Middle District of Florida
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Oviedo Man Pleads Guilty to Receiving and Possessing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Orlando, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Carl Vecchione, (62, Oviedo) has pleaded guilty to receipt and possession of child sexual abuse material. Vecchione faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 5 years, up to 40 years, in federal prison. Sentencing is scheduled for November 19, 2024.
According to the plea agreement, on June 9, 2022, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) executed a search warrant at Vecchione’s residence after identifying the home’s Internet Protocol (IP) address as sharing child sexual abuse material online. HSI located more than 900 images and videos of child sexual abuse material on Vecchione’s laptop.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie A. McNeff.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States 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.
Mexican National Pleads Guilty to Illegally Reentering the United StatesRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Daniel Hernandez-Casiano (44, Orlando) has pleaded guilty to illegal reentry by a deported alien. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for November 4, 2024.
According to court records, Hernandez-Casiano was found in the United States on January 9, 2024, after being arrested and convicted on state charges for possession of fentanyl and operating a motor vehicle without a valid license. Hernandez-Casiano was previously removed from the United States to Mexico on three separate occasions.
This case was investigated by the Homeland Security Investigations and the United States Marshals Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie McNeff.
Lehigh Acres Armed Drug Dealer Sentenced to 6 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Roberney Julien (26, Lehigh Acres) to six years in federal prison for possessing with intent to distribute cocaine and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The court also ordered Julien to forfeit the firearm and ammunition he possessed during the offense. Julien entered a guilty plea on May 14, 2024.
According to court documents, on the morning of January 30, 2024, an officer from the Fort Myers Police Department conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle being driven by Julien along Colonial Boulevard in Fort Myers. Before approaching the vehicle, the officer observed something being thrown out of the vehicle’s window by one its occupants. The officer later identified the item tossed from the vehicle as a plastic baggie containing cocaine. The officer also found a loaded GSG handgun adjacent to the vehicle which had been discarded during the traffic stop as well. A subsequent investigation identified Julien as a local cocaine distributor who had unlawfully possessed the loaded firearm recovered from the scene.
This case was investigated by the Fort Myers Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Simon Eth.
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.
Lakeland Man Indicted for Possessing Ammunition as A Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Solomon Smith (22, Lakeland) possessing ammunition as a convicted felon. If convicted, Smith faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. The indictment also notifies Smith that the United States intends to forfeit assorted rounds of ammunition, which are alleged to have been used in the commission of the offense.
According to the indictment, on July 2, 2024, Smith, knowing that he had been previously convicted of felony offenses – including carrying a concealed firearm – was in possession of assorted rounds of ammunition. As a convicted felon, Smith is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case is part of the 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 for occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Lakeland Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeff Chang.
LaBelle Felon Sentenced to Prison for Unlawfully Possessing A Loaded FirearmRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Angel Gabriel Hernandez (29, LaBelle) to two years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Hernandez entered a guilty plea on April 26, 2024.
According to court documents, on August 9, 2023, Hernandez—a previously convicted felon—unlawfully possessed a loaded Beretta handgun, which he then sold to an undercover officer in a supermarket parking lot in LaBelle. As a convicted felon, Hernandez is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Simon Eth.
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 Felon Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearm OffenseRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that William Earl Union, Jr. (32, Jacksonville) has pleaded guilty to possessing firearms as a convicted felon. He faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to court documents, on November 25, 2023, emergency medical technicians (EMTs), the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department (JFRD), and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO) responded to a 911 call of shots fired at a residence located along Rugby Road in Jacksonville. Upon their arrival, JFRD and EMTs encountered Union, Jr., who had sustained what appeared to be penetration wounds near his chest and multiple injuries to his hands, including burns. EMTs transported Union, Jr. to the hospital for medical treatment.
JSO officers observed blood drops on the front porch of the residence and a blood trail leading toward the center of the backyard. Officers entered the backyard to conduct a protective sweep of the area and followed the blood trail to what appeared to be a blast site near a stone fire pit. The JSO Hazardous Devices Unit (HDU) examined the blast site and observed a single drywall screw partially submerged in the dirt. Officers also found two live 12-gauge shotgun shells on the ground.
JSO detectives secured a search warrant for the residence for explosives, firearms, and ammunition. Inside the residence, JSO found three firearms, including a Taurus International P22 (22 caliber pistol), a Smith and Wesson 642 Airweight (38 caliber revolver), and a Mossberg 500A 12-gauge shotgun.
Prior to November 25, 2023, Union, Jr. had been convicted of several felony offenses, including aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer, aggravated fleeing or attempting to elude a law enforcement officer, dealing in stolen property, burglary, grand theft auto, and possession of cocaine. Therefore, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Aakash Singh.
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.
Honduran National and Florida Sex Offender Found Illegally in the United StatesRead the Press Release
Orlando, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Teofilo Samuel Molina-Espinoza (39, Palm Coast) with illegal reentry by a deported alien and failure to register as a sex offender. If convicted on all counts, Molina-Espinoza faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison.
According to the indictment, in February 2012, Molina-Espinoza was convicted of lewd/lascivious battery on a child (12-16 years old). He was deported from the United States to Honduras on April 16, 2012, but was found to be back in the United States illegally on July 18, 2024. Additionally, after returning to the United States, Molina-Espinoza failed to register as a sex offender as required by the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.
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 Homeland Security Investigations and the United States Marshals Service. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie McNeff.
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.jutice.gov/psc.
Florida Telecommunications and Information Technology Worker Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Act as Agent of PRC GovernmentRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL - Ping Li, 59, of Wesley Chapel, Florida, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to act as an agent of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) without notification to the Attorney General.
According to the plea agreement and other court filings, the PRC’s Ministry of State Security (MSS) is in charge of civilian intelligence collection for the PRC. The MSS often uses “cooperative contacts” located in countries outside of the PRC in furtherance of their intelligence goals, which include obtaining information concerning foreign corporate or industrial matters, foreign politicians or intelligence officers and information concerning PRC political dissidents residing in those countries. These cooperative contacts assist the MSS in a variety of ways, including by conducting research on topics of interest to the PRC that can be used to further the MSS’s mission.
Li was a United States citizen who immigrated to the United States from the PRC. At various times, Li worked for a major U.S. telecommunications company and an international information technology company.
Li admitted that, from at least as early as 2012, he served as a cooperative contact working at the direction of officers of the MSS to obtain information of interest to the PRC government. Li obtained a wide variety information at the request of the MSS, including information concerning Chinese dissidents and pro-democracy advocates, members of the Falun Gong religious movement and U.S.-based non-governmental organizations, and reported that information to the MSS. Li also provided the MSS with information obtained from his employer. Li used a variety of anonymous online accounts for the purpose of communicating with the MSS, and traveled to the PRC to meet with the MSS.
For example, in August 2012, an MSS officer requested that Li provide information about practitioners of Falun Gong and pro-democracy advocates in the United States. Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a religious movement that originated in the PRC in the 1990s. Falun Gong is not one of the five religions formally recognized by the PRC government, and it has been banned since 1999. Its adherents both in China and abroad are of particular interest to the PRC government because of Falun Gong’s advocacy of ideas deemed subversive to the PRC government. Less than a week after receiving this request, Li sent the name and biographical information of an individual affiliated with Falun Gong residing in St. Petersburg, Florida.
In March 2015, an MSS officer requested information from Li about branch offices that Li’s employer, a major U.S. telecommunications company, had opened in the PRC. Li responded with the requested information three weeks later.
In March 2017, an MSS officer Li requested a training instruction plan from Li. In April 2017, Li responded indicating that he had uploaded materials to an online account that he shared with the MSS officer and asked the MSS officer to delete the materials after reading them.
In May 2021, an MSS officer requested information from Li concerning hacking events targeting United States companies, including a widely publicized hacking of a major United States company by the Chinese government. Within four days, Li responded with the requested information.
In March 2022, an MSS officer requested information from Li concerning Li’s new employer, an international information technology company, as well as materials relating to cybersecurity training. That same day, Li sent the requested information about his employer as well as materials relating to cybersecurity training.
In June 2022, an MSS officer requested information from Li concerning an individual who, according to the officer, had resided in the PRC but fled to the United States, and provided the name and suspected residential address in the United States of that individual. That same day, Li responded with information about the owners of that residential address.
If convicted, Li faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the National Security Division, Executive Assistant Director Robert Wells of the FBI’s National Security Branch and U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg for the Middle District of Florida made the announcement.
The FBI is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel J. Marcet and Karyna Valdes for the Middle District of Florida and Trial Attorney Scott Claffee of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.
Florida Telecommunications and Information Technology Worker Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Act as Agent of PRC GovernmentRead the Press Release
Ping Li, 59, of Wesley Chapel, Florida, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to act as an agent of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) without notification to the Attorney General.
According to the plea agreement and other court filings, the PRC’s Ministry of State Security (MSS) is in charge of civilian intelligence collection for the PRC. The MSS often uses “cooperative contacts” located in countries outside of the PRC in furtherance of their intelligence goals, which include obtaining information concerning foreign corporate or industrial matters, foreign politicians or intelligence officers and information concerning PRC political dissidents residing in those countries. These cooperative contacts assist the MSS in a variety of ways, including by conducting research on topics of interest to the PRC that can be used to further the MSS’s mission.
Li was a United States citizen who immigrated to the United States from the PRC. At various times, Li worked for a major U.S. telecommunications company and an international information technology company.
Li admitted that, from at least as early as 2012, he served as a cooperative contact working at the direction of officers of the MSS to obtain information of interest to the PRC government. Li obtained a wide variety information at the request of the MSS, including information concerning Chinese dissidents and pro-democracy advocates, members of the Falun Gong religious movement and U.S.-based non-governmental organizations, and reported that information to the MSS. Li also provided the MSS with information obtained from his employer. Li used a variety of anonymous online accounts for the purpose of communicating with the MSS, and traveled to the PRC to meet with the MSS.
For example, in August 2012, an MSS officer requested that Li provide information about practitioners of Falun Gong and pro-democracy advocates in the United States. Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a religious movement that originated in the PRC in the 1990s. Falun Gong is not one of the five religions formally recognized by the PRC government, and it has been banned since 1999. Its adherents both in China and abroad are of particular interest to the PRC government because of Falun Gong’s advocacy of ideas deemed subversive to the PRC government. Less than a week after receiving this request, Li sent the name and biographical information of an individual affiliated with Falun Gong residing in St. Petersburg, Florida.
In March 2015, an MSS officer requested information from Li about branch offices that Li’s employer, a major U.S. telecommunications company, had opened in the PRC. Li responded with the requested information three weeks later.
In March 2017, an MSS officer Li requested a training instruction plan from Li. In April 2017, Li responded indicating that he had uploaded materials to an online account that he shared with the MSS officer and asked the MSS officer to delete the materials after reading them.
In May 2021, an MSS officer requested information from Li concerning hacking events targeting United States companies, including a widely publicized hacking of a major United States company by the Chinese government. Within four days, Li responded with the requested information.
In March 2022, an MSS officer requested information from Li concerning Li’s new employer, an international information technology company, as well as materials relating to cybersecurity training. That same day, Li sent the requested information about his employer as well as materials relating to cybersecurity training.
In June 2022, an MSS officer requested information from Li concerning an individual who, according to the officer, had resided in the PRC but fled to the United States, and provided the name and suspected residential address in the United States of that individual. That same day, Li responded with information about the owners of that residential address.
If convicted, Li faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the National Security Division, Executive Assistant Director Robert Wells of the FBI’s National Security Branch and U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg for the Middle District of Florida made the announcement.
The FBI is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel J. Marcet and Karyna Valdes for the Middle District of Florida and Trial Attorney Scott Claffee of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.
Florida Man Pleads Guilty to Violent Kidnapping of Rival Drug TraffickerRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Mario Espino (25, Holiday) has pleaded guilty to five counts of a superseding indictment charging him with kidnapping, possessing methamphetamine and fentanyl with the intent to distribute, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Espino faces minimum mandatory penalties amounting to 15 years, up to life, in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for October 31, 2024.
According to the plea agreement, Espino lured his victim to Florida by claiming to have money to pay a drug debt. Espino did not actually intend to pay a debt. Rather, he intended to kidnap the victim in retaliation for cutting into Espino’s drug business. Espino recruited his co-conspirators, Jacob James Guest and Joey Lawrence Eugene Young, to assist with the kidnapping.
DEA agents attempted to thwart the kidnapping by intercepting the victim at Tampa International Airport and warning the victim of Espino’s plan. The victim ignored that warning and met Espino at a residence in Holiday. Once there, Espino, Guest, and Young struck the victim with the butt of a firearm and bound the victim’s hands and feet with zip ties. Espino and his co-conspirators violently beat the victim, tortured him, and threatened to kill him on multiple occasions. Espino and his co-conspirators called the victim’s drug supplier and demanded 10 kilograms of fentanyl as ransom.
While the victim was still being held hostage, one of Espino’s methamphetamine suppliers, Jacob Paul Arjona, arrived at the residence in Holiday. Arjona delivered approximately 22 kilograms of methamphetamine to Espino and his co-conspirators and left with $113,100 cash.
Espino, Guest, and Young transported the victim to various locations throughout the Middle District of Florida before arriving back at the residence in Holiday. When they returned, agents from the DEA and the Pasco Sheriff’s Office intervened and rescued the victim, who was found in the back seat of a car with his hands and feet bound in electrical cord and zip ties. Inside the vehicle, agents located 22 kilograms of methamphetamine, 154 grams of fentanyl, a Micro Draco 7.62 x 39 mm firearm, and a pillowcase that had been placed over the victim’s head.
Prior to the kidnapping, Espino had conspired with others to bring substantial quantities of methamphetamine to the Middle District of Florida for distribution. On one occasion, Espino and his co-conspirators traveled to Arizona where they purchased 55 kilograms of methamphetamine. The Navajo County (Arizona) Sheriff’s Office seized that methamphetamine after stopping the driver Espino had paid to transport the methamphetamine back to Florida.
Another time, Espino and his co-conspirators arranged to have 79 kilograms of methamphetamine transported from Georgia to the Middle District of Florida. That shipment was intercepted by deputies from the Turner County Sheriff’s Office.
Guest, Young, and Arjona have been charged for their alleged roles in this case. They are pending trial.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, the Navajo County Sheriff’s Office (Arizona), and the Turner County Sheriff’s Office (Georgia). It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David P. Sullivan and Suzanne C. Nebesky.
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.
Convicted Child Abuser Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Enticing Minors to Engage in Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Steven Andrew Gunn (31, Winter Haven) to 20 years in federal prison for enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity and possession of child sexual abuse material. The court also ordered Gunn to serve a lifetime of supervised release and register as a sex offender. Gunn pled guilty on March 28, 2024.
According to court documents, between September 2020 and October 2020, Gunn used his cell phone to engage in sexually explicit online conversations with an 11-year-old child. During these conversations, Gunn discussed his desire to engage in sexual activity with the child and sent videos of himself masturbating. Investigators obtained a federal search warrant for Gunn’s cell phone and discovered that he was also having sexually explicit online conversations with another 14-year-old child. During an interview with law enforcement, Gunn admitted that he had used Snapchat to solicit child sexual abuse material from multiple girls ranging between 8 and 13 years old.
According to court records, Gunn had been previously convicted of child abuse in 2012 when he had sexually explicit conversations with another minor on the internet.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation—Orlando Resident Agency. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Erin Claire Favorit and Ross Roberts.
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.
Conspirators in Multi-Million Dollar International Money Laundering Conspiracy Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Carlos Mendoza has sentenced Jihad Williams Morales (23, Sanford), Michael Gabriel Robles Vazquez (24, Orlando), and Jorge Ivan Ortiz Bull (32, Orlando) to federal prison terms for conspiracy to commit money laundering and structuring. In total, these individuals and their conspirators, Cristian Rodriguez Labour and Aramys Gonzalez Rodriguez, pleaded guilty to 35 counts of conspiracy to commit concealment money laundering, money laundering, and structuring.
An additional individual, Gabriel Aldemar Velez-Torres, was indicted on May 22, 2024, for his role in this conspiracy along with 14 additional counts of money laundering and structuring. He is currently scheduled for trial in October.
Name
Plea Date
Count(s)
Pleaded Guilty
Sentencing Date
Sentence Imposed
Cristian Rodriguez Labour
2/21/24
1 (conspiracy)
6/21/24
7 years
Jihad William Morales
5/2/24
1 (conspiracy)
2-8 (money laundering)
9-11 (structuring)
8/22/24
5 years,10 months
Michael Gabriel Robles Vazquez
4/9/24
1 (conspiracy)
12-14 (money laundering)
8/22/24
2 years, 10 months
Aramys Gonzalez Rodriguez
3/25/24
1 (conspiracy)
15-23 (money laundering)
24-29 (structuring)
9/18/24
Jorge Ivan Ortiz Buil
4/9/24
1 (conspiracy)
30-34 (money laundering)
35 (structuring)
8/22/24
5 years, 3 months
According to court documents, Labour recruited Morales, Robles Vazquez, Gonzalez Rodriguez, and Ortiz Buil to incorporate fake businesses in Florida and open business bank accounts in Deltona and Orlando. In setting up the accounts, the recruited individuals lied to banks about the legitimacy of their businesses – pretending that they were operating legitimate businesses involved in wholesale kitchen appliances (Ortiz-Buil), electronics (Robles Vazquez), or industrial laundering machines (Morales).
Unnamed conspirators hacking into the computer systems of small businesses throughout the country then directed wire transfers to the fake businesses in Florida and, when received, Labour, Morales, Robles Vazquez, Gonzalez Rodriguez, and Ortiz Buil immediately transferred the bulk of the funds to businesses in the Zhejiang, Weifang, Shouguang, Huzhou, and Hangzhou regions of China while withdrawing a portion as payment for their role in hiding these proceeds. The transfers were designed to conceal the source of the fraud proceeds and the conspirators further obscured their withdrawals by structuring them to avoid bank reporting requirements.
During the course of two weeks in early March 2021, Labour and Morales laundered more than $560,000 and attempted to launder another $200,000 using a single account in Deltona – sending the fraud proceeds to accounts in Zhejiang and Weifang and taking $80,000 in structured withdrawals as payment.
From June through November 2021, Labour and Robles Vazquez then used at least four different bank accounts in Orlando to launder or attempt to launder more than $280,000. From August through December 2021, Labour and Gonzalez-Rodriguez used at least three different bank accounts in Orlando to launder more than $1 million. Labour and Ortiz Buil attempted to launder $1 million in one bank account in December 2021 before successfully laundering around $250,000 at four different banks from December 2021 through February 2022, using other individuals that Ortiz-Buil had recruited into the scheme.
Overall, members of the conspiracy successfully laundered $3,323,941 to offshore accounts in China and unsuccessfully attempted to launder another $5,057,777, all of which were the proceeds or attempted proceeds of computer fraud and cyber intrusions on small businesses throughout the United States.
This case was investigated by the IRS Criminal Investigation and the FBI. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dana E. Hill.
Clewiston Felon Sentenced to Federal Prison for Firearm and Drug OffensesRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Javier Velasquez, Jr. (38, Clewiston) to 8 years and 10 months in federal prison for distribution of cocaine, being a felon in possession of firearms, illegal possession of a machinegun, and carrying firearms during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime. The court also ordered Velasquez to forfeit the firearms used in committing the offenses.
According to court documents, between July 13 and September 19, 2023, Velasquez sold an undercover federal agent cocaine, multiple firearms, and a Glock switch – a device used to convert a semiautomatic weapon into a machinegun. Velasquez, a convicted felon, is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney 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 out 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 first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Osceola Man Arrested for Defrauding Federal Criminal ForfeitureRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the arrest of Levelle Joseph Harris (38, Kissimmee) on an indictment charging him with four counts of wire fraud. If convicted, Harris faces up to 20 years in federal prison on each count. Harris is also facing a forfeiture order of $651,432, a sum which represents the total amount of proceeds obtained by Harris from the wire fraud scheme. A federal grand jury had indicted Harris on August 6, 2024.
According to court documents, between February 7, 2022, and January 31, 2023, Harris devised a scheme to defraud by obtaining a mortgage through false representations. Harris then used the proceeds from the fraudulently obtained mortgage to purchase a residence that was subject to federal criminal forfeiture. Harris fraudulently obtained more than $650,000 as part of the scheme.
An indictment is merely an allegation that a defendant has committed a federal criminal offense. Every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Harrington is handling the forfeiture.
Jacksonville Man Pleads Guilty to Attempting to Entice and Meet an 11-Year-Old Child to Engage in Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Amol Chandrashekhar Khedkar (59, Jacksonville) has pleaded guilty to using his cellphone and the internet to attempt to entice a minor to engage in sexual activity. Khedkar faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison and a potential lifetime term of supervised release. Khedkar was arrested on November 29, 2023, and he has been detained since that time. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for December 19, 2024.
According to court documents and evidence discussed in open court, on November 28, 2023, an undercover FBI agent (the “UC”) in the Jacksonville area was conducting an online undercover operation to identify adults seeking to meet and engage in sexual activity with children. Posing as the parent of an 11-year-old child, the UC posted a notice in the open forum of an online social messaging application (the “app”). Minutes later, an individual named “drbrownee,” who was subsequently identified as Khedkar, contacted the UC online via private message on the app. After being advised of the “child’s” age, Khedkar confirmed that he would “love to see [the “child.”] He asked the UC specific questions about access to the “child” and the “child’s” sexual experience. Khedkar and the UC discussed meeting in person the next day at the “child’s” residence. Khedkar stated, “I’ll show up, … [t]hen you can invite me inside.”
On November 29, 2023, Khedkar and the UC exchanged text messages and confirmed meeting later that day at a prearranged location in St. Johns County. When Khedkar arrived at the location, he was arrested by FBI agents as he exited his vehicle. During an interview, Khedkar stated that his username was “drbrownee,” he used his online account to communicate with the UC, he asked the UC about sexually abusing the “child,” and he directed the UC to take a shower with the “child.” A review of the contents of Khedkar’s cellphone, pursuant to a search warrant, revealed that it contained the online communications and text messages exchanged between Khedkar and the UC, as well as photos depicting the sexual abuse of children.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.
It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 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.jutice.gov/psc.
Fort Myers Drug Trafficker Convicted Following Bench TrialRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Nicholas P. Smith (45, Fort Myers) has been found guilty of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance following a bench trial before United States District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell. Smith faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for November 18, 2024.
According to evidence presented at trial, on September 5, 2023, officers with the Fort Myers Police Department stopped Smith for multiple traffic infractions near Winkler Avenue and Fowler Street in Fort Myers. During a subsequent search of Smith, officers retrieved a large plastic bag containing 11 smaller bags of a pink powdery substance that later tested positive for Para-fluorofentanyl and fentanyl.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Fort Myers Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick L. Darcey.
Final Member of A Hillsborough Drug Trafficking Organization Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute Heroin and FentanylRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Jose Miriel Morales Sanchez (32, Tampa) to 10 years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute heroin and fentanyl. Morales Sanchez entered a guilty plea on March 4, 2024.
According to court documents, beginning on an unknown date not later than September 1, 2017, and continuing through August 27, 2020, Morales Sanchez conspired with William Franqui and others to distribute heroin and fentanyl in the Middle District of Florida. Franqui, who was the leader of the drug trafficking organization (DTO), used “runners” to field calls from customers and fulfill orders. The runners distributed the heroin to users in plastic baggies for $10 a bag. The DTO included co-defendants Kevin Darnell Diaz Tirado, Edgardo Colon Rosado, Orlando Muniz Escalera, Marie Rodriguez, and others. More than a kilogram of heroin was distributed through the runner network. Franqui also distributed larger quantities of heroin and fentanyl to other drug dealers. Investigators connected multiple overdoses to the heroin and fentanyl distributed by the DTO.
William Franqui was sentenced in August 2023 to 14 years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute heroin and fentanyl. Morales Sanchez and codefendants Diaz Tirado, Colon Rosado, and Muniz Escalera were all part of Franqui’s runner network and also pleaded guilty to the conspiracy and were sentenced in previous hearings. Judge Barber previously sentenced Diaz Tirado to 5 years, Muniz Escalera to 10 years, and Colon Rosado to 6 years and 6 months in federal prison. Franqui’s wife, Marie Rodriguez, who pleaded guilty to two counts of distribution of heroin, was sentenced to 3 years and 4 months in federal prison.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, and the Tampa Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael Sinacore.
This investigation is the result of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) program. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and those primarily responsible for the nation’s drug supply.
Federal Charges Filed in St. Johns Drive-By Shooting on I-95Read the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Nathaniel Thomas Hatcher, III (28, Jacksonville) and James Toney (20, Jacksonville) with committing a drive-by shooting and discharging a firearm in connection with a crime of violence. The charges stem from their alleged roles in a shooting that occurred along I-95 in St. Johns, Florida, on October 17, 2023.
Hatcher is also charged with conspiring to distribute 1,000 kilograms or more of marijuana, conspiring to straw-purchase firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, making materially false statements during the purchases of firearms, conspiring to commit money laundering, witness tampering, and obstruction of justice. Toney is also charged with conspiring to distribute 100 kilograms or more of marijuana. In addition, the indictment charges Al’Donta Easterling (26, Jacksonville) with conspiring to distribute 100 kilograms or more of marijuana, possession with the intent to distribute a controlled substance, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
If convicted on all counts, Hatcher faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment, up to two life sentences, plus 115 years. Toney faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 15 years, up to life imprisonment, plus 45 years. Easterling faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years imprisonment, up to life, plus 60 years. All three individuals have been arrested and ordered detained pending trial, which is set for November 4, 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 is part of an investigation which has led to the arrests of five defendants, including Hatcher, Toney, and Easterling. Desmond Maxwell (28, Jacksonville) previously pleaded guilty to conspiring to straw-purchase firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. He faces up to 25 years in federal prison. Yaquasia DelCarmen (28, Jacksonville) previously pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute 50 kilograms or more of marijuana and conspiring to commit money laundering and faces up to 40 years in federal prison. DayJon Major (21, Jacksonville) has been charged with illegally possessing a machinegun and possessing a stolen firearm. Major is currently in state custody.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
This case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, and the Florida Highway Patrol. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Aakash Singh and Kirwinn Mike.
Canadian National Extradited to the United States Pleads Guilty to Production of Child Sex Abuse Material and Enticement of MinorsRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Paul Creighton (67, Ontario, Canada) has pleaded guilty to production of child sex abuse material and enticement of a minor. Creighton faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 15 years, up to life, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the plea agreement, between 2012 and 2017, Creighton coerced and enticed a 14-year-old girl in Osceola County into an online relationship. Their interactions began over a messaging app and progressed to texting, emails, and phone calls. While the victim was a minor, Creighton repeatedly directed her to send explicit photos and videos of herself, including videos in which the minor was performing sexual acts. In April 2017, the victim confided in a friend about the relationship she had engaged in with Creighton. The friend notified a high school guidance counselor, who notified the victim’s parents, who then immediately called law enforcement and provided the minor victim’s cellphone and laptop to law enforcement.
After being discovered, Creighton advised the victim on what to say to her parents, to reset her phone, reformat her hard drive, and delete data from an online storage account. Creighton later threatened the victim and told her he would share her images and videos if the victim did not continue to speak to him.
In October 2017, FBI agents stopped Creighton as he landed at Dulles Airport in Washington, DC, traveling from Toronto. Agents searched his carry-on luggage and collected various electronic items from Creighton, who refused to provide passwords to those items. Agents obtained search warrants and conducted forensic reviews of those devices, which revealed photographs of the victim, online searches for the victim and her family, as well as numerous searches for other children throughout the United States.
On October 24, 2017—at the same time that Creighton was flying to Washington, DC, from Toronto—detectives with the Niagara Regional Police, in coordination with the FBI, executed a Canadian search warrant at Creighton’s residence in Ontario. From his home, agents recovered hundreds of images of minor children, including the explicit images of the victim, as well as other minor victims.
Based on these images and the items found in his personal electronic devices, FBI agents identified a number of other minor victims throughout the United States that Creighton had victimized or obtained child sexual abuse material from, including in Florida, Virginia, Georgia, and California.
Creighton was taken into custody by Canadian authorities on November 12, 2020. On February 8, 2024, Creighton was extradited to the United States, and has been in custody since.
This investigation was led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Tampa Field Office. Substantial assistance was provided by the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, the United States Marshals Service, and the Niagara Regional Police. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Diego F. Novaes.
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.jutice.gov/psc.
Restaurant Owners Charged with Harboring Undocumented WorkersRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Hua Yao Ke (38) and Ping Ping Zheng (37), both of Jacksonville, have been charged by criminal complaint with harboring undocumented workers for commercial advantage and private financial gain. Each faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
According to the complaints, Ke owned and operated the Kamiya 86 Sushi and Thai restaurant located in Ponte Vedra Beach. Zheng owned and operated the Kamiya 86 Asian Bistro and Sushi Bar located in Jacksonville Beach. At the restaurants, Zheng and Ke employed workers who were unlawfully present in the United States and who were not legally authorized to work in the United States. Contrary to federal law, they did not require the workers to provide documents to establish that they could legally work in the United States.
Ke and Zheng also each owned a residence at which they provided rent-free housing to the undocumented workers. They provided the workers with free transportation between the houses and the restaurants. They also provided the workers with free food. They paid the workers in cash and did not withhold taxes and other payments from the workers’ wages.
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 was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Border Patrol, with assistance from the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office and the Jacksonville Beach Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Arnold B. Corsmeier.
Opa-Locka Felon Pleads Guilty to Stealing FirearmRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Gee Seymour (31, Opa-Locka) has pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and possessing a stolen firearm. Seymour faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison for each offense. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the court documents, on December 13, 2023, Seymour entered a pawn shop in Clearwater and stole a Ruger LC9 9mm pistol from a display case. The next day, the store owner called the ATF Tampa office and the Clearwater Police Department to report the stolen firearm. Just after midnight, Seymour’s vehicle was stopped by officers from the St. Petersburg Police Department due to the vehicle having no operable lights. During the traffic stop, officers smelled the odor of marijuana and searched Seymour’s vehicle. The officers located the firearm he had stolen from the pawn shop the day before. On December 21, 2023, ATF agents interviewed Seymour who admitted that he had stolen the firearm and was a convicted felon at the time. As a convicted felon, Seymour is prohibited from possessing a firearm of ammunition under federal law.
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 investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Clearwater Police Department, and the St. Petersburg Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David W.A. Chee.
Ocala Man Indicted for Attempting to Entice A 15-Year-Old Child to Engage in Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
Ocala, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Jhon Astudillo (45, Ocala) with attempted enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity. If convicted, Astudillo faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison.
According to court documents, on July 24, 2024, an undercover detective with the Marion County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) posed as a 15-year-old girl on an online messaging application. Astudillo contacted the undercover detective’s account, and after learning the fictitious minor was 15 years old, Astudillo responded, “I like young girls like you.” Astudillo then sent multiple sexually explicit messages to the
“child.” Astudillo told her that he likes young girls because they are “perverted;” he described what he has done sexually with girls her age; he inquired about what she has done sexually with older men; and he asked to see her breasts so he could “rate” them. Astudillo arranged to meet the “child” that night at a predetermined location in Marion County. When Astudillo arrived at the location, he was arrested by law enforcement.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 Homeland Security Investigations, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, the Ocala Police Department, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Belkis H. Callaos.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States 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.
Fentanyl Importer/Supplier and Sex Trafficker Sentenced to Life in PrisonRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Joseph Marion (41, St. Petersburg) to life in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, heroin, methamphetamine, and crack cocaine; distributing fentanyl; distributing a mixture of fentanyl and heroin that resulted in serious bodily injury; and possessing fentanyl, heroin, methamphetamine, and crack cocaine with the intent to distribute it. As part of his sentence, the court also ordered Marion to forfeit the $13,190 that was recovered from his pocket at the time of his arrest, which represented proceeds from his criminal conduct.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial and sentencing, Marion imported fentanyl and fentanyl analogues from China via the U.S. mail. Marion blended and packaged the fentanyl himself and then sold fentanyl, heroin, methamphetamine, and crack cocaine to multiple street dealers, each of whom further distributed those drugs to users. During the trial, one of those street dealers testified that she bought 40-100 bags of fentanyl from Marion each day, every day, for several years. Marion sold between 7.1 and 17.8 kilograms of fentanyl, enough to kill over 70,000 people, to just this one street dealer.
In November 2019, a woman who was with Marion in his apartment snorted Marion’s fentanyl, thinking it was heroin, and nearly died. Paramedics arrived at the apartment and saved her life, though she was hospitalized for days afterward.
In addition to importing and selling drugs, Marion also trafficked women for sex. He often recruited women who were addicted to his drugs and then advertised and “managed” them as prostitutes.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, the United States Secret Service, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, the St. Petersburg Police Department, and the Clearwater Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael M. Gordon.
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.
Federal Inmate Indicted for Possession with the Intent to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the arrest of Jessie Wooden (36, Miami) on a two-count indictment charging him with possession with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession of contraband by a federal prisoner. If convicted, Wooden faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison. A federal grand jury had returned the indictment on Wooden on May 28, 2024.
According to the indictment, on March 10, 2024, Wooden was a federal inmate at the Coleman Federal Correctional Complex. He possessed at least 50 grams of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it. He also was in possession of marijuana, tetrahydrocannabinol (a Schedule I controlled substance), and buprenorphine (a Schedule III controlled substance).
An indictment is merely an allegation that a defendant has committed a federal criminal offense. Every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case is being prosecuted as part of a United States Department of Justice task force aimed at rooting out contraband and misconduct in the Federal Bureau of Prisons. The task force was led by the Federal Bureau of Prisons and the DOJ Office of the Inspector General, with support from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk.
Deltona Man Pleads Guilty to Transferring Unregistered FirearmsRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that James Edward Snider, Jr., (25, Deltona) has pleaded guilty to transferring unregistered firearms. Snider faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison, and sentencing is set for December 11, 2024.
According to court documents, Snider transferred one or more machinegun conversion devices that were not lawfully registered. A search of Snider’s residence located additional machinegun conversion devices and firearm silencers.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam J. Nate.
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 Convicted Felon Pleads Guilty to Possessing A FirearmRead the Press Release
Orlando, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Byron Louder (34, Orlando) has pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. Louder faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. Sentencing is set for November 6, 2024.
According to court records, on December 25, 2022, officers from the Orlando Police Department observed Louder make several hand-to-hand transactions while possessing a firearm in his waistband. After arresting Louder, he admitted to possessing the firearm and knowing that he was prohibited from doing so. Prior to this incident, Louder was convicted of multiple felonies including delivery of cocaine, possession of cocaine with intent to sell or deliver, and possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell or deliver. As a convicted felon he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Orlando Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie McNeff.
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.
Members of Bradenton Methamphetamine Trafficking Organization Plead GuiltyRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Bradenton residents Clemente Betancourt (28), Estevan Betancourt (19), Larry Lee Woodard, Jr. (29), Adonis Bonilla (29), Omar Mejia (29), Jesse Leahy (48), and Alexander Perez (30) have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. Each faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. Sentencing dates have not yet been set.
According to court documents, between March 2022 and May 2023, the above-named individuals were involved in a conspiracy to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine in Bradenton and throughout Manatee County. In addition to the conspiracy charges, the individuals have also pleaded guilty to substantive charges on specific dates.
At the time of the arrests, a search warrant was executed at Clemente and Estevan Betancourt’s house in Bradenton. As a result of that search, three firearms, approximately one pound of methamphetamine, 22 cellphones, cocaine, and marijuana were seized.
The United States intends to forfeit any and all property, which is alleged to be traceable to proceeds of the offenses.
This case was investigated by a joint Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) which includes Homeland Security Investigations Tampa (HSI) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The Central Florida Gulf Coast High Intensity Drug trafficking Area (HIDTA) which includes the Bradenton Police Department, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, the North Port Police Department, the United States Coast Guard Investigative Service, the Palmetto Police Department, the Sarasota Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives also assisted with the investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Maria Guzman, David Sullivan, and Suzanne Nebesky.
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.
Jacksonville Repeat-Offender Pleads Guilty to Possessing MachinegunRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Markee Washington (33, Jacksonville) today pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm as a convicted felon. Washington faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. As part of his plea, Washington has agreed to forfeit a Glock pistol, machinegun conversion device, and ammunition involved in the case.
According to the plea agreement, on February 11, 2023, at approximately 10:45 p.m., a trooper from the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) conducted a traffic stop of a car that Washington was driving. The trooper was quickly joined at the scene by two officers from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO). Based on Washington’s statements that he had been smoking marijuana, as well as the smell of the drug emanating from him and the car, officers searched the car. Inside the gap between the car’s ceiling and roof (which was accessible by removing the overhead sunglasses compartment), an officer located a bundle of cash and a 9mm Glock pistol.
The pistol was loaded with 31 rounds of ammunition in an extended magazine. It also was outfitted with a so-called Glock-switch, that is, a device installed on the pistol that converted it into a fully automatic machinegun. Washington surrendered to the officers a small bag of marijuana that he had hidden down his pants. He also had a stack of cash in his pants’ pocket. In total, $2,447 was in the car and on Washington.
An investigator later obtained a search warrant authorizing law enforcement to obtain a DNA sample from Washington. Laboratory testing determined that his DNA was both on the exterior of the Glock pistol and on ammunition loaded inside the pistol’s magazine.
At the time, Washington had previously been convicted of various felonies, including multiple drug-trafficking offenses. As a convicted felon, he was prohibited by law from possessing firearms and ammunition.
This case was investigated by the Florida Highway Patrol, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Michael J. Coolican and Kelly S. Milliron.
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.
Florida Sex Offender Indicted for Distribution of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the arrest of Nicholes Scott Newman (42, Hilliard) on an indictment charging him with distribution of child sexual abuse materials. If convicted, Newman faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 15 years, up to 40 years, in federal prison.
According to court records, in June 2024, an undercover detective from a Texas law enforcement agency visited an online messaging application and posed as a 28-year female with an 8-year-old daughter. Newman introduced himself to the undercover by saying, “42 year old male, looking to breed.” Newman engaged in sexually explicit conversations regarding children and sent the undercover detective multiple videos of child exploitation material. Newman is a convicted sex offender out of Pinellas County, where he was sentenced to more than six years in Florida State Prison after he was convicted on 20 counts of possession of child pornography.
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 Homeland Security Investigations and the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John Cannizzaro.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States 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.
Chinese National Sentenced to 17 Months for Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States District Judge Wendy Berger has sentenced Cunwen Zhu (45, China) to 17 months in federal prison for money laundering. Zhu entered a guilty plea on April 8, 2024.
According to court documents, Zhu received a $470,000 wire transfer which came from a victim of a financial investment scam. The victim was one of many that believed that their money was funding an online brokerage account, when in reality the funds were going to bad actors that were using it for their personal gain. Zhu took the money, converted it to cryptocurrency, and sent it to his associate in China. Zhu was paid a percentage of the money that he transferred to the Chinese national. As part of Zhu’s sentence, he was ordered to pay $470,000 to the victim.
The case was investigated by the United States Secret Service North Florida Cyber Fraud Task Force. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John Cannizzaro.
Chicago Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for Fort Myers Murder-For-HireRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – United States District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell today sentenced Latrel Jackson aka “Kobe” (27, Chicago, IL) to life in federal prison for conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire and murder-for-hire. Jackson’s co-defendant, Marvin Harris, Jr. aka “Mesh” (25, Fort Myers), was sentenced to 45 years in prison earlier this year.
According to court documents, Harris, Jr. hired Jackson and an unindicted co-conspirator, D.S. (deceased), to travel from Chicago to Fort Myers to commit murder in exchange for $10,000 in November 2019. Harris, Jr.’s motive was to retaliate against individuals who he believed had previously robbed a Fort Myers residence from which he and others associated with him sold drugs. The individuals Harris, Jr. suspected of committing the robbery and shooting belonged to a Fort Myers gang known to law enforcement as “Bucktown.”
With the agreement to retaliate against Bucktown in place, Jackson and D.S. flew to Fort Myers from Chicago on October 28, 2019. Upon arrival, Harris, Jr. picked Jackson and D.S. up from the Southwest Florida International Airport and provided them with partial payment for the planned murder, as well as firearms to accomplish their task.
Initially, Jackson and D.S. stayed at Harris, Jr.’s “trap house” (a residence used primarily to distribute drugs from) in Fort Myers, but later moved to a local motel on Palm Beach Boulevard. During that time, Jackson, D.S., and others attempted to find members of Bucktown to murder in the retaliatory scheme.
On November 2, 2019, Harris, Jr. obtained a vehicle for Jackson and D.S. to use during the commission of a murder. Jackson and D.S. proceeded to a known Bucktown hangout in Fort Myers and observed the victim, K.U., standing in front of the residence near the curb. Jackson and D.S. quickly circled the block and returned and, at close range, opened fire on K.U., killing him in front of the home via a gunshot wound to the head.
After the shooting, Harris, Jr. paid Jackson and D.S. the remaining sum of money owed for completing the murder-for-hire scheme. Jackson and D.S. were also left in possession of the firearms used to commit the murder. Jackson and D.S. then returned to the Chicago via commercial bus on November 3, 2019.
During a search of Jackson’s Chicago-area home on November 21, 2019, law enforcement recovered two firearms from an attic space in Jackson’s room. Testing and examination of the firearms by an examiner with the ATF confirmed that both matched shell casings recovered from the murder scene and the murder vehicle, and that one of the firearms had fired the bullet which had been recovered from K.U.’s head during his autopsy.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Fort Myers Police Department, with assistance from the Joliet (Illinois) Police Department, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael V. Leeman.
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 Man Sentenced to 50 Years in Federal Prison for Producing Child Sexual Abuse VideosRead the Press Release
Orlando, FL – U.S. District Judge Wendy W. Berger has sentenced Brian Hamilton (43, Orlando) to 50 years in federal prison for production and receipt of child sexual abuse material. Hamilton pleaded guilty on March 27, 2024.
According to court documents, tips about a user distributing child sexual abuse material online led the FBI to Hamilton. After the FBI executed a search warrant at Hamilton’s residence on October 11, 2023, they located numerous videos of child sexual abuse material on Hamilton’s laptop, some of which had been produced by Hamilton. Hamilton admitted that he had sexually abused one of the child victims in the videos and stated that he had done so to “get even” with the child’s parent. Hamilton also admitted to sexually abusing the child victim on multiple occasions, including in a public restroom.
“Compassion for the victims is what drives our agents to work these incredibly disturbing cases. While today’s sentencing ensures the end of this defendant’s despicable crime, the FBI continues its effort to expose those preying on the innocent and make certain justice is served,” said FBI Tampa Division Special Agent in Charge Matthew Fodor.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie McNeff.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States 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 Man Arrested for Attempted Enticement of A MinorRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the arrest of Scott Alan Colson (59, Ocala) on an indictment charging him with attempted enticement of a minor. If convicted, Colson faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison. A federal grand jury indicted Colson on August 6, 2024. His case is set for trial in October 2024 before U.S. District Judge Thomas Patrick Barber.
According to court records, on July 24, 2024, a Marion County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) undercover detective posed as a 15-year-old girl on an online messaging application. Colson contacted the undercover detective’s account and inquired as to whether the fictional minor had ever been with older men and asked to meet her. He told her, “You keep secrets if we meet up.” Colson then engaged in a sexually explicit conversation with the undercover detective. During the conversation, Colson asked the fictional minor to “make it easy to get down ur pantys.” The following day, they agreed to meet at a predetermined location in Marion County. When Colson drove to the location, he was arrested by law enforcement. An examination of Colson’s cellphone revealed child sexual exploitation materials.
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 Homeland Security Investigations and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. This case is being prosecuted by Hannah Nowalk.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States 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 Gang Member Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possessing A Firearm as A Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – Senior United States District Judge John Antoon II has sentenced Clinton Darnelle Kaham (24, Ocala) to 20 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Kaham pleaded guilty in February 2024.
According to court records, on July 6, 2022, officers from the Ocala Police Department discovered Kaham, a gang member, in possession of a loaded firearm. The firearm had previously been reported stolen in Marion County. A subsequent FBI forensic analysis found very strong support that Kaham was the source of the DNA profile developed from the trigger, grip, frame, and trigger guard of the firearm. At the time he possessed the firearm, Kaham was a convicted felon for possession of heroin (2021). As a convicted felon, Kaham is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Ocala Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk.
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.
Federal Prisoner Sentenced to Six Years for Assaulting His Cellmate Causing Serious Bodily HarmRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – Senior United States District Judge John Antoon II has sentenced Walter Lamar Jackson (43, Georgia) to six years for assault within the special maritime or territorial jurisdiction of the United States (a federal prison) resulting in serious bodily harm. A federal jury found Jackson guilty on January 30, 2024.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, Jackson was an inmate at the Federal Correctional Complex Coleman in Sumter County, Florida. On July 15, 2021, he was housed in a cell with another inmate inside the facility’s special housing unit. At approximately 5:50 p.m., correctional officers responded to an emergency alarm and discovered Jackson’s cellmate lying on the floor unconscious. Jackson was standing over his cellmate and slamming the man’s head into the concrete floor, which resulted in severe injuries. The officers immediately stopped the assault and restrained Jackson in handcuffs. Jackson subsequently stated to medical personnel that he had attacked his cellmate after giving him three warnings to be quiet.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Prisons. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Hannah Nowalk and William S. Hamilton.
Federal Jury Finds Convicted Felon Guilty of Possessing A FirearmRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that a federal jury has found Antoine Johnson (45, Indialantic) guilty of possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Johnson faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 15 years in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for December 10, 2024. Johnson was indicted on July 26, 2023.
According to the evidence presented at trial, after being stopped for violating a Florida traffic law on May 9, 2023, Johnson was found with a loaded firearm in his waistband. Johnson admitted to law enforcement that he knew he was a convicted felon and should not have been carrying a firearm. In a special finding, the jury found that before being stopped by the police, Johnson had been convicted three different times in the State of Florida, including robbery and two the sale of cocaine.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Palm Bay Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie McNeff.
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.
Bradenton Drug Trafficker Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Bradenton, Florida– U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday has sentenced Jamal Trevorah (31, Bradenton) to 20 years and 8 months in federal prison for possessing various controlled substances with the intent to distribute them and for possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. Trevorah entered a guilty plea on June 30, 2022.
According to court documents, on the morning of on May 4, 2021, agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) observed Trevorah exit a motel room in Manatee County carrying a brown and red shoebox. Agents watched Trevorah as he traveled throughout Manatee County. Trevorah made multiple stops in the area. Agents believed, based on their training, experience, and knowledge of the investigation, that the multiple stops were narcotics transactions where Trevorah distributed narcotics to others.
Trevorah eventually parked at a residence on 16th Street W. in Bradenton and entered the home through the front door. Agents then executed a search warrant at the location and encountered Trevorah standing in the residence approximately five feet inside the open door. Trevorah was in the residence. In the same room where Trevorah was initially observed, officers found three plastic baggies containing white and tan powder. Also, in the same room, agents located the red and brown shoebox that Trevorah had with him earlier in the day. Inside the box officers located multiple plastic baggies containing narcotics. Lab testing confirmed the drugs to be 66 grams of cocaine base, 83 grams of cocaine, 40 grams of methamphetamine, and 18 grams of fentanyl.
In a cabinet in the same room as the narcotics, investigators located a loaded American Tactical .45 caliber handgun loaded with eight rounds of ammunition. Various rounds of ammunition were also strewn throughout the home. Agents also located a cutting agent, razor blades, scales, and white powdery residue in that same room, all indicative of drug trafficking.
Later that afternoon, agents executed a search warrant at the motel room where Trevorah was seen leaving earlier. Agents located a lunchbox inside a trash bag full of clothes. The lunchbox contained approximately $22,540 in cash.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. 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 https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shauna S. Hale.
Tampa Woman Pleads Guilty to Smuggling over $100,000 into the United States from CubaRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Mirtza Ocana (39, Tampa) has pleaded guilty to one count of bulk cash smuggling and one count of conspiracy to commit bulk cash smuggling. Ocana faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to court documents, Ocana returned to the United States on a flight from Cuba on February 5, 2024. Despite telling U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents that she had no cash to declare, Ocana concealed more than $31,000 in her luggage. After agents found this cash, Ocana admitted that she frequently smuggled cash into the United States from Cuba and that she had done so two to three times per month since June 2023. She also told agents that she was paid between $1,000 and $2,500 each time she smuggled cash. Agents searched Ocana and discovered an additional $71,300 in cash hidden in her clothes. In total, agents found approximately $102,700 in cash concealed both in Ocana’s clothes and in her luggage.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Buchanan.
Tampa Man Sentenced to More Than Six Years for Threatening to Kill A Federal ProsecutorRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – Senior United States District Judge Charlene Edwards Honeywell has sentenced Dempsey Emmanuel Gilmore (33, Tampa) to six years and five months in federal prison for threatening to kill an Assistant United States Attorney. Gilmore pleaded guilty to this offense on March 29, 2024.
According to court documents, Gilmore was found guilty during a federal jury trial at the Sam M. Gibbons United States Courthouse in Tampa on March 9, 2023. After the jury was polled, Gilmore got up from his table to approach the jury and began to threaten them. Once the jurors left the courtroom, Gilmore continued to approach the Assistant United States Attorney who prosecuted the case, lunged at her, and threatened to kill her. Gilmore was eventually restrained by multiple court security personnel and federal agents. The six year and five-month sentence that was imposed will include an additional term of 24 months’ imprisonment, to be served after Gilmore’s previously imposed sentence of 30 years.
The case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John Cannizzaro.
Sanford Man Sentenced to More Than 7 Years in Federal Prison for Possessing Drugs and GunsRead the Press Release
Orlando, FL – U.S. District Judge Wendy Berger has sentenced Jose’Luis Gabriel Villanueva (32, Sanford) to seven years and eight months in federal prison for possession with the intent to distribute controlled substances and being a felon in possession of a firearm. The court also ordered Villanueva to forfeit firearms and ammunition which were used in the commission of the offense. Villanueva entered a guilty plea on May 31, 2024.
According to court documents, in January 2022, law enforcement began monitoring Villanueva’s social media accounts on which he was seen in photos with large sums of money and suspected illegal narcotics, mostly bottles of promethazine and marijuana. Promethazine is a Schedule V prescription drug commonly used to treat allergies and motion sickness. Over the course of several months, law enforcement monitored Villanueva’s activities and observed what appeared to be drug trafficking activity.
On August 17, 2023, law enforcement executed a search at Villanueva’s residence during which they located the following items: 4 firearms and ammunition, including one short-barrel rifle; 19 (16-ounce) bottles of promethazine; one bag of powder cocaine weighing approximately 103 grams; and $6,935 in cash.
Prior to the search, Villanueva had been convicted of several felony offenses, including fleeing and eluding law enforcement, driving while his license was suspended, and driving while his license was revoked. As a previously convicted felon Villanueva is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office Gang Enforcement Unit. It was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Rachel S. Lyons.
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.
Man Arrested for Explosives Threats and Attack on Energy FacilityRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Hashem Younis Hashem Hnaihen, 43, a Jordanian citizen residing in Orlando, Florida, with four counts of threatening to use explosives and one count of destruction of an energy facility. At his detention hearing yesterday, Hnaihen was ordered detained pending trial. If convicted, Hnaihen faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison for each threat offense and up to 20 years’ imprisonment for the destruction of an energy facility offense. The indictment also notifies Hnaihen that the United States intends to forfeit assets connected to the offense.
According to court documents, beginning around June 2024, Hnaihen targeted and attacked businesses in the Orlando area for their perceived support for the State of Israel. Wearing a mask, under the cover of night, Hnaihen smashed the glass front doors of businesses and left behind “Warning Letters.”
(Damage at two of the targeted businesses)
In his letters, which were addressed to the United States government, Hnaihen laid out a series of political demands, culminating in a threat to “destroy or explode everything here in whole America. Especially the companies and factories that support the racist state of Israel.”
Hnaihen’s attacks escalated. At the end of June, as law enforcement worked to identify the masked attacker, Hnaihen broke into a solar power generation facility in Wedgefield, Florida, and spent hours systematically destroying solar panel arrays. He smashed panels, cut wires, and targeted critical electronic equipment. Hnaihen left behind two more copies of his threatening demand letter. Hnaihen is believed to have caused more than $700,000 in damage.
(Aerial photo of the solar panel field Hnaihen attacked, with targeted panel areas outlined in red)
(Solar panels with cracked glass)
Following a multi-agency effort, law enforcement identified Hnaihen and arrested him on July 11, 2024, shortly after another “Warning Letter” threatening to “destroy or explode everything” was discovered at an industrial propane gas distribution depot in Orlando.
“We allege that the defendant threatened to carry out hate-fueled mass violence in our country, motivated in part by a desire to target businesses for their perceived support of Israel,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “Such acts and threats of violence, whether they are targeting the places that Americans frequent every day or our country’s critical infrastructure, are extremely dangerous and will not be tolerated by the Justice Department.”
“Targeting and attacking businesses for perceived beliefs is unacceptable,” said U.S. Attorney Roger Handberg. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate and federally prosecute those who make violent or hate-based threats and who seek to act on these threats.”
“Under the guise of expressing his beliefs, the defendant allegedly attacked a power facility and threatened local businesses, causing hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “Violence and destruction of property to threaten and intimidate others will never be tolerated. The FBI and our partners will work together to pursue and hold accountable those who resort to violence.”
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 and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, with valuable assistance from the Maitland Police Department, the Winter Park Police Department, and the Orlando Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Richard Varadan.
Man Arrested for Explosives Threats and Attack on Energy FacilityRead the Press Release
Hashem Younis Hashem Hnaihen, 43, a Jordanian citizen residing in Orlando, Florida, is charged with four counts of threatening to use explosives and one count of destruction of an energy facility. At his detention hearing yesterday, Hnaihen was ordered detained pending trial.
“We allege that the defendant threatened to carry out hate-fueled mass violence in our country, motivated in part by a desire to target businesses for their perceived support of Israel,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “Such acts and threats of violence, whether they are targeting the places that Americans frequent every day or our country’s critical infrastructure, are extremely dangerous and will not be tolerated by the Justice Department.”
“Under the guise of expressing his beliefs, the defendant allegedly attacked a power facility, causing hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages, and threatened local businesses,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “Violence and destruction of property to threaten and intimidate others will never be tolerated. The FBI and our partners will work together to pursue and hold accountable those who resort to violence.”
“Targeting and attacking businesses for perceived beliefs is unacceptable,” said U.S. Attorney Roger Handberg for the Middle District of Florida. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate and federally prosecute those who make violent or hate-based threats and who seek to act on these threats.”
According to court documents, beginning around June 2024, Hnaihen targeted and attacked businesses in the Orlando area for their perceived support for Israel. Wearing a mask, under the cover of night, Hnaihen smashed the glass front doors of businesses and left behind “Warning Letters.”
Source:Case number 6:24-cr-201 in the Middle District of Florida, Document 17. Supplement to motion for detention. Damage at two of the targeted businessesIn his letters, which were addressed to the United States government, Hnaihen laid out a series of political demands, culminating in a threat to “destroy or explode everything here in whole America. Especially the companies and factories that support the racist state of Israel.”
Aerial photo of the solar panel field Hnaihen attacked with targeted panel areas outlined in red Source:Case number 6:24-cr-201 in the Middle District of Florida, Document 17. Supplement to motion for detention. Solar panels with cracked glass that Hnaihen attackedHnaihen’s attacks escalated. At the end of June, as law enforcement worked to identify the masked attacker, Hnaihen broke into a solar power generation facility in Wedgefield, Florida, and spent hours systematically destroying solar panel arrays. He smashed panels, cut wires, and targeted critical electronic equipment. Hnaihen left behind two more copies of his threatening demand letter. Hnaihen is believed to have caused more than $700,000 in damage.
Following a multiagency effort, law enforcement identified Hnaihen and arrested him on July 11, shortly after another “Warning Letter” threatening to “destroy or explode everything” was discovered at an industrial propane gas distribution depot in Orlando.
Hnaihen is charged with four counts of threatening to use explosives and one count of destruction of an energy facility. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for each threat offense and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for the destruction of an energy facility offense.
The FBI and Orange County Sheriff’s Office are investigating the case, with valuable assistance by Maitland Police Department, Winter Park Police Department, and Orlando Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Varadan for the Middle District of Florida is prosecuting the case, with valuable assistance provided by Trial Attorneys Ryan White and George Kraehe of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Two Orlando Men Charged with Armed Robbery SpreeRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Nijah Jahni Mitchell (22, Orlando) and Dany Telfort (20, Orlando) with multiple counts of Hobbs Act robbery and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. If convicted on all counts, Mitchell faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 28 years, up to life, in federal prison, and Telfort faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 14 years, up to life, in federal prison. The indictment also notifies Mitchell and Telfort that the United States intends to forfeit the Glock 9mm firearm, Taurus 9mm firearm, and associated ammunition, which are alleged to have been used during the commission of the offenses.
According to the indictment, between March 23 and April 1, 2023, Mitchell and Telfort robbed six convenience stores in Central Florida. They also brandished firearms during their respective robberies.
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, the Orlando Police Department, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, the Clermont Police Department, the Ocoee Police Department, the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, and the Oakland Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Megan Testerman.
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.
Download IndictmentTampa Man Indicted for Possessing A Firearm and Ammunition as A Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Brandon Palmore (29, Tampa) with possessing a firearm or ammunition as a convicted felon. If convicted, Palmore faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. The indictment also notifies Palmore that the United States intends to forfeit a Sig Sauer handgun and assorted ammunition, which are alleged to have been used in the commission of the offense.
According to the indictment, on December 1, 2023, Palmore, knowing that he had been previously convicted of multiple felonies – including shooting at, within, or into a vehicle, and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon – was in possession of a Sig Sauer handgun and 10 rounds of ammunition.
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, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Tampa Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeff Chang.
This case is part of the 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 for occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Federal Jury Convicts Felon on Supervised Release of Using A Fraudulently Obtained Social Security Number and Theft of Social Security BenefitsRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that a federal jury has found Kellis Dion Jackson (63, Pinellas Park), a/k/a Chandler Dante Alexander, guilty of making a false statement to a federal agency, theft of government property, and fraudulent use of a Social Security number. Jackson faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to evidence presented at trial, Jackson stole Supplemental Security Income (SSI) disability benefits from the Social Security Administration while on federal supervision for prior federal offenses. Prior to submitting an application for SSI, Jackson obtained a Social Security number under the fictional identity of Chandler Dante Alexander by falsely reporting that he had never had a Social Security number and providing false information regarding his birthdate and parents. Jackson used the fraudulently obtained Social Security number to get a commercial driver license, work, file tax returns, get married, and open bank accounts. Jackson thereafter applied for SSI and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance (SNAP) benefits using his birth name and valid Social Security number. Jackson made false statements on the SSI application and related documents, including falsely stating that he was not married, and his application was approved. Jackson’s SSI application would not have been approved had he reported his marriage and work activity under the fraudulently obtained Social Security number. In total, Jackson received $43,755 in SSI benefits to which he was not entitled.
This case was investigated by the Social Security Administration - Office of the Inspector General, the Department of Health and Human Services - Office of Inspector General, and the United States Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Suzanne Huyler.
Convicted Felon Who Was Showing Off His Shotguns to His Friends Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that James Hilligardt (21, Brooksville) has pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Hilligardt faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to court documents, on January 23, 2024, Hilligardt was showing his firearms off to friends, and in the process ended up with an accidental gunshot wound. Deputies with the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene and found him in possession of a sawed-off shotgun. The investigation revealed that Hilligardt repeatedly posted images of himself with firearms and ammunition. Detectives later recovered a second shotgun that Hilligardt owned, which had been buried in a yard. As a convicted felon Hilligardt is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosive. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Diego F. Novaes.
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.
Hillsborough County Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Receiving and Possessing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Darnell Credit (51, Tampa) to six years and six months in federal prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for receiving and possessing child sexual abuse material. The court also ordered Credit to pay $21,000 in restitution and forfeit a computer, two thumb drives, and an external hard drive, which were used to commit the offenses. Credit entered a guilty plea on February 15, 2024.
According to court documents, in November 2021, the FBI executed a search warrant at Credit’s home and seized several of his electronic devices. A forensic search of those devices revealed more than 1,000 photos and over 100 videos of child sexual abuse material, including images depicting sadistic conduct, toddlers, and bestiality.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Tampa Police Department and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Abigail K. King and Ross Roberts.
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.
Clearwater Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Coercing and Enticing A Minor to Engage in Sexual Activity and Possessing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Caleb Belanger (25, Clearwater) to 10 years in federal prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity and possession of child sexual abuse material. The court also ordered Belanger to pay $3,000 in restitution and forfeit an iPhone and iPad, which were used to commit the offenses. Belanger entered a guilty plea on March 26, 2024.
According to court documents, Belanger enticed approximately 30 minor females, all between the ages of 13 and 17 years old, to take sexually explicit photos and videos of themselves and send the images to him via a mobile application, in exchange for money, vapes, and alcohol. He also offered money in exchange for sex and other sexual acts. Law enforcement executed a search warrant at Belanger’s home and seized his iPhone and iPad. A search of those devices revealed that Belanger possessed 1,209 images and 111 videos of child sexual abuse material.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, the Tarpon Springs Police Department, the St. Petersburg Police Department, and the Tampa Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ilyssa M. Spergel and Ross Roberts.
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.
Tampa Man Pleads Guilty to Gas Station RobberyRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Brandale Swails (29, Tampa) has pleaded guilty to brandishing a firearm during the commission of a Hobbs Act Robbery. Swails faces a minimum mandatory sentence of seven years, up to life, in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for November 7, 2024.
According to court documents, Swails arrived at a gas station on a bicycle, entered the business, pointed a gun at a clerk, and demanded money. The employee immediately hid behind the counter. Swails jumped over the counter towards the clerk while continuing to point the firearm at him. Swails then stated he would shoot the clerk if he did not open the register. Swails continued to hold the victim at gunpoint while directing him into a bathroom. Swails then exited the business and fled on a bicycle. Swails was arrested two weeks later, hiding inside a bedroom closet.
This case was investigated by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is geing prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Diego F. Novaes.
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.
Marion County Man Arrested for Transporting A Minor with the Intent to Engage in Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the arrest of Thomas Allen Ebersole (32, Dunnellon) on an indictment charging him with transporting a minor with the intent to engage in sexual activity. If convicted, Ebersole faces minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison.
According to court records, Ebersole met a 16-year-old female while playing online video games. On December 28, 2023, Ebersole drove from his residence in Florida to Ohio where the minor lived. Once there, Ebersole picked up the minor and immediately drove her back to Florida where they engaged in sexual activity. The minor stayed in Ebersole’s home until January 3, 2024, when law enforcement was able to identify her location through the Internet Protocol (IP) address she used to play video games online. After law enforcement removed the minor from Ebersole’s home, DNA results confirmed that Ebersole had engaged in sexual activity with her.
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, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, and the Lima (Ohio) Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States 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.