Middle District of Florida

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Susan C. Bucklew has sentenced Jignesh Purshottambhai Vekaria (30, Tampa) to four years and three months in federal prison for conspiracy to commit money laundering. As part of his sentence, the court also entered an order of forfeiture in the amount of $372,000, the proceeds of the offense. Vekaria had pleaded guilty on July 20, 2023.

According to court documents, India-based conspirators working in call centers placed calls to United States residents. The conspirators falsely and fraudulently identified themselves as federal law enforcement officers, such as Social Security Administration officials, FBI agents, or IRS officers. They provided “official” titles and/or “badge numbers,” and threatened their victims with imminent arrest, a lawsuit, and/or other economic consequences—usually based on alleged drug trafficking or money laundering crimes supposedly committed using the victims’ identities. The conspirators told victims, the majority of whom were older adults, that they could avoid these consequences by mailing checks or cash equivalents to conspirators in the United States.

From April 2018 through at least September 2018, Vekaria laundered money that had been extorted from these victims in the United States. Specifically, Vekaria acted as an intermediary between other U.S.-based conspirators who had a direct line of communication to the foreign call centers and the “runners” who received and cashed the victims’ checks. Vekaria’s intermediary role involved relaying information regarding the arrival of packages containing the victims’ checks to the runners, driving the runners to pick up the checks and cash them, and retrieving the fraudulently obtained funds from the runners. Once he retrieved the fraud proceeds, Vekaria provided them to his coconspirators and was paid for his role in obtaining the funds.

“Every day, countless Americans receive annoying spam calls from imposters pretending to be with the IRS. Today’s sentencing of Jignesh Vekaria serves as reassurance that IRS-CI agents will answer the call to bring justice to those who extort money and defraud hard-working citizens,” said Tara K. Reed, IRS-CI Acting Special Agent in Charge. “Putting dishonest fraudsters like Vekaria behind bars reinforces that the IRS is committed to ensuring the safety and trust of Americans throughout every community we serve.”

This case was investigated by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General (SSA/OIG), the Tampa Police Department, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Suzanne Huyler.

Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Shawntae Jamell Clark (45, Clay County) to 10 years and 5 months in federal prison for possession with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The court also ordered Clark to forfeit two firearms, ammunition, and cash traceable to his offenses. He was arrested on July 6, 2022, and ordered detained. Clark pleaded guilty on August 21, 2023.

According to court documents, deputies from the Clay County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) were investigating Clark based on reports that he was selling drugs, including methamphetamine, out of a hotel room at the Stay Suites on Wells Road in Clay County. On July 2, 2021, deputies observed Clark leaving his hotel room with a backpack and getting into a car. During a subsequent traffic stop of the vehicle, a CCSO canine alerted to the car, indicating that it contained illegal narcotics. A subsequent search of the car revealed a small safe containing a loaded Beretta pistol and Taurus revolver, 7 baggies of methamphetamine, and approximately 100 small baggies. Further investigation determined that the total weight of the methamphetamine was approximately 159 grams, and that Clark had multiple prior felony convictions for armed robbery, attempted lewd or lascivious act – sexual battery, and multiple convictions for possession of cocaine. As such, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.  

On September 25, 2023, Judge Howard sentenced a related defendant, David Lee Rucker (35, Clay County), to six years and eight months in federal prison for possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. The court also ordered Rucker to forfeit a firearm and ammunition. Rucker had pleaded guilty on May 19, 2022.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Clay County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein. The forfeiture was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Mai Tran.

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

Ocala, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Craig Antwon ONeal (54, Ocala) has pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm affecting commerce by a convicted felon. ONeal faces a mandatory minimum term of 15 years, up to life, if federal prison. A sentencing date has not been set.

According to the superseding indictment, on July 20, 2020, ONeal was in possession of a firearm. As a multi-convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing either firearms or ammunition under federal law. ONeal has 20 prior state felony convictions, including strong-arm robbery, resisting arrest with violence, sale of cocaine, and burglary of a conveyance. His extensive prior record also qualifies him for a sentencing enhancement as an Armed Career Criminal.         

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Unified Drug Enforcement Strike Team (UDEST). It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Belkis H. Crockett.

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

Fort Myers, Florida – Senior U.S. District Judge Virginia Hernandez Covington today sentenced Devin Ryan Maresca (33, New Castle, PA) to three years in federal prison for mail fraud and aggravated identity theft. As part of his sentence, the court also entered an order of forfeiture in the amount of $74,700, which were the proceeds of Maresca’s mail fraud scheme. Maresca was found guilty following a three-day trial on August 23, 2023.

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, while living in Cape Coral, Florida, Maresca filed more than 2,200 fraudulent indemnity claims to the United States Postal Service (USPS) claiming that Priority Mail packages that he had mailed or received were damaged. Maresca fraudulently used his mother, father, and brother’s name to submit most of the claims. Further, Maresca forged his family members’ signatures on the backs of USPS claims checks to deposit them into a bank account he controlled. The checks were mailed to UPS Store private mailboxes and Pak-Mail Store mailboxes that Maresca had opened in Fort Myers, Cape Coral, and Punta Gorda.

Maresca’s fraud scheme caused the USPS to issue more than $100,000 in claims checks. Internet addresses, bank, and email records, along with USPS data, linked Maresca to the fraudulent claims. In December 2021, a United States Postal Inspector and USPS Office of Inspector General (OIG) Special Agent interviewed Maresca at his home in Newcastle. During the interview, Maresca admitted to submitting more than 2,200 fraudulent claims and forging his family members’ signatures on USPS indemnity checks. 

This case was investigated by the U. S. Postal Inspection Service and the U.S. Postal Service-OIG. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Trent Reichling and Patrick Darcey.

Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle has sentenced John Charles Anderson (40, Spring Hill) to 12 years in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for a bank robbery with an assault by using a deadly weapon. Anderson was also ordered to pay $941 in restitution. Judge Mizelle previously sentenced Anderson to 3 years in prison for a violation of his federal supervised release, to be served consecutively to the new robbery sentence. Anderson had pleaded guilty on July 31, 2023.

According to court documents, on January 14, 2022, Anderson armed himself, donned a mask, and robbed a bank just over one month after being placed on supervised release following a federal prison sentence for committing five bank robberies. On January 14, 2022, Anderson pointed what looked like a semi-automatic handgun toward the teller and demanded money and got away with $941 from the SunTrust bank located at 12902 Dale Mabry Highway in Tampa.  Anderson was identified, in part, by his distinct hand tattoos, which read “KILL COPS” across his knuckles.

Anderson fled the bank, and the state, making his way to Michigan. On January 20, 2022, officers from the River Rouge Police Department encountered Anderson and attempted a traffic stop. Anderson fled, crashing his car into a wall at a gas station before continuing to flee on foot. Officers recovered a loaded firearm, which had been been reported stolen in South Carolina, from the front seat of Anderson’s car. Anderson was taken into custody after hiding in a garage.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the Ecorse Police Department, and the River Rouge Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Samantha E. Beckman. 

Tampa, FL– U.S. District Judge Charlene Edwards Honeywell has sentenced Ja’Vion RaShard Jackson (23, Coleman) to 10 years and 5 months in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, 40 grams or more of fentanyl, cocaine, and promethazine with codeine, as well as three counts of distribution of controlled substances. Jackson had pleaded guilty on August 14, 2023.

According to court documents, beginning in November 2022, and on a few dates thereafter, Jackson sold an undercover officer more than 500 grams of methamphetamine, approximately 52 grams of fentanyl, and bottles of promethazine with codeine in addition to cocaine and methorphan. On January 12, 2023, agents executed search warrants at two locations associated with Jackson. At one location (261 CR 222, Oxford, Florida), agents located quantities of marijuana, MDMA, and prescription pills. On the same date, Jackson was arrested at 715 Oakdale Avenue, Unit 38 in Brooksville. Agents served a search warrant on that residence and arrested another co-conspirator after locating methamphetamine, fentanyl, promethazine with codeine, and firearms inside a vehicle.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Samantha E. Beckman.

Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle has sentenced Joseph Paul (30, Cordele, Georgia) to 12 years in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Paul had pleaded guilty on July 31, 2023.

According to court documents, on January 17, 2022, Pasco County Sheriff’s deputies conducted a traffic stop and subsequent search on a car being driven and occupied by Paul. During the search, deputies found a scale, 187.2 grams of pure methamphetamine, and 19.72 grams of fentanyl.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pasco Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Samantha E. Beckman.

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that a federal jury today found Samuel Arthur Thompson (53, St. Augustine) guilty of producing, receiving, and possessing child sex abuse material (CSAM), producing CSAM while required to register as a sex offender, violating the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA), sending unauthorized damaging commands to a protected computer, and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.  Thompson faces a minimum mandatory term of 35 years’ imprisonment. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for March 25, 2024. Thompson was first charged by criminal complaint in 2019.

According to evidence presented at trial, Thompson was convicted of sodomizing of a 14-year-old male child in 1998, in Alabama, and was therefore a convicted felon required to register as a sex offender, including reporting his international travel.

Thompson was hired as a contractor by the Jacksonville Jaguars around 2013 to consult on the design and installation of the Jaguars’ new video board network, referred to as a jumbotron, and later to operate the jumbotron on gamedays.  Thompson’s contract with the Jaguars required him to report his conviction, but he did not. In January 2018, the Jaguars determined not to renew Thompson’s contract after learning of his conviction and status as a registered sex offender. Before the expiration of Thompson’s contract in March 2018, Thompson installed remote access software on a spare server in the Jaguars’ server room. He then remotely accessed computers that control the jumbotron during three 2018 season NFL games, causing the video boards repeatedly to malfunction, as shown below:

After conducting an investigation, the Jaguars determined that the outages were being caused by a malicious actor sending commands via the spare server. On December 16, 2018, the Jaguars set up a “honeypot” by putting the server on its own network and removing its access to the other computers that controlled the jumbotron. During the next NFL game, the spare server was again remotely accessed and attempted to be used to send commands to computers controlling the jumbotron.  The Jaguars were able to capture the internet protocol (IP) address of the intruder – which the FBI traced to Thompson’s residence.

In July 2019, the FBI executed a federal search warrant at Thompson’s residence and seized a number of his computers. The FBI also seized a firearm from Thompson’s nightstand, which he was prohibited from possessing as a convicted felon.

Log files from Thompson’s iPhone, iPad, and two laptops showed that all those devices had been used to remotely access the spare server. Additionally, the FBI found thousands of images and hundreds of videos on Thompson’s personal devices depicting CSAM. This CSAM included images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of young children, bondage and torture of children, and bestiality. The CSAM also included a video and series of photos that Thompson produced in June 2019 depicting children that had been in his care and custody. Thompson’s voice could be heard speaking to the children at the beginning of the video, and the video was taken in Thompson’s living room.

Subsequent interviews of three male children that had been in Thompson’s care in 2019 revealed that Thompson had molested two of the children, exposed himself to two of the children, exposed children to CSAM, spoken to the children about sex and masturbation, and had encouraged the children to play a “game” wherein the children were required to take off their clothes and run around Thompson’s house. It was while the children (7, 8, and 10 years old at the time) were playing the “game” that Thompson produced CSAM. A review of Thompson’s iPad further revealed that he had been searching the dark web for CSAM at the time the FBI knocked on his door with the search warrant. 

Thompson traveled to the Bahamas on a work trip from July 6 - 14, 2019. The next day, on July 15, 2019, Thompson registered as a sex offender and failed to report this travel as required by the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). The same day, Thompson also received CSAM via the dark web. 

On July 27, 2019, Thompson fled to the Philippines – once again failing to report his travel. Thompson’s passport was revoked, and he was deported from the Philippines on January 31, 2020. He was arrested by the FBI upon arrival in the United States and later ordered detained pending trial.

The evidence presented at trial also proved that certain assets the United States is forfeiting from the defendant, specifically, a Smith & Wesson firearm, an iPhone 7, an iPad, two laptop computers, and a custom-built desktop computer, were used in the offenses.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Marshals Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Laura Cofer Taylor, Brenna Falzetta, and Adam Duso. The asset forfeiture is being handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Mai Tran and Jennifer Harrington.

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

Ocala, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Kingsley Wilson (35, Kissimmee) has pleaded guilty to 1 count of dealing in firearms without a license, 14 counts of making a materially false statement to a federally licensed firearms (FFL) dealer, and 14 counts of causing an FFL to maintain false information in its official records. Wilson faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in federal prison for dealing in firearms without a license; 10 years for each count of making a materially false statement to an FFL; and 5 years for each count of causing an FFL to maintain false information in its official records.  

According to the plea agreement and evidence presented in court, between January 2022 and July 2023, Wilson purchased 92 firearms from multiple gun dealers in the Middle District of Florida. While purchasing these firearms, Wilson falsely certified on ATF Form 4473s (Firearm Transaction Records) that he was the “actual transferee/buyer” of the firearms. In actuality, Wilson was purchasing these firearms for other individuals in exchange for monetary payments. Wilson’s cellular telephone revealed numerous conversations between Wilson and other individuals about the illegal purchases and transfer of these firearms. Ten of the firearms purchased by Wilson have been recovered by law enforcement at crime scenes (including homicides) in the Bahamas and Canada.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.

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

Orlando, FL – U.S. District Judge Berger today sentenced Ethan Lipper (21, Orlando) to 19 years and 7 months in federal prison for attempting to entice a minor to engage in sexual activity. The court also ordered Lipper to forfeit the cellular phone used to commit the offense. Lipper pleaded guilty on June 7, 2023.

According to court documents, on January 16, 2023, a detective with the Oviedo Police Department was posing in an undercover capacity (UC) as a 14-year-old male on a social media application. Lipper joined a group called “Orlando Teens” where he began communicating with the UC, who he believed was a 14-year-old boy. Lipper sent pictures of himself and later provided his cell phone number in an effort to entice and sexually assault the child. Lipper sent the UC six videos, at least two of which contained child sexual abuse imagery. One of the videos depicted an adult male sexually assaulting a child who was approximately 9 to 11 years old. Lipper told the UC, who he believed was a child, that he wanted to perform similar acts with him.

On February 1, 2023, Lipper travelled to an address in Oviedo, Florida to meet with, and sexually assault, the child. He was taken into custody when he arrived, and his cellular phone was seized and searched. During a forensic review of his cellular phone, over 100 images and videos of child sexual abuse imagery were located. The majority of the images depicted children approximately 5 to 10 years old. Three of the images depicted children under the age of 5, including an infant. Also located on the phone were conversations between Lipper and individuals between the ages of 12 to 17 years old. During these conversations on a social media application, Lipper asked for sexually explicit images of the minors, some of which were provided to him. To date, the FBI has located and interviewed five of these children. The search for the remaining potential victims is ongoing and anyone with information is asked to contact the FBI.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Oviedo Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shannon Laurie and Special Assistant United States Attorney Rachel Lyons.

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

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Wendy Berger has sentenced Patrick Silfrain (41, Winter Garden) to 21 years and 10 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl. The court also ordered Silfrain to forfeit firearms used in the conspiracy, as well as jewelry, and over $600,000 in currency, which was traceable to the drug offenses. Silfrain had pleaded guilty on November 21, 2022. Jean Kesnor Choisil (51, Ocoee) and Kevin Jean-Gilles (41, Groveland) pleaded guilty to their roles in this conspiracy on November 22, 2022, and November 29, 2022, respectively. On August 31, 2023, Choisil was sentenced to 6 years and 6 months’ imprisonment. Jean-Gilles was sentenced to 19 years and 6 months’ imprisonment.

According to court documents, Silfrain ran an operation that pressed pills to look like legitimately manufactured pharmaceuticals that actually contained fentanyl and fentanyl analogs – so-called “fentapills.” Silfrain operated numerous pill presses at the same time, each of which had the capacity to produce 5,000 pills per hour. During the investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) obtained evidence of numerous shipments of controlled substances and binding agents. Based on the total quantity of binding agents sent to the Silfrain operation, the DEA estimated it to be enough to press 3,760,000 pills.

On April 20, 2022, the DEA arrested Silfrain, Choisil, and Jean-Gilles and executed search warrants on multiple locations. During these searches, they recovered over 23 kilograms of fentanyl and fentanyl analogs, over a kilogram of methamphetamine, 17 firearms, 11 pill presses, and over $600,000 in U.S. currency, traceable to the drug operation.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office, the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, and the Apopka Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dana E. Hill.

 

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg has announced that Alexander James Koby (38, Jacksonville) has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Jacksonville for knowingly receiving child sexual abuse material over the internet. Koby faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years, up to 40 years, in federal prison, and a potential life term of supervised release. On May 15, 2014, Koby was convicted of possession of child pornography in federal court in Orlando. He is currently serving a Florida state prison sentence and will be transported to Jacksonville for prosecution in this federal case.

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.

An indictment is only an allegation and every defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

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

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Kevin Olbrych (48, Spring Hill) today pleaded guilty to two counts of Lacey Act Trafficking. Olbrych faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled.

According to the plea agreement, in 2018, officers from the Tampa Police Department executed a search warrant at Olbrych’s residence. During the search, the officers discovered several 300-gallon pools filled with turtles and other containers for the rearing of turtles. In total, Olbrych unlawfully possessed 120 turtles. The animals were not housed properly, and Olbrych did not have proper licensure to possess them. Law enforcement confiscated the turtles and turned them over to an individual qualified to rehabilitate them on behalf of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

After the search, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service began investigating Olbrych. The investigation revealed that for years Olbrych had illegally sold turtles to a co-conspirator in Oregon, who later sold them to buyers in China. Further investigation revealed that even after law enforcement seized the turtles from Olbrych’s home in 2018, he continued to traffic in turtles through 2021.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, with substantial assistance from the Tampa Police Department and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Erin Claire Favorit.

Ocala, Florida –Senior United States District Judge Gregory A. Presnell has sentenced Papo Encarnacion De Oleo (46, Dominican Republic) to 18 months in federal prison for illegal re-entry by a previously deported alien, falsely presenting a social security number, making a false statement of citizenship to obtain a state benefit, and possession of false identification documents. Encarnacion De Oleo pleaded guilty to the crimes on June 16, 2023.

According to the plea agreement, Encarnacion De Oleo is a citizen of the Dominican Republic who was previously removed from the United States in 2014. Even though he never received permission to lawfully re-enter the country, Encarnacion De Oleo illegally returned to the United States following his removal.  

In June 2019, Encarnacion De Oleo used another individual’s personal identifying information—name, date of birth, social security card, and birth certificate—to fraudulently obtain a Florida identification card. He also falsely represented himself to be a United States citizen when he obtained the card. Afterward, Encarnacion De Oleo used the card, along with the victim’s social security number, to fraudulently obtain employment with two businesses in Sumter County. Encarnacion De Oleo also falsely claimed to be a United States citizen on the employment eligibility documents for the businesses. 

“This criminal repeatedly ignored the laws of our nation, illegally re-entered after being previously removed, and masqueraded under the false guise of United States citizenship by stealing someone’s identity,” said Homeland Security Investigation (HSI) Orlando Assistant Special Agent in Charge David Pezzutti. “This sentence demonstrates the law will not tolerate those who blatantly disregard it. Thanks to our partnership with the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General, we were able to put an end to this recidivist’s activities.”

“This sentence demonstrates that misuse of a Social Security number to gain unlawful entry into the United States after deportation and to fraudulently obtain employment and state identity documents is a punishable crime,” said Rodregas W. Owens, Special Agent in Charge, Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General, Atlanta Field Division. “We will continue to collaborate with our law enforcement partners to curtail this type of illegal activity. I thank the Department of Homeland Security Homeland Security Investigation for their work in this joint investigation and I thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for prosecuting this case.” 

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General (SSA/OIG), with assistance from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.

Ocala, Florida –Senior United States District Judge John Antoon II has sentenced Timothy Roberts (28, Hernando) to six years and five months in federal prison for possession of an unregistered National Firearms Act (NFA) weapon (a short-barreled shotgun) and two counts of possession of a firearm affecting commerce by a convicted felon. Roberts pleaded guilty to the offenses on July 28, 2023.

According to court documents, on August 7, 2022, the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office stopped Roberts while he was driving a stolen vehicle. When deputies discovered a sawed-off shotgun on the back seat, Roberts admitted that he had tried to cover it with a backpack as he was being pulled over. This illegally modified shotgun was not registered to Roberts in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record, as required under federal law.

Approximately three weeks later, Roberts was again stopped by Citrus County deputies for multiple traffic infractions. A subsequent search of his backpack revealed methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia, and two handguns. When questioned, Roberts claimed he had planned to sell the firearms. Roberts, who has four prior felony grand theft convictions in state court, is prohibited from possessing firearms under federal law.

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

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

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Wendy W. Berger has sentenced William Ross King III (55, Orlando) to 24 years and 5 months in federal prison for receipt and possession of child sexual abuse materials. King had pleaded guilty on August 3, 2023.

According to court documents, on October 14, 2022, after receiving a CyberTip, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at an Orlando hotel room occupied by King and seized a laptop belonging to King. Subsequent forensic analyses of the laptop revealed 42 images and 80 videos of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). King admitted to downloading and viewing the CSAM. These images and videos included sadistic and masochistic conduct and other violent sexual acts against children, toddlers, and infants.

“This sentence is proof that this deviant’s perverse behavior of victimizing children will not be tolerated,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Orlando Assistant Special Agent in Charge David Pezzutti. “Thanks to this CyberTip, and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, we were able to remove this predator from continuing victimize these children over and over.”           

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Courtney Richardson-Jones.

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

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Wendy W. Berger has sentenced Wendel Algarin to 30 months in federal prison for conspiring to defraud the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Algarin had pleaded guilty on August 15, 2023.

According to court documents, between 2012 and 2019, Algarin operated a scheme to assist various subcontractors in the evasion of payroll taxes and workers’ compensation insurance premiums. Algarin conspired with the subcontractors to pay their undocumented construction workers “off the books.” He facilitated the offense by operating three shell companies that he allowed subcontractors to list as their employees’ employers. In return for his assistance with the scheme, Algarin was paid fees of nearly $2 million. He used the funds to live a lavish lifestyle such as by purchasing multiple luxury automobiles. By operating the scheme, Algarin defrauded the United States out of more than $3.5 million in tax revenues.

“Mr. Algarin devised a plan to defraud the American taxpayer by establishing shell companies in the construction sector and evading employment taxes. Additionally, he employed undocumented workers, which harmed the workers’ compensation insurance industry,” said Tara K. Reed, IRS-Criminal Investigation (CI) Acting Special Agent in Charge. “Today’s sentencing demonstrates that IRS-CI is dedicated to investigating and building a just and impartial tax system in which all businesses can operate.”

This case was investigated by Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Chauncey A. Bratt.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday has sentenced Ramon Paz (53, Lakeland) to 33 months in federal prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The court also entered an order of forfeiture in the amount of $500,731, the proceeds of the wire-fraud conspiracy. Paz had pleaded guilty on February 8, 2023.

According to court documents, Paz owned and managed a construction company which purported to supply construction services and labor for construction contractors and subcontractors. In order to comply with Florida law, Paz’s company was required to secure and maintain adequate worker’s compensation insurance coverage. Paz’s company had agreements with contractors and subcontractors to use workers purported to be Paz’s employees at construction sites, and these workers were often undocumented aliens who were actually working for and under the daily supervision and direction of the contractors. Paz or others would then regularly receive “payroll checks” from contractors that were cashed at various financial institutions to pay Paz’s purported “employees” and other related expenses.

During the time period charged, Paz falsely and fraudulently represented in insurance applications that his company had a very limited payroll and a very limited number of employees who worked on construction jobsites. Paz also falsely and fraudulently sent wire communications to numerous contractors representing that his company’s “employees” had full worker’s compensation coverage.

In reality, Paz’s company received and cashed more than $21 million in checks from various construction contractors for these purported “employees.” These payroll figures far exceeded the very limited payroll figures that Paz had reported to his worker’s compensation insurance company. As a result, these employees, in reality the employees of other entities, performed work on jobsites without adequate insurance coverage. In addition, the insurers lost premiums they would have charged had they been aware of the true number of workers their policies were thus being manipulated to cover.

As a result of these misrepresentations, Paz’s company also disclaimed responsibility for ensuring that jobsite workers were legally authorized to work in the United States and that required state and federal payroll taxes were being paid for these workers. The contractors who actually paid these workers’ wages and used their services were thus also able to avoid responsibility for those duties as well.

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Florida Department of Financial Services. It is part of a lengthy investigation by those agencies into the use of shell companies and “ghost” employees in the construction industry. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jay L. Hoffer.

Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Grant Elmore Davis, Jr. (71, Mansfield, OH) with armed bank robbery, discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. If convicted on all counts, Davis faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 25 years, up to life, in federal prison. The indictment also notifies Davis that the United States intends to forfeit the firearm and ammunition used to facilitate the offense.

According to court documents, Davis entered Truist Bank branch in Fort Myers and discharged a handgun while making verbal commands for the teller to give him money from the cash register. After obtaining money from the teller, Davis fled the bank.

In November 2001, Davis was convicted of armed bank robbery and using and carrying a short-barreled shotgun in relation to a crime of violence. Therefore, he 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 was investigated by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It will be 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. 

Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge James S. Moody has sentenced Johnathan Anton Williams (39, Ruskin) to eight years and eight months in federal prison for distributing methamphetamine, carrying a firearm during a drug trafficking crime, and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. The court also ordered Williams to forfeit the firearm and ammunition used in the offense. Williams was convicted following a bench trial on April 20, 2023.

According to court documents, law enforcement observed Williams at a Tampa gas station engaged in a possible drug transaction from his vehicle. When deputies from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s approached and observed drug paraphernalia in Williams’s vehicle, he unsuccessfully tried to flee. The deputies then searched the vehicle and recovered a Taurus 9mm pistol and various ammunition, methamphetamine, and two digital scales. Williams had previously been convicted of felonies, including robbery, possession of cocaine, and possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute. Williams illegally possessed the firearm to protect his drug trafficking activities. As a previously 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 Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael R. Kenneth.

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

Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces today that 4 Corners Pharmacy, located in Spring Hill, Florida, has agreed to pay $800,000 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by knowingly billing the U.S. Department of Labor for a compound supplement that was either not ordered by a licensed healthcare provider or was never delivered to beneficiaries. The Department of Labor provides benefits authorized by the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act including compensation and payment of medical expenses to eligible claimants who were injured or became ill on the job, or to their families.

“Pharmacies are not allowed to bill federal programs for medications that are not delivered to beneficiaries or that were never ordered by their healthcare provider,” said U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg. “This settlement reflects our determination to hold accountable those who seek to exploit our federal healthcare programs.”

“An important part of the mission of the Office of Inspector General is to investigate allegations of fraud involving the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs (OWCP) programs. We will continue to work with OWCP to protect the integrity of DOL’s workers’ compensation programs,” said Mathew Broadhurst, Special Agent-in-Charge, Southeast Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General.

The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought by private individuals, on behalf of the United States, under the qui tam (commonly known as “whistleblower”) provisions of the False Claims Act. Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery if the government takes over the case and obtains judgment against or reaches a monetary agreement with the defendant.

This matter was investigated by the U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General. It was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Sean Keefe.

The claims resolved by this settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Wendy W. Berger has sentenced Joe Braiam Pinol Garcia (30, Orlando) to 10 years in federal prison for attempted possession with intent to distribute cocaine. Previously, on June 6, 2023, U.S. District Judge Berger sentenced Hugo Morones Munoz (49, Orlando) to 5 years and 10 months in federal prison for conspiring to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and attempted possession of cocaine. Pinol Garcia and Murones Munoz previously pleaded guilty to the offenses.

According to court documents, on August 17, 2022, Pinol Garcia and Morones Munoz traveled to Mexico so that Morones Munoz could introduce Pinol Garcia to others he knew from Mexico in order to broker a large drug trafficking transaction. Pinol Garcia, Morones Munoz, and others in Mexico came to an agreement to traffic 17 kilograms of cocaine into the United States. Morones Munoz and Pinol Garcia agreed to sell the cocaine in the Central Florida area.

On October 3, 2022, 17 bundles of cocaine were sent through the border into Texas to be transported to Florida for Pinol Garcia and Morones Munoz. The cocaine was intercepted in Texas as part of an undercover operation conducted by special agents from Homeland Security Investigations and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The agents then set up a controlled undercover operation in which they provided fake bundles of cocaine to the drug buyers in Florida so that they could be identified and arrested. On October 6, 2022, Morones Munoz and Pinol Garcia arrived at the prearranged parking lot, provided the undercover agents with the money for the transportation fee for the drugs, and accepted the duffle bag with the 17 kilograms of fake cocaine inside. Morones Munoz and Pinol Garcia were arrested as they attempted to leave the parking lot.

“These sentences are testament to the law enforcement partnerships we have across the nation to stop criminals from attempting to peddle their poison in our communities," said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Orlando Assistant Special Agent in Charge David Pezzutti. "Our agents, alongside our partners, work tirelessly to stop the importation of illicit narcotics into our communities.”

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John M. Gardella.

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the unsealing an indictment charging Gabriel Gladman, (23, Akron, OH) with eight counts of providing false statements with the intent to purchase firearms and six counts of selling/transferring a firearm to a juvenile under the age of 18.

If convicted, Gladman faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison for each false statement count and up to a year in federal prison for each count of selling/transferring a firearm to a juvenile. The indictment also notifies Gladman that the United States intends to forfeit the following eight firearms: a Smith & Wesson, SD40 (.40 caliber semi-automatic firearm), a Taurus G2 semi-automatic firearm, a Glock 24 semi-automatic firearm, a FMK 9C1 semi-automatic firearm, two Taurus G3 semi-automatic firearms, and two Tara TM-9X semi-automatic firearms, which are alleged to be traceable to proceeds of the offense.         

According to the indictment, between November 22, 2022, and June 16, 2023, Gladman bought semi-automatic firearms on eight separate occasions in Tampa, providing false information to federally licensed firearm dealers each time. Gladman represented that he was the actual buyer of the firearms, when in fact he was buying the firearms on behalf of someone else. On six separate occasions, Gladman sold or transferred those firearms to juveniles under the age of 18.

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

This case was investigated by the Tampa Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Maria Guzman. Assistant United States Attorney Suzanne Nebesky is handling the forfeiture of the firearms.

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.

Three men were sentenced today in connection to a $54 million bribery and kickback scheme involving TRICARE, a federal program that provides health insurance benefits to active duty and retired service members and their families. 

David Byron Copeland, 55, of Tallahassee, Florida, was sentenced to four years and three months in prison following his conviction at trial in June for paying and receiving health care kickbacks. James Wesley Moss, 60, of Huntsville, Alabama, and Michael Gordon, 60, of Fort Myers, Florida, were sentenced to two years and three months and one year and six months in prison, respectively, following their guilty pleas to a kickback and fraud conspiracy, among other charges.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Moss was a part-owner and CEO of Florida Pharmacy Solutions (FPS), a Florida-based pharmacy that specialized in compounded prescription drugs. Copeland was also a part-owner and senior sales manager at FPS, and Gordon was a lead sales representative. Moss, Copeland, and Gordon, along with their accomplices, engaged in a practice known as “test billing” to develop the most expensive combination of compounded drugs to maximize reimbursement from TRICARE. Moss, Copeland, Gordon, and their accomplices targeted physicians who treated TRICARE beneficiaries and paid bribes and kickbacks to physicians and salespeople to encourage the referral of prescriptions to FPS. The bribes included lavish hunting trips and expensive dinners. In addition, FPS employees used “blanket letters of authorization” that allowed FPS to modify the prescription components to make them more profitable.   

Moss paid Copeland and Gordon millions of dollars in kickbacks based on a percentage of the amount that TRICARE reimbursed for their prescriptions, which provided an incentive to seek prescriptions for the most expensive compounded drugs possible, including pain and scar creams. Copeland facilitated the kickbacks through companies he set up to receive and funnel the payments. From late 2012 through mid-2015, FPS billed TRICARE over $54 million for its compounded pharmaceuticals.   

In April, co-defendant Edward Christopher White was sentenced to two years and nine months in prison after pleading guilty for his role in the scheme.

Acting Assistant Attorney Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Roger Handberg for the Middle District of Florida; Special Agent in Charge Darrin K. Jones of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General (DOD-OIG), Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Southeast Field Office; Acting Special Agent in Charge Stephen Mahmood of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG), Miami Regional Office; Special Agent in Charge David Spilker of the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General (VA-OIG), Southeast Field Office; Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division; and Special Agent in Charge David Walker of the FBI Tampa Field Office made the announcement.

The DOD-OIG, HHS-OIG, VA-OIG, and FBI investigated the case.

Trial Attorneys Devon Helfmeyer, Clayton Solomon, and Katie Rookard of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case.

The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,000 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $24.7 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Kathryn Mizelle has sentenced Mark Peterson (30, Tampa) to 36 years and 8 months in federal prison for production and distribution of child sex abuse material. The court also ordered Peterson to forfeit electronic devices used during the offense and pay $22,419.44 in restitution. Peterson had pleaded guilty on May 23, 2023.

According to court documents, between 2017 and 2018, through the social media application Facebook, Peterson enticed and coerced a 16-year-old victim to produce sexually explicit images and videos of herself. In 2020, through the social media application Discord, Peterson traded images and videos of children, including toddlers and babies, being sexually abused.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ilyssa M. Spergel.

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

Orlando, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that O’Neil Clifton Gordon (24, Orlando) has pleaded guilty to possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl. Gordon faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to the plea agreement, on March 10, 2022, law enforcement officers observed what they believed to be a drug exchange between Gordon and one of his known associates. As Gordon left the exchange, deputies from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO) turned on their vehicles’ lights and sirens and attempted to stop Gordon. Instead of stopping, Gordon fled in his vehicle and eventually escaped. The next day, a felony arrest warrant was issued.

On April 28, 2022, OSCO deputies observed Gordon drive down Colonial Drive in Orlando, realized he had an active warrant, and conducted surveillance. Gordon parked outside a barbershop. While in the parking lot, OCSO observed what they believed to be a hand-to-hand drug exchange.

Gordon eventually left the parking lot, got in his car, and drove away. OCSO deputies followed Gordon until he pulled into his neighborhood. The deputies turned on their lights and sirens and attempted to arrest Gordon. Gordon exited his vehicle and began running. OCSO eventually caught up to Gordon and arrested him. They recovered $830 cash from his pockets.

Inside Gordon’s vehicle, OCSO officers located a Glock firearm, extended magazine, and 21 rounds of ammunition. They also recovered a backpack containing narcotics, including 14.46 grams of fentanyl, a digital scale, and plastic baggies from the front passenger seat.

OCSO got a warrant to search Gordon’s room where they recovered additional ammunition, narcotics, and a pill press.

OCSO also obtained a warrant to search Gordon’s Instagram account where they located photographs of him with a firearm and conversations regarding the sale of cocaine, pills, and marijuana.

 

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Rachel S. Lyons.

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Olidier Roblero-Perez (34, Mexico) has been arrested and charged by criminal complaint with transporting undocumented aliens for the purpose of furthering their illegal presence in the United States. If convicted, Roblero-Perez faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison.

According to the complaint, deputies from the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office (SJSO) encountered Roblero-Perez at a motel in St. Augustine while investigating an incident in which Virjilio Aguilar-Mendez, an undocumented alien from Guatemala, violently struggled with officers who were attempting to arrest him, and which resulted in the death of an SJSO deputy from a medical issue. Aguilar-Mendez was later charged with aggravated manslaughter of an officer and resisting an officer with violence.

Investigators determined that Roblero-Perez had transported Aguilar-Mendez and two other undocumented aliens, both from Mexico, from southwest Florida to St. Johns County to work at a farm in the area. He also transported them between the motel and the farm each day. He also paid for their motel room with cash.

Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) later learned that Roblero-Perez and the two undocumented aliens from Mexico were staying at a motel in Moultrie, Georgia, and that Roblero-Perez had transported them there. Roblero-Perez transported the aliens between the motel and a farm each day for work, collected and distributed their pay in cash, and paid for their motel room with cash.

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office and United States Border Patrol. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Arnold B. Corsmeier.

Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell has sentenced Steven Dewayne Barnes, Jr. (26, Fort Myers) to 10 years and 1 month in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon and possessing a firearm with an obliterated serial number. The court also ordered Barnes to forfeit the firearm and ammunition possessed during the offense. Barnes had been found guilty following a bench trial on July 12, 2023.

According to court records, during the afternoon of November 14, 2022, officers from the Fort Myers Police Department encountered Barnes walking along Washington Avenue in Fort Myers and engaged him in conversation. During their conversation, the officers made serval observations which led them to believe that Barnes was concealing a weapon on his person. As a result, the officers conducted a pat down of Barnes and found a loaded Smith and Wesson handgun concealed under his clothing and tucked into his waistband. An inspection of the firearm revealed that its serial number had been scratched out. As a convicted felon who had previously served prison time, Barnes is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law. Forensic ballistics analysis later linked the firearm retrieved from Barnes to two recent drive-by shootings in Fort Myers.          

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 Fort Myers Police Department, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Simon R. Eth.

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Octavio Nogueira Pessoa (31, Largo) with three counts of production, one count of distribution, one count of receipt, and one count of possession of child sex abuse material. If convicted, Pessoa faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison for each possession count, and up to 20 years in federal prison for each of the remaining counts. Pessoa has been ordered detained pending trial.

According to the indictment and evidence presented in open court, in December 2021, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Pessoa’s residence after receiving a tip related to child sexual abuse material. During the search, law enforcement discovered that Pessoa was in a romantic relationship with his adult cousin who lived in Brazil. As part of that relationship, the couple openly discussed sexually abusing children in their family and recording those acts. On occasion, Pessoa directed his cousin to sexually abuse children and record the explicit conduct, including conduct involving an 8-year-old victim. In addition to these conversations, during the search warrant, law enforcement discovered thousands of images and videos of child sexual abuse material on Pessoa’s devices.

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 Tampa, with substantial assistance from the Largo Police Department and the Brazilian Department of Federal Police. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs also provided assistance. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Erin Claire Favorit.

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.

Ocala, Florida – Senior United States District Judge Gregory A. Presnell has sentenced Brian Keith Coleman (34, Tallahassee) to 12 years in federal prison for possession of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it. Coleman had pleaded guilty on August 3, 2023.

According to court documents, on March 7, 2023, the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) found Coleman’s vehicle broken down on the shoulder of Interstate 75 with Coleman standing nearby. After developing probable cause to search the vehicle, a trooper found methamphetamine, fentanyl, marijuana, and ammunition inside. Where Coleman had been standing, the trooper also located over a pound of methamphetamine and a loaded firearm. All these items belonged to Coleman.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Tallahassee Police Department, and the Florida Highway Patrol. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Belkis H. Crockett and Tyrie K. Boyer.

Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Jose Santos Pardo (23, Homestead) with one count of possession with the intent to distribute over 40 grams of fentanyl and one count of possession of contraband by an inmate in prison. If convicted, Santos Pardo faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 5 years, up to 40 years, in federal prison for the fentanyl offense and up to 10 years’ imprisonment for the possession of contraband offense.

According to the court records, Santos Pardo was an inmate at the Coleman Federal Correctional Complex, assigned to a low security section of the prison. On November 19, 2022, a correctional officer observed Santos Pardo running along the side of the road towards an inmate housing unit carrying three bags. When confronted, officers determined that Santos Pardo’s bags contained 92.8 grams of fentanyl, over 300 grams of marijuana, tobacco, several bottles of alcohol, 14 cellphones, and multiple other prohibited items. 

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.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge James S. Moody, Jr. has sentenced Alexander Leszczynski to 17 years and 6 months in federal prison for murder for hire and obstruction of justice. Leszczynski had pleaded guilty on June 6, 2023. Judge Moody ordered that Leszczynski’s sentence of 17 years and 6 months be served consecutive to the 17 years and 6 months’ sentence he received in a related fraud case.

According to court documents, in October 2020, Leszczynski, using the name of a fake charity, filed a fraudulent warranty deed for a transfer of a property in Redington Shores, Florida. When the owners of that residence, Victim 1 and Victim 2, sued Leszczynski to correct the deed, Leszczynski sent a series of harassing letters, emails, and faxes to the victims and the lawyer representing them in the lawsuit.

In April 2022, Leszczynski was charged with the deed fraud related to the property belonging to Victim 1 and Victim 2, various other frauds, as well as multiple counts of money laundering in case United States v. Alexander Leszczynski, 8:22-cr-155-MSS-SPF. He was arraigned on May 17, 2022, and ordered detained.

In August 2022, the FBI became aware that while incarcerated at the Pinellas County Jail, Leszczynski sought out a hitman to kill Victim 1 and Victim 2. Leszczynski reported to a confidential informant that he had $45,000, hidden at his residence, available to pay someone to kill the victims. Leszczynski relayed to the confidential informant that he would be able to get the victims’ property and that his pending criminal case (the fraud case) would have to be dropped if the victims were dead. The confidential informant agreed to put Leszczynski in contact with a purported hitman, who was actually an undercover agent.

On September 8 and 9, 2022, Leszczynski had calls with the undercover agent. Among other details, Leszczynski shared Victim 1 and Victim 2’s names, address, physical descriptions, approximate ages, and provided additional details that would allow the “hitman” to find photographs of Victim 1 and Victim 2 online. Leszczynski also negotiated the price for the murder at $30,000, and repeatedly ensured that he wanted Victim 1 and Victim 2 dead.

In November 2022, Leszczynski pleaded guilty in both cases. He later withdrew his plea in the murder-for-hire case, but again pleaded guilty in June 2023. Since he pleaded guilty in both cases, Leszczynski has written numerous letters—intercepted by the United States—attempting to solicit and threaten others to come forward and fraudulently take responsibility for his crimes.

The fraud case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Largo Police Department, the Indian Shores Police Department, and the Palm Beach Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rachel Jones. The murder-for-hire case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Shauna S. Hale and Samantha J. Newman.

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Matthew Frederic Bergwall (21, Coral Gables), also known as “MXB,” with conspiracy to commit computer and mail fraud, and substantive mail fraud. If convicted on all counts, Bergwall faces a maximum penalty of 45 years in federal prison. The indictment also notifies Bergwall that the United States is seeking an order of forfeiture in the amount of the proceeds of the charged criminal conduct. Bergwall will make his initial appearance today in Miami.

According to the indictment, from December 2021 until April 2022, Bergwall gained unauthorized access to compromised employee accounts of a multi-national shipping, receiving, and supply chain management company (the Victim Company). Bergwall and his co-conspirators used these accounts to enter fraudulent tracking information for merchandise transported by the Victim Company on behalf of victim-retailers located all over the country. This allowed the co-conspirators to pursue full refunds from victim-retailers while maintaining physical possession of the merchandise, such as high-end electronics, jewelry, designer clothing, and accessories. Bergwall and his co-conspirators offered this service for sale, which was marketed as “FTID” (Fraudulent Tracking ID). Bergwall’s FTID fraud scheme caused nearly 10,000 fraudulent returns and resulted in at least $3.5 million in lost product and sales revenue to victim-retailers.

In addition to orchestrating the overall FTID fraud scheme, at times, Bergwall purchased merchandise for himself and later submitted fraudulent tracking information to the Victim Company, prompting full refunds from victim-retailers. For example, during the course of the conspiracy, he did so with regard to a $41,000 Rolex President Day-Date watch, a $600 TeamGee H2O Electric Skateboard, a $350 Samsung 43-inch Smart UHD TV, and an $80 pair of Reebok shoes.

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 Tampa, with valuable assistance from Homeland Security Investigations Miami. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Carlton C. Gammons.

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Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Charlene Edwards Honeywell today sentenced Marquis Henry Mack (33, Sarasota) to 37 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Mack had pleaded guilty on August 9, 2023.

According to court documents, on January 4, 2023, deputies from the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office responded to Mack’s residence to serve a narcotics-related arrest warrant that had been issued in Manatee County. Mack was standing in his driveway when the deputies approached him. When informed of the pending arrest warrant, Mack turned around and began to walk toward his garage, failing to obey all verbal commands to stop. The deputies grabbed ahold of Mack, and as Mack struggled to break free, the deputies pulled a loaded SCCY CPX-1 9mm caliber pistol from Mack’s front pocket. 

Mack, a previously convicted felon, had served 18 months in state prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon in 2021. 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, the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office, and the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David W.A. Chee and Samantha E. Beckman.

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

Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Paul Lesslie Thompson (69, Anthony) with one count of receipt of stolen government property. If convicted, Thompson faces up to 10 years in federal prison and an order of forfeiture for at least $1,169,327.54, which represents the proceeds of the offense charged in the indictment.

According to the indictment, between May 1993 and December 2022, Thompson willfully received, concealed, and retained $1,169,327.54 that was stolen from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs through Veterans Affairs Disability Compensation.

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 Department of Veterans Affairs – Office of Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk.

Tampa, Florida – Senior U.S. District Judge Susan Bucklew has sentenced Eugene Washington, Jr. (36, Bradenton) to nine years in federal prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession with the intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl. Washington had pleaded guilty on June 7, 2023.

According to the plea agreement, on the morning of August 12, 2022, officers from the Bradenton Police Department (BPD) responded to a call for service from a concerned citizen regarding an unresponsive individual sitting in the driver’s seat of his vehicle around the 700 block of 9th Street East in Bradenton. The car was stopped in traffic, facing the traffic light in the median lane. Once at the scene, the BPD officers asked Washington to exit the vehicle. As Washington exited the car, the officers noticed a silver and black Smith and Wesson SD40 .40 caliber pistol on the driver’s seat. Washington turned back into the car and appeared to reach for the firearm. The firearm was loaded with 11 rounds of ammunition. 

Also recovered from inside the vehicle was a backpack, located on the passenger floorboard, that backpack contained a variety of controlled substances, including: 44.07 grams of fentanyl, 35.06 grams of methamphetamine, 93.86 grams of cocaine base, 13.91 grams of cocaine, 36.28 grams of hydrocodone, 9.99 grams of oxycodone, 433.37 grams of dimethylpentylone (a substituted cathinone), and 21.35 grams of cannabis. Washington later admitted that he had previously been convicted of distributing heroin and had served a federal prison sentence for that offense. As a convicted felon, Washington is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.

This case was investigated by the Bradenton Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David W.A. Chee and 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.

Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Jerome Swopshire (40, Silver Springs) with possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. If convicted, Swopshire faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. 

According to the indictment, on August 9, 2023, Swopshire possessed a Taurus firearm and Sig ammunition. At the time, Swopshire had previous state felony convictions for robbery, child abuse, resisting an officer with violence, felony domestic battery, and possession of a controlled substance without a prescription. As a convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing firearms 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 was investigated by the Ocala Police Department, the United States Marshals Service, and Homeland Security Investigations. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.

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.

Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that a federal jury has found Corey Gaddy (31, St. Petersburg) guilty of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances including fentanyl and two counts of distribution of fentanyl. Gaddy faces a maximum sentence of 60 years’ imprisonment. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for February 1, 2024. Gaddy was arrested on September 9, 2020, and has remained in custody.

According to court records, testimony and evidence presented at trial, Gaddy was a supplier of opioids in Pinellas County since 2017. One of his dealers, Shawn Rodriguez, was at various times during the conspiracy a distributor of opioids in the Madeira Beach area. In February 2019, the Largo Police Department conducted a traffic stop of Gaddy where heroin was concealed on his person. On November 6, 2019, while on bond for that offense, Gaddy distributed fentanyl to Rodriguez who then supplied the same to K.E. In the early morning hours of November 7, 2019, K.E. died of fentanyl toxicity. Gaddy learned that K.E. had died but continued distributing opioids anyway. In April 2020, while still on bond for his pending state case, Gaddy distributed opioids to J.P. and another individual. Two days later, J.P. was found dead on a fishing boat.

Rodriguez previously pleaded guilty to his role in the case. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for February 7, 2024.

This case was investigated by Drug Enforcement Administration, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, and the Largo Police Department, with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation as part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and those primarily responsible for the nation’s drug supply. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Dan Baeza and Lauren Stoia.

Tampa, FL - United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Jason Washington (42, St. Petersburg) has pleaded guilty to one count of possession of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine with the intent to distribute it. Due to the amount of methamphetamine Washington possessed, he faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.   

According to court documents, on April 13, 2023, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Washington’s residence. Inside the home, they found over 240 grams of methamphetamine, 225 grams of fentanyl, and 102 grams of cocaine. Officers also located more than $77,000 in cash and six firearms inside the home.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the St. Petersburg Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Samantha Newman.

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

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge James S. Moody, Jr. today sentenced Clinton Justesen (49, Sebring) to six years and two months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it. Justesen had pleaded guilty on March 6, 2023.

According to the plea agreement, on September 9, 2022, deputies from the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office stopped a truck driven by Justesen near the intersection of Williamsburg Street and North Lockwood Ridge Road in Sarasota.   Justesen was towing a motorcycle which had been reported stolen on August 23, 2022. A search of Justesen’s truck and the trailer carrying the motorcycle revealed multiple firearms, hundreds of rounds of ammunition of different calibers, approximately 12.6 grams of methamphetamine, a vacuum sealer, a digital scale, assorted pills and tablets of various colors, and approximately $12,000 in cash. 

The firearms recovered from Justesen’s truck included: (1) a HS Produkt XD9 9mm pistol; (2) a Smith & Wesson M&P 9 Shield 9mm pistol; and (3) an Anderson Manufacturing AM-15 .223/5.56mm caliber rifle with a vertical foregrip installed thereon. 

At the time, Justesen had prior felony convictions including: (1) vehicular homicide; (2) leaving the scene of a crash with death; (3) armed robbery; and (4) felon in possession of a firearm, all on or about January 31, 1997. As a convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.

Justesen later admitted to ATF to selling narcotics, possessing the firearms, and that he needed the firearms for his protection during his drug dealing activities.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David W.A. Chee.

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

Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that a federal jury has found Dickenson Elan (40, Clearwater) guilty of Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) conspiracy. Elan faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for February 7, 2024. Elan had been indicted on September 7, 2022.

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, between January 2016 and April 2017, Elan participated in the RICO conspiracy with coconspirators Andi Jacques (42, Greenacres) and Louisant Jolteus (37, West Palm Beach), and a now deceased conspirator who was referenced in the indictment as RICH4EVER4430. Elan and Jacques created and operated at least six fraudulent tax businesses together to file false tax returns in the names of thousands of victims. They also registered with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) preparer tax identification numbers using the names and information of identity theft victims, to make it appear that those victims were the individuals who were filing false returns in bulk.

Some of the personal identifiable information (PII) used to file these returns was stolen from victims who had come into the tax businesses to file their taxes. Other PII was obtained by using a dark web marketplace to purchase server credentials for the computer servers of Certified Public Accounting (CPA) and tax preparation firms across the country. The server credentials were then used to remotely and covertly commit computer intrusions and exfiltrate the tax returns of thousands of taxpayers who were clients of those CPA and tax preparation firms. The PII from those taxpayers was traced back to returns filed through the false businesses that Elan and Jacques had created. The conspirators directed the resulting tax refunds to debit cards and bank accounts that they controlled. During the 2016 and 2017 tax seasons, the conspirators attempted to obtain more than $16 million in false tax returns and preparers’ fees from the IRS. The photo below was found in Elan’s email account and was sent after the 2016 tax season.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John M. Gardella and William S. Hamilton.

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Roy B. Dalton, Jr. has sentenced Christian Arroyo-Rivera (30, Kissimmee) to six years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and possessing with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing cocaine. The court also ordered Arroyo-Rivera to forfeit the firearm and ammunition used in the offense. Arroyo-Rivera had pleaded guilty on August 23, 2023. 

According to court documents, on May 25, 2022, the Drug Enforcement Administration received information from the United States Postal Inspection Service that a parcel addressed to “Carlos Arroyo,” with an address in Kissimmee, was shipped from Puerto Rico and scheduled for a delivery the next day. A controlled delivery of the parcel to Arroyo-Rivera’s mailbox was coordinated for the next day. After Arroyo-Rivera retrieved the package, he was stopped and taken into custody. The parcel contained nearly 2 kilograms of cocaine. Agents also located a loaded Polymer80, 9mm pistol and extended magazine in Arroyo-Rivera’s vehicle. As a previously convicted felon, Arroyo-Rivera is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.   

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from the United States Postal Inspection Service. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Megan Testerman and Shannon Laurie.

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

Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Danielle Jane Liles (41, Summerfield) with eight counts of wire fraud. If convicted, Liles faces up to 20 years in federal prison on each count. The United States is also seeking an order of forfeiture for at least $616,793.43, which represents the unlawful proceeds of the offenses charged in the indictment.

According to the court records, between January 11, 2016, and April 10, 2023, Liles devised a scheme to defraud Silver River Mentoring and Instruction (SRMI), an alternative school for middle and high school students. During this time, Liles handled the payroll at SRMI and gave herself 137 unauthorized paychecks by logging false information into SRMI’s accounting software. Liles received her paychecks through Automated Clearinghouse Services (ACH) wire transfers.

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 and the U.S. Department of Education – Office of Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk.

Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Marcus Cleaver Morgan, Jr. (23, Ocala) with possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. If convicted, Morgan faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison.

According to the indictment, on January 14, 2023, Morgan possessed a Glock firearm. At that time, Morgan had a previous state felony conviction for carrying a concealed firearm. As a convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing firearms 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 was investigated by the Ocala Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.

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.

Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Janet Pettyjohn (77, Spring Hill) and Shelly Gallagher (34, Brooksville) with conspiracy to distribute drugs. The indictment also charges Pettyjohn with 21 substantive counts, and Gallagher with 9 substantive counts, of unlawful drug distribution. If convicted, Pettyjohn and Gallagher each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison on each count. The indictment notifies Pettyjohn that the United States intends to forfeit $34,132 in U.S. currency, which is alleged to be traceable to proceeds of her criminal conduct.

According to the indictment, Pettyjohn was an osteopathic physician licensed to practice medicine in the State of Florida with a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) registration number to prescribe controlled substances. In July 2020, Florida’s Board of Osteopathic Medicine (BOM) restricted Pettyjohn from prescribing opioids due to complaints about the manner in which she prescribed controlled substances. After the BOM’s Final Order and the prescribing restriction took effect, Pettyjohn continued to prescribe opioids in violation of the Final Order. The BOM later lifted the prescribing restriction in March 2021.

Gallagher is Pettyjohn’s granddaughter and did not hold a medical license. Between March 2021 and February 2023, Gallagher sponsored patients at Pettyjohn’s clinic and ordered controlled substances for herself and others from Pettyjohn. Pettyjohn knowingly and intentionally prescribed the controlled substances for Gallagher and others for no legitimate medical purpose in the usual course of professional practice, which Gallagher and others abused and diverted.

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 Drug Enforcement Administration—Tampa District Office, the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office, and by the Opioid Fraud Abuse and Detection Unit at the United States Attorney’s Office, which focuses on opioid-related fraud and abuse by medical and health care professionals who have contributed to the prescription opioid epidemic. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Greg Pizzo.

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that a federal jury has found Jesse Rance Moore (46, Bell) guilty of four counts pertaining to Hobbs Act robberies and three counts of brandishing a firearm during the robberies. Moore faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison for each of the robbery offenses and up to life in federal prison for each of the firearm offenses. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for January 30, 2024. Moore had been charged in a superseding indictment on January 26, 2023.

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, the FBI first learned of a masked man robbing a string of pharmacy stores in the Columbia County area after the North Florida Pharmacy in Fort White was robbed at gun point on January 13, 2022. This masked individual was captured on surveillance exiting a blue/grey sedan, walking into the pharmacy with a black handgun, and demanding controlled substances, specifically, oxycodone, oxycontin, and Percocet.   

After holding up multiple store employees and taking the controlled substances, the masked man exited the pharmacy and drove southbound on US Highway 27. Unbeknownst to the robber, a good Samaritan in the pharmacy’s drive-thru followed the getaway vehicle and captured the license plate number, which led back to Moore. Further, the FBI later discovered that the vehicles used in the previous three robberies: the North Florida Pharmacy (Fort White) on August 2, 2021; North Florida Pharmacy (Chiefland) on November 20, 2021; and the Baya West Pharmacy (Lake City) on December 29, 2021 either matched the description of a pickup truck registered to Moore or matched the vehicles Moore’s wife had rented just days prior to the robberies.  

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, law enforcement seized articles of clothing, multiple masks, the firearm, handwritten notes, and brown boots associated with the robberies. In addition, and despite Moore’s many disguises, witnesses testified to the robber’s physical appearance, clothing, interactions, and demeanor during the robberies.

During trial, evidence seized from Moore’s cellphone was presented to demonstrate that he had googled medications stolen from the pharmacies, the store hours of pharmacies, and a variety of keyword searches, including the question “do drug stores get robbed in florida,” which he had Googled just a couple weeks prior to the first robbery. 

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, the Lake City Police Department, the Chiefland Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Florida Highway Patrol. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kirwinn Mike.

Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Tommy Louisville (71, Pembroke Pines) has pleaded guilty to unlawful drug distribution, making a false statement related to health care matters, and wire fraud. Louisville faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison for the drug distribution offense, up to 5 years’ imprisonment for the false statement offense, and up to 20 years in federal prison for the wire fraud offense. A sentencing date has not been scheduled.

According to the plea agreement, Louisville was a Florida-licensed physician and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) registrant. On May 30, 2019, the Florida Board of Medicine suspended Louisville from the practice of medicine for two years, thereby making him ineligible to lawfully prescribe controlled substances. Louisville continued to issue controlled-substance prescriptions after his medical license was suspended. Furthermore, he concealed from Medicare the fact that he was not authorized to issue prescriptions in connection with the submission to Medicare of the prescriptions for payment. Louisville eventually shuttered his medical business in approximately November 2019.

Between April and May 2020, Louisville used his closed business to fraudulently obtain a federal Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan in the amount of $33,034. Louisville submitted an application that contained multiple fraudulent representations, including stating average monthly payroll suggesting he actively operated a medical business; that he employed six employees; and certifying that loan proceeds would be used for business-related purposes. Louisville agreed to forfeit $33,034, the proceeds of his criminal conduct.

In May 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The task force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - Office of Inspector General, the Drug Enforcement Administration -Tampa District Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Greg Pizzo.

Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Justice Department’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Charlene Honeywell has sentenced Christopher Au-Young (36, California) to five years in federal prison for interstate stalking and cyberstalking. Au-Young pleaded guilty to six counts of stalking five different victims on July 28, 2023.

According to court documents, since August 2022, Au-Young engaged in a campaign of online and telephonic harassment and threats against multiple victims living in the Middle District of Florida and elsewhere. Au-Young engaged in a course of conduct with the intent to harass or intimidate the victims, all of whom were black. Specifically, Au-Young cyberstalked, harassed, and threatened the victims by posting threatening and harassing videos on Facebook, YouTube, Vimeo, and Reddit, and often used racial slurs or other racially offensive language in doing so.

Between October 2022 and his arrest in January 2023, Au-Young stalked Victim 1. Victim 1 met Au-Young on his podcast dedicated to interracial dating. After Victim 1 expressed disinterest in seeing Au-Young, he began a campaign of terrorizing her through racist threats. Au-Young made his intent clear, telling her, “I hope I ruin your life.” Au-Young posted multiple videos on YouTube in which he published Victim 1’s personal information, to include her home address and real name, which Victim 1 had never provided to Au-Young. He also drove three hours to her residence, in the middle of the night, and parked outside of her home. Victim 1 felt so unsafe because of Au-Young’s conduct that she had to move. Victim 1 also correctly believed that Au-Young nefariously targeted black women through his actions, podcast, and racist statements made online regarding Dylan Roof and mass shootings.

Victim 2 met Au-Young online in a Facebook group about veterans. They began a consensual dating relationship. Victim 2 subsequently decided to end the relationship. In response, Au-Young began stalking, threatening, and harassing Victim 2 and her family members: her daughter (Victim 3), her son (Victim 4), and her brother (Victim 5). Au-Young published several videos on the internet that contained racist and defamatory remarks warning the community to stay away from Victim 2 and several of Victim 2’s family members. According to Victim 2, Au-Young warned her that he would never stop coming for her and told Victim 2 to lock her doors at night and sleep with one-eye open. Au-Young posted a bounty video offering a $4,000 reward for information on Victim 2’s whereabouts. 

Victim 3 is the adult daughter of Victim 2. Au-Young posted dozens of videos online threatening to come after Victim 3. One video Au-Young posted online is entitled, “[VICTIM 3]” with a photo of Victim 3 and a text layover that reads: “[Victim 3] PED-O-FILE”. In a second video, Au-Young accused Victim 3 of being homophobic and calling for her place of employment to fire her. On December 11, 2022, Au-Young drove from California to Illinois to stalk Victim 3, in person. He posted videos online during his cross-country trip announcing that he was going to vandalize Victim 3’s vehicle in retaliation for Victim 2’s decision to break up with him. Au-Young arrived in Illinois on December 12, 2022, and stalked Victim 3 for three days at Victim 3’s place of employment. A concerned YouTube watcher alerted law enforcement officers who located Au-Young in the backseat of his vehicle parked near the entrance of Victim 3’s place of employment.

Victim 4 is the son of Victim 2. Like Victims 2 and 3, Au-Young posted racist, threatening, and defaming videos to the internet threatening to come after Victim 4. In addition to the videos, Au-Young mailed approximately four letters to Victim 4. Au-Young’s typed letters called Victim 4 and his family racial epithets [n-word] and contained threats to come after them.

Victim 5 is the brother of Victim 2. Au-Young published videos on the internet making false allegations that Victim 5 was a pedophile. The videos show photos of Victim 5 and make specific allegations against Victim 5, claiming he is a dangerous person who has molested several children. The videos also implicated Victim 5’s wife. Au-Young also sent letters to Victim 5’s residence and the church where Victim 5 worked as a minister. Although all of the allegations were false, Au-Young told the community that Victim 5 was a pedophile who was aided by his wife.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Tampa Police Department, the Anaheim Police Department (California), and the Carbondale Police Department (Illinois). It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ilyssa M. Spergel and former Assistant United States Attorney Lisa Thelwell.

Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Brian J. Davis has sentenced Lyndsey Rhea Markland (41, Panama City) to 12 months in federal prison for passing counterfeit Federal Reserve notes. The court also ordered Markland to pay restitution to the victims she defrauded. On June 8, 2023, Markland pleaded guilty to four counts of passing counterfeit Federal Reserve notes.   

According to court documents and public records, in 2022, Markland entered various businesses in Brevard, Clay, Duval, and Seminole counties and purchased gift cards, merchandise, and food using counterfeit Federal Reserve notes. Law enforcement subsequently determined that Markland and her co-defendant, Neal Evan Pollman (42, Panama City), were staying at a hotel in Palm Bay. In November 2022, the Palm Bay Police Department (PBPD) executed a search warrant at their hotel room and located Markland inside the room. Also located in the room was approximately $30,000 in counterfeit currency and a printer, along with other tools used by Pollman to manufacture counterfeit Federal Reserve notes. Shortly after the execution of the search warrant, the PBPD located Pollman in the vicinity of the hotel and arrested him. When the officers searched Pollman, they recovered various counterfeit Federal Reserve notes on him which were traced back to his manufacturing activities. During a subsequent forensic examination of Pollman’s cellphone, law enforcement located images of Federal Reserve notes that Pollman used to manufacture the counterfeit currency.

Pollman and Markland appeared in federal court on April 27, 2023, pursuant to a writ bringing them to Jacksonville from the Bay County Jail, where they were serving jail sentences for violating their state probation on multiple charges related to passing counterfeit Federal Reserve notes. The court ordered Pollman and Markland detained.

On September 25, 2023, U.S. District Judge Davis sentenced Pollman to 18 months in federal prison for manufacturing counterfeit Federal Reserve notes. The court also ordered Pollman to pay restitution to the victims he defrauded.  

This case was investigated by the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the Palm Bay Police Department, the Orange Park Police Department, the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, and the United States Secret Service - Jacksonville Field Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Michael Buck Brockway (39, Jacksonville) with using the internet and his cellphone from July 17 through July 28, 2023, to attempt to entice a minor child to engage in sexual activity. If convicted, Brockway faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison, and a potential life term of supervised release. Brockway was arrested on July 28, 2023, in Jacksonville, on related state charges. He was arraigned in federal court on November 2, 2023, and ordered detained pending trial.

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

This case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.

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