Middle District of Florida
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Tampa Man Who Set Fire to Champs Store During Civil Disturbance Sentenced to Five Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas Barber has sentenced Terrance Lee Hester Jr. (21, Tampa) to five years in federal prison for damaging or destroying by fire a building used in interstate commerce. The court also ordered Hester to pay restitution and to serve three years of supervised release following completion of his prison sentence.
According to court documents, the events that led to Hester’s conviction occurred around midnight on May 31, 2020, in a shopping plaza located at 2301 East Fowler Avenue in Tampa. Simultaneously with a peaceful protest going on in the area, certain individuals began to loot and destroy property, including setting fire to the Champs Sports store located in the plaza. The building, which also housed other businesses, became fully engulfed in fire, resulting in major damage and loss of property. The loss to the building, the Champs Sports store, and the other businesses is estimated at $1.25 million.
Video footage obtained by investigators revealed that Hester tossed a flaming piece of cloth into the Champs Sports store through a broken window. Fire investigators determined that the fire originated inside the Champs Sports store, and Hester’s act caused or contributed to the cause of the fire.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Tampa Police Department, and Tampa Fire Rescue. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael Sinacore.
Former MacDill Airman Sentenced to More Than 15 Years in Federal Prison for Sexually Exploiting Children Using the InternetRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Susan C. Bucklew has sentenced Trevor Mayer (24, Sheldon, Iowa) to 15 years and 8 months in federal prison for producing material depicting the sexual exploitation of children. Mayer was also ordered to serve a 15-year term of supervised release and to register as a sex offender.
Mayer had pleaded guilty on December 15, 2020.
According to court documents, Mayer sought out children as young as 13 years old online and asked them to send him sexually explicit images using a popular online messaging application (app) or to engage in sexually explicit conduct and livestream the video to him. At times, Mayer attempted to coerce his victims by threatening to harm them or by bribing them with gift cards. When the victims complied, Mayer then used a separate app to surreptitiously record the sexually explicit images and videos without his victims’ knowledge. Mayer also downloaded images depicting the sexual abuse of children as young as 6 years of age.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Colin McDonell.
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.
Orange Park Man Sentenced to 16 Years in Prison for Sexually Exploiting A ChildRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Gregory Thomas Garcia (35, Orange Park) to 16 years in federal prison for child sex trafficking. The court also ordered Garcia to forfeit a 2015 Ford Focus vehicle that he had used in committing the offense. After serving his term of imprisonment, Garcia will be required to register as a sex offender. A hearing to determine restitution to the victim has been scheduled for October 12, 2021. Garcia had pleaded guilty on April 6, 2021.
According to court documents, in September 2020, an agent with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) became aware of messages exchanged between Garcia and the child victim. The messages, dating back to at least October 2019, reflected that Garcia was using the internet to entice the child victim to engage in commercial sex acts. The messages also appeared to reflect ongoing exploitation of the child victim.
When interviewed, the child victim confirmed that Garcia had contacted her and offered to pay her for sex. The child victim disclosed that on one occasion, Garcia had planned to pick the child victim up at her high school, and on another occasion, dropped her off at her high school. The child victim disclosed that, ultimately, Garcia had sexually exploited her on more than 20 occasions. The child victim also provided the HSI agent with additional communications that she had exchanged with Garcia using a popular online messaging application.
From September 21-23, 2020, the HSI agent, posing as the child victim, communicated with Garcia via the same online messaging app. In these communications, Garcia agreed to meet the child victim in a parking lot and pay her $100 in exchange for the child victim allowing Garcia to sexually abuse her. On September 23, 2020, Garcia obtained money to pay the child victim for sex, as well as a soda and candy for the child victim, and then traveled to meet her. Upon arrival, Garcia was arrested. During an interview with law enforcement, Garcia admitted that he had paid the child victim for sex on multiple occasions and that he knew the child victim, who was 16-17 years old, was underage.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Clay County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Laura Cofer Taylor.
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.
This case resulted from the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s efforts to collaborate with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies to detect, investigate, and prosecute coercive human trafficking. This includes the trafficking of minors, forced labor, transnational sex trafficking, and sex trafficking of adults by force, fraud, or coercion. Information on the Department of Justice’s efforts to combat human trafficking can be found at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking.
Former Attorney and Therapist Sentenced to 12 Years in Federal Prison for Receiving Child Sexual Abuse Images Using A Popular Online AppRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Roy B. Dalton, Jr. has sentenced John Robert Cooney (54, Orlando) to 12 years in federal prison for receiving images of children being sexually abused using an online social media application (app). The court also ordered Cooney to register as a sex offender and forfeit the electronic devices that he used to commit this offense.
Cooney had pleaded guilty on March 15, 2021.
According to court documents, on July 7, 2020, Cooney, a former attorney and therapist, received images depicting children as young as 1-2 years old being subjected to sadistic sexual abuse using a popular online messaging app. On August 21, 2020, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Cooney’s home and seized several computers and electronic devices. A forensic review of Cooney’s devices revealed more than 1,800 images and 2,400 videos depicting the sexual abuse of young children. In addition to receiving these images, Cooney was also trading and exchanging online cloud storage links to collections of child sexual abuse materials with other users on this mobile app.
This case was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Amanda Daniels.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Fentanyl Dealer Pleads Guilty to Distributing Narcotics Resulting in DeathRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – Kimberly Fleer (27, Seffner) has pleaded guilty to distributing fentanyl to an individual, causing that individual’s death. Fleer faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years, and up to life, in federal prison. A sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled.
According to the plea agreement, on November 2, 2019, in Seffner, Florida Fleer distributed narcotics to an individual who injected the narcotics and died. Family members later found the individual and immediately called 911. The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office responded, found two syringes as well as three baggies containing fentanyl near the victim’s body, and also recovered the victim’s cell phone. Text messages on the phone and surveillance footage confirmed Fleer had distributed narcotics to the victim that day, shortly before he died.
On November 5, 2019, Fleer sent a text message to a third party in which she stated, “a dude od on my stuff today n im extremely worried n trynna cover my tracks,” demonstrating she was aware the victim had died because of the narcotics she sold him. Nevertheless, she continued to distribute fentanyl, including to an undercover detective the same day she sent that message, as well as again on November 8, 2019.
Later on November 8, 2019, HCSO detectives made contact with Fleer while she was attempting to distribute fentanyl to the passenger in her vehicle. Detectives interviewed the passenger, who admitted she was there to buy narcotics from Fleer. Detectives located four plastic ring bags containing a white powder in the passenger side front door and another bag in the driver’s side front door handle. The bags tested positive for fentanyl. Law enforcement also recovered Fleer’s phone, which contained text messages she exchanged with the victim to arrange selling him drugs on the day he died.
The Hillsborough County Medical Examiner’s Office conducted an autopsy and determined the victim’s cause of death was intoxication from the combined effects of fentanyl and other substances. The toxicology report revealed that the level of fentanyl in the victim’s blood was 0.053 mg/L, roughly ten times a fatal dose.
This case is part of the Middle District of Florida’s anti-opioid strategy to combat opioid trafficking and abuse. This case was investigated by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from Hillsborough County Medical Examiner’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Diego F. Novaes.
Indiana Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for Interstate Stalking Resulting in DeathRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States District Judge Roy B. Dalton, Jr. has sentenced Jarvis Wayne Madison (62, New Albany, Indiana) to life in federal prison for interstate stalking resulting in death. Madison was indicted in January 2017 and had pleaded guilty in March 2021.
According to court documents and evidence introduced at his sentencing, Madison, who was married to R.M., physically, emotionally, and mentally abused her for three years before he stalked her and killed her.
The events that led to his conviction began on November 15, 2016, in Indiana, when Madison held R.M. against her will, threatened to kill her, and shot at her with his firearm. R.M. was able to escape from Madison and, with the help of a relative, relocate to Ormond Beach, Florida.
From November 15 to November 27, 2016, Madison left multiple voicemails on and sent multiple text messages to the cellphone of R.M.’s relative, attempting to get R.M. to speak to him. In these voicemails and text messages, Madison sought to terrorize R.M., threatening that she would see him again when she least expected it.
In the days immediately preceding R.M.’s disappearance, Madison stayed with Belenda Sandy at her West Virginia residence. (Sandy, 60, of Buckhannon, West Virginia previously pleaded guilty and was sentenced to seven years in federal prison for obstruction of justice for her role in aiding Madison’s crimes.) Madison then left Sandy’s residence, drove to Florida, and conducted surveillance on R.M.
On November 27, Madison watched R.M. leave her relative’s residence in Ormond Beach to go for a jog. Wearing a disguise, Madison stalked R.M. and waited for her to finish her run before he kidnapped her in his SUV. A short time later, as she sat in the front seat of his SUV, Madison shot R.M. three times point blank with a .45 caliber pistol, killing her. With R.M.’s body still in his SUV, Madison left Florida and traveled back to Sandy’s residence in West Virginia. After spending the night there, Madison bought a shovel and a tarp and drove to Tennessee, where he buried R.M.’s body in a shallow grave.
Following R.M.’s disappearance on November 27, 2016, authorities began an investigation that resulted in Madison’s arrest in Kentucky on December 2, 2016. During a subsequent search of Madison’s SUV, law enforcement recovered the firearm used in the homicide, as well as the binoculars he used to stalk R.M. Law enforcement also observed blood stains on the front passenger seat of the SUV. When interviewed, Madison admitted he shot R.M. and later directed authorities where to find her body.
At Madison’s sentencing, the United States presented evidence not only of Madison’s physical, emotional, and mental abuse of R.M. prior to killing her but also evidence that he had been married at least eight times before, and that he had abused each of those women in the same ways. At his sentencing hearing, several of those women bravely testified in detail about Madison’s years of physical, emotional, and mental abuse during their relationships, recounting Madison’s constant threats that he would kill them and their family if they ever reported the abuse to police or attempted to leave him.
Volusia County Sheriff Michael J. Chitwood stated, “This horrific case will never be forgotten here in Volusia County. My heart will always go out to the victim, her family, and friends, and I pray that they’ve found some peace in knowing the coward who killed her will never walk free again. On behalf of the Volusia Sheriff’s Office, the residents of our county and all victims of domestic violence, I want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI and every agency involved in investigating and prosecuting this tragic case.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (Jacksonville, Knoxville, and Louisville Field Offices), with assistance from the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office, the United States Marshals Service, the Indiana State Police, and the Clarksville (Indiana) Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Shawn P. Napier and Daniel P. Jancha.
Domestic violence is a crime. If you are a victim of domestic violence, or know someone who is, it is normal to feel scared, helpless, and vulnerable. You are not alone. Help is available locally through City Police Departments and County Sheriff’s Offices, as well as through national entities such as the Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence at 1-303-839-1852.
Daytona Man Sentenced to More Than 15 Years for Selling A Firearm and MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Roy B. Dalton has sentenced Lascelles Peter Francis, III (30, Daytona) to 15 years and 10 months in federal prison for possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Francis had pleaded guilty on March 15, 2021.
According to court documents, on October 28, 2020, Francis sold approximately 4.8 grams of methamphetamine and a handgun to a confidential informant in the Daytona Beach area. At the time of the offense, Francis had multiple prior felony convictions, including aggravated assault with a dangerous weapon, aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, and selling methamphetamine within a 1,000 feet of a park.
“Reducing violent crime and protecting the public we serve is a priority for ATF,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Craig W. Saier. “We will continue to work vigorously with our law enforcement partners to make sure that violent career criminals in possession of firearms are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
This case was investigated by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Daytona Beach Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Amanda Daniels.
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.
Three Former Hamilton Correctional Institution Annex Officers Plead Guilty to Violating Inmate’s Civil RightsRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – Ethan Burkett (25, Live Oak, FL), Coty Michael Wiltgen (31, Live Oak, FL), and William Story Shackelford (24, Valdosta, GA) have pleaded guilty to beating an inmate in their custody, in violation of the inmate’s civil rights. Each faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison.
According to court documents, on March 3, 2020, while on duty as correctional officers at the Hamilton Correctional Institution Annex (HCI) in Jasper, Florida, Burkett, Wiltgen, and Shackelford struck an inmate multiple times while he was lying handcuffed on the ground. Specifically, Wiltgen and Shackelford escorted the victim to an outdoor area at HCI and assaulted the victim following an earlier altercation involving the victim and Burkett. The victim had pushed Burkett off his path while he was chasing after another inmate inside a dormitory. When the victim then tried to walk away after pushing Burkett, Wiltgen sprayed the victim with pepper spray. The victim then laid down and offered no resistance as Wiltgen handcuffed him. Wiltgen and Shackelford then escorted the cooperative and compliant victim out of the dormitory to an outdoor area at HCI, out of camera view, and made the victim fall to the ground. Shackelford then held the victim down on the ground with his knee in the victim’s back to keep him from moving and struck the victim in the side. Wiltgen kicked the victim in the face approximately 15 times. When Burkett arrived outside, he went up to the victim and hit him twice with an open hand to the upper back and punched the victim’s body. The victim was screaming during the assault and was knocked unconscious by Wiltgen kicking him in the face. The officers’ actions caused the inmate to suffer multiple injuries. Burkett, Wiltgen, and Shackelford knew that their use of force against the victim was unnecessary and excessive, counter to their training, and completely unjustified at the time that they used such force and/or watched others use such force against the victim.
This case was investigated by the Florida Department of Corrections Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Washington.
Tampa Woman Sentenced in Credit Card Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge William Jung has sentenced Ariel Tillman (37, Tampa) to two years and eight months in federal prison for credit card fraud and aggravated identity theft. As part of her sentence, the court also entered a money judgment of $225,271.04, the proceeds of the fraud.
Tillman had pleaded guilty on December 3, 2019.
According to court documents, from approximately July through October 2018, Tillman and others devised and executed a scheme whereby they obtained stolen credit card numbers and used those account numbers to purchase stamps at night from self-service kiosks at various U.S. Post Offices. They then sold the stamps on the secondhand market. During the course of its investigation, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service obtained dozens of surveillance photos of Tillman using counterfeit credit cards to make purchases at Post Offices in Brandon, Brandon-Bloomingdale, Riverview, Sun City Center (Ruskin), Temple Terrace, Carrollwood (Tampa), Dunedin, Forest Hills, St. Petersburg, New Tampa, and Pinellas Park.
This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Lee County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rachel Jones.
Former Delray Beach Doctor Sentenced to Six Years in Federal Prison for $20 Million Health Care Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge William Jung has sentenced Dr. Richard Davidson (Delray Beach, 42) to six years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit health care fraud. As part of his sentence, the court ordered Davidson to forfeit approximately $650,000 in funds traceable to the offense or as substitute assets. The court also entered a money judgment of $2.47 million and ordered $10.72 million in restitution. Davidson lost his medical license due to his conviction.
Davidson had pleaded guilty on September 16, 2020.
According to court documents, in 2018, Davidson and his conspirators established a conglomerate of durable medical equipment (“DME”) supply companies. During the creation of the companies, they lied to Medicare to secure billing privileges. The scheme involved placing the companies in the names of straw owners. By concealing the companies’ true ownership, the conspirators secretly gained control of multiple companies. This enabled the conspirators to submit high volumes of illegal DME claims while attempting to evade law enforcement scrutiny. In one year, through the conglomerate, Davidson and his conspirators submitted more than $20 million in illegal DME claims, resulting in more than $10 million in payments from Medicare and the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (“CHAMPVA”).
To attain such high volumes of claims, the conspirators used bribes and kickbacks. Specifically, Davidson and his conspirators illegally purchased thousands of DME claims from so-called “marketers.” The marketers, for their part, had generated the claims under the guise of “telemedicine,” but no telemedicine had actually occurred. Instead, the “marketers” had bribed doctors to sign the DME brace orders that supported the claims. Davidson and his conspirators paid millions to secure the illegal DME claims for submission to Medicare and CHAMPVA.
“It’s sickening to see a member of the medical community profiting from a scheme that’s cheating the nation’s federally funded healthcare program. The FBI and its law enforcement partners will continue to expose the greed and deceit taking precedence over patient care,” said FBI Tampa Special Agent in Charge Michael McPherson.
“CHAMPVA ensures that family members of service-connected disabled veterans receive quality health care services,” stated David Spilker, Special Agent in Charge at the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General (VA OIG). “This sentence holds the defendant accountable for his criminal actions to defraud both CHAMPVA and the Medicare program and reflects the magnitude of his multi-million dollar health care fraud scheme. The VA OIG thanks our law enforcement partners for their collaboration in this important investigation.”
This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Veterans Affairs – Office of Inspector General, and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, Tampa Field Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kristen A. Fiore and James A. Muench.
Florida Man Sentenced to More Than Seven Years in Federal Prison for Shooting IncidentRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge William Jung has sentenced Gabriel Galvan (32, Sarasota) to seven years and two months in federal prison for possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. The court also ordered Galvan to forfeit the firearm and ammunition used in the offense.
Galvan had pleaded guilty on April 27, 2021.
According to court documents, on February 10, 2020, Galvan was standing in the middle of the street in a Sarasota neighborhood, blocking traffic. When a driver blew his horn and gestured to Galvan to move out of the road, Galvan pulled a gun from his back pocket and fired two shots. The car drove off and Galvan fled the area.
Officers from the Sarasota Police Department then responded to the area, made contact with Galvan, and located the firearm hidden underneath an air conditioner, as well as two spent shell casings.
Galvan later confessed to possessing and firing the firearm. Further, a DNA analysis comparing Galvan’s DNA to a sample taken from the firearm concluded it was 700 billion times more likely that the sample came from Galvan than anyone else. At the time of the shooting, Galvan had several previous felony convictions and therefore was and is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Sarasota Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Charlie D. Connally.
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.
Three Orlando Men Sentenced for Robbery of Cellphone StoreRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Paul G. Byron has sentenced Tauri Benjamin Rivas Nunez (23, Orlando) to 11 years and 3 months in federal prison for aiding and abetting the robbery of a cellphone store and aiding and abetting the brandishing of a firearm during the robbery. Rivas Nunez had been found guilty by a federal jury on May 12, 2021. His co-defendants, Victor Hugo Castillo Vallejo (29, Orlando) and Luis Miguel Valdez Mendez (28, Orlando), previously pleaded guilty and were sentenced to federal prison sentences on July 14, 2021. Castillo Vallejo was sentenced to 7 years and 6 months in federal prison for aiding and abetting the robbery and aiding and abetting the brandishing of a firearm. Valdez Mendez was sentenced to 5 years in federal prison for aiding and abetting the robbery.
According to evidence presented at trial, on August 10, 2019, Rivas Nunez, Valdez Mendez, and a co-defendant entered a T-Mobile store located at 5420 Deep Lake Road in Oviedo. Rivas Nunez placed an employee in a chokehold, while a co-defendant took another employee into a back room at gunpoint and ordered the employee to empty a safe containing cellphones and merchandise. Valdez Mendez maintained control of a customer who was present inside the store during the robbery. Rivas Nunez removed money from the cash register and the three individuals ran from the store with the stolen items. Castillo Vallejo waited outside the store during the robbery and acted as a getaway driver. Rivas Nunez, Castillo Vallejo, and Valdez Mendez were located immediately after the robbery at a home in Orlando. The stolen merchandise was recovered from the residence, along with the firearm used during the robbery.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Daniel P. Jancha and Chauncey A. Bratt.
Convicted Felon Sentenced to Five Years in Federal Prison for Possessing Five FirearmsRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge William Jung has sentenced Christopher Calkins (29, St. Petersburg) to five years in federal prison for possessing firearms and ammunition as a convicted felon. The court also ordered Calkins to forfeit the firearms and ammunition involved in the offense.
Calkins had pleaded guilty on January 22, 2020.
According to court documents, on October 11, 2018, law enforcement officers executed a narcotics-related search warrant at Calkins’ home, where the officers seized 12 pounds of marijuana, $7,900 in cash, five loaded firearms (including two assault rifles), and 63 rounds of additional ammunition. The firearms were located out in the open and unsecured and Calkins was babysitting a small child at the time. Calkins later confessed to possessing the marijuana, the firearms, and the ammunition. Because Calkins had a prior felony conviction he was and is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, and the St. Petersburg Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Charlie D. Connally.
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.
Palm Coast Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Illegal Possession of A Firearm and Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine BaseRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan has sentenced Jerard Keaton Davis (35, Palm Coast) to 15 years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and for possessing with the intent to distribute cocaine base. The court also ordered Davis to forfeit the firearm and ammunition he had possessed as part of the offense.
Davis had been found guilty on April 14, 2021, after a bench trial.
According to court documents, on July 26, 2018, during the execution of a search warrant at Davis’s place of business in Palm Coast, Davis was found in possession of a loaded .380 caliber pistol, a quantity of cocaine base, and drug distribution paraphernalia. At the time, Davis had multiple prior felony convictions, including four convictions for sale of narcotics or possession of narcotics with the intent to distribute them, and was therefore prohibited from possessing a firearm under federal law.
“We greatly appreciate our Safe Neighborhoods partnership with ATF, the Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida,” said Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly. “Jerard Davis had been terrorizing the nearby businesses and selling poison in our community for a long time. We appreciated the significant sentence he received to federal prison.”
“Removing firearms and ammunition from the hands of armed narcotics traffickers, especially those who are convicted felons, is at the forefront of ATF’s mission,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Craig W. Saier. “This sentencing is another great example that working jointly with our law enforcement partners makes our communities safer.”
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David B. Mesrobian.
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.
Palm Bay Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Transporting and Possessing Child Sex Abuse Material Using Cloud Storage on the InternetRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Wendy W. Berger today sentenced Xzavier Scholtens (20, Palm Bay) to 10 years in federal prison for using the internet to transport and possess videos depicting the sexual abuse of young children. Scholtens was also ordered to serve a 25-year term of supervised release and register as a sex offender.
Scholtens had been found guilty after a jury trial on April 28, 2021.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, this case arose from an online undercover operation conducted by agents from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in McAllen, Texas. The undercover operation targeted individuals who were using a particular social media platform on the internet to trade and distribute child sex abuse images and videos.
On November 19, 2019, Scholtens directly messaged one of the undercover agents and offered to “trade.” The undercover agent responded that Scholtens should send something first, in order to receive something in return. A short time later, Scholtens sent a hyperlink that led to a cloud storage folder that contained 12 videos. Each of the videos depicted the sexual abuse of young children whose ages ranged from 1 to 15 years old.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in McAllen, Texas and Rockledge, Florida and the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Emily C. L. Chang.
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.
Nepalese Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Attempting to Entice and Meet A Pregnant 12-Year-Old Child for SexRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Sanjay Lama (32, Jacksonville) to 10 years in federal prison for using the internet to attempt to entice a 12-year-old child to engage in sexual activity. Lama was also ordered to serve a 10-year term of supervised release and register as a sex offender. Lama was arrested on September 25, 2019, in Jacksonville and has been detained since that date. Lama is a citizen of Nepal who, at the time of this offense, was legally residing in Jacksonville and working as an information technology specialist for a local company.
A federal jury had found Lama guilty on March 26, 2021.
According to evidence and testimony introduced during the trial, on September 25, 2019, an undercover FBI agent, posing online as a pregnant 12-year-old child, was contacted by Lama, who was using the screen name “Awesome_Jack.” Lama and the undercover agent engaged in online conversation using a social media app known both for its anonymity as well as for being a way to meet others online for sex. Throughout that day, Lama sent 160 text messages expressing his desire to meet the 12-year-old “child” to engage in sexual activity. Lama provided graphic descriptions of the sexual acts that he wanted to perform on the “child.” Later that afternoon, Lama left his workplace in downtown Jacksonville and rode his motorcycle to a prearranged location at a shopping center in south Jacksonville to meet the “child.” His plan was to take her to her nearby residence for sex. When he arrived at the meeting location, Lama was approached by FBI agents as he was texting with the “child” on his cell phone and was arrested.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Jacksonville. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
CPA Pleads Guilty to Defrauding Elderly InvestorsRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – Kenneth Murry Rossman (63, of Bradenton) today pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud and aiding and assisting in the preparation and filing of a false income tax return. He faces a maximum penalty of eight years in federal prison.
According to the plea agreement, Rossman, a Florida certified public accountant and licensed insurance agent, conspired with Phillip Roy Wasserman, a former lawyer and licensed insurance agent, to defraud elderly victim-investors. The conspirators made false and fraudulent misrepresentations and concealed material information in order to convince elderly victim-investors to put their money into Wasserman’s new insurance venture, “FastLife.” Some victim-investors were persuaded to liquidate traditional investments, such as annuities, and/or to borrow funds against existing life insurance policies to generate cash to invest in the venture. These victim-investors were not told about surrender fees and other costs associated with the liquidations, and Rossman prepared income tax returns for victim-investors in a manner designed to conceal negative personal tax consequences that resulted from the liquidations from both the victim-investors and the Internal Revenue Service.
Victim-investors’ money was used to perpetuate the fraud and for the conspirators’ personal enrichment. Wasserman paid Rossman a percentage of the victim-investors’ money as compensation for his role in the conspiracy. Wasserman also used victim-investors’ money to make payments to earlier victim-investors in the FastLife venture, as well to as victim-investors in his earlier hedge fund and real estate fund ventures. Wasserman spent a significant amount of the victim-investors’ money to finance a lavish lifestyle that included luxury residences, high-end vehicles, jet skis, jewelry, personal celebrity entertainment, gambling, retail shopping, home improvements, personal insurance, and many other expenses for his personal benefit and the benefit of family members.
The conspiracy resulted in victim-investors losing more than $6.3 million.
In November 2020, Wasserman was charged in a superseding indictment with filing false income tax returns, tax evasion, conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud, and substantive counts of wire fraud and mail fraud. His case is currently set for trial in December 2021.
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 Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation and the Florida Office of Financial Regulation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Rachelle DesVaux Bedke, David W.A. Chee, Colin P. McDonell, and Rachel Jones.
Convicted Sex Offender Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Distributing Child Sexual Abuse VideoRead the Press Release
Orlando, FL – U.S. District Judge Carlos E. Mendoza has sentenced Jeffery Stephen Heck, Jr. (28, Titusville) to 20 years in federal prison for distributing child sexual abuse material. Heck was also ordered to serve a 10-year term of supervised release, register as a sex offender, and forfeit his smartphone.
Heck had pleaded guilty on April 21, 2021.
According to court documents, a law enforcement officer acting in an undercover capacity on a popular social media application (app) identified Heck as a member of a group on this app, which group is dedicated to the sharing of child sexual abuse material. On January 22, 2020, Heck distributed and posted a video depicting the sexual abuse of a child to that same group on the app.
On July 13, 2020, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Heck’s residence in South Carolina, where he had since relocated. Law enforcement seized his cellphone which contained approximately 116 images and one video depicting children being sexually abused. Additionally, law enforcement discovered a text message thread on his phone in which Heck had solicited nude photos from, and sent a nude photo to, an individual that Heck believed to be 15 years old.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer M. Harrington.
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.
New York Man Sentenced to More Than 10 Years in Federal Prison for Conspiring and Attempting to Engage in Sex Trafficking of A MinorRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Charlene Edwards Honeywell has sentenced Michael Davis (37, Jamaica, NY) to 10 years and 10 months in federal prison for conspiring and attempting to engage in the sex trafficking of a minor. Davis was also ordered to serve a 10-year term of supervised release and to register as a sex offender.
A jury had found Davis guilty on April 9, 2021.
According to evidence presented at trial, in August 2017, Davis began using a social networking website to recruit young women to engage in commercial sex. In December 2017, Davis and a co-conspirator, Samantha Broadhead, used the website to send a message to an individual whom he believed was a 17-year-old girl living in Denver, Colorado. Unbeknownst to Davis, he was communicating online and by telephone with an undercover agent who was investigating individuals who engage in child sex trafficking.
Over the course of several weeks, Davis conspired with Broadhead to attempt to recruit, entice, transport, and obtain the purported 17-year-old girl to travel to the Tampa Bay area so that he could cause the “child” to engage in commercial sex. In an effort to persuade the “child,” Davis discussed the lavish lifestyle that the “child” could have and sent photos depicting large amounts of cash and marijuana. Davis orchestrated the purchase of a one-way bus ticket for the notional “child” and promised to pick her up from the bus station. The day before the “child” was expected to arrive in Tampa, federal agents coordinated with local law enforcement officers to detain Davis. Davis admitted, among other things, that he had been communicating with the “child” and that he had also purchased a bus ticket for the “child.”
During the course of the investigation, Davis made threats to Broadhead in an effort to coerce her to retract her own statements to law enforcement and report that she was the main person, not Davis, who had been communicating with the undercover agent.
Broadhead previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to engage in the sex trafficking of a minor. Her sentencing hearing is scheduled for September 2, 2021.
Special Agent in Charge, Michael F. McPherson stated, “Individuals attempting to engage in the sex trafficking of minors represent an abhorrent threat to our children. The FBI and its law enforcement partners collaborate each day to identify, investigate, and stop those conducting this heinous crime.”
This case was investigated by Federal Bureau Investigation, with assistance from the Largo Police Department and the Tampa Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lisa M. Thelwell.
This case resulted from the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s efforts to collaborate with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies to detect, investigate, and prosecute coercive human trafficking in the Tampa area. This includes the trafficking of minors, forced labor, transnational sex trafficking, and sex trafficking of adults by force, fraud, or coercion. Information on the Department of Justice’s efforts to combat human trafficking can be found at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking.
Ocala Neurologist Agrees to Pay $800,000 to Resolve Allegations of Prescribing Medically Unnecessary and Unreasonable DrugsRead the Press Release
Orlando, FL – Acting United States Attorney Karin Hoppmann announces that Florida Neurological Center, LLC and its owner, Dr. Lance Kim (61, Ocala), have agreed to pay $800,000 to resolve allegations that Dr. Kim prescribed medically unnecessary and unreasonable prescription drugs, specifically, Acthar Gel®, which cost the Medicare program approximately $35,000 each time Dr. Kim prescribed a five-day supply.
The settlement partially resolves allegations made in a qui tam lawsuit under the False Claims Act filed in Orlando by Michael Singbush, Andrea Herrera, and Harvey Kessler Meyer, IV. The Act permits private individuals, referred to as relators, to sue on behalf of the government for false claims and to share in any recovery. Relators will receive a total of $144,000 as their share of the recovery.
The government’s action in this matter illustrates the emphasis on combating health care fraud, and one of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services, at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
The case is captioned United States ex rel. Singbush v. Florida Neurological Center, LLC, Case No. 5:19-cv-603-Oc-GPB-PRL (M.D. Fla.). The claims settled by this agreement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
This case was handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida, with investigative assistance from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. Assistant United States Attorney Katherine Ho coordinated the investigation.
Chinese National Sentenced to More than Three Years in Federal Prison for Attempting to Illegally Export Maritime Raiding Craft and Engines to ChinaRead the Press Release
A Chinese national was sentenced Wednesday to three years and six months in federal prison for conspiring to submit false export information through the federal government’s Automated Export System and to export maritime raiding craft and engines to China fraudulently, and attempting to export that equipment fraudulently in violation of U.S. law. As part of his plea agreement, he agreed to the administrative forfeiture of $114,834.27, the amount caused to be wired to a U.S. manufacturer to purchase the raiding craft and engines.
Ge Songtao, 51, of Nanjing, People’s Republic of China, pleaded guilty on Nov. 2, 2020. According to court documents, Ge was the chairman of Shanghai Breeze Technology Co. Ltd., a company headquartered in Shanghai, China. Beginning in 2018, Ge was interested in identifying a source of supply of U.S.-manufactured combat rubber raiding craft equipped with engines that could operate using gasoline, diesel fuel or jet fuel. These vessels and multi-fuel engines are used by the U.S. military and can be operated after being launched from a submerged submarine or dropped into the ocean by an aircraft. No comparable engine is manufactured in China.
One of Ge's U.S.-based employees, co-defendant Yang Yang, attempted to order seven of the raiding craft equipped with these engines from a U.S. manufacturer. When the U.S. manufacturer suggested that Yang purchase cheaper gasoline-fueled engines, she insisted that she wanted to purchase the military-model multi-fuel engines. To induce the manufacturer to sell this equipment, Yang falsely represented that her customer was an entity called United Vision Limited in Hong Kong, rather than Shanghai Breeze Technology Co. in Shanghai. One of Yang’s Chinese co-workers had told her that American manufacturers would be more likely to sell to an entity in Hong Kong rather than one in mainland China. By misrepresenting what company was buying the equipment and where it was located, Yang caused the entry of false information in the Department of Commerce’s Automated Export System in violation of federal law.
To facilitate the purchase of the raiding craft and engines, Ge arranged for wire transfers to a separate company in Hong Kong, Belt Consulting Company Limited, which in turn wired $114,834.27 to the U.S. manufacturer. He also coordinated plans to send an employee to Hong Kong to receive the raiding craft and engines and transship them to mainland China. The plot failed and authorities arrested Ge and his co-defendants before the raiding craft and engines were shipped overseas.
On Sept. 15, 2020, Yang pleaded guilty to the same two charges to which Ge pleaded guilty, and on Dec. 9, 2020, was sentenced to a time-served sentence or the equivalent of approximately 14 months’ imprisonment. On Aug. 13, 2020, co-defendant Zheng Yan pleaded guilty to conspiring to submit false export information and to export the raiding craft and engines fraudulently in violation of U.S. law, and on March 31, was sentenced to a time-served sentence or the equivalent of approximately 6 months’ imprisonment and 11 months’ home-detention. The trial of remaining co-defendant, Fan Yang, is scheduled to begin on August 2.
Acting U.S. Attorney Karin Hoppmann for the Middle District of Florida made the announcement.
The FBI, the U.S. Naval Criminal Investigative Service, the U.S. Department of Commerce – Bureau of Industry and Security, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Heather Schmidt of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Controls Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Coolican of the Middle District of Florida prosecuted the case.
Chinese National Sentenced to More Than Three Years in Federal Prison for Attempting to Export Maritime Raiding Craft and Engines to China IllegallyRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Harvey Schlesinger today sentenced Ge Songtao (51, Nanjing, People’s Republic of China) to three years and six months years in federal prison for conspiring to submit false export information through the federal government’s Automated Export System and to export maritime raiding craft and engines to China fraudulently, and attempting to export that equipment fraudulently, in violation of U.S. law. As part of his plea agreement, he agreed to the administrative forfeiture of $114,834.27, the amount caused to be wired to a U.S. manufacturer to purchase the raiding craft and engines.
At the sentencing hearing, Judge Schlesinger found that Ge Songtao intended to buy the engines in order to reverse-engineer them and supply his own version to the Chinese military. In addition, the judge found that, after being charged in this case, Ge Songtao attempted to obstruct the proceedings in multiple ways, including soliciting an associate in China to help him manufacture false documents for use in court.
Ge Songtao had pleaded guilty on November 2, 2020.
According to court documents, Ge Songtao was the chairman of Shanghai Breeze Technology Co. Ltd., a company headquartered in Shanghai, China. Beginning in 2018, Ge Songtao was interested in identifying a source of supply of U.S.-manufactured combat rubber raiding craft equipped with engines that could operate using gasoline, diesel fuel, or jet fuel. These vessels and multi-fuel engines are used by the U.S. military and can be operated after being launched from a submerged submarine or dropped into the ocean by an aircraft. No comparable engine is manufactured in China.
One of Ge Songtao’s U.S.-based employees, co-defendant Yang Yang, attempted to order seven of the raiding craft equipped with these engines from a U.S. manufacturer. When the U.S. manufacturer suggested that Yang Yang purchase cheaper gasoline-fueled engines, she insisted that she wanted to purchase the military-model multi-fuel engines. To induce the manufacturer to sell this equipment, Yang falsely represented that her customer was an entity called United Vision Limited in Hong Kong, rather than Shanghai Breeze Technology Co. in Shanghai. One of Yang’s Chinese co-workers had told her that American manufacturers would be more likely to sell to an entity in Hong Kong rather than one in mainland China. By misrepresenting what company was buying the equipment, and where it was located, Yang caused the entry of false information in the Department of Commerce’s Automated Export System in violation of federal law.
To facilitate the purchase of the raiding craft and engines, Ge Songtao arranged for wire transfers to a separate company in Hong Kong, Belt Consulting Company Limited, which in turn wired $114,834.27 to the U.S. manufacturer. He also coordinated plans to send an employee to Hong Kong to receive the raiding craft and engines and transship them to mainland China. The plot failed and authorities arrested Ge Songtao and his co-defendants before the raiding craft and engines were shipped overseas.
On September 15, 2020, Yang Yang pleaded guilty to the same two charges to which Ge Songtao has pleaded guilty, and on December 9, 2020, was sentenced to a time-served sentence or the equivalent of approximately 14 months’ imprisonment. On August 13, 2020, co-defendant Zheng Yan pleaded guilty to conspiring to submit false export information and to export the raiding craft and engines fraudulently, in violation of U.S. law, and on March 31, 2021, was sentenced to a time-served sentence or the equivalent of approximately 6 months’ imprisonment and 11 months’ home-detention. The trial of remaining co-defendant, Fan Yang, is scheduled to begin on August 2, 2021.
"The illegal exportation of sensitive technology poses a clear, significant threat to our national security,” said Brian Dugan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Norfolk Division. “This case proves that the FBI and our law enforcement partners are fully dedicated to preventing the theft of vital technologies, no matter how challenging the work. We will continue to stand up for innovators who create products that protect American lives, and bring to justice anyone who attempts to circumvent the laws that protect these technologies.”
“Ge Songtao deserves to be held fully accountable for his attempts to illegally acquire sensitive U.S. technology that ultimately threatened the operational readiness and safety of our nation’s military,” said Special Agent in Charge Thomas Cannizzo of the NCIS Southeast Field Office. “This sentencing should serve as a warning that NCIS and our law enforcement partners remain committed to rooting out any and all criminal attempts to compromise our nation’s critical technologies and infrastructure. We sincerely thank our partners for their substantial efforts during this investigation to preserve U.S. warfighter superiority.”
“Special Agents of the Bureau of Industry and Security’s Office of Export Enforcement (OEE) are dedicated to ensuring that individuals and companies of concern do not attempt to unlawfully undermine our military’s qualitative technological edge by circumventing applicable export controls,” said Ariel Joshua Leinwand, Special Agent in Charge of OEE’s Miami Field Office. “This significant sentencing represents the results of an intensive and collaborative approach with our law enforcement partners to vigorously enforce our nation’s export control laws.”
“ATF will continue to support our federal partners and provide our firearms expertise in order to protect national security,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Craig W. Saier.
This case was investigated by the FBI, the U.S. Naval Criminal Investigative Service, the U.S. Department of Commerce – Bureau of Industry and Security, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Coolican and Heather Schmidt, Senior Trial Attorney, Counterintelligence and Export Section, U.S. Department of Justice.
Sixteen Members of A White Supremacist Gang Indicted for Violent Crimes in Aid of RacketeeringRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Karin Hoppmann announces the unsealing of an indictment charging 16 individuals with violent crimes in aid of racketeering. The names of the individuals, their charges, and their potential penalties appear in the chart below.
According to the indictment, the defendants were members of Unforgiven, a racketeering enterprise engaged in acts of murder, violence, kidnapping, robbery, obstruction of justice, and other offenses. The indictment also alleges that Unforgiven used “corrupt law enforcement officers and state employees” to gather information about people, investigations, and prosecutions, and to smuggle contraband to incarcerated inmates. The indictment charges each of the 16 defendants with committing at least one violent act in aid of Unforgiven, including kidnappings, conspiracies to commit assault, threats of violence, and assaults with deadly weapons.
One charge accuses David Howell of assaulting protestors with a dangerous weapon at a Peace Walk for Black Lives held on June 5, 2020.
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, the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the St. Petersburg Police Department, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Natalie Hirt Adams.
This investigation is the result of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) program. 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 https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Defendant (Age)
Charges
Maximum Penalties
Maverick Maher, a/k/a Saxon
(39)
Pensacola
Count Two: Assault in Aid of Racketeering, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1959(a)(3) and 2 Maximum term of 20 years in prison; 5 years of supervised release; and a $250,000 fine Count Four: Conspiracy to Commit Assault in Aid of Racketeering Activity, 18 U.S.C. § 1959(a)(6) Maximum term of 3 years in prison; 1 year of supervised release; and a $250,000 fine Count Six: Threats of Violence in Aid of Racketeering Activity, 18 U.S.C. §§ 1959(a)(4) and 2 Maximum term of 5 years in prison; 3 years of supervised release; and a $250,000 fine Count Seven: Conspiracy to Commit Assault in Aid of Racketeering Activity, 18 U.S.C. § 1959(a)(6) Maximum term of 3 years in prison; 1 year of supervised release; and a $250,000 fineCount Eight: Conspiracy to Commit Assault in Aid of Racketeering Activity, 18 U.S.C. § 1959(a)(6)
Maximum term of 3 years in prison; 1 year of supervised release; and a $250,000 fine
Count Nine: Threats of Violence in Aid of Racketeering Activity, 18 U.S.C. § 1959(a)(4) Maximum term of 5 years in prison; 3 years of supervised release; and a $250,000 fineJoshua Fisher, a/k/a Hammer
(27)
Brooksville
Count Two: Assault in Aid of Racketeering, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1959(a)(3) and 2 Maximum term of 20 years in prison; 5 years of supervised release; and a $250,000 fine Count Three: Kidnapping in Aid of Racketeering Activity, 18 U.S.C. §§ 1959(a)(1) and 2 Maximum term of 20 years in prison; 5 years of supervised release; and a $250,000 fine Count Four: Conspiracy to Commit Assault in Aid of Racketeering Activity, 18 U.S.C. § 1959(a)(6) Maximum term of 3 years in prison; 1 year of supervised release; and a $250,000 fine Count Five: Conspiracy to Commit Assault in Aid of Racketeering Activity, 18 U.S.C. § 1959(a)(6) Maximum term of 3 years in prison; 1 year of supervised release; and a $250,000 fineCount Seven: Conspiracy to Commit Assault in Aid of Racketeering Activity, 18 U.S.C. § 1959(a)(6)
Maximum term of 3 years in prison; 1 year of supervised release; and a $250,000 fine
Levi Sharp, a/k/a Sketch
(38)
Satsuma
Count Two: Assault in Aid of Racketeering, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1959(a)(3) and 2 Maximum term of 20 years in prison; 5 years of supervised release; and a $250,000 fine Count Three: Kidnapping in Aid of Racketeering Activity, 18 U.S.C. §§ 1959(a)(1) and 2 Maximum term of 20 years in prison; 5 years of supervised release; and a $250,000 fineGeorge Andrews, II, a/k/a Shrek
(51)
Pensacola
Count Two: Assault in Aid of Racketeering, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1959(a)(3) and 2
Maximum term of 20 years in prison; 5 years of supervised release; and a $250,000 fine
Count Four: Conspiracy to Commit Assault in Aid of Racketeering Activity, 18 U.S.C. § 1959(a)(6) Maximum term of 3 years in prison; 1 year of supervised release; and a $250,000 fineJames Mapoles, a/k/a Matt Mapoles a/k/a Matt Criston
(40)
Panama City
Count Four: Conspiracy to Commit Assault in Aid of Racketeering Activity, 18 U.S.C. § 1959(a)(6)
Maximum term of 3 years in prison; 1 year of supervised release; and a $250,000 fine Count Six: Threats of Violence in Aid of Racketeering Activity, 18 U.S.C. §§ 1959(a)(4) and 2 Maximum term of 5 years in prison; 3 years of supervised release; and a $250,000 fineCount Seven: Conspiracy to Commit Assault in Aid of Racketeering Activity, 18 U.S.C. § 1959(a)(6)
Maximum term of 3 years in prison; 1 year of supervised release; and a $250,000 fine
Count Eight: Conspiracy to Commit Assault in Aid of Racketeering Activity, 18 U.S.C. § 1959(a)(6) Maximum term of 3 years in prison; 1 year of supervised release; and a $250,000 fineDavid Howell
(35)
Loxahatchee
Count Four: Conspiracy to Commit Assault in Aid of Racketeering Activity, 18 U.S.C. § 1959(a)(6) Maximum term of 3 years in prison; 1 year of supervised release; and a $250,000 fine Count Eight: Conspiracy to Commit Assault in Aid of Racketeering Activity, 18 U.S.C. § 1959(a)(6) Maximum term of 3 years in prison; 1 year of supervised release; and a $250,000 fineCount Twelve: Assault in Aid of Racketeering, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1959(a)(3) and 2
Maximum term of 20 years in prison; 5 years of supervised release; and a $250,000 fine
Ryann Howard, a/k/a/ Auto
(39)
Orange Park
Count Four: Conspiracy to Commit Assault in Aid of Racketeering Activity, 18 U.S.C. § 1959(a)(6) Maximum term of 3 years in prison; 1 year of supervised release; and a $250,000 fine Count Eight: Conspiracy to Commit Assault in Aid of Racketeering Activity, 18 U.S.C. § 1959(a)(6) Maximum term of 3 years in prison; 1 year of supervised release; and a $250,000 fineRyan McLaughlin, a/k/a Pretty Boy
(35)
Jacksonville
Count Four: Conspiracy to Commit Assault in Aid of Racketeering Activity, 18 U.S.C. § 1959(a)(6) Maximum term of 3 years in prison; 1 year of supervised release; and a $250,000 fine Count Five: Conspiracy to Commit Assault in Aid of Racketeering Activity, 18 U.S.C. § 1959(a)(6) Maximum term of 3 years in prison; 1 year of supervised release; and a $250,000 fineDarrin Terranova, a/k/a Nova
(51)
Beverly Hills
Count Four: Conspiracy to Commit Assault in Aid of Racketeering Activity, 18 U.S.C. § 1959(a)(6) Maximum term of 3 years in prison; 1 year of supervised release; and a $250,000 fineBrandon Welch, a/k/a Scumbag
(34)
Milton, Florida
Count One: Assault in Aid of Racketeering, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1959(a)(3) and 2
- Maximum term of 20 years in prison; 5 years of supervised release; and a $250,000 fine
Joshua Williamson, a/k/a Chain Gang
36)
Live Oak
Count One: Assault in Aid of Racketeering, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1959(a)(3) and 2
- Maximum term of 20 years in prison; 5 years of supervised release; and a $250,000 fine
Steve Anderson
(28)
Bristol
Count Four: Conspiracy to Commit Assault in Aid of Racketeering Activity, 18 U.S.C. § 1959(a)(6) Maximum term of 3 years in prison; 1 year of supervised release; and a $250,000 fineCount Seven: Conspiracy to Commit Assault in Aid of Racketeering Activity, 18 U.S.C. § 1959(a)(6)
Maximum term of 3 years in prison; 1 year of supervised release; and a $250,000 fine
Joshua Hall, a/k/a K9
(42)
Wildwood
Count Ten: Kidnapping in Aid of Racketeering Activity, 18 U.S.C. §§ 1959(a)(1) and 2
Maximum term of 20 years in prison; 5 years of supervised release; and a $250,000 fineCount Eleven: Assault in Aid of Racketeering, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1959(a)(3) and 2
Maximum term of 20 years in prison; 5 years of supervised release; and a $250,000 fine
Jarrett Arnold, a/k/a Jit
(31)
Zephyrhills
Count Ten: Kidnapping in Aid of Racketeering Activity, 18 U.S.C. §§ 1959(a)(1) and 2 Maximum term of 20 years in prison; 5 years of supervised release; and a $250,000 fine Count Eleven: Assault in Aid of Racketeering, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1959(a)(3) and 2 Maximum term of 20 years in prison; 5 years of supervised release; and a $250,000 fineScott Marshall, a/k/a Solo
(45)
Port Richey
Count Ten: Kidnapping in Aid of Racketeering Activity, 18 U.S.C. §§ 1959(a)(1) and 2 Maximum term of 20 years in prison; 5 years of supervised release; and a $250,000 fine Count Eleven: Assault in Aid of Racketeering, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1959(a)(3) and 2 Maximum term of 20 years in prison; 5 years of supervised release; and a $250,000 fineWilliam Walker, a/k/a The Duke
(38)
Jacksonville
Count Four: Conspiracy to Commit Assault in Aid of Racketeering Activity, 18 U.S.C. § 1959(a)(6) Maximum term of 3 years in prison; 1 year of supervised release; and a $250,000 fineFormer New Port Richey Resident Sentenced to More Than Five Years in Connection with Consumer Fraud SchemesRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Virginia Hernandez Covington has sentenced Lori Owen, a/k/a Lori Corrigan (50, Holiday), to five years and three months in federal prison for conspiracy to commit bank, wire, and mail fraud. As part of her sentence, the Court also ordered restitution to the identified victims in the amount of $620,103, and entered a money judgment of $265,964, representing the proceeds of the fraud.
Owen had pleaded guilty on April 19, 2021.
According to court documents, Owen was charged in December 2019 for her involvement in a telemarketing scam—primarily tax impersonation fraud—that operated from approximately December 2014 through the end of 2016, and which defrauded more than $1.38 million from victims around the United States. The conspirators, some of whom were located overseas, extorted money from victims by falsely representing to the victims that they had financial obligations to the Internal Revenue Service, Canadian tax authorities, or other entities. The conspirators then threatened the victims with arrest, prosecution, or other legal consequences for their purported debts and demanded that they pay the conspirators the “owed” money.
Owen worked with others—including her ex-husband, David Owen, and her son, Andrew Corrigan—to collect the fraud proceeds on behalf of the overseas call centers. They collected the proceeds in a variety of ways, including: opening bank accounts into which victims made cash deposits; receiving wire transfers directly from the conspirators; processing prepaid debit cards that the victims purchased through merchant accounts that Lori Owen opened and controlled; and receiving cashier’s checks purchased by the victims. The conspirators monitored the victims’ payments to ensure that the payments were recovered quickly, before any victim or law enforcement officer could become aware of the fraud and attempt to stop the transaction.
David Owen and Andrew Corrigan were previously charged and convicted of similar offenses for their roles in this scheme. Owen was sentenced to 10 years and 10 months in federal prison and Corrigan was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison.
“Impersonating the IRS, the Canadian Revenue Agency, or any other financial institutions to attempt to fraudulently collect a debt is deplorable because it shakes the confidence taxpayers have in these institutions,” said Brian Payne, IRS-CI Special Agent in Charge. “The lengthy sentencings of all the defendants in this investigation reflect the seriousness of the charges and should stand as a clear warning of the consequences that await those engaged in these scams.”
The cases were investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), the FBI, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, the Largo Police Department, the Gulfport Police Department, the Toronto Police Service, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, as part of the Middle District of Florida’s Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force. The cases were prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Rachel Jones, Kelley Howard-Allen, Frank Murray, and David Chee.
Combatting elder abuse and financial fraud targeted at seniors is a key priority of the Department of Justice. Together with our federal, state, local and tribal partners, the Department of Justice is steadfastly committed to combatting all forms of elder abuse and financial exploitation through enforcement actions, training and resources, research, victim services, and public awareness.
Jacksonville Man Sentenced to 64 Years in Federal Prison for Soliciting the Production and Posting of Child Sex Abuse Images and Videos on Motherhood Blog WebsitesRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Colum Patrick Moran, Jr. (43, Jacksonville) to 64 years in federal prison for attempting to entice minors to produce images and videos depicting child sexual abuse and for possessing materials depicting the sexual exploitation of children on his electronic devices. Moran was also ordered to serve a lifetime term of supervised release and to register as a sex offender.
A federal jury had found Moran guilty on March 10, 2021.
According to court documents, as well as evidence and testimony during the three-day trial, between 2015 and late 2018, Moran, using the name “Emily lover,” posted comments to numerous internet motherhood blog websites. These websites are designed and intended to offer and share helpful information about motherhood, childcare, useful commercial products, and other topics related to family life. During this period, Moran repeatedly posted sexually explicit comments that targeted mothers and their young children by name on these blogs. Further, Moran intentionally posted graphic comments on these blogs requesting that the mothers produce and post images and videos of their children engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
On March 6, 2019, FBI agents and other law enforcement officers executed a federal search warrant at Moran’s apartment in Jacksonville. During this search, law enforcement seized several smart phones and computers containing more than 1,000 images and videos depicting very young children, including infants and toddlers, being sexually abused. One of the smart phones had been used by Moran to access numerous motherhood blog websites and contained images of sexually explicit postings made by Moran with the usernames “Emily lover” and “Anonymous.” Agents also seized a plastic storage bin that contained a collection of children’s underwear, as well as several firearms, ammunition, and a bulletproof vest with Velcro law enforcement identification patches.
“This case demonstrates the lengths that predators will go to target innocent children online, and reveals the havoc placed on their families,” said Rachel L. Rojas, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Jacksonville Division. “While the FBI, in general, does not comment on specific websites or apps, we want parents to be aware of the risks and vulnerabilities posed by websites and apps that offer interactive communication capabilities to include video live-streaming and image sharing functionalities. While some predators target children directly for this content, this subject went a step further and also targeted parents, leaving many of them absolutely terrified. The FBI encourages online users to be vigilant and report any suspicious activity to law enforcement.”
This case was the result of a nationwide investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Jacksonville and Los Angeles, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, with assistance from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in Alexandria, Virginia. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Husband and Wife Convenience Store Owners Sentenced to Prison and Ordered to Pay Restitution for Fraud Involving SNAP ProgramRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Maria Morales Howard has sentenced Russell Leroy Dotson, Jr. (63, Jacksonville) and his wife, Maria Luisa Dotson (66, Jacksonville), to 18 months in federal prison each for conspiracy to commit wire fraud involving the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The court also ordered the couple to pay $257,919.10 in restitution and entered an order of forfeiture for the same amount against each of them.
Russell Dotson had pleaded guilty on July 26, 2019, and Maria Dotson had pleaded guilty on August 7, 2019.
According to court documents, the Dotsons owned and operated Asmarina Food Mart, which had two locations in Jacksonville. When the Dotsons opened their stores, they applied for and received approval from the Food and Nutrition Service, an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, to participate in SNAP, a program that supplements the food budget of needy families so they can purchase healthy food and move towards self-sufficiency. (Until 2008, SNAP was known as the Food Stamp Program.)
Once the Dotsons received this approval, they trained their employees on ways to conduct fraudulent transactions with SNAP recipients using their Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards, a type of debit card. Specifically, the Dotsons instructed their employees to ring up fraudulent transactions to make it appear that SNAP recipients had purchased eligible food products from the store using their EBT cards, when the recipients actually purchased nothing at all or actually purchased items not eligible under the SNAP program. The employees then gave the SNAP recipients cash representing approximately one-half of the purported value of the fraudulent transaction, while the Dotsons kept the remainder of the money. Over approximately 27 months, Russell and Maria Dotson defrauded the United States out of $257,979.10.
“This type of corruption involving fraud against the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program has managed to defraud American taxpayers and take money out of the hands of people who desperately need that assistance,” said Special Agent in Charge Glen M. Kessler of the U.S. Secret Service. “The U.S. Secret Service and our partners are always willing to take prompt and coordinated actions to hold these criminals responsible for placing personal greed above the good of the public.”
“The owners of Asmarina Food Mart created an illegal benefits exchange system that denied healthy foods to needy children and their families. Any retailer who chooses to defraud taxpayers through such schemes will continue to be aggressively investigated and prosecuted by USDA-OIG and its law enforcement partners,” stated Jason Williams, Special Agent in Charge, USDA-OIG.
This prosecution was part of a long-term investigation into SNAP fraud occurring at both Asmarina Food Mart locations in Jacksonville. To date, 12 other individuals, including employees of Asmarina Food Mart and SNAP recipients, have pleaded guilty and have been sentenced for their roles in this scheme (Shelly Rowe Sullivan, Teighlor Michelle Wicker, Tracy Lynn Hammock, Shannon Marie Whaley, Denise Diane Taylor, Ormetre Patterson, Cierra Elizabeth White, Laura Lockwood, Shanelle Bryant, Felicia Meadows, Theresa Marie Paschall, and Latosha Ransome Monroe) and collectively have been ordered to pay a total of $249,829.67 in restitution to the United States.
This case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the United States Secret Service - Jacksonville Field Office, and the United States Department of Agriculture - Office of Inspector General. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.
Anyone who is aware of or suspects fraud involving SNAP benefits should visit https://www.usda.gov/oig/hotline or call 800-424-9121.
Armed Career Criminal Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Possession of A Firearm/AmmunitionRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – U.S. District Judge Roy B. Dalton, Jr. has sentenced Johnny Lee Smith (43, Pensacola) to 15 years in federal prison for possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. He had pleaded guilty on March 26, 2021.
According to the facts presented in court, on August 29, 2020, deputies from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop on Smith’s car. During the stop, the deputies saw a loaded .22 caliber revolver on the front passenger seat next to Smith. A records check showed that Smith had 15 prior state felony convictions, including numerous convictions for selling cocaine. Because of these felony convictions, Smith is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law. Following his arrest, the deputies also recovered an additional .22 caliber bullet from Smith’s pocket.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Lake County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys William S. Hamilton and Charles Helm.
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.
Trio Arrested in Large-Scale Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Karin Hoppmann announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Devonne L. Walker (35, Lady Lake, FL), Tymane D. Hamilton (29, Phoenix, AZ), and Kanisha D. Savage (28, Phoenix, AZ) with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. If convicted, each faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison.
According to the indictment, between March 2018 and October 10, 2019, Walker, Hamilton, and Savage conspired to distribute more than 50 kilograms of marijuana, 5 kilograms of cocaine, 1 kilogram of heroin, 500 grams of methamphetamine, and 40 grams of fentanyl. According to court records, law enforcement officers seized more than 54 kilograms of marijuana, 27 kilograms of methamphetamine, 125 grams of heroin, and 79 grams of fentanyl during the investigation. These drugs were shipped from Phoenix, Arizona to the Middle District of Florida using the United States Postal Service. The drugs were eventually distributed in Central Florida.
Walker was arrested on June 25, 2021, in Lake County, where agents recovered a stolen firearm and bags containing suspected cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and fentanyl. Hamilton and Savage were arrested on June 28, 2021, in Phoenix. All three defendants were ordered detained.
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 Drug Enforcement Administration, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, the U.S. Postal Service Inspection Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Homeland Security Investigations. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael P. Felicetta.
Jury Convicts Armed Fentanyl DealerRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – A federal jury has found Johnny Ordaz (32, Bradenton) guilty of possession of fentanyl with the intent to distribute it, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Ordaz faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison for the fentanyl offense, a consecutive mandatory minimum of 5 years, and up to life in prison, for possessing the firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and up to 10 years’ imprisonment for possessing the firearm as a felon. His sentencing hearing is set for September 30, 2021.
Ordaz had been indicted on February 13, 2020.
According to testimony presented at trial, in September 2019, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop of a car that Ordaz was driving. During the traffic stop, the officers recovered a firearm with an extended magazine, loaded with 31 rounds of ammunition, wedged between the driver’s seat and the center console. They also seized a bag containing fentanyl from the driver’s side door handle, and a digital scale, and small clear plastic baggies. The officers also found a bag in the passenger seat that contained another firearm with an extended clip, loaded with 27 rounds of ammunition, 63 rounds of additional ammunition, another digital scale, sandwich bags, and more small clear plastic baggies. They also recovered $588 from Ordaz’s front pocket.
This case was investigated by the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Charlie D. Connally.
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.
Clay County Man Indicted for Attempting to Entice A 9-Year-Old Child to Engage in Sexual Activity and for Soliciting and Distributing Child Sexual Abuse Videos over the InternetRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Karin Hoppmann announced today that Garrett Eric Weber (30, Green Cove Springs) has been arrested and indicted by a federal grand jury for attempting to entice a 9-year-old child to engage in sexual activity, and for soliciting and distributing child sexual abuse videos using the internet. If convicted on all charges, Weber faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 15 years, and up to life, in federal prison, a $1 million fine, and a potential life term of supervised release. Weber was arrested on a federal warrant by the Green Cove Springs Police Department during a traffic stop on July 5, 2021. He was detained without bond on July 7, 2021.
According to court documents and evidence proffered at Weber’s detention hearing, in June 2020, Weber, using the name “BUBBLESXD_90,” uploaded an image depicting the sexual abuse of a child to a chat group on a popular social media application (app). Further investigation ultimately resulted in the identification of Weber.
Beginning in March 2021, an undercover FBI agent, posing as the parent of a young child, engaged in online conversation with Weber using the app. After some discussion and being told that the “child” was only nine years old, Weber offered to serve as the “child’s” trainer by engaging in sexual activity with the “child.” He requested that the “parent” take an explicit photo of the “child” for him, and he provided specific instructions on how to accomplish this through various means. On at least seven occasions, Weber sent the “parent” videos over the internet that depicted the sexual abuse of young children in an effort to demonstrate exactly how he planned to molest the “child.”
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 Green Cove Springs Police Department, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the Winnebago County (Wisconsin) Sheriff’s Office, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Milwaukee and Jacksonville, with assistance from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.
It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Repeat Immigration Offender and Illegal Alien Sentenced to Two Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Richard A. Lazzara has sentenced German Lopez-Gomez, a/k/a Samuel Bautista-Bautista (41), to two years in federal prison for illegal re-entry into the United States after deportation.
Lopez-Gomez had pleaded guilty in March 2021.
According to court documents, on December 20, 2020, Lopez-Gomez was arrested in Polk County on state felony criminal charges (burglary of an unoccupied structure and theft) and found to be present in the United States without legal authorization. Lopez-Gomez had previously been convicted of illegal reentry to the United States after deportation in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas, which sentenced him to 16 months in prison followed by 3 months of supervised release on the illegal re-entry charge, as well as an additional 10 months in prison for a violation of supervised release.
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David William Alexander Chee.
Massachusetts Man Sentenced to Prison for Fraudulent Scheme to Evade Payroll Taxes and Workers’ Compensation Requirements in Construction IndustryRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Dennis Alexander Barahona (38, Chelsea, Massachusetts) to 18 months in federal prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit tax fraud. The court also ordered Barahona to pay restitution to the IRS in the amount of $1,110,257 and to an insurance company in the amount of $41,352.91. In addition, the court ordered Barahona to forfeit his interest in $230,764 that was seized from two bank accounts. The court also entered a money judgment against Barahona in the amount of $263,302, representing the proceeds of the wire fraud.
Barahona had pleaded guilty on March 29, 2021. Barahona’s co-defendant, Gregorio Jose Fuentes-Zelaya, was sentenced on May 10, 2021, to 33 months in federal prison.
According to court documents, Barahona established a shell company that purported to be involved in the construction industry. He obtained a workers’ compensation insurance policy in the name of the shell company to cover a minimal payroll for a few purported employees. Barahona then “rented” the workers’ compensation insurance to work crews who had obtained subcontracts with construction contractors on projects in various Florida counties. Barahona sent the contractors a certificate as “proof” that the work crews had workers’ compensation insurance, as required by Florida law. By sending the certificate, Barahona falsely represented that the work crews worked for his company. Over the course of the scheme, Barahona “rented” the certificates to dozens of work crews.
As part of the scheme, the contractors issued payroll checks for the workers’ wages to the shell company and Barahona or a co-conspirator cashed these checks, then distributed the cash to the work crews after deducting their fee, which was typically about 6% of the payroll. During the scheme, the conspirators cashed payroll checks totaling approximately $4,388,371, with their fees totaling approximately $263,302. Neither the shell company nor the contractors reported to government authorities the wages that were paid to the workers, nor did they pay either the employees’ or the employer’s portion of payroll taxes – including Social Security, Medicare, and federal income tax. According to the IRS, the amount of payroll taxes due on wages totaling $4,388,371 was approximately $1,110,257.
The scheme also facilitated the avoidance of the higher cost of obtaining adequate workers’ compensation insurance for the numerous workers on the work crews to whom Barahona “rented” the workers’ compensation insurance. The policy that Barahona purchased and then “rented” out was for an estimated payroll of $91,000, and the insurance company issued the policy for a premium of $15,206. Had a workers’ compensation insurance policy been purchased for a payroll totaling $4,388,371, the policy premium would have totaled about $728,030.
“This criminal thought he could make quick profits with this criminal scheme,” said HSI Jacksonville Assistant Special Agent in Charge K. Jim Phillips. “But instead of enjoying illegal profits, he will now be spending time behind bars with his co-conspirator thanks to HSI special agents and our law enforcement partners.”
“Employers are legally obligated to their employees and the American taxpayer to withhold and pay their fair share of taxes,” said Special Agent in Charge Brian Payne of IRS Criminal Investigation. “By shirking this obligation, their employees are cheated out of benefits they’ve earned and the taxpayer is also undercut. Today’s significant sentencing should make it abundantly clear that these actions will not be tolerated.”
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, and the Florida Department of Financial Services. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Arnold B. Corsmeier.
Kissimmee Tax Preparer Sentenced to Prison and Ordered to Pay Restitution for False Tax Return SchemeRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Wendy W. Berger today sentenced Joseph Amaya to 12 months in federal prison for aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns. The court also ordered Amaya to pay more than $1.6 million in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service.
Amaya had pleaded guilty on February 16, 2021.
According to court documents, from 2014 through approximately 2018, Amaya co-owned and managed Tax Machine, Inc., a tax preparation business in Kissimmee. During the life of the business, Amaya knowingly prepared and filed—and trained his employees to prepare and file—numerous false and fraudulent tax returns on behalf of Tax Machine customers. Specifically, Amaya and his employees created bogus expenses or deliberately overstated true deductible expenses (such as unreimbursed employee expenses, gas, mileage, medical and dental expenses, and gifts to charity). Amaya also trained his employees to include false claims of net business losses on tax returns. By including those false and fraudulent material statements on the income tax returns of Tax Machine customers, Amaya and his employees eliminated certain tax liabilities that their customers otherwise would have had, generated tax refunds that they were not entitled to, or did both. The tax loss to the IRS as a result of Amaya’s conduct is approximately $1.6 million.
“When Joseph Amaya used his tax return preparation service, Tax Machine, Inc., to try and make a fast buck for him and his clients, he underestimated the special agents of IRS Criminal Investigation,” said Special Agent in Charge Brian Payne of IRS Criminal Investigation. “At the IRS, protecting taxpayer money is a matter we take seriously. An integral part of the agency’s mission involves detecting and catching fraudulent tax refund claims. Taxpayers looking for tax preparation information are encouraged to visit IRS.gov.”
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Emily C. L. Chang.
Tampa Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Credit Card Manufacturing EquipmentRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – Eugene Stephan Cole (31, Tampa) has pleaded guilty to possession of credit card manufacturing equipment. He faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison and payment of restitution to victims that he defrauded. Cole also agreed to forfeit to the United States various equipment and computer media he had used to produce counterfeit debit and credit cards.
According to court documents, on March 4, 2020, in Columbia County, a trooper from the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) conducted a traffic stop of a BMW driven by Cole for various traffic infractions. When the trooper approached the car, Cole was unable to produce a driver license and the trooper smelled the odor of marijuana coming from inside the car. During a subsequent probable cause search of the BMW, the trooper located marijuana, a counterfeit North Carolina driver license, a magnetic card encoder/re-encoder, a card embosser, various computer media, and 18 blank plastic cards—all of which had a magnetic stripe capable of being encoded with credit or debit card account information, and several credit and debit cards. Three of the cards were in Cole’s name, while the other cards bore the names of various other individuals. During a pat down, the trooper located, in Cole’s pocket, a TD Bank Visa debit card with the name “Austin Hudson” embossed on it.
Further investigation by the United States Secret Service and the FHP determined that all of the cards bearing Cole’s name and the TD Bank Visa debit card, embossed with the name “Austin Hudson,” were counterfeit. The other cards were determined to be genuine, with fraudulent purchases made in Tennessee.
This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service (Jacksonville Field Office) and the Florida Highway Patrol. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.
AAR Corp. Agrees to Pay $11 Million to Settle False Claims Act Allegations on Aircraft Maintenance Contract and to Pay Penalties Assessed by the FAARead the Press Release
AAR Corp., located in Wood Dale, Illinois, and its subsidiary, AAR Airlift Group Inc. (Airlift), located in Melbourne, Florida, have agreed to pay the United States $11,088,000 to resolve False Claims Act allegations in connection with aircraft maintenance services performed by Airlift on two U.S. Transportation Command (TRANSCOM) contracts.
The allegations involve helicopters that Airlift owned and maintained for use in transporting Department of Defense (DoD) cargo and personnel in support of DoD missions in Afghanistan and Africa. The settlement resolves allegations that Airlift knowingly failed to maintain nine aircrafts in accordance with contract requirements, and that because of this failure, the helicopters were not airworthy and should not have been certified by Airlift as “fully mission capable.”
AAR and Airlift have also agreed to pay $429,273.69 to resolve a separate Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) matter citing deficiencies in Airlift’s helicopter maintenance.
“The knowing failure to comply with contractual obligations is unacceptable, particularly when such violations raise safety concerns,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton for the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Today’s settlement reaffirms that the government will hold contractors to the quality and safety standards in their contracts that are intended to protect our men and women in uniform.”
“Defense contracting is a special trust because it supports the servicemembers who protect our nation’s interests around the world,” said U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft for the Southern District of Illinois. “Whenever a military contractor cuts corners, it presents not only a possible fraud against taxpayers but also a potential safety hazard to our soldiers. The settlement announced today addresses both of those concerns. I am especially grateful to my staff, the many dedicated agents who worked on this matter and the witnesses who came forward.”
“Our military is entitled to rely on high level contractor performance when it procures essential services like those at issue here,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Karin Hoppmann for the Middle District of Florida. “We are grateful for the diligent and collaborative work put into this investigation by the Southern District of Illinois, the Department of Justice Civil Frauds Section and all of the investigative agencies who supported these cases.”
“Failure to properly maintain aircraft is unacceptable under any circumstances, but it’s especially egregious in a war zone, where the lives of America’s warfighters are on the line,” said John F. Sopko, Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR). “I’m proud of the work of SIGAR’s special agents – in Afghanistan and the United States – whose collaboration brought this case to a successful conclusion.”
“The Department of the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (OSI) commends the complainant for coming forward, which allowed us and our joint investigative partners to vigorously protect the DoD’s procurement process, preserve the military’s ability to carry out its warfighting mission and ensure the wrongdoers were held accountable,” said Special Agent in Charge Nicholas J. Groesbeck of the OSI Procurement Fraud Detachment 4, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH.
“This case demonstrates the commitment of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), along with our partner agencies, to aggressively go after those who disregard and ignore critical safety and contractual specifications on Department of Defense contracts,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Gregory P. Shilling of the DCIS Southwest Field Office. “Today’s resolution highlights the culmination of investigative efforts to hold those who supply the Department of Defense accountable for their product and actions.”
“It is unacceptable that anyone would bypass contractual agreements and most importantly safety guidelines meant to ensure the wellbeing of our American service men and women,” said Christopher Grey, spokesperson for the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command (CID). “We will continue to aggressively investigate allegations such as this and work closely with our law enforcement partners to bring a successful resolution.”
“The failure to perform critical maintenance to Department of Defense aircraft poses a grave and unnecessary threat to our nation’s military readiness,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael DeFamio of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) Central Field Office. “NCIS and our federal law enforcement partners remain committed to fully investigating any and all allegations of contract fraud that compromise the safety of our service members and waste American taxpayer money.”
“Those certified to perform critical safety aircraft inspections and maintenance work are expected to adhere to aviation regulations in order to ensure that safety is not compromised,” said Special Agent in Charge Todd Damiani of the U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General, Southern Region. “The settlement reached today clearly demonstrates that we will vigorously pursue those who choose profits over the quality and integrity of the work they are contracted to perform.”
“Improperly maintaining aircraft creates a safety risk that we absolutely will not tolerate,” said FAA Administrator Steve Dickson. “Today’s agreement makes clear that disregard for maintenance requirements is unacceptable.”
The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by Christopher Harvey, a former Airlift employee. The act permits private parties to sue for false claims on behalf of the United States and to share in any recovery. The qui tam case is captioned U.S. ex rel. Harvey v. AAR Corp., et al., No. 3:15-cv-00390 (S.D. Ill.). Mr. Harvey will receive $2,162,160 of the False Claims Act settlement.
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section; the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Illinois; and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida, with assistance from the U.S. Transportation Command, the FAA, Air Force OSI, DCIS, NCIS, Army CID, Department of Transportation Office of the Inspector General, the Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA) and SIGAR.
The case was investigated by Trial Attorney Elspeth A. England of the Civil Division and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathan D. Stump and Laura J. Barke of the Southern District of Illinois and Randy Harwell of the Middle District of Florida.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
Tampa Woman Sentenced to Twenty Years for Distribution of Heroin and Fentanyl Resulting in DeathRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Leslie Pagan (40, Tampa) to 20 years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute heroin and fentanyl and distribution of heroin and fentanyl resulting in death. The court also ordered Pagan to forfeit $105,932, which are traceable to proceeds of the offense. A federal jury had found her guilty on March 24, 2021.
According to testimony presented at trial, Pagan supplied coconspirators with heroin and fentanyl that was distributed in Hillsborough County. On December 19, 2019, a Tampa woman obtained a substance containing fentanyl from one of Pagan’s distributors, Jackylin Bonifacio. The victim used the fentanyl and shortly thereafter she collapsed and died.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office investigated the overdose death and identified Bonifacio as the person who had distributed the fentanyl to the victim. On December 20, 2019, Bonifacio was arrested and had 25 baggies of fentanyl, packaged for distribution in her possession.
The Hillsborough County Medical Examiner’s Office conducted an autopsy and determined that the victim had died from ingestion of substances, including heroin and fentanyl. Baggies recovered from Bonifacio and residue from a syringe found near the victim at the time of the overdose were analyzed and identified to contain fentanyl. Lab analysis also determined that the fentanyl mixtures were all very similar and, based on the circumstances of the death and the toxicology from the autopsy, the victim’s use of the fentanyl caused the victim’s death.
A joint investigation led by the FBI identified Pagan as Bonifacio’s supplier. During a series of covert operations, Pagan distributed fentanyl and heroin to a confidential informant and received payments from that informant. Pagan was arrested on September 1, 2020, and investigators recovered 97 grams of fentanyl and more than $105,000 from her residence.
On February 12, 2021, Bonifacio pleaded guilty to distribution of heroin and fentanyl, resulting in death. Her sentencing hearing is scheduled for August 31, 2021.
This investigation is the result of a partnership between the United States Attorney’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the Tampa Police Department, the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner’s Office, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael Sinacore.
This investigation is the result of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) program. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and those primarily responsible for the nation’s drug supply.
Naples Pill Mill Doctor Pleads Guilty and Agrees to Forfeit 9 Luxury Vehicles and More Than $400,000Read the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – Gerald Michael Abraham (76, Naples) has pleaded guilty to three counts of dispensing controlled substances for no legitimate medical purpose. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison on each count.
According to court documents, Abraham was a licensed medical doctor practicing in Naples, Florida. In October 2019, the DEA began an investigation after receiving a tip that Abraham was illegally prescribing strong opioids to patients who had no need for the medication. Over the course of the next year, the DEA conducted 18 undercover patient visits to Abraham’s office, each time receiving prescriptions for oxycodone.
Abraham ignored signs of drug abuse the undercover patients pretended to have and prescribed them oxycodone without ever examining them. Additionally, Abraham repeatedly increased the strength of the prescriptions simply because the patient asked him for more. In one instance, he prescribed an undercover patient oxycodone after telling him the medical paperwork “shows you are completely normal.”
The investigation also revealed that Abraham frequently prescribed Adderall to patients for no legitimate reason. Adderall is the brand name of a drug used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and contains amphetamine, a frequently abused controlled substance. On multiple occasions, law enforcement observed Abraham prescribe Adderall simply upon a patient’s request, without asking any questions or engaging in any examination justifying the prescription.
Abraham’s clinic operated on a cash only basis, with patients paying $400 per visit. Investigators traced the proceeds of Abraham’s criminal activities to multiple high-end vehicles he purchased and hundreds of thousands of dollars he held, all of which they seized. In connection with his plea agreement, Abraham has agreed to forfeit the following to the United States: a 2020 Acura NSX, a 2020 Porsche GT4, a 2021 Toyota Supra, a 2020 Chevrolet Corvette, a 2020 Aston Martin, a 2020 Nissan 370Z, a 2020 Chevrolet Camaro, two 2020 Ford Mustangs, $190,496.56 paid towards a 2021 Aston Martin, and $249,598.52 in cash.
This case was investigated by the DEA Miami Tactical Diversion Squad and the United States Secret Service, with assistance from the Naples Police Department and the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Michael V. Leeman is prosecuting the criminal charges, and Assistant United States Attorneys Anita Cream and James Muench are prosecuting the forfeitures.
Land O’ Lakes Man Indicted for Enticing A Minor Child to Engage in Sexual Activity, and for Producing and Possessing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialsRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Karin Hoppmann announces the return of an indictment charging Michael Lumpkin, a/k/a “Jamari” (26, Land O’Lakes), with one count of enticement and attempted enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity, two counts of using a minor child to produce videos depicting sexual abuse, and one count of possessing matters containing child sex abuse materials. If convicted on all counts, Lumpkin faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison.
According to the indictment, between July 2019 and February 2020, Lumpkin enticed and attempted to entice a child to engage in sexual activity. In February 2020, Lumpkin used a child to produce sexually explicit videos. Lastly, on or about July 24, 2020, Lumpkin knowingly possessed certain matters that contained visual depictions of children under the age of 12 being sexually abused.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pasco Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ilyssa M. Spergel.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Orlando Man Sentenced to Ten Years for Conspiring and Distributing Fentanyl-Laced HeroinRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Wendy W. Berger today sentenced Freddie Miguel Velez-Gonzalez (53, Orlando) to 10 years in federal prison for conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute and distributing more than 40 grams of fentanyl and more than 100 grams of heroin.
Velez-Gonzalez had pleaded guilty on March 22, 2021.
According to court documents, Velez-Gonzalez was a member of a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that distributed controlled substances including, heroin, fentanyl, cocaine, marijuana, and tramadol, in the Middle District of Florida. On six dates between approximately April 23 and August 11, 2020, at the direction of law enforcement, a confidential source negotiated and met with Velez-Gonzalez at the same designated location and purchased from him a total of over 100 grams of mixtures containing heroin, fentanyl, or a combination of the two substances. Velez-Gonzalez sold the drugs to the confidential source to further a drug trafficking conspiracy with other members of the DTO, including Inginio Santos-Garcia, a co-defendant of Velez-Gonzalez.
On September 8, 2020, authorities arrested Velez-Gonzalez and Santos-Garcia at an address on Brosche Road in Orlando from which they were distributing narcotics in furtherance of the conspiracy. Santos-Garcia pleaded guilty on November 9, 2020, and was sentenced to eight years in federal prison on April 14, 2021.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Orlando Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jennifer M. Harrington and Ilianys Rivera-Miranda.
Lakeland Man Sentenced to More Than 9 Years in Federal Prison for Downloading and Possessing Child Sex Abuse Videos from the DarkwebRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Charlene Edwards Honeywell has sentenced Jack R. Dove, III (40, Lakeland) to nine years and two months in federal prison for receiving and possessing videos and other images depicting the sexual abuse of children. The court also ordered Dove to pay $13,000 in restitution to victims of the offenses and to forfeit electronic devices used in the commission of the offenses.
Dove had pleaded guilty on March 29, 2021.
According to court documents, Dove used bitcoin to pay for membership to a particular Darknet marketplace that contained more than 100,000 videos depicting the sexual exploitation of children, the largest volume of child sexual exploitation materials on the Darknet. In March 2018, the Korean National Police Agency in South Korea seized the computer server that was used to operate the website.
This particular Darknet marketplace exclusively advertised child sexual exploitation videos available for purchase and downloading by members of the website using bitcoin. An analysis of the server revealed that Dove had created multiple accounts. In January and February 2017, Dove used one of his accounts to purchase “points” from the website. Dove then used those “points” to download and received nearly 9 gigabytes of child sexual abuse materials. In August 2018, Dove used another account to pay for “VIP” membership to this website, granting him unlimited downloads from the website for a six-month period. During his VIP membership status, Dove downloaded and received 38 videos depicting children being sexually exploited and abused, including children under the age of 12.
On November 30, 2018, federal agents executed a search warrant at Dove’s residence and seized several electronic devices. Forensic analyses of those devices confirmed Dove had in fact received the child sex abuse videos he had previously purchased from the Darknet marketplace and, also, that he possessed additional materials depicting the sadistic sexual abuse of young children, including infants and toddlers.
“As crimes become more sophisticated and advanced technology is being used to sexually exploit young children, our HSI special agents, and all of law enforcement must stay ahead of the criminals,” said HSI Tampa acting Special Agent in Charge Kevin Sibley. “This case is an example of a child predator who thought he could hide behind the Darknet and international borders, but was instead caught and will now be held accountable for his crimes against children.”
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. The original international investigation was led by the IRS-Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the National Crime Agency in the United Kingdom, and the Korean National Police of the Republic of Korea. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Lisa M. Thelwell and Ilyssa Spergel, with assistance provided by U.S. Department of Justice Trial Attorney C. Alden Pelker of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section.
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 Businessman Sentenced to Three Years in Federal Prison for COVID Relief Fraud and Mortgage FraudRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – Senior U.S. District Judge John Steele has sentenced Casey David Crowther (35, Fort Myers) to three years and one month in federal prison for two counts of bank fraud, two counts of making a false statement to a lending institution, and two counts of money laundering. The court also ordered Crowther to forfeit $2,739,081.21, $630,482.37, and a 40’ catamaran boat, which were the proceeds of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) fraud and the mortgage fraud offenses.
At trial, a federal jury had found Crowther guilty of committing bank fraud, making a false statement to a lending institution, and two counts of money laundering on March 26, 2021, which were related to a PPP fraud scheme. Before the trial started, Crowther pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud and one count of making a false statement to a financial institution, which were related to a mortgage fraud scheme. As part of the mortgage fraud scheme, Crowther created false bank statements to justify a loan he had used to purchase a nearly $1.3 million waterfront house in St. James City, Florida.
According to evidence at the trial, Crowther obtained a $2.1 million PPP loan by falsely stating that he had intended to use the money to make payroll and pay rent and utilities for his company Target Roofing and Sheet Metal, Inc. However, Crowther intended to use the money to enrich himself and, once the loan was obtained, quickly used the proceeds to make a series of personal purchases including a nearly $700,000 boat and a $100,000 payment to a former business partner. Crowther concealed the scheme by providing false explanations for the expenditures to his bank, calling the boat “equipment” and the payment to his former partner “payroll.” Under the terms of the PPP program, Crowther did not have to pay back the loan if he used at least 60% of the proceeds on payroll. To falsely make it appear he met that threshold, Crowther created dozens of fake employees to whom he purportedly paid wages: by adding multiple family members to his company’s payroll, even though they did not actually perform work; and, separately, by creating 39 other fake employees, for whom he obtained fake identification documents -- including Social Security cards -- that he provided to his company’s Human Resources to be placed in the files of the “employees.”
This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Trent Reichling and Michael V. Leeman. Assistant United States Attorney Suzanne Nebesky obtained the forfeitures.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form
Federal Jury Convicts Local High School Janitor of Secretly Filming Students in Bathroom StallRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Karin Hoppmann announces that a federal jury has found Derremy Jerrell Walker (31, Sanford) guilty of two counts of using, or attempting to use, children to produce sexually explicit videos. Walker’s sentencing hearing has been set for September 21, 2021.
According to evidence and testimony admitted during the trial, Walker was a contracted janitor at Oviedo High School in November 2019, when two 15-year-old female students discovered an actively recording cellphone hidden under the sink inside a toilet stall in a student bathroom. The girls took the phone to school administrators, who then contacted the Oviedo Police Department.
Forensic analysis of the cellphone revealed Walker had placed the phone in the same location on two prior dates in November 2019, each time creating a one-hour video of students in that stall. On the date the girls found the phone, it had been recording video for about 15 minutes before they discovered it. In each of the three instances, Walker had angled the cellphone’s camera in an effort to capture the genitalia and pubic areas of those in the stall. School administration officials and law enforcement officers were able to identify six of the ten students unknowingly captured in the videos Walker created.
Further analysis revealed Walker had also set up a surreptitious cellphone camera to record in the school’s faculty bathroom earlier that month.
This case was investigated by the Oviedo Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn P. Napier.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Duval Felon Indicted for Attempting to Purchase FirearmRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Karin Hoppmann announces the return of an indictment charging Jose Angel Vazquez, (59, Jacksonville) with making a false statement to a federal firearms dealer. If convicted, Vazquez faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison.
According to the indictment, Vazquez attempted to purchase a handgun from a Federally Licensed Firearm Dealer on February 2, 2021, after having been convicted of numerous felonies on multiple occasions.
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. It will be prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Cyrus P. Zomorodian.
This case is part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce Federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the Fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence and enhances coordination of Federal, State, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes. For more information on Project Guardian visit www.justice.gov/projectguardian.
Lehigh Acres Man Sentenced to 29 Years in Federal Prison for Using A Child to Produce Images Depicting Sexual AbuseRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced John Michael Breen (33, Lehigh Acres) to 29 years in federal prison for sexually abusing a child and taking photos of this abuse. Breen was also sentenced to a lifetime of supervised release and ordered to register as a sex offender.
Breen had pleaded guilty on August 19, 2020.
According to court documents, between April 28 and July 20, 2018, Breen used a child to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing images of this abuse. Breen subsequently uploaded these photos over the internet to a cloud-based storage service. On December 13, 2019, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Breen’s residence. During an interview with law enforcement, Breen admitted that he had sexually abused a 7-year-old child at his home and took pictures of the abuse using his cellphone.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Fort Myers Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Yolande G. Viacava.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Jacksonville Man Sentenced to More Than 10 Years for Leading Cocaine Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Brian J. Davis has sentenced Paublo “Chandito” Rondon Quinones (30, Jacksonville) to 10 years and 1 month in federal prison for conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute and to distribute five or more kilograms of cocaine.
Quinones had pleaded guilty on January 24, 2019. As part of his plea agreement, Quinones agreed to the administrative forfeiture of an assortment of jewelry and numerous vehicles, including two jet skis, four motorcycles, two sport utility vehicles, a Porsche Panamera luxury sedan, and a Ferrari F430 sports car.
According to court documents, Quinones led a drug trafficking organization that supplied kilo-quantities of cocaine to drug dealers in Jacksonville. His organization had multiple sources of supply and obtained shipments of cocaine via couriers and through the U.S. Mail from suppliers in Puerto Rico and Orlando.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Florida Highway Patrol, and the North Florida High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Coolican.
Surgical Care Affiliates and Orlando Surgery Center Agree to Pay $3.4 Million to Settle False Claims Act LiabilityRead the Press Release
Orlando, FL – Acting United States Attorney Karin Hoppmann announces today that the Surgical Care Affiliates, LLC and Orlando Center for Outpatient Surgery, LP have agreed to pay the United States $3.4 million to resolve allegations that both companies violated the False Claims Act by submitting claims for kidney stone procedures that were not medically justified and for engaging in an illegal kickback arrangement.
The United States previously intervened in a whistleblower lawsuit against SCA and the Orlando Center on October 15, 2019. The lawsuit and settlement relate to the submission of claims for extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy, a procedure used to break up kidney stones. According to the lawsuit, Dr. Patrick Hunter was a urologist who performed lithotripsy procedures at the Orlando Center, a facility affiliated with SCA. According to the settlement agreement, between January 2010 and April of 2016, the Orlando Center submitted claims for lithotripsy procedures performed on Medicare and TRICARE patients by Dr. Hunter that were medically unnecessary because the procedures were not medically indicated or because the patients did not have kidney stones.
The settlement agreement also resolves allegations that Dr. Hunter, SCA, and the Orlando Center engaged in an illegal kickback arrangement, where Dr. Hunter performed the lithotripsy procedures in exchange for per-procedure payments from the Orlando Center. Dr. Hunter allegedly agreed to perform his lithotripsy procedures at the Orlando Center in exchange for payments from the Orlando Center, in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute. SCA vetted and approved the agreement. These procedures were then billed to and paid by Medicare and TRICARE in violation of the False Claims Act.
“Medicare and TRICARE patients are some of our most vulnerable populations,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Karin Hoppmann. “The United States Attorney’s Office will always pursue providers who seek and pay illegal kickbacks or bill for baseless procedures.”
“My office remains steadfast in our commitment to address illegal kickback arrangements within the federal healthcare system,” said Special Agent in Charge Omar Pérez Aybar of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable individuals and entities who pay or receive kickbacks.”
“We owe it to our beneficiaries to ensure their needs are placed first and the commitment to their care is unwavering. Any time the government is defrauded, it is unacceptable to the American taxpayer, and in this case, Medicare also was a victim. We are grateful to the Department of Justice for working to maintain trust and transparency by ensuring medical providers continue to put their patients’ needs first,” said Defense Health Agency Director, Lt. Gen. Ronald J. Place, M.D.
The settlement resulted from a lawsuit originally filed in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida by Scott Thompson. Mr. Thompson sued under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the False Claims Act permitting a private citizen to sue on behalf of the United States for false claims and to share in the recovery. The Act also allows the United States to intervene and prosecute the action. The United States intervened in this matter and litigated the case. Mr. Thompson will receive $748,000 of the proceeds from the settlement with SCA and the Orlando Center.
Dr. Hunter passed away in March of 2019. In November 2020, Dr. Hunter’s estate paid the United States $1.75 million to resolve the government’s claims arising from Dr. Hunter’s alleged participation in the scheme.
The United States’ intervention in and settlement of this matter illustrates its emphasis on combating health care fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services, at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
This settlement resulted from a coordinated effort by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida, the HHS Office of Inspector General, and the Defense Health Agency. Assistant United States Attorneys Jeremy R. Bloor and Sean Keefe led the investigation.
The case is captioned United States ex rel. Thompson v. Surgical Care Affiliates et al., Case No. 6:16-cv-2189-PGB-LRH. The settlement resolves the United States’ claims against SCA and the Orlando Center in that case. The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
Two Manatee County Fentanyl Dealers Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle today sentenced Raphael Simean Bennett, Jr. (35, Bradenton) and Andre Renodd Ackerman, Sr. (34, Palmetto) for their respective roles in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl. Bennett was sentenced to 11 years in federal prison and Ackerman was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison.
Bennett had pleaded guilty on March 10, 2021, to one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, four counts of distribution of fentanyl, and one count of possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl. Ackerman had pleaded guilty on March 11, 2021, to one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and one count of distribution of fentanyl.
According to court documents, on August 14, 2019, Bennett and Ackerman sold one ounce of fentanyl to a confidential informant (CI) in Bradenton. On four other occasions, Bennett sold multiple ounces of fentanyl to the CI. On September 5, 2019, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Bennett’s residence and seized 626 grams of cocaine and 8 grams of fentanyl. On July 9, 2020, a deputy from the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office lawfully searched Bennett’s car and found 8 grams of fentanyl, 13 grams of heroin, and 16 grams of cocaine.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Bradenton Police Department, and the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher F. Murray.
Federal Jury Convicts Former Police Officer for Attempting to Entice A 14-Year-Old Child to Engage in Sexual Activity and Soliciting the Production of Child Sex Abuse ImagesRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – A federal jury has found Andrew Christian Hammock (48, Boca Raton) guilty of attempting to entice a 14-year-old girl to engage in sexual activity and produce visual depictions of herself engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Hammock faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 10 years, and up to life, in federal prison and a potential life term of supervised release. His sentencing hearing is set for September 20, 2021.
Hammock was arrested on March 17, 2020, at his place of employment, the Margate (Florida) Police Department, where he worked as a sworn police officer.
According to court documents, as well as evidence and testimony admitted during the trial, on February 14, 2020, an undercover FBI agent who was posing online as a 14-year-old child made contact with Hammock, who was using the screen name “playful_guy,” and who later used the name “Florida Guy.” The undercover agent responded to Hammock’s online advertisement that read, “Feel like peeking and being peeked at by a younger girl.” Hammock and the undercover agent exchanged private messages for more than a month using a social media app. On February 16, 2020, Hammock told the “child” that he (Hammock) was employed as a police officer and sent the “child” a photo depicting the waist area of an individual wearing tactical clothing seated in what appeared to be a police vehicle. Between February 14 and March 15, 2020, Hammock sent more than 4,000 messages to the “child,” providing graphic descriptions of the sexually explicit images that he wanted the “child” to take and share with him. Hammock also described in detail the types of sexual activity that he wanted to engage in with the “child.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Jacksonville, with assistance from the Margate Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kelly S. Karase and Ashley Washington.
It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Clearwater Drug Distributor Sentenced to More Than 15 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States District Judge Charlene Honeywell has sentenced Jorge Ramirez (41, Clearwater) to 15 years and 8 months in prison for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine, heroin, and cocaine. Ramirez had pleaded guilty on August 25, 2020.
According to information presented during Ramirez’s sentencing hearing, in 2011, Ramirez was convicted in state court (Pasco County) for trafficking cocaine. After serving more than three years in state prison, Ramirez—also known as “Dientes,” “Cha-Ching,” and “Ching”—resumed selling large amounts of drugs, distributing kilogram quantities of methamphetamine, as well as smaller amounts of heroin and cocaine for years before he was ultimately arrested in this case. By the time Ramirez’s Spring Hill, Florida-based, Mexican cartel-affiliated suppliers were arrested in April 2019, Ramirez had sold at least 40 kilograms of highly pure methamphetamine over the previous five months.
In December 2020, United States District Judge Susan C. Bucklew sentenced each of Ramirez’s suppliers, Adan Barajas Maldonado and Juan Carlos Arias Castillo, to 25 years in prison.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office, and the Pasco Sheriff’s Office. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael M. Gordon.
Marion County Convicted Felon Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearm and Drug Distribution ChargesRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – Glenn Edward Davis, Jr. (35, Ocala) has pleaded guilty to two counts of possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon and two counts of possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. Davis faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 5 years, and up to 40 years, in federal prison on each of the drug counts, and up to 10 years’ imprisonment on each of the firearm charges.
Davis had been indicted in November 2019.
According to the facts presented in court, on the night of March 16, 2019, an officer from the Ocala Police Department attempted to stop Davis’s car. Davis quickly abandoned the car and fled on foot, but left behind his driver license, a loaded handgun, and methamphetamine packaged for distribution. On July 10, 2019, a detective from the Ocala Police Department spotted Davis driving a different car. When the detective attempted initiate a traffic stop, Davis again fled on foot. Once apprehended, Davis struggled with and injured the detective. A subsequent search of Davis’s car revealed another loaded handgun, ecstasy pills, heroin, and pure methamphetamine packaged for distribution. Laboratory testing confirmed Davis’s DNA on the firearm.
With 14 prior state felony convictions, Davis is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the City of Ocala Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, 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.