Middle District of Florida
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Owner of Orlando Health Care Clinic Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Engaging in Medicare Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
The owner of an Orlando health care clinic was sentenced today to five years in prison for engaging in a $2.4 million health care fraud scheme.
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 and Special Agent in Charge Shimon R. Richmond of the U.S. Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General’s (HHS-OIG) Florida region made the announcement.
Juan Carlos Delgado, 58, and Nereyda Infante, 48, both of Orlando, pleaded guilty on June 24, 2015, before U.S. District Judge Paul G. Byron of the Middle District of Florida to conspiracy to commit health care fraud. Infante, Delgado’s wife, who was also an owner of the health care clinic, was sentenced to one year and one day in prison. In addition to imposing the prison terms, the court ordered the defendants to pay $1,520,850 in restitution and to forfeit $1,520,850.
Delgado and Infante owned and operated several health care clinics in Orlando, Florida, under variations of the name Prestige Medical. According to admissions made in connection with their guilty pleas, between February 2012 and September 2014, the defendants fraudulently billed Medicare on behalf of the Prestige clinics for services that were never provided and for medications that were not prescribed or administered. In particular, Delgado and Infante admitted to billing Medicare for pentostatin, an expensive anticancer chemotherapeutic medication used to treat Leukemia, despite never administering the drug. Delgado and Infante admitted also that, to further the scheme, they submitted false documents to Medicare regarding the ownership and operation of the Prestige Clinics.
In connection with the scheme, the defendants billed Medicare approximately $2.4 million, over $1.2 million of which was for pentostatin. Medicare paid approximately $1.5 million on the fraudulent claims.
The case is being investigated by the HHS-OIG and was brought as part of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, under the supervision of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Middle District of Florida. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Andrew H. Warren of the 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 & 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 Action Team (HEAT), go to: www.stopmedicarefraud.gov.
Federal Jury Finds Doctor Guilty on 20 Counts of Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that a federal jury today found Dr. David M. Pon (57, Windermere) guilty of 20 counts of health care fraud connected to his scheme to defraud the Medicare program. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison for each count. Following the jury’s verdict, the Court remanded Pon to the custody of the United States Marshals Service. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for March 14, 2016.
Pon was indicted on April 24, 2014.
According to testimony and evidence presented during the past four weeks, Pon intentionally and fraudulently misdiagnosed more than 500 Medicare beneficiaries as suffering from wet macular degeneration, a degenerative and incurable disease. Pon then used his false diagnoses to bill the Medicare program for unnecessary diagnostic testing and unwarranted laser treatments. In connection with the unnecessary testing, Pon injected his victims with various dyes that posed potential serious health risks, including cardiac arrest. Several of the misdiagnosed patients testified and explained the significant emotional impact the false diagnosis had on their lives, including the fear of going blind as a result of the disease. During the scheme to defraud Medicare, Pon operated two medical offices, one in Leesburg and another in Orlando.
“Misdiagnosing patients to provide invasive, potentially harmful services just to falsely bill Medicare is unconscionable” said Special Agent in Charge Shimon Richmond. “HHS-OIG will vehemently investigate those who would harm our seniors and steal from the Medicare program.”
“Protecting seniors from fraud is a top priority of our Office,” said United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III. “The fraud committed by Dr. Pon, a well-trained ophthalmologist, was particularly egregious. He abused his position of trust and falsely diagnosed hundreds of Medicare patients with wet macular degeneration, a progressive eye disease that can lead to blindness. He instilled fear in his victims, performed unnecessary and sometimes dangerous medical procedures on their eyes, and asked the taxpayers of this country to pick up the tab.”
This case was investigated by United States Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Mark B. Devereaux and Mac D. Heavener.
Two Postal Service Contract Employees Sentenced for Mail TheftsRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan today sentenced Jacksonville residents Victor Antinio Burks (28) and Yamil Sanchez (33) for stealing mail from a U.S. Postal Service contract facility. Burks was sentenced to 79 days’ imprisonment, to be followed by two years of supervised release and 100 hours of community service. Sanchez was sentenced to two years’ probation, a $500 fine, and 100 hours of community service. Both individuals pleaded guilty in June 2015.
According to court documents, Burks and Sanchez worked at a Jacksonville mail distribution facility operated by a contractor for the U.S. Postal Service. Between March and November 2014, Burks stole numerous items from the mail including 7 televisions, a tablet computer, 15-20 cellphones, 20-25 purses, and a videogame console. He admitted to agents that he had pawned the televisions and the tablet, and sold the rest of the items, estimating that he had made about $2,500 to $3,000.
Sanchez stole items from the mail for about two years, ending in the summer of 2014. He admitted that he had stolen a laptop computer, a compound bow, and a set of golf clubs, all of which he pawned. Sanchez also admitted to stealing a television that he later sold at a flea market.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Arnold B. Corsmeier.
Michigan Man Sentenced to Federal Prison Term for Investment FraudRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – Senior U.S. District Judge Wm. Terrell Hodges has sentenced Bryan T. Zuzga (39, Coldwater, Michigan) to 6 years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He was also ordered to pay more than $10.7 million in restitution. Zuzga pleaded guilty on June 17, 2015.
According to court documents, Zuzga and his two conspirators, Jenifer E. Hoffman (38, Clermont) and John C. Boschert (43, Apopka), defrauded over $11 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 properties. The proceeds from those sales were distributed to the victims of the scheme.
Boschert previously pleaded guilty for his role in this case, and was sentenced to nine years in federal prison on June 23, 2015. Hoffman has pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of making a false tax return. Her sentencing hearing is scheduled for October 22, 2015.
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, the United States Secret Service, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Roger B. Handberg, James Mandolfo, and Nicole M. Andrejko.
Lee County Man Convicted of Bank Robbery with A Dangerous WeaponRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that a federal jury has found Jose Benitez, Jr. (46, Cape Coral) guilty of bank robbery with a dangerous weapon. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for January 4, 2016. Benitez was indicted on October 29, 2014.
According to evidence presented at trial, on October 8, 2014, Benitez robbed the Iberia Bank located at 812 Del Prado Boulevard South in Cape Coral. During the commission of the robbery, he walked into the bank dressed all in black with his face covered. He pointed a weapon at various bank employees, putting them in fear of their lives. He also threatened the employees, and forced them to get on the ground. Benitez fled the bank after the robbery, but left his glasses behind. A fingerprint recovered from the glasses was traced to Benitez.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Cape Coral Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael C. Baggé-Hernández.
Clearwater Man Sentenced in Stolen Identity Refund Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Kovachevich today sentenced Sylvester Banks (56, Clearwater) to two years and three months in federal prison for his role in a conspiracy to commit stolen identity refund fraud. He was ordered to pay restitution to the Internal Revenue Service in the amount of $755,900.00. The Court also entered a money judgment in the same amount.
Banks pleaded guilty on June 18, 2015.
According to court documents, between April 2011 and March 2013, Banks received and deposited into his bank account approximately $755,900 in U.S. Treasury and other checks, which were all made payable to persons other than himself. Those checks were income tax refund checks that were the result of numerous false and fraudulently filed income tax returns. During an interview with federal agents in February 2015, Banks acknowledged that he had realized that the checks were fraudulent income tax refund proceeds, and that it was unlawful for him to have received and deposited them into his own account.
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Division. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jay L. Hoffer.
Nassau County Nurse Pleads Guilty to Receiving Child Pornography over the InternetRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces today that Ronald Eugene Mabrey, Jr. (34, Callahan) has pleaded guilty to receiving child pornography over the Internet. He faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 5 years, up to 20 years, in federal prison. A sentencing hearing has not yet been set. Mabrey has been in custody since his arrest.
According to court documents, on July 28, 2015, FBI agents and other law enforcement officers executed a federal search warrant at Mabrey’s residence. During an interview, Mabrey admitted that he had searched for, downloaded, and viewed “all types” of child pornography, and he stated that his addiction to child pornography had started about four years ago. A subsequent forensic examination of Mabrey’s laptop and a thumb drive revealed more than 190 videos and at least 4,000 images depicting child pornography.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by 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.
Former Seminole County High School Teacher Pleads Guilty to Enticement of A Minor and Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Gregory A. Vaughn (58, Seminole County) has pleaded guilty to enticement of a minor, and production and receipt of child pornography. He faces 10 years, up to life, in prison, for the enticement charge; a minimum mandatory penalty of 15 years, up to 30 years, for the production charge; and 5 years, up to 20 years, in federal prison for the receipt charge. His sentencing hearing has been set for December 11, 2015.
According to court documents, during a span of two years, Vaughn groomed and persuaded a minor to produce and send him images depicting child pornography. He informed the girl that he wanted to pay for the pictures, and he structured a pay chart for the types of photographs she should take and send to him. Vaughn mailed the girl money, books, candy, clothes, underwear, and makeup in exchange for the pictures she had sent him.
Vaughn’s cellphone and computer were searched pursuant to a state search warrant and agents were able to recover images of the victim and other children from his computer. Agents also interviewed another victim, who also had been groomed and enticed into producing child pornography by Vaughn.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ilianys Rivera Miranda.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by 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.
Federal Jury Convicts Large Scale Drug DistributorRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that a federal jury has found Andrew Pieters (30, Orlando) guilty of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance and attempting to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison on each charge. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for December 10, 2015.
According to evidence presented at trial, in 2013, Pieters was a top-level distributor of methylone in central Florida. Methylone is a schedule I controlled substance similar to Ecstasy and can cause overheating, dehydration, and death. The methylone Pieters distributed had been imported from China and purchased through the Silk Road, an online marketplace that was used to facilitate the purchase and sale of illegal drugs and other contraband.
Between January and August 2013, Pieters distributed hundreds of thousands of dollars of methylone. Federal agents arrested him on January 9, 2015, as he was attempting to take possession of a kilogram of suspected methylone. Prior to his arrest, Pieters had planned to distribute at least a kilogram per week of methylone in central Florida.
Drug Enforcement Administration Assistant Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey T. Walsh stated, “DEA will continue to work with our law enforcement partners and the United States Attorney’s Office in order to identify and bring to justice any persons importing and distributing illegal narcotics in the Central Florida region. We will continue to dedicate any resources necessary to identify emerging trends and methods that are utilized by these drug trafficking organizations.”
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, United States Postal Inspection Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the West Orange Narcotics Task Force, which is directed by the Orange County Sheriff’s Office and comprised of multiple local agencies. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney J. Bishop Ravenel.
Former HARC Employee Charged with Making False Statements to the Social Security AdministrationRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the filing of an information and plea agreement charging Sandra K. Shepherd (53, Tampa) with making a false statement to the Social Security Administration. If convicted, she faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000. In her plea agreement, Shepherd has also agreed to make full restitution to the Social Security Administration program (SSA), or its designee.
According to court documents, the Hillsborough Achievement and Resource Centers (HARC), formerly the Hillsborough Association for Retarded Citizens, was established in 1953 to positively impact the future for all people living with developmental disabilities, such as Alzheimer’s disease and Down syndrome. HARC opened and operated group homes that served its target client population. HARC also spearheaded various community programs for its clients focused on inclusion activities for youths, adults, and seniors with disabilities.
Many of the HARC clients received SSA benefits due to various developmental disabilities. For certain HARC clients who lacked the capacity to manage their own SSA benefits, SSA approved one or more HARC officials to act as a “Representative Payee” to receive a particular client’s benefits and to use them exclusively for that client’s benefit. As a Representative Payee, the HARC official was required to complete and submit to the SSA a “Representative Payee Report” that included certain information about each HARC client’s living situation and the financial benefits received and expended on behalf of that client.
Shepherd began volunteering at HARC in 2010, and she was later hired to work as a HARC client finance manager. As a client finance manager, one of Shepherd’s duties was to annually assist the HARC CFO in completing and submitting to the SSA a Representative Payee Report for each developmentally disabled HARC client for whom HARC had acted as a Representative Payee.
In March 2011, Shepherd learned that certain HARC clients’ SSA funds—purportedly allocated solely for the HARC clients’ personal needs and use—had been wrongfully diverted by HARC executives from the clients for other purposes. Shepherd raised the wrongful diversion of the clients’ funds with the CFO, who acknowledged the conduct and quipped that the HARC CEO was “going to look good in orange.” Shepherd also discussed the diversion of the funds with the prior HARC CFO, who likewise acknowledged the wrongfulness of the diversion.
Notwithstanding her knowledge of the wrongful diversion of HARC client funds, Shepherd continued to complete false and fraudulent Representative Payee Reports relating to developmentally disabled HARC clients that stated, in pertinent part, that SSA benefits had been spent solely for particular HARC clients (for such items and services as clothing, education, medical and dental expenses, recreation, or other personal items), when that was not the case. Shepherd then provided the fraudulent payee reports to the HARC CFO for signature and mailed the reports to the SSA.
In June 2013, the U.S. Attorney’s Office filed a Verified Complaint for Forfeiture In Rem in a related case (Case No. 8:13-Cv-1601-T-17TBM), seeking the forfeiture of $87,000 held in a Synovus Bank account. That complaint raised like allegations—that HARC clients’ SSA benefits had been wrongfully diverted from the clients and used by HARC for other purposes—and was supported by facts contained in the sworn affidavit of a special agent with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - Office of Inspector General. On September 30, 2013, the district court entered a Default Judgment of Forfeiture in which the court ordered the forfeiture of the $87,000 to the United States.
"I want to thank United States Attorney Lee Bentley and all the government agencies involved in investigating this important case,” said Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi. “After multiple discussions between our offices, we determined the U.S. Attorney’s Office was best situated to handle this case and we are pleased with today’s announcement."
“Social Security payments are a lifeline for many Americans. The Office of the Inspector General has no higher priority than the investigation and prosecution of those who violate the public trust of vulnerable beneficiaries,” stated Special Agent-in-Charge Margaret Moore-Jackson, SSA-Office of the Inspector General. “I’m grateful that the U.S. Attorney’s Office shares our determination to ensure the integrity of SSA’s programs.”
"Stealing government checks meant to cover the personal expenses of developmentally delayed clients in your care just to enrich yourself is a serious betrayal of trust," said Special Agent in charge Shimon R. Richmond. "Our agency is dedicated to ensuring the integrity of taxpayer-funded programs and the well-being of the often vulnerable beneficiaries of those programs."
An information is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by the Social Security Administration - Office of the Inspector General, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - Office of the Inspector General, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, along with the State of Florida’s Department of Financial Services - Office of Fiscal Integrity. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jay G. Trezevant.
Tampa Auto Dealer Pleads Guilty to Money Laundering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Raymond Rodriguez (52, Tampa) has pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the plea agreement, Rodriguez and his wife owned and operated Rodriguez Auto Wholesale in Tampa. Between 2009 and the end of 2012, Raymond Rodriguez, acting alone and with others, knowingly sold vehicles to individuals who had paid with proceeds from illegal narcotics sales and/or stolen identity refund fraud. Rodriguez, who knew that the funds had been obtained illegally, agreed to disguise the large cash transactions from the government in a number of ways. First, he agreed to accept large cash payments for vehicles without filing Form 8300 with the Internal Revenue Service, as required by law. He also agreed to place vehicles in the names of straw buyers. By doing this, law enforcement and other government agencies would not be aware of the true owners of the cars or the illegal proceeds used to purchase them. Rodriguez also promised purchasers that he would keep a lien on certain vehicles, despite receiving payment in full, so that if those vehicles were seized by law enforcement authorities, he could reclaim the vehicles and return them to the purchaser and/or their family members.
In total, between 2009 and 2013, Rodriguez and his co-conspirators laundered at least $1,751,648 in illegal drug and SIRF proceeds through Rodriguez Auto Wholesale, via the sale of approximately 87 vehicles.
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mandy Riedel.
Lehigh Acres Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge John E. Steele today sentenced George Borroto (23, Lehigh Acres) to four years in federal prison for possessing child pornography. He pleaded guilty on February 25, 2015.
According to court documents, from at least July 8, 2014, through August 25, 2014, Borroto knowingly possessed child pornography. During the execution of a search warrant at his home on August 25, 2014, agents located and seized Borroto’s cellphone. A forensic examination of the phone subsequently revealed 88 images depicting child pornography, along with a messaging app that Borroto’s had downloaded and used for chatting with others and for receiving child pornography.
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Yolande G. Viacava.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Department of Justice Awards Grants to Middle District Law Enforcement AgenciesRead the Press Release
TAMPA, FL - The U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), today announced funding awards to five cities and counties in the Middle District of Florida. These grants, totaling $2,096,297, are intended to create, and in some cases protect, 17 law enforcement positions. Over $107 million will be awarded nationally, through the COPS Hiring Program (CHP).
The list of this year’s grantees includes the Hendry County Sheriff’s Office; the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office; the Orange County Sheriff’s Office; the Rockledge Police Department; and the South Daytona Police Department.
“The COPS Office is pleased to assist local law enforcement agencies throughout the country in addressing their most critical public safety issues,” said Ronald L. Davis, Director of the COPS Office. “These grants are not simply about putting more officers on the street, they are about expanding the capacity of law enforcement agencies to engage in community policing.”
CHP provides grants to state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies to hire or rehire community policing officers. The program provides salaries and benefits for officer and deputy hires for three years.
“Community policing is critical in fostering and sustaining strong relationships between local law enforcement and the communities they serve,” said U.S. Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III. “The partnerships developed through these efforts create the dialogue necessary to build trust at all levels. Our Office is excited that five of our local law enforcement partners will have additional funding to enhance community policing within their jurisdictions.”
Priority consideration was given this year to agencies that selected any of the Building Trust focus areas or School Based Policing through School Resource Officers. All applicants were encouraged to refer to the report of the President's Task Force on 21st Century Policing for suggested actions to incorporate into their proposed community policing strategy.
The COPS Office is a federal agency responsible for advancing community policing nationwide. Since 1995, COPS has invested over $14 billion to advance community policing, including grants awarded to more than 13,000 state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies to fund the hiring and redeployment of approximately 127,000 officers and provide a variety of knowledge resource products including publications, training, and technical assistance.
For the entire list of grantees and additional information about the 2015 COPS Hiring Program, visit the COPS website at www.cops.usdoj.gov.
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Tampa Restaurant Owner Sentenced for Receiving Stolen PropertyRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Kovachevich today sentenced Charvester Anthony to four years and three months in federal prison for receiving stolen government property. As part of his sentence, the Court entered a money judgment in the amount of $31,000, the proceeds of the charged criminal conduct. A federal jury found him guilty on June 18, 2015.
According to court documents, Anthony, who owned and operated several restaurants in Tampa, received and cashed more than 30 federal income tax return checks, knowing that they had been obtained by fraud. The checks totaled more than $250,000.
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Bob Mosakowski.
St. Petersburg Man Sentenced for Attempting to Entice Children Online and for Sending Obscene MaterialRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Charlene Edwards Honeywell today sentenced Sandi S. McGann (30, St. Petersburg) to 10 years in federal prison for attempting to entice and coerce minors to engage in illegal sexual activity, and for transferring obscene matter to individuals that he believed were under the age of 16.
According to court documents, between December 10, 2014, and February 12, 2015, McGann communicated online and attempted to persuade a 14-year-old “child” to engage in illegal sexual activity with him. The “child” actually was an undercover agent from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations posing as a ninth grade girl living in Clearwater. Further investigation revealed that McGann had also engaged in sexually explicit online chats with another Homeland Security agent posing as a child online. He also communicated online with a 14-year “child” living in California named “Amanda.” “Amanda” was actually the founder of the “Demand Project,” a nonprofit organization in Oklahoma designed to help law enforcement identify individuals who pose a risk to children. During the various online chat sessions with individuals McGann believed were under the age of 16, McGann repeatedly masturbated while on his webcam.
“Predators who target innocent children for their own criminal gratification are warned that law enforcement will not rest until they are brought to justice,” said Susan L. McCormick, special agent in charge of HSI Tampa. “HSI, along with our federal, state, and local partners, will continue identifying and arresting those who would even attempt to victimize the young and defenseless in such a deplorable way.”
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. It is being 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 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.
Palm Coast Man Pleads Guilty to Receiving Child Pornography over the InternetRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announced today that Gioacchino Campo (57, Palm Coast) has pleaded guilty to receiving child pornography over the Internet. He faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 5 years, up to 20 years, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to court documents, an FBI agent in Jacksonville began an undercover investigation to identify individuals that were accessing or trading images or videos depicting child pornography over the Internet. The agent identified a computer that was hosting images using a file sharing program, and the agent was able to download several files depicting child pornography from that computer. The computer was traced to Campo’s residence.
On March 11, 2014, agents and officers executed a federal search warrant at Campo’s residence and seized computers and other electronic media. During an interview, Campo stated that he had been downloading child pornography, and first became involved with it about five years ago. Forensic analyses of Campo’s computer revealed that it contained at least 50 videos depicting the sexual abuse of children.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Jacksonville and Daytona Beach. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.
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.
Ohio Man Pleads Guilty to Defrauding Bradenton Medical PracticeRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that David Brooks (44, Ohio) has pleaded guilty to mail fraud. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison.
According to the plea agreement, in October 2011, Brooks was hired as the Financial Accounting Manager at Coastal Orthopedics and Sports Medicine of Southwest Florida (Coastal), located in Bradenton. While working for Coastal, Brooks was convicted of theft, money laundering, and other fraud-related offenses in Ohio. In June 2013, after discovering this information, Coastal fired Brooks and commenced a review of its books and records.
Between January 2012 and June 19, 2013, Coastal found that Brooks had used company accounts to purchase more than $700,000 in American Express gift cards that he then used for personal expenses, including legal fees associated with his Ohio criminal case. He also had diverted payroll funds to himself above his normal salary. Brooks had altered the company’s books and records to cover up his actions.
In one instance, Brooks used ten different gift cards, paid for with Coastal’s funds, to purchase a 2012 Jeep Liberty. The gift cards were shipped to Brooks at Coastal on March 15, 2012, and four days later he used them to purchase the vehicle.
In total, Brooks used $702,091.60 of Coastal’s funds to purchase the gift cards for his own use. Together with the funds he diverted to pay himself over and above his salary, he defrauded the company out of approximately $858,883.
This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service and the Bradenton Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mandy Riedel.
Former Hillsborough County Resident Sentenced to Federal Prison for Role in Mortgage Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday today sentenced Brendan Bolger (41, Chicago, IL) to two years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit bank, wire, and mail fraud. The Court also entered a forfeiture money judgment in the amount of $13,641,197.90, which represents the fraud perpetrated on the mortgage lenders. Bolger pleaded guilty on August 20, 2014.
According to court documents, in 2005, entities controlled by co-conspirators entered into a contract to purchase The Arbors, an apartment complex in Hillsborough County. The new owners of The Arbors then engaged in a plan to convert the complex from rental apartments to condominiums. The developers financed their purchase of The Arbors with a loan from Corus Bank, a financial institution whose deposits were insured by the FDIC. The Corus loan agreement set forth substantial financial penalties for the developers if they failed to satisfy the loan requirements.
Bolger aided the developers in the sale of numerous condominiums at The Arbors through his company, Capital Management Guarantee, LLC. In order to induce buyers to purchase condominiums 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 condominium’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 both Corus Bank and to the purchasers’ mortgage lenders material facts about the financing of the sale of the condominiums.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Federal Housing Finance Agency – Office of Inspector General. It was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Chris Poor and Assistant United States Attorney Jay Hoffer.
Sarasota Felon Sentenced to More Than Six Years for Possessing A FirearmRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge James D. Whittemore has sentenced Kevin Eugene McKnight (31, Sarasota) to six years and five months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. He pleaded guilty on July 8, 2015.
According to court documents, in October 2014, McKnight sold a handgun and oxycodone pills to an undercover detective from the Sarasota Police Department. Prior to this incident, McKnight had multiple prior felony convictions. As a result, he was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Sarasota Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael V. Leeman.
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 Bentley, along with Regina Lombardo, Special Agent in Charge, ATF, is coordinating the Project Safe Neighborhoods effort here in the Middle District of Florida. It is also a part of ATF’s Frontline strategy to reduce violence in our communities.
New Port Richey Man Sentenced for Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Virginia M. Hernandez Covington today sentenced Steven Staltare to three years and one month in federal prison for tax evasion. The Court also ordered restitution to the Internal Revenue Service in the amount of $1,689,248. Staltare pleaded guilty on December 16, 2014.
According to court documents, Staltare was a securities broker and evaded paying taxes on income that he had earned during tax years 1999 through 2009. During the same time period that he failed to report and pay taxes on his income, he enjoyed a lavish lifestyle and diverted money from his business for gambling and personal expenses.
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation. It was being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jay L. Hoffer.
Hillsborough County Resident Pleads Guilty to Bankruptcy Fraud Charges and Lying to the Office of the United States TrusteeRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that David W. Griffin (44, Lutz) today pleaded guilty to one count of bankruptcy fraud and one count of making a false statement under oath during a bankruptcy proceeding. Griffin faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in federal prison for each charge. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to court documents, Griffin operated a foreclosure rescue scheme through his companies, Bay2Bay Area Holding, LLC and Business Development Consultants, LLC. The purpose of the scheme was to obtain quitclaim or warranty deeds from distressed homeowners facing foreclosure in return for false promises to rescue their homes from foreclosure by negotiating with creditors, renting the property back to the homeowner to obtain rental income, and falsely promising that the homeowner could repurchase the property from Griffin. To maximize his rental income, Griffin also prevented creditors and guarantors, including the Federal National Mortgage Association (“Fannie Mae”) and the Federal Housing Administration, from pursuing lawful foreclosure and eviction actions against homeowners who had defaulted on their mortgages. This was accomplished by filing, or causing to be filed, fraudulent bankruptcies in the names of the homeowners without their knowledge or consent.
Griffin also admitted that he had lied under oath in sworn testimony before the Office of the United States Trustee. Under penalty of perjury, Griffin stated that he had no knowledge of a bankruptcy petition filed in the name of his company, Bay2Bay Area Holding Group, when in fact, he had prepared the petition and had directed an individual to sign his name and file the petition with the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of Florida.
Griffin has agreed to make full restitution to the Clerk for the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of Florida. The estimated losses resulting from Griffin’s conduct are approximately $25,125.00.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Federal Housing Finance Agency - Office of Inspector General, and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development – Office of Inspector General. The Office of the U.S. Trustee in Tampa also provided substantial assistance. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Chris Poor.
Brooksville Bank Executive Charged with Bank FraudRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the filing of an information and plea agreement charging David Donato (58, Brooksville) with bank fraud. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison. The information also notifies Donato that the United States intends to seek a money judgment in the amount of $143,878.80, which is traceable to the proceeds of the fraud.
According to court documents, Donato worked as a Senior Vice President and Commercial Lender for the CenterState Bank located at 12435 Cortez Boulevard in Brooksville. Donato was also the treasurer of the Hernando Youth League (HYL), a non-profit youth sports organization located in Hernando County. As treasurer, Donato maintained the organization’s bank accounts at his branch of CenterState Bank and had sole signature authority.
During a routine audit of its accounts in 2015, officials at CenterState Bank discovered suspicious activity in the accounts maintained by HYL. Further investigation revealed that, between at least 2011 and 2015, Donato had obtained five different lines of credit and loans from the bank in the name of HYL without permission or knowledge from HYL or its Board of Directors. He used the loan proceeds on personal expenses.
In total, Donato obtained $143,878.80 on behalf of HYL based on false statements and forged bank documents. Investigators have determined that Donato used approximately $98,420 for personal expenses, including paying his mortgage, credit cards, and cellphone and cable bills. He wrote checks to himself totaling $39,350 and also wrote checks in exchange for cash totaling $3,400. Each of these checks was written from the HYL accounts without the organization’s knowledge or consent.
An information 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 Hernando County Sheriff’s Office and the United States Secret Service. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mandy Riedel.
Update:
Donato pleaded guilty on Tuesday, September 30, 2015, at 2:00 PM in Tampa before Magistrate Judge Elizabeth A. Jenkins (Courtroom 11A).
A sentencing date has not yet been set.
Brevard County Heroin Dealer Sentenced to 15 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
Orlando, FL – Senior U.S. District Judge Kendall Sharp today sentenced Antwon Sexton (37, Cocoa) to 15 years in federal prison for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute more than 100 grams of heroin. He pleaded guilty on May 28, 2015.
According to court documents, Sexton was a heroin dealer in Brevard County and had at least one source of supply in New Jersey. He managed at least five others who acted as drivers and/or street level dealers and who also helped him obtain and distribute heroin. During the investigation, agents purchased heroin from Sexton and identified several of his customers.
On March 4, 2015, Sexton arrived in downtown Orlando on a train that had originated in New Jersey. When Sexton departed the train, agents saw that he was carrying a duffle bag. He then got into a van and left the train station. During a traffic stop, agents searched the van and located more than 300 grams of heroin in Sexton’s duffle bag. During the investigation, agents linked Sexton to more than 600 grams of heroin.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office, and the Titusville Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Haas.
Kentucky Man Pleads Guilty to Eleven Robberies in Georgia and FloridaRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Chad Michael Merida (23, Heidrick, Kentucky) today pleaded guilty to interference with commerce by robbery. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to court documents, between November 15, 2014, and November 24, 2014, Merida robbed two commercial businesses in Georgia and eight commercial businesses and one bank in Florida. After the final robbery, a PNC Bank on Westshore Boulevard in Tampa, Merida was tracked to his home at the Element Luxury Apartments in downtown Tampa. He ultimately confessed to committing all 11 robberies.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Carlton C. Gammons.
Former Police Department Employee Indicted for Tax Fraud, Computer Intrusion, and Identity TheftRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Tonia Bright with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, four counts of obtaining information from a protected computer, and four counts of aggravated identity theft related to her involvement in a stolen identity refund fraud (SIRF) scheme. If convicted, she faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison on the conspiracy charge, 5 years in federal prison on each of the computer intrusion offenses, and a 2-year term of imprisonment for each aggravated identity theft count that would be served consecutively to the sentence imposed on the other counts. The indictment also notifies Bright that the United States intends to seek a forfeiture money judgment equal to the proceeds of the offenses.
According to the indictment, Bright was a civilian employee of the Tampa Police Department (TPD) working as a community service officer in the District 3 station. As part of her duties, Bright took reports from citizens related to incidents not requiring the response of a sworn police officer. In this capacity, she had access to local, state, and federal law enforcement databases, including the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) computerized index. Her use of these databases was restricted to the performance of her authorized duties.
As part of the conspiracy, Bright allegedly accessed the personally identifiable information (PII) of individuals using a variety of sources, including NCIC, despite having no legitimate law enforcement purpose for doing so. She then provided the stolen PII to others, including Tampa resident Rita Girven, knowing that the information would be used to commit crimes. Girven and others used the stolen PII to electronically file, and cause others to file, fraudulent federal income tax returns claiming tax refunds that they were not entitled to. The fraudulently obtained tax refunds were deposited onto reloadable debit cards, issued in the conspirators’ names and the names of others, including the identity theft victims’ names. Girven and others then used the debit cards at retail establishments and ATMs to withdraw the funds and shared in the proceeds.
Girven previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. Her sentencing hearing is scheduled for November 20, 2015.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, the Tampa Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mandy Riedel.
Convicted Sex Offender Sentenced for Sexual Enticement of A ChildRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States District Judge Roy B. Dalton, Jr. has sentenced Jacob Isaac Bomboy (25, Lake County) to 12 years in federal prison for attempting to entice a child to engage in illicit sexual conduct. He pleaded guilty on June 1, 2015.
According to the plea agreement, from November 7, 2014, to March 11, 2015, Bomboy engaged in online communications with an undercover FBI agent posing as a 13-year-old girl, and he made arrangements to meet the “child” for sex. On March 11, 2015, Bomboy traveled to a prearranged meeting location in Seminole County and was arrested.
The plea agreement also notes that Bomboy was previously arrested by state authorities for solicitation of sex with a minor. He was ultimately convicted for attempted child abuse and was sentenced to five years of sex offender probation. Bomboy was on probation when he attempted to meet the 13-year-old girl for sex.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and it was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ilianys Rivera Miranda.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by 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.
Texas Fugitive Pleads Guilty to Aggravated Identity Theft and Manufacturing Counterfeit Federal Reserve NotesRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Joe Eugene Loving (46, Texas) has pleaded guilty to manufacturing counterfeit Federal Reserve notes, false representation of a Social Security number, and aggravated identity theft. He faces a maximum penalty of 25 years in federal prison for the counterfeit notes and false representation charges, to be followed by a consecutive mandatory minimum of 2 years’ imprisonment for the aggravated identity theft charge. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the plea agreement, on February 2, 2015, the Green Cove Springs Police Department received information that two individuals, later identified as Loving and John Thomas Humphreys, were manufacturing counterfeit Federal Reserve notes in their hotel room at the Astoria Hotel in Clay County. The two men had active arrest warrants for parole violations in Texas and were subsequently arrested at the hotel by deputies from the Clay County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies found a counterfeit $100.00 note on Loving after his arrest.
During an interview with law enforcement, Humphreys and Loving stated, among other things, that they had been involved in a drug deal in Texas in December 2014 and had been on the run ever since. They estimated printing and passing at least $10,000.00 in counterfeit currency. In addition, they printed counterfeit checks using the identities of others.
During a subsequent search of the hotel room, agents located a box of personal identification information and financial documents belonging to other individuals, a printer/scanner/copier with counterfeit checks lying on top of it, counterfeit currency, and various computer media which had been used to manufacture the counterfeit currency.
A third individual, Paul Corbin Pennington, Jr., was also charged in this case for passing counterfeit currency. Pennington, a maintenance worker at the Astoria Hotel, loaned Loving and Humphreys his computer to watch movies. Loving and Humphreys used the computer to print counterfeit checks. Pennington confessed to law enforcement officers that he had passed counterfeit currency in Clay County.
Pennington previously pleaded guilty to one count of passing counterfeit currency. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for October 13, 2015. Humphreys previously pleaded guilty to manufacturing counterfeit Federal Reserve notes, false representation of a Social Security number, and aggravated identity theft. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for October 27, 2015.
This case was investigated by the Green Cove Springs Police Department, the Clay 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.
Sarasota Man Sentenced to Prison for Investment FraudRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL –U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Kovachevich has sentenced Gaeton Della Penna (62, Sarasota) to five years and ten months in federal prison for mail and wire fraud related to an investment scheme. As part of his sentence, the court ordered restitution for his victims and entered a money judgment of more than $2.8 million, representing the proceeds of fraud. Della Penna pleaded guilty on May 5, 2015.
According to court documents, Della Penna enticed investors to invest in his “investment funds” by guaranteeing them at least 5% yearly interest on their investment, with the principal to be returned at the end of an 18-month period, minus a nominal management/organizational fee paid to Della Penna, plus any trading profits. These representations were false. Rather than making profitable trades and protecting investors’ principal, Della Penna used a portion of the investors’ money for trading, lost money in his trades, and misappropriated the rest of the investors’ money by using it to repay other investors’ principal. False statements and “quarterly” interest checks were sent to the investors to entice them to invest more money. Della Penna also paid personal expenditures with the investors’ money, including mortgage payments on his waterfront residence.
This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service and the Sarasota Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelley Howard-Allen.
Scientists Sentenced to Prison for Defrauding the Small Business Innovation Research ProgramRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Virginia Hernandez Covington has sentenced Mahmoud Aldissi (a/k/a Matt) and Anastassia Bogomolova (a/k/a Anastasia) for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and falsification of records. Aldissi was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison and Bogomolova was sentenced to a term of 13 years. As part of their sentences, the court entered a money judgment in the amount of $10.6 million, representing the proceeds of the crime, and ordered them to pay $10.6 million in restitution. Aldissi and Bogomolova were found guilty on March 20, 2015.
According to testimony and evidence presented during the month-long trial, through their two companies, Fractal Systems, Inc., and Smart Polymers Research Corp., Aldissi and Bogomolova fraudulently obtained approximately $10.5 million of small business research awards from the federal government. In order to be awarded contracts, they submitted proposals using the stolen identities of real people to create false endorsements of and for their proposed contracts. In the proposals, they also lied about their facilities, costs, the principal investigator on some of the contracts, and certifications in the proposals.
"The Defense Criminal Investigative Service and its law enforcement partners are committed to protecting the integrity of all Department of Defense programs," said Special Agent in Charge John F. Khin, Southeast Field Office. “DCIS aggressively investigates those who defraud the DoD procurement process, and places the utmost importance on preserving precious American taxpayer dollars intended to support our Warfighters. "
“The NASA Office of Inspector General will continue to aggressively investigate those who undermine and defraud NASA programs and operations,” said Special Agent in Charge John Corbett, Central Field Office. “Today’s sentencing serves as a staunch reminder that such conduct will not be tolerated. The NASA OIG applauds the efforts of the entire investigative and prosecution team during this multi-year investigation, and we look forward to our continued cooperation with our law enforcement partners in the pursuit of justice.”
Allison Lerner, Inspector General at the National Science Foundation said, “Through their repeated lies, falsification of records, and other illegal practices, these individuals fraudulently obtained millions of taxpayer dollars intended to advance new technologies. I commend our law enforcement and prosecution partners whose diligent efforts led to today’s sentencing.”
"We are extremely pleased with the outcome of this investigation and today's sentencing," said the Director of the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command's Major Procurement Fraud Unit, Frank Robey. "This case is a prime example of various investigative agencies working closely together to solve a suspected crime and how their varying investigative skills, knowledge and expertise complement one another to bring those responsible to justice."
“Today’s sentencing of Mr. Aldissi and Ms. Bogomolova serves as a fitting end to their scheme to cheat legitimate business owners out of the opportunity to compete for government contracts,” said Jerry Polk, acting Special Agent in Charge, EPA OIG Atlanta Field Office. “Their fate is certainly a cautionary tale for other contractors to avoid these types of illegal activities. The EPA OIG is committed to guarding federal funds and aggressively investigating those who abuse the American taxpayer’s money.”
“The Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General applauds the efforts of the investigative and prosecution team during this complex investigation, and we look forward to our continued cooperation with our law enforcement partners and the United States Attorney’s Office in the pursuit of justice. The Small Business Innovation Research Program is one of the largest public-private partnerships in the United States, and the DHS Office of Inspector General will aggressively investigate those who seek to unjustly capitalize and benefit from it,” stated James J. DePalma, Senior Special Agent, DHS Office of Inspector General, Orlando.
"This sentencing serves as a reminder that fraud in the Small Business Innovation Research Program will not be tolerated," said Inspector General Gregory H. Friedman of the DOE. "The Small Business Innovation Research program is an essential Department of Energy program to support scientific excellence and technological innovation. I salute the work of the U.S. Attorney's Office and our investigative partners in pursuing this matter."
This case was investigated by Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Office of the Inspector General (NASA-OIG), the Major Procurement Fraud Unit (MPFU) of the United States Army Criminal Investigation Division (Army CID), National Science Foundation’s Office of the Inspector General (NSF-OIG), the Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of the Inspector General (EPA-OIG), the Department of Energy’s Office of the Inspector General (DOE-OIG), and the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of the Inspector General (DHS-OIG). It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Thomas N. Palermo.
Wisconsin Man Sentenced for His Involvement in Tax Refund SchemeRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Senior District Judge Henry Lee Adams, Jr. has sentenced Chad Heins (41, Nekoosa, Wisconsin) to one year and one day in federal prison for conspiracy to defraud the United States. He was also ordered to pay $287,533.53 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service. Heins pleaded guilty on March 23, 2015.
According to court documents, Heins spent 13 years and 8 months in prison after being arrested, tried, and convicted of first-degree murder. After his release, he communicated with at least one Florida inmate and reached an agreement to split tax refund proceeds that had been obtained from the filing of fraudulent tax returns. Heins opened bank accounts in his name and fraudulently obtained income tax refunds in the total amount of at least $1,258,178. Of that amount, at least $287,533 was actually deposited into bank accounts that Heins had opened.
The case was investigated by The Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation and the Florida Department of Corrections. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelly S. Karase.
Former Executives of Defunct Tampa Technology Company Indicted for Investment FraudRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Timothy Munro Roberts (45, Chesterfield, Missouri) and Terrance F. Taylor (49, Ft. Myers) with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and five counts of wire fraud. Each count carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. The indictment also notifies Roberts and Taylor that the United States intends to forfeit approximately $5.3 million, which is alleged to be traceable to the proceeds of the offenses.
According to court documents, in 2010, Roberts and Taylor founded Savtira Corporation Inc., located at 2101 E. Palm Avenue in Tampa. According to its business plan, Savtira purported to offer a centralized, cloud-based shopping cart platform for online and traditional retailers to sell goods, regardless of the device used by the online purchaser.
According to court documents, as CEO and Chairman of the Board, Roberts solicited investors for Savtira. He had control over the company’s funds and was responsible for overseeing the sale of Savtira’s products to potential customers. Taylor was the Executive Vice President of Finance and Treasurer of Savtira. He had control over the company’s funds and participated in the solicitation of investors. Taylor also oversaw the company’s bank accounts, books, and records.
The indictment alleges that Roberts and Taylor made false claims in their marketing of Savtira to potential investors. They maintained that the company was profitable; the company had entered into executed agreements with nationally recognized legitimate technology firms; the company owned patents; and/or that the company was valued between $450 million and $540 million. Roberts and Taylor then misused and misappropriated some of the victim-investors’ funds for personal expenses and cash withdrawals without the consent or knowledge of those investors.
Roberts and Taylor also failed to disclose key facts to investors, including that Roberts had entered into a settlement agreement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in 2008, which required Roberts to pay a fine and banned him from selling unregistered securities. In addition, he failed to disclose the fact that Savtira owned no patents.
The indictment also alleges that Roberts and Taylor entered into a few contracts on behalf of Savtira with victim-customers promising to provide cloud-based eCommerce solutions. They entered into these contracts knowing Savtira never had a working product, and they could never deliver on the contracts. To make it appear as if Savtira had multi-million dollar future revenues, they also entered into bogus contracts and generated fake invoices and accounts receivable for the purpose of falsely bolstering the company’s value and factoring the invoices for cash.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Florida Office of Financial Regulation, Bureau of Financial Investigations, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mandy Riedel.
In a separate action, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has filed a complaint against Roberts, Taylor, and one other individual alleging they defrauded investors by grossly exaggerating the potential financial success of Savtira.
Florida Man Arrested for Illegal Distribution of Information Relating to ExplosivesRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney A. Lee Bentley III announces the arrest of Joshua Ryne Goldberg, 20, of Orange Park, Florida, for distributing information relating to explosives, destructive devices and weapons of mass destruction. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison.
According to the criminal complaint, Goldberg was in contact, through on-line communications, with an individual who law enforcement knew to be a Confidential Human Source (CHS). Between the months of July and September 2015, Goldberg distributed information to the CHS on how to manufacture a bomb. He instructed the CHS to make a pressure cooker bomb and fill it with nails, metal and other items dipped in rat poison. Goldberg instructed the CHS to place the bomb at an upcoming memorial in Kansas City, Missouri, that was commemorating the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.
A complaint is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Jacksonville, Florida, Joint Terrorism Task Force and the Clay County, Florida, Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin C. Frein of the Middle District of Florida, with assistance provided by Trial Attorney Mara Kohn of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
Goldberg Criminal Complaint
Florida Man Arrested for Illegal Distribution of Information Relating to ExplosivesRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the arrest of Joshua Ryne Goldberg (20, Orange Park, Florida) for distributing information relating to explosives, destructive devices, and weapons of mass destruction. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison.
According to the criminal complaint, Goldberg was in contact, through on-line communications, with an individual who law enforcement knew to be a Confidential Human Source (CHS). Between the months of July and September 2015, Goldberg distributed information to the CHS on how to manufacture a bomb. He instructed the CHS to make a pressure cooker bomb and fill it with nails, metal, and other items dipped in rat poison. Goldberg instructed the CHS to place the bomb at an upcoming memorial in Kansas City, Missouri that was commemorating the September 11, 2001 attacks.
A complaint is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) and the Clay County Sheriff’s Office. Members of the Jacksonville JTTF include the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Florida Highway Patrol, the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin C. Frein of the Middle District of Florida, with assistance provided by Trial Attorney Mara Kohn of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
No Photo Available
Detention and Preliminary Hearing set for Tuesday, September 15, 2015, at 2 pm before United States Magistrate Judge James R. Klindt (Courtroom 5D) at the Bryan Simpson U.S. Courthouse, 300 North Hogan Street, Jacksonville, Florida.
Update following 9/15/2015 hearing:
Joshua Ryne Goldberg has formally retained private counsel. The Federal Public Defender’s Office has been removed as the attorney of record and Shorstein, Lasnetski & Gihon, LLC attorneys at law have filed a notice of appearance on behalf of the defendant.
Today, U.S. Magistrate Judge James R. Klindt ordered a 30-day competency evaluation, at a federal medical center, for the defendant.
Goldberg will remain in federal custody.
No future court date was set.
No further information available at this time.
Former Federal Correctional Officer Pleads Guilty to Accepting Bribes for Smuggling ContrabandRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Robert Lawrence Brown (32, Clermont) has pleaded guilty to accepting a bribe as a public official. He faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the plea agreement, beginning in January 2015, Brown used his position as a Correctional Officer at the Coleman Federal Correctional Complex to smuggle contraband to inmates in exchange for monetary payments. On June 18, 2015, federal agents monitored a meeting between Brown and a cooperating witness. During that meeting, Brown accepted $2,600 for items that he had already smuggled into the prison. When confronted by investigators, Brown admitted that he had illegally negotiated $7,100 in cash payments in return for smuggling cellphones, prescription pills, tobacco, and other items to federal inmates.
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.
Duval County Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Manufacturing Counterfeit CurrencyRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan has sentenced Christopher Jon Kirkland (42, Jacksonville) to two years and six months in federal prison for manufacturing counterfeit Federal Reserve notes. As part of his sentence, Kirkland has agreed to forfeit computer equipment that was used to manufacture the counterfeit currency. He was also ordered to pay restitution.
According to the plea agreement, in August 2013, Kirkland began manufacturing counterfeit $20 and $100 Federal Reserve notes. Once he manufactured the notes, his co-defendants, William Brinkley, Jr. and Timothy Larry Malden, drove him to various businesses in Florida and Georgia to pass the counterfeit currency. They passed the notes to obtain merchandise and reloadable gift cards. They also returned fraudulently obtained merchandise to obtain genuine currency. From approximately August 2013 to December 2013, the group passed or attempted to pass approximately $32,600 in counterfeit currency throughout Florida and Georgia.
Brinkley and Malden previously pleaded guilty for their roles in this case. On September 3, 2015, Brinkley was sentenced to 36 months’ probation. The sentencing hearing for Malden is scheduled for October 29, 2015.
This case was investigated by United States Secret Service Jacksonville Field Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.
Dade City Gang Member Sentenced to More Than 11 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Virginia M. Hernandez Covington has sentenced Domingo Zamora (47, Dade City) to 11 years and 6 months in federal prison on drug conspiracy charges. He pleaded guilty on November 21, 2014.
According to court documents, Zamora, a previously convicted felon who was affiliated with a Dade City street gang, sold large amounts of methamphetamine to undercover ATF agents and brokered drug deals between the agents and other sources of supply. He also sold a firearm to an agent on at least one occasion during a drug transaction.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stacie B. Harris.
This is another case prosecuted as a part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program - a nationwide, gun-violence reduction strategy. United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III, along with Regina Lombardo, Special Agent in Charge, ATF, is coordinating the Project Safe Neighborhoods effort here in the Middle District of Florida in cooperation with federal, state, and local law enforcement officials. It is also a part of ATF’s Frontline strategy to reduce violence in communities.
Brevard County Man Sentenced for Receiving and Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Roy B. Dalton, Jr. has sentenced Billie Jay Rufrano (31, Titusville) to 10 years and 1 month in federal prison for receiving and possessing child pornography. He was also ordered to pay restitution to two victims.
Rufrano was indicted on January 14, 2015, and he pleaded guilty on April 28, 2015.
According to court documents, on October 3, 2014, a state search warrant was executed at Rufrano’s residence and several computers were seized. Forensic analyses of the computer media subsequently revealed 223 movies and 114 images depicting child pornography.
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ilianys Rivera Miranda.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Tampa Man Pleads Guilty to Sexual Enticement of A ChildRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Christopher James Everding (28, Tampa) has pleaded guilty to one count of attempting to entice a child to engage in illicit sexual conduct. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for November 16, 2015.
According to the plea agreement, from May 15, 2015, to May 22, 2015, Everding engaged in communications via the Internet with an undercover officer about his intent to engage the undercover officer’s 13-year-old fictitious daughter in sex and bestiality. On May 22, 2015, Everding traveled from Tampa to Brevard County for the purpose of engaging the “child” in illicit sexual conduct and was arrested.
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 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 Women Sentenced for Conspiracy to Defraud the United States and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan has sentenced two Jacksonville women for conspiracy to defraud the United States and aggravated identity theft. Laura Butler was sentenced to two years and one month in federal prison and Cherica Daniels was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment.
Butler pleaded guilty on March 6, 2015, and Daniels pleaded guilty on February 25, 2015.
According to court documents, in 2011, Butler worked at Blue Cross Blue Shield Florida and had access to personal identifying information. During her employment, she accessed several subscribers’ identities and later used them to file false and fraudulent income tax returns. Daniels also participated in the scheme to prepare and file false and fraudulent tax returns. During her initial encounter with law enforcement, Daniels had a black bag containing more than 200 identities, including more than 15 social security numbers.
The case was investigated by The Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelly S. Karase.
United States Files Lawsuit Against URS Federal Services and Yang Enterprises Alleging Defrauding of NASA and GSARead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida - United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces today that the United States has formally filed a lawsuit against URS Federal Services, Inc. and its subcontractor Yang Enterprises, Inc. This lawsuit is brought pursuant to the False Claims Act.
In its complaint, the government describes a six-year scheme in which URS and Yang – recipients of over a billion dollars in federal government contracts – systematically defrauded the government. The complaint alleges that URS and Yang, who were responsible for overseeing a General Services Administration (GSA) fleet of approximately 400 vehicles for NASA at Kennedy Space Center, submitted more than a thousand claims for undocumented and unreasonable early replacement of car tires.
The complaint alleges that, between June 2009 and April 2015, URS and Yang submitted $387,000 in false claims to the federal government for payment. During this time period, URS and Yang billed NASA for an unprecedented number of tire replacements, excluding ones for blowouts or catastrophic damage. For example, the government alleges that URS ordered six tire replacements for one vehicle during a 27-month period. Some of these tires had fewer than 5,000 miles of use on them. In some cases, installed tires on government vehicles appeared to have been removed and replaced by inferior tires by the time the vehicle was re-serviced. The government alleges that roughly half of the vehicle fleet for which URS and Yang were responsible had vehicles with tires that did not last 60% of their expected tire life.
“We expect government contractors to act with integrity when they fulfill their contractual obligations to the government,” stated U.S. Attorney Bentley. “Overbilling for services that are not documented or not reasonable hurts the taxpayer.”
This case is being investigated by the General Services Administration - Office of Inspector General, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration - Office of Inspector General, and Assistant United States Attorney Jason Mehta.
The lawsuit contains allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
South Carolina Anesthesiologist Convicted of Internet Solicitation of A MinorRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that a federal jury has found John Francis Williams (69, Blythewood, SC) guilty of using the Internet to attempt to persuade a minor to engage in sexual activity. He faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for November 20, 2015.
Williams was indicted on February 6, 2013.
According to evidence presented at trial, in October 2012, while visiting his vacation home in Port Orange, Florida, Williams responded to a Craigslist ad. The ad had been placed by an undercover officer posing as the mother of a 14-year-old girl who was looking for a man to teach her child about sex. After a series of emails and phone calls with the “mother,” Williams drove to a house where he intended to have sex with the teen. He brought an overnight bag containing condoms, lubricants, and vibrators.
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office, the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office, and the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. It is 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.
Romanian Man Sentenced for False Visa PetitionRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Paul G. Byron has sentenced Bogdan Dragos (34, Romania) to two years in federal prison for filing a false petition to obtain visas for foreign workers. He pleaded guilty on June 12, 2015.
According to court documents, in 2010, while operating an employment agency in Daytona Beach, Dragos filed a petition with United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to obtain 392 visas for unnamed workers from the Philippines. In that petition, he falsely claimed that he had contracts with 12 hotels in the Daytona Beach area to provide foreign workers on a temporary basis. USCIS approved the petition and a large number of Filipino workers started applying for visas at the U.S. Embassy in Manila. The fraud was detected when an employee from the U.S. Embassy began calling the hotels in Daytona Beach and learned that the purported contracts did not exist.
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Bruce S. Ambrose.
Former Bradenton Housing Authority Executive Director Sentenced to Prison for Theft of Federal FundsRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Susan C. Bucklew today sentenced Wenston DeSue (44, Bradenton) to 12 months and 1 day in federal prison for theft of federal funds. As part of his sentence, the Court entered a forfeiture money judgment in the amount of $276,300.03, the proceeds of DeSue’s theft, and also ordered him to pay the same amount in restitution to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (“HUD”).
DeSue pleaded guilty on May 28, 2015.
According to court documents, from January 1, 2006, until September 19, 2013, DeSue was employed as the Executive Director of the Bradenton Housing Authority (“BHA”), a local housing authority that receives federal funds from HUD.
An investigation by the HUD - Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation revealed that between September 2010 and September 2013, DeSue was significantly absent from the BHA on a routine basis, engaged in non-BHA activities during work hours, and failed to take annual or sick leave for those absences. Despite being absent from the BHA much of the time, he accepted his regular salary. In total, DeSue stole and knowingly converted to his own use $276,300.03 from the BHA in salary, bonuses, and cash-outs of unused leave.
In addition, DeSue spent personal time with BHA Project Director, Stephany West, with whom he was romantically involved. On numerous occasions, the two spent personal time together during the workday when they should have been working or on some form of leave. West previously pleaded guilty to theft of federal funds and has a sentencing hearing set for September 9, 2015. In total, West stole and knowingly converted to her own use $104,550.75 from the BHA in salary, bonuses, and cash-outs of unused leave.
This case was investigated by the Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Bradenton Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jennifer L. Peresie and Simon A. Gaugush.
Federal Jury Convicts Windermere Man of Stealing over $2 Million from A Former NBA Basketball PlayerRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that a federal jury today found John A. White (40, Windermere) guilty of 11 counts of wire fraud and 4 counts of filing a false tax-related document. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison for each wire fraud count and up to 3 years’ imprisonment for each false document charge. White’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for November 19, 2015. He was indicted on April 9, 2015.
According to the evidence presented at trial, from 2006 through 2012, White was employed as the personal assistant to NBA basketball player Gilbert J. Arenas, who has since retired from professional basketball. During calendar years 2008 through 2011, White stole approximately $2,188,170 from Arenas by making unauthorized online banking money transfers from one of Arenas’s bank accounts into three different bank accounts that White controlled. White spent these funds on his own personal expenses, including mortgage payments for his home in Windermere, and the purchase of a Ferrari and a Range Rover. White also filed false joint income tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service for each of these years. In these tax returns, he and his wife never reported more than $60,000 in gross income, when in fact their joint income was significantly greater due to the money White stole from Arenas.
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, with assistance from the United States Secret Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew C. Searle.
Federal Corrections Officer Arrested for Making False Statements to InvestigatorsRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the arrest of Rashan L. Gibson (28, Clermont) on a criminal complaint charging him with four counts of making false statements to federal investigators. He faces up to five years in federal prison for each offense. Gibson was released on a $25,000 bond pending resolution of the matter.
According to court documents, federal investigators were contacted by an inmate at the Coleman Federal Correctional Complex in Sumter County who claimed that Gibson, a federal corrections officer, had smuggled cigarettes into the facility in exchange for a $500 bribe. Investigators subsequently monitored an audio and video-recorded meeting between Gibson and the inmate in May 2015. 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 that he had never met with the inmate, had never discussed a bribery payment, and had never received the name of a person who would pay him money on the inmate’s behalf. Based upon the evidence obtained during the investigation, all of these statements were false.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case is being 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.
Former Deputy Convicted of Civil Rights Violations and Obstruction of JusticeRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that a federal jury today found Michael J. Ronga (43, Cape Coral) guilty of deprivation of civil rights under color of law and obstruction of justice. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison for the civil rights violation and up to 20 years’ imprisonment for the obstruction charge. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for November 30, 2015.
Ronga was indicted on February 23, 2015.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, on May 5, 2013, Ronga, a deputy with the Lee County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO), provided a courtesy transport to victim R.L.C. Ronga subsequently assaulted R.L.C., causing bodily injury. He also robbed the victim of his cash and cellphone. R.L.C. reported the assault and robbery to the LCSO, and an investigation ensued. During the course of the investigation, Ronga lied to law enforcement about his interaction with the victim.
This case was investigated by Lee County Sheriff’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It was prosecuted by Chief Assistant United States Attorney Jesus M. Casas and Special Assistant United States Attorney Amira D. Fox.
Colombian Drug Trafficker Sentenced to 10 Years for Drug Conspiracy Using Body SuitsRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Roy B. Dalton today sentenced Harold Didier Loiaza-Quintana (42, Cali, Colombia) to 10 years and 5 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute heroin. He pleaded guilty on April 29, 2015.
According to court documents, in August 2011, Loiaza-Quintana orchestrated the shipment of 11 kilograms of heroin from Colombia to the United States. He coordinated the transaction from Colombia and involved multiple co-conspirators. Osvaldo Beltran-Rengifo and his girlfriend smuggled the heroin in spandex body suits aboard a cruise ship. The heroin was delivered to co-conspirator Jose Salinas-Correales. Salinas-Correales then gave the heroin to Carlos Manuel Perez, who had driven to Orlando from Philadelphia to pick it up. Perez was later stopped by officers from the Orlando Police Department, who discovered and seized the four heroin-filled body suits.
The co-conspirators previously pleaded guilty and were sentenced for their roles in this case. Beltran-Rengifo was sentenced last month to five years and eight months in federal prison. On June 4, 2015, Jose Salinas-Correales was sentenced to four years and three months in federal prison. Perez was sentenced to seven years and four months’ imprisonment on November 18, 2013.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Orlando Police Department, and the Colombian National Police. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Vincent S. Chiu.
Oviedo Man Sentenced to Ten Years for Receiving Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge John Antoon, II has sentenced Stephen Longest (27, Oviedo) to 10 years in federal prison for receiving child pornography. He was also ordered to pay $5,500 in restitution to a victim of the offense, and to forfeit the computers and electronic devices he had used to commit the crime. Longest pleaded guilty on April 2, 2015.
According to court documents, for at least four years, Longest used a file-sharing program to receive thousands of images depicting the sexual abuse of infants and young children. Law enforcement agents executed a search warrant at his home and located hundreds of child pornography images on his smart phone and computers.
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, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Karen L. Gable.
Florida Man Returned to U.S. to Face Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Martin Slone (59, Oldsmar) with four counts of wire fraud. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison on each count.
According to the indictment, Slone defrauded a Miami-area lender and the Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank). The sealed indictment was returned by a grand jury on July 11, 2013, and an arrest warrant was issued. At the time, Slone was residing in Brazil. On June 28, 2015, he was arrested at Abu Dhabi International Airport by authorities in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), based on an INTERPOL Red Notice. On August 13, 2015, special agents of the Ex-Im Bank – Officer of Inspector General (OIG) took custody of Slone and returned him to the United States to face charges.
According to the indictment, Slone owned and operated an aircraft brokerage and export business in Florida called Woolie Enterprises Inc. In September 2007, he sought and received an insurance policy from Ex-Im Bank to insure aircraft sales from Woolie to purported buyers in Brazil. Slone allegedly submitted false information regarding Woolie’s export activity to the lending bank and Ex-Im Bank. The indictment also alleges that Slone created fake invoices and documents falsely claiming that foreign buyers had purchased aircraft and parts from Woolie, and then falsely reported that those foreign buyers had defaulted on payments, causing Ex-Im Bank to pay Woolie approximately $197,690.
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 is a good example of the OIG working with our embassy officials and foreign counterparts to pursue fraud across borders,” said Deputy Inspector General Michael McCarthy. “The Export-Import Bank will diligently pursue fraud cases against subjects who are located abroad.”
The case was investigated by the Ex-Im Bank – OIG, with assistance from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, INTERPOL, and law enforcement agencies of the UAE. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick Scruggs.
Brandon Woman Pleads Guilty to Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Cindy Sanchez Carabeo (50, Brandon) has pleaded guilty to bank robbery. She faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to court documents, on May 11, 2015, Carabeo committed three bank robberies in Brandon. Within a span of approximately 30 minutes, she robbed a BB&T bank, a Wells Fargo bank, and a Florida Central Credit Union. During each robbery, Carabeo presented a note threatening to kill the teller if she did not comply with Carabeo’s demands.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Violent Crimes Task Force and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rachel K. Jones.