Middle District of Florida

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Charlene Edwards Honeywell today sentenced Carlos Sanchez (29, Lakeland) to 13 years and 4 months in federal prison for possessing with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, possessing a firearm and ammunition as a previously convicted felon, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.  He pleaded guilty on December 1, 2014.

According to court documents, on March 9, 2014, officers from the Lakeland Police Department (LPD) were dispatched to the Best Motel in Lakeland, where Sanchez had reportedly pointed a firearm at someone. After making contact with Sanchez, an LPD canine alerted to an odor of narcotics on the exterior of his car. A subsequent search of the vehicle yielded a loaded Smith and Wesson .357 caliber revolver and more than 134 grams of crystal methamphetamine. Sanchez was previously convicted of multiple felonies in Polk County. As a convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition under federal law. 

 This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Lakeland Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher F. Murray. It is another example of ATF’s Frontline strategy to reduce violent crimes in communities.

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Cherica Daniels has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States and aggravated identity theft. She faces a maximum penalty of seven years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. Daniels was indicted on September 10, 2014.

According to the plea agreement, Daniels participated in a scheme to prepare and file false and fraudulent tax returns, using the identities and social security numbers of others without their permission. Agents found Daniels in possession of personal identifying information of more than 200 individuals.        

The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation.  It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelly S. Karase.

Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Michael Paul Watkins (41, Citrus Springs) today pleaded guilty to possessing firearms and ammunition as a previously convicted felon. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison.  A sentencing hearing has not yet been set.

According to court documents, Watkins was previously convicted in state court for felony offenses, including the handling and fondling of a child under the age of 16 and two escapes. As a convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition under federal law.

In October 2014, law enforcement officers received information that Watkins had been using a third party to illegally acquire firearms and ammunition. On October 21, 2014, agents executed search warrants at his home, business, and nearby property, recovering 140 firearms, including multiple AK-47 style rifles, and thousands of rounds of ammunition. Agents also located several fully assembled pipe bombs and the components to manufacture additional ones. 

This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Bodnar, Jr.

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 combat violent crime in our communities.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge James Moody today sentenced Aaron Edwin Remaley (39, Riverview) to 10 years and 1 month in federal prison for conspiring to distribute and possessing with intent to distribute 100 kilograms or more of marijuana.  As part of his sentence, the Court also entered a money judgment in the amount of $284,250, representing part of the proceeds of the charged criminal conduct. Remaley pleaded guilty on August 26, 2014.

According to court documents, Remaley conspired with a group of associates to ship thousands of pounds of marijuana via UPS from the Texas border to Sarasota, Hillsborough, and Polk Counties. Evidence presented at his sentencing hearing revealed that in 2014, he had arranged for the shipment of at least 1,860 pounds of marijuana and funneled at least $927,000 of related drug proceeds back to his suppliers in Texas.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, and the Polk County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick Scruggs.

Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the arrest and charge by a federal complaint of Dontreaun Alexander (24, Sanford) with interference of interstate commerce by robbery. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison.

According to the complaint, on December 28, 2014, Alexander and Brandon Maurice Long committed an armed robbery of the Circle K store located at 7530 Forest City Road in Orlando. Long was apprehended on the night of the robbery. He was indicted on February 4, 2015. Alexander fled the scene and was later arrested on February 23, 2015.

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 was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Orange County Sherriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Vincent Chiu and Kara M. Wick.

Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Brian J. Davis today sentenced John Dewey Todd (61, Fernandina Beach) to 19 years and 7 months in federal prison for producing and receiving child pornography over the Internet. The Court also ordered him to serve a 10-year term of supervision upon his release from prison and to register as a sex offender.  Todd pleaded guilty to the offenses on September 25, 2014.

According to court documents, law enforcement agents executed a federal search warrant at Todd’s residence in Fernandina Beach on November 15, 2013, during which they recovered several electronic devices. In an interview with agents, Todd admitted to having “child pornography” on his computers. He further admitted to collecting child pornography for a “couple of years.” At sentencing, evidence was presented showing that Todd had been collecting child pornography for 15 years.

Fifty-one media discs were found hidden in Todd’s attic containing at least 12,000 files of child pornography, including 550 videos and 11,500 still images. An additional 4,000 files of child pornography were found on other media. Todd’s collection included videos depicting thousands of instances of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, depictions of bondage, sadistic and masochistic conduct, and other portrayals of violence. Police also found five thumb drives in a jacket pocket hanging in Todd’s closet.  Upon examination of the thumb drives, agents discovered four self-produced videos made by Todd, in which he secretly recorded the genitalia of prepubescent girls using the bathroom in his home.

"This sentencing underscores the severity of crimes against our children," said Susan L. McCormick, special agent in charge of HSI Tampa. "HSI will continue to direct our vast resources toward protecting the most vulnerable in our society."

This case was investigated by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations and the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, with assistance from the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office.  It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelly S. Karase.

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

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Enrique Hernandez (34, Miami) today pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank and mail fraud. He faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison. As part of the plea, Hernandez has agreed to make full restitution in the amount of $899,700, the approximate losses resulting from his role in the conspiracy.

According to the plea agreement and court proceedings, Hernandez participated in a mortgage fraud conspiracy in which some conspirators entered into agreements to purchase properties for amounts in excess of the original asking price. The conspirators then inserted false and fraudulent information about the various conspirator-purchasers on mortgage loan applications, or Fannie Mae Form 1003s, that were submitted in support of the loan requests. Upon closing each sale, the conspirators would use a portion of the inflated loan proceeds to pay the seller the original asking price for the property. The remaining excess funds, the amount between the original asking price and the inflated mortgage loan amount, were then shared amongst the conspirators. The purchased properties were subsequently allowed to fall into foreclosure.

Hernandez obtained $108,724 in proceeds for his participation in the scheme.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Office of Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jay G. Trezevant and Special Assistant United States Attorney Chris Poor.

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Fuada Delic (32, Jacksonville) today pleaded guilty to aiding and assisting in the filing of a false tax return. He faces a maximum penalty of three years in federal prison. As part of the plea, Delic has agreed to make full restitution to the Internal Revenue Service for the tax loss arising from the 43 counts charged against her in the original indictment.

Delic was indicted on December 19, 2013.

According to the plea agreement, Delic was the owner, operator, and sole tax preparer at Delica’s Tax Service, a company which offered tax return preparation services. On February 6, 2009, she prepared a Form 1040 on which she represented that the taxpayer had made charitable contributions in the total amount of $14,220. She also represented that the taxpayer had incurred $1,820 in education expenses for which he was entitled to an education credit of $1,510. When Delic prepared the return, she knew that the taxpayer had not made the claimed charitable contributions or incurred the claimed education expenses. Delic submitted the return to the IRS, which issued a refund in the amount of $3,323. Without the false statements, the taxpayer would have been entitled to a refund of $808. Delic was an experienced tax return preparer and knew that making such false statements on a return was against the law.

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Arnold B. Corsmeier.

Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Michael J. Ronga (43, Cape Coral) with deprivation of civil rights and obstruction of justice.  If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison for the civil rights charge and up to 20 years in federal prison for the obstruction of justice charge.

The indictment alleges that on May 5, 2013, while working as a deputy sheriff with the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, Ronga assaulted “R.L.C.” causing bodily injury, and also took money and a cellphone from “R.L.C.”  Ronga also allegedly lied to law enforcement about his interactions with “R.L.C.” on that day.

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 Lee County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  It will be prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Amira D. Fox and Chief Assistant United States Attorney Jesus M. Casas.

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Roy B. Dalton, Jr. today sentenced Jeffery Hall (48, Maitland) to two years in federal prison for mail fraud.  He was also sentenced to serve three years of supervised release, and will be ordered to pay restitution in an amount to be determined at a later proceeding. Hall pleaded guilty on November 25, 2014.

According to court documents, Hall worked at a local art gallery that also had locations outside of Florida.  Over a two-year period, he used his position at the gallery to embezzle more than $1 million. Hall did this by diverting proceeds from the sale of artwork to his own personal bank accounts, or to a business account that belonged to him. He also used the gallery’s artwork as loan collateral for himself and sold some of the artwork on eBay.

This case was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation.  It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg.

Orlando, Florida – U.S. Chief District Judge Anne C. Conway yesterday sentenced Ruben Mangual-Aquino (33, Orlando) to 48 months in federal prison for conspiracy to traffic in counterfeit access devices (credit cards), possession of device-making equipment, producing and using counterfeit access devices, possession of 15 or more counterfeit access devices, and aggravated identity theft. Co-defendant Yahima Carballosa (33, Orlando) was sentenced to 51 months in federal prison for the same offenses. A third co-defendant, Bernard Cordero-Perez (27, Kissimmee), was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison for participating in the conspiracy and for possession of device-making equipment.  The Court also ordered the defendants to forfeit computer equipment and cell phones that had been used to commit the offenses. In addition, they were ordered to pay $44,629.23 in restitution to the victims of the crimes.

Mangual-Aquino and Carballosa pleaded guilty on October 29, 2014, and Cordero-Perez pleaded guilty on October 15, 2014.

According to court documents, Cordero-Perez worked as a housekeeper at a hotel in Orlando, Florida. Mangual-Aquino gave Cordero a hand-held skimming device to steal hotel guests’ credit card account information. On several separate occasions while at work, Cordero-Perez took guests’ credit cards from purses, wallets and backpacks that he found in their rooms, and then ran those cards through the skimmer. After skimming the guests’ credit card account information, he gave the skimmer to Mangual-Aquino, who downloaded the credit card account information into a computer at his home. Mangual-Aquino and Carbalossa then encoded credit cards with the stolen credit card account information to create counterfeit cards. Mangual-Aquino and Carbalossa used the counterfeit cards to buy gift cards at local area retail stores, and then used the gift cards to purchase merchandise. Mangual-Aquino gave Cordero-Perez fraudulently purchased gift cards as his payment for his participation in the conspiracy.

This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Bruce S. Ambrose.

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the arrest and charge by a federal complaint of Shawn Paul Hendricks (41, Dade City); Vladimir Castaneda (26) and Jose Edgar Gonzalez-Castaneda (45), both of Eustis, Florida, with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. If convicted, each faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison.

According to the complaint, Hendricks, who was known by law enforcement to be a large-scale methamphetamine trafficker, was arrested in Dade City on Thursday night for fleeing and alluding law enforcement after an attempted traffic stop. Agents subsequently seized marijuana, a gun, and over $50,000 in cash from a Dade City residence where Hendricks lived with his girlfriend. Hendricks admitted to having received 10 to 15 pounds of methamphetamine a week over the past year from a source in Atlanta, Georgia and stated that he was to receive such a shipment the following night. With Hendricks’s cooperation, last night agents arrested Castaneda and Gonzalez-Castaneda at their residences in Eustis, Florida, after they delivered nearly 9 pounds of methamphetamine to Hendricks. In one of the transport vehicles, agents found an additional 11 pounds of methamphetamine. Gonzales-Castaneda admitted that he and Castaneda had picked up the methamphetamine in Atlanta earlier that morning.

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 was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office.  It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kathy J.M. Peluso.

Ocala, Florida – Senior U.S. District Judge Wm. Terrell Hodges today sentenced Rolando Pinon (46, San Benito, Texas) to 18 years and 6 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. The Court also ordered him to forfeit more than $1.2 million dollars in property and cash, which were determined to be traceable proceeds of the offense. Pinon pleaded guilty on November 25, 2014.

According to court documents and evidence presented at the sentencing hearing, Pinon had a long-time source for large quantities of cocaine in Matamoros, Mexico. Since 2007, he had used various modes of transportation to move the drugs from Texas to Ocala, and had employed a series of drivers, including Jose Manuel Tovar. The investigation revealed that Pinon had sold in excess of 150 kilograms of cocaine to an Ocala-based customer, who then had sold the drugs to multi-kilogram cocaine dealers in the Marion County area.

On August 29, 2014, the Ocala Police Department conducted a traffic stop of a truck Tovar was driving on his way from Texas. During the stop and ensuing search of the vehicle, officers located a marine-style cooler. Once disassembled, the cooler was found to contain six kilograms of cocaine. DEA agents subsequently arrested Pinon in Texas. Tovar was previously sentenced to six years in federal prison on January 22, 2015.

During the course of the conspiracy, Pinon laundered drug money by amassing rental properties in Texas, placing the properties in various nominee names, and renting them for profit. He also purchased a parcel of property and opened a vehicle sales business known as Elik Motors. Elik Motors bought cars at auction and resold them. As part of the plea agreement, Pinon forfeited the rental properties, Elik Motors, and cash. The total amount of the forfeiture exceeded $1.2 million dollars.

This case is another prosecution in the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Operation Wind Sock. The principal mission of the OCDETF Program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and those primarily responsible for the nation's drug supply.

The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, with assistance from the Unified Drug Enforcement Strike Team, which is comprised of Narcotics Agents from the Ocala Police Department and Marion County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney A. Tysen Duva.

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Roy B. Dalton, Jr. yesterday sentenced Michael Alvin Carter (61, New Smyrna Beach) to 51 months in federal prison for knowingly selling firearms to a convicted felon and knowingly selling stolen firearms. The Court also ordered him to forfeit the firearms he had sold, specifically a Norinco SKS rifle, a Ruger Mini-14 rifle, a Mossberg 500A shotgun, a Yugo M58/66 7.62 caliber rifle, an H&R shotgun, a Magnum Research Desert Eagle .50 caliber handgun, a Ruger .357 SP101 revolver, and a Smith & Wesson Model 642-2 Lady Smith revolver.

Carter pleaded guilty on November 25, 2014.

According to court documents, in June 2012, Carter sold six firearms to a person that he knew was a convicted felon, but who, unbeknownst to Carter, was working with the FBI. A few weeks later, Carter sold two additional firearms that he knew had been stolen to an FBI undercover officer. During the sentencing hearing, the Court found that Carter had known that firearms he was selling would be used unlawfully by other persons.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Bruce S. Ambrose.

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Roy B. Dalton, Jr. has sentenced James Otis Liptak (36, Merritt Island) to six years and six months in federal prison for receipt and possession of child pornography. The Court also ordered him to forfeit specific computers and hard drives on which the images of child pornography had been found. Liptak pleaded guilty on October 22, 2014.

According to court documents, on July 25, 2014, a Brevard County Deputy Sheriff and FBI Task Force Agent assigned to the Child Exploitation Task Force determined that someone using a computer with a specific Internet Protocol (IP) address was advertising suspected child pornography through a peer-to-peer file sharing program. Further investigation revealed that the computer was located at a residence in Merritt Island, Florida. Agents subsequently executed a federal search warrant at the house and found computers in Liptak’s bedroom. During an interview with agents, Liptak admitted that he had searched the Internet for the images and movies, and that he had stored them on his computer. A forensic examination of the computer’s hard drives revealed more than 5,000 images and 113 movies of child pornography.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office Child Exploitation Task Force. It was 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

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Kency Aime (29, Biscayne Park) has pleaded guilty to one count of access device (debit card) fraud and nine counts of identity theft. He faces a maximum penalty of 55 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled.

According to court documents, on May 7, 2014, a Florida Highway Patrol trooper observed a vehicle traveling above the posted speed limit on I-75 in Hamilton County, Florida. The trooper conducted a traffic stop and identified Aime as the driver and sole occupant of the vehicle. During the stop, the trooper smelled a very strong odor of marijuana coming from inside the vehicle and Aime admitted that he had been smoking marijuana.

During a search of the vehicle, troopers located 34 Mastercard and Visa debit cards, along with 296 sets of Personal Identifying Information (PII). Also found were two computers and cell phones. After obtaining federal search warrants, law enforcement located an additional 103 sets of PII on the computers and cell phones. Further investigation revealed that the Mastercard and Visa debit cards were applied for using stolen PII or obtained fraudulently and associated with fraudulent tax activity.

This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service North Florida High Tech Crime Task Force, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, and the Florida Highway Patrol. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.

Fort Myers, Florida –United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Adam Parrish (35, Naples) has pleaded guilty to an Information charging him with seven counts of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, three counts of aggravated identify theft, and three counts of improper use of a DEA Registration Number. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison for the conspiracy charges, an additional two years for each aggravated identity theft count, which must be served consecutively to the conspiracy offense, and four years in federal prison for each improper use of a DEA Registration Number offense. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled.

According to the plea agreement, from February 2009 through July 2012, Adam Parrish conspired with Delmer Holmes Parrish and Patricia Parrish to defraud federal health care benefit programs out of approximately $351,358. All three, along with others, used Sunshine Pharmacy and Sunshine Solutions in Naples to further their unlawful scheme to defraud the government. The co-conspirators submitted and caused claims to be submitted for reimbursement from the Medicaid, Medicare, and TRICARE programs for prescriptions that had not been filled or provided to beneficiaries and recipients, including prescriptions for patients that had not been written or authorized by any duly licensed physician. In addition, they submitted and caused claims to be submitted for reimbursement from these programs for prescriptions for beneficiaries and recipients who were deceased. In carrying out the offenses, the conspirators also used the means of identification of individuals who were enrolled in the Medicaid, Medicare, or TRICARE programs without their knowledge or consent. As a result of the scheme, the government was defrauded out of approximately $351,358.

In addition, Adam Parrish admitted that he had unlawfully used the names of three federal health care beneficiaries to commit health care fraud. He also admitted that he had utilized two different physicians’ DEA Registration Numbers, on three occasions, to acquire or obtain controlled substances from pharmacies in Collier County.

Delmer Parrish and Patricia Parrish were sentenced for their role in the conspiracy in April 2014. Delmer Parrish, who was a licensed pharmacist and owner of Sunshine Pharmacy, surrendered his pharmacist license and was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison. Patricia Parrish, Delmer’s Parrish’s mother, was sentenced to house arrest for 120 days, to be followed by three years of probation. In addition, Delmer and Patricia Parrish paid $351,358 in restitution to the United States at the time of their sentencing.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, the Department of Defense, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, and the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the Naples Police Department, the Collier County Sheriff's Office, and the United States Secret Service. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David G. Lazarus.

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Viviane Cazeau (36, Massachusetts) has pleaded guilty to bank fraud.  She faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled.

According to the plea agreement, Cazeau, as well as others, would call Bank of America and other financial institutions and fraudulently pose as an account holder.  Cazeau would provide enough information to convince the bank employee that she was the true account holder. Upon gaining access to the account, Cazeau would then request a new debit card and personal identification number (PIN). She would request that the card and PIN be mailed to the address on file with the bank. The card and PIN would then be mailed to the address, stolen from the victim’s mailbox, and used for ATM withdrawals in Florida and Massachusetts. During the course of this investigation, law enforcement has identified approximately $822,698 in losses tied to this scheme.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney.

Ft. Myers, Florida – United States District Court Judge John A. Steele has sentenced Edward Bergen (29, Cape Coral) to 60 months’ imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for one count of possession of ammunition by a convicted felon and one count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana.

Bergen was indicted on January 22, 2014.

According to court documents, a search warrant was executed at Bergen’s residence in December of 2013. Located inside a locked safe in his bedroom were 81 rounds of ammunition and marijuana. At the time of the offense, Bergen was a previously convicted felon, and therefore was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.

Bergen operated a Facebook page entitled “Snitch Stoppers 239” in which he identified individuals cooperating with law enforcement and offered rewards to others who identify “snitches” to him for publication on his webpage.  Bergen has remained in custody since his arrest on December 13, 2013.

This case was investigated by the Cape Coral Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration – Fort Myers Resident Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tama Koss Caldarone.

Orlando, Florida - United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the return of an indictment charging Andrew Terryll Hudson (51, Deltona) with one count of distributing child pornography, one count of receiving child pornography, and one count of possessing child pornography.

According to the indictment, on December 29, 2014, Hudson distributed images and videos depicting child pornography to an undercover FBI agent using an Internet peer-to-peer network. A federal search warrant was subsequently executed at Hudson’s residence and all of his computer-related media was seized. Forensic analyses of the evidence revealed over 1,000 images and videos of child pornography.

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

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Volusia County Sherriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Embry J. Kidd.

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

Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the return of an indictment charging Dante S. Giovannetti (50, Orlando) with five counts of wire fraud.  If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison on each count.

According to court documents, Giovannetti solicited four individuals to provide him with approximately $700,000 that Giovannetti claimed would be pooled, placed into a trading account, and used to trade in E-mini S&P 500 futures contracts.  To induce his investors, Giovanneti represented that he had experience in earning profits from trading S&P futures, and provided investors with statements that showed large trading profits that Giovannetti claimed to have earned.  Contrary to his representations, Giovannetti did not invest the monies in S&P futures, but instead used significant portions of the investors' funds for his personal benefit.  To conceal his fraud, he provided his victims with false trading statements that had been doctored to show tens of millions of dollars in fictitious profits from trading S&P 500 futures contracts and more than $53 million in cash on deposit as of July 31, 2014.

After Giovannetti failed to return their money, his investors complained to the National Futures Association, which commenced an emergency examination of one of Giovannetti’s companies on October 14, 2014.  On October 30, 2014, the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) filed a civil action against Giovannetti and several of his entities in federal court in Orlando.  A statutory restraining order was entered against Giovannetti and his entities that froze their assets, granted expedited discovery, and prohibited the destruction of documents.  Giovannetti failed to comply with the orders of the Court, was held in contempt, and a warrant was issued for his arrest for his contempt in the CFTC civil case in November 2014.  On November 21, 2014, Giovannetti was charged in a sealed criminal complaint in the Middle District of Florida.

After his scheme was uncovered, Giovannetti fled to Canada.  On January 15, 2015, he was deported back to the United States.  The following day, Giovannetti had his initial appearance on the criminal complaint in federal court in Seattle, Washington.  He is currently detained and in the process of being transported to this District by the United States Marshals Service.

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

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the State of Florida’s Office of Financial Regulation, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service and the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg.

Orlando, Florida – Chief United States District Judge Anne C. Conway today sentenced Samuel Dunn (22, Lake Mary) to 10 years in federal prison for receiving child pornography.  The Court also ordered him to serve a 15-year term of supervision following his release from prison and to forfeit the electronic devices that he had used to commit the crime.  Dunn pleaded guilty on November 19, 2014.

According to court documents, an undercover FBI investigation determined that Dunn was making child pornography available for download by others using an Internet peer-to-peer file sharing program.  On June 6, 2014, agents executed a federal search warrant at Dunn’s Lake Mary residence, where they recovered Dunn’s laptop computer and a thumb drive.  A subsequent forensic examination revealed that the computer and thumb drive contained approximately 200 images and 21 videos depicting child pornography, including images of young children being sexually abused.  Agents also interviewed Dunn, who told them that he had used the file sharing program to download child pornography for the last four to five years.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn P. Napier.

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 (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.

Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that a federal jury today found Titus Lamar Bellot (28, Fort Myers) guilty of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute the controlled substance methylone. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 18, 2015.

Bellot was indicted on April 30, 2014.

According to the testimony and evidence presented at trial, on April 21, 2014, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials at an international mail facility in New York encountered an International Express Mail parcel from the People’s Republic of China. After searching the parcel, they determined that it contained methylone. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations agents made a controlled delivery of the package to an address in Lehigh Acres, Florida. Deena Williams, who was convicted after a jury trial on February 5, 2015, accepted the package. Agents then entered the house and discovered that Williams had opened the package and removed the drugs. Bellot came to the house a short time later to pick up the drugs. Further investigation confirmed that the package belonged to him.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey F. Michelland.

Orlando, Florida – Chief U.S. District Judge Anne C. Conway has sentenced two brothers, Nelson Cartagena (41, Rockledge) and Dairo Cartagena (38, Rockledge), for their roles in a conspiracy to smuggle firearms to Colombia, and for unlawfully dealing in firearms.  Nelson Cartagena was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison and Dairo Cartagena was sentenced to 5 years and 3 months’ imprisonment. The Court also ordered the Cartagenas to forfeit all firearms intercepted by law enforcement during the investigation.

Nelson Cartagena and Dairo Cartagena pleaded guilty to the charges and were adjudicated guilty on October 30, 2014, and November 24, 2014, respectively. Two other conspirators, Karen Chan and Julian Roland, previously pleaded guilty for their roles in this case. They are scheduled to be sentenced on March 5, 2015.

According to court documents, beginning as early as November 2013, and continuing through July 2014, Nelson Cartagena and his brother bought firearms and high-capacity magazines from various Federal Firearms Licensees and private sellers at gun shows in central Florida.  They smuggled many of them to Colombia, hidden inside the motor housing of exercise machines. Law enforcement agents seized 88 firearms and 49 high-capacity magazines that had been purchased by the Cartagenas and had been shipped, or were packaged and ready for shipment, to Colombia. The intercepted shipments included high-powered military style assault rifles, pistols that shoot .223 caliber armor-piercing rifle rounds, and a variety of 9 mm pistols. Based on evidence collected during the investigation, agents estimated that more than 100 firearms were purchased by the brothers and sent to Colombia during this conspiracy. One box containing three assault rifles and a pistol was intercepted in Colombia and a shipment of 15 firearms was intercepted in Miami. An additional two boxes, containing a total of 30 firearms and 49 magazines, were found in Dairo Cartagena’s apartment ready for shipment to Colombia.

Testimony at the sentencing hearing indicated that the firearms and magazines were destined for delivery to an unknown drug cartel in Colombia.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Bruce S. Ambrose.

Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Mark Gardner (28, Osteen, Florida) and Tammie Lynn Cline (32, Leominster, MA) with one count of conspiracy, five counts of wire fraud, and four counts of money laundering.  If convicted, each faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison for each conspiracy and wire fraud count and up to 10 years in federal prison for each money laundering count.

According to the indictment, Gardner and Cline operated a telemarketing room in Central Florida.  They, along with the telemarketers who worked at their call center, made unsolicited calls to owners of timeshare properties located throughout the United States.  In those calls, they claimed that they worked for Universal Timeshare Sales Associates (UTSA) out of Beaverton, Oregon, that UTSA had a purchaser who was interested in buying a timeshare, and that the timeshare owner just needed to pay a fee of between $1,600 and $2,200 for the sale to proceed.  To convince timeshare owners to pay the fee, Gardner, Cline, and their telemarketers sometimes claimed that an interested purchaser was present in the showroom ready to buy a timeshare, that a buyer had already deposited money into an escrow account for the sale, or that the sale would take place in about 90 days.  Those representations were false.  The timeshares were not sold as had been promised, and Gardner, Cline, and their conspirators denied or ignored requests for refunds and disputed chargebacks with the credit card companies.

In May 2013, the Federal Trade Commission and the Florida Attorney General’s Office filed a civil action against Gardner, Cline, and others in federal court in Orlando.  In June 2014, the Court entered a permanent injunction against them related to certain telemarketing practices.

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 Federal Bureau of Investigation.  It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg.

WASHINGTON – The Department of Justice announced today that California-based C.R. Laurence Co. Inc., Florida-based Southeastern Aluminum Products Inc. and Texas-based Waterfall Group LLC have agreed to pay $2,300,000, $650,000 and $100,000, respectively, to resolve a lawsuit brought by the United States under the False Claims Act alleging that the companies engaged in schemes to evade customs duties on imports of aluminum extrusions from the People’s Republic of China (PRC).  The companies sell shower doors and shower enclosures made with the PRC-manufactured aluminum extrusions.

“The nation’s customs laws are designed to protect domestic manufacturers from unfair competition abroad,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Joyce R. Branda of the Justice Department’s Civil Division.  “The Department of Justice will pursue those who seek an unfair advantage in U.S. markets by evading the duties owed on goods imported into this country.”

The government’s complaint alleged that C.R. Laurence, Southeastern and Waterfall made false declarations to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to avoid paying antidumping and countervailing duties on aluminum extrusions imported from manufacturer Tai Shan Golden Gain Aluminum Products Ltd. in the PRC.  The Department of Commerce assesses, and CBP collects, antidumping and countervailing duties to protect U.S. businesses and level the playing field for domestic products.  Antidumping duties protect against foreign companies “dumping” products on U.S. markets at prices below cost, while countervailing duties offset foreign government subsidies.  C.R. Laurence, Southeastern, and Waterfall allegedly misrepresented that the “country of origin” of the aluminum extrusions was Malaysia, when the goods were manufactured in the PRC and merely shipped through Malaysia – a practice called “transshipping.”  Imports of PRC-manufactured aluminum extrusions have been subject to antidumping and countervailing duties since 2010.  No such duties are due on imports of such items from Malaysia.

The government’s complaint also alleged that C.R. Laurence, Southeastern and Waterfall purchased PRC-made aluminum extrusions imported by other domestic companies and caused or conspired with those importers to make false declarations to CBP to evade duties.

“Countervailing and antidumping duties are designed to provide a level playing field between companies that purchase products domestically and those that import products from countries which subsidize their production,” said U.S. Attorney A. Lee Bentley III for the Middle District of Florida.  “Importers who use fraud to avoid paying these duties gain an unfair business advantage over competitors who abide by the rules.  This settlement reaffirms our commitment to ensuring that business competition remains fair in our district.”

“Antidumping and countervailing duties are critical to ensure fair competition for U.S. manufacturers,” said Commissioner R. Gil Kerlikowske of CBP.  “U.S. Customs and Border Protection works diligently with the Department of Justice, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, and the U.S. Department of Commerce to aggressively pursue duty evasion.”

The allegations resolved by the settlements announced today were originally brought by whistleblower James F. Valenti Jr. in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act.  The act permits private parties to sue on behalf of the government those who falsely claim federal funds or, as in this case, avoid paying funds owed to the government.  The United States may intervene in and take over the lawsuit, as it did in this case.  The act allows the whistleblower to receive a share of any funds recovered through the lawsuit.  Valenti will receive $555,100 as his share of these settlements.

The case was handled by the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida, CBP, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration.

The lawsuit is captioned United States ex rel. Valenti v. Tai Shan Golden Gain Aluminum Products Ltd., et al., Case No. 11-cv-368 (M.D. Fla.).  The claims resolved by the settlements are allegations only; there has been no determination of liability.

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that a federal jury today found Shamorcus Brandan Nesbitt (28, Tampa) guilty of conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery, interference with commerce by robbery, carrying a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Nesbitt faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 37 years in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 19, 2015.  He was indicted on June 19, 2014.

According to evidence presented at trial, law enforcement officers identified Nesbitt and England Alexander Wilson as suspects in several commercial armed robberies in the Tampa Bay area.  On May 20, 2014, Nesbitt and Wilson robbed a Little Caesar’s Pizza in Tampa.  After tracking their movements, investigators recovered items used in the robbery, including clothing, gloves, and the firearm. Ultimately, both Nesbitt’s and Wilson’s DNA was found on gloves used in the robbery.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office, the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, and the Tampa Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Carlton C. Gammons and Josephine W. Thomas.

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that a federal jury has found Demetrius Sharron Davis (33, St. Petersburg) guilty of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, tampering with a witness, and obstruction of justice. He faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 4, 2015.

Davis was originally indicted on May 13, 2014, for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. A superseding indictment was returned on October 21, 2014, charging him with the witness tampering and obstruction offenses.

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, on October 27, 2013, Davis threatened the mother of his children with a loaded firearm. During the altercation, Davis said to her that the “kids are about to see you in a body bag” and that the “kids won’t have a mother or a father.” He made these statements while pointing the firearm at her as she held their four-year-old daughter in her lap. Davis had previously been convicted of a felony, and was therefore prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.

As the original trial date approached in October 2014, Davis called his 10 year-old daughter, who had also witnessed him with the firearm and was scheduled to be a witness at trial. During the phone call, Davis attempted to prevent his daughter from testifying by telling her that “you don’t need to get on the stand 'cause that'll make daddy go to jail for a long time.” He also made further statements in an attempt to persuade her not to testify.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the St. Petersburg Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Shauna S. Hale and Adam M. Saltzman.

It is another case prosecuted as a part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program - a nationwide, gun-violence reduction strategy. United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III, along with Regina Lombardo, Special Agent in Charge, ATF, is coordinating the Project Safe Neighborhoods effort here in the Middle District of Florida in cooperation with federal, state, and local law enforcement officials. It is another example of ATF’s Frontline Strategy to impact violent crime within our communities.

Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Jorge Otano (53, Cape Coral) has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute oxycodone, and distributing the drug outside the usual course of professional practice for other than legitimate medical purposes. He also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit structuring, evading a currency-transaction reporting requirement, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison for the conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and the distribution charges, up to 5 years in federal prison for the conspiracy to commit structuring charge, and a maximum of 10 years’ imprisonment for each of the evading currency-transaction reporting, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering offenses.

According to court documents, from August 2009 to November 15, 2012, St. Jude’s Pharmacy in Cape Coral was owned and operated by Otano and his wife, Martha. During that period, the pharmacy made a significant profit by filling fraudulent prescriptions for oxycodone and charging $4.00 to $12.00 per pill.

From April 2011 to November 15, 2012, the Otanos made structured cash deposits of the proceeds of the illegal narcotics sales into a domestic financial institution. They knew that the money obtained from the sale of oxycodone through the pharmacy was the proceeds of unlawful narcotics distribution.  They used drug proceeds to purchase two residences in Cape Coral, a 2012 Chevrolet truck, and a 2013 Mercedes Benz vehicle.

Martha Otano previously pleaded guilty for her role in this case.  She was sentenced on July 21, 2014, to three years and one month in federal prison.

This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service and the Drug Enforcement Administration. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David G. Lazarus and Yolande G. Viacava.

Orlando, FL – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that a federal jury has found Nester Leon (26, Orlando) guilty of carjacking, and using and carrying a firearm that was discharged in relation to that carjacking.  Leon faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison for the carjacking conviction, and a mandatory minimum of 10 years’, up to life imprisonment, for the firearm conviction.  His sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 1, 2015.

According to evidence presented at trial, during the early morning of June 28, 2014, Leon’s friend “L.P.” drove to the McCoy Federal Credit Union located at 2075 Central Florida Parkway in Orlando.  When L.P. exited his car to use the ATM, Leon slid over from the passenger’s seat, got behind the wheel, and started to leave the parking lot.  When L.P. ran after his car, Leon pulled out his gun and fired a single shot at L.P.  L.P. then ran to a nearby convenience store and called 911.

Because L.P.’s car was equipped with GPS, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office was able to track the vehicle to an apartment complex in Orlando.  When deputies found the car, Leon was sitting behind the wheel.  After seeing the marked patrol car pull up behind him, Leon jumped out of the car and fled.  Deputies then chased Leon through the parking lot and into the street.

Leon then tried to discard evidence of his crimes, including a necklace he had stolen from L.P., into a nearby pond.  When deputies caught up with Leon, he resisted, but was ultimately detained.  During a subsequent search of the car, a freshly-fired, small-caliber shell casing was recovered from the front seat.      

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

Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III, announces that United States District Judge Anne C. Conway today sentenced Keenan Davis (27, Poinciana), Kelsey Coffee (28, Kissimmee), Tiandre Rogers (25, Poinciana), Moses Patterson (23, Poinciana), and Danoris Scott (24, Poinciana) for their involvement in a string of armed robberies. Davis and Coffee were convicted following a jury trial in November 2014. Specifically, Davis was convicted of six counts of robbery and two counts of using a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Today, he was sentenced to 33 years and 4 months in federal prison. Coffee was convicted of four counts of robbery and one count of using a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. He was sentenced to 19 years and 6 months in federal prison.

Patterson, Scott, and Rogers each previously pleaded guilty to two counts of robbery and two counts of using a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Patterson was sentenced to 14 years and 3 months in federal prison, Scott received a sentence of 11 years and 3 months’ imprisonment, and Rogers was sentenced to 16 years and 5 months in federal prison. Another individual, Jamal Tillman (23, Poinciana), was previously sentenced on November 20, 2014, to 80 months in federal prison.

All of the individuals were originally indicted on June 26, 2014.

According to evidence presented at trial, the defendants were involved in robbing multiple retail establishments, including a McDonald’s restaurant and a Sweetbay Supermarket, in 2013. During the trial, many of the victims testified that they had been pepper-sprayed, zip-tied, and duct-taped while Davis, Coffee, and the other co-defendants conducted the robberies.

On September 7, 2013, after committing several other robberies, Davis and Coffee entered a Nike Factory Outlet Store at the Ellenton Outlets with a gun in Manatee County, while Patterson, Scott, Rogers, and Tillman acted as lookouts.  Following this robbery, all six were arrested by deputies from the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office.

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

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

Jacksonville, Florida – Senior United States District Judge Harvey E. Schlesinger has sentenced Shaun Andrew Copenhaver (29, Jacksonville) to 10 years in federal prison for knowingly receiving child pornography over the Internet.  He was also ordered to serve a 15-year term of supervision following his incarceration, to register as a sex offender, and to forfeit his computer media. Copenhaver has been in custody since his arrest on February 6, 2014.

According to court documents, an agent with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement in Jacksonville began an undercover investigation to identify individuals in the area that had access to and/or were trading images and videos of child pornography over the Internet. The agent determined that a local computer was hosting images of child pornography using a peer-to-peer file sharing program, and was able to download several pornographic videos from this computer. Further investigation traced the Internet subscriber information to Copenhaver’s Jacksonville residence        

On February 6, 2014, law enforcement officers executed a federal search warrant at Copenhaver’s residence and seized a computer and an external hard disk drive.  Copenhaver was at the residence. During an interview with agents, he admitted that he had been involved in downloading child pornography from the Internet for about five years. Subsequent analyses of Copenhaver’s external hard drive revealed that it contained videos depicting the sexual abuse of children.     

This case was investigated by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. It was 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.

Ft. Myers, Florida - United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the return of an indictment charging Christopher Hall (44, Bonita Springs) with one count of distributing child pornography and one count of possessing child pornography.

According to the indictment, on May 9, 2014, Hall distributed images and videos depicting child pornography to an undercover FBI Task Force Agent using an Internet peer-to-peer network. A federal search warrant was subsequently executed at Hall’s residence and all of his computer-related media was seized. Forensic analyses of the evidence revealed approximately 2,500 images and videos of child pornography.

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

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation - Ft. Myers Office and the Collier County Sherriff’s Office FBI Task Force. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tama Koss Caldarone.

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

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that seven individuals have pleaded guilty to engaging in a conspiracy to file fraudulent income tax returns. Brandon Gilchrist, Donterrio Troup, Terrance Johnson, Tanisha Johnson, and Shadae Cotton each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit theft of government funds and aggravated identity theft and theft of government funds. Each faces up to 15 years in federal prison. Mikeil Royal has pleaded guilty to conspiracy and aggravated identity theft. He faces a maximum penalty of five years’ imprisonment for the conspiracy count, to be followed by a mandatory two year term of imprisonment for the identity theft count. Kenneth Royal has pleaded guilty to conspiracy and theft of government funds charges and faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in federal prison. Sentencing dates have not yet been set.

According to court documents, the conspirators opened accounts at various local financial institutions and used those accounts to receive fraudulent income tax refunds. The conspirators caused the filing of numerous fraudulent federal income tax returns on behalf of deceased persons, usually individuals who shared the same last name as the defendant. As a consequence, the IRS wired income tax refunds, to which these individuals were not entitled, into the accounts previously established at their banks. The total loss to the IRS from this conspiracy was almost $488,658.00.

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Hillsborough County Sherriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jay L. Hoffer.

Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Larry Bernard Taylor (49, Jacksonville) to 20 months in federal prison for identity theft and aiding and abetting the attempted passing of counterfeit checks. He pleaded guilty on November 13, 2014.

According to court documents, on February 26, 2014, the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle Jasper Shields was driving on Interstate 95 in Duval County. Larry Bernard Taylor was a passenger in the vehicle. When asked for identification, Taylor identified himself as L.C. and provided a Florida Identification Card to the FHP trooper in the name of L.C. After further questioning, Taylor admitted his true identity. Shields subsequently provided consent for a vehicle search, during which officers located 12 counterfeit business checks purportedly issued from Walgreens. The checks were made out to three different payees, in various amounts.

On February 2, 2015, Shields was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison for his role in the scheme to pass counterfeit business checks and for violating his supervised release.

This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service North Florida High-Tech Crime Task Force and the Florida Highway Patrol. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announced today that Rodney Joel Neal (53, Montezuma, Georgia) has pleaded guilty to failing to register as a sex offender. He faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine. Neal has been in custody since his arrest on October 10, 2014.   

According to court documents, in May 1988, Neal was found guilty and sentenced for committing aggravated child molestation and child molestation in Macon County, Georgia. In July 2014, he moved from Georgia to Jacksonville, but failed to register as a sex offender in Florida, as required by the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.  

The Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act is part of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006. The Adam Walsh Act provides for the use of federal law enforcement resources, including the United States Marshals Service, to assist state and local authorities in locating and apprehending non-compliant sex offenders.

This case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the United States Marshals Service, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.

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

Tampa, FL – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida has partnered with the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) to co-host a one-day training on Campus Sexual Assault Prevention and Response. Since 1999, OVW has funded approximately 322 campus-based projects, totaling more than $122,789 million, to address sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking on campuses. Today’s training addressed specific topics, including prevention, response and investigation, effective collaborations, and best policy practices. More than 160 attendees participated, including law enforcement, state prosecutors, colleges and universities staff, victim advocates, and victim-service providers.

The White House Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault was established in 2014, with a mandate to strengthen federal enforcement efforts and provide schools with additional tools to help combat sexual assault on their campuses. The Department of Justice has tailored this collaborative victim-centered campus sexual assault training to address particular areas of need in our communities.

For more information about the training and OVW’s Grants to Reduce Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, and Stalking on Campus Program, please contact Darlene Johnson at (202) 307-6795. Information about the Office on Violence Against Women can be found by visiting: www.justice.gov/ovw.

Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday today sentenced Lazaro Hernandez-Cabrales (31, Tampa) to five years and ten months in federal prison for conspiracy to commit credit card fraud and aggravated identity theft. The Court also ordered him to forfeit $19,010.26, which are the proceeds traceable to his criminal conduct. He pleaded guilty on November 19, 2014.

According to court documents, in early 2014, investigators identified Ricardo Romero-Mesa and Lazaro Hernandez-Cabrales as co-leaders of a credit card fraud ring.  Together, and with others, they used numerous stolen credit and debit card accounts to generate counterfeit credit cards. They used the credit cards to purchase hundreds of reloadable Visa gift cards.  The gift cards were then used to purchase items at home improvement stores, that were later returned in exchange for cash.

Investigators determined that the conspirators initially purchased the stolen account numbers, many from Navy Federal Credit Union and Armed Forces Bank, from an online website based in Eastern Europe. Later, Hernandez-Cabrales stole account numbers by obtaining keys to gas pumps and installing skimmers on the pumps’ payment computers.

During a search of the residence shared by Romero-Mesa and Hernandez-Cabrales on February 17, 2014, investigators seized more than 200 gift cards, credit cards, and hotel room keys, some of which had been re-encoded with other credit and debit card account numbers. Agents also recovered computers, receipts for merchandise returns, high-end purses and clothing, and receipts for the purchase of MoneyGram wire transfers from the United States to the Ukraine. Further investigation revealed that Hernandez-Cabrales had wired more than $23,545 to recipients in Ukraine and Russia to purchase at least 800 stolen account numbers from a website that offers them for sale.

In August 2014, Hernandez-Cabrales was arrested at his residence, shortly after selling credit card skimming equipment and gas pump keys to another individual. A subsequent search of his residence resulted in the seizure of counterfeit credit cards, a gas pump key, and a credit card re-encoder. In total, investigators recovered more than 1,000 stolen credit card numbers issued by more than 15 different financial institutions.

Ricardo Romero-Mesa pleaded guilty to his role in this case on January 14, 2015. His sentencing date has not yet been set.

This case was investigated by the Tampa Police Department, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the United States Secret Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mandy Riedel.

Orlando, Florida – United States District Court Judge John A. Jarvey today sentenced James Fidel Sotolongo (49, Port Orange), Stephanie Musselwhite (52, Daytona Beach), and Christopher Mencis (53, Longwood) for their respective roles in a mortgage fraud scheme.  Sotolongo was sentenced to eight years and four months in federal prison, Musselwhite received a sentence of five years’ imprisonment, and Mencis was sentenced to two years and four months in prison.  They were also ordered to pay restitution, joint and severally, totaling $12,543,246 to JP Morgan Chase ($9,350,932), Wells Fargo ($1,640,467), and Bank of America ($1,551,847).

Sotolongo, Musselwhite, and Mencis were indicted on April 24, 2013. On February 4, 2014, Mencis, a mortgage broker, pleaded guilty to making false statements to a federally insured financial institution.  A federal jury found Sotolongo and Musselwhite guilty on April 29, 2014. Sotolongo was convicted of one count of conspiracy and eleven counts of bank fraud. Musselwhite, a title agent in Orlando, was found guilty of one count of conspiracy, nine counts of bank fraud, and one count of making false statements to a federally insured financial institution.

According to evidence presented at trial, Sotolongo and Musselwhite were part of a scheme that recruited straw buyers with high credit scores to apply for and obtain 11 mortgages (first and second mortgages were obtained) totaling more than $12 million.  The purpose of the scheme was to obtain the properties with no money down and no money at closings, rent the properties, and then sell them for a profit. To carry out the plan, Sotolongo enlisted the straw buyers and told them that they did not need to bring a deposit or cash to the closing, and that they only needed to be involved in the loan application process.  The straw buyers testified that the loan applications submitted in their names contained false information, including the use of the property as a primary residence, their income, their assets, and their liabilities.  Other false information included grossly inflated checking and savings account balances.      

Mencis prepared the loan applications and submitted them through his brokerage company, Real Estate Mortgage Professionals (REMP).  REMP has since gone out of business. He also used a former bank branch manager at SunTrust bank, at the direction of Sotolongo, to falsely verify the incomes and assets for the straw buyers. The loan applications were then sent off to several lenders, all of whom testified that they would not have funded the loans had they known that the information contained in the loan applications was false or grossly inflated.

After the loans were approved, Musselwhite prepared settlement statements listing closing costs and payments to a company called American Signature Homes, which was partly owned by Sotolongo. Musselwhite, who owned Orlando Title and Abstract of Florida, Inc., would wire lender money to American Signature Homes, and Sotolongo would use a portion of the lender money to finance the deposit and closing costs that Musselwhite would collect after the closings.  The banks did not know that they were actually funding 100% of the loans on the multi-million dollar homes.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Florida Department of Financial Services, and the City of Daytona Beach Shores Department of Public Safety. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn P. Napier.

Orlando, Florida – Senior United States District Judge John Antoon, II today sentenced Michael Glenn Glascock (39, Merritt Island) to life in federal prison for attempted online sexual enticement of a minor.  He was also sentenced to a concurrent term of 30 years for sexual exploitation of a minor for the purpose of producing child pornography. Glascock pleaded guilty on August 18, 2014.

        According to court documents, from October 11, 2012, through October 11, 2013, Glascock used a three-year-old victim to produce visual depictions of the child engaging in sexually explicit conduct. In the fall of 2013, an undercover agent with the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office responded to an online advertisement that Glascock had posted on Craigslist. The agent communicated with Glascock over the Internet and by cell phone. During these conversations, Glascock described his sexual abuse of the minor victim and expressed an interest in meeting the agent and the agent’s fictitious minor daughter. Glascock further expressed a desire to meet and engage in illegal sexual activity with the fictitious child, and he offered to allow the agent to engage in sexual activity with the minor victim. After finalizing plans to meet, agents went to Glascock’s home, where they met him and located the minor victim. The victim was taken to a medical facility and examined for sexual assault. Subsequent laboratory tests revealed the presence of Glascock’s semen on the child’s body, as well as in the child’s diaper.

          During an interview with agents, Glascock admitted to producing pornographic images of the minor victim, to sexually abusing the minor as depicted in some of the images, and to distributing and receiving images of child pornography over the Internet. Agents executed a search warrant at Glascock’s home and recovered his cell phones, SD cards, and the digital camera that he had used to produce some of the explicit images involving the minor victim. A forensic examination of these devices revealed that there were 24 images depicting explicit sexual conduct involving the minor victim on one of the SD cards.

          Agents also searched Glascock’s email accounts and discovered explicit images of the minor victim that Glascock had sent to another individual. In these and other emails, Glascock had numerous discussions about his sexual abuse of the minor victim. In a series of emails discovered by agents, Glascock, and an individual identified to be Jonathan Tyler Prive, discussed an incident where Prive sexually abused the minor victim at Glascock’s home, as Glascock watched the abuse.  A subsequent investigation led to Prive’s arrest. He pleaded guilty to attempted enticement of a minor on August 27, 2014, and is scheduled to be sentenced on February 27, 2015. 

          “This sadistic criminal has preyed on the most vulnerable members of our society, our children, and this sentencing underscores the serious consequences of those crimes,” said Susan L. McCormick, special agent in charge of HSI Tampa.  “HSI, and our law enforcement partners, like the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office, will not rest in our efforts to protect our youth and communities from predators like this.”

          This case was investigated by the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew C. Searle.

          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.jutice.gov/psc.

Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that a federal jury has found Deena Williams (40, Lehigh Acres) guilty of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methylone. She faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. Her sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 4, 2015.

Williams was indicted on April 30, 2014.

According to evidence presented at trial, on April 21, 2014, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials at an international mail facility in New York encountered an International Express Mail Service parcel from the People’s Republic of China. After searching the parcel, they determined that it contained methylone. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations agents made a controlled delivery of the package to a Lehigh Acres address, where Williams accepted the package. She subsequently opened the package and removed the drugs. Further investigation revealed that the package belonged to her brother, Titus Lamar Bellot, who was also charged as part of the same conspiracy. His trial is scheduled to begin on February 9, 2015.        

This case was investigated by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey F. Michelland.

Orlando, Florida – Chief United States District Judge Anne C. Conway today sentenced Patrick R. Minga (50, formerly of Cape Coral) to four years and nine months in federal prison for to attempting to induce and facilitate, for his own financial gain, the travel of an individual from Brevard County, Florida, to Quito, Ecuador, so that the individual could engage in illicit sexual conduct with minor girls.  In addition, following his release from prison, Minga was ordered to serve 20 years of supervision, to have no contact with minors, and must register as a sex offender.

According to court documents, Minga advertised, on Craigslist, a sex tourism business in Ecuador that could facilitate lodging, transportation, meals, and unlimited access to females for a fee. An undercover agent with a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations Task Force observed the ad and contacted Minga.  Over the course of several months, Minga tried to induce and arrange the travel of the agent from Florida to Quito, where Minga advised that he could provide sexual encounters with minors as young as 13 and 14 years of age.

On March 2, 2014, Minga traveled from Ecuador to the United States, where he was arrested by agents in Huntsville, Alabama.

“HSI remains committed to stopping criminals from exploiting children globally,” said Susan L. McCormick, special agent in charge of HSI Tampa. “As evidenced by this case, HSI will continue to work with our local and transnational law enforcement partners, like the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office, and utilize every available resource to target child predators who travel internationally with the sole intent to exploit and victimize the innocence of children.”

"This case is another excellent example of interagency cooperation that targets criminals who prey upon the most precious things in our lives, our children,” stated Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey. “If your intent is to harm a child, our intent is to track you down and bring you to justice!"

This case was investigated by the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ilianys Rivera Miranda.

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

Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Mary Scriven today sentenced Air Force Staff Sergeant Timothy Ray Oliver, II (36, Tampa) to 10 years in federal prison, to be followed by 10 years of supervised release, for attempting to entice a minor to engage in sex acts. The Court also ordered him to forfeit the computers and phone he had used while committing the offense. Oliver pleaded guilty on June 12, 2014.

 According to court documents, on October 20, 2013, Oliver posted an advertisement on a public website soliciting members of the public for sex and advising that he was interested in “any age, size, or race.”  An undercover law enforcement officer, posing as a 15-year-old “child” responded to Oliver’s ad. Oliver and the “child” subsequently communicated via email and Oliver told the “child” that he wanted to engage in sexual intercourse. Oliver repeatedly attempted to elicit personal information from the “child,” including naked photos. In addition, Oliver sent images of sex toys, graphically describing sexual acts that he wished to perform on the “child,” and repeatedly made plans for a meeting.

On November 5, 2013, Oliver arrived at an agreed upon location in the Ballast Point area of Tampa to meet the “child” and was arrested.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Amanda C. Kaiser.

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

Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Susan C. Bucklew today sentenced Tavia Lamonica Ball to five years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit tax fraud and aggravated identity theft. As part of her sentence, the Court also entered a money judgment in the amount of $405,169, the proceeds of fraudulently obtained tax refunds.

Ball pleaded guilty on August 4, 2014.

According to court documents, Ball was an employee of Amerigroup, a managed health care company operating in approximately 19 states nationwide. The company serves more than 4.5 million beneficiaries of state-sponsored health plans, including Medicaid. In her capacity at Amerigroup, Ball had access to the company’s member database, as well as members’ personally identifying information (PII), including dates of birth and Social Security numbers.

Beginning on an unknown date, Ball and others conspired to steal PII and electronically file fraudulent federal income tax returns in order to obtain refunds to which they were not entitled. The conspirators directed some of the fraudulently obtained refunds to be deposited onto reloadable debit cards and then purchased money orders and goods for their own benefit and the benefit of others, including an automobile. The government estimates that the actual loss associated with this conspiracy is at least $405,169. The conspirators filed false tax returns claiming at least $657,087.

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mandy Riedel, with assistance from Assistant United States Attorney Shauna S. Hale.

Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that a federal jury has found Jean Roussel Eloi (30, Palm Bay) guilty of using the Internet to attempt to persuade a minor to engage in sexual conduct. He faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for April 17, 2015.

Eloi was indicted on November 5, 2014.

According to testimony presented at trial, on the night of July 20, 2014, Eloi started an online chat session with an 11-year-old female who lived in Palm Bay. The next day, the girl reported the chats to her mother. After the mother contacted law enforcement, an undercover detective began engaging in a series of chats with Eloi, who explicitly detailed the sexual acts he wanted to perform with the “girl.” Eloi eventually asked the “girl” to meet him. When he arrived at the prearranged location, deputies arrested him.

This case was investigated by the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Palm Bay Police Department. 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.

Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the return of a superseding indictment charging Jeffrey Ihm (47, Naples) with 14 counts of wire fraud and 5 counts of aggravated identity theft. Each wire fraud count carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. In addition, he faces a maximum penalty of two years’ imprisonment for each aggravated identity theft offense, to be served consecutively to any wire fraud conviction. The indictment also notifies Ihm that the government intends to forfeit $315,000 that has been seized from a Suncoast Credit Union checking account, in addition to a house in Naples that is alleged to be traceable to proceeds of the offenses. The United States is also seeking a money judgment in the amount of $2,297,664.74, representing the alleged proceeds of the fraud scheme.

According to the superseding indictment, Ihm assumed the identities of and posed as executives of a number of companies, including Roper Industries, Inc., Kinetic Technologies, LLC, CSX Corporation, and Convergence Consulting Group, Inc. He then generated false and fraudulent emails and other documents in the names of the companies’ executives in order to defraud Wells Fargo Bank, CIT Group, and Key Bank, causing those financial institutions to transfer to him $2,297,664.74 to which he was not entitled.

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 United States Secret Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Economic Crimes Unit of the Collier County Sherriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David G. Lazarus and Dale R. Campion.

Orlando, Florida – United States District Judge Paul G. Byron has sentenced Cruz Vicente, Jr. (57, Kissimmee) to 12 years and 7 months in federal prison for receiving child pornography. The Court also ordered him to serve a 20-year term of supervision following his release from prison and to forfeit the electronic devices that he had used to commit the crime. Vicente pleaded guilty on October 8, 2014.

According to court documents, an undercover FBI investigation determined that Vicente was making child pornography available for download by others using an Internet peer-to-peer file sharing program. On May 21, 2014, agents executed a federal search warrant at Vicente’s residence and recovered his laptop computer. Forensic analyses subsequently revealed that the computer contained more than 3,000 images and 76 videos depicting child pornography, including images of young children being sexually abused.

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

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Mary S. Scriven today sentenced Gerrell Houston to 38 months in federal prison for theft of government property and aggravated identity theft. Houston pleaded guilty in September 2014.

According to court documents and information presented at sentencing, Houston conspired with others to defraud the Internal Revenue Service by filing false and fraudulent income tax returns using the names and Social Security numbers of unwitting individuals. The conspirators filed 50 fraudulent tax returns, claiming $331,849 in refunds, and succeeded in obtaining more than $108,000 from the U.S. government.

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney.

Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Jasper Lee Shields (59, Jacksonville) to 57 months in federal prison for aiding and abetting the attempted passing of counterfeit checks and for violating his supervised release. He pleaded guilty on October 29, 2014.

According to court documents, on February 26, 2014, the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle Shields was driving on Interstate 95, in Duval County, Florida. Larry Bernard Taylor was a passenger in the vehicle. When asked for a driver’s license, Shields stated that he did not have one. Shields subsequently provided consent for the FHP to search the vehicle, during which officers located 12 counterfeit business checks purportedly issued from Walgreens. The checks were made out to three different payees, in various amounts.

Taylor pleaded guilty to his role in the scheme in November 2014. He is scheduled for sentencing on February 9, 2015.

This case was investigated by United States Secret Service North Florida High-Tech Crime Task Force and the Florida Highway Patrol. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.

Tampa, FL – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that a federal jury has found Stephen Mayer (51, Miami) guilty of conspiracy to commit wire fraud affecting a financial institution and nine counts of wire fraud affecting a financial institution. He faces up to 30 years in federal prison on each count. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 5, 2015. Mayer was indicted on May 13, 2014.

According to evidence presented at trial, Mayer used a variety of shell companies that he controlled to purchase distressed properties. He then flipped the properties the same day or within days to “credit partners” for an increased price, and kept the proceeds. These “credit partners” were recruited by Mayer because they had good credit and were willing to sign documents. The partners never intended to live in the properties or make any mortgage payments. In exchange for helping him get the mortgages, Mayer would pay the down payment and mortgage, and pay the “credit partners” a commission from his proceeds.

Mayer also facilitated the securing of mortgages, many from FDIC-insured lenders, based on false information about the borrowers’ income, employment, and assets. Mayer instructed the “credit partners” to deed the properties back to him and/or companies under his control so that he could flip them again to other “credit partners” at increased prices, thereby skimming the equity. Mayer failed to make mortgage payments as promised, and each of the properties ultimately went into foreclosure. He used the proceeds from his real estate flipping scheme to fund a lavish personal lifestyle. Agents identified more than 20 homes used by Mayer in this flipping conspiracy and estimate losses to the lenders in excess of $3 million.

This case was investigated by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the United States Secret Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kelley Howard-Allen and Mandy Riedel.