Middle District of Florida
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Orlando Man Sentenced to More Than 6 Years in Federal Prison and Ordered to Pay $25,000 Fine for Receiving Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Roy B. Dalton, Jr. yesterday sentenced Timothy Beaver (49, Orlando) to 6 years and 6 months in federal prison for receipt of child pornography. The Court also ordered Beaver to pay a $25,000 fine, to forfeit the computer equipment that he used to commit the offense, and to serve a life term of supervised release, following his release from prison. Beaver pleaded guilty on March 5, 2014.
According to court documents, Beaver used a file-sharing program and the Internet to download about 14,500 images and 300 videos depicting the sexual abuse and exploitation of mostly prepubescent boys for at least seven years. Beaver also purchased DVD recordings of child pornography from a Canadian website that was subsequently seized by law enforcement authorities.
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 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.
Brooklyn Man Sentenced for Theft of Social Security FundsRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Carlos E. Mendoza today sentenced Antonio Rodriguez Soto (51, Brooklyn, NY) to 10 months in federal prison for theft of government property. The Court also ordered Soto to pay restitution in the amount of $89,143.50 to the Social Security Administration (SSA). Soto pleaded guilty to the charge on April 29, 2014.
According to court documents, Soto began receiving Social Security Disability Insurance payments in 1993. In 2012, he signed a Social Security form stating that he had last worked in 2000. An investigation by the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General revealed that Soto was employed as a maintenance worker at a hotel in Kissimmee from 2005 through 2010, and that he did not have any apparent disability. Due to Soto’s fraudulent activities, the SSA lost $89,143.50. Specifically, Soto’s unreported work activity caused him to be overpaid $57,541.50. In addition, those earnings disqualified his children from receiving benefits. His son was overpaid $26,252.00 and his daughter was overpaid $5,350.00.
This case was investigated by Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Haas.
Turkish Man Extradited from the Republic of Georgia Sentenced to More Than Nine Years for Computer Hacking and Identity TheftRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – Senior U.S. District Judge John Antoon, II sentenced Alper Erdogan (35, a Turkish citizen residing in Baku, Azerbaijan) to nine years and four months in federal prison for conspiracy to commit computer hacking, conspiracy to commit credit card fraud, and aggravated identity theft. In February 2014, Erdogan was extradited from the Republic of Georgia, where he had travelled from Azerbaijan, to the United States to face the charges contained in the indictment in this case. Erdogan was initially indicted in September 2012. He pleaded guilty on April 18, 2014. He was sentenced on July 25, 2014.
According to the plea agreement, in September 2010, the United States Secret Service learned that the computer servers of a hotel in San Diego had been hacked and malicious software had stored credit card magnetic track data that was then remotely accessed and, eventually, used at retail stores throughout the United States. In a series of prosecutions related to the United States v. Chad Warner et al., the government prosecuted and secured convictions against 17 individuals who used the stolen credit card numbers in the United States.
As the investigation progressed, agents learned that the conspirators in the United States purchased the stolen credit card account numbers from Erdogan who was then located in Azerbaijan. Erdogan made in excess of $1.2 million in fraudulent credit card charges between June 2010 and the execution of federal search warrants in March 2011. During the course of the charged conspiracies, Erdogan provided criminals throughout the United States with thousands of stolen and hacked credit card numbers and the personal information of Americans. In doing so, Erdogan entered into a conspiracy with hackers located in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Erdogan perpetrated his offenses and communicated with his conspirators solely over the Internet; acting as a broker and providing the stolen and hacked information to criminals in the United States for the purpose of allowing them to commit fraud using that information.
“United States citizens are increasingly the victims of computer hacking, identity theft, and credit card fraud committed by individuals residing in Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and elsewhere. The United States Attorney’s Office is committed to pursuing these individuals wherever they might be and extraditing them to the United States for prosecution,” stated U.S. Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III. Dennis Ramos Martinez, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Secret Service Orlando Field Office stated,
“The Secret Service is committed in pursuing cybercrime cases. There is no doubt that our economic vitality and national security depend on cybersecurity. We are committed to these interests and will pursue cyber criminals regardless of where on the globe they may be physically located. Our ongoing partnerships with state, local and international agencies and through a greater understanding of how the criminal world operates and thrives, and what we do together to secure our nation and communities from this threat will have a profound impact on future generations.”
This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service. It was being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel C. Irick.
Ocala Man Convicted for Attempting to Purchase More Than 5 Kilograms of CocaineRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that a federal jury has found Anthony Vikey Omar Price (29, Ocala) guilty of aiding and abetting an attempt to possess with intent to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine. Price faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years, up to life in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for October 23, 2014. The jury verdict was returned on July 23, 2014. Price and his co-defendant Delvon Williams were arrested on a criminal complaint on March 19, 2014. Both were indicted on March 26, 2014. Williams pleaded guilty for his role in this case on May 22, 2014.
According to evidence presented at trial, Williams negotiated a 10 kilogram cocaine purchase with another individual on March 19, 2014. Williams exchanged text messages and met with Price prior to meeting with the other individual. The individual made arrangements to introduce Williams to a source of cocaine supply. The source was a DEA agent working in an undercover capacity.
Williams and Price agreed that Price would pay for 3 kilograms of cocaine at $34,000 per kilogram, and that Williams would provide another 2 kilograms of cocaine to Price on consignment. Williams, in turn, negotiated with the individual, that Williams would pay for 4 kilograms of cocaine and receive 6 kilograms of cocaine on consignment.
In the late afternoon hours on March 19, 2014, Price followed Williams and the individual to a warehouse in Ocala. At the warehouse, Price remained in his vehicle, while Williams met with the cooperating individual and the undercover DEA agent. Williams provided two bags of money to the undercover agent. One bag contained $33,000 of the buy money. Another contained $101,985 of the buy money. When agents arrested Price, Price made conflicting statements concerning his knowledge of the drug transaction. At first, Price denied knowledge of the drug deal. Later, Price stated that he knew Williams was a cocaine dealer, but that he merely provided Williams $2,000 as a loan.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney A. Tysen Duva.
Leader of Colombian Drug Trafficking Organization Sentenced to 18 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge James D. Whittemore sentenced Vinston Boxton-Moises (49, San Andres Island, Colombia, South America) to 18 years in federal prison for conspiring with others to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, knowing and intending that the cocaine would be unlawfully imported into the United States. Boxton was arrested on San Andres Island, Colombia in August 2013. He was subsequently extradited to the United States for prosecution. Boxton pleaded guilty on May 6, 2014.
According to court documents, between 2010 and 2013 Boxton was a knowing and willing participant in an ongoing plan to smuggle cocaine by sea. The cocaine was ultimately destined for unlawful importation into the United States. Boxton’s roles in the conspiracy included recruiting and paying mariners and mechanics, contracting for the use of smuggling and lookout/logistics vessels, and dispatching cocaine-laden go-fast vessels (GFVs).
Boxton is accountable for the GFV TAUPLY, interdicted by the United States in the Caribbean Sea on May 31, 2012, on the high seas and in international waters, approximately 85 nautical miles southeast of Nicaragua. The TAUPLY interdiction resulted in the seizure of approximately 1,000 kilograms of cocaine. Boxton arranged for the recruitment and payment of the mariners who ultimately operated TAUPLY and attempted to smuggle the cocaine. The Government of Colombia consented to the enforcement of United States law by the United States over the TAUPLY, its illicit cargo (cocaine), and crew. The five mariners who smuggled the cocaine on board the TAUPLY were successfully prosecuted in the United States for violations of the Maritime Drug Law Enforcement Act.
This case was investigated by the Panama Express Strike Force, a standing Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation, comprised of agents and analysts from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Coast Guard Investigative Service, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, and U.S. Southern Command's Joint Interagency Task Force South.
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.
Apopka Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Possessing FirearmsRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Carlos E. Mendoza sentenced Jermal Marquis Chambers (26, Apopka) to 15 years in federal prison for possession of firearms and ammunition in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon. The sentence included 10 years for possessing the firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and 5 years for the possession by a convicted felon offense, to be served consecutively. The Court also ordered Chambers to forfeit 10 firearms and hundreds of rounds of ammunition that he possessed. Chambers pleaded guilty on March 31, 2014. He was sentenced on July 25, 2014.
According to the plea agreement, on May 7, 2013, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO) responded to the scene of a shooting in Apopka in which multiple attackers used multiple firearms to shoot at several victims. Evidence retrieved at the scene included .40 caliber, 9 mm, and .45 caliber shell casings. One victim was severely injured with a gunshot wound to his pelvis.
During the afternoon of May 7, 2013, unknown assailants shot at Chambers and his uncle outside an apartment complex. No one was injured during the incident.
Late in the evening on May 9, 2013, OCSO responded to another scene of a shooting in Apopka. Multiple attackers had fired bullets into a house where Chambers lived. A subsequent examination of the residence revealed approximately 68 bullet holes in the structure, along with fired cartridges from at least three firearms of different calibers near the structure.
During the execution of a search warrant at the residence, agents found several canvas bags holding a stash of cocaine and related drug paraphernalia, seven firearms, including a .223 caliber assault rifle, a nine millimeter pistol, two .38 caliber pistols, a 12-gauge shotgun, a .22 caliber rifle, and a .40 caliber pistol, along with hundreds of rounds of ammunition for these firearms. A forensic examination of shell casings recovered from the first shooting incident on May 7, 2013, revealed that they were fired from the assault rifle found in Chambers’ home. DNA evidence also established that Chambers had held the .22 caliber rifle.
Chambers was previously convicted of felony burglary in 2006 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 Orange County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Bruce S Ambrose. 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 and improve the quality of life in communities where law enforcement efforts are focused.
Serial Bank Burglar Sentenced to Eight YearsRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL - U.S. District Judge James D. Whittemore sentenced Tyrone Michael Brinkley (45, Spring Hill) today to 8 years in federal prison for multiple bank burglaries that he committed in the Tampa Bay area between December 3, 2012, and January 5, 2013. Brinkley pleaded guilty on May 2, 2013.
According to court documents, Brinkley was released from prison in North Carolina in November 2012, after serving a prison term for a series of bank burglaries that he committed in the Durham area. Upon his release, Brinkley moved to Hernando County, Florida, and within two weeks began another crime spree, burglarizing nine banks in the Tampa Bay area. Three of the burglaries occurred on Christmas eve. During each burglary, Brinkley broke into the bank in the middle of the night. He shattered the glass window with a rock, used a pry bar to open drawers at teller stations, and removed loose and wrapped coins or cash.
During the execution of a search warrant at Brinkley's Spring Hill residence, law enforcement officers located the tools Brinkley used during the burglaries, including, among other things, a blue duffle bag containing a pry bar, gloves, pieces of broken glass, a knit cap, and a Garmin GPS. Records showed that Brinkley has over 40 prior criminal convictions and has been a habitual bank burglar since at least 1999.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Hernando County Sheriff's Office, the Brooksville Police Department, the Pasco County Sheriff's Office, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, and the Tampa Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Josephine W. Thomas.
Tampa Woman Sentenced to Prison for Leading Marriage Fraud RingRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Virginia M. Hernandez Covington yesterday sentenced Cassandra Hamilton (55, Tampa) to 15 months in federal prison for engaging in a conspiracy to commit marriage fraud. Hamilton pleaded guilty on April 15, 2014.
According to court documents, Hamilton engaged in a marriage fraud conspiracy spanning several years, and in excess of ten marriages. Hamilton arranged marriages between U.S. and Jamaican citizens for the purpose of enabling the Jamaican citizens to obtain residency and citizenship. Hamilton was paid for her involvement in arranging the marriages.
"Hamilton conspired to circumvent and exploit our nation's immigration laws for personal financial gain. Her crimes have also resulted in Jamaican nationals who are now permanently barred from obtaining lawful permanent status in the United States." said Susan L. McCormick, special agent in charge for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Tampa. "HSI will continue to work closely with our partner agencies, including United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), to protect the integrity of this country's immigration system."
"As an agency of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, USCIS has zero tolerance for marriage fraud," said Ruth Dorochoff, USCIS Tampa District Director. "Justice has been served with this sentencing, and we remain vigilant in detecting and prosecuting any immigration fraud."
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney.
Orlando Man Arrested on Federal Drug Trafficking and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the arrest today of Fredrick Collins, Sr. (36, Orlando) on an indictment returned on April 9, 2014, charging him with distribution of cocaine, possession with intent to distribute cocaine and methylone, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. If convicted on all charges, Collins faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. The indictment also notifies Collins that the United States intends to forfeit a firearm and ammunition seized from his home during the investigation.
According to the indictment, on three dates in September 2013, Collins possessed cocaine with the intent to distribute it. The indictment also alleges that Collins possessed methylone, a Schedule I controlled substance, with the intent to distribute it and that he possessed a .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol in furtherance of his drug trafficking. Collins has five previous felony convictions, any one of which bars him from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of the federal criminal laws, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Orlando Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Bruce S. Ambrose.
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 another example of ATF’s Frontline Strategy to impact violent crime within our communities.
Jamaican Man Sentenced for Identity Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Paul G. Byron yesterday sentenced Richard Anthony Davis (43, Jamaica) to three years and six months in federal prison for conspiracy to obtain fraudulent Florida driver licenses, false claim to U.S. citizenship, and aggravated identity theft. The Court also ordered Davis to forfeit $2,926 in cash, which is traceable to proceeds of the offenses. Davis pleaded guilty to these offenses on April 30, 2014.
According to court documents, Davis conspired with a Customer Service Representative (CSR) at the Osceola County Tax Collector’s Office to issue Florida driver licenses (DL) and identification cards (ID) to over 280 persons based upon fraudulent and fraudulently-obtained U.S. Virgin Islands identity documents. Those documents included genuine birth certificates, social security cards, and fraudulent U.S. Virgin Islands identifications or driver licenses, with corresponding photographs. The CSR, Walter Brown, previously pleaded guilty and has been sentenced to 2 years and a day in prison.
Davis escorted his customers to the Osceola Tax Collector’s Office on days prearranged with Brown. Some of his customers were illegal aliens, previously deported aliens, convicted felons, and others with unknown status. The customers would go directly to Brown’s window with the supporting documentation that Davis gave them for their license application. Brown would then issue the customers Florida DL/IDs. Davis charged his customers $7,500 each and he paid Brown between $300 and $700 per Florida DL/ID.
The Osceola County Tax Collector’s Office reported Brown to law enforcement after internal controls revealed suspicious activity involving his issuance of Florida State Driver Licenses and identification cards. The Tax Collector’s Office cooperated fully in the investigation and Brown was terminated from his employment. Davis is a citizen and national of Jamaica. He last legally entered the United States in 1991, but overstayed his legal residence and never departed the United States.
Beginning in 2000, Davis falsely represented himself to be a United States citizen under five different names.
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). It was prosecuted by former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Myrna A. Mesa and Assistant U.S. Attorney Bruce S. Ambrose.
Colombian Cocaine Smuggler Sentenced to More Than 15 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – Senior U.S. District Judge James S. Moody, Jr. sentenced Luis Alberto Urrego-Contreras to 15 years and six months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, knowing and intending that such substance would be unlawfully imported into the United States.
According to court documents, from 2003 until January 2005, Urrego-Contreras, AKA "Bacon," acquired private aircraft and pilots. The acquisitions were made on behalf of Colombian cocaine trafficker Fabio Enrique Ochoa Vasco for the purpose of transporting cocaine from Colombia to Mexico. The cocaine was later imported into the United States for distribution by Ochoa Vasco. In January 2005, Urrego-Contreras arranged the purchase of an airplane from a business in St. Petersburg, Florida. The plane was a Beechcraft King Air model. It was flown first to Brazil then to Venezuela. On June 22, 2005, the plane was supposed to fly from Venezuela to Colombia to retrieve approximately 2,000 kilograms of cocaine. However, the pilot noticed that the designated Colombian airstrip was being monitored by the Colombian Air Force. The pilot then headed back to Venezuela. Upon arrival in Venezuela, the pilot and co pilot were arrested.
On October 28, 2010, Urrego-Contreras was arrested at the American Embassy in Bogota, Colombia. After being read his Miranda rights and signing a Spanish consent form, he agreed to speak to agents. He identified photographs of Ochoa Vasco and others involved in the plane smuggling conspiracy. Urrego-Contreras stated that he was paid between $50,000 $100,000 for each load. Urrego-Contreras admitted that he was responsible for at least 1,000 kilograms of cocaine that was flown from Colombia to Mexico, and later distributed to the United States by Ochoa Vasco.
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the Drug Enforcement Administration as a part of Operation Panama Express. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Shauna S. Hale and Matthew H. Perry.
Tampa Man Charged with Military Recruitment FraudRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Travis Devall (47, Tampa) with a conspiracy to commit and the commission of wire fraud, theft of government property and funds, and aggravated identity theft. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison for the conspiracy count, and 20 years’ imprisonment for each wire fraud count. The theft of government property charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. He faces a mandatory term of 2 years’ imprisonment for the aggravated identity theft charge. The indictment also notifies Devall that the United States intends to seek a money judgment of approximately $78,000, the proceeds of the charged criminal conduct.
According to the indictment, Devall served for a number of years as a Recruitment Assistant (“RA”) under the Guard Recruiting Assistance Program (“GRAP”). The indictment alleges that, from in or about September 2006 and continuing to at least July 2010, Devall falsely reported that he had obtained the recruitment of numerous recruits into the United States Army National Guard when, in truth and in fact, he had not carried out the tasks which he reported to the Department of Defense in that recruitment process. As a result of the false statements made by Devall, he earned substantial bonus payments for the enlistment of those recruits into the United States Army National Guard.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of the federal criminal laws, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the United States Army Criminal Identification Division. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jay L. Hoffer.
Pill Mill Doctor Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Virginia M. Hernandez Covington today sentenced Ronald John Heromin (58, Brandon) to 20 years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute and dispense Oxycodone and Alprazolam not for legitimate medical purposes and not in the usual course of professional practice. The Court also ordered Heromin to forfeit his Florida Medical License; his DEA Registration to prescribe controlled substances; $25,437.00 in U.S. currency; and monthly disability payments, totaling approximately $15,000.00 per month, during the period of his incarceration, as a substitute asset for his money judgment, which the Court entered in the amount of $1,952,563.00, representing the amount of proceeds the defendant obtained as a result of his participation in the conspiracy. Heromin was found guilty by a federal jury on April 17, 2014.
According to evidence presented at trial, from late 2009 through October of 2011, Heromin was the prescribing physician at several pain management clinics in the Tampa Bay and Miami areas, including Gulfshore Pain Management on Habana Avenue, the Tampa Bay Medical Center on Himes Avenue, and the Tampa Bay Wellness Centre on Martin Luther King Blvd., in Tampa; and the Hope for Life Wellness Center in Miami and the St. Mary’s Medical Institute in Hialeh, Florida. During that time, Heromin issued thousands of prescriptions for very large doses of Oxycontin, Oxydondone and Alprazolam to drug addicts and members of doctor shopping organizations who often traveled hundreds of miles from as far away as Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee to get prescriptions for these highly addictive opiate pain medications. Over 500,000 Oxycodone pills and 230,000 Alprazolam pills prescribed by Heromin during that time were filled at a single pharmacy, the VIP Pharmacy on Martin Luther King Blvd., in Tampa.
Owners and operators of the Tampa Bay Wellness Centre and the VIP Pharmacy have previously been convicted of federal conspiracy and money laundering charges.
This case was investigated by a Joint Task Force including the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Tampa Police Department, the Pasco County Sheriff's Office, the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, the Lakeland Police Department, and the Franklin County Sherriff’s Office in Columbus, Ohio. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kathy J.M. Peluso.
Minnesota Man Sentenced to 8 Years for Fraud and Identity TheftRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – Senior U.S. District Judge John Antoon II today sentenced Ahmed Jibrell (37, St. Paul, Minnesota) to 8 years in federal prison for credit card fraud and identity theft. Jibrell is the seventeenth individual sentenced for his involvement in a nationwide conspiracy in which credit card numbers stolen from U.S. companies by international computer hackers were sold and used fraudulently in the United States.
Since August 2011, Judge Antoon has sentenced the following sixteen others for their participation in this credit card fraud conspiracy:
- Ruel Brown (37, South Carolina) was sentenced to 14 years and 4 months in prison.
- Troy Henry (37, Florida) was sentenced to 13 years and 4 months in prison.
- Chad Warner (31, Florida) was sentenced to 11 years and 3 months in prison.
- Randall Rodgers (32, California) was sentenced to 10 years and 1 month in prison.
- Gary Washington (33, Florida) was sentenced to 8 years and 9 months in prison.
- Derrick Dean (48, New York) was sentenced to 7 years in prison.
- Victor Lindsey (23, New Jersey) was sentenced to 5 years in prison.
- Erica Roberson (23, Florida) was sentenced to 5 years in prison.
- Nancy Major (21, Florida) was sentenced to 5 years in prison.
- Stacie Glapion (29, Florida) was sentenced to 3 years and 10 months in prison.
- Jenna Larson (22, Florida) was sentenced to 3 years and 2 months in prison.
- Ceaundra Thomas (21, Orlando) was sentenced to 3 years and 2 months in prison.
- Olivia Embry (25, Tennessee) was sentenced to 2 years and 10 months in prison.
- Cassandra Navarro (22, Florida) was sentenced to 2 years and 10 months in prison.
- Paige Savant (20, Florida) was sentenced to 2 years and 6 months in prison.
- Brandy Cannon (21, Florida) was sentenced to 2 years in prison.
According to court documents, the fraud and identity theft in this case was discovered when agents learned that the computer servers of a hotel in San Diego, California had been compromised, or "hacked," and thousands of credit card numbers and related identification information had been stolen. Agents later learned that the stolen credit card numbers were being used at retail stores throughout Central Florida and elsewhere in the United States. The conspirators in Central Florida, California, Minnesota, South Carolina, New York, New Jersey, and elsewhere in the United States, purchased stolen credit card information over the Internet from a conspirator based in the country of Azerbaijan, where the conspirators sent international wire transfers to pay for the stolen credit card information. Once the conspirators purchased the stolen credit card information, they used device-making equipment, such as re-encoding machines and computer software, to re-encode blank gift cards with the stolen credit card information. The conspirators then used the re-encoded gift cards at retail stores to purchase actual gift cards and other merchandise.
Each individual sentenced had a particular role in the conspiracy, from leaders, such as Chad Warner and Randall Rodgers, to the persons who entered the retail stores and used the counterfeit credit cards, such as Nancy Major. Ahmed Jibrell both created the re-encoded cards and also served as a sort of travel service for many of the other conspirators, using stolen credit card and identification information to book airfare and hotels for the conspirators and allowing them to travel throughout the United States.
"The sentencing of Ahmed Jibrell is is yet another example of how the Secret Service continues to successfully combat credit card theft and identity crimes,” said Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service Orlando Field Office Dennis Ramos Martinez. “The Secret Service utilized state-of-the-art investigative techniques to dismantle this criminal network. Our success in this case and other similar investigations is a result of the extraordinary work of our investigators and our close work with our network of law enforcement partners.”
This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel C. Irick.
Duval County Woman Indicted for Identity Theft, False Representation of A Social Security Number, and Impersonating an Internal Revenue Service EmployeeRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the return of an indictment charging Leyvis Taveras (35, Jacksonville) with identity theft, false representation of a social security number, and impersonating a federal employee. If convicted on all counts, Taveras faces a maximum penalty of 13 years in federal prison.
According to the indictment, Taveras aided and abetted in the false representation of two social security numbers in a tax filing with the Internal Revenue Service. She also pretended to be an employee of the Internal Revenue Service investigating the identity theft associated with the two social security numbers.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of the federal criminal laws, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration Office of Investigations. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.
Clermont Woman Convicted for Tax Fraud and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that a federal jury yesterday found Tanya Fox (38, Clermont) guilty of 1 count of conspiracy to defraud the government with respect to claims, 5 counts of wire fraud, 10 counts of theft of government property, and 10 counts of aggravated identity theft. Fox faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on the conspiracy count, 20 years’ imprisonment on each of the wire fraud counts, and 10 years with regard to each of the theft of government property counts. She faces an additional 2 years in prison for the aggravated identity theft charges, with the sentence to run consecutive to any sentence imposed on the previous charges. The United States will also seek a money judgment in the amount of $4,055,735 for the wire fraud and theft of government property charges. The judgment relates to the amount of fraudulent tax refunds that Fox and her co-conspirators received. The sentencing hearing is scheduled for October 20, 2014. Fox was originally indicted on March 14, 2014.
According to evidence introduced during the trial, Fox orchestrated a scheme to file fraudulent tax returns using identities that were 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 have the tax refunds deposited into those accounts. Fox worked with those individuals to withdraw the funds and spend the money. As part of the scheme, Fox attempted to receive approximately $5.8 million in fraudulent tax returns and was successful in receiving more than $4 million from the United States Treasury.
According to the testimony at trial, Fox spent the money received from the fraudulent tax returns to purchase a BMW 7 Series, Infinity M35, Chrysler Crossfire, and Volkswagen Beetle. The government has seized each of these vehicles. Fox also purchased a Maserati with the fraudulently-obtained proceeds. However, the Maserati was repossessed before it could be seized. Fox also used the proceeds from these offenses to have cosmetic surgery on two occasions and open a restaurant in the Orlando area.
Previously, Shanterica Smith, Gerald Williams, and Delray Duncan were convicted and 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 previously sentenced to 60 months in prison for her role in the conspiracy. Williams was sentenced to 54 months’ imprisonment, and Duncan was sentenced to 42 months in prison. In addition, April Cuyler pleaded guilty to conspiracy in this scheme and is scheduled for sentencing on September 8, 2014.
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.
Lakeland Convicted Felon Found Guilty of Possessing A FirearmRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that a federal jury today found Ronald Deandrea Solomon (29) guilty of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 15 years, up to life in federal prison. Solomon was indicted on April 17, 2014.
According to testimony presented at trial, law enforcement officers made consensual contact with Solomon and a group of other men hanging out in the parking lot of a Lakeland apartment building. When law enforcement drove into the complex, they observed Solomon walk away from the group, remove a firearm from his waistband and toss it under a nearby vehicle. At the time of the incident, Solomon was a previously convicted felon and therefore prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stacie B. Harris.
This is another case prosecuted as a part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” program - a nationwide, gun-violence reduction strategy. United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III, along with 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 another example of ATF’s Frontline Strategy to impact violent crime within our communities.
Jamaican National Convicted of Marriage FraudRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that a federal jury has found Nerene Erica Harrison (32, St. Ann’s Bay, Jamaica) guilty of marriage fraud. Harrison faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in federal prison. Her sentencing hearing is scheduled for October 23, 2014. Harrison was indicted on November 13, 2013, along with Robert Kenneth Scott Cruz.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, Harrison, a Jamaican national, came to the United States in 2007 on a temporary work visa. After her visa expired, Harrison offered Cruz, a United States citizen, $6,000 to marry her. They were married on August 15, 2011 and subsequently petitioned for Harrison to receive lawful permanent resident status based on the marriage.
Cruz pleaded guilty on March 27, 2014. He faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in federal prison. A sentencing hearing has been set for November 11, 2014.
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Carlton C. Gammons and Josephine W. Thomas.
Tampa Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Possessing A Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge James D. Whittemore yesterday sentenced Ulrich Johnson (27, Tampa) to 15 years in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. The Court also ordered Johnson to forfeit the firearm and ammunition. Johnson pleaded guilty on April 24, 2014.
According to court documents, on June 2, 2013, officers from the Tampa Police Department attempted to pull over a car in which Johnson was the passenger. The driver of the car, Johnson’s co-defendant, Michael Caro, refused to pull over and fled from the officers. As the driver fled, Johnson threw a loaded firearm and a pill bottle containing crack cocaine, which had been intended for distribution, from the car’s window. The officers eventually apprehended Johnson and Caro. Prior to possessing the firearm and ammunition, Johnson had been convicted of multiple felony offenses. As such, he was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.
Michael Caro, also a previously convicted felon, pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm in December 2013. On June 26, 2014, he was sentenced to 46 months’ imprisonment by U.S. District Judge James S. Moody, Jr.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Tampa 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 another example of ATF’s Frontline Strategy to impact violent crime within our communities.
St. Johns County Man Sentenced to More Than 8 Years for Receiving Child Pornography over the InternetRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States District Judge Marcia Morales Howard sentenced Christopher Scott O’Brien, II (23, St. Johns County) to 8 years and 4 months in federal prison for receiving child pornography over the Internet. O’Brien was also ordered to serve a 10-year term of supervised release and register as a sex offender following his release.
According to court documents, an agent with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement 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 host computer in that area was hosting images of child pornography, using a file sharing program. The agent made successful connections to the host computer and downloaded several video files directly from the computer. Further investigation traced the subscriber information to a residence in St. Johns, Florida, where O’Brien resided.
On February 26, 2013, FDLE agents and other law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at the residence and seized several computers and other electronic media. Subsequent analysis of O’Brien’s computer revealed that it contained approximately 838 videos in the “Saved” folder, at least 50 of which depicted minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
This case was investigated by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.
It is another case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by 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.
North Port Couple Sentenced to Prison for Filing A False Tax Refund ClaimRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge James D. Whittemore today sentenced North Port residents James Dee Jaeger (62) and Lora Anne Jaeger (50) to 18 months each in federal prison. The Jaegers both pleaded guilty on April 21, 2014 to one count of filing a false tax refund claim.
According to court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, on March 31, 2009, James Dee Jaeger and Lora Anne Jaeger electronically filed a joint federal income tax return with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) from the Middle District of Florida, falsely claiming a refund in the amount of $344,672. The fraudulent tax refund claim filed by the Jaegers was consistent with a bogus theory that the federal government maintains secret accounts for U.S. citizens and that taxpayers can gain access to the accounts by issuing 1099-OID Forms to the IRS. Under this theory, the taxpayer first files a false information return, such as a Form 1099 Original Issue Discount (OID), to justify a false refund claim on a corresponding tax return. In this case, the IRS did not issue the fraudulent tax refunds claimed by the Jaegers. In addition to their own fraudulent tax refund claim, the Jaegers advised and encouraged other individuals to file similar fraudulent tax returns claiming greater than $2,500,000 in fraudulent refunds.
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Matthew J. Mueller and Trial Attorney Kevin C. Lombardi of the Department of Justice, Tax Division.
Co-Owner of St. Jude's Pharmacy in Cape Coral Sentenced to 3 Years for Structuring Bank DepositsRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida - U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell yesterday sentenced Martha Otano (43, Cape Coral) to 3 years and 1 month in prison and $7,500 in fines for making structured cash deposits of proceeds of illegal activity in order to evade bank currency transaction reporting requirements. As part of her sentence, the court also entered a money judgment in the amount of $1,307,000, the amount of drug proceeds structured into various banks. Otano was also ordered to forfeit her interest in a 2013 Mercedes Benz, a 2012 Chevrolet truck, and approximately $860,376.79 in seized funds, in partial satisfaction of the money judgment. Law enforcement seized these assets and executed search warrants at St. Jude’s Pharmacy and at Otano’s home in Cape Coral, on November 15, 2012. Martha Otano was a registered pharmacy technician and co-owner of St. Jude’s Pharmacy in Cape Coral. She was indicted on June 26, 2013.
According to court documents, from at least April 2011 to at least November 15, 2012, in Lee County, Martha Otano and her husband (Jorge Otano) participated in a conspiracy involving repeated structured cash deposits into bank accounts for the purpose of evading bank transaction reporting requirements. Martha Otano admitted to conspiring to structure approximately $1,307,000.00 in cash deposits into three bank accounts that she controlled with her husband. Martha Otano also admitted that she and her husband made structured deposits from the proceeds of the distribution of Oxycodone outside the usual course of professional practice at St. Jude’s Pharmacy, which they owned and operated. Martha Otano and her husband did not deposit all of the cash that they had at the time of receipt. Rather, they acquired one sum of cash at one time, and divided it into amounts less than $10,000.00 so that it would not trigger the filing of a Currency Transaction Report (CTR). St. Jude’s Pharmacy made a significant profit through the illegal distribution and sale of Oxycodone as fraudulent prescriptions for Oxycodone were routinely filled at St. Jude's Pharmacy in exchange for cash. Martha Otano and her husband used the proceeds from the pharmacy to purchase two homes in Cape Coral and the two seized vehicles.
Jorge Otano has pleaded not guilty to the charges filed against him in this case. He is scheduled for trial during the November 2014 trial term.
An indictment is merely a formal charged that a defendant has committed a violation of the federal criminal laws, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service and the Drug Enforcement Administration. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David G. Lazarus and Yolande G. Viacava.
Lakeland Doctor Pleads Guilty to Healthcare FraudRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that James F. Pruchniewski, (66, Lakeland) today pleaded guilty to one count of healthcare fraud. Dr. Purchniewski faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the plea agreement, Dr. James F. Pruchniewski was a podiatrist licensed to practice in the State of Florida and owned and operated the North Lakeland Foot Clinic, in the Middle District of Florida. In his practice, Dr. Pruchniewski did not employ a physical therapist, licensed nurse or any physician other than himself. His clinic treated patients with something called “micro-vas therapy.” Micro-vas, also known as MVT, involved rendering electrical impulses to patients’ muscles, primarily in their legs, to supposedly stimulate circulation and healing. When Medicare beneficiaries received this treatment at Pruchniewski’s clinic, patients were escorted by a clinic employee to a room with four reclining chairs, televisions, magazine and newspapers.
A clinic employee, who was not a licensed physical therapist, positioned the patient in a recliner, applied pads and attached wire leads to each, turned on the electric current, and adjusted the dial for pain tolerance. Dr. Pruchniewski generally had no contact with the patients during the treatments. He did not hook up the patients to the micro-vas machine, did not discuss the therapy with patients, did not monitor the patients during therapy, and did not disconnect the patients from the machine. At the conclusion of each therapy session, the unlicensed clinic employee filled out a micro-vas therapy form, which Pruchniewski reviewed and signed at the end of the day.
Pruchniewski directed that Medicare be billed for false claims for the use of micro-vas therapy. All of the micro-vas therapy claims to Medicare were fraudulent because: (a) micro-vas is not a covered service by Medicare; (b) micro-vas therapy was inaccurately coded as physical therapy; and/or, (c) as coded, the services required the doctor to perform the procedures, which Dr. Pruchniewski did not. The total intended loss to Medicare exceeds $400,000 and the actual loss from claims made and paid under the CPT code used by Dr. Pruchniewski to bill for micro-vas therapy is $58,025.74.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mandy Riedel.
Gibsonton Woman Sentenced for Aggravated Identity Theft Relating to Fraudulent Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – Senior U.S. District Judge Richard A. Lazzara today sentenced Bernadette Demps (41, Gibsonton) to 2 years in federal prison for aggravated identity theft. In addition, the Court ordered her to serve a 1 year term of supervision, following her release from prison, and to pay restitution of over $34,000 to the United States Internal Revenue Service.
Demps pleaded guilty to the offense on April 25, 2014.
According to her plea agreement, in 2011, Demps received more than $43,000 in income tax refund checks into a business bank account which she controlled. All of these deposits were in the names of other individuals. Those direct deposits were all the result of fraudulent tax returns that had been filed a short time earlier with the IRS, using the names and personal identifying information relating to those persons. Demps withdrew the funds from her account almost immediately, either via ATM cash withdrawals or by other means.
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, with assistance from the Clearwater Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jay L. Hoffer.
Cocoa Man Resentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison for Producing Child Pornography at Sea WorldRead the Press Release
Orlando, FL - U.S. Chief District Judge Anne C. Conway sentenced Michael Brian Grzybowicz (30, Cocoa) yesterday to 30 years in federal prison for sexual exploitation of a child by producing child pornography, and a term of 10 years’ imprisonment, to be served concurrently, for possession of child pornography. The Court also sentenced Grzybowicz to a lifetime term of supervision, following his release. A federal jury found Grzybowicz guilty of the charges, as well as distribution of child pornography on January 23, 2012.
On June 28, 2012, U.S. Chief District Judge Anne C. Conway sentenced Grzybowicz to 30 years in federal prison. Grzybowicz appealed the judgment on July 13, 2012. On May 6, 2014, the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit vacated the conviction on distribution of child pornography and vacated the sentences on all counts. The case was remanded back to the District Court for resentencing.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, Grzybowicz went to Sea World with a family, including a 2 year-old girl and a 5 year-old boy, to celebrate the children’s mother’s birthday. While at the park, Grzybowicz was asked by the parents of the children to watch the minor girl and her brother while the parents rode a roller coaster. While the parents were on the roller coaster, Grzybowicz molested the 2 year-old and took explicit photographs of the child, using his cell phone. He emailed those pictures to his personal e-mail address after leaving the park. Two days later, at their Cocoa residence, Grzybowicz's wife found one of the photographs on Grzybowicz's cell phone. She reported the photographs to the Cocoa Police Department. Law enforcement authorities located Grzybowicz's computer, which contained other images of child pornography, including the images he had taken of the child at the theme park. Grzybowicz was arrested after he provided a statement to a police detective.
This case was investigated by the Child Exploitation Task Force for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, Cocoa Police Department, Brevard County Sheriff’s Office and the Orange County Sheriff's Office's Sex Crimes Unit. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Tanya Davis Wilson (former) and Christopher LaForgia.
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. For more information about internet safety education, please visitwww.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Tampa Man Sentenced in Mail Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Susan C. Bucklew today sentenced Randy Dale Barber (42, Tampa, Florida) to 5 years’ probation for conspiracy to commit mail fraud. The Court also ordered Barber to forfeit $413,106, and to pay restitution to Hitachi Data Systems (“HDS”) in the amount of $37,921.20. Barber pleaded guilty on February 28, 2014. Previously, on July 10, 2014, U.S. District Judge Charlene Edwards Honeywell sentenced separately charged mail fraud co-conspirator Michael J. Dragoni (48, Riverview, Florida) to 5 years of probation, with 8 months of home detention. In addition, the Court sentenced two companies used by Dragoni, as part of the conspiracy, namely Fortis Data Systems, LLC (“FDS”) and Greencloud LLC (“Greencloud”) to 5 years of probation. Dragoni, FDS and Greencloud were ordered to forfeit $498,706 and to pay restitution to HDS in the amount of $37,921.20. Dragoni, FDS and Greencloud pleaded guilty on April 24, 2014.
According to plea agreements filed in the cases, from about August 2009 through at least August 2011, Dragoni and Barber, using Dragoni’s companies FDS and Greencloud, conspired to defraud HDS by making materially false statements to HDS in order to purchase computer equipment for resale to Hajian, who in turn resold the equipment to his client, Mahmood Akbari, and UAE company Patco Group, Ltd. By late 2009, Dragoni, Barber and Hajian knew that HDS refused to sell computer equipment to Hajian, and his customers Akbari and Patco, because HDS believed that the equipment was being diverted to unauthorized end users. In order to deceive HDS and purchase the computer equipment, Dragoni and Barber made false statements regarding the purchaser, end user, and location of installation of the equipment that they were purchasing. To facilitate the conspiracy, they used front companies to make equipment purchases on their behalf. The conspirators then caused the equipment to be shipped to Dubai.
In another case arising from the same investigation, on April 30, 2014, Judge Bucklew sentenced John Alexander Talley (42, Seattle, Washington) to 30 months in federal prison for conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and the Iranian Transaction Regulations. The Court also sentenced Talley’s company, Tallyho Peripherals, Inc. d/b/a Enterprise Solutions Systems, to 1 year of probation. Talley and Tallyho pleaded guilty on September 18, 2013.
According to court documents, from about 2009 to about September 2012, Talley and his company conspired with others, including Mohammed Reza “Ray” Hajian, to unlawfully export sophisticated enterprise level computer equipment from the United States to Iran, and to provide computer information technology (IT) support services for the equipment, all in violation of the United States embargo. Talley’s role was to provide training and computer IT support to ensure that the computer equipment operated in Iran. In an effort to conceal their activities, the conspirators in the United States caused shipments of the computers and related equipment, as well as the payments for same, to travel to and from the United States and Iran through the United Arab Emirates. Similarly, payments for Talley’s support services were wired through the UAE.
On July 11, 2012, Hajian and three of his companies, RH International LLC, Nexiant LLC, and P & P Computers LLC, pleaded guilty to charges involving the same conspiracy to violate the Iranian Embargo and to a conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and the Iranian Transaction Regulations. On October 18, 2012, Hajian was sentenced to 4 years in federal prison.
On September 12, 2013, two Iranian nationals, Mahmood Akbari, a/k/a John Wasserman and Reza Hajigholamali, and three UAE front companies, Patco Group Ltd., Managed Systems and Services (FZC), and TGO General Trading LLC, were indicted in connection with the same conspiracy. Charges against those parties included a conspiracy to violate the International Economic Powers Act, and a conspiracy to commit international money laundering. According to the superseding indictment in that case, Hajian was selling the sophisticated computer equipment and services at issue to Akbari. If convicted, Akbari and Hajigholamali face a maximum penalty of up to 40 years in federal prison.
“This investigation demonstrates HSI’s commitment to protecting our citizens by ensuring critical U.S. technologies don’t fall into the hands of our foreign enemies,” said Susan L. McCormick, special agent in charge for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Tampa.
"The cooperative efforts between the Department of Commerce and the Department of Homeland Security have proven once again that anyone who conspires to violate U.S. embargo sanctions and illegally export sensitive U.S. technology to state sponsors of terrorism will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Protecting the National Security of the United States remains our top priority and we will continue to dismantle and disrupt andy networks attempting the same illegal activities," said Robert Luzzi, Special Agent in Charge, Office of Export Enforcement's, Miami Field Office.
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, and the U.S. Department of Commerce, Office of Export Enforcement. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark E. Bini and Trial Attorney Mariclaire Rourke of the Counterespionage Section of the U.S. Department of Justice, National Security Division.
Lake City Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announced today that Ronald Charles Waters (65, Lake City) pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography. Waters faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a potential life term of supervision. Waters was arrested on November 20, 2013 in Lake City. He has been in the custody of the United States Marshals Service since that time.
According to court documents, agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) determined that several individuals had received an email containing images of child pornography. Further investigation revealed that the email address subscriber was listed as “R. Waters,” and the account was traced to a residence in Lake City where Waters resided. HSI agents interviewed Waters at his residence, at which time Waters consented to a search of his computer. Three images depicting child pornography were found on the computer. The images were located in deleted space.
On November 20, 2013, HSI agents and other law enforcement officers executed a federal search warrant at Waters’ residence. Waters was present and agreed to speak with the agents. During the interview, Waters stated that he was the only one who had access to his computer media. A forensic analysis of the computer revealed that it contained at least two videos and at least 16 images depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Jacksonville Sheriff=s Office, and the Lake City Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.
It is another case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by 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. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Jacksonville Man Pleads Guilty to Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Charles Franklin Hudson, Jr. (38, Jacksonville) yesterday pleaded guilty to two counts of using a minor to produce videos depicting child pornography. Hudson faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years, up to 30 years in federal prison and a potential life term of supervised release on each count. Hudson was arrested in Jacksonville on January 8, 2014, and has been in custody since that time.
According to court documents, on January 6, 2014, an officer with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO) was dispatched to a residence in Jacksonville in response to a call regarding allegations of sexual battery on a minor child. Subsequently, JSO Sex Crimes detectives interviewed the minor child, who indicated that she has been sexually abused by Hudson.
On January 8, 2014, JSO detectives obtained a search warrant for Hudson’s residence in Jacksonville. Hudson was arrested later that day. During the execution of the search warrant at his residence, officers discovered, among other things, numerous items of digital media including multiple computers, cameras, SD cards, CDs and DVDs. Located in the attic of the residence was a backpack containing cameras, sex devices and restraints, along with several pill bottles bearing Hudson’s name. One of the pill bottles contained five SD media cards. Subsequent forensic analysis of the media cards revealed that they contained approximately 90 video and image files that depicted sexually explicit conduct involving Hudson. At least two of the videos, which had been produced by Hudson, depicted Hudson and a minor child engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
This case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.
It is another case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by 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.
Jacksonville Child Sex Offender Pleads Guilty to Producing Child Pornography, Faces A Mandatory Sentence of Life ImprisonmentRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Christopher Richard Cloonan (44, Jacksonville) yesterday pleaded guilty to using a minor child to produce images depicting child pornography. Cloonan is a registered child sex offender. He was convicted of two counts of attempted sexual battery on a child less than 12 years old on November 18, 1991, in Charlotte County. Because of his prior child sex convictions, Cloonan faces a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment. Cloonan was arrested on March 12, 2014 at his residence in Jacksonville, and he has been in custody since that time.
According to court documents, in early March 2014, an undercover officer (“UC”) with the District of Columbia Metropolitan Police Department posted an advertisement on a website known to be frequented by individuals who have a sexual interest in children and incest. On March 8, 2014, Cloonan, using a particular screen name, responded to the ad and expressed interest and experience in sexual activity with a minor child.
On March 11, 2014, Cloonan sent the UC an email with two images attached. Both images were produced by Cloonan and depicted an infant engaged in sexually explicit conduct. A few minutes later, Cloonan sent the UC another email with two more explicit images of the same infant.
On March 12, 2014, the FBI’s investigation revealed that the Internet Protocol (IP) address used to send the pornographic images belonged to Cloonen. He was also identified as the subscriber of the Internet account. Also, on the same date, Cloonan and the UC continued their online communications. In several different emails, Cloonan discussed his fantasies about sexual activities with children. At 5:33 p.m., Cloonan typed “Society is coming down so hard on ‘child molesters’ etc now, we are in danger everyday as lovers of children are not seen as different from those who hurt and kill them.”
A search warrant was issued for Cloonan’s residence on March 12, 2014. That evening, FBI agents and Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO) personnel executed the warrant, at which time Cloonan came out of the residence holding a smartphone. He was placed under arrest. A preliminary analysis of Cloonan’s smartphone revealed that it contained at least 85 images of child pornography, mostly depicting infants and toddlers. Two of the pornographic images were of the infant child that Cloonan had previously taken and sent to the UC by email. Additional images depicting adults performing sexual acts on infants were also found on the phone.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Jacksonville and Washington, D.C., the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, and the District of Columbia Metropolitan Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.
It is another case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by 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.
DO NOT REPLY TO THIS MESSAGE. IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, PLEASE USE THE CONTACTS IN THE MESSAGE OR CALL THE UNITED STATES ATTORNEY’S OFFICE AT 813-274-6000.
Insurance Business Owner Convicted of Tax FraudRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that a federal jury yesterday found Luis Pomales guilty of filing fraudulent claims with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Pomales faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for October 6, 2014.
Pomales was indicted on March 12, 2014.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, Pomales filed a false claim for a tax refund for the 2008 tax year. On April 15, 2009, Pomales submitted a 2008 IRS Form 1040 U.S. Individual Income Tax Return, with two Forms 1099-OID claiming interest income that was never earned. The fraudulent tax return and the Forms 1099-OID reflected $271,650 of taxable interest and $271,640 of federal withholding, which caused the IRS to issue a refund check for $196,872, an amount to which Pomales was not entitled.
Pomales deposited the United States Treasury check for $196,872 into an account at a local bank on June 22, 2009 and spent approximately $170,000 of the proceeds in the following six months.
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney E. Jackson Boggs Jr.DO NOT REPLY TO THIS MESSAGE. IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, PLEASE USE THE CONTACTS IN THE MESSAGE OR CALL THE UNITED STATES ATTORNEY’S OFFICE AT 813-274-6000.
Five Individuals Sentenced for Theft from Union FundRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – Senior U.S. District Judge G. Kendall Sharp yesterday sentenced five individuals for their roles in stealing from an employee benefit plan of a local union. James McCall (32, Orange City) was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison and was ordered to pay $93,405.89 in restitution. Ian Chase Dove (26, Orange City) was sentenced to 13 months in federal prison and was ordered to pay $18,662.70 in restitution. Jason Wesson (37, Orange City) was also sentenced to 13 months’ imprisonment. He was ordered to pay $19,975.32 in restitution. Michael Giesinger (36, Deltona) was sentenced to 1 year of probation, 6 months of home confinement, and was ordered to pay $20,009.62 in restitution. Shane Riley (32, Deland) was sentenced to 3 years of probation and was ordered to pay $18,374.64 in restitution. On April 23, 2014, all five pleaded guilty for their respective roles in this case.
According to court documents, Angela Deleon worked at Advance Administration, Inc. (AAI), which was the third-party administrator of an employee benefit plan for the Ironworkers Local 808. As the third-party administrator for the Ironworkers Local 808 Annuity Fund, AAI was responsible for processing members’ payment applications, paying the Fund’s bills, and speaking with union members. Deleon’s duties at AAI included data entry and the processing of payments.
Over a period of about 14 months, Deleon wrote 46 checks from the Fund, totaling over $427,000, to individuals who were not members of the Local 808 or participants in the Fund, including McCall, Dove, Wesson, Giesinger, and Riley. McCall, Dove, Wesson, Giesinger, and Riley cashed some of those checks and split some of the proceeds with Deleon.
In total, ten individuals have been charged in connection with this case. Deleon was previously sentenced to 2 years in federal prison for her participation in these crimes. Deleon was also ordered to pay $594,000 in restitution to the Ironworkers Local 808 Annuity Fund and to serve one year of supervised release. The $594,000 in restitution consists of more than $427,000 that she stole from the Fund, plus the amounts spent by the Fund to audit and reconstruct the records that were impacted by Deleon’s scheme.
Three others are scheduled for sentencing hearings on August 20, 2014. Brandon Alfonso (28, Orange City) pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy. Marta Blackmer (71, Orange City) pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy and ten counts of theft from an employee benefit plan. Phillip Simmons (50, Orange City) went to trial and was convicted of one count of conspiracy and two counts of theft from an employee benefit plan. Each of these individuals faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in federal prison for each count.
Lastly, Jason Ferrari (33, Orange City), is pending trial for one count of conspiracy and one count of theft from an employee benefit plan. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in federal prison for each count.
“These sentencings demonstrate the OIG’s commitment to work with our law enforcement partners to bring to justice those who seek to illegally enrich themselves by defrauding union benefit plans,” said Special Agent-in-Charge Richard Walker, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Office of Labor Racketeering and Fraud Investigations.
“Theft of employee benefit assets jeopardizes the benefits of workers. This case reaffirms the Labor Department’s commitment to protect workers’ benefits by identifying criminal activity wherever and whenever it occurs,” said Isabel Colon, Regional Director of Employee Benefits Security Administration’s Atlanta Regional Office and Miami District Office.
These cases were investigated by the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Office of Labor Racketeering and Fraud Investigations, and the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration. They are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg.
Bradenton Woman Indicted for Production and Transportation of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the return by a grand jury of an indictment charging Renee Gregg (35, Bradenton) with production and transportation of child pornography. If convicted, Gregg faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years, up to 30 years in federal prison for the production charge. For the transportation charge, she faces a mandatory minimum of 5 years, up to 20 years’ imprisonment.
According to the indictment and criminal complaint, in August 2011, Gregg produced an image in which she sexually abused a female toddler. She then sent this image via text messaging to an individual in Queens, New York. Gregg and this individual also discussed having sexual contact with children.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of the 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 (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the New York Police Department. It will be 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 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.
Punta Gorda Man Pleads Guilty to Investor FraudRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Anthony Michael Defeo (49, Punta Gorda) today pleaded guilty to wire fraud before United States District Judge John E. Steele. Defeo faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
Defeo was indicted on May 1, 2013.
According to court documents, Defeo solicited victim investors who thought they were investing in an opportunity involving a gravel pit and fill dirt to be used by road construction companies for improvements on Interstate 75 on the west coast of Florida. Defeo controlled companies and used these companies as vehicles to obtain victims’ money. He misrepresented to victim investors that he had lucrative contracts and purchase orders with a legitimate corporation engaged in asphalt paving, grading, and related services for roadway, and civil construction projects. Instead of using the money as represented, Defeo fraudulently diverted and converted approximately $6,280,580.00 in monies from investors for his own purposes. He failed to repay the investors.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey F. Michelland.
DO NOT REPLY TO THIS MESSAGE. IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, PLEASE USE THE CONTACTS IN THE MESSAGE OR CALL THE UNITED STATES ATTORNEY’S OFFICE AT 813-274-6000.
Leader of Check Kiting Scheme Sentenced to More Than Five YearsRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Charlene Edwards Honeywell today sentenced Johnathan Bergren (41, Tampa) to five years and three months in federal prison for conspiracy to commit bank fraud. As part of his sentence, the Court also entered a money judgment in the amount of $309,581.75, which constitutes the proceeds of the offense.
Bergren pleaded guilty on March 27, 2014.
According to court documents, between September 2012 and December 2013, Bergren and others engaged in a conspiracy to defraud banks, primarily Bank of America and SunTrust. Bergren established shell companies and then opened or had others open more than 20 business checking accounts in those companies’ names. Bergren and others working with him deposited checks drawn on various accounts into other newly established accounts at other financial institutions. Bergren then withdrew funds prior to the checks clearing the banks. Each of the deposited checks was ultimately returned for insufficient funds. Despite this, Bergren had already transferred or withdrawn the funds immediately made available to the accounts under his control.
In August 2013, after being arrested and released on bond for his participation in this conspiracy, Bergren continued to commit this same check kiting scheme with other individuals he recruited. The scheme caused an additional $30,000 in losses to Bank of America.
Bergren, and co-conspirators acting at his direction, deposited approximately $577,155.16 in fraudulent checks, which were drawn on unfunded business accounts that he established. As a result, they were able to fraudulently obtain over $300,000 from at least three different federally insured financial institutions.
This case was investigated by the Tampa Police Department, Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, and the United States Secret Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mandy Riedel.
DO NOT REPLY TO THIS MESSAGE. IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, PLEASE USE THE CONTACTS IN THE MESSAGE OR CALL THE UNITED STATES ATTORNEY’S OFFICE AT 813-274-6000.
Central Florida Businessman Pleads Guilty to $44 Million Bank Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Orlando, FL – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Pedro “Pete” Benevides (44, Astatula) today pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison. In addition, he agreed to forfeit $44,059,565, including several bank accounts holding approximately $40,000,000 in cash, and three exotic sports cars (i.e. a 2008 Lamborghini Murcielago; a 2009 Audi R8; and a 2009 Lamborghini Gallardo). Benevides also agreed to pay full restitution to the financial institutions that were the victims of his offense.
According to the plea agreement, from about 2005 through September 2008, Benevides obtained 20 commercial and residential loans and lines of credit from several federally insured financial institutions, totaling approximately $44,049,565. Benevides obtained the fraudulent loans by giving the financial institutions documents that, among other things, contained false information concerning the income and assets of Benevides or the business that he used to obtain the loans and lines of credit. During that time, Benevides controlled several Central Florida businesses, including a private jet charter service, an exotic car rental service, and hotels in Orange County and Pinellas County, Florida. Those companies included Superior International Investment Corporation (SIIC); ABC Auto Wholesalers, Inc.; Skyview Aviation, Inc.; Fidelity Investment Group LLC; PBJB Best Investment LLC; Divello Family LLC; and Leesburg Title and Escrow Company. Benevides then used the fraudulently-obtained funds for his own purposes, including paying the interest and principal on other, earlier loans that he had obtained in order to continue the fraudulent scheme, paying business expenses, paying the other co-conspirators involved in the scheme, and funding living expenses for himself and his family.
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Investigation, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the United States Secret Service (USSS), and the St. Cloud IRS-USSS Federal Financial Crimes Task Force. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Daniel C. Irick and James Mandolfo.
Indiana Woman Convicted of $3 Million FraudRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that a federal jury has found Linda Deavers (61, Fishers, Indiana) guilty of 10 counts of wire fraud and 5 counts of money laundering. Deavers faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison for each count of wire fraud and 10 years in federal prison for each count of money laundering.
Deavers was indicted in September 2012. She was arrested in October 2013, after flying into California from Hong Kong. The jury returned the verdict on July 11, 2014. Her sentencing hearing is scheduled for October 2, 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 entity was a Section 501(c)(3) charitable organization, that she had connections to trading programs in Europe that would generate large rates of returns and that she had been successful in investing in such trading programs previously. She represented that any money invested with her and Angel Annie Humanitarian would be invested in such trading programs overseas. None of those representations were true. Deavers collected more than $5.2 million from investors located in Florida. After returning approximately $1.8 million to investors, Deavers used most of the remaining $3.4 million in proceeds to fund her 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 the investors with a series of false excuses as to why she had not been able to successfully invest their money. Even after Deavers had spent the last of the funds from her victims, for several years, she continued to falsely claim 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 of the United States Department of the Treasury, Office of Inspector General. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg.
Edgewater Teacher Arrested for Producing and Distributing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the filing of a criminal complaint charging Matthew C. Graziotti (42, Edgewater) with production, distribution, receipt and possession of child pornography. If convicted, Graziotti faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in federal prison, up to 30 years for the production charge. For the receipt and distribution charges he faces a mandatory minimum of five years, up to 20 years for each. The maximum penalty for the possession charge is 10 years in federal prison. Graziotti made his initial appearance in federal court today and was detained pending a preliminary hearing on July 24, 2014 at 10:00 a.m., before U.S. Magistrate Thomas B. Smith.
According to the criminal complaint, Graziotti distributed 141 images and 6 videos depicting the sexual abuse and exploitation of children to an FBI agent, who was acting in an undercover capacity. During the execution of a search warrant earlier today, agents located thousands of child pornography images on Graziotti’s computer. One folder on the computer was named “personally known.” The folder contained 41 subfolders titled with different boys’ names. In one of the subfolders, agents located a picture of Graziotti sexually abusing a prepubescent boy. The picture was produced with a digital camera that agents found in Graziotti’s residence. The investigation revealed that Graziotti teaches elementary school in South Daytona, and is director of the school’s summer day camp program. He formerly worked as a youth pastor at a church in Edgewater.
A criminal complaint is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of the federal criminal laws, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Edgewater Police Department and the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Karen L. Gable.
Anyone with additional information about potential victims may contact the FBI – Daytona Beach Resident Agency at 386-252-0463.
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.
(Download Factual Basis )
Mexican Citizen Charged with Attempting to Transport A Minor from Las Vegas to Jacksonville for the Purpose of Engaging in Illegal Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announced today that Javier Guerrero Molina (33, citizen of Mexico) has been charged by a federal criminal complaint with transporting and attempting to transport a minor child from Las Vegas to Jacksonville with intent that the child engage in illegal sexual activity. If convicted, Molina faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years, up to life in federal prison. Molina was arrested on May 30, 2014 at the Jacksonville International Airport. He has been in custody on related state charges since that time. A detention hearing is scheduled for July 14, 2014 at 10:00 a.m. before United States Magistrate Judge Monte C. Richardson.
According to the criminal complaint, during the afternoon of May 29, 2014, officers with the Jacksonville Aviation Authority Police Department (JAAPD) received a telephone call from an individual who advised that a particular female minor child had disappeared from her home in Las Vegas and was believed to be traveling by air to Jacksonville, Florida. JAAPD officers queried the National Crime Information Center and learned that the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) had made a “missing persons” entry regarding a 14-year old female child with the same name. A check of airline manifests confirmed that this minor child was listed as a passenger on board a flight from Las Vegas to Jacksonville, with a connection in Charlotte, North Carolina. JAAPD coordinated with officers from the Charlotte-Mecklenberg Police Department (CMPD), who intercepted the child at the Charlotte International Airport and took her into protective custody. The child had been scheduled to board a flight from Charlotte to Jacksonville, due to arrive shortly after midnight on May 30, 2014.
The criminal complaint alleges that, as the expected arrival time for the Jacksonville flight approached, a JAAPD officer observed Javier Guerrero Molina in a waiting area in the Jacksonville International Airport lobby. When asked by the officer, Molina advised that he was there to meet a particular passenger. Molina was subsequently detained.
During an interview, Molina admitted that he entered the United States in 1999 or 2000 by paying a smuggler $700 to help him cross the border on foot near Laredo, Texas. Record checks confirmed that there is no record of Molina legally entering the United States or ever having legal status in this country. Molina also stated that he had previously engaged in sexual activity with the child in Jacksonville, before the child and her family moved to Las Vegas. He also stated that he sent the child money to pay for a one-way airline ticket from Las Vegas to Jacksonville, and that he expected their sexual relationship to continue when the child returned to Jacksonville.
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 Jacksonville Aviation Authority Police Department, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (Jacksonville and Charlotte, North Carolina), the Charlotte-Mecklenberg Police Department, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, and the Jacksonville State Attorney’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.
It is another case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by 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 visitwww.usdoj.gov/psc.
Duval County Man Pleads Guilty to Aiding and Abetting Counterfeit Check FraudRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Terrance Smith (39, Jacksonville) today pleaded guilty to two counts of aiding and abetting the passing or attempted passing of counterfeit checks. He faces a maximum penalty of 25 years in federal prison on each count. Smith is also on federal supervised release for conspiracy to pass fictitious financial instruments. He faces up to 2 years in federal prison for the supervised release violation.
According to the plea agreement, in or about October 2013, Terrance Smith and others began distributing counterfeit business checks that used the business checking account number of a church located in Jacksonville. After locating various individuals to pass the counterfeit business checks, Smith would then provide transportation to the individuals for the purpose of passing the counterfeit checks. Upon arriving at a business that cashed checks, Smith or his co-defendant, Shameka Robinson, would give the counterfeit check to the passer. Smith would come back to the business, or a predetermined location near the business, and pick up the passer. The passer would hand the money directly to Smith or to Robinson. Smith would pay each passer whom successfully cashed a counterfeit check.
On November 13, 2013, law enforcement officers set up surveillance in a trailer park based on credible information that an individual, ultimately identified as Smith, would be coming there to pick up individuals for the purpose of passing counterfeit checks. Smith and Robinson subsequently drove into the trailer park in order to pick up individuals. Upon entering the park, Smith observed law enforcement and began turning in order to exit. As he left the area, Smith began tearing up counterfeit checks. Law enforcement conducted a lawful investigative stop on Smith's vehicle and observed an open plastic grocery bag containing counterfeit check stubs purportedly from payroll checks. Officers also located counterfeit check stubs and torn up counterfeit checks inside the vehicle. Inside of Robinson’s purse, officers located additional counterfeit business checks.
In total, law enforcement officials connected Smith and Robinson to twenty-five counterfeit business checks passed or attempted to be passed in Jacksonville. Robinson pleaded guilty on July 1, 2014 to aiding and abetting the passing or attempted passing of counterfeit checks. She is scheduled to be sentenced on September 30, 2014. Robinson faces a maximum penalty of 25 years in federal prison.
This case was investigated by the North Florida Financial Crimes Task Force, the United States Secret Service, and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.
Ocoee Man Convicted of Aiding and Abetting Attempted Commercial RobberyRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that a federal jury yesterday found Jacques Maddox (22, Ocoee) guilty of one count of aiding and abetting the attempted robbery of a Walgreens store located at 5501 South Kirkman Road in Orlando. Maddox faces a maximum penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for October 10, 2014. Maddox was indicted on April 2, 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 casing the store for hours, Maddox and Clinton walked into the store for the final time around 11:00 p.m. The men split up, and while Maddox took his position as a lookout near the center of the Walgreens, Clinton forced the store’s manager inside the office and pulled out a gun. Clinton then demanded that the manager open the store’s safe, threatening to shoot him if he didn’t do as he was told. When the manager refused to comply with Clinton’s demands, Clinton pistol whipped the manager, striking him several times in the head and shoulders with his gun. 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.
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 July 25, 2014.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives, and the Orlando Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joseph M. Schuster.
Developer Sentenced to More Than 10 Years in Prison for Mortgage Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Kovachevich yesterday sentenced Joseph Daniele (42, Tampa) to 10 years and 1 month in federal prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud. As part of his sentence, the court also entered a money judgment in the amount of $7,469,739.00. Daniele pleaded guilty on May 29, 2013.
According to court documents, Daniele was a developer who “flipped” houses across Florida, including approximately 80 houses located in south St. Petersburg. Daniele and his conspirators advertised “no money down” home investment opportunities to buy Section 8-ready houses, for people with good credit. However, the loans arranged by the conspirators actually required that the borrowers put money into the deals. Daniele either fronted the down payments directly, or indirectly, through complicit title agents and mortgage brokers. The scheme involved hundreds of properties, almost all of which fell into foreclosure, resulting in at least $7 million in losses.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Thomas N. Palermo.
Florida Correctional Officer Pleads Guilty to Tax Fraud Using Inmates’ IdentitiesRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Jerry St. Fleur (26, Tampa) today pleaded guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. St. Fleur faces a maximum penalty of twenty years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the plea agreement, beginning no later than January 2011, and continuing until about May 2014, St. Fleur, in his capacity as a correctional officer at the Zephyrhills Correctional Facility, in Zephyrhills, Florida, unlawfully accessed and stole the personal identifying information (PII) of inmates, both former and current, within the Florida Department of Corrections (FDOC). St. Fleur would “screen scrape” (i.e., cut and paste) inmates’ PII, without their knowledge or permission, from FDOC databases and then use that PII 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 the 182 tax returns was over $500,000.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Jackson.
This case was brought as part of the Tampa Bay Identity Theft Alliance, an initiative dedicated to combating the scheme of using stolen identities to file fraudulent federal income tax refund claims. The United States Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Florida, the United States Secret Service, the United States Postal Inspection Service, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Tampa Police Department and the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office are working together on this joint investigative and enforcement effort.
St. Johns Man Sentenced to Six Years for Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard yesterday sentenced Sean-Michael Smith (25, St. Johns) to 72 months in federal prison for distribution of child pornography, to be followed by a seven year term of supervised release. Smith, who was also ordered to register as a Sex Offender, pleaded guilty on February 24, 2014.
According to court records, on July 3, 2013, a detective from the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office was actively investigating computer users who were distributing child pornography via a peer-to-peer file sharing network. On that date, the detective was able to successfully download three videos depicting minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct from an IP address registered to Smith. Based on this information, the Federal Bureau of Investigation obtained a search warrant for Smith’s residence. When the warrant was executed on August 2, 2013, Smith admitted to previously downloading and viewing child pornography, including one of the videos downloaded by the detective. Smith stated, among other things, that he had been viewing child pornography for ten years, and admitted that whenever the file sharing program on his computer was active, any downloaded content in the shared folder would be available for other users on the file sharing network to download.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office. It was 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 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.
Cuban Alien Smuggler ConvictedRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that a federal jury yesterday found Yoel Emilio Baez-Hernandez (41), a Cuban citizen with lawful permanent residence in the United States, guilty of conspiring to bring 73 Cuban aliens to the United States, and bringing 13 Cuban aliens to the United States. Baez-Hernandez faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison for each alien he conspired to bring into the United States. In addition, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years, up to 15 years in federal prison for bringing the 13 illegal aliens into the country. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for September 19, 2014. Baez-Hernandez was indicted on February 20, 2014. He was charged by a superseding indictment on May 15, 2014.
According to the testimony of the three co-conspirators and other evidence presented at trial, Baez-Hernandez, Carlos Velazquez-Roman, and Edel Mesa-Hernandez conspired in late 2006 to early 2007 to bring Cuban aliens to the Port Charlotte area from the Pinar del Rio Provence located in north-western Cuba. From February 2007 through December 2009, they used Baez-Hernandez’s fast-boat, a two-outboard-engine Renegade, as one of the vessels to travel to Cuba and back. They brought the individuals to the west coast of Florida and then caused them to be transported to the Miami area. The Cuban aliens then turned themselves into immigration authorities as having just landed nearby. The jury found that Baez-Hernandez conspired to bring 73 illegal aliens to the United States and that he and Velazquez-Roman brought 13 illegal aliens to the United States from Cuba on May 26-27, 2009. The testimony established that the conspirators charged approximately $10,000 per person to bring the aliens to the United States from Cuba.
A total of six individuals were charged in this case. Five previously pleaded guilty for their roles and are currently awaiting sentencing.
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the United States Border Patrol, and the United States Coast Guard. It is being prosecuted by Senior Litigation Counsel Donald L. Hansen and Assistant United States Attorney Natalie Hirt Adams.
Five Individuals Charged with Conspiring to Distribute Methamphetamine in Baker CountyRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida - United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III, Mark R. Trouville, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Miami Field Division, and Baker County Sheriff Joey B. Dobson announce that Ashley Chase Lee (31, Alma, Georgia), Archie Crook (35, Nassau County), Robert Hartzog (27, Baker County), Anthony Fisher (35, Baker County), and Garrett Follis (27, Baker County) have been charged with conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of pure/actual methamphetamine. Each faces a mandatory minimum term of 10 years, up to life in federal prison. Follis, Hartzog and Crook have pleaded guilty to their charges, pursuant to written plea agreements, and are awaiting sentencing. Lee and Fisher are set for trial in September 2014, in Jacksonville.
According to the plea agreements, beginning in approximately May 2013, Lee supplied ounce quantities of crystal methamphetamine to Crook, who then supplied it to others, including Hartzog and Follis. Much of the methamphetamine was distributed from an apartment in Macclenny, Baker County, Florida. Law enforcement officers with the Baker County Sheriff’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration seized, in total, approximately 204.7 grams of methamphetamine, some of which was deemed to be 73.3% pure.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Baker County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Julie Hackenberry.
Tampa Woman Sentenced to 7 Years in Prison for Role in Credit Card Fraud / Identity Theft RingRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge James S. Moody, Jr. today sentenced Danay Crespo-Rodriguez (25, Tampa) to seven years’ incarceration for conspiracy to commit credit card fraud and aggravated identity theft. The Court also ordered her to pay $599,744.11 in restitution to the victims of her crimes and entered a forfeiture money judgment in the amount of $655,568.61, which represents the proceeds of Crespo-Rodriguez’s crimes.
Crespo-Rodriguez pleaded guilty on October 1, 2013 and was released on bond. She then absconded from supervision on November 10, 2013 and was only recaptured after she was arrested at a Tampa-area Target store for shoplifting and assault. Three of her co-conspirators have already pleaded guilty for their roles in the scheme. One was convicted on all counts following a trial. Four others have been sentenced. Another co-conspirator remains a fugitive.
According to court documents, the conspirators, led by Michel Lermos-Hernandez, ran a credit card fraud ring. Lermos, aided by his girlfriend, Danay Crespo-Rodriguez, and others, obtained credit card numbers by placing key loggers on credit card terminals that intercepted and stored swiped credit and debit card account information at the International Mall in Tampa. One key logger, in particular, was placed at the Haagen-Dazs ice cream store. Lermos and others then created counterfeit credit cards using the stolen credit and debit card account numbers. After making the credit cards, Lermos provided the counterfeit credit cards to his co-conspirators, including his sister, Norma Cabezas-Hernandez, his girlfriend, Danay-Crespo Rodgriguez, and at least two other individuals, Lazaro Rodriguez and Abel Osorio-Cuok. The conspirators used the counterfeit cards to buy electronics and gift cards at Tampa-area retailers. The conspirators then took these items to Viviana Reyes= house, where she paid them in cash for the fraudulently-obtained merchandise. When Reyes purchased the items from her conspirators, she paid them approximately 50% of the retail value of the items, before reselling them for approximately 60% of the retail value. Reyes advertised the items via text message and email.
Agents recovered more than 4,000 stolen credit and debit card numbers and estimate the loss to the affected financial institutions, to date, is in excess of $650,000.
This case was investigated by the Tampa Police Department, Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the United States Secret Service (USSS), all of whom are members of the USSS’s credit card fraud and identity theft task force. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Mandy Riedel and Suzanne Nebesky.
Lakeland Man Sentenced to Sixteen Years for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL– U.S. District Court Judge Susan C. Bucklew today sentenced Lawrence H. Dorman a/k/a “Howie” (43, Lakeland) to sixteen years in prison for production of child pornography. In addition to his prison term, Dorman forfeited a blue Ford truck, electronic media, and his interest in real property located at 3127 Gardner Place, in Lakeland, Florida. Dorman pleaded guilty on December 3, 2013.
According to court documents, following an anonymous tip from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Tip line, law enforcement determined that from approximately December 2012 until April 2013, Dorman engaged in a sexual relationship with a sixteen year-old minor female. Throughout the course of that relationship, Dorman supplied the minor with methamphetamine and produced videos of himself engaged in sexual acts with the minor.
On April 3, 2013, agents from HSI Tampa, the Lakeland Police Department and Polk County Sheriff's Office executed a search warrant at Dorman’s residence. During the search of the residence, law enforcement seized and previewed several electronic media items, including a desktop computer containing a video file. An examination of the video depicted Dorman engaged in explicit sexual contact with a female who has been identified as the minor victim in this case.
At the time of the search warrant, law enforcement interviewed Dorman, a/k/a "Howie." Dorman admitted to having sex with the minor victim and creating video recordings of the sex acts. A subsequent interview with the minor victim corroborated the evidence seized in the case. The minor victim also advised that Dorman provided her with marijuana and methamphetamine while at his residence.
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations Tampa, and the Lakeland Police Department, with assistance from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stacie B. Harris.
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 (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.
Two Charged with Conspiring to Smuggle Weapons to Middle EastRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Mahmoud Abdel-Ghani Mohammad Assaf (45, Jordan) and Yasser Ahmad Obeid (19, Lebanon) have been charged in a federal criminal complaint with conspiring to smuggle firearms from the United States, and conspiring to deal in firearms without a license, and to ship and receive firearms in interstate and foreign commerce, in violation of federal export control and firearms laws. If convicted as charged in the complaint, Assaf and Obeid face a statutory maximum penalty of ten years’ imprisonment on each firearms and export violation charge, and five years’ imprisonment for the conspiracy offenses.
According to the complaint, Assaf, a Jordanian national in the United States on a visitor’s visa, and Obeid, a citizen of Lebanon and legal permanent resident residing in St. Petersburg, Florida, are part of a network of individuals involved in smuggling firearms from the United States to the Middle East. The complaint alleges that the firearms were concealed in vehicles purchased at used car auctions in the Central Florida area and then exported to countries located in Africa and the Middle East.
After being arrested on June 25, 2014, Assaf and Obeid made their initial appearances before United States Magistrate Judge Thomas B. McCoun III. Assaf was detained pending further proceedings. Obeid’s bond hearing is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. on Friday, June 27, 2014.
A criminal complaint is merely an informal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of the federal criminal laws, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations in Tampa. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Josephine W. Thomas.
(Download Factual Basis )
Tampa Man Arrested for Trading Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the arrest of Richard Donald Ragsdale (56, Tampa) on a federal complaint charging him with transportation, receipt, and possession of child pornography. Ragsdale made his initial appearance on June 24, 2014, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas B. McCoun, III.
According to the complaint, on May 5, 2014, an undercover agent downloaded child pornography over the Internet from an Internet Protocol (IP) address that was connected to Ragsdale’s residence. Further investigation revealed online chats by Ragsdale, in which he admitted to having prior sexual contact with children and discussed the sexual abuse of children. On June 24, 2014, a federal search warrant was executed at Ragsdale’s Tampa residence. Agents found hundreds of videos and images depicting child pornography on Ragsdale’s laptop.
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the United States Marshals Service. 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 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.
Second Green Cove Springs Convenience Store Owner Pleads Guilty to Tax Refund TheftRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Abass Issa (47, Flemming Island) today pleaded guilty to stealing government property described as fraudulently-obtained tax refunds. Issa faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison, as well as an obligation to pay back restitution to the United States in the amount of $1,909,403.66. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the plea agreement, Issa owned and operated a convenience store in Green Cove Springs known as V&J Stores, Inc. Antoun Arbaji, who previously pleaded guilty on May 27, 2014, owned and operated another convenience store, Fina Express, a few blocks away.
In 2011, Issa began obtaining fraudulent tax refund checks and fraudulently-obtained refund anticipation loan checks from a source in Tampa, Florida. Issa, in turn, located individuals like Arbaji who, for a percentage fee, would cash the checks through their business accounts. After cashing the checks, Arbaji would remit the cash proceeds to Issa. Issa, in turn, would keep a fee and remit the remainder of the proceeds to the source of the checks in Tampa. During 2011, Arbaji cashed more than $1.5 million in fraudulently-obtained tax refund checks and more than $400,000 in fraudulently-obtained refund anticipation loan checks using his Fina Express business account. After cashing the checks, he delivered the proceeds to Issa, who, after collecting his fee, delivered the remaining proceeds to a source in Tampa. The last individual was prosecuted in the Northern District of Florida.
Many of the fraudulent tax refund checks and refund anticipation loan checks were obtained in the names of individuals who were dead at the time when the tax returns were filed.
According to court records, the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations and the United States Secret Service seized more than $352,000 from Arbaji’s bank account prior to the return of an indictment in this case.This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, the United States Secret Service, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mac D. Heavener, III.