Middle District of Florida
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Lehigh Acres Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing A Firearm During Drug TransactionRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Mar’tavious Martel Brown (25, Lehigh Acres) today pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime. Brown faces a minimum mandatory penalty of five years, up to life, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the plea agreement, on August 19, 2022, Brown sold a pistol and cocaine to an undercover Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agent in Fort Myers.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark R. Morgan.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Kissimmee Resident Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Bank FraudRead the Press Release
Orlando, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Carlos Ferrer (46, Tampa) has pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Ferrer faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not been set.
According to the plea agreement, Ferrer, co-conspirator Maria Del Carmen Montes, and others conspired to create and executed a mortgage fraud scheme targeting financial institutions. To ensure that otherwise unqualified borrowers were approved for mortgage loans, the conspirators created fictitious and fraudulent paystubs and IRS Form W-2s in the names of companies for which the borrowers had never worked. The bogus income documents falsely indicated that borrowers had worked at these companies, including companies formed and controlled by Ferrer, for a certain period and earned income that they had not. These fictitious paystubs and W-2s were submitted to the financial institutions who relied on them when making underwriting decisions.
To further deceive the mortgage lenders, Ferrer filled in the false employment and employment and income on Verifications of Employment (VOE) sent by the financial institutions. Ferrer then falsely certified and emailed VOEs sent by the financial institution in the names of borrowers that he knew did not work for his companies and lied to the financial institutions during verbal VOE verifications. Based on Ferrer’s misrepresentations, the financial institutions approved and funded the mortgage loans.
This case was investigated by the Federal Housing Finance Agency – Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development – Office of Inspector General, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Chris Poor.
Convicted Felon Indicted for Possessing A Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL - United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Sherron Gary (40, Tampa) with possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. If convicted, Gary faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 15 years, and up to a life, in federal prison.
According to the indictment, on April 9, 2023, Gary possessed a Walther Creed 9mm semiautomatic pistol, 12 rounds of Blazer 9mm ammunition, 1 round of Starline 9mm ammunition, and 1 round of Sig 9mm ammunition. Gary has multiple prior felony convictions, including aggravated battery and armed burglary of a dwelling, trafficking of cocaine, delivery of cocaine, and delivery of cocaine within 1,000 feet of a church, and is therefore prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Tampa Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Samantha Newman. The forfeiture is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Suzanne Nebesky.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case is part of 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.
Clay County White Supremacist Gang Member and Keystone Heights Woman Indicted on Firearm and Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Danny Ray Boree (38, Keystone Heights) and Angela Denee Lynch (47, Keystone Heights) with conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession with the intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine. Boree has also been charged with possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Boree and Lynch each face a minimum mandatory term of 5 years, and up to 40 years, in federal prison for each of the drug offenses. Boree faces up to 15 years’ imprisonment for the firearm offense. The indictment also notifies Boree and Lynch that the United States intends to forfeit a Raven Arms pistol traceable to the firearm offense. Boree was arrested on September 8, 2023, and ordered detained. Lynch was arrested on September 11, 2023.
According to the indictment and court proceedings, Boree is a member of The Unforgiven, a violent white supremacy gang. From an unknown date, but at least through June 2023, Boree and Lynch conspired to possess and distribute methamphetamine. On June 8, 2023, Boree and Lynch possessed with the intent to distribute over 5 grams of methamphetamine and Boree also possessed a firearm. At the time of the drug offenses, Boree had previously been convicted in state court in Florida of 10 felonies, including battery on a law enforcement officer, resisting an officer with violence, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon (2007, 2019). As a convicted felon, Boree is prohibited from possessing a firearm under federal law. Boree had been released from the Florida Department of Corrections in January 2023 for his last firearm conviction.
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 Clay County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives – Jacksonville Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein. The forfeiture will be 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.
Citrus Springs Man Sentenced to Thirty Years in Federal Prison for Producing Child Sex Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – Senior United States District Judge John Antoon II has sentenced Dustin Shane Sandiford (31, Citrus Springs) to 30 years in federal prison for production of child sex abuse material. Sandiford had pleaded guilty on September 3, 2021.
According to court documents and testimony, agents seized a cellphone from Sandiford on December 2, 2020. The phone contained a cloud storage application tied to accounts Sandiford used to hoard more than 17,000 images and videos of child sex abuse. Further investigation revealed that Sandiford had enlisted another Citrus County resident to create child sex abuse images of an underaged relative and then send the images to Sandiford. This material was also found on one of Sandiford’s cloud storage accounts.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William S. Hamilton.
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.
Brevard County Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Distributing Fentanyl and MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Paul G. Byron has sentenced Marquis Terrell Bryant (32, Brevard County) to 10 years in federal prison for distributing fentanyl and methamphetamine. Bryant had pleaded guilty on June 14, 2023.
According to court documents, between November 30, 2022, and January 31, 2023, Bryant sold drugs on six different occasions to a confidential source working with the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Palm Bay Police Department. In total, Bryant was responsible for distributing 111.23 grams of fentanyl and 276.3 grams of pure methamphetamine.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Palm Bay Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Megan Testerman.
South Carolina Woman Who Coordinated Drug Deals with Prison Inmate Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Evin Rae Davenport (32, Greenwood, South Carolina) today pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute, and possess with the intent to distribute, 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine. Davenport’s co-defendant, Zachariah Luke, pleaded guilty to the same charge on August 16, 2023. Both Davenport and Luke face minimum mandatory terms of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison.
According to Davenport’s plea agreement, in November 2021, Luke was serving a prison sentence in South Carolina. Using contraband cellphones, Luke communicated with Davenport who assisted him in acquiring and selling illegal drugs on the street. Receiving direction from Luke, Davenport delivered drugs three times to a Florida-based drug dealer, including approximately one kilogram of methamphetamine that she supplied to him outside of a department store in South Carolina.
Once Davenport delivered the kilogram of methamphetamine, the dealer returned to Florida. In St. Augustine, Florida, a deputy observed a traffic offense and signaled the dealer to pull over. The dealer initially appeared to be looking for a place to stop, but instead accelerated and raced down the streets of a residential neighborhood. A police helicopter tracked the speeding car, and the pilot observed an object being thrown from the car and directed another deputy to that specific location. Following the directions of the pilot, the deputy found a backpack on the side of the road. Inside, the deputy found approximately 985.6 grams of crystal methamphetamine that laboratory testing would later show was 100% pure.
After attempting to dispose of the drugs, the dealer continued to drive, but eventually reached a dead end. He then abandoned the car to hide in a nearby wooded area but was located and arrested. After that arrest, correctional officers in South Carolina seized multiple cellphones from Luke, which he was prohibited from possessing in prison. Investigators searched those phones and recovered text communications with both Davenport and the Florida-based dealer, concerning when, where, and from whom drugs were to be supplied and delivered.
This case was investigated by the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the South Carolina Department of Corrections, the Aiken County Sheriff’s Office, the Aiken Department of Public Safety, the North Augusta Department of Public Safety, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Coolican.
Miami-Based Businessman Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Violate Russia-Ukraine Sanctions and to Commit International Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
Sergey Karpushkin, 46, of Miami, a resident of the United States and a citizen of Belarus, pleaded guilty today to engaging in a scheme to violate U.S. sanctions and commit money laundering by conducting transactions for the purchase and acquisition of metal products valued at over $139 million from companies owned by Sergey Kurchenko, a sanctioned oligarch.
According to court documents, Kurchenko was sanctioned by the U.S. Department of the Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) in 2015 for his role in misappropriating Ukrainian state assets or economically significant entities.
According to the allegations in the information and other public filings: between in or about July 2017 and in or about August 2020, Karpushkin conspired with others to purchase and receive over $139 million in metal products from two companies that Karpushkin knew were owned and controlled by Kurchenko. Karpushkin and his business associates, acting through the Florida-based company Metalhouse LLC, entered into contracts and purchase orders for pig iron, steel billets, and wire rods from these companies, received tens of thousands of tons of metal products from the companies, and agreed to share profits from these unlawful transactions. Karpushkin and his business associates intentionally concealed from U.S. banks and government officials the ultimate source and origin of the goods they sought to acquire, knowing that they did not have the necessary authorization or license from OFAC to transact with Kurchenko and companies owned and controlled by Kurchenko.
Karpushkin pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Embry J. Kidd in Orlando, Florida, to one count of conspiring to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and to commit international promotional money laundering, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison. Karpushkin also agreed to forfeit $4,723,625 in proceeds that he obtained as a result of the conspiracy. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
An indictment charging alleged co-conspirator and Metalhouse president John Can Unsalan, aka Hurrem Can Unsalan, with one count of conspiring to violate and evade U.S. sanctions, in violation of IEEPA, 10 counts of violating IEEPA, one count of conspiring to commit international money laundering, and 10 counts of international money laundering was unsealed on April 17, and Unsalan has been detained pending further court proceedings.
The FBI Tampa Field Office and the International Corruption Unit of the FBI Washington Field Office are investigating the case, with valuable assistance provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the FBI Miami Field Office.
Trial Attorney Emma Ellenrieder of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, Assistant U.S. Attorney Chauncey A. Bratt for the Middle District of Florida, and Trial Attorney Sean O’Dowd of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Forfeiture Section are prosecuting the case.
The investigation was coordinated through the Justice Department’s Task Force KleptoCapture, an interagency law enforcement task force dedicated to enforcing the sweeping sanctions, export controls and economic countermeasures that the United States, along with its foreign allies and partners, has imposed in response to Russia’s unprovoked military invasion of Ukraine. Announced by the Attorney General on March 2, 2022, and under the leadership of the Office of the Deputy Attorney General, the task force will continue to leverage all of the department’s tools and authorities to combat efforts to evade or undermine the collective actions taken by the U.S. government in response to Russian military aggression.
Chicago Man Pleads Guilty to Murder-For-HireRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Latrel Jackson (26, Chicago, Illinois), aka “Kobe,” today pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit interstate murder-for-hire resulting in death and interstate murder-for-hire resulting in death. Jackson faces a minimum mandatory sentence of life in federal prison. His co-defendant, Marvin Harris, Jr., aka “Mesh,” pleaded guilty to the same charges last week. Both are scheduled to be sentenced in December 2023.
According to the plea agreement and other court documents, in 2019, Harris, Jr. hired two individuals, Jackson and unindicted co-conspirator D.S. (deceased), to travel from the Chicago-area to Fort Myers to commit murder in exchange for $10,000. Harris, Jr.’s motive was to retaliate against individuals who he believed had previously robbed a Fort Myers residence from which he and others associated with him sold drugs. The individuals Harris, Jr. suspected of committing the robbery and shooting belonged to a Fort Myers gang known to law enforcement as “Bucktown.”
Jackson and D.S. traveled to Fort Myers from Chicago aboard a commercial airline on October 28, 2019. Upon arrival, Harris, Jr. picked Jackson and D.S. up from the Southwest Florida International Airport and provided them with firearms to accomplish their task. Initially, Jackson and D.S. stayed at Harris, Jr.’s “trap house” (a residence used primarily to distribute drugs from) in Fort Myers but later moved to a local motel on Palm Beach Boulevard. During that time, Jackson, D.S., and others attempted to find members of Bucktown to murder in the retaliatory scheme.
On November 2, 2019, Harris, Jr. obtained a vehicle for Jackson and D.S. to use during the commission of a murder. Jackson and D.S. proceeded to a known Bucktown hangout in Fort Myers and observed the victim, K.U., standing in front of the home near the curb of the street. Jackson and D.S. quickly circled the block and returned, and at close range opened fire on K.U., killing him in front of the residence with a gunshot wound of the head. The next day, Jackson and D.S. returned to Chicago via bus, while possessing the firearms used to commit the murder.
During a search of Jackson’s Chicago-area home on November 21, 2019, law enforcement recovered two firearms from an attic space of his bedroom. Expert testing and examination of the firearms confirmed that both matched shell casings recovered from the murder scene and the murder vehicle, and that one of the firearms had fired the bullet which had been recovered from K.U.’s head during his autopsy.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Fort Myers Police Department, with the assistance of the Joliet (Illinois) Police Department, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael V. Leeman.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Ocala Woman Pleads Guilty to Fraud Relating to COVID-19 Relief FundsRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Passion Lajodia Jackson (30, Ocala) has pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud related to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act. Jackson faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison and an order of forfeiture for at least $20,132, representing the proceeds obtained from the offense. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
On April 2, 2021, Jackson electronically submitted a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan application to the Small Business Administration. Her application included false statements. Jackson also provided a fictitious Internal Revenue Service document in support of her application. Based on the false information she provided, Jackson fraudulently received a PPP loan of $20,132 on April 6, 2021. The loan was electronically wired to her bank account. Within 30 days of receiving the loan, Jackson withdrew the funds in cash.
In May 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force (CFETF) 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, among other methods, 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 is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk.
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.
Cape Coral Men Sentenced for Their Roles in A Multi-Million Dollar Credit Card Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, FL – U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell has sentenced Carlos Tejeda (62, Cape Coral) to 16 years in federal prison, Juan Tejeda (35, Cape Coral) to 15 years in federal prison, and Pedro Pelaez (59, Cape Coral) to 6 years in federal prison for their roles in a large-scale credit card fraud scheme which operated in Cape Coral between late-2015 and mid-2018. On April 27, 2023, a federal jury had found father-and-son ringleaders Carlos and Juan Tejeda guilty of 44 federal offenses, including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, conspiracy to commit money laundering, production of counterfeit access devices, and possession of device-making equipment. For his role in the fraud, the jury found Pelaez guilty of 11 federal offenses, including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
According to evidence presented during the seven-day trial, Carlos Tejeda recruited several friends and associates, including Pedro Pelaez, to create shell companies, obtain credit card processing terminals for their shell companies, and then permit Carlos Tejeda to swipe counterfeit credit cards fraudulently encoded with stolen credit and debit card numbers using the shell company credit card terminals. Evidence showed that Juan Tejeda’s primary role was to encode the counterfeit cards for his father Carlos Tejeda, but that he personally swiped counterfeit cards on the shell company terminals as well. Each fraudulent transaction was typically between $1,000 and $3,000, but the same stolen card number was often used several times across multiple shell companies before victim cardholders from across the United States realized that their card numbers had been compromised.
After the stolen funds were deposited into the shell company bank accounts, the shell company owners would kickback a pre-determined percentage of the fraudulent proceeds to Carlos or Juan and keep the remainder for themselves. In total, nine shell companies were used to perpetrate the fraud, including those personally opened by Carlos and Juan Tejeda. Credit card transaction data presented to the jury showed that during the duration of the fraud, thousands of credit card charges totaling more than $2.6 million were attempted or conducted on the shell company terminals. In total, nine people have now been convicted and sentenced for their roles in this fraud, including the three above-named individuals.
This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service and the Cape Coral Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Simon R. Eth.
YouTuber and Auto Key Card Manufacturer Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Transferring Unregistered Machinegun Conversion DevicesRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Kristopher Justinboyer Ervin (43, Orange Park) to five years and eight months in federal prison and Matthew Raymond Hoover (39, Wisconsin) to five years in federal prison for conspiring to transfer and transferring unregistered machinegun conversion devices. Ervin additionally was sentenced for structuring cash withdrawals from his bank account consisting of proceeds of the sale of the devices. The court also ordered Ervin to forfeit $68,000, representing the amount of funds involved in the structuring offense. Ervin and Hoover were found guilty by a federal jury on April 21, 2023.
According to court documents, in January 2021, Ervin’s bank contacted the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) to report that employees believed that Ervin was trafficking in machinegun conversion devices. Subsequent investigation revealed that Ervin was running an online business selling machinegun conversion devices, known as lightning links, etched into metal cards, which he referred to as Auto Key Cards. Ervin described the Auto Key Card as a “pen holder,” a “novelty,” and a “political sculpture.”
In February 2021, federal agents from ATF and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) surveilled Ervin and observed him dropping off dozens of packages at an Orange Park post office, each of which was determined to contain unregistered machinegun conversion devices. A lightning link can be dropped into an otherwise legal AR-15 type firearm and convert it into a fully automatic machinegun.
ATF examined the Auto Key Cards, and a firearms enforcement officer was able to remove the pieces of a lightning link from an Auto Key Card using a common Dremel rotary tool in about 40 minutes. When the firearms enforcement officer placed the two pieces of the lightning link into an AR-15 type firearm, it converted the semi-automatic firearm to be fully automatic – that is, a machinegun.
Hoover operated a YouTube channel called CRS Firearms on which he advertised Auto Key Cards. Hoover stated that his viewers could cut a lightning link out of the Auto Key Card, “drop it in your receiver, scratch your full auto itch, throw it away when you’re done” and “no one’s the wiser.”
Hoover’s videos advertising the Auto Key Card led to a substantial increase in Ervin’s sales. Ervin sold more than 2,000 Auto Key Cards in only a few months. Multiple purchasers of the Auto Key Card testified at trial that they had learned about it from Hoover’s videos and purchased the Auto Key Card intending to use it to convert their AR-15 type weapons into machineguns. Ervin compensated Hoover for his advertisements by sending cash through the mail and, on one occasion, a Louis Vuitton purse.
In March 2021, federal agents executed a search warrant at Ervin’s home and recovered Auto Key Cards containing etchings for more than 1,500 lightning links. In total, the evidence showed that the conspiracy involved at least 6,600 individual lightning links.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Laura Cofer Taylor and David B. Mesrobian. The asset forfeiture is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Mai Tran.
“Investigating this case required dedication and tenacity on behalf of ATF’s Jacksonville Field Office and our partner agencies on this matter—the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Internal Revenue Service and the U.S. Attorney’s Office,” said ATF Tampa Field Division Special Agent in Charge Kirk Howard, whose agency led the investigation. “Our work was necessary to prove the true nature of the Auto Key Cards being sold by Ervin and Hoover and disrupt their audacious scheme to circumvent federal firearms laws.”
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.
Anyone in possession of an Auto Key Card should contact his or her nearest ATF office or call 1-800-ATF-GUNS and make arrangements to surrender the device to ATF so that it can be destroyed.
Tampa Woman Pleads Guilty to Identity Theft, Passport and Food Stamp FraudRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Nilda Medina-Veguilla (38, Tampa) has pleaded guilty to making false statements in an application for a United States passport, aggravated identity theft, and theft of government property. Medina faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison and a minimum mandatory penalty of 2 years’ imprisonment. Medina-Veguilla has also agreed to forfeit the proceeds of the charged criminal conduct.
According to the plea agreement, Medina-Veguilla is a U.S. citizen who was born in Puerto Rico. In 2005, she was charged with counterfeiting and illegal appropriation. In 2008, a warrant was issued for her arrest. That same year, Medina-Veguilla left Puerto Rico and moved to the continental United States. There, she assumed the identity of “N.T.D.,” an individual she knew from Puerto Rico. Medina-Veguilla was married and divorced, arrested, employed, and taxed, all in the victim’s name. In February 2021, Medina-Veguilla applied for a U.S. passport using N.T.D.’s name, date of birth, Social Security number, and birth certificate. She also applied for and received “SNAP” benefits in N.T.D.’s name. The Supplement Nutrition Assistance Program (“SNAP” – formerly known as “food stamps”) is a program of the United States Department of Agriculture that was authorized by congress to provide federal benefits to help low-income families buy food. In total, Medina-Veguilla fraudulently obtained more than $43,000 in SNAP benefits.
Medina-Veguilla’s fraudulent activity was exposed when Consular Affairs discovered the real N.T.D. had been issued a U.S. passport several years before Medina-Veguilla’s application.
This case was investigated by U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, the U.S. Department of Agriculture - Office of Inspector General, and the Social Security Administration – Office of the Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Rachel S. Lyons.
Lehigh Acres Armed Career Criminal Sentenced to 18 Years in Prison for Firearm and Drug OffensesRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell has sentenced Louis Michael Pasquazzi (53, Lehigh Acres) to 18 years in federal prison for possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon and for possessing a controlled substance with the intent to distribute it. The court also ordered Pasquazzi to forfeit the firearms and ammunition he illegally possessed. Pasquazzi had previously pleaded guilty on April 26, 2023.
According to court documents, on July 12, 2022, Lee County Sheriff’s Office narcotics detectives were conducting surveillance on a residence in Lehigh Acres when they observed Pasquazzi enter the driver’s seat of a black Cadillac Escalade that was backed into the driveway. Detectives then observed the Escalade rapidly exit the driveway, travel eastbound, and fail to stop at a stop sign. Detectives initiated a traffic stop of the vehicle and made contact with Pasquazzi at the driver’s side window. While speaking with Pasquazzi, detectives could smell the odor of marijuana coming from inside of the vehicle. An LCSO canine unit was deployed and conducted a free air sniff of the Escalade and alerted to the presence of narcotics inside. LCSO detectives searched the Escalade and located a black SCCY 9mm firearm under the driver’s seat and a Ruger .40 caliber S&W firearm in the glovebox. Detectives also found a bulky plastic bag containing 62.01 grams of cocaine on Pasquazzi’s person.
LCSO detectives then obtained a search warrant for the residence from which Pasquazzi had been observed leaving. Inside Pasquazzi’s bedroom, LCSO detectives located a Marlin Arms .22 rifle, a Masterpiece Arms 9mm sub-machine gun, a Taurus G3 9mm firearm, a Ruger AR-556 rifle, and more than 500 rounds of assorted ammunition. The safe in Pasquazzi’s bedroom closet was also accessed and searched by detectives. Inside of the safe, detectives located approximately 353 grams of cocaine. Also, inside Pasquazzi’s bedroom, detectives found articles of drug paraphernalia used to distribute and manufacture controlled substances, including measuring cups, packaging material, and cutting agents.
This case was investigated by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Trent Reichling.
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 Felon Headed Back to Prison for Unlawfully Possessing Loaded RifleRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, FL – U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell has sentenced Javonte Keyon Whitfield (25, Fort Myers) to four years and nine months in federal prison for possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. The Court also ordered Whitfield to forfeit the firearm and ammunition possessed during the offense. Whitfield had been found guilty by a federal jury on May 11, 2023.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, shortly before 1:30 a.m. on May 14, 2021, officers from the Fort Myers Police Department (FMPD) were alerted to multiple gunshots near the intersection of Linhart Avenue and Evans Avenue in Fort Myers. While investigating the origin of the gunfire, FMPD officers spoke with an occupant of a duplex on Evans Avenue, who denied hearing any gunshots and claimed that he was alone in the residence with his three young children. Shortly thereafter, in direct contradiction to what he had just told the officers, six adult males—including Whitfield—and three young children exited the residence. Officers observed that one of the men who exited the residence was suffering from a gunshot wound, and EMS was summoned. During a later search of the residence, FMPD personnel found seven unsecured firearms, multiple high-capacity magazines, dozens of rounds of ammunition, and cocaine. FMPD recovered a loaded NORINCO SKS rifle equipped with a high-capacity magazine from under the bed in one of the two bedrooms of the home. Subsequent forensic analysis of that firearm determined that a latent fingerprint lifted from the metallic bayonet of the rifle belonged to Whitfield, a previously convicted felon who had been released from prison approximately five months earlier. As a previously convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Fort Myers Police Department, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Simon R. Eth and Patrick L. Darcey.
Armed Career Criminal SentencedRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Virginia M. Hernandez Covington has sentenced Jerome Miller, Jr. (39, Tampa) to 15 years in federal prison for possessing a firearm and ammunition as an Armed Career Criminal. The court also ordered Miller to forfeit the ammunition and a firearm. Miller had pleaded guilty on May 23, 2023. Miller qualified as an Armed Career Criminal based on his extensive prior criminal history which included three prior delivery of cocaine convictions in Tampa.
According to court documents, on February 6, 2022, Miller went to the victim’s residence in Tampa, threatened the victim with a firearm, and demanded his vehicle. The victim was forced to sign over his vehicle to Miller. Miller then took the vehicle registration and car keys and left the residence. Law enforcement officers were called to the residence to complete a report of the robbery and interview the victim. The victim’s vehicle was reported stolen and entered into law enforcement databases. Two days later, Miller was located while driving the victim’s vehicle and was arrested and searched. A loaded magazine and narcotics were found in Miller’s coat pocket during the search. The magazine contained six rounds of Aguila .380 caliber ammunition. The officers also located a semi-automatic firearm in the vehicle’s center console. That firearm was loaded with eight rounds of Aguila .380 ammunition. The firearm was impounded and sent for further forensic DNA testing. The testing concluded that Miller’s DNA was on the firearm.
This case was investigated by the Tampa Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Maria Guzman.
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.
Oldsmar Felon Pleads Guilty to Firearms and Narcotics OffensesRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Sean Peter Brewer (32, Oldsmar) has pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Brewer faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and up to 20 years’ imprisonment for the drug offense. He faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 5 years, up to life, in federal prison for possessing the firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, which must be imposed consecutive to any other sentence. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to court documents, on November 11, 2022, officers from the Clearwater Police Department (CPD) responded to a gas station after receiving a report that a man was unresponsive in the driver’s seat of a vehicle parked at a gas pump. CPD and the Clearwater Fire Department personnel discovered Brewer unconscious behind the wheel of his vehicle. After Brewer was assessed by the emergency services responders, CPD officers administered a field sobriety test, which Brewer failed. Officers arrested Brewer for driving under the influence and conducted a search incident to the arrest. That search revealed a backpack containing a scale with clear plastic baggies that are consistent with narcotics distribution, marijuana, multiple types of pills, 61 grams of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine, a loaded Smith & Wesson M&P 9mm Shield pistol (SN RJX7660), and a “Cash App” debit card.
Brewer possessed the methamphetamine found in the backpack with the intent to distribute it. At the time, Brewer had a prior felony conviction and therefore he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Clearwater Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David W.A. Chee and David P. Sullivan.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Jacksonville Sexual Predator Sentenced to 30 Years for Attempting to Entice A 14-Year-Old Child to Produce Sexual Abuse VideosRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Paul Edward Lee, Jr. (44, Jacksonville) to 30 years in federal prison for attempting to entice a 14-year-old child to produce and send him videos and images depicting the victim’s sexual abuse. Lee was also ordered to serve a lifetime term of supervised release. In 2011, Lee was convicted of lascivious molestation and lascivious exhibition involving a 10-year-old child in Jacksonville and was at that time designated as a sexual predator. Lee has been in federal custody since his arrest in this case on May 2, 2018. A federal jury had found Lee guilty in this case on March 23, 2023.
According to evidence and testimony introduced at trial, in April 2018, an FBI agent in Illinois discovered that a 14-year-old child was having online contact with an adult male in Florida through a smart phone gaming application (app) designed for use by children. The messages sent to the child by the adult male were increasingly graphic and sexually explicit. The FBI intervened and identified this individual as Lee, a registered sexual predator living in a Jacksonville residence, along with eight other registered sex offenders. On April 25, 2018, an undercover FBI agent in Jacksonville, posing as the 14-year-old child, began text messaging with Lee. During these communications, Lee told the “child” in graphic terms how he wanted to have sex with the “child,” and sent several images and videos of his own genitalia to the “child.” On April 27, 2018, Lee repeatedly texted and solicited the “child” to produce and send him graphic images and videos of “her” genitalia. When FBI agents executed a federal search warrant at his residence on May 2, 2018, Lee tried to damage his cellphone to destroy evidence of his criminal activity and was arrested.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Hard Rock Casino Carjacker Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Rodney Devon Jones (28, Orlando) has pleaded guilty to carjacking and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Jones faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison for the carjacking offense, and a minimum mandatory term of 7 years, up to life, imprisonment on the firearm offense. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the plea agreement, on September 28, 2021, Jones and two others committed a carjacking in the parking garage at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Tampa. Jones and the two other men jumped out of a stolen Toyota, pointed guns at the victim, and stole his wallet and jewelry. They demanded that the victim identify his car. The victim pointed out an Alfa Romeo. One of the men then used the victim’s car keys to drive off in the Alfa Romeo and the others followed in the Toyota. Two days later, officers from the Orlando Police Department arrested Jones after they found him in the stolen Toyota. The officers recovered a firearm with Jones’s DNA on it near the Toyota.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Seminole Police Department, with assistance from the Orlando Police Department and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, as part of the Middle District of Florida’s Safe Trails Task Force. The Safe Trails Task Force is a partnership between the United States Attorney’s Office, the FBI, the Seminole Police Department, and other federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement that work to combat the growth of crime in Indian Country. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher F. Murray.
This case is also 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 Man Pleads Guilty to Murder-For-HireRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Marvin Harris, Jr. (25, Fort Myers), aka “Mesh,” today pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit interstate murder-for-hire resulting in death and interstate murder-for-hire resulting in death. Harris, Jr. faces a minimum mandatory sentence of life in federal prison. A sentencing date has not been set.
According to the plea agreement and other court documents, in 2019, Harris, Jr. hired two individuals, co-defendant Latrel Jackson, aka “Kobe,” and unindicted co-conspirator D.S. (deceased), to travel from the Chicago-area to Fort Myers to commit murder in exchange for $10,000. Harris, Jr.’s motive was to retaliate against individuals who he believed had previously robbed a residence in Fort Myers from which he and others associated with him sold drugs. The individuals Harris, Jr. suspected of committing the robbery and shooting belonged to a Fort Myers gang known to law enforcement as “Bucktown.”
With the agreement to retaliate against the Bucktown gang in place, Jackson and D.S. traveled to Fort Myers from Chicago aboard a commercial airline on October 28, 2019. Upon arrival, Harris, Jr. picked Jackson and D.S. up from the Southwest Florida International Airport and provided them with partial payment for the planned murder, as well as firearms to accomplish their task. Initially, Jackson and D.S. stayed at Harris, Jr.’s “trap house” (a residence used primarily to distribute drugs) in Fort Myers, but later moved to a local motel on Palm Beach Boulevard. During that time, Jackson, D.S., and others attempted to find members of Bucktown to murder in the retaliatory scheme.
On November 2, 2019, Harris, Jr. obtained a vehicle for Jackson and D.S. to use during the commission of a murder. Jackson and D.S. proceeded to a known Bucktown hangout in Fort Myers and observed the victim, K.U., standing in front of the residence near the curb of the street. Jackson and D.S. quickly circled the block and returned, and at close range opened fire on K.U., killing him in front of the home with a gunshot wound to the head. After the shooting, Harris, Jr. paid Jackson and D.S. the remaining sum of money owed for completing the murder-for-hire scheme. Jackson and D.S. were also left in possession of the firearms used to commit the murder. Jackson and D.S. then returned to the Chicago area on a commercial bus on November 3, 2019.
During a search of Jackson’s Chicago-area home on November 21, 2019, law enforcement recovered two firearms from an attic space in Jackson’s room. Forensic analyses of the firearms by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives confirmed that both matched shell casings recovered from the murder scene and the murder vehicle, and that one of the firearms had fired the bullet which had been recovered from K.U.’s head during his autopsy.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Fort Myers Police Department, with assistance from the Joliet (Illinois) Police Department, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael V. Leeman.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Florida Man Pleads Guilty to Orchestrating $1.15 Million Tax Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Orlando, FL – A Florida man pleaded guilty today to conspiring to defraud the United States, filing a false tax return and to aiding and assisting the preparation of a false tax return.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Rafael Ramos, of Orlando, recruited clients and prepared tax returns on their behalf that falsely claimed banks and other financial institutions had withheld large amounts of taxes from the clients’ income, thereby entitling them to refunds from the IRS. To further the scheme, Ramos and his co-conspirators filed false documents with the IRS, purporting to have been issued by the banks, to support the false withholding information reported on the returns.
When the IRS initiated proceedings to collect the fraudulently-issued refunds, Ramos held meetings with his clients and attempted to obstruct the IRS’s efforts by providing them with frivolous correspondence to send to the IRS, instructing clients to falsely inform the IRS that they self-prepared their returns and telling clients to move funds out of their bank accounts to avoid IRS levies. In total, Ramos’s scheme caused a tax loss to the IRS of over $1.15 million.
Ramos is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 30 and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for conspiracy and three years in prison for each false return count. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg for the Middle District of Florida made the announcement.
IRS-Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Jeffrey McLellan, Ezra Spiro and Caroline Pearson of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Terry Livanos for the Middle District of Florida are prosecuting the case.
Florida Men Indicted for Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl, Methamphetamine, and CocaineRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL - United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Emmanuel Dourthe (24, Deltona) and Brendan Wells (27, Tampa) with conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances, possession with the intent to distribute controlled substances, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. For each of the controlled substance charges, if convicted, each faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 10 years, and up to life, in federal prison. If convicted of the firearm offense, each faces a minimum mandatory of 5 years, and up to life, in federal prison to be served consecutive to any other sentence imposed.
According to the indictment, between February 6 and 14, 2023, Dourthe and Wells conspired with others to possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture containing methamphetamine, 40 grams or more or a mixture containing fentanyl, and a mixture containing cocaine. The indictment further alleges that Dourthe and Wells possessed these substances with the intent to distribute them. Dourthe and Wells possessed a firearm during their commission of their drug offenses.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Samantha Newman. The forfeiture is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Suzanne Nebesky.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Clay County Convicted Felon Pleads Guilty to Drug and Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Edward Sherwood Gustafson, IV (30, Green Cove Springs) has pleaded guilty to possessing with the intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine and possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. Gustafson faces a minimum mandatory term of 5 years, and up to 40 years, in federal prison on the drug charge and up to 15 years in federal prison on the firearm and ammunition charge. Gustafson also agreed to forfeit a Smith and Wesson pistol and 15 rounds of ammunition traceable to the firearm offense. Gustafson was arrested on May 9, 2023, and ordered detained. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to court documents, on January 21, 2023, members of the Clay County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) were looking for Gustafson based on an active felony arrest warrant for him. A CCSO deputy observed Gustafson driving and initiated a traffic stop. Upon stopping, Gustafson immediately got out of his truck and a struggle ensued between him and the deputy. The deputy eventually handcuffed and arrested Gustafson on the felony arrest warrant. During a subsequent search of Gustafson’s truck, law enforcement located a loaded Smith and Wesson pistol. Underneath the truck’s hood, a travel bag was zip-tied to the engine bay area which contained cocaine, methamphetamine, a scale for weighing drugs, approximately 50 small baggies, and numerous pills. Further investigation determined that the total weight of the methamphetamine was approximately 22 grams and that Gustafson had seven prior felony convictions to include felony domestic battery, fleeing and eluding law enforcement, and shooting a deadly missile. As a convicted felon, Gustafson is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Clay County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives – Jacksonville Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein. The forfeiture is being 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.
Jacksonville Convicted Felon Sentenced to More Than Three Years in Federal Prison for Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Antoine Danielle Pearson, Jr. (28, Jacksonville) to three years and one month in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. He was also ordered to forfeit the firearm and ammunition traceable to the offense. Pearson had pleaded guilty on May 24, 2023.
According to court documents, on August 12, 2022, officers with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO) attempted to pull over Pearson due to a traffic infraction. After he stopped, Pearson fled from the vehicle on foot, armed with a Glock pistol, an extended magazine with 24 rounds of ammunition, and a Glock switch. A Glock switch enables a semi-automatic firearm to operate as a fully functioning machine gun. Pearson was apprehended by JSO canine officers.
At the time of the offense, Pearson had multiple prior felony convictions and therefore is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Jacksonville Sherriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John Cannizzaro. The forfeiture will be 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.
Sarasota Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Possessing Child Exploitation MaterialRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Mary Scriven has sentenced Keith Critchfield (68, Sarasota) to 10 years in federal prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release, for possession of child exploitation material. The court also ordered Critchfield to forfeit a laptop, which was used in the commission of the offense. Critchfield had pleaded guilty on May 30, 2023.
According to court documents, Critchfield is a registered sex offender based on a 1998 state of Florida conviction for lewd or lascivious exhibition and using a child in a sexual performance. In May 2020, after receiving cybertips regarding child exploitation material, agents searched Critchfield’s residence and found that he possessed child sexual abuse images.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (Sarasota). It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ilyssa M. Spergel.
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.
Fort Myers Felon Pleads Guilty to Unlawfully Possessing A Firearm and CocaineRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Keith Dewayne Drayton, Jr. (27, Fort Myers) today pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon and possessing with the intent to distribute cocaine. Drayton faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison for the firearm offense, and up to 20 years’ imprisonment for the drug offense. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to court records, on the night of June 17, 2023, officers from the Fort Myers Police Department attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a vehicle in which Drayton was the front-seat passenger. The vehicle did not stop, and by the time the officers caught up to the vehicle, both the driver and Drayton had fled from the vehicle on foot. On the ground near the front passenger door of the vehicle, officers found a loaded Glock handgun. Inside the vehicle, officers found a satchel which contained a prescription pill bottle bearing Drayton’s full name, as well as a baggie containing almost a half-ounce of crack cocaine. Drayton was later located by officers hiding in a nearby dumpster.
As a convicted felon who previously served time in federal prison for a firearms offense, Drayton is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Fort Myers Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Simon R. Eth.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Ocala Convicted Felon Sentenced to More Than 18 Years in Federal Prison for Possessing A Firearm and DrugsRead the Press Release
Ocala, FL – Senior United States District Judge John Antoon II has sentenced Raeqwon Munnerlyn (27, Ocala) to 18 years and 4 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and possessing with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. Munnerlyn had pleaded guilty on May 5, 2023.
According to documents and information presented in court, on July 12, 2022, Munnerlyn was the passenger in a vehicle that led police on a high-speed chase on U.S. 441 in Marion County. After the vehicle crashed, Munnerlyn fled on foot, and was apprehended after a short pursuit. Inside the vehicle, law enforcement located approximately 400 grams of methamphetamine and a loaded firearm. Munnerlyn also had approximately $12,000 in cash on his person. DNA and fingerprint analysis confirmed Munnerlyn had possessed both the firearm and the drugs. Munnerlyn has multiple prior state felony convictions, including robbery and attempted kidnapping. Therefore, he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Florida Highway Patrol, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tyrie K. Boyer.
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.
Mexican National Sentenced to Two Years for Illegally Re-Entering the United StatesRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – Senior United States District Judge John Antoon II has sentenced Joel Gamez-Orozco (43, Mexico) to two years in federal prison for illegal reentry after deportation for an aggravated felony. Gamez had been indicted on December 11, 2019. He entered a guilty plea on November 23, 2022.
According to the court records, Gamez is a native and citizen of Mexico. On August 28, 2006, he was convicted of a felony – trafficking in marijuana – and sentenced to three years’ imprisonment. Following his release from state prison, Gamez was deported to Mexico on August 2, 2008. On September 14, 2019, law enforcement officers from Lake County, who were arresting Gamez on new state criminal charges, discovered Gamez had illegally returned to the United States after he was deported.
This case was investigated by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Hannah Nowalk and Michael Felicetta.
Local Leader of Bloods Street Gang Sentenced to over 16 Years in Federal Prison for Drug and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – Senior U.S. District Judge John Antoon II has sentenced Antonio Eugene Brutton (36, Ocklawaha) to 16 years and 8 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and possessing with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, heroin, and marijuana. Brutton had pleaded guilty on February 23, 2023.
According to documents and information presented in court, Brutton sold more than 100 grams of methamphetamine to a Drug Enforcement Administration confidential source on two separate occasions in 2021. On a third occasion in October 2022, law enforcement located more than 3.7 kilograms of methamphetamine, one kilogram of fentanyl, 250 grams of heroin, and approximately 5 kilograms of marijuana during a search of Brutton’s residence. Two firearms were also located within the residence as well as nearly $30,000 in cash. Brutton has multiple prior state felony convictions including the sale of cocaine. Therefore, he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration with support from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, and the City of Ocala Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Tyrie K. Boyer and Belkis H. Crockett.
This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Live Oak Sex Offender Arrested and Charged with Possessing Child Sex Abuse ImagesRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the arrest and filing of a criminal complaint charging Steven Lee Carty (55, Live Oak) with possessing child sex abuse images. If convicted, Carty faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 10 years, up to 20 years, in federal prison, a potential life term of supervised release, and payment of restitution to the victims of his offense. Carty has been ordered detained pending trial.
According to the complaint, in July 2023, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) began investigating Carty in response to a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that had been provided by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE). The CyberTip indicated that child exploitation material had been uploaded to an account with an electronic service provider. Account information was provided for the user, which was connected to Carty. The IP history for the account that had uploaded the material was traced to Carty. FDLE obtained a state search warrant for that account, and it was determined to contain the file from the CyberTip, along with additional files containing child sex abuse material.
HSI learned that there were additional CyberTips connected to Carty indicating that accounts associated with Carty had uploaded child sex abuse material, including within a chat conversation with another user.
During their investigation, law enforcement learned that Carty was listed as an offender on the Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s Sexual Offenders and Predators registry following 2005 federal convictions for receiving, distributing, and possessing child sex abuse material.
This case was investigated by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Suwannee County Sheriff’s Office, and Homeland Security Investigations. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Washington.
It is another case that was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
A complaint is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
Tampa Gang Member Sentenced to Ten Years in Federal Prison for Possessing A FirearmRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle has sentenced Demetrius Lamar Rahmings (28, Tampa) to 10 years in federal prison for possessing a loaded firearm as a convicted felon. The court also ordered Rahmings to forfeit a Taurus G2C 9mm Pistol and 19 rounds of 9mm ammunition traceable to the offense. Rahmings had been found guilty on May 30, 2023, following a bench trial.
According to court documents, on October 8, 2020, Rahmings was wanted on several outstanding warrants for violent crime charges in state court. Deputies from the U.S. Marshals Service Fugitive Apprehension Unit and officers from the Tampa Police Department were monitoring a residence in Tampa that was known to be frequented by Rahmings’s associates. Law enforcement officers observed Rahmings at that residence and when they approached him, he fled on foot into the home. The officers pursued him into the residence, and once inside, Rahmings dropped a bookbag in the hallway and then hid in a bedroom. Rahmings was taken into custody. The officers recovered a Taurus 9mm firearm with an extended magazine loaded with 19 rounds of ammunition, plastic baggies, a digital scale, and an orange ski mask from the backpack.
At the time of this offense, Rahmings had previously been convicted in state court in Florida of multiple felonies, including aggravated battery with a deadly weapon (2013); aggravated assault with weapon (2013); aggravated battery (2013); possession of a firearm as a felon (2019); and fleeing to elude law enforcement (2019). As a convicted felon, Rahmings is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law. Rahmings had recently been released from Florida Department of Corrections on February 5, 2020.
This case was investigated by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Tampa Police Department, and the U.S. Marshals Service Fugitive Apprehension Unit. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shauna S. Hale.
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.
Sarasota Convicted Felon Pleads Guilty to Possessing Multiple FirearmsRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Jonathan Kyle Eva (51, Sarasota) has pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Eva faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not been set.
According to court documents, deputies from the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office, after responding to 911 call, encountered Eva at the front door of his residence in the area of 59th Street and North Tuttle Avenue in Sarasota. The deputies entered Eva’s residence and retrieved five firearms (three rifles and two pistols) from the closet in Eva’s bedroom. Among those were a SKS Norinco 7.62x3.99 rifle, a Marlin Firearms Co. Model 60 .22 caliber rifle, and a H&R Arms Co. .22 caliber pistol. During an interview conducted by agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Eva stated that he was a felon and that he had possessed the firearms. As a convicted felon, Eva is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being 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.
Former Cape Coral Resident Found Guilty of Mail Fraud and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that a federal jury has found Devin Ryan Maresca (33, Newcastle, PA) guilty of 10 counts of mail fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. Maresca faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison for each mail fraud count and a minimum of two years in federal prison on the aggravated identity theft count. His sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled. Maresca had been indicted on November 2, 2022.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, while living in Cape Coral, 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 names 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 mailboxes that Maresca had set up at UPS and Pak-Mail locations in Fort Myers, Cape Coral, and Punta Gorda.
Maresca’s fraud scheme caused the USPS to issue more than $100,000 in claims checks. IP address, 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, PA. 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 United States Postal Inspection Service and the United States Postal Service - Office of Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Trent Reichling and Patrick Darcey.
Florida Couple Indicted for Multiple Federal Firearms ViolationsRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of a 39-count indictment charging Kingsley Wilson (35, Kissimmee) and Viviana Rodriguez (41, Kissimmee), with dealing in firearms without a license, making a materially false statement to a federally licensed firearms dealer (FFL), and causing an FLL to maintain false information in its official records. If convicted, each 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 evidence and documents presented in court, between January 2022 and July 2023, Wilson purchased 89 firearms from multiple gun dealers in the Middle District of Florida. During that same period, Rodriguez purchased approximately 40 firearms. While purchasing these firearms, Wilson and Rodriguez each falsely certified on ATF Form 4473s (Firearm Transaction Records) that they were the “actual transferee/buyer” of the firearms. In actuality, they were purchasing the firearms for other individuals. Ten of the firearms purchased by Wilson have been recovered by law enforcement at crime scenes in the Bahamas and Canada.
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.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office. It will be 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.
Clay County Convicted Felon Pleads Guilty to Drug and Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Shawntae Jamell Clark (44, Clay County) has pleaded guilty to possessing with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Clark faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 10 years, and up to life, in federal prison on the drug charge, and up to 15 years’ imprisonment on the firearm charge. Clark also agreed to forfeit two firearms, ammunition, and cash traceable to his offenses. Clark was arrested on July 6, 2022, and ordered detained. His sentencing is scheduled for November 27, 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.
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 is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein. The forfeiture is being 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.
Alabama Man Indicted for Distributing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialsRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Craig Anthony (25, Alabama) with distribution of child sexual abuse materials. If convicted, Anthony faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 5 years, up to 20 years, in federal prison and a lifetime of supervised release.
According to court documents, beginning on May 31, 2023, Anthony distributed multiple videos depicting child sexual abuse to a filesharing account operated by an undercover Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agent in Lake County, Florida. Anthony also discussed with the undercover agent his desire to travel to Florida to have sex with a minor. On August 3, 2023, HSI executed a federal search warrant at Anthony’s residence. At least one image of child sex abuse was confirmed on Anthony’s cellphone.
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.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Jacksonville Man Pleads Guilty to Destroying EvidenceRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Christopher Raymond Joseph (19, Jacksonville) has pleaded guilty to destroying records with the intent to impede or obstruct a federal investigation. Joseph faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the plea agreement, FBI was investigating a terrorism case involving a threat to conduct a violent attack against Jewish individuals and synagogues. As part of the investigation, Joseph was interviewed regarding whether he had knowledge of or involvement in this threat. During the investigation, FBI special agents specifically requested that Joseph preserve certain records of communications on his cellphone with a suspect in another district. Within moments of their departure from his residence, Joseph deleted one of the records that the FBI had discussed with him.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Joe Wheeler, III and Assistant United States Attorney Cherie Krigsman, with assistance from the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
U.S.-Based Conspirators Plead Guilty in International Tax SchemeRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Adetunji Adejumo and Ibrahim Jinadu have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud relating to their roles in a transnational tax fraud scheme. Each faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. A third conspirator, Olufemi Odedeyi, of London, United Kingdom, remains pending extradition for his role in the scheme. All three individuals were arrested in September 2021.
According to the plea agreements, international conspirators (including Odedeyi) obtained unauthorized access to computer servers of businesses in the United States; participated in stealing from those servers the personally identifying information of U.S. residents; and used that information to file false and fraudulent federal tax forms seeking income tax refunds from the IRS. Adejumo and Jinadu, residing in the United States, collected fraud proceeds directed to prepaid debit cards in their possession or to bank accounts they controlled or to which they had access. They then transferred a share of the fraud proceeds to other conspirators. The conspirators filed tax returns claiming millions of dollars in refunds to which they were not entitled.
The investigation was led by the IRS – Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) (Tampa Field Office) and the FBI (Tampa Division). Substantial assistance was provided by the IRS-CI Cyber Crimes Unit (Washington, DC), the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, the IRS-CI and FBI International Operations at Mission UK, the United Kingdom’s National Extradition Unit, and IRS-CI Dallas and Atlanta Field Offices. The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rachel Jones.
Orlando Man Sentenced to More Than Nine Years for COVID-19 Fraud and Illegal Possession of FirearmRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Paul G. Byron has sentenced Brian A. Blake (31, Orlando) to nine years and eight months in federal prison for access device fraud, aggravated identity theft, and possession of a firearm by convicted felon. As part of the sentence, the court also ordered Blake to pay restitution in the amount of $579,074 to victims of the offenses. The court further ordered that Blake forfeit proceeds and instrumentalities of the offenses, including $80,482 in cash located in Blake’s residence, an Aero Precision firearm, and a number of computers and cellphones used to perpetrate the fraud. Blake had pleaded guilty on October 18, 2022.
In March 2020, the “CARES Act,” was enacted to provide immediate assistance to individuals, families, and organizations affected by the COVID-19 emergency. This Act authorized the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to offer Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) funding to business owners negatively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act further expanded the ability of workers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic to obtain Unemployment Insurance (UI) and increased the amounts of UI benefits for applicants.
According to court documents, in 2020, Blake fraudulently obtained $491,074 in UI benefits by filing unemployment claims across 25 different states in the names of identity theft victims. In addition, in June and July 2020, Blake submitted 26 fraudulent applications for EIDL loans in the names of identity theft victims attempting to secure a total of $341,200, of which $88,000 was disbursed to Blake. The total amount of funds that Blake attempted to fraudulently obtain was $832,274.
In addition, on July 10, 2020, during the execution of a search warrant at Blake’s residence, officers from the Orlando Police Department found an assault-style Aero Precision firearm, Model SL15. As a previously convicted felon, Blake is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Department of Labor - Office of Inspector General, and the Orlando Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Chauncey A. Bratt.
Fort Myers Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing A Firearm and Ammunition as A Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Deshon G. Walker (26, Fort Myers) today pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm and ammunition as convicted felon. Walker faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 15 years, up to life, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not been set.
According to court documents, officers from the Fort Myers Police Department conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle with Walker as the front seat passenger. Officers located a loaded Glock pistol under Walker’s seat. DNA analysis later linked Walker to the pistol. Walker had previously been convicted of a felony and is therefore prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Fort Myers Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark R. 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.
Former Texas Police Lieutenant Pleads Guilty to Attempting to Entice an 11-Year-Old Child to Engage in Sexual Activity in FloridaRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Seth Estes Vanover (51, Diana, Texas) has pleaded guilty to attempting to entice an 11-year-old child to engage in sexual activity using an online social messaging application (app). Vanover faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 10 years, up to life, imprisonment, and a potential life term of supervised release. Vanover was arrested on October 12, 2022, at the Longview Police Department in Texas where he was employed as a sworn law enforcement officer. Vanover is currently detained pending his sentencing hearing.
According to court documents, on July 25, 2022, an undercover FBI agent began an online operation designed to identify adults seeking to make online contact with and engage in sexual activity with children. Posing as the parent of an 11-year-old child, the agent posted a notice in a public chat room of an online social messaging app. That day, Vanover, using the name “jattleson,” contacted the agent using a private messaging feature of the app. Vanover confirmed that he was “into yung” and sent the agent several photos depicting child erotica as well as a photo of a nude adult male. Vanover and the undercover agent discussed the sexual experience of the purported 11-year-old “child,” and Vanover stated that he would “love to” meet them in Florida and would “love to be naked with” the “child.” Vanover and the agent engaged in more conversations on the app on August 8 and 10, 2022, and September 19, 2022, during which the two discussed meeting in Florida so that Vanover could engage in sexual activity with the “child.” Vanover confirmed with the agent that the “child” was “open to have sex,” discussed details of the sexual acts that Vanover intended to perform on the “child,” and directed the agent to “[t]alk to [the “child”] about the intended sexual activity.”
On October 12, 2022, FBI agents arrested Vanover at the Longview Police Department and Vanover resigned on that same day. Agents searched a patrol vehicle used by Vanover and recovered a cellphone that belonged to Vanover. A review of the phone revealed that it contained at least 230 videos and 130 photos depicting the sexual abuse of children, including infants, toddlers, and young children. This phone also contained sexually explicit online written communications that Vanover had with other app users, as well as child sexual abuse videos and photos that Vanover received during some of these conversations.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance and cooperation from the Longview Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Wesley Chapel Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for Exploiting and Producing Sexual Abuse Material Depicting ChildrenRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Mary Scriven has sentenced Clayton Everett Colborn (31, Wesley Chapel) to life in federal prison for enticement and coercion of a minor to engage in sexual activity, using minors to produce child sexual abuse images and videos, and possessing child sexual abuse material. The court also ordered Colborn to forfeit a cellphone, which was used in the commission of the offense. Colborn had pleaded guilty in March 2023.
According to court documents, between 2018 and 2020, Colborn used a social networking application to find minors for the purpose of engaging in sex acts. Colborn, who was between the ages of 27 and 28 at the time of his offenses, created a fictitious profile named “Jason Rich” and indicated that he was 16 years old. The social networking application is designed to help people make friendships and has two distinct age groups based on a user’s profile: 1) ages 13 to 17 years old, and 2) 18 years and older. Using the fictitious profile, Colborn met the victims in group one–ages 13 to 17 years old. He told the victims he was 16 years old and enticed them into engaging in sexual intercourse with him at various locations throughout the Middle District of Florida, including in his car, his apartment, and victims’ residences. In one instance, the Ocoee Police Department caught Colborn in a public park in the middle of the night with a child victim. Colborn’s pants were unzipped at the time officers chased and apprehended him in the park. Law enforcement officers obtained DNA evidence, which showed that Colborn had engaged in sexual activity with the child victim.
To date, the FBI has identified and interviewed eight child victims who all resided within the Middle District of Florida. Colborn victimized each child victim in a similar manner.
During the investigation, the FBI obtained a federal search warrant for Colborn’s iCloud account and found approximately 30 videos and 81 images that Colborn had produced of himself sexually abusing young girls between the ages of 13 and 17 years old.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (Tampa and Jacksonville Divisions), the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, the Ocoee Police Department, and the Tampa Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ilyssa Spergel.
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.
Previously Deported Alien Sentenced to 10 Years for Illegal Re-Entry into the United StatesRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Israel Perez-Santiago (41, Mexico) to 10 years in federal prison for illegally re-entering the United States without authorization by federal immigration officials. Perez-Santiago had previously been deported from the United States 11 times and convicted of the crime of illegal re-entry on 4 occasions.
Perez-Santiago also has multiple prior convictions for other crimes ranging from trespass to battery on a law enforcement officer. The federal prosecution commenced after immigration officials located Perez-Santiago in connection with a theft offense being investigated by local authorities in Fort Myers.
This case was investigated by the United States Border Patrol. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael V. Leeman.
Jacksonville Fugitive Pleads Guilty to Possession of Counterfeit Government CheckRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Verdell Terria Jones (58, Jacksonville) has pleaded guilty to possession of a fictitious government document involving a counterfeit government check. Jones faces a maximum penalty of 25 years in federal prison and payment of restitution to the victims that she defrauded. Her sentencing hearing is set for November 1, 2023.
Jones was arrested on April 11, 2017. After being released on pre-trial supervision, Jones fled the jurisdiction in August 2017 and a warrant was issued for her arrest. Jones remained a fugitive for more than five years until the FBI located and arrested her in April 2023.
According to the plea agreement and court proceedings, Jones was involved with the Sovereign Citizen Movement and did not recognize the authority of the U.S. government. As part of a scheme to defraud, Jones obtained counterfeit checks made to look like genuine checks issued by the U.S. Department of Treasury. Superimposed on the counterfeit checks was language such as “an obligation of the United States,” “statutory legal tender obligation of the United States,” and an image of the Statue of Liberty that appeared to be identical to the image contained on genuine government financial documents issued by the U.S. Department of Treasury.
In 2015, Jones contacted an individual in Jacksonville who was selling a car. Jones agreed to purchase the car by paying off the balance on the car loan. Jones sent the financial institution a counterfeit check for $25,000 that appeared to be drawn on the U.S. Department of Treasury in an attempt to defraud both the financial institution and the individual selling the car.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Joint Terrorism Task Force. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin C. Frein and Michael Coolican.
Fort Myers Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Unlawfully Possessing Firearm as A Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced James Blanks (27, Fort Myers) to 12 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, to be served consecutively to a 4-year state prison sentence he is currently serving. The court also ordered Blanks to forfeit the firearm and ammunition possessed during the offense. Blanks had pleaded guilty on May 4, 2023.
According to court records, on the night of October 30, 2020, officers from the Fort Myers Police Department attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a vehicle being driven by Blanks. Blanks initially stopped his vehicle on a grassy shoulder but as officers began to exit their vehicle, Blanks sped away from them. As Blanks continued fleeing from law enforcement, he rear-ended another vehicle and lost control of his own vehicle, ultimately crashing it into a concrete utility pole off the roadway. Officers arriving at the scene detained Blanks and located a loaded Smith & Wesson pistol protruding from under the driver’s seat of his vehicle.
Blanks was previously convicted on state charges of aggravated fleeing to elude law enforcement. Therefore, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law. He will begin serving his federal sentence upon release from state prison.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Fort Myers Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Simon R. Eth.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Cape Coral Caretakers Sentenced to Federal Prison for Stealing More Than Half A Million Dollars from Elderly VictimRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Diane Durbon (58, Cape Coral) to 10 years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Durbon’s daughter and co-defendant, Brittany Lukasik, was sentenced to 2 years’ imprisonment for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and filing a false tax return. The court also ordered Durbon and Lukasik to forfeit their Cape Coral residence, two vehicles, and approximately $542,760.23, which are traceable to proceeds of the offense. Durbon and Lukasik had pleaded guilty on March 7, 2023.
According to court documents, in 2016, Durbon and Lukasik, a registered nurse, were hired as caretakers for T.H., the 92-year-old victim. In October 2017, Durbon began unlawfully accessing T.H.’s investment accounts. To unlawfully gain access to the investment accounts, Durbon placed T.H. on the phone to answer various account security questions. Video surveillance cameras that Durbon had installed inside T.H.’s home captured Durbon putting a script that contained answers to these security questions in front of T.H. before and during each phone call.
After being given authorization to speak to an account representative on T.H.’s behalf, Durbon then moved funds from T.H.’s investment accounts into a Prime Money Market Account (PMMA) that also functioned as a checking account. After transferring the funds, checks were unlawfully issued to Lukasik, ranging in amounts from $1,000 to $9,600, which were deposited into bank accounts that Lukasik controlled and maintained. Between November 2017 and July 2019, approximately $231,659 in checks were issued to Lukasik from T.H.’s PMMA account.
Also, beginning in approximately November 2018, Durbon unlawfully gained access to T.H.’s annuity policy, similarly to how she had unlawfully gained access to T.H.’s investment accounts. In January 2019, Durbon faxed a fraudulent Annuity Withdrawal form which misrepresented that T.H. wanted to cash out T.H.’s annuity policy. This caused the annuity to issue a check to T.H. in the amount of $244,521.09. The check was deposited into one of T.H.’s checking accounts. After the check was deposited, approximately 92 checks, totaling $372,092.98, were issued to Lukasik from T.H.’s checking account between February 2019 and March 2020. The checks were deposited into bank accounts that Lukasik controlled and maintained. Moreover, Lukasik failed to report receipt of any of T.H.’s monies in her 2019 tax return.
In total, between January 2019 and March 2020, approximately $542,700 in fraudulently obtained funds were deposited into Lukasik’s accounts. After the funds were deposited, Lukasik and Durbon used the funds to pay off debt and make a variety of purchases including paying $26,354.05 for a vehicle, $17,735.17 to pay off a car loan, more than $29,000 to pay student loan debt, and more than $100,000 in credit card payments. Lukasik and Durbon also used the funds to purchase a duplex in Cape Coral, and more than $100,000 of the fraudulently obtained proceeds were used to buy electronics, furniture, and to remodel the duplex.
This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service, the Lee County Sherriff’s Office, and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Trent Reichling.
If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This Justice Department hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies, and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET. English, Spanish, and other languages are available. More information about the department’s efforts to help American seniors is available at its Elder Justice Initiative webpage.
Armed Career Criminal Sentenced to 15 Years for Possessing Firearms and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Samuel Robert Bruner (47, North Fort Myers) to 15 years in federal prison for possessing firearms and ammunition as a convicted felon. The court also ordered Bruner to forfeit the firearms and ammunition, which are traceable to proceeds of the offense. Bruner had pleaded guilty on May 30, 2023.
According to court documents, on December 1, 2021, deputies from the Lee County Sheriff’s Office found Bruner in possession of two revolvers, a shotgun, and assorted ammunition in a vehicle he was operating. At the time, Bruner had prior felony convictions and was therefore prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law. Bruner has at least three prior felony convictions that qualify under federal law as either a “violent felony” or a “serious drug offense” subjecting him to enhanced punishment as an Armed Career Criminal.
This case was investigated by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark R. 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.
St. Cloud Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Distributing Methamphetamine and Possessing A FirearmRead the Press Release
Orlando, FL - United States District Judge Paul G. Byron has sentenced Robert J. Potocnack (49, St. Cloud) to 15 years in federal prison for possessing with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. Potocnack had pleaded guilty on May 10, 2023.
According to court documents, between September and November 2022, on three separate dates, Potocnack distributed methamphetamine to an undercover detective from the St. Cloud Police Department. During that same time frame he also sold a firearm in conjunction with methamphetamine to the undercover detective.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the St. Cloud Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Terry B. Livanos.
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.
South Carolina Man Who Orchestrated Drug Deals by Phone from Prison Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Zachariah Ryan Luke (28, Bennettsville, South Carolina) today pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine. Luke faces minimum mandatory penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the plea agreement, in November 2021, Luke was serving a prison sentence in South Carolina for various offenses, including possession of methamphetamine. Using contraband cellphones, he communicated with an associate who assisted him with acquiring and selling illegal drugs, including methamphetamine. On November 24, 2021, from his South Carolina prison cell, Luke coordinated the delivery of approximately one kilogram of methamphetamine to a Florida-based drug dealer outside of a department store in South Carolina. After receiving the drugs, the dealer returned to Florida. In St. Augustine, Florida, a deputy observed a traffic offense and signaled the dealer to pull over. The dealer initially appeared to be looking for a place to stop, but instead accelerated and raced down the streets of a residential neighborhood. A police helicopter tracked the speeding car, and the pilot observed an object being thrown from the car and directed another deputy to that specific location. Following the directions of the pilot, the deputy found a backpack on the side of the road. Inside, the deputy found approximately 985.6 grams of crystal methamphetamine that laboratory testing would later show was 100% pure.
After attempting to dispose of the drugs, the dealer continued to drive, but eventually reached a dead end. He then abandoned the car to hide in a nearby wooded area but was located and arrested by deputies. After that arrest, corrections officers in South Carolina seized multiple cellphones from Luke, which he was prohibited from possessing in prison. Investigators searched those phones and recovered text communications concerning when, where, and from whom drugs were to be supplied and delivered.
This case was investigated by the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the South Carolina Department of Corrections, the Aiken County (South Carolina) Sheriff’s Office, the Aiken Department of Public Safety, the North Augusta (South Carolina) Department of Public Safety, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Coolican.
Oviedo Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Wendy W. Berger has sentenced Rafick Gordon Gilpin (32, Oviedo) to 10 years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute cocaine and possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. The court also ordered Gilpin to forfeit a firearm and multiple rounds of ammunition. Gilpin had pleaded guilty on April 12, 2023.
According to court documents, the FBI used a confidential human source to identify Gilpin, also known as Diesel, and his coconspirators. From November 2021 to July 2022, the FBI obtained information about Gilpin and his coconspirators during multiple meetings and transactions for drugs and guns. As a part of this investigation, authorities seized cocaine, methamphetamine, and multiple handguns. Gilpin was arrested by special agents from the FBI and officers from the Orlando Police Department during a drug deal for one kilogram of cocaine. At the time of the incident, a loaded firearm was found in his vehicle.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Orlando Police Department, and the Apopka Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John M. Gardella.
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.