Middle District of Florida

Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Felipe Kearley (28, Jacksonville) to 13 years and 9 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute and distribution of 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine. Kearley had pleaded on October 20, 2022. In June 2022, Kearley’s co-defendant, George Walters (32, Jacksonville), was sentenced to 11 years and 8 months in federal prison. Walters was convicted of conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine.

According to court documents, on February 4, 2021, Kearley met with a cooperating individual who made contact with the methamphetamine supplier, Walters, and received a pound of methamphetamine in exchange for $5,500. On February 19, 2021, Kearley arranged another transaction with Walters in a public parking lot. Walters fled from law enforcement on foot and threw two packages, one containing over two kilograms of methamphetamine with a purity level of 98.9%, and the second containing cocaine weighing 27.9 grams.

“Methamphetamine is a poison that erodes our communities and our culture,” said HSI Jacksonville Assistant Special Agent in Charge K. Jim Phillips. “This 13-plus-year sentence is a direct result of outstanding law enforcement partnerships between HSI, Clay County Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Florida Highway Patrol, and serves as a strong notice that we will continue to seek out and prosecute those who introduce illicit narcotics into our communities.”

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Florida Highway Patrol. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Julie Hackenberry. The asset forfeiture was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Mai Tran.

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Ronald Bernard Thomas, Jr. (46, Jacksonville) today pleaded guilty to selling fentanyl and high-purity methamphetamine while armed and possessing firearms as a convicted felon. Thomas faces a maximum penalty of 20 years for each of the two counts of selling fentanyl, a minimum mandatory penalty of 10 years, and up to life, in prison for each of three counts of selling methamphetamine, a minimum of 5 years, up to life imprisonment, consecutive, for each of two counts of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and a maximum of 10 years in prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Thomas’s sentence for the methamphetamine sales was enhanced because of his prior conviction for second-degree murder. The government intends to forfeit the two recovered firearms, which were used in the offenses.

According to court documents, Thomas had been convicted of second-degree murder with a firearm in Florida (2002) and was in the custody of the Florida Department of Corrections from April 2002 through December 2017. In 2021, an individual who knew Thomas by the street name “Gorilla” informed the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) that they could purchase drugs from Thomas at a hotel in the area of the Jacksonville airport. On August 20, 2021, Thomas sold that individual a quantity of fentanyl.

In 2022, a second individual informed ATF that they could purchase drugs from “Gorilla,” who was then operating out of a hotel on Jacksonville’s southside.  During the summer of 2022, at the direction of ATF, the individual purchased drugs from Thomas at that hotel, on several occasions. On two occasions, Thomas sold the individual approximately an ounce of methamphetamine that was up to 99% pure. During one of those drug sales, Thomas kept two firearms within his reach while measuring the drugs he was selling. On July 28, 2022, Thomas was arrested during a traffic stop on a federal arrest warrant. ATF agents searched Thomas and recovered a Glock 9mm pistol from his pants pocket, and a search of Thomas’s vehicle yielded an FN Herstal 5.7 x 28mm pistol, magazines loaded with ammunition, and drugs – including approximately a half ounce of fentanyl that was 95% pure.

As a convicted felon, Thomas is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition under federal law.

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

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

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Cory Lee Kelly (34, Jacksonville) has pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. He faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled.

According to the plea agreement, on April 28, 2022, Kelly was pulled over by a Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) trooper 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 converting the pistol into a machine gun; allowing it to fire multiple rounds with the single pull of the trigger – visibly installed at the rear of the slide. A search of Kelly’s criminal history determined that he had previously been convicted of possession of a controlled substance while armed, a felony offense. The trooper arrested Kelly for, among other things, possession of 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 saw 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. He was arrested at his home on September 22, 2022, pursuant to that indictment. 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 is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Coolican.

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 Anthony Jermaine Robinson (31, Covington, Georgia) has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. Robinson faces a maximum penalty of 32 in federal prison, to include a 2-year minimum mandatory term of imprisonment for the aggravated identity theft charge, and payment of restitution to the victims he defrauded. Robinson made his initial appearance in federal court on November 3, 2022, pursuant to a writ from a Georgia State Prison, where he is serving a prison sentence for violating parole on a fraud-related crime. He was ordered detained pending trial.

According to the plea agreement, in 2019, a deputy from the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) stopped a car driven by Robinson for a cracked windshield. Based on a probable cause search of the car, the deputy located counterfeit Social Security cards and driver licenses with the identities of genuine individuals, genuine credit cards in the names of individuals, and multiple phones. Pursuant to a search warrant, the CCSO conducted a forensic examination of Robinson’s iPhone and determined that it contained text messages between Robinson and his co-defendant, Kiana Fina Alphonse. The text messages outlined instructions on how to fraudulently set up business bank accounts using, among other items, fraudulent business documents for non-existent businesses, identification documents and Social Security numbers (SSNs).

Further investigation by law enforcement determined that, in 2019, Robinson and Alphonse obtained the personally identifiable information (PII) of multiple victims. They then obtained counterfeit driver licenses, purportedly from Washington and Delaware. The counterfeit licenses contained the PII of victims, but Alphonse’s photo. Using the PII, including the SSNs of victims, the counterfeit licenses, and documents created for fictitious businesses, Alphonse set up fraudulent business bank accounts in the names of various victims. These bank accounts were then utilized as part of a scheme to defraud multiple victims involving the online purchase of nonexistent cars. Once the bank accounts received funds from the victims, Robinson, Alphonse, and co-conspirators withdrew the money for their own personal use.

Kiana Fina Alphonse (28, Covington, Georgia) appeared in federal court on September 27, 2022. Her trial is set for March 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 Columbia County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Secret Service – Jacksonville Field Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.

Jacksonville, FL – U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Brandon Corey Skeith (40, Jacksonville) to seven years and eight months in federal prison for possessing fentanyl and cocaine base with the intent to distribute it and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Skeith had pleaded guilty on November 3, 2022.

According to court documents, Skeith was selling drugs out of a motel near Dunn Avenue in Jacksonville. In April 2022, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Unit observed Skeith selling fentanyl from the motel and obtained a search warrant for his room. During the execution of the search warrant, Skeith was caught with fentanyl packaged for sale, cocaine base, scales, beakers and a loaded Smith and Wesson 9mm pistol. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement analyzed the pistol and found Skeith’s DNA on the firearm.    

This case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Talbot. Assistant United States Attorney Mai Tran handled the forfeiture of the firearm and ammunition.

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

Ocala, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that a federal jury today found Lester Lee Nash (47) guilty of two counts of forcibly assaulting a federal officer causing bodily injury, and one count of possessing a prohibited object (shank) while incarcerated in a federal prison. Nash faces a maximum penalty of 50 years in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 17, 2023. Nash was indicted on August 31, 2021.

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, Nash was incarcerated at the Coleman Federal Correctional Complex in Sumter County, serving a life sentence for murder. On June 11, 2021, Nash attacked one of the correctional officers in his cell block, striking him from behind and causing severe injuries. He then charged another nearby correctional officer and struck him repeatedly. After Nash was subdued and searched, prison staff found a shank made from a sharpened toothbrush handle hidden in his underwear.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Prisons. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys William S. Hamilton and Sarah J. Swartzberg.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge William F. Jung has sentenced Thomas Johnson to three years in federal prison for his role in the preparation of well over a thousand false and fraudulent income tax returns. The court also ordered Johnson to pay restitution to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in the amount of $1,688,931.90. Johnson had pleaded guilty on October 20, 2022.

According to court documents, Johnson owned and operated a tax preparation business located in Seffner, Florida. Between 2015 and 2017, Johnson aided in the preparation of false and fraudulent income tax returns on behalf of his clients. The fraudulent returns that Johnson helped to prepare contained false entries as to education credits that his clients were supposedly owed and Schedule C business losses for businesses that his clients denied having. The filing of these false tax returns led to the overpayment of tax refunds to his clients and the loss to the IRS of $1,688,931.90.

Johnson often concealed his activity by listing other persons as the preparers of most of the false returns that he created and filed. The false education credits and Schedule C business losses that Johnson submitted on behalf of his taxpayer clients generated large refunds that were unjustified. Johnson also required that his clients split those large refund amounts with him after the IRS processed these tax returns and paid those refunds.

“While most tax return preparers provide excellent service to their clients, it only takes a few dishonest return preparers to negatively impact thousands. IRS-CI works year-round to investigate fraudulent return preparers and protect the American taxpayers’ money,” said IRS-CI Acting Special Agent in Charge Ronald A. Loecker.  “Return preparers must comply with the same tax obligations as the clients they serve. No one is above the law.”

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service- Criminal Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jay L. Hoffer.

Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Giovanni Francois (23, Naples) has pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon, possessing with the intent to distribute fentanyl and MDMA, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes. Francois faces up to 10 years in federal prison for possessing the firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon, and up to 20 years’ imprisonment for possessing with the intent to distribute MDMA and fentanyl. He faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 5 years, up to life, in federal prison for possessing the firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. A sentencing date has not been scheduled yet.

According to court documents, in January 2022, a deputy from the Collier County Sheriff’s Office initiated a traffic stop for routine traffic violations on a vehicle in which Francois was a passenger. After the lights and sirens were activated, the driver continued driving without pulling over. During that time, Francois, a convicted felon, threw items from the car two different times. The first time, Francois discarded a white and yellow bag containing various items including a chamber-loaded 9mm pistol and a large clear bag containing multiple empty packages consistent with narcotics sales. The second time, Francois discarded a rectangular box containing various types and quantities of drugs, including 33 units of suspected MDMA, more than 28 grams of cocaine, and a bag of powder containing suspected fentanyl. Inside the car’s rear floorboard, on the passenger side, deputies located a plastic bottle with additional suspected fentanyl powder and two small clear plastic baggies containing cocaine base.

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

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

Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan has sentenced Kimberly Michelle Claridy Walker (46) and Neal Merrell Walker (51), both of Jacksonville, to 25 years in prison for conspiracy to distribute narcotics and conspiracy to commit money laundering. The Walkers were also ordered to forfeit over $167,000 in cash, a .38 caliber pistol, a 2015 BMW 5501, a 2015 Lexus IS 250, a 2013 Audi AS L Quattro, a 2020 Ryker Rally Edition motorcycle, and numerous other items, such as Rolex watches, gold and diamond jewelry, and designer clothing and shoes.

According to court documents and statements made during the sentencing hearing, the Walkers, a married couple, were the leaders of an armed drug trafficking organization that distributed synthetic stimulant drugs, known as “flakka,” and other narcotics out of “trap” houses in Jacksonville. The organization distributed the drugs beginning no later than July 2018 through April 2021.

The Walkers employed sellers at the trap house who worked in regular shifts, usually three per day. The trap house was almost always staffed by at least one seller, 24 hours a day. Over the period of the conspiracy, the Walkers sold kilogram quantities of drugs each week.

In April 2019, July 2019, and January 2020, the Walkers, with the assistance of co-defendants, laundered approximately $120,000 by making numerous cash deposits into financial institutions—in amounts of less than $10,000, to avoid federal reporting requirements—and then obtaining cashier’s checks that they used to buy six properties in Jacksonville, five through Duval County tax deed auctions.

On April 13, 2021, law enforcement agents searched the Walkers’ residence and found more than $148,000 in cash, approximately two kilograms of synthetic narcotics, drug packaging material, digital scales, a .38 caliber pistol under the mattress in the Walkers’ bedroom, and numerous luxury items.

Ten other members of the organization were also sentenced for their roles in the conspiracy, as follows:

Name

Age

Role

Sentence

Marcus Antonio Peterson

37

Supplier

 7 years, 11 months

David Lee Geathers

26

Seller

6 years, 8 months

Mar’Quez Maurice Mickler

22

Seller

5 years, 6 months

Ramone Lazai Astin

37

Seller

5 years

Eugene Antwonn Farmer

25

Seller

4 years, 2 months

Alfred Eugene Bell

38

Seller

3 years, 4 months

Michael Shaquille Lee

25

Seller

3 years, 4 months

Antwan Le’Queze Major

25

Seller

4 years’ probation

Porschee Laneal Walker

30

Bagger/Transporter

4 years’ probation

Brandiesa Tylese Williams

26

Bagger/Transporter

4 years’ probation

Geathers and Williams were ordered to forfeit more than $18,000 and four firearms that were seized during a search of their apartment. Bell was ordered to forfeit $5,654 seized from him when he was arrested.

“We share our partners’ unwavering commitment to help keep Florida’s communities safe,” said ATF Tampa Field Division’s Acting Special Agent in Charge Richard Coes. “These individuals earned steep sentences for committing serious federal crimes.”

“These sentencings are important victories for the American public. The role of IRS-CI in narcotics investigations is to follow the money to financially disrupt and dismantle drug trafficking organizations,” said Ronald A. Loecker, IRS-CI Acting Special Agent in Charge. “One of our most powerful weapons is our ability to work hand-in-hand with law enforcement partners to unravel intricate money laundering schemes and seize associated assets.”

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, and the Lake City Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Arnold B. Corsmeier. The forfeiture was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Mai Tran.

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

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Charlene E. Honeywell has sentenced Margaret Catherine Lynch (36, Bradenton) to 5 years and 10 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Lynch had pleaded guilty on October 13, 2022.

According to court documents, on October 27, 2020, Lynch and a co-conspirator sold 28 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant. On November 5, 2020, Lynch and her co-conspirator sold an additional 56 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant.

On July 22, 2021, law enforcement officers served a search warrant at Lynch’s residence. The officers seized more than 70 grams of methamphetamine and drug packaging materials during the search of the home.

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Hardee County Sheriff’s Office, and the DeSoto County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Charlie D. Connally.

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

Jacksonville, Florida – United States District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan has sentenced former United States Postal Service contract mail carrier Randolph Varbelow (48, Jacksonville) to time served, approximately four months’ imprisonment. Varbelow was also ordered to serve a two-year term of supervised release and pay restitution to the victims. He had pleaded guilty to theft of mail matter on November 15, 2022.  

According to court documents, Varbelow worked as a contract mail carrier from November 2021 through January 2022 and was assigned to deliver mail on a route in Duval and St. Johns Counties. In response to complaints about missing mail on his route, the U.S. Postal Service – Office of Inspector General conducted an investigation and linked multiple stolen Target gift cards to Varbelow through transaction records and surveillance video. 

This case was investigated by U.S. Postal Service – Office of Inspector General. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David B. Mesrobian.

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Paul G. Byron has sentenced Robert Butzlaff (57, Volusia County) to 5 years and 10 months in federal prison for fraudulent use of an unauthorized access device and aggravated identity theft. As part of his sentence, the court also ordered Butzlaff to pay restitution in the amount of $57,296, and entered an order of forfeiture in the amount of $57,296, the proceeds of the access device fraud. A federal jury had found Butzlaff guilty on September 21, 2022.

According to evidence presented at trial, Social Security beneficiary M.B. was reported missing in October 2014 and has never been located. M.B.’s disappearance was not reported to the Social Security Administration (SSA) and SSA continued to make benefit payments on his behalf. M.B.’s SSA benefits were being deposited into an account held jointly with his son, Butzlaff, at the time of his disappearance. Following M.B.’s disappearance, Butzlaff opened a new bank account using M.B.’s personally identifiable information and redirected M.B.’s SSA benefits to the new account. The new account was solely in M.B.’s name. Butzlaff obtained and used two debit cards issued in the name of M.B. to withdraw the funds that were being deposited by SSA into the new account. Butzlaff used the SSA funds intended for M.B. for his own personal expenses.

“This sentence of 70 months’ imprisonment holds Mr. Butlzaff accountable for intentionally misusing Social Security benefits, intended for his father, for his own personal gain. This is a federal crime, and we will continue to pursue perpetrators of Social Security fraud,” said Gail S. Ennis, Inspector General for the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General. “I want to thank the Ormond Beach Police Department, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Huyler for their efforts in investigating and prosecuting this case.”

This case was investigated by the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General and the Ormond Beach Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Suzanne Huyler.

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Desmond Dondre Williams (34, Jasper) has pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and two counts of wire fraud involving COVID Relief Fraud. Williams faces up to 20 years in federal prison on each count and payment of restitution to the United States government. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to court documents, in April 2021, Williams submitted two Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan applications to two different lenders authorized by the Small Business Administration (SBA) to lend funds for approved PPP loan applications. Both PPP loan applications falsely claimed that Williams operated his own business – “Tastebudz.” Throughout the loan applications Williams made multiple false statements regarding his purported gross income and business expenses associated with operating Tastebudz. In support of his PPP loan applications, Williams submitted a false IRS Form 1040 “Profit or Loss From Business” for Tastebudz. It contained false statements about operating expenses, gross income, and wage expenditures for his purported business. In truth, Tastebudz did not exist. In reliance on the false statements in his two PPP loan applications, the SBA funded a PPP loan for Tastebudz in the amount of $16,386 and a second PPP loan in the amount of $22,941. After receiving the PPP loan proceeds into his bank account, Williams began making withdrawals and spending it on personal expenses.

This case is being prosecuted as part the Department of Justice’s prosecution of fraud schemes that exploit the CARES Act relief programs. The CARES Act is a federal law enacted in March 2020, designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. One of the two programs that were developed through CARES Act is the PPP. It provides funding to businesses through PPP loans for payroll costs, interest on mortgages, rent and utilities. PPP allows the interest and principal on loans to be forgiven if the business spends proceeds on certain expense items within a designated time and uses a certain percentage of the loan on payroll expenses. The Department of Justice remains vigilant in detecting, investigating, and prosecuting wrongdoing related to the crisis.

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein. The asset forfeiture is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Mai Tran.

Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Cody Richard Hawk (51, Ocklawaha) with possession of firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. If convicted, Hawk faces up to 15 years in federal prison.  

According to the indictment, on October 9, 2022, Hawk possessed a Savage Arms rifle and Winchester ammunition. At that time, Hawk had five previous felony convictions, including second-degree murder with a firearm, statutory rape, felon in possession of a handgun, failure to comply with registration law, and possession of methamphetamine. As a convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing firearms and 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 Marion County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.

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

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Jose Javier Galvan (52, Atlanta, GA) has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. Galvan faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to the plea agreement, in July and August 2021, Galvan and others conspired to distribute kilogram quantities of high-purity methamphetamine from Guadalajara, Mexico to Atlanta and Tampa. 

Galvan drove from Atlanta to Tampa to plan for the distribution of the methamphetamine. He agreed to sell several kilograms of methamphetamine for approximately $5,700, with more quantities of the drug to follow by deliveries from his drug courier.

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

On or about July 22, 2021, Galvan again traveled from Atlanta to Temple Terrace, Florida to collect more than $11,000 in drug proceeds owed to him for the methamphetamine delivery. The following week, Galvan and a coconspirator agreed to deliver another multi-kilogram package of methamphetamine into the Middle District of Florida from the Atlanta area. The drug courier drove from Atlanta with methamphetamine contained in two bright orange laundry detergent boxes. Law enforcement stopped the vehicle in Lowndes County, Georgia. During the traffic stop, the officers discovered the 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 (Georgia) Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David W.A. Chee.

Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the results of a more than four-year gun violence reduction initiative between local, state, and federal law enforcement in Marion County. Since July 2018, the Ocala Division of the United States Attorney’s Office has partnered with the City of Ocala Police Department, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, the Fifth Judicial Circuit Office of the State Attorney, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in a joint effort to federally prosecute defendants who illegally possess firearms and ammunition in the Marion County area.

Between July 2018 and December 2022, the U.S. Attorney’s Office (Ocala Division) prosecuted 57 firearms cases involving 60 defendants. Many of the cases were adopted from the state system with the support of the Fifth Judicial Circuit State Attorney’s Office; others were handled jointly between state and federal investigators. As of December 31, 2022, 49 of the 60 defendants have been sentenced in federal court to a combined 388 years in federal prison.

“Combating violent crime requires the commitment and cooperation from everyone in our community,” said U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg. “The partnerships displayed here today have existed for many years and we look forward to working with the dedicated men and women of these local, state and federal agencies and our citizens in making this community a safer place to live.”

“Keeping our neighborhoods safe from gun violence is a shared responsibility that requires local law enforcement to collaborate with state and federal authorities,” said Ocala Police Chief Mike Balken. “I am extremely proud of the incredible work these partners are doing to hold violent criminals accountable for their actions. The efforts of this unified partnership should be celebrated as it has been relentless in the pursuit of justice and has made tremendous strides to ensure that citizens feel safe in their community.”

“In a world where criminal activity and violent gun crimes are at the forefront of citizen concerns, I am proud to live here in Marion County. In this county, we have joined forces on a federal, state, and local level to fight against this. We support, protect and defend the Constitution and have a great appreciation for those lawful gun owners that simply wish to live peaceably. But, we will come together bringing all of our available resources to maintain that peace when the violent, evil person tries to disrupt that. We cannot accomplish this on our own. It takes our citizen’s support and the cohesive working relationship with our fellow law enforcement agencies to keep Marion County one of the safest places to live, work, and play,” stated Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods.

We’re proud to help contribute the firepower of the federal government to the horsepower of our state and local partners to protect Central Florida’s communities,” said ATF Tampa Field Division’s Acting Special Agent in Charge Richard Coes. “No agency can tackle the issue of violent crime alone.”

“The FBI is committed to assisting our state and local law enforcement partners and enhancing their ability to impact or mitigate violent crime by providing analytical resources and agents to support their investigations when needed,” said Sherri E. Onks, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Jacksonville Division. “In today’s world, the threats we face are too diverse, too dangerous, and too all-encompassing for any of us to tackle alone. This is a team approach, and the men and women of the FBI are committed to doing their part to help protect our communities across Florida.”

“Our primary mission at the State Attorney’s Office is public safety. In collaboration with the US Attorney’s Office, and all our law enforcement partners throughout Marion County, we strive every day to seek justice on behalf of victims of crime, and I consider it a privilege to work and live in our community,” stated State Attorney Bill Gladson.

This initiative in Marion County is part of the larger 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 of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Paul G. Byron today sentenced LaTavis Deyonta Mackroy (29, Orlando) to 20 years in federal prison for three bank robberies and an attempted bank robbery. A federal jury had found Mackroy guilty after a trial on November 4, 2022. 

According to court documents and evidence presented during the three-day trial, Mackroy was a federal prisoner residing at a halfway house in Orlando. After staying at the halfway house for more than a month, Mackroy was given a home pass which allowed him to spend the weekend with his family. On April 16, 2022, while on his home pass, Mackroy robbed the Fairwinds Credit Union in Winter Park by passing a demand note and threatening the teller. He left the credit union with $3,231 and returned to the halfway house the following day. The next weekend, Mackroy was again given a home pass. He robbed one bank on Friday, one bank on Saturday, and attempted to rob another bank on Saturday, which was not successful. During the robbery on Friday, April 22, 2022, Mackroy took $4,000 from a teller at Chase Bank in Kissimmee, after passing her a threatening demand note. The following day, he robbed the TD Bank in Winter Park and took $2,820. During the final robbery at a Regions Bank in Orange City, the teller walked away from his station after reading the demand note, which caused Mackroy the flee the bank empty-handed.

Although he wore a face mask and sunglasses to conceal his identity during all four robberies, Mackroy failed to retrieve the demand note after the final, attempted robbery at the bank in Winter Park. That note was processed for fingerprints and contained four prints matching Mackroy’s fingerprints which were on file with the FBI. An ensuing investigation revealed additional evidence showing Mackroy’s presence at all four robbery scenes, including clothing retrieved from Mackroy at the halfway house that matched the clothes on the bank surveillance videos, location data from the cellphone Mackroy was carrying at the time of the arrest, and location data from the car Mackroy was driving at the time of the arrest. At the time of the April 2022 robbery spree, Mackroy was still serving a federal sentence for a robbery of a pawn shop in Apopka in 2014.

During the sentencing hearing, the court enhanced Mackroy’s sentence because of his extensive criminal history, because he threatened one teller by stating that he had a gun in the note he presented, and because in 2014 and 2022, Mackroy obstructed legal proceedings by taking the witness stand in pre-trial proceedings and lying about his involvement in the robberies. 

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Winter Park Police Department, the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, the Orange City Police Department, and the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Dana E. Hill and Michael P. Felicetta.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday has sentenced Hector Enrique Veliz Villeda (31, Hialeah) to six years and six months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. Veliz Villeda had pleaded guilty on October 20, 2022.

According to court documents, in June and July 2022, Veliz Villeda and others were part of a methamphetamine distribution conspiracy moving kilogram quantities of high-purity methamphetamine throughout cities located in the Middle District of Florida, the Southern District of Florida and the Northern District of Alabama. Veliz Villeda received shipments of high-purity methamphetamine from a coconspirator in Birmingham, Alabama and subsequently transported the methamphetamine into the Miami and Tampa metropolitan areas for resale.

On June 14, 2022, at his home in Hialeah, Veliz Villeda obtained high-purity crystal methamphetamine from a coconspirator in Alabama. He later sold the drugs to a confidential source in Bradenton. On July 14, 2022, Veliz Villeda again traveled from Hialeah to Bradenton and sold more high-purity crystal methamphetamine he had received from coconspirators.        

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the United States Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Bradenton Police Department, and the Florida Highway Patrol. It was being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David W.A. Chee.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge William Jung has sentenced Piero Antonio Lubo-Barros (52, Colombia), a/k/a “Nostradamus,” to 17 years and 6 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute cocaine knowing and intending it to be imported into the United States. The indictment against Lubo-Barros was returned in the Middle District of Florida in April 2019. He was arrested in January 2021 while living under an assumed identity in Costa Rica and then extradited to the United States in November 2021. Lubo-Barros pleaded guilty on August 10, 2022.

According to testimony presented at sentencing, beginning in approximately September 2017 and continuing through 2019, Lubo-Barros oversaw a transnational criminal conspiracy that transported cocaine throughout Latin America, the Caribbean, Europe, and directly to the United States, including parts of Texas, California, Fort Lauderdale and Miami, Florida. During the investigation, Lubo-Barros discussed the shipment of cocaine through land and sea, including negotiating drug shipments, establishing new drug trafficking routes, paying his co-conspirators, discussing currency transfers, drug debts and methods used to avoid apprehension and detection by law enforcement. One such distribution was attempted by Lubo Barros in 2018 on board the cruise vessel the Island Princess as it docked in Fort Lauderdale. The cocaine distributed by Lubo-Barros and others displayed identifying symbols and marks. Those marks were found in kilograms of cocaine recovered by law enforcement in New York, Pennsylvania, and Florida.

Lubo-Barros’s co co-conspirator, Gerardo Gomez-Lubo, was also indicted in April 2019. He was later extradited from Panama to the United States. On June 24, 2022, Gomez Lubo was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison.

“This case should serve as a reminder to those who seek to poison American communities with illicit drugs; the Drug Enforcement Administration is relentless in our pursuit of bad actors,” said Special Agent in Charge J. Todd Scott, head of DEA’s Louisville Division. “Wherever you are in the world, the dedicated men and women of the DEA will find you and bring you to justice.”

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from U.S. Customs and Border Protection. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Diego F. Novaes.

The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant support with the defendant’s extradition. This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

A former Jacksonville company CEO was sentenced yesterday to 32 months in prison for willfully attempting to evade the assessment of his federal income taxes.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2015 and 2016, Jason Cory, 49, of Jacksonville, was a manager at a New York-based IT services company and from 2017 through 2019, he was the CEO of a different IT services company based in Jacksonville. From 2015 through 2018, Cory used his positions to cause more than $1.5 million to be deposited into the bank accounts of Gambit Matrix LLC, a shell company he controlled. As CEO, Cory caused transfers to Gambit Matrix under the false pretense that they were payments for consulting services that had never been provided.

Cory did not report the income he earned through transfers to Gambit Matrix on his tax return for 2015 and did not file tax returns for the years 2016 through 2018 as required by law. To conceal the fraud scheme from the second company and evade taxes on his income for those years, Cory invented fictitious owners of Gambit Matrix, made false representations to his employer, and falsified emails and IRS Forms W-9 (Request for Taxpayer Identification Number). Cory used the money directed to Gambit Matrix to pay for personal expenses such as credit card bills, rent, and club memberships. In total, Cory evaded more than $600,000 in taxes through his actions.

In addition to the term of imprisonment, U.S. District Court Judge Marcia Morales Howard ordered Cory to serve 36 months of supervised release and to pay approximately $606,195 in restitution to the United States.

Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg for the Middle District of Florida made the announcement.

IRS-Criminal Investigation and the FBI investigated the case.

“For years, Jason Cory operated out of a sense of entitlement and greed, leading him to defraud previous employers and honest law-abiding taxpayers,” said IRS-CI Acting Special Agent in Charge Ronald A. Loecker.  “The conviction and sentence show that IRS-CI will vigorously investigate those individuals intent on concealing their income, whether through the use of fictitious shell entities such as Gambit Matrix, or other sophisticated means.”    

“The sentencing of Jason Cory is the result of a multi-agency effort to ensure justice for the American taxpayer,” said Sherri E. Onks, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Jacksonville Division.  “Instead of following the law, Cory blatantly ignored it, and selfishly lined his wallet with money he wasn’t entitled to. The FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue to allocate expert resources to investigate these crimes and prosecute those who are intent in defrauding the American public."

Trial Attorney Richard J. Hagerman of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney David B. Mesrobian for the Middle District of Florida prosecuted the case.

Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Al Clint LaRoche (43, West Palm Beach) today pleaded guilty to two counts of bank fraud. He faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison for each count. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to the plea agreement, between April 2020 and April 2021, LaRoche submitted false and fraudulent First Draw and Second Draw Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan applications to a financial institution through a financial services and technology company based in Naples for his business – Bornwild, LLC. The loan applications contained numerous false representations and certifications, including Bornwild’s average monthly payroll, number of employees, and that the loan funds would be used for authorized purposes.

In addition, to qualify for each PPP loan, and in support of his fraudulent loan applications, LaRoche submitted fake and fictitious quarterly federal tax returns (IRS Form 941s) for Bornwild that contained false representations about the business’s quarterly payroll expenses. LaRoche’s false and fraudulent representations caused the PPP lender to approve and fund a First Draw and Second Draw PPP loan, resulting in the deposit of approximately $1,078,652.50 into bank accounts LaRoche controlled. LaRoche then unlawfully used the funds for unauthorized purposes and for his own personal enrichment, including the purchase of a Mercedes Benz SUV, jewelry, hotel and travel stays, various retail purchases, and more than $350,000 in cash withdrawals.  

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act is a federal law enacted March 2020. It is designed to provide emergency financial assistance to millions of Americans who are suffering the economic effects resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act is the authorization of up to $349 billion in forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses through the PPP. In April 2020, Congress authorized over $300 billion in additional PPP funding.

The PPP allows qualifying small businesses and other organizations to receive loans with a maturity of two years and an interest rate of one percent. Businesses must use PPP loan proceeds for payroll costs, interest on mortgages, rent and utilities. The PPP allows the interest and principal to be forgiven if the business spends the proceeds on these expenses within a set time period and uses at least a certain percentage of the loan toward payroll expenses.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Trent Reichling.

Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell today sentenced Diante Jarrel Lewis (32, Fort Myers) to 15 years and 8 months in federal prison for twice distributing fentanyl and for distributing methamphetamine. Lewis had pleaded guilty on August 24, 2022.

According to court documents, Lewis was charged with distributing fentanyl on two separate dates in May of 2022. Court documents further show that he was charged with distributing over 50 grams of methamphetamine during that same period. Lewis qualified as a Career Offender under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines based on his criminal history.

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

Tampa, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that a federal jury has found Omar Rochester Miller, Jr. (23, Tampa) guilty of armed robbery of a postal carrier, theft of postal keys, and brandishing a firearm during the robbery. Miller faces a maximum penalty of 25 years in federal prison for the armed robbery, 10 years for the theft of postal keys, and a minimum mandatory 7 years’ imprisonment for brandishing the firearm. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 3, 2023.

Miller, along with Christopher Diaz, a.k.a., Chico, were indicted on December 7, 2021. Diaz pleaded guilty on January 10, 2023, to armed robbery of a postal carrier and theft of postal keys. His sentencing is scheduled for April 3, 2023. Edwin Betancourt Vega was also charged for his role in the robbery and pleaded guilty to armed robbery of a postal carrier and theft of postal keys. His sentencing is scheduled for February 3, 2023.

According to evidence presented at trial, Miller robbed a postal carrier at gunpoint while she was delivering mail to an apartment complex. Miller approached the postal carrier from behind, pointed a firearm at her, threatened to shoot her, and demanded her postal keys. After Miller successfully stole the postal keys, he pushed the carrier to the ground and ran to a waiting getaway car driven by Betancourt Vega. This robbery was organized through phone calls and text messages between Betancourt Vega and Diaz, to coordinate the robbery and sale of the postal keys in exchange for cash. During the investigation, law enforcement recovered the postal keys, as well as proceeds from the sale of the key from both Miller and Betancourt Vega, along with the firearm used in the robbery, which contained Miller’s DNA.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ilyssa M. Spergel and Stacie B. Harris.

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 – U.S. District Judge Charlene E. Honeywell today sentenced Eduardo Quinones-Rodriguez (57, Colombia) to 17 years and 6 months in federal prison for conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute 464 kilograms of cocaine and 217 kilograms of marijuana – approximately 1,500 pounds of narcotics. Quinones-Rodriguez had pleaded guilty on August 11, 2022.

According to court documents and information presented in court, in the middle of the night on February 21, 2022, Quinones-Rodriguez and his two co-conspirators were trafficking narcotics on the high seas in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, approximately 70 miles south of Panama. The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Cutter Legare was patrolling in the vicinity and deployed its helicopter and 26-foot small boat to interdict the suspected drug traffickers. When the Legare’s small boat team approached Quinones-Rodriguez’s 30-foot boat, a high-speed pursuit commenced in rough waters, with both vessels traveling at speeds over 30 knots. Given the nighttime occurrence, the only lighting in the immediate area was the USCG vessel’s flashing law enforcement lights, yellow spotlights, and mast light. The defendants failed to heed the Coast Guard’s repeated verbal directives to halt. Warning shots were fired from both the USCG helicopter and its small boat; this did not deter the drug traffickers. For more than 20 minutes, the mariners continuously attempted to ram their vessel into the USCG small boat, seriously endangering the lives and safety of the five United States servicemembers on board.

After an hours-long pursuit, the USCG successfully interdicted the defendant’s vessel, which was laden with over $14 million of cocaine and marijuana.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Coast Guard and the Panama Express Strike Force, a standing Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Strike Force comprised of agents and analysts from the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, and the U.S. Southern Command's Joint Interagency Task Force South. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Pardo.

Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announced today the results of the United States Attorney’s Office’s ongoing efforts to fight violent crime through a partnership with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO). In 2022, federal prosecutors and HCSO worked together to prosecute 69 individuals for federal crimes, including firearms and drug offenses. In total, these prosecutions removed 53 firearms from our streets.  The prosecutions supported by HCSO include:

• United States vs. Keon Moore – Moore, a high-ranking member of the Money Power Respect gang, was sentenced to 17 years and 6 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm or ammunition as a convicted felon and for possessing controlled substances with an intent to distribute them. Prior to being apprehended, Moore stored guns and drugs for use by himself and others, sold guns and drugs, and threatened violence to collect drug debts. In one of Moore’s private Facebook communications, a person to whom Moore had provided drugs on consignment, but who failed to pay on time, begged Moore not to kill him via drive-by shooting over the $90 he owed Moore.
• United States vs. Jy’Quale Grable – A federal jury found Grable guilty of conspiracy, robbery, and first-degree premeditated murder. Grable, along with his co-conspirators, drove to the Valrico Station Apartments in Brandon to conduct a robbery. During the robbery, Grable shot one victim in the neck, severing his spinal cord and killing him instantly. Grable also shot another victim in the chest, perforating his heart and lung, leading to his death. Grable faces a mandatory minimum sentence of life in federal prison.
• United States vs. Ma’at Malik Darius Lee – A federal grand jury returned a seven-count indictment charging Lee with carjacking, brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, two counts of aggravated identity theft, two counts of attempted wire fraud, and possessing a stolen firearm. The indictment alleges that from July 9 to October 27, 2021, Lee robbed three individuals at gunpoint and carjacked a fourth. When an HCSO deputy located Lee in the stolen vehicle and attempted to make a traffic stop, Lee responded by firing at least eight rounds and fleeing the scene. If convicted, Lee faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

“Fighting violent crime is one of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s core goals,” said U.S. Attorney Handberg. “Fortunately, we are not alone in striving to eradicate violent crime. The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, under the leadership of Sheriff Chronister, stands shoulder-to-shoulder with us and continues to play a key role in prosecuting violent criminals. We look forward to continuing to join with HCSO and our other law enforcement partners to make Hillsborough County safer for its citizens.”

“Our duty is to ensure the residents of Hillsborough County are safe and protected against anyone wishing to commit violent crimes,” said Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister. “We have no tolerance for those who want to victimize our community. We are thankful for our partnership with the U.S Attorney’s Office; it’s relationships like these that make our county a strong, safe, and welcoming environment.”

The cases listed above were investigated by HCSO, with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. They are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Cal Albritton, Samantha Beckman, Charlie Connally, Michael Gordon, Maria Guzman, Michael Kenneth, Christopher Murray, Samantha Newman, Diego Novaes, James Preston, Michael Sinacore, Ilyssa Spergel, and David Sullivan.

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

Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the filing of a complaint and arrest of Jordan Jax (23, Newberry) and Tarod Goodman, Jr. (23, Gainesville) for theft of mail and possession of a stolen or reproduced postal key. If convicted, Jax and Goodman each face up to 5 years in federal prison for theft of mail and up to 10 years’ imprisonment for possession of the postal key.  

According to court documents, between October 2022 and January 24, 2023, Jax and Goodman used a postal key on multiple occasions to access U.S. Postal Service (USPS) collection boxes in Marion County and steal mail. Deputies from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Postal Inspector conducted surveillance and caught the pair after they had loaded mail into Jax’s vehicle. Agents also recovered a postal key that had been used to open the collection boxes.

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

This case was investigated by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office and its Aviation Unit, as well as the United States Postal Inspection Service. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.

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Ocala, Florida – Senior United States District Judge John Antoon II has sentenced Darius Lopez (27, Tampa) to 3 years and 10 months in federal prison for access device fraud and aggravated identity theft. The court also ordered the forfeiture of $27,008.50, which represents the proceeds Lopez obtained from the fraud. Lopez had pleaded guilty on September 1, 2022.

According to court records, on April 13, 2021, Lopez purchased more than $27,0000 in landscaping equipment from a tractor dealer in Citrus County. During the transactions, Lopez used the unauthorized account numbers of four Department of Agriculture General Services Administration (GSA) Smartpay charge cards. The account numbers were fraudulently embossed on prepaid debit cards. GSA SmartPay provides services to more than 560 federal agencies, organizations, and Native American tribal governments and enables authorized government employees to make purchases on behalf of the federal government in support of their agency or organization’s mission.

This case was investigated by the U.S. General Services Administration - Office of Inspector General, with assistance from the following agencies and financial institutions: U.S. General Services Administration - Office of Inspector General’s Southeast and Caribbean Regional Investigations Office, U.S. Department of Agriculture - Office of Inspector General, Southeast Region, Amtrak - Office of Inspector General, Central Region, U.S. Secret Service Orlando Cyber Fraud Task Force, Citrus County Sheriff's Office, U.S. Bank, Synchrony Bank Special Investigations Team, and Morgan Stanley Corporate Security. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Hannah Nowalk and Tyrie K. Boyer.

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Jamaal Black (22, Riverview) today pleaded guilty to two counts of interference with commerce by robbery and one count of discharging a firearm during and in relation to one of the robberies. Black faces a maximum penalty of 20 years on each robbery count. The firearm offense carries a minimum mandatory penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison consecutive to any other term of imprisonment. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to the plea agreement, on January 30, 2021, Black entered a gas station in Riverview, pulled out a pistol with an extended magazine, aimed it at the clerk, and demanded money. Black attempted to go behind the counter when the clerk refused to give Black the money. Black then engaged in an altercation with the clerk and shot the clerk in the arm during the struggle. The clerk fell to the ground. Black approached the clerk, aimed the firearm at the clerk, and repeated the demand for money. The clerk, bleeding profusely from his gunshot wound, complied, went to the cash register and gave Black the contents. Black escaped the gas station with $200.

Two months later, on March 14, 2021, Black committed another robbery using a minor female to arrange for a marijuana transaction. The girl went to a local drug dealer’s home under the guise of purchasing marijuana. Black approached the dealer when the dealer retrieved the marijuana for the sale. Black pressed a firearm to the drug dealer’s head and demanded the marijuana. The drug dealer threw the marijuana at Black and retreated into the home.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. It is being 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.

Ocala, Florida – Senior United States District Judge John Antoon II has sentenced Michael Tyrone Young (32, Ocala) to 33 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Young was also required to forfeit the firearm and ammunition seized from him by law enforcement. He had been found guilty following a trial on August 29, 2022.

According to evidence presented at trial, on the night of August 31, 2021, officers from the Ocala Police Department encountered Young in the hallway of a building at a local public housing complex. The officers were specifically patrolling the area due to recent shootings at the complex. The officers confronted Young after seeing him drop and retrieve what appeared to be a weapon. As they talked with him, the loaded firearm fell out of Young’s pants and onto the floor. Young admitted that he had the firearm because he had been “looking for a certain person” who was “fixin’ to get him.” A records check showed that Young had three state felony convictions for drug distribution. As a convicted felon, Young is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition under federal law.

The case was investigated by the Ocala Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Bodnar, Jr.

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 the arrest and filing of a criminal complaint charging Evan Stauffer (23, Missouri) with cyberstalking, making interstate threats, and making obscene and harassing phone calls. If convicted on all counts, Stauffer faces a maximum penalty of 12 years in federal prison.

According to the complaint, for nearly two years, Stauffer engaged in a campaign of online and telephonic harassment and threats against multiple victims that reside in the Middle District of Florida. Specifically, Stauffer cyberstalked, harassed, and threatened several victims through repeated emails, phone calls, text messages, and social media messages from numerous phone numbers and social media accounts.

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

This case was investigated by the Pasco Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Kansas City (Missouri) Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lisa M. Thelwell.

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the arrest and filing of a criminal complaint charging Christopher Au-Young (35, California) with interstate stalking and cyberstalking. If convicted on all counts, Au-Young faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison.

According to the complaint, since August 2022, Au-Young has engaged in a campaign of online and telephonic harassment and threats against multiple victims who reside in the Middle District of Florida and elsewhere. Au-Young engaged in a course of conduct with the intent to harass or intimidate the victims. Specifically, Au-Young cyberstalked, harassed, and threatened the victims by posting threatening and harassing videos on Facebook, YouTube, Vimeo, and Reddit. Au-Young also made repeated phone calls to and sent threatening voicemails and text messages to the victims. In addition, Au-Young drove his car from California to Illinois to intimidate and harass one of the victims.

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

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

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Ocala, FL – Two Florida men were sentenced today in federal court in the Middle District of Florida for hate crime charges in connection with their racially-motivated attack against a Black man in Citrus Springs.  

Roy Lashley, 56, was sentenced to 60 months in prison, and his brother, Robert Lashley, 52, was sentenced to 36 months in prison.

According to the facts admitted in the defendants’ pleas, on Nov. 17, 2021, Roy and Robert Lashley traveled to the Family Dollar in Citrus Springs, where the victim, a Black man, was shopping inside. After Roy Lashley repeatedly used racial slurs inside the store in reference to the victim, both Roy and Robert Lashley followed the victim into the parking lot. There, Robert Lashley ran to the victim and hit him numerous times, while Roy Lashley retrieved an axe handle from the bed of his truck, ran to the scene and struck the victim multiple times with it. Both Roy and Robert Lashley directed racial slurs towards the victim before, during and after the attack. The victim sustained painful injuries to his face and legs, including a laceration to the inside of his mouth. Both Roy and Robert Lashley admitted that they willfully caused bodily injury to the victim and acted because of the victim’s actual or perceived race or color.

“Driven by bigotry and hate, the defendants brutally assaulted a Black man for no other reason than his race,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Racially-motivated violence is abhorrent, unlawful and has no place in America today. Aggressive prosecution of hate crimes is a top priority for the Civil Rights Division, and these sentences should send a message to others who would carry out similar acts of violence that they will be brought to justice.”

“The brutal attack against the victim in this case was motivated by hate and bigotry,” said U.S. Attorney Roger Handberg for the Middle District of Florida. “Because of the great determination and cooperation between our federal and local law enforcement partners, we were able to bring these callous criminals to justice.”

“Civil rights investigations are at the heart of what we do at the FBI,” Special Agent in Charge Sherri E. Onks of the FBI Jacksonville Field Office. “Hate crimes are not only an attack on the victim; they are meant to threaten and intimidate an entire community. Because of their wide-ranging impact, investigating hate crimes is among the FBI's highest priorities, and we will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to seek justice for victims and their communities.”

Assistant Attorney General Clarke, U.S. Attorney Handberg and Special Agent in Charge Onks made the announcement.

The FBI and the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office investigated the matter.

Trial Attorneys Maura White and Matthew Tannenbaum of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney William Hamilton for the Middle District of Florida prosecuted the case. 

For more information and resources about the department’s work to combat hate crimes, visit www.justice.gov/hatecrimes.

Tampa, FL – Two Florida residents were indicted by a federal grand jury for spray-painting threats on reproductive health services facilities in the state.

The indictment, returned by a federal grand jury in the Middle District of Florida, alleges that Caleb Freestone, 27, and Amber Smith-Stewart, 23, engaged in a conspiracy to prevent employees of reproductive health services facilities from providing those services. According to the indictment, as part of the conspiracy, the defendants targeted pregnancy resource facilities and vandalized those facilities with spray-painted threats. According to the indictment, Freestone and Smith-Stewart, and other co-conspirators, are alleged to have spray painted threats, including “If abortions aren’t safe than niether [sic] are you,” “YOUR TIME IS UP!!,” “WE’RE COMING for U,” and “We are everywhere,” on a reproductive health services facility in Winter Haven, Florida. The indictment further alleges that facilities in Hollywood, Florida, and Hialeah, Florida, were also targeted.

The indictment also alleges that Freestone and Smith-Stewart violated the FACE Act by using threats of force to intimidate and interfere with the employees of a reproductive health services facility in Winter Haven because those employees were providing or seeking to provide reproductive health services. The indictment further alleges that Freestone and Smith-Stewart violated the FACE Act by intentionally damaging and destroying the facility’s property because the facility provides reproductive health services. 

If convicted of the offenses, Freestone and Smith-Stewart each face up to a maximum of 12 years in prison, three years of supervised release and fines of up to $350,000.

Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg for the Middle District of Florida and Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBI Criminal Investigative Division made the announcement.

The FBI Tampa Field Office investigated the case, with assistance from the Miami Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa Thelwell for the Middle District of Florida and Trial Attorneys Sanjay Patel and Laura-Kate Bernstein of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case.

Anyone who has information about incidents of violence, threats and obstruction that target a patient or provider of reproductive health services, or damage and destruction of reproductive health care facilities, should report that information to the FBI at www.tips.fbi.gov. For more information about clinic violence, and the Department of Justice’s efforts to enforce FACE Act violations, please visit www.justice.gov/crt/national-task-force-violence-against-reproductive-health-care-providers.

An indictment is merely allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced David Alan Quarles (51, Odessa) to 35 years in federal prison for conspiracy; sex trafficking by force, threats, fraud, or coercion; importation of an alien for the purpose of prostitution; transportation of an individual in interstate commerce for the purpose of prostitution; and using a facility of interstate commerce in aid of prostitution. As part of his sentence, the court also sentenced Quarles to a term of 10 years of supervised release and required him to register as a sex offender. An order of restitution for the victims of the offense will be determined at a later date. A federal jury had found Quarles guilty on November 7, 2022.

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, for decades, Quarles recruited, enticed, harbored, transported, provided, obtained, advertised, and maintained young women and forced them to have sex with men in exchange for money. Quarles used physical violence, threats of violence, sexual abuse, psychological abuse, and financial abuse to force and coerce the victims to engage in commercial sex across the United States and throughout the Middle District of Florida. The evidence revealed Quarles frequented strip clubs and bikini bars to target and recruit young vulnerable women who were in difficult financial situations. Many of the victims lacked a stable home and had recently aged out of the foster care system. Quarles promised the victims he would provide everything they had been desiring – financial security, love and affection, and a family. Quarles and his conspirators directed the victims to engage in prostitution, posted advertisements featuring these victims, and arranged for the victims to travel across the United States to work. In addition to recruiting and obtaining women from the United States, Quarles also imported non-United States citizens into the country for the purposes of prostitution.

Quarles required that his victims send him the money that they had earned or seek his permission to spend funds on necessities. The evidence demonstrated that while Quarles lacked any legitimate source of income, he benefited financially from the victims. He used their earnings to rent large homes, buy luxury clothing items, and high-end cars including a Range Rover and Porsche Panamera.

At trial, Quarles testified that he had been working as a “pimp” since at least 1994 but denied needing to force or coerce the victims to engage in commercial sex. At the sentencing hearing, Quarles maintained this defense and stated that he did not intend to force or coerce the victims into engaging in sex acts.

“This violent criminal groomed girls to become his commercial sex workers and subsequently trafficked them across multiple state and international borders. He physically and sexually abused the women to force them to engage in sex work for his financial benefit,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Tampa Assistant Special Agent in Charge Kristopher Pagitt. “This 35-year sentence is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our special agents, working side-by-side with the Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS) and Miami-Dade Police Department, to rescue these victims and terminate the nefarious efforts of this international human trafficking organization.”

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Coast Guard Investigative Service, with assistance from the Miami-Dade Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lisa M. Thelwell.

This case resulted from the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s efforts to collaborate with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies to detect, investigate, and prosecute coercive human trafficking in the Tampa area. This includes the trafficking of minors, forced labor, transnational sex trafficking, and sex trafficking of adults by force, fraud, or coercion. Information on the Department of Justice’s efforts to combat human trafficking can be found at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking.

Orlando, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that a federal jury has found Whayname Ferdilus (21, Coral Springs) guilty of carjacking. Ferdilus faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for April 19, 2023, before United States District Judge Gregory A. Presnell. Ferdilus had been indicted on April 22, 2021.

According to testimony presented at trial, on February 24, 2021, Ferdilus visited a car dealership in Orlando and requested to test-drive a 2021 Cadillac CT4. Because he did not have a driver license, an employee of the dealership agreed to drive the vehicle while Ferdilus sat in the passenger seat. During the test drive, Ferdilus began rummaging through his backpack that he had between his legs, and pulled out a 12-inch, serrated handsaw. Ferdilus threatened the driver with the handsaw and demanded the vehicle. In fear for his own safety, the employee fled from the vehicle with the remote key fob in his pocket. The employee called 911, and deputies from the Orange County Sheriff Office quickly located the vehicle with the help of On-Star. Ferdilus was apprehended inside a gas station convenience store. He had the same backpack on his person, and when searched, the handsaw was located inside.

During the trial, Ferdilus testified and admitted to stealing the car but denied any intention of causing harm to the victim.   

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

Tampa, FL - United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that James Junior Williams (44, Tampa) has pleaded guilty to one count of bank robbery. Williams faces up to 20 years in prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to court documents, Williams robbed or attempted to rob three banks in Tampa. On February 18, 2022, Williams robbed a bank by passing a note to a teller and obtaining cash through intimidation. Several weeks later, on March 8, 2022, Williams robbed the same bank a second time. On April 13, 2022, he attempted to rob another bank in the Tampa area, but the teller did not have access to any funds. Later that day, Williams robbed a third bank and obtained cash from a clerk through intimidation. 

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Tampa Police Department, and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Samantha Newman. The forfeiture will be 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.

Jacksonville, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Byron Jones, Jr. (34, Jacksonville) with making a false statement to a federally licensed firearms dealer during the attempted purchase of a firearm. If convicted, he faces up to five years in federal prison.

According to the indictment, Jones completed an ATF Form 4473 during the attempted purchase of a firearm from a federally licensed firearms dealer. Jones indicated on the required paperwork that he was not a convicted felon. This was a false statement since Jones has three prior felony convictions, from 2015 and 2018, including a conviction for carrying a concealed 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 another case uncovered through the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). All NICS denials are reported to federal law enforcement and are reviewed daily for potential criminal prosecution. Federal law makes it a felony offense to make a false statement to a firearms dealer when trying to purchase a firearm.  

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

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 Marquise Thomas (34, Port Charlotte) to six years and six months in federal prison for possessing and accessing with the intent to view images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of a child. The court also sentenced Thomas to a life term of supervised release and ordered him to register as a sex offender. Thomas had been found guilty after a bench trial on May 20, 2022.

According to court documents, Thomas possessed and accessed with the intent to view images and videos depicted the sexual abuse of minors. On January 24, 2019, the FBI executed a search warrant at Thomas’s home and seized his laptop computers and his cellphone. A subsequent forensic analysis of the electronics revealed more than 100 images and 35 videos of children being sexually abused. Thomas had saved the images on his cellphone, and the forensic analysis recovered the videos of the sexual abuse of children that Thomas had accessed with the intent to view before deleting them on his laptops.    

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Fort Myers Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, which includes participation from the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Yolande G. Viacava.

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 Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Mary Scriven has sentenced David Jacob Mitchell (38, Treasure Island) to 50 years to in federal prison for production, distribution and possession of child sexual abuse material and for sending obscene material to a minor, to be followed by 15 years of supervised release. The court also ordered Mitchell to forfeit electronic devices utilized in the crimes, pay restitution to the victims, and register as a sex offender. Mitchell had pleaded guilty on October 18, 2022.

According to court documents, in October 2017, Mitchell communicated with a minor and coerced and enticed her into producing images of child sexual abuse material. Between October 2021 and April 2022, Mitchell communicated with an undercover detective whom he believed to be a 13–14-year-old-girl and sent images and videos of himself masturbating. He encouraged the fictitious minor to send images and videos of herself performing sexual acts. Mitchell also sent the fictitious minor videos of children being sexually abused. Law enforcement ultimately searched Mitchell’s cellphone and recovered images and videos of prepubescent minors being sexually abused.

“Young children do not always understand or realize the internet is a dangerous place where sexual predators target and exploit their innocence,” said HSI Tampa Special Agent in Charge John Condon. “The investigative efforts of our HSI special agents and the Hernando Police Department, Mississippi, stopped this deviant from continuing to victimize our children.”

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Tampa, and the Hernando Police Department in Mississippi. 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.

Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Luis Angel Alicea (29, Ocala) with possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. If convicted, Alicea faces up to 15 years in federal prison.

According to the indictment, on December 11, 2022, Alicea possessed a Glock firearm and CCI ammunition. At that time, Alicea had a previous felony conviction for conspiracy to import at least 50 kilograms, but less than 100 kilograms of cocaine. As a convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.

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

This case was investigated by the Ocala Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.

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

Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces today the results of the first quarter of fiscal year 2023 Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) strategy. During the first quarter, ending on December 31, 2022, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida has charged 31 defendants for federal firearms and violent crime offenses, removing 62 firearms from our streets in the process. (See chart for case details).

The U.S. Attorney’s Office has also engaged in community outreach efforts aimed at violent crime prevention throughout the year. Those efforts in the first quarter involved approximately 405 citizens.

“Our office is committed to reducing violent crime throughout the Middle District of Florida,” said U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg. “We will continue working with our law enforcement partners and community stakeholders as part of our joint effort to make our communities safer.”

PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. This evidence-based program has proven to be effective at reducing violent crime by engaging a broad spectrum of stakeholders working together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in communities and developing comprehensive solutions that reduce crime. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses on prevention and intervention efforts through community engagement and problem-solving partnerships, strategic enforcement of the most violent offenders, and locally based reentry programs to reduce recidivism.

Q1 PSN case highlights:

United States v. Uriah Waggerby, Sylvanis Brice, and Johan Holder (Ft. Myers)

On November 1, 2016, three men wearing hoodies, masks and gloves, and brandishing firearms attempted to commit a robbery at a residence on the Big Cypress Reservation. During the robbery attempt, one of the masked men fired a shot that killed a young man who had been visiting the targeted residence. As the assailants had concealed their identities during the robbery attempt, no one at the scene was able to identify the perpetrators. Waggerby later admitted to his involvement in the robbery, telling investigators that he had met with individuals prior to the robbery and directed them to rob a particular house on the reservation because a resident there was a marijuana dealer. As a result of an exhaustive law enforcement investigation, Brice and Holder were identified as perpetrators who had committed the attempted armed robbery on the reservation. Johan Holder was sentenced to 40 years in federal prison, Sylvanis Brice was sentenced to 40 years in federal prison, and Uriah Waggerby was sentenced to 18 years in federal prison.

United States v. Darnell Rice (Jacksonville)

In December 2022, Darnell Rice was sentenced to five years in federal prison for possession and transfer of a device designed for use in converting a weapon into a machinegun and making a false written statement to a federally licensed firearms dealer during the acquisition of a firearm. Investigators determined that Rice was engaged in the business of dealing firearms without a federal license, specifically, by frequently buying and selling firearms for profit. He used social media accounts to offer firearms and ammunition for sale and to communicate with customers. Records from one gun store in Jacksonville show that Rice had purchased 77 firearms from that single location, paying a total of approximately $29,515.

United States v. Keo Mike (Ocala)

In December 2022, Keo Ibua Mike was sentenced to 8 years in federal prison for possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. According to court documents, law enforcement arrested Mike on outstanding warrants at an Ocala house that smelled strongly of marijuana. Investigators obtained a search warrant and recovered methamphetamine, crack cocaine, and MDMA from inside the home. They also recovered three loaded firearms in the attic—a handgun, an AR-15 “ghost” pistol (with no manufacturer markings), and an AK-47 rifle.

United States v. Carlos Albert Roman (Orlando)

Thirteen individuals were identified and charged in two separate indictments. One of the lead defendants, Carlos Alberto Roman, supplied cocaine and fentanyl to others and was arrested at his home with 19 firearms, 6 silencers, 3 flash-bang grenades, and thousands of rounds of ammunition. As a result of the investigation, DEA agents seized more than 110 kilograms of cocaine and 1.5 kilograms of fentanyl. Roman recently pleaded guilty and faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 30 years, up to life, in federal prison.  

U.S. v. Alvarez et. al (Tampa)

Between May 5 and 6, 2022, Christopher Alvarez, Enrique Marquez, and Dyonnie Alvarez robbed 4 separate convenience stores in the Tampa area. Marquez brandished a firearm during each of the four robberies and C. Alvarez carried a knife during two of the robberies. D. Alvarez acted as the getaway driver. The investigation also revealed that D. Alvarez and Marquez attempted to rob two individuals of marijuana. The robbery was unsuccessful, and the two victims were shot by Marquez.

An indictment or criminal complaint is merely a formal charge that a defendant has violated one or more federal criminal laws, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.

These cases are being prosecuted by the Assistant United States Attorneys in all five divisions throughout the Middle District of Florida. For additional information on Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit our website: https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdfl/project-safe-neighborhoods-0.  

 

Charged Cases

   

Defendant(s)

(Age)

Charges

Minimum/Maximum Terms of Imprisonment

Firearms Seized

   

Ft. Myers Division

   

1st Quarter

   

Travis Lavon Anderson (35)

Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon

Maximum Prison Term:  10 years

4

   

Steven Dewayne Barnes, Jr. (28)

Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon

Maximum Prison Term: 15 years

Possession of a firearm with obliterated serial number

Maximum Prison Term: 5 years

1

   

Alphonso Lataurean James (29)

Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon

Maximum Prison Term: 15 years

1

   

Martavious Brown (45)

Distribution of cocaine, possession of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime, distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine

Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 5 years

Maximum Prison Term: 40 years, plus consecutive 5 years for firearm offense

2

   

These PSN cases from the Ft. Myers Division are being handled by AUSAs Simon Eth and Mark Morgan.

   

Jacksonville Division

   

1st Quarter

   

Mario Lenard Elbert (33)

Possession with intent to distribute fentanyl

Maximum Prison Term:  20 years

Possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime

Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 5 Years

Maximum Prison Term: Life

Possession of firearm by a convicted felon

Maximum Prison Term:  10 years

Possession of a machine gun

Maximum Prison Term:  15 years

2

   

Jonathan Donte Rogers, Jr. (21)

Possessing a stolen firearm and failure to register the firearm

Maximum Prison Term: 10 years per count

1

   

Pernell Dewayne Bodiford, Jr. (24)

Illegally purchasing a firearm by providing a false statement to a federal firearms dealer

Maximum Prison Term: 10 years

1

   

Paul Steven Hulbert (26)

Unlawful possession of a firearm by a person convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence; unlawful possession of a firearm by a person subject to a domestic violence injunction; two counts of possession of an unregistered short-barreled rifle and short-barreled shotgun

Maximum Prison Term: 10 years per count

1

   

D’Treious Sharron Epps (26)

Distribution of methamphetamine and fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute cocaine and fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine

Maximum Prison Term: 20 years per count

Possessing a firearm while unlawfully using a controlled substance

Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 5 years

Maximum Prison Term: 40 years

7

   

Geoffrey Scott Carter (43)

Conspiracy to distribute and possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine

Maximum Prison Term: 10 years

Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon

Maximum Prison Term: 15 years

Possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, distribution of methamphetamine, distribution of fentanyl

Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 5 years per count

Maximum Prison Term: 20 years per count

2

   

Jesse Rance Moore (45)

Interference with commerce by threats or violence robberies and burglaries involving controlled substances

Maximum Prison Term: 20 years per count

Brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence

Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 7 years

Maximum Prison Term: Life

3

   

Ronald Thomas Jr. (45)

Distribution of fentanyl, distribution of methamphetamine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking crime, possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon

Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 10 years Maximum Prison Term: Life plus 50 years

1

   

Sonja Leigh Quinn (50)

Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon

Maximum Prison Term: 10 years

2

   

These PSN cases from the Jacksonville Division are being handled by AUSAs Kevin Frein, John Cannizzaro, Michael Coolican, Laura Taylor and Kirwinn Mike.

 

1

 

Ocala Division

   

1st Quarter

   

Timothy James Roberts (29)

Possession of an unregistered National Firearm Act weapon

Maximum Prison Term: 10 years

Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon (2 counts)

Maximum Prison Term: 15 years per count

3

   

Mario Jerard Delancy (33)

Possession of ammunition by a convicted felon

Maximum Prison Term: 10 years

3

   

Antonio Eugene Brutton (35)

Possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon

Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 15 years

Maximum Prison Term: Life

1

   

Christopher Richard Munroe

(55)

Possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon

Maximum Prison Term: 15 years

2

   

Cody Richard Hawk (51)

Possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon

Maximum Prison Term: 15 years

3

   

These PSN cases from the Ocala Division are being handled by AUSAs Sarah Swartzberg, Hannah Nowalk, and Tyrie Boyer.

 

1

 

Tampa Division

   

1st Quarter

   

Thaddeus Timeaus Howard (29)

Unlawful possession of a firearm

Maximum Prison Term: 10 years

1

   

Derrick Evans (44)

Possession with intent to distribute narcotics

Maximum Prison Term: 20 years per count

Carrying a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime

Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 15 years
Maximum Prison Term: Life

Possessing a firearm as a convicted felon

Maximum Prison Term: 5 years

1

   

Dartis Cobb (35)

Possession of ammunition by a convicted felon

Maximum Prison Term: 10 years

0

   

Meccos Donta Allen (38)

Unlawful possession of a firearm

Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 15 years
Maximum Prison Term: Life

0

   

James John Hall (34)

Unlicensed distribution of explosive materials, possession of an unregistered destructive device, unlawful making of a destructive device

Maximum Prison Term: 10 years per county

1

   

Demetrius Sanchez Mitchell (38)

Illegal possession of a firearm

Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 15 years
Maximum Prison Term: Life

0

   

These PSN cases from the Tampa Division are being handled by AUSAs David P. Sullivan, Samantha Beckman, Samantha Newman.

 

0

 

Orlando Division

   

1st Quarter

   

Tarick Jean Charles (22)

Jesus Rojas (21)

Conspiracy to rob a postal carrier (Rojas and Charles); armed postal robbery (Rojas);

theft of arrow key and receipt of stolen property (Charles)

Maximum Prison Term (Charles) – 10 years

Maximum Prison Term (Rojas) – 25 years

0

   

Elsie Marie Crespo (27)

Possession with intent to distribute controlled substances (3 counts)

Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 10 years per count
Maximum Prison Term: Life

Possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime

Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 5 years
Maximum Prison Term: Life

     

Rafick Gordon Gilpin (31)

Damion Clark Kingston (31)

Possession with intent to distribute narcotics

Maximum Prison Term: 40 years per count

Carrying a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crimes

Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 10 years
Maximum Prison Term: Life

Possessing a firearm as a convicted felon

Maximum Prison Term: 5 years

3

   

Nathan Joel Arledge (29)

Possession of a short-barreled rifle, two machine guns, and three silencers

Maximum Prison Term: 10 years

Possession of child pornography

Maximum Prison Term: 20 years

9

   

Rany Parrales (35)

Illegally purchasing a firearm by providing a false statement to a federal firearms dealer

Maximum Prison Term: 5 years

7

   

These PSN cases from the Orlando Division are being handled by AUSAs Kara Wick, John M. Gardella, Courtney D. Richardson-Jones and Michael P. Felicetta

   

Adjudicated Cases

   

Defendant(s)

(Age)

Charges

Minimum/Maximum Terms of Imprisonment

Firearms Seized

   

Ft. Myers Division

   

1st Quarter

   

Terry Kristopher Flournoy (23)

 

Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon

Maximum Prison Term: 10 years

1

   

This PSN case from the Ft. Myers Division is being handled by AUSA Mark Morgan.

   

Jacksonville Division

   

1st Quarter

   

John Nathan Hemingway (52)

Possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine, and cocaine base “crack;” and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime

Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 5 years
Maximum Prison Term: Life

1

   

Brandon Corey Skeith (40)

Possessing fentanyl and cocaine base with intent to distribute and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime

Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 5 years
Maximum Prison Term: Life

1

   

Sabastian Amrine (20)

Conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, knowingly committed Hobbs Act robbery

Maximum Prison Term: 20 years per count

Brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence

Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 7 years

1

   

These PSN cases from the Jacksonville Division are being handled by AUSAs Michael Coolican, John Cannizzaro, Frank Talbot and Laura Taylor.

   

Ocala Division

   

 

1st Quarter

     

Jaedyn Tiryse Presley (23)

Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon

Maximum Prison Term: 10 years

1

   

Ricky Darnell Franklin, Jr. (30)

Possessing a firearm as a convicted felon

Maximum Prison Term: 10 years

1

   

Justin Heath Griffin (34)

Possession of a firearm by a prohibited person

Maximum Prison Term: 10 years

1

   

These PSN cases from the Ocala Division are being handled by AUSAs Robert Bodnar, Jr. and Hannah Nowalk.

   

Orlando Division

   

1st Quarter

   

Juan Carlos Garcia (39)

Conspiracy and possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute

Maximum Prison Term: Life

1

   

Daniel Stephen King (28)

Possessing firearms and ammunition as a convicted felon

Maximum Prison Term: 10 years

9

   

Ramondo Zavious Williams (41)

Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine

Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 5 years
Maximum Prison Term: Life

1

   

Bobby Houston Bridges Jr. (46)

Possession of firearm and or ammunition by a convicted felon

Maximum Prison Term: 10 years

1

   

Javier Alejandro Lopez Rivera (36)

Conspiracy to distribute narcotics

Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 5 years
Maximum Prison Term: 40 years

Carrying a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crimes

Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 5 years
Maximum Prison Term: Life

2

   

Carlos Alberto Roman (56)

Possession of controlled substances and possessing a firearm equipped with a silencer in furtherance of drug crime

Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 30 years
Maximum Prison Term: Life

19 firearms,

6 silencers,

3 grenades.

   

These PSN cases from the Orlando Division are being handled by AUSAs John Gardella, Courtney Richardson-Jones, Dana Hill, Megan Testerman, and Terry B. Livanos.

   

Tampa Division

   

1st Quarter

   

Edwin Hill (51)

Conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and heroin; distribution of fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine; and possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking crime

Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 20 years
Maximum Prison Term: Life

3

   

Cheyenne McIntosh (26)

Making false statement on an ATF form

Maximum Prison Term: 10 years

7

   

Dallas Robinson, Jr. (29)

Possession of a firearm as a convicted felon

Maximum Prison Term: 10 years

1

   

Enrique Marquez (26)

Robbery, conspiracy to commit those robberies

Maximum Prison Term: 20 years per count

Two counts of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence while committing robberies

Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 7 years
Maximum Prison Term: Life

0

   

Marques Howard (31)

Hobbs Act robbery, conspiracy to commit that robbery

Maximum Prison Term: 20 years per count

Discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence

Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 10 years
Maximum Prison Term: Life

Possessing a firearm as a convicted felon

Maximum Prison Term: 10 years

1

   

Robert Humberston (39)

Unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon

Maximum Prison Term: 10 years

0

   

These PSN cases from the Tampa Division are being handled by AUSAs Dan Baeza, Charlie Connally, David Chee, and Samantha Newman.

 

Sentenced Cases

 

Defendant(s)

(Age)

Charges

Sentence Imposed

Firearms Seized

 

Fort Myers Division

 

1st Quarter

 

Re’Shod Peter Jontavious Larry (28)

Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition

Sentence imposed: 7 years, 8 months

1

 

Shauntavus Berklin (34)

Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition

Sentence imposed: 15 years

2

 

Matthew Garrett Mink (38)

Possessing an illegal machinegun, possessing an unregistered firearm silencer, possessing a stolen firearm silencer, and possessing an un-serialized firearm silencer

Sentence imposed: 4 years, 3 months 

1 machine gun

2 firearm silencers

 

Brown Dimas III (27)

Falsifying records relating to firearms purchases

Sentence imposed: 3 years, 1 month

4

 

William Earl Siebert (47)

Unlawfully possessing an unregistered destructive device

Sentenced imposed:  5 years, 10 months

1 pipe bomb

 

Gabriel Acosta, Jr. (28)

Falsifying records relating to firearm purchases

Sentence imposed:  3 years, 1 month imprisonment

0

 

Otis Marchman IV (28)

Possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon

Sentence imposed:  3 years, 5 months

1

 

Johan Holder (26),

Sylvanis Brice (31),

Uriah Waggerby (25)

Attempted robbery that resulted in the killing of a victim on the Big Cypress Indian Reservation.

Sentences imposed: 

Holder: 40 years

Brice: 40 years

Waggerby: 18 years

0

 

These PSN cases from the Fort Myers Division were handled by AUSAs Simon Eth and Michael Sinacore.

 

Jacksonville Division

 

1st Quarter

 

Raymond Reeves (22)

Felon in possession of a firearm

Sentence imposed: 2 years, 3 months

1

 

Darnell Donja Rice, Jr. (28)

Possession and transfer of a device designed for use in converting a weapon into a machine gun; making false written statement to federally licensed firearms dealer during acquisition of a firearm

Sentence imposed:  5 years

1

 

Stephan Marshall (35)

Possessing a firearm as a convicted felon

Sentenced imposed:  4 years, 9 months

2

 

James Lewis (54)

Misrepresentation to firearms dealer during purchase of firearm

Sentence imposed:  Time served

0

 

Dontae Edwards (31)

False statement on a Form 4473

Sentence imposed:  18 months

0

 

These PSN cases from the Jacksonville Division were handled by AUSAs Frank Talbot, Michael Coolican, and John Cannizzaro.

 

Ocala Division

 

1st Quarter

 

James Clay Bexley (35)

Possession of unregistered destructive devices and firearm silencers; and possession of firearms in violation of domestic violence

Sentence imposed: 3 years

18

 

Demuntray Cox

(39)

Possession of a firearm by a felon

Sentence imposed: Time Served (22 months)

1

 

Keo Ibua Mike (29)

Possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon

Sentence imposed: 8 years

2

 

Reginald Herman Smith, Jr.

(47)

Possession of a firearm by a felon

Sentence imposed: 15 years

1

 

Brodie Harlow Kies (39)

Possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, possession of a firearm/ammunition by a convicted felon

Sentence imposed: 27 years

2

 

These PSN cases from the Ocala Division were handled by AUSAs Tyrie K. Boyer, Robert Bodnar, Jr., and William Hamilton.

 

Orlando Division

 

1st Quarter

 

Charles Edward Palmatier (74)

Dealing in firearms without a license

Sentenced imposed: 1 year, 1 day

2

 

Mandel Lamont Stewart (23)

Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon

Sentenced imposed:  8 years

2

 

These PSN cases from the Orlando Division were handled by AUSAs Beatriz Gonzalez and Ranganath Manthripragada.

 

Tampa Division

 

1st Quarter

 

Antwan Brown (22)

Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon

Sentenced imposed:  1 year, 6 months

1

 

Kermon Williams (42),

James Higgs, Jr. (40),

Jhaphre Iiggs (35)

Double homicide, murder for hire conspiracy

Sentences imposed: Life followed by 20 years

 

1

 

William Shumaker, Jr. (39)

Possession of a controlled substance with the intent to distribute, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon

Sentence imposed: 5 years

1

 

Karey Tyrone Taylor, II (42)

Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon

Sentence imposed: 5 years, 11 months

1 firearm,

1 magazine

 

Aunyis Cherry (27)

Felon in possession of a firearm

Sentenced imposed:  22 years, 11 months

1

 

Christopher Deon Townsel (47)

Unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon

Sentence imposed: 15 years

1

 

Rossonno Borders, Jr. (25)

Possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon

Sentence imposed:  3 years, 1 month

1

 

Davion Rivers (27)

Possessing a firearm by a convicted felon

Sentence imposed:  15 years, 8 months

1

 

Deron Lamar Foster (35)

Possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon

Sentence imposed:  10 years

1

 

Cleate Wilson (40)

Forcibly resisting, opposing, impeding, and interfering with Deputy U.S. Marshals; and

possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon

Sentence imposed:  6 years, 6 months

1

 

These PSN cases from the Tampa Division were handled by AUSAs Samantha Beckman, Craig Gestring, Charlie Connally, David Chee, Risha Asokan, Patrick Scruggs, Samantha Beckman, James Preston, Terry B. Livanos, Lisa Thelwell, and Chris Murray.

                     

 

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Paul G. Byron has sentenced Nathan Joel Arledge (29, Melbourne) to six years in federal prison for possessing two machine guns, an unregistered short-barrel rifle, three unregistered silencers, and child sexual abuse material. The court also ordered Arledge to forfeit an AR-10 style .308 caliber firearm; a 9mm Luger firearm utilizing a Polymer80 brand kit, Glock-type firearm parts, a FAB Defense pistol-to-rifle conversion kit; three firearm silencers, and his cellphone, which were used to commit the offenses. Arledge had pleaded guilty on October 25, 2022.

According to court documents, an investigation was initiated into Arledge after law enforcement received a cyber-tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) that matched Arledge’s internet protocol (IP) address. During the investigation, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Arledge’s residence where they found electronics, multiple firearms, ammunition, silencers, flash bangs, potassium nitrate, magnesium flakes, gun powder, tactical clothing, body armor, law enforcement insignia, and counterfeit credentials for Homeland Security Investigations and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. A forensic examination of Arledge’s cellphone uncovered numerous visual depictions of child sexual abuse material depicting young children. During an interview with law enforcement, Arledge admitted that he had made the machine guns, multiple silencers, and downloaded the child sexual abuse material despite knowing all of these things were illegal.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), with the assistance from the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Courtney D. Richardson-Jones.

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

Ocala, Florida – Senior United States District Judge Gregory A. Presnell has sentenced Levelle Joseph Harris (36, Kissimmee) to 27 months in federal prison for wire fraud. The court also ordered the forfeiture of $1,283,029.81, which represents the proceeds Harris obtained from his wire fraud offenses. Harris had pleaded guilty on September 21, 2022.

According to court records, between May 27, 2020, and June 2, 2021, Harris applied for 14 Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act using false information. As part of Harris’s scheme, he electronically submitted applications for the PPP loans over the internet, made false representations on his PPP applications, and received proceeds from the loans through wire transfers. Harris also provided fake supporting documentation for his loan applications. Harris received $1,283,029.81 that was supposed to be used to cover payroll, fixed debts, utilities, rent/mortgage, accounts payable and other bills. Instead, Harris used the money to buy a new car and investment properties.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk.

This case was prosecuted as part the Department of Justice’s prosecution of fraud schemes that exploit the CARES Act relief programs. The CARES Act is a federal law enacted in March 2020, designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. One of the two programs that were developed through CARES Act is the PPP. It provides funding to businesses through PPP loans for payroll costs, interest on mortgages, rent and utilities. PPP allows the interest and principal on loans to be forgiven if the business spends proceeds on certain expense items within a designated time and uses a certain percentage of the loan on payroll expenses. The Department of Justice remains vigilant in detecting, investigating, and prosecuting wrongdoing related to the crisis.

         

Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Brian J. Davis has sentenced Tadd Andrew Melton (33, Jacksonville) to 15 years in federal prison, followed by a lifetime term of supervised release, for attempted production of child sex abuse materials. The court also ordered Melton to pay $189,000 in restitution to the victims of his offenses. Melton had pleaded guilty on April 26, 2022, and has been in custody since his arrest on July 23, 2021.

According to court documents, Melton, under the username “flshine69,” began chatting on a particular social media application with a woman he believed to be the mother of a nine-year-old girl. In reality, that individual was an undercover FBI agent. During their conversation, Melton distributed child sex abuse materials multiple times to the undercover agent. He also said that he wished he had children but did not have any yet. Melton requested to purchase used underwear from the “child.” He also requested the agent create child sex abuse materials for him of the “child,” describing in detail what he wanted depicted in the images. Melton also stated he “would love to be” actively abusing children, that he had “no limit” as to a child’s age, and that he had always been interested in young children.

Law enforcement identified Melton as the individual using “flshine69” based on his IP address, vehicle, and online account records. On July 23, 2021, the FBI executed a federal search warrant at Melton’s residence. During the execution of the warrant, Melton spoke with FBI agents and admitted to using the “flshine69” account. 

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. 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.

Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that a federal jury has found Romeo Lopez-Hernandez (37, Coleman) guilty of first degree, premeditated murder. Lopez-Hernandez faces a mandatory penalty of life in federal prison. His sentencing is scheduled for April 2023.

According to evidence presented during the three-day trial, on February 1, 2021, Lopez-Hernandez strangled his cellmate to death by using a torn bed sheet he had made with an improvised knife. After the victim lost consciousness, Lopez-Hernandez watched for guards and continued to strangle the victim until he was sure that the victim had died. Lopez-Hernandez later confessed to the murder and bragged about it to prison personnel. At trial, however, Lopez-Hernandez changed his story and claimed the victim had committed suicide.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Prisons. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Tyrie K. Boyer and Belkis H. Crockett. 

Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Jeffrey Bruce Carboneau (67, Fort Myers) to five years in federal prison for possessing images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of a child. The court also sentenced Carboneau to a life term of supervised release and ordered him to register as a sex offender. Carboneau had pleaded guilty on September 26, 2022.

According to court documents, Carboneau possessed images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of minors. On July 21, 2022, the FBI executed a search warrant at Carboneau’s workplace in Fort Myers. Agents observed Carboneau downloading child sexual abuse material and seized his computer and external hard drive.

During an interview with agents, Carboneau admitted that the computers in his office were his and that he did not allow others to use his computers. Carboneau also admitted to downloading child sex abuse material for years, and that he downloaded and viewed the child sex abuse material at work.    

A subsequent forensic analysis of Carboneau’s computer and external hard drive revealed that Carboneau possessed more than 100,000 images and 150 videos of children being sexually abused.       

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Fort Myers Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, which includes participation from the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Yolande G. Viacava.

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 Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle has sentenced James Wesley Buchanan (47, Lake Wales) to 8 years in federal prison, to be followed by 10 years of supervised released for possession of child sexual abuse material and destruction of evidence in a federal investigation. The court also ordered Buchanan to register as a sex offender for life and pay restitution to the victims of his offense. Buchanan had pleaded guilty on October 25, 2022.

According to court documents, on December 8, 2021, federal agents executed a search warrant for evidence of child sexual abuse material at Buchanan’s home. At approximately 6:15 a.m., agents announced their presence and requested Buchanan to exit the home. Buchanan failed to exit the home for more than 20 minutes, despite numerous announcements and phone calls by agents. During this time, Buchanan destroyed multiple computer hard drives. When he finally exited the home, Buchanan was sweating profusely and bleeding from his hands. As agents finally entered the home, they discovered the broken and destroyed computer equipment. Agents seized devices that were not damaged beyond repair and forensic analysis subsequently revealed over 800 images and 30 videos of child sexual abuse material.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation – Tampa Field Office. 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.

A federal jury convicted a Bulgarian national today for conspiracy to advertise and distribute images and videos depicting the sexual exploitation of young children.

According to 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,” underscoring his knowledge of the purpose of the websites. 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. 

According to court documents in this case and related cases, the Newstar Enterprise, which was founded around 2005, built, maintained, hosted, and operated the Newstar Websites on servers in the United States and abroad. To populate the Newstar Websites with content, 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, wearing thong underwear, transparent underwear, revealing swimsuits, pantyhose, miniskirts, and costumes – that were distributed and sold through the Newstar Websites. Most 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.

Newstar subscribers and customers of the Newstar Websites were from more than 100 different countries. Images were freely available to the public to preview, but Newstar offered a paid subscription for greater access and more content. 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. 

Velinov was convicted of one count of conspiracy to advertise visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct and one count of conspiracy to distribute such images.  He is scheduled to be sentenced on April 18 and faces a maximum penalty of 50 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

To date, six 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 and sentenced to 12.5 years in prison

 

Kenneth Power

Conspiracy to advertise child pornography; conspiracy to distribute child pornography

 

Defendant deceased; case dismissed

Plamen Georgiev Velinov

Conspiracy to advertise child pornography; conspiracy to distribute child pornography

 

Convicted after trial

Patrice Wilowski-Mevorah

 

Conspiracy to commit money laundering

Pleaded guilty and sentenced to 63 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 and sentenced to 18 months 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 Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Tampa made the announcement.

HSI Tampa and the High Technology Investigative Unit of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) investigated these cases with substantial assistance from the HSI offices in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and Athens, Greece, as well as 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; and the Dutch National Police, International Legal Assistance Center, North-Holland Unit. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs assisted with securing foreign evidence, including through mutual legal assistance requests to Bulgaria and the Netherlands, 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 the Justice Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Karyna Valdes of the Middle District for Florida are prosecuting these 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 the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, 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.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Charlene E. Honeywell has sentenced Michael James Staton (30, Wachula) to 10 years and 10 months in federal prison for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, possession of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it, unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and two counts of distribution of 5 grams or more of methamphetamine. The court also ordered Staton to forfeit a North American Arms Guardian, .380 caliber handgun, Springfield Armory XDS, .45 caliber handgun, Glock 19 handgun, and $12,408 in U.S. currency that was traceable to the offense. Staton had pleaded guilty on October 17, 2022.

According to court documents, on July 18, 2020, Staton was serving the supervision portion of a sentence stemming from a Florida felony conviction. The supervision conditions included a curfew of 10:00 PM. On that same day, a law enforcement officer who was aware that Staton was under state supervision and subject to curfew observed Staton drive into a gas station. The officer approached and detained Staton to investigate the curfew violation, conducted a pat-down search of Staton and discovered $2,248 and marijuana on Staton’s person. As other officers arrived on the scene, one officer observed a firearm in plain view on the floorboard of Staton’s car. The officers searched Staton’s car and found 131 grams of methamphetamine, two firearms, $10,160 in a safe, two cellphones, and 889 grams of marijuana. 

A few months later, on October 27, 2020, Staton and a co-conspirator sold 28 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant. On October 8, 2020, Staton and his co-conspirator sold an additional 56 grams of methamphetamine

This case was investigated by a multi-agency task force through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking, and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply. Agencies involved in this OCDETF operation include Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Hardee County Sheriff’s Office, and the DeSoto County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Charlie D. Connally.

Orlando, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg, announces that a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Moad Mohamed Benkabbou (22, Kissimmee) with three counts of false statements to a federal agency. Because the false statements made to the FBI related to an international terrorism investigation, Benkabbou faces a maximum sentence of eight years in federal prison.  Following a detention hearing the Court detained Benkabbou in a local jail pending trial.

According to the indictment, Benkabbou was asked if he had ever talked about ISIS with a person known to FBI. He falsely answered, “No, I didn’t.” Benkabbou was also asked if he had ever made plans to travel overseas to join ISIS. Again, he answered falsely, “No, I didn’t.” Finally, Benkabbou was asked if he had ever pledged to ISIS. He falsely stated, “No, no I did not.”

According to evidence admitted during the detention hearing on January 19, 2023, Benkabbou swore an oath to support ISIS in January 2020, made plans to travel to Turkey and Syria to fight for ISIS, sent money to support ISIS, purchased airplane tickets in August 2020 and January 2021 (and later cancelled both tickets), and sent ISIS propaganda videos to others, including ISIS-sponsored videos showing executions of American allies fighting against ISIS. Benkabbou also sent a picture of himself dressed as an ISIS fighter with the statement, “Hey Crusaders hey Jews die within your rage.” 

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

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn P. Napier.

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