Middle District of Florida
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Plant City Woman Sentenced to Prison for Tax FraudRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida - U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Kovachevich sentenced Rhonda Yvette Brooks to three years and six months in federal prison for tax fraud and aggravated identity theft. As part of her sentence, the court also ordered a forfeiture money judgment and restitution order in the amount of $23,096 for funds traceable to proceeds of the offense. Brooks pleaded guilty on February 20, 2013.
According to court documents, Brooks submitted fraudulent tax returns electronically through Turbo Tax from her residence. She also submitted tax returns for several fictitious identities provided by the IRS in an undercover operation. Overall, Brooks submitted fraudulent tax returns totaling more than $70,000.
This case was investigated by members of the Tampa Bay Alliance, including IRS-Criminal Investigation and the Plant City Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelley Howard-Allen.
Owner of Multiple Real Estate Companies Pleads Guilty to Two Mortgage Fraud Conspiracies Involving More Than $20 MillionRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida - United States Attorney Robert E. O'Neill announces that Oscar Torres (47, Weston) pleaded guilty today to participating in two separate mortgage fraud conspiracies. He faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison on each of the two counts.
According to the plea agreement, Torres was the owner and operator of a real estate business called Realty Alliance, LLC, and a mortgage brokerage company called Synergy Lending Group. In addition, Torres was the co-owner of a title agency called Title Executives of Broward, Inc. In or about 2005, Realty Alliance, Synergy Lending, and Title Executives (“Torres Companies”) were all consolidated in the same business location in Weston, Florida. These real estate businesses operated throughout Florida.
The first conspiracy began in June 2006, and continued through April 2007. Torres conspired with others to execute a scheme to defraud various financial institutions. The ultimate goal of the fraud scheme was to sell condominium units at The Arbors at Carrollwood, a 390-unit condominium complex located at 3939 Ehrlich Road, in Tampa. During the time frame of the conspiracy, The Arbors was in the process of being converted from an apartment complex into a condominium complex.
Torres and his co-conspirators directed their fraudulent activities at Corus Bank, N.A., and a variety of FDIC-insured and non-FDIC insured mortgage lending businesses (the “mortgage lenders”) for purposes of influencing them to approve millions of dollars in mortgage loans. In June 2006, the developers hired the Torres Companies to sell condo units at The Arbors. To entice buyers to purchase the condo units, the conspirators offered unlawful cash payments to buyers, either before or after closing. These cash payments were concealed from the lenders that were funding loans to individual buyers.
To induce mortgage lenders to approve loans for the purchase of condo units at The Arbors, the conspirators made material misrepresentations and omitted material facts from purchase and sale agreements, Uniform Residential Loan Applications, and on the HUD-1 Settlement Statements. The false and fraudulent statements included, the property’s actual purchase/sale price; the buyers intended use of the property; the buyer’s employment, gross monthly income, assets, liabilities, and bank account balances; the source of down payments and closing costs; and/or the actual disbursement of the loan proceeds at the closing. As a result of these false and fraudulent statements, Torres and his co-conspirators caused and induced the mortgage lenders to fund millions of dollars in mortgage loans. Ultimately, these mortgage lenders sustained a loss of more than $15 million as a result of this mortgage fraud conspiracy.
The second conspiracy began around the summer of 2006, and continued through about March 2007. Torres conspired with others to execute a scheme to defraud various financial institutions in connection with the sale of condominium units at The Preserve at Temple Terrace, a 392-unit condominium complex located at 7735 Fletcher Avenue, in Temple Terrace. During the time frame of the conspiracy, The Preserve was also being converted from an apartment complex into a condominium complex. The Preserve hired the Torres Companies to sell condo units at the complex.
Torres and his co-conspirators marketed the condo units at The Preserve with a series of “buyers incentives,” including a rental income guarantee, property management at no additional cost, payment of homeowner’s association fees, limited escrow deposit due at closing, and a 3% closing cost credit. In reality, the conspirators enticed buyers by offering cash payments. For each transaction, the enticements amounted to thousands of dollars paid in cash to buyers before and after closing. These payments to buyers amounted to more than $1 million in undisclosed cash incentives. The conspirators intentionally and fraudulently concealed these cash payments from the lenders through the use of a shell company called Capital Property Investments, LLC.
Torres and his co-conspirators again made false and fraudulent statements on various mortgage-related documents. In this scheme, the mortgage lenders who financed the purchase of condo units at The Preserve sustained a loss of approximately $5.6 million.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Simon Gaugush.
Tampa Business Executives Indicted for Promoting Fraudulent Tax SchemeRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida - United States Attorney Robert E. O'Neill announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Duane Crithfield (65) and Stephen Donaldson, Sr. (67) with one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States. If convicted, each faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine.
According to the indictment, from 2001 and up to at least March 2008, Crithfield, Donaldson and others, through Foster & Dunhill, Offshore Trust Service, Fidelity Insurance Company ("FIC"), and Citadel Insurance Company ("CIC") promoted, marketed, and implemented a fraudulent offshore tax strategy known as the Business Protection Plan ("BPP"). The BPP strategy enabled Crithfield and Donaldson’s affluent clients to claim business expense deductions based on sham "insurance premium" payments made to offshore entities FIC and CIC, in amounts intended to substantially reduce the clients' taxable income for a particular year. The so-called insurance premiums were not based on actual business risks, but rather on the client's interest in reducing business income for tax purposes. After obtaining the benefit of a tax deduction on the client's corporate income tax return, the client would later receive approximately 83-85% of the premium back.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of the federal criminal laws, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jay G. Trezevant and Matthew J. Mueller.
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President of Car Dealership Sentenced to 40 Months for Money Laundering for the Gulf CartelRead the Press Release
Orlando, FL - United States District Judge Roy B. Dalton, Jr. sentenced Joel Torres (41, Apopka) to 40 months in federal prison for money laundering and failing to file IRS Forms 8300 (a report required for cash purchases over $10,000). A federal jury found Torres guilty On December 3, 2012.
According to court documents, Torres, the President of JM2 Auto Sales, Inc. in Apopka, laundered narcotics proceeds for the Gulf Cartel, a drug trafficking organization based in Mexico. Torres received cash, and then sent vehicles back to members of the Cartel in Texas. He also sold vehicles to local Cartel members. During this joint investigative effort, law enforcement seized more than 6,000 pounds of marijuana, more than 70 firearms - including assault weapons, bullet proof vests, and nearly $1 million.
Torres is the eleventh person convicted as a part of this investigation. Previously, Eladio Marroquin-Medina (30, Apopka), the vice-president at JM2 Auto Sales Inc., was sentenced to 72 months imprisonment for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute over 1,000 kilograms of marijuana and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Apopka Police Department, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, and the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Christopher LaForgia and Shawn Napier.
Former Police Sergeant Sentenced to More Than 4 Years in Prison for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida - U.S. District Judge Mary S. Scriven sentenced Jonathan Gamson (53, Tampa) today to 4 years and 9 months in federal prison for possessing child pornography. The court also ordered Gamson to forfeit a computer and external hard drive involved in the offense. Gamson pleaded guilty on February 4, 2013.According to court documents and statements made by Gamson at the sentencing hearing, law enforcement officers executed a federal search warrant at Gamson's residence on May 11, 2011. A preview of the computers at the residence, followed by further forensic analysis, confirmed that a computer contained multiple images of child pornography. At the time of the search, Gamson was employed as a sergeant with the Tampa Police Department.
Further investigation revealed that the Internet web history for a Gateway computer that had been previewed, but not seized, had been used to view multiple websites containing child pornography. On May 20, 2011, law enforcement officers executed a second search warrant to seize the Gateway computer. That computer had been moved from Gamson's home office to his garage, and the hard drive had been removed. Gamson told law enforcement agents that he had thrown the hard drive away, claiming that he was concerned about someone hacking into his computer over his open home wireless internet connection.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark E. Bini.
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."
Upcoming Orlando Fraud Summit to Arm Consumers with Information to Protect Themselves Against Fraud SchemesRead the Press Release
Federal Agencies Host Conference Open to the Public
Orlando, FL - United States Attorney Robert E. O'Neill announces that his office, in conjunction with federal, state, and local law enforcement, financial regulatory agencies and local service providers will host a fraud conference for the general public on Wednesday, May 15, 2013 (8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.). The conference will be held at the Florida A & M University College of Law, located at 201 Beggs Avenue in downtown Orlando. Admission is free.Investor fraud, identity theft, and financial exploitation of the elderly are serious national problems. Our country's recent financial crisis has resulted in an unprecedented rise in investment fraud schemes, tax fraud, and other financial crimes, involving thousands of victims and staggering losses. The United States Attorney's Office and its partners are hosting this conference to educate the public about the fraudulent schemes that are being perpetrated in our region and to provide information on resources and strategies to protect citizens from becoming a victim of these types of crime.
Members of the public are invited to attend this conference. Admission is free and educational materials will be provided, but space is limited. To RSVP for the conference, please call (407) 648-7569.
This conference is part of the ongoing efforts of the Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force which was created by President Obama in November 2009 to wage an aggressive, coordinated and proactive effort to investigate and prosecute financial crimes. For more information on the task force, visit www.stopfraud.gov.
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Two Men Indicted Following Seizure of Methamphetamine in Polk County Valued at $2.2 Million AUSA: Christopher MurrayRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida - United States Attorney Robert E. O'Neill announces the return of an indictment charging Scott Eargood (21, Poinciana) and Santos Zamora-Escobar (27, Poinciana) with conspiring with each other and others to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, and fifty grams or more of actual methamphetamine (count one), and knowingly and intentionally, while aiding and abetting each other, possessing with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, and fifty grams or more of actual methamphetamine (count two). The penalty for each count is a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of ten years, up to life in federal prison.
According to court documents, on the evening of May 2, 2013, Polk County deputies initiated a traffic stop on Eargood's Jeep Cherokee on Highway 98 West, near southbound Highway 27, in Polk County. Eargood was the driver of the vehicle, and Zamora-Escobar was the passenger. Deputies searched the vehicle and found $3,494 and 229 grams of methamphetamine.
Information developed during the stop led to a search of a residence on Platte Lane in Poinciana. Inside the residence, officers found more than 110 pounds of methamphetamine. At a price of $20,000 per pound, the methamphetamine seized has an approximate value of $2.2 million.
According to court documents, Eargood rented the Poinciana house four months earlier, at Zamora-Escobar's direction. The house was rented for the purpose of facilitating methamphetamine trafficking in Polk County. It is further alleged that Zamora-Escobar, Eargood, and others stored large quantities of methamphetamine at the residence, for further distribution.
On May 3, 2013, as part of the ongoing investigation, agents and detectives executed a search warrant in Highlands County at a mobile home on East Oak Island Road in Avon Park. Law enforcement officers seized four ounces of methamphetamine, a long rifle, an AK-47-type rifle, and three handguns from the mobile home. Investigators also executed a search warrant at an apartment on 3rd Street Southeast in Winter Haven, Polk County. Numerous wire transfer documents were seized from that location.
On May 3, 2013, Eargood and Zamora-Escobar appeared in federal court in Tampa, before the Honorable Thomas B. McCoun, III, United States Magistrate Judge. Both men were ordered detained, pending further proceedings.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of the federal criminal laws, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations and the Polk County Sheriff's Office. It is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking, and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation's illegal drug supply. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher F. Murray.
Orlando Man Found Guilty of Conspiring to Possess and Pass Almost $10,000 in Counterfeit MoneyRead the Press Release
Orlando, FL - U.S. Attorney Robert E. O'Neill announces that a federal jury yesterday found Ibrahim Issa (23, Orange Park) guilty of conspiracy to possess and pass counterfeit money. He faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for July 17, 2013.
Issa was indicted on March 20, 2013, and a superseding indictment was filed on May 1, 2013.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, Issa agreed to hold almost $10,000 in counterfeit $100 bills at his cell phone store in Orlando. He was then told to give the money to a family friend who was scheduled to return the fake money to someone in the Tampa/Sarasota area as part of a larger counterfeit money scheme. U.S. Secret Service agents discovered Issa's role in the scheme after one of Issa's employees stole $600 of Issa's counterfeit money and spent the phony bills in the Orlando area.
This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joseph M. Schuster.
Deland Man Sentenced to More Than 12 Years on Federal Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida - Chief U.S. District Judge Anne C. Conway today sentenced Orlando Ismael Muniz (58, Deland) to 12 years and 7 months in federal prison for the receipt of child pornography. As part of this sentence, he was ordered to serve a 20-year term of supervised release following his release from prison. The court also ordered Muniz to forfeit his computer equipment and register as a sex offender. Muniz pleaded guilty on April 27, 2012.According to court documents, Muniz downloaded and collected thousands of images of child pornography using a peer-to-peer shared directory on his computer. Law enforcement officers conducted a forensic examination of Muniz’s computer and found 17,847 images and 149 movies depicting the sexual exploitation and abuse of prepubescent children.
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations and the Volusia County Sheriff's Office. It was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Myrna Amelia Mesa.
It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (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. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov and click on the tab "other resources."
Citrus County Woman Sentenced to More Than 2 Years in Federal Prison for Making False Statements to Federal AgentsRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL - U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Kovachevich sentenced Jaclyn Fleites (33, Crystal River) yesterday to 27 months in federal prison for making false statements to a federal agent. Fleites pleaded guilty on November 8, 2012. According to court documents, Fleites lied to a federal agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) in connection with an investigation into multiple armed robberies committed by Anthony Calderon and Abelardo Coimbre. The five robberies were committed in Citrus County in January and February 2011. Fleites was the girlfriend of Calderon during that time. She told the agent that she had never seen Calderon enter a store to commit a robbery and had never seen Calderon with a firearm, even though she knew that these statements were false.
On January 28, 2011, Fleites was the getaway driver for the armed robbery of Inverness Liquor, which was committed by Coimbre. On February 18, 2011, she acted as the getaway driver for the armed robbery of Inverness Food Mart, which was committed by Calderon. Her misstatements obstructed the investigation and prosecution of the armed robberies committed by Calderon and Coimbre.
Anthony Calderon and Abelardo Coimbre previously pleaded guilty and were sentenced for their roles in this case. Calderon was sentenced to 32 years in federal prison. Coimbre was sentenced to 24 years and four months in federal prison.
This case was investigated by ATF and the Citrus County Sheriff's Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer L. Peresie.
It is another case prosecuted as a part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” program - a nationwide, gun-violence reduction strategy. United States Attorney Robert E. O’Neill, along with Julie Torres, 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.
Army Member Stationed at MacDill Sentenced to 15 Years for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL - U.S. District Judge Virginia M. Hernandez-Covington sentenced Thomas Meyer (42, Riverview) today to 15 years in federal prison for production of child pornography. As part of his sentence, he was ordered to serve a life term of supervised release following his release from prison. The court also ordered Meyer to forfeit his computer equipment, pay $300 in restitution to the victim, and register as a sex offender. Meyer pleaded guilty on February 7, 2013.
According to court documents, Meyer is a member of the United States Army and was stationed at MacDill Air Force Base. Between October 2011 and January 2012, Meyer used Yahoo! Messenger to have sexually explicit online chats with a female minor in Pennsylvania and another individual he thought was a 13 year old female, but who was actually an undercover detective in Kentucky. At Meyer's request, the minor female from Pennsylvania sent three pornographic photographs to Meyer's Yahoo! account. Meyer sent the undercover detective images of child and adult pornography, as well as an explicit web video of himself. He attempted to persuade the undercover detective to send him sexually explicit pictures of herself.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the MacDill Air Force Base Office of Special Investigations (OSI), the Largo Police Department, the Kenton County (Kentucky) Police Department, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the United States Postal Inspection Service. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer L. Peresie.
It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov and click on the tab "other resources."
Former Hillsborough County Real Estate Director Sentenced for Mortgage FraudRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida - U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Kovachevich sentenced Anthony Haynes (54, Seffner) today to one year and one day of imprisonment on two counts of wire fraud in connection with a fraudulent mortgage scheme. A restitution and forfeiture money judgment order was also entered in the amount of $940,498, the total proceeds of the fraud. Haynes pleaded guilty on January 13, 2013.
According to the plea agreement, Haynes, who was employed as the real estate services director for Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners, made material misrepresentations in connection with loan applications and closing documents for two personal mortgages. The mortgages were for his purchase of nine land lots located in Tennessee. The mortgages were funded by interstate wires from a federally insured bank, and the closing was conducted by mail.
This case was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelley C. Howard-Allen.
Armed Robber Sentenced to 32 Years After Robbing the Same Store Twice and Firing His Gun at ClerkRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida - U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday sentenced Tavis Toney today (24, Miami) to 32 years in federal prison for carrying and brandishing a firearm during a robbery of a convenience store, and for carrying, brandishing and discharging a firearm during a second robbery of the same convenience store. The court also ordered Toney to forfeit a Cobra .380 caliber semi-automatic pistol, which he used to commit the armed robberies. As part of his sentence, the court ordered Toney to pay restitution in the amount of $1,669, representing the proceeds of the criminal conduct, and damages caused to the robbed convenience store. Toney pleaded guilty on February 8, 2013.
According to court documents, on August 3, 2012, Toney and another individual robbed a BP Convenience Store/Kwik Pick Foods in Pasco County. They pointed firearms at the store clerks, and ordered all store customers on the ground. Toney and the other robber took $260 from a patron, and $750 from the store’s cash register before fleeing the scene. On August 7, 2012, Toney attempted to rob the same convenience store at gunpoint again. Wearing a hat/mask and gloves, and using the Cobra .380 caliber semi-automatic pistol, Toney ordered everyone in the store on the ground. A store clerk, who had also been robbed during the earlier robbery, managed to grab a revolver and shoot at Toney. Toney ducked, and shot at the store clerk as he ran out of the store, dropping his semi-automatic weapon as he fled.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark E. Bini.
St. Petersburg Store Clerk Convicted in Food Stamp Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida - United States Attorney Robert E. O'Neill announces that a federal jury yesterday found Isam Nasser (30) guilty of one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and to commit wire fraud, five counts of wire fraud, and five counts of food stamp fraud. The conspiracy charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison, the wire fraud charges each carry a maximum penalty of twenty years in federal prison, and each food stamp fraud charge carries a maximum penalty of one year in federal prison. Nasser will be sentenced on July 10, 2013.
According to evidence presented at trial, Mehdi Babul owned and operated Hungry Baba, LLC ("Hungry Baba") convenience store located in St. Petersburg, Florida. Nasser was a clerk at Hungry Baba. During the time frame of the conspiracy, Hungry Baba was a participant in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) administered by the United States Department of Agriculture ("USDA"), formerly known as the Food Stamp Program.
From November 2008, through April 2010, Babul, Nasser, and others conspired and schemed to cheat SNAP by purchasing SNAP benefits from Hungry Baba customers in exchange for cash, minus a fee of approximately 50% of the total amount charged to the individual recipient’s SNAP account. This is an illegal practice known as “discounting” or “cash-back.” According to testimony introduced at trial, the estimated loss to the USDA caused by the conspirators was more than $350,000.
On March 1, 2013, Mehdi Babul pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and to commit wire fraud. He will be sentenced on May 20, 2013.
This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service, the United States Department of Agriculture - Office of the Inspector General, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the St. Petersburg Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Matthew J. Mueller.
Former NFL Player Sentenced to Seventeen Years in Federal Prison for Role in Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida - U.S. District Judge James S. Moody, Jr. today sentenced John Wesley Wilson (48, Zephyrhills), a former wide receiver for the Washington Redskins, to 17 years in federal prison for drug trafficking and firearms offenses. He pleaded guilty on January 18, 2013. The imposed sentence includes 12 years' imprisonment for three drug-related charges, followed by a mandatory consecutive five years in prison for possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking offenses.
According to court documents, from 2009 to 2012, Wilson regularly worked with others in Pasco County to distribute large quantities of cocaine and crack cocaine. In 2009, during the height of his drug trafficking operations, Wilson distributed approximately 100 kilograms of cocaine per month, and profited over $1 million. During a search of Wilson's residence on December 19, 2011, investigators found a quarter-kilogram of cocaine, over an ounce of crack cocaine, a loaded .380 caliber handgun, and a loaded shotgun.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Pasco County Sheriff's Office as part of an ongoing Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher F. Murray.
Convicted Felon Found Guilty of Drug and Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida - U.S. Attorney Robert E. O'Neill announces that a federal jury yesterday found Curtis Lee Dallas (32, Orlando) guilty of being a felon in possession of a firearm, and using that firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Dallas faces a minimum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for July 25, 2013. Dallas was indicted on August 22, 2012.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, on the evening of February 16, 2012, officers with the Orlando Police Department pulled Dallas over for a suspected window tint violation. As one of the officers approached Dallas, as he sat in the vehicle, the officer smelled marijuana and saw that Dallas had marijuana sprinkled across his lap, and realized that Dallas was hiding something in his mouth. Dallas refused to get out of the car and struggled with the officer. When the officer managed to remove Dallas from the car, he found that Dallas had a loaded 9mm pistol tucked into a holster clipped to his pants. Upon searching the vehicle, officers found several plastic bags filled with marijuana, a plastic bag filled with crack cocaine, almost $1000 in cash, and a 50-count box of bullets, the same caliber and brand as loaded in Dallas's gun. After Dallas was arrested, he also spat a plastic bag filled with powder cocaine that he had hidden in his mouth.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joseph M. Schuster.
Volusia County Armed Career Criminal Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida - United States Attorney Robert E. O'Neill announces that Christopher Holladay (37, Deland) pleaded guilty today to possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. Holladay faces a mandatory minimum term of 15 years in federal prison, up to a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. A sentencing date has not been set. Holladay was indicted on February 13, 2013.
According to the plea agreement, on August 2, 2012, Holladay, a ten-time previously convicted felon, sold a stolen Remington rifle to an undercover officer and a confidential informant for $350. The rifle had been stolen the day before during a residential burglary. On August 31, 2012, a deputy with the Volusia County Sheriff's Office stopped a vehicle driven by Holladay. A drug detection K-9 alerted to the presence of drugs in the vehicle. During a search of the vehicle, investigators found marijuana and methamphetamine.
Holladay has 10 prior state felony convictions for drug possession, conspiracy to traffic in methamphetamine, grand theft, robbery, burglary, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, resisting an officer with violence, accessory after the fact, and failure of a career offender to properly register. As a previously convicted felon, Holladay is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law. Because Holladay's prior criminal record includes several violent felonies and a serious drug offense, Holladay qualifies for enhanced sentencing as an Armed Career Criminal under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Volusia County Sheriff's Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg.
It is another case prosecuted as a part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” program - a nationwide, gun-violence reduction strategy. United States Attorney Robert E. O’Neill, along with Julie Torres, 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.Hudson Man Charged with Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL - United States Attorney Robert E. O'Neill announces the filing of a criminal complaint charging Wayne Miner (44, Hudson) with transportation, receipt, and possession of child pornography. If convicted, Miner faces a mandatory minimum of five years in federal prison and a maximum penalty of 50 years in federal prison.
The complaint alleges that Miner traded child pornography with others using at least two e-mail addresses and the Internet. His computer and cellular phone contained numerous files of child pornography.
A criminal complaint is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of the federal criminal laws, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations, and the Pasco County Sheriff's Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer L. Peresie.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Ocala Career Offender Sentenced to More Than 21 Years in Prison for Firearms CrimesRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida - Senior U.S. District Judge William Terrell Hodges sentenced Joseph Jerome Smith (32, Ocala) yesterday to 21 years and ten months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Smith pleaded guilty on February 14, 2013.
According to court documents, on May 21, 2012, the Marion County Sheriff's Office executed a search warrant at Smith's Ocala residence and found him to be in possession of a distribution amount of cocaine, drug trafficking equipment, and multiple loaded firearms, including two 9 mm pistols. Following this incident, a federal arrest warrant was issued for Smith. On September 18, 2012, a special agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and members of the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force arrested Smith as he was seated in a vehicle at an Ocala convenience store parking lot. At the time of his arrest, Smith was in possession of another loaded 9 mm pistol with an obliterated serial number.
Smith has multiple prior felony convictions and was therefore prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law. At his sentencing, Smith was found to be a career offender under the federal sentencing guidelines.
This case was investigated by the ATF, with assistance from the Marion County Sheriff's Office and the U.S. Marshals Service. 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. United States Attorney Robert E. O'Neill, along with Julie Torres, 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.
Customer Service Representative Arrested for Issuing Fraudulently Obtained Florida Driver LicensesRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida - United States Attorney Robert E. O'Neill announces a criminal complaint charging Walter Brown (41, Kissimmee) with conspiracy to knowingly and without lawful authority produce identification documents in violation of federal law. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. Brown made his initial appearance in federal court today before U.S. Magistrate Karla R. Spaulding.
According to the complaint, Brown was a Customer Service Representative (“CSR”) in the Office of the Osceola County Tax Collector. Brown’s primary duty was to issue driver licenses and identification cards. Surveillance camera footage from the Osceola County Tax Collector’s office located at 2501 E. Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway in Kissimmee, Florida, showed that Brown issued Florida Driver Licenses or identification cards based upon fraudulent and fraudulently obtained identity documents. While most customers were observed following the regular queue process, for example, providing their personal information to a receptionist; obtaining a number; waiting in the lobby area; and proceeding to the counter as directed by the queue system administrator, customers presenting fraudulent and fraudulently obtained documents were seen proceeding directly to Brown’s counter, bypassing the queue system entirely.
In his capacity as a CSR, the complaint alleges that Brown has issued at least 200 Florida driver licenses and identification cards to those who may not be legally entitled to the documents. In some cases, Brown fraudulently issued driver licenses and identification cards in multiple identities, to the same person.
The Osceola County Tax Collector’s Office terminated Brown from his employment today.A complaint is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of the federal criminal laws, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Department of State Diplomatic Security Services, and the Florida Highway Patrol Bureau of Criminal Investigations and Intelligence. It will be prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Myrna Amelia Mesa.
Colombian Drug Trafficker Indicted and Extradited on Drug Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida - U.S. Attorney Robert E. O'Neill announces the unsealing of a three-count indictment charging Camilo Torres-Martinez, aka Fritanga, (41) with conspiracy to import into the United States 5 kilograms or more of cocaine; conspiracy to manufacture and distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine, intending that it would be unlawfully imported into the United States; and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine, while on board a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years, up to 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 the indictment, from an unknown date until the date of the indictment, August 20, 2008, Martinez-Torres and his drug trafficking organization (“DTO”) transported large quantities of cocaine in vessels dispatched off the Northern coast of Colombia. Martinez-Torres was the lead operative for the DTO “Los Urabenos,” which controls Northern Colombia’s drug trade. This DTO provided maritime transportation services to cocaine owners who wished to transport their cocaine by sea, through the international waters of the Caribbean. The cocaine was transported from the coast of Colombia to Honduras, for ultimate introduction into, and distribution in, the United States. The DTO utilized speedboats and fishing vessels to transport the cocaine.
On November 8, 2004, the United States Coast Guard (“USCG”), interdicted a 40-foot speedboat in international waters in the Carribean Sea. USCG personnel recovered a total of 2,652 kilograms of cocaine. On July 6, 2005, the USCG interdicted a Honduran-flagged fishing vessel, the Ocean Mystery, in international waters in the Carribean Sea. USCG personnel recovered a total of 2,483 kilograms of cocaine. Both of these vessels were organized and sent out by Martinez-Torres and his organization. Martinez-Torres was arrested while celebrating his marriage in an elaborate wedding on a Caribbean island.
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 Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force’s (OCDETF) 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 the Joint Interagency Task Force South. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking, and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez.
U. S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida Observes National Crime Victims’ Rights WeekRead the Press Release
(Tampa) - U.S. Attorney Robert E. O’Neill announced that his office, in conjunction with the observance of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, April 21-27, hosted a variety of events throughout the district in observation of NCVR Week. A panel discussion on Stolen Identity Refund Fraud (SIRF) for victim service providers, and others, was held on Wednesday in Tampa. Panelists included representatives from the Internal Revenue Service, the Tampa Police Department, federal prosecutors, and a SIRF victim. A fraud summit was held in Jacksonville on the same day, which included presentations by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, HHS-OIG, the State Attorney’s Office, Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, Office of the Florida Attorney General, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Internal Revenue Service, the U.S. Secret Service, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and several fraud victims. On Thursday, federal prosecutors, along with representatives from the State Attorney’s Office, U.S. Secret Service, and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office addressed Rotary Club members in The Villages. Prior to this week, the office hosted sessions on common fraud schemes in Tampa and Fort Myers. The goal of the presentations was to make community members aware of fraud schemes and best practices to avoid becoming a victim. A Central Florida fraud summit is scheduled in Orlando on May 15, 2013.
The theme for this year’s Crime Victims’ Rights Week, “New Challenges. New Solutions,” celebrates the spirit that will advance the progress and achievements on behalf of victims. It also captures the spirit and highlights the need for us to assist and serve each and every victim in need of hope and help. The Crime Victims’ Rights Act (CVRA), enacted in 2004, grants victims in federal criminal proceedings certain enforceable rights, including the right to be reasonably heard at public court proceedings and to receive full and timely restitution as provided by law. The Middle District of Florida has a dedicated Victim Witness Unit that serves federal crime victims across the district’s 35 counties. Members of this unit notify victims of significant case events through the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Victim Notification System (VNS). Such notice enables victims to participate in court proceedings and make their voices heard. According to DOJ statistics, in Fiscal Year (FY) 2012, the U.S. Attorneys’ offices provided notice of over 12.2 million case events, including notices regarding criminal charges filed, plea hearings, bond hearings and sentencing hearings.
Notification of significant case events leads to increased victim participation in court proceedings. Court accompaniment helps ensure that victim participation in court proceedings is meaningful as Victim-Witness personnel can answer questions and explain the federal judicial process.
In addition to notification and court accompaniment, the Middle District of Florida’s Victim Witness Unit provides essential services to victims, such as making referrals for counseling, securing temporary housing, assisting with access to victim compensation funds, and accompanying victims to court to provide support and guidance during the proceedings. These services provide tools victims need to reshape their futures.
Further information about National Crime Victims’ Rights Week is available at http://ovc.ncjrs.gov/ncvrw/.
Two Tax Return Preparers IndictedRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida - United States Attorney Robert E. O'Neill announces the indictments of two tax return preparers, Fane Dacosta (39, Daytona Beach) and Obnes Latigue (50, Orlando). Dacosta has been charged with 25 counts of aiding in the preparation of false tax returns and 3 counts of failing to file his personal tax returns. Latigue has been charged with 23 counts of aiding in the preparation of false tax returns. If convicted, each faces a maximum penalty of 3 years in federal prison for each count of aiding in the preparation of false tax returns, and Dacosta faces a maximum penalty of one year in federal prison for each count of failing to file his personal tax returns. Dacosta and Latigue were charged in separate indictments on April 10, 2013. They were both arrested yesterday.
According to the indictments, Dacosta and Latigue were involved in preparing tax returns in which they falsified the deduction amounts and tax credits owed to taxpayers, resulting in those taxpayers receiving undeserved tax refunds. For three years, Dacosta also failed to file his personal tax returns, despite having received more than $100,000 in gross income in each year.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of the federal criminal laws, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
These cases were investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation. They will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg.
Three Men Indicted on Federal Charges of Filing Fraudulent Tax Returns Related to Identity TheftRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida - United States Attorney Robert E. O'Neill announces the unsealing of an eight count indictment charging Desmond Holden, Kinjonah Coston, and Octavis Jones with conspiracy to prepare fraudulent tax returns, theft of public money, and aggravated identity theft. If convicted, each faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in federal prison for each of the conspiracy and theft of public money offenses, and a consecutive minimum sentence of two years' imprisonment for each aggravated identity charge. The indictment also notifies the defendants that the United States intends to forfeit all assets, which are alleged to be traceable to proceeds of the offenses.
According to the indictment, Holden, Coston, and Jones participated in a scheme to fraudulently obtain federal income tax refunds by preparing and filing false tax returns. They filed these returns in the names of people whose identities they had stolen, by obtaining the victims' Social Security numbers and other identifiers. The defendants would then direct the money from the fraudulent refunds to be deposited onto debit cards, or money orders, which they would then convert to their personal use.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of the federal criminal laws, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, with assistance and cooperation from the Highlands County Sheriff's Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Douglas Molloy.
Ocala Man Facing 15 Years to Life in Federal Prison for Possession of A Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida - United States Attorney Robert E. O'Neill announces that Roberto Jesus Acosta (54, Cuba) yesterday pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm and ammunition affecting interstate commerce by a convicted felon. Acosta faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 15 years, up to life in federal prison for the offense. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to court documents, members of the Ocala Police Department executed a search warrant at Acosta's apartment on February 2, 2013, after learning that Acosta had just purchased a 50-round box of ammunition at a local retailer. Video footage from the business showed Acosta buying the box of .25 caliber ammunition earlier that same day. During the search of the apartment, officers recovered the box of ammunition, a .25 caliber handgun and three other rounds of ammunition. The box of ammunition had been secreted inside of an air conditioning unit. When interviewed by the officers, Acosta admitted that he had purchased the box of ammunition "for a neighbor."
Acosta has prior state convictions for manslaughter, burglary, aggravated assault and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. As a previously convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law. Furthermore, because Acosta's prior criminal record includes several crimes of violence, he qualifies for enhanced sentencing as an Armed Career Criminal under federal law.
This case was jointly investigated by the Ocala Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Bodnar, Jr.It is another case prosecuted as a part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” program - a nationwide, gun-violence reduction strategy. United States Attorney Robert E. O’Neill, along with Julie Torres, 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.
Fort Myers Man Charged with Distributing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida - United States Attorney Robert E. O'Neill announces the filing of a criminal complaint charging Charles Allen Nave III (38, Fort Myers) with distribution of child pornography. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison.
According to the criminal complaint, on January 31, 2013, Charles Allen Nave, III sent child pornography over the Internet to an undercover agent located in Washington, D.C. Subsequent to the execution of a search warrant, on April 23, 2013, Nave was found to be in possession of more than 100 images of child pornography.
A criminal complaint is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of the federal criminal laws, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Yolande G. Viacava.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Convicted Armed Robber Sentenced to Federal Prison After Selling Firearms, Ammunition and MarijuanaRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida - Senior U.S. District Judge William Terrell Hodges today sentenced Marcus Jalany Durias (25, Lake County) to 10 years in federal prison for possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon), possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Durias pleaded guilty to the offenses on February 7, 2013.
According to court documents, from June 22, 2012 through July 3, 2012, Durias repeatedly sold firearms, ammunition and quantities of marijuana to a confidential source working in cooperation with law enforcement. Specifically, Durias sold two .38 caliber revolvers, ammunition and more than 420 grams of marijuana. One of the revolvers included in the transaction had been previously reported stolen. Durias engaged in this activity even though he was already serving a 15-year state probationary sentence for a 2008 armed robbery. As a previously convicted felon, he was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law. Now that his federal case has been resolved, Durias will face another sentencing proceeding in state court for his violation of probation in the armed robbery.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Lake County Sheriff's Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Bodnar, Jr.
Ocala Man Pleads Guilty to Manufacturing, Possessing, and Selling Counterfeit CurrencyRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida - United States Attorney Robert E. O'Neill announces that Raymond Earl Jones, Jr. (24, Ocala) pleaded guilty yesterday to four counts of making, selling, and possessing counterfeit United States Federal Reserve Notes. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison on each count. A sentencing date has not been set.
According to documents filed with the court, beginning on at least October 30, 2012, and continuing through February 7, 2013, Jones manufactured more than $70,000 in counterfeit United States currency. On November 15, 2012, at a gas station in Ocala, Jones sold $7,900 in counterfeit currency to another individual in exchange for genuine currency. On December 18, 2012, near an Ocala shopping plaza, Jones sold $9,020 in counterfeit currency to another individual in exchange for genuine currency.
On January 31, 2013, deputies from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office seized counterfeit currency and the equipment used to manufacture the notes from an Ocala residence where Jones was in the process of manufacturing counterfeit money. Jones was arrested by U.S. Secret Service agents on February 7, 2013. At the time of the arrest, agents recovered $60,400 in counterfeit currency.
This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, and the Ocala Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew C. Searle.
Fort Myers Man Indicted in Federal Court for Cocaine DistributionRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida - United States Attorney Robert E. O'Neill announces the return by a grand jury of an indictment charging Dominique Lamar Williams (36, Fort Myers) with two counts of distributing cocaine. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison on each count. Williams has been detained pending the disposition of the charges.
According to the indictment, on two different occasions Williams sold cocaine base, also known as crack cocaine, to an undercover Lee County Sheriff's Office detective. An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of the federal criminal laws, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Violent Crime Task Force, which includes members from the Lee County Sheriff's Office, the Cape Coral Police Department, the Collier County Sheriff's Office, and the Fort Myers Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tama Koss Caldarone.
Florida Real Estate Professional Sentenced to 26 Years in Federal Prison for Mortgage FraudRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL - U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Kovachevich sentenced John Lebron (33, Tampa) last week to 26 years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud affecting a financial institution, and making false statements to a financial institution. Lebron was also ordered to serve a 5-year term of supervised release, following his release from prison. As part of his sentence, the court also entered a money judgment in the amount of $1,469,300. Lebron was found guilty on October 19, 2012, following a three-week jury trial.
According to testimony and court documents, Lebron was a Florida-licensed realtor and worked as a loan officer. Taking advantage of the downturn in the real estate market, Lebron participated in mortgage foreclosure rescue fraud and short sale fraud, which is sometimes called “flopping” a house.
As part of the scheme, Lebron had hand drawn signs placed on the side of the roads, usually in low income neighborhoods. These signs often advertised the sale of nonexistent houses. The purpose of the signs was to generate leads, to prey upon unsophisticated people, particularly those losing their houses in foreclosure.
Working with another Florida-licensed real estate agent, Lebron opened up a company, called EZ Investments. During their first deal, they used a victim whose house was falling into foreclosure. Lebron arranged for a straw purchaser - his sister - to buy the house in a non-arm’s length transaction. That is, Lebron controlled both ends of the deal. Lebron also served as the loan officer, thus receiving the mortgage broker’s commission, although another loan officer’s name was placed on the paperwork to conceal what Lebron had done. Lebron also took the check that represented the proceeds of the sale of the home from the distressed home owner without her knowledge.
After the straw purchaser “bought” the house, Lebron paid the original mortgage for a short time to prevent the victim from detecting the fraud. He then arranged a short sale of the house to his brother-in-law, in another non-arm’s length transaction. Six days later, using simultaneously recorded deeds, the property was resold to a “credit partner,” that is, another straw purchaser, who Lebron had arranged to buy the house before the short sale proposal was submitted to the bank. This straw purchaser, essentially unemployed, was added on to bank accounts under the control of the conspirators to make it appear that he had assets. The down payment for the transaction was funded through those bank accounts. Fake pay stubs were created to give the appearance that the buyer had an income to support the loan.
In these deals, the conspirators pocketed the money that should have gone to the original distressed home owner. They also received the mortgage broker commission for arranging the first straw purchaser's loan and other commissions and fees, and got the difference between the short sale amount and the new loan. The straw purchasers were each paid $5,000 for their role in the scheme. In addition, Lebron acquired four other loans through fraud.
During the course of the conspiracy, Lebron used stolen and false identities; fraudulently verified his own employment claiming jobs he never had; and, for at least one of the properties, bought it as his primary residence when he legally could not move into it. Lebron committed these crimes while on pretrial release and while on probation.
"This case is particularly disturbing on several fronts," stated John Joyce, Special Agent in Charge, United States Secret Service - Tampa Field Office. "Mr. Lebron and his cohorts knowingly took advantage of homeowners who were in financial distress in order to advance their own financial well being. Mr. Lebron had the audacity to commit these fraudulent acts while on probation and he also defaulted on $1.4 million in loans. He will soon understand that 26 years is a stiff price to be paid for his actions.”
This case was investigated by U.S. Secret Service. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Thomas N. Palermo.
Two Men Found Guilty in International Investment Fraud and Money Laundering SchemeRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida - United States Attorney Robert E. O'Neill announces that a federal jury today found United Kingdom citizens Paul R. Gunter (64, Odessa, Florida; originally of London), and Simon Andrew Odoni (56, Hertfordshire, UK) guilty of three counts of conspiracy to commit mail fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering, as well as nineteen counts of mail and wire fraud, and fourteen counts of money laundering. Gunter and Odoni each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison on each of the conspiracy charges and each of the separate mail and wire fraud charges, and up to 10 years on each of the money laundering charges. Both individuals will also be ordered to forfeit real property, bank accounts, an airplane, vessels, and vehicles purchased with proceeds of the fraud scheme. As part of the investigation, federal agents seized nearly $5 million U.S. currency. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the evidence and testimony presented at trial, from at least as early as July 2004 through at least March 13, 2008, Gunter, Odoni and others engaged in a sophisticated investment fraud and money laundering scheme, in which worthless stock in hijacked dormant, publicly-traded companies in the United States was sold to victim-investors, primarily in the United Kingdom. The scheme was facilitated using boiler room telemarketers, mostly in Spain, who employed high pressure and misleading sales techniques. The victim-investors wired more than $127 million to Gunter's bank accounts in the Middle District of Florida. The conspirators bilked victim-investors out of another $10 million via a FOREX currency trading scheme, which also utilized the boiler rooms in Spain.
Gunter, Odoni, and their co-conspirators used the victim-investors' funds to perpetuate the fraud scheme and for their own personal enrichment. Victim-investors' funds were used to buy, among other things, an airplane, two vessels, vehicles, including a Ferrari, and real property in the Caribbean islands, England, and Florida.
In March 2011, co-defendant Richard Sinclair Pope pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud. Pope faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
In a related trial that took place in May 2012, Houston lawyers Roger Lee Shoss and Nicolette Loisel were convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with their participation in the corporate identity theft aspect of the scheme. Shoss and Loisel stole the identities of dormant, publicly-traded companies, and used the corporate identities they had stolen to create fraudulent empty-shell companies, which had the appearance of being publicly-traded. The fraudulent empty-shell companies were sold to Gunter and his co-conspirators, who made them available to the boiler rooms in Spain and, through them, used the empty-shell companies to issue worthless shares of stock to the victim-investors. All four of the companies featured in the indictment – that is, Mobilestream, Inc., Regaltech, Inc., Nanoforce, Inc., and Rocky Mountain Gold Mining, Inc. – were created by Shoss and Loisel. According to the testimony at trial, Gunter and his co-conspirators paid Shoss a total of $800,000 for these empty-shell companies.
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations, Tampa, Florida, as well as the U.S. Secret Service, Tampa, Florida and Newark, New Jersey Field Offices. "These individuals conspired to make a profit through a complex, international money laundering scheme," said Susan McCormick, special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations Tampa. "Our law enforcement partners across the globe helped us identify and prosecute these con-artists who preyed on the vulnerable. I urge investors to beware of similar scams – they know no borders."
"This case demonstrates the power that comes from law enforcement agencies pooling their assets and sharing critical information," said Special Agent in Charge John Joyce of the Tampa Field Office. "The U.S. Secret Service values the partnerships it has forged with other agencies in order to address criminal behavior, both domestically and internationally." The government received assistance from several other authorities, including the City of London Police, the UK's Serious Fraud Office and Norfolk Constabulary, the Spanish National Police, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the Ontario Securities Commission, and the British Columbia Securities Commission. According to Detective Inspector Kerrie Gower of the City of London Police, "Odoni and Gunter were key operators in a criminal gang that ruthlessly targeted the elderly and vulnerable, defrauding them and then spending tens of millions of pounds that had been put aside to support people’s retirements. We now look forward to the sentencing of all those who played a part in this devastating crime and hope it will bring some comfort to their victims. This tragic story should act as warning to anyone who is considering putting their money into investment schemes offering massive returns."
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Rachelle DesVaux Bedke and Kelley Howard-Allen.
Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Lying in Terrorism Investigation and False Claim ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida - Senior U.S. District Judge Gregory A. Presnell today sentenced Jonathan Paul Jimenez (28) to 10 years in federal prison for making a false statement to a federal agency in a matter involving international terrorism, and conspiring to defraud the Internal Revenue Service. Jimenez was also ordered to serve a 3-year term of supervised release, upon his release from prison, and to pay $5,587 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service. Jimenez pleaded guilty on August 28, 2012.
According to court documents, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) was investigating an international terrorism matter regarding the operation of a travel facilitation network by Marcus Dwayne Robertson and others that sends individuals overseas to commit violent jihad. In November 2010, Jimenez relocated from New York to Central Florida, where he began training with Robertson in the skills necessary to participate in violent jihad overseas. The training with Robertson included martial arts, firearm and knife training, reading the Quran, and learning Arabic. During Jimenez’s training, Robertson stressed that Jimenez needed to focus on the religious aspects of his training, prior to perfecting the skills needed to commit violent acts.
In late May and early June of 2011, Jimenez, with the assistance of Robertson and others, began making preparations for his overseas travel. Robertson assisted Jimenez with getting his photographs for his visa application and his vaccinations. On June 17, 2011, Jimenez departed Central Florida and traveled to New York by airplane, where he expected to get his visa and then travel overseas.
During the course of the investigation, the FBI obtained evidence about the nature of Robertson’s training of Jimenez and the plan for Jimenez to travel overseas to engage in violent jihad. As part of the investigation, the FBI obtained consensually recorded conversations with Jimenez and others, in which Jimenez stated his goals. When interviewed by the FBI on September 22, 2011, Jimenez lied about making those statements.
In order to have funds available for him when he was overseas, Jimenez and others conspired to submit a false 2010 tax return for Jimenez, in which Jimenez falsely claimed three of Robertson’s children as his dependents and falsely represented that he lived with each of the three children for all of the year 2010. As a result of those false representations, Jimenez obtained a refund from the IRS in the amount of $5,587.
Robertson was arrested by the FBI on August 23, 2011 for being a previously convicted felon in possession of a firearm. He pleaded guilty to that offense on January 5, 2012 and is pending sentencing. On March 14, 2012, Robertson was indicted for conspiracy to defraud the Internal Revenue Service. His trial is set for July 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.
These cases were investigated by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force and the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation Division. They are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg.
Joint Federal and State Investigation Leads to Arrests and Weapons and Drugs SeizuresRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida - United States Attorney Robert E. O'Neill announces the unsealing of indictments charging Anthony Maurice McSwain (28, Pinellas County) and Jarvis Antwan Dorsey (22, Pinellas County) with weapons and drugs offenses. If convicted on all counts, each faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison. McSwain is charged with four counts of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, and two counts of distribution of cocaine. Dorsey is charged with one count of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, and two counts of distribution of cocaine. Both were arraigned on April 16, 2013, and were ordered detained pending trial.According to the indictment against McSwain, he is charged with having possessed a Ruger pistol, a Rossi .38 caliber revolver, a Ruger rifle, a Colt .45 caliber pistol, and a Winchester rifle. The indictment against Dorsey alleges that he possessed a MAC-10 .45 caliber pistol. Both McSwain and Dorsey are previously convicted felons and prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of the federal criminal laws, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
These cases were investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives ("ATF"), the Largo Police Department, and the Clearwater Police Department. The cases arose from a joint federal and state investigation resulted in 28 people being arrested on state and federal violations, and the seizure of 13 firearms, as well as quantities of cocaine, marijuana, hydrocodone and other narcotics. The federal cases arising from the investigation will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark E. Bini.
Former Florida Department of Transportation Employee Sentenced to More Than 3 Years in Prison for Bribery and FraudRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida - U.S. District Judge Charlene Edwards Honeywell yesterday sentenced Tina Moore a/k/a Tina Pollard (56, Daytona Beach) to 3 years, 4 months in federal prison for conspiracy and money laundering. Moore was also ordered to serve a two-year term of supervised release, following her release from prison, and to pay $242,981.25 in restitution. Moore pleaded guilty on January 25, 2013.According to her plea agreement, Moore was a Right of Way Agent with the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) who was responsible for assisting people and businesses displaced by FDOT projects. One of Moore’s assigned projects involved the acquisition of properties for the purpose of widening Interstate 4. One of the businesses displaced by that project was MLA Furniture, which was located on Garland Avenue in Orlando. Moore used her position to solicit and obtain bribes and rewards from the owners of MLA Furniture, in return for assisting MLA Furniture in continuing to remain at Garland Avenue. She knowingly submitted fraudulent claims to the FDOT for the relocation expenses of MLA Furniture. In total, Moore received $30,000 in bribes, consisting of $20,000 in checks and $10,000 in cash.
One of Moore’s co-conspirators, Jonathan Aubrey Jenkins, has already been sentenced for his role in the crime. On February 20, 2013, Jenkins, who was one of the owners of MLA Furniture, was sentenced to 5 years of probation for conspiracy and also ordered to pay $242,981.25 in restitution.
These cases were investigated by the United States Department of Transportation, Inspector General’s Office, and the Florida Department of Transportation, Inspector General’s Office. They were prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg.
British Actor and Talent Judge Pleads Guilty to Persuading Children to Produce Pornography over the InternetRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida - United States Attorney Robert E. O'Neill announced today that John David Baker (29, resident of Celebration, Florida and citizen of the United Kingdom) has pleaded guilty to two counts of production of child pornography using the Internet. He faces a minimum of 15 years, and up to 30 years in prison for each count, and a potential life term of supervised release. Baker has been held in the custody since his arrest in this case on September 7, 2012. A sentencing hearing has not yet been set.
According to court documents, beginning in or about November 2008 through August 2010, in the Middle District of Florida and elsewhere, Baker used computers and interactive computer services to engage in online conversations with several minor children over the Internet. During this period, Baker worked as an actor and helped train and audition adults and children who were attempting to pursue careers in the entertainment business. Baker also served as a talent judge for a talent competition in Florida. In this role, Baker met minor children who were auditioning to obtain work in the art and film industries.
Following a complaint by a concerned parent of a child whom Baker had contacted online, Baker was interviewed by law enforcement. Baker acknowledged that he had been confronted by the director of the talent competition about his inappropriate online contact with minors and admitted to chatting with other minors from the talent competition online. Baker also admitted that many of his chats were sexually oriented and to having sent or trading sexually oriented photos of himself or others during chats. He stated that through his work in the talent industry he received photos of individuals, some through his request and some not solicited by him. According to Baker, he had solicited photos from at least 10 children in the talent competition.
By establishing a fictitious online persona of himself, Baker persuaded minors to send him images and videos of themselves engaging in sexually explicit conduct via the Internet. Baker then sent the pornographic images to others. During a forensic analysis of Baker’s computer, law enforcement located several images and a video of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, Orange County Sheriff’s Office, Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, and the former Child Predator Cybercrime Unit of the Florida Attorney General’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.
It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (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. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov and click on the tab "other resources."
Lutz Man Indicted on Drug Conspiracy and Sex Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL - United States Attorney Robert E. O'Neill announces the return by a federal grand jury of an indictment charging Andrew Blane Fields (62, Lutz) with conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances, namely Oxycodone, Dilaudid, and Morphine, three counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion, and two counts of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. If convicted on all counts, Fields faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison.
According to the indictment, at least as early as 2008 through the end of 2012, Fields engaged in the sex trafficking of three different victims for commercial gain. Fields coerced and controlled the victims by, among other methods, supplying them with a large number of highly addictive prescription drugs on a daily basis. During the execution of a federal search warrant, law enforcement recovered thousands of prescription pills from Fields' residence. Fields was previously charged by criminal complaint on March 20, 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 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 will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Josephine W. Thomas and Trial Attorney William E. Nolan with the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division's Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit.
Jacksonville Chiropractor Indicted in Staged Car Accident SchemeRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida - United States Attorney Robert E. O'Neill announces the return by the grand jury of a superseding indictment charging Jacksonville chiropractor Richie Cabigting (35), along with Haidar Kazim (28), Kassem Kazim (31) and Todd Jackson (26), all of Jacksonville, with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and mail fraud, in connection with a staged car accident scheme. If convicted, each faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison on each count. The indictment also notifies the individuals that the United States intends to forfeit $193,002.62, which was seized from a Compass Bank account and is alleged to be traceable to proceeds of the offense.
According to the indictment, Haidar Kazim recruited individuals to participate in staged and fraudulent car accidents. Haidar Kazim and Kassem Kazim instructed the participants on how to conduct the crashes and what to tell responding police officers. Cabigting, a chiropractor and owner of ChiroMed Plus, LLC, located in Jacksonville, provided money to Haidar Kazim to pay the “at fault” drivers, including Todd Jackson, in the staged car accidents. The staged accident participants were then allegedly "treated” at ChiroMed Plus, LLC, by Cabigting, who knew that the participants did not need treatment. Insurance companies were then fraudulently billed for services.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of the federal criminal laws, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Financial Services. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Julie Hackenberry Savell.
Upcoming Jacksonville Fraud Summit to Arm Consumers with Information to Protect Themselves Against Fraud SchemesRead the Press Release
Federal Agencies Host Conference Open to the Public
Jacksonville, FL - United States Attorney Robert E. O'Neill announces that his office, in conjunction with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement will host a fraud conference for the general public on Wednesday, April 24, 2013 (8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.). The conference will be held at the Florida Department of Law Enforcement Jacksonville Regional Operation Center located at 921 North Davis Street (Building E ) in Jacksonville. Admission is free.
Investor fraud, identity theft, cyber intrusion, and financial exploitation of the elderly are serious national problems. Our country's recent financial crisis has resulted in an unprecedented rise in investment fraud schemes, tax fraud, and other financial crimes, involving thousands of victims and staggering losses. The United States Attorney's Office and its federal, state, and local law enforcement partners are hosting this conference to educate the public about the fraudulent schemes that are being perpetrated in our region and to provide information on resources and strategies to protect citizens from becoming a victim of these types of crime.
Members of the public are invited to attend this conference. Admission is free and educational materials will be provided, but space is limited. To RSVP for the conference, please call (904) 301-6341 or send an e-mail to [email protected].
This conference is part of the ongoing efforts of the Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force which was created by President Obama in November 2009 to wage an aggressive, coordinated and proactive effort to investigate and prosecute financial crimes. For more information on the task force, visit www.stopfraud.gov.
(Download Conference Flyer )
Ohio Man Sentenced to 4 Years in Prison for Precious Metals SchemeRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida - U.S. District Judge John Antoon, II sentenced Dustin Michael Letourneau (29, Warren, Ohio) last week to four years in federal prison for mail fraud and wire fraud. Letourneau was also ordered to serve a 3-year term of supervised release following his prison term, and to pay $240,481 in restitution to his victims. Letourneau pleaded guilty on January 17, 2013.
According to his plea agreement, Letourneau was the chief executive officer of Letourneau Holdings Inc., which was also known as LH Metals. Letourneau Holdings claimed to invest in silver, gold, and palladium bullion on behalf of investors. Investors would give Letourneau Holdings money to invest in these items on the commodities market. Letourneau represented to investors that the physical bullion was held on their behalf with one of Letourneau Holdings' counter parties. Rather than invest the funds as had been represented, Letourneau used significant portions of the investors' funds for his personal benefit. During the investigation, a confidential law enforcement source recorded several conversations with Letourneau. In those recorded conversations, Letourneau admitted that he had not been purchasing precious metals. He stated, [I’m] “being stupid with my money.” He also said that would be prosecuted for mail fraud because “the proof is all there."
To deceive his investors into believing that he was using the money to purchase precious metals, Letourneau had trade confirmations and monthly account statements sent to investors. The confirmations and statements falsely represented precious metals purchases. Letourneau was successful in defrauding 19 victims out of more than $240,000.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Florida Office of Financial Regulation, Bureau of Financial Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg.
Oxycodone Traffickers Face Federal ChargesRead the Press Release
Orlando, FL - United States Attorney Robert E. O'Neill announces the return of an indictment charging Abdul Cunningham and Jana Harris-Cunningham with five counts of wire fraud, five counts of filing a false claim with the Internal Revenue Service, four counts of theft of government property, and five counts of aggravated identity theft. If convicted, each faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison for each wire fraud count, five years in federal prison for each false claim count, ten years in federal prison for each theft of government property count, and a consecutive sentence of two years for each aggravated identity theft count. The indictment also notifies Cunningham and Harris-Cunningham that the United States intends to seek a money judgment in the amount of $560,731.00, the traceable proceeds of the alleged offenses. Cunningham and Harris-Cunningham were arrested on a criminal complaint on March 11, 2013, and March 28, 2013, respectively.
According to the indictment, Cunningham and Harris-Cunningham engaged in a scheme to defraud the U.S. Treasury Department by filing fraudulent income tax returns and negotiating fraudulent tax refunds using stolen identities, commonly referred to as Stolen Identity Refund Fraud (SIRF). It is alleged that, as part of their scheme, they used the stolen identities, along with false and fraudulent wage and withholding information, to prepare, and to cause to be prepared, fraudulent federal income tax returns falsely claiming refunds. After filing the false returns, they accepted, negotiated, and “swiped” reloadable debit cards, knowing the cards contained fraudulently obtained income tax refunds. It is alleged that Cunningham and Harris-Cunningham filed 145 false claims with the IRS for tax years 2010 and 2011. These false claims totaled $816,790. Of that amount, the IRS paid out $560,731.
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, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Rockledge Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Haas.
Bradenton Man Sentenced to 27 Years on Federal Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL - U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Kovachevich sentenced Brian Leavitt (25, Bradenton) yesterday to 27 years in federal prison for distribution and receipt of child pornography. The court also ordered Leavitt to forfeit a laptop computer and hard drive, which were used in the offense. He pleaded guilty on November 15, 2012.
According to court documents, in July 2010 and December 2010, Leavitt distributed at least eighty-six files of child pornography from his computer to undercover FBI agents through the use of a peer-to-peer file sharing program. In February 2011, Leavitt's computer was seized. A forensic search revealed more than 3,800 images and 13 videos of child pornography. Leavitt admitted to law enforcement agents that he had been seeking and downloading images and videos of child pornography. Leavitt had two prior juvenile adjudications for sex offenses against children.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer L. Peresie.
It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Tampa Man Sentenced to More Than 20 Years for Role in Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL- U.S. District Judge James S. Moody sentenced Rodney L. Carter (27, Tampa) yesterday to twenty years and eight months in federal prison for conspiracy to possess 5 kilograms or more of cocaine with the intent to distribute and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. He pleaded guilty on November 20, 2012.
According to court documents, Carter and his co-conspirators, Curtis A. Marsh, Jr. and Donta Haynes agreed and planned to commit a robbery of 20-50 kilograms of cocaine. All three were arrested prior to committing the robbery. At the time of the arrests, they were in possession of three loaded firearms.
On March 27, 2013, Marsh was sentenced to eleven years and three months in federal prison. Haynes pleaded guilty for his role in this case. His sentencing hearing is scheduled on May 14, 2013.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stacie B. Harris.
It is another case prosecuted as a part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” program - a nationwide, gun-violence reduction strategy. United States Attorney Robert E. O’Neill, along with Julie Torres, 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.
Oxycodone Traffickers Face Federal ChargesRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida - United States Attorney Robert E. O'Neill announces the unsealing of a criminal complaint charging numerous individuals with conspiracy to distribute oxycodone. If convicted, each faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. The following individuals were charged in the federal criminal complaint:
Edwin Morales, a.k.a. "Mikey" (51, Palm Bay, FL)
Rafael Rivera, a.k.a. "Chapo" (39, Palm Bay, FL)
Juan Luis Collazo-Pinto, a.k.a. "Pacho" (28, Holyoke, MA)
Carlos Alberto Cotto-Lopez, a.k.a. "Papito" (24, Holyoke, MA)
Jose Manuel Garcia-Santiago, a.k.a. "Cenizo" (28, Puerto Rico, Holyoke, MA)
Edwin Miguel Negron (26, Holyoke, MA)
Heriberto Morales-Hernandez (44, Holyoke, MA)
Isaac Matta-Robles (54, Miami, FL)
Jose Antonio Ortiz-Gonzalez, a.k.a. "Chelo" (49, Puerto Rico)
Francisca Maria Paez (27, Kissimmee, FL)According to the complaint, Edwin Morales and Rafael Rivera managed a Drug Trafficking Organization (DTO) that operated in Florida, Puerto Rico, and Massachusetts. The conspirators fraudulently obtained prescriptions for various controlled substances, mostly oxycodone. Members of the DTO traveled to Florida from Puerto Rico and Massachusetts, and posed as patients at various pain management clinics. These “clinic patients” would obtain prescriptions for oxycodone and provide them to Edwin Morales or Rafael Rivera. Morales and Rivera then filled the prescriptions at pharmacies in the Middle District of Florida. On a number of occasions, Edwin Morales and Rafael Rivera mailed the oxycodone to co-conspirators in Holyoke, Massachusetts. After the oxycodone was sold in Massachusetts, the drug proceeds were deposited at local banks and later withdrawn from bank branches in the Palm Bay area.
A criminal complaint is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of the federal criminal laws, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Palm Bay Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel W. Eckhart.
Tampa Couple Indicted for Stolen Identity Refund FraudRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida - United States Attorney Robert E. O'Neill announces the unsealing of a seventeen-count indictment charging Tressa V. Guy and Brian E. Simmons with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and multiple counts of wire fraud, access device fraud, and aggravated identity theft. If convicted, they each face a maximum penalty of twenty years in federal prison on the conspiracy count; twenty years in federal prison on each wire fraud count; and 10 years in federal prison on each charge of access device fraud, all to be followed by two consecutive years in prison for each aggravated identity theft count.
According to the indictment, Guy and Simmons participated in a scheme to defraud the United States Treasury that caused at least 322 fraudulent federal income tax returns to be filed with the IRS claiming at least $2,701,844 in fraudulent refunds. Guy, Simmons, and others would direct the fraudulent tax refunds into bank accounts linked to prepaid debit cards issued in the names of third parties without the third parties’ knowledge. Guy and Simmons also used the prepaid debit cards issued in this manner to make cash withdrawals in Florida and Georgia and to pay for personal expenditures.
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, the Tampa Police Department, and the Monroe County (Georgia) Sheriff’s Office 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.
Davenport Man Sentenced to 4 Years in Prison for Theft of Patient InformationRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida - U.S. District Judge Roy B. Dalton, Jr. sentenced Serrgei Kusyakov (39, Davenport) this week to four years in federal prison for conspiracy and wrongful disclosure of individually identifiable health information. He pleaded guilty on January 7, 2013.
According to court documents and evidence introduced during sentencing, Kusyakov was involved in the operation of two chiropractic clinics in Central Florida (Metro Chiropractic and Wellness Center, and City Lights Medical Center). He also served as a volunteer at Florida Hospital in Celebration. While volunteering at Florida Hospital, he met Dale Munroe, II. Munroe worked as a Registration Representative in the Emergency Department. Munroe's duties included registering patients as they came in the main emergency entrance. Kusyakov recruited Munroe to obtain the personal health information of hospital patients who had been involved in motor vehicle accidents. Munroe disclosed the information to Kusyakov who, along with others, used the stolen information to solicit Florida Hospital patients for chiropractic and legal services. Kusyakov paid Munroe for his role in providing the stolen information.
On January 14, 2013, Dale Munroe II (35, Winter Haven) was sentenced to 12 months and one day in federal prison for his role in the conspiracy. His wife, Katrina Munroe, also an employee of Florida Hospital in Celebration, was terminated by the hospital in August 2012 after becoming a suspect in a data breach incident. On December 27, 2012, she pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy. She faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. Her sentencing hearing has been set for July 8, 2013.
These cases were investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Florida Department of Financial Services, Division of Insurance Fraud. They are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg.
Casselberry Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Aggravated Sexual Assault on Cruise ShipRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida - U.S. District Judge Roy B. Dalton, Jr. sentenced Casey Dickerson (32, Casselberry) yesterday to 20 years in federal prison for committing aggravated sexual abuse and sexual abuse of a minor while on a cruise ship. Dickerson was also ordered to serve 15 years of supervised release and to pay $977 in restitution to the minor victim of his crimes.
Dickerson was convicted by a federal jury on December 14, 2012. According to evidence presented at trial, Dickerson engaged in the aggravated sexual assault of a 15-year-old on a cruise ship. Dickerson and two minor males forcibly assaulted the victim on August 19, 2012, in a cabin on the ship. Dickerson was arrested on a federal charge later that day.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg.
Bradenton Man Sentenced to Fifteen Years in Federal Prison on Gun ChargeRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida - U.S. District Judge Mary S. Scriven sentenced Robert Lee Lane (27, Bradenton) last week to 15 years in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. He pleaded guilty on November 27, 2012.
According to court documents, on January 3, 2012, law enforcement officers observed Lane engaging in a drug transaction on the side of the road in Manatee County. When Lane recognized law enforcement, he fled. Officers chased Lane and observed him throw a gun over a fence into the backyard of a local residence. Officers subsequently retrieved the firearm. At the time of his arrest, Lane had multiple previous felony convictions. As such, he was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stacie B. Harris.
It is another case prosecuted as a part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” program - a nationwide, gun-violence reduction strategy. United States Attorney Robert E. O’Neill, along with Julie Torres, 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.
"Bank Bag Bandit" Sentenced to 27 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida - U.S. District Judge James D. Whittemore sentenced David Dwinell yesterday to 27 years in federal prison for bank robbery and using a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. The court also ordered Dwinell to forfeit $13,786.50, which is traceable to proceeds of the offense. As part of his sentence, the court also entered a restitution order in the amount of $38,882.50, the amount stolen from the banks. Dwinell pleaded guilty on January 10, 2013.
According to court documents, Dwinell committed five armed bank robberies in Pasco, Hillsborough, and Hernando counties. He entered the banks wearing a dark colored hat, sunglasses, a mask over his face, and a dark colored jacket. He carried a blue zippered bank bag and a silver revolver. During the robberies, Dwinell brandished the firearm as he approached the teller counters and demanded money. Several of the victims observed him fleeing after the robberies in a gray truck.
During a search of Dwinell's residence, agents located a loaded silver .38 revolver, a black baseball hat, latex gloves, a beige mask (panty hose), black zip-up jacket, a blue bank bag (which contained the latex gloves and panty hose) and a second blue zippered bank bag. Dwinell told law enforcement these were the items he used in the bank robberies. Agents also located 100 single one dollar bills, and 50 ten dollar bills. Some of the money was still in bank bands and was found located with the revolver in Dwinell's desk. An additional $6,762.00 was located in Dwinell's office inside a blue bag.
During a search of the truck used by Dwinell in the bank robberies, officers located 62- five dollar bills under the steering column and one black glove. Dwinell admitted that he committed the five armed robberies. He stated that he robbed the banks because his house was in foreclosure and he had previously owed the Internal Revenue Service money.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stacie B. Harris and Colleen Murphy Davis.
Statement from U.S. Attorney Robert E. O’Neill Regarding Resignation PlansRead the Press Release
I would like to thank President Obama, U.S. Attorney General Holder, Senators Nelson and Rubio, and former Senators Martinez and LeMieux for providing me the opportunity to serve as the United States Attorney for the Middle District of Florida. I appreciate the confidence which they exhibited in me and I hope and trust that I, and this office, have lived up to their expectations. I am very thankful for having been given this wonderful opportunity.
It has been both an honor and a privilege to serve as the United States Attorney in the Middle District of Florida. This is a great office. Statistically, the Middle District of Florida is one of the busiest and most productive districts in the nation. It ranks at or near the top of the 94 districts in virtually every category maintained by the United States Department of Justice. Yet, while serving the second largest population in the nation, it is the 16th largest office in terms of personnel. The significant accomplishments of this district are the result of the collective efforts of the hard working men and women who comprise this United States Attorney’s Office. They are dedicated public servants who believe in pursuing justice and the rule of law. In an era in which it has become fashionable to impugn the public employee, the individuals in this office work long hours, often without recompense, simply because they believe in the mission of the office.
I was offered an extremely unique opportunity to join the Freeh Group International Solutions, LLC. It was an offer that I could not pass upon. The Freeh Group is an global risk management firm serving in the areas of business integrity and compliance, safety and security, and investigations and due diligence. The firm was founded by Louis J. Freeh, former Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and former United States District Judge.
In order to accept that position, I have to resign from a position that is extraordinarily rewarding. My resignation is effective this summer. I will continue in my present position for the next few months to ensure an orderly transition for this office and for my successor.
Tampa Woman Sentenced to More Than 5 Years in Prison for Stolen Identity Tax Refund FraudRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida - U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday today sentenced Remesa Buemer to 5 years and 5 months in federal prison for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. As part of the sentence, the court also entered a money judgment in the amount of $159,265.60, a portion the proceeds of the charged criminal conduct. Buemer was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $462,039.60.
Buemer pleaded guilty on January 17, 2013.
According to court documents, from at least as early as January 21, 2011, through at least September 15, 2011, Buemer engaged in a scheme to file false tax returns in order to obtain fraudulent refunds. She generated fraudulent tax refunds using the identities of other individuals on tax returns without their permission.
“IRS Criminal Investigation has made investigating refund fraud and identity theft a top priority," stated James Robnett SAC, Tampa Field Office. "Filing fraudulent tax returns in the names of other individuals results in significant harm to those individuals whose identities were stolen. Today’s sentence reflects the harm inflicted upon the victims.”
Special Agent in Charge Quentin G. Aucoin stated, “The VA Office of Inspector General is dedicated to aggressively investigating individuals who misuse patient information, especially when used for personal and financial gain .”
“Through the task force, we are sending a strong message to criminals. If you commit tax fraud, you will go to prison,” said Tampa Police Chief Jane Castor.
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, and the Tampa Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney.