Middle District of Florida
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Ohio Man Pleads Guilty to Violation of Clean Diamond Trade ActRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – Stanley Tipton (45, Ohio) has pleaded guilty to an Information charging him with a violation of the Clean Diamond Trade Act. Tipton faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. His sentencing date has not yet been set.
The Clean Diamond Trade Act prohibits the import into and export from the United States of rough diamonds not regulated by the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS), an international certification scheme for the regulation of trade in rough diamonds. One of the purposes of the KPCS is to protect the legitimate trade in rough diamonds and to prevent trade in so-called “blood diamonds,” which are diamonds produced and sold to fund rebel movements and terrorism worldwide and especially in several countries in Africa. The United States is a participating country adhering to the KPCS.
Member countries participating in the KPCS are required to use a document referred to as the Kimberley Process Certificate (KPC) in the import and export of rough diamonds, a certificate with a specified format that identifies individual shipments of rough diamonds and certifies them as being in compliance with the KPCS. The KPC is required to record the country of origin of the diamonds, the carat weight and mass of the diamonds, their value in U.S. dollars, the name of the diamond exporter or importer, and the governmental authority issuing.
According to the plea agreement and other facts presented at the plea hearing, in 2019, Tipton engaged in a series of discussions with an undercover Homeland Security Investigations special agent (UCA) to supply KPCs to the UCA, who was then posing as a broker interested in securing documents, to help smuggle up to 100 carats of diamonds into the United States. Tipton told the UCA that he had contacts in Tanzania and Namibia and could arrange for the purchase of KPCs to “legitimize” the smuggled diamonds. When informed that the UCA’s “people” desired a certificate from a particular country, such as Tanzania or Sierra Leone, Tipton assured the UCA that he could make that happen but would require additional money to “grease” people on the ground in Africa. Ultimately, Tipton provided the UCA with what appeared to be two KPCs that represented that the subject diamonds had been handled in accordance with the provisions of the KPCS for rough diamonds. One KPC bore the purported seal of the Guinean Ministry of Mines and Geology, the other KPC was purported to be from the Sierra Leone Ministry of Mineral Resources. However, both KPCs were false and fraudulent documents provided by Tipton to the UCA to assist in the importation scheme, in violation of the Clean Diamond Trade Act.
“This investigation and prosecution sets an international precedent regarding the Clean Diamond Trade Act,” said HSI Tampa acting Special Agent in Charge Kevin Sibley. “This case is the result of significant teamwork between HSI special agents and the Department of State, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Tampa International Airport Police and the Middle District of Florida United States Attorney Office.”
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, with the assistance of the U.S. Department of State, and the Department of Homeland Security - Bureau of Customs and Border Protection. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jay L. Hoffer.
Jacksonville Man Sentenced to More Than 12 Years in Federal Prison for Selling CocaineRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Brian J. Davis today sentenced Darryle Lavance Evans (47, Jacksonville) to 12 years and 7 months in federal prison for distributing cocaine. At the time Evans committed this offense, he was on federal supervised release resulting from a previous federal drug trafficking conviction. At today’s hearing, Judge Davis also revoked Evans’s federal supervised release, and sentenced him to 5 years in federal prison, to run concurrent with the other sentence.
Evans had pleaded guilty on July 16, 2019.
According to court documents, in 2010, Evans was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for distributing cocaine base, followed by a five-year term of supervised release. Evans was released from federal prison in April 2018, and, on November 8, 2018, he sold cocaine to a confidential informant working for the FBI. The informant and the person Evans identified as his supplier for the cocaine were also both on federal supervised release for drug offenses. Because of Evans’s extensive criminal history, he was designated as a Career Offender at sentencing.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Laura Cofer Taylor.
Aggravated Felon Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearms Offense and Illegal Re-Entry After Previous DeportationRead the Press Release
Ocala, FL – Jose Merced Sanchez De La Torre (43) has pleaded guilty to illegal re-entry by a previously deported alien and unlawful possession of a firearm. He faces up to 30 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to court documents, on August 31, 2020, the FBI received a tip that a residence in Ocala contained illegal aliens and firearms. The FBI requested the assistance of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). CBP researched the address and determined that one of the residents, Sanchez De La Torre, was an illegal alien from Mexico who had previously been deported from the United States in 2015, following federal convictions for an aggravated felony—unlawful possession of a firearm—and seven counts of structuring financial transactions. On September 8, 2020, Border Patrol agents, with help from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO), executed an arrest warrant at the residence. During a search of the residence, three firearms were located, including an AK-47 along with a large amount of ammunition. As both an illegal alien and a convicted felon, Sanchez De La Torre is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the FBI, CBP, ATF, and the MCSO. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tyrie Boyer.
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.
Three Sentenced for Thefts Related to Cyber Intrusion at Sumter County School DistrictRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – Senior United States District Judge John Antoon II has sentenced Josten Rakeem-Hassan Brown (28, Greenville, SC) to 20 months in federal prison for using an unauthorized access device (credit card). Two other defendants have also been sentenced in connection with the offense. Kenbee Omari Hughey (41, Detroit, MI) was sentenced in the Middle District of Florida to 15 months’ imprisonment by United States District Judge Roy B. Dalton, Jr. Dejon Romans Brown (22, Puyallup, WA) was sentenced in the Western District of Washington by United States District Judge Robert S. Lasnik.
According to court records, all three defendants agreed to purchase electronics using fraudulent credit cards issued to them under false names on behalf of the Sumter County School District in Bushnell, Florida. A Russian citizen used a malicious software program to gain access to the district’s computer network while the students and staff were gone for the winter break in 2018. After gaining access, the intruder had credit cards issued using the district’s bank account information and sent the cards to the defendants in California, Michigan, and South Carolina. The defendants then used the credit cards to purchase tens of thousands of dollars in electronic equipment, including cellphones and tablet computers. Following the fraudulent purchases, the defendants sent the electronics to another accomplice, who then resold the items in the United States and internationally.
As a result of these actions, the Sumter County School District suffered a budget shortfall of approximately $206,000 this year. Each of the defendants were ordered to pay restitution totaling $206,094.40. Josten Brown was ordered to pay $59,153.89, Hughey was ordered to pay $88,433.97, and Dejon Brown was ordered to pay $58,506.54.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael P. Felicetta.
Plant City Man Sentenced to over Three Years for Making Threats Against Plant City Police OfficersRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Mary Scriven today sentenced James Alexander (26, Plant City) to 37 months in federal prison for making online threats to harm two officers from the Plant City Police Department. Alexander had pleaded guilty on June 17, 2020.
According to court documents, beginning in October 2017, Alexander posted threats directed at law enforcement on various Facebook pages online. Between May and June 2018, Alexander sent direct threats to one Plant City Police officer threatening to harm to him. Alexander also sent direct messages to a family member of this officer, threatening to harm the officer. As a result of these threats, the officer obtained a permanent injunction against Alexander and moved his family out of their home of nine years to another location that was kept confidential.
Following the entry of the permanent injunction, Alexander began targeting a second officer from the Plant City Police Department, sending him direct messages on Facebook, saying, in part: “You are going to die this year.” As a result, this officer feared for his safety and that of his family, compelling him to frequently change his routine and routes to various locations, for fear of being followed.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Plant City Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Candace Garcia Rich.
National Health Care Fraud and Opioid Takedown Results in Largest Enforcement Action in Department of Justice HistoryRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian C. Rabbitt of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Assistant Director Calvin Shivers of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division, Deputy Inspector General Gary Cantrell of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) and Assistant Administrator Tim McDermott of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) today announced a historic nationwide enforcement action involving 345 charged defendants across 51 federal districts, including more than 100 doctors, nurses, and other licensed medical professionals.
These defendants have been charged with submitting more than $6 billion in false and fraudulent claims to federal health care programs and private insurers, including more than $4.5 billion connected to telemedicine, more than $845 million connected to substance abuse treatment facilities, or “sober homes,” and more than $806 million connected to other health care fraud and illegal opioid distribution schemes across the country.
Today’s enforcement actions were led and coordinated by the Criminal Division, Fraud Section’s Health Care Fraud Unit, in conjunction with its Health Care Fraud and Appalachian Regional Prescription Opioid (ARPO) Strike Force program, and its core partners, the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, HHS-OIG, FBI, and DEA, as part of the department’s ongoing efforts to combat the devastating effects of health care fraud and the opioid epidemic. The cases announced today are being prosecuted by Health Care Fraud and ARPO Strike Force teams from the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, along with 43 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices nationwide, and agents from HHS-OIG, FBI, DEA, and other various federal and state law enforcement agencies.
Prior to the charges announced as part of today’s nationwide enforcement action and since its inception in March 2007, the Health Care Fraud Strike Force program had charged more than 4,200 defendants who have collectively billed the Medicare program for approximately $19 billion.
The Middle District of Florida (MDFL) is playing a significant role in today’s historic announcement. Collaborative efforts among federal, state, and local partners have resulting in charges against 19 defendants in the MDFL.
“Patients place their lives in the hands of medical professionals every day,” said U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez for the Middle District of Florida. In doing so, they rely upon the oath that they will put forth their best efforts to do no harm. Not only is fraud and abuse of healthcare programs illegal, but they compromise the standard of care and the public trust. We will continue to aggressively investigate these claims and hold those who violate the law accountable by all means.”
"The FBI and its law enforcement partners are determined to expose those who commit healthcare fraud." said Special Agent in Charge of FBI Tampa Division Michael F. McPherson. "We are all victims of this crime when federal healthcare programs that taxpayers fund are cheated."
“We will continue to hold medical professionals accountable for the great responsibility with which they have been entrusted, said Omar Pérez Aybar, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. “There are no shortcuts when it comes to patient care.”
David Spilker, Special Agent in Charge at the VA Office of Inspector General stated, “The continued oversight of medical professionals who provide community care to veterans—our nation’s heroes—safeguards the integrity of VA’s healthcare programs. The VA OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to hold providers who fraudulently bill CHAMPVA responsible for their unlawful conduct.”
"Unfettered greed erodes public trust, stifles our economy, and hurts hard-working Americans," stated Special Agent in Charge Brian Payne of IRS Criminal Investigation's Tampa Field Office. "Working with our law enforcement partners, we will fervently employ our unique financial investigative skills to lead the fight against white collar crime."
HEALTH CARE FRAUD CASES
The MDFL health care fraud cases included in today’s announcement involve charges brought against 12 defendants for health care fraud and violations of the federal Anti-Kickback statute. These defendants have been charged with submitting hundreds of millions of dollars in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare and other federal health care programs and employing abusive schemes that often involved telemedicine.
All of the MDFL cases described in this section are being investigated by various agencies, including the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services–Office of Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Veterans Affairs–Office of Inspector General, and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation.
In September 2020, Charles Burruss (51, San Diego, CA) and Ardalaan “Armani” Adams (33, San Diego, CA) were charged with conspiracy for defrauding Medicare through the submission of medically unnecessary durable medical equipment (“DME”) claims. According to court documents, Adams and Burruss paid millions in kickbacks and bribes to acquire the DME claims, which had been generated using aggressive telemarketing strategies in concert with fraudulent telemedicine involving bribed doctors who rarely spoke to the beneficiaries. During the conspiracy, Burruss, Adams, and their conspirators submitted the illegal DME claims to Medicare and other programs through a conglomerate of fraudulently established DME companies; at least 22 of those fraudulent companies were located in the MDFL. Through the MDFL companies, the conspirators submitted more than $343 million in illegal DME claims to Medicare and to the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (CHAMPVA), resulting in over $180 million in payments. The defendants have also been charged in related cases in the Southern District of California and the District of New Jersey. Each defendant faces a collective maximum penalty of 25 years’ imprisonment, if imposed consecutively, for the pending charges. The MDFL case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kristen Fiore.
On July 31, 2020, Richard Epstein (28, Aurora, CO) and Michael Nolan (47, Tampa, FL) each pleaded guilty, in separate cases, to conspiracy to commit health care fraud for defrauding Medicare through the submission of medically unnecessary claims for DME and cancer genetic testing (“CGx testing”). According to court documents, during the conspiracy, Epstein and Nolan ran a telemarketing company in Tampa known as REMN Management, LLC, that targeted the elderly to generate thousands of medically unnecessary orders for DME and CGx testing. The two men also created and operated Comprehensive Telcare, LLC (“CompTel”), a “telemedicine” company through which they illegally bribed medical practitioners to sign the orders regardless of medical necessity. They then illegally sold the signed orders to client-conspirators for submission to Medicare. The conspiracy resulted in the submission of at least $134 million in fraudulent claims to Medicare and other federal health benefit programs, resulting in approximately $29 million in payments. The defendants are each facing a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kristen Fiore and Trial Attorney Gary A. Winters of the DOJ Criminal Division’s Fraud Section.
Paul Savastano (49, Lake Worth, FL), who conspired with Epstein and Nolan, also pleaded guilty on July 31, 2020, to health care fraud conspiracy. Savastano’s role in the conspiracy was that of a broker who oversaw CompTel’s illegal delivery of thousands of the signed orders to Medicare-enrolled DME supply companies, including at least five DME companies secretly controlled by Patsy Truglia (charged separately). For his part, Savastano received a percentage of the bribes as his fee. He is facing a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kristen Fiore.
In June 2020, Dr. Jonathan Michael Rouffe (47, Boca Raton, FL) and Dr. Richard Davidson (41, Delray Beach, FL) pleaded guilty in separate cases to conspiracy to commit health care fraud. Each faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. According to court documents, Rouffe, Davidson, and other conspirators secretly controlled conglomerates of fraudulently established DME supply companies. During the conspiracies, the companies submitted more than $31 million in illegal DME claims to Medicare and the CHAMPVA, resulting in over $16 million in payments. The conspirators paid millions in kickbacks and bribes to acquire illegally signed doctors’ orders for DME from so-called “marketers,” who, for their part, had generated the signed doctors’ orders using aggressive telemarketing strategies in concert with fraudulent telemedicine involving bribed doctors. The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kristen A. Fiore. Additional details can be found in press release.
In August 2020, Sajid “Jay” Geronimo (41, Buena Park, CA) was charged with conspiracy to commit health care fraud. According to court documents, Geronimo owned a telemarketing company known as Cure Healthcare, Inc. that targeted the Medicare-aged population using offshore call centers that employed aggressive tactics to generate orders for DME supply companies. Cure then packaged this information into the format of doctors’ orders and bribed doctors for their signatures. Once signed, Cure sold the illegally signed doctors’ orders to client-conspirators as support for fraudulent claims submitted to Medicare and CHAMPVA, receiving more than $12 million for these illegal sales. Geronimo is facing a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kristen A. Fiore.
On September 4, 2020, Samuel Friedman (45, Land O’ Lakes, FL) was sentenced to four years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit health care fraud. According to court documents, through his telemarketing company SKF Enterprises, LLC, Friedman targeted the Medicare-aged population using offshore call centers that employed aggressive tactics to generate orders for DME. SKF then packaged this information into the format of doctors’ orders and bribed doctors for their signatures. Once signed, SKF sold the fraudulently signed doctors’ orders to client-conspirators as support for fraudulent claims submitted to Medicare and CHAMPVA, receiving more than $3.4 million for these illegal sales. Forfeiture was ordered against his interests in real property and a bank account containing nearly $475,000. Restitution was ordered in the amount of $3.42 million. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kristen A. Fiore. Additional details can be found in press release.
In September 2020, Christopher Ryan Helfrich (30, Tampa, FL) was charged with conspiracy to commit health care fraud. According to court documents, Helfrich and his conspirators owned a telemarketing operation known as A2B Insurance Solutions LLC. Helfrich also wholly owned another telemarketing company, CRH Holdings, LLC. Through these enterprises, Helfrich and his conspirators targeted the Medicare-aged population using offshore call centers that employed aggressive tactics to generate orders for DME. They then packaged this information into the format of doctors’ orders and bribed doctors for their signatures. Once signed, the conspirators sold the fraudulently signed doctors’ orders to client-conspirators as support for fraudulent claims submitted to Medicare and CHAMPVA, receiving more than $2.2 million for these illegal sales. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kristen A. Fiore and DOJ Trial Attorney Catherine Wagner of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section.
Patsy Truglia (52, Parkland, FL) and Ruth Bianca Fernandez (37, Lauderhill, FL) were charged in a 13-count indictment alleging a conspiracy to defraud Medicare and to commit health care fraud, submit false statements to Medicare, and violate the federal Anti-Kickback statute, as well as other related charges. The indictment was unsealed with the defendants’ arrests on September 9, 2020. According to the indictment, Truglia and Fernandez conspired to create and submit fraudulent claims to Medicare for medically unnecessary DME, using aggressive telemarketing that targeted Medicare beneficiaries, bogus telemedicine encounters, and signed doctors’ orders secured using illegal bribes and kickbacks. Through the conspiracy, Truglia and Fernandez caused the submission of approximately $25 million of fraudulent claims to Medicare and other federal health care programs, including CHAMPVA, resulting in payments of approximately $10 million from the programs. The case was charged by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen Fiore and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay G. Trezevant.
OPIOID FRAUD AND ABUSE DETECTION UNIT CASES
Additional MDFL cases included in today’s announcement involve charges brought against 7 defendants who are being prosecuted by the MDFL Opioid Fraud and Abuse Detection Unit (“OPFAD”), a Department of Justice program created to help combat the devastating opioid crisis that is ravaging families and communities across America and to prosecute individuals who have contributed to the opioid epidemic. OPFAD specifically focuses on opioid-related fraud and abuse by medical and health care professionals who have contributed to the prescription opioid epidemic.
Richard De La Cruz (55, Jacksonville, FL) pleaded guilty and was sentenced on August 25, 2020, to five years’ probation for making false statements relating to health care matters in connection with writing opioid prescriptions. De La Cruz was also ordered to pay restitution and $42,450 in forfeiture. According to court documents, De La Cruz, a Florida-licensed doctor, failed to conduct in-person evaluations with patients before prescribing opiates, as required by Florida law, and concealed such, when he worked for a Kentucky company that provided in-home primary care for patients. This case was investigated by the HHS-OIG. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kelley Howard Allen and Greg Pizzo. Additional details can be found in press release.
Hong Truong (60, Dunedin, FL), a licensed pharmacist, pleaded guilty to one count of distributing and dispensing a controlled substance outside the scope of professional practice.She was sentenced on September 23, 2020, to 30 months in federal prison, fined $500,000, and ordered to forfeit $766,819 in illegal drug proceeds. According to court documents, Truong owned and operated HP Pharmacy in Pinellas Park, where she dispensed Schedule II controlled substance prescriptions outside the usual course of professional practice, that were not issued for a legitimate medical purpose, and without resolving several red flags. Truong and the pharmacy tech she employed, Jessica Evans (34, St. Petersburg, Florida), falsely noted on the back of many prescriptions that the prescription had been verified with the prescriber’s office, when such was not the case. Evans also pleaded guilty for her role in filling the illegal opiate prescriptions and was sentenced on August 27, 2020, to 25 months in federal prison. Also charged in connection with filling false prescriptions at HP Pharmacy were Lucretia Mullan (35, St. Petersburg, FL) and Patrice Jackson (37, Bradenton, FL) who were sentenced last summer to federal prison terms of 20 months and 70 months, respectively. This case is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kelley Howard Allen and Greg Pizzo. Additional details can be found in press release.
Steven Chun (57, Sarasota, FL) and Daniel Tondre (50, Tampa, FL) were charged in a 16-count indictment unsealed on September 16, 2020. According to the indictment, Chun owned and operated a Sarasota pain management practice where he prescribed Subsys, a highly addictive and expensive fentanyl spray, to his patients in return for kickbacks paid by the manufacturer, Insys Therapeutics. Insys employed Tondre to work as a pharmaceutical sales representative for Chun’s territory. Through Tondre, Insys paid more than $275,000 in kickbacks to Chun in the form of sham speaker fees and other benefits in return for Chun prescribing higher and larger quantities of Subsys. This case is being investigated by the FBI, HHS-OIG, and the Defense Criminal Investigation Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelley Howard-Allen. Additional details can be found in press release.
An information or 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.
Lake Mary Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Stealing More Than $470,000Read the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Carlos E. Mendoza has sentenced Kathryn Smith (58, Lake Mary) to 12 months and 1 day in federal prison for wire fraud. In addition, Smith was ordered to pay $472,765.95 in restitution.
Smith had pleaded guilty on July 7, 2020.
According to court documents, Smith worked at a title insurance company. From December 2012 to May 2019, she embezzled $472,765.95 from the company. Smith stole the funds by using her access to the title insurer’s bank accounts to transfer funds into accounts for which she had control. She also wrote checks to herself without authorization. In addition, Smith used funds from the title insurer to pay her personal credit card bills, insurance for her adult child, and other miscellaneous personal expenses.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Amanda Daniels and Roger B. Handberg.
Janitor at Local High School Pleads Guilty to Attempting to Produce Child Pornography in Secretly Filming Students in Girls’ Locker RoomRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – Jason Brian Goff (44, Starke) has pleaded guilty to attempted production of child pornography. He faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 15 years, and up to 30 years, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the
plea agreement , in August 2019, two 14-year-old Clay High School students reported that they had seen what they believed was a camera lens, concealed within a locked gym locker, in the Clay High School girls’ locker room. When school administrators unlocked the locker, they discovered a cellphone taped to the side wall of the locker with the lens pointed out of a pre-fabricated hole.A forensic analysis of the phone yielded a video, lasting 30 minutes, which had been filmed from a window looking into the locker room where female students were captured changing clothes. At the end of the video, the phone had been panned down to show the identification badge of Clay High School Custodian Jason Goff.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Clay County Sheriff’s Office arrested Goff on September 13, 2019. Goff later admitted that he had tried filming girls in the locker room at least three times from different vantage points.
Forensic analyses of other electronic devices belonging to Goff revealed additional images from the girls’ high school locker room and a collection of child pornography, to include a video and images of adults sexually abusing children of various ages, including images of infants.
This case was investigated by the Clay County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelly S. Karase.
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.
Four Central Florida Men Sentenced to Prison for Firearms Offenses Involving Weapons Trafficking to Puerto RicoRead the Press Release
Orlando, FL – U.S. District Judge Carlos E. Mendoza has sentenced Anthony Kenty Soto-Lopes (39, Orlando) to 11 years and 3 months in federal prison for aiding and abetting the making of a false statement to a licensed firearms dealer, and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. In January 2020, Judge Mendoza also sentenced Soto-Lopes’s three co-defendants to federal prison terms: Misael Adorno-Ortega (25, Orange City) to 7 years for aiding and abetting the making of a false statement to a licensed firearms dealer and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon; Ivan Jomar Melendez-Ortiz (24, Orlando) to 37 months for making a false statement to a licensed firearms dealer; and Jose Gonzalez-Rodriguez (34, Davenport) to 8 months for making false statements to a licensed firearms dealer. All four men had previously pleaded guilty to the charges.
According to court documents, in October 2018, Soto-Lopes and Adorno-Ortega agreed to assist each other in acquiring firearms and shipping them to purchasers in Puerto Rico. Because they were previously convicted felons, Soto-Lopes and Adorno-Ortega could not purchase the firearms themselves. Instead, they recruited straw purchasers, including Melendez-Ortiz and Gonzalez-Rodriguez, to purchase firearms for them. Between October 2018 and June 2019, Soto-Lopes and Adorno-Ortega had the straw purchasers buy approximately 49 firearms from various firearms dealers in Central Florida. Melendez-Ortiz and Gonzalez-Rodriguez lied on the forms that they submitted to the firearms dealers by indicating that they were purchasing the firearms for their own use, when in fact they were purchasing the firearms for Soto-Lopes and Adorno-Ortega. Soto-Lopes and Adorno-Ortega then shipped the firearms to purchasers in Puerto Rico. Many of the firearms were AK-style firearms with high-capacity magazines.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Chauncey A. Bratt.
This is another case prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Middle District of Florida, U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.
U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez Announces over $2.8 Million in Awards to Combat Human Trafficking in Middle District of FloridaRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez today announced that the Middle District of Florida has received $2,879,856 from the Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs, through its component, Office for Victims of Crime (OVC), to fund efforts that combat human trafficking and provide vital services to trafficking victims throughout the United States.
“The scourge of human trafficking is the modern-day equivalent of slavery, brutally depriving victims of basic human rights and essential physical needs as it erodes their sense of dignity and self-worth,” said Attorney General William P. Barr. “The Department of Justice is relentless in its fight against the perpetrators of these heinous crimes. Working with state and local law enforcement and community victim service providers, we will continue to bring these criminals to justice and deliver critical aid to survivors.”
“These awards will assist our partners as they continue the critically important work of rescuing, recovering, and assisting victims of the heinous crime of human trafficking reclaim their lives,” said U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez. “We will continue to aggressively go after the perpetrators of these horrible crimes and support our partners and the victims, in every way possible.”
Nationally, the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) awarded over $97.4 million to state, local and tribal jurisdictions, service providers and task forces all over the country, while OJP’s National Institute of Justice awarded the remaining $3.5 million to support research and evaluation on human trafficking. Awards were made to the following recipients to support efforts that combat human trafficking and/or provide services for human trafficking survivors:
Catholic Charities, Diocese of Venice, Inc. $500,000 Citrus Health Network, Inc. $499,995 United Way of Pasco County, Inc. $498,000 Goodwill Industries – Suncoast, Inc. $349,895 Latisha’s Home Foundation Florida, LLC $350,000 Living Above the Noise, Inc. $681,966“Human trafficking is a massive global enterprise with roots in cities and communities here in America and across the world,” said OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan. “The Office of Justice Programs is using all the resources at its disposal to help our state, local and tribal partners uncover and eradicate trafficking operations and help victims open the door to a new life.”
Grants awarded under fiscal year (FY) 2020 OVC programs aim to enhance the quality and quantity of services available to survivors of human trafficking. Specific programs:
- The Enhanced Collaborative Model Task Force to Combat Human Trafficking program awards over $22.7 million total. OVC awards over $17.7 million to 27 programs to support the effectiveness of collaborative and multidisciplinary task forces to combat human trafficking. The purpose of this program is to develop and strengthen programs for victims of human trafficking, including enhancing the capacity of law enforcement and other stakeholders to identify victims and provide justice for those victims through the investigation and prosecution of their traffickers. OVC also awards nearly $5 million in grants to three organizations for training and technical assistance for the task forces.
- The Housing Assistance Grants for Victims of Human Trafficking program awards over $35.1 million total to 73 organizations to provide six to 24 months of transitional or short-term housing assistance for trafficking victims, including rental, utilities or related expenses, such as security deposits and relocation costs. The grants will also provide funding to help victims locate permanent housing, secure employment and receive occupational training and counseling.
- The Improving Outcomes for Child and Youth Victims of Human Trafficking program awards over $4.2 million total to four recipients to integrate human trafficking policy and programming at the state or tribal level. This program will enhance coordinated, multidisciplinary and statewide approaches to at-risk populations to improve outcomes for children and youth who are victims of human trafficking.
- The Preventing Trafficking of Girls program awards $1.8 million total to four organizations, including a training and technical assistance provider, to support prevention and early intervention services, including mentoring and other direct support services for girls who are at risk of or are victims of sex trafficking.
- The Services for Minor Victims of Sex Trafficking program gives over $6.8 million to four recipients to develop, expand and strengthen assistance programs for minor victims of sex trafficking. Under this program, the funded states, tribes, and units of local government will provide (directly and through partnerships) an array of services that minor victims of human trafficking often require to address their need for safety, security, and healing.
- The Services for Minor Victims of Labor Trafficking program awards nearly $2 million total to three organizations to develop, expand, or strengthen victim service programs for minor victims of labor trafficking whose victimization occurred when they were under the age of 18.
- The Services for Victims of Human Trafficking program awards more than $23.6 million to 43 organizations to support services specific to victims of human trafficking.
- The Specialized Training and Technical Assistance on Housing for Victims of Human Trafficking program awards $643,163 total to deliver specialized training and technical assistance to victim service organizations to enhance their ability to provide appropriate housing for victims of human trafficking.
- OVC awards the Promoting Employment Opportunities for Survivors of Trafficking Training and Technical Assistance Project continuation funding in the amount of $300,000 to increase access to quality educational and employment opportunities for survivors of human trafficking.
Grants awarded under FY 2020 NIJ programs aim to understand law enforcement practices with regard to preventing and responding to victims of trafficking. Specific programs:
- The Research and Evaluation of Trafficking in Persons program awards over $2.5 million total to four organizations to build upon research and evaluation efforts to better understand, prevent and respond to trafficking in persons in the United States.
- The Research on Law Enforcement Responses to Sex Trafficking of Minors program awards nearly $1 million to understand how law enforcement practices with regard to preventing and responding to the sex trafficking of minors have evolved since passage of the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000. NIJ was specifically interested in understanding how widely law enforcement agencies have adopted practices based on the perspective that the minor is a victim rather than a delinquent and the challenges that agencies have faced in adopting such practices.
For a complete list of individual grant programs, award amounts, and jurisdictions that will receive funding, visit: https://www.ojp.gov/sites/g/files/xyckuh241/files/media/document/ovchumantraffickingfactsheet.pdf. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
The Office of Justice Programs, directed by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan, provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime, assist victims and enhance the rule of law by strengthening the criminal and juvenile justice systems. More information about OJP and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
Mexican National Sentenced to over 20 Years in Prison for Setting Fire to Drug Smuggling Vessel During U.S. Coast Guard InterdictionRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Mary S. Scriven has sentenced Jesus Soto-Martinez (41, Michoacan, Mexico) to 21 years and 3 months in federal prison for conspiring to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine while onboard a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, forcibly interfering with a lawful boarding, and knowingly using fire to commit a felony offense.
Soto-Martinez had pleaded guilty on November 20, 2019.
According to court documents, on February 19, 2019, the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Cutter STEADFAST interdicted a go-fast vessel (GFV) carrying Soto-Martinez and his co-conspirators in international waters about 378 nautical miles south of Acapulco, Mexico. The defendants were carrying approximately 2,000 kilograms of cocaine on the GFV. During the pursuit of the vessel, Jose Varges-Merida, a co-defendant, refused to comply with the USCG commands to stop and steered the GFV in the direction of the USCG vessel carrying its law enforcement detachment, causing the USCG vessel to significantly alter course and momentarily become unstable. The coxswain was forced to make evasive maneuvers to avoid the GFV from running over the USCG vessel and its crewmen. The USCG was then able to stop the GFV by using several rounds of disabling fire.
During the boarding of the GFV, Soto-Martinez intentionally started a fire onboard the GFV by lighting one of the fuel barrels on fire. After jumping off the GFV, Soto-Martinez clung to the side of the GFV and lifted up the tarp covering the cocaine bales, seemingly in an effort to ensure the nearby fire spread to the load of drugs. Almost immediately, the fire spread out of control and eventually engulfed the entire vessel. It took 90 minutes to extinguish. The majority of the GFV was burned to the waterline and the vast majority of cocaine was burned to an unsalvageable extent.
“I am extremely grateful to our U.S. Attorney partners for helping us complete the cycle of justice,” said Rear Admiral Brian Penoyer, the 11th Coast Guard District commander. “This case demonstrates the lengths smugglers are willing to go to avoid getting caught and the dangers Coast Guard men and women face as we continue to keep these drugs off the streets and out of our homes.”
This case was investigated by the Panama Express Strike Force, an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) comprised of agents and analysts from the United States Coast Guard Investigative Service, Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, and U.S. Southern Command's Joint Interagency Task Force South. 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. The case was prosecuted Assistant United States Attorney Dan Baeza.
Radiology Center Pays $501,000 to Resolve Healthcare Fraud AllegationsRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, FL – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces that Advanced Imaging of Port Charlotte, LLC, a radiology center headquartered in Port Charlotte, Florida, has agreed to pay $501,000 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by submitting fraudulent claims to Medicare and Tricare, a health care program for uniformed service members, retirees, and their families.
As part of the settlement, the United States contends that Advanced Imaging knowingly submitted claims to Medicare and Tricare by (1) administering dye-contrast scans without direct physician supervision as required by Federal regulations and (2) improperly billing for services performed by doctors who were not properly credentialed by Medicare.
“This settlement reflects our continuing efforts to protect our military and their families, our community, and the taxpayers by ensuring that the care provided to beneficiaries of government-funded healthcare programs is consistent with federal regulations,” said United States Attorney Chapa Lopez. “We will continue to hold healthcare providers accountable when they provide services by individuals who are not credentialed, licensed, or appropriately supervised.”
“Working alongside our investigative partners, The Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) is committed to protecting the integrity of the U.S. Military Healthcare program,” said Cynthia A. Bruce, Special Agent in Charge, DCIS Southeast Field Office. “DCIS appreciates the continual support of the U.S. Attorney's Office throughout Florida for their efforts to recoup financial losses which will be used for the care of our military beneficiaries.”
This settlement resulted from a coordinated effort by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida, DCIS, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. The investigation was led by Assistant U.S. Attorney David P. Sullivan.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability. The civil settlement resolves the following captioned cases: United States, et al. v. KMH Cardiology Centres, Inc., et al., 2:16-cv-618-TPB-MRM, and United States of America, et al. v. SAVN Administrative Services, Inc., et al., 2:16-cv-622-SPC-MRM.
Orange Park Man Charged with Sex Trafficking A Child After Traveling to Meet A Child for SexRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces the filing of a criminal complaint charging Gregory Thomas Garcia (34, Orange Park) with commercial sex trafficking of a child. If convicted, Garcia faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 10 years, and up to life, in federal prison.
According to the complaint, beginning at least by October 2019, Garcia began communicating via text message with a minor victim, who was 16 years old at the time. A special agent with Homeland Security Investigations discovered the text messages between Garcia and the victim while investigating a separate crime. The victim confirmed to the special agent and a detective with the Clay County Sheriff’s Office that she had met with Garcia more than 20 times, and on each occasion Garcia had paid her to allow Garcia to sexually abuse her.
The victim also disclosed to agents additional messages that she had exchanged with Garcia via Snapchat. The victim agreed to let agents take over her Snapchat account in order to conduct an undercover investigation of Garcia.
From September 21-23, 2020, an undercover agent, posing as the victim, communicated with Garcia via the Snapchat account. In those communications, Garcia arranged to meet the victim in a parking lot and agreed to provide the victim with $150, a Sprite soda, and Starburst candy in exchange for the victim allowing Garcia to sexually abuse her. On September 23, 2020, Garcia obtained money, a Sprite soda, and Starburst candy, and traveled to the location where he had expected to meet with the victim. Garcia was then arrested by law enforcement.
A complaint is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Clay County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Laura Cofer Taylor.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Ocala Convicted Felon Sentenced to 30 Months in Federal Prison for Possessing A FirearmRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – Senior United States District Judge John Antoon II today sentenced Jonathan Cruz Carino (28, Ocala) to two and a half years in federal prison for possession of a firearm affecting commerce by a convicted felon. Carino had pleaded guilty on June 22, 2020.
According to court documents, on May 10, 2019, City of Ocala police officers responded to a call concerning a potential shooting. Upon arrival, they located Carino and a juvenile in a wooded area adjacent to a boat. A search of the boat revealed two loaded handguns concealed under a tarp. The juvenile told authorities that Carino had been trying to sell the firearms. The FBI laboratory subsequently confirmed a substantial DNA profile from Carino on one of the firearms. Carino has previous state felony convictions for drug possession and the sale of drugs near a place of worship. As a consequence, he is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition under federal law.
This case was jointly investigated by the City of Ocala Police Department and the FBI. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Bodnar, Jr.
This is another case prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Middle District of Florida, U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.
Jacksonville Man Sentenced to 15 Years as an Armed Career Criminal on Firearm Ammunition ChargeRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Brian J. Davis today sentenced James Aaron Anderson, Jr. (37, Jacksonville) to 15 years in federal prison for possessing ammunition as a convicted felon. Anderson had pleaded guilty on July 2, 2019.
According to court documents, on August 3, 2018, at approximately 2:00 a.m., an officer from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO), in a marked patrol unit, began following a Chevy Tahoe due to signs of a possibly impaired driver. As the officer began to turn on his emergency lights, the Tahoe made a quick lane change in an effort to evade the marked unit. The Tahoe then fled at a high rate of speed, as multiple JSO marked units pursued it. The Tahoe eventually became stuck in a grassy area when it attempted to turn around. JSO officers arrested the driver, whom they identified as Anderson, the sole occupant in the vehicle.
A search of Anderson’s jacket revealed a .22 caliber revolver, loaded with six rounds of ammunition, and drugs. Subsequent investigation by law enforcement determined that Anderson had been previously convicted of eight prior felonies, including six serious drug offenses, qualifying him as an Armed Career Criminal.
This case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin C. Frein and David B. Mesrobian.
This is another case prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Middle District of Florida, U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.
Georgia Attorney Sentenced to More Than 12 Years for Attempting to Entice A Minor to Engage in Sexual Activity and Transmitting Obscene Material to A MinorRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Susan C. Bucklew today sentenced Richard Franklin Jensen, III (34, Atlanta), a licensed attorney in Georgia, to 12 years and 7 months in federal prison for attempting to entice a minor to engage in sexual activity, and attempting to transfer obscene material to a minor. The court also ordered Jensen to forfeit the electronic devices he had used in the commission of the offenses.
Jensen had been found guilty by a jury on November 22, 2019. The court made a specific finding that Jensen obstructed justice when he lied under oath during the trial. The court also found that Jensen used his special skills as a trained attorney to fabricate a defense, claiming that he had been exercising his First Amendment rights and conducting research for a book he was writing while falsely implicating his former law professor in his crimes.
According to the evidence presented at trial, between May 23 and June 1, 2015, Jensen communicated on a social media website, via email, and over text messages with someone he believed to be a single mom looking for a man to sexually abuse her 12-year-old daughter. In reality, Jensen was talking to an undercover agent. During the conversations, Jensen told the “mom” that she had found the guy that she had been looking for, and that he was willing to travel from Atlanta to the Tampa Bay area to teach the child about sex and the “art of pleasing a man.” In addition to providing graphic details about the sexual abuse he wanted to perform on the child, Jensen asked the “mom” to prepare the child for the sexual encounter by breaking the child’s hymen in advance of his visit to Tampa.
Jensen planned to abuse the child over a period of time, stating that “it couldn’t be a one-time thing,” since girls her age form attachments to the person with whom they have their first sexual encounter. In his process of grooming the child, Jensen promised to buy “sexy big girl clothes and underwear,” complimented the child’s “sexy little body,” and wanted the mom to let the child watch pornography so the child could prepare for sex with Jensen.
Jensen also emailed and messaged the purported child, and graphically described the sexual abuse that he wished to engage in with the child. Jensen also sent multiple explicit pictures of himself to the mom to share with the child.
“Our communities are safer today with this child predator being put behind bars,” said HSI Tampa Assistant Special Agent in Charge Micah McCombs.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Lisa M. Thelwell and Francis D. Murray.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Convicted Felon Sentenced to More Than Three Years in Federal Prison for Possessing A Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – Senior United States District Judge John Antoon II today sentenced Duvale Lamar Van Dyke (31, Ocala) to 37 months in federal prison for possession of a firearm and ammunition affecting commerce by a convicted felon. Van Dyke entered a guilty plea to the offense on June 17, 2020.
According to the plea agreement, on January 1, 2020, City of Ocala police officers stopped Van Dyke in his automobile because of an active warrant for his arrest. A search of Van Dyke’s automobile revealed a loaded firearm, a jar of marijuana, and body armor intended to protect against armor-piercing rifle rounds. Officers also located a .223 caliber rifle round in Van Dyke’s pants pocket. Van Dyke admitted that all of these items belonged to him. As a previously convicted felon, Van Dyke is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the City of Ocala Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Bodnar, Jr.
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.
Members of Cocaine and Fentanyl Conspiracy IndictedRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces the unsealing of an indictment charging nine members of a drug trafficking organization based out of Tampa (please see chart for details). The indictment also notifies the defendants that the United States intends to forfeit a firearm used in the offenses, and any monies traceable to the offenses.
According to the indictment, from November 2019 through September 10, 2020, the defendants conspired to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute five or more kilograms of cocaine and 400 grams or more of fentanyl. The indictment also charges several defendants with the distribution of fentanyl, possession of fentanyl with the intent to distribute it, possession of cocaine with the intent to distribute it, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
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 United States Postal Inspection Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Tampa Police Department, the Florida Highway Patrol, and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Charlie D. Connally.
This investigation is also 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.
Defendant
(Age, Residence)
Charges
Maximum Penalties
Diego Perez Ortiz
(46, Tampa)
1) Conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 5 or more kilograms of cocaine and 400 or more grams of fentanyl
2) Distribution of fentanyl ( 4 counts)
3) Possession of 500 grams or more of cocaine with the intent to distribute
4) Possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute
1) Minimum mandatory of 10 years, and up to life, in federal prison
2) Maximum term of 20 years in federal prison, per count
3) Minimum mandatory term of 5 years, and up to 40 years, in federal prison
4) Maximum term of 20 years in federal prison
Ramon Alers Ramos
(45, Tampa)
Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 5 or more kilograms of cocaine and 400 or more grams of fentanyl
Minimum mandatory term of 10 years, and up to life in federal prison
Carlos Acosta Martinez
(46, Tampa)
Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 5 or more kilograms of cocaine and 400 or more grams of fentanyl
Minimum mandatory term of 10 years, and up to life in federal prison
Andres Garcia Quinones
(48, Caguas, Puerto Rico)
Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 5 or more kilograms of cocaine
Minimum mandatory term of 10 years, and up to life, in federal prison
Izamhomy Valverdi Caraballo
(34, Tampa)
Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 5 or more kilograms of cocaine
Minimum mandatory term of imprisonment of 10 years, and up to life, in federal priosn
Edwin Rivera Fonseca
(26, Tampa)
1) Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 5 or more kilograms of cocaine
2) Possession of 500 grams or more of cocaine with the intent to distribute
3) Possession of cocaine with the intent to distribute
1) Minimum mandatory term of 10 years, and up to life, in federal prison
2) Minimum mandatory term of imprisonment of 5 years, and up to 40 years, in federal prison
3) Maximum term of 20 years in federal prison
Antonio Rivera
(29, Tampa)
1) Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine
2) Possession of 500 grams or more of cocaine with the intent to distribute
3) Possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime
1) Minimum mandatory term of 5 years, and up to 40 years, in federal prison
2) Minimum mandatory term of 5 years, and up to 40 years, in federal prison
3) Minimum mandatory term of imprisonment of 5 years to run consecutive to any other term of imprisonment imposed up to life imprisonment
Kris Ralf Salvi
(27, Tampa)
Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl
Maximum term of 20 years in federal prison
Elleric Edwardo Alverio (41, Tampa)
1) Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl
2) Possession of fentanyl with the intent to distribute
1) Maximum term of 20 years in federal prison
2) Maximum term of 20 years in federal prison
Local Pharmacist Sentenced to Prison for Unlawful Distribution of OxycodoneRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States District Judge Thomas Barber has sentenced Hong Truong (54, Dunedin) to 30 months in federal prison for the unlawful distribution of oxycodone outside the scope of professional practice. Truong was also ordered to pay a $500,000 criminal fine and a forfeiture money judgment in the amount of $766,819, representing the proceeds of her illegal drug distribution.
Truong had pleaded guilty on April 24, 2020.
According to the court documents, Truong was a licensed pharmacist who owned and operated HP Pharmacy in Pinellas Park. Under federal regulations, pharmacists registered with the Drug Enforcement Administration, such as Truong, are responsible for the proper prescribing and dispensing of controlled substance prescriptions. At HP Pharmacy, Truong filled Schedule II controlled substance prescriptions for oxycodone and hydromorphone that were outside the usual course of professional practice and not issued for a legitimate medical purpose. In connection with these prescriptions, Truong ignored and failed to resolve red flags in violation of her responsibility as a pharmacist. For example, in return for filling prescriptions for 30 mg of oxycodone and 8 mg of hydromorphone, Truong charged and only accepted cash in a higher-than-market per-pill price, usually $5 - $6 per pill. Truong ordered a much higher volume of opiates for HP Pharmacy inventory than the average orders for other pharmacies in Florida and across the United States.
Truong also filled prescriptions for “opiate naïve” patients (those who have never previously been prescribed opiates) without consulting with the prescribing physician or the patient as to the need and diagnosis for the prescription. Many of Truong’s opiate patients were young and healthy-looking and traveled far distances to Truong’s small pharmacy, usually after visiting a prescribing physician located in Tampa. Truong and the pharmacy tech she employed, Jessica Evans, falsely noted on the back of many prescriptions that the prescription had been verified with the prescriber’s office when such was not the case. For her role in the conspiracy, Evans was sentenced to 25 months in federal prison on August 27, 2020.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and by the Opioid Fraud Abuse and Detection Unit at the United States Attorney’s Office which focuses on opioid-related fraud and abuse by medical and health care professionals who have contributed to the prescription opioid epidemic. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kelley Howard-Allen and Greg Pizzo.
Fort Myers Business Owner Indicted for COVID Relief FraudRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces the return of an indictment charging Casey David Crowther (35, North Fort Myers) with one count of bank fraud, one count of making a false statement to a lending institution, and two counts of illegal monetary transactions. If convicted, Crowther faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison for the bank fraud count and the false statement count and up to 10 years in federal prison for each illegal monetary transaction count. The indictment also notifies Crowther that the United States intends to forfeit a 2020 40-foot catamaran and $2,098,700, which are alleged proceeds of the offense.
According to the indictment, beginning in or about April 2020, Crowther submitted a false and fraudulent Payroll Protection Program (PPP) loan application and revised PPP loan application to an insured financial institution on behalf of his company, Target Roofing and Sheet Metal, Inc. Specifically, Crowther falsely represented that the PPP funds would only be used for business-related purposes, and he falsely certified that the funds would be used to retain workers and maintain payroll or make mortgage payments, lease payments, and utility payments on behalf of Target Roofing. These materially false, fraudulent, and misleading representations caused the Small Business Administration (SBA) to approve the PPP application and issue $2,098,700 in PPP funds. Crowther then unlawfully used the funds to wire $689,417 for the purchase of a 2020 40-foot catamaran boat and $100,000 in connection with a $722,474 promissory note.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act is a federal law enacted March 2020. It is designed to provide emergency financial assistance to millions of Americans who are suffering the economic effects resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act is the authorization of up to $349 billion in forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses through the PPP. In April 2020, Congress authorized over $300 billion in additional PPP funding.
The PPP allows qualifying small businesses and other organizations to receive loans with a maturity of two years and an interest rate of one percent. Businesses must use PPP loan proceeds for payroll costs, interest on mortgages, rent and utilities. The PPP allows the interest and principal to be forgiven if the business spends the proceeds on these expenses within a set time period and uses at least a certain percentage of the loan toward payroll expenses.
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 United States Secret Service. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Trent Reichling.
Dual Colombian-American Citizen Sentenced for Illegally Exporting Firearms from Florida to ColombiaRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Steven Merryday today sentenced Jhon Marin-Moreno (39, Medellin, Colombia) to 48 months in federal prison for smuggling goods from the United States. In addition, he was ordered to pay a money judgment in the amount of $20,000.
Marin-Moreno had pleaded guilty in June 2020.
According to court documents, Marin-Moreno, a dual citizen of the United States and Colombia, arranged for individuals in Florida to acquire firearms for him, including numerous types of assault rifles. Marin-Moreno then illegally exported the firearms to Colombia concealed in packages containing household items. Marin-Moreno and his co-conspirators attempted to obliterate the serial numbers on the firearms so that they could not be traced. Some of the firearms were acquired to satisfy debts owed for drug purchases. Neither Marin-Moreno nor his co-conspirators applied for or obtained the necessary licenses for exporting defense articles as required by federal law.
On February 10, 2020, Marin-Moreno was detained while traveling through Panama and was immediately removed to the United States to face the charges in the indictment.
Marin-Moreno was previously convicted in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, in 2012, of conspiracy to make false statements and representations to a federally licensed firearms dealer, in connection with a separate scheme to acquire firearms unlawfully.
“This repeat criminal again thought he could thwart the laws of the United States by crossing international borders,” said HSI Tampa Acting Deputy Special Agent in Charge Micah McCombs. “Because of the unique international investigative authorities of HSI and our outstanding law enforcement partnerships with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Colombia’s Policía Fiscal y Aduanera (POLFA), a unit of the National Police of Colombia, he will now be held accountable for his crimes.”
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Colombia’s Policía Fiscal y Aduanera (POLFA), a unit of the National Police of Colombia. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick Scruggs.
ATM Skimming Group Arrested on Federal ChargesRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Adrian Kiraly, a/k/a “Bighi,”Andrei Andrei, a/k/a “Tony,” Bogdan Ardei, Nelu Onica, Vergiu Corneliu Galbenu, a/k/a “Cornel,” Ovidiu Meczak, a/k/a “Ovi,” Nedal Al-Khomos, Ovidiu Gabriel Musteata, and Doru Maris with conspiracy to commit access device fraud. If convicted, each faces a maximum penalty of seven years and six months. The indictment also notifies the defendants that the United States is seeking a money judgment in the amount of $112,780, the proceeds of the offense.
According to the indictment, between March 2019 and June 2020, the defendants stole debit/credit card information and funds from victims by placing skimmers on ATMs. After they removed the skimmers, the defendants downloaded the stolen account numbers and PIN numbers and re-encoded that data onto blank cards, thereby creating counterfeit or unauthorized debit or credit cards. The conspirators installed skimming devices and/or conducted these “cash out” operations in Florida, Louisiana, Georgia, Mississippi, and New York.
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 Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the United States Secret Service. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Julie Hackenberry.
Tampa Felon Sentenced to More Than Six Years for Possession of A FirearmRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Mary S. Scriven today sentenced Floyd C. Rivers (34, Tampa) to six years and five months in federal prison for possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. The court also ordered Rivers to forfeit the firearm and ammunition used in the offense.
Rivers had pleaded guilty on June 25, 2020.
According to court documents, on October 22, 2018, officers with the Tampa Police Department were looking for Rivers in West Tampa to take him into custody on outstanding warrants. When the officers located and approached Rivers, he fled, throwing a bag over a nearby fence as he ran. The officers eventually apprehended Rivers and recovered a loaded pistol from the discarded bag.
Rivers has multiple prior convictions for narcotics-related felonies and is therefore prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition. He has a previous conviction for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Tampa Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Callan Albritton.
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.
Spring Hill Man Pleads Guilty to Theft of Government FundsRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – David Naylor (58, Spring Hill) has pleaded guilty to theft of government funds. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the plea agreement, Naylor engaged in a scheme to defraud the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). In order to deceive and steal from the VA, Naylor made false representations regarding his physical limitations in connection with his application for VA Disability Compensation. Based on these false representations, the VA found that Naylor was entitled to Disability Compensation and other related benefits. In total, Naylor received $549,426.23 in VA benefits to which he was not entitled. Naylor also received $181,135.50 in Social Security Disability Insurance Benefits.
This case was investigated by the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General and the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Suzanne Huyler.
South Carolina Man Sentenced for Making a Bomb Threat to a Clinic and Lying to the FBIRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, FL - Rodney Allen, 43, of Beaufort, South Carolina, was sentenced today in federal court in Jacksonville, Florida, to 24 months in prison. Allen previously pleaded guilty to one count of intimidating and interfering with the employees of an abortion clinic by making a bomb threat and one count of making false statements to a Special Agent with the FBI.
“The Department of Justice will prosecute anyone who threatens to blow up people and places to the fullest extent of the law,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband. “These kinds of ghastly criminal threats unlawfully and unjustly injure innocent people. Violence and threats of violence have no place in this country.”
“Threats of violence to healthcare facilities or their employees are serious matters,” said U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez for the Middle District of Florida. “Thanks to the quick response and diligence by our local and federal law enforcement partners, this case was investigated thoroughly and brought to a successful conclusion.”
According to court documents, on Aug. 29, 2019, Allen called the clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, and said that someone was coming to blow it up. Allen made several other calls to the clinic that day in an attempt to interfere with its ability to provide services. Employees recognized Allen’s voice and were concerned that he would do something desperate, so they enlisted the help of a Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office officer to search the property. The FBI obtained toll records and subscriber information for the number used to make the bomb threat to the clinic and positively identified Allen as the caller. In a voluntary and surreptitiously recorded interview with the FBI, Allen falsely denied calling the clinic and stating that someone was coming to blow it up.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Columbia and Jacksonville Divisions. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Washington of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida and Trial Attorneys Sanjay Patel and Anna Gotfryd of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division prosecuted the case.
South Carolina Man Sentenced for Making a Bomb Threat to a Clinic and Lying to the FBIRead the Press Release
Rodney Allen, 43, of Beaufort, South Carolina, was sentenced today in federal court in Jacksonville, Florida, to 24 months in prison. Allen previously pleaded guilty to one count of intimidating and interfering with the employees of an abortion clinic by making a bomb threat and one count of making false statements to a Special Agent with the FBI.
“The Department of Justice will prosecute anyone who threatens to blow up people and places to the fullest extent of the law,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband. “These kinds of ghastly criminal threats unlawfully and unjustly injure innocent people. Violence and threats of violence have no place in this country.”
“Threats of violence to healthcare facilities or their employees are serious matters,” said U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez for the Middle District of Florida. “Thanks to the quick response and diligence by our local and federal law enforcement partners, this case was investigated thoroughly and brought to a successful conclusion.”
According to court documents, on Aug. 29, 2019, Allen called the clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, and said that someone was coming to blow it up. Allen made several other calls to the clinic that day in an attempt to interfere with its ability to provide services. Employees recognized Allen’s voice and were concerned that he would do something desperate, so they enlisted the help of a Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office officer to search the property. The FBI obtained toll records and subscriber information for the number used to make the bomb threat to the clinic and positively identified Allen as the caller. In a voluntary and surreptitiously recorded interview with the FBI, Allen falsely denied calling the clinic and stating that someone was coming to blow it up.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Columbia and Jacksonville Divisions. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Washington of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida and Trial Attorneys Sanjay Patel and Anna Gotfryd of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division prosecuted the case.
Justice Department Obtains $20,000 Settlement Against Tampa, Florida Towing Company for Unlawfully Selling Deployed Servicemember’s CarRead the Press Release
The Justice Department today announced that Target Recovery Towing Inc. (Target) has agreed to enter into a court-enforceable consent order to resolve allegations that it failed to obtain a legally required court order before auctioning off a car belonging to a U.S. Marine Corps sergeant who was deployed overseas.
The Justice Department filed a lawsuit against Target on Aug. 18, 2020, alleging that the auction violated the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA). Under the proposed consent order, which is still subject to approval by the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, Target must adopt new policies, pay the Marine $17,500, and pay a $2,500 civil penalty to the United States.
The SCRA, which provides a wide variety of financial and housing protections to members of the military, prohibits towing companies from auctioning off servicemembers’ vehicles without a court order. The law places the burden on towing companies and other lienholders to determine whether the property in their possession belongs to a servicemember. The complaint alleges that several facts should have put Target on notice that the owner of this particular vehicle was a servicemember, including that the Marine's car had at least one military decal, military documents were in the car, her address of record was at a U.S. Marine Corps base, and she obtained her vehicle loan through Navy Federal Credit Union.
“This settlement should send a clear message that the Justice Department will not tolerate the illegal taking of servicemembers’ vehicles,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband of the department’s Civil Rights Division. “Servicemembers must be able to count on their country to protect their rights, and we are committed to doing just that.”
“I am pleased that we were able to reach a swift and effective resolution to this matter. The SCRA exists to protect the brave men and women of our Armed Forces serving overseas and minimize undue financial burdens associated with military deployments,” said Maria Chapa Lopez, U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida. “We will continue to aggressively hold accountable those businesses and institutions who are required to comply with the Act. Our brave servicemembers deserve nothing less.”
This lawsuit resulted from a referral to the Justice Department from the U.S. Marine Corps. Servicemembers and their dependents who believe their SCRA rights have been violated should contact the nearest Armed Forces Legal Assistance Program Office. Office locations may be found at http://legalassistance.law.af.mil/. The department’s enforcement of the SCRA is conducted by the Civil Rights Division’s Housing and Civil Enforcement Section and U.S. Attorney’s Offices throughout the country. Since 2011, the department has obtained over $474 million in monetary relief for over 120,000 servicemembers through its enforcement of the SCRA. Additional information on the Justice Department’s enforcement of the SCRA and other laws protecting servicemembers is available at www.servicemembers.gov.
Florida Man Sentenced for Trafficking in Protected Water Monitor LizardsRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge William F. Jung has sentenced Akbar Akram (44, Holiday) to serve a four-year term of federal probation for trafficking in protected water monitor lizards, in violation of the Lacey Act. The court also ordered Akbar to serve 90 days’ home detention and complete 288 hours of community service.
Akram had pleaded guilty on January 8, 2020.
According to the plea agreement, Akram admitted to illegally importing at least 20 live, water monitor lizards from the Philippines between January and December 2016, in violation of United States law and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) Treaty. To avoid detection by United States customs authorities, the lizards were placed in socks, which were sealed closed with tape, and then concealed in the back panels of audio speakers or other electronic equipment. The equipment was then shipped via commercial carriers to Akram and his associate, who resided in Massachusetts. The customs declarations accompanying the shipments identified the content as audio speakers or similar electronics. Akram further admitted that he knew the monitor lizards he received had been imported into the United States in violation of CITES and the Endangered Species Act. Upon receiving the monitor lizards, he sold some of them to customers, including customers in Colorado, Connecticut, and Massachusetts.
“Wildlife trafficking is harsh and cruel. Operation Sound of Silence revealed that baby lizards were illegally collected, inhumanely packaged, and internationally trafficked with many arriving into the United States injured, sick or dead,” said Edward Grace, Assistant Director for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement. “The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service remains dedicated to working alongside federal and international law enforcement agencies to apprehend and bring to justice U.S. citizens who seek to profit from the exploitation of wildlife.”
Monitor lizard is the common name for lizards comprising the genus Varanus. Monitor lizard species (there are approximately 70) are characterized by elongated necks, heavy bodies, long-forked tongues, strong claws, and long tails. Monitor lizards have a vast geographical range and are native to Africa, Asia, and Oceania. Water monitor lizards are semi-aquatic monitor lizards endemic to South and Southeastern Asia. As their name suggests, they are water dependent and easily swim long distances. This ability has allowed them to inhabit many remote islands. Some species of water monitor lizard are common and abundant in the pet trade, while others are extremely rare and are found only on specific islands. In addition to suffering increasing habitat loss due to rainforest destruction, water monitor lizards are often illegally collected from the wild and killed for various uses. They are also targeted for their popularity in the international exotic pet trade. Exotic pet traders seek water monitor lizards due to their attractive patterns, unique colors, intelligence, and rarity. The yellow-headed water monitor (Varanus cumingi), the white-headed water monitor (Varanus nuchalis), and the marbled water monitor (Varanus marmoratus), are species of large monitor lizards endemic to the Philippines.
This case is part of Operation Sound of Silence, an ongoing effort by the Department of the Interior’s Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement, in coordination with the Department of Justice, to bring to justice those involved in the illegal taking and trafficking in protected species, including water monitor lizards. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Colin P. McDonell and and Environmental Crimes Section Trial Attorneys Gary N. Donner and Erica H. Pencak.
Armed Career Criminal Sentenced to 20 Years for Illegally Possessing Firearm and NarcoticsRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Jimmy Ray Lightsey (40, Jacksonville) to 20 years in federal prison for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, possessing controlled substances with the intent to distribute them, and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. A jury found Lightsey guilty on January 23, 2020.
According to testimony presented at trial, on June 24, 2018, officers from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office arrested Lightsey for driving without a valid license. A 9mm pistol and a bag of marijuana were observed, in plain view, inside Lightsey’s car. A search of the vehicle revealed additional marijuana, cocaine, crack cocaine, and empty baggies used for packaging narcotics. The pistol was later determined to have been stolen from a home in Jacksonville approximately two weeks earlier. At the time of the incident, Lightsey had multiple prior felony convictions, including for the sale or delivery of cocaine and attempted armed robbery with a weapon.
This case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David B. Mesrobian and Beatriz Gonzalez.
This is another case prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Middle District of Florida, U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.
Lake City Meth Distributor Sentenced to 15 YearsRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, FL – U.S. District Judge Marcia M. Howard has sentenced Benjamin Hank Ratliff (37, Lake City) to 15 years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. The court also ordered Ratliff to forfeit a 2011 Lexus, which he had used to facilitate the offense.
Ratliff had pleaded guilty on June 9, 2020.
According to court documents, between September 2017 and October 2018, Ratliff, along with his co-defendants, conspired to distribute methamphetamine in Lake City. Ratliff hid methamphetamine near stop signs or at different locations on side roads. His distributors and/or customers then retrieved the drugs and left money, in exchange, at the same location – sometimes hidden in a shoe or diaper. As part of their investigation, agents seized 429.823 grams of actual methamphetamine attributable to Ratliff.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, and the Lake City Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Beatriz Gonzalez.
Jury Convicts Orlando Man of Possessing Cocaine with Intent to DistributeRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – A federal jury has found Tony Deshane Brown, a/k/a Antowayne Hill, a/k/a Antowayne Pollard (50, Orlando), guilty of possession with the intent to distribute cocaine. He faces up to 20 years in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for December 16, 2020.
Brown originally had been indicted on June 8, 2016. A superseding indictment was issued on March 11, 2020.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, Brown fled from an Orlando duplex, with baggies of cocaine packaged for sale, as agents and officers were preparing to execute an unrelated search warrant next door. Brown encountered officers at the rear of his residence where he had hoped to hide the cocaine. There, officers discovered 18 baggies of cocaine in a prescription bag that Brown had been carrying.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, the Orlando Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney E. Jackson Boggs, Jr.
Illegal Alien Convicted of Making False Statements During Purchase of FirearmRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida –A federal jury has found Wilmer Eduardo Mejia-Palacios (36, Orlando) guilty of four counts of making a false statement to a federally licensed firearms dealer. Mejia-Palacios faces up to five years in federal prison on each count. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for December 16, 2020.
Mejia-Palacios had been indicted on February 12, 2020. A superseding indictment was returned on September 2, 2020.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, Mejia-Palacios attempted to purchase firearms in Orlando on four separate occasions. In connection with those attempted purchases, Mejia-Palacios completed firearms transaction record: ATF 4473, claiming that he was a United States citizen. Those claims were false. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement Firearm Purchase Program referred the case to agents at Homeland Security Investigations.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Terry B. Livanos.
This is another case prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Middle District of Florida, U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.
Boca Raton Doctor Pleads Guilty to $20 Million Health Care Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – Dr. Richard Davidson (41, Boca Raton) has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. Davidson has also agreed to forfeit $2,472,087 to the United States, which represents the proceeds he obtained through the commission of the offense. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the plea agreement, in 2018, Davidson and his conspirators established a conglomerate of durable medical equipment (“DME”) supply companies. During the creation of the companies, they lied to Medicare to secure billing privileges. The scheme involved placing the companies in the names of straw owners. By concealing their true ownership, the conspirators secretly gained control of multiple companies, which Medicare prohibits. This enabled the conspirators to submit high volumes of illegal DME claims while attempting to evade law enforcement scrutiny. In one year, through the conglomerate, Davidson and his conspirators submitted more than $20 million in illegal DME claims, resulting in more than $10 million in payments from Medicare and the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (“CHAMPVA”).
To attain such high volumes of claims, the conspirators used bribes and kickbacks. Specifically, Davidson and his conspirators illegally purchased thousands of signed doctors’ orders for DME braces from so-called “marketers.” The marketers, for their part, had generated the signed doctors’ orders under the guise of “telemedicine,” but no telemedicine had actually occurred. Instead, the “marketers” had bribed doctors to sign the DME brace orders that supported the illegal claims. Davidson and his conspirators paid millions to secure the illegal DME claims for submission to Medicare and CHAMPVA.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Veterans Affairs – Office of Inspector General, and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, Tampa Field Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kristen A. Fiore.
Sex Offender Convicted of Transporting Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida –A federal jury has found Michael David Harrison (52, Sparks, NV) guilty of transportation of child pornography. Harrison faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years, and up to 40 years, in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for December 3, 2020.
Harrison had been indicted on December 4, 2019.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, Harrison transported multiple videos depicting the sexual abuse of young children from his home in Nevada to Florida. He then transported the videos on a cruise to the Bahamas. Agents from U.S. Customs and Border Protection detected the videos on Harrison’s computer when he reentered the United States. Harrison was previously convicted, in 2009, of multiple sex offenses against victims under the age of 16.
This case was investigated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Emily C. L. Chang.
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.Putnam County Library Employee Indicted on Charges of Production and Distribution of Child Exploitation MaterialRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces the return of an indictment charging Kurt Batucan Sheldon (29, Interlachen) with one count of production of child exploitation material and two counts of distribution of child exploitation material. If convicted, Sheldon faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years, and up to 30 years, in federal prison for the production count and a minimum mandatory penalty of 5 years, and up to 20 years, on each distribution count. In a previous detention hearing, held on September 14, 2020, the court ordered Sheldon detained pending further proceedings.
According to the indictment, Sheldon produced child exploitation material on May 3, 2020, and distributed child exploitation material on May 24 and May 26, 2016.
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.
Any person who was, or knows of someone who may have been, a possible child victim is urged to contact HSI at 1-866-DHS-2ICE or online via http://www.ice.gov/webform/hsi-tip-form.
This case was investigated by the Clay County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ashley Washington and Kelly Karase.
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.
Sarasota Pain Doctor and Former Insys Sales Representative Charged in Health Care Fraud Kickback ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces the unsealing of a 16-count indictment charging Steven Chun (57, Sarasota) and Daniel Tondre (50, Tampa) with conspiring to pay and receiving kickbacks in connection with prescribing a fentanyl spray. Chun is also charged with five counts of soliciting and receiving kickbacks in the form of speaker fees; Tondre is charged with five counts of offering and paying the speaker fees to Chun when he worked as an Insys sales representative; and Chun and Tondre are both charged in five counts of identification fraud in connection with the speaker events. If convicted on all counts, Chun and Tondre each face a maximum penalty of 5 years in federal prison on the conspiracy count, up to 5 years’ imprisonment on each identification fraud count, and up to 10 years in prison for each substantive kickback violation. The indictment also notifies the defendants that the United States is seeking a money judgment in the amount of the proceeds of the alleged kickbacks.
According to the
indictment , Chun, a doctor, owned and operated a pain management medical practice in Sarasota where he prescribed a large volume of Schedule II opioids, including fentanyl. Tondre was employed as a sales representative for Insys Therapeutics, Inc., a company that manufactured and sold Subsys, an expensive form of liquid fentanyl designed to be applied under the tongue (sublingual spray), allowing it to rapidly enter the bloodstream. Insys sales representatives were compensated, in part, with sales commissions based upon paid prescriptions of Subsys written by practitioners in their sales territory. Tondre’s territory included Chun’s practice.Insys actively marketed Subsys to pain management doctors, including Chun, to increase the number of Subsys prescriptions written by Chun. Through the Insys sales division and executives at the company’s headquarters, Insys used a sham speaker program to conceal and disguise kickbacks and bribes paid to high-prescribing doctors, like Chun, to induce them to prescribe Subsys. Insys sales representatives, like Tondre, arranged speaker programs that were often only attended by family and friends, or repeat attendees, and included falsified or forged signatures of attendees. Insys also bribed large Subsys-prescribers, like Chun, by hiring individuals, often close to the doctors, to work as an Insys liaison to facilitate the approval of insurance forms for Subsys, including those submitted for Medicare patients. Chun was paid more than $275,000 in illegal kickbacks and bribes from Insys in connection with the sham speaker programs.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Health and Human Services—Office of Inspector General, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, and by the Opioid Fraud Abuse and Detection Unit at the United States Attorney’s Office, which focuses on opioid-related fraud and abuse by medical and health care professionals who have contributed to the prescription opioid epidemic. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelley C. Howard-Allen.
Jacksonville Woman Pleads Guilty to Attempting to Illegally Exporting Maritime Raiding Craft and Engines to ChinaRead the Press Release
Yang Yang (34, Jacksonville) has pleaded guilty to conspiring to submit false export information through the federal government’s Automated Export System and to fraudulently export to China maritime raiding craft and engines in violation of United States (U.S.) law, and also to attempting to fraudulently export that equipment in violation of U.S. law. Yang faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the plea agreement, Yang was employed by Shanghai Breeze Technology Co. Ltd., a company headquartered in Shanghai, People’s Republic of China. At the direction of co-conspirators in China, she attempted to order from a U.S. manufacturer seven combat rubber raiding craft equipped with engines that can 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. 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.
When interviewed by federal agents on Oct. 17, 2019, Yang admitted that she had only one client, Shanghai Breeze, and that based on her communications with a co-conspirator, she knew that the combat raiding craft were not intended for Hong Kong, but instead, mainland China.
On Aug. 13, 2020, Yang’s co-defendant, Zheng Yan, also pleaded guilty to conspiring to submit false export information and to fraudulently export the raiding craft and engines in violation of U.S. law. The trial of their remaining co-defendants, Fan Yang and Ge Songtao, is scheduled to begin on Feb. 1, 2021.
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 U.S. 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.
Jacksonville Woman Pleads Guilty to Attempting to Illegally Exporting Maritime Raiding Craft and Engines to ChinaRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, FL – Yang Yang (34, Jacksonville) has pleaded guilty to conspiring to submit false export information through the federal government’s Automated Export System and to fraudulently export to China maritime raiding craft and engines in violation of United States (U.S.) law, and also to attempting to fraudulently export that equipment in violation of U.S. law. Yang faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the
plea agreement , Yang was employed by Shanghai Breeze Technology Co. Ltd., a company headquartered in Shanghai, People’s Republic of China. At the direction of co-conspirators in China, she attempted to order from a U.S. manufacturer seven combat rubber raiding craft equipped with engines that can 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. 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.
When interviewed by federal agents on Oct. 17, 2019, Yang admitted that she had only one client, Shanghai Breeze, and that based on her communications with a co-conspirator, she knew that the combat raiding craft were not intended for Hong Kong, but instead, mainland China.
On Aug. 13, 2020, Yang’s co-defendant, Zheng Yan, also pleaded guilty to conspiring to submit false export information and to fraudulently export the raiding craft and engines in violation of U.S. law. The trial of their remaining co-defendants, Fan Yang and Ge Songtao, is scheduled to begin on Feb. 1, 2021.
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 U.S. 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.
Fort Myers Drug Trafficker Convicted by Federal JuryRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, FL – A federal jury has found Edgar Vazquez (35, Fort Myers) guilty of possessing with the intent to distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine. Vazquez faces a minimum mandatory term of 5 years, and up to 40 years, in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for December 14, 2020.
Vazquez had been indicted on May 22, 2019.
According to evidence presented at trial, on September 18, 2018, deputies from the Lee County Sheriff’s Office and special agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration seized more than one kilogram of cocaine, cash, and a loaded firearm from Vazquez’s residence and his vehicle.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Simon R. Eth and David P. Sullivan.
Ocala Convicted Felon Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearm and Ammunition OffenseRead the Press Release
Ocala, FL – David Shaw (36, Ocala) has pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
Shaw had been indicted on May 20, 2020.
According to court documents, on December 5, 2019, a deputy from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office attempted to stop Shaw after he ran a stop sign on a stolen motorcycle. Shaw fled from the traffic stop before crashing the motorcycle and continuing to flee on foot. While giving chase, a deputy observed Shaw discard a loaded 9mm firearm and a backpack. The backpack contained more than 100 rounds of ammunition.
Shaw has eight prior felony convictions, including burglary of a dwelling, introduction of contraband into a detention facility, trafficking in methamphetamine, and fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer. He is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tyrie Boyer.
This is another case prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Middle District of Florida, U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.
Registered Sex Offender Convicted of Child Sex CrimesRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces that a federal jury today found Vince Edward Lasane (48, Orlando) guilty of attempting to entice a minor to engage in sexual activity and committing the offense while required to register as a sex offender under Florida law. Lasane faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for November 30, 2020.
Lasane was indicted on November 13, 2019.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, in 2007, Lasane was convicted of attempted sexual battery on a child under the age of 12. As part of his sentence, the court designated Lasane a sexual predator and ordered him to register as a sex offender in the State of Florida for life.
In September 2019, Lasane met a 14 year-old girl on a social networking website. During the next five weeks, Lasane enticed and persuaded the girl to engage in sexual activity, communicating with her through text messages and phone calls. In late October, Lasane arranged to meet the girl at a restaurant in Orlando, which was within walking distance of the apartment where she had been staying. Lasane assured the girl that he would wear a condom so that she would not get pregnant. After attending his court-ordered sexual offender treatment meeting, Lasane traveled to the location to meet the child. When Lasane arrived, law enforcement officers arrested him. The officers found a condom and the cellphone Lasane had used to communicate with the child in his pocket. The 14 year-old girl was actually a law enforcement officer acting in an undercover capacity.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Karen L. Gable.
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.
Gang Leader Sentenced to More Than 23 Years in Prison for Possessing A Gun and DrugsRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States District Judge Virginia M. Covington has sentenced Craigory Reeves (29, Tampa) to 23 years and 4 months in federal prison for possessing approximately 13 grams of eutylone with the intent to distribute it and possessing a loaded 9-millimeter handgun. Reeves, a career offender and leader of the Money Power Respect (MPR) gang, had pleaded guilty on June 16, 2020.
According to information presented during Reeves’s sentencing hearing, MPR was formed in approximately 2007 within the Indian River (FL) Correctional Facility. MPR has since become one of the dominant and most violent gangs in the Tampa area. Reeves was one of the gang’s original seven leaders.
According to the plea agreement, on September 5, 2019, Reeves conducted a meeting of MPR members. After he left the meeting, law enforcement officers stopped the car he was riding in for a traffic infraction. Officers then smelled marijuana inside, removed Reeves from the car, and searched his pockets with his consent. Inside Reeves’s pockets, officers found approximately 13 grams of eutylone (a controlled substance that is similar to MDMA or “Ecstasy”) and three 9-millimeter bullets. Inside the car, officers found Reeves’s bag, which contained a loaded 9-millimeter pistol and additional 9-millimeter bullets, most of which matched the caliber and brand of the ammunition that had been found in Reeves’s pocket.
Reeves admitted that he had intended to distribute the eutylone and that he possessed the pistol and ammunition to protect himself, his drugs, and his money while engaging in criminal activity, including narcotics trafficking.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It is part of an ongoing effort to dismantle the MPR gang that has so far resulted in charges against four defendants. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael M. Gordon.
This case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Middle District of Florida, U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.
U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez Announces More Than $1.3 Million in Awards to Improve School Safety in the Middle District of FloridaRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces that four school districts in the Middle District of Florida (MDFL) have received a total of $1,316,375 from the Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) School Violence Prevention Program (SVPP). Nationally, the COPS Office SVPP awarded nearly $50 million in school safety funding. SVPP provides up to 75% funding for school safety measures in and around primary and secondary schools and school grounds.
MDFL recipients include the School Board of Orange County ($499,321); Seminole County Public Schools ($168,000); the Hernando County School Board ($499,054); and the School District of DeSoto County ($150,000).
“Guaranteeing a safe and secure environment in which to learn – free from violence – is critically important for our students,” said U.S. Attorney Chapa Lopez. “These funds will assist our partners in creating and enhancing systems and procedures to reduce threats and violence in our schools.”
“With the new school year underway, the safety of our nation’s students remains paramount,” said COPS Office Director Phil Keith. “Although this school year may look different at the start, now is the ideal time to make preparations to enhance school safety for when all of our children are back in the classroom.”
The Students, Teachers, and Officers Preventing School Violence Act of 2018 (STOP School Violence Act of 2018) gave the COPS Office authority to provide awards directly to states, units of local government, Indian tribes, and public agencies (such as school districts and law enforcement agencies) to improve security at schools and on school grounds in the jurisdiction of the grantee through evidence-based school safety programs. The four awards announced today can be used for coordination with law enforcement; training for local law enforcement officers to prevent student violence; metal detectors, locks, lighting, and other deterrent measures; technology for expedited notification of local law enforcement during an emergency; and other measures that provide a significant improvement in security. The full list of SVPP awards can be found here: https://cops.usdoj.gov/pdf/2020AwardDocs/svpp/Award_List.pdf.
In addition to the school safety grants announced today, the COPS Office School Safety Working Group, which is composed of representatives from eight national law enforcement organizations, has identified 10 essential actions that can be taken by schools, school districts, and law enforcement agencies to help prevent critical incidents involving the loss of life or injuries in our nation's schools and to respond rapidly and effectively when incidents do occur. The Ten Essential Actions to Improve School Safety are applicable to school shootings as well as to other areas of school safety, including natural disasters and traumatic events such as student suicide. Adopting policies and practices based on the recommendations in this publication can help make school communities safer and save lives.
The COPS Office is the federal component of the Department of Justice responsible for advancing community policing nationwide. Since 1994, the COPS Office has invested more than $14 billion to advance community policing, including grants awarded to more than 13,000 state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to fund the hiring and redeployment of more than 134,000 officers and provide a variety of knowledge resource products including publications, training and technical assistance.
The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years.
Justice Department Settles with Florida Towing Company it Alleges Illegally Sold or Scrapped Servicemembers’ VehiclesRead the Press Release
The Justice Department today reached an agreement with ASAP Towing & Storage Company (“ASAP”) in Jacksonville, Florida, to resolve allegations that ASAP violated a federal law, the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (“SCRA”), by auctioning off or otherwise disposing of cars owned by protected servicemembers without first obtaining court orders.
Under the agreement, ASAP must pay up to $99,500 to compensate servicemembers whose cars were unlawfully auctioned off while they were in military service. ASAP must also pay a $20,000 civil penalty to the U.S. Treasury. The agreement, which is subject to court approval, resolves a suit filed today by the department in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida.
“This case began with a member of the U.S. Navy who returned home from an overseas deployment in service to his country, only to find that a towing company had auctioned off his sole means of transportation,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband of the Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department must protect his rights just as he is protecting ours. We appreciate that the company has worked cooperatively with us to reach a settlement that will compensate all of the servicemembers whose vehicles were taken from them.”
“I am pleased that we were able to protect our servicemembers who are serving overseas by reaching a settlement with the ASAP Towing & Storage Company,” said U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez for the Middle District of Florida. “When servicemembers are deployed, and in harm’s way, fighting for our country, they should be able to find their personal vehicles where they left them when they return home.”
The department launched its investigation after becoming aware of a complaint by a U.S. Navy Lieutenant Junior Grade, alleging that ASAP had towed and auctioned his 2005 PT Cruiser without obtaining the court order required by the SCRA, while he was deployed aboard a naval submarine. The department’s complaint alleges that the Lieutenant’s vehicle had a military installation parking decal and contained “welcome aboard” documents for the naval submarine.
The department’s investigation revealed that between 2013 and 2020, ASAP auctioned multiple other vehicles registered to SCRA-protected servicemembers without obtaining the required court orders. The settlement requires ASAP to adopt new procedures to investigate the military status of any registered owner prior to auctioning a vehicle. ASAP will also be required to obtain a court order or a valid SCRA waiver prior to auctioning a vehicle owned by a protected servicemember.
The department’s enforcement of the SCRA is conducted by the Civil Rights Division’s Housing and Civil Enforcement Section and U.S. Attorney’s Offices throughout the country. Since 2011, the department has obtained over $474 million in monetary relief for over 120,000 servicemembers through its enforcement of the SCRA. For more information about the department’s SCRA enforcement efforts, please visit www.servicemembers.gov.
Servicemembers and their dependents who believe that their rights under SCRA have been violated should contact the nearest Armed Forces Legal Assistance Program Office. Office locations may be found at legalassistance.law.af.mil/.
Fort Myers Woman Indicted for Wire Fraud and U.S. Department of Education Financial Aid FraudRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces the return of an indictment charging Elaine M. Levidow (60, Fort Myers) with 10 counts of wire fraud and one count of Federal Student Assistance fraud. If convicted, Levidow faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison for each wire fraud count and up to 5 years in federal prison for the financial aid fraud count.
According to the indictment, Levidow owned and operated the Training Domain, an educational institution in Fort Myers that held itself out as offering business software application courses to improve the employability skills of individuals. Training Domain qualified to receive U.S. Department of Education Title IV Federal Student Assistance (FSA) on behalf of students. During the approximate time period of July 2017 through April 2019, Levidow solicited students to enroll in her school and assisted them in applying for financial aid in the form of Pell Grants and Direct Student Loans. Rather than using the loan and grant proceeds to hold classes at the Training Domain and for other educational expenses, Levidow kept the FSA funds and split them with students. The amount of the fraud was approximately $109,323. The indictment also alleges that Levidow created false and fraudulent high school diplomas and GEDs for students that she provided to an auditor even though she knew that the students had either not attended the underlying high school, had not graduated, or had not received a GED.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Education Office of Inspector General. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey F. Michelland.
Aggravated Felon Arrested for Illegal Reentry After Previous DeportationRead the Press Release
Ocala, FL – U.S. Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces the arrest of Jose Merced Sanchez De La Torre (age 43) on a federal criminal complaint alleging illegal re-entry into the United States by an alien with a prior aggravated felony conviction. If convicted of the offense, Sanchez De La Torre faces up to 20 years in federal prison.
According to court documents, on August 31, 2020, the Federal Bureau of Investigation received a tip that a residence in Ocala contained illegal aliens and firearms. The FBI requested the assistance of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). CBP researched the address and determined that one of the residents, Sanchez De La Torre, was an illegal alien from Mexico who had previously been deported from the United States in 2015, following federal convictions for an aggravated felony—unlawful possession of a firearm—and seven counts of structuring financial transactions. On September 8, 2020, Border Patrol agents executed an arrest warrant at Sanchez De La Torre’s Ocala residence and took him into custody.
This case was investigated by the FBI, CBP, and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tyrie Boyer.
Putnam County Library Employee Arrested and Charged with Production of Child Exploitation MaterialRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces that Kurt Batucan Sheldon (29, Interlachen) has been arrested and charged by federal criminal complaint with production and possession of child exploitation material. Sheldon faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 15 years, and up to 50 years, in federal prison. Sheldon has been detained pending a hearing scheduled for September 10, 2020.
According to the complaint, parents of a minor child made a report to the Clay County Sheriff’s Office about sexually explicit messages being sent by an adult to their daughter on Snapchat and Whisper. The adult referred to himself as “K t.” “K t” was his screen name on Snapchat, but his Snapchat username was “tacticfallout.” “K t” originally began communicating with the child on Whisper and represented himself as a male, between the ages of 25-29. The child told him that she was 15 years old. “K t” told the child that his name was “Kurt” and that he lived in Putnam. The child told “Kurt” she lived with her parents and was in school. Their conversation later moved to Snapchat and “K t” requested child exploitation material—images and videos—from the child and directed the child on how to take the images and how to pose. Approximately 50 images and/or videos were sent to “K t” at his direction.
Further investigation by the Clay County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations identified Sheldon’s residence as the source of the IP address used by the Snapchat account “tacticfallout,” and the Gmail account associated with this Snapchat account.
On September 4, 2020, HSI agents and deputies and detectives with the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at Sheldon’s residence. Sheldon admitted there was child sexual abuse material on the computer. He also admitted to asking girls he met on online applications, whom he knew to be underage, to send him nude photographs, including a 15 year-old female.
Any person who was, or knows of someone who may have been, a possible child victim is urged to contact HSI at 1-866-DHS-2ICE or online tip form - http://www.ice.gov/webform/hsi-tip-form.
This case was investigated by the Clay County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Washington and Kelly Karase.
It is another 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 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.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation and all criminal defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Pasco County Couple Arrested for Submitting False Claims for FEMA Benefits Related to Hurricane IrmaRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces the return of an indictment charging Christina Lynn Catalano (38, Holiday) with disaster assistance fraud regarding Hurricane Irma. The indictment also charges Catalano and her husband, Joseph Samuel Catalano (54), with making false statements to federal agents to conceal such fraud. If convicted, Christina Catalano faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison, plus payment of restitution to the United States. Joseph Catalano faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in federal prison.
According to the indictment, between September 15 and November 20, 2017, Christina Catalano falsified records concerning the alleged destruction to a non-existent travel trailer, which she claimed as her primary residence in Citrus County. The records accompanied an application for assistance to the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Individuals and Households Program for Hurricane Irma.
The indictment further alleges that on January 31, 2020, Christina and Joseph Catalano made false statements to federal agents from the Department of Homeland Security to conceal the fraudulent claims.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case is part of the United States Attorney’s Disaster Fraud Task Force, which was announced in September 2017. It was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security – Office of Inspector General with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael P. Felicetta.
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 complete the online complaint form by visiting www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/webform/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Jacksonville Elementary School Teacher Arrested and Charged with Distribution of Child Sexual Abuse VideosRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces that Thomas Lester Hazouri, Jr. (40, Jacksonville Beach) has been arrested and charged by federal criminal complaint with distributing child pornography. Hazouri faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 5 years, and up to 20 years, in federal prison, a $250,000 fine, and a potential life term of supervised release. Hazouri has been detained pending a hearing scheduled for September 11, 2020.
According to the
complaint , MediaLab, the company that hosts the Kik online messaging application (“app”), notified the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) that one of its users, identified by user name “mybfsgaynotme,” had uploaded suspected child sexual abuse videos on March 26, 2020, using an account whose subscriber information included the email address “[email protected].” Further investigation by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office revealed the internet protocol address used to distribute these videos on Kik resolved to the residence of Thomas Lester Hazouri, Jr. in Jacksonville Beach. JSO determined that Hazouri was a second grade teacher assigned to Mayport Elementary School in Jacksonville.A search warrant was issued for the Kik account for user “mybfsgaynotme,” and this account contained 19 images and 45 videos that depicted child sexual abuse. On August 6, 2020, JSO detectives and other personnel executed a search warrant at Hazouri’s residence and seized an Apple iPhone XR, as well as two laptop computers. Forensic examination of the iPhone revealed that it contained 123 images and three videos depicting child sexual abuse, including depictions of very young children. The email address “[email protected]” originally reported to NCMEC in March 2020 was the email address used for the Gmail, Tinder, and Uber accounts on this iPhone. JSO detectives observed a tattoo on Hazouri’s wrist that matched the tattoo shown in a photo of a male masturbating that was recovered from the Kik account for user “mybfsgaynotme.” JSO also confirmed that a particular rug pictured in a photo recovered in this same Kik account matched an actual rug in Hazouri’s classroom at Mayport Elementary School. On August 19, 2020, JSO officers arrested Hazouri in Jacksonville.
On August 27, 2020, JSO and the FBI confirmed that on March 26, 2020, the Kik user of the “mybfsgaynotme” account distributed at least four videos depicting child sex abuse to several other Kik users.
This case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Duval County School Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.
Anyone with information regarding this investigation should contact the FBI Jacksonville office at 904.248.7000.
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.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation and all criminal defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Owner of Fraudulent Telemarketing Company Sentenced to Four Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – Chief U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday today sentenced Samuel Friedman (45, Land O’ Lakes) to four years in federal prison for health care fraud. The court also ordered Friedman to forfeit his interests in real property as well as a bank account containing nearly $475,000, which were traceable to proceeds of the offense. Restitution was ordered in the amount of $3.42 million.
Friedman had pleaded guilty on June 16, 2020.
According to court documents, Friedman owned and operated a telemarketing operation known as SKF Enterprises, LLC (SKF). SKF targeted the Medicare-aged population to generate orders for durable medical equipment (DME) and cancer genetic (CGx) testing. SKF’s call center employees were trained to follow a script of triage questions designed to upsell DME and CGx testing to Medicare beneficiaries. SKF then packaged this information into the format of a prescription for doctors’ approval under the guise of “telemedicine,” but no proper telemedicine occurred. Rather, doctors’ signatures were secured in exchange for bribes and kickbacks.
During the scheme, Friedman bribed numerous doctors, through fraudulent “telemedicine” companies, to sign and to approve thousands of DME and CGx-testing orders, regardless of medical necessity. Once signed by doctors, Friedman sold the prescriptions to client-conspirators for submission to Medicare and the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs. The conspirators attempted to conceal their illegal kickback relationships using sham boilerplate marketing agreements. For these illegal sales, conspirators paid SKF more than $3.4 million.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Veterans Affairs – Office of Inspector General, and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kristen A. Fiore.