Middle District of Florida

Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Kovachevich yesterday sentenced Alex Gonzalez-Arango (39, Buenaventura, Colombia) to 19 years and 7 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine while onboard a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States.  Gonzalez-Arango pleaded guilty on March 11, 2014.

According to court documents, Gonzalez-Arango was a manager/supervisor of a drug trafficking organization (DTO) operating out of Colombia and Venezuela. In that role, during July and September 2011, he helped to organize and execute multi-ton shipments of cocaine via two different self-propelled semi-submersible (SPSS) vessels. In particular, Gonzalez-Arango recruited crewmembers for both SPSS ventures, and managed the day-to-day operations at the SPSS construction sites in Venezuela. 

On or about July 13, 2011, the United States Coast Guard (USCG) interdicted the first SPSS vessel in the Caribbean Sea.  The vessel was approximately forty-five feet long.  The USCG intercepted the SPSS just as its crew scuttled the vessel, causing it to sink.  Thereafter, law enforcement retrieved approximately 232 bales of cocaine from the sunken SPSS, making the total shipment weight approximately 5,861 kilograms of cocaine.

On or about September 17, 2011, the USCG intercepted the second SPSS vessel off of the coast of Honduras, in international waters. This second SPSS was approximately fifty to sixty feet in length and was estimated to be carrying over 3,000 kilograms of cocaine when its crew scuttled it upon interdiction.

This case was investigated by the Panama Express Strike Force, involving members from the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Coast Guard, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Jackson.

The Panama Express Strike Force (PANEX) is a federally-approved Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). Operation Panama Express currently targets South American-based drug trafficking organizations responsible for smuggling drugs to the United States and elsewhere for distribution.

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Damian Ramos Ramirez (59, Lakeland), today pleaded guilty to the charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.  Ramos Ramirez faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to the plea agreement, Ramos Ramirez came to the attention of law enforcement officers in May 2013, when he and his wife began purchasing firearms from a Federal Firearms Licensee (FFL), in the Pinellas County area. On December 19, 2013, Ramos Ramirez purchased two Kel-Tec 9mm pistols from the FFL. Later that day, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Ramos Ramirez’s home and found numerous firearms and ammunition.

In all, twenty-seven firearms and 1,700 rounds of ammunition were seized in relation to this case. At the time of the incident, Ramos Ramirez was a convicted felon and thus prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Carlton C. Gammons.

It is another case prosecuted as a part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” program - a nationwide, gun-violence reduction strategy.  United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III, along with 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. This is another example of ATF’s Frontline Strategy to impact violent crime within our communities.

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the arrest of Beverly Sue Gingell (60, Palmetto) on a federal complaint charging her with committing wire fraud. She faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison, and a fine of $250,000, or twice the gross gain caused by the offense, or twice the gross loss caused by the offense. Gingell made her initial appearance before Magistrate Judge Elizabeth A. Jenkins yesterday and was released on a $50,000 personal surety bond.

According to the complaint, Gingell was formerly employed by a Bradenton company, Pro-Link, as the company’s finance manager. Beginning in the summer of 2010 through March 2011, Gingell allegedly embezzled nearly $700,000 from the company by sending money via wire transfer to her bank account, and by also obtaining money orders payable to herself and others. One of the wire transfers was used to pay off the remaining mortgage balance on Gingell’s residence. Also, while interfacing with Internal Revenue Service (IRS) agents on behalf of the company, Gingell misrepresented her authority.  She also misrepresented the results of an IRS audit of Pro-Link business tax returns to Pro-Link owners.

The charges in the complaint are merely allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.     

This case was part of an ongoing joint investigative effort by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations, and the Bradenton Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelley Howard-Allen.   

Tampa, FL – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Dr. John Lanning (79, Anna Maria, Florida) yesterday pleaded guilty to causing Oxycodone to be dispensed and distributed not for a legitimate medical purpose and not in the usual course of professional practice. Lanning faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled.

According to the plea agreement, in March 2010, Lanning started working as a physician at the 1910 Medical Clinic (the “Clinic”), which was located at 1910 Manatee Avenue West in Bradenton. Lanning worked there until May 2010. During that time period, Lanning quickly learned that the Clinic was designed by its owner-operators to function as, and did operate as, a “pill mill.” While at the Clinic, Lanning would regularly see between 20 and 30 patients a day.

On April 26, 2010, an undercover detective (UC) visited the Bradenton Clinic posing as a pain management patient. After receiving an MRI examination, the UC was ultimately seen by Dr. Lanning, who reviewed the MRI and advised the UC that he had a protruding disk that was almost herniated. The UC never had a history of back pain, injury, or any other back problems. After a cursory examination, Lanning then provided the UC with a prescription for 90 dosage units of 15 mg Oxycodone.  Dr. Lanning admitted that this Oxycodone was not prescribed for a legitimate medical purpose and not in the usual course of proper and professional practice.   

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Jackson.

Tampa, FL – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that a federal jury today found Eric Thomas (37, Largo) guilty of access with the intent to view child pornography. Thomas faces a maximum penalty of ten years in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for September 18, 2014. He was remanded to the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing. Thomas was indicted on September 30, 2013.

According to the testimony and evidence presented at trial, on July 21, 2012, Thomas’s then wife discovered evidence that Thomas had been looking at child pornography on the Internet, using the couple’s home computer. Law enforcement obtained a search warrant for the computer.  A forensic review revealed that more than 850 images of child pornography had been deleted from the computer. Thomas had taken considerable steps to conceal his activities by removing the Internet history and the child pornography files from his computer.

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

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

Orlando, FL – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Raulier Rivas Lopez (28, Orlando) has pleaded guilty to one count of credit union robbery with assault, and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of the robbery. Lopez faces a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison on the robbery charge, and a consecutive mandatory minimum term of 7 years, up to life imprisonment for the firearm charge.

According to court documents, on the morning of January 25, 2012, Lopez, and three others robbed the American Eagle Credit Union located at 7007 SeaWorld Drive, in Orlando. Lopez and two of his co-conspirators, all wearing masks, entered the credit union and demanded money from the credit union employees.  Lopez pointed a firearm at the credit union employees, as his co-conspirators pepper-sprayed them so that they would not be able to identify the robbers. Lopez and his co-conspirators stole approximately $7,000 during the robbery.

To date, one other individual, Joseph Cotto-Diaz, has been arrested for his role in this case. Cotto-Diaz was charged in a superseding indictment on March 19, 2014. He is scheduled for trial in July 2014.

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

Orlando, FL – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that a federal jury has found Albert Jeffrey Sanchez (50, Orlando) and Harold Ferdinand (36, Longwood) guilty of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Each faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. Sanchez and Ferdinand were indicted on February 19, 2014. The verdict was returned yesterday. The sentencing hearing is scheduled for September 17, 2014.

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, during the course of the conspiracy, Sanchez owned and operated AVYT Tours, an Orlando-area travel agency. Ferdinand worked as a rental agent at Budget Rent-A-Car in Orlando. Between January 2008 and March 2009, Ferdinand used his position with Budget to modify almost 1,000 customer reservations and agreements from Avis Budget branches around the country.  Ferdinand modified customer reservations to make it appear as though Sanchez’s travel agency AVYT Tours had booked the reservations, when he knew that the customers had booked the reservations themselves, usually over the Internet.

For reservations booked by AVYT Tours, Avis Budget wired Sanchez’s travel agency a commission. The commissions for the customer reservations that Ferdinand and co-conspirator and fellow Avis Budget employee Lillian Sanchez had fraudulently modified totaled nearly $140,000. Sanchez then wrote Ferdinand approximately $17,000 in checks for his participation in the scheme.

Lillian Sanchez (50, Debary) pleaded guilty to her role in the scheme on May 20, 2014. Her sentencing hearing is scheduled for August 20, 2014.

This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joseph M. Schuster.

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the arrest of Orlando Justin Gomez (54, Middleburg).  Gomez is charged in a criminal complaint with possession of child pornography. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years, up to a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. 

According to the complaint, on June 10, 2014, Gomez, who is a registered sexual predator, was found to be in possession of multiple images depicting prepubescent minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

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 is being investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Diidri 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.  

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that a federal jury today found Sami Osmakac (27, Pinellas Park) guilty of attempted use of weapons of mass destruction and possession of a fully automatic firearm. Osmakac faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for October 7, 2014.

“The jury’s verdict in this case represents another victory in our fight against terrorism, which remains our top priority,” said U.S. Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III. “Our success here is due in part to assistance from the Muslim community, which brought the defendant’s extremist views to the attention of law enforcement.”

Osmakac was indicted on February 2, 2012.

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, on January 7, 2012, Osmakac attempted to use weapons of mass destruction, including a car bomb, grenades, and a suicide explosive, at two locations in the Tampa Bay area. Specifically, his intended targets were MacDinton’s Irish Pub, in the South Howard area of Tampa, and the Hard Rock Casino, in Tampa. Additionally, on January 7, 2012, Osmakac possessed a machinegun without the firearm being registered to him on the National Firearm Registration and Transfer Record.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney and Trial Attorney Clement McGovern from the National Security Division at the Department of Justice.

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Arnold Clayton (42, Sanderson) today pleaded guilty to distribution of cocaine and cocaine base.  Clayton faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to the plea agreement, on July 13, 2012, Clayton sold cocaine, cocaine base and marijuana to a confidential source for $320. Court records reveal that Clayton has two prior federal drug convictions for conspiracy to distribute cocaine and cocaine base (1999) and distribution of cocaine base (2007).  

This case was investigated by the Baker County Sheriff’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Talbot.

Orlando, FL – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Leonard G. Potillo, III (48, Longwood) with 7 counts of wire fraud, 10 counts of bribery of a bank official, and 16 counts of money laundering.  If convicted, Potillo faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison for each wire fraud charge, up to 30 years in prison for each bribery charge and up to 10 years in federal prison on each of the money laundering charges.  The indictment also notifies Potillo that the United States intends to forfeit the following assets which are alleged to be traceable to proceeds of the offenses: bank accounts totaling approximately $3.9 million in deposits; a 2008 Maserati; a 2007 Ferrari; a 2014 Jaguar; a 2010 Aston Martin; two vehicles located in Scotland; three residences located in Florida, one residence in Montreal, Canada and a residence in Littlejohn, Edinburgh, Scotland.  The United States is also seeking a money judgment in the amount of at least $76 million, the proceeds of the charged criminal conduct.

Potillo was arrested at his residence this morning and will make his initial appearance before United States Magistrate Judge David Baker at 3:00 p.m. today, in Orlando.

According to the indictment, Potillo is the manager/owner of United Credit Recovery, LLC (UCR).  UCR purchased charged-off consumer overdraft debt from financial institutions for the purposes of collecting debt and selling the debt to third-parties, at a profit. UCR advertised on its website that it purchased in excess of $10 billion of overdraft debts from financial institutions such as U.S. Bank, N.A. and Wells Fargo, N.A, among others. When purchasing debt portfolios from U.S. Bank, Potillo allegedly bribed a U.S. Bank officer with more than $1 million for inside information relating to the bank’s auction of overdraft debt portfolios. The indictment further alleges that after purchasing debt portfolios from financial institutions, UCR re-sold them to third-party debt purchasers. When selling its debt portfolios, UCR misrepresented the quality of the debt to the third-party debt purchasers as premium quality debt, when in fact it was lower quality debt. UCR also sold the debt portfolios with fictitious “Affidavits of Correctness/Assignments” that were created by UCR on a mass scale. By making such misrepresentations, UCR and Potillo profited at least $76 million from the scheme. With those illegal proceeds, Potillo spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on prime real estate holdings in the United States and abroad, and purchased luxury vehicles. 

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 Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation and the United States Secret Service, with the assistance of the Office of the Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program (SIGTARP). It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Haas.

(Download Factual Basis )

Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard today sentenced Joe Terry (38, Jacksonville) to eight years in federal prison for distributing cocaine base and possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.           

Terry pleaded guilty on February 26, 2014.

According to court documents, Terry was selling “crack cocaine” from a house on Cinnamon Tea Lane, in Jacksonville. Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) agents utilized a confidential informant to make an undercover purchase of “crack cocaine” from Terry.  During that drug transaction, Terry displayed a Glock firearm.  On August 29, 2013, ATF agents executed a federal search warrant at Terry’s residence and recovered a Glock .40 caliber pistol from inside, at which time Terry was arrested. At the time of the arrest, Terry was on parole from Georgia, for a felony drug offense. 

This case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Talbot.

It is another case prosecuted as a part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” program - a nationwide, gun-violence reduction strategy.  United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III, along with 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. This is another example of ATF’s Frontline Strategy to impact violent crime in our communities.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Richard A. Lazzara today sentenced Norman V. Charlton (50, Lakeland) to 7 years in federal prison on tax fraud charges. The Court also ordered the forfeiture of $14,952 in U.S. currency that was seized from his residence on March 21, 2012, and entered a forfeiture money judgment in the amount of $325,886, the traceable proceeds of the fraud scheme.

On March 7, 2014, Charlton pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft in connection with using stolen names and social security numbers to electronically file fraudulent tax returns.

According to court documents, from August 2011 through June 4, 2012, Charlton and co-conspirators used stolen identities, including names, dates of birth, and social security numbers, to electronically file fraudulent tax returns and obtain tax refunds to which they were not entitled. A record of those filings was kept by Charlton in a detailed ledger, complete with names, email addresses, passwords, filing dates, times, and amounts. The fraudulent refunds were deposited onto reloadable debit cards in the names of others, and/or were disbursed in the form of U.S. Treasury checks and mailed to addresses controlled or directed by Charlton and others. Charlton and his co-conspirators used and directed the fraudulent tax refunds to obtain cash and goods for their own benefit and the benefit of others.

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation and the Polk County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelley Howard-Allen.

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announced yesterday that Daniel Todd Manning (42, Jacksonville) has been indicted by a federal grand jury and charged with failing to register as sex offender, after traveling from the state of Missouri. He is also charged with the possession of firearms by a convicted felon. If convicted, Manning faces up to 10 years in federal prison for each offense. Manning has been in custody on related state charges since his arrest on April 30, 2014, in Jacksonville.   

According to the indictment, on July 26, 2013, Manning was found guilty on two counts of aggravated indecent acts and one count of indecent acts with a child, in the state of Kansas.  Subsequent to this adjudication in Kansas, and between July 30, 2013 and April 30, 2014, Manning traveled to the state of Missouri, where he registered as a sex offender. Thereafter, he moved to Florida, where he has since resided. Manning allegedly failed to register as a sex offender in Florida, as required by the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.

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

The indictment also alleges that, on April 30, 2014, Manning knowingly possessed eight different firearms in Jacksonville. At the time of the possession, Manning was a convicted felon and prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.

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

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

It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by 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.

It is also a 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. This is another example of ATF’s Frontline Strategy to impact violent crime in our communities.

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announced today that a federal jury, in Jacksonville, has found Richard Dale Brooks (55, Cocoa) guilty of receiving videos of child pornography and possessing an image of child pornography using the Internet.  Brooks faces a minimum of five years, up to twenty years in federal prison on each of the five receipt charges, and up to ten years’ imprisonment on the possession charge. After the return of the jury’s verdict, Brooks was remanded to the custody of the United States Marshals Service to await his sentencing hearing, which is scheduled for September 15, 2014.

According to testimony and evidence introduced during the trial, during 2012, a Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office law enforcement officer identified videos depicting child pornography over the Internet as coming from a host computer using Internet Protocol (IP) addresses that traced back to Brooks’s residence in Jacksonville, Florida. On August 2, 2012, a search warrant was executed at this residence. Law enforcement officers entered the residence and recovered five computers and several other computer media. During an interview, Brooks told detectives that he was the primary user of the computer, that he used a file-sharing program to download video files of adult pornography, and that he has also received child pornography via the file-sharing program. A subsequent forensic analysis of Brooks’s computers revealed that he had at least 245 files depicting children engaged in sexually explicit conduct and that he had compact discs and a DVD containing the same.       

This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, and other agencies that comprise the North Florida Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelly S. Karase.

It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by 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, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Christopher Jon Kirkland (41) and William Brinkley, Jr. (35), both of Jacksonville, yesterday pleaded guilty to manufacturing and aiding and abetting the passing of counterfeit Federal Reserve Notes. Each faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. As part of the plea agreement, both men agreed to forfeit the computer equipment used to manufacture the counterfeit currency.

Kirkland and Brinkley, Jr. were originally indicted on February 27, 2014.

According to the plea agreements, in approximately August 2013, Kirkland began manufacturing counterfeit $20 and $100 Federal Reserve Notes. Once Kirkland manufactured the counterfeit currency, Brinkley drove Kirkland around to various businesses in Florida and Georgia in order to pass the counterfeit currency. The two passed the counterfeit currency in order to obtain merchandise and reloadable gift cards. They also returned fraudulently-obtained merchandise in order to obtain genuine currency. From approximately August 2013 to December 2013, the men passed or attempted to pass approximately $32,600 in counterfeit currency in Florida, to include Duval County, St. Johns County, Volusia County, and Glynn County, Georgia. The currency was passed at locations including Target, CVS, Kirkland’s, Winn-Dixie, OfficeMax, Family Dollar, Old Navy, Lowe’s, Belk, and Dollar General.  

Another co-defendant, Timothy Larry Malden, is charged in the same indictment. His case is scheduled to proceed at trial on September 2, 2014.

This case was investigated by United States Secret Service - Jacksonville Field Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.

Orlando, Florida – United States District Judge John Antoon II yesterday sentenced Todd Leslie Kroeber (43, Port St. Lucie) to 24 years and 5 months in federal prison, to be followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for the attempted sexual enticement of a minor. He was found to be a repeat and dangerous sex offender against minors.  Kroeber pleaded guilty to the offense on January 17, 2014.

According to court documents, on July 19, 2013, Kroeber answered an advertisement on a public classified ad website, where he met an undercover agent online. The agent was posing as a 19-year-old asking for help with his 14-year-old brother. The following day, Kroeber traveled to Rockledge, Florida, from Port St. Lucie, Florida, to have sex with the 14-year-old. Kroeber also transported another minor to the location. During the drive, Kroeber told the minor that he would have sex with the 14-year-old and the minor. 

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher LaForgia.

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.

Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III, announces that a federal jury found Matthew Steven Howard (26) guilty of attempting to persuade, induce and entice a person he believed to be 14 years of age to engage in illicit sexual conduct. Howard is facing a minimum sentence of 10 years, up to life in prison. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for September 9, 2014. He was remanded to the custody of the United States Marshals Service until his sentence.

Howard was indicted on February 12, 2014.

According to the testimony and evidence presented at trial, on December 31, 2013, a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Task Force Officer (TFO) noticed a sexually explicit advertisement on Craigslist that made reference to a minor female.  During the time span charged in the Indictment, Howard engaged in communications, via the Internet, with the undercover FBI TFO, who was posing as a 14-year-old girl.  During the online communications, Howard told the “minor” that he wanted to engage her in sexual conduct. 

On January 3, 2014, Howard traveled from his residence in Merritt Island, Florida, to Rockledge, Florida, where he intended to meet the “minor” for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct, at which time he was arrested. During an interview with law enforcement, Howard admitted that he attempted to entice a minor, via the Internet, for the purposes of engaging in sexual activity. Howard had been previously charged with lewd and lascivious battery in the state of Florida.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office, with the assistance from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ilianys Rivera Miranda and Bruce Ambrose.

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

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the unsealing of a twenty-eight count second superseding indictment charging Nathaniel Harris (23, Bradenton), Napoleon Harris (29, Bradenton), Charlie L. Green (27, Bradenton), Jerry W. Green, Jr. (31, Bradenton), Corey Deonta Harris (23, St. Petersburg), and Deonte Jamal Martin (28, Bradenton) for their roles in a racketeering conspiracy involving murder, attempted murder, kidnapping, robbery, and drug trafficking.  Seven of the offenses carry a maximum penalty of death. 

A confidential “TIP LINE” has been established for anyone with information regarding any homicides, robberies, narcotics and/or violent criminal acts conducted by these individuals or their associates. Anyone with information relevant to this case is encouraged to call 1-888-ATF-TIPS (1-888-283-8477).

According to court documents, the six individuals were part of an ongoing criminal enterprise. Between April 2007 and August 2013, nine individuals were shot and killed, as a result of the enterprise’s criminal activity. Among those murdered were Christopher Jenkins, Demetrious Cunningham, Calvin Barnes, Ceola Lazier, Carlos Jurado, Brenton Coleman, Joseph Evans, Rodney D. Lamb, and Erika Williams. The murder of Brenton Coleman took place in the vicinity of the 13th Avenue Recreation Center, commonly referred to as the “Dream Center,” and was witnessed by a crowd of young children attending youth football practice.

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 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the State Attorney’s Office (12th Judicial Circuit Court), the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, the Bradenton Police Department, the Palmetto Police Department, the Sarasota Police Department, and the St. Petersburg Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Walter E. Furr, III, Christopher F. Murray, and Trial Attorney Laura Gwinn of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime and Gang Section.

Click HERE to view Superseding Indictment

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announced today that Anthony Vincent Burkitt, a/k/a “Vincent Thomas Wolfe,” (44, Jacksonville) has been indicted by a federal grand jury and charged with failing to register as sex offender, after traveling from the state of Maryland. If convicted, Burkitt faces up to 10 years in federal prison. Burkitt has been in custody on related state charges since his arrest on April 13, 2014.   

According to the indictment, on or about September 27, 2002, Burkitt was convicted of attempted second degree rape in Baltimore County, Maryland.  Subsequent to his conviction, between September 9, 2011 and April 13, 2014, he traveled from Maryland to Florida, where he has since resided. Burkitt allegedly failed to register as a sex offender in Florida, as required by the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.

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

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

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

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

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Mahmoud Aldissi, a/k/a “Matt,”(62) and Anastassia Bogomolova, a/k/a “Anastasia,” (51), both of Pinellas County, Florida, with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and falsification of records in a federal investigation. If convicted on all counts, each faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. The Indictment also notifies the individuals that, among other specified property, the United States is also seeking a money judgment in the amount of $10,000,000, which reflects the proceeds of the charged criminal conduct.

According to the indictment, through their two companies, Fractal Systems, Inc., and Smart Polymers Research Corp., Aldissi and Bogomolova fraudulently obtained approximately $10,000,000 worth of research contracts from the federal government. It is alleged that from in or about 2004 through in or about May 2014, in order to be awarded contracts, the charged individuals submitted proposals using the stolen identities of real people in order to create false endorsements of and for their proposed contracts. In addition, Aldissi and Bogmolova proposed identity theft victims as consultants and subcontractors without their knowledge and without actually using them on those contracts. It is further alleged that, in the proposals, the defendants also lied about their facilities, costs, about the principal investigator on some of the contracts, and certifications in the proposal.

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 Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Office of the Inspector General (NASA-OIG), the Major Procurement Fraud Unit (MPFU) of the United States Army Criminal Investigation Division (Army CID), National Science Foundation’s Office of the Inspector General (NSF-OIG), the Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of the Inspector General (EPA-OIG), the Department of Energy’s Office of the Inspector General (DOE-OIG), the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG), the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of the Inspector General (DHS-OIG), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS).  It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Thomas N. Palermo.

Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Darrell Roby (41, Orlando) has pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon. Roby faces a mandatory minimum term of 15 years in federal prison, up to life. Sentencing has been set for August 20, 2014.

Roby was indicted on March 26, 2014. 

According to court documents, Roby, a ten-time previously convicted felon, sold prescription pills to a confidential informant on January 27, 2014. He also sold prescription pills and a Smith and Wesson .38 caliber revolver to a confidential informant on February 12, 2014. Roby then agreed to sell 500 pills of Oxycodone to a confidential informant for $12,500. The deal was scheduled to take place at Roby’s residence on February 26, 2014.

A federal search warrant was obtained and executed at Roby’s residence on February 26, 2014. During the execution of the search warrant, Roby was found to be in possession of a stolen Glock firearm, at which time he was arrested. 

Roby’s prior state felony convictions include burglary, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, escape, introduction or possession of contraband in a state correctional facility, delivery of cocaine, possession of cocaine, and delivery of a controlled substance.  As a previously convicted felon, Roby is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law. Because his prior criminal record includes several violent felonies and a serious drug offense, Roby qualifies for enhanced sentencing as an Armed Career Criminal under federal law.

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

Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that a federal jury today found Phillip Simmons (50, Orange City) guilty of one count of conspiracy and two counts of theft from an employee benefit plan. Simmons faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in federal prison for each count. Sentencing has been set for August 20, 2014.

According to the evidence presented at trial, 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 fourteen months, Deleon wrote forty-six checks from the Fund, totaling over $427,000, to individuals who were not members of the Local 808 or participants in the Fund, including Simmons.  Simmons cashed two of the checks provided to him by Deleon and split the stolen proceeds with her. In addition, Simmons assisted his mother, Marta Blackmer, in cashing at least one of the checks that she received from Deleon. 

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 and ordered to serve a one-year term of supervision, upon her release.  She was also ordered to pay $594,000 in restitution to the Ironworkers Local 808 Annuity Fund. The $594,000 in restitution consists of the over $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.         

Seven other individuals have pleaded guilty and are pending sentencing in July and August of this year, including Brandon Alfonso (28, Orange City), Marta Blackmer (71, Orange City), James McCall (32, Orange City), Ian Chase Dove (26, Orange City), Jason Wesson (37, Deltona), Michael Giesinger (36, Deltona), and Shane Riley (31, Deland). Each one faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in federal prison.

Another individual, 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 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.

Orlando, FL – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the arrest and unsealing of a criminal complaint charging Matthew Jones, a/k/a “Caligirl,” “Dynamite2k,” “Dynamite`,” “Tyler Zeddai,” “Mateo Jones” (44, Dallas, Texas) with the illegal distribution of controlled substances.  If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison.  Jones was arrested last night in Fort Lauderdale. He made an initial appearance this morning in the Southern District of Florida.

According to the criminal complaint, Jones operated as the vendor “Caligirl” on the Silk Road drug marketplace and was among the top 5% of all Silk Road vendors.  Between April 10, 2013, and September 9, 2013, Caligirl’s Silk Road account completed 685 finalized sales of controlled substances.  Between July 11, 2013, and March 20, 2014, DEA agents purchased and seized more than 400 Oxycodone tablets and more than 900 Hydrocodone tablets from Jones.  Jones shipped the controlled substances from Texas to Central Florida. 

In addition to operating on Silk Road, Jones conducted his illicit drug trafficking business utilizing an encrypted and anonymized program called Bitmessage.  Bitmessage is a decentralized, peer-to-peer, communications protocol that is used to send encrypted messages from one person to another or from one person to multiple persons.  Bitmessage is specifically designed to hide non-content data, such as the sender and recipient of messages from intercept and passive eavesdropping.

 A criminal complaint is merely an allegation that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Orlando District Office with assistance from the United States Postal Inspection Service in Dallas, Texas.  It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Haas.

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Jacksonville, FL - U.S. Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III and representatives of several federal, state and local law enforcement agencies are continuing the observance of National Missing Children's Day (May 25th) by today convening in Jacksonville, Florida to announce the national "Take 25" child safety campaign. This campaign highlights the cooperative efforts among federal, state, and local agencies to prevent, enforce, and prosecute crimes of exploitation against children. The "Take 25" campaign was created in 2007 by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). This campaign encourages parents to take 25 minutes to talk to their children about safety and ways to prevent abduction.

“Child predators are using more cunning and persuasive techniques to lure and exploit innocent children,” said U.S. Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III. “It is up to us, as a community, to educate and protect our children from these hidden dangers – online and elsewhere.”

The Department of Justice is committed to the safety and well-being of our children and has placed a high priority on protecting and combating the sexual exploitation of minors. In 2006, Project Safe Childhood was launched by the Department of Justice as a unified and comprehensive strategy to combat child exploitation by combining law enforcement efforts, community action, and public awareness. It marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals, who exploit children via the Internet, and to identify and rescue victims. The goal of Project Safe Childhood is to reduce the incident of sexual exploitation of children.

From October 1, 2010 through September 30, 2013, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Florida, with the close assistance of numerous federal, state, and local agencies, brought 292 Project Safe Childhood cases against 297 individuals. The charges in those cases vary by defendant, but they include conspiring to travel in interstate commerce to engage in illicit sexual conduct, production of child pornography, distribution and receipt of child pornography, and possession of child pornography. In addition, the MDFL has prosecuted numerous cases involving human trafficking, where individuals, including minors, were forced to commit commercial sex acts. These cases were brought by each of the five division offices of the Middle District of Florida.

Children of all ages are victimized by child pornography producers, from as young as infants and toddlers to adolescents. About half of the victims are younger than 12 years of age. NCMEC reports that 24 percent of identified victims were pubescent, and 76 percent were prepubescent.  

Law enforcement agencies participating today’s event included the Federal Bureau of Investigation; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations; the Naval Criminal Investigative Service; the Florida Department of Law Enforcement; State Attorney’s Office (Fourth Judicial Circuit); Jacksonville Sheriff's Office; Clay County Sheriff’s Office, and the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office.

Tampa, Florida – United States District Judge Steven D. Merryday yesterday sentenced Michael Gallon (49, Lakeland) to a term of 33 years and 9 months’ imprisonment for sex trafficking of a minor by force, fraud or coercion and a concurrent term of 20 years in federal prison for distributing child pornography.  He was also ordered to serve a lifetime of supervision, upon his release. Gallon pleaded guilty to the charges on February 5, 2014.

According to the plea agreement, Gallon was a “pimp” who was operating in Florida and the southeastern United States.  He recruited adult and minor females to join his “dance team.” Gallon then transported the females to bachelor parties and house parties that he arranged.  The females danced and performed acts of prostitution at the parties.  Gallon set up “VIP” rooms at each of the parties, where he would encourage the females to engage in commercial sex acts. Gallon charged the women to use the “VIP” rooms; he also kept most of the money the women earned. Law enforcement has identified at least twelve minor-aged victims of Gallon’s crime.       

This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the Lakeland Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stacie B. Harris.

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

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Virginia M. Hernandez Covington today sentenced Tammy Roaderick (40, Palm Harbor) to thirty-three months in federal prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud.  The court also entered a money judgment against Roaderick in the amount of $2,396,498.25, which are the proceeds traceable to the offense.  Roaderick pleaded guilty on July 18, 2013.

According to court documents, Roaderick and her co-conspirator, Dean Counce, operated American Mortgage Field Services, LLC (AMFS).  AMFS performed preservation and inspection work for homes in various phases of foreclosure, including homes that were owned by government entities such as Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the Federal Housing Administration (FHA).  The government entities paid servicing lenders, such as Bank of America, to protect and maintain their properties.  Beginning in or around 2007, in order to protect the investments and to prevent unnecessary deterioration from neglect or vandalism, some of the servicing lenders retained AMFS to conduct periodic inspections of government-owned or insured properties.

Each month, the servicing lenders would send Counce, Roaderick, and AMFS a list of properties that required inspection.  These inspections required Counce and other AMFS employees to visit a property, fill out an inspection report, and take photographs.  Counce and others transmitted the inspections electronically to the servicing lender, and the servicing lenders then paid AMFS a fee per inspection.

As the real estate market declined, Counce, Roaderick, and AMFS began to receive an increasing number of requests for inspections on properties in foreclosure.  Most or all of the mortgages on the properties were owned or insured by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, or FHA. The requests far exceeded AMFS’s capacity to deliver.  As a result, Counce, Roaderick and other AMFS employees acting at their direction began fabricating inspection reports.  AMFS employed individuals, many of whom were unskilled teenagers, to use previous months’ photographs to fabricate subsequent inspection reports on properties.  Counce and Roaderick also instructed AMFS employees to fabricate inspection reports by using publicly-available websites, such as property appraiser sites, to obtain data about properties that were not inspected.  Employees who produced large numbers of false inspection reports were often rewarded with cash bonuses. AMFS employees, acting under Counce’s and Roaderick’s direction, then submitted these falsified inspection reports to AMFS’s clients along with false claims for payments.  The government estimates that from in or around March 2007, until Roaderick withdrew from the conspiracy on or about December 31, 2009, AMFS received approximately $2,396,498.25 from Countrywide/Bank of America based upon fraudulent inspections.   

This case was investigated by the Federal Housing Finance Agency Office of Inspector General, Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of the Inspector General, and the United States Secret Service.  It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mandy Riedel.

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Jovanna Deshawn Forte (39) and William Boyd Burns (44) have each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and face a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison.  In addition, both agreed to a money judgment in the amount of approximately $385,450, the proceeds of the bank fraud.  Burns pleaded guilty yesterday, and Forte pleaded guilty on May 12, 2014. The sentencing hearings are scheduled for August 28, 2014, at 9:00 a.m. before Judge Virginia M. Hernandez Covington.

According to court documents, Forte and Burns used other peoples’ accounts at local banks to deposit third-party checks that were written to the account holders, in amounts ranging from $1,500 to $3,600.  These third-party checks were fraudulent and false when they were deposited by Forte and Burns because the checks were written on closed accounts and accounts that did not have sufficient funds to pay the amount of the check. The checks were deposited into these accounts by ATM, after the financial institution was closed. Forte and Burns then withdrew or attempted to withdraw funds, both in cash and through debit card purchases, which had been credited to the account from the fraudulent check deposits. The withdrawn funds were then used for personal expenditures.  Forte and Burns were recorded on video tape surveillance using nearly 200 accounts at three financial institutions: Mid-Florida Federal Credit Union, SunTrust Bank and Wachovia Bank. They obtained at least $385,450 in funds from their withdrawals and purchases.

This case was investigated by United States Postal Inspection Service, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Polk County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelley C. Howard-Allen.

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Antoun Arbaji today pleaded guilty to stealing government property described as fraudulently-obtained tax refunds. Arbaji faces a maximum penalty of ten years in federal prison, as well as an obligation to pay back approximately $1,909,403.66 in restitution to the United States. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to the plea agreement, Abas Issa (“Issa”), a co-defendant, owned and operated a convenience store in Green Cove Springs, Florida, known as V&J Stores, Inc.  Arbaji owned and operated another convenience store (“Fina Express”) in Green Cove Springs, a few blocks away.

In 2011, Issa began obtaining both fraudulently-obtained tax refund checks and refund anticipation loan checks from a source in Tampa.  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. Many of the fraudulent checks were issued on behalf of individuals who were deceased at the time the tax returns were filed.

According to court records, more than $352,000 was seized 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.

Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Virginia M. Hernandez Covington sentenced Eleftherios Zachariadis (47, Lake Alfred) on Friday, May 23, 2014, to 14 years in federal prison for possessing child pornography.  Zachariadis pleaded guilty on January 9, 2014.

According to court documents, this investigation began when an undercover agent downloaded multiple images of child pornography from Zachariadis’s Internet Protocol (IP) address. On September 9, 2013, pursuant to a federal search warrant, law enforcement officers seized Zachariadis’s computer, thumb drive, and a DVD.  The investigation revealed that Zachariadis had possessed child pornography for at least seven years. The forensic examination further revealed that his computer, thumb drive, and the DVD contained more than 1,000 images and 200 videos of child pornography.  Multiple files depicted prepubescent minors, bondage, and sadomasochistic conduct.

This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the Central Florida Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force. It is being prosecuted by Special 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, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.

Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announced today that Aaron Michael Murray (21, Clermont) has been charged by a federal grand jury in a superseding indictment with five counts of advertising for child pornography over the Internet, four counts of transporting child pornography over the Internet, and two counts of possessing child pornography. On each of the advertising counts, Murray faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years, up to 30 years in federal prison. He faces a mandatory minimum penalty 5 years, up to 20 years’ imprisonment on each transportation count, and up to 10 years in prison on each possession count. Each count in the superseding indictment also carries a potential life term of supervision.

Murray was arrested on June 28, 2013, in Lake County, pursuant to a criminal complaint. He was originally indicted in this case on July 25, 2013. His trial is scheduled to begin on July 1, 2014 before Chief United States District Judge Anne C. Conway, at the United States Courthouse in Orlando.   

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

This case was investigated by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Dallas (Texas) Police Department, and the Carrollton (Texas) 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.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Virginia M. Hernandez Covington sentenced Cara Lee Williams (29, Tampa) yesterday to 5 years in federal prison for conspiracy to obstruct, delay, or affect commerce by robbery.  On May 14, 2014, U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Kovachevich sentenced Immanuel Lee Williams (29, Tampa) to 5 years and 10 months in federal prison for the same charge.  Both were ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $55,526.00 to the victim financial institutions and to forfeit $48,476.25 in proceeds obtained during the conspiracy.  The Williamses pleaded guilty on January 21, 2014. 

According to court documents, the Williamses conspired to rob federally insured financial institutions between December 2012 and November 2013.  During that period, they carried out 15 bank robberies in the Middle District of Florida and in Alabama.  As part of the scheme, Cara Lee Williams prepared demand notes and acted as the get-away driver for her husband, Immanuel Lee Williams, who would enter the bank and pass the note to the teller.  The note typically indicated that the perpetrator possessed a gun.  For one of the robberies, the roles were reversed and Cara Lee Williams entered the bank and passed the demand note to the teller, while her husband waited outside in the get-away vehicle.  The Williamses used the proceeds from the robberies to pay bills and gamble at casinos.  They were apprehended on November 7, 2013. 

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Tampa Police Department, Polk County Sheriff’s Office, Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, Auburndale Police Department, Lee County Sheriff’s Office, Sumter County Sheriff’s Office, Orange County Sheriff’s Office, and Ocala Police Department.  It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joseph W. Swanson.

Jacksonville, Orlando, and Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the unsealing of nine separate indictments charging individuals with stealing approximately $1.4 million in federal benefits to which they were not entitled.  The penalty for stealing federal benefits is up to ten years in federal prison per count. These nine Middle District of Florida cases arose as the result of Operation Tombstone, an operation initiated and overseen by the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General and the investigative work of Special Agents with multiple Offices of Inspectors General of various federal agencies and departments.  Currently, 73 federal offices of inspectors general exist under the Inspector General Act of 1978. The offices employ special agents (criminal investigators) and auditors. Their activities include the detection and prevention of fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement of the government programs and operations within their parent organizations.

Linda Sue Bellamy (60, Jacksonville) is charged with one count of stealing government property. According to the indictment returned in her case, between October 2005 and October 2013, Bellamy stole approximately $62,518 of government benefits from the Social Security Administration. 

According to the indictment returned in her case, Sonia Destine Casbar (57, Ocala) is charged with one count of stealing government property.  The indictment alleges that between May 2010 and July 2013, Casbar stole approximately $45,111 of government benefits from the Social Security Administration. 

Angela Ann Driggers (53, Callahan) is charged with four counts of stealing government property.  The indictment in her case alleges that between April 2005 and December 2013, Driggers stole approximately $131,078.32 of government benefits from the Social Security Administration and the Federal Medicaid Health Care Benefit Program.

According to the indictment returned in her case, Adriyanna Herdener (37, Melbourne) is charged with one count of stealing government property and one count of social security fraud.  The indictment alleges that between April 2005 and December 2013, Herdener stole approximately $21,712 of government benefits from the Social Security Administration.  Herdener faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison for stealing government property, and up to 5 years in federal prison for the fraud charge.

According to the indictment returned in her case, Camilla Ann Winterling (57, Liberty Township, Ohio) is charged with four counts of stealing government property.  The indictment alleges that between April 1993 and February 2014, Winterling stole a total of approximately $472,788.64 of government benefits from the Social Security Administration and the Department of Veterans Affairs. 

Sandra McCray (57, Jacksonville) is charged with two counts of stealing government property.  Between July 8, 1995 and February 2014, McCray allegedly stole approximately $142,724.00 of government benefits from the Social Security Administration. 

According to the indictment returned in his case, Rickey Nelson (60, Jacksonville) is charged with two counts of stealing government property.  The indictment alleges that between April 1999 and March 2014, Nelson stole approximately $205,530.00 of government benefits from the Social Security Administration. 

Steven Hutka (67, Jacksonville) is charged with one count of stealing government property.  The indictment alleges that between April 1999 and March 2014, Hutka stole approximately $69,351.00 of government benefits from the Social Security Administration. 

According to the indictment returned in his case, Daniel Ovshak (64, St. Johns) is charged with two counts of stealing government property.  The indictment alleges that between July and December 2013, Ovshak stole approximately $267,701.00 of government benefits from the Social Security Administration. 

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.

Agencies conducting these investigations included the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, the Veterans Administration, Office of Inspector General, the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, and the United States Secret Service.  The cases will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys throughout the Middle District of Florida, including Robert Bodnar, Jackson Boggs, Mac Heavener, and Jay Taylor.

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Patricia M. Syling (44, Lutz) yesterday pleaded guilty to wire fraud.  She faces a maximum penalty of twenty years in federal prison. As part of her plea agreement, Syling also agreed to forfeit a residence in Lutz.

According to the plea agreement and other court documents, Syling gained employment in October 2007 with Citrus Health Care, Inc. (“CHC”), a health maintenance organization located in Tampa.  Her title was Director of Compliance. To secure the position with CHC, Syling used a false name (Patricia Dunne) and other false personal information in her CHC employment application, including a false social security number, prior work history, and education history. Syling used the false information because at the time, she was under federal indictment in the District of Hawaii (Case No. 07-CR-406SOM), charged with eight counts of mail fraud. 

Shortly after securing employment at CHC, Syling opened a bank account at Regions Bank in the name of Health Solutions Group, LLC (“HSG”), a company created and controlled by her. Thereafter, she created fraudulent documentation to support bogus invoices submitted by HSG, and other like sounding names, to CHC, which Syling then approved for payment. For example, in July 2007, using her position at CHC and still posing as Patricia Dunne, Syling provided fraudulent information to a member of the CHC Board of Directors in order to cause that person to initiate an interstate wire transfer of $395,000 from CHC’s SunTrust bank account to the HSG bank account controlled by the Syling at Regions Bank. Syling then used a portion of the proceeds from the wire transfer to purchase a home in Lutz, Florida.

In March 2009, Syling pleaded guilty to the eight mail fraud charges in the District of Hawaii.  On June 3, 2009, she was sentenced to 40 months in federal prison.  She was released in June 2013.  A superseding indictment was returned in the Middle District of Florida case in July 2013.

This case was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jay G. Trezevant.

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Juan Alberto Ortiz-Lopez, a/k/a “Chamale,” a/k/a “Juanito,” (43, San Marcos, Guatemala) has been extradited to the Middle District of Florida to face federal drug trafficking charges. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. The indictment also notifies Ortiz-Lopez that the United States intends to forfeit any and all properties, which are traceable to proceeds of the offenses. Ortiz-Lopez was indicted on February 1, 2011 and arrested on March 30, 2011 by Guatemalan authorities.

Count one of the indictment charges Ortiz-Lopez with conspiring with other persons, including persons who were on board a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States and who were first brought into the United States, at a point in the Middle District of Florida, to possess with the intent to distribute and distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine. Count two charges Ortiz-Lopez with conspiring with other persons to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine, knowing and intending that such substance would be unlawfully imported into the United States.

Ortiz-Lopez’s indictment was obtained following a long-term investigation by the Operation Panama Express Strike Force – a multi-agency task force targeting large-scale drug trafficking organizations involved in smuggling shipments of narcotics into the United States. Ortiz-Lopez was designated under the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program as a Consolidated Priority Organization Target (CPOT), and was considered by the DEA to be the highest ranking drug trafficker currently operating in Guatemala. For over a decade, Ortiz-Lopez’s drug organization received multi-ton cocaine shipments in Guatemala, which would then be transported through Mexico to the United States, where the cocaine would be further distributed.

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 Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), including DEA’s Guatemala City Country Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Services (USCGIS), the Joint Interagency Task Force – South (JIATF-S), and the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), with the assistance of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs and the Government of Guatemala and Guatemalan law enforcement agencies. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joseph K. Ruddy.

Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III, announces that a federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging William Paez Rubiano (40) with importing approximately 3.3 kilograms of heroin into the United States from Colombia.  If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.

According to court records, on May 8, 2014, Paez arrived in Orlando from Bogota, Colombia, aboard JetBlue Airways Flight 1784.  Paez was traveling with his wife and their seven-year-old daughter.  Upon arrival at the Orlando International Airport, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) K-9 Officer conducted a canine sweep of Paez and his family, including their carry-on luggage.  The canine positively alerted to the odor of narcotics emanating from the carry-on luggage.  Paez’s carry-on luggage was examined and the officers discovered, concealed inside the linings of the luggage, a brown powder substance which yielded positive results to the presence of heroin.  Paez accepted responsibility for the drugs and was placed under arrest.  He is currently detained pending trial.

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 Homeland Security Investigations.  It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ilianys Rivera Miranda.

Tampa, FL – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the return by a grand jury of an indictment charging Gaeton Della Penna (61, Sarasota) with eight counts of wire fraud and ten counts of mail fraud in connection with an investment fraud scheme. If convicted, Penna faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison on each count. The indictment also notifies Penna that the United States intends to seek a forfeiture money judgment in the amount of more than $3 million and intends to forfeit any assets that are alleged to be traceable to proceeds of the offense, including funds in bank accounts in the name of Penna’s business entities and his Sarasota residence. 

Penna self-surrendered to authorities today. His initial appearance is scheduled for 2 p.m. today before United States Magistrate Judge Thomas B. McCoun.

According to the indictment, Penna enticed investors to invest in Penna’s “investment funds” by guaranteeing them at least 5% yearly interest on their investment, with the principal to be returned at the end of an 18-month period, minus a nominal management/organizational fee paid to Penna, plus any trading profits. These representations were false. Instead of making profitable trades and protecting investors’ principal, Penna used less than half of the investors’ money for trading, lost money in his trades, and misappropriated the rest of the investors’ money by using it to repay other investors’ principal. He also used the monies for personal expenditures, including mortgage payments on his waterfront residence. Penna directed investors to write checks and wire their investment proceeds to him in the name of these funds and to Gaeton Capital Advisors.  Penna also directed that false statements and “quarterly” interest checks be sent to the investors via the U.S. Mail to perpetuate the fraud.

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 Secret Service and the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelley Howard-Allen.

Ocala, Florida – Chief U.S. District Judge Anne C. Conway today sentenced Michael J. Garland (42, Lecanto) to two years in federal prison for bribery of a public official.  The court also ordered Garland to forfeit $4,200, which are traceable proceeds of the offense.  Garland pleaded guilty to the offense on February 28, 2014.

According to court documents, Garland worked as a correctional officer at the Federal Correctional Institution Medium in Sumter County, Florida.  On May 24, 2013, federal agents observed Garland on a video surveillance system as he met with an inmate at the federal prison.  When agents subsequently searched the inmate, they discovered contraband in the inmate’s waistband in the form of a cellular phone with accessories, a prepaid phone card, ten packs of cigarettes and snuff tobacco.  Agents immediately confronted Garland, who admitted that he had smuggled the items into the prison for the inmate.  In return for smuggling the contraband into the prison, the inmate had made cash payments to Garland through a third party in the amount of $4,200.  

This case was investigated by the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Prisons Special Investigations Unit. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Bodnar, Jr.

Tampa, FL – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Erica Lambert with one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States Treasury and to commit wire fraud, 15 counts of wire fraud, and eight counts of aggravated identity theft, all in connection with filing fraudulent tax returns in other people’s names. If convicted, she faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison on the conspiracy charge, ten years on each wire fraud charge, and 2 consecutive years’ imprisonment on the aggravated identity theft offenses. The indictment also notifies Lambert that the United States intends to forfeit any assets that are alleged to be traceable to proceeds of the offense. Lambert was arrested and made her initial appearance on May 19, 2014.

According to the indictment, Lambert, and others, electronically filed false tax returns, each claiming fraudulent refunds, using stolen and fraudulently-obtained means of identification of others. Lambert and others kept track of the fraudulently-filed returns and refunds in detailed ledgers. The fraudulent tax refunds came in the form of U.S. Treasury checks and debit cards, which Lambert and others used to obtain cash and goods for their other personal use.    

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 Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office and the Tampa Police Department.  It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelley Howard-Allen.

This case was brought as part 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.

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Roy B. Dalton, Jr. yesterday sentenced Sirrico Lewis (42, Orlando) to 8 years in federal prison for access device fraud. Lewis was also ordered to pay $754,864.55 in restitution and to serve a 3-year term of supervision, following his release from prison.  Lewis pleaded guilty to an Information in December 2013.

According to court documents, Lewis and others engaged in a scheme to defraud several Central Florida area Sam’s Clubs and Wal-Mart stores through the fraudulent acquisition of duplicate Sam’s Club credit cards, and the subsequent use of those credit cards. To facilitate the crimes, a conspirator would manufacture counterfeit identification documents of existing Sam’s Club customers. Lewis and others then obtained those counterfeit identification documents, took them to various Sam’s Clubs, and used them to obtain duplicate credit cards on existing accounts. The co-conspirators then used those credit cards to make fraudulent purchases at area Sam’s Club and Wal-Mart stores, or they turned the cards over to another conspirator who would either make fraudulent purchases or get another person to do so. The fraudulently-purchased items would be sold, with the proceeds from those sales being divided amongst the conspirators. The total amount of actual loss suffered by the victims of this scheme is over $2 million. Of that amount, Lewis was involved in over $750,000 in fraudulent transactions.

Lewis is the second individual to be sentenced in this case. On October 30, 2012, Reginald Holley pleaded guilty to access device fraud. Holley was sentenced to 46 months in federal prison on January 14, 2013.

These cases were investigated by the United States Secret Service. They were prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg.

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Fred Bedran (61, Jacksonville) with tax evasion. If convicted on all counts, Bedran faces a maximum penalty of three years in federal prison and a $100,000 fine. 

According to the indictment, Fred Bedran is the owner and operator of J.R. Cocktails, Inc., a Gentleman’s club in Jacksonville, Florida. From 2007 through 2010, Bedran, underreported his personal income and the gross receipts/sales being generated from his business, to avoid paying the full amount of his personal and corporate income taxes.   

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 Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Malisa Chokshi.

Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge John E. Steele yesterday sentenced Emmanuel Marty (32, Lehigh Acres) to two years in federal prison for his role in a conspiracy to commit theft of government funds. The Court also ordered Marty to pay $1,460,063.16 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service. The sentence also included a money judgment in that same amount, $1,460,063.16, representing the proceeds of the offense.     

Marty pleaded guilty on January 7, 2014. 

According to court documents, Marty was employed as a bank manager at a bank in Fort Myers.  While employed at that bank, he used his position to override internal controls and cash approximately $1,460,063.16 worth of United States Treasury Checks that were generated as refund checks, as a result of fraudulent tax returns filed with the Internal Revenue Service. The tax returns were filed utilizing stolen personal identification information.         

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David G. Lazarus.

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Shamorcus Brandan Nesbitt (27, Tampa) and England Alexander Wilson (32, Tampa) have been charged in a criminal complaint with conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery, interference with commerce by robbery, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to and in furtherance of a crime of violence. If convicted, each faces a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment for each robbery, and mandatory minimum consecutive sentences of 7 years, up to life imprisonment for each related firearms offenses.

After being arrested on May 20, 2014, Nesbitt and Wilson made their initial appearances in federal court, before United States Magistrate Judge Thomas B. McCoun, III in Tampa. They were detained pending further proceedings.

According to the criminal complaint, multiple law enforcement agencies have been investigating a series of 19 commercial armed robberies that have occurred in the Tampa Bay area between December 2013 and May 20, 2014. The robberies were unique in that they occurred around closing time and that the robbers would smash the stores’ glass with a brick or rock to gain access to the store. Once inside the store, the robbers would hold the employees at gunpoint, while demanding money. Based on the patterns of the armed robberies, investigators identified Nesbitt and Wilson as the potential perpetrators and identified the vehicles that they were believed to be using to commit the robberies. At approximately 12:40 a.m. on May 20, 2014, Nesbitt and Wilson used one of those vehicles to commit an armed robbery of a pizza chain on West Waters Avenue in Tampa.  Further investigation led law enforcement to Nesbitt’s residence, in Tampa, where both individuals were ultimately taken into custody.

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 a joint investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms & Explosives, the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office, Hernando County Sheriff’s Office, Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, and the Tampa Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Josephine W. Thomas.

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Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Roy B. Dalton, Jr. yesterday sentenced Travis Garrett Robinson (27, Cape Canaveral) to 25 years in prison for two counts of production of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. As part of his sentence, Robinson was also ordered to serve a life-term of supervision and register as a sex offender, following his release from prison. 

Robinson pleaded guilty on February 26, 2014.

According to court documents, this investigation began when an Internet website reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) that a specific Internet Protocol (IP) address was engaged in downloading child pornography.  Law enforcement determined the location of the IP address and interviewed Robinson.  Robinson not only admitted to downloading and possessing child pornography, but also admitted to producing child pornography. While Robinson was a guest in a friend’s home, he exploited young boys. Robinson waited until the boys were sleeping, and on different occasions, exposed them and took several pictures with his cell phone and camera. 

Robinson’s computer, external hard drive and cameras were seized and searched pursuant to a search warrant.  The investigation revealed that Robinson, using a peer-to-peer software program (“Shareaza”), had downloaded and viewed child pornography for approximately ten years.  The forensic examination of his cell phones showed that Robinson produced more than ten images of child pornography of minor victims.  The forensic examination further revealed that his computer, external hard drive, and cell phones contained a total of 992 image files and 261 movie files of child pornography.  Included in these additional images were images involving bondage and/or penetration of children who were under 12 years old.

This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Orlando Regional Operations Center. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Myrna Amelia Mesa.

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

Jacksonville, FL – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Kathryn Cohen Allen (47, Jasper) has pleaded guilty to sending letters to the offices of Senators Marco Rubio and Bill Nelson in June of 2011, threatening their lives. Allen faces a maximum penalty of ten years in federal prison and a fine of $500,000. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to court documents, on June 27, 2011, Allen mailed threatening letters containing a white powdery substance to the offices of United States Senators Marco Rubio and Bill Nelson. Both offices were evacuated as a result. Field and laboratory testing determined that the white powdery substance was not hazardous. Allen admitted that she sent the letters in an effort to frame her neighbor whom she believed was engaged in an interracial relationship. Allen was implicated in the scheme when her handwriting was identified in each of the letters.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Numerous local agencies also participated in the investigation, including the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, Jacksonville Fire and Rescue, and the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jay Taylor.

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Tampa – U.S. District Judge James S. Moody, Jr. today sentenced former WellCare Chief Executive Officer Todd S. Farha (45, Tampa) to 36 months in prison for defrauding the Florida Medicaid program. In addition, the Court also respectively sentenced Paul L. Behrens (52, Odessa) to 24 months’ imprisonment; William L. Kale (64, Oldsmar) to one year and a day in prison; and Peter E. Clay (57, Wellesley, Massachusetts) to five years’ probation.

All four were convicted by a federal jury on June 10, 2013. Specifically, Farha was convicted of two counts of health care fraud; former WellCare Chief Financial Officer Paul L. Behrens was convicted of two counts of making false statements relating to health care matters and two counts of health care fraud; William L. Kale, former Vice President of Harmony Behavioral Health, Inc. (a wholly-owned subsidiary of WellCare), was found guilty of two counts of health care fraud; and Peter E. Clay, former WellCare Vice President of Medical Economics, was found guilty of making false statements to a law enforcement officer.

“Today’s sentences are the culmination of a lengthy and comprehensive investigation and prosecution of egregious crimes of fraud and greed,” said U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida A. Lee Bentley III.  “We hope that the sentences imposed will send a strong message that individuals engaging in health care fraud will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.”

“The former WellCare executives chose to engage in corrosive and illegal conduct. Unsatisfied with the wealth and power they already had, they chose to steal from the American public,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Omar Perez Aybar, HHS-OIG Miami Regional Office. “Today they are being held accountable for their actions.  The sentences serve as a warning to other corporate executives who may contemplate such action and are a testament to Justice truly being blind to power, position, and status.” 

According to court records and evidence at trial, Farha and others orchestrated a scheme to defraud the Florida Medicaid program from the summer of 2003 through the fall of 2007 by making fraudulent statements relating to expenditures for behavioral health care services.

WellCare operates health maintenance organizations (HMOs) in several states providing services through government-sponsored health care benefit programs like Medicaid.  Two WellCare HMOs operating in Florida, StayWell and Healthease, contracted with the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA), the Florida agency that administers the Medicaid program, to provide Florida Medicaid program recipients with an array of services, including behavioral health services.

In 2002, Florida enacted a statute that required Florida Medicaid HMOs to expend 80 percent of the Medicaid premium paid for certain behavioral health services upon the provision of those services. In the event that the HMO expended less than 80 percent of the premium, the difference was required to be returned to AHCA. As part of the scheme, Farha and others fraudulently submitted inflated expenditure information in the company’s annual reports to AHCA to reduce the WellCare HMOs’ contractual repayment obligations for behavioral health care services.

On May 5, 2009 the government filed related charges in an information and a deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) against WellCare. Pursuant to that DPA, WellCare was required to pay $40 million in restitution, forfeit another $40 million to the United States and cooperate with the government’s criminal investigation. The company complied with all of the requirements of the DPA.  As a result, the information was later dismissed by the court following a government motion.  In a related civil qui tam case, Wellcare agreed to pay $137.5 million in civil fines and penalties.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, the FBI, and the Florida Attorney General's Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. The case was prosecuted by Senior Trial Attorney John Michelich of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Senior Litigation Counsel Assistant United States Attorney Jay Trezevant, Assistant United States Attorney Cherie Krigsman, and Special Assistant United States Attorney John Bowers of the Middle District of Florida.

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Jorge F. Ortega (27, Tampa) yesterday pleaded guilty to three violations of the Federal Meat Inspection Act. The violations include selling adulterated or misbranded meat, selling uninspected meat, and the improper slaughter of swine.  Ortega faces a maximum penalty of 3 years in federal prison for each violation.

According to court documents, Ortega was the operator of Jorge’s Farm.  He was responsible for the oversight of its activities, including the slaughtering, processing, handling, storing, and selling of swine in commerce, for human consumption. On October 27, 2011, Ortega slaughtered a swine in an inhumane manner. That swine was contaminated with insects and other filth.  Ortega then sold the swine carcass to an undercover agent without labeling it properly and without the required federal meat inspection.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Food Safety and Investigative Service (FSIS) and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer L. Peresie.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Virginia M. Hernandez Covington yesterday sentenced Antouin L. Barker (43) to 15 years and eight months in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. 

A federal jury found Barker guilty on February 11, 2014.

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, on February 12, 2013, after sunset, Barker was riding his bicycle against traffic and without lighting equipment on 127th Avenue East, in Tampa. When stopped by deputies with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office for the traffic infractions, Barker repeatedly put his hands in his pockets, despite repeated warnings not to do so. Barker verbally consented to a search, but ultimately put his hands back in his pockets and turned away from the deputies. Fearing for their safety, deputies removed Barker’s hands from his pockets and patted him down. During the search, a small .22 caliber revolver was found in the right front pocket of Barker’s shorts. The gun was loaded with one live round, and four spent casings.

At the time of the incident, Barker was a previously convicted felon. His prior felonies include drug charges, aggravated battery, grand theft, and burglary. As a previously convicted felon, Barker is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law. This case was investigated by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark E. Bini.

It is another case prosecuted as a part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” program - a nationwide, gun-violence reduction strategy.  United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III, along with Julie Leon, 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.

Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Richard A. Lazzara today sentenced Tory Lenard James (32, Sarasota) to ten years in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. James was found guilty by a federal jury on February 25, 2014.

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, on July 25, 2013, members of the Sarasota Police Department executed a search warrant at James’s residence. Inside the home, law enforcement officers found a loaded .22 caliber pistol.

At the time of the incident, James was a convicted felon.  His prior felonies include robbery and multiple drug convictions. As a convicted felon, James is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Sarasota Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Carlton C. Gammons and Shauna S. Hale.

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 Julie Leon, Special Agent in Charge, ATF, is coordinating the Project Safe Neighborhoods effort here in the Middle District of Florida in cooperation with federal, state, and local law enforcement officials. It is also a part of ATF’s Frontline Strategy to reduce violent crime in communities where law enforcement efforts are focused.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Virginia M. Hernandez Covington yesterday sentenced Anthony R. Reeves to seven years and three months in federal prison for multiple counts of wire fraud, theft of government property, and aggravated identity theft. As part of his sentence, the court also entered a money judgment in the amount of $69,585.59, a portion of the proceeds of the charged criminal conduct.         

Reeves was found guilty on February 3, 2014, following a bench trial.

According to court documents, on May 8, 2012, Reeves was stopped by a Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) Trooper for speeding and other traffic infractions. After a drug canine alerted on the vehicle, the car was searched. During the search, the trooper found a backpack that contained a laptop, a plastic bag containing 35 debit cards, multiple cell phones, a notebook, and 54 medical records from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) James A. Haley Hospital in Tampa.  The notebook contained lists of names, social security numbers, email addresses, credit card numbers, and cell phone numbers. The VA medical records contained the names and SSNs of patients. In total, Reeves had the personal identifying information (PII) of 69 veterans and 52 others in his possession. Reeves admitted that he purchased VA medical records from someone whom he knew who worked at the VA, and used the information to file fraudulent tax returns. 

Law enforcement conducted an analysis of the laptop, which revealed that it had been used to access numerous debit card accounts in the names of the victims. The IRS then conducted an analysis of the returns associated with Reeves, based on the files on the computer and the identifiers found in his possession. Specifically, Reeves filed at least 71 fraudulent tax returns from tax years 2010 and 2011.  

Special Agent in Charge Monty Stokes, Office of Inspector General, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs said, “This case was the result of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies aggressively pursuing those who commit identity theft. Reeves is no stranger to the criminal justice system. This 7 year, 3 month sentence will hopefully be a deterrent for others, and give him some time to consider if it was really worth it.”

“Yesterday’s sentencing of Mr. Reeves is the final culmination of years of investigation, hard work and the combined efforts of the Internal Revenue Service, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the United States Attorney’s Office and the Florida Highway Patrol,” stated Florida Highway Patrol spokesman Steve Gaskins.  “An alert Florida State Trooper conducting routine traffic enforcement, who looked beyond the traffic stop for criminal activity, has led to a highly successful conclusion whereby citizens and especially veterans benefit tremendously.” 

This case was investigated by the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, and the Florida Highway Patrol. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney.