Middle District of Florida
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Daytona Beach Man Sentenced to 16 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
Orlando, FL – U.S. District Judge Carlos E. Mendoza has sentenced Kenneth Douglas (24, Daytona Beach), a/k/a “One Way,” to 16 years in federal prison followed for conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Douglas had pleaded guilty on October 7, 2021.
According to court documents, beginning on March 1, 2021, and continuing through March 24, 2021, Douglas and a co-defendant conspired with each other to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. During the investigation, an undercover law enforcement officer purchased controlled substances from Douglas and his co-defendant, who Douglas had been supplying. Douglas was held responsible for more than 1.4 kilograms of methamphetamine that he had conspired to distribute in the Brevard and Volusia County areas.
On May 17, 2021, agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration executed a search warrant at Douglas’s residence and located fentanyl, four digital scales, ammunition, and a stolen Glock 9mm pistol. Douglas fled from the residence on foot but was quickly apprehended by pursuing agents.
Douglas’s co-defendant, Tom Thompson, a/k/a “China,” previously pleaded guilty for his role in this case. On December 27, 2021, Thompson was sentenced to 11 years and 4 months in federal prison.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Cocoa Police Department, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Beatriz Gonzalez.
Two Armed Robbers Sentenced to over 20 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Steven Merryday has sentenced Jeffrey Davis (24, Tampa) to 24 years in federal prison and Tyee Spike (19, Tampa) to 26 years and 3 months for robbing multiple stores at gunpoint. Spike was sentenced on January 13, 2022, and Davis was sentenced on March 23, 2022. Davis had pleaded guilty on March 4, 2021, and Spike had pleaded guilty on August 12, 2021.
According to court documents, between October 13 and 19, 2020, Davis and Spike committed a series of commercial armed robberies in Tampa, Fishhawk, and Riverview. Firearms were brandished during each robbery. During the first robbery, an individual confronted Spike, and Spike shot him in the stomach. The victim remained hospitalized for 12 days but survived. Prior to the robbery spree, Spike committed a carjacking to obtain the getaway vehicle the men used for the robberies. The robbery spree ended with a high-speed chase, in which the defendants crashed the getaway vehicle before being apprehended. At the time of the defendants’ arrests, their getaway vehicle contained a “list of criminal achievements and/or ambitions,” which itemized various houses and personal possessions, and under the heading “Licks,” included the names and locations of several commercial establishments.
In the year prior to the robbery spree, Spike had been convicted of battery on a law enforcement officer with a deadly weapon, resisting an officer with violence, grand theft motor vehicle, two counts of robbery, and burglary of an unoccupied conveyance.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Tampa Police Department, and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Callan Albritton and former Assistant United States Attorney Natalie Adams.
Orlando Man Pleads Guilty in Conspiracy to Receiving $570,000 Cocaine ShipmentRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Luis Raul Perez Rodriguez (50, Orlando) today pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances. Perez Rodriguez faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the plea agreement, on January 21, 2022, Perez Rodriguez had arranged to receive a shipment of three parcels containing 19 kilograms of cocaine, valued at an estimated $570,000, through a delivery service from an address in Puerto Rico to an apartment in Orlando. On January 19, 2022, security specialists at the delivery service company had detected the cocaine shipment and reported the parcels to the Drug Enforcement Administration. On January 21, 2022, an undercover officer working with the DEA posed as a delivery driver and delivered a fake package to the address on the shipment. Perez Rodriguez was in the parking lot of his apartment and identified himself with the fake name associated with the parcels and showed the delivery driver that he was tracking the progress of the shipment on his phone. Perez Rodriguez was apprehended as the driver loaded two out of the three packages into Perez Rodriguez’s vehicle. Additional investigation linked Perez Rodriguez to a series of cocaine shipments from Puerto Rico to Orlando in 2018 and 2019.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Postal Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dana E. Hill.
Florida Business Executives Charged in Illegal Kickback SchemeRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Thomas Mollick (79, Odessa) and Martin Krytus (55, Windemere) with conspiracy to solicit and receive, and a substantive count of soliciting and receiving, illegal remunerations (kickbacks and bribes). If convicted on all counts, Mollick and Krytus each face a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. The indictment also notifies Mollick and Krytus that the United States intends to forfeit any assets, which are alleged to be traceable to proceeds of the offense.
According to the indictment, Mollick co-founded and served as President of RX Development (“RXD”), and as President and Director of Mollick Enterprises, Inc. (“MEI”). Between January 2012 and March 2017, Mollick, who was responsible for overseeing the creation and operation of RXD’s in-office drug dispensing program, selected the company’s wholesale drug supplier, Business #1, and solicited and caused the supplier to make kickback payments to MEI. Krytus co-founded and served as Vice President of RXD, and as President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Director of Eastwood & Assoc., Inc. (“EW”). Krytus, who was also responsible for overseeing the creation and operation of RXD’s in-office drug dispensing program, received a portion of kickback payments made by Business #1 to MEI.
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 U.S. Department of Labor - Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Postal Service - Office of Inspector General, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Greg Pizzo and Rachelle DesVaux Bedke.
Career Criminal Sentenced to More Than 21 Years in Prison for Possessing AmmunitionRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge William F. Jung has sentenced Victor Ricardo Grant (40, Brandon) to 21 years and 10 months in federal prison for possessing ammunition as convicted felon. A federal jury had found Grant, who is a career criminal under the Armed Career Criminal Act, guilty on December 15, 2021.
According to court records and testimony presented at trial, the FBI obtained a search warrant for Grant’s residence as part of an investigation into a series of credit union robberies and carjackings that had been committed in Hillsborough and Pinellas Counties in 2019. Investigators found approximately 400 rounds of 7.62 caliber ammunition inside backpacks kept in Grant’s bedroom closet and in the attic of his home. Ammunition drum magazines and loaded magazine clips for an AK-47 rifle were also found in the backpack hidden in the attic. Grant, having previously been convicted of several felony offenses, is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, the Pinellas Park Police Department, the St. Petersburg Police Department, and the Clearwater Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Michael Sinacore and Diego Novaes.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Two Individuals Sentenced to Federal Prison for Continuous Violations of Court’s OrdersRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Paul G. Byron has sentenced Steven Abboud (58, Davenport) to 5 months’ imprisonment and his codefendant, Diana Robinson (54, Davenport), to 21 days in federal prison for criminal contempt. The court also ordered them to each serve one year of supervised release following their incarceration. The defendant company, Phazzer Electronics, Inc., was sentenced to 2 years’ probation and fined $10,000. The defendants had been found guilty on December 27, 2021, after a 2-day bench trial.
According to court documents, the case originated from a civil case in which Phazzer Electronics, Inc. was being sued for patent and trademark infringement, false advertising, and unfair competition. In that case, the Court ordered Phazzer Electronics, Inc. to stop selling certain products that violated patent and trademark laws. The company was first held in civil contempt for violating the court’s order and was warned that continued violations could result in criminal contempt proceedings. Abboud was an officer of the company and de facto owner, and Robinson was an employee and agent of the company. During the criminal proceedings, the court found that Abboud and Robinson, acting as agents of Phazzer Electronics, engaged in a pattern of activity that continued to violate the court order and that the defendants took conscious steps to circumvent the order.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John Gardella.
Citrus County Felon Sentenced to Ten Years in Federal Prison for Possession of Firearms and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – Senior U.S. District Judge John Antoon II has sentenced Robert Joseph Miller (46, Homosassa) to 10 years in federal prison for possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon and possession of unregistered National Firearms Act (NFA) firearms – sawed-off shotguns. The Court also ordered Miller to forfeit approximately 50 firearms and more than 8,400 rounds of ammunition linked to the offenses. Miller had been indicted on May 4, 2021. He entered guilty pleas to the charges on November 19, 2021.
According to the evidence presented in court, Miller is a three-time convicted felon prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition under federal law. On March 10, 2021, agents arrested Miller on a felony theft warrant after finding him in possession of several spools and barrels of industrial metals (nickel, cobalt, etc.). Agents then executed a search warrant at Miller’s Citrus County residence that resulted in the recovery of more than $50,000 worth of stolen property, approximately 50 firearms, and over 8,400 rounds of assorted ammunition. The firearms consisted of rifles, shotguns, and handguns, including at least three stolen weapons and an AK-47 rifle equipped with a bump stock. Two of the firearms (sawed-off shotguns) were not registered to Miller in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record, as required under federal law.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Bodnar, Jr.
This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Two Promoters of Nationwide Tax Scheme Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
Orlando, FL – Two men were sentenced to prison yesterday for conspiring to defraud the United States by promoting a nationwide tax fraud scheme to more than 200 participants in at least 19 states.
Iran V. Backstrom, aka Shariyf Noble, of Milledgeville, Georgia, was sentenced to 105 months in prison. His second-in-command, Mehef Bey, aka Arthur Daniels, of Charlotte, North Carolina, was sentenced to 11 years in prison.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Backstrom was the main promoter of the scheme and Bey was one of his co-conspirators. Their scheme involved recruiting clients and preparing false tax returns on the clients’ behalf by convincing them their mortgages and other debts entitled them to tax refunds. Between 2014 and 2016, Backstrom and Bey held seminars across the county to publicize the scheme. As part of the scheme, Backstrom, Bey and their co-conspirators helped prepare and file tax returns for the participants that sought more than $64 million refunds from the IRS. These tax returns falsely claimed that banks and other financial institutions had withheld large amounts of income tax from the participants, thereby entitling the clients to a refund. In reality, the financial institutions had not paid any income to, or withheld any taxes from, these individuals. To make the refund claims appear legitimate, however, Backstrom, Bey and their co-conspirators filed fraudulent tax documents with the IRS that matched the withholding information listed on the tax returns, making them appear as if they had been issued by the banks.
As part of his plea, Backstrom admitted he gave orders to others as part of the scheme. Backstrom and Bey both admitted they and their co-conspirators concealed their roles in the scheme by, among other things, indicating the false tax returns had been “self-prepared,” submitting false IRS forms designed to appear as if they were created by the participants’ financial institutions, and coaching the participants on how to conceal the scheme from the IRS. Backstrom and Bey further admitted they and their co-conspirators charged participants approximately $10,000 to $15,000 in fees for the preparation of each tax return.
Two of Backstrom and Bey’s co-conspirators, Aaron Aqueron and Yomarie Febres, have also pleaded guilty and will be sentenced at a later date.
“Backstrom and Bey marketed a tax refund scheme throughout the country, costing the government millions of dollars,” said Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division. “They have now received substantial sentences for their criminal conduct. Others contemplating promoting similar schemes should recognize that they too will be identified and face significant time in prison.”
“Tax fraud is a serious crime,” stated U.S. Attorney Roger Handberg for the Middle District of Florida. “The defendants in this case employed a complex scheme to defraud the IRS out of millions of dollars. We encourage consumers to be vigilant in selecting legitimate tax preparers as we continue to work with our law enforcement partners to prosecute those who willfully violate our nation’s tax laws.”
“With tax season in full swing, the significant sentencings of the defendants is a timely reminder of the consequences awaiting those who file fraudulent returns,” said Special Agent in Charge Brian Payne of IRS-Criminal Investigation. “Dishonest return preparers use a variety of methods to cheat the government. If it seems too good to be true, it is very likely too good to be true. Remember, it is your responsibility to know what is on your income tax return. Taxpayers are encouraged to visit the IRS.gov website for tips on selecting a reputable return preparer.”
In addition to the term of imprisonment, the district judge also ordered both defendants to serve three years of supervised release and pay approximately $26,350,630 in restitution to the United States.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Goldberg and U.S. Attorney Handberg made the announcement.
IRS-Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Melissa S. Siskind, Kavitha Bondada and Isaiah Boyd III of the Tax Division, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Chauncey A. Bratt for the Middle District of Florida, are prosecuting the case.
Sanford Foster Parent Indicted for Child Exploitation OffensesRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces today that a federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Justin Dwayne Johnson, Sr. (47, Sanford) with 12 counts of production and attempted production of child sexual abuse images and videos and one count of possession of these materials. If convicted on all counts, Johnson faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 15 years, and up 30 years, in federal prison on each count, and a potential life term of supervised release. The indictment also notifies Johnson that the United States intends to forfeit his electronic devices which are alleged to have been used to commit these offenses.
According to court documents, this investigation began in January 2022 after Seminole County Child Protective Services had been alerted that Johnson was secretly recording his foster children. A forensic examination of Johnson’s cellphone revealed several sexually explicit images and videos depicting minor children, including several children under Johnson’s care that had been photographed or video-recorded in Johnson’s home. The FBI has identified at least 12 child victims who were either under his care or to whom he had access in his home. Additionally, Johnson’s cellphone contained numerous visual depictions of other children being sexually abused.
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 Sanford Police Department, the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Courtney Richardson-Jones and Ilianys Rivera Miranda.
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.
LaBelle Man Sentenced to 40 Years in Prison for Armed Robbery of A PawnshopRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, FL – U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell today sentenced Raynaldo Ray Quiroga (37, LaBelle) to 40 years in federal prison for robbery, brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, possessing stolen firearms, and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. A federal jury had found Quiroga guilty on December 16, 2021.
According to evidence presented at trial, Quiroga, a seven-time convicted felon, entered Capital Pawn in LaBelle on the morning of May 19, 2021, falsely impersonating a law enforcement officer by wearing a green sheriff’s deputy uniform, a black tactical vest, a badge, and a duty belt equipped with a firearm. While in the shop, Quiroga brandished his firearm and zip-tied the store’s two employees before stealing six firearms and fleeing the scene. Law enforcement agents quickly identified Quiroga as a suspect and later found multiple pieces of evidence at his residence and in his car connecting him to the robbery.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Hendry County Sheriff’s Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Simon R. Eth and Jesus M. Casas.
This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Gang Leader Sentenced to over 17 Years in Prison for Drug and Gun OffensesRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States District Judge Thomas P. Barber today sentenced Keon Moore (30, Tampa) to 17 years and 6 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm or ammunition as a convicted felon and possessing controlled substances with the intent to distribute them. Moore had been indicted on June 4, 2020. A jury found him guilty on October 21, 2021.
According to testimony and evidence presented during sentencing and the four-day trial, Moore is a convicted felon and a high-ranking member of Money Power Respect (MPR)—a violent and rapidly growing prison and street gang that operates throughout the greater Tampa Bay area. Prior to being apprehended and convicted in this case, 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.
The charges brought in this case revolved around a Public Storage unit rented by Moore. After a law enforcement drug-detecting dog alerted to Moore’s unit, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant of the unit. Inside the otherwise empty 50 square-foot unit, officers located seven guns, including two rifles; ammunition; approximately 45 grams of pure methamphetamine; 34 grams of cocaine; 53 grams of Eutylone; and 1.6 kilograms of marijuana, among other drugs; and a clothing item containing Moore’s DNA. Ballistics analysis linked one of the guns to five unsolved shootings.
This case was investigated by the FBI, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Tampa Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael M. Gordon. This case is part of an ongoing effort to disrupt and dismantle the MPR gang.
This case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Middle District of Florida, U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.
Fentanyl Dealer Sentenced to over 20 Years in Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute Heroin and FentanylRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge William F. Jung has sentenced Antonio Nunez III (34, Palmetto) to 20 years and 10 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin and 400 grams or more of fentanyl. Nunez had pleaded guilty on October 31, 2019.
According to court documents, beginning no later than March 2016 and continuing through May 2019, Nunez and his co-defendant, Antoine Waiters, conspired to possess heroin, fentanyl, and other controlled substances and sell the drugs from a trap house located in Palmetto, Florida. Over the course of the conspiracy, Nunez and Waiters distributed at least one kilogram of heroin and at least 400 grams of fentanyl and sold fentanyl to confidential sources on multiple occasions. More than $30,000 in U.S. currency, assorted jewelry, and two vehicles were forfeited as proceeds of the conspiracy.
This case is the result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation entitled “Hot Batch.” 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.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bradenton Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael Sinacore.
Leader of Fort Myers Drug Trafficking Organization Sentenced to More Than 24 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell has sentenced Marvin Harris, Jr., aka “Mesh” (23, Fort Myers), to 24 years and 5 months in federal prison for conspiring to distribute fentanyl, cocaine base (crack cocaine), and cocaine. The Court also ordered Harris to forfeit his Mercedes-Benz, $58,217 in seized cash, an 18k gold Datejust Rolex, and multiple gold Cuban link chains, all of which were traceable proceeds of his drug trafficking organization.
According to court documents, Harris led a drug trafficking organization (DTO) which operated in neighborhoods off Palm Beach Boulevard in Fort Myers. Harris recruited dealers to work for him and provided them with housing, with those houses serving as the main distribution points for the DTO.
On August 14, 2020, Harris was jailed for contempt of court in connection with a homicide investigation. He continued to run his organization while incarcerated, enlisting his girlfriend, co-defendant Destiny Molina, to supply his dealers with drugs and collect the revenue generated by the business. Recorded phone calls between Harris and Molina captured him teaching Molina how to mix fentanyl with adulterants to increase the profit potential of his product along with other instructions necessary to keep his illegal enterprise afloat.
On October 15, 2020, the FBI executed simultaneous search warrants at Molina’s residence located on Gaillard Avenue in North Port, and Harris’s main drug house located on New York Drive in Fort Myers. Inside Molina’s residence, law enforcement recovered more than $53,000 in cash, multiple pieces of expensive jewelry, over 100 grams of fentanyl and cocaine, and a firearm. At the drug house, law enforcement recovered nearly $5,000 in cash, more fentanyl and cocaine, and another firearm.
Four other members of the conspiracy had previously pleaded guilty in connection with his case:
Name
Charge
Status
Destiny Molina
(20, Fort Myers)
Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances
Faces 5-40 years in prison, sentencing scheduled for 6/6/22
Bradly Griffin, aka “Jit”
(20, Fort Myers)
Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances
Sentenced to 7 years, 3 months in federal prison
Robert Rosado, aka “Drew”
(24, Fort Myers)
Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances; Distribution of a controlled substance
Sentenced to 12 years, 7 months in federal prison
Fabian Kelly, aka “Bob”
(20, Fort Myers)
Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance; Possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense
Sentenced to 9 years, 3 months in federal prison
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, and the Fort Myers Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael V. Leeman.
Disbarred Attorney Sentenced to Four Years for Conspiring to Commit Bankruptcy Fraud and Defrauding Clients of $1.3 MillionRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas Barber has sentenced James Lee Clark (61, Wilton Manors) to 48 months in federal prison for conspiracy to commit bankruptcy fraud and wire fraud. Clark had pleaded guilty on December 14, 2021.
According to court documents, from January 2010 through February 2017, Clark, who was a licensed attorney, conspired with his paralegal, Eric Liebman, to defraud mortgage creditors and guarantors holding notes on properties in foreclosure. Clark and Liebman falsely and fraudulently represented to distressed homeowners that they would negotiate with creditors and guarantors to prevent foreclosures in exchange for the homeowners’ execution of quitclaim or warranty deeds for the properties to an entity controlled by Liebman. Clark and Liebman also convinced the homeowners to pay rent or agree to sell their houses. In order to continue collecting ill-gotten rents and/or profit from the property sales, Clark filed fraudulent bankruptcy petitions in the names of the homeowners to prevent the mortgage creditors from lawfully foreclosing and taking title to the properties.
Additionally, from January 2012 to February 2017, Clark defrauded his clients out of approximately $1.3 million. As part of his practice, Clark acted as a trustee for clients and held their money in various bank accounts. Instead of using the funds for the purpose intended by his clients, Clark diverted the money into his law firm’s bank accounts, and used it for personal expenses, like gambling, travel, and automobiles.
Liebman previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bankruptcy fraud. He was sentenced to 15 months’ imprisonment.
This case was investigated by the Federal Housing Finance Agency – Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The Office of the United States Trustee for the Middle District of Florida (Tampa Division) provided substantial investigative support. It was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Chris Poor.
Ecuadorian and Colombian Nationals Found Guilty of Smuggling over 400 Kilograms of Cocaine in the Eastern Pacific OceanRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that a federal jury has convicted Luis Elias Angulo Leones (Ecuador, 29), Jhonis Alexis Landazuri Arboleda (Colombia, 33), and Dilson Daniel Arboleda Quinones (Colombia, 25) of possessing and conspiring to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine on a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. Each defendant faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years, and up to life, in federal prison. Their sentencing hearings have been scheduled for June 15, 2022. All three individuals were indicted on March 19, 2020.
According to testimony presented at trial, a U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) helicopter spotted a 35-foot open-hull motorboat in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, about 100 miles from the nearest point of land. The vessel was suspected of drug smuggling because it had multiple engines, multiple fuel containers on deck, was operating without navigational lights at dusk, and was operating in a location where maritime drug smuggling by similar vessels is common. The USCG Cutter Mohawk launched a small boat to investigate, found the three defendants on board, and determined the vessel to be without nationality, and therefore subject to U.S. jurisdiction. A search of the motorboat revealed 430 kilograms of cocaine, worth $12.9 million, hidden underneath the vessel’s deck.
This case was investigated by the United States 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, 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 Special Assistant United States Attorney Tereza Ohley and Assistant United States Attorney Lauren Stoia.
Naval Flight Officer Sentenced to Four Years in Prison for Conspiring to Violate Firearms Law and Lying During Security Clearance Background InvestigationRead the Press Release
A Florida man was sentenced today to four years in prison followed by three years of supervised release for conspiring to violate U.S. firearms laws, making false written statements to federally licensed firearms dealers during the purchase of two firearms, and making false written statements as part of a security clearance background investigation.
Fan Yang, 37, of Jacksonville, was convicted by a federal jury on Nov. 12, 2021. According to court documents, Yang is a Lieutenant in the U.S. Navy, trained in anti-submarine warfare. As a Naval Flight Officer, he flew in the back of the Navy’s P-8 Poseidon, a land-based patrol aircraft, and operated sensors and coordinated tactics.
“Fan Yang held a position of trust with the U.S. government working on anti-submarine warfare,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “Today, the court held him accountable for violating that trust by lying to the government about significant foreign relationships.”
“This case is about more than federal firearms law. It’s about a former Naval flight officer with top-secret security clearance and trained in anti-submarine warfare, who lied about his connections to the People’s Republic of China on U.S. government employment forms,” said Assistant Director Alan E. Kohler Jr. of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division. “To ensure only the most trustworthy people have access to sensitive information and military technology, U.S. Government employees have a duty to be truthful in their background investigations. The FBI is grateful to its partners who were instrumental in investigating this case. “
“Lt. Fan Yang swore an oath to protect this country, but instead he posed a significant risk to U.S. national security when he failed to report his contact with the head of a Chinese Defense Contracting firm,” said Special Agent in Charge Sherri E. Onks of the FBI’s Jacksonville Field Office. “This act was even more egregious considering Lt. Yang’s Top Secret security clearance and active-duty status as an officer in the U.S. Navy. The FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue to use our full investigative capabilities to investigate, expose and prevent further threats to U.S. national security posed by foreign competitors and adversaries.”
“Lt. Yang brought discredit to the Navy and threatened military operational readiness when he decided to make straw purchases of firearms for a foreign national and lie about that relationship during his security clearance background investigation,” said Special Agent in Charge Michelle Kramer of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) Office of Special Projects. “This sentence should serve as a warning that NCIS and our law enforcement partners are committed to rooting out criminality that jeopardizes U.S. warfighter superiority. We sincerely thank the NCIS Southeast Field Office and the FBI for their substantial efforts during this investigation.”
Prior to becoming a commissioned naval officer, Fan Yang formed a relationship online with Songtao Ge, a citizen of the People’s Republic of China. Photographs admitted at trial showed that the two eventually met in person in 2013, while Yang was in Navy flight training in Pensacola. In 2016, while Yang was stationed in Jacksonville, Yang recommended that Ge hire Yang’s wife, Yang Yang, as an employee of Shanghai Breeze Technology Co. Ltd., Ge’s company headquartered in Shanghai, China. That company purchased in the United States and exported to China maritime equipment designed for law enforcement and military missions.
From the time that she was hired, Yang Yang received more than $300,000 in payments from Shanghai Breeze, its creditors, and Ge’s executive assistant and co-defendant, Zheng Yan. The money was used to pay Yang Yang’s salary, Shanghai Breeze’s expenses in the United States, and for goods that Ge Songtao ordered the Yangs to purchase. The funds were frequently routed through the Yangs’ family business, BQ Tree LLC.
In 2017 and again in 2018, acting on Ge’s instructions, Fan Yang purchased two handguns for him, specifically a Sig Sauer 9 mm pistol and a Glock 9mm pistol. Songtao reimbursed the Yangs for both purchases and had the Sig Sauer pistol engraved with his initials – “G.S.T.” – and the phrase “Never Out of the Fight.” Each time he purchased a firearm, Fan Yang completed a Firearms Transactions Record (known as ATF Form-4473) on which he falsely represented that he was purchasing the firearm for himself, rather than for Ge.
The evidence at trial showed that although Ge employed Yang Yang, had been to the Yangs’ home, and had paid for the Yangs to travel and visit him, Fan Yang consistently hid their relationship from the Navy. For example, in July 2018, Yang asked for time off from his Navy chain of command, claiming that he was travelling with his family to “Disney” when in fact, he and his wife secretly travelled to Nebraska and met with Ge.
Then, in January 2019, while assigned as a tactics instructor at the Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Weapons School in Jacksonville, Fan Yang completed and signed a background questionnaire as part of the renewal of his top secret security clearance. That questionnaire (called an SF-86 or eQIP) required the disclosure of a variety of information, including any close or continuing contact with foreign nationals. Yang failed to disclose the extent of his contacts with Ge, and hid that he had maintained a bank account in China, sometimes worked for his family business, BQ Tree LLC, and possessed an expired Chinese passport.
On Nov. 2, 2020, Ge pleaded guilty to conspiring to submit false export information through the federal government’s Automated Export System and to export special forces maritime raiding craft and engines to China fraudulently, and attempting to export that equipment fraudulently, in violation of U.S. law. On July 14, 2021, he was sentenced to three years and six months years in federal prison. On September 15, 2020, Yang Yang pleaded guilty to the same two charges to which Ge had pleaded guilty, and on Dec. 9, 2020, was sentenced to time-served, or the equivalent of approximately 14 months’ imprisonment. On Aug. 13, 2020, co-defendant Zheng Yan pleaded guilty to conspiring to submit false export information and to export the raiding craft and engines fraudulently, in violation of U.S. law, and on March 31, 2021, was sentenced to a time-served sentence or the equivalent of approximately six months’ imprisonment and 11 months’ home-detention.
This case was investigated by the FBI, NCIS, the U.S. Department of Commerce – Bureau of Industry and Security, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael J. Coolican and Kirwinn Mike for the Middle District of Florida, as well as Senior Trial Attorney Heather Schmidt of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Section are prosecuting the case.
Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division and U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg for the Middle District of Florida made the announcement.
Naval Flight Officer Sentenced to Four Years in Prison for Conspiring to Violate Firearms Law and Lying During Security Clearance Background InvestigationRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Harvey E. Schlesinger today sentenced Fan Yang (37, Jacksonville) to 48 months in federal prison, followed by 3 years’ supervised release, for conspiring with his co-defendants Ge Songtao (52, Nanjing, People’s Republic of China) and Yang Yang (36, Jacksonville) to violate U.S. firearms laws, making false written statements to federally licensed firearms dealers during the purchase of two firearms and making false written statements as part of a security clearance background investigation. The Court also ordered Yang to forfeit the firearms that he purchased as a part of the conspiracy, specifically, a Sig Sauer 9mm pistol and a Glock 9mm pistol. A federal jury found Yang guilty on November 12, 2021.
According to evidence presented at trial, Yang is a Lieutenant in the U.S. Navy, trained in anti-submarine warfare. As a Naval Flight Officer, he flew in the back of the Navy’s P-8 Poseidon, a land-based patrol aircraft, and operated sensors and coordinated tactics.
Prior to becoming a commissioned naval officer, Yang formed a relationship online with Ge Songtao, a citizen of the People’s Republic of China. Photographs admitted at trial showed that the two eventually met in person in 2013, while Yang was in Navy flight training in Pensacola. In 2016, while Yang was stationed in Jacksonville, Yang recommended that Ge Songtao hire Yang’s wife, Yang Yang, as an employee of Shanghai Breeze Technology Co. Ltd., Ge Songtao’s company headquartered in Shanghai, China. That company purchased in the U.S. and exported to China maritime equipment designed for law enforcement and military missions.
From the time that she was hired, Yang Yang received more than $300,000 in payments from Shanghai Breeze, its creditors, and Ge Songtao’s executive assistant and co-defendant, Zheng Yan. The money was used to pay Yang Yang’s salary, Shanghai Breeze’s expenses in the U.S., and for goods that Ge Songtao ordered the Yangs to purchase. The funds were frequently routed through the Yangs’ family business, BQ Tree LLC.
In 2017 and again in 2018, acting on Ge Songtao’s instructions, Fan Yang purchased two handguns for him, specifically a Sig Sauer 9mm pistol and a Glock 9mm pistol. Ge Songtao reimbursed the Yangs for both purchases and had the Sig Sauer pistol engraved with his initials – “G.S.T.” – and the phrase “Never Out of the Fight.” Each time he purchased a firearm, Fan Yang completed a Firearms Transactions Record (known as ATF Form-4473) on which he falsely represented that he was purchasing the firearm for himself, rather than for Ge Songtao.The evidence at trial showed that although Ge Songtao employed Yang’s wife, had been to the Yangs’ home, and had paid for the Yangs to travel and visit him, Fan Yang consistently hid their relationship from the Navy. For example, in July 2018, Yang asked for time off from his Navy chain of command, claiming that he was travelling with his family to “Disney” when in fact, he and his wife secretly travelled to Nebraska and met with Ge.
Then, in January 2019, while assigned as a tactics instructor at the Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Weapons School in Jacksonville, Yang completed and signed a background questionnaire as part of the renewal of his top secret security clearance. That questionnaire (called an SF-86 or eQIP) required the disclosure of a variety of information, including any close or continuing contact with foreign nationals. Yang failed to disclose the extent of his contacts with Ge Songtao, and hid that he had maintained a bank account in China, sometimes worked for his family business, BQ Tree LLC, and possessed an expired Chinese passport.
On November 2, 2020, Ge Songtao pleaded guilty to conspiring to submit false export information through the federal government’s Automated Export System and to export special forces maritime raiding craft and engines to China fraudulently, and attempting to export that equipment fraudulently, in violation of U.S. law. On July 14, 2021, he was sentenced to three years and six months years in federal prison. On September 15, 2020, Yang Yang pleaded guilty to the same two charges to which Ge Songtao had pleaded guilty, and on December 9, 2020, was sentenced to time-served, or the equivalent of approximately 14 months’ imprisonment. On August 13, 2020, co-defendant Zheng Yan pleaded guilty to conspiring to submit false export information and to export the raiding craft and engines fraudulently, in violation of U.S. law, and on March 31, 2021, was sentenced to a time-served sentence or the equivalent of approximately 6 months’ imprisonment and 11 months’ home-detention.
“Lt. Fan Yang swore an oath to protect this country, but instead he posed a significant risk to U.S. national security when he failed to report his contact with the head of a Chinese Defense Contracting firm,” said Sherri E. Onks, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Jacksonville Division. “This act was even more egregious considering Lt. Yang’s Top Secret security clearance and active duty status as an officer in the U.S. Navy. The FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue to use our full investigative capabilities to investigate, expose, and prevent further threats to U.S. national security posed by foreign competitors and adversaries.”
“Lt. Yang brought discredit to the Navy and threatened military operational readiness when he decided to make straw purchases of firearms for a foreign national and lie about that relationship during his security clearance background investigation,” said Special Agent in Charge Michelle Kramer of the NCIS Office of Special Projects. “This sentence should serve as a warning that NCIS and our law enforcement partners are committed to rooting out criminality that jeopardizes U.S. warfighter superiority. We sincerely thank the NCIS Southeast Field Office and the FBI for their substantial efforts during this investigation.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Naval Criminal Investigative Service, the U.S. Department of Commerce – Bureau of Industry and Security, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Michael J. Coolican and Kirwinn Mike, as well as Heather Schmidt, Senior Trial Attorney, Counterintelligence and Export Section, U.S. Department of Justice.
Lehigh Acres Couple Pleads Guilty to COVID Relief FraudRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Amber Rewis Bruey (35, Lehigh Acres) today pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and illegal monetary transactions. Her husband and co-conspirator, Anthony James Bruey, previously pleaded guilty to the same charges on February 4, 2022. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
Defendant
Charge
Maximum Penalty per Count
Amber Rewis Bruey
Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud
30 years in federal prison
Wire Fraud (10 Counts)
30 years in federal prison
Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering
10 years in federal prison
Illegal Monetary Transactions (4 Counts)
10 years in federal prison
Anthony James Bruey
Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud
30 years in federal prison
Wire Fraud (2 Counts)
30 years in federal prison
Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering
10 years in federal prison
Illegal Monetary Transactions (2 Counts)
10 years in federal prison
According to court documents, between April 2020 and June 2020, the Brueys conspired to submit a total of 26 fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) applications to Small Business Administration (SBA) approved lenders, loan processing companies, and the SBA. The applications contained numerous false and fraudulent representations, including the applicant’s dates of operation, payroll, gross revenues, total number of employees, and the criminal histories of the applicants or business owners.
The Brueys’ false and fraudulent representations caused PPP lenders and the SBA to approve 12 of the loans and disburse a total of $881,058.35 in PPP and EIDL funds. The Brueys then unlawfully used the funds to purchase a $211,457 residence in North Carolina, a 2019 GMC Yukon SUV, a 2020 Honda Talon, and to make a $23,566 restitution payment as a condition of probation in a criminal court case for Amber Bruey.
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.
The EIDL program is designed to provide economic relied to small businesses that are currently experiencing a temporary loss of revenue. EIDL proceeds can be used to cover a wide array of working capital and normal operating expenses, such as continuation of health care benefits, rent, utilities, and fixed debt payments. If an applicant also obtains a loan under the PPP, the EIDL funds cannot be used for the same purpose as the PPP funds.
This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Trent Reichling and Suzanne Nebesky.
Former Pain Clinic Doctor Sentenced to Two Years in Federal Prison for Money StructuringRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Mary S. Scriven today sentenced Dr. Zachary Bird (51, Tampa) to 24 months in federal prison, followed by 1 year of supervised release, for structuring cash transactions to evade bank reporting requirements. As part of his sentence, the Court also entered a money judgment in the amount of $481,526.76, which represents the total amount of cash illegally structured in the case. A federal jury found Bird guilty of the offense on May 21, 2021. He was acquitted on other counts.
According to court documents, Bird operated Physicians Wellness and Pain Specialists, a pain management clinic, from May 2014 until it shuttered in June 2018. Bird used the proceeds he earned as a doctor to structure cash deposits for the purchase of a piece of real property in LaBelle, Florida. From February 6 through February 12, 2015, Bird structured 22 cash deposits, each under $10,000 and often occurring on the same day and minutes apart, totaling $193,175.76. Between March 10 and October 26, 2015, Bird structured another 38 cash deposits amounting to $288,351. In total, Bird structured $481,526.76 in cash deposits.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration—Tampa District Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Greg Pizzo and Kelley Howard-Allen.
Tax Preparer Pleads Guilty to Tax Fraud Conspiracy Causing More Than $5 Million in False Tax Refund FilingsRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida–United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Eurich Z. Griffin III has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States by promoting a tax fraud scheme and helping others prepare and file false tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Griffin faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the plea agreement, between 2013 and 2018, Griffin offered tax-preparation and consulting services to clients for a fee and recruited clients by convincing them that their mortgage debt payments entitled them to tax refunds, and helped to prepare and present false tax returns on their behalf. These tax returns falsely claimed that banks and other financial institutions had withheld large amounts of income tax from the clients, thereby entitling them to refunds. In reality, the financial institutions had not paid any income to or withheld any taxes from these individuals. To make the refund claims appear legitimate, however, Griffin and the conspirators filed tax documents with the IRS that matched the withholding information listed on the tax returns. These tax returns collectively sought $5,231,749.15 from the IRS. As part of the conspiracy, Griffin also independently submitted six fictitious instruments totaling $1,354,809.21 to the IRS.
This case was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation. The IRS-CI investigates those who willfully and intentionally violate their known legal duty of filing and paying their fair share of taxes. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer L. Peresie.
Nurse Pleads Guilty to Filing False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Jennifer Hansen has pleaded guilty to three counts of filing false tax returns. Hansen faces a maximum penalty of three years in federal prison for each count.
According to the plea agreement, Hansen, a registered nurse, was employed by a medical examination company to evaluate individuals who were seeking life insurance policies. In that role, Hansen earned hundreds of thousands of dollars in income during the years 2016, 2017, and 2018, all of which she intentionally omitted from her federal income tax returns. Through her false returns, Hansen caused a tax loss to the United States of $257,830.44. As part of her plea agreement, Hansen will make full restitution to the United States in that amount.
During the investigation into Hansen’s tax crimes, investigators also learned that a substantial portion of Hansen’s unreported income was illegitimately earned. In that regard, Hansen generated the illegitimate income by submitting false records to her employer claiming that she had examined a real patient, when, in fact, she had not. As part of her plea agreement, Hansen will make full restitution to her previous employer in the amount of more than $1,000,000.
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The IRS-CI investigates those who willfully and intentionally violate their known legal duty of filing and paying their fair share of taxes. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael V. Leeman.
Texas Man Pleads Guilty to Trafficking A Minor from Houston to TampaRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Jamel Muldrew (33, Houston, TX) has pleaded guilty to sex trafficking of a minor, coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity, use of a facility of interstate commerce in aid of racketeering, and interstate transportation of a person for prostitution. Muldrew faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years, and up to life, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to court documents, on April 9, 2021, law enforcement coordinated an operation in Tampa, Florida to identify victims of human trafficking, rescue those victims, and identify and arrest their traffickers. As part of this operation, an undercover officer observed what appeared to be a potentially underage female in an online escort advertisement and arranged for the minor victim to meet him at a hotel room for a commercial sex act, in exchange for $800. Soon thereafter, Muldrew arrived at the location driving a black Chevrolet Impala, with the minor victim in the passenger seat. The victim exited the vehicle, walked to the hotel room and entered, and was detained. As law enforcement approached Muldrew, he attempted to flee but was ultimately apprehended. At the time of his arrest, officers recovered multiple fictious identity cards Muldrew had in his possession, for both himself and the minor victim. The subsequent investigation revealed that Muldrew had been trafficking the minor victim across the country to engage in prostitution. Specifically, between February and April 2021, Muldrew had trafficked the minor victim for the purpose of commercial sex in Texas, New Jersey, Maryland, North Carolina, Georgia, and Florida, where he was ultimately arrested.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, and the Houston Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ilyssa M. Spergel and Carlton C. Gammons.
This case was brought as part of the Tampa Bay Human Trafficking Task Force of the Middle District of Florida, which is one of 13 task forces in the country to receive grant funding from the Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance. The Task Force is a collaboration of local, state, and federal law enforcement agents working together with organizations to detect, investigate, and prosecute human trafficking in the Tampa Bay area. This includes trafficking of minors, forced labor, transnational sex trafficking, and sex trafficking of adults by force, fraud, or coercion. More information about the Tampa Bay Human Trafficking Task Force can be found at www.justice.gov/usao-mdfl/humantrafficking. Information on the Department of Justice’s efforts to combat human trafficking can be found at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking.
Tampa Man Sentenced for Operating A Vessel, Violating A U.S. Coast Guard Port OrderRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Virginia Covington has sentenced Obed Almaguer Garrido (48, Tampa) to five years’ probation, during which period he will be prohibited from operating any watercraft, and to 100 community service hours, for violating a U.S. Coast Guard Captain of the Port Order. Garrido had pleaded guilty on August 18, 2021.
According to court documents, Garrido was the owner of a state-registered recreational vessel and operated a recreational vessel in commercial passenger service on the waters of Tampa Bay (Tampa, FL) without a U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Merchant mariner credential. The USCG issues Merchant Mariner Credentials and inspects passenger vessels to ensure the safety of patrons chartering vessels. Despite being issued a Captain of the Port Order to cease operations, Garrido continued to operate in commercial passenger service. Illegal passenger vessels pose serious danger to passengers because unlicensed operators do not have the requisite knowledge to safely operate a vessel in commercial passenger service and vessels do not meet stringent Coast Guard safety requirements. Tampa Bay is a tourist destination attracting visitors from throughout the world.
“The Coast Guard will continue to aggressively pursue vessel operators who needlessly place the lives of patrons at risk by not complying with Coast Guard passenger vessel regulations," said Captain Matthew Thompson, Commander of Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg. "We'd like to remind those who charter a boat, they should choose a vessel with a certified captain and crew. This criminal conviction demonstrates the aggressive posture the Coast Guard and our partners from the U.S. Attorney’s Office have taken protect the lives of those who charter passenger vessels.”
This case was investigated by the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service (Southeast Region), with assistance from U.S. Coast Guard Sector (St. Petersburg Investigations Division). It was prosecuted by U.S. Coast Guard Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Tereza Ohley.
St. Johns County Teacher Arrested and Charged with Attempting to Entice and Meet A 14-Year-Old to Engage in Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announced today that Matthew Christopher Yates (27, Hastings) has been arrested and charged with using the internet to attempt to entice a 14-year-old child to engage in sexual activity. Yates faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 10 years, and up to life, in federal prison, and a potential life term of supervised release. At the time of his arrest on March 11, 2022, Yates was an eighth-grade teacher at Veritas Classical School in St. Augustine, Florida.
According to court documents, on February 11, 2022, an undercover FBI agent who was posing online as a 14-year-old child responded to an online notice posted by the user “English teacher” on a particular online social media application. The user was subsequently identified as Yates. During the online conversation, the “child” advised that she was 14 years old and in the eighth grade, and Yates stated that he was a teacher and suggested that they “should meet up” at the beach. The online conversation continued on another social media platform and Yates (using the name “prof0987”) and the “child” exchanged photos of each other.
Between February 22, 2022, and March 11, 2022, Yates and the “child” exchanged numerous text messages and Yates sent several photos that were either sexually suggestive or sexually explicit, including one that purportedly depicted Yates’ penis. On March 6, 2022, Yates texted the “child,” using explicit language, suggesting that they meet. On March 8, 2022, Yates asked the “child” to meet in person on Friday, March 11, 2022, to engage in sexual activity. Yates provided the undercover agent with details about the sexual acts that he wished to perform on the “child.” On March 10, 2022, Yates and the “child” confirmed plans to meet, and Yates asked the “child” if “she” wanted to record their planned sexual activity on video. On the afternoon of March 11, 2022, Yates drove his vehicle to a prearranged location in Jacksonville to meet the “child” for sex and was arrested by FBI agents. Upon searching Yates, agents found him to be in possession of several condoms.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (Jacksonville). It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.
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.
Federal Inmate Pleads Guilty to Assaulting Correctional Officer and Possessing ContrabandRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Edward Boney (40, Washington, DC), a federal prisoner at the Coleman Federal Correctional Complex, has entered pleaded guilty to assaulting a correctional officer and possessing contraband. Boney faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison. Boney had been indicted on October 12, 2021.
According to court records, Boney is currently serving a 13-year federal sentence at FCC-Coleman for armed robbery and assault on a law enforcement officer. On November 20, 2020, Boney refused to comply with correctional officers’ directions and told the officers, “Today is a good day to die.” Boney then raised his arm and struck a correctional officer multiple times with a sharp metal object. The correctional officer suffered three stab wounds on his arms. Three additional correctional officers were also injured during the incident as they attempted to control and detain Boney.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk.
Armed Career Criminal Found Guilty of Firearm and Drug OffensesRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that a federal jury has found Alex Winters (43, Leesburg) guilty of possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon, possessing controlled substances with intent to distribute, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Winters, who qualifies as an Armed Career Criminal based upon his criminal history, faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years, and up to life, in federal prison. His sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled. Winters was indicted on February 24, 2021.
According to testimony presented at trial, on May 7, 2020, deputies with the Collier County Sheriff’s Office stopped a car for a traffic violation. After a deputy noted the smell of marijuana, the car was searched. Beneath Winters’s seat, deputies found a loaded 9mm pistol and fanny pack containing distribution amounts of crack cocaine, powder cocaine, and eutylone. Also in the fanny pack, deputies found a digital scale, baggies, a drug ledger, and 9mm ammunition. Winters’s DNA was later analyzed and compared to DNA swabs taken from the firearm and he was determined to be a possible contributor.
This case was investigated by the Collier County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Trent Reichling and Mark Morgan.
This is another case prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Middle District of Florida, U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.
Former Canadian Government Employee Extradited to the United States to Face Charges for Dozens of Ransomware Attacks Resulting in the Payment of Tens of Millions of Dollars in RansomsRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – A Canadian man was extradited yesterday from Canada to the United States on an indictment returned in the Middle District of Florida that charges him with conspiracy to commit computer fraud and wire fraud, intentional damage to a protected computer, and transmitting a demand in relation to damaging a protected computer arising from his alleged participation in a sophisticated form of ransomware known as NetWalker. NetWalker ransomware has targeted dozens of victims all over the world, including companies, municipalities, hospitals, law enforcement, emergency services, school districts, colleges, and universities. Attacks have specifically targeted the healthcare sector during the COVID-19 pandemic, taking advantage of the global crisis to extort victims.
According to court documents, Sebastien Vachon-Desjardins, 34, of Gatineau, Quebec, Canada, from April through December 2020, conspired to and did intentionally damage a protected computer and transmit a ransom demand in connection with doing so. The indictment also alleges that the United States intends to forfeit more than $27 million, which is alleged to be traceable to proceeds of the offenses. The defendant will make his initial appearance today in federal court in Tampa before U.S. Magistrate Judge Julie S. Sneed.
“As exemplified by the seizure of cryptocurrency by our Canadian partners, we will use all legally available avenues to pursue seizure and forfeiture of the alleged proceeds of ransomware, whether located domestically or abroad,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The department will not cease to pursue and seize cryptocurrency ransoms, thereby thwarting the attempts of ransomware actors to evade law enforcement through the use of virtual currency.”
“Ransomware is a multi-billion-dollar criminal enterprise that transcends physical and political boundaries. International collaboration is essential to identify the perpetrators of these sophisticated schemes,” said U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg for the Middle District of Florida. “This case illustrates effective international law enforcement cooperation directed at identifying cybercriminals, holding them accountable for their alleged criminal actions, and recovering funds allegedly stolen from their victims.”
“This investigation is yet another example of the outstanding work conducted by the Tampa FBI Cyber program, the Middle District of Florida, the FBI’s Cyber Division, and our law enforcement partners around the world,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Sanjay Virmani of the FBI’s Tampa Field Office. “It is also a reminder that the FBI continues to work tirelessly to identify, locate, and apprehend those who would prey upon the innocent and bring about justice for the citizens of the United States.”
Vachon-Desjardins was extradited to the United States pursuant to the extradition treaty between the United States and Canada. Pursuant to a request submitted by U.S. authorities, Canadian law enforcement officers arrested Vachon-Desjardins in Gatineau, Quebec, on Jan. 27, 2021, and executed a search warrant at Vachon-Desjardins’s home in Gatineau. During the search, officers discovered and seized 719 Bitcoin, valued at approximately $28,151,582 as of today’s date, and $790,000 in Canadian currency.
The FBI’s Tampa Field Office is investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Sonia V. Jimenez of the Justice Department’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carlton C. Gammons and Suzanne Nebesky of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida are prosecuting the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided valuable assistance in securing Vachon-Desjardin’s arrest and extradition. The U.S. Marshals Service transported Vachon-Desjardins from Canada to the United States.
The investigation benefited from law enforcement cooperation by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Ontario Provincial Police, Gatineau Police Service, and National Cybercrime Coordination Unit.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Former Canadian Government Employee Extradited to the United States to Face Charges for Dozens of Ransomware Attacks Resulting in the Payment of Tens of Millions of Dollars in RansomsRead the Press Release
A Canadian man was extradited yesterday from Canada to the United States on an indictment returned in the Middle District of Florida that charges him with conspiracy to commit computer fraud and wire fraud, intentional damage to a protected computer, and transmitting a demand in relation to damaging a protected computer arising from his alleged participation in a sophisticated form of ransomware known as NetWalker. NetWalker ransomware has targeted dozens of victims all over the world, including companies, municipalities, hospitals, law enforcement, emergency services, school districts, colleges, and universities. Attacks have specifically targeted the healthcare sector during the COVID-19 pandemic, taking advantage of the global crisis to extort victims.
According to court documents, Sebastien Vachon-Desjardins, 34, of Gatineau, Quebec, Canada, from April through December 2020, conspired to and did intentionally damage a protected computer and transmit a ransom demand in connection with doing so. The indictment also alleges that the United States intends to forfeit more than $27 million, which is alleged to be traceable to proceeds of the offenses. The defendant will make his initial appearance today in federal court in Tampa before U.S. Magistrate Judge Julie S. Sneed.
“As exemplified by the seizure of cryptocurrency by our Canadian partners, we will use all legally available avenues to pursue seizure and forfeiture of the alleged proceeds of ransomware, whether located domestically or abroad,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The department will not cease to pursue and seize cryptocurrency ransoms, thereby thwarting the attempts of ransomware actors to evade law enforcement through the use of virtual currency.”
“Ransomware is a multi-billion-dollar criminal enterprise that transcends physical and political boundaries. International collaboration is essential to identify the perpetrators of these sophisticated schemes,” said U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg for the Middle District of Florida. “This case illustrates effective international law enforcement cooperation directed at identifying cybercriminals, holding them accountable for their alleged criminal actions, and recovering funds allegedly stolen from their victims.”
“This investigation is yet another example of the outstanding work conducted by the Tampa FBI Cyber program, the Middle District of Florida, the FBI’s Cyber Division, and our law enforcement partners around the world,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Sanjay Virmani of the FBI’s Tampa Field Office. “It is also a reminder that the FBI continues to work tirelessly to identify, locate, and apprehend those who would prey upon the innocent and bring about justice for the citizens of the United States.”
Vachon-Desjardins was extradited to the United States pursuant to the extradition treaty between the United States and Canada. Pursuant to a request submitted by U.S. authorities, Canadian law enforcement officers arrested Vachon-Desjardins in Gatineau, Quebec, on Jan. 27, 2021, and executed a search warrant at Vachon-Desjardins’s home in Gatineau. During the search, officers discovered and seized 719 Bitcoin, valued at approximately $28,151,582 as of today’s date, and $790,000 in Canadian currency.
The FBI’s Tampa Field Office is investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Sonia V. Jimenez of the Justice Department’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carlton C. Gammons and Suzanne Nebesky of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida are prosecuting the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided valuable assistance in securing Vachon-Desjardin’s arrest and extradition. The U.S. Marshals Service transported Vachon-Desjardins from Canada to the United States.
The investigation benefited from law enforcement cooperation by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Ontario Provincial Police, Gatineau Police Service, and National Cybercrime Coordination Unit.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Couple Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and Conspiracy to Impede and Defraud the IRSRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Guillermo Inamagua (56, Davenport) and Mayra Velasquez (34, Apopka) have pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States. Each faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the plea agreement, Inamagua and Velasquez each owned and managed a construction company which they had registered with the State of Florida. Inamagua’s company was named First Construction and Velasquez’s company was named Best Construction. These companies purported to supply construction services and a labor force to work for construction contractors. As such, each company was required to secure and maintain adequate worker’s compensation insurance coverage in order to comply with Florida law. The providers of worker’s compensation insurance based the premiums they charged and the amount of coverage they provided on the number of employees a company had and the total annual payroll of those employees. Inamagua’s and Velasquez’s companies each had agreements with contractors and subcontractors to use workers purported to be their company’s employees at construction sites. These workers were often undocumented aliens who were actually working for and under the daily supervision and direction of the contractors. Inamagua and Velasquez or others would regularly receive “payroll checks” from these contractors that were cashed at various financial institutions to pay the purported “employees” of either Best or First Construction.
During the time periods charged in their respective criminal informations, Inamagua and Velasquez each falsely and fraudulently represented in insurance applications that their company had very limited payroll and a very limited number of employees that worked on construction jobsites. They also caused the transmission of false and fraudulent wire communications to numerous contractors representing that their companies’ employees had full worker’s compensation coverage. In reality, Inamagua’s company received and cashed more than $18 million in checks from various construction contractors for his purported employees. This payroll figure far exceeded the very limited payroll figures that Inamagua had reported to his worker’s compensation insurance company. Velasquez’s company received and cashed more than $7 million in checks from various construction contractors for her purported employees. This payroll figure far exceeded the very limited payroll figures that Velasquez had reported to her worker’s compensation insurance company. As a result, these employees performed work on jobsites without adequate insurance coverage. In addition, the insurers lost premiums they would have charged had they been aware of the true number of workers their policies were being manipulated to cover.
As a result of these misrepresentations, Best and First Construction also disclaimed responsibility for ensuring that jobsite workers were legally authorized to work in the United States and that required state and federal payroll taxes were being paid for these workers. Thus, the contractors who actually paid these workers’ wages and used their services were also able to avoid responsibility for those duties as well. Over the course of this conspiracy, Inamagua’s misrepresentations caused a loss to the IRS of approximately $4,673,571 in unpaid payroll taxes. Velasquez’s misrepresentations caused a loss to the IRS in the amount of approximately $1,769,000.
These two cases are part of a series of prosecutions related to similar construction industry-related fraud in the Tampa Bay area. This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation and the State of Florida Department of Financial Services – Division of Investigative and Forensic Services. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jay L. Hoffer.
Medical Services Contractor Pays $930,000 to Settle False Claims Act Allegations Relating to Medical Services Contracts at State Department and Air Force Facilities in Iraq and AfghanistanRead the Press Release
Comprehensive Health Services LLC (CHS), located in Cape Canaveral, Florida, has agreed to pay $930,000 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by falsely representing to the State Department and the Air Force that it complied with contract requirements relating to the provision of medical services at State Department and Air Force facilities in Iraq and Afghanistan. This is the Department of Justice’s first resolution of a False Claims Act case involving cyber fraud since the launch of the department’s Civil Cyber-Fraud Initiative, which aims to combine the department’s expertise in civil fraud enforcement, government procurement and cybersecurity to combat new and emerging cyber threats to the security of sensitive information and critical systems.
CHS is a provider of global medical services that contracted to provide medical support services at government-run facilities in Iraq and Afghanistan. Under one of the contracts, CHS submitted claims to the State Department for the cost of a secure electronic medical record (EMR) system to store all patients’ medical records, including the confidential identifying information of United States service members, diplomats, officials and contractors working and receiving medical care in Iraq. The United States alleged that, between 2012 and 2019, CHS failed to disclose to the State Department that it had not consistently stored patients’ medical records on a secure EMR system. When CHS staff scanned medical records for the EMR system, CHS staff saved and left scanned copies of some records on an internal network drive, which was accessible to non-clinical staff. Even after staff raised concerns about the privacy of protected medical information, CHS did not take adequate steps to store the information exclusively on the EMR system.
The State Department and Air Force contracts also required CHS to provide medical supplies, including controlled substances, that were approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or European Medicines Agency (EMA) and manufactured in accordance with federal quality standards. The United States alleged that, between 2012 and 2019, CHS falsely represented to the State Department and Air Force that certain substances provided under those contracts were approved by the FDA or EMA. CHS lacked a Drug Enforcement Agency license necessary for exporting controlled substances from the United States to Iraq. CHS obtained controlled substances by having CHS physicians based in Florida send letters requesting that a South African physician prescribe the controlled substances. A South African shipping company then received controlled substances that were not approved by the FDA or EMA and sent them to CHS in Iraq, where CHS supplied the unapproved controlled substances to patients under the State Department and Air Force contracts.
“This settlement demonstrates the department’s commitment to use its civil enforcement tools to pursue government contractors that fail to follow required cybersecurity standards, particularly when they put confidential medical records at risk,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We will continue to ensure that those who do business with the government comply with their contractual obligations, including those requiring the protection of sensitive government information.”
“Protecting the health and safety of servicemembers, diplomats, and other government employees working abroad is of utmost importance,” said U.S. Attorney Breon Peace for the Eastern District of New York. “The defendants were required to maintain personal health information securely and provide only approved pharmaceuticals to patients. This settlement serves notice to federal contractors that they will be held accountable for conduct that puts private medical records and patient safety at risk. We are grateful for the support of our colleagues in the Middle District of Florida, the State Department and the Air Force for their assistance in investigating these important claims.”
“Government contractors should never disregard their obligations when providing medical care to members of the military,” said U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg for the Middle District of Florida. “We thank our colleagues in the Eastern District of New York, as well as the investigative agencies who supported this effort, for their steadfast pursuit of this important investigation.”
“This settlement demonstrates the commitment State Department, Office of Inspector General, Special Agents have to protect the safety, well-being, and personal information of State Department personnel,” said Special Agent in Charge Elisabeth “Elli” Kaminsky of the U.S. Department of State OIG, Office of Investigations. “Our hope is that this outcome will send a clear message that cutting corners on State Department contracts has significant consequences.”
“The Department of the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (OSI) is undeterred in its approach to hunting down fraud within our Foreign Military Sales programs and ensuring the offenders are held accountable,” said Special Agent in Charge Nicholas J. Groesbeck of OSI Procurement Fraud Detachment 4, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH. “We applaud the complainant for coming forward, which allowed our joint partners to protect the governments procurement process and carry out the warfighting mission.”
The civil settlement includes the resolution of two actions brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act against CHS. Under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of the settlement if the government takes over the case and reaches a monetary agreement with the defendant. The qui tam cases are captioned United States ex rel. Lawler v. Comprehensive Health Servs., Inc. et al., Case No. 20-cv-698 (E.D.N.Y.), and United States ex rel. Watkins et al. v. CHS Middle East, LLC, Case No. 17-cv-4319 (E.D.N.Y.).
The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combatting cyber-fraud. On October 6, 2021, the Deputy Attorney General announced the department’s Civil Cyber-Fraud Initiative, which aims to hold accountable entities or individuals that put U.S information or systems at risk by knowingly providing deficient cybersecurity products or services, knowingly misrepresenting their cybersecurity practices or protocols, or knowingly violating obligations to monitor and report cybersecurity incidents and breaches. Information on how to report cyber fraud can be found here.
The resolutions obtained in this matter were the result of a coordinated effort between the Fraud Section of the Commercial Litigation Branch of the Justice Department’s Civil Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida, the U.S. Department of State Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Air Force.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Medical Services Contractor Pays $930,000 to Settle False Claims Act Allegations Relating to Medical Services Contracts at State Department and Air Force Facilities in Iraq and AfghanistanRead the Press Release
Comprehensive Health Services LLC (CHS), located in Cape Canaveral, Florida, has agreed to pay $930,000 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by falsely representing to the State Department and the Air Force that it complied with contract requirements relating to the provision of medical services at State Department and Air Force facilities in Iraq and Afghanistan. This is the Department of Justice’s first resolution of a False Claims Act case involving cyber fraud since the launch of the department’s Civil Cyber-Fraud Initiative, which aims to combine the department’s expertise in civil fraud enforcement, government procurement and cybersecurity to combat new and emerging cyber threats to the security of sensitive information and critical systems.
CHS is a provider of global medical services that contracted to provide medical support services at government-run facilities in Iraq and Afghanistan. Under one of the contracts, CHS submitted claims to the State Department for the cost of a secure electronic medical record (EMR) system to store all patients’ medical records, including the confidential identifying information of United States service members, diplomats, officials and contractors working and receiving medical care in Iraq. The United States alleged that, between 2012 and 2019, CHS failed to disclose to the State Department that it had not consistently stored patients’ medical records on a secure EMR system. When CHS staff scanned medical records for the EMR system, CHS staff saved and left scanned copies of some records on an internal network drive, which was accessible to non-clinical staff. Even after staff raised concerns about the privacy of protected medical information, CHS did not take adequate steps to store the information exclusively on the EMR system.
The State Department and Air Force contracts also required CHS to provide medical supplies, including controlled substances, that were approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or European Medicines Agency (EMA) and manufactured in accordance with federal quality standards. The United States alleged that, between 2012 and 2019, CHS falsely represented to the State Department and Air Force that certain substances provided under those contracts were approved by the FDA or EMA. CHS lacked a Drug Enforcement Agency license necessary for exporting controlled substances from the United States to Iraq. CHS obtained controlled substances by having CHS physicians based in Florida send letters requesting that a South African physician prescribe the controlled substances. A South African shipping company then received controlled substances that were not approved by the FDA or EMA and sent them to CHS in Iraq, where CHS supplied the unapproved controlled substances to patients under the State Department and Air Force contracts.
“This settlement demonstrates the department’s commitment to use its civil enforcement tools to pursue government contractors that fail to follow required cybersecurity standards, particularly when they put confidential medical records at risk,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We will continue to ensure that those who do business with the government comply with their contractual obligations, including those requiring the protection of sensitive government information.”
“Protecting the health and safety of servicemembers, diplomats, and other government employees working abroad is of utmost importance,” said U.S. Attorney Breon Peace for the Eastern District of New York. “The defendants were required to maintain personal health information securely and provide only approved pharmaceuticals to patients. This settlement serves notice to federal contractors that they will be held accountable for conduct that puts private medical records and patient safety at risk. We are grateful for the support of our colleagues in the Middle District of Florida, the State Department and the Air Force for their assistance in investigating these important claims.”
“Government contractors should never disregard their obligations when providing medical care to members of the military,” said U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg for the Middle District of Florida. “We thank our colleagues in the Eastern District of New York, as well as the investigative agencies who supported this effort, for their steadfast pursuit of this important investigation.”
“This settlement demonstrates the commitment State Department, Office of Inspector General, Special Agents have to protect the safety, well-being, and personal information of State Department personnel,” said Special Agent in Charge Elisabeth “Elli” Kaminsky of the U.S. Department of State OIG, Office of Investigations. “Our hope is that this outcome will send a clear message that cutting corners on State Department contracts has significant consequences.”
“The Department of the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (OSI) is undeterred in its approach to hunting down fraud within our Foreign Military Sales programs and ensuring the offenders are held accountable,” said Special Agent in Charge Nicholas J. Groesbeck of OSI Procurement Fraud Detachment 4, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH. “We applaud the complainant for coming forward, which allowed our joint partners to protect the governments procurement process and carry out the warfighting mission.”
The civil settlement includes the resolution of two actions brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act against CHS. Under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of the settlement if the government takes over the case and reaches a monetary agreement with the defendant. The qui tam cases are captioned United States ex rel. Lawler v. Comprehensive Health Servs., Inc. et al., Case No. 20-cv-698 (E.D.N.Y.), and United States ex rel. Watkins et al. v. CHS Middle East, LLC, Case No. 17-cv-4319 (E.D.N.Y.).
The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combatting cyber-fraud. On October 6, 2021, the Deputy Attorney General announced the department’s Civil Cyber-Fraud Initiative, which aims to hold accountable entities or individuals that put U.S information or systems at risk by knowingly providing deficient cybersecurity products or services, knowingly misrepresenting their cybersecurity practices or protocols, or knowingly violating obligations to monitor and report cybersecurity incidents and breaches. Information on how to report cyber fraud can be found here.
The resolutions obtained in this matter were the result of a coordinated effort between the Fraud Section of the Commercial Litigation Branch of the Justice Department’s Civil Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida, the U.S. Department of State Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Air Force.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Jacksonville Man Sentenced to More Than Three Years in Federal Prison for Possessing Firearms While Subject to A Domestic Violence InjunctionRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Brian J. Davis has sentenced Andrew Carl Fulda (44, Jacksonville) to 37 months in federal prison for possessing firearms while he was subject to a domestic violence injunction. The Court also ordered Fulda to forfeit two rifles, a carbine, two pistols, two revolvers, nine silencers, and 4,435 rounds of ammunition. Fulda had pleaded guilty on November 16, 2021.
According to court documents, in September 2021, a Special Agent for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives received information that Fulda may be possessing firearms despite being prohibited by a domestic violence injunction. The agent verified Fulda’s prohibited status by reviewing the injunction, which informed Fulda that it would be a federal criminal felony offense for him to possess firearms or ammunition while subject to the injunction. The agent also observed that, in April 2020, Fulda had executed an affidavit attesting that he had turned over all of his firearms to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO). The agent also obtained records showing that Fulda had registered multiple silencers in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record but had not surrendered the silencers to JSO.
Upon further investigation, the agent identified a residence where Fulda had moved his firearms safe and obtained a federal search warrant for the residence. Upon executing the search warrant, the agent located the firearms safe, which contained multiple handguns and a silencer that was not registered to Fulda. Also in the room with the firearms safe were an unregistered short-barreled rifle, additional firearms and silencers, and more than 4,000 rounds of ammunition.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Laura Cofer Taylor.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Convicted Murderer Sentenced to More Than Eight Years in Federal Prison for Selling Crack CocaineRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Rasheed Karreem (38, Jacksonville) to eight years and four months in federal prison for distributing cocaine base, also referred to as “crack” cocaine. Karreem had pleaded guilty on December 8, 2021.
According to court documents, on July 13 and July 25, 2018, Karreem sold crack cocaine to a cooperating defendant who was working at the direction of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. At the time, Karreem was on state probation for the January 2018 battery of Jamie Lawyer. On August 10, 2018, Karreem shot Lawyer to death as she sat in her vehicle in a McDonald’s drive-thru in Jacksonville. Karreem is serving three consecutive life sentences in connection with the murder of Lawyer.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Laura Cofer Taylor.
Armed Drug Dealers Sentenced to Five Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Brandy Sue Rayburn (41, Jacksonville) and Duane Lamonte McCray (43, Jacksonville) each to five years in federal prison for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The Court also ordered them to forfeit a Remington pistol and ammunition. Rayburn and McCray had pleaded guilty on December 7, 2021.
According to court documents, between April and May 2020, Rayburn and McCray sold cocaine and other drugs from Rayburn’s residence in the Arlington area of Jacksonville. To protect their drug dealing operations, Rayburn and McCray obtained a firearm that they kept at the house. Following the arrest of Rayburn and McCray, a Remington firearm and ammunition was located and seized by law enforcement. Forensic investigation revealed DNA of Rayburn and McCray on the firearm.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Cyrus P. Zomorodian and Assistant United States Attorney Beatriz Gonzalez.
This case is part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Methamphetamine Trafficker Sentenced to 27 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Kathryn Mizelle has sentenced Victor Manuel Hernandez (22, Wimauma) to 27 years in federal prison for a narcotics conspiracy involving methamphetamine, heroin, and cocaine, as well as for being a felon in possession of multiple firearms. Hernandez had pleaded guilty on July 27, 2021.
According to court documents, between on or about July 18, 2019, through February 12, 2021, Hernandez conspired with others to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, 100 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of heroin, and a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine. On July 18, 2019, a confidential source (CS) spoke with Hernandez on the phone and ordered a kilogram of methamphetamine. The two agreed to meet that day and the CS traveled to an apartment complex and parked. Soon thereafter, a Dodge Charger pulled in next to the CS’s vehicle. As agents approached the car, Hernandez got out of the car and attempted to flee but was ultimately apprehended. Upon searching the car, agents found approximately 978 grams of methamphetamine. Hernandez then took agents to his residence, where he led them to additional drugs: approximately 800 grams of heroin and approximately 4 kilograms of additional methamphetamine. Hernandez also had 13 guns and assorted ammunition inside the house.
While Hernandez was released on bond, law enforcement learned that he was again trafficking in narcotics. Subsequently, a search warrant was executed at Hernandez’s house, and inside, agents found approximately 31 kilograms of methamphetamine, 756 grams of cocaine, and approximately 523 grams of heroin. Investigators also found two rifles, both of which belonged to Hernandez.
Hernandez had been previously convicted of a felony, including aggravated battery with a deadly weapon. As such, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office, the Sarasota Police Department, and the Bradenton Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Callan Albritton.
Former Public Utility Executives Indicted for Conspiring to Steal Millions of Dollars from the City of Jacksonville Upon the Sale of the Jacksonville Electric AuthorityRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return by a grand jury of an indictment charging former Jacksonville Electric Authority (JEA) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Aaron Zahn (42, Jacksonville Beach) and former JEA Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Ryan Wannemacher 40, Santa Rosa Beach) with conspiring to steal and obtain by fraud funds from the City of Jacksonville, which would have been generated from the sale of the JEA, Jacksonville’s municipal electric and water utility company. If convicted on all counts, Zahn and Wannemacher each face up to 25 years in federal prison.
According to the
indictment , Zahn and Wannemacher worked together to devise a lucrative bonus plan known as the Performance Unit Plan (PUP) that would have paid millions of dollars to Zahn, Wannemacher, and others had JEA been sold during the Invitation To Negotiate (ITN) in 2019. Ultimately, once information began to develop about the true nature of the PUP and the certainty of significant bonuses paid from the net proceeds to the City of Jacksonville from the sale of JEA, the JEA Board stopped the ITN process on December 24, 2019. During the ITN, Zahn and Wannemacher worked together to craft the PUP formula using JEA’s financial statements and net position to ensure that they would receive millions of dollars when JEA was sold. The indictment alleges that Zahn and Wannemacher made material misrepresentations about and otherwise hid the true nature of the PUP from the JEA Board, members of the Jacksonville City Council, other JEA executives, and members of the public. During the ITN, Zahn crafted minimum requirements for the sale of JEA that would appeal to the JEA Board, members of City Council, and the public and, at the same time, ensure that the PUP bonus plan would pay out millions of dollars to holders of PUP units, the overwhelming majority of which would have been available to Zahn, Wannemacher, and certain others, had JEA been sold.An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and investigators from the State Attorney’s Office for the Fourth Judicial Circuit. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tysen Duva.
Federal Jury Convicts Kissimmee Man of Sexually Exploiting A Minor Child Using A Cell Phone CameraRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that a federal jury has found Rafael Antonio Bracero-Navas (50, Kissimmee) guilty of seven counts of sexually exploiting a minor child. Bracero-Navas faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison on each count and will be required to register as a sex offender. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for June 1, 2022. Bracero-Navas had been indicted on August 4, 2021.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, between approximately July 2018 and April 2021, Bracero-Navas used a minor child to produce pornographic pictures that depicted the lascivious exhibition of the child’s pubic area. He did so surreptitiously from outside a bathroom door, taking pictures using a cellphone camera pointed through the crack under the door as the child was stepping out of the shower. Although Bracero-Navas later deleted the full-sized images from his phone, thumbnail images remained and were later discovered by law enforcement.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Emily C. L. Chang and Amanda S. Daniels.
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.
Trafficker of Cocaine, Methamphetamine, Fentanyl, and Marijuana Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle has sentenced Raymond Malara (38, Tampa) to nine years in federal prison for trafficking cocaine, fentanyl, and marijuana. The Court also ordered Malara to forfeit $ 37,820, which is traceable to proceeds of the offense. Malara had pleaded guilty on August 3, 2021.
According to court documents, between October 2020 and February 2021, a law enforcement investigation revealed that Malara and others had been distributing cocaine, methamphetamine, fentanyl, and marijuana. As part of the investigation, law enforcement conducted surveillance on Malara and observed him obtaining and distributing narcotics throughout the Middle District of Florida, including his barbershop in Pinellas County, the Westshore Plaza shopping mall in Tampa, the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, and various other locations.
On January 21, 2021, agents executed a federal search warrant at Malara’s apartment and located cardboard boxes containing vacuum-sealed bags of cocaine and marijuana, scales, and piles of cash stacked next to a money counter. Agents also located several firearms, including two fully loaded automatic rifles with high-capacity magazines and more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition. Malara had previously been convicted of second-degree murder. Therefore, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.
Agents also searched Malara’s vehicle and recovered fentanyl pills and approximately four kilograms of marijuana from the trunk of the car.
This operation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the St. Petersburg Police Department, and the United States Postal Inspection Service. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Diego Novaes and Suzanne Nebesky.
OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Drug Trafficker Who Distributed Narcotics While on State Bond Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge William F. Jung has sentenced Jarran Riley (37, Clearwater) to 15 years in federal prison for distributing narcotics. Riley had pleaded guilty on December 9, 2021.
According to court documents, on June 5, 2019, at approximately 10:30 p.m., detectives from the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office responded to the Dunedin Cove Motel regarding the opioid overdose death of N.R. On the same day, detectives interviewed Heidi Kalous who had distributed the narcotics to N.R. Motel video surveillance and phone records showed that Kalous had obtained the narcotics from Riley before Kalous distributed them to the victim. Riley later distributed narcotics to confidential informants on two occasions in August 2019.
On October 8, 2019, Riley was arrested for fleeing and eluding, a state offense, and was released on a bond the same day. Approximately 14 hours after bonding out of state custody, on October 8, 2019, Riley was captured on video surveillance distributing controlled substances to M.J. Less than five hours later, M.J. was pronounced dead, the result of a multi-drug overdose. The following day, Riley was arrested again by local law enforcement. On November 15, 2019, Riley posted bond and was released from state custody. While on bond for his state distribution offenses, and after N.R. and M.J. had died, Riley continued to distribute fentanyl and cocaine, doing so on January 21, 23, and January 28, 2020. On February 12, 2020, agents executed a federal search warrant at Riley’s residence, and Riley was taken into federal custody.
Kalous was also charged with drug distribution offenses. On February 24, 2022, she was sentenced to eight years in federal prison.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, and the Clearwater Police Department as part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Diego F. Novaes.
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.
Orange Park Man Indicted for Pointing Laser at Coast Guard HelicopterRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida– United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Justin Marland Fisher (41, Orange Park) with knowingly aiming a laser at an aircraft. If convicted, Fisher faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison.
According to the indictment, on September 1, 2021, Fisher knowingly aimed the beam of a laser pointer at a United States Coast Guard helicopter while it was conducting a training mission in Green Cove Springs, Florida.
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.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), dangerous laser strikes topped all previous records in 2021. The FAA received 9,723 reports from pilots last year, a 41 percent increase over 2020. Laser strikes on aircraft remain a serious threat to aviation safety. Intentionally aiming lasers at aircrafts poses a safety threat to pilots and violates federal law. Many high-powered lasers can incapacitate pilots flying aircraft that may be carrying hundreds of passengers. Please visit https://www.faa.gov/about/initiatives/lasers/laws for additional information.
This case was investigated by the Coast Guard Investigative Service. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John Cannizzaro.
Former Postal Contract Employee Pleads Guilty to Possession of Stolen MailRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Miranda Delee Farleigh (25, Ocklawaha) has pleaded guilty to possessing stolen mail. Farleigh faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. Farleigh had been indicted on February 1, 2022.
According to court records, Farleigh worked as a contract employee of the United States Postal Service delivering mail for the Lady Lake Post Office. Farleigh’s route included mail delivery services to postal stations in The Villages. On or about November 23, 2021, Farleigh’s supervisor discovered several tubs and bags of U.S. Mail in Farleigh’s possession that had been rifled (unlawfully opened). When confronted, Farleigh admitted to law enforcement that she had been opening outgoing mail in Lake and Sumter Counties for a month with the intent to steal money and gift cards to support her heroin addiction. In total, approximately 4,000 pieces of mail had been rifled through by Farleigh.
This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Bodnar, Jr.
Florida Man Known as “the Monkey Whisperer” Pleads Guilty to Federal Charges for Trafficking Protected PrimatesRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Jimmy Wayne Hammonds, also known as “the Monkey Whisperer” (57, Parrish), today pleaded guilty to having violated the Endangered Species Act and Lacy Act in connection with a conspiracy to sell a protected primate to a celebrity client in California. Hammonds faces a maximum penalty of eight years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to court records, Hammonds owned and operated The Monkey Whisperer, LLC, a business engaged in the breeding and selling of wildlife. From September 2017 until February 2018, Hammonds conspired to sell a capuchin monkey to an individual in California, even though that buyer could not lawfully possess a capuchin monkey in California. Hammonds facilitated the transportation of the capuchin monkey from Florida to California through individuals who were not permitted to possess that species of monkey in either state. The client had paid more than $12,000 for the animal. Law enforcement later seized the monkey from the client’s California residence.
In addition, Hammonds illegally sold cotton-top tamarins, which are primates listed as an endangered species, to buyers in Alabama, South Carolina, and Wisconsin. To conceal his unlawful wildlife trafficking, Hammonds submitted false records to a law enforcement officer and attempted to persuade a witness to lie to a law enforcement officer by saying that they had purchased the cotton-top tamarins at a flea market.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Murray.
Three Former Correctional Officers Sentenced to Federal Prison for Violating Civil Rights of an Inmate During an AssaultRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced three former Hamilton Correctional Institution Annex officers for violating the civil rights of an inmate. Coty Michael Wiltgen (32, Live Oak) was sentenced to 37 months in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release; Ethan Burkett (25, Valdosta, GA) was sentenced to 31 months in federal prison, followed by one year of supervised release, and William Story Shackelford (25, Valdosta, GA) was sentenced to 25 months in federal prison, followed by 1 year of supervised release. Wiltgen, Burkett, and Shackelford were ordered to surrender to their facility of designation no later than 2:00 p.m. on April 28, 2022.
On June 4, 2021, June 9, 2021, and July 22, 2021, Shackelford, Wiltgen, and Burkett, respectively, had pleaded guilty to violating the civil rights of an inmate.
According to court documents, on March 3, 2020, Burkett, Wiltgen, and Shackelford, on-duty correctional officers at the Hamilton Correctional Institution Annex (HCI) in Jasper, Florida, struck an inmate multiple times while the inmate was handcuffed and lying on the ground. Specifically, Wiltgen, and Shackelford escorted the victim to an outdoor area at HCI and assaulted the victim following an earlier altercation involving the victim and Burkett. The victim had pushed Burkett off his path while he was chasing after another inmate. After pushing Burkett and walking away, the victim was sprayed with pepper spray by Wiltgen. The victim laid down on the floor, showed no signs of resistance, and was handcuffed by Wiltgen. Wiltgen and Shackelford then escorted the cooperative and compliant victim outside of the facility, and out of camera view, and made the victim fall to the ground. Wiltgen kicked the victim in the face approximately 15 times while he was face down on the ground. Wiltgen was also observed calling the victim a racial epithet and spitting on the victim. Shackelford held the victim on the ground with his knee in the victim’s back to keep him from moving and struck the victim in the side. When Burkett arrived outside, he went up to the victim and hit him twice with an open hand to the upper back and punched the victim. The victim was screaming during the assault and was knocked unconscious by Wiltgen kicking him. This assault lasted approximately one to two minutes. Burkett, Wiltgen, and Shackelford knew that the use of force was unnecessary and excessive, counter to their training and completely unjustified at the time that they used, and watched others use, force against the victim. As a result of the assault, the victim suffered several injuries.
This case was investigated by the Florida Department of Corrections – Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Washington.
Ponte Vedra Beach Man Sentenced to Nearly 8 Years for Knowingly Receiving A Video of the Sexual Abuse of A BabyRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Harrison Holland Frith (40, Ponte Vedra Beach) to 7 years and 11 months in federal prison for receiving a video depicting child sexual abuse. Frith was also ordered to pay $5,000 in restitution to a victim of his crimes, to serve 10 years of supervised release upon his release from prison, and to register as a sex offender. Frith had pleaded guilty on October 27, 2021.
According to court documents, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Jacksonville received information from HSI agents in Fayetteville, Arkansas, that the agents had identified a man in Arkansas who was communicating online with others, including Frith, via Zoom and RingCentral meeting platforms to share child sexual abuse material. The content shared included videos of the Arkansas man sexually abusing a child between the ages of 5 and 6 years old. Frith is seen on a video made by the Arkansas man masturbating while watching a video of the Arkansas man sexually abusing the child. Frith can be heard expressing his desire to sexually abuse the child as well. HSI (Fayetteville) discovered Frith in other social media chatrooms, in which child sexual abuse material was discussed and shared.
On May 18, 2021, HSI (Jacksonville) executed a federal search warrant at Frith’s residence in Ponte Vedra Beach and encountered Frith at home. In an interview with agents, Frith admitted to receiving child sexual abuse videos over the internet and to participating in online video meetings with others during which child sexual abuse videos were played. He also acknowledged requesting videos of the sexual abuse of children as young as 8 years old. Frith told agents they would find files of child sexual abuse material on his laptop computer. He also said that he had viewed such material the night before agents had arrived. A search of Frith’s electronic devices yielded child sexual abuse material on four devices including two laptop computers, an iPad, and a thumb drive. One such file received by Frith in April 2021 showed an adult male removing the diaper from a baby boy and then his sexual assault of the baby.
“A child is re-victimized every time a predator views or shares child pornography,” said HSI Jacksonville Assistant Special Agent in Charge K. Jim Phillips. “HSI Jacksonville, and our partners with Clay County Sheriff’s, St. Johns Sheriff’s Office and HSI Fayetteville, are working diligently to ensure these predators are identified and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law for these heinous crimes.”
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, and the Clay County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelly S. Karase.
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.
Florida Woman Pleads Guilty to Role in Wire Fraud Conspiracy Involving Panamanian Boiler RoomsRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Tracy Lee Jedlicki (55, Delray Beach) has pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy for her role in the operation of international boiler rooms which defrauded victims via the sale of worthless investments. Jedlicki faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not been set.
According to the plea agreement, Jedlicki and her co-conspirators operated international boiler rooms in Panama and elsewhere which used high-pressure sales techniques to defraud individuals who believed they were investing substantial amounts of money in regulated financial products or markets, such as options in commodities and stocks. The majority of the victims targeted by these boiler rooms were located in Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand.
Jedlicki and her co-conspirators laundered the fraud proceeds generated by the boiler rooms through several money laundering rings to overseas accounts; the launderers received a percentage of the funds they had moved. Jedlicki's duties included, among other tasks, arranging travel for boiler room workers to the boiler room locations, calling victims while posing as an employee of a fake investment firm to set up loading calls for co-conspirators operating the boiler rooms, serving as a liaison between the boiler rooms and a money laundering organization, and reconciling payments between the boiler rooms and the money laundering organization. Jedlicki received a 2% referral fee for referring victims’ funds to a money laundering ring and used the funds to perpetuate the conspiracy and for her own personal enrichment. Jedlicki and her co-conspirators wired or caused to be wired victims’ funds in the approximate amount of $3,244,500 to money laundering accounts in furtherance of the wire fraud conspiracy.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David W.A. Chee and Craig Gestring.
Tampa Man Who Tried to Move Overdose Victim’s Body from Garage at Hard Rock Casino Pleads Guilty to Distributing Fentanyl and HeroinRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Nicholas Primo (35, Tampa) has pleaded guilty to distributing a substance that contained a mixture of heroin and fentanyl. Primo faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to court documents, on November 13, 2019, Primo distributed narcotics to two individuals in the parking lot of the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. One of the individuals injected himself with the substance and died. Primo was later captured on video surveillance returning to the vehicle, and after realizing the victim had died, fleeing the garage. Primo was later interviewed and admitted to purchasing $1,600 worth of heroin prior to distributing it. Primo later contacted a friend and attempted to move the victim’s car out of the Hard Rock Casino.
This case was investigated by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Diego F. Novaes. This case is part of the Middle District of Florida’s anti-opioid strategy to combat opioid trafficking and abuse.
Father and Son Sentenced to Federal Prison for Scheme to Transport A Minor Child Between Croatia and Florida for the Purpose of Engaging in Illicit Sexual ConductRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Virginia Hernandez-Covington has sentenced Jordan Jysae Pulido (27, Trinity) to 10 years in federal prison, and his father, Roberto Santana Jimenez (62, Trinity) to 20 years in federal prison for child exploitation offenses. The Court also ordered both men to serve a lifetime term of supervised release, register as sex offenders, pay restitution in the amount of $2,715, and forfeit electronic devices that were used in the commission of their offenses.
On October 28, 2021, a federal jury found Pulido guilty of enticement and coercion of minor, traveling out of the country to engage in illicit sexual conduct, and transporting a minor into the country to engage in sexual activity. The jury also found both Pulido and Jimenez guilty of conspiracy to transport a minor into the country to engage in sexual activity.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, then 23-year-old Pulido met a 14-year-old child who resided in and is a citizen of Croatia on a social networking website in 2017. Pulido began a teacher-student relationship with the child and promised to teach the child to play the guitar. After a few months of guitar lessons, however, Pulido began to romantically pursue the child. For nearly a year, Pulido used the internet to entice and coerce this child to engage in sexual activity with him. During this time, Pulido and Jimenez planned Pulido’s trip to Croatia and Pulido sought Jimenez’s advice and counsel on how to persuade the child to engage in sexual activity when he traveled to Croatia. Jimenez coached Pulido on what to do and say to the child and directly communicated with the child about her sexual relationship with Pulido. Jimenez falsely portrayed himself as a medical doctor and provided advice and counsel to the child about her fertility and precautions to take to avoid pregnancy.
On June 14, 2018, Pulido traveled from Florida to Croatia, proposed to the child on her 15th birthday, and engaged in sexual activity with the child. In the month that followed, Pulido and Jimenez conspired to transport the child from Croatia to Florida, again so that Pulido could engage in sexual activity with her. On or about July 23, 2018, Pulido did in fact transport the child from Croatia to Florida for the purpose of engaging in sexual activity. Once in Florida, Jimenez took the child’s passport and identification documents and refused to allow the child to travel back to Croatia with her family. Agents with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement rescued the child from the Pulido/Jimenez family home in Trinity, Florida on August 12, 2018.
“A child victim was rescued from these predators, and we hope this sentencing provides some closure on the path to recovery for them,” said HSI Tampa acting Assistant Special Agent in Charge Timothy Westlove. “This case would not have been possible without the local and international law enforcement partnerships between HSI, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, the Koprivnica-Križevac County Police Administration of the Republic of Croatia Ministry of the Interior Criminal Police, the International Criminal Police Organization and the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs.”
FDLE Tampa Special Agent in Charge Mark Brutnell said, “This case highlights the ability and compassion of our FDLE agents. What began as a routine welfare check soon escalated. Picking up on subtle signs, our agent knew something wasn’t right, and, by quickly gaining the victim’s trust, he was able to rescue this child from sexual abuse.”
This case was investigated by U.S. Homeland Security Investigations, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, the Koprivnica-Križevac County Police Administration of the Republic of Croatia Ministry of the Interior Criminal Police, and the International Police Organization. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lisa M. Thelwell.
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.
Eight Members of Puerto Rico-Based Drug Trafficking Organization SentencedRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Susan C. Bucklew has sentenced eight members of a Puerto Rico-based drug trafficking organization to federal prison for conspiring to distribute cocaine in the Tampa Bay area. Each of the eight individuals had previously pleaded guilty and were sentenced as follows:
Name
Age, Residence
Sentence
Jacques Orsini-Martinez
a/k/a “Papi”
45, Bayamon, PR
13 years’ imprisonment
Juan Carlos Orsini-Martinez
a/k/a “Tio Cano”
46, Incarcerated
5 years’ imprisonment
Jose Manuel Robles Negron
a/k/a “Chelo”
27, Bayamon, PR
10 years’ imprisonment
Pedro Javier Hernandez Sosa
a/k/a “Javi Carolina”
31, Carolina, PR
6 years, 8 months’ imprisonment
Raymond Jose De La Cruz
a/k/a “Sanky”
46, Largo, FL
7 years, 3 months’ imprisonment
Briss Malone Warren
43, Port Richey, FL
4 years, 3 months’ imprisonment
Luis Daniel Agosto Morales
30, Tampa, FL
5 years’ imprisonment
Josue Antonio Chinea Santos
36, Bayamon, PR
5 years’ imprisonment
The court also ordered Luis Agosto-Morales to forfeit $24,587, which are traceable to proceeds of the offense.
According to court documents, the individuals were part of an organization that trafficked in cocaine delivered from Puerto Rico via parcels sent to the Middle District of Florida. Proceeds of the cocaine sales were delivered to Raymond Jose De La Cruz and Jose Manuel Robles Negron, to be returned to Jacques Orsini-Martinez and others in Puerto Rico. The cocaine sent from Puerto Rico was supplied via a transnational criminal organization operating in and around the Dominican Republic and Colombia. Juan Carlos Orsini-Martinez was in federal prison at the time of the conspiracy but used a contraband cellphone to discuss the payment of drug proceeds back to Puerto Rico.
This operation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the United States Postal Inspection Service and Tampa Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Diego Novaes and Dan Baeza.
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.
Kissimmee Man Sentenced to 18 Months for Tax FraudRead the Press Release
Orlando, FL – U.S. District Judge Wendy W. Berger has sentenced Marcos Antonio Tejeda to 18 months in federal prison for preparing false tax returns for himself and others. Tejeda had pleaded guilty on December 7, 2021.
According to court documents, Tejeda owned and operated a tax preparation and accounting business. Tejeda provided personal and business accounting and tax preparation services for “S.M.” in 2016, 2017, and 2018. As a part of these services, Tejeda maintained a business bank account into which S.M. deposited money for estimated tax payments to the IRS. In 2016 and 2017, Tejeda prepared a 1040 tax return for S.M. Each year Tejeda prepared two versions of the same tax return, one he claimed was accurate, and one he knew was false. The accurate tax return included the estimated tax payments S.M. made and was predominately correct. This first version in both 2016 and 2017 also showed that S.M. owed money in addition to the money he had paid in estimated tax payments. Tejeda then created a second, fraudulent tax return for tax years 2016 and 2017. The fraudulent tax returns were filed with the IRS. These fraudulent returns misrepresented S.M.’s business gross receipts, capital gains, gross income, adjusted gross income, and other statutory adjustments under the provisions of the Internal Revenue laws to fraudulently decrease the amount of taxes owed.
Tejeda then embezzled the money that S.M. had provided for estimated tax payments and to pay the taxes that S.M. believed were owed based on the first version of the tax return created by Tejeda. In total, Tejeda embezzled $120,329.46 from S.M.
Additionally, Tejeda did not report a substantial amount of his income on his personal or business taxes. As such, the amount of income that should have been reported on his Individual Tax Return for 2017 was an amount substantially more than the amount Tejeda had reported.
“We are in tax filing season, and those who might consider preparing false tax returns should be aware of the consequences as evidenced today,” said IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Brian Payne. “The sentencing of Tejada emphasizes that the IRS will continue our aggressive pursuit of those who attempt to defraud America’s tax system.”
This case was investigated by The Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Amanda Daniels.
Jury Finds Leader of Fort Myers Drug Trafficking Organization Guilty of Killing an FBI InformantRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that a federal jury has found Robert Lee Ward (53, Fort Myers) guilty of conspiracy to distribute over five kilograms of cocaine and of tampering with an informant by killing. Ward faces a mandatory penalty of life in federal prison. His sentencing hearing has not yet been set. Ward had been indicted on November 27, 2018.
According to evidence and testimony presented at trial, Ward was the leader of a drug trafficking organization in Fort Myers that distributed cocaine in Fort Myers and other locations for more than a decade until Ward’s arrest in 2018. Ward and his co-conspirators routinely purchased kilograms of cocaine from Ward’s supplier in Miami and distributed the drugs in Fort Myers and Panama City. Federal investigators used confidential informants (CIs) to make multiple purchases of cocaine from Ward’s co-conspirators. A CI who had purchased cocaine from Ward was relocated by investigators after they learned of a threat against the CI’s life.
In 2012, the FBI obtained the assistance of Kristopher Smith, a member of Ward’s organization, who agreed to cooperate in the investigation against Ward. After learning about Smith’s cooperation with investigators, Ward solicited James Broomfield to kill Smith. Broomfield agreed to kill Smith in exchange for $30,000. Ward provided Broomfield with a loaded firearm and told him where to locate Smith. On January 7, 2013, Broomfield and another individual followed Smith and his girlfriend as they drove to their son’s school in Fort Myers. Smith remained in the vehicle while his girlfriend entered the school to deliver lunch to their son, who attended first grade at the school. Broomfield and his accomplice parked their vehicle behind the CI’s car and Broomfield ran up to the car and shot Smith several times, killing him.
In February 2014, investigators obtained a search warrant for a storage unit in Tampa that Ward had rented. Investigators seized more than $200,000 in cash hidden inside the storage unit.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, the Fort Myers Police Department, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Panama City Police Department, the Bay County Sheriff’s Office, and the Tampa Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Michael Sinacore and Candace Rich.
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.