on August 12, 2015, Askins and McDonald committed an armed carjacking of a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer at a hotel in Orlando. The victim, who was on vacation with his family, had gone down to his vehicle in the hotel parking lot to preload his GPS for a trip to Destin the next morning. Askins, McDonald, and two minors approached the victim with a firearm, pistol whipped him, and forced him into the back of his vehicle. The carjackers held the victim for approximately two hours. When OnStar location services contacted the vehicle, the carjackers fled and the victim escaped.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has violated one or more federal criminal laws, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tiffany L. Cummins.
Update: Arraignment has been set for Tuesday, October 6, 2015, at 10:00 AM in Orlando Courtroom 4 C before Magistrate Judge Thomas B. Smith.
Palm Bay Man Sentenced to for Receipt and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Paul G. Byron has sentenced Harley Robert Katzaman (29, Palm Bay) to eight years and six months in federal prison for receipt and possession of child pornography. The Court also ordered him to forfeit a laptop computer that had been used to commit the offenses. Katzaman pleaded guilty on April 29, 2015.
According to court documents, in November 2014, an FBI Task Force agent in Brevard County began an undercover operation to identify persons using peer-to-peer file sharing software to distribute images of child pornography on the Internet. The agent identified a residence in Palm Bay where a computer was downloading child pornography. During the execution of a search warrant at that residence, one of the occupants told agents that he had given his Wi-Fi password to his neighbor, later identified as Katzaman. Agents confronted Katzaman, who confessed that he had recently been accessing his neighbor’s Wi-Fi and for several years had been using a file-sharing program to search for and download child pornography. A forensic examination of his laptop revealed 22 movie files containing child pornography that had been downloaded over a two-year period.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Task Force in Brevard County. It was being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Bruce S. Ambrose.
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.
New York Man Pleads Guilty to Manufacturing and Passing Counterfeit Federal Reserve NotesRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Marcos Rogelio Blake (24, New York) has pleaded guilty to manufacturing and passing counterfeit Federal Reserve Notes (FRN), and possessing counterfeit business checks. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison for the manufacturing and possession charge and for the possession charge, and up to 10 years in federal prison for the counterfeit check charge. Blake has also agreed to forfeit the monetary proceeds he obtained by passing of the counterfeit notes, as well as the computer media he used to manufacture them. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the plea agreement, in January 2015, Blake and his co-defendants, Ralph Darel Lipsey and Leon White, passed or attempted to pass counterfeit FRNs at multiple businesses in Nassau County. Law enforcement officers subsequently issued an alert for the three individuals’ vehicle. On January 17, 2015, a deputy from the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office stopped the vehicle with the three men inside. Blake, who was driving the vehicle, was detained due to a suspended license. During a search, the deputy found genuine and counterfeit FRNs on Blake. An inventory search of the vehicle yielded additional counterfeit notes, two bags, and a lock box. A search of one bag belonging to Blake revealed counterfeit business checks, including two that were made out to him. The lock box contained a multi-function printer and supplies used to manufacture counterfeit FRNs.
Co-defendants Lipsey and White are scheduled for trial on November 2, 2015.
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 Nassau County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Secret Service, Jacksonville Field Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.
Government Employee Convicted of Making False StatementsRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that a federal jury today found Jeffrey F. Bohn (55, Riverview) guilty of two counts of making false statements to government investigators. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison on each count. A sentencing hearing has not yet been set.
Bohn was indicted on June 3, 2015.
According to evidence presented at trial, beginning in or around September 2006, and continuing through at least February 2007, Bohn engaged in a personal and sexual relationship with “Individual A.” At the time of this relationship, Bohn was employed as an Immigration Services Officer with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) in Tampa.
Bohn met “Individual A,” a foreign national, on September 11, 2006, when she attended an interview at USCIS regarding an application to adjust her children’s residency status. During the interview, Bohn and “Individual A” exchanged phone numbers. He further suggested to “Individual A” that she attempt to adjust her citizenship status as well. Thereafter, Bohn and “Individual A” engaged in a personal and sexual relationship that lasted until at least February 2007. “Individual A” remains a foreign national, and is not a citizen or national of the United States.
When agents from the Department of Homeland Security, Office of the Inspector General (DHS OIG) became aware of the allegations, they interviewed Bohn twice. Both times he denied knowing or having sex with “Individual A.”
“The Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General applauds the outstanding efforts of the prosecution team during this investigation and the subsequent trial,” said Jay H. Donly, Special Agent in Charge, Miami Field Office, DHS OIG. “These types of criminal cases will be not be tolerated and the offenders will be pursued to the fullest extent of the law. The DHS OIG would like to thank the U.S. Attorney's Office for their prosecutorial efforts and the vital cooperation and guidance they provided during the investigation and subsequent trial.”
This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office of the Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney.
Tampa Woman Sentenced to More Than Ten Years for SIRF OffensesRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday today sentenced Tiffani Pye Williams to ten years and three months in federal prison for theft of government property and aggravated identity theft stemming from her participation in a tax fraud scheme. She was also ordered to pay $1,533,283 in restitution to the United States Treasury. Williams pleaded guilty on April 23, 2015.
According to court documents, from 2010 to 2014, Williams, using various aliases, participated in a scheme to defraud the IRS. As part of the scheme, she and others possessed, transferred, and used the means of identification of others, without their knowledge, to file fraudulent federal income tax returns. The fraudulently obtained tax refunds were wired from the IRS to reloadable debit cards. Williams and others then used these debit cards at various ATMs and retail stores.
Investigators determined that Williams, together with others, filed more than 1,000 fraudulent tax returns using the stolen identities of approximately 991 individuals, many of whom were deceased at the time of filing. In filing these false returns, she and others claimed more than $5.3 million in refunds, and received approximately $1.5 million.
Williams’ alleged co-conspirator, Bobby Muhammad, was charged separately with conspiracy, theft of government property, and identity theft. His trial is scheduled in November 2015.
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation and the Tampa Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mandy Riedel.