Middle District of Florida
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Jacksonville Couple Pleads Guilty to Child Exploitation OffensesRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – Samuel Christopher Templeman (46, Jacksonville) has pleaded guilty to conspiring to sex traffic a child. His wife, Deborah Lynn Templeman (50, Jacksonville), has pleaded guilty to possession of child sex abuse material. Samuel Templeman faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison, and Deborah Templeman faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the plea agreements, in 2018, Samuel Templeman and the child victim began regularly using heroin and crack cocaine together. Also at that time, a pimp began directing the child victim to engage in sex acts in exchange for drugs.
In July 2019, a court terminated the Templemans’ custodial rights over the child victim and ordered them not to have any contact with the child. The child was then placed in foster care, from which the child ran away. In late August 2019, Samuel Templeman received over $25,000 in inheritance, which the Templemans used to entice the child to return to them. By mid-October 2019, the Templemans had spent the entire inheritance, primarily on drugs for Samuel Templeman and the victim.
Thereafter, the only legitimate income for the Templemans and the victim was Deborah Templeman’s bi-weekly salary, which they spent 1-2 days after receipt. During the remaining portions of each month, the Templemans’ only income was derived from their sex trafficking of the child victim for money and the victim’s occasional panhandling. The Templemans spent most of that money on drugs and the rest on living expenses.
On December 11, 2019, a detective from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office went to Deborah Templeman’s place of employment in an attempt to locate the victim. While there, the detective overheard phone conversations in which Samuel Templeman told Deborah Templeman that he was taking the victim to a “date,” a common slang term for an appointment for the child to have sex for money, and that he would then come pick up Deborah Templeman. When Samuel Templeman later arrived at Deborah Templeman’s workplace, authorities arrested him and recovered the child victim.
Pursuant to a search warrant, investigators reviewed Deborah Templeman’s cellphone and found it contained sexually explicit images of the child victim. Deborah Templeman admitted that she knew those images were stored on her phone.
This case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Laura Cofer Taylor and Special Assistant United States Attorney Erin Wolfson.
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.
Pasco Drug Dealer Who Ordered Dumping of Body of Fentanyl Overdose Victim Sentenced to Life ImprisonmentRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Justin Case Lebarron (28, Pasco County) to life imprisonment for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine resulting in death, distribution of fentanyl and methamphetamine resulting in death, possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl, and maintaining a drug-involved premises.
A federal jury had found Lebarron guilty on April 22, 2021.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, Lebarron and his girlfriend, co-defendant Brittney Smith, operated a drug house in New Port Richey where they sold fentanyl and methamphetamine. They also allowed addicts to use narcotics and sleep there. On the night of January 7, 2020, a fatal overdose occurred in the house. Lebarron ordered three people to carry the victim’s body outside and dump it in an empty lot as he fled the area. A few hours later, Lebarron resumed distributing fentanyl and methamphetamine and continued to do so until his arrest on March 5, 2020.
On June 16, 2021, Smith pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine resulting in death, possession with the intent to distribute and distribution of fentanyl and methamphetamine resulting in death, and maintaining a drug-involved premises. She faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 20 years, and up to life, in federal prison for each conspiracy and possession count, and up to 20 years in federal prison for maintaining a drug-involved premises. Her sentencing hearing is scheduled for September 9, 2021.
“As a result of the hard work and efforts made together with the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, a dangerous drug dealer has been removed from the Tampa area and a life sentence ensures he can no longer endanger people’s lives.” said DEA Miami Field Division Acting Special Agent in Charge Donald P. Garrett. “We will continue to work hard with our law enforcement partners to rid communities of drug traffickers who threaten the safety and well-being of Floridians.”
“The Pasco Sheriff's Office is thankful for our strong partnership with the Department of Justice which resulted in taking these predators off of Pasco County’s streets,” said Pasco Sheriff Chris Nocco. “We know there is a delineation between those who suffer from substance abuse and addiction and those who prey on those individuals for their own monetary gain. We are committed to holding these predators responsible for the harm and destruction they cause on those suffering from substance abuse and addiction, their families and our community while connecting those suffering from substance abuse and addiction with resources available in our community.”
This case was investigated by Drug Enforcement Administration Tampa District Office and the Pasco Sheriff’s Office as part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dan Baeza.
This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Florida Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Trafficking in Endangered Species and Illegally Possessing FirearmsRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Virginia Hernandez Covington has sentenced Steven Phillip Griffin, II (36, Palm Harbor) to 12 months and 1 day in federal prison, to be followed by 2 years of supervised release, for receiving and transporting endangered species in violation of the Endangered Species Act and for possessing firearms and ammunition as a convicted felon. The court also ordered Griffin to forfeit two pairs of southern white rhino horns, four African elephant ivory tusks, one African lion skull, three leopard skulls, ten firearms, and ammunition.
Griffin had pleaded guilty on November 10, 2020.
According to the plea agreement, Griffin communicated with a United States Fish & Wildlife Service - Office of Law Enforcement undercover special agent for more than two years to negotiate the sale and purchase of endangered and threatened wildlife. Throughout Griffin’s communications with the undercover agent, Griffin repeatedly stated that he collects skulls, full skeletons, and other parts of a variety of endangered and/or threatened wildlife such as lions, tigers, leopards, jaguars, rhinos, and elephants. Griffin also sent numerous photographs of his personal collection, as well as items on his wish list, to the undercover agent via text message. In May 2019, Griffin drove to Texas, met with undercover agents, purchased, and illegally transported two Southern White rhino horns, four elephant ivory tusks, one African lion skull, and three leopard skulls to Palm Harbor, Florida. Griffin paid the undercover agent $9,750 in cash for the endangered and/or threatened animal parts.
Subsequently, agents executed a federal search warrant at Griffin’s residence and seized a variety of endangered and/or threatened animal parts, firearms, and ammunition. Griffin has been previously convicted of a felony and knew he was not allowed to possess a firearm or ammunition due to his prior conviction.
“This sentence sends a clear message to wildlife traffickers that we and our law enforcement partners are in the business of identifying and apprehending those who exploit protected species for commercial gain,” said Special Agent in Charge Phillip Land of the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS-OLE).
This case was investigated by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service – Office of Law Enforcement. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lisa M. Thelwell.
Fort Myers Registered Child Sex Offender Sentenced to 15 Years for Possessing Child Sexual Abuse Images and VideosRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell today sentenced Brenton Lawrence Frank (30, Fort Myers) to 15 years in federal prison for possessing images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children. Frank was also sentenced to a life term of supervised release and ordered to register as a sex offender.
Frank had been found guilty following a bench trial on November 4, 2020.
According to court documents, on September 16, 2019, a deputy from the Lee County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) stopped Frank’s vehicle for a defective equipment violation. At the conclusion of the traffic stop, Frank consented to a search of his vehicle and the deputy then located Frank’s cellphone under the driver’s seat. Frank admitted to the deputy that the conditions of his supervision prohibited him from possessing the cellphone and signed a written consent authorizing the deputy to search his phone. The deputy observed images of children engaging in sexually explicit conduct on Frank’s cellphone. A subsequent search and forensic analysis of Frank’s cellphone revealed approximately 300 images and 2 videos depicting the sexual exploitation and abuse of children.
In 2011, Frank was convicted in Fort Myers on federal charges of distribution of material involving the sexual exploitation of minors and sentenced to 6 years’ imprisonment and a 15-year term of supervised release.
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.
Citrus County Woman Arrested for Using A Minor to Produce Child Sex Abuse Images and Distributing Them over the InternetRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Karin Hoppmann announces the arrest of Ashley Renea Hilligoss (37, Citrus Springs) on a criminal complaint charging her with the production and distribution of images depicting the sexual abuse of a child. If convicted on both counts, Hilligoss faces a maximum penalty of 50 years in federal prison and a potential life term of supervised release.
According to the complaint, Hilligoss took sexually explicit photographs of a child to whom she had access and sent these photos to another individual over the internet. Federal agents later searched an encrypted online file storage account belonging to that individual, which account contained copies of the photographs.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation 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, Ocala Resident Agency. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William S. Hamilton.
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.
Arkansas Man Pleads Guilty to Soliciting and Paying for the Production of A Video Depicting A 9-Year-Old Child Being MolestedRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – Cody Dillon Hogan (26, Leachville, Arkansas) has pleaded guilty to using the internet to solicit and pay an individual to molest a 9-year-old child and to creating a video recording depicting this sexual abuse. Hogan faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years, and up to 30 years, in federal prison and a potential life term of supervised release. Hogan was arrested on November 9, 2020, at his residence in Arkansas and remains in custody. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to court documents, in December 2019, an undercover FBI agent in Jacksonville, who was posing as a parent of a 9-year-old child, made contact with Hogan in a particular online chat application. During an online session, Hogan, using the online name “stonetelephone,” sent the undercover agent a photo of his own genitalia and asked for “naughty” photos of the purported 9-year-old “child.” Hogan offered to pay the “parent” to create and send him a video of the “child” being sexually abused. Hogan gave specific instructions as to how he wanted to see the “child” molested in the video, and he sent the agent a $50 gift card as payment for the requested video. For several weeks, Hogan continued to solicit the undercover agent to produce and send him a video of the 9-year-old “child” being molested, and he provided advice on various ways to send it to him over the internet using group sharing accounts and online cloud storage. During one particular online chat, Hogan stated, “After I see this video there could be all kinds of money and requests coming your way lol.”
Subsequently, FBI agents and other law enforcement officers executed a federal search warrant at Hogan’s residence in Arkansas and placed him under arrest. During an interview with FBI agents, Hogan admitted that he had engaged in online conversations with the mother of a 9-year-old child about producing and sending him a pornographic video of the child. He also stated that he had successfully solicited at least three other children to produce and send him sexually explicit photos of themselves. A search of Hogan’s cellphone and his homemade computer revealed that these devices contained hundreds of videos and images depicting the sexual abuse of young children, including sadistic and masochistic conduct.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Jacksonville and Memphis and the Jonesboro (Arkansas) Police Department. 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.
North Fort Myers Man Sentenced to 33 Months in Prison for Counterfeiting Federal Reserve NotesRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell today sentenced Clayton Patrick Sullivan (41, North Fort Myers) to 33 months in federal prison for counterfeiting Federal Reserve notes. Sullivan was also sentenced to a 3-year term of supervised release.
Sullivan had pleaded guilty on March 9, 2021.
According to court documents, on August 12, 2020, a deputy from the Lee County Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle in which Sullivan was a passenger. After a trained drug canine alerted to the vehicle, a search was conducted of the vehicle revealing a printer and several uncut sheets of counterfeit Federal Reserve notes. Multiple counterfeit Federal Reserve notes were also located in a wallet found in Sullivan’s seat. During an interview with law enforcement, Sullivan admitted that the counterfeit money and the printer belonged to him. During the investigation, the United States Secret Service recovered $901.00 in counterfeit Federal Reserve notes.
This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Yolande G. Viacava.
Venice Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Distributing, Receiving and Possessing Child Sexual Abuse Images and VideosRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge James S. Moody has sentenced Travis Vance (36, Venice) to 15 years in federal prison for distributing, receiving, and possessing images and videos depicting children being sexually abused. Vance was also ordered to serve a 10-year term of supervised release, register as a sex offender, and forfeit the electronic devices that he had used to commit his offenses.
Vance had been found guilty by a jury on March 10, 2021.
According to court documents, on July 6, 2018, Vance received child sex abuse images over a social media application on the internet from a Canadian user. Also, on July 6, 2018, Vance distributed similar contraband images over the same social media application to the same user in Canada. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) then received information from the company hosting this social media application that Vance was sharing child sex abuse images online. The RCMP determined that Vance resided within the Middle District of Florida and shared this information with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). On June 12, 2019, HSI agents and other officers executed a search warrant at Vance’s residence. A forensic examination of Vance’s electronic devices revealed that they contained more than 600 images depicting the sexual abuse of children, some of whom were under the age of 12.
“This case is an example of the unique international investigative authorities of HSI special agents,” said HSI Tampa Assistant Special Agent in Charge Hector Colon. “Because of the law enforcement partnership between HSI and the British Columbia Integrated Child Exploitation Unit, our communities will be safer with this child predator behind bars.”
This case was investigated by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Candace Garcia Rich.
Tampa Man Sentenced to Five Years in Federal Prison for Uploading and Possessing Child Sexual Abuse Images and VideosRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Susan C. Bucklew has sentenced John Dixon (76, Tampa) to five years in federal prison for possessing images and videos depicting children being sexually abused. Dixon was also ordered to serve a 10-year term of supervised release, register as a sex offender, and forfeit the electronic devices that he had used to commit his offense.
Dixon had pleaded guilty on December 20, 2020.
According to court documents, on January 26, 2019, Dixon uploaded 32 child sex abuse images to his cloud storage account. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children then received information from the company hosting Dixon’s account that Dixon had uploaded these contraband images and referred the information to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO). On January 29, 2019, HCSO detectives and other officers executed a search warrant at Dixon’s residence in Tampa.
Several electronic devices were seized from Dixon. A forensic examination of these devices revealed that they contained more than 2,000 images and 100 videos depicting the sexual abuse of children, some of whom were under the age of 12. Additionally, some of these videos depicted children to whom Dixon had access and who were as young as three and five years old at the time the videos were created.
This case was investigated by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Candace Garcia Rich.
This is another case brough 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.
St. Petersburg Man Indicted in Investment SchemeRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Karin Hoppmann announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Thomas Coelho (52, St. Petersburg), formerly Thomas Jurewicz, with two counts of wire fraud. If convicted, Coelho faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison on each count. The indictment also notifies Coelho that the United States is seeking a money judgment of approximately $1.8 million, the proceeds of the wire fraud scheme.
According to the indictment, Coelho recruited investors for a business opportunity that purportedly involved purchasing event tickets and reselling those tickets to third parties for a profit. Coelho used his association with persons and entities in the entertainment industry to give the appearance of the means and ability to acquire tickets to certain high-profile events. Instead of using investors’ money to buy event tickets, however, Coelho primarily used the funds for personal expenses, entertainment, and cash withdrawals.
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 Investigations and the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Rachel Jones and David Chee.
Jacksonville Man Pleads Guilty to Using the Internet in Attempt to Entice and Meet A 12-Year-Old Child for SexRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – Wayne Dale Epps, Jr. (36, Jacksonville) has pleaded guilty to using the internet to attempt to entice a 12-year-old child to engage in sexual activity. Epps faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years, and up to life, in federal prison and a potential life term of supervised release. Epps was arrested on February 18, 2020, and remains in custody. His sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled.
According to court documents, on February 14, 2020, an undercover FBI agent who was posing online as the family member of a 12-year-old child was contacted by the user “ksaber2040,” who was identified as Epps. The same undercover agent had previously engaged in online conversation with Epps in October 2019. Over the next several days, Epps and the agent engaged in online conversation in which Epps expressed his desire to meet the 12-year-old “child.” Epps confirmed that he wanted to meet the “child” for sex, stating “[t]his is a first for me I’m nervous but I’ve been wanting to try younger.” Epps provided the agent with graphic details about the sexual acts that he wished to perform on the “child.” He offered to use a “flavored condom” and requested pictures of the “child.”
On February 18, 2020, Epps drove his vehicle to a prearranged location at a shopping center in Jacksonville to meet the “child” for sex and was arrested by FBI agents. During an interview with law enforcement, Epps stated that it was “possible that [he] would have followed through” and engaged in sex with the 12-year-old child, and further that he “should have never made that decision.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Jacksonville. 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.
Orlando Man Sentenced to 17 Years in Federal Prison for Online Child Sexual ExploitationRead the Press Release
Orlando, FL – U.S. District Judge Paul G. Byron has sentenced Brandon Planas (39, Orlando) to 17 years in federal prison for enticing an 11-year-old child to produce sexually explicit videos of himself and send them over the internet. Planas was also ordered to serve a 10-year term of supervised, register as a sex offender, and forfeit the electronic devices that he had used to commit his offense.
Planas had pleaded guilty on March 2, 2021.
According to court documents, in August 2019, Planas began chatting online with an 11-year-old child via Instagram messenger. In September 2019, Planas sent the child a pornographic image over the internet that he claimed to be himself. After sending this image, Planas asked the child to reciprocate. On October 8, 2019, at Planas’s request, the child created several videos of his genitalia and sent at least one of these videos to Planas.
The child’s parents discovered these chats and contacted the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office which began a criminal investigation. Between October 2019 and June 2020, Planas made several attempts to reinitiate contact with the child by sending the child messages, video chat requests, and using a different Instagram username. When the child’s parents discovered Planas’s attempts to reinitiate communication, they contacted the FBI. An undercover FBI agent assumed the child’s online identity and continued online conversations with Planas, during which Planas asked for another pornographic image of the “child.”
On July 21, 2020, FBI agents executed a search warrant at Planas’s residence. During an interview, Planas admitted, among other things, that he had solicited pornographic images from the 11-year-old child. The agents conducted a forensic review of his computer devices and located other social media profiles that Planas had used to solicit pornographic images from other users, including the child.
This case was investigated by the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. 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.
Federal Jury Convicts Tampa Man for Offenses Related to 2019 Shooting Near Ybor CityRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – A federal jury has found Sergio Antonio Hood (36, Tampa) guilty of possession of ammunition as a convicted felon, obstruction of justice, and attempted witness tampering. Hood faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison for the ammunition and obstruction offenses, and up to, 20 years’ imprisonment for attempted witness tampering. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for September 9, 2021, at which time the Court will decide issues that could increase Hood’s maximum possible sentence.
Hood had been indicted on December 10, 2020. He has multiple prior convictions, including two federal convictions for possession of firearms as a convicted felon, and three federal convictions for distribution of controlled substances. Hood is also a registered sex offender as the result of a prior conviction for lewd and lascivious battery on a minor.
According to evidence presented at trial, on October 27, 2019, one week after meeting and beginning a relationship with a woman, Hood showed up at her home near Ybor City. Finding her sitting in a parked car with a friend, Hood pushed his assault-style rifle through the open window, pointed it at the woman’s head, and fired. The bullet missed the woman and went through the other side of the car. Hood was arrested on state charges the following day.
At the time of the shooting, Hood was on federal supervised release. As a result, he was transferred to federal custody to address his violations of the conditions of his supervised release. While in jail, Hood created a false alibi and asked a witness to testify falsely at a federal court hearing regarding those violations.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Tampa Police Department, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Daniel George and Risha Asokan.
Federal Jury Convicts Brandon Man of Trafficking Fentanyl Resulting in DeathRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – A federal jury has found Christopher A. Defilippis (43, Brandon) guilty of distribution of fentanyl resulting in death and possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl. Due to his prior felony drug convictions, Defilippis faces a mandatory sentence of life in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for September 8, 2021.
Defilippis had been indicted on November 17, 2020.
According to evidence presented at trial, between March and April 2020, Defilippis distributed heroin in Hillsborough County. On April 17, 2020, Defilippis distributed fentanyl, which caused a fatal overdose. Deputies with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office immediately began surveillance on Defilippis and, on April 18, 2020, observed him distributing narcotics throughout Hillsborough County. Law enforcement officers arrested Defilippis and found him to be in possession of fentanyl, cocaine, and packaging consistent with distribution.
The Hillsborough County Medical Examiner’s Office conducted an autopsy and determined that the use of the fentanyl had caused the victim’s death. Lab analysis also determined that the fentanyl mixtures found near the victim were all very similar to the narcotics seized from Defilippis.
This case was investigated by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Diego F. Novaes.
Jacksonville Woman Pleads Guilty to Aggravated Identity Theft and Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – Zipporan Carmel Peters (32, Jacksonville) has pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft and conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Peters faces up to 30 years in federal prison on the conspiracy to commit bank fraud charge, a 2-year mandatory minimum term of imprisonment on the aggravated identity theft charge, and payment of restitution to the victims she and her co-defendant, Charles Cornelius Smith, defrauded. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to court documents, Smith obtained the personal identification information, including the name, date of birth, and Social Security number of a victim. Using this information, Smith provided Peters with a counterfeit South Carolina driver license using the name and identity of the victim, but with Peters’ photo on it. Smith then drove Peters to different branches of the Navy Federal Credit Union in Clay and Duval Counties. Using the victim’s identity, Peters made various fraudulent transactions involving the withdrawal of large amounts of cash and the purchase of multiple $500 gift cards, utilizing the victim’s account. Smith and Peters also visited multiple cellphone stores in Clay and Duval Counties and used the victim’s identity to obtain several thousand dollars’ worth of cellphones and accompanying merchandise.
On May 27, 2021, U.S. District Judge Brian J. Davis sentenced Charles Cornelius Smith (35, Jacksonville) to five years in federal prison for aggravated identity theft and conspiracy to commit bank fraud. The court also ordered Smith to pay restitution to the victims he and Peters defrauded.
This case was investigated by United States Secret Service (Jacksonville Field Office), the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, and the Orange Park Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.
Orlando Man Sentenced to 32 Months in Federal Prison for Passport Fraud and Illegal Reentry After DeportationRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Paul G. Byron has sentenced Donovan Davey (57, Orlando) to 32 months in federal prison for making a false statement in a passport application, aggravated identity theft, falsely claiming U.S. citizenship, and illegally reentering the United States after being deported.
Davey had pleaded guilty on March 3, 2021.
According to court documents, Davey is a citizen of Jamaica. He does not have lawful status to reside in the United States and was physically removed from the United States to Jamaica in 2005 and 2012. In October 2009, Davey fraudulently filed an application for a U.S. passport using the name of Connecticut resident J.T. and including J.T.’s date of birth and social security number but submitting Davey’s photograph. As a result of this fraudulent application, a U.S. passport was issued to Davey in J.T.’s name.
In March 2020, Davey fraudulently filed an application with the U.S. Department of State to renew the passport that he held in J.T.’s name. In the renewal application, Davey again provided J.T.’s personal identifying information, but Davey’s photograph. In the renewal application, Davey attested under penalty of perjury that he was “a citizen or non-citizen national of the United States,” which was not true.
In September 2020, Davey was arrested in Orlando after having returned to the United States without authorization from the U.S. Attorney General or the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.
“Today’s sentencing sends a strong message: the Diplomatic Security Service is committed to ensuring those who commit passport fraud and identity theft face consequences for their criminal actions,” said DSS Special Agent in Charge Peter Kapoukakis of the Miami Field Office. “Our strong relationships with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and other law enforcement agencies continue to be essential in the pursuit of justice and safeguarding our national security.”
“A U.S. passport is an important document around the world, and this criminal thought he could get one through fraud,” said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Miami Field Office Director Michael Meade. “Federal agencies working together stopped his scheme and made our communities and nation safer.”
This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO). It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Chauncey A. Bratt.
Michigan Registered Sex Offender Sentenced to 10 Years for Using the Internet to Attempt to Entice A Child to Engage in Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – Chief U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan today sentenced Arthur Jay Traxler, Jr. (55, Monroe, Michigan) to 10 years in federal prison for attempted online enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity. Traxler has been detained since his arrest in November 2020. Traxler was already a registered sex offender, having been convicted of criminal sexual conduct (4th degree) in 2016, and was on probation at the time that he committed this federal offense.
Traxler had pleaded guilty on March 4, 2021.
According to the plea agreement, between July 21 and August 4, 2020, Traxler engaged in a series of conversations over the internet with a person whom he believed to be a 14-year-old child. Unbeknownst to Traxler, this “child” was an undercover FBI agent. During the course of the online conversations, Traxler discussed in detail his desire to have the “child” send him images of the “child” engaging in sexually explicit conduct. FBI agents arrested Traxler in Michigan on November 9, 2020, and he admitted that he had been chatting online with the “child.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Washington.
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.
Kissimmee Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Distribute Kilos of CocaineRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – Eddie “Macho” Martinez-Marquez (32, Kissimmee) has pleaded guilty to conspiring to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. Martinez-Marquez faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years, and up to life, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the plea agreement, between December 2016 and August 2018, Martinez-Marquez supplied cocaine to a co-conspirator in Jacksonville, Florida. The amounts varied, but Martinez-Marquez typically would supply one or two kilograms, twice per month, which the co-conspirator would then sell in the Jacksonville area. Martinez-Marquez charged $27,000 per kilogram, and at times, “fronted” the drugs to his co-conspirator, essentially supplying the drugs on credit. The pair used couriers to transport drugs and money between each other in the Jacksonville and Orlando metro areas.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Florida Highway Patrol, and the North Florida High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Coolican.
Jacksonville Man Pleads Guilty to Submitting False Claims for FEMA Benefits Involving Hurricane IrmaRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – Deontres Javan Taylor (27, Jacksonville) has pleaded guilty to disaster assistance fraud involving Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) benefits. He faces up to 30 years in federal prison and payment of restitution to the United States in the amount of $8,083.19. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to court documents, on September 4, 2017, Taylor made an application for disaster assistance benefits to FEMA. In the application, he claimed that his primary residence in Jacksonville had suffered storm damage from Hurricane Irma. Taylor stated that storm surge flooded his home and that lightning caused a power surge which resulted in the residence losing power. As a result of these issues, Taylor claimed that he had moved to a hotel and needed housing assistance. Based on the false statements made by Taylor in his application, FEMA paid $8,038.19 in benefits for Taylor.
Follow up investigation by the Department of Homeland Security - Office of Inspector General, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations, determined that Taylor hadn’t lived at the residence he had listed in his benefits application since at least 2015, and that he was not there when Hurricane Irma impacted the Jacksonville area. An inspection by FEMA of the residence that Taylor had listed in his benefits application determined that the home did not suffer storm surge damage nor lose power due to Hurricane Irma.
This case is part of the United States Attorney’s Disaster Fraud Task Force, which was announced in September 2017. This case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security - Office of Inspector General, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.
Members of the public who suspect fraud, waste, abuse, or allegations of mismanagement involving disaster relief operations, or believe they have been the victim of fraud from a person or organization soliciting relief funds on behalf of disaster victims, should contact the National Disaster Fraud Hotline toll free at (866) 720-5721 or submit a complaint online: https://www.justice.gov/DisasterComplaintForm.
Owner of Jacksonville Tax Preparation Business Sentenced to Federal Prison for Tax FraudRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Kenyan Shondre Scott to 18 months in federal prison for aiding and assisting others with the filing of fraudulent tax returns and for filing fraudulent tax returns on his own behalf. Scott was also ordered to pay restitution to the United States for a tax loss of $553,403. He had pleaded guilty on February 24, 2021.
According to court documents and facts presented at his sentencing hearing, Scott was the owner and operator of a Jacksonville tax return preparation business, which he had opened in 2009. Between February 2014 and April 2018, Scott prepared and filed tax returns for others in which he falsely claimed, among other things, that the taxpayers had owned businesses and had incurred deductible business expenses, were entitled to general business tax credits and educational tax credits, and had incurred deductible unreimbursed employee expenses. These representations were false and substantially increased the clients’ tax refunds.
On his own tax returns, Scott significantly underreported the income he had earned from his tax preparation business as shown in the following chart:
Tax Year
Reported Adjusted Gross Income
Tax
Refund Claimed
Approximate True Adjusted Gross Income
Approximate Taxes Owed on True AGI
2013
$43,691
$51
$97,846
$36,928
2014
$39,552
$50
$279,898
$108,033
2015
$37,943
$49
$151,216
$57,230
2016
$28,072
$44
$193,898
$72,681
“We want everyone who files a tax return to take advantage of the deductions and credits to which they are entitled by law; however, no one is entitled to defraud the government," said Special Agent in Charge Brian Payne of IRS Criminal Investigation. “Today's sentencing of Kenyan Scott demonstrates that protecting taxpayer money is a matter we take very seriously. IRS Criminal Investigation will continue to vigorously pursue those who unjustly line their own pockets by preparing false claims for refunds for themselves and others.”
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Arnold B. Corsmeier.
Former Financial Advisor Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for FraudRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge John L. Badalamenti today sentenced David Aaron Rockwell (45, Cape Coral) to five years in federal prison for wire fraud and bank fraud. As part of his sentence, the court also entered a money judgment of $1,018,000, the proceeds of his wire and bank fraud.
Rockwell had pleaded guilty on January 14, 2021.
According to court documents, Rockwell, a financial advisor, managed investment and retirement accounts for his clients. Beginning in October 2017, Rockwell began to defraud clients and misappropriated his clients’ funds for his own purpose. Rockwell also defrauded a federally insured bank when he applied for two lines of credit, totaling $700,000, in the names of his clients, without their knowledge or permission. Rockwell forged the clients’ signatures on the loan applications and pledged the clients’ assets as collateral for the loans, all without their knowledge or authorization. Rockwell used the funds that he had obtained from the loans for his own use and benefit.
Furthermore, Rockwell persuaded another client to invest in low-income housing in Florida. However, once the client transferred approximately $400,000 to fund the investment, Rockwell used the money to pay his personal credit cards and to purchase a home.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Yolande G. Viacava.
Eight Members of Armed Drug Trafficking Organization Charged by Federal IndictmentRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Karin Hoppmann announces the return of an indictment charging eight individuals with conspiracy to distribute and to possess with the intent to distribute MDMA, also known as “ecstasy” or “molly”, and α‑Pyrrolidinopentiophenone, also known as “alpha-PVP” or “flakka.” If convicted, each faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. The indictment also notifies the defendants that the United States intends to forfeit property that was used to facilitate the offense or that is traceable to proceeds of the offense, including approximately $185,000 in cash, a 2015 BMW 550i, a 2015 Lexus IS 250, a 2013 Audi A8 L Quattro, a 2020 Ryker Rally Edition motorcycle, two Rolex watches, numerous pieces of jewelry, and five firearms.
The individuals charged in the indictment are: Kimberly Michelle Claridy Walker (44, Jacksonville); Neal Merrell Walker (50, Jacksonville); Marcus Antonio Peterson (35, Lake City); Ramone Lazai Astin (35, Jacksonville); Alfred Eugene Bell (36, Jacksonville); Mar’quez Maurice Mickler (20, Jacksonville); David Lee Geathers (24, Jacksonville); and Brandiesa Tylese Williams (24, Jacksonville).
According to the indictment and other court documents, the defendants were part of an armed drug trafficking organization that distributed illegal narcotics, primarily out of a “trap house” on 14th Street in Jacksonville, beginning in July 2018 and continuing until April 13, 2021, when six of the defendants were arrested. During the course of the conspiracy, the conspirators obtained kilogram quantities of the drugs, which were broken up into small amounts and re-packaged for sale to numerous individuals.
Bank account records and public documents reflect that on two occasions Kimberly Walker and Neal Walker, with the assistance of co-defendants, laundered approximately $98,000 through financial institutions from which they had obtained cashier’s checks to buy tax deeds for five properties in Jacksonville. Bank records also reflect that between June 13, 2019, and November 30, 2020, approximately $330,000 was deposited, almost entirely in cash, into an account in the name of a business entity owned by the Walkers.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has violated one or more of the federal criminal laws, 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 Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, and the Lake City Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Arnold B. Corsmeier.
Lee County Man Sentenced to Seven Years in Federal Prison for Distributing Child Sexual Abuse Images Using the InternetRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Kyle William O’Brien (28, Estero) to 7 years in federal prison for using the internet to distribute images depicting the sexual abuse of children. O’Brien was also sentenced to a lifetime term of supervised release and was ordered to register as a sex offender.
O’Brien had pleaded guilty on December 26, 2019.
According to court documents, an individual that O’Brien had met through an online dating application (app) contacted the FBI after O’Brien had sent her images depicting the sexual abuse of children. The woman reported that after she had met O’Brien online on the dating app, the two met in person on February 1, 2019. During their visit, the woman saw O’Brien looking at and swiping through images on his cellphone that depicted the sexual exploitation and abuse of children. Later, O’Brien sent the woman an online message using the dating app to invite her to watch a child exploitation video on his television. O’Brien continued to send the woman messages, he also sent her child sex abuse images.
On April 25, 2019, FBI agents executed a federal search warrant at O’Brien’s home and seized his cellphone. During an interview with law enforcement, O’Brien admitted sending child exploitation materials to the woman from his cellphone. A subsequent forensic examination of O’Brien’s cellphone revealed that the device had been used to search for images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of young children and also contained more than 100 hyperlinks to websites that hosted such materials.
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 Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Jacksonville Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Identity Theft and Fraud ActivitiesRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Brian J. Davis has sentenced Charles Cornelius Smith (35, Jacksonville) to five years in federal prison for aggravated identity theft and conspiracy to commit bank fraud. The court also ordered Smith to pay restitution to the victims he had defrauded.
Smith had pleaded guilty on February 2, 2021.
According to court documents, Smith obtained the personal identification information, including the name, date of birth, and Social Security number of a victim. Using this information, Smith provided his co-defendant, Zipporan Carmel Peters, with a counterfeit South Carolina driver license using the name and identity of the victim, but with Peters’ photo on it. Smith then drove Peters to different branches of the Navy Federal Credit Union in Clay and Duval Counties. Using the victim’s identity, Peters made various fraudulent transactions involving the withdrawal of large amounts of cash and the purchase of multiple $500 gift cards, utilizing the victim’s account. Smith and Peters also visited multiple cellphone stores in Clay and Duval Counties and used the victim’s identity to obtain several thousand dollars’ worth of cellphones and accompanying merchandise.
Zipporan Carmel Peters is scheduled for trial on July 6, 2021.
“Technology has forever changed the way we do business, making every day financial transactions a prime target for fraud. This case should serve as a strong deterrent to those considering exploiting the identities of others to enrich themselves through fraud,” said Special Agent in Charge, Glen M. Kessler of the U.S. Secret Service - Jacksonville Field Office.
This case was investigated by United States Secret Service (Jacksonville Field Office), the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, and the Orange Park Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.
Daytona Beach Drug Conspirators Sentenced to Federal Prison for Distributing Cocaine, Heroin, and FentanylRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Wendy Berger today sentenced Matthew Zachariah Humphrey (26, Daytona Beach) to 11 years and 6 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and for possessing a firearm in furtherance of that offense. Humphrey’s co-conspirator, Janee Reve Najee Kelly (32, Daytona Beach) was sentenced to 8 years and 1 month in federal prison for the same charges.
Humphrey and Kelly had pleaded guilty on February 11, 2021, and December 8, 2020, respectively.
According to court documents, Humphrey, Kelly, and others worked together to distribute heroin, fentanyl, and cocaine in the Daytona Beach area. On June 17, 2020, both Kelly and Humphrey were arrested in Daytona Beach. At the time of their arrests, Humphrey possessed cocaine, fentanyl, and a stolen, loaded firearm. Kelly possessed fentanyl and a firearm as well. Collectively, the two individuals possessed more than 88 grams of fentanyl.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Daytona Beach Police Department, and the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dana E. Hill.
This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Fugitive Arrested and Charged with Escaping from Jacksonville Halfway HouseRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Karin Hoppmann announces the return by a grand jury of an indictment charging Derrick S. McCullough (31, Keystone Heights) with escape from federal custody. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison.
According to the indictment, on March 29, 2021, McCullough escaped from custody at Keeton Corrections Residential Reentry Center, a halfway house in Jacksonville, Florida. McCullough was confined to Keeton while serving the final portion of a sentence imposed in connection with a federal conviction for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service and the Bradford County Narcotics Task Force. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Coolican.
Federal Jury Convicts Titusville Man of Attempting to Entice and Meet A 13-Year-Old Child to Engage in Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Karin Hoppmann announces that a federal jury has found Michael Craig Gorycki (50, Titusville) guilty of attempted enticement of a 13-year-old child to engage in sexual activity. Gorycki faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 10 years, and up to life, in federal prison and a potential lifetime term of supervised release. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for August 12, 2021. Gorycki has been detained since his arrest on August 7, 2020.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, in August 2020, Gorycki engaged in online chats with a Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) task force agent who was acting in an undercover capacity and posing as the father of a 13-year-old girl. During the online conversation, Gorycki expressed interest in meeting the father in order to gain access to and sexually assault his minor daughter. Gorycki expressed in detail his intention to rape the child and teach her to perform a specific sexual act. Gorycki was arrested when he traveled to meet the father at a prearranged meeting place in Titusville so that he could have sex with the 13-year-old child.
This case was investigated by the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Emily C. L. Chang and John M. Gardella.
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.
Fort Myers Drug Trafficker Sentenced to Eleven Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell has sentenced Edgar Vazquez (36, Fort Myers) to 11 years in federal prison for possessing with the intent to distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine. The court also ordered Vazquez to forfeit a firearm and ammunition that were involved in the offense.
Vazquez had been found guilty by a jury on September 15, 2020.
According to evidence presented at trial, in September 2018, Vazquez was driving a vehicle on Colonial Boulevard in Fort Myers, when he was stopped by Lee County Sheriff’s Office deputies for committing a traffic infraction. After a trained drug canine unit alerted to the presence of drugs in the vehicle, law enforcement conducted a search of the vehicle and recovered approximately 500 grams of cocaine from inside the vehicle. A subsequent search warrant was executed at Vazquez’s residence, where approximately 700 grams of cocaine, cash, and a loaded gun were seized from his bedroom.
This case was investigated by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration and the Lee County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Simon R. Eth and David P. Sullivan.
Tampa Man Sentenced to Prison for Manufacturing Counterfeit Federal Reserve Notes While on Federal Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States District Judge Brian J. Davis has sentenced Darius Jondi Edwards (42, Tampa) to four years and three months in federal prison for manufacturing counterfeit Federal Reserve notes and for violating his federal supervised release.
Edwards had pleaded guilty on January 25, 2021, and admitted that he had violated his federal supervision by again manufacturing counterfeit Federal Reserve notes.
According to court documents, in 2015 Edwards pleaded guilty in federal court in Jacksonville to charges he manufactured counterfeit Federal Reserve notes (i.e., counterfeit currency), that he and others passed throughout the Jacksonville area. Edwards was sentenced to 33 months in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release.
After his release from prison in October 2019, and while still on federal supervised release for those prior counterfeiting charges, the Pinellas Park Police Department arrested Edwards for possession of counterfeit currency and forging/making counterfeit bank bills. During the course of arresting Edwards at a hotel, law enforcement found him to be in possession of counterfeit currency, partially completed counterfeit currency, and computer media used to manufacture counterfeit Federal Reserve notes. Follow up investigation by the United States Secret Service determined that Edwards had purchased the computer media used to manufacture the counterfeit notes in Duval County and then transported the computer media to Pinellas County, where he manufactured the counterfeit Federal Reserve notes.
This case was investigated by the Pinellas Park Police Department and the United States Secret Service Jacksonville Field Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.
Melbourne Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Money Mule ActivitiesRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Roy B. Dalton, Jr. has sentenced Joseph Daniel Harrison (43, Melbourne) to 12 months and 1 day in federal prison for participating in a wire fraud conspiracy. Harrison had pleaded guilty on February 1, 2021.
According to court documents, between September 2018 and May 2020, Harrison acted as a “money mule” for individuals believed to be located overseas who were defrauding victims. Money mules are individuals who receive and move money obtained from victims of fraud. Harrison assisted in the fraud by receiving fraud proceeds in his personal and business bank accounts. Harrison then transferred most of the fraud proceeds to other members of the conspiracy, while keeping some funds for his own use. The types of fraud through which Harrison’s co-conspirators obtained the funds included COVID-19 related unemployment fraud on the State of Washington, email compromise fraud on a school district in Illinois, email compromise fraud on businesses in Maryland, Texas, and Virginia, and romance fraud on a victim in California.
The amount of fraud proceeds that were routed through bank accounts controlled by Harrison totaled $2,091,576.50.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Secret Service. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Chauncey A. Bratt and Jennifer Harrington.
Lee County Convicted Sex Offender Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Possessing Child Sexual Abuse Images and VideosRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell has sentenced Steven Thomas Baryla (39, Lehigh Acres) to 10 years in federal prison for possessing images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children. Baryla was also sentenced to a lifetime term of supervised release and ordered to register as a sex offender.
Baryla had pleaded guilty on January 14, 2021.
According to court documents, Baryla knowingly possessed child sexual abuse images and videos that he had obtained from the internet; he also accessed similar images depicting children engaged in sexually explicit conduct via social media applications such as Kik and Snapchat. On June 20, 2019, a search warrant was executed at Baryla’s residence where agents from Homeland Security Investigations recovered Baryla’s cellphone. Subsequent forensic analysis of Baryla’s cellphone revealed that it contained 106 images and 10 videos depicting children being sexually abused. The internet history of the cellphone showed certain internet search terms, including “best state for sex offenders to live 2017” and “registered sex offender name change.”
In 2011, Baryla was convicted on federal charges of transporting child pornography in New Jersey.
“Thanks to HSI special agents, this child predator will have a decade to think about his crimes,” said HSI Tampa Assistant Special Agent in Charge Michael Cochran.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. 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 Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Jacksonville Man Pleads Guilty to Making A False Statement to A Firearms DealerRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – Jarrod Austin (33, Jacksonville) has pleaded guilty to making a false statement to a federally licensed firearms dealer. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison.
According to the plea agreement, Austin was subject to an injunction for protection against domestic violence that had issued by the Circuit Court of the Fourth Judicial Circuit in Nassau County on December 23, 2014. The injunction specifically prohibited Austin from possessing a firearm and federal law makes it a felony for anyone who is subject to an injunction against domestic violence to possess or purchase a firearm.
In August 2019, Austin tried to buy a firearm and was denied on the background check because of the injunction. Austin contacted the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) to dispute the denial and FDLE advised Austin that he was in fact prohibited from purchasing a firearm. On December 11, 2019, Austin went to a federally licensed firearms dealer in Jacksonville and again tried to purchase a firearm. Austin falsely stated on the ATF Form 4473 that he was not subject to an injunction, specifically a court order restraining him from harassing, stalking, or threatening an intimate partner. Austin was again denied on the background check and did not obtain a firearm.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank Talbot.
This case is part of Project 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.
Fort Myers Felon Sentenced to Ten Years in Prison for Discharging Firearm in Apartment Complex Parking LotRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell has sentenced Jamar Maurice James (31, Fort Myers) to 10 years in federal prison for possessing ammunition as a convicted felon in connection with a shooting at an apartment complex parking lot in Fort Myers.
James had pleaded guilty on January 13, 2021.
According to court documents, on February 17, 2020, at approximately 3:15 a.m. officers from the Fort Myers Police Department responded to a “ShotSpotter” alert at the Jones Walker Palm Gardens Apartments in Fort Myers. ShotSpotter® is a gunfire locator or gunshot detection system that detects and conveys the location of gunfire or other weapons fire using a combination of sensors in a geographic area. When officers arrived, although they did not locate any injured persons or a gunman, they found six spent ammunition cartridge casings in the apartment complex parking lot. A subsequent investigation revealed that James had discharged an AK-47 firearm in the parking lot of the complex and then fled the scene before law enforcement arrived.
James had previously been convicted of six felonies, including multiple prior convictions for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. As a result, federal law prohibits him from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Fort Myers Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Simon R. Eth.
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.
Weeki Wachee Repeat Offender Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Attempting to Entice A 13-Year-Old to Engage in SexRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Brian J. Davis has sentenced James Allen Shook (49, Weeki Wachee) to 20 years in federal prison for attempting to entice or coerce a child to engage in sexual activity. The court also ordered Shook to serve a life term of supervised release and to register as a sex offender.
Shook had pleaded guilty on February 11, 2021.
According to court documents, on January 24, 2020, Shook posted an online classified ad stating that he was seeking “young horny girls” for sex, “first timers welcome!” and “all ages welcome!” On the same day, a special agent with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS), acting in an undercover capacity posing as a 13-year-old girl, responded to the ad. Despite learning that the “child” was 13, Shook arranged to travel to Clay County to engage in sex acts with the child. Shook also requested a nude photograph of the child and sent the child photographs of himself, including an explicit photo. Shook offered that the child could come live with him if she wanted. When Shook arrived at what he believed was the child’s home, he was arrested by Homeland Security Investigations special agents.
In an interview with agents, Shook stated that he had a sexual interest in children and that he searches the internet daily for child sexual abuse images, that it arouses him, and that he had searched for sexually explicit materials depicting children as young as 2 years old. Shook also admitted that he had displayed his penis to underage girls in person hundreds of times. Shook has nine prior felony convictions in New Jersey for lewdness, including five for lewdness involving children under 13.
This case was investigated by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Clay County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelly S. Karase.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Tampa Credit Union Employee Sentenced for Bank Fraud and Identity TheftRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Steven Merryday has sentenced Diamond Hamilton (23, Tampa) to two years in federal prison for bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. Hamilton had pleaded guilty on February 17, 2021.
According to court documents, Hamilton was an employee of a federally insured credit union (Credit Union 1) in Tampa. In 2019, Hamilton and others engaged in a scheme to defraud the credit union by fraudulently obtaining money under the credit union’s control. To accomplish the scheme, Hamilton accessed bank account information of the Credit Union 1 victim account holders without the account holders’ knowledge or permission and added email addresses controlled by other conspirators in the scheme. Hamilton also added and/or changed online passwords associated with the victims’ accounts, then caused funds to be transferred from the victim account holders’ bank accounts to accounts controlled by her and other co-conspirators. Afterwards, the funds were subsequently withdrawn and shared amongst the conspirators.
This case was investigated by the Federal Housing Finance Agency – Office of Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Chris Poor.
Palatka Man Sentenced to 22 Years in Prison for Armed Robberies of PharmaciesRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas Barber has sentenced Arsenio Dennis (31, Palatka) to 22 years in federal prison for robbery and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. The court also ordered Dennis to pay $46,236 in restitution, and to forfeit a firearm and ammunition that were seized during the investigation.
Dennis had pleaded guilty on February 17, 2021.
According to court documents, between August 2017 and March 2018, several pharmacies in the Middle District of Florida were robbed in a similar manner. The robbers wore disguises or other clothing to conceal their identity, used firearms to rob the pharmacists, took prescription opioids, and used local drug dealers to sell the pills. Investigators determined that several coconspirators had planned and committed the robberies, and Dennis was involved in at least three of them.
In August 2017, Dennis robbed pharmacies in Tampa and Lakeland. On both occasions, he entered the pharmacy, jumped over the counter, pointed a firearm at the pharmacist’s head and demanded opioids. He then took bottles containing prescription opioid pills and put them in a bag. Dennis ordered the pharmacists to lay on the ground and count to 1,000, then walked out of the store.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Tampa Police Department, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, the Apopka Police Department, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael Sinacore.
Ocala Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Distribute NarcoticsRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – Corey Andrew Carnegie (34, Ocala) has pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute narcotics, including 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and 28 grams or more of cocaine base. He faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 10 years, and up to life, in federal prison.
Carnegie had been indicted on September 2, 2020.
According to the plea agreement, on November 26, 2019, pursuant to a search warrant, law enforcement officers searched a vehicle that Carnegie had been driving and found nearly 900 grams of methamphetamine. During the execution of a search warrant of Carnegie’s cellphone, agents found evidence that Carnegie had been operating a marijuana grow operation at another residence. When that home was searched pursuant to a search warrant in December 2020, agents located numerous firearms and ammunition and nearly half a kilogram of powder cocaine. Agents also located the marijuana grow operation in a shed behind the home.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Ocala Police Department, and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William S. Hamilton.
Interlachen Man Pleads Guilty to Transmitting Interstate Threats to Injure United States SenatorRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – Brian Christopher King (62, Interlachen) has pleaded guilty to transmitting communications in interstate commerce that contained threats to injure the person of another. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not been set.
According to the plea agreement, in March 2020, King placed two telephone calls in one evening to a United States senator’s office in Washington, D.C. On both occasions, King left voicemails laced with profanity, threatening to cut off the senator’s head. Four days later, when interviewed by federal investigators, King agreed that it was his voice on a voicemail recording but denied any intent to travel to Washington or to harm anyone.
An FBI agent reminded King that, in 2018, he had interviewed him in connection with a similar incident, and again cautioned King that threatening elected officials was a serious matter. At the conclusion of that interview, King was not arrested. Despite the agent’s warnings, King’s continued making threatening calls. Specifically, in June 2020, King called a police department in California and stated that he had heard someone was going to cut the heads off a particular U.S. senator and a particular member of the House of Representatives.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Capitol Police, the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, and the Daytona Beach Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Coolican.
Foreign National Sentenced to Federal Prison for Illegally Re-Entering the United States and for Assaulting Federal Officers During ArrestRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Brian J. Davis has sentenced Julian Salazar-Zavala (32, Jacksonville) to 18 months in federal prison for forcibly assaulting and resisting immigration officers during his arrest and being unlawfully present in the United States after having been previously deported.
Salazar-Zavala had pleaded guilty on February 4, 2021.
According to court documents and testimony, Salazar Zavala was the subject of an administrative arrest operation after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) learned that he was issued a traffic citation in Jacksonville after he had been deported from the United States in 2018. On the morning of September 22, 2020, officers from ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) followed Salazar-Zavala as he drove from his home to a gas station in Jacksonville, where he stopped at a gas pump. After Salazar-Zavala got out of his vehicle, the ERO officers approached him and told him that he was being placed under arrest for immigration violations and instructed Salazar-Zavala to place his hands on the gas pump so that they could detain him. After initially complying, Salazar-Zavala removed his hands from the pump, pushed the officers out of the way—knocking one into a parked car—and fled on foot. The officers pursued Salazar-Zavala into an adjacent parking lot, then followed him as he doubled back and entered the convenience store at the gas station.
While inside the convenience store, Salazar-Zavala continued to resist arrest, struggling with the officers, and urging bystanders to fight the officers and film them. The officers eventually restrained Salazar-Zavala and placed him under arrest. Following his arrest, the officers confirmed that Salazar-Zavala was a citizen of Mexico who had been previously deported on December 27, 2018, and was unlawfully present in the United States.
“This criminal assaulted federal law enforcement officers who were working to keep our communities safe,” said Miami ERO Field Office Director Michael Meade. “He will now learn that lesson behind bars.”
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Arnold B. Corsmeier.
Convicted Felon Sentenced to Nearly 10 Years for Possessing A Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – Senior United States District Judge John Antoon II has sentenced Xavier Sims (36, Ocala) to nine years and seven months in federal prison for possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon.
A federal jury had found Sims guilty on February 23, 2021.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, in February 2020, deputies from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office responded to a shooting at a residence. The victim and her three children had been sleeping when multiple gunshots hit their home. Sims, the victim’s ex-boyfriend, had threatened to “shoot up” her house earlier that day during an argument. Following the shooting, deputies observed Sims’s vehicle near the scene—he was the driver and sole occupant. During a search of the vehicle, deputies recovered a Glock .40 caliber pistol from the trunk along with 10 spent .40 caliber shell casings and 20 live rounds. Subsequent forensic analysis confirmed that the casings and a bullet fragment found at the scene of the shooting matched the firearm from Sims’s vehicle. DNA analysis also confirmed the presence of Sims’s DNA on the live .40 caliber rounds. Sims, a multi-convicted felon, is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Tyrie K. Boyer and Michael P. Felicetta.
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.
North Fort Myers Man Sentenced to More Than 19 Years in Prison for Distribution of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, FL – U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell has sentenced Chester “Chet” Risco (36, North Fort Myers) to 19 years and 7 months in federal prison for distributing methamphetamine. Risco had pleaded guilty to four counts of distributing the drug on September 1, 2020.
According to court documents, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI began investigating Risco after receiving a tip that he had been distributing large amounts of methamphetamine in and around North Fort Myers. During the summer of 2019, a confidential informant working at the direction of law enforcement purchased 100% pure methamphetamine from Risco on four occasions. Further investigation revealed the scope of Risco’s drug dealing activities, which involved selling multiple ounces of methamphetamine and fentanyl weekly in Lee County until his arrest in March 2020.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Lee County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael V. Leeman.
Fort McCoy Man Sentenced to 24 Months for Possession of Homemade SilencerRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – U.S. District Judge Roy B. Dalton Jr. has sentenced Gary Dewayne Martin (31, Fort McCoy) to 24 months in federal prison for possession of an unregistered silencer. The court also ordered Martin to forfeit the silencer and a .22 caliber semiautomatic rifle. Martin had pleaded guilty on January 6, 2021.
According to court documents, on September 20, 2019, deputies from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office were called to Martin’s residence. Witnesses said that Martin was walking around wearing body armor and wielding a shotgun, threatening to kill himself and others. Witnesses further stated that Martin had discharged his shotgun into a nearby campfire. While investigating the campfire, deputies found the shotgun, two spent shotgun shells, and a .22 caliber rifle with an attached homemade silencer secured to the barrel. The silencer was not registered as required by federal law. Pursuant to a risk protection order, deputies then searched the residence and seized a total of 37 firearms and large amounts of ammunition.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William S. Hamilton.
This is another case prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Middle District of Florida, Acting U.S. Attorney Karin Hoppmann coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.
Drug Trafficker Who Caused Three Fentanyl Overdoses Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas Barber has sentenced Marvin Lee Carter, Sr. (41, Tampa) to 20 years in federal prison for distributing fentanyl, which caused serious bodily injury. Carter had pleaded guilty on March 1, 2021.
According to court documents, Carter sold fentanyl to an acquaintance, who used the fentanyl and suffered an overdose. That same day, Carter also sold fentanyl to another individual. That individual and a co-worker both used the fentanyl and also overdosed. Law enforcement then executed a search warrant at Carter’s residence and found additional fentanyl. All three individuals who had used the fentanyl received medical attention and survived.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Tampa Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Randall Leonard.
This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Putnam County Convicted Sex Offender Pleads Guilty to Possessing Images Depicting Child Sexual Abuse on His Cell PhoneRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – Jasen Michael Anderson (29, Crescent City) has pleaded guilty to possessing images depicting the sexual abuse of children on his cell phone. He faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 10 years, and up to 20 years, in federal prison, a $250,000 fine, and a potential life term of supervised release.
According to court documents, on May 3, 2012, Anderson was convicted on federal charges for distributing and possessing child exploitation materials. After serving a seven-year prison sentence, Anderson was released and began serving a 10-year term of supervised release under the supervision of the United States Probation Office. During this period, Anderson was prohibited from using any computer device to access the internet without written approval of his probation officer, and was subject to any search by the Probation Office based on reasonable suspicion of evidence of a violation of any supervised release condition.
During an interview on March 16, 2020, Anderson admitted to his probation officer that he had accessed the internet using a cell phone and had searched for images of children on a particular Russian website. The probation officer then confiscated Anderson’s cell phone. During an initial manual examination of this device, no evidence of contraband images was discovered.
In May 2020, Anderson met with his probation officer and admitted that he had accessed child sex abuse images over the internet using a second cell phone. This second phone was also seized by the probation officer. Anderson was subsequently arrested at his home by the United States Marshals Service based on violations of the terms of his supervised release. Forensic examination of his cell phones revealed that one of the devices contained 110 images depicting young children, including some as young as six years old, being sexually abused.
This case was investigated by the United States Probation Office in Ocala and Tampa, the United States Marshals Service, and Homeland Security Investigations. 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.
Former Seminole County Tax Collector Joel Micah Greenberg Pleads Guilty to Multiple Federal OffensesRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – Former Seminole County Tax Collector Joel Micah Greenberg (36, Lake Mary) today pleaded guilty to six federal offenses: sex trafficking of a child, illegally producing a false identification document, aggravated identity theft, wire fraud, stalking, and conspiracy. Each offense carries a separate penalty. Greenberg faces maximum terms of imprisonment of 20 years for wire fraud, 15 years for illegally producing a false identification document, 15 years for conspiracy, and 5 years for stalking. He also faces mandatory minimum sentences of imprisonment: of 10 years, and up to, life in prison for sex trafficking of a child, and of 2 years for aggravated identity theft. Greenberg will be ordered to pay restitution to his victims in amounts to be determined at his sentencing.
According to the plea agreement, Greenberg paid for commercial sex acts, including with an individual who was a minor for part of the time when Greenberg paid her to engage in those acts. Greenberg had met the minor on an internet website and he engaged in commercial sex acts with her on at least seven occasions when she was under the age of 18. Greenberg also introduced the minor to other adult men, who engaged in commercial sex acts with the minor in the Middle District of Florida.
On the day of his arrest and execution of a federal search warrant at his residence on June 23, 2020, Greenberg was found in possession of two fake drivers licenses in his wallet – each license contained the personal information of the victim but with Greenberg’s photograph. Greenberg used his position as Tax Collector to facilitate the production of those fake drivers licenses.
In addition, Greenberg used his position as Seminole County Tax Collector to embezzle and divert over $400,000 to benefit himself, including to purchase cryptocurrency, to operate a business that sold cryptocurrency mining machines, to mine cryptocurrency, and to purchase personal items, such as autographed sports memorabilia.
Greenberg also engaged in a course of conduct that caused and attempted to cause substantial emotional distress to a political opponent who worked in the Middle District of Florida, including by knowingly mailing false letters to the school where the employee worked. The letters claimed to be from an anonymous “very concerned student” of the school who claimed to know the school employee had engaged in sexual misconduct with a particular student.
After his federal arrest in June 2020, and while released on special conditions, Greenberg conspired with an employee of the Small Business Administration (SBA) and another individual to submit false claims to SBA for Economic Injury Disaster Loans, available under the CARES Act to businesses negatively affected by the COVID 19 pandemic. Greenberg and the SBA employee conspired to submit loan applications for two of Greenberg’s businesses falsely claiming the businesses were operating prior to February 2020, when in fact the State previously had administratively dissolved both business and Greenberg only reinstated them to apply for the loans. Greenberg and the SBA employee also conspired to apply for a third loan in Greenberg’s name. The loan applications provided false information about the revenues and numbers of employees for the businesses. As a result of the conspiracy, Greenberg received over $430,000, and he paid $16,000 of that to the individual who recruited him into the scheme, and $3,000 of it as a bribe to the SBA employee.
This case was investigated by United States Secret Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the U.S. Small Business Administration - Office of Inspector General, with assistance from the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, and the United States Postal Inspection Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Roger B. Handberg and Jennifer M. Harrington.
Orange Park Man Pleads Guilty to Offering Child Sex Abuse Photos for Sale on the InternetRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – Antony Eugene Woody (33, Orange Park) has pleaded guilty to a federal charge of advertising images depicting the sexual abuse of children for sale using the internet. Woody faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years, and up to, 30 years in federal prison, and a potential life term of supervised release.
According to court documents, in February 2019, the FBI discovered that an online user named “imsoofreakyy” was using a particular social media application to offer child sex abuse images for sale on the internet. Meanwhile, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) received a Cybertip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that the same user “imsoofreakyy” was using a particular email address to advertise images of children being sexually assaulted. CCSO detectives were able to identify this individual as Antony Eugene Woody, who resided in Orange Park.
On March 22, 2019, CCSO officers and FBI agents executed a search warrant at Woody’s residence and made contact with him. During an interview with law enforcement, Woody admitted that he downloaded child sex abuse images from the internet, labeled these images with titles, prices, and his online contact information, and then re-posted them for sale using a social media app. Woody also admitted that online customers responded to his advertisements, that he would receive money for these sales using Venmo, and that he defrauded some of these customers by taking their money but refusing to send them the contraband images that they had purchased. Woody received at least $995 in profits from these sales through the Venmo app. A search of Woody’s cellular telephone revealed 33 videos and 40 images depicting the sexual abuse of children. Two of these images bore superimposed advertising language that was created and placed on them by Woody.
This case was investigated by the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, the Westbrook (Maine) Police Department, the Broward County (Florida) Sheriff’s Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (Boston and Jacksonville), with the assistance of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Minnesota Man Sentenced to More Than Twelve Years in Federal Prison for Florida Investment FraudRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Paul Byron has sentenced Jeremy Kee Anderson (50, Minnesota) to 12 years and 7 months in federal prison for conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, and mail and wire fraud. Anderson had pleaded guilty on February 26, 2021.
According to court documents, Anderson led a conspiracy that defrauded more than 200 victims, most of them elderly, and who had invested a good portion of their life savings, out of more than $10.3 million through investments offered in connection with a company called Tri-Med Corporation. Anderson was founder and principal owner of Tri-Med Corporation.
The investment scheme involved the alleged purchase of medical receivables by Tri-Med, and involved services that were provided to accident victims who were represented by personal injury attorneys. Payment of those medical receivables was supposed to be made from the proceeds of litigation or an insurance claim made against a general liability or automobile insurance policy. Each of the medical receivables was also supposed to be secured by a “Letter of Protection,” a letter that is provided by a patient’s personal injury attorney to a medical services professional as an incentive to provide services to a patient. The letter is a contract involving a patient, the patient’s attorney, and the medical services provider by which the patient and attorney agree to pay all or part of the total billed by the medical services provider from the proceeds of any pre-suit settlement, lawsuit settlement, or judgment that the patient may obtain.
To fund Tri-Med’s alleged purchases of medical receivables, Anderson and his conspirators solicited individuals to participate in an “investment program” in which investors’ money would be used by Tri-Med to buy medical receivables “backed” by letters of protection. As part of their solicitations, Anderson and his conspirators represented to investors that that their investments were safe and that investor funds would be held in a trust account that was controlled by an attorney. To assure investors that their investments were secure, Tri-Med claimed that it would transfer its interest in the letter of protection to the investor in a document called an “Assignment of Interest Certificate.” Those representations were false.
Of the more than $17 million raised from over 200 investors, only approximately $2.7 million was ever transferred from Tri-Med to the attorney’s trust account. The vast majority of the funds raised from investors never made it to that account. Over $6.5 million was paid to the sales people and the operators of Tri-Med or was used by them to benefit themselves or pay business expenses, while approximately $2.3 million was paid as distributions to investors as “interest payments” to make them believe that their investments were profitable. In fact, Tri-Med did not purchase enough medical receivables to secure the incoming investments, so it fabricated “Assignment of Interest Certificates.” The result was that more than 200 victims lost over $10.3 million in this scheme.
Anderson is the fourth person to be charged and sentenced as part of this conspiracy. Previously, the following individuals were charged and sentenced to federal prison terms for their roles in this conspiracy: Anthony Nicholas, Jr. (63, Hudson) received 11 years and 3 months and Eric Ager (78, Orlando) and Irwin Ager (84, Orlando) each were sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment.
“The Secret Service, along with our many law enforcement partners, including the Florida Office of Financial Regulation, remains committed to bringing fraudsters such as Anderson to justice,” said U.S. Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Caroline O’Brien Buster. “To prey on our most vulnerable citizens is egregious, amoral and incredibly cruel. The Secret Service will not tolerate such crimes and will actively pursue justice, especially in these cases.”
This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service and the State of Florida’s Office of Financial Regulation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Shawn P. Napier and Roger B. Handberg, III.
Kissimmee Accountant Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Embezzling Funds from EmployersRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Wendy W. Berger has sentenced Kavita L. Harack (35, Kissimmee), aka Kavita Harrack or Sara Harack, to 15 years in federal prison for two counts of wire fraud. The court also ordered Harack to forfeit the $604,637.25 in proceeds which she obtained as a result of the fraud, and to pay restitution to the victims of the offenses. In addition, the court ruled that Harack attempted to obstruct justice during her judicial proceedings by submitting fraudulent documentation to the U.S. Attorney’s Office and making multiple false statements to the court.
Harack had pleaded guilty on October 19, 2020.
According to court documents, in May 2017, Harack was hired to work in the Orlando office of a display services company as an accountant. Between April 2018 and May 2019, Harack directed 74 fraudulent payments from the company to four bank accounts held in her or her husband’s name. Harack disguised the transfers to these personal accounts as vendor payments. After Harack was terminated by the display services company in May 2019, she was hired to work in the accounting department of a project design company in Orlando. Between July 2019 and December 2019, Harack directed four fraudulent payments from the project design company into two of her personal accounts, again disguising the transactions as vendor payments.
In total, between 2018 and 2019, Harack fraudulently paid herself $604,637.25 from accounts belonging to the display services and project design companies. Harack used those funds for personal expenditures, including the purchase of a home, home improvements, travel, retail purchases, restaurants, and beauty expenses.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Chauncey A. Bratt.
Orlando Man Found Guilty of Armed Robbery of Cellphone StoreRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – A federal jury has found Tauri Benjamin Rivas Nunez (22, Orlando) guilty of robbery and aiding and abetting the brandishing of a firearm. Rivas Nunez faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for July 28, 2021.
Rivas Nunez had been indicted on January 7, 2021.
According to evidence presented at trial, on August 10, 2019, Rivas Nunez and two others 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. Rivas Nunez removed money for the cash register and the three individuals ran from the store with the stolen items. Rivas Nunez was 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 is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Daniel P. Jancha and Chauncey A. Bratt.
Nokomis Man Sentenced to More Than 27 Years in Federal Prison for Child Exploitation OffensesRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Robert Boehme (64, Nokomis) to 27 years and 3 months in federal prison for receiving and possessing materials depicting the sexual exploitation of children. Boehme was also ordered to serve a 10-year term of supervised release and to register as a sex offender.
Boehme had pleaded guilty on December 7, 2020.
According to court documents, FBI agents detected several online requests to download child exploitation material over the internet and traced these requests to Boehme’s residence. When agents executed a federal search warrant at Boehme’s home, they caught Boehme as he was actively downloading child exploitation material over the internet. A forensic examination of Boehme’s computer revealed that he had amassed a collection of tens of thousands of images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Colin McDonell and Frank Murray.
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.