Middle District of Florida

Orlando, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Kevin Deane Jones (50, Kissimmee) today pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of ricin, a biological toxin, and possessing two firearms as a convicted felon. Jones faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison on each count.

According to the plea agreement, on December 6, 2021, the FBI received a complaint that Jones had manufactured ricin intending to use it to kill his former partner. Law enforcement officers then learned that Jones had ordered numerous items online to produce ricin, had reportedly tested water guns to see which ones leaked, and had said that he would go on vacation immediately after spraying his former partner in the face with the ricin, so that he would have an alibi when she died.

On December 17, 2021, law enforcement officers learned that Jones intended to travel to out of state to where his former partner lived. Officers stopped Jones, who admitted to manufacturing ricin. Officers located a plastic water gun in Jones’s truck, as well as five tubes filled with liquids that later tested positive for ricin. A search of Jones’s residence revealed additional tubes containing ricin, along with castor beans, documents pertaining to ricin, and approximately 200 rounds of various types of ammunition.

Additional investigation revealed that on December 6, 2021, Jones was questioned by agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) regarding his possession of weapons. Following the ATF visit, Jones removed multiple firearms and ammunition and took them to a storage unit rented in his name. Law enforcement officers later searched the storage unit and found a rifle, handgun, silencer, and approximately 3,000 rounds of various types of ammunition. Jones is a previously convicted felon and is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer M. Harrington.

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Keaujay Hornsby, a/k/a “Plug,” (26, Tampa); Kareem Spann, a/k/a “Reem,” (27, Tampa); and Tywon Spann, a/k/a “Weez” (25, Tampa) have pleaded guilty to a racketeering conspiracy related to numerous violent, drug trafficking, and economic crimes that were committed in furtherance of a criminal enterprise called “Robles Park.” Hornsby and Kareem Spann have also pleaded guilty to committing violent crimes in aid of racketeering and discharging firearms in aid of crimes of violence. Eriaus Bentley (29, Tampa) and the three other defendants have each also pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit fraud and identity theft, and committing numerous substantive acts of fraud and identity theft. Bentley faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in federal prison. Tywon Spann faces up to 20 years’ imprisonment. Hornsby and Kareem Spann each face a maximum penalty of life in federal prison.

According to court documents, “Robles Park” is a criminal organization whose members and associates engaged in acts involving murder, assault, intimidation, narcotics trafficking, access device fraud, identity theft, obstruction of justice, and other crimes. Among other acts of violence, on July 19, 2020, Hornsby and Kareem Spann committed a shooting outside the Truth Lounge in Tampa, igniting a shootout in front of a crowd that left eight people injured, including minors. On the afternoon of July 25, 2020, in retaliation for the Truth Lounge shooting, in the parking lot of the International Plaza in Tampa and near several witnesses, West Tampa gang members initiated an armed confrontation with Hornsby and Kareem Spann. Hornsby and Kareem Spann exchanged fire with the gang members, leaving behind 25 spent shell casings and several damaged vehicles.

This enterprise also distributed controlled substances, with customers that would also cover sales for each other. Sales were arranged via text messages, phone calls, and in-person contacts. The defendants maintained and used various premises to store and distribute the narcotics. On January 5, 2021, law enforcement officers searched one of the residences and found 253.2 grams of cocaine, 298.4 grams of marijuana, and 174.2 grams of synthetic cannabinoids.

Additionally, members of the enterprise worked with each other and other persons to unlawfully obtain the personal identifying information (PII) of other persons. They used this PII to submit false applications for unemployment benefits to which they were not entitled. In total, the defendants submitted more than 200 fraudulent claims, in 20 different states, with an intended loss of over $3 million. For many of those claims, a bank card was issued from the state in which the claim was filed, loaded with Unemployment Insurance funds. The defendants then used each of the cards to withdraw cash from an ATM.

On August 12, 2020, law enforcement officers searched Tywon Spann’s home and seized firearms, several pounds of marijuana, and $200,000 in cash, which is traceable to proceeds of these offenses, and will be forfeited.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Tampa Police Department, the United States Secret Service, and the Department of Labor. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Diego F. Novaes.

Tampa, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that following a 13-day trial, a federal jury has found Michael J. DaCorta (57, Sarasota) guilty of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud, money laundering, and filing a false income tax return. DaCorta faces a combined maximum penalty of 33 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.  DaCorta had been charged in a superseding indictment in February 2021.

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, from November 2011 through April 18, 2019, DaCorta ran an investment company named Oasis International Group, Ltd. (“OASIS”). DaCorta and his co-conspirators persuaded at least 700 victims to invest in OASIS through promissory notes and other means, causing victims’ losses exceeding $80 million. DaCorta, who had effectively been banned from conducting foreign exchange trading (“FOREX”) by agreement with the National Futures Association, induced victims to invest in OASIS by falsely representing to victim-investors that OASIS was reaping enormous profits by being a “market maker” and collecting “spread” on voluminous FOREX trades. DaCorta also pitched the opportunity as essentially risk free and OASIS as well-collateralized. In reality, OASIS was not making markets and had no true revenue. The “spread” earnings were being paid on each trade by OASIS back to OASIS to create the illusion of revenue, which was published to investors on fictious account statements and an online investor portal. The online investor portal showed the “spread” credits but concealed catastrophic underlying trading losses.

DaCorta and his conspirators used the balance of the victim-investors’ funds to make Ponzi-style payments to perpetuate the scheme and to fund lavish lifestyles. For example, DaCorta used victim-investors’ funds to purchase a Maserati and Range Rovers for his family members, a country club membership, multiple million-dollar homes in Florida, college tuition for family members, flights on private jets, and lavish trips to Europe and the Cayman Islands. DaCorta also underreported his income on his 2017 federal income tax return, claiming a negative income and receiving a tax refund.  

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, the National Futures Association, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority’s Criminal Prosecution Assistance Group, and the Florida Office of Financial Regulation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rachelle DesVaux Bedke, Frank Murray, and David W.A. Chee.

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Javeon Maurice Jacobs (22, Tampa) has pleaded guilty to three firearms offenses relating to his brandishing of a firearm during three armed carjackings. Jacobs had entered his guilty pleas on April 14, 2022. He faces a minimum mandatory term of 21 years, and up to life, in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for July 13, 2022.

According to the plea agreement, on March 31, 2021, Jacobs used a firearm and physical force to carjack a vehicle in Safety Harbor. On April 18, 2021, Jacobs kidnapped two individuals at gunpoint in Tampa and took their vehicle. After releasing those victims, Jacobs abandoned their vehicle at another location in Tampa. He then carjacked another vehicle, again by brandishing a firearm.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Tampa Police Department, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, and the Largo Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jim Preston.

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.

Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the results achieved to date by the Middle District of Florida’s efforts to combat fraud related to COVID-19. Those efforts have included complementary actions by the Criminal, Asset Recovery, and Civil Divisions, along with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.

“Throughout the pandemic, my office and our law-enforcement partners have used all available methods to combat fraud related to COVID-19, and we will continue to do so,” stated U.S. Attorney Handberg. “After the United States instituted multiple programs to financially assist those most harmed by the pandemic, criminals sought to defraud those programs for personal enrichment at the expense of the taxpayers who funded these programs. We will continue to disrupt these fraud schemes, prosecute those who commit crimes, and return ill-gotten gains through our efforts.”

On the criminal-enforcement front, the United States Attorney’s Office and federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies joined together in March 2020 to form the Middle District of Florida COVID-19 Fraud Task Force to identify, investigate, and prosecute fraud related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Since its inception, the Task Force has prosecuted 28 defendants for fraud schemes designed to exploit federal programs created or expanded to address the COVID-19 pandemic, including the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”), Economic Injury Disaster Loans (“EIDL”), Unemployment Insurance (“UI”), and the Main Street Lending Program (“MSLP”). These defendants collectively sought to defraud the United States of over $31 million. Eighteen of those defendants have already been found guilty, while prosecution remains pending against ten defendants. (See chart for criminal case details.)

Further, the District’s Asset Recovery Division and federal seizing agencies have completed the forfeiture of more than $14.3 million of PPP, EIDL, and UI funds that were fraudulently obtained, depriving the fraudsters of their ill-gotten gains and recovering the proceeds for the victims. More than $8.5 million in additional pandemic fraud proceeds have been seized and are pending civil or criminal forfeiture.

For example, in May 2020, Don Cisternino obtained a $7.2 million PPP loan for a non-existent movie production company. Cisternino used almost $3.5 million of the PPP loan proceeds to buy a 12,579 square foot luxury home with seven bedrooms, 11 bathrooms, a four-car garage, theater room, resort-style pool and spa area, tennis courts, and a 5-stall horse barn, on more than twelve acres, pictured below.

The United States completed a civil forfeiture of the lavish home, selling it earlier this year for more than $4 million, which will be returned to the victim. Cisternino has been indicted in Orlando and was arraigned on April 29, 2022, after being successfully extradited from Croatia. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided valuable assistance in securing Cisternino’s arrest and extradition.

Similarly, in April 2020, Casey Crowther obtained a $2.1 million PPP loan by falsely stating that he intended to use the money for his roofing company. However, Crowther quickly used the proceeds for personal purchases, including nearly $700,000 for a 40’ catamaran boat, pictured below.

Crowther was convicted following a trial in Fort Myers, and in June 2021, he was sentenced to over three years in federal prison and was ordered to forfeit the boat and over $3 million.

The District’s Civil Division has similarly combatted fraud related to COVID-19 through its enforcement efforts. For example, in the summer of 2020, consumers complained about websites that were falsely claiming to sell personal protection equipment for the COVID-19 virus. Agents from Homeland Security Investigations identified three men in Vietnam who were using hundreds of web pages to steal money from consumers seeking to purchase PPE. The Civil Division and the agents together halted the payments from U.S. purchasers and obtained a permanent restraining order blocking the websites from being hosted by a U.S. company. The men are now in custody in Vietnam and are facing criminal charges there. 

Further, as a result of the efforts of the Civil Division, a Tampa pain management practice, Physician Partners of America, and its affiliated companies, paid a $1.3 million penalty under the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act as part of a larger civil settlement, to resolve our claim that the defendants improperly applied for a PPP loan of over $5.9 million while engaged in unlawful Medicare overbilling. Similarly, in two recent bankruptcy proceedings handled by the Civil Division, debtors were required to return PPP loans totaling almost $2 million because the United States objected to their obtaining the loans while also seeking bankruptcy protections.

The Attorney General has established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.

Through the PPP, the federal government authorized over $600 billion in forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses through the PPP. The EIDL program provides economic relief to small businesses that are currently experiencing a temporary loss of revenue. The MSLP provided support to small and medium-sized businesses and their employees across the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic. UI programs provided unemployment benefits to eligible workers who became unemployed through no fault of their own.

The criminal cases identified in the linked chart have been investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Secret Service, Internal Revenue Service—Criminal Investigation, Department of Labor—Office of Inspector General, U.S. Postal Service, Federal Housing Finance Agency, Small Business Administration, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation—Office of Inspector General, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation, the Tampa Police Department, the Orlando Police Department, and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys throughout the Middle District of Florida.   

The Department of Justice needs the public’s assistance in remaining vigilant and reporting suspected fraudulent activity. To report suspected fraud, contact the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) at (866) 720-5721 or file an online complaint at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/webform/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form. Complaints filed will be reviewed at the NCDF and referred to federal, state, local, or international law enforcement or regulatory agencies for investigation.

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.

 

United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida

COVID Fraud Cases

Defendant(s) (Age)

Charge(s)

Max. Imprisonment

Type of Fraud*

Intended Loss

Amount

Tampa Division

Richard Simpkins (47)

 

Conspiracy to commit bank fraud

Maximum Prison Term: 30 Years

Illegal monetary transactions

Maximum Prison Term: 10 Years

PPP

$1.9M

Joseph Abdo (39)

 

Wire fraud

Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years

Illegal monetary transactions

Maximum Prison Term: 10 Years

PPP

$500k

Jorge Gutierrez Echeverria (33)

Wire fraud

Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years

EIDL

$150k

Steve Moodie (33)

Melinda Hernandez (33)

 

Conspiracy to commit wire fraud

Maximum Prison Term: 5 Years

Wire fraud

Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years

Aggravated identity theft

Maximum: Prison Term: Two Years Consecutive

UI

$550k

These COVID Fraud cases from the Tampa Division are being handled by AUSAs Rachel Jones, Greg Pizzo, Candace Rich, and Jennifer Peresie

Orlando Division

Don Cisternino (46)

 

Wire fraud

Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years

Illegal Monetary Transactions

Maximum Prison Term: 10 Years

Aggravated Identity Theft

Maximum: Prison Term: Two Years Consecutive

PPP

$7.2M

 

 

 

Emmet Bowens (53)

 

Wire fraud

Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years

Illegal monetary transactions

Maximum Prison Term: 10 Years

PPP

$740k

These COVID Fraud cases from the Orlando Division are being handled by AUSAs Chauncey Bratt and Amanda Daniels

Fort Myers Division

Daniel Joseph Tisone (34)

 

Wire fraud

Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years

Bank fraud

Maximum Prison Term: 30 Years

Money laundering

Maximum Prison Term: 10 Years

Aggravated Identity Theft

Maximum Prison Term: 2 Years Consecutive

Possession of Ammunition by a Prohibited Person

Maximum Prison Term: 10 Years

PPP/EIDL/MSLP

$2.6M

Liliana Gonzalez (31)

 

Wire fraud

Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years

PPP

$169k

These COVID Fraud cases from the Fort Myers Division are being handled by AUSAs Trent Reichling and Shannon Laurie

Adjudicated Cases

Tampa Division

Rolanda Wingfield (39)

 

Access device fraud

Maximum Prison Term: 10 Years

Aggravated identity theft

Maximum: Prison Term: Two Years Consecutive

UI

$135k

 

 

Keith Nicoletta (49)

 

Conspiracy to commit money laundering

Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years

PPP

$1.9M

Randy Jones (34)

 

Wire fraud

Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years

Aggravated identity theft

Maximum: Prison Term: Two Years Consecutive

EIDL/UI

$250k

Rosenide Venant (37)

 

Conspiracy to commit money laundering

Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years

EIDL/PPP

$413k

 

Julio Lugo (45)

 

Conspiracy to commit money laundering

Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years

EIDL/PPP

$4.4M

These COVID Fraud cases from the Tampa Division are being handled by AUSAs Rachel Jones and Tiffany Fields

Orlando Division

Tomas Ziupsnys (39)

 

Conspiracy to commit bank fraud

Maximum Prison Term: 30 Years

Bank fraud

Maximum Prison Term: 30 Years

Aggravated identity theft

Maximum: Prison Term: Two Years Consecutive

PPP

$2M

Holly Urban (36)

 

Conspiracy to commit bank fraud

Maximum Prison Term: 30 Years

PPP

$1.5M

These COVID Fraud cases from the Orlando Division are being handled by AUSA Emily Chang

Fort Myers Division

Anthony Bruey (36)

Amber Bruey (35)

 

Conspiracy to commit wire fraud

Maximum Prison Term: 30 Years

Wire fraud

Maximum Prison Term: 30 Years

Conspiracy to commit money laundering

Maximum Prison Term: 10 Years

Illegal monetary transactions

Maximum Prison Term: 10 Years

PPP/EIDL

$881k

Edrica Leann Watson (30)

 

False statement to a lending institution

Maximum Prison Term: 30 Year

PPP

$392k

These COVID Fraud cases from the Fort Myers Division are being handled by AUSAs Trent Reichling and Jesus M. Casas

Sentenced Cases

Tampa Division

Louis Thornton, III (63)

 

Wire Fraud

Sentence Imposed: 42 months in federal prison

EIDL/PPP

$815k

Kary Stevenson (48)

Corey Quinn (35)

 

Conspiracy to commit access device fraud and aggravated identity theft

Sentence Imposed: 5 years, 10 months in federal prison (Stevenson)

Sentence Imposed:7 years in federal prison (Quinn)

UI

$1M

Bridgitte Keim (52)

 

Bank fraud

Sentence Imposed: 2 years in federal prison

PPP

$588k

Wayne Ganaway (47)

 

Conspiracy to commit wire fraud

Sentence Imposed: 4 years in federal prison

EIDL

$300k

These COVID Fraud cases from the Tampa Division were handled by AUSAs Rachel Jones, Greg Pizzo, Tiffany Fields, and SAUSA Chris Poor

Orlando Division

Jacquavius Smith (21)

 

Possession of short-barreled rifle; felon in possession of firearm; and aggravated identity theft

Sentence Imposed: 7 years, 1 month in federal prison

PPP

$10k

 

 

Johnson Eustache (40)

 

Wire fraud

Sentence Imposed: 5 years in federal prison

EIDL/PPP

$2.2M

Joseph Harrison (43)

 

Conspiracy to commit wire fraud

Sentence Imposed: 12 months in federal prison

UI

$2.1M

These COVID Fraud cases from the Orlando Division were handled by AUSAs John Gardella, Amanda Daniels, Chauncey Bratt, and Jennifer Harrington

Fort Myers Division

Casey Crowther (36)

 

Bank fraud, false statement to a financial institution, illegal monetary transaction

Sentence Imposed: 3 years, 1 month in federal prison

PPP

$2.7M

This COVID Fraud case from the Fort Myers Division was handled by AUSAs Trent Reichling, Michael V. Leeman. AUSA Suzanne Nebesky obtained the forfeitures.

Types of Fraud*

Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL)

Paycheck Protection Program (PPP)

Unemployment Insurance (UI)

Main Street Lending Program (MSLP)

 

 

 

Tampa, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Richard Allen Randolph (42, Youngstown, OH) with four counts of interference with commerce by robbery and attempted robbery, three counts of brandishing a firearm, and one count of discharging a firearm during the commission of one of the robberies. If convicted, Randolph faces up to 20 years in federal prison on each robbery count, a minimum mandatory of term of 7 years, up to life, in federal prison for each count of brandishing a firearm, and a minimum mandatory of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison for discharging a firearm during one of the robberies.

According to the indictment, during between January 27 and February 26, 2020, Randolph went into four commercial establishments in Tampa and robbed store employees at gunpoint.

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 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Tampa Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Maria Guzman.

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.

Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Don V. Cisternino (45, Chuluota) has been successfully extradited from Croatia to face charges of wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and illegal monetary transactions. A federal grand jury in Orlando previously returned an indictment against Cisternino for these charges in February 2021. If convicted, Cisternino faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison for each wire fraud count, up to 10 years’ imprisonment for each illegal monetary transaction count, and a mandatory consecutive term of two years for the aggravated identity theft counts.

Cisternino arrived in Orlando and had his initial appearance on the charges on April 29, 2022, following which he was ordered detained pending trial.

According to the indictment, in May 2020, Cisternino fraudulently secured more than $7.2 million in emergency funds through a Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) loan.

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 potentially 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 towards qualifying business expenses.

Cisternino’s PPP loan application falsely claimed that Cisternino’s New York business, MagnifiCo, had 441 employees and monthly payroll expenses in 2019 of more than $2.8 million. In truth, MagnifiCo, had few, if any, employees other than Cisternino and his girlfriend, and MagnifiCo did not report any wages to the IRS for 2019. In support of his PPP loan application, Cisternino submitted false W-2s for MagnifiCo’s purported employees, many of which listed the names and social security numbers of actual persons who were not MagnifiCo employees and who had not authorized Cisternino to use their identities.

Once he obtained the emergency loan of $7.2 million, Cisternino did not use these funds for qualifying expenses. Instead, he spent the funds for unauthorized purposes and for his own personal enrichment, including the purchase of Lincoln Navigator, Maserati, and Mercedes-Benz vehicles, and an approximately 12,579 sq. ft. residence in Seminole County, Florida, pictured below.

“Financial fraud targeting COVID-relief funds is a serious crime,” stated U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg. “Our successful extradition of this defendant from Croatia back to Orlando shows that we and our law enforcement partners will pursue every lawful avenue to locate and prosecute those engaged in such fraud.”

Department of Justice Director of COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Kevin Chambers stated, “This matter demonstrates that the Department will aggressively go after anyone who stole pandemic relief funds, whether they are in the United States or hiding overseas. I applaud the tireless work of the Middle District of Florida in achieving this important step and thank our international partners for their assistance.”

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

This case is being investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, Tampa Field Office. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided valuable assistance in securing Cisternino’s arrest and extradition. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Chauncey A. Bratt.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Kathryn Mizelle has sentenced Willard Green Porter (44, Tampa) to five years and three months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Porter was also ordered to forfeit the firearm. He had pleaded guilty on January 18, 2022.

According to facts presented in court, on June 29, 2021, officers from the Tampa Police Department (TPD) observed a speeding vehicle fail to stop at a stop sign shortly before 1:00 a.m. Officers initiated a traffic stop around the corner on Terra Ceia Drive as the car pulled into a residential driveway. When the officers approached the vehicle, one of the officers observed the sole occupant—later identified as Porter—reach into the vehicle’s center console. The officer observed Porter put his hand on a black handgun in the console and the officer immediately alerted his partner. Porter was removed without incident and placed in handcuffs. He admitted to police that he was a convicted felon, that he knew he had the gun in his car, and that he kept the loaded gun “for protection.”

When Porter was searched, the officers located plastic baggies in his front pocket containing 3 grams of powder cocaine and 2 grams of crack cocaine. An additional 11.6 grams of crack cocaine, several scales, and empty baggies were recovered from inside the car. In addition, a black Springfield Armory .40 pistol was recovered from the center console of the car. The pistol was loaded with 15 rounds in the magazine and one in the chamber.

Law enforcement records showed that Porter had multiple prior felony convictions, including for possession of cocaine (2002); battery on a law enforcement officer (2004); obstructing an officer with violence (2004); possession of cocaine (2004); tampering with evidence (2004); and possession with the intent to distribute crack cocaine (2004), for which he was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison.

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

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.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle has sentenced George Garcia (34, Tampa) to 21 months in federal prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The Court also entered an order of forfeiture in the amount of $126,200, the proceeds of the wire-fraud conspiracy. Garcia had pleaded guilty on January 18, 2022.

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

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

In reality, Garcia’s company received and cashed more than $19 million in checks from various construction contractors for these purported “employees.” This payroll figure far exceeded the very limited payroll figures that Garcia had reported to his worker’s compensation insurance company. As a result, these employees, in reality the employees of other entities, performed work on jobsites without adequate insurance coverage. In addition, the insurers lost premiums they would have charged had they been aware of the true number of workers their policies were thus being manipulated to cover.

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

“Garcia is facing the consequences of his scheme to defraud the insurance company by severely misrepresenting his workers compensation policy,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge John Dumas, HSI Tampa. “Garcia’s greed jeopardized the health and well-being of hundreds of non-citizen laborers who worked dangerous and difficult jobs without the safety net of proper workman’s compensation insurance.”

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

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Kelbin Tejeda (32, Tampa) pleaded guilty today to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Tejeda faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison.  A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to the plea agreement, Tejeda owned and managed a construction company which he registered with the State of Florida in November 2018. This company purported to supply construction services and labor to work for construction site contractors and contractors. In order to comply with Florida law, Tejeda’s company was required to secure and maintain adequate worker’s compensation insurance coverage. Providers of worker’s compensation insurance based their premiums and the amount of coverage they provided on the number of employees a company had and the total annual payroll of those employees. Tejeda’s company had agreements with contractors and subcontractors to use workers purported to be Tejeda’s employees at construction sites and these workers were often undocumented aliens who were actually working for and under the daily supervision and direction of the contractors. Tejeda or others would then regularly receive “payroll checks” from contractors that were cashed at various financial institutions to pay Tejeda’s purported “employees” and other related expenses.

During the time period charged in the criminal information, Tejeda falsely and fraudulently represented in insurance applications that his company had a very limited payroll and a very limited number of employees who worked on construction jobsites. Tejeda also falsely and fraudulently sent wire communications to numerous contractors representing that his company’s employees had full worker’s compensation coverage. In reality, Tejeda’s company received and cashed more than $18 million in checks from various construction contractors for these purported “employees.” This payroll figure far exceeded the very limited payroll figures that Tejeda had reported to his worker’s compensation insurance company. As a result, these employees of Tejeda’s company, who in reality were the employees of other entities, performed work on jobsites without adequate insurance coverage. In addition, the insurers lost premiums they would have charged had they been aware of the true number of workers their policies were thus being manipulated to cover.

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

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

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Paul G. Byron has sentenced Larry Burrows (26, Orlando) to 27 years in federal prison for carjacking and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.  Burrows had pleaded guilty on February 7, 2022.

According to court documents, Burrows was the leader of a carjacking crew that had carjacked four victims at gunpoint in Orange, Osceola, and Seminole counties during January 2017. Other members of this crew also included Jeffery Noel, Herichie Paul, and Awetu Megersa. One victim, a fast-food delivery driver, was confronted by Burrows, Noel, Paul, and Megersa while attempting to deliver food to an apartment in Orlando. At gunpoint, the carjackers forced the victim into the apartment and removed the victim’s clothing. They took the victim’s cellphone, wallet, and the keys to the victim’s minivan. Three other victims were carjacked by Burrows and his crew at gunpoint during the course of the next week, including a woman who was carjacked while returning from work.

Noel, Paul, and Megersa were previously sentenced for their involvement in the carjackings. Noel was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison, Paul was sentenced to 16 years’ imprisonment, and Megersa was sentenced to 13 years in federal prison.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Chauncey A. Bratt.

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.

Jacksonville, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Vershaun Lamar Puzie (33, Jacksonville) has pleaded guilty to two counts of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Puzie faces a minimum mandatory term of imprisonment of ten years, and up to life, in federal prison.

According to the plea agreement, on January 1, 2019, officers with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO) encountered Puzie in the area of 31st Street and Silver Street after Puzie jumped out of a car during a traffic stop. Puzie then fled on foot. As he fled, Puzie ingested an item. A JSO officer who was chasing Puzie tased him and took him into custody on the ground, at which point Puzie was still chewing the item he had ingested. Officers commanded Puzie to spit out the item, which contained rocks of crack cocaine mixed with other material. Upon tracing Puzie’s flight path, officers located a torn baggie with drug residue and a Smith & Wesson .40 caliber pistol in plain view that Puzie had tossed over a fence.

On July 16, 2020, JSO officers were dispatched to the Hometown Inn & Suites located on Mustang Road. An officer arriving on scene observed Puzie in the parking lot; Puzie began to walk quickly into the Hometown Inn & Suites upon the arrival of the officer’s patrol car. The officer pursued Puzie on foot into the hotel lobby and then up an interior stairwell of the hotel while commanding Puzie to stop. While going up the stairs, the officer heard a thud as Puzie discarded a Smith & Wesson 9mm caliber pistol and cell phone on the stairs. Puzie ran across the hotel and down another stairwell and outside, where he was taken into custody by the officer. A second officer recovered the pistol from the stairwell. While fleeing, Puzie again ingested a quantity of cocaine base that he had intended to sell. Puzie entered a state of excited delirium as a result of ingesting the drugs and was transported to a hospital.

Puzie admitted in his plea that he had possessed both pistols to protect himself while he possessed with intent to sell crack cocaine.

Puzie agreed to forfeit both of the pistols that had been recovered by JSO, which were involved in the offense.

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

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.

Tampa, FL – Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Civil Rights Division and U.S. Attorney Roger Handberg for the Middle District of Florida announced today that a federal grand jury in Tampa, Florida, returned a two-count indictment charging Jordan Patrick Leahy, 29, with committing hate crimes for his racially-motivated attack on a Black man who was driving along a public road in Seminole, Florida. 

The indictment alleges that on Aug. 8, 2021, Leahy willfully intimidated and interfered with J.T., and attempted to injure, intimidate, and interfere with J.T. through the use of a dangerous weapon (Leahy’s vehicle), because of J.T.’s race and color, and because J.T. was traveling on a public road in Seminole, Florida. According to the indictment, J.T.’s girlfriend and daughter were also in the car with J.T. when Leahy allegedly committed the attack.

If convicted, Leahy faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. An indictment is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

The case was investigated by the FBI, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office and the Florida Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carlton Gammons for the Middle District of Florida and Trial Attorneys David Reese and Laura-Kate Bernstein of the Civil Rights Division are prosecuting the case.

Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announced that a federal jury has found Jonathan Jermaine Thomas (32, Ocala) guilty of conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine, more than 5 kilograms of cocaine, and more than 1 kilogram of heroin. The jury also found Thomas guilty of possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking and possessing with the intent to distribute more than 400 grams of fentanyl. Seven co-conspirators pleaded guilty prior to the trial. Thomas faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 15 years, and up to life, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to evidence presented during the four-day trial, Thomas supplied large amounts of drugs to a “trap” house in Summerfield. Once the drugs were delivered to the house, his fellow conspirators worked together to prepare, mix, and distribute the various substances to users and smaller-scale suppliers who made daily purchases from the residence. During the course of the investigation, DEA agents found that Thomas served as the lead supplier and that his enforcers carried firearms to protect the drug assets and others who helped package and distribute the substances from the house.

On September 9, 2020, Thomas was stopped by law enforcement on I-75 in Gainesville. After smelling the odor of marijuana, a search of the vehicle by law enforcement yielded nearly a kilogram of fentanyl hidden within the vehicle’s side paneling. The fentanyl had been packaged for distribution, and Thomas was heading to Detroit, Michigan, to meet with a buyer. His passenger, who was charged in the indictment, pleaded guilty prior to trial.

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.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration with support from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, the Unified Drug Enforcement Strike Team, the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office, and the Gainesville Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Michael P. Felicetta and Tyrie K. Boyer. 

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Roy B. Dalton has sentenced Thomas James Harris (42, Orlando), a registered sex offender, to 25 years in federal prison for receiving and distributing child sexual abuse images and videos over the internet. Harris was also ordered to serve a life term of supervised release. Harris had pleaded guilty on February 2, 2022.

In 2005, Harris was convicted of attempting to provide obscene material to minors, using the internet to solicit a child for sex or lewdness, promoting a sexual performance by a child, and possession of child pornography. As a result, he is registered and designated as a sexual offender.

According to court documents, Harris used a particular chat application to download images and videos depicting children being sexually abused and distributed them over the internet. Harris also distributed some of these materials to an undercover FBI agent.

On November 5, 2021, FBI agents executed a federal search warrant to seize and search Harris’s cellphone. A forensic review of the phone revealed child sex abuse images and videos on the device. During an interview, Harris admitted to receiving, viewing, and distributing child sex abuse images and videos using chat application accounts that had been previously identified on his cellphone by the FBI. Several of the videos received by Harris and found on his cellphone depicted toddler-aged children being sexually abused.

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

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

WASHINGTON – Attorney General Merrick B. Garland today awarded the Special Courage Award to Gail Frances Gardner of Ocoee, Florida for her advocacy on behalf of crime victims. Ms. Gardner was among 14 individuals and teams from across the country who were honored for their work. The award recipients were recognized virtually during the annual National Crime Victims’ Service Awards Ceremony, as part of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week. This year’s theme—rights, access, equity, for all victims—underscores the importance of enforcing victims’ rights, expanding access to services, and ensuring equity and inclusion for all. By guaranteeing that equitable, inclusive, and culturally responsive services and meaningful compensation are available to survivors, the Department helps all victims find the justice and healing they seek.

“Empowering and encouraging people who have been victimized to participate in our legal system is essential to justice,” said Attorney General Garland. “For the past 41 years, the Department of Justice has recognized the challenges, struggles and achievements of crime victims and victim advocates in their efforts to secure the rights, access and equal justice that all survivors deserve.  I am pleased to congratulate this year's honorees on their selection for these distinguished awards and extend my deepest gratitude for their continued work.”

In 1988, Ms. Gardner, a single mother, was raped by an unknown perpetrator during a home invasion. Her case remained open for more than 30 years, but with the advancement in DNA testing and a 2016 law that mandated testing the backlog of sexual assault kits, she finally learned the identity of her attacker, a serial rapist known as “the Malibu rapist” who was already serving a life sentence for another sexual assault. Through DNA testing, he was connected to 26 additional sexual assaults. Ms. Gardner is the namesake for Florida’s Gail’s Law, recently enacted legislation requiring sexual assault evidence kit tracking via a database designed to keep victims aware of the status of evidence in their case throughout the testing process. State law now requires kits to be submitted for testing within 30 days and that laboratories process them within 120 days. Ms. Gardner advocates for social justice on behalf of survivors of sexual abuse and domestic violence who struggle with addiction or arrest after their victimization, and has helped to bring the topic of sexual assault out into the open.

“This week affords us the opportunity to recognize and honor the perseverance, innovation, and unyielding commitment of our victim service providers and the strength and resilience of crime victims,” said U.S. Attorney Handberg. “We congratulate Ms. Gardner on her award and thank her for her courage and dedication as an advocate for survivors of sexual assault in Florida and across the country. This week, we celebrate Ms. Gardner’s achievement, as well as the advancement of victims’ rights in the criminal justice system.”

Ms. Gardner and the other award recipients were selected from public nominations in 10 categories, including federal service, public policy, victim services and a Special Courage award. The Office for Victims of Crime, a component of the Department’s Office of Justice Programs, leads communities across the country in observing National Crime Victims’ Rights Week. President Ronald Reagan proclaimed the first Victims’ Rights Week in 1981, placing crime victims' rights, needs, and concerns in a prominent spot on the American agenda. He also established the President's Task Force on Victims of Crime, which laid the groundwork for a national network of services and legal safeguards for crime victims.

“This time every year, we honor and remember victims of crime, not only for the trauma that they have endured and the adversity they have encountered, but also for their courage and resilience and for paving the way toward justice and healing for countless other survivors across the country,” said Amy L. Solomon, Principal Deputy Attorney General for OJP. “These extraordinary individuals and teams embody an ethic of service and compassion that distinguishes them from an already exceptional field of victim-serving professionals. We join the Attorney General in expressing our deepest appreciation for providing crime victims—all crime victims—a place to turn in their time of need.”

Following is a list of the 2022 NCVRW award recipients:

• The Allied Professional Award recognizes individuals working outside the victim assistance field for their service to victims. Recipients:  Deborah Flowers, Pittsboro, North Carolina and Dr. Linda Laras, Caguas, Puerto Rico

 

• The Award for Professional Innovation in Victim Services recognizes a program, organization or individual who expands the reach of victims’ rights and services. Recipients: Barrier Free Living, Bronx, New York and LGBTQ+ Victim Advocacy Initiative at Eskenazi Health, Indianapolis, Indiana

 

• The Financial Restoration Award recognizes individuals, programs, organizations, or teams that have instituted innovative approaches for securing financial restoration for crime victims. Recipient: Asset Forfeiture Unit and Financial Litigation Program in the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Tennessee, Nashville. 

 

• The Victims Research Award recognizes individual researchers or research teams who made a significant contribution to the nation’s understanding of crime victim issues. Recipient: John Chapin, Ph.D., Monaca, Pennsylvania

 

• The Crime Victims’ Rights Award honors the dedicated champions throughout our nation whose efforts to advance or enforce crime victims’ rights have benefited victims of crime at the state, tribal, or national level. Recipient: Derek Marchman, Conyers, Georgia

 

• The Federal Service Award recognizes federal agency personnel for service to victims of federal, tribal, or military crimes. Recipient: Environmental Crime Victim Assistance Team, Washington, D.C.

 

• The National Crime Victim Service Award honors extraordinary efforts to provide direct services to crime victims. Recipient: Brenda J. Muhammad, Atlanta, Georgia and Michelle L. Shae, Abbottstown, Pennsylvania

 

• The Ronald Wilson Reagan Public Policy Award honors leadership, innovation, and vision that lead to noteworthy changes in public policy on behalf of crime victims. Recipient: The Every Voice Coalition, Boston, Massachusetts

 

• The Special Courage Award honors extraordinary bravery in the aftermath of a crime or courageous act on behalf of a victim or potential victim. Recipients: Gail Frances Gardner, Ocoee, Florida and Suamhirs Piraino-Guzman, Seattle, Washington.

 

• The Volunteer for Victims Award recognizes individuals who serve without compensation. Recipient: Linda Stambaugh, Newell, South Dakota

 

“The Office for Victims of Crime works every day to support victims in every corner of our country, ensuring that no crime survivor feels voiceless, marginalized or alone,” said Kristina Rose, Director of OVC. “Through their tireless work, boundless capacity for empathy and fierce devotion to justice, these award recipients have made it possible for victims to find their voice and to begin, with a feeling of hope, the long journey toward healing.”

During National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, victim advocacy organizations, community groups and state, local and tribal agencies traditionally host rallies, candlelight vigils and other events to raise awareness of victims’ rights and services. This year, many communities are organizing virtual gatherings and online public awareness campaigns.

To see the complete list of awardees and learn more about past NCVRW recipients, visit the OVC gallery.

Tampa, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Karey Tyrone Taylor, II (42, Tampa) has pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. Taylor qualifies for an increased penalty under the Armed Career Criminal Act. He faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to court documents, on January 2, 2021, Taylor brandished a firearm at a woman while they were driving in adjacent lanes on East Fowler Avenue in Tampa. Units from the Tampa Police Department (TPD) subsequently located Taylor’s car at a nearby gas station. After apprehending Taylor, TPD discovered a black handgun in the driver’s side door pocket of Taylor’s car. The handgun had one round of ammunition in the chamber and 14 rounds of ammunition in an extended magazine. Taylor had previously been convicted of several felony offenses, including a conviction for possession of a firearm as a convicted felon and convictions for multiple serious drug offenses, and is therefore prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.

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

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.

Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announced that Michael Paul Gillis (64, Jacksonville) has pleaded guilty to possessing computer media containing images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of young children. He faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a potential lifetime term of supervised release. Gillis was arrested by FBI agents on February 2, 2022, and has been detained since that time. His sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled.

According to court documents and information provided in open court, FBI agents were investigating individuals who were using a particular online file-sharing network to receive and share child pornography. The investigation revealed that Gillis, a retired public-school teacher, had accessed this network from his residence.    

On February 2, 2022, FBI agents executed a search warrant at Gillis’s home. Gillis, who was home at the time, admitted that he had been accessing child sexual abuse materials using the internet for at least the past 15 years, that he had viewed materials depicting children as young as 3 years old, and that he currently had “a couple hundred” contraband videos on his computer. Gillis also admitted that he viewed child sexual abuse materials while working as a teacher and would fantasize about touching children inappropriately but claimed that he never acted on it. During the execution of the search warrant, FBI personnel seized several computers belonging to Gillis that contained at least 2,000 images and 210 videos depicting infants, toddlers, and other young children being sexually abused.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown. The forfeiture of assets is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Mai Tran.

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.

Jacksonville, Florida – Chief United States District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan has sentenced James Thomas Butler II (41, Jacksonville) to 35 years in federal prison for the production, attempted production, and possession of videos and images depicting the sexual abuse of a minor child. Butler was also ordered to serve a 25-year term of supervised release. A federal jury had found Butler guilty in December 2021. Butler was arrested on October 2, 2018, and has been detained since his arrest.

In 2001, Butler was convicted of attempted capital sexual battery and lascivious molestation of minor children in Jacksonville, and since then he has been registered and designated as a sexual predator.

According to court documents and evidence and testimony admitted during the trial, on May 2, 2018, FBI agents and other law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at a residence in Jacksonville where Butler and several other registered sex offenders lived. During an interview with law enforcement, FBI agents obtained a smart phone from Butler. A forensic examination of Butler’s smart phone revealed that it contained sexually explicit videos and images of a minor child that appeared to have been filmed using a camera concealed in a bedroom. Through further investigation, law enforcement was able to identify this child as well as the residence located in north Florida where the camera was concealed. On October 2, 2018, FBI agents and personnel executed a federal search warrant at this residence and discovered that Butler had installed a tiny internet-enabled camera device in an air vent in the child’s bedroom. Butler had wired this hidden camera into the house’s electrical system through the attic and was able to control this camera remotely over the internet using an app on his smart phone, collecting videos, and creating customized, lascivious screenshots of the child. A forensic review of Butler’s smart phone revealed that it contained at least 65 videos and 35 screenshots that depicted the child in various stages of undress.            

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, and the Duval County School Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown. The forfeiture of assets is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Mai Tran.

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. 

 

Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Brian J. Davis has sentenced three Jacksonville men to federal prison for their roles in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Steven Ray McWhorter (49) was sentenced to 11 years and 4 months, Christopher Douglas Green (48) was sentenced to 10 years, and Kevin Joseph DeWitt (50) was sentenced 3 years and 1 month. A fourth individual, Michael Brandon Voght (28, Jacksonville), was charged in the same indictment and was sentenced to 1 year and 6 months for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. The Court also ordered McWhorter to forfeit $21,000, two firearms, and ammunition, which were used to facilitate and/or were proceeds of McWhorter’s drug trafficking activities. Each of the defendants had previously pleaded guilty.

According to court documents, from June to November 5, 2020, McWhorter, Green, and DeWitt worked together to distribute methamphetamine. Specifically, McWhorter distributed 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, while Green and Witt distributed 50 grams of more of methamphetamine. Several controlled purchases of methamphetamine were made during the investigation. In addition, law enforcement made a controlled purchase of a 12-gauge shotgun from Voght. Voght had previously been convicted of a felony and is therefore prohibited from possessing a firearm under federal law.

This case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Highway Patrol, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Beatriz Gonzalez and Ashley Washington. The forfeiture of assets was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Mai Tran.

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.

Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday has sentenced Henry Lee White, III (27, Orlando) to 24 years and 4 months in federal prison for sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion and for possessing ammunition as a convicted felon. As part of his sentence, the Court also ordered White to pay $87,121.98 in restitution to Victim 1 and to forfeit the electronic devices used in the commission of the offense. White had pleaded guilty on December 29, 2021.

According to court documents, from June 2020 through January 2021, White forced and coerced Victim 1 to engage in commercial sex throughout the Middle District of Florida and Georgia. White used threats of violence and physical violence to control 20-year-old Victim 1. For example, in September 2020, White transported Victim 1 to an “outcall” at an unknown apartment complex. White became upset because he thought Victim 1 was being deceptive about where she was going. White used his revolver to beat Victim 1. He then removed four of the five bullets from the revolver and played Russian Roulette with Victim 1 while holding the gun to her head and pulling the trigger. Victim 1 stated White did this about six or seven times. He then threw Victim 1’s phone at her face, causing a laceration on the center of her forehead in between her eyebrows.

During the relevant time, Victim 1 reached out to law enforcement and a local non-governmental organization for assistance. Law enforcement officers recovered Victim 1 during a joint undercover operation on January 7, 2021. At the time Victim 1 was recovered by law enforcement officers, she had an injury on her left knee that she sustained after White had thrown her to the ground in a hotel.

At the time of his arrest, White was found in possession of a chrome and burgundy semi-automatic handgun with an extended magazine. The firearm had one round in the chamber and several live rounds in the magazine. White had previously been convicted of several felonies and was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law. During the course of his arrest, law enforcement officers located and seized several cellphones that had been used to communicate with commercial sex buyers and post advertisements of Victim 1 on the internet.

“This predator used intimidation, humiliation, and violence to barbarically force his victim into submission,” said acting Assistant Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Silliman. “Thanks to the quick action of Homeland Security Investigations, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the Tampa Police Department, and Selah Freedom, Henry White III became the first federal arrest for human trafficking under the auspices of the Tampa Bay Human Trafficking Task Force which was created in 2020.”

“Human trafficking is a crime that is nothing less than modern-day slavery, and escaping the wrath of a human trafficker takes courage. I commend the survivor who spoke up, allowing the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office and our law enforcement partners to bring her trafficker to justice,” said Sheriff Chad Chronister. “Through every undercover operation, I believe we are making a difference, one arrest at a time, and moving closer to our goal of ultimately eradicating human trafficking across Hillsborough County and the state of Florida.”

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, and the Tampa Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lisa M. Thelwell.

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, FL – U.S. District Steven D. Merryday has sentenced Becky Angeles (39, Tampa) to eight years and four months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.  Angeles had pleaded guilty on April 27, 2021.  

According to court documents, between September and November 2020, Angeles and her co-conspirator distributed methamphetamine to an undercover police officer on several occasions. At the time they distributed the narcotics, Angeles and her co-conspirator were both armed with loaded firearms. Both had previously been convicted of felonies and, therefore, are prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Plant City Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Diego F. Novaes.

Jacksonville, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Tadd Andrew Melton (33, Jacksonville) today pleaded guilty to attempted production of child sex abuse images. Melton faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 15 years, and up to 30 years, in federal prison and a potential lifetime term of supervised release. Melton was arrested on July 23, 2021, and has been detained since his arrest.

According to the plea agreement, on February 2, 2021, a federal agent working in an undercover capacity entered a chat group in an online social media app that featured users with a sexual interest in children. While using a particular chat application, the federal agent assumed the persona of the mother of a 9-year-old female child. Melton contacted the undercover agent and expressed interest in receiving underwear from the “child,” molesting the “child,” and receiving child sex abuse images of the “child.” Melton detailed what type of child sex abuse images he wanted of the “child.” In addition, he also distributed a child sex abuse image to the undercover agent. Law enforcement was able to identify Melton as the user of the account chatting with the undercover agent based on his account information and investigation into his background.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Washington. The forfeiture of assets is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Mai Tran.

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

Tampa, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Jamica Nelms, Capriesha Cummings, Camille Harper, and Ashley Flournoy with conspiracy to commit tax fraud and aiding or assisting in the preparation of false income tax return documents. If convicted on all counts, each faces a maximum penalty of eight years in federal prison. 

According to the indictment, from January 2017 through April 2019, Nelms, Cummings, Flournoy, and Harper were income tax return preparers at Business #1 in St. Petersburg. The defendants conspired to defraud the United States by preparing false income tax returns for numerous Business #1 clients in order for the Internal Revenue Service to issue tax refunds in amounts in excess of what the clients were entitled to receive. In doing so, the defendants prepared fraudulent Individual Income Tax Return Forms 1040 and Schedule C forms that resulted in fraudulent Earned Income Tax Credits, fraudulent fuel tax credits, and education credits.

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 Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation.  It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Gregory Pizzo and Maria Guzman.

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Marvin “MJ” Mitchell (36, St. Petersburg) has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute heroin, crack cocaine, and fentanyl, and possession with the intent to distribute heroin, crack cocaine, and fentanyl. Mitchell faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison on each count. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to the plea agreement, between approximately April and June 2019, Mitchell sold heroin, fentanyl, and crack cocaine from the Express Inn located in Clearwater. Mitchell used co-conspirators to distribute his product. During April, May, and June 2019, confidential informants conducted several controlled purchases from room #126 at the Express Inn. The CI’s would go to the Express Inn to purchase heroin from either Mitchell or one of his co-conspirators. In exchange for cash, they would receive small, silver aluminum foil packages containing a grayish, white powdery substance, which later tested positive for heroin, fentanyl, or both.

On June 17, 2019, law enforcement executed a search warrant at the Express Inn, rooms #126, 128, and 130, and upon entering room #130, detained Mitchell. In that room, officers found one tin foil bindle that was identical in appearance to those bindles found in room #126. Officers also found $2,219 in cash, 38 insulin syringes, and an electronic scale. Upon entry into room #126, officers detained two of Mitchell’s co-conspirators. Agents seized multiple tin foil bindles, five doses of NARCAN, used syringes, cash, and a ledger partially hidden between a headboard and the wall.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Pinellas Park Police Department, with assistance from the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, and the Pasco and Pinellas County Medical Examiner’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Diego F. Novaes.

Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Susan C. Bucklew has sentenced Antonio Phillips (23, Tampa) to eight years in federal prison for possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. Phillips had pleaded guilty on January 25, 2022.  

According to court documents, on December 1, 2020, in Tampa, Phillips and others were inside a white Infiniti and pulled out in front of another occupied vehicle.  The occupants of the Infiniti opened fire into the other vehicle’s windshield. After the shooting, law enforcement air support tracked the Infiniti, which had fled the scene. Video surveillance captured muzzle flashes coming from the passenger side of the Infiniti where Phillips was sitting. Numerous bullet holes were observed on the other vehicle. Phillips and others fled from the Infiniti, discarded weapons, jumped over fences and across yards before they were ultimately apprehended.

Officers recovered the firearms which had been discarded by the suspects. They included a Glock 19 (9mm), an FNH (.40-caliber), and a Glock 26 (9mm), along with a 50-round drum-style magazine and trigger mounted laser. Bullet casings recovered from the scene of the shooting had been fired from the Glock 19 and Glock 26 firearms.  An empty semi-automatic magazine was recovered from the Infiniti’s driver's door pocket, and an empty black pistol holster was recovered from the back right passenger’s seat of the vehicle. Spent bullet casings were recovered from the front and back passenger’s compartments. DNA belonging to Phillips and three other men was recovered from the Glock 26.

Prior to these events, Philips had been convicted of multiple felonies and therefore is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.  

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Tampa Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Diego F. Novaes.

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.

Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan today sentenced Wayne Bowen (64, Jacksonville) to two years in federal prison for aggravated identity theft. The Court also ordered Bowen to reimburse various federal agencies a total of $63,773 for government benefits that he had received in connection with his identity theft scheme. Bowen had pleaded guilty on January 20, 2022.

According to court documents, in 2014, Bowen used the name, Social Security card, and military discharge papers of his estranged twin brother to apply for federally subsidized housing benefits. The specific subsidy – intended for indigent military veterans – was funded under a joint program administered by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Unlike his twin, Bowen is not a military veteran.

When interviewed by federal agents, Bowen admitted that he had been using his twin brother’s identity for years. He had obtained a Florida identification card using his twin’s name and had been arrested and convicted of felony offenses under his twin’s identity. Although Bowen initially told the agents that he, like his twin, had served and been honorably discharged from the U.S. Army, Bowen eventually relented and admitted that those were lies.

Due to Bowen’s fraudulent use of his twin’s identity, the VA provided him with $32,434 in medical services, HUD provided him with $18,905 in housing subsidies, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture funded $12,434 in nutritional benefits for him. Bowen’s twin has confirmed that he did not apply for any of these benefits and that he never gave Bowen permission to use his name.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs – Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development – Office of Inspector General, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture –  Office of Inspector General. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Coolican.

Ocala, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Dean Dumont (23, Inverness) today pleaded guilty to possessing an unregistered National Firearms Act firearm (machinegun). Dumont faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. A sentencing date had not been set. Dumont had been indicted on December 7, 2021.

According to the plea agreement, Dumont unwittingly reached out to a law enforcement confidential informant in November 2021. At that time, Dumont was on state felony supervision for an unrelated matter. Dumont offered to sell the informant a fully automatic, Glock-style handgun for $900 so that Dumont could pay his court costs. Dumont then sent the informant text messages and video files confirming that the firearm had been modified into a machinegun. The informant subsequently purchased the firearm from Dumont in a video-recorded transaction. 

Law enforcement testing verified that the firearm discharged more than one round of ammunition from a single pull of the trigger. A record check confirmed that this machinegun was not registered to Dumont in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record, as required under federal law. Investigators also determined that it was a “ghost” gun because it had been assembled from a kit, without a manufacturer serial number.

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

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.       

Tampa, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Devin Kelly (27, Tampa) has pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Kelly faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to court documents, on July 2, 2021, Kelly and co-defendant Keyshawn Watts handled and displayed an AR-15 style rifle during an Instagram live video. One week later, investigators searched Kelly’s residence and seized a Ruger AR 556 rifle and an extended magazine loaded with 40 rounds of ammunition. Kelly admitted that the rifle seized from his residence was the rifle he had displayed in the Instagram video. Kelly, who had previously been convicted of several felony offenses, is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.

Keyshawn Watts (21, Tampa) has been charged with possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. His case is currently pending trial.

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

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Tampa Police Department, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, and the Florida Department of Corrections. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael Sinacore.

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.

Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Daniel Joseph Tisone (34, Naples) with wire fraud, bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, illegal monetary transactions, and possession of ammunition by a convicted felon. If convicted, Tisone faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison for each wire fraud count (4 counts) and bank fraud count (6 counts), a 2-year minimum mandatory term of imprisonment for the aggravated identity theft counts (2 counts), up to 10 years in federal prison for each illegal monetary transaction count (5 counts) and for the possession of ammunition count. The indictment also notifies Tisone that the United States intends to forfeit his interest in a 2019 Tiara 34LS boat, two real properties located in Naples, a 4.02 carat solitaire engagement ring, approximately $65,645.69 seized from two bank accounts, and approximately $2,617,447.17, which are alleged to be traceable to proceeds of the offense. 

According to court documents, between March 2020 and April 2021, Tisone, a convicted felon, submitted false and fraudulent Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL), Main Street Lending Program (MSLP), and Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan applications to the Small Business Administration, as well as PPP and MSLP approved lenders. The loan applications contained numerous false representations, including the criminal history, average monthly payroll, number of employees, and gross revenues of the applicant, Tisone.

 In support of the fraudulent EIDL, PPP, and MSLP applications, Tisone submitted false and fictitious payroll and tax documents, as well as a fake commercial lease. Further, Tisone fraudulently used the means of identification of individuals who purported to work for Tisone’s companies, including their names, dates of birth, and Social Security numbers, to submit false and fraudulent payroll and payroll tax documents. Tisone also fraudulently used the means of identification of an individual, including the individual’s name, date of birth, driver license, and Social Security number, to submit a false and fraudulent EIDL application.

Tisone’s false and fraudulent representations caused the SBA, PPP, and MSLP lenders to approve and fund one MSLP, four EIDL, and five PPP loans, resulting in the deposit of more than $2.6 million into bank accounts Tisone controlled. Tisone then unlawfully used the funds for unauthorized purposes and for his own personal enrichment, including the purchase of residences in Naples, stocks and investment securities, and ammunition.

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 relief 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. 

The MSLP was designed to provide support to small and medium-sized businesses and their employees across the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic. The program was intended to help companies, that were in sound financial condition prior to the onset of the pandemic, maintain their operations and payroll until conditions normalized.

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 FBI, the Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery (SIGPR), Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, and the Office of Inspector General for the Federal Reserve Board. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Trent Reichling and Suzanne Nebesky.

Jacksonville, Florida – Chief United States District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan has sentenced Michael Lee Aurandt (51, Jacksonville) to 12 years in federal prison for distributing child sexual abuse images and videos over the internet. Aurandt was also ordered to serve a 10-year term of supervised release, register as a sex offender, and pay $3,000 in restitution to a victim of his offense. Aurandt had pleaded guilty on December 21, 2021.

According to court documents, several FBI field offices began investigating Aurandt for uploading child sexual abuse materials to chat applications over the internet. In October 2020, Aurandt was observed posting videos and images depicting children being sexually abused in a chat app. The following month, Aurandt uploaded five videos containing child sex abuse materials in a chat app, which was reported to the FBI through a CyberTip submitted to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.  The FBI investigation identified Aurandt as the source of the distributions through linked internet protocol (IP) addresses.

On August 27, 2021, FBI agents executed a search warrant at Aurandt’s residence, and he was arrested later that day. Aurandt admitted to viewing and distributing child sex abuse materials using the chat app accounts previously identified by FBI. He stated he would create new accounts whenever his accounts were shut down for violating the terms of service of the chat app.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Washington. The forfeiture of assets was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Mai Tran.

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

Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Troy Alexander Cole (28, Fort Myers) has pleaded guilty to attempted distribution of methamphetamine and MDMA (commonly referred to as “Molly”). Cole faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to court documents, Cole worked as a correctional officer at the Charlotte Correctional Institution (CCI) in Punta Gorda. In June 2021, on three separate occasions, Cole agreed to smuggle methamphetamine or MDMA into the prison where he worked and provide the contraband to an inmate. He agreed to do so in exchange for payments of $400, $1,000, and $4,000, respectively.

On each occasion, Cole picked up a package containing what he believed were the controlled substances and then entered CCI.  Cole would then conceal the packages containing the purported controlled substances and notify the inmate that they were available for retrieval.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael V. Leeman.

Ocala, Florida – Senior United States District Judge John Antoon II has sentenced Deveon Demond Jenkins (29, Ocala) to 15 years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Jenkins had pleaded guilty on November 29, 2021.

According to court documents, on April 10, 2020, Jenkins was a passenger in the backseat of an automobile that Ocala Police Department officers stopped for a traffic infraction. After a K-9 signaled the presence of contraband in the car, officers searched the vehicle and discovered at Jenkins’s feet a firearm that they later determined was stolen. DNA testing and recorded jail telephone calls subsequently confirmed that Jenkins had been in possession of the firearm. Jenkins, who has 20 prior felony convictions, is prohibited from possessing firearms under federal law. His numerous prior convictions for the sale of drugs qualify him as an Armed Career Criminal for sentencing purposes.

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

This case is 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.       

Ocala, Florida – Senior United States District Judge John Antoon II has sentenced David Chappell Fey (57, Belleview) and Shari Lynn Gunter (58, Ocklawaha) to life imprisonment for murdering a government witness. Fey and Gunter were found guilty by a federal jury following a joint trial in December 2021. The trial required special accommodations, with a separate jury hearing evidence for each defendant. In the end, each jury returned guilty verdicts on all four counts – distribution of methamphetamine, conspiracy to murder a government witness, murder of a government witness, and conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl causing death. Prior to trial, Fey pleaded guilty to an additional seven counts of distributing methamphetamine.

According to trial evidence, Fey and Gunter lived together in Summerfield, Florida, where they routinely distributed methamphetamine and other drugs. The 31-year-old victim, who was the mother of three children, was one of their customers.  The victim had agreed to cooperate with law enforcement and conducted a controlled buy of $40 worth of methamphetamine on January 19, 2016. After discovering that the victim was helping authorities, Fey and Gunter conspired to murder her to prevent her from acting as a witness against them.  Specifically, on April 5, 2016, Fey and Gunter made up a “hot shot” – a syringe containing a lethal amount of fentanyl and methamphetamine – and provided it to the victim. When the victim injected herself, she immediately collapsed. Gunter then dragged the victim outside, kicked her in the head, and placed her in the passenger seat of her car. As the victim sat helpless in the vehicle, Fey and Gunter administered a second, fatal dose of fentanyl and methamphetamine, causing her death. They then drove the victim to a cemetery in Oxford, Florida, and staged the scene to make it appear like an accidental overdose.

“The United States is currently in the midst of an unprecedented opioid epidemic. Every single day, DEA investigators, along with our local and state law enforcement partners, are working tirelessly to keep our communities safe and healthy,” said DEA Miami Field Division Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter. “This sentencing highlights our commitment to our Florida communities, our efforts to bring justice to the victims and their families, and our resolution to hold these drug traffickers accountable for their actions.”

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with support from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, the Unified Drug Enforcement Strike Team, the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office, and the Clay County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Michael P. Felicetta and Tyrie K. Boyer. 

Tampa, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Elijah Howard (22, Tampa) has pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Howard faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to court documents, Howard, a multi-convicted felon, brandished a Glock 19 semi-automatic pistol with an extended magazine during an Instagram video on December 21, 2021. Later that same day, Tampa Police Department officers encountered Howard in possession of that same firearm during a traffic stop. Howard was detained and the firearm was recovered. Officers determined that the firearm was loaded with 34 rounds of ammunition, including a round in the chamber.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Tampa Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel J. Marcet.

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.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle has sentenced T’Andre McNeely (Los Angeles, CA) and Michael Carr (Los Angeles, CA) each to six years and six months in federal prison for wire fraud conspiracy relating to their participation in a large-scale international tax fraud scheme.  Both Carr and McNeely had pleaded guilty on December 28, 2021. A third conspirator, Brandon Williams, pleaded guilty to wire fraud on March 29, 2022. His sentencing is scheduled for June 23, 2022.

According to court documents, from Summer 2014 through approximately Spring 2018, Carr, McNeely, and Brandon Williams operated a scheme to defraud the United States government of more than $17 million through the filing of false and fraudulent tax returns in the names of hundreds of identity theft victims. The conspirators used sophisticated cyber means to obtain the personal data used to file the tax returns. Conspirators—including individuals located in Nigeria and Vietnam—then prepared and filed the returns quickly and in large batches. The tax returns were filed from real CPA firms across the United States, all of whom had been hacked.

Carr and McNeely were hired by a Nigeria-based conspirator to collect the proceeds of the tax fraud and send those proceeds to him in Nigeria. Carr and McNeely opened bank accounts, obtained prepaid debit cards, and provided addresses to which tax fraud proceeds could be deposited or mailed. Cards and accounts that McNeely and Carr obtained were used on thousands of false and fraudulent tax returns claiming in excess of $17 million in refunds, to which the conspirators were not entitled.

“Tax fraud is not a victimless crime, and is in fact a crime against the American people. The defendants conspired with foreign nationals to steal the identities of U.S. taxpayers, using cyber tools to breach accounting firms’ security protocols, all for the purpose of lining their pockets with ill-gotten gains” said Special Agent in Charge Mark H. Pearson. “Let this case serve as notice to criminals domestic and foreign, that our investigators are some of the best in the business, and they’re committed to protecting this country and the American public from identity theft and financial fraud.”  

This case was investigated by the Tampa and Oakland Field Offices the Internal Revenue Service–Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) and the Tampa Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Special assistance was provided by the Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles Field Offices of the IRS-CI, and the Tampa Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rachel Jones.

Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Patrick Silfrain (40, Winter Garden), aka “Prada,” “Haitian Pat,” Kevin Jean-Gilles (39, Orlando), aka “G,” “Cole,” “Darren Tai,” “Vincent DiPietro,” and Jean Kesnor Choisil (50, Ocoee) with conspiracy to manufacture, distribute, or dispense, or possess with intent to manufacture, distribute, or dispense, at least 400 grams of fentanyl.  If convicted, each faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years, and up to life, in federal prison. The indictment also notifies the defendants that the United States intends to forfeit any assets that are alleged to be traceable to proceeds of the offense.

According to court documents, from at least May 2020 through April 2022, Silfrain, Jean-Gilles, and Choisil conspired to manufacture and distribute fentanyl-laced pills throughout the Middle District of Florida. The pills were manufactured using multiple pill presses that were owned and operated by the defendants and could each produce 5,000 pills per hour.

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

This case is the result of a Drug Enforcement Administration investigation titled “Operation Pillgrim.” This operation specifically targets counterfeit pill production in an effort to reduce fentanyl and other dangerous pills from flooding communities in central and southern Florida.

It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ranganath Manthripragada.

Tampa, Florida– U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday today sentenced DeAnna Marie Stinson (50, Tampa) to six years and six months in federal prison for murder-for-hire. The Court also ordered Stinson to pay $11,403.22 in restitution to the victim of the offense and a $1,000 fine. Stinson had pleaded guilty on January 19, 2022.

According to court documents, on June 24, 2021, Stinson created an account on a dark web website (“The Website”) that purported to provide murder-for-hire services to its customers. The following day, Stinson submitted an “order” requesting that a hitman be assigned to complete a “quick hit in southern Florida” to kill the spouse of Stinson’s former significant other. In the order, Stinson provided the victim’s name, address, and a photograph of the victim. Between June and July 2021, Stinson sent four additional orders and over $12,000 in bitcoin to effectuate the hit. During this time, Stinson repeatedly messaged administrators of The Website and purported hitmen requesting that the “job” be completed as soon as possible and even offered a “bonus” if the hit was completed by a specific date. When Stinson had not received a status update from administrators of The Website, on July 31, 2021, Stinson requested that the administrators “reassign the job to someone who has a history of getting jobs done” because she “need[ed] th[e] job done ASAP.”

Law enforcement agents received information regarding Stinson’s criminal activity and obtained records from her virtual currency exchange account. The records showed that Stinson had paid Bitcoin to The Website. An agent contacted Stinson while acting in an undercover capacity as a hitman for The Website. In a recorded phone call, Stinson confirmed that she wanted the victim killed and agreed to send additional money to the undercover agent via Bitcoin so that the transaction could not be traced. On September 13, 2021, Stinson sent $350 in bitcoin to the undercover agent so that the agent could purchase a revolver to commit the murder.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (Miami). It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lisa M. Thelwell.

Jacksonville, Florida – Senior U.S. District Judge Harvey E. Schlesinger today sentenced Juan Carlos Arteaga (58, Conroe, TX) to 3 years in federal prison for wire fraud. Arteaga had been released on bond but was remanded into custody shortly after today’s sentencing hearing. The Court also ordered Arteaga to pay $784,364 in restitution to his victims and entered a forfeiture order in the amount of $843,187, the proceeds of the charged criminal conduct. Arteaga had pleaded guilty on November 10, 2021.

According to court documents, from at least March 2018 through January 2019, Arteaga, a former resident of Jacksonville, held himself out as someone who could provide customers with heavily discounted travel arrangements for domestic and international travel. He acted as a travel agent for clients in Florida and throughout the United States. Despite operating as a de facto travel agent, Arteaga was not a licensed travel agent. 

Arteaga solicited friends, business contacts, acquaintances, and referrals from those individuals to purchase sham travel arrangements from him, including but not limited to domestic and international airfare, hotel rooms, and tickets to amusement parks. Arteaga used some of the funds he obtained from victims to purchase travel arrangements for others, which delayed discovery of the scheme since it appeared that the money victims had paid was being used to purchase the travel they had requested. Arteaga also used some of the proceeds from the scheme for his personal enrichment, including paying his mortgage, short term loans, credit card and cable bills, grocery purchases, nursing home expenses, and withdrawing large amounts of cash. 

Two of the victims of Arteaga’s scheme were his longtime friends P.C. and A.C. In 2018, P.C. and A.C. began talking to Arteaga about a trip around the world through Road Scholar, Explore the World by Private Jet. P.C. and A.C. had successfully booked other travel arrangements in the past with Arteaga and had vacationed with Arteaga and his wife numerous times. Arteaga said that the Road Scholar trip would cost approximately $100,000, but if P.C. and A.C. paid him by the next day, Arteaga could get them the trip for $60,000. Arteaga instructed A.C. and P.C. to pay him $20,000 broken into five check payments, and to wire the $40,000 balance to him. A.C. and P.C. wired $40,000 to Arteaga. 

In August 2018, P.C. heard from some friends that their trips with Arteaga had not been booked. A.C. then called Road Scholar and learned that their trip had not been booked. Road Scholar also advised they did not provide any discounts, including to travel agents. After discovering the trip was a sham, A.C. and P.C. confronted Arteaga, who said he had not yet booked their trip yet because he was concerned about P.C.’s health. However, neither P.C. nor A.C. had raised P.C.’s health as a reason for delaying the Road Scholar trip and they were not interested in postponing the trip.

As with other victims of his scheme, Arteaga did not use any of the funds he had received from A.C. and P.C. toward any trip with Road Scholar. Instead, he used the money to make travel arrangements for other victims and for himself, as well as to repay other travel victims.

This case was investigated by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Washington. The forfeiture was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Mai Tran.

Ocala, Florida – Senior U.S. District Judge John Antoon II today sentenced Christopher Lawrence Leslie (25, Homosassa) to four years and four months in federal prison for possessing firearms and ammunition as a convicted felon and for possessing a National Firearms Act (NFA) firearm (short-barreled rifle). The Court also ordered Leslie to forfeit the firearms and ammunition associated with the offenses. Leslie had been indicted on November 9, 2021, and had pleaded guilty on December 15, 2021.

According to court documents, on October 19, 2021, deputies from the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office responded to a burglary call at a property where Leslie was residing. During the investigation, the deputies discovered Leslie, a convicted felon, in possession of three firearms—a revolver, a rifle with a scope, and a sawed-off, bolt-action rifle—as well as assorted ammunition. The bolt-action rifle had an overall length of approximately 20 inches and a barrel length of approximately 10 inches, making it an NFA firearm (short-barreled rifle). This firearm was not registered to Leslie in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record, as required by federal law. After his arrest, Leslie admitted that all of the recovered firearms and ammunition belonged to him. As a convicted felon, Leslie is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.

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.

This case was investigated by the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Bodnar, Jr.

Tampa, FL – A Florida man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to threatening a member of the U.S. House of Representatives. Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg for the Middle District of Florida made the announcement.

On April 19, David Hannon, 67, of Sarasota, entered a guilty plea before U.S. Magistrate Judge Christopher P. Tuite to an information charging him with one count of threatening a federal official.

According to information presented at the guilty plea hearing, on July 16, 2019, while in Sarasota, Hannon sent an email to U.S. Congresswoman Ilhan Omar threatening to kill her. Hannon sent the email following a televised press conference held by Representative Omar and three other U.S. Congresswomen. In his threatening email, which had a subject line that read, “[You’re] dead, you radical Muslim,” Hannon referred to Congresswoman Omar and the other Congresswomen of color as “radical rats,” and asked Congresswoman Omar if she was prepared “to die for Islam.” The email further stated that Hannon was going to shoot the Congresswomen in the head.

“Threatening to kill our elected officials, especially because of their race, ethnicity or religious beliefs, is offensive to our nation’s fundamental values,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department will not hesitate to prosecute individuals who violate federal laws that prohibit violent, hate-motivated threats. All elected officials, regardless of their background, should be able to represent their communities and serve the public free from hate-motivated threats and violence.”

“No one should fear violence because of who they are or what they believe,” said U.S. Attorney Roger Handberg for the Middle District of Florida. “Unlawful threats against our elected officials are an assault against our democracy, and we will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to seek justice in these cases.”

The case is being investigated by the FBI with assistance from the U.S. Capitol Police, and is being prosecuted by Civil Rights Division Trial Attorney Sanjay Patel and Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Claire Favorit for the Middle District of Florida.  

Tampa – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announced today the first quarter results of the Middle District of Florida’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) strategy. Over the past three months, PSN prosecutors in the Middle District of Florida have prosecuted 130 defendants for federal firearms and violent crime offenses.  Those prosecutions have removed more than 300 firearms from our streets.  (See chart for case details)

            The prosecutions consist of:

• 51 individuals who have been charged with federal firearms and violent crime offenses, involving a total of 75 firearms and 1,563 auto sears;
• 52 defendants who were adjudicated guilty in firearm and violent crime cases in 2022, involving a total of 174 firearms; and
• 27 defendants who were sentenced in firearm and violent crime cases, involving a total of 86 firearms. (See chart for case details)

“Reducing violent crime is a top priority for our Office,” said U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg. “Over the past three months, I have increased the number of prosecutors assigned to handle violent crime and firearms cases and have met with our state and local partners to better understand the issues in our communities. Through those efforts, 130 defendants have been prosecuted in federal court and more than 300 firearms have been seized from those defendants.  Working with our law enforcement partners, we will continue to work to make communities throughout the Middle District of Florida safer.”

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

As part of its PSN strategy, each of the five divisions of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida (USAO-MDFL) have engaged in violent crime reduction strategies in 2022, including:

• Orlando – Five Assistant United States Attorneys (AUSAs) have been assigned to exclusively prosecute violent crime, narcotics, and firearms cases. Each AUSA also serves as a liaison to a specific law enforcement agency that investigates violent crimes.
• Jacksonville – AUSAs meet weekly with fellow Crime Gun Intelligence Center (CGIC) partners (Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, Clay County Sheriff’s Office, State Attorney’s Office - Fourth Judicial Circuit, ATF, DEA and FBI) to develop investigations. Staff members also participate in local reentry programs (Baker, Lawtey, and Columbia Correctional) and school outreach presentations.
• Ocala – AUSAs have teamed up with the State Attorney’s Office for the Fifth Judicial Circuit, ATF, DEA, FBI, the Ocala Police Department, and the Marion, Lake, and Citrus County Sheriff’s Offices to locate, seize, and prosecute individuals who unlawfully possess firearms. 
• Tampa – The number of dedicated violent crime prosecutors has increased to 11.  In addition, as part of an ongoing partnership with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, two defendants have recently been charged in a drug-related homicide case (United States v. Grable, et al).
• Ft. Myers – Relationships with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies have been enhanced through the USAO-MDFL Violent Crime Working Group in an effort to identify offenders and coordinate investigations and prosecutions involving firearms-related offenses.
• Districtwide – An increase in our proactive community outreach strategy has allowed staff to further engage community-based organizations, educational institutions, and service agencies in an effort to prevent and decrease future gun-related incidents. (See chart for specific events).

The cases identified in the linked chart have been investigated by the Apopka Police Department, the Bradenton Police Department, the Cocoa Beach Police Department, the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office, the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office, the Collier County Sheriff’s Office, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office, the Fort Myers Police Department, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the Lake County Police Department, the Lake Mary Police Department, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation, the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office, the Ocala Police Department, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, the Osceola County Sheriff's Office, the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, the Sanford Police Department, the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office, the Sarasota Police Department, the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, the St. Petersburg Police Department, the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office, the Tampa Police Department, the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Marshals Service, the U.S. Border Patrol, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

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

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

 

Charged Cases

Defendant(s)

(Age)

Charges

Minimum/Maximum Terms of Imprisonment

Firearms Seized

Fort Myers Division

Re’Shod Larry (27)

Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition

Maximum Prison Term: 10 years

1

Samuel Robert Bruner (46)

Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition

Maximum Prison Term: 10 years

3

Otis Marchman IV (27)

Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition

Maximum Prison Term: 10 years

1

Javonte Keyon Whitfield (24)

Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition

Maximum Prison Term: 10 years

5

Romeo Lenell Battle (24)

Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition

Maximum Prison Term: 10 years

1

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

Jacksonville Division

Leonard Green (50)

Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition

Maximum Prison Term: 10 years

1

Deatric Walker (42)

Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition

Maximum Prison Term: 10 years

1

 

Andrew Harp (30)

Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition

Maximum Prison Term: 10 years

1

Thelonious Kirby (51)

Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition

Maximum Prison Term: 10 years

2

Edrick Jackson (28)

Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition

Maximum Prison Term: 10 years

2

Jeromy Washington (25)

Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition

Maximum Prison Term: 10 years

1

John Hemingway (52)

 

 

Armed Career Criminal/felon in possession of firearm/ammunition

Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 15 years

Maximum Prison Term: Life

1

Frederick Sams (40)

 

Armed Career Criminal/felon in possession of firearm/ammunition

Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 15 years

Maximum Prison Term: Life

1

Terry Shipman (47)

 

 

Armed Career Criminal/felon in possession of firearm/ammunition

Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 15 years

Maximum Prison Term: Life

1

Otis Shivers (48)

 

Armed Career Criminal/felon in possession of firearm/ammunition

Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 15 years

Maximum Prison Term: Life

1

Sabastian Amrine (20)

Brandon Bayne (25)

Use of a firearm during and in relation to/possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence

Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 5/7/10 years

Maximum Prison Term:  Life

Interference with commerce by robbery

Maximum Prison Term: 20 years

1

James Lewis (53)

False statement in connection with the acquisition of a firearm

Maximum Prison Term: 10 years

1

Kristopher Ervin (42)

Matthew Hoover (38)

Conspiracy

Maximum Prison Term: 5 years

Violation of the National Firearms Registration Act

Maximum Prison Term: 10 years

Structuring

Maximum Prison Term: 10 years

1,563 auto sears

The auto sear is a combination of parts designed and intended for use in converting a weapon to shoot automatically more than one shot, without manual reloading, by a single function of the trigger. 

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

Ocala Division

Tevaughn Johnson (28)

Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition

Forcibly assaulting federal officer with injury

Maximum Prison Term: 10 years

1

Timothy Eric Evans (40)

Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition

Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 15 years

Maximum Prison Term: Life

1

Wayne Allen Phillips, Jr.

(44)

Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition

Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 15 years

Maximum Prison Term: Life

1

These PSN cases from the Ocala Division are being handled by AUSAs Tyrie K. Boyer, Hannah Nowalk, and William Hamilton

Orlando Division

Jarvis Jackson (31)

 

 

Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition

Maximum Prison Term: 10 years

Use of a firearm during and in relation to/possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.

Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 5 years

Maximum Prison Term: Life

Interference with commerce by robbery

Maximum Prison Term: 20 years

1

             

Kevin Deane Jones (50)

 

Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition

Maximum Prison Term: 10 years

2       

 

Vincent Virgil Gibson (31)

Possession with intent to distribute controlled substances

Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 5 Years

Maximum Prison Term: 40 Years

Possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking

Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 5 Years

Maximum Prison Term: Life

1

               

Mateo Alexander Arboleda Giraldo (23)

Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition

Maximum Prison Term: 10 years

1

             

These PSN cases from the Orlando Division are being handled by AUSAs Chauncey Bratt, Jen Harrington, Ranganath Manthripragada, Terry Livanos

Tampa Division

Natwan Callaway (24)

Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition

Maximum Prison Term: 10 years

4

                       

Bruce Dunbar (60)

Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition

Maximum Prison Term: 10 years

1

                     

Devin Kelly (27)

Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition

Maximum Prison Term: 10 years

1

Victor Manuel Hernandez (22)

Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition

Maximum Prison Term: 10 years

Drug trafficking conspiracy

Maximum Prison Term: 20 years

15

Jamel Middleton (26)

Armed Career Criminal/felon in possession of firearm/ammunition

Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 15 years

Maximum Prison Term: Life

4

Roy Nobles (41)

Malachi Deloch (23)

Armed Career Criminal/felon in possession of firearm/ammunition

Mandatory Minimum Prison Term: 15 years

Maximum Prison Term: Life

Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition

Maximum Prison Term: 10 years

4

Jhakoric Leavon Lofton (23)

 

 

Use of a firearm during and in relation to/possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence

Minimum Mandatory Prison Term:  5/7/10 years

Maximum Prison Term: Life

1

Jy’Quale Samari Grable (20)

Aquavious Smith (19)

Use of a firearm during and in relation to/possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence

Minimum Mandatory Prison Term:  5/7/10 years

Maximum Prison Term: Life

Interference with commerce by robbery

Maximum Prison Term: 20 years

0

John Anderson (38)

Interference with commerce by robbery

Maximum Prison Term: 20 years

1

(Collected out of District)

Ma’at Darius Lee (21)

Interference with commerce by robbery

Maximum Prison Term: 20 years

1

Michael Staton (30)

Margaret Lynch (35)

Drug trafficking conspiracy

Maximum Prison Term: 20 years

Possession with intent to distribute controlled substances

Maximum Prison Term: 20 years

Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition

Maximum Prison Term: 10 years

Use of a firearm during and in relation to/possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence

Minimum Mandatory Prison Term:  5/7/10 years

Maximum Prison Term: Life

2

                    

Christian Perez Seda (36)

Drug trafficking conspiracy

Maximum Prison Term: 20 years

Possession with intent to distribute controlled substances

Maximum Prison Term: 20 years

Use of a firearm during and in relation to/possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence

Minimum Mandatory Prison Term:  5/7/10 years

Maximum Prison Term: Life

1

Victoria Guerrero (35)

Theresa Bentancourt (19)

Drug trafficking conspiracy

Maximum Prison Term: 20 years

Possession with intent to distribute controlled substances

Maximum Prison Term: 20 years

Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition

Maximum Prison Term: 10 years

Use of a firearm during and in relation to/possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence

Minimum Mandatory Prison Term:  5/7/10 years

Maximum Prison Term: Life

4

Jovante Thomas (40)

Santino Jimenez (39)

Troy Mctier (29)

Adrian Ashby (50)

Marquesha Isaac (36)

Drug trafficking conspiracy

Maximum Prison Term: 20 years

Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition

Maximum Prison Term: 10 years

Possession with intent to distribute controlled substance

Maximum Prison Term: 20 years

1

Deoin Rashaud Brown (26)

Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition

Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 15 years

Maximum Prison Term: Life

1

Elijah Howard

Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition

Maximum Prison Term: 10 years

1

These PSN cases from the Tampa Division are being handled by AUSAs Diego Novaes, Jim Preston, Mike Sinacore, Callan Albritton, Samantha Beckman, Charlie Connally, Risha Asokan, and Daniel Marcet

Total Number of

Defendants: 51

 

Total Number of Firearms: 75 and 1,563 auto sears

 

Adjudicated Cases

Defendant(s)

(Age)

Charges

Minimum/Maximum Terms of Imprisonment

Firearms Seized

Fort Myers Division

Serdarryl English (39)

Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition

Maximum Prison Term: 10 years

1

Alex Winters (42)

 

Armed Career Criminal/felon in possession of firearm/ammunition

Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 15 years

Maximum Prison Term: Life

Use of a firearm during and in relation to/possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence

Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 5 years

Maximum Prison Term: Life

Possession with intent to distribute controlled substances

Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years

1

Eric Maurice Brown (31)

 

Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition

Maximum Prison Term: 10 years

Possession with intent to distribute controlled substances

Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years

2

Herman Fleming (29)

 

Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition

Maximum Prison Term: 10 years

Possession with intent to distribute controlled substances

Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years

1

Joshua Wade McGinnis (27)

John Olvera Salinas* (19)

*Salinas pleaded guilty to the 924c charge only.

Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition

Maximum Prison Term: 10 years

Possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine

Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 5 years

Maximum Prison Term: 40 Years

Distribution of cocaine

(3 Counts)

Maximum Prison Term: 20 Years (per count)

Use of a firearm during and in relation to/possession of a firearm in furtherance

of a crime of violence

Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 5 years

Maximum Prison Term: Life

15

These PSN cases from the Fort Myers Division are being handled by AUSAs Simon Eth, Mark Morgan, Trent Reichling, and Michael Leeman 

Jacksonville Division

Charles DeYoung (45)

Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition

Maximum Prison Term: 10 years

1

                         

Christopher Dozier (41)

Brittany Cooper (32)

Interference with commerce by robbery

Brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence

Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 7 years

Maximum Prison Term: Life

Maximum Prison Term: 20 years

2

Marcus Peterson (37)

Antwan Major (25)

Kimberly Walker (45)

Neal Walker (51)

Mar’quez Mickler (21)

Drug trafficking conspiracy

Maximum Prison Term: 20 years

5

Brett Amante (39)

Bank robbery

Maximum Prison Term: 20 years

Brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence

Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 7 years

Maximum Prison Term: Life

1

Johnny Davis (46)

Making a false statement to a federally licensed firearms dealer

Maximum Prison Term: 5 years

0

 

These PSN cases from the Jacksonville Division are being handled by AUSAs Laura Taylor, David Mesrobian, Chip Corsmeier, and Cyrus Zomorodian

Ocala Division

Darrell Pierre Hopkins (54)

 

 

 

Making a materially false statement during the purchase of firearms

Maximum Prison Term: 10 years

Causing an FFL to maintain false information in its official records

Maximum Prison Term: 5 years

0

 

 

Timothy Ivory (44)

Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition (2 counts)

Maximum Prison Term: 10 years (per count)

2

Jeffrey Walt Boston (44)

Felon in possession of firearm

Maximum Prison Term: 10 years

Unlawful possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance

Maximum Prison Term: 20 years

1

Benjamin Tyree Townsel (22)

Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition (3 counts)

Maximum Prison Term: 10 years (per count)

Possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number

Maximum Prison Term: 5 years

3

D’Andra Lamar Miller (21)

Felon in possession of firearm

Maximum Prison Term: 10 years

2

These PSN cases from the Ocala Division are being handled by AUSAs Robert Bodnar, Jr, Tyrie K. Boyer

 

Orlando Division

 

Larry Burrows (26)

Use of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.

Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 7 years

Maximum Prison Term:  Life

Carjacking

Maximum Prison Term: 15 years

0

       

Zachary Nichols (27)

Possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking

Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 5 years

Maximum Prison Term:  Life

Possession with intent to distribute controlled substances

Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 5 years

Maximum Prison Term: 40 years

2

           

Christopher Dasilva (24)

Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition

Maximum Prison Term: 10 years

1

      

Symone Stannisha Smith (32)

Possession with intent to distribute controlled substances

Minimum Mandatory Prison Term: 5 years

Maximum Prison Term: 40 years

0

Joseph Ellicott (43)

Possession with intent to distribute controlled substances

Maximum Prison Term: 20 years

0

              

These PSN cases from the Orlando Division are being handled by AUSAs Chauncey Bratt, Jen Harrington, Ranganath Manthripragada, and U.S. Attorney Roger Handberg

Tampa Division

Christian Agosto (22)

 

Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition

Maximum Prison Term: 10 years

1

                   

Ronald White (27)

Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition

Maximum Prison Term: 10 years

1

                       

Deuntay Robertson (30)

Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition

Maximum Prison Term: 10 years

1

Antonio Phillips (33)

Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition

Maximum Prison Term: 10 years

1

                      

Michael Woeber (35)

Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition

Maximum Prison Term: 10 years

2

Michael Cottone (35)

Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition

Maximum Prison Term: 10 years

2

Alan Williams (43)

Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition

Maximum Prison Term: 10 years

1

Wilbur B. Simpson IV (23)

Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition

Maximum Prison Term: 10 years

1

Ryland Hicks (41)

Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition

Maximum Prison Term: 10 years

1

Richard Devine (32)

Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition

Maximum Prison Term: 10 years

1

William Houston Gates (34)

George Rundell (41)

Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition

Maximum Prison Term: 10 years

3

Victor Grant (40)

Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition

Maximum Prison Term: 10 years

0

Keon Rashawn Felton (23)

Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition

Maximum Prison Term: 10 years

1

Russel Hinote (74)

Dealing firearms without a license

Maximum Prison Term: 5 years

114

Hector Kirkland (40)

Use of a firearm during and in relation to/possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence

Mandatory Minimum Prison Term: 5/7/10 years

Maximum Prison Term: Life

Robbery (2 counts)

Maximum Prison Term: 20 years (per count)

0

Keaujay Hornsby (26)

Kareem Spann (27)

Tywon Spann (25)

Eriaius Bentley (29)

Racketeering conspiracy, assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering

Use of a Firearm During and in Relation to/Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence—

Mandatory Minimum Prison Term: 5/7/10 years

Maximum Prison Term: Life

Racketeering Conspiracy

Assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering

Discharge of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence

Aggravated identity theft

Access device fraud

1

Uriah Waggerby (24)

Sylvanis Brice (30)

Johan Holder (25)

Kaleb James (26)

Robbery:

Maximum Prison Term: 20 years

0

Nicholas Primo (34)

Possession with intent to distribute controlled substances

Maximum Prison Term: 20 years

0

Travis Riley (39)

Possession with intent to distribute controlled substances

Maximum Prison Term: 20 years

Drug trafficking conspiracy

Maximum Prison Term: 20 years

3

These PSN cases from the Tampa Division are being handled by Mike Sinacore, Charlie Connally, Diego Novaes, Callan Albritton, Jim Preston, and Simon Eth

Total Number of Defendants: 52

 

Total Number of Firearms: 174

 

Sentenced Cases

Defendant(s)

(Age)

Charges

Sentence Imposed

Firearms Seized

Fort Myers Division

Jarrett Truman (26)

Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition

Sentence Imposed: 5 years in federal prison

8

Raynaldo Quiroga (38)

Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition; using a firearm during and in relation to/possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence; interference with commerce by robbery

Sentence Imposed: 40 years in federal prison

 

0

These PSN cases from the Fort Myers Division are being handled by AUSAs Shannon Laurie, Simon Eth, and Jesus M. Casas

 

Jacksonville Division

 

Cornelius Turner (34)

Possession with intent to distribute controlled substances; felon in possession of firearm/ammunition

Sentence Imposed: 15 years in federal prison

1

 

Brandy Rayburn (41)

Duane McCray (44)

Possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking

Sentence Imposed: 5 years in federal prison (Rayburn)

Sentence Imposed: 5 years in federal prison (McCray)

1

 

Luis Hernandez (33)

Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition

Sentence Imposed: 2 years and 6 months in federal prison

1

 

Bernie Mack (45)

Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition

Sentence Imposed: 15 years in federal prison

1

 

Andrew Fulda (44)

Possession of a firearm by individual with a domestic violence injunction

Sentence Imposed: 3 years and 1 month in federal prison

7

Fan Yang (37)

 

Making false written statements to federally licensed firearms dealers during the purchase of two firearms; export crimes

Sentence Imposed: 4 years in federal prison

2

Jose Angel Vazquez (60)

Making a false statement to a federally licensed firearms dealer

Sentence Imposed: 18 months in federal prison

0

These PSN cases from the Jacksonville Division were handled by AUSAs Ashley Washington, Cyrus Zomorodian, Julie Hackenberry, David Mesrobian, Laura Taylor, and Michael Coolican

Ocala Division

Manuel Jose Toro Finol (37)

Possession of a Schedule I controlled substance dimethyltryptamine (DMT)

Sentence Imposed: 1 year probation

0

Glenn Edward Davis, Jr. (36)

Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon; possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine; possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon; possession with intent to distribute five grams or more of methamphetamine

Sentence Imposed: 17 years and 6 months in federal prison

2

 

 

Tralvaster Epps aka Pooh Bear (34)

Possession with intent to distribute cocaine; possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; possession with intent to distribute marijuana, cocaine, 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, and 400 grams or more of fentanyl

Sentence Imposed: 10 years and 2 months in federal prison

1

 

 

Megan Bateman (31)

Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon

Sentence Imposed: 8 months in federal prison

2

Robert Joseph Miller (46)

Possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon; possession of unregistered NFA firearms

Sentence Imposed: 10 years in federal prison

42

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

Orlando Division

Davel Theodore Spady (35)

 

Possession with intent to distribute controlled substances

Sentence Imposed: 6 years in federal prison

0

               

This PSN case from the Orlando Division was handled by AUSAs Beatriz Gonzalez.

Tampa Division

Greg Kendrick (26)

 

Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition

Sentence Imposed: 5 years and 10 months in federal prison

3

Theodore Williams (28)

Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition

Sentence Imposed: 4 years and 9 months in federal prison

1

                 

James McCormick (29)

Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition

Sentence Imposed: 12 months in federal prison

1

Keon Moore (30)

 

Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition; possession with intent to distribute controlled substances

Sentence Imposed: 17 years and 6 months in federal prison

7

                    

Samuel Davis (49)

Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition

Sentence Imposed: 4 years and 5 months in federal prison

1

                      

Aaron Jermaine Mosley (30)

Felon in possession of firearm/ammunition

Sentence Imposed: 7 years in federal prison

2

Tareq Iraq (28)

 

Use of a firearm during and in relation to/possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence; Hobbs Act robbery

Sentence imposed: 10 years and 4 months in federal prison

0

Jeffrey Davis (24)

 

Tyee Spike (19)

 

Use of a firearm during and in relation to/possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence

Sentence Imposed: 24 years in federal prison (Davis)

Sentence Imposed: 26 years and 3 months in federal prison (Spike)

1

Michael Snyder (31)

Interference with commerce by robbery

Sentence Imposed: 9 years in federal prison

1

Pierre Marc (35)

 

Drug trafficking conspiracy; use of a firearm during and in relation to/possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence

Sentence Imposed: 10 years in federal prison

1

                      

These PSN cases from the Tampa Division were handled by AUSAs Diego Novaes, Charlie Connally, Mike Gordon, Jim Preston, and Callan Albritton.

Total Number of Defendants: 27

 

Total Number of Firearms: 86

 

Outreach Activities

 

Date

Event

Number of Attendees

Division

January 25, 2022

AMI Youth Program Tampa

38

Tampa

January 27-28, 2022

COPS “Problem Solving for Public Safety Partners” training

22

Fort Myers

January 28, 2022

AMI Kids Jacksonville

19

Jacksonville

February 11, 2022

JLERP Jones High School

60

Orlando

February 16, 2022

AMI Kids Orlando

15

Orlando

February 17-18, 2022

COPS “Problem Solving for Public Safety Partners” training

24

Clearwater

February 28, 2022

Westbrooke Elementary School - Rising Stars Group

19

Orlando

March 10, 2022

Bridge to Success Academy Middle School

44

Jacksonville

March 21, 2022

Boone High School Criminal Justice Magnet

55

Orlando

March 21, 2022

Westbrooke Elementary School - Rising Stars Group

23

Orlando

March 30-31, 2022

COPS “Problem Solving for Public Safety Partners” training

31

Orlando

Total Number of Events: 11

Total Number of Attendees: 350

 

Tampa – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that a federal jury has found Cornelius “Neal” Singleton (60, Miramar) guilty of two counts of international money laundering. Singleton faces up to 20 years’ imprisonment on each count. A sentencing date has not yet been set. Singleton had been indicted on July 13, 2021.

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, on March 28, 2020, Singleton delivered more than $660,000 in cash he intended to have delivered to individuals within Colombia. In cooperation with the Colombian National Police, agents from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Tampa and HSI (Bogota) arranged to have the funds delivered to its intended recipients in Colombia – members of a group of suspected large-scale narcotics traffickers. After the successful delivery was made in Bogota, Colombia, in June 2020, negotiations began with Singleton for additional deliveries of cash to be delivered to Colombia. In June 2021, Singleton brought nearly $1.1 million in cash to downtown St. Petersburg to be delivered to the same individuals in Colombia. HSI agents arrested Singleton at that time.

As a result of Singleton’s arrest, HSI (Tampa) has broadened their investigation targeting multiple persons located within the United States, Colombia, and elsewhere.

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (Tampa), with assistance from the Colombian National Police, the Hialeah Police Department, and the St. Petersburg Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney E. Jackson Boggs, Jr.

Jacksonville, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Dylan Milton Jarvis (30, Orange Park) with unlawful possession of an unregistered National Firearms Act firearm (weapon made from a shotgun). If convicted, Jarvis faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. Jarvis had been indicted on April 7, 2022. He was arrested on April 14, 2022. The indictment also notifies Jarvis that the United States intends to forfeit the weapon made from a shotgun.

According to the facts presented in court and the indictment, at approximately 5:30 pm on January 11, 2022, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) responded to calls of shots fired near Blanding Boulevard, a heavily traveled road in Orange Park. Upon making contact with Jarvis in a parking lot, the CCSO determined that Jarvis had fired three to four rounds into the ground from a 12-gauge shotgun and then discarded the firearm. The CCSO located the shotgun in the immediate vicinity of the parking lot along with multiple spent shotgun shells. Further investigation by the CCSO and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives determined that Jarvis previously sawed off the barrel and the stock of the 12-gauge shotgun. A record check confirmed that this weapon made from a shotgun was not registered to Jarvis in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record, as required under federal law. 

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

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

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.

Jacksonville, Florida – A federal jury has found Ali Akhenaten (formerly known as Darryl Oliver) guilty of five counts of tax fraud. Akhenaten faces a maximum penalty of three years in federal prison for each count. The United States also will seek restitution for the tax loss arising out of the fraud. Akhenaten had been indicted on March 27, 2019. His sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, Akhenaten owned and operated a tax preparation business in Jacksonville called Florida Financial Solutions. On the 2014, 2015, and 2016 tax returns Akhenaten prepared for the business, he underreported his business income and overstated the rent he had paid for his business property. On the tax returns he filed on his own behalf for 2014 and 2015, he underreported the income he had earned from the business.

This case was investigated by Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Arnold B. Corsmeier.

Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that a federal jury has found Prisciliano Garces Angulo (Colombia, 58) guilty of possessing and conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine on a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. Four charged co-conspirators had previously pleaded guilty to the same drug trafficking conspiracy offense.  Garces Angulo faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years, and up to life, in federal prison. His sentencing hearing has been scheduled for June 28, 2022.  He had been indicted on January 13, 2021.

According to testimony presented at trial, in December 2020, a U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) airplane detected a 25-foot open-hull motorboat in the Eastern Pacific Ocean about 200 miles from the nearest point of land. The motorboat was suspected of drug smuggling because it had numerous fuel containers on deck, displayed no indicia of nationality or registration, and was operating in a location where maritime drug smuggling by similar vessels is common. The USCG Cutter Harriet Lane launched a helicopter and small boat to investigate. After the motorboat failed to stop in response to numerous orders and warnings by the USCG, the helicopter was forced to employ disabling fire on the boat’s engine. A USCG boarding team found Garces Angulo and his four charged co-conspirators on board and determined the vessel to be without nationality, and therefore subject to United States jurisdiction. On board the vessel, the boarding team found and seized more than 970 kilograms of cocaine with an estimated worth of over $29 million.

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.

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.

The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorneys Tereza Ohley and Matthew Del Mastro.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Mary S. Scriven has sentenced Christian Agosto (22, Brandon) to four years and three months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Agosto had pleaded guilty on December 15, 2021.

According to court documents, Agosto, a convicted felon, held and displayed an assault rifle during an Instagram live video on July 22, 2021. Agosto was on community control at the time of the video and was being supervised by the Florida Department of Corrections. On July 28, 2021, Agosto’s probation officer and other law enforcement officers searched Agosto’s residence and recovered a Ruger AR-556 rifle, loaded with ammunition, from inside a closet. The firearm matched the rifle Agosto had displayed during the Instagram live video.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Tampa Police Department, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, and the Florida Department of Corrections. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael Sinacore.

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.

Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that a grand jury has returned an indictment charging Jorge Mojocoa (69, Fort McCoy) with attempted enticement of a minor to engage in sex. Mojocoa faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years, and up to life, in federal prison, and a potential life term of supervised release. Mojocoa is being held in federal custody pending trial.

According to court documents, on March 30 and March 31, 2022, Mojocoa utilized emails, phone calls, and text messages to engage in conversations with an undercover agent who was posing online as the guardian of a 12-year-old child. On March 30, 2022, Mojocoa advised the agent that he wished to have sex with the “child” and negotiated to pay $60 for oral sex. On March 31, 2022, Mojocoa arrived at an agreed upon location with cash, candy for the “child,” and lubricant. He was arrested by law enforcement at that time.

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

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the United States Secret Service, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, the Ocala Police Department, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tyrie K. Boyer.

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

Ocala, Florida – Senior United States District Judge Gregory A. Presnell has sentenced Darrell Pierre Hopkins (54, Dunnellon) to 24 months in federal prison for making a materially false statement in connection with the purchase of firearms and knowingly causing a licensed gun dealer to maintain false information in its official records. Hopkins entered a guilty plea to the charges on February 2, 2022. He had been indicted on December 15, 2021.

According to the evidence introduced in court, on or about November 23, 2021, Hopkins entered a federally licensed firearm dealer in Crystal River, Florida, and attempted to purchase two handguns. While completing the mandatory firearm transaction paperwork, Hopkins certified that he had not previously been convicted of a felony. A criminal background check, however, revealed that Hopkins had been previously convicted of robbery, conspiracy to deal cocaine, and intimidation. His purchase was denied. When subsequently confronted by law enforcement, Hopkins admitted that he was the person who had attempted to unlawfully purchase the firearms. As a convicted felon, Hopkins is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.     

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.

This case was investigated by the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Bodnar, Jr.

Tampa, FL – A Florida woman was sentenced today to 151 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for her work for and support of subscription-based sexually exploitative “child modeling” websites. The court also ordered the defendant to forfeit more than $2.2 million, as well as real property located in Weston, Florida.

According to court documents, Tatiana Power, aka Tanya Power, 41, of Weston, helped run the financial affairs of the Newstar Enterprise – an internet-based business aimed at for-profit sexual exploitation of vulnerable children under the guise of “child modeling,” through a collection of websites called the Newstar Websites. Power served as Vice President and part owner of Power Trading Inc., a Florida corporation used to control, operate, and conceal the true nature of the Newstar Enterprise. From as early as 2009 through November 2019, Power served as Power Trading’s (and thus the Newstar Enterprise’s) bookkeeper. She oversaw Power Trading’s QuickBooks, filed its annual corporate registration documents, managed its bank accounts, paid salaries, helped wire money to foreign co-conspirators, and advised co-conspirators on how to evade law enforcement and conceal the true nature of monetary transactions. She routinely assisted in transferring money and making payments for the Newstar Enterprise. From January 2009 until November 2019, Power and her now deceased husband, Kenneth Power, made more than $2.2 million from the Newstar Websites.

According to court documents, founded around 2005, the Newstar Enterprise built, maintained, hosted, and operated the Newstar Websites on servers in the United States and abroad. To populate the Newstar Websites with content, Newstar Enterprise members sourced, enticed, solicited, and recruited males and females under the age of 18, some of whom were prepubescent, to use as “child models” for the Newstar Websites. The Newstar Enterprise used the recruited child-victims, to produce more than 4.6 million sexualized images and videos to distribute and sell on the Newstar Websites. Some of those images and videos, though non-nude, depicted minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. For example, images and videos sold on the Newstar Websites depicted children as young as 6 years old in sexual and provocative poses, wearing police and cheerleader costumes, thong underwear, transparent underwear, revealing swimsuits, pantyhose, and miniskirts. Most of the child-victims – recruited from Ukraine, Moldova, and other nations in Eastern Europe – were particularly vulnerable due to their age and socio-economic status. Law enforcement officers have disabled the servers hosting the Newstar Websites.

The Newstar Enterprise maintained a membership list for subscribers and customers of the Newstar Websites, who originated from 101 nations across the world. Images in the websites’ galleries were freely available to the public to preview, but greater access and more content required purchasing a subscription. The sale of purported “child modeling” content on the Newstar Websites generated more than $9.4 million during the conspiracy. To process, receive and distribute this money, Newstar Enterprise leaders fraudulently opened merchant and bank accounts in the United States and laundered proceeds using a bogus jewelry company. 

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

 

Name

Case Number

Charge(s)

Status

Tatiana Power

8:21-cr-244-MSS-AAS

Conspiracy to commit money laundering

Pleaded guilty, sentenced to 12.5 years in prison

Kenneth Power

8:21-cr-00032-SDM-AAS

Conspiracy to advertise child pornography; conspiracy to distribute child pornography

Defendant deceased: case dismissed

Plamen Velinov

8:21-cr-342-VMC-SPF

Conspiracy to advertise child pornography; conspiracy to distribute child pornography

Indicted

Patrice Wilowski-Mevorah

 

8:21-cr-00206-MSS-TGW

Conspiracy to commit money laundering

63 months in prison

Anthony Lee Kendall

8:21-cr-358-SCB-TGW

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

Defendant deceased

Mary Lou

Bjorkman

8:21-cr-00227-SDM-AAS

Conspiracy to commit money laundering

Pleaded guilty, sentenced to 18 months in prison

 

The defendants have also been notified that the United States intends to forfeit a total of $9.4 million, which are alleged to be traceable to proceeds of the offenses, in addition to real property located in Florida.

These cases were investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Tampa and the High Technology Investigative Unit of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), with substantial assistance provided by the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, HSI offices in Fort Lauderdale, Athens, and the Hague, U.S. Customs and Border Protection in Sofia, Bulgaria, as well as IRS Criminal Investigation in Tampa.

“Powers was complicit in laundering money gained by the sexualization and exploitation of children,” said HSI Tampa Special Agent in Charge John Condon. “HSI is committed to partnering with international law enforcement agencies to find those who exploit innocent children and bring them to justice.”

Assistant U.S. Attorney Frank Murray of the Middle District of Florida and Trial Attorney Kyle Reynolds of the CEOS are prosecuting these cases.

This investigation benefited from foreign law enforcement cooperation and substantial assistance by the Republic of Bulgaria, Supreme Cassation Prosecution Office and National Investigation Service; International Legal Assistance Center (IRC), North-Holland Unit; and the Czech Republic, Supreme Public Prosecutor’s Office, Czech Police. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided assistance securing foreign evidence and its Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training (OPDAT) provided capacity building assistance and mentoring.

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