Middle District of Florida
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Last Man Sentenced to 6 Years in federal prison for role in Sarasota Mortgage fraud conspiracyRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Richard A. Lazzara sentenced J. Patrick Brester (41, Sarasota) yesterday to six years in federal prison for conspiring to commit wire fraud affecting a financial institution, and committing wire fraud affecting a financial institution. The court also ordered Brester to forfeit $1,995,800, which is traceable to proceeds of the offense. Brester was found guilty on June 4, 2013.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Brester conspired with Michael Chadwick, Matthew Landsman, Joshua Unger, and others to engage in fraudulent cash-back-to-buyer mortgage transactions involving the 2007 purchase and sale of condominiums at Vintage Grand, a large condominium complex in Sarasota, Florida. Each fraudulent transaction involved Brester first purchasing the unit from the development company, Sarasota 432, LLC, and then simultaneously flipping it to Michael Chadwick. Brester and his co-conspirators deceived mortgage lenders about the true nature of the transactions by inflating the purchase prices of the properties, and ultimately the amount lent by the mortgage lenders, to include fees that were falsely described as “management fees" payable to shell corporations under their control.
In truth, the so-called “management fees” were actually the method by which Brester and his co-conspirators funneled cash back to themselves without the lenders’ knowledge. In furtherance of the conspiracy, Brester and his co-conspirators caused interstate wire transfers of the proceeds of the loans obtained from the victim mortgage lenders into bank accounts held in the name of shell companies, including IGS, Inc. and Landwick I, LLC. Evidence presented at trial showed that Brester made over $550,000 from his role in the conspiracy. Mortgage lenders incurred a loss of over $1.2 million from the conspiracy.
For his role in the scheme, Chadwick was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison, on October 19, 2010. Landsman was sentenced to 2 years’ imprisonment on August 19, 2011. Unger was ordered to serve a 15 month prison term on June 27, 2013. All four were ordered to pay restitution to the financial institutions in the amount of $1,266,156.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Amanda L. Riedel and Matthew J. Mueller.
Lakeland man found guilty of trafficking in methamphetamineRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – Acting United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that a federal jury yesterday found Ricky Muoio (Lakeland) guilty of distribution of methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. He faces a maximum penalty of life imprisonment in federal prison. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for January 27, 2014.
Muoio was indicted on May 1, 2013.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, on April 11, 2013, a confidential source (CS) working with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) purchased two ounces of methamphetamine, for $3,000, from Muoio, at his Lakeland residence on Creekwood Run. On April 24, 2013, DEA agents executed a federal search warrant at the residence. In one of the bedrooms, they found and seized a total of approximately 1.5 ounces of methamphetamine, $3,500 in cash, and a digital scale.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kathy J.M. Peluso.
Second Member of Altamont Global Partners Pleads Guilty to $16 Million Investment FraudRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – Acting United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Philip Leon (68, Altamonte Springs) today pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. Leon has also agreed to forfeit over $4 million in artwork and monies that are being held in various bank and trading accounts. These proceeds will be returned to the victims as partial payment towards the expected restitution in the case of over $16 million. Sentencing has been set for January 23, 2014.
According to court documents, Altamont Global Partners, L.L.C owned or managed a series of investment funds. Leon registered Altamont Global with the Florida Secretary of State in March 2009 and was a managing member of the company.
The Matterhorn Fund, LLC was the first fund for which investors were solicited by Altamont Global. Leon served as the Fund Manager for the Matterhorn Fund. To induce individuals to invest, Leon and others falsely represented that the Matterhorn Fund had a long history of making profits, that Leon was a graduate of Stanford University, that he worked for Salomon Brothers as an institutional investment advisor, and that he had successfully traded worldwide investment vehicles for over three decades. None of those representations were true.
In the first quarter of 2010, the Matterhorn Fund experienced significant trading losses. Rather than accurately reflect those losses on the quarterly statements, Leon falsified the quarterly statements and the claim that the Matterhorn Fund was earning an above-market rate of return.
The false rates of returns that were claimed for the Matterhorn Fund were then used to induce individuals to invest in the McKinley Fund. The McKinley Fund also lost money, and Leon again falsified quarterly statements for that fund. Leon and others then used their alleged performance with the Matterhorn Fund and the McKinley Fund to solicit investments in two other funds: Midas Management Partners LLC and Binary Strategy One Fund, LLC. In total, over 200 individuals invested more than $16 million in the four funds owned or managed by Altamont Global.
In June 2012, the National Futures Association (NFA) conducted a surprise examination of Altamont Global. During that examination, the NFA discovered that the quarterly statements were being falsified to hide losses and that the net asset values of the Matterhorn Fund and the McKinley Fund were being inflated, to make it appear that trading had been successful. On July 16, 2012, the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission filed a complaint against Leon and others. That same day, the District Court entered an emergency order freezing the assets of the defendants in that civil case.
Leon is the second individual to be charged and plead guilty in this case. On August 22, 2013, one of Leon’s partners (John G. Wilkins, 63, of Chuluota, Florida) pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud. Wilkins’ sentencing is set for November 21, 2013.
These cases were investigated by the United States Secret Service and the State of Florida, Office of Financial Regulation. They are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg.
Lutz, FLA., Man Convicted on Drug Distribution and Sex Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Acting U.S. Attorney A. Lee Bentley III and Acting Assistant Attorney General Jocelyn Samuels of the Civil Rights Division today announced the conviction of Andrew Blane Fields, 62, of Lutz, Fla., in the Middle District of Florida on charges of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, namely Oxycodone, Dilaudid and Morphine, and sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion. Fields faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison and a statutory maximum of life in prison on each of the five sex trafficking convictions.
In a superseding indictment returned Aug. 22, 2013, a federal grand jury charged Fields with engaging in a sex trafficking scheme whereby he controlled his victims by supplying them with highly addictive controlled substances and by using their fear of withdrawal symptoms to force them into prostitution for his profit. At trial, the government presented evidence that the defendant recruited vulnerable young women who were engaging in prostitution or performing at strip clubs and then rapidly escalated their drug use into full-blown addiction. Other evidence included the testimony of five victims of the defendant’s scheme, quantities of narcotics seized from the defendant’s possession and images of the defendant surreptitiously distributing narcotics to a hospitalized victim.
During the execution of a federal search warrant, law enforcement officers recovered thousands of prescription pills from Fields' residence. As a result, Fields was charged by criminal complaint on March 20, 2013 and by indictment on April 18, 2013.
“This defendant preyed on vulnerable members of our society--young women living in the shadows and on the margins, struggling to get by,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Jocelyn Samuels of the Civil Rights Division. “Using false promises to lure them in, he cruelly exploited them for his own profit, destroying them with drugs and selling them for sex, using highly addictive illegal drugs to hold them under his control. Our Constitution guarantees freedom from involuntary servitude and slavery to all members of our society, and we will continue to enforce our human trafficking laws to restore freedom and dignity to victims of modern day slavery.”
“Today’s verdict provides a measure of justice for the vulnerable victims this defendant systematically forced into prostitution,” said Acting U.S. Attorney A. Lee Bentley III. “The United States Attorney’s Office and the Civil Rights Division are committed to prosecuting all human trafficking, regardless of the form it takes.”
“Sex trafficking is one of the most heinous crimes our special agents investigate and HSI is committed to protecting those who cannot protect themselves”, said Susan McCormick special agent in charge of HSI Tampa. “These cases are extremely difficult to investigate and prosecute and it would not be possible without the hard work and dedication of our special agents and law enforcement partners.”
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), with the assistance of the Clearwater Police Department and members of the Clearwater Area Human Trafficking Task Force. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Josephine W. Thomas and Trial Attorney William E. Nolan with the Civil Rights Division's Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit.
Orlando, FLA., Area Hospice to Pay $3 Million to Resolve Allegations That It Billed Medicare for Patients Not Terminally IllRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Hospice of the Comforter Inc. (HOTCI) has agreed to pay $3 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by submitting false claims to the Medicare program for hospice services provided to patients who were not eligible for the Medicare hospice benefit, the Justice Department announced today. HOTCI is headquartered in Altamonte Springs, Fla., and provides hospice services to patients residing in Seminole, Osceola and Orange counties in Florida.
“This settlement is a result of the Justice Department’s continuing efforts to prevent the abuse of the taxpayer-funded Medicare hospice program, which is intended to provide comfort and care to terminally ill persons during the last six months of their lives,” said Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division Stuart F. Delery. “We will pursue those who seek to misuse this important benefit for their own enrichment.”
The government alleged that between December 2005 and December 2010, HOTCI engaged in practices that resulted in billing Medicare for patients who were not terminally ill. Specifically, HOTCI allegedly directed its staff to admit all referred patients without regard to whether they were eligible for the Medicare hospice benefit, falsified medical records to make it appear that certain patients were eligible for the benefit when they were not, employed field nurses without hospice training, established procedures to limit physicians’ roles in assessing patients’ terminal status and delayed discharging patients when they became ineligible for the benefit.
As part of this settlement, HOTCI has agreed to enter into a Corporate Integrity Agreement with the Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services that provides for procedures and reviews to be put in place to promptly detect and prevent future conduct similar to that which gave rise to the settlement. In addition, HOTCI’s former Chief Executive Officer Robert Wilson has agreed to a three-year, voluntary exclusion from Medicare, Medicaid and other federal health care programs.
“This settlement represents a fair and appropriate resolution of this troubling matter,” said Acting U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida A. Lee Bentley III. “Hospice providers in our district should be on notice that our office will do what it takes to protect our citizens from this kind of misconduct.”
“Hospice care is a sacred trust from which no provider should fraudulently profit,” said Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Daniel R. Levinson. “Claiming tax dollars for people who are not terminally ill ─ and therefore ineligible for hospice care ─ cannot be tolerated.”
This settlement illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating health care fraud and marks another achievement for the Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team (HEAT) initiative, which was announced in May 2009 by Attorney General Eric Holder and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. The partnership between the two departments has focused efforts to reduce and prevent Medicare and Medicaid financial fraud through enhanced cooperation. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Since January 2009, the Justice Department has recovered a total of more than $16.7 billion through False Claims Act cases, with more than $11.9 billion of that amount recovered in cases involving fraud against federal health care programs.
The allegations settled today arose from a lawsuit filed by a former HOTCI employee, Douglas Stone, under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the False Claims Act. Under the act, private citizens can bring suit on behalf of the government for false claims and share in any recovery. Stone’s share of the recovery has not been determined.
This matter was handled by the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch; the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida and the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General.
The case is United States ex rel. Stone v. Hospice of the Comforter Inc., No. 6:11-cv-1498-ORL-22-DAB (M.D. Fla.). The claims settled by this agreement are allegations only; there has been no determination of liability.
Melbourne Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal Prison on Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Roy B. Dalton, Jr. sentenced Kevin Porter (27, Melbourne) yesterday to 60 months in federal prison for distribution of child pornography. Porter was also ordered to serve a 10-year term of supervised release upon completion of his prison sentence and must register as a sex offender. The court also ordered Porter to forfeit his computer equipment.
Porter was found guilty on August 21, 2013.According to court documents, in April 2012, Porter distributed child pornography over the Internet via a peer-to-peer file sharing program. Law enforcement officers conducted a search of Porter’s home and found that he used his computer to possess images and movies of minor children being sexually abused and exploited.
This case was investigated by the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). It was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Myrna Amelia Mesa.
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 (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Two Plead Guilty in Connection with Sunshine Pharmacy Health Care Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – Acting United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Delmer Holmes Parrish (44) and Patricia Parrish (74), both of Naples, today pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud. Delmer Holmes Parrish, a licensed pharmacist, and Patricia Parrish each face a maximum penalty of ten years in federal prison. In addition, they have agreed to pay restitution to the United States in the amount of $351,358.14. As part of the agreement, Delmer Holmes Parrish has also agreed to voluntarily relinquish his pharmacist license to the State of Florida. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the plea agreement, from in or around February 2009 through in or about July 2012, Delmer Holmes Parrish and Patricia Parrish participated in a conspiracy to defraud federal health care benefit programs out of approximately $351,358.14. Along with others, both used Sunshine Pharmacy and Sunshine Solutions to submit and cause claims to be submitted for reimbursement from Medicaid, Medicare, and TRICARE programs for prescriptions not filled or provided to beneficiaries and recipients. The claims included prescriptions for patients that had not been written or authorized by any duly licensed physician. In addition, the co-conspirators submitted and caused claims to be submitted for reimbursement from these same programs for beneficiaries and recipients who were deceased.
In carrying out the offense, the conspirators also used the means of identification of individuals who were enrolled in the Medicaid, Medicare, or TRICARE programs, without their knowledge or consent. The members of the conspiracy also would and did perform acts and made statements to hide and conceal the scheme. As a result of the fraudulent scheme, the government’s losses totaled approximately $351,358.14.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General; Department of Defense, Defense Criminal Investigative Service; and the Drug Enforcement Administration. They were assisted by the Naples Police Department, Collier County Sheriff's Office, and the U.S. Secret Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David G. Lazarus.
Tax Return Preparer Found Guilty for Involvement in Stole Identity refund fraud schemeRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida– Acting United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that a federal jury has found Kenyon Lamont Williams guilty of conspiracy to defraud the United States, filing false claims with the United States, and wire fraud. In addition, Williams was found guilty on two counts of wire fraud and two counts of aggravated identity theft. He faces a maximum penalty of forty-nine years in federal prison. A sentencing hearing has been set for January 24, 2014.
Williams was first indicted on January 10, 2013. Subsequently, a grand jury returned a superseding indictment against him on April 18, 2013.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, Williams worked in San Diego, California as a certified tax return preparer. Between 2007 and 2010, he worked as a part-time seasonal tax preparer. Around the beginning of 2011, Williams opened his own tax preparation service, which he operated out of his residence.
On January 25, 2012, Williams called his friend and fellow tax return preparer, Alesia Spivey, who lived in Tampa, Florida, and discussed the 2012 tax season and Williams’ desire to maximize refund amounts for his clients. During this conversation, Williams solicited information from Spivey regarding methods used, in Tampa, to increase tax refunds. Spivey and Carlista Hawls explained to Williams that individuals in Tampa were using a particular interest income scheme to file bogus tax returns with the IRS. Spivey instructed Williams on how to fill out the tax returns by employing this interest income scheme.
During several subsequent telephone conversations, Williams, Spivey, and Hawls discussed the interest income scheme being employed by them. Between January 25 and July 19, 2012, Williams prepared 168 fraudulent tax returns for tax year 2011 using bogus interest income figures provided by Spivey and Hawls. In all, the 168 fraudulent tax returns accepted by the IRS requested approximately $670,513.00 in refunds, resulting in the payment of approximately $517,744.00 in tax refunds.
In addition, on March 2, 2012, Spivey and Hawls flew to San Diego, California to meet with Williams. During that trip, Williams provided Spivey and Hawls with a list of names, dates of birth, and social security numbers, including a stack of Navy blood donor records, to be used in preparing fraudulent tax returns in Tampa.
Spivey pleaded guilty to her role in the scheme in January 2013. For her involvement in the scheme, Hawls pleaded guilty in February 2013. Both are currently scheduled to be sentenced in December 2013.
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Simon Gaugush and Adam Saltzman.
Jacksonville Sex Offender Indicted on Federal Charges of Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – Acting United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that a federal grand jury in Jacksonville has returned an indictment charging William Roland Baker (62, Jacksonville) with two counts of possessing child pornography. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum penalty of not less than 10 years, up to a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison and a potential life term of supervised release for each count. Baker was arrested in Jacksonville on November 4, 2013 and made his initial appearance in federal court earlier today. His arraignment is scheduled for November 7, 2013, at 2:30 p.m., before U.S. Magistrate James R. Klindt.
The indictment alleges that on or about May 29, 2013, Baker was found to be in possession of visual images depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
According to court documents, Baker is a registered sex offender who was previously convicted of lewd and lascivious conduct with a child under the age of 16 on November 22, 1995.
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 Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.
It is another case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Pinellas County Men Sentenced to Federal Prison for Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – On October 30, 2013, U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday sentenced Ronald Mark Nixon, Jr. (22, St. Petersburg) to 15 years and 8 months in federal prison for carrying firearms during and in relation to drug trafficking crimes. Nixon pleaded guilty to that charge on August 15, 2013. Judge Merryday also sentenced Kristopher Jamel Burgess (23, Pinellas Park), on October 15, 2013, to 7 years and 9 months in federal prison for being a felon in possession of firearms and for carrying those firearms during and in relation to drug trafficking crimes. Burgess pleaded guilty to those charges on August 1, 2013.
According to court documents, on the evening of October 28, 2012, Burgess and Nixon fled from law enforcement, after officers attempted to stop the car in which they were traveling. Burgess fled on foot and was eventually apprehended by the officers. Nixon was apprehended in the car. When the officers searched the car, they found two loaded firearms, distribution amounts of marijuana, and drug paraphernalia. Both Burgess and Nixon were convicted felons at the time of the incident.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the St. Petersburg Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joseph W. Swanson.
It is another case prosecuted as a part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” program - a nationwide, gun-violence reduction strategy. Acting 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.
Jury Convicts Brevard County Man on Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – Acting United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that a federal jury yesterday found Randolph St. Gourdin (38, Palm Bay) guilty of receiving child pornography. St. Gourdin faces a minimum penalty of five years, up to a maximum of twenty years in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for January 17, 2014.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, St. Gourdin downloaded videos of child pornography using a file sharing program. After viewing the videos, he deleted them using a software program to wipe his computer clean. However, computer forensic agents from a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) task force located the videos previously deleted from his computer. The jury heard St. Gourdin’s recorded confession stating that he searched for the child pornography because of his sexual curiosity for those types of videos.
This case was investigated by ICE-HSI. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tanya Davis Wilson.
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.
Former Jail Captain Pleads Guilty to Making A False StatementRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – Acting United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Raymond Kugler (59, North Port) today pleaded guilty to making a false statement. Kugler faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison.
According to the plea agreement, on June 24, 2013, special agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Florida Department of Law Enforcement interviewed Kugler, who was the captain of the Desoto County Jail in Desoto County, Florida. The interview was conducted to investigate an allegation made by inmate “J.H.” regarding the violation of his civil rights by individuals acting under the color of law, while “J.H.” was an inmate at the Desoto County Jail on or about May 25, 2013.
Kugler was questioned by agents regarding his knowledge of the events of May 25, 2013. Specifically, he was asked about his knowledge of the request to transport, and decision not to transport, inmate “J.H.” to Desoto Memorial Hospital (DMH) for medical treatment on the evening of May 25, 2013. Kugler denied his knowledge of a request to transport inmate “J.H.” to DMH, knowing that his statements were false. In fact, Kugler was aware of the request to transport the inmate and willfully and deliberately denied such knowledge to the agents.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Desoto County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jesus M. Casas and Department of Justice Attorney Douglas Kern.
Polk County Man Indicted for Tax FraudRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida - Acting United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Norman V. Charlton was indicted yesterday on tax fraud charges. The thirteen-count indictment charges Charlton with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, theft of government property and aggravated identity theft. He is also charged with four counts of wire fraud, four counts of theft of government property, and four counts of aggravated identity theft. Charlton faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in federal prison for the conspiracy charge, 20 years’ imprisonment for each wire fraud offense, 10 years’ imprisonment for each count of theft of government property, and 2 consecutive years for the aggravated identity theft offenses. The indictment also seeks forfeiture of nearly $15,000 in U.S. currency seized on March 21, 2012, and a forfeiture money judgment in the amount of the proceeds of the fraud, which is alleged to be at least $412,000. Charlton previously made his initial appearance in federal court on September 30, 2013, after being arrested and detained in federal custody on a federal complaint alleging theft of government property.
According to the indictment, beginning as early as August 2011 and continuing through at least June 4, 2012, Charlton and co-conspirators used stolen names and social security numbers to electronically file fraudulent tax returns and obtain tax refunds to which they were not entitled. A record of those filings was kept in a detailed ledger. The fraudulent refunds were deposited onto reloadable debit cards in others’ names and/or disbursed in U.S. Treasury checks and were mailed to addresses controlled or directed by Charlton and others. The indictment alleges that Charlton and his co-conspirators used and directed the fraudulent tax refunds to obtain cash and goods for their own benefit and the benefit of others.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of the federal criminal laws, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation and the Polk County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelley Howard-Allen.
Orlando Man Sentenced to 8 Years for Distributing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – Chief U.S. District Judge Anne C. Conway sentenced David Lahn (60, Orlando) yesterday to 8 years in federal prison for distributing and attempting to distribute child pornography. Lahn is also required to register as a sex offender and to serve a 20-year term of supervision, following his release from prison. The court also ordered Lahn to forfeit his computer equipment. Lahn pleaded guilty on June 26, 2013.
According to court documents, on September 6, 2011, Lahn emailed images of child pornography to an individual in Australia. Later in 2011, the Queensland Police Service in Australia arrested the recipient of Lahn’s child pornography and informed the Federal Bureau of Investigation of Lahn’s email. Lahn later admitted to special agents that he sent the September 6, 2011 email and the attached images of child pornography. Law enforcement officers conducted a forensic examination of Lahn’s computers and found that he possessed more than 1,000 images and at least five videos depicting children and infants being sexually abused and exploited.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew C. Searle.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.
Georgia Man Pleads Guilty in Federal Court to Receiving Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – Acting United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announced today that John Charles Stevenson (45, Rincon, Georgia) pleaded guilty to receiving videos and images depicting child pornography. Stevenson faces a mandatory minimum penalty of not less than 5 years and up to 20 years in federal prison and a potential life term of supervised release. Stevenson has been in custody since his arrest. A sentencing hearing has not yet been set.
According to court documents, a special agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted an investigation to identify individuals in Jacksonville who were trading images and videos depicting child pornography over the Internet. The agent determined that a computer using a particular IP address, in Jacksonville, was hosting child pornography. The agent was able to download several videos of prepubescent children engaged in sexually explicit conduct from this host computer. Further investigation revealed that the subscriber information for this IP address resolved to a residence in Jacksonville, where Stevenson was living.
On January 31, 2013, FBI agents and other officers executed a federal search warrant at the Jacksonville residence and seized two laptop computers. During an interview, Stevenson stated, among other things, that he had been viewing and downloading child pornography for at least three years. He described his activities with child pornography as "interesting, curious, and novel," and stated that he downloads and watches child pornography for his “personal use.” Subsequent analysis of Stevenson's laptop computers revealed a total of at least 24 videos and 51 images depicting child pornography.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.
It is another case 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.
Former NFL Player Sentenced to More Than 3 Years in Federal Prison for Federal Tax Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida –Senior U.S. District Judge John Antoon, II today sentenced Freddie L. Mitchell, II to 37 months in federal prison for conspiracy to file a false tax claim with the government. Mitchell pleaded guilty to the offense on March 8, 2013.
According to court documents, on November 30, 2009, the Internal Revenue Service determined that a fraudulent 2008 Form 1040 claiming a $1,968,288 tax refund had been filed in the name of a professional athlete (“A.G”). Agents soon learned that A.G. had been introduced, by Mitchell, to former IRS employee Jamie Russ-Walls. A.G. had been told by Mitchell that Russ-Walls could help A.G. get extra money back from the IRS. Mitchell also falsely assured A.G. that Russ-Walls already had helped him receive a $1 million refund.
At the end of July 2009, Jamie Russ-Walls and Richard Walls flew to Orlando and met with A.G. and Mitchell. Jamie Russ-Walls indicated that she and her husband worked in the tax preparation business. After providing copies of his tax records to the couple, A.G. was told that he could get additional money back from the IRS because of "grey areas" in his tax returns. A.G. eventually made a $100,000 down payment to Mitchell towards the tax preparation fee, which Mitchell deposited it into his bank account. Mitchell eventually split the fee with Jamie Russ-Walls and Richard Walls.
Without A.G.'s knowledge, Mitchell, Jamie Russ-Walls and Richard Walls then electronically submitted a fraudulent 2008 Form 1040, in A.G.'s name, to the IRS. The form included false business losses totaling $5,367,775, resulting in a fraudulent refund of $1,968,288. A.G. never had any involvement in these businesses and never had provided the information on the tax schedule to Mitchell, Jamie Russ-Walls, or Richard Walls. The false return also included paperwork asking the IRS to directly deposit the refund into the bank accounts of Mitchell and Jamie Russ-Walls. A.G. subsequently learned of the fraudulent activity when the IRS rejected his regular tax return that was filed on October 14, 2009. The IRS was then able to cancel payment on the fraudulent return.
During the investigation, agents also discovered five other false 2009 returns totaling $2,264,005 that had been submitted by Mitchell, Jamie Russ-Walls and Richard Walls. Each of these claims had been accompanied by false W-2 forms showing wages in the millions of dollars from Chameleon Enterprises, LLC. Mitchell had incorporated this business in 2003, listed himself as the manager, and opened a mailbox in Kathleen, Florida to receive correspondence. When contacted by the IRS about the wages allegedly paid to these five individuals, Mitchell falsely verified their employment and income. Records checks later revealed that Chameleon actually had been dissolved as a corporation by the State of Florida in 2007 and therefore did not pay any wages in 2009.Jamie Russ-Walls and Richard Walls previously pleaded guilty and were sentenced for their roles in this case. On February 1, 2013, Jamie Russ-Walls was sentenced to five years of probation. On February 14, 2013, Richard Walls was sentenced to 37 months in federal prison.
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Bodnar, Jr.
Flight Attendant and Co-Conspirator Indicted for Heroin SmugglingRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – Acting United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the return by a grand jury of an indictment charging Carlos Luis Alomar-Baello (43, Davenport) and Carla Michelle Alvarado (33, Kissimmee) with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin. If convicted, Alomar and Alvarado each face a minimum penalty of ten years and a maximum penalty of life in federal prison.
According to the indictment and other court documents, on September 28, 2013, Alvarado, a Jet Blue flight attendant, tried to smuggle almost one kilogram of heroin through U.S. Customs at the Orlando International Airport. After landing on a flight from Bogota, Colombia, Alvarado was selected for inspection by Customs officers. The officers discovered the heroin hidden inside a 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 thought contained the heroin. Agents searched Alomar’s home and found more heroin that he had hidden there.
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 with assistance from U.S. Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Bruce Ambrose.
St. Augustine Sex Offender Pleads Guilty in Federal Court to International Transportation of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – Acting United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announced today that Charles Lee Gorish (67, St. Augustine) pleaded guilty to transporting images and videos of child pornography from Florida to Canada. Gorish faces a mandatory minimum penalty of not less than 15 years and up to 40 years in federal prison. Gorish has been in custody since his arrest in St. Augustine on September 7, 2012. A sentencing hearing has not yet been set.
According to court documents, Gorish, using a fake name, sent a package by FedEx from St. Augustine to an individual in Ontario, Canada. The package was intercepted by Canadian law enforcement officers. It contained, among other things, two micro SD media cards with more than 600 images and videos depicting child pornography, and thousands of images of child erotica. Canadian officials notified the St. Johns County Sheriff=s Office (SJCSO), the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations regarding the seizure of this package. Further investigation revealed that Gorish is a registered sex offender. He was convicted in Hillsborough County, Florida on February 24, 1992, for lewd and lascivious conduct on a minor child.
On September 7, 2012, FBI agents and SJCSO personnel executed a federal search warrant at Gorish=s residence in St. Augustine. During an interview, Gorish admitted, among other things, that he downloaded the files depicting the sexually explicit images of young boys on the SD cards from the Internet, over a period of years. Gorish was subsequently arrested.
This case was investigated by the Canadian Border Services Agency, Ottawa Police Services, St. Johns County Sheriff's Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.
It is another case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.
Convicted Felon Indicted for Impersonating DEA Agent and Possessing FirearmRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – Acting United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the return by a grand jury of an indictment charging Benjamin William Mejias (41, Orlando) with impersonating a federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. If convicted on all counts, Mejias faces a maximum penalty of ten years in federal prison.
According to court documents, Mejias has three previous state felony convictions, each for burglary of a dwelling, any one of which precludes him from possessing a firearm or ammunition. This investigation revealed that Mejias had been telling people, including Orlando police officers, that he had been a DEA agent for over twenty years and had allegedly collected a $2,000 donation from an Orlando businessman on behalf of an agents’ association. Agents also learned that Mejias had posted photos of himself with a variety of firearms on social media sites. When agents executed a search warrant at Mejias’ home on October 11, 2013, they found a loaded .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol, and he was arrested. Mejias has remained in custody since his arrest.
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 and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Bruce Ambrose.
Tampa Man Indicted on Gun, Drug and Tax Fraud Related ChargesRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – Acting United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the return by a grand jury of a superseding indictment charging Edwaldo Louis Oliveiri (22, Tampa) with conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute marijuana and cocaine, possession of a firearm by a user of a controlled substance, theft of government property, aggravated identity theft, and nine counts of wire fraud. If convicted, Oliveiri faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison for the drug charge, 10 years’ imprisonment for the firearm charge, 10 years’ imprisonment for the theft of government property charge, up to 20 years in prison for each wire fraud charge, and a consecutive two years’ imprisonment for the aggravated identity theft offense. The superseding indictment also notifies Oliveiri that the United States intends to forfeit any assets which are alleged to be traceable to proceeds of the offenses.
According to the superseding indictment, Oliveiri was involved in a conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute marijuana and cocaine from 2012 through September 11, 2013. In addition, he is charged with possessing a firearm on September 4, 2012, while then being an unlawful user of a controlled substance. The indictment alleges that Oliveiri committed a theft of more than $1,000 from the United States Department of Treasury on or about May 29, 2013, by stealing a fraudulently issued federal income tax refund. While committing the federal income tax refund theft, Oliveiri unlawfully used the name and Social Security number of another person. He is also charged with wire fraud in connection with the filing of nine separate false tax returns in April 2013.
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 Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark E. Bini.
Duval County Man Indicted and Arrested on Hoax Bomb Charge Involving Jacksonville International AirportRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – Acting United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the return by a grand jury of an indictment charging Zeljko Causevic (39, Jacksonville) with conveying false or misleading information. Causevic was arrested on a federal warrant while in state custody and faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison.
According to the indictment, Causevic entered Jacksonville International Airport on October 1, 2013, and stated that he was in possession of a bomb.
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 FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force, the Jacksonville Aviation Authority, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, and the Transportation Security Administration. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.
Tampa Woman Pleads Guilty to Stolen Identity Refund FraudRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – Acting United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Tressa V. Guy (41, Tampa) yesterday pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. Guy also agreed to forfeit $790,421.28 to the United States as proceeds of the offense. Guy will be sentenced on January 9, 2014, and faces up to twenty-two years in prison.
According to the plea agreement, Guy and her co-conspirators orchestrated a scheme to defraud the United States Treasury by causing fraudulent federal income tax returns to be filed using stolen identities, soliciting personal identifying information and addresses from co-conspirators in Florida and Georgia for use in the scheme, and coordinating the withdrawal of fraudulently-obtained tax refund amounts from prepaid debit cards. The identities used to file the fraudulent tax returns in this scheme belonged to individuals living in various states across the country. As part of the conspiracy, at least 322 federal income tax returns for tax year 2011 were filed from nine IP addresses claiming refunds of $2,701,844.00 and resulting in a loss to the IRS of $790,421.28.
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service, the Tampa Police Department, and the Monroe County, Georgia Sheriff’s Office with assistance from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Matthew J. Mueller and Trial Attorney Jason H. Poole of the Department of Justice, Tax Division.
Riverview Woman Indicted for Stolen Identity Refund FraudRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – Acting United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the unsealing of a fourteen-count indictment charging Ashley C. Guy with multiple counts of wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, possession of unauthorized access devices, and destruction of records in a federal investigation. If convicted, she faces a maximum penalty of twenty years in federal prison on each wire fraud count; twenty years on the destruction of records count; and 10 years in federal prison on the access device count, all to be followed by two years in prison for each aggravated identity theft count.
According to the indictment, Guy devised and participated in a scheme to defraud the United States Treasury by causing federal income tax returns fraudulently claiming tax refunds to be filed with the IRS. Guy directed the refunds claimed on these tax returns to be electronically deposited onto prepaid debit cards that were issued in the names of third parties without the third parties’ knowledge. The indictment further alleges that as part of the scheme, Guy destroyed and attempted to destroy documents, records, and tangible objects containing the means of identification of third parties with the intent to impede, obstruct, and influence a federal investigation.
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 and the Tampa Police Department, with assistance from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Matthew J. Mueller and Trial Attorney Jason H. Poole of the Department of Justice, Tax Division.
Disbarred Attorney and Her Ex-Husband Sentenced to Prison for Stealing $2.8 Million from Clients in Medicaid Planning Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Orlando, FL – Chief U.S. District Judge Anne Conway sentenced Ross Littlefield (48, Kissimmee) and Linda Littlefield (41, Kissimmee) yesterday for money laundering. Ross Littlefield was sentenced to four years in federal prison. Linda Littlefield was sentenced to five years in prison. As part of their sentence, the court also entered a restitution order in the amount of $2,888,418.05 and a money judgment in the amount of $155,739.93. The Littlefields pleaded guilty on June 11, 2013.
Linda Littlefield, a former attorney, formed The Littlefield Law Group, P.A which ultimately matured to specialize in Medicaid planning. In 2007, Ross Littlefield, Linda Littlefield, and others created a non-profit organization called the JNN Foundation, Inc. and represented that a JNN Special Needs Asset Preservation Pooled Trust could shelter a client’s assets and not affect the beneficiary’s Medicaid or Social Security Income eligibility. Ross Littlefield served as the trustee.
Between 2007 and 2010, Ross and Linda Littlefield fraudulently induced approximately 27 clients to contribute more than $4.7 million to the JNN Foundation. Once the client funds were received by the foundation, the Littlefields transferred the money to other accounts under their control. The Littlefields used the money for their own personal benefit. They purchased property, vehicles, and made personal loans to their other business. As part of their fraudulent scheme, the Littlefields sent false quarterly statements to their clients showing fictitious balances. Consequently, the Littlefields stole more than $2.8 million from their clients.
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Haas.Daytona Beach Man Sentenced to 5 ½ Years for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – Senior U.S. District Judge John Antoon, II today sentenced Carlos Manuel Cruz (40, Daytona Beach) to five years and six months in federal prison for possession of child pornography. Cruz pleaded guilty on April 15, 2013.
According to court documents, the 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 distributing child pornography. Law enforcement officials determined the location of the IP address and interviewed Cruz. During the interview, Cruz admitted that he downloaded and viewed child pornography. Search warrants were executed upon computers located at Cruz’s home, revealing that Cruz possessed more than 27 images and 6 videos containing visual depictions of sexually exploited children.
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. It is being 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.
Local Man Pleads Guilty to Multiple Tax Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – Acting United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announced that on October 15, 2013, Anthony Simms (37, formerly of Riverview) pleaded guilty to seven counts of passing forged Treasury checks, seven counts of theft of government property, and seven counts of aggravated identity theft. Simms faces a maximum penalty of ten years in federal prison for each of the passing forged Treasury checks and theft of government property counts, plus two consecutive years in prison on the aggravated identity theft counts. The government is also seeking a forfeiture money judgment in the amount of the proceeds from the offenses. His sentencing hearing has been set for January 13, 2014, at 1:30 p.m. before United States District Judge James D. Whittemore.
According to court documents, from November 9, 2011 through January 25, 2012, Simms deposited fifty-seven third party tax refund Treasury checks and eight tax refund cashier’s checks into his business account at SunTrust Bank, through various ATMs located in the Tampa area. Simms was the sole signatory on the business account and the only one who used the ATM card for these deposits. Simms knew that the signatures of the payees on the back of the checks were forged and that he was not authorized or entitled to deposit or cash these checks. The payees on the checks did not know or have any dealings with Simms, his business, and did not authorize a check in their name to be deposited into Simms’ account. Other payees on some of the Treasury checks were deceased. The total amount of money deposited into Simms’ account from all of these tax refund checks was $449,689.
This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Assistant United States Attorney Kelley C. Howard-Allen.
Jacksonville Man Pleads Guilty in Federal Court to Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – Acting United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that on October 2, 2013, James Daniel Kasper (29, Jacksonville) pleaded guilty to using a minor to produce images of child pornography. Kasper faces a mandatory minimum penalty of not less than 15 years and up to 30 years in federal prison. Kasper has been in custody since his arrest on March 20, 2013. A sentencing hearing has not yet been set.
According to court documents, in February 2013, law enforcement officers in Tennessee arrested a registered sex offender on child pornography charges, and an FBI agent accessed the individual=s email account. The agent discovered that several hundred emails had been exchanged between the arrested individual and others, many of which contained images and videos depicting child pornography. Another email account contained correspondence between the individual and numerous other email accounts, including one identified as the Aghostt4891" account. Further investigation revealed that the “ghostt4891” account belonged to Kasper and that Kasper had sent images of child pornography to others via email and had uploaded them over the internet to a website whose server is outside of the United States.
According to court documents, on March 20, 2013, FBI agents and other law enforcement officers executed a federal search warrant at Kasper=s apartment on Sunbeam Road in Jacksonville. During the search, agents seized a laptop computer and a thumb drive. Agents also contacted Kasper at his place of employment. When interviewed, he stated, among things, that while babysitting a 9-year-old minor child, he used his smart phone to produce sexually explicit photos of the child. After taking the photos, Kasper uploaded the images over the internet to a particular website and sent them to others via email. Kasper also stated that he used a peer-to-peer file sharing program to search for child pornography on the internet.
According to court documents, the thumb drive seized at Kasper’s residence contained at least 49 images of child pornography produced by Kasper that depicted the minor child.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, 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.
Hillsborough County Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Firearm and Ammunition ChargeRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – On October 15, 2013, U.S. District Judge James S. Moody, Jr. sentenced Raymond Edward Braun (40, Wimauma) to 15 years in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Braun pleaded guilty on July 2, 2013.
According to court documents, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office received a complaint on March 20, 2013, that Braun was in possession of a rifle. Deputies arrived at Braun’s residence and eventually recovered the rifle. The firearm was loaded with six rounds of ammunition. Prior to this incident, Braun was previously convicted of a number of felonies. As a previously convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joseph W. Swanson.
This is another case prosecuted as a part of the Department of Justice's Project Safe Neighborhoods program - a nationwide, gun-violence reduction strategy. Acting 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.
Former Lee County Commissioner Pleads Guilty to Wire FraudRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida - Acting United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that on October 3, 2013, former Lee County Commissioner Tammara Ann Hall, a/k/a Tammy Hall (53, Cape Coral), pleaded guilty to wire fraud. She faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. Her sentencing hearing is scheduled for January 13, 2014.
According to the plea agreement, Hall was a Lee County Commissioner running for re-election in the November 2010 general election. Between November 2009 and November 2010, Hall diverted and embezzled approximately $33,756 of donor contributions to the Tammy Hall campaign fund, and used the money for personal expenditures unrelated to the campaign. Hall completed Florida Department of State campaign fund quarterly reports and failed to disclose that she had diverted campaign contributions to pay for personal expenses. She falsely represented the nature of the expenditures, which she made for personal purposes, or omitted certain campaign contribution checks from the quarterly reports. Hall stole from her campaign fund by transferring funds electronically from the campaign bank account to her personal bank account. She wrote checks from the campaign bank account and then deposited the checks into her personal bank account. She also deposited certain donor campaign contribution checks directly into her personal bank account. Hall used interstate wires to accomplish the electronic transfer of funds from her campaign account to her personal account at Wachovia Bank.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey F. Michelland.
Felon Convicted of Drug Trafficking and Possessing FirearmsRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – Acting United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that on October 10, 2013, a federal jury today found Charlie Vernon, Jr. (Tampa, 53) guilty of possessing with the intent to distribute more than an ounce of crack cocaine and being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition. Vernon faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for January 6, 2014. Vernon was indicted on February 28, 2013.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, officers from the Tampa Police Department executed a search warrant at Vernon’s residence on February 1, 2013. They recovered two ounces of crack cocaine, various quantities of powder cocaine and marijuana, and paraphernalia to package and distribute those drugs, including scales, baggies, crack pipes, and cutting instruments. In addition, officers also found four firearms and more than 800 rounds of ammunition. Prior to February 2013, Vernon had previously been convicted of three felonies for drug trafficking offenses and, as such, was prohibited from possessing any firearms or ammunition.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Tampa Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Matthew Jackson and Natalie Adams.
Federal Inmate Gets 19 Additional Years in Prison for Second Murder for Hire SchemeRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – On October 7, 2013, U.S. District Judge William J. Castagna sentenced Alexander Shevgert, an inmate at Coleman Federal Prison and former resident of Sarasota, to an additional 19 years in federal prison for a murder for hire scheme in which he attempted to murder three family members. Shevgert pleaded guilty on July 12, 2013.
According to court documents, between July 2011 and May 2012, Shevgert, while incarcerated at Coleman Federal Prison, solicited others to effect the murders of three family members identified herein as G.K., V.K. and GK. At the time, Shevgert was serving a 25 year prison sentenced for conspiracy to travel across state lines with intent to kill, injure, and harass another person, and traveling across state lines with intent to kill, injure an harass another person. Two of the three individuals that Shevgert wanted murdered were victims from the previous case. Shevgert believed that if he was able to effect the murders of the victims he might have a greater chance of success during an appeal of the previous case. He thought it would be more believable that he was not guilty of harming the victims in the first case if the victims were harmed again while he was incarcerated. Further, Shevgert wanted to ensure that the three victims, G.K. V.K. and G.K were not available to testify at any further proceedings.
After soliciting other inmates to help arrange for the murders, law enforcement was notified, and an investigation was conducted. An undercover detective, posing as a “hit man,” exchanged phone calls, emails, and met with Shevgert. During the exchanges, Shevgert discussed and arranged the murders of the victims. As payment for the murders, Shevgert provided the hit man with detailed information regarding a friend of his, identified herein as J.S. Shevgert believed “J.S.” had a substantial amount of valuable personal property at his home. Shevgert instructed the the hit man to commit a robbery of J.S. He told the “hit man” to steal his property and sell the stolen items as payment for the murders. Shevgert advised the hit man that it did not matter to him if J.S. was murdered during the robbery.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Amanda C. Kaiser.
Deltona Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Firearm and Narcotics CrimesRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – Chief U.S. District Judge Anne C. Conway today sentenced Albert Thompson, III (31, Deltona) to 15 years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, possessing controlled substances with intent to distribute, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The court also ordered Thompson to forfeit three firearms as part of his sentence. Thompson pleaded guilty on July 23, 2013.
According to court documents, on October 23, 2012, officers from the Sanford Police Department responded to a residence in Sanford to investigate a shooting incident. The responding officers located Thompson at the residence along with other individuals. Further investigation led to the discovery of Thompson’s rental vehicle on the premises. Officers executed a search warrant on the vehicle and recovered two loaded firearms and an assortment of controlled substances including marijuana, oxycodone pills, crack/cocaine, and cocaine as well as a narcotics cutting agent and two scales suitable for weighing narcotics. Forensic analysis of the evidence revealed that Thompson’s DNA was present on one of the seized firearms and that his fingerprints were located on the exterior and interior of the rental vehicle.
Thompson has multiple prior felony convictions and was therefore prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) with assistance from the Sanford Police Department and the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew C. Searle.
It is another case prosecuted as a part of the Department of Justice's "Project Safe Neighborhoods" program - a nationwide, gun-violence reduction strategy. Acting 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.
Deland Man Sentenced to More Than Seven Years for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – Chief U.S. District Judge Anne C. Conway today sentenced Colby William Ochsenhirt (35, DeLand) to seven years and five months in federal prison for possession of child pornography. He pleaded guilty on May 29, 2013.
According to court documents, the 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 a "video chat" depicting child pornography. Law enforcement officials determined the location of the IP address and interviewed Ochsenhirt. During the interview, Ochsenhirt admitted that he viewed the child pornography video and that he did not know whether the video was live streaming or not, meaning that he did not know if the child was being victimized at the time that he viewed it. Ochsenhirt admitted that he sought videos of children being victimized in live time and had been doing so for five to six months. Search warrants were executed upon computers and hard drives located at Ochsenhirt’s home and place of employment. Forensic analysis revealed that Ochsenhirt possessed more than 1,700 images and 240 videos containing child pornography.
“Possessing child pornography is not a victimless crime. It haunts the children depicted in it, who live daily with the knowledge that countless strangers use an image of their worst experiences for their own gratification,” said Susan McCormick, special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations Tampa. “Our local law enforcement partners play an essential role in helping us arrest and prosecute these child predators.”
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office, and the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher LaForgia.
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 Bail Bondsman Sentenced to More Than 8 Years in Prison for Tax Fraud and Identity Theft SchemeRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Susan C. Bucklew today sentenced Freddie Wilson to 8 years and 6 months in federal prison for theft of government funds, aggravated identity theft, money laundering, and obstruction of justice. The court also ordered Wilson to forfeit a 2011 Chevrolet Camaro and approximately $8,700, which are traceable to proceeds of the offenses, and entered a money judgment against him in the amount of $39,197.72.
Wilson was found guilty by a jury on July 11, 2013.
According to court documents, Wilson was a licensed bail bondsman who ran Against All Odds Bail Bonds, Inc. in Tampa. In June 2012, Wilson opened an account in the name of Against All Odds, at a local bank, under the guise that he was a check casher. Within a three month period, he deposited over $318,000 in U.S. Treasury income tax refund checks that were issued as a result of fraudulently filed federal income tax returns. Wilson used the identities of deceased, elderly, and disabled victims to deposit the checks. Wilson spent all of the money on personal expenses, including the purchase of the 2011 Camaro, mortgage payments, expensive restaurants, hotels, and large dollar transactions at a casino.
In January 2013, a federal search warrant was executed at Against All Odds Bail Bonds, and agents seized the Camaro and approximately $8,600 that remained in a bank account from the fraudulent tax refunds. Wilson subsequently obstructed the criminal investigation by taking records that were seized during the search warrant and failing to return them to the government.
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Josephine W. Thomas.
United States Forfeits $1,552,588.62 Obtained from the Sale of Daytona Beach HotelRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida - Acting United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the forfeiture of $1,552,588.62 obtained from the sale of the Desert Inn Hotel in Daytona Beach, Florida. In July 2011, Dennis Brian Devlin, of Daytona Beach, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for sexually exploiting a minor. As part of Devlin’s sentence, the court ordered Devlin to forfeit his interest in the Desert Inn because it was used to facilitate the crimes for which he was convicted.
The titled owner of the Desert Inn, Deslin Hotels, Inc., filed a claim to contest the forfeiture of the hotel because it alleged that Devlin did not have an interest in the hotel. After several months of litigation, a settlement was reached wherein Deslin Hotels, Inc. conceded to the forfeiture of $1,552,588.62, which represents Devlin’s interest in the proceeds obtained from the recent sale of the Desert Inn.
The 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 exploit children via the Internet, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The forfeitures were handled by Assistant United States Attorney Nicole M. Andrejko.
Naples Man Sentenced to Four Years for Filing False Income Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge John E. Steele today sentenced Frederick R. Green to 4 years in federal prison for false claims against the government, possession of 15 or more unauthorized access devices, and theft of government money. The court also ordered Green to forfeit $10,322.00 in United States currency, which is traceable to proceeds of the offense. In addition, Green was ordered to pay $311,746.00 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service. Green pleaded guilty on March 5, 2013.
According to court documents, on or about January 20, 2012, Green knowingly filed a false federal income tax return using the name E.P., in which he made a fraudulent claim for an income tax refund in the amount of $9,913, to the Internal Revenue Service.
The Internal Revenue Service confirmed that on January 20, 2012, E.P.’s return was prepared, received and processed by the IRS and a refund in the amount of $9,913 was applied to a Bancorp debit card.
The Internal Revenue Service conducted additional research and determined that more than 70 returns were filed from the same IP address utilized by Green on January 20, 2012.
A search warrant was executed on July 12, 2012, on Green’s residence in Collier County. During the execution of the warrant, Green was found to be in possession of 15 or more unauthorized access devices. Specifically, he was in possession of 25 debit cards in other peoples’ names that were found in his jacket pocket. Further, there were numerous other debit cards on the table next to his computer. One of the cards found during the execution of the search warrant was in E.P.’s name. Agents also located sheets of personal identifying information and more than $10,000 in cash.
From at least January 20, 2012 through July 12, 2012, Green knowingly and willfully stole and converted to his own use money that belonged to the United States. The amount of the returns filed from the IP address while it was assigned to Green’s residence is $648,967. From the fraudulent claims for income tax refunds, Green received payment for $311,746.
This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, and the Collier County Sheriff’s Office as part of the United States Secret Service Southwest Florida Financial Crimes Strike Force, and the Internal Revenue Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Yolande G. Viacava.
Jacksonville Man Indicted for Attempted Murder of United States District Judge Timothy J. CorriganRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida - Acting United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Aaron M. Richardson (24, Jacksonville) with a number of federal offenses, including the attempted murder of United States District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan. In addition to the attempted murder of a sitting United States District Judge, the indictment also charges Richardson with federal firearm offenses involving the possession and discharge of a stolen firearm, and possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. The indictment also charges Richardson with failure to attend court hearings and making numerous false statements to the FBI and his supervising probation officer. Finally, the indictment alleges that Richardson impersonated a Captain in the United States Navy.
In total, the indictment charges Richardson with committing twenty-five separate federal offenses. If convicted on all counts, he faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. The indictment also notifies Richardson that the United States intends to forfeit a Savage Arms .30-06 rifle and Winchester ammunition used during the attempted murder.
According to the indictment and court records, Judge Corrigan previously convicted and sentenced Richardson for attempting to make an incendiary device in a 2008 case. Following incarceration for that crime, Richardson was serving a term of supervised release. Beginning in 2012, Richardson made a number of false statements to his probation officer about new arrests and new criminal court appearances in Clay, Duval, and Volusia Counties. On January 30, 2013, Richardson appeared in federal court on a petition alleging his violation of supervised release for committing new crimes. Richardson was released with conditions that day.
The indictment alleges that Richardson continued making false statements to his assigned probation officer and failed to appear for court hearings on June 3 and June 11, 2013. Shortly thereafter, Richardson stole a Savage Arms .30-06 rifle and ammunition from the a Sports Authority store in Jacksonville. Several days later, on June 23, 2013, he discharged that rifle during his attempt to murder Judge Corrigan.
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 FBI and multiple other federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, including the United States Marshals Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the United States Probation Office, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, the Clay County Sheriff's Office, the Baker County Sheriff's Office, the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office, the Daytona Beach Police Department, and the Bethune Cookman University Public Safety Office. The case will be prosecuted by Deputy Chief Assistant United States Attorney Mac D. Heavener, III and Assistant United States Attorney Mark B. Devereaux.
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Acting U.S. Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III Announces Hiring Grants for Law Enforcement and School Safety OfficersRead the Press Release
Funds Will Hire School Resource Officers and Critical Law Enforcement Positions
Tampa – Acting U.S. Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), today announced funding awards for the Middle District of Florida.
The grantees and amount awarded include: Collier County Sheriff’s Office - $500,000, Hendry County Sheriff’s Office - $904,895, Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office - $1,250,000, and Pasco County Sheriff’s Office - $1,250,000.
“In the wake of past tragedies, it's clear that we need to be willing to take all possible steps to ensure that our kids are safe when they go to school,” said Attorney General Eric Holder. “These critical investments represent the Justice Department's latest effort to strengthen key law enforcement capabilities, and to provide communities with the resources they need to protect our young people. Especially in a time of increased challenges and limited budgets, our top priority must always be the safety and well-being of our children.”
Overall the COPS Office funded awards to 263 cities and counties, aimed at creating 937 law enforcement positions. More than $125 million will be awarded nationally, including nearly $45 million to fund 356 new school resource officer positions.
“Keeping our children safe when they go to school is of critical importance and I am pleased to join the Attorney General and the COPS Office in announcing these grants which will help provide our communities with the resources needed to accomplish this vital mission,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Bentley.“The COPS Office is pleased to assist local law enforcement agencies throughout the country address their most critical public safety issues,” said Joshua Ederheimer, Acting Director of the COPS Office. “Funding from this year’s program will allow many cities and counties to apply new sworn personnel to issues related to violent crime, property crime, and school safety.”
The COPS Hiring Program offers grants to state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to hire or rehire community policing officers. The program provides the salary and benefits for officer and deputy hires for three years.
Grantees for the 2013 hiring program were selected based on their fiscal needs, local crime rates, and their community policing plans. There was an additional focus this year on agencies requesting assistance in developing school safety programs that would include the hiring of a school resource officer. School resource officer positions funded by the COPS Office are sworn law enforcement positions that work within a school district or facility, interacting directly with school administrators and students.
The COPS Office is a federal agency responsible for advancing community policing nationwide. Since 1995, COPS has awarded over $14 billion to advance community policing, including grants awarded to more than 13,000 state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies to fund the hiring and redeployment of approximately 125,000 officers and provide a variety of knowledge resource products including publications, training, and technical assistance.
For the entire list of grantees and additional information about the 2013 COPS Hiring Program, visit the COPS website at www.cops.usdoj.gov.
Federal Inmate Sentenced to Life in Federal Prison for the Murder of A Fellow InmateRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida - U.S. District Judge Anne C. Conway today sentenced Boyd Wallace Higginbotham, Jr. (55) to life in federal prison for murdering fellow inmate Steven Pritchard. A federal jury found Higginbotham guilty of first degree murder following a trial that concluded on August 22, 2013.
Both Higginbotham and Pritchard were inmates at United States Penitentiary II at the Coleman Federal Correctional Complex, in Sumter County, Florida. Higginbotham was serving a sentence on a felon in possession of a firearm conviction. Pritchard was serving a sentence on a bank robbery conviction.
According to evidence presented at trial, Higginbotham and Pritchard had been having an escalating dispute over several days. On February 20, 2008, Higginbotham and Pritchard were both at the same table in the penitentiary mess hall during lunch when Pritchard made threatening comments to Higginbotham in front of other inmates. Higginbotham got up, walked away from the table, and took his tray to the tray return area. Higginbotham then walked up behind Pritchard, grabbed him around the neck, and repeatedly stabbed him with a homemade knife. He stabbed him in the chest, abdomen, back, and forearm. Pritchard was air lifted to the trauma unit at the Orlando Regional Medical Center. On March 6, 2008, Pritchard died as a result of complications from the stab wounds.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Prisons. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sam Armstrong.
Colombian Drug Trafficker Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida - Acting United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Camilo Torres-Martinez, aka Fritanga (41, Colombia), yesterday pleaded guilty to conspiracy to import into the United States five kilograms or more of cocaine; conspiracy to manufacture and distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, intending that it would be unlawfully imported into the United States; and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, while on board a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years' imprisonment and a maximum penalty of life in federal prison for each count. Torres-Martinez was extradited from Colombia to the Middle District of Florida to face these charges.
According to court documents, Torres-Martinez admitted that from 2001 until June 2012, he organized and coordinated cocaine transportation operations. Torres-Martinez and his drug trafficking organization transported large quantities of cocaine in vessels dispatched off the Northern coast of Colombia. The cocaine was transported from the coast of Colombia to Honduras, for ultimate introduction into, and distribution in, the United States. The drug trafficking organization utilized speedboats and fishing vessels to transport the drugs.
On November 8, 2004, the U.S. Coast Guard interdicted a 40-foot speedboat in international waters in the Carribean Sea. Coast Guard personnel recovered a total of 2,652 kilograms of cocaine. On July 6, 2005, the U.S. Coast Guard interdicted a Honduran-flagged fishing vessel, the Ocean Mistery, in international waters in the Carribean Sea. Coast Guard personnel recovered a total of 2,483 kilograms of cocaine. Both of these drug transport operations were organized by Torres-Martinez.
This case was investigated by OCDETF's Panama Express Strike Force, comprised of agents and analysts from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, United States Coast Guard Investigative Service, and Joint Interagency Task Force South. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez.
Tarpon Springs Man Sentenced to 15 Months in Prison for Mortgage FraudRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida - U.S. District Judge James D. Whittemore yesterday sentenced Chad Allen Lazzari (45, Tarpon Springs) to 15 months in federal prison for wire fraud and making false statements to federally-insured banks. As part of Lazzari's sentence, the court also entered a money judgment in the amount of $670,982.65, the proceeds of the mortgage fraud offenses. In addition, he was also ordered to forfeit his interest in a specified cashier's check and a personal injury claim. Lazzari pleaded guilty on June 5, 2013.
According to court documents, in 2007 and 2008, Lazzari submitted and caused the submission of mortgage and home equity loan applications containing false and fraudulent statements to Regions Bank, SunTrust Bank, and Fifth Third Bank in the Middle District of Florida. In the loan applications, Lazzari fraudulently represented that he was a single man, when in fact he was married, and in some instances, submitted false income tax returns and other fraudulent documents in an effort to substantiate this claim and otherwise enhance the financial qualifications of the borrower on the loan applications. For example, on or about June 6, 2006, Lazzari purchased the residence located at 201 Fairmont Drive, Spring Hill, Florida 34610, as an investment property. In connection with purchase, he represented himself as a single man.
Slightly more than one year later, in or about August - September 2007, Lazzari prepared a fraudulent mortgage loan application in the name of his spouse, Lin Lin Liu, and submitted it to Homecomings Financial, LLC, in connection with his sale of the Fairmont Drive home to his spouse. The purpose of the sale was to avoid foreclosure of the investment property in his name. Among other things, the mortgage loan application in Lazzari's spouse’s name contained several material false statements. It did not disclose the fact that the seller and buyer were married, falsely reported that Lazzari's spouse was gainfully employed and making a sizable income, which was not true, included false statements about Lazzari's spouse's assets, and misrepresented the truth about his spouse's address. Homecomings Financial, LLC approved the fraudulent mortgage loan application in Lazzari's spouse’s then-name, Lin Lin Liu (changed shortly thereafter to Victoria Liu Lazzari). On September 7, 2007, Homecomings Financial, LLC wired $324,482.65 in mortgage loan proceeds. Lazzari's spouse never made a single mortgage payment, and the property was foreclosed upon.
On or about March 17, 2008, Lazzari submitted three different home equity loan applications (totaling $76,500), in varying amounts, to three separate banks, on a different residence. In each instance, Lazzari represented himself as single or unmarried with the intent to influence the actions of the banks on his loan applications. Lazzari failed to report to any one of the banks that he had made home equity loan applications to the other two banks, or that the Fairmont Drive home, which he had fraudulently sold to his spouse, was in foreclosure. Ultimately, Lazzari defaulted on all of these loans.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rachelle DesVaux Bedke.
Merritt Island Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Online Enticement of A MinorRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida, - U.S. District Judge Charlene Edwards Honeywell today sentenced Jason G. Aman (30, Merritt Island) to 10 years in federal prison for online enticement of a minor to travel to engage in sexual activity. The court also ordered Aman to serve a 5-year term of supervised release and to register as a sex offender, upon his release from prison. Aman pleaded guilty on June 3, 2013.
According to court documents, on November 10, 2012, Aman initiated contact in an Internet chat room with an undercover agent whom he believed to be a “14-year-old girl.” On the same day, he chatted using graphic and explicit sexual language expressing his desire to engage in sexual activity with the girl whom he acknowledged was 14 years old. Aman instructed the “14-year-old” to wear certain clothing and arranged to meet with her in Brevard County. When he arrived at the arranged location, Aman encountered undercover agents and was arrested.
This case was investigated by the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). It was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Myrna Amelia Mesa.
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.
Fleming Island Man Charged in Federal Court with Receiving Child Pornography over the InternetRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida - Acting United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announced today that Jimmy Laverne Holmes (57, Fleming Island) has been charged by a federal criminal complaint with receiving child pornography over the Internet. If convicted, Holmes faces at least 5 years, and up to 20 years in prison. Holmes was arrested yesterday at his Fleming Island residence, and later made his initial appearance in court. A detention hearing is scheduled before United States Magistrate Judge Monte C. Richardson on September 26, 2013 at 2:30 p.m.
According to the criminal complaint, on September 24, 2013, agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Clay County Sheriff’s Office executed a federal search warrant at Holmes’ residence. Holmes was at the residence and was interviewed by agents. Holmes indicated, among other things, that he works at the Barco-Newton YMCA in Fleming Island, where he teaches sports to children. Holmes admitted using a file sharing program to download child pornography and share it with other computer users, and further stated that child pornography would be found on his external hard drives. An onsite examination of one of Holmes’ external hard drives revealed that it contained child pornography. Holmes was subsequently arrested.
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 Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Clay County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.
Seminole Man Found Guilty of Possession and Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL - Acting United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Michael Meister (57, Seminole) was found guilty yesterday of possession and distribution of child pornography following a bench trial. Meister faces a maximum penalty of 40 years in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for December 19, 2013, at 9:30 a.m. Meister was indicted on August 11, 2011.
According to the facts presented at trial, on July 30, 2007, Meister took his Dell laptop to a computer repair shop in Pinellas County and requested that certain files be moved from his old laptop onto a new laptop computer that he had recently purchased. While the computer technician was transferring files, he viewed what he believed to be child pornography and called law enforcement. Law enforcement obtained a search warrant and performed a search of the computer. A forensic analysis of the computer hard drive revealed that Meister knowingly possessed and distributed child pornography.
This case was investigated by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement in conjunction with their work on the U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Child Exploitation Task Force. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Amanda C. Kaiser.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Pasco County Pharmacist Sentenced for Illegally Distributing Pain MedicationsRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida - United States District Judge Susan Bucklew today sentenced Edward Benjamin Alister Beckles (59, Pasco County) to 4 years in federal prison for distributing Oxycodone. He was also ordered to serve a two-year term of supervised release. As part of his sentence, the court also entered a money judgment in the amount of $175,000, the proceeds of the charged criminal conduct. Beckles pleaded guilty on March 26, 2013.
According to court documents, in 2010, detectives from the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office and agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration began an investigation to identify members of a large Oxycodone pill distribution ring. As a result of the investigation, 33 individuals were arrested and prosecuted.
From August 2009 through January 2012, individuals presented fraudulent prescriptions for Oxycodone to Beckles at his pharmacy and he filled the prescriptions, knowing they were fraudulent. Beckles was a licensed pharmacist and the owner of Ed’s Family Friendly Pharmacy in New Port Richey. During the investigation, Beckles provided federal agents with a computer printout that showed the pharmacy made in excess of $130,000 in a 45-day period from the illegal sale of Oxycodone. According to this document, Beckles filled approximately 210 fraudulent prescriptions in the 45-day period. Each prescription was for 270 pills.
This case was brought as part of the Pill Nation initiative and was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez.
Maurice Larry Sentenced to More Than 14 Years for Tax Fraud in Second Case in as Many DaysRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL - U.S. District Judge James S. Moody, Jr. today sentenced Maurice J. Larry to 14 ½ years in federal prison for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft charges stemming from his scheme to defraud the IRS with co-defendant, Rashia Wilson. The court also ordered Larry to forfeit $2,240,096.39, the traceable proceeds of the offense.He pleaded guilty on April 11, 2013. Larry will serve this sentence concurrently with his sentence from another unrelated tax fraud case. Judge Kovachevich sentenced Larry to 8 years and 5 months in prison yesterday for his involvement in the other tax fraud case. According to court documents, Larry and his co-conspirator, Rashia Wilson, engaged in a scheme to defraud the Internal Revenue Service by negotiating fraudulently obtained tax refunds. They did so by receiving U.S. Treasury checks and pre-paid debit cards that were loaded with proceeds derived from filing false and fraudulent federal income tax returns in other persons' names, without those persons’ permission or knowledge. Larry and Wilson filed these false and fraudulent federal income tax returns from multiple locations, including Wilson's residence and hotels in the Tampa area. Wilson, Larry, and others then used these fraudulently obtained tax refunds to make hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of retail purchases, to purchase money orders, and to withdraw cash.
During the course of the investigation, agents searched Wilson's residence and Larry's storage unit. They recovered thousands of names and social security numbers found in ledgers and various other records. Additional reloadable debit cards loaded with fraudulent tax refunds were also found in both locations.
The IRS estimates that the actual loss from Wilson and Larry's scheme is at least $3,147,477, and the intended loss is in excess of $11 million.IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge James D. Robnett said, "Individuals who commit refund fraud and identity theft of this magnitude and with this degree of trickery, dishonesty and deceit, deserve to be punished to the fullest extent of the law. IRS Criminal Investigation, along with our Tampa Bay alliance partners and the United States Attorney's Office, remain vigilant in identifying, investigating and prosecuting those individuals who seek to willfully defraud the United States Treasury and blatantly disregard the victims of their schemes."
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, the United States Secret Service, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Tampa Police Department, and the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Sara C. Sweeney and Mandy Riedel.
Court of Appeals Affirms Sholam Weiss's Convictions on Racketeering, Fraud, and Money Laundering ChargesRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL - Acting United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit upheld the 1999 convictions of former fugitive Sholam Weiss on 78 counts of racketeering, wire fraud, interstate transportation of stolen funds, money laundering, and other offenses arising from his participation in a scheme to defraud National Heritage Life Insurance Company ("NHLIC").
The evidence at trial established that Weiss had been instrumental in causing NHLIC a loss of more than $125 million and had worked with certain NHLIC insiders to hide those losses from company executives and state insurance regulators while, at the same time, enriching himself with the company's assets. During his nine-month trial in 1999, Weiss absconded while the jury was deliberating. Following the jury's return of a guilty verdict on all counts of the indictment, the Honorable Patricia C. Fawsett, United States District Judge, sentenced Weiss in his absence to serve 845 years' imprisonment, imposed a $123,399,910 fine, ordered him to pay $125,016,656 in restitution, and ordered him to forfeit money and property. When law enforcement officers eventually found Weiss living in Austria, that country extradited him to the United States in 2002, after which the district court vacated one of his counts of conviction (obstruction of justice) and reduced his sentence to 835 years' imprisonment, in compliance with the terms of the extradition.
Weiss argued on appeal that his convictions should be vacated because, at the time of his trial, prosecutors had served a subpoena on one of his attorneys, Robert Leventhal, thereby effectively disqualifying Leventhal from representing Weiss at trial. But, after hearing oral argument last week, the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals held that "there is no evidence that the government acted in bad faith when it subpoenaed Leventhal’s testimony." The Court also said that Leventhal could not have represented Weiss at trial anyway because Weiss had created a conflict of interest; he had used Leventhal to submit documents and recordings to investigators, and those documents and recordings, unbeknownst to Leventhal, were fraudulent. The Court also rejected Weiss' contention that the district court had erred when instructing the jury on the wire fraud counts of the indictment.
The appeal was handled by former Assistant United States Attorney Judy K. Hunt and Assistant United States Attorney Linda Julin McNamara. The underlying case was prosecuted by Hunt and former Assistant United States Attorney Thomas W. Turner (now a judge in the Ninth Circuit Court of Florida). The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Internal Revenue Service.
California Women Convicted of Smuggling Drugs on Airplanes to TampaRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida - Acting United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that a federal jury yesterday found Vanessa Cooper (39, El Cajon, California), Canetha Johnson (43, El Cajon, California) and Selena Blanchard (41, San Diego, California) guilty of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute and possession with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine. Cooper, Johnson, and Blanchard each face a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. The sentencing hearings are scheduled for December 16, 2013. All three individuals were indicted on April 11, 2013.
According to evidence and testimony presented at trial, on or about April 1, 2013, Cooper, Johnson and Blanchard departed from the airport in San Diego destined for Tampa, with the purpose of delivering approximately two pounds of high-purity methamphetamine to co-defendant Raul Carbajal. In order to get the drugs through airport security without detection, each of the women concealed the drugs on her body. On April 2, 2013, they arrived in Tampa where they were met by Carbajal. The three women then delivered the packages of methamphetamine to him. In the same manner, Cooper and Blanchard had previously delivered methamphetamine from California to Carbajal in Tampa on several occasions.
This case was investigated by special agents and local task force agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Jackson.
Tampa Tax Fraudster SentencedRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida - United States District Judge Elizabeth A. Kovachevich sentenced Maurice Larry today to eight years and five months in federal prison for conspiracy to defraud the United States Treasury through tax fraud and aggravated identity theft. As part of the sentence, a forfeiture money judgment in the amount of $181,890 was entered. In addition, specific items purchased with fraud proceeds, and other substitute assets, were also ordered to be forfeited including two 2010 Chevrolet Camaros, a 1986 Chevrolet Monte Carlo, a motor scooter, laptop computers, and assorted jewelry. The sentencing hearing for Larry's co-defendant, Marterrence Hollaway, a/k/a/ Quat, is scheduled for October 16, 2013, at 2:00 p.m. before Judge Kovechevich.
According to court documents, in September 2010, Holloway and Larry filed fraudulent tax returns from a hotel room at the Howard Johnson Hotel on 50th Street in Tampa. The room was booked in Larry's name. The investigation revealed that agents located four computers which were used to electronically file fraudulent tax returns in the names of deceased individuals. Ledgers and lists of stolen names, dates of birth and social security numbers were also found in the room. The lists of names also had a six-digit alpha code or password next to them to be used for electronic access. Some of the names were annotated with either "A" or "R" next to them to indicate that a tax return filed in that name was either accepted or rejected. Multiple reloadable debit cards were also found in the hotel room along with ATM receipts for cash withdrawals, and approximate $3,700 in cash. Larry and Holloway admitted to filing fraudulent tax returns on the computers while staying at the hotel. The investigation also revealed that in May 2012, Larry used a fraudulent debit card at a local bank ATM machine. The card was loaded with more than $9,900, that were traced to a fraudulently filed tax return.
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service, the United States Secret Service and the Tampa Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelley Howard-Allen.
Maurice Larry is also scheduled for sentencing tomorrow, September 24, 2013, at 10:30 A.M. before United States District Judge James S. Moody, Jr. Larry will be sentenced for tax fraud and aggravated identity charges filed in a separate case, United States v. Rashia Wilson and Maurice Larry, Case No. 8:12-cr-552-T-30TGW. He pleaded guilty in that case in April 2013.
Orlando Woman Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison for Operating Multi-Million Dollar Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Orlando, FL - Senior U.S. District Judge Gregory Presnell today sentenced Tina Mangiardi (50, Orlando) to seven years in federal prison for money laundering. The court also ordered Mangiardi to pay restitution to the victims. A restitution hearing will be scheduled for a later date. As part of her sentence, the court also entered a money judgment in the amount of $100,000, the proceeds of the prohibited monetary transaction. Mangiardi pleaded guilty on May 7, 2013.
According to court documents, between 2009 and 2012, Mangiardi, under the corporate name of TLM Design and Construction, Inc. (TLM), engaged in a scheme wherein she fraudulently obtained more than $2.5 million from investors. During the scheme, Mangiardi convinced victims to invest large sums of money in a construction “bid bond” investment. In return, and as inducements to invest, Mangiardi promised the return of the investors’ initial investment, as well as bonus money and additional monetary payments at rates as high as 100%. However, Mangiardi was not awarded bid bond contracts with the investment funds because the construction projects that she allegedly bid on, never existed. Instead, Mangiardi diverted the money for her own use.
This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service with the assistance of the Orlando Police Department Economic Crimes Unit. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Haas.