Middle District of Florida

Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the arrest of Brian David Casey (35, Clermont) on a one-count indictment charging him with possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. If convicted, Casey faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. A federal grand jury had returned the indictment on June 6, 2023.

According to evidence presented in court, on March 20, 2023, Casey, a convicted felon, fired a shotgun during an argument with his neighbor. When federal agents subsequently arrested him for that offense, Casey was found to be in possession of another firearm—a loaded revolver. Casey had previously been convicted of three felonies, including burglary (2008) and two counts of battery on a law enforcement officer (2011). As a convicted felon, Casey is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.

An indictment is merely an allegation that a defendant has committed a federal criminal offense. Every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.

 This case is 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 is being investigated by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk.

A Bulgarian national was sentenced today to 25 years in prison for conspiracy to traffic images and videos depicting the sexual exploitation of young children.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Plamen Georgiev Velinov, 49, of Sofia, helped manage and administer the Newstar Enterprise, an internet-based business that profited from the sexual exploitation of vulnerable children under the guise of “child modeling,” through a collection of websites called the Newstar Websites. Beginning in around 2006 and continuing until 2019, Velinov assisted the enterprise by selecting children to be featured on the Newstar Websites, editing images and videos on those websites, communicating with customers, setting prices for videos, activating new websites, and creating advertising banners. While chatting with a co-conspirator, Velinov described one child as “nuclear sexy.” Financial records show that U.S.-based co-conspirators transferred more than $400,000 to Velinov’s Bulgarian bank account in connection with the conspiracy. 

The Newstar Enterprise, which was founded around 2005, built and operated the Newstar Websites on servers in the United States and abroad. To generate content for the Newstar Websites, Newstar Enterprise members sourced, enticed, solicited, and recruited males and females under the age of 18, many of whom were prepubescent, to use as “child models” for the Newstar Websites. The Newstar Enterprise used the child victims to produce more than 4.6 million sexualized images and videos – including images and videos depicting children as young as six years old in sexual and provocative poses and wearing revealing underwear, clothing  and costumes – that were distributed and sold through the Newstar Websites. Many of the child victims were recruited from Ukraine, Moldova, and other nations in Eastern Europe and were particularly vulnerable due to their age and socio-economic status.

Images were freely available to the public to preview on the Newstar Websites, but Newstar offered a paid subscription for greater access and more content. Newstar subscribers and customers  were from more than 100 different countries. The sale of Newstar content generated more than $9.4 million during the conspiracy. To process, receive, and distribute this money, Newstar Enterprise leaders fraudulently opened merchant and bank accounts in the United States and laundered proceeds using a bogus jewelry company. 

To date, seven members of the Newstar Enterprise have been charged in connection with the Newstar Websites. The chart below shows the status of each case:

Name

Charge(s)

Status

Tatiana Power

Conspiracy to commit money laundering

Pleaded guilty; sentenced to 12.5 years in prison

 

Kenneth Power

Conspiracy to advertise child pornography; conspiracy to distribute child pornography

 

Defendant deceased; case dismissed

Pavel Rohel

Conspiracy to produce child pornography; conspiracy to distribute child pornography

 

Charges pending

Patrice Wilowski-Mevorah

 

Conspiracy to commit money laundering

Pleaded guilty; sentenced to five years and three months in prison

 

Anthony Lee Kendall

Conspiracy to commit money laundering; promotion money laundering; concealment money laundering

 

Defendant deceased; case dismissed

Mary Lou

Bjorkman

Conspiracy to commit money laundering

Pleaded guilty; sentenced to 1.5 years in prison

Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg for the Middle District of Florida, and Special Agent in Charge John Condon of the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Tampa Field Office made the announcement.

The HSI Tampa Field Office and the High Technology Investigative Unit of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) investigated the cases, with substantial assistance provided by the HSI Fort Lauderdale Field Office and HSI Attaché offices in Athens, Greece, the Hague, and Vienna, Austria, as well as by U.S. Customs and Border Protection in Sofia, Bulgaria. This investigation also benefited from substantial assistance and cooperation from foreign law enforcement, including from the Republic of Bulgaria, Supreme Cassation Prosecution Office; the National Investigative Service of Bulgaria; the Dutch National Police, International Legal Assistance Center, North Holland Unit; and the Regional Police Directorate for Hradec Králové, Czech Republic. 

The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs assisted with securing foreign evidence and with Velinov’s extradition. The Justice Department’s Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training (OPDAT) provided capacity building assistance and mentoring.

Trial Attorney Kyle P. Reynolds of CEOS and Assistant U.S. Attorney Karyna Valdes for the Middle District of Florida are prosecuting the cases. 

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Lyndsey Rhea Markland (41, Panama City) has pleaded guilty to four counts of passing counterfeit Federal Reserve notes. Markland faces up to 20 years in federal prison on each count and payment of restitution to the victims she defrauded. A sentencing date has not yet been set.   

According to court documents and public records, in 2022, Markland entered various businesses in Brevard, Clay, Duval, and Seminole counties and purchased gift cards and merchandise using counterfeit Federal Reserve notes. Law enforcement subsequently determined that Markland and her co-defendant, Neal Evan Pollman (42, Panama City), were staying at the Comfort Inn in Palm Bay. In November 2022, the Palm Bay Police Department (PBPD) executed a search warrant at the Comfort Inn and located Markland inside her room. Also located in the room was approximately $30,000 in counterfeit currency and a HP printer, used for manufacturing counterfeit Federal Reserve notes.

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

Pollman was charged with one count of manufacturing and nine counts of passing counterfeit Federal Reserve notes. He is scheduled for trial in July 2023.

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

Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell has sentenced Alphonso Lataurean James (29, Fort Myers) to seven years and eight months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon. The court also ordered James to forfeit the firearm and ammunition possessed during the offense. James had pleaded guilty on March 7, 2023.

According to court records, during the morning of August 10, 2022, officers from the Fort Myers Police Department (FMPD) conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle in which James was the front-seat passenger. Officers later searched the vehicle and, inside a camouflage bag that James had been seen wearing earlier that morning, officers located a loaded Glock handgun equipped with an extended magazine. In a velvet Crown Royal bag found near the camouflage bag, officers found more than a half-ounce of fentanyl. As a convicted felon, James is prohibited from possessing firearms 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.

Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Travis Lavon Anderson (36, Fort Myers) has pleaded guilty to possessing firearms as a previously convicted felon. Anderson faces a maximum of 10 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to court documents, during the afternoon of June 8, 2022, officers from the Fort Myers Police Department (FMPD) were alerted to multiple rounds of gunfire in quick succession in the vicinity of a home on Lantana Street in Fort Myers. During a subsequent investigation into the origin of the gunfire, officers obtained surveillance video depicting Anderson discharging a firearm 10 times in front of his home on Lantana Street. FMPD personnel obtained a warrant to search the interior of the residence where officers found three firearms and several dozen rounds of ammunition belonging to Anderson, including a loaded AR-15-style rifle and two handguns. As a previously convicted felon, Anderson 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, Florida – Senior United States District Judge Gregory A. Presnell has sentenced Jorge Mojocoa (70, Fort McCoy) to 10 years and one month in federal prison for attempting to entice a minor to engage in sexual conduct. A federal jury had found Mojocoa guilty on March 1, 2023.

According to evidence presented at trial, on March 30, 2022, Mojocoa responded to a social media posting offering a minor child for sexual services in return for cash. The post had been made by an undercover law enforcement officer. The fictional child purportedly suffered from many physical disabilities, including paralysis and autism. Over the span of two days, Mojocoa spoke to an undercover officer about engaging in sex with the 12-year-old girl. After settling on a price, Mojocoa drove to an agreed-upon location to engage in sex with the child. Once arrested, law enforcement recovered lubricant and candy in Mojocoa’s possession. During the negotiations, Mojocoa had agreed to bring those particular items for his encounter with the child.         

“When it comes to sexual deviants and their activities on social media there are no limits to what they will do,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Assistant Special Agent in Charge David Pezzutti. “This sentencing is a testament to totality of the federal, state, and local law enforcement partnerships we have when investigating those who would willfully harm our children.” 

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the United States Secret Service, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, the Ocala Police Department, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Tyrie K. Boyer and Belkis H. Crockett.

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

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge James S. Moody has sentenced Matthew Walker Meredith (40, St. Petersburg) to six years in federal prison for theft of government money and money laundering. As part of his sentence, the Court also entered an order forfeiting real property, six Mercedes Benz vehicles, and $6,374,576.92, which represents the proceeds of the charged criminal conduct. Meredith pleaded guilty on March 24, 2023.

According to court documents, in 2016, Meredith was sentenced in federal court to three years’ imprisonment for conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute Ethylone, also known as “Molly.” Those charges stemmed from Meredith’s importation of kilogram quantities of Ethylone from China. The Bureau of Prisons released Meredith in October 2017, and he began serving a three-year term of federal supervised release. While under federal supervision, Meredith began to submit claims for tax refunds to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in the names of entities under his control. Specifically, in just six months, Meredith submitted five claims to the IRS seeking in excess of $170 million. Each claim was false and fraudulent, in that Meredith falsified both his income and withholdings.

On November 23, 2019, the IRS issued Meredith a refund check in the amount of $6,374,576.92, which Meredith quickly deposited into his bank account. In the weeks that followed, Meredith laundered the illicit proceeds by purchasing luxury vehicles and a waterfront home. Specifically, and as described below, in one week he purchased six new Mercedes Benz totaling $843,269.32.

Date of Purchase

Type of Vehicle

Cost

11.30.19

2020 Mercedes Benz S63AMG3

$187,327.68

11.30.19

2019 Mercedes Benz SL63

$156,404.27

11.30.19

2020 Mercedes Benz C63WS

$103,547.17

12.6.19

2020 Mercedes Benz GLE350W

$72,707.55

12.6.19

2020 Mercedes Benz AMG GTR

$232,368.12

12.7.19

2019 Mercedes Benz C63WS

$90,914.53

And on December 5, 2019, Meredith purchased, in cash, a 6,500 square foot waterfront mansion (pictured below) in St. Petersburg, for $2,625,000.

“The American tax system is designed to provide vital government services to our people. It is not a slush fund for thieves and fraudsters,” said Brian J. Payne, IRS-CI Special Agent in Charge. “As today’s sentence demonstrates, those who illegally target our nation’s tax dollars for personal financial gain, will face criminal prosecution and a lengthy stay in prison.”

This case was investigated by Internal Revenue Service—Criminal Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Carlton C. Gammons.

Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Virginia M. Hernandez Covington has sentenced Jamel Middleton (27, St. Petersburg) to 15 years and 8 months in federal prison for possession with the intent to distribute a controlled substance and being a felon in possession of a firearm. The Court also ordered Middleton to forfeit approximately $7,500 is cash, an American Tactical semi-automatic rifle, a Norinco SKS semi-automatic rifle, a Springfield semi-automatic pistol, a Glock semi-automatic pistol, and assorted rounds of ammunition, which are traceable to proceeds of the offense and used in the commission of the offense. Middleton had pleaded guilty on March 8, 2023.

According to court documents, On February 17, 2022, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), along with Pinellas County Sheriff's Office (PCSO), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) conducted a federal search warrant at a residence in St. Petersburg, where Middleton was found. During the search, agents located 56.79 grams of 100% pure methamphetamine. A field test of the white powdery substance showed a positive result for Mannitol, a commonly used cutting agent for narcotics. An additional 93.12 grams of a substance tested positive for fentanyl.

During the search of a bedroom on the northeast side of the residence, agents located a loaded handgun under the mattress. To the right of the handgun agents located a folder that had “Middleton, Jamel” written in black ink. Additionally, agents located two rifles inside the closet of the bedroom. Underneath the television within the bedroom was a black safe. Inside was a bag with six clear plastic baggies containing a crystalline substance and a handgun. The DEA laboratory determined the crystalline substance to be 658.58 grams of pure methamphetamine.

Middleton has multiple prior convictions, including for shooting at or within a building and sale of controlled substance. Therefore, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with assistance from the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Samantha 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.

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Eugene Washington, Jr. (36, Bradenton) has pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and possession with the intent to distribute 40 grams more of fentanyl. Washington faces a maximum penalty of 55 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled.

According to the plea agreement, on the morning of August 12, 2022, officers from the Bradenton Police Department (BPD) responded to a call for service from a concerned citizen regarding an unresponsive man at the steering wheel of his Ford Focus vehicle in the 700 block of 9th Street East in Bradenton. The vehicle was stopped in traffic and facing the traffic light in the median lane. 

Once at the scene, BPD officers asked Washington to exit the vehicle, and when he did, the officers noticed a silver and black Smith and Wesson SD40 .40 caliber pistol on the driver’s seat. Washington turned back into the car and appeared to reach for the firearm. The firearm was loaded with 11 rounds of ammunition. Officers also found a backpack inside the vehicle, located on the passenger floorboard. The backpack contained a variety of controlled substances, including approximately 44 grams of fentanyl, 35 grams of methamphetamine, 106 grams of cocaine, 36 grams of hydrocodone, 10 grams of oxycodone, 433 grams of dimethylpentylone (a substituted cathinone), and 21 grams of cannabis. Washington admitted to the officers that he was a convicted felon. 

Washington was previously convicted in federal court for distribution of heroin and served a prison sentence for that offense. As such, he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.

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

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

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Mary S. Scriven has sentenced Keaujay Hornsby, a/k/a “Plug,” (26, Tampa) to 16 years and 9 months in federal prison and Kareem Spann, a/k/a “Reem,” (27, Tampa) to 10 years and 10 months in federal prison for criminal conduct committed by, and on behalf of, the Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organization (RICO) group known as the “Robles Park Enterprise.” These crimes included a series of shootings, attempted murder, drug trafficking, fraud, and identity theft. Spann had pleaded guilty on February 7, 2023, and Hornsby had pleaded guilty on July 1, 2023.

According to court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, in the early morning of July 19, 2020, Hornsby and other members of the Enterprise congregated outside the Truth Lounge club in Tampa, Florida. The streets and sidewalks were flooded with people, including rival gang members in the parking lot outside the club. Spann was driving while Hornsby occupied the front passenger seat, with a loaded gun resting on his lap. Spann drove a black Infinity through the crowd, while Hornsby engaged in a verbal altercation with rival gang members. Suddenly, Hornsby and the rival gang members ignited a mass shooting in which Hornsby pulled out his gun and unleashed a barrage of gunfire into the crowd. Panic ensued, with surveillance video capturing the immediate chaos as the crowd scattered for safety. Law enforcement later recovered dozens of ammunition casings. The shooting resulted in the injury of at least eight people, including minors, some of whom were shot in the jaw, shoulder, elbow, wrist, finger, foot, arms, and legs.

Six days later, on Saturday, July 25, 2020, and in retaliation for the Truth Lounge shooting, three rival gang members ambushed Hornsby and Spann as they exited the International Plaza in Tampa. On that afternoon, three individuals surrounded the defendants and opened fire. Hornsby took Spann’s gun and returned fire. In total, seven vehicles were struck by gunfire, including two occupied by bystanders. Law enforcement later determined that at least 25 bullets had been fired from three different firearms.

Two days later, on July 27, 2020, while driving east on Columbus Drive, Hornsby and Spann spotted a rival gang member who was driving south on Rome Street. They followed that individual and waited to get close to him before Hornsby lowered his window, and opened fire on a residential street, unleashing dozens of shots at his target.

In addition to acts of violence, the Robles Park Enterprise also trafficked in cocaine, marijuana, and firearms.

Finally, members of the Robles Park Enterprise, including Hornsby and Spann, worked with one another to unlawfully obtain the personal identifying information (PII) of other persons. They used this PII to submit false applications via interstate wire communications and claim unemployment benefits to which they were not entitled. In total, the defendants submitted over 200 fraudulent claims, in 20 different states, with an intended loss of approximately $2.8 million dollars. For many of those claims, a bank card was issued from the state in which the claim was filed, loaded with Unemployment Insurance funds from financial institutions and sent to the Middle District of Florida. The defendants later used these cards to withdraw cash from ATMs in Tampa and Hollywood, Florida.

On June 10, 2022, a third member of this conspiracy, Tywon Spann was sentenced to six years and nine months imprisonment.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Tampa Police Department, and the Department of Labor, with substantial assistance from the United States Secret Service. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Diego F. Novaes and former Assistant United States attorney Natalie H. Adams.

Tampa, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Eric L. Lemon (44, New Port Richey), Eric Lekent Lemon, Jr. (20, St. Petersburg), Dominic Giannantonio (46, St. Petersburg), and Tryon Metteria Byrd IV (43, St. Petersburg) with conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine. If convicted on all counts, Lemon and Giannantonio face mandatory minimum penalties of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison. If convicted on all counts, Lemon, Jr., and Byrd face a maximum penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment.

According to the indictment and statements made by prosecutors in open court, the defendants were operating a drug trafficking ring in St. Petersburg, Florida, where they would sell narcotics out of various residential homes. During the course of the investigation, the defendants sold methamphetamine, powder cocaine, and crack cocaine to undercover agents.  

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 St. Petersburg Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David P. Sullivan.

Jacksonville, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Andrew Lynn Overheul (43, Orange Park) has pleaded guilty to two counts of production and attempted production of child sexual abuse material. Overheul faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years, up to 60 years, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not been scheduled.

According to the plea agreement, on September 17, 2022, the parent of a 12-year-old child (MV1) contacted the Clay County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) to report a complaint MV1 had made about finding a cellular phone recording her changing clothes and using the shower in the bathroom at her softball coach’s house. CCSO responded that same night and interviewed the parent and MV1. The parent and MV1 said that they were at Overheul’s home in Orange Park, Florida on September 17, 2022, for a softball team family party, as Overheul was the child’s softball coach. The children decided to have an impromptu group sleepover at Overheul’s home. Overheul told MV1 that she could take a shower in the master bathroom shower, as another girl was showering in the other bathroom at that time. MV1 spotted a phone on the bathroom countertop propped up between two boxes, with the camera facing the shower. Upon closer inspection, MV1 discovered the phone was actively recording, and immediately grabbed the phone and stopped the recording. MV1 reviewed the video and discovered that it depicted her, so she deleted the video, placed the phone back on the counter, and called her parents to pick her up from Overheul’s residence. MV1’s parent sent a text message to Overheul at 8:17 p.m. indicating they were on their way to pick MV1 up and would tell Overheul about it when they got there. At 8:44 p.m., Overheul responded by text message, “Hey we talked with the girls. No one is addmitting [sic] to playing a joke. The others that were in that bathroom said they saw my phone charging but no other phones.” 

After interviewing the parents and MV1, CCSO detectives responded to Overheul’s residence in the early morning hours of September 18, 2022, and interviewed Overheul, during which he acknowledged he was the only person that used or had access and control of his cellphone. He further acknowledged that his cellphone was in the bathroom and claimed he had placed it there to charge.

Agents obtained a federal search warrant for Overheul’s cellphone and a forensic review of the device found two photos of several minor females on the softball team wearing swimsuits and sitting on the floor in Overheul’s living room, dated September 17, 2022, with a time stamp of 5:36 p.m. Forensics also showed that, at 7:38 p.m., a search for “canon remote app” was conducted on the cellphone, and then the Canon Camera Connect app was installed a few seconds later. This app allows a camera to record remotely with live view imaging of the camera from a smartphone. Forensics also revealed a search in the evening of September 17, 2022, in the Google Play Store on Overheul’s cellphone for two applications, which were downloaded, and can be used to delete information from a person’s phone.

On November 18, 2022, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) executed a federal search warrant at Overheul’s residence and seized numerous electronic devices. Agents discovered hundreds of photos and videos of minors that appeared to have been taken surreptitiously without their consent.

This case was investigated by the Clay County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Washington.

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

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Alexander Leszczynski (24, North Redington Beach) today pleaded guilty to an indictment charging him with murder-for-hire and obstruction of justice. Leszczynski faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on each count. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to court documents, on or about October 7, 2020, Leszczynski filed with the Clerk of Court for Pinellas County a warranty deed purporting to transfer a parcel of property in Redington Shores, Florida from its rightful owners (Victim 1 and Victim 2) to Aura, Inc., a fictitious corporate entity that Leszczynski controlled.

In April 2022, a grand jury in the Middle District of Florida charged Leszczynski with several counts of fraud, including fraud related to the property owned by Victim 1 and Victim 2, in United States v. Alexander Leszczynski, 8:22-cr-155-MSS-SPF. He was arraigned on May 17, 2022, and ordered detained. The fraud case was eventually set for the October trial calendar with United States District Judge Mary S. Scriven. Both Victim 1 and Victim 2 were complainants against Leszczynski and could be called as witnesses against him in his fraud trial.

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

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

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Shauna S. Hale and Samantha J. Newman.

Atlanta, Georgia – The United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit in Atlanta has affirmed the convictions and sentence of Casey David Crowther (37, Fort Myers) in one of the first federal appeals involving a fraudulent COVID-relief loan (11th Cir. Case No. 21-12255). In March 2021, a federal jury in Fort Myers had found Crowther guilty of bank fraud, making a false statement to a lending institution, and two counts of money laundering in connection with his Paycheck Protection Program loan scheme. (Before trial, Crowther had pleaded guilty to other bank-fraud and false-statement charges related to a separate scheme in which Crowther had created fake bank statements to justify a loan for a nearly $1.3 million waterfront house in St. James City, Florida.) United States District Judge John E. Steele sentenced Crowther to 37 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Crowther appealed his convictions on the PPP charges and his sentence. Among other things, he argued that he was permitted to use PPP funds for any purpose—notwithstanding unambiguous restrictions in the loan documents that he signed—so long as he intended to repay the loan. The Eleventh Circuit rejected Crowther’s arguments and affirmed his convictions and sentence. 

Congress created the Paycheck Protection Program to facilitate up to $349 billion in low-interest, potentially forgivable loans for qualified businesses struggling to make payroll or pay operating expenses in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. PPP loans were provided by private lenders and guaranteed by the Small Business Association and could be used only for payroll and certain other expenses necessary to maintain business operations during the pandemic (primarily payroll). In April 2020, Crowther obtained a $2.1 million PPP loan by stating that he intended to use the money for payroll, rent, and utilities for his company, Target Roofing and Sheet Metal, Inc. According to the evidence presented at trial, he instructed his bank to deposit the funds into a secret account separate from his company’s main operating account. He quickly used the account for personal use, spending nearly $700,000 on a 40-foot pleasure boat and $55,000 on a horse. He also used PPP funds to pay down personal credit-card debt, a loan owed to an old business partner, and his company’s line of credit (which were not permitted uses). When Crowther’s bank warned him that he was likely to be audited, he attempted to conceal his fraud by falsely “hiring” family members and dozens of fictitious employees to inflate his company’s apparent payroll. He hid the true purpose of certain wire transfers (saying that the boat payment was an “equipment purchase” and the horse payment was for “roofing material”). All the while, taxpayers continued to fund the low-interest loan that had been intended to protect Crowther’s business and employees.

This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service. It was prosecuted in U.S. District Court by Assistant United States Attorneys Trent Reichling and Michael V. Leeman. The appeal was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Sean Siekkinen.

Jacksonville, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Jonathan Corbett Cosie (54, Chesterfield, VA) has pleaded guilty to two counts of introducing a misbranded drug into interstate commerce with the intent to defraud or mislead. Cosie faces a maximum penalty of six years in federal prison. His sentencing is set for September 21, 2023. As part of his plea, Cosie agreed to forfeit any unapproved or misbranded drugs.

According to the plea agreement, in Jacksonville, Florida and elsewhere, Cosie operated a business called HCSGRX from approximately 2016 through 2020. HCGRX advertised itself as a distributor of weight loss and bodybuilding supplements. Among other supplements, Cosie sold a number of products containing HCG, which he falsely stated consumers could purchase as a weight loss supplement without having to obtain a valid prescription. Cosie falsely claimed on his website that his company was cooperating with international pharmacies to ship orders out. The investigation revealed that Cosie obtained unapproved prescription drugs containing HCG from foreign manufacturers and other sources, then applied to the vials his own counterfeit labels which contained false and misleading information. Cosie then knowingly and intentionally sold the drugs to consumers without a prescription or the supervision of a licensed medical practitioner. From October 28, 2017, through December 24, 2020, Cosie received approximately $626,202 in proceeds from the distribution of misbranded drugs, and $20,000 when he sold the HCGRX business.   

Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (“HCG”) is a hormone produced by the placenta during pregnancy. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved several prescription drugs containing HCG for the treatment of female infertility and for other medical conditions. The FDA has not approved any HCG-containing products for weight loss, nor for any purpose without a prescription.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David B. Mesrobian. The asset forfeiture is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Mai Tran.

Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge William F. Jung has sentenced Dempsey Gilmore (32, Tampa) to 30 years in federal prison for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine and marijuana, possessing with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and marijuana, carrying a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. The court also ordered Gilmore to forfeit an HS Produkt (Springfield Armory) model XDM-45 .45 caliber pistol and ammunition, which were used in the commission of the offenses. A federal jury had found Gilmore guilty on March 9, 2023.

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, on February 9, 2022, an officer from the Tampa Police Department (TPD) observed a red Dodge Charger fail to stop for a stop sign and attempted a traffic stop, but the vehicle fled at speeds over 100 miles per hour. A TPD Air Support Unit tracked and recorded the vehicle as it fled from the police, ultimately stopping near a residence, where the driver and passenger got out, scaled a fence, and ran into a house.

During the flight, the air unit recorded the vehicle temporarily stopping and its occupants throwing items from the car. TPD officers arrived at that location and, along the side of the road, found a bag containing almost 200 grams of 100% pure methamphetamine, a zip-top bag labeled “Dempsey,” and a fully loaded firearm (pictured below). They also found a box with bags of marijuana and a digital scale nearby.

After obtaining a search warrant for the house where the suspects had entered, officers ordered the occupants to exit the home. Several individuals immediately complied, but Gilmore and another man initially remained in the house before ultimately coming out. Officers found a security video from the house showing Gilmore and the other man running into the residence and located more marijuana inside the Dodge Charger that had been abandoned near the residence. A fingerprint recovered from the vehicle matched that of Gilmore.

Gilmore wad previously convicted of multiple felonies, including being a felon in possession of a firearm and escape. Therefore, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.

This case was investigated by the Tampa Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Samantha Beckman.

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

Ocala, FL – U.S. District Judge John Antoon II has sentenced Nishera Remon Johnson (42, Silver Springs Shores) to 16 years and 8 months years in federal prison for conspiring to distribute narcotics (including methamphetamine and cocaine) and possessing a firearm as an armed career criminal. Johnson had been indicted on September 2, 2020. She was previously found guilty by a federal jury on June 29, 2022.

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, on November 26, 2019, pursuant to a search warrant, law enforcement officers searched a vehicle belonging to Johnson and found nearly two pounds of methamphetamine. During the execution of a search warrant of a co-conspirator’s cellphone, agents found evidence of a marijuana grow operation at Johnson’s residence. When that home was searched pursuant to a search warrant on December 16, 2019, agents located numerous firearms and ammunition and nearly half a kilogram of powder cocaine.  Agents also located the marijuana grow operation in a shed behind the home.  Johnson had been living at the home together with her co-conspirator and her minor child.

As a convicted felon, Johnson is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition under federal law. Furthermore, Johnson’s extensive criminal record—including multiple convictions for the sale and distribution of cocaine—qualified her for a sentencing enhancement as an Armed Career Criminal on the firearm offense.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Ocala Police Department, and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William S. Hamilton.

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

Ocala, Florida – Senior U.S. District Judge John Antoon II has sentenced Uriel Fajardo-Albarran (28, Coleman) to 23 years in federal prison. A federal jury previously convicted Fajardo-Albarran of conspiring to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and three other drug distribution counts on January 6, 2023.

According to evidence presented at trial, between January 2021 and October 2022, Fajardo-Albarran received large amounts of methamphetamine from sources in Mexico, Texas, and Georgia. He then transported the methamphetamine to the Middle District of Florida, where he used lower-level dealers to distribute multiple kilograms of the substance each week for approximately two years. Fajardo-Albarran had organized the drug distribution network after taking over for another supplier who had been convicted and sentenced to federal prison.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, the Lake City Police Department, the Florida Highway Patrol, the Unified Drug Enforcement Strike Team, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Tyrie K. Boyer and Sarah J. Swartzberg. 

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Joshua Thomas Brown (28, Jacksonville) has pleaded guilty to possessing photos and videos depicting the sexual abuse of minors, including prepubescent children. At sentencing, Brown faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a potential lifetime term of supervised release. His sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled. Joshua Brown’s brother, Jonathan William Brown (25, Jacksonville), pleaded guilty on March 16, 2023, to downloading and receiving photos and videos depicting the sexual abuse of young children. His sentencing hearing is set for June 26, 2023. Jonathan Brown faces a mandatory minimum term of 5 years, up to 20 years, in prison and a potential lifetime term of supervised release. Both men have been detained since their arrests.  

According to court documents, in January 2022, an electronic service provider (ESP) documented several incidents involving uploads of child sexual abuse material from a particular online account with the username “Jonathan Brown” and other identifiers traceable to the same name. These uploads had occurred from July 2021 through and December 23, 2021. These ESP reports were forwarded to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office for investigation. This investigation revealed that at least one contraband file had been uploaded to the internet from Jonathan Brown’s residence in Jacksonville.  

On July 8, 2022, agents with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), together with officers from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, and the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, executed a federal search warrant at Jonathan Brown’s residence, who was at the residence. During the execution of this warrant, agents seized several electronic devices, including computers, cellular telephones, and storage media. During an interview with law enforcement, Jonathan Brown stated that he used his desktop computer to download child sexual abuse materials, had started engaging in this conduct “a long time ago,” and since then has been in a cycle of seeking such materials on the internet, downloading it, and then deleting it. Forensic analysis of Brown’s electronic devices revealed hundreds of files of child sexual abuse materials, including a photo depicting a prepubescent child being sexually abused that Jonathan Brown downloaded from the internet on March 21, 2022.

Jonathan Brown’s brother, Joshua Brown, lived at the same residence and was present during the search on July 8, 2022. During an interview with law enforcement, Joshua Brown admitted that a particular cellular telephone that was seized belonged to him and was used only by him. Forensic analysis of this phone revealed that it contained hundreds of files of child sexual abuse material, including a photo depicting a prepubescent child being sexually abused. In total, Joshua Brown knowingly possessed more than 2,100 videos and more than 600 photos depicting children being sexually abused that were recovered from three cellular phones, a gaming computer, an external hard disk drive, and an online file-sharing account.

These cases were investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). They are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kelly S. Karase and D. Rodney Brown.

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

Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle today sentenced Robert L. Birchum (55, Tampa) to three years in federal prison for unlawfully possessing and retaining classified documents relating to the national defense of the United States. The court also ordered Birchum to pay a fine of $25,000.

Birchum pleaded guilty to unlawfully possessing and retaining classified documents relating to the national defense of the United States on February. 21, 2023. According to the plea agreement, Birchum previously served as a Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Air Force. During his 29-year career, Birchum served in various positions in intelligence, including those requiring him to work with classified intelligence information for the Joint Special Operations Command, the Special Operations Command, and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. While on active duty, Birchum entered into several agreements with the United States regarding the protection and proper handling of classified information.

In 2017, however, law enforcement officers discovered that Birchum knowingly removed more than 300 classified files or documents, including more than 30 items marked Top Secret, from authorized locations. Birchum kept these classified materials in his home, his overseas officer’s quarters, and a storage pod in his driveway. None of these locations were authorized for storage of classified national defense information. In particular, the criminal information charges that Birchum possessed two documents on a thumb drive found in his home that contained information relating to the National Security Agency’s capabilities and methods of collection and targets’ vulnerabilities. Both of these documents were classified as Top Secret/SCI, and their unauthorized release could be expected to cause exceptionally grave damage to the national security of the United States.

“The unauthorized removal of highly sensitive documents by the defendant in this case posed great risk to our national security,” said U.S. Attorney Roger Handberg. “We are grateful for our law enforcement partners who work diligently to keep our nation safe every day.”

“A goal of the FBI’s Counterintelligence program is to protect the secrets of the US Intelligence community. This sentencing illustrates the bureau’s commitment and perseverance in pursuing those individuals who knowingly jeopardize our nation’s security,” said FBI Tampa Special Agent in Charge David Walker.

The U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cherie L. Krigsman of the Middle District of Florida and Trial Attorney Evan N. Turgeon of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section prosecuted the case.

Ocala, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the arrest of Craig Antwon O’Neal (53, Ocala) based on an indictment charging him being a felon in possession of a firearm. He faces a mandatory minimum term of 15 years, up to life, in federal prison. O’Neal had been indicted on March 3, 2021.

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

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

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

Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Samuel Robert Bruner (47, North Fort Myers) today pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition. Bruner faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years, up to life, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to court documents, Bruner was found in possession of two revolvers, a shotgun, and assorted ammunition in a vehicle he was operating on December 1, 2021. Court records confirm that he had previously been convicted of a felony, which prohibits him from possessing firearms and 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 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.

Jacksonville, Florida – Chief U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan has sentenced Dennis William Sheffield, Jr. (52, Keystone Heights) to 16 years and 3 months in federal prison for receipt of child sex abuse materials. Sheffield was also ordered to serve a life term of supervised release and to register as a sex offender. In addition, he was ordered to pay $15,000 in restitution to victims of his offenses. Sheffield had pleaded guilty on December 16, 2022.

According to the plea agreement, in February 2022, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) began investigating Sheffield in response to a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The CyberTip indicated that child sex abuse material had been uploaded to a search engine. An IP address for the individual who had uploaded the materials was traced to Sheffield and law enforcement learned that Sheffield was listed as a predator on the Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s Sexual Offenders and Predators registry because of two convictions (1996) of attempted sexual battery on a child under 12 years old.

On March 3, 2022, based on the CyberTip and identification of Sheffield as the subject, law enforcement obtained a federal search warrant for Sheffield’s residence. The following day, authorities executed the search warrant and encountered Sheffield, who was holding a phone in his hand. A preliminary examination of the cellphone revealed multiple files of child sex abuse materials on the phone. Sheffield admitted to having a problem and that he liked looking at child sex abuse images, which he admitted to having viewed as recently as a couple of days earlier. Sheffield also admitted to saving some of the images on his phone.

“This sexual predator has already served prison time for sexually exploiting children; he clearly did not learn his lesson,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Jacksonville Assistant Special Agent in Charge K. Jim Phillips. “Thanks to the Northeast Florida INTERCEPT Task Force, Clay County Sheriff's Office and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, this predator will spend a significant amount of time behind bars, again.”

This case was investigated by the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Northeast Florida INTERCEPT Task Force. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Washington. 

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

Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Oliver Barrington King (44, Deland) has pleaded guilty to theft of government funds. King faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. In addition, King has agreed to forfeit $16,618.91, the amount he obtained as a result of the offense. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled.

According to the plea agreement, King was the property manager for an apartment complex that received Section 8 project-based rental assistance funding from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). As property manager, King had access to the HUD funding and misappropriated the government funds for his own unjust enrichment.

This case was investigated by the Department of Housing and Urban Development – Office of Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shannon Laurie.

Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan today sentenced Sabastian Amrine (20, Jacksonville) to 16 years and 8 months in federal prison and Brandon Bayne (25, Jacksonville) to 10 years in federal prison for five armed robberies of convenience stores in Jacksonville. The court also ordered the forfeiture of a pistol that was used in the robberies. Restitution to the victims will be determined at a future date. Amrine had pleaded guilty on November 22, 2022, and Bayne pleaded guilty on August 16, 2022.

According to court documents, at least by August 19, 2021, Amrine and Bayne were residing together in Jacksonville when they formulated a plan to rob convenience stores at gunpoint. On that date, Bayne drove Amrine to a Circle K store in Jacksonville. Amrine entered the store and brandished a Smith & Wesson .40 caliber pistol with an extended magazine at the clerk and demanded money from the register. The clerk, fearing for his life, gave Amrine $120. Amrine left the Circle K and was picked up by Bayne. Bayne then drove Amrine to Blue Store in Jacksonville, where Amrine entered and again brandished the pistol at the clerk, demanding money. While Amrine was standing at the counter pointing the firearm at the clerk, a small child was standing next to him at the counter and at least one other child and an adult female were present inside the store. The clerk gave Amrine $100 and Amrine left and was again picked up by Bayne.

Amrine, child, and clerk during the robbery of Blue Store on August 19, 2021

On August 29, 2021, Bayne and Amrine conducted robberies of Rainbow Food Store and Fast Stop Store in the same manner.

On September 1, 2021, Bayne drove Amrine to a GATE gas station in Jacksonville. Amrine entered the store and again brandished the pistol and demanded money from the clerk, who complied with Amrine’s demand. Bayne picked up Amrine and a manager from the GATE gas station followed the two as they fled from the robbery. A patrol officer with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office joined the pursuit of Bayne’s vehicle. Bayne fled from the officer, driving recklessly in heavy traffic until he crashed the vehicle into a ditch along Argyle Forest Boulevard. Both Amrine and Bayne then exited the crashed vehicle and fled on foot.  The Smith & Wesson .40 caliber pistol with extended magazine – which was loaded with 14 rounds of ammunition – fell out of Amrine’s pants as he fled. Amrine was taken into custody as he attempted to scale a fence while fleeing. Bayne was tracked down by a police canine unit a short distance away, hiding in a storage shed in a residential backyard. The Smith & Weston .40 caliber pistol was recovered by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.

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 Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kirwinn Mike and Laura Cofer Taylor.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Virginia M. Hernandez Covington has sentenced Brooke Sparks (38, St. Petersburg) to 40 years in federal prison for producing child sex abuse material. The court also ordered Sparks to serve 15 years of supervised release after her prison term and to register as a sex offender for life. Sparks had pleaded guilty on January 30, 2023.

According to court documents, in April 2021, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) received a tip from the Australian Federal Police and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that Sparks was sharing child sexual abuse material via Facebook. A federal search warrant was executed on Sparks’s home on April 28, 2021, and investigators discovered text messages between Sparks and an Australian man discussing sexually abusing a three-year-old child. Sparks’s cellphone also revealed that Sparks had produced videos of child sexual abuse material of a nine-year-old child and shared them with the Australian man. The investigation further revealed that Sparks had used multiple platforms to send and receive images and videos of child sexual abuse material.

“The internet and social media have made it easier for predators to exploit children and disseminate their abuse around the world,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Tampa Assistant Special Agent in Charge Kristopher Pagitt. “Thanks to the support of the Australian Federal Police and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, we were able to stop her from continuing to create and share child sexual abuse material.”

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Tampa, with substantial assistance from St. Petersburg Police Department and the Australian Federal Police. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Erin Claire Favorit.

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

Orlando, FL – A Florida man pleaded guilty today to evading his federal income taxes.

According to court documents and statements made in court, between 2015 and 2018, Jeffrey Donaldson of Orlando worked as a loan officer for two mortgage companies and made over $750,000 in wages. He submitted to each of his employers false employee withholding certificates (Forms W-4) claiming that he was exempt from any federal income tax withholding. During that same period, Donaldson willfully did not file personal tax returns even though he earned enough income requiring him to do so. As a result, Donaldson caused a tax loss to the IRS of over $150,000.

Donaldson will be sentenced at a later date and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. 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, U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg for the Middle District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Brian Payne of IRS-Criminal Investigation Tampa Field Office made the announcement.

IRS-Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.

Trial Attorneys Isaiah Boyd and Brian Flanagan of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Terry Livanos of the Middle District of Florida are prosecuting the case.

A Florida man pleaded guilty today to evading his federal income taxes.

According to court documents and statements made in court, between 2015 and 2018, Jeffrey Donaldson of Orlando worked as a loan officer for two mortgage companies and made over $750,000 in wages. He submitted to each of his employers false employee withholding certificates (Forms W-4) claiming that he was exempt from any federal income tax withholding. During that same period, Donaldson willfully did not file personal tax returns even though he earned enough income requiring him to do so. As a result, Donaldson caused a tax loss to the IRS of over $150,000.

Donaldson will be sentenced at a later date and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. 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, U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg for the Middle District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Brian Payne of IRS-Criminal Investigation Tampa Field Office made the announcement.

IRS-Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.

Trial Attorneys Isaiah Boyd and Brian Flanagan of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Terry Livanos for the Middle District of Florida are prosecuting the case.

Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the arrest of Eddie Lee Parks, III (24, Orlando) on a one-count indictment charging him with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. If convicted, he is faces a maximum of 15 years in federal prison.

According to the indictment, on April 10, 2023, Parks was in possession of a handgun. He had previously been convicted of three felonies, including two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon (2019) and possession of a controlled substance (2019). As a convicted felon, Parks is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.

An indictment is merely an allegation that a defendant has committed a federal criminal offense. Every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.

This case is being investigated by the Leesburg Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk.

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

Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Ronald Bernard Thomas, Jr. (44, Jacksonville) to 20 years in federal prison for selling methamphetamine while armed with two pistols. The two pistols used in the offense previously were administratively forfeited. Thomas had pleaded guilty on February 9, 2023.

According to court documents, Thomas, who used the street name “Gorilla,” had been convicted of second-degree murder in 2002 after he shot an unarmed man, killing him. Thomas was sentenced to 20 years in prison for that crime and released from prison in 2017. Beginning at least by August 2021, Thomas had begun selling drugs, including fentanyl and methamphetamine, out of Jacksonville-area hotels.  Special agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were able to obtain controlled purchases of drugs from Thomas on multiple occasions in 2021 and 2022. During some of the drug purchases, Thomas displayed his firearms on the table where he weighed out and packaged the drugs that he was selling. 

On July 28, 2022, agents conducted a traffic stop on Thomas’s vehicle and arrested him pursuant to a federal arrest warrant. Thomas had a loaded Glock 9mm pistol in his pants pocket. A search of his vehicle revealed a second loaded pistol, with loaded magazine, methamphetamine, pills, and suspected heroin and fentanyl, in addition to scales, whisks, spoons, and plastic baggies. Thomas has been detained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service since that time.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with assistance from the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Laura Cofer Taylor.

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

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Mary S. Scriven has sentenced Nathasha Michelle Prieto (34, Bradenton) to six years and six months in federal prison for conspiring to distribute over five kilograms of cocaine. Prieto had pleaded guilty on January 5, 2023.

According to court documents, Prieto, a former United States Postal Carrier, and her co-defendant, Angel Hernandez Coss, orchestrated a scheme by which Prieto provided addresses on her delivery route to Coss who used those addresses to secure shipments of cocaine from Puerto Rico. As a result, kilogram quantities of cocaine were shipped in packages to these addresses. Prieto then removed the packages from the mail stream and provide them to Coss who then distributed the cocaine.

Coss was sentenced to 17 years and 6 months in federal prison on May 17, 2023.

This case was investigated by the United States Postal Service – Office of Inspector General, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Manatee County Sherriff’s Office, and the Bradenton Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jim Preston.

Village Home Care LLC (VHC), located in Ocala, Florida, has agreed to pay $225,000 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act (FCA) by paying kickbacks to two physicians in the form of sham medical director or sublease agreements in exchange for patient referrals. Joy Rodak (Rodak), VHC’s CEO and majority owner, has agreed separately to pay $105,000. Both settlements are based on financial ability to pay. In addition, the United States has reached agreements with Dr. Vishnu Reddy and Dr. Kuchakulla Reddy to pay $100,000 and $61,943.44, respectively, to resolve allegations that each accepted kickbacks from VHC in exchange for patient referrals.

On Jan. 15, 2021, the United States filed complaints in intervention in two whistleblower lawsuits brought under the FCA against VHC and Rodak alleging that they knowingly billed Medicare for home health services for patients referred to VHC by Dr. Vishnu Reddy from Nov. 15, 2012, through Nov. 14, 2014, while paying Dr. V. Reddy under sham medical director agreements. Although Dr. V. Reddy performed no services, VHC paid him $50,000 to induce him to refer patients to VHC. The United States further alleged that VHC and Rodak knowingly billed Medicare for home health services for patients referred to VHC by Dr. Kuchakulla Reddy from Dec. 1, 2012, through March 5, 2014, while paying Dr. K. Reddy, through his medical practice, under sham sublease agreements. Although VHC did not use the space, VHC paid Dr. K. Reddy $30,971.72 to induce him to refer patients to VHC. 

“Paying doctors to refer patients for services paid for by federal health care programs can distort medical decision-making and result in medically unnecessary care,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The settlements in this matter demonstrate our commitment to protecting the integrity of these programs and the taxpayer dollars that support them.”

“Medicare funds should be used to provide care for our seniors, not to induce physicians to refer business,” said U.S. Attorney Roger Handberg for the Middle District of Florida. “This office will take action against individuals who make unlawful payment to physicians in exchange for patient referrals.”

The civil settlements include the resolution of claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by Kasey Jacobs, James Hanes, Katherine Brooks, Karen Swain, and Barbara Mellot-Yezman, all former employees of VHC. Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. The qui tam cases are captioned U.S. ex rel. Jacobs, et al. v. Village Home Care, LLC, et al., No. 5:21-cv-00073-CEM-PRL (M.D. Fla.), and U.S. ex rel. Brooks, et al. v. Village Home Care, LLC, et al., No. 5:21-cv-00072-CEM-PRL (M.D. Fla.). The relators’ share of the settlements has not yet been determined.

The resolutions obtained in this matter were the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida, and the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General.

The matter was investigated by Senior Trial Counsel Sarah Arni and Trial Attorney Breanna Peterson of the Civil Division's Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Keefe for the Middle District of Florida.

The investigation and resolutions in this matter illustrate the government’s emphasis on combating health care fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).

The claims resolved by the settlements are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Mary Scriven has sentenced David Blackmer (34, St. Petersburg) to 7 years in federal prison, to be followed by 20 years of supervised release, for distributing and possessing child sexual abuse material.  The court also ordered Blackmer to register as a sex offender and pay $114,000 in restitution. Blackmer had pleaded guilty on February 7, 2023.

According to court documents, on September 7, 2021, Blackmer distributed child sexual abuse videos and images to an undercover computer belonging to Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) through a peer-to-peer program. Federal agents executed a search warrant at Blackmer’s residence and recovered electronic devices containing thousands of images and videos of children being sexually abused.

“This predator engaged in the collection and sharing of thousands of images and videos of children being sexually abused,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Tampa Assistant Special Agent in Charge Kristopher Pagitt. “Our HSI Tampa special agents are proud to be a part of Project Safe Childhood to combat the epidemic of people exploiting our most vulnerable.”

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). 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, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Chester Lewis Risco, III (19, North Fort Myers) with possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. If convicted, Risco faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. The indictment also notifies Risco that the United States intends to forfeit the firearm and ammunition, which are alleged to be traceable to proceeds of the offense.

According to the indictment, Risco was in possession of a pistol on April 27, 2023. Risco was previously convicted of two felony offenses in March 2023, making him federally prohibited from possessing a firearm.

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 is case was investigated by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It will be 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.

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that a federal jury has returned guilty verdicts on the indictment charging Mario Correa Jackson (38, Jacksonville) with illegally soliciting and receiving healthcare kickbacks as well as illegally offering and paying health care kickbacks. Jackson faces a maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment on each of the charges. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to the evidence presented at trial, Jackson received illegal healthcare kickbacks for recruiting individuals to sign up for prescription compound creams. While working in the linen department of the NAS JAX Hospital, Jackson specifically targeted members of the military to ensure that the military members’ health insurance, TRICARE, would pay for the cost of the compound creams focusing on pain, scar, and migraine creams because they were the most lucrative for kickback purposes. The compound creams themselves cost TRICARE on average tens of thousands of dollars per cream. In addition to receiving kickbacks for receiving his own creams, Jackson also paid kickbacks to others once he had signed them up to get their creams and automatic refills, regardless of whether they actually needed the creams.

Jackson was responsible for signing up at least 40 individuals, for whom he would receive an additional kickback for recruiting them as “patients.” Once the individuals showed proof of obtaining their prescription cream, Jackson paid them their illegal kickbacks of several hundreds of dollars per cream they received.    

This case was investigated by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service and the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys John Cannizzaro, Mai Tran, and Julie Hackenberry.  

Jacksonville, Florida – Chief U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan has sentenced Cory Lee Kelly (35, Jacksonville) to four years and nine months in federal prison for possession of a firearm as a convicted felon. Kelly had pleaded guilty on February 8, 2023. As part of his plea, he agreed to forfeit a machinegun, semi-automatic AR-style pistol, and assorted ammunition.

According to court documents, on April 28, 2022, a trooper from the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) pulled over a vehicle being driven by Kelly for a seatbelt violation. The vehicle was occupied by Kelly and a two-year-old child. At Kelly’s driver’s side window, the trooper smelled marijuana. Kelly did not possess a valid driver license and the trooper also determined that Kelly had an outstanding arrest warrant for an unresolved charge of driving with a suspended license. Kelly was detained, and based on the smell of marijuana, his vehicle was searched.

During the search, the trooper located remnants of marijuana and a Glock-type pistol, which once the driver’s side door was opened, was readily visible under the driver’s seat. The pistol had no serial number, was loaded with 26 rounds of ammunition, and had a so-called “Glock switch” – a device used to convert the pistol into a machine gun, allowing it to fire multiple rounds with a single pull of the trigger. Further investigation revealed that Kelly had previously been convicted of possession of a controlled substance while armed, a felony offense. The trooper arrested Kelly for, among other things, possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, a state offense. On May 3, 2022, while his state case was pending, Kelly was released from custody after posting bond.

On July 19, 2022, an officer from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office observed Kelly driving a car while speeding, with illegal window tint, and an expired registration. The officer signaled Kelly to pull over, which he did. As the officer approached the driver’s side window, Kelly rolled it down a minimal amount.  When asked to roll it down further, Kelly complied, and the officer smelled marijuana. Kelly was alone in the car and visibly within his reach was an AR-style semi-automatic pistol on the passenger-side of the car. When asked, Kelly could not produce a driver license and confirmed that he was a convicted felon. Kelly was detained, and pursuant to a search, in addition to the semi-automatic pistol (loaded with 30 rounds of ammunition), officers located counterfeit currency, and bags of marijuana and crack cocaine. Kelly was arrested for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.

On September 1, 2022, while his two state prosecutions were pending, Kelly was released from custody after posting bond. On September 15, 2022, a federal grand jury indicted Kelly for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and he was arrested at his home on September 22, 2022. When officers entered the home, they located a loaded shotgun on the floor of a bathroom. As a convicted felon, Kelly is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law. 

This case was investigated by the Florida Highway Patrol, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Michael J. Coolican and 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, Florida – Senior United States District Judge Harvey E. Schlesinger has sentenced Leonard M. Green to 15 years in federal prison for possessing with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Green had pleaded guilty on January 4, 2023.

According to court documents, on May 19, 2021, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) conducted an undercover controlled receipt of a drug package that contained approximately 4.63 kilograms of methamphetamine from a drug trafficking organization (DTO) in Mexico. The package was to be shipped from Calexico, California to Jacksonville. HSI (San Diego) coordinated with HSI Jacksonville and the United States Postal Service Inspection Service (USPIS) after the undercover agent received instructions from the Mexican DTO to divide the methamphetamine and send it to two addresses in Florida.  

On May 27, 2021, one of the packages containing more than two kilograms of methamphetamine was sent to Green’s residence. After the package arrived, federal agents executed a search warrant of the premises and interviewed Green.  During the interview, Green admitted to receiving the package, owning a firearm as a convicted felon, and operating his residence as a drop spot for drugs being mailed to the Jacksonville area for a local drug trafficker.

“Illicit and dangerous drugs continue to ravage our communities, and this career criminal did not learn his lesson the first time,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Assistant Special Agent in Charge K. Jim Phillips. “Alongside our partners at the U.S. Postal Service Inspection Service and our dedicated task force officers, HSI continues our commitment to rid our streets from this poison that tears our communities apart.”      

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the United States Postal Service Inspection Service. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kirwinn Mike.

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

Jacksonville, Florida – Chief U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan has sentenced Wayne Joseph Cavins (64, Deltona) to life in federal prison for attempted online enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity. Cavins was also ordered to serve a life term of supervised release and to register as a sex offender. Cavins had pleaded guilty on November 15, 2022.

According to court documents, from December 23, 2020, through January 29, 2021, Cavins attempted to persuade, induce, entice, and coerce a child to engage in sexual activity. Cavins met the child on a social media application and later communicated with the child via text messages. During their text messages, Cavins detailed his interest in engaging in sexual activity with the child, including specifying possible hotel locations for them to meet. In addition, Cavins persuaded and enticed the child to produce child sex abuse materials on several occasions that depicted specific content requested by Cavins. After his arrest, Cavins admitted to talking to the child and that he knew it was wrong. A search of his devices showed Cavins possessed multiple images of child sex abuse materials, including images of the minor child. Further investigation revealed Cavins physically and sexually abused another minor to whom he had access for several years.

“This predator fed his perverse fantasies by sexually abusing a child for years, enticing another minor victim, as well as producing and collecting sexually explicit content of children,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Assistant Special Agent in Charge K. Jim Phillips. “This well-deserved life sentence stands as proof that through law enforcement partnerships with St. Johns County and Clay County Sheriff’s Offices, and all partner agencies on the Northeast Florida INTERCEPT Task Force, law enforcement in northeast Florida will stop at nothing to stop the victimization of our children by these dangerous predators.”      

This case was investigated by the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Northeast Florida INTERCEPT Task Force. The United States Attorney’s Office also extends a special thank you to the Clay County Sheriff’s Office for their assistance during the sentencing hearing. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Washington.

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

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Wendy W. Berger has sentenced Jason Alan Scruggs (53, Cocoa) to 25 years in federal prison for distributing methamphetamine. Scruggs had pleaded guilty on April 19, 2022.

According to court documents, on two occasions in 2021, Scruggs sold methamphetamine to a confidential informant. Each of the transactions occurred at a residence associated with Scruggs in Cocoa, and on one occasion, the methamphetamine sold by Scruggs was determined to be 99% pure. At the time of the offenses, Scruggs had multiple prior convictions for drug offenses.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Cocoa Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Terry B. Livanos.

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Edward Sherwood Gustafson, IV (30, Green Cove Springs) with two counts of possession with the intent to distribute a controlled substance involving methamphetamine and cocaine, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. If convicted, Gustafson faces up to 20 years in federal prison for each count of drug distribution and up to 15 years in federal prison for the firearm offense. The indictment also notifies Gustafson that the United States intends to forfeit a Smith and Wesson pistol and ammunition traceable to the firearm offense. The court ordered Gustafson detained pending trial. His trial is set for July 2023.

According to the indictment, on January 21, 2023, Gustafson possessed with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine. At the time of the drug offenses, he also possessed a firearm and ammunition. Gustafson has seven previous felony convictions, and therefore, is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.

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

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

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Mary S. Scriven has sentenced Angel Hernandez Coss (38, Bradenton) to 17 years and 6 months in federal prison for conspiring to distribute over five kilograms of cocaine. Hernandez Coss had pleaded guilty on January 17, 2023.

According to court documents, Hernandez Coss and his codefendant, Nathasha Prieto, a former United States Postal Carrier, orchestrated a scheme by which Prieto provided addresses on her delivery route to Hernandez Coss who used those addresses to secure shipments of cocaine from Puerto Rico. As a result, kilogram quantities of cocaine were shipped in packages to these addresses. Prieto then removed the packages from the mail stream and provided them to Coss who then distributed the cocaine. Prieto previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy. She is scheduled to be sentenced on May 23, 2023.

This case was investigated by the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Manatee County Sherriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jim Preston.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge William F. Jung has sentenced Jose Javier Galvan (55, Atlanta, GA) to six years and six months in federal prison for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. Galvan had pleaded guilty on February 2, 2023.

According to court documents, in July and August 2021, Galvan conspired with others to distribute kilogram quantities of high-purity methamphetamine from Guadalajara, Mexico to Atlanta and Tampa. Galvan drove from the Atlanta area to Tampa to plan for the distribution of the methamphetamine and agreed to sell several kilograms of methamphetamine for approximately $5,700, with more quantities of the drug to follow via deliveries from his drug courier.    

A drug courier drove from Atlanta to Plant City and delivered 1.89 kilograms of high-purity methamphetamine imported from Mexico. The courier transported the methamphetamine in a bright green laundry detergent box.   

On July 22, 2021, Galvan traveled from Atlanta to Temple Terrance, Florida to collect more than $11,000 of drug monies owed to him for the methamphetamine delivery. The following week, Galvan and a drug courier agreed to deliver another multi-kilogram package of methamphetamine into the Middle District of Florida. The drug courier drove from Atlanta with the methamphetamine contained in two laundry detergent boxes. Law enforcement stopped the courier’s vehicle in Lowndes County, Georgia. During the traffic stop, law enforcement discovered the two laundry detergent boxes containing an aggregate amount of approximately 4.9 kilograms of methamphetamine. 

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Winter Haven Police Department, the Plant City Police Department, and the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office (Georgia). It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David W.A. Chee.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber today sentenced Corey Small (44, St. Petersburg) to 25 years in federal prison for to interfering with commerce by robbery, using and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, conspiring to distribute cocaine and cocaine base, possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, and possessing, brandishing, and discharging a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, causing death by murder. Small had pleaded guilty on October 14, 2021.

According to court documents, in 2014, Small robbed a St. Petersburg dry cleaning business of $51.41 after pointing a gun at the clerk. Four years later, in 2018, he conspired to distribute cocaine with an exotic night club employee. Small argued with an individual who attempted to persuade the nightclub employee to leave the club and stop selling drugs for Small. During the argument, Small shot the individual four times, killing him.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Pinellas Park Police Department, the St. Petersburg Police Department, and the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Charlie D. Connally.

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

Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Jeffrey Brown (35, Fort Myers) to seven and six months in federal prison for distributing methamphetamine. Brown had pleaded guilty on February 15, 2023.

According to court documents, an undercover Special Agent with the Drug Enforcement Administration was introduced to Brown and made a small introductory purchase of powder cocaine. Brown then told the undercover agent that he could supply the agent with large quantities of methamphetamine. Over the course of two ensuing transactions in late 2020, Brown sold the undercover agent approximately three-fourths of a pound of 99% pure methamphetamine. Each of the transactions occurred at residences associated with Brown in Fort Myers. Upon his arrest, Brown admitted he had been selling drugs since his childhood. He has multiple prior convictions for drug and firearms offenses.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael V. Leeman.

Ocala, Florida – United States District Judge Roy B. Dalton, Jr. today sentenced Jermaine Lamar Harvard (41, Eustis) to 30 years in federal prison for distributing fentanyl resulting in death. A federal jury had found Harvard guilty on February 23, 2023.

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, Harvard distributed a quantity of fentanyl to the victim, “M.R,” in October 2019. Harvard represented that the substance was heroin. An analysis of the victim’s cellphone revealed that Harvard had set up multiple drug transactions with the victim. The drugs supplied by Harvard led directly to the victim’s death. A medical examiner subsequently confirmed that the victim had died of acute fentanyl toxicity.

Harvard has prior state convictions for the sale of cocaine in 2013.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Lake County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys William S. Hamilton and Hannah J. Nowalk.

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that today, following a six-week trial, a jury has returned guilty verdicts on nine counts of the superseding indictment charging Phillip Roy Wasserman (66, Sarasota) with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud and substantive counts of wire fraud and mail fraud. Wasserman faces a maximum penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment on each of the conspiracy, mail fraud, and wire fraud counts. The United States is also seeking a money judgment in the amount of at least $6.3 million, the proceeds of the charged criminal conduct. Prior to trial, the tax counts in the superseding indictment were ordered to be tried separately at the request of Wasserman.

On July 21, 2021, Wasserman’s codefendant, Kenneth Rossman, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud as well as aiding and abetting the preparation of a false and fraudulent income tax return. He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 8, 2023.

According to the evidence presented at trial, Wasserman, a former lawyer and licensed insurance agent, and Rossman, a Florida certified public accountant and licensed insurance agent, made false and fraudulent misrepresentations and concealed material information to convince elderly victim-investors to put their money into Wasserman’s new insurance venture – “FastLife.” Some victim-investors were persuaded to liquidate traditional investments such as annuities and/or to borrow funds against existing life insurance policies to generate cash to invest in the venture. These victim-investors were not told about surrender fees and other costs associated with said liquidations, or about negative personal tax consequences resulting from liquidations. Wasserman paid Rossman a percentage of the victim-investors’ money as compensation for his role in the conspiracy. Wasserman also used victim-investors’ money to make payments to earlier victim-investors in the FastLife venture, as well to as other earlier creditors.

Wasserman spent a significant amount of the victim-investors’ money to finance a lavish lifestyle that included a luxury personal residence, a beach house on Casey Key, Tampa Bay Lightning season and playoff tickets, concerts and other shows, vehicles, jet skis, jewelry, personal celebrity entertainment, gambling, retail shopping, home improvements, personal insurance, and a host of other expenses for his personal benefit and the benefit of family members.

The evidence also established that Wasserman took numerous affirmative steps to evade payment of more than $900,000 in taxes due and owed. Wasserman also failed to disclose a multitude of civil judgments and other debts pending against him at the time he solicited victim-investors to put their money into FastLife. In addition, Wasserman took steps to conceal FastLife’s mounting business debts to various business vendors and service providers, employees and independent contractors, and victim-investors. The investigation revealed that Wasserman had created a second set of books and fabricated a compensation agreement in an effort to convince investigators that he had not made improper personal use of victim-investors’ funds.

Moreover, Wasserman urged one witness to lie to investigators, attempted to dissuade several victim-investors from cooperating with law enforcement, and requested that one victim-investor make a baseless complaint against an investigator. In a further effort to thwart the investigation, Wasserman falsely and fraudulently represented that he had an audit from a highly regarded financial services firm that would show neither he nor FastLife had committed any wrongdoing. In fact, Wasserman had never even engaged the firm to perform an audit and never received any final work product of any kind from the firm.

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation and the Florida Office of Financial Regulation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Rachelle DesVaux Bedke and Rachel K. Jones.

Tampa, FL - In honor of National Police Week, United States Attorney Roger Handberg recognizes the service and sacrifice of federal, state, and local law enforcement. This year, national events are taking place in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, May 10 through Monday, May 15, 2023.

“Each day, law enforcement officers across America answer the call to uphold the law, preserve the peace, and protect all of us from harm,” said U.S. Attorney Handberg. “This sacred duty comes with great responsibility and oftentimes at great risk. This week, our District remembers the men and women who have paid the ultimate price while answering the call to public service and supports those who continue to serve the people of Florida and across our nation.”

In 1962, President Kennedy issued the first proclamation for Peace Officers Memorial Day and National Police Week to remember and honor law enforcement officers for their service and sacrifices. Peace Officers Memorial Day, which every year falls on May 15, specifically honors law enforcement officers killed or disabled in the line of duty. Based on data submitted to and analyzed by the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial Fund (NLEOMF), 118 law enforcement officers died nationwide in the line of duty in 2022.  During this period, four officers have died in the line of duty in the Middle District of Florida.

Additionally, according to 2022 statistics reported by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) through the Law Enforcement Officer Killed and Assaulted (LEOKA) Program, 60 law enforcement officers who died in the line of duty in 2022 were killed as a result of felonious acts, whereas 58 died in accidents. Deaths resulting from felonious acts decreased 17.8% in 2022, when compared to the 73 officers who were killed as a result of criminal acts in 2021. Additional LEOKA statistics can be found on FBI’s Crime Data Explorer website for the LEOKA program. 

The names of 556 fallen officers added this year to the wall at the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial will be read on Saturday, May 13, 2023, during a Candlelight Vigil (https://nleomf.org/event/35th-annual-candlelight-vigil/) in Washington, D.C., starting at 8:00 PM EDT. Those who wish to view the vigil live online, can watch on the NLEOMF YouTube channel found at https://www.youtube.com/TheNLEOMF. The schedule of National Police Week events is available on NLEOMF’s website.

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Reference to any specific organization or service(s) offered by an organization is for the information and convenience of the public, and does not constitute endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Department of Justice.

Tampa, FL - United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Armani Dilworth (28, St. Petersburg) and Lemar Cowart (27, St. Petersburg) have pleaded guilty to possessing controlled substances with the intent to distribute them. Each faces up to 20 years in federal prison. Dilworth has also pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm during a drug trafficking offense and faces a minimum mandatory penalty of five years, up to life, in federal prison for the firearm offense, to run consecutive to the other sentence imposed. Sentencing dates have not yet been set.

According to court documents, on May 4, 2020, an eyewitness observed a vehicle, occupied by Dilworth and Cowart, pull into oncoming traffic and shoot into the front of another vehicle. This action caused the other vehicle to retaliate, and a high-speed chase ensued. The car which Dilworth and Cowart occupied ultimately crashed into a gate at Azalea Middle School, and Cowart and Dilworth ran from the vehicle. Inside the vehicle, officers found cocaine, two substances containing a mixture of heroin and fentanyl, alprazolam, oxycodone, amphetamine, buprenorphine, and cannabis. They also found evidence of narcotics distribution inside the vehicle including plastic baggies, two scales, scissors, and a firearm. Both Dilworth and Cowart’s DNA were found on the firearm recovered from the vehicle.

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

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

Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that a federal jury has found Victor Yoel Perez Cremades (52, Tampa) guilty of one count of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine and 400 grams or more of fentanyl, and one count of possession with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine and 400 grams or more of fentanyl. Cremades faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for August 8, 2023. Cremades had been indicted on June 22, 2022.

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, on September 8, 2021, the FBI served a search warrant at Cremades’s residence located at 4813 N. MacDill Avenue in Tampa. Inside Cremades’s bedroom, agents located a bag containing more than 800 grams of pills pressed to look like oxycodone tablets and over 3,000 grams of methamphetamine. The bag was in the same closet as Cremades’s passport, ID card, and Social Security card.

On the same day, agents intercepted a suspicious package from the mail that was addressed to a fictitious person at 4813 N. MacDill Avenue. The package contained more than 1,300 grams of methamphetamine and over 1,200 fentanyl pills pressed to look like oxycodone tablets. During the search, agents located financial receipts showing Cremades had sent money to the same city from which the suspicious package was mailed.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Tampa Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Samantha Beckman.

Ocala, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Brian Keith Coleman (33, Tallahassee) with possession of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it. If convicted, Coleman faces a minimum mandatory term of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison.

According to court documents, a trooper with the Florida Highway Patrol found Coleman’s vehicle broken down on the shoulder of the interstate and, after a probable cause search of the vehicle, found methamphetamine, fentanyl, and marijuana. The trooper also found half a kilogram of methamphetamine where Coleman had been when the trooper first arrived on scene.

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