Middle District of Florida

Jacksonville, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announces the return of an indictment charging Mario Antonio Mejia-Calderon (34, Honduras) with possession of a fraudulent permanent resident card – or “green card” – and illegal re-entry by a previously deported alien. If convicted on both counts, Mejia-Calderon faces a maximum penalty of 12 years in federal prison. Mejia-Calderon was arrested and ordered detained while awaiting trial.

According to the indictment, on January 24, 2025, Mejia-Calderon was found unlawfully present in the United States after having been deported on June 11, 2013. On that same day, he also possessed a counterfeit green card. 

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

This case was investigated by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement Removal Operations (ERO). It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Coolican.

Jacksonville, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announces the return of an indictment charging Timoteo Son-Gonzalez (40), a Guatemalan national, with unlawful transportation of an illegal alien for the purpose of financial gain and illegal re-entry by a previously deported alien. If convicted on all counts, Son-Gonzalez faces a maximum penalty of 12 years in federal prison. 

According to the indictment, in February 2025, Son-Gonzalez transported an alien for financial gain, knowing and in reckless disregard of the fact that the alien had come to, entered, and remained in the United States in violation of the law. The indictment also alleges that Son-Gonzalez was found to be unlawfully present in the U.S. after having been removed in June 2024.

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

This case was investigated by the United States Customs and Border Patrol. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelli Swaney.

Fort Myers, FL – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announces that Kevoun Najae Watts (22, Fort Myers) has pleaded guilty to one count of Hobbs Act robbery and one count of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Watts faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison for the robbery offense and a minimum of 7 years, up to life, consecutive to the robbery count for the firearm offense. He has also agreed to forfeit the firearm and ammunition he used to commit the offenses. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to the plea agreement, Watts admitted to robbing both two convenience stores at gunpoint in Fort Myers on July 31, 2024. 

This case was investigated by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, the Fort Myers Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Morgan.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. 

Fort Myers, FL – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announces that Antowan Jabaar Cain (45, Clewiston) has pleaded guilty to distribution of methamphetamine and possession of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime. Cain faces a minimum penalty of 5 years, up to 40 years, in federal prison for distributing methamphetamine. For the firearm offense, Cain faces a minimum of 5 years, up to life imprisonment, consecutive to the sentence imposed for the distribution offense. He has also agreed to forfeit the firearm used in the offense.

According to the plea agreement, on December 12, 2024, Cain sold a firearm and methamphetamine in Hendry County.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Morgan.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. 

Tampa, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announces that Ernesto Cordero (54, Bradenton) has pleaded guilty to operating as an airman without the required airman certificate. Cordero faces a maximum penalty of three years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to the plea agreement, Cordero obtained a student pilot’s license. That license allowed him to operate his personal helicopter with an instructor in the passenger seat or fly the helicopter alone in certain circumstances. The license did not authorize Cordero to fly with passengers. To fly with passengers, Cordero would need to get a full pilot’s license. He never did. Instead, Cordero frequently flew his helicopter with passengers onboard, despite the restrictions on his license.

In June 2024, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) received a complaint when Cordero landed his helicopter at Egmont Key State Park off the coast of Tampa. When he landed, a passenger left and then returned to the helicopter. The following month, the FAA received another complaint that Cordero was flying others in his helicopter from a dock behind a home in Marathon. After these incidents, the FAA learned that Cordero’s helicopter was landing at Tampa Executive Airport. Once the helicopter landed, Cordero admitted that he was again flying the helicopter and that he had a passenger onboard.

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Federal Aviation Administration. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Buchanan.

Fort Myers, FL – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announces that Mickey Colangelo, Jr. (45, Fort Myers) has pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. Colangelo faces a minimum of 15 years, up to life, in federal prison. Colangelo has also agreed to forfeit the firearm used in the offense. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to the plea agreement, on October 30, 2024, Colangelo was stopped by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office as a wanted suspect for a felony offense. Deputies recovered a loaded pistol from his backpack. At the time, Colangelo had multiple prior felony convictions which prohibit him from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law. Colangelo has at least three prior felony convictions that qualify under federal law as “violent felonies” subjecting him to enhanced punishment as an Armed Career Criminal.

This case was investigated by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Morgan.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. 

Orlando, FL – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announces that Joseph Alfredo Bonano Aviles (25, San Juan, Puerto Rico) and Jose Javier Corchado Montanez (34, Kissimmee) have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to transfer firearms out of state. Each faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to the plea agreements, between at least September and continuing through at least November 2021, Montanez, while located in the Middle District of Florida, conspired and shipped multiple firearms to Aviles in Puerto Rico. Neither Montanez nor Aviles was a licensed importer, manufacturer, collector, or dealer of firearms.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Amanda Daniels.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

Tampa, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announces the return of an indictment charging Charles Zumbahlen (31, Temple Terrace) with distribution of fentanyl resulting in death. If convicted, Zumbahlen faces a minimum penalty of 20 years, up to life, in federal prison. The indictment also notifies Zumbahlen that the United States intends to forfeit all assets which are alleged to be traceable to proceeds of the offense.

According to the indictment, on November 24, 2024, Zumbahlen distributed a lethal amount of fentanyl that resulted in the death of Victim-1. 

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

This case was investigated by the Tampa Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Candace Garcia Rich.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Steven Merryday has sentenced Victor Eugene Howard (50, Oldsmar) to 10 years in federal prison for possession of child sexual abuse material. Howard pleaded guilty on January 29, 2024.

According to court documents, an FBI agent downloaded child sexual abuse material distributed by Howard via a file sharing network. Howard, a registered sexual offender, used file sharing networks to download and view the material. The FBI executed a search warrant at Howard’s home and located numerous images of child sexual abuse material on his electronic devices. 

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Largo Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Courtney Derry and Abigail King.

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

Ocala, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announces that Mitchell Regan (36, Leesburg) has pleaded guilty to two counts of distribution of child sex abuse material (CSAM) and one count of possession of CSAM. Regan faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison on each count, including a 5-year minimum sentence on each of the distribution offenses. A sentencing date has not yet been set. Regan is being detained pending the resolution of this case.

According to court documents, agents from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) executed a search warrant at Regan’s home on October 17, 2024. During a search of Regan’s cellphone, an HSI computer forensic agent located an image of CSAM in his photo gallery. Regan advised law enforcement that he was employed at a middle school and the Boys and Girls Club and that that he teaches chess club and music lessons. A subsequent review of Regan’s social media applications by law enforcement revealed Regan had distributed two videos of CSAM on June 24, 2024.

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.

This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 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 child victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Carlos Mendoza has sentenced Theron Charles Lord (37, Orlando) to 26 years in federal prison for enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity and production of child sexual abuse materials. Lord pleaded guilty on September 19, 2024.

According to the plea agreement, Lord and a 15-year-old child victim (CV) met online and began messaging on social media platforms. The messages quickly became sexual in nature and spanned from March until August 2022. In April 2022, Lord drove to meet the CV for the first time and engaged in sexual abuse of the CV. Between April and November 2022, Lord and the CV met in person at least six times. Lord sexually abused the CV at each meeting and recorded videos of the sexual abuse. Additionally, Lord caused the CV to record and send him specific videos of child sexual abuse material. 

“This predator repeatedly exploited the innocence of a child and demonstrated a complete disregard for the well-being of others,” said Homeland Security Investigations Orlando Assistant Special Agent in Charge David Pezzutti. “HSI investigators, alongside our partners at the Rockledge Police Department, are combating the exploitation of minors every day and have successfully removed another predator from the streets.”        

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Rockledge Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kaley Austin-Aronson.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 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.justice.gov/psc.

Orlando, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announces that Timothy Aden-Alan Calhoun (27, Orlando) has pleaded guilty to possession of unregistered National Firearms Act (NFA) weapons, specifically, a machinegun. Calhoun faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for June 12, 2025. Calhoun has also agreed to forfeit the firearm containing the machinegun conversion device.

According to the plea agreement, officers from the Maitland Police Department pulled over Calhoun for a traffic violation. During a search incident to his arrest, the officer located a Glock 19 with a machinegun conversion device installed. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives was contacted and confirmed that the firearm had a machinegun conversion device installed, converting the semi-automatic weapon into a fully automatic weapon. Under the NFA, a machinegun conversion device is classified as a machinegun. The machinegun was not registered to Calhoun in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record, as required under federal law. 

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Maitland Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kaley Austin-Aronson.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

Ocala, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announces that Alexandria Stevens (20, New Jersey) has pleaded guilty to producing, distributing, and receiving child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Stevens faces a minimum penalty of 15 years, up to 30 years, in federal prison for the production offense, and a minimum penalty of 5 years’ imprisonment, up to 20 years, for each of the distribution and receipt offenses. A sentencing date has not yet been set. Stevens remains detained in federal custody pending the resolution of this case.

According to the plea agreement, while visiting Florida in November 2023, Stevens and co-defendant Michael Taylor, Jr. produced CSAM with an 8-year-old child. They also received and distributed images of CSAM over the internet. 

Taylor was also charged for his alleged role in this case. His case is pending.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.

It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 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 child victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

Tampa, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announces the arrest and filing of a criminal complaint charging Isodoro Morales-Pajarito (36, Mexico) with illegal reentry by a deported alien. If convicted, Morales-Pajarito faces a maximum penalty of two years in federal prison.

According to the complaint, Morales-Pajarito was previously deported from the United States on April 11, 2010, and May 27, 2016. Following his previous removals, he did not receive the consent of the Attorney General or the Secretary of Homeland Security to reapply for admission to the United States. On February 22, 2025, Morales-Pajarito was found to be voluntarily in the United States.

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

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam W. McCall.

Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell has sentenced Cosme Bejaran (34, Lehigh Acres) to 10 years in federal prison for attempted enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity and attempted transfer of obscene matter to a minor. The court also ordered Bejaran to forfeit a cellphone used to facilitate the offense. Bejaran pleaded guilty in November 2024.

According to court documents, beginning on May 17 and continuing through May 18, 2024, Bejaran communicated online with an undercover law enforcement officer who was posing as a 14-year-old girl. After learning of the girl’s age, Bejaran engaged in a sexually explicit conversation, asked the girl for explicit photographs, and sent an explicit photo of himself. Bejaran was apprehended by deputies from the Lee County Sheriff’s Office when he arrived at a residence with the intention of engaging in sexual activity with the girl. Bejaran later admitted to deputies and the FBI that his intentions with the girl were sexual.

This case was investigated by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Morgan.

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

Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Harvey E. Schlesinger has sentenced Avery Fuller (30, Washington D.C.) to 19 years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robberies in New Jersey and Florida and brandishing a firearm during the robberies. Fuller pleaded guilty on October 29, 2024.

According to court documents, Fuller and his co-conspirators planned and executed a series of jewelry store robberies in New Jersey, Florida, and the District of Columbia. Based in the Washington, D.C. area, the group targeted predominantly South Asian jewelry stores along the east coast. Wearing disguises and armed with firearms, they used hammers to smash jewelry display cases and steal valuable items. These stores were specifically chosen because they sold high-purity gold, which yielded higher proceeds when sold for cash.

On June 10, 2022, Fuller, along with Trevor Wright, William Hunter, Franklin Hunter, Davon Johnson, and at least four other co-conspirators, committed an armed robbery of Virani Jewelers, located at 1394 Oaktree Road in Iselin, New Jersey. The group left Washington, D.C., at approximately 12:09 p.m., and traveled together in three separate vehicles. At approximately 7:45 p.m., Fuller and his co-conspirators arrived at Virani, exited their vehicles, and ran into the store wearing masks.

Once inside the store, Fuller and his co-conspirators pointed firearms at store employees. Two of the co-conspirators immediately forced at least two employees to the ground at gunpoint. Hunter and another co-conspirator used hammers to smash the display cases throughout the store and one of the store’s cameras. One co-conspirator pointed his firearm at the back of an employee’s head, pushed her to the back of the store, and commanded her to open the vault. Other co-conspirators shoveled gold jewelry into bags before exiting the store and entering the vehicles; all three vehicles fled from the scene together. After the robbery, Fuller and his-conspirators immediately traveled back to Washington, D.C. with approximately $1.2 million in gold jewelry, which they ultimately melted down into bars of gold and split among the group by grams of gold.

Approximately six months later, in early December 2022, Fuller and his co-conspirators—Trevor Wright, Jameise Christian, Antonio Tate, Delontae Martin, and Jaylaun Brown—planned another robbery, this time at a jewelry store in Jacksonville. To prepare, Fuller and Wright coordinated everyone’s travel from Washington, D.C., to Miami, where they rented a black vehicle and a white vehicle. On December 6, 2022, the group drove these vehicles to Jacksonville. Upon arrival at the jewelry store, four co-conspirators exited the black vehicle, entered the store wearing disguises, and brandished firearms. One co-conspirator ordered store employees to kneel behind the counter with their heads down while the group used a hammer to smash glass display cases. Meanwhile, Wright and Fuller remained in the white vehicle to monitor the store’s entrance.

After approximately three minutes, one of the conspirators exited the store and drove the black vehicle directly in front of the store, honking the horn to signal the others to exit. Before leaving, one co-conspirator approached the store employees kneeling in the corner, pointed his firearm, and stole the store owner’s wallet. The group then loaded the stolen jewelry into the trunk of the black vehicle and fled the scene, with the white vehicle traveling in the same direction. The group stole approximately $880,000 in jewelry from the jewelry store.

Through the collaborative efforts of multiple law enforcement agencies and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of Columbia, this complex investigation resulted in the identification of six individuals, who were eventually traced back to Miami. The suspects were observed at a Miami condominium, where they were seen exiting their vehicles unmasked and carrying the stolen jewelry.

To date, all individuals involved in the Jacksonville and New Jersey robberies have been arrested with pending federal cases in Jacksonville and Washington, D.C. In Jacksonville, Delontae Martin, Antonio Tate, and Jameise Christian pleaded guilty to brandishing a firearm in furtherance of the Jacksonville robbery. Martin was sentenced to 9 years’ imprisonment, Tate was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, and Christian was sentenced to 12 years and 10 months in federal prison. Trevor Wright and Jaylaun Brown are in custody and awaiting trial in Washington, D.C. for robbery and firearm offenses.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, and the Miami Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kirwinn Mike.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

Jacksonville, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announces that Matthew Reid Davisson (35, Jacksonville) has pleaded guilty to possessing destructive devices which were not registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. Davisson faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to court documents, Davisson was arrested on unrelated state charges on October 26, 2023. The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives subsequently received information that Davisson had large amounts of chemicals and possible grenades at his residence in Jacksonville. After obtaining a search warrant, law enforcement recovered two improvised explosive bombs, one improvised explosive grenade, items constituting combinations of parts from which three improvised explosive grenades could be readily assembled, quantities of homemade high explosives and detonators, large volumes of explosive precursor chemicals, and homemade explosive manufacturing equipment. None of the destructive devices were registered to Davisson in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record, as required by law. One of Davisson’s family members also surrendered one of Davisson’s firearms to law enforcement which was later determined to be an unregistered machinegun with an unregistered homemade silencer attached to the barrel.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.  It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David B. Mesrobian and Rachel Lasry.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Roy B. Dalton, Jr. has sentenced Jose Adan Revolorio-De La Cruz (24, Guatemala) to 14 months in federal prison for illegal reentry into the United States after deportation. Revolorio-De La Cruz entered a guilty plea on October 23, 2024.

According to court documents, Revolorio-De La Cruz was deported from the United States on August 25, 2022. After his deportation, Revolorio-De La Cruz illegally reentered the United States. He was arrested in Seminole County in November 2023 for unlawful travel to meet a minor and was subsequently convicted of that offense.

This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO). It was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Del Mastro.

Orlando, FL – U.S. District Judge Roy B. Dalton has sentenced Manuel Suc-Chok (40) to one year and four months in federal prison for illegal re-entry after deportation. Suc-Chok pleaded guilty on November 25, 2024. 

According to court documents, Suc-Chok was convicted in 2020 and sentenced to six months’ imprisonment for illegally re-entering the United States. Suc-Chok illegally re-entered the United States again and was found on April 23, 2024, after being arrested on state criminal charges. This is Suc-Chok’s third time illegally entering the United States. 

This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO). It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Amanda Daniels.

Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle has sentenced Cortez Haugabook (34, St. Petersburg), aka “Traffic,” to 25 years and 10 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, 40 grams or more of fentanyl, and cocaine, and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine. Haugabook pleaded guilty on March 6, 2024.

According to court documents, Haugabook, Torri McLaurin, Kristian Brown, and Javontah Harris were members of Bag Tawk Entertainment (“BTE”), an organization distributing controlled substances, which primarily operated in St. Petersburg. Haugabook and his co-defendants, as well as other members of BTE, used residences in Pinellas County to manufacture and sell narcotics. In videos posted online, BTE members featured images of drug manufacturing and lyrics about making and selling narcotics in their videos.

On January 23, 2022, Javontah Harris, a/k/a “Gut,” possessed 224.1 grams of a mixture containing methamphetamine, approximately $1,843 cash, and make-shift business cards containing a phone number traced to Haugabook.  Law enforcement executed search warrants at residences used by BTE to distribute narcotics, which were also featured by the group online.

In January 2022, agents located McLaurin, a/k/a “T-Dub,” at the residence and recovered over 100 grams of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine, as well as firearms. In April 2022, agents located 62.7 grams of methamphetamine, 51 grams of fentanyl, 5 grams of cocaine, and two firearms at another location used by BTE to traffic narcotics. That same location was searched again in October 2022 and agents found Brown, a/k/a “Skeet,” and Haugabook as well as 70.9 grams of pure methamphetamine, over 90 grams of cocaine, and 33 grams of fentanyl analogue.

On April 18, 2023, agents executed a search warrant at another stash location used by Haugabook and located 428.9 grams of methamphetamine and 18.9 grams of cocaine. Haugabook rushed to flush narcotics down the toilet during the execution of the warrant.

McLaurin, Harris, and Brown were previously sentenced for their roles in this case. McLaurin was sentenced to 19 years and 7 months in federal prison. Harris and Brown were each sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment. 

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, and the St. Petersburg Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Samantha E. Beckman.

Jacksonville, Florida –Senior United States District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan has sentenced Jackson Richard Perint (28, Clay County) to two years and three months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Perint was also ordered to forfeit a SCCY Industries 9mm pistol and ammunition traceable to the offense. Perint was arrested on April 3, 2024, and released. He violated the conditions of his release and was ordered detained on August 15, 2024. 

According to court documents and proceedings, on August 8, 2023, a detective with the Clay County Sheriff’s Office Narcotic’s Unit, acting in an online undercover capacity, arranged a drug transaction with Perint. The next day, Perint arrived by car to a predetermined location. Based on a prior suspension of Perint’s driver license, deputies conducted a traffic stop of his car. During a subsequent search of the car, deputies located a 9mm pistol loaded with 11 rounds of ammunition between the driver’s seat and the center console.

At the time of the offense, Perint had nine previous felony convictions, including possession of a weapon by a convicted felon (2021, 2022). As a convicted felon, Perint is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.   

This case was investigated by the Clay County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives – Jacksonville Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. 

Orlando, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announces the return of an indictment charging six individuals involved in an alleged gun trafficking operation. An additional individual was separately charged by complaint in the same conspiracy. The indictment also notifies the defendants that the United States intends to forfeit specific firearms recovered in the operation. 

Name

(Age, City of Residence)

Victor Manuel LaFontaine Ruiz

(31, Poinciana)

Gun trafficking conspiracy  

Unlicensed gun dealing, aiding and abetting

Possession of machinegun

15 years 

5 years 

10 years

Jose Emanuel Maldonado Rodriguez

(32, Kissimmee)

Gun trafficking conspiracy 

Unlicensed gun dealing, aiding and abetting

Possession of machinegun

15 years 

5 years 

10 years

Freddie Geovani Cruz Batiz

(36, Kissimmee)

Gun trafficking conspiracy 

Unlicensed gun dealing, aiding and abetting

15 years 

5 years 

Jomar Manuel Lopez Montanez

(30, Kissimmee)

Gun trafficking conspiracy

Unlicensed gun dealing, aiding and abetting

Felon in possession

15 years 

5 years 

15 years

Derrick Yamil Rivera Robles

(29, Kissimmee)

Gun trafficking conspiracy 

Unlicensed gun dealing, aiding and abetting

Possession of machinegun

15 years 

5 years 

10 years

Leonardo David Joseph Guerra

(23, Orlando)

Gun trafficking conspiracy

Unlicensed gun dealing, aiding and abetting

Alien in possession

15 years 

5 years 

15 years

Jincheng Shi

(27, St. Cloud)

Unlicensed gun dealing, aiding and abetting

Alien in possession

5 years 

15 years

According to court documents, from at least as early as September 2023 onward, Lafontaine and Maldonado operated a gun trafficking ring involving hundreds of firearms, machineguns, machinegun conversion devices, and high-capacity magazines needed for fully automatic weapons. This operation did not involve any federally licensed firearms dealers. Instead, Lafontaine and Maldonado obtained firearms parts, including from Jincheng Shi, a Chinese national. Lafontaine and Maldonado allegedly assembled, manufactured, and modified semi-automatic and automatic firearms using a “ghost gunner” machine and specialized “endmill” drilling devices at a workspace on Maldonado’s property in Kissimmee: 

From there, Lafontaine and Maldonado, along with assistance from Batiz, sold firearms, including fully automatic weapons and machine gun conversion devices (“chips” or “buttons”) that are used to convert semi-automatic weapons into machineguns. They sold those items to illegal aliens and convicted felons such as Lopez Montanez, Rivera Robles, and Joseph Guerra, who were often brokering such transactions on behalf of other unknown customers.

On September 17, 2023, for example, Lafontaine showed a fully automatic firearm to a customer that was later sold during this operation and, on October 9, 2023, Lafontaine quoted Rivera Robles (a convicted felon) a price of $150 for a machinegun conversion device known as a “chip,” that Rivera Robles purchased in March 2024.               

On February 7, 2025, Lafontaine sold Lopez Montanez (a convicted felon) two firearms falsely branded to appear as though they were legitimate firearms manufactured with engraved fake sequential serial numbers. When Lopez Montanez was stopped, he fled from law enforcement and attempted to hide the weapons that were eventually recovered. 

The next day, Lafontaine delivered five similar firearms to Maldonado.           

On February 20, 2025, law enforcement executed five search warrants at various locations associated with this conspiracy. The items are still be inventoried.  Preliminarily, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) have recovered at least five AR-style pistols with sequential and identical serial numbers at Maldonado’s residence (depicted below), along with at least three machinegun conversion devices, machinery used to assemble, modify, and manufacture the firearms and machine guns sold through this operation. 

 At Lafontaine’s residence, agents recovered a completed rifle, gun parts, gun manufacturing and modification equipment, and drug distribution paraphernalia with a blender and a powder that field-tested positive for fentanyl, packaged for sale. At Batiz’s residence, agents recovered a handgun and an AR pistol, four machinegun conversion devices, along with drug paraphernalia and powders packaged for distribution that are still being tested. Eight handguns, three rifles, and eight AR-style receivers were recovered from Shi’s residence and storage lockers.

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

This case was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with assistance from the Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation, Orange County Sheriff’s Office, Orlando Police Department, Winter Garden Police Department, Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, Apopka Police Department, Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, and Florida Highway Patrol. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dana E. Hill.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

Ocala, Florida – Senior United States District Judge John Antoon II has sentenced Dudzinski Poole and sixteen co-conspirators to federal prison terms ranging from six years, up to life, imprisonment in a multi-state drug trafficking and money laundering conspiracy. Poole was the leader of a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that was responsible for distributing thousands of kilograms of methamphetamine and fentanyl with sources of supply or distributors in California, multiple other states, and China. The organization also laundered millions of dollars in drug money. Two of Poole’s co-conspirators (Michael Chester and George King, Jr.) were convicted after a ten-day jury trial in July 2024. The rest of the defendants entered guilty pleas. A summary chart of the sentences is below:

Name (Age, Residence)

Charges

Sentence

Dudzinski Edwinn Poole

a/k/a “Zink”

(50, Apopka, FL)

Possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine

(two counts)

Drug trafficking conspiracy

Money laundering conspiracy

Melvin Tyrone Patterson, Jr.

a/k/a “Goon”

(34, Wildwood, FL)

Possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine (two counts)

Drug trafficking conspiracy

Money laundering conspiracy

Andrew Woodruff, Jr.

a/k/a “Smurf”

(40, Mount Dora, FL)

Drug trafficking conspiracy

Money laundering conspiracy

Jose Ivan Carbajal

a/k/a “Primo”

(35, California)

Drug trafficking conspiracy

Money laundering conspiracy

Antonio Holmes

a/k/a “Tone”

(36, Davenport, FL)

Possession with intent to distribute fentanyl

Drug trafficking conspiracy

Diego Navarro- Martinez

a/k/a “Shooter”

(34, California)

Drug trafficking conspiracy

Money laundering conspiracy

Michael Andre Chester

a/k/a “Dre”

(50, Apopka, FL)

Drug trafficking conspiracy

Money laundering conspiracy

Samantha Tiesha King

a/k/a “Mamp”

(34, Altamonte Springs, FL)

Drug trafficking conspiracy

Money laundering conspiracy

George Nelvin King, Jr.

(47, Altamonte Springs, FL)

Drug trafficking conspiracy

Money laundering conspiracy

Felisha Denise Williams

a/k/a “Lil Momma”

(35, Apopka, FL)

Drug trafficking conspiracy

Money laundering conspiracy

Nathaniel Donnell, Jr.

a/k/a “Bob”

(60, Wildwood, FL)

Drug trafficking conspiracy

Money laundering conspiracy

Rodrieka Lashay Manning

a/k/a “Drieka”

(27, Apopka, FL)

Drug trafficking conspiracy

Money laundering conspiracy

Mohammed McDowell

a/k/a “Mo”

(45, Wildwood, FL)

Drug trafficking conspiracy

Money laundering conspiracy

Janice Denise Anderson

a/k/a “Butter”

(67, Mount Dora, FL)

Drug trafficking conspiracy

Money laundering conspiracy

Latonya Sharee Conley

a/k/a “Hershey”

(47, Mount Dora, FL)

Drug trafficking conspiracy

Money laundering conspiracy

Oveda Denise Miller

a/k/a “Gangsta Granny”

(62, Mount Dora, FL)

Drug trafficking conspiracy

Money laundering conspiracy

Roland Richardson

(65, Mount Dora, FL)

Drug trafficking conspiracy

Money laundering conspiracy

According to court records and the evidence presented at trial, between 2017 and 2023, the DTO operated largely out of Lake County, Florida, where Poole received hundreds of shipments of methamphetamine and fentanyl from sources of supply in California, including Jose Carbajal. The drugs were transported or shipped via commercial planes and through the mail. DEA seized more than 250 pounds of drugs (mostly methamphetamine and fentanyl) during the course of the investigation.

The defendants played various roles in the DTO, such as suppliers, distributors, couriers, and courier coordinators. The couriers would fly to California from Florida with large sums of cash to purchase drugs and transport checked luggage full of drugs back to Florida on commercial flights. The conspirators sometimes purchased tickets and checked the suitcases full of drugs or cash at the airport but did not fly on the plane. The suitcases would travel to the destination where they would be picked up by other conspirators awaiting their arrival. Nearly all the flights were between the Orlando International Airport (MCO) in Florida and the Palm Springs Airport (PSP) or the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) in California. Flight records during a two-year period show more than 400 flights between California and Orlando among the various conspirators.

The DTO also used couriers to transport large amounts of methamphetamine from Orlando to Virginia via train. In April 2022, one of these couriers was arrested at a train station in Virginia with approximately 10 pounds of methamphetamine inside a suitcase.

In addition to transporting drugs on commercial flights and trains, Poole and his associates had multiple stash houses and received hundreds of mailed packages of methamphetamine and fentanyl from California and other drugs, including fentanyl, from China. Poole’s source of supply in California (Carbajal) would ship packages that contained an average of five to ten pounds of drugs at a time. Poole would provide Carbajal various addresses to ship the drugs, including co-conspirators’ residences. Investigators identified almost 400 packages that were shipped from California as part of this conspiracy from 2019 to 2023.

The members of this DTO also conspired with one another to engage in money laundering. Poole developed an entertainment business that he used to promote concerts with famous rap artists, whom he paid with drug proceeds. Poole then commingled the profits from the ticket sales with the drug proceeds in the same business account. Members of the conspiracy also used drug proceeds to pay for various expenses of the DTO (such as flights) or funneled the proceeds through numerous financial accounts into purchases of expensive jewelry, vehicles, residences, and payments to coconspirators.

“This multi-state drug trafficking organization used a vast network to move methamphetamine and fentanyl to poison our communities,” said DEA Miami Field Division Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter. “I’m proud of the way our agents and numerous law enforcement partners worked together to bring this criminal element to justice.”

“Greed is the biggest motivation these criminal organizations know,” said Ron Loecker, Special Agent in Charge of IRS – Criminal Investigation’s Tampa Field Office. “Motivated by money, they will try to place themselves above the law to the detriment of our communities. Fortunately, our agents and staff are extremely skilled at following the money to ensure these perpetrators face justice. We are proud to work alongside our partner agencies to put a stop to these dangerous drug trafficking organizations and ensure they are held accountable.”  

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the United States Secret Service; the Florida Department of Law Enforcement; the Orlando Police Department’s Special Enforcement Division and Crime Center and Forensics Division; the Orange County Sheriff’s Office’s including the Gang Enforcement Unit; the Florida Highway Patrol; the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office; the Casselberry Police Department; the Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation; the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office; the Marion County Sheriff’s Office; the Lake County Sheriff’s Office; the Kissimmee Police Department; the St. Cloud Police Department; the Winter Park Police Department; the St. Cloud IRS Financial Crimes Task Force; and the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office (California). It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Tyrie K. Boyer and Belkis H. Callaos.

This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Carlos E. Mendoza has sentenced Matthew Reed Dione (37, Sanford) to 20 years in federal prison for enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity. Dione will also forfeit two hard drives and a cellphone, which were used to commit the offense. Dione entered a guilty plea on July 2, 2024.

According to court documents, Dione met a minor victim on a teen dating website when Dione was 32 years old. He engaged in inappropriate chats with the minor victim prior to picking up the victim from the victim’s home late at night and taking the victim to his home. At his home, Dione sexually abused the victim and recorded the activity. 

In January 2023, the FBI executed a search warrant at Dione’s home and seized multiple electronic devices. During a forensic extraction of the seized devices, the FBI located numerous videos and images of sexual abuse. In many of those videos and images, the minors had Dione’s name written on their bodies. The FBI was able to identify three additional victims from the sexual abuse material found on Dione’s devices. The evidence on the devices showed that Dione had been targeting teenage girls for more than a decade.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Courtney D. Richardson-Jones.

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

Jacksonville, Florida – Senior United States District Judge Brian J. Davis has sentenced D’eante Corker (25, Orange Park) to two years in federal prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Corker was found guilty on November 26, 2024, following a bench trial.  

According to court documents, on March 27, 2024, a deputy from the Clay County Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by Corker. During the stop, a canine officer arrived at the scene and his canine alerted to the presence of narcotics in the vehicle, which led to a search of Corker’s vehicle. During the search, a loaded Smith & Wesson pistol was found under the hood of the vehicle. Corker admitted to knowing about the firearm under the hood and that he was unable to lawfully possess firearms as a convicted felon.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Clay County Sherriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John Cannizzaro. 

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. 

Tampa, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announces that Jose Salazar Jimenez (28, Mexico) has pleaded guilty to illegal reentry of a removed alien. Salazar Jimenez faces a maximum penalty of two years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to court documents, between August 2019 and August 2024, Salazar Jimenez voluntarily entered the United States, with knowledge that he had previously been removed, and that he was not legally permitted to so enter. On August 18, 2024, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) officers found Salazar Jimenez in Hillsborough County.

Salazar Jimenez is a native and citizen of Mexico and was previously removed from the United States on four occasions between 2014 and 2019.

This case was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO). It was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Joseph Wheeler, III and Assistant United States Attorney Lindsey Schmidt.

Tampa, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announces the return of an indictment charging Jose Manuel Ortiz Perdomo (41) with aggravated identity theft and making a false statement on a passport application. If convicted, Ortiz Perdomo faces a minimum sentence of 2 years, up to 12 years, in federal prison.

According to court records, on October 18, 2024, Ortiz Perdomo applied for a passport in a name that was not his own. Prior to applying for the passport, Ortiz Perdomo obtained means of identification in the victim’s name. When Ortiz Perdomo applied for the passport, he pretended to be the victim and submitted the fraudulent identification as his own.

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

This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS). It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Michael Leath.

Tampa, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announces that Lisa Williams (56, Lithia) has pleaded guilty to six counts of tampering with a consumer product and six counts of acquiring a controlled substance by misrepresentation. Williams faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison for each count of tampering and up to 4 years in federal prison for each acquisition offense. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to court documents, on October 30, November 5 and 28, and December 3, 9, and 10, 2023, Williams – a Florida licensed registered nurse (RN) – removed injectable fentanyl from a secure drawer at Hospital #1. Thereafter, Williams tampered with the injectable fentanyl by removing a portion of the controlled substance from its container for her own personal use. After removing the injectable fentanyl from the infusion bag, Williams swapped it with another container she had already tampered with and put it back into circulation. By tampering with the injectable fentanyl, Williams acted with reckless disregard that Hospital #1 patients would be placed in danger of death or bodily injury and under circumstances manifesting extreme indifference to such risk. Williams also knowingly manipulated the hospital records to falsely report a canceled transaction and give the fraudulent appearance that nothing was removed from the secure drawer.

This case was investigated by the Food and Drug Administration—Office of Criminal Investigations and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Greg Pizzo.

Jacksonville, Florida – Senior United States District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan has sentenced Jeremy Leonardo Roldan (52, Lake City) to 10 years and 4 months in federal prison for selling 50 grams or more of a substance or mixture containing methamphetamine. Roldan pleaded guilty on October 3, 2024. 

According to court documents, on December 11, 2023, Roldan sold methamphetamine to an undercover law enforcement officer. Roldan previously sold methamphetamine to the undercover officer at least two prior times. Roldan was responsible for selling 59 grams of pure methamphetamine. While selling narcotics, Roldan was on supervised release for the same offense.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, and the Lake City Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John Cannizzaro.  

Jacksonville, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announces the arrest and indictment of Sean-Michael Smith (36, Jacksonville) for using the internet to access child sexual abuse materials. If convicted, Smith faces a minimum penalty of 10 years, and up to 20 years, in federal prison and a potential life term of supervised release. Smith is a registered child sex offender who was convicted in 2014 of distributing child pornography. Smith was arrested on December 18, 2024, and is detained pending trial.

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

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Jacksonville. 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 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 child victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. 

Ocala, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announces that Dorian Farmer has pleaded guilty to one count of failure to pay employment trust fund taxes and two counts of willfully failing to file tax returns. Farmer faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison for the employment trust fund offense and up to one year of imprisonment for each willful failure to file tax return offenses. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to court documents, Farmer was the owner of several businesses in Howey-In-The-Hills in Lake County. For years, Farmer collected employment trust fund taxes from his employees—such as those that pay for Social Security or Medicare. Rather than turning these taxes over to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Farmer embezzled the funds for his own use. He took large cash distributions from one of his businesses which went unreported to the IRS. Farmer also failed to file tax returns for himself and one of his businesses, Titleist Technologies, Inc. (d/b/a Summit Joint Performance) for tax year 2000, as required under federal law. Farmer’s criminal acts resulted in a total tax loss of $806,653.

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William S. Hamilton.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Richard A. Lazzara today sentenced Yudelkis Portes (43, Dominican Republic) to three years and 1 month in federal prison for illegal reentry into the United States after deportation. Portes entered a plea of guilty on December 4, 2024.

According to court documents, Portes was convicted of conspiracy to commit access device fraud and aggravated identity theft on February 28, 2013, and deported from the United States to the Dominican Republic. Following her deportation, Portes illegally reentered the United States. 

This case was investigated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ross Roberts.

Tampa, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announces the  unsealing of an indictment charging Rigoberto Rios Gallardo (31, Los Angeles, California) with three counts of production of child sexual abuse material and one count of coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity. If convicted on all counts, Rios Gallardo faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. 

According to the indictment, on three dates in August and September 2024, Rios Gallardo used, persuaded, induced, enticed and coerced a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction. Between August and December 2024, Rios Gallardo knowingly persuaded, induced, enticed and coerced a minor to engage in sexual activity.

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

This case was investigated by the FBI and the North Port Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Courtney Derry.

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

Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday has sentenced Star Stewart (39, Bradenton) to eight years and nine months in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Stewart was convicted following a bench trial on November 20, 2023.   

According to evidence presented at trial and in court documents, on November 4, 2020, the U.S. Marshals Service Florida Regional Task Force sought to arrest Stewart at a residence in Bradenton pursuant to a state warrant. When the officers arrived, they observed Stewart on the back patio. Stewart fled inside the house, but was quickly located and arrested. The officers recovered a Glock 19 with an extended magazine containing 33 rounds of ammunition left behind where Stewart had been seated on the back patio. Stewart later admitted that he had possessed the firearm. As a convicted felon, Stewart is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, the Sarasota Police Department, and the U.S. Marshals Service. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Michael R. Kenneth and Charlie D. Connally. The forfeiture is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney James A. Muench.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

Tampa, FL – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announces that Jose Pabon (45, Tampa) has pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine with intent to distribute and conspiracy to distribute cocaine. Pabon faces a minimum of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison. This enhanced penalty is due to Pabon’s prior conviction for trafficking in cocaine in 2013. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to court documents, on May 13, 2024, a detective with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office acting in an undercover capacity (UC) contacted Pabon’s co-conspirator by phone. The co-conspirator agreed to sell the UC a kilogram of cocaine for $21,000. The next day, through an exchange of calls and text messages, the co-conspirator and the UC agreed to meet to conduct the kilogram cocaine transaction at a location in Tampa. During the preceding communications, the co-conspirator told the UC that he was waiting on a source of supply to provide the kilogram of cocaine prior to being able to distribute it to the UC.

Prior to meeting with the UC, DEA agents observed the co-conspirator meeting Pabon. Surveillance footage from the transaction location showed Pabon and the co-conspirator having a short conversation outside Pabon’s vehicle. After this conversation, agents observed the co-conspirator retrieve an object from Pabon’s car, return to his own vehicle, drive across the parking lot to the UC’s location, and emerge from his vehicle holding a kilogram of cocaine. The cocaine was tested by the DEA laboratory and confirmed to be 1,012 grams of cocaine.

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

Tampa, FL — A Tampa grand jury has returned an indictment charging Dmitry Shushlebin, 45, a citizen of Russia living in Miami Beach, and Sanjar Jamilov, 33, a citizen of Uzbekistan living in St. Petersburg, with conspiring to submit fraudulent voter registrations and four counts of submitting fraudulent voter registrations. The indictment further charged Shushlebin with two counts of false statements. Each count carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison.

According to court documents, Shushlebin and Jamilov conspired to submit 132 fraudulent voter registration applications to the Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections in February and March 2023. These applications were submitted in names other than their own, in envelopes with return and address labels that were identically formatted, including containing the same typographical error, and bore various indicia of fraud including, among other things, repeating dates of birth and addresses and nearly sequential Social Security numbers. Change of address forms were also submitted to the U.S. Postal Service to route mail to the names and addresses on the fraudulent applications to three locations that Shushlebin and Jamilov allegedly controlled.

This case is being investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the FBI,  and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. This case began after a referral from the Florida Department of State, Office of Election Crime and Security.

Trial Attorney Leo J. Wise of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. Marcet for the Middle District of Florida are prosecuting the case.

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

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Carlos E. Mendoza has sentenced Chad Allen Pease (49, Fort Pierce) to 22 years and 7 months in federal prison for attempting to entice or induce a minor to engage in sexual activity and committing a felony offense involving a minor when required to register as a sex offender. A federal jury found Pease guilty on November 20, 2024.

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, on February 3, 2024, Pease began communicating with an undercover law enforcement officer (UC) whom Pease believed to be the father of a 13-year-old girl. Over the course of the conversation, Pease made plans to meet up with the UC and his “daughter” so that Pease could have sex with the child. Pease drove 18 miles to the meeting location and conducted counter-surveillance before fleeing the scene. Law enforcement identified Pease, reconstructed his activities that evening, and later arrested him at his residence.

Pease was previously convicted of a sex offense in 2008, after sending explicit photographs and traveling to have sex with someone he believed to be a 13-year-old girl. He has been required to register as a sex offender ever since. 

"This predator intentionally singled out a child, devised a plan, and executed it with the sole purpose of harming the most vulnerable in our community” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations Orlando Assistant Special Agent in Charge David Pezzutti. “HSI investigators, alongside our partners, the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Cellular Analysis Survey Team and the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, have successfully removed another predator from the streets.”

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Cellular Analysis Survey Team and the Polk County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Richard Varadan and Special Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Del Mastro.

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Julie Sneed has sentenced Pooran Ramjattan (61, Kissimmee) to 10 years in federal prison for attempted enticement to meet a minor to engage in sexual activity. Ramjattan pleaded guilty on November 21, 2024.

According to court documents, on May 1, 2024, an undercover agent from the Federal Bureau of Investigation posed online as a 13-year-old girl. Ramjattan contacted the undercover agent’s account and, after learning the child’s age, engaged in a sexually explicit conversation. Ramjattan then arranged to meet the “child” at a predetermined location in Orange County to engage in sexual activity. When Ramjattan arrived at the meeting location, he was arrested by law enforcement.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Orlando Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kaley Austin-Aronson.

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s 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.justice.gov/psc.

Ocala, FL – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Jose Mario Abrego-Mejia (34, Honduras) with illegal reentry by a previously deported alien. If convicted, Abrego-Mejia faces a maximum penalty of two years in federal prison. Abrego-Mejia is currently being detained pending the resolution of the criminal case.

According to the indictment, Abrego-Mejia was previously removed from the United States in 2009. After that removal, he was found to be voluntarily back in the United States on August 31, 2022. Abrego-Mejia has not received the consent of the Attorney General or the Secretary of Homeland Security to reapply for readmission to the United States.

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

This case is being investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement Removal Operations (ERO). It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Belkis H. Callaos.

Ocala, FL – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announces the filing of a criminal complaint charging Junior Alexander Sanabria-Barrera (27, Honduras) with illegal reentry by a previously deported alien.

According to court documents, Sanabria-Barrera is a citizen and national of Honduras. He was previously removed from the United States in April 2023. Afterward, Sanabria-Barrera was found to be voluntarily in the United States when he was encountered by law enforcement in Sumter County, Florida, on February 14, 2025. Sanabria-Barrera had not received the consent of the Attorney General or the Secretary of Homeland Security to apply for readmission to the United States.

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

This case is being investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO). It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Belkis H. Callaos.

Tampa, FL — A Florida man was sentenced yesterday to 48 months in prison and ordered to forfeit more than $5.5 million to the United States as well as forfeit numerous real properties and cash, and to pay over $55 million in restitution for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to defraud the United States and willful violation of a workplace standard that resulted in the death of his employee. Manual Domingos Pita, of Wesley Chapel, previously pleaded guilty to those charges on July 9, 2024.

According to court documents, Pita owned and operated Domingos 54 Construction, a subcontracting business for the wood framing of new construction homes. Domingos 54 was a shell construction company that Pita used to provide workers, including undocumented aliens, with construction jobs. However, Pita failed to secure the required workers compensation insurance coverage for these employees by falsifying in worker’s compensation insurance applications the number of workers for which he sought coverage. In addition, Pita failed to pay any federal employment taxes on the wages that these workers earned during the course of the scheme between 2018 and 2022. As a result, Pita caused several worker’s compensation insurance companies to sustain a loss of over $22.7 million in premiums that they could have charged had they been aware of the number of workers which they had been manipulated into covering with their policies. In addition, Pita failed to pay to the IRS over $33.7 million in federal employment taxes on those workers’ wages.

Between February and July 2019, investigators with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued six citations to Domingos 54 for failure to provide fall protection to workers. Even after being cited for these violations, Pita continued to ignore OSHA requirements. In March 2020, Pita assigned a worker and three other carpenters to install sheeting on the roof of a residential home in windy conditions without providing the required fall-protection gear or ensuring its use. As a result, one of the workers was blown off the roof and died from his injuries.

“Pita’s history of OSHA violations and deception tragically led to a worker’s death,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “We are committed to upholding the rule of law by prosecuting fraud and enforcing worker safety standards.”

“The defendant in this case engaged in a deliberate scheme to defraud insurance companies, the government and evade taxes, resulting in huge losses to the U.S. Treasury, and to personally enrich himself,” said Acting U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida Sara C. Sweeney. “In addition, flagrant violations of OSHA safety standards put workers at unacceptable risk, ultimately resulting in the death of an employee. My office is committed to federally prosecuting and holding accountable anyone who violates these laws and regulations.”

“Mr. Pita repeatedly violated the longstanding policies designed to protect the workforce which resulted in a tragic death,” said Special Agent in Charge Matthew Fodor of the FBI’s Tampa Field Office. “The FBI and its partners will aggressively pursue those who selfishly ignore the laws and policies in place to protect America's workforce.”

“Not only does this type of scheme give an illegal advantage over honest competitors, it intends to allow the use of illegal, undocumented labor to achieve that advantage,” said Special Agent in Charge Ron Loecker of IRS Criminal Investigation’s Tampa Field Office. “It’s a blatant form of cheating that undercuts fair competition, costs the government millions of dollars in tax revenue, and skirts our nation’s immigration laws. This case reaffirms our unwavering commitment to prosecuting those who engage in fraud at the expense of workers, taxpayers, and law-abiding businesses.”

The FBI, IRS Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, Florida Department of Financial Services’ Bureau of Insurance Fraud-Criminal Investigations and the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay L. Hoffer for the Middle District of Florida and Senior Trial Attorney Banumathi Rangarajan of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Crimes Section prosecuted the case.

A Florida man was sentenced yesterday to 48 months in prison and ordered to forfeit more than $5.5 million to the United States as well as forfeit numerous real properties and cash, and to pay over $55 million in restitution for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to defraud the United States and willful violation of a workplace standard that resulted in the death of his employee. Manual Domingos Pita, of Wesley Chapel, previously pleaded guilty to those charges on July 9, 2024.

According to court documents, Pita owned and operated Domingos 54 Construction, a subcontracting business for the wood framing of new construction homes. Domingos 54 was a shell construction company that Pita used to provide workers, including undocumented aliens, with construction jobs. However, Pita failed to secure the required workers compensation insurance coverage for these employees by falsifying in worker’s compensation insurance applications the number of workers for which he sought coverage. In addition, Pita failed to pay any federal employment taxes on the wages that these workers earned during the course of the scheme between 2018 and 2022. As a result, Pita caused several worker’s compensation insurance companies to sustain a loss of over $22.7 million in premiums that they could have charged had they been aware of the number of workers which they had been manipulated into covering with their policies. In addition, Pita failed to pay to the IRS over $33.7 million in federal employment taxes on those workers’ wages.

Between February and July 2019, investigators with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued six citations to Domingos 54 for failure to provide fall protection to workers. Even after being cited for these violations, Pita continued to ignore OSHA requirements. In March 2020, Pita assigned a worker and three other carpenters to install sheeting on the roof of a residential home in windy conditions without providing the required fall-protection gear or ensuring its use. As a result, one of the workers was blown off the roof and died from his injuries.

“Pita’s history of OSHA violations and deception tragically led to a worker’s death,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “We are committed to upholding the rule of law by prosecuting fraud and enforcing worker safety standards.”

“The defendant in this case engaged in a deliberate scheme to defraud insurance companies, the government and evade taxes, resulting in huge losses to the U.S. Treasury, and to personally enrich himself,” said Acting U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida Sara C. Sweeney. “In addition, flagrant violations of OSHA safety standards put workers at unacceptable risk, ultimately resulting in the death of an employee. My office is committed to federally prosecuting and holding accountable anyone who violates these laws and regulations.”

“Mr. Pita repeatedly violated the longstanding policies designed to protect the workforce which resulted in a tragic death,” said Special Agent in Charge Matthew Fodor of the FBI’s Tampa Field Office. “The FBI and its partners will aggressively pursue those who selfishly ignore the laws and policies in place to protect America's workforce.”

“Not only does this type of scheme give an illegal advantage over honest competitors, it intends to allow the use of illegal, undocumented labor to achieve that advantage,” said Special Agent in Charge Ron Loecker of IRS Criminal Investigation’s Tampa Field Office. “It’s a blatant form of cheating that undercuts fair competition, costs the government millions of dollars in tax revenue, and skirts our nation’s immigration laws. This case reaffirms our unwavering commitment to prosecuting those who engage in fraud at the expense of workers, taxpayers, and law-abiding businesses.”

The FBI, IRS Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, Florida Department of Financial Services’ Bureau of Insurance Fraud-Criminal Investigations and the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay L. Hoffer for the Middle District of Florida and Senior Trial Attorney Banumathi Rangarajan of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Crimes Section prosecuted the case.

Tampa, FL – Acting U.S. Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announces that U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Emmanuel Dourthe (26, Deltona) to 20 years in federal prison for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances, possession with the intent to distribute controlled substances, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Dourthe pleaded guilty in November 2024.

According to court documents, on February 14, 2023, law enforcement officers searched a storage unit that Dourthe, along with his co-conspirator Brendan Wells, utilized to store narcotics they were selling and intending to sell. Inside the storage unit, officers located 408 grams of methamphetamine, 399.7 grams of fentanyl, and 27.7 grams of cocaine. In addition, numerous bottles and baggies with various powders suspected to be cutting agents, as well as mixing tools, were found. A Smith & Wesson M&P semiautomatic rifle, along with numerous gun cases, magazines, and ammunition were also seized from the storage unit.

A search of Dourthe’s phone had initially alerted law enforcement to the existence of the storage unit. Dourthe’s phone contained messages that showed that Dourthe and his associates were trafficking narcotics and that Wells, as well as others, were also involved in this trafficking.

The firearm retrieved from the storage unit was swabbed for DNA, and testing revealed the presence of Douthe’s DNA on the firearm. Dourthe is a convicted felon and therefore prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.

Earlier in the day on February 14, 2023, law enforcement searched a backpack belonging to Wells, recovered from a residential search. Inside the backpack, law enforcement found what the Drug Enforcement Administration laboratory later confirmed to be 143.98 grams of methamphetamine.

Wells pleaded guilty in November 2024. His sentencing is scheduled for March 26, 2025.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Samantha Newman. The forfeiture is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Suzanne Nebesky.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

Fort Myers, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announces that Vincent Jay Yau (42, Bokeelia) has pleaded guilty to possession of child sexual abuse material. Yau faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. Yau has agreed to forfeit his laptop and cellphone which were used to commit the offense. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to court documents, Homeland Security Investigations served a federal search warrant on Yau’s residence and located multiple electronic devices attributed to Yau. On those devices agents located thousands of files containing child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Some of the CSAM files depicted toddlers.

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Morgan.

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

Orlando, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announces that Bailey Joseph Friese (23, Winter Park) has pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Friese faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. Friese has also agreed to forfeit the Glock firearm involved in the offense. A sentencing date has not yet been set. 

According to the plea agreement, Friese sold a Glock firearm in December 2023. At the time Friese sold the firearm, he had a previous felony conviction for burglary. As a previously convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Seminole County City County Investigative Bureau. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Richard Varadan.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

Tampa, FL — Jose Miguel Carrillo, of Spring Hill, Florida, was sentenced yesterday to 84 months in prison after pleading guilty to conspiring to violate the dog fighting prohibitions of the federal Animal Welfare Act and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

According to court filings, Carrillo conspired with others to purchase, acquire, and breed dogs for use in dog fights. Carillo also staged dog fights at his home and traveled to dog fights in Massachusetts, Florida, and Connecticut.

A June 2023 search warrant was executed at Carrillo’s home and led to the seizure of 10 pit bull-type dogs, most of which were later adopted by new owners, as well as a firearm and ammunition. Carrillo also possessed dog fighting paraphernalia including a bloodstained dog fighting box, a skin stapler, syringes, and injectable veterinary medications.

“To its core, dog fighting is a cruel and criminal exploitation of animals for entertainment,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “Today’s sentence sends a strong deterrent message that the Justice Department will vigorously prosecute these cases.”

“Exploiting and endangering the welfare of animals for personal gain is cruel and abhorrent,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Sara C. Sweeney for the Middle District of Florida. “Because of the hard work of our law enforcement partners, justice was served.”

“The Office of Inspector General is committed to working with all of our law enforcement and prosecutorial partners in pursuing individuals who choose to participate in animal fighting activities and engage in violations involving animal welfare, while also committing other serious offenses in our communities,” said Special Agent in Charge Charmeka Parker of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Office of Inspector General (USDA-OIG).

Photo of dogs at Carrillo’s home, from court documents in United State v. Jose Carrillo, number 8:23-CR-00222, in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida.

Photo of a bloodstained dog fighting pit at Carrillo’s home, from court documents in United State v. Jose Carrillo, number 8:23-CR-00222, in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida.

To report animal fighting crimes, please contact your local law enforcement or the USDA-OIG’s complaint hotline at: usdaoig.oversight.gov/hotline or 1-800-424-9121.

The USDA-OIG; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; Pasco (Florida) Sheriff’s Office and the Fitchburg (Massachusetts) Police Department investigated the case. Assistance was provided by the U.S. Marshals Service, Massachusetts State Police, New Hampshire State Police, Animal Rescue League of Boston’s Law Enforcement Division, U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Senior Trial Attorney Matthew T. Morris of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Erin Favorit and Tiffany Fields for the Middle District of Florida prosecuted the case. Trial Attorney Caitlyn Cook of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Wildlife and Marine Resources Section assisted with the transfer of the seized dogs to new owners.

Tampa, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announces that a federal jury has found Tryon Metteria Byrd IV (45, Valrico) guilty of conspiring to distribute, and distributing, methamphetamine and cocaine. Byrd faces a minimum penalty 5 five years, up to 40 years, in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 14, 2025.

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, Byrd and his co-conspirators distributed methamphetamine and cocaine out of three residences in St. Petersburg. Byrd sold directly to undercover detectives from the St. Petersburg Police Department from a residence owned by his family.

Byrd’s co-conspirators, Eric L. Lemon, Eric Lekent Lemon Jr., and Dominic Giannantonio pleaded guilty and have been sentenced for their roles in the drug conspiracy. Lemon was sentenced to 21 years and 6 months in federal prison, Lemon Jr. was sentenced to 4 years and 3 months’ imprisonment, and Giannantonio was sentenced to 11 years and 3 months in prison.

This case was investigated by the St. Petersburg Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David P. Sullivan.

This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas Barber has sentenced Laurie Ann Roszelle (65, Fort Myers) to one year and one day in federal prison for wire fraud. As part of her sentence, the court also entered an order of forfeiture in the amount of $338,364.66, the proceeds of the fraud. Roszelle pleaded guilty on December 5, 2024.

According to court documents, in 2005, following her mother’s death, Roszelle began appropriating Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) survivor’s benefit payments to which her mother had been entitled. Roszelle forged her mother’s signature on multiple documents and sent them to the VA to ensure the continued flow of payments. When the VA discovered the mother’s death and shut off benefits in 2024, Roszelle called the VA claiming that her mother was still alive and asking that benefits be restarted. In another call, Roszelle impersonated her mother’s voice. When agents from the VA Office of Inspector General visited Roszelle’s residence, Roszelle claimed that her mother was living with her and made a series of fabricated statements about her mother seeing a physician regularly, being mobile, and otherwise being alive and in good health. Over the course of this 19-year scheme, Roszelle fraudulently obtained $338,364.66 in stolen benefits.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin S. Winter.

Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas Barber has sentenced Warren Gregory Edwards (34, Fort Myers) to two years and six months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and possessing marijuana with intent to distribute. The court also ordered Edwards to forfeit the Smith & Wesson firearm involved in the offense. Edwards pleaded guilty on December 5, 2024.

According to court documents, Edwards was stopped by deputies from the Lee County Sheriff’s Office for driving without a seatbelt. The deputies smelled marijuana, searched the car, and located a Smith & Wesson handgun and numerous bags of marijuana. The majority of the marijuana was in a large, clear plastic bag, and nearby were several new, empty, smaller bags. Also present in the vehicle was a scale and cup with marijuana residue. Edwards, who is prohibited from possessing a firearm based on his convictions for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and felon in possession, admitted to ownership of the marijuana and firearm.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin S. Winter.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

Jose Miguel Carrillo, of Spring Hill, Florida, was sentenced yesterday to 84 months in prison after pleading guilty to conspiring to violate the dog fighting prohibitions of the federal Animal Welfare Act and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

According to court filings, Carrillo conspired with others to purchase, acquire, and breed dogs for use in dog fights. Carillo also staged dog fights at his home and traveled to dog fights in Massachusetts, Florida, and Connecticut.

A June 2023 search warrant was executed at Carrillo’s home and led to the seizure of 10 pit bull-type dogs, most of which were later adopted by new owners, as well as a firearm and ammunition. Carrillo also possessed dog fighting paraphernalia including a bloodstained dog fighting box, a skin stapler, syringes, and injectable veterinary medications.

“To its core, dog fighting is a cruel and criminal exploitation of animals for entertainment,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “Today’s sentence sends a strong deterrent message that the Justice Department will vigorously prosecute these cases.”

“Exploiting and endangering the welfare of animals for personal gain is cruel and abhorrent,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Sara C. Sweeney for the Middle District of Florida. “Because of the hard work of our law enforcement partners, justice was served.”

“The Office of Inspector General is committed to working with all of our law enforcement and prosecutorial partners in pursuing individuals who choose to participate in animal fighting activities and engage in violations involving animal welfare, while also committing other serious offenses in our communities,” said Special Agent in Charge Charmeka Parker of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Office of Inspector General (USDA-OIG).

To report animal fighting crimes, please contact your local law enforcement or the USDA-OIG’s complaint hotline at: usdaoig.oversight.gov/hotline or 1-800-424-9121.

The USDA-OIG; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; Pasco County (Florida) Sheriff’s Office and the Fitchburg (Massachusetts) Police Department investigated the case. Assistance was provided by the U.S. Marshals Service, Massachusetts State Police, New Hampshire State Police, Animal Rescue League of Boston’s Law Enforcement Division, U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Senior Trial Attorney Matthew T. Morris of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Erin Favorit and Tiffany Fields for the Middle District of Florida prosecuted the case. Trial Attorney Caitlyn Cook of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Wildlife and Marine Resources Section assisted with the transfer of the seized dogs to new owners.