Middle District of Florida

A Chinese national was sentenced Wednesday to three years and six months in federal prison for conspiring to submit false export information through the federal government’s Automated Export System and to export maritime raiding craft and engines to China fraudulently, and attempting to export that equipment fraudulently in violation of U.S. law. As part of his plea agreement, he agreed to the administrative forfeiture of $114,834.27, the amount caused to be wired to a U.S. manufacturer to purchase the raiding craft and engines.

Ge Songtao, 51, of Nanjing, People’s Republic of China, pleaded guilty on Nov. 2, 2020. According to court documents, Ge was the chairman of Shanghai Breeze Technology Co. Ltd., a company headquartered in Shanghai, China. Beginning in 2018, Ge was interested in identifying a source of supply of U.S.-manufactured combat rubber raiding craft equipped with engines that could operate using gasoline, diesel fuel or jet fuel. These vessels and multi-fuel engines are used by the U.S. military and can be operated after being launched from a submerged submarine or dropped into the ocean by an aircraft. No comparable engine is manufactured in China.

One of Ge's U.S.-based employees, co-defendant Yang Yang, attempted to order seven of the raiding craft equipped with these engines from a U.S. manufacturer. When the U.S. manufacturer suggested that Yang purchase cheaper gasoline-fueled engines, she insisted that she wanted to purchase the military-model multi-fuel engines. To induce the manufacturer to sell this equipment, Yang falsely represented that her customer was an entity called United Vision Limited in Hong Kong, rather than Shanghai Breeze Technology Co. in Shanghai. One of Yang’s Chinese co-workers had told her that American manufacturers would be more likely to sell to an entity in Hong Kong rather than one in mainland China. By misrepresenting what company was buying the equipment and where it was located, Yang caused the entry of false information in the Department of Commerce’s Automated Export System in violation of federal law.

To facilitate the purchase of the raiding craft and engines, Ge arranged for wire transfers to a separate company in Hong Kong, Belt Consulting Company Limited, which in turn wired $114,834.27 to the U.S. manufacturer. He also coordinated plans to send an employee to Hong Kong to receive the raiding craft and engines and transship them to mainland China. The plot failed and authorities arrested Ge and his co-defendants before the raiding craft and engines were shipped overseas.

On Sept. 15, 2020, Yang pleaded guilty to the same two charges to which Ge pleaded guilty, and on Dec. 9, 2020, was sentenced to a time-served sentence or the equivalent of approximately 14 months’ imprisonment. On Aug. 13, 2020, co-defendant Zheng Yan pleaded guilty to conspiring to submit false export information and to export the raiding craft and engines fraudulently in violation of U.S. law, and on March 31, was sentenced to a time-served sentence or the equivalent of approximately 6 months’ imprisonment and 11 months’ home-detention. The trial of remaining co-defendant, Fan Yang, is scheduled to begin on August 2.

Acting U.S. Attorney Karin Hoppmann for the Middle District of Florida made the announcement.

The FBI, the U.S. Naval Criminal Investigative Service, the U.S. Department of Commerce – Bureau of Industry and Security, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case.

Trial Attorney Heather Schmidt of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Controls Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Coolican of the Middle District of Florida prosecuted the case.

Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Harvey Schlesinger today sentenced Ge Songtao (51, Nanjing, People’s Republic of China) to three years and six months years in federal prison for conspiring to submit false export information through the federal government’s Automated Export System and to export maritime raiding craft and engines to China fraudulently, and attempting to export that equipment fraudulently, in violation of U.S. law. As part of his plea agreement, he agreed to the administrative forfeiture of $114,834.27, the amount caused to be wired to a U.S. manufacturer to purchase the raiding craft and engines.

At the sentencing hearing, Judge Schlesinger found that Ge Songtao intended to buy the engines in order to reverse-engineer them and supply his own version to the Chinese military. In addition, the judge found that, after being charged in this case, Ge Songtao attempted to obstruct the proceedings in multiple ways, including soliciting an associate in China to help him manufacture false documents for use in court.

Ge Songtao had pleaded guilty on November 2, 2020. 

According to court documents, Ge Songtao was the chairman of Shanghai Breeze Technology Co. Ltd., a company headquartered in Shanghai, China.  Beginning in 2018, Ge Songtao was interested in identifying a source of supply of U.S.-manufactured combat rubber raiding craft equipped with engines that could operate using gasoline, diesel fuel, or jet fuel. These vessels and multi-fuel engines are used by the U.S. military and can be operated after being launched from a submerged submarine or dropped into the ocean by an aircraft. No comparable engine is manufactured in China.

One of Ge Songtao’s U.S.-based employees, co-defendant Yang Yang, attempted to order seven of the raiding craft equipped with these engines from a U.S. manufacturer. When the U.S. manufacturer suggested that Yang Yang purchase cheaper gasoline-fueled engines, she insisted that she wanted to purchase the military-model multi-fuel engines. To induce the manufacturer to sell this equipment, Yang falsely represented that her customer was an entity called United Vision Limited in Hong Kong, rather than Shanghai Breeze Technology Co. in Shanghai.  One of Yang’s Chinese co-workers had told her that American manufacturers would be more likely to sell to an entity in Hong Kong rather than one in mainland China.  By misrepresenting what company was buying the equipment, and where it was located, Yang caused the entry of false information in the Department of Commerce’s Automated Export System in violation of federal law.

To facilitate the purchase of the raiding craft and engines, Ge Songtao arranged for wire transfers to a separate company in Hong Kong, Belt Consulting Company Limited, which in turn wired $114,834.27 to the U.S. manufacturer. He also coordinated plans to send an employee to Hong Kong to receive the raiding craft and engines and transship them to mainland China. The plot failed and authorities arrested Ge Songtao and his co-defendants before the raiding craft and engines were shipped overseas. 

On September 15, 2020, Yang Yang pleaded guilty to the same two charges to which Ge Songtao has pleaded guilty, and on December 9, 2020, was sentenced to a time-served sentence or the equivalent of approximately 14 months’ imprisonment.  On August 13, 2020, co-defendant Zheng Yan pleaded guilty to conspiring to submit false export information and to export the raiding craft and engines fraudulently, in violation of U.S. law, and on March 31, 2021, was sentenced to a time-served sentence or the equivalent of approximately 6 months’ imprisonment and 11 months’ home-detention. The trial of remaining co-defendant, Fan Yang, is scheduled to begin on August 2, 2021.

"The illegal exportation of sensitive technology poses a clear, significant threat to our national security,” said Brian Dugan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Norfolk Division. “This case proves that the FBI and our law enforcement partners are fully dedicated to preventing the theft of vital technologies, no matter how challenging the work. We will continue to stand up for innovators who create products that protect American lives, and bring to justice anyone who attempts to circumvent the laws that protect these technologies.”

“Ge Songtao deserves to be held fully accountable for his attempts to illegally acquire sensitive U.S. technology that ultimately threatened the operational readiness and safety of our nation’s military,” said Special Agent in Charge Thomas Cannizzo of the NCIS Southeast Field Office. “This sentencing should serve as a warning that NCIS and our law enforcement partners remain committed to rooting out any and all criminal attempts to compromise our nation’s critical technologies and infrastructure. We sincerely thank our partners for their substantial efforts during this investigation to preserve U.S. warfighter superiority.”

“Special Agents of the Bureau of Industry and Security’s Office of Export Enforcement (OEE) are dedicated to ensuring that individuals and companies of concern do not attempt to unlawfully undermine our military’s qualitative technological edge by circumventing applicable export controls,” said Ariel Joshua Leinwand, Special Agent in Charge of OEE’s Miami Field Office. “This significant sentencing represents the results of an intensive and collaborative approach with our law enforcement partners to vigorously enforce our nation’s export control laws.”      

“ATF will continue to support our federal partners and provide our firearms expertise in order to protect national security,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Craig W. Saier.          

This case was investigated by the FBI, the U.S. Naval Criminal Investigative Service, the U.S. Department of Commerce – Bureau of Industry and Security, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Coolican and Heather Schmidt, Senior Trial Attorney, Counterintelligence and Export Section, U.S. Department of Justice.

Tampa, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Karin Hoppmann announces the unsealing of an indictment charging 16 individuals with violent crimes in aid of racketeering. The names of the individuals, their charges, and their potential penalties appear in the chart below.

According to the indictment, the defendants were members of Unforgiven, a racketeering enterprise engaged in acts of murder, violence, kidnapping, robbery, obstruction of justice, and other offenses. The indictment also alleges that Unforgiven used “corrupt law enforcement officers and state employees” to gather information about people, investigations, and prosecutions, and to smuggle contraband to incarcerated inmates. The indictment charges each of the 16 defendants with committing at least one violent act in aid of Unforgiven, including kidnappings, conspiracies to commit assault, threats of violence, and assaults with deadly weapons.

One charge accuses David Howell of assaulting protestors with a dangerous weapon at a Peace Walk for Black Lives held on June 5, 2020.

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

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the St. Petersburg Police Department, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Natalie Hirt Adams.  

This investigation is the result of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

 

 

Defendant (Age)

Charges

Maximum Penalties

Maverick Maher, a/k/a Saxon

(39)

Pensacola

 

Count Two: Assault in Aid of Racketeering, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1959(a)(3) and 2 Maximum term of 20 years in prison; 5 years of supervised release; and a $250,000 fine Count Four: Conspiracy to Commit Assault in Aid of Racketeering Activity, 18 U.S.C. § 1959(a)(6) Maximum term of 3 years in prison; 1 year of supervised release; and a $250,000 fine Count Six: Threats of Violence in Aid of Racketeering Activity, 18 U.S.C. §§ 1959(a)(4) and 2 Maximum term of 5 years in prison; 3 years of supervised release; and a $250,000 fine Count Seven: Conspiracy to Commit Assault in Aid of Racketeering Activity, 18 U.S.C. § 1959(a)(6) Maximum term of 3 years in prison; 1 year of supervised release; and a $250,000 fine

Count Eight: Conspiracy to Commit Assault in Aid of Racketeering Activity, 18 U.S.C. § 1959(a)(6)

Maximum term of 3 years in prison; 1 year of supervised release; and a $250,000 fine

Count Nine: Threats of Violence in Aid of Racketeering Activity, 18 U.S.C. § 1959(a)(4) Maximum term of 5 years in prison; 3 years of supervised release; and a $250,000 fine  

Joshua Fisher, a/k/a Hammer

(27)

Brooksville

Count Two: Assault in Aid of Racketeering, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1959(a)(3) and 2 Maximum term of 20 years in prison; 5 years of supervised release; and a $250,000 fine Count Three: Kidnapping in Aid of Racketeering Activity, 18 U.S.C. §§ 1959(a)(1) and 2 Maximum term of 20 years in prison; 5 years of supervised release; and a $250,000 fine Count Four: Conspiracy to Commit Assault in Aid of Racketeering Activity, 18 U.S.C. § 1959(a)(6) Maximum term of 3 years in prison; 1 year of supervised release; and a $250,000 fine Count Five: Conspiracy to Commit Assault in Aid of Racketeering Activity, 18 U.S.C. § 1959(a)(6) Maximum term of 3 years in prison; 1 year of supervised release; and a $250,000 fine

Count Seven: Conspiracy to Commit Assault in Aid of Racketeering Activity, 18 U.S.C. § 1959(a)(6)

Maximum term of 3 years in prison; 1 year of supervised release; and a $250,000 fine

Levi Sharp, a/k/a Sketch

(38)

Satsuma

Count Two: Assault in Aid of Racketeering, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1959(a)(3) and 2 Maximum term of 20 years in prison; 5 years of supervised release; and a $250,000 fine Count Three: Kidnapping in Aid of Racketeering Activity, 18 U.S.C. §§ 1959(a)(1) and 2 Maximum term of 20 years in prison; 5 years of supervised release; and a $250,000 fine  

George Andrews, II, a/k/a Shrek

(51)

Pensacola

Count Two: Assault in Aid of Racketeering, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1959(a)(3) and 2

Maximum term of 20 years in prison; 5 years of supervised release; and a $250,000 fine

Count Four: Conspiracy to Commit Assault in Aid of Racketeering Activity, 18 U.S.C. § 1959(a)(6) Maximum term of 3 years in prison; 1 year of supervised release; and a $250,000 fine  

James Mapoles, a/k/a Matt Mapoles a/k/a Matt Criston

(40)

Panama City

Count Four: Conspiracy to Commit Assault in Aid of Racketeering Activity, 18 U.S.C. § 1959(a)(6)

Maximum term of 3 years in prison; 1 year of supervised release; and a $250,000 fine Count Six: Threats of Violence in Aid of Racketeering Activity, 18 U.S.C. §§ 1959(a)(4) and 2 Maximum term of 5 years in prison; 3 years of supervised release; and a $250,000 fine

Count Seven: Conspiracy to Commit Assault in Aid of Racketeering Activity, 18 U.S.C. § 1959(a)(6)

Maximum term of 3 years in prison; 1 year of supervised release; and a $250,000 fine

Count Eight: Conspiracy to Commit Assault in Aid of Racketeering Activity, 18 U.S.C. § 1959(a)(6) Maximum term of 3 years in prison; 1 year of supervised release; and a $250,000 fine  

David Howell

(35)

Loxahatchee

Count Four: Conspiracy to Commit Assault in Aid of Racketeering Activity, 18 U.S.C. § 1959(a)(6) Maximum term of 3 years in prison; 1 year of supervised release; and a $250,000 fine Count Eight: Conspiracy to Commit Assault in Aid of Racketeering Activity, 18 U.S.C. § 1959(a)(6) Maximum term of 3 years in prison; 1 year of supervised release; and a $250,000 fine

Count Twelve: Assault in Aid of Racketeering, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1959(a)(3) and 2

Maximum term of 20 years in prison; 5 years of supervised release; and a $250,000 fine

Ryann Howard, a/k/a/ Auto

(39)

Orange Park

Count Four: Conspiracy to Commit Assault in Aid of Racketeering Activity, 18 U.S.C. § 1959(a)(6) Maximum term of 3 years in prison; 1 year of supervised release; and a $250,000 fine Count Eight: Conspiracy to Commit Assault in Aid of Racketeering Activity, 18 U.S.C. § 1959(a)(6) Maximum term of 3 years in prison; 1 year of supervised release; and a $250,000 fine  

Ryan McLaughlin, a/k/a Pretty Boy

(35)

Jacksonville

Count Four: Conspiracy to Commit Assault in Aid of Racketeering Activity, 18 U.S.C. § 1959(a)(6) Maximum term of 3 years in prison; 1 year of supervised release; and a $250,000 fine Count Five: Conspiracy to Commit Assault in Aid of Racketeering Activity, 18 U.S.C. § 1959(a)(6) Maximum term of 3 years in prison; 1 year of supervised release; and a $250,000 fine  

Darrin Terranova, a/k/a Nova

(51)

Beverly Hills

Count Four: Conspiracy to Commit Assault in Aid of Racketeering Activity, 18 U.S.C. § 1959(a)(6) Maximum term of 3 years in prison; 1 year of supervised release; and a $250,000 fine

Brandon Welch, a/k/a Scumbag

(34)

Milton, Florida

Count One: Assault in Aid of Racketeering, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1959(a)(3) and 2

 

• Maximum term of 20 years in prison; 5 years of supervised release; and a $250,000 fine

 

 

Joshua Williamson, a/k/a Chain Gang

36)

Live Oak

Count One: Assault in Aid of Racketeering, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1959(a)(3) and 2

 

• Maximum term of 20 years in prison; 5 years of supervised release; and a $250,000 fine

 

Steve Anderson

(28)

Bristol

 

Count Four: Conspiracy to Commit Assault in Aid of Racketeering Activity, 18 U.S.C. § 1959(a)(6) Maximum term of 3 years in prison; 1 year of supervised release; and a $250,000 fine

Count Seven: Conspiracy to Commit Assault in Aid of Racketeering Activity, 18 U.S.C. § 1959(a)(6)

Maximum term of 3 years in prison; 1 year of supervised release; and a $250,000 fine

 

Joshua Hall, a/k/a K9

(42)

Wildwood

Count Ten: Kidnapping in Aid of Racketeering Activity, 18 U.S.C. §§ 1959(a)(1) and 2

Maximum term of 20 years in prison; 5 years of supervised release; and a $250,000 fine

Count Eleven: Assault in Aid of Racketeering, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1959(a)(3) and 2

Maximum term of 20 years in prison; 5 years of supervised release; and a $250,000 fine

 

Jarrett Arnold, a/k/a Jit

(31)

Zephyrhills

Count Ten: Kidnapping in Aid of Racketeering Activity, 18 U.S.C. §§ 1959(a)(1) and 2 Maximum term of 20 years in prison; 5 years of supervised release; and a $250,000 fine Count Eleven: Assault in Aid of Racketeering, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1959(a)(3) and 2 Maximum term of 20 years in prison; 5 years of supervised release; and a $250,000 fine  

Scott Marshall, a/k/a Solo

(45)

Port Richey

Count Ten: Kidnapping in Aid of Racketeering Activity, 18 U.S.C. §§ 1959(a)(1) and 2 Maximum term of 20 years in prison; 5 years of supervised release; and a $250,000 fine Count Eleven: Assault in Aid of Racketeering, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1959(a)(3) and 2 Maximum term of 20 years in prison; 5 years of supervised release; and a $250,000 fine  

William Walker, a/k/a The Duke

(38)

Jacksonville

Count Four: Conspiracy to Commit Assault in Aid of Racketeering Activity, 18 U.S.C. § 1959(a)(6) Maximum term of 3 years in prison; 1 year of supervised release; and a $250,000 fine

 

 

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Virginia Hernandez Covington has sentenced Lori Owen, a/k/a Lori Corrigan (50, Holiday), to five years and three months in federal prison for conspiracy to commit bank, wire, and mail fraud. As part of her sentence, the Court also ordered restitution to the identified victims in the amount of $620,103, and entered a money judgment of $265,964, representing the proceeds of the fraud.

Owen had pleaded guilty on April 19, 2021.

According to court documents, Owen was charged in December 2019 for her involvement in a telemarketing scam—primarily tax impersonation fraud—that operated from approximately December 2014 through the end of 2016, and which defrauded more than $1.38 million from victims around the United States. The conspirators, some of whom were located overseas, extorted money from victims by falsely representing to the victims that they had financial obligations to the Internal Revenue Service, Canadian tax authorities, or other entities. The conspirators then threatened the victims with arrest, prosecution, or other legal consequences for their purported debts and demanded that they pay the conspirators the “owed” money.

Owen worked with others—including her ex-husband, David Owen, and her son, Andrew Corrigan—to collect the fraud proceeds on behalf of the overseas call centers. They collected the proceeds in a variety of ways, including: opening bank accounts into which victims made cash deposits; receiving wire transfers directly from the conspirators; processing prepaid debit cards that the victims purchased through merchant accounts that Lori Owen opened and controlled; and receiving cashier’s checks purchased by the victims. The conspirators monitored the victims’ payments to ensure that the payments were recovered quickly, before any victim or law enforcement officer could become aware of the fraud and attempt to stop the transaction.

David Owen and Andrew Corrigan were previously charged and convicted of similar offenses for their roles in this scheme. Owen was sentenced to 10 years and 10 months in federal prison and Corrigan was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison.

“Impersonating the IRS, the Canadian Revenue Agency, or any other financial institutions to attempt to fraudulently collect a debt is deplorable because it shakes the confidence taxpayers have in these institutions,” said Brian Payne, IRS-CI Special Agent in Charge. “The lengthy sentencings of all the defendants in this investigation reflect the seriousness of the charges and should stand as a clear warning of the consequences that await those engaged in these scams.”

The cases were investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), the FBI, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, the Largo Police Department, the Gulfport Police Department, the Toronto Police Service, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, as part of the Middle District of Florida’s Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force. The cases were prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Rachel Jones, Kelley Howard-Allen, Frank Murray, and David Chee.

Combatting elder abuse and financial fraud targeted at seniors is a key priority of the Department of Justice. Together with our federal, state, local and tribal partners, the Department of Justice is steadfastly committed to combatting all forms of elder abuse and financial exploitation through enforcement actions, training and resources, research, victim services, and public awareness.

Jacksonville, Florida – United States District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Colum Patrick Moran, Jr. (43, Jacksonville) to 64 years in federal prison for attempting to entice minors to produce images and videos depicting child sexual abuse and for possessing materials depicting the sexual exploitation of children on his electronic devices. Moran was also ordered to serve a lifetime term of supervised release and to register as a sex offender.

A federal jury had found Moran guilty on March 10, 2021. 

According to court documents, as well as evidence and testimony during the three-day trial, between 2015 and late 2018, Moran, using the name “Emily lover,” posted comments to numerous internet motherhood blog websites. These websites are designed and intended to offer and share helpful information about motherhood, childcare, useful commercial products, and other topics related to family life. During this period, Moran repeatedly posted sexually explicit comments that targeted mothers and their young children by name on these blogs. Further, Moran intentionally posted graphic comments on these blogs requesting that the mothers produce and post images and videos of their children engaging in sexually explicit conduct. 

On March 6, 2019, FBI agents and other law enforcement officers executed a federal search warrant at Moran’s apartment in Jacksonville. During this search, law enforcement seized several smart phones and computers containing more than 1,000 images and videos depicting very young children, including infants and toddlers, being sexually abused. One of the smart phones had been used by Moran to access numerous motherhood blog websites and contained images of sexually explicit postings made by Moran with the usernames “Emily lover” and “Anonymous.” Agents also seized a plastic storage bin that contained a collection of children’s underwear, as well as several firearms, ammunition, and a bulletproof vest with Velcro law enforcement identification patches.     

“This case demonstrates the lengths that predators will go to target innocent children online, and reveals the havoc placed on their families,” said Rachel L. Rojas, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Jacksonville Division. “While the FBI, in general, does not comment on specific websites or apps, we want parents to be aware of the risks and vulnerabilities posed by websites and apps that offer interactive communication capabilities to include video live-streaming and image sharing functionalities. While some predators target children directly for this content, this subject went a step further and also targeted parents, leaving many of them absolutely terrified. The FBI encourages online users to be vigilant and report any suspicious activity to law enforcement.”

This case was the result of a nationwide investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Jacksonville and Los Angeles, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, with assistance from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in Alexandria, Virginia. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.

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

Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Maria Morales Howard has sentenced Russell Leroy Dotson, Jr. (63, Jacksonville) and his wife, Maria Luisa Dotson (66, Jacksonville), to 18 months in federal prison each for conspiracy to commit wire fraud involving the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The court also ordered the couple to pay $257,919.10 in restitution and entered an order of forfeiture for the same amount against each of them.

Russell Dotson had pleaded guilty on July 26, 2019, and Maria Dotson had pleaded guilty on August 7, 2019.

According to court documents, the Dotsons owned and operated Asmarina Food Mart, which had two locations in Jacksonville. When the Dotsons opened their stores, they applied for and received approval from the Food and Nutrition Service, an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, to participate in SNAP, a program that supplements the food budget of needy families so they can purchase healthy food and move towards self-sufficiency. (Until 2008, SNAP was known as the Food Stamp Program.)

Once the Dotsons received this approval, they trained their employees on ways to conduct fraudulent transactions with SNAP recipients using their Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards, a type of debit card. Specifically, the Dotsons instructed their employees to ring up fraudulent transactions to make it appear that SNAP recipients had purchased eligible food products from the store using their EBT cards, when the recipients actually purchased nothing at all or actually purchased items not eligible under the SNAP program. The employees then gave the SNAP recipients cash representing approximately one-half of the purported value of the fraudulent transaction, while the Dotsons kept the remainder of the money. Over approximately 27 months, Russell and Maria Dotson defrauded the United States out of $257,979.10.

“This type of corruption involving fraud against the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program has managed to defraud American taxpayers and take money out of the hands of people who desperately need that assistance,” said Special Agent in Charge Glen M. Kessler of the U.S. Secret Service. “The U.S. Secret Service and our partners are always willing to take prompt and coordinated actions to hold these criminals responsible for placing personal greed above the good of the public.”

“The owners of Asmarina Food Mart created an illegal benefits exchange system that denied healthy foods to needy children and their families. Any retailer who chooses to defraud taxpayers through such schemes will continue to be aggressively investigated and prosecuted by USDA-OIG and its law enforcement partners,” stated Jason Williams, Special Agent in Charge, USDA-OIG.

This prosecution was part of a long-term investigation into SNAP fraud occurring at both Asmarina Food Mart locations in Jacksonville. To date, 12 other individuals, including employees of Asmarina Food Mart and SNAP recipients, have pleaded guilty and have been sentenced for their roles in this scheme (Shelly Rowe Sullivan, Teighlor Michelle Wicker, Tracy Lynn Hammock, Shannon Marie Whaley, Denise Diane Taylor, Ormetre Patterson, Cierra Elizabeth White, Laura Lockwood, Shanelle Bryant, Felicia Meadows, Theresa Marie Paschall, and Latosha Ransome Monroe) and collectively have been ordered to pay a total of $249,829.67 in restitution to the United States.

This case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the United States Secret Service - Jacksonville Field Office, and the United States Department of Agriculture - Office of Inspector General. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.

Anyone who is aware of or suspects fraud involving SNAP benefits should visit https://www.usda.gov/oig/hotline or call 800-424-9121.

Ocala, Florida – U.S. District Judge Roy B. Dalton, Jr. has sentenced Johnny Lee Smith (43, Pensacola) to 15 years in federal prison for possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. He had pleaded guilty on March 26, 2021.

According to the facts presented in court, on August 29, 2020, deputies from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop on Smith’s car. During the stop, the deputies saw a loaded .22 caliber revolver on the front passenger seat next to Smith. A records check showed that Smith had 15 prior state felony convictions, including numerous convictions for selling cocaine. Because of these felony convictions, Smith is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law. Following his arrest, the deputies also recovered an additional .22 caliber bullet from Smith’s pocket.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Lake County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys William S. Hamilton and Charles Helm.

This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.  As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

Ocala, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Karin Hoppmann announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Devonne L. Walker (35, Lady Lake, FL), Tymane D. Hamilton (29, Phoenix, AZ), and Kanisha D. Savage (28, Phoenix, AZ) with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. If convicted, each faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. 

According to the indictment, between March 2018 and October 10, 2019, Walker, Hamilton, and Savage conspired to distribute more than 50 kilograms of marijuana, 5 kilograms of cocaine, 1 kilogram of heroin, 500 grams of methamphetamine, and 40 grams of fentanyl. According to court records, law enforcement officers seized more than 54 kilograms of marijuana, 27 kilograms of methamphetamine, 125 grams of heroin, and 79 grams of fentanyl during the investigation. These drugs were shipped from Phoenix, Arizona to the Middle District of Florida using the United States Postal Service. The drugs were eventually distributed in Central Florida.

Walker was arrested on June 25, 2021, in Lake County, where agents recovered a stolen firearm and bags containing suspected cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and fentanyl. Hamilton and Savage were arrested on June 28, 2021, in Phoenix. All three defendants were ordered detained.

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

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, the U.S. Postal Service Inspection Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Homeland Security Investigations.  It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael P. Felicetta.

Tampa, Florida – A federal jury has found Johnny Ordaz (32, Bradenton) guilty of possession of fentanyl with the intent to distribute it, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Ordaz faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison for the fentanyl offense, a consecutive mandatory minimum of 5 years, and up to life in prison, for possessing the firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and up to 10 years’ imprisonment for possessing the firearm as a felon. His sentencing hearing is set for September 30, 2021.

Ordaz had been indicted on February 13, 2020.

According to testimony presented at trial, in September 2019, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop of a car that Ordaz was driving. During the traffic stop, the officers recovered a firearm with an extended magazine, loaded with 31 rounds of ammunition, wedged between the driver’s seat and the center console. They also seized a bag containing fentanyl from the driver’s side door handle, and a digital scale, and small clear plastic baggies. The officers also found a bag in the passenger seat that contained another firearm with an extended clip, loaded with 27 rounds of ammunition, 63 rounds of additional ammunition, another digital scale, sandwich bags, and more small clear plastic baggies. They also recovered $588 from Ordaz’s front pocket.

This case was investigated by the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Charlie D. Connally.

This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

Jacksonville, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Karin Hoppmann announced today that Garrett Eric Weber (30, Green Cove Springs) has been arrested and indicted by a federal grand jury for attempting to entice a 9-year-old child to engage in sexual activity, and for soliciting and distributing child sexual abuse videos using the internet. If convicted on all charges, Weber faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 15 years, and up to life, in federal prison, a $1 million fine, and a potential life term of supervised release. Weber was arrested on a federal warrant by the Green Cove Springs Police Department during a traffic stop on July 5, 2021. He was detained without bond on July 7, 2021.    

According to court documents and evidence proffered at Weber’s detention hearing, in June 2020, Weber, using the name “BUBBLESXD_90,” uploaded an image depicting the sexual abuse of a child to a chat group on a popular social media application (app). Further investigation ultimately resulted in the identification of Weber.

Beginning in March 2021, an undercover FBI agent, posing as the parent of a young child, engaged in online conversation with Weber using the app. After some discussion and being told that the “child” was only nine years old, Weber offered to serve as the “child’s” trainer by engaging in sexual activity with the “child.” He requested that the “parent” take an explicit photo of the “child” for him, and he provided specific instructions on how to accomplish this through various means. On at least seven occasions, Weber sent the “parent” videos over the internet that depicted the sexual abuse of young children in an effort to demonstrate exactly how he planned to molest the “child.”

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

This case was investigated by the Green Cove Springs Police Department, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the Winnebago County (Wisconsin) Sheriff’s Office, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Milwaukee and Jacksonville, with assistance from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.

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

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Richard A. Lazzara has sentenced German Lopez-Gomez, a/k/a Samuel Bautista-Bautista (41), to two years in federal prison for illegal re-entry into the United States after deportation. 

Lopez-Gomez had pleaded guilty in March 2021.

According to court documents, on December 20, 2020, Lopez-Gomez was arrested in Polk County on state felony criminal charges (burglary of an unoccupied structure and theft) and found to be present in the United States without legal authorization.  Lopez-Gomez had previously been convicted of illegal reentry to the United States after deportation in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas, which sentenced him to 16 months in prison followed by 3 months of supervised release on the illegal re-entry charge, as well as an additional 10 months in prison for a violation of supervised release.

This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David William Alexander Chee.

Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Dennis Alexander Barahona (38, Chelsea, Massachusetts) to 18 months in federal prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit tax fraud. The court also ordered Barahona to pay restitution to the IRS in the amount of $1,110,257 and to an insurance company in the amount of $41,352.91. In addition, the court ordered Barahona to forfeit his interest in $230,764 that was seized from two bank accounts. The court also entered a money judgment against Barahona in the amount of $263,302, representing the proceeds of the wire fraud.

Barahona had pleaded guilty on March 29, 2021. Barahona’s co-defendant, Gregorio Jose Fuentes-Zelaya, was sentenced on May 10, 2021, to 33 months in federal prison.

According to court documents, Barahona established a shell company that purported to be involved in the construction industry. He obtained a workers’ compensation insurance policy in the name of the shell company to cover a minimal payroll for a few purported employees. Barahona then “rented” the workers’ compensation insurance to work crews who had obtained subcontracts with construction contractors on projects in various Florida counties. Barahona sent the contractors a certificate as “proof” that the work crews had workers’ compensation insurance, as required by Florida law. By sending the certificate, Barahona falsely represented that the work crews worked for his company. Over the course of the scheme, Barahona “rented” the certificates to dozens of work crews.

As part of the scheme, the contractors issued payroll checks for the workers’ wages to the shell company and Barahona or a co-conspirator cashed these checks, then distributed the cash to the work crews after deducting their fee, which was typically about 6% of the payroll. During the scheme, the conspirators cashed payroll checks totaling approximately $4,388,371, with their fees totaling approximately $263,302. Neither the shell company nor the contractors reported to government authorities the wages that were paid to the workers, nor did they pay either the employees’ or the employer’s portion of payroll taxes – including Social Security, Medicare, and federal income tax. According to the IRS, the amount of payroll taxes due on wages totaling $4,388,371 was approximately $1,110,257.

The scheme also facilitated the avoidance of the higher cost of obtaining adequate workers’ compensation insurance for the numerous workers on the work crews to whom Barahona “rented” the workers’ compensation insurance. The policy that Barahona purchased and then “rented” out was for an estimated payroll of $91,000, and the insurance company issued the policy for a premium of $15,206. Had a workers’ compensation insurance policy been purchased for a payroll totaling $4,388,371, the policy premium would have totaled about $728,030.

“This criminal thought he could make quick profits with this criminal scheme,” said HSI Jacksonville Assistant Special Agent in Charge K. Jim Phillips. “But instead of enjoying illegal profits, he will now be spending time behind bars with his co-conspirator thanks to HSI special agents and our law enforcement partners.”

“Employers are legally obligated to their employees and the American taxpayer to withhold and pay their fair share of taxes,” said Special Agent in Charge Brian Payne of IRS Criminal Investigation. “By shirking this obligation, their employees are cheated out of benefits they’ve earned and the taxpayer is also undercut. Today’s significant sentencing should make it abundantly clear that these actions will not be tolerated.”

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, and the Florida Department of Financial Services. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Arnold B. Corsmeier.

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Wendy W. Berger today sentenced Joseph Amaya to 12 months in federal prison for aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns. The court also ordered Amaya to pay more than $1.6 million in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service. 

Amaya had pleaded guilty on February 16, 2021. 

According to court documents, from 2014 through approximately 2018, Amaya co-owned and managed Tax Machine, Inc., a tax preparation business in Kissimmee. During the life of the business, Amaya knowingly prepared and filed—and trained his employees to prepare and file—numerous false and fraudulent tax returns on behalf of Tax Machine customers. Specifically, Amaya and his employees created bogus expenses or deliberately overstated true deductible expenses (such as unreimbursed employee expenses, gas, mileage, medical and dental expenses, and gifts to charity). Amaya also trained his employees to include false claims of net business losses on tax returns. By including those false and fraudulent material statements on the income tax returns of Tax Machine customers, Amaya and his employees eliminated certain tax liabilities that their customers otherwise would have had, generated tax refunds that they were not entitled to, or did both. The tax loss to the IRS as a result of Amaya’s conduct is approximately $1.6 million.

“When Joseph Amaya used his tax return preparation service, Tax Machine, Inc., to try and make a fast buck for him and his clients, he underestimated the special agents of IRS Criminal Investigation,” said Special Agent in Charge Brian Payne of IRS Criminal Investigation. “At the IRS, protecting taxpayer money is a matter we take seriously. An integral part of the agency’s mission involves detecting and catching fraudulent tax refund claims. Taxpayers looking for tax preparation information are encouraged to visit IRS.gov.”

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Emily C. L. Chang.

Jacksonville, Florida – Eugene Stephan Cole (31, Tampa) has pleaded guilty to possession of credit card manufacturing equipment. He faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison and payment of restitution to victims that he defrauded. Cole also agreed to forfeit to the United States various equipment and computer media he had used to produce counterfeit debit and credit cards.

According to court documents, on March 4, 2020, in Columbia County, a trooper from the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) conducted a traffic stop of a BMW driven by Cole for various traffic infractions. When the trooper approached the car, Cole was unable to produce a driver license and the trooper smelled the odor of marijuana coming from inside the car. During a subsequent probable cause search of the BMW, the trooper located marijuana, a counterfeit North Carolina driver license, a magnetic card encoder/re-encoder, a card embosser, various computer media, and 18 blank plastic cards—all of which had a magnetic stripe capable of being encoded with credit or debit card account information, and several credit and debit cards. Three of the cards were in Cole’s name, while the other cards bore the names of various other individuals. During a pat down, the trooper located, in Cole’s pocket, a TD Bank Visa debit card with the name “Austin Hudson” embossed on it.

Further investigation by the United States Secret Service and the FHP determined that all of the cards bearing Cole’s name and the TD Bank Visa debit card, embossed with the name “Austin Hudson,” were counterfeit. The other cards were determined to be genuine, with fraudulent purchases made in Tennessee.

This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service (Jacksonville Field Office) and the Florida Highway Patrol. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.

AAR Corp., located in Wood Dale, Illinois, and its subsidiary, AAR Airlift Group Inc. (Airlift), located in Melbourne, Florida, have agreed to pay the United States $11,088,000 to resolve False Claims Act allegations in connection with aircraft maintenance services performed by Airlift on two U.S. Transportation Command (TRANSCOM) contracts. 

The allegations involve helicopters that Airlift owned and maintained for use in transporting Department of Defense (DoD) cargo and personnel in support of DoD missions in Afghanistan and Africa. The settlement resolves allegations that Airlift knowingly failed to maintain nine aircrafts in accordance with contract requirements, and that because of this failure, the helicopters were not airworthy and should not have been certified by Airlift as “fully mission capable.”

AAR and Airlift have also agreed to pay $429,273.69 to resolve a separate Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) matter citing deficiencies in Airlift’s helicopter maintenance.

“The knowing failure to comply with contractual obligations is unacceptable, particularly when such violations raise safety concerns,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton for the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Today’s settlement reaffirms that the government will hold contractors to the quality and safety standards in their contracts that are intended to protect our men and women in uniform.”

“Defense contracting is a special trust because it supports the servicemembers who protect our nation’s interests around the world,” said U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft for the Southern District of Illinois. “Whenever a military contractor cuts corners, it presents not only a possible fraud against taxpayers but also a potential safety hazard to our soldiers. The settlement announced today addresses both of those concerns. I am especially grateful to my staff, the many dedicated agents who worked on this matter and the witnesses who came forward.”

“Our military is entitled to rely on high level contractor performance when it procures essential services like those at issue here,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Karin Hoppmann for the Middle District of Florida. “We are grateful for the diligent and collaborative work put into this investigation by the Southern District of Illinois, the Department of Justice Civil Frauds Section and all of the investigative agencies who supported these cases.”

“Failure to properly maintain aircraft is unacceptable under any circumstances, but it’s especially egregious in a war zone, where the lives of America’s warfighters are on the line,” said John F. Sopko, Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR). “I’m proud of the work of SIGAR’s special agents – in Afghanistan and the United States – whose collaboration brought this case to a successful conclusion.”

“The Department of the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (OSI) commends the complainant for coming forward, which allowed us and our joint investigative partners to vigorously protect the DoD’s procurement process, preserve the military’s ability to carry out its warfighting mission and ensure the wrongdoers were held accountable,” said Special Agent in Charge Nicholas J. Groesbeck of the OSI Procurement Fraud Detachment 4, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH.

“This case demonstrates the commitment of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), along with our partner agencies, to aggressively go after those who disregard and ignore critical safety and contractual specifications on Department of Defense contracts,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Gregory P. Shilling of the DCIS Southwest Field Office. “Today’s resolution highlights the culmination of investigative efforts to hold those who supply the Department of Defense accountable for their product and actions.”

“It is unacceptable that anyone would bypass contractual agreements and most importantly safety guidelines meant to ensure the wellbeing of our American service men and women,” said Christopher Grey, spokesperson for the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command (CID). “We will continue to aggressively investigate allegations such as this and work closely with our law enforcement partners to bring a successful resolution.”

“The failure to perform critical maintenance to Department of Defense aircraft poses a grave and unnecessary threat to our nation’s military readiness,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael DeFamio of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) Central Field Office. “NCIS and our federal law enforcement partners remain committed to fully investigating any and all allegations of contract fraud that compromise the safety of our service members and waste American taxpayer money.”

“Those certified to perform critical safety aircraft inspections and maintenance work are expected to adhere to aviation regulations in order to ensure that safety is not compromised,” said Special Agent in Charge Todd Damiani of the U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General, Southern Region. “The settlement reached today clearly demonstrates that we will vigorously pursue those who choose profits over the quality and integrity of the work they are contracted to perform.”

“Improperly maintaining aircraft creates a safety risk that we absolutely will not tolerate,” said FAA Administrator Steve Dickson. “Today’s agreement makes clear that disregard for maintenance requirements is unacceptable.”

The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by Christopher Harvey, a former Airlift employee. The act permits private parties to sue for false claims on behalf of the United States and to share in any recovery. The qui tam case is captioned U.S. ex rel. Harvey v. AAR Corp., et al., No. 3:15-cv-00390 (S.D. Ill.). Mr. Harvey will receive $2,162,160 of the False Claims Act settlement.

The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section; the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Illinois; and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida, with assistance from the U.S. Transportation Command, the FAA, Air Force OSI, DCIS, NCIS, Army CID, Department of Transportation Office of the Inspector General, the Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA) and SIGAR.

The case was investigated by Trial Attorney Elspeth A. England of the Civil Division and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathan D. Stump and Laura J. Barke of the Southern District of Illinois and Randy Harwell of the Middle District of Florida.

The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Leslie Pagan (40, Tampa) to 20 years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute heroin and fentanyl and distribution of heroin and fentanyl resulting in death. The court also ordered Pagan to forfeit $105,932, which are traceable to proceeds of the offense. A federal jury had found her guilty on March 24, 2021.

According to testimony presented at trial, Pagan supplied coconspirators with heroin and fentanyl that was distributed in Hillsborough County. On December 19, 2019, a Tampa woman obtained a substance containing fentanyl from one of Pagan’s distributors, Jackylin Bonifacio. The victim used the fentanyl and shortly thereafter she collapsed and died. 

The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office investigated the overdose death and identified Bonifacio as the person who had distributed the fentanyl to the victim. On December 20, 2019, Bonifacio was arrested and had 25 baggies of fentanyl, packaged for distribution in her possession.

The Hillsborough County Medical Examiner’s Office conducted an autopsy and determined that the victim had died from ingestion of substances, including heroin and fentanyl. Baggies recovered from Bonifacio and residue from a syringe found near the victim at the time of the overdose were analyzed and identified to contain fentanyl. Lab analysis also determined that the fentanyl mixtures were all very similar and, based on the circumstances of the death and the toxicology from the autopsy, the victim’s use of the fentanyl caused the victim’s death. 

A joint investigation led by the FBI identified Pagan as Bonifacio’s supplier. During a series of covert operations, Pagan distributed fentanyl and heroin to a confidential informant and received payments from that informant. Pagan was arrested on September 1, 2020, and investigators recovered 97 grams of fentanyl and more than $105,000 from her residence.

On February 12, 2021, Bonifacio pleaded guilty to distribution of heroin and fentanyl, resulting in death. Her sentencing hearing is scheduled for August 31, 2021.

This investigation is the result of a partnership between the United States Attorney’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the Tampa Police Department, the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner’s Office, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael Sinacore.

This investigation is the result of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) program. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and those primarily responsible for the nation’s drug supply.

Fort Myers, Florida – Gerald Michael Abraham (76, Naples) has pleaded guilty to three counts of dispensing controlled substances for no legitimate medical purpose. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison on each count.

According to court documents, Abraham was a licensed medical doctor practicing in Naples, Florida. In October 2019, the DEA began an investigation after receiving a tip that Abraham was illegally prescribing strong opioids to patients who had no need for the medication. Over the course of the next year, the DEA conducted 18 undercover patient visits to Abraham’s office, each time receiving prescriptions for oxycodone. 

Abraham ignored signs of drug abuse the undercover patients pretended to have and prescribed them oxycodone without ever examining them. Additionally, Abraham repeatedly increased the strength of the prescriptions simply because the patient asked him for more. In one instance, he prescribed an undercover patient oxycodone after telling him the medical paperwork “shows you are completely normal.”

The investigation also revealed that Abraham frequently prescribed Adderall to patients for no legitimate reason. Adderall is the brand name of a drug used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and contains amphetamine, a frequently abused controlled substance. On multiple occasions, law enforcement observed Abraham prescribe Adderall simply upon a patient’s request, without asking any questions or engaging in any examination justifying the prescription. 

Abraham’s clinic operated on a cash only basis, with patients paying $400 per visit. Investigators traced the proceeds of Abraham’s criminal activities to multiple high-end vehicles he purchased and hundreds of thousands of dollars he held, all of which they seized. In connection with his plea agreement, Abraham has agreed to forfeit the following to the United States: a 2020 Acura NSX, a 2020 Porsche GT4, a 2021 Toyota Supra, a 2020 Chevrolet Corvette, a 2020 Aston Martin, a 2020 Nissan 370Z, a 2020 Chevrolet Camaro, two 2020 Ford Mustangs, $190,496.56 paid towards a 2021 Aston Martin, and $249,598.52 in cash.

This case was investigated by the DEA Miami Tactical Diversion Squad  and the United States Secret Service, with assistance from the Naples Police Department and the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Michael V. Leeman is prosecuting the criminal charges, and Assistant United States Attorneys Anita Cream and James Muench are prosecuting the forfeitures. 

Tampa, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Karin Hoppmann announces the return of an indictment charging Michael Lumpkin, a/k/a “Jamari” (26, Land O’Lakes), with one count of enticement and attempted enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity, two counts of using a minor child to produce videos depicting sexual abuse, and one count of possessing matters containing child sex abuse materials.  If convicted on all counts, Lumpkin faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison.

According to the indictment, between July 2019 and February 2020, Lumpkin enticed and attempted to entice a child to engage in sexual activity. In February 2020, Lumpkin used a child to produce sexually explicit videos. Lastly, on or about July 24, 2020, Lumpkin knowingly possessed certain matters that contained visual depictions of children under the age of 12 being sexually abused.

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

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pasco Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ilyssa M. Spergel. 

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

Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Wendy W. Berger today sentenced Freddie Miguel Velez-Gonzalez (53, Orlando) to 10 years in federal prison for conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute and distributing more than 40 grams of fentanyl and more than 100 grams of heroin. 

Velez-Gonzalez had pleaded guilty on March 22, 2021.

According to court documents, Velez-Gonzalez was a member of a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that distributed controlled substances including, heroin, fentanyl, cocaine, marijuana, and tramadol, in the Middle District of Florida. On six dates between approximately April 23 and August 11, 2020, at the direction of law enforcement, a confidential source negotiated and met with Velez-Gonzalez at the same designated location and purchased from him a total of over 100 grams of mixtures containing heroin, fentanyl, or a combination of the two substances. Velez-Gonzalez sold the drugs to the confidential source to further a drug trafficking conspiracy with other members of the DTO, including Inginio Santos-Garcia, a co-defendant of Velez-Gonzalez.

On September 8, 2020, authorities arrested Velez-Gonzalez and Santos-Garcia at an address on Brosche Road in Orlando from which they were distributing narcotics in furtherance of the conspiracy. Santos-Garcia pleaded guilty on November 9, 2020, and was sentenced to eight years in federal prison on April 14, 2021.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Orlando Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jennifer M. Harrington and Ilianys Rivera-Miranda.

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Charlene Edwards Honeywell has sentenced Jack R. Dove, III (40, Lakeland) to nine years and two months in federal prison for receiving and possessing videos and other images depicting the sexual abuse of children. The court also ordered Dove to pay $13,000 in restitution to victims of the offenses and to forfeit electronic devices used in the commission of the offenses.

Dove had pleaded guilty on March 29, 2021.

According to court documents, Dove used bitcoin to pay for membership to a particular Darknet marketplace that contained more than 100,000 videos depicting the sexual exploitation of children, the largest volume of child sexual exploitation materials on the Darknet. In March 2018, the Korean National Police Agency in South Korea seized the computer server that was used to operate the website.

This particular Darknet marketplace exclusively advertised child sexual exploitation videos available for purchase and downloading by members of the website using bitcoin. An analysis of the server revealed that Dove had created multiple accounts. In January and February 2017, Dove used one of his accounts to purchase “points” from the website. Dove then used those “points” to download and received nearly 9 gigabytes of child sexual abuse materials. In August 2018, Dove used another account to pay for “VIP” membership to this website, granting him unlimited downloads from the website for a six-month period. During his VIP membership status, Dove downloaded and received 38 videos depicting children being sexually exploited and abused, including children under the age of 12.

On November 30, 2018, federal agents executed a search warrant at Dove’s residence and seized several electronic devices. Forensic analyses of those devices confirmed Dove had in fact received the child sex abuse videos he had previously purchased from the Darknet marketplace and, also, that he possessed additional materials depicting the sadistic sexual abuse of young children, including infants and toddlers.

“As crimes become more sophisticated and advanced technology is being used to sexually exploit young children, our HSI special agents, and all of law enforcement must stay ahead of the criminals,” said HSI Tampa acting Special Agent in Charge Kevin Sibley. “This case is an example of a child predator who thought he could hide behind the Darknet and international borders, but was instead caught and will now be held accountable for his crimes against children.”

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. The original international investigation was led by the IRS-Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the National Crime Agency in the United Kingdom, and the Korean National Police of the Republic of Korea. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Lisa M. Thelwell and Ilyssa Spergel, with assistance provided by U.S. Department of Justice Trial Attorney C. Alden Pelker of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section.

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

Fort Myers, Florida – Senior U.S. District Judge John Steele has sentenced Casey David Crowther (35, Fort Myers) to three years and one month in federal prison for two counts of bank fraud, two counts of making a false statement to a lending institution, and two counts of money laundering. The court also ordered Crowther to forfeit $2,739,081.21, $630,482.37, and a 40’ catamaran boat, which were the proceeds of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) fraud and the mortgage fraud offenses.

At trial, a federal jury had found Crowther guilty of committing bank fraud, making a false statement to a lending institution, and two counts of money laundering on March 26, 2021, which were related to a PPP fraud scheme. Before the trial started, Crowther pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud and one count of making a false statement to a financial institution, which were related to a mortgage fraud scheme. As part of the mortgage fraud scheme, Crowther created false bank statements to justify a loan he had used to purchase a nearly $1.3 million waterfront house in St. James City, Florida.

According to evidence at the trial, Crowther obtained a $2.1 million PPP loan by falsely stating that he had intended to use the money to make payroll and pay rent and utilities for his company Target Roofing and Sheet Metal, Inc. However, Crowther intended to use the money to enrich himself and, once the loan was obtained, quickly used the proceeds to make a series of personal purchases including a nearly $700,000 boat and a $100,000 payment to a former business partner. Crowther concealed the scheme by providing false explanations for the expenditures to his bank, calling the boat “equipment” and the payment to his former partner “payroll.” Under the terms of the PPP program, Crowther did not have to pay back the loan if he used at least 60% of the proceeds on payroll. To falsely make it appear he met that threshold, Crowther created dozens of fake employees to whom he purportedly paid wages: by adding multiple family members to his company’s payroll, even though they did not actually perform work; and, separately, by creating 39 other fake employees, for whom he obtained fake identification documents -- including Social Security cards -- that he provided to his company’s Human Resources to be placed in the files of the “employees.”

This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Trent Reichling and Michael V. Leeman. Assistant United States Attorney Suzanne Nebesky obtained the forfeitures.

Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form

Orlando, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Karin Hoppmann announces that a federal jury has found Derremy Jerrell Walker (31, Sanford) guilty of two counts of using, or attempting to use, children to produce sexually explicit videos. Walker’s sentencing hearing has been set for September 21, 2021. 

According to evidence and testimony admitted during the trial, Walker was a contracted janitor at Oviedo High School in November 2019, when two 15-year-old female students discovered an actively recording cellphone hidden under the sink inside a toilet stall in a student bathroom. The girls took the phone to school administrators, who then contacted the Oviedo Police Department.

Forensic analysis of the cellphone revealed Walker had placed the phone in the same location on two prior dates in November 2019, each time creating a one-hour video of students in that stall. On the date the girls found the phone, it had been recording video for about 15 minutes before they discovered it. In each of the three instances, Walker had angled the cellphone’s camera in an effort to capture the genitalia and pubic areas of those in the stall.  School administration officials and law enforcement officers were able to identify six of the ten students unknowingly captured in the videos Walker created.

Further analysis revealed Walker had also set up a surreptitious cellphone camera to record in the school’s faculty bathroom earlier that month.  

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

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

Jacksonville, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Karin Hoppmann announces the return of an indictment charging Jose Angel Vazquez, (59, Jacksonville) with making a false statement to a federal firearms dealer. If convicted, Vazquez faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. 

According to the indictment, Vazquez attempted to purchase a handgun from a Federally Licensed Firearm Dealer on February 2, 2021, after having been convicted of numerous felonies on multiple occasions.

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

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It will be prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Cyrus P. Zomorodian.

This case is part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce Federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the Fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence and enhances coordination of Federal, State, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes. For more information on Project Guardian visit www.justice.gov/projectguardian.

Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced John Michael Breen (33, Lehigh Acres) to 29 years in federal prison for sexually abusing a child and taking photos of this abuse. Breen was also sentenced to a lifetime of supervised release and ordered to register as a sex offender.

Breen had pleaded guilty on August 19, 2020.

According to court documents, between April 28 and July 20, 2018, Breen used a child to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing images of this abuse. Breen subsequently uploaded these photos over the internet to a cloud-based storage service. On December 13, 2019, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Breen’s residence. During an interview with law enforcement, Breen admitted that he had sexually abused a 7-year-old child at his home and took pictures of the abuse using his cellphone.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Fort Myers Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Yolande G. Viacava.

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

Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Brian J. Davis has sentenced Paublo “Chandito” Rondon Quinones (30, Jacksonville) to 10 years and 1 month in federal prison for conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute and to distribute five or more kilograms of cocaine. 

Quinones had pleaded guilty on January 24, 2019. As part of his plea agreement, Quinones agreed to the administrative forfeiture of an assortment of jewelry and numerous vehicles, including two jet skis, four motorcycles, two sport utility vehicles, a Porsche Panamera luxury sedan, and a Ferrari F430 sports car.

According to court documents, Quinones led a drug trafficking organization that supplied kilo-quantities of cocaine to drug dealers in Jacksonville. His organization had multiple sources of supply and obtained shipments of cocaine via couriers and through the U.S. Mail from suppliers in Puerto Rico and Orlando.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Florida Highway Patrol, and the North Florida High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Coolican.

Orlando, FL – Acting United States Attorney Karin Hoppmann announces today that the Surgical Care Affiliates, LLC and Orlando Center for Outpatient Surgery, LP have agreed to pay the United States $3.4 million to resolve allegations that both companies violated the False Claims Act by submitting claims for kidney stone procedures that were not medically justified and for engaging in an illegal kickback arrangement. 

The United States previously intervened in a whistleblower lawsuit against SCA and the Orlando Center on October 15, 2019. The lawsuit and settlement relate to the submission of claims for extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy, a procedure used to break up kidney stones. According to the lawsuit, Dr. Patrick Hunter was a urologist who performed lithotripsy procedures at the Orlando Center, a facility affiliated with SCA. According to the settlement agreement, between January 2010 and April of 2016, the Orlando Center submitted claims for lithotripsy procedures performed on Medicare and TRICARE patients by Dr. Hunter that were medically unnecessary because the procedures were not medically indicated or because the patients did not have kidney stones. 

The settlement agreement also resolves allegations that Dr. Hunter, SCA, and the Orlando Center engaged in an illegal kickback arrangement, where Dr. Hunter performed the lithotripsy procedures in exchange for per-procedure payments from the Orlando Center. Dr. Hunter allegedly agreed to perform his lithotripsy procedures at the Orlando Center in exchange for payments from the Orlando Center, in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute. SCA vetted and approved the agreement. These procedures were then billed to and paid by Medicare and TRICARE in violation of the False Claims Act.

“Medicare and TRICARE patients are some of our most vulnerable populations,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Karin Hoppmann. “The United States Attorney’s Office will always pursue providers who seek and pay illegal kickbacks or bill for baseless procedures.” 

“My office remains steadfast in our commitment to address illegal kickback arrangements within the federal healthcare system,” said Special Agent in Charge Omar Pérez Aybar of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable individuals and entities who pay or receive kickbacks.”

“We owe it to our beneficiaries to ensure their needs are placed first and the commitment to their care is unwavering. Any time the government is defrauded, it is unacceptable to the American taxpayer, and in this case, Medicare also was a victim. We are grateful to the Department of Justice for working to maintain trust and transparency by ensuring medical providers continue to put their patients’ needs first,” said Defense Health Agency Director, Lt. Gen. Ronald J. Place, M.D.

The settlement resulted from a lawsuit originally filed in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida by Scott Thompson. Mr. Thompson sued under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the False Claims Act permitting a private citizen to sue on behalf of the United States for false claims and to share in the recovery. The Act also allows the United States to intervene and prosecute the action. The United States intervened in this matter and litigated the case. Mr. Thompson will receive $748,000 of the proceeds from the settlement with SCA and the Orlando Center.

Dr. Hunter passed away in March of 2019.  In November 2020, Dr. Hunter’s estate paid the United States $1.75 million to resolve the government’s claims arising from Dr. Hunter’s alleged participation in the scheme. 

The United States’ intervention in and settlement of this matter illustrates its emphasis on combating health care fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services, at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477). 

This settlement resulted from a coordinated effort by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida, the HHS Office of Inspector General, and the Defense Health Agency. Assistant United States Attorneys Jeremy R. Bloor and Sean Keefe led the investigation.

The case is captioned United States ex rel. Thompson v. Surgical Care Affiliates et al., Case No. 6:16-cv-2189-PGB-LRH. The settlement resolves the United States’ claims against SCA and the Orlando Center in that case. The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.

 

Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle today sentenced Raphael Simean Bennett, Jr. (35, Bradenton) and Andre Renodd Ackerman, Sr. (34, Palmetto) for their respective roles in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl. Bennett was sentenced to 11 years in federal prison and Ackerman was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison.

Bennett had pleaded guilty on March 10, 2021, to one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, four counts of distribution of fentanyl, and one count of possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl. Ackerman had pleaded guilty on March 11, 2021, to one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and one count of distribution of fentanyl.

According to court documents, on August 14, 2019, Bennett and Ackerman sold one ounce of fentanyl to a confidential informant (CI) in Bradenton. On four other occasions, Bennett sold multiple ounces of fentanyl to the CI. On September 5, 2019, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Bennett’s residence and seized 626 grams of cocaine and 8 grams of fentanyl. On July 9, 2020, a deputy from the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office lawfully searched Bennett’s car and found 8 grams of fentanyl, 13 grams of heroin, and 16 grams of cocaine.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Bradenton Police Department, and the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher F. Murray.

Jacksonville, Florida – A federal jury has found Andrew Christian Hammock (48, Boca Raton) guilty of attempting to entice a 14-year-old girl to engage in sexual activity and produce visual depictions of herself engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Hammock faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 10 years, and up to life, in federal prison and a potential life term of supervised release. His sentencing hearing is set for September 20, 2021.  

Hammock was arrested on March 17, 2020, at his place of employment, the Margate (Florida) Police Department, where he worked as a sworn police officer.

According to court documents, as well as evidence and testimony admitted during the trial, on February 14, 2020, an undercover FBI agent who was posing online as a 14-year-old child made contact with Hammock, who was using the screen name “playful_guy,” and who later used the name “Florida Guy.”  The undercover agent responded to Hammock’s online advertisement that read, “Feel like peeking and being peeked at by a younger girl.”  Hammock and the undercover agent exchanged private messages for more than a month using a social media app.  On February 16, 2020, Hammock told the “child” that he (Hammock) was employed as a police officer and sent the “child” a photo depicting the waist area of an individual wearing tactical clothing seated in what appeared to be a police vehicle.  Between February 14 and March 15, 2020, Hammock sent more than 4,000 messages to the “child,” providing graphic descriptions of the sexually explicit images that he wanted the “child” to take and share with him.  Hammock also described in detail the types of sexual activity that he wanted to engage in with the “child.” 

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Jacksonville, with assistance from the Margate Police Department.  It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kelly S. Karase and Ashley Washington.

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

Tampa, Florida – United States District Judge Charlene Honeywell has sentenced Jorge Ramirez (41, Clearwater) to 15 years and 8 months in prison for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine, heroin, and cocaine. Ramirez had pleaded guilty on August 25, 2020.

According to information presented during Ramirez’s sentencing hearing, in 2011, Ramirez was convicted in state court (Pasco County) for trafficking cocaine. After serving more than three years in state prison, Ramirez—also known as “Dientes,” “Cha-Ching,” and “Ching”—resumed selling large amounts of drugs, distributing kilogram quantities of methamphetamine, as well as smaller amounts of heroin and cocaine for years before he was ultimately arrested in this case. By the time Ramirez’s Spring Hill, Florida-based, Mexican cartel-affiliated suppliers were arrested in April 2019, Ramirez had sold at least 40 kilograms of highly pure methamphetamine over the previous five months.

In December 2020, United States District Judge Susan C. Bucklew sentenced each of Ramirez’s suppliers, Adan Barajas Maldonado and Juan Carlos Arias Castillo, to 25 years in prison.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office, and the Pasco Sheriff’s Office. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael M. Gordon.

Ocala, Florida – Glenn Edward Davis, Jr. (35, Ocala) has pleaded guilty to two counts of possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon and two counts of possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. Davis faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 5 years, and up to 40 years, in federal prison on each of the drug counts, and up to 10 years’ imprisonment on each of the firearm charges.

Davis had been indicted in November 2019.  

According to the facts presented in court, on the night of March 16, 2019, an officer from the Ocala Police Department attempted to stop Davis’s car. Davis quickly abandoned the car and fled on foot, but left behind his driver license, a loaded handgun, and methamphetamine packaged for distribution. On July 10, 2019, a detective from the Ocala Police Department spotted Davis driving a different car. When the detective attempted initiate a traffic stop, Davis again fled on foot. Once apprehended, Davis struggled with and injured the detective. A subsequent search of Davis’s car revealed another loaded handgun, ecstasy pills, heroin, and pure methamphetamine packaged for distribution. Laboratory testing confirmed Davis’s DNA on the firearm.

With 14 prior state felony convictions, Davis is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.  

This case was investigated by the City of Ocala Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Bodnar, Jr.

This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

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.

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.

 

 

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, 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.

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.

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.

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.

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, 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.

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, 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, 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. 

 

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.

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, 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, 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.

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.

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, 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.

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.