Middle District of Florida

Jacksonville, Florida – United States District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Ronald Charles Waters (66, Lake City) to three years in federal prison for possessing child pornography. The court also ordered him to serve a seven-year term of supervision and to register as a sex offender following his release. Waters was arrested on November 20, 2013, in Lake City, and has been in custody since that time. 

According to court documents, agents with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) determined that several individuals, including the user of a particular e-mail address, had received an e-mail containing images of child pornography. Further investigation revealed that the e-mail account belonged to Waters.  On November 20, 2013, HSI agents and other law enforcement officers executed a federal search warrant at his residence, where they seized an external media storage device that contained at least two videos and at least 16 images depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Waters admitted that he knowingly possessed these videos and images.       

This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Jacksonville Sheriff=s Office, and the Lake City Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.

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

Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the return of an indictment charging Mark Daniel DeHaven (33, Winter Garden) with two counts of receiving child pornography and one count of possessing child pornography.  If convicted, he faces a minimum mandatory sentence of five years, up to 20 years in federal prison for each count of receiving child pornography, and up to 20 years in prison for the possession count. DeHaven was arrested and made his initial appearance in federal court on October 30, 2014. He is being detained pending trial.

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

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Winter Garden Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ilianys Rivera Miranda.

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

Orlando, FL – Senior U.S. District Judge John Antoon, II today sentenced Jacques Maddox (23, Sanford) to six years and six months in federal prison for aiding and abetting the attempted robbery of a Walgreens store in Orlando. A federal jury found Maddox guilty on July 9, 2014.

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, on the night of September 2, 2013, Maddox and his friend, Joe E. Clinton, went to the Walgreens store on South Kirkman Road. After surveilling the store for hours, Maddox and Clinton entered the store for the final time around 11:00 p.m.  Maddox acted as a lookout near the center of the store, while Clinton forced the store manager inside the office at gunpoint. Clinton demanded that the manager open the store’s safe, threatening to shoot him if he failed to do so. When the manager refused to comply with Clinton’s demands, Clinton pistol whipped him, striking him several times in the head and shoulders. Clinton then ran out of the office, met up with Maddox in the middle of the store, and pulled his gun on other employees and store customers as he and Maddox fled the scene.

On March 24, 2014, Clinton pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and abetting the attempted robbery of the Walgreens on September 2, 2013, one count of robbery of a CVS store located at 1201 East Colonial Drive in Orlando on September 10, 2013, and two counts of using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to those violent crimes. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each of the attempted robbery and robbery counts. For the firearms convictions, Clinton faces a combined mandatory minimum sentence of 32 years’ imprisonment, to run consecutively to any other prison term imposed. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for November 14, 2014.  

This case was investigated by FBI, ATF, and the Orlando Police Department.  It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joseph M. Schuster.

Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Shawn Williams (42, Ocoee) pleaded guilty today to distribution of child pornography.  He faces a mandatory minimum of 5 years, up to a maximum of 20 years, in federal prison. Williams will also be required to serve a mandatory minimum of 5 years, up to a life term, of supervision, and to register as a sex offender. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to court documents, Williams responded to a sexually explicit Craigslist ad and began conversing online with an Orlando man, William Edward Osman. The two men discussed their mutual interest in child pornography and attempted to make arrangements to meet in person for a sexual rendezvous. On May 9, 2013, Williams used his cell phone to send Osman images of child pornography and they again discussed meeting to share their collections of child pornography. During their conversations, Osman told Williams that he had a one-year-old child. Williams then asked the man to send him “baby pics” and “adult with baby pics.”

On October 15, 2013, special agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) arrested Osman on charges related to the sexual exploitation of children. Agents seized his phone and identified Williams as one of the individuals with whom he had been electronically trading child pornography.  Agents arrested Williams at his home on March 13, 2014, at which time he admitted to trading child pornography with Osman.

On September 3, 2014, Osman was sentenced to 60 years in federal prison for the production, distribution, and possession of child pornography. 

This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joseph M. Schuster.

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

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Richard A. Lazzara today sentenced four individuals with connections to the “River Otter Preppers” organization. They each pleaded guilty on August 14, 2014.

James Bruce Beebe (57, Valrico) was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. The court also ordered Beebe to forfeit the firearm involved in the offense. Desiree Nikkole Beebe (23, Lithia) was sentenced to three years’ probation for making a false written statement to a federally licensed firearms dealer during the purchase of a firearm - the same .22 caliber rifle that James Beebe later possessed.

Jason Michael Swain (33, Wauchula) was sentenced to three years in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm (Bushmaster .223 caliber AR-15 type semi-automatic rifle). The court also ordered Swain to forfeit the firearm involved in the offense.

Nicholas Ryan Hall (23, Valrico) was sentenced to one year and one day in federal prison for making a false written statement to a federally licensed firearms dealer during his purchase of a firearm (M+M 7.62x39 mm AK-47 semi-automatic rifle), which he was buying on behalf of an individual he believed to be a convicted felon.     

According to testimony and court documents, the four individuals were arrested on June 16, 2014, as the result of an investigation involving Martin Winters and his “River Otter Preppers” organization. The investigation related to the manufacturing and possession of destructive devices. Winters pleaded guilty on August 28, 2014, to making destructive devices and possessing unregistered destructive devices. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for December 4, 2014.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the United States Marshals Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Donald L. Hansen.

Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Matthew C. Graziotti (43, Edgewater) today pleaded guilty to seven counts of production of child pornography, one count of distribution of child pornography, and one count of possession of child pornography involving children under the age of 12.  Graziotti faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years, up to 30 years, in federal prison for each count of producing child pornography.  For the distribution count, he faces a mandatory minimum of 5 years, up to 20 years in federal prison, and the maximum penalty for the possession count is 20 years’ imprisonment.  A sentencing hearing has been set for January 26, 2015.

According to court documents, Graziotti distributed 141 images and 6 videos depicting the sexual abuse and exploitation of children to an undercover FBI agent.  During the execution of a search warrant, agents located thousands of child pornography images on Graziotti’s computer involving children under the age of 12. One computer file folder, named “personally known,” contained sexually explicit photographs and videos of 29 children that Graziotti had sexually abused when they were under the age of 12.  Graziotti stored the sexually explicit images that he produced in subfolders bearing each child’s name. He produced these images from 2010 through 2014. During this period, Graziotti taught elementary school in South Daytona and was the director of the school’s summer day camp program. He also coached youth sports. 

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Karen L. Gable.

It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.  Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (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. 

Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan has sentenced Raymond Jones, Jr. (60, Jacksonville) to 16 months in federal prison for preparing and filing false tax returns. The Court also ordered him to pay $400,524 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service. He pleaded guilty on July 8, 2014.

According to court documents, Jones worked as a tax return preparer for Express Tax Returns (ETR) from 2008 to 2011. Using taxpayer information provided to ETR, Jones would file tax returns with the IRS. When preparing a Form 1040, he intentionally overstated or falsely claimed, among other items, self-employed retirement plan contribution deductions, education credits, and expenses. He did so, knowing that it would increase tax refunds to his clients. Jones prepared 73 and filed fraudulent tax returns at ETR between 2010 and 2011. The tax loss attributed to his fraudulent actions was $400,524.

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Susan C. Bucklew today sentenced Steven Edward Speer (28, Clearwater) to 90 years in federal prison for five counts of producing child pornography. The court also ordered him to forfeit a computer and cell phone that he had used to the commit the offenses. Speer pleaded guilty on June 24, 2014.

According to court documents, in November 2013, the FBI and other local law enforcement agencies executed a federal search warrant at Speer’s residence based on information that he was trading child pornography. During the search, agents located and seized Speer’s computer and cell phone. Six videos and more than 1,900 images of child pornography were found on the phone. Many of the images and videos depicted a three year-old autistic child. Speer confessed to engaging in sex acts with this child, and producing the images and videos of the abuse. He further admitted that he had distributed the child pornography he produced over the Internet in order to gain access to additional child pornography from others. 

“The message should be crystal clear. One of our highest priorities is to protect our children.  Possessing, viewing, and especially producing child pornography are evil acts that infect our society. Today’s sentence demonstrates such acts will not be tolerated.  No child should ever be abused,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Paul Wysopal. 

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Clearwater Police Department, and members of the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force, including the St. Petersburg Police Department and the Largo Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer L. Peresie.

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 the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. 

Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that John C. Boschert (43, Apopka) has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud.  Boschert is facing up to 20 years in federal prison and has also agreed to pay $11.6 million in restitution to his victims.

According to court documents, Boschert and his two conspirators, Jenifer E. Hoffman (38, Clermont) and Bryan T. Zuzga (37, Coldwater, Michigan), defrauded over 100 victims out of more than $11 million through investments offered in connection with a company called Assured Capital Consultants. As part of their solicitations, the conspirators represented to investors that money would be placed in a Performing Private Placement Investment, and that Boschert had connections to the trading program being used.  Investors were told that their investments would be safe and that none of their money would leave the attorney escrow account that belonged to Zuzga, who was represented as being an attorney licensed in Florida.  Investors were further advised that their funds would be used as collateral for a line of credit, which would then be used in trading. 

None of those representations were true.  Zuzga was not an attorney licensed in Florida or any other state, and the funds were not deposited into any escrow account controlled by him.  Instead, the three operated a scheme in which money from later investors was paid to earlier investors.  They also used some of the money from the scheme for themselves, including purchasing residences for Hoffman and Zuzga. 

In a prior civil proceeding, the United States forfeited two residences belonging to Hoffman and Zuzga, which had been purchased with proceeds from the scheme. The United States obtained more than $850,000 from the sale of the properties. The proceeds from those sales were distributed to the victims of the scheme.  

Hoffman and Zuzga have each been charged with one count of conspiracy and eleven counts of wire fraud.  Hoffman has also been charged with one count of making a false tax return.  Both are scheduled for trial in December 2014.  If convicted, each faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison for each count of conspiracy and wire fraud, and Hoffman faces a maximum penalty of 3 years in federal prison for the false tax return.

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

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, the United States Secret Service, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Roger B. Handberg, James Mandolfo, and Nicole M. Andrejko.

Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge James S. Moody, Jr. today sentenced Cordey Jermel Adams (34, St. Petersburg) to 15 years and eight months in federal prison for being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition. Adams pleaded guilty on November 25, 2013.

According to court documents, on December 12, 2012, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Adams’s residence in St. Petersburg. During the search, they found approximately five to six pounds of marijuana, digital scales, a video surveillance system, and a total of $3,709.00 in cash. Also inside the residence, officers discovered three loaded firearms. At the time of the incident, Adams was a previously convicted felon, including multiple drug distribution offenses, and was therefore prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the St. Petersburg Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joseph W. Swanson. 

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 Trevor Velinor, Acting 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 prevent violent crime in communities.

Tampa, FL - United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announced today that Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Robert Mosakowski will lead the efforts of his Office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 4, 2014 general elections. AUSA Mosakowski has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer (DEO) for the Middle District of Florida. In that capacity, he is responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of complaints of election fraud and voting rights abuses, in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.

United States Attorney Bentley said, “Every citizen should be free to vote without interference and to have his or her vote count, without the fear that it will be stolen because of fraud. The Department of Justice will act promptly and aggressively to protect the integrity of the electoral process.”

The Department of Justice plays an important role in deterring election fraud and discrimination at the polls, and combating these violations whenever and wherever they occur. The Department’s long-standing Election Day Program furthers these goals, and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the integrity of the election process by providing local points of contact for the public to report possible violations on Election Day.

Federal law protects against such crimes as intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters and provides that they can vote free from acts that intimidate or harass them. Such acts may include questioning, challenging, photographing, or videotaping voters at polling places, under the pretext of uncovering violations of federal voting rights laws. Further, federal law protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice.

In order to respond to complaints of election fraud or voting rights abuses on November 4, 2014, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, United States Attorney Bentley stated that AUSA/DEO Bob Mosakowski will be on duty in this District while the polls are open. Public complaints may be reported to him at (813) 274-6129.

In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on Election Day. Local FBI field offices can be reached by the public at either 1-866-838-1153 (Tampa Division) or (904) 248-7000 (Jacksonville Division). Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section, in Washington, by phone at 1-800-253-3931 or (202) 307-2767, by fax at (202) 307-3961, by email to [email protected] or by complaint form.

“Ensuring free and fair elections depends, in large part, on the cooperation of the American public,” said U.S. Attorney Bentley. “It is imperative that anyone with specific information about discrimination or election fraud immediately contact my Office, the FBI, or the Civil Rights Division.”

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announced that Shaun Andrew Copenhaver (29, Jacksonville) yesterday pleaded guilty to receiving child pornography over the Internet. He faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 5 years, up to 20 years, in federal prison, and a potential life term of supervision. Copenhaver has been in custody since his arrest on February 6, 2014. A sentencing hearing has not yet been set.

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 analysis of Copenhaver’s external hard drive revealed that it contained videos depicting the sexual abuse of minor children.        

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

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

Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge John E. Steele yesterday sentenced Shawn Fuentes to five years in federal prison for mail fraud and tax evasion.  The Court also ordered Fuentes to pay restitution to Naples Concrete and Masonry in the amount of $1,951,459, and to pay restitution to the IRS in the amount of $624,728.  As part of her sentence, the court entered a money judgment in the amount of $106,979.14, the proceeds of the mail fraud.  Fuentes pleaded guilty on July 17, 2014. 

According to court documents, Fuentes was the Chief Financial Officer of N.C.M. of Collier County, Inc., DBA Naples Concrete and Masonry, which was headquartered in Naples, Florida.  On numerous occasions between October 2008 and February 2010, Fuentes fraudulently wrote checks payable to American Express and to Bank of America drawn on the bank accounts of N.C.M. of Collier County, Inc., and then sent them by U.S. mail or Federal Express to satisfy her own credit card debt.  As part of the scheme, the fraudulent checks appeared to be written for legitimate business expenses in the accounting system utilized by the company, when in truth Fuentes was paying personal expenses.  As a result of the scheme, she obtained in excess of $500,000.

In addition, Fuentes filed a 2009 tax return reporting a taxable income of approximately $35,148.  She omitted the amount of money defrauded, misappropriated, or stolen from Naples Concrete and Masonry.  The actual taxable income that she had received was $822,060; therefore, she failed to report taxable income in the amount of approximately $786,912.  For the calendar year 2009, Fuentes paid $2,671 in taxes rather than $262,081. 

This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service and the Internal Revenue Service. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Yolande G. Viacava.

Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan has sentenced Larry Andrews (41, Jacksonville) to 14 years and 7 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine, and conspiracy to commit money laundering.  The court also entered a money judgment against Andrews for $98,000, which represents drug proceeds that he laundered through a Jacksonville nightclub.  He pleaded guilty on January 22, 2013.

According to court documents, Andrews, Isaiah Bynes, Deangelo Butler, and others participated in a cocaine trafficking conspiracy during which Bynes obtained between 3 and 15 kilograms of cocaine from sources in south Florida and transported the drugs to Andrews and Butler in Jacksonville. Andrews and Butler received the multi-kilograms of cocaine at various places, including on the east side of Jacksonville, and at a dormitory style building that Bynes owned.  Andrews and Butler maintained a room at that building to keep cocaine paraphernalia, which was used process the kilograms of cocaine.  Andrews sold the cocaine to kilogram level dealers in Jacksonville, primarily those living on the east side.  Court documents reveal that Andrews was a long time cocaine dealer on the east side, was involved in drug-related conflicts with other groups in the area, and has been shot on four separate occasions.

Andrews stopped selling cocaine in mid-2010 due to a Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office investigation. He invested $98,000 of drug money into a Gentlemen’s Club that he financed, known as the Vivid Vixen’s Nightclub.  At the end of each night, half of the cash generated at the club was delivered to Andrews. The club opened in late 2011 and has since closed.

Andrews was the final individual sentenced in a series of cases related to this conspiracy.  Previously, Bynes was sentenced to 14 years and 7 months in federal prison, and Butler was sentenced to 6 years and 3 months in federal prison.

This case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney A. Tysen Duva.

Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that a federal jury has found Ernest Freeman, Jr. guilty of 11 counts of theft of government money and 11 counts of aggravated identity theft. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison for each count of theft of government money, and a maximum penalty of two years in federal prison for each aggravated identity theft count. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for January 26, 2015. Freeman was indicted on June 12, 2013.

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, between September 2011 and March 2012, Freeman deposited 11 federal income tax refund checks, issued in the names of other individuals, into his business account.  In doing so, he used the means of identification of other individuals to steal more than $100,000 in government money.

This case was investigated by United States Secret Service and the Internal Revenue Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Yolande G. Viacava.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Kovachevich has sentenced Edwaldo Louis Oliveiri to 10 years and 11 months in federal prison for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.  As part of his sentence, the Court also entered a money judgment in the amount of $307,721, the proceeds obtained from the scheme. Oliveiri pleaded guilty on June 24, 2014.

According to court documents, between September 4, 2012, and September 11, 2013, Oliveiri sold marijuana and guns to an undercover officer on multiple occasions.  He believed that the undercover officer worked for the Veterans Affairs hospital and solicited the officer for personal identifying information from the hospital to use as part of a tax fraud scheme.  Between January 23, 2013, and September 9, 2013, Oliveiri participated in a tax fraud scheme that submitted 437 false and fraudulent tax returns to the Internal Revenue Service seeking a total of $3,511,702, and resulting in the IRS paying out $307,721.

“Today’s sentencing is the result of a successful joint law enforcement investigation to hold accountable those who use stolen veterans’ personally identifiable information to engage in identity theft,” said Special Agent in Charge Monty Stokes of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General - Southeast Field Office.

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service; the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of the Inspector General; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.  It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Mark E. Bini and Sara Sweeney.

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that a federal jury has found Rondell Scott Hedrick (48, Lexington, N.C.) guilty of wire fraud. Hedrick faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. He was indicted on December 18, 2013. 

According to the testimony and evidence presented at trial, Hedrick used a website to advertise his expertise in several high yield international investment programs, including international gold transactions.  He provided detailed information about the worldwide precious metals markets; mining operations in Mali, North Africa, and Accra, Ghana; and refinery operations in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.  Hedrick made representations to investors and provided documents purportedly showing that he had legitimate relationships with international banks and businesses involved in mining and refinery operations.  He also represented that, because of his stature in the precious metals markets, he was able to procure large returns on investments.  Hedrick took money from investors and converted it to his own use.  He also met with an FBI informant in March 2013 and made representations about his significant experience in traveling internationally to close lucrative gold trading deals.  Hedrick stated that he was able to obtain gold at below market prices because he was willing to travel to dangerous locations in Africa to obtain the gold and then transport it to refineries in Dubai.

After Hedrick made these representations to the informant, he solicited a $500,000 investment.  When FBI agents approached Hedrick after the meeting, Hedrick maintained his ability to close such large gold transactions in Dubai, and he continued to solicit investor funds.  He also contacted legitimate refineries in Dubai, claiming to have gold from Mali and Ghana that he was capable of transporting if appropriate contracts could be consummated.           

This case was investigated by the FBI, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney A. Tysen Duva.

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Ashish Sanon (51, Lecanto) pleaded guilty today to visa fraud.  He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. Sanon has also agreed to forfeit assets, which specifically includes, but is not limited to, a money judgment in the amount of $250,000, representing the proceeds he obtained as a result of his offense.

According to the plea agreement, Sanon is a naturalized citizen of Canada who was born in Chandigarh, India.  In 1987, Sanon obtained his Doctor of Medicine from the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. From 1998 until 2012, he was repeatedly granted temporary status in the United States, pursuant to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).  Admitted applicants, such as Sanon, receive what is known as Treaty NAFTA (TN) nonimmigrant status.  All TN status professionals are prohibited from establishing a business or practice in the United States in which they are self-employed.  Specifically, physicians who are granted TN status may only teach or conduct research while in the United States.

In early 2012, investigators received information that Sanon had been engaging in full medical practice for more than 10 years, in violation of the rules and regulations of his TN visa.  Interviews with former employees of Sanon corroborated this information.  Investigators ultimately discovered that Sanon had several provider numbers assigned to him for medical practice, which indicated that he was billing for services and practicing medicine.

"Visa fraud takes jobs away from U.S. citizens and others who are legally allowed to work in this country.  Through cases like this one, HSI is helping to protect our economy and preserve job opportunities from being lost due to fraud," said Susan L. McCormick, special agent in charge of HSI Tampa.

“This case underscores the importance of applying Medicare’s rules and regulations to ensure that only qualified physicians are permitted to provide services,” stated Acting Special Agent in Charge Derrick Jackson of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General’s Miami Regional Office.

This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - Office of Inspector General; and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.  It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Carlton C. Gammons.

Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday has sentenced Donald Edwin Gallagher, Jr. (52, St. Petersburg) to 21 years in federal prison for production, distribution, and possession of child pornography.  The court also ordered Gallagher to forfeit computers and electronic media that he had used to commit the offenses, and to pay restitution to the victims of his offenses. He was found guilty by a federal jury on March 13, 2014.  

According to court documents, in January 2013, an undercover detective with the St. Petersburg Police Department downloaded approximately 15 files depicting child pornography from an Internet protocol address that traced back to Gallagher’s residence. Based upon an investigation into the origin of these images, the FBI and other local law enforcement agencies executed a federal search warrant at the residence.  During the search, agents located and seized a laptop computer belonging to Gallagher, as well as hard drives and other digital media on which agents located thousands of images and hundreds of videos depicting child pornography.  Upon further investigation and review of Gallagher’s digital media, law enforcement officials determined that Gallagher had used two minor victims to produce images and videos of them engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

This case was investigated by the FBI and members of the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force, including the Largo Police Department and the St. Petersburg Police Department.  It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Josephine W. Thomas and Stacie B. Harris.

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

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Hugo Adalberto Adrian Ramirez (42, Ontario, California), Edgar Hurtado-Ramirez (45, Ontario, California), and Luis Fernando Mancillas Medina (49, Los Angeles, California) with conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine and conspiracy to commit money laundering.  Each faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment, up to life, on the drug charge and a maximum of 20 years in federal prison on the money laundering charge. A related indictment charging Maria Leticia-Hernandez (23, Ontario, California) with conspiracy to commit money laundering was also unsealed today, and she faces up to 20 years in federal prison.

Ramirez, Medina, and Leticia-Hernandez were arrested earlier today, in the Los Angeles area, in conjunction with the arrests of 11 other co-conspirators throughout California in a related case. Hurtado-Ramirez is a fugitive. The San Diego-based Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation was led by the Bureau of Land Management and is being prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California.  

Today’s arrests are the latest in an investigation that has to date netted 23 convictions in the Middle District of Florida (MDFL) for drug trafficking, money laundering, and firearm offenses. According to court documents, the investigation targeted a nationwide drug trafficking and money laundering organization based in California. The organization shipped cocaine, methamphetamine, and marijuana from California to locations throughout the United States, including the MDFL. The drugs were shipped via Federal Express, United Parcel Service, and the United States Postal Service. They were also transported in automobiles that had been loaded on car haulers.

Co-conspirators retrieved packages of cocaine at various times in the MDFL, distributed the narcotics to lower level drug distributors in Tampa, St. Petersburg, and elsewhere, and then arranged for drug proceeds to be returned to California via money couriers, wire transfers, and bank deposits. Co-conspirators used drug proceeds that had been deposited into various bank accounts to purchase items such as airline tickets, rental cars, and hotel rooms for organization members.

“This case is the result of years of investigative work, spanning state and international borders,” said Susan L. McCormick, special agent in charge of HSI Tampa.  “Dismantling a drug trafficking organization of this size and reach is significant to the safety and security of our nation.”

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

This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from other federal, state, and local agencies as part of an OCDETF investigation. 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.  It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher F. Murray.

Orlando, Florida – Chief U.S. District Judge Anne C. Conway today sentenced Linda Deavers (61, Indiana) to six years and six months in federal prison for wire fraud and money laundering. The Court also ordered Deavers to serve a three-year term of supervised release, and to pay more than $3.5 million in restitution.  A federal jury found her guilty on July 11, 2014.

According to evidence presented at trial, Deavers devised an investment fraud scheme that used an entity by the name of Angel Annie Humanitarian Trust, LLC. As part of her pitch to investors, Deavers represented that the Trust was a Section 501(c)(3) charitable organization and that she had connections to trading programs in Europe.  She said that the investments would generate large rates of return, that she had been successful in investing in such trading programs previously, and that any money invested with her and the Trust would be invested in such trading programs overseas. None of those representations were true. Deavers collected more than $5.2 million from Florida investors. After returning approximately $1.8 million to investors, she used most of the remaining $3.4 million to fund her lavish lifestyle in Indiana and Europe, and to pay various expenses for herself and her family, including a $1 million deposit on a mansion. To lull her investors into a false sense of security, Deavers used e-mail and Skype to provide her investors with a series of false excuses as to why she had not been able to successfully invest their money. Even after spending the last of the funds from her victims, Deavers continued to falsely claim, for several years, that she was working on investments for them.

This type of scheme is sometimes referred to as a prime bank investment fraud scheme. For more information on this type of scheme, please visit the website for the United States Department of the Treasury, Office of Inspector General.

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

Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Charlene Edwards Honeywell yesterday sentenced Bryan Bobby Beaudoin (25, Orlando) to 11 years and 6 months in federal prison for conspiring to commit robbery and using a firearm in furtherance of the armed robbery.  The Court also ordered Beaudoin to forfeit $6,277, which represents the proceeds from the sale of stolen jewelry and the firearm used in the robbery.  He pleaded guilty on July 31, 2014.

According to court documents, on November 22, 2013, Clyde Bernard Johnson and Anthony Mina Wahba entered the International Diamond Center in Tampa, concealing their identities with sunglasses and hats. Johnson brandished a black 9mm pistol and took control of the store, while Wahba took a hammer and went directly to the glass display cases containing expensive watches, loose diamonds, and diamond rings. Wahba shattered the glass cases with the hammer and retrieved numerous items of jewelry, with an approximate retail value of $2.1 million. They also stole some of the victim-employees’ wallets. Before the pair fled the store, Johnson fired a shot into the floor near the counter.

Beaudoin, who had conducted surveillance on the store earlier that day, planned the robbery and gave instructions to Johnson and Wahba. He also provided Johnson with the firearm used in the robbery. Beaudoin waited at a nearby location during the robbery, and then later met with Johnson and Wahba to split the proceeds. As the three were traveling back to the Orlando area, they stopped at a gas station and used one of the victim-employee’s stolen credit cards to purchase fuel. All three men were captured on the gas station’s surveillance videotape. When law enforcement officers attempted to arrest Beaudoin, he fled, but he was ultimately apprehended after a car chase through the Orlando area.

Johnson and Wahba previously pleaded guilty for their roles in the armed robbery and are scheduled to be sentenced later this month.

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

This case is a part of ATF’s Frontline Strategy to combat violent crime in communities.

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announced today that Kevin Robert Leblanc (52, Tampa) has pleaded guilty to failing to register as sex offender after traveling from Florida to the State of Arizona. He faces up to ten years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. Leblanc has been in custody for violating the conditions of his federal supervised release since his arrest on August 15, 2014.    

According to court documents, on July 29, 1999, Leblanc was convicted of committing two child sex offenses in Massachusetts. Subsequently, he traveled to Florida, failed to register as a sex offender, and was prosecuted for failure to register.  Leblanc pleaded guilty to this charge and, on August 25, 2011, was sentenced to three years in federal prison, and a 15-year term of supervision. 

On April 4, 2014, Leblanc was released from federal prison, established a residence in Tampa, Florida, and commenced his term of supervised release. On July 25, 2014, he absconded from federal supervision. In doing so, he failed to update his sex offender registration status with Florida authorities, as required by law. Leblanc was arrested near Flagstaff, Arizona, on August 15, 2014, by the U.S. Marshals Service.  When interviewed, he acknowledged knowing that he was required to register as a sex offender, that he did not notify Florida authorities that he was leaving the state, and that he failed to notify authorities because he “got fed up” with being supervised.           

The Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act is part of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006. The Adam Walsh Act also provides for the use of federal law enforcement resources, including the United States Marshals Service, to assist state and local authorities in locating and apprehending non-compliant sex offenders. This case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.

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

Orlando, Florida – United States District Judge Roy B. Dalton, Jr. has sentenced Tanya Fox to 20 years in federal prison for conspiracy to defraud the federal government, wire fraud, theft of government property, and aggravated identity theft. Fox was immediately taken into custody. The Court also entered a money judgment in the amount of $4,055,735, which relates to the amount of fraudulent tax refunds that Fox and her co-conspirators had received. 

On July 24, 2014, following a four-day trial, a federal jury found her guilty of one count of conspiracy, five counts of wire fraud, ten counts of theft of government property, and ten counts of aggravated identity theft.

During the trial, evidence was introduced to show that Fox had orchestrated a scheme to file fraudulent tax returns using identities that had been stolen from a variety of sources.  Fox directed other individuals to open business bank accounts in the name of a fraudulent tax preparation business and to have the tax refunds deposited into those accounts. She then worked with those individuals to withdraw the funds and spend the money.  Fox attempted to receive approximately $5.8 million in fraudulent tax returns and was successful in receiving more than $4 million during the course of the scheme. 

According to the testimony at trial, Fox spent the money received from the fraudulent tax returns to purchase several luxury and other vehicles.  The United States has seized each of these vehicles.  She also used proceeds from these offenses to have cosmetic surgery on two occasions and to open a restaurant in the Orlando area.

Previously, Shanterica Smith, Gerald Williams, and Delray Duncan pleaded guilty and were sentenced for providing approximately 2,400 names from the Orange County Health Department to Fox so that she and her co-conspirators could file the fraudulent tax returns.  Smith was sentenced to five years in prison, Williams was sentenced to four years and six months in prison, and Duncan was sentenced to three years and six in prison.  A fifth co-defendant, April Cuyler, also pleaded guilty for her role in this scheme; she was sentenced to two years and six months in prison.     

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.  It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn P. Napier.

Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the arrest yesterday of Michael Paul Watkins (41, Citrus Springs) on a criminal complaint alleging the possession of firearms and ammunition by a previously convicted felon, and the possession and manufacturing of unregistered destructive devices. Each offense carries a maximum penalty of ten years in federal prison.

According to court documents, Watkins was previously convicted, in state court, of felony offenses involving the handling and fondling of a child under the age of 16, and two escapes from custody. As a convicted, felon he is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition under federal law. In early October 2014, law enforcement officers received information that Watkins was using a third party to illegally acquire firearms and ammunition. Federal agents subsequently obtained search warrants for Watkins’s home, business, and a nearby property.

Yesterday, law enforcement agents executed the search warrants and recovered approximately 134 firearms (including AK-47 rifles) from Watkins’s home, along with numerous rounds of ammunition. They also discovered several fully assembled pipe bombs and the components to manufacture more.   

A criminal complaint is an allegation by the United States that a defendant has violated one or more federal criminal laws, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.

This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Tampa Police Department Bomb Squad. It will be 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 Trevor Velinor, Acting Special Agent in Charge, ATF, is coordinating the Project Safe Neighborhoods effort here in the Middle District of Florida in cooperation with federal, state, and local law enforcement officials. It is also a part of ATF’s Frontline Strategy to reduce violent crime in communities.

Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Susan C. Bucklew yesterday sentenced Steven Richard Romel (32, Kissimmee) to 11 years in federal prison for enticement of a child for sex. The Court also ordered Romel to forfeit a phone and an iPad, that he had used to commit the offense. Romel pleaded guilty on July 8, 2014.     

According to court documents, between November 21, 2013, and January 18, 2014, a special agent with the Air Force Office of Special Investigations in Tampa conducted an online investigation into adults using computers to communicate with, and arrange for sex with, minors. Specifically, the agent posed as the 15-year-old daughter of a deployed military soldier. On November 21, 2013, the “child” posted an online personal advertisement to which Romel responded. During subsequent conversations, Romel discussed meeting the “child” and inquired when she could sneak away to meet with him. The “child” repeatedly mentioned that she was 15 years old.

Romel, who was stationed at Barksdale Air Force base in Shreveport, Louisiana at the time, offered to buy the “child” a roundtrip ticket from Tampa so that she could meet with him. On several occasions, he also requested that photos be sent to him online. When the “child” mentioned that she would be off from school on January 20, 2014, Romel purchased a plane ticket for the “child” to visit him in Shreveport.

 On January 18, 2014, the agent flew from Tampa to Shreveport, on the same flight as the supposed “child.” Romel was at the airport waiting and was arrested. A search of Romel’s residence later showed that he had purchased numerous items discussed with the “child” during their chats, including the “Plan B” pill.

This case was investigated by the 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 the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Pedro Luis Infantes (47, Ocala) today pleaded guilty to theft of government property. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. 

According to the plea agreement, on July 11, 2014, Infantes and his son unwittingly met with a confidential source, who was working in cooperation with law enforcement. Infantes believed that the source had connections to potential buyers who were affiliated with Mexican drug trafficking organizations. Ultimately, he negotiated a sale price of $153,500 for 17 military-grade thermal-imaging monoculars, rifle cleaning kits, and other assorted military equipment that had been stolen from the government.

When arrested and interviewed by the FBI, Infantes provided false statements to agents about how he had acquired the military items and how the serial numbers on the items had been removed.  He stated that he had purchased the equipment in that condition at assorted gun shows. In fact, his son, Luis Rafael Infantes (21, Ocala), an active-duty supply sergeant in Fort Knox, Kentucky, had stolen the items from the United States Army.  Luis Rafael Infantes was also charged for his role in this case, and is scheduled for trial next month.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Bodnar, Jr.

Tampa, FL – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that David Wendel Thompson (49, Seffner) pleaded guilty yesterday to online enticement of a minor. He faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison and a potential life term of supervision. His sentencing hearing is set for January 20, 2015.   According to the plea agreement, between December 14, 2013, and March 14, 2014, Thompson used Facebook to attempt to persuade two minor females in Belize, ages 13 and 15, to engage in sexual intercourse with him. He did so using his own Facebook account and a fake Facebook account that he had set up to appear as though it belonged to a female teenager in Belize.

On March 14, 2014, Thompson flew from Tampa to Belize, with a layover in Miami, to meet the minors with the intent of engaging in sexual activity. He was arrested in Miami and has remained in federal custody since that time. Thompson admitted to communicating with the females on Facebook and to knowing that they were underage. Prior to his arrest, Thompson was a social studies teacher at Centennial Middle School in Dade City.

This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, in conjunction with the U.S. Department of State. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer L. Peresie.

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 better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov. 

Tampa, Florida - United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Guillermo Rincon (36, Miami) and Enrique Hernandez (34, Tampa) with one count of mortgage fraud conspiracy involving mail and bank fraud, and other related substantive charges. Each faces a maximum penalty of 30 years’ imprisonment for each count. The indictment also notifies the individuals that the United States is seeking a money judgment for the proceeds of the charged mortgage fraud conspiracy.

According to the indictment and court proceedings, Rincon and 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, which were submitted in support of the loan requests. Upon the closing of each sale transaction, the conspirators used a portion of the inflated loan proceeds to pay the original asking price to the seller. The remaining excess funds—the gap amount between the original asking price and the inflated mortgage loan amount—were then shared amongst the conspirators, who allowed the purchased properties to fall into foreclosure.

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

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

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announced today that James Patrick Foreman (44, Jacksonville) has been charged by a federal criminal complaint with advertising for child pornography. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years, up to 30 years, in federal prison, and a potential life term of supervision. Foreman was arrested on October 17, 2014, at his residence in Jacksonville.  During his initial court appearance, he was ordered detained pending a detention hearing on October 23, 2014.   

According to the criminal complaint, an agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation began an undercover investigation to identify individuals in the Jacksonville area that had access to and/or were trading images and videos depicting child pornography over the Internet. The agent determined that a computer in the area was hosting images of child pornography using a peer-to-peer file sharing program. The agent was able to download several files depicting child pornography from this computer.  Further investigation traced the computer to Foreman’s residence.  

On October 1, 2014, law enforcement officers executed a federal search warrant at Foreman=s residence. During an interview, he admitted to downloading all ages of child pornography.

A search and subsequent analysis of Foreman’s computer revealed that it contained a video showing a toddler being sexually assaulted. Also discovered were logs of online conversations between Foreman and at least one other individual, during which Foreman offered to exchange and distribute the video depicting the toddler’s abuse. 

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

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.

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

Orlando, Florida – Senior U.S. District Judge Gregory A. Presnell yesterday found Fortune Tyrone Hill (33, Daytona Beach) guilty of possessing with intent to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base, commonly known as “crack” cocaine. He faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 5 years, up to a maximum of 40 years in federal prison. Hill was indicted on July 30, 2014, and a sentencing hearing is scheduled for January 12, 2015. 

According to court documents and evidence presented during the bench trial, on May 20, 2014, officers from the Daytona Beach Police Department responded to an apartment complex after an individual called 911 and reported that her vehicle license tag had been stolen. When officers arrived at the complex, Hill attempted to flee and struck one of the officers. He was eventually arrested. Plastic bags containing a total of more than 100 grams of “crack” cocaine, two digital scales, and $1,020 were recovered during a search of Hill.  Officers also recovered an additional $1,630 from Hill’s rental car.

This case was investigated by the Daytona Beach Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew C. Searle.

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that a federal jury has found Nova A. Montgomery guilty of five counts of tax evasion and five counts of failure to file an income tax return. She faces a maximum penalty of five years’ imprisonment for each tax evasion count, and one year in prison for each count of failing to file a tax return. The jury returned the verdict on October 10, 2014, and a sentencing hearing is scheduled for January 12, 2015.

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, Montgomery was self-employed as a distributor for a multi-level marketing company that sold nutritional and other products. Between 2002 and 2012, she received commissions and other income exceeding $2.7 million. Montgomery set up a complex corporate structure that made it appear that she personally received virtually none of the income from the commissions and sales. Further, on February 12, 2009, in the midst of an Internal Revenue Service audit, Montgomery filed false and fraudulent federal income tax returns claiming that she had no income for 2002 through 2006. In addition, she failed to file personal income tax returns for 2008 through 2012.

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark E. Bini.

Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that a federal jury yesterday found Quinton Paul Handlon (44) guilty of production of child pornography, possession of child pornography, and coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity. He faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for January 12, 2015.

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, Handlon sexually abused a family member over an approximately four-year period, while she was between the ages of 11 and 15. He provided her with money and other items in exchange for sexual activity. Handlon took sexually explicit photographs of the child, filmed her engaged in sexual activity with him, and coerced her to take photographs and videos of herself for his sexual gratification. A search warrant executed at Handlon’s residence recovered the electronic devices containing the victim’s images and videos.

This case was investigated by the FBI Child Exploitation Unit. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Tama Koss Caldarone and Stacie B. Harris.

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

Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Virginia M. Hernandez Covington yesterday sentenced Jerman Antwon Green (29, Lakeland) to 15 years in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.  He pleaded guilty on June 19, 2014.

According to court documents, on December 20, 2013, Green entered a pawn shop in Lakeland and asked to see a firearm.  Green then fled the store with the firearm in his hand.  Detectives from the Lakeland Police Department witnessed Green fleeing from the store and ordered him to stop.  Green eventually complied and was apprehended with the firearm.  Prior to this incident, Green had been convicted of multiple felony offenses, including drug and gun offenses, and therefore was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Lakeland Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joseph W. Swanson.

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 Trevor Velinor, Acting Special Agent in Charge, ATF, is coordinating the Project Safe Neighborhoods effort here in the Middle District of Florida in cooperation with federal, state, and local law enforcement officials. It is also a part of ATF’s Frontline strategy to reduce violent crime in communities.

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that a federal jury yesterday found former Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO) Corrections Officer Leon Perry Brooks, Sr. (40, Jacksonville) guilty of four counts of possession of child pornography. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison on each count. Brooks was indicted on December 18, 2013. His sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled.

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, in January 2013, a JSO detective on the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force was able to download two child pornography videos from an IP address registered to Brooks.  A search warrant was subsequently executed at his home, which resulted in the seizure of several computers.  Two of these computers contained multiple videos of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, in conjunction with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Diidri W. Robinson.

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 better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov. 

Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Henry Lee Adams, Jr. today sentenced Amelio Mack to 19 years and seven months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute cocaine. The Court also ordered him to forfeit two bank accounts, three vehicles, and jewelry, including a 4.8 karat engagement ring, that are traceable to proceeds of the offense. Mack pleaded guilty on May 12, 2014.

According to court documents, between 2005 and February 2014, Mack, who has a prior federal gun conviction, distributed in excess of 150 kilograms of cocaine in the Jacksonville area. At the time of his arrest, February 2014, law enforcement officers seized two firearms, $281,850 in cash, and other evidence linking him to the crime. 

This case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Julie Hackenberry.

Tampa, FL – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Gerald Eugene Mayham (41, Clearwater) pleaded guilty today to sex trafficking a child. He faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for January 7, 2015. Mayham was indicted on May 29, 2014.

In June and July 2013, Mayham conspired with Joel Raymond Nauta to cause a 16-year-old girl to engage in commercial sex acts. Mayham, who knew that the victim was a minor, arranged the sex acts by soliciting men at various locations in Clearwater and Dunedin. To get the victim to comply with the scheme, Mayham threatened her and provided her with drugs. Mayham received the money from the sex acts, which he used to purchase drugs.

On April 29, 2014, Nauta pleaded guilty to his role in the conspiracy. He will be sentenced on December 17, 2014.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Clearwater Police Department, the St. Petersburg Police Department, and the Largo Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph W. Swanson and Simon A. Gaugush.

It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.  Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (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.

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Nicholas Darwin Yancey (30, originally from Orlando) pleaded guilty yesterday to child enticement. He faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to the plea agreement, on February 10, 2014, Yancey, an enlisted member of the U.S. Air Force, posted an advertisement on Craigslist soliciting members of the public for “texting/sexting.” An undercover law enforcement officer with the U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations, posing as a 14 year-old child, responded to the ad. Yancey and the “child” communicated over the Internet for months, during which time Yancey told the “child” that he wanted to engage in sexual intercourse with her. He engaged in sexually explicit conversation and solicited nude photographs of the “child.” He also stated that he had a crush on her, and invited her to a sleepover at a hotel on MacDill Air Force Base.

On June 26, 2014, the undercover officer observed several additional postings from Yancey on Craigslist. The officer responded to one of the advertisements posing as a second “child.” Yancey and the second “child” communicated using an Internet messaging application. Yancey told the second “child” that he wanted to engage in sexual intercourse with her, and possibly one of her friends. He arranged to meet the second “child” for sex on July 3, 2014, but later attempted to change the meeting. When the second “child” declined, Yancey informed her that he would simply go down the list, referring to his ability to find another person to meet. On June 27, 2014, Yancey contacted the first “child” and arranged to meet her later that week for sex. On June 29, 2014, he traveled to the Ballast Point area of Tampa, where they had arranged to meet, and was arrested.

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

It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.  Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (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.

Orlando, Florida – Chief U.S. District Judge Anne C. Conway yesterday sentenced Mihaly Kulcsar (33, a citizen of Romania) to three years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and possession of false identity documents. As part of the judgment, the Court also ordered Kulcsar to pay $355,000 in restitution to his victims. He pleaded guilty on May 22, 2014.

According to court documents, Kulcsar was arrested in July 2013, at a Bank of America branch in Orlando, after he tried to open a bank account with fraudulent identification documents. Further investigation revealed that Kulcsar possessed fake passports and other fake identity documents in four different names, from Denmark, Finland, France, and the Slovak Republic. Kulcsar admitted that he had come to the United States with these fake documents and identities to open business accounts at several banks in central Florida. As part of his scheme, he targeted large banking institutions, including Bank of America, Fifth Third, Chase, SunTrust, Wells Fargo, and BB&T. Kulcsar obtained $355,000 during the course of the scheme, which he wired the money to his co-conspirators through overseas bank accounts.

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

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that late yesterday, a federal jury found James Patrick Baker (33, Tampa) guilty of attempting to induce a child to engage in sex acts. He faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for January 15, 2015. Baker was indicted on May 22, 2014.

According to evidence and testimony presented at trial, between April 17, 2014, and April 26, 2014, Baker communicated online with an individual he thought was a single mother of a twelve-year-old girl.  He was actually communicating with undercover law enforcement officers, participating in Operation Intercept III, seeking to identify individuals who pose a danger to children. During the conversations, Baker suggested that he, the mother, and the child engage in various sex acts together.  Baker emailed a picture of his genitalia to the “mother” and asked her to show her “child” the photograph.  He also had phone conversations with the “mother” and the “child.”  

On the evening of April 26, 2014, Baker left work early so that he could meet the “mother” and “child.” He drove to a location in Sarasota and was arrested. Baker had discussed bringing candy for the child as well as a condom.  He had both items with him when he was arrested. 

This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Amanda C. Kaiser.

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

Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge James S. Moody, Jr. has sentenced Jerry St. Fleur (26, Tampa) to four years and three months in federal prison for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. The Court also ordered him to forfeit $61,704, which is traceable to proceeds of the offense. He pleaded guilty on July 9, 2014.

According to the plea agreement, beginning no later than January 2011, and continuing until May 2014, St. Fleur, in his capacity as a correctional officer at the Zephyrhills Correctional Facility, unlawfully accessed and stole the personal identifying information (PII) of former and current inmates within the Florida Department of Corrections (FDOC).  St. Fleur would “screen scrape” (cut and paste) inmates’ PII, without their knowledge or permission, from FDOC databases and then use that information to file false tax returns. As part of this scheme, St. Fleur filed approximately 182 fraudulent income tax returns. The government estimates that the total amount of fraudulent refunds requested from these returns was more than $500,000.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Jackson.

Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Brian J. Davis yesterday sentenced Deryck Dean Barcous (26, Duval County) to one year and four months in federal prison for passing counterfeit Federal Reserve notes. Barcous was indicted on March 27, 2014, and pleaded guilty on July 16, 2014.   

According to court documents, in November 2013, Barcous answered an ad on Craigslist advertising computer equipment. After finalizing the price, Barcous met with the victim and paid her with what was later determined to be counterfeit $10 and $20 bills. 

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

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Donald Reche Caldwell (35, Tampa) pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a positional isomer of Butylone, also known as Ethylone, and commonly marketed as the street drug “Molly.” He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to the plea agreement, on May 13, 2014, Caldwell signed for and accepted a parcel containing 1.5 kilograms of Ethylone. The parcel had been mailed to the United States from China. On May 19, 2014, investigators intercepted a second parcel in Atlanta, containing one kilogram of Ethylone. Further investigation revealed that, just days earlier, Caldwell had mailed the parcel from Tampa.

As a positional isomer of Butylone, Ethylone is considered a Schedule I Controlled Substance.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Carlton C. Gammons.

Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Henry Lee Adams yesterday sentenced Terrance Smith (38, Duval County) to 36 months in federal prison for his involvement in passing multiple counterfeit business checks, and for violating the terms of his federal supervised release. 

According to court documents, in October 2013, the pastor from a local church contacted the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO) and reported that the church’s bank account number was being used on counterfeit business checks that were being cashed throughout Duval County. The sheriff’s office determined that ten individuals had cashed or attempted to cash approximately 25 counterfeit business checks, purportedly from Waste Management and Ciera Staffing, using the church’s bank account number. 

From a date unknown, but at least from in or about October 2013, Smith, in conjunction with others, began obtaining and distributing counterfeit business checks using the church’s bank account number. Smith would recruit various individuals and provide transportation to them for the purpose of cashing the checks. When a passer was successful in cashing a check, the proceeds were returned to Smith. After paying a percentage of the proceeds to the passer, Smith retained the remaining cash, or shared it with others involved in recruiting individuals into the scheme. 

On November 13, 2013, JSO, U.S. Secret Service, and members of the North Florida High Tech Crime Task Force set up surveillance in a Jacksonville trailer park. A vehicle being driven by Smith, and containing another individual, entered the trailer park. Officers conducted an investigative stop of the vehicle after it exited the park. An inventory of the vehicle revealed counterfeit check stubs listing the purported earnings of employees for various companies, along with torn counterfeit checks supposedly issued by Winn-Dixie.  

This case was investigated by the North Florida High Tech Crime Task Force, JSO, and U.S. Secret Service. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.

Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Virginia M. Hernandez Covington yesterday sentenced Eric Thomas (37, Largo) to eight years and one month in federal prison for accessing with the intent to view child pornography. Thomas was indicted on September 25, 2013. A federal jury found him found guilty on June 12, 2014.

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, on July 21, 2012, Thomas’s then wife discovered evidence that he had been using the couple’s home computer to look at child pornography on the Internet. She notified law enforcement. A subsequent search and forensic analysis of the computer revealed that more than 850 images of child pornography had been deleted from the computer. Thomas had taken considerable steps to conceal his activities and remove Internet history and child pornography files from his computer.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Largo Police Department, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jennifer L. Peresie and Josephine W. Thomas.

It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (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. 

Grants Awarded To Hire School Resource Officers, Reduce Violence And
Address Other Critical Law Enforcement Needs

TAMPA, FL - The U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), yesterday announced funding awards to 10 cities and counties in the Middle District of Florida. These grants, totaling over $7 million, are intended to create 57 law enforcement positions.

The list of this year’s grantees includes: Daytona Beach Police Department, DeLand Police Department, Hardee County Sheriff’s Office, Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, Longwood Police Department, Mount Dora Police Department, Polk County Sheriff’s Office, Sarasota Police Department, and the Starke Police Department.

“The COPS Office is pleased to assist local law enforcement agencies throughout the country in addressing their most critical public safety issues,” said Ronald L. Davis, Director of the COPS Office. “Funding from this year’s program will allow many cities and counties to apply new sworn personnel to issues related to violent crime, property crime, and school safety.”

The COPS Hiring Program offers grants to state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies to hire or rehire community policing officers. The program provides salaries and benefits for officer and deputy hires for three years.

“Community policing emphasizes strong partnerships between local law enforcement and the public it serves,” said U.S. Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III.  “These partnerships develop creative ideas, build trust, and increase the effectiveness of law enforcement at all levels.  Our Office is excited that ten of our local law enforcement partners will have additional funding to enhance community policing within their jurisdictions.”

Grantees for the 2014 hiring program were selected based on their fiscal needs, local crime rates, and community policing plans. Nearly $124 million will be awarded nationally.

The COPS Office is a federal agency responsible for advancing community policing nationwide. Since 1995, COPS has awarded over $14 billion to advance community policing, including grants awarded to more than 13,000 state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies to fund the hiring and redeployment of approximately 125,000 officers and provide a variety of knowledge resource products, including publications, training, and technical assistance.

For the entire list of grantees and additional information about the 2014 COPS Hiring Program, visit the COPS website at www.cops.usdoj.gov.

Tampa, FL – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Derrick L. Hayes, a/k/a “D-Man,” (27, St. Petersburg) pleaded guilty yesterday to one count of conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking of children by force or coercion, and two counts of sex trafficking of children by force or coercion. He faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison on each count. Hayes also must register as a sex offender. His sentencing hearing has been set for December 12, 2014.

According to court documents, in December 2012 and January 2013, Hayes conspired with his girlfriend, Keosha Renee Jones, to arrange for two 14-year-old victims to engage in commercial sex acts in St. Petersburg. After meeting the victims, Hayes took them to a residence and directed them to engage in sex acts with his associates. With Hayes’ knowledge, Jones also took the victims to a hotel in St. Petersburg, where the victims engaged in additional sex acts for money.  Hayes visited the hotel regularly, collected the proceeds from the sex acts, and directed the victims to engage in additional sex acts with his associates.  Hayes also beat and threatened Jones in the victims’ presence, and threatened the victims. 

On September 19, 2013, Jones pleaded guilty to her role in the conspiracy. She is awaiting sentencing.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Clearwater Police Department, the St. Petersburg Police Department, and the Largo Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph W. Swanson and Stacie B. Harris.

It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.  Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (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.

Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge James D. Whittemore has sentenced Robert James Mercer (46, Tampa) to five years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The Court also entered a money judgment in the amount of $130,000, which represents the proceeds of the conspiracy. Mercer pleaded guilty on June 19, 2014. He was sentenced on September 23, 2014.

According to court documents, from at least November 2013 through April 4, 2014, Mercer, along with his co-defendants and others, traveled to Wal-Mart stores in Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Colorado, Texas, and elsewhere for the purpose of defrauding the retailer.

To facilitate the fraud, the co-conspirators, primarily Mercer, purchased prepaid debit cards from Green Dot and Wal-Mart using cash. By purchasing these prepaid cards at Wal-Mart, the conspirators received legitimate merchandise receipts showing high value cash purchases. The conspirators then altered these original receipts to make them appear as if they had resulted from a merchandise purchase. The fake receipts were then used to return items for cash.

In order to obtain the items, the conspirators purchased high value merchandise using counterfeited or altered Universal Product Codes (UPC). For example, with an altered UPC code, a whole-house water filtration system, which normally sold for hundreds of dollars, would ring up for $19. The conspirators then returned the items to a different Wal-Mart store, using a counterfeited receipt, and obtained cash refunds for the actual retail price of the items.

The co-conspirators in this case confirmed that Mercer supervised them, controlled the proceeds of the fraud, and paid the others for their roles in this scheme. The loss to Wal-Mart is estimated at almost $200,000.

Four others were also charged in this case. Luis Schomaker was charged by a criminal complaint with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Co-conspirators David Dunn, Sandra Walker, and Michael Odhiambo have each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and will be sentenced at a later date.

This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service and the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mandy Riedel.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Richard A. Lazzara today sentenced Gerald Robinson (41, Orlando) to ten years and one month in federal prison for conspiring with others to distribute cocaine. He pleaded guilty on May 30, 2014.

According to court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, Robinson was a kilogram-level cocaine distributor in the Orlando area. In 2010 and 2011, he distributed approximately 40 kilograms of cocaine. Robinson’s source of supply, Earl Hampton, was previously convicted as part of this investigation.  He was sentenced to 30 years’ imprisonment by U.S. District Judge Susan C. Bucklew on June 19, 2013.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations, the Clearwater Police Department, and the Lee County Sheriff's Office, as part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking, and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation's illegal drug supply.  The case was also investigated as part of ATF’s Frontline Strategy. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher F. Murray.

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Antonio Cuevas-Navarro (47, Sacramento, California) pleaded guilty yesterday to one count of conspiring with others to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine.  Cuevas-Navarro faces a mandatory minimum term of ten years’ imprisonment, up to a maximum penalty of life.

According to the plea agreement, in February 2012, Cuevas-Navarro attempted to have 12 pounds of methamphetamine smuggled from Jonesboro, Arkansas to Pasco County, Florida. On February 22, 2012, two co-conspirators working on Cuevas-Navarro’s behalf drove from Pasco County to Jonesboro to retrieve the drugs.  The following day, during a traffic stop in Arkansas, law enforcement agents intercepted the drugs from five of Cuevas-Navarro’s co-conspirators.

On April 5, 2012, DEA agents seized seven pounds of methamphetamine in Pasco County from three of Cuevas-Navarro’s co-conspirators. The drugs had previously been shipped to Pasco County by Cuevas-Navarro. In June 2012, Cuevas-Navarro sent Jose Angel Carrillo, Jr. from California to Pasco County to retrieve money from the drug sales. Carrillo then picked up $3,500 in a Wal-Mart parking lot in Pasco County, which represented a partial payment owed for one pound of methamphetamine.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office as part of an ongoing Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation, in which nine other individuals have already been convicted. 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 is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher F. Murray.