Middle District of Florida

Tampa, FL – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Naba Raheem Lewis (34, Tampa) was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for coercing and enticing a minor to engage in sexual activity. Lewis pleaded guilty to this offense on January 24, 2014.

According to the plea agreement, on June 12, 2013, the Tampa Police Department received a 911 call in reference to a room at the Americas Best Value Inn & Suites. While conducting the investigation, officers made contact with two 16-year-old females and a baby. Further investigation determined that Lewis had met one of the minors on an Internet website, in June 2013.  Lewis had browsed the site and found the minor’s Internet profile, then utilized the information to send her a private message.  Lewis informed the minor that he was reviewing her photographs online and noticed that she had a child. He told her that he knew how she could make money to help care for her child.

Lewis subsequently obtained sexually explicit photos of the minor victim and her friend.  Lewis then posted an Internet advertisement listing his telephone number so that he could schedule dates for the minor victims to meet men and have sex with them in exchange for money. To facilitate the crimes, Lewis rented two hotel rooms at the Americas Best Value Inn & Suites. One room was used for Lewis and the minors to sleep, while the other room was designated for prostitution. Lewis took all of the money that the minors earned from prostitution and stashed it in one of the hotel rooms.    

During the investigation, law enforcement determined that Lewis attempted to recruit numerous females into prostitution using his social media accounts. At least one of the unidentified females was determined to be 15 years old. 

This case was investigated by the Tampa Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was 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 (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Virginia M. Hernandez Covington yesterday sentenced Samih Abdel Rahman (51, Tampa) to 17 years and 6 months in federal prison for his involvement in a conspiracy to launder approximately $3,335,898 of proceeds from stolen identity refund fraud and drug trafficking. 

Rahman pleaded guilty on January 24, 2014.

According to court documents and other evidence, Rahman was the owner and operator of Sam & Sons Auto Sales, Inc., a used car dealership located in Tampa. For a period of years, beginning no later than 2008, until March 2013, Rahman, who was assisted by others, sold vehicles to customers who paid with proceeds from stolen identity income-tax refund fraud and narcotics trafficking. Knowing that the payments were derived from ill-gotten gains, Rahman laundered the money in a manner that concealed its illicit sources. An estimate of the total amount of money laundered by Rahman is $3,335,898.

Among other ways, Rahman laundered these monies by putting the title of vehicles sold at Sam & Sons in the names of "straw purchasers" – that is, someone other than the actual buyer and intended user of that vehicle.  Rahman also disguised the criminal identities of the true buyers of the cars by creating and processing false paperwork for the sales, including fake bills of sales and payment receipts. When receiving cash payments of more than $10,000 of illicit proceeds, Rahman would further launder the money by structuring cash deposits.  He structured the deposits in a way that avoided triggering reporting requirements by the bank. He also failed to report those transactions appropriately, as was required under federal law for a car dealership receiving that amount of cash during the sale of a vehicle. 

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Jackson.

Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge James S. Moody, Jr. today sentenced Viviana Reyes (40, Tampa) to 12 years’ imprisonment for conspiracy to commit credit card fraud, conspiracy to commit bank fraud, credit card fraud, bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, and identity theft. The Court also ordered Reyes to pay $599,744.11 in restitution to the victims of her crimes and entered a forfeiture money judgment in the amount of $725,267.44, which represents the proceeds of the crimes.

A federal jury found Reyes guilty of all counts on December 12, 2013, after a four-day trial. Four of her co-conspirators previously pleaded guilty. Three have been sentenced and one remains a fugitive.

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, Michel Lermos-Hernandez, Danay Crespo-Rodriguez, Norma Cabezas-Hernandez, and Viviana Reyes ran a credit card fraud ring. Lermos and Reyes were the leaders. Lermos, aided by others, obtained credit card numbers by placing key loggers on credit card terminals at the International Mall in Tampa, one in particular at the Haagen-Dazs ice cream store, that intercepted and stored swiped credit and debit card account information. Lermos and others then created counterfeit credit cards using the stolen credit and debit card account numbers. Lermos obtained blank credit card stock, embossing machines and magnetic stripe re-encoders from Reyes. He also sold stolen credit and debit card numbers taken from the key loggers to her. 

After making the credit cards, Lermos provided the counterfeit credit cards to his co-conspirators, including his sister, Norma Cabezas-Hernandez, his girlfriend, Danay Crespo-Rodriguez, and at least two other separately-charged individuals (Lazaro Rodriguez and Abel Osorio-Cuok).  Using the counterfeit cards, they bought electronics and gift cards at Tampa area retailers. The conspirators then took these items to Reyes= house, where she paid them in cash for the fraudulently obtained merchandise. Reyes directed the co-conspirators on what to buy – such as Target gift cards, Wal-Mart gift cards, and Apple electronics, based upon what she could most easily sell on the street. When Reyes purchased the items from her conspirators, she paid them approximately 50% of the retail value of the items before reselling them for approximately 60% of the retail value. Reyes advertised the items via text message and email.

A search of Reyes’ house in February 2013 revealed a credit card skimming device and two thumb drives filled with hundreds of stolen credit and debit card numbers, many of which were compromised at Haagen Dazs. Agents also recovered three counterfeit Florida drivers’ licenses indicative of those that Reyes sold to others in order to open lines of credit at area stores. A search of Reyes’ phone revealed pictures of merchandise such as Apple computers and tablets for sale, along with numerous text messages advertising electronics and gift cards for sale, at greatly reduced prices. Agents estimate that the loss, to date, to the affected financial institutions exceeds $700,000 and that the conspirators stole thousands of account numbers from affected credit and debit card account holders.

On March 13, 2014, Norma Cabezas-Hernandez was sentenced to five years in federal prison.  Danay Crespo-Rodriguez’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for June 2014.  Michel Lermos-Hernandez remains a fugitive.  Lazaro Rodriguez was sentenced in January 2014 to three years and one month in federal prison.  On February 21, 2014, Abel Osorio-Cuok was sentenced to five years’ probation for his role in this case.

This case was investigated by the Tampa Police Department, Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the United States Secret Service, all of whom are members of the USSS’s credit card fraud and identity theft task force. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Mandy Riedel and Suzanne Nebesky.

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III today announced the unsealing of a federal indictment charging four individuals with crimes relating to the distribution of synthetic cannabinoids. The indictment charges Ali El Khateeb (45, Tampa), Al Eddin Khaled (23, Wesley Chapel), and George Challita (56, New Orleans, LA) with conspiring to distribute and the distribution of AM-2201, a controlled substance analogue. El Khateeb, Khaled, and Anwar Gaber (31, Tampa) are also charged with conspiring to distribute and distribution of the controlled substance XLR-11. If convicted, each offense carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. The indictment also seeks forfeitures, including a money judgment in the amount of approximately $5.9 million.

Corporate filings reveal that Khaled is associated with a business known as Wild Incense, located 4401 E. 10th Avenue in Tampa. This location was the focus of a search warrant that was executed on July 25, 2012, the date of nationwide enforcement actions relating to the distribution of smokable synthetic cannabinoids.

An analogue substance has a substantially similar chemical structure and effect as a controlled substance. The Controlled Substance Analogue Enforcement Act of 1986 (CSAEA) allows many of these drugs to be treated as controlled substances if they are proven to be chemically and/or pharmacologically similar to a Schedule I or Schedule II controlled substance. When intended for human consumption, analogues are treated in the same fashion as the controlled substance and provide law enforcement with a means to keep pace with the rapidly changing environment surrounding the distribution of chemicals used to replace outlawed substances. 

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 indictment is the result of a long-term Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation involving the joint participation of numerous law enforcement agencies in the Tampa Bay area and nationwide.  The agencies involved include the Drug Enforcement Administration in Tampa, Gainesville, Los Angeles, New Orleans, and Milwaukee,  U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Marshals Service, Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, Tampa Police Department, Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, Ocala Police Department, Gainesville Police Department, Alachua County Sheriff’s Office, Levy County Sheriff’s Office, Union County Sheriff’s Office, Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, and Marion County Sheriff’s Office. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.

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Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Richard R. Baker (47, Winter Park) today pleaded guilty to tax evasion. Baker faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison, and a $250,000 fine. His sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled.

According to court documents, Baker has been licensed to practice law in Florida since 1993. In the late 1990s or early 2000s, Baker began to focus his practice on bankruptcy law and started managing and operating his own law office, which was known as the Law Offices of Richard R. Baker.

As a result of his position as an attorney, his training in the law, and his expertise in bankruptcy law, Baker knows that individuals are required to file personal federal tax returns. Despite that knowledge, he failed to timely file his personal federal tax returns from at least 1995 to 2008. From 2002 to 2008, Baker’s total adjusted gross income was approximately $991,008. Because of the amount of gross income that he earned in each of those years, Baker was required by law to file personal tax returns. 

In an attempt to evade paying his income taxes, Baker submitted extensions to the Internal Revenue Service for his 2007 and 2008 tax returns.  He falsely represented that he owed $0 in taxes. In addition, Baker claimed more allowances than he was allowed for his federal withholding, and he failed to mail to the IRS the W-2 forms that had been prepared for him and the other employees at his business.

On several occasions, Baker was advised that he needed to file his personal and corporate federal tax returns. In October 2009, Baker’s accountant prepared his personal returns for 2002 to 2008. Baker, however, did not file any of those returns at that point.  Rather, he continued with his efforts to prevent the IRS from being able to investigate him, which included the submission of a false Collection Information Statement to the IRS, in November 2009, that misrepresented the number of exemptions that he had claimed on his withholding and that omitted two bank accounts controlled by him, containing thousands of dollars. The total amount of unreported income for Baker for 2002 to 2008 was approximately $991,008. The total tax loss for those years is approximately $160,348, which Baker has agreed to pay to the IRS as restitution. 

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service -- Criminal Investigation Division.  It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg.

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the filing of an information charging Angel William Quinones (34, Largo) with conspiracy to import MDMA, a/k/a Ecstasy or “Molly,” into the United States. A plea agreement was also filed in United States District Court in Tampa. Quinones faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison.

According to the plea agreement, from at least August 2012 through October 2013, Quinones used the underground website known as “Silk Road” as part of a conspiracy to import at least 9,193 grams of MDMA into the Middle District of Florida, for further distribution in the United States. From January 2011, until it was shut down by law enforcement in October 2013, Silk Road was dedicated to the sale of illegal drugs and other illicit, black market goods and services using the digital currency Bitcoin. The website was also designed to facilitate illegal commerce by ensuring anonymity among its users. Quinones was one of the largest wholesale re-distributors of illegal drugs from Silk Road in the United States.

Operating out of Largo, Florida, Quinones used the usernames “UnderGroundSyndicate” and “BTCmaster” to advertise, market, and sell illegal drugs on Silk Road. In operating the UnderGroundSyndicate and BTCmaster accounts, he obtained his MDMA principally from a Dutch supplier named Cornelis Jan Slomp (22).  Slomp’s Silk Road username was “SuperTrips”.  According to records obtained from the Silk Road servers, Slomp was the number one distributor of controlled substances, by sales, on the website. On April 24, 2014, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois announced that Slomp had been charged with conspiracy to distribute various controlled substances through Silk Road, including approximately 104 kilograms of MDMA, 566,000 ecstasy pills containing MDMA, four kilograms of cocaine, three kilograms of Benzodiazepine, and substantial quantities of amphetamine, LSD, and marijuana. Slomp pleaded guilty on May 8, 2014.

Quinones used the “UnderGroundSyndicate” and “BTCmaster” accounts to communicate with Slomp. In August 2012, Quinones entered into an arrangement with Slomp, whereby Slomp would provide him with wholesale quantities of MDMA on credit.  Quinones, in turn, would sell the substances to his own customers via Silk Road and then split the proceeds with Slomp.  Thereafter, Slomp shipped the MDMA into the Tampa area. After obtaining the MDMA, Quinones distributed the MDMA to customers throughout the United States. Quinones obtained several Post Office boxes in Pinellas County, which he used to ship and receive MDMA and proceeds. Slomp also provided Quinones with his unique logon information to the SuperTrips account and paid him to review and reply to messages sent to Slomp by customers on Silk Road.

Additionally, Slomp sent Quinones Bitcoins generated from Silk Road drug transactions to be converted into cash. Slomp also agreed that Quinones would hold on to a portion of the proceeds that Quinones had generated for Slomp, until Slomp was ready to retrieve them. In August 2013, Slomp was arrested after traveling from the Netherlands, to Miami, in order to meet with Quinones and transfer Slomp’s United States-based Silk Road operations, including his United States customers, to Quinones. 

On October 2, 2013, with assistance from agencies in Chicago, federal agents executed a search warrant at Quinones’ home in Largo. During the search, agents found approximately $157,580 in cash, documents and keys associated with Post Office boxes used by the UnderGroundSyndicate and BTCmaster accounts, and various electronic media. Forensic analysis of that electronic media later uncovered spreadsheets and other documents authored by Quinones, which were associated with the UnderGroundSyndicate and BTCmaster accounts, including Silk Road customer orders and tracking information for parcels containing MDMA and drug proceeds.

This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Office of the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick Scruggs.

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Noel Perez Partagas (21, Tampa) today pleaded guilty to two counts of access device (credit card) fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. Partagas faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison for each of the credit card fraud offenses and 2 consecutive years’ imprisonment on the identity theft charge.

According to the plea agreement, Partagas obtained stolen credit and debit account numbers, which he used to create and/or purchase counterfeit or cloned credit cards. The true owners of the credit and debit accounts remained in possession of the cards and did not know to report them stolen. Partagas used the cards to purchase large quantities of fuel and tires, among other things, that could later be sold for cash.

Partagas had previously been arrested in July 2013, when he purchased approximately $100 worth of diesel fuel using a fraudulent credit card at a Murphy Gas location in Polk County. At the time, he was driving a pick-up truck with a large custom “bladder tank” in the truck’s bed that was used to hold large quantities of fuel. Partagas was also in possession of 69 credit cards and 20 gift cards, most which had been re-encoded.  In early May 2013, Partagas also used fraudulent credit cards to purchase nearly $42,000 worth of tires from two tire retailers in the Lakeland area. The credit card companies suffered losses of over $65,000, with potential losses totaling nearly $350,000.

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

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Roy B. Dalton, Jr. yesterday sentenced Keith William Davey, Jr. (28, Palm Bay) to 8 years and one month in federal prison for distributing child pornography. Davey is also required to register as a sex offender and to serve a 5-year term of supervision, following his release from prison. The court also ordered Davey to forfeit his computer equipment. 

Davey pleaded guilty on February 11, 2014.

According to court documents, in November 2013, an undercover agent working in Portland, Maine initiated contact with Davey over the Internet. Davey believed that the agent was interested in child pornography and discussed trading images with the agent.   On November 6, 2013, and again on November 8, 2013, Davey used the Yahoo Messenger photo sharing feature to send the agent images of child pornography, including images of prepubescent female children being sexually abused and exploited by adult males. Davey used his Yahoo Messenger screen name to transmit the images. Law enforcement agents executed a search at Davey’s Palm Bay residence, and during an interview, Davey admitted to sending the child pornography to the undercover agent and that he had obtained child pornography from the Internet.  Agents also recovered Davey’s desktop computer and his SD card from his residence. These devices contained additional images of child pornography, including some of the images that Davey had distributed to the undercover agent. 

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

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

Tampa, FL – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the return by a grand jury of an indictment charging Stephen Mayer (50, Miami Beach) with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud affecting a financial institution. If convicted, Mayer faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison. The indictment also notifies Mayer that the United States intends to forfeit any assets that are alleged to be traceable to proceeds of the offense. 

On April 29, 2014, Mayer was arrested on a federal complaint and detained in Miami.

According to court documents, Mayer engineered a complex real estate flipping scheme involving different participants and shell companies under his control. From approximately September 18, 2003 and continuing through at least September 14, 2007, Mayer defrauded lenders by causing mortgages to be issued based on fraudulent information provided by several “straw buyers” whom he recruited. Mayer facilitated the scheme utilizing several Florida corporations, including InvestFund Corp USA, Inc., and Regal Windsor Homes, Inc.

Between September and March 2005, Mayer bought at least 24 properties in Hillsborough County for approximately $2,341,000.  He resold these same properties, usually on the same day, to his “investors” for approximately $3,723,290. The transactions resulted in a net profit of approximately $1,528,790. The purchasers of these properties, known as “straw buyers,” were recruited by Mayer to utilize their good credit in order to obtain mortgage loans for purchases. The “straw buyers” subsequently transferred the titles back to Mayer, and/or one of Mayer’s companies, by quit claim deed.  Mayer would facilitate the transfer of properties between his various investors, each time inflating the prices. When these properties were later resold at even greater prices, Mayer again profited from the sales. The total loss to the affected lenders exceeds $2.75 million.

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 Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kelley Howard-Allen and Mandy Riedel.

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Latrese Brantley (40, Tampa) pleaded guilty yesterday to assaulting a federal agent.  Brantley faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison.

According to the plea agreement, on April 30, 2013, Brantley was returning to Tampa on a Jet Blue flight from San Juan, Puerto Rico. Jet Blue flight personnel reported that Brantley had been of concern during the flight, and asked for a representative to come to the gate to escort Brantley off the plane. As Brantley was being escorted from the flight by a Jet Blue employee, she punched that employee. A Department of Homeland Security agent, who was in the airport terminal at the time, heard the commotion and came over to assist.  She identified herself as a federal agent.  Brantley punched the agent in the face and the two struggled near the flight gate. As a result of the struggle, the agent suffered scratches and abrasions and sustained physical injury that required later medical attention.

This case was investigated by the Transportation Security Administration. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jay L. Hoffer.

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Charlene Edwards Honeywell today sentenced Fane Dacosta (40, Daytona Beach) to 2 years and 4 months in federal prison for aiding in the preparation of false tax returns and failing to file his own tax returns.  Dacosta was also ordered to serve one year of supervision, following his incarceration, and to pay $656,084 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service. Dacosta was convicted by a federal jury on January 30, 2014. 

According to evidence presented at trial, Dacosta was the owner of a tax return business (“More Than Enaf Refund & Affordable Tax Services”) in Holly Hill, Florida. For the tax years 2006 through 2009, Dacosta prepared returns for individuals in which he falsified the amounts of deductions and tax credits owed to taxpayers, resulting in those taxpayers receiving undeserved tax refunds. In particular, Dacosta fraudulently claimed education credits for clients who never attended college, and he inflated itemized deductions. In response to the false returns that Dacosta prepared, the Internal Revenue Service issued more than $500,000 in undeserved refunds. In addition, Dacosta failed to file his personal tax returns in 2007, 2008, and 2009, despite earning over $100,000, $200,000, and $300,000 in each of those years, respectively.

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation Division. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg.

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the return by a grand jury of an indictment charging Harmeet Singh (39, Windermere); Cean Al Najjar (33, Palm Harbor); and Michael Petrucci (49, Tampa) with conspiring to distribute, and distributing, controlled substance analogue AM2201. If convicted on all counts, each faces a maximum penalty of 40 years in federal prison. 

The indictment also notifies the individuals that the United States intends to forfeit a money judgment of $13,145,032.65, representing the proceeds of the offenses, the contents of four bank accounts, which contain proceeds of, and helped to facilitate, the offenses, and two residences purchased with proceeds of the offenses.

According to the indictment, Singh, Al Najjar, and Petrucci allegedly conspired to distribute, and distributed a controlled substance analogue called AM2201 from at least March 1, 2011 until at least March 23, 2012, earning millions of dollars in the process.          

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, the United States Marshals Service, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, and the Altamonte Springs Police Department.  It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys James A. Muench and Natalie Hirt Adams.

This case is a part of Project Synergy, an ongoing effort to target every level of the dangerous global synthetic designer drug market. While many of the designer drugs being marketed today that were seized as part of Project Synergy are not specifically prohibited in the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), the Controlled Substance Analogue Enforcement Act of 1986 (CSAEA) allows many of these drugs to be treated as controlled substances if they are proven to be chemically and/or pharmacologically similar to a Schedule I or Schedule II controlled substance. 

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Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the filing of a criminal complaint charging Gary Todd Smith (45), a/k/a Todd, and Gary Truman Smith (69), a/k/a Gary, both of Fayetteville, North Carolina, with wire fraud affecting a financial institution. If convicted, each faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison.         

According to the complaint, Gary and Todd Smith ran Smith Advertising. The pair was allegedly involved in a fraud scheme that involved borrowing money (called bridge loans) for Smith Advertising to purportedly pre-purchase advertising space. They also borrowed money on outstanding invoices (called factoring) for Smith Advertising. Each loan, to the extent that it was repaid, was repaid by new loans. The underlying collateral for the loans was, where produced, fake invoices. Smith Advertising maintained a real and a false set of record books.  On the date the company ceased operations, the total assets for the corporation were, according to their real books, valued at -$63,723,391.55, and the total equity was -$103,140,084.68.

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

This case was investigated by U.S. Secret Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Thomas N. Palermo.

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Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Amber Dorius (31, St. George, Utah) today pleaded guilty to conspiring with others to distribute marijuana.  She faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. A sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled.

According to court documents, from 2011 to January 2013, Chad Sunyich arranged for quantities of marijuana to be driven and flown to the Middle District of Florida, from California and Utah, for further distribution. In 2011, Dorius worked as a courier in Sunyich’s organization. She worked with others to transport marijuana from California to Hillsborough County, Florida, by car, generally every forty-five to sixty days. On many of these trips, Dorius’ associate would drive a car carrying the marijuana. Dorius would drive ahead in a separate car, acting as a lookout. Once the marijuana arrived in Hillsborough County, it was distributed.

Dorius is the seventh individual in this investigation to plead guilty. Others pleaded guilty to a marijuana distribution conspiracy charge as follows:

• Chad Sunyich pleaded guilty on June 4, 2013.  He was sentenced on August 22, 2013, to five years in federal prison.
• Timothy O’Neal Long pleaded guilty on June 26, 2013.  He was sentenced on September 13, 2013, to three years and one month in federal prison.
• Jason Vowell pleaded guilty on June 3, 2013.  He was sentenced on August 19, 2013, to twelve months in federal prison and ordered to forfeit a Piper Aerostar fixed wing aircraft which had been used to smuggle marijuana from St. George, Utah to Tampa, and $166,228 in drug proceeds.
• Jeff Laflamboy pleaded guilty on January 7, 2014.  His sentencing hearing is scheduled for July 23, 2014.
• Miryana Calderon Long pleaded guilty on December 3, 2013.  Her sentencing hearing is scheduled for July 10, 2014.
• Lucas Dahlberg pleaded guilty on April 17, 2014.  His sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration as part of an ongoing Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation.  The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and those primarily responsible for the nation’s drug supply. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher F. Murray.

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announced today that Robert Lamar Starling (29, Lake City) has been charged by a federal criminal complaint with producing child pornography. If convicted, Starling faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years, up to 30 years in federal prison, and a potential life term of supervision. Starling was arrested on May 1, 2014. He was ordered detained pending a hearing on May 8, 2014 at 2:30 p.m., before United States Magistrate Judge James R. Klindt.   

According to the criminal complaint, beginning in September 2013, FBI agents executed a series of search warrants on several email accounts around the country and determined, among other things, that a particular user in Lake City, Florida had uploaded images of child pornography to the Internet, using an account on a photo sharing site. Further investigation traced the account back to a residence in Lake City, where Starling resided.

On May 1, 2014, FBI agents and other law enforcement officers executed a federal search warrant at the residence. Starling was not at the residence, but was located later that morning driving his golf cart at the Suwannee Music Park & Campground in Live Oak, Florida.  During an interview at his campsite, Starling stated that he had produced pornographic images of several prepubescent children and that he searches for and downloads child pornography via the Internet. He provided the identities of five prepubescent children with whom he produced child pornography.  Starling estimated that he may have around 7,000 videos and 5,000 still images of child pornography. A preview of Starling’s laptop computer revealed that it contained more than 600 videos depicting child pornography.   

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

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

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 that Vinston Boxton-Moises (48, San Andres Island, Colombia, South America) today pleaded guilty to conspiring with others to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, knowing that the cocaine would be unlawfully imported into the United States.  Boxton faces a mandatory minimum penalty of ten years in federal prison, up to a maximum term of life imprisonment.

According to the plea agreement, between 2010 and 2013, Boxton was a knowing and willing participant in an ongoing plan to smuggle cocaine by sea. The cocaine was ultimately destined for unlawful importation into the United States. Boxton’s roles in the conspiracy included recruiting and paying mariners and mechanics, contracting for the use of smuggling and lookout/logistics vessels, and dispatching cocaine-laden go-fast vessels (GFVs). 

Boxton is accountable for the GFV TAUPLY that was interdicted by the United States in the Caribbean Sea on May 31, 2012, approximately eighty-five nautical miles southeast of Nicaragua.  The TAUPLY interdiction resulted in the seizure of approximately 1,000 kilograms of cocaine. Boxton arranged for the recruitment and payment of the mariners who ultimately operated TAUPLY and attempted to smuggle the cocaine. The government of Colombia consented to the enforcement of United States law over the TAUPLY, its illicit cargo (cocaine), and crew. The five mariners embarked in TAUPLY were successfully prosecuted in the United States for violations of the Maritime Drug Law Enforcement Act, first arriving at a place in the Middle District of Florida.

Boxton was arrested on San Andres Island, Colombia in August 2013, and subsequently extradited to the United States for prosecution. As a direct result of his participation in the conspiracy, Boxton obtained at least $1 million in proceeds.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher F. Murray.

It was investigated by the Panama Express North Strike Force, a standing Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation, comprised of agents and analysts from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, and U.S. Southern Command's Joint Interagency Task Force South. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided assistance with the extradition. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and those primarily responsible for the nation’s drug supply.

Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge John E. Steele today sentenced Alan Robert Johnson (35) to 50 years in federal prison and Jennifer A. Sparks (39) to 30 years in federal prison for production of child pornography.  They were both ordered to serve a lifetime of supervision, after their release from prison. The court ordered the couple to forfeit numerous cellular phones, several thumb drives, a Micro SD card, a laptop computer, and a Fuji FinePix camera, which were found to contain child pornography.

Sparks pleaded guilty on January 27, 2014, and Johnson pleaded guilty on January 28, 2014.

According to court documents, on or about May 12, 2012, in Lee County, Florida, Johnson and his girlfriend Sparks knowingly used a 4-year-old girl to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing child pornography. On June 4, 2012, a private citizen turned the cellular telephone that Johnson and Sparks had used to produce the child pornography over to law enforcement. The cellular telephone had been found in a shopping cart at a Walmart in Lee County. Further investigation revealed that Johnson was a registered sex offender. A subsequent search warrant was obtained for his residence, and another cellular phone was located in the couple’s bedroom, containing sexually explicit images of the minor.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes the Cape Coral Police Department, and with assistance from the Lee County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Yolande G. Viacava.

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

Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that a federal jury yesterday found Jeffrey R. Green (50, Cape Coral), the owner of Gulf Coast Medical Pharmacy, and Karen S. Hebble (44, Cape Coral), the manager of this pharmacy, guilty of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribution of Oxycodone and Alprazolam, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. In addition, Green was convicted of six counts of money laundering. The jury found Hebble guilty of two counts of money laundering. Each faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribution of the controlled substances. Both face a maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment for conspiracy to commit money laundering and each count of money laundering. The sentencing hearing is scheduled for July 28, 2014.

A federal grand jury returned a superseding indictment against Green and Hebble on July 24, 2013.

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, from 2009 through October 6, 2011, Green and Hebble conspired with each other, and with others, to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute Oxycodone and Alprazolam.  Green and Hebble filled prescriptions that were not issued for legitimate medical purposes and distributed controlled substances without the supervision and control of a licensed pharmacist at Gulf Coast Medical Pharmacy, which Green owned.  

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration Task Force, which includes the Naples Police Department, Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office, and other local law enforcement agencies. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Yolande G. Viacava and Robert P. Barclift.

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Melvin Barber Bridgers, III (34, Tarpon Springs) has been charged in a criminal complaint with production, receipt, distribution, and possession of child pornography. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years, up to 30 years’ imprisonment on the production charge and a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years, up to 20 years in prison on each of the receipt and distribution charges. For the possession of child pornography charge, he faces up to 10 years in federal prison.

Bridgers was arrested on May 1, 2014, and made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Elizabeth A. Jenkins, in Tampa.  He was detained pending further proceedings.

According to the criminal complaint, between about November 30, 2013, and May 1, 2014, Bridgers used multiple Facebook accounts to pose as a teenage female and befriend other minor females between the ages of 11 and 16. After befriending the minor females, Bridgers would coerce them into sending sexually graphic photographs to him on Facebook. Bridgers would then threaten the minor females with exposing the sexually graphic photos to their parents or to other Internet users, to extort the minor females into sending him additional sexually graphic photographs and videos. He would also instruct the minor females on how to pose sexually in the photographs. Bridgers, who moved to Tarpon Springs from North Carolina in the fall of 2013, came to the attention of law enforcement when a 12-year-old victim in the Houston, Texas area reported the Facebook activity to her mother, who then contacted the authorities.

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.

According to investigators, a "disturbing trend" is emerging in which child predators are increasingly using the Internet and social media sites such as Facebook to entice children to produce and share sexually explicit material online. During recent operations, HSI and ICAC investigators encountered various child predators chatting online with minors about sexual topics, sending them obscene images, encouraging them to produce nude or sexual photos and videos, and attempting to meet them in person to engage in sexual activity. In some cases, child predators are also sexually extorting, or "sextorting," the minors into producing additional and increasingly graphic images and videos.  HSI is asking that anyone with additional information about potential victims this case come forward by contacting ICE-HSI tip line at 1-866-347-2423.

This case is being investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney 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.

(Download Factual Basis )

Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Brian J. Davis yesterday sentenced Narada Randolph (32) to 24 years in federal prison for sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion. Randolph was indicted on June 27, 2012. He pleaded guilty in November 2013.

According to court documents, from late 2007 through the middle of 2011, Randolph forced, by means of physical violence, four women to engage in the commercial sex trafficking industry. In addition, from July 2008 through March 2010, Randolph transported two of these women from Florida to Washington, D.C., Indiana and Georgia, with the intent of forcing them to engage in commercial sex acts. 

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Malisa Chokshi.

(Download Factual Basis )

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Susan C. Bucklew today sentenced John Alexander Talley (42, Seattle, Washington) to 30 months in federal prison for conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and the Iranian Transaction Regulations. The court also sentenced Talley’s company, Tallyho Peripherals, Inc. d/b/a Enterprise Solutions Systems, to one year of probation.

Talley and Tallyho pleaded guilty on September 18, 2013. 

According to court documents, from about 2009 to about September 2012, Talley and his company conspired with others, including Mohammed Reza “Ray” Hajian, to unlawfully export sophisticated enterprise level computer equipment from the United States to Iran, and to provide computer information technology (IT) support services for the equipment, all in violation of the United States embargo. Talley’s role was to provide training and computer IT support to ensure that the computer equipment operated in Iran.  In an effort to conceal their activities, the conspirators in the United States caused shipments of the computers and related equipment, as well as the payments for same, to travel to and from the United States and Iran through the United Arab Emirates.  Similarly, payments for Talley’s support services were wired through the UAE.

On July 11, 2012, Hajian and three of his companies, RH International LLC, Nexiant LLC, and P & P Computers LLC, pleaded guilty to charges involving the same conspiracy to violate the Iranian Embargo. Hajian and his companies also pleaded guilty to a conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and the Iranian Transaction Regulations. On October 18, 2012, Hajian was sentenced to four years in federal prison.

On September 12, 2013, two Iranian nationals, Mahmood Akbari, a/k/a John Wasserman and Reza Hajigholamali, and three UAE front companies, Patco Group Ltd., Managed Systems and Services (FZC), and TGO General Trading LLC, were indicted in connection with the same conspiracy. Charges against those parties included a conspiracy to violate the International Economic Powers Act, and a conspiracy to commit international money laundering. According to the superseding indictment in that case, Hajian was selling the sophisticated computer equipment and services at issue to Akbari.

If convicted, Akbari and Hajigholamali face a maximum penalty of up to 40 years in federal prison.

On April 24, 2014, Michael J. Dragoni (48, Riverview, FL), and two companies controlled by him, Fortis Data Systems, LLC (“FDS”) and Greencloud LLC, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud. Dragoni faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in federal prison.

According to plea agreements filed in the case, from about August 2009 through at least August 2011, Dragoni, along with Randy Dale Barber, using Dragoni’s companies FDS and Greencloud, conspired to defraud Hitachi Data Systems (“HDS”) by making materially false statements to HDS in order to purchase computer equipment for resale to Hajian, who in turn resold the equipment to his client, Akbari, and UAE company Patco.  By late 2009, Dragoni, Barber and Hajian knew that HDS refused to sell computer equipment to Hajian, and his customers Akbari and Patco, because HDS believed that the equipment was being diverted to unauthorized end users. In order to deceive HDS and purchase the computer equipment, Dragoni and Barber made false statements regarding the purchaser, end user, and location of installation of the equipment that they were purchasing, including by using front companies to make equipment purchases on their behalf. Dragoni and the conspirators then caused the equipment to be shipped to Dubai.

On February 28, 2014, Barber also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud in connection with making false statements to HDS. Barber is scheduled to be sentenced on May 28, 2014, and faces a maximum penalty of up to five years in federal prison.

“Engaging in a conspiracy to export sensitive United States technologies to prohibited countries like Iran is a serious crime that threatens our national security,” said Shane Folden, acting special agent in charge of HSI Tampa.  “HSI is committed to investigating those who seek to steal our country’s critical technology and to working with our law enforcement partners to disrupt and dismantle these illicit procurement networks.”

"Protecting our national security is a top priority of the Office of Export Enforcement," said Robert Luzzi, Special Agent In-Charge of the of the U.S. Department of Commerce's Office of Export Enforcement Miami Field Office.  "Today's sentencing proves that those who conspire to violate U.S. export controls by illegally diverting sensitive technology anywhere in the world will be pursued and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."

This case was investigated by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, and the U.S. Department of Commerce, Office of Export Enforcement. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark E. Bini and Trial Attorney Mariclaire Rourke of the Counterespionage Section of the U.S. Department of Justice, National Security Division.

Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge James S. Moody, Jr. today sentenced Robert L. Wimbush to 3 years and 9 months in federal prison for access device fraud and aggravated identity theft. The court also ordered Wimbush to forfeit $9,530 which is traceable to proceeds of the offense.  Wimbush pleaded guilty on January 21, 2014.

According to court documents and evidence introduced at sentencing, Wimbush used prepaid debit cards issued in the names of other individuals to make cash withdrawals from ATMs in the Tampa area. The withdrawn funds were largely the result of refunds from fraudulently-filed federal income tax returns that had been deposited onto the cards. For example, on October 31, 2012, Wimbush drove to an ATM at a credit union in Tampa, used a prepaid debit card issued in the name of another individual (“W.G.”), and withdrew $490 from the ATM. W.G. was a victim of identity theft and was not aware that a debit card had been obtained in her name.  She had not authorized Wimbush or anyone else to obtain a debit card in her name. Between June 30, 2012 and December 10, 2012, more than $6,300 was withdrawn from the account associated with that card.

Wimbush received the fraudulent debit cards from Brian E. Simmons and Wimbush’s aunt, Tressa V. Guy.  Simmons and Guy were charged in a related case. On February 27, 2014, U.S. District Judge Virginia Hernandez Covington sentenced the pair for their involvement in a stolen identity refund fraud scheme. Simmons was sentenced to 16 years in federal prison.  Guy was sentenced to 10 years and one month in federal prison. Wimbush’s sister, Ashley Guy, previously pleaded guilty in a separate stolen identity refund fraud case.  She was sentenced last week to 7 years in federal prison.

This case was investigated by Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation and the Tampa Police Department.  It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Matthew J. Mueller and Trial Attorney Jason H. Poole of the Department of Justice, Tax Division.

Orlando, FL – U.S. District Judge Roy B. Dalton, Jr. yesterday sentenced Demis Ulises Mokay-Fong (31, Orlando) to 19 and one-half years in federal prison for drug trafficking charges and illegally re-entering the United States after deportation. Mokay-Fong pleaded guilty to the offenses on November 21, 2013.

On December 18, 2013, Carlos Armando Castro-Medina (40, Orlando) was sentenced to 13 years in prison for his role in the drug trafficking conspiracy. Another co-conspirator, Irvin Gutierrez (26, Orlando), was sentenced to 6 years’ imprisonment on February 25, 2014. Jesus Emmanuel Corrales (34, Las Vegas, Nevada), was also sentenced to 3 years in prison for his role in the conspiracy. 

According to court documents, Mokay-Fong and his co-conspirators distributed twelve pounds of methamphetamine (“Ice”), over 11,000 pounds of marijuana using tractor trailers, and kilograms of cocaine. The drugs were obtained through Mokay-Fong, who acted as the Sinaloa Cartel’s contact for the supply of the narcotics that were transported from Mexico, through the Southwestern United States, into Central Florida. The investigation revealed conversations between the conspirators discussing the cartel’s use of hit men and kidnappings of family members to help collect drug debts incurred by others during the course of the conspiracy, as well as the cartel’s attempts to lure debtors to Mexico to face the cartel. In addition to their activity in Central Florida, Mokay-Fong and Gutierrez traveled to Philadelphia for the cartel, and stole a tractor trailer containing 8,000 pounds of marijuana that had been inadvertently delivered to the wrong truck depot.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Border Patrol, and the Upper Allen Township (Pennsylvania) Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel C. Irick.

Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that yesterday a federal jury found James Fidel Sotolongo (48, Port Orange) guilty of one count of conspiracy and eleven counts of bank fraud. The jury found Stephanie Musselwhite (52, Daytona), a title agent in Orlando, guilty of one count of conspiracy, nine counts of bank fraud, and one count of making false statements to a federally insured financial institution.  Realtor Ramara Garrett (35, Port Orange) was acquitted of conspiracy and making false statements to a federally insured financial institution.  Sotolongo and Musselwhite each face a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison on the conspiracy count, and a maximum of 30 years’ imprisonment on each of the remaining counts. In addition, both face fines of $250,000 and a five-year term of supervision.  The sentencing hearing is scheduled for July 28, 2014.

Sotolongo and Musselwhite were indicted on April 24, 2013.

According to testimony and exhibits presented at trial, Sotolongo and Musselwhite were part of a scheme that recruited straw buyers with high credit scores to apply for and obtain 11 mortgages (first and second mortgages were obtained) totaling approximately $10 million.  The purpose of the scheme was to obtain the properties with no money down and no money at closings, rent the properties, and then sell the properties for a profit. To carry out the plan, Sotolongo enlisted the straw buyers and told them that they did not need to bring a deposit or cash to the closing, and that they only needed to be involved in the loan application process.  The straw buyers testified that the loan applications submitted in their names contained false information, including the use of the property as a primary residence, their income, their assets, and their liabilities.  For example, the monthly income was stated as being $35,000 to $48,000, when the straw buyers’ monthly income ranged from $3,000 to $10,000. Other false information included grossly inflated checking and savings account balances. 

  Mortgage broker Christopher Mencis (53, North Carolina) previously pleaded guilty for his involvement in this case.  According to his plea agreement, he prepared the loan applications and submitted them through his brokerage company, Real Estate Mortgage Professionals (REMP).  REMP has since gone out of business. Mencis also used a former bank branch manager at SunTrust bank, at the direction of Sotolongo, to falsely verify the incomes and assets for the straw buyers. The loan applications were sent off to several lenders, all of whom testified that they would not have funded the loans had they known that the information contained in the loan applications was false and grossly inflated.

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

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

Jacksonville, Florida – Chief U.S. District Judge Anne C. Conway yesterday sentenced eight individuals in a cocaine trafficking investigation, dubbed Operation Sooner or Later, which has spanned more than three years. In the latest round of prosecutions, Chief Judge Conway sentenced Rodrigo Cantu Morales, Carlos Uriostegui-Nunez, Mario Ginorio, and Willie Brooks, IV to 10 years’ imprisonment; Monte Washington to 12 years and 11 months in federal prison; Isaias Ochoa to 7 years and 3 months in federal prison; Deonte Dallas to 5 years’ imprisonment, and David Ruvio, III to 3 years in federal prison.  These individuals were sentenced for their respective roles in an international cocaine conspiracy that spanned from Mexico, McAllen and Mission, Texas, and into Ocala and Jacksonville, Florida.

According to court records and trial testimony, these drug trafficking groups were based in Guerrero and Tamaulipas, Mexico.  From early 2007 until late 2011, they were responsible for importing several hundred kilograms of cocaine into the Ocala area.  During the investigation, Jesus Lozano Alvarez and Rodrigo Cantu Morales were identified as working with a Mexican cocaine source of supply known as “El Nino” in Tamaulipas, Mexico.  They shipped loads of cocaine via transport vehicles and couriers from south Texas to the Ocala area. When the loads of cocaine reached Ocala, Carlos Uriostegui-Nunez, Jesus Lozano Alvarez, Mario Ginorio, and Tavaries Norris worked together to redistribute the cocaine to other large scale dealers in the Middle District of Florida and South Carolina.  The cocaine was re-sold to other kilogram level dealers, a portion of which was converted into crack cocaine and sold on the streets of Marion County. 

As a result of this multi-year investigation, 55 individuals were indicted in the Ocala and Jacksonville Divisions of the Middle District of Florida.  Forty-nine of the individuals were arrested and have pleaded guilty, or were convicted at trial. One individual is deceased, and five remain at-large. During this investigation, the United States seized $1.1 million in United States currency, more than $900,000 worth of real property, vehicles valued at more than $220,000, and 50 firearms.

These cases were investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Gainesville Resident Office and Jacksonville District Office. They are the result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply. The cases were prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney A. Tysen Duva.

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Orlando, FL – Senior United States District Judge Gregory A. Presnell yesterday sentenced Dale Matthews Clar (47, Apopka) to 30 years and one month in federal prison for two counts of bank robbery with assault, and two counts of using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.  The court also ordered Clar to serve a two-year term of supervision, following his prison sentence, and to forfeit a 9mm Glock pistol and 17 rounds of ammunition, which were used in the commission of the crimes.

A federal jury found Clar guilty on February 6, 2014.

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, on January 4, 2013, April 3, 2013, and September 6, 2013, Clar robbed the Chase Bank in Apopka, at gunpoint.  He stole a total of approximately $18,000 in the three robberies.  During each robbery, Clar rushed into the bank wearing a full ski mask.  He pointed his gun at bank employees and customers, demanding cash from the tellers.  When Clar fled the bank, he covered his license plate to avoid being caught. 

On September 6, 2013, Clar covered his license plate with a temporary registration tag associated with his car.  He also attempted to further avoid suspicion by placing a Domino’s Pizza delivery sign on the top of his car.  Police located Clar and arrested him near his home.  A subsequent search of Clar’s car revealed Clar’s disguise, a Glock 9mm handgun, and thousands of dollars in cash that he had just stolen from the bank.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Apopka Police Department.  It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joseph M. Schuster.

Orlando, Florida –Senior U.S. District Judge Gregory A. Presnell today sentenced Benjamin William Mejias (43, Orlando) to 18 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and for impersonating a DEA agent. The court also ordered Mejias to forfeit a Glock .40 caliber pistol and ammunition that he possessed.  Mejias pleaded guilty on February 12, 2014.

According to court documents, Mejias appeared at nightclubs in Orlando dressed in clothes that identified him as an agent with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Mejias wore authentic-looking DEA badges, carried a firearm and reportedly told several people that he was a DEA agent. He also posted photos of himself on social media websites wearing DEA paraphernalia, and a firearm. In September 2013, local police officers conducted a traffic stop on Mejias and he displayed a fake DEA badge and credentials to get out of the ticket. During a later search of Mejias’s residence, agents found a loaded semi-automatic firearm.

Mejias was convicted of three separate felony burglaries in 1994, 1995, and 1996, and was therefore prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.

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

Jacksonville, Florida – United States District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan sentenced Daniel Richard Bakaley (23, Middleburg) to 33 months in federal prison for possessing images and videos of child pornography.  Bakaley was also sentenced to a 10-year term of supervision and to register as a sex offender, following his incarceration. In addition, he was ordered to forfeit certain computer equipment traceable to the offense.

Bakaley pleaded guilty on October 17, 2013. 

According to court documents, an undercover agent with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) determined that a particular computer was hosting images of child pornography using an Internet file sharing service. Further investigation traced the Internet Protocol (IP) address used by that computer back to Bakaley’s residence in Middleburg. A subsequent federal search warrant was executed at this residence. During an interview, Bakaley told agents about printed hard copy photos of child pornography hidden in a video game box in his bedroom that he had previously “found” in the printer connected to his desktop computer. The agents seized five computers and 22 printed images of child pornography from Bakaley’s residence. Subsequent forensic analysis revealed that three of the computers contained a total of 312 videos and 93 images depicting minor children engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

This case was investigated by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service and the Clay County Sheriff’s Office.  It was 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.

Orlando, Florida – Senior U.S. District Judge John Antoon, II today sentenced Jorge Luis Alomar-Baello (43, Orlando) to 15 years in federal prison for conspiracy to import heroin. Judge Antoon previously sentenced Alomar’s co-defendant, Carla Michelle Alvarado (34, Kissimmee), to serve 2 years in prison. As part of their sentences, the court also entered a money judgment against each, in the amount of $10,000, the proceeds of the heroin that they smuggled into the country. Alomar pleaded guilty on December 19, 2013 and Alvarado pleaded guilty on January 3, 2014.

According to court documents, Alomar paid Alvarado, a Jet Blue flight attendant, $10,000 to smuggle heroin, on Jet Blue flights, from Cali, Colombia. In September 2013, Alvarado was given a body suit containing one kilogram of heroin. She wore the suit under her uniform on a flight from Cali to Orlando. When Alvarado arrived in Orlando, she delivered the heroin to Alomar. Alomar then sold it to his customers on the streets.

Two weeks later, on September 27, 2013, after landing on a flight from Bogota, Alvarado was selected for inspection by officers with U.S. Customs and Border Patrol. The officers discovered the heroin hidden inside the body suit that Alvarado was wearing underneath her uniform. Agents identified Alomar as the intended recipient of the heroin. The next day, agents arranged a meeting with Alomar, who was arrested after taking possession of a bag he believed to contain the heroin.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and U.S. Customs and Border Patrol. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Bruce S Ambrose.

Orlando, FL – Senior U.S. District Judge John Antoon, II today sentenced Dewarren Antoine Lewis, a/k/a “Fella,” (28, Orlando) to 35 years in federal prison for two counts of bank robbery with assault, and two counts of using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. The court also ordered Lewis to serve a 3-year term of supervision, following his prison sentence, and to forfeit a Jimenez Arms .380 pistol and six rounds of ammunition, which were used in the commission of the crimes. A federal jury found Lewis guilty on January 14, 2014.

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, on January 9, 2013, Lewis robbed the Wells Fargo Bank in Orlando, at gunpoint, before fleeing with over $9,000.  On March 20, 2013, Lewis robbed the Regions Bank in Orlando. As he did in the Wells Fargo robbery, Lewis rushed into the bank, covered from head to toe, wearing a stocking over his face. He then pointed his gun at bank employees, forced his way behind the teller line, and filled his bag with the bank’s money.  After fleeing the bank, a witness saw Lewis take off his disguise and drive away from the scene. Lewis then led police on a high speed chase through the streets of Orlando, before bailing out of his car and running away on foot. When Orange County Deputy Sheriffs finally apprehended him, Lewis was carrying a bag filled with over $23,000 that he’d just stolen from the Regions Bank.

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

Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III, announces that on April 23, 2014, a federal Grand Jury returned an indictment charging Xavier Francisco Villanueva, a/k/a “X,” Keith E. Romby II, a/k/a “P” and “PJ,” Jose Carmona, a/k/a “Hood,” and Ashley Nicole Barnett, a/k/a “Snow,” with the sex trafficking of a minor. If convicted, each faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years, up to life in prison.

The indictment alleges that from on or about January 17, 2013, to on or about January 25, 2013, the above-named individuals conspired to engage a minor in a commercial sex act, and aided and abetted each other to engage a minor in a commercial sex act. According to court records, Villanueva and Barnett were part of the “Blood” street gang and gave the minor drugs, and used threats of violence, to coerce the minor into prostitution for their own financial gain and benefit. On January 25, 2013, the minor was able to escape and was rescued by a deputy from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.

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 is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigations, with the assistance of the Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Karen Gable and Ilianys Rivera Miranda.

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

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Clive S. Nelson (23, Jacksonville) today pleaded guilty to child sex trafficking. Nelson faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to the plea agreement, Nelson enticed and recruited a 15-year-old female to engage in commercial sex acts for him. Nelson advised the child that she could earn up to $600 per day working for him, if she would permit him to advertise her on the Internet. Nelson then took photos of the child wearing lingerie and posing provocatively. He used these photos to compile advertisements for sex with the child on various Internet advertising sites. Nelson also rented local hotel rooms in Jacksonville and transported the child to these hotels. She engaged in commercial sex acts, at the hotels, with customers who responded to the ads and were willing to pay money to have sex with the child. When potential customers arrived to have sex with the child, Nelson would engage in surveillance from the hotel parking lot, to ensure that the offenders were not the police. Once the offender and the child completed the commercial sex act, Nelson would collect the money from the child. 

Nelson prostituted the child in this fashion from November 29, 2013 through December 15, 2013, when police officers from a specialized patrol unit of the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office located Nelson and the child in a hotel parking lot.   

This case was investigated by a joint task force of investigators with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and the FBI. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mac D. Heavener, III.

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

Orlando, Florida – Senior U.S. District Judge John Antoon, II today sentenced Damion Rashaad Carder (36, Cocoa) to 3 years in federal prison for violating his supervised release. Carder was under supervision of the court as a result of a cocaine conviction in 2006. Carder was found guilty of violating his supervised release on March 11, 2014. On April 17, 2014, U.S. District Judge Charlene Edwards Honeywell sentenced Carder in another federal drug case.  He was sentenced to 18 years and 9 months in federal prison for possession with the intent to distribute and distribution of heroin. Judge Antoon ordered that the 3-year sentence be served consecutive to the 18-year sentence.

According to court documents and statements made during the sentencing hearing, Carder was on supervised release as a result of his 2006 conviction in federal court for possession with the intent to distribute cocaine. Despite being under supervision, Carder sold heroin from his home, which was approximately one block away from the Joe Lee Smith Park and Recreation Center, which has a children’s playground, baseball field, basketball court, gymnasium, and community center. Carder would deal heroin when the Center was open. After thinking he was going to be arrested by law enforcement, Carder placed two firearms and ammunition in a car with two children, approximately 8 and 10 years old, and told the driver to leave the area.  Law enforcement stopped the driver and recovered the firearms shortly before arresting Carder with more than 200 grams of heroin.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Brevard County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Vincent A. Citro.

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Bernadette Demps today pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft.  She faces a mandatory minimum of two years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled.

According to the plea agreement, in 2011, Demps received more than $43,000 in income tax refund checks into a business bank account which she controlled. All of these deposits were in the names of other individuals. The direct deposits were all the result of fraudulent tax returns, which had been filed a short time earlier with the IRS, using the names and personal identification information related to those persons. Demps withdrew the funds from her account almost immediately, either via ATM cash withdrawals or other means.

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, with the assistance of the Clearwater Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jay L. Hoffer.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Kovachevich today sentenced Tiki Simone Dennis to six years and two months in federal prison for tax fraud and aggravated identity theft.  The court also ordered Dennis to pay $222,767.00 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service.  As part of her sentence, the court also entered a money judgment in the amount of $222,767.00, which constitutes the proceeds from the tax fraud.  Dennis pleaded guilty on January13, 2014.

According to court documents, from an unknown date prior to January 6, 2011, through and including May 18, 2011, Dennis used stolen identities to electronically file more than 116 fraudulent federal income tax returns in order to obtain refunds to which she was not entitled.  The value of the refunds that would have resulted from 116 of the returns fraudulently filed by Dennis totaled approximately $364,113.  Although some of these returns were rejected by the IRS, 67 of them were accepted.  The IRS paid out approximately $176,984 in tax refunds to debit cards under Dennis’s control.  In addition, Dennis provided information to a co-conspirator who filed an additional 36 2010 tax returns requesting approximately $65,659.  IRS accepted 25 of these returns and paid out $45,783 in tax refunds to debit cards under the control of Dennis. Altogether, the total number of fraudulent 2010 federal income tax returns that Dennis is responsible for filing or having filed is more than 152, requesting at least $429,772 in refunds.  The total amount paid out on those requests to debit cards controlled by Dennis was at least $222,767.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney and Senior Litigation Counsel, Donald L. Hansen.

Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge James D. Whittemore today sentenced Martin E. Lyons (46, St. Petersburg) to 15 years in federal prison for being a convicted felon in possession of ammunition. Lyons pleaded guilty on December 12, 2013.

According to court documents, Lyons has multiple prior felony convictions for armed robbery and burglary. In July 2013, he sold Hydrocodone and crack cocaine to an undercover St. Petersburg Police Department detective, on multiple occasions. After advising the undercover detective that he could procure additional narcotics and firearms, Lyons sold him a loaded handgun and prescription pills. As a previously convicted felon, Lyons was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.

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

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 Elizabeth A. Kovachevich today sentenced Michael J. Charniak (50, Seminole) to 21 years and 10 months in federal prison for transporting and receiving child pornography over the Internet. Charniak was also ordered to serve a lifetime term of supervised release, following his incarceration, and to register as a sex offender.  The sentence was imposed consecutive to the 15-year sentence Charniak is currently serving in the Florida Department of Corrections for a 2009 sexual battery conviction. Charniak pleaded guilty to the federal offense on January 23, 2014. 

According to court documents, Charniak traded numerous videos and images of child pornography from multiple email addresses between 2002 and 2009. In October 2009, law enforcement executed a federal search warrant at Charniak’s residence.  During an interview, he confessed to downloading and transporting child pornography. 

This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO).  It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer L. Peresie.

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 – Chief U.S. District Judge Anne C. Conway today sentenced Alan Gregory Ender (58, Melbourne) to 50 years in federal prison for production and possession of child pornography.  He was also ordered to serve a life term of supervised release and ordered to comply with Sex Offender Registration and Notification.  He pleaded guilty to the charges on November 14, 2013.

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 Ender.  Ender admitted to downloading and possessing child pornography for a period of two to three years.  He also admitted to producing child pornography.  In order to produce the child pornography, Ender lured two six-year old neighborhood girls to his home with candy.  He then took explicit photographs of the girls on his bed. 

Following the execution of a search warrant, Ender’s computers and cameras were seized and searched.  A forensic examination of the computer revealed 151 image files and 1 movie file depicting pornographic images of the two young girls, which Ender produced using his cameras.  The forensic examination further revealed an additional 477 movie files and 102 image files of child pornography.  

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 was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Myrna Amelia Mesa.

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

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Kovachevich today sentenced Corey A. Coley, Sr. to seven years and three months in federal prison for conspiracy, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft.  Coley was a Probation Officer for the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice.  As part of his sentence, the court also entered a money judgment in the amount of $671,022.99, the proceeds of the charged criminal conduct. Coley pleaded guilty on January 15, 2014.

Coley’s co-conspirators, Albert E. Moore, Jr., Tigi Moore, and Mattie Philon previously pleaded guilty and were sentenced for their roles in this case.  Albert Moore, Jr. was sentenced to 6 years and 3 months’ imprisonment. Tigi Moore, who worked as a data integrity specialist at Tampa General Hospital, was sentenced to 4 years in federal prison.  Philon was sentenced to 2 years’ imprisonment for her part in the scheme.

According to court documents, the co-conspirators engaged in a scheme to defraud the government by submitting fraudulent tax returns and then using the resulting tax refunds for their own benefit and the benefit of others.  Coley obtained identities used in the scheme from the information in the records of his former employer, the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice.  Tigi Moore also obtained identities used in the scheme from the information in the records of her former employer, Tampa General Hospital.  In total, the conspirators received $671,022.99 of fraudulently obtained tax refunds and filed fraudulent returns requesting more than $1.8 million of tax refunds.

"Mr. Coley misused his position as a Juvenile Probation Officer to steal identities of people.  These stolen identities were then used to file false tax returns in their names.  Coley's brazen abuse of trust is reprehensible and inexcusable," said James D. Robnett, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation.  "Coley's sentence today to 87 months in federal prison holds Mr. Coley accountable for his criminal actions.  Individuals such as Albert Moore, Tigi Moore and Mattie Philon who commit identity theft and refund fraud of this magnitude deserve to be punished to the fullest extent of the law.  IRS-Criminal Investigation and its partners in the Tampa Bay Alliance, will continue to investigate those individuals is perpetrate this criminal conduct."

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, and the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office. It was being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney.

Orlando, FL – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the return by a grand jury of an indictment charging Charles Keith Rolfe (60, Heyburn, Idaho) with distribution of child pornography.  If convicted, Rolfe faces a mandatory minimum of 5 years, up to a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison.  The indictment also notifies Rolfe that the United States intends to forfeit two cells phones which are alleged to have been used in the commission of his crimes. 

According to the indictment and criminal complaint, in the summer of 2013, Rolfe began an online correspondence with an Orlando man.  The two men discussed their mutual interest in child pornography and began trading images of child pornography via their cell phones.  In October 2013, federal agents arrested the Orlando man for production, distribution, receipt, and possession of child pornography, and took over the man’s online identities.  In January 2014, posing as the Orlando man, agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations began communicating with Rolfe via a Mobile Messaging Application (MMA).  On February 28, 2014, as charged in the indictment, Rolfe sent an undercover agent images of child pornography through the MMA.  Rolfe also wrote to the undercover agents about attempting to molest a young child.  On April 2, 2014, federal agents arrested Rolfe in Idaho and transported him to the Middle District of Florida.   

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 United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.  It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joseph M. Schuster.

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

Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the arrest and unsealing of a fifteen-count indictment charging Roeshell Denise Williams, Sheree Peterson, and Yajaira Crespo, all of Clewiston, Florida, with conspiracy to make false claims to the U.S. Department of the Treasury for payment, and to embezzle and steal government funds. In addition, all three are charged with theft of government funds and aggravated identity theft. Specifically, Williams is charged with one count of conspiracy and four counts of theft of government funds. Peterson is charged with one count of conspiracy, one count of theft of government funds and six counts of aggravated identity theft, and Crespo is charged with one count of conspiracy, two counts of theft of government funds and one count of aggravated identity theft. If convicted, they face a maximum penalty of 5 years in federal prison for each count of conspiracy and up to 10 years’ imprisonment on each of the theft of government funds counts. They also face 2 years in prison for the aggravated identity theft charges, to be served consecutive to the other sentences imposed. The indictment also notifies Williams, Peterson and Crespo that the United States intends to forfeit any assets which are alleged to be traceable to proceeds of the offenses.  

According to the indictment, between January 2012 and September 2012, Williams, Peterson and Crespo allegedly conspired with each other, and others, to file fraudulent tax returns in the names of individuals who did not authorize Williams, Peterson or Crespo to do so. The refunds from the fraudulent tax returns were then deposited into bank accounts controlled by Williams, Peterson or Crespo. The three then converted the funds for their 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 Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey F. Michelland.

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Kenneth Dempsey (52, Port Richey) has been charged in a criminal complaint with receipt and possession of child pornography. If convicted, Dempsey faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years, up to a maximum of 20 years in federal prison. Dempsey was arrested on April 21, 2014 and made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark A. Pizzo. A bond hearing is scheduled for April 24, 2014, at 2:00 p.m.

According to the criminal complaint, between August 2013 and April 2014, Dempsey used the Internet to send and receive multiple images of child pornography from his residence.

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 was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office.  It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Carlton C. Gammons.

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

Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that five individuals pleaded guilty today to theft from an employee benefit plan. 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 face a maximum penalty of 5 years in federal prison. The sentencing hearings are scheduled for July 16, 2014.

According to court documents, Angela Deleon worked at Advance Administration, Inc. (AAI), which was the third-party administrator of an employee benefit plan for the Ironworkers Local 808. As the third-party administrator for the Ironworkers Local 808 Annuity Fund, AAI was responsible for processing members’ payment applications, paying the Fund’s bills, and speaking with union members. Deleon’s duties at AAI included data entry and the processing of payments.

  Over a period of about 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 McCall, Dove, Wesson, Giesinger, and Riley.  All five cashed the checks provided to them by Deleon and, in most cases, split the stolen proceeds with Deleon. 

Deleon was previously sentenced to two years in federal prison for her participation in these crimes, ordered to pay $594,000 in restitution to the Ironworkers Local 808 Annuity Fund, and sentenced to a one-year term of supervision, following her incarceration. The restitution amount includes more than $427,000 that Deleon stole from the Fund, plus the amounts spent by the Fund to audit and reconstruct the records that were impacted by the scheme.

Four other individuals have been charged by indictment with conspiracy and theft from an employee benefit plan. Three of those individuals, Brandon Alfonso (28, Orange City), Marta Blackmer (70, Orange City), and Phillip Simmons (50, Orange City), are scheduled to begin trial in June 2014. Another, Jason Ferrari (33, Orange City), has not yet been arrested. If convicted, these defendants face a maximum penalty of 5 years in federal prison for each count.

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.

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.

Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge James D. Whittemore yesterday sentenced Ashley C. Guy (30) to 7 years in federal prison for committing wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. The court also entered a money judgment against Guy in the amount of $309,895, the proceeds of the wire fraud and identity theft scheme. Guy pleaded guilty to the offenses on January 27, 2014.    

According to court documents, Ashley C. Guy, a/k/a “Ashley C. Gay,” devised and participated in a scheme to defraud the United States out of tax refunds by using stolen identities to electronically file false federal income tax returns. During the execution of a search warrant at Guy’s residence, federal agents uncovered lists containing more than 200 names, dates of birth, and Social Security numbers, as well as at least 15 prepaid debit cards in the names of others. The search also revealed documents containing information on the filing of false tax returns, $1,500 in U.S. currency in a small safe located in the living room, and $642 in U.S. currency seized from a purse in Guy’s master bedroom. In addition, agents found a trash can on the back porch of the residence that had been used for burning documents related to the fraud. From the trash can, agents were able to recover a list of personal identifying information that had not been completely burned.

Between January 2012 and April 2013, approximately 100 false federal income tax returns were filed from Guy’s house, claiming $560,713 in tax refunds. Another 112 false returns, claiming $801,011 in refunds, were filed from different locations, but were linked to Guy based upon the stolen identities and prepaid debit cards found in her house. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) was able to stop many of these fraudulent refund claims. Out of the total 212 returns claiming roughly $1,361,724 in refunds, the IRS was ultimately defrauded into paying $309,895.

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation and the Tampa Police Department, with assistance from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Matthew J. Mueller and Trial Attorney Jason H. Poole of the Department of Justice, Tax Division.

Tampa, FL – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that North Port residents James Dee Jaeger (62) and Lora Anne Jaeger (50) each pleaded guilty yesterday to one count of filing a false claim for tax refund. Each faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in federal prison.

According to the plea agreement, on March 31, 2009, James Dee Jaeger and Lora Anne Jaeger electronically filed a joint federal income tax return with the IRS falsely claiming a refund in the amount of $344,672. The false refund amount was based on a bogus theory that the U.S. banking system maintains “Remic Trust” accounts for U.S. citizens and that taxpayers can gain access to the accounts by issuing 1099-OID forms to the IRS. Under this theory, the taxpayer first files a false Form 1099 Original Issue Discount (OID), to justify a false refund claim on a corresponding tax return. In this case, the IRS did not issue the fraudulent tax refund claimed by the Jaegers. 

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Matthew J. Mueller and Trial Attorney Kevin C. Lombardi of the Department of Justice, Tax Division.

Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge John E. Steele today sentenced Marikevies McNichols (29, Naples) to 12 years and 10 months in federal prison for an armed bank robbery of the Florida Community Bank located at 5240 Golden Gate Parkway, in Naples, Florida, on November 28, 2012. McNichols’ co-defendant, Doodley Nazaire (24), also of Naples, received an identical sentence on September 30, 2013. Nazaire was arrested on November 29, 2012. McNichols was subsequently arrested on June 12, 2013. 
Both men were originally indicted on January 23, 2013. Nazaire pleaded guilty to the offense in June 2013. McNichols pleaded guilty on January 8, 2014.

According to court documents, on November 28, 2012, at approximately 7:54 AM, McNichols and Nazaire robbed the Florida Community Bank on Golden Gate Parkway, as the bank was preparing to open. Nazaire and McNichols forced their way into the bank and held two bank employees at gunpoint, while they robbed the bank. Nazaire and McNichols ordered the bank employees to give them money from different locations within the bank, while Nazaire kept the employees at gunpoint. After the money was gathered, as directed by McNichols and Nazaire, the employees were ordered into an office and directed to lie on the floor. McNichols and Nazaire fled the bank with a sum of money, attempted to bury the money nearby, and continued their flight. Law enforcement later located and recovered the majority of the money, where it had been partially buried. 

This case was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Collier County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David G. Lazarus.

Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that yesterday a federal jury found Linell Devon Lowe (22) and Latavis Deyonta Mackroy (20) guilty of conspiracy to commit a Hobbs Act robbery and the brandishing of a firearm during the commission of the robbery.  Both men face a maximum penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment for the robbery, plus a mandatory minimum, consecutive sentence of 7 years, up to life in prison, on the firearm offense. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for July 28, 2014. 

Lowe and Mackroy were indicted on December 11, 2013.  A third person, who acted as lookout during the robbery, pleaded guilty on February 24, 2014.

According to the testimony and evidence presented at trial, on May 23, 2013, Lowe and Mackroy, armed with a firearm and a hammer, robbed the Value Pawn and Jewelry located at 2200 E. Semoran Boulevard, in Apopka, Florida. During the course of the robbery, they made death threats and intimidated two employees and a customer.  Mackroy repeatedly hit a customer with a hammer, and then stole approximately 100 pieces of gold and diamond jewelry, while Lowe pointed a gun at the manager, and stole the cash from the registers.

This case was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Apopka Police Department, with assistance from both the Winter Garden Police and Orlando Police Departments.  It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ilianys Rivera Miranda.

Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Alper Erdogan (35, a Turkish citizen residing in Baku, Azerbaijan) today pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit computer hacking, conspiracy to commit credit card fraud, and two counts of aggravated identity theft. Erdogan faces a maximum penalty of 14 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled.

Erdogan was originally indicted in September 2012.

According to the plea agreement, in September 2010, the United States Secret Service (USSS) learned that the computer servers of a hotel in San Diego, California had been hacked and that malicious software had stored credit card magnetic track data, which was then remotely accessed and eventually used at retail stores throughout the United States. In a series of prosecutions related to United States v. Chad Warner, et al., the government prosecuted and secured convictions against 17 individuals who used the stolen credit card numbers in the United States.

As the investigation progressed, agents learned that the conspirators in the United States purchased the stolen credit card account numbers from Erdogan, who was then located in Azerbaijan, and made in excess of $1.2 million in fraudulent credit card charges in about nine months, between June 2010 and the execution of federal search warrants in March 2011. During the course of the charged conspiracies, Erdogan provided individuals throughout the United States with thousands of stolen and hacked credit card numbers and the personal information of Americans. In doing so, Erdogan entered into a conspiracy with hackers located in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Erdogan perpetrated his offenses and communicated with his conspirators solely over the Internet, acting as a broker and providing the stolen and hacked information to individuals in the United States for the purpose of allowing them to commit fraud.

In February 2014, Erdogan was extradited from the Republic of Georgia, where he had travelled from Azerbaijan, to the United States to face the charges alleged in this case.

Dennis Ramos Martinez, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Secret Service, Orlando Field Office stated, “The Secret Service is committed to pursuing cybercrime cases.  There is no doubt that our economic vitality and national security depend on cyber security.  We are committed to these interests and will pursue cyber criminals regardless of where they may be physically located on the globe.” 

This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided assistance with the extradition. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel C. Irick.

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the unsealing of an indictment charging six individuals with conspiracy to defraud the government. Laura Wright (70, Lecanto), Tiffani Manning (30, Jacksonville), Silvester Bowens (48, Jacksonville), Christopher Wyant (38, Morristown, TN), and Tabatha Dubois (33, Morristown, TN) were all arrested on April 15, 2014. Chad R. Heins was arrested this morning. Heins, Manning, Bowens and Dubois also face charges of theft of public money and aiding and abetting the theft of public money. If convicted of the conspiracy charge, each faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. The theft of public money counts each carry a maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment, as well.            

According to the indictment, the above named individuals agreed, combined and conspired with each other and inmates Ronald Rodgers, a/k/a “Ronnie” and “Arthur Pellerin,” John Wright and others to defraud the Internal Revenue Service by obtaining and attempting to obtain the payment of false federal income tax refunds. The amounts claimed on the federal income tax returns included expected income tax refunds ranging between $5,762 and $24,794. It was part of the conspiracy that inmate Ronald Rodgers and other persons would cause the IRS to send fraudulently obtained income tax refunds via direct deposit, into several accounts opened and controlled by some of the conspirators, including Heins, Manning, Bowens and Dubois. The intended losses totaled approximately $6.8 million.  
 

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.

The case was investigated by The Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation and the Florida Department of Corrections.  Assistant United States Attorney Kelly S. Karase is handling the prosecution of this case.

Click HERE for indictment.

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Alejandro Matos (43, Riverview) today pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire, mail, and bank fraud. Matos faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to the plea agreement, Matos worked as a mortgage broker and loan processor for a company in Tampa, Florida. In that capacity, he assisted in the preparation of loan documents and documentation to various mortgage lenders on behalf of clients. In October 2007, Matos assisted two clients in purchasing a residence at 2304 West Flora Street, Tampa, Florida. Matos assisted in the preparation and submission of a Uniform Residential Loan Application in aid of that purchase, which contained numerous false and fraudulent representations related to the purchaser’s place of employment and income. Matos submitted those statements to HSBC Mortgage Corporation in connection with that mortgage application.

In November, 2007, a Uniform Residential Loan Application was submitted to Washington Mutual Bank, N.A. (“WAMU) in support of an application by the same client, who was seeking to obtain financing for the purchase of a condominium unit at the Arbors, in Carrollwood. In support of that application, a number of false and fraudulent representations were made to the lender. At or about the same time, Matos also aided in the submission of other false or fraudulent documents to WAMU, in support of an application by another company client to purchase another condominium unit at the Arbors.

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